Schadenfreude » audio

Getting Skype Working on Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic x86-64

Erik — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:58:11 +0000

So, recently, I installed Ubuntu karmic cleanly on my main desktop machine here at home, and I have really liked it. I even switched to KDE, and everything has been working better than it had been in GNOME. I tried setting up Skype the other day, and ran into an issue with the microphone. It turns out that since the new Skype uses PulseAudio, there’s a further configuration step that’s not so obvious. I found out here that you have to do the following:


sudo apt-get install pavucontrol
pavucontrol

Then, go to the Input Devices tab, and unmute the sound (click the little speaker with a red X until the controls at the bottom are enabled). Then, change the Port setting until you can see the bars move when you tap the microphone. Then try Skype. This worked perfectly for me – it’s too bad it’s not connected to the KDE sound mixer, but oh well. Maybe in the future that will happen.

Citibank says checks are cleared as soon as you see them online…

Erik — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:56:33 +0000

I called Citibank tonight to confirm that one of my checks I deposited was finally collected. This is a good thing to ask your bank if you are concerned that a check might bounce. They indicated, as is said in the following audio recording, that if a check shows up in your transaction log online, it’s cleared.

Rowan LeCompte is awesome

Erik — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 20:59:34 +0000

While waking up this Saturday morning, I heard one of the best interviews I’ve ever listened to on NPR. Rowan LeCompte, a stained glass artist who has contributed greatly to the Washington National Cathedral, is interestingly agnostic. His explanation of a philosophy of kindness is wonderful. Have a listen. (Start at 3:55 if you’re short on time)