dreamnid

EasyRecovery by OnTrack works really well. There is also an offering from Acronis. Problem with most disk recovery utilities is they usually don't work with NTFS partitions

I played a litle bit on my room mates computer - some glitches in the menu and game load but no problem with the gameplay. I really can't make an opinion on the graphics since I set everything to the lowest option (thought HL2 will drop to DirectX6 specs if needed) but I agree with diso that it is a pretty cool game and the wait was worth it. What's up with the minimalist hud now a days. Seems like HL2 and Doom3 barely have a HUD. I don't know if I like it better that way (since you do see more of the gameplay).

Not sure what you mean by "music creator" If you want a sequencer (stitch audio pieces together) then I'll recommend Acid. I never used Cool Edit but it is also a good product. If you're talking about samplers, sythensizers, etc.. then yes, Fruity Loops would be a good program to start out. I've personally used Reason; it really isn't meant for "n00bies" but it is very versatile. There is a GPL program but I can't remember the name of it.

Agreed - she could have easily worked around the mistake on the sound technician part...

The way she tried to dance was pretty hilarious. I'm not sure why she blamed it on her band since they were the one who did a better job trying to cope with the situation. Hopefully, she will take her words back in the near future. Still, I still enjoy listening to "Pieces of Me" and "La La" Here is Head-Fi's take on the screw up.

For SoundForge Process -> Time Stretch (If all you need to do is speed up the song and the pitch is fine) (Optional) Effects -> Pitch -> Shift (Changes pitch if needed)

If you need help with Acid, let me know. Keep in mind that Acid isn't really meant for your purpose - it is a basic sequencer. However, it isn't really that hard to use... if you find the program complicated, good luck with some of the other ones out there . I'll install soundforge later and confirm that it can't speed up songs for you.

I had a Back-UPS 500 Pro and it basicall liked to do the same thing. I thought it was the battery, but it started to beep again after a couple months. You can clear the beeping noise by pressing the on button (which will cause it to test the battery). Next time, I have to remember to skip the Back-UPS series and head straight for the Smart-Pro line which is more widely used in IT. For now, I would recommend either replacing your UPS with a power strip or find another UPS to use. Let me know if you found something good since I chose to do the former.

You can do the same with Acid or maybe even SoundForge.... but you'll have to squeeze each file individually. On the other hand, you can use a WinAmp plugin to speed up the songs so you don't have to go through the pain if you don't need to.

I would check with the legality of recording phone conversatons first...