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Converting audio and video with Permute
The number of converter apps out there is almost overwhelming, perhaps even maddening if you just want to get the job done. Permute is the other part of the Downie combination that converts files between formats and extracts audio. Permute reads and writes to multiple formats, but by default there are presets for MP4, MP3, AAC and settings for specific mobile devices. If you need more, go into Preferences and define a new Preset. My uses include extracting audio from a video file, converting .mov to .mp4, and the occasional conversion to MP3. For my needs it’s a three step process, drag the video files onto Permute, select MP3 as the format, click Convert. After a time, I have the full audio track as a separate file. Permute can also trim, crop if you’re trying to make something specific. I’ve never had need to go this route, but I have used the Stitch Together feature, which is available through the […]
When will AI advertise itself right out of existence?
It’s been less than a year and the AI tools are pretty impressive. We’ve gone from nothing to research assistants to digital artists. And in that same amount of time, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook have eroded and ruined the experience. People are already concerned over AI bias and presenting information with a certain slant, but the new problem is the advertising it’s vomiting out. AI isn’t about collecting and disseminating information, it’s a new technology vehicle to serve up ads-ads disguised as information. It’s not about presenting information to help answer a question, or make connections people didn’t see before, it’s about selling products based on your queries. Every question and research topic will flood us with yet more ads. We’re already suspicious of the information AI presents. Were did that answer come from? What is the source? Where is the reference material? Who is the real author? Soon it will be, who paid to show me this answer that […]
The sad demise of Download Shuttle
Since we’re talking about download tools for personal use, Download Shuttle is another casualty of the continued lack of updates from Fiplab, which is a shame, because it was pretty sweet app. It was a lightweight and easy to use app to download audio and video to your local machine. It was basically a browser that scanned links on a page looking for content files. It was great for YouTube, but like Downie, you could use it against any site and have a lot of success. There is no “extraction” feature, it was a downloader, but it worked well against all sorts of sites. It was fast, powerful, and easy to use. I bought it as a companion app to Downie, or maybe it was the other way around. But, with the lack of updates, Download Shuttle isn’t what it used to be. And that’s an unfortunate story for Fiplab, because they have some great tools like Download Shuttle, Mini […]
Downloading Video and Audio using Downie and Permute
Once you find the right keyword, topic, or channel, YouTube is a rich source of content, and tools for downloading videos are commonplace. In fact, you can’t turn around without running into a YouTube downloader. There are dozens of similar looking and sound apps like YT-Saver, VideoDuke, Wondershare Uniconverter, Wondershare AllMyTube, Allavsoft, Bigasoft, Cisdem Video Converter, VideoPro, not to mention all the browser extensions. There are so many of them they all start to look alike. They’re made by different companies, right? So, with all these “free” tools, do you need a standalone video downloading app? If you want one or two videos, then no, but if you’re looking to download a series of tutorials, an entire channel, or extract some audio so you can listen to it offline, then yes you do, and you should look at Downie and Permute combo from Charlie Monroe. Downie handles the downloads and audio extraction for new files, while Permute handles conversion between […]
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