Check compact flash (CF) memory card integrity

Sometimes compact flash (CF) memory cards cause troubles. And you don't know if the problem is the card or the reader, maybe something else? A small utility that might come handy in that situation: http://www.thelifedigital.com/scan-the-flash-drive-for-errors-with-check-flash/
Direct link for utility download if the page above dies: http://www.mikelab.kiev.ua/PROGRAMS/ChkFlsh.zip

And may all your bits be with you!

Batch convert MP3 bitrate on Windows using lame MP3 encoder

Sometimes you have to lower the bitrate of your MP3 files to save space (on your phone memory card) or bandwidth (when sending your lecture recording to a friend). There are numerous utilities to do it the click-click way but there is also the terminal option. With the power of Linux/Unix terminal and bash this is no challenge at all but MS Windows is quite a different story. Anyway, the solution that runs inside Windows command prompt (cmd) and changes the bitrate is:

forfiles /m *.mp3 /c "cmd /c c:\lame\lame.exe @file 128\\@file"

This command converts all mp3 files (/m *.mp3) in the current directory to 128kbit (Lame default bitrate) and places the new files inside "128" directory (that you have to create yourself before running the command). For conversion, the Lame MP3 encoder located in "c:\lame\" directory is used.

Feel free to explore further command line options of Lame MP3 Encoder.

P.S.: You can also raise the bitrate this way but I don't see any good reason for doing that. ;)

Move gmail signature on top (above quoted message)

A nice trick taken from http://www.nicoleonthenet.com/488/gmail-signature-trick/
If the link dies the trick is:

1. Log on to gmail, go to settings.
2. Click on the "labs" tab.
3. Enable "Signature tweaks".

That's all folks!