Yearly Archives: 2010

Many Corners, One Site

Site News

We’ve reorganized things here a  bit: to help divide up our content, we have now more clearly separated our posts into their respective Corners.   In the spirit of the original Rudy’s Corner, all music, video and book reviews are under the main “Music, Video & Print” category.  Gadgets, such as audio and video hardware, computers, Zune portables and other tech items are now in Gadget Corner.  Due to the increasing number of topics and a future project in the works, Android phones have their own Corner here.  Gaming Corner will feature articles and reviews of video games.  And as always, “Say What?” will be anything else you can think of.

We are considering a new theme for the site, which will prominently feature these major sections as menu tabs across the top but, until then, the “Corners” are now listed below our site’s main navigation menu on the left.  If the reorganization still proves to be too hectic, Rudy’s Corner may very well split into a network of related sites.  Thanks for visiting!

“Juke In The Back” – Matt The Cat’s New Radio Gig

Radio (Online, XM, AM, FM)

As many fans of the late, lamented XM5 channel will remember, Matt The Cat was one of XM’s greatest talents.  Out on his own for a couple of years now, Matt has been keeping the Friday Night Cat Fight alive through a weekly podcast.  His newest program is called “Juke In The Back,” and is being carried by a growing number of radio stations around the country.  This program features “The Soul Before Rock & Roll,” the rhythm and blues that predated the rock and roll era.  The name comes from the era when the jump blues records would not be available on the jukebox in front of an establishment, but were instead found on the jukebox in the back.  This is another excellent show.  Check the site often for local listings, or stream it via Rock-It Radio.  If you are a radio programmer, consider becoming an affiliate.

How Your Google Account Empowers Android

Android Corner

For the most part, I’ve heard very few complaints about the way Google’s services tie into an Android phone.  Some of the complainers, in fact, don’t even own an Android phone and claim, “Hey, my phone can use Google Maps, and I can get my Gmail.”  Talk about missing the point!  On an iPhone I looked at recently, Google’s “apps” were nothing more than a menu of Google shortcuts to mobile versions of their various sites.  They work, but they don’t integrate.  At any rate, I’ll give you a rough outline of how your Google account ties into the Android phone, and how it makes the platform easier to use overall.

Continue reading How Your Google Account Empowers Android →

Pandora, Last.FM and Slacker (Upcoming Shootout)

Music, Radio (Online, XM, AM, FM)

I’m in the middle of comparing three popular online radio services:   Pandora, Last.FM and Slacker Radio.  All three offer you the choice of picking a favorite artist and “training” your own custom stations.  Given my recent experiences, my success rate varies among the three companies’ offerings.  In their free modes, there are limitations, which I will outline in my coverage of all three.  Look for the full comparison in a few weeks.  In the meantime, I’ll outline each one individually in separate articles, including a how-to guide to get the most out of them.

Stevie Ray Vaughan SACD Reissues

Music

STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN - TEXAS FLOOD (NUMBERED LIMITED EDITION HYBRID SACD)Listed on the Music Direct website are five essential albums by Stevie Ray Vaughan:  the four original albums Texas Flood, Couldn’t Stand The Weather, Soul To Soul and In Step, and also the posthumous collection The Sky Is Crying.  These are being remastered and released on hybrid SACD by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab.  SACD afficionados remember that the first two original albums were issued on SACD by Columbia, but the reissue program was scrapped thereafter.  The first album, Texas Flood, is slated for an October release, with the remaining four release dates to be determined at a later time.  These are essential for any fan of Stevie Ray’s guitar and vocals, as well as aficionados of guitar blues in general.  The current remastered CDs sound really good, but the Mobile Fidelity releases will take this to an even higher level.