If you are running a media server for your iTunes library, you might want to have iTunes start automatically every time the computer boots.  Don’t worry, it’s very easy to do:

On Windows Machines (XP, Vista, or 7):

1) Right click on the iTunes icon (likely on your desktop) and select “Create Shortcut”

2)  Click the Start button Picture of the Start button, click All Programs, right-click the Startup folder, and then click Open.

3) Drag the iTunes shortcut into the Startup folder.

The next time you start Windows, the program will run automatically.

On an Apple/Mac:

1) Apple Menu > System Preferences > Account

2) Username > Login Items tab

3) Click the + icon and add  iTunes.

Ok, let’s get the obvious out of the way and say that using a Media Server as I will layout below, is not a sync.  You are just managing 1 library which all computers use.  The end effect is the same though: your iTunes library will be absolutely the same (songs, playlists, play counts, ratings, etc) across your local network.  I’ve been using this setup for about two weeks now and it is working great.  While you can use Home Share to view other iTunes libraries on your local network, you have no control and/or sync of new songs, playlists, ratings, playcounts, etc.

If you haven’t read it, you can also view my article about Transferring Playlists and Ratings in iTunes with Home Share.

Overview: Setup 1 computer as a Master iTunes library.  All other machines on the local network will log into the server  to view/browse/play.  While I added a new, third machine to my setup, you can get away with just 2, or support 3+ computers.

Difficulty: Medium

Pros: Library is exactly the same across all computers.  No sync required.

Cons: Opening up iTunes will take a few extra steps.  You will likely want to have an Airport Express to stream your music to your stereo.

Requirements (other than iTunes):
1) Two or more PC computers. Sorry Mac users, this won’t apply (although you can likely find a Mac Friendly Gbridge equivalent).
2) Gbridge – a screen sharing application (free)
3) A Gmail Account (required by Gbridge; free)

Let’s get started:
1) Backup all iTunes Libraries.  This is always a good idea in case you mess something up.  I don’t think in this case it is truly required, but it’s always good to CYA.

2) Download and install Gbridge on all machines.  If you use Google’s Two-Step Authentication, you will need to generate an application specific password for Gbridge.

3) Configure Gbridge on your “server.”  Pick one of your machines.  A desktop and/or the fastest machine is probably the best bet, although the computer I’m using for my server is an old machine that I’ve cobbled together from several old, dying machines, so a fast server is not required.

OPTIONAL, but highly recommended: Open Gbridge > Click on Desktop Share > Click on Configure Gbridge DesktopShare > Under Access from my other computers by myself:  select Allow after verify DesktopShare password and enter in a password.  Then click OK.

4) That’s about it.  If you are using your “server,” just open iTunes as you would normally.  If you are using a secondary machine:

Open Gbridge > Under My Computers, click on the name of your server machine and select “Access GBridge VNC” > Enter your password > Launch iTunes (if not already open) on the server.

Extra Credit Projects:

1) Have the server launch iTunes automatically on startup.

2) Have various maintenance tasks run automatically on server

3) Automatically transfer music, movies, apps, etc from one machine to the other.

Choppers put on their annual motocross event and I gotta say I am a big fan.  Two riders take turns launching off a jump and doing tricks–all from a few feet away.  I threw together a quick movie with some video and stills that I took.

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.

I’m not sure how Big Sky does it, but the weather was perfect yet again for the dummy jump, even though the weeks leading up to it, we probably saw the sun once.  Fortunately though, it was a clear sunny day with over 70 contestants, including a bride and groom and several crashes, of course.

Here’s a little montage I put together…

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.

We don’t get to see Lone Peak untracked all that often–or at least not for very long.  Now that the mountain has closed, though, that’s changed.  It snowed 12 inches last Saturday, so I took a drive up the hill when things cleared on Sunday.  Here’s a shot I took of Lone Peak, with Pioneer and Fan to the left and right, respectively.  The mountain looked extraordinary, covered in a blanket of snow, without any ski tracks.

I did notice that there was some beautiful  Big Sky Land for Sale up in Cascade Ridge and Summit View.  With views like this, its hard not to check the Big Sky Real Estate Guide for some investment property.

Living and working in a ski town is always a struggle to balance work and play.  I’d play all day if I could, but it’s great to get out first thing, get in a few laps and then head to work with a big smile on your face.  Last Thursday, I did just that.  I’ve been carrying my GPS in my pack recently, and put together another movie of our attack on Headwaters Bowl in Moonlight Basin.  In less than a hour and a half we raked in almost 10,000 feet of powder.  Now that’s a good day of work.

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.

We were lucky enough to get invited to the Yellowstone Club, a private ski (and golf) club.  With my GPS in my pack, a few of us tried to get as much “Private Powder” as we could before having to go pick up the kids from pre-school.  A great little birthday present…

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.

I made this  movie using Topofusion, a GPS Mapping software,  Wondershare Video Converter Ultimate, a video screen capture program and Windows Live Movie Maker.

I found this article explaining the basics of iTunes Home Sharing.  Basically, you can share your library among several computers BUT

1. They have to be on the same local network.
2. They have to use the same iTunes/Apple ID.  Meaning, you can’t share if you use one login and your wife uses another
3. Only purchases in the iTunes store (Music, Moives, TV Shows, Audiobooks and Applications) will automatically transfer from one computer to the other.  Additionally, you can select one or more of these categories, but not all, if you prefer.
4. My favorite feature: When looking at another computer’s library, you can just view items NOT on your computer. It’s near the lower left corner:

Let’s get started.  Open iTunes on computer 1:

1. Click iTunes Store > Sign in (near the upper right corner)
2. Turn on home sharing if it isn’t already: Advanced Menu > Turn on Home Sharing
3. Go to Edit > Preferences > Sharing Tab: Check “Look for Shared libraries”,” Share my library on local network”, optionally specify a password.  Click Ok.

Repeat for computer 2

You should now see the other computer’s library under a “SHARED” heading in the left pane in iTunes. Click on the arrow to view the other computer’s library.

I was pretty psyched at first, until I learned it has some limitations.  I guess I was hoping for more of a Sync, but this is not the case.  Ratings, play counts, playlists, etc. are not copied.  And you while you can copy files from machine to machine, it isn’t automatic unless you’ve purchased it from the iTunes store.  Gag.

This may be fine for some, but if you have to use the same account in order to home share to work, it suggests that only 1 person’s library is involved, and if it’s only my library, then I want all the songs, playlists and ratings the same.  So basically, here we have two options: Transfer or Sync.  Let’s tackle transfer first.

If you haven’t heard of Dropbox, you’re missing out.  It’s a GREAT, free application (for up to 2GB) that lets you sync, store and share files across multiple computers, iPod touch, iPhone and online.  While this article is just talking about iTunes, it’s also great for collaborative efforts (sharing files with other people working on the same project), automatic backup and more.  So

1. Setup home sharing as outlined above
2. Download and install dropbox on both machines.
3. On computer 1, right click (or Macs Ctrl+Click) your playlist and select export. Save the file to dropbox.
4. Go to computer 2: File > Library > Import Playlist… and select the file from dropbox.

A little clunky but it works.  And if you want to transfer your ratings from one machine to the next, just create a playlist, let’s call it 3 Stars, and select all songs with three stars (View entire music library, click on the “Rating” column header, click on the first song rated 3 stars, press and hold shift, then click on the last song rated 3 starts, release shift, click and drag the list to your 3 star playlist), and repeat export/import process as outlined above.

Of course, if you want to bypass Dropbox, you could always export the playlist and email it to yourself or save it on a USB thumb drive.  Dropbox just makes the process easier for you.

Not ideal for syncing, but for transfering, it works great.  I’ll cover sync in another article.  Good luck and let me know if you have any problems or questions.

Seeing wildlife is a definite bonus to living in rural Montana.   We frequently see deer, elk, moose, various types of eagles, bighorn sheep and mountain goats to name a few.  And because of our proximity to Yellowstone National Park (the closest park boundary is less than 20 miles away), we also get to see bison, coyotes, and wolves.  You might think that you get used to it, and to a certain extent it is true.  Bighorn sheep down by Highway 191 don’t always give you the pause that it used to.  Having said that, it still is pretty neat to have a zoo in your backyard.

In the past week I’ve had two close encounters with wildlife, namely moose and bighorn sheep.  Since we have kids, we are always on the lookout for bighorn sheep, as they can regularly be seen in the same spot.  Sure enough, down by the Conoco, we saw a small a small herd of  bighorns.  Some tourists were on the spot before us and were getting close to a baby for a photo.  I pulled over thinking I might get a video of the mother coming down the hill and knocking over these tourists like a bunch of bowling pins.  Fortunately for them, all I got was this still.

Then yesterday morning on my way to work, I saw a momma moose standing at the end of the street.  I sat in my car and watched it for a few minutes and noticed a baby moose not far behind.  Most people think you need to be wary of bears and not moose, but, in fact, moose cause more fatalities each year.  And a mother with a calf is never to be underestimated.  With that in mind, I pulled up slowly to pass, but the moose simply turned to look for it’s calf.  I snapped a photo with my phone and kept on moving.  Pretty cool.

For whatever reason, the weather always seems to be decent for Big Sky Resort’s Dummy Jump.  Last week it was below zero for several days, and before that it was snowing like crazy.  Last Sunday, however, was a mild and pleasant day.  Mild and pleasant days seem like great days for being outside and watching stuff explode.  Hey, whaddayaknow?  The dummy jump delivers on both.   Check it out:

Get the latest Flash Player to see this player.

Although the MC seemed a bit loud, the event was a success.  Families were entertained, ski bums were drinking and dummies were exploding.  Sweet.