Filed under: Utilities, Video, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware
DVD to iPod minus the aggravation
by Ted Wallingford Aug 23rd 2007
In the intervening months since we last took a look at the fabulous DVD-ripping tool Handbrake (for Mac, Windows, and Linux), the studios have gotten wise to the "lawful use" of the little silver platters they sell at Wal-Mart and upped the ante on rippers. It seems there's a newer protection scheme that does indeed stop Handbrake from ripping the video content on certain DVDs so you can package it for your iPod. Granted, Handbrake's developers state that the best way to use their program is by supplying it with unprotected video files to begin with. And that's the trick.
The answer is the new beta of MacTheRipper (3.0), which offers a workaround for this new technique. Once you've nabbed a rip using MacTheRipper, Handbrake will grab the ripped video files from your hard disk and package them into a MPEG-4 or AAC format that's perfect for your video iPod, iPhone, or for on-the-go viewing on your laptop. Now MacTheRipper is freeware, but you'll need to contribute to the developers' coffers if you want to get the 3.0 beta at this point. When you do, let 'em know Download Squad sent you.
So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do.
Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
