When I was writing this scene, I originally planned to have the two of us reverse-engineer the codec on our own, but I couldn't think of a way to make it happen that didn't drag horribly. I eventually just said 'screw this- if I can't figure out how to write this, I sure as heck would give up on doing it!', and wrote it this way.
As for TSAB knowledge of Earth programs, I'm just going to shrug on that one. They may very well know how to read the Internet like an open book, but that doesn't mean I do. If memory serves, the TSAB prefers not to meddle in UAWs- more so than the Ministry of Magic avoids muggles, but less than the Federation and pre-warp civilizations. I figure that yes, they know a lot about Earth. They infrequently make visits to Earth- more so when Earthborn mages in high places (Graham) want it, and/or powerful mages they want to court (Nanoha) live there. But they don't go telling everybody and their mother where it is, what it's like, or how to pirate their music.
**********
Five hours. It took us five hours of research, development, redevelopment, aural punishment, and re-redevelopment- a very painful five hours, mentally and physically- just to get everything figured out.
I can still feel the headache some of our attempts gave me.
During that time, I had to relocate quite a few times. I ended up visiting a couple of other Apollos, a MacLeods (which actually made me laugh- truly, the Kaleidoscope is an amazing thing), and the local Rex Brechdan.
Had to look that one up. Wow.
Anyway, it turned out that Malleus was having a few more issues with the MP3 file format than expected. I eventually had to hunt down the complete specifications for it (an impressively boring task, if only because the other standards that the MP3 file format was built on were documented quite dryly), and have him start fresh based on that.
Luckily, I was dumped into a universe where the important things haven't changed. The Internet managed to solve that problem... eventually.
(I also checked. USB still works precisely as expected, and the video players available around here can read my anime just fine. I can't believe I didn't think of that when I sent off that USB key.)
Once we got a working music player figured out, I spent another half hour or so transferring files over, dropped my laptop off back at the storage place, and then plotted out a trip back to Valle del Sol. I had a debt to settle, after all.
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.
As for TSAB knowledge of Earth programs, I'm just going to shrug on that one. They may very well know how to read the Internet like an open book, but that doesn't mean I do. If memory serves, the TSAB prefers not to meddle in UAWs- more so than the Ministry of Magic avoids muggles, but less than the Federation and pre-warp civilizations. I figure that yes, they know a lot about Earth. They infrequently make visits to Earth- more so when Earthborn mages in high places (Graham) want it, and/or powerful mages they want to court (Nanoha) live there. But they don't go telling everybody and their mother where it is, what it's like, or how to pirate their music.
**********
Five hours. It took us five hours of research, development, redevelopment, aural punishment, and re-redevelopment- a very painful five hours, mentally and physically- just to get everything figured out.
I can still feel the headache some of our attempts gave me.
During that time, I had to relocate quite a few times. I ended up visiting a couple of other Apollos, a MacLeods (which actually made me laugh- truly, the Kaleidoscope is an amazing thing), and the local Rex Brechdan.
Had to look that one up. Wow.
Anyway, it turned out that Malleus was having a few more issues with the MP3 file format than expected. I eventually had to hunt down the complete specifications for it (an impressively boring task, if only because the other standards that the MP3 file format was built on were documented quite dryly), and have him start fresh based on that.
Luckily, I was dumped into a universe where the important things haven't changed. The Internet managed to solve that problem... eventually.
(I also checked. USB still works precisely as expected, and the video players available around here can read my anime just fine. I can't believe I didn't think of that when I sent off that USB key.)
Once we got a working music player figured out, I spent another half hour or so transferring files over, dropped my laptop off back at the storage place, and then plotted out a trip back to Valle del Sol. I had a debt to settle, after all.
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.