The Tech Blog of Ken

Warning for PowerPC to Intel switchers: repartition your backup drives

Warning for those going from a PowerPC to an Intel Mac. If you are using an external backup drive to create a bootable clone of your main hard disk, be sure to reformat the backup drive from APM to GUID format. If you don't, you won't be able to boot off of the backup drive if (when) disaster strikes. APM-partitioned drives are known to cause problems with Time Machine as well.

awesome: woman tries to buy all the iPhones and gets owned

this is awesome. "No doubt you've seen people all over the country who camped out for hours to get the hot new iPhone. So how did one local guy get the gadget AND eight crisp $100 bills to boot? FOX 4's Steve Noviello watched the money unfold." (via digg)

ActiveState Python for OS X

ActiveState now has ActivePython builds for OS X. Nice if you want an easy-to-install version of Python without tinkering around with stuff like DarwinPorts.

Flip through your digital albums with CoverFlow

The problem with digital music is you lose out on the whole act of browsing through CDs to find something you want to listen to. Clutter sort of solves the problem, but really only gets you part way there because you're kind of stuck with just a few of your favorites.

Enter CoverFlow. Even if you don't listen to music on your computer that often, you absolutely must check it out, if only for the eye candy. (Sorry, it's OS X Tiger only. Probably uses Core Image.)

You really have to see it in action to appreciate it. The animation is really smooth (even on my relatively slow PB15), and the interface is just works. Find your album, and double click to start playing in iTunes. You can scrub through your albums using the nifty control at the bottom of the screen or just use your mouse wheel. The albums on the side are just slightly transparent so you can see what's behind them (you can see Keane poking through on the right, and John Mayer's elbow on the left).

It's really a beautiful thing - like something that should have come right from Apple. That 5G iPod (video) really ought to take advantage of that big screen and scrub through your album covers, even without the 3D animation.

Coverflow could be a little more handy as a Widget (if it were technically possible) instead of a standalone application, but for someone who listens to a lot of music on the computer, it's worth taking up that extra space in the Dock.

Technorati Tags: itunes, mac, os-x

Dial your CallVantage phone directly from OS X Address Book

CallVantage Dialer is a handy Address Book plug-in that enables you to right click on a number and have it dialed from your CallVantage phone (your phone will ring first, then dial the number). It also integrates with Quicksilver and LaunchBar and supports Growl notifications.

Technorati Tags: os-x, mac, voip

which 5G iPod should I get?

So, I've decided I'm going to get myself a 5G iPod (aka video iPod) instead of the white nano. But which one? I have to choose from 2^2 permutations.

I've been using a 2G 10GB iPod for several years, and never really felt the disk was too small. I dig the big screen on the 5G for its video capability. I'm also an avid photographer, so I think the photo capabilities will come in handy (although there's no support for displaying RAW files).

I'm unlikely to ever watch a full-length movie on the iPod, but I could definitely see myself watching short content like a video podcast or music videos. I have a decent selection of DVDs of live concerts and music videos that don't viewed often because of the (admittedly minimal) hassle of pulling them out and popping them in the DVD player - I'm sure they would get some playtime once they're on the iPod. Watching a Jimi Hendrix show is so much better than just listening to one.

I've been patiently waiting through several generations of the iPod, thinking that eventually Apple would finally settle on a design that had all the features I wanted, without the drawbacks. I'm actually fairly content with my old iPod, but the previous models didn't make it compelling enough to upgrade. The 3G model had those four awful touch sensitive buttons that didn't make sense at all. The 4G model had the new click-wheel, but it was seemed largish compared to the mini that was introduced around the same time. The photo model seemed great because of the color screen (I love seeing album covers), but it was too expensive at the time of introduction. I was never quite keen on the rounded jellybean feel of the 3G/4G models, it's nice to see the return of sharper edges from the 1G/2G days. Besides these things, there are a few features that newer iPod owners probably don't notice much, but I really find lacking in the 2G:

• Play count. The old iPods don't keep track of which songs you play, which is kind of annoying because it makes smart playlists based on popularity less useful, since only songs played from my PowerBook are tracked.
• Song ratings. I love rating songs, and I really wish I could rate the songs while listening to the iPod on the move.
• Apple Lossless support. I have a good collection of live shows in the lossless Shorten format, and I would like to keep them lossless, if possible. I'd also like to listen to some of my favorite CDs in a totally lossless format without having to use bloated WAV format files. Sure, Apple Lossless is proprietary and all, but I have the original digital source, so I can always re-encode into some new lossless format in the future.
• Lock. I'd hate to have all my contact info falling into the wrong hands (cue evil villian sound).
• Games. Not a major selling point, but iPod Arkanoid gets old real quick.
• Sound quality. This is the deal-maker for me. Some of the interim iPod models supposedly had issues with sound quality (disk noise and thin sounding bass). The 5G reportedly has improved bass and less distortion compared to the 4G - a big deal when listening through my Etymotic ER-6 headphones.

I'm leaning towards the black 60 GB model because I think the black frame is good for the viewing experience, both for photos and video. I am concerned that scratches and smudges will show up more readily than the white one. I don't think the 60 GB is that much heavier/thicker (although I have yet to see it in person), but has improved battery life, and of course, twice the capacity, which would be useful once I start loading video on the thing. At $399, it's the same price as the 10GB I bought three years ago. Amazing. Still, I'm unsure whether I should go with the slightly thicker 60GB model.

Technorati Tags: ipod

Hotmail isn't accepting mail from Mail.app

This problem has been bugging me for a while, and there's a pretty easy fix on the Apple Discussion forums. Just cc: yourself when emailing Hotmail users. Works for me.

Hotmail sucks. I only know one person who still likes using Hotmail, and pretty everyone else only sticks with it because it would be more hassle to change email addresses.

Technorati Tags: email

iPod replacement batteries - don't be fooled by Sonnet

Playlist Magazine reported today that a company called Sonnet "unveiled" a new line of DIY iPod replacement batteries. Don't be fooled, they're nothing new. These are the same batteries that Other World Computing has been shipping for a long time, judging by the packaging, except that they cost five bucks more. I think you can get them even cheaper on eBay.

I recently installed a new OWC 2200 mAh replacement battery into my 2nd Gen iPod (a 10 Gig, one of the first ones with the touch wheel), after the battery could no longer hold a charge for more than two days. So far, the battery life has been great, although I haven't tried measuring the actual runtime. The installation was a piece of cake with the included nylon tools, and it was pretty neat to see the guts of my iPod.

I also upgraded the battery in my wife's iPod mini, which died after only a pathetic year or so. OWC has some nice instructional videos showing how to install the battery in the various iPods, with the disclaimer that they recommend their "professional installation service" for the mini. Take my word for it, installing a new battery in the mini is a LOT harder than they make it look in the video. I suspect the guy in the video is the same guy who installs batteries all day. Getting the plastic caps off the ends of the mini without mangling them is really the tough part, especially on my wife's iPod which is already dented on the ends from having been dropped so many times. I wound up mutilating the top cover pretty badly, and the bottom one has a pretty big ding in it now. And I'm not so sure if the glue inside will hold that well now that it's been removed once. Fortunately, the iPod lives in one of those silicone cases, so it's not such a huge deal cosmetically, but it is a kind of a shame to mess up that sleek mini. Maybe it's time to buy a nano.

Technorati Tags: ipod

New LaCie drive not Journaled!

I just got myself a spiffy new 250 GB LaCie d2 Extreme drive, 'cause all those digital photos and music are taking over my other external drive. The cool thing about LaCie stuff, besides being extremely ruggedly designed, is that it's oriented to the Mac buyer, so it comes preformatted for the Mac. Bad thing that I didn't notice before today is that Journaling is NOT enabled by default. Not sure why they did that, but I feel safer with Journaling enabled. All you have to do to turn it on is crank up Disk Utility, select the drive, and click "Enable Journaling."

So far the drive is performing fine, although it is noticeably louder than my other external drive (a Seagate drive in a MacAlly enclosure). Not too surprising, since Seagate drives are typically quieter than drives from the other major drive manufacturers. It also makes a certain noticeable "clunk" sound when it shuts down (maybe the head parking?). I think this is normal, since my friend's 500GB LaCie RAID makes the same sound (twice). Anyone out there know what OEM drives LaCie uses?

The Autoblog Nano contest

I'm a car nut. I'm only about "this close" to being a total car fanatic, because my other hobbies (photography, guitars, and gadgets) keep me from going overboard on one single hobby. I also love reading blogs. Back in the day, I poo-pooed blogs as merely outlets for teenage angst, but now I find myself reading several hundred feeds every week and maintaining a few blogs of my own. The targeted content keeps me coming back for more.

So when I came across Autoblog last summer, I was pretty ecstatic. After all, it sure beats checking all the different automotive news sites all the time. But besides just aggregating daily automotive news, they've also got exclusive content like In The Autoblog Garage, all with snarky humor. What could be better? Maybe another gadget?

Audi to get the heck outta Dodge… er, Auburn Hills
by Erin Mays

I'm from New Jersey, and let me fill you in on a tibit - BMW and M-B's North American headquarters are located literally blocks away from each other. Not only that, but they're both equidistant from a big Apple Store. C'mon Audi, Apple knows where the hipsters are. Come to NJ and hang with them. Props to Autoblog for the Napoleon Dynamite pic.

Top Gear on the Discovery Channel
by Randall Halcomb

Any car freak worth his motor oil has to love Top Gear. I mean, Tiff is an amazing driver and all, but he just doesn't have the balls that Jeremy Clarkson has. Who else would try to outrun a helicopter missile lock? It's great that the folks stateside can watch the US edited version, but it just ain't like catching the real thing on BBC.

Autoblog Podcast #1
by David Thomas

Sick of ClearChannel-programmed crap on the radio? Wish you could take Autoblog on the road? Now AutoBlog has podcasts you can save on your mp3 player. I listen to 9 or 10 podcasts regularly, and now Autoblog is on my list. Good interviews done in a serious, NPR-like style.

When an Enzo isn’t exclusive enough.
by Randall Halcomb

Autoblog brings us the hottest supercars. I've seen lots of pictures of supercars, so it's pretty hard to surprise me -- but when I saw this bad boy, my eyes totally bugged out. In my imaginary dream world where I'm as rich as Bill Gates, I'm invited to buy an FXX and "provide valuable test data to Ferrari engineers." Yeah, right. I'm sure they would take my test data and push the button that says "don't let anyone drive like this."

M5 appears on BMW’s US website
by Eric Bryant

I'm all over any kind of news about BMW, especially when said news starts with a big letter "M". The new 5 series body seemed a bit bottom heavy when I first saw it, until I discovered the missing pieces in the M5. Now it all makes sense. I think Bangle has finally hit his stride. $91,290 for mine (eh, no iPod option?).

Koenigsegg CCR: how Sweden does a supercar
by Christopher Diken

If you had to have a battle of the most-superest supercars, the Koenigsegg CCR would be up there with the Enzo and the Veyron. Those flip-up doors are the Lamborghini doors of the 00's. Never heard of Koenigsegg? What, you don't watch Top Gear? I think the folks at Autoblog do.

The $0.08 question: can I use mid-grade gas in a car that “requires” premium?
by Christopher Diken

Autoblog isn't only about supercars, sometimes they hook up us common folk with some practical advice to save some coin. Even more relevant now, what with the prices of gas going through the roof.

R2-D2 versus the Scion t2B
by Walter J Keegan Jr.

Posts like this one show that the Autoblog folks are really making their blogging entertaining, rather than just regurgitating a bunch of links. The pictures of R2-D2 with the Scion just cracked me up. One has to wonder what the folks at West Coast Customs would do if they got their grimy hands on the t2B (besides paint the obligatory pin-stripe flames). Then again, maybe "Mad Mike" had a hand in designing this freakshow.

Audi RS4 Avant spied
by Walter J Keegan, Jr.

Now this is the stealth rocket that 30-somethings like myself have been waiting for. My 2000 A4 is looking a little long in the tooth, and I really could use that extra hauling space. Too bad we'll never see this one stateside. Autoblog, you teased us, but where's the good stuff from Frankfurt?

FIA considering hybrid technology and other changes for Formula One
by Eric Bryant

I think me, a friend of mine, and Eric Bryant must be the only three Americans still interested in following F1 after the Indy tire fiasco. I'm glad Autoblog still has some coverage of F1, 'cause those F1 fan sites are waaay too chatty. Putting hybrids in F1 racing should help the car manufacturers do what they always promised from F1 - trickle down the improved technology to the consumer.