Year: 2010

USB 3 on the Mac

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Last week my order for a LaCie USB 3.0 PCI ExpressCard/34 arrived.

Finally, USB 3 on the Mac. I was one happy camper
Until I tried to connect a USB 3 docking station to the expresscard

I got an error message like this:

Super Speed device other than LaCie is not supported

After a little google searching I found this article which basical states that the LaCie USB 3 controller works, but only with LaCie hardrives, hubs and keys

@#$@#%! So $50 AUD wasted. LaCie doesn’t even have the decency to state this on their website.

If they had said their controllers only with their products I would have been fine with it. But they didn’t. They essentially sold my a product under false pretences.
In the future I don’t think this will be a problem b/c it is only a matter of time that a driver comes out that will accept any product plugged into it.

Moving House

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Moved house today from Coburg to Reservoir after three years in Coburg.
I discovered I don’t really like Coburg at all. I should have moved a little east to Preston b/c it has a LOT of chinese restaurants

I also managed to lose my iPhone 3GS, in the process losing all contact with the outside world.
– No telephone, no internet – so I had to go purchase a cheap $30 phone and a $49 USB 3G modem with 1GB of data to last me until my ADSL is connected.

The good news is after paying the excess on my phone insurance ($225) I will get a new iPhone 4!

….. but I will have to wait four weeks 🙁

Geotagging photos on the Mac

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Was reading my email, and lo and behold, what pop into my inbox? Another bloody offer to buy yet more software.

This time HoudahGeo an application that has had tremendous reviews.

What does it do? It embeds GPS location data into your digital photos .. but it does it so well.

Here is a screen dump from my iPad showing the location of pictures taken in Seoul, South Korea. I used a standalone GPS to record my location and a special program which synced the GPS location to the photo by using the time stamp on the photo and in the GPS log.

The iPad is the best means of showing off photos I have ever seen. The only thing that beats it is a well put together scrapbook but that involves glue, scissors and “real” physical photos …. not my thing

Previously I had used Googles Picasso for the Mac to do this, see a review here

For an overview of Geotagging Geotagging and the Mac (1) – Basics is excellent

Learning PHP and WordPress Templates

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Step 1: Setup MySQL and PHP

==>  ?http://maestric.com/doc/mac/apache_php_mysql_snow_leopard

Test to see if php works by creating a sample php file

?<html>
<head>
<title>PHP Test</title>
</head>
<body>
<?php phpinfo(); ?>
</body>
</html>

Step 2: Install Wordperss

Step 3: Find a good SQL admin tool

?If you have a Mac try http://www.sequelpro.com/

New stuff for the Bike

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On the weekend I purchased a 45 L topbox for my bike.

A SHAD SH-45 for $290. The 50 L version costs $500, too expensive for my taste.

I was looking at a Givi 52L box, but they are USD $300, plus  USD $180 postage. On top of that you needing the mountplate for USD $90

Now all I need are:

– Centrestand
– panniers for the side
– Protector for the bottom of the bike.