Brian Hall

New Announcements from Apple September 2010

2010-09-01T12:29:00.003-06:00

As expected, Apple made some exciting announcements today: iOS 4.1 (with 4.2 coming later this year featuring HDR photos and GameCenter), new updates to the entire iPod line, iTunes 10 (with a new logo and social music network, Ping), and an updated Apple TV. The event was finished off by a performance by Chris Martin from Coldplay.

The entire iPod line has been updated including a new iPod Shuffle (featuring buttons and voice controls), iPod Nano (with touch screen), and a new iPod Touch (thinner, 326 ppi LED Retina display, front camera with FaceTime, HD video recording).

One of the surprising announcements was Ping, a social music network integrated with iTunes 10. There was still no mention of online streaming or an online music library (still missing Lala!).

The most anticipated announcement was the announcement of the new, much smaller and less expensive Apple TV (which Steve Jobs had previously called just a "hobby") will retail for $99 later in September. The new Apple TV unfortunately will not store purchased content, but will only allow users to rent content ($4.99 for first-run HD movies, $0.99 HD TV shows). However, with apple's new AirPlay feature, you can stream any content from your iOS device to Apple TV. The Apple TV will also feature a Netflix app that will allow Netflix subscribers to stream movies. The HD on the Apple TV is unfortunately limited to 720p.

Microsoft, please make up your mind

2010-08-27T20:10:00.002-06:00

Microsoft announced this June that it would be merging its Windows Live Mesh service with Windows Live Sync and ditching Windows Live Mesh. Now, Microsoft has reversed that announcement and said that they will be rolling Windows Live Sync into Windows Live Mesh and ditching Windows Live Sync. Seriously, Microsoft, decide on a cloud storage and synchronization strategy, and stick with it. As of today (8/27), The Live Mesh web site still states, "Live Mesh will soon be replaced by the new Windows Live Sync."

Super Mario Bros. 2 Gypsy Jazz Style

2010-08-23T12:42:00.002-06:00

This made me so happy:

Intel to Acquire Security Firm McAfee

2010-08-19T07:08:00.000-06:00

Intel will acquire security firm McAfee for $48 per share, or approximately $7.68 billion. McAfee will continue to run as a separate entity, but will roll up to Intel. It is intriguing to see what Intel, traditionally a hardware company, will do with McAfee, which is known for its antivirus and security software. (Source: Business Wire)

The Constant Flow of Information and its Affects on the Brain

2010-08-15T21:47:00.001-06:00

Has the constant flow of information in today's world created a false sense of urgency in our lives and reduced our ability to focus? An article in the New York Times tells about some research being done to explore the impact of heavy technology use and multitasking on brain activity. Some scientists theorize that in our hyper connected world, we expend a good portion of our working memory in anticipation of new information (such as e-mail, texts, etc.). Multitasking was also shown to adversely affect the brain's ability to learn. According to some evidence by researchers at the University of Michigan, the brain is better able to learn after walking through the woods than navigating a busy street.

This interesting article tells about a retreat in which top neuroscientists (without their phones or laptops) start to explore how the constant flow of information and digital connectedness affects the way we think and act.

UPDATE (8/24/10): A related article from the New York Times references the fact that our brains aren't able to learn and remember things when bombarded with a constant flow of digital input. Very interesting reading! Time to unplug?

My friend Nick after anesthesia

2010-08-15T21:06:00.000-06:00

My friend Nick got his wisdom teeth out about a month ago, and his wife decided to film his incoherent, post-op ramblings. Check it out if you want a good laugh!

Old-School Computers at Hill AFB

2010-08-14T21:17:00.000-06:00

This summer, we visited the Hill Aerospace Museum at Hill Air Force Base, UT. Here are some pics of some old-school computers in the museum. As I looked at these old, dusty, gigantic machines, I wondered what it must have been like years ago when people used them in tense, top-secret missions.

Streaming Music Service Rdio Free for 3 Days

2010-08-03T13:42:00.002-06:00

Streaming music service Rdio is now available to the public and is offering an unlimited free trial for 3 days when you create an account (no credit card required). It reminds me a lot of LaLa, which was recently acquired by Apple and shutdown (Oh how I miss you, Lala!). Rdio seems to have a decent catalog of music, and the streaming seems to perform wonderfully. So go crazy and listen to all the music you want free for 3 days!

After the free Rdio 3 day trial, you will have to upgrade to a paid plan. Rdio Web costs $5/month for unlimited web access and $9/month for the Rdio Unlimited plan which allows you to save your favorite music to your mobile device and listen offline. I don't think I'll be upgrading to a paid Rdio subscription any time soon, though. (Source: Lifehacker)

Fix Windows Live Sync Beta for Mac "There is a Problem..." Error

2010-07-22T19:36:00.003-06:00

Microsoft recently announced that it will be rolling up it's online synchronization service Live Mesh into Windows Live Sync. I've been using the Windows Live Sync beta for Mac for the last week or so and it seems to be pretty solid, although I still prefer the 5GB free that Live Mesh offered. I also loved how Live Mesh would synchronize files between computers without each computer having to be on and logged in.

The other day, I was getting the error message whenever I started Windows Live Sync beta for Mac:

"Sorry, there is a problem with Windows Live Sync. Please quit Sync, make sure your computer is connected to the Internet, and then start Sync again."

I found out that this is a common problem affecting a handful of users. Since the software is still in beta, it's understandable that there will be some hiccups. None of the suggestions on the support forums seemed to solve the issue that I was having until I tried the following and it worked.

Quit Windows Live Sync
Delete the folder Macintosh HD: Users/Username/Library/Application Support/WLSync

Username will be your actual username, obviously. Fire up Windows Live Sync beta, and it will ask you to login, after which things should be working properly again. Please post in the comments if this works for you, or if you found a different solution.

Consumer Reports on the iPhone 4

2010-07-12T20:29:00.000-06:00

My favorite part: fix it with duct tape.

Uniden Brings Radio Scanning to the Masses with HomePatrol

2010-06-27T21:29:00.000-06:00

Uniden held an event at their headquarters in Fort Worth, TX this weekend where they unveiled a revolutionary new easy-to-use radio scanner called HomePatrol. For new scanner users, programming the correct police, fire, medical, and other interesting frequencies can be daunting. The HomePatrol scanner only requires that you enter your city or zip code, and the scanner automatically programs all of the frequencies from the RadioReference database. Connect your GPS to the HomePatrol scanner, and it can automatically pickup nearby radio frequencies in the area (including digital signals).

Last year I purchased the Uniden BCD396XT, and have really enjoyed it. Whenever I travel to a new location and I want to monitor, I have to spend at least an hour or so programming my scanner. This task is made much easier using a program such as FreeSCAN for Windows. However, with the HomePatrol scanner, listening in unfamiliar locations will make radio monitoring a more enjoyable and accessible hobby for more people. As long as the price point is right, this could really change the scanner radio market. Exact price and release date have yet to be announced.

Strange Phone Calls from 524-228-1301

2010-06-25T09:39:00.001-06:00

Anyone else getting phone calls from 524-228-1301? The phone rings and caller ID shows this number, but no one responds when I answer. I Googled this number and found that many other folks have also received suspicious phone calls from this number, some even claiming that there were Spanish speakers on the other end of the line, and others claiming that the caller asked for personal financial data. Shady!

Mouth Harp Beat Boxing

2010-06-11T16:12:00.002-06:00

Now I know what I need to work on this summer:

iPhone 4 Glass Shatters at 3.5 ft. Drop

2010-06-10T09:45:00.000-06:00

The new iPhone 4 design has the glass sitting above the metal bezel, as opposed to sitting behind the metal frame as with previous iPhone models. The folks at iFixyouri discovered that the glass shattered while dropping an empty iPhone 4 shell from waist level (3.5 ft.). On the third test drop, the glass was shattered. If this was simply an empty shell, I would imagine that the velocity of the fall would be greater with actual components inside. (Via SlashGear)

iPhone 4

2010-06-08T18:01:00.000-06:00

Creating a DVD with .MTS files from an HD camcorder

2010-06-07T11:04:00.001-06:00

Early this year, we purchased a Canon HF200 HD video camcorder. The quality of the video and pictures is excellent, but the native format of the video (.MTS) is a little troublesome to deal with. Fortunately, there are several programs that allow you to convert .MTS files to .AVI, .MP4, .WMV, or any other more usable video format.

I convert the .MTS files using Free HD Video Converter for Windows and Moyea MTS/M2TS Converter for Mac ($29). I preserve the native high definition resolution (1920 x 1080) of the videos and convert them to WMV (on Windows) or MP4 (on Mac OS X) using a video bitrate of about 7,000-8,000kbps, and an audio bitrate of 256-320kbps, 48khz sampling rate (WMA or AAC codec). I figure that this is good enough quality to then backup the videos onto a data DVD for long-term archival purposes. Plus, I can usually fit about one month of HD video onto a single DVD disc. Both Free HD Video Converter and Moyea MTS/M2TS Converter have presets to easily convert HD video if you don't want to mess with the technical details of the conversion.

When it comes to actually creating a video DVD that we can use to casually playback the videos, I use Windows Live Movie Maker and Windows DVD Maker on Windows 7 and iDVD on Mac OS X (iDVD 7.0.4, iLife '08). I don't need a fancy menu, I just want a simple DVD that will playback the videos automatically. Windows DVD Maker prefers the WMV video format which I create using the Free HD Video Converter. In iDVD, to create an autoplay DVD, follow these instructions.

Unexpected results in iDVD

In iDVD, I've found that the DVD comes out looking not as good as I expected, with a black frame surrounding the entire frame, and the audio being badly blown out (too hot). Perhaps this is due to some setting in Moyea MTS/M2TS Converter that isn't quite right. More experimentation and troubleshooting is necessary here.

For now, to make a simple autoplay DVD from the HD video files from my Canon HF200, I find myself going back to Windows 7 and using Windows Live Movie Maker, which is just drop-dead simple. Hopefully, more video editing and DVD authoring programs will support the .MTS format in the future, making the conversion step unnecessary. Windows Live Movie Maker actually does support the .MTS format, but editing full HD video is terribly slow and frustrating. In the meantime, these are the workarounds that have worked best for me. If you have found a better way, please comment!

The 50 Worst Inventions

2010-05-29T21:33:00.000-06:00

From hydrogen blimps, to baby cages, to "bumpits," Time magazine has an entertaining round up of the 50 worst inventions. Can you think of any that should be added to this list?

Friday Afternoon Sketches

2010-05-14T21:34:00.002-06:00

Good day for WAN connectivity to SFO

2010-05-13T09:34:00.001-06:00

This morning I ran a network connectivity speed test after installing some new networking gear last night. My connection to San Francisco was crazy fast! If only every day could be this fast! I love my ISP, and I'm going to miss them when we move.

Apple's Massive Cloud Assault: Here it Comes!

2010-05-10T14:56:00.001-06:00

A rumor recently leaked stating that Apple is likely to drop the $99/year charge for its MobileMe service, which allows users to keep their iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac and PC synchronized, and which offers online storage space for sharing media. It is also rumored that Apple could be preparing to introduce an online version of iTunes, which would allow users to access their music collection from any connected device, and purchase streaming tunes for less than the price of a download.

This ramped up cloud strategy is further backed up by the construction of a new, massive data center located in Maiden, NC. It is also unknown whether this new cloud initiative is in some way tied to the new iPhone which is expected to be released this summer. The rumor regarding MobileMe simply stated that the free service will be available "sooner than later... depends on certain facilities going operational."

Jailbroken iPad Runs SNES Emulator with WiiMote Controller

2010-05-08T21:53:00.000-06:00

This is completely and totally awesome! If you are willing to jailbreak your iPad, and you happen to have a Wii controller, snes4iPhone will allow you to play your old school Super Nintendo faves. Check out the video! (Source: IntoMobile)

SmoothWheel: Another Essential Firefox Add-On

2010-05-06T13:51:00.000-06:00

I recently stumbled upon SmoothWheel, a Firefox add-on that makes web page scrolling extremely smooth and more functional. Whether you use two-finger scrolling on the MacBook, or you use the mouse wheel to scroll through web pages, SmoothWheel will change your browsing experience for the better. Whenever I hop on a web browser without SmoothWheel, I notice a difference and now I can't live without it!

Jon Stewart Slams Apple--FUNNY

2010-04-30T14:20:00.001-06:00

It's been a long time coming, but with all of the Apple drama going on lately, The Daily Show's Jon Stewart rips Apple. Pretty hilarious and so true!

Apple Shutting Down Music Streaming Service Lala

2010-04-30T08:58:00.004-06:00

Apple acquired the online streaming music service, Lala five months ago. I signed up for Lala years ago when it was a CD swapping service. Lala's business model has changed to become an online streaming music service as well as an online music store. Since Apple's acquisition of Lala, it has been anticipated that Apple will transform Lala into its own streaming music service that will allow users to upload their music libraries and make them available to stream online from any location. Lala announced that May 31, 2010, it will shut down Lala. While I am sad to see Lala go, I'm very excited to see where Apple takes it from here. (Source: Electronista)

The Problem With Subway

2010-04-12T16:55:00.005-06:00

(Source: Inquisitr)