Bucketo

Trendnet IP Camera + FTP Upload = Good Times

2009-03-27T10:16:00.007-04:00

I purchased the Trendnet TV-IP212W IP camera recently. Nice thing about IP cameras is you can plug them in anywhere, they don't have to be tethered to a PC. I have some web space with ftp access so I wanted to have the camera upload images to the web, triggered by motion.

Setup is easy enough, pop your ftp credentials in the admin screens and you're good to go.

The 1st problem I ran into is the camera will create subdirectories on the ftp server based on the current date, today would be: 20090327, tomorrow: 20090328 etc... This is a pain for anyone wanting to throw a little web page together to show the image files uploaded as you're now getting into trying to figure out dynamically what folder to look in.

The 2nd problem is there is no image count or space threshold that can be setup. You turn this on and it will continue to upload files until there is no space left on the ftp server.

So I put a little index.php PHP script together. You drop it in the root directory where the subdirectories are being created and where you'll be viewing the images from. The script does the following:

Delete old directories. Any image directory that isn't today's is deleted. The is_numeric() check makes sure we're only looking at the image directories that are numerically named. This allows you to have other directories in here as needed outside the scope of the image directories.
Iterate through today's image directory, popping the jpg filenames in an array.
Sort the array in reverse order. The filenames are numeric based on the time the image was taken, making sorting easy...
Pump html out to the screen, loop through the image array. I have it set to only show the last 12 images, any older ones are deleted.

Here is the code for anyone that might be trying to setup the same thing as I did. Edit it to tailor the html to your liking, upload it to your webserver and fire up your browser and head to the page.

Hopefully a future firmware update will add some FTP options to control these parameters for people with less scripting knowledge.

Nine Inch Nails - The Slip

2008-05-05T07:40:00.003-04:00

You really can't go wrong with FREE. Reznor continues to cater to his fans by releasing NIN's next album for free online:

http://theslip.nin.com/

Player 1 Press Start

2008-03-18T08:00:00.003-04:00

A good buddy of mine started a gaming blog. Go show him some love:

http://player1pressstart.blogspot.com

Halo 3 killed my 360

2007-09-26T08:34:00.000-04:00

Ok, maybe the title is a little misleading but it still sucks no matter how you look at it.

Halo 3 came out earlier this week. I had a pre-order from dell.ca but was out late Monday night and decided to get in line at my local BestBuy to grab a copy of Halo 3. I got home around 1am, tried the game out for a good 20 minutes and hit the sack.

The next day I boot up Halo 3 to give it a good run and it freezes. Reboot and try again. Another freeze. Third time, the famous 3 Red Rings Of Death. Could the timing have been any worse? "20 minutes into Halo 3? You have got to be shitting me" is all I could think. Well, no joke the xbox died.

It's my 2nd Xbox death, last one was only 5 months ago. Called to order the coffin from Xbox Support. They say turn-around time is expected to be 3-4 weeks!

So here's where I feel dirty and disgusted, but I had to do it. I called around town and managed to find a store still selling Core machines, so I bought one. I contemplated keeping it until my main one was fixed and then returning it but you know, my Xbox WILL die again so this one will become my backup console.

In all my gaming days I never thought I'd be buying a BACKUP console.

ok, I guess I have to go "Finish The Fight"

Bucketo

Neglect

2007-08-02T18:11:00.000-04:00

Oh personal blog, how I neglect thee.

bobnoxious fall tour - dec 2nd in Ottawa

2006-11-28T12:48:00.000-05:00

YEAH!!! Raise the horns in the air. Bobnoxious are bringing their rock and roll show to Ottawa this weekend. I'll be there, you should come down for a few pints. Radiodazed and Soulbomb are opening...

cya

Bucket

Frank Taylor - Jane's Song

2006-10-26T10:41:00.000-04:00

Hey kids,

It's finally done! This spring I had decided to work with a good friend of mine, Frank Taylor, to put together a music video and DVD for one of his songs.

We shot footage around the Ottawa area in March '06 while he was in town on his tour. Over the summer I did the editing and finished up the final loose ends this month.

So, without further delay, here is the video for Jane's Song, a great song composed by Frank Taylor, The Flying Scotsman:

More info on Frank:
website: http://theflyingscotsman.ca
feature on CRS: episode 33

thanks for stopping by,

Bucket
host, Capital Rock Show

2006-10-12T23:40:00.000-04:00

Iron Maiden In Montreal

I think every rocker needs to see Iron Maiden at least once in their concert history. I headed up to Montreal earlier this week to see Maiden for the 3rd time. The show rocked, these boys are a top notch live show. They did something quite bold this time around; they played the new album, cover to cover. Yup, they played the whole album, which left enough time to dip into 4 songs from previous albums. It's a bold move for a band with such a rich music catalog but they pulled it off flawlessly.

Check out this footage from the show. Iron Maiden (the song) is perhaps the best song to see live...

EA Sports teams up with Priestess & Damone

2006-09-09T22:03:00.000-04:00

Oh guys! Now this is cool. Two bands that have been featured on CRS have been picked up this year by EA Sports for their in-game soundtracks. Priestess (CRS EP09, EP20, EP50) rocks out the NHL 07 soundtrack on and Damone (CRS EP30) kicks it up a notch in Madden 07.

Maybe I should contact EA Sports and had them over the other 50 kick ass bands that have passed through the CRS studios!

Rawk on Damone and Priestess, the Capital Rock Show is proud of yas.

Links:
Priestess and NHL 07
Damone and Madden 07

Bucket

Do you scrobble?

2006-09-01T22:39:00.000-04:00

Hey kids.

Do any of you use Last.fm? It's a neat social website revolving around the music people listen to. A program sits between you and your favorite mp3 player on your PC or Mac. It's constantly sending details on what your listening to up to your last.fm account. From there you can check out stats, charts and see what other people are listening to.

Being the music whore I am, I have an account, check it out:
http://www.last.fm/user/bucketo/

I've also created a group for listeners of CRS:
http://www.last.fm/group/Capital%2BRock%2BShow
Join the CRS group and get scrobblin'. Once we get a few people in the group, last.fm will generate weekly charts that I will then put on the CRS website to show everyone what music we've all been listening too.

Bucket

Here we go again... Record Labels just don't get it

2006-08-03T16:33:00.000-04:00

Turns out rising "indie" music podcaster, Kami, from Bands Under The Radar is actually a media manager for the Warner Brothers music label. Her show, "Bands Under the Radar" is served from wbr.com servers and she plays signed label bands from the label. Another lame attempt from the major labels to appeal to the indie audience.

read more | digg story

new video from gNosh

2006-07-13T18:58:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite bands from New Brunswick has recently released a new video for their song The Riddle.

check out their site:
http://gnosh.ca

featured on EP35 of the Capital Rock Show:
http://capitalrockshow.ca/blog/2006/03/ep035-gnosh.html

CRS & AMP

2006-05-18T20:14:00.000-04:00

Some good news on the podcast front. The Capital Rock Show has recently been accepted into the Association Of Music Podcasting or AMP for short. This is a great bunch of podcasters from around the world collectively working together to help promote the music that each of us plays. We swap music between podcasts, helping to cross-pollinate listeners and music.

Another cool feature of the group is we have a weekly podcast which is hosted by a different member of the association each week:

http://amped.libsyn.com

On a weekly basis this podcast takes great music that has been previously featured within the AMP network and brings them together for a 1/2 hour show. Not only do you get a great mix of music, but you also get introduced to a new host each week.

Good things are going to come out of CRS being part of AMP.

Stay tuned.

Bucket

I need help, graphical help that is!!!

2006-04-28T17:00:00.000-04:00

Things are rolling along nicely with the podcast. I'm in dire need of a logo for the show that i can use as forum avatars and on websites that have a podcast image field. I suck when it comes to graphics.

If there are any listeners that would like to help out, drop me a line at capitalrockshow@gmail.com. I'd really appreciate it.

beer time,

bucket

CRS Jukebox is live!!!

2006-04-07T14:16:00.000-04:00

After ironing out some bugs and completing a few tests, the CRS Jukebox is up and running on the CRS website.

What's this CRS Jukebox all about you ask?

Well it's a 24/7 stream of music from bands that have been featured on the podcast. It includes music from the podcasts as well as music we simply couldn't fit into the 20 min shows. Along with your mp3 player showing the current song, the website shows details on the last few songs played. It also has links to the bands website and links to where the CD can be purchased.

Head over and try it out. Feel free to stream whenever you want, at work, at home etc. There is software controlling the song order to ensure a great mix of music is delivered to you.

If you hear something you like, drop the band an email telling them you heard a great riff on the CRS - Jukebox. They'd appreciate the feedback.

Enjoy.

Jason

Your CRS dose is about to get bigger...

2006-03-18T14:17:00.000-05:00

hey guys and girls,

There's some exciting stuff happening on the CRS front.
We're looking at setting up a server to stream music from the bands that have been featured on the podcast. This is a great way to get your full dose of the music that makes it on the show.

I have a test stream up and running now. You can listen in here:

capitalrockshow.ca/listen
EDIT: link is currently down as we test other features... thanks to all who tested it over the weekend!

Think of this as the Capital Rock Show - radio edition, minus any DJs, advertising, and crap music. All the music is from bands that have been featured on the podcast.

If this proves to be something the listeners enjoy using we will make it part of the main CRS site.

Fire feedback my way: capitalrockshow@gmail.com

cheers,

Bucket

Canadian Podcast Buffet

2006-03-16T23:14:00.000-05:00

My podcast, the Capital Rock Show, has been featured on the Canadian Podcast Buffet. Here's a direct link to the show:

http://www.canadianpodcastbuffet.ca/?p=29

cheers,

Bucket

it's the simple things...

2006-02-25T13:35:00.000-05:00

This is a good laugh.

grabbed the link from Molly's Daddio.

podcasting on a 2-way street

2006-02-21T23:15:00.000-05:00

I've always had 2 main goals with the CRS podcast:

Bridge the gap between band and listener
Break the "radio" rule of the 1-way road

I think #1 is coming along nicely. Listeners are liking the mildy-produced sound of the show that cuts to the chase and let's the music do the talking. The show is that friend that introduces you to a new friend, what happens after that is between the 2 of you... Even though the show has only been in existance for little over 5 months, I've seen numerous accounts of listeners either buying CDs, attending concerts or just dropping a band a "hey I like your music" email after hearing a band on the show. Success of the show, for me, is knowing that once a week a few of us sit back, crack a beer, and listen to some really good music. There is still some work to be done on this front, but I think the show is taking the right format to achieve #1. It's that intimiate connection with the band that you get from a podcast that radio today just can't offer.

Now for #2.

My 2nd goal from the start has always been to involve the listener in some way. If I simply pick music to play each week, play it, and end of story, well I'm not really breaking the mold of what the radio stations are doing. The only difference is I don't have advertising. My short-term goal is to have more input from the listeners as to what is played on the show. If we are all collectively "subscribed" to the show, the show takes on much more personality if we get subjected to music that the listeners care about. This part is coming along well.

But...

I want to eventually take it even farther. Julien over at In Over Your Head is working hard on this notion of the listener becoming part of the audio experience via audio feedback and comments. The tools are slightly clunky to do it today, but they are not far off making the tools easy enough to use so that any listener can click the "big red button" and become part of the podcast production.

Think about the possibilities this will open for a show like CRS. Take your notion of what a typical forum thread looks like, or a comment thread. Now turn that thought into an audio one and you have instant audio participation by me the producer of the show and the listeners. I could post a show and listeners will be able to provide feedback and other audio commentary as part of the show for all to hear. It's this notion that takes the "producing" out of the show and let's everyone involve have an equal "audio" say...

this notion is still young, but I'm keeping tabs on it, 'cause it's something I know will truly make the show a blast to be part of as both producer and listener; making it more of a community...

Bucketo

fresh breathe of music

2006-02-18T12:07:00.000-05:00

All kinds of good things are happening lately on the CRS front.

Earlier this week the show was added to Fresh FM's website as the indie music podcast. Recent shows are listed in the bottom left-hand corner of their site. That's pretty darn cool. There's also a news post that gives a brief overview of CRS. Fresh FM is a radio station out in Vancouver BC. Great thing about the station is they play a great mix of music instead of playing the same 40 songs over and over.

In other CRS news, Jack Josey over at Audiobag.com has done some more voice over work for the show. Keep plugged in to upcoming shows to hear the new clips. We're also featured on their main page. Again, very cool.

Finally, I've come across an amazing group of people over at RadioDaddy.com. They do all kinds of neat stuff including voice-overs, sweepers, bumpers and general "radio" sounds. Keep it locked on upcoming shows to hear what we've done to spice up the listener messages and other fun sound clips.

Drop me a line with any feedback for the show. It's always welcomed, as are band recommendations for upcoming shows.

It's beer time, cyas

Bucket

my short term memory blows

2006-02-16T19:09:00.000-05:00

It's funny you know, the moment I hit the record button and spark up the microphone for the podcast I forget half the things I planned to mention. I even write up show notes and still forget stuff. :)

Like the latest episode. I had grand plans to mention:

The mudmen's music is included in the following PS2/Xbox games: Burnout 3 and MX vs ATV Unleashed
The mudmen have shared the stage with the likes of the Tea Party, Econoline Crush, Finger 11 and Bif Naked.
Pete Dewolf, the kind guy he is, has mentioned the show on his blog. He's also written the coolest kids book ever: Molly The Moose.

Ah well, it's all about the music anyways.

Till next time...

Bucket

1st a podcast, now a blog...

2006-02-11T22:18:00.000-05:00

Hey there. I'm Jason, the host of the Capital Rock Show podcast. As the show gains in popularity I thought I'd start a blog on the side. This gives me a place to post some of fun stuff outside of what makes it into the weekly show. The fun, and funny thing about the podcast is I basically sit down with a brief outline, push record, and "produce" it on the fly. That, coupled with my short-term memory issues means I have great plans to says lots on the show and I typically forget 99% of it till after the show is recorded! :)

My plan is to post some of the shows I attend, ideas for the show and other fun stuff here on a regular basis. Feel free to drop in.

Oh, if you're wondering how to say "Bucketo", don't stress too hard, the "o" is silent! ha

Later freaks, I need a beer.

Bucket