More photos from action you can find on my FB page: http://www.facebook.com/iTvinky

P.S They are not so great as usuall… I had a lot of problems in september in my life as I mentioned. And also it’s a different University. But still I’m glad that I’m studying here!

C ya!

By the way – I haven’t seen anyone smoking in stairwell or doing something bad. We hav flowers and plastic windows in stairwell and nothing bad happens with them too… There are living different people, or where is the problem in other cities? Or there is only one buildin like this and I’m living in it?

So, from tomorrow I will began a new life. I will try to realize them one by one, not like before – all together, which metodology don’t work at all. Posted, done – no more steps back!

About Riga (lv. Rīga) city. I still feel like I’m in jungle. I have learned where I’m now, and how to get to University and back. Also few other paths, like, where is shop, etc… Great thing is that I have my bike here and GPS (navigator) – because if I can’t find bus which could deliver me to my target place, I enter address/gps cordinates into my GPS and ride on my bike. And yeah, ownig a car in Riga traffic jams is crazy – bikes pwnz totally. And I’m also glad that I have met a lot of people from different bike forums, who really have time and try to help me find searched places and so on. In one sentence: It’s interesting to live here.

Thanks for support guys! When will I write next post? Who knows… I don’t have so much free time, because I have only one free day and it’s tuesday. Will see, be sure to subscribe to RSS feed and get latest posts if you are interested

P.S Btw, for these who don’t know, I have Youtube channel too. I haven’t been posting videos here in my blog which I upload to YT. But begining from next videos, I will do that.

1) When you are stopped at the lights – check your mirrors and be in 1st gear. If you see that someone is closing to you very fast blink with the break lights, but be ready to use your first gear and get out of the way. In this situation my friend Jill from US was on other line, but still – that was close call: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlOVipqWAiM#t=0m55s

2) When you are riding behind the car, be very focused on situation (if you see that car are slowing down) and don’t show turn lights, that can mean anything (as you can see in video, there was no turn’s to the right too). In this case close call was to my other Internet friend Matt from UK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAo84Ob-6gg#t=1m33s

3) When you are using other line to make your turn, don’t be so sure that someone can’t drive across NOT dotted line to do the same: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNflKjD8pKI#t=1m50s The same depends riding on highways and roads with multiple riding lines in one direction. Watch every car who drives near you and don’t stay too long in blind stop. Here is the video where car want to change line and don’t notice rider:

4) Deers are another story… You don’t know when they can cross your road, it can look like they will stay on their side. There are few videos (I embedded them, because most of them were short so no need for time skipping link making):

5) And of course there are lot more close calls when rider is speeding, but this is 90% of bikers fault (in my opinion). If they would not speed or do crazy maneuvers that probably would not happen and most of drivers would see them.

So my suggestions to bikers – don’t speed too much (and be very very careful in turns). Suggestions for “cagers” car owners – watch 2x or even more when you make turns and strange maneuvers. Don’t forget about turn lights and try to search motorcycles on roads, not cars. Because lot’s or car drivers don’t see bikes, because they are searching something bigger like car and trucks. We have one road, so let’s share it! Suggestions to deers? FTW – road is not for you guys, stay in the woods, eat some grass and play games there…

Stay safe!

These few days I have been playing around with Z 100 Crocodile GPS system. I had few problems with it, so I’m writing this post to help others who could have the same problems!

1) After I unpacked navigator from box and wanted to install Content Manager software from CD – CD just didn’t wanted to load on my PC.

Don’t be scared if this happen to you too, just go to http://mybecker.com and download newest Content Manager software. If on CD I had Content Manager v1.0, then from web site I downloaded Content Manager 2.0. Just fallow the link and search under “SERVICE RELEASE 2″. By the way, I later tested this CD on my Macbook and it worked – strange things going on here… Anyway, it’s better to download newest version from WEB

2) After I installed software, registered and connected navigator it automatically showed up, that I can update firmware on GPS. I updated and then I wanted to update navigator maps, because there were only 2008 year’s. So if you: registered, signed in, connected your GPS and if it’s new or haven’t been used software will show up that you have one new update. Update is called something like “Free update for 45 days”. At the beginning I thought that these maps will end after 45 days of using, but no – this is free 45 day update where you get map updates for free. So I downloaded 1,7gb and clicked to install – and boom, error, and software closed. ( Runtime Error C + + Library for …./CM2.exe ). Programs written on MS and for MS rox, huh? Ok, I restarted program, and again – as soon as navigator is connected or button to install update clicked error pops out and program closes. Then I started to search online and find answer on one German forum: http://forum.pocketnavigation.de. Unfortunately I don’t know German language, I used Google Translate – but anyway, it was pain in the a**. So that’s why I’m writing this post

So back to solution! Close Content Manager 2.0 and connect your navigator, open it’s flash memory when it is connected and fallow this path: IGO8\LICENSE

You will see different files, but you need to concentrate on *.lic files. Make some kind of backup folder on your desktop. And now Cut & Paste all *.lic files except “Becker Z100 EuRus@08Q2 (NQ) #3 Crocodile.lic”. So after that in folder IGO8\LICENSE you must have only one *.lic file: “Becker Z100 EuRus@08Q2 (NQ) #3 Crocodile.lic”, other *.lic files are in backup folder on your desktop (that’s in case if something goes wrong). When you have done this, just start up Content Manager, log in and wait a few seconds. Software will tell you hat there is upgrade  and you must install it. Do it, upgrade software and after that installing 45 free update maps will work correctly.

At the beginning I was trying to cut & paste all *.lic files, but then Content Manager didn’t wanted to see when navigator is connected. So if this happen to you, check if you have this *.lic file in IGO8\LICENSE folder.

3) If you are using Windows 7 you can get into other problem upgrading Content Manager 2.0 There will pop up window which will ask you permission: “Do you want to allow this program bla bla bla” as MS loves to do. But when you will want to click Yes or No, window will look like inactive, and there is no way how to click any button

Solution for this bug is simple, close Content Manager 2.0 and then press right mouse button on shortcut/exe file, select: “Run as administrator” – then just login, hook up your navigator and upgrade software.

4) After upgrade your software version will be 2.0.4.64* or bigger. If you have older, try to upgrade as I said or you will have this strange error when download maps – or probably even more errors So after upgrade I clicked install maps, software said that I need to free memory so update can fit in navi memory. Software will say how much mb you need to free up, just go to “Transfer my content”, and transfer not needed language voices and other maps to your PC HDD. But there is one little bug At the few last seconds of updating maps there was some kind of nondescript error, but when you look at your navi later, you will see that a lot of maps have been updated. Anyway, if you want to update without errors, and if you have this error, there is solution for that.

Solution which worked for me  is simple, go to “Transfer my content” and move all content from navigator to your PC, then go to “My Updates” and install update again. After that I didn’t get any errors.

Huh, that’s all – now you can use your navigator, with newest updates. Simple huh? Especially for non IT guys! Good luck and leave a comment if this helps you.

P.S Sorry for my English. Anyway it’s better than read this info in German or other language, especially if you don’t know this language. (:

P.S.S By the way, there is link for donation – still no one donated But if these solutions saved you few hours of your life – feel free to donate. Even 1$ is good for me