Friday, August 06, 2010

Revisiting the Macbook Pro Wifi Issue

Read about the original issue about the MacBook Pro Wifi issue HERE.

So in the last half year since I blogged about the WiFi issue concerning the Macbook Pro and its random connection drop, I have found a new and more permanent solution. I bought a new router. Bought a Linksys WRT54G2 router and installed DD-WRT on it. So far in the last 2 weeks of wireless usage, I have not experience any connection drop or issues. So my theory on the WiFi instability and drop is due to hardware incompatibility between the WiFi card installed in the Macbook Pro and that of the router's chipset. So for those of you out there that is still experiencing problems, buy a new router. I know it is not the most economical solution but it helps with the stress level incurred due to the random connection issues when you really need the internet.

Friday, July 02, 2010

iOS4 for the iPod Touch battery non-issue

Anyhow, don't know if anyone has notice but probably have been wondering. If you own a previous generation of the iPod Touch and have recently updated to iOS4 you may have noticed that your battery life doesn't quite live up to the original state or potential that was present in iOS3.x.x.

So as to recap, over the course of the past week and a bit I have noticed that my iPod Touch tend to require charging more often. Generally, I would recharge every 2-3 days previously when I use it to listen to mp3, play a couple games, twitter, facebook, check email and also using it as a PDA. However without changing my usage habits I have noticed that I needed to charge the iPod every night or sometimes in the middle of the afternoon. This got to me to wondering if there was something wrong with the device for the massive battery drain. So, I decided to do some investigating on the Apple Support Forum and found that this problem is plaguing quite a number of people. There was a lot of work around solutions that entails turning off Push, Notification, Auto Fetching of Emails, WiFi, etc. However, these are inherently work-around. In reality there should be a problem or issue, considering that this issue did not arise until after the iOS4 update. So with further investigation and digging I found that a complete reformat and reinstall of iOS4 on the iPod as a clean installation may do the trick. And guess what, it did do the trick. Although, this would also mean that any previous data backup is now null. So you may want to proceed with caution before trying this as a fix, if you are likewise plagued by this vampirish issue.

After this fix, my iPod Touch has regained it battery life to similar level before the iOS upgrade. I am guessing that there was a bump on the upgrade that wasn't noted before that left some bits and pieces that was messing with the battery usage and consumption.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

iOS4 for the iPod Touch 2G 8GB MC-Model

As the title clearly states, this is a personal reflection and review of iOS4 running on the iPod Touch 2nd Gen 8GB MC-Model.

For those that didn't know this is the current 8GB model that is available. It is virtually identical to a normal 2nd Gen model except for the bump to "MC" which is generally designated as a 3rd Gen device. However, Apple still view this as a 2nd Gen device despite the MC-model moniker.

In a previous post, I had mentioned that I had jailbreak my iPod Touch with the Spirit Jailbreak Tool. With the update to iOS4, this jailbreak was automatically uninstalled.

The download and installation of iOS4 was pretty smooth. There wasn't any issue with downloading from Apple's servers roughly an hour or two after it was released. The installation went smoothly (I presume since I was actually not there to physically monitor the installation process but there wasn't any error nor issues afterward). The re-installation of all my apps, files, settings, etc. went off without a hitch. It was a pretty smooth upgrade process.

iOS4 gained some notable improvement over iOS3.1.3. The first is the ability to have folders. For someone like me that have about 300 apps in iTune and generally having about 7 pages of apps, this was a God-send function. The second most important new function in my view was the new email app. The unified inbox is awesome and the ability to tweak your personal preference of archiving email or actually having the delete command equal to moving the email to the trash. This works out pretty well overall for my accounts synced with Gmail. An interesting new function was the ability to create notes on IMAP servers (like Gmail). Aside from these named new features there are quite a number of other ones that aren't named but those didn't quite standout as much.

Now the question is whether it was worth the upgrade, considering that my device is a generation old. I would have to say, Yes. The upgrade was definitely worthwhile, if not only for the ability to have folders or even just the unified inbox. An added bonus to the upgrade to iOS4 is the ability to use iBooks and its corresponding online book store from Apple. Although I have had previously been a devote user of Stanza as my ebook reader, I do not mind having another one that has a large online store behind it. Especially a store that stock more of the newer books.

Overall, the upgrade to iOS4 was worthwhile. So far there hasn't been any major issues with the new o/s. There has been occasional 'glitches' but I'm sure those will be work out in time.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

iPod Touch Jailbreak

So for those that didn't know, I have a iPod Touch 3rd Gen 8gb, MC model. And because of this, prior to a couple weeks back it has been unable to be jailbroken untethered. With the new release of the Spirit Jailbreak hack, the newer 3rd generation iPod Touch are now able to be jailbroken.

This process was rather surprisingly simple. It was just a matter of using Bing.com or Google.com to find the hack's website, download the program, plug-in the iPod, sync/backup the iPod first, and then execute the jailbreak program. It was as simple as that. It took about 5min or so to accomplish.

As of yet, I am still not quite sure why I jailbreak my iPod Touch. Since I do not plan on running pirated software on it. I guess it was primarily out of curiosity that I did such a thing and also to say that I have tried it before. Although, with the upcoming release of iPhone OS 4.0 and the possible cost of upgrading the OS, it seems to be a good time to jailbreak and use some of the third-party programs and hacks available to jailbreaks to achieve some of the functionality of OS 4 while still retaining OS 3.x.x. Aside from this, I haven't quite figure out why to jailbreak. In a sense, it was over all a pretty educational process but nothing particularly outstanding.

I wouldn't particularly recommend jailbreaking or not. It seems to be a very personal matter and decision. And mileage and usages and needs varies depending on the user. But I for one am actually happy with what Apple already gave me in the default firmware and OS. A portable media device is just that, to entertain me on the go. I don't have need for it to be a 'be all it can be' device in my life.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Bear Apprentice (Ready-to-Hunt) Bow

Recently I bought a new hunting bow. It is a Bear Apprentice. The specs on it are as follows:
- Draw Weight range of 20-50lb
- Draw Length range of 15in-27in
- Let-Off at 70%
- Weighs 2.9lbs
- Brace Height of 6in
- Axle-to-Axle is 27.5in

Additionally it comes with some extras:
- Trophy Ridge Whisker Biscuit
- Trophy Ridge 3-pin Fiber Optic Sight
- Bear 4 arrow quiver

The bow itself it relatively light weight when compared to other hunting compound bows. However, it needs to be noted that this bow was made to serve the capacity of new hunters/archers, young hunters/archers and female hunters/archers. This helps to explain the wide range of draw-weight while at the same time being able to achieve the 40lb that is generally needed to hunt in most US states and Canadian provinces. Additionally, the range of draw length is well suited for the range of people that are smaller in stature. Overall, it is a very well fitted bow for anyone that is 5'5" or shorter and may not have the ability or wish to pull the higher weight of other bows.

The price of the bow is very well priced and is quite competitive in pricing against similar hunting bows. I purchased the bow for roughly $300USD including tax. So after the inclusion of purchasing 6 carbon arrows and its associated field point and broad-heads, the price come to being about $400.

The Apprentice shots very well. The accuracy of the bow is comparable to that of higher end bows. Especially once the sight and peep-hole has been properly calibrated. Although, the arrows do fly slower due to the lower draw weight. There is very little vibration after each shot, so I have not found the need to purchase a stabilizer. The noise on the bow is very low which was surprising. Often times when I shot, all I hear is the impact of the arrow upon the target and nothing from the bow or string itself. The bow does come with a D-loop for a release however I have been shooting with my fingers instead and I have still been able to achieve consistent clustering of shots. This in itself speaks of the forgiveness of the bow since I'm certain my form is not perfect. The draw is a very smooth draw most likely due to the duo-cam system. There is not too much resistance in the draw thus allowing for fluid and quiet drawing in a swift motion. This coupled with the 70% let-off helps to builds up the confidence of the shooter and allow for more time to aim and correct their form. Hence helping with better shots overall.

The cosmetic of the bow is on par and comparable with other bows. The one that I purchased was APG-HD Camo pattern. It can also be found in a pink camo option.

The construction of the bow is pretty solid. This is despite the low weight of the bow itself. The adjustment of the draw length is as simple moving a screw on each of the cams appropriately. The increasing and decreasing of draw weight is easily done my tightening or loosening a bolt connecting the limbs to the riser. All these adjustments can be easier done at home without additional equipment like a bow-press, apart from the appropriate hex screw drivers.

A side note, the arrows that I purchased to shoot with this bow are Carbon Express Thunderstorm with a spine of .449" and a weight of 8.3 grains/inch. This is coupled with 100 grain points. The arrows are custom cut to 26". This gives me roughly 350 grain per arrow. It is a bit on the heavier side however since I will be hunting with this bow a heavier  arrow weight is warranted even for practicing. Anyhow, I have found that this model of carbon arrow and head combination works pretty well together with the bow.

Overall, the Bear Apprentice is a very good bow. Especially for someone that is new to the sport or someone wanting a cheaper investment price without forfeiting some of the necessary tools or higher quality of a higher end hunting bow from a brand new. I would highly recommend everyone to take a look at the Bear Apprentice. It is a good entrance bow or a bow that will allow for growth while still allowing for hunting.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Initial Thoughts on the Apple iPad

To be honest, I was one of those that were pretty excited with an anticipatory attitude amid the rumor mill prior to the official launch event. I would pretty much read any articles published online that speculated or tried to predict what Apple may come out with next. And I was getting pretty excited about the fact that this new to-be-announced-and-confirmed tablet device would be pretty revolutionary and fill in a gap with in personal technology that was unknowingly void at the present and be a symbol of revolutionary advance in technology. But alas, this was not the case. iPad ended up looking like an oversized iPod Touch with a few software updates and an upgrade for certain internal parts. Aside from that, it didn't seem to innovate as much as it could have been nor revolutionize technological needs.

I am left to wonder what exactly does this product do that can not be currently done with my current combination of a MacBook Pro and a iPod Touch (or iPhone for those that have one). With either of these devices I have already have the ease and mobility that is need for quick internet access, reading eBooks, checking email, displaying digital photos to friends and a multitude of tasks that can be accomplished with any numerous applications or apps from the AppStore. Either way, I was not convinced that the iPad is one of those must-need device within the home.

To be certain, I was disappointed with the lack of certain features that were speculated and wished upon. Included in this category was the ability to multi-task. But in reality I am quite fond of the fact that I don't actually need to multi-task on the iPod Touch. This is probably a carryover trait and habit that was gained through the 10 years of experience with the PalmOS (back when my PDA needs were serviced by a Palm IIIe and later a Palm Zire31) which also only did one task at a time. So this overall wasn't all that much of a let down, but imagine what could be done with the ability to have more than one app open at a time. Anyhow, the second letdown was that of the missing camera. A camera would have made the device a whole lot more meaningful in the sense that it could be used for video conferencing (with Skype or numerous other programs). This would have actually put the device to be more useful as a home communication device. I have still yet to figure out how this device would actually excel in term of movie or TV-show watching. The screen is quite a bit bigger than the iPod Touch and iPhone however it losses its mobility as a view-on-demand and view-on-the-run device. If I am to be at home watching a movie or TV-show, I would be more inclined to watch it on an actual TV, where the screen is a lot bigger, or on my computer, which also has a larger screen.

However, I do see potential in this device. Especially within the market where people only have a desktop at home and do not have a smartphone or laptop already. This device could cater to this market of people to become a home-mobile device for quick access to the internet, email and information from anywhere in the house. I can see this device to be used in the like of while sitting on the toilet, in the kitchen or sitting on the couch wondering what to watch on TV. Additionally, it does seem like the iPad would be a good home gaming console alternative. Personally, I actually do play with my iPod Touch as a gaming device more so than with my Nintendo DS. As a e-reader, I see potential. However, I'm not sure I wish to fully give my paper books just yet. Although, I have been known to read novels on my Palm devices in the past and currently on the iPod Touch with the use of the Stanza app. But a larger screen does seem to be nice, especially since the size is about the same as that of an actual hardcover book.

I guess time will tell if this device is able to sell and penetrate into the home technology market. But I have a feeling that version 2.0 redux will be a whole lot better with a lot better in term of bring forth some of the improvement that was missing from the current iteration. So I will just have to sit, wait and see how this goes. Maybe by this time next year Apple will be announcing the 2nd generation of this device ad we would all be blown away with the changes. As with most Apple products, version 1 is visionary in the sense that it is something new and it is a test bed for the market upon which they will improve upon. And for pete's sake change the name in version 2.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Bootcamp 3.1 Issues

So, the update Bootcamp 3.1 came out a few days back but I have not had the time to do the update from version 3.0 that shipped with Snow Leopard. Anyhow, late last night I finally got around to downloading the update manually from Apple's website and applying it.

It all seemed to go well until three 'fatal error' messages popped up sequentially. The first was concerning the new Bluetooth Keyboard, the second was the Magic Mouse (I assumed from the name of 'wireless multi-touch mouse') and the last and probably most important error in my case is that of Multi-touch mouse. I would say the last error is the most important in my case is due to the fact that I do not own any of the other two devices and probably never will since I'm quite happy and satisfy with the MacBook Pro's built-in keyboard and the multi-touch trackpad. However, the issue that is affecting me now is that the multi-touch trackpad does not work within Windows XP (Pro version, if this is relevant but I highly doubt it). And this issue can be confirmed with a quick search within Apple's Support Forum.

As such, it seems like a downgrading back to version 3.0 with the Snow Leopard DVD is not possible and would further irritate the Win-XP installation to the point of unbootable. So, it seems like the only way to fix this 'mess' would be a fresh re-installation of the whole Bootcamp partition with Windows.

So to summarize, the 3.1 update affects the installation and function of wireless mouse and keyboard and also that of the multi-touch trackpad and it seems to only affect Windows XP. A side note, OS-X was not affected in any way or form or fashion.

Wednesday, January 06, 2010

The Ugly Head of Wifi Disconnect

Read about the Original post pertaining to the issue HERE.

Well, I'm back home from my holiday travel and visits and guess what? The ugly head of my home wifi woes have returned. Within 30min of connecting to my home's wireless network I experienced the same unresolved wifi disconnection as I had before. So I am back to square one as to what the issue is. I'm starting to lean more toward the issue being more compatibility issues between the macbook pro and specific routers along with the possibility that either Apple or the router manufacturers implementing certain encryption (WPA & WPA2 more specifically) incorrectly.

Monday, January 04, 2010

Snow Leopard WiFi Update

Read about the original post about the problem HERE.

Well, I'm still over vacationing and staying at my in-law's place. And I have yet to experience another drop on the wireless network. However, I did end up changing a few options within the modem/router. The options that I changed was G-Channel only, changes from WPA to WPA2, and changed the channel from 6 to 11, since channel 6 was rather crowded by a couple of the neighbor's wireless routers. Aside from these three simple changes nothing else was touched. I was rather surprised that there wasn't any more issues forth coming that required further tweaking or investigation. As such, I am still at a lost as to the cause of the frequent connection drop at home. Tomorrow, I will be able to see if my home network is still afflicted and hopefully post more updates concerning it.