Hackintosh

I have recently noticed that I am starting to have a few issues with my current iMac. My hard drive is nearing full (and it is a pain in the ass to replace with a larger one) and my optical drive died (I have been using a cheap external). Since iMacs are not very upgrade-friendly, I decided to check out the offerings from Apple. If I got a new iMac, it would cost quite a bit for (what I consider) a pretty marginal upgrade. The new mac pros that were announced look pretty awesome, but dadjum are they expensive! I started looking around and found that I could get something with more than enough power for less than half of what I would pay for a mac pro so I decided to go the hackintosh route. I started with this guide from lifehacker, and tonymacx86 has been an amazing resource. When figuring out what kind of hardware I wanted, I pretty much stuck to the list provided by tonymacx86 since most of those components had been tested so I would be less likely to encounter incompatibility issues. I hadn't build a computer since the media server, and that was the first one I had built in many, many years. Thus, there were several times that I'd forget the order of a few key things (e.g. I always forget to install the little coverplate in the back before I install the motherboard), but otherwise it came together fairly easily. Since this was a larger build, I decided to put the basic components together to test them before I installed them in the case, and sure enough something wasn't working! The motherboard would just power cycle and never boot even to BIOS. First I thought it was the power supply, so I picked one up at Best Buy to try and it gave the same result. I tried with varying numbers of RAM chips and still nothing so I assumed the motherboard was bad. After I returned it and received another one, I had the same thing happen. Initially, I thought it was the processor, but I decided to test the RAM a little more thoroughly and, sure enough, one of the ram chips was bad. Doh! So I got that return processed and then I had working components, and it was time to put this bad boy together! [caption id="attachment_1720" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Getting things hooked up and tested[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1721" align="aligncenter" width="600"] RAM looks so much cooler than it did back in the day[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1723" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Video cards are also ridiculous behemoths compared to those when I started building computers[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1724" align="aligncenter" width="600"] More testing[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1725" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Getting the main hard drive situated[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1726" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Getting everything in place[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1727" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Nice removable hard drive shelf helps with installation[/caption] For the most part, the installation of OS X went according to plan. I had to tweak one graphics setting that was keeping it from booting up, but otherwise it pretty much went as the guide described. Gotta love it when things just work!  I left a partition on the main drive in case I want to dual boot. I'm thinking about throwing linux on there for now, then switching it to Windows so I can try out some PC gaming. [caption id="attachment_1728" align="aligncenter" width="600"] And we have OS X liftoff![/caption] [caption id="attachment_1729" align="aligncenter" width="360"] Way more badass looking than any mac I've ever seen ;-)[/caption] The next thing I have to tackle is how I want to set everything else up with regard to my hard drive. Since I have both an SSD and a traditional hard drive, there are a number of ways I can set things up to best utilize them. One option is to just change the location of my home directory to reside on the hard drive. This would mean applications and system files would all be on the SSD, and I would have the large drive for all my music, movies, etc. The downside to this approach is that any applications that use temporary storage would use a directory in my home directory and would, therefore, not utilize the speed of the SSD. Another alternative, the one that I have chosen, it to leave my home directory on the SSD and have my large directories reside on the hard drive. This is fairly simple to set up because you just delete the folder (e.g. Movies), create a folder on the hard drive for all the files, then create a new Movies folder in your home directory that links to the one on the hard drive (e.g. ln -s /Volumes/BigHardDrive/Movies ~/Movies). Because programs don't differentiate between an actual directory and a symbolic link, all application behaviors should remain unchanged. The other downside to this method (that wasn't mentioned in the first descriptions of possible setups) is that you can't use the Migration Assistant in the same way. Typically, I would use a Time Machine backup and import all my files and settings to the new computer. When you try to do this, it won't let you merge the imported user with an existing user. Therefore, any symbolic links that you set up won't be utilized when the data imported. Because of this, I can't import because my SSD doesn't have nearly enough space to hold everything, even temporarily, so I can set up the directories again. Additionally, what I have read indicates that you don't want to try to copy files directly out of a Time Machine backup. The organization isn't the same as just regular files. So I had to use an external hard drive to copy over all the large directories (in a couple of batches because the hard drive isn't that large). It is a bit annoying because, had I known this was the approach I was going to have to take, I could have started transferring things a while ago and had them ready to load up as soon as the hackintosh was built. Live and learn I guess! :-) It is looking like I may also use this opportunity to upgrade some of the iLife applications I have been using. I suppose another downside to building your own hackintosh is that the iLife suite isn't automatically loaded. Now that OSX is free, there is definitely no chance of a bundle.  I haven't updated any iLife apps since 2009, apparently, so I imagine some improvements have been made in the past 4 years :-) I'll probably just start with iPhoto then look into iMovie when I have some movie editing on the horizon. I debated just switching over to Aperture for all my photo organization, but my version is also at least 4 years old and a new version is like $80 vs. $15 for iPhoto. Luckily, the newer versions of these programs actually share a library, so what I have read indicates that switching to Aperture in the future would be pretty seamless. Here's hoping! I figured I would put together a little spec sheet. If anyone stumbles upon this and has questions or wants more specifics, feel free to contact me. Just wanted to give a basic overview here.

• Quad Core processor
• 32 Gb RAM
• 240 Gb SSD as primary drive
• 4 Tb storage drive
• Video card with support for up to 4 monitors
• bad ass ATX tower case

So far, I am not seeing much that I feel like I will be missing out on with the hackintosh approach vs. traditional mac. There are a couple of tiny things I won't have (camera, everything built into my monitor, etc.), but a couple of things I have gained (multiple easily accessible usb ports, easy modification/upgrades in the future, etc.)  Yes, putting it all together was more difficult than just ordering a mac, but if you only choose proven hardware, it was pretty straightforward. Now the only real thing I have to be concerned about is any future OSX or application updates being incompatible with something in a hackintosh, but I think that'll be pretty unlikely (or I can just not upgrade anything for a while, haha).

Another test

please go to Faceboooooooook

test post

Let's see if FB stuff is working.

Reviving her buddy

Reviving her buddy, originally uploaded by fincher69.

I was hanging out with Ruby and getting my camera ready for a little pool photo shoot later. She was just doing some tummy time on the futon and playing with her musical giraffe, and I got some fun shots in the process. I don't think she knows what it does, but she was definitely attracted to the shiny thing on the side of her little friend!

Ruby with giraffe

Ruby with giraffe, originally uploaded by fincher69.

I don't usually do much portraiture, but we had a little session after taking her 6 month pictures. We thought it would be fun to add a little prop, and sure enough we had some pretty cute shots. This was one of our favorites, and I thought it was just too adorable not to post.

The New Dad's Survival Guide: Man-to-Man Advice For First Time Fathers by Scott Mactavish

The New Dad's Survival Guide: Man-to-Man Advice for First-Time Fathers by Scott Mactavish
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Perhaps my enjoyment of this book was affected by the fact that I DID read it a little later than I should have. It basically covers from the last few months of pregnancy into the first few months of having a new baby (which is where I was when finishing this book). While there was some helpful information included, it is written in a style that seems appropriate for a new dad who is 18-24 years old and has never known someone who has had a baby or taken a sex education class. The overall tone is fairly juvenile, and the author definitely gives a fairly personal account of the process thereby lacking some comprehensiveness. Overall, I imagine it would be an interesting read for a young, soon-to-be father who has not had a chance to read any other literature on the subject, but I found that it didn't contribute much to my knowledge on the subject matter.

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Husband-Coached Childbirth by Dr. Robert Bradley

Husband-Coached Childbirth: The Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth by Robert A. Bradley, M.D.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So this was basically the manual for the childbirth class that we enrolled in when expecting Ruby. The basic philosophy is that, while medical advances have been great and worthwhile, they are overly applied in the case of childbirth. Childbirth has become more of a procedure than a natural phenomenon. Dr. Bradley espouses a throwback into doing things the more natural way whenever possible.

Overall, I liked the philosophy and the way it was presented in the book. A couple chapters got a little too New Age-y and out there for me, but when it stuck to the logical arguments it was well represented. For anyone interested in having a natural childbirth, I definitely recommend this book and the associated Bradley Method class.

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facebook test post

testing again

Facebook test

Seeing if I can figure out why my last post didn't propogate to facebook

Taste Test: The New Red Bull Editions

My buddy Dustin works for Red Bull and hooked me up with a set of Red Bull Editions. Basically, they are flavored Red Bulls that aren't yet released. I'm not sure if they are planning on releasing them all, or if they are currently getting feedback about the flavors to decide which one to release. Either way, I figured I would do a little write-up about the newest creations from my favorite beverage company. :-) [caption id="attachment_1585" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Fancy package just brimming with excitement[/caption] [caption id="attachment_1586" align="aligncenter" width="600"] The little guys are peeking out, ready to take on the world![/caption] [caption id="attachment_1587" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Well hello there my delicious new friends![/caption] Blue

I decided to start out by checking out the Blue Edition. The blueberry hits you pretty hard right off the bat. Not just sweet blueberry, but you definitely get a tartness with it. Then the blueberry flavor fades a bit, and I almost got a hint of original Red Bull flavor. I think the flavor reminds me of a gum I used to chew whose name I have completely blanked on. They were marketed to really change the color of your mouth and even came in what looked like a paint can when we got a big load from Sam's. Because of this, I was almost surprised that my mouth wasn't completely blue after drinking this. While I enjoyed it, I don't think I could drink a much bigger can (definitely no 20 oz cans like I enjoy of Red Bull!) Definitely an interesting take on Red Bull, and I look forward to trying out the other two!

Silver

[caption id="attachment_1592" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Starting my morning with some light reading and a new Red Bull Edition![/caption]

The silver edition incorporates lime flavor into the world of Red Bull.  I thought this was a pretty interesting choice because lime is already so prevalent in the carbonated drink market (Sprite, Squirt, Diet Coke with Lime, Bud with lime, etc.). Sure enough this was a lime-flavored soda! I really wish that Surge was still around because I think a side-by-side tasting would be really interesting. Obviously, it has been quite some time since I had a Surge, but if I remember correctly, the flavor profiles are pretty similar. I enjoyed the lime and could definitely enjoy a larger can of it, but I'm not sure it is different enough to be worth bringing to market. One thing I love about Red Bull is that the flavor is completely unique. While there are tons of other energy drinks out there, none come close to replicating Red Bull. Now one more edition to try!

Red

[caption id="attachment_1595" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Giving me a boost on the way to work[/caption]

The final edition! While all of the editions are artificially flavored, the cranberry flavor tasted the most natural to me. It actually tastes a lot like a club soda and cranberry juice. Similar to the blueberry, it starts out sweet, but has a nice cranberry tart to it. With this one, I could definitely drink a bigger can, and this one would also probably be the best mixer, haha.

Final verdict

While I enjoyed them all, Red Edition was by far my favorite. I was a little disappointed to notice that all three were artificially flavored. After plugging the all-natural Red Bull Cola (which I'm super bummed isn't around any more), I would have hoped they could keep with that philosophy when concocting these editions.  While I will likely remain true to the original Red Bull, these are still a fun addition to the Red Bull Family, and I look forward to seeing one or all of them on the shelves!

Monument Valley

Monument Valley, originally uploaded by fincher69.

Three of the large rock formations that are part of Monument Vally, Arizona.

While the colors of the rocks in this area are amazing, I was drawn to a black and white version for this photograph.

This is another shot from my most recent road trip with my Dad, but it has just taken me this long to actually get around to continuing to post pictures from this trip.

Baby Monitor Review: Dropcam HD

I posted this in our baby blog, but since it is kinda geeky-related, I figured I would cross post it to my blog as well. :-) I wrote a post a while back about the beginnings of my research for baby monitors so I figured I would follow up with my decision and a review of how it is working so far. I only posted about a couple options initially, but I continued to do my research and was constantly amazed by how expensive some of these monitors can be! Especially those that had any kind of internet connectivity, which is something I wanted since both grandmas are far away.

As you can guess from the title, I eventually settled on the Dropcam HD. For only $150, it had all the features I figured we would want including night vision, audio, and internet accessibility. It was pretty simple to set up as all I had to do was create an account with Dropcam and tell the camera which wireless network to use. After that, I could log in via computer, iPhone, iPad, Android phone, etc. and view our camera! Right now we only use it to monitor her while she naps, so we haven't done the full setup with the Grandmas yet, but we will probably do that once she is sleeping in a more consistent place, like her crib. Here's my basic breakdown review. Pros

• Good quality video and audio feed
• Ability to digital zoom on one of 5 sections so camera placement is pretty lenient
• Cost - I saw pretty simplistic monitors without many features that were as or more expensive
• Dropcam offers a DVR service where you can record and also get notifications of events like movement. Not really necessary for the baby monitor, but means it could easily double as a pretty good security camera
• Ability to talk back - From an app or the website, I can talk and it will play from the cameras speaker. I don't think it is enough to help settle a waking infant, but it could definitely be a handy feature depending on your usage
• Internet connectivity means access from just about anywhere

Cons

•  The last pro is also a bit of a con. It is SOLELY internet connected, which has caused some issues with us. If the internet gets spotty, the feed can easily cut out a good amount which can be extremely frustrating, especially since it always seems to happen at the exact moment she starts seeming restless
• Night vision - It is great if you can place the camera near the baby, but since it relies on the built-in infrared light, subjects that are not right in front of the camera still remain pretty dark. On the auto setting, it also switches to night vision a little early so there have been times where we could actually see better without it. Luckily, you can manage whether it is on or off from anywhere you are viewing the camera
• Zoom changes are enacted for all viewers. If I am viewing the cam on my computer and MC is watching on an iPad, my view changes if she decides to zoom in on a section. Since it is just a digital zoom, I don't see why each viewer couldn't manage it individually
• The mount is a little finicky. The round cam fits snuggly in the hole of the metal mount, but there are no clips, snaps, etc. to really hold it in place so you tend to have to do some cable placement finagling to get the cam to stay exactly where you would like it
• The only way to turn the camera off it to unplug it. It fits fairly snugly, so this can be a bit annoying. I ended up taking the wireless remote AC cord that we had been using for the Christmas tree lights and plugged the camera into that so we can easily turn it on and off with a little remote.

Overall So far it has still been a really good monitor, and we have enjoyed having it. It would be really nice if we could connect to the camera directly. Our internet is usually pretty good, but I am not the hugest fan of the idea that our baby monitor would become useless if our internet were to go out. The other minor thing I would like to see is a "guest access" feature. You can allow other users to access your camera, but from what I have read they then have as much control as you do. They could change any settings and do things like talk back through the cam just like we can. It would be nice to give a limited access so someone could view without having full control. Overall, I am definitely happy with it, and we get a lot for the money. The minor gripes I do have could possibly be remedied with software updates (or possibly hacking in the case of intercepting and decrypting the stream) so there is at least hope that they can be fixed in the future.

My Geek Christmas

My posts on this blog have been pretty few and far between now that we've had the little one join us, but I thought it would be fun to do a post about some of the geeky presents I received this Christmas. Not just to catalogue, but for the possibility of input about future projects that could involve said gifts or recommendations on how to use them. :-) SmartStick The SmartStick was one of the first geeky gifts that I received for Christmas from my parents. As you can see, it looks like a really big usb thumb drive, except that instead of USB it is HDMI and it is a fully functional little Android computer. Snazzy things can sure come in small packages! :-) This was definitely one of those geek toys that I thought would be really cool to have, but I didn't have a very specific need/task for it. It is just cool, haha. I have only played with it a bit, but I think it will be pretty easy to find some usefulness for it either in the guest room or as a travel item that will give me a lot more options on hotel TVs. So far I think I only have one real complaint and that is the lack of bluetooth. To me that is a glaring oversight. This is a device that will most likely plug in to the back of a TV, and you make the remote an IR remote with a little corded IR receiver that I have to place somewhere? The thing is definitely bulky enough that adding the bluetooth hardware would have had a negligible effect on the size of the unit so I really don't understand.  Also, using the interface with the simple little remote was a bit cumbersome so, if it looks like I will be using it a decent amount, I will likely invest in the full keyboard + touchpad remote that they have for sale (which is, funnily enough, bluetooth but comes with an adapter to plug in to the unit). Arduino Uno I had a couple of microcontrollers on my wish list and this was one of them that Julie got me. It is supposed to be one of the best for beginners, and seems like it would be something pretty fun to play around with. There are tons of different projects that I have found that sound interesting, but it is hard to know what to choose! It might be interesting to do something basic with robotics, but to do what? I'm not sure if I want to find some really cool project to just play around with things like servo motors and led lights, or if I should try to find something that would actually be pretty useful, like an internet controlled thermostat. Anyone have any thoughts? Fitbit One This is a little monitoring device from my parents to help you learn about your movements, habits and sleep. Sounds like a pretty interesting idea and might definitely be interesting to monitor how my lifestyle is while keeping up with little Ruby. ;-) Unsurprisingly, I haven't had a chance to play with this either, but it definitely looks like it could provide some interesting information. Moga I found this when I began looking at using one of my old android phones as a mobile gaming device.  Gaming tends to eat up a lot of battery life so it can be really annoying when you are traveling and you have to choose between your entertainment and the possibility of killing your communication device. So I figured I would just set up an old phone with games. While I was at it, I thought I might as well go old school and put a few emulators on it so I could play some more classic games when traveling. I actually had a bit of luck connecting a PS3 controller to a phone via bluetooth, but it still made for a bit of a cumbersome gaming platform. Enter Moga. Moga is a controller made with a mount to hold your phone.  So it is made to do exactly what I was looking to do! It also connects via bluetooth, which opens up some possibilities. Not only can I connect it to a tablet for a larger screen, but the phone I will likely use has a mini-HDMI out so I could plug it in to a regular TV and use it as a full console. Sounds pretty snazzy to me! Julie got this for me and now I have to find a trip where I actually have some free time to play with this (which might be a bit difficult with a 2 month old, haha). Raspberry Pi Along the same lines as the Arduino Uno is the Raspberry Pi that Julie also got me. Raspberry Pi has been growing in popularity (I have heard of CS programs using them as a platform to develop on through a range of courses and a buddy of mine has one set up to be a home media server), and have a good bit of power for such a tiny little device. Just like the Uno,  the main problem arises with how to decide on the project!  With this one, I am likely to tinker around with it a bit and get a feel for the development environment before I actually lock it in to a single use. That will also give me time to get familiar enough with it that I can better know what types of projects I am capable of handling and give me some time to think about how best to put it to use. I see a soldering iron purchase in my very near future. ;-) Any project ideas/suggestions are greatly appreciated for this as well. Now if I could just find some free time to play with all these fun gadgets! :-)