technology musings

Power Supply Information for FireWire Repeater Hubs including Unibrain's FireRepeater Line

2011-09-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

A frequently asked question about FireWire repeater hubs is "do I need the optional power supply?" The answer to this question depends on the types of FireWire 800 or FireWire 400 devices are being used.

Quick Definitions: Self Powered vs. Bus Powered

Self Powered FireWire devices are ones that plug into the wall or utilizes internal batteries. One example is FireWire hard disk drives using 3.5in mechanism which come with their own power transformers and AC adapters. Another example are battery powered DV Camcorders. Most FireWire based audio equipment like those from Pro Tools is self powered as well

Bus Powered FireWire devices draw current from the FireWire bus itself. FireWire hard disk drives using 2.5in mechanisms are typically able to use bus power. Our CFFire800 Pro FireWire 800 UDMA CompactFlash reader requires bus power. Portable devices like the Apogee Duet require bus power as well.

If you are using self powered devices with a FireWire repeater hub, then there isn't a need to purchase an optional power supply. Conversely, if you are using bus powered FireWire products, you almost certainly need the optional power supply. [1]

Bus Power isn't always enough for multiple devices drawing current off multiple ports at the same time. If you daisy chain several devices, it also may draw more current than available. Further, the total amount of Amps a hub provides needs to divided by the number of ports to find per port current when each port is drawing current. In the case of Unibrain's FireRepeater 3A supply, this would work out approximately as follows:

Unibrain FireRepeater-800 Pro FireWire 800 IEEE 1394b Repeater Hub 5 Port: (3 amperes) / 5 = 0.6 amperes approximately per port (max)
Unibrain FireRepeater-800 Pro FireWire 800 IEEE 1394b Repeater Hub 4 Port: (3 amperes) / 4 = 0.75 amperes approximately per port (max)
Unibrain FireRepeater 800 FireWire 800 IEEE 1394b Repeater Hub 3 Port: (3 amperes) / 3 = 1 ampere approximately per port (max)
Unibrain FireRepeater 400 FireWire 400 IEEE 1394a Repeater Hub 3 Port: (3 amperes) / 3 = 1 ampere approximately per port (max)

Often computer companies will list ports by watts, instead of amps. When a company lists Watts for their FireWire ports, divide it by 12 (FireWire is typically 12 Volts) to find the Amperage.

The calculation above are the worst case scenario, typical application rarely see devices drawing current of each port.

[1] A notible exception was the CFFire800 Pro FireWire 800 UDMA CompactFlash reader with Unibrain's 3 Port FireWire 800 Hub. We've tested this off a powered Mac port and were able to run two CFFire800 Pro's without the addtional power supply. Here is a quote from our test results.

While our CFFire800 Pro uses FireWire bus power, we knew it draws less than 500mA, while the MacBook Pro provides just under 1A of current while running on batteries. One product we offer, Unibrain's extremely portable FireRepeater 800, splits source current between two ports. With that in mind we set out to test two CFFire800 Pro readers with FireRepeater 800 to see if it provided enough power off a single FireWire 800 port to enable both CompactFlash readers; we found it worked flawlessly.

12VDC 3A External Power Supplies/Adapters for Unibrain FireWire Devices

This versatile adapter provides up to 3A stable regulated 12V DC output. For use with Unibrain Fire Repeaters, Fire-i Digital cameras and Unibrain FireWire External Hard Drives. It provides power for FireWire devices on laptops that do not provide power through the FireWire ports and can provide additional power for devices connected in an extended link to desktop systems.

Part Number and Description: PS-12VDC-UB 12VDC 3A External Power Supply/Adapter UB (FireWire); PS-12VDC-UB-EUROPE 12VDC 3A External Power Supply/Adapter UB (FireWire) for European Type C/F outlets; Others available on special order, contact us with outlet type

Clearly labeled photo explains FireWire Cable Converter Adapter Plugs

2011-03-20T14:16:00.000-07:00

How handy is this photo? It sure makes a lot of prose unnecessary. These adapters cover just about any FireWire 400 or FireWire 800 conversion scenario one could think of.

Converter plugs for FireWire cables allow changing the cable plug type at the very end to match that of the port it's being plugged into. For FireWire 400 (IEEE 1394a) ports, there are converter plugs allowing 9-pin cables to plug into 6-pin ports and converter plugs allowing 6-pin cables to plug into 4-pin ports. For FireWire 800 (IEEE 1394b) there is an adapter plug allowing 6-pin cables to plug into 9-pin ports.

Instructions for Unix-like Systems with Elan's U111-M SRAM and ATA Flash PCMCIA PC Card Drive

2011-03-20T13:41:00.000-07:00

EverythingHerePlus.com recently announced a first draft of a document which outlines the use of the BSD and Linux compatible USB reader for PCMCIA PC Card SRAM and ATA Flash memory devices. While the draft isn't complete, experienced users will have no problems using the command line instructions to complete tasks. They tested the device with OpenBSD and Xubuntu Linux.

Elan's U111-M PCMCIA PC Card reader for SRAM and ATA Flash memory devices is unique in that the reader itself brokers all the interfacing with the PC Card and presents itself to the host computer as a USB mass storage device. In addition to working on The Windows platforms, the device works with various versions of BSDs and Linux. Because of this, the U111-M allows users of Unix-like platforms to perform actions on these cards using common command line tools that usually require specialized and expensive software for The Windows. EverythingHerePlus hopes the document will be helpful to those wanting to deploy the U111-M with Unix-like systems.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Operating Systems uname -a results
Plugging in PC Card SRAM or ATA Flash
PC Card Partition Information
Mounting PC Card SRAM or ATA Flash
Unmount PC Card SRAM or ATA Flash
Formatting/Erasing PC Card SRAM or ATA Flash
Binary Image File to PC Card SRAM or ATA Flash
Binary Notes
Comparing Binary to PC Card SRAM
Manual Checksums Binary vs. PC Card SRAM or ATA Flash
View Hexadecimal of PC Card Memory Area (or Binary File Copies)

Samba changes in OpenBSD

2010-11-04T13:59:00.000-07:00

The other day when I was trying to mount an ISO image for remote burning of SmartCard reader driver discs on our work network, I was getting error messages when trying to log on via samba. Since I usually use NFS instead of samba, I hadn't noticed that OpenBSD had changed the password back-end for samba. This was with 4.8-current, although they might have changed things earlier without me noticing. In fact, it may well have been a samba change rather than an OpenBSD specific one.

Regardless, the new configuration isn't any harder than the previous incarnation, just different. Took all of one minute to get things working again.

See

/usr/local/share/doc/samba/README.OpenBSD

for full details

5 Port FireRepeater-800 Pro FireWire 800 Repeater Hubs Ship for just $1.00 in September

2010-09-10T13:11:00.000-07:00

Check out EverythingHerePlus.com's latest deal: $1.00 Priority Mail Flat Rate delivery to every address in the United States on the FW8-FIO-UB5PRH FireRepeater-800 Pro FireWire 800 IEEE 1394b Repeater Hub 5 Port. Purchase a power supply (PS-12VDC-UB or PS-12VDC-UB-EUROPE) at the same time, and both items ship in the same box for the same price — EverythingHerePlus.com will subtract power supply shipping at time of order processing. For international orders or shipping other than USPS Priority Mail, they'll apply a $4.00 USD discount to quoted shipping prices. This offer is only available on USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate Small Boxes shipping to United States destinations. Offer expires Midnight, September 30, 2010.

FireRepeater resources

2010-09-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

The folks at EverythingHerePlus have been busy as of late. One of the more important piece they've put together is Power Supply Information for FireWire Repeater Hubs like Unibrain's FireRepeater Line, which takes all the mystery out of when and why one would need a power supply for a FireWire repeater hub. The information is especially valuable for those using FireRepeater-800 PRO and FireRepeater-400 products.

Along with that, they make brief mention in Store News for EverythingHerePlus.com: FireRepeater-800 PRO gets a glowing review from IT Enquirer, of an excellent review which discusses the FireRepeater-800 PRO Four Port. An excerpt:

In contrast to its competitors, Unibrain’s FireRepeater-800 PRO has a wall mounting bracket to secure the unit in place, and the ability to screw-lock your FireWire cables in place. I would recommend the Unibrain FireRepeater-800 PRO to anyone wanting to connect more devices to his computer than he can daisy-chain, and up to a longer distance than is possible without a repeater device.

Given their breadth of FireWire knowledge and glowing customer reviews, you'd be hard pressed to find a better place to purchase FireWire products.

Farewell to the clickwheel?

2010-09-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

Out of all the iPod's I've been fortunate enough to own over the years, the 4th Generation model iPod Nano has been my favorite. It struck the perfect balance of size, screen usability, and heft in the hand.

What made it best for me though, was that incredible click wheel. There are people that will probably be happy to see the venerable clickwheel go, but they're are superior to multi-touch screens in two significant ways.

Pause/play, skip songs, without looking at the device.
Fine tune volume without looking in a more elegant way.

While younger folks might not appreciate the second too much, for most of us, turning volume up and down with a knob seems more natural. Sure, that's a relic of potentiometers. Nevertheless, I find the circular motion of clickwheel volume far more granular and controllable than a series of buttons or onscreen controls.

Multi-Touch screens are great for some things. Yet I can't help thinking that Apple has gone a little overboard here. Some people argue that music collections are too big for the original iPod navigation system chickwheel support. There may be something to that, but I have never felt the replacement (I do have a 1G iPhone) music interface was better. In fact, I find that interface so awkward that I don't use the iPod functions on my iPhone at all.

That's probably the rub. I use the iPod as a music playback device only. While device convergence is inevitable and all the rage, the simplicity of clickwheel based iPods make them, in my eyes, superior music playback devices. Further, I think some of this has to due with how a person listens to music. For people that buy mostly singles and songs, features like shuffle and genius probably seem heaven sent. For many of us that import full albums from our CDs (hence being album oriented to begin with), those features aren't that compelling. I'm typically listening to full albums (occasionally skipping some songs). When I do listen to playlists, they're usually carefully crafted ones that I listen to in order. Like this:

I Can't Quit You, Baby	Willie Dixon	I Am the Blues
I Can't Quit You Baby	Led Zeppelin	Led Zeppelin I
You Shook Me	Muddy Waters	Muddy Waters, Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues
You Shook Me	Led Zeppelin	Led Zeppelin I
19 Years Old	Muddy Waters	Hoochie Coochie Man
I Can't Quit You Baby	Led Zeppelin	BBC Sessions (Disc 1)
Killing Floor	Howlin' Wolf	Blues You Can Use
The Lemon Song	Led Zeppelin	Led Zeppelin II
Bring It On Home (Single)	Sonny Boy Williamson	His Best
Bring It On Home	Led Zeppelin	Led Zeppelin II
Jesus Make Up My Dying Bed	Blind Willie Johnson	Dark Was the Night
In My Time Of Dying	Led Zeppelin	Physical Graffiti (Disc 1)
In My Time Of Dying	Led Zeppelin	DVD (Disc 2)
When The Levee Breaks	Memphis Minnie	Queen Of The Blues
When The Levee Breaks	Led Zeppelin	IV

As for dropping video on the nano (display and recording), I'm not too disappointed. I've never used the video capability on any of my iPods, and friends with 5th Generation model iPod nanos don't use the video recording capabilities on theirs. Those features have always fallen under the "I'm glad it can, but never use it" category for us. Other than using the world clock function on the rare occasions that I am traveling, my iPod only sees action in the music section of the menus.

I'm not alone in these concerns. Chris S. and Michael wrote very similar pieces in the OWC blog concerning the new nano's transition to screen based controls. The Register has a write up on all of the new iPods. Their comments on the iPod Classic are interesting. My second most used iPod is my 40GB pre-classic iPod, something that I would only replace with an iPod classic as opposed to an iPod touch.

iPad Oriented United SGP Corp. Products Now at EverythingHerePlus.com

2010-06-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

SGP makes amazing products for portable devices including the iPad, iPhone, and iPod. A whole range of quality cases, protective skins, and touchscreen films are available.

They are now offering the SGP Premium Protective Cover Skin Series for Apple iPad. Three different textured themes are available.

DeepBlack

Carbon

Cube

FireWire 800 to FireWire 400 Cable Tip

2010-02-10T17:07:00.000-08:00

Did you know FireWire 6-pin to 9-pin cables are the same as FireWire 9-pin to 6-pin cables? You simply flip the cable!

Using FireWire 800 and FireWire 400 Cable Converters and Adapter Plugs like the CAB-FW8-6-9-CONV and the CAB-FW8-9-6-CONV for existing cables is an inexpensive solution. However, the best solution in terms of electrical and signal shielding for bridging between 6 pin FireWire 400 Ports and 9 pin FireWire 800 ports is a 6-pin to 9-pin FireWire cable. EverythingHerePlus carries 2M (6.6F), 4.5M (14.8F), 10M (32.8F) versions of FireWire 6-pin to 9-pin cables.

Check out the full range of FireWire 800 Cables and FireWire 400 Cables at EverythingHerePlus.com in the shopping cart section on any of their FireWire Product Pages.

Congratulations EverythingHerePlus.com, on your Terry White review!

2010-02-09T15:10:00.000-08:00

Terry White, Tech Guru and Worldwide Design Evangelist for Adobe Systems, Inc. just reviewed EverythingHerePlus.com's new 13 Port Hi-Speed USB 2.0 External Hubs. He weighs the advantages and disadvantages of the devices and in the end says:

If you need to have a lot of peripherals connected at once and you're short on built-in USB ports, this is a great option.

Available in glossy black or white finishes, these inexpensive 13 Port Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Hubs come with 4 amp power supplies.

USB-HUB-HU1310B 13 Port Hi-Speed USB 2.0 External Hub with 4A PS (Black)
USB-HUB-HU1311W 13 Port Hi-Speed USB 2.0 External Hub with 4A PS (White)

EverythingHerePlus.com is fun place to shop for fashion accessories, electronics, books, music, and more!

U111-M Q&A, Compatibility with Mac OS X? on EverythingHerePlus.com Store blog - Plus U111-M on OpenBSD and Linux updates!

2010-01-22T13:10:00.000-08:00

The store blog from EverythingHerePlus.com answers questions regarding U111M compatibility with Mac OS X in Store EverythingHerePlus.com: U111-M Q&A, Compatibility with Mac OS X?. Of interest is the OpenBSD work around testing we did. U111M units with the most current firmware (1.05 above) work just fine with OpenBSD, with the exception of PCMCIA PC Card hot-swapping. As long as the card is inserted in the U111-M prior to connecting, the OpenBSD kernel recognizes it. In fact, there's no need to reboot between PCMCIA PC Card exchanges. Unplugging and plugging in the U111M on the USB bus is all that's necessary to recognize a new card.

Using OpenBSD, we were able to read, write, format, create binary images from, and write binary images to PCMCIA PC Card SRAM and ATA Flash. These capabilities, using just standard command line Unix utilities, are features once exclusively part of expensive, proprietary, Windows software packages. Now, using the U111-M with OpenBSD or Linux provides important low level features often needed with equipment from Honeywell, Canon, Epson, and others.

EverythingHerePlus.com will soon have detailed instructions for these operations.

U111-M USB to PC Card Read-Writer 1 Slot PCMCIA PC Card ATA Flash and SRAM Memory Cards

2010-01-18T12:23:00.000-08:00

The U111-M is an external read-writer for PCMCIA PC Card SRAM, and ATA Flash memory cards. The U111-M works without additional software or drivers on supported operating systems, treating both SRAM and ATA Flash as standard removable USB mass storage devices. Used in concert with a Type II PC Card adapter, the U111M USB to PCMCIA Memory PC Card drive will work with a variety of consumer memory cards including CompactFlash and SD Cards. Used with desktop or notebooks computers, the U111-M USB to PC Card Read-Writer 1 Slot PCMCIA PC Card ATA Flash and SRAM makes copying files to and from PCMCIA PC Card SRAM and PCMCIA PC Card ATA Flash devices simple and straight forward without confusing software interfaces.

The U111-M comes with a USB 'Y' for use on rare systems with underpowered ports. Simply plug in the additional power only connection in order to provide necessary current. The U111M provides an inexpensive, hassle free solution to deploying legacy PCMCIA PC Card memory SRAM and ATA Flash cards on modern Linux and Windows computers with USB 1.1 or USB 2.0 ports.

EverythingHerePlus.com Introduces 13 Port Hi-Speed USB 2.0 External Hubs with 4A PS (Black or White)

2010-01-07T17:05:00.000-08:00

EverythingHerePlus.com's new 13 Port Hi-Speed USB 2.0 External Hubs provide host computers with 13 additional USB ports. These stylish devices allow flexible tiered Hi-Speed USB configurations with a single hub! Both robust and inexpensive, these 13 Port Hi-Speed USB 2.0 External Hubs run in self powered mode and provides over current protection at each of their downstream ports. Fully USB 2.0 compliant and USB 1.1 backward compatible, they supports Low, Full, and Hi-Speed USB devices and work with any system that supports the USB specification. One of the 13 downstream USB ports is on top of the unit, and folds down for convenient access to portable USB Drives. Providing thirteen (13) downstream USB 2.0 ports in total, these USB 2.0 hubs features plug and play installation and transparent operation. These hubs are available in glossy black or white finishes, include a power supply with a generous 4 ampere capacity, and USB 2.0 cable to connect to a host computer.

USB-HUB-HU1310B 13 Port Hi-Speed USB 2.0 External Hub with 4A PS (Black)
USB-HUB-HU1311W 13 Port Hi-Speed USB 2.0 External Hub with 4A PS (White)

EverythingHerePlus.com is fun place to shop for fashion accessories, electronics, books, music, and more!

FireWire 800 Hubs for New iMacs and Macs as easy as 3, 4, 5!

2010-01-02T14:55:00.000-08:00

The recent transition to 9-pin FireWire 800 across Apple's product line has many people scrambling to find FireWire 800 hubs. Not to worry, EverythingHerePlus.com offers 3, 4, and 5 port FireWire 800 Repeater Hubs. Great for new Macs, iMacs, and other computing environments utilizing high performance FireWire 800 peripherals.

FireWire 800's sustained performance, coupled with other advantages like long cable runs, the ability to daisy chain, and more, make it one of the best and most versatile standards. With a theoretical maximum throughput of 800Mbps, FireWire 800—also known as IEEE 1394b, can typically deliver 80MBps (megabytes per second) performance when used with high end external hard drives like those by G|Tech.

FireWire is a true peer-to-peer technology, unlike the prosaic USB standard. Connectivity terminology for FireWire 800 Repeater Hubs is a little different than those that use star topologies exclusively. The count on a FireWire 800 Repeater Hub comprises the total available ports, since a host computer is considered another peer level device. In other words, plugging a computer into a five port FireWire 800 Repeater Hub leaves four available ports left.

These five, four, and three port FireWire 800 hubs are great for the new Mac Pro, MacBook Pro, iMac and other computers deploying FireWire 800. The 3 port FireWire 800 Repeater Hub edition is a highly portable plastic model, great for traveling. The 4 port and 5 port FireWire 800 Repeater Hub models are constructed from sturdy aluminum and are great for studio and industrial applications. All three FireWire 800 Repeater Hubs accept the optional (purchased separately) PS-12VDC-UB 12VDC 3A External Power Supply to power devices that run off bus power.

Using 6-pin to 9-pin cables or FireWire cable adapters allow FireWire 800 hubs to work with FireWire 400 device of both the 6-pin and 4-pin variety. In fact, since FireWire 800 is backward compatible, investing in a FireWire 800 Repeater Hub for use in mixed FireWire 800 and FireWire 400 environments is the higher performance, and more economical choice.

5 Port FireWire 800 Repeater Hub at EverythingHerePlus.com
Unibrain FireRepeater-800 Pro FireWire 800 IEEE 1394b Repeater Hub 5 Port
2504 / FW8-FIO-UB5PRH Available with $5 USPS Priority Mail shipping!

4 Port FireWire 800 Repeater Hub at EverythingHerePlus.com
Unibrain FireRepeater-800 Pro FireWire 800 IEEE 1394b Repeater Hub 4 Port
2502 / FW8-FIO-UB4PRH Available with $5 USPS Priority Mail shipping!

3 Port FireWire 800 Repeater Hub at EverythingHerePlus.com
Unibrain FireRepeater 800 FireWire 800 IEEE 1394b Repeater Hub 3 Port
2501 / FW8-FIO-UB3PRH Available with $5 USPS Priority Mail shipping!

EverythingHerePlus.com is fun place to shop for fashion accessories, electronics, books, music, and more!

Paul Graham's "The Roots of Lisp"

2010-01-02T11:26:00.000-08:00

Paul Graham's The Roots of Lisp, a cogent essay dealing with John McCarthy's astonishing 1960's paper which introduced the LISP language, and more importantly, the functional model of programing.

Graham stresses his essay is more important today than ever, given how more languages have moved (albeit in a piecemeal fashion) towards the LISP model. Working with seven primitive operators, the paper shows how the entire language is built. Most importantly, the paper shows the LISP trademark, how to write the language in itself.

An interesting aspect for Scheme programmers like myself is the discussion of dynamic versus lexical scoping.

Reading the paper reminds us of why functional languages, especially LISP based ones, aren't just the best for expressing algorithms, but are the most elegant models of programming since the are easily transcribed in mathematical notation.

I can't recommend The Roots of Lisp enough. The paper is available for free download on Paul Graham's site.

Not all USB 2.0 Y Cables are the same - DoubleQueue features quality engineering!

2009-12-13T15:19:00.000-08:00

The DoubleQueue USB 2.0 Y Cable was created to the exacting standards of a major WWAN hardware manufacturer. This meant it couldn't be cheaply or poorly designed like many competing cables. The DoubleQueue USB 2.0 Y Cable had to pass rigorous testing of standards bodies like the USB-IF, FCC, and others before it was included in the OEM package for major wireless carriers. One of the keys to DoubleQueue USB 2.0 Y Cable's quality is the split for the power cables is located in the plug where there is the most shielding and the least amount of stresses from movement. Many USB 2.0 Y cables split mid-cable, which is why they aren't standards compliant. DoubleQueue's connectors meet or exceed the USB-IF exacting requirements, and its highest quality EMI shielding assures USB 2.0's maximum throughput of up to 480Mbps. This in turn, makes the DoubleQueue USB 2.0 Y Cable the best choice for a range of devices including 3G/4G WWAN devices like the Kyocera KPC680 or Option Wireless GT Max 3.6 Express, the MicroU2E family of adapters, and even hard drives and SSD devices requiring extra electrical current.

The DoubleQueue USB 2.0 Y Cable features two upstream male A connectors, one for data and power, one for power only, and provides a downstream female A connector. Designed for notebooks and computers that don't provide enough current at their USB 2.0 ports, DoubleQueue's ability to draw power from a second port allows power hungry devices like WWAN 3G modems and hard drives. Some computers provide as little as 300mA per port, which while within specification, is woefully inadequate for many USB 2.0 devices. The DoubleQueue USB 2.0 Y Cable's ability to provide up to 1000mA to 1200mA when used with 500mA ports, and up to 600mA when used with 300mA ports. Providing a female A receptacle allows DoubleQueue to accept USB 2.0 and 1.1 male A cable ends and devices like the MicroU2E-MV without any other adapters. The DoubleQueue USB 2.0 Y Cable can be used as a normal USB 2.0 extender cable simple by using the data and power portion of the cable only.

Available at EverythingHerePlus.com for just $3.50 with inexpensive USPS Priority Mail shipping.

FireWire 4 to 6-pin Cable with Gold Plated Connectors, DV quality at big box prices

2009-12-11T01:03:00.000-08:00

Bafo's Premium line of FireWire cables feature ultra high density, triple shielded, high intensity copper for the most stabilized impedance and the highest digital video signal transfer available. Like all the premium line, this FireWire 4 to 6pin Cable has 24K pure hardened gold plated contacts to maintain high bandwidth and maximum data signal integrity. Bafo Premium line quality and standards compliance rival those of far more expensive cables. This 6-pin to 4-pin FireWire 400 cable is perfect for use with DV Camcorders featuring mini-DV, iLINK, FireWire 400 connectors. 1.8M (6 foot) is the most frequently requested length. The FireWire 4 to 6pin Cable is made with lead-free, RoHS compliant, and environmentally safe materials for a better world.

Available at EverythingHerePlus.com for just $5.00 with $5.00 USPS Priority Mail shipping.

Using Text Configuration Files with NetInfo Manager

2009-12-03T00:54:00.000-08:00

Using Text Configuration Files with NetInfo Manager

NetInfo Manager, like most NeXT style applications utilizing the columnar data presentation, is clumsy at best for entering information. Only the most stalwart advocate would be caught trying to use it to enter any lengthy lists of data. Fortunately Apple provides an alternative to those used to the elegant simplicity of text configuration files. Here we will populate NetInfo with a hosts listing from a standard BSD hosts file. This is a simple and very practical example.

To see the very specific format NetInfo prefers the hosts file, and to prevent missing any important information, let's export the existing data from Netinfo first. Make sure the resulting file is in /etc/hosts (permissions apply).

nidump hosts local@localhost

Once we've added all the additional entries, we can now reimport the data into NetInfo Manager.

sudo niload -v hosts . < /etc/hosts

For a full overview of command line utility access to NetInfo, execute apropos netinfo and read the corresponding man pages. We are also assuming that the reader is familiar with maintaining standard Unix host files.

FireRepeater-800 PRO 5 Port FireWire 800 Repeater Hub

2009-12-01T15:27:00.000-08:00

Unibrain's FireRepeater-800 PRO 5 Port Repeater Hub provides port expansion on FireWire 800 IEEE 1394b device chains. Oriented towards industrial and machine vision applications, FireRepeater-800 PRO provides the ability to connect up to five FireWire 800 devices and it's metallic compact case minimizes the risk of physical damage. The platform agnostic device provides five bilingual 9 pin FireWire 800 ports with a maximum throughput of up to 800 Mbps each. The Hub utilizes FireWire 800 bus power, or accepts an optional power adapter for use with devices requiring more power. The FireRepeater-800 PRO enables bus flexibility in that it allow for daisy chaining and/or hierarchical (tree) bus configurations. The FireRepeater-800 PRO also provides a means to lengthen the distance between devices when a single FireWire cable's length is inadequate. Simply daisy chain repeaters between cables to extend your reach. FireRepeater-800 PRO incorporates locking capable 9 pin bilingual ports, multiple mounting points and an optional metal bracket to ensure an even more secure physical connection.

Available at EverythingHerePlus.com at low prices with USPS Priority Mail shipping.

U111-M testing results on Unix-like operating systems

2009-11-03T16:18:00.000-08:00

EverythingHerePlus.com is now offering a Linux compatible USB reader for PCMCIA PC Card SRAM and ATA Flash memory devices just $155.00 USD. For full details check out U111-M USB to PCMCIA PC Card ATA Flash and SRAM.

In addition to testing the U111M with excellent results on the Windows XP platform, we were asked to test the U111-M with stable and secure Unix-like operating systems.

Here are the results.

Xubuntu Linux 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) amd64 edition: U111-M reader is recognized, both ATA Flash and SRAM worked without a hitch
OpenBSD 4.6 beta i386 edition: U111-M reader is recognized, kernel assigns sd0 dev on card inserts, but cannot mount cards using standard mount_msdos command line; OpenBSD UPDATE, this has been resolved -- please see this post for information on using the U111-M with OpenBSD
Mac OS X 10.4.11 PPC edition (iMac): U111-M reader is recognized, but card inserts throw a "card not recognized" error dialog
Mac OS X 10.5.8 x86 edition (Mac Pro): U111-M reader is recognized, but card inserts throw a "card not recognized" error dialog

The U111-M represents a low cost way to deploy both PCMCIA PC Card ATA Flash and SRAM on newer systems without existing PC Card slots. Its excellent compatibility with Linux is good news for users and the ability to deal with PCMCIA PC Card SRAM makes it unique in that regard. Xubuntu is the XFCE based Ubuntu distribution, and the U111-M really shined throughout the entire testing procedure.

Available at EverythingHerePlus.com at low prices with USPS Priority Mail shipping.

Error Message (-50) Syncing iPod 5G with iPhoto Solution

2009-11-01T12:22:00.001-08:00

I was having this problem and searched on Apple's discussion boards, finding I wasn't alone. The following solved the problem, and is reproduced here since Apple's discussion boards require a login.

The problem was due to escaped unicode characters within the AlbumData.xml file. I first suspected it was the tilde-n combination within many of my photo comments. When using BBEdit to grep them out, I noticed an escape sequence for a unicode character in the search string. Unfortunately, replacing them in the AlbumData.xml file didn't work. On relaunch iPhoto would put the characters back, which meant manually removing a comment sequence from a series of about 120 photos. Finding a script on Apple's site called 'Speak Comments.scpt' and commenting out the lines for speaking the comment (lines 15-18) and adding the following line before them:

set the comment of this_photo to ""

allowed me to remove the problematic comments from just the set of offending photos without having to do them by hand. Upon completion, iTunes recognized iPhoto's libraries and synced them to the 5G iPod without a hitch. Script available from: http://images.apple.com/applescript/iphoto/archive.sit

Announcing EverythingHerePlus.com

2009-10-30T11:36:00.000-07:00

EverythingHerePlus.com is a new online shop that, among other things, is an authorized Synchrotech reseller.

Their prices on many of Synchrotech's most popular items are typically discounted, and they ship via USPS Priority mail instead of FedEx, so many items are much cheaper to purchase when shipping is taken into account. For example EverythingHerePlus.com sells and ships the ExpressAdapt PCMCIA PC CardBus to USB Mode ExpressCard Adapter for $27.92. Or have an Unibrain FireWire 400 to 800 Adapter delivered for less the the retail price of the Sonnet version.

CFFire800 Pro Benchmarks and Performance Shootouts

2009-07-28T11:12:00.000-07:00

The CFFire800 Pro FireWire 800 to UDMA CompactFlash reader made the arduous task off offloading photos from my Cannon S-70 somewhat of a joy. Synchrotech published a few documents verifying my experience.

CFFire800 Pro Benchmarks
I use an ATP ProMax II CF 300X UDMA CompactFlash Card and see numbers very close to the top cards on this list.

Modern UDMA CompactFlash Reader Benchmarks FireWire vs USB 2.0
I use the FireWire 800 based CFFire800 Pro in FireWire 400 mode with a 9→6 pin adapter and can say it outperforms any USB 2.0 based CompactFlash reader I've ever tested by orders of magnitude.

Why use Gambit Scheme for application development?

2009-07-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

A discussion from jlongster on Gambit embedded in Objective-C. Some potentially cools stuff here. This discussion was a follow on to mikelevins Heresy article in which Scheme <-> Objective-C interface is also discussed. mikelevins' mention of prefix-dylan is a bonus as well.

Great FireWire 400 to FireWire 800 FAQ

2009-07-08T13:23:00.000-07:00

Synchrotech FAQ deals with myriad questions regarding connecting between FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 and vice versa.

With Apple's bold transition to all FireWire 800 ports on their computers and USB 3.0's disappointing initial performance figures, this FAQ and HOWTO is right on time!

Of special note is their 6→9 FireWire 800 IEEE1394b 6pin (female) to 9pin (male) Converter Plug available at EverythingHerePlus.com for under $9 and shipped for only $5!

Jeff Cat Explains FireWire Port Identification

2009-07-08T13:09:00.000-07:00

CES 2009: USB 3.0 slower than expected

2009-07-08T12:48:00.000-07:00

Any wonder at all the latest incarnation of the prosaic USB standard with its outdated and awkward master-slave topology, underperforming NRZI encoding, and clumsy CPU cycle stealing bus mastering scheme doesn't live up to the hype?

Evidenced by the results of all the benchmarks I've ever run in the lab, USB 2.0 is crushed by Ultra Wide SCSI, an early 1990's technology. Let's ponder USB with its anemic power capabilities, frightfully short cable runs, and well over a decade old performance capabilities. What was USB's advantages other than ubiquity again?

I realize many USB otaku have bought into the Intel fanboi TV spot [1], but maybe people should be tossing rotten fruits and vegetables at Ajay Bhatt.

[1] Truth is, Intel was only one many firms with patents contributed to the original USB pool. Intel later bought many of them after the fact. So the whole "rock star inventor" thing is a little suspect no? In fact, Wikipedia cites him as one of the co-inventors. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Serial_Bus#History

Considering testing out the CFMulti with and Eye-Fi Card

2008-10-06T16:03:00.000-07:00

The following is preliminary research I did to test out Synchrotech's CFMulti with and Eye-Fi card for use with my Canon S-70.

FAQ for CFMulti CompactFlash Type II to Eye-Fi™ + Multi-Card Adapter
CFMulti CompactFlash Type II to Eye-Fi™ + Multi-Card Adapter
http://photojojo.com/uncut/2008/06/14/eye-fi-canon-20d-30d-40d
http://support.eye.fi/faq/troubleshooting/#faq-388
http://johnmilleker.com/weblog/?p=29

Getting Gambit to respect prefix settings at configure

2008-10-06T15:24:00.001-07:00

After posting a concern about Gambit inserting an additional "version" directory into the installation path, the following was suggested on the Gambit mailing list and works perfectly. When executing make install set the PACKAGE_SUBDIR="" to remove the version number from the installation path.

For me the configure, make, install routine works as follows:

$ ./configure --enable-single-host --enable-gcc-opts --prefix=/Users/Shared
$ make install prefix=/usr/local PACKAGE_SUBDIR=""

This places the Gambit files in the directories I expect them to be in.

Kawa Implementation of Asymmetric Encryption Keys Via KeyPairGenerator

2008-10-02T16:44:00.000-07:00

Recreation of Sun's Java example program to create RSA and DSA keys from the command line in Kawa Scheme. The code utilizes the following Kawa functionality: 6.4 Compiling Scheme to a standalone application, 10.4 Calling Java methods from Scheme.

A pro reader for the rest of us

2008-10-02T16:41:00.001-07:00

When EverythingHerePlus.com released their CFFire800 Pro reader for CompactFlash cards, I was waiting for them to add a FireWire 400 option. Since I switched from my Pismo PowerBook to an iMac G5, I have had to download photos to iPhoto over the Canon S70's slow USB connection. I have been waiting for an affordable FireWire reader ever since. EverythingHerePlus.com's CFFire800 Pro FireWire 800 to CompactFlash Drive Read-Writer has a 9-pin FireWire 800 plug and I couldn't find a converter plug. Now EverythingHerePlus.com is offering such a plug for those of us that need to use the lightning fast reader with FireWire 400. Their FireWire 800 9pin (female) to 6pin (male) Converter Plug allows use of the CFFire800 Pro for the rest of us. From everything I have read, and my own testing so far, this reader is much faster than USB 2.0 models even when used over FireWire 400 (IEEE 1394a) mode.

Building Kawa on OpenBSD

2008-10-02T15:47:00.000-07:00

Getting The Kawa language framework to build on OpenBSD is fairly straight forward. You just have to call gmake instead of make.

Synchrotech's ExpressAdapt Shines on PowerBook G3 Pismo

2008-10-02T15:39:00.000-07:00

One of the advantages of working in the technology field is the opportunity to test new items. I recently was asked to test Synchrotech's ExpressAdapt product over a weekend with my PowerBook G3 (Pismo). The test application was an activated engineering sample of Option Wireless GT Max 3.6 Express. Synchrotech's ExpressAdapt was developed to handle mixed voltage ExpressCard better than competing devices, so getting the GT Max to work on an 8 year old notebook was actually possible.

The nicest thing about the ExpressAdapt CardBus to ExpressCard Adapter is it required absolutely no drivers under OS X (I am running Mac OS X 10.4.11). The system recognized when plugged in the PC Card slot without any hesitation. Locating software and configuration settings for the Option Wireless GT Max 3.6 Express was a little more work, but once done, the ExpressAdapt card allowed it to behave on the PowerBook G3 as if had been made for it. While 3G (HSDPA) wireless isn't all that fast, particularly in my neighborhood, it is nice to be able to try a technology in use on all the newer machines on an older Apple PowerBook. At $45, ExpressAdapt allows the use of any USB based ExpressCard in PC CardBus (32-bit) notebook slots.

On the same weekend, a friend dragged over his new notebook with The Vista, and his T-Mobile Wing and asked me to tether them. I found some instructions on the internet. I know the predatory monopoly capitalist is trying to re-market their failed OS, but just ten minutes of hands on showed me why people are rejecting it. It literally took more steps (various phishing notices, redirects, warnings, license agreement screens, more warnings, etc.) to download The Vista version of ActiveSync than it did to tether the phone. How people put up with such poorly thought out and executed software from Redmond is beyond me. I did get his system tethered and he was happy.