Category Archives: Apple

Dencoder 0.3.0 released

Posted by Dustin on January 22, 2011 None comments

I’ve been putting a lot of time into this little project. Nobody uses it (yet?) and truth be told I barely use it in the house but it’s been such a great way to learn a number of different things including python, mDNS (bonjour), creating installer files for debian and OS X systems and even git that I can’t stop working on it.

I’m now releasing version 0.3.0. This version brings a few changes but most notably the Linux client is now ready. The next release will be coming shortly and will focus on making the client the more robust about how it deals with network disconnects.

You can read more about the 0.3.0 release at https://github.com/dustinrue/Dencoder/wiki

Dencoder updated to version 0.2

Posted by Dustin on January 18, 2011 None comments

I’ve updated Dencoder to use Bonjour to find the Dencoder server. Visit http://blog.dustinrue.com/projects/distributed-handbrake-queue-dencoder to access the latest version. If you’ve previously installed all three packages, you only need to grab the new RabbitMQ Installer and Dencoder Client.

This update means one less config step is required when setting up your distributed encode environment. The clients will now find the master server using bonjour rather than a hard coded value. This should be useful for DHCP environments where the master server’s IP address could change.

Microsoft is set to show off some more vaporware at the next CES

Posted by Dustin on December 15, 2010 None comments

Microsoft is at it again. They’re making wild claims about having a number of iPad killers at 2011′s CES based on their Windows 7 OS. I really hope that they came up with a way to make Windows 7 more appropriate for a tablet.

But after reading this I dare say they haven’t

The Times, citing unnamed sources, said the Samsung devices would be “similar in size and shape” to the iPad, but not as thin and equipped with a slide-out keyboard.

A slide-out keyboard?! Are f&($ing kidding me? Congratulations, you just made a more cumbersome laptop

File this one under the awesome category

Posted by Dustin on November 29, 2010 None comments

Just found out that a friend of mine, Joel, was responsible for reaching out to and making the mold used to create “The Glif”, as seen here on http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/danprovost/glif-iphone-4-tripod-mount-and-stand?ref=search. He took the time to contact the Glif crew and offered to assist as he to work for Premiere Source, a company that just happens to have “extensive injection molding knowledge” and just what the Glif crew needed to get their product launched after successful funding.

Fantastic product, great story, made here in the US. Congrats to Premiere Source! Pick one up at their store – http://www.theglif.com/

Making the Glif from Glif on Vimeo.

Macro photos of the sleep light on a MacBook Pro

Posted by Dustin on November 28, 2010 None comments

On whim I decided to try capturing the sleep light on a unibody 13″ MacBook Pro. While off, the location of the sleep light is all but invisible on the all aluminum case. Looking at the photos you can see how Apple achieved. The level of precision here is incredible.

View photo stream on Flickr here.

Acer to launch three new tablets

Posted by Dustin on November 27, 2010 None comments

Linux News is reporting that Acer will be launching two new Android tablets, both a 7″ and 10.1″ model, as well as a Windows 7 based tablet. I asked the magic 8 ball and it is already saying “outlook not so good.” Even the “experts” who cover this stuff already know that whatever Acer pumps out simply won’t match the iPad.

“The price point is the only way for other tablets to compete against the iPad for now, as it’s very difficult to battle the iPad in terms of the user experience,” Kitagawa explained. “But if the price is lower than the iPad’s, and the user experience is good enough, buyers might be attracted.”

That’s not exactly praise being dished out there now it is?

I’d really like to see more companies compete with the iPad by actually offering a compelling product. Samsung’s Tab is so far about the only Android based offering that even stands a chance but even that tablet comes up short. It kinda reminds me of a certain Dilbert cartoon

Dilbert.com

And we all know how I feel about Windows 7 on a tablet. That has #fail all over it.

Beatles coming iTunes

Posted by Dustin on November 15, 2010 None comments

WSJ and some others are reporting that the Beatles are on their way to iTunes. I agree that this is much more likely than any sort of streaming service but it’s far less interesting, at least to me.

I got onto macrumors, and here’s why

Posted by Dustin on November 15, 2010 None comments

If you’re finding this site because of my twitter profile seen on macrumors.com, this is why.

This diff shows a new URI scheme was added to iTunes 10.1′s Info.plist file to handle “iTunes Live Stream URL”s using itls://. Running strings on the iTunes binary also shows that itls is references within the binary.

Is the iOS version of VLC violating the GPL?

Posted by Dustin on October 31, 2010 1 comments

TUAW is reporting that VLC may soon be removed from the App Store because it violates the GPL on the grounds that because the copy downloaded to your device is copy protected using a DRM then it violates the GPL.

I’m not a lawyer, but I don’t think VLC on iOS is in violation of anything so long as the source is available. Just because I can’t copy the compiled program doesn’t mean it violates the GPL. It comes down to the source code itself. In a sense, a version of VLC compiled for older PPC Mac systems also violates the GPL because I can’t copy the binary from an PPC system to an Intel system or even from a Mac to a PC. Further, you’d never copy the program files from one Windows PC to another because it’s far easier to download the installer and install it. So goes with VLC on an iPod or iPhone, it’s easier to just install it from the App Store, it’s free after all.

iPad to be sold by Verizon

Posted by Dustin on October 17, 2010 None comments

Verizon is selling the iPad starting October 28th. There is nothing new about the iPad itself, it’s really just a bundle of the iPad with a Verizon MiFi device but the pricing is attractive all the same. PCMag has the details at http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2370745,00.asp