Pintmaster

This information is specific to Ubuntu Dapper Drake, but it may work on other versions of the software. This will allow you to connect to Microsoft’s SQL Server 2000 to use Apache and PHP to connect to a MSSQL database.

• Install support packages

sudo aptitude install freetds-dev

sudo aptitude install tdsodbc

• Modify the Freetds file to access the server: sudo nano /etc/freetds/freetds.conf (not sure if this is necessary)

# Our SQL Server
[FSData]
host = 192.168.x.x
port = 1433
tds version = 8.0

• Tell UnixODBC where to find the FreeTDS driver and give it a name:
  • Modify /etc/odbcinst.ini

[FreeTDS]
Description = FreeTDS 0.61-5 Deb
Driver = /usr/lib/odbc/libtdsodbc.so
Setup = /usr/lib/odbc/libtdsS.so
FileUsage = 1
CPTimeout = 5
CPReuse = 5

• • Modify the odbc.ini file: sudo nano /etc/odbc.ini

[Products]
Description = Products on Our MSSQL Server
Driver = FreeTDS
Servername = FSData
Database = Products

• Download dpkg

sudo aptitude install dpkg-dev

• Download php-src

sudo aptitude source php5

• Go into the new php5 directory
• Edit the debian/rules file - add the following to the common config sudo nano debian/rules

--with-mssql

• build dependencies

sudo aptitude build-dep php5

• build the package

sudo dpkg-buildpackage

• install the new PHP w/ MSSQL

sudo dpkg -i php5_5*.deb

• copy the new libphp5.so to the correct directory (otherwise it will still use the old one)

sudo cp ~/php5-*/apache2-build/libs/libphp5.so /usr/lib/apache2/modules/libphp5.so

• restart Apache

sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart

The aptly named Griffin iMic gives you one feature which it seems all recent portable macs are lacking - support for a non-powered external microphone. As an added bonus, it works in Windows too! If you’ve got an Intel Mac and are using bootcamp to load windows, this fixes your issues with your soundcard for a minimal $29.99.

OS X Review

In OS X, it is pretty straightforward - just plug it in to the USB port and select it in your sound preferences. You can use the iMic for sound output on all sounds, or just in Skype.

It works very well as a consumer level device if you want to conference call with friends and family, or produce your own podcast. It also has stereo mic inputs so if you have a fancy stereo mic or want to use a splitter to mic a room in stereo, you can do that too! Im thinking about using it as an inexpensive way to do a podcast. There are two benefits using my external headset with this device over the internal mic. One is that people dont hear when I am typing and the other is that it my headset mic doesnt pick up all the background noise in the room too like the MacBook’s mic does.\

Windows Review

In Windows XP, it’s as easy as OS X. Just plug in the iMic and Windows recognizes it as an external sound input. Go into the Sounds and Audio Devices properties in the control panel. Under the “Audio” tab, you can select the iMic USB audio system for both Sound Playback and Sound recording.

Capturing sound with the iMic seems to be pretty reasonable. I have my Sennheiser PC150 headphones plugged in and my fellow skypers tell me I come in loud and clear. What’s cool with skype in Windows is you can tell it to ring on your external speakers, but play back audio on the headset. This feature is not yet built into skype for Mac. We’re only on 1.6 whereas windows is at 2.0 This gadget truly adds value to my Mac setup and although it tries to look ipod-ish, it’s not that stylish. I would recommend it though to anyone sick of dealing with the soundcard in Bootcamp Windows and anyone else with a MacBook who wants to use Skype or other conference software.

We live in the era of the Desktop replacement notebook PC. It replaces the desktop computer, but not the desk. Like many people, when sitting at my desk, I prefer using an external monitor, keyboard and mouse plugged in to my MacBook Pro. I travel with my MacBook pro between work and home and find it frustrating to have to plug in 6 things when I get to work every day - Monitor, Ethernet, USB hub, Headphones, Power cord, external harddrive. My Thinkpad toting colleagues just drop their notebooks into the dock when they get in and hey-presto everything is up and running again.

I want to recommend the Macbook as the laptop that we should replace the thinkpads with when they come up for renewal. The macbook is certainly a compelling buy. For about 1600 bucks, you get a great business computer that can run windows. Users can even keep their personal lives separate and dual boot the computer.

As I said, I want to recommend the Macbook, but it needs to be easy for the business user. Thats where the dock comes in. Just drop it in, and everything is connected. In order for apple to move beyond the die-hard mac fan + home user market into the big bucks, they need to make the notebook more appealing to the business user.

Im not the only one that shares this sentiment

On my ThinkPad I have a small port replicator that I just click the laptop onto and all my connections are made. With the MacBook I have an array of fiddly connectors to plug-in spread over 2 sides of the book. I have to connect Power, Audio and USB to the left hand side. Then Plug in DVI-D video, Ethernet and Firewire on the right hand side.

Well if that’s not fiddily enough I have to open the lid of the book to press the power button as there is no way to turn on the book without opening it. The ThinkPad has a power button on the replicator. I have no need to use the built-in screen as my desktop display is plenty big enough and the internal screen is so poor. So I close the lid and of course the computer goes to sleep. So I then have to wake it up to use it, only problem is I can’t wake it with a 3rd party Bluetooth keyboard and mouse so have to connect a USB mouse just so I can wake it up.

If Apple are going to make headway into corporate use they need to acknowledge that a laptop is taken to and from work every day and it is not practical to plug and unplug six or seven cables twice a day

Apple. Please dont let down your business users. Our companies pay for laptops. We need you to make it a more compelling sell. Right now, I love my MacBook - but it is too hot for a laptop and too cumbersome for a desktop.

My colleague in my office started getting this on her phone bill and I have to sit across from her. I’ve heard her yelling her head off at these people trying to get this service removed.

The number for these people is +1-866-928-1093 and apparently, the people in charge are Mike and Christina.

Services they illegally put on your phone bill include:

• Answerstop Voicemail
• Privacy Plus Voice Mail
• Voice Express
• VoiceXpress
• Antivirus Email

It’s hard to pinpoint who is perpetrating the crime here, but the companies involved and allowing it to happen are below. If you know any other names, please post them in the comments, and I will add them here when I can:

• Enhanced Services Billing, Inc.
• ESBI
• Billing Concepts
• BSG Clearing Solutions Gmbh (why is a company in germany getting away with screwing americans?)
• Zero Plus Dialing, Inc.a
• ZPDI
• USBI
• OAN
• HBS
• ESBI Spec Serv & Prod

Various addresses for these people include:
PO BOX 15624
CLEARWATER FL 33766
PHONE 1-888-523-3724

Enhanced Services Billing, Inc.
7411 John Smith Drive, Suite 200
San Antonio, TX 78229-4898

HBS Billing Services
4242 Medical Drive, Suite 2100
San Antonio, TX 78229

Other Resources

• FTC Website mentions ESBI
• ESBI Website - to submit a complaint!
• ZPDI - Behind the screen
• A little self-promotion from Billing concepts

I hope this little blog helps someone. I hate scams & if anyone has any information on how to deal with these scumbags, please share it with the rest of us to help get rid of this scourge on society.

I just bought a Lenovo Thinkpad T60, the second Thinkpad my company has purchased since IBM sold their PC & Laptop division to Lenovo. I was extremely disappointed to find out that the docking system that has been the same as long as I have had a t-series thinkpad, and to be honest, one of the big selling points of the T, is now different!!!

I recently learned you can get Mexican coke at Fiesta! Coke, made with Real Sugar, not high fructose corn syrup crap! Im going to go to Fiesta and pick me up some Mexican coke. I’ll report back with pictures and my analysis of the taste. In case you’re wondering, I grew up with sugar coke in Singapore and not the high-fatness corn syrup that infests every single junk food product in the US.

Ok, so I thought I would give a rundown of my grievances. Im going to be working to fix these and will be posting the solutions I come up with so stay tuned!

1. Overscan - This is a pretty common phenomenon with televisions. In simple terms, the signal extends past the borders of the screen. In XBMC (Xbox Media Center), there was a built in tool to bring the screen in. This is not built in to Windows Media Center, and I have not yet been able to get any tools I have tried to work
2. TV Reception - The antenna I bought does not pick up all the channels and watching HDTV using the antenna can be a pain in the ass at times. Im going to remedy this by installing an antenna either in the attic or on the roof.
3. Windows Media Center does not play all files. Mostly, I have experienced problems with files that have AC3 5.1 encoding. Windows Media center seems to choke on these, but media center classic works fine. This is an acceptable workaround for the time being.
4. Noise - When switching out the powersupply, it also took away my ability to control the speed of the fans. I need to do some research to find out the best way to slow down the fans based on temperature. The box runs pretty loud right now.
5. Subscribing to RSS feeds. Right now I am using uTorrent which does a fantastic job. Sometimes there are multiple releases of the same shows, so I need to fine tune my uTorrent subscriptions. It would also be nice to see a web interface to uTorrent.

The most annoying of these is the overscan, so that is the one I am going to try and tackle first. Wish me luck! I hope to have it solved by the end of the week.

I’ve been working on my Ultimate (cheap) HDTV PVR for a few weeks now. See the previous articles (1, 2, 3) that detail my problems. I’ve purchased a ton of hardware and returned a ton of hardware. Here’s what I am left with and approximate prices:

• Case: Antec Sonata $80
• PSU: Seasonics S12 500w Power Supply $90
• Processor: AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Processor $120
• Motherboard: MSI K8N NEO4-F nForce4 $70
• Memory: 1GB DDR400 PC3200 CAS2.5 - Corsair Value Select $82
• Video Card: Radeon X1300 PRO PCI Express 256MB (MSI) $70
• Harddrive: Maxtor DiamondMax 10 6L300S0 300GB $100
• SDTV Tuner: Hauppage WINTV-PVR-150 MCE $50
• HDTV Tuner: DVICO FusionHDTV5 RT Lite $99
• Sound Card: AuzenTech HDA X-PLOSION 7.1 DTS Connect $125
• DVD-RW: NEC 16X DVD¬±R DVD Burner Black IDE/ATAPI $25
• Software: Windows XP Media Center 2005 $110, uTorrent -$FREE

Total Cost: $1021

Not so cheap anymore!

Other gear in my setup

• Monitor: Panasonic TH42PX50U 42 Inch Plasma TV
• Receiver: Onkyo TX-SR601U

Mistakes Made

I’ve made a bunch of mistakes building my HTPC. When the computer kept rebooting / stalling, I wrongly attributed it to hardware / driver problems. My assumption was compounded when I read that people were having problems with the turtle beach montego (my original HTPC sound card). I ended up spending a lot more when I had to keep returning hardware. I now think that the problem was with the original PSU in the Antec Sonata failing. It was rated at 380w and when I ran through the Power calculator, it seemed that it would be enough for my hardware, but apparently that is not the case. Either the PSU is failing or the hardware is much more power hungry than the calculator thought.

What can you do with it?

Now that I’ve just dropped a grand on this box, what can I do with it?

Recording TV - You’ll now be able to set media center to record your favorite shows for you in High Definition. Some pitfalls here are: you need a really strong signal. I purchased a Terk indoor antenna, but the signal is weak. I am within 15 miles of all the broadcast towers in Houston, but my directional antenna only picks up 2 stations well from inside my house. The rest of them are pretty choppy. Im going to try buying a $100 antenna and put it in my attic run a cable down to my living room.

Downloading Torrents - While my TV channels dont fully work, I’ve got to use uTorrent to subscribe to shows on tvRSS.net in order to get my fill. I’ve also got my Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8300HD on Time Warner cable as a backup

Music - Im not using it for music. This is when it sucks to have all your music in iTunes. It would be nice if someone (Apple ?) wrote an iTunes interface for Windows Media Center (but I cant see why they would)
Gaming - I dont use it for big screen gaming, but I can see myself getting a wireless controller and maybe installing MAME or an NES / SNES emulator.

Is it ready for primetime?

If you are an inexperienced user thinking about building a HTPC, no, it’s not. Even if you are an experienced user, it may be more pain than its worth. Especially the quirks with OTA broadcasts. In fact - right now I would prefer to download a torrent of the show rather than record it over the air.

This quirkiness / lack of seamless integration is where apple really has an “in” into the living room. Steve jobs recently stated “we hear you load and clear” when asked about a potential Apple media center. The Mac Mini is a great little platform. It will be fantastic if they can integrate a dual HD and SD tuner into that package, or even have a little add on. Im a little disappointed with the inflexibility of the Windows Media Center software. It’s missing a lot - such as the ability to automatically compress a recorded show to Divx. This is a relatively young product, but unfortunately, it still acts like a computer and not enough like an appliance. This is where the failing is. Things dont “just work”.

Conclusion
Im not happy with Windows MCE 2005. Frankly, recording on my $12/month Scientific Atlanta 5300hd box is better than my $1000 Windows MCE 2005 box. I’d like to try and make this work by installing MythTV on Ubuntu which seems to offer more flexibility, but I am waiting for Dapper Drake to come out around the beginning of June to do it right. Im very conflicted about this right now. I want to watch TV how and when I want to watch it. I want to do it legally and in High Definition when possible. I dont want to have to pay 60 bucks a month to Time Warner Cable to watch my 5 or so shows that I can get free over the air. The kicker right now is that with my current setup, it is more inconvenient to try and record in HD over the air than it is to download the torrent. I will make this work! Keep your eyes on this space.

There have been quite a few posts around the net already on how to fix the heat issues on the first few revisions of the MacBook pro. I tried it, and it appears to work!

I followed the: iFixit guide to disassemble my MacBook. The only thing I didnt have to do was remove the harddrive. I then cleaned with Arcticlean 1 and Arcticlean 2 and then applied my Arctic Silver 5 to just the die - like apple should have done. It was really time consuming and you have to be careful… but I think it might be worth it.

First 24 Hours

My MacBook Pro still gets damn hot. I’ve read that the Arctic Silver takes some time to cure. I am booted into windows right now where the MacBook pro gets the hottest. I ran a very repetetive macro in excel that turned the fans on pretty high speed. That made me realize that I’ve never really heard the fans before.