Summer Redux

Yeah, the water is cold but I've been in
Baby, lose the laundry and jump on in
I mean all God's children got skin
And it's summer again

James Taylor "Summer's Here"

Ask And Thou Shalt Receive: iPhone 3.1 Released In Beta

I guess Apple listens to us, cause they've just released iPhone 3.1 in beta to developers.

It promises a few more goodies, and hopefully a few fixes. Apple is mum on the subject so far, but info is trickling out from the developer community. Stay posted...

iPhone OS3: Gotta Have It, Gonna wait.

Apple’s long awaited iPhone OS3 is out, and although I really want to download and install it right now, I’ve decided to hold off for a while.

The reason? In a word; vacation.

Yup, I’m a chicken. I’ve already got my digital bags packed, so to speak, and I’m not taking any chances this late in the game. My 2nd gen Touch has podcasts, videos, games, and most importantly, a boat load of music on it, plus all of my contacts and personal email accounts. This will be my first “downtime only” trip in a long while, and there’s no way I’m brickin’ that thing just before I leave.

There are always initial problems with any new iTunes or iPod upgrade, and here’s why: There’s no way on Earth for Apple to test on every possible configuration out there, because there’s just too many of them.

Different computer platforms with different operating systems at different version levels, running different apps (also with different version levels), coupled with different iPod models running different apps (also at different version levels!), makes almost every iPod user unique, and creating a one size fits all product for them is a mind boggling task.

The trick is to hold off until Apple has time to address all the little glitches that surface after a major release. It would be a double upgrade for me. First, I’d have to upgrade to iTunes 8.2.23, then iPhone OS3.

In Apple’s iPod Touch discussions thread there are 163 pages of user comments regarding problems with WiFi signal strength and speed after upgrading.

In the iTunes discussions thread there are 83 pages of comments regarding iTunes not recognizing both iPhone and Touch devices after upgrade.

So, while downloading movies via WiFi, or playing the iPod through the car’s stereo via Bluetooth would be very welcome additions on a road trip, I’m going to pass for now. Last minute problems would really harsh my vacation mellow, and that just wouldn’t do.


That is all.

Indelible Memories

Wow, first Ed McMahon on Tuesday, then Farrah and Michael today. I’m stunned.

All three were icons of my generation, and the news of their passing saddened me more than I could have imagined. Memories of watching the Jackson 5 on the old Sonny and Cher show with my parents, struggling to stay up late to watch Ed and Johnny on the Tonight show, and being enraptured by Farrah as she battled crime with a flip of her bouncy golden locks all came flooding back, reminding me of my youth, and giving me a whiff of my own mortality.

It’s amazing how fleeting and unpredictable life can be.

All 3 will be fondly remembered, and sadly missed, and we all should take this as an opportunity to let the people in our lives know how much we care about them, because you just can’t ever do that enough.

The Rabbit Ears Report - Revisited

Looks like there have been signal strength problems with WHDH, as well as with other stations nationwide. I sent them a link to my previous post "The Rabbit Ears Report", and they sent back a great explanation of what was going on. Here it is in part:

“WHDH is experiencing signal difficulties following the transition that took place on June 12.

The signal difficulties we are experiencing are a result of post-transition power allocation assigned by the FCC that is not sufficient to maintain the signal strength that we had prior to the transition. We are petitioning the FCC to adjust the technical parameters so that we will be able to improve reception. In the meantime, we will continue to simulcast on Channel 42 (our pre-transition digital channel) so that viewers will be able to receive our signal. We appreciate your patience as we resolve this matter.

Thanks”

Bravo for stepping up and acknowledging problems to your viewers, channel 7, and true to their word, a rescan last night brought back both 7-1 and 7-2.

As a long time technology guy, I know that in any large scale transition there will be unexpected problems. Dealing quickly with those problems and making a “spectacular recovery” is the real measure of success in such a large project.

So, last night’s rescan brought a total reversal of fortune for both 7 and 5, changing my color coded reception chart (black/good, blue/decent, red/difficult) like this:

5-1 WCVB-DT Boston, MA ABC
7-1 WHDH-HD Boston, MA NBC
7-2 WHDH-SD Boston, MA This TV

The rescan also added 9-1, 27-1 and 27-2 to the mix.

There’s a good article about the broadcast power issues on boston.com today, the highlight of which is the “double rescanning” info from the FCC at the very bottom, which recommends that with all the hopping around that the stations are doing right now, you should basically wipe your box by disconnecting the antenna and rescanning, then power cycling it, then hook it back up and do a second rescan.

This is excellent advice that I think I would take a step further by recommending a weekly double rescan until all this shakes out.

The Rabbit Ears Report

Well, they finally pulled the plug on analog broadcasts, and I’ve been ensconced in my little ramshackle pool house ever since, testing and tweaking. Initial reports are good, and I’m now sure of 3 things:

1. I should have cut over sooner.

2. The old rabbit ears with the bow tie UHF add-on work better then the RCA amplified HDTV antenna that I had picked up a while ago.

3. My wife thinks I’m certifiably insane, and has suggested that perhaps I should live out there.

While I’m tempted to take her up on the offer, I’m gonna have to pass for now. No heat, no fridge, no NESN.., no berry.

Ok, time to get down to business. On the antenna front, I truly got much better results with the “stock” rabbit ears that came with the TV. As a matter of fact, the powered RCA imparted a small amount of noise, evident in a slight but annoying screen shimmy that increased as I turned up its gain. Perhaps with a longer cable this wouldn’t be a problem, but I’m limited for space in the old pool house (think walk in closet). I actually considered trying it up on the roof, but then I realized a.) I’d really have a hard time adjusting it, and b.) If I didn’t fall off the roof, I’d probably fall through it, so I gave up and went back to the bunny ears.

Below is my new station list, color coded to indicate the amount of effort involved in getting a clear picture with an indoor antenna. Black indicates little or no manipulation was required. Blue indicates some fiddling and diddling required. Red indicates that you really have to work the antenna to get a glimpse of anything, and what you get isn’t exactly watch-able. Note: this result was after numerous repositions and rescans, you won’t get them all registered on the first pass.

2-1 WGBH-SD Boston, MA PBS
2-2 WGBH-HD Boston, MA PBS
4-1 WBZ-TV Boston, MA CBS
5-1 WCVB-DT Boston, MA ABC
7-1 WHDH-HD Boston, MA NBC
7-2 WHDH-SD Boston, MA This TV
25-1 WFXT-DT Boston, MA FOX
38-1 WSBK-DT Boston, MA Independent
44-1 WGBX-DT Boston, MA PBS
44-2 WGBX-DT Boston, MA PBS World
44-3 WGBX-DT Boston, MA PBS Create
44-4 WGBX-DT Boston, MA PBS Kids
56-1 WLVI-DT Boston, MA CW
66-1 WUTF-DT Marlborough, MA TeleFutura
68-1 WBPX-DT Boston, MA ION
68-2 WBPX-DT Boston, MA qubo
68-3 WBPX-DT Boston, MA IONLife
68-4 WBPX-DT Boston, MA Worship

One oddity I noticed is that when I first tested digital reception last weekend I got 7-1 and 7-2 as clear as a bell, and didn’t get 5-1 at all. This weekend, after the cutover, just the opposite is true. Hmmmm… interesting. Perhaps WHDH hasn’t gone full power yet, or maybe they were already at full power, and other stations are drowning them out now. Oh well, I can live without them for now, but I’m curious to hear what others have found, so be sure to chime in with your own results. I’m sure I’m not the only nut job out there.

At least I hope I’m not…

DTV Transition, T- Minus 5 Days And Counting…

Ok, so it’s finally here… again. This Friday, June 12th (barring any more government intervention), all full power television stations will cease analog broadcasting. This means that if you depend on an antenna for over the air reception, you’re going to need either a TV with a digital (ATSC) tuner, or a digital converter box for your old clunker, if you want to continue to watch your favorite shows.

Hopefully you’ve gotten your ducks in a row by now, but ready or not, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind as the winds of change blow through town this week.

First, even if the change doesn’t affect you, you should make sure that your elderly relatives and neighbors are all set. You know they can’t be missing Vanna, their world might implode, so do your part and help out.

Second, even if you’re already using a digital converter box, your work isn’t done. When the changeover happens you’re going to need to rescan your channels using your converter’s auto scan feature, because the “Great Channel Dance” is about to begin.

After the changeover, most stations will be received on new channel numbers. For instance, WHDH (7NBC) is normally received on channel 7 (analog), or channel 7-1 (digital). Likewise, its sister station WLVI (CW56) can normally be found on channel 56, or 56-1. As of next Friday, WHDH will be found on channel 42, and WLVI on 41. No need to look them all up or stress over it though. Just hit auto scan, and let technology work for you.

That’s about it in a nutshell. If you still need help getting set up, or setting someone else up, or if you’re not sure if the change will effect you, be sure to check out The Switch to All Digital Broadcasting Is Coming, Will My TV Explode? , where we esplains it all, complete with links for converter coupons, plus the skinny on how this will eventually effect cable viewers also.

I’ve had a digital converter for a while now. I got the Winegard RCDT09A as a power failure backup for my portable TV, as it can operate on batteries, and also to use on the old 13” RCA I have in the pool house (How old is it, you ask? Well, I got it at Lechmere Sales, so it’s at least old enough to vote!). This weekend I finally hooked it up out there, and now instead of 4 fuzzy channels and 2 relatively clear ones, I get 16, and they’re all crystal clear. Plus I get cable comparable programming info from the converter’s guide function. So fear not, change is good.

That is all...

until Friday, anyways!

Backyard Tech – Part 3, Pool Opening Made Easy

Well, it’s that time of year again. Memorial Day weekend is upon us, and I’ve got the pool opened and sparkling clean. The water is a brisk 66 °, and I’m the only one that’s foolishly gone in (yikes!) so far, but I’ll bet there’ll be a nephew or two who will throw caution to the wind today and come out with chattering teeth and blue lips, professing to all that “It’s not really so bad”.

Ah, early summer in New England… I love it.

Opening the pool is the start of the summer countdown clock for me. Mid May to mid September is usually the best you can hope for in terms of pool weather up this way. That’s roughly 120 days, not a large return on all the time you spend opening, closing and tending the darn thing. Over the years I’ve found some little shortcuts to ease the pain, and the best investment I’ve made to date is our Loop-Loc pool cover.

We used to use a cheap plastic cover with water bags to keep it in place. If you’ve ever seen this type of setup, you know that over the fall and winter, leaves, rain and snow collect on the cover, and by spring you’ve got a nasty quagmire that needs to be “ladled” off before you can budge the cover, and if you don’t get it all off, whatever you miss ends up in the pool. Yuck. After a couple of openings, I decided that there had to be a better way, and there is.

Loop-Loc makes a great mesh cover that fits tightly over the pool, almost like a trampoline. When it’s on, the pool looks like a tennis court, allowing us to get a little more use out of the area in the fall. During the off season, rain and snow melt pass through, adding back the water you had to pump out to close it, and leaves, pine needles and the like stay on top, to be blown off by either Mother Nature or my Toro leaf blower. This saves me 2 or 3 days of backbreaking work, and saves on water usage. Sweet.

It also acts as a great safety cover. Step on it, and it gives just enough to get your feet wet. No steep drop off to a putrid swamp, like with traditional covers. I don’t know how many small animals I had to fish out of the old setup, and the thought of one of the kids falling in always scared the crap out of me.

Loop-Loc makes covers for in ground and above ground pools, as well as hot tubs and spas. They’re not cheap, as you have to have them custom made for the dimensions and configuration of your pool, but they’re well worth it. Also, if you’re going to do it, you should let a pool service company install it for you. If your measurements are off, or you install the pop up fasteners in the wrong spots, you could end up with big problems.

Check them out, and have a safe and happy holiday!

Cat5 Twisted Pair Wire, The Unsung Hero Of The Internet Age

I was doing an archeological dig in a computer room the other day, and it struck me that of all the amazing advances we’ve seen in the world of computing in the last couple of decades, what stands out to me as the biggest catalyst and facilitator for them all, and one of the most overlooked advancements of these heady times, is the development of user and installer friendly networks via Cat5 twisted pair wiring.

Before Local Area Networks moved to distribution through twisted pair, it wasn’t very easy, or pretty, to make network access widely available in the home or workplace. In the early days of networking, the medium of choice for a long time was various types of coax. First there was Thicknet, a large and unwieldy beast that needed holes drilled in it to accommodate device taps. Not anything you could incorporate unobtrusively into a work or living space.

Then there was Thinnet, a thinner version of coax (RG58) than what we’re used to running for our TV’s. Although it could be easily integrated into an outlet box, and the cable itself wasn’t too big to conceal, it still meant needing a second delivery system to the location, twisted pair for phone and coax for data. Plus, it was a pain in the butt to connectorize.

The development of Category 5, 5e and 6 twisted pair wire, capable of transmitting both voice and data at high rates of speed, is an example of convergence at its very root. It’s allowed installation of a single type of physical medium on the premise, making connectivity easy, and because the T568B standard will support Ethernet transmission speeds up to 1000BASE-T, it’s extended the average life expectancy of the cable plant, saving a small fortune in wiring costs.

Easier, cheaper delivery on the premise means it’s easier to connect devices, which means it’s easier to deliver things like Wi-Fi. It’s also enabled delivery of PoE (Power over Ethernet) to the device, saving money, labor and space, not to mention greatly improving aesthetics, by delivering enough juice along with the Ethernet connection to power small devices, such as the aforementioned Wireless Access Points, without the need for a power outlet nearby, or an unsightly power cable.

It doesn’t stop there, though. New devices making use of Cat5 and above cabling are coming out all the time. I’ve been a big proponent of audio and video over Cat5 for quite a while, as it opens a whole new door in cable plant convergence. Although video over Ethernet is a great thing, it can cause unnecessary stress on a network in certain situations, and sometimes there’s a need to keep video segregated for privacy or security reasons. Having the ability to broadcast a separate stream of audio and video utilizing the existing cable plant gives you the ultimate in flexibility.

So, a tip of the hat to Cat5 twisted pair wire, its made being “connected” a piece of cake, and all this easy peasy connectivity has changed the way we do business and communicate.


End of transmission.

Get Well Soon, Jerry!!!

A Viewer's Bonanza!

I usually dig a little overlap, but wow, the Bruins, Celtics, Red Sox and Lost, all head to head. It's almost too much.

Almost.

My recorders will be working overtime, but there's no way I can wait to watch any of the above, so I'm in for an evening of clicking and split screen. I'm gonna have to remember to get up off the couch slowly though, all the flipping might bring on a mild case of vertigo...

Celtics Win, Move On.

Last night was an amazing finish to an amazing series, and the Celtics are moving on to meet the Magic in round 2, starting tomorrow night at the Gah-den.

Full details of game 7 here.


Virtual victory cigar here: