Older DVD drives can't read dual layer disks

There are some dual-layer movies that won't play on my DVD-ROM equipped G3 iBook. The G3 also won't mount a dual-layer Tiger DVD. Turns out this is probably an aging defect. Originally these drivers were supposed to be able to read dual-layer DVDs, but over time they may lose that ability -- I suspect the problem is exacerbated by changes in disk manufacturing:

Macintouch: iLife 06

Antonio Tejada

Sebastian Kempgen mentioned that "...the iLife 06 DVD requires a drive which can read double-layer discs. However, the DVD drives of older PowerMacs such as a G4 MDD cannot read double-layer discs - the Install DVD simply does not mount. ..."

That is plain and simply a faulty drive. Apple doesn't specify a dual-layer capable DVD drive because dual-layer discs are part of the core DVD specification: all DVD readers are required to be capable of reading them, without exception. Dual-layer DVDs are not a recent addition to the spec -- it's been there from the beginning. Only the ability to burn them yourself is new (and as with any burned disc, read compatibility of burned dual-layer discs is lower than that of pressed discs).

I have found that the DVD-ROM drives from G3s and G4s do not age well -- they lose the ability to read even remotely marginal discs, and even occasionally reject entirely suitable discs. That is likely the case here.

Keyword Assistant has been updated for iPhoto 6.02

Ken Ferry - Keyword Assistant.

The old version worked fine -- except the ability to create new keywords was disabled.

Getting dust off a camera sensor

Sensor dust is the dark secret of dSLRs. It can be a serious problem, and it's a pain to get rid of. My Canon manual gives some advice, basically it says you can try using a hand blower but after that you should take the camera in.

Here's a more detailed approach with the Nikon D70: Macworld: Secrets: Cleaning your digital-camera sensor.

Retrospect: when good software goes bad

If you've been around software long enough, you know the feeling. Good software going bad. This doesn't happen with wrenches, power saws and bicycles -- this is one way in which software has some of the properties of a living thing.

Software is complex, and it's embedded in a complex ecosystem made up of the core operating system, the antiviral and security system, and other co-resident applications -- not to mention the physical computer and peripherals. In addition it "lives" in a complex business environment with a major perverse incentive -- after initial penetration ongoing revenues requires "upgrades". Typically bug fixes aren't enough to get users to upgrade, there needs to be new features. New features mean more complexity, more bugs, declinining reliability. On the other hand, if users don't upgrade the software becomes increasingly unsuited to its 'ecosystem' -- eventually it breaks.

Even if the software survives all of the above, people move on. Expertise is lost. Business direction changes. Software dies.

The lifespan of most software is about 6-10 years. Dantz Retrospect was an excellent and popular Mac backup solution in the 1980s. It's old. It's more than decrepit.

Today I tried to make a Disaster Recovery image using Retrospect Pro 6.5 for Windows. All seemed well -- but the ISO image was 747MB. That's too large for a CD. One CD burning app claimed it was a DVD image. The documentation says it should be a CD image. The remnants of Retrospect was bought by EMC Insignia -- who removed all of the support forums, downloads, etc. There's no where to look to sort this out.

This is only the latest in a long line of issues with Retrospect. It's been in decline for years. Each update fixed some bugs and introduced others. The support forums were sour. Usenet questions fell off. The smell was bad.

What's the chance that EMC is going to sort this out? Pretty darned slim. It's time to move on, but there aren't a lot of serious backup solutions marketed to the home office. Most small businesses and homes don't do real backup.

I guess I'll just have to wait for Google to host all of my data ....

MacBook Pro: wait for rev 2

Steve Jobs was never as keen on quality and reliability as he was on vision and style. The new Intel Macs are no exception:

MacBook Pro noises, LCD, touchpad, other problems - The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

I know, I should have "anticipated" "problems" with my "new" MacBook Pro. That this should be "expected" and "usual" and "jeezus man, what were you thinking?" But I want to make one thing clear: Apple cannot use "well, it's a first Rev." as an excuse for sloppy manufacturing and hiring a Quality Control team so high on hallucinogens it can't distinguish an inconsistent backlight display from a colorful dragon strumming a guitar.

I think the new Intel iMacs may be ok, they're basically a continuation of an older design. I would not buy a MacBook Pro.

What to do with an old CLIE? Children's use.

My CLIE TJ-27 bit the dust when the last of its horrid styli was lost. It still works though. What to do with it?

Give it to the kids. I'll load it up with games; since the platform is dying I should find them pretty cheaply.

One problem is what happens when you sync an OS 4.x device to the newer Palm desktop. Since I don't care about the PDA data I may try it anyway.

I'll add game sites here (more to come):

1. Abolutist: $17 each
2. Palm Store (Slim pickings)
3. Another spot

I think I have more on my old install disks from past versions of the desktop software. I'll dig through those. OS 4.x should run just about anything.

PictureSync: interesting application, odd licensing

[Update 3/12/06: Jacob responded to this post with a very thorough and considerate reply. I don't think the licensing arrangement should be a deterrent any more to registering PictureSync.]

Searching my blog, I found 3 references to PictureSync, from the 3/32/05 to this most recent one. It's an application for simultaneous uploading of images and metadata to photo services; it's been in development for a while and it's good enough to buy.

I use it with SmugMug and iPhoto; my keywords and captions get uploaded to SmugMug. It's a bit non-intuitive, and I had one mysterious failure, but I've registered it.

There is one odd thing about this product that I wish the developer, a very interesting and responsive person, would make clear in advance. When you register you don't get a registration key. Instead he sets a bit in a server somewhere that causes the app to store its registration pw in the pref file (presumably encrypted). After that you only need the server if you reinstall.

The licensing terms are quite fair, but I've told him I don't like this. If I'd known ahead of time I wouldn't have registered the produt, but after corresponding with Jacob about this I'm willing to give it a try (not asking for a refund). Be warned, however.

Jacob has grand ideas for Holocore, I hope he succeeds! I also hope he rethinks this licensing strategy, but perhaps it will become more common. I think we are going to explore different methods, old and new, for generating revenue from software. I hope we find a solution that's mutually beneficial, certainly I'd like the small companies that make my favorite software to prosper.

Of course if Jacob's company, Holocore, goes bankrupt it would not be surprising if the creditors misused their ownership of the licensing.