Evil Microsoft: Windows Live Writer

Microsoft introduces a free, extensible, Win32 blog authoring tool. Google doesn't have one. There aren't any good ones in the OS X world. The only decent one I know of is BlogJet, also Windows only.

Writer Zone: Introducing Windows Live Writer:

Writer is a great client for Windows Live Spaces but also works with other weblogs including Blogger [jf: aka Google's blog platform] LiveJournal, TypePad, WordPress (and many others).

Writer supports RSD (Really Simple Discoverability), the Metaweblog API, and the Movable Type API.

We want Writer to work well with every blogging service out there. If you can’t get Writer to work with your blog, we want to know.

Oooohh. This is wicked evil. After deciding Microsoft was a corporation on Crack, a sly move like this makes me wonder if Ozzie can turn it around ...

Of course I'll have to try it out ...

Apple? Google? Are you paying attention? Time to wake-up boys, the Beast isn't quite dead yet ...

Update 7/15/06: It's really beta. I tried posting a draft to Blogger and it did a true post, as well as generating a bizarre Blogger error message. Not ready for primetime!

Update 7/8/07: It got a LOT better. I love it now.

Resetting Mac firewire ports: computer won't recognize device

Via Macintouch (LaCie sells firewire drives):

Mike Mihalik, LaCie

Seems like the FireWire issue needs to be revisited quite often. Here is my often repeated suggestion which appears to clear up many FireWire issues: reset the FireWire ports. Panther has a Finder Preference to show mounted volumes on the Desktop. You must set this for mounted drives to be visible. Please follow these instructions to reset your FireWire port. Here is a summary:

• shut down and disconnect all external drives and peripherals ; make sure nothing is connected to the FireWire ports
• use Apple Disk Utility to repair permissions on your internal boot drive
• shut down and disconnect the AC power from the computer as well as the drives; if laptop, also remove battery
• let sit unpowered and unconnected for 15 minutes
• reconnect AC power to only the computer (battery too if laptop)
• restart computer
• verify that FireWire ports are visible within Apple System Profiler
• reconnect FireWire drive (only one); refresh window within Apple System Profiler to rescan the FireWire bus; confirm that drive is visible
• confirm drive is OK by using Apple Disk Utility and apply First Aid
• repeat for other drives, one at a time

And here's the kb article he references: What to do if your computer won't recognize a FireWire device

Leopard: a different view

I was pleased with the Leopard announcement, and with a rumor that even non-Intel Macs ran faster with 10.5 than 10.4 (the Intel speedup is said to be remarkable). It sounded like a definite purchase for me, though as usual I'll wait for Andrew to run into the big problems for me.

This fellow, however, claims Apple's holding back to keep the 4th quarter sails going:

Apple’s Leopard Strategy: Screw Microsoft, Kill Dell, Save the 4th Quarter Page 1 - Talkbacks - Digital Trends: "

Saving the 4th Quarter

... Another of the primary reasons Apple isn’t being forthcoming about Leopard is the fear that if people get too excited about a product coming early in 2007 they will stop buying in 2006. So, Apple is intentionally not telling you about the great multi-media features in the new product, the security enhancements that will make the existing line obsolete, or the massive jump in application performance on what will be a fully optimized product on the then current Intel hardware.

Certainly you’ve been left in the dark about enhancements that will increase notebook performance and battery life, allow you to seamlessly move between 802.11n, WiMax, and Cellular data networks, and even more quickly create peer-to-peer relationships on the fly.

The UI improvements that better make use of the then current enhancements in graphics technology are hinted at but you won’t see the real power until the OS is released when the true power of the visual experience can be a real surprise (and it is believed to be stunning).

If you get too excited about what is supposed to be an incredibly amazing product you simply won’t buy a new Apple this year. That wouldn’t be a good thing because Apple would like you to buy both years, if possible, and that means keeping you in the dark about what is coming. It is a typical Apple after all...

I've read hints of most of the above from usually reliable source, and, more importantly, everything but the better security seems entirely likely. The 'vastly better security' promise is intriguing. Will Apple bundle an antiviral solution? They desperately need to do that.

Even so, it is very unlikely that 10.5.0, or even 10.5.1 will be a good upgrade option. You really don't want to buy a machine with 10.5.0 on it - Apple has a history of major bugs with the initial OS release.

Best to buy 10.4 and wait to 10.5.2 to update; you'll avoid a lot of pain that way.

AMEX Buyers Assurance: A good experience

My Canon s410 compact died at age 1.8 years -- out of warranty. I'd bought it using my AMEX card though, so it was in the extended warranty period. I bought an Gordon's SD600 (a bit disappointing) and began the AMEX claim process. It took about five weeks from start to finish, but it went well. I was reimbursed for the entire cost of the original s410, which paid for the SD600.

If I'd been faster to ship it probably would have taken a bit over 3 weeks. AMEX provides a web site for status updates on the process and that worked very well. Their phone support was also excellent, though they did flub a request for an old statement.

Some tips on the process:

• You need your warranty, the AMEX statement with the transaction on it, and the original receipt. Now when I buy something of value I scan all three and file them on my PC. These are faxed to AMEX, so scans will do well.
• AMEX doesn't provide web access to old statements, though I suspect they will eventually. They will mail or fax old statements, but there may be a fee attached (unclear, I need to look for this). I couldn't find my old statement at first, though I did eventually. I was told they'd fax the old statement to me, but it came in the mail -- five weeks after I requested it.
• Canon provides a warranty record on their web site and Amazon keeps old receipts. (So does Google Checkout.) In fact I was able to eventually find all the originals.
• AMEX sent me a claim number and asked me to send the s410 to a company that specializes in scavenging (I fear eBay may end up with my old, defective, seemingly workable, camera). I was very good about this, I managed to find everything that came with it, including the original box, software, manuals, memory card ... everything! I suspect that was overkill, but really it seemed only fair.
• The scavenger company never got back to AMEX. Three weeks after I UPSd the box AMEX called asking where it was. I had misplaced my UPS shipping number, but once I found it AMEX credited my account within 2 days. Don't lose your UPS number.
  

I don't buy anything with less than a one year warranty, and I always use AMEX for significant purchases.

EMC Retrospect Professional: Does anyone use it?

EMC Insignia: Retrospect for Windows is one of the survivors of Dantz corporation, a Macintosh software vendor that flamed out after years of declining product quality. I use an earlier version to backup a mixed LAN of Macs and PCs to an XP box.

The version I have works most of the time, but it is an ugly piece of software. It goes wrong in a myriad number of ways, with cryptic error messages or no error messages at all. Sometimes I can figure out what happened, sometimes I can't. The network backup has to hack deep into the client OS to work, so it's vulnerable to all kinds of security patches or OS updates.

Alas, there are no alternatives. I have to hope Google does backup and decides to support OS X in addition to Windows -- but I fear they won't.

So I'd like to upgrade -- if I thought the new product was better. It's cheap enough -- $100 or so via Amazon. But is the current version any better? How can I tell?

EMC bought Dantz's products, likely at a firesale price. They eliminated the Dantz user forums. How can I tell if their current version is any good? Amazon has exactly one credible review, and it's pretty negative. Versiontracker has no credible reviews. EMC offers trial versions, but they say:

Do not download evaluation software for an EMC Insignia product if you are already a licensed user of that product. In order to upgrade your retail version of an EMC Insignia product, please proceed to the Upgrade page or contact your local EMC Insignia reseller.

Hmmm. Maybe I'll hold out on my current version a bit longer -- though I'm sure OS X 10.5 will break it. I can't hold out indefinitely?

Aperture: the critical flaw - and 1 GB on a Mac Pro

I'm at the Apple store playing with a woefully under-resourced Mac Pro Xeon "quad" (two dual core really). The floor model has 1 GB of RAM, and Aperture is sluggish.

So I decide to look at how date metadata changes are made in Aperture. Which is when I realize I can't edit the date field. So I try the help file, but Aperture doesn't have a proper Apple help file. It only has a PDF. Nothing there.

So I google. I find this comment in an O'Reilly blog about what's missing from 1.1:

MacDevCenter.com -- Aperture 1.1--Apple Listens

5. The ability to change date metadata. Our office uses many scanned images and the dates used in Aperture are the dates of the scans, we want to change them to the date of the image was actually taken.

Oooookaaay. So Aperture can't edit date metadata. Wow. Speechless I am.

Apple, wake me up when Aperture can edit date metadata. More interestingly, where are all the computer reviewers? This should have been item one in Aperture reviews.

PS. The kb on this MacBook is awful. I hope it's an old store model they didn't replace. Apple, please send help to your Mall of America store ...

Update: There is a peculiar way to revise the date of an image in Aperture. Export to iPhoto. Change the date in iPhoto. Import to Aperture. Aperture respects iPhoto's date metadata!

Leopard: It does include remote control software

What's wrong with the geek coverage of the Leopard announcements? There are some very pleasant surprises hidden away that are getting little discussion. iChat is particularly interesting. Leopard's iChat is said to include the ability to share static images -- a feature that would be incredibly useful for corporate communication.

... Use new iChat Theater to present photos from iPhoto, slides from Keynote, or content from any iChat-enabled application with any iChat or AOL AIM buddy. And do it in style — full-screen, accompanied by a video feed of you playing host. iChat’s virtual presentation room makes a big impact...

Much to my pleasant surprise, it also includes the first real move towards useful bunded remote control software:

Apple - Apple - Mac OS X - Leopard Sneak Peek - iChat

... Share and share alike

Remote control takes on a whole new meaning with iChat in Leopard. Thanks to iChat Screen Sharing, you and your buddy can observe and control a single desktop via iChat, making it a cinch to collaborate with colleagues, browse the Web with a friend, or pick the perfect plane seats with your spouse. Share your own desktop or share your buddy’s — you both have complete control at all times. And when you start a Screen Sharing session, iChat automatically initiates an audio chat so you can talk things through while you’re at it...

This is something I've been moaning about for years. My one wish for Leapard was remote control that worked and performed well, something analogous to Microsoft Remote Desktop. This seems like a big step in that direction, and it's more than I'd expected. True, it's only ONE desktop (no true thin client multiuser support) and it probably won't work with fast user switching, and it may be hard to hack to allow remote initiation of session control ... but hey, it's a start.

It will, at the very least, make it possible to manage my mother's machine -- which means I can justify buying her a Mac Mini!

Between the static image sharing and remote control in iChat, and the innovative backup approach, if Leopard performs as well or better than 10.4 on legacy hardware I'll be a very happy customer. Now if Apple would only add antiviral/antiworm services ...