Macosxhints.com - Sync Outlook, iCal, iPhone, and Google Calendars doesn’t add anything new to my recent posts on this topic, but it’s a good summary and a very good discussion. The (comcast) Plaxo angle is an interesting option for work calendars if one could obtain corporate approval – or tolerance. Alas, post Comcast acquisition I suspect Plaxo’s interests will be focused on easier problems.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Canon PowerShot SD1100IS carries the “lens error” curse
Canon’s new cameras are out, so the prior leaders are on sale. The SD1100IS is “only” $180 or so. Beware, however, it carries the lens error curse …
… This was a great camera--until it stopped working completely within 3 weeks. There was no 'incident' or warning... but half an hour after making some movies, I went to turn the camera on and I got the message "Lens Error, Restart Camera." I've tried everything, and I can't even retrieve the photos onto my computer…
This is a known design or manufacturing problem with recent generation Digital ELPH cameras. A handful of negative reviews on Amazon tells us the SD1100IS is infected. I wouldn’t buy one at any price.
I would only look at purchasing an ELPH released within this month’s batch.
I love Amazon’s negative reviews …
Synchronization is hard - more evidence
I've ranted about how hard synchronization is.
Here's confirmation from a former Sync Services engineer: MildMannered Industries - MobileMe. (via Gruber)
Synchronization is hard to get right, and small errors grow with each sync until they become big disasters. It's impressive Exchange/Outlook sync works as well as it does, and the original Palm/Desktop sync success never got the respect it deserved (though Palm wisely kept things as simple as possible).
Apple has never done Sync well. The old .Mac service, and the built-in OS X sync services, have been plagued with problems.
Bottom line -- MobileMe isn't going to be healthy for a long time -- if ever. In particular, email sync makes no sense in the IMAP era.
If you insist on using Apple's sync solutions, be sure you have good backups and a way to restore from backup.
Here's confirmation from a former Sync Services engineer: MildMannered Industries - MobileMe. (via Gruber)
Synchronization is hard to get right, and small errors grow with each sync until they become big disasters. It's impressive Exchange/Outlook sync works as well as it does, and the original Palm/Desktop sync success never got the respect it deserved (though Palm wisely kept things as simple as possible).
Apple has never done Sync well. The old .Mac service, and the built-in OS X sync services, have been plagued with problems.
Bottom line -- MobileMe isn't going to be healthy for a long time -- if ever. In particular, email sync makes no sense in the IMAP era.
If you insist on using Apple's sync solutions, be sure you have good backups and a way to restore from backup.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Are any compact digital cameras more reliable than Canon's models?
I was very impressed when I was able to buy a Canon SD1000 for $170. I'd been pretty fond of my prior Canon compacts, and the new model was still "made in Japan".
I've learned to be less impressed by "made in Japan". The focus motor abruptly stopped working at age 10 months. The camera didn't even last long enough to qualify for my excellent AMEX extended coverage -- I have to work with Canon (yeck).
It seems this camera is known for early death of the focus mechanism: Disruptive Conversations: My Canon SD1000 camera dies... "Lens error, restart camera". I also see from blog post comments that Canon isn't very good about honoring their 1 year warranty.
In retrospect, Canon quality took a dive with the release of the SD600. Of course even the relatively robust S410 died of mode switch failure, but any company can have that sort of design problem. The recurrence of the same problem with the SD600, however, was clearly a bad sign.
So Canon quality is pretty feeble now.
Is that necessarily a bad thing? When these compact Canons work they take great pictures, and until recently camera technology was moving so fast it was reasonable to upgrade a compact camera every 1-2 years. So there was an argument for building for a short life and low purchase costs.
An argument, but not a good argument. It's not like the cameras give us a one month warning of impending doom -- they fail in use.
I hate that.
Anyway, cameras aren't improving nearly as fast as they were in 2006. Now it's reasonable to replace a camera every 3 years instead of yearly.
So Canon's quality/price ratio is wrong for us.
But does the competition offer more reliable compact digital cameras? I doubt anyone offers a 2 year warranty, for example.
That's what I'm trying to figure out. I haven't had any luck so far, but I'll update this post with what I learn. If I find that Nikon, SONY or Olympus are offering a higher quality alternative, or even better warranty service, I'm ready to switch.
Update: The Olympus Stylus SW (770SW) series uses durability as a selling point, and they're more expensive than feature-comparable Canon cameras. That's encouraging, but the word "warranty" doesn't appear anywhere on the Olympus web site. That's not encouraging.
Update 9/11/08: I eventually called Canon service. It was a very short conversation, mostly them telling me to omit the strap, battery, memory card, etc. After we finally mailed the camera it turned around very quickly. They replaced the optical assembly and main "pcb" (circuit board). It works. Canon service did well, though I'd have preferred to avoid them. We're out the cost of the package but the camera is effectively new again.
Update 10/17/08: Just noticed when downloading images that Aperture sees this as the "Canon IXY Digital 10". This was the Japanese market name for the SD1000. Curious! I wondered if there weren't a few more menu options post-repair. No complaints, but worth noting.
I've learned to be less impressed by "made in Japan". The focus motor abruptly stopped working at age 10 months. The camera didn't even last long enough to qualify for my excellent AMEX extended coverage -- I have to work with Canon (yeck).
It seems this camera is known for early death of the focus mechanism: Disruptive Conversations: My Canon SD1000 camera dies... "Lens error, restart camera". I also see from blog post comments that Canon isn't very good about honoring their 1 year warranty.
In retrospect, Canon quality took a dive with the release of the SD600. Of course even the relatively robust S410 died of mode switch failure, but any company can have that sort of design problem. The recurrence of the same problem with the SD600, however, was clearly a bad sign.
So Canon quality is pretty feeble now.
Is that necessarily a bad thing? When these compact Canons work they take great pictures, and until recently camera technology was moving so fast it was reasonable to upgrade a compact camera every 1-2 years. So there was an argument for building for a short life and low purchase costs.
An argument, but not a good argument. It's not like the cameras give us a one month warning of impending doom -- they fail in use.
I hate that.
Anyway, cameras aren't improving nearly as fast as they were in 2006. Now it's reasonable to replace a camera every 3 years instead of yearly.
So Canon's quality/price ratio is wrong for us.
But does the competition offer more reliable compact digital cameras? I doubt anyone offers a 2 year warranty, for example.
That's what I'm trying to figure out. I haven't had any luck so far, but I'll update this post with what I learn. If I find that Nikon, SONY or Olympus are offering a higher quality alternative, or even better warranty service, I'm ready to switch.
Update: The Olympus Stylus SW (770SW) series uses durability as a selling point, and they're more expensive than feature-comparable Canon cameras. That's encouraging, but the word "warranty" doesn't appear anywhere on the Olympus web site. That's not encouraging.
Update 9/11/08: I eventually called Canon service. It was a very short conversation, mostly them telling me to omit the strap, battery, memory card, etc. After we finally mailed the camera it turned around very quickly. They replaced the optical assembly and main "pcb" (circuit board). It works. Canon service did well, though I'd have preferred to avoid them. We're out the cost of the package but the camera is effectively new again.
Update 10/17/08: Just noticed when downloading images that Aperture sees this as the "Canon IXY Digital 10". This was the Japanese market name for the SD1000. Curious! I wondered if there weren't a few more menu options post-repair. No complaints, but worth noting.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
iPhone application update error not resolved: don't buy your iPhone until it's fixed
Update 9/14/08: Fixed.
I'm really tired of this bug.
The 2.0.2 update didn't help. It's scant comfort to know thousands of other people have the same problem.
Don't buy an iPhone until I write that the bug is fixed. This is a deal breaker bug, you don't want to run into it.
I'm really tired of this bug.
Gordon's Tech: Unknown Error during iPhone app install or updateI can use the uncheck/check app method to get the updates on, but I need to restore all data and configuration.
I'm getting this error with the iPhone I was given when my original white 3G phone cracked.Unkown Error On The iPhone | DamienKomala.com
... Ok so every time I try and update or upgrade an application on my iPhone I get this “Unknown Error: 0xE800002E. After some adjustments I was able to find a method to resolve, or at least update my apps. Here’s the key ...
The 2.0.2 update didn't help. It's scant comfort to know thousands of other people have the same problem.
Don't buy an iPhone until I write that the bug is fixed. This is a deal breaker bug, you don't want to run into it.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Bose QuietComfort 2 Mobile Communications kit vs. Monster iSoniTalk for iPhone
About a year ago I expected that my future iPhone would be joined by the Bose QC 2 mobile communications kit. The kit adds a microphone to Bose QC 2 headphones, so it's possible to use the phones during calls.
Gordon's Tech: Bose QuietComfort 2 Mobile Communications kit connects to an iPhone
... the $40 Bose QuietComfort 2 Mobile Communications Kit. Sure, it's much more expensive than whittling, but it includes a microphone so you can handle incoming calls. On the other hand it only works with post-2005 QC2s ...
I later read that the pre-2005 QC 2 incompatibility was due to an easy-to-remove plastic protrusion. On the other hand, the Apple Store reviews tell us there's no answer/pause button on the Bose microphone.
The Bose kit is fairly elegant looking however. It replaces the standard cord, so there's no cord clutter.
Later I saw a Griffin kit that worked with any set of headphones, had an answer button, and cost half the price. That sounded right -- but it's gone now.
In its place is the Monster iSoniTalk. It was designed for iPhone 1.0 (fits the recess), but works fine with iPhone 2.0.
I agree with the 1/08 review -- it's really pretty good. Costs $20, seems to work well, decent microphone and clip and it has an inline answer button on the mike (like Apple's set). It does create cord clutter; I'd prefer a serial connection with no double cord rather than the iSoniTalk's parallel cord (see pictures in linked review). The splitter by the phone connection is pretty big and ugly looking too.
So get the QC 2 kit if you have the Bose headphones, want minimal cord clutter and a svelte connection, and don't mind answering calls using the iPhone (not a big deal for me). Otherwise, the iSoniTalk is fine. I'm looking forward to trying it with my next conference call.
Update 8/21/08: Turns out these are weird to use. When I wear the QC2 heaphones, my own voice is distant and muffled. The headphones don't play back my own voice.
Scoble joins the Google Reader annotation club
Scoble follows in my footsteps. He's begun using the Google Reader Share function to create a feed made up of items he likes, along with his annotations.
These shares are a feed, so one can subscribe the shares. I subscribe to Scoble's share -- its good stuff.
... I’ve been trying to write a note on each blog I share. Today I looked at that and realized it’s a blog about other blogs...Google Reader shares are an automated form of metablogging, but concerns about copyright are addressed -- the post is made up of the original article with an annotation.
These shares are a feed, so one can subscribe the shares. I subscribe to Scoble's share -- its good stuff.
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