uSirius is almost here! You say, uSirius what? uSirius is an app, brought to you by the same people who gave us Starplayr, that will give iPhone and iPod users the ability to listen to Sirius/XM right on their device. uSirius went into a private(Boo!!) beta test last night, and soon will hopefully be showing up on iTunes for download.
Here is a quick look at the app by one of the beta testers.
So I have been going back and forth, trying to decide which way is better to run Vista on my Mac. I was running XP through Parallels with no real problems, but was just tired of XP. So I did an upgrade to Vista Home Premium in Parallels. There really wasn't a problem, as long as you read the directions to upgrading in Parallels. But you lose some features of Vista by using Parallels, and from what I read, Fusion also. The Aero interface is not available, only some of the Windows Media Center worked. And if you play games, you are limited to the types of games. So, I started to google and decided it was time to try Boot Camp. And here is what I found out.
Parallels or Fusion are great if you just want to be able to load low graphic or office type of software that isn't available for Mac, which there are a lot of people out there who that is probably just fine for. But with Office and the open source NeoOffice or OpenOffice, there really isn't a need to slow my computer down and use windows based Office. Maybe a VPN will only work with Windows using Explorer or your companies software is Windows only, or I know some dj software that is only Windows or maybe certain websites work better on one platform over another, then Parallels or Fusion are probably perfect for you. But if you want to get the most out of Windows on a Mac, and running at the same time isn't important, then Boot Camp is the way to go.
Boot Camp gives you, as far as I have seen so far, the full compliments of windows such as Media Center, Aero interface and visual extras. I haven't run into a problem where Vista says missing drivers or not enough memory like I did in Parallels. It directly uses or accesses the hardware instead of virtual hardware created by Parallels. The video card is nvidia and not parallels virtual video card(which is the problem with Aero on a vm). I use all 256MB instead of the 128 split on my Mac and vm. Maybe the biggest difference is the fact that I get all 4gb of ram in Boot Camp instead of maybe 2gb of virtual ram at best in Parallels, for fear of slowing down the mac side. The only real problem I have run across is mail. I have so many damn email accounts, and they are nicely loaded into apple mail. I have tried the new Windows Mail that comes with Vista, and it is really bad.
If you are planning to go the Boot Camp route, here are a few things that I learned the hard way. Use NTFS file system on your Windows partion. If you do a full version of vista, that should be your only option. If you do like me and load XP first and then upgrade, make sure you pick "format partition with NTFS(quick option)" in the beginning stages of the XP install. I first left that blank, and XP wouldn't boot. Then I did FAT, and Vista wouldn't load. So on the third take, I did NTFS and it worked.
If you do XP first, you have to use a copy of Windows XP with SP2. XP with SP1 won't work cause it is more than one CD, and you can't eject in boot camp during installation. If not, you can borrow one from someone cause I didn't even register XP this time, just upgraded to VIsta right away. On XP install, the first reboot should be from Windows DVD, then from the Windows partition. With the Vista install, all reboots are from partition. Make sure you hold alt/option down on reboots. Again, learned the hard way :) After Vista is loaded and running, put in the OS X DVD that came with your Mac and load Vista drivers(it should start automatically once you put it in. If you can't eject Windows DVD, right click start menu and select explore. Find cd/dvd drive and right click to eject). After this, you should be able to connect to internet and take advantage of the visual options and the programs you couldn't in Parallels.
You will also need to download boot camp 2.1 for Vista after you get Vista running. After I did that, then I did a Windows update and put on security software, firefox, silverlight, adobe, quicktime, 7-zip(free archive program) and updated .net framework to 3.5.
Hope this helps anyone wanting to do Vista on a Mac. There is plenty of help on Apple's site and on other sites if you run into issues. What I learned, is google whatever is showing on the screen if there is a problem, you are not the first with that problem, and someone has found or created a solution already.
(Yes Rob, this looks familiar. It seemed like I should share it with anyone who finds it lol )
UPDATE: In Parallels 4.0, there is an option to run Windows from Boot Camp. I was hesitant to try it because I was afraid of deactivating my Boot Camp copy of Windows, but I can report, both copies are working and no reactivation as of yet. I also removed the link to the app to disable the Mac trackpad, cause it seemed to give me problems in the Parallels install. So if you are gonna try this, make sure your mouse and trackpad are in their normal state. I was not able to use my mouse or trackpad in the VM until I deleted that app from Windows in Boot Camp. If I find it works in both Boot Camp and in the VM, then I will put it back up.
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Posted in:
Tech
Over the last several years, one of my Christmas traditions has become watching Jesus of Nazareth. About five or six years ago, it was on The History Channel or one of the channels like that, and I started watching it and found myself unable to stop watching. Well, this year, I couldn't find it in the menu. So I went to Netflix and there it was, and available for streaming. Almost done with part three and my tradition lives another year.
While I am thinking of getting Roku, IMO, there really isn't a need for it or Apple TV. I am using a DVI to HDMI cable($20 from Apple) to the back of my TV, and a standard audio cable($10 from Sony) to my AV receiver. So for $30, I am doing almost the same thing that Roku does for $100 or Apple TV starting at $229.
Another thing you can try is to download Glims for Safari. It gives Safari a bit of a Firefox feel with favicons on the tabs and the ability to add search engines in the browser search bar. It also gives you the ability to go full screen or max screen. You can then use Safari to play Netflix on the TV and still use Firefox if you need to go online an not affect the movie. Just make sure you un check mirror in the display settings.
Happy Watching!
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Posted in:
entertainment,
internet,
Tech
Feliz Navidad! Wesolych Swiat! Joyeux Noel! Buon Natale! Nollaig shona! Meri Kurisumasu!
Not sure this movie will be any better than the trailer, but I am a big Kevin James fan, and if the movie is half as funny as the trailer, then it is worth it.
And if you can get a copy of his stand up, Sweat The Small Stuff, it is good watching. This clip below, might be one of the funniest bits I have seen. Granted, I may have been altering my mental state when I first saw this years ago, but it's still funny today.
Ok, my laundry list of things that I despise about President Bush, is long and still growing, but this is not one of them. He has been practicing for this moment for years, little did he know it would be shoes. His reaction time was pretty good and I am so glad he didn't get hit in the face with a shoe.
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Posted in:
funny,
media,
middleeast,
politics,
YouTube
And Blago gets taken into Federal custody today. Apparently this has something to do with Blagojevich looking to pad his pockets and gets some favors from the person who is to replace President Obama as Senator. It also appears to that he has been recorded on the phone doing this.
As I listen to the President, not Obama, but that guy that quacks a lot, he just said the increase in the job losses is a result of the credit and housing issue. Question, could it have anything to do with Bush economic policies? Nah, he won't take any responsibility for his actions on his way out, just like he has avoided any responsibility for any of the mess he created in the last eight years.
When I watch Bush, I realize how much I can't wait for someone else to be President!
Mac users know that some themes, well most themes designed with only Windows in mind, have issues with the back/forward button breaking. I have been looking and looking for a way to fix it, or for those who make the themes to take into consideration the differences when making a theme.
Well I finally found the fix. It is a bit of code from the maker of Caminofox theme that I had to make a few changes in, and then dropped into my userchrome.css. And now now more extra padding and broken back/forward buttons. Here is the what I am using. Again, I didn't make this, just modified it. Thank you Falconer2!!!
/* unified back button with keyhole icons */
#unified-back-forward-button,
#unified-back-forward-button * {
border: 0 !important;
}
#back-button {
-moz-appearance: none;
padding: 0;
border: none !important;
margin: 2px 0 2px 2px !important;
}
#back-button *, #forward-button * {
padding: 0 !important;
margin: 0 !important;
}
#back-button .toolbarbutton-menubutton-dropmarker,
#forward-button .toolbarbutton-menubutton-dropmarker {
display: none !important;
}
/* unified forward button with keyhole icons */
#forward-button {
-moz-appearance: none;
padding: 0;
border: none;
margin: 2px 2px 2px 0 !important;
}
{{{{{{{CHANGE THESE VALUES FROM 2 to 0 TO HAVE DROPMARKER}}}}}}}
{{{{{{{REMOVE THIS PART BELOW TO HAVE THE DROPMARKER ON RIGHT}}}}}}}}
/* dropmarker for unified back and forward buttons with keyhole icons */
#back-forward-dropmarker {
display: none;
}
Now, if I can only figure out or find how to make the scrollbars complete in beta and minefield.
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Posted in:
internet
Why! Why! Why! Bill Richardson as Commerce Sec.? Maybe he will be good at it, but why put someone as Sec of State who disagrees with you on the most important foreign policy issue of our time, and then put someone with Richardson's experience in foreign policy and energy as Commerce Sec? Oh, and Richardson wasn't for the invasion of Iraq either. So very disappointed.
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Posted in:
business,
elections,
energy,
europe,
middleeast,
russia,
southamerica,
u.s.
I am not saying that something shouldn't be done, but when I see a commercial on TV, this very morning, for the new Hummer H3T(which uses a V8 instead of the inline 5 of the H3)I have to say, the what now? Yeah, I know the Volt is coming and it is the savior for GM, but if they are gonna keep selling and producing vehicles that won't sell, is that the fault of a poor economy? Or is it more poor planning from Detroit that you and I will have to pay for?
Since the only stupid idea, is the idea not said, how about a merger or two in the American motor sector, or if nothing else, a little consolidation of the brands? Maybe instead of having a street full of Chevy, Buick, GMC, Hummer, Saturn, Pontiac and Cadillac dealers, you have a GM dealer that has all the brands?
How about stopping the duplicate car making. For years, GM has made a car or truck, which they change a few exterior details, and called one a Chevy and one a Pontiac. Did we need the Cavalier and the Sunbird? Did the Camaro and Trans Am battle for the same buyer? Does every GM brand have to make an SUV that looks the same except for the brand logo on the hood or grill? Is there really a difference between Chevy trucks and GMC trucks? Basically I am saying, it should be a GM Impala or a GM Vue or a GM G6. And of course, they can always just make better vehicles and stop making cars with the philosophy that defects can be fixed under warranty.
When I was turning 16, I wanted a Camaro. Not because I wanted to buy US, but because it was a Chevy Camaro. If I was 16 now, the last place I would go to would be Chevy. GM, Ford and Chrysler need to find their way again, and maybe the Volt will do that GM, but something tells me not as much as people hope.
