Remember the Milk

I recently discovered a task manager that is making me become more efficient with my horrible ‘to do’ list habits. Read more

Review: Running Windows XP/2000 on my Mac with Parallels

It’s time to buy a Mac. There are no more excuses. This year, two great solutions emerged to run Windows on Mac hardware for those who hesitate to switch to a Mac.

Bootcamp vs. Parallels

Apple’s Bootcamp and Nova Development’s Parallels Desktop for Mac are specifically for Intel-based Macs. During 2006, Apple switched its entire line of desktop and notebook computers to the Intel chips. You cannot use Bootcamp or Parallels on an Apple PowerPC iBook, iMac or Mac-mini.

	Bootcamp	Parallels
OS Support?	“A bona fide installation disc for Microsoft Windows XP, Service Pack 2, Home or Professional (No multi-disc, upgrade or Media Center versions.)”	Supports Windows Vista/XP/2000/NT/95, various flavors of Linux and other operating systems
Boot:	Dual boot. You can only run Windows XP or Mac OS X at one time.	Run Windows and Mac OS X simultaneously!
Create a drive partition?	Yes	No
Cost:	Free	$79

The investment is well worth it to me. To me, the benefits of running Parallels instead of Bootcamp are:

• I’m not locked into running only Windows XP SP2
• It’s easy to make a backup copy of the virtual OS file to roll back to if something becomes corrupt.
• I can switch easily between using my Windows and Mac applications.
• Data can be copied to the clip board in Windows then pasted in OS X and vice versa.

Run Windows and Mac OS X simultaneously!

My Situation (work-at-home scenario):

I typically run on the Mac desktop: Photoshop, Thunderbird (personal email), iChat (Instant Messaging), iTunes (music/podcasts), Transmit (FTP) and Skype (VoIP), Toast, iMovie, iPhoto and Garage Band.

I launch Parallels and run my “business applications” in Windows XP: Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Visio and Project. I use VPN to access critical files at work.

In the Windows environment I run both Windows Media Player and Quicktime Basic so I don’t have to jump back to Mac if I encounter media files. Rather than use the default Web browsers, I exclusively use Firefox 2.0 on both Windows and Mac OS. It allows me to manage my bookmarks in a central file. A Firefox plug-in also allows for integrating del.icio.us bookmarks in the same manner.

I don’t bother installing Photoshop in the Windows environment or the Office suite in the OS X environments. They’d just be redundant and take up unnecessary file space.

Parallels isn’t perfect, but it’s extremely close and hasn’t let me down.

The most annoying things I experience using Parallels are:

• Getting used to using Shift-Ctrl to simulate a right-click functions.
• Switching out of Parallels full screen desktop to access Mac OS desktop — the Ctrl-Option shortcut sometimes doesn’t work the first time. There is also a delay before it does.
• Sometimes I can trigger an open Mac application to appear over the full screen Windows Parallels desktop. Usually by using Command-Tab.
• To copy text from Windows and paste to the Mac, must use Ctrl-x in Windows then Command-v in Mac.
• Even after near daily use for two months, my fingers haven’t instinctively gotten used to which keyboard shortcuts to use when jumping back and forth between OS. That might be a legitimate benefit of working exclusively via Bootcamp.
• For convenience, I was able to easily set up a Shared folder so all the files you touch whether from within Windows or Mac OS are saved in same Mac Documents folder.
• Using the CD player is sometimes frustrating. If I want to install software from CD to the Windows environment, I’ll usually reboot my Mac (without any CD in the drive bay), run Parallels, log into Windows and then insert the application CD.

Productivity-wise:

Waiting to reboot between OS X and Windows is time waster when using Bootcamp. When using Parallels, all apps are accessible at the same time–a huge time saver!

Toggling between the operating systems can get a bit confusing, especially when recalling keyboard shortcuts. For example, in OS X you use Command-Tab to cycle through open Mac applications, while in Parallels, you use Option-Tab to cycle through open Windows applications.

Regardless of whether you use Bootcamp or Parallels, installing any Windows OS is a huge time waster. Be ready to spend 1-2 hours of installing, rebooting, downloading security updates and patches, and rebooting over and over and over again. Then you can start installing your anti-virus (Norton or free AVG), anti-spyware (Windows Defender, SpyBot, AdAware), then finally your daily use software (Office, Firefox, etc).

By the way, Apple warns:

“Word to the Wise — Windows running on a Mac is like Windows running on a PC. That means it’ll be subject to the same attacks that plague the Windows world. So be sure to keep it updated with the latest Microsoft Windows security fixes.”

I’ve had flawless installations of Windows XP Pro, Windows 2000 Pro and Ubuntu Linux.

Ultimately, I think Parallels is the better solution over Bootcamp.

So switch to Mac and run Windows and Mac OS X simultaneously!

Roland Reinhart is an interactive marketing professional. His observations can be found at Chaos365.com and NewMediaSandbox.com.

©2006 Roland Reinhart. All Rights Reserved.

How to listen to your iPod/Zune/MP3 player in your car

Got an iPod, Zune or other MP3 player? Want to listen to music and podcasts in your car? Obviously you shouldn’t drive around with earbuds in your ears that might prevent you from hearing the sounds of drivers and environment around you.

Here’s some simple steps to get you hooked up to play your digital media through your car’s built-in speaker system.

1. Late model cars have started to ship with an auxillary input plug on the stereo or dashboard. All you need is a Mini-Stereo Audio Cable with two male ends to connect your MP3 player to the stereo’s Aux input. I recommend a short 3ft length rather than standard 6ft.
Audio quality: High
Cost: $6-10 USD

2. If car has a cassette deck, simply buy an old-style Cassette Adapter. The cassette has a wire to plug into your MP3 player. I’m using a 15 year old one that came with a Sony Car Discman I once owned.
Audio quality: Medium/High
Cost: $10-15 USD

3. A wireless FM transmitter, such as iTrip, can send output your songs/podcasts wirelessly. Simply select a lowband frequency on both the transmitter and the car’s stereo.
Audio quality: Low/Medium
Cost: $35-50

Note: Signal interference can occur while passing stronger radio signals or traveling in cities. Some transmitters exclusively use the MP3 player’s battery as sole power source, which will drain the battery quicker.

If you don’t like any of the above options, you can always burn your music to audio CDs, but your limited to roughly 70 minutes of playback.

Another option is get a car stereo that can play back MP3 and WMA files. That way you can burn a larger number of audio files on a data CD to listen to in the car.

Personally, I used the Griffin Technology iTrip Nano LCD/FM Transmitter for iPod Nano, Black for awhile. But I’ve switched back to using a simple Cassette Adapter or Mini-Stereo Audio Cable. It just works!

I hope you found this useful. Good luck and enjoy the ride!
-Roland

Roland Reinhart is an interactive marketing professional. His observations can be found at Chaos365.com and NewMediaSandbox.com.

©2006 Roland Reinhart. All Rights Reserved.

Headset for VoIP, Skype, iChat, Gizmo Project and more

There are a number of good, free services to use for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) calls:

• Skype (Windows, Mac, Linux)
• Gizmo project (Windows, Mac, Linux)
• iChat (Mac)

These services let you call user-to-user free when both are on line. Skype and Gizmo Project have options for conference calling, as well as free/low fee domestic and international calling.

To best take advantage of these services, you should invest in a good quality USB headset. That allows you to position a mike boom close to your mouth so your sound quality is consistent. Think of it… if you used a stationary microphone on your desk, you’d have to keep your head positioned close to the mic stand, which could create unnecessary stress on your back and neck. If you move about, your sound quality to the person on the other end of your connection will be choppy and inconsistent. A simple investment in a headset can solve this problem and create a positive user experience for all.

I purchased the Logitech Premium USB Headset 350 primarily to use for VoIP.

Benefits:

• Good quality construction
• Comfort is okay. Padded ear phones. Frame not too stiff.
• Noise canceling microphone seems to work.
• Long cord.
• Both Windows XP Home Edition and Mac OS X 10.4.7 recognize the USB hardware without difficulty.
• Audio quality is good.
• My recorded voice quality is fine.
• My voice quality while talking over Skype, etc., is okay (as decent as my connection can be).

Concerns:

• I expected the microphone recording volume could be louder. Might be solved with software that improves gain.
• As other consumer comments reported on Amazon.com, I had difficulty with the inline volume control. The mute button is very sensitive to touch. +/- volume control works fine. The blue mute status light stopped glowing after a week of use — less than 5 hours overall. (Mute still functions, but I no longer have visual indicator when mute is active.) But a few weeks later it started working again and has been working ever since.

Wanna be podcasters can use the Logitech Premium USB Headset 350 to get comfortable with recording. A digital USB connection is more favorable in terms of capturing higher quality audio than using an analog mic input. The headset worked fine in my tests capturing spoke word with Garageband and Audacity.

Overall, I think it’s a decent investment for the price range ($30-50). Hope you find this useful.
-Roland

Roland Reinhart is an interactive marketing professional. His observations can be found at Chaos365.com and AdMadMan.com.

©2006 Roland Reinhart. All Rights Reserved.

Cannon Elura 100 MiniDV Review

The Canon Elura 100 MiniDV Camcorderis my third camcorder. I got hooked on video recording with an early 1990’s era Sony analog followed by a circa 2003 JVC Digital that died after only 2 years. I spent considerable time researching what my next camcorder would be, considering my disappointment with the JVC. Ideally, I wanted a Panasonic PV-GS250 3CCD MiniDV or Panasonic PV-GS300 3CCD MiniDV, but that’s out of my price range for personal use and abuse.

Key features:

• 20x optical zoom
• Captures video in 16:9 or 4:3 ratios
• Smooth 10x zoom
• Widescreen 2.7-inch LCD
• Analog Line-in/Converter
• Twin LED lights for low light situations
• Lightweight at just 3 lbs.

Out of the box, the camera comes with everything you’d expect: camera, power supply, connection cables, wireless remote and software.

The Canon Elura 100 is full of the auto-focus features you’d expect in a consumer camcorder. You can also save video and still photos to an SD card. Keep in mind you are probably better off with a dedicated camera for quality still photography.

The on screen menu is fairly intuitive. Navigation by the new joystick isn’t hard to get used to.

Form factor is good. It’s light enough to be comfortable to hold yet not too light that my video gets shaky. I have a large hand, but I enjoy the compact size of this camera — I can easily slip it into a coat pocket.

Recording in true widescreen was new to me and takes a bit of thinking to adjust old habits of framing the person I’m recording. But the results look great, including the color and flesh tones.

The camera comes bundled with software, but I’d suggest starting with what you already have installed on your Mac or PC. Video transfer to my Mac (OS 10.4) and iMovie HD works fine with firewire. I wasn’t able to get iMovie to recognize the Elura when hooked up via USB cable provided. But the USB connection worked when hooked up to a Windows XP PC with Windows Movie Maker.

I love the built in lens cover. No more hassle with stupid lens caps dangling in front of the camera or getting lost.

Another feature important to me for archiving old video footage is the Analog Line-in/Converter. It lets me use the Canon Elura 100 as a signal converter, switching analog signals from a TV, VCR or analog camcorder to digital. I can record to MiniDV tape or pass through and record directly on my computer.

The instruction manual provided has enough details to answer the few questions I had.

Some consumer reviews I read on Amazon.com cited a motor noise being recorded when playing back their videos. I have not experienced any problem with motor noise in my own recordings.

My main complaint is the battery is mounted internally. You must open the view screen and remove a plastic cover to access the battery. Certainly not easy to do on the fly. Nor can you buy a bigger size battery with greater capacity like externally mounted batteries.

Keep in mind a few things when considering a new camcorder:

1. How much are you willing to invest? That includes buying SD card, spare battery, or any accessories you don’t already have like a new tripod or case. If you say your max budget is $500, then you can get decent video quality for a $400 camera and spend another $100 on the accessories.

2. Who will use it? In my household it is mainly me. But if you have to share with wife/kids, think about how the camera might get abused.

3. Where will you use it. Many early reviews on other sites said the Elura 100 doesn’t perform well in low light conditions. They are right. But if you are smart about where and when you use the camera, low light probably wont be an issue. Take advantage of natural light. Turn all the lights on in a room indoors, even during daytime. Pick well lit part of the room and try to steer your subjects there.

4. Do you want to digitize your old analog 8mm or VHS tapes? Those old memories are deteriorating and Do It Yourself digitization has never been easier. The Canon Elura 100 is one of the few cameras I could find that had A/V input along with decent performance features.

5. Even though this takes still pictures, you should invest in a separate good quality digital camera. The camcorder still camera feature wont provide as high a quality as you can get from a dedicated digital camera.

Hope this helps. Good luck!
-Roland

Roland Reinhart is an interactive marketing professional. His observations can be found at Chaos365.com and AdMadMan.com.

©2006 Roland Reinhart. All Rights Reserved.