ZoneEdit and Google Apps
When changing the MX records from within ZoneEdit to use Google Apps, the instructions Google gives are slightly wrong.
You may get the warning in ZoneEdit:
“A validation error has occurred: The mail server ‘ASPMX.L.GOOGLE.COM.’ is not a valid domain.“
The solution? Simply omit the trailing “.” [period]
ZoneEdit automatically treats this as a FQDN.
Follow the rest of the instructions as is.
Filed under: geek | Leave a Comment
Tags: dns
Sony HBH-DS200 Look-back
I’d like to take this opportunity to quickly sum up the past 4 months of using the Sony Bluetooth headset.Since its purchase, I have used it on a daily basis and having lived with it, I have observed the following:
- Battery – still good. Can rock out for about 3-4 days before needing a charge. This is based on an average of 2 hours a day.
- Stuttering – got the hang of this. Sometimes, you need to cycle the audio output – i.e. take it off the headset and then choose the headset again. Other times, it’s a RAM issue on the iPhone.
I have an app on my iPhone which clears out the RAM. I usually do this when I find playback to be stuttery. - Playback controls – still suck. Have to get out the phone whilst cycling (not recommended for the novice Central London cyclist) to change tracks. Changing volume is a bit of a gamble too.
- Taking calls – This is also not so hot. The actual quality of the call is very good, especially when cycling in the wind, you can (and the receiver). However, it’s a strange sequence of events.
- When you are not listening to music, the call goes through to the iPhone and the headset. You can answer on either to take the call. No problems.
- When music is playing, if you answer on the iPhone, then sometimes the call comes through to the phone only. You need accept the call on the headset to reliably have the call come through. Now when the call is finished, the music does not resume. Possibly because it has to switch profiles from A2DP to normal mono. But for some reason or another, it doesn’t revert back.
- Thus, to get music back, the fastest way is to switch off the headset. Wait 3 seconds. Turn it back on… and then press play. At which point, the music resumes.
- Not so simples eh?
- One great thing that I found with this however is using it at the gym. It’s great. I can plop the phone down away from the weights and even wonder half-way across the room to get a drink etc. without the music missing a beat. On the treadmills, I just prop it next to the screen and away I run.
So all in all, despite it’s shortcomings, I still am a great fan of it. And the quality is great.
Filed under: iphone, review | Leave a Comment
Tags: bluetooth
Google Wave
So I gots given a Google Wave account. Great stuff… but erm, where is everybody? Seems like anyone who’d I’d ‘wave’ with is off-line!
Filed under: Uncategorized | 1 Comment
Lately it seems with every iteration Mac OS X, Mail always disables GrowlMail.
Turns out, there is a simple fix!
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Tags: mac
Where’s WDS?
Apparently, in the new dual-band Airport Extreme basestations, there only seems to be 3 wireless modes:
Create a network
Participate in a network
Off
However, if you Option-Click the dropdown box, you get the additional WDS options.
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Tags: mac
Sony HBH-DS200 Review
To celebrate summer and also the release of OS 3.0 for the iPhone and its A2DP support, I decided to treat myself to a pair of stereo Bluetooth headphones. I’m on my 3rd replacement set of Apple iPhone headphones (with mic and clicker) and I don’t have high hopes on the longevity of current said pair. As it happens, Carphone Warehouse were selling these Sony HBH-DS200 ones for half price – at £24.99. At that price, I thought I give it a try considering the replacement wired equivalent would come close to that price without the novelty factor.
Form Factor
These headphones aren’t going to win any style awards, but they aren’t ugly. The the main unit is fairly large and so has to clip somewhere; being to heavy to just “hang”. I find my t-shirt collar works quite well.
The unit features a 3.5mm standard headphone jack, so you’re welcome to plug in your own headphones or use the ones supplied. There are 3 buttons; Call Answer, Play/Pause and an On/Off button. More on that later.
Other than the fact that there are portable music players smaller than this*, it’s pretty good.
* but they don’t have a microphone for Bluetooth calling!
Usability
I will be exclusively using this with a 3G iPhone on the 3.0 software. Pairing was a snap. Subsequent pairings (say, when the device has been switched off) has been fairly reliable and quick, though you do need to learn the order in which you need do things. iPhone’s Bluetooth implementation in this respect is very good.
When paired, iPhone will automagically stream music to the headset. You also get the option to choose the output device from the iPhone if that’s what you’re into. However, you lose volume controls. All volume control becomes the responsibility of the DS200. With no volume buttons, the only way is to press and hold the play/pause button. This causes the volume to cycle from quiet to loud etc. Simply let go of the button when the volume reaches the desired level.
A trifle inconvenient, but in practice, bearable. Even on a bike. In fact, I primarily use the headset when cycling around London.
When a call comes through, simply click the Call button and start talking. The headset plays its own ringtone so you won’t hear your ringtone through the headset. When finished, press it again to hang up and resume your music. (I’m not sure if it resumes automatically – I usually press the Play button)
Sound quality
An audiophile I’m not, and besides, I’ve got London as the backing track to most of the songs. The included headphones does a decent job, comfortable and it goes pretty loud. Obviously the audio is lossily compressed from the device to the headset, so don’t be expecting high-end audio. When the orchestra’s going or when the Taiko drums are banging, you do get slight compression artefacts. But generally it’s very good. I’d say on par with the quality of your typical Spotify stream.
However, and this is a big HOWEVER – for some reason or another, the iPhone A2DP implementation causes the playback of music to occassionally stutter and “miss a beat”. Some say it’s the Bluetooth stack, other’s say it’s because the iPhone isn’t powerful enough to do all the things it does on top of streaming to a wireless device but end result is you get the occassional stutter. This seems to be common on all A2DP headsets with the iPhone.
How occassionally? I’d say on average about 2-3 times a song. Now, this doesn’t always happen – I’ve gotten through several songs without any hiccups, but also encountered songs dotted with stutters. This is more of the fault of the iPhone, but still, be aware!
Using it as a hands-free headset phone-wise doesn’t exihibit this stutter. Only on music/video playback. Incidentally, there’s no ‘lag’ when viewing video stored on the device. YouTube videos however do.
Battery life
Good. Out lasts the iPhone 
I’ve had the thing for 3 days of frequent usage before I had to charge it.
Summary
I’m going to be fairly generous here and give it a solid 7 out of 10.
Had I paid the full £50 something for it, I might think otherwise, but at a penny under £25, it’s pretty good.
Most of the fault doesn’t actual lie with the device itself and I find that despite its shortcomings, the device is fairly easy to use and liberating.
And there’s always the hope of a software update!
Pros
Wireless! / Acts has a hands-free headset for calls / No more tangly wires in pockets / Good value / Novelty factor / Good sound quality
Cons
Yet another thing to recharge / stutters occassionally with iPhone / fairly bulky
Please checkout my thoughts 4 months on: Sony HBH-DS200 Look-back
Filed under: iphone, review | 3 Comments
Tags: a2dp, iphone, review, sony
Built into Snow Leopard
Text substitution.
In Mail and TextEdit, text substitution lets you create shortcuts for phrases you use frequently that will expand automatically as you type. Common substitutions are built in — for example, changing (c) to a copyright symbol (©) and fractions from 1/2 to ½. You can also add your own substitutions; for example, “pnc” can expand to “privileged and confidential,” and your initials can expand to your full name.
So now it’s like having built in Text Expander built right in! Awesome!
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I want this camera
It’s been ages since I last got my SLR out and about (yeah, something I need to address), but I reckon something like this will certainly help getting back shooting again!
Filed under: Personal, Photography | Leave a Comment
Sometimes when the network configuration on your Mac changes (or you change “Locations”) you’ll get this message form VMWare Fusion
VMware Fusion “The network bridge device on /dev/vmnet0 is not running”
After a quick looksie online, managed to resolve it by doing the following:
1. Remove and re-add the network adapter in VMWare Fusion Settings > Network adapter
2. Head on into Terminal and restart VMWare Fusion.
sudo /Library/Application Support/VMWare Fusion/boot.sh –restart
Sorted.
Filed under: Macintosh, Windows | 4 Comments
Moving on westwards
Some of you may already know, but the month of May has been very busy and exciting for me. More specifically, I’ve moved to, well, have a look yourself:
Yep. West London.
It’s pretty darn cool.
Filed under: Personal | Leave a Comment
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