Tag archive for ‘software’ at bioneural.net

Tag archive for 'software'

I don't want any Safari!

Published by Bruce on March 25, 2008 in Quicklinks. 8 responses

Installation of software you didn't actively choose to install is malware. I'm referring to Apple's recent decision to force Safari 3.1 on hapless Windows users via Software Update. How can you "update" a product that isn't installed? Wife: Have you got anything without Safari? This is bad form Apple. At least Ars consider this browser a much-improved and stable "true competitor".

CDFinder in the Mac geotagging workflow

Published by Bruce on March 24, 2008 in Mac. 6 responses

Like many Mac users I archive my pictures in iPhoto, largely because I enjoy the tight integration this affords with Apple and third-party apps that might want to use them. Having entered the world of geotagging I was disappointed to discover that iPhoto can fail to show coordinates in EXIF (and when shown, oddly lists them under Exposure), does not recognise location data in IPTC headers, and does not provide any "show on map" facility (even Preview does this). Norbert Doerner of West-Forest-Systems then pointed out that I'd completely neglected archive and retrieval of geotagged images in my "ABC" article. This Mac software critique goes some way to redress that omission by considering the role of CDFinder in a Mac user's geotagging workflow. CDFinder is essentially an asset manager that catalogues any file on any volume (CD-ROM, DVD, USB drive, etc). But media metadata are its speciality, and this indexing powerhouse has recently been extended to handle geotags and provide related functionality.
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FeedDemon gets the Geotag Icon too

Published by Bruce on March 23, 2008 in Quicklinks. 0 responses

FeedDemon, purportedly the most popular Windows-based feed reader, automatically detects geotagged feed items. Form version 2.6.1b1 it uses the Geotag Icon as a visual identifier for plotting the location, "hidden" in metadata, via Google Maps. FeedDemon has lots of other great features, including synchronisation with NewsGator Online which I use when travelling (in conjunction with NetNewsWire on the Mac).

Microsoft Silverlight takes on Flash

Published by Bruce on March 13, 2008 in Quicklinks. 0 responses

Microsoft Silverlight is a proprietary cross-browser, almost cross-platform (not yet Linux), and cross-device (WM6 & Symbian only) plug-in vaguely tasked with "delivering the next generation of .NET based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web." The developer tools (Windows or Mac) output interactive text, bitmap images, vector graphics, animations, and video (WMV)/ audio (WMA and MP3) playback, in competition primarily with Flash. The plug-in is free (v2 is currently in beta) & curiously you can download the Getting started video in QuickTime for iPod! More here.

An ABC of geotagging photos on the Mac

Published by Bruce on March 5, 2008 in Photography. 42 responses

This article considers geotagging photos from a Mac perspective, looking at automatic and manual methods, and explaining terms such as data loggers, track points, waypoints, and routes. It lists OS X software options for connecting to data loggers, converting track log formats, geo-locating photos, and writing that data to EXIF for both raw and JPEG images. It also covers the importance of time synchronization, what you can do with geotagged photos, workflow, choosing a data logger and controlling it from your Mac.
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Time machine saves the day

Published by Bruce on February 1, 2008 in Rave. 2 responses

The hard drive in my wife's MacBook recently failed. She was using Safari with the laptop stationary on her desk when, out of the blue, the system locked up. On restarting (via the power button) all we got was a folder with a blinking question mark. We booted from the Leopard DVD and Disk Utility could not see an internal drive which, not unexpectedly, was making a tell-tale clicking noise. Our previous backup regime involved making a monthly archive using SuperDuper!, but luckily Simone was running Leopard and thus had a current back-up not more than an hour old on an attached USB drive. Would Time Machine successfully restore all her stuff to a replacement (larger) internal drive?
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