August 2026 – Technology Stuff

15 August 2026

SD Card for the MG IM5 Dashcam

The MG IM5 has a built in digital video recorder, essentially a dashcam.

The vehicle is equipped with a digital video recorder (DVR), the DVR camera is installed in the multi-function sensor cover of windscreen. The system records all images of the vehicle on the road, and can provide the image data in a quick, true and accurate manner to assist in any claims or accidents.

The DVR requires a high speed Micro SD card, and the recommended capacity is 64GB and above. So I got this 128GB card online.

In the car, you lift the central arm rest and at the front of the compartment, are two USB sockets and a slot for the card.

Inserting the new card, the car screen then asks you if you want to format the card. Clicking yes, the car is formatted.

The car then constantly records from the front camera to the car, looping when necessary, so deleting older content to replace it with newer content.

To access the recordings in the car, from the central screen, select DVR, you can choose from the recordings which will play back on the main console screen. Obviously do this when you’re parked.

8 August 2026

Which Mac FTP Client should I use?

Back in the day I would often use an FTP client to connect to remote web servers to update and add web pages and content. I was a keen user of Macromedia Dreamweaver and would update my web pages before synchronising with the server. Occasionally though I would need to access the server using an FTP client.

Over recent years though my web sites have been WordPress instances, and therefore virtually all the access to creating pages and adding images has been through the WordPress interface.

However, with an issue with one of my web sites, I needed to access the server through an FTP client. The web interface provided by my service provider wasn’t cutting the mustard. I did have a Transmit 3 licence, but that wasn’t going to work with my current version of Mac OS. I then looked online and decided to use Cyberduck instead. Had a few issues, but I think that was with the server rather than Cyberduck.

8 August 2026

441 miles, that’s quite a bit more than the Funky Cat

I recently charged my new MG IM5 to 100% and though it took a while, the predicted WLTP range was 441 miles.

This was the first time I had charged the car since I got it. It was quite simple to plug it into the fast charger (11 kWh) and it just started charging.

Comparing that 441 mile range to the Funky Cat, it’s quite a difference. When I first got the cat, I would get 185 miles on a 100% charge, not quite the advertised 193 mile range. However, after three years I was lucky to get 175 and more often it would drop to 165 in warm weather, but could go as low as 125 in cold weather.

Obviously not had a chance to charge the MG IM5 in cold conditions.

Once the charge was at 100%, it was a relatively simple affair to unplug the charge cable from the charger, and then remove the cable from the car. One of the annoyances of the Funky Cat was that often you had to lock the car and then unlock it again, for the charging cable to be released.

Online in some of the forums, people recommended changing the WLTP range to DFRE (Dynamic Fuel Range Estimation).

WLTP: Shows a fixed, ideal range based on official laboratory testing cycles.

DFRE: Shows a live, dynamic range calculated continuously from your recent energy use, driving style, and climate control loa

I’ve not quite worked out how to do that.

1 August 2026

Reflecting on my Apple Watch

Back in October 2024, I got my first Apple Watch.

Though I could see the benefits of an Apple Watch when if was announced back in 2015, I could never really see the value to me. Well I thought it might be useful, but I didn’t think I could justify the price of the watch.

However when my son upgraded to a newer model he offered me the chance to try out his sixth edition Apple Watch. I did think, what have I got to lose.

I have been using it now for two years and it has proved useful. I am sure I could do more with it, but in the main I use it, As a watch, fitness stuff, timers. I find the notifications useful, though most of the time I defer to my phone to actually read them. The notifications are useful as I was finding I was missing them when my phone was in my pocket.

Though I do have some trouble reading stuff on the watch, my eyesight isn’t what it was, it has been useful.

However, watchOS 27 which was announced on June 8, 2026, at WWDC 2026, will drop support for the Apple Watch Series 6.

The new watchOS 27 adds Siri AI and a dedicated Siri app, as well as a Dynamic app grid. A new tap gesture allows users to select a widget in the Smart Stack, while a unified Find My app replaces the previously separate Find Devices, Find People and Find Items apps.

So, as a result I am thinking about replacing the watch with a new version. I am leaning to the Ultra 3, mainly down to the bigger screen, it’s an eyesight thing. However, budget may mean looking at the Series 11 models.

Still got a few months to think about, though it might be something I wait until they release a new model, which is rumoured will be in September.