Tech Stuff – Top Ten Posts of 2011

Here are the top ten blog posts (by views) for 2011.

10. Joikuspot s60 limitation

This blog post which described a major limitation with Jokuspot on the Nokia N95 was the principle reason I bought a MiFi.

9. No joy with Sony PSP and JoikuSpot Premium

This was quite an old post, from nearly three years ago, when my primary method for mobile internet was using Joikuspot on a Nokia N95. Since then I have used a MiFi and now in the main use the portable wireless hotspot on a Google Nexus One.

8. Insufficient Bandwidth

This post described how a problem with my FTTC was causing me to have issues with iPlayer streams. I think in the end it was more of an issue with BBC iPlayer than an issue with my internet connection.

7. New Sony Tablets, the Tablet S

In this blog post I was looking forward to the new Sony Tablet. Having now seen the Tablet for real I am slightly disappointed. It didn’t feel like a Sony product and seemed overpriced for what it was.

6. Instagram on the Desktop

My sixth most popular post looked at a couple of Mac apps that allowed you to view Instagram images on your desktop. I really like Instagram, but sometimes feel disadvantaged when I want to see a feed of Instagram images on my Mac.

5. ITV Player and 4OD on the PS3

An update to the PS3 provided access to the watch again services from ITV and Channel 4.

4. iPhone Portable Wifi Hotspot

Back in January Apple announced a new feature for the iPhone, that allowed you to turn it into a portable wifi hotspot, something I had been doing for a while using my Froyo Google Nexus One.

3. I don’t like BT FON

My third most popular post was a rant about BT FON, well actually it wasn’t a rant about BT FON itself, it was rant that BT routers configured for BT FON also broadcast a BT Openzone SSID which wasn’t a real BT Openzone and so as a result my iPhone (which has free access to BT Openzone) couldn’t use it.

2. BT Openzone-H

This post was a follow on to my BT FON rant, it was apparent that BT were aware of the problem I discussed and are in the process of changing the settings on the BT Homehubs so that instead of broadcasting the BT Openzone SSID they have renamed it to BT Openzone-H. I should say that though I posted this in July, here nearly six months later my neighbour’s BT HomeHub is still broadcasting BT Openzone and not the new Openzone-H.

1. Live BBC TV on the iPad

My most popular post was not really a post more of an addendum to another post reviewing the BBC iPlayer app for the iPad.

The addendum mentioned that the main advantage of the app over the web interface was that you could access live TV through the app.

PSP

Sony PlayStation Portable PSP

Paying around with my PSP this Christmas made me real is that I hadn’t updated the firmware for a while, in the main as my broadband was too slow… However now that I have FTTC I can do this much more easily.

I went from 3.9 to 6.25

Didn’t notice too much different, except that you can now read comics on the PSP. Not sure I wold do this, as the screen is much bigger and better on my iPad, not that I actually read comics. Well the odd one or two, but comics are not really my cup of tea.

Another reason for upgrading was to try out the remote capability that the PS3 has with the PSP. I did notice that when messing about with the settings that you can also use a phone or a PC to remotely use your PS3.

Main disappointment was that I couldn’t actually play a game remotely on the PS3 from the PSP!

Not sure why, as I could play a PS One game I had purchased for the PS3 on the PSP remotely. I don’t know if it is a performance issue or a rights issue.

Time to go to Google and check this out

EyeHome is ALIVE!

The EyeHome is ALIVE! Working again after a few months now without it.

The main issue was a dead power supply. I couldn’t find a spare. In the end I found that the PSP charger, which is also 5V fitted and worked.

Initially I had an issue with finding the 10.5 Mac but after changing the IP address on the Mac it did work.

As I now have an 802.11n Ethernet bridge under the TV the streaming worked really well. No buffeting or stuttering.

Now need to get the EyeHome software running on 10.6 that looks a little more complicated.

Clearing room…

Before installing Adobe CS4 I decided that I better clear out some free disk space so that it will not only install fine, but run fine as well. I had bought it for my new iMac, but that’s on hold at the moment.

So what’s on the hard drive?

Well though my files, photos and music take up a fair bit of space, it is EyeTV recordings which take up the most space. I have been a little lax (because I had the space) in editing and exporting recordings.

Generally I only export the recording in the native MPEG2  format, partly to avoid loss of quality, but in the main as it is very quick. After exporting I might copy the Wi-Fi access version into iTunes so I can then put it onto the iPod pretty quickly, but that’s not always done, it depends on the recording.

Of course if I don’t want the recording, it never gets exported and just gets deleted.

After exporting, I try and move files to an external hard drive, to free up space, but it shouldn’t and it does still surprise me by how much space the recordings take up…

Now I know I could export as a DivX format and reduce the file size significantly over the MPEG2, however then I will have a later problem if I want to export into a different format for a different device.

Until we have a consistent video file format then I would rather maintain the high quality large file size of the native MPEG2 recording then try and mess about with a smaller DivX recording for a different device.

I watch the recordings on a variety of devices, the iPhone and various iPods, the PSP, the PS3 and an Archos PVR device. The iPod h.264 recordings for example would not play on the PSP (always) likewise they would not play on the Archos unless I paid €20 for the “extra” to allow the Archos to play h.264 files, if I was willing to pay that I would pay the €20 to allow the Archos to play MPEG2 files natively!

So at the moment I am editing, exporting and in some cases realising that I am never going to watch that special which went out at Christmas and I am deleting!

Joikuspot s60 limitation

If you have read some of my other blog entries on using Joikuspot you will know I had issues with getting both Nokia N810 and the PSP to connect to the wifi network created by the Joikuspot software on the Nokia N95.

Recently found this blog post from last year which  seems to confirm my thoughts that as I said in a previous blog entry:

I suspect that though the N95 is acting as a wireless router, it is still “seen” by other devices as an ad hoc wireless network rather than an infrastructure wireless network and for some reason the N810 doesn’t like this and therefore does not get a valid IP address from the N95.

The blog says quoting the Joikuspot FAQ that

“E) Why doesn’t JoikuSpot work with Sony PSP or Nintendo DS?

Sony PSP and Nintendo DS require WLAN infrastructure mode. JoikuSpot does not support this yet.”

“D) Why does JoikuSpot appear as computer to computer (ad hoc) network?

Currently Symbian OS used in Nokia phones does not support WLAN infrastructure mode.”

Seriously thinking about getting a MiFi now.


GPS on the PSP via Elgato Video Capture

Finally had a chance to try out my new Elgato Video Capture.

Elgato Video Capture

I connected a PSP to it using the PSP AV Cable and captured the use of the PSP GO!Explore.

It was very simple and easy to use. Once I had captured the movie I could either save as a Quicktime movie, send to YouTube or edit it in iMovie.

The EyeHome, it lives…

Back in October last year my EyeHome stopped working. I assumed has had happened before that the transformer had broken again.

What I did back then was ask Elgato and they replaced the transformer for me, however according to their website they can no longer provide replacements.

I was hoping to find a replacement for my EyeHome, but after having a good look around, trying even to use the PS3, in the end I decided that the only possible replacement was a Mac mini and even that was a compromise and not a real replacement.

I did try and find a replacement transformer, but though I thought I had found a potential supplier, it wasn’t clear which transformer I should buy for the EyeHome.

So for most of this year, the EyeHome was sat in the office and I waited paitently for Elgato to make a replacement…

Yesterday I started tidying  up the office and I “found” the EyeHome and started to pack it into a box when I looked at the power supply input, noticed it said 5V and started to wonder…

The PSP power supply looked like it could fit…

It does fit…

It does power the EyeHome…

It lives!!!

Still no joy with Nokia N810 and JoikuSpot

Today I tried with no success to get my Nokia N810 to get an internet connection through JoikuSpot on my Nokia N95.

Basically it wouldn’t get an IP address from the N95.

I suspect that though the N95 is acting as a wireless router, it is still “seen” by other devices as an ad hoc wireless network rather than an infrastructure wireless network and for some reason the N810 doesn’t like this and therefore does not get a valid IP address from the N95, or perhaps DNS information. Now according to a comment on my blog post (about the PSP and JokiuSpot) on this said:

Actually, I’ve used N810 with JoikuSpot Light in the past. I no longer have the N810 so can’t try it with premium, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work…

I wonder if it is a DNS issue rather than an IP issue.

I know the whole setup was working as my iPod touch was doing fine.

Of course I can use a Bluetooth connection to use the N95 as a modem and get on the internet that way with the N810, but without using JoikuSpot only the N810 can get online and I (and anyone else) can’t use the connection.

No joy with Sony PSP and JoikuSpot Premium

Last October I mentioned that I had tried to connect an Nokia N810 to the internet via JoikuSpot Lite running on my Nokia N95 with no luck.

Well, no I couldn’t. For some reason though it could  connect to the JoikuSpot wireless network, it would not get to the JoikuSpot launch page and as a result no other internet access was possible.

I have since then upgraded to JoikuSpot Premium and have been very pleased with it in regard to using my laptops and the iPod touch.

The other day I tried to access the internet using a Nokia N810 with no luck.

I have now tried with Sony’s PSP and get a similar experience to the Nokia N810.

Basically it wouldn’t get an IP address from the N95.

As I said before I suspect that though the N95 is acting as a wireless router, it is still “seen” by other devices as an ad hoc wireless network rather than an infrastructure wireless network and for some reason the PSP like the N810 doesn’t like this and therefore does not get a valid IP address.

Just as an aside I also tried with a Windows Mobile PDA, and no luck, but then I always have real issues with connecting a Windows Mobile device to any wireless network!

PSP Games for Christmas

I was lucky enough to get two games for my Sony PSP for Christmas.I got Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command and Gripshift.Squad Command is a strategy based game which will be very familar to those who play the Warhammer 40000 miniatures game.

Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command marks the first time that the brutal, war-ravaged world of Games Workshop’s Warhammer 40,000 universe will be playable on the PSP. Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command features fast, action-packed combat through turn-based strategy and an engaging, authentic single-player storyline. Gamers play as the elite Space Marines of the Ultramarines chapter and strive to combat the encroaching evil of the ruthless and daemonic influenced Chaos Space Marines through 13 cinematically-tied missions. With a robust multiplayer mode featuring 9 unique missions, gamers will team up and go head-to-head with other gamers worldwide as either the Imperium of Man or Chaos Space Marines, ensuring hours of unique replayability. Warhammer 40,000: Squad Command will also fully utilize all the portable functionality of the PSP and Nintendo DS, including the dual-screen and stylus, bringing the Warhammer 40,000 universe to life on handheld.

For those looking for an action game you would be better off looking elsewhere. I am enjoying the game and find it tactically stimulating.Gripshift is a different game altogether, a driving puzzle game which I am also enjoying. Basically there are various tracks which you drive over.

GripShift is the first video game for the PSP portable entertainment system to combine high-flying stunt driving and unique puzzle-solving action in an all-out, pedal-to-the-metal driving experience.

Players race as one of six unique characters in supped-up vehicles as they stunt their way through insane twisting levels while collecting power-ups, avoiding traps, beating the clock and challenging friends.Featuring enhanced aerial physics with an intuitive control system, players perform awesome aerial jumps for massive hang time in puzzle-like driving challenges with multiple routes, short-cuts, loops, jumps and power ups. Compete in single player race mode against the CPU, or enjoy multiplayer action with your friends in head-to-head wireless multiplayer. Create and design custom levels to share with your friends or play in one of eight bonus games for outrageous fun.It’s an original break-thru combination of stunt driving, platform action and puzzle solving, designed exclusively for the PSP system.