1. Open the page with the movie and press Command-Option-A, which shows the Activity window.
2. Scroll until you find the YouTube page and click on the arrow to show details about what is being loaded.
3. Look for an element whose size is over 1MB (most of the time, over 5MB).
4. Double-click on it (even if it is still loading), and Safari will download it.
5. When the download is over, navigate to the file in the Finder.  If necessary, add the extension .flv to its name. Now you can play it with VLC.

One example is blogging.  Doing this on the go, away for you computer was never that useful.  I have previously created blogs using on my iPhone using the WordPress App (free).  However there was no way to add photos and typing on an iPhone is not so easy.

The WordPress App, now with version 2.82 for the iPad and the iPhone allows you to add photos already on the device.  To get your photos onto the iPad is easy with the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit.

This kit comes with two similar devices, one to connect a USB cable and the other with a SD card slot. The USB adapter can be used to import photos from a camera connected via a USB cable, including an iPhone.  The other is to read directly a SD card from a camera.  Either you connect the camera via USB or insert the SD card then plug that device the iPad.  The iPad photo app automatically launches and allows you to import the photos from the SD card. Switching now to the WordPress App for the iPad, you can write your blog entry and  select the photo to insert into the text of the blog entry. Real simple.

The updated WordPress App for the iPhone also allows you to also insert images or video into the blog entry but only those taken with the iPhone.  The only other way to get a photo on your iPhone is syncing with a computer, but if you have a computer with you, you would just use it directly.

The Personal Hotspot update inlcuded in the March iOS 4.3 update turns the GSM based iPhone 4 into a portable router and unlike the MiFi type hotspots, this is something you are going to be carrying with you anyway so no need to remember to carry a 3rd device.  This feature supports up to 3 devices via standard WiFi, plus one via USB tethering and a one via BlueTooth.

Setup and use is very easy.  You first need to signup for the tethering option for the iPhone 4.  Assuming you already have the $25 a month data plan, this will increase to $45, but with the extra $20 you get an additional 4 Gb of data.  This data is something that can be used for all access from that iPhone 4, whether directly or as a hotspot.  You can use the hotspot with any device.  This compares with the AT&T plan for the iPad which costs $25 and gives you 2 Gb of data that can only be accessed from the iPad.  The tethering plan was not only $5 cheaper but provides a lot more flexiblitly.

When I called up AT&T to activate, they confirmed you can change your plan as you wish, without penalty.  So if you wish to have the hotspot only during certain months, you can revert back.   If you have an limited data plan on your iPhone, something AT&T no longer offers, you will lose that when you switch to the Data Pro plan, something you need to be on before you can switch to the tethering plan.

Once you have your account setup to allow tethering, launch Settings and then tap General/Network/Personal Hotspot.  After the first time you use this, this option will appear on the top level of the Settings dialog box, making it very easy to turn it on and off.  Note that if you are using an iPhone 3Gs you are limited and can connect only using tethering or bluetooth and not via WiFi, as you can with the iPhone 4.

Once enabled, the screen will show a passcode.  From the iPad, or other device, just choose to connect to the network, which has the name you gave your iPhone 4, and enter the passcode.  The hotspot relies on WPA2 security, making this much more secure than using an open WiFi connection some local eating establishment. Most all devices now support WPA2, but if you have an very old device, such as an old iBook, you will not be able to connect via WiFi.

A blue bar appears at the top of the screen when a device is connected to the hotspot.  Tap on the bar to open the Personal Hotspot setting screen.  The bar displays the count of connected devices.  If no devices are connected by any method (WiFi, tethering or Bluetooth) then the hotspot will power down in 90 seconds.

I did a test running speed test from a connected Early 2011 Mac Book Pro computer.  I found when using the iPhone 4 from my home I had very good connection speed, considering that I do not live where there is a very strong signal from AT&T.  Before I returned the Verizon 5Spot portable hotspot, I did the same test using it and had poorer results.

Using the iPhone 4 as Hotspot

Using Verizon 5Spot

If a phone call comes in while you are using the hotspot feature, because AT&T uses GSM, the iPhone 4 continues to keep the data connection while you accept the phone call, unlike the CDMA system used by Verizon.

If the iPhone 4 is itself within range of a previously connected WiFi network, with the Personal Hotspot feature turned on and with one device connected to it, the iPhone will force a connection to the 3G network and maintain the hotspot connection.

I found using the Personal Hotspot feature did run down the battery on the iPhone 4 much quicker, so you may want to turn it off when you are not actively using it.  If your iPad is on and you are just reading previously downloaded material, it will maintain the WiFi connection so the iPhone will not automatically turn off the hotspot, even though now data is being transmitted.

One concern is burning through your data limits, especially if you connect a personal computer to the device, which will not have the limits that are imposed on the iPhone itself, such as limiting the size of a file download.  If you connect a computer and your email is setup to download all attachments, that will use a lot more data than checking your mail on your iPhone 4.  So you will want to keep tabs on your data usage.

In a prior entry, I wrote about the high demand for the new Apple iPad2 and what it took to finally get my hands on one. Having tried a lot of Apps over the past few days, this is the list of what I find the most useful, in no particular order. Click on any of the links to read more about each item in the iTunes App store.  Sorry no games listed here.

	App Start The first app to download on your new iPad or iPad2. Gets you started with all the essential apps and learn how to best use your iPad. Why did Apple not install this on the iPad by default? Cost: Free during promotional period
	Weather Channel I had used the free Weather Channel on my iPhone and found it very useful. On the iPad it is even more useful. Cost: Free
	DropBox The best way to share files, not only between computers but also between your Window or Mac Computer and your iPhone and iPad. Cost: Free for up to 2 Gb of storage space
	Flipboard This fantastic application will take news feeds from various sources and create what looks like a very slick online publication, often using a better layout than the webpage of the original source. It makes your Facebook news feeds look great. Cost: Free
	PageOnce This App will give you a view of all your financial accounts, as well as other accounts such as frequent flyer membershipos. Cost: Free or a paid version for $12.99
	Bloomberg A great app for tracking the financial markets and your personal investments. Cost: Free
	Kindle Want to read books you have purchased from Amazon and don’t have a Kindle. No problem, since this app will work great on your iPad. Cost: Free
	iBooks A great book reader and easy access to Apple’s ebook store.  After you install, get the free book “iPad Users Guide” updated for the latest iOS and iPad. Cost: Free
	NetFlix If you are a Netflix subscriber, you will certainly want to install this App and watch your movies on your iPad. Cost: App is Free, paid subscription to Netflix is required.
	Kayak One of the best travel related sites. Search for the best ticket prices or hotel rooms. Select your ticket and be taken to the airline’s website to make your purchase. Cost: Free
	Garage Band Impress your friends with your musical talent. This apps shows of the power of the iPad like no other. Cost: $4.99
	CNN Get the latest news with a great App. Cost: Free
	iWorks Suite: Pages , Numbers, Keynote Get the iPad versions of the three apps that come with the iWorks suite for your Mac. They really showcase the power of the iPad. Cost: $9.99 each

When Apple released the iPad last year I thought it would enjoy little success. I was completely wrong. Soon the iPad was selling widely and every person I talked to about their iPad had very positive feedback.

My wife really wanted to get an iPad but I decided we should wait for the second generation model, and I am glad I did. I went to the Apple store on launch day, March 11th, thinking a 2 hour wait in line would be sufficient. That was wrong because there must have been 500 people already in line, so I just left.   The next day I ordered it online and was given a 4 week delivery time.  I guess that was okay since I had never used one and was not sure how useful it would be anyway.  I decided to get the black model (it now comes in white and black) and with 64 Gb of memory, the most they offer.  I also opted for the WiFi only model since the plan is to use Anne’s iPhone4 as a hot spot when needed, avoiding yet another data plan that could only be used for the iPad.  I ordered the smart cover at the same time, which shipped right away.

I later decided to try to get one at the Apple store twelve days latter I tried again arriving 1 hour early, going to the back of a line of about 60 people.  I thought there would be no lines by now but again I was wrong.  Soon after I arrived, they were passing out tickets, starting at the front of the line. Only about one third got them.  I tried again two days latter.  Since it is a 25 mile drive from my home to the nearest Apple store,  I decided to arrive early enough this time.   Even though I arrived at 5:50 am, I was 10th in line.  Some had been there all night, in the cold and rain.  At least they had opened the doors to the mall so I was inside for my wait.  The line slowly grew over the next few hours and reached about 50 people by 8:20 when they started to pass out those “golden tickets” again.  I got a ticket this time as did about 20 people in line, which was less than half of those who had lined up.  This is TWO WEEKS after the product launch.

Some of those who did not became very angry, as if they were passing out food during a famine. One guy in particular was yelling at the Apple store employees.  I guess the iPad2 must be great to get angry over such a thing.  The ticket was only a guarantee that you would be able to buy one, but no guarantee of which model.  They opened the store at 9 am, an hour earlier than the regular schedule.  I waited another 10 minutes in line for the next sales person to help me.  “Do you have a 64 Gb, WiFi only, Black model in stock,” I asked.  They checked and found they could meet my request except only with a white model.  “That would be great”, I replied.  The fellow behind me in line had told me he wanted the 64 Gb, 3G model for AT&T.  He was being helped right after me and I heard them say they only had the 16 Gb, ATT version in stock or 32 Gb Verizion.  He wanted to buy two (the limit) and was disappointed and said he had to think about it.  So his 3 hour wait was in vain.

So what is my first impression of the iPad?  Having owned the original iPhone and later the 3Gs phone, as well as a iPhone4 for my wife, I already knew how to operate the iPad.  It was much easier to use than the iPhone and I soon discovered that iPad specific apps can be much better to use.  I am writing this entry on my iPad2, using the WordPress app.  I have done that also on the iPhone but usually only one or two sentences, never something this long.  Both my wife and myself are now using the iPad considerably, for things we used our MacBook Pros for in the past.  Maybe I should have bought two of them, like many people in line did.  I will write another blog post with more information about using the iPad2.

Mac OS X 10.6 (Leopard) comes with both Apache 2.2.6 and PHP 5.2.4 pre-installed, but they’re not enabled by default.

These instructions involve editing some hidden files.  You could the free text editor TextWrangler (a free, cut-down version of BBEdit available from www.barebones.com), which can now install directly from the Mac App Store.   Whichever editor you use, you need to make sure it is setup to edit hidden files.  If you don’t want to worry about file permissions, then you can just make all the changes using the terminal, which the following instructions are based on.

Apache

It should already be installed with Snow Leopard but not turned on.  Open the terminal and start Apache

sudo apachectl start

Check that it is working by using your browser and enter:

http://localhost/

You should see:

It works!

PHP

Start the terminal an open the file:

/etc/apache2/httpd.conf

Find the line:

#LoadModule php5_module libexec/apache2/libphp5.so

Uncomment it (remove the # in front of the line). If you find you can not save the file due to file permissions, then fire up the terminal and enter:

sudo pico /etc/apache2/httpd.conf

Make the change and save the file. Restart Apache

sudo apachectrl restart

Next open System Preferences/Sharing and enable Web sharing. Note there the address for your site, which is a folder “Site” under your user folder. You will then be able to see it that works by entering a URL into your webrowser, using the name you gave your computer original:

http://macbook-pro/~UserName/

Create a single file with the name phpinfo.php with this content:

<?php
phpinfo(INFO_ALL);
?>

Save the file to your local Sites folder (/Users/UserName/Sites). Then test using the URL (substitute your computer name and user name)

http://localhost/~UserName/phpinfo.php

You will get a page showing all the settings for PHP with a heading something like, followed by all the PHP settings.

So where is the php.ini file?  There is not any, but you can add one to /etc by copying

/etc/php.ini.default to /etc/php.ini

Use the terminal and enter

sudo cp /etc/php.ini.default /etc/php.ini

Make it writable

sudo chmod 666 php.ini

In the php.ini file find the line

;date.timezone =

Uncomment it and insert your time zone (http://php.net/manual/en/timezones.php):
Restart Apache

sudo apachectl restart

MySQL

Download and install the latest MySQL version from mysql.com. With my new Mac Book Pro (early 2011) I installed the x86_64 version for Intel. Since Oracle has taken over MySQL it is a bit harder to find since you are presented with commercial offerings. Look for the MySQL Community Edition.

Test it is working in the terminal

/usr/local/mysql/bin/mysql

Edit the phi.ini file

vimo /etc/php.ini

Replace the three occurences of /var/mysql/mysql.sock by using /tmp/mysql.sock

pdo_mysql.default_socket=/tmp/mysql.sock
mysql.default_socket = /tmp/mysql.sock
mysqli.default_socket = /tmp/mysql.sock

Finally restart Apache

sudo apachectl restart

Open System Preferences and click on the MySQL preferance pane (which was installed above).  From here you can not start and stop MySQL, and enable it to start automatically when your system starts.

That’s it!

So I have been faced with the decision of either buying a USB2 drive, which are often heavily discounted in price, or buy a Firewire 800 drive at a premium price.  In both cases the internal hard drive is the same, the difference is just the interface.  To address this situation, Seagate has introduced their GoFlex drive series, in both portable 2.5 in and desk bound 3.5 in drives.  Each drive has a removable and interchangeable base that offers different interfaces.

Segate sells several different interfaces, including USB2, USB3, FireWire 800 and even Network Attached Storage (NAS).  I purchase a 2 Tb drive that came with a USB3 interface.  With the Black Friday sale, it cost me $89 at Best Buy.  I then added a Firewire 800/USB2 module for another $20.  Total price is $110, far cheaper than any 2 Tb Firewire drive I could buy.

In less than a minute I swapped the USB3 base for the FireWire 800/USB2 base, keeping the USB3 base in case Apple releases a computer with that interface.

The FireWire 800 base has two FW800 ports, which is important so I can daisy-chain this new drive with my other FireWire drives.  The only problem is that all the connectors are on the thin base unit, making cable management harder.  One FireWire connector is on the side and one on the back.  It just means you can not have the drive placed on your desk right next to something to it’s one side where the cable plugs in.

In only minutes I had inserted the drive into my Firewire chain and it showed up on my computer.  The drive comes formated as NTFS, but on it I could see a Mac program, which I ran.  It gave me the option to leave the drive as NTFS and install a driver to allow my Mac to not only read the NTFS partition, but also write to it, or, format as a Mac drive.  I chose the later.

The program then installed some additional Mac software, a nice touch for a world of drives that mostly have ignored the Mac.

Benchmarking

Without even the need to launch Disk Utlity, the drive was formated as a Mac format and showed up in the finder.  I then did some tests to see how fast it was.  The internel drive is only 5900 rpm, so I knew it would have some limits.

First I tested the drive using the USB2 interface and then repeated using the FireWire 800 interface.  This chart shows the results for a random write test.  The Green bars for USB2 were slower than the blue bars representing the FireWire interface.  The difference was not as much as I have seen with other drives.

I then did a comparison with this new GoFlex drive and a Western Digital 1 Tb drive that I bought with a FireWire 800 interface.  You can see from the chart below that the Western Digital drive (green columns) was significantly faster than the new Seagate GoFlex drive (blue columns).  Since both drives are using a FireWire 800 interface, it was surprising.  The difference must be a function of different drive rotation speeds and maybe the efficiency of the FireWire interface.

Conclusion

The Seagate GoFlex system is a great idea that could provide the option to update the interface of the drive as USB3 or other formats come along.  Even with the cost of buying the FireWire 800 module, it can be much cheaper than buying a dedicated FireWire 800 drive.  My experience is that FireWire drives are priced as niche products and not heavily discounted.

That said, the Seagate GoFlex drive was not as fast using the FireWire 800 interface as it should be.  When there is a need for the best speed you can get, such as video editing using an external drive, you might want to look elsewhere.

I remember when the Apple iPad was released and I looked at it’s features and thought it would not be very successful.  It just did not have the right functions and features.  Once again I was wrong because Apple knew better what people really wanted, even maybe needed, more than most of the technically oriented pundits.  I have lived long enough to know when TV was really simple.  You had your single knob to change the channel, rotating it from channel 2 through 13.  You had another knob for the volume and a third knob to turn the TV on and off.  All the knobs where different and you never made the mistake of using the wrong knob.

Fast forward to today and you ended up with many electronic devices that do far more than that ancient TV, but frankly have terrible interfaces.  Take your typical remote control today, most likely designed by someone in Japan, who might be great engineers but have no idea about human factor engineering.  They make all the buttons tiny, all the same size and the labeling is in brown on black, almost unreadable.  I guess we are suppose to be amazed at how many different functions they cram into the remote control.

I had an extra Macbook computer that is hooked up to my TV which could do most anything.  So when I was watching Steve Jobs introduce the new Apple TV I was not sure I needed it.  However it seemed interesting and the price of $99 was so low it was worth buying one just to see how it worked so I placed an order for it knowing it would not ship for about a month.  Before the end of September, just as promised, I received the device by mail, shipped directly from China.  I was struck by how small the shipping box was.

Inside was a square box that was beautifully packed, as you would expect from an Apple product, was the Apple TV, the power cord and the tiny remote control.

There was no included HDMI cable, but what do you expect for something so cheap.  I was taken back by how small the Apple TV was and very impressed with the power cord.  No big brick power supply like comes with so many devices now days.  In fact the entire contents of the box were not larger than the typical power supply bricks of some gadgets.  The cord was nicely wound, with a plastic loop, not packed with a twist tie like so many cords today.  As usual, Apple knows how to present things right when you open the box.

The back of the Apple TV has very few connectors but I only need two, one for the HDMI cable and one for the power supply.  I don’t have an internet cable down to my family room so I was using the WiFi.  So it took only a minute to connect it and switch my audio/video receiver over to the the HDMI port connected the Apple TV to.  Soon I was connected to my Apple wireless router upstairs and off and running.  There was a small user manual in the package but no need to even look at it.  The interface is simple and the remote control even simpler to use.

There are actually seven buttons on the remote control but it feels like only three,  The tiny remote fits nicely in your hand and in no time I am using it to control everything without even looking down at the remote.  Image doing that with most remote controls that seem to think the more buttons the better.  The Menu button acts like the back button and takes you back where you were, or up the menu structure.  There is a play/pause button that works as expected.  Then there is a click wheel, used to move in four directions with a select wheel in the middle of the click wheel.  Simple but highly effective when coupled with the interface.

I quickly was able to connect to my Mac’s iTunes library on my computer upstairs and play anything from it, including movies or podcasts.  The Apple TV also supports many podocasts which you can mark as a favorite to quickly find.  I then tested the Netflix steaming, one of the features I most used with my connected Macbook computer.  I was surprised how slick the interface was, much better than what Netflix itself offers over a web browser.  Streamed content looked great, even over 802.11N WiFi.

What does the Apple TV lack?  There is no way to check email, no web browser, and no internal hard drive.  However it does have 8 Gb of on-board flash memory to cache rented movies.  I rented the movie “Robin Hood” and was surprised it would take over an hour to download it, but that was a function of my slow internet connection.  The Apple TV determines your download speed and has you wait until it caches enough of the movie so that once you start to play it, you will not be interrupted while you watch in high definition.  This is different than Netflix that lowers your quality to match your download speed.  The movie looked great.  I knew that the Apple TV movie was in 720p, not 1080p, but on my 42 in. LCD TV I was not really able to tell the difference.  It looked about the same as my BluRay disk player.

I have now disconnected my Mackbook from the TV and use only the Apple TV.  It is instantly on, no need to fumble with a keyboard and mouse and go through a computer interface to do something simple like view a Netflix movie.  Steve Jobs was dead on when he talked about what users wanted and why they designed the Apple TV as they did.  Inside the Apple TV is essentially the same components as the Apple iPad and runs on the same iOS.  So it can be enhanced as Apple decides to.  However for now I am happy with what it does, which is 95% of what I used my Macbook on my TV for.  Once they release Apps for it, it will be even more useful.  Next month they will release the new iOS for the iPhone and iPad so you can stream from them to the Apple TV using something called AirPlay.  Once again Apple gets it right and keeps it simple and easy to use.

I was asked to come up with an emergency contact database for our church.  Although the church does have a membership roster, it does not include things such as emergency contact information, or other important information that could be used in event of some situation, such as a major earthquake.

I decided to use FileMaker Pro for this.  It was easy to create a home screen with the basic information, including the person’s name, address, cell phone numbers, and emergency contact information.  I also included resource material, assigned them to a emergency response zone and so forth.  Click the image below to view enlarged.

The program allows the user to click on a link to show the individual family on a city map.  For privacy reasons an example is not shown here.

You can also print various reports, such as a list of all families by emergency zone.  Those emergency leaders over each zone can be given up to date paper copies for all the information for families in their zone.  For privacy reasons an example is not shown here.

I decided to use create on FileMaker Pro for these reasons:

• I can create a program for use on either Windows or a Mac since who will maintain this going forward is never known.
• I can create a self standing program for use by others without the cost to buy a database program
• I was able to import the data from the ward’s membership database to get started

For more information, please select the Contact Us at the top.