Sync data between two Mac’s
by Mats Hellman on 02.Dec, 2010 under Apple
This is not an in-depth article, it’s more like a note to myself so I remember this the next time I need to sync files between my Mac’s.
There are more than one software out there to do the same task but since rsync is built-in to the operating system I’ll use it for now.
First of all you need to allow remote access to the source computer so go to System Preferences and Sharing. Enable Remote Login for your user.
After that you can log into your target computer and open the terminal. And just type the following
$rsync -avz –delete –exclude ‘.DS_Store’ username@192.168.1.10:/Users/username/FolderToSync /Users/LocalUser/FolderToSyncTo
Change the username, IP-address and folders on both the source and the target computer so they match what you want to sync. This is one-way only, it will copy changed files from the source computer to the target computer.
I might follow up on this, if there is enough interest in it, and write an article on two way synchronization between two Mac’s. For now this will be my note 
Supporting family and friends
by Mats Hellman on 01.Dec, 2010 under Apple, Linux, Windows
As most readers here are quite technical I thought I’d share one little application with you. Some may already be using it and others will be using it in a moment.
Have you ever had a friend or family member call you because they have issues with their computer? I guess all of us have since we are the experts in this area. In a corporate world we fire up some remote assistance software to help the user with his/her issues if we can’t solve it over the phone. What do we do at home? Mostly try to explain where to find settings and when it won’t work we get in our car and go to fix the computer locally. Well not anymore.
TeamViewer to the rescue
This is just one wonderful piece of software, never again will I have to get away from the comfort of my home office to fix a friends computer. I use TeamViewer for every last one of these problems.
There are two reasons for this, the first one is in non-commercial use TeamViewer is free as in beer and the second is the variety of platforms you can run TeamViewer on. TeamViewer runs on Windows, Mac, Linux and mobile devices. Granted I wouldn’t use my iPhone to support someone on a 24″ monitor but it is be possible.
Using it is so easy even your 90-year old grandma can use it. Just have them download and start up the QuickSupport version of TeamViewer and you can install the All-In-One full version.
From your client you will get the sessionID and the password, tap them into your full client and you are connected to their screen.
I promise you will save a lot of time using this. What ever your personal support incidents might be. Just remember it wont work if their problem is the connection to the network
iPad comming to Finland
by Mats Hellman on 29.Nov, 2010 under Apple
The day many have been waiting for is here. The iPad will be released in Finland tomorrow. I was watching the release via the TWIT Network when Apple released the device and my thoughts of it back then weren’t really high. Still, I really can’t see a use for this device, photographers using it as a portfolio is the only use I’ve seen that I could say is a justifiable reason to buy this device. Otherwise it is a stripped down version of a computer, and to top it of restricted by Apple’s policies.
Right now you are probably thinking I’m one of those Apple hating guys since I write mostly about Windows and have such thoughts about the iPad. Well to be honest I own three Apple devices, iMac, MacBook Pro and *tada* an iPhone 3GS.
I do love my Apples, I just don’t like the iPad and the hype building up around it.
iPad for books
Some of my friends are thinking about this device to read books on it, and I have to say electronic books will never get me. First of all I usually read in bed or outside in the sun when I want to get a small break from this electronic world. How the book feels is just as important to me as how it’s written. I like my books in paper and the feel and smell of paper, also it’s nice to keep them in a bookshelf.
And for anyone who has children, take a look at your child’s face the next time they are picking out a book at the bookstore or from the shelf. Thinking about which book to pick, looking at them and taking in the whole experience. You just can’t compare that to picking a book from an cold electronic device, tapping the file to open the book. It’s just that simple.
I can’t see myself using this instead of any traditional print media, I may be old fashioned but if I want to read magazines or books I really want them printed in paper. Any PDF manuals I read I print out, I really don’t like reading from screens. News, and articles are readable but anything more than that and I want my paper.
iPad for web
For this purpose I use a computer, why? Because when I browse I usually also do other things like, writing code, editing photos, work, talking to friends on MSN, ICQ, Skype etc. And that would be pain on a screen size 10″. I really don’t need another device to keep in my living-room. If I need to just check facebook, twitter or news a mobile phone is more than capable for the task.
Games
This might be a good argument for the device but it’s just too expensive. To put it in perspective Finnish prices are
- Sony Playstation 3 slim 160gb: 299.00€
- Microsoft XBox 360 S: 259.00€
- Nintento Wii (Sports Pack): 199.90€
- Sony PSP: 149.90€
And the iPad will probably cost 499€ to 899€. And that’s way to much for a device like this.
Where I see the usefulness of tablets
No, I’m not talking about the iPad specifically here. Any tablet would be usable in places like hospitals, large warehouses. Any place really where you need to access data without using traditional computers.
That’s it you say, that’s where we need them. Well maybe, but do you really want Apple to be in charge of testing the health care software your hospital uses? Or in charge of which software’s should be available on the device.
This is true on the iPhone, and I find nothing wrong with the business-model there. You get an phone not a replacement for your computer. But if I get a tablet I’m the one saying what should or should not be installed on the device. And if I want to run your competitors software on my device I should be able to do so. After all, it’s my device after I cough up cold money for it.
Convince me?
If you think everything I’ve said here is a bunch of c**p and you want to prove me wrong please do comment and we can discuss this.
Apple iPad released
by Mats Hellman on 27.Jan, 2010 under Apple
Just watched Twit.tv live from Apples event. I knew long before the event I would not be exited about the tablet and I’m still not convinced of the success for the iPad. I can’t see where this thing fits in the market. The price is ranging from USD 499 to USD 829. It’s nearly as expensive as a MacBook or a MacBook Pro 13″.
Apple seems to think it will revolutionize press and save newspapers and the book industry. I have my doubts here. As a long time computer user I still PRINT every document that’s longer than 10 pages I have to or want to read. The screen just isn’t as good for reading as paper. Books wont do well on a iPad for me as I do most my reading in bed where a book is far better than an tablet.
It will however be a great device to watch a movie on while on a train or for taking notes in a meeting. But and this is a big but, if I already have a laptop why would I put out the extra money for the tablet.
It still doesn’t do flash, and like it or not flash is something we have to support today. It’s also as restricted as the iPhone and that’s to bad. I would have liked to see more OSX and less iPhone OS in this device. I like to be able to at least change some settings on my devices.
On the positive side it is able to run all the iPhone’s applications so even before the release it has over 140 000 applications and that’s great. Still I don’t see the value of this device if you already have a laptop and a smartphone. Some think it would be great for users reading email and browsing the web but most of them will want to store their pictures locally and do some editing on the pictures. The 800USD version has 64Gb space so it might be usable for this but then cough up a little bit more and you can have a Apple laptop, go for PC:s and you’ll get one much cheaper. The 500USD version has 16Gb so that’s just to small for any real use and to pay 500USD for a book reader, well that’s to much.
Before I pass any final judgment I will go take a look at it when it hit’s the stores in Finland I’ll give it a fair chance even if my first impressions weren’t that great.
MAMP hang after OSX unclean shutdown
by Mats Hellman on 26.Nov, 2009 under Apple, Mac OSX
Today we had a power outage and after a few hours when power finally came back on I tried to get my development tools up again, everything was fine except for MAMP. It seems MAMP isn’t able to delete it’s PID files after something like this so it just flashed and shut down. This is because it thinks it’s already running even if it’s not.
Anyway, MAMP uses it’s own Application folder to store the pid files and the fix for this is really simple. Open your terminal and
iMac:~ rm httpd.pid
iMac:~ cd /Applications/MAMP/tmp/mysql
iMac:~ rm mysql.pid
After deleting the PID files MAMP should start just fine again.
