Music + Technology = Pete Lacis

How to record off your Motorola DVR with OS X and Firewire

Posted by in apple, technology

If you’re running a mac with OS X and have a Motorola DVR with Firewire ports on the back (such as the popular Motorola DCT3416), recording digitally from your DVR to your computer is very simple if you follow these steps: 1.  Download and install the latest Firewire Development Kit from Apple.  The download is free, but you do have to register first.  This download will include AVCVideoCap.app which is the software you need to capture and/or record from your  FireWire connected HDTV-tuner or DVR. Once this file is downloaded…read more

Aug.09
8

Steve Jobs kills hopes of flash on the iPhone

Posted by in annoyances, apple, technology

With the release of the iPhone SDK just around the corner, many in the tech community were surprised (read: bummed) to learn that there will be no flash support on the iPhone (source: Steve Jobs CNN article). While there are arguments with respect to flash using up too much power (thus prematurely discharging the battery), I’d put my money on Adobe not capitulating to the financial pressures that Jobs is infamous for. Looking forward to the back-story on this one.

Mar.05
0

The annoying thing about upgrading to OS X 10.5.2

Posted by in annoyances, apple, technology

While overall I’ve been very happy with the results my new 200 GB hard drive, OS X 10.5.2 and Office 2008 install, I’m a bit annoyed that capability I had with my MacBook Pro out of the box with OS X 10.4 are now missing……namely iDVD, iMovie and iPhoto.  Sure, I can regain those capabilities via $99 family pack upgrade.  However, its the principle of having to pay for capabilities I already had (and had already paid for) that is just not right.  First the $200 penalty for iPhone early…read more

Feb.16
0

Upgrading the Hard Drive in my MacBook Pro and installing Leopard

Posted by in apple, technology

As a musician and multimedia creation expert, I’ve run into trouble attempting to maximize performance and storage space.  Specifically, my 17″ MacBook Pro had 90 GB hard drive at 7200 rpm.  It was speedy for sure…..but it was so loaded with apps that I had little to no room for data.  Being that I have almost three terabytes of external storage, somethings were just not as efficient as I would have liked (namely Native Instruments sample libraries for Komplete 4 had to be housed externally).  After much frustration and a…read more

Feb.15
0

iPhone: the cost of being an early adopter

Posted by in apple, technology

In typical Steve Jobs fashion, yesterday Apple unveiled the newly refreshed iPod line including the iPod Touch (or neutered iPhone). While most of these products were well received (not so for the iPod Nano “Fatty” – what were they thinking?), the annoucment that thrilled, yet shocked many was the $200 price drop of the 8GB iPhone. I was an early adopter of the iPhone (July 19). My wife followed suit a few weeks later (her six month old Treo WX just wasn’t looking so sexy next to my iPhone). Typically,…read more

Sep.06
0