Personal

Fix for Monopoly crashing at start on the iPhone

The problem is the locale settings. The solution is to goto Settings/International/Region and change it to US or what ever. It will be just English which is an invalid value on recent iPhone OS upgrades and Apple never changed it to a good one during the upgrade. The application runs just fine after you do this.

Solution for unknown error 505 when downloading podcasts in iTunes

I think I've figured this out now. I made video podcasts using typepad and then my feeds are managed with feedburner. The feeds were always fine and I could download the video attachments from the feed in a browser or from feedburner just fine. But, iTunes kept giving me an unknown error 505 when I downloaded. This has turned out to be the spaces in the file name. iTunes doesn't URL encode the links to the media. If I url encode the file name in the link to the media in the blog post then iTunes works fine. So, if your file is "http:ssssssss/WXS 3.m4p" then change it to "http:ssssss/WXS%203.m4p" and then it's fine.

I also have intermittent problems with podcast episodes failing to download at varying points. This looks like a typepad problem but they won't acknowledge it. I'm now uploading my video m4ps to Amazon S3 and then linking the file on S3 instead of typepad and this solves the problem totally.

Kindle versus iPhone kindle application

I don't have a kindle device yet but I think I'll get one for my birthday. I'm currently using my iPhone 3G as a reader and I can see a world where I'd want both. First, I always have my phone with me. I don't usually have a laptop or kindle device if I had one. Sitting in a car wash, waiting for an auto service or just killing time waiting for a meeting to start then the iPhone app is awesome. It lets me read when I'm not traveling in the nooks and crannies of my life where normally I'd be just looking around or feeling bored.

If I was traveling, on a plane, etc then I can see the Kindle device being more comfortable for reading for 15 minutes or longer at a time but the iPhone apps convenience and that it's available 100% of the time means I can get more reading in by reading in the gaps. I usually only read a lot when traveling so the iPhone Kindle gives me a way to continue reading when I'm not on the road.

The books are also seriously cheaper than in a store so thats pretty cool. So, it's not an either or decision or which is better. I think people will need BOTH. The iPhone application fills in small periods where you can get some reading in and a kindle fills the bigger periods in. It's only worth getting a kindle device if you travel a lot as otherwise I think the iPhone kindle application is the way to go.

Picking speakers for my living room

I spent quite a bit of money in the 90s on stereo equipment. My original system was KEF 103/4s and KEF 100 for front speakers, a pair of MK 5000 THX subwoofers, a pair of Definitive Technology BP10 towers for rears, 5 mono block 125 watt amplifiers and a lexicon processor.

Then i got married and had kids :) Recently, I was improving my living room experience and bought a Yamaha RX564 receiver (awesome BTW) and hooked it up to my 32 inch LCD screen, DVD and Tivo. I used the BP10 speakers initially because they are black.

I also listen to my iPhone music on it using Apples AV cable. My wife and I were listening to some classical music last night and noticed it was lacking. I went and switched speakers to the 103/4s and WOW. Big difference. More clarity, better stage. The bipolar BP10s are good for movies but for music then the 103/4s are awesome.

Now, I gotta add 220V to my living room and hook up a MK 5000 there and then it should sound pretty awesome.

Dyson DC14 grinding noise on carpet

We're on our second Dyson Dc14 now. We changed it to a new one because it was making a grinding noise when on carpet mode. The replacement one has the same issue on our carpets. I just phoned Dyson and they said it's because our carpets aren't very thick so the suction is so great that it pulls the carpet against the beater (which spins), stops the beater from turning and then the gear makes the grinding noise.

They suggested removing one and then both seals on the bottom tray but we still had the issue. Dyson then suggested just living with floor mode on carpets which relies on suction only OR buying a lower suction Dyson like the ball (DC25) or the DC17 whose beater design is 'better' it seems.

We're undecided now but disappointed with Dyson as how can they sell a vacuum which doesn't work or would be damaged on the carpets in most homes in the USA.