Brad Haynes' Blog » Software

My iPod Touch apps

brad — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 18:26:04 +0000

My iPod Touch apps, originally uploaded by LondonBrad.

BBC iPlayer Hell

brad — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 22:38:55 +0000

Whilst I was considering it a protest until the BBC launches a Mac version of their iPlayer, I’d held on long enough and really wanted to see what the experience was like.

I knew it wasn’t going to start well because I had to fire up my Windows XP laptop – something I hadn’t done for a month or so. So, after the slew of updates sent from Microsoft were finished installing, I started the setting-up of the BBC iPlayer.

After downloading the relatively small iPlayer installer and entering a pretty obscure username and password provided in an invitation e-mail, I was off. The installer ran without problem and then prompted me to log-in to iPlayer. However, after carefully typing in the username and password several times, it wouldn’t accept them. A few attempts later, I realise that there’s an option to create an account (apparently this isn’t the one I was supplied with, and I was supposed to guess this). Account created and I’m in, but not feeling that ping-ponging from browser to software is very friendly. I could browse all the programming that’s available to download and tried to download the latest Nigella Lawson episode (I wasn’t actually going to watch this, it makes me bilious), but was presented with a message and then tons of instructions relating to the fact that there’s a problem with my DRM certificates. Following the instructions on how to fix this (it told me how to show hidden files and protected system files, smooth!) by renaming some non-existent DRM folder and then following a link to an MS page that is supposed to sort things out. Back in Internet Explorer which is now whinging at me that there’s some Active X software that’s trying to do something, and which I agree to, there’s a page where my only option is a disabled button. I guess this means that I don’t get to watch anything.

So my initial thoughts contain the phrases: “cobbled together”, “badly thought out”, “badly executed”, and “are they fucking kidding?” – in no particular order.

My ultimate Handbrake settings

brad — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 22:52:34 +0000

After many months (on and off) of testing, reading, deliberating, scratching my head and waiting I’m finally happy that I’ve found the perfect settings for encoding video with Handbrake for playback on my Mac and AppleTV.

For general DVD quality movies:

File format/Codecs: MP4 AVC
Encoder: x264 (h.264 Main profile, options: me=umh;no-fast-pskip=1)
Quality: 62% Constant quality
Picture settings: Anamorphic (if available)
Audio: Stereo, 44.1 KHz, 128 kbps

This should result in an approximate rip speed of 18 frames per second on first generation Macbook Pro.

For TV (4:3) formatted animation:

File format/Codecs: MP4 AVC
Encoder: x264 (h.264 iPod)
Quality: 50% constant quality
Picture settings: 640 x 480
Audio: Stereo, 44.1 KHz, 128 kbps

This will also playback on a 5G video iPod as well as being a fairly optimal compromise between quality and file-size.

Ten OS X indie applications I love

brad — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 14:02:18 +0000

It’s time for a list of independent software that I can’t do without on my Mac. It will mean more to some than others, so forgive the slightly technical slant to some of the choices.

TextMate – Ultimate text editor: I’m not sure what else to say about this one, it does EVERYTHING that you could want or imagine from a text editor. I use it for blogging, building websites, and for €39 it was a welcome relief from Dreamweaver®.
Quicksilver: Launches applications by typing part of their name. Helps keep my dock uncluttered and saves me hunting for applications.
Newsfire: RSS reader which is a fantastic bit of UI design and a complete pleasure to use.
Handbrake/Mediafork: DVD Ripping and video encoding made incredibly simple. I’m not sure how this application is legal, but I love it.
Adium: The mother of all [IM](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_messaging) clients. It talks to just about any network you can think of and has a really nice customisable user interface.
Omnigraffle/Omnioutliner: Help you think, plan and sort ideas.
Delicious Library: A media library, for books, DVDs and CDs that includes barcode scanning, this one still really amazes me. Definitely something for the inner librarian in everyone.
svnX: Subversion GUI for common commands. It’s not perfect and doesn’t have an extensive set of commands, but if you’re learning to use Subversion, it helps speed up simple operations and slowly eases you into the command-line.
Camino: Because I really like [Firefox](http://en-us.www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/), but it’s bloated and ugly.
Cyberduck: I could wish for more from an FTP tool, but I’d expect to pay for something that does less.

Please let Flash be in demise

brad — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 12:42:10 +0000

Reading a very interesting blog posting about the demise of Flash, I was left with the question: Is Flash really in demise? I also wanted to add my thoughts as to why it should be.

I couldn’t agree more with Tadeusz Szewczyk about the reasons he states about why Adobe® Flash is in demise. I’ve yet to see a ‘good’ website that is built in Flash. Invariably the message or reason for being is so pointless that it requires a song and dance to make it interesting. In nearly all cases a more suitable solution would be one static web-page which which can be scanned quickly by the user, and which gives as much information in the time it takes to work out what the designer has created and that you can’t be bothered to deal with it.

I find that it can be quite a compelling media-type when it’s embedded into web pages and when it is used to bring animation and audio to static content, but in using it, companies are being a little presumptuous that users actually give a shit enough to sit and watch the thing.

The idea of Flex is scary in that ‘someone’ must think that it’s a good enough idea to want to use it. What is the point of running an application framework within a perfectly capable existing one? I mean, I know why web agencies like to use Flash — because it tends to lock clients into the pain and cost of updating, but why do clients choose it? I guess the idea is that they love to have the total control over exactly how their product/brand looks and behaves regardless of the numerable negative effects this has on the user’s experience.

I generally tend to find Flash-based websites so obstructive to the point that they can be analogised by the scenario of going into a shop to buy something, but before I can get through the front door, a shop assistant – dressed in corporate attire and sporting a huge logo – blocks my way and does a song & dance in front of me proclaiming how wonderful the company is, whilst also telling visually impaired customers to ‘bugger off’. My point is, if the company is that wonderful, if the services they offer are compelling, interesting and great, I will see that for myself. I don’t need to be stopped and told that before I enter. Building a brand online is not just about looking cool and waving your logo in front of users’ faces, it’s about what you do and how you do it.

Will IE7 help boost Firefox popularity?

brad — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 14:31:56 +0000

Windows Genuine Advantage programme does have some slightly unintended advantages when it comes to non-Microsoft browser proliferation.

I am not a Windows user so haven’t been too excited about getting a new Microsoft browser, but I do have to support the things. To this end, I fired up my old XP machine to install Internet Explorer 7 – now that it’s out of beta. I was quite shocked/pleased to see that they aren’t allowing installs without having first run the Windows Genuine Advantage validator (and yes, I know that ‘advantage’ is stretching their promise somewhat.)

Does this mean that all the users who’ve had problems with WGA validation, or actually don’t have genuine copies of Windows XP will never get to have IE7? And will they head to Firefox instead (if they haven’t already)?

Aperture plunge

brad — Fri, 13 Oct 2006 17:16:51 +0000

I took the plunge and coughed up £200 for Apple’s Aperture application because the combination of iPhoto and Photoshop really just isn’t a useable option for a keen amateur photographer like myself who shoots more than a handful of images at a time.

Initially have to admit that Aperture seems to be really complicated and not as intuitive as iPhoto for very basic tasks – some are even downright impossible; removing keywords from multiple images for example. The UI is very nice and it’s the first time I’ve experienced this high-res pro-app style from Apple. I quickly understood what was going on and the various functions of panels and layouts which had previously annoyed the hell out of me in Adobe’s Photoshop Lightroom Beta.

The non-destructive editing and file management make you start thinking more about the pictures themselves and not files, giving you much more freedom to play around with adjustments without any worry about doing something you can’t undo or tweak at a later date.

Using Aperture so far has made me look more carefully at keywords, description and other meta data. I feel like this application is giving me the tools and freedom to concentrate more on photography and less on methods of post-production.

Shooting and dealing with Raw files is a breeze – I don’t see myself shooting JPEGs on my Canon EOS 20D much in future. The colour range and adjustments available from Raw is definitely worth the extra storage required for each shot.

Giving up on Adobe Lightroom

brad — Sun, 20 Aug 2006 17:10:08 +0000

Creates great images and is better for managing sets of Raw digital images than Photoshop™, but totally lacks a useable user interface. I don’t think I’ve found a more unintuitive piece of software on OS X before, and yes that even include the rather dire Microsoft Office suite of applications.

I really like that Adobe have tried to address the issue of working on sets of Raw camera files — which is something that is quite painful and time consuming in Photoshop™, but even though the software is currently in beta 3 (I presume this means it won’t differ much to the finally release) and currently free to use, I just can’t put up with how annoying it is. Having to constantly click between it’s three modes to do simple operations repeatedly, it’s lack of photoshop-style levels control – in favour of something it refers to as ‘Black’, makes it frustrating to use even after plenty of practice. Adobe® Lightroom™ also seems to use up more screen real estate with it’s pointless banner and annoying side-panel menus which even when hidden have a habit of springing back to life as you work through careless mouse gestures.

Until I can justify buying Apple’s Aperture, I’m going to have to stick to using iPhoto and shooting Raw more conservatively.

At least Microsoft are being honest

brad — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 17:35:08 +0000

Whilst doing some cross-browser testing, I fired-up Internet Explorer 5 for the mac (yes, it would be totally retarded to actually want to use this browser) and was seriously amused to see this messge as it downloaded the default msn.com homepage:

“Why does MSN look like this?
…If you are using Internet Explorer for Mac, we recommend that you use another browser to have an optimal experience on MSN.”

Microsoft default msn.com homepage

Let’s hope this means they aren’t going to write another crappy browser for the mac.

Old Bob and Piracy

brad — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 17:19:00 +0000

This week I have mostly been drinking Old Bob. Don’t mistake this for some sort of dodgy pass-time, it’s simply a bloody fantastic real ale. Brewed by Ridley’s of Essex, I’ve yet to find a better pint in a London pub. Sadly Ridley’s has just been sold to Greene King, so the beer is bound to take a drop in quality if they decide to brew it in the sugar-beet hell that is Bury St. Edmunds. I’m thinking of joining CAMRA and growing a beard so I can blend with real ale aficionados – I already have a battered corduroy suit jacket, so the look will almost be complete.

I saw ‘40 year old virgin‘ at the cinema which I’m going to have to recommend. It could have been really fucking awful, but it’s not. I cared about the characters and it even had me laughing, which is rare lately.

I finally got around to working out how to copy DVDs onto my mac – not as simple as it sounds as you’ll know if you’ve ever tried. I won’t go into great detail as I’m sure it’s not legit, but I want to keep the movie’s I’ve bought on my computer. I’m not really sure why copying ripping CDs onto my iPod is okay, but copying a movie from a DVD isn’t? Anyway, Mac The Ripper works a treat for extracting the DVD content, removing the region code and macrovision protection. FFmpegX (after a fidly installation) will encode your VOB files into just about anything you want, and for any device. I’ve been going for the H.264 format as at 1/10th compression with very little loss in quality it’s a minor miracle. Sadly, I need a bit more oomph in processing power than my powerBook can muster as currently the average DVD encoding process is taking about 8 hours.