To Do List

To Do List: To get the Windows based server up and running I need to set up the following (last update 4/28/10):

• Redo all the movie sheets
• Re-rip movies as MKV's without any compression (yuck)
  
• Set up the HDHomerun to record OTA HDTV
• Find a solution for removing commercials from recordings, preferably automatically
• Configure print server
• Configure iTunes to play and serve music, control via iPhone
• Install remote desktop client
• Find a way to automatically upload photos to Flickr
• Set the small drive as cold storage
• Install an NFS server for windows
• Install a bittorrent client and with a web based UI
• Restore available data from online backup
• reformat large drive
• copy data to the large drive
• Set the large drive to be automatically backed up

Apocalypse!

I haven't had much to report for the last 4 months. Everything was running incredibly smoothly. The system would go weeks without needing to be restarted. I could add stuff to the server and the client wouldn't miss a beat. The wife was happy. The kid was happy. Even I was happy.

Than the apocalypse hit.

Sideproject: "Carputer" FINALE

The iPhone as kid passification worked out great. The handlebar holder worked great on the headrest. I used a little scrap of plastic tubing to widen the headrest post so the holder would stay put. Although the kid normally likes to hold the iPhone once I started a movie he didn't compain.

There were very few hickups on our San Jose to LA drive. In a way it worked too well. We started out after dinner and I was hoping that he would fall asleep at some point into Toy Story 2 but he was persistent at stayed awake all the way through and into some of Wall-E. In principal we could do longer trips, but Pixar is going to have to put out more movies. The only problem, and it isn't related to the techology is that in the final approach he woke up and was crying about sitting for so long.* I think in the future we'll try starting earlier and taking a dinner break about half way.

All in all the iPhone "carputer" was a success. I can see it working on airplanes as well. The hangup there is going to be battery life. Most planes we fly don't seem to have power ports. I imagine a collection of battery packs will do the trick.

*That's our interpretation. He kept saying "I have a poopie" when he didn't.