Know Tech
By Know Tech
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Podcast Description
Know Tech is very unshow. the show, if you want to call it that, used to start with “we now join a conversation already in progress.” that was when it was MacBreak Tech. MBT was an experiment to see what worked when talking about heavy subjects. but we moved on and grew up. some things just didn’t work at all. like dropping advertising bombs in the middle of the conversation. it seems like the Tech part of our old shows name limited our audience. it was almost as if that word was code for “going to be boring.” We’ve shed ourselves of two words. this show, which will still be very unshow like, has a much friendlier 2 word name. nothing more. simple. Know Tech is the next phase. Know Tech is about tech that is interesting to us. we all use Macs so you'll hear about that. but you're more likely to hear things about 3D, Windows, Arduino, routers, networking and cameras. it's about what we are using, learning, breaking and fixing. you’ll hear some of the same people like Kenji, Ben Kristin and Craig. and some new names like Tom, Chris and maybe Kanen (formally known as the other John).
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10T Backup Server Project | Craig Severson explained his backup system one time. it seems over the top until you hear, "I can take that drive over there, plug in, reboot and I'm back to five minutes ago." I needed a backup device that transparent like Apple Time | 3/27/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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enter the age of 3D printing | my problem with things today is that it's going to become virtually impossible to play. electronics is a good example. so many of the parts are surface mount only. meaning you can't just whomp something together on a bread board. but to push the idea even further, there is no way for two guys in a garage to make an iPod. okay they could but look at the skill set they have to have to make it happen. I read a Rudy Rucker book (http://www.rudyrucker.com/wares/) where lots of the tech is mindblowingly complex. tech that was so hard that a humans couldn't even be involved after a certain point. yet interfaces to tech creation allowed the characters to control making without thinking about who made who (robot making tech based on human interaction). the book Makers mentions combining complex programming projects into a greater object. this concept of reusing code is tossed out there like it's no big deal. but fiction always over simplifies making because the story would become boring otherwise. to most people man landing on the moon is a sound bite even though it took the better part of 20 years (don't forgot all the work before the Kennedy speech) to get there. I've had a lot of printers in my life from letter quality daisy wheels to dot matrix to dye sub to laser. and at some level the businesses I ran wouldn't have been possible without the leveraged use I got from printing without limits. Tom pointing that this same thing is right here with 3D printing is telling. 1) it's ground zero. think of MakerBot (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449399061/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=knowtech-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1449399061)">Makerbot as a Epson MX-80 2) there potential for hundreds of new business 3) be prepared to see lots of failure as it engages 4) plastics and resins are toxic. stand by for regulation in California. the discussion last night over dinner before the show was about lots of different things but one subject was "I want one but I don't know why I want one." this was Kanen answering the question do you want a 3D printer because making 2 is just as easy as making 1. I think wanting one of these is the same as back when I had an Apple II of wanting a MX-80 printer. or a printer of any kind. it wasn't that I needed to print lots of things. it was the idea of having a printer right there next to me. that way I didn't have to wait to use somebody else's. over time printers got better. my Epson became a C-Itoh, then it was a Panasonic, next it was a ImageWriter and not too long after became an ImageWriter II which was my last dot matrix printer. after that it was lasers and film printers all the way. there is something satisfying about printing a stack of paper that is the manuscript / report / script / outline or whatever needs to be on paper to use properly. when tracking takes for a voice production I can't imagine NOT doing that on paper. and proof reading copy just looks different when it lands on dead trees. [note about editing: the trick of course is to make the copy look different. I can write all day long in whatever typeface but if I want to proof read it I have to copy paste into a different werp and change the font and size so I can "see it".] so yeah, that's been my question since the possibility of having one came up back in May. these things are all around me. really. there's a MakerBot an email away. and Shapeways will send me anything I can dream up. I even bought some tools to help me make things. so here's the very thing that I'm getting my head around in making my lens mount. I don't have to fab it think about "machining" like I would if I was building from PVC, aluminum and other hardware. right angles aren't even a requirement. one thing that comes to mind right off in learning to think like this is what Apple is doing. the original Mac Mini was the first thing that was made from a block of aluminum. | 3/9/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Mac Maintenance | if you look at the marketing for commercial and freeware "Mac maintenance apps" you see stuff like "Apple should bundle this!" or "it totally saved my bacon!" and finally "best app ever!" dubious marketing at best. the thing is most modern Macs aren't in a "regularly scheduled program." people just use them without doing anything special to them to keep them running. the people of Know Tech are divided on the care and feeding. Chris has a Windows centric attitude causing him to rebuild and reinstall the System and all his apps twice a year. Kenji lived with a broken MacBook Pro keyboard for nearly 2 years before he bothered to get it fixed. Craig has a detailed backup system. Kristin just uses her Macs. and all the Macs that John takes care of just seem to work without any messing about. so why do people have a need to maintenance their Macs? it's something that is built into all consumer products. your car needs regular care, you have to put chemicals into the pool, the heater filter gets changed, the coffee maker needs de-liming and the refrigerator needs to be de-iced. maintenance is all around us and were programmed to accept doing it. some people actually like the peace of mind that they've "done something" and other people "just like doing" maintenance because it makes them feel good. but it can't hurt? if you listen to the guy that runs "some maintenance tool every week" he'll exclaim "I never have a problem with my system therefore what I'm doing is working!" you have to weigh that against our own findings that show you don't have to do anything at all and all is well. sometimes "doing something" can make it worse. look at the Oynx forum (http://www.titanium.free.fr/viewforum.php?f=8) here you will find some of reports that a Mac sometimes breaks after running this tool. this makes the "solution" worse than the "problem" in our mind. the thing with maintenance tools is that they often get used at the wrong time. these tools usually get pulled out when something is horribly wrong with the a Mac like it won't boot, applications won't launch, something takes forever to open or it's just slow. what happens next is a person will start to "try things" in the hope of making it better. reboot command option P-R (http://support.apple.com/kb/ht1379) remove the battery and hold down the power button for 5 seconds. reset-nvram reset-all repair permissions if you phoned tech support at any company you will be asked to try it these things because it's on a list. the thing is that none of the above will actually fix anything. and doing it regularly won't actually make your Mac run any better than it already is running. almost nobody suspects that the actual problem is a hardware problem. the modern computer is a highly reliable tool. but it's not infallible. parts wear out, static takes it's toll and that time you dropped it yet it still worked has caught up with you. instead of resorting to a long list of tricks the first thing that you should make happen is busting out the backup drive to make sure all the photos, music, writing and email is up-to-date. you do have a backup drive right? if you don't buy one right now. there are quite a few "maintenance tools" that will invoke various scripts that clean caches, dump logs and do other repairs. these tools include applejack (http://applejack.sourceforge.net/), TinkerTool (http://www.bresink.com/osx/TinkerToolSys2.html), mainmenu (http://incrediblebee.com/mainmenu) and OnyX (http://www.titanium.free.fr/index.php). we aren't not recommending these tools. nor are we flat out saying don't use them. the point of all this is to know what you are getting into before you click GO. pretty much don't take the word of "my Mac friend" just because they sound like they know what they are talking about. look into the forums before you commit to running because there are reports of problems. now, to be fair, maybe these tools didn't cause the problem at all. | 2/24/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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the last Macworld Expo | Remember when Macworld used to get 30k people coming to it? Well we have days were over 1m people visit our stores. steve jobs (http://www.engadget.com/2010/09/01/live-from-apples-fall-2010-event/) Macworld Expo (http://www.macworldexpo.com/) has been "the tradeshow" for all things Mac for the last 25 years. there was a time when it was mandatory for anyone who had an interest in Mac to attend. companies came here to announce products, users came to learn, buyers came to do deals and the press could see all their contacts. it was all under one roof. today it's not the show that it once was. the show has become filled with hodge podge of iPod, iPhone and iPad accessories and software for those devices. granted that Mac is only a third of Apple's business it makes sense that the show would reflect this. which is why we think that Macworld should not be the name of this show. it's time for Macworld Expo to die. trade shows in general need to rethink why they exist because the internet has changed the way that we do business. there is less of a need to rely on "events" for product launches. companies no longer have to deathmarch to make a show date. they can release a product when it's ready which generates its own buzz around the launch. what has gone missing from the show? practically everything: 3D, CAD, design tools, database, word processing, page layout, business management, utility, development and all the other wacky ideas that people brought to the show. you can blame the spread sheet for the wacky. that's where somebody uses the 1-10% of the show attendance to base how many of something they will sell. you know the thinking, "if we can sell this many of our thing we'll be on our way to success!" but all the vendors that we used to see at MWE have decided that it's better to stay at home, concentrating on keeping the user base they already have then it is to find 50 new users. all of these tools haven't gone away. no, lots of things are alive and well. like MacDraft (http://www.microspot.com/products/macdraft/index.htm) made by MicroSpot a company that started 26 years ago on what would have been a Mac Plus. think about that… CAD running on a 4 megabyte computer with a 512x384 screen! Macworld Expo was a catalyst that held together a community of users and vendors. it was a place to meet, learn and grow. which is hard to say about other "trade shows" and we know because we've been to lots of them. there are similar things. ComicCon, WonderCon, and APE come to mind right away where the line between the stage and the audience blurs together into a mass of mutual admiration. the hacker conferences bring a different kind of respect both in code and finding out that everyone you thought was more l33t is just like you. or the conferences on specific things like Photoshop, Flash or 3D where you come away smarted and inspired. all of those things used to be found at Macworld Expo. but it's been several years since we've left the show with feels of wanting to change the world with new found powers. and that's why it's time for it to go. at the very least it's name should change to reflect what it's become. AsseenonTVhat.com youbiq tripod (http://www.youbiq.com/site/gymbl) iGrill (http://www.igrillinc.com/) Vogel Ring Mount (http://www.ipadonthewall.com/usa/) L5 - universal remote (http://www.l5remote.com/tag/l5-universal-remote/) the Robert Hess "party list" (http://www.ilenesmachine.com/partylist.shtml) wasn't ever updated this year. it was taken care of by Ilene. we hope she is okay. Adam Christianson from MacCast (http://www.maccast.com/) joins us on the talk. [ad#720 bottom banner] | 1/30/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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3 Shot Pano | the 3-5 shot panorama is a really cool way to capture a scene. it's not really a pano but think of it as a S-U-P-E-R W-I-D-E picture as you aren't doing a full 360. you can take these with any camera. it doesn't have to be expensive. and you don't have to have a super wide lens. in fact you may want to shoot you pano using a more zoomed lens instead of the widest setting. (http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/madibfbar.jpg) some cameras have a PANO mode. this is nifty tool but we have some issues with this mode. first thing is that you have to practice using it because it forces you to shoot a specific way. you don't need that mode to make a 3 shot pano. how to take a 3 shot pano. start with your lens as wide as possible. later you can change to a more zoomed in setting. the cameras orientation can be either taller than wide or wider than tall doesn't matter but stick to one as you are learning. if there is a way to lock the exposure do that so your frames look to be about the same exposure. when you start taking your pano be quick about it but don't rush. (http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/opening_day-300x207.jpg) all the 3 shot panos that we take are hand held but you need to mind some things. the pivot point of the camera. if you get really far off it makes it harder to stitch back together without distortion. exposure is a factor so find a way to hold a setting. framing the important parts of the pano so those subjects are in the middle makes certain you won't cover up those interesting bits. other tips hopefully the scene not moving much but if it is so what. the blurs in the frame can be cool looking. it's always a good idea to take more shots than you actually need. or take the same "positioned shot" a few times if the action is not right or it's blurry. one fun thing to do is to have the same person in each frame. that way when you stitch your subject will be everywhere. lots of tools can put it together Adobe Photoshop (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003B32B2I?ie=UTF8&tag=knowtech-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003B32B2I) since CS2 Adobe Photoshop Elements 9 (Win/Mac) (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YGMEAQ?ie=UTF8&tag=knowtech-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003YGMEAQ)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=knowtech-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003YGMEAQ) [more list goes here] print and mount print your shots and mount them on a board has an organic displaced look to it. | 1/16/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Continuous | Continuous is a mode on your camera that takes picture after picture for as long as you hold down the shutter. the frame rate of the shots depends on the camera. the Canon shoots about 4 FPS, Fuji is .3 seconds per frame, Nikon has a mode called 16 (which turns the flash off automatically, there is also has a mode that does 1.5 FPS and the Sony have different rates that depend on the camera. there are several Casio cameras that have super fast frame rates like up to 1000 frames per second! so what is Continuous mode good for? it turns out there are lots of things that you can shoot. it's a great way to get perfect candids. group shots are always a problem. don't forget squirming kids and pets. you get that winning moment for sports photos. in a nut shell Continuous mode is good for anything that moves. (http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/rhys.jpg) Continuous mode is not stop motion or time lapse. you can't set the frame rate to a specific speed. this makes time lapse a different problem and one your camera might solve with a mode specifically for it that function. (http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/group-150x150.jpg)shooting group shots can be hard because everyone is moving, getting ready or talking with one another. getting the perfect group shot is a bit of luck but if you take enough pictures Continuous mode will catch everyones eyes open eventually. use a tool like Photoshop Elements to combine the best of everyone. (http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/baby-e1294693398838-150x150.jpg)kids are squirmy worms. they make faces, they move around. if you take 60 shots in two minutes ONE of them will be awesome! pets are the same thing as kids. only worse. they won't stay, they won't look, but they can hear the shutter and the flash. the camera making that noise may get Fido's attention. in sports you know when the action is going to start and where it's going to go. using Continuous mode all you have to do is point there and you'll get your shot. but use Continuous mode anything else that moves. why? because it's really hard to snap the shutter right at exactly the right moment. unless you learn to anticipate it lag is the biggest problem to overcome. but don't bother learning because it will only screw you up for shooting on other cameras. better to have before and after and THE shot instead of a happy accident. (http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/liteup-150x150.jpg)speaking of happy accidents try this for party photos. you need two cameras. one has the flash on while the other is in continuous mode. start shooting continuously first. next say cheese and shoot the flash shot. you get this nifty light filled shot in the middle. and that's often THE shot! (http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/IMG_6274-150x150.jpg)the problem is that this makes 100's of photos you will never ever use. but you will want to use them somehow. here are some ideas. make a thumb nail page of the whole thing with the shot in middle. flip books are easy enough to make if you have some patients. or you can print a mini book using a service like iPhoto or Blurb. a photobooth strip is easy to make using Illustrator, Comic Life or Pages. and you can always pick THE shot and print it. here's a nifty movie we made with QuickTime Pro. it's set to 2 FPS. drinks there are some problems to watch out for Continuous mode. first is that have to hold the camera steady in low light otherwise you'll get a series of blurry pictures because both you are your subject is in motion. it's always better to shoot Continuous mode outside or in lots of light. you'll want to have extra cards on had because Continuous mode chews through memory cards. there are several things you can do to make shooting Continuous mode even better. turn down the quality/size of the image will speed up the time between shots. and if it isn't turned off automatically the flash should be set to off. | 1/10/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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project 365 | if you are looking for a project to start with the new year look no further, this is it. the idea is to take one photo every day. easy you say! sure, we all take more photos now that we have some kind of camera with us. but when this kind of project started it was a little different and certainly not as easy. you took a camera of some kind, loaded a roll of film that you liked and over the next 24 or 36 days you'd take exactly one photo every day. of course you didn't see what the photos looked like until the end of the roll after you got them back from the developer. this made it more special. you know, that anticipation of "how's it going to come out!?" the good news is that doing a 12, 24, 36, 52 or 365 project is much easier today because of technology. there's a nifty iPhone app called 365. there is a facebook tool to help you manage. you can use flickr with the tag 365. and there's a web tool called 365 project (http://365project.org/). there's lots here. you don't have to use any of it if you don't want to share. your daily photo session has some rules. the first is simple. take 1 picture every day for the express purpose of the project. no multi shots. it must be one shot. if you want to simulate doing it with a film camera then no post processing. but we're okay with some touching: color correction, balance, cropping and vignetting. but no heavy lifting like using Photoshop unless the photo is a panorama or one of those multiple snaps to remove all the people, or a photo college of a place that you shot specifically for the day. the final rule is simple: no time travel. if you miss a day you miss a day. it's up to you if you want to fill it in with another picture. but don't make a habit of it. what you get out of doing a 365? the best gift you will receive is something called "photo reflex" which is being able to see pictures before you take them. it's what every photo journalist develops and it's why their pictures look like they do. some of it is luck but most of it is about seeing. you will want to share you photos along the way meaning you'll obtain mad posting skillz. by the end of the year putting a photo on the web will be very simple for you. in fact you might scrap one system for another several times before the year is out just because a process annoys you. a 365 project can end up being your very own coffee table book. every photo service offers books. some will even "automatically lay them out". just select you photo album, choose book, and it's ready to upload for purchase. anytime you accomplish a year long project is cause for celebration. have a party and show you images on the big screen. if you show one picture every minute your party will need to be just about 6 hours long. but the best thing about a 365 is the shooting experience. you will definitely approach pictures and picture taking differently by the end. if you don't know if you'd like to commit to a year long endeavor try shooting for 30 days first. you'll know right away if you up to the task of every day. and if you don't get into it after a month you won't feel like a big knob for jumping off the project 4 months in. rules 0) start any time. you don't need to wait for Jan 1. 1) you need a camera with you all the time * iPhone is fine. blackberry is fine. crap cam is fine. * it's okay to use different cameras for your project. 2) shoot something every day. * make a recurring alarm * set a time aside * or just watch for that photo 3) doesn't have to be something special * moments happen so be ready to capture them 4) use your tech * flickr, blog, Mobile Me, print it! * iPhoto and Picasca have albums 5) don't flake 6) the photo doesn't have to be great. and it doesn't have to be a photo shot for the purpose of the project if you want to be flexible. 7) one picture every day goes in to a pool that you can look back on a year later | 1/2/11 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Siggraph 2010 | Siggraph (http://www.siggraph.org/) hosts an annual conference and trade show for graphics, 3D and visual arts creation. you'll find everything from graphics cards to clusters of computers both of which are be used for render engines. and while the "trade show" aspect is interesting it's just the most visible part of the iceberg. the conference is host to talks supporting papers given by insanely smart people talking about things like "Geometry Aware Direction Field Processing", "Topology- and Error-Driven Extension of Scalar Functions from Surfaces to Volumes" and "Parameterizing Subdivision Surfaces" which are just a few of the topics covering art creation, game development, technical dissertation, educational courses, and panel discussions. and like all conferences it overlaps so there would be no way to see everything during the event. fortunately you can buy it all on DVD (http://siggraphencore.myshopify.com/products/siggraph-2010-conference-presentations-dvd-rom-set). fortunately these videos are also provided in a way that will play from your iPad/iPhone. links to things mentioned in the show: sorry, it takes a while to make this list [ad#720 bottom banner] | 8/9/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Macro | (http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/bellows_thumb.jpg)doing "macro" was a big deal with old film cameras. there were more than a few choices for getting really close to your subject. you could use (and can still use) specific lens made for macro. these can run the range of price from very cheap to very expensive. you could also close in on the cheap(er) using extension tubes. these turn an ordinary lens into one that gets closer. bellows allow getting even closer with more control. but bellows are hard to use because the exposure has to be calculated. using bellows also required a possibly complicated tripod/mount and extra lights. finally, if you wanted to be casual about getting up close you could use a "close up lens set" (aka diopters) which screw onto the front on any lens. diopters work with any camera no matter how cheap (or expensive). the problem with any of these is that 1) the require lots of light to work 2) they could introduce some kind of distortion (barrel, flare or plane) to the image 3) you didn't know if you got the shot until the film came back. the good news is that practically every cheap camera has a macro mode. and while it is not perfect (we'll talk about the why in a bit) it is a fun way to get really close to your subject. you won't have to spend any extra to find out if you want to push into macro because you won't need to have any specific gear or special lens for a DSLR camera. on most cameras the Macro mode can be entered in 2 clicks. on the Canon it's the button on the left side of the circle. pressing it twice will put it in "flower mode". on other cameras the word "macro" might be used instead of a universal icon. other cameras change settings with a dial on the top. if you aren't sure how to enter "macro mode" check the manual or do a search. the settings for the camera are very important to have success for macro. you must turn the flash OFF. otherwise it will blow out the object. if you can use a fast shutter which will keep things from blurring if you hand holding your shot. and try to shoot with lots of light. which might require a light box, direct sunlight, defusers in front of shop lamps or a simple desk lamp. macro is not always easy and you will run into issues as you learn about it. first off the focus range is really narrow. 1/4" too close (or too far) and it will not focus. this will require you to move the camera in and out from the subject to find the range. the narrow focus happens is because the lens aperture is wide open which causes the depth of field to decrease. in this example picture of dimes the middle dime is sharp while the top and bottom is not. if you forget to turn off your flash the first shot will remind you to turn it off. there are technique issues that go with macro. we already know that the biggest problem will be keeping your subject in focus. most of the time you won't actually know if your image is sharp unless you look at it on your computer screen. the tiny screen on your camera won't help you here. you'll have to download your shots and look light can blow out edges easily because of the narrow focus range. hand held shots can be a problem because even the tiniest wiggle is like 100x amplified because of the closeness to the subject. rock steady is the only way you'll get shots that look good. there are two additional things you can add to make taking macro photos more fun. make a copy stand so you can position your camera in the same place every time. adding adjustable lights will help keep your subject sharp and well lit. a light box is another tool that will help in getting consistent pictures of objects. you can buy light box for not much money or make a light box from things around you. we plan on talking about light boxes in length soon. shooting macro with a cheap shot is fun but it does have some downsides. the first is that it's limited to how close you can get. | 8/6/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Devon McClive | our friend Devon McClive (http://www.devonmcclive.com/) recently released an EP which you can find on iTunes. Devon and her drummer Michael spent some time with us talking about making music, recording, going on tour and just how simple it was to get music released into the digital domain. 1000 true fans (http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/03/1000_true_fans.php) is the number that you need to find success as an artist. links to Devon McClive blog (http://www.devonmcclive.com/) itunes (http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/quiet-bravery/id381944809) myspace (http://www.myspace.com/devonmcclivemusic) facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Devon-McClive/125074506056) youtube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32Dvg5mhvOw) cdbaby (https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/DevonMcClive) [ad#720 bottom banner] | 8/5/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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is a cluttered Desktop a recipe for slow? | (http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/john_desktop.jpg) the path setting has to be the full path. that is to set the screenshots in reference to your home directory such as: /Users/John/Desktop/clips/. defaults write com.apple.screencapture location_path here's the command line incantation to completely hide all the Desktop icons: turn them off: defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop -bool false killall Finder turn them on: defaults write com.apple.finder CreateDesktop -bool true killall Finder (http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/camouflage.png)the freeware app called "camouflage (http://www.briksoftware.com/products/camouflage/)" will give you more options compared the command line versions. Path Finder (http://www.cocoatech.com/), which is Craig's pick for Finder Enhancement that he can't do without, has a "hide desktop icons" check box. Hazel (http://www.noodlesoft.com/hazel.php) is a tool that will automatically file files using a rules based system. set it to load music into iTunes, put photos into iPhoto. and writing into a journal folder. St Claire software make a tool called Default Folder (www.stclairsoft.com) which offers pretty much all the functionality that we wished for in the talk. it has a 30 day demo to get you hooked on it. we'll give it another spin and decide if it's $35 well spent. | 8/2/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Little Tripods | (http://cheapshots.knowtech.tv/images/tripod/flexi.jpg)One of the best ways to improve your pictures is to put your camera on a tripod. A tripod holds your camera stable unlike holding it yourself. Everyone has pictures that has double or triple images... | 7/30/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Get Better Shots: 5 Simple Things You Can Do | get the camera out of default turn on grid (or make an overlay) take more than one shot edit what you show share your photos People have told me over the years that they really like the photos that I shoot. I'm going to blame this on the rules of thirds: that is part of this comes from practice, part comes from editing, and the last part comes from the camera itself. the camera will help you take better pictures. but it's not obvious that it can. one of the first things you learn in photography class is something called "rule of thirds". this "rule" defines where put your subject on the frame. most cameras have a "grid" that you can turn on. this gives you a way to easily see the thirds. grids also help you find center more easily. and you can use the lines for alignment to make sure things aren't crooked. if you camera doesn't have a grid or overlay you can easily make a grid using transparency in a printer. this allows you make other girds that will work with any camera. here are some grids that you can resize and print for your camera. (http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/grids.png) (http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/IMG_5061-150x150.jpg)(http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/IMG_5063-150x150.jpg)one thing that it every camera's problem is the default mode. it takes ghastly pictures. getting the camera out of default will greatly improve the images that you take. there are two settings that are a must:turn off the flash and change the exposure mode. the goal is to get images that look more like natural light. there is a time and a place for flash. some situations are greatly improved using one. however, flash on should not be a normal setting. I have never said, "I wish I took less pictures while I was there." there aren't a lot of reasons to be stingy on shooting with digital. you have lots of room on the card and there isn't a financial downside to taking more as there is no per cost shot. having more than on picture means you have choices later. if somebody was moving or had their eyes closed it's easy enough to composite two okay pictures to make one great shot. take lots of pictures and don't delete "the bad ones" until you get home. (http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/group_beer.jpg) I have memories of having to sit through the vacation slide show where every single photo taken got cast onto a screen. it makes for a very long evening. there isn't a reason in the world to show every single shot you took. in fact showing everything goes against you. better to not show your mistakes and bad photos. if I had 100 photos I try to narrow those into a set of 25. this can be a very hard task but it's essential. next choose 10 of the very best photos that will tell your story. this might mean using a shot that you don't consider "best" but helps round the series. you can always show more photos later. the very worst thing you can do is to leave your photos in your camera or phone. they won't do much good there if that's your only copy. but worse is you can't easily share. it's very easy to make prints. there are snazzy photo printers and just about every other printer can use small 4x6 paper. if printing is not your thing use a service like Target, SnapFish, Walmart, Walgreens or the service found in iPhoto. sometimes printing photos isn't appropriate but it's still a good idea to put them someplace where people around you can see them. you have a wide choice of services like Flickr, Mobile Me, Kodak Easyshare and Smug Mug among a sea of hundreds. the bonus of using a service is that your photos are automatically backed up for you. [ad#720 bottom banner] | 7/28/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Last call for Kodachrome | it's now or NEVER! there is only one place to develop film left and December it's over a year ago less 1% off Kodak film business came from Kodachrome but it's been "being turned off" for the better part of 20 years! what is so special about Kodachrome (http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D0%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fnoss%26fsc%3D-1%26ih%3D6%5F0%5F0%5F1%5F1%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F0%5F1.6%5F181%26y%3D0%26field-keywords%3Dkodachrome%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Daps&tag=knowtech-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957)(https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=knowtech-20&l=ur2&o=1) it's the only film of it's type developing is an additive process most BW film removes particle from the negative archival stable blue has a 10% loss after 185 years. think "steam punk" it looks different from anything else I've seen you can look at a slide and KNOW that it's Kodachrome because of the additive development process you can see it looks like textures part of it's beauty is that it's slow film you have to project it it's a bitch to make a print from very forgiving film it has a range of 8 stops meaning you can botch the exposure and still get a good looking image what about OLD film? it has a room temperature shelf life of 8 months most photographers froze their stock old film as long as it was store properly will work today reports of stock from 1991 reported to look great the song mama don't take my Kodachrome away simon and garfunkle this came out when I was kid I was 8. that was 1973 guess it has been uneconomical that LONG! personal I stopped shooting with it because it was expensive to buy and develop E6 was something you could do in your own dark room! it was slow I was kid, I was impatient. took weeks to get rolls back what's next? digital! there are still some very pretty film alternatives list goes here where to get your last rolls NO WAITING! DO IT TODAY! eBay your local camera shop check your bag. old film is stable. don't pay too much though. links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodachrome (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kodachrome) http://www.dwaynesphoto.com/ (http://www.dwaynesphoto.com/) http://1000words.kodak.com/post/?id=2388083 (http://1000words.kodak.com/post/?id=2388083) http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/films/catalog/kodachrome64ProfessionalFilmPKR.jhtml (http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/products/films/catalog/kodachrome64ProfessionalFilmPKR.jhtml) every package over the years (http://www.thechiefway.com/kodachrome/kodachrome.html) http://www.kodachromeproject.com/ (http://www.kodachromeproject.com/) K-Lab processor (http://www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/products/klabs/index.shtml) [ad#720 bottom banner] | 7/26/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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how to “get good” | a tourist asks the musician "How do you get to Carnege Hall (http://www.carnegiehall.org/SiteCode/Intro.aspx)?" he plays a few more bars, pauses and says, "Practice man, practice." we get asked about doing production and what it takes to get good at doing it. but it's not just about production. you can apply everything that we talk about to programming, science, flying or cooking. the what really doesn't matter because it all has the same root problem. which is, the problem that I have seen with students and people wanting to make something is that there is a lot of talk about making but making never happens. this is a concept called "rocking later (http://www.johnpla.net/105/rocking-later/)." the extremely important to take away here is to get the need for gear out of the equation of making your success. a RED camera won't automatically make your movie better. recording with a Sound Devices 722 won't make the script better or enhance the actors performance. just like a MacBook Pro won't make you a professional. technology is not a substitute for doing. at every single writer workshop that I've attended one person asks the same question which is, "how do you get good at writing?" the answer is always the same: "write. write every day. write when you don't feel like it. write until you can just write." that's how you get good at writing. but the same thing can be applied to anything you want to get good at doing. one Phd scientist has said that it takes 10,000 hours (http://www.nytimes.com/1994/10/11/science/peak-performance-why-records-fall.html?pagewanted=all) to achieve the level where you are an expert (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outliers_(book)). this makes the joke where a musician misunderstands a tourist even more funny. the tourist asks, "How do you get to Carnege Hall?" the violinist plays a few more bars, pauses and says, "Practice man, practice…" this article (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/magazine/02cooking-t.html?pagewanted=all) from the New York Times tells a story that I've noticed but didn't know how to say. that is watching a TV show somehow equates to an "I've done that" experience in your brain. and this can be worse then rocking later. the lesson I learned Ms Childs as a kid is that cooking isn't hard. but you do have to practice. "you have to have the courage to flip the eggs," she said. so while it looks easy, there's a moment when your minds eye sees egg flying all over the stove making a mess. and that's exactly what happens. I wanted to learn to flip omelets and to get over the fear of the flip. I got four dozen eggs and started flipping. at first this seemed incredibly wasteful because I was ruining lots of eggs and making a mess. but by the 8th or 9th toss I had gained confidence. by the time I was out of eggs the flip was perfected. the cost of learning a lifetime skill was five bucks. there is nothing wrong with letting the unscene satisfaction from reading MAKE Magazine, Popular Electronics, Wooden Boat or watching Monster Garage, Jacques-Yves Cousteau or anyone else who is "doing things" in front of the camera. just don't get trapped into letting watch or read becoming the substitute for doing. this is a problem that I have seen with students and people wanting to make something. there is a lot of talk about making but making never happens because the brain can't tell the difference between the show and your own actions. the act of watching steals your ambition to make. not getting trapped by Rocking Later is just one part of the "make mantra". the mind set that can be broken down into a list. in the spirit of the lifezero 10 list. here's 11. * no "rocking later". * RTFM. * practice. * mind your levels. * use what you have. no pining. * always learning. * test it before you commit to it. aka sound check. * pretend that you can't fix it in post. * if it's broken fix it or replace it. * you can't polish a t**d. * don't tweak what works. | 7/18/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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hosting part 1 | there is a crazy amount of bandwidth and processors that are mostly idle making web hosting a commodity. but even though you can get a web host for a year for less than $10 you might be getting exactly what you paid for. that is, a service that's worth about ten bucks. servers require somebody paying attention to them to stay running. you need to keep up with updates and patches otherwise your site won't be reliable. but even if the technology is up to date there may be so many sites running on the same server that none of them perform very well. all it takes is one badly configured blog to mess up the works for everyone. somebody wrote in before we recorded this asking, "don't you guys also like free services?" sometimes. there are lots of ways to get on the web. and some of these services are free. just about every single service has a free version. google, flickr, yahoo, wordpress, blogger and dropbox to name a few have tools that will get you and your company talking for no charge. but at what cost? advertising might get inserted into your content that you don't benefit from. or your data may be mined for information. you might not get access to stats or have limited stats. statistics is vital for your ego. you really want to know what things are popular. it helps you focus your efforts. and it's nice to know where your views or listeners are coming from. the problem with free is that you are subject to the whims of the free service. if you get DMCA'd they will act for the complainer on your behalf. when you control your own domain it's your choice on how to deal with your problem. free means that you are subject to advertising. this could dilute or confuse your brand. and the finally the service might not be that fast. that said, free stuff does have the benefit of being EASY to set up. you don't have to do anything other that pick a user name and a password. no nothing to update except for your words or pictures. but you really, really, really need to read the Terms of Service. sometimes the data you put there isn't yours after you put it there! your blog might not be sellable and who owns the movie rights? you might hit a wall and then have to move stuff and migration might not be easy every. the simplest services are are things like Mobile Me (formally dotMac). it's simple to make a site, post pictures, share files and update a blog. but sometimes it can be a very dead end if you care about bandwidth, stats, spaz email addresses (aka aliases) or an email address forwards things like united@ or fedex@ to your main email address. you can't run a specific server app that needs PHP or Ruby. other deal breakers might be the cost of storage or that it's aimed for personal use. besides that other software seems more cool these days. so the simple and the free are okay but you have to know that its not hard at all to have a real domain for not much money a month. and you don't need to be "all that IT!" to do the care and feeding of your own site. it's not that tough because there are tons of tutorials on everything. you will learn to search better because your new hobby will demand it. or course there are books on the subject. the Dummies book is just about as good as any of them. domains are cheap. 10 bucks is about what they go for. you can find a domain for cheaper but once again, be sure to read the TOS to know who really owns the name. we aren't fans of goDaddy. not because it's a bad service but because of the insane amount of marketing they do with every page load. as a domain administrator doing work it's just noise. or use our check list. here's the steps get a domain choose a server provider (http://knowtech.tv/choose-a-hosting-company-check-list/) point the DNS to your server wait for a few hours as DNS isn't always instant varies by domain type .tv takes a day while .com can update in like 12 seconds set up (don't worry this is all GUI based!) web server | 7/12/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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essential apps for a new Mac | we got a message which came from google voice that read: (http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/googlebot_translate.png) what the hell is an America Pro? it certainly isn't anything running in DC (or AC)! meaning the robo knows something we don't or it completely lost the translation. fortunately the robot captured the voice allowing everyone to understand the question. as the caller stated, there are hundreds of "essential" lists of software that you should run on your Mac. but before I get to the list I want to suggest that you just use the Mac like it came out of the box. don't add this or that and the other thing until you know what it does by default. it turns out that you can do lots with a Mac without adding a single application, do-dad, hack, or enhancer. below is the list of stuff that we have to have on a Mac otherwise it feels like we're missing an arm. keep in mind that this isn't really a list of everyone's essential. while Craig and Kenji like password managers John doesn't. Kenji uses TextMate while John prefers Text Wrangler. so have a listen to the audio and follow the links below as they are in the order of the show. turn on spaces then install hyperspace (http://thecocoabots.com/hyperspaces/) to make it even better. move the dock from the bottom to the right or left. of you like the screen bottom get rid of the shiny dock using this command: defaults write com.apple.dock no-glass -boolean YES; killall Dock some people like Craig have a hard time with the Finder either because it's clunky, it's weird or it's missing functionality. pathfinder (http://www.cocoatech.com/) is an alternative that overcomes many of Finder shortcomings. if you squint you can see that the three programs that make up iWork '09 (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014X2UAK?ie=UTF8&tag=knowtech-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0014X2UAK)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=knowtech-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0014X2UAK) are actually the same program just retooled to do specific tasks. which the trio does very well. if you have a hate affair with Power Point than Keynote will be your new best friend. Numbers will roll very nice looking things that won't much resemble spreadsheets at all even though it's the way it works. and Pages does layout for ink on paper documents. find out what app is phoning home with little snitch (http://www.obdev.at/products/littlesnitch/index.html) who's hogging the CPU? istatmenu (http://bjango.com/apps/istatmenus/) will tell you. get backed with cronosync, super duper, backblaze, and dropbox (http://knowtech.tv/your-hard-drive-is-going-to-fail/) Wacom Tablet (http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D0%26ref_%3Dnb%5Fsb%5Fnoss%26y%3D0%26field-keywords%3Dwacom%2520tablet%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Daps&tag=knowtech-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957)(https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=knowtech-20&l=ur2&o=1) Shuttle Pro 2 Black (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0032XQP1K?ie=UTF8&tag=knowtech-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0032XQP1K)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=knowtech-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0032XQP1K) text mate (http://macromates.com/) text wrangler (http://www.barebones.com/products/textwrangler/) css edit (http://macrabbit.com/cssedit/) cyberduck (http://cyberduck.ch/) or transmit (http://panic.com/transmit/) type and creator utility for Snow Leopard. there are two: LaunchCodes (http://pagehand.com/launchcodes/) and Magic Launch (http://michelf.com/software/magic-launch/) flux (http://www.theescapers.com/) looks like something we will have to talk about in the future. (http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/automator-rename-300x149.png)a batch renaming tool is better handy to have around. these can help organize your pictures, help you with animations, hard code dates or times to file names and other things you might need to rename. | 7/7/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Practical Advice on Type | (http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/if.png)we often hear "designers" making fun of the classic typefaces. fonts (as they are mostly known as now) such as Comic Sans, Tekton, University Roman, Frankfurter, Souvenir, Bank Gothic and even good old Helvetica are the things we've grown to loath. thing is a just having your way with a font does not you a designer. it's so much more than just a pretty face. how you use type is what makes your presentation, report, brochure and even your website stand out. the "computer" is not a designer all by itself it has grown into a tool that is very good at type. but as good as it can be it's normally setup to mimic a typewriter very, very well. and this the first thing you have to get over. when I taught at the Academy of Art I had to make rules about fonts. I had to forbid use of certain typefaces. it was intended to make projects look better. to force the idea that you should think about type in your movie. fonts by name displayed in their face. Chicago and Geneva where on the list. these were System fonts and had no business being used in production art. the exception to this was if you were using the typeface in the context of how it would really be used. thus if you designed around the pixel blocks of Chicago it could look really good. but I also banned a lot of common fonts that you'd find in everyday use like Courier and Times. I even banned Helvetica. again the thought was to force somebody to make it look better and make them consider something else besides the safe. in the podcast I told a story about how my friend Brad had paid a designer friend of his to teach him to use three fonts. and how it paid off. everything Brad did look like it was designed. not because he was a designer but because he followed the rules that his designer had set up for him. the problem was that it looked like Brad. you could tell that he made it as it always looked that way. my friend Paul does stuff that looks like Paul. which is no coincidence because Paul incidentally met Brad who told Paul the theory of three fonts and Paul adopted it from Brad. and it didn't matter if it was print, video or motion graphics both made things distinct and identifiable to them. the push back from the art students was they didn't like my rules. that they wanted to be lazy and not have to manage fonts. they didn't want to have to install fonts each time they use a different lab machine. I might have changed my rules to allow Helvetica at some point just because I couldn't take the whining. but that came with rules like kerning, tracking, size and weight. and surprise, they didn't like that either. why? the multi-media track didn't have a class on typography and they we're allowed to take the classes offered to the designers. it was a generally refusal to learn type because it wasn't offered. it was really odd. nothing says "I don't care at all about typography than using normal quotation marks." those two "marks" next to the Return key (that's the Enter key for most of you) are a left over from the days of typewriters. the "proper" quote marks can can be made for you automatically or by typing Option-“ and Shift-Option-” on your Mac (you'll need to look it up on the other platforms kids). any doing that every single time is just a pain. so if the quotes make you lose your mind turn on Smart Quotes in your favorite werp. there are a whole bunch of other practical rules for "doing type". all of this is covered in a book called Mac is not a Typewriter (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0201782634?ie=UTF8&tag=knowtech-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0201782634)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=knowtech-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0201782634) written by the non-comedian Robin Williams. the book is old, but then so is type. get a copy if you don't have this already. after you learn what there is to learn pass it on to the next type nerd to be. | 7/5/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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E3 | these are Jordan's RAW notes. we'll see if we can get a regular article out of all of this as a follow up. from the E3 trade show floor3D Games - What's not to love? Plenty. Sony moving toward a full lineup of 3D games Killzone 3 | 6/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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H3J (aka HTML5 CSS3 & Javascript) | HTML5, CSS3 and Javascript is a promise that the industry is embracing right now with the idea that these "standards" will help deliver content in a better way. by better way it should be said, "without Flash." or something like that. because of that mindset H3J would be a better name. pronounced "hedge". mostly because the world is hedging a bet about how wonderful it's going to be compared to Flash. H3J goes beyond markup. and it's more than layout, pretty fonts, and slick animation. those features are all part of making a better user experience. a more workable "application" can drive business, readership and loyalty. it's a lot of features that we've seen before in technology like SVG, Shockwave and VRML. what comes around comes around. here's a summary of all the H3J features in a handy "power point like" slide show that was in fact made with the very technology. one of the powerful things about "web" compared to "application" is that there is nothing to install by the user end. they somehow find the page and start using it after making an account then logging in with the password "password". it's been a while since we've heard the cries of "I don't like plug-ins". mostly because developers have stopped making them. instead "web applications" have gravitated toward what the stock browser can do with add-ons that can come from permitted code running in Javascript. do I have to use Javascript? ugh. hurt me you say! for a developer the early days of developing using Javascript was heinous. it wasn't easy ways to debug the code you were writing. sure you could leave yourself bread crumbs or push results to a gather script on a server. but it wasn't much fun. but these are not an excuse any longer. in fact, it's such a an old outdated cry that it usually it comes from somebody who hasn't touched any of today's modern tools have all of these functions. so get over it already. we will cover tools in-depth in future conversations. there was a discussion about how open or not open H3J really was in the blogosphere. it was interesting backlash about the Apple HTML5 demo because it was specifically targeted to demo using Safari. while others found ways around this requirement to find that other browsers faired okay when running the pages. but this will always be a problem just like it's been with supporting IE, FF and Safari for years. so H3J is about video, audio and other content that is open right? and killing Flash? so before you torch up to march against you have to ask what's not to love about Flash? just because it doesn't run on that thing doesn't mean it's crap. Flash still has a place. there's possibly more games available that run in Flash compared to any other player. and lots of advertising demands the programability of Flash for reporting stats and behavior. so just like how Windows XP won't die Flash has a long, long life left. the discussion of video and audio being close/open is a whole talk. in fact we did that for Video Compression (http://knowtech.tv/video-compression/). but it boils down to one thing: if content producers are extorted money because they used a specific CODEC they will re-encode their content into a different format post haste. because ultimately the person watching the video doesn't care what format it's delivered in any more than they care what studio is distributing a movie or show. H3J extends what has been missing from HTML and offers features that will go beyond "a really cool demo." H3J has lots to offer. we think there is lots to like here in a way that make sense. here's a list of all the functions that you might enjoy coding someday. don't try to learn it all at once! @font-face Canvas Canvas Text HTML5 Audio HTML5 Video rgba() hsla() border-image: border-radius: box-shadow: Multiple backgrounds opacity: CSS Animations CSS Columns CSS Gradients CSS Reflections CSS 2D Transforms CSS 3D Transforms | 6/17/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Video Compression | Video compression is an art as much as it is a science (and a lot of math). the rules change with each CODEC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codec). this means the tweaks and setting that worked for Cinepak (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinepak) did not ... | 6/15/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Command-Option-New-Computer | Push Eject needs a new MacBook Pro (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003G2ZJTG?ie=UTF8&tag=knowtech-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003G2ZJTG)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=knowtech-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003G2ZJTG) because his o... | 6/13/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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the Phantom Power Menace | the amount of mythology that surrounds Phantom Power is staggering. mostly the problem is that people don't have to understand anything about electronics making lots of the information the stuff of magic. there are claims that say it's bad to mix mics, that having Phantom Power on will hurt a mic that doesn't need power and that you can "hear" the 48v. this subject is confusing enough and should not be glossed over with a blanket statement... don't do that. Phantom Power is a DC voltage used to power a capacitive plate that sits behind a diaphragm. when the mic is spoken into the plate discharges making small electrical changes which become an audio signal. this is different the passive signal generated by a diaphragm moving a magnet inside of a coil. the spec for Phantom Power is that it's 48v DC at 10 milliamps. this is the maximum amount of power an mic needs to work. if the power is off the mic will not work. while 48v is the defined spec less voltage can be used. a balanced Microphone cable uses a "differential" signal to ensure that there is no "noise" introduced to the line over the distance of the cable. any noise that is picked up is automatically canceled out when the audio is recombined. pins 2 and 3 carry the audio signals. pin 1 is ground. Phantom Power put power on pins 2 and 3. if a mic is dynamic there is no connection to ground (pin 1) required to complete a circuit. if you measure voltage on pin 2 to pin 3 there will be +0v or nothing. measuring between pin 1 and pin 2 or pin 1 and pin 3 will reveal 48V DC. what kind of mics need Phantom Power? Dynamics do not need power. they generate their own signal power. mics like the Shure SM58, the Heil PR40 and the Electro Voice RE20 are dynamic mics. condensers require Phantom Power. mics like the Perception 01, the Neuman M and the raft of cheap chinese mics all require power. there are other mics that also require power. like ribbon mics. but these have different power requirements and are beyond this discussion. (http://knowtech.tv/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/sm58_schematic.png) so here are the myths and questions that come up. will phantom power hurt my dynamic mic? No. all modern mics follow a design that simply ignores power if it is present. if you look a the schematic for a dynamic mic you can see that even though power is present on pin 2 and 3 of the mic because neither line is connected to ground there is not a complete circuit. so a bad cable can ruin my mic if Phantom Power is turned on? yes or maybe or no. YMMV. depends on the mic. if you are in the habit of making your own cables and don't do a very good job of making them you could easily damage your mic. you should ALWAYS test your cables with a multimeter or a cable tester to make sure it's good. if you are setting up and tearing down on a regular basis always test your cables before you connect your mics. how do I know if I need Phantom Power? if your mic isn't working at all that's a good sign it needs power. if the mic is big and heavy and the box that it came is says "condenser" on it somewhere then it needs power. you should always check the specs before you plug your mic. what about a mic that has a battery? some mics contain their own power. lav mics (Lavaliere), wireless mics, and shotgun are all types of mics that may have a different source of power. there is no need to use Phantom Power with this type of mic. in face the presence of Phantom Power might ruin this mic. I have a vintage mic. what happens to my mic if it's not compatible. too bad, so sad. seriously. if you have something very old chances are you need to care and feed it. don't just plug it into your board without knowing exactly what it needs. lots of these old mics required a pre-amplifire in order to work. and just because it has a 1/4" jack doesn't automatically mean you can just plug it into your modern board. can I hear if Phantom Power is on? no. you cannot hear DC voltage. | 6/9/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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alt dot TV | Companies spend $70 billion per year advertising on TV in the United States alone. 60 million TV's are HD compatible. in some demographics just 5% of viewers aren't using laptops or mobile devices while watching. TV is always about it's stats. yet the ... | 6/3/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
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Maker Faire 2010 | Maker Faire is a bustling place with lots to see. but the best part so far is being able to ask questions because it’s the builder that is behind the stand. lots of the tech being shown is open source maybe because there is no commercial road for the project. or because it really needs the help of lots of other people. it’s sad that so many of these things will never get the attention it deserves. our two guests became Mic shy so it's just me and Kristin. here's the outline which will change into something that resembles an article: my how it's grown! the MF gets bigger every year. there are more booths, exhibits, installations, talks and demonstrations. although there were things from past years that we either didn't find or aren't part of the show any more. like the pile of old electronics that anyone could pick through to take home to repurpose. the number of people attending has grown. there were lines for lines. okay it wasn't that bad. but it was way more crowded on Sunday. we'll chalk that up to the local news creating buzz. you cannot see it all! it's just not possible to see all of what is going on. interesting talks overlapped. demonstrations happened at certain times. the events were spread out over the whole fair ground meaning you'd have to skip listening to Q&A to make the start of another talk. but we not complaining. it's always better to have too much to see and do then to come away feeling underwhelmed. it's interesting how "craft" is as big a part next to "tech" it's easy to get caught up in tech. it beeps, buzzers, shoots and scores. growing up it was cool to know how to solder and very uncool to know how to sew. today our thinking is "so what!" there are lots of craft-y thing that everyone should know about. screen printing for example. we've done it with hit or miss results. so seeing the Yudu Printing Machine (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0025T6V5C?ie=UTF8&tag=knowtech-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0025T6V5C)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=knowtech-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B0025T6V5C) screen printer in action made us excited about the possibility of screen printing again. the Cricut (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000WOV83M?ie=UTF8&tag=knowtech-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000WOV83M)(http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=knowtech-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B000WOV83M) "> paper cutters have been around for a few years but having never seen one in action it was hard to justify spending money to get one just to see. but we can see how having one of these machines would make paper craft way more fun. Adam Savage was Packed there are "maker hero's" but there are few that draw the crowd that Adam Savage draws. unless you got there early it would have been hard to see the talk. but it doesn't matter because somebody recorded it and posted it so everyone stuck in the back could see now. but it's not just stars that got this treatment because everything got recorded. and that makes up for the "it's too big to see it all" problem. everyone is approachable if there ever was a place to hear stupid questions it was here. but there is no such thing right? every question that we heard was always answered leading to another question. the best part was hearing the questions coming from kids which were usually more inquisitive compared to questions coming from adults. there was never a felling of us versus them or stars versus fans. the better way to think of it is maker talking to maker. an example of this is the story John tells about the Cigar Box Guitar made by Mark Frauenfelder of Make Magazine. robots! 30 years ago it was hard to make a robot. okay not hard because it's back then there was the same stuff that we have today: motors, servos, control systems, cpus, batteries, frames, radios a wide array of input sensors. but this stuff was expensive compared to now. but it's not just cheap it's really useful stuff. a tiny GPS can be found for $10-20. | 5/27/10 | Free | View In iTunes |
| Total: 25 Episodes |
Customer Reviews
Less "Show" and More "Know" - The Prefect Combination!
This podcast is more of a companion than a traditional radio show that's been updated to be heard on the web. The format that John, Kristin, Kenji and Craig follow is wonderful. It's exactly like you walked up to these folks seated at a table and sat down. No bumpers, sponsors or scripted reads, it's like joining in a conversation about some interesting facet of technology.
The show is well-researched and educational, but not staid. You get great information as well as personal experiences from a diverse bunch of folks who've come from different points on the tech compass, sprinkled with a bit of humor you'd expect when friends gather around the table.
If you've had your fill of ad breaks in the middle of a geeky conversation, KnowTech will be a refreshing change.
These guys are the very best - so glad you are back
I love this podcast. I followed "the other" and it was my favorite. I say that and I'm a MacPodcaster (technology podcaster). This is where I come to "Dive dive dive" deep into technology with no BS.
They're Baaaak
I have truly missed John Foster, since Life Zero is sporadic (Mr. Flowers seems busy, when he posts to his blog), and I don't drink (so no Beer School for me), I loved the final MacBreak Tech, and am looking forward to more of this podcast (keep it up guys).
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