Archive for the ‘Apple’ Category

How to Use Netflix on the Apple TV 2 From Outside the US

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

So you have gotten hold of one of the new Apple TVs, and you are sitting comfortably in your couch ready to watch Netflix – only to find out that the service is blocked from usage outside the US.

Fortunately there is a way round this problem. I have written articles on how to use Netflix on the iPad and iPhone already, and both approaches make use of a VPN connection. VPN stands for private virtual network and it basically connects you to a server in the US making Netflix think you are located within the US. A VPN service is not free, but it is a small and very helpful investment. The best VPN service I have come across after trying a few is Hide My Ass .

The Apple TV however, is different from the iPad and the iPhone as it does not have a VPN client build in. Instead we need to use a router that can connect directly to VPN. Not many routers can do this, but I have come across the ASUS RT-N16 that will allow you to do just that. As a matter of fact Hide My Ass recommends the router for their network, so that works out pretty sweet.

 

How to Watch Netflix on the Apple TV with VPN

So that is basically it – you need a VPN account from Hide My Ass and get an ASUS RT-N16 . After that it is simply a matter of joining the network you set up from your Apple TV and change the location to the United States.

Remember to use a 5 digit zip code when signing up for Netflix. If you have a 4 digit zip code just put a zero in front. Otherwise just pick a random set of numbers.

Use Netflix on the PS3 and Xbox 360 Outside the US

As a side note it is worth mentioning, that this will make all devices on your network capable of using Netflix – not just the Apple TV. Even the PS3 and XBOX 360 you have sitting around will now be able to connect to Netflix even though you are not in the US.

Posted in Apple, Apple TV, Netflix, Tutorial | 82 Comments »

My harddisk is making a clicking noise – what should I do?

Wednesday, July 28th, 2010

The other day a friend called me saying that his external hard disk would not mount and it was doing a clicking sound. My friend is very capable sorting out computer problems on his own – the reason he called was because I have been trough the exact same problem before and he witnessed my weeklong attempt to salvage the broken disk. I am not going to go into detail about the tools I used, as this is not a tutorial as such.

In my case my disk failed to read properly and I had a hard time copying files out from the disk. I did after some time manage to get some files of the disk before it died 100%.

Don’t wait – backup now

So what is the morale? Backup your stuff and do it with Backblaze. I have talked about them before and I must admit I think it is a really cool tool. Backblaze works for Mac and PC and it is basically a small service running in the background all the time backing up your machine to the cloud. Backblaze is install and forget software and it is so super simple to use I cannot believe it.
Paying for backup is like insurance – no one really wants to do it. But think about how much you pay to insure your physical belongings? In that perspective $5 a month is a bargain for unlimited (yes unlimited) backup.

In case you need to restore from Backblaze you have 3 options:

  1. Download the files from the website
  2. Order DVDs with your content on
  3. Order a USB drive with your content on


That is pretty damn cool if you ask me!

I have been talking to my earlier mentioned friend about using Backblaze for backup before and it seems like he got the point this time and started the backup. It is funny how we all need to have a bad experience our self before we talk good free advise from other people.

So let’s try this one more time – go back up your digital life for $5 a month and make sure all your photos, videos, papers and work is safe. If you don’t – please don’t call me and ask how to get your stuff back :)

Posted in Apple | 2 Comments »

Free Aperture and Lightroom Presets

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

When Aperture 3 came out and introduced presets (about time) I started scouting the net for free presets. I quickly noticed that preset-sharing was far from organized. It was going on in large scale but it was very decentralized and non efficient from a user standpoint. Presets were shared on personal blogs, forums, mailing-lists etc. All this did was confirm my hunch that the photographer-community is one of the most sharing and caring one, and that’s not a bad thing at all.

Since I have gone freelance as a web designer I all of a sudden have time for a personal project along with client work, and it was now obvious that my first project would be a preset community.

Hence Presetpond was born – the first online community for sharing Aperture and Lightroom presets. Everyone can download the presets posted for free. Registered user benefit from selfpromotion as they upload new presets to the base. These presets can then be rated and commented on by the community.

I have high hopes for the site, and time will tell if the community will remember to contribute and not only consume the free goods. This is a little social study as well.

Anyhow – if you are a photographer please head on over to presetpond.com and share some of your presets and get a couple of fresh new ones while you are at it.



Posted in Aperture, Apple, Give away, Lightroom | 1 Comment »

The Yellow Tinted 27 inch iMac From Apple

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

A couple of months ago my old trustworthy 20-inch Core Duo iMac gave up and called it quits. It was a lovely machine that has served me well over the years.

After convincing my better half of the benefit of stuffing yet another device with a display in our home I pulled the trigger and ordered the 27-inch iMac at the Apple store. Before hand I had heard about the display problems, but many reports indicated that week 9 seemed to be the week that Apple finally addressed the problem successfully.

However, the first iMac arrived and right away it was obvious that it was a lemon. A big yellowish spot at the bottom right part of the screen was far from what I expected from an Apple product being promoted on the display quality among other things.the 27 inch imac with yellow tint issue Luckily the Apple support went as smoothly as always and a replacement was arranged no questions asked (this should have been a warning, they knew they still had a problem).

I was promised the unit would get an extra check before it shipped out as it was a replacement and of course we all wanted to avoid another lemon. The day came and the replacement arrived – to my huge disappointment this machine also suffered from a yellow tint although not closely as bad as the first machine. On top of the tint there was also a faint shadow visible across the bottom (although very hard to see in everyday use).

I expected more from an Apple product

To cut the story short I have received 4 machines in all, and the 2nd version I got is still the best. I have previously owned 5 macs before the 27 Inch, and all of the machines have been wonderful. This experience has been way below Apples standard, and they really have a problem at their hands. I am a customer with money in my hands wanting to buy the product advertised but they can’t deliver.

To be fair I have kept the 2nd machine and received a 100 Euro refund. Actually I couldn’t care less about the 100 euro. All I wanted was the product advertised.

Note: Apart from the display issue, that is not evident in everyday use, the machine kicks ass and is fantastic to work on. Once they get the displays fixed this machine is a winner.

Posted in Apple, Random | 1 Comment »