Photography, geek, gadget stuff and life.
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Expanding capacity of Synology DS1010+
Aug 31st
I’m a huge consumer of data; typically my data storage hovers around the 2.5TB range with most of that being my archive of photos. So as the Synology DS1010+ is to be my main file server I needed to feed it with drives. Yesterday after noon (approximately 20 hours ago) I added a 2tb drive to compliment the other 4 2tb drives already in there. It’s taking much longer than I anticipated but at least it’s doing it’s job. I’ve been having issues with the DS1010+ and Apple Macs which I’m hoping to solve. I have been in touch with Synology tech support but they have been very slow to respond and not up to the standard I would expect. Time will tell, I will keep you updated.
Hipstamatic app on the iPhone
Apr 29th
I’ve recently discovered a wonderful application that takes photos like those old 1960-70s film cameras. I love them because they remind me of when I was a young; these type of photos encompass that era, now it’s instantly possible on the iPhone.
Upgrading 2006 Mac Pro 1.1 – 2 months later
Apr 14th
I can tell from the amount of traffic I get about upgrading the 2006 Mac Pro that there is alot of interest. So I thought I’d give you an update.
First and foremost, my Mac Pro has been stable. It has not wobbled once since the upgrade. I was originally worried about the heat before I did the upgrade but the temperate has remained the same, even when pushed by HandBrake or Final Cut Pro 2. In the first month I ran a battery of real world stability tests by opening up multiple applications while copying multiple files and folders to my drobo and to other internal hard drives. The heat only went up a few degrees.
The speed increase has been amazing, especially when my applications utilize multiple processors! The following isn’t very scientific but I’ll do my best.
- Handbrake – uses multiple cores. Speed increase isn’t quite halved, but realistically I just leave that running and do something else. I don’t tend to sit there watching it. It is noticeably faster.
- Final Cut Pro 2 – uses multiple cores. Rendering previews is much quicker, I would say again it almost halves the time which is damn important as I do alot of rendered previewing when I’m editing. When I try to view the edits with effects, then it does drop frames alot (which is why i render). However, when I edit HD material then it really does struggle, I can’t view the previews properly unless I render.
- Photoshop CS4 – recently composited some magazine covers for a band at full resolution. I could see all 8 cores doing something but I couldn’t tell if anything felt quicker.
- Parallels – just for a test I wanted to see if Half Life 2 would run in Parallels which was running Windows XP. It ran fine. Also in the background I ran a YouTube video and a BBC iPlayer video simultaneously all running in the background. I could see no lag while editing photos in Lightroom. I believe a faster HDD would make a siginificant difference.
- LightRoom 2.0 – editing individual photos show no significant increase in speed, if anything Lightroom hits the Hard drives harder than the CPU. However, when bulk exporting files it does feel alot faster than before. Since I work in Lightroom 80% of the time this was well received.
Without doubt, it’s a worthy upgrade. If you have any questions, then leave comments below and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Antec 300. My messy case!
Apr 6th
I’m an Apple Mac fan. Although I own three Apple computers I still can’t get away from Microsoft Windows. I’m quite happy with the latest incarnation Windows 7 which is the only reason I have it around.
Built around the Antec 300, it has become my third backup solution of my photos.
As you can see from the photos, it’s full of cables; I’m ashamed of my cable management skills. It was tidy, but after consistantly inserting and pulling out components I gave up!
These photos were taking with a Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye lens and a D300.
More photos can be viewed here
The Apple Start up sound: the story from it’s creator
Mar 1st
If you’re reading this on a Mac then you’ll be familiar with the boot up sound that it makes. If you’ve ever wondered who created it and how it was made then view this very revealing video from the sound engineer himself Apple sound designer Jim Reekes. He talks about his other sound creation “sosumi” which has a very funny origin. Play and enjoy.
OMT in San Francisco #3: ‘Let it beep’ from One More Thing on Vimeo.
Mac Pro upgraded with 2 Intel Xeon x5355 processors
Feb 12th
After months and months of searching on Ebay and Gumtree I finally bagged the two x5355 processors at a reasonable price! But even when I received them it wasn’t just a case of inserting it in.
I didn’t have thermal paste, acetone and a very long screwdriver to reach down the heatsinks to unscrew the CPU.
I also had a massive issue trying to get the memory cage off; the screws that hold them in place strip very very easily. In a matter of minutes I manged to completely render them useless. In the end, I read an article where they had a similar problem so they just used a bit of brute force to remove the heatsink cover, the front fan assembly and a memory cage slot holder.
I am very happy with the results. I have put new life into a 4 year old Mac Pro. I didn’t have the finance to upgrade to a 2009 Mac Pro but I have no regrets, it is far more rewarding knowing that I upgraded it myself.
My one advise is to don’t bother trying to unscrew the front screws on the memory cage, just unsrew the back ones so you can lever it out to pull out the plastic heatsink cover. From there on it’s easy peesy, so long as you have the right tools.
Mac Pro opened. Memory module, front fan assembly and heatsink covers removed.
Side view of heatsinks with lots of dust collected over the years. Easily removed with compressed air.
As you can see, I could not remove the memory cage assembly so I had to use brute force to remove everything except the memory cage.
So much dust!!
The pair of Intel Xeon x5355 processors in place.
Heatsink with all the old thermal paste still on.
With a bit of Nail Polish remover, I cleaned the heatsink plating.
2 Quad core X5355 processors in place
Intel Xeon x5355 Quad Core 2.66GHZ Processor
GEEKBENCH RESULTS: 52% speed increase
MAC PRO 1,1 QUAD CORE – 4952
MAC PRO 1,1 EIGHT CORE – 9436
Please leave comments below. I’d like to hear your experiences in your upgrade.
Very cool IronMan decal for Macbook Pro!
Feb 3rd
When I saw this I couldn’t believe someone had etched it on a MacBook, but it’s only a sticker but oh boy what a sticker! IronMan fires the Apple Logo!! Sweeet!!!
Upgrading a 2006 Apple Mac Pro 1,1 with 2 Xeon X5355 Processors.
Feb 2nd
The Premise.
The purpose of this post is to compile all the information i can find about upgrading a 2006 Mac Pro 1,1 with the quad core X5355 Intel Processors. I’ve recently purchased two Intel Xeon X5355 with the intention of upgrading (updating) my 2006 Apple Mac Pro desktop I purchased a couple of years ago.
Why Upgrade?
Currently I have Two 2.66 GHz (5150) Dual-core Intel Xeon “Woodcrest”; effectively this means I have four processors working together. I work alot on processor intensive apps, especially Final Cut Pro which is a video editing suite by Apple specifically for Macs. I also run alot of programs simulataneously such as Parallels, Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom. Because I edit alot of photos then a fast cpu, as well as fast Disk system like a Raid 0, will make editing much quicker. I sometimes have to batch export over 700 photos in one session!
The equipment list to upgrade.
- Mac Pro 1,1 (duh)
- 2 x Intel X5355 processors, although reports have said you can use just one at a time
- Torx 3mm (T15) Screwdriver with a long neck
- Thermal paste
- An assortment of Philips screwdrivers
30 Jan 2010 – As yet, I am still waiting for the CPUs to arrive. In the meantime I am reading and reviewing all the following websites for information.
- Hardmac.com – Tutorial on how to upgrade the CPUs.
- XLR8yourmac.com – Select Mac Pro from the drop down box.
- AnandTech.com – Tutorial with photos. Good detail.
- MacRumours – Bulletin board thread with indepth discussion.
There’s a video that shows what to do!
I will be updating this post as I have time and gather more information.
2 Feb – My X5355 Processors have arrived!
What will Apple’s iPad mean for photographers?
Jan 29th
I was speaking to another Tech Gear Head this evening about the iPad and what it meant. He suggested that it right now it doesn’t fit anywhere and is creating a market all of its own.
But what does this mean for Photographers? For amateurs I can’t say; it is an investment regardless if Steve Jobs says it’s only $499! But for a Professional Photographer I can see great benefits.
Seeing Clients:
Imagine preparing to see a potential customer who want to see your work. They have already seen your portfolio on your website, they have chatted to you over email and phone so now they want to visit you. Armed with an iPhone, a Macbook and a iPad they would be impressed with your tech (well, perhaps the groom might be). The couple want to see your work in more detail so you hand over your latest gallery on an iPad! The interaction with the photos (slide, spin, flick) would give that “WOW” factor and perhaps the edge you need to close the deal.
On Location during a Shoot:
100% of my photoshoot happen away from home, that means my gear has to be portable and powerful. The iPad is portable but I doubt it could beat a Macbook. However there is a place for the iPad on location; checking emails, note recording, review photos (assuming that it is possible to connect a card reader).
