From the category archives:

Technology

Quicken, Lion and iBank

July 14, 2011

Last week, I received an ominous note from Intuit regarding Quicken, a personal finance product that I have been using for long, long time.

I can still remember when I first installed Quicken on the Powerbook 100. (The Powerbook is long gone, but for some reason I have kept the Quicken install disks in storage). I was immediately captivated with Quicken and proceeded to tell all my family members to switch to Quicken instead of using Microsoft Excel or Lotus 1-2-3 to manage their finances. As the years passed, I consistently upgraded Quicken until I reached Quicken for Mac 2005. I skipped 2007 and Quicken Essentials for Mac received disastrous reviews. So, I held off as long as I could.

After a pretty good run, I may have reached the end of the line with Quicken since Intuit tells me that Quicken for Mac 2005 is not compatible with Apple’s upcoming Lion operating system.

Since Intuit was offering a 50% discount for Quicken Essentials for Mac and a 60-day money back guarantee, I decided to take the plunge. I did not experience any problems migrating all my financial data to Quicken Essentials for Mac. However, the inability of the program to track investment transactions is a non-starter. I could look past the changed UI that displays transactions in one line instead of two, which makes Quicken Essentials look like a spreadsheet. (Gasp! If I wanted to use Excel, I would launch that app instead.) I could probably deal with transfers between accounts that are now recorded in a transfer field instead of the category field. But, the loss of investment transactions was too much to bear.

In 2010, the Macworld review for Quicken Essentials noted that a “promised Quicken Deluxe comes out next year” that may address the lack of investment tracking. But, we are into the second half of 2011 with no product in sight. I tried to pry some information from the Intuit support staff, but I couldn’t get any response other than phrases cut-and-pasted from the Intuit website. Since Quicken Essentials for Mac did not meet my needs, and I have no idea when an upgrade to Quicken Essentials for Mac or a rumored Quicken Deluxe may show up, I decided to give iBank a look.

At first glance, iBank looks more like Quicken than Quicken Essentials for Mac. Despite the superficial similarity, iBank does have some differences from Quicken. For example, categories work differently. In Quicken, I had to add a new category through “Lists > Categories & Transfers.” I could not find a parallel menu in iBank and found the solution by happenstance when I tried to type the new category in the category field. I actually like the iBank method.

I also liked the transaction search in iBank where I can enter a term in the search field and iBank instantaneously filters the transactions. Much faster than the Find and Replace dialog in Quicken.

But, what absolutely aggravated me was iBank’s treatment of short sales. The portfolio summary incorrectly reported that I was fabulously wealthy. After some sleuthing (by generating another portfolio report with all transactions), I found the offending transaction that threw off my portfolio balance. Within the portfolio report, I could see a share adjustment transaction at the time of a short sale. Well, iBank would not let me sell shares that I did not own, so it added the shares to the account before the short sale. If that wasn’t bad enough, the share adjustment transaction only showed up on the portfolio summary and not in the account register. The resolution is to change the transaction type for the short sale from “sell” to “sell to open.” After that, the portfolio balance plunged back to a more credible level.

This major bug has shaken my initial faith in iBank and wasted an inordinate amount of my time. I will be taking full advantage of the 30-day free trial period before I commit to Quicken or iBank. I like the iBank UI and feature set, but I cannot deal with maddening bugs like the above. For now, iBank is in the lead, but if I find another significant glitch, I might be returning to the tried and true Quicken 2005.

{ 8 comments }

Apple TV Slow No More

May 22, 2011

I’ve been using an Apple TV for two months now, and I think I’ve finally bid farewell to the spinner. At first, I was plagued by an absolutely maddening product. If you think the spinning beach ball on a Mac is bad, the black-and-white one spinner is 10x worse on a TV because television is one product where boot time or processing time does not exist.

To preface, I have a MacBook Pro and an Airport Extreme Base Station in one part of the house. At the other end, resides an AirPort Express Base Station and the Apple TV. Previously, the Airport Express and the Apple TV were located in different rooms. However, as an experiment, I plugged the AirPort Express into an electrical outlet right next to the Apple TV, and connected an ethernet cable between the AirPort Express and the Apple TV.

Now, the spinner only appears for a few seconds when queuing up the next video. No more spinner that cycles for minutes at a time. But, correlation is not causation, so YMMV. However, I hope the problem is solved.

{ 0 comments }

Apple TV

April 10, 2011

I’m perfectly happy viewing videos on a MacBook Pro, iPad or iPhone (and probably in that order). However, sometimes, the TV really is the best device. In this instance, I wanted the kids to be able to watch video from their dance class so that they could follow along and practice daily. Obviously, this situation called for some hands-free viewing and the iPad and iPhone were easily disqualified. As glorious as the 17″ screen on the MacBook Pro can be, it is still too small for some pint sized kids.

So, the face-off was between an Apple TV or an Apple Digital AV Adapter. Since the Apple Digital AV Adapter only works with the iPad, and not the iPhone 3GS or MacBook Pro, the Apple TV prevailed.

While the Apple TV comes with a remote, you really need the free Remote app. If you want to search for YouTube videos via Apple TV, the virtual keyboard from the Remote app will make life remarkable easier. Using the standard remote to scroll through the alphabet to enter search terms or passwords is maddening.

What Works, What Does Not

Overall, I like the Apple TV, but it is not perfect. You may have a different experience depending on your network set-up. I have an Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station at one end of the house and an Apple AirPort Express Base Station at the other end for wall-to-wall Wi-Fi. The MacBook Pro usually sits in the same room as the Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station, while the Apple TV is closer to the Apple AirPort Express Base Station. If the iPad, iPhone or MacBook Pro is in the same room as the Apple TV, the video streaming works really fast. I don’t mind toting an iPad or iPhone around the house, so that isn’t a problem. However, I certainly do not have all my video and audio files stored on the iPad or iPhone. If I’m trying to stream video off the MacBook Pro, I end up seeing the spinning cursor if Apple TV has to pass through the AirPort Express and the AirPort Extreme to reach the computer. And, by spinning cursor, I mean minutes (instead of seconds) of white lines looping in a circle while the kids grow increasingly restless.

As a long-time Mac user, I certainly did not anticipate this, particularly since I’m using Mac products from the Apple TV to the various AirPort devices to reach the MacBook Pro. Most things just work. Unfortunately, in this case, there are a few hiccups.

{ 1 comment }

Omron Pedometer v. Fitbit Tracker

March 27, 2011

Last year, I picked up an Omron Pedometer to track my daily exercise. I really liked the Omron HJ-112 pedometer. The pedometer is still functioning after one year; however, I did have to change the battery once and the end clip did break. But, I ended up switching to a Fitbit.

At first, I was carrying two pedometers with me. The Fitbit would consistent report a higher step count than the Omron. I’m not sure if the Omron is undercounting or the Fitbit is overcounting, but a discrepancy definitely exists.

Battery. The battery in the Omron lasts for about six months. I’ve only changed it once since I purchased it last year. For the Fitbit, the battery needs to be recharged about once a week by placing the device on the base station. If you are taking an extended vacation, you will need a way to recharge your Fitbit unless you want to bring both your base station and computer to recharge. Win: Omron.

Social Networking. With the Omron, I just compared stats on occasion with family members. How many steps do you have today? With the Fitbit, the tracker uploads your statistics whenever it is near a Fitbit base station. If multiple co-workers have a Fitbit base station at work, you can synchronize through their device by standing nearby. The Fitbit also promotes competition with a leaderboard that shows which friends have the most steps. Win: Fitbit.

Dimensions. The Omron is noticeably larger than the Fitbit. The Fitbit is a very discrete clip that I routinely affix to my pocket. Not bulky at all. Win: Fitbit.

Data. The Omron displays up to seven days of statistics on the device itself. The Fitbit only displays the current statistics; however, your prior workout data is available online. Win: Fitbit.

Readability. The Omron display is visible indoors and outdoors, but it’s not backlight for those walking at night. The Fitbit is easily readable indoors. Outdoors, it’s great at night but poor during the day in the sun. If you only check after your walk, you should have no problems. However, if you you are one of those users that need to check your step count every 10 minutes when you are walking outdoors, you will feel very aggravated. :-) Win: Even.

Overall, size and form factor trumps all others, so now I am wearing the Fitbit and have left the Omron pedometer sitting by itself on the shelf.

{ 0 comments }

Google Books Ngram Viewer: Peking v. Beijing

December 23, 2010

Google Books Ngram Viewer is an interesting application for looking up the frequency of phrases in books over time. For example, I recently ran a search from 1800-2000 for the different spellings of 北京: Peking, Beijing, Peiping and Beiping.

As expected, Peking is the dominant English name for 北京. Peiping appeared at some point in the mid-1920s, but that spelling has since disappeared. Interestingly, the rise of Beijing coincides not with the founding of the PRC in 1949 but with the normalization of US-China relations in the mid-1970s. Beijing finally eclipsed Peking in the late 1980s.

{ 0 comments }

Nikon D7000 Autofocus Problem

November 13, 2010

Two months ago, I had ordered the Nikon D7000 shortly after it was announced. After a long wait, it finally arrived today, but only for a short visit. I was upgrading from a Nikon D50, so I was already familiar with Nikon DSLRs. The D7000 felt comfortable in my hands, much like the soon-to-be-retired Nikon D50. I had considered moving to FX and picking up a D700 instead, but I just couldn’t get past the increased weight.

Anyways, after I browsed through the manual to configure the camera and started shooting, I discovered a problem. Even though the camera and lens were set to auto-focus, the camera would switch to manual focus on its own. I tried the D7000 with several other lenses and still came across the same issue. Sometimes it occurred while shooting. Other times after I played back my most recent shots. If I really wanted to shoot manually, I would have opted for a Leica. ;-) So, I’m feeling like a beta tester right now. I was really liking the D7000 up to that point. So, the camera goes back to Nikon for service. I doubt if I will be getting back the D7000 in time for Thanksgiving. The D50 is happy. It’ll be getting a few more weeks of attention and use now.

{ 39 comments }

Paparazzi! Full Page Screenshots

July 7, 2010

I’ve been using Paparazzi! for quite some time to take full page screenshots on a MacBook Pro. However, I recently started to encounter some problems with Paparazzi!. Specifically, Paparazzi! was no longer able to capture flash embedded on a webpage. After much grumbling, I even tested Web Snapper but experienced the same problem. Eventually, I traced the problem to the recent Adobe Flash Player 10.1 update. To get Paparazzi! working again, I had to uninstall Adobe Flash Player and downgrade to Adobe Flash Player 10.0. And, magically, Paparazzi! works again.

{ 0 comments }

Mount Diablo State Park

July 6, 2010

Mount Diablo State Park (CA State Parks, Mount Diablo Interpretive Association, Reserve America) is located in Contra Costa County near the communities of Alamo, Danville and San Ramon. A visitor center is located at the summit of Mount Diablo where you can absorb a 360° view of the surrounding region. I could see the Golden Gate Bridge from the summit with the naked eye. However, I did use an inexpensive set of binoculars to confirm the sighting. During my visit, the center was closed on account of employee illness. However, the observation deck was still open to public access during this time.

The sunset, as viewed from the Juniper campground.

The Juniper campground features a trail that ascends up the mountain. On a hot summer day, I had no interest in heading up that trail.

The Juniper campground is quite large. The campsites varied in size and shade. Some sites were more exposed and had better views. However, even the interior sites with more trees were no match for the howling wind that swept through our campsite starting around 4 a.m. Hard to sleep while the tent is rattling around.

The Juniper campground does have running water near each campsite. In addition, the bathrooms are located at the far end of the campground with toilets and hot showers.

Once the sun sets, the sky really lights up with all the stars aglow. Right before the trip, I purchased Star Walk for iPad to see whether the iPad could make astronomy any easier. Incredible! Of course, with the iPad Wi-Fi model, Star Walk could not determine the precise location. However, I was able to enter Walnut Creek, CA, which was not far away. Star Walk works pretty much as I had expected. When I lift the iPad up to the sky, I can see the various stars and constellations in front of me. However, not all objects displayed on Star Walk were visible to the naked eye, so there’s some interpretation involved. Star Walk was not a mirror image of the sky. As I panned across the sky, Star Walk would track my movement and display the relevant celestial objects in my view. Simply amazing. A lot more fun than reading a compass and manually looking up star charts.

{ 1 comment }

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, Lend Me Your Knives

July 5, 2010

Having a knife sharpener is the most impractical of practical kitchen appliances. You cannot prepare food without a sharp knife. From mincing to chopping to slicing to dicing, having a sharp knife makes these essential kitchen tasks an absolute joy.

So, after unboxing the Chef’s Choice 1520 AngleSelect Diamond Home Electric Knife Sharpener, I proceeded to sharpen all the dull knives in both of our knife sets. After dutifully performing its task, I summarily dismissed the knife sharpener to its storage closet. Talk about no reward for a job well done. But, why waste counter space for an appliance that will not be used again for a few months? So, the knife sharpener was feeling a little lonely and wanted some sun, so I started asking around for knives to sharpen and boy did I get a challenge. I really should have taken a before and after pic.

This time, I had a Chinese cleaver with a prominent nick. Wow. I knew this one was going to be a challenge. I re-read the instruction manual. Even though China is part of Asia, the manual indicated that Chinese cleavers should be sharpened as American/European style knives instead of Asian-style knives. After submitting the knife to a complete honing and polishing cycle, it was perfectly sharp. The nick was diminished, but still noticeable so I took the knife through a second honing and polishing cycle. This time, the nick disappeared. Success. I knew the Chef’s Choice Electric Knife Sharpener could put a sharp edge back on the knife, but wasn’t entirely sure about the nick. However, this worthy kitchen appliance passed the test. Good job. Not back in the storage closet you go.

{ 0 comments }

Chef’s Choice 1520 AngleSelect Diamond Hone Electric Knife Sharpener

June 30, 2010

I recently purchased a Chef’s Choice 1520 AngleSelect Diamond Hone Electric Knife Sharpener because some kitchen knives were flunking the ripe tomato test. Basically, if a knife could not cleanly slice through a ripe tomato, which presents the dual challenge of a moderately tough skin with a mushy interior, then it flunks the ripe tomato test.

Quite a few knives flunked the test. At the top of the tomato photo, some knives were only able to leave an indentation. After I ran my knives through the sharpener, they were all able to slice through the poor tomato. Chef’s Choice certainly had cheaper knife sharpeners available, but I needed the 15/20 feature, which lets it sharpen both Asian knives, like a Santoku, as well as European knives.

The sharpener has six slots: two to hone each side of an Asian-style knife, two to hone each side of an American/European-style knife, and two to polish each side of a knife.

{ 1 comment }

Page 2 of 912345...Last »