Enabling 802.11n Access On Mac Book Pro – I’m Now ‘Extreme’

Last night myself and the others at at KilkennyMusic.com sat down late (say 9:30pm) in Studio A for a short meeting followed by the recording of the 19th Sound System Podcast. Internet access was a must before the recording – some last minute research, checking of dates, sampling of music etc. Ross was flying away on his Powerbook on the studio network while I wound up forking out for a 30 minute Eircom voucher to allow me get my work done.

It turns out, as I was informed later, that my inability to connect to the network is that the WiFi connection is now being serviced by an AirPort Extreme base station, my MacBook Pro currently living in a/b/g land. Well now, its living in a/b/g/n land and should have no problem in the studio next week.

So how does one enable 802.11n WiFi access on their MacBook Pro? Well, you do it via a download from the Apple Store, retailing at US$1.95 or €1.95 if you’re shopping out of the Irish store. You must have the AirPort Extreme update installed from earlier this year if you haven’t done so already.

Via the Apple Store

How to install the AirPort Extreme 802.11n Enabler:

1. Add the AirPort Extreme 802.11n Enabler to your shopping cart and complete your order.
2. On the Order Confirmation page and email, you’ll receive instructions and a URL for downloading the Enabler software.
3. Click the download link, then locate the disk image (.dmg) file on your computer and double-click it.
4. Double-click the 802.11n Enabler file and follow the onscreen steps to update your Mac.

Where do you get the AirPort Extreme update? Right here.

If you haven’t installed the AirPort extreme update and you find that your MacBook Pro won’t allow you to do it, I suggest you read this page (click here). It tells you how to extract the application via the ‘Show Package Contents’ context menu feature in OSX, allowing you to first install the AirPort Extreme application and then upgrade is through the normal process.

The process from start to finish, including purchase from Apple Store, should take you all of five minutes and will require a system restart when finished.

StatCounter – Don’t Count Yourself

If I’m ever setting up a project in StatCounter, the first thing I’ll do is set a blocking cookie. A few people I know have been amazed at some of their early days statistics, so many page views!!

But wait, only one unique? What happened there? Well, they love their website so much that they keep going back to it, keep refreshing pages during testing, unknowingly overinflating their traffic stats. When I’m viewing statistics on a web project I don’t need or want to know how many times I hit it (my lack of sleep would usually by a good indicator) – I want to see how often OTHER people have been there.

So as I said, in the case of StatCounter, you can use a blocking cookie. But how do you do this? Well, the steps are easy.

1. Go to StatCounter.com and log in with your username and password.
2. You will be presented with a list of your existing projects, under the blue ‘My Projects’ heading click the link for ‘Blocking Cookie’ (4th link)
3. Click the ‘Create Blocking Cookie For All Projects’ button.

That, as they says, is that. If you wish to start tracking your own visits again, repeat said steps only when you return to the blocking cookie screen the next time you will be prompted to ‘Destroy’ the blocking cookie. This can also be done by completely emptying your browser/cookie cache.

I currently use a combination of StatCounter and Google Analytics across all my blogs with StatCounter.com now tracking 17 separate projects.

Update: Cheers Sean

Have You A Mint?

Do any Irish or other bloggers have a mint and if so, at US$30 per site, how do you find it compares to the likes of Google Analytics or StatCounter when it comes to obtaining statistics, accuracy, layout and feel?

Any thoughts at all…

Paddy’s Valley, Irish Times, Page 16

Paddy’s Valley gets a mention in the Irish Times today. If you’re not a paying subscriber, you can enjoy a few days free trial of the digital edition here.

Laura Slattery writes on page 16 that ‘Tech Firms Get Backing For US Trip’, plugging the trip, quoting Conor O’Neill, referencing James Corbett and making mention of TouristR and RelevantM. Nice little snippet to get on the side of the page (beside the big photo of Calisto Tanzi).

If you haven’t a clue what Paddy’s Valley even is, check here.

YouTube Screening Process To ‘Recognise Infringing Videos’

Interesting one this, Google announced over the weekend (or at least I read over the weekend) that they are due to introduce a new screening technology into the YouTube realm which will ‘recognize infringing videos’. Google has been getting it in the neck and everywhere else from Viacom of late in relation to copyright infringement and the uploading by YouTube users of copyright protected video footage to the video sharing website.

“We hope to have the testing completed and technology available by sometime in the Fall,” a Google rep added in an e-mail to Sandoval. “But this is one of the most technologically complicated tasks that we have ever undertaken, and as always with cutting-edge technologies, it’s difficult to forecast specific launch dates.”

The story appeared in the New York Times online edition (via AP) on Saturday morning. While the Google and YouTube family hope that the move to introduce the screening will “hopefully eliminate such disputes in the future” and a lawyer for Viacom states that they would be “very grateful” for the introduction of the technology to eliminate copyright infringing videos appearing on YouTube, I can’t see it do anything to quell the existing lawsuit or actions planned by the likes of Viacom, the Premier League

Note: You won’t find any copyright infringing footage on the KilkennyMusic.com YouTube channel (yes, we’ve a long way to go yet…)

Audio Response To PodCamp Ireland Announcement

If you’re not following the PodCamp channel on Jaiku, being used by the organisers as a useful back channel around the upcoming event in Kilkenny on September 29th, you might have missed Conn’s audio response to the announcement of PodCamp Ireland. The comment, recorded by Conn, appears on the For Immediate Release podcast by Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson. Neville will be joining us in Kilkenny on September 29th for the event as well, hopefully talking up the success of the FIR podcast amongst other things!

The clip can be found here on podcasting.ie or start playing it below (uploaded to KilkennyMusic.com). It will give you a good feel for things to expect in Kilkenny at the end of September.

Conn Ó Muíneacháin Speaks On PodCamp Ireland
[audio:http://www.kilkennymusic.com/downloads/conn_podcamp.mp3]

Going, Going Green – Pimping My Macbook Pro

Last Friday night I fired an extra gig of ram into the Macbook Pro I purchased not half an hour ago from this very boutique (apologies, but I’ve got a Monty Python buzz going today). The MBP was purchased in an Apple Store!

Anyway, with the extra gig of memory bringing the count to 2GB the laptop has been restored to a zippy state offering me better handling of the likes of Garageband and other intensive applications I hold. For my next trick, I’ve decided to go green – laptop green that is and lime green more to the point. I’ve ordered myself a 15″ SeeThru Case for the Macbook Pro from Speck Products. With the case and shipping the cost comes to just over the €50 mark but I feel it gives a good opportunity to personalise the laptop and protect the shiny silver casing it lives in.

Speck offer a variety of cases for mobile phones, iPhones, iPods and other MP3 players and I only recently discovered their offering of Macbook Pro cases. The case itself is a coloured, see-through hard casing that snaps on top and bottom of the MBP, with rubber feet for the bottom as well.

Should be a nice way of standing out from the crowd (and keeping the laptop from scratching in transit).

Social Linking – Where Am I?

I’m not featured on pBase or hiding out as a photographer in the Caribbean but I am lurking in various social networks on the web, and this is where you’ll find me.

• MySpace
  MySpace is mainly used through KilkennyMusic.com and my constant contact with bands. More and more I see the gigs being organised via MySpace (people preferring that to taking my email or phone number which are published online), requests for information, booking information, podcast submissions. If bands want to add me, I’m open to it though I don’t go friend-hunting on it.
• Bebo
  Bebo is pretty much a friend-to-friend thing. If I don’t know you, I don’t want to know you. I’ve used it to keep up with college friends now dotted around the country and around the world and thats what I expect to keep doing with it. Much prefer their photo album service to that of MySpace. It also allows me the opportunity to pimp out KilkennyMusic.com to the younger generation that are ‘beboers’. (younger than myself anyway).
• Twitter
  My train of thoughts and random comments from during the day. I also republish these back to a Wordpress blog for myself to look back over certain days at a glance. 140 characters more liberating than restricting I feel. Twitter certainly has had an impact on the Irish blogosphere, turning bloggers into impulse shoppers now with the recent Nokia N770 tweet and the pure drain of stock from Expansys as a result.
• Jaiku
  I’ve been meaning to dip into Jaiku as a Twitter alternative but only registered myself yesterday as it is being used as a back channel for PodCamp Ireland between the organisers. Instantly prefer the interface over Twitter but yet to get the full feel of the service.
• Facebook
  Love it or hate, Facebook provides a lot of facilities for networking and social interaction along with integration of some of your favourite online haunts (eBay, Twitter, Flickr etc.). Since FB was opened up to the global population it’s use has soared and along with it the number of widgets and apps available to integrate into your homepage. I’ve only started using FB recently but given the amazing popularity of it in the US I’ve had no problem connecting with and finding family who wouldn’t touch MySpace or have heard of Bebo, especially those who prefer the professional look and feel of FB.

If you feel the need to link up with me on anything or want to reach out and say hello – don’t be a stranger. Each of the links above will have the option to subscribe, or add a friend etc. – if you use any of the above you’ll know yourself how to hook up with someone anyway. I’m sure I’ve a ‘linked-in’ profile going that is about 80% complete but when FB affords you the same opportunities and more it will be a while before the remaining 20% gets filled out.

Don’t be a stranger…

Note – the idea here stems from Krishna De’s recent post on which social network you should choose.

PodCamp Ireland, 21 People And Counting

It might fall the week after BarCamp Galway but so far there’s 20 people signed up to attend PodCamp Ireland which hits Kilkenny on Saturday September 29th. Yes – the very first PodCamp Ireland.

I’m counted amongst the organisers (alongside Krishna De, Bernie Goldbach, Conn Ó Muíneacháin and Brian Greene) of this event and being from Kilkenny I’m delighted to see it taking part in the city.

A near hour long conference call yesterday afternoon between afore mentioned organisers proved quite productive and insightful and if the planning goes, well, to plan, then we’re in for a great day on September 29th. One of the aces in pack already announced is the arrival of Neville Hobson, co-author of ‘How to Do Everything with Podcasting (How to Do Everything)‘ (affiliate link – which is on the way to me via Amazon US) and co-host of the For Immediate Release podcast. Neville will hopefully be spilling the beans on the success of the podcast, book and more so be sure and join us in Kilkenny.

So… with the floor open and seen as this is the VERY FIRST PodCamp Ireland what would you like to see? I’m looking at putting together an element on music (Podsafe music, approaching bands for music etc.) given my work with KilkennyMusic.com. The KKM crew in full will be on hand too on the day to chat about how we got into podcasting and using the podcast to promote a non-profit group working with musicians. But the day is about what YOU would like to see.

Would you like to learn about video podcasting? How to get your videos online, where to store them, how to encode them for the web? Maybe you know the technical details already but you would like some tips on framing your shot or using a video camera for podcasting? How about branding through podcasting? Or seeing how a podcast can help promote your business, create a revenue stream?

How how about learning the fundamentals – Podcasting 101. What equipment do you need? How to record audio to a computer? What the hell is an RSS feed anyway and why do you need one?

Whatever your questions about podcast, you’re likely to find all the answers and more at PodCamp Ireland in Kilkenny on September 29th. If you’re interested, join the 21 names already on the list by adding yours to the PodCamp Ireland wiki. Hope to see you in Kilkenny in September!

An Irish iPhone Review

I failed to pick up an MMS yesterday from John who later informed me via GoogleTalk that he’s been testing the Apple iPhone down in Waterford. Damn you! Looks like he’s also been reading my tweets on it – or at least someone has.

The impact?

You’ve all seen the touchscreen demos. It’s even better when you’re doing it yourself. The keyboard is so simple a child could use it and after a few moments you’ll be thinking ‘buttons? what buttons? who needs buttons’

I didn’t have long enough with the phone to go into a detailed review. I can honestly say though, having used the iPhone for a few minutes, I want one. I can already see how would be lost without it.

I’m looking forward to seeing it hit the Irish market either at the end of this year or the beginning of next year and with O2 now the likely operator it will make the upgrade and purchase decision all the easier.

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