tzlee.com/blog

Category: Technology

  • Finally, a Real Serial Console for the Mac

    I’ve been searching high and low. ZTerm is extinct, screen kinda sucks with scrolling. So what do I have left?

    I attempted to write a script in Python to turn the serial port into a local socket so I could use Telnet but I couldn’t seem to get past opening the serial port.

    After some searching, I found MultiCom. It does exactly what I wanted – turns my serial port into a local socket. Works prefect!

    Anyway, if you have time, help me with this script. It’s fairly simple and still incomplete, but I can’t get past fixing what blocks the open() calls to /dev/tty.PL2303-0000101D.

    Update: I managed to figure out why my script didn’t work; I should have used /dev/cu.* instead of /dev/tty.*. I also found that MultiCom doesn’t work with Cisco devices due to an odd Cisco behavior. Read this blog entry for more info.

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  • What a Mac is to a Dell

    A Mac is to a Dell as is a Continental car is to a Japanese car.

    The former would cost more to purchase, require premium grade parts, and eventually fail sooner than others. Parts are more difficult to find and will cost more to repair. Repairs can only be done at specific service centers. DIY repairs can be difficult. Owners love to flaunt it will almost certainly pay a premium to keep it in good physical shape. Certainly something of such a premium feels good when used, but there’s lots of hidden costs.

    The latter? Costs less to purchase, doesn’t require premium grade parts, lasts longer. Parts are easy to find and costs less to repair. Repairs can be done almost everywhere. DIY repairs are usually easier. Owners use it as a day-to-day tool; they may or may not spend some money to keep it in good shape. Sometimes it lacks the touch, but what the heck, it works.

    It’s a matter of affordability isn’t it? 😉

    I’m sick and tired of the crap Apple’s giving me.

  • MacBook 60W Adapter Cable Melted, Fire Hazard

    This isn’t the first Mac I’ve owned. Although the iPhone is probably the best phone out there, Mac computers are crap. I found an old blog entry that I wrote when both mine and wifey’s iBook G3 failed at the same time. I also had an extremely hard time replacing the slow 4,200 rpm hard drive in my old iBook. To date, the new MacBooks are still running 5,400 rpm drives. Give me a break, Dell’s already selling laptops with 7,200 rpm drives.

    After making three trips to the Apple Service Center at AMK for motherboard, display and power adapter failures, I sold my problematic iBook. Wifey wasn’t so lucky and her iBook failed on her before she could sell it so  we sold the parts – AirPort card, power adapter, battery, etc. for money instead. The unsold remains are still in my room.

    Wifey's iBook G3 meets the MacBook.
    Wifey's iBook G3 meets the MacBook.

    I’m using my (sis’s) MacBook now and the adapter has been acting up for the past few days. It would go on and off intermittently but with some wriggling of the wire near the power brick, the problem goes away. I knew the wires were fraying, but there’s nothing I could do about it. Apple didn’t design their things to be user-serviceable, otherwise I would have taken it apart and soldered the wire. Apple needs to go green with their service program!

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  • Finally, I’m an iPhone 3G (not 3GS) Owner

    Not exactly very proud to be a super late adopter of the iPhone 3G, but I’m certainly glad I received it on the evening of Tuesday September 1, 2009 as scheduled. My primary aim wasn’t actually to get an iPhone, but to switch to SingTel ‘cos StarHub’s signal strength was terrible in almost every place I work. Well, it’s not surprising they were all SingTel buildings – ComCenter, Telepark, etc.

    I'm a happy man with a new iPhone 3G.
    I'm a happy man with a new iPhone 3G.

    Since I was doing a switch to SingTel, I thought, what the heck, I’ll just grab the iPhone 3G that’s going for only $88 at SingTel’s online shop. I’ll finally get to enjoy 3G data speeds that’s lacking in my current iPhone 2G. One other thing I’d love to have is the improved clarity of the iPhone 3G speaker so I can make calls in the car when I forget to activate my bluetooth!

    So with a new iPhone 3G, what should I do with my iPhone 2G that has a cracked glass? Should I spend $200+ to replace the glass and cover so it looks like new, and either sell it or pass it on to my siblings, or should I sell it for $150, or should I just use it?

  • Opteka 500mm Mirror Lens First Tests

    I bought a cheap Opteka 500mm mirror lens off eBay and the UPS package finally arrived on Wednesday after two days of failed delivery attempts. Hooray!

    500mm in a box.
    500mm in a box.

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  • Ten simple steps to Skype over 3G on the iPhone

    Skype prevented users from making calls over 3G data networks on the iPhone for contractual reasons, but I think many would love to have it working. Here’s a summarized version of getting Skype to work on the iPhone.

    I’ve tested it on the 2G and it seems to work, though voice call quality is choppy.

    The pre-requisite here is to have a jailbroken iPhone with Cydia installed, and also knowledge of basic UNIX command line and the VI editor.

    If you do not have a jailbroken iPhone, do not ask for instructions here. You should find them online elsewhere.

    1. Install or update to the latest version of MobileSubstrate via Cydia. This fixes a crash on Skype.
    2. Install VoIP3G via Cydia. This enables you to make VoIP calls via 3G.
    3. Install SSH and VIM Enhanced via Cydia. You will need this to edit some files in your phone.
    4. Connect to a Wi-Fi network, preferably the same network as your computer.
    5. Get the phone’s IP address under Settings > Wi-Fi.
    6. SSH to the phone as root with the password alpine (this is the iPhone default if you haven’t changed it).
    7. Go to /Library/MobileSubstrate/DynamicLibraries and edit VoIPover3G.plist.
    8. You will see a line that looks like the following…
      Filter = {Bundles = ("com.Fringland.Fring");};
    9. Appened “com.skype.skype” to the array (it might already be there), e.g.
      Filter = {Bundles = ("com.Fringland.Fring", "com.skype.skype");};
    10. Save the file, restart your iPhone, and reinstall Skype.