fixed : setup a LaCie Wireless Space WiFi-drive as a TimeCapsule alternative

Posted on 11-03-2013 by MacManus.nl

Question :

I wanted to get wireless backup for my Mac using Time Machine, but since I’m on a rather tight budget, I searched for an alternative for the TimeCapsule…

I bought the LaCie Wireless Space, which is advertised as ‘wireless backup’ and ‘Time Machine compatible’ on the box, and the salesman even called it ‘a good Time Capsule alternative’…

…since it is advertised as such, I was hoping that the setup would be as ‘plug and play’ as the TimeCapsule, but even after a few tries, I’ve still not managed to get it working…

What should I do ?

Answer :

It’s true that the LaCie Wireless Space can be used as an alternative to the TimeCapsule (but for ease-of-use I would still prefer Apple’s own TimeCapsule, and the price difference is not that extreme as it used to be).

But setting it up can be quite a hassle, especially if you don’t get it right the first time.

The most straight-forward use would be to have the LaCie Wireless Space connected to your Internet-modem/WiFi-router using an Ethernet-cable. To get that setup (in the end), you need to first instruct the controller-software that’s on the LaCie to enable this. Here’s how to :

1- download the Wireless Space Setup software from the LaCie website :

http://www.lacie.com/us/support/drivers/driver.htm?id=10207

2- disconnect your Mac from the internet (both Ethernet and WiFi/AirPort) and quit all applications that use internet-connection (so quitting all other applications is a good thing to do)

3- plug the LaCie Wireless into the wall-power, and push the power-button to switch it on (the light at the front will turn on to indicate that the LaCie is on, during the setup-process the color may vary from blue to green to read (and back))

4- then copy the Wireless Space Setup software to your Applications folder and run it

5- in the screen that opens, select your Language, and click “Continue” in the next screen

6- on the following screen, select “Enable Wi-Fi” and click “Continue”

7- on the next screen, select “NAS Extender Wi-Fi” and click “Continue” (note that the naming and additional texts on this page are very confusing to most, but the pictures will shed some light on their meanings)

8- connect one of the LAN-ports (so NOT the internet-port) on the LaCie Wireless Space to your Mac using an Ethernet/UTP/LAN-cable (note that the orange light next to the ethernet connector will light up)

9- then click “Continue” in the Wireless Space Setup software, and wait for the LaCie Wireless Space to be found and listed

10- the click “Continue” again

11- on the next screen you will be asked for the info of your existing WiFi/AirPort-network, so type your Network’s Name, select WPA2 (the default Security Protocol for current WiFi/AirPort-networks ; if you have a very old WiFi/AirPort-network you might have to choose WEP or WPA, but those are not recommended), and type and re-typeyour WiFi/AirPort-password

12- then click “Commit” and wait for the LaCie Wireless Space to restart (the front-light will turn blue when ready)

13- now disconnect the Ethernet/UTP/LAN-cable from your Mac, and connect it to one of the regular LAN-ports on your internet-modem/WiFi-router (to do so, you will probably have to unplug the LaCie from power, move it toward your modem/router and reconnect and switch it on again there)

14- then reconnect your Mac to the internet (by reconnecting to the WiFi/AiPort-network, or by plugging the network-cable (an Ethernet/UTP/LAN-cable also) back into your Mac)

15- now, on your Mac, open a Finder-window and see if the LaCie Wireless Space is listed there (in the bottom right corner, under the “Devices” chapter) ; you will probably see it listed twice : once as “LaCie Wireless Space (My Space)” and once as “LaCie Wireless Space (Open Space)”

16- then, open the Time Machine application on your Mac

17- click the “Select Disk” button, and in the list select “LaCie Wireless Space (My Space)”

18- then switch the slider on the left to ON

…and go get yourself a drink, a meal, or a good night’s sleep until your first TimeMachine backup is being done

(note that the first TimeMachine backup might take hours to complete… that is normal…)

That’s it 😉

FYI : the manual for the LaCie Wireless Space NAS / WiFi-drive can be found here :

http://www.manualowl.com/m/Lacie/Wireless-Space/Manual/

fixed : 5V 4A car adapter for Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW

Posted on 06-03-2013 by MacManus.nl

Question :

I have a Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW (all-in-one : WiFi-DVD player, media streamer, WiFi-router and DVD+R burner), and since it is capable of streaming DVDs and HardDisk content to my iPhone/iPad using the Samsung SmartHub iOS-app, I thought it would be a great idea to use it in my car also.

However, if I power it using the USB-cable that comes with the SmartHub, it is limited to not act as a WiFi-device. So… I need a ‘dedicated’ car-adapter for it…

But… the power needed is 5V and 4A minimum… that’s a really rare combination… and Samsung does not sell any car adapters for the SmartHub, neither do they have any recommendation on a good solution…

What options do I have ?

Answer :

The Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW is a rather unique piece of equipment. Combined with an iPhone/iPad and the SmartHub-app, it is a really versatile solution …if you keep in mind that it still has some little flaws…

If you ask Samsung how to power the Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW in your car, they will recommend using a cigarette-lighter-to-220V-transformer…

…that’s a stupid ‘solution’, since transforming from 12V to 220V and back to 5V is both a complete waste of energy resources and it will drain your car battery…

So… after elaborate search and testing, I’ve found a ‘real’ car adapter solution for the SmartHub ; you should create a car-adapter yourself consisting of these three parts :

1- a USB to 5V DC Barrel H power cable like this one :

USB to 5V DC Barrel H power cable

2- a USB Y-connection cable (2x USB-male to 1x USB-female) like this one :

USB Y-connection able

3- a 5V 4.2A dual-USB car adapter ; at this moment, there is only one product like this that actually works :

5V 4.2A dual-USB car adapter

If you join these 3 parts together into, you’ll have exactly the car adapter you need for the Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW.

Enjoy !

info : streaming just one DVD to 2 iPads at the same time

Posted on 28-02-2013 by MacManus.nl

Question :

I would like to watch a DVD on my iPad (without having to convert the DVD), but… as I have 2 children, I would even prefer to enable them to both have their own iPad/iPhone and watch the same DVD.

Is there any solution to do so ?

Answer :

This can be done by steaming a DVD to your iPhone/iPad. There are several options to do so, but one of the most interesting ones I’ve found requires a WiFi DVD player.

The smallest WiFi DVD player I’ve found is the Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW :

Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW

(The SE-208BW has several intended uses, it can be a WiFi-router, or a DVD-burner for netbooks, or a wireless DVD streamer, media streamer or 1-click back-up for iOS or Android devices, for instance…)

To use it with an iOS (or Android) device like an iPhone or iPad, you will also need the FREE SmartHub app :

https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/mobile-smarthub/id483986474?mt=8

– plug the SE-208BW into the wall power

– open the DVD-tray by pressing the small button on the front

– put in a movie-DVD

– close the DVD-tray

– on your iPhone/iPad, go to Settings, then in Wi-Fi, find the SE-208BW’s WiFi-network and connect to it (note : the name and password of the WiFi-network are indicated on the bottom of the SE-208BW, the name of the WiFi-network will be something like “208BWxxxx”)

– open the SmartHub-app (*)

– if you get a “Turn on WiFi first” connection error (or if the two rings in the WiFi-icon top-right are not chained), just exit the app, go to Settings and reconnect to the SmartHub’s WiFi-network

– then click on the green rectangle marked “DVD Player”

– now the “DVD Server List” opens ; the screen will be mainly black at first and then show the “Smart Hub Server”

– then open the SmartHub-app on your second iPhone/iPad also, click the green “DVD Player” rectangle, and wait for the “Smart Hub Server” to appear in the “DVD Server List”

– then click “OK” on both the first and the second iPhone/iPad, and the DVD will start on both iDevices

…that’s it : you are now watching the DVD movie on both iPhones/iPads

note : even though you are watching one-and-the-same DVD on two ‘screens’ at the same time, they are NOT synchronous, so it’s best these things in mind :

– use headphones on both iPhones/iPads

– you have to pause the movie on each ‘screen’ (iPhone/iPad) separately

– using the FastForward and/or Reverse options during playback of a movie on both ‘screens’ will usually cause interference (like frame-scipping, unexpected halts or viewing quality decrease) on the other ‘screen’

(*) if you need to do any additional set-up on the SE-208BW you can do so from within the iOS-app

NOTE :

streaming only one DVD to 2 iPhones/iPads at the same time using the Samsung SmartHub tends to work okay, but chances you’ll see ‘halts to cache’ are rather high… so do not expect as flawless movie-viewing as you can get with a ‘regular’ (non-streaming, but wired) DVD-player

FYI :

I have found only one car adapter for the Optical SmartHub. More info can be found here :

5V 4A car adapter for Samsung Optical SmartHub SE-208BW

fixed : using the AppleTV on an HD-ready TV without HDMI-input

Posted on 27-02-2013 by MacManus.nl

———————————————–

update : this solution should also work for the new 4th generation AppleTV (2015)

———————————————–

Question :

I just bought an AppleTV 3 and I want to connect it to my flatscreen 26″ LCD-TV, a MyCom MC2600LT (it’s actually a rebranded/white-label DT-3003X which has internationally also been sold under the Daewoo and Grundig Xentia brand, and probably more).

Even tough the TV is able to display HD-video up to 1080i and computer-display resolutions up to 1280×768 pixels at 60Hz, it does not have an HDMI input, neither a digital audio input (a.k.a. “Toslink”).

The only input options are :

– DVI digital video + 3.5mm (a.k.a. “jack”) analog audio

– VGA analog video + 3.5mm (a.k.a. “jack”) analog audio

– Component YPbPr analog video + stereo analog audio (5 plugs, a.k.a. “RCA” or “tulip” or “chinch”)

– S-video analog video (S-video plug) + stereo analog audio (a.k.a. “RCA” or “tulip” or “chinch”)

– SCART analog video + audio (SCART plug)

How do I connect my AppleTV 3 to this TV-set ?

Answer :

Even though it might seem the most obvious to connect the AppleTV’s HDMI-output to the TV’s DVI-input, since HDMI and DVI are 100% video-compatible, this comes with 2 problems :

– DVI has no audio, so you will have to connect the audio separately ; in this case that would require a DAC (digital-analog-converter) for your audio since your TV has no digital audio input

– DVI does not support HDCP-encryption as HDMI does, so any ‘copyright-protected’ HDMI content will be blocked when connected to DVI…

So… do not try to use the DVI-input, but use the Component YPbPr connection, especially since the digital-to-analog video-conversion gets rid of the HDCP-limitations for you also !

This converter cable is the most elegant option that will do the trick for you :

LogiLink HDMI to YPbPr & Audio Converter Cable (2m) [Amazon.com]

LogiLink HDMI to YPbPr & Audio Converter Cable (2m) [Amazon.co.uk]

LogiLink HDMI to YPbPr & Audio Converter Cable (2m) [Amazon.de]

…it turns out that the HDMI-output of the AppleTV 3 is supplying enough power to power the built-in converter, so you don’t need to connect the USB-power cable.

For anyone interested, here’s a link to the Dutch manual of the 26″ MyCom LCD-TV MC2600LT (a.k.a. DT-3003X) :

manual MyCom LCD tv

——————————

If you have an HD-Ready flatscreen TV and you want to connect an AppleTV, your best option is to use the HDMI-to-YPbPr converter-cable mentioned above.

But… in some cases these might also be interesting :

An HDMI-to-VGA&stereo converter-cable :

LogiLink HDMI to VGA & Audio Converter Cable (2m) [Amazon.com]

LogiLink HDMI to VGA & Audio Converter Cable (2m) [Amazon.co.uk]

LogiLink HDMI to VGA & Audio Converter Cable (2m) [Amazon.de]

An HDMI-to-HDMI&stereo converter-cable : [so this splits the audio from the HDMI-video signal and converts it into a separate analog stereo (2x RCA) signal, but beware that the output video signal is 720p, 1080p and 1080i only, which is problematic for most HD-ready flatscreen TVs, especially when combined with an HDMI-to-DVI converter] :

LogiLink HDMI to HDMI & Analog Audio Converter Cable (2m) [Amazon.co.uk]

LogiLink HDMI to HDMI & Analog Audio Converter Cable (2m) [Amazon.de]

fixed : FREE application for cloning a Mac HD

Posted on 25-02-2013 by MacManus.nl

Question :

I need to make an exact (bootable) copy of my secondary Mac’s startup-HD. Someone suggested me to use an application called Carbon Copy Cloner, but since I am running OSX 10.8 Mountain Lion on my primary Mac, I would need to use Carbon Copy Cloner version 3.5 or newer, but that’s not free software any longer…

As I only need to do this once, I’m not willing to pay more than €5 to be able to do so. What’s the best alternative ?

Answer :

The best alternative for making a bootable clone version of a Mac startup-HD is what you already have : Disk Utility …and best of all : it’s completely FREE.

Here’s how to do so :

– connect both HDs to your Mac (using USB or FireWire for example)

– on your Mac, open the Disk Utilities application (which can be found inside the folder called Utilities which is in the Applications folder)

– you will now see both HDs appear on the left side of the Disk Utility window (they will be listed as the disk size followed by the manufacturer name and some additional info, directly below them the name of the partitions on it are listed – on Macs there’s normally only one partition per HD)

– on the rest of the page (middle & right), you will see 5 chapter buttons : “First Aid”, “Erase”, “Partition”, “RAID” and “Restore”

– click on the “Restore”-chapter button

– now put the cursor in the white area behind “Source:” and then click on the partition you want to copy in the menu on the left

– then put the cursor in the white area behind “Destination:” and in the menu on the left, click on the HD (or on the partition) you want to copy to (or drag & drop it from there onto the

– if for some reason your chosen Source or Destination now lists something else than what you would like, just try again

– then click on the “Restore” button that’s bottom right

– …now all you have to do is wait (using USB 2.0, about 10GB of used disk space will be cloned in about 10 minutes)

– when the cloning is finished, both HD’s will have the same name, and therefore might not properly mount at the same time, so only one will be visible on your Desktop

– use the ‘drag disk to Trash’ procedure (or the eject-icon next to the HD’s listing), and unmount both HDs

– then plug just one HD back in to make it visible on your Desktop, and check if the cloning went okay (by browsing though it in the Finder)

– then eject the first HD, and check the second HD the same way

– that’s it !

Note :

You can quickly check if the HD you’ve cloned is bootable, by connecting it to your Mac using a USB cable and then restarting your Mac with the ALT-key pressed

…that will enable you to choose any connected HD as the startup drive

if the cloned HD turns out not to be bootable, plug it into your Mac again, and use Disk Utility to check if the Partition Map Scheme is ‘GUID’ (it should not be ‘Apple’ !), if it’s not, re-partition the HD and do the cloning process again

fixed : auto-connect to other WiFi-network

Posted on 11-02-2013 by MacManus.nl

Question :

At one of the locations I often visit there are various WiFi-networks I can use. But whenever I am in the neighborhood my iPhone auto-connects to the network with the worst connection for some reason. Since I need a reliable connection, I always manually switch to the best network, but when I leave and return, my iPhone keeps auto-connecting to the worst WiFi-network.

How can I set my iPhone to auto-connect to the best network ?

Answer :

You can’t set an order in the WiFi-networks your iPhone/iPad remembers. But you can easily fix your main problem by deleting the worst WiFi-network from your iPhone/iPad’s memory like this :

– on your iPhone, go to the Settings-app (the sprocket/gear-icon)

– on the Settings-page, choose “Wi-Fi”

– on the Wi-Fi-page, see if the ‘worst WiFi-network’ is in the list – if not, move/walk over to a location where the ‘worst WiFi-network’ does appear in the list

– if the ‘worst WiFi-network’ is in the list, click on the ‘blue dot with a white arrow’ that is behind it on the same line

– on the page that opens, click on the “Forget this Network” button that is on the top of the page

…that’s it !

enjoy !

fixed : switch on Notifications for Viber

Posted on 11-02-2013 by MacManus.nl

Question :

I am trying to set up Viber internet calls on my iPhone. Now the Viber-app asks me to switch on Notifications, else the app won’t run.

How do I do that ? I don’t see any settings option…

Answer :

To turn on Notifications for any app (be it Viber or any other), do this :

– go to the Settings-app (sprocket/gear-icon)

– then select Notifications (the ‘red dot’-icon in the same chapter as Do Not Disturb)

– in the Notifications page that opens, scroll down to the “Not In Notifications Center” chapter and select Viber

– in the Viber page that opens, put the Notifications Center slider to ON

– if you like, you can also tweak the Viber notifications to your liking :

– Alert Style : where do you want the alert to appear on your screen ?

– Badge App Icon : do you want to have the small red circle on top of the Viber-icon if you have missed calls ?

– Sounds : do you want the Viber-alerts to be accompanied by an alert sound ?

– View In Locked Screen : do you want to get Viber-alerts also when your iPhone is in standby mode ?

…that’s it !

enjoy !

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