break 'em up

As a videographer I deal with big frickin' files. Whether it's AVI or MPEG, they're just huge. Backing these files up is a pain in the ass.

I decided to give 7-Zip a try because it supposedly makes multi-file archives easily, as in the kind where you can take big files and "break them up" into smaller ones.

The result: Yes, it works.

I broke up 12 gigs of video data into 19 files, each of which is a CD's size. And yes that means I am burning 19 CD's. Why CD's and not DVD's? Because I have a crapload of blank CD's I bought and I might as well put them to good use. Blank DVD's are expensive, don'cha know. 😉

It will be nice to get that hard drive space back once I'm done.

070930

my experience at the apple store in tampa florida

My first experience in an Apple Store. Location: 2223 N West Shore Blvd. Tampa, FL 33607

Upon entering the store, it was semi-crowded and smelled like a pool of sweat.

Scent: FAIL

There were people standing around waiting to be assisted (including myself,) and I counted not one but three store employees standing around doing nothing.

Attentiveness: FAIL

In order to get the attention of one of the store employees, I had to say "Excuse me" three times. Bear in mind I have a low bass voice that's very easy to hear.

Professionalism: FAIL

An Apple Store is supposed to have a nice ritzy display of all their computers and have well-designed stores. Wrong. This one looked like a boring bookstore with computers in it. It might as well have been a library.

Store Design: FAIL

When I finally did get a hold of one of the employees, it was a fat teenage kid - and he smelled like he hadn't showered in three days. It was totally possible he alone was the cause of the sweat smell in the store.

Hygiene: FAIL

I asked him politely that I'd like to purchase a Mac Mini (and yes I was going to do it even after all this crap,) but I'd like to see if he could qualify me to finance the computer. He told me - and I'm not kidding - to use one of the Macs in the store and fill out the application myself and said "Just find me when you're done." Again, I'm not kidding.

Not even crappy stores like Radio Shack force you to use a computer just to get qualified for credit. And yes, I am saying Radio Shack is better than an Apple Store because at least RS employees actually do something for you.

Employee Assistance: EPIC FAIL

. . .

I said "Forget it!" and walked out.

I'm never going into an Apple Store again. And if I ever buy a Mac (which most definitely will not be any time soon now,) it'll be from CompUSA because Apple Stores suck.

070929

garmin map update 2008 intersection problems

Although I thought this was an isolated issue related to WAAS, it turns out the Map Update 2008 for the City Navigator in my Garmin StreetPilot c580 (North America) causes the unit to have issues routing properly even in "Normal" GPS mode.

Today while I was out and about I captured what happened.

As you can see from above, the StreetPilot tells me to take a turn - yet the proper direction to go is straight.

This only seems to happen in large intersections and nowhere else.

After I post this I'm going to e-mail Garmin and let them know this is definitely a problem. A routing patch will need to be applied immediately to fix this.

070929