Christopher Mackay's Blog

Another data point for the planet’s collective memory (aka Google).

Adobe Contribute CS4 refused to connect to our web server this morning, insisting that “Contribute cannot verify your connection information.” This despite having copied & pasted the path and password, and seeing that when I chose to browse to the correct path on the server, Contribute was able to successfully navigate to the correct directory, which it could only do if all permissions were set correctly…

The solution was to delete all previous connection settings for other web sites, as detailed at Caspian IT.

Honestly, does Adobe get anything right these days? We got Contribute CS4 as part of a bundle upgrade, but it’s not significantly different from version 4, which only preceded it by a few months, but it wasn’t a free upgrade.

Sometimes you’ve just gotta post a picture of some eggs.

Over the last few weeks I’ve encountered a number of trucks on the Trans-Canada Highway between Salisbury and Aulac, New Brunswick, carrying parts for what I assume is a General Electric windmill — or series of windmills — being assembled somewhere east of here (Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland & Labrador).

A couple of days ago I saw a large turbine, the same colour as the blades in these shots, with a large GE logo on the side (I couldn’t get a shot of that, unfortunately).

These things are impressively large when seen up-close. Don’t assume that the trailers are the normal size that you’re used to seeing: these things are long, and have three or four sets of wheels, not the usual pair.

Since you can’t find things on the Avid web site, here’s a link to the codecs for Mac:

AvidCodecsLE.pkg, AvidCodecsLE.zip

Nov 17, 2009 update: It seems that the 3.1.1 OS update from Apple has resolved this issue (I stopped trying after 3.0 broke it and 3.1 didn’t fix it). Thanks to Jessica at MINI Moncton for getting this issue escalated all the way back to Germany and letting me know!

Just a heads-up to anyone out there using a similar set up to mine:

• 2008 Mini Cooper Clubman
• Y-adapter 30-pin plug (to USB and AUX-IN)
• 1st generation iPod touch
• iPod OS 3.0

This combination doesn’t work. So far, I’ve been unsuccessful in downgrading my iPod to OS 2.2.1 (haven’t tried the DFU mode that some have suggested — see the Apple thread linked below). The result is that the iPod has a really hard time connecting to the Mini (it has routinely taken 10 minutes to connect), and then disconnects the first time it changes tracks (either by skipping to the next track or by letting the first track play to the end).

I’ve been in touch with Mini about this. My local dealer didn’t know about the problem, and the support people at Mini said they’re pretty much at Apple’s mercy on issues like this (which is about what I expected; Apple’s legendary secrecy extends to third-parties supporting their products).

Hopefully there will be an update from Apple and/or Mini that addresses this issue.

• USB Information from Mini.com (PDF)
• Mini/iPod touch Apple Support thread
• NorthAmericanMotoring.com — a short thread

Also, for what it’s worth, Mini told me that while the iPod touch isn’t supported under OS 3.0, the iPhone 3G is. The iPhone 3GS isn’t, though, so guess who upgraded their iPhone 3G to a 3GS this weekend…

Ah, technology…

I’ve always had the most amazing ability to lose things.

I once lost my wallet for three days — and it was gone for two days before I noticed. It turned up at a restaurant, where the waitress had found it and turned it in.

I once lost my watch. A few months later, I lost its replacement. I put off buying another, expecting it would show up, but it didn’t, so I replaced it, too.

A year later, I found the first missing watch in the pocket of a jacket at a friend’s house .

A couple of months after that, I was cleaning the couch, and found my second missing watch deep in the crevice between the back and the seat, bringing my current watch count up to three.

Detecting a pattern here?

A few weeks ago I was helping a friend adjust the seat on his new bicycle in front of my house.

A week later, I was looking for a screwdriver, and couldn’t find my toolbox anywhere. There are bigger toolboxes, but it’s not so small that you could walk into a room and not see it, especially if you were actually looking for it.

After searching every room in the house — twice — I reached the sad conclusion that someone had walked off with my toolbox full of tools after I’d helped my friend with his bike.

The thought of buying all new tools, while attractive at the reptilian-brain/shiny-new-stuff level, seemed premature given my history, so I resisted.

Sure enough, the toolbox turned up, under the sink in the basement, right where I now remember putting it.

By the way, has anyone seen my wallet…?