Review: Bulkr Pro

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I was given a copy of Bulkr Pro from ClipYourPhotos. The Application is a powerful cross platform (Windows,Mac , Linux) download & backup tool for Flickr users. The feature set varies depending on if you are authenticated to your account or using the public access.

When you first launch the app you are greeted with Connect to Flickr & Search Photos buttons. You can use the app without a account linked for downloading public photos from other users as long as the uploader has allowed downloads.  After you link your account the home tab provides a backup option.

First off let’s get started with the features related to linked account. Starting with backup… you get to choose what size to backup as (All the usual Flickr file sizes), Destination for the backup, and how to handle the metadata (embed in EXIF and/or Save as text file). The backup seemed quite speedy on my collection of 1,706 photos.  With photostream downloads you can search or pick from your most recent uploads.  Selection is as simple as clicking on the pictures you want and a blue checkmark is added. The other options when you hover over the thumbnail for each picture are view larger image in application or view it on Flickr site. Downloading from your sets offers most of the same features as photostream other than search & viewing. The download from photos you have in your favorites falls under the public photo rules.

The search is feature rich and lets you choose the license, search type, and enable/disable save search and works quite well. Downloading from user’s photostream lets you choose from sets in addition to selecting from from the usual grid of thumbnails. Group downloads work as expected from the other download modes. Explore is a cool feature that shows the interesting photos for the day you choose.

Over all this is the best app of its class I’ve used yet but one nagging issue haunts me between all of the Flickr download tools I’ve used to date… The apps can’t tell videos from pictures leaving me to pick through photos and figure out what uploads are videos and which ones aren’t. Despite the minor video issue I’d fully recommend the app.

There is a free version with slightly less features but pro is fully worth it. Pro normally costs $40 but if you act fast you can get it for $29.95.

Grab your copy @ http://clipyourphotos.com/bulkr

 

Google + on iPod Touch and iPad

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Google + for iPhone has been released but it only works on the iPhone (3G,3GS, and 4) and leaves the iPod Touch and iPad familys in the dust. All over G+ there has been many complaints about this limitation… so I decided to see if i could get it working on the forbidden devices. If you don’t got the app yet you can download it on iTunes @ Google+ for iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS.

First off i was able to install Google + by using i-FunBox from http://www.i-funbox.com/ the application has a option to install ipa files direct without iTunes. I was especting the app to just crash and not run but to my surprise the app ran fine on both iPod Touch and iPad.

Everything worked other than camera functions wich were greyed out on both iPod Touch and iPad (when in framed & 2x mode). I took it farther being my iPad was jailbroken and proceded to run the app using fullforce (force iPhone apps to run at iPad resolution) to see how well it would run. Now this is where it got interesting since it not many iPhone apps properly upscale to the higher resolution.

Here is how the fullforce’d results of running Google + on iPad:

What looks & functions proper

  • Streams
  • Check-in
  • Posting
  • Huddle
  • Circles
  • Post views
  • Photo Lists
  • Photo view
  • Notifications

What doesn’t look or function proper

  • Main screen
  • Photo grids
  • About tab on profiles

What crashes:

  • Tapping the actions (delete,edit, etc) arrow

Multi-Touch & OEM built laptops

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Multi-touch touchpads are now quite common in machines now days but some OEM machine builders have chosen to disable them in order to sell newer/different models. For example my brand new Compaq Presario CQ62 has a multi-touch enabled Synaptics LuxPad v7.4 but the stock drivers don’t enable the support… in fact the options are there but are greyed out. Yet other models sold by hp ship with it enabled such as the HP Mini 110-3100 PC series.

I did some experimenting with the latest driver from the Synaptics site and low and behold the locked out features started working at the loss of the enable/disable hot corner. So far what I have noticed between the oem and generic driver installers is the items they install.

First off the oem hp driver only installs “Synaptics (Syn TP) Mouse” driver version 15.0.7.0 dated 02/04/2010. The Generic driver installs “Synaptics (Syn TP) Mouse” and “Synaptics (Hid Usb) HIDClass” drivers both are version 14.0.3.0 from 08/27/2009. My guess is that the HIDClass enables the multi-touch support on the laptop.

Now why install the full hardware support but install crippled driver software. Anyway for those who want to enable these features on their machine can download the driver from the Synaptics site and try it out… if your laptop has a modern synaptics touchpad odds are you got the hardware to support it but the driver may not enable it.

Tried this? Did it work or not work? Other thoughts? Leave a comment below.

MFi: Artificially crippling hardware

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I’m sure any owner of a iPod, iPhone, or iPad will have seen the “This accessory is not supported by i<Device here>” or “Charging is not supported with this accessory”. That there is the result of the MFi program. Hardware drm that decides if you can use your accessory or if you have to go to store and buy new one that is designed for your fancy new device.

Of course I’ve had my own fair share of dealing with this hell in my years to and im dam tired of it. When all I had was a 2nd gen iPod Nano 8gb I got a iPod speaker dock and it worked great until I got my 8gb 2nd gen iPod touch and I got the lovely “Charging is not supported with this accessory” when I plugged my shiny new iPod Touch in.

Now back on track… The whole idea of the MFi program is out there to encourage a active plugin accessory market for Apple’s mobile devices but it has some critical flaws. If you buy a accessory for a iPod Classic or any other legacy iPod odds are it won’t work on iPod Touch or iPhone and pretty well for sure not on iPad.

The whole protection in a nut shell is a hardware query that happens when you plug-in accessory. If the device is programmed to accept that MFI chip it will work but if it’s not made to support the MFi chip it puts up the famous error and it does not work.

Apple is allowing devices to be artificially crippled to force buying new and it gets even more confusing especially when It comes to the Apple made iPod radio remote… a great device that allowed controlling iPod from pocket and provided FM radio. On iOS devices you get the famous “This accessory is not supported by i<Device here>” and the accessory doesn’t work then.  I have been able to force it on newer devices  but it’s not easy. Only amp/volume worked on 2.x and on 3.0 and on all the buttons worked just no fm radio.

The really confusing part is the fact that all the control buttons magically started working 3.0 betas yet it still can’t be used. Sounds like they were planning on enabling it but changed their mind.

Over all I think the hardware chipping part of MFi needs to be ended and make it a sticker on box certification thing only. Stuff we buy shouldn’t be artificially crippled just because its  old. Of course we know that will never happen.

What’s your thoughts on the MFi program? Leave a comment below.