MacBook Air and Windows 8 Freezing

For the last couple of days, I've been trying to install and run Windows 8 on my MacBook Air. I use the word "trying" deliberately.

Windows would install just fine, so no problems there. It would also begin booting, but part way through the start up process (sometimes before the login screen, at login, or just slightly after) it would freeze. Not BSOD or an extended pause. It would just become unresponsive.

Initially I thought the install media had corrupted, so I recreated the install media with the Boot Camp Assistant. This was unsuccessful in resolving the freezing issue.After reading many articles linked from discussions.apple.com, another solution kept cropping up. Enabling a boot entry called disabledynamictick with the following command and rebooting;
bcdedit /set disabledynamictick yes
While initially promising, this was also unsuccessful.Other articles recommended some rather extreme measures in the search for stability. Potential solutions such as the installation of Hyper-V and experimental Intel video drivers. While hopeful, I couldn't begin the installation of Hyper-V or even an updated driver. There simply wasn't enough time between power on and freeze to be able to install a new driver, let alone Hyper-V.

Turns out, the solution was simpler than any of that.
The Power Plan!
By default, Windows 8 uses the Balanced power plan. Changing this to High Performance has (seeming) resolved the freezing issue.
Admittedly, because of the non-deterministic time to freeze, it did take three attempts to change the power plan.
With an uptime of 2 hours so far, as compared to the previous record of just under a minute, I would consider the issue resolved.

Ikea Hacked Monitor Stand

Materials:
1 x Capita Leg 16cm
1 x Ekby Järpen 119x29cm


Description:
I wanted a stand for my monitor, speakers and lamp. To fit all this, it needed to be at least 990mm wide. Not being able to find one that suited, I built one!
The inspiration came from this similar hack; http://www.ikeahackers.net/2012/01/12-monitor-stand.html.
The Capita Legs were new (costing $25). But the Ekby was found in the IKEA As Is section for $9! The materials totalled $34.

Sling Bag Upgrade

So after trying to fit my insulin kit, iPad and wallet in my small sling bag, I've decided to get something more suitable. Ideally, I want to get a sling bag suitable for holding an iPad, insulin kit, wallet and leatherman. Additionally, I would want have room for my DSLR (with an attached lens), an additional lens and one spare battery.

So far my research has yielded the  following three;

http://www.kata-bags.com/3n1-11-for-dslr-w-mid-range-zoom-lens-1-2-lenses-flash

The Kata 3N1-11 has the option of being left or right sling, as well as a backpack and its "X Position" (where the backpack straps cross across the chest). The DSLR compartment is very flexible in its configuration, and can be accessed from both sides. Reviews say that the laptop slot will technically fit an iPad, but that it is very snug. The top compartment is apparently roomy, but I think I would have trouble fitting anything other than my insulin kit.

http://goincase.com/products/detail/dslr-sling-pack-cl58058
The Incase DSLR Sling Pack is exactly what it says on the tin. A sling pack for DSLRs. And an iPad or Macbook Air. Only having a right hand sling does seem like a limitation at first, but it does mean the construction would be more solidly built around not having to support inverting it.

http://www.crumpler.com/AU/Camera-Bags/Camera-Backpacks/Enthusiast.html

With the Enthusiast, it feels like Crumpler built an amazing shoulder strap design, then attached a bag to it. The strap can also be reversed for left or right sholder mounting. The DSLR compartment is very simular to the Kata in its layout and ambidextrous access options.

At the moment, I'm leaning towards either the Incase or the Crumpler, motivated mostly by the thicker shoulder strap. But the Kata does have a more versatile set of strap configuration options.

Virgin MMS on Android

From http://ausdroid.net/apns/#virgin;

Virgin

Virgin – Internet & MMS

• Name: Virgin Internet
• APN: VirginInternet
• Proxy: 202.139.83.152
• Port: 8070
• Username:
• Password:
• Server:
• MMSC: http://mms.virginvibe.com.au:8002/
• MMS Proxy: 202.139.83.152
• MMS Port: 8070
• MCC: 505
• MNC: 02
• APN Type: default,supl

Google Apps Transition

Nelyx.net migration complete!

Google Help has a great many articles on completing the transfer, but not a single page that refers to all of these help articles. The blog linked below was a massive help, not just for the individual articles, but for the matrix at the end. It became a checklist for data I wanted to migrate. :)

http://travistubbs.net/series/google-apps-transition

Or straight to the matrix.
http://travistubbs.net/migration-migraines-the-google-apps-transition-services-matrix

Thanks to Mr Tubbs for documenting all this information in one place. :)

PSA: Conficker

Fuck you Conficker. Fuck you with a rake.
That is all.

Car2PC Text?

Installation of the Car2PC adapter went flawlessly.
There was a little bit of an issue removing my Ipod adapter (plugged into the EX port too) as the plug had been in there for over two years. But after a bit of fiddling, it came free, allowing me to plug in the headunit end of the Car2PC.

Success!

I ran Winamp on the EeePC, with the HUmp3 plugin that was supplied with the Car2PC, and I got sound from the car speakers!

More Success!

However, try as i may, initially, I could not control Winamp with the headunit controls. Next track and previous track did nothing. :(
I ran the grom_console application (also supplied with the Car2PC) to verify the commands coming out of the headunit. And sure enough, the headunit buttons were sending the expected signals ("NT", "PT", etc) but Winamp was not responsing to them.
Further research was required.

After a couple of days of reading the mp3car.com forums, I came across a reference to a piece of software called RoadRunner that can use the headunit via the Car2PC as a control source aswell as a text output. Turns out, RoadRunner is now called RideRunner (due to copyright) and is still available for download for free. Brilliant!

I installed RoadRunner on my EeePC along with Winamp, and set the configuration as per the documentation to support the car2PC. Then at 11pm, I wandered down to my car, plugged it in, and tested it.
I could load music into winamp, and then use the steering wheel buttons and the headunit buttons to control it.

Actual success this time!

Still not text though. Whats wrong? Is there a misconfiguration in the applications? Is there a problem with the Car2PC? Sadly, no. Everything is working as expected.
Further research led me to discover that the EX port on the MX5's headunit does not in fact support track information text being sent to it. Very frowney. :(