tonari no shibafu

Music (and data) flying all over the place

I spent entirely too much time on it today, but I finally got it so we can stream music to two different Airport Expresses. I've been wanting to liberate the living room speakers from their wired oppression for some time and Misa bought another airport the other day. Like most Apple products the setup was quick and easy, but the signal to the bedroom speakers kept dropping out when trying to stream to the living room ones simultaneously. I fixed the problem by doing a manual configuration and setting it up as a WDS network to support internet in the bedroom (damn cement buildings). Then, based on some online recommendations, I changed the multicast rates (the default is 2Mbps) to 11 - there's a Spinal Tap reference in there somewhere - on all of the Airports and it seems to have fixed the problem. For good measure I also made sure that interference robustness is being used.

On what seems to be track for fiber optic

The internet here is bad.

When it was first installed it was very fast; seemingly close to the maximum of 12 Mbps in Misa's plan. Over time it's become slower, and worse, the connection sometimes drops. After enjoying the steady-state and high speeds of fiber optic it has been a bitter pill indeed.

Things appear likely to improve before long. I hesitate to be jubilant as we were close before, but Misa has been doggedly assaulting the involved service providers' customer service blockades. It looks like for about ¥300/month I can keep my old email address even after the switch to the building's contractual provider.

So some time in the next month or so, the unstable SKYPE-ing should cease.

For those outside Japan:

Connection speeds are comparatively good here for the cost, but installation/modification of service tends to take a few weeks (at least).

New Printer

My old printer got damaged in the move and that was all the excuse I needed to buy a new one.

   

This is a big step up from the last which I bought about 6 years ago primarily for its speed at printing text. I've printed a few test photos and the quality seems good up to A4. I guess we have no excuse this year when it comes to 年賀状.

There seems to be a problem getting it to scan over the network connection, but since I do most scanning in batches it shouldn't be a problem to hook it directly to the laptop for those times. One bummer is that, as of now, the built-in wi-fi won't recognize the airport. There apparently is something called AOSS on many routers -- think different -- without which the wi-fi can't be set up properly. Oh, well.

Speedtest

The upload speed seems a bit off. I know I've gotten quite a bit faster than that before.
I wonder if the wireless has something to do with it.
Hmmn.

Finally

The guy's coming in about an hour to install my fiber optic connection. I may be offline for the next two hours or so.

Something to try next time I fly

A guy named Felix figured out a way to get free wifi at Atlanta's airport.

via Lifehacker

Cool stuff I've found...

...and need to get out of my newsreader.

Filedropper. Share files of up to 5 GB size for free.

How to burn multiple CDs at the same time with ITunes. (Of course you need multiple burners...)

Jump through files alphabetically regardless of sort order (mac).

Eye-Fi wireless memory card. How'd you like to have your pictures sent wirelessly to your computer as you take them. This would be great at house parties.

FuseCal. Online app to sync ICal based calendars. Perfect for finding time to work out with over-scheduled profs. on vacation.

Fontstruct. Create your own fonts.

Most of the above links go to the sites on which I found these neat things. I was to lazy to make a bunch of 'via X' links.

Wi-fi in Shinjuku

It seems that the cafe above the Journal Standard in Shinjuku now has free wi-fi...score.

Wi-fi trains

Wireless access will be coming to the Tsukuba express at the end of the month.  Too bad that it's for pay, but still that's better than nothing.  I hope this service comes to the shinkansen soon.

Wireless in the Springfield Bus Terminal

There is for-pay wireless through the McDonald's at the Springfield bus station ($2.95/2 hr when paying by credit card).

Interesting...

Another for the who knew category

There are only two ways to get from Boston to Amherst without a personal vehicle: by bus and by train.  As it turns out, there are no trains that run straight through to Western Mass.; you either have to take the train to Springfield (a verrry slow train) or go all the way to Nate's neck of the woods and then North from the Haven to Amherst.  Each of those legs is about 3 hours (not including 'layovers'), making it a 5+ hour trip to travel about 80 or 90 miles.  Grrr.  To make matters worse there are very few trains that go into Amherst, and so even if you're willing to sacrifice time for some small amount of comfort, you have to be at South Station by about 9:00 am.  I, of course, got here around 10:00.  The good thing is that the bus at this time of day will only take about 3 hours, but it's the bus.  Too much chance to be sitting next to so much bigger than their seat that they spillover into mine.

But, at least there is (for-pay) wireless to pass the time.

This is what Mr. D was talkin' bout

I am at Starbucks again in Sengawa and finally remembered to bring my earphones, so I can enjoy my pre-study coffee and listen to the NPR program stream at the same time.  Actually, the conversation switched topics from Democratic-Republican dynamics to talk about Katrina, but I find myself geographically and emotionally distant. 

Still it's nice to have as I try to organize my study plan for the day.  Wednesday is my free day.  No classes.  No part-time job.  No social engagements.

No worries.

Sengawa Wi-fi Revisited

I posted a while back about getting a wireless signal at the Starbucks in Sengawa.  Well, I am here again and am getting a much more powerful signal than I did last time by sitting out front.  My signal indicator shows full strength and it seems to be working well.

Totally psyched.

Comment management

I just realized that I haven't mentioned here that I have started managing the comments.  I'm taking my computer with me almost every day, but am still at the mercy of free and open hotspots so there will likely often be a lag between your posting and the comments actually showing up.  It's too bad that I don't really spend anytime in areas like Roppongi because according to Majed there are free hotspots all over. 

I remember seeing a sign for one when I went (for what reason I don't know) to Roppongi Hills.  Since I have to be in Ebisu by 1 pm, maybe I'll go past it this morning to Hiro or to Daikanyama and try to find a wired cafe.

Wireless in Nara

There is free wireless in the Kintetsu Nara station.  Right now Misa and I are at the Starbucks planning our day and waiting for my camera battery to charge.

We're gonna hit Todaiji, Kofukuji, and Kasuga Taisha I think.

Turns out that the room that we have here is much better than we needed.  However, the service is sweet and you do tend to get what you pay for.  Actually, when Nate came to our room, someone from downstairs escorted him, and then about 5mins. later they brought him some maccha.  Gotta like that.  Still, we could have gone for something a little more moderately priced and still been happy I think. 

Anyway, more updates later, and in the meantime I will upload the photos taken so far to Flickr.  They will be comprised of some shots from Ise Jingu, and then Horyuji and Yakushiji temple complexes.

Wireless in Hiratsuka

Thanks to Antipixel, another place with free wireless.

Gonna have to check it out.

Wireless in Sengawa

I am sitting in the Starbucks in Sengawa and am getting a weak wireless signal from somewhere. The network is unnamed, so I can't tell whether it is a personal or business network. Whatever it is, the response time is the slowest that I've had using my Airport card.