Thursday, May 12, 2016

Subaru Liberty MY15 - how to keep radio etc on after turning engine off


  • An irritating issue, with a simple, but poorly documented fix
    • Come to a standstill
    • Depress foot break and maintain this
    • Put electric parking brake on 
      • I have it set to auto

    • Put gear in Neutral ("N")

    • Press the Start/Stop push-button once
      • Car engine should top, but electrics should remain on
        • Radio etc should stay on


Saturday, January 3, 2015

Why Can't I Copy Multiple Files From One Portable Hard Drive to Another on my MacBook?

Usually the issue is one of the three problem-types below


1. External storage devices permissions not allowing Read and Write sharing
     -> need to reset permissions
          -> run Disk Utility
               -> check First Aid tab

2. File system disparity could lead to two particular problems
     - Cluster disparity between external device and Mac
          -> storage space wasted
     - Files over a certain size cant be transferred
             e.g. MS-DOS FAT 32 is limited to files  <=4GB
     -> run Disk Utility
          -> check First Aid tab --> check file system

3. Either Mac or external device may be infected with a virus or worm etc.
     -> Run antivirus e.g. Trend Micro, Norton or Kaspersky


However, for problems 1. and 2., often the only way to reset permissions, to allow both Read and Write, is to
     -> run Disk Utility
          -> check Erase tab
               (1) Back up the data to be transferred 
                    (can take time and be frustrating, but must be done)
               (2) Set file system to ExFAT
               (3) Erase data on external drive and reformat
-> should be able to Read and Write
     -> transfer backed-up data to original location

Monday, December 29, 2014

Lamy Pens - Safari vs Al-Star brands

Recently rediscovered enjoyment in writing with a fountain pen.

Stumbled across Lamy brand of pens, which includes fountain pens, ball point pens and rollerball pens.

Sub-brands incl some of the most favourite Lamy writing products.

I have a blue Lamy Safari fountain pen and a yellow Lamy Safari rollerball pen.
Both are light in the hand, but very smooth on the paper and not just that designed primarily for fountain pens.

Noticed another brand "Al-Star"
Seemed no difference other than increased price vs Safari brand
What seems to be distinguishing factor is make-up of the barrel

  • Lamy Safari = plastic 
  • Lamy Al-Star = aluminium (a bit heavier, but perhaps a little more sophisticated
The branding seems to differ a little too
  • Safari brand seems in large part targeted at young kids, who are fairly new to writing and have never encountered a fountain pen, but the pens have been around for number of decades and should suit all types!
  • Al-Star brand perhaps => cool sophisticates ... 
The main difference in appearance is Safari pens have a consistent colour over the barrel etc
The lower 1/3 of the Al-Star pens is black

Lamy Safari v sturdy and dependable in terms of structure and function
Would expect the same for Al-Star


For all things pen, always helpful @http://www.fieldnotesblog.com.au/2012/03/ballpoint-vs-rollerball-pens.html


Ballpoint Pen vs Rollerball Pen

Essentially

- mechanically, they are the same,  with each using a ball point mechanism


- but
-- rollerball uses a thin/watery ink - smooth; fountain pen-like on paper; vivid > ballpoint; more likely to smudge

-- ballpoint uses a more viscous/oil-based/gel-type ink - thicker lines; smudging < rollerball (dries more quickly)
---- may require more effort/pressure-on-paper from writer



For all things pen, always helpful @http://www.fieldnotesblog.com.au/2012/03/ballpoint-vs-rollerball-pens.html

Monday, October 6, 2014

Fountain Pen --> steel vs gold nib?!

So
You made the decision to buy an up-market fountain pen to extract enjoyment from writing and to inject a little hard & soft flare into your day ...

Now, you're hit with one of history's age-old dilemmas ... steel or gold nib?!






Essentially
- for modern writing styles => stainless steel [SS} nib (good quality steel nibs ... German)
gold nib
-- more expensive
-- but it is flexible vs SS and this gives it certain properties that could be beneficial
--- "flex" (added downward pressure on nib --> variation in thickness of lines through variable separation of the nib's tines)
--- malleability----> may adjust to your writing style -> even smoother application of ink on paper
(but ?don't share gold nib fountain pen as this benefit could be lost)
Interesting article @Edison Pen Co.
http://edisonpen.com/page.cfm/In-Praise-of-Steel-Nibs





NB:
Most solid gold pen nibs are @14K



Look out:
Gold plating is not the same of solid gold
You only get the gold nib benefits with solid gold
But gold plating can add some visual flare to the pen



After a few hours of desktop research
I decided to buy a fountain pen made by German company Diplomat: the so-called Diplomat Excellence A

The Excellence A comes in a variety of colour and metal options, including the classics Black and Silver or Black and Gold (these represent the entry-level models in the A range)


Different color and texture combinations -> higher prices


Specifically, I have ordered the 

"Diplomat Excellence A Marakesh - Gloss Brown with Chrome Trim - medium SS nib"

Once I have become used to the SS nib, I'll be able to judge whether a gold nib could be better, in which case I should be able to buy a separate gold nib 'unit', designed by Diplomat to be screwed in as part of the end of the pen --> avoid the potentially messy and frustrating process of replacing just the nib itself ...


NB: Excellence B range of fountain pens - just a little shorter/smaller overall compared to the As



For all things pen, always helpful @http://www.fieldnotesblog.com.au/2012/03/ballpoint-vs-rollerball-pens.html

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Pancake or Crepe?

Crepes do not contain baking powder or baking soda for leavening

Monday, March 18, 2013

Using compression techniques in mixing

How to interpret terms used here:
Make . create sound channels (an instrument; drum rack; noise; vocals; voice ...)
Mix . sound channels to create track/song
Master . tracks to create album/project

My understanding/conceptualisation of compression

Compression is a form of manipulation for the dynamic range
. dynamic range refers to the difference between the loudest and quietest sounds

Compression can help
. create interesting sounds (make)
. mix sounds to make a track (mix)
. Provide consistency in an album/project (master)

Compression
. consider in terms of compartments for particular instruments or timbres in a track
. .send/return could help apply the same effect/compression to >=2 sound channels
. uncompressed, sounds could be too harsh, unclear or cluttered/too central
.. compression facilitates a clearer mixing of sounds in terms of time (arrangement) and space (stereo imaging)

I'm not an expert, but Deadmau5 makes some good tunes and I agree with him
. my take on his attitude to compression is that it sounds better if you "compress as you go", rather than "compressing everything" at the end of the work cycle, be that in the mix or in mastering
. else, you run the risk of producing "sausages" or loud, boring stuff
==> play with the dynamics, don't destroy them

Compression can also
. make your tracks seem louder => "perceptual loudness"
.. how loud a track seems depends on the average or sustained loudness (volume)
... compression flattens out peaks and troughs and can give impression of increased volume
e.g. adverts on TV often use compression --> they seem much louder than they really are!
.. it's often used by radio stations to present a more consistent character of sound