What went right today...


I always keep an eye for development boards, have Summer Students on paid internships. Getting projects for them this Summer more of a challenge. Picked 1 Board from this seller, it was great- then found out he listed 3 more. Bought them. Then he offered two more.
Everyone will be on the same memory page.

These were fairly expensive boards not long ago, over $150 or so as configured.
My Summer Students know how to program in assembly language before they start college.
 
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The seller contacted me, let me know he was throwing some spare USB cables in the box.

I replied with my Student's Email to me when I let him know the board had arrived. "Awesome, I’m excited to be able to try them out! "
 
I don't know the ins and outs of Time Machine, but any nightly backup also backs up any flaws (driver / system updates, accidental deletions, system updates that break other programs, etc); so a working offline backup can be a good safety net.

If it was configured that way from Apple I guess it's not an issue with SSDs or at least with the models they installed. The blacks I used use to give me an error every now and then requiring a rebuild, maybe every other year or so.

Actually Apple doesn't configure any RAID 0 computers from factory. This was a custom setup. So far my system has been humming like well-tuned engine, it's truly one of the smoothest computers I've ever owned. I'll probably upgrade to another Mac Mini later on and hand this one down to my daughter.

I also backup my photos manually on two separate hard drives, so I have some redundancy. If and when these drives go under, I believe I can do a clean install on a new RAID 0 configuration and do a custom data import so I don't bring over any miscellaneous/legacy data. Though I do run an app called CleanMyMac X which goes in and finds old settings and data that aren't in use and allows you to delete them safely.

When it comes to workflow OSes, I'm sticking to Apple. Saying that on the mobile side, I'm a bigger fan of Android mainly due to storage expansion. If Apple ever made an iPhone with a micro SD port, I'd switch in a heartbeat!
 
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I initially started the opposite thread ("What went wrong today ...") with a report of the storage disk I used for my images failing. Well, here's the thing: I was able to recover everything, thanks to a genuinely good piece of software (paid, for once). I've already backed up eveything for a first time and will created further backups over the next couple of days.

Sometimes, things work out - because apart from successfully rescuing all files, I think the new storage regime (lots of disks, lots of redundancy to be created over the next couple of weeks) is loads better than the old one, and easier to handle, too. Good things may arise from ashes ...

M.
 
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I initially started the opposite thread ("What went wrong today ...") with a report of the storage disk I used for my images failing. Well, here's the thing: I was able to recover everything, thanks to a genuinely good piece of software (paid, for once). I've already backed up eveything for a first time and will created further backups over the next couple of days.

Sometimes, things work out - because apart from successfully rescuing all files, I think the new storage regime (lots of disks, lots of redundancy to be created over the next couple of weeks) is loads better than the old one, and easier to handle, too. Good things may arise from ashes ...

M.
Which software did you buy, Matt?
 
Which software did you buy, Matt?
LSoft Technologies - Data Security, Data Backup, Data Recovery, Industrial Solutions
^ this stuff, the "everything" package ($70) ... not only recovery, but also some very handy tools for making bootable disks and images ...

I tried a couple of other solutions, but they were for experts only, which I am clearly not (I mean, I can actually "dd" my way out of tight spots, but if the disk is unreadable by common means, I'm no longer competent enough, and nowadays, I lack the time to absorb man pages ...). The beauty of this software that the one-click recovery tool just works. I have everything fully backed up already (though I will pull another backup over to the NAS in the coming days). The new disks are running smoothly, and I really shouldn't run out of space in the foreseeable future ... 18T on the table (16T up and running, 2T in reserve), 3T in the closet (1T in rotation at the moment, pending delivery of the last housing), 9T under the table ... multiple redundancies to minimise data loss probabilities. And it's a lot faster than it was, too.

M.
 
I wish Leica would release the source code for the M8. I'd have uncompressed DNG files be the standard.

And if the Screen failed- would find a replacement.

I picked up a TFT screen for $11 on Ebay, and an ARM based development board for it. The TFT came with example code, using an undocumented file format for displaying images on the screen. Nothing that Fortran cannot be used to beat. I added a routine to my DNG processor for the M Monochrom to make thumbnails of the files as the Gamma curve is applied, and patch into the file used by the TFT board.
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I wish Leica would release the source code for the M8. I'd have uncompressed DNG files be the standard.

And if the Screen failed- would find a replacement.

I picked up a TFT screen for $11 on Ebay, and an ARM based development board for it. The TFT came with example code, using an undocumented file format for displaying images on the screen. Nothing that Fortran cannot be used to beat. I added a routine to my DNG processor for the M Monochrom to make thumbnails of the files as the Gamma curve is applied, and patch into the file used by the TFT board.View attachment 224739View attachment 224740View attachment 224741
over.my.head!
 
Started out the morning with an early bike ride, getting in a bit over 11 miles before 0800. Weather was mild, and the park had surprisingly few people in it. I was the only one there for the first 30 minutes. Here's the sun just hitting a Walnut tree along my path:

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What a ride ... Well, I managed to finally finish and optimise the display situation in the living room (which involved troubleshooting the computer concerned - and some rearranging of screen and furniture) - and in between went and fetched the two new Fuji lenses. Quite a day already ... :2thumbs:

The key components are the 4K monitor formerly haunting my office desk and a tiny computer; a new small side table with wheels houses all the stuff that's complementing the setup, including the subwoofer. I replaced the monitor's foot that was simply too high (and offered next to no adjustment options apart from tilt) by a crane - it (only!) blocks the fourth place at my dinner table, but in all honesty, that's hardly ever occupied anyway, what with the limited space available an all, and anyway, the whole installation is easy enough to remove in a pinch. From the front, hardly any of the more messy things, like numerous cables, are visible (the one that is an HDMI cable that'd allow me to attach a laptop as a source). Sufficiently neat to really please me - and a huge step forward. Lockdown has made me truely appreciate good ergonomics as well as big screens ...

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(Excuse the hasty shot - I was too lazy to wait for better conditions with less backlighting; I want to go out and shoot my new lenses now :))

M.
 
What a ride ... Well, I managed to finally finish and optimise the display situation in the living room (which involved troubleshooting the computer concerned - and some rearranging of screen and furniture) - and in between went and fetched the two new Fuji lenses. Quite a day already ... :2thumbs:

The key components are the 4K monitor formerly haunting my office desk and a tiny computer; a new small side table with wheels houses all the stuff that's complementing the setup, including the subwoofer. I replaced the monitor's foot that was simply too high (and offered next to no adjustment options apart from tilt) by a crane - it (only!) blocks the fourth place at my dinner table, but in all honesty, that's hardly ever occupied anyway, what with the limited space available an all, and anyway, the whole installation is easy enough to remove in a pinch. From the front, hardly any of the more messy things, like numerous cables, are visible (the one that is an HDMI cable that'd allow me to attach a laptop as a source). Sufficiently neat to really please me - and a huge step forward. Lockdown has made me truely appreciate good ergonomics as well as big screens ...

View attachment 228192

(Excuse the hasty shot - I was too lazy to wait for better conditions with less backlighting; I want to go out and shoot my new lenses now :))

M.
That looks so neat and tidy, Matt. I wish I could discipline myself to have a workspace so efficient, but I tend to accumulate clutter too easily. Even when I do the work of seriously cleaning up my work area, it doesn't stay that way long.
 
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