Events

My Windows 7 Book Giveaway Results

Andrew Edney

-

Nov 1, 2009

Last week I announced that my Windows 7 book had been released and to celebrate (!) I was going to give away 3 copies to you lucky (or should that be unlucky) readers 🙂

Well, the 3 winners are as follows:

Rhymemaker

Tegguy

Served

Congratulations guys, I will be in touch to get your shipping details and they will be in the post in the next few days (depending on anymore postal strikes)!

For those of you who didn’t win, you can order my Windows 7 book – Windows 7 Tweaks, Tips and Tricks from Amazon and buy it in all good bookshops.

Stay tuned for more great giveaways here at Using Windows Home Server.

The Home Server Show 62 Out Now

Windows Home Server

Andrew Edney

-

Oct 31, 2009

0

Dave over at the Home Server Show Podcast has just released episode 62.

Dave says:

I’m back this week for a fun topic. This week we talk about how to make a Home Server out of an old PC. I also have a listener roundtable that I recorded at my Windows 7 Launch Party.

If you are a blogger and you would like some more exposure to your articles visit GeekGazette.net.

MyMovies 3

MissingRemote.com review of MyMovies

The Before you Build Checklist – This is also available on the main page under popular posts.

Podcast List has been cleaned up. – This is also available on the main page under popular posts.

Thank you goes out to connecteddigitalworld.com and Perfect Disk. I am a winner!

We have been using twitter a lot lately. @schooltechtv had a hard drive issue and looks like it is solved!

Click here to choose your listening options for the podcast.

And congratulations to you Dave on winning one of our giveaways – and very glad to hear that you received it from us 🙂

Windows Home Server Article on Lifehacker

Windows Home Server

Andrew Edney

-

Oct 29, 2009

1

There is a new article just been posted on the Lifehacker website on Windows Home Server. The article is called Set Up Windows Home Server to Automate Your Backups and Corral Your Media.

For those of you who don’t know what the Lifehacker website is, it is a collection of really useful articles, tips and more on a whole host of different topics designed to make your life easier!

To read the article, click here.

Thanks to Duane for the heads up on the article and thanks to Lifehacker for mentioning Using Windows Home Server 🙂

The Media Center Show Podcast with Me

Andrew Edney

-

Oct 29, 2009

0

My friend and fellow MVP Ian Dixon has released this weeks Media Center Show podcast.

This is what Ian says about this weeks show:

This week Window author and Windows Home Server MVP Andrew Edney joins me to give us an update on the Windows Home Server world including the latest hardware from HP and Lenovo and an update on Power Pack 3. Plus Andrew talks about Windows 7 and his new Windows 7 book!

Yep, I am on it again, and in fact Ian has named the show after me this week – thanks mate 🙂

Click here to listen to it.

Hello Kitty and Her Connected Home

Andrew Edney

-

Oct 28, 2009

0

Fellow MVP Yoshihiro Okabe has posted some pictures on his blog that he took at the ITPro Expo 2009 in Japan.

Yoshi was kind enough to give me a Windows Home Server Hello Kitty back in March at the MVP Summit in Seattle.

The pictures show Hello Kitty’s connected home – with her Acer Aspire H340 Windows Home Server, her Windows 7 computer, her Xbox 360, her laptop and her cool flat screen tv. Basically everything a Hello Kitty needs to be connected in the 21st Century.

The Dolls House she has is very cool, I would love one of those, purely for IT reasons, although I am certain my friend Abi would want it more. Well, she is 6!

Thanks to Yoshi for the pictures on his blog.

Activating Windows 7 Internet TV and Mapping Movies to Windows Home Server on a Friday night

Timothy Daleo

-

Oct 28, 2009

37

I have completed my installation of Windows 7 and am looking forward to using the new Windows Media Center. This week I will walk through the process of enabling Internet TV from within Windows Media Center and show a quick mapping of a Windows Home Server folder to enable viewing of my existing movies.

Background

I have been waiting for Windows 7 for quite some time in hopes that the new Windows Media Center would have enhanced TV tuner capabilities. With the official Windows 7 release date confirmed, I was very excited and looking forward to October 22. After work on Thursday the 22nd I purchased a family 3-pack of Windows 7 from Costco and then went home to await the “Friday Upgrade Day” event I had planned in my head. zzzzzzz

Friday morning arrived to my wife leaving for a day out with her Mom and leaving me to upgrade three of our six PC to Windows 7 Premium. Very exciting. Good times. Seriously.

After I made a final Vista backup of my garage HTPC to Windows Home Server I was ready for my first upgrade. After two hours of DVD spinning and fan blowing my Dell Inspiron 537 was ready for prime time. Oh wait, it wasn’t. This is the second day after release and there were some updates already? Well I am almost ready for prime time. Ugh.

After some Windows Update action my 64 bit PC was now running Windows 7 and I was ready to rock the WMC. I opened WMC for the first time and I got this screen:

Where was the Internet TV I have heard so much about? Where was my additional stuff? Oh, I have to enable it? Where did it mention that? Did I miss the memo?

The Internet TV option is not available by default on the Windows 7 installation since I did not have a TV tuner connected. Now logically I thought that since Internet TV is through the Internet, why would I need a TV tuner to enable it. Anyway, maybe it is just my system issue and I should write this article to vent.

Let me walk you through the process. Ugh. Lets set the pig on fire.

UPDATE: As I was posting Eric put up a response: “Actually, you do not need a tv tuner to enable internet tv. Just go to settings>general>Automatic download options>Download now. This will add the internet tv option to the WMC start menu, then follow the same steps to activate it.” I am out of town and on my work PC so I do not have the ability it to check it out. I trust you Eric!

Equipment Needed

Windows 7 PC with Windows Media Center
USB TV Tuner with antenna (can be from another PC if you do not want to leave it on this PC)
2 Beers (optional as always)

Internet TV Enable Process – USB TV Tuner Connection

The first step is to connect a USB TV tuner (and antenna) to the PC you want to enable. I only have one tuner at this time so I will temporarily remove the USB TV tuner from my Dell Studio and put it on this PC so I can enable the Internet TV. After I connect the USB TV tuner Windows 7 does a great job of finding the right driver for the USB TV tuner and I am good to go.

Now that I have a TV tuner connected I will open WMC and use the “live tv setup” option to temporarily set up the tuner.

I have SKIPPED A FEW STEPS HERE FOR BREVITY but just follow the prompts for the Guide and Zip Code data and you will be fine.

Update PlayReady? I agree, install, whatever…lets go!

I configure the antenna for my local channels as part of the process. If you are going to disconnect the TV tuner then uncheck all but one station. I want to see how this antenna works so I will let it run through the signal process. This screen shot is with the garage door closed:

This is with the garage door open. Make sure you play with the antenna to get the best signal. I live in Azusa up near the mountains and some of the signals are crap.

Ok, now that the TV tuner is set up I should be ready for prime time. I click on Finish.

UPDATE: As I was posting Eric put up a response: “Actually, you do not need a tv tuner to enable internet tv. Just go to settings>general>Automatic download options>Download now. This will add the internet tv option to the WMC start menu, then follow the same steps to activate it.” I am out of town and on my work PC so I do not have the ability it to check it out. I trust you Eric!

Viewing Internet TV

In Window Media Center I can now see that Internet TV is ready! I can also see that the Guide and Search functions are now listed in support of the live tv option that is still connected via antenna to this PC. Lets try out some over the air TV.

This first check is for the live tv I just installed. Here is a screen shot of the first channel over antenna. Damn is that clear. I love HD. Nice menus. I love WMC. I love WHS. Seriously.

Now, lets check out the INTERNET TV! I agree, install, whatever…lets go!

Download away. I agree, install, whatever…lets go!

Look at all the wonderful channels. Oh, Netflix is there. Sweet. I will try that first.

Netflix should be cool. I agree, install, whatever…lets go!

My movies are there. I love it already. I use Roku in the living room and this will be perfect for the garage and other Windows 7 PCs in the house! Dude!

I am also checking out some of the other channels. This shot is from the CBS menu for CSI. I wonder how the picture is going to look. Lets play it!

More software to install? Adobe Flash? Something tells me this is not going to be HD. I agree, install, whatever…lets go!

This is a snap shot from the opening credits. Not too bad for Flash.

Recorded TV already stored on Windows Home Server

Are my existing TV recordings there? Of course they are since WHS keeps them safe and warm. About 108° actually.

Movies already stored on Windows Home Server

To complete this set up of Windows Media Center I want to map to the folder where I keep my movies to this WMC PC. I click on movie library.

Mental Note: How come some of these titles are in lower case? WTF?

Follow the prompts to Add folders to your library.

The folders I want to add are on my WHS.

There you are sweetheart. Show me your goodies.

I keep all my movies in one folder to make mapping easier. Find your, click on Next and you are all done.

Conclusion

Overall I am very happy with the new Windows Media Center. I do not know why you would need to connect an actual TV tuner to enable the Internet TV function but I am glad that I had one I could temporarily use. In addition, I am sure Windows 7 has some other nice improvements over Vista that I will explore over the coming months but I am really just upgrading for the new WMC experience.

I hope this article has helped some of you explore the new Windows Media Center.

See you next Friday night,

Timothy Daleo

In-depth Review of the HP X510 Data Vault Windows Home Server

Andrew Edney

-

Oct 27, 2009

16

HP have released a number of Windows Home Servers over the last 2 years since Windows Home Server was launched. Now comes a Windows Home Server from HP that is aimed at the business user instead of the home user.

SPECIFICATIONS

The X510 Data Vault Specification is as follows:

Processor : Intel Pentium Dual Core 2.5Ghz

Memory : 2GB DDR2

Capacity included : either 1 TB, 1.5 TB or 2 TB depending on the model

Open Bays : 2 or 3 depending on the model

Ports : 4 USB and 1 eSATA

Dimensions (inches) : 5.5 x 9.8 x 9.2

And those of you out there that want to use the eSATA port as a port multiplier will be happy to hear that HP have re-enabled it after the EX48x series only allowed connection of a single eSATA drive to the port! Good job HP, again, good listening to your customers feedback.

THE OBLIGITORY BOX SHOT

For those of you out there that love the shots of the box – yes, you know who you are, here it is. You will notice that the X510 box is a plain brown affair, instead of the usual black with coloured graphics. Personally I think this is more to do with businesses expecting plain packaging and not pretty colours and graphics.

WHATS IN THE BOX?

The contents of the box are very well packaged, you can simply lift out the X510 without any fuss. The box itself contains the X510, an Ethernet cable, a power cable, 3 software DVDs and the usual HP Setup Poster to get you going.

A LOOK AT THE X510 DATA VAULT

The X510 has the same look and feel as the previous HP MediaSmart servers – its small, sleek, a nice shiny black and it opens at the front to review the 4 disk drive bays.

INSTALLING THE SOFTWARE

Installing the software is just the same as on any other Windows Home Server – you just install the software on one of your network connected computers and just follow the steps. For those of you who like screenshots, here is a step by step through the installation process.

CONFIGURING YOUR WINDOWS HOME SERVER

As with the installation, the configuration steps are just the same – just walk through the questions and you will be ready to go. Notice that the default name for the X510 is HPSTORAGE. Again, here are the screenshot walkthroughs for those of you who are interested.

STARTING YOUR WINDOWS HOME SERVER FOR THE FIRST TIME

The first time you launch the Windows Home Server Connector the software will check to see if there are any HP specific updates that you might need. Given that the X510 has only been available a couple of weeks it was a bit of a surprise to see an update already.

THE WINDOWS HOME SERVER CONSOLE

This is where things get interesting and are different to what HP have done in the past. You will notice a whole new look and feel to the HP elements of the Windows Home Server Console including a Tour option that enables you to click on elements to see what they are and do. I really like this new look and feel and in my opinion will make it so much easier for those new users to get to grips with the Home Server in no time at all.

THE USUAL WINDOWS HOME SERVER CONSOLE STUFF

And here are the screenshots of the usual Windows Home Server Console elements.

HP DATA VAULT 3.0 UPDATE 1

I noticed that the Windows Home Server Connector software did not automatically update with the HP Data Vault 3.0 Update 1 package. I also noticed that I had a connection error with the HP Media Collector, but the Home Network Health information screen had advised me that the version of the software installed on my computer wasn’t compatible with the server and that I should uninstall and reinstall – which I did and it corrected the problem. For those of you interested, my computer OS is the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Ultimate. This is the same issue I had with the HP MediaSmart EX495, but then as they are pretty much the same bit of kit it is not surprising.

CONCLUSION

So, what do I think? Well, regular readers will know that I am a big fan of the HP MediaSmart Servers and the X510 is no exception. Yeah, I know that is the same thing I wrote about the EX495 for you eagle eyed readers, but it is in essence the same device, only aimed at businesses.

It is really quiet – now of course it only has a single drive in it out of the box but if you were to add some of the green quiet drives to it, this should help keep the noise down.

It is really good to see the eSATA port re-enabled as a port multiplier – so well done HP!

The new look and feel in the Windows Home Server is very intuitive and it is very easy to find what you are looking for. I know I am used to the console having used Windows Home Server now for nearly 3 years, but I honestly believe HP have done a lot to make it easier for those new users to find what they are looking for and also to guide them through doing whatever it is that they need to do.

So, why would you buy the X510 and not the EX495? Well for a start, if you were in the UK, you cannot get the EX495 but you can buy the X510. So there is probably the single biggest reason for buying it!

The software and hardware is exactly the same, the only difference is the Data Vault tab instead of the MediaSmart tab.

Basically this is a great Windows Home Server and you really can’t go wrong buying one!

List pricing for the UK is as follows:

(1 TB) £419.79

(2 TB) £516.34

(3 TB) £599.95

For the US market the prices are starting from $699 for the 1 TB and peaking at $999 for the 3 TB model.

Review of the Xtreamer Cooler – the XSC

Reviews
Tech

Andrew Edney

-

Oct 27, 2009

7

Regular readers will know that I am a big fan (no pun intended) of the Xtreamer media streamer. Take a look at the following articles for a review of the Xtreamer and other things:

https://moviesgamesandtech.com/2009/09/13/review-of-the-xtreamer/

https://moviesgamesandtech.com/2009/09/29/xtreamer-media-streamer-firmware-update-available/

Well a constant complaint from people about the Xtreamer is the noise that the fan makes. While I didn’t think it was that bad, I could also understand why people were not happy.

So step in Tranquil PC here in the UK, who are the UK distributor for the Xtreamer, and they have developed a cooler for the Xtreamer, called the XSC, that makes the Xtreamer silent, YES, silent!

Mine arrived today in a little tiny box and contains the cooler, a small thing of paste and the instructions.

Make sure you read all the instructions before beginning, it only takes a moment!

The first task is to remove the side of the Xtreamer. This involves using a small flat head screwdriver or a knife and gently prying off the side. It took me a few minutes to do this, and in fact I actually slipped and scratched the side of my Xtreamer, that will teach me!

Then you just pry off the existing heatsink to reveal the chip underneath.

This is where the instructions are a little off. What do I mean? Well, there is a diagram of the heatsink which shows it as a square – well as you can see above its not, so people might be confused.

The next job is to put some paste on the chip and spread it. Again, the instructions are not very clear as they state “apply a small amount… to the top of the chip…. it will spread out when the XSC is fitted, so spread it out over the surface…”. I get what they meant but one part of the sentence says it will be spread out for you and the other says to do it yourself. Again, not a big deal but not as clear as it could be for those users who are not sure.

Then its just a case of fitting the cooler on the side and you are done.

One important thing to note, when you switch on the Xtreamer for the first time after fitting the cooler, make sure you go to the Settings menu and turn OFF the fan, otherwise it will still be on.

FINAL THOUGHTS

It was very easy to fit, only really took a few moments, and more importantly it works!

It costs a whole £10.43 (plus VAT) and can be ordered from here.

So what are you waiting for? If you own an Xtreamer, get one of these today.

Review of the Powermat Wireless Charging System

Reviews
Tech

Andrew Edney

-

Oct 25, 2009

7

Earlier this week I went along to the UK press launch of the Powermat wireless charging system. Now I saw this at CES in Las Vegas back in January of this year, but now it is finally coming out.

Using wireless energy transfer, Powermat pairs an ultra-thin mat with a receiver that connects to your device. All you then have to do is place your device on the Powermat and it will begin charging. You can charge up to three devices at the same time on the Powermat and the same amount of power is used for three devices as is for one device. And even better is that the devices are charged at the same speed they would have been with their own charges, and in fact sometimes even faster! So for those of us with multiple devices that always seem to be needing a charge both quickly and at the same time this is a great feature.

As you can see from the third picture above, the iPhone receiver when attached to the iPhone really doesn’t make it much bigger, and it also acts as a protective case, and it only adds a little bit of extra weight. Although you don’t have to leave it on the iPhone all the time if you don’t want to!

You can add a fourth device for charging via a USB cable as well.

There are two different versions of the Powermat – the Powermat Home and Office and the Powermat Portable. The Powermat Portable folds up to be less than 10cm by 10cm by 3.5cm making it very small and easy to carry around with you – and it even comes with a cool carry case that is magnetically sealed! The case also contains three different plug ends for the power cable which means you can use it in other countries without the need of buying another adaptor – so well done Powermat!

As I mentioned earlier, you use a receiver for the device you want to charge. Currently there are receivers for the iPhone, iPods, Blackberry and Nintendo DS Lite and DSi devices. There is also something called the Powermat Powercube which comes with 8 different tips including mini USB connectors that connect to devices such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson mobile phones and even the PSP!

So How Does it Work?

For those of you who might want to know exactly how the Powermat works carry on reading.

Inductive coupling transfers energy via a magnetic field from a charging circuit inside the mat to another charge circuit in the receiver which is embedded in, or attached to, the device. The uniqueness of the Powermat technology lies in its intelligent power management features.

When the mat and the device are in immediate proximity, an RFID “handshake process” evokes to identify:

if there is a valid connection between the mat and the device
the amount of power required, and its existing level of stored batter power
which component in the mat should be activated to transfer the required power.

Then and only then does the transfer of electricity begin.

The connection is monitored at all times and the power transmission will cease once the connection is broken.

Final Thoughts

I love the Powermat, it works very well, is small and is very easy to use.

I like the reassuring sound you get when you place a device on the mat, plus that slight pull as the magnets kick in!

A nice feature of the mat is the charging lights. When you place a device on the mat, a light comes on to show it is connected and charging, when the charging is complete the light goes off. Nothing revolutionary here but its a nice feature that shows you quickly and easily the charging status of any of the devices on the mat.

Price wise the charging receivers are on par with that of a charger for the device in question.

If you travel a lot, and carry a few devices around with you then this is certainly a must for you. Mine is going to go with me from now on.

Pricing an Availability

Here in the UK the range of Powermat products will be launched next week on the 30th October and will be available from The Carphone Warehouse, Amazon and John Lewis, with more retailers expected later on.

Pricing is as follows:

Home and Office Powermat	£69.99
Portable Powermat	£79.99
Powercube including 8 tips (micro USB, Nokia 2mm, SE, Samsung, LG, Nintendo DS Lite, Nintendo DSi, Sony PSP)	£29.99
Apple iPhone	£34.99
Apple iPod Touch	£34.99
Apple Dock	£34.99
Blackberry Bold	£29.99
Blackberry Curve 8900, 8300, 8310, 8320, 8330, 8350i	£29.99
Blackberry Pearl 8110, 8120, 8130	£29.99
Nintendo DS and DSi	£29.99

You can also buy this in the US – both the Home and Office Powermat and the Portable Powermat retail for $99.99 from Amazon.

Review of the ASUS SDR-08D1S-U Portable External DVD Rewriter

Andrew Edney

-

Oct 24, 2009

1

ASUS produce a lot of laptops, netbooks and various other bits of kit, and now they have released a new portable external DVD rewriter known as the SDR-08D1S-U (quite a mouthful).

External DVD rewriters are really useful if your computer doesn’t have a DVD drive. Most desktop computers have one, but most netbooks (in fact you could pretty much say ALL netbooks) don’t have one and if you have a Windows Home Server from someone like Acer or HP then you won’t have a DVD drive either. This can often cause problems when it comes to installing new software, backing up your files, or even just watching movies and listening to music.

WHATS IN THE BOX?

The box is quite small and is very well packaged. It contains the drive, a stand, a software DVD, some instructions and a USB cable for connecting to your computer. The cable has two USB connectors on it in case your computer doesn’t provide enough power from a single USB port to power the drive, but on the desktop, notebook and netbook I tried the drive on a single USB port was sufficient. This is certainly better than having to carry around another power supply!

It comes in either black or white – in the case of this review I have the black one!

There is a stand that comes in the box to fit to the drive – it is just a simple case of removing a rubber cover from the back of the drive and then just slotting in the stand. It certainly makes it look nice and takes up less room than having it laying on it’s side.

SPECIFICATIONS

Write Speed
DVD-R? 8X
DVD-RW? 6X
DVD+R? 8X
DVD+RW? 8X
DVD+R(DL)? 6X
DVD-R (DL)? 6X
CD-R? 24X
CD-RW? 16X
DVD-RAM? 5X

Read Speed
DVD-R(Single): 8 X max.
DVD-RW(single): 8 X max.
DVD+R(Single): 8 X max.
DVD+RW(single): 8 X max.
DVD-R(DL): 6 X max.
DVD+R(DL): 6 X max.
DVD-ROM (Single): 8 X max.
DVD-ROM (Dual): 8 X max.
CD-ROM: 24 X max.
CD-RW: 24 X max.
CD-R: 24 X max.

Access time
DVD: 160 MS
CD: 140 MS

Writing Mode
DVD-R & DVD-R(DL)? DAO(Disc-At-Once)/Incremental Recording (Multi-Border Recording)
DVD-RW & DVD-RW (DL)? DAO(Disc-At-Once)/Restricted Overwriting/Incremental Recording (Multi-Border Recording)
DVD+R & DVD+R (DL)? Sequential Recording (Multi-Session Recording)
DVD+RW & DVD+RW (DL)? Random Recording
CD-R/RW? DAO(Disc-At-Once)/TAO(Track-At-Once)/SAO(Session-At-Once)/Packet Recording (Multi-Session Recording)

O/S Compatibility
Windows 2000
Windows NT
XP compatible
Vista compatible

Interface
USB2.0

Data Buffer
2 MB

Bundle Software
Cyberlink

Disc Formats
Write: DVD+/-RW,DVD+/-R,CD-R,CD-RW,DVD-RAM
Read: DVD-ROM,DVD+/-RW,DVD+/-R,Photo CD,Video CD,CD-DA,CD-Extra,CD-Text,CD-R,CD-RW,DVD-RAM

Disc Diameters
12cm/8cm

MTBF
60,000 Power On Hours
Operating Duty Cycle (Read) 10 % POH
Operating Duty Cycle (Write) 2 % POH

MTTR
30 Minutes

Mounting Orientation
Vertical and Horizontal ? +5 ° ~ -5 °?

Dimension (W x H x D)
156.4×140.8×21 mm (W x D x H)

Weight
412 g

Power Requirements
DC+5V ±5%,DC+12V ±10 %

Temperature
Operating: 0? to 40?
Storage: -30? to 60?

Humidity
Operating: 15% ~ 85% (Non-condensing)
Storage: 10% ~ 90% (Non-condensing)

Vibration
Operating: 0.2 G peak (at 10~500 Hz)
Storage: 1 G peak (at 10~500 Hz)

CYBERLINK DVD SUITE

The software that comes with the unit doesn’t need to be installed if you just wanted to use it as either a reader or if you want to use other software to write to it, however the software is good, and includes a firmware updater and also some software to increase the performance of the USB connection.

Choosing to update the firmware was easy – although at this time the drive ships with the latest available firmware so there was nothing to update, but you get the idea of how easy it is!

The ASUS Turbo Engine software is designed to increase the performance between the computer and the drive. It is easy to install and only took a few moments – although I will be honest I have yet to notice any real difference, but that is not to say there isn’t any!

FINAL THOUGHTS

I have to say that I really love this drive. It is small, light, looks great, and works exactly as you would expect! I am in the process of writing a book on Netbooks at the moment so this is certainly a must have bit of kit for anyone with a netbook or anyone thinking of buying a netbook. The addition of a vertical stand really adds to the look.

The button on the drive tray is sturdy and only takes a light touch to open, which is nice – I have used other drives that you had to push so hard on the button that you thought you might break it!

It is very quiet as well, although this will depend on what media you are using, what speed, etc.

My only complaint of the whole thing is the length of the USB cable that is provided. It is very short – which was fine when I was using it on my netbook, but when I wanted to plug it into my desktop I found that I had to balance the drive on the top of it, which is under my desk! That said it would be easy to go and buy a longer cable, so it isn’t a showstopper.

The inclusion of disc encryption software is certainly a welcome addition!

It retails in the UK for around £50 and in the US for around $70 so the pricing is fairly consistent.