Cable Matters

Tortoise or Hare? Nvidia Jetson TK1

September 22, 2020 by Stephen 2 Comments

I’m quite pleased with the Intel NUC boards that came with my surplus Rabbit cloud, but I can’t say the same about the Nvidia Jetson TK1 boards. They’re weird, flaky, limited, and haven’t proved useful even in simple applications. Frankly, I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the 15 Jetsons sitting in my office!

USB Ethernet Not Working in macOS 10.12 Sierra?

October 22, 2016 by Stephen 24 Comments

It’s become routine: Each new update of Mac OS X macOS breaks third-party drivers and applications. This time it’s many popular third-party USB 3.0 Gigabit Ethernet adapters that don’t work. But have no fear! It’s a simple fix!

Review: Cable Matters Ultra-Mini 4-Port SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Hub

March 30, 2015 by Stephen Leave a Comment

I’m a big believer in USB 3.0, having come to rely on it as part of the Tech Field Day video production workflow. But I’m also a believer in traveling light and reducing clutter in my computer bag. That’s why I’m thrilled about the Cable Matters Ultra-Mini 4-Port SuperSpeed USB 3.0 Hub!

Cable Matters USB 3.0 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter: Hands-On Review

August 14, 2013 by Stephen 14 Comments

Should you buy a Cable Matters USB 3.0 Gigabit Ethernet adapter for your Mac or PC? On the hardware and software side, it seems fine. Once the drivers are installed, it functions adequately. But I am deeply concerned that a vendor that would cut corners on the MAC address and OUI would cut corners other places, leaving me skeptical about the company and its products. Therefore, I cannot recommend this device.

GPS Time Rollover Failures Keep Happening (But They’re Almost Done)

This is week “1111111111” in the GPS system. Tomorrow morning it will roll over to week “0000000000”. How well will various systems handle this change? Not well, judging by what we’ve seen so far!

Ranting and Raving About the 2018 iPad Pro

I remain enthusiastic about the iPad Pro, despite getting a scratched screen and my concerns about durability. It’s a worthy successor to the original and offers enough improvements that I’d recommend the upgrade for just about anyone who uses their iPad for serious work. It’s still not yet a laptop replacement, but this is due more to a lack of desktop-class software for iOS than anything in Apple’s control.

Microsoft: Kill the Craptops Before They Destroy Windows!

January 7, 2013

Release after release, Microsoft pushes Windows forward. Yet the operating system is continually undermined by the “value-focused” low-end machines pushed by the majority of OEMs. This race to the bottom has tarnished Windows for a decade and now threatens to derail Windows 8. Microsoft must do something to stop the crap before it’s too late!

Deduplication Coming to Primary Storage

September 16, 2008

Although deduplication of storage is nothing new, with Data Domain and other making hay with the technique for years, it has never been ready for prime time – reduction of active primary storage applications like email and databases. Instead, deduplication has been relegated to second- or third-tier status, deduplicating archives and backup data. But change is in the air, and deduplication vendors are starting to bustle towards the bright lights of primary storage.

The 2018 iPad Pro is a Beast!

November 9, 2018

The third-generation iPad Pro is a great machine but also a bellwether of change at Apple. It will be very hard for the rest of the mobile and client computing industry to keep up with this kind of progress!

Review: 2013 Ford Flex

September 23, 2012

The 2013 Ford Flex exceeded my expectations in every driving and utility-related area, but the terrible MyFord Touch system really detracts from the vehicle. I would highly recommend buying a Ford Flex if you’ve got a family of 5 or 6, but try to get one with old fashioned buttons and dials!

What’s the Deal with Containers?

October 21, 2016

Lately, it seems like everyone just can’t stop talking about containers. But I’m sensing a distinct lack of real understanding of the technology from many people, not to mention lots of confusion about what containers really mean for today’s datacenter folks. So I set about learning more and figuring out for myself what the deal is with containers. Here’s where I’m at.

Storage Changes in VMware vSphere 5

July 16, 2011

Once again, VMware added a ton of new storage enhancements to vSphere. With storage rapidly becoming the limiting factor in scalability and performance of virtual machine environments, this is no surprise. Also not surprising is the fact that major features like Policy-Driven Storage and Storage DRS (along with SIOC) are exclusive to “Enterprise Plus” licenses.

A Fairy Tale of Two Storage Protocols

September 23, 2014

It’s clear how this fairy tale ends. So many companies are using “S3 plus” as their standard interface, and even inside their solutions, that it’s safe to say it’s won the cloud storage API battle. But S3 isn’t a finalized spec – the industry will extend and improve it over the coming years. Soon we’ll have a cloud storage standard based on S3, just like we have a LAN file services standard based on CIFS.

Generation 3 drobo: Fall In Love All Over Again

April 9, 2015

I remain a huge fan of drobo generally, and the third-generation drobo remains the best choice for home storage. It’s the perfect storage device for the long haul, and the performance improvements make it a no-brainer. Get one.