Category: Technology

Adium 1.5 SIPE Plugin Borked After Update

Adium just auto-updated to the latest version (1.5) and upon restart I was alerted that my SIPE Plugin was not supported on this architecture. Bummer.

I’m not sure, but it looks like I was running a 32bit version of Adium and the update pushed me into 64bit territory. I’m totally fine with that, but the SIPE plugin was 32bit.

This morning I found this ticket in which some intrepid individual posts a complied 64bit version for our enjoyment.

Download the “SIPEAdiumPlugin.AdiumLibpurplePlugin(64bit).zip” file linked to above. Uninstall the old via the Adium Xtras Manager (From the Adium menu) and double-click the new plugin contained in the aforementioned .zip file. Voila, back to chatting on the corporate Microsoft Communicator/Lync network.

Update: Edited language to be more clear.

Update 2: This plugin will install in Adium 1.5.1, but will not work without running this command in the Terminal.

Update 3: I just updated to 1.5.2 this afternoon (July, 24, 2012). It appears this update undoes the work in update #2. If you view the Accounts tab in Adium Preferences you’ll see your SIPE account hang at ‘Connecting’. Close Adium and run the commands linked in update #2 to get thing working again.

Unification ≠ iOS-ification

I originally wrote this in the comments to this tongue-in-cheek article – itself a response to the plethora of pundits claiming that Apple is dumbing down OS X by leveraging consistent UI elements across their products.

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There been this idea floating around that computers should have scalable modes. An “easy” or beginners mode for people new to the environment. As their skills and comforts develop the software would somehow adjust to open new interfaces like advanced menus or shortcuts.

Well, this isn’t coming to fruition. It’s nearly impossible to predict and implement. But you know what is close? Familiarity and simplicity – both things OS X has been trying for years to do and (In my humble opinion) iOS excels at.

As for the worry that Apple devices will become nerfed consumption machines where no one can produce anything of value (the written word, art, programs) is a bit dramatic. Things in life are rarely black and white.

As someone who could be considered a power user, I’m not in the least bit worried. The command line is still there, a plethora of 3rd-party apps that aren’t “dumbed down” still (and will continue to) exist and frankly most of the design decisions have been positive for users of all types. (Unified conventions, consistent app names, gestures, etc.)

iOS-ification sounds scary because certain mindsets see that as a negative thing. What isn’t being discussed or recognized is the judicial use of iOS ideas. If Apple wanted to make OS X just like iOS they could in a second. They chose however, to select the best ideas and are starting to integrate them across their product line. No longer is the iOS devices over here and the OS X devices over there similar in little ways, but in big ways.

 

Sharing to Succeed

The person with the confidence to support others and to share is repaid by getting more in return than his selfish counterpart.

The connection economy multiplies the value of what is contributed to it. It’s based on abundance, not scarcity, and those that opt out, fall behind.

–Seth Godin on the sad irony of selfishness

I think there’s a large group of people in the work force – not you dear reader, but you know who I’m talking about – that feel that keeping information and knowledge close to their chest is the path to success. That sharing, documenting, conversing are all things that chip away at their power and control. As Seth puts it above, the truth  could be no farther from the truth.

One of my sage advisors during college told me that the core job of a technologist was to empower people with the technology. To allow them to do more and succeed greater with the use of these tools. In order to do that you have to share what you know – make others successful. Only then will you be successful yourself.

What Does the New iPad Screen Look Like?

It’s that time again! Apple’s rumored to announce a new iPad next month. One of the supposed features is a new higher resolution screen. What does 2048×1536 look like? To answer my own curiosity I threw together this little chart.

Click to see full size

 

That’s a lot of pixels. You could watch a full resolution HD movie and still have some space for content. On a 9.7 inch screen!

My Hint

My moment of infamy. I submitted a hint* for managing iOS screenshots to Mac OSX Hints and it was accepted and published today!

*Actually my second submitted hint. The first was never published and ironically a much more useful hint. (IMHO). It was regarding iTunes and how the sort order of Smart Playlists to iOS devices impacts the display order on said devices. Update: It did actually get published. I must have missed it. Here it is below for posterity.

 

Two of my favorite smart playlists are titled “Last 50 Added” and “Rated 5 Stars”. Which, as they sound, are  smart playlists of the most recent tracks I’ve added to iTunes and my top rated music, respectfully. The “Rated 5 Stars” playlist is handy to see what recently added music warranted another listen.

I’ve been using them for a few years without problem, then with the release of iTunes 9 (if I recall correctly) they appeared to stop working. The smart playlists and songs were syncing to my iPhone just fine, but not the most recent 50, nor the most recent rated 5 stars. It appeared to be a random selection and I could not figure out what was going on! Lo and behold it wasn’t anything to do with the new release of iTunes. What had happened is that while viewing my smart playlists in iTunes I had changed the sort order from “Date Added” to a different column!

When syncing playlists to your iOS device (wether their ‘smart’ or not) the order in which you have the playlist sorted by in iTunes will determine how they are displayed on the iOS device. So if you set up a playlist and have it sorted by a column such as “Plays”, “Tracks”, etc that is how they will appear on the iOS device. It can be quite confusing especially when using smart playlists to determine the criteria for the sort order.