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Callaway uPro Mac Problems

I decided not to renew my iGolf (now Bushnell) NEO subscription.  Thought it'd be $19.99 for the year but it's actually $39.99.  $40 ain't that much, but I hate that it doesn't work with my Mac, forcing me to go into work to download and sync courses.  Plus I wanted a more feature rich GPS.  The Callaway uPro seemed ideal.  Mac compatible, aerial photography, flyover videos...Not a big benefit at the local muni, but I imagine at new courses or courses with lots of trouble the satellite images and flyover videos would come in really handy.

Unfortunately, it did not work with my Mac (I'm running 10.5.8).  The uPro would say it's connected to the host but the USB drive (that's what the uPro basically is) doesn't mount.  I did get it to work with my Windows PC, but then it crashed after trying to sync about 10 courses.  PITA so I returned it.  But here's the email I just got from uPro support about the Mac issue in case anybody out there is having some problems.  Good luck, the uPro looks awesome, just wished it wasn't so buggy.

Here are some instructions on formatting your device and restoring the files to your microSD card.

1.       On the uPro, navigate to Format microSD in the Device Settings menu

2.       At the warning screen, hold the left arrow button for 5 seconds

3.       After the screen changes warning information, arrow to the left and select YES (highlighted selection will be lighter gray)

4.       Screen will show “Please Wait! Format In Progress…” for a few moments, then return to Device Settings

5.       Press the menu button twice to return to the main menu

6.       Connect your uPro to your MAC

7.       Open the uPro drive by double clicking it and verify it contains two folders: “course_data” and “system”

8.       Click on this link: https://www.yousendit.com/transfer.php?action=download&ufid=ZW9DcmxVMVhCMTVMWEE9PQ

9.       Click on Download and Save to your MAC (preferably the desktop)

10.   Open the Disk Image that has downloaded to your MAC

11.   Double click the restore file

12.   Click “Open” then click “Start”

This will complete after approximately 10-15 minutes.  Once complete, open the uPro drive on your desktop by double clicking it and double click the MacSync icon to synchronize the uPro to your MAC.

MacBook Review, One Year Later

I'm starting to really like my MacBook.  When I first made the switch to Apple about a year ago I kind of regretted my decision.  I had to return the MacBook twice because of keyboard and battery problems.  And my wireless always hung after waking up from sleep (still does).  Maybe I should have just spent half the money and gotten another Dell... 

But recently I'm starting to understand why so many people love their MacBooks.  Little features like Spotlight really make a big difference.  Having to click around menus to launch an application is really annoying.  Installing apps is also easier, just move it the application directory.  Of course I also like that I have a terminal available so I can ssh into work/do work without having to download cygwin.  The bells and whistles don't impress me that much, like the minimizing effect/expose.  And I still think coverflow is pretty retarded except for displaying photos.

So I'm no longer regretting my purchase and would recommend a MacBook over a Windows PC--the 20 percent or so price premium is worth it.  There's still a few applications that won't run on Macs, like the iGolf Neo sync software that I really want so I don't have to bring my work laptop home, but almost everything I need/want is available on the Mac these days.

I Shit A Lot, But Don't Fuck Enough

Apparently I type the word "shit" a lot.  I was trying to type "should" but after only entering "sh" the iPhone suggested "shit".

The iPhone must keep track of how often I use certain words, because there's no good reason to suggest "shit" after only entering "sh".  According to this website there are 1708 words that begin with the letters "sh", so suggesting "shit" is only meaningful if the iPhone keeps a tab on my word choices.  Interestingly enough, the iPhone doesn't suggest "fuck" even when I enter in "fuc".  So what this means is that I shit a lot, but don't fuck enough.  I guess there is truth in that statement, although I have been a little constipated taking Naproxen for my neck issue.

iPhone Battery Issue with ActiveSync after Firmware 2.2

I have a 1st generation iPhone (non 3G).  After upgrading to the 2.2 firmware my battery drained like crazy.  Got maybe 6 hours in standby mode, which is ridiculous.  As it turns out, there's some issue with ActiveSync.  I use ActiveSync for my work Exchange email.  After the upgrade ActiveSync was basically on all the time, draining the battery.  Must have been some problem with the push notification.  Ended up deleting the mail account and re-added it.  This seems to have fixed the problem.  Standby time is back to normal.

Air Sharing for iPhone

Love this Air Sharing application for the iPhone.  With Air Sharing running on the iPhone you can mount your iPhone as a network device to easily and quickly transfer files from your computer.  No more emailing yourself.

The technology for wireless synchronization is there in the iPhone, now I'd just wish Apple would let you sync with iTunes over WiFi.  That would make the iPhone 10x better than it is right now.  But then Apple wouldn't be able to sell you their $29.99 USB cable.

Mr. Prima Donna

Brett Favre must be the most annoying athlete living.  Mr. Prima Donna can't make up his mind whether he wants to play or retire.  Play.  No, retire.  No, play. 

Still haven't decided if I'm going to get the new 3G iPhone.  With the 2.0 firmware upgrade my 2G iPhone is pretty sweet.  Could spend the $300 on a new driver, or pay off some bills.  Do I really need the speed of 3G?

Offending Lesbians

All the music on my iPhone got erased when I upgraded to the new 2.0 firmware.  Since my old laptop is dead I can't resync my music library.   Good thing I don't listen to much music, otherwise I'd be really piss at Apple.  I ended up buying I Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry on iTunes so my iPod wouldn't be completely unused.  I Kissed a Girl might be the best song, ever.  Pure genius.  Perry sings about making out with a girl while drunk.  Nothing gets guys more excited than straight girls acting lesbians.   I wonder if this offends real lesbians, that their sexual orientation has been reduced to a pop song.  I think if I were a  woman and a lesbian I'd be annoyed at the frivolity that my sexual orientation has become compared to how society treats male homosexuality.

Incidentally, last night at Temple, I was rather surprised that this one girl I know gets very lesbian when she's a little tipsy.  She doesn't look like a "girls gone wild" type, but apparently when she drinks she likes to get freaky with other girls.  This definitely ups her hotness, but then I sadly found out she's a Barack supporter.   Boo.

Apple MacBook Battery Not Charging

I'm all about trying out new things.  Life would be pretty boring if you only did familiar things.  God create blondes and brunettes for a reason, right?  That's why I bought the Apple MacBook, to give Apple a try, see if it's better than Windows.  What do I get for trying something new?  A bad keyboard and a dead battery.  Wasted two hours today waiting for the "genius" guy to tell me something I already knew, the battery on my one month old MacBook is defective.  So the life lesson that Apple has taught me: stick to what you know, trying new things is so overrated.

Horrible Apple MacBook Quality

I am so fucking god damn fucking piss right now.  I bought a MacBook, what, 1 months ago?  The first one had a bad keyboard, so I had to get it replace.  Now, the replacemet has a dead battery.  A dead battery after 1 month of use?  This is fucking ridiculous.  Don't even start with how great Apple customer service is, because they'll replace the battery.  Can't replace all the time I waste going back and forth to the Apple Store.