New iDump coming soon.

The new version of iDump for Windows has been in development for a few years and has had several rewrites. I plan to release an alpha version in the next couple of months and will then extend it with new features until I have a stable beta version.

Features so far…

1. Runs as standalone media play with its own library. When you first run the setup wizard, you can configure the software to use its own library (empty), migrate iTunes database and tracks or share iTunes library with iTunes so that any changes you make will be seen when you start iTunes up.
2. You can create, edit playlists and tracks.
3. Import files or folders.
4. Play videos (if required codec is installed).
5. Audio FX panel and equalizer so you can add echo or other fx.
6. Album art automatically downloads.
7. Lyrics automatically download and can be displayed when track is playing.
8. Cover flow so you can select albums.
9. Internet radio which you can add/remove stations.
10. Rip CD’s to library. Track data automatically downloads from internet.
11. Burn CD’s.
12. Connected devices. So far iPod/iPhone/iTouch but I plan to add Andriod/other.

Features to add before alpha release…

1. Import media from attached devices to library and allow conversion to a different file type if required, example from aac to mp3.
2. Copy from library to attached devices.
3. Export tracks from library to PC and allow conversion to other music formats.

Additions after first alpha release…

1. Edit track audio in audio editor.
2. Playlist mixing deck to allow DJ of 2 playlists.
3. Rip DVD to movie files.

New game sort of

Started on extreme doodle paper toss. Toss the paper in to the bin but its a puzzle game.

Idumppod2backup

This software uses a new package system that allows the program to be portable on thumb drive and no longer needs an installer. We have had to submit the exe to Norton as it has flagged the program as a virus. We will need to do this for all our new releases going forward. The problem Norton has is that the exe package loads the contents of libraries and work files to memory during startup and this is a method some viruses use. If anyone gets a notification from an anti virus program when running any of our products, please let us know.

Norton Norton Norton

Almost 2012

Its been so long since the last blog entry that I thought I would try and keep it up and in good shape for 2012.

The problem with time is that there is not enough of it in one day. If we could live forever, move to Venus then one day would last 224.7 earth days. Yes, a long time for your next birthday but at least we could get some work done and get time to update blogs and have a social life J

2011 was a slow development year for EscSoft due to many other projects in the works for other companies in Banking and Game industries. In early 2012, all of our products will receive an update and even iDumpPro, which has not received an update since 2007. We are working to bring all of the products to run as stand-alone with no installer so that they can run from a USB stick for portability.

It was a sad day for me when Steve Jobs passed away. Having seen a picture of him 6 months prior, I would have given him weeks not months so he did well to hold on. Very interesting his comments on the point of death repeating the words “Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow”. Did he see God or an iPhone 6.0? I have always been a huge Apple fan from the time I wrote my first program on an Apple IIe for our local Council while at college. I admire Steve for his drive and not giving up on his vision and Woz for his genius in the first place for creating the Apple computer. I think my last iPhone will be iPhone 5 because it’s the last one Steve had personal interest in (his personal touch). As with most, if not all Apple products, Steve would have the last word on what would stay or go. While we will still have the design genius of Jonathan Ive, any committee involved may drive products in the wrong direction. I hope not.

Wishing you all a happy holiday and best wishes for 2012.

Start of March

Bought another watch this month, a Seiko Sportura kinetic Titanium to replace a Seiko watch I was given as a Birthday present 12 years ago. These watches last a long time, need no battery (self wind) and keep the time. The price is high at around $900 but you get what you pay for.

On the day job side, things at the bank seem to be going crazy. They are so obsessed about saving money after the prime mortgage marked collapsed that they are getting rid of lots of really good teams in the UK and giving the jobs to not so good teams in other countries which have cheap labour. The workload does not decrease and the pressure on teams has now reached breaking point. I can see a lot of customer impact coming in the next 12 months as projects with very poor design will be going in to production. What makes me mad is that our management know we will need to divert most of the team to try and keep things going (we support many businesses in the bank), but are too scared to stand up and try and make them see the customer impact coming. Banks are happy to keep disasters quiet as long as customers do not get affected. So the next time you call your bank and get “All our operators are busy, call later” is just one example of a badly designed system not being able to cope with the data, yet hardware upgrade is not an option because it costs money. All the while the bank pleads poverty and gives most staff no pay-rise or bonus for working most of last year 7 days a week, yet the people at the top and dealers still get a nice increase. To me this is too greedy but most banks I know are the same or worse. There is one Swiss bank I know which intimidates staff to work at least 12 hour days when their contract is 9am-5pm. I am only still here because I have been with the group nearly 15 years (working for different banks within the group) and I like some of the people I work with and when they eventually get rid of our team, I should be a fair compensation.

Now on to my EscSoft work…. I almost finished the cover art import program which I hope to release in beta form in the next week. I also started to re-write iDump in .net to get used to the syntax. I will get it working and then pass the source to Andie to make it look better if he wants before releasing. Also looking at other tools to write in .net starting with a version of the iPod Cover Art Import, a program to copy music between iPods including the cover art and then a new version of iDumpPro as a full media library.

The last few weeks I have watched documentarys on SAS, Future Weapons and history of War, Pirates and treasure hunters. Films, Stardust (again) and Signs.

It's Feb already

We are in Feb already and seems like the year is going to wiz by.

Lots happening at the bank with application upgrades and working on some VB script code to check internal IBM Websphere MQ object settings which will also validate/remove unknown user accounts.

I have spent a little time working on my program which will download and install album covers on the iPods.

Hot tub heater and pump is being sent back to Canadian Spar for the 3^rd time in as many weeks. Every time the unit is delivered, it’s been smashed by the delivery company. I think once it has been repaired again, I will have to drive to their office and collect it myself. Courier companies in the UK are really crappy these days. I used to order items to be delivered before noon the following day but most of the time they are not delivered until after or they get stolen and have to wait for a reorder. Sucks!

Andie has found a place to live in Australia but because he has no internet, he has to drive-by hack a wireless network so he can collect email. He does not like it but the only other way to access the internet is via the local library but that way is limited on what you can do.

Went to Uncle Andy’s funeral a couple of weeks ago, very sad but cousin Peter gave a lovely speech on how his father helped him and what a really nice person he was. Last Sunday we went to the graveyard and laid Andy’s and grandmothers ashes to rest. It was a very emotional time for all. I said to Peter as we stood by my father’s grave (he died in 1995 aged 49) that unless people go through loss of a loved one, they can never truly understand the pain you feel inside.

At Andy’s funeral, I met a cousin whose name is Darren who I have not seen since 1993 when we were down in Cornwall on holiday. I have now found the video of the trip and will put it onto DVD and give him a copy. So many relatives in this video who are no longer with us. Also need to get him some copies of Jethro DVD’s as his mother dated this famous English comedian and he mentions their family in some of his joke stories which are very funny. Darren has not seen them so I am sure he will have a laugh and its something he can tell his friends about. During this Cornish trip, we stayed in an old holiday cottage which used to be my great grandmothers home. Every night at 11 am, we would be in bed and hear a knocking noise coming from the middle bedroom. Same noise every night, same time. When we mentioned this to one of our great aunties, she said that noise came from Jacks old bedroom and started after he died. Then my great uncle Derek proceeded to tell us about the day Uncle Jack went out hunting and managed to shoot himself in the stomach with a shotgun. How he managed to do this is anyone’s guess. He was apparently involved in a love triangle which went wrong. Derek found him still alive and brought him back to the cottage and he died in his room the same day. My cousin Paul who was listening then told us that when he was 10, he was in the cottage and was waking up the stairs and saw uncle jack at the top looking down at him. Some of the family have been in a paranormal investigation team for a few years now so if the cottage is still used as a holiday home, we may book it out for a week to see if uncle jack is still there.

Not much else to talk about this week. I watched South Park on MTV the other night while my mother was staying over. She is very religious and never swears. It was the episode where Cartman gets tourettes. I have never seen my mother laugh so much. She just could not breath it was so funny. Talking about mum. She is writing a book on her life and he travels around Canada (she’s Canadian) and talks about each of the many towns across the country. When it’s finished, I will take a few trips out there to visit these places she talks about and will make a mini travel documentary.

Also watch the film Control which was about the life of Ian Curtis in the band Joy Division. He killed himself in 1980 aged 23. It’s a really moving and wonderful film, even though it’s sad. It was shot in black and white which made it feel more authentic. Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SaSosKEu4U

Some good TV on at the moment. Journey man, Lost, Reaper (Kevin Smith!), Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes.