Getting the “Model Identifier” for a Mac via ARD
With the recent release of a new firmware update for the latest version of the Mac Pros, I was wondering if there was an easy way to query a bunch of systems for their Model Identifier. This is a unique name for a particular model of Mac, that can be found in the Apple System Profiler app. Some examples are "MacPro3,1", "PowerMac10,2" & "Xserve3,1". Minor revs in a particular model will typically be denoted by incrementing the number after the comma, while major updates are before. Apple Remote Desktop can give you the "Machine Model" (Report>System Overview...>Machine Model), but this is a dumbed down name of the system that isn't specific enough for this purpose.
Street View Sub-Contractor?
Street View Sub-Contractor?, originally uploaded by chrisr.
Spotted this vehicle today on the way to Molly Stones. I'm guessing it's for creating the pano photos for Google's Street View, but perhaps someone else is deploying something similar. Earthmine.com has nothing beyond login and email links. The domain is registered to some dude in San Francisco at a company called SurfaceWise.
Armchair iPhone Quarterbacks & The Clueless
ZOMG! The amount of commentary and pseudo punditry about the iPhone is frankly...breathtaking. Or do I mean nauseating? Either way, I wanted to address one specific issue that's running rampant around the web currently. You see...Steve Jobs proclaimed to his flock, that the OS behind the iPhone, was in fact none other than OS X. I suppose Steve could have gone on to explain this aspect a bit better, but he had features to cover people!!
Now fanboys and haters alike ran with this golden nugget and started frothing at the mouth with the thought of running Photoshop CS3 on their sexy little iPhone. To say nothing of Quark, World of Warcraft, Final Cut Pro, etc. Apparently they have little knowledge of operating systems. To say it as simply as possible, OSes, for the most part, are very modular.
USB 2.0 – Don't believe the hype!
Ever since USB 2.0 hit the market, it's been touted as the next best thing to sliced bread. Or at least better then Firewire 400 (aka 1394a). As you may know, FW400 is 400 Mb/s and USB 2.0 is rated at 480 Mb/s, so you'd think USB 2.0 would be faster. But it's not. In all my experience with file transfers, it always comes up short, and Firewire is by far faster and more stable. I don't have any concrete reports in front of me backing this up - just experience and gut. Yet USB seems to be the belle of the ball for some reason. WTF??