When I read about HDHomeRun being integrated into EyeTV’s software, I immediately ordered one from El Gato. I’ve been using two EyeTV 500 units to watch and record OTA HDTV programming for a while on my Mac HTPC and have been quite satisfied with the set-up. So, why the change? A few VERY compelling reasons.
Lost in the discussion of major Mac HTPC capabilities are features that enhance the home theatre experience in smaller ways. One trimming I’ve always looked for has been the ability to display incoming Caller ID on screen during video playback.
And after a little digging (and a lot of testing), I discovered this is still very much an emerging area that could use a little clarification for Mac users like me looking to add this seemingly simple feature to their OS X-based home theaters.
I use an Intel iMac for most of my computing, whose lack of a modem made purchasing an external device necessary. There were two possible roads to go down: snagging the Apple USB Modem combined with 3rd party software or a proprietary software/hardware combination. Since the price difference is $50 vs $100+, I chose the former.
ShowCallerID 0.1 (Free) – ShowCallerID is a simple program that lives exclusively in the menu bar. It offers no control over the location or duration of the caller info it displays. The number (no name) is thrown up in black text against a white block on the upper part of the screen.
Unfortunately, this is the first version of the product and the site freely points to a reality I quickly became familiar with: “Sometimes the modem doesn’t talk to the computer. The phone rings but no notification window pops up.” 90% of the time, ShowCallerID sat idle by while my phone rang away.
This lack of consistency combined with development that apparently ended in early 2006 makes ShowCallerID a dry hole in my search.
Caller ID for Mac OS X 1.0 Beta 3 ($14.95) – Like ShowCallerID, Caller ID For Mac OS X (CIDOSX) resides exclusively in the menu bar. It does offers rudimentary control over the display location, but nothing else. In fact, there is little in the way of features that sets CIDOSX apart from ShowCallerID beyond the price difference.
Except that CIDOSX NEVER worked with the Apple USB modem…not one call was detected. To that end, CIDOSX is a complete non-starter with a nod to the fact that it’s still in Beta.
Silica 1.2 (Free) – While $14.95 less than CIDOSX, Silica offers a surprisingly robust set of features compared to the programs covered so far. It offers more control over the display’s location and appearance, to start.
It also is the first to offer support for Growl, which theoretically should allow the info to be shared across networked computers also running Growl and display the caller’s info on multiple computers.
But Silica’s performance bordered on lifeless. I was able to get a couple of displays with Silica’s built-in notification, but Growl did absolutely nothing. Truth be told, I’ve been trying get Silica to work for a while on different Macs (with various modems) with little success. As much as I like the price tag, performance is number one in most aspects of my life. Hence, another sad face.
CallWall .92 ($10 during Beta) – Man, I wanted to love CallWall. In addition to incorporating Growl support, it also lets users create a “call firewall” that allows dynamic blocking of specific numbers, plus integration with an online database of know phone marketers. And the interface is simple and very OS X-like. My enthusiasm even led to an ill-conceived and premature purchase.
Premature because I cannot get consistent service. Like so many others, CallWall sometimes saw my calls, but most of the time it just looked pretty while my ringer went on and on. And the developers haven’t answered repeated requests for help.
Moving on…
Jon’s Phone Tool 3.7.2 ($22.50) – By this point, you may be wondering how I know it’s the software and not my system. BECAUSE I FOUND A PROGRAM THAT WORKS EVERY TIME. Before and after each other piece of software failed, Jon’s Phone Tool delivered accurate info every time the phone rang via my Apple USB modem.
But JPT is much, much more than just a caller ID notifier and it demands more of my system’s resources than I’d care to use for just one of it’s features. This is no knock against JPT – it’s a kick-ass phone interface for Macs. Just way more than I want and need.
It does work, however. Which makes it the default winner…with plenty of room for decent competitors in the next race.
Beyond the Apple USB modem, there are pricier hardware options available…I owned and returned Ovolab’s Phlink due (again) to flaky incoming notifications. The only high-profile possibility I haven’t test driven is PhoneValet due to it’s steep cost.
* Obviously, anyone with better info than me – post up and I’ll update the list!
I like to stream music from my office’s iMac to an Airport Express in my living room. Until today, I was using an RF ATI Remote Wonder (basically, a traditional remote control). But Remote Buddy’s amazing new interaction with the iPhone blows this set-up away.
Using AJAX (via iPhone’s Safari), the interface allows total VISUAL control over playlists, albums, artists, etc…basically, it’s an amazing iTunes remote control. I’ve used it over both WiFi and Edge connections with quick response. Laying in my hammock outside, playing wireless DJ is an almost luxurious experience with the iPhone’s stunning display. In addition, you can control which speakers Airtunes streams to should you be using an Airport Express like me.
Setting it up is simple…just run RB on the Mac you want to control. Password is optional in the Preferences.
Remote Buddy’s developers have a wonderful, interactive page detailing the new full remote functionality…I just plan to use it with iTunes. But it’s worth checking out as a ridiculously attractive HTPC remote for VLC, Front Row, Quicktime, DVD Player, etc.. There’s a fully-functioning 30 day demo period to check it out…after that it’s a not-inexpensive 19.99 €.
P.S. For complete remote control over a Mac with an iPhone (file browsing, media streaming over the internet, & much more), I cannot recommend Telekinesis enough. It’s freeware (from the developer of Quicksilver, no less) and still in Alpha.
Apple iPod Touch @ Amazon
There are a lot of books I like re-reading but would prefer not take up room on my shelf any longer (Tom Clancy, Grisham, Nelson DeMille, & Jonathan Kellerman are but a few). So the idea of a “Book iPod” that allowed me to carry numerous books around in a slim package was amazingly appealing. I tried this back in the day with Palm Pilots and reading for long stretches of time on an LCD/TFT screen had a noticeabe strain on my eyes.
Well, it’s been almost a year since so many EyeTV users vented their frustrations about the (de?)evolution of the EyeTV software since they first rolled out a Full Screen interface. I was one of the most vocal and a mea culpa of sorts is in order.
In particular, my furious position on the massive GUI overhaul between v2.3.0 & 2.3.1 that removed the very familiar Front Row-style menu navigation seems pretty naive in retrospect. Frankly, the way Apple smacks anyone who remotely uses an iPod-type interface leads me to believe that El Gato got a cease and desist from Cupertino soon after the release of 2.3.0 that led their designers to quickly strip as much of the “Jonathan Ive” as possible from the next version of their software.
So maybe I was being a bit of an asshole. And for that I apologize. Particularly since a workaround dropped at no less than MacOSXHints, making the royal blue an easily-terminated design choice.
And the very-obvious continued improvement in performance (particularly regarding multiple tuners) has me surrendering to the latest build when they’re released. I’ve said it before and will probably be saying it for a while no longer…EyeTV is the only game in town for my needs and the fact that they continue to move forward despite the silent curses I send their way occasionally speaks volumes about them as a company.
That said…a little friendly (and legitimate) competition wouldn’t bother me one bit!
