Back in 2004, it was the start of the blogging craze. Since I figured it would be a shame to lose the posts that I created 6 years ago (no matter how retarded they were), I decided to import the data into my Wordpress more for archival purposes.
I used the rebol scripts from http://www.timwylie.com/xword.html to export the data from Xanga into Wordpress importable xml. The process was simple and I didn’t need to install anything to do this. Just follow the steps listed on the site and have viola!
I made these videos back when I first bought the M Roadster in May of 2009. Here’s the videos that show how to install the Valentine 1 in the optimal spot along with the hidden display unit.
These are the videos that I made a few months ago showing how to install a in-dash player into a 06-08 M Roadster. An in-dash unit is generally not that hard to install, but BMW decided to use DSP which requires an external amp install AND to cut factory wiring in order for this to work.
Removing stock unit
Harness connection/install/fishing
Removal of the Glove Box to get to the fuse to tap into the constants
Fishing RCA cables and KCA-BT200 module to optimal spots
Looks like BMW does everything it can to ensure that their cars are not prone to costly warranty and maintenance repairs. When I picked up the M Roadster I noticed that my 1-2 shifts were really crappy. I thought it was just due to the fact that I was unfamiliar with BMW’s clutch engagement point. After doing some research and noticing I didn’t have the same issues when test driving a 370z and a MazdaSpeed 3, I came to the conclusion that it wasn’t me… it was the car! (I know everyone says this when it comes to driving manual lol).
Long behold a quick search on the internet showed that BMW uses a Clutch Delay Valve (CDV). I found that a company called Zeckhausen sells a modified CDV to replace the stock one so that you do not look silly driving your own car any more!
From their site:
“After the stock CDV is replaced with one of our modified units, you will be able to shift gears in your BMW just like a "normal" car. No more vague, inconsistent clutch engagement. No more jerky 1-2 shifts. You can actually chirp the tires when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear! Parallel parking becomes a breeze and your clutch will love you for it and last much longer. Best of all, your passengers will stop making fun of your driving skills.”
Will report back after I install the CDV, but everyone who has replaced it seems to highly recommend either removing the CDV completely or using a Zeckhausen’s to keep the "stock” look for warranty’s sake.
Spent the last few days going back and forth with my provider as it seems that someone restored my old site, and removed my newer site that had more updated posts. It’ll take a few days to get everything back in order../sigh
Having played with UMPCs for quite some time, I realized that there is definitely a direct relationship between how small a gadget can be versus how useable it actually is. As a “geek” we all want our gadgets to be as small as possible, but when a gadget is no longer efficient…we have issues.
Out goes the UMPC and in comes the Netbooks! UMPCs were great in concept, however, most of the screen sizes were below 9 inches and they were significantly underpowered and often very expensive. Netbooks on the other hand offer screen sizes at 9 inch+ with decent performance and are often priced below $500 USD.
For my eyes, I believe a 10 inch screen is the limit on how much screen real estate I need in order to be productive. Anything smaller is unusable to me as there is just too much scrolling or I need to squint in order to read perfectly. When you have a screen size around 10 inches, the keyboard and mouse pad is actually very useable as well. With the UMPCs I often found that I had to use my Bluetooth keyboard for me to be able to type efficiently.
The performance on the larger Netbooks might not be earth shattering, but coupled with the fact that you can have a larger battery, faster hard disk, and is generally $100’s cheaper than a UMPC, it’s quite hard not to like it. For day to day tasks I have no problem using my Samsung NC10. The battery life is so amazing that I can watch 6 hours of movies/shows on an air plane and still have enough juice for when I touch down for GPS navigation if I need it.
I’ll do a full review of the Samsung NC10 at a later date. I loved it so much that I sold off both the Fujitsu U810 and a MacBook Air for it…
