So I’ve been home sick the past few days, and I figured since I have some spare time, I’d set up my new Acer Aspire H340 Windows Home Server machine. Initial installation of the server is a little different – since it’s a “headless” server, you need to use another client computer to set it up.

I run the Acer install utility on my notebook, and it seems to work fine until it tries to connect to the server for the first time. It says that it’s downloading software from the server ASPIREHOME, hangs at 0% for a few mintues, then errors out saying “the operation cannot be completed at this time.” After a couple of failures, I figure OK, this is a Windows 7 64bit client, so it must be incompatible. No problem, I’ll run the install from a Windows XP machine. Same. exact. problem.

I try googling for a solution, but no help – everything I find says I shouldn’t be having install problems. I try reseting the server, installing from an Ubuntu client under Wine, I even try taking the hard drive from the server and installing it in another computer to configure – same result. I’m starting to go crazy …

After clicking on one of the myriad help pages that come up during the install, I notice that one of the pages tries to open in a web browser, using a address similar to \\ASPIREHOME\some\help\page.html. Well, instead of a normal web page, I get a search page from OpenDNS (I use OpenDNS on my home router). Could it be a DNS conflict? Pinging ASPIREHOME from the command line give me an outside internet address, not a NAT address inside my network.

I reset the DNS settings on my router to use my cable company’s default settings. Then, after rebooting my client to clear the network settings, I try pinging ASPIREHOME again. Now, it’s an internal IP address, just like it should be. Then, I try the ACER install again. SUCCESS! I’m running the install right now

I’m not sure if I can go back to my OpenDNS settings again, but I’m going to try it after my install finishes. In the meantime, if you can’t install your server software from your client, try disabling your third party DNS – it worked for me!

Stolen From:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/15/ben-heck-apprentice-strikes-again-with-darthcast/

Wow. I think I’ll skip this and wait for Android …

Development for iPhone is an incredibly difficult process, much more difficult than it needs to be. The arduous process of shipping an application for the Mac suddenly appears to be absolutely straightforward after going through this mess. I really don’t envy those companies who have staked their success to the iPhone platform. The amount of arbitrary hassle, uncertainty, and delay in the process can only feel vastly worse when your livelihood depends on it.

mikeash.com: The iPhone Development Story .

If you have an old white film canister and an x-acto knife, you can make a clever little flash diffuser that will slip over the flash on your typical SLR camera. Photojojo has a guide for making one. It should really take you about 5 minutes (assuming you have a canister on hand), so give it a shot. Your photographs—and your photo subjects—will thank you for it.

Hackszine.com: Film canister flash diffuser

Stolen From: Video: Knight Rider GPS asks, “Michael, where do you want to go today” – Engadget

Wall-E Spotted in LA! from Blink on Vimeo.
Stolen From: My Dreams Have Been Realized — A Real Wall-E! – Cinematical

123Macmini.com – News – Mods: Classic Mini Jukebox

James Colby has sent in some information about his Classic Mini Jukebox mod. We have seen a couple of similar mods with Mac minis mounted inside classic Mac cases, but James has taken things a step further with some more serious modifications. This includes the use of an ATX power supply. He also did a really nice job with cable management inside the case.

Stolen from: Classic mini jukebox – The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

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Instructables Rain or Shine Solar Charger

Have you ever wanted a waterproof, weatherproof, lightweight portable solar charger for small electronics? Whether you’re a backpacker, a survivalist, or just trying to preserve the planet so you can enjoy it outdoors a little longer, this is the project for you.

Neatorama » Blog Archive » Chevy V8 Grill.

Neatorama reader Trent Whatley sent these awesome photos of a BBQ grill made from a Chevy V8 engine block! This beast may not crank out 500 HP but it does produce 60,000 BTU!

Stolen From MAKE: Blog: Chevy V8 grill