Recently Google introduced new service: Google Photos. All existing images stored within Google account moved into that service. I appreciate that drift towards mobile devices is inevitable, so the layout is simplified and all the options are only available after several clicks (that is 'responsive' website design accordingly to Google - as long as you use touch interface...), especially that some new cool features were added. Unfortunatelly some not very cool, but plainly necessary features seemed to disappear as well. How to set album cover in Google Photos? How to change image date in Google Photos? How to... Well, it seems the questions now need to be rephrased and start with 'Why can't I'
Luckily, there is still a backdoor to the old interface: when logged into your Google account, just follow Picasa Web Albums link, and it redirects to your album, with existing functionality. Changes applied there are visible in Google Photos interface. I'm not sure how long for that will be active, hopefully new service will be polished by then making hacks obsolete.
Showing posts with label geek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label geek. Show all posts
2014/07/02
Editing GPX and saving KML files for web publication
My satnav/GPS device (Garmin eTrex20) produces GPX files as its track log. They cannot be opened and visualized staright avay in Google Maps, although one can use either Google Earth or services like gpsvisualizer.com to achieve that.
GPX contains much more information than required to present the track and for purposes of this blog I edit the track records and save as KML file. That strips all unnecesary pieces of information by default (making the file smaller). I use free GPX editor for that purpose, as it also allows to edit the track, so the path can be displayed as smoother, and unnecesary (lost track, wee break etc.) bits removed as well as some points added.
Here is a quick tutorial:
1. start with File > Open GPX
2. Switch to preview mode
3. zoom in/out using mouse scroll, click and hold to pan
4. Click Delete inside the box tool
5. Drag a box around part of the track to be cleared
6. To add a waypoint switch to Google Maps view
7. Click on the place to mark and then Add waypoint to Google Map button
8. To rename go to the left pane, find the waypoint, click and click again to enable editing or right-click and go to Properties
9. Finally go to File > Export > As KML and voila
For sharing and presentation I upload the files to Google Drive with sharing with a link enabled, when the link is clicked, it recognizes file type and opens it with Google Maps.
GPX contains much more information than required to present the track and for purposes of this blog I edit the track records and save as KML file. That strips all unnecesary pieces of information by default (making the file smaller). I use free GPX editor for that purpose, as it also allows to edit the track, so the path can be displayed as smoother, and unnecesary (lost track, wee break etc.) bits removed as well as some points added.
Here is a quick tutorial:
1. start with File > Open GPX
2. Switch to preview mode
3. zoom in/out using mouse scroll, click and hold to pan
4. Click Delete inside the box tool
5. Drag a box around part of the track to be cleared
6. To add a waypoint switch to Google Maps view
7. Click on the place to mark and then Add waypoint to Google Map button
8. To rename go to the left pane, find the waypoint, click and click again to enable editing or right-click and go to Properties
9. Finally go to File > Export > As KML and voila
For sharing and presentation I upload the files to Google Drive with sharing with a link enabled, when the link is clicked, it recognizes file type and opens it with Google Maps.
2014/01/05
Swapping Windows 7 with 8.1 - deactivate first!
As jolly Christmas activity this year the fortune brought struggle with Microsoft Windows installations.
Reasons:
1. My desktop PC was running Windows 7, and even after 2 years it felt fluent, though some symptomps of clutter under the bonnet started showing off. Usual medicine is of course 'reinstall Windows' :)
2. Swmbo got kind-of-tablet (Asus Transformer Pad) equipped with Win 8.1 (her old laptop got Win8 last year anyway)
Since she decided to recycle laptop by giving to grandparents for enhanced Skype, I figured out it makes more sense to understand how Windows 8.1 behaves (to fix it easier), get smoother operation (if it can run of pretty weak tablet, it shurely will on decent i5 powered desktop), and extend life of the system (as full support for Windows 7 ceases in a year)
In principle it sounded simple: backup existing stuff, install new system, reinstall all necessary apps and recover data/settings. There were of course some reefs just under calm surface...
Prerequisites (you may not need them, but it worked for me on many occasions)
1. Keep data and programs seperate.
Even with single hard drive I can't imagine not dividing it into 2 partitions: 1 for system, 1 for files. With my current setup (SSD for system, HDD for files) that is even more obvious (and having it already in place made SSD upgrade breeze), but still Windows system locate the most important folders (Documents, Pictures, Music) an the system drive by default. Change it ASAP - see how to.
The same applies to default storage location for mail client and many other programs
2. Back up all the data
3. Make sure you backed up all the data. Most of nowadays programs behave well, but some still keep their setting in ini files or even Windows registry. If a program is unusual in its behaviour, at least do some screenshots so you can try to mimic its configuartion after reinstallation (mind that operating system upgrade may force you to install newer version of the application because of compatibility issues)
4. Two most important locations to be copied are
- AppData. It should be located in C:\Users\<%YourUserName%>\AppData. This folder is hidden by default!!
- Desktop folder, which sits in the same parent folder (<%YourUserName%>) as AppData - and where 90% of the stuff is placed, even though it shouldn't - and that folder cannot be migrated like other described above!).
5. You can of course try migration assistant, but it comes with no guarantee of 100% success, and if does - that means all the crap that re-installation is supposed to erase, actually stays intact...
6. On top of that the whole system drive image is taken. I use Acronis, it can be bought at reasonable price (with regular promotions). It can be priceless, as allows to recover absolutely everything, but may also help to save time by reverting system to the virgin state within minutes, not hours (or refreshing it, if later images are made). Standalone program offers backup solution and other system tools, but as a minimalist all I use is recovery CD/USB stick.
Procedure:
1. De-activate existing copy of Windows, so it can be re-activated
- this applies to Retail version only (OEM by default is stuck to the hardware, so only an update can be made)
- follow these instrtuctions: http://www.howtogeek.com/124286/how-to-uninstall-your-windows-product-key-before-you-sell-your-pc/ MAKE SURE command line is launched with Administrator privileges ('elevated command prompt' as Win8 calls it - I used this tutorial after getting error first time)
2. Install Windows - to achieve clean installation on existing system drive, it needs to be formated.
I followed this procedure (it is identical for Windows 8)
3. Activate system on the new machine. In my case it wouldn't activate immediately (I got message that system is used on another machine, possibly de-registering had not updated yet in MS records), but after following the wizard and 10 minutes of number game with automated telephone service the job was done.
4 Install programs you really need, and copy their settings back.
This is where AppData folder value shows: for Firefox and Thunderbird all I did was to copy over existing backup (\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\ and \AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\) and after restart all the bookmarks & passwords / mail foders were exactly where they should.
Similarly, after installing other programs (Skype, Lightroom) copying appropriate folders before re-launching makes them to work as they did before.
Apart from deactivating, the procedure is pretty much identical as any clean system installation. In my case the whole point was to re-use copy of Windows 7 on the old laptop and 'upgrade' my desktop machine to W8.1
One lesson learnt: when buying a second hand copy of Windows 7 / Windows 8, make sure that seller deactivated it on the host machine! Otherwise it is going to be useless...
Soon to come first thoughts about Windows 8.1 used on tablet and desktop PC.
Reasons:
1. My desktop PC was running Windows 7, and even after 2 years it felt fluent, though some symptomps of clutter under the bonnet started showing off. Usual medicine is of course 'reinstall Windows' :)
2. Swmbo got kind-of-tablet (Asus Transformer Pad) equipped with Win 8.1 (her old laptop got Win8 last year anyway)
Since she decided to recycle laptop by giving to grandparents for enhanced Skype, I figured out it makes more sense to understand how Windows 8.1 behaves (to fix it easier), get smoother operation (if it can run of pretty weak tablet, it shurely will on decent i5 powered desktop), and extend life of the system (as full support for Windows 7 ceases in a year)
In principle it sounded simple: backup existing stuff, install new system, reinstall all necessary apps and recover data/settings. There were of course some reefs just under calm surface...
Prerequisites (you may not need them, but it worked for me on many occasions)
1. Keep data and programs seperate.
Even with single hard drive I can't imagine not dividing it into 2 partitions: 1 for system, 1 for files. With my current setup (SSD for system, HDD for files) that is even more obvious (and having it already in place made SSD upgrade breeze), but still Windows system locate the most important folders (Documents, Pictures, Music) an the system drive by default. Change it ASAP - see how to.
The same applies to default storage location for mail client and many other programs
2. Back up all the data
3. Make sure you backed up all the data. Most of nowadays programs behave well, but some still keep their setting in ini files or even Windows registry. If a program is unusual in its behaviour, at least do some screenshots so you can try to mimic its configuartion after reinstallation (mind that operating system upgrade may force you to install newer version of the application because of compatibility issues)
4. Two most important locations to be copied are
- AppData. It should be located in C:\Users\<%YourUserName%>\AppData. This folder is hidden by default!!
- Desktop folder, which sits in the same parent folder (<%YourUserName%>) as AppData - and where 90% of the stuff is placed, even though it shouldn't - and that folder cannot be migrated like other described above!).
5. You can of course try migration assistant, but it comes with no guarantee of 100% success, and if does - that means all the crap that re-installation is supposed to erase, actually stays intact...
6. On top of that the whole system drive image is taken. I use Acronis, it can be bought at reasonable price (with regular promotions). It can be priceless, as allows to recover absolutely everything, but may also help to save time by reverting system to the virgin state within minutes, not hours (or refreshing it, if later images are made). Standalone program offers backup solution and other system tools, but as a minimalist all I use is recovery CD/USB stick.
Procedure:
1. De-activate existing copy of Windows, so it can be re-activated
- this applies to Retail version only (OEM by default is stuck to the hardware, so only an update can be made)
- follow these instrtuctions: http://www.howtogeek.com/124286/how-to-uninstall-your-windows-product-key-before-you-sell-your-pc/ MAKE SURE command line is launched with Administrator privileges ('elevated command prompt' as Win8 calls it - I used this tutorial after getting error first time)
2. Install Windows - to achieve clean installation on existing system drive, it needs to be formated.
I followed this procedure (it is identical for Windows 8)
3. Activate system on the new machine. In my case it wouldn't activate immediately (I got message that system is used on another machine, possibly de-registering had not updated yet in MS records), but after following the wizard and 10 minutes of number game with automated telephone service the job was done.
4 Install programs you really need, and copy their settings back.
This is where AppData folder value shows: for Firefox and Thunderbird all I did was to copy over existing backup (\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\ and \AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\) and after restart all the bookmarks & passwords / mail foders were exactly where they should.
Similarly, after installing other programs (Skype, Lightroom) copying appropriate folders before re-launching makes them to work as they did before.
Apart from deactivating, the procedure is pretty much identical as any clean system installation. In my case the whole point was to re-use copy of Windows 7 on the old laptop and 'upgrade' my desktop machine to W8.1
One lesson learnt: when buying a second hand copy of Windows 7 / Windows 8, make sure that seller deactivated it on the host machine! Otherwise it is going to be useless...
Soon to come first thoughts about Windows 8.1 used on tablet and desktop PC.
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