I purchased a Apple Ipad the first day it was released.  I knew there were some things I wanted to do with it.  Show my portfolio, create presentations on it,  mail, internet and so on. I also wanted to use the Ipad as a image file back up system. This way I could shoot to a card in the camera, and instead of carrying my 17 inch laptop to back up and view load my images on I could use the Ipad. The ipad is so much lighter. 

The  Ipad Camera kit is for the smaller SD cards, (the memory cards in you point and shoot camera) or for direct download from the camera by way of USB 2.0 cord in to a USB adaptor.  My cameras take the larger CF cards.  I bought a SD card and a CF card adaptor, to test and see how all this transfer idea will work. The SD cards are slower in write and read speed than a CF card. I really dislike waiting for the camera buffer to empty on to the card. And I really don’t want to invest in additional cards.  Well I did test the SD card I do have. It’s a 4 gig Extreme card. and A Class 6 speed (20mbs). 

Oh wait….  small epiphany, Duh.. if I use  the USB adaptor and a CF -USB card reader which, I have already, I can the use it to down load my CF card  images directly to the pad. I will not need to buy any additional  SD cards or adaptors. Darn now I need to cancel  an order. Writing this blog made me think of  it.  

Now  with that idea, I did some testing. It took 10 minuets to down load  4 gigs from a SD card  to the pad.  The  4 gig CF card took only 7 minuets.I   Every little bit of time helps. 

I now have  3 options to transfer images on to my Ipad, SD/CF card adaptor, CF/CF-USB , and USB cord to camera. 

The next test is to go from the Ipad to my editing computer.  Thats another post.

 Joel 

Camera, Ipad, and the Apple Ipad Connection Kit

Apple Card reader and a SD card and CF Adaptor

Using a Camera Kit USB Adaptor to a USB card reader

To set up account and assign a folder and permissions in Seefile is the next step in this process.   I logged in as the administrator.  And then to the admin panel. I started to configure users. I only takes three steps to  add a new user. First you will setup  the  name of the company or person with a password. The next step is to  assign them a folder and lastly is to set up  there permissions. Wat they can do with the files. Most of the time I set up that they can view, post messages. and rotate the image.  I usually set up a separate download folder and set the permissions for downloading images there.

After yoou have added the new client make sure you save.  I always  then log on as the client to test the set up.

Once all the computers were ready, now comes the time for file transfers. I need to transfer all the accounts and there files to the new sever.

I had about 150 gigs in all. I would guess 4-5 thousand image files. I took the slower route. I transferred all the files over the network. I could have set up a FireWire transfer. It would have been  a little faster. But I had the time.

I did take a couple of hours. I would transfer a client and then would check the files and change the organization if I thought it would be better. Then I would set there account information and test to make sure all would work.  There about 20 to 30 differnt clients who have access.  I stated with the ones that would need access now. The rest I’ll do as the need.  In a future post (soon) I’ll go thur thru the set up procedure.

I down loaded the Seefile software and in stalled it. When you install Seefile, there are some options. You can use the Mysql database.

Which you need to down load and install. It free, but it is a extra step. It does not come with Seefile. And you need to load it first. This is a very well known and use database. Or you can opted for the Posgress database software that come bundled with Seefile. Its up to you. I did the bundled Posgress database. Just to make the install easier. There is no performance difference in the two databases.

I just fallowed the instructions and opened the login page in Safari when the install was completed.

The next blog will be the login and set up.

The new/used 2.7 g5 arrived earlier this week. Now comes the fun of switching drives and getting it all hooked up. When the new computer arrived it had Os 10.4 on it. I bought a new copy of OS 10.5 from the local Best Buy. I the installation went well as you would expect.

I next removed the hard drive out of the 2.7 and placed it in the 2.3. I took the two drives from the 2.3 and put them in the 2.7. Turned on the 2.7 with the two new drives, and bingo! it worked great. When I started, what would be the 2.3ghz seefile computer with the new 10.5 OS,this is what happen. I got the screen of death, lines of code and the big restart button.

I check the computer and every thing looked great. I restarted again, the same thing. So I needed to re-install 10.5 again. so that’s what i did.

I also downloaded and installed all the OS updates.

Next load seefile 4

To clarify better what I am doing. I bought, off ebay a G5 2.7 GHz computer. This will replace the 2.3 GHz machine that I currently use for my image edditing. The 2.3 will be the new Seefile server. It has dual Ethernet conections in it. I’ll need them later when I hook  the computer to the net work. The older server, 1.4GHz will be sitting on a shelve, for now. I find some thing to do with it.  So you can see it’s not just replacing a computer but upgrading two. Moving hard drives and installing software.

But since the new computer is not here yet, I thought I would get started on the upgrade. I’m adding a G5 Jive unit and a SATA card to control the new hard drives. This G5 Jive product will let me add 3 more drives internally to my G5. So I my total will be 5 drives, most likely 500 gig drives. For a total of 2.5 Terabytes of storage. The Jive I bought off of craig’s list, and had for a while . The drives I’ll buy soon.

The parts, as you can see here, are the drive mount itself, the  power and data cabling, and the SATA card. This will control each of the drives. I’m not sure how I’ll configure the drives yet, but for now I just get everything in the computer.

As many of you may know, I am the number one evangelist for Seefile software. It’s this software’s job to deliver an maintain a image archive for me and my clients. My Digital Asset Management link on my site talks about what it can do. I’ve been to many trade shows all over the U.S. for them. Trying to spread the word of this software. Now more than ever with the consolidation and the closing of many on line storage and images delivery companies. Seefile is ready to explode. The next couple of blogs will pertain to the upgrade. So I apologize to those who don’t want to here all the tech stuff.

Why the up grade?. Due to the slower computer speed, and the way I have the 3.0 software configured, My clients are having a hard time logging in, retrieving the files and downloading images. This is causing some headaches for them and me. So before it gets worse I going to make the change. I believe in being proactive.

I’m currently running a Mac G4 Dual 1.4 MHz, 2 gigs ram, OS 10.3 and Seefile Version 3.0. Its about 1/2 full of image files.

I have 4- 250 gig drives in it. drive one is the OS drive, the Seefile software, and what I call a temp folder. More on that later. I will be up grading to a Mac G 2.3 dual 6 mags ram and OS 10.5, Seefile Version 4.2.

You may think, why is he using a 4 year old computer? Well first of all, Seefile does not need a new Intel machine to run well. The speed improvements in the new 4.0 software have seen to that. And I can get a use G5 off Ebay for $800 bucks,verses a new Intel for $3000.

Here is a shot of what I am running now. It look a bit messy. This is a sever cabinet that I also use to store my additional hard drives and my net work gear. As part of the up grade I’ll all so be up grading the sever cabinet shelf arrangement.

Current Seefile Set up Dual g4 1.4 Ghz