I’ve seen this slowly in development/testing for a while, I just didn’t know it was out already…  The problem seems to be that the gang at thebeamz.com put it into their new product listing but forgot to put it into their store listing! Hopefully they will correct that shortly. Until then you can always go here -> thebeamz.com/shop/category/new/.

I’m still not sure what the difference is between the 4 and 6 laser beam models, but once I find out I’ll let you know here!

Suffice to say I’m still enjoying my Beamz and having lots of fun playing with it ( possibly to the detriment of my writing “other” articles – )

As there seems to be a lot of interest, and I’m getting a lot of hits, because of the Beamz, I’ve now made a category called My Beamz. Where you can find any and all articles that I’ve written about this great little device.

Don’t forget, if you are planning to purchase a Beamz, use the code I managed to get for it. It will give you free shipping AND another 10 free songs when you register your Beamz and include that code!

Till Next Time!

Essentially you load your program, then load up the video you want to edit. You can quickly move through or play the video until you get to your first cut point ( where you make your beginning mark). You then quickly move to the end point ( the end of your selected cut ) and mark your end cut. Note you can also move almost frame by frame if you need to.

After you have selected the piece that you want to keep, you then click on the transfer button to put the file into your buffer. The amazing part here is that the process is almost instantaneous! I’ve used other “professional” editors to do this and it takes forever to transfer the selected video from one point to another.

At this point you can save the clip from the buffer ( again extremely fast ) or mark and cut another section from the same original video ( using the same process above ) and instantly  paste it at the end of the video in the buffer, or even load up a different video that you would like to cut a section out of and paste it onto your copy in the buffer.

Digital View, the company who sells this software, makes a lite version available for you to try for free, but the small cost of this software is worth every penny to get the extras available with the full package. It is an amazing piece of software that I cannot live without. It cuts my work down by more than 90%! Anyone who wants to clean up their home video, or post videos on you tube NEEDS THIS SOFTWARE - Trust me on this one!

Linux/Ubuntu has all sorts of amazing free Audio and Video tools available in it’s library. The problem that I have found with most of them is that they are trying to compete with the professional packages. This means that they usually have way too much “stuff” to do in order to do a simple task like cutting out a small section from a larger video for posting to You-Tube.

I’ve downloaded and tried pretty well everything out there, and nothing…. let me repeat that NOTHING came close to doing the job as quickly, easily and smoothly as  EasyMPEG did and it frustrated the heck out of me!

It took a lot of research to find a tool that comes close ( it’s not perfect but it’s pretty close ) to what my favorite software could do. It is called DVBCut ( an odd name I know ) and while it seemed to exist “out there” in the Linux environment, it did not officially exist for Ubuntu.

I originally downloaded the source code ( the pieces that usually let one “make” a program with ) from Sourceforge ( dvbcut.sourceforge.net ) but it compiled ( tried to create the program ) with way too many errors. No matter what I tried I could not get the program to compile let alone run properly.

That is, until a week later I found a German site ( that’s right German…. and no I don’t speak German ) that seemed to detail the similar sorts of problems I was having with it.

Within their pages ( wiki.ubuntuusers.de/dvbcut ) were listed a bunch of programs and libraries ( special extra pieces found in the operating system ) that  were needed, which I added:

• scons
• libqt3-mt-dev
• qt3-dev-tools
• libao-dev
• libmad0-dev
• liba52-0.7.4-dev
• libboost-dev

But before I  tried to recompile the program, a little further down on their page, I found an entry that they recommended for your sources.list ( the list of places/repositories that you authorize your computer to download software from. )

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/fabricesp/ppa/ubuntu lucid main

After adding this line to my sources.list ( you can see how to do all that here ) I was able to install and run DVBCut by just issuing the command

sudo apt-get install dvbcut

And voila I now have a quick little editor that works quite well within my Ubuntu environment. Unfortunately, it still isn’t as easy or as good as my original Windows EasyMPEG utility, but it’s still faster than any of the other tools that I found.  I have hopes that it will get even better and until then, if I need to, I can always reboot back into Windows to use my “old faithful”.

For those who are only running Linux and especially Ubuntu, I hope dvbcut will help in cutting down the amount of time it used to take you to put together your video. If my EasyMPEG experience is any measure to go by, you should be immensely pleased with the results!

I had done this in the past using a not very well known release of Linux called Cygwin, which is a Linux-like device designed specifically for Windows. I’ve used it on all my previous laptops and it has paid for itself many, many, many times over. One of the favorite tasks I liked to use it for was to open up a window on my Windows machine that would ( for all intensive purposes ) allow me to access my main Linux machines desktop as if I was logged into it directly.

So now, that the Bing was operating as it should, I decided to see what else was out there and with luck maybe Ubuntu ( my favorite version of Linux ) had such a release itself. It really didn’t take very long to discover it. It’s called Portable Ubuntu Remix and it plays very well indeed. It’s installed just like a regular Windows application and can be uninstalled just as easily. It doesn’t partition your drive, nor even take up a lot of disk space. The whole package is very very compact and self contained ( from what I could discern. )

Once the program launches you get a small menu bar on your desktop ( usually near the top ) that looks very similar to the top bar of a normal Ubuntu desktop, and that’s all. The menu’s are your typical drop-down menu’s found in Ubuntu which open up to show you all the options, programs, tools, etc as those found on a usual Ubuntu install. It even includes the Ubuntu software center under the System menu to add and delete programs as you see fit. Open Office, Firefox and a bunch of other programs, tools and games come preinstalled.

The regular Windows programs are left untouched and still run fine. Launching an Ubuntu application actually opens up a window that looks just like a normal Windows application and can be manipulated just the same way. The Ubuntu menu bar can be shrunk down to a small, running icon on the desktop by just clicking either the right or left arrow at the edges of the menu.

The really neat thing is that, after a bit of digging behind the scenes, I’ve discovered that the main engine of Portable Ubuntu Remix is Cygwin! Which means all the tools and scripts that I had previously developed on my other laptops should be readily portable and straightforward to implement.

Also, since it works and installs Cygwin I was able to find its’ bin path  ( the directory that contains all the binary programs essential to Cygwin ) and add it to my Windows path giving me instantaneous access to Linux tools when I need them in Windows!

For those looking at a simple way to install Linux on their laptop without doing a partition, but making it a completely independent installation ( without the overhead of Windows getting in the way ) and doing it without too much trouble I recommend two other ways that I have found:

1. The first option is to download and install a LiveCD version of Ubuntu on either an SD card ( if you have one available ) or a USB stick. This will run slower than if it was installed on a hard drive, but it will give you an idea as to whether it will work on you computer or not. Configure your computer to check either/both of those ports for a bootable operating system first and voila, when you turn or reboot your computer you will boot up into your Linux environment! For those who are hoping to do this on a smaller Netbook ( like the CherryPal Africa for example, ) Ubuntu now makes a version configured for smaller netbook screens called the Ubuntu Netbook Edition. Their webpage even has further directions on how to install it on a USB stick if you need help!
2. The second  ( which I haven’t tried out yet ) is something called Ubuntu Wubi. It somehow installs Ubuntu within your current disk structure but sets up the computer to dual boot ( give you an option as to which operating system you want to run. ) It also, like Cygwin, or Portable Unix Remix, keeps all the files within one folder structure, making it easy to install, and easy to uninstall if you are through playing with it. The only trick here is don’t just delete the folder to remove it but rather follow the uninstall instructions that come with it. Needless to say I will be trying it out on one of my older laptops. I’ll let you know if there are any surprises…. but I’m not expecting any.

Till next time!

The problem that they have isn’t clear, they seem to be pointing a lot of fingers at China ( where they sent their off shore production to ) and they certainly have some pretty scary stories to tell about that, like this one ( click on the title to get the full story ):

The Cherrypal Underwear Crisis
… It took us four weeks until we found out that the shipping company actually didn’t ship the laptops to our customers, they sold them in Mainland China to their own distribution channels. During this nerve-wrecking four weeks some of our customers got faked tracking numbers, others cheap underwear, others nothing at all. Only after we got the first emails from “customers” in China praising our laptops we found out what was really going on…

That’s not the only horror story coming out of China for CherryPal, but it’s a dramatic one… From my point of view it falls down to service. They depended heavily on lip service and not too much on the real thing. I was dealing with the CEO of the company, Max Seybold, which initially really impressed me, unfortunately in the coming months after he first contacted me it went from being impressed, to dismayed, to anger, to frustration, to giving up… Here’s the chronology and story:

• January 5, 2010: After doing research and verification on the CherryPal Bing and being impressed with it I ordered one for my wife for her Birthday
• January 7, 2010: Shipped from San Fransisco
• January 14, 2010: Enters Canadian Customs
• January 20, 2010: Arrives at my door ( 15 days from order to delivery…. not bad…. )
• January 28, 2010: Hiccups/minor problems appear and I start dialoging with Max himself… ( I’m very impressed ) Problems are: 1) The system in configured as being someplace in China 2) The keyboard is configured as Chinese US ( didn’t even know such a thing existed ) 3) Several items/programs were installed as Chinese versions with no English menus ( I was to discover later that Windows Media Player was one of these. )
• January 29, 2010: Major issues now appear: 1) In order to upgrade Windows Media Player to version 11 it fails Windows Verification. Microsoft reports that the VLK/license is a blocked Vendor License Key and must be replaced. 2) Calling the CherryPal support number gets just a ringing phone, no one ever answers 3) The hard drive has been partition into four much smaller hard drives, which could lead to many problems for the less tech savvy. 4) The manual included with the Bing is written in very poor  English and describes ports and functions that do not exist
• January 29, 2010: Max Seybold says that they are working on the problem and that the issue is with this first batch of CherryPal Bings coming from China. He assures me that the license keys are valid, but that they will check with their manufacturer just in case. In the meantime they will also be contacting Microsoft to “get the COA validated.” He promises that if they cannot fix the laptop, they will replace it. He also apologizes for no one answering the phone as their offices were ?”upgrading our call centre as we speak”
  
• February 09, 2010: Max Seybold says that he will be sending me a new machine, to the same address, today. No deposit is necessary as he believes we can trust each other by now.
• February 14, 2010: I inform Max that the Bing worked admirably while on holiday, but we discovered that there was no telephone modem in the laptop. Which was an oversight we thought in the design as many people  (especially in the country ) still do not have high speed and need dial-up telephone modem access.
• March 02, 2010: Still no replacement computer in sight. Nothing has arrived. I ask Max for an update as time wise ( based on the previous order ) it should have arrived by now.
• March 03, 2010: Max replied that he dropped the ball. He was waiting to confirm that my computer was indeed part of a bad batch and that he ” will express ship you a ‘good’ bing today” and “will also send you a 7 inch Africa Linux to make up for the inconvenience“
• March 15, 2010: Counterfeit and “you are a victim of fraud” warnings are popping up more frequently on the CherryPal. Sometimes even blocking access to programs. The desktop picture has been replaced with a black background and Windows Genuine Advantage Failure notice. Frustration and anger are showing and I ask Max for a tracking number to confirm that the Bing has been shipped this time.
• April 19. 2010: Still waiting for Max to get back to me. I again ask for information about the replacement’s whereabouts. I even voice that I am still hoping to write a favourable review of the Cherrypal ( the computer itself is still a great little machine ) if I can get one that works properly.
• April 23, 2010: I send a broadcast email to every CherryPal address I can find or think of. Their listed phone number still doesn’t pick up, regardless of the time of day. No one has replied to any of the emails that I have sent ( the ones listed above are just the highlights .) I inform them that still nothing has arrived and my planned articles are going to start having a definitely different spin to them. I also mention that I am now researching how to fix it myself, and will probably have to buy a new Windows Professional License for it.
• April 23, 2010: This was my final message from Max. It was almost sad in it’s wording and probably says it all “ I don’t understand how this could have happened. I am really sorry. We will fix the problem immediately, no need to buy a Win XP license??. I will get back to you shortly.”
• May 03, 2010: Max still hasn’t gotten back to me. When I call their help line I now get “This is Cherrypal. All phone lines are busy. Please call later again. Thank you.” The message sounded like it was recorded in an empty warehouse. I ask Max one last time for an update. Is anything happening…. ( No one ever gets back to me )
• May 04, 2010: I write an introductory article on my blog on what I am about to attempt with the Cherrypal.
• May 05, 2010: I send Max and CherryPal an email that I have started my repairs and am writing my articles ( To date still no response )
• May 07, 2010: I write “The Bloom is off My CherryPal“
• May 10, 2010: I acquire a new Windows Professional License for the machine and write “Bing! A new License for my CherryPal“
• May 12, 2010: After a lot of prep work, I fix the disk partition problem on the computer and write “CherryPal Pie, Re-Cut“

I haven’t heard anything from Max Seybold since April 23, I hope he is doing all right. Unfortunately I would say that his company isn’t. My wife and I still like the Bing, even more so now that we got all the bugs fixed. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend it to anyone else, in spite of all the ooohs and aaaahs it generates. The service the company gave killed that chance, and may very well ( if it hasn’t already ) killed the company. What a waste.

Oh and just in case you thought that mine was a unique case, here’s some more links to check out…. again what a pity.

• CherryPal Customer Service: lies, ignored emails and technical incompetence
• Beware CherryPal Laptops – I made a mistake
• CherryPal F Rating with the Better Business Bureau
• CherryPal Mistakes and Customer Relations
• CherryPal Cancels Shipment on Africa

I think thats enough, I feel like I’m kicking a guy when he’s down. Hopefully CherryPal will get their act together, hopefully… and maybe one day I’ll get that replacement too…

You’ll hear it here first if I do, I’m just not holding my breath any more.

The problem was the hard drive. The bing comes with a great little 160GB drive. Which is plenty of space for email, and a lot of other stuff. The problem was that when Windows XP Professional was installed, someone had partitioned ( cut up ) the hard drive into smaller drives when they installed it. Specifically 26GB 50GB 50GB and 34GB ( roughly remembered .) Which in essence for most people turned the 160GB hard drive or pie into something less than a 30GB one. Also since Windows insisted on putting everything into it’s C: drive ( usually where it is installed ) it would quickly fill up as one added programs, updates and other paraphernalia. I needed to re-cut this 160GB pie into something that would work better and longer on Windows or better yet, turn all four small drives into one large one!

I have to tell you that this is pretty simple and straightforward in Linux land, plus it isn’t even really an issue with Linux because I can always mount ( dynamically add ) drives together to make the computer think it’s one big drive. Unfortunately Windows hasn’t anywhere close to anything like that, nor does it even have a tool that will let you resize a disk or partition ( that part of the drive that thinks it’s a disk by itself ) without losing the information on the disk ( and since my wife has been using the Bing for about 4 months now, it isn’t advisable to lose anything on her. )

The removal of empty partitions and the growing of the active partition ( making the C: drive that had all her current programs and information on it larger ) was easily handled by a linux program called GParted (or Gnome Partition Editor.) Which is found on any Ubuntu installation disk, as well as it’s own livecd ( a disk that will boot and just give you GParted. ) The process to do this is laid out quite clearly on their own website on Sourceforge.net. You can find all the steps here: gparted.sourceforge.net/larry/resize/resizing.htm. Make sure you scroll down and read Part 2 on the NTFS file system to see how to recover the disk and all it’s information. The process is quite simple and painless.

The challenge that required all the prep work, was a what-if scenario that I had to be ready for. Namely…. What if something went wrong and I needed to use a Windows XP Professional Rescue Disk or Installation disk to recover possibly lost data. The concern here wasn’t so much that no CherryPal comes with a CD/DVD drive ( external ones are easily connected via the USB port ), but rather the CherryPal was not shipped with any installation disks AND it contained no C:\i386 directory from which a new disk could be built!

This meant, essentially that if, for whatever reason, the CherryPal was to suffer a catastrophic failure, I could not reinstall Windows XP Professional even if I wanted to!

This needless to say sent me scurrying and searching for a couple of days looking for a solution, which of course, I finally found on a great little site called How To Haven: www.howtohaven.com/system/createwindowssetupdisk.shtml. I was able to do this because, luckily enough I had another much older laptop, which also did not have an installation disk, BUT did have the C:\i386 directory that allowed me to rebuild an installation disk.

I have to tell you the work in putting the installation disk together was not easy, there are a lot of convoluted steps and specialty programs that need to be downloaded and installed, but the bottom line is that How To Haven’s solution worked and I now have an Installation disk for Windows XP Professional and more importantly I now have a CherryPal Bing that is configured the way it’s supposed to be configured with a valid operating system ( see my previous post for that one .)

Next article will be a wrap-up of my CherryPal experience – ALL of it. Including the story on why I had to do this all myself – so stay tuned!