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Media centre PC‘s and standalone PC‘s to serve music are all well and good. Unfortunately, their use generally depends on a bit of technical know-how and a fair bit of fiddling with extra kit. It’s just never a seamless experience. With a wireless network already blanketing 90% of the house, I decided to try out a gadget that I’ve been eyeing for some time: a Squeezebox. Now owned by Logitech and probably one of the few worthy Sonos competitors, I favour the Squeezebox primarily for its Logitech branding and a more reasonable price point.

Availability of the Squeezebox products is somewhat limited – with little to choose from, I selected the Squeezebox Boom.

In simple terms, the Boom is an attractive, black box featuring speakers on either end and a control panel midsection. In contrast to the Squeezebox Radio, there is no colour screen – no album art can be displayed. Whilst that initially may seem like a disadvantage, the Boom‘s green, text-only display is very functional. There’s no need to view album art the size of a matchbox from 10m away – it’s the sound that matters.

The box contains the Squeezebox Boom, a remote control with a battery included, power adapter and 3.5mm connector cable. If you have any thoughts of taking the Boom with you, a handy protective pouch is provided, though the unit is on the heavy side and you’ll need to remember the power adapter. Without a network and Internet connection, the Squeezebox is of little use. In this mode, it functions as an amplifier for a music source connected by the 3.5mm cable. When connected to a wired or wireless network, however, the functionality of this music device comes to the fore.

It starts with the setup, which is seamless and absolutely first-rate. Prior to starting up the device, I downloaded and installed the SqueezeCenter software on the iMac. This service collates music from iTunes and interacts with Logitech‘s SqueezeNetwork. Signing up is free – I entered my user name and password into the SqueezeCenter, then allowed the service to run through my 300GB iTunes music library. SqueezeCenter also runs on Linux and Windows and is able to serve music files from a variety of sources.

The Boom will live in the kitchen. There’s no wired network connection there, so I decided to try out the wireless connection. After plugging the unit into the power adapter, I watched the Squeezebox Boom go through its setup routine. It’s all automated and the process of entering values using only the dial or remote control unit a no-brainer. By way of DHCP, the unit obtains an IP address. The only other requirement is to enter the IP address of the iMac serving the music and running the SqueezeCenter. A reboot after updating its firmware meant the Boom was ready for service in an area with a wireless signal strength of less than 30%.

First off, I selected an MP3 from the iTunes library. Good sound quality and immediate response. The same when selecting a playlist. The Boom provides a number of onboard features, the creation of ad-hoc playlists being one. Searching for artists and titles is intuitive and easy: scroll through possible entries and enter text one letter at a time by turning the dial or the buttons on the remote. One feature I miss is the ability to play Audible books. That playlist doesn’t show up on the player. I guess issues with the DRM preclude this, but it would be a great addition to the Squeezebox. What amazed me most was the instant access and clear reproduction of Internet radio stations. A host of presets featuring radio stations across the world is provided, selectable from the menu. In all cases, I experienced no lag and no buffering – all radio stations played clearly and without a hitch.

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I’m very happy with my Logitech Comfort Lapdesk, and I use it a great deal. The new model has just been announced and it boasts some nice features. For starters, the N315 Lapdesk is ultra thin. In contrast to the Comfort edition, that slimline design makes it easy to shove the N315 into a notebook bag and carry it around. The unit is designed to wick away heat created by a notebook up to 15″ in size – a number of holes provide ventilation. Last, but not least, a slide-out mouse pad is a very handy addition to the Lapdesk and one I could easily use on the Comfort.

No pricing information is available yet and I’m assuming the product will hit local shores sometime in the next month or two.

Two nights ago I gave up on trying to get the Logitech Harmony Remote software to run on the iMac. I’m really annoyed having to deal with Java – it’s a major source of computing issues in my opinion and experience. If it’s not a Java problem causing hours of wasted time looking for its source in a SAP installation, it’s some nonsensical Java idiocy causing end-user frustration because the incorrect version of the virtual machine has been deployed. For a solution that is meant to be write-once, run anywhere the Java technology has missed the mark by a huge margin. But that’s a discussion for another day. Call me a traditionalist, but I like native applications. They tend to work more reliably, require fewer resources and make issue resolution so much easier.

Back to the 7.6.0.8 version of the Logitech Harmony Remote software that simply wouldn’t run properly on a brand new Leopard installation. Gerd provided some useful advice, though I had checked the precedence of Java VM‘s during my own investigation.

No matter: I downloaded AppZapper (one advantage of trying to figure out a solution is that one often runs into interesting and useful software suggested by others) and proceeded to get rid of the Harmony software. AppZapper wasn’t necessary. The only component to get rid of was the Harmony software item in the Applications folder itself. No associated files. In any case, I’ll probably purchase a copy of AppZapper for future use. With the Harmony software removed, I restarted the iMac and then checked the Java VM settings in Mac OS X.

Though the 32-bit version of J2SE 5.0 topped the list for both the Java Applet Plugin and Java Applications, I pulled the J2SE 5.0 64-bit component into second position instead of Java SE 6.

With that done, I reinstalled the Harmony software. Surprise, surprise. Without a hitch, it now runs from within the Applications folder as one would it expect to.

Fascinating. I haven’t changed anything really and can’t imagine that moving the 64-bit version of a JVM to second place in the preferences of a 32-bit OS would make the difference. The Application Support directory still contains no content, but at least the application is now functional.

I haven’t messed around with the Logitech Harmony Remote control for quite a while.

A new release of the Logitech desktop software that enables configuration of the device prompted me to download and install. I downloaded both the Windows and Mac versions of the software and proceeded to install release 7.6.0.8 on G2S running Windows 7. On Windows, the software runs without an issue, allowing me to log in to my online account and retrieve the settings for the Harmony One. In the past, I’ve not had too much success running the previous version of the software for the Harmony One on the MacBook. Things should be better with the newer version I thought. Right…

7.6.0.8 does not run well on the Mac. At least not on mine – neither the MacBook nor the iMac have any interest in running this rather poor excuse for an application. The most common failure is the rather distressing error message displaying issues about an object that has been moved.

The fact that IIS is mentioned makes the error even more disturbing. Dragging the Logitech Harmony Remote Software icon from the Applications folder to the desktop is one step in the right direction. The application actually launches and presents the login screen. The joy is short-lived: within seconds of clicking the login button, another error message appears.

That’s basically it. There is not much more to do. The suggested tip of looking for the cookies.txt file and deleting it in the working directory of the application turns up very little on my systems. In fact, the named directory Macintosh HD\Application Support\Logitech\browser-logitech does not even exist! Creating the top-level directory in the hope of coaxing the application to write its cookies is of no consequence.

The fault, in my opinion, lies with that wondrous piece of rubbish called Java. Wherever this thing turns up, stuff stops working. Versions of the VM are important, but no one can ever pinpoint what the required version is. Updating to the latest Java version available for Leopard as suggested is also useless. It’s probably Java and/or a permissions issue. For now, I’ll stick with the software as it runs on Windows and trust that Logitech will finally create a version of the desktop software that actually works on the Mac without requiring endless searching for solutions. A native app that relies on the operating system and not on a rubbish virtual machine would be nice.

Then again, with the support site down, who knows what these guys are doing…

Logitech has just announced a rather exciting addition to their range of gaming peripherals. The Flight System G940 is a solution lovers of flight simulators may be interested in: it comprises a force-feedback joystick, pedals and dual throttle control. Aimed at both aeroplane and helicopter enthusiasts, the Logitech G940 looks and feels the part.

Unfortunately, the G940 is specific to the Windows gaming environment and has specific compatibility with Microsoft Flight Simulator X, IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946, Falcon: Allied Force, Lock On: Modern Air Combat X-Plane 9, Enemy Engaged 2, and DCS: Black Shark. No idea yet on whether or not there’s a chance to get this working on the Mac or PS3.

The launch price is set at USD 300 and we’ll hopefully see this in the European and South African markets in the next few months.

More information here.

My Logitech Harmony remote control is capable of controlling all devices near the LCD, except for the PS3. I had considered purchasing the Sony PS3 remote control, but after seeing this I’m glad I held out: Logitech will begin shipping a special adapter that will interface the products of the Logitech Harmony remote control range with the PS3.

The Harmony adapter is a sleek device that requires a power connection but does not use up any of the PS3‘s USB ports. Instead, the adapter is paired to the PS3 unit as a Bluetooth device. Once the necessary device has been added into the Harmony‘s internal configuration, all PS3 Blu-Ray commands are available through the Harmony remote control. For more information, see the Logitech product information page. The Harmony PS3 adapter will be shipped to Europe and Africa sometime in July.

And sometimes of electric sheep. The Logitech Pure-Fi Dream is a rather fancy bedside alarm clock that includes an AM and FM radio as well as a docking station for an iPod. The iPhone keeps its charge for most of the day, but like the Nokia E90 won’t last too long when not provided with overnight power. So, one has the option of the boring, supplied AC power adapter to recharge the iPhone on the bedside table or opt for a more expensive, but certainly more useful docking solution. The Pure-Fi Dream is one of many docking solutions available for iPods and the iPhone and provides a variety of decent features in addition to the obvious ability to charge the docked device.

The shape is interesting, and the ambient orange lighting pleasant on the eye. The lighting dims and brightens based on available light and isn’t obtrusive when it’s time for shut-eye. The wrap-around stereo speaker deliver decent sound – more than enough to wake from a pleasant slumber and ample to make the iPod, integrated tuner or AUX device heard on the patio.

As with all dock-related iPod accessories, a slew of plastic inserts is provided. As usual, the moulded numbering on the inserts or adapters makes them difficult to identify, but Logitech have opted for a simple numbering scheme that needs to be matched to the user guide to determine which iPod requires which adapter. The adapter slots into the cradle above the LCD display and securely holds the iPod.

Two alarms may be set, each with its own alarm time (obviously) and sound source. A playlist may be selected and played, or any preset radio station. When the alarm sounds, a simple wave of the hand over the Pure-Fi Dream is sufficient to activate snooze mode. It’s generally better just to get out of bed when the first alarm sounds…

A basic graphic equalizer display is available, though only treble and bass may be set. One thing that annoys me slightly is the inability of the built-in RDS tuner to display station identification information. That should work, according to the manual…

The remote control unit is another feature bound to encourage laziness. Why bother attempting a stretch to wave at the Pure-Fi Dream to switch to snooze mode? Simply haul the remote from under the pillow, point in the general direction of the noise and click the Off button. Problem solved!

The remote provides all necessary functions, including setting the alarm times and sound settings, as well as selecting a preset radion station. The unit is AC powered, with a rather large power adapter that assists reception of AM and FM radion signals. You’re sure to awake on time even if Eskom decides to cut the power: a 9V battery in the unit keeps the clock running.

The Logitech Pure-Fi Dream is a very decent bedside alarm unit, with two alarms and full support for an iPod. With the exception of the RDS information not displaying, I’m quite happy with this gadget. And the wife likes it too