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Thursday, November 3, 2016

Nikon Keymission 360: How to get it upload to Facebook and Youtube to work

Yes I made a 360 camera purchase but no those that most people would have got their hands on.  I decide to give Nikon a try though I am very attracted to Ricoh Theta.

I did a couple of review read online though Nikon does not support out of the box upload for Facebook 360 app, YouTube 360 video, it does support Facebook 360 video.  Strangely not the photo but video.  For 360 photo, Facebook have a list of compatible 360 cameras listed here.

So how do I get my picture on my Keymission to work on Facebook and video to work in YouTube?  For a start you just need to add a parameter in the picture for Facebook to allow the picture to work.  Found this article that mention it.  Basically to use a EXIFTOOL to add a ProjectionType.
  • exiftool -ProjectionType="equirectangular" photo.jpg

For Youtube to work with 360 video, you got to download a metadata tool from YouTube here.

I have tested it on both Facebook and YouTube with picture and video and it works.


Thursday, July 21, 2016

Amazon Echo Configure Time and Address Outside US Guide

Got myself an Amazon Echo.  However it does not allow you to set a setting outside US.  The nearest possible is to a US state with GMT+10.  That however is still 2 hours ahead of Singapore.  It is an hassle to tabulate always the extra 2 hours.

Did a search and found many article and finally found in this thread.  Took me a while to understand what it takes.

Here I have simplify for anyone who needs an Amazon Echo and configure to their own address and Country Time.

First use Google Chrome browser.

  1. Go to the Extension and add Request Maker.  Make sure the white envelop is now on your taskbar.
  2. Make sure your browser is clean by removing any cookies that has Amazon.
  3. Open a new tab, head to Alexa setup page.
  4. Go to Settings>Your Echo's name> Device Location, just key in the postal code: 12345
  5. Now click on the Request Maker icon, Look for a PUT request with this URL: https://pitangui.amazon.com/api/device-preferences/.
  6. Amend your address and timezone in the Raw Data section also look for your < timeZoneId: "" > and put it between "". Do this bit by bit. After one amendment, click the send button, you will see 200 OK means it successful else you will see 500 Internal Error.
  7. E.g. "CELSIUS","timeZoneId":"Asia/Singapore",
  8. Once done, Test it on Amazon Echo. "Alexa, What is the time", "Alexa, What country am I in?".

Hope this helps.

Monday, May 30, 2016

How Fiber Internet is Connected in Your Home Guide

Each home will have OpenNet device installed.  It has two Fiber point at the bottom of it.  Technically you can subscribe to two ISP if you want to.

When subscribing to an ISP (Internet Service Provider), you will be normally issued a ONT (Optical Network Terminal).  The ONT consists of LAN jack and Telephone jack.  Depending on your ISP plan, you might have IP phone which you will connect phone to the Tel jack.
For internet you will connect the LAN jack to a computer or Router.

The OpenNet is then connected to the ONT.  The ONT is then connected normally to a Wireless Router.  Router is normally placed on a ceiling middle of a room clear of blockage.


If you have your Wireless Router in your Distribution Box (DB),  and the wireless signal is weak and have blind spots.  You can then consider two things:

  1. Wireless extender
This will need a few things:
  1. Placed at 50% of your wireless signal range so as to amplify the signal to blind spot.
  2. You will need a AC power to power the extender.

2) Wireless Access Point (AP)
This is used like in Hotel where this is placed around the premies to connect to the same HotSpot name.  As APis connected to a router, it is not amplifying a signal but providing internet access spots where there is no signal.

AP is normally used to enable a non wireless router to become wireless.  AP is best placed just like a router at top of ceiling middle of a room with clearance.
This will need few things:
  1. AC power to power this device.
  2. A LAN cable from your router.

The only exception for a AP only using a POE LAN point from a POE switch/router, will not need an AC power. However the LAN point need to be from a device which support POE.

POE (Power over Ethernet)
POE device are normally found in AP, switch, router, etc.  A POE router or switch need a AC power.  The LAN points from POE switch/router contains data and power.  Power to power a POE device e.g. a POE AP as show below a Ubiquiti AP.


FAQ on POE


What is POE?
POE stand for Power over Ethernet.  It means a LAN cable that carries Data and Power.

How is it different from our normal LAN cables?
Normal LAN cable only carry data.

Can I convert a normal LAN to a POE LAN to power up a POE Device?
Yes you can use a POE Injector.  Here is how it works:
Power + LAN> POE injector > POE LAN
This way you can use the POE LAN to connect to a POE device.

Can POE LAN damage non POE devices?
No.

What other POE device other than AP?
POE IP Camera is also one of them.  Using a POE LAN to power up the CCTV and transmitting the IP Camera video footage.

Can I use POE LAN to power other device without using the data?
Yes you can getting a POE splitter, you can split data and power apart and use separately.

Does it make sense to run POE device at home?
Depends.  If you just have one device, then it might not as to have POE, you lightly need to get a POE switch connecting to your router.
So it will look like this:  OpenNet>ONT>Router>POE switch> POE AP + POE IP Cam + motion sensor with splitter
Can I use POE LAN to power up only certain device?
Yes you can using a POE splitter which will split the Power and Data to two separate connection.  Then you can use the DC power normally in 5/9/12 V to a device and LAN to something else or nothing.