How to copy DXpedition DVD to your iPOD

I already have several radio pod casts going to my ipod along with a number of small programs (I'll create a list shortly). The new job has me commuting by train 90 mins each way so plenty of time on my hands and I have a number of videos and dvd with films from old radio trips, DXpeditions and howto's and I had been pondering how to get them onto the iPOD (mp4 format) and ran across this site: http://www.ipodlegends.com/link.php?go=cucusofttrial

It is a trial download so you get a watermark that says TRIAL SOFTWARE on the video, £20 to register and you don't get the watermark ... your choice really.

The steps are dead easy...
Install the program on your PC (I found works with Ubuntu 10.10 & WINE so you can run it under Linux as well as the iTunes software), and then follow these steps:
Step 1: Click on “Open DVD” on the bottom left corner (Look at the screenshot below). A window will popup. Select the DVD (if running under WINE select the root folder containing the VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS directory) that you inserted into your computer. The program will fast forward to the menu and your film will start playing. Next, click on the round “Convert” button on the right. A window will popup. Name your DVD and click “Yes”

At this point, Cucusoft will start converting your film. When it is finished, a prompt will popup if you have iTunes installed you will get two options one to look at the folder where you put the converted files and another to....
Step 2: Select “Open iTunes and output folder to upload the output file(s)” and then Click “Next.” All you need to do now is put it on your iPod.

Not 100% amateur radio but I found it incredibly easy to use and now have those DVD of the big DXpeditions in MP4 format for my ipod (no before asked I will not share them!). Not tried but the software is also said to work with normal movies.

Nothing recent as changed jobs... and countries

Once dust settles will be back on this again.

Atkos on Virtual box

Someone suggested try the Atkos install under virtual box so here goes.

This install is on a dual core AMD L410 Acer with 2GB ram. I gave 723MB to the install.

I will try this on a more beefy box (quad core 4GB RAM) I'll use for development if this works.

It is an Ubuntu 10.10 host and it is Virtual Box 3.2.12

I run the machine with two external 500GB drives. The ISO are on /disk1 and the install is on /disk4

Seems to be going well so far....

Oh and just to add some fun I am running the Ubuntu using VNC4Server as well. The screen resolution is fine but could do with increasing it a bit.

iATKOS install and setup of development enviornment

Although I am VERY new at this, and I do not own a MAC myself I have been able to install iATKOS on a pretty decent new multi core AMD PC and it now appears to contain a MacOS Leopard. I might also look at a Virtualbox setup as well (Ubuntu host). I have the iPhone SDK and it looks like the entire SDK is working fine including the iPhone emulator.

[If I could figure out how to do a screen shot it would appear here]

Currently iPhone development is limited to Intel-based Macs with OS 10.5.3 and above so it's interesting to be able to learn about this development environment on a 'normal' PC. I was surprised that the iPhone SDK appears to be completely self-contained with all of the necessary tools.

The PC boots to the Mac OS X only but I have an Ubuntu live CD as well.

[If I could figure out how to do a screen shot it would appear here]

I am having one issue in that Leopard will only boot in Safe Boot mode ("-x" command). Otherwise I get the dreaded "You need to restart your computer" message. I'm pretty sure it's a hardware issue but I'm not proficient enough to fix this just yet.

So as to make sure I don't fall foul I also bought a copy of the MacOS Snow Leopard Install from a local Apple store as I suspect will buy a Mac at some point. You have to register as an Apple developer at http://developer.apple.com/iphone/ then download the iPhone SDK and install it.

You are now ready to start writing iPod/iPhone applications. The SDK that you downloaded includes the xcode ide, the objective-c compiler, and the iPhone simulator (plus a few additional tools).

It does appear that there is a catch though, I expect to avoid a million Hello World apps appearing and that is you cannot deploy your application unless you are 'a paid developer under at least Apple’s “standard program”,' which as of the time of this writing cost $99.00 and was valid for 1 year. So there is a $99/£60 entry level but If I like the iPod and develop any app that might be of use I will buy a MAC and do the register thing so I can 'release it' officially.

My iPOD is a 32GB iPod Touch V5 and right now plays song mp3 brilliantly. I also have it storing a few SDR IQ tracks.