DigitalJargon

How to Stream Sirius or XM Satellite Radio to a Mobile Device

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:54:00 +0000

I have used some form of Windows Mobile as my main mobile device for the past four years or so. The nice thing about WinMo is that there is a native Sirius client available. When I made the move to the G1 and Android OS I realized there was no native Sirius client. Using the steps below you can stream Sirius or XM to pretty much any modern mobile device. I have personally tested it on the G1, BlackBerry 4.5, and the iPhone. It will also work for Windows Mobile.

Requirements

An active Sirius or XM Account
Windows 2000/XP/Vista with the following software

uSirius or uXM from http://www.millardsoftware.com/
Orb from http://www.orb.com
Any modern mobile device (Android G1, Windows Mobile Pro/Standard, BlackBerry 4.5 and higher, iPhone)

Instructions

Download and install uSirius or uXM from the link above. Launch the program and click on settings. Under the first tab enter your Sirius or XM username and password. Click OK and click Start. The program should load the channel lineup and you should see the message, "Server Started" and "Listening at XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX" on port XXXX".
Install Orb and accept all defaults. Launch the program. You should see an Orb icon in your system tray, right click on it, and choose Configuration.Under Advanced make sure UPnP for DirectStream is checked and you have UPnP enabled on your router. Click the Check button under DirectStream and it should be successful. If it is not you will need to setup port forwarding on your router for the ports listed. Click on the Users tab and Create an Account or use an Existing Account.
Launch http://my.orb.com from a web browser and login with the Orb account you just created.
Go to the Audio section once logged in and go to the Internet Radio Custom Channels.
Back on your computer open uSirius or uXM and click on the URLs button.Select the channel you want to stream and then copy the URL.
Back on the my.orb.com page click on Add Custom at the top of the screen. Enter anything for the title and put the URL you copied above into the Path box. Hit submit.
You should now be able to see the channel you just created. Click on the green play button to play the stream.

You should then be able to go to my.orb.com from your mobile device and play the custom internet radio stream you created.

Notes/Tips

If your computer does not have a static IP you will need to update the URL in Orb when it changes. To get around this simply give your computer a static IP address on the same subnet as your router. Use your router's IP address as your gateway and DNS server.
I let Orb startup automatically and run when I am not logged in. When these are enabled the program will run as a Windows service. I also put uSirius in my Startup folder. As a result everything works when my computer reboots.
You can also use Orb to listed to any audio files and view any video files, pictures, and documents on your mobile device.

Creating a Linked Server from SQL 2K5 64-bit to SQL 2K5 32-bit

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:08:00 +0000

I ran into an issue creating a linked server on SQL 2005 64-bit. I was trying to connect to a 2000 32-bit server. The error I received was:

OLE DB provider "SQLNCLI" for linked server "servername" returned message "Unspecified error".

OLE DB provider "SQLNCLI" for linked server "servername" returned message "The stored procedure required to complete this operation could not be found on the server. Please contact your system administrator.".

Msg 7311, Level 16, State 2, Line 1

Cannot obtain the schema rowset "DBSCHEMA_TABLES_INFO" for OLE DB provider "SQLNCLI" for linked server "servername". The provider supports the interface, but returns a failure code when it is used.

To fix this error you need to run the instcat.sql file on the 2000 instance. This file is in SP4. This file adds a missing stored procedure to the 2000 instance.

Sprint Treo 800w Now Available

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 22:45:00 +0000

The Sprint Treo 800w is now officially available at Sprint.com. The device features WM 6.1 Pro, GPS, WiFi, and a 320x320 display. Current price is $249.99 after instant and mail-in rebates. Price without any rebates is $599.99.

Engadget posted a slide showing Verizon will have the same device in Q4 of this year.

Initial reports are coming in and the device is nice and speedy. There are a few application issues with the 320x320 display resolution. Poorly coded apps are having some problems. Hopefully updates will start showing up to support this "new" resolution. On the plus side Palm OS apps running on StyleTap look great since the Palm OS Treo's standard resolution is 320x320.

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 14:06:00 +0000

In what is sure to be the biggest movie of the summer a new trailer for The Dark Knight has been posted here.

This is the interrogation scene and contains spoilers so be aware.

Renaming a Stand Alone SQL 2005 Server

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:06:00 +0000

The other week I ran into an issue where I had to rename the server that a SQL 2005 instance was install on. It was a pretty simple process. First rename the server and reboot. As far as SQL goes all you have to do is update the sysservers table by running the stored procedures below.

For a renamed default instance, run the following procedures:

sp_dropserver
GO
sp_addserver , local
GO
For a renamed named instance, run the following procedures:
sp_dropserver
GO
sp_addserver , local
GO

T-Mobile SMS Price Hike - Step by Step Cancellation Guide

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:33:00 +0000

Starting on 8/29/08 the cost for SMS/MMS text messages on T-Mobile's network will be increasing from $.10 to $.20. If you want to get out of your T-Mobile contract without paying an ETF (Early Termination Fee) this is your chance! I just went through the process and I have documented it below.

Please note this is only valid for people who do not have an add-on messaging plan. If you pay for a bundled messaging add-on you cannot use the rate increase as a reason for breaking the contract. This is also only valid for people not worried about losing your current phone number. If want to keep the phone number you will have to do some more haggling with the CR you talk to.

1. This step is very important. If you have not sent or received a SMS message within the past three months send a SMS message to your T-Mobile phone now. You can do this from another phone or from one of the many websites offering the service. If you try this without having a recent text message on your account T-Mobile will deny your request stating that the change will not affect you since you do not use text messaging.

2. Log into your T-Mobile account at http://www.t-mobile.com/. Click on Billing then on Current Usage. Verify that the SMS Text message shows up under current usage. If you do not see a message wait a few hours and check back. Based upon my experience the site updates a few times per day. Bottom line is if you do not see the message the CR will not see it.

3. Call T-Mobile's main support number at 1-800-937-8997. When prompted by the automated system say "Cancel my account". This should send you to the right department.

4. When the customer service (CR) person asks why you are calling say, “I want to cancel my account. I was notified today that the SMS messaging rate will be increasing from $.10 to $.20 on 8/29." Some CRs seem to know about this and others don't. They may put your on hold and verify the change.

5. The CR will probably come back and offer you incentives to keep your contract. Deny all offers.

6. If you haven't used text messaging within the past 3 months the CR will say the change doesn't affect you and you will need to pay the ETF. Tell them you received a text message today and it will affect you. Tell them to check your recent activity.

7. The CR may say the change doesn't take effect until 8/29. Quote T-Mobile's Terms of Service here. Tell the CR that according to the Terms of Service you must cancel within 14 days of receiving the notification. If they argue over this point or any other point simply read the following excerpt from the Terms of Service.

Section 3:
IF WE MODIFY A MATERIAL TERM OF OUR AGREEMENT WITH YOU AND THE MODIFICATION WOULD BE MATERIALLY ADVERSE TO YOU, WE WILL NOTIFY YOU OF THE INCREASE OR MODIFICATION AND YOU CAN CANCEL THAT SERVICE WITHOUT PAYING A CANCELLATION FEE (WHICH IS YOUR ONLY REMEDY) BY FOLLOWING THE CANCELLATION INSTRUCTIONS IN THE NOTICE. IF YOU DO NOT CANCEL YOUR SERVICE BY FOLLOWING THOSE INSTRUCTIONS, OR YOU OTHERWISE ACCEPT THE CHANGE, THEN YOU AGREE TO THE INCREASE OR MODIFICATION, EVEN IF YOU PAID FOR SERVICE IN ADVANCE. IF THE NOTICE DOES NOT SAY HOW LONG YOU HAVE TO CANCEL, THEN IT IS WITHIN 14 DAYS AFTER THE DATE OF THE NOTICE, UNLESS A LONGER PERIOD IS REQUIRED BY LAW.

7. The CR should then put you on hold to cancel the account.

8. Once done log back into your T-Mobile account at http://www.t-mobile.com/. You should not be able to view any current details or current plan details.

9. If you cannot get anywhere with the CR ask to speak to a manager or hang up and call again to get another CR.

10. If all else fails tell the CR you will file a report with the FCC and fill out the form located at http://esupport.fcc.gov/complaints.htm. Most of the time filling out this form will result in swift action by the service provider.

In my case I contacted support early in the day and requested the cancellation. Since I hadn't used text messaging in the past three months the CR told me I would have to pay the ETF. This CR knew about the change and was very friendly about it. He told me to just send a new text to my phone and wait a few hours and call back. I sent the text and waited until it showed on my online account manager. The second CR had no idea about the change and it required a lot of prodding on my part to get him to cancel it. Getting a good CR is just the luck of the draw. The process can be very easy or very difficult based on the CR you talk to.

About Me

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:16:00 +0000

Welcome to my blog. My plans are to use this blog to accomplish a few goals. Primarily it will be used to keep a record of my growing knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server. I plan to post all of the tips and tricks I come across as I work on my DBA skills.

I will also use the blog to share my views on my primary interests including mobile PDA type devices, movies, and computer gaming.

I am a 27 year old System Administrator located in the midwest. Please use the Contact form if you have any questions or comments.

Contact Me

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:36:00 +0000