Managing the massive amounts of various media files (photos, videos, music, documents) is painful once you get beyond a small collection. I've been managing photos in hierarchical directories on my Windows PC for the last few years and it's worked well except that it takes time to move files around, bring up thumbnails, search photos, upload them to my web based gallery, etc.

I switched to using Gallery web based system a year or so ago and it's worked well except that it's cumbersome to upload massive numbers of photos, the interface is clunky and often logs you out during transfers, and periodically munges a file so that it can no longer be opened (in fact it modifies each file uploaded which I'd prefer to leave in it's native format).

Further many desktop albums are much more advanced at this time (Adobe Album, etc.) and allow various views into your collection (both online and archived).

For now I plan on moving to a Windows based system and figure out some way to snapshot out the photos I want available online via Gallery using scripts.

Posted by ryans at 05:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Now that disk space is excessively cheap doing disk based backups is much more reasonable and allows for real-time access. This doesn't solve the problem of offsite backups (unless you take an entire drive and move it offsite) but it's definately cheaper than buying a tape drive (given 250GB drives can now be had for $149).

• Arkeia Light is available free for 1 server + 2 client machines (Linux or Windows) and looks like a solution for the small time home user.

• NovaStor also offers cross platform NovaNET backup software but is definately more Windows focused. I never was super impressed with the usability of NovaStor's software when I've had tape drives previously.
  

Posted by ryans at 03:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Apparently Europipe has a Stainless Steel Sport Exhausts for the GT3, dyno results +12hp which seems a little suspect to get that much out of a system that has already been heavily tuned by Porsche Motorsports. Also saves 8lbs.

Heavily debated on Rennlist along with the Fabspeed GT3 exhaust+headers which have an even more outrageous claimed increase.

Posted by ryans at 03:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

KarlS posted his DIY install instructions for the GT3 intake screens. Would really help keep out all the damn bugs and other things that seem to always end up blocking the air coolers.

Part numbers from Porsche Motorsports NA (which also has excellent information on Porsche's partition with racing in the US):

• 996.505.323.91 (Left) $140.20
• 996.505.324.91 (Right) $140.20
• 996.505.321.92 (Center) $96.70

On another note here is the current GT3 sales data, prediction is under 500 cars for NA at this point.

May: 1, 1
June: 1, 2
July: 59, 61
Aug: 89, 150
Sept: 21, 171
Oct: 30, 201
Nov: 28, 229

Posted by ryans at 01:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Scotty White of NayKid Racing posted about a driver opening in the 2004 SCCA T1 series that includes crew, transportation, tires/brakes/fuel, entry fees, driver coaching and chassis engineering. After watching the National SCCA T1 races there looks like some intense and competitive racing in almost spec production cars.

Apparently roll cage, fire extinguisher, seat, racing harness, tires and brakes are about all the modifications you can make to run the the Z06 in the SCCA T1 class.

Recent Z06 race cars forsale:

• John Heinricy's 2002 National Championship T1 Corvette Z06 built by Phoenix was recently offered in Racer magazine completely turn key race ready w/ additional spares for $49k.

• 2002 Corvette Z06. SCCA T1 Class Bronze metal winner at ¹03 Runoffs. Sold w/spare wheels, but minus loud orange stripes, only 1200 easy Sunday miles. No Damage, full GM T1 kit, coolers, special exhaust, GM racing computer, $59,999. Tom Oates (610) 827-7400 EST, see pics at 99chevy.com (FL)

• Scotty White apparently sold his 1999 T1 never been hurt, sat on the front 2 rows at Runnoffs for 4 years straight Z06 conversion for $41k with a brand new 2004 crate motor. Sold in late 2003.
  

Great breakdown on the SCCA T1 forums for T1 racing costs.

Posted by ryans at 12:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Open Track Challenge runs a "full season" of racing at 5 tracks in a single week: Willow Springs, Thunderhill, Sears Point/Infineon, California Speedway, and Arizona Motosports Park.. Two division are run, Touring and Unlimited, and a stock production car can be run with nothing more than a mounted fire extinguisher, two drivers, and the $1700-$2100 entry fee. For Touring the car MUST be driven from track to track between races, up to 450 miles distance in a day.

Posted by ryans at 12:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

First gigapixel image using Bryce Canyon National Park as the scene, 196 stiched photos at 6 megapixels each, crazy! A 4GB CompactFlash card stores a single image.

Posted by ryans at 11:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)