Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with mac and usb

TOSLINK USB surround sound adapter + Mac OS X?

Blazecock Pileon — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 12:57:24 -0800

What is a good, working surround sound USB adapter for a Mac mini in a home theatre setup, which uses a TOSLINK connector? (I would be using this with DVD Player, iTunes, VLC, QuickTime Player, etc. if that matters for software support.)

Dual-Bay SATA Enclosures

sdis — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:05:09 -0800

Dual-bay SATA Enclosures! Which ones let me copy from one drive to the other on a Mac? I have my eye out on this inexpensive one, and in the end, I want a box into which I can stuff two harddrives, copy stuff between them, and copy stuff between my internal laptop harddrive and them. Bonus points if I can hook it up via USB to my Airport Extreme and get two network drives.

Will this EagleTech one do what I need? If not, what will?

(Having trouble finding detailed info on this enclosure, although from various reviews, it appears that it supports RAID 0 as well as "normal", though I'm not clear what "normal" would be in this circumstance)

USB or Firewire for Maximum Efficiency?

j-dawg — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:55:41 -0800

I'm video recording a long event through software on my Mac, and am using a USB-connected Panasonic camcorder. Since I'll need an external drive for the files, should I choose a USB disk or Firewire disk, or does it matter? I can talk myself into either, but I have no idea. Is USB better since the throughput is going USB-USB? Or is Firewire better so both devices aren't hogging the same controller? Or does it not matter at all, particularly given the software layer in between the capture and the recording (Screenflow, in this case)?

Thanks!

iPhone 3G doesn't mount as a camera any more

AmbroseChapel — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:13:47 -0800

iPhone 3G doesn't mount as a camera any more (contains list of things already tried) My iPhone (upgraded to 3.0, but has worked fine between the upgrade and this problem) doesn't do what it's supposed to do for iPhoto, or other software, to see it as a camera and import the pictures. In all other respects it seems normal.

Here's what I've tried so far:

soft restart
hard restart
different computers
different operating systems
different USB cables
different photo-import software
a full restore

I'd really appreciate any suggestions.

Network USB Devices

shew — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 22:59:06 -0800

I need to get my external hard disks and my multifunction printer off my desk. I have a mac. I have a multi-function printer. I have 3 external hard disks. I scan lots of things. I print stuff. I run time machine. Help me move my USB peripherals to the other side of the room. I tried the Airport Extreme. Scanning functions don't work.

I've tried the Belkin Network USB Hub. Completely sucked. Froze my computer 3-4 times a DAY.

What are my options? Haven't tried wireless USB, but I'm considering it. The Belkin Network USB Hub is the perfect option - too bad it doesn't work at all. Anyone know of alternatives?

Requirements: I must be able to print. I must be able to scan. I must be able to run time machine automatically. Ideally, I'd like to plug a USB hub into my magical networking device and plug any USB device into it for access from my mac.

I have a wireless network and hot network ports available in both locations (at the computer and the area where I'd like to move the printer/drives to).

Automated backup for USB flash drives?

modernnomad — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:59:12 -0800

Is there a way to automatically back up certain folders on my hard drive to a USB key every time a plug in that key? I'm on Mac OS X 10.5 and have an 8GB flash drive. I'm wondering if there is any automated process out there that will, every time I plug it in, copy over any changed files in (for example) my documents folder. I am not looking for proprietary archiving; I want the files to then be accessible on any other computer I plug the USB key into -- I just want to automate the copying process.

Using a ViBook with Mac Mini and Cintiq 12WX?

austinlee — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:05:13 -0800

I have a last generation mac mini and would like to use a cintiq 12WX with it. Would a ViBook USB adapter help me accomplish this? Ok, so I have a last generation mac mini and can only use one monitor on it. I want to start using a WACOM CINTIQ 12WX. The problem is that the cintiq works like a monitor so I can only have either the cintiq plugged in or my normal monitor. I found a piece of hardware called the ViBook which I think might solve this. Has anyone used this thing with good results? Will photoshop run ok on it? Any advice is appreciated. Also, I've found similar USB adapters that were less expensive. Is one better than the other ones or could I get away with getting a cheap one? Thanks!

Why won't my PC read my SD card?

reenum — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:47:55 -0800

My PC can't read my SD card. What gives? I have a 4 GB SD card in my digital camera. Last night, I tried to download the pics from the card using one of those 9-in-1 card readers.

My PC had trouble reading the card and when I finally double clicked to try and access the drive assigned to the SD card, it said that it was inaccessible due to an I/O error. This same error occurred on my laptop and work computer as well. All these computers run XP.

Any ideas on how I fix this and get at my pics?

Installing Windows 7 on a MBP with a non-working DVD drive

N2O1138 — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 23:22:32 -0800

How can I install Windows 7 (via Boot Camp or rEFIt) from an ISO? I think the Superdrive on my Macbook Pro (10.5.6) is on its last legs, because it ejects almost anything I put in it. (Meaning blank DVDs, and the DVD I burned of the ISO on my Windows XP desktop with ImgBurn). It's not extremely old (I got it refurbished on Christmas 2007), but still old enough to be out of warranty (at least I would think so). What I have available: 1tb My Book Firewire External Hard Drive 4gb 1st gen iPod Nano, that isn't even formatted as an iPod right now, so it's basically just a 4gb USB flash drive. I know I can boot from it if it's set up right, because I've been using it with this What I've tried so far:
I can't restore the iPod to the ISO in Disk Utility, so I tried to convert the ISO to a DMG (in Disk Utility and using a program called Converso), getting errors both times.

I tried mounting the ISO, erasing everything on the iPod, and copying everything straight out of the ISO to the iPod, but it doesn't appear as anything bootable.

Please help if you can

What's wrong with this stupid USB hub?

nitsuj — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 07:11:30 -0800

Can you recommend a USB hub that will work flawlessly with my Macbook Pro (or tell my why this one isn't working properly)? I currently own this Belkin USB 2.0 7-Port Mobile Hub, and it's easily the worst piece of technology I've ever owned. The power cord is embarrassingly short, and my devices *constantly* become disconnected several times throughout the day.

The fail point seems to be the USB plug; it doesn't snugly fit into the USB port on my MBP. Any time the cord is barely jiggled, it disconnects and I lose all of my devices along with the damage warning for unplugging a hard drive with out first ejecting.

But it's also worth noting that, even when I'm 100% sure I never touch the hub or any cords associated with it, the device disconnects. I can be in the other room, and I hear the beep from my iPhone that signals a sync, meaning it came unplugged.

Could this be any other issue beyond just a shitty USB hub? Could it be, like, a power problem? The hub is plugged into a UPS, and my lights don't flicker or anything. Could I be plugging too many devices into it? It's has 7 ports, so I'd assume it has the ability to handle 7 devices. I'm not daisy chaining it or anything.

So, can you either A) suggest a new USB hub that can go more than a few hours without disconnecting, and is proven to plug into my MBP without problem? Or B) explain to me what other factors in my setup could be causing the hub to randomly disconnect every few hours?

Here's what's plugged into the hub for reference:

-iPhone
-Canon printer/scanner
-WD Passport HD
-Logitech headset
-Occasionally a Canon HF100 (it always seems to disconnect when I'm transferring video from this thing. Argh.)

Disabling USB port on a Mac

hellogoodbye — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 17:21:05 -0800

How can I eject a USB device on OSX (10.5.6) if it doesn't show up on Finder? I think this may be the solution to my larger VirtualBox USB problem. I'm very new to Macs. I'm on a new MacBook Pro, trying to use a CAC reader on Windows XP through Virtual Box. I have the USB ports enabled, but I get this error message:
USB device 'SCM Microsystems Inc. SCR3310 USB Smart Card Reader' with UUID ****** is in use by someone else.
when I try to attach that reader to the XP virtual machine.

I've looked to no avail on the Virtual Box forums, as well as Google.
It's a very specific question, but I have a feeling that disabling the reader/USB port on my Mac (as long as I could reenable it) could solve the Virtual Box problem. I'm pretty sure the Mac is recognizing the reader, but when I look in Finder, the Smart Card Reader does not appear for me to eject.

Help my MacBook make sound again!

zacharyseibert — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 20:00:50 -0800

Possible solution to getting sound back on my MacBook? I have an original white MacBook, Core Duo 2 ghz. The sound card on the logic board died awhile ago, and I have yet to get it fixed. It is out of warranty, and the people at the Apple store have informed me that it will cost $250 to get it fixed through Apple. I was hoping there was a way around spending $250 on an older laptop I might replace fairly soon.

My real question is, if I were to buy an external sound device, that would go through USB or FireWire, would that solve my problem of no audio input/output without needing to repair the internal onboard sound card? Also, if this is a plausible solution to my problem, any recommendations on an external device that works well with OSX (Leopard, if that matters) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Why won't my Macbook recognize my Canon S3 IS as a device?

deern the headlice — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:22:52 -0800

Trying and failing to transfer photos from camera to laptop - why won't my Macbook recognize my Canon S3 IS as a device? Sorry to ask such a newb question.

I made the switch to Mac only a week ago (refurb Macbook Pro 15", OSX 10.5.4) then immediately went on a week's vacation. So here I am with a camera full of pics, but when I connect the camera to the laptop via USB, nothing happens. No prompt, no recognition of a new device. I've tried adjusting the camera between shoot and playback modes, nothing happens.

Being new to Macs, I'm not 100% sure what's even supposed to happen.

The camera is, however, displaying a blinking yellow light that I've never seen before. Also, I'm using my girlfriend's camera/USB cable which dates back to 2004. Could the cable be the problem?

I'm pretty hardware clueless, unfortunately. Any ideas?

Connect Canon HG10 video to Mac os X

willep — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 17:02:20 -0800

Mac osx/canon hg10 cannot get stills off camera. Video yes, stills no. We're supposed to have a baby any day now and this sucker ain't behaving (the camera-mac connection). I haven't had this kind of problem with a mac in 10 years. I can get iMovie to find my Canon HG10 thru USB cable but not Final Cut Pro of iPhoto or Image Capture. That would be fine except that iMovie does not download images from still mode.

I have everything Canon has for download, I have iPhoto, etc. I have another Canon still camera that works fine in all programs.

I saw this thread was closed.

I've looked: no one else seems to have this problem and Canon isn't aware of it... thank you.

What is the cheapest USB mic I could find for a mac?

Melankolia — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:28:56 -0800

What is the cheapest USB mic I could find for a mac? I'm learning to use Garage Band to record musical ideas. I have found a USB guitar cable that allows me to plug the guitar directly into a USB port on the computer and start recording. I'm looking for a microphone, under $ 100, that can do the same thing and that is compatible with mac. I'd be recording myself singing, ideally it would be something that didn't pick up the background noise too much. Any recommendations?
Thanks in advance!

Help me lower this time capsule into the ground...

roombythelake — Thu, 22 May 2008 23:24:50 -0800

Time capsule/Mac trouble--help me start backing up my data with a minimum of muss/fuss! Hi folks. I'm using a Macbook (new last fall) and I've just bought Leopard and a Time Capsule to use for backing up my data (after a catastrophic crash--PSA, MeFites, please PLEASE back up your data!!!). Here's the catch: I'm renting a room in a house, and so obviously I can't use the Time Capsule as the primary router. Time Capsule claims it can work through the existing network, which would be great for me even though it would be slower than if it were the network's primary router.

The problem is that while going through my set-up process for Time Capsule it does not recognize my Time Capsule again after I input my preferences. (This guy had exactly the same problem--check out his description to see my problem...) Anyway, the error message reads thusly:

"AirPort Utility was unable to find your Apple wireless device after restarting. The settings for this Apple wireless device have been successfully updated, but there was a problem rejoining the wireless network or finding the Apple wireless device. You may need to select your network from the AirPort menu and try again."

After doing some research, one possible reason for this seems to be that my landlady's wireless network uses WEP security, whereas apparently WPA security is now recommended, and runs much more smoothly with external devices. Most of the Time Capsule suggestions, then, involve changing the network from WEP to WPA but that doesn't help me--as a lowly renter, I don't want to mess around with their computer or their network setup.

Can anyone confirm or deny that this WEP/WPA stuff might be my problem, or suggest a workaround fix that would get me connected without tinkering with the network itself?

Failing that, can I can just connect my Time Capsule via USB cable when I'm at my desk and back up with Time Machine that way? (I say USB because I've got one sitting here in front of me--I don't want to shell out for an ethernet cable unless that's required...)

And if I did, will I then be able to switch back and forth seamlessly between usb and wireless connections as need be after I move out of here in two months?

Thanks in advance!

Help me make my Mac into a Polaroid !

duckus — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 09:53:46 -0800

Can I use my external digital camera while its connected to my Mac? We are having a photo booth at our daughter's birthday party today and I am trying to come up with an alternative to a Polaroid.

I have Photo Booth and a digital camera. I would like to avoid having the kids stand in front of the computer (a la 'iSight').

Ideally, our older kid would sit in front of the computer, tell the kids to pose, snap the picture and print it out. Is this possible? Any solution appreciated.

N00b Usb Guitar for Mac?

robocop is bleeding — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 05:19:26 -0800

So is the iAxe usb electric guitar a worthwhile start for a beginner or am I better off getting a 'real' guitar and a usb guitar cable? The computer any guitar would be plugged into is a Mac with OS X.

If the iAxe is optimal, which model? There's three of them now, the 393, 624, and 629. Where is the best place to buy, either online or in the Boston area?

If a 'real' guitar is the best choice, I'm not sure what I need. I have no electric guitar playing friends and multiple trips to local Daddy's Junky Music stores have left me intimidated and frustrated, which is why I'm looking to learn solo for the moment.

Ideally, I'd like to have a computer program that can help teach me (I'm coming to this from Guitar Hero and Rock Band, so mimicry of onscreen notes would be a nice bridge from virtual rock god to actual rock newb). Any suggestions? Does GarageBand, which may or may not be on my Mac to begin with (never checked) help out in this regard?

How to get my mouse to wake up faster?

Magnakai — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:49:51 -0800

Macfilter: Why does my wired USB mouse take a second to start responding on my Macbook? I'm familiar with the lag one receives when you start using a wireless mouse. My question is, why am I receiving the same thing with wired mice on my Core 2 Duo Macbook?

I'm running OSX 10.4.11, and have both a Logitech Wheel Mouse and my trusty old Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer. When I haven't touched my mouse in a short time, there's a noticeable delay of maybe a second or two before it start responding. After that, it's absolutely fine until you leave it alone for a short period of time. This never, ever, ever happens with the inbuilt trackpad, yet it doesn't matter which of my two (admittedly fairly old but eminently serviceable) mice are plugged in.

It's a real pain for me because I'll be typing for a short period of time, then need to click on something that I either don't know the keyboard shortcut for or for which there isn't one, and then go back to typing. This happens very frequently and it's currently driving me insane, and worse, to use the trackpad. The trackpad inherently annoys me, but that's another story. Help me, hive mind!

OS 10.5: Why can I hear my headset's microphone now?

anonymoose — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:55:33 -0800

Mac OS X 10.5 dumps the microphone feed of my headset into my ears; can I shut it off? I use a Koss SD-35 headset and a "SPEED-LINK UltraPortable" USB Soundcard to Skype and what-not on my Aluminum 15" Powerbook G4 (1.25GHz).

This worked just fine in 10.4, but when I upgraded to Leopard, suddenly I can hear myself breathe, even when I'm not Skyping (and suddenly I get a low hum whenever I'm not touching the metal case of my powerbook - what's THAT about?). I realize that monitoring my mic input is a nice feature to have, but can I turn it off?

Syncing up 2 USB Hdd on a Mac and Font converting software (PC to Mac)

spinko — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 07:48:58 -0800

Syncing up 2 USB Hdd on a Mac and Font converting software (PC to Mac) Today I decided to update the office to Macs, use them at home for games and web with no problem. The office Macs are used for Design, Print and web. We have no problems with the design software its little things like our fonts.

---Q1---
We bought the most of the library at Adobe Fonts, they are PFB and PFM format. Works on Windows, doesnt on a MAC.

We have VMware fusion installed, for windows apps, etc. Im thinking of purchasing Crossfont for windows, and converting. However costs $49 does anything know any free converters for PC fonts to Mac friendly as I will only use the app once to convert the whole library?
---EO Q1---

---Q2---
Backing up, on Windows we used an app that sycronised both USB harddrives (one on Network for everyone, second on my PC). This worked a charm, is there anything similar on a MAC.

Our setup.
We are using Airport Extreme with a USB HDD on it. The office can read / write files, no problem.

Im using 'Time Machine' only seems to back my Mackintosh HD and not the network usb drive.

I dont mind paying for this, but I have thoughts that there is software I need already on my machine without me knowing.

This is my fav so far:
http://propagandaprod.com/dejavu.html
from this list.
http://www.pure-mac.com/backup.html
---EO Q2---

VOiP-phones-for-Macs-filter

rudster — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 01:50:03 -0800

VOiP-phones-for-Macs-filter: Please tell me which USB VOiP phones you're using or have tried with your Mac, as the one I have is trash. So after some research on Amazon, newegg, CNET, it would seem that there is very out there that is Mac compatible. Are all you mac users just using those headsets thingies, or am I missing something? I'm primarily interested in Skype-compatible, USB cordless models, though other suggestions are welcome.

help with a couple question on mac/osx: kerning on the mac & USB probe

specialk420 — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 22:28:00 -0800

A couple questions about Mac and OSX: 1) does anyone know of an alternative to USB Prober alegedly included with the Apple SDK - to help the OS see some USB devices (see inside)? 2) why is the kerning/tracking on much of the default system software - often sketchy? I ended making a move on a macbook pro in response to this thread as current sad state of offerings in widescreen pc laptops (crappy bios, horrible form factors, even worse tech support)

Overall I am very happy with the move which I'll blog about in detail soon - but... my macbook won't see my USB mp3 player (essentially a USB drive), and I must say I am disappointed with frequently poor display of type onscreen (in firefox, entourage, photoshop, and other apps)... curious if the smart minds here have recommendations on either of the above?

Getting used to the oddly placed command key again is adventure as well... oh and - is it just me? or is firefox substantially slower on OSX than XP?

overall I am very impressed and quite sure I won't notice the couple warts soon.

USB-Based Webcams for OSX Sought

terrapin — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 17:13:45 -0800

Recommend a USB webcam that you have actually used in Mac OS X, please. Last year my wonderful wife bought me a USB webcam that was supposed to work with OS X according to this macam listing. It didn't, and I had to jump through hoops to return it. I hate hoops, and returns.

Now I am in the market for another USB webcam and I am hoping someone can recommend one that 1) definitely works with OS X and has pretty darned good image quality and 2) doesn't require USB 2 connection (works with 1.1)

I am looking to spend around $100, but will pay more IF the camera has a great image and/or additional features such as being able to be controlled via the web.

For those who may want/need even more information. I am looking for a USB camera because a power surge knocked out my Firewire ports on my eMac therefore making it impossible to use my existing iSight; and replacing the logic board will cost more than I am willing to spend simply to get my Firewire ports back. Nothing else seems to have been effected by the surge (and yes, I am now using a UPS system).

Thanks for hearing me out :)

USB for PCI-X for my PowerMac G5

Plug Dub In — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 21:26:40 -0800

How can I add more USB 2.0 ports to my G5 PowerMac if it only takes PCI-X cards? The PCI-Express card I got doesn't fit. Bah. I guess that was dumb.

Is there any way to add more internal USB ports? I'd rather not get a hub, as it's an extra power cord, an extra blinking-lights thing on my desk, and frankly, I feel like I should be able to make use of these empty card slots.

The only things I can find to put in them are ATA ports, network ports, and SCSI ports, none of which I have any use for.

Thanks, all.