SB600 revived!

Remember I bought a SB900 because my SB600 died?

This is the mess…

I started real gentle about it and opened the strobe to see the flash tube was busted.

Again the good digital native in me started a Google search: here, here and here

so some pointers you have to consider:

1. Order the flashtube from Nikon or Ebay (8-30€ -> an official Nikon repair is 200€…).
2. Disassemble the flash and take the batteries out.
3. Leave for 3 weeks (REALLY !!! the capacitor is charged and a big zap is waiting)
4. De -solder  the broken tube
5. Replace the tube (watch the side with the wire!)
6. Test the zoom while the flash is still open. (so the wires are tucked away nicely)
7. Work neatly! (don’t lose any screws, remember what screw goes where…)

The result is this :

IT WORKS!

thanks Google

Google Wave’s death…

Just a moment off silence …

I read the announcement today that Google is stopping it’s development for Google Wave. Not only stopping the development but dis commissioning the service end of the year.

The reactions on the net are divided. Some say it was meant to be, others blame the late opening of the ‘no-invitation’ policy. It is true at some point the invitations were scare, maybe too scare. But after opening the application to the big public only last May, the service still didn’t catch on. Moving the service to the Google labs was a good move, the history tells us that this is a good start for applications to mature. Google is notoriously known for being one step ahead in development or supporting new digital ways (google maps, Gmail, GoogleDocs,…) too bad they gave up on this one so soon.

As a wave user (apparently one of the few) I deplore the decision but the great news follows: they stressed again that the technology and application of it is groundbreaking compared to some others services out there. They’re releasing the source under GPL! A great move again! Can you imagine others doing this?

As a Wave user I wanted to recap on the great functionality I fell for:

• Drag and drop files
• live communication
• gadgets and extensions (napkin, maps, voting, calenders)

So hoping the source Google releases is of any applicable use to the community, this ‘waver’ is waiting for the next wave…