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FUNCTION RANDOM - All Things Technological On Your Mind

Started by Camazotz Automat, August 17, 2012, 04:04:35 AM


I am underwhelmed by the iPhone 5C's blue, pink, green, white, & yellow plastic shells.

Should a power CEO on Wally Street whip out something that evokes a Fisher-Price blue plastic shark? Or at best something that looks like a "back to school" hand held Texas Instruments calculator from 1991?

area51drone

I was surprised to see my old HP 48 GX is still worth over $100 on ebay.


area51drone

Quote from: UFO Fill on December 24, 2012, 07:18:09 AM
I have an 8-year old Dell running XP.  It runs 24-hours a day as the only remaining coastgab team computer on SETI at home.  When I find alien life and am a guest on Coast, I'll be sure to give a shout out to you haters.

XP is the shit.  I have it running on two of my pc's still, one of which is my main work/development computer that I do probably 90% of my work on, and the other is my wife's main computer that she does her work and our taxes on.    Two others are Vista just because I needed the newer DirectX stuff on those particular machines, and last night I just finally upgraded my flight sim pc to win7 from Vista because I need a box for Cakewalk Sonar X3, which requires win7 or 8.   I was pretty pissed that their installer wouldn't even let me try running the software on an XP or Vista box, I'm sure it would have run fine.

area51drone

Quote from: ziznak on August 17, 2012, 04:17:23 AM
I'm curious to know exactly how far along "they" actually are with this wi-fi as radar tech?  Very cool technology and supposedly totally undetectable since the device only sniffs wi-fi waves and doesn't transmit anything you can't even tell swats about too pop through the door and double tap yer ass like Osama.  I have a great little program for sniffing wifi traffic called Comm View for wifi.  Although I'm not using it to triangulate my neighbors position next door I'm sure it's the predecessor of this new wi-spy stuff.

I realize you are probably talking about wifi radar for mapping buildings and stuff, but it made me think about this video on passive FM radar that I watched a while back.

http://diydrones.com/profiles/blogs/detect-airplaneuav-using

What we need to do is build up these boxes and deploy them in the search for UFO's.   When I have time to implement a project like this, it will be a game changer.

Quote from: area51drone on November 02, 2013, 01:40:16 PM
I was surprised to see my old HP 48 GX is still worth over $100 on ebay.



Are you selling that?

Quote from: area51drone on November 02, 2013, 01:45:48 PM
XP is the shit.  I have it running on two of my pc's still, one of which is my main work/development computer that I do probably 90% of my work on, an

I am developing more touchscreen compatible stuff so I am on Windows 8 much more often. But I still have an XP pc and its still going strong.

area51drone

Quote from: Mind Flayer Monk on November 02, 2013, 04:13:26 PM
Are you selling that?

I am developing more touchscreen compatible stuff so I am on Windows 8 much more often. But I still have an XP pc and its still going strong.

No, I'm not selling it.  I never use it but it's nostalgia.   Brings back a bunch of shitty memories I never want to forget.   Neal Koblitz's Number Theory course was one of those memories.

What type of software do you develop that actually needs touchscreen?    POS systems?  Artist software?

Quote from: area51drone on November 03, 2013, 12:43:23 AM

What type of software do you develop that actually needs touchscreen?    POS systems?  Artist software?

Diagramming applications-similar in functionality to things like Cacoo/Visio/Lucidchart (but of course different  :) ). These are geared towards biological research planning and project management.

DanTSX

Quote from: Camazotz Automat on October 31, 2013, 08:21:37 PM
I am underwhelmed by the iPhone 5C's blue, pink, green, white, & yellow plastic shells.

Should a power CEO on Wally Street whip out something that evokes a Fisher-Price blue plastic shark? Or at best something that looks like a "back to school" hand held Texas Instruments calculator from 1991?

I have a white 5c. 

It looks and feels pretty damn nice.  I am a professional, and lunched with a "power CEO" from Wall Street just last week.

Should a "Wall Street power CEO" whip out a gangsta-bling gold iPhone 5s?

Actually, I think this is the best iPhone to date.  The 5s admittedly has moderately better specs and features that are not really ready for prime time yet.  It also feels flimsy and there are a lot of reports of it being buggy.   The 5c being an improved 5 is stable, cool-running, and proven while in a better package.   Sorry, aluminum is not ideal in the dimensions of the 5/5s.  The best material for the job is plastic if Apple is unwilling to use stainless steel again.

Heather Wade

I have a tech question for the techies in BellGab land.

I need a headset that cancels out background noise in my environment for work.  Are there any headsets out there, that do not reduce audio quality, but will reduce noise?  I want to plug it into my cordless home landline phone, and I do not want my clients to hear any background noise during calls.

I finally found a phone that has a headset jack, now I need to find the right headset.  I'm willing to put down the bucks for a good one.  Just wondering if anyone might have some tips, or know a headset that they have used that works well?  Bluetooth is out... won't work for my job.

What do you guys think... ?  Thank you in advance.   ;)

onan

Quote from: (Redacted) on November 27, 2013, 03:01:52 PM
I have a tech question for the techies in BellGab land.

I need a headset that cancels out background noise in my environment for work.  Are there any headsets out there, that do not reduce audio quality, but will reduce noise?  I want to plug it into my cordless home landline phone, and I do not want my clients to hear any background noise during calls.

I finally found a phone that has a headset jack, now I need to find the right headset.  I'm willing to put down the bucks for a good one.  Just wondering if anyone might have some tips, or know a headset that they have used that works well?  Bluetooth is out... won't work for my job.

What do you guys think... ?  Thank you in advance.   ;)

I have a head set made by champion for shooting. They significantly reduce the sound of gunfire yet let normal conversation be heard. It isn't the same as not having something covering your ears. Not sure if that helps you or not.

Heather Wade

Quote from: onan on November 27, 2013, 03:08:21 PM
I have a head set made by champion for shooting. They significantly reduce the sound of gunfire yet let normal conversation be heard. It isn't the same as not having something covering your ears. Not sure if that helps you or not.

A headset for the phone that reduces the sound of... gunshots?  That will work.  If I am understanding you correctly.

Juan

I was thinking about those shooting headsets, or the Bose headsets, but I don't think that's what you're looking for.  You want the background noise where you are reduced so that the person on the other end of the phone line can't hear it, right?  If so, I don't have any ideas.

Heather Wade

Quote from: Juan on November 27, 2013, 03:31:56 PM
I was thinking about those shooting headsets, or the Bose headsets, but I don't think that's what you're looking for.  You want the background noise where you are reduced so that the person on the other end of the phone line can't hear it, right?  If so, I don't have any ideas.

Yes.  That's what I'm searching for.  They do exist.  I have a few on a short list.  Since most here are smarter than me, I thought I'd ask before I buy.  Thanks, though.

The General

Quote from: (Redacted) on November 27, 2013, 03:01:52 PM
I have a tech question for the techies in BellGab land.

I need a headset that cancels out background noise in my environment for work.  Are there any headsets out there, that do not reduce audio quality, but will reduce noise?  I want to plug it into my cordless home landline phone, and I do not want my clients to hear any background noise during calls.

I finally found a phone that has a headset jack, now I need to find the right headset.  I'm willing to put down the bucks for a good one.  Just wondering if anyone might have some tips, or know a headset that they have used that works well?  Bluetooth is out... won't work for my job.

What do you guys think... ?  Thank you in advance.   ;)
I would think that what you need is more about the microphone than the headset (or ears) part.  Onan misunderstood... you need a telephone headset with a MICROPHONE that doesn't pick up background noise.

And in that case, I would suggest something with a unidirectional dynamic mic.  Do they make that for telephones?  I don't know... the kind I'm thinking of are the kind a drummer would wear to sing... like this...

http://www.zzounds.com/item--SHUWH20

I just have no idea if such an animal would plug into a phone.


Heather Wade

Quote from: The General on November 27, 2013, 03:58:49 PM
I would think that what you need is more about the microphone than the headset (or ears) part.  Onan misunderstood... you need a telephone headset with a MICROPHONE that doesn't pick up background noise.

And in that case, I would suggest something with a unidirectional dynamic mic.  Do they make that for telephones?  I don't know... the kind I'm thinking of are the kind a drummer would wear to sing... like this...

http://www.zzounds.com/item--SHUWH20

I just have no idea if such an animal would plug into a phone.

Correct.  And, yes, does that mic ever look sweet.  If it did plug into a phone, I'd get it. 
Unidirectional dynamic mic... that's the kind of verbage that will help me finally find the right one.
Can't thank you enough for your thoughts and consideration.

My bad for not wording my original question clearly, onan.

The General

Quote from: onan on November 27, 2013, 04:04:35 PM
*sigh* not the first time. sorry I was of no help.
Haha.  Sorry O-Dude.  I suppose I could've worded that a bit differently....

"It is with all due respect that I would like to suggest that my esteemed co-forum-member of several years, Sir Onan, through no fault of his own, and only trying to be of service, may have at least partially and uncharacteristically misunderstood what it was that you were asking with help for.

Heather Wade

Quote from: The General on November 27, 2013, 04:11:35 PM
Haha.  Sorry O-Dude.  I suppose I could've worded that a bit differently....

"It is with all due respect that I would like to suggest that my esteemed co-forum-member of several years, Sir Onan, through no fault of his own, and only trying to be of service, may have at least partially and uncharacteristically misunderstood what it was that you were asking with help for."

No worries, no worries.  Figure it couldn't hurt to ask.  Good times, nonetheless.   8)


Quote from: DanTSX on November 06, 2013, 08:23:58 AM
I have a white 5c. 

It looks and feels pretty damn nice.  I am a professional, and lunched with a "power CEO" from Wall Street just last week.

Good for "you."

Quote from: DanTSX on November 06, 2013, 08:23:58 AM

Should a "Wall Street power CEO" whip out a gangsta-bling gold iPhone 5s?

I didn't say that, but I have to say I would pull a gold before I pulled a blue, pink, yellow, or green.

If such a CEO must use any mobile phone during a face to face meeting, white or black would be the way to go. I prefer black plastic over stainless steel/silver in that setting.

It's the blue version that especially bothers me. Ridiculous and fluffy.

It's just too low rent. (I'm also referring to this type of approach in marketing in general. Not just Apple by any stretch. "We must increase sales! How about a line of bright colors?!")

Quote from: DanTSX on November 06, 2013, 08:23:58 AM
Actually, I think this is the best iPhone to date.  The 5s admittedly has moderately better specs and features that are not really ready for prime time yet.  It also feels flimsy and there are a lot of reports of it being buggy.   The 5c being an improved 5 is stable, cool-running, and proven while in a better package.   Sorry, aluminum is not ideal in the dimensions of the 5/5s.  The best material for the job is plastic if Apple is unwilling to use stainless steel again.

No need to apologize. I wasn't asking for aluminum.  To clarify, I am not even anti plastic. I'm not anti color. Blue metal would suck just as much. (But blue would be great for an employee of Sea World.)

I wasn't arguing for a 5s, either, though I see how it could be interpreted that way, as if I were being an Apple snob and only the most expensive was the way to go. Not the case. I will take your word on the specs and performance. I don't purchase Apple products.

My thrust was that the childlike colored versions do not impress me. From my perception, the color line is a step backward for Apple's "sophisticated" and "discriminating" clients. I don't see how it could be viewed otherwise. It's certainly not edgy or groundbreaking. Hence "underwhelmed."  I felt the same way when colors were utilized for the iPods.

I didn't mean to include white.  Neutral is the way to go in business. It's the classic 2001 A Space Odyssey vibe that still works.

For children the colors are really great. I myself am partial to owning things that come in really loud and garish electric green versions.

The first statement in my post about my being underwhelmed is the most on point.

The rest - parts of which you deemed worthy to ensnare in quotation marks to draw attention to my terminology - was just my being glib.

It's all about perception and setting. 

Bottom line, if I were consulting with a funeral director and he retrieved a blue phone from his pocket, I would insert the whimsical motherfucker into the nearest casket faster than if it were a white or black phone.

It's simply inappropriate.

(In hindsight, I should have posted the color rant in the annoy thread. It really doesn't fit here, and I created the topic.)

Juan

Some of these phones use some kind of limiter or squelch circuit.  It cuts out the background noise for a long as you're talking, but as soon as you stop, it raises the background volume to full level.  I've been on the receiving end of such calls and they're very unpleasant.  I'd watch out for them.  Something like the General suggested would be much better, if you can find one.

Heather Wade

Quote from: Juan on November 27, 2013, 04:42:30 PM
Some of these phones use some kind of limiter or squelch circuit.  It cuts out the background noise for a long as you're talking, but as soon as you stop, it raises the background volume to full level.  I've been on the receiving end of such calls and they're very unpleasant.  I'd watch out for them.  Something like the General suggested would be much better, if you can find one.

Mission critical.  Will keep that in mind, Juan.  Does this apply to cordless home phones?  Or only cell phones?

wr250

dead ipad 2 after 7.0.4 update.

attempted to update a ipad2 after it kept nagging me. rebooted to itunes screen.restored via updated itunes , which failed with "unknown error" during the firmware update. now the firmware is hosed and it will not turn on, will not respond to being charges, and itunes will no longer detect it. fun.

looking for a used ipad2 that boots, broken glass/lcd/case etc ok, just need a working logic board. or find something else to to shove into that case. mini/pico itx boards are to tall (usb/ethernet ports) as is the raspberry pi.

ebay boards /ipad2's are to exspensive, you can get a ipad 4 for 50-100 more. any ideas ?

wr250

i bought a fm transmitter of ebay, plugged it into my computer speakers headphone  output. now i can listen to old Art Bell shows around the house with my mp3 player (it has a fm radio function).

onan

Quote from: wr250 on December 12, 2013, 10:30:35 AM
i bought a fm transmitter of ebay, plugged it into my computer speakers headphone  output. now i can listen to old Art Bell shows around the house with my mp3 player (it has a fm radio function).

My only radio in the house is my alarm clock...

wr250

Quote from: onan on December 12, 2013, 12:47:49 PM
My only radio in the house is my alarm clock...

many cell phones have a fm radio feature, ipods and most mp3 players as well.

onan

Quote from: wr250 on December 12, 2013, 01:17:40 PM
many cell phones have a fm radio feature, ipods and most mp3 players as well.

I can stream many stations over a computer. I was just saying I don't own a decent radio.

wr250

Quote from: onan on December 12, 2013, 02:41:26 PM
I can stream many stations over a computer. I was just saying I don't own a decent radio.

my point was i could hook this transmitter to my computers headphone output, and stream anything the computer will play to any fm radio receiver, including the ones on cell phones/mp3 players/ipods/etc, and not be tethered to the computer, or have to crank it up full volume (over gf's tv watching , for example)

onan

Quote from: wr250 on December 12, 2013, 03:00:59 PM
my point was i could hook this transmitter to my computers headphone output, and stream anything the computer will play to any fm radio receiver, including the ones on cell phones/mp3 players/ipods/etc, and not be tethered to the computer, or have to crank it up full volume (over gf's tv watching , for example)

I think that is great. I was not trying to take away from your post.

This is only the vaguest of tech questions, but can we still buy the old Riven or Myst games?  My daughter might like them, but they may be obsolete.

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