Author Topic: Gadget WEEKENDS (Read 640712 times)

TaoPhoenix · « **Reply #350 on:** November 09, 2014, 07:06 PM »

^^ I'm beginning to get the impression that actually the Mac mini is just a piece of junk - a technological dead-end - and that it was that sort of a piece of junk before it came off the production line. It's possibly even the sort of junk that used to be called "a white elephant":
...
The thing seems to have been cynically turned out with all the old tricks for throw-away product obsolescence - including, for example, well-sealed units (difficult to maintain), lock-in, and little or no forwards or backwards design compatibility. ...

I say this after researching across the Internet for "uses for an old ...", where most commenters seemed hard-pressed to think of a use for the thing ...
iFix Old Macs
You know the ones I mean: those Power Macs, PowerBooks, iMacs, iBooks, Mac minis, etc. based on the PowerPC processor that Apple sold a few years ago. Sadly, support for them is dwindling, but the software is still out there that would enable their continued use.
...
- which absurd statement rather begs the question "...all it needs" for what? For making it "look like a new one"? Why? It's already obsolete. A Spinning Jenny was "a fine old machine" too.
-IainB (November 09, 2014, 03:53 PM)

The comparison with the White Elephant is interesting. I will try to separate out a couple things.

A. A lot of the "hatred for things Apple" is that the entire *company* likes to make varying shades of elephants (and put them in your room! Take that, triple joke!)

So I'm not sure if specifically the mini was designed to be quite so aggressive to users as that Sultan from the Wiki snip. I think that the mini is the result of some sales meeting where they drew a chart of specs on a board, some decently high but rather expensive, then said "and we need one with a lower price point. So let's hack it down here, here, here, and here". But I believe there are varying sweet-ish spots in tech, so they hacked it down below one of them, and then when time marches on, (see my post in Deozaan's thread on his game), then later you struggle to find uses for it.

The only non-insulting use for much older tech I've ever seen is people who put it separately monitoring some low level project they have, and just park it there, solely to "efficiently" free up their main computer from having to deal with even that minor processing load.

I've got two aging laptops, with one truly ancient, facing the same problem, except I don't do the right kind of projects to need them for stuff like that. (My third laptop is still aging too, but it's done "emergency backup" duty when something is wrong with my main comp.)

mouser · « **Reply #351 on:** November 13, 2014, 09:50 PM »

For $22 i just bought this super affordable little dock for a cheap 7" android tablet i had laying around:

Screenshot - 11_13_2014 , 9_44_18 PM.png

http://www.amazon.co...iewing/dp/B007STRVTY

I can't vouch for the bluetooth functionality, because i connect my tablet with a 3.5mm audio cable, and the speaker quality is just mediocre.
But I love how little space it takes up and how perfectly it supports the tablet in landscape orientation, and gives it enough volume to be used as a tabletop internet radio.

To be clear, if you are looking for a bluetooth speaker for your PHONE, which will only be docked occasionally, then this is NOT the gadget for you -- there are much better quality speakers.

But if you have a spare tablet that you want to leave permanently docked with a minimal footprint and a reasonable increase in volume, this is an awesome gadget for the price.

mouser · « **Reply #352 on:** December 05, 2014, 05:17 PM »

I picked up one of these little guys last week for $22 used:

http://www.amazon.co...Radio/dp/B00IEYHMPK/

It's a Sony ICFC1PJ Alarm Clock Radio, which has 2 alarms, AM/FM radio, nature sounds, and can project the time on the ceiling/wall.
Mirror finish makes it look space aged, and you can can set it super dim so it's perfect for bedroom.

Pretty darn cool and the projected time is hypnotic. Very happy with the purchase

mouser · « **Reply #353 on:** December 28, 2014, 05:13 PM »

Just installed this in bedroom:

Screenshot - 12_28_2014 , 5_06_28 PM.png

http://www.amazon.co...ontrol/dp/B0017O71MI

"Lutron MIR-LFQTHW-WH Maestro IR 300-watt Single Pole Fan and Light Control Kit"

I had a ceiling fan in bedroom, with the following issues:

1) The rotary push-turn dimmer was annoying to use and dimmed poorly.
2) To change the speed of the fan you had to reach up high and pull a chain and it was hard to tell what speed it was running at, etc.
3) You couldn't run fan with light off -- this was the most annoying thing, not to be able to run fan at night, without using chains to manually turn off lights while leaving wall switch on.
4) If you want to read in bed you have to get up and walk to light switch when you are ready to turn off lights.

This devices provides:

A permanent wall outlet switch that looks elegant and a separate standalone remote.
Dimming is nice and smooth even for LED bulbs.
Independent control of fan and lights.
Can save preset favorite light and fan dim levels -- useful because i have some very bright LEDs that can be too much when on full.
Remote works from across the room/bed.

A pain to install but works well.

40hz · « **Reply #354 on:** December 28, 2014, 05:51 PM »

Did anybody see this thing? Talk about a gadget for good or ill - depending on who is using it - and for what.

superboyac · « **Reply #355 on:** December 29, 2014, 09:00 AM »

Just installed this in bedroom:
"Lutron MIR-LFQTHW-WH Maestro IR 300-watt Single Pole Fan and Light Control Kit"
A pain to install but works well.
-mouser (December 28, 2014, 05:13 PM)

Nice! Lutron is top of the line stuff. I used to do a lot of work with a Lutron rep, I like their technology. I was once about to install some kind of lutron device that would allow me to control one light switch remotely with a separate wireless button. But I never did and now we have probably a zillion other kinds of lighting automation options with apps and stuff. That remote looks nice...is there an app (optional or otherwise) for that thing?

Did anybody see this thing? Talk about a gadget for good or ill - depending on who is using it - and for what.
-40hz (December 28, 2014, 05:51 PM)

That's crazy. Seems like it belongs in your local spy shop.

superboyac · « **Reply #356 on:** December 29, 2014, 09:03 AM »

Sony ICFC1PJ
-mouser (December 05, 2014, 05:17 PM)

That looks cool too! You're on a roll!

mouser · « **Reply #357 on:** March 27, 2015, 07:00 PM »

Low tech gadget entry:

If anyone plays in a lake or on the beach, and doesn't know about these cheap things called "water shoes", you don't know what you are missing. They are super light weight slip-on things that dry quickly, and have a thin rubber sole. They make it fun to walk in mud or on rocks without killing your feet.

Screenshot - 3_27_2015 , 6_57_42 PM_ver001.png

Screenshot - 3_27_2015 , 6_57_42 PM_ver001.png

app103 · « **Reply #358 on:** April 04, 2015, 12:36 AM »

This was a gift I received today: Turtle Beach P12

Had a little trouble getting the mic to work with my laptop, and I have no clue what I did to make it work. But the sound is great, it's comfortable, and it doesn't make the inside of my ears itch (a problem I have with most earphones that sit on or in the ears)

image_476x574_p12_6[1].jpg

http://www.turtlebea...ts/ear-force-p12/506

tomos · « **Reply #359 on:** April 06, 2015, 04:52 AM »

got one of those mini bluetooth speaker delivered Saturday:
Rokono® (F10) BASS+ Mini Bluetooth Speaker (amazon.com - I paid 30 euro for mine)

Screenshot - 2015-04-06 , 11_42_21.png

it seems to be exactly the same as this differently branded version.

Not overly impressed - with bluetooth connection there's a white-noiseIhiss clearly audible when music isnt playing, or when listening to spoken word... otherwise I'd be happy enough with it.

mouser · « **Reply #360 on:** April 10, 2015, 01:50 PM »

Ok here's a post I didn't want to have to make, because I already have a good expensive blender that i bought used and repaired.
However, it needs to be done. This $40 blender and mini-chopper combo actually is quite the bargain, isn't too loud, outperforms most blenders (it does pretty incredibly on ice), does a bunch of things, is super easy to clean up, and stores wonderfully.

Ninja Master Prep Professional
Screenshot - 4_10_2015 , 1_43_32 PM.png

$40 on amazon: http://www.amazon.co...r-Prep/dp/B003XU3C7M

There are a million Youtube reviews of it:

It excels with ice and quick things like smoothies.

It has only a couple of drawbacks that I can see:

You have to hold button down while it blends, you can't just turn it on and leave room; its so fast that this doesn't seem to be much of an issue.
It doesn't really create a vortex, so it might be an issue for making very large mixtures; it has multiple blades up the spine though, so it tends to blend everything quickly.

Since I am a nut about saving space in the kitchen, one thing I love is that i can leave the little base plugged in and out of the way on a little shelf, and just bring over the jar when i want to blend something.

mouser · « **Reply #361 on:** May 15, 2015, 03:49 PM »

Ok a quick car-related gadget today, some unusual jack stands for those who do maintenance under their cars.

These are expensive, at $63 (compares to standard jack stands which might be half that cost), but the consensus seems to be that they feel much more secure.
I can't compare but I can say that I was very impressed with their stability, size, secureness, and weight:

Torin T43004 3 Ton Aluminum Jack Stands

http://www.amazon.co...tands/dp/B0007XTGCI/

ayryq · « **Reply #362 on:** May 15, 2015, 08:35 PM »

Does this count as a gadget? I always have a pencil or two in my pocket, and I get holes in my pockets. This is a cap for a pencil, with a built-in sharpener.
It works on any pencil, but it's best on a shorter one. My plan is to find another solution for multiple pencils (bic pen cap, maybe?), but having the sharpener along is sure handy.

They make beautiful metal versions; I bought the $12.99 plastic one.

http://smile.amazon..../product/B00QUWXYSC/

mouser · « **Reply #363 on:** May 15, 2015, 09:02 PM »

It certainly counts. Welcome to the thread

Renegade · « **Reply #364 on:** October 09, 2015, 09:56 PM »

I've had a particular post in the back of my mind for, oh... let's see... Around about 2.5 years now. Here's the snippet that's been stored in the long term renegade archive:

Basically they just vibrate at high speeds and can accept different saw-like heads. They are very similar in spirit to the ubiquitous dremel (rotary tool), in that there a million different little tasks that they can make quick work of.

Note: A Dremel is as essential, if not more so, than an oscillating tool -- so start with one of those if you don't own one already.
-mouser (April 14, 2013, 09:05 PM)

And tonight I finally got one:

Gadget WEEKENDS

I'd been looking for one for a month or so, and finally managed to pick up one second-hand (used once) for less than 1/3rd the retail price.

My first little project was to drill holes in the PCB at the tip of the Dremel and then solder on a 12VDC power jack that I ripped out of an old Netgear router.

Other gadgets in the picture there are some "magic hands" or "helping hands" -- the thing with the soldering iron in it and the magnifying glass, and a set of 4 eye loupes from 2.5x to 10x magnifying power - great for reading the text on small chips or the +/- symbols on little LEDs like the ones beside the Dremel (the symbols are about 1mm wide).

I'm trying to shift my development away from the desktop world into the embedded/device world. I'm not interested in doing mobile applications as the markets have just become stupid for any small developer. (For every success story, there's a trail of blood & tears across a wasteland littered with indie corpses.)

I have sooo many more gadgets that I've recently bought, but many aren't remotely interesting to a wider audience, though I'm sure some of the developers in here would be. Maybe another time... after I get the damn card reader on my NEW Dell working... grrr...

wraith808 · « **Reply #365 on:** October 09, 2015, 11:33 PM »

I'd forgotten about this thread!

A good site for people that like gadgets and good prices: http://www.massdrop.com.

It's a membership club that uses the buying power of its members to drive down prices. I've gotten some really good deals there. If you're interested in a referral, let me know. It's free to join, but you have to join to see the full extent of the merchandise- it's a condition of some of the sellers. But I've found it worth it. But you have to do your research into the products offered.

4wd · « **Reply #366 on:** November 03, 2015, 08:50 PM »

Finally got sick of wrestling with wired headphones/IEMs for my computer/tablet/phone and grabbed a set of MEE audio (previously MEElectronics) Wave Bluetooth Headphones, which arrived today.

They have headset functionality but wasn't really interested in that side of them since I use headphones/IEMs for music/video listening not hands-free calling/VOIP/etc.

Audio from the Wave is great, good noise isolation, comfortable, foldable, Multipoint Bluetooth (connect to two devices at once), 24hr battery life, and also comes with a stereo lead so it can be used in wired mode (eg. battery running low, aircraft, etc).

Gadget WEEKENDS

Amazon link - (I bought direct from the company). Went with MEE audio since the IEMs I have already (S6P, 2 x M9P) are from the same company and the audio is very good.

Addendum: Been using them almost constantly for the last 3 days and they're great. Paired with computer and tablet, listen to music/videos on the computer and when that gets turned off, it switches over to the tablet. It will switch to whichever device is actively transmitting even if both are turned on, just need to stop audio out on one device to get it to switch.

Battery life is close to what is specified, I have done about 8-10 hours per day and only just plugged them in for a full charge. When battery level hits low you get a prompt every minute, so I turned them off and switched to the 3.5mm stereo lead, sound quality was just as good. Headphones automatically power off after a couple of minutes of no input.

You get voice prompts for various things, eg. power on/off, battery level when turned on (high/medium/low), pairing, device 1/2 connected/disconnected.

ginnydecruz · « **Reply #367 on:** December 13, 2015, 03:01 AM »

What about this for your gf Christmas present?

Gadget WEEKENDS

Gadget WEEKENDS
Vibease smart remote control vibrator

I am still waiting for my someone to get it for me though.

Ath · « **Reply #368 on:** December 13, 2015, 03:21 AM »

What about this for your gf Christmas present?
[snip][/snip]
Vibease smart remote control vibrator

I am still waiting for my someone to get it for me though.

-ginnydecruz (December 13, 2015, 03:01 AM)

This should probably be marked [NSFW], moved to the appropriate topic, or deleted as spam...

mouser · « **Reply #369 on:** December 13, 2015, 03:25 AM »

I don't know, it is a gadget that some might appreciate $:-\$
Though it would be easier to judge if its spam if this wasn't the poster's first post

ayryq · « **Reply #370 on:** December 13, 2015, 05:54 AM »

I am still waiting for my someone to get it for me though.
-ginnydecruz (December 13, 2015, 03:01 AM)

I suppose this violates your "rules" for this thread:

1. You may ONLY post about ONE gadget per week, and only on a ~~FRIDAY~~ WEEKEND.
2. Every gadget item post must include an attached image of the gadget.
3. Every gadget item posted about should be for sale somewhere; you may include a purchase link with an affiliate/referral id.
4. You must personally OWN the item you are posting about.
5. The goal is to introduce gadget addicts to new discoveries.
-mouser (November 15, 2012, 09:09 PM)

I bought an excellent gadget this weekend, but it's not for sale somewhere and I can't include a purchase link:

Gadget WEEKENDS

tomos · « **Reply #371 on:** December 13, 2015, 11:32 AM »

I bought an excellent gadget this weekend, but it's not for sale somewhere and I can't include a purchase link:
[ Invalid Attachment ]
-ayryq (December 13, 2015, 05:54 AM)

love the look of that - how old is it?
Found it here:
http://tractors.wikia.com/wiki/Ford_2000

There's a good few old tractors round here, many still used, some very old ones more as collector items (lots of Bulldogs).

ayryq · « **Reply #372 on:** December 13, 2015, 12:19 PM »

love the look of that - how old is it?
-tomos (December 13, 2015, 11:32 AM)

It's a 1974 3-cylinder gas Ford 2000 (as you found). I "bought" it with a handshake this weekend but it needs some work and I'll be picking it up before I need to mow in the spring. It was really considered an "economy" tractor when it was made but it's a lot bigger (and better looking) than a modern compact utility tractor (e.g. Kubota) which would do the same small tasks we need. We picked it over something more "classic" because of the presence of the modern hitch and power take-off which allows us to use pretty much any implement, new or old.

Shades · « **Reply #373 on:** December 13, 2015, 12:27 PM »

@Tomos:
On youtube you can find a video of a modern big John Deere tractor getting humiliated by an old steam tractor in a tractor-pull. Respect your elders does sound true

ginnydecruz · « **Reply #374 on:** December 13, 2015, 07:41 PM »

What about this for your gf Christmas present?
[snip][/snip]
Vibease smart remote control vibrator

I am still waiting for my someone to get it for me though.

-ginnydecruz (December 13, 2015, 03:01 AM)
This should probably be marked [NSFW], moved to the appropriate topic, or deleted as spam...
-Ath (December 13, 2015, 03:21 AM)

Sorry for my first post being landed in here. Pls remove if it's not appropriate.

Cheers.