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Gadget WEEKENDS

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TaoPhoenix:
^^ 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.
...

--- End quote ---
- 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)
--- End quote ---

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


http://www.amazon.com/iLuv-Portable-Bluetooth-Speaker-Viewing/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:
I picked up one of these little guys last week for $22 used:


http://www.amazon.com/Sony-ICFC1PJ-Alarm-Clock-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  :up:

mouser:
Just installed this in bedroom:


http://www.amazon.com/Lutron-MIR-LFQTHW-WH-Maestro-300-watt-Control/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.  :up:

40hz:
Did anybody see this thing? Talk about a gadget for good or ill - depending on who is using it - and for what.

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