Author Topic: Gadget WEEKENDS (Read 641154 times)

nosh · « **Reply #425 on:** September 10, 2017, 10:23 AM »

I went for a Spyderco Sharpmaker a few years back and am really happy with it - it's a compromise between one of these sharpener gizmos and hardcore manual sharpening using stones.

Be careful with the sharpener there - there's no safety feature so it's possible to miss by a little and slash through your finger resting on the device. I still bear a mark on my finger from ~20 years back. The sharpmaker has bronze safety rods and does two different angles 15 degrees and 22.5 degrees (listed as 30 and 45 degrees because they count both edges.) It comes with regular and fine ceramic rods and you can purchase diamond and extra-fine rods separately. It's also preferable over a sharpening gadget if you're sharpening high end knives that you want to avoid scratching at the sides.

wraith808 · « **Reply #426 on:** September 10, 2017, 04:30 PM »

I've purchased a few things recently, and figured I'd put them in one post.

First, I purchased a rather simple stand that I now have four of- it was so cheap and so useful and so easy to use, I had to buy a couple for my wife.

https://smile.amazon.../product/B072B6BG38/

The next two are semi-related:

I've been using a logitech headset for my meetings at work, and wanted something with better wireless and better fidelity, so I purchased a Sennheiser RS185: https://smile.amazon...p/product/B00TOT9G1W

It's great! The most I've ever spent on headphones, but the $70 difference between the logitech when they first came out to the sennheiser really sold me on the fact that yes, audio gear gets better as you spend more.

But I needed a microphone. I initially was trying to make it a headset, using the antlion modmic: https://smile.amazon.../product/B00R98JVVU/

It was ok, but annoying. From finding the mute switch when in meetings, to adjusting the mic (it uses rare earth magnets to attach it to the base on the headphones- really cool idea, not so good in practice), and of course adhering to the headphones was touch and go.

So I decided to just go with a full microphone, and it was the best decision ever!

I purchased the Blue Yeti Blackout Edition: https://smile.amazon.../product/B00N1YPXW2/

People say it's like I'm in the room with them. The little blinking light for the mute is always visible, and easy to cancel with just a button press. It's great! The only thing is having two audio devices, sometimes skype will reset to using the Blue Yeti as the default device for audio also. But that's just a minor annoyance, and I think it's skype more than anything else.

Those two together are a bit more expensive than I ever thought I'd get to for a sound setup, but it's definitely made work meetings from home more bearable.

The last things were the Stand Steady standing desk surface- https://smile.amazon...p/product/B00BXOGHQI and the ErgoTech freedom arm- https://smile.amazon.../product/B008TYF0F4/

I've wanted to get a standing desk, but have resisted it. I have a very good desk, and really didn't want to get another. I thought of one of those ergodesk/vivodesk additions to the desktop that allow you to raise and lower, but still use your desk. But they're pretty expensive too, and after trying it out, I'm not sure that it would work as well for me.

Then I thought, I have my laptop sitting there, and my desktop. What if I made one a standing station, and the other my sitting station. For a fraction of the price of even the ergodesk/vivodesk, I got an easy to use station, and the monitor raises and lowers on the laptop station, so I can bring it down easily- but honestly don't do it much; I just put the monitor in the highest position, and put my stand there next to it, and have pretty much left it that way. I got a mat to go along with it (https://smile.amazon.../product/B01KJT547K/), and it really does seem to work to reduce stress, and I feel better, because sometimes I just want to stand up and stretch out the kinks.

mouser · « **Reply #427 on:** October 05, 2017, 02:01 PM »

Did I already post about this?

I have a rechargeable battery pack I keep in my car that can power/charge mobile phone and also jump start the car.

There are a ton of them on amazon, here's the one I have:

Screenshot - 10_5_2017 , 2_01_43 PM.png

https://www.amazon.c...p/product/B01D42TYFC

Deozaan · « **Reply #428 on:** October 14, 2017, 08:04 PM »

I have recently become an owner of a Ledger Nano S:

It's what is known as a "hardware wallet" for cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Doge, Dash, Zcash, and more. It's widely considered to be one of the safest ways to securely store your cryptocurrency, because (if I understand it correctly) it never exposes your private keys to the computer/internet. It can also be used as a FIDO U2F device for 2FA logins. Now if I only knew whether or not any sites I use support the FIDO U2F standard. . .

I'm still playing with it, trying to figure out how it works, but so far I'm really glad to have it and am enjoying it.

Gadget WEEKENDS

Not shown very well in the images above is the fact that it has a couple of buttons on it that you can use to interact with the device and navigate the menus and confirm/cancel certain actions.

Gadget WEEKENDS

4wd · « **Reply #429 on:** October 15, 2017, 01:15 AM »

It can also be used as a FIDO U2F device for 2FA logins. Now if I only knew whether or not any sites I use support the FIDO U2F standard. . .
-Deozaan (October 14, 2017, 08:04 PM)

Check here: Dongle Authentication

I use mine mainly for Google, CoinJar, and one other site.

Deozaan · « **Reply #430 on:** October 15, 2017, 04:06 AM »

It can also be used as a FIDO U2F device for 2FA logins. Now if I only knew whether or not any sites I use support the FIDO U2F standard. . .
-Deozaan (October 14, 2017, 08:04 PM)

Check here: Dongle Authentication

I use mine mainly for Google, CoinJar, and one other site.
-4wd (October 15, 2017, 01:15 AM)

Thanks! Pretty slim pickings according to that site. In fact, CoinJar isn't listed as one of the sites that use U2F.

And BitBucket is listed on that site but when I checked my login options I only found TOTP.

4wd · « **Reply #431 on:** October 15, 2017, 04:32 AM »

It can also be used as a FIDO U2F device for 2FA logins. Now if I only knew whether or not any sites I use support the FIDO U2F standard. . .
-Deozaan (October 14, 2017, 08:04 PM)

Check here: Dongle Authentication

I use mine mainly for Google, CoinJar, and one other site.
-4wd (October 15, 2017, 01:15 AM)

Thanks! Pretty slim pickings according to that site. In fact, CoinJar isn't listed as one of the sites that use U2F. And BitBucket is listed on that site but when I checked my login options I only found TOTP.
-Deozaan (October 15, 2017, 04:06 AM)

Yeah, sorry, I have a Yubikey 4 Nano, it can do OTP as well as U2F.

It doesn't list all sites, the other site I use mine for mainly isn't there either.

I originally bought the Yubikey FIDO, (because it was cheaper but it only does U2F), but realised the Yubikey 4 series would be a much better choice so I got one when Amazon had a 50% off Prime Day.

IainB · « **Reply #432 on:** October 17, 2017, 10:51 PM »

Nokia Purity HD Wired WH-930 by Monster On-Ear Headphones.
I found these (used/discarded) headphones last Sunday. They are rather good!
Usually, I donate found stuff to local charity op-shops, but I think I shall keep these, as I coincidentally needed another pair of headphones.

Gadget WEEKENDS

4wd · « **Reply #433 on:** October 18, 2017, 04:03 AM »

Nokia Purity HD Wired WH-930 by Monster On-Ear Headphones.
-IainB (October 17, 2017, 10:51 PM)

Look pretty much like the MEE Audio AF65 Touch headphones I have ... except yours have a wire

IainB · « **Reply #434 on:** October 18, 2017, 06:11 PM »

Nokia Purity HD Wired WH-930 by Monster On-Ear Headphones.
_______________________
-IainB (October 17, 2017, 10:51 PM)
Look pretty much like the MEE Audio AF65 Touch headphones I have ... except yours have a wire
_____________________________
-4wd (October 18, 2017, 04:03 AM)

Crikey, yes, so they do - in fact, from the close-ups, the design of the MEE Audio AF65 Touch look almost identical, barring the rounded-hole ear-pads.
The close-ups seems to indicate that the ear-pads are probably still made/fitted in the same rubbish way though - i.e., glued-on to a fabric backplate, which is itself glued-on to the plastic of the headset. However, they might last a while longer, because, by going for a perforated design for the ear-pads, they look as though they might have avoided the perishable seam (weakness/defect) of the rounded-hole ear-pad design of the Monster headphones.

I noticed that that rather sturdy Monster style of "my" headphones seemed to occur in quite a lot of variants of Nokia-Monster headphones/headsets, and most/all pictures I saw seemed to indicate that they had been made with the defective (rounded-hole) ear-pads. I presume that the defective ear-pads were why "my" headphones had been discarded - the owner probably didn't have the DIY skills to realise that a quick Heath-Robinson job could fix them up like new.
I'm not complaining. They are nice headphones. New price is/would have been approx. US$40, per Amazon and other shopping sites.

A short-lived satisfaction, unfortunately. I am not able to use them much now, as, after her trying them out last night, my daughter promptly took ownership of them and gave me her old Sony noise-cancelling headphones in return (which are pretty good, but not so sturdy or comfortable). Cheek!

4wd · « **Reply #435 on:** October 19, 2017, 01:43 AM »

Nokia Purity HD Wired WH-930 by Monster On-Ear Headphones.
_______________________
-IainB (October 17, 2017, 10:51 PM)
Look pretty much like the MEE Audio AF65 Touch headphones I have ... except yours have a wire
_____________________________
-4wd (October 18, 2017, 04:03 AM)
Crikey, yes, so they do - in fact, from the close-ups, the design of the MEE Audio AF65 Touch look almost identical, barring the rounded-hole ear-pads.
The close-ups seems to indicate that the ear-pads are probably still made/fitted in the same rubbish way though - i.e., glued-on to a fabric backplate, which is itself glued-on to the plastic of the headset. However, they might last a while longer, because, by going for a perforated design for the ear-pads, they look as though they might have avoided the perishable seam (weakness/defect) of the rounded-hole ear-pad design of the Monster headphones.
-IainB (October 18, 2017, 06:11 PM)

Not quite, the AF65's are designed to have replaceable parts, the cushions aren't glued to anything. You can slide them off the plastic carrier and install new ones:

Gadget WEEKENDS

Comfort is excellent, they come with a hard case which is great for travelling, noise isolation is reasonable (not as good as the MEE Audio AF36 Wave I had but this has touch control ... geek factor is high), battery lasts 24 hours, aptX low latency, and they sound great.

IainB · « **Reply #436 on:** October 19, 2017, 05:20 AM »

Not quite, the AF65's are designed to have replaceable parts, the cushions aren't glued to anything. You can slide them off the plastic carrier and install new ones: ...
_________________
-4wd (October 19, 2017, 01:43 AM)

That sounds like a much improved design. I didn't want to push my luck and detach the fibre and plastic backplate/carriers for the ear-pads, in case I couldn't get them back on again. There definitely seemed to be some permanently tacky glue involved though. Maybe I should take a closer and more "destructive" look.

Did the AF65 come with a spare set of ear-pads? Are those stubby little black pegs on the carrier a friction-fit into the plastic of the headphone?
Hmm... I wonder how much the pads would cost to buy and whether I could retro-fit them to the Monster headphones...

4wd · « **Reply #437 on:** October 19, 2017, 06:56 AM »

Did the AF65 come with a spare set of ear-pads?
-IainB (October 19, 2017, 05:20 AM)

No

Are those stubby little black pegs on the carrier a friction-fit into the plastic of the headphone?

Yes

Hmm... I wonder how much the pads would cost to buy and whether I could retro-fit them to the Monster headphones...

Gadget WEEKENDS

Cut out is 42 mm for the 40mm drivers.

EDIT: Looks like you can't get the pads according to one Amazon review: "after about a year, the ear pad covers started to disintegrate. MEE doesn't sell these particular covers, so you either wear trashy looking headphones (that still work great), or you buy a new set."

I've had mine for over a year and they still look OK but then he doesn't say how he stores them, leaving them in daylight a lot would probably deteriorate the vinyl quickly.

If you have a friend in the USA then you can get a set of AF65' from Amazon for $19.69 ... I bought a second pair a few months ago when they hit ~$30 + $6 P&P but they were being sold by Amazon Export Sales, (and it's currently $45 + P&P from them).

I bought a couple of pairs for a friend in the USA, he was pleasantly surprised by how good they are.

IainB · « **Reply #438 on:** October 19, 2017, 09:19 AM »

"after about a year, the ear pad covers started to disintegrate. MEE doesn't sell these particular covers, so you either wear trashy looking headphones (that still work great), or you buy a new set."
____________________________
-4wd (October 19, 2017, 06:56 AM)

Yeah, well I guess that just about sums up the integrity of their marketing then, doesn't it?
Product life = approx. 1 year, after which elapsed time it becomes a "disposable" object.
I'm not really too surprised, if that is the case, having already presumed that this would probably be the case for the discarded Monster headphones that I found.

4wd · « **Reply #439 on:** October 20, 2017, 02:18 AM »

"after about a year, the ear pad covers started to disintegrate. MEE doesn't sell these particular covers, so you either wear trashy looking headphones (that still work great), or you buy a new set."
-4wd (October 19, 2017, 06:56 AM)
Yeah, well I guess that just about sums up the integrity of their marketing then, doesn't it?
Product life = approx. 1 year, after which elapsed time it becomes a "disposable" object.
I'm not really too surprised, if that is the case, having already presumed that this would probably be the case for the discarded Monster headphones that I found.
-IainB (October 19, 2017, 09:19 AM)

Meh, 1 report out of all of them, more inclined to think it's storage, failure to properly maintain, or just an isolated quality control case.

IainB · « **Reply #440 on:** November 17, 2017, 04:36 AM »

I found these headphones. They are in-ear models. After removing the neoprene plugs and cleaning all parts with alcohol, then reassembling them, I tested them out and found that they give superb clarity of audio (e.g., in Fallout).
I found the photo (below) after doing a search for Images of "Sony Walkman headphones".

I have been unable to find a technical specification for these headphones though.

The plug has 3 segments and goes into the combined headphone/mic socket on my HP Pavilion 15 laptop. The circle of little holes on the back of each earphone is apparently a microphone. Testing the mics with Audacity, the RH one is much the loudest, so I suspect the plug is a proprietary Sony design that allows for a two-channel mic, which channels feed into the respective RH and LH noise-cancelling circuitry in the Walkman player.
I was wondering whether I could adapt them to use as a binaural stereo mic.

My full description is: Sony Ericsson Walkman Series in-ear headphones (with the "W" on the back) for ambient noise-cancelling audio from certain Walkman players.

Deozaan · « **Reply #441 on:** November 17, 2017, 01:47 PM »

Somewhere I recently heard about a good alternative for compressed air, which is an electric air duster. I can't remember where I heard of it. I didn't know such a thing existed in such a relatively small and affordable form. So I ended up getting one. Then I came to post about it here and was pretty sure I found some other thread from years ago mention basically the same thing I bought, but now I can't find that thread either.

Anyway, here's my new gadget:

XPOWER Airrow Pro A-2 Air Duster

I haven't really had a chance to use it yet. I did plug it in and turn it on long enough to get an idea for how much force it uses. Seems like it will be powerful enough to get the job done. Hopefully it lasts long enough to end up costing less than it would if I kept buying compressed air over the years.

mouser · « **Reply #442 on:** December 02, 2017, 12:03 AM »

How about some new gadgets, folks!?

nosh · « **Reply #443 on:** December 05, 2017, 12:49 PM »

I got the 2nd gen Echo Dot. I've never been a fan of voice commands, talking to Siri only confirms how daft this category of AI really is. The Echo's introductory price was ridiculously low, they were all but giving them away so I got one just to see what the fuss was about.

As expected, it wasn't anything revolutionary, the responses are mainly hardcoded to certain keywords. Alexa has no real AI to speak of, if she doesn't recognize a keyword she's at a total loss.

Some things work great though - setting quick reminders, doing calculations or defining a word are all really convenient, but none of these make the Echo a must have device.

The speaker is shit for listening to music but the new gen devices have a line out, so I hooked it up to my mac, which in turn is hooked up to my main sound system. I connected my Spotify account and O.M.G - the convenience of listening to any song (without compromising sound quality) in an instant is truly revolutionary. Understanding the concept really doesn't do it justice, you have to actually use it so realize how bloody wonderful it is. I can't recommend this enough to anyone whose setup allows them to hook the Echo up to a proper sound system.

4wd · « **Reply #444 on:** December 05, 2017, 10:09 PM »

Got a Xiaomi Dafang IP camera recently (under AU$20 delivered):

xiaomi_mijia_dafang_1080p_gimbal_ip_security_camera_for_home_wp1020390403364_1_.jpg

Gadget WEEKENDS

XIAOMI DAFANG IP Camera Highlights:

Microphone – Can pick sounds up to 10M
Photos – Can take photographs in 360 degrees or 93 degrees
Remotely controlled – using Xiaomi “Mi Home” App ( Apple Store / Google Play )
Support OS – Android 4.0 and above, iOS 7.0 and above system devices
Night vision – built in 6 pieces of 940nm infrared complimentary light, which
IR-cut (Night vision) – support day and night auto switching can restore night vision scene in 18 order grayscale.
Intercom – Two-way audio, you can talk to your family when you are not at home
Storage – Support Micro-SD Card up to 64GB & USB Dongle ( not included )
Resolution – 1080P FHD 15fps with F 2.3 aperture lens providing a clear image
Rotation – 110-degrees rotation, and 98 degrees vertical using the gimbal
Lens – 110 degree super wide angle FOV
Intelligent detection (AI) – The gimbal will automatically track, watch and monitor home while marking objects in a Green frame mark.
Motion and sound detection – Can detect the smoke and CO alarm, send a notification when an alarm is triggered.
PIP Mode – narrowing the monitoring scene to floating window, such as chatting and monitoring together.

It's quite good the only real complaint I have against it is the requirement of a Mi account before you can use it. There's no RTSP output so you can use off-the-shelf programs to monitor it however on GitHub there is a project aiming to implement it.

wraith808 · « **Reply #445 on:** December 06, 2017, 07:15 AM »

As expected, it wasn't anything revolutionary, the responses are mainly hardcoded to certain keywords. Alexa has no real AI to speak of, if she doesn't recognize a keyword she's at a total loss.
-nosh (December 05, 2017, 12:49 PM)

I had one, and had the same issues- until I realized what I was asking. The device doesn't have processing power to speak of, so of course it depends on pre-determined phrases. My biggest problem was the fact that you couldn't search for random things, unlike the google home.

Some things work great though - setting quick reminders, doing calculations or defining a word are all really convenient, but none of these make the Echo a must have device.
-nosh (December 05, 2017, 12:49 PM)

The thing that makes it a must have device is the integrations. They're pretty open about that. I had it integrated with IFTTT and it made things so convenient. From walking in the room and saying "Alexa, Turn on the lights in the office" (Using LIFx in the office), "Alexa, what's the news today", or a myriad of other integrations, that's where the must have classification comes from.

The speaker is shit for listening to music but the new gen devices have a line out, so I hooked it up to my mac, which in turn is hooked up to my main sound system. I connected my Spotify account and O.M.G - the convenience of listening to any song (without compromising sound quality) in an instant is truly revolutionary. Understanding the concept really doesn't do it justice, you have to actually use it so realize how bloody wonderful it is. I can't recommend this enough to anyone whose setup allows them to hook the Echo up to a proper sound system.
-nosh (December 05, 2017, 12:49 PM)

The dot is not made for listening to music through the speaker. The speaker is only for it to be able to respond. If your primary reason for using it is music, then you need the echo or echo plus (or echo spot or show)

I switched to the Google Home because it's integrated into the services that I already use, i.e. Google Music, and my Google Calendar, and Chromecast. It's been more widely accepted in my household than Alexa because of that. It's also integrated with Walmart for shopping to replace Amazon.

The only thing that I miss is IFTTT integration with the device's operations- I could make my LIFx blink when the timer or alarm went off on the Alexa, but IFTTT only has verbal integration with Google Home.

As far as Alexa vs Google Home, the largest consideration I think for anyone is what you plan to do with it. Alexa was a bust for me, but Google Home has been a great addition to our household.

nosh · « **Reply #446 on:** December 06, 2017, 10:42 AM »

I've seen some comparison videos where both devices are asked the same questions, Google Home seems to be more intelligent on most occasions. And I only see the gap widening with the resources and knowhow they have at their disposal. Google's voice sounds far better (more human) too. Plus they have access to Youtube... yeah, I can easily see myself switching over down the line.

I was aware the Dot's speaker wasn't even close to high quality, I wasn't thinking of using it as a music accessory when I got it - I don't even listen to music on my JBL bluetooth speaker. I still think the Echo Dot is a great device for music as long as you hook it up to your home's sound system - it's unobtrusive and looks cool.

mouser · « **Reply #447 on:** December 06, 2017, 10:48 AM »

The dot isn't meant to play audio over its own speaker; the other editions of the Echo/Tap are.
I have one of their previous generation versions that has a real speaker and uses a battery and its sound quality is very good. I use it purely to get news updates and play music while cooking.

cranioscopical · « **Reply #448 on:** December 06, 2017, 10:32 PM »

Here are my few musings. I picked up several of each over the past couple of weeks.

If only someone would make a device that blends the best points of each!

We're now using Home Mini's for an intercom system. The sending device 'broadcasts' scattergun style to every other station, which is fine for us. In more complex households the Echo Dot would be better as it can target only other station(s) specified, keeping communication private from other household members.

I find 'Alexa' somewhat difficult to understand unless a Dot is hooked to a decent sound system. In contrast, I can always understand the Home Mini. For us that makes the Home Mini a better choice for in-home communication as it's not always practical to hook up to a decent sound source (I don't characterise portables as decent).

Both devices are excellent for messy-hands locations—the kitchen (What is gas mark 3 in centigrade? A direct answer from Alexa but has to be done with two questions on the Home Mini), garage (but neither can furnish directly the correct tire pressure for a specific vehicle), workshop (this wood is 7'3", how many 22 centimetre lengths can I get from it?), studio (remind me to buy more titanium white).

One can't access some skills for Alexa in Canada (yet?). For example, no stock quotes from Alexa in Canada but the Home Mini serves 'em up flawlessly. OTOH there are some Canadian specific skills.

For me there's not a clear winner, hence some of each.

I will note that:

a) my few questions to Echo Dot support have been answered with alacrity, and with genuinely helpful information.

b) I didn't need any help with the Home Mini.

Setting up the Home Mini was a breeze. Setting up Alexa was an exercise in hair-tearing frustration until I remembered that Adguard has a propensity to fire up its own VPN. Google didn't care but Alexa sure did.

wraith808 · « **Reply #449 on:** December 07, 2017, 07:27 AM »

In more complex households the Echo Dot would be better as it can target only other station(s) specified, keeping communication private from other household members.
-cranioscopical (December 06, 2017, 10:32 PM)

I didn't find the commands to conference the Echo Dot very useful, and one of the reasons it didn't come off well was the indicators that someone is actually calling and if the call is in progress or not very intuitive.