December 28, 2007
analog shutdown!
Carriers will start shutting down the analog cellular network in February 2008.
I remeber my dad's brick phone, the first portable. Making a call from a car was novel. Got my first analog phone in college. then a second phone a few years later, opted for Voicestream when that was new (before it was bought by T-Mobile).
I still have the analog phone, kept it as a backup on roadtrips, but stopped service when plans changed. While the analog network has been around for a long time, it's only been ~15 years since cell phones have been popular. I thought the analog network would be around (for a few more years anyway) but it's going away --and fast!
I'm not sure about coverage either -it used to be the analog network was the only service in remote areas. maybe that's changed, especially considering the shutdown. Some folks have kept analog phone around just for 911 service. that's gone now.
November 02, 2007
tablet pc, three years later
same story this year, minimal use of the pen. watched movies flipping the screen around (while my ankle healed), it's more enjoyable that way.
biggest prior use was taking notes and my current project simply doesn't have that demand. so my tablet usage (well tablet mode) has really declined.
also i got a decent usb mouse, nice compact travel size. i like the track pad, but a real mouse is better. i was thinking wireless, but went with the "retrak" optical model instead. packs up really well, no batteries, and no wireless fuss (i hardly notice the wire anyway, and that retrak cord is awesome).
October 18, 2007
xbox 360 x-arcade hack
pacman challenge edition came out on the xbox 360 this summer. it's actually a great game with good gameplay. the version is time & point based, rather than level & survival like the original.
however, playing the game with the stock xbox controller (analog thumb or d-pad) isn't much fun -you really need a standard 4-way arcade joystick for proper game action/response.
D. already had an x-arcade, and swapped the built-in stick with a switchable 4/8 way joystick (one that uses governor for true 4-way action!)... but there's no interface for to the xbox360 (not yet?).
xbox 360, pac man challenge edition with x-arcade hack.
October 15, 2007
generator, external fuel tank v2+
once again even after testing and confirming my external quick disconnect hose worked, it failed, just when i needed it, using at an event this summer. (and once again) good thing the honda eu2000i runs all night on a gallon of gas, meaning i just had to fill up once a day to power my camp.
but this is getting frustrating.
cap & quick disconnect (fuel line connector).
so...getting ready for the playa this year, i spent a little (more) time to fuss with this problem and figure out what went wrong. it's not rocket science, shouldn't be this hard.... be really nice to get this working, grr.
working on this more and more, i'm starting to get keep some spare parts around. on a whim i compared my quick-disconnect (fuel line connector) with a new one, and noticed it was missing the inner o-ring that makes a tight seal when it connected to the tank. tried the new one, and it worked right away.
read more...April 03, 2007
generator, external tank v2
so my external quick disconnect failed after two days on the playa. good thing the honda eu2000i runs for so long, it just meant i had to gas up once a day. still, i'm keen on getting the extended run time working.
i finally spent some time to fuss with this and figure out what went wrong. i was stumped at first, and started to just redesign the whole thing, at some point probably had multiple failure points too.
v2, cap
theboom v. "$15" headset
"theboom" fancy headset arrived, and i immediately tried it out. i put the stereo on full volume for an initial test, called my voicemail and left a message. it worked really well. very impressive. called some folks who reported excellent call quality.
i didn't have another (comparable) headset to test with at the time, so i just tried my phone with the stereo test. surprisingly my phone did reeeally well. better than i expected. (i should have known, the t-39 rocks!)
but my phone doesn't have the super patented microphone design.... so, what's the scoop? i need more models to test with, i'm suspicious the *right* headset might work ~on par~ here.
1) the t-39 has noise cancelling, mics on each side of the flip.
2) the flip, acts as a boom to put the mic in better positon.
3) position is (almost) everything --let's cancelling actually work.
this gives the t-39 great sound, but really points to the fact if you can get a good boom with standard noise cancelling, you can have great sound -without the price tag of "theboom". key here is getting a long boom, to put the mic right where you need it (lets the noise cancelling mic really function).
read more...March 07, 2007
theboom cellphone mic review.
[read the follow-up review, for the whole story here].
sure, my vw bus doesn't take of and land like a blackhawk helicopter --that doesn't mean i can't have other cool toys and upgrades installed...
read more...February 26, 2007
clarity is a beautiful thing
two events in recent memory made me feel that the world is (still) a beautiful place, where it had grown dull, tarnished, or felt out of place the past few years...
read more...February 18, 2007
behringer bcf2000 & bcr2000
you can use these together without daisy chaining them together over MIDI, having each one directly connected via a USB port.
you may want to modify the name that shows up however. my driver installed them giving eaach one the same name (e.g. the common "behringer fader/rotary 2000").
read more...January 03, 2007
generator part 3. (to the rescue!)
so, i got my generator for camp and whatnot.
i figured i would use it about once a year at burningman, at the regional burn or maybe at a party, really about twice a year --and maybe someday... sooomedaaay, the power would go out, i'd use it then. also, i took it to the playa in july assuming would use it --not realizing our camp had a nice 25kW gennie provided by bmorg. no need to run mine. so, mildly disappointed (since i just got my new toy and all)...i just left it packed up. still happy with the purchase, knew it's time would come.
25kWatt diesel, power plant
turns out, no one was really watching the gauge on the 25kW, and we ran out of gas! i was away at the time, but a good friend knew i had a honda eu2000i and hooked it all up. my little honda came to the rescue to keep the lights and a few computers on!
for a testimonial of how quiet it was, i didn't even know it was running until i was practically standing on it, and heard it purring along...
read more...November 17, 2006
gbs-301 serial bluetooth adapter
i like wireless, and i like the simplicity of the serial port. i have a bunch of devices (radio, gps, home vision, etc.) it would be nice to hook up, via bluetooth.
so, i finally broke down and bought a bluetooth rs-232 adapter to let me connect these serial devices wirelessly. simple right? while i was waiting for the price to drop on this --no luck there, still about $50-60. decided not to wait, and splurge on one.
turns out it's not quite a simple cable surrogate, as one might hope...
read more...October 26, 2006
tablet pc, two years later
let's see... two years now i've been running tablet pc, on two tablets no less. my first year was met with some surprise how many different ways i used my pen...
read more...September 18, 2006
generator part 1. (backstory)
ok, so last year i decided that my camp needed quiet power, and i could use some of my own radical self reliance here, round out the rest of my own part of camp, be self sufficient, have power to run my sound system without fussing with other folks permission, without compromising camp power.
bit of history :
our camp power situation stems from the kind of decisions (or rather mistakes) that most camps make. you want power. you don't have money. you're not even sure how many watts you need. you make a comparison, and find some big cheap generators, a nice open-frame 5kWatt model for $300. deal, right? read more...
July 12, 2006
zebranet setup unlisted print server
zebranet view
menu: tools
setup unlisted ip print server :
This feature is used to assign IP addresses to unconfigured print servers (at factory default settings) on remote networks. When a print server is unable to obtain an IP address through DHCP, BOOTP or RARP, it will eventually default to an address of 198.102.102.254. This default address allows the utility to communicate with and configure the print server on a local subnet. However, if the print servers is on a remote subnet, the router will not likely route the packets to the print server correctly. This feature allows a valid IP address to be broadcast to the remote subnet for the print server to use.
read more...May 10, 2006
alesis ra100 power amp
i thought about replacing this with a similar, more powerful model. 200 watts total power is pretty decent.
curiously enough, the ra150 has less power. huh?
read more...May 09, 2006
mackie 1501 v. 1801
here's my comparison, a single 1801 verses two 1501's...
read more...February 13, 2006
acer c302 screen click problem (old)
i had this problem, and it's been serviced (replaced power supply).
but here's an interesting work around.
read more...February 06, 2006
ericsson css-20 desk speaker stand
another splurge here (cheap on ebay). turns the phone into decent speaker phone. this gizmo also kicks the phone profile to 'in-car' when docked (which i've since renamed). it charges the phone as well...
February 02, 2006
ericsson cdt-10 desktop charger
tired of hooking up charge cables, i (finally) splurged on getting some desktop chargers for my phone.
woo. how exciting is that?
not very.
but using ericsson's model i encountered one totally kick ass feature. the phone recognizes the charger and can switch profiles when docked, then switches back when you remove it.
read more...February 01, 2006
tablet pc, one year later
here's a summary of how i used my tablet pc last year. many expected uses, along with numerous unexpected ones. overall i'm pleased, i wouldn't want to go back to my laptop sans pen. probably why i actually bought two (there's a testimonial huh?)
there are just things you can do with a pen that are more natural -- than with a mouse, keyboard, or whatever. each device excels in it's own way. when it comes to sketches, handwriting - the pen rocks. in a way it feels like it's freeing my laptop from it's more traditional or rigid cartesian form (though things are generally more organized or and orderly that way).
while the mouse or touchpad breaks the general monotony, adding more spatial information, you just can't sketch or take notes in the same way you can with a pen.
here's my list of how i've used my tablet this year...
read more...December 05, 2005
bluetooth headset, multiple phones
i'm not one to get every latest gizmo, but there's a few technologies i recognize and adopt early on. i've been using various wireless technologies like bluetooth since it came out. i won't buy a phone without it...
read more...November 22, 2005
fixed dvd player
add dvd player to the list. a friend dropped off their dvd player after it stopped working (no power). they actually already checked the internal fuse, and didn't know what to do after that.
these things are so cheap you can't really take them in for repair, you'd spend more than just buying a brand new one! would be a shame just to toss it out, if it's something simple like a busted switch.
read more...November 11, 2005
how apgs works
AGPS uses a reference GPS receiver in each tower that sends SV data to
the mobile handset. The handset does not have a full GPS installed;
instead it uses the SV (space vehicle, e.g. the satellite) data to receive the time pulses from a single SV and sends the time delta to the tower. The tower is then able to compute the position of the phone via a differential calculation and log it for E911 compliance. It is typically accurate to 100m indoors and
15m outdoors.
October 20, 2005
minidisc repair / jog wheel
mindy dropped off the minidisc player she was borrowing from a friend - the jog wheel had stopped functioning. i wasn't sure what the problem was although i suspected something simple, probably mechanical. everything else worked just fine.
read more...
July 05, 2005
lithium battery discharge
not sure, i might have had that trouble charging the HBH-35 due to rather depleted charge on the battery, and internal protection circuits. i found this tidbit on lithium ion cells...
(i thought the battery was in the main casing, not the ear hook. they didn't come out, i didn't pry too hard, but not easy to replace -- here's some photos!)
Commercial lithium ion packs contain a protection circuits that limit the charge voltage to 4.30V/cell, 0.10 volts higher than the voltage threshold of the charger. Temperature sensing disconnects the charge if the cell temperature approaches 90°C (194°F), and a mechanical pressure switch on many cells permanently interrupt the current path if a safe pressure threshold is exceeded. Exceptions are made on some spinel (manganese) packs containing one or two small cells.
read more...June 27, 2005
times change
first commercial for a tablet pc hits the airwaves...
yes - i believe... the future is coming.
June 01, 2005
acer tablet pc service manuals
acer tablet pc user and service manuals...
read more...May 29, 2005
laptop slow to hibernate
i've been having a problem with my external drive, even though i disable write caching, i still get intermittent 'delay write failure' on the drive after resuming from hibernation - or just just removing the drive without first "disconnecting".
but with delay write caching disabled, there shouldn't be a problem should there?!
read more...May 27, 2005
numark dmc-1 & pcdj
i got this controller to use with djdecks, but found the stock software that came with it, pcdj 'blue', was initially pretty slick. yet the more i used it, the more frustrated i got. i've also noticed some hardware errors that are pretty annoying too, the unit locks up.
read more...
acer tavelmate c300 review
ahh, laptop arrived... my new acer travelmate c302... (see my other post for why i chose this on this model).
read more...May 25, 2005
aprs pocket tracker
after showing my aprs setup to sean - he was inspired to get into it. he also motivated me into building the byonics pocket tracker aprs radio. or maybe the other way around... you see he's got the mad soldering skills (sean is certified to work on the space shuttle), and i talked him into helping me.
read more...digital vinyl
i took some photos of my 'final scratch' records, when they caught my eye in the sunlight. you can see the timecode pattern on record.
everything is finally set up now - new laptop, turntable case with pre-amps and maya44 sound card, all wired up. the turntables are wired up both directly to the mixer, as well through the sound card on separate cues. so i can switch back and forth from tradition vinyl to a digital interface.
read more...May 23, 2005
ericsson t-39
still an amazing phone!
ah, so the screen on my replacement t-39 just stopped working. damn! realizing i had enough parts from two phones to make one good one, i used the base (electronics) from one, and the casing (top) from the other to make one complete phone.
read more...tablet pc
after 5 years, i was on the hunt for a new laptop. like last time, i was looking for some particular features. i travel a lot, i know the difference between a sub 4 pound notebook, and those goliath 8 lbs monsters. it's usually the first spec i look at...
read more...May 05, 2005
aprs network changes
so i suddenly wasn't getting my aprs packet data posted on the web site logs - i figured something was up with my transceiver and went to take a look. everything seemed fine, although it wasn't chirping as much, confirming that any packets were getting out.
on a whim i checked for messages. seems the northwest aprs digipeaters installed an upgrade, and the stock 'relay, wide' setting is no longer 'supported'. perhaps this is just a coincidence actually, but it made me change the stock setting in the radio.
May 02, 2005
antenna mount on a vw westfalia camper
ok, so after much trial and tribulation, i figured out how to accomplish what i wanted to do... installed an antenna on the camper roof of my vw westfalia camper bus. it's actually pretty easy.
read more...kenwood d7a w/ e-trex & magellan 315
i have an e-trex legend, & a magellan 315. decided to hook up the magellan up to the kenwood (aprs) radio - for a few reasons. it doesn't have a built in map, it's bigger so i actually don't want to carry it around - but it has a much better antenna and better reception. it's perfect for a plain old gps receiver. although larger than say a gps-mouse unit, i have it tucked away in the corner on the dash. i'll save the e-trex for walking around, plus i don't need to buy anything new. this does require i leave the unit powered up (usnig 12volt adapter), but it shouldn't drain the battery.
while testing things out, i noticed when i lost satellite reception with the e-trex, the kenwood would start to **beep**. however with the magellan, it didn't...