Every so often I get this urge to have things, things that I really shouldn't buy. I usually end up making a list of these things and throwing them away. This is probably a good thing. But occasionally, I list them here so you can all see how materialistic I am.
I've been pricing out new desktop PCs lately. I've been trying to stay minimal but get the most for the money, knowing very little about individual components. My interest in knowing the minutia of component performance has waned over the years. What I've been pricing is a Core 2 Duo 2.67mhz (it seems that when you go Core 2, you might as well get the fastest one you can find), 4GB of RAM (I have 3 now, so I can't do with less), a super-fast system drive and a giant secondary drive, the fastest pair of DL-DVD writers I can get, and a motherboard that supports dual 16x PCI Express slots to hold matching dual-head video cards. What are my needs here?
Well, the main problem with the current machine sounds kind of silly, but it's the sound. It wasn't really a problem when I was using the PC at home for a few hours a night. But now that I work on it for 10+ hours a day in a small room, I'm beginning to notice a bit of hearing loss. Seriously. That just can't be allowed to continue. So I get to the point where I don't know what parts I need to replace to make the current PC quieter without crippling it (do I need a new power supply? different case fans?), and then I look at the server PC I bought a couple of months ago and don't hear at all and think that maybe it's time to step up....
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You know I'm not going to give you the same washed-out "Buy an iPod Accessory" crap that you're getting from all the sales sites. I'm a pedigreed gadget-hunter. I've been meaning to write more about some of the crazy junk I have around the house, but I'm too busy messing with them and opening the UPS deliveries of new gadgets to bother!
Do you have a geek in your life? Maybe a blogger that would like to go pro? If so, then I've got a few gift ideas for you. If you know my tastes, you'll not be surprised by the gadgety for-kids-but-cool toys on the list, but also be aware that some of these prices aren't stocking-stuffer-sized.
And if you're buying for me - Yes, I want everything listed here.
Item #1 - Neuros MPEG4 recorderThis device hooks to any standard RCA a/v output, like that from your VCR or cable box, and allows you to record the video and audio directly to Memory Stick (yes, the video format used plays back on the PSP) or Compact Flash.
Oh, but that's just the first... more
Ah, the first of this year's Christmas gifts has arrived. From China!
I saw these Walkie Bits on Time Magazine's list of the best inventions of 2005, and I knew they would make perfect gifts for some of the kids I happen to know. So I set out to find them. The trouble is that they don't sell them in the US yet.
Of course, the best solution to international trade boundaires is eBay. I ordered a handful of them and had them shipped by airmail from Hong Kong. (Is it weird that these toys are Japanese, but they originated in China?) I got a registered mail slip last week, and Nana has been bugging me about it ever since. So this afternoon, I went to pick them up.
Want to see a movie of it moving? more
I loaded a couple of audio books into Berta's iPod for our Johnstown trip this past weekend. I've learned a couple of important things regarding audiobook playback - and playback in general - on the iPod.
First, I really dislike that you can't safely feel the interface on the iPod. It makes it virtually impossible to control the device while you are trying to drive. For those that aren't aware, the iPod controls are touch-sensitive, not pressure sensitive. It's hard to describe how it works if you're not familiar with it, but it works exactly like the touchpad now integrated into notebook computers instead of a mouse, and somewhat like those lamps that you can touch to turn on. Since the mere touch of a button activates it, you can't search for buttons with your fingers without actually pressing the buttons as you go.
I find it's reasonably safe to locate the device visually in the car, but not being able to feel the buttons without activating them is a real hindrance. Most times I just wanted to pause the playback or restart it so I could converse with the passengers without missing the story. This was a real pain and something I would consider a design flaw.
The iPod also doesn't store the last paused location for an audio file. This is of particular interest in audio books. If you leave the book and try to come back to it later, you have no idea where you left off unless you remember the time code. I did remember the time code of the book from when I switched playback, but I ran into another problem that I suppose is mostly user error. more
