* Posts by B33k34

12 publicly visible posts • joined 4 Mar 2011

Author of '80s classic The Hobbit didn't know game was a hit

B33k34

Re: wait

Gollum appears

Leaked snaps said to confirm iPhone 5 speculation

B33k34

Re: "Looks exactly the same as the 4"

The same way they did with the 4S - they won't. Will be interesting to see if Apple drop the model number from the iPhone in the same way they have the iPad and turn it into a commodity item.

My 2 year old iPhone 4 still runs the latest version of the OS and performs well - compare that to the miserly sub 10% penetration of the newest version of Android after a year. Apple are taking the majority of the profit from the mobile market - they don't NEED to play the same games as everyone else.

It's *not* about the hardware specs - it's about he experience and that's 90% driven by the OS not the hardware.

The Hardware Hacker's Guide to Home Automation

B33k34

Re: *still* not there

I can't see that image you've linked to - link seems truncated.

The Amp is a Sony 2400 ES. Back panel image here - http://tiny.cc/epfycw and no power outlet either. I had an old 70's Sony system for a while that had an outlet on the back. Really useful.

B33k34

Re: *still* not there

My current Sony amp doesn't have a remote out :-(

B33k34

Re: @bk33k34 *still* not there

Thanks, but no cigar.

I bought one of those Lindy sockets (not lindy branded but identical) and it doesn't work as you expect - its another 'standby saver'. Because the consumption of the sub is variable it incorrectly thinks its in 'standby' and switches it off.

The only straight IR socket I could find in the UK was this one - http://www.possum.co.uk/product/64. Targeted at healthcare providers the last time i saw a quote for one it was £195.00 +Vat

B33k34

Re: *still* not there

So speaking of auto off on TV's I have a relatively simple HA problem that I've still not solved satisfactorily. My sub-woofer sits behind the TV on the opposite side of the room from my Amp (HDMI cable and speaker cables run under the floor). The sub doesn't have any sort of auto on built in. I've got a Harmony remote. Ideally I'd just have an IR socket on the sub but they don't seem to exist any longer - they're all RF - so what would be a *cost effective* solution to switch the sub on when the amp is running?

I currently have the sub on an E-On 'desktop power down' linked to the TV with a manual override switch for when I listen to audio. However, even that's not ideal as the power consumption on the plasma tv drops sufficiently on scenes with very low light (or titles) to switch it off with an annoying click. Tried a TV power down (which have an IR thing) but couldn't get that to work.

There must be a better way....

BYOD sync 'n share

B33k34

Re: BYOD sync 'n share

Dropbox works remarkably well - I'm surprised how few problems I have with it between work PC, home Mac and iPad. I've not yet trusted my 'home' network to it but really only because I've not got round to it. The major barrier is working out sync of iTunes and iPhoto (as both have large libraries) and doing so at a reasonable cost.

Suggestions? Is there a local mac-mac sync solution (without online storage) that's as simple to set up and manage and reliable as Dropbox?

Pretty sure Dropbox does have a 'LAN sync' option to speed up syncing - https://www.dropbox.com/help/137 but of course the stuff must still end up on the Dropbox servers at some point (and you must still have to pay for the storage).

Analyst: no 7in tablet at iPad 3 launch

B33k34

Nope. Don't believe this at all.

Foxconn tooling up for iPhone 5

B33k34

Don't believe a word of it.

prepared to put good money that the next iPhone will NOT be physically larger than the current one.

Apple have decided that is the right form factor. They won't change it. A bigger screen in the same body maybe but not a bigger body.

Apple MacBook Air 11in Core i5 notebook

B33k34

Sure. But Apples battery monitor also tells you the capacity. There was no significant deterioration in capacity showing either.

B33k34

these service costs

I *suspect* he's talking about the battery and it's actually rather bogus.

Apple laptop battery management is very good now - I sold a 3 year old macbook (black plastic) which spent most of it's time connected to the mains. It's battery was showing sub 50 charge cycles and something like 95% of original capacity.

The battery life of the Air is huge so, even if you use it all day away from your desk you're probably only charging it over night so 18 months is only 500 charges (and the battery is meant to be good for > twice that).

In reality it's possibly a 3 year service cost and Apple only charge about the same for it as a genuine battery for most other laptops (my experience with aftermarket Li-Ion batteries for laptops, iPods, drills and phones has been very poor - I'd only buy genuine in future).

O2 tries to explain its new prudish nature

B33k34

not sure they've thought this through

O2's black list includes such hot, sweaty, man-on-man action sites such as fancyapint.com*

Unfortunately they've applied the verification policy across the board, including corporate customers. Not many corporates employ people under 18 and if all that was blocked was pron that wouldn't be a problem but I'm not particularly keen to £1 to give my employer a £2.50 credit.

*essential for finding meeting locations.