[Archived] Very Clever Stuff

[Paul]

I'm of a generation that has seen a huge amount of change in the paraphenalia and "stuff" we have in our lives. I remember our first TV being delivered, I think the first programme I saw was The Lone Ranger in black and white. All my relatives used to come round on Cup Final day because we had the only TV!!! My first LP (kids that's a big CD with 12-13 songs on it!) was "With The Beatles" and my Dad bought a Dansette to play it on. I had to save my pocket money till I had 6s/8d to buy a single! We had a push button transistor radio and downloading / file sharing was something you did by putting a microphone next to the radio on Sunday evenings listening to Alan "Fluff" Freeman introduce Pick of the Pops. Today I wander around with enough computing power in my pocket to land a rocket on the moon.

I'm sure one could argue other generations have seen more progress or change in their lives but we got a gizmo at Christmas that just stunned me. It's probably not the finest bit of techie stuff but it really took my breathe away. I'm talking about one of those little transmitters (see I don't even know what it's called) that plugs on to your iPod (10,000 songs in your pocket) and then allows you to listen to the music (which magically arrived through the ether, didn't have to go to the shops to buy it) on any radio you are near to. It's smaller than a wine bottle cork and when I saw it working for the first time it was a real "Wow" moment, just so clever.

It's pushed the dishwasher in to second place as the best bit of technology I own!

[Blue n White Rover]

The iTrip I presume you mean? Very handy gadget, just tune in to a certain radio station (mine's usually 87.7 FM as there is no interference) and you're up and running. Very handy in the car, saves you from having a million CD's and also allows you to use the SatNav on your phone too.

[Paul]

The iTrip I presume you mean?

That's it though one we got didn't come from Apple but it's basically the same thing.

[T4E]

I have one in the car Paul, it even has "Clearscan" - you press that button and it tells you which is the clearest frequency at that moment in time.

My only complaint would be that it doesn't automatically update itself. If it could continually rescan in the background and change itself when it found a clearer frequency, then send a signal to the radio to get it to do the same, then that really would be clever.

[Hughesy]

Yeah firms like Belkin make then too - very handy!

There is another cool thing for the iphone - its the My linkAir-curve.

Basically a piece of plastic, that doesnt even get plugged in, but somehow creates 10 times the sounds of the iphone.

[mellison24]

My fave piece of technology is my mobile phone (nothing special, just a samsung d840). Without doubt the best gadget ever created in terms of the possibilities it unlocked for us. I'd be at a loss without it.

[ultrablue]

My fave piece of technology is my mobile phone (nothing special, just a samsung d840). Without doubt the best gadget ever created in terms of the possibilities it unlocked for us. I'd be at a loss without it.

I just can't help but resent having to have a mobile phone - so invasive. A capitalist invention that has created a need in society- so many people who get annoyed by those who don't reply or pick up. Not a fan myself.

[mellison24]

I just can't help but resent having to have a mobile phone - so invasive. A capitalist invention that has created a need in society- so many people who get annoyed by those who don't reply or pick up. Not a fan myself.

For me it's purely a texting/camera device, as I can't hear over a telephone (even over loudspeaker). However, I do also get irritated when it takes someone an hour to reply to texts. The reliance on signal is a bit of a nuiscance too tbh....

[RovertheHill]

For those of you into your fitness and health this looks interesting - or will do when it comes out over here

fitbit

[colin]

I'm talking about one of those little transmitters (see I don't even know what it's called) that plugs on to your iPod (10,000 songs in your pocket) and then allows you to listen to the music.......on any radio you are near to. It's smaller than a wine bottle cork and when I saw it working for the first time it was a real "Wow" moment, just so clever.

It's called a "wireless" or a "radio" nowadays. It's been around since Guglimo Marconi invented it in 1895.

Or have I got the wrong end of my Luddite stick? I usually have.

You've got 10,000 songs in your pocket and you want to listen to the radio? What kind of sick pervert are you? (this is all on "joke mode" btw.)For heavens sake you might just end up listening to Alanh Green doing football commentary.

Buy a bottle of wine instead. Listen to the radio. The wine will help to dull the awful experiance of being a Rovers' supporter.

All posted in jest, in case anyone thinks otherwise.

[broadsword]

For those of you into your fitness and health this looks interesting - or will do when it comes out over here

fitbit

Wow, looks interesting, thanks

[adopted scouser]

Phone ? Sony Satio with a 12meg camera, amazing stuff.

Music on the move ? ipod nano. Here's the thing, like lots of different music, anything from The Fall to the B52's, but my favourite concert is Pink Floyd, Delicate Sound of Thunder. The best backing singers Margaret Taylor, Durga McBroom and the love of my life Rachel Fury. I used to have it on (for our older members) vhs and wore the bloody tape out.

My genius daughter told me that if I use 'V downloader' to save clips from youtube, not only will it convert them to play on the ipod, it'll upscale them and take out the pixellation an all

So there you have it, all ten minutes of 'Money', crystal clear picture wherever and when ever I want

Bit of self indulgence here > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpXOaIp0dxw

When Gilmore starts on the Fender at 3.02 watch the girlies dance backwards, me arse goes everytime

[Tris]

Pink Floyd

So there you have it, all ten minutes of 'Money', crystal clear picture wherever and when ever I want

Bit of self indulgence here > http://www.youtube.c...h?v=QpXOaIp0dxw

When Gilmore starts on the Fender at 3.02 watch the girlies dance backwards, me arse goes everytime

I've been in Pink Floyd heaven for the past hour, all on YouTube HD!! Nice link!

We've got tickets to the Australian Pink Floyd Show at the MEN in May - won't be the real thing but I think it's as close as I'm going to get.

[SouthAussieRover]

I've been in Pink Floyd heaven for the past hour, all on YouTube HD!! Nice link!

- won't be the real thing but I think it's as close as I'm going to get.

I don't know about that.You can be a bit of a lunatic as in singing different tunes to everyone else.

I thought Roger Waters was an angry type until I started reading your posts.

I'll see you on the dark side of the moon.

[RovertheHill]

Wow, looks interesting, thanks

or try this which is out here but seems to require a subscription.

kiperformance

[Majiball]

For those of you into your fitness and health this looks interesting - or will do when it comes out over here

fitbit

or try this which is out here but seems to require a subscription.

kiperformance

And neither are as accurate as a pen and paper.

[RovertheHill]

And neither are as accurate as a pen and paper.

Have you tried them then?

[bazza]

Modern technology and gadgets amaze me.

We were only talking at lunch time about life in 1905 and how a hundred years isn't very long, really; just over one lifetime.

What massive progress has been made over the last 100 years.

Back then local travel was on foot, by horse, in a city by electric tram or horsedrawn traps.

Gas was produced from coal and piped around for lighting, not heating.

If you wanted to hear music you had to go to the theatre, listen to a brass band in the park, whistle your own tune or go to someone's house to listen to a piano recital.

Communication was by letter through the post or telegram for urgency.

For the majority no cars, no telephones, no radio, no cinema, no cameras, no ready made food apart from confectionery and bread, no real travel away from your local area.

And, as the century developed, advancement in technology got faster and faster each decade.

I wonder what it will be like in 2050. I won't be around to see it but some of you might and you'll be reminiscing about how primitive life was at the beginning of the twenty first century. "Cor. They used to have to hold something up to the ear to communicate then. Not like the telepathy we've got now. How did they ever manage to live without telepathy?"

[cn174]

I have just bought myself an FM tuner too. My mum will love the fact that we'll be able to listen to all of my music in the car now

After many emails from Amazon about their Kindle product I decided to have a look. I don't know if it is just me but I think it is pointless. I don't get why you'd spend $500 on a thing which you can download e-books onto (which cost the same price as normal books) so that you can carry it round with you just lik you'd carry a book. I get what they're trying to do and make it like a 'book ipod' but it's hardly the same.

[Flopsy]

As far as I understand it, you can have your whole library on one thing, so going on holiday will be much more interesting.

My Mp3 Player / phone for me

[broadsword]

Yeah, but you'd only want to read the latest book that took your fancy on holiday. What did folks do in days of yore, load up a caravan with 1000 books then tow it to le Touquet?

It's nonsense, and it doesn't quite have the same feel about it that picking up an old book has.

I'll leave reading the written word on a screen for when I'm working. Not all technology is great. Let's not leave behind all the past. some things just work and we should keep them. We can't evolve ourselves at the same rate that our creations do, and we shouldn't try.

Let's not forget that it's all driven by a profit-motive, but a day in the park reading a book and having a laugh is just as much fun as anything Sony or whoever can offer.

Personal computing, the internet, central heating, washing machines, electric ovens, mobile phones, satellite/ freeview TV. All good stuff, but technology is not intrinsically good, and the profit motive doesn't guarantee utility to the consumer.

Gandhi: "There is more to life than simply increasing its speed." -- often, this is what is driving consumer innovation. I'm sure most of us could lofe very happy contented lives at a slower pace without most of these innovations.

PS: do you prefer your dinner cooked in a microwave or in a convection oven???

[Paul]

After many emails from Amazon about their Kindle product I decided to have a look. I don't know if it is just me but I think it is pointless.

I haven't tried Kindle but have used Ereader.com which is the same principle only you download the book onto a laptop or PC. Didn't work for me either. What I do like is talking books on my iPod. Our local library has a good and frequently changed range which can be loaned for 50p each. I have about 45 minutes (60 minutes on a bad day) commute and find the time flies by if I'm listening to a good book. Also means the time is not wasted on commuting but becomes more of a leisure activity.

PS: do you prefer your dinner cooked in a microwave or in a convection oven???

I really don't like microwaved food. We do cook quite a lot at the weekend and then freeze for later in the week but I prefer to heat my food through in the oven or on the hob. I feel microwaved food tastes different and also goes from blisteringly hot to cold quite quickly, I suppose that's when the atoms stop buzzing around as they've been heated up to quickly!!

[American]

My wife is an avid reader and thought she'd miss the feel of having a book in her hands when getting the Kindle. Definitely hasn't and loves it. Makes it much easier for when we go on Holiday, as we used to have to pack an entire carry-on with nothing but books.

[colin]

I prefered Pink Floyd when they were doing Syd Barret numbers he'd concocted on acid.

And dear god! where did that sax player get his hair?

[Eddie]

I haven't tried Kindle but have used Ereader.com which is the same principle only you download the book onto a laptop or PC. Didn't work for me either. What I do like is talking books on my iPod. Our local library has a good and frequently changed range which can be loaned for 50p each. I have about 45 minutes (60 minutes on a bad day) commute and find the time flies by if I'm listening to a good book. Also means the time is not wasted on commuting but becomes more of a leisure activity.

You should take a look at www.audible.com then. For anyone who does like listening to books, which personally I find a great way to get through things I'd love to read when simply on the metro or in the gym, then it's a wonderful site.