gratuitous technology

[pieces o nine]

Carp!  Another post consigned to the ethers due to [unknown] mystery keystroke! That is the one ... feature ... I DO NOT LIKE on this laptop.   


But I digress... the most reliable methods to counteract chronic sporadic insomnia are: reading (requires Good Lighting, thus a self-foiling method) or watching a movie. I d/won't put a tv in the bedroom as it is counter-indicated for sleep, but successful unconsciousness in livingroom is undesirable for hearing alarm clock, and I will not put those all over the house. Ahhh, the trials of 21st century Western life!

After waiting for 7" screens to become common, reliable, and inexpensive, then 8" screens, then 9" screens, then 10" screens...oh, for carp's sake!     I acquired this from my local Gratuitous Technology R Us.



9" screen, really good sound, USB port -- hmmm, perhaps my beloved *complete* DW archives, compiled over *years* of careful YouTube spelunking could be transferred to flash drive.  It works great with only one glitch in my clever plan:  trying to adjust volume, make menu selection, or shut off tiny black buttons on tiny black player in near black darkness is a bit of a challenge. Oh, sure, I could turn on a light, but that completely ruins the sleep-inducing intention of this purchase.

Additional note 1: movies about running with guns, explosions, Epic Soundtracks, etc, are not effective sleep-inducers at such close range.

Additional note 2: Dom thee Danger Catte apparently likes the cat-sized screen, and has taken to curling up rather than wandering the house, looking for Things to Make Noise Getting Into, so that's an unexpected bonus.

[Griffin NoName]

So Sweet. What's it called (technically, by Amazon, rather than Billy the Sleep Slayer etc).

[Roland Deschain]

Nice purchase, PoN, and an added bonus for the curbing of Dom thee Danger Catte's nocturnal wanderings. I have my PC in my bedroom, and have a TV there too, so i'm never lost for things to put me to sleep.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

I know what you mean about dark buttons on a dark surface-- I have a Transformer with dark brown buttons/keyboard, and I occasionally like to read it in the dark (it's backlit) using my Kindle app...

... but also occasionally hit the wrong damdarn button and go backwards (or worse, return to home).

There is where a tiny little LED flashlight comes in handy-- it's single LED "bulb" is too dim to awaken (and trigger) my "AWAKE!" light-response, but it's just bright enough to spot the buttons' legends.   I keep one on my nightstand for that, and other nocturnal wanderings sans the usual light switches.

Alternatively?  Get some very bright fluorescent paint and/or stickers.   Get different shades.  Paint/sticker the buttons in a meaningful code-pattern, and the bright contrast of the paint/stickers should be just enough by the light of the movie, to see...



Nice Tecnodevice, though.

[pieces o nine]

I'm getting used to the teensie buttonses, precioussssss.


Grif: it's a Sony DVP-FX980.

[Griffin NoName]

Thanks P09. Not available in UK. (Not that I need one as have DVD player attached to TV in bedroom and rarely leave bed. But I like looking at details, so I found one on ebay).

[pieces o nine]

So I went berserk and updated my digital camera (now old enough that it's difficult to get a memory card to fit), with a decent sale at my local Giant Box o'Techno Toys.  Mine is black.  V teaches digital photography, so I handed it over to her to load the memory card etc. and cut right to the best features for my intended use. She seems to be coveting her neighbor's camera, so I suspect another one may be appearing here within the next few, to add to her personal collection...      

I'll expect the same 12+ years of steady service.  (I've owned two film cameras in my life before these, so you can see what a crazed shutterbug I am!)  When I get the hang of the video part I may post a clip of Dom stealth-stalking the plastic bird statues in the garden, an activity which never seems to get old to him.

And I think that's going to be the extent of my techno lust for the forseeable future! I have warned Dom that we will be eating a little lower on the hog for the next couple weeks.   

[Sibling DavidH]

Ooh, goodee, send us some pictures, Pieces.  Of you and V as well as Dom.

Mine is black.

So it should be.  Black is the natural colour for a camera - all else is vanity and madness. 

[Griffin NoName]

Oh but I love it in dark red.

I still have a camera that takes rolls of film

I have never got a digital camera. I rely on my phone camera and my Flip Video (which I adore). I can take still snapshots from the videos so reckon I don''t need a camera.

[Darlica]

I have a Nikon Coolpicx S3100 Black in addition to my now old D70s

I love Nikon and promptly refuse to buy any other brand any more...

[Roland Deschain]

Heheheh, poor Dom. Nice camera though. I have a cheapie one bought from Tesco. I've been meaning to upgrade it for a while now, but it's lasted me 4-5 years and several holidays, so it may last me a while longer.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

I have a pretty nice Canon digital SLR myself-- a pawn shop special, paid about $.50 on the dollar, as compared to new-- even better, if you consider the lenses that came with.

It was such a deal, I could'na resist-- and I've used it exactly 3 times since...