Posts by Dave 126

Fender's 'smart' guitar amp has no Bluetooth pairing controls

Re: As a practicing[0] guitarist ...

Here's Onyx Ashanti on TED. About ten years ago I saw him in the UK with an earlier version of his kit a deconstructed MIDI clarinet with with the virtual keys placed into 3D-printed glove controllers (The glove components are on Thingiverse, his code is on GitHub) - so that his arms are liberated. On each arm was strapped an off the shelf MIDI compatible multi-axis accelerometer - an iPhone.

I asked him about it, but he preferred that we talk about electric vehicle drivetrains instead.

https://www.ted.com/talks/onyx_ashanti_this_is_beatjazz/discussion

Re: As a practicing[0] guitarist ...

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/tablet-controlled-mixers

Re: As a practicing[0] guitarist ...

Some of these 'useless kludges' have been widely adopted for real benefits, as you will have seen should you have attended a gig in the last few years.

iPad sound mixing desks are now common, and allow for on-the-fly sound mixing *from amongst the audience* - that is, the sound technician is hearing what the audience is hearing. I've seen bands in pubs use this to achieve subtly that one would normally expect of a studio recording. In addition to better sound for the audience, the mixing box can be left in the stage - so no awkward run of cabling is required to a traditional mixing desk in an acoustically compromised location.

Should any musician wish, they can use an iPhone to control the volume of their own monitor speakers.

It's in the tradition of technology and music, from Bo Diddley using a solid bodied electric guitar to Hendrix having a British boffin make him up effects pedals (and upsetting Jeff Beck in the process).

I don't see many bands using this Bluetooth Fender pedal, but the wireless MIDI (over WiFi) baked into all iDevices has been used in countless gigs for over a decade - it's straightforward, for example, to control a flange effect by using any sensor (orientation, acceleration, light) on the phone.

Wanna build an AI robot? Don't have an actual robot yet? Try this Holodeck for droids

Re: Sounds random

> If it solves the problem in some unique way, you have no information on how it solved the problem (for problems which don't involve watching the result happen).

My joking aside, that's an interesting point; it sounds like our (incomplete/poor) understanding of many biological systems. We understand that it is working but we don't know how.

Biological systems, from DNA to nervous systems, have arrived at their current state through many iterative process.

Re: Sounds random

If the virtual robot shakes the champagne bottle up and down until the cork pops and some liquid ends up in the glass... then the virtual robot clearly wants to drive F1 cars when it grows up!

Sony Xperia XZ2: High-res audio but no headphone jack

Re: What's gone wrong ? IT'S BIGGER !

> Edit: I also don't see where the XZ2 compact dimensions are in the article either, or a link to fuller information,

Upvoted for stating your reasoning. I'd already read elsewhere that the new Sony phones were getting smaller bezels and the taller (2:1) aspect ratio that has been in vogue this last year - so a quick Google search confirmed that the XZ2 Compact is only 0.5mm wider than previous versions.

I had the Z3 Compact and liked the size, both in the pocket and with regards to reaching almost all of the screen with my thumb. However, I still believe that the OP's alarm at Sony not making a truly compact phone to be premature. Don't panic!

Re: What's gone wrong ? IT'S BIGGER !

@Aladdin Sane

I'm glad to see someone is actually using their brain. Yep, this generation of Xperia Compact is the same width as previous versions - partly because if the reduced bezel size (something Sony were knocked for not adopting last year) and because the screen's aspect ratio is different.

Re: What's gone wrong ? IT'S BIGGER !

> Now even Sony have made their "Compact" phone 5 bloody inches

Calm down and think, FFS.

The XZ2 Compact is the SAME WIDTH as previous Xperia Compact phones - 65mm. You do know that a x" 2:1 screen is narrower than an X" 16:9 screen don't you? And did you not notice that with this generation Sony have reduced the bezel sizes? Previous Xperia Compact phones were fragile to knocks against the screen edge on account of having ABS plastic bezels, so get a case and it'll be no more fragile than previous generations.

The phone OS that muggers wouldn't touch is back from the dead

Re: Another colour please

Nokia used to be famous for a dark finish that looked either greenish or purple depending upon the a flexible of the light.

They need to bring that back.

Samsung's Galaxy 9s debut, with not much other than new cameras

Hopefully the more modular nature of Android O should help with timely updates (see Project Treble)

Re: Saturated

I'm going to order a new phone today. My Nexus 5 has limped on with a cracked screen, dead orientation sensor, dodgy microphone connection cable and no updates for some time now. And its battery (the original or its replacement) was never quite big enough.

OnePlus 5T it is. Apparently a software update makes better use of its camera hardware over its original release, and its far cheaper than a top end Samsung. Unlike a mate of mine I'm not interested in VR, so won't miss the daftly high resolution.

Waterproofing would be nice though.

Intellisense was off and developer learned you can't code in Canadian

See my comments above: not only are Canadians members of the Commonwealth, but they aren't afraid of French speakers either (since many of them are French speakers)

The removal of U from colour and other words was partly an attempt to distance American English from English English, but also an attempt to remove some French influences from the language.

Program used to be the English spelling, but Victorian show promotors wanted to infer a touch of French flair by advertising a programme of events on their posters. These days i refer to television programmes and computer programs.

Huawei guns for Apple with Mac-alike Matebook X

Re: Linux installed option would be good

Given that Linux users have diverse tastes in desktops and distributions, and that even those who happen to like the flavour that that the machine ships with might want to reinstall it from a source they trust, it seems that pre-installing Linux is more trouble than it's worth - other than demonstrating that the drivers work.

https://www.linux-drivers.org

http://www.zdnet.com/article/linus-torvalds-reveals-his-favorite-programming-laptop/

> "12-inch display" I stopped reading

Yet it isn't a 12" display. From the article:

" a 13.9 inch diagonal, 3K touch Gorilla Glass display"

How so? The Rubin Essential phone had a notch before the iPhone X.

Re: Huawei?

Isn't there a website somewhere that specialises in testing the Linux compatibility of various laptops?

Re: It'snot a good idea.

> Do the same people tape over their phone cameras ?

Phones run OSs that offer fewer attack vectors than desktop OSs. Most of the time the phone camera is aimed at the inside of a pocket or at a ceiling, whereas a laptop camera might show a bedroom, or its user in a state of undress.

Phone OSs can be compromised, but the attackers are usually more interested in corporate or state level espionage - hence the attempt to sell a phone where the *microphones* can be disconnected via a physical hardware mechanism.

Re: It'snot a good idea.

> How about a USB type-C port center top, just above screen.

A good idea, one I've had myself in the past. In addition to cameras, the port would be handy for microphones and wireless cards, or even active IR 3D scanners, a la HP Sprout or Leap Motion.

I believe some gamers use a head band and monitor-mounted sensor to allow them to look around the virtual cockpit of their starfighter.

The downside is mechanical - accidently bashing a usb dongle might have more dire consequences for a port mounted in a thin display than in a thick laptop chassis.

Re: Looks even better at 3:2

> Maybe they could use two cameras and use the same technology that they use in Rugby matches to move the "virtual camera" so it appears that you're looking at the other person.

It seems to me that what we want to see is the expression on the caller's face, a smile, a raised eyebrow - gestures that add meaning to the caller's voice. If we start using software to move the apparent position of the caller's eyeballs, it could interfere with our interpretation of their facial expression eg: [rolls eyes]

It's almost more honest to replace the video feed with a motion-captured animated avatar (that advertises itself as being fake) than it is to subtly modify live video. Plus bandwidth would be saved by not transmitting video of the caller's imperfect complexion.

Batteries are so heavy, said user. If I take it out, will this thing work?

Perhaps a little basic maintenance / checking should be included in the driving test? Low tyre pressure, low power steering fluid etc are dangerous. I would say RTFM, but many novice motorists drive second hand cars with missing manuals.

I've assisted a neighbour locate the water tank under the bonnet of her new Audi (not immediately obvious) and spent a minute with a mechanic of decades experience trying to find the dipstick in my VW Transporter (the engine wasn't one of the three variants pictured in the manual).

SpaceX's internet satellites to beam down 'Hello world' from orbit

Re: Litter louts- Worse things happen at sea

Sometimes old aircraft (with aluminium fatigue) and tanks are deliberately dumped in coastal waters to provide a structure for coral to grow on. I can't see an aluminium rocket stage in deeper waters being that bad for sea life.

Samsung left off Google's new official Androids-for-biz list

Then don't install the free Google apps. There are alternatives. As I said, Blackberry and others will manage an app store of secure apps for you, and allow you to control which ones your users can install. There are options. Whatever.

Your original assertion - that all Google Android phones are slurpy - was just incorrect. That is all.

If you find iOS a better starting place, then fine. I know the MOD issue Blackberry-controlled iPhones. But it remains true that not all Google Android phones slurp back to Google *if you pay them*.

Buying alternative secure app management from Blackberry or someone else is also an option. I won't provide solutions for all situations, since I was merely countering your original assertion that all Google Android devices are slurpy. Nor am I rating them over similar for iOS.

If your hypothetical company won't pay for software and services, then they only really have ad-supported or Freeware to choose from.

> No, you confused Enterprise data management with Google's cloudy services.

No, I really haven't. The very services you stated in your OP as being slurpy - calendar, contacts, notes, and app backups - are not slurpy if you pay Google to use them. Its called G Suite:

Please read about it before commenting again:

https://gsuite.google.com/intl/en_uk/features/

@Dan 55

That you are unconvinced is irrelevant - the organisations that will pay Google for these services enter into a legally enforceable contract with Google with terms understood by both parties.

A moment ago you betrayed the fact you were unaware that paid-for Google services even existed, so I'm not sure why you think you're qualified to comment.

Re: Who does Android Enterprise Recommended benefit ?

> I don't see how Android could be recommended for business when calendar, contacts, notes, and app backups are slurped off to Google,

If you are a business and pay Google for email and other services, they don't slurp data for advertising - or display any ads. This has been the case for years.

The e-waste warrior, 28,000 copied Windows restore discs, and a fight to stay out of jail

Re: Linux Mint is free

@Kubla Cant raises a valid point - many people use webmail instead if an email client and more applications every year can be used through a browser, rendering the choice of host OS moot. Obviously stuff that requires a lot of IO (say video editing) doesn't lend itself to cloud-hosting, but office suites and CAD can benefit from it (ease of administration, modest local hardware requirements, team working, document control, redundant storage etc. There will always be situations that don't have good internet access, but a lot of tasks are pointless if one can't email the end results).

If the above plumber uses Excel for his accounts, he would not appreciate a Mint PC. If he already used Google Sheets, he largely wouldn't notice the difference.

A friend of mine cheerfully watches Netflix through a browser on her MacBook into a TV... there is an MacOS client but we haven't got around to installing it ( though we should, it would mean that we could control playback from her iPhone without having to get off the sofa) because it works well enough.

The Gemini pocket PC is shipping and we've got one. This is what it's like

Re: But how do you make a phone call with it?

Sony make a little Bluetooth device about the size of a little finger. It has a small monochrome display, a 3.5 mm headset socket and physical call and media transport buttons. it can also be used as a standalone Bluetooth headset. As a bonus, it contains a standalone FM receiver, and has a clip for attaching to shirt pockets etc

It could be a good companion to this Gemini device.

iPhone X 'slump' is real, whisper supply chain moles

Re: I have one question.

tl;dr:

If you must have a front facing camera and other sensors, why not use the space beside them to display critical info such as battery life and signal strength?

Doing so offers a clear usability benefit over otherwise wasted space.

Re: I have one question.

Status bar information is the important stuff - battery life, signal strength, clock etc - that needs to be read easily. Adding icons for less important stuff is poor Information Ergonomics, since in effect lower priority information is being elevated to the same status - visually - as important stuff. In addition, the icons don't need to be high resolution. If a notch is cut for a standard camera, you might only be able to fit in say 14 status icons compared to 15 on an uncut screen.

My point is that if a front facing camera must be fitted to a phone, the area to the sides of the camera might as well be used to display critical status information. The concept is sound in principle. This auxiliary dispkay area *does not* need to be a part of the main display, and might use a display technology with its own advantages (eg low power e-ink or OLED) when the main display uses a different technology.

However, fitting another component has its own cost implications - though probably not as high as cutting a notch *at this time* (though in future I don't know - the OLED does need to be cut from a larger sheet anyway, it become one process but with an ever so slightly longer tool path)

As for full video, most content is 16:9 but the ergonomics of holding a phone and reading websites are pulling phone screens towards 2:1 (aka 18:9) - any notch area isn't being used for video anyway.

What hasnt been said...

Is that the price tag of the X gave Samsung confidence to raise their thin margins on their flagship phones. If they know the X isn't selling well withs its price tag, that has implications for them on more than their screen division.

Re: Beginning of the end ?

I was very tempted by an 8 Plus until last week. I'm seriously impressed by its camera, but being on holiday I pulled my premium compact camera - Lumux LX 7 - out of its drawer and fell in love with it again. At the same time, I tried placing the iPhone 8 Plus of my travelling companion in my trouser pocket and fuck me it's heavy and large. Damned fine camera and image processing though - in all but dimly lit scenes it competes favourably with the Lumix.

So, it's a OnePlus 5T for me when I get back to Blighty (and Lumix in jacket pocket more regularly), and this poor Nexus 5 will be put out to pasture.

Heck, might even nab a Sony RX200 MK II or Lumix LX 100... £500 buys a shit load of very good pocket camera these days. Those improvements we've seen in tiny phone camera sensors? They scale.

Re: So Someone Learn me....

The purpose of R&D is to create a temporary market advantage that outweighs its cost. Heavily outweighs, if you're doing it right.

Re: Maybe Apple

> You know a company has ran out of "innovative ideas" when the advert they use to sell this phone is of a blonde girl singing something, and showing how her face can be used to animate a shit.

If you're unaware of how much teenage girls and young women use their phones on an hourly basis compared to the rest of us, I would not employ you to sell phones.

Re: I have one question.

The top of most phone screens just display a few simple icons most of the time - no reason not to share that space with a camera. The issue is implementation - LG made a phone with a discrete screen next the camera, not a bad idea.

Re: Don't Apple do this every year?

If I wanted to use Apple's excellent AR silicon, I'd wait til they make a model with rear-facing active 3D scanning.

Other note: LG's OLED phone screens haven't been universally praised this last year -- see Google Pixel. LG's TVs are superb, but they use a different substrate.

Re: Presumably Android would have to be tweaked...

Google is ahead of you:

https://www.google.com.vn/amp/s/www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2018/2/12/17003326/google-android-p-redesign-notch-support-assistant-integration-rumors

It's been 50 years since those damn dirty apes took the planet by storm

Re: The original lost me in the first few minutes.

An all-female crew, cryogenic storage and a turkey baster is a better way of colonising another world.

Re: Great Apes

****Spoilers ahead****

I love the part where the chimp psychiatrists take the chimp protagonist to a human reservation in the mountains to seal his recovery from this delusion that he was ever a human. "Out of the mists could be heard the calls of the humans. 'Fuck off. Fuuuck off!' "

*** End Spoilers ***

And Mr Self write it before Twitter was a thing.

No sh*t, Sherlock! Bloke suspected of swallowing drug stash keeps colon schtum for 22 DAYS

Reminds me of an Ali G quiz on what you do in a stop n search situation:

"... or B, do you stick it up the police officer's bottom?"

The Geneva Convention only covers combatants in war - which is why tear gas can be used legally on your own citizens but not on enemy soldiers. Indeed, tear far and similar substances are originally developed for warfare, but after the Convention the manufacturers had to lobby for a new market: "Crowd Control".

What did we say about Tesla's self-driving tech? SpaceX Roadster skips Mars, steers to asteroids

Given Musk just wants humanity to create a sustainable colony on Mars, he wouldn't be too upset if the Chinese stole the baton and ran with it. Remember that he's going to make his Giga-factories open source.

Besidee, a big hurdle was merely proving that this approach works and that is now clearly public. For the medium term, the US surveillance agencies won't be paying a Chinese company to launch their spy satellites.

Timeout everyone. Y'all know that Musk's $500 'flamethrower' is literally a Boring blowtorch?

Re: they missed s trick.

And if you lived in many parts of Australia, a flame thrower - or even a carelessly discarded dog end - is a very bad idea.

PC not dead, Apple single-handedly propping up mobe market, says Gartner

Re: Not rocket science

I said things CAN be done on phones and tablets - I did not say that they offered an optimal experience for all tasks. A Swiss Army Knife isn't the easiest way to open a tin of beans but it will do it and you'll still get your dinner.

I was outlining what Joe Public might use a home PC for. Remember that the context of this article is PC sales, so it's moot to only talk about what professionals and enthusiasts use PCs for.

If someone once mainly used their PC to transfer photos from their camera to backup media, what happens when their phone's camera is just fine for family snaps? Exactly.

Re: Not rocket science

He has a point though - thirty years ago a home PC wasn't essential for many people. The common tasks many people now put them to - writing letters, very light spreadsheet, internet browsing, managing photographs - can be done by a phone or a tablet with a keyboard.

Apple whispers farewell to macOS Server

Re: Steve Jobs was a software and hardware guy...

Under Jobs, Cook's expert management of the supply chain actually facilitated creativity. R&D spending at Apple grown exponentially under Cook. Whatever faults he may or may not have, withholding funds to designers and engineers isn't one of them.

User stepped on mouse, complained pedal wasn’t making PC go faster

A short bit of string and a dab of glue could help here!

Actually, the most useful thing I've ever added to my phone isn't an app but a short length of bright orange ribbon. Why? Well, phones being black and slim could not be design better to hide in the gaps between sofa cushions, down the side of car seats. Heck, I once spent half an hour looking through the cab of my van before finding the phone in front of the instrument cluster.

The orange ribbon makes the damned thing so much easier to spot.

Re: underneath the keyboard

Set up the system to sound an alarm when the password written on the Post It is entered - a clear sign an unauthorised person is trying to gain access. Your real password will of course be Post It. Next month your password is Post It On Monitor, then Post It In Drawer, then Post It On Colleague's Back With Kick Me Written On It

Re: Old as the hills

> I've tried to pinch-zoom a book before, been confused for a split-second, and then had to sheepishly go and find my glasses.

I once approached a busy road on foot, and had a sensation of wanting to press Pause on a remote controller, as one would to pause a video. Weird. Haven't had it before or since, but feel that creativity comes from messing around and trying things in new contexts.