Windows 10

Skipping 9...

Low Cost HP Windows Laptops

Low cost HP Windows Laptops. This looks really impressive http://t.co/whNPyoA143
— Wally (@wbm) September 30, 2014

"HP's Stream brand will now encompass laptops with 11.6-, 13.3- and 14-inch screens, while tablets will be available with 7- or 8-inch screens; all the devices will run Windows 8.1. The Stream 7 tablet is the cheapest of the bunch, priced at just $100, while the Stream 8 will cost $150. The Stream 11 laptop will cost $200, followed by the Stream 13 at $230. All the devices will go on sale in November."

It would be worth it for this alone... Office 365 Personal is $70/year:

"Each device will come with a one-year subscription package to Microsoft services that includes Office 365 Personal, 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage and 60 monthly minutes of Skype. Additionally, the Stream 8 will include 200MB of free 4G data each month for the life of the device at no additional cost."

New One?

.@FedSoc @Salon @donnabrazile Why would we need a new Constitution? We're barely using the old one.
— Instapundit.com (@instapundit) September 29, 2014

Vero Telecom: New Products

I got the marketing e-mail from Vero Telecom about their booth at the HKTDC Hong Kong Electronics Fair in October. It promises new products. I wonder what we will see. The image shows the VR-6600PRO (mobile), VRP-6000 (portable repeater), and VRP-6800 (base and repeater station). I'm wondering if the VR-6600PRO is the VR-6600P that we've been waiting on for a long time.

Xiegu X108: T6

"Take a look at the photos T6 version"

Xiegu X108: XG Tech

Hard to translate text on images...

CS8000 Mobile

CS8000 Mobile:

"The CS8000 (Mobile version of CS7000) when it is released next year will probably come in three flavors: 

1. UHF
2. VHF
3. Dual Band 

There is plenty of room in the mobile to have two independent R.F. sections. It will have a removable head like the CS800. 

Jerry Wanger KK6LFS"

PSA

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT put a Mac Book pro in your pocket! pic.twitter.com/HUwXZd2CZD
— Brad Colbow (@bradcolbow) September 25, 2014

AT-3318UV: AM Aircraft Band Receiving

Ed has posted on the AT-3318UV Yahoo Group to clarify how to receive the AM aircraft band on the AT-3318UV-D & AT-3318UV-E:

"Some people have been confused in how to access the AM aircraft band with the UV-D and UV-E models. Hopefully this will help. 

To access any of these bands, you must set MENU 34 to "ON". Please note that MENU 18 (BAND) has nothing to do with receiving any of these bands. You must also have the appropriate band set to "Enable" in the Function Setup window of the programming software. If the band is not "Enabled" in the software, each band will show on the radio's display but there will be no reception possible. 

The four bands are accessed in the radio in the order of FM, AM, SW and LW. The last band used will be the first one accessed. Press FUNC + FM and one of the four bands will show on the radio's display. You can step through the remaining three bands by pressing FUNC + BAND for each change. To stop the radio from receiving one of the bands, press FUNC + FM. 

Choices made in the Function Setup window of the software will determine whether the band starts in VFO mode or in MR mode. Pressing the V/M button will switch between the modes. Using the keypad numbers, you can directly enter either a frequency or a saved channel, depending on the mode the radio is in. Pressing FUNC + SCAN will begin scanning the saved channels or the frequency range depending on the mode." 

The reception of FM Broadcast, AM Aircraft, Shortwave & Longwave are all tied together. FM and AM are available in both VFO and MR modes. You can store up to 99 channels for both FM and AM mode. SW and LW are only available as VFO mode."

Upside Down

So Apple had to pull back the iOS 8.0.1 update. And now there is the Shellshock BASH vulnerability.

Time to upgrade your Mac or Linux box to Windows for a secure computing environment!

Xiegu X108: Ordering

Andy, DC3AFA posts to the Yahoo Group:

"She [a cqxiegu representative on Facebook] gave an update today. "Good news! The first batch of Xiegu Made hf transceiver X108 will be ready on 10th, October, 2014. But as all of them has been ordered and paid by our sales agent for a long time, they will be sent to our sales agents. Then we will begin the second batch. Orders for the second batch can be accepted from now on."

For US folks, if I were ordering one, I would get it from Ed in case there were any issues with the first release.

9mm

Lots of people have been posting about the FBI document that says 9mm is the best option for them. Fred sums it up nicely:

"I can carry more and shoot it better, and it works just as poorly as any other pistol round."

Truth

I see things like this all the time... usually when someone demands something, it is impossible (given the current architecture or would take a year or a million dollars.) When someone starts by saying "I don't know if this is even possible," it turns out to be a simple request.

NoteSlate: Coming in June 2014

I was doing some Twitter clean-up and realized I was still following NoteSlate. I went to their site and found this video - which ends by saying that NoteSlate coming in June 2014. Hmmmm. But, there was a hashtag, so it must be real - #SlateIsBack.

Home Data Center

I've added a Dell Mini 10 running Ubuntu and have a Frankensteined desktop that has replaced the one that died a while back. So I am slowly moving in this direction - the home data center.

(Who am I kidding? I'm all about being a minimalist now and I grumble enough about my electric bill.)

Via Data Center Knowledge via Slashdot.org

Xiegu X108: FCC?

From the X108 thread:

"x108 is to be visited fcc certification, technical indicators promised things would be done, the average user know there is no water on the line. If you want to know the test method, you can refer to a few centimeters of qst information or go to see, of course, if you can, that bob wrote the book arrl can also be bought to see that currently no Chinese version."

That clears that right up for me.

Pricing

The 409Shop is promoting the Yaesu VX-3R (which I like), but selling it for $229 USD. The first US site I check has it for $185. I don't usually look at the Japanese radios when looking at the Chinese sources, but this strikes me as odd. Are they always this much more expensive?

SainSonic AP510 APRS Tracker

The SainSonic AP510 APRS Tracker ($140 at Amazon):

AVRT5 is developed on the basis of the above aprs AVRTT-AVRT4 equipment, the main function is to transmit APRS data integration. Built-in GPS antenna and module + VHF radio transceiver module to TNC codec comprehensive plan. When it power on it can be decoded to work with the standard orientation can be issued after verification of aprs data. It's compatible with common business APRS equipment and various aprsDIGI repeat and IGATE, it's a real APRS machine including transmitting and receiving.

Features

* Built- charge management IC (Input 5V)
* LED status display: Dual LED display, red is charging indicator, when charging it's red, full extinguished or dimmed. Green is the GPS indicator: Flashing indicates that no location. If it's on it means success positioning
* Single button: Press button long time - turn on. After startup, short press- transmitting, long press-turn off
* 18B20 temperature sensor: IC precision 0.0625 degrees, passes the temperature of inside/outside the machine and the board in real time
* The buzzer (beep): Switch and transmitter, there beep prompt, convenient to determine the state and blind transfer machines
* TF deck: Internal device flash memory allow you to store your position history with second by second resolution

Specifications

* Memory: Support 4G TF card (not included)
* Thermometer: 18B20 Sensor
* MCU SCM: Mega64 Industrial
* Output: USB
* Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.0
* Decoding function: Decoder chip of CML Inc.
* Battery Capacity: 3300 mAh
* Interface Extension: PCB 3 Analog Interface
* LED: Highlight Dual LED Indicator

Package List

1 x AVRT5 APRS tracker
1 x USB data cable to PC
1 x VHF Antenna





Via reddit

It's the law

Back in my fraternity days, you wouldn't get caught dead wearing two items that had our letters on them. Double letters was huge mistake. With hams, it seems the more you have, the better.

Via reddit

GoT State Sigils

Sigils for each state in the style of Game of Thones

Import Communications Updates

Ed sent out a newsletter with several updates:

September 16, 2014

Dear Customers,

We have some new items at Import Communications with features not found on other imported radios. Things like Frequency Hopping, 2-Tone pager mode and AM Airband receive, just to name a few. Please visit our home page for more details. www.ImportCommunications.com

AT-3318UV-A ............................. in stock now

• Can double as a 2-Tone Pager (any one of 16 different 2-Tone tones can be assigned to any saved channel)
• Both 2-Tone & 5-Tone decode and encode
• PTT id
• PTT DTMF
• CTCSS & DCS (that work correctly in receive mode)
• Stun / Kill
• Memory banks (10 banks, up to 32 channels per bank)
• Assign any channel to multiple banks
• Assign any or all banks as “active”
• Add or remove active banks by key-press
• Fast Scan Rate / Normal Scan Rate, you choose
• Scanning resumes automatically after off/on cycle
• Can operate both VFO and Memory mode at the same time
• Display the frequency of a named channel with a button push
• Independent squelch level for each channel
• Squelch level adjustable on-the-fly
• Remove channel from scan list via the keypad
• Totally lock keypad but still change channels and adjust squelch
• Single or dual PTT buttons
• Talk-around button
• No battery drain during storage
• FCC Part 90 certified
  

AT-3318UV-D ............................ in stock now

• All of the above features, plus
• TRUE DUAL BAND, receive two signals at the same time
• Transmit and Receive at the same time
• CROSS-BAND REPEAT mode
• AM Aircraft band receive
• FM broadcast receive
• Shortwave & Longwave receive
• MSK encode & decode
• FHSS – Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (for private, undetectable transmissions)

AT-3318UV-E ........................... in stock now, limited supply

• All of the above feature, plus
• Tri-Band Radio - transmit three bands
  

                    Transmit 136-174 MHz (5 watts)
                                      222-225 MHz (4 watts)
                                      400-520 MHz (4 watts)
                      Receive 136-174 MHz
                                      220-260 MHz
                                      400-520 MHz
                                         64-108 MHz FM (FM Broadcast)
                                       117-137 MHz AM (AM Aircraft Band)
                                       2.3-29.9 MHz AM (Shortwave Band)
                                     520-1710 kHz AM (AM Broadcast)


AT-5888UV III ........................... available mid-October

• Tri-Band Mobile
• This radio will be available October 2014

                       Transmit 136-174 MHz
                                         222-225 MHz
                                         400-490 MHz
                         Receive 108-174 MHz (AM Aircraft Band)
                                         136-174 MHz
                                         200-260 MHz
                                         400-490 MHz


Xiegu QRP Transceivers

X108

• 9 band, 1-20 watt SSB, AM & CW Transceiver
• This exciting new model can be ordered now for delivery in early October

X1M

• 5 band, 5 watt SSB & CW Transceiver
• Not a new product, but still popular and in stock

Rexon Aircraft Transceivers ...................... in stock, limited supply

• AM & FM modes
• Includes VOR with CDI
• 108 – 143.975 AM & FM

Thank you for your continued support.

Regards,
Ed

Schneier Sherlock Cross-over

Too funny.

Running Man

Add an 11 pound jet pack and run faster...


Via The Blaze

Facebook Data

So the autoplay videos are eating up people's data plans. Rumor has it that at one local university, Facebook downloads are second only to the bandwidth used by Netflix. It's sneaky because you think you just loading "a page."

Extra Work

KB6NU has a great idea for a job opportunity to help "cable cutters" setup antennas for their televisons:

"From a technical point of view, though, it’s not very difficult, there are fewer and fewer TV repair shops that do this work, and with the trend towards“cutting the cable,” you should be able to find plenty of customers."

Battery Drop Test

Very cool way to see if your batteries are good...


Via Lifehacker

Sorry

Work. Life. School. Football.

Blogging - not so much.

Sorry.