Jetsons

I like my Logitech Harmony Remote Control, but there would be something very cool and futuristic about controlling my TV via the iPad or my phone. Enter the Logitech Harmony Link. Toss a little flying saucer looking disc near your components, hook it up to your WiFi network, and start controlling your TV from your tablet/smartphone. Since you are working over WiFi, you can make changes from anywhere in the house. Next, I want to control the thermostats and lights. Stuff like this could bring the X10 dream to a reality for the masses.

Via LifeHacker

KG-UV920R: Rumors Again

I'm feeling better and am a little feisty, so I figure I might as well stir things up again. (And to really point fingers, it was Moleculo on the WorldWideDX forum that brought it up.)

A Chinese company has 668 KG-UV920R units for sale for $315 USD.

Good luck with that. If you like that deal, then I have a bridge or two you might want to buy. But seriously, $315 would be disappointingly high.

The Flu

I have it. I don't like it. Regular programming will resume when I get better.

We are winning - Angry Birds Edition

Groupon: $25 for Skeet-Shooting Outing for Two at Birds and Clays, Inc. – Washburn

Superhero Gone Bad

When good superheroes go bad. Real-life super hero Phoenix Jones arrested for assaulting people with pepper spray.

Amazon Whispersync vs. Apple iCloud

Ready. Fight.

Amazon Whispersync + Silk + Cloud Storage + Amazon Prime

Apple iCloud + iTunes/Documents/Apps/Backups in the Cloud + Photo Stream

What a great time to be a geek (assumes some non-trivial amount of disposable income).

Occupy Herbstreit

Funny, funny stuff at Occupy Herbstreit

Meineke Car Care Bowl is not a living wage!!!!!!!!

Via:

ClayTravisBGID These are outstanding. RT @andrewbrink Occupy Wall Street? Don't forget to Occupy Herbstreit. http://t.co/KUKwTvHuThu, Oct 13 11:20:36 from web

Shade Tree Mechanics

People have often bemoaned the loss of the "shade tree mechanic." Cars have gotten so complex that you cannot complete a repair without specialized diagnostic computers and an electrical engineering degree. Despite   similar challenges, hams are fighting the good fight when it comes to working on modern radios. I've mentioned various mods to the UV-3R, but Ethan, K8GU, has a great repair story about a VX-3R:

"After however many weeks it has been, a package from Yaesu showed up on my doorstep tonight. After repairing a damaged PCB trace (non trivial on something this small), I was able to replace it. The little black speck in the middle of this photograph is the removed component. For my non-US readers, the US 0.01 USD coin (“Penny”) is about 19 mm in diameter."

While the description is good, a picture (from his web site) is worth a thousand words. Boy howdy is that small!

Via AmateurRadio.com

Flea Party (Demands) vs. Tea Party

Flea Party vs. Tea Party « Monster Hunter Nation: For a summary of what is wrong with the world today, hit Larry's link. I cannot believe the demands. Surely these are a joke. For example:

"Demand eleven: Immediate across the board debt forgiveness for all. Debt forgiveness of sovereign debt, commercial loans, home mortgages, home equity loans, credit card debt, student loans and personal loans now! All debt must be stricken from the “Books.” World Bank Loans to all Nations, Bank to Bank Debt and all Bonds and Margin Call Debt in the stock market including all Derivatives or Credit Default Swaps, all 65 trillion dollars of them must also be stricken from the “Books.” And I don’t mean debt that is in default, I mean all debt on the entire planet period."

It makes my brain hurt that anyone can even suggest that. If it weren't for Larry's commentary, I'd be dumber for having read the list of demands.

A $250-$300 'iPad Mini'?

Apple Is Reportedly Working On A $250-$300 'iPad Mini':

"Apple is developing a low-cost iPad, which could appear in early 2012, says Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White.

White calls it an "iPad mini," because he thinks it will be priced in the "mid-to-high $200 range." The size of the iPad mini could be exactly the same, White doesn't necessarily think it's smaller"

True or not, it is a smart rumor to leak as it might dampen sales for Kindles, Nooks, and other lower cost tablets. My whole argument that these things aren't competitors goes out the window once they are all priced the same.