Cloud Storage

Lifehacker has a good comparison of the various cloud storage options. Also via Lifehacker, Otixo provides a tool for unified management of all your cloud storage. I'm still developing my own strategy for where I put my files. Since I have 25 GB with SkyDrive, it is in the lead, but I use lots of Google services. Clients might be the tipping point since I would like to have Windows, Android, and iOS.

Priorities

More people have mobile phones than electricity or drinking water. I would assume part of the reason is it is harder to run big pipes than a little wire to some towers.

QuanSheng TG-UV2: Unboxing Video

I usually have the sound muted when I watch the 409Shop videos, but noticed they've jazzed this one up.

QuanSheng TG-UV2

Not a Dual Band Chinese Mobile Part 2

The Ten-Tec 539 QRP Transceiver gets a little closer to shipping. An update from Ten-Tec via the QRPer:

"We will have a fully functional 539 on display at Dayton. Pre-orders at Dayton? I don’t think I will be confident enough on a real ship date yet to be able to take orders at Dayton. I don’t want to take orders at Dayton, promise a ship date, and then have it delayed for parts reasons."

Not a Dual Band Chinese Mobile

If it was a certain dual band Chinese mobile, it wouldn't actually be shipping.

moleculo Just got word that the 1st #Elecraft KX3 kit is shipping for field test tomrw. I suppose I should have mine next week if all is well #hamrTue, May 01 19:50:01 from TweetDeck

Gun Tips for Writers

Avoid the Glock safety mistake.

No Blake Lewis

andrewchen awesome beatboxing app: INCREDIBOX bit.ly/IwpdKhMon, Apr 30 15:01:09 from Timely by Demandforce

Pretty fun app, but you can't quite do this.

Boafeng UV-5R: Tests for Common Problems

From Jaap via the UV-5R Yahoo Group:

Off frequency receiver test:
-Tune in to a station with a known transmit frequency
-Note original receiving frequency
-Set the step size to 2.5 khz
-Increase receiving frequency until squelch blocks signal
-Note (upper) frequency
-Decrease receiving frequency until squelch block signal
-Note (lower) frequency
-Add upper and lower frequency and divide by 2
-Compare outcome and original  receiving frequency
-If they are not the same, your radio has the bug

Overheating and blurred display test:
-Set the radio to HIGH power
-Start regular communication 
-The radio might get hot; first noticeable at the top screws at the back of the radio
-The display might get blurred when the radio gets hot

No CTCSS low frequency scanning test:
-Program a channel with a CTCSS decode of a tome below 100hz for a known receiving frequency with this tone encoded
-Start scanning
-When the radio stops at the receiving frequency during reception of an encoded signal, the bug is not there

TYT TH-UV3R: Display and Colors

A quick review on the TYT Yahoo Group... looks like all these Chinese radios are going to be available in colors and I am slightly disappointed it doesn't have the reverse display.

"Noteworthy is the size of the unit is almost identical to the Baofeng UV-3R radios just a little thicker (side by side photos of the Wouxun KG-UVD1, Baofeng UV-5R, TYT and the Baofeng unit). Another photo of the back of the box seems to indicate 4 colors are available. Unlike the brochure photos the display is the standard lcd (not the reverse image as pictured in the ad)."

Game of Thrones + US Politics

If you like Game of Thrones and are paying attention to US Politics, you will laugh. I don't agree with all of them, but "Winter is coming" = climate change is hilarious.