$10 Amazon Echo

So not exactly a $180 Amazon Echo, but for about $10 you can get something pretty close:

"For the 3rd instillment of my “Putting Alexa on all the Things” series I’ve got Alexa up and running on a CHIP."

Baofeng Tech: Tri-band Mobile

From the Boafeng Tech guys:

"Look for a true low-cost Tri-Band mobile coming soon 😉"

So I bet we actually get 220 MHz instead of 240-260 MHz like this one!

Executive Orders on Guns

The long, point by point analysis.

And the short version:

Obama proposes gun control => gun sales skyrocket => murders go down #seeitworks

— David Burge (@iowahawkblog) January 5, 2016

Juentai JT-6188: External Speaker Jack Hack

Modify your JT-6188 to have an external speaker jack.

Star Wars Ham Radio Link

Isn't the internet cool? Someone wonders if there is any link to the sounds used in Star Wars and Ham radio. The "degrees of separation" magic happens and we get:

"This is Ben Burtt, sound designer of the Star Wars films. A friend sent me a link to this blog thinking I would like to comment.The answer is yes, I have always been a ham radio enthusiast."

More on Ten-Tec

Via the Ten-Tec Yahoo Group:

The following is from the new owner of TEN-TEC

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As some of you may be aware, Dishtronix has purchased the assets (but not the liabilities) of Ten Tec from RKR Designs. .  I had desired to keep this under wraps  until Ten Tec is reorganized, but there is too much speculation concerning the service department to continue without an announcement of some sort.

There is a myriad of things that must be accomplished before everything is formalized. Unfortunately these things must be done before we can continue with jobs that were sent in for repair to RKR. At this time I would ask people to be patient and please do not call or email me about your repair. When we get the phone numbers transferred successfully or new phone numbers we will post them. As we progress with the change, someone will contact you about your repair. When service resumes we will be contacting the repair customers.

As some of you may be aware I have been looking at all aspects of operation of the company and restructuring operations has been necessary. In reviewing the service department accounts, it is apparent that some customers use the service department to diagnose the radio and elect to not proceed with the repair. Unfortunately this open door policy costs the company one hour of billable time to receive, unpack, open, diagnose, provide an estimate and repack a radio for return to the customer.

Effective immediately, all radios including those sent in to RKR, will incur  a 140.00 minimum charge to look at a radio, even if it is not repaired.  Service time is 125 per hour with the average repair requiring from one to two hours. This means you can expect to pay at least 265.00 plus parts and return shipping for any repair.

For customers who sent radios in to RKR which were not repaired, who object to these terms, we will return your unit to you at your expense.

A second problem in the service department is with the time technicians spend on the telephone that quite often ends up having nothing to do with the Ten Tec product but is some other station deficiency.  The problem here is Ten Tec is not compensated for that time, yet Ten Tec pays wages to the technician. When the service department resumes operation, Ten Tec will charge the customer for any telephone call or email that consumes more than five minutes of technician time.  That time will be billed in quarter hour increments at the prevailing service rate.

I am fully committed to bring Ten Tec back to a sustainable state. This will take some time. Please give us time to finalize these plans since there are so many business related issues to get through. We will definitely need to rely on you as customers to help continue the Ten Tec tradition of innovative product and cutting edge technology.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Given the content of the new owners announcement above, I (John Henry) also request that if you can wait a while for your product to get serviced in the Ten Tec service department, please let them alone until they get back with you as he described above. If you absolutely have to have your unit back now, then the service@... email address is still working, and will continue to work. The phones are in transition, so I doubt you will be able to call and get an answer for a while. once phones are set up, the numbers will be announced. Once the website is ready, everything will be on it. Remember, if going to tentec.com takes you to rkrdesignsllc.com, then the website transition has not completed yet.

Given the nature of this announcement, and it will almost positively bring out more questions, again, please be patient. The new owner is working through a lot of business issues, and I myself work a full time day job and consult into the evening, so, answers may be few and far between. Though this announcement is going out to a lot of venues, I will attempt to monitor 

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/ten_tec_radio_net/conversations/messages

73, KI4JPL

John Henry

The Winds of Winter

George R. R. Martin posts an update on the next book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, The Winds of Winter:

"THE WINDS OF WINTER is not finished. 

Believe me, it gave me no pleasure to type those words. You're disappointed, and you're not alone. My editors and publishers are disappointed, HBO is disappointed, my agents and foreign publishers and translators are disappointed... but no one could possibly be more disappointed than me. For months now I have wanted nothing so much as to be able to say, "I have completed and delivered THE WINDS OF WINTER" on or before the last day of 2015. 

But the book's not done."

I'm not surprised that it's not finished. I will be surprised when it is. This next statement did surprise me.

"Look, I never thought the series could possibly catch up with the books, but it has."

Have you seen a calendar? Can you do basic math?


Video via Winter is Coming

Color Laser Printer

I don't print a lot, but I've been very happy with my Brother HL-2170W Laser Printer (Wireless and Wired) that I got for less than $100. It looks like they aren't making it anymore, but others recommend the Samsung SL-M2825DW/XAC Wireless Monochrome Printer. It was also around $100, but is about $150 now.

Which means when I'm in the market for a new laser printer, I will be able to consider something like the Xerox Phaser 6022/NI Wireless Color Photo Printer for around $150.

Toner cost will be an issue, but for as little as I print, it won't be a huge factor for me.

Making a Murderer

If you like yelling at your TV, then Making a Murderer on Netflix is for you. There are very few reasons that I want to stay up past 11:00 PM. My wife and I stayed up until 2:00 AM to finish the series.

I'm sure we aren't getting all of the story, but the police, lawyers, and even the judges seem completely biased against Steven Avery and his nephew. Not just biased, but actively working to make sure those two are found guilty. That's a lot different then working to solve the crime and see justice done.

At Least 10 Times

Now I know where The Big Bang Theory got its idea for flipping the switch at least ten times... from Apple.

Part of the relevant dialogue via the-big-bang-theory.com:

Howard: Step one, rapidly flip the calibration switch from the fully up to the fully down positions for at least ten times. 

Sheldon: It actually says "at least"? 

Howard: Yeah. 

Sheldon: Why would they say "at least"? Is it 10 toggles? Is it 100 toggles? Is it 1,000 toggles? 10,000 toggles? 100,000 toggles? 

Howard: Sheldon! 

Sheldon: You see where I'm going with this.