Amazon Echo Dot Pricing

I'm not sure I understand the pricing...

You can get a new Echo Dot for $39.99 (limited time offer).

Or you can get a refurbished Echo Dot for $37.99.

They both have the same warranty, so no real risk to save $2 dollars, but with the prices so close I don't get it.

Hamvention

I read RobertaX's post about the Hamvention, but I confess I've not listened to the podcast yet - yet!

Ham Radio 360 Day 1

Ham Radio 360 Day 2

Linux in the Ham Shack Day 1

Linux in the Ham Shack Day 2

Sounds like they got some rain there:

Interesting...but I wouldn't call that rain "heavy" https://t.co/y7Kt6XDDcK

— BobW (@K0NR) May 22, 2017

I wonder if that created any scooter problems.

And some other tweets:

Alinco DMR #hamvention pic.twitter.com/X231n7IKQ4

— Jeff Davis (@ke9v) May 20, 2017

The #hamvention crowd today. Venue is really maxed out with 20,000+ hams. Tomorrow is the big day. pic.twitter.com/0svR4UAKoV

— W0LD (@W0LD1) May 19, 2017

More on this later but wow, the Dayton folks outdid themselves on the food. Too much to choose from! #hamvention

— Jeff Davis (@ke9v) May 19, 2017

Traffic and parking at #daytonhamvention is a disaster. This may be my last year to attend!

— W0LD (@W0LD1) May 19, 2017

I saw many amazing things today, but the MOnSter6502 was my favorite https://t.co/cnrgFCEuG2 #makerfaire pic.twitter.com/82tM3Mfi9J

— probably not a robot (@jcook793) May 20, 2017

Visualizing the Day of 1000 People

"So again I looked at microdata from the American Time Use Survey from 2014, which asked thousands of people what they did during a 24-hour period. I used the data to simulate a single day for 1,000 Americans representative of the population — to the minute."

TYT MD-2017: Samples Landed

It's real!

Our TYT MD-2017 samples arrived yesterday! Stay tuned for videos and podcast. Pre-orders start very soon, estimated shipping in 2-3 weeks! pic.twitter.com/XiGFFxGdR6

— BuyTwoWayRadios.com (@2wayradios) May 23, 2017

Refurb Amazon Echo Dot - $38

You can get a refurb Amazon Echo Dot for $38.

But don't do it... it is a slippery slope. I've got voice control of my thermostats. I added two plugs to control a couple of outlets last week. Now, I'm looking for a deal on light switches.

Thieve.co: Makes AliExpress Look Hi-End

As if it wasn't tempting enough to by random, cheap stuff from China:

officially addicted to this website curating the best aliexpress products https://t.co/EiMb2XSWz5 pic.twitter.com/FzU0a5otsp

— juan (@juanbuis) May 10, 2017

TYT MD-380: Morse Code Narrator

More features via custom firmware for the TYT MD-380:

Thanks to DL4YHF, md380tools now supports a Morse code narrator mode for visually impaired hams.

— Travis Goodspeed (@travisgoodspeed) May 9, 2017

Will Miracles Never Cease?

Microsoft is replacing the "J" with a smiley.

Part 95 Updates - Follow @2wayradios

We will tweet live updates of the Part 95 reform item during the FCC open commission meeting tomorrow #@mygmrs @radioreference #outdoors

— BuyTwoWayRadios.com (@2wayradios) May 17, 2017

I don't know about that...

Hysterical... Amazon Echo Silver by SNL.

By the way, I got my Echo Dot to control my Honeywell thermostats. Pretty cool to ask her what the temperature is upstairs or down and get her to make the changes. I'm surprised how frequently I find the voice control to be handy. (I have CarPlay and really like using Siri to make calls and read or send messages.)

Via @Scott_WZ0W