Creating More Work

I enjoy my smart home things and keep adding to the list. I'm not sure they save me time, but I love the convenience of them - especially the voice control for muting the TV while my hands are wet from washing dishes or telling the HVAC unit to turn the air on while I'm in the middle of working out.

The only downside is I keep coming up with new problems to solve - some of which didn't exist prior to buying all these smart devices. For example, I don't have a good place for my Eufy Genie (Amazon Echo Dot clone) in my bathroom. I don't have a spot to put it and we don't have enough plugs to power it.

The solution... $40 to get this outlet shelf and an outlet with USB ports.

Nokia 8110

Nokia had some classic phones. They brought back the 3310 and now they are bringing back the 8110 - famous for its appearance in The Matrix.


Via The Verge

BTECH AMP-25 Series Amplifiers - Miklor Reivew

Miklor reviews the BTECH AMP-25 and concludes:

I was glad to see someone finally develop what is a full featured mobile amplifier capable of DMR as well as all other modes that is small enough to mount in the car, boat, and on top of your computer. This amplifier is Part 90 certified and definitely worth considering.

BTECH AMP-V25 Amplifier for VHF (136-174MHz)
BTECH AMP-U25 Amplifier for UHF (400-480MHz)

BTECH AMP-V25D Amplifier (Supports DMR) VHF (136-174MHz)

BTECH AMP-U25D Amplifier (Supports DMR) UHF (400-480MHz)

Super Mario Bros. Level 4-2 - Deep Dive

This is fascinating. I knew people did speed runs, but I cannot believe the depths to which they've gone.

This documentary on Super Mario level 4-2 and speedrunners is mesmerizing and then it reaches a higher level of existence once the name of the guy who solves everything is revealed https://t.co/ifNiVrVQMz

— Bill Barnwell (@billbarnwell) February 24, 2018

BTECH AMP-25 Series Amplifiers

Baofeng Tech introduces a new amplifier series:

"The AMP-25 series do more than just amplify a signal, they also purify your signal as it passes through! We are also thrilled to present a whole new way to connect with amplifiers, allowing you to use a handheld mic and built-in speaker - just as if it were a mobile or base radio (but at a significantly lower cost)."

Prices range from $88 to $105 based on the model.

BTECH AMP-V25 Amplifier for VHF (136-174MHz)
BTECH AMP-U25 Amplifier for UHF (400-480MHz)

BTECH AMP-V25D Amplifier (Supports DMR) VHF (136-174MHz)

BTECH AMP-U25D Amplifier (Supports DMR) UHF (400-480MHz)

Compromised Passwords

Troy's updated his site, Pwned Passwords. Read the details here to see if you want to trust it with testing your password.

I couldn't easily find it, but I thought I had shared his other service: Have I Been Pwned? You provide your e-mail address and it will let you know if it is found in any of several data breach databases dumps. You can also get alerts if your e-mail address shows up in a future breach.

Home Network - Part 2

So that change didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped... turns out the latest firmware for the ASUS RT-AC3200 has a 2.4 GHz bug. It took me a long time to figure out that was the problem.

I noticed the issue on some of my IoT devices and my wife's hand-me-down laptop. I assumed it was a problem with the devices. Basically, I kept getting a bad password error. I ended up trying a lot of different things - laptop driver update, deleting all the network settings, resetting the IoT devices to their default config, changing the SSID, etc.

It wasn't until I realized I was having the problem on my laptop and my iPhone 8 that I started thinking the router was the issue. Originally I had those devices configured to use 5 GHz only, so they never experienced the problem. After a short search, I found this thread: 2.4GHz band issues with RT-AC3200 firmware 3.0.0.4.382_50010. Bingo! That was exactly my problem. I rolled back to an older firmware version and everything has been working like a champ.

On a happier note, I returned my Comcast cable modem, since I had purchased the NETGEAR CM500-1AZNAS. I walked in the retail store, they scanned the label on the modem, and printed a receipt. It took less than 30 seconds. Perfect!

For an upcoming post, I may list all the devices I have connected and note which ones were easy to migrate to the new SSID. (Spoiler Alert - the inexpensive Smart Plugs I bought have some horribly written instructions.)

The Mel Brooks Collection

I've tried to swear off collecting things, but I'm tempted by The Mel Brooks Collection - 9 Blu-ray discs for $30. I don't know all the movies, but there are five that would be worth it without the others.

Disc 1: The Twelve Chairs
Disc 2: Blazing Saddles
Disc 3: Young Frankenstein
Disc 4: Silent Movie
Disc 5: High Anxiety
Disc 6: History of the World - Part 1
Disc 7: To Be or Not to Be
Disc 8: Spaceballs
Disc 9: Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Wyze Cam v2

I've been looking for a camera solution for the house. At $20 (plus shipping), I figure the Wyze Cam is worth a try.


CPU
1.0GHz

Memory
128MB

Resolution
1920 X 1080 (1080p)

Camera
Lens: F2.0 aperture, 2.8mm focal length
Image sensor: 1/2.7" CMOS
Digital zoom: 8x

Field of View
110° lens

Night Vision
4 Infrared LEDs (850nm) with IR cut filter
Illuminates up to 29.6 feet (9m)

Video
H.264 encoding
10 FPS (both HD & SD video modes)

Audio
Built-in speaker and microphone
Class-K power amplifier

Alerts
Push notifications

Cloud Storage
Free rolling 14 days of alert videos stored in the AWS Cloud

Local Storage
Supports 8GB, 16GB and 32GB microSD cards in FAT32 format

Data Usage
1-2MB per minute in SD, or 4-7MB per minute in HD

WiFi
802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz

Connectivity Requirements
Upload speed 1.0 Mbps for SD and 1.5 Mbps for HD

Operating Systems
Supports iOS 8.0 and Android 5.0 or later

Operation Temperature
32℉ – 104℉ / 0°C – 40 °C

Operation Humidity
< 90% at 104℉ / 40°C

Weather Resistance
Indoor use only

Gun Owner Butts

Gun Owner Butts get on my last nerve.
"I'm a Gun Owner Butt!" You sure are, buddy.

— Tamara K. (@TamSlick) February 19, 2018