7 posts tagged “alaska”

Thomson Grass Valley makes high end broadcast, TV and film equipment.  The Canopus ADVC (standing for Advanced Digital Video Converter) line has a wide range of models, and the ADVC 110 is near the low end.  It is essentially a video converter (analogue to digital, digital to analogue).  Its most useful function would be to convert analogue video (such as VHS, accepting S-Video and Composite inputs) into DV which can then be processed on your computer via a firewire connection using your favourite software (for editing, authoring or DVD burning).  It also does audio-only conversion.

Built into the ADVC 110 is a Canopus DV Codec chip which preserves the video quality, and most importantly keeps the audio and video in sync (which is often a very tricky issue with other capture devices).  It works with Windows and Mac OSX, no drivers required.

Leo mentions that the ADVC 110 does not overcome Macrovision copy protection.  Apparently however there is a way to overcome that, reported by users.  After it powers up, press down the Input Select button for 20 seconds, and the unit will ignore Macrovision.

Letters for Leo
Leo hasn't prepared a letter to read for TTTT and complains that he doesn't get enough emails from DGW listeners because people think he doesn't read his emails.  They would be right, most of the time.

A Cure for Homesickness
Listener Paul Johnson had to move far away from home to Edmonton for his work.  He got homesick until Monday came and he was able to listen to DGW, with Dick and Leo discussing Twitter, the Petaluma parade, the temperature on some ridiculous scale, the familiar Jingle Singers, and even a bit of gadgetry when they remembered to do so.  It took him right back home again.

Paul Johnson also congratulates Leo for his recent performance of "O Canada" in French on net@night Episode 59.

PDFs on the Amazon Kindle
Paul also asks Leo how scientific figures, graphs and images in PDF form fare on the Kindle (Episode 472).  Leo explains.

Belated Happy Birthday to Paul as well on 14 July.


Listen to Episode 612
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The Giz Wiz Home Page

VCR Plus, started by Henry Yuen of Gemstar, was a system of codes for recording individual TV programmes on your VCR.  Each programme had its own code, so that you could just enter the code into the VCRPlus-supported VCR machine or remote control, and your VCR would start recording the appropriate channel at the right time.  Watch this TV commercial from 1987.

Audible Jingle
Geoff Smith has made an "Audible Pick of the Week" jingle for TWiT.  Check out his ringtones on thegeoffsmith.com/.

Keyboard Cleaning
Mike of Eagle River, Alaska took Leo's advice to heart and put his keyboard into the dishwasher, let it dry for a few days, and even put it in the oven.  The result upon reconnection?  Sparks flew.

Listen to Episode 560
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The Giz Wiz Home Page

Dick hasn't done a Magellan's gadget for a while, and this time, the travel accessories specialist is offering the Seiko Global Atomic Travel Alarm Clock.  It distinguishes itself from previous atomic clocks (which are usually tied to a local transmitter) by synchronising itself with radio signals from time transmitters in various continents where they are available, and automatically adjusts the time to the correct time zone, which makes setting your alarm much less cumbersome while travelling.  Where atomic time transmitters are not available, it works just like any other quartz clock.

You can also choose to de-activate the reception of radio signals, or set the time zone manually.

At the base are a set of blue LED lights, which light up automatically when you pick up the clock, acting as an LED flashlight.  A control switch allows you to keep the flashlight at always on, always off, or auto.  The clock also displays the date, day of the week, and even temperature.  5-minute snooze function.  Operates on 4 AAA batteries.

Back from Australia
This is the first episode of DGW recorded after Leo's return from Tasmania, where he took 3,600 photos (but still well behind photographer Peter Krogh who took 12,000), picked up some fair dinkum Ozzie slang, and spent a few roos (better known as the Australian Dollar).  He along with some photographers on the trip found the Lowepro Slingshots (Episode 547) very handy.

Surprise Visit
Optometrist Dr. Mark Sukoenig, one of a handful of DGW listeners, was in town for an ophthalmologists' conference and paid a surprise visit to Dick's office.  He tried again to correct Dick and Leo's pronunication of his name, after his previous attempt in Episode 354.  Dick thinks it sounds something like Mark Forrester.  For Dr. Mark's previous contributions, see Episodes 280, 342, 354.

The Internet Weather Toaster
Kevin Selle from Dallas, Texas tells Leo that his idea in Episode 546 for the ultimate toaster was great, only 7 years late.  Back in 2001, Robin Southgate, a student from Brunel University, invented the Internet Toaster which dialed up every morning for the weather forecast and printed out the weather icon on the toast.  It made its appearance at the JavaOne Conference in San Francisco.  Read the article on The Register.



Listen to Episode 551
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page

Ideative, who made the Leak Frog (Episode 166), has come up with the Socket Sense, a power strip that can be extended for you to fit in those large, bulky, intractable AC adapters/transformers.  The sockets are angled at 45° to give more efficient use of space.  It also offers 2160 Joules surge protection.

An Intelligent DGW Fan
Leo ran into Paul Lawrence, director of the Yale Center for Media and Instructional Innovation, who is a fan of the TWiT network.  His favourite podcast is The Daily Giz Wiz.  There is someone intelligent at Yale after all.  Dick also met someone from Yale the other day, and he works in the Combination Lock Department.

Stripped of Power Strips
Dick and Leo wonder how many power strips (such as the Power Squid, Episode 24, and the Tributaries T10 Flexible Power Strip, Episode 449), batteries and LEDs have appeared on DGW, and how many podcasts are left.  They hope Ludwik Trammer of GizWizSearch can help.

A Trickle of Hate Mail
Leo has been doing well on TTTT recently, and the hate mail is trickling down.  Now Leo getting another kind of hate mail, for doing decent gadgets.

Tour of the Queen Mary 2
Dick's tour of the QM2 previously shown on ABC has been posted on his website, or check out the blog entry for Episode 517.

CSI Alaska - A Suspected Spork Robbery
There has been a robbery in Anchorage, Alaska, and the police are still trying to determine if the weapon used was a spork.  They should invite Dick and Leo act as the experts in the forensic investigation.  Here's one of the reports, on Yahoo News.

Dick and Leo have received a flurry of letters from listeners about the news story, including James Levine, Wayne Dickson, Kevin Madden, Jim Haygood, and even Chris Marquardt of the Tips From The Top Floor podcast.

Listen to Episode 519
Go to TWiT
Read Dick's Write-Up

Dick says a listener who signs as "Marked" always get the WTHII  gadget right.

Mad Minute
Motel Records gives you all the religious music you need.

Listen to Episode 140
Go to TWiT
Read Dick's Write-Up

Dick's Gadget Warehouse