14 posts tagged “antenna”
The Pod
Tripod Alternative
Link: thepod.ca
Another alternative to the tripod, after the Gorillapod (Episode 151), for stabilising your camera or camcorder. From Canada, "The Pod" is like a bean bag, a waterproof nylon case with plastic pellets inside, and a tripod mount on the surface for attaching the camera or camcorder. The pliancy of the Pod allows the camera to be placed where a tripod is impracticable or not allowed. The Pod is sealed with a stong velcro strip which can be opened for adjusting the amount of filling you want, depending on how firm or pliant you want it to be.
It comes in 3 sizes - for small cameras, bigger or DSLR cameras, and the largest for DSLR camera with big lenses. Each size comes in 2 models too, with a centre tripod mount, or off-centre tripod mount.
There is a sale on now, and Dick has asked the President Thom Pahmer to extend the sale period, to 18 April 2009.
A New Look for GizWizBiz
Dick's website has just had another facelift, and the Giz Wiz logo now has 3D effects. The original logo was done by Dennis Wunderlin, and the new 3D effect was done by Todd Bailey of 4m3d.com.
WTHII February '09
The "What the heck is it?" game for February ended on 15 March. Dick is not sure what the name of the product is, although it could be the "skullcap". It's a protective liner for kids to wear under their baseball caps - for those who don't want to wear helmets.
It comes in 3 sizes - for small cameras, bigger or DSLR cameras, and the largest for DSLR camera with big lenses. Each size comes in 2 models too, with a centre tripod mount, or off-centre tripod mount.
There is a sale on now, and Dick has asked the President Thom Pahmer to extend the sale period, to 18 April 2009.
A New Look for GizWizBiz
Dick's website has just had another facelift, and the Giz Wiz logo now has 3D effects. The original logo was done by Dennis Wunderlin, and the new 3D effect was done by Todd Bailey of 4m3d.com.
WTHII February '09
The "What the heck is it?" game for February ended on 15 March. Dick is not sure what the name of the product is, although it could be the "skullcap". It's a protective liner for kids to wear under their baseball caps - for those who don't want to wear helmets.
How Does It Work?
David Lara does not subscribe to satellite or cable, and gets over-the-air TV signals for his HDTV via a rabbit ears antenna, like Dick's in Episode 785. His father-in-law, despite his age, cannot comprehend how he can get TV over the air.
Mad Murders The Movies
Copies of it have arrived for Dane, autographed with a personal message: "To Dane, the soul of TWiT and the liver of the Daily Giz Wiz." You can get your copy at BuyMadStuff.
Images from the Space Station
Leo's ADD condition is getting worse. He was watching (and re-broadcasting) live images from the Space Station while recording the show.
Listen to Episode 793
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
David Lara does not subscribe to satellite or cable, and gets over-the-air TV signals for his HDTV via a rabbit ears antenna, like Dick's in Episode 785. His father-in-law, despite his age, cannot comprehend how he can get TV over the air.
Mad Murders The Movies
Copies of it have arrived for Dane, autographed with a personal message: "To Dane, the soul of TWiT and the liver of the Daily Giz Wiz." You can get your copy at BuyMadStuff.
Images from the Space Station
Leo's ADD condition is getting worse. He was watching (and re-broadcasting) live images from the Space Station while recording the show.
Listen to Episode 793
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
RCA ANT121 Indoor Antenna
Rabbit Ears Antenna
Link: Amazon
Rabbit ears are back. Dick's parcel arrived during the recording of last Friday's show, and it's the RCA ANT 121 Universal Indoor Antenna. It boosts UHF, VHF and FM signals, and provides a 12-position knob for fine tuning. No cable fees because you're not getting cable. No sateliite fees because you're not using satellite technolgy. It works indoors like ordinary rabbit ears, and captures signals right out of the air! As long as your television has an ATSC tuner (which all television sets regardless of size sold after 1 March 2007 in the States must have), you can get over-the-air digital TV signals, including HD channels. Dick uses it on his 20-ft boat and it works like a charm.
Winter on the Hudson
The snow in new York has disappeared - which reminds Leo of the well-known saying "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a gefilte fish." Dick at a younger age had a Boston Whaler. In the winter he would drive the boat towards an ice sheet floating down the Hudson, and just as it hit the ice, would stop the engine and just let the boat glide across the ice sheet over to the other side.
St Patrick's Day in Ireland
Donal from Dublin, Ireland, remembers Leo asking on St Patrick's Day last year (beginning of Episode 526) whether they celebrate it in Ireland. Yes, they do, massively, over 3 days, including climbing Croagh Patrick. By the way, Leo's Irish accent is the worst, Donal adds.
Listen to Episode 786
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Winter on the Hudson
The snow in new York has disappeared - which reminds Leo of the well-known saying "March comes in like a lion and goes out like a gefilte fish." Dick at a younger age had a Boston Whaler. In the winter he would drive the boat towards an ice sheet floating down the Hudson, and just as it hit the ice, would stop the engine and just let the boat glide across the ice sheet over to the other side.
St Patrick's Day in Ireland
Donal from Dublin, Ireland, remembers Leo asking on St Patrick's Day last year (beginning of Episode 526) whether they celebrate it in Ireland. Yes, they do, massively, over 3 days, including climbing Croagh Patrick. By the way, Leo's Irish accent is the worst, Donal adds.
Listen to Episode 786
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
EasyBloom
USB Plant Sensor
Link: Easy Bloom
Insert the EasyBloom into the soil (or for indoor gardening, leave it in the stand), and it will collect relevant soil and environmental data from the surroundings. Plug it into your computer, and it will give you the analysis you need to select the right plants for your garden, or to save your ailing plant.
The Thirsty Light (Episode 503) only monitors moisture level to tell you whether your plant needs watering. EasyBloom takes multiple measurements over at least 24 hours of: temperature, light, humidity and soil moisture. This collected data (which forms your microclimate) is collated with your geographical location (for general conditions), Accuweather database (to make any allowance for out-of-norm readings, if any), to give you recommendations. Of course the EasyBloom does not claim to analyse the chemical composition of your soil.
The Thirsty Light (Episode 503) only monitors moisture level to tell you whether your plant needs watering. EasyBloom takes multiple measurements over at least 24 hours of: temperature, light, humidity and soil moisture. This collected data (which forms your microclimate) is collated with your geographical location (for general conditions), Accuweather database (to make any allowance for out-of-norm readings, if any), to give you recommendations. Of course the EasyBloom does not claim to analyse the chemical composition of your soil.
You do need to install software on your computer. Currently supported OS's are Windows XP and Vista, but Mac support will come in January 2009.
The Lady Who Spies
Dick used to have a particularly inquisitive lady neighbour upstairs before his pal Dennis Wonderlin moved in, who monitored Dick's every move when he was out in his own backyard. One day, he was going to put in some artificial flowers in the backyard and noticed that as usual the lady came to the window to watch him. Dick had his back turned towards her and pretended he was doing some real gardening when he was just planting in some faux flowers. Since then, the lady thought that Dick had incredibly green fingers as the flowers were still blooming in the Fall.
From Amazon's PR Division
... comes today's epistle. Amazon is starting their Frustration Free Packaging. No more TwistTies, blister packs, OpenXes (Episode 164) or Zibra OpenIts (Episode 496).
Listen to Episode 714
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
The Lady Who Spies
Dick used to have a particularly inquisitive lady neighbour upstairs before his pal Dennis Wonderlin moved in, who monitored Dick's every move when he was out in his own backyard. One day, he was going to put in some artificial flowers in the backyard and noticed that as usual the lady came to the window to watch him. Dick had his back turned towards her and pretended he was doing some real gardening when he was just planting in some faux flowers. Since then, the lady thought that Dick had incredibly green fingers as the flowers were still blooming in the Fall.
From Amazon's PR Division
... comes today's epistle. Amazon is starting their Frustration Free Packaging. No more TwistTies, blister packs, OpenXes (Episode 164) or Zibra OpenIts (Episode 496).
Listen to Episode 714
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
GFX-100 Indoor Antenna
Indoor Antenna
Link: milk.com Wall Of Shame
Dick's Gadget Warehouse
From about 1990, the GFX-100 Indoor Antenna distinguished itself by its advertisement. "No cable fees because you're not getting cable." "No sateliite fees because you're not using satellite technolgy." "Works indoors like ordinary rabbit ears." "Captures signals right out of the air!" Absolutely telling the truth - it was just an ordinary rabbit-ears antenna.
The ad would have belonged with the best of Mad Magazine spoof ads, had it been satire. As it was, the GFX-100 belonged with the Electron Echo Mini Piano (Episode 465), the Bluebird AX2 Sewing Machine (Episode 455), and the miniature mirrors which Dick frequently referred to (in Episodes 13, 215, 248, 552) . "Marketing Breakthroughs".
This scam was first mentioned by a listener Joe La Rosa in Episode 479.
The Zenith of Easy Hang-Up
Wally Holloway from Lexington, Kentucky writes to tell Dick that Easy Hang-Up (Episode 660) was also made by Zenith who made the Zenith EZ Hang-Up (actually it was licensed by Phonex, the original maker, to Zenith). He agrees that it was a bit of pain to have to rush to the device where it was connected to the line, to push the button. He solved the problem by hacking into a music-on-hold device from Radio Shack, and he could set off the message by pressing any key on the phone itself. The only problem was, he couldn't use the number pad for other purposes at all (such as accessing his voice mail). Not to be defeated, he got a remote control Christmas lights switch to disable the power for the EZ Hang-Up so he could use the number pad for his voice mail, when necessary.
Wally Holloway truly made it to the zenith of not-so-EZ Hang-Up, but obviously he enjoyed all the hacking.
Listen to Episode 670
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
The ad would have belonged with the best of Mad Magazine spoof ads, had it been satire. As it was, the GFX-100 belonged with the Electron Echo Mini Piano (Episode 465), the Bluebird AX2 Sewing Machine (Episode 455), and the miniature mirrors which Dick frequently referred to (in Episodes 13, 215, 248, 552) . "Marketing Breakthroughs".
This scam was first mentioned by a listener Joe La Rosa in Episode 479.
The Zenith of Easy Hang-Up
Wally Holloway truly made it to the zenith of not-so-EZ Hang-Up, but obviously he enjoyed all the hacking.
Listen to Episode 670
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
CC Witness
MP3 Player with AM/FM Radio and Recorder
Link: C Crane
Turn-The-Tables-Tuesday
The iPods have no built-in radios. Many other MP3 Players support FM, but one that supports AM Radio is rare. There used to be the Pogo Radio Your Way, which Leo and Ron Rosberg talked about on The Tech Guy (but never on DGW), but it was discontinued after Apple threatened proceedings because Apple claimed it looked too much like an iPod.
Now Bob Crane (who also sells LED lights, see Episode 277, and the Kill A Watt, mentioned in Episode 553), who is a radio lover, has made the CC Witness audio player. It plays mp3 and wma files, and has an AM/FM radio, with presets, and you can record radio programmes with it. A built-in microphone enables voice recording as well. 2GB capacity with an SD card slot. USB interface. A docking kit with the player is also available.
If you wonder why Bob Crane's website or company is called C Crane (as Dick did back in Episode 277), it's because his name is Robert C. Crane.
Online Shopping
Richard Wilson ordered online a Sony Bravia TV, but it never came. Fortunately he ordered it using his Visa, and he was credited with the defrauded amount. Safe and secure. Just like the commercial.
Listen to Episode 642
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
If you wonder why Bob Crane's website or company is called C Crane (as Dick did back in Episode 277), it's because his name is Robert C. Crane.
Online Shopping
Richard Wilson ordered online a Sony Bravia TV, but it never came. Fortunately he ordered it using his Visa, and he was credited with the defrauded amount. Safe and secure. Just like the commercial.
Listen to Episode 642
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
The PalmPilot
Early PDA
Link: US Robotics Press Release
Dick's Gadget Warehouse
On this Friday 13th, Dick and Leo are not afraid to talk, and talk they did. The original Palm was the Palm Pilot 1000, with a higher model called Pilot 5000, released in March 1996. In March 1997, the Palm Pilot Personal and PalmPilot Professional were launched. Later the word "Pilot" was dropped from Palm's devices after Pilot Pen's trademark lawsuit.
Palm Computing was originally a division of US Robotics and then it became part of 3Com. Among Palm's early developers was Donna Dubinsky, Leo's classmate at Yale.
The screen was monochrome, not backlit, with a serial port. Among Palm's features were Graffitti (which was the subject of an extended patent lawsuit by Xerox) and Graffitti 2, handwriitng recognition software, and its synchronisation features.
Although there had been PDAs before the Palm, such as the Psion and Apple's Newton, it was the Palm which really put PDAs on the map.
Palm is not in such great shape these days, just as Hayes (Episode 245) which had the modem market cornered lost its way. Dick thinks that if there are still listeners using the Okidata dot matrix printer (Epiosde 280), there may well be people still using the Pilot 1000.
Triskaidekaphobia
More obscure words from Leo. A triskaidekaphobe is someone who is afraid of the number 13. A fear of Friday 13th specifically is paraskavedekatriaphobia, or friggatriskaidekaphobia. Fear of the number 4 (which sounds like "death" in some Asian countries), is tetraphobia.
When Bill Gaines was looking for offices for Mad, he insisted on the 13th floor, just as a lark.
Margot ...
Virgilio from Toronto, Canada fills in the blank for the last name of the female sidekick of The Shadow, an old time radio show (Episode 579, Audible section). It's Margot Lane. Leo goes on to play "The Shadow" from Internet Archives.
A Prediction-Come-True for Year 2000
Dick and Leo laughed at the prediction in Weekend Magazine (Episode 580) that by the year 2000, people would be travelling at 1,000 mph at pennies per mile. Paul Vladuchick (we can call him Vladdy) flew from San Diego to Baltimore at 600 mph for about 10 cents per mile. Close.
Listen to Episode 590
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Palm Computing was originally a division of US Robotics and then it became part of 3Com. Among Palm's early developers was Donna Dubinsky, Leo's classmate at Yale.
The screen was monochrome, not backlit, with a serial port. Among Palm's features were Graffitti (which was the subject of an extended patent lawsuit by Xerox) and Graffitti 2, handwriitng recognition software, and its synchronisation features.
Although there had been PDAs before the Palm, such as the Psion and Apple's Newton, it was the Palm which really put PDAs on the map.
Palm is not in such great shape these days, just as Hayes (Episode 245) which had the modem market cornered lost its way. Dick thinks that if there are still listeners using the Okidata dot matrix printer (Epiosde 280), there may well be people still using the Pilot 1000.
Triskaidekaphobia
More obscure words from Leo. A triskaidekaphobe is someone who is afraid of the number 13. A fear of Friday 13th specifically is paraskavedekatriaphobia, or friggatriskaidekaphobia. Fear of the number 4 (which sounds like "death" in some Asian countries), is tetraphobia.
When Bill Gaines was looking for offices for Mad, he insisted on the 13th floor, just as a lark.
Margot ...
Virgilio from Toronto, Canada fills in the blank for the last name of the female sidekick of The Shadow, an old time radio show (Episode 579, Audible section). It's Margot Lane. Leo goes on to play "The Shadow" from Internet Archives.
A Prediction-Come-True for Year 2000
Dick and Leo laughed at the prediction in Weekend Magazine (Episode 580) that by the year 2000, people would be travelling at 1,000 mph at pennies per mile. Paul Vladuchick (we can call him Vladdy) flew from San Diego to Baltimore at 600 mph for about 10 cents per mile. Close.
Listen to Episode 590
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Radiosophy HD100
HD Radio Receiver
Link: Radiosophy
Turn-The-Tables-Tuesday
The HD100 from Radiosophy is an HD Radio receiver for the home, developed by Bill Billings and Sue Nail. The "HD" in HD Radio originally stood for "hybrid digital". Now it doesn't stand for anything. It offers digital signals, so that there is no drop-off, hiss or degradation of sound quality. You either get the signal or you don't. Although HD here does not formally stand for High Definition, the technology does offer better sound quality, so that FM frequencies deliver CD-quality sounds, and AM frequencies deliver analogue FM stereo sound quality.
Each HD Radio FM frequency can accommodate more than one channel, so that you can select different streams or channels of programming even on the same frequency. Also called Multicasting. To check what HD radio stations are available in your area, go to iBuiquity.
The HD100 supports HD radio FM/AM and standard analogue FM/AM frequencies. It has an internal antenna and includes external antenna connections. You can scan for HD radio stations, with or without analogue radio stations. Pre-set up to 5 FM stations and 5 AM stations. The LCD screen delivers data features offered by HD Radio, including song info, traffic and news alerts, sports scores, weather forecast, etc. It's also a clock, with the usual alarm, sleep and snooze functions.
It's A Gas
Dick has sent Leo a link, discovered by listener James Baldwin, to the Mad "It's A Gas" Recording on YouTube, but Leo has failed Dick again. To listen to the recording, go to Dick's home page, or the blog post for Episode 568.
Keeping a Land Line
Bob Harris, who previously wrote in Episode 512, suggests an alternative to keeping a land line, in response to Dick and Leo's discussion in Episode 562. For those who have phones which need to be electrically plugged in, they can use an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS).
Listen to Episode 577
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Each HD Radio FM frequency can accommodate more than one channel, so that you can select different streams or channels of programming even on the same frequency. Also called Multicasting. To check what HD radio stations are available in your area, go to iBuiquity.
The HD100 supports HD radio FM/AM and standard analogue FM/AM frequencies. It has an internal antenna and includes external antenna connections. You can scan for HD radio stations, with or without analogue radio stations. Pre-set up to 5 FM stations and 5 AM stations. The LCD screen delivers data features offered by HD Radio, including song info, traffic and news alerts, sports scores, weather forecast, etc. It's also a clock, with the usual alarm, sleep and snooze functions.
It's A Gas
Dick has sent Leo a link, discovered by listener James Baldwin, to the Mad "It's A Gas" Recording on YouTube, but Leo has failed Dick again. To listen to the recording, go to Dick's home page, or the blog post for Episode 568.
Keeping a Land Line
Bob Harris, who previously wrote in Episode 512, suggests an alternative to keeping a land line, in response to Dick and Leo's discussion in Episode 562. For those who have phones which need to be electrically plugged in, they can use an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS).
Listen to Episode 577
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
iSoniCast
iPod Accessory - Wireless Streaming
Link: Monster Cable
Turn-The-Tables-Tuesday
The iSoniCast enables wireless streaming from your iPod to your home stereo or other powered speakers. Monster Cable calls it a "wireless audio bridge".
Connect the base station to AC power and to your home stereo and to one of the audio inputs of your home stereo (via the mini-jack to RCA cable provided). Plug the transmitter into the iPod (which draws minimal power from the iPod), start playing and the music will be streamed by 2.4GHz wireless technology (with a bandwidth of 4 Mega-bits per second) to the base station receiver. The iPod doubles up as a remote control.
Mad Currency
Randal Schwartz, Perl expert, co-host of FLOSS and long-time fan of DGW, came across an entry on Wikipedia about fake denominations of US currency and found that the Mad currency (3-dollar bill) which Dick talked about in the past (see, e.g. Episode 121) has made its way into that entry. Dick goes on to describe the Alfred E Neuman postage stamps that Mad used to make.
Spork Cartoon
Dick and Leo mention in passing a spork cartoon which listeners have written in about. Leo says he is going to save it for the Letters Section, but naturally he forgets. While we wait for Dick and Leo's memory to come round, here's one which is pretty good, by Jakin J Waldock.
Listen to Episode 567
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
TT Pack
Restroom Kit
Link: TT Packs
The gadget with the lowest tech and lowest price, according to Dick. The TT Pack is a restroom kit which contains a toilet seat wipe, toilet seat cover, hand wipe, tissue, paper towel and disposable gloves. Brought to you by Eye 2 Eye Ideas.
Are We Related?
Trevor from Sebastopol, Australia was glad to hear that both Dick and Leo are watch junkies. So is he. He's got loads of watches, most of which have flat batteries.
Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair has done a special on Mad. See the article, with early Mad covers, online.
Spork Commercial
At Dick's request, Leo plays the Spork TV commercial.
Listen to Episode 558
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
Are We Related?
Trevor from Sebastopol, Australia was glad to hear that both Dick and Leo are watch junkies. So is he. He's got loads of watches, most of which have flat batteries.
Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair has done a special on Mad. See the article, with early Mad covers, online.
Spork Commercial
At Dick's request, Leo plays the Spork TV commercial.
Listen to Episode 558
Go to TWiT
The Giz Wiz Home Page
ScottEVest Travel Vest
Travel Accessory/Apparel/Technology-Enabled Clothing
Link: Scottevest
And don't forget about the TWiTwear made by Scottevest.
Getting Rid of TV-Addicted Overstayers
Chris Ryden has a special way of getting rid of guests who are addicted to watching TV and overstay their welcome, by using a coax-antenna switch with remote control available from Radio Shack.
Listen to Episode 489
Go to TWiT
Read Dick's Write-Up
