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Motorola Razor m9 Bluetooth Stereo Headset

chip — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 02:56:37 +0000

Quick review of the Motorola m9 wireless Bluetooth stereo headset. The idea of a wireless headset held a special place in my heart. I’ve always hated cords. They’re always getting caught on something, pulling the earbuds out or just plain ripping the connectors. The problem has only gotten worse with the special iPhone cord controllers. A slight ground fault can cause untold random events.

Anyway, after a brief search I settled on the Motorola m9. Although it was a generation behind it received better all over reviews than its newer sibling. I took the plunge, ordered through Amazon and waited (im)patiently for it to arrive. I’ve been using it for a few months now and wanted to share my experiences.

Probably most important for most is the sound quality. Although I can’t compare it to other Bluetooth headphones, the sound comes across fine for me. Both music and audio are pleasant but I will admit the range is somewhat limited. I’d never confuse the sound for headphones but it’s really not that bad. Volume s easy to adjust and is loud enough in most environments.

Werability. When I first got the headset I put on the bulbous ear pieces because I wanted the best sound while blocking out the most pushes noise. Painful is an understatement. I couldn’t wear them but an hour before my ears really started to hurt. I quickly swapped out to the smallest earpiece and found the sound was fine the pain was gone. The only problem I have now is the way the unit hangs off the back of my head. Normally a comfortable position, looking up causes the unit to hit and push up in my ears – uncomfortable. Being Winter I’ve used the unit while wearing heavy jackets – uncomfortable. Heavy wool caps – uncomfortably pushes the ear pieces into my ears. Glasses? Yes but the unit fits so tight to the side of my head that getting them on and off is a bit of a problem. Let’s just say that wearing them should be considered best under optimal conditions while not looking up.

Controls. After a few days of getting used to what button does what I found that I had no real problems. Starting/stopping music or accepting/ending a call pushed the ear piece a bit uncomfortably further into my ear but not too bad. Oh, does NOT skip forward or back in my iPhone 3Gs. Also, sometimes requires multiple button pushes to get it to do something even though it beeps its acceptance.

Batter Life. Probably the biggest disappointment. Listed as 4-6 hours. Actual run time for me tops out close to the four hour mark. When listening to podcasts while working on projects I find the batter lasts less than my current attention span which is always disappointing. Because of this I always stash a pair of wired headsets cue to that limitation. The newer version (10) lists a longer battery life, among other minor changes, but my understanding is that sound quality is terrible.

Bluetooth. Great, good, ok, and sometimes frustrating. I’ve used this headset with my laptop, iMac, iPhone and iPad. The biggest single problem is switching between them all. The m9 is said to be able to remember several associations so I figured I was good. Good as long they’re not in the same area. To switch between my devices, all located on or around my desk, I have to turn Bluetooth OFF on all the other devices or it gets confused and won’t work with anything. Once working I’ve had the unit disassociate or just stop working on several occasions. Not a show stopper but a bit frustrating non the less. Oh yeah, VERY susceptible to RF interference. Think microwaves among other thing. Also, even with my phone close I get weird dropouts when bending over. Yeah, really.

Generally I like the headset but it’s not fully baked. A bit quarky with run time and operational limitations but usable given that I really, REALLY hate wires.

UPDATE: it’s been a few days since this post and vie uncovered a few more idiosyncrasies or just plain issues. Pairing: Blows. Even with a single source in the room it balks at switching from one source to another even if its previously been pairs. Even turning it off and back on can cause issues when you want to use it. Phone Calls: Blows. Some times, when I get a call it skips the Bluetooth in favor of the iPhone but will randomly skip back to the headset. Love to scramble with that while talking to a client. Sound Quality: Sometimes Blows! With the phone at my waist or even in a vest pocket I’ll get skips, dropouts or it may just quit. Mostly it’s fine but when it acts up it’s a PAIN IN THE ASS and it seems to follow no rhyme or reason. Often, bending over to pick something up causes massive dropout!

Revises thought. It’s nice but not fully baked. Ok if you know what to do but I can’t imagine a novice putting up with this for more than a few minutes. I’ll still work with this headset but I’ll be forever on the lookout for a more workable version of what this should be.

Pole Test

chip — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 05:42:47 +0000

Blah Blah

{democracy}

Blah Blah

E-Flite CP+ with Spektrum AR6200

chip — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 04:40:42 +0000

I’ve been flying my CP for several months and have had a constant problem with erratic behavior. It bounces up, bounces down, left, right, etc… I’ve looked for a sticky swash, stuck ball joints, I’ve read through the posts looking for the smallest clue. I even tried several methods for isolating the FM antenna. Nada, zip, zilch.

Then came the new Spektrum DX6i with an AR6200. Ok, so the transmiter was for another model but I couldn’t let that receiver go to waste. However, the manual was pretty useless for my needs in getting it integrated. After a few rounds on the Internet and an extremely helpful YouTube video series, this thing was up and flying. So, here are the tips that helped me make this F$@%er rock solid.

First problem, what plugged into what???

AUX1 – Rear Right Servo
GEAR – GYRO Connection
RUDD – Tail Motor
ELEV – Front Servo
AILE – Rear Left Servo
THRO – Throttle
BATT – Bind Clip

Note: The BATT connection is used to bind the transmiter to receiver and is also used for a dedicated receiver battery. Otherwise, the receiver gets it’s juice through the throttle connection from the BEC built into the 3 and 1.

That part being done, I then ran into the problem of trying to decipher the manual’s instructions on setting everything up on the 6i. Here’s the original YouTube video that helped tremendously. It comes in three parts and this guy breaks everything down in a snap.

Here are the settings that helped me get flying:

REVERSE SETTINGS:

Hyperion mini nuclear reactors to supply enough cheap power for a small town

chip — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:22:30 +0000

We’ve been hearing talk of mini-sized nuclear reactors for a year or longer, but now it looks like Hyperion is actually starting to build them. The hot tub-sized fission nukes, each capable of cranking out 25 megawatts of clean power (enough to run 20,000 homes), will use what’s called “low-enriched” uranium fuel.

The $25 million mini-nukes, also called “nuclear batteries,” will have no moving parts, and will be sealed up in a cask that’s buried deep underground, operating without the need for human intervention for five years at a time. They’re going to be cost-effective, too — in a 10,000-home community it would cost about $2,500 per home served. Many homeowners spend that much on energy in a year. If this happens, that’ll be some cheap power.

The company says it’s already begun construction of the first 4,000 units in three factories, with the initial 100 destined for industrial use in remote locations. Good thing “hype” is part of the company’s name, because selling this idea to an illogical, radiation-terrified U.S. population is going to be a public relations and marketing nightmare.

Hyperion, via Money

Star Trek Switchplates – Don’t deny your inner Geek.

chip — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:21:26 +0000

Now you can boldly go where no Star Trek: The Next Generation fan has gone before, decorating your place with such 24th-century accuracy that you’ll never get laid again.

While the uninitiated might be unfazed by such realism, our phasers are on stun with these Star Trek switchplates, turning simple light switches and sockets into instrument panels from a federation starship. These babies should go perfectly with your Star Trek command chair, while you set the mood with a couple of brewskis opened with your Star Trek bottle opener.

We especially like the way these switchplates hide those 20th-century screws that attach them to the wall. We only wish they offered dual or triple switchplates. You can beam your choice of outlet plate, paddle switch or regular switchplate aboard your own vessel for $17.99 apiece.

Via Think Geek

Eye-Fi debuts 4GB wireless SD card

chip — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:19:39 +0000

It’s no secret that we love Eye-Fi’s wireless SD cards. Since they debuted about a year ago, they’ve been the perfect way for lazy people (read: us) to share their photos online. Instead of digging out a USB cable, connecting to your PC, firing up a photo-editing program, and then uploading to Flickr, Facebook or whatever, the Eye-Fi just uploads them automatically, straight from the camera. Some versions of the card will even geotag your pics, using the same location tech as the original iPhone.

The cards previously came only in 2GB capacities. Now Eye-Fi debuts a 4GB version, called the Eye-Fi Anniversary Edition. We love the upgrade, though we take issue with the price: $129 ($99 at Costco). Even though we’re willing to pay a premium for the wireless abilities, when you consider that regular 4GB flash cards are around 10 bucks (or even less), you start to wonder if pulling out that USB cord is really that inconvenient.

Via Eye-Fi

WMDs: Death By Great Flaming Balls

chip — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:16:42 +0000

So the Pentagon is employing a new weapon in the fight against WMDs. Namely, giant flaming balls (aka rocket balls).

These are hollow spheres, made of rubberized rocket fuel; when ignited, they propel themselves around at random at high speed, bouncing off the walls and breaking through doors, turning the entire building into an inferno. The makers call them “kinetic fireball incendiaries.” The Pentagon doesn’t want to talk about them, but published documents show that the fireballs have undergone tests on underground bunkers.

WTF!? Suffice it to say the Indiana Jones franchise would have ended 15 minutes into Raiders of the Lost Ark if the ancient Peruvians had employed a rocket ball instead of a giant fucking rock.

Click the article for a much longer explanation of the the weapons.

Secret Rocket Balls Target WMD Bunkers [wired]

Convert an HP computer power supply to a hobby desktop power station!

chip — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 21:01:53 +0000

So, I’ve got all these hobbies and interests that require a few different voltages. I’ve got a lot devices that require 12v DC and it looks like half of those come standard with car adapters. I also play around with some servos, some LED projects and some other stuff that require less than 12V DC and a few that need more. What’s a guy to do?

Yes, I could have taken the reasonable approach, that I’m sure most of you would have taken, and just purchased a variable bench power supply or a few separate specific converters. Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever. I took it on as a personal goal to convert a standard computer power supply to a variable output DC desktop test rig. Easy, right?? Kinda.

Let me get it out right up front that the reason I took on this project, as with most of my projects, was for the sheer satisfaction of turning out a functioning product. Once I was able to get the wiring down right, the rest was a snap. And, more importantly, almost everything I used for this project was laying around in various states of non-use so the total cost was almost nill.

Here’s a side shot of my Frankensteined power supply. I was able to pull out all the standard voltages. I also threw in a cigarette lighter plug (the only real cost) so I could charge up some of my devices that ONLY came with that type of plug. (Some of my RC gear). As you can see by my lousy handwriting, I fused up the cigarette lighter adapter (came with) and the main +12v plug since that will be the most used. Future additions will include fuses for all voltages and an amp meter. Maybe even a potentiometer or two…

The biggest time killer on this project was trying to figure out what wire colors corresponded to what. I used some standard references on the Net but they were only partially helpful. Leave it to HP (actually, it was a Compaq branded PC) to not play by the ATX standards.

This should give you some insight into how the power supply needs to be hooked up. I switched the Green and White wires for the on/off switch and put a load between the +5v and ground. A couple of banana jacks, a couple of LEDs (don’t forget the resistors!) and walla, she is done! Worked like a charm! Actually, I put both LED grounds together which somehow caused the system to start and then fail. After putting them to different grounds I’ve never had another problem.

WARNING / CAUTION / DANGER

Hey, don’t forget. There are some LARGE capacitors in these boxes and they can take a while to discharge. Don’t mess around with these!

BACKDOOR-CQN Manual removal

chip — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:59:34 +0000

So, I was just surfing the net the other day, minding my own business and then, WHAM! I started getting a McAfee warning on bootup that I had a BACKDOOR-CQN trojan. No problem! I made sure my McAfee was up to date, ran the full disk check and it didn’t find a blessed thing. Grrrr, I updated my cleanboot definitions, burned a new CD and booted. Ran the FULL check.. NOTHING! What the F? Maybe it was cleaned already? NOPE!!! My software is at least smart enough to keep coming up at boot saying that it found (and deleted) the virus SYSTEMS.SYS in the C:\WINDOWS\WINDOWS directory. The WHAT directory???
Onto the NAI website to find out how to remove this sucker.. “Use the latest engine and def files”… NO KIDDING, REALLY? No manual removal method listed and I couldn’t find squat on the Internet. Damn I hate computers.

So, I rolled up my sleaves and dug in. Doesn’t seem too hard. There’s something in the STARTUP folder, under the RUN command in the registry and I’ve deleted the directory in Windows. BAHM! It’s back again.. AHHHHHH!!!!!!!

After picking up my laptop from the other side of the room, I’m back to figuring this out… After a quick boot into safe mode and some searching around the system, THERE IT IS!!!!! Last piece of the puzzle solved and it’s back to safe computing for me.

If YOU happen to get the wonderful little charm and your virus software sucked as much as mine in getting rid of it, here’s how I was able to eradicate this little son of a behive…

Boot into Safe Mode.
Open REGEDIT
In both HKLM and HKLU, go to the RUN listing and nuke the setting for C:\WINDOWS\WINDOWS\SYSTEMS.EXE
Of course, nuke the C:\WINDOWS\WINDOWS directory. Should only contain the SYSTEMS.EXE file.
Kill the launch file in C:\DOCUMENTS AND SETTINGS\ALL USERS\STARTUP\SYSTEMS.EXE
Lastly, here was the file I missed the first time;
C:\WINDOWS\PREFETCH\SYSTEMS.EXE-2D5B743C.pf NuKE IT!!!

Reboot your machine and you should be right as rain. It’s easy peesy, lemon squeezy.

Good luck!

Can’t Access a Windows 2003 Drive from a MAC OS X

chip — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 22:55:34 +0000

What is with all these problems?!?! So I’m playing around with my new iMac and I naturally wanted to access the shared directory of my 2003 Server. I mean really, what is a 23″ screen without streaming ~~porn~~, a-hem, Educational Material! On a more serious note, trying to access any of my Windows shares caused a failure where it said, the Alias could not be opened because the original item could not be found. Doesn’t ANYTHING work with anything else?
The solution that worked for me was to disable a Windows 2003 security setting regarding digitally signed communications.

Log into the Domain Controller
Open the Domain Controller Security Policy
Navigate to SECURITY SETTINGS / LOCAL POLICIES / SECURITY OPTIONS
Find MICROSOFT NETWORK SERVER: DIGITALLY SIGN COMMUNICATIONS (ALWAYS)
*!*!*!*!*! Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding *!*!*!*!*!*

DISABLE THAT SETTING ! ! !

Give it a few minutes to sync everything up and then try the mapping again, it should work.

One other thing that might help is instead of using the Server’s name, try using the syntax

SMB:\\X.X.X.X and it will pop up with a list of shares to choose from.

Good luck!

The easiest solution to this problem is to disable the default server setting of always requiring “digitally signed communication”. To do this, log in to the domain controller and open the DC policy editor. Look for “Security Settings -> Local Policies -> Security Options” and change “Microsoft network server: Digitally sign communications (always)” from “Enabled” to “Disabled”. Leave everything else. This means that the server will digitally sign communications if the client is capable, but won’t reject a connection if your client is not.