Category Archives: Global

Global Interessen

RasPad Test

Computer, Global, Linux, Raspberry Pi, , , ,

So before getting started, i need to clarify something. I’m not getting paid for anything! This is a personal review and was in no way influenced by anybody! This said, here comes my review.

So i fell onto that Kickstarter campaign just before it ended and quickly decided to give it a try. Getting a touchscreen for the raspberry pi platform had always been my wish. I also included a nice screen, casing, and a battery for off grid usage. Honestly the only similar product i know is the pi-top device which comes at another price. Even it’s crowdfunding price was way more expansive… So this was why i decided to give it a try!

Only 4 month later, and this honestly is for Backer’s a really short and fast time, i received my device. Packaging and quality seems to be more than okay! Only a small hunch was the back cover where you place the raspberry. I don’t know if it was meant to be like that but still it closes completely and does what it’s meant to do.

Because i ordered a new Raspbery Pi B+ for my new toy, and because i ordered it to late, i first tried out to connect it to a Windows10 Computer. So as described in some pages on the net, i connected a HDMI from the PC to the Raspad and as well i connected it via Micro-USB to the PC as well, like any regular USB Device. And right out of the box without any more drivers needed Windows accepted the Touchscreen. So very positive for the first impression.

After receiving my Raspi, I continued my tests and out of the box with a new SD-Card with Rasbian on it, it simply worked! No need for touchscreen drivers, no calibration, everything worked fine! You might want to add a keyboard and mouse, because not everything is simply possible without these. But still… You find small and fancy things like that for reasonable prices.

I continued with a few security distributions and I have to say that they all worked fine for the touchscreen! No issues at all. But I realized that you might need to tweak the system for sound reasons. After reading around on the net, I saw a few posts about temperature issues. Some people even modified their houses and added fans to get rid of the heat. For the moment I can not yet confirm that, but I will definitely keep that in mind for the longer tests.

Another thing I will have to test out and keep an eye on, is the battery. I´m not sure yet if it simply is the way the battery indicator works, but I´m pretty sure this is the case. I will use my device for a long term test but here again you can read in some posts that the run time might be shorter than thought. What I can say is that by adding an additional USB WLAN Adapter the indicators dropped immediately to the last indicator, which might confirm my initial idea, that the battery indicator orientates himself on the voltage of the device. Turning of the Raspi immediately brings up one more indicator light of the device.

The only objective critics I have, are those for the internet and social media. The makers did put a web page on the packaging, which is non existing! That´s poor! A very simple page, with the digital descriptions and links to their project pages as well as some technical details or maybe the story of their Kickstarter campaign, some pictures. If you raise over 600k $ from more than 3.000 Backers, you should be able to do this… And to become member of their Facebook page, which is restricted to backers only apparently, you need to enter your details of your order to get accepted. Not very open minded there as well… I know that they might have other priorities but nowadays, this is a few hours of work and for your PR in my opinion a must have.

For the rest I can not complain about the product. Seems to bee good quality, properly worked out with a lot of thoughts for some details and the speed of the campaign was remarkable!

As always I’ve added a few pictures of the device, because they always tell more than a Story.

Eclipse by Native Union – My first impression

Global, Toy's for boy's, , ,

Today I would like to talk about a Kickstarter Project called “Eclipse” I backed a year ago, and where the product was delivered a few weeks ago. I really wanted to give it some testing and usage before producing my review.

So first I have to say that the creator Native Union did communicate over the whole time in an exemplary way! They explained delays and problems they ran into an always kept the backers up to date, so I never got the felling that the product would not be delivered. So thumbs up for that! As a backer of such projects, you have to consider that the product will arrive later than they expected! But if they keep the clients updated, I think regular clients will not argue around the delay.

So the product itself arrived at my home. Again shipping and tracking etc was no issue at all! Perfect packaging made it again a thumbs up again. So the unpacking could take place. I have to admit that the box, its content and the protection of the device itself were perfect. Honestly, I haven’t had so much fun unboxing a device for some time. Yes I was excited for some time because I was anxious to get the charger into my hands since I knew it was on its way, but I have to admit that the designers definitely did put time into the packaging! Nice job there again! But the packaging isn’t everything. How does the device work and behave?

The device definitely does what it is designed for! It charges up to 3 devices simultaneously, has an LED light which can be turned on and for the main part it looks good. Yes! It is a nice looking, well designed stylish charger for Phones and other USB devices. The cables appear to be of high quality and I think that the designer did put a lot of thoughts into the small details of the charger.

So the first look was not disappointing at all! I had decided myself to buy a nice, well designed and stylish charger to put it onto my nightstand and to charge my phones. That was the idea and unfortunately my story has a downside…

After a few weeks my wife decided to ban her charger from her side of the bed! Why? So at night, when everybody calms down and everything becomes quiet, you often hear the things and the sounds your house makes, which you do not realize due to all the background noises during the day. And unfortunately the Eclipse does such a noise… Yes you have to listen very closely but if you charge at least one device the device starts to make some humming noise, some dissonance or whatever you would like to call it. It is that kind of noise which is annoying if you ever heard it and that once you know it is there, hunts you over and over again. It is that kind of noise cheap chargers might do, but I am sure that the creators used high quality components.

So my final opinion is not yet fixed. I will not be using the chargers, I bought two of them, for the purpose they were thought for. I am using one now in the living room and it fits in there perfectly! The second one has not yet found its final position and that’s why I am a little bit disappointed about the product. But that’s the risk if you invest into a Kickstarter Project! You might not get the product you hoped for.

 

                

Bitcoins on the move again

Bitcoin, Global, Internet
For all those of you, who know what Bitcoins mean, here my call that the game about the evolution of the currency is on again ;-)

During the last week, the value of Bitcoins went from about 300$ up to just over 500$ but couldn’t keep it’s value for a long time. In less than 12 hours it went aggressively down again an so did the risks linked to Bitcoins go back up again.

Why this is worth an entry? During the last few month, the value of the currency always stayed between 220$ and 280$. This was far away from it’s record which was over 1000$. For the last year the value was quiet stable, compared to the extreme variations of the last days!

As usually… Don’t play with money you can not afford to lose!

 Fir all déi, wou Bitcoin net iergend een Friemwuert ass, hei dann den Appel dass d’Wetten rëm amgaangen sinn ;-)

An deeër leschter Woch ass den Cour vun knapps em 300$ op just iwwert 500$ erop geschoss, ma huet sech mol keng 12 Stonnen halen kënnen. Aktuell ass en rëm am fräien Fall an huet erëm een extremen Risiko.

Firwat mir dat eng Meldung wäert ass? Déi leschten Méint ass den Cours ëmmer an der Géigend vun 220$ an 280$ ronderëm gependelt. Dëst wor wäit vum Rekord Cour vun iwwert 1000$ ewech an wor ower elo dat leschten Joer wierklech roueg. Mä esou krass Schwankungen sinn wierklech extrem seelen um Marché!

Ewéi ëmmer… Spillt net mat Geld wat der net bereet sidd ze verléieren!

Baofeng and Pofung Comparisons

Funk, Global, , , , ,

I wanted to publish for some time now a very simple comparison of Baofeng / Profung Amateur Radio devices. You can find those devices for a cheap buck anywhere on the net and this is how i fell over them as well a few years ago. Something needs to be said before starting: You need a Amateur Radio License to use these devices! They are not allowed to be used by everybody, even if a lot of sellers do say so in the online shops. And you are not allowed to use them on PMR, LPD or Freenet Frequencies. So if you respect these rules you are good to go!

That said, there are some other information’s, you should know for these devices. They come from China and the quality is what you pay for! Honestly in my opinion the production quality is excellent. The houses of the devices are of excellent plastic. Some of you might say, that they can not be compared to the high quality devices from other brands, but honestly paying twice or even ten times the price of some devices is nice if you don’t have anything else to do with your money! For starters, simple projects or small budget people, they might be a real alternative.

The only tricky thing about the devices is the programming. If you would like to do it by the official software, you will be reminded how Chinese they are. The software always starts in some Chinese signs and you need to find the menue with the languages. But as soon as you get that, you’re ready to go! One last thing about software for your devices. For each model there is a different software and you need the right one to be installed and used for each model. Chirp works as well but not all functions might be working.

2015-10-24 17.47.50

Model UV-5R
Baofeng		 UV-5R+
Baofeng		 GT1
Pofung		 GT3
Pofung
LCD Screen Yes Yes No Yes
Band 70cm + 2m 70cm + 2m 70cm only 70cm + 2m
Double PTT Button No No No Yes
Power Output 4-5 Watt 4-5 Watt 2 Watt 4-5 Watt
Price +/- 33 € +/- 34 € +/- 20 € +/- 43 €
Remarks At the beginning was… Follow up of the UV-3R but a major improvement apparently! The Plus version apparently does a little more frequencies on the edge and it has a shiny front panel. It’s the classic Baofeng device! Very simple and cheap 70cm device. Has a simple voice scrambler integrated. Has different LCD Screen (honestly not optimal for use in the sun) but has the double PTT button (no need to switch channels for talking on different channels).

Me for my part I am very satisfied for what I paid for! I do also own Yaesu devices and have access to various other manufacturers of professional devices, and I have to say that the signal might be more clean than on the china devices, but for my private needs it is more than enough!

Test Samsung S6

Global, Handy, S6, ,

Zanter knapps engem Mount sinn ech elo stolzen Besëtzer vun engem neien Samsung Galaxy S6. Ganz kuerz wollt ech verschidden Saachen festhalen déi ech méi oder manner interessant fannen.

Iwwerspillen vun den Donnée

An der Zäit wor just Apple bekannt fir den schnellen Wiessel vun engem Aalen op een neien Handy. Ech muss soen, an manner ewéi 3 Stonnen wor mäin kompletten Handy quasi eriwwer kopéiert an operationell. Super Programmer déi Samsung do mat NFC an ähnlechem direkt an einfach zur Verfügung stellt.

Bildschierm

Et ass definitiv deen beschten deen ech bis dato gesinn hunn! Super Bild an kann Super Hell sinn!

Akku / Stroumverbrauch

Eppes wat ech definitiv schlecht fannen, ass dass den Akku agebaut gouf, ouni Méiglechkeet en einfach ze wiesselen. Eng wierklech Negativ Verännerung an mengen Aen! Gutt muss ech par contre d’Akkulafzäit bewäerten. Jo en ass nach nei an Lafzäit also optimal, ma mat bis zu iwwert 2 Deeg ass en schonns bei normalem Gebrauch duerchaus laang adequat an mengen Aen. Mat der Zäit wärt dat sécher op 1 Dag oder nach manner falen, ma deen selwechten Problem hunn iPhone & soss Kontrahenten schonns laang

Mäin negativen Punkt

Een eenzegen Punkt huet mech bis dato wierklech gesteiert um Handy an ech weess net wouhier deen Problem kënnt. D’Ladegerät wat ech derbäi hunn “Summt” am “Leerlauf” richteg extrem. Souguer menger Fra ass et opgefall! Ech hunn et elo ewech geluecht well ech déi al nach hunn ma wierklech un sech inakzeptabel bei engem neien Gerät! Läit et un der neier “Adaptive Fast Charging” Funktioun? Läit et drun dass d’Gerät niewent 5 Volt och nach 9 Volt eraus gëtt? Ech weess et net, mä normal fannen ech deen Kaméidi net. Et ass esou haart dass wanns du den Handy nieft dem Bett lueden géings, dann kéint ech net schlofen. Mä bon… Muss mol Kollegen froen op hier Ladegeräter och esou Kaméidi maachen!

LUX-NSA Skandal

Computer, Global, Internet, Real Life, Sécherheet

Lo ass et dann offiziell! Iergendzwousch huet elo iergend een Reporter an Éisträich eraus fonnt dass Internet Leitungen ungezaapt goufen, respektiv opmannst sollten ungezaapt ginn, déi vun Lëtzebuerg oder op Lëtzebuerg feieren! Krass! No X Méint Gebläers an Gestreids an Däitschland hunn mer et elo Schwaarz op Weis (oder digital) wat vläit schonns sou muncher een sech geduecht huet.

Sinn mir ower keng Insel? Gëtt et ower iergendzwousch op der Welt Leit déi sech fir dat interesséieren wat zu Lëtzebuerg leeft? Kéint dat vläit sinn wëll mir ower an Europa respektiv Weltwäit an Finanz Domänen oder aneren Sparten guer keng esou grouss Nullen sinn? Oder stellt sech herno eraus dass mir ower richteg grouss Nullen sinn? Vläit huet eisen Budget och einfach ze vill Nullen?

Naja ech well mech guer net dozou äusseren well et eng Diskussioun ass ouni Enn! Souwisou sinn ech wahrscheinlech schonns eng “Persona non Grata” well ech anscheinend schonns Termen ewéi “Tor Network” geGoogle’d hunn an een doduerch bei den Kollegen an Amerika um Radar lant. Du bass suspekt wanns de hinnen net alles weis. Ma sou ass dat wann een mat den groussen Jongen pissen geet, dann kucken se der een bemol beim pissen no, op’s du och an déi Richtung piss ewéi si wëllen…

http://www.rtl.lu/letzebuerg/633589.html

http://www.wort.lu/de/politik/bnd-nsa-skandal-ausmass-ist-groesser-als-angenommen-555b4d500c88b46a8ce59918