Monthly Archives: November 2017

Review: Samsung 128Gb EVO Plus microSDXC Card (MB-MC128G)

Posted on November 28, 2017 by lui_gough

During my recent trip to Hong Kong, there was ample reason to get myself a few more microSD cards. They’re just so ubiquitous nowadays, and prices are coming down. As a result, I scoured all of Golden Computer Centre looking … Continue reading →

Posted in Flash Memory, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Netflix Uses My VHS Cassette Images Without Permission

Posted on November 22, 2017 by lui_gough

Update: Matter fully resolved. Case closed! Updates at the end of article. Maybe you’re aware of Netflix, maybe you even have a subscription for their services. You might have also heard of or watched a series called Stranger Things, produced … Continue reading →

Posted in Photography | Tagged , , , | 26 Comments

Teardown: Generic QC2.0 15W Charger (TCAU15U-050912)

Posted on November 20, 2017 by lui_gough

Owing to the growing market-share of Qualcomm devices sporting Quick Charge 2.0 and 3.0 capabilities, the market for such devices has grown substantially. As part of reviewing some power banks with QC-capabilities, it would not be possible to assess their … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Tablet, Telecommunications | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Moments to Disaster: Hard Drive Failure & SMART Data

Posted on November 20, 2017 by lui_gough

While I was away on holiday, blissfully enjoying my time outdoors, I wasn’t aware that a disaster was brewing at home. I got a message from my brother that his machine had started making a clicking noise, and it was … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing, Obituary | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

USB Connector Resistance: Another reason for slow phone/tablet charging

Posted on November 20, 2017 by lui_gough

It was back in 2014 when I first published about USB cable resistance as one reason why your phone or tablet might be charging slowly. At the time, quality cables with good gauge wires were hard to find, and many … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing, Electronics, Power Bank, Tablet, Telecommunications | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Event: BoM Space Weather Users Workshop (16 – 17 Nov 2017)

Posted on November 19, 2017 by lui_gough

Usually, I tend to make an effort to make a few postings throughout the weekends, but this weekend has been a little bit of an exception. That’s because on Thursday 16th and Friday 17th November, I attended the Bureau of … Continue reading →

Posted in Event, Opinion | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Repair (?): ICOM IC-R75 that won’t turn on!

Posted on November 19, 2017 by lui_gough

Returning home from holidays is not easy. In some sense, I’d like to call it a holiday hangover. You start walking on the wrong side of the road, sleeping at odd hours, and in perpetual need of energy to unpack … Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Radio | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Review, Teardown: Mi Power Bank Pro 10000mAh QC3.0 (PLM03ZM)

Posted on November 19, 2017 by lui_gough

At the beginning of the year, I took at trip which included visiting Hong Kong where I managed to pick up a Mi Power Bank Pro and review it. At the end of the review, I expressed the futility of … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing, Electronics, Power Bank, Tablet, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Teardown: Generic CX-FU02+ USB SoftV92 Data Fax HSF Modem

Posted on November 13, 2017 by lui_gough

My tech shopping in Hong Kong continues with more goodies. One of the things I was on the lookout for was the last of the dial-up modem. Rather unsurprisingly, for such an advanced country, it’s almost impossible to find any … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing, Telecommunications | Tagged , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Random: Tech Shopping in Hong Kong – A Treasure Hunt?

Posted on November 13, 2017 by lui_gough

When many people go overseas, one of the things they most look forward to is to do some shopping. I’m generally not like that – I absolutely abhor shopping. But there is one exception – tech shopping. This year, I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing, Opinion, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Repair, Teardown: Edimax IC-1520DP Network Camera

Posted on November 13, 2017 by lui_gough

A long time ago … maybe even eight years ago in 2009 … a computer shop I was shopping at had a network camera on sale for the low low price of AU$30 and I decided to buy it just … Continue reading →

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Problem: Agilent Technologies U1173A Compatibility with Windows 10

Posted on November 12, 2017 by lui_gough

For Christmas in 2014, I decided to get myself a decent multimeter which could do data logging. This turned out to be the Agilent U1241B, along with a U1173A for USB to IR connectivity. At the time, the cable was … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Quick Review: IKEA Lunnom 600lm 5.5W 2200K LED Filament Globe

Posted on November 11, 2017 by lui_gough

In the last few years, it seemed that carbon-filament style globes grew drastically in popularity for mood lighting in many commercial and home settings. Their warm orange glow is distinctive, and nostalgic. While the government in Australia had done a … Continue reading →

Posted in Lighting | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Opinion: The Difficulty Behind a “Simple” Recommendation

Posted on November 11, 2017 by lui_gough

I suppose now that I do have my PhD, it’s time for me to wax lyrical about some of my thoughts and opinions. In this posting, I’ll be addressing the difficulty behind a “simple” recommendation – because everyone has time … Continue reading →

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Review: Seagate Skyhawk Surveillance 8Tb Hard Drive (ST8000VX0022)

Posted on November 7, 2017 by lui_gough

No matter how much storage you have, given enough time, you’ll always need more. As part of my new build, I decided to follow my standard procedure of upgrading part of my storage to larger, new drives for increased speed, … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Quick Review: Samsung 960 EVO 1Tb M.2 NVMe SSD (MZ-V6E1T0)

Posted on November 6, 2017 by lui_gough

I’m sure by now that you don’t need convincing that the Samsung 960-series M.2 NVMe SSDs are awesome drives. Just looking at SSD market share alone, Samsung takes the cake, and the 960 are used almost universally among high performance … Continue reading →

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Farewell: TBS TBS6925 Professional PCIe Satellite Tuner Card

Posted on November 6, 2017 by lui_gough

As a hobbyist with an interest in chasing satellite feeds, my TBS TBS6925 Professional Satellite Tuner Card was my dependable companion. Around AU$250 a piece, I purchased two back in 2011 and two years later, got around to reviewing it. … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing, Obituary, Radio, Satellite | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Project: A Major Upgrade to My Workstation

Posted on November 6, 2017 by lui_gough

Over the past two years, I’ve been seriously thinking about upgrading my workstation for a number of reasons. Despite this, I could never actually make the commitment, as my computing needs are quite high and the investment would be sizeable. … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

An Incomplete Repair: BladeRF x40 Software-Defined Radio

Posted on November 5, 2017 by lui_gough

My last trip to Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong kept me away from home for 80 days, in which time I thoroughly enjoyed doing things I couldn’t otherwise do from home. Despite arriving back home almost a month ago, it … Continue reading →

Posted in Computing, Electronics, Radio | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment