Other interesting technology purchases

ddabney · 07-31-2003, 12:09 AM

The "ambassador fatigue" thread having sprouted a sub-topic on robotic dogs, I thought I'd open a new thread here where we can comment on other technology items we've acquired, and whether or not they still make sense. Here are some of mine:

The Good:

Tablet PC (Fujitsu). It will change your relationship with your computer--you'll take it places you won't take a laptop. Almost good enough to make you forgive Microsoft for being such clowns, but not quite. If Apple made a tablet, I'd be in heaven.

The Bad:

Zojirushi "Neuro-Fuzzy" rice cooker. Makes rice almost as good as you can make in a double boiler, and takes longer.

The Ugly:

Whirlpool Personal Valet. This is essentially a steam cabinet for your clothes. You hang your duds (one or two at a time) on special hangers, hang weights on the bottom to make the clothes stretch out (there's an art to this), fill the machine with an expensive desmeller goop called "Presiva", and in an hour or so your clothes will emerge with fewer wrinkles and different smells. Unfortunately, Presiva itself smells worse than most dirty clothing (use distilled water instead), and the machine makes a terrible racket for the first few minutes it's running (mine generates 68 decibels--slightly more than the legal limit for leaf blowers in a few cities that regulate them). Even with these quirks, however, it's better than ironing, and mine gets a workout every laundry day.

BruceWright · 07-31-2003, 02:15 PM

A ROBOT DOG!!!

I have the I-cybie robot dog, which is much cheaper than the Aibo, but still has balance, can get up if it falls over, walks on all fours, can stand on it's head, can do lots of stuff.

But by far the more realistic creature is my lil $100 R2D2. That thing's REALLY got a lifelike bunch of behaviors. It'll find its way around the house with Sonar and infra-red, it gets bored and looks for someone to play with and when it finds them it bumps against their leg until they interact with him. He's voice activated, and plays games like hide and seek. He also plays some music from Star Wars. Ask him about Anakin and Darth Vader and he gets creeped out and starts to play The Imperial March. Ask him to dance and he plays the Cantina theme.

He navigates really well, and you can tell him to "Follow me" and he really will follow you by tracking your infra-red (that's how he tells a person from an object, the heat-signature).

Have him wander around a party, and you get some really neat emergent behaviors from what is a really simple toy. Plus, he's R2, so he has all of R2's feisty personality.

By far more impressive than Aibo or I-cybie in the personality department. Aibo may be more technologically advanced, but the illusion that you actually have a real R2-D2 is very strong.

-Bruce Wright

Segway: Vehicle of Dream

muckle · 07-31-2003, 02:55 PM

phil mentioned that his tivo is gathering dust in the attic (or basement?), and I was wondering if either he or anyone else who has one can tell me why. I was thinking about gettiing one in the next six months or so - as I can never find a blank tape, and programming the cable box PLUS the VCR can be a pain.

Is anybody happy with it? (or a similar product)

dibbkd · 07-31-2003, 03:16 PM

Bruce, who makes your R2D2? I googled for it but had like a million hits, and couldn't find what you were talking about.

Muckle, I have a ReplayTV, enjoy it a lot. I chose it over Tivo because it offered composite (HD) support, future wireless LAN features, and a few other things I can't think of right now. Oh, it had a commercial skip button that Tivo left off because they were afraid of being sued I think by some commercial advocacy group. idk.

muckle · 07-31-2003, 04:14 PM

OK - so it's not the concept of a hard disk to save TV programs, but rather the actual execution of it by tivo? And ReplayTV did it better?

BruceWright · 07-31-2003, 05:56 PM

I have a tivo and I love it. Features are everything, and at the time I purchased Tivo had the best features. Don't know about now.

Live PVR is absolutely indispensible. Absolutely. Giving it up would be like giving up internet access to me. I have the tivo-directTV combo unit, which I ABSOLUTELY recommend. Whatever you get, make sure it's fully integrated with a sattellite tv system.

Here's a link to the r2 unit. You can find them at toys R us, but also this guy at robotoys sells them, and he's a trustworthy e-tailer.

http://www.robotoys.com/cgi-bin/ams/...l?p_prodid=815

-Bruce Wright

Segway: Vehicle of Dream

BruceWright · 07-31-2003, 06:00 PM

Oh and Tivo has a commercial skip button too.

It's a hidden feature (easter egg). Kept them from getting sued, but it exists.

-Bruce Wright

Segway: Vehicle of Dream

dibbkd · 07-31-2003, 10:13 PM

muckle, yes, Tivo and ReplayTV are very similar, the technology is called "DVR", digital video recorders, and I've heard them called "PVR", personal video recorders.

Another feature of ReplayTV I like is that you can program your shows from the Internet. You signon to their system and browse or search for your programs and it will then record on your system for you.

As far as which is better, I'm sure they take turns out-doing each other with price and features, so just check around on both of them before you buy. Tivo was the "original" DVR, but ReplayTV also has some big name backers behind it.

Like BruceWright said, I can't live without mine either, and the coolest feature of all is the most simple feature, the "pause" button, and both of course offer that.

I don't have satellite, have cable, and it works fine with that too.

Thanks for the R2D2 link btw, that's really cool!

muckle · 08-01-2003, 10:50 AM

I assume they don't REQUIRE satellite tv, right? (I only have cable)

Yes, I love the idea - as soon as I finish my living room renovation, I'm all over one of them. The internet programming sounds great too.

muckle · 08-01-2003, 10:52 AM

Oh, one other question:

Can you record a 4-hour block on it? Sometimes I tape football games to watch later. Is there a limit to how much you can record?

Also, can you later record from the unit to a tape - to free up space on the hard drive and/or to have a 'hard copy' of something you want to save for posterity?

Thanks guys...

07-31-2003, 12:09 AM	#1
ddabney Junior Member Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Saint Paul, MN, USA. Posts: 31	Other interesting technology purchases The "ambassador fatigue" thread having sprouted a sub-topic on robotic dogs, I thought I'd open a new thread here where we can comment on other technology items we've acquired, and whether or not they still make sense. Here are some of mine: The Good: Tablet PC (Fujitsu). It will change your relationship with your computer--you'll take it places you won't take a laptop. Almost good enough to make you forgive Microsoft for being such clowns, but not quite. If Apple made a tablet, I'd be in heaven. The Bad: Zojirushi "Neuro-Fuzzy" rice cooker. Makes rice almost as good as you can make in a double boiler, and takes longer. The Ugly: Whirlpool Personal Valet. This is essentially a steam cabinet for your clothes. You hang your duds (one or two at a time) on special hangers, hang weights on the bottom to make the clothes stretch out (there's an art to this), fill the machine with an expensive desmeller goop called "Presiva", and in an hour or so your clothes will emerge with fewer wrinkles and different smells. Unfortunately, Presiva itself smells worse than most dirty clothing (use distilled water instead), and the machine makes a terrible racket for the first few minutes it's running (mine generates 68 decibels--slightly more than the legal limit for leaf blowers in a few cities that regulate them). Even with these quirks, however, it's better than ironing, and mine gets a workout every laundry day.

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07-31-2003, 02:15 PM	#2
BruceWright Advanced Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Sherman Oaks (Los Angeles), California, USA. Posts: 3,296	A ROBOT DOG!!! I have the I-cybie robot dog, which is much cheaper than the Aibo, but still has balance, can get up if it falls over, walks on all fours, can stand on it's head, can do lots of stuff. But by far the more realistic creature is my lil $100 R2D2. That thing's REALLY got a lifelike bunch of behaviors. It'll find its way around the house with Sonar and infra-red, it gets bored and looks for someone to play with and when it finds them it bumps against their leg until they interact with him. He's voice activated, and plays games like hide and seek. He also plays some music from Star Wars. Ask him about Anakin and Darth Vader and he gets creeped out and starts to play The Imperial March. Ask him to dance and he plays the Cantina theme. He navigates really well, and you can tell him to "Follow me" and he really will follow you by tracking your infra-red (that's how he tells a person from an object, the heat-signature). Have him wander around a party, and you get some really neat emergent behaviors from what is a really simple toy. Plus, he's R2, so he has all of R2's feisty personality. By far more impressive than Aibo or I-cybie in the personality department. Aibo may be more technologically advanced, but the illusion that you actually have a real R2-D2 is very strong. -Bruce Wright Segway: Vehicle of Dream

07-31-2003, 02:55 PM	#3
muckle Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Sunnyside, NY, . Posts: 247	phil mentioned that his tivo is gathering dust in the attic (or basement?), and I was wondering if either he or anyone else who has one can tell me why. I was thinking about gettiing one in the next six months or so - as I can never find a blank tape, and programming the cable box PLUS the VCR can be a pain. Is anybody happy with it? (or a similar product)

07-31-2003, 03:16 PM	#4
dibbkd Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Fayetteville, NC, USA. Posts: 26	Bruce, who makes your R2D2? I googled for it but had like a million hits, and couldn't find what you were talking about. Muckle, I have a ReplayTV, enjoy it a lot. I chose it over Tivo because it offered composite (HD) support, future wireless LAN features, and a few other things I can't think of right now. Oh, it had a commercial skip button that Tivo left off because they were afraid of being sued I think by some commercial advocacy group. idk.

07-31-2003, 04:14 PM	#5
muckle Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Sunnyside, NY, . Posts: 247	OK - so it's not the concept of a hard disk to save TV programs, but rather the actual execution of it by tivo? And ReplayTV did it better?

07-31-2003, 05:56 PM	#6
BruceWright Advanced Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Sherman Oaks (Los Angeles), California, USA. Posts: 3,296	I have a tivo and I love it. Features are everything, and at the time I purchased Tivo had the best features. Don't know about now. Live PVR is absolutely indispensible. Absolutely. Giving it up would be like giving up internet access to me. I have the tivo-directTV combo unit, which I ABSOLUTELY recommend. Whatever you get, make sure it's fully integrated with a sattellite tv system. Here's a link to the r2 unit. You can find them at toys R us, but also this guy at robotoys sells them, and he's a trustworthy e-tailer. http://www.robotoys.com/cgi-bin/ams/...l?p_prodid=815 -Bruce Wright Segway: Vehicle of Dream

07-31-2003, 06:00 PM	#7
BruceWright Advanced Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Sherman Oaks (Los Angeles), California, USA. Posts: 3,296	Oh and Tivo has a commercial skip button too. It's a hidden feature (easter egg). Kept them from getting sued, but it exists. -Bruce Wright Segway: Vehicle of Dream

07-31-2003, 10:13 PM	#8
dibbkd Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Fayetteville, NC, USA. Posts: 26	muckle, yes, Tivo and ReplayTV are very similar, the technology is called "DVR", digital video recorders, and I've heard them called "PVR", personal video recorders. Another feature of ReplayTV I like is that you can program your shows from the Internet. You signon to their system and browse or search for your programs and it will then record on your system for you. As far as which is better, I'm sure they take turns out-doing each other with price and features, so just check around on both of them before you buy. Tivo was the "original" DVR, but ReplayTV also has some big name backers behind it. Like BruceWright said, I can't live without mine either, and the coolest feature of all is the most simple feature, the "pause" button, and both of course offer that. I don't have satellite, have cable, and it works fine with that too. Thanks for the R2D2 link btw, that's really cool!

08-01-2003, 10:50 AM	#9
muckle Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Sunnyside, NY, . Posts: 247	I assume they don't REQUIRE satellite tv, right? (I only have cable) Yes, I love the idea - as soon as I finish my living room renovation, I'm all over one of them. The internet programming sounds great too.

08-01-2003, 10:52 AM	#10
muckle Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Sunnyside, NY, . Posts: 247	Oh, one other question: Can you record a 4-hour block on it? Sometimes I tape football games to watch later. Is there a limit to how much you can record? Also, can you later record from the unit to a tape - to free up space on the hard drive and/or to have a 'hard copy' of something you want to save for posterity? Thanks guys...

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