Technology catch-all thread

[BigSqwert]

For $11 I'll take instantaneous over a $200 system that takes two minutes to start up a movie and isn't nearly as portable. I can't imagine the amount of power being consumed by the chromecast is even in the same ballpark as running a ps3 either. Might as well plug in a couple extra refrigerators while watching a video.

Edited August 31, 2013 by BigSqwert

[Steve9347]

For $11 I'll take instantaneous over a $200 system that takes two minutes to start up a movie and isn't nearly as portable. I can't imagine the amount of power being consumed by the chromecast is even in the same ballpark as running a ps3 either. Might as well plug in a couple extra refrigerators while watching a video.

We're talking about investments that were already made and paid for themselves years ago. It's not like anyone here is saying "buy a ps3 instead of a chromecast". The chromecast is basically a wireless hdmi cable that only plays content from three different sources.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

How long does it take from the moment you turn the power switch on your ps3 to the moment your netflix movie starts playing? I'd wager a year's salary that it's 20 times longer than starting a video via chromecast. The ps3 update just makes it worse. You'll never have to wait 5 or 10 minutes for the device to update before you can actually watch a video.

 

I'd say 40-50 seconds. System is usually on in about 20 seconds, then netflix app takes another 5-6 seconds. Then to find the video I want, then to have it start. I'd say 40 seconds if I am trying to hurry it up. Usually I turn the system on and go take a leak, then choose Netflix while I turn my fan on. I'm rarely sitting and waiting for either activity.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

We're talking about investments that were already made and paid for themselves years ago. It's not like anyone here is saying "buy a ps3 instead of a chromecast". The chromecast is basically a wireless hdmi cable that only plays content from three different sources.

 

Right. I've had a PS3 for 5+ years now. I am not debating which to watch my Netflix on, I am saying having both allows me to watch Netflix on both TVs in my apartment, whether I am upstairs in my bedroom or downstairs in my living room.

[Y2HH]

I'd say 40-50 seconds. System is usually on in about 20 seconds, then netflix app takes another 5-6 seconds. Then to find the video I want, then to have it start. I'd say 40 seconds if I am trying to hurry it up. Usually I turn the system on and go take a leak, then choose Netflix while I turn my fan on. I'm rarely sitting and waiting for either activity.

 

I think his point is that it doesn't matter that it takes a whopping 45 seconds to start up a netflix video from his PS3. I never realized how right Louie CK was with his routine where he talks about people that can't give anything a f***ing minute these days.

 

The Chomecast is nice BECAUSE of what it costs. Otherwise, he's right, while this will change, at this very moment, it's nothing more than a Netflix/Youtube device that you paid Google to beta test for them.

 

Sqwert is in a different category, though, since Google practically paid him to take the damn thing. He got the 3 months of Netflix credit, and in such a case that was a no brainer. They quickly yanked that offer.

[chw42]

I think his point is that it doesn't matter that it takes a whopping 45 seconds to start up a netflix video from his PS3. I never realized how right Louie CK was with his routine where he talks about people that can't give anything a f***ing minute these days.

 

The Chomecast is nice BECAUSE of what it costs. Otherwise, he's right, while this will change, at this very moment, it's nothing more than a Netflix/Youtube device that you paid Google to beta test for them.

 

Sqwert is in a different category, though, since Google practically paid him to take the damn thing. He got the 3 months of Netflix credit, and in such a case that was a no brainer. They quickly yanked that offer.

 

You can still get the code from Best Buy. I got 9 months for free.

 

[Y2HH]

You can still get the code from Best Buy. I got 9 months for free.

 

If I was in the market for such a device, and it tied into the ecosystem I use, I'd get a few of them, but they'd simply be less than redundant for my purposes.

 

I have 2 AppleTV's connected to my tv's already.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

I think his point is that it doesn't matter that it takes a whopping 45 seconds to start up a netflix video from his PS3. I never realized how right Louie CK was with his routine where he talks about people that can't give anything a f***ing minute these days.

 

No, I think his point was very much the opposite.

[Y2HH]

No, I think his point was very much the opposite.

 

...? The opposite of your argument that it takes too long? wtf are you talking about?

 

Did you just claim that his argument is that he's happy it takes that long to start up a netflix video on a ps3? Because if not, you don't know what opposite means.

Edited September 2, 2013 by Y2HH

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

...? The opposite of your argument that it takes too long? wtf are you talking about?

 

Did you just claim that his argument is that he's happy it takes that long to start up a netflix video on a ps3? Because if not, you don't know what opposite means.

 

He said he'd rather pay $11 to be able to instantaneous access Netflix, over the $200 for amount of time it takes the PS3 to load Netflix. My rebuttal was that it only takes 40-45 seconds for me to get on Netflix from the PS3 being off, which is nothing.

 

I'm not sure what I'm missing here.

[Jake]

Yeah, but like, how good would LeBron have been in the 80s?

 

/threadkillingarguments

[SleepyWhiteSox]

roku is better

[chw42]

Yeah, but like, how good would LeBron have been in the 80s?

 

/threadkillingarguments

 

LeBron would have been VHS.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Well cool, I can't even use my Chromecast at school because my apartment uses the school's internet, and the chromecast apparently can't connect to it. So that's great.

 

And it sucks because my phone and my laptop connect to the WiFi fine, and that's what the chromecast will be using to get it's internet (or so I thought). Sweeeet.

[Jake]

Use something like Connectify to turn your laptop into a hotspot. Basic college student stuff, man

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Use something like Connectify to turn your laptop into a hotspot. Basic college student stuff, man

 

Does this mean my laptop has to be on though to make a connection? I guess if I have to, I will. I'll look in to it. I'd also love to have my PS3 in my room, and not downstairs where it has to be wired in to an ethernet.

[Jake]

Does this mean my laptop has to be on though to make a connection? I guess if I have to, I will. I'll look in to it. I'd also love to have my PS3 in my room, and not downstairs where it has to be wired in to an ethernet.

 

Yes it does. That alone is making me look for a desktop.

[Y2HH]

So, Android v4.4 is actually code named KitKat, compete with a cross promotion with Nestle and ... KitKat candy bars.

 

Seriously.

 

While I don't mind KitKats...is it necessary to crossbrand this? The last thing we need is MORE advertising in our lives.

[southsider2k5]

So, Android v4.4 is actually code named KitKat, compete with a cross promotion with Nestle and ... KitKat candy bars.

 

Seriously.

 

While I don't mind KitKats...is it necessary to crossbrand this? The last thing we need is MORE advertising in our lives.

 

Like KitKat and Android care about what we actually need in our lives...

[Texsox]

Use something like Connectify to turn your laptop into a hotspot. Basic college student stuff, man

 

Even us old guys can handle that.

[chw42]

So, Android v4.4 is actually code named KitKat, compete with a cross promotion with Nestle and ... KitKat candy bars.

 

Seriously.

 

While I don't mind KitKats...is it necessary to crossbrand this? The last thing we need is MORE advertising in our lives.

 

I think it's hilarious.

 

All along, everyone thought it'd be Key Lime Pie. Now it's named after a freaking candy bar.

 

But the whole advertising thing just feels...weird. An OS named after a candy bar? That's unprecedented, but it also just feels wrong.

 

That being said, I do like Kit Kats, they're probably one of my favorite candy bars, so I'll be eating more come halloween time to see if I can win a free tablet.

 

On a completely serious note, a name change to the OS means that 4.4 will probably bring major changes. I'm thinking 4.4 will launch with the brand new Nexus 4 (or 5) sometime in October/November.

Edited September 3, 2013 by chw42

[chw42]

BBC says Google's not getting any money for this.

 

However, Google told the BBC that it had come up with the idea and that neither side was paying the other.

 

"This is not a money-changing-hands kind of deal," John Lagerling, director of Android global partnerships, told the BBC.

 

Instead, he said, the idea was to do something "fun and unexpected".

[StrangeSox]

So my main hard drive on my PC went to s*** on Friday. It was fine all evening, I left for about half an hour, came back to log on and the system was frozen. I restarted, and then it was in a System Repair/chkdsk loop until last night.

 

I ran Western Digital's diagnostic program, and that gave me a "too many errors, lol" error message. I ran some other utility program I found (Hiren's BootCD) and that couldn't even get the HDD to mount.

 

Luckily the drive is still under warranty, so I'll get a replacement, but I don't know how to get any data off of it at this point. If I can't get it to mount using a linux boot CD, is there any hope of getting anything off of the drive myself? There's nothing all that important on there except for Skyrim saves.

 

(Convenient timing, I just got an external backup drive as a gift yesterday)

[chw42]

So my main hard drive on my PC went to s*** on Friday. It was fine all evening, I left for about half an hour, came back to log on and the system was frozen. I restarted, and then it was in a System Repair/chkdsk loop until last night.

 

I ran Western Digital's diagnostic program, and that gave me a "too many errors, lol" error message. I ran some other utility program I found (Hiren's BootCD) and that couldn't even get the HDD to mount.

 

Luckily the drive is still under warranty, so I'll get a replacement, but I don't know how to get any data off of it at this point. If I can't get it to mount using a linux boot CD, is there any hope of getting anything off of the drive myself? There's nothing all that important on there except for Skyrim saves.

 

(Convenient timing, I just got an external backup drive as a gift yesterday)

 

Probably not. A crapped out drive is a crapped out drive.

 

I think it's time for you to get an SSD. A good SSD has a much lower rate of failure (at least before it degrades after it reaches its writes limit). Not to mention the performance boost you'll get.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Yes it does. That alone is making me look for a desktop.

 

Well, I decided to try this out on the laptop in my room that I leave on all the time and is more or less a desktop anyway. I tried the "Connectify Lite", but it won't allow me to share my WiFI AS a WiFi connection to other devices. The only way I can apparently share a WiFi connection is to connect my laptop through an ethernet cable, and the only data box is downstairs.

 

So I guess I need to find another Hotspot program that will allow me to just simply use my WiFi connection to send out another WiFi connection.