For those who have finished Portal…

Cables anyone?

I don’t have an issue with retailers making profit where they can, especially with the current economic state.  But I also like to save money.  If you have audio/video/computer cable needs in Canada I highly recommend CableSalesCanada.  From my experience in offshore manufacturing I know that cables often cost less than $1 to make, and ever since the introduction of “monster cables,” sellers figured out that consumers will pay huge markups on cables, with no commensurate increase in quality.

A good quality HDMI 1.3b 1m cable sells for $9.50 at CableSalesCanada, plus shipping and tax.  The equivalent starts at $30 at FutureShop and you can pay absolutely silly prices for HDMI monster cables claiming superior video and audio.  I would challenge any viewer/listener to tell the difference.  HDMI is a digital signal, and as long as the integrity of the signal is maintained, the cable will make no difference.

Not that all substitute cables are good, some of the cheaper cables Sears sells have poor connectors that easily fatigue and fail.

For $110 including tax and shipping, I bought 15m (DVI to HDMI), 3m and 2m (HDMI) cables and got a lovely pen and mousepad (ok that’s not much of an incentive, I know!).  Arrived in just a few days.

Other countries I’m sure have equivalent suppliers, I can’t recommend from personal experience.

Moved!

Apparently our brains release a chemical over time that softens and romanticizes memories.  I guess that’s why I’ve moved home a few times in my life!  What a shenanigan. MiniMove (moving company) was a mess arriving 4 hours late (everyone I talked to there said, “not my fault” and I was told the “complaints department” would call me back, which they never did), and Telus took 3 days to get the landline working.  Overall though, with the help of friends, the move went well and I’m happy in my new home in the Fairfield area of Victoria.  I moved on June 29th, and I’m almost unpacked: what’s left to take out of boxes will have to wait until I buy more furniture to hold it.

I’m 20 minutes walk from work, 10 minutes from Beacon Hill Park and about 10 minutes from the ocean.  Paradise.  It took 6 months of searching, but it was worth it. 

I’m having fun with a free 3d home layout program experimenting with placing furniture.  It’s very usable as long as you’re ok with the models not quite matching North American furniture styles.  Be sure to go to the download page and download the installer, the Java launch is flaky.