If you’re like me, you have lots of USB devices, but a few of them are rarely plugged in (iPod/Blackberry/Digital Camera/programmable TV remote control).  What do you do with the dangly bits when you’re not using them?

Here’s the solution my friend Mike Ray came up with for me.  Note that I didn’t want to damage my new pine desk, so the only screw holes are on the underside, and not visible.  We used a jig on a blank piece of wood with screws shrouded in concrete anchors to use as reference to wind the coat hanger around. 

Twist just the right way and the cord can be removed completely from the wire.

Note also that sometimes I disconnect my headphones, so I have a gap in the audio path that I can use to do this.  I disconnect when I’m driving my audio system in the living room from the computer.

If we were to do it again, we’d mount the wire lower so that the bits weren’t visible over the edge when not used.  As it is one or two stick up.

Rather than going on at length about the protests last night that disrupted the Olympic torch relay, here’s some comments.

In my opinion, there are legitimate concerns about the cost of the Olympics, where money could be better spent, who really benefits (is it really the children as claimed?), etc.  But the disruptions last night only served to discredit the protesters and their issues, while impacting everyday folks who wanted a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

One poster commented on the cost of helicopters and security.  And why was that cost necessary, protesters?

Who was the audience for the protesters?  Who is going to be enlightened by this?

The intolerance in the protesters only mirrors the intolerance they perceive in corporations and government (which I agree often exists).  The protesters are no different, and they only serve to perpetuate division and fear. 

Sad.

If your home space planning needs are simple, and you don’t need the complexity of the Punch line of home design software, Sweet Home 3D is a great free option, as I noted in my July 6 post.  Be sure to download the additional 3d model libraries, and even with them your choices will be limited, and very Euro-focused (check out the bizarre fireplace).  However, I still found the models quite usable as placeholders.  Includes plan view, as well as 3D walkthrough and the ability to print PDFs, if you don’t already have a PDF writer.  Here’s my layout.

And I have got some more furniture.  Had a very sorry experience with Sears catalog shopping (30 errors in the fulfillment process, dealing with 19 representatives, in the end they shortchanged me on the refund), eventually cancelled the order and got what I wanted from The Brick (zero failures, talked to 3 people in the order fulfillment process).

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.

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.

Bill Womack nicely summarizes the new Tongass release on his blog.  Drop by and take a look.  It’s spectactular!

Soundings will appear at a concert by Nomad, the world music duo with guitarist Michael Waters (from Victoria, BC) and Kinobe (from Uganda) who is a wizard on many African instruments including kora, adungu, and kalimba.

Soundings will be singing with Nomad on four pieces, including the well-known song “Kothbiro”, composed by Kenyan singer Ayub Ogada. Also we will be performing a new setting of  “God Bless the Rain” by Soundings director Denis Donnelly, a unique rendering of a Rumi-like mystical poem by poet Gregory Orr, and a brand new version of the popular past Soundings number “Jabula Jesu”.  In all these we will be collaborating with Nomad, who will be backing us up and alternating leads with us.  It’ll be fun!

Samples of Nomad’s music can be found here.

Saturday, June 27, 8:00 pm at Gordon Head United Church, 4201 Tyndall. Tickets $15 at Lyle’s Place in Victoria, BC, and at the door (if not sold out).

As I note in my audio/video system update I’ve been using the landlady’s speakers for some time.  Once I knew what my new condo would be like (small), I was ready to buy speakers.  I decided on an oddball stereo pair, not very common, but they sounded the best of everything I listened to under $2,000, except for the very low end, which is missing (Response: 55Hz – 50kHz).  I bought a pair of JVC SX-WD5’s.  The clarity is stunning, and using the old Technic’s as rears works fine.  When I move, I’ll look for some inexpensive rears.

I don’t plan on getting a centre speaker or subwoofer or “presence” speakers.  So my 7.1 receiver will be driving 4.0.  Even for surround sound movies, it sounds great.  I’m just missing that deep rumble that probably wouldn’t go down well in a condo …