Random thoughts.... [Tech Edition]

I've been spending the better part of sunday morning trying to find a new backpack. 30 liters seems to be ideal, I'm a big guy so my clothes take up quite a bit of space, if I ever want to use it for that purpose. Mostly it'll be for dragging my laptop and other misc stuff around. Right my old Samsonite has got an assortment of tools in it, and of course a huge array of dongles and adapters from everything to everything else, just in case I need to hook up to an alien spacecraft.

I've got a ton of tabs open, the pricetags keep going up and I'm none the wiser. The choice is endless.
 
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Perc said:
I've got a ton of tabs open, the pricetags keep going up and I'm none the wiser. The choice is endless.
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Found something yet? :D While it's marketed as a "camera bag" and admittedly very expensive, I've been very happy with my Peak Design Everyday Backpack (30L) for quite a few years now. The adjustable internal dividers are very handy, as are the multiple openings. I rarely to never use it for it's original purpose (camera) but have used it for a bunch of work trips before, carrying both laptop and tech as well as (a very limited selection of) clothes simultaneously. Just a thought. Also: I may be a sucker for PD stuff...

ANYHOO random thought of the day: time recording at work has always been done by use of a nice little RFID card on a few strategically placed terminals (whose location is of course exploited by everyone to get an additional minute of work in by selecting the terminal closest to the car). come covid, suddenly everyone had to work from home and since that seems to have worked, we are allowed to keep working from home, at least for two days a week. which means you can't use the time recording equipment at the office. ok... because things are like they are, this meant everyone kept an excel sheet of their home office times to be entered into SAP (oh dear god why...) manually by some poor admin asisstant at the end of the month. after three years of that crap, times are about to change! I just now got the link to the self service website, which is of course also based on some damn SAP frontend (i repeat: oh god whyyyyyy...). now everyone can put in their times themselves! ... just as soon as we get our login credentials, because syncing that shit with M$ AD would've probably cost another 200k€ and delayed the thing for another six months. ffs.

edit: login credentials actually only took a few minutes, i am impressed.
 
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eizbaer said:
ANYHOO random thought of the day: time recording at work has always been done by use of a nice little RFID card on a few strategically placed terminals (whose location is of course exploited by everyone to get an additional minute of work in by selecting the terminal closest to the car). come covid, suddenly everyone had to work from home and since that seems to have worked, we are allowed to keep working from home, at least for two days a week. which means you can't use the time recording equipment at the office. ok... because things are like they are, this meant everyone kept an excel sheet of their home office times to be entered into SAP (oh dear god why...) manually by some poor admin asisstant at the end of the month. after three years of that crap, times are about to change! I just now got the link to the self service website, which is of course also based on some damn SAP frontend (i repeat: oh god whyyyyyy...). now everyone can put in their times themselves! ... just as soon as we get our login credentials, because syncing that shit with M$ AD would've probably cost another 200k€ and delayed the thing for another six months. ffs.

edit: login credentials actually only took a few minutes, i am impressed.
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We just have an app for that, it's mostly stable, but very flexible. You can also correct the registrations without them being flagged as changed. So very much a confidence based system... :ROFLMAO:
 
Our time recording system is even worse than SAP apparently, so bad that we implemented our very own frontend application as an alternative, connecting to the same backend. :D

But the whole company is slowly being SAPized, unfortunately. And Microsoftized. As an IT company, we should know better. :(
 
marcos_eirik said:
We just have an app for that, it's mostly stable, but very flexible. You can also correct the registrations without them being flagged as changed. So very much a confidence based system... :ROFLMAO:
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Yeah we can correct our stuff as well, up to 7 days. I have no idea whether that flags them or anything... but if it does, I do know that nobody would ever care to take a look :D
Also: since we have both the "clock in/out now" as well as "i clocked in at X on Y" options, you can always fudge the numbers from the start anyway, if you're so inclined.
funny thing: HR specifically took note that we were to keep using the RFID and terminals if we're actually working from the office... nobody quite knows why.

something different:
my cheapo sharkoon mechanical keyboard crapped out on me (the . no longer properly works) and amazon has agreed to take it back and reimburse me the full price. now i need a "proper" keyboard. since I like to keep most of my desk for whatever rubbish i decide to drop and forget on it, I've been using TKL for a few years now. so that's what I would like to stick with. experiences/recommendations?

I remember @Matt2000 preference for "raised" keys so dust/crumbs don't fall into the keyboard, which I thought was a sensible idea.

current contender: Keychron K8. No I will probably never actually use the wireless function, but it seems they don't have that model without... I guess I could look at the Q1/Q3, but that's more than double the price :x
 
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eizbaer said:
my cheapo sharkoon mechanical keyboard crapped out on me (the . no longer properly works) and amazon has agreed to take it back and reimburse me the full price. now i need a "proper" keyboard. since I like to keep most of my desk for whatever rubbish i decide to drop and forget on it, I've been using TKL for a few years now. so that's what I would like to stick with. experiences/recommendations?

I remember @Matt2000 preference for "raised" keys so dust/crumbs don't fall into the keyboard, which I thought was a sensible idea.
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Funny you should mention that. While I can't comment on experience, a GLORIOUS GMMK 2 is on my to-buy list.

In my case I intend to get the barebones 96% ISO version but there are lots of options. You can have 65% ANSI or ISO with switches pre-installed or barebones with quick-release switch sockets. It has that same method of a top plate with the switches sitting proud, it's satisfying that you can just blow/brush crap off the keyboard and have nothing gum up the keys.

1675761209592.png

I think I'm going for Kailh Box White, specifically going for Kailh Box because I like my SA keys and they are less wobbly, white because I'm in the mood for getting some click back after using Cherry Brown for years. There's nothing wrong with this CoolerMaster MK750 and it's been great, I just want to try non-wobbly keys. Supposedly the Box switches aren't the best for gamers, but I play FPS games quite rarely and even then I'm not a super button smasher so it's unlikely that I'll notice or care.

As I said, I'll be going for the 96% ISO version, which is a funny layout but I think I'll like the way it offers everything important (I use the numpad regularly) but saves a bit of space on the desk.

1675761680163.png

Intending to use the SA keycaps I have but it's very tempting to get this sort of IBM-themed set:

View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/JakeTsai-Spacekey-Switches-Mechanical-Keyboard/dp/B0BRV3YYS2

They're the same double-shot keycaps in different colours, with a few variations.
 
Gotta love that the 24/7 Twitch stream of AI generated "Seinfeld" got suspended for transphobic content... 🤣🤦


In other news, we're now on our third SteelSeries Rival 3 mouse...and it's going back too.

First one developed a wheel squeak within a week. Second one was seemingly having battery life issues. Replaced it, and it's worse than the first, even with brand new batteries.

They say "up to 2 years on one pair of batteries."

Now, granted, let's say that because we're using rechargeable instead of alkaline that we should expect 9mo instead of 24. Just for arguement's sake.

Now let's say that to get that max 9 mo life, it only means 8 hours per day and you need to physically turn it off 16 hours even though it has a sleep function, and if you leave it on for 24, you cut that life down to 1/3, which would mean 3 months.

And finally, for that 2 year life, you have to have it's performance dropped down to its special "battery optimised" performance mode which drops down to like 125 dpi, and it turns off all of the lighting. So even if leaving it out of that performance mode it, even if it dropped battery life down to 1/12 of that 3 mo life, we should still get a full week.

We don't even get 9 hours, sometimes as little as 7. Literally changing batteries sometimes more than once a day.

We've tried new batteries, and even bought a new charger.

Today, we put in topped-off, brand new batteries. It stopped working after about 7 hours, and gave us the flashing low battery signal. We pulled the batteries out, put them in the charger, and they charged for about 3 minutes before the charger indicated that it was done charging already, meaning it had only lost like 1-2% of its life.

What sucks is that there's no USB port so you can't use it as wired, much less charge the batteries inside, and we've yet to find another mouse that she likes the shape of anywhere near it...so that means we're stuck going with the wired version, which she is annoyed by (and her entire job is drawing with the mouse).

But the most annoying thing is that the only way to get the mouse to go into it's "eco" mode is through the Steel Series software. And that lowers the DPI so much that the mouse is painfully slow on her 1440 monitor, so if you then try to use the Windows mouse settings and speed it up, it continually gives annoying pop-ups about the software conflicts...and if you shut down the SteelSeries software, the "eco" setting isn't retained.
 
The battery life I get out of this G903 Lightspeed is amazing. Weeks... over a month.... of daily use. It's night-and-day compared to the old G903, I don't know how they've managed it.
 
Matt2000 said:
The battery life I get out of this G903 Lightspeed is amazing. Weeks... over a month.... of daily use. It's night-and-day compared to the old G903, I don't know how they've managed it.
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Same here with my old ass MX master… I guess about a month between charges (tbh I don’t know, it’s so long that I just don’t remember when I last charged it), and I just keep using it with the cable plugged in.

Also: I just ordered a keychron q3. The hell with it. If it sucks I can always send it back.
 
Yup, my MX Master lasts about a month between charges. Great mouse, some small annoyances aside, like the side button placement. Although I use mine wirelessly, I can't go back to a wired mouse ever since I bought an M705 that the MX Master replaced. And using the MX Master plugged in feels so unnatural to me.

BTW, Keychron K2 or K8 in an ISO layout, with whtie backlight and Gateron Browns would pretty much be my ideal mechanical keyboard right now. Don't need anything fancier, I don't think I need the numpad either, and as my current desk is quite small, I'd actually prefer their smaller size. However, I'm not sure my roommates would like it, and it's not my top financial priority. And I would prefer if they existed in a wired variant, without a battery, but this is fine too.
 
Tram said:
And using the MX Master plugged in feels so unnatural to me.
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Really? Strange, I honestly barely notice… but then again I’m a high dpi / minimal movement kind of user.

edit: yup, jinxed it - battery died on me this morning :D
Tram said:
And I would prefer if they existed in a wired variant, without a battery, but this is fine too.
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Yeah this is something I don’t get… why are their cheaper offerings the wireless ones??? I mean sure, you can just slap a cable on it and ignore the Bluetooth, but it seems weird that they don’t offer it without.
 
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eizbaer said:
Really? Strange, I honestly barely notice… but then again I’m a high dpi / minimal movement kind of user.
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Same about the usage, but it just changes the weight balance of the mouse so much it feels just unnatural to me.

eizbaer said:
Yeah this is something I don’t get… why are their cheaper offerings the wireless ones??? I mean sure, you can just slap a cable on it and ignore the Bluetooth, but it seems weird that they don’t offer it without.
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Yeah, I find it weird, too, but I'd use it wirelessly if they already included the battery. I would need to get a BT dongle, which somehow makes sense in my head, as it might have some other uses too. I'm weird.
 
NecroJoe said:
Gotta love that the 24/7 Twitch stream of AI generated "Seinfeld" got suspended for transphobic content... 🤣🤦


In other news, we're now on our third SteelSeries Rival 3 mouse...and it's going back too.

First one developed a wheel squeak within a week. Second one was seemingly having battery life issues. Replaced it, and it's worse than the first, even with brand new batteries.

They say "up to 2 years on one pair of batteries."

Now, granted, let's say that because we're using rechargeable instead of alkaline that we should expect 9mo instead of 24. Just for arguement's sake.

Now let's say that to get that max 9 mo life, it only means 8 hours per day and you need to physically turn it off 16 hours even though it has a sleep function, and if you leave it on for 24, you cut that life down to 1/3, which would mean 3 months.

And finally, for that 2 year life, you have to have it's performance dropped down to its special "battery optimised" performance mode which drops down to like 125 dpi, and it turns off all of the lighting. So even if leaving it out of that performance mode it, even if it dropped battery life down to 1/12 of that 3 mo life, we should still get a full week.

We don't even get 9 hours, sometimes as little as 7. Literally changing batteries sometimes more than once a day.

We've tried new batteries, and even bought a new charger.

Today, we put in topped-off, brand new batteries. It stopped working after about 7 hours, and gave us the flashing low battery signal. We pulled the batteries out, put them in the charger, and they charged for about 3 minutes before the charger indicated that it was done charging already, meaning it had only lost like 1-2% of its life.

What sucks is that there's no USB port so you can't use it as wired, much less charge the batteries inside, and we've yet to find another mouse that she likes the shape of anywhere near it...so that means we're stuck going with the wired version, which she is annoyed by (and her entire job is drawing with the mouse).

But the most annoying thing is that the only way to get the mouse to go into it's "eco" mode is through the Steel Series software. And that lowers the DPI so much that the mouse is painfully slow on her 1440 monitor, so if you then try to use the Windows mouse settings and speed it up, it continually gives annoying pop-ups about the software conflicts...and if you shut down the SteelSeries software, the "eco" setting isn't retained.
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Have you tried alkalines? Rechargeables don't run at the same voltage even though they will say they're "equivalent."
 
73GMCSprint said:
Have you tried alkalines? Rechargeables don't run at the same voltage even though they will say they're "equivalent."
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I actually don't have any alkalines at all. This is the first device we've ever had an issue with like this, from flashlights to remotes, and a digital camera. But even if alkaline did work, I think we're just "done" with it, since we don't want to use disposable batteries, nor having to buy more "special" rechargeables that maybe have higher voltage output spec.

I've heard the Roccat Burst Pro Air is similarly shaped to the SteelSeries Rival 3, but it has a USB port out front to both power the mouse and it has a built-in charger and a nice flexible cable. Supposedly 10 mins of charge gives at least a couple of hours of use, and you can use it plugged in (unlike my wireless shaver, which is SO annoying!).

One down-side is that the clicks from the optical switches are apparently pretty loud, which is a bummer since she teaches online with a webcam, so it'll likely be quite loud on video. The other down side is that it's 2x the (on sale) price. I found the white was on clearance for $55 (Black and the full price for the white is $75).

I hope this is the last one, because I think we're up to 8 "bad" mice for her... Especially since apparently their software and service sucks...
 
NecroJoe said:
I actually don't have any alkalines at all. This is the first device we've ever had an issue with like this, from flashlights to remotes, and a digital camera. But even if alkaline did work, I think we're just "done" with it, since we don't want to use disposable batteries, nor having to buy more "special" rechargeables that maybe have higher voltage output spec.

I've heard the Roccat Burst Pro Air is similarly shaped to the SteelSeries Rival 3, but it has a USB port out front to both power the mouse and it has a built-in charger and a nice flexible cable. Supposedly 10 mins of charge gives at least a couple of hours of use, and you can use it plugged in (unlike my wireless shaver, which is SO annoying!).

One down-side is that the clicks from the optical switches are apparently pretty loud, which is a bummer since she teaches online with a webcam, so it'll likely be quite loud on video. The other down side is that it's 2x the (on sale) price. I found the white was on clearance for $55 (Black and the full price for the white is $75).

I hope this is the last one, because I think we're up to 8 "bad" mice for her... Especially since apparently their software and service sucks...
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This isn't a criticism aimed at you, but I wonder (it could come up when helping others) if the batteries are the cause of the problems you've had. It seems odd that multiple mice would have the same problem when so many others get much better results.

It sounds like going to something with its own internal battery will be the better solution for you.
 
73GMCSprint said:
This isn't a criticism aimed at you, but I wonder (it could come up when helping others) if the batteries are the cause of the problems you've had. It seems odd that multiple mice would have the same problem when so many others get much better results.
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I would agree, if it didn't do it with multiple brands of batteries, some several years old and some brand new (bought just to use with the mouse, in case our "old" batteries sucked.

I get it, it makes no sense to me either. Design wise, we've figured out that she can't use "mice for small hands"...she needs a "normal" sized mouse, but one that is relatively flat (one that doesn't feel like you're resting your hand on a raquetball), and that it slopes down almost to the desk...minimal rounded-over tuck-under. If it wasn't such a terrible tool for what she needs, she'd probably love the Apple Magic Mouse shape.

Now we need to figure out the computer situation...she wants a laptop and a tablet, and she thinks a 2-in-1 would be great, and it might, but 2-in-1s with dedicated GPUs arerare-ish, and $$$$$. Plus, if she travels with it, we'll need to then also buy a high-speed external storage system for her. Right now, she's working on my desktop PC (6600K, GTX 1070) and I'm working on a laptop borrowed from the school.
 
I don't know if there's much logic in this train of thought but the Lastpass security breach made me realize I really should start paying for a password manager again instead of trusting a free service. I wasn't even using Lastpass but now I'm on 1password for what has to be the fifth time. I started using them way back before "cloud" was a thing. The main repository used to live on your Mac (yes, it was by Mac people for Mac people) and when the iPhone app came around it could sync to the Mac over wi-fi. It eventually gained Dropbox support when that became a thing. But I digress.

I really like the new version, it's very polished in a way Lastpass or Bitwarden just isn't, and it hooks into iOS and iPadOS Safari in a way my last password manager didn't. Obviously it's now also Windows compatible and the browser plugins are OS agnostic anyway.

What they weirdly don't tell their European visitors when they go to register on 1password.com is that there is an European twin of the entire service called 1password.eu. It's identical in every way except that the data is stored in the EU and the pricing is in Euros. I had already registered on the US site and entered my credit card, thankfully I was still on the 14 day trial so I hadn't been charged. Switching from 1password.com to 1password.eu was a five minute thing. I registered all over again on .eu, added the account to the desktop app (you can have several accounts) and then I just drag/dropped everything over and closed the .com account.
 
I ended up choosing KeePassXC to solve the same issue. the vault file lives on cloud storage. there's native Win and Mac Clients. Strongbox deals with the iOS side of things and Keepass2Android for, well, you know...
 
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