I received quite a few emails over the last few days regarding that shambolic little bluetooth equipped personal cassette player on Kickstarter.
These brief spikes in interest spikes happen whenever a story-hungry tech blog promotes the latest cassette based embarrassment of a player.
Most people understand exactly what it is they're looking at whenever one of these ...
2019-07-12 06:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post
I also made a review of a rear-view mirror dash-cam this week.
In the video I explain why you probably shouldn’t buy a rear-view mirror dash-cam.
So that’ll generate lots of affiliated sales revenue.
2019-07-06 15:21:21 +0000 UTC View Post
This month's Patreon Exclusive goes into more detail on the Schaub Lorenz video from last week.
I've uploaded the audio I've captured from the machine so far in this folder. http://pc.cd/SxtitalK
A few notes about these audio clips. If you hear a sentence being cut off mid flow - that's not me - that's down to the pe...
2019-07-05 13:51:50 +0000 UTC View Post
I guarantee you‘ll never have seen anything like this, because there is nothing else quite like this.
The ‘Schaub-Lorenz Music Center’ is getting on for fifty five years old, but is still as fascinating as the day it was made.
I aim to talk more about this video in the next patreon exclusive update and by then I hope to have some interesting audio to share with...
2019-06-27 18:33:46 +0000 UTC View Post
I’m back with something a little bit unusual to show you. I’ve been looking for one of these since I saw a picture of one on a message board a few years ago.
When a picture of a piece of tech makes me smile and others question whether it’s been photoshopped, it’s something worth seeking out.
Circumstances cut the main video short, but there is still fun to be had a...
2019-06-20 12:27:11 +0000 UTC View Post
I was surprised at how many people were interested in the Technics turntable I featured a few weeks ago in the review of those terrible powered speakers. However I also liked that turntable so much that I upgraded to the most recent model Technics released in this form factor. Given that I now had the first and last of this range it seemed silly not to make a quick video comparison. 2019-06-14 09:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
The great thing about buying broken items off ebay is that with a bit of tinkering they can only get better - or stay the same, but let's try to keep positive. Perhaps it's just a blown fuse...
2019-06-07 09:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
The concluding video of a two parter rounding up the music meters and visualisers I've bought over the last couple of years.
Of course since putting this together I've acquired a couple more, but that's something for another day.
2019-05-31 10:00:01 +0000 UTC View PostThis is the audio version. Apparently it has to be posted separately from the Video in order to work as a RSS feed. If your screen looks anything like mine - the RSS feed can be found at the top right just below the banner picture.
Links to things mentioned in this recording;
VHD Interactive Promo: https://youtu.be/Yu6c7wf6O0E
VHD Japanese Promo: 2019-05-28 11:28:05 +0000 UTC View Post
Links to things mentioned in the video;
VHD Interactive Promo: https://youtu.be/Yu6c7wf6O0E
VHD Japanese Promo: https://youtu.be/yyZycXrYIrQ
Wire Recorder Render: 2019-05-28 11:27:12 +0000 UTC View Post
Hope you like this one - the four hour cassette.
I aim to shoot a patreon exclusive video over the weekend - so all being well that should be ready to watch around mid next week. After that I think I'll have a good lie down. Have a great weekend.
UPDATE: Re-uploaded the video to apply a one second overdub to the whiteboard section to correct the maths.
2019-05-24 19:42:05 +0000 UTC View Post
A video years in the making.
This is quite a densely packed video as there was a surprising amount to cover for something that didn't happen. You'll need to set aside 28 minutes if you want to watch the whole thing in one sitting, which is my recommendation.
It's been a two year treasure hunt getting this video together but I'm happy with the way it turned out as I don't feel I'...
2019-05-17 11:33:44 +0000 UTC View Post
I feel that this video doesn’t really gel, so since shooting it a few weeks ago I’ve been bumping it down the release schedule in favour of videos I was happier with. I could really do with getting it out of way though to free up space on my SSD and clear the decks for other more engaging projects - so here it is warts and all.
2019-05-10 19:38:22 +0000 UTC View Post
I thought I should take a look at one of these 'hologram' displays, so here it is.
It's something very few people could find a real use for, but recently I've found that the silly gadget videos have done far better than the topics I've spent weeks researching. Although I appreciate that something like the VHD video was far too dense for anyone wanting a quick hit of entertainmen...
2019-05-02 11:25:26 +0000 UTC View Post
Hope you've had a good week. After my all-week video editing marathon I feel that my eyes could benefit from a few screen-free days. However before I turn this laptop off for the evening I just wanted to put this video out on Patreon.
A few people might like to know that this one features a comedy outro - which can also be accessed on its own from this link 2019-04-26 19:30:59 +0000 UTC View Post
Testing Testing 1, 2, 3
The feedback under the last Pat-ex update indicated that the video aspect was off-putting and these updates would work better as an audio recording that could be listened to whilst doing other things.
So let's try that out - here's an audio-only update for April 2019.
Chapters
Introduction - 00:00
Video Analytics - 03:47
Updates and addendums - 06:44
Interactions - 11:26
Obstacles & Challenges ...
2019-04-22 23:21:14 +0000 UTC View Post
This is the video I mentioned I was deep in the weeds editing last week. I had planned to put it out in May - but I've bumped it up the queue as I felt my April output was looking a bit lacklustre.
This turned out to be a fascinating but exhausting video to make as every time I went looking for clarification of a date or fact, it lead to finding out about something else that added ano...
2019-04-17 15:54:39 +0000 UTC View Post
An unplanned video in which I get to look at a few rare Digital Compact Cassettes, and attempt to find out more about the unused lyrics feature.
In the comments under the Patron extra videos and last weeks 'repair' video I saw a few people were concerned about 'the new format'. I've never knowingly had any format other than making videos about things that interest me. So, just t...
2019-04-10 18:13:06 +0000 UTC View Post
A while ago in a pat-ex video I mentioned how I wanted to try making a different kind of repair video.
So here's what I came up with - it's unconventional, but hopefully also provides a modicum of entertainment. It's perhaps worth mentioning that if I hadn't made it, my alternative was to delete the 'footage' I'd shot and move on to my next project.
I hope you...
2019-04-05 18:04:14 +0000 UTC View Post
It's been a few months since I took on a camera review. Viewing figures had indicated that these videos were no longer as popular as the retro-tech ones. However in recent months the retro-tech videos aren't really hitting either.
So rather than chasing viewers, which is almost certainly a race to the bottom, I'll just continue making videos about the things I ...
2019-03-30 10:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostYour input is appreciated.
I've been making the occasional Patreon exclusive video, however feedback seems to indicate that it may be better knocking this idea on the head and take the day off instead.
I've made one more new pat-ex video for March 2019
You can view it here: https://youtu.be/iLVlzg4glhk (it's no masterpiece - just a chat).
Please let me know how you feel about these types o...
2019-03-23 09:14:17 +0000 UTC View Post
This is a video about a new turntable cartridge and a phono pre-amp I added to my Hi-Fi.
I’d never installed a cartridge before, so whenever I try something new I like to record it on video just in case it helps anyone who‘s watching. I feel this is likely to be an 80-100,000 view video at most, so it’s definitelly not a tentpole extravaganza, but If I can demystify someth...
2019-03-21 09:01:00 +0000 UTC View Post
It’s been a couple of months since I showcased a ‘forgotten’ format, so I've pulled this one out of the to-do pile - it's Grundig's DC International. There was little to go on when trying to research the behind the scenes conflict that lead to this format's creation, it seems like everyone concerned would rather just forget the whole debacle.
I aim to publish this video e...
2019-03-14 14:39:53 +0000 UTC View Post
When you were a child you might have played with toys depicting an earlier era, a model railway with steam locomotives or a Scalextric with classic racing cars.
Today’s kids can now pretend to be living in the distant retro past of the 1980s with this range of miniature consumer electronic gadgets.
It’s more than likely though that these are being aimed at the no...
2019-03-07 20:44:47 +0000 UTC View Post
A basic and simple in-between video, passable in content, but it's no Lawrence of Arabia This is what I consider to be a Cheese Sandwich Video*. It's not going to set the world on fire - but it might provide light entertainment for seven minutes and twenty seconds (no guarantees though).
These simple videos are a fun way for me to try something out without spending days o...
2019-03-02 11:20:26 +0000 UTC View Post
Today we're taking a look at a beautiful piece of late 1950's miniaturisation. A record player you could fit in a (big) pocket, The Wondergram.
Updated version now embedded above.
Changes: Added: Tracking force measurement at 12:24
Removed: Mention of Baird. Mention of leaky capacitor.
Reworded: A section about the badge on the front.
2019-02-26 07:00:01 +0000 UTC View Post
A quick Patreon exclusive update about nothing in particular.
Links to things mentioned in this video:
VHS Box Animation YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9DfSCk-6Ko
Sony Walkman Story NHK Video. 2019-02-22 10:07:01 +0000 UTC View Post
This week I found myself in the unlikely position of being ahead of the curve. In January after months of thinking about it, I finally ordered the rather pricey Sony Wena Smart Watch Strap just for the purposes of learning about and doing a demonstration of something that was only available in Japan.
Postage took longer than expected, but eventually it arrived and I put it to one...
2019-02-17 08:31:00 +0000 UTC View Post
I wasn't aware that you could get pre-recorded MiniDiscs duplicated in 2019 - so I was pleasantly surprised to receive one in the post.
2019-02-12 09:44:45 +0000 UTC View Post
A while ago someone contacted me to ask why you don't see Hi-Fi component DAB (Digital Radio) Tuners. I think this video goes some way to explain why most HiFi manufacturers would think twice before uttering DAB and Hi-Fi in the same sentence.
It's a slightly odd video, half product review, half opinion piece. I’m not convinced both halves come together to make a cohesive whole, it's a bit talky, but it is what it is, they can't all be Oscar contenders.
Hope yo...
2019-02-08 14:31:03 +0000 UTC View Post