Lingolol

Terence Eden🆕 blog! “I bought a £16 smartwatch just because it used USB-C” ★★★★☆Look, I'm an idiot. I know that, you know that, and the man on the moon knows that. Let's not get into why I'm an idiot; let's just accept that I have my peculiarities and you have yours. My idiocy is a quest to make sure all my portable electronics can recharge using…👀 Read more: <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/08/i-bought-a-16-smartwatch-just-because-it-used-usb-c/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/08/i-bought-a-16-smartwatch-just-because-it-used-usb-c/</a> ⸻ <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/bluetooth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#bluetooth</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#review</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/usb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#usb</a>-c

Terence Eden🆕 blog! “Why don't smart watches use USB-C to recharge?”It looks like the new Google's Pixel 4 watch comes with yet another incompatible change in charging technology. This is a ridiculous situation.The original Pixel Watch used one type of wireless charging. Then the Pixel Watch 2 & 3 removed wireless charging and swapped to a different charging mechanism. And…👀 Read more: <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/08/why-dont-smart-watches-use-usb-c-to-recharge/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/08/why-dont-smart-watches-use-usb-c-to-recharge/</a> ⸻ <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/usb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#usb</a>-c <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/watch" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#watch</a>

Terence Eden🆕 blog! “Gadget Review: Thermal Imaging Camera - Topdon TC004 Mini” ★★★⯪☆I've reviewed several thermal imaging products over the years. They range from tiny USB-C add-ons to professional quality hulking great handhelds.Topdon have sent me a mid-point model to review. It's relatively cheap for a thermal imaging product - only £140 on Amazon. I …👀 Read more: <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/07/gadget-review-thermal-imaging-camera-topdon-tc004-mini/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/07/gadget-review-thermal-imaging-camera-topdon-tc004-mini/</a> ⸻ <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/infrared" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#infrared</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#review</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/thermal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#thermal</a>

DevijandMy husband gave me a trail cam for our wedding anniversary today. I wanted to have a camera in this part of the backyard to see what kind of animals hang out here. It immediately caught these delinquents in the act of destroying our property 🤣<a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/trailcam" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#trailcam</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/trailcamera" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#trailcamera</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/kauwboys" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#kauwboys</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/kauw" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#kauw</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/jackdaw" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#jackdaw</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/destruction" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#destruction</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/demolitioncrew" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#demolitioncrew</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/wildlifecamera" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#wildlifecamera</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/backyard" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#backyard</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/birding" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#birding</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/birdwatching" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#birdwatching</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/birdsofmastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#birdsofmastodon</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/birds" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#birds</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/cool" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#cool</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/happy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#happy</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/greatgift" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#greatgift</a>

Geeks anciensAu moment où on ne pouvait pas apprécier plus le château de Versailles, voilà qu'il noue un partenariat avec OpenAI et une start up française pour des gadgets technologiques à visée touristique. C'était indispensable, vraiment. Je n'en pouvais plus de ne pas arriver à dormir la nuit à force d'attendre ça. La face des visites à Versailles en sera bouleversée. Le tout dans le plus grand respect de l'environnement, bien sûr. J'ai hâte de voir les effets du réchauffement climatique sur les jardins et les grandes eaux. Pardon, c'est vrai que la canicule à 40 degrés c'est le Roi-Soleil. Je suis pleinement convaincu et enthousiaste. Ceci est mon visage quand je suis pleinement convaincu et enthousiaste. <a href="https://www.liberation.fr/lifestyle/hightech/je-suis-latone-que-desirez-vous-savoir-au-chateau-de-versailles-des-statues-prennent-la-parole-avec-lia-20250628_CXP7ZAU7GJBEXA3KZ2EVMTXYCQ/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.liberation.fr/lifestyle/hightech/je-suis-latone-que-desirez-vous-savoir-au-chateau-de-versailles-des-statues-prennent-la-parole-avec-lia-20250628_CXP7ZAU7GJBEXA3KZ2EVMTXYCQ/</a> <a href="https://social.sciences.re/tags/pollution" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#pollution</a> <a href="https://social.sciences.re/tags/r%C3%A9chauffementClimatique" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#réchauffementClimatique</a> <a href="https://social.sciences.re/tags/gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a href="https://social.sciences.re/tags/donn%C3%A9esPersonnelles" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#donnéesPersonnelles</a> <a href="https://social.sciences.re/tags/Versailles" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Versailles</a> <a href="https://social.sciences.re/tags/OpenAI" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#OpenAI</a> <a href="https://social.sciences.re/tags/AskMona" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AskMona</a> <a href="https://social.sciences.re/tags/tourisme" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#tourisme</a> <a href="https://social.sciences.re/tags/ChateauDeVersailles" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ChateauDeVersailles</a> <a href="https://social.sciences.re/tags/IA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IA</a>

Terence Eden🆕 blog! “Gadget Review: Treedix USB Cable Tester” ★★★★⯪Cables aren't just copper wire and plastic sheath any more. Modern USB-C cables contain little microchips called eMarkers which allow them to transfer data and power at terrifying speeds. But, sadly, there's no way you can look at a USB-C cable and see whether it supports the baffling array of features…👀 Read more: <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/06/gadget-review-treedix-usb-cable-tester/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/06/gadget-review-treedix-usb-cable-tester/</a> ⸻ <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/hardware" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#hardware</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#review</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/USB" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#USB</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/usb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#usb</a>-c

Terence Eden’s BlogGadget Review: Treedix USB Cable Tester<a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/06/gadget-review-treedix-usb-cable-tester/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/06/gadget-review-treedix-usb-cable-tester/</a>Cables aren't just copper wire and plastic sheath any more. Modern USB-C cables contain <a href="https://hackaday.com/2023/01/04/all-about-usb-c-resistors-and-emarkers/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">little microchips called eMarkers</a> which allow them to transfer data and power at terrifying speeds. But, sadly, there's no way you can look at a USB-C cable and see whether it supports the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB-C#Cable_types" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">baffling array of features</a> available.Enter the catchily-named <a href="https://treedix.com/products/treedix-usb-cable-tester-usb-c-cable-tester-usb-tester-for-data-transmission-and-power-transmission-cable-testing-resistor-testing-type-c-emarker-for-usb-a-micro-b-micro-b-3-0-type-c-lighting-mini-b" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Treedix TRX5-0816-AC</a>.It will test just about any sort of USB cable and tell you what it does - and doesn't - support. It will also show you which pins are connected, how fast it can transmit data, and what the eMarker shows. Nice!Let's put it through its paces.Inputs and outputsOn one side are your output ports - you have a choice of USB-C or USB-A 3.0.At the bottom you have this range of ports to choose from:So you can go A-C, C-micro, C-lightning etc.Finally, on the other side you have a button, a switch, and input power:The power switch toggles between the internal AAA battery (included) and a 5V supply from a USB-C cable (not included). Pressing the white button moves between the different diagnostic screens.Power OnlyI tried with a short USB-C power-only cable designed for charging low-power devices. I plugged in the USB-A end and the USB-C end.It correctly identified that it couldn't do data transmission.With a power-only USB-C cable, it had much the same display. Pressing the button on the side of the Treedix told me what it knew about the eMarker.Perfect!Passive USB-CWhat about a data and power USB-C cable? This is the <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2023/08/chubbycable-usb-c-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">ChubbyCable I reviewed a few years ago.</a>USB 3.2 Gen2 and power of up to 100W. It has also correctly guessed the likely length of the cable by measuring the latency.Interestingly, when looking at the basic functions, it says it can only do USB 2.0 speeds and correctly identifies that it doesn't do PowerDelivery 3.1 (which goes up to 240W).Finally, which pins are connected?That looks about right!ThunderBolt 4 or 3?Let's compare two high-performance cables. The one I usually have plugged into my <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2024/06/review-framework-16-laptop/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Framework Laptop</a> and <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2023/08/gadget-review-mokin-usb-c-docking-station-linux-information/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">USB-C hub</a>Thunderbolt 4 capable of 100W of Power and 40 Gbps of data. As expected, no PD3.1:Let's test a different high-quality cable I bought recently. The labelling claims 20Gbps and 240W of power. We can see that it does have PD3.1:But! Looking at the eMarker, it reports that is only a ThunderBolt 3 device capable of 10Gbps!I asked the cable manufacturer if that's a problem with the cable or the eMarker or the diagnostic machine. They said:<blockquote>eMarker tester can only show single channel transmission rate 10Gbps, devices supporting dual channel can show 20Gbps. our products have 18 months warranty, if there is any problem, please feel free to contact me, I will provide you with satisfactory after-sales service.</blockquote>I've contacted Treedix to see if they can shed light on this.Of course, my laptop only supports 10Gbps, so it is a bit moot!Weird CablesAs well as your standard USB-C, it will also do the ugliest plug known the mankind - the USB Micro-B SuperSpeed.It'll also do Lightning cables - as long as they also have a USB-A or C end.DownsidesOther than having to replace all your duff cables, there are a few annoying little niggles.<ul><li>The battery compartment is really stiff. I had to unscrew the back of the device to get it open.</li><li>The power switch feels a little flimsy.</li><li>The function button is a little small and fiddly.</li><li>Screen brightness can't be changed (but it is pretty bright).</li><li>No USB-B (the chunky one often used for printers).</li><li>No firmware updates.</li></ul>Those are all minor complaints.The biggest complaint is that USB-C terminology is hard. Which is better, 40Gbps but only 100W or 10Gbps but 240W? How does ThunderBolt relate to USB? What is EPR and why does it matter? Where does DP Alt Mode fit in?!VerdictIt powers up and detects all features instantly. It goes to sleep after a few minutes of not being used. It will even show you the electrical resistance of the cable if you think that's useful.Total cost? <a href="https://amzn.to/44eJ7YL" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">£40 at the moment from Amazon</a>. I reckon that's a bargain. It is an indispensable piece of kit - especially if you have a big box of ancient USB cables. This will allow you to quickly and easily see which ones are broken, which are mislabelled, and which deserve pride of place in your collection.If you're running a hackspace, this is a no-brainer. If you've ever wasted time trying to diagnose a USB problem, this should be your first port of call.<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/tag/gadget/" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/tag/hardware/" target="_blank">#hardware</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/tag/review/" target="_blank">#review</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/tag/usb/" target="_blank">#USB</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/tag/usb-c/" target="_blank">#usbC</a>

Ralph Paßgang<a href="https://social.dogondo.de/tags/Haustiere" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Haustiere</a> als <a href="https://social.dogondo.de/tags/Lifestyle" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Lifestyle</a> <a href="https://social.dogondo.de/tags/Gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Gadget</a> in Zeiten von <a href="https://social.dogondo.de/tags/SocialMedia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SocialMedia</a>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL7eFQ8x5LU" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL7eFQ8x5LU</a><a href="https://social.dogondo.de/tags/hund" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#hund</a> <a href="https://social.dogondo.de/tags/extra3" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#extra3</a> <a href="https://social.dogondo.de/tags/haustier" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#haustier</a> <a href="https://social.dogondo.de/tags/satire" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#satire</a>

Terence Eden🆕 blog! “Gadget Review: AsiceSound Bluetooth Earbuds S23” ★⯪☆☆☆The good folks at AsiceSound sent me their latest Bluetooth Earbuds. They're yet another no brand company which rebadge various Chinese gadgetry.The S23 are £50, which is a reasonable price compared to AirPods, and expensive compared to bargain basement earbuds. So what do these …👀 Read more: <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/05/gadget-review-asicesound-bluetooth-earbuds-s23/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/05/gadget-review-asicesound-bluetooth-earbuds-s23/</a> ⸻ <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/bluetooth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#bluetooth</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/headphones" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#headphones</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#review</a>

Terence Eden🆕 blog! “Gadget Review: DisplayPort to HDMI Showdown”From crummy old S-Video, through SCART, VGA, and HDMI - the world of video connectors has never been entirely cross compatible. Oh, sure, with enough boxes and adapters you can usually get an old device to talk to a new one. But results are never guaranteed and quality can take a hit.HDMI was supposed …👀 Read more: <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/05/gadget-review-displayport-to-hdmi-showdown/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/05/gadget-review-displayport-to-hdmi-showdown/</a> ⸻ <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/DisplayPort" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DisplayPort</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/hdmi" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#hdmi</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#review</a>

Terence Eden🆕 blog! “Gadget Review: 6-Colour ePaper Name Badge” ★★★★⯪The good folks at SmartDisplayer Technology Co have sent me a six colour eInk badge to play about with.Here's a quick video and then a walk-through of its features.You can also view SmartDisplayer's official video.The BadgeIt is a single block of plastic. There are no seams, screws, or rough…👀 Read more: <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/04/gadget-review-6-colour-epaper-name-badge/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/04/gadget-review-6-colour-epaper-name-badge/</a> ⸻ <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/demo" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#demo</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/eink" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#eink</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#review</a>

Terence Eden🆕 blog! “Is this the smallest USB-C hub?” ★★★★★The gadget wizards at Benfei know that I'm a sucker for any sort of USB-C gadget. So when they offered to send me their micro-hub to review, how could I refuse?It is dinky!Here's what you get for your tennerUSB-C PowerDelivery HDMI USB-AFrankly, I'm impressed that they managed to fit that much in!If you'll excuse my…👀 Read more: <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/04/is-this-the-smallest-usb-c-hub/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/04/is-this-the-smallest-usb-c-hub/</a> ⸻ <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#review</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/usb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#usb</a>-c

Terence Eden🆕 blog! “Gadget Review: Benfei SATA to USB-C Drive Enclosure” ★★★★★The good folks at Benfei know that I'm always losing my USB Thumb Drives. They're just too damn small. I crave something bigger and harder to lose. Not as huge as a CD Drive, but not as small as a MiniDisc. Something chunky and satisfying, with a slim elegance. So they've sent me their SATA to…👀 Read more: <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/04/gadget-review-benfei-sata-to-usb-c-drive-enclosure/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/04/gadget-review-benfei-sata-to-usb-c-drive-enclosure/</a> ⸻ <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#review</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/usb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#usb</a>-c

Terence Eden🆕 blog! “Gadget Review: Benfei USB-C to Ethernet Adapter” ★★★★★Sure, WiFi is basically fine. But sometimes you need the raw power, high speed, and utter reliability of Ethernet. Billions of packets hurtling down twisted copper pair in order to deliver your data - that's what it is all about, right?But - alas! - laptops don't have Ethernet ports these days. And…👀 Read more: <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/04/gadget-review-benfei-usb-c-to-ethernet-adapter/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/04/gadget-review-benfei-usb-c-to-ethernet-adapter/</a> ⸻ <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#review</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/usb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#usb</a>-c

Terence Eden🆕 blog! “Gadget Review: Benfei Laptop Riser with Built-In USB-C Dock” ★★★☆☆The good folks at Benfei have sent me a laptop stand to review. You know the drill, a few pieces of metal, some hinges, and rubber feet. But this stand holds a little more interest for the gadget lover - a built in USB-C hub!What do you get for your £35?USB-C power input …👀 Read more: <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/04/gadget-review-benfei-laptop-riser-with-built-in-usb-c-dock/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/04/gadget-review-benfei-laptop-riser-with-built-in-usb-c-dock/</a> ⸻ <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#review</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/usb" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#usb</a>-c

Terence Eden🆕 blog! “Gadget Review: Windfall Energy Saving Plug (Beta)” ★★★★☆The good folks at Windfall Energy have sent me one of their interesting new plugs to beta test.OK, an Internet connected smart plug. What's so interesting about that? Our Windfall Plug turns on at the optimal times in the middle of the night to charge and power your…👀 Read more: <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/03/gadget-review-windfall-energy-saving-plug-beta/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/03/gadget-review-windfall-energy-saving-plug-beta/</a> ⸻ <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/electricity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#electricity</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/internetofthings" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#internetofthings</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/review" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#review</a>

Terence Eden’s BlogGadget Review: Windfall Energy Saving Plug (Beta)<a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/03/gadget-review-windfall-energy-saving-plug-beta/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2025/03/gadget-review-windfall-energy-saving-plug-beta/</a>The good folks at <a href="https://www.windfallenergy.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Windfall Energy</a> have sent me one of their interesting new plugs to beta test.OK, an Internet connected smart plug. What's so interesting about that?<blockquote>Our Windfall Plug turns on at the optimal times in the middle of the night to charge and power your devices with green energy.</blockquote>Ah! Now that is interesting.The proposition is brilliantly simple:<ol><li>Connect the smart-plug to your WiFi.</li><li>Plug your bike / laptop / space heater into the smart-plug.</li><li>When electricity is cleanest, the smart-plug automatically switches on.</li></ol>The first thing to get out of the way is, yes, you could build this yourself. If you're happy re-flashing firmware, mucking about with NodeRED, and integrating carbon intensity APIs with your HomeAssistant running on a Rasbperry Pi - then this isn't for you.This is a plug-n-play(!) solution for people who don't want to have to manually update their software because of a DST change.BetaThis is a beta product. It isn't yet available. Some of the things I'm reviewing will change. You can <a href="https://www.windfallenergy.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">join the waitlist for more information</a>.ConnectingThe same as every other IoT device. Connect to its local WiFi network from your phone. Tell it which network to connect to and a password. Done.If you run into trouble, <a href="https://www.windfallenergy.com/plug-setup" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">there's a handy help page</a>.WebsiteNot much too it at the moment - because it is in beta - but it lets you name the plug and control it.Turning the plug on and off is a single click. Setting it to "Windfall Mode" turns on the magic. You can also fiddle about with a few settings.The names and icons would be useful if you had a dozen of these. I like the fact that you can change how long the charging cycle is. 30 minutes might be enough for something low power, but something bigger may need longer.One thing to note, you can control it by pressing a button on the unit or you can toggle its power from the website. If you manually turn it on or off you will need to manually toggle it back to Windfall mode using the website.There's also a handy - if slightly busy - graph which shows you the upcoming carbon intensity of the UK grid.You can also monitor the energy draw of devices connected to it. Handy to see just how much electricity and CO2 emissions a device is burning through.That's it. For a beta product, there's a decent amount of functionality. There's nothing extraneous like Alexa integration. Ideally this is the sort of thing you configure once, and then leave behind a cupboard for years.Is it worth it?I think this is an extremely useful device with a few caveats.Firstly, how much green energy are you going to use? Modern phones have pretty small batteries. Using this to charge your phone overnight is a false economy. Charging an eBike or similar is probably worthwhile. Anything with a decent-sized battery is a good candidate.Secondly, will your devices work with it? Most things like air-conditioners or kettles don't turn on from the plug alone. Something like a space-heater is perfect for this sort of use - as soon as the switch is flicked, they start working.Thirdly, what's the risk of only supplying power for a few hours overnight? I wouldn't recommend putting a chest-freezer on this (unless you like melted and then refrozen ice-cream). But for a device with a battery, it is probably fine.Fourthly, it needs a stable WiFi connection. If its connection to the mothership stops, it loses Windfall mode. It can still be manually controlled - but it will need adequate signal on a reliable connection to be useful.Finally, as with any Internet connected device, you introduce a small security risk. This doesn't need local network access, so it can sit quite happily on a guest network without spying on your other devices. But you do give up control to a 3rd party. If they got hacked, someone could turn off your plugs or rapidly power-cycle them. That may not be a significant issue, but one to bear in mind.If you're happy with that (and I am) then I think this is simple way to take advantage of cheaper, greener electricity overnight. Devices like these <a href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2021/10/no-you-cant-save-30-per-year-by-switching-off-your-standby-devices/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">use barely any electricity while in standby</a> - so if you're on a dynamic pricing tariff, it won't cost you much to run.Interested?You can <a href="https://www.windfallenergy.com/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">join the waitlist for more information</a>.<a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/tag/electricity/" target="_blank">#electricity</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/tag/gadget/" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/tag/internet-of-things/" target="_blank">#internetOfThings</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://shkspr.mobi/blog/tag/review/" target="_blank">#review</a>

dutchieetvNew Post on Dutchiee.tv: ➡️Satechi SM3 Slim Mechanical Keyboard Review <a href="https://www.dutchiee.tv/news/satechi-sm3-slim-mechanical-keyboard-review/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.dutchiee.tv/news/satechi-sm3-slim-mechanical-keyboard-review/</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/technews" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#technews</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/technology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#technology</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/tech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#tech</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/pro" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#pro</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/technologynews" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#technologynews</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gadgets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gadgets</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/instatech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#instatech</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/smartphone" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#smartphone</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/techie" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#techie</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/apple" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#apple</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/mobile" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#mobile</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/techlover" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#techlover</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/techupdates" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#techupdates</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/news" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#news</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/engineering" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#engineering</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/techgadgets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#techgadgets</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/electronics" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#electronics</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/techgeek" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#techgeek</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/technologies" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#technologies</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/dutchieetv" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#dutchieetv</a>

Radio AzureusI'm on a cartoon journey!Now Playing on Radio AzureusMy favourite cartoon from times long past!!!Format & encoding [ffmpeg] [H264] 576x432<a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/NowPlaying" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NowPlaying</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Cartoon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Cartoon</a> 🎶 <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Clasic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Clasic</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Comedy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Comedy</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Retro" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Retro</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/LegacyCartoon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LegacyCartoon</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Gadget</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Inspector" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Inspector</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Celluloid" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Celluloid</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Hz44100" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Hz44100</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/lowRes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#lowRes</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/480p" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#480p</a>

Pierre LecourtComme prévu, les AI Pin vont se transformer en presse papier Suite et fin de l'aventure pour AI Pin, ce gadget électronique présenté en janvier 2024 va bientôt devenir un déchet électronique.... <a href="https://oisaur.com/tags/gadget" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#gadget</a> <a href="https://oisaur.com/tags/ia" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ia</a> <a href="https://www.minimachines.net/?p=132582" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.minimachines.net/?p=132582</a>

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