BeatificaBytes

I have been considering:

• Quality of image (better than Parrot Bebop 2) – full HD, 12MB, stabilized on 2 axis (but no big deal with this limitation)
• Duration of the flight (15′)
• Range of the flight (100 m or 2000m with the optional remote, at 13 m/s)
• Obstacle Avoidance (forward facing and bottom facing sensors only)
• Flight modes: Circle or Helix around the subject, auto landing and takeoff (from the palm), follow-me (tracking), Selfie, Tapfly (goes to the location indicated with your finger on the screen),
• Easy to use for novice. has an optional remote, can connect with a Android phone, can be controlled with gesture.
• Handle the wind very well.

See review here.

Other options that I could be considering are:

• In my dreams only, a DJI Mavic Pro, decribed here. Just a question of price, as it’s making fun a bit too expensive…
• Maybe, because it comes with a FPV headset, a Parrot Bebop 2 Power, described here. But it’s less compact and portable than the DJI Spark and the quality of images is also lower. On the opposite, the flight can last for 30′ !
• Possibly, a Yuneec Typhoon H, introduced here. It is more a pro device, more expensive, but very exiting :p Would be a better choice IMO than the DJI phantom from a quality/price perspective.

Briefly said, I would be able to share 4 USB 3.1 devices with 4 PC instead of sharing 4 USB 2.0 devices with 2 PC.

I.e.: Currently I have this (Aten US224):

And I would like this, which is close to 90€ (Aten US434):

There is also a cheaper version, named Aten US424, to share 4 usb 2.0 with 4 PC:

I would look for an over-the-ear (circumaural) design with, if available, both wired and wireless support.

So far, I like the Sennheiser PXC 450… expect for it’s price! Indeed, it still plays sounds without batteries while the Bose does not play anything anymore when it’s out of juice. But the Bose QuietComfort 25, which is ~60€ cheaper (looking for best prices for both: 239€ vs 299€), has a better noise filtering technology… The choice will be very difficult…

I finally found a TV not too expensive (<700€) but matching perfectly all my requirements!

Features are available in attachment… Here are some notes:

• It’s large but not too much (fit in my living room: 48″ = 121 cm).
• It runs both “Plex” and “DS Video” that are great apps to play movies stored on a Synology NAS. Those Apps are available in the category “Videos”. But there are really much more Apps than those.
• With its Quad Core Processor, the menus (including Plex) are very reactive. That’s the point I was the most afraid of… But I am really not disappointed.
• It supports really many many formats (Plex has therefore never to transcode any movie and can easily run with a “lower profile” Synology) – see the User Guide for details:
  • Video format:*.avi, *.mkv, *.asf, *.wmv, *.mp4, *.mov, *.3gp, *.vro, *.mpg, *.mpeg, *.ts, *.tp, *.trp, *.mov, *.flv, *.vob, *.svi, *.m2ts, *.mts, *.divx, *.webm
  • Audio format: *.mp3, *.m4a, *.mpa, *.aac, *.flac, *.ogg, *.wma, *.wav, *.mid, *.midi, *.ape, *.aif, *.aiff, *.m4a
  • Image format: *.jpg, *.jpeg 15360×8640, *.png 4096×4096, *.bmp 4096×4096, *.mpo 15360×8640
• With its IR repeater, it can remote control the TV Decoder of my Provider (Belgacom) and as it’s own TV Guide (I.e. an EPG) which is really running smoother than to Belgacom’s Guide. The only drawback is that one has to use the Provider’s default sort order of the channel. It can actually be changed, but it requires some tricking.
• With the HDMI ARC (Audio Return Channel), no need to switch between audio sources anymore on my Sound Bar (TV Decoder, NUC or TV/plex).
• Once named adequately (e.g.: with H-SBS in the name), 3D movies are automatically played as such by Plex on the TV.
• A really great Smart Remote Control with a touchpad and motion control. I love it ! Small, it fits perfectly in one hand and works really like a charm both to control the TV Decoder and Plex. Also, using the control as a pointer (based on motion control) to pick entries in menu, etc… is so user-friendly!
• The TV runs also a decent Web Browser that works:
  • It’s not the fastest one but it displays fine most web sites (Google, MSN, Facebook, …)
  • One can scroll easily within pages using the Smart Control’s “OK button” (which is actually a touchpad), simply sliding the finger on that “touchpad/button”. This is very convenient to read pages!!
  • It’s also very easy to type text/urls/… pointing letters on the onscreen-keyboard with the Smart Control
  • And it supports Flash animations.
• One can connect a Wireless Keyboard to make typing even more comfortable. I am using a Logitech Wireless Touch Keyboard K400 and it works seamlessly.

Tips and tricks:

• One thing I have been looking for was how to delete Apps installed in the Smart Hub. One simply has to select an Apps and press ‘OK’ for a few seconds on the Smart Control. It opens a menu with useful actions. To learn more about playing within the Smart Hub, this video is really great.
• Another stupid thing I didn’t find immediately: how to specify a specific port within the “DS Video” App to connect on my Synology NAS. Indeed, as long as my Synology’s DSM was configured to run on its default port (I.e.: 5000), there was no need to specify this port in the “DS Video” App (One only had to enter the IP of the NAS and credentials). But once I did reconfigure my DSM to run on another port, “DS Video” didn’t succeed to connect to the NAS anymore. There is no field to type a port in “DS Video” App’s connection pane. The trick (stupid and obvious) was to type the port in the IP field. E.g.: 192.168.0.1:5555

Something like the Startech CTK100P would possibly make my day…

But I am not sure if the quality will be good enough ?! I think that a better quality would come from Wiha Tools. But a complete set will cost too much IMO.

I bought two sets:

1. Facom MT.J4XPG
   1. Torx® AEX 5×35
   2. Torx® AEX 6×35
   3. Torx® AEX 7×35
   4. Torx® AEX 8X75
2. Facom MT.J5PG
   1. Slotted head AEF 1.5×35
   2. Slotted head AEF 2×35
   3. Slotted head AEF 3×75
   4. Phillips® AEFP 0x35
   5. Phillips® AEFP 00×35

I am now only missing the screwdrivers for male hex screws…

Notice: those screwdrivers are not magnetized! I choose to not go for Magnetized screwdrivers but to magnetized them myself on purpose, when required (as explained on WikiHow):

Using a fairly strong magnet, slide it lengthwise down the screwdriver repeatedly. Only drag it from the middle to the tip of the screwdriver, not back and forth from tip to middle and back up, just from middle to tip.

Do the motion several times repeatedly, count to 20 for less magnetization, and higher numbers for higher magnetization (depending on the strength of the magnet). The more strokes, the higher magnetization.

I bought this Magnetizer/Demagnetizer:

It works really well, simply dragging the screwdriver inside the lower hole to magnetize it and in the upper hole to demagnetize it. I am only curious to see if it will works for ever or will loose its “capabilities” as  time goes by. If this happens, I will report here.

Product Reference: 66-026595

A picture worth a thousand words:

Based on this post, I thought I would go for a XS-Pro instead of a Slim. Also because the price was about the same (for for a standard F-Pro, but for the F-Pro Slim!) :).