Busted Flush http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/ Alex Fielding's Blog. en-US Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:06:32 -0700 http://www.typepad.com/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlexFielding/~3/0dJob6k79yw/if-you-watch-this-video-showing-apples-100m-anechoic-chambers-you-might-find-it-facinating-that-with-all-that-money-in-testi.html</link> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2010/08/if-you-watch-this-video-showing-apples-100m-anechoic-chambers-you-might-find-it-facinating-that-with-all-that-money-in-testi.html</guid> <description>If you watch this video showing Apple's $100M Anechoic chambers you might find it facinating that with all that money in testing gear that the best way to secure the iPhone 4 to the test arm is using rubber bands......</description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you watch this video showing Apple's $100M Anechoic chambers you might find it facinating that with all that money in testing gear that the best way to secure the iPhone 4 to the test arm is using rubber bands... Watch the videos and you'll see it over and over. This connection apparatus was the inspiration for the bump case... Possibly...<br/></p> <p class="asset asset-link"> <a href="http://www.apple.com/antenna/">http://www.apple.com/antenna/</a> </p> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AlexFielding/~4/0dJob6k79yw" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded> <dc:creator>Alex</dc:creator> <pubDate>Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:06:32 -0700</pubDate> <feedburner:origLink>http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2010/08/if-you-watch-this-video-showing-apples-100m-anechoic-chambers-you-might-find-it-facinating-that-with-all-that-money-in-testi.html</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Happy Birthday Woz! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlexFielding/~3/k7YDpITTnKo/happy-birthday-woz.html http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2010/08/happy-birthday-woz.html Steve Wozniak's Birthday Song; performed by the song a day guy. Great and fun song! Happy Birthday Steve! I hope you get everything you ever wished for. You deserve it!

]]> Alex Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:49:38 -0700 http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2010/08/happy-birthday-woz.html ISS Comes Together http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlexFielding/~3/7YSURXt7vUM/iss-comes-together.html http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2010/03/iss-comes-together.html ISS Space Station being built. International Space Station


Check out this cool flash animation of the ISS coming together.


]]> Alex Sat, 13 Mar 2010 10:31:38 -0800 http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2010/03/iss-comes-together.html The Boom by Ume Voice... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlexFielding/~3/jj-rVq2tWvo/the-boom-by-ume-voice.html http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2010/02/the-boom-by-ume-voice.html Ume Voice "The Boom" headsets; the highest sound quality headsets with the worst quality of any headset on the market. Review. Many of you know that I've been a long time fan of Ume voice in Novato California and their headsets that have superior boom microphones with wind canceling and analog noise canceling that is really brilliant and clear. Up until recently, my main complaint was that they didn't offer a bluetooth version...

Recently, I realized that I have a stack of Ume Voice The Boom v4's that have all gone dead. One at a time... The microphones always go before the speakers so they all work for hearing people but none work for talking into. This is quite annoying. Annoying enough for one person to have seven of these headsets that I traditionally had rotated through to keep one working. Their motto to whisper and be heard is basically a joke 'most of the time' since it's more like 'yell and pray your headset hasn't died!'.

Last year, I ordered the UmeVoice The Boom model "E"; thinking how comfortable it would be to have a headset without an ear hook... I waited weeks (over 6) and weeks only to finally receive the headset dead on arrival. I called immediately and sent it back RMA under warranty... Two weeks later, it's returned as "fixed" (same headset just 'fixed')... Well, I am so excited that I immediately try out this headset and it works flawlessly for about a week... Then, bamn, microphone is dead again. I call and RMA it again... I get the RMA number and just forget to send the thing back, it's there, sitting in the box dead.

Today, I called because I'm out of working TheBoom headsets... Seven dead headsets, not one working. Several have gone back on RMAs under warranty before. The adapter cords, always a clunky solution to go from 2.5mm to 3.5mm for your iphone or blackberry have always died within weeks of getting them. So I have about 20 of those laying around dead... Very depressing. 

What did customer service tell me? Well, it's too bad but only one headset is under warranty at this point and the "E" that I didn't send back originally but got the RMA number for (twice) is no longer under warranty so I can send it back now with the SAME RMA # but it's not covered under warranty... This is really bad customer service; they have just alienated a long time repeat customer.

I'm done. I wish I had more great things to say about these guys but the best thing I can say is that their headsets, when they work, are very good. I've had at least two (one v4 and one model E) arrive dead on arrival and one model O that had a sharp broken piece of plastic near the ear piece that cut me pretty well once (before I sanded it off). Quality control at UmeVoice is basically non-existent. I am convinced that they are the largest employer of deaf mutes in Novato for quality assurance. Nothing against deaf mutes but they shouldn't be used for EQ'ing audio devices or testing them. Just my opinion.

The Boom model O, E, and v4 are the ones I've used and can't recommend to anyone any longer. I hope that you find another solution that works as well as this one did for me for the brief time that their products did work. For now, I'm switching to the Plantronics Voyager Pro; probably the best headset available in bluetooth for sound quality. As a side note; my Plantronics MX510 was the backup headset I always fell back on when my Ume voice headsets have died in the past and despite not having as good noise canceling or wind noise reduction, their quality and customer service is light years ahead of Ume voice and I've never had to send one back for any type of repair...

Any questions? Feel free to email me directly.

Best,

-Alex

]]> Web/Tech Alex Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:21:35 -0800 http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2010/02/the-boom-by-ume-voice.html SPACE.com -- Mysterious Shift in Earth's Gravity Suggests Equator is Bulging http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlexFielding/~3/2v3n5StccfM/spacecom----mysterious-shift-in-earths-gravity-suggests-equator-is-bulging.html http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2010/02/spacecom----mysterious-shift-in-earths-gravity-suggests-equator-is-bulging.html Something strange has been going on under our feet for the past four years. Earth's gravity field suddenly shifted gears and began getting flatter, reversing a course of centuries during which the planet and its gravity field grew rounder each... Something strange has been going on under our feet for the past four years. Earth's gravity field suddenly shifted gears and began getting flatter, reversing a course of centuries during which the planet and its gravity field grew rounder each year.

via www.space.com

Always fun reading.

]]> Alex Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:16:40 -0800 http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2010/02/spacecom----mysterious-shift-in-earths-gravity-suggests-equator-is-bulging.html Alex's Free Blackberry Ringtones! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlexFielding/~3/UvlupgCy5Yw/alexs-free-blackberry-ringtones.html http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2010/01/alexs-free-blackberry-ringtones.html Alex's Free BlackBerry Ringtones are a great collection of some commercial and some custom created ring tones. All for free. No gimmicks or BS, just free ring tones! Enjoy. Downloadable and installable OTA.

Free Blackberry Ringtones; no catch, no gimmicks, no hassles.

Back by popular demand... :)

Download FREE Ringtones here For most BlackBerry models. Blackberry 8700, 8830, BlackBerry Bold, BlackBerry Curve, BlackBerry Storm, BlackBerry Pearl, etc.

Woke Up This Morning - A3 (Soprano's Theme Song)
Bad Boys - Inner Circle
Mr. BoomBastic - Shaggy
Brown Sugar - Stones
Bugle
Bullet & A Target - Citizen Cope
Everywhere Man - Johnny Cash
GodFather Theme
Hello, Are you there?
Crazy Short - Icehouse
Fuck You, Eat Me, Eat Me! - Jim Zanardi
Layla - Clapton
Message Alert
In Like Flynt - Austin Powers Ring
Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon - Neil Diamond
Ring, Ring, Ring
Rocky Top
Psycho - Hitchcock
Barracuda - Heart
Little Wing - SRV
Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffett
Money For Nothing - Dire Straits
Panama - Van Halen
Sweet Child O Mine - Guns N Roses
Smooth - Santana
Origin of The Species - U2
You Have A Call

A couple of these are CUSTOM CUSTOM ringtones... Meaning they are voices of friends of mine, etc. Please don't repost the ones that obviously aren't commercial type recordings.

Here is a list of BlackBerry devices I've tested these with:

-BlackBerry 8700, BlackBerry 8703, BlackBerry 8707 (Electron)

-BlackBerry 8100, BlackBerry 8110, BlackBerry 8120, BlackBerry 8130, BlackBerry 8220 (Pearl)

-BlackBerry 8300, BlackBerry 8310, BlackBerry 8320, BlackBerry 8330 (Curve)

-BlackBerry 9000 (Bold)

-BlackBerry 9530 (Storm aka "Thunder")

-- originally from Alex's Free Blackberry Ringtones

]]> Alex Mon, 18 Jan 2010 16:04:42 -0800 http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2010/01/alexs-free-blackberry-ringtones.html Mysterious Earth's Core Plume Shifting the Magnetic North Pole - Magnetic north pole - Gizmodo http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlexFielding/~3/LQf4OJFd5AI/mysterious-earths-core-plume-shifting-the-magnetic-north-pole---magnetic-north-pole---gizmodo.html http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2009/12/mysterious-earths-core-plume-shifting-the-magnetic-north-pole---magnetic-north-pole---gizmodo.html The north magnetic pole is moving at 37 miles-a-year toward Russia, which means they're stealing it. Or the Earth's core is fluxing. Actually, nobody really knows what's happening. I just hope it's not a prelude to a catastrophic magnetic shift.... The north magnetic pole is moving at 37 miles-a-year toward Russia, which means they're stealing it. Or the Earth's core is fluxing. Actually, nobody really knows what's happening. I just hope it's not a prelude to a catastrophic magnetic shift.

via gizmodo.com

]]> Alex Sun, 27 Dec 2009 13:20:14 -0800 http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2009/12/mysterious-earths-core-plume-shifting-the-magnetic-north-pole---magnetic-north-pole---gizmodo.html <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlexFielding/~3/72keufZdcrE/the-lapd-the-fbi-and-the-cia-the-lapd-the-fbi-and-the-cia-are-all-trying-to-prove-that-they-are-the-best-at-apprehending.html</link> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2009/12/the-lapd-the-fbi-and-the-cia-the-lapd-the-fbi-and-the-cia-are-all-trying-to-prove-that-they-are-the-best-at-apprehending.html</guid> <description>The LAPD, the FBI, and the CIA The LAPD, The FBI, and the CIA are all trying to prove that they are the best at apprehending criminals. The President decides to give them a test. He releases a rabbit into...</description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The LAPD, the FBI, and the CIA<br/> The LAPD, The FBI, and the CIA are all trying to prove that they are the best at apprehending criminals. The President decides to give them a test. He releases a rabbit into a forest and has each of them try to catch it.<br/> <br/> The CIA goes in. They place animal informants throughout the forest. They question all plant and mineral witnesses. After three months of extensive investigations they conclude that rabbits do not exist.<br/> <br/> The FBI goes in. After two weeks with no leads they burn the forest, killing everything in it, including the rabbit, and they make no apologies. The rabbit had it coming.<br/> <br/> The LAPD goes in. They come out two hours later with a badly beaten raccoon. The raccoon is yelling: “Okay! Okay! I’m a rabbit! I’m a rabbit!”<br/> <br/> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AlexFielding/~4/72keufZdcrE" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded> <dc:creator>Alex</dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:32:09 -0800</pubDate> <feedburner:origLink>http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2009/12/the-lapd-the-fbi-and-the-cia-the-lapd-the-fbi-and-the-cia-are-all-trying-to-prove-that-they-are-the-best-at-apprehending.html</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Quadriplegic Man Gets a License to Control a Shotgun with his Mouth - Hunting - Gizmodo http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlexFielding/~3/5NnPcTMoLWs/quadriplegic-man-gets-a-license-to-control-a-shotgun-with-his-mouth---hunting---gizmodo.html http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2009/12/quadriplegic-man-gets-a-license-to-control-a-shotgun-with-his-mouth---hunting---gizmodo.html For a quadriplegic, firing a shotgun requires help from a companion. In Mr Cap's case, a friend sets up the contraption, safety on, on Mr Cap's wheelchair and Mr Cap aims the shotgun by moving the toggle switch with his... For a quadriplegic, firing a shotgun requires help from a companion. In Mr Cap's case, a friend sets up the contraption, safety on, on Mr Cap's wheelchair and Mr Cap aims the shotgun by moving the toggle switch with his mouth. Once his partner releases the safety, Mr Cap fires by sipping on the breathing tube.

via gizmodo.com

I know... I know... I shouldn't blog this.

]]> Alex Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:29:19 -0800 http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2009/12/quadriplegic-man-gets-a-license-to-control-a-shotgun-with-his-mouth---hunting---gizmodo.html <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AlexFielding/~3/ZxlUMH1CG1k/did-you-know-that-google-now-has-a-public-dns-available-at-8888-and-8844-now-they-know-where-you-go-even-when-you-aren.html</link> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2009/12/did-you-know-that-google-now-has-a-public-dns-available-at-8888-and-8844-now-they-know-where-you-go-even-when-you-aren.html</guid> <description>Did you know that Google now has a public DNS available at 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. Now they know where you go even when you aren't searching... How nice. :)</description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Did you know that Google now has a public DNS available at 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. Now they know where you go even when you aren't searching... How nice. :)</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AlexFielding/~4/ZxlUMH1CG1k" height="1" width="1"/>]]></content:encoded> <dc:creator>Alex</dc:creator> <pubDate>Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:01:13 -0800</pubDate> <feedburner:origLink>http://ripcord.typepad.com/bustedflush/2009/12/did-you-know-that-google-now-has-a-public-dns-available-at-8888-and-8844-now-they-know-where-you-go-even-when-you-aren.html</feedburner:origLink></item> </channel> </rss><!-- ph=1 -->