Looking back I see it has been six years since I did this. Time marches on...
So, it's a Sony DN-1080. It doesn't look much different to the previous, just improved software really. It is set up for 4k and has Dolby Atmos and is thus a match for the TV and disk player. Let's test!
Atmos is good if the sound engineers take the trouble to set it up. If they just pick a few sound effects and put them behind the listener but otherwise use the old surround positions, not so good. There are Demos on YouTube that show what should be happening.
It comes with the two current surround systems, Dolby Surround and Neural:X. In different ways these do the same thing, spreading the sound out to all the available speakers. In my case that is 5.1.2, with the 2 being front height. The A/V uses a sound test to work out where these are.
As with Atmos, results are variable. A lot of prestigeTV programmes and movies are broadcast in 5.1 these days.
Statcounter
10 November 2018
28 October 2018
And one by one they faded away ...
The Rosehaven 12th Anniversary Ball. As befits Halloween the grid failed and one by one the guests vanished!
Clever GIF by Princess Selena
05 September 2018
War! No one killed shock horror
Finally, I got the "nice space station you got there, shame if it should get blown up" message.
In EVE hi sec, within the territories of the big NPC empires, there are police. However a contribution to their benevolent fund will cause them to turn blind eyes to shenanigans. These are called WarDecs.
The rules for blowing up space stations are intended to prevent Corporations in different time zones from making surprise attacks when the other guys are fast asleep. First, attackers have to knock down the station's Shields. A week later, they can come back to destroy its Armour. Finally after another week, and that was today, they can destroy it.
Now my corporation specialises in arms dealing not combat, we are small, defenceless but wealthy so we hired mercenaries to defend us and the extortionists backed off without a fight. Hopefully they won't try that again, it cost them money and a complementary Bounty on their heads. It cost us a few million ISK as well, mostly in lost production, but we can make that up in a few days.
In EVE hi sec, within the territories of the big NPC empires, there are police. However a contribution to their benevolent fund will cause them to turn blind eyes to shenanigans. These are called WarDecs.
The rules for blowing up space stations are intended to prevent Corporations in different time zones from making surprise attacks when the other guys are fast asleep. First, attackers have to knock down the station's Shields. A week later, they can come back to destroy its Armour. Finally after another week, and that was today, they can destroy it.
Now my corporation specialises in arms dealing not combat, we are small, defenceless but wealthy so we hired mercenaries to defend us and the extortionists backed off without a fight. Hopefully they won't try that again, it cost them money and a complementary Bounty on their heads. It cost us a few million ISK as well, mostly in lost production, but we can make that up in a few days.
08 June 2018
... and 4K disks!
It's Sony again, the X700
This is the budget player so it has some esoteric features removed, mostly stuff a smart TV has anyway.
4K disk buyers beware! There is a lot of 'Ultra HD' in the shops that isn't 4K at all, it uses HD masters and upscales them to 4K which is what a 4K TV does anyway.
The player has been updated to Dolby Vision but weirdly via a settings switch. Since most providers don't say if they are using Vision this is a chocolate teapot.
YouTube has 4K demos such as
Wildlife in 4K
This is the budget player so it has some esoteric features removed, mostly stuff a smart TV has anyway.
4K disk buyers beware! There is a lot of 'Ultra HD' in the shops that isn't 4K at all, it uses HD masters and upscales them to 4K which is what a 4K TV does anyway.
The player has been updated to Dolby Vision but weirdly via a settings switch. Since most providers don't say if they are using Vision this is a chocolate teapot.
YouTube has 4K demos such as
Wildlife in 4K
06 June 2018
Spacesheeting 63
The transition of EVE downloadable data from XML tables to SWAGGER has reached the point where the old system has been discontinued, which leaves me no choice but to convert.
SWAGGER is more complicated as it uses temporary tokens to get access to private data. This allows third-party apps to display your secret stuff without having access to your password, and that isn't easy to implement with a spreadsheet! However, a nice person wrote a guide:
SSO_Authentication_in_Microsoft_Power_Query
Right now I have the tables up and running, the next task is to get the many spreadsheet references to point to them. Which, with INDEX MATCH arrays, is a pain.
[added] Finished! Took six weeks!! Everything seems to be back to normal, updating generates a lot of error messages but these can be ignored.
SWAGGER is more complicated as it uses temporary tokens to get access to private data. This allows third-party apps to display your secret stuff without having access to your password, and that isn't easy to implement with a spreadsheet! However, a nice person wrote a guide:
SSO_Authentication_in_Microsoft_Power_Query
Right now I have the tables up and running, the next task is to get the many spreadsheet references to point to them. Which, with INDEX MATCH arrays, is a pain.
[added] Finished! Took six weeks!! Everything seems to be back to normal, updating generates a lot of error messages but these can be ignored.
05 January 2018
New TV
Santa gave me a new TV this year, a Sony Bravia KD55XE9005
It's pretty, but let's quibble!
The control system is labyrinthine. The most used bits are in an "Action Menu", the rest is buried at the bottom of the Android Home page that has the Netflix/Amazon pay us $$$ links I don't use.
The best advice for Video settings is to leave them alone unless there is an obvious problem - and I've not noticed any.
The computer's graphics card is willing to display 2160p but with my present three screen setup (!!) runs hotter if it does, more so with games. EVE would be unplayable anyway due to tiny text, a known problem.
Setting up the computer for HDR has to be done at both ends to work properly. Windows 10 will tell you if everything will work.
The previous TV couldn't cope with 1080p, no problem with this one. 4K is presently only broadcast by subscription. There is plenty of it on YouTube, including some wildlife and travel channels.
The Humax Satbox and Sony disk player link in OK. The TV comes with an "IR Blaster" that ingeniously attaches to devices and replaces their remote controls to some extent. I have it attached to the Satellite box so the TV's programme guide can operate it.
Mirroring from tablet to big screen is easy - one button.
Tablet remote control app? Fine!
It's pretty, but let's quibble!
The control system is labyrinthine. The most used bits are in an "Action Menu", the rest is buried at the bottom of the Android Home page that has the Netflix/Amazon pay us $$$ links I don't use.
The best advice for Video settings is to leave them alone unless there is an obvious problem - and I've not noticed any.
The computer's graphics card is willing to display 2160p but with my present three screen setup (!!) runs hotter if it does, more so with games. EVE would be unplayable anyway due to tiny text, a known problem.
Setting up the computer for HDR has to be done at both ends to work properly. Windows 10 will tell you if everything will work.
The previous TV couldn't cope with 1080p, no problem with this one. 4K is presently only broadcast by subscription. There is plenty of it on YouTube, including some wildlife and travel channels.
The Humax Satbox and Sony disk player link in OK. The TV comes with an "IR Blaster" that ingeniously attaches to devices and replaces their remote controls to some extent. I have it attached to the Satellite box so the TV's programme guide can operate it.
Mirroring from tablet to big screen is easy - one button.
Tablet remote control app? Fine!
05 December 2017
Holiday Ball 2017
Some photos of our Holiday Ball 2017 from Patty Poppy. It was held in a big icy structure up on the sky platform.
10 November 2017
Windows Fall Update Annoyances
Yes it has several for me...
A new security section "Controlled Folder Access" stops "unfriendly apps" from changing files in certain data folders. By default, these are any non Microsoft program and everything in the User folder.
Oh dear! Some programs store data in User folders, so they need whitelisting. EVE Online was one such, and it was generating alerts as it tried to Save its chat logs. I suspect this might have been causing crashes as well.
Another was, mysteriously, a Microsoft program... msiexec.exe is the Windows installer program which I get repeated alerts about for trying to access the Desktop folder. There are only shortcuts there.
A new security section "Controlled Folder Access" stops "unfriendly apps" from changing files in certain data folders. By default, these are any non Microsoft program and everything in the User folder.
Oh dear! Some programs store data in User folders, so they need whitelisting. EVE Online was one such, and it was generating alerts as it tried to Save its chat logs. I suspect this might have been causing crashes as well.
Another was, mysteriously, a Microsoft program... msiexec.exe is the Windows installer program which I get repeated alerts about for trying to access the Desktop folder. There are only shortcuts there.
27 July 2017
I'm not that wealthy!
According to her EVE Character Sheet, Ori is worth 82 Billion ISK. Now while as a corporation CEO she is not short of funds that is plainly untrue, so what was going wrong?
There is a Character Assets XML table that can be downloaded via the EVE API. This doesn't include some things which are on the Character Sheet such as cash and escrow but still...
The XML had a column with mixed Tables and nulls which Excel wouldn't expand, so I had to create a second table to get this flattened out, it held the contents of containers and ship fittings.
Annotating the tables revealed an accounting glitch. The corporation transports goods from the factory to the market where they sit in a warehouse before going on sale. A corporation warehouse would be absurdly expensive to rent at a trade hub so the corp uses Ori's personal storage hanger which is free, and this comes up as her assets.
So that was around 40 billion located. Where was the rest? It turned out that sales orders were also being credited to Ori, only when items were sold did the cash arrive in the corporation bank account. And there on the order sheet was another 37 billion!
Another glitch was found whilst doing all this - the API ignores personal stuff in player owned space stations. This is unlikely to be corrected as XML is being phased out.
There is a Character Assets XML table that can be downloaded via the EVE API. This doesn't include some things which are on the Character Sheet such as cash and escrow but still...
The XML had a column with mixed Tables and nulls which Excel wouldn't expand, so I had to create a second table to get this flattened out, it held the contents of containers and ship fittings.
Annotating the tables revealed an accounting glitch. The corporation transports goods from the factory to the market where they sit in a warehouse before going on sale. A corporation warehouse would be absurdly expensive to rent at a trade hub so the corp uses Ori's personal storage hanger which is free, and this comes up as her assets.
So that was around 40 billion located. Where was the rest? It turned out that sales orders were also being credited to Ori, only when items were sold did the cash arrive in the corporation bank account. And there on the order sheet was another 37 billion!
Another glitch was found whilst doing all this - the API ignores personal stuff in player owned space stations. This is unlikely to be corrected as XML is being phased out.
30 June 2017
Spacesheeting 51
'51' being the version of the EVE spreadsheet I've reached!
Following the conversion to Power Query all seemed well. There is a bug I created myself by deleting worksheets without disconnecting downloads on them, but that just requires pressing a button twice.
Meanwhile the devs have progressed from one API front end, CREST, to another, SWAGGER. Noticing that it had a useful price list I ventured into it armed only with my shaky knowledge of JSON and it was as tricky as I feared. Why is every entry called 'Record'? Much searching followed until I realised that the 'List to Table' button was the magic one.
Following the conversion to Power Query all seemed well. There is a bug I created myself by deleting worksheets without disconnecting downloads on them, but that just requires pressing a button twice.
Meanwhile the devs have progressed from one API front end, CREST, to another, SWAGGER. Noticing that it had a useful price list I ventured into it armed only with my shaky knowledge of JSON and it was as tricky as I feared. Why is every entry called 'Record'? Much searching followed until I realised that the 'List to Table' button was the magic one.
26 May 2017
Luncheon at Trikassi
Some of our guests live in Aislinn castle, top left.
Dame Litta and Oriella with tomato soup:
13 April 2017
Time to upgrade
After seven years, a new desktop PC! The previous one has served well with only one hardware failure, the power unit.
So as before something middle range for about the same price and rely on Moore's Law to make it better.
250GB SSD
GeForce GTX 1060
Intel i7
Aero Cool DS200 case+fans
It is, as advertised, silent.
I could have used a shift everything over utility, but that would have taken accumulated junk with it so I'm only moving specific files and where possible downloading and installing from scratch.
So far, no drama. If anything over enthusiasm, since Windows was grabbing settings from the old machine without asking!
And then I hit an Excel snag. Excel 2016 has integrated Power Query into the main program, it was an optional Addon for earlier versions. In doing so the old XML table downloader seems to have been broken, it fails to Save Maps correctly.
So I had to convert. Power Query is more generalised and is indeed powerful, but it's a complicated pain to learn. There is a button for everything, but where is it?
Today came the big test, running the converted sheet on Excel 2016. Success!
[added] Time to check really old programs: Webedit and WS/FTP are both Win95 vintage, mirrors of their folders have followed me faithfully and... they still work. A test edit of a website page uploaded with no complaints.
So as before something middle range for about the same price and rely on Moore's Law to make it better.
250GB SSD
GeForce GTX 1060
Intel i7
Aero Cool DS200 case+fans
It is, as advertised, silent.
I could have used a shift everything over utility, but that would have taken accumulated junk with it so I'm only moving specific files and where possible downloading and installing from scratch.
So far, no drama. If anything over enthusiasm, since Windows was grabbing settings from the old machine without asking!
And then I hit an Excel snag. Excel 2016 has integrated Power Query into the main program, it was an optional Addon for earlier versions. In doing so the old XML table downloader seems to have been broken, it fails to Save Maps correctly.
So I had to convert. Power Query is more generalised and is indeed powerful, but it's a complicated pain to learn. There is a button for everything, but where is it?
Today came the big test, running the converted sheet on Excel 2016. Success!
[added] Time to check really old programs: Webedit and WS/FTP are both Win95 vintage, mirrors of their folders have followed me faithfully and... they still work. A test edit of a website page uploaded with no complaints.
The sad demise of Daisy
My very old Email address daisy.freeserve.co.uk will be no more in a few weeks. My ISP has decided to no longer provide a mail server.
So, since I already have a Google address Google it is.
So, since I already have a Google address Google it is.
06 February 2017
Oops
Oh dear - not been killed in EVE for a long while. I forgot that War Declarations only expire 24 hours after the clock runs out and got ambushed in my big fat freighter.
In EVE you wake up in a new clone minus your expensive implants and with a depleted bank balance, a totally unpleasant experience.
In EVE you wake up in a new clone minus your expensive implants and with a depleted bank balance, a totally unpleasant experience.
20 January 2017
Nothing of Interest
The big change in EVE last year was a new range of player owned space stations, so my Corporation built one. It's a robot factory called "Nothing of Interest" orbiting the innermost moon of a gas giant, a pretty spot.
Editing the spreadsheet to take account of the various advantages not renting factory space provides has been tricky, but if I've got it right the green lights say we are in for a profitable year. Assuming no one decides to blow it up that is.
23 October 2016
Administrator!
Yes, here we go again. Civilisation VI runs fine, thinks it has Saved, no error message - but doesn't. 'Run as Admin' fixed this, because presumably it was trying to save into a protected folder.
09 September 2016
Dust in the machine
A friend was having computer power cutouts - possibly the power supply - but I suggested checking temperatures first. So we both installed Speedfan and goodness, it was my machine that was overheating!
So off with the cover and in with the vacuum cleaner. Success! The CPU fan is now speeding up properly.
Speedfan can also adjust speeds and do other geeky stuff, so I tweaked to slow speeds when not busy.
[added] ... and in my friend's case it was dog hair!
So off with the cover and in with the vacuum cleaner. Success! The CPU fan is now speeding up properly.
Speedfan can also adjust speeds and do other geeky stuff, so I tweaked to slow speeds when not busy.
[added] ... and in my friend's case it was dog hair!
16 July 2016
Android fun
The new phone came with standard Android, so I've so far added
Google Maps
Prime Dice, for polyhedral dice rolling during roleplaying games
Greenify, a battery saver. It does just one thing, puts apps into hibernation when the screen is dark.
SyncMe, for transferring photos to the computer
Flashlight
And yes, I had malware already despite only downloading from the Google Store. A screen asking to install 'Facebook Patch 4' was popping up after boots - and I don't have Facebook installed.
[added] Two anti-virus apps found nothing but the third - AVG - said to disable a preinstalled Google looking file and that worked.
Google Maps
Prime Dice, for polyhedral dice rolling during roleplaying games
Greenify, a battery saver. It does just one thing, puts apps into hibernation when the screen is dark.
SyncMe, for transferring photos to the computer
Flashlight
And yes, I had malware already despite only downloading from the Google Store. A screen asking to install 'Facebook Patch 4' was popping up after boots - and I don't have Facebook installed.
[added] Two anti-virus apps found nothing but the third - AVG - said to disable a preinstalled Google looking file and that worked.
11 June 2016
Smarter Phone
My old phone was not dumb, just old and its memory was limited. I don't use my mobile much, it's for emergencies not nattering, so this time something cheap.
Haweel H1
A Chinese Android device. It comes with everything except the expensive bits - no 4G, no hi-res screen.
No it isn't a standard SIM slot as the spec says, it's a mini. No problem, I had a spare SIM card. Which means... new mobile number and wandering through the EE website to get it registered.
The battery had clear tape stuck over its contacts that has to be removed and that's the thing the manual doesn't tell you. Fortunately Amazon does.
It came with a Europlug, but I have spare UK adaptors.
For the rest see the link page which has good reviews.
Haweel H1
A Chinese Android device. It comes with everything except the expensive bits - no 4G, no hi-res screen.
No it isn't a standard SIM slot as the spec says, it's a mini. No problem, I had a spare SIM card. Which means... new mobile number and wandering through the EE website to get it registered.
The battery had clear tape stuck over its contacts that has to be removed and that's the thing the manual doesn't tell you. Fortunately Amazon does.
It came with a Europlug, but I have spare UK adaptors.
For the rest see the link page which has good reviews.
18 February 2016
Run as administrator
So I just spend another happy time wrestling with a program that hung when run - the skin installer in Rainmeter. And yes, setting 'Run as administrator' solved it. Microsoft really don't like users changing this, so it's in the basement with the faulty light switch in the folder marked 'beware of the leopard' (© Douglas Adams).
Rainmeter is a free system that behaves rather like Gadgets, adding assorted little apps to the desktop.
Rainmeter is a free system that behaves rather like Gadgets, adding assorted little apps to the desktop.
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