|
... but I did so inadvertently - honest, @OriginalGriff 
Suffering from a bad case of audiophilia, and with the climate out here warming up, I wanted a very quite fan for the sitting (listening) room. The problem is that even the least mains hum - and fans are notorious for this - is a disaster, as the the room dimensions are roughly 6.5m X 6.5m. The wavelength of 50 Hertz AC in warm air? 6.5M.  I get standing waves all over the place to the extent that I have use a graphic equalizer to damp any music at 50 Hertz to an acceptable level.
On a shopping trip on Thursday I came across one that truly was silent - seven weirdly shaped blades, a rigid, non-adjustable column and zero hum or vibration, so presumably a DC motor. It was the most expensive fan of its type in the shop, and twice what I thought I would pay, but I bought it anyway. As I walked to the cash desk with the young sales lady, I asked if it had a remote control. She replied in the affirmative - I just need to download the app to my 'phone!
So now I can be on the other side of the planet and control my fan anyway I want - speed, swing, elevation, even 'natural air', whatever the ![Elephant | [mastadon]](https://www.codeproject.com/script/Forums/Images/elephant.gif) that is. How incredibly useful this will be when I am hot but not in the same place as the fan - I can still turn it on. 
Actually, being a paranoiac as well as an audiphiliac, and in light of the fact that the fan and app are from Xiaomi, I suspect it has nothing to do with user convenience, and all to do with Chinese paranoia. I reported here a few years ago about an unbelievable licence agreement from Xiaomi when I bought a hardware router made by them. Essentially, I would have subjected myself to Chinese law anywhere on the planet - and probably off it as well! I returned the router under EU law which stipulates that non-agreement with a licence first presented post sale voids the sale. The licence agreement for this product is very little different. Criticism of China on social media would appear to be close to fatal. That reminds me - I must check the fan for Semtex and C-4.  
If Xiaomi imagine that I am going to let this thing access my local network, I am afraid they are in for a severe disappointment.
Of course, as I haven't accepted the licence agreement, I haven't agreed not to hack it... 
|
|
|
|
|
Ah, for the old days when opening the sleeve the CD was in constituted agreeing to the T&C's (which were on the CD inside the packet) ...
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
|
|
|
|
|
I had a dose of that with a client who spent a couple of grand on a small GIS package before Cyprus joined the EU. Because the software was not fit for his purpose I used the 'not agreeing to this licence' ploy (the licence terms being the 'not fit for purpose' concerning ownership of data). The vendor came back with the 'But it said on the packet' ploy. I just gave them the CD back, and asked for the price to be refunded. They refused, my client sued, and the other side fortunately had a good lawyer who sent us a cheque.
I don't know if there were any test cases for this, but as long as you didn't click through the licence agreement on install, you were going to win. We sued for fraud.
|
|
|
|
|
On the serious side, for any device to phone home it has to connect to the Internet via your phone (app) or your wireless router. Should be easy to block both.
OTOH, if you want it to connect, you have to trust the device's server, probably in AWS (from my experience).
You are not paranoid, they really are out to get you. 
If you can keep your head while those about you are losing theirs, perhaps you don't understand the situation.
|
|
|
|
|
I have an old Wi-Fi only tablet that I just use in the evenings for catching up on the news and Kindle. I might just install the app on that, and then block it and whatever it's talking to on my firewall.
theoldfool wrote: You are not paranoid, they really are out to get you.
NO no - I AM paranoid, but they're still out to get me, because they're paranoid as well.
|
|
|
|
|
But can it run Doom?
There's an idea for an article...
Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows.
-- 6079 Smith W.
|
|
|
|
|
if it was running linux you'd have that inflatable autopilot out of Airplane! and be expected to do a full engine rebuild every time you stop for gas, and all the parts would be free but it's anyone's guess which ones will work together.
if it was running apple, you'd go broke buying or servicing it. All leather interior and the autopilot is some guy named Keith who is earnest and a responsible driver, but smells vaguely of patchouli and something vegan.
it it was Microsoft, you wouldn't be allowed to exit the vehicle while charging or updating, and BSODs are quite literal at 100km/h
Real programmers use butterflies
|
|
|
|
|
Don't forget if it was an Apple car you'd have to get a new one to go from a city street to a superhighway.
|
|
|
|
|
And six months later it's top speed would halve ...
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
|
|
|
|
|
Don't be silly. Apple cars don't use streets or highways. They have their own astral plane to traverse.
Software rusts. Simon Stephenson, ca 1994. So does this signature. me, 2012
|
|
|
|
|
No way there would be any leather in an Apple car.
The seats would be made of glass, and your back pain would be a figment of your imagination.
|
|
|
|
|
... and you weren't holding it right anyway.
|
|
|
|
|
... plus the gas filler would only be compatible with Apple filling stations in Apple Stores, where a Genius Bar expert will add 100cc of gas per visit. Price per 100cc to be advised.
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
|
|
|
|
|
And it would not be gas at all, more like a secret mix of plutonium, antimatter and dark matter.
I have lived with several Zen masters - all of them were cats.
His last invention was an evil Lasagna. It didn't kill anyone, and it actually tasted pretty good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
I used to feel that way until I ran linux as a primary OS. Never again. I've never had such stability problems.
Now I'm seriously considering Apple. At least then I get a POSIX OS and closed-loop development that doesn't eat my master boot record every time it updates the OS - seriously a problem I had on my last *THREE* linux machines.
Real programmers use butterflies
|
|
|
|
|
Well, I try to avoid the "your OS wears GI shorts" exchanges. 
Never seen such here and I have been running Linux as my OS for many years. Only had to install it from source once for an old Dell. Again, whatever floats your boat.
Herself couldn't get anywhere on a Windows laptop, kids gave her an Apple MacBook and she was good to go. On her second one in 11 years. She is an Artist, they are "different". Nice kind of different.
If you can keep your head while those about you are losing theirs, perhaps you don't understand the situation.
|
|
|
|
|
Yeah, I'm not an OS holy roller, but I'm just fed up with both windows and linux, personally.
Real programmers use butterflies
|
|
|
|
|
DEC would make only minis and they would not be marketed for home use.
But they would be very secure.
|
|
|
|
|
And stable. You'd never have to reboot them.
|
|
|
|
|
We recently upgraded our internet connection at work and made me realise that life begins at 100Mbps.
|
|
|
|
|
I have 1,200Mbps at home, 400Mbps at work - and they want me to go back to the office!
- I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.
|
|
|
|
|
I take it back. 100Mbps is the beginning as for 1,200Mbps that's happiness !
|
|
|
|
|
I don't even think I have network adapters that can handle that. Sheesh. I have 750MBits or so and I'd be happy with 200MBits/s - i know that because my wifi router gets saturated after 200MBits/s of traffic.  I have to hard line into the thing to get my full speed. I only do that for one machine.
Real programmers use butterflies
|
|
|
|
|
8Mbps down, 0.75 up!
DSL sucks ass
|
|
|
|
General 
News 
Suggestion 
Question 
Bug 
Answer 
Joke 
Praise 
Rant 
Admin 
Submit an article or tip
Advice?