Jabra Evolve 75 Headphone Test

We were given Jabra Evolve 75 noise cancelling headphones at work.  So, they make nice headphones, good ANC, excellent music playback.  But how does the microphone work and sound?  We've got a couple of tracks - one unprocessed, one punched up for podcast or voiceover use.

First - the unprocessed file:





Next, the processed file - ran through Audacity with 'Normalize', 'Compressor', 'Truncate Silence'.  Still need a bit of reverb for a final cut; need to get that scripted in somehow.  Anyway - the file:


So - they sound good enough to use for podcasting (solo) or voiceover on videos - which I have a couple of queued up waiting for a decent mic.

A Centering Meditation (or prayer)

A Centering Meditation (or prayer)

• Choose a word or phrase. (Peace. Patience. Forgiveness. Grace. Joy. Insight. Your call.)
•  Speak the word or phrase 
• Close your eyes and breathe 
• Breathe in on a 4 count
• Hold for 4 seconds
• Breathe out for 4 seconds
  (circular breathing)
• Repeat word or phrase.
• Repeat for a while.
• On the last repetition, repeat the word or phrase intentionally.

Again, from Wendy Lyons Chrostek at the The Church of the Resurrection Leawood

Red Internet (WAN) light stuck on your Asus RT-AC68U?

Do you have the new Asus RT-AC68U AC1900 mesh WiFi Router, but it suddenly stopped connecting to your cable modem or WAN Ethernet connection?  And the red center LED is stuck on RED, even after power cycling the router, unplugging the router and everything else you're supposed to do?  Well, if you are, you've been through the manual, the FAQ and the website and found nothing.

After a brief call to tech support - who, surprisingly was open at 9PM on a weeknight - he diagnosed the problem as the router had lost it's configuration.  Not sure why or how, although we'd had several storms the previous week; perhaps a combination of power changes and static just confused the poor thing. 

So, what's the solution to no WAN / no Internet on your Asus RT-AC68U AC1900 router?  Pretty straight forward.  First, unplug everything from it - your USB drives, the WAN Ethernet cable, everything but the power. 

 

Now that everything is unplugged get a pen, pencil or paperclip and press and hold the 'reset' button -- that's the unlabled button on the diagrams, directly above the power input and power button on the left side of the image above.  Hold it for a full 15 second count. 

That flashes the Asus RT-AC68U AC1900 router back to factory state and creates two unlocked WiFi networks.  Connect to either of the unlocked networks with your tablet, phone or PC.  You'll be prompted to set up a username, password, network name and network password.  Apply those settings, plug in the WAN Ethernet cable again and you'll be back on the air!  

Unfortunately it also wipes any customization you've made for time limits by device, NAT translations, mesh networking etc, so you will have to spend a bit of time re-configuring that, but you're back on the air with your wireless internet!

Hope this helps someone else who has a red light on their Asus RT-AC68U router WAN port for the Internet!

- Will England

Spontaneous Day Trips That Are Less Than 3 Hours Away From Kansas City

Stolen from 'Narcity', whatever that is.  But some great ideas in this article!  Removed the non-kid friendly, overly imaged bits .  RoadTrip!

Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area

Distance: 1 h 55 mins (126 miles)

This is a great place for a day, er, night trip. There are actually several places throughout the state to get a clear view of the Milky Way, but this is one of the closer areas. The Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area is perhaps the best spot with the lowest light pollution for miles.

Dunlap, Kansas

Distance: 1 h 58 mins (119 miles)
An eerie Kansas destination.Dunlap is one of many Kansas ghost towns. Once a thriving town in the early 1900s, it soon became victim to the Great Depression and most residents and businesses were forced to leave in search of a more promising life elsewhere. The current population is around 80, so most of the town's buildings are deteriorating. If you enjoy urban exploration, this should be a top destination on your list.

Wild Animal Safari

Distance: 2 h 49 mins (174 miles)
Get up close and personal with some wild animals as you drive through five miles of man-made safari land. Many of the animals will even walk right up to your car, adorably harassing you for attention and food. Just watch out for those alpacas and llamas; they will happily spit on your face if they think you're shady - or just because they can... How can something so cute be so evil?

Missouri Town 1855

Distance: 35 mins (25.1 miles)
Step back into the mid-19th century at Missouri Town 1855, where the workers are actors dressed up in character and the entire town is set up to replicate life during that time. It's a truly eye-opening adventure, and you'll surely leave thankful for all the comforts we have available to us today.
Website

Coronado Heights Castle

(closed due to ground damage)

 

Ha Ha Tonka State Park

Distance: 2 h 38 mins (152 miles)
This state park is home to the Europen-style Ha Ha Tonka Castle Ruins. Besides the physical ruins, the story behind how the castle came to be and it's unhappy ending is interesting alone. I don't want to spoil it for you, so I'll let you figure it out during your trip here... Don't you dare Google it either, you cheater. While the castle may be the main attraction, there are other things to check out here, like a bright blue spring and awesome rock formations.
Website

Topeka, Kansas

As the capital city of Kansas, you know Topeka will have some pretty amazing things to see and do. There's the zoo, discovery center, Truckhenge, Equality House, and Evel Knievel Museum, to name a few. Click here to see a larger list of attractions in the city.   (And Bobo's Drive In!)

 

St. Joseph, Missouri

If you enjoy a good museum day, a short drive to St. Joseph would certainly be in order. There are three unique museums to visit, Glore Psychiatric Museum, showcasing the evolution of mental illness treatment at the State Lunatic Asylum No. 2; Jesse James Home Museum, showcasing the legacy of the notorious famed outlaw; and The Pony Express National Historic Trail and Museum, pretty obviously showcasing the fastest mail service in the Old West.

 

Baldwin City Train Depot

Eat, drink, and enjoy the Midwest countryside via train. The Train Depot and trains are modeled in a classic 1940s style for an authentic old-fashion feel. Plus, they offer three-hour dinner tours through the scenic countryside. Occasionally, the company hosts events like wine tastings, murder mysteries, and special holiday runs, just to name a few!
Website

 

 

Mushroom Rock State Park

Distance: 3 h (201 miles)

Pushing the limits of our three-hour criteria (depending on how fast you drive, of course), Mushroom Rock State Park in Kansas is a must-see for any nature lover out there. If you haven't guessed from the photos, the park was named for the curiously shaped rock formations, much resembling a mushroom. It has been enjoyed by humans for centuries.
Website

Lawrence Free Kansas

Why not get away from the city by visiting another one? Lawrence is full of great shops, a fantastic state park, and the must-see Museum of Odd. Actually, that's barely scratching the surface of attractions here, so click this link and plan your much-needed outing.
Website

 

 

Grand Falls

Distance: 2 h 32 mins (153 miles)

Located in Joplin, Missouri, is perhaps one of the most incredible sights in close proximity to Kansas City. Grand Falls is one of the top tourist spots in the entire city, and rightfully so. Cascading off a 163-ft.-wide ledge, the falls are a great area in the creek for swimming, fishing, and Insta photos. The city wouldn't be complete without its very own oddity, so after you spend the day sightseeing and touring, be sure to investigate the mysterious Ozark Spooklight.
Website

 

Konza Prairie

Distance: 1 h 51 mins (123 miles)

 

If you love natural picturesque beauty, you will thoroughly enjoy a trip to the Konza Prairie Biological Station. It consists of 3,487 hectares (that's 8616.5 acres) preserving a native tallgrass prairie in the Flint Hills of northeastern Kansas. Herds of wild buffalo, white-tailed deer, flocks of turkey, and numerous wildflowers call this prairie home. I hear the sunsets over these flatlands are absolutely captivating.
Website

 

 

 

Walt Disney Hometown Museum

Distance: 1 h 56 mins (125 miles)

Disney World is kind of far away, so this Walt Disney Museum is probably the next best thing. You could easily spend hours here looking at all of the Disney-related exhibits and displays. In fact, there are a few different memorials throughout the city dedicated to Mr. Disney (even the elementary school is named after him), so don't just stop at the museum. It's not surprising that this little town is super proud of the influential artist who once called it home.
Website

 

Rock City Park

Distance: 2 h 46 mins (183 miles)
The Kansas state animal should be a rock... But I digress. Anyways, Rock City is a state park filled with, you guessed it, rocks! These aren't just any rocks though, they're spherical boulders made of sandstone concretions created millions of years ago when Kansas was under oceanic water. This is the largest collection of these boulders in one place; it's estimated there are over 200 formations spanning over five acres; some are almost 30 feet across. That rocks!
Website

 

 

 

The Song of My People

If you have to go to work the day after a holiday (Independence Day, here in the US of A), you may as well do it in style.  This, is my style, and I call it 'Let me sing your the Song of My People':

Enjoy your Friday!

- Will England

Does Technology in School Really Help?

"The complex reality of the technologies that real companies leverage to get ahead emphasizes the absurdity of the now common idea that exposure to simplistic, consumer-facing products - especially in schools - somehow prepares people to succeed in a high-tech economy. Giving students iPads or allowing them to film homework assignments on YouTube prepares them for a high-tech economy about as much as playing with Hot Wheels would prepare them to thrive as auto mechanics."
- Cal Newport in Deep Work.

Comments?

- Will England

Microphones for Podcasts

Well, now that I've got this site and RSS feed set up to podcast (tested on Podcast Addict on Android anyway) I should do some looking for a microphone.

1) The way I have the audio file storage set up on a Google Site essentially requires a desktop / laptop computer.  It's terribly difficult to upload and copy the URL from a phone on a Google Site.  Need to look into improvements in that.

2) Blogger does not have a button to add audio; you have to edit the HTML and put in the HTML 5 < audio > tag by hand, pasting in the URL from (1).

3) the Voice recorder on the Note 9 is pretty low end

4) I like punching up the sound in Audacity, which requires a PC or Mac.

Thus, 5), I need a basic USB mic to record the podcasts.

Some references I'm reading:

The Verge 2019 Mic Rundown

DiscoverPods Cheap Podcast Microphones

MicReview 2019 Podcast Microphones

And ThePodCastHost microphone list.

I have  Tascam, Marantz, and Sennheiser stereo mics; not sure if they'll play nice with the inputs on the computer.  Could get an outboard USB mixer to route one of those mics through, and add other sound as well, but I bet that'd cost more than a basic microphone.  What will I pick?  Great question - some research and comparisons to come!

- Will England - Audio Geek

Scored another Signed First Hardcover from Wm Gibson!

Found this on VJ's Books --

Signed, mint, new hardcover in archival jacket first edition, signed by the author copy of The Peripheral. Came in today - went up on the shelf with the rest of the signed / first editions.  Now I have to find the First Trade edition, First Paperback edition and a reading copy . . .

(I have a small problem with books.  Fortunately it's limited to Wm Gibson, Walter Jon Williams and Neil Stephenson). 


P.S. No longer posting on Facebook.  Posts will be here, first, then shared to FB / Twitter.  FB is fuxored and was trying to sell my brand new book.   Eff them.

- Will England

Video Blog, Late Night in June

This is what happens when I drink too much coffee. You get a 1am video Blog.

  

Enjoy! 

- Will England

Midnight Audio Blog

Created, edited and posted all on the phone.

Complete pain. Would  have been impossible without the stylus on the Note 9, and Firefox. Chrome just up and said 'nope'.

Audio Blogging on Blogger Re-test, 2019

Hi!

Think this still works...


We're using the HTML5 <audio> < source></source></audio> controls to display an MP3 hosted on Google Sites.

Download the Podcast!

(As found from Lifewire)
(PDF of Lifewire as bitrot happens.)

By goodness, it does.  Be sure to stuff the MP3 URL into the 'Links', Enclosure Links field over to the right and it'll show up as a podcast in your favorite podcast listener tool.


Hope this helps someone else too!

-- Will England

Black Rifle Coffee Company AK-47 Espresso Blend Review

Today's Coffee: Black Rifle Coffee Company AK-47 Espresso Blend. In their words, 'This indestructible blend of light Colombian and dark Brazilian coffees is here to conquer your taste buds.'

A medium roast. Straight out of the pot, it's harsh, almost bitter. Cut with a nice foamed milk if you have that interest, or a swig of half and half opens up the flavors, giving you the darker roasted chocolate flavors and a long lasting after taste of a classic coffee. No 'hint of citrus' as their web marketing weasels (I can say that, I am one) have put down. It's a full bodied coffee that straight will give you a punch in the face.

Lightened out, you can start to taste it and it's not bad. More roasted than my preferences, but it's a good coffee overall.

Enjoy your morning punch in the face!

- Will England

(May the Peace of Christ be with you - and a strong right arm!)

So what does 5G do on the LG V50? Sprint Product Ambassadors

So what does this new 5G do on the LG V50?  It's an entirely new network configuration and being built out across the country.  Right now we have 6 cities lit up with 5G coverage - but what does that mean to you on your new LG V50?

Simply put - it means speed!  Side by side, outdoors in a fairly crowded network environment, I was able to pull down 87Mb/sec on the Galaxy Note 9 on 4G LTE, a true speed demon and powerhouse of a phone.  While still in the very same location, I was able to pull down 158 Mb/sec on the LG V50 Thinq!

LG V50 ThinQ 5G Speed Test

Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Speed Test

As the network build continues we'll see even faster and faster speeds, combined with market-wide coverage, so you get these faster speeds across the metro, not just right next to the tower!

Hope this helps you understand the benefits of true 5G from Sprint!

- Will England

The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

LG V50 ThinQ - Mind The Buttons! - Sprint Product Ambassadors

The LG V50 Thinq has an excellent set of buttons around the edge for power, volume and the Google Assistant.  But because of the placing you must beware of how your car mount grabs the phone.  I have the wireless charging phone holder for my car.  The grip arms will push the Google Assistant button if I have the phone slid down low enough to activate the wireless charging.  Be aware of this as you look for phone holders in your vehicle - side gripping holders may inadvertently activate your Google Assistant!

Note how close the side gripper is to the Google Assistant button!

I hope this helps others to find excellent phone holders that don't trigger the buttons on the LG V50 ThinQ!

- Will England


The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

LG V50 ThinQ 5G Setup Screen Recording - Sprint Product Ambassadors

Did you know the LG V50 ThinQ 5G phone from Sprint had a built in screen recorder?  Now you can capture your gaming, demonstrations, or more with the built in screen recorder.  I took a quick tour through setup and basic features of the phone on video - click to watch!

I hope this helps you have a better idea on the newest LG phone and the first 5G phone from Sprint!

- Will England

The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Setting up the Hand Recognition on the LG G8 ThinQ - Sprint Product Ambassadors

A phone you don't even have to touch to unlock - not news these days with facial recognition from most of the big phone makers.  But the LG G8 ThinQ goes one further with hand recognition!  It scans the patterns of blood vessels in your hand using the cameras and sensors on the front of the device.  Once it's set up, it's fantastic!  But to set it up, takes just a bit of finesse.  Watch the video to find out how to "crush it" setting up hand recognition!

Amazing!  It took a few tries to figure that out - but now that you know how to set up hand recognition on your LG G8 ThinQ you'll be crushing it like a pro!

- Will England


The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

LG G8 ThinQ Air Motion Controls - Sprint Product Ambassador

A phone you don't touch to control - amazing!  That's exactly what LG has designed in their LG G8 ThinQ.   They have new touchless technology called "Air Motion" that allows you to answer the phone, manage your alarm, capture the screen or open apps.

It does take a bit to get used to it - first, hold you hand two to five inches directly above the camera in the top until the blue bar lights up.  Then, you can make the desired action without even touching the phone!

You can see a brief demonstration of it live from my test phone here:

I hope this helps you to get more out of your LG G8 ThinQ from Sprint!

- Will England

The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

LG G8 ThinQ Unboxing and Size Comparison - Sprint Product Ambassadors

This week we're looking at the LG G8 ThinQ phone from Sprint.  The current 4G top of the line phone from LG, it's an impressive device right out of the box!  Watch for more:

Looks like it's going to be a great test!

- Will England, Sprint Product Ambassador

The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee

Introducing the LG G8 ThinQ - Sprint Product Ambassadors

A phone you don’t touch.  A phone with no speaker.  A phone that supports the fastest, widest LTE network.  The LG G8.  This is one amazing phone.  I’ve been using LG phones – and getting them for my family – for years, the G6, G7, v30, v40, etc. – and this one has features to outsmart and out work them all.    Running the latest QUALCOMM 855 chipset, supporting up to 2TB of storage for lossless audio storage and more.

The 6.1” screen itself is the speaker, combined with an integral bass chamber for low end reproduction, the sound from the LG G8 is nothing short of phenomenal for a handset.  But it really comes alive when you connect it to a high end set of Bluetooth headphones; the LG G8 supports the aptX protocol for high bitrate streaming to your Bluetooth devices.  Connect to the (still included!) 3.5mm headset jack and you experience lifelike surround sound in your headset.  The digital to analog converter remains best in class.  LG has partnered with Meridian, one of the big dogs in audiophile and high end audio, to tune the sound output on this phone, along with Dolby DTS:X 3D sound for the simulated surround from your headphones.

Once you buy this phone, you will quickly become a customer of Acoustic Sounds and HDTracks, two of the biggest vendors of high-resolution lossless audio.  You will find your old catalog of MP3’s start sounding tinny and find all sorts of new amazing music.  For the deep catalog, you can get great tracks from Bandcamp as well, again in lossless FLAC files.  Combined with the free subscription to Tidal that Sprint offers with their unlimited plan, you will rediscover your love for music with this phone, and find artists and tracks you’ve never heard before.  I’ve purchased over 480 new tracks, some 43 GB of uncompressed music since I started using the LG phones with their amazing sound quality!

Beyond the sound, the LG G8 offers touchless commands, super fast data speeds on the Sprint LTE network and a 6.1” edge to edge display using the latest in OLED technology for an immersive experience in movies, videos, games and more.  Stay tuned for demos and videos of the coolest new features of this brilliant phone!

• Will England, Sprint Product Ambassador
• Originally posted on the Sprint Community

The Product Ambassadors are Sprint employees from many different parts of the company that love technology. They volunteer to test out all sorts of Sprint devices and offer opinions freely to the Community. Each Product Ambassador shares their own opinions of these devices, therefore the information in this post does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Sprint. The PA's do not represent the company in an official way, and should not be expected to respond to Community members in an official capacity. #sprintemployee


Links to external vendors not sponsored by Sprint, nor endorsed by Sprint.  No compensation was received for any external content or downloads.

A Quiet Mechanical Key Switch Keyboard

For *years* (1995 to 2018) I have been typing on IBM Model M keyboards with the buckling spring keyswitches.  I learned to type on an IBM Selectrics and that level of pressure and feedback is just what I'm used to.

This year we moved office into an open pod area with coworkers separated from me by only a foot or two and a thin foam wall.  I've had several warnings and hits (people leaving rubber dome keyboards on my desk etc.) regarding the noise of my typing.  Additionally, our new docking stations for the laptops have removed the legacy PS2 ports for serial keyboards, so I've had to find a good USB to PS2 converter.  (Tip - there arent' many at all).

I checked into all the current mechanical switch keyboards and they are mainly focused on video gamers - 'interesting' colors, RGB backlighting, price tags of $80 to over $100, etc.  Finally found the Logitech K840 - just came out recently, is very conservative in color and style, but offers a solid mechanical switch, the 'Romer G'.  TomsHardware reports that the newly designed Romer G switches have "[...] tactile, quiet switch that requires 45 g of actuation force, Romer-Gs are similar to Cherry MX Browns, but spring back a little faster."  This illustration from Logitech shows the build diagram of the Romer G switch:

The frame and body are built from anodized aluminum for a study long lasting feel. With 26-key rollover it'll keep up with the fastest of typers, and can be used for games.  But with the understated black and grey colors, clean lines and quiet actuation, this is the perfect keyboard for the office.

A quick check with DB Meter Pro on the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 at 6" from the keyboard give a maximum SPL (C-Weighted) of just over 60dB.  From 2 or 3 feet away it's essentially un-noticeable. 

While the MSRP is $89, you can typically find them for $50 or so online.  Excellent keyboard, office friendly and great to type on.  I hope this hardware review helps you to find a quality keyboard with mechanical switches that won't drive your coworkers batty!

 

(Update - August 2020:  I was sent this excellent resource of mechanical keyboard switches, with all of the parameters for force, depth, and more! )

- Will England