Balloonicorn Trots

Well as the title of the posts hints at, this is a breakdown of my everyday gear that i have with me and use almost daily, if not for making these blog posts, other fascets of social media.  So without further ado, THE STUFFS Okay I know it looks like a lot of stuff, BUT, you gotta remember, I'm a magical, inflatable, technologist.  So as such I must be prepared at all times for whatever comes up, which usually ends up with me playing tech support or helping out at the local conventions. Either way a here we go: Starting with #1 - Acer Chromebook Cb3-111-C4GD Looking under the hood we find the following specs CPU: 2.16GHz Intel Celeron N2840 (dual-core, 1MB cache, up to 2.58GHz with turboboost) Graphics: Intel HD Graphics RAM: 2GB DDR3L SDRAM Screen: 11.6-inch, 1,366 x 768 HD IPS LED Storage: 16GB SSD Ports: 1 x USB 3.0 ports, 1 x USB 2.0, HDMI, SD card reader, headphone jack Connectivity: Intel 802.11ac; Bluetooth 4.0 Camera: 720p webcam Weight: 2.4 pou...

For those who are unaware what a pirate box is, it is a...  " DIY anonymous offline file-sharing and communications system built with free software and inexpensive off-the-shelf hardware."   These little repurposed routers are lightweight systems which make a wifi network in their vecinity and offer web services such as chat and access to files / leaving files.  They can be left as a deaddrop in which they stay at a location and anyone in the area has access to them, Or there are ones people keep in their bag and are only available when they are near. They are a very unique diverge in the cloud based thinking that usually follows this day and age, Instead of trying to keep everything syncing and updated all the time, these ones are updated manually by the users and as such a more personal content and localized experience. The default setup leaves you with a pocket router with a usb stick coming out the side (i usually suggest 16-32gb at least if you're wanting...

So the Google home, (before you ask about the mini, I don't have one of those yet, I got one of the full size ones) One of my favorite christmas presents and the most fun wireless speaker I have had In a very long time, and can honestly say I use everyday.  From adding calendar events to setting alarms to just listening to music, it fits into the niche of tech that i am into, ( that being minimal design, but extensible usability). It does have it's pitfalls, such as intermittently not being able to hear pitch properly, Thus not being able to authenticate the user properly, which given the alternative, I would rather be locked out than my data accessed by just anyone wandering in my room.  That problem can be minimized by using different pitches and or inflections in your voice when setting up the initial "Hey google, Okay Google....." (Trust me you'll be tired of setting it up to when you change out phones like me, story for another day) But All things In t...

So where to begin with all this, fell a little off track on my planning to get out some posts more regularly, but you know what they say, sometimes it's what you get out. Carrying on, In what has been added lately to my ever growing smart home (that's wired from the 1900's (see wikipedia knob and tube wiring if you want to know  what i mean) I added a Wemo smart light switch to my room.  There were a few complications, mainly that it is setup for newer wiring schemes that are to modern code (aka 4 wire and a neutral as aposed to my 2 wire and a neutral >.>) But that being said and that I am a resourceful balloonicorn, I managed to find some posts ( note to add referene links) and managed to get it working. ie power incoming (black) to source of power, white to second black from the switch (aka power incoming and outgoing from light, then the green and white from the switch go under the grounding screw with the neutral and bam. OF COURSE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE HAD THE ...