locked out

[amdx]

On 6/4/2019 9:12 PM, krw@notreal.com wrote:

On Tue, 4 Jun 2019 13:32:50 -0500, amdx <nojunk@knology.net> wrote:

On 6/4/2019 11:45 AM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Mon, 03 Jun 2019 08:19:25 -0700, John Larkin
jjlarkin@highlandtechnology.com> wrote:

Our cabin came with a smart thermostat that guests were always leaving
in weird states. I replaced it with a simple one that has a dial to
set temperature, and one switch for the fan, ON-AUTO. It had another
switch OFF-HEAT-AC but I removed that one, so the heat is always on
and can't be set below 40F.

I sometimes wonder why HVAC thermostats measure air temperature in one
part of the room, instead of using multiple sensors to measure the
average temperature of the room. Or, maybe PIR sensors that can be
aimed at the areas that are occupied. Or adding ceiling and floor
temperature sensors to deal with temperature stratification. For
large rooms, it could also shut down the vents in unoccupied areas
while continuing to blow hot or cold air in occupied areas. An HVAC
system that does a better job of calculating and measuring
temperatures would seem to be a better proposition than a $250
electronic thermostat that doesn't do much better at measuring the
temperature than an old bi-metallic mechanical thermostat. Recording
usage history and pattern matching seems like a poor substitute for
more and better sensors.



I'd like a system that does a better job with lowering humidity.
We installed a new system about 6 to 9 years ago, it did a better job
than our old system, but I feel much more comfortable if I run a
dehumidifier getting the humidity below 40%. I did that for a while,
and I could raise the thermostat 4* and still feel comfortable.
The problem was the dehumidifier created heat and that raised the temp
wherever it sat, so I stopped, and the Kennmore dehumidifier was
recalled because of a fire hazard.

With the appropriate thermostat, the new heat pump we put in this
Winter will dehumidify as well as cool. Basically, it just lowers the
fan RPM to make the coils colder, dropping more water out of the air.
A thermostat with a humidity sensor (and a couple of more wires to the
control board) is need to use the function.

I like that idea, I'll look into fan speed and see if it is adjustable.
I suspect it is, I had a warranty replacement of my fan motor and
noted it had a lot of wires!
Mikek

The kids have left so we have both of their bedrooms vents shut and
doors closed.

I was told this was a bad practice because it unbalances the system
and increases the back pressure. I was doing it more to move air to
the family room. The builder screwed up the HVAC big time.

I need a dehumidifier that vents the heat and condensation to the outside.

Which is the idea of the HVAC mode above.

 

[Kevin Aylward]

"Clifford Heath" wrote in message news:RcDJE.48738$RP3.31735@fx11.iad...

On 5/6/19 8:34 am, John Larkin wrote:

But for company backup, I take a terabyte USB hard drive home every
couple of months, and stash them in various places. We never write to
the backup drives after they are burned, and very rarely have to read
them.
Make sure you read one regularly, and ensure it has all you think it does,
or you can be sure they will fail when you actually need them.

Yes. I also keep key backup copies on DVD. I always read back the whole DVD
to check it wrote ok.

I also have two laptops which I keep synced with all the key stuff as well
over my network. I will do this anytime I do any work, sometimes hourly.


-- Kevin Aylward
http://www.anasoft.co.uk - SuperSpice
http://www.kevinaylward.co.uk/ee/index.html

 

[Rich S]

On Monday, June 3, 2019 at 12:38:41 PM UTC-4, John Larkin wrote:

On Mon, 03 Jun 2019 11:22:59 -0500, Joe Chisolm
wrote:

On Mon, 03 Jun 2019 08:19:25 -0700, John Larkin wrote:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90358396/that-major-google-outage-meant-
some-nest-users-couldnt-unlock-doors-or-use-the-ac

The key lock on my house has been reliable for 25 years. Ditto my
thermostat. Why would anyone spend $270 for a lock that won't let you
in?

Our cabin came with a smart thermostat that guests were always leaving
in weird states. I replaced it with a simple one that has a dial to set
temperature, and one switch for the fan, ON-AUTO. It had another switch
OFF-HEAT-AC but I removed that one, so the heat is always on and can't
be set below 40F.

Seems like some people have enough "smart" gadgets that they can't do
anything without their phone.

I bet Google knows when you come and go, knows what temperature you
like, knows what food you order, knows where you go, knows what you buy,
reads your email, puts all that info together.

I had a nest a few years back. What a piece of junk. I now have
a simple thermostat - set the temp and it will either heat or cool
to keep that temp. We live and work out of the house so I dont need
some programmable crap.

Amazon stuff is real touchy about net access. They assume always on
completely reliable net connection. I've done some test. Unplug
the ISP link (local lan up and running) and you can cause a fire-tv to
hang, you have to power cycle it. Modern crop of programmers dont
seem to understand the concept that the net can and does go down.

Once we design a product with a uP and an FPGA, it's tempting to keep
adding features, the theory being that every feature might get us some
additional sales. So we have to keep remembering that the basic
functions have to be easy to understand and evoke.

My favorite button on my Rigol scope is DEFAULT SETUP. Get me the hell
out of here.

In consumer electronics, buttons and LEDs are cheap, and code is
cheap, and there are no conventions for user interfaces, and
"features" seem to sell. So hidden internal states and bugs
profilerate.

A dishwasher needs two buttons, WASH and STOP. Two LEDs, WASHING and
DONE. One of ours has a zillion touch-sensitive buttons that operate
randomly if someone brushes the front with their belly when they use
the sink. You need a flashlight to see what the buttons do, because
they are labeled in black print on stainless.
John Larkin Highland Technology, Inc
lunatic fringe electronics

Agreed. The design of much mass-market consumer electronics often seems fast-tracked. The usability or consumer experience testing may be curtailed or skipped. Maybe the manufacturer makes to many assumptions, e.f.g. "this small change won't hurt..." or "isn't it obvious how to navigate the menu?", etc.

So my job is safe! Gadgets are still being made with excellent, poor, and levels in-between, of usability. Security and Privacy testing are the newest job opportunities -- my associates & I have big prospects here.

- Rich Sulin

 

On Saturday, 8 June 2019 19:06:59 UTC+1, Rich S wrote:

On Monday, June 3, 2019 at 12:38:41 PM UTC-4, John Larkin wrote:

A dishwasher needs two buttons, WASH and STOP. Two LEDs, WASHING and
DONE. One of ours has a zillion touch-sensitive buttons that operate
randomly if someone brushes the front with their belly when they use
the sink. You need a flashlight to see what the buttons do, because
they are labeled in black print on stainless.
John Larkin Highland Technology, Inc
lunatic fringe electronics

Agreed. The design of much mass-market consumer electronics often seems fast-tracked. The usability or consumer experience testing may be curtailed or skipped. Maybe the manufacturer makes to many assumptions, e.f.g. "this small change won't hurt..." or "isn't it obvious how to navigate the menu?", etc.

So my job is safe! Gadgets are still being made with excellent, poor, and levels in-between, of usability. Security and Privacy testing are the newest job opportunities -- my associates & I have big prospects here.

- Rich Sulin

IMHO most mfrs couldn't give a flying dungchip what the user experience is like. They seem in a big rush to get it out the door as quick as possible & claim as many features as possible. The rest just doesn't seem to interest them.

The result is a whole lot of goods I wouldn't buy due to a UI that even without using it I can see is a disaster.

I do wish my dishwasher had more controls. They do need more than 1 program, and I curse the stupid drying cycle on mine. It takes ages and is useless, and wastes energy as well fwiw. I wish I could tell it to skip those. And it really needs another rinse. For Americans, out dishwashers are cursed by green water saving initiatives which make them need everything prerinsing if they're to come out clean, which uses more than 10x as much water & wastes time. It's frustrating that personal injury is forbidden here.


NT

 

[Brian Howie]

On 03/06/2019 23:50, John Larkin wrote:

On Mon, 3 Jun 2019 19:34:05 +0100, Brian Howie <nospam@b-howie.co.uk
wrote:

On 03/06/2019 16:19, John Larkin wrote:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90358396/that-major-google-outage-meant-some-nest-users-couldnt-unlock-doors-or-use-the-ac

The key lock on my house has been reliable for 25 years. Ditto my
thermostat. Why would anyone spend $270 for a lock that won't let you
in?

Our cabin came with a smart thermostat that guests were always leaving
in weird states. I replaced it with a simple one that has a dial to
set temperature, and one switch for the fan, ON-AUTO. It had another
switch OFF-HEAT-AC but I removed that one, so the heat is always on
and can't be set below 40F.

Seems like some people have enough "smart" gadgets that they can't do
anything without their phone.

I bet Google knows when you come and go, knows what temperature you
like, knows what food you order, knows where you go, knows what you
buy, reads your email, puts all that info together.



What's AC ?

Brian

Air conditioning. We don't actually have any.

I live in Scotland. It never gets that warm. 20C or 68F. I always found
it odd on visits to the USA having to put on a jersey in my hotel room
in summer as the A/C made it feel much too cold. I usually switched it
off , but the housemaids kept putting it back on.

B
--
Brian

---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus

 

[John Larkin]

On Wed, 12 Jun 2019 21:27:16 +0100, Brian Howie <nospam@b-howie.co.uk>
wrote:

On 03/06/2019 23:50, John Larkin wrote:
On Mon, 3 Jun 2019 19:34:05 +0100, Brian Howie <nospam@b-howie.co.uk
wrote:

On 03/06/2019 16:19, John Larkin wrote:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90358396/that-major-google-outage-meant-some-nest-users-couldnt-unlock-doors-or-use-the-ac

The key lock on my house has been reliable for 25 years. Ditto my
thermostat. Why would anyone spend $270 for a lock that won't let you
in?

Our cabin came with a smart thermostat that guests were always leaving
in weird states. I replaced it with a simple one that has a dial to
set temperature, and one switch for the fan, ON-AUTO. It had another
switch OFF-HEAT-AC but I removed that one, so the heat is always on
and can't be set below 40F.

Seems like some people have enough "smart" gadgets that they can't do
anything without their phone.

I bet Google knows when you come and go, knows what temperature you
like, knows what food you order, knows where you go, knows what you
buy, reads your email, puts all that info together.



What's AC ?

Brian

Air conditioning. We don't actually have any.



I live in Scotland. It never gets that warm. 20C or 68F. I always found
it odd on visits to the USA having to put on a jersey in my hotel room
in summer as the A/C made it feel much too cold. I usually switched it
off , but the housemaids kept putting it back on.

B

I grew up in New Orleans, where the temperature and humidity get close
to 100 simultaneously, and the mosquitoes are as big as frogs. A/C is
a necessity for survival there. It's claimed that Houston would be an
obscure village without a/c.

We're having a brutal heat wave in SF now, 71F at 3PM. There are
actually people outdoors in tee shirts.


--

John Larkin Highland Technology, Inc
picosecond timing precision measurement

jlarkin att highlandtechnology dott com
http://www.highlandtechnology.com

 

[Joe Chisolm]

On Wed, 12 Jun 2019 15:14:36 -0700, John Larkin wrote:

On Wed, 12 Jun 2019 21:27:16 +0100, Brian Howie <nospam@b-howie.co.uk
wrote:

On 03/06/2019 23:50, John Larkin wrote:
On Mon, 3 Jun 2019 19:34:05 +0100, Brian Howie <nospam@b-howie.co.uk
wrote:

On 03/06/2019 16:19, John Larkin wrote:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90358396/that-major-google-outage-meant-
some-nest-users-couldnt-unlock-doors-or-use-the-ac

The key lock on my house has been reliable for 25 years. Ditto my
thermostat. Why would anyone spend $270 for a lock that won't let
you in?

Our cabin came with a smart thermostat that guests were always
leaving in weird states. I replaced it with a simple one that has a
dial to set temperature, and one switch for the fan, ON-AUTO. It had
another switch OFF-HEAT-AC but I removed that one, so the heat is
always on and can't be set below 40F.

Seems like some people have enough "smart" gadgets that they can't
do anything without their phone.

I bet Google knows when you come and go, knows what temperature you
like, knows what food you order, knows where you go, knows what you
buy, reads your email, puts all that info together.



What's AC ?

Brian

Air conditioning. We don't actually have any.



I live in Scotland. It never gets that warm. 20C or 68F. I always found
it odd on visits to the USA having to put on a jersey in my hotel room
in summer as the A/C made it feel much too cold. I usually switched it
off , but the housemaids kept putting it back on.

B

I grew up in New Orleans, where the temperature and humidity get close
to 100 simultaneously, and the mosquitoes are as big as frogs. A/C is a
necessity for survival there. It's claimed that Houston would be an
obscure village without a/c.

We're having a brutal heat wave in SF now, 71F at 3PM. There are
actually people outdoors in tee shirts.

Phoenix would be a whistle stop on the train line and the state
government would still be in Prescott. My AC there ran all the
time - but it was 101F at midnight.


--
Chisolm
Republic of Texas

 

[Jan Panteltje]

On a sunny day (Wed, 12 Jun 2019 15:14:36 -0700) it happened John Larkin
<jjlarkin@highland_snip_technology.com> wrote in
<hst2ge53hkdr55e2oib9aq7fgv0p3lc83u@4ax.com>:

On Wed, 12 Jun 2019 21:27:16 +0100, Brian Howie <nospam@b-howie.co.uk
wrote:

On 03/06/2019 23:50, John Larkin wrote:
On Mon, 3 Jun 2019 19:34:05 +0100, Brian Howie <nospam@b-howie.co.uk
wrote:

On 03/06/2019 16:19, John Larkin wrote:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90358396/that-major-google-outage-meant-some-nest-users-couldnt-unlock-doors-or-use-the-ac

The key lock on my house has been reliable for 25 years. Ditto my
thermostat. Why would anyone spend $270 for a lock that won't let you
in?

Our cabin came with a smart thermostat that guests were always leaving
in weird states. I replaced it with a simple one that has a dial to
set temperature, and one switch for the fan, ON-AUTO. It had another
switch OFF-HEAT-AC but I removed that one, so the heat is always on
and can't be set below 40F.

Seems like some people have enough "smart" gadgets that they can't do
anything without their phone.

I bet Google knows when you come and go, knows what temperature you
like, knows what food you order, knows where you go, knows what you
buy, reads your email, puts all that info together.



What's AC ?

Brian

Air conditioning. We don't actually have any.



I live in Scotland. It never gets that warm. 20C or 68F. I always found
it odd on visits to the USA having to put on a jersey in my hotel room
in summer as the A/C made it feel much too cold. I usually switched it
off , but the housemaids kept putting it back on.

B

I grew up in New Orleans, where the temperature and humidity get close
to 100 simultaneously, and the mosquitoes are as big as frogs. A/C is
a necessity for survival there. It's claimed that Houston would be an
obscure village without a/c.

We're having a brutal heat wave in SF now, 71F at 3PM. There are
actually people outdoors in tee shirts.

Never been to New Orleans, but spend a lot of time in Miami, Florida,
traveling in a volkswagen bus with other hippies,
only had a teeshirt and jeans, no airco,
sleep in the open next to that bus,
worked here and there to get some $ like picking oranges.
Do remember getting some sunburn on my arms in Miami though,
still have the old Florida driving license (long expired).
Airco, what airco?
Pussies.

 

[John Larkin]

On Thu, 13 Jun 2019 06:07:12 GMT, Jan Panteltje
<pNaOnStPeAlMtje@yahoo.com> wrote:

On a sunny day (Wed, 12 Jun 2019 15:14:36 -0700) it happened John Larkin
jjlarkin@highland_snip_technology.com> wrote in
hst2ge53hkdr55e2oib9aq7fgv0p3lc83u@4ax.com>:

On Wed, 12 Jun 2019 21:27:16 +0100, Brian Howie <nospam@b-howie.co.uk
wrote:

On 03/06/2019 23:50, John Larkin wrote:
On Mon, 3 Jun 2019 19:34:05 +0100, Brian Howie <nospam@b-howie.co.uk
wrote:

On 03/06/2019 16:19, John Larkin wrote:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90358396/that-major-google-outage-meant-some-nest-users-couldnt-unlock-doors-or-use-the-ac

The key lock on my house has been reliable for 25 years. Ditto my
thermostat. Why would anyone spend $270 for a lock that won't let you
in?

Our cabin came with a smart thermostat that guests were always leaving
in weird states. I replaced it with a simple one that has a dial to
set temperature, and one switch for the fan, ON-AUTO. It had another
switch OFF-HEAT-AC but I removed that one, so the heat is always on
and can't be set below 40F.

Seems like some people have enough "smart" gadgets that they can't do
anything without their phone.

I bet Google knows when you come and go, knows what temperature you
like, knows what food you order, knows where you go, knows what you
buy, reads your email, puts all that info together.



What's AC ?

Brian

Air conditioning. We don't actually have any.



I live in Scotland. It never gets that warm. 20C or 68F. I always found
it odd on visits to the USA having to put on a jersey in my hotel room
in summer as the A/C made it feel much too cold. I usually switched it
off , but the housemaids kept putting it back on.

B

I grew up in New Orleans, where the temperature and humidity get close
to 100 simultaneously, and the mosquitoes are as big as frogs. A/C is
a necessity for survival there. It's claimed that Houston would be an
obscure village without a/c.

We're having a brutal heat wave in SF now, 71F at 3PM. There are
actually people outdoors in tee shirts.


Never been to New Orleans, but spend a lot of time in Miami, Florida,
traveling in a volkswagen bus with other hippies,
only had a teeshirt and jeans, no airco,
sleep in the open next to that bus,
worked here and there to get some $ like picking oranges.
Do remember getting some sunburn on my arms in Miami though,
still have the old Florida driving license (long expired).
Airco, what airco?
Pussies.

People in New Orleans sleep just below a roaring, shaking, cycling
window air conditioner. You learn to love that sound.

Ironically, the old houses are brutally cold in winter. They are up a
few feet off the ground, on brick piers, and cold air flows under the
floor. The pipes freeze.


--

John Larkin Highland Technology, Inc
picosecond timing precision measurement

jlarkin att highlandtechnology dott com
http://www.highlandtechnology.com

 

[Jan Panteltje]

On a sunny day (Thu, 13 Jun 2019 11:21:21 -0700) it happened John Larkin
<jjlarkin@highland_snip_technology.com> wrote in
<bq45gepfdnrkcek6k2hcv888lht1u455hv@4ax.com>:

On Thu, 13 Jun 2019 06:07:12 GMT, Jan Panteltje
pNaOnStPeAlMtje@yahoo.com> wrote:

On a sunny day (Wed, 12 Jun 2019 15:14:36 -0700) it happened John Larkin
jjlarkin@highland_snip_technology.com> wrote in
hst2ge53hkdr55e2oib9aq7fgv0p3lc83u@4ax.com>:

On Wed, 12 Jun 2019 21:27:16 +0100, Brian Howie <nospam@b-howie.co.uk
wrote:

On 03/06/2019 23:50, John Larkin wrote:
On Mon, 3 Jun 2019 19:34:05 +0100, Brian Howie <nospam@b-howie.co.uk
wrote:

On 03/06/2019 16:19, John Larkin wrote:

https://www.fastcompany.com/90358396/that-major-google-outage-meant-some-nest-users-couldnt-unlock-doors-or-use-the-ac

The key lock on my house has been reliable for 25 years. Ditto my
thermostat. Why would anyone spend $270 for a lock that won't let you
in?

Our cabin came with a smart thermostat that guests were always leaving
in weird states. I replaced it with a simple one that has a dial to
set temperature, and one switch for the fan, ON-AUTO. It had another
switch OFF-HEAT-AC but I removed that one, so the heat is always on
and can't be set below 40F.

Seems like some people have enough "smart" gadgets that they can't do
anything without their phone.

I bet Google knows when you come and go, knows what temperature you
like, knows what food you order, knows where you go, knows what you
buy, reads your email, puts all that info together.



What's AC ?

Brian

Air conditioning. We don't actually have any.



I live in Scotland. It never gets that warm. 20C or 68F. I always found
it odd on visits to the USA having to put on a jersey in my hotel room
in summer as the A/C made it feel much too cold. I usually switched it
off , but the housemaids kept putting it back on.

B

I grew up in New Orleans, where the temperature and humidity get close
to 100 simultaneously, and the mosquitoes are as big as frogs. A/C is
a necessity for survival there. It's claimed that Houston would be an
obscure village without a/c.

We're having a brutal heat wave in SF now, 71F at 3PM. There are
actually people outdoors in tee shirts.


Never been to New Orleans, but spend a lot of time in Miami, Florida,
traveling in a volkswagen bus with other hippies,
only had a teeshirt and jeans, no airco,
sleep in the open next to that bus,
worked here and there to get some $ like picking oranges.
Do remember getting some sunburn on my arms in Miami though,
still have the old Florida driving license (long expired).
Airco, what airco?
Pussies.


People in New Orleans sleep just below a roaring, shaking, cycling
window air conditioner. You learn to love that sound.

Ironically, the old houses are brutally cold in winter. They are up a
few feet off the ground, on brick piers, and cold air flows under the
floor. The pipes freeze.

I remember one evening when camping next to that Volkswagen bus, Charley said: 'Look, alligator'.

So I grabbed it, swung it around by the tail, and as it had its mouth wide open, stuck my head in to see what was there,
A big hole..

So pulled my head out, and Miriam, who was Jewish, sat on it,
while Charley did hold its tail,
and I put pieces of wood in its mouth.
Miriam would then scratch it behind the ear, and that way we chopped enough firewood for days,
Miriam was some sort of medium, she could read your deepest thoughts, and sometimes give in to those.
Anyways, Miriam was doing that thing and talking to that crock, saying things like 'Big, 'Red', 'Fat', 'Tasty', 'Grab it', etc etc.
No idea what she was up to, we released it where these days Trump's golf club is.
Its long ago, I am sure it has many offspring since then, and passed on Miriam's instructions.