Boredom-bred Tech Ideas

Image from logitech.com As mentioned in the Logitech K375s post , I use the Logitech M590 in conjunction with the keyboard to work across multiple devices. The M590 also comes with a Unifying receiver, meaning that by buying this and the K375s, I will have 2 Unifying receivers to use for these 2 devices. You can connect both devices to a single Unifying dongle by either using the Logitech Unifying Software, or using the Logitech Flow Software (these two are Flow compatible). This mouse is also a silent mouse, perfect to go together with the previously mentioned Logitech K375s. The mouse is able to pair with 2 devices either through the Unifying receiver (which I have 2 of thanks to the K375s), or Bluetooth. I find the Bluetooth connectivity a bit shotty at best, and it takes some time to switch between devices (at least for me). So personally I prefer to have the mouse and keyboard both connected to both my Unifying receivers. As also mentioned in the K375s post, these devices su...

Image from logitech.com If you are like me and have a tendency to work across multiple computers, then you will appreciate the functionalities that the Logitech K375s can provide you. The keyboard comes with a Logitech Unifying receiver, which can pair up to 6 devices per dongle, and is pretty much plug-and-play on any PCs. It also comes with a handy smartphone stand, which has also served me pretty well. The magic in this keyboard is the ability to pair with up to 3 different devices, either through Bluetooth or Unifying. "But Tim, there are those other Logitech keyboards that also support multiple devices and are cheaper" I hear. Well, I personally prefer full-sized keyboards, as well as the better-feeling keys. When I was looking for a new keyboard, some of the options I looked at were the K480 and K780. While they offer similar functionalities, I turned down the K480 because it is not a full-sized keyboard; while I turned down the K780 due to the short key press...

Image from Lenovo US The Lenovo ThinkVision M14 is a 14-inch portable monitor that operates on just a USB Type C cable. It can operate at up to 1920x1080 resolution, which is perfectly acceptable for its size. The monitor sips a mere 6W for operation and thus does not take up too much of the laptop's battery power (slightly higher than charging a mobile phone using a USB3.0 port [~5W]). At less than 600g, it is very lightweight and portable. It manages to keep itself slim as well by using a folding stand instead of a folio cover like some of its competitors. The monitor also includes a small height extender to elevate the monitor slightly. Image from Lenovo US The folding stand would also mean that it has bulk of its weight as close to the surface as possible, and this makes it a very stable way to keep the monitor standing. The hinge of the monitor will be able to lay flat (0 °) , extend all the way upright (90 °) , and slightly beyond (-5 °). The monitor ...

Since we are all stuck at home, I thought that I'd share some gadgets and applications that I have been making use of to help me get through this time. Writing this post will take some time and I have decided to separate each devices, software, and mobile apps into their own pages so I can talk about my experiences with them more effectively. Hopefully I am able to post one new post daily and update this post with links to the other posts. Disclaimer: based on my personal experiences and ownership. I will not consider these as "reviews" as I am not, and will not test them extensively to say that I recommend a certain product. The List Monitor: Lenovo ThinkVision M14 14-inch Portable Monitor Keyboard:  Logitech K375s Multi-device Keyboard

When I started this blog, the first post was a post criticising the Raspberry Pi 3B+ for being not "up to par" as compared to its competitors in the market. You can read that post here . Ever since then a few developments have taken place, and the Raspberry Pi 4B has been announced, and subsequently released, much to the joy of makers. The hype lived up to its name though -- a more efficient CPU, faster RAM, true Gigabit Ethernet and more. The RPi 4B is now a serious competitor to the market. But is it worth the money? Well, I bought one (4GB version) :P Before we proceed any further, I thought we compare some of the differences between the RPi 3B+ and the RPi 4B:- Spec RPi 3B+ RPi 4B CPU Quad core A53 @ 1.5 GHz Quad core A72 @ 1.5 GHz RAM 1GB LPDDR2 @800MHz 1/2/4GB LPDDR4 @ 2400MHz GPU VideoCore IV @ 300MHz VideoCore VI @ 500MHz USB ports 4 x USB 2.0 over 1 USB 2.0 connection from SoC 2 x USB 2.0 direct to SoC + 2 x USB 3.0 over PCIe x1 ...

When I'm bored, my mind goes to places I normally will not go. And out these places I get the most wonderful ideas. Whether is it feasible or not is a different question :P My ideas can span from software solutions, hardware shenanigans, and also mundane everyday things. Some of these ideas stay in the mind space. Some of these made it to the drawing board. Some may become reality. This blog is for me to post these ideas if they stay in the mind space, post sketches or rants if they make it to the drawing board, and build progresses if they manage to make it into reality. Also, I will post some comparisons between products that interest me, and also maybe some rants. Note: Rants are purely my personal opinions and do not reflect the actual quality/other people's opinions on the product. I will try my best to provide a balanced view to my rants. Feel free to comment your opinions on the product that is mentioned in rants. Enjoy your stay :)