Thread: My favourite bit of Apple kit.

speaking as someone who does build custom computer hardware as well as software. If I wanted to wire my hifi into the wifi, I would use a $90 dollar apple express over a $60 ap/router and usb sound dongle with optical output. Though I will say I do routinely use openwrt AP's as firewalls

There is a limit to how much time one can spend tinkering and the economics just say no. tonight I will be tinkering with an ardinuo controlled coolbox that will maintain the contents to within 0.1C of the programmed temperature, which in turn is controlled and monitored by linux virtual client running on OSX installed on a PC.

Now personally I use a mix of micros of, apple and linux products daily. Non of these provide a decent solution that covers all my needs, with convenience and I am very happy with almost all of the stuff that I have. I personally think that microsoft, apple and oracle are all thoroughly unpleasant companies created by and in the image of sociopaths.

But at the end of the day its the quality of the end solution that counts, not the names on the technology used to implement the solution. I my world the only think I care about is does it do the job its intended for well.

What I would like to know is why do people get so obsessed with PC's and mac's adn turn these threads into circle jerks?

it's not a PC vs Mac thing, that's so 1990, completely passe

it's about computer lazy retards believing in fairy tales vs actual users with a clue

plenty of PCtards on this board too, no clue on how to optimize their desktop and who always need another 2GB of RAM every time they need to open a new email or get a new virus

^ There is a third party app called airfoil that lets you stream any audio to the airport.
About 25 bucks iirc.

Originally Posted by baldrick

but if it will only work via itunes it is going to be a non-starter with me

I must have missed that, and that idiot had the nerves to say that it was the best option available, omitting one extremely important details, iTunes, and therefore misleading the whole thread about how "airport express" had everything others didn't have, while in facts, it had everything it shouldn't have, that is complete dependence on iTunes for streaming music on the wireless speakers

Necron99, you are a bigger fool than I originally thought, you should upgrade yourself to the full mac experience

Originally Posted by baldrick

I've used linksys and Asus

using TFTP ( trusted file transfer protocol ) to install firmware is quite easy after you work it out the first time

once you have the install you can then use a GUI with it and configure the unit the same way as all other AP/routers , except for a few more outlandish additions which will only require some typed commands.

quite challenging fun really

it is, isn't it ?

it has been a while since I played with opensource firmware on my LINKSYS, will upgrade for fun

^^ also, as it has an IP address on the network, some apps open to fiddling, such as VLC can be configured to direct the audio to the airport.
A clever person could probably write,their own app for this.

Originally Posted by Necron99

person could probably write,their own app for this.

what's the point of buying an Airport Express then ?

Originally Posted by baldrick

Quote:
Originally Posted by hazz
But at the end of the day its the quality of the end solution that counts
yes - but function before form
I have no issues with the apple hardware he is recommending , but if it will only work via itunes it is going to be a non-starter with me

For me function, form and convenient are equally important. after all what is the point of providing a functional solution if nobody uses it because its inconvenient. I guess butters despises it, but convenience is one of those things that computers have been lacking for decades, the slaughter that tablets are wreaking on laptops and desktops is the success of ios and android in providing people with the convenience people want. that sit in the seat, turn the ignition and drive convenience of motoring

As for the coolbox, its custom ardinuo on proto board i run my stuff at 8Mhz 3.3v. Im using TEC's with 16kHz PWM to maintain temperature regulation and an icebox to provide initial bulk cooling. I am using a PID library which works very well and for temperature measurement I am using one wire network digital thermometers because they are so unbelievably convenient to use.

I am thinking of expanding the volume cooled and at that point I will ditch the TEC's and build a refrigeration cycle, once I get my head round the theory, to chill glycol which I will then use to cool the toolbox(s).

For openwrt Ive been using buffalo whr-g300N's for firewalls and they do the job very nicely for just under 1000B. no usb ports though

One thing I would suggest to anyone looking at openwrt for clever stuff beyond networking is to look at the NAS boxes which are customisable in the same way... but with more grunt, ram and storage. I almost got one 4 years ago for this reason, but decided to roll my own using linux, as I wanted 10 disk bays.

Originally Posted by hazz

As for the coolbox, its custom ardinuo on proto board i run my stuff at 8Mhz 3.3v. Im using TEC's with 16kHz PWM to maintain temperature regulation and an icebox to provide initial bulk cooling. I am using a PID library which works very well and for temperature measurement I am using one wire network digital thermometers because they are so unbelievably convenient to use.

I am thinking of expanding the volume cooled and at that point I will ditch the TEC's and build a refrigeration cycle, once I get my head round the theory, to chill glycol which I will then use to cool the toolbox(s).

are you a gamer by any chance ?

I don't see the purpose of this kind of measurements unless you work for a MB manufacturer and need to carry tests

Originally Posted by hazz

anyone looking at openwrt for clever stuff beyond networking is to look at the NAS boxes which are customisable in the same way... but with more grunt, ram and storage. I almost got one 4 years ago for this reason, but decided to roll my own using linux, as I wanted 10 disk bays.

there has been huge progress on that front in terms of usability and easy of configuration. I liked the old style which was sometimes a bitch to setup,

but with "ClearOS", with an embedded full working desktop in AJAX inside a Browser, they are certainly pushing the limit of thin client network computing and computer appliance

^you mean like those little wifi enable switches they put on laptops

Those switches are really annoying, and are actually pointless,

I shutdown mine by mistakes the other day, and took me another 5min to figure it out what happened to my WIFI connection

you don't see a Wifi switch on a PCI card for your desktop PCs, so why on laptops ?

^ Battery life.

^^They have their uses, like making you look like a tit

Originally Posted by Sailing into trouble

Yip Apple stuff is crap, why anyone would pay money for kit that works well and is intuitive and bullet proof, you'd never find a Gay Belgium using anything like that. Not while the little grey cells are vorking!

I'm not into this stuff, but i guess the same reason why anyone would pay over the odds for a Ducati!

Originally Posted by hazz

for temperature measurement I am using one wire network digital thermometers

how much are these ? available in Thai ? are they PoE ?

would be interesting to drop a few round the house , and could also be used as fire detectors on at risk devices

I don't really think these would be suitable for what you want as they operate only up to 125c. They are ds18B20

Available from es.co.th, www.futurlec.com or ARDUINO in Thailand : Inspired by LnwShop.com. though I only have personal experience of es

Personally I use 4 core flat phone cable with 6 pin rj11 ports. However people do use rj45 cable. If you look at this application note you can with some care use cable runs over 500m. And you can interface directly to Linux using the 1 wire file system[at]

If you want to go into more detail, I think we should star a new thread as this is somewhat off topic here

Originally Posted by hazz

They have their uses, like making you look like a tit

it was an honest mistake

not buying the saving battery argument,

probably one of the slave kids working at Foxxcon