MAMA's Techno-Geek Thread

[GadgetGav]

Techno-geek trifecta, just because...
MHD seems to be stuck in a country music segment...

[Theo]

I love watches; of course this is mandatory if you are a member of the OCD-AR club. I've always found an interest in the design of watches.

My favorite personal watches are two vintage models from the 20's and 30's. One is an old Hamilton watch with an art deco case and dial card, and one is my father's high school graduation watch. It is a Bulova with a small latch on the case below the "6". If you pull the catch, the watch case flips up, revealing a recessed area for a photo of your significant other!

Now that flip-up case was fairly unusual. But, when I was a kid, I never really noticed that feature until around the time I began to understand what my father's employer (CIA) was really about! You can imagine the wild thoughts that plagued me.

For the last bazillion years, my every day watch has been my "Navy Seals" watch by Luminox. You cannot kill these watches! Yes, they're fairly large and modestly heavy, but they keep incredible time and have held up to the rigors of rough and extreme service. Luninox are also one of the only watches that glow very brightly at night; even the second hand. In fact, they glow so brightly that when they are issued to the military, they have a velcro strap that hides the face so as not to be spotted from afar.

Of course, I also have two MINI watches that I love.

Theo

[GadgetGav]

The glow is from the radioactive stuff they paint on the hands, right..?

I love watches too. I've got way more than I ever wear. My everyday one is a Seiko Kinetic for the geek factor, my 'best' one is a Baume et Mericer self winding mechanical chronograph that Jane bought me when we got engaged. It's a really nice watch, but I don't wear it all the time in case I bang it up in the machine shop. I got a (modern) pocket watch for our wedding, but I don't get much chance to use that! I'd love an old TAG Monaco or one of those Breitling's with the radio beacon in, but I think I'd be too tempted to try it to see if it really worked!

[Theo]

Quote: Originally Posted by GadgetGav (original)

The glow is from the radioactive stuff they paint on the hands, right..?...{snip}

Yeah, but this stuff REALLY glows...not like other watches out there.



From their website (HERE):

"Each watch employs tiny self-powered micro gas lights developed by the world leader in the luminous compound industry. These micro gas lights (borosilicate glass capsules) are installed into the hands, hour markers, and when necessary, bezels of our watches. Luminox watches need no external light source to "charge" the paint on the dial or hands in order to glow as do conventional luminous watches. Nor do they require a push of a button to light the dial as do watches with electro luminescence. The US military has long recognized the advantages of micro gas light sources and their use is specified in procurement specification MIL-W-6374F."

The Navy Seals Dive watch is HERE.

Any guess what color dial I have? (Hint: Theo's MINI)

Theo

[rfinprc]

Hi Geeks,

I have a TomTom question for you -- my neighbor John ('06 MCS) just got a TomTom 1. He's looking for alternate mounting ideas besides the suction cup. Any solutions?

About glowing watches -- I remember the year my brother and I raced to the closet to prove who's radioactive watch glowed the brightest (mine). My kids think watches are generally for dorks, because you've got a cell phone, right? Judging from most of this conversation, I suspect they're on to something...

[blalor]

Well, this thread could just as easily be called "MAMA's Dork Thread"...

This is my GPS mounting solution:

It might be preferable for Mr. John '06 MCS. Not sure what kind of brackets are provided with the TomTom, but it could probably be modified to work with that bracket. He'd probably need an external antenna (as I do); that location's a little low to see the sky well.

I thought I'd seen this on Ian's site (my memory could be failing me. again.), but someone had basically screwed the TomTom mount to the plastic dash fascia, just to the left of the speedo.

Edit: yep, right here: Ians GBMINI (MINI Cooper) ? Blog Archive » Mounted TomTom

[GadgetGav]

So while we're back onto GPSs... My wife has expressed an interest in getting one for her car. My options are:
Get another antenna set for my PDA-based system and she can only have nav when I'm not using the PDA
Get a Nuvi something or other
Gat a TomTom something or other

The TomToms seem to have good reviews, but a friend at work just got a Nuvi and says it has an option where you tell it you're a pedestrian and it runs off a rechargeable battery. That seems like a neat idea to me - does TomTom do that..?
The Nuvi seems much thinner that the TomTom too, which would help for taking it out of the car to keep it safe.
I also like the idea of the real time traffic monitoring via FM, although that adds more cost.

Opinions..?

[blalor]

The newest nüvi has maps for both Europe and the US. Handy if you're traveling back that way...

[GadgetGav]

Just looking into it more...
TomTom's traffic system is via cellphone data connection. You have to pay TomTom a monthly fee and pay for data services through your cellphone provider
Garmin make you pay a monthly fee for the FM receiver which also seems a bit sly but at least you're not paying two people.
edit: if you buy the FM receiver separately, I think it includes lifetime subscription - but it's $160! Oddly enough buying the nuvi 360 and adding the FM traffic thingy works out to the same $$$ as the nuvi 660 which has the traffic built in.

[NoNo]

I borrowed a nuvi and I thought it was cool. Plus it's an mp3 player and has nifty phrases in like a million languages in case you're travelling. And it is quite slim to carry around.









Ricardo carries a man-purse.

[blalor]

Quote: Originally Posted by NoNo (original)

Ricardo carries a man-purse.

People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones, Baby Face.

[MGB Boy]

Quote: Originally Posted by NoNo (original)

Ricardo carries a man-purse.

Hey, at least get it right, Short 'n' Curly, I prefer the term "European Man Purse"...

-Ricardo

[GadgetGav]

It's a man-bag if it's European...
Is this a nod to your Spanish roots?

[MGB Boy]

Man bag seems to imply it should have some sort of handles or strap, doesn't it? Actually, "man bag" has an entirely different connotation now that I think about it, which all the more reason to go with "European Man Purse"...

-Ricardo

[GadgetGav]

Yes... I wondered how long it would take to sink to that level...
So, your man-purse is an oversized wallet then? As in a British meaning of purse, not the American? I think the line between purse and bag has to be drawn at capacity. Could you put your cash, credit cards, car keys, house keys, cellphone and ethanol-based hand sanitizer in it? If it's big enough to take all that, it's a man-bag..!
What a load of blather... I'm going to bed!