2016 — 19 August: Friday
On mornings when one does not have to trek along to the dentist I must say one wakes up cheerier than might otherwise1 be the case.
Of course, the music Chromecasting in from the BBC at 48K sample rate helps, too. The little dongle runs uncomfortably hot to the touch — a powerful clue to which component in this audio chain is actually doing most of the work once the session handshaking is over. I have already proved the handshaking summons the unhelpful presence of the demon "HDCP protocol". Switching the Kuro plasma screen on or off mutes the audio for a couple of seconds. As does switching the Rotel pre-amp away from, and back to, the input with the dongle in.
Taking the SHIELD Tablet PC upstairs has no ill effect on the music downstairs. Handy to know I can do that. I shall stick with this newfangled approach to my BBC interaction(s), I suspect. I only need the Humax PVR if I wish to record something off satellite. How likely is that?
After two years, my SHIELD Tablet PC finally has more râison d'étrè :-)
I'm now wondering...
... if I'll end up dispensing with the only remaining physical link between the "PC end" and the "hi-fi end" of the living room. That's the optical digital audio cable. Its removal is contingent on successful "casting" from one of the Linux PCs, of course. That experiment has yet to occur.
Last night's attempt...
... to turn the i5 NUC into a webserver (following in the footsteps of the Raspberry Pi2) fell at the final hurdle, even though I carefully followed my own instructions! All was well after simply installing the lighttpd server and web browsing to 'localhost'. The web files are all in the right place. I believe all the request ownership and access permissions are in place, and I first added my user name to the correct group. Nor is there any evidence here...
... captured from the i5 NUC desktop that my symbolic link to the web files isn't correct. I was too tired to inspect lighttpd's config file. I remember having to add a couple of extra modules in the bad old days of using Server Side Includes, but that was ages ago and ... I've just thought of a wrinkle I missed.
Breakfast first, while I contemplate the rain and an expotition.
I don't know...
... how many pupils took "A"-level physics when I did in 1969, but this year it was down to 35,000 in the UK. Maths, design and technology numbers are also declining. (Link.)
Now why would anyone in their right mind wish to own Capote's ashes? Source and snippet:
"But, I will say, Christie's sold Napoleon's penis years ago. And we sold William Shatner's kidney stone for $75,000. There's all kinds of precedents for this. Like I said, if it wasn't Truman Capote, we would pass because we wouldn't want to be disrespectful. And the antics he was always up to, and how much he loved press — it's no question that that is something he would have wanted done."
Like quantum physics, the world of human behaviour is hard to fathom.
On my return...
... from my little expotition, I switched back on the pre-amp and power amp, and back (within a few seconds) came my BBC Radio 3 feed. But the little Chromecast dongle's light that was glowing a steady white is now flashing an angry red, instead. Is it cross with me? Does it need feeding? Is it about to blow up?
I shall probably find out, as — having first engulfed my chicken salad (just before the cucumber had finished liquefying), and set aside the unwelcome card from Mr Postie that says "You missed me. You'll hafta come and get it!" (whatever "it" is, I can't now collect it until 07:00 tomorrow morning) — I'm just about to swap out my loaner Chromecast for this newer2 model...
I'm quite sure all those icons down the right hand edge mean "Smart TV" stuff. But the one I focused on was BBC iPlayer. I'm assuming the BBC Radio app will also work just as well. [Pause] It connected unfussily to my network, downloaded and applied an update, and is now mirroring the Tablet PC screen and audio to the Kuro... except that I just switched off the Kuro and the Band Played On. Excellent. But the audio stuttered. A lot. Perhaps because I was doing that mirroring instead of just chasing the audio stream. I shall consult my local expert on these matters.
In the meantime, I first went back to "Listen Live" and the PC web browser interface. And when that, too, stuttered, I fired up the Humax PVR for the full-fat feed from satellite. No more audio stuttering. One step forward and then a couple back, it seems, on this occasion.
I also got a cheap'n'cheerful USB external DVD writer for Skylark. Then it was back to the other end of West Quay for a further (I hope) excellent batch of reading:
- For the Love of God, Marie! won a "first graphic novel" competition, and looked promising. (After all, I've nearly finished the "Preacher" stories.)
- Permanent Present Tense is Corkin's 2013 swan song, I suspect, as she died in May this year. She had spent over 45 years studying the post-surgical amnesia of Henry Molaison. Now the New York Times has caused some controversy with this recent article, with rebuttals thundering around here. And rebuttals to those rebuttals here!
- Touch is by the author of "The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August", which I thought was excellent. Here's hoping.
- Going Solo is Dahl's memoir that I recently heard excerpts from on the BBC. It was gripping stuff.
Plus the new Linux Format magazine from WH Smug (whose self-scan checkout system [judging both by my experience, and the woman at the adjacent "station"] is very, very badly-programmed). Then it was back to Technology Towers for my lateish lunch ahead of (most of) the afternoon rain.
Casting update
Physically repositioning the SHIELD Tablet PC — and just opting for audio rather than mirroring the Android screen — may (or may not) prove to be a 'cure' for the audio stuttering. But it doesn't fill me with confidence regarding video data handling. I shall keep an eye/ear on its behaviour.
On the 60" Kuro, several hours ago:
And audio-only, a few minutes ago, on a slightly smaller screen!
Note the subtle difference in the appearance of the "Cast" icon (top right hand of each screen). The toy is just partly visible.
A sad tale...
... of a name-sake. (Link.)
Several hours on, and no trace of audio stuttering. This is more promising.