Question Of The Day, Wednesday, November 8, 2017

[Mamanyt1953]

Wow...I am here for the first time today. An old friend from out of town surprised me on a flying trip, and we've been driving the Outer Banks! I, of course, being a total idiot, forgot my camera, and forgot that my phone has a camera (I've only had a smartphone for a couple of weeks). Now...what to ask?

OH, OH! Is there any bit of new technology that you would just LOVE to have?

Part of me wants to say a 3-D printer, but really I think what I'd like even more is a good starlight technology hand-held camera with a good tripod. I'd be out every night taking pictures of my little ferals!

~whispers quietly~ I wouldn't mind having a decent cd player again, either...

 

[Kat0121]

A self driving car so I can nap on the way to work.

 

[neely]

I'd settle for a new iPhone.

 

[micknsnicks2mom]

what i'd really like to do, but never have, is buy a kit and build a computer. i think i'd really enjoy that, the whole experience!

but as for new technology, i can't think of anything.

 

[Columbine]

I don't know how 'new' it is (though I think it's pretty recent, ie in the last few years), but I'd LOVE to try a quell device. It's pain relief wearable tech, and it has some great reviews from fibro sufferers. Unfortunately, it's mega expensive...and that's before import and postage costs from the US to the UK.

Other than that, probably a lightbox and other gear that would make it easier to take decent pics of my jewellery.

 

[Draco]

3D Printer would be awesome!

I just ordered new hearing aids for myself after trying it out.. it's Bluetooth so I can stream music directly into my ears without headphones. Sure with insurance it cost 2k, but worth it!

 

[blueyedgirl5946]

Yes, I want the Shark Ion robot vacuum. I think it would be wonderful to turn this on and let it do the work between regular cleanings.

 

[kashmir64]

An Oculus headset. I'm not much of a gamer, but that would be awesome.

 

[amysuen]

iPhone X. Not that I need it, but it looks cool.

 

[Margret]

There are two pieces of technology (not terribly new, but definitely high-tech) that I would dearly love to have:

1. A really good sewing machine.
2. A really good external sound card for my laptop, so that I can make proper recordings from either an external microphone or from old audio tapes.

I've put both of these on my Christmas/birthday list.

Edit: Oh, yes. I forgot to mention the VR headset. I've wanted one of those (in various incarnations) for decades. In fact, way, way back when, my computer club made some 3d goggles that we synched to our computers so that we could view our ray-tracings in 3d (and I created some gorgeous ray tracings). The computer technology has changed and those no longer work.

Margret

 

[Mother Dragon]

There are two pieces of technology (not terribly new, but definitely high-tech) that I would dearly love to have:

1. A really good sewing machine.
2. A really good external sound card for my laptop, so that I can make proper recordings from either an external microphone or from old audio tapes.

I've put both of these on my Christmas/birthday list.

Edit: Oh, yes. I forgot to mention the VR headset. I've wanted one of those (in various incarnations) for decades. In fact, way, way back when, my computer club made some 3d goggles that we synched to our computers so that we could view our ray-tracings in 3d (and I created some gorgeous ray tracings). The computer technology has changed and those no longer work.

Margret

My hubby sews beautifully and goes to a "class" where students bring their machines and project and the teacher helps them with whatever they need. She also demonstrates techniques and tricks everyone should know. I would strongly suggest a Brother machine, NOT FROM WALMART (theirs are specially-made for them pieces of crap). The real Brothers are made by BabyLock, which is a premier manufacturer which makes many other brands. The Brother is easy to use and very versatile. I think some of them even self-thread. You can sometimes get really good buys on factory refurbished machines. Robert got his first one that way, saved $$$, and got a perfectly-operating machine because the factory had gone over it completely. He put a lot of miles on that machine and only gave it up because he wanted some new features. He eventually got a BabyLock Crescendo which was a class machine used for parts of two days at the International Quilt Festival. He got really good savings on it, but it was still $$$$. The monster is incredible and does everything from threading itself to sewing left and right and diagonally. Of course, it has all kinds of computer stuff, which he loves. It has a deep throat and stadium lighting, plus a laser guidance system and an on-screen tutorial. However, it doesn't cook bacon well or polish the floors.

Baby Lock: Crescendo

 

[Margret]

However, it doesn't cook bacon well or polish the floors.

Oh, gee. And here I had my heart set on a sewing machine that can cook and polish the floors.

Thank you for the recommendation. I'll check it out. And thanks for the WalMart warning, as well. I might have been taken in by that.

Margret

 

[muffy]

A self driving car. I totally hate driving.
Muffy

 

[raysmyheart]

A computerized sewing machine.

 

[Mother Dragon]

iPhone X. Not that I need it, but it looks cool.

My husband got his the day they came out. He's driving me crazy! It works with his AppleWatch and does all sorts of things. My iPhone 6S+ does most of them almost as well. It doesn't recognize my ugly mug but it likes my fingerprint, which is just as good. The X will only recognize one face, whereas the 6S+ will accept multiple fingerprints. I'm not a professional photographer, so all the X's photographic bells and whistles would be wasted on me.

Robert's iPhone is his alter ego. If he ever lost it, he'd lose his mind with it. He's OC, so it has lists of everything imaginable, from his sewing threads and patterns to our vast collection of books to addresses and phone numbers of people we knew fifty years ago.

Me? I use mine to make calls mostly, and precious few of those.

 

[Mother Dragon]

A computerized sewing machine.

Check out my husband's monster, described a couple of posts above. He has a BabyLock serger, too.

He's been too sick to sew since June, but he's doing well now and hopes to go back to his sewing group next week. He has a lot of projects and alterations (for me) backed up. He says sewing is relaxing.

I don't sew a stitch and putting on a button is NOT relaxing to me!

 

[tinydestroyer]

My hubby sews beautifully and goes to a "class" where students bring their machines and project and the teacher helps them with whatever they need. She also demonstrates techniques and tricks everyone should know. I would strongly suggest a Brother machine, NOT FROM WALMART (theirs are specially-made for them pieces of crap). The real Brothers are made by BabyLock, which is a premier manufacturer which makes many other brands. The Brother is easy to use and very versatile. I think some of them even self-thread. You can sometimes get really good buys on factory refurbished machines. Robert got his first one that way, saved $$$, and got a perfectly-operating machine because the factory had gone over it completely. He put a lot of miles on that machine and only gave it up because he wanted some new features. He eventually got a BabyLock Crescendo which was a class machine used for parts of two days at the International Quilt Festival. He got really good savings on it, but it was still $$$$. The monster is incredible and does everything from threading itself to sewing left and right and diagonally. Of course, it has all kinds of computer stuff, which he loves. It has a deep throat and stadium lighting, plus a laser guidance system and an on-screen tutorial. However, it doesn't cook bacon well or polish the floors.

Baby Lock: Crescendo

I also appreciate the tips! M new tech would also be acsewibf machine with some computerized options, since I work off an old singer currently.

 

[Mother Dragon]

I also appreciate the tips! M new tech would also be acsewibf machine with some computerized options, since I work off an old singer currently.

Singer used to make the best machines on the planet. However, they rested on their laurels and also began using cheap parts so today's Singers are mediocre at best. It's a shame to see a classic brand sink like that. Brother is today what Singer used to be. And BabyLock, which makes Brother, is the ultimate. The two are alike in most ways, but the Babylock has more bells and whistles.

Our first machine was a Sears bought in 1966. It hated me and did nothing but sew knots in the fabric. It loved my husband and purred along for him. We made curtains for our VW bus so we could go to the World's Fair in Montreal. Then we made new curtains for our sailboat. We were too poor to buy a set of signal flags so we could dress ship so we made them. He cut and I sewed and swore. I think that was the last time I ever touched that evil machine. Come to think of it, I haven't touched a sewing machine since and I hope never to.

I think I missed something here: acsewibf. Could you translate, please?

What do you like to sew? I'd love to see photos!

 

[Margret]

what i'd really like to do, but never have, is buy a kit and build a computer. i think i'd really enjoy that, the whole experience!

Some of the guys in my computer club have been playing around with the Raspberry Pi. Essentially, it's a very cheap DIY computer kit, except it's optimized (?) for Linux (an operating system that DIY computer geeks seem to like). You have to provide/build your own enclosure for it, and there aren't a whole lot of programs available for it yet (most of the people playing with these just want to write their own), but if you're interested I can see whether some of them would be willing to talk with you about it.

Margret

 

[Margret]

Our first machine was a Sears bought in 1966. It hated me and did nothing but sew knots in the fabric. It loved my husband and purred along for him. We made curtains for our VW bus so we could go to the World's Fair in Montreal. Then we made new curtains for our sailboat. We were too poor to buy a set of signal flags so we could dress ship so we made them. He cut and I sewed and swore. I think that was the last time I ever touched that evil machine. Come to think of it, I haven't touched a sewing machine since and I hope never to.

The machine I have now is an old Kenmore (Sears store brand) cabinet model. It gives me fits trying to get the tension right, can't use double needles, and it's almost impossible to find replacement feet for different jobs (like zippers and such). I've been buying fabric, in a variety of weights, for clothes that I want to sew, and I'm afraid to even try it with this machine because if I don't get the tension just right it will ruin the fabric.

Margret