what I have learned today.

[ian]

I had a horrid moment on Sunday when I EE texted me that there was a problem with my bill and could I log into my account. In the meantime they were cutting me off (and I've not paid for data for a good five years now).

Except they haven't. And I don't have an EE account and they've discontinued their T-Mobile web presence so I have no way to access my old account (and it was never migrated to EE).

Oh well.

[Mr Larrington]

A Babbage-Engine rang me up the other day to tell me there was a problem with my BT Broadbean connection, of which I have none.  I was tempted to press "1" to tell the scammers to begone in person, but CBA.

[rafletcher]

That my Echo Dot pulses yellow to advise it has "notifications" for me, such as my package being delivered today.

[ian]

That my Echo Dot pulses yellow to advise it has "notifications" for me, such as my package being delivered today.

I didn't know that, but ours hides behind a plant in the bedroom.

My addiction to Sonos gadgets means for laughs if I stand at the top of stairs and shout Alexa, I get loads of bongs as they wake up.

Yes, I'm having a dull day in the remote command centre.

[telstarbox]

I've passed this sign in Surrey Quays many times and thought that maybe "Malibu" and "Laurel Canyon" were the exotic names of Southwark council estates, but it turns out it's a joke sign 

https://www.fixmystreet.com/report/312917

[jsabine]

Makes me smile every time I pass it, that one - and I'm always astonished it has lasted so long.

[rafletcher]

That my Echo Dot pulses yellow to advise it has "notifications" for me, such as my package being delivered today.

I didn't know that, but ours hides behind a plant in the bedroom.

My addiction to Sonos gadgets means for laughs if I stand at the top of stairs and shout Alexa, I get loads of bongs as they wake up.

Yes, I'm having a dull day in the remote command centre.

And now you can add google assistant too!

[ian]

Ooo, I wonder if they fight.

I note that Sonos are discontinuing the 'play from my iDevice' feature which is a tad annoying as that's what I usually did*, in favour of Airplay. Airplay is one of those things that, when it works, works really well. But when it doesn't work, and it often doesn't, requires an entire festival of switching things on and off.

*I have three Sonos Ones, and two of the older Plays which don't have Airplay**, so to use Airplay you have to send the signal to a One and then use the Sonos app to group the dumber Play.

**which I didn't realise when I bought them.

[Mr Larrington]

+1 to Airplay.  Ironically, using Airplay to a Denon amplifier is 100% reliable while using it to a FruitCo Airport is, er, not.

[ian]

Airplay, in my experience thus far, is fine till you try to switch to another device. Then the festival of vexation begins.

The trick seems to be just to connect to one Sonos (and don't change it) and use the Sonos app to group and play as necessary. A bit more faff than just playing it from the device through the Sonos app (admittedly, this didn't work from the bathroom owing to not enough wiffle rays, whereas Airplay does, and I need tunes in the bath).

[Tim Hall]

That there are things called Key Locked Thread Inserts. They do the same job as Helicoil inserts (repair banjaxed threads) but are installed using regular drills and taps.

Abom79, one of the cake decorating machinist YouTube channels I watch shows the installation.

[andytheflyer]

That there are things called Key Locked Thread Inserts. They do the same job as Helicoil inserts (repair banjaxed threads) but are installed using regular drills and taps.

Abom79, one of the cake decorating machinist YouTube channels I watch shows the installation.

Yup, and I've got 2 or 3 1/4 UNF threads to do this winter on a 1973 Triumph Tiger 750 cylinder head.  Contemplating whether or not I have a go, or give it to a professional.  Abom makes it look so easy, but then he's got all the toys to get himself out of trouble if anything goes wrong. I mean, what could possibly go wrong on a semi-irreplaceable aluminium casting?

[Tim Hall]

That there are things called Key Locked Thread Inserts. They do the same job as Helicoil inserts (repair banjaxed threads) but are installed using regular drills and taps.

Abom79, one of the cake decorating machinist YouTube channels I watch shows the installation.

Yup, and I've got 2 or 3 1/4 UNF threads to do this winter on a 1973 Triumph Tiger 750 cylinder head.  Contemplating whether or not I have a go, or give it to a professional.  Abom makes it look so easy, but then he's got all the toys to get himself out of trouble if anything goes wrong. I mean, what could possibly go wrong on a semi-irreplaceable aluminium casting?

"Hi Guys, welcome back to the shop. Here we've got a little project all the way from England where a guy attempted to install a Key Locked Thread insert, after I made it look so easy."

He did a serious bit of measuring before he went drilling.

[andytheflyer]

That there are things called Key Locked Thread Inserts. They do the same job as Helicoil inserts (repair banjaxed threads) but are installed using regular drills and taps.

Abom79, one of the cake decorating machinist YouTube channels I watch shows the installation.

Yup, and I've got 2 or 3 1/4 UNF threads to do this winter on a 1973 Triumph Tiger 750 cylinder head.  Contemplating whether or not I have a go, or give it to a professional.  Abom makes it look so easy, but then he's got all the toys to get himself out of trouble if anything goes wrong. I mean, what could possibly go wrong on a semi-irreplaceable aluminium casting?

"Hi Guys, welcome back to the shop. Here we've got a little project all the way from England where a guy attempted to install a Key Locked Thread insert, after I made it look so easy."

[Cudzoziemiec]

That the wave in the famous Hokusai print is actually a "plunging breaker" not a tsunami.

[rafletcher]

That the wave in the famous Hokusai print is actually a "plunging breaker" not a tsunami.

And the picture should be read from left to right.

[SteveC]

Right to left, surely?

[rafletcher]

Ooops    Yes, of course! (My wife still asks if I mean "real right" when giving directions....)

[JennyB]

Finally (after about 50 years of Very Careful Measuring) I worked out how to easily hang something with concealed double keyhole slots on the back. Cardboard is your friend.

[T42]

Finally (after about 50 years of Very Careful Measuring) I worked out how to easily hang something with concealed double keyhole slots on the back. Cardboard is your friend.

We've got a pile of friends in that case.

[ian]

Ooops    Yes, of course! (My wife still asks if I mean "real right" when giving directions....)

As any fool knows, metric right is imperial left, and imperial right is metric left. It is not the fault of the instructee if the instructor doesn't specify whether imperial or metric directions are being given.

[Cudzoziemiec]

I always give directions in the Réaumur scale. 

[Andrij]

Yesterday I learned a new word: otiose.

[Beardy]

Yesterday I learned a new word: otiose.

I learned that word yesterday as well. I suspect we learned it from the same tweetee.

[ian]

Hmm, I used that word in an email on Monday.