I'm contemplating a few changes here at this site. In the meantime, I'll be on hiatus.
Bose QuietComfort2 Review, Part 6
Here is a list of previous review portions:
In summary, I'm very happy with these headphones (and if I could go back, I would have done it again), but there are a few things that could be improved.
The good:
The list of things that could be improved on the unit are small. If you can get used to the sensation of pressure on your ears while using them, you will enjoy having a pair of these. All in all, I'm very happy with the purchase, and would buy them again.
[Go to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5]
This is the final part of a several part review of the Bose QuietComfort2 headphones.
Here is a list of previous review portions:
- Part 1: Initial impressions
- Part 2: Headphone cord and unit weight
- Part 3: Batteries and power light
- Part 4: Build quality and airplane adapter
- Part 5: Noise-cancellation sensation
In summary, I'm very happy with these headphones (and if I could go back, I would have done it again), but there are a few things that could be improved.
The good:
- Minimizes most ambient noise just enough so that you can listen at a regular volume
- The earpieces rotate so that the entire unit folds flat
- Excellent sound quality
- Can use rechargeable AA batteries
- Solid build quality
- Comes with a long cord
- Cord can be disconnected at either end (prevents damage to unit if the cord catches on something)
- Comes with an airplane adapter
- Clever power indicator light also indicates when the battery is low
- As with all noise-cancellation headphones, you feel "pressure" on your eardrums while using them
- The cord is really long
The list of things that could be improved on the unit are small. If you can get used to the sensation of pressure on your ears while using them, you will enjoy having a pair of these. All in all, I'm very happy with the purchase, and would buy them again.
[Go to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5]
Labels: electronics, review
Xubuntu 9.05
A few weeks ago, I decided to try out Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) -- actually, I'm trying out Xubuntu 9.04 (the version with the XFCE desktop environment). I gave it a shot, but I have to say that I'm disappointed.
Of course, the average person will probably never be able to install linux (just as the average person cannot install Windows from scratch, either). But there are some basic things that a user should be able to handle through the GUI by now. A few years ago, the big problem was with wifi -- how can you really expect someone to compile a custom kernel just to use wifi? Now that they've sorted that out, the major problems are smaller, but just as major.
I have a small FAT32 partition at the beginning of the drive for WinXP. I had the partitioner leave this unchanged, but it rendered WinXP unbootable afterward. I haven't tried the equivalent version of Debian, so I'm not sure where the problem lies.
Ubuntu has a really beautiful GUI for changing configuration settings. There's a nice Windows-like menu for changing resolutions, for instance. Which is great, except that it keeps defaulting to a resolution that doesn't display properly every time I reboot. Why doesn't it save the screen resolution setting? I ended up adding an xrandr line to my ~/.xprofile.
Synaptic is a really nice-looking package management system. You get a list of all of the available packages, making it very easy to find packages to install (or remove). The problem with Synaptic is that every time I fire it up, I have to wait for a while for it to build the list of available packages. Why can't this search be done in the background (so that there is no wait when firing up Synaptic)?
By default, X.org blanks the screen after a certain period of inactivity. Why is it so difficult to disable screen blanking? I had to try 4 or 5 different xorg.conf hacks before finding one that actually worked.
No doubt Ubuntu has come a long way, but it's still got a way to go.
As far as linux goes, I'm a Debian guy. I don't mind poring over obscure text configuration files and doing all of my package management at the command line. That being said, I was intrigued by all of the articles I have seen lately (such as this column by John Dvorak) about how easy Ubuntu is to use and how it's ready for the desktop.
A few weeks ago, I decided to try out Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) -- actually, I'm trying out Xubuntu 9.04 (the version with the XFCE desktop environment). I gave it a shot, but I have to say that I'm disappointed.
Of course, the average person will probably never be able to install linux (just as the average person cannot install Windows from scratch, either). But there are some basic things that a user should be able to handle through the GUI by now. A few years ago, the big problem was with wifi -- how can you really expect someone to compile a custom kernel just to use wifi? Now that they've sorted that out, the major problems are smaller, but just as major.
I have a small FAT32 partition at the beginning of the drive for WinXP. I had the partitioner leave this unchanged, but it rendered WinXP unbootable afterward. I haven't tried the equivalent version of Debian, so I'm not sure where the problem lies.
Ubuntu has a really beautiful GUI for changing configuration settings. There's a nice Windows-like menu for changing resolutions, for instance. Which is great, except that it keeps defaulting to a resolution that doesn't display properly every time I reboot. Why doesn't it save the screen resolution setting? I ended up adding an xrandr line to my ~/.xprofile.
Synaptic is a really nice-looking package management system. You get a list of all of the available packages, making it very easy to find packages to install (or remove). The problem with Synaptic is that every time I fire it up, I have to wait for a while for it to build the list of available packages. Why can't this search be done in the background (so that there is no wait when firing up Synaptic)?
By default, X.org blanks the screen after a certain period of inactivity. Why is it so difficult to disable screen blanking? I had to try 4 or 5 different xorg.conf hacks before finding one that actually worked.
No doubt Ubuntu has come a long way, but it's still got a way to go.
Badger Broad Spectrum Sunscreen
Broad spectrum sunscreens are quite a bit different than your father's sunscreen. It definitely has a strong, medicinal smell to it. And it takes much longer to apply (it's more of a paste-like). You have to spend more time and care rubbing it in.
This particular brand seems to separate into a paste and an oil after it has been sitting for a while. So, you have to get them to mix first.
Initially, we were in for quite a surprise: it seemed like you couldn't tan at all with this sunscreen on (not that we are looking to tan). Even with a generous application of our old sunscreens, we would still tan after a few hours in the sun. But with this new stuff, you don't even tan (which is excellent evidence that it is blocking far more than our old stuff used to). But then this weekend, Heimlich got badly sunburnt while using it (and even reapplying it frequently). So, we're still investigating.
As with all sunscreens, it has to be reapplied frequently to really be effective. It appears that we haven't hit upon the optimal usage pattern yet.
Heimlich and I have decided to try out a broad spectrum sunscreen -- one that will block both UVA and UVB rays (as opposed to the old sunscreens that block UVB only). A the beginning of the season, we got a tube of Badger 15SPF broad spectrum sunscreen [amazon.com].
Broad spectrum sunscreens are quite a bit different than your father's sunscreen. It definitely has a strong, medicinal smell to it. And it takes much longer to apply (it's more of a paste-like). You have to spend more time and care rubbing it in.
This particular brand seems to separate into a paste and an oil after it has been sitting for a while. So, you have to get them to mix first.
Initially, we were in for quite a surprise: it seemed like you couldn't tan at all with this sunscreen on (not that we are looking to tan). Even with a generous application of our old sunscreens, we would still tan after a few hours in the sun. But with this new stuff, you don't even tan (which is excellent evidence that it is blocking far more than our old stuff used to). But then this weekend, Heimlich got badly sunburnt while using it (and even reapplying it frequently). So, we're still investigating.
As with all sunscreens, it has to be reapplied frequently to really be effective. It appears that we haven't hit upon the optimal usage pattern yet.
Labels: review
Streamlining of Toll Booths
Why do you have to make everyone stop twice? Couldn't this be accomplished all in one stop? It would be quicker for all travelers, and you wouldn't have to pay as many toll booth attendants. It seems like a win-win.
Certainly, the developments in systems like EZ-pass and open road tolling gantry (where you don't even have to slow down from highway speeds) to take care of tolls are making things unbelievably better. But there will always be the need to have some cash lanes, and that is where consolidating toll booths could really help out travelers.
One thing that I have never understood about the turnpike system is why the toll booths couldn't be more streamlined. There are plenty of locations where you cross a state line while on a turnpike. What this usually involves is waiting in line to stop at a toll booth on one side of the state line (to pay a toll). Then you drive a mile and wait in another line at another toll booth (to pick up a new turnpike ticket).
Why do you have to make everyone stop twice? Couldn't this be accomplished all in one stop? It would be quicker for all travelers, and you wouldn't have to pay as many toll booth attendants. It seems like a win-win.
Certainly, the developments in systems like EZ-pass and open road tolling gantry (where you don't even have to slow down from highway speeds) to take care of tolls are making things unbelievably better. But there will always be the need to have some cash lanes, and that is where consolidating toll booths could really help out travelers.
Neighbor Nicknames
We like the ones we have met, but we haven't met the vast majority of them. Many of them I have never even seen, and the ones I haven't talked to I obviously wouldn't recognize outside of the context of our street. So (like many people), we have come up with some nicknames for the neighbors we haven't met (since we don't know their real names). For instance there are The Rich People, who live in a house noticeably larger than any of the other houses on our street (actually, the footprint of their garage looks almost as large as our house's), drive a Lexus, and own a huge boat.
Recently, it occurred to me that our neighbors undoubtedly have created nicknames for Heimlich and I. I wonder what they call me?
Anal Lawn Guy?
Anti-social Weirdo?
The Guy Who Hates Dogs?
The Doofy Dresser?
Princess Hairgel?
We moved into our current house in 2006. So, by now, you would think that we would know most of our neighbors. But we don't.
We like the ones we have met, but we haven't met the vast majority of them. Many of them I have never even seen, and the ones I haven't talked to I obviously wouldn't recognize outside of the context of our street. So (like many people), we have come up with some nicknames for the neighbors we haven't met (since we don't know their real names). For instance there are The Rich People, who live in a house noticeably larger than any of the other houses on our street (actually, the footprint of their garage looks almost as large as our house's), drive a Lexus, and own a huge boat.
Recently, it occurred to me that our neighbors undoubtedly have created nicknames for Heimlich and I. I wonder what they call me?
Anal Lawn Guy?
Anti-social Weirdo?
The Guy Who Hates Dogs?
The Doofy Dresser?
Princess Hairgel?
Labels: homeowning
Bose QuietComfort2 Review, Part 5
One of the things that you will frequently see in reviews of noise canceling headphones (of any brand) is complaints of users feeling "pressure" on their eardrums. It's a sensation like you have just taken off on a plane and are gaining altitude. Your natural reaction to the sensation of pressure on your eardrums is to try to "pop" your ears.
However, the noise canceling headphones don't actually produce pressure on your ears. They just create that same sensation. I too have noticed the sensation and find it slightly annoying. What I find myself doing is taking short breaks from using them about once an hour. Anyone debating about buying one of these units should be aware of this potential annoyance.
I've also wondered whether that sensation is an indication that it may damage my hearing. I found this study [hearingreview.com], which seems to lean in the direction that use of these headphones at a reasonable volume will not damage your hearing. But it stops short of really being conclusive. I imagine that this will be a higher profile issue once noise cancellation starts being a standard feature in cars [motorauthority.com].
At any rate, use of any headphones probably damages your hearing. But it seems that these aren't any worse for you than any other type of headphone. And in most situations, they allow me to listen to something at a lower volume than I would have been able to with a conventional set of headphones.
[Go to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4]
This is part 5 of a several part review of the Bose QuietComfort2 headphones. [Go to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4].
One of the things that you will frequently see in reviews of noise canceling headphones (of any brand) is complaints of users feeling "pressure" on their eardrums. It's a sensation like you have just taken off on a plane and are gaining altitude. Your natural reaction to the sensation of pressure on your eardrums is to try to "pop" your ears.
However, the noise canceling headphones don't actually produce pressure on your ears. They just create that same sensation. I too have noticed the sensation and find it slightly annoying. What I find myself doing is taking short breaks from using them about once an hour. Anyone debating about buying one of these units should be aware of this potential annoyance.
I've also wondered whether that sensation is an indication that it may damage my hearing. I found this study [hearingreview.com], which seems to lean in the direction that use of these headphones at a reasonable volume will not damage your hearing. But it stops short of really being conclusive. I imagine that this will be a higher profile issue once noise cancellation starts being a standard feature in cars [motorauthority.com].
At any rate, use of any headphones probably damages your hearing. But it seems that these aren't any worse for you than any other type of headphone. And in most situations, they allow me to listen to something at a lower volume than I would have been able to with a conventional set of headphones.
[Go to Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4]
Labels: electronics, review
