Blog-of-gain

A tech-oriented blog from a Linux user


Latest blog updates

2024-09-03Installing Microsoft Intune on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS: New article.
2023-12-06Alesis Turbo Mesh Kit review: Add instructions for macOS and MidiPipe.
2022-08-31Of life and love: Add some recent thoughts and discoveries.
2022-02-27Learning to ice skate: Add notes about baking new skates.
2022-01-04Rant: loudness war, style over functionality, etc.: New article.

A review and comparison of headphones and earphones

I bought the Urbanears Sumpan and was surprised

Preview

After finally buying a tablet computer I realized I'm missing a certain type of earphones to use with it. I bumped into the Urbanears Sumpan on sale and decided to try them out. Check out the article for a comparison between the AKG K701 headphones, the Shure SE215 LTD in-ear monitors, the Sony SBH70 Bluetooth earphones, and the fancy Urbanears Sumpan earphones.

WebLED: my first IoT project on the Arduino platform

...or: how to open a garage door using WiFi

Preview

For a long time I've wanted to get more into embedded stuff and closer to the physical world when it comes to computers. As a kid I was quite interested in electronics and tweaked some small stuff, but I never really got into programming anything. Now with the market full of cheap Arduino-compatible chips, I decided to hook myself up into the Internet of Things and make a WiFi-operated garage door opener. Check out the article for an overview of the project.

How to join a Skype for Business meeting from Linux

Summary: use a Windows virtual machine

In a previous article I discussed KVM and its audio capabilities. As of now there still isn't a nicely working emulated audio device for Windows 10 guests let alone a working Skype for Business client for Linux. In my day job I have to attend Skype for Business (formerly Lync) meetings quite often but it was impossible using my work laptop, which has Linux. I finally took the time to check out how USB passthrough works in KVM and solved the problem. Read the article to see how.

Updates

2018-09-08A note about a new work laptop.

Sony SBH70 bluetooth earphones review

...with a bit of modding too, of course

Preview

I wanted to have new earphones I could use when walking or doing sports. One of the requirements was they should be open design. I ended up buying the Sony SBH70 bluetooth earphones, found some shortcomings and tried to fix them with a little bit of modding. Read the full article to see some custom wingtips.

Easy acoustic tweaks for your room

Stopping flutter echo, equalizing with ALSA and gstreamer

Preview

Most mortals have to listen to music in a somewhat small room - a closed space, which will usually result in boomy bass at some frequencies, and terrible flutter echo in the upper end of the audible spectrum.

Read this article to find out quick and cheap tricks to remedy the problems.

Building a silent computer

A somewhat obsolete article I still wanted to share

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If one wants a silent gaming rig, nowadays they may just pretty much put a few extra drachmas in it and achieve the wanted results with little to no effort. But it hasn't always been like that. In this article I tell about my four-year-old computer and what I did to keep it silent. Some points might be of interest even nowadays.

DIY acoustic tub

How to play the trumpet in a quiet environment the right way

Preview

Especially since getting an easily recurring tinnitus a few years ago I've been super careful not to play my trumpet without adequate damping. Wearing earplugs works, but doesn't feel or sound good, and it doesn't help the neighbours one bit. I decided to build myself an acoustic absorber tub. Read the article to see how it fares even in hard-surfaced rooms.

Updates

2018-11-18Add decibel measurements.

The recipe for the best laptop in the world

A retrospective Acer 1810T review

Preview

After reviewing my new Asus laptop and again realizing how badly designed some modern hardware is, I decided to write a review of my old Acer laptop, too, and describe my ideal laptop. I hope some manufacturer is listening.

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