CHROMECAST

Hullo!

I have not posted anything for a couple because... well reasons. We shall say no more on the matter.

What we shall talk about, however, is the new fangled gadget from the good people at Google.

It's called a Chromecast and is currently on sale (in the Uk anyway) for around £20. (rrp £30)

For £20 I thought I would jump the gun and buy one.... so I did.

A thingy-ma-jig

It arrived this morning and with a bit of jiggery pokery, some tense minutes watching a circle tell me what percentage I had left to go for updates, we had a fully functioning.... thing.

This in it'self is a great leap forward in technology.

Long time followers of this blog will know that me and technology do not mix and the fact that i got this gizmo working first attempt with little or no swearing is nothing short of a blooming miracle.

Okay, lets start with the good stuff.

This thing is small. around the size of a Vole or maybe a large Butterfly. It is also around 2 inches in length (probably less).

It fits into an HDMI socket (the one for HD TV) and is powered by a USB cable that fits into a USB wall charger (like a smartphone has) or if you are lucky, straight into the USB port on your TV.

It is very quiet and makes no noise all. Although I have noticed it gets very VERY warm.... this something I need to keep an eye on.

BUT WHAT IS IT FOR BUMF?!?!?!?

Good question.

I'm not entirely sure.

From what i can gather this is a device for sharing things and showing them on the TV for everyone else to say "oooh!" but actually think. "Oh no! this is going to be one of those MY HOLIDAY SLIDE SHOW THINGS EVERYONE DID IN THE 70'S"

So far I have been able to "cast" the screen of my laptop and my phone onto the TV screen.

This seems to be the main purpose of the device.

It allows the user to share videos, pictures, music or anything else you can think of from the computer screen on to the TV.

(*$%*ing thing

The advantage of this is that more people can see more things without having to crowd around your laptop or phone.

There is nothing worse than being breathed on. With the Chromecast, this is no longer an issue.

BUT IT MUST DO MORE THAN THAT!?!?!

You'd think... but so far that is all it can do.

It really is a gadget that offers very little to increase the value of society or save time. It does not make using the internet any easier.

What it does do though is help you to share.

It's a sharing stick.

And sharing photo's and videos and youtube clips are what it does best.

What it doesn't do though... well, that's another kettle of idiots altogether.

WHAT DOESN'T IT DO BUMF?

BBC I-player.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?

The BBC I-Player does not work on the chromecast.

It says it does. The BBC says it does. Heck, even the internet says it does... but it doesn't. Not from the laptop anyway.

From my phone I am able to stream/cast the BBC app. Which is fine and dandy, but from the desktop/laptop? Not a bean. Just a very annoying message that says "Ready to stream!" 

As if that makes it all better.

I think I have narrowed down the issue to the BBC themselves as there is no CAST button to press on the site. (according the the BBC help section, there should be).

No doubt there are other issues with the gadget that I come across in due course. But that is the nature of things these days.

I am not alone in being unable to CAST the BBC I-player, as there are many unanswered questions in many forums and help pages dotted around the BBC and Chromecast websites...

Plus I am a right proper Jinx when it comes to technology.

IS IT WORTH BUYING?

yes.

REALLY? BUT YOU SAID IT HAD PROBLEMS?

yes. it does have issues. There are not a lot of useful apps (for me anyway) that are not readily available on what ever device you are reading this from, but it is an extension to the devices we already use and thinking of it in those terms makes it worth having.


I am very confident that in the coming months there will be many more USEFUL apps and extensions for the chromecast that WILL make it more useful and usable, but for now it's something worth having for the small price it costs.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO NOW...

If you have been tempted in the past to get one, I say say go for it while they are on offer. £20 is a fair price,  I think, for this device. If I had paid £30 then I would be a bit annoyed... but that saving of £10 does make a difference. Plus there should be many more useful apps in the pipe line in the near future.

It up to you.

I'm not your mum. I can't TELL you what to do.


links - Info on chromecast

Ahoy!!!!

April is fast approaching and the A to Z challenge is almost upon us. Thoughtless Gibberish will not be taking part this year. Instead a brand new blog will take on the task of giving me a headache. the Name is SinkingShip and..it's.... not live yet.

But it will be ready in time.

There will be videos, drawings, stories, adventures, songs and much more in the coming days and weeks and months as myself and Darren (the t'other half of this venture) get our shit together and create a whole new world for you to enjoy.

Things will seem strange and disorientated at first, but soon it will flower into a weaving maze of links and cross overs as characters and events melt into one huge collage of existence.

Hahaha... it really is a big thing and could go on for some time.

More will be explained in the coming days over on our brand new Google+ page which you can visit here: 

SINKINGSHIP

I will also be releasing some behind the scenes "out takes" in the run up the big launch that will be exclusive to Google plus.

If you have not already joined G+ I would like to take this opportunity to say that you really should.

It is a very cool place to be. I have learnt lot's of things and talked to some very interesting people. 

Twitter is for idiots with nothing to say.

Facebook is for people who don't want to listen.

G+ is for people who ... well, it's for everyone. 

You really do get out of it what you put into it.

Give it a good try. Add us to your circles and enjoy the extra that all those idiots will miss out on.

Good on ya!

See you over there.

Much love.

Bumf.

Ps- I will still be doing my regular Saturday morning updates throughout April. I'm not THAT lazy.

Bumferry Hogart V's Everyone Else

Hello.

I am feeling quiet giddy today.

Not the sort of thing you expect to read on Thoughtless Gibberish, but bare with me and all shall be revealed.

The thing is I have been getting a bit fed up with Facebook of late.

It’s full of people typing “sad face” and telling me they are poorly, like I’m still allowed to go around and pretend I’m a doctor and perform door-to-door prostate exams (don’t these idiots read the local newspapers??)

I’m fed up with it.

If it’s not piss poor photographs of what people have half eaten for their tea or a picture of something they stood in, it's some other mindless brain fart shared with the world for other reason that to prove they are still alive and nothing at all going on in their lives.

I don’t care for any of that. The worst of it though is when some chump dares to tempt my wrath by typing “I’m bored.”

The amount of energy used by me to stop myself from running all the way to their house and bashing their skulls against the keyboard until it spells out WHY ARE YOU NOT READING MY BLOG THEN YOU FECKLESS IGNORANT TURD? Could power a small village.

However, Screw Facebook.

I really am bored to the back teeth (which are hurting by the way– and now I know why) over the pointless one way communication of hungry/clumsy/attention seeking/blogger ignoring bum faces.

I’m all about the Google +.

I’ve had an account for a while but never really bothered with it… until recently.

What a surprise I was in store for.

If you have not been on it, let me tell you how awesome it is by showing you this picture.

AAAaargh and other noises!

That really does say it all doesn’t it?

I’m a bloody pirate on a webcam with an ironing board for a parrot.

Wicked!

This was a snap shot of me mucking about with the options on Google hangouts which is a way of doing video chat. But Google provides the fancy dress.

That alone makes it 100000000000000 times better than poo-ey old smelly Facebook.

Plus there are no idiots on their filling up my time lines with pictures of their lunch or ugly children.

The people on there … this may seem hard to believe to loyal facebookers, the people on there have VARIED interests as well.

I have seen at least three people who like four or five different things! CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT??

Anyway. This post is really written for those on Facebook who asked me why I might be leaving them and moving to G+.

They probably won’t make it this far down the page because … y’know… Facebook.

Plus Facebook gives you BAD breath and makes you irrational towards common sense and lord knows I don’t need any encouragement in that area.

Maybe one day in the future I may offer some of you to join me in a hangout, because you can do that over on G+ and we're all friends here right? Right? You ARE my real friends and like me for WHO I AM?????. Not on Facebook. 

Nope.

If you are on G+ look me up. Or don't - whichever.

I plan on getting myself quite a name on there.

That is until Facebook do something similar and go back to that.

I’m fickle like that.

Right that’s enough from me for now.

I have things that need doing and they won't get done incorrectly without me cocking it up.

Laters potaters.

Self Pity And The Illusion of Popularity

First things first...

This is not a sympathy post – nor is it a begging post either. While reading this self deprecating post please be aware that I am incredibly bored and don’t know what I am doing with, well .  .  . all will become clear (I think).

I apologise now if this post is somewhat me me me and down beat, but a made up man has got to do what a made up man has got to do - even if I don't actually have to do it.

Now carry on.

In the never ending quest to occupy the time between any given moment and that point in existence when it all stops and nothing matters anymore I often find myself staring at the screen of my laptop in awe and wonder.

Boo Hoo - Im soooo alone...

The internet, as we all know, is full of nonsense and idiots (like this and me), but hidden amongst the highly unnecessary and quite vulgar amount of pictures involving naked women/men/various farm animals/household objects and any variation thereof not to mention the cornucopia  of puerile antics of faceless celebrities doing or not doing things. . . hidden somewhere in the darkest recesses behind the video of some pointy faced millionaires’ daughter doing things to a man and a couple of clicks away from the photo of “her off the telly who used to do that thing” is a thing called Google plus or Google+ for the internet savvy out there.

I however am not one of these internet savvy illuminati.

I am a bloke who has got far too much time on his hands although that does not excuse me for what I have done.

Waa-Waa I am interesting in real life...HONEST!!!

For some unfathomable reason I clicked a couple of buttons and ended up putting my face and name and DNA and inside leg measurement up on the web for all to see on the afore mentioned Google+.

For two weeks I have been staring at the pages of Google+ in mild confusion. Reading page after page of media types slowly changing their views on this new social website and how is becoming more and more popular, I thought I would take the leap of uncertainty and join up and learn what it’s all about.

Doing so, however, has left me feeling more alone than Lonely Len McSaddo from the village of solidarity.

When reviewing my so called circle of friends it really is laughably pathetic to include the BBC website and NASA (who are only there because they are the only things on Google+ that I recognise).

And so I find myself clicking on Google+ for no other reason than to play Millionare city. A game for children that is also available on Facebook, another screen to stare at but one which contains real life fleshy people I have physically touched in a none sexual manner (with their consent) at some point of my life. A time wasting exercise of futility that does nothing but mirror my own online existence.

*Sigh* Nobody knows the REAL me!

This is what happens when you go online using your real name.

Dicking about as Bumferry Hogart means I can pretty much say what I want about whatever subject I care and do what I choose without any real fear of consequence because. . .well, its not really me. I mean, it is me. I’m the one doing it, but the internet doesn’t know that (i think) and even if it did, I very rarely if ever do anything illegal or bad enough to warrant some policeman to drive all the way out here to extradite me to the US of A because if that did happen, I would just sulk my out of any argument they wish to put in front of.

So take THAT F.B.I.

And it’s amazing how little spam I get in my email.

In conclusion: I am an idiot. I know nothing other than I guess we’ll call it draw. I win in the anonymity stakes and the internet shows me just how much of a pointless battle it is because nobody was even watching, not even a spambot.

HA-HA! Screw you guys - I can lick my own balls!!

*ps – if anyone from the F.B.I. or C.I.A or Mossad or MI6 is reading this for any reason... that was just a joke y’know... don’t shoot me or anything... thanks.