Patreon Update - VIDEO odd-cast January 2023
Here's a rambling Video update for January 2023.
You'll find the audio version posted separately (that one also works as a podcast).
The upside with this video version though is that you get images to accompany the audio.
UPDATE to the section at 55mins in : It turns out you can add emojis to the blocked words list - so I've done just that. I downloaded a list of all the emojis separated by commas and put this into the list. Yes unfortunately it'll catch some comments from people who want to just post the odd smiley, but it'll also stop a lot of the spam. Until YouTube does a better job of stopping it their end - this is the best I can do.
Comments (121)
Hey Mat, sorry if this was already posted, but I was watching this video from LTT about a very interesting and smart tool to block YT spam bots, I know you hate them and you mentioned in various Oddcast episodes how they waste your time, so yeah, might be worth it to check it out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo_uoFI1WXM
Thanks -yes it’s a tool that gets recommended whenever spam comments are brought up, it’s not for me, but thanks anyway.
Trying to get one of my friends (who is a semi popular YouTuber with about a quarter of Mat’s subs) to start a Patreon and pointing out that actually, you don’t need to do exclusive content, (most of my “Creators” don’t) and when you do, it can be behind the scenes, stuff you wouldn’t put on “main” (like noodle reviews) and things like that.
I need to watch this video as I listened to the audio version. B.I.G UFO are a large spicy noodles, as Robsa mentions above. I may well have misunderstood this, but I would expect one of the many Japanese/Korean import supermarkets don't have these. Unless you did buy from one such place. I am aware places like Japan Centre, Korea Foods, H Mart, TK Trading do mail order. Maybe some of the kimchi flavours would be OK for you. My wife is very partial to Nissin Demae Ramen - Black Garlic Oil Tonkotsu Flavour. You do cook it in a pan rather than a cup/pot, but you are (apparently) supposed to add your own sliced mushrooms, sliced spring onion and wilted spinach. However, may not be up your street considering the issues you have regarding taste.
Those noodles made me drool; my favourites have always been the UFO noodles, which I order from time to time. And failing that, a beef and tomato Pot Noodle without the tomato sauce sachet and a few dashes of tobasco instead is good
Hate to see you spend so much time on policing the YouTube comments. It looks like Google doesn't care for comments, or even they care for you removing those comments: it might count as "user engagement" so they can sell more advertisements. I'd rather see you spending time on creating a pleasant community in a place you can control 100% yourself, like on your own website. A discourse forum would seem nice. I most times read the comments here on patreon, but the experience is also not 100%. I keep clicking "Load reply" and so on. I read the following article, and it made me think: https://anildash.com/2019/12/10/link-in-bio-is-how-they-tried-to-kill-the-web/ However, you probably thought about this, and it's easy for me to reason about. Hope you are doing well.
I had a relative excitedly tell me the Walkman was back, I thought - what? Has Sony decided to manufacture cassette players again? Then they show me the picture and I said, that's exactly like the one I bought 5 years ago or whatever. Do these journalists do any actual research? Also, I know you were speaking about YouTube, but I hate when you are watching (most likely) an American TV show, and they recap what happened before the break! How stupid do they think we are? I just watched the darn thing!
I was talking about TV- pretty much any show I watch does the ‘coming up spoilers’, Travel Man, Police Interceptors, Gold Rush etc etc.
If someone wants to send you an item from the USA, tell them to go to Parcelmonkey. They act like a shipper so it's one-stop but they are actually a shipping broker. I've used them to send antique computers to Germany and it was like 1/3 the cost of going directly to the major carriers.
Funny about not liking to watch people eat. I love eating and I also really enjoy watching some of the professional eaters like your fellow countryman and YouTuber, BeardMeatsFood.
We've got a very like-minded group of folks here. It's heartwarming to see all of the suggestions to help Mat with repairs. 👍🏻 I've come to know Mat as a one-man show; I believe there's pride in the work he has accomplished on his own merits. I may be wrong, but that's how I see it, and I admire him for it. That being said - it's fun when he picks our brains, because I always learn something new, too.
You’re right - I’m very insular. Years of working with very difficult people in offices has made me come to appreciate that the only person that I can now work with happily is myself.
Mat, one of my other favourite channels is MyMateVince and every so often he does a series of fix it challenges. Just thinking about all the failed fix videos, you could do a collaboration with Vince (who is a really nice and down to earth chap) whereby you have a series of two parters. Part 1 - Techmoan fixing “cassette deck” Part 2 - MyMateVince fixing the unfixable You are both in the UK (so shipping should be a lot easier) and your joint subscriber base could help cross fertilise new views for both channels. Just a thought that might help use up that old footage and drive new views.
It’s an idea - usually though by the time I’ve figured out something can’t be fixed, I’ve already disassembled it to the point that no one could every put it back together again - especially because they weren’t the one who took it apart. I feel that you’d need to be the one who did both jobs to stand any chance of success.
It's hard to know if the unsuccessful belt repair job would be worth posting, but I did just watch you prepare and eat a cup of Ramen noodles! BTW: your 2 January vids were excellent.
I've tried and failed to repair gadgets numerous times, but have improved a a lot since I started watching your videos! I think it would still be interesting to see the Walkman video in some form, even if it's just to highlight how impossible it is to dismantle and repair! On the MiniDisc one, did you check whether a replacement display was available?
I know you've said you don't like doing vids that don't end up with a working device at the end, but it's a shame to waste all that time and footage. Sometimes presentation is everything--what about a compilation of several failed projects, "Techmoan vs The Machines Vol 1" or some such? That way it's not a complete waste, and honestly seeing some of these things that are so ridiculously made or crammed or just refuse to behave the way they should would be entertaining. Especially for those who believe you to be a mechanical genius, "OMG, even the great Techmoan couldn't fix this thing!" Make it tongue in cheek, play it for the comedy angle with your dry wit and self depreciating humor, and it might come in handy in these weeks where personal stuff needs more attention. I'd watch, but I watch them all anyway. Thanks for what you do.
Weren’t the folks that introduced and teased viewers on the TV called Continuity Announcers? I remember then so clearly from the 80’s and into part way the 90’s, but by this time they had pretty much gone. The early 80’s announcers made it seem that the preamble before a show was also to allow someone to “cue up” the video feed as I do remember in those days, schedules were far from set in stone. So maybe the purpose was two-fold - tease the viewer and allow someone to find the tape and stick it in the Beta/VHS machine? Who knows. I personally found them comforting strangely.
Which channels do you watch? Which country are you in? Have continuity announcers gone away? I don't watch many, live channels now but I've yet to find a mainstream channel that doesn't announce the programmes. When I watch Channel 4, the announcer doesn't just say what's next, they'll also tell you what's on All4, E4, More4 etc. As I type this, a continuity announcer has just introduced the next programme on BBC Radio 4.
Thanks for these update videos. I do really like them!
Has anyone noticed ‘MON STER’ on the Amstrad ‘hifi’? I thought yeah, it’s a monster of crap 😂
Thanks for the noodle chat Mat. As an avowed addict of Nissin seafood cup noodles, (both spicy & not) I've been going mental over the last year or so being unable to buy them in UK any more - used to buy them by the crate and miss them so much!
So I’m not imagining it - they have become scarce. Yes I used to buy the crates of 24 from Amazon too.
RE: Rolling Stone providing lousy consumer guidance. I've noticed a lot of legacy periodicals have lost a lot of credibility by churning out mediocre online content because, well, the monster needs to be fed. Sports Illustrated is now more than happy to discuss pro wrestling and paddleball, for example. Also, having grown up with RS and even having had a subscription when I was a wee lad, I don't recall them ever attempting equipment reviews. I suspect any chancer could write up a "11 Hot Can Openers" and get it picked up for $35 in this content-hungry era.
These kinds of articles will probably be written automatically by text model-based AIs in the near future. It's downright frightening what these things can churn out. Just as an example, this is what I just entered into ChatGPT: "Write a short review of the three most popular modern boom boxes you can buy today." Well, it confused boomboxes with portable speakers, but otherwise its answer seemed quite plausible at first glance: " JBL Boombox 2: This portable speaker offers powerful sound, with deep bass and crisp highs, and has a long battery life of up to 24 hours. It's also waterproof and rugged, making it a great option for outdoor use. Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3: This speaker offers 360-degree sound and has a waterproof design, making it ideal for outdoor activities. It also has a 20-hour battery life and can be paired with other Ultimate Ears speakers for a multi-room experience. Bose SoundLink Revolve+: This speaker delivers high-quality sound in every direction and has a battery life of up to 16 hours. It's also durable, with a water-resistant design and built-in handle for easy portability. Additionally, it can be paired with other Bose speakers for a multi-room experience."
For the record I HATE the "coming up" on programs I'm about to watch! This is also irritating when it's a series and I want to watch added extras, but can only do so after watching previews beforehand. Also, it might not be the case for many, but watching an attempt to repair something even though it's not repaired is still interesting. Maybe because it's happened to me so often. Your description of all the layers you had to go through on that walkman to get to the belts would be compelling viewing. Also a big thanks to you for the early tip on the Sound Burger - I just took it on a road trip and it was heaven to use! After picking up 18 used records, I had the joy of immediate gratification getting to listen to them without having to wait until I got home!
The Americans are the worst for this. I can't tell if it's because the target audience have the attention span of a Higgs-Boson particle or due to it being cheaper to fill 15 minutes of the show with recaps instead of content.
Your thing about "coming up" on TV programmes reminded me of this... https://youtu.be/7MFtl2XXnUc
Grocery day; I craved noodles so much now, I picked up my favorite: https://ibb.co/wg3PhR9 Your emoji block plan didn't work after all?
No it seems to work - not 100% but it’s catching the comments in the spam folder.
The Rolling Stone review thing.. I’ve noticed this so much in the last say five years. Places review or recommend things purely by looking at their spec list, without having actually used the thing. To ‘review’ something is somehow taking on a different meaning. In depth critical reviews by somebody passionate about the technology are becoming a thing of the past. No doubt advertiser related or something.
Give it a couple of years and these alleged review articles will be generated by AI. I'm sure very few readers would tell the difference.
Mat thanks for the video. I do report spam comments if I see them. Imojis I wonder if separate characters like Colon Right Parenthesis can be blocked?
Have you tried Wing Yip on Oldham Road for your noodle needs? I’ve not been to the Manchester one for about 15 years, but the one in London has hundreds of cup noodles from most of the leading Asian brands.
That’s one of the places I used to go when I worked in Manchester…but that was many years ago and I haven’t been within 30 miles of it since.
Mat thanks for the video outcast I enjoyed it.
Mat thanks for the video. I am looking for microphone setup I will get the full set.
Mat, you will probably hear this a thousand times, just like saying “it’s in the video description”, but I personally don’t care if you only post once a month. It’s your channel and you produce what you produce in your own time frame. Yes, we have been spoilt over the last few years with a video a week, but no-one is going to die in a ditch if that is 12 videos a year. Don’t apologise, often these behind the scenes videos are just as or more exciting to watch, and as a member of the old gits club, I really enjoy the blathering and moaning!! Keep it up and keep your heath as the number 1 priority!!
Apropos of nothing, have people seen how expensive those Ember mugs have become? The copper one is £179.95 on Amazon. A basic grey one is £114.99 in Costco. I fancied a bit of retail therapy but I think I’ll stick to reheating my tea in the microwave.
Yes the large copper v2 has gone up from the £150 I paid - https://uk.camelcamelcamel.com/product/B09GCGQ7PB If you ever do get one, you’ll need the large one - trust me.
It's only fairly recently, after trying various cup/bowl noodles from the Asian supermarket, that I realised how cloying and stodgy Pot Noodles (as a brand) are. With the Asian ones, I tend to make them up as a broth before I put the noodles in, then you know they're nicely dissolved. I had memories of a spoof Pot Noodle advert with Mel Smith in it, and sure enough, from the Not The Nine O'Clock News book on my shelf... https://ibb.co/X4DF5rK
we get noodles from indonedian company Indomie here in australia. unfortunatly they don't make my favourite flavour in the cup type.
They can do something themselves...just click the dots, report it, and block...lather rinse repeat.
With the spam bots, some bots with aol emails keep emailing my gmail with loads of rubbish junk spam. It’s ridiculous.
I wouldn't be concerned about best before dates on instant noodles. Just keep them stored in a cool and dry place. I'd also consider putting them in a sealed plastic container if your house is a bit damp. EDIT: 46:16 Thanks for the shout out. I'm still cringing at that tweet as IMHO the writer completely misunderstood the video.
It’s a good idea, I’ll see if I can find a large enough sealed box. Oh and the Amstrad audio experience is really something that only people who lived it can talk about - and for that to happen you’d need to be over fifty. It’s common to get ‘experts‘ in a subject on which they have no personal experience, an expert on life in Pompey or the sinking of the Titanic. Reading and learning about something is one thing but the emotion of actually having lived through a moment in time can never be acquired. The problem comes if I were to try and tell someone who’d been fighting in Desert Storm that what they said about their experience was wrong, and I know more about it because I read a book on the subject. It gets into that whole conspiracy theory area - and then you get a well deserved punch from Buzz Aldrin.
The virtual pinball video is definitely among my favorites of recent memory (I suppose I could say "best of the year" but that would be pretty faint praise!) RE: the lighting challenges of shooting the pinball playfield - did you find the challenge interesting and satisfying or frustrating? I ask because I've noticed that when I work on some projects there are those challenges that can actually be more like "play" because there's a kind of flow to the entire process, whereas there are other tasks that are straight-up tedious. Always interested in what creators go through! Cheers!
I liked the challenge of doing something different, but that comes along with worry that I’ll not be able to figure it out. Then there’s the anticipation of whether it looks good enough to someone unaware of the behind the scenes difficulties, followed by a delayed relief when finally people comment on how real the tables look. A bit of a rollercoaster, complicated by time constraints. There’s also the fact that once I’d taken everything down it would be very difficult to do it the same again - so in a way it was a skill learned that will only be used once.
A month that contained the expertly filmed fake balls and Amstrad nostalgia is hardly a write-off from the viewer's point of view! I wonder if there's scope for more videos about mass market retro audio. Music centres? Radiograms? I'm quite curious about how usable that new Android Walkman is. I was tempted by the previous model after you reviewed it but was discouraged by Amazon reviews complaining about catastrophic battery life.
The earlier Walkman’s battery life issue was mostly down to an early bug that was fixed almost immediately via an update. I’ve never tried to use it for more than a couple of hours at a time though, so I’m not sure how long it can last now. As for the other things, I’d like to show a music centre at some point, of course space restrictions are an issue and most of the cheap ones are in a rather poor state now.
May I ask what is that 6 sided object behind you? It is very interesting and colorful. I am sorry if you created a video of it and I’ve forgotten.
I think it's called "hexled". Basically a hexagonal circuit board, which in this case is populated with rainbow LEDs. After a certain time, these LEDs change colour by themselves (without external circuitry). If you turn on several of them at the same time, they slowly get out of sync over time and create these colourful patterns.
I actually don't like the DJI mic output. It sounds like a U shaped equalizer. The treble sounds tinny and the bass sounds muddy. This may have something to do with your setup, or it may just be how they are. That being said, I don't think it is substantially worse than your current microphone and it shouldn't turn anyone off your channel so if you like em no problem. I by the way absolutely buy things in bulk like that. I have a pop I enjoy and an Italian instant coffee so I've had to buy like a pallet of both in the past and just keep them in my garage. My instant coffee is now 10 years old and I'm regretting my decision. Haha
The section with the DJI Action 2 was recorded too low so had to be boosted in editing. The to-camera section is using the built-in mic rather than my usual plug in lav, so it will sound different. I’m hoping it’ll sound the same or better than the Rode when I use the usual lavalier attached up to it. I must confess though that I can’t really hear a difference in the audio quality in the talking head shots in the studio between the two in this video.
Thank you for the video! I can understand how you feel when a repair attempt doesn't go according to plan. It's frustrating. I'm not saying that I'm the guy who can swap the belt of your device, but I'd love to try, if you want me to and if the alternative is to bin the device. I'm used to work on very small stuff. Regarding umami: if you feel the soup is lacking "deliciousness", a quick way to add umami is to use some fish sauce (lots of umami, quite some salt, nasty fishy smell, but I guess it won't bother you), soy sauce (lots of umami and lots of salt) or worcestershire sauce (umami and slightly sweet).
Hi ENP. Fish sauce is *the* most potent ingredient in any recipe. Mrs T swears it releases mustard gas when combined with green curry paste. I tend to agree with her, but I can't resist it.
👍👍👍
I really enjoyed the Amstrad video. I am in the U.S. so I had not really heard about Amstrad before, but I had an awful Sound Design system for my first "hi-fi". It was the exact same effect, just with a different badge. I am new to Patreon, so this is my first Oddcast, and I really enjoy it. I like the un-filtered nature of it, and I am looking forward to the next one.
Ugh! I had a Soundesign 8 track. It was truly terrible. Can't remember if it stopped working, or I just went back to vinyl in 1975 (when I was 12)
I love how a Techmoan video became a Featureman video, sampling pot noodles! Have you had Indomie brand Nasi Goreng instant indonesian noodles? Has quite a chilli punch to it.
I haven’t - I tend to go for the ones in containers due to pure laziness.
I really wish that no more mention of that pinball table was made. Every time I see it I want it - the big version - more and more. I'm currently looking at my Wand Co Star Trek communicator, phaser, two Swiss army penknives, and listening to the video on my Beosound A21s. Oh - and tomorrow I'll be slurping hangover-coffee from my Ember electric mug.
At least for me, I don't think a video that includes a failed repair makes it any less interesting. I think there's still a story there...whether that is through shifting focus to the history and context of the device (you are a great storyteller; I really enjoy when you tell the story of the devices) and/or a focus on the weirdness of the device that made the repair difficult. I think the construction of the cassette player that made the belt replacement practically impossible is interesting in itself. Even just commiserating with you over a failed repair gives it narrative merit, and I'd venture to say a large number of the viewers can relate to that experience. Thanks for the update! As a new supporter, it's been fun getting these extra videos.
Thanks - I’m planning on reworking that video when a replacement device arrives. However the second one with the Sony MD, that’s going back into the locker with the hope of finding some spares one day.
Listening to people eat - now that’s a capital offence. Recently retried Super Noodles after a many many year gap. I hope to remember for many more not to do that again. Those Cup noodles look pretty decent. Also, Itsu have appeared on supermarket shelves so another to hunt down. Thanks for the update.
All these roided out gym dudes want to tell you how bad noodles are - but when the average age of a Japanese person is 116 and the gym dudes die of cardiac failure at 35 I tend to pay little notice. If/when I get through this box, I’ll make a point to try some Itsu
I love these oddcasts, they're so rambly and fun. It feels like someone just showing you about the place and chatting about how they do things. Absolutely awesome and well worth it for the staggering price of $12 a year.
So, re: food in general. Do you ever get like... phantom taste when eating something you're familiar with?
No, but I do have irrational preferences. Like I could never stand Cola so I still don’t drink it. However if I were to try it, it’s just sweet fizzy liquid, the same as Dr Pepper, which I do drink.
I totally agree with you about the annoying snippets of what's up next that appear at the beginning of many TV programmes these days such as Antiques Road Show and Dragons Den amongst others. It spoils the surprise! I don't know how to put this, but this particular talk video may have been a lovely opportunity for your wife or partner to have brought in a cup of coffee to your studio whilst you were chatting. It's just a thought...I hope you don't mind. As always, I love listening to you.
Oh she’s always out of the house when I’m recording - I need the silence/isolation.
Love the videos as always!!! Content is top shelf as always look forward to seeing the next one!!!
Not sure if it's down to some extra tweaking, but the DJI lavalier sounded slightly muffled and flat in the video segment, it definitely lacked some of the top end and richness of the RODE, at least it didn't have the gobs amount of hiss as that Sony one you give it a try some time ago, glad that wireless lavaliers finally sort that issue out.
The section with the DJI Action 2 was recorded too low so had to be boosted in editing. The to-camera section is using the built-in mic rather than my usual plug in lav, so it will sound different.
I'm really late to the video and comments but, perhaps, a mention of "Telegram" scams in videos might work? I have seen a few people release videos warning people of the scam but since your videos are longer anyhow perhaps mentioning you're not giving anything away to people who click on a link would fit in?
I did mention it in a video - but the people who didn’t see it, didn’t see it and those who are likely to fall for this kind of thing are unlikely to remember it. It’s also mentioned in the only permanent part of my YouTube channel - my About Page - somewhere that no one think to look. It’s the usual horse/water/drink issue.
Commenting about trying block the spambots. Emoji have html unicode code number equivalents, maybe these can be used to block the ones mentioned? Sorry, not sure if the filters will recognise them, but worth a try. For example a site listing all the codes here: https://unicode.org/emoji/charts/full-emoji-list.html eg: U+1F600 is a smiley 😀
Let's experiment with this - I might be wrong because when I look in my blocked phrases I've got some emojis shown in there from comments I've pasted in - so maybe they do get spotted. To test this out I've just added the following to the list - the unicode for the 'pile of poo' emoji and the actual emoji for the 'clown face'. If you've got a minute, have a go in the YouTube comments for this video and see if you can get either of them to appear.
Too bad about the uncompleted undertakings, they sounded like they'd be really cool to see. Do you think it would be possible to put together an episode that was made up of these projects that didn't make the cut? You've already got a working title in "Uncompleted Undertakings."
I'm trying to do something with one of them - I've ordered another broken device that will remain broken and a repair won't be attempted this time now that I know from experience it's impossible (for a mortal). I'm thinking of making it into a warning video about how some things just aren't worth even trying to repair.
I think, at many levels, technologically, we have crossed the line of magic. So people doesn't really understand how stuff works or even functions of it. And I include myself there. I do care though, I like understanding. Not everyone "needs" it. At that point, you have very little to review quality on. All my life thought that tapes were crap because of having no clue on how to record stuff and giving up by 16. I could play CDs in my room and that was it. I remember having a crappy tape adapter for my discman in my first (made in 1987) hand me down car.... Because I was convinced tapes were nothing worth it. It took me learning from mostly you and then getting some proper tapes and tape deck to consider and understand how ignorant I was. So, poor understanding of the technology and complicated plus disconnection of product and function will land you... Buying a crapola to play some album that costed more than the device. Speaking of which, I got the same version of your Walkman and I like it best than my older Sony mp3 (I've had 3 gens at this point) but the boot times ain't great and the whole android a bit of hassle
Hi Matt, when I was in engineering we used to splice o rings from rolls of rubber chord rather than fully stripping shafts out of machines. Is it possible you could use the same technique for replacing impossible belts?
Not on this occasion - the belts go over under and around multiple points - it’s getting the access that’s the issue. With some of these machines it’s like they started with the belt and then built everything else around and over and under it.
I make the instant Maggie noodles which are pretty good but what I do is add the boiling water, use the fork to break it all up after a minute then leave it for another 2. I then drain most of the water off and add the powder sachet and stir it in. Much more flavour.
The year will get better. January is always slow. Hard to get back to things
I was wondering why everyone seemed to be switching to the DJI microphones, makes sense now. Glad I'd not the only one who find the constant spoiling of TV programmes (and time wasted recapping what we've seen) annoying and pointless.
I don’t know about the audio quality of one vs the other (they’re both “fine”) but the DJI ones are markedly better in every other way. DJI aren’t always great at usability, but it’s fair to say that Rode have only thought of a single use case.
About SPAMBOTS: Don't you feel so thankful that YouTube appreciates its content creators so much that they won't spent the 8 hours in the IT Dept creating an effective solution for these? This is NOT a difficult issue to address from a technology standpoint. But in case IQ's have dropped, - here is the solution: You give content creators a SPAM-BUTTON beside EVERY POST. This button is used to identify SPAM ! When the content creator clicks that button, YT (in automata) then REMOVES EVERY POST FROM THAT ACCOUNT FROM THAT CHANNEL & BLOCKS THE USER & THEIR IP FROM POSTING ON THAT CHANNEL. And - once 3+ content creators have identified an account as being a spammer, YT then removes ALL posts from that account from ALL channels while blocking the account & IP systemically. Connect with a bit of AI that screens duplicate messages - SPAM PROBLEM ELIMINATED.
I've often thought the same in the past when it comes to trolls. Every YouTuber has experienced complete barmpots that they have to put on mute. Well if they're in my Muted List and the Muted List of five other channels - then maybe that user is a bit of a dick and Youtube should put their comment's into a 'these users are known to be dicks - if you really want to read their comments click here - but trust us you really don't because they only post rubbish - everyone says so' list.
TV producer here! The tease at the top of a show is a holdover from linear viewing. For example, you’ve channel surfed through cable and found yourself caught on MythBusters, and when that episode ends, they start an episode of COPS. Well, you think, I didn’t come here for COPS, I’m about to change the channel. But suddenly you see that tease and think, “Well now I want to see what happens to that drug dealer getting tossed to the ground.” Naturally these mean nothing when you’re streaming on demand and you’ve already chosen what to watch based on the text description or whatever… but some editors and producers really can’t help themselves. They’re afraid a cold open isn’t exciting enough! It’s laziness and complacency, really…
Thanks for passing on your knowledge. In an age of streaming it really is a bit of a pain - also yes an anachronism when someone has clicked on a thing to watch - they definitely want to watch that thing, there's no surfing around on a stream. . It's also a pain now that with streaming fast forward is often no longer accompanied by a moving image - I just have to guess when I've got past the extraneous bit I don't want to see. Ho hum. Like most bad ideas - they stick, while the good ones often go away.
Loving the thumbnail, you monster!
What's that coming over the hill... It's the bin lorry to pick up my Amstrad.
If you'd like to review hardware that is absolutely stunning with features unavailable elsewhere - you need to look at Carver brand hi-fi devices. When you look into the designs - it's like aliens built hi-fi using contemporary components. And when you check out the patents filed by Bob Carver his brilliance will bake your noodle. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Carver ). I have one of his AVR100 amplifier/receivers that never fails to blow away people who see and hear it operate for the 1st time.
I'm quite keen to try out the "New Walkman" when it becomes available in the US. I'm still getting loads of use out of my NW-55 after three years, and I'm ready to replace it with one Just Like It, Except Without The Stuff That Annoys Me. (eg, that damn charging cable, and the anemic processor that takes several seconds to add a track to a playlist)
My NW-A100/105 suffers from a severe lack of internal memory. All my music and files are kept on the SD card. I think I've just loaded one app onto it for Apple Music and another for the Sony Headphones - but when I was notified that it was time to update/patch Android - there wasn't enough free space left for the update to apply. I ended up searching for ways to download caches etc. It really hampers its use, so I hope they've done something about this on the more recent one.
It's always nice just to chat to you! You would incredibly hard - your work levels are absolutely brutal - I don't know how anyone could keep it up. Thank you for your hard work. I am expecting the Techmoan Effect™ to disrupt the whole World Cup Noodle market. Academics will be studying it for years. You're not a snob - and I agree - there is nothing worse than judging people on their purchases. You are right to remind people of "Amstrad: A Warning from History". They were bad … thank you for opening money on that awful pos one to illustrate your last video.
I'm about the same age as Mat and I can testify to the shitness of Amstrad products. Alan Sugar's only a rich man nowadays because he was smart enough to stash his ill-gotten gains into London real estate in the 1980s.
A bit of pot noodle déjà vu. My lunch earlier today, by coincidence, was a 'pot' noodle bag from a cheap pack of 5, where I provide the pot. To hurry the process, I boil water in a kettle while sort of scrambling an egg about in the bottom of the small stovetop pot. Once the water's hot and the egg's a mess of chunky lumps at the bottom of the pot, I pop in the noodle block and seasoning sachets contents into the same pot, then pour in plenty of boiling water. With it on a low heat and trying not to re-boil it, I shove the noodle block about to encourage it to de-thatch while dragging the egg chunks off the bottom and mixing everything together before pouring it all into a deep soup bowl. The result is a thin and very spicy soup with noodles and chunks of egg, requiring a spoon, fork or chopsticks, and a bib, to eat. I find some versions of the included flavouring packs far too hot - fogs my specs while watching old episodes of Wheeler Dealers - so I only add half, saving the rest for some future homemade curry or SE Asian dish.
Some of the hot ones are just silly. I'm a person who likes a nice hot curry, a madras is fine, although I do find vindaloo a bit unpleasant, its more of a dish for drunken peoples' bravado. However when it comes to noodles there's some out there that are just plan inedible if you use all the powder. This is one example that you can get in Costco - the ones with the Chicken on the packet exclaiming how hot it is https://www.costco.co.uk/Grocery-Household/Grocery-Delivery/Samyang-Hot-Chicken-Flavour-Ramen-Cup-6-x-70g/p/351738 It's all just chilli, nothing else - no bits of stuff. I think you're just supposed to eat them as a dare - rather than buy them as something to enjoy.
I do have an idea for easy, interesting content: WINAMP. It's been with us since the 90's and most people don't know how tremendously versatile it is with skins and plug-in modules. It has visualizers, audio processors & recently - it appears that some company may have purchased the rights and is sending e-mail making announcements.
Unfortunately beyond using it for perhaps ten minutes once back in the 1990s, I know almost nothing about it so I'm definitely the wrong chap to talk about this one. It's more in LGR's territory.
Saturday morning; snow and Techmoan video. Drinking coffee before family wakes. Great start to the weekend. Thank you.
Whereabouts are you ? I only ask because your comment just made me look out of the window, and then I realised how silly that was.
Since January seems to be a slow month on Youtube it is the best month to "fail". Least losses. And whenever I see one of those spam comments I report/block them hoping that others won't get spammed as well. But that's a bit of a whack-a-mole thing unfortunately.
You’re right about it being a good month to fail - that made it feel better.
I really liked the Williams pinball machines growing up. Oh! Do the puppets.... ;-) Often quite entertaining... (You could create a TechnoBoom Puppet and blow the thing up as the finale of each relative script and we'd all get a great kick out of it! I suspect Mehdi would be all into doing the voicing for his character.)
When I watched tonight's video, I actually had the thought that the puppets messing up a repair job might be viable for release.
Greetings! [and melted your lug wrench]; • The BTS camera setup of the pinball video was extremely interesting. I enjoy learning how videographers envision and then put their ideas to camera. Your intensity is a thing to be admired; case in point, the channel ident BTS: https://youtu.be/SYltGaIvPOY • No, nobody wants the upcoming previews. If it's meant to keep viewers attention, it's clear they shouldn't have been watching the program in the first place. It reminds me of the Muppet outtake you did 'Last time on The Moans' and 'Up Next on The Moans' - I cannot find the video, but it was amusing. • Yum, noodles. I suddenly get a huge craving for Beef Ramen. • The Rolling Stone web article was clearly written by someone who didn't live in the 80's. Why am I suddenly remembering microfilm articles of RS from my high school days? • I love the thumbnail for this video; but I pressed the buttons and nothing happened. 😏 Sincerely, and all the best, Me
I'm starting to worry if I do find someone who really values and enjoys the 'coming up' segments, what kind of person would they be. I don't think they'd be someone I'd enjoying hanging around with. Oh, the Moan’s issue you remember was this one https://youtu.be/rCq9bbiOxAk By the way the thumbnail for this is annoying me - how the YT play button overlaps the text - I'm going to have to go back and rearrange the left side of the image. Pointless I know - but yet I can't leave it like this. Take care.
You must make a video about noodle reviews now. At least for patreon. Have a great weekend Mat.
I'm not sure if anyone wants to see more - but it's a topic I could talk about for way too long.
Now I want a Pod Noodle we bought on our annual UK visit...
Ah yes the Pot Noodle - way too sweet for me, but it was all we had in the UK back in the day. However when I started working in Manchester, visiting the Chinatown Chinese supermarkets at lunchtime it opened my eyes up to what else was out there. For me, Cup Noodles knock Pot Noodles into a cocked hat. However I suspect that if someone really liked Pot Noodles they wouldn't be able to adjust to Cup Noodles - they're a bit more... err... 'sophisticated'/subtle(?).
Those reviews... I bet the person who wrote that is from the "it sounds better than my phone so it is perfect"-generation 😬 And yes, things "being back" from "non-existence", or even: label it as "new" when it has only been gone for a couple years... People seem not to have a memory that last more than a couple of months anymore...
I enjoyed the explanation of the mics. I also wondered why a certain category of 'YouTubers' (the ones who go wassup everybody) have outlandishly large microphones that fill most of the picture, instead of the professional looking ones that are barely visible
I think it’s probably the same reason they feel a need to record on a RED camera when most people are watching on a cracked 5” phone screen - I'll just leave it there.
There's a script by ThioJoe to purge those comments automatically for the spam stuff. It needs some setup but, once it completes, it should be easy to mass remove those comments including Nuclear mode where it discards comments containing Emojis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tRppXW_aKo BTW, here's the LTT video describing how it works. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo_uoFI1WXM
I’m aware of it, I looked into it a year or so back, but it requires me to grant it access to things at a level that I’d never grant access to. If something happens to my Google account I’m stuffed. For me using a script this way feels like owning a bank and giving the keys to a team of cleaners. Everyone says that they’re really good at cleaning and totally trustworthy, but it’s something I’m not comfortable with.
The Cup Noodles are made by Nissin. Have you tried their Nissin Soba noodles? They are available in most supermarkets. I normally get the red one or the green one. The other colours are a bit boring.
Yes I've tried them all - they're OK, although I've never bought one twice which must say something. They're a little bit sweet and I'd prefer more bits of chunky stuff in them.