Patreon VIDEO update January 2024
In place of a proper video this week here’s a consolation prize of an extra long Oddcast.
As usual I’ve much to say about nothing. Due to the length of the video I’ve included chapters so you can easily jump forward to the next topic.
I’ll put out an audio version (that can be heard as a podcast via Patreon) - but I think for quite a few sections you’d be better off with the video.
Comments (89)
Contact lenses Matt. 💡
Unfortunately I can’t wear them any more due to the dodgy eye.
Watching the part where you reviewed the "breakfast" reminds me a whole series of videos made by another YouTube bloke called Ashens where he reviewed something similar to this and it was just as unappetizing as it looked.
I found a website that compares car sizes. For instance here is a link that compares the various dimensions of the Honda e against a car that I am considering, the Volvo XC40 Recharge. But you can compare against lots of different car makes and models. https://www.carsized.com/en/cars/compare/honda-e-2020-5-door-hatchback-vs-volvo-xc40-2022-suv-electric/
That's a useful site too - I last looked at this a while ago but I didn't know they'd included range as well. It's a shame they didn't use the EV database ranges rather than the manufacturer's insanely optimistic (and impossible to achieve) estimates.
Hi, Mat, I have to make a quick comment about VR. I'm considerably older than you (OK, I'm 75) so I guess I'm also an old man trying to stay relevant! I and my partner LOVE VR! About 3 years ago at the start of The Event, I bought two of the original Oculus Quest headsets. (OK I know you hate Meta and all that.) This meant we could play Walkabout Mini Golf with my daughter and son-in-law (who live 200 miles away) most weekends and often during the week as well. It was a great way to stay in touch and feel as though we have "been together". Since then, it's become "a thing" for the family. Next, we upgraded to 2 of the Quest 2 headsets and when the Quest 3 came out, all, of us immediately bought two of those as well. We passed the old ones on to another son-in-law and our Grandson, so they also could play. Frankly, we find the quality, especially of the Quest 3, amazing. I have bought maybe £300 worth of other games and it's become a genuine source of enjoyment for us. We both wear glasses, by the way, We just use the ones you use for distance and forget the specialist lenses. Maybe persevere? I think you would enjoy it given the right gear and setup. Cheers, SB.
I have come to realise that my most recent prescription - the one my most recent glasses and VR lenses are based on - gives me double vision when things get beyond say 15ft. I spotted this while driving the other day, initially I thought my sight was failing. I've reverted back to my old glasses while outside the house, but as far as the VR glasses go, I don't want to go through the whole process of getting an eye test again and re-ordering. I took my PS VR2 to my storage locker the other day with the intention for it to stay there. I can't chase everything - sometimes I just need to sit things out and leave them for others. The same thing happened with Skateboarding and Pogs.
I love the Honda E. The garage at the end of my road used to have one as a demo car parked out the front very regularly. I never got the courage to ask for a test drive. However I’ve only ever seen one on the road. Now I know why! It wouldn’t work for me cause I wanted more range, but I’m glad you love it!
My latest adventure with slippery winter roads - I got very lucky not colliding with this car this morning: https://youtu.be/5tvzwuVs4i8
The problem with dashcams is that everything looks much further away than it is - I know in person that’ll have looked and felt like inches from disaster.
I'm in Western New York. A semi-rural area, formerly known for lots of snow. I put winter tires on the Mini, and it does very well in the snow. I totally agree- creaky snow is the best! And here in the U.S., too, public EV chargers are hopeless.
The Honda E is still available in The Netherlands. Not for me though, I hardly use a car, and will use a rental (“share” as it is called nowadays).
Production in Japan ended today https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/15083865
Hey Mat. I have something you may be interested in reviewing! I have just come into possession of a Sony Discman D-V8000. This is from,I think around 1997 and is incredibly rare. I have the remote for it also. It sounds wo derful when listening to cds through headphones but unfortunately I don't have the gear or knowhow to play the increasingly rare video cds that it is capable of. Its in wonderful condition and according to the shop banner that is still attached to the unit it does visual effects as well as other stuff. I am awaiting the delivery of a VCD disc, so if you don't have any that's not a problem. Think it would make for an interesting video, plus you may be able to unearth .ore info on the product as I'm struggling to find anything. You've used stuff from me before and it's gone well. I still have your address from the last thing I sent you ( the unusual walkman) Regards Andrew.
Is it like this one? https://www.ebay.com/itm/256019237699
Oh! I thought I was the only person driving an electric Mini! And it has a bumper sticker that says "I Fought In the Sound Wars" in exactly the right shade of green. This made my day! :^)
I still get a kick out of your Canadian flag fridge magnet. I recently took a trip to the prairies and this time picked up a fridge magnet as a souvenir.
It covers up a tiny dint as well.
I’m definitely a beans guy, so burnt beans would be deal breaker for me. It does look a bit of a car crash in a tub 🥴
Awwwww Adam’s basically bought you a couple o’ pints a beer 🍻 Found that bit quite fascinating actually, Matt. I have always wondered about the whole YouTube monetary thing. Lee
Finally found the time to watch this. I've had all manner of trouble trying to get Fiio to send me a replacement screen for my M7 digital music player. There's a lot of pixel leakage, and I'd only had it six months. They were using AliExpress to ship screens, which didn't fill me with confidence. I had to sign up to them, too. Stuck at customs and declared "undeliverable" back in November. Not tried those Kershaw meals as they always scream "Avoid!" at me. I know there's a particularly nasty looking "steaklet and chips" one. I suspect it's just an inferior Birds Eye Steakhouse Grill. "Oh it's chips, it's chips! We hope it's chips it's chips!" (But not those!)
There's a house near me (in London) that has two Honda Es and a Bentley outside. Someone must like them.
What a wonderful place, the snow is so beautiful. It would be a dream to live there.
My recent-ish disappointing breakfast experience was discovering that Ready Brek is no longer an instant porridge, just a bland-tasting "smooth" porridge. Oh well, I suppose I can still have fond childhood memories of the original version.
Buy a Honda and charge at a Tesla charger... https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/tips-advice/360784/tesla-superchargers-who-can-use-teslas-charging-stations-and-how-do-they-work
Yes - there's none of those in (or near to) St Annes either.
Here in my part of the US, ice is the issue. You may have seen the video of the Fire Truck sliding down a hill and doing a 360 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4QhBbop1H8&pp=ygUZZmlyZSB0cnVjayBzbGlkaW5nIG9uIGljZQ%3D%3D). That was about an hour from where I live. A friend rolled his car several times and totaled it. Thankfully he is okay. I can handle driving in the snow, but ice is another thing.
I uploaded a dashcam video of me driving home at night a week ago in the snow ( https://youtu.be/8lpPF14lruk ). I live in Iowa and no problem, despite how wild the weather is. I showed it to my boss who lives in San Antonio, she was shocked as they rarely get winter weather there. I agree that it's the ice, and also visibility, that makes things treacherous.
I apologize for being one of the many people that notified you about the Adam Savage video post. :-( But still cool you got a shout out.
You might have been the only one - there really is no way of knowing.
Still one of the highlights of my month; it's like waiting for your comic to be delivered on a Saturday and wondering what the free gift will be. A disgusting-looking breakfast review, excellent! I had a mate who loves ed the garage microwave breakfasts, used to wax lyrical about them for ages. They always looked rank to me though.
Congratulations on getting the Honda E. Have only sat in one for a bit but it took me right back to a (then still immaculate) superb Mk 1 Civic I drove a few times in the 80s. They really captured the feel or it without feeling retro. The E is even rarer here in New Zealand as were not officially imported, have seen at least 3 (different colours so knew not the same one thrice!) private imports. I have an Abarth and would consider the electric Abarth if the price difference didn't mean would have to drive about 60,000km before break even with the current car. I'm not an Elon fan nor the 'moving mouse' style of Tesla. Plus they are all far too big for me anyway.
On cassette decks, I would love to see a showdown between Dolby S, Digital NR and dbx. Back in the 1980/90s, I had no idea that tapes can sound incredible - given the proper tape, deck and settings. It took almost 40 years later for me to realize this.
Dolby S sounds the best. dbx sounds great too, but can cause "pumping" on some types of music. Digital NR has some artifacts, but its main advantage is that it can be used on any cassette recording, regardless if it was recorded with Dolby NR or not. And honestly, if you use good-quality chrome or metal tape and a properly calibrated deck, the hiss level is so low that you don't really need noise reduction anyway, except maybe for music with a very wide dynamic range, like Classical or Jazz.
Great show, Mat - thanks. Regarding electric vehicles - Teslas look like ASDA (the most utilitarian of all UK supermarkets) moved into car design. They're horrible. On the range of electric vehicles: I don't understand why an EV manufacturer invariably goes in for all the electric bells and whistles (dash/mirror cams and monitors, motorised everything etc). Surely that's an extra drain on available mileage before charge? I can usually tell an EV from 100 yards away, because it's got a rear light array like the mothership from 'Close encounters'. I want an EV version of the Citroen 2CV - gimme mileage over twinklies and gadgets.
My guess that it is something similar to early TVs, when the tube cost a small fortune, having high end real wood cabinets because that was only a small percentage of the price. Anyway the things you list don't actually cost the manufacturer much. Considering that a decade ago you could buy a touchscreen tablet in Tesco for £100 the question is whether a Tesla style touchscreen saves the manufacturer money compared to traditional switchgear.
TefiMoan - is that anything? A tee-shirt?
If you don't mind me asking, what was AGF?
Just an insurance company. AGF was one of the three names it went through when I was there - it’s likely been merged another dozen times since then.
RE: disgusting frozen meals - how do they stay in business? I suspect that there primary business model is not retail food distribution but rather institutional clientele, i.e. prisons and schools. When you have a captive audience, you can crank out any old slop.
That breakfast looks a bit like some of the airline breakfasts too. Pre-prepared in trays, just heat up onboard in an oven.
I found the breakdown of the Youtube metrics related to "celebrity links" fascinating as I suspect many folks (myself included) would have assumed the "knock on effect" as you mention would have been more significant. I assume therefore your conclusion is correct that topic matters. But in my head that didn't register because I'm thinking "who wouldn't want to watch a video about vintage audio?" As though it's were a mainstream interest. I myself have ZERO mainstream interests (at least nothing that can be listed in a Top List... I mean, you probably COULD pay me to watch a basketball game or participate in a discussion about Pokemon but it would need to be a considerable outlay!) so I am probably not the barometer. Catering to MY tastes and interests would not keep Mr. Mat Tefimoan in pot noodles.
Yes, you're right. I was watching :) At the time I had not noticed how little views the tested video had (and still has) Thank you for the detailed answer though.
This has reminded me that one of my guilty pleasures is the tinned full English breakfast you can get. Haven’t had one in years. I hope they still make them so I can indulge.
They do still make these, I think I saw one the last time I was in a Home Bargains shop.
I had to rent an SUV to visit my parents over the holidays (you have to ford a creek to get to their cabin) and it was my first time driving one. I was surprised by how terrible it was to drive and park. I can't imagine subjecting myself to that willingly! Was happy to get home to my Kei car (1475mm wide without the mirrors, but it has auto-folding ones), which is far easier to drive. I would have assumed my Kei was the absolute low bar for what is sold as an automobile (it was about 1.6 million yen new - $16k, we bought it used a few years later) but even that has a heated driver seat standard, surprised to hear so many cars don't even have heated seats!
I pre-ordered the FIIO cassette player, so once it comes in, I'll see exactly how good or bad it is.
"Surely no one's bought two of them." HA HA HA!
Regarding the bit about car boot sales I bought a new sealed BT Homehub from a lady who had two for sale. When I asked how she had them she said that when she ordered BT broadband she kept having to complain that she hadn't received her hub until about a month later three turned up in the post on the same day.
Weirdly I was talking to my plumber about this on Monday. He had the exact same thing happen. Nothing at all and then 3 arrived over the space of 3 weeks. Whatever's going on must be costing BT a fair bit.
Lovely video! You also seem to have good energy. Looking good! Winter tyres are necessary but slushy mess is challenging. I live now in southern Germany and... It can get interesting Loved the chat about the cars. I do work in the automotive industry... And I kind of appreciate your view over the standard review. I liked the Honda too (a lot) and I might get an I03... Also, I am happy you took a break and happier that it did work! That breakfast. Good grief
So nice to see someone with no taste still thinks the frozen breakfast stuff is awful.. I just wonder what it would be like if you could actually, well, taste it? But wow, it's fabulous, having a squirrel in the first place, but one that doesn't mind being so close to you for the peanuts. I put up a feeder for squirrels. 8 years later, big storm broke a branch of the tree which ripped the (still full) feeder to bits... I'm quite sad to see the Honda E go. I couldn't afford it, but I always hoped I could save up for one. Real pity....
Congratulations on getting the Honda e, always admired that car and I've been looking at the prices used ones. I think the original price and relatively small battery really hurt it. Have fun!
Your pronunciation of Tefifon sounds absolutely fine to me. I learnt about this device through your channel, and in a way I also tend to pronounce it the British way (as best I can). Rewboss recently made a short video about the difference between English and German vowel sounds, showing why it's so hard to get them right if you're not a native speaker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8LwhUUWMk0 Whenever I've been to the UK, people have always been very forgiving of my accent and I should be just as lenient when it comes to my own native language.
Winter tyres make a big difference and in my experience, all-seasons can work quite well at covering UK winter weather (although definitely a compromise over season specific tyres).
They do and spiked tyres are surreal when you use them the first time
Coincidentally I saw my first Honda E locally very recently, and I even came home and told people about at as I thought it was so ugly lol! (no offence! Different strokes!) I think we are at different ends of the car 'beauty' ideals, I really don't like bubble, rounded, 'fun', cars - even the Beetle! I like angular 'angry' cars, which are mainly older cars now. Which is handy as I drive an old car... As you state it's really hard to tell many cars apart these days, if they didn't have badges you'd struggle to tell many apart. They all have that nearly SUV look. I don't like Tesla because 1. Elon Musk and 2. No way I'd ever be able to afford one! But at least they do have a distinctive look. So as much as the Honda was not to my taste, it is unique, it's got personality, and you wouldn't lose it in a car park.
It's a throwback to an old model but yeah, it's a different design. I quite liked the throwback and all but it was too expensive. Tesla... I don't think they are worth. Lots of claims and sloppy work... Not my cuppa
Kershaws ready meals are absolutely awful! I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole!
Would absolutely love to see a car review of the Honda E - even if its short and informal look around it just for patrons; living in the US means we get none of these smaller more interesting cars!
This is what I think about the cassette mechanism debate. Could somebody make a great mechanism ? Sure, with modern design tools, modern materials and electronics they could probably do it even better then any of the kings of the past. Will somebody invest the large amounts of money for R&D and tooling required ? No, the market is not there. Nobody can afford to develop the ever best deck or walkman and then sell 10000 - 20000 units to enthusiasts. Unless one of the crazy billionaires sees a tape deck in a drug induced vision we'll never get a new better mechanism.
They can't even muster the money to copy one and retool. Retooling is the problem and building supply chains (unfounded speculation). Sure the experience is not there anymore but you do have benchmarks. I wonder what can you do bout noise reduction though
C'mon Mat. 40 miles! lol The least range I get out of my 3x 453 EQs is 70 miles in winter. I just finished rebuilding a crashed 2021 fortwo on YouTube and it's my every day driver now, mainly because of the heated steering wheel and because the heated seats don't turn themselves off after 10 minutes. I'm a fan of the Honda E. I'm surprised that Honda managed to fumble it so badly as everyone was so complimentary about the design. Agree with the PSVR2. I had the 1st one and sent it back immediately. I bought the 2nd gen straight away and kept it but it's not great. The steaming up you have to wait ages for the temperature to equal out and it goes away. Companies are too interested in the pixel count instead of the optics. I don't need glasses but even when set up, the eye position is so small that any movement and everything is a blur.
You should check out the Globular Cluster head strap for PSVR2. It was a game changer for me. Using these your perfect hotspot is preserved and in place as soon as you put them on. And it comes with 3 different kinds of very comfortable parts for the front and back of your head.
Just a guess, but maybe Tefifon should sound more like Tayfee-fone, emphasis on the first syllable? AFAIK, the letter E in German is usually pronounced as an AY sound. Must be some fluent German patrons here who can clear this up.
I'm a German native speaker. There's an easy way to listen to the correct pronunciation. Just google 'google translate german english' and put the word Tefifon in the german section and press play. But in my opinion I would use Teffifon with two f and listen to that because I am quite sure you would say it like that as a German. At least I would. Google translate does a great job there. The only little mistake is that the 'phon' part should sound a bit longer. Like in telephone. So to sum it up. There's hardly any difference in pronouncing Tefifon in German or English. Almost the same.
I am 3 years older than you and completely hooked to VR. I own a PSVR2 (and a Quest 3) but mainly use the PSVR2 and yes, you have to finish the setup sequence and find the hot spot to have a sharp image. That can be a pain. I also use a third party head strap for PSVR2 that helps to just put it on and you always have the sweet spot and is also much more comfortable than the out of the box strap. I get it. VR is not very user friendly, YET. But really, you miss a lot giving up on it. I am a gamer since the late 70s and play quite a lot to this day and was a game developer, too. For me VR changed everything. It is a completely next level experience. And in a few years it will be more comfortable, easier to use, all of that. But playing good VR games is such a blast. The quest 3 is much easier to use (no sweet spot needed because of different lenses. The Quest 3 has way worse graphics (it is a bit like nintendo switch compared to PS5 games) but still. For just having the VR experience as a novice it might be the better choice and that is hard to say for somebody like me who is almost a PlayStation fanboy. Don't give up on it. Maybe wait for 1 or 2 generations and try it again in a few years. If I lived in the UK I would come over and set it up for you like a cheap salesman while you called the police to get rid of me ;-)
I always thoroughly enjoy your long ramblings because I feel like you're talking to me. Well, you are, but you know what I mean. • Enthusiastic tone: "I've got something awful for my breakfast." *fall out laughter* • Your kitchen features your new cooker as well; very nice 👍🏻 I hope you didn't encounter installation problems akin to the refrigerator & door clearance. • I've recently watched a YouTube channel called 'Walk With Me Tim' and I've learned about UK seaside hotels, Pontins, Butlins, etc. and their arcades. I understand your exposure to lots of arcades now. It's fascinating to learn about holiday resorts in the UK that are still in operation. In the US, these sorts of resorts died off in the 70's as our idea of vacation changed, for whatever reason. Take the resort in the movie 'Dirty Dancing' as a prime example; the resort featured in the movie is extinct on our landscape. Tim also features foods - breakfasts and fish & chips. UK breakfast sausages look amazing compared to US miniscule ones, and I presume taste better. I was surprised that beans are included in the English breakfast. I'd pass on beans and get more hash browns. Do fish & chips typically include mushy peas? 😖 • I'm amused that you look out your kitchen window, see Nawty, and have to 'deal with it' by bringing out peanuts. I love it. • The Honda E is the type of car I imagined you should own. The 'powers that be' always discontinue the good stuff, don't they? What color did you get? I have never owned a car with heated seats/steering wheel, and by the time I arrive where I'm going the car is finally heated to comfort levels 😂. Heated seats/steering wheels aren't standard on any of the cars I can afford, but it would be very nice. • I've just ordered a custom t-shirt with the slogan 'Facebook: The Anus of the World' on it. I didn't, but that is brilliant. • Did you get die-cast models of the Aygo and the SUV? • Enjoy your relaxing time with your lady and recharge your batteries. After all, cars aren't the only thing that need power replenishment. I've run the gamut of nervous breakdowns and I need to start doing what I enjoy from now on. 😃 I'll close with some photos. My own winter wonderland from earlier in the month: https://ibb.co/XXGmxmM Notice that the Kia boxed in the white car because it can't breach the enormous snowdrift in the parking space behind it. 😋 And randomly - an extraneous historical item - my high school class of '97 photo. It demonstrates I am old and that I boggle at co-workers who were born in 2000. https://ibb.co/c3V5tfP Take care 🤍
I have watched ‘Walk with me Tim’ but i had to stop as the titles got a bit too click baity (Warren’s brother) for my liking - every one is ‘I was shocked’ ‘you wouldn’t believe…’ - he seems to be shocked more often than an electrician with the shakes. But that’s just me - I’ve also got to the point where if any video has the surprised face on the thumb - I click ‘don’t recommend channel’ - they might have had some good content, but there’s no coming back from that. I do recommend ‘Steve Marsh’ though - similar idea but much more my kind of watch. As for Mushy Peas - they’re usually an option and their appearance on a menu varies across the country. I couldn’t get models of those two cars - and that’s a sign, if a car doesn’t have a model then it’s not interesting enough to warrant one.
Love these oddcasts.,especially the long ones. Look forward to watching after work.
Ironically, your video might have sabotaged Adam's: I watched your Tefifon videos, but since I had satisfied my curiosity, I didn't bother watching Adam's. I imagine the Venn diagram covering Techmoan viewers and Tested viewers would have a substantial overlap, and that overlap probably skipped Adam's video too.
Same
Have Fiio contacted you to send over a review unit? They started advance sales today on their Aliexpress page.
No I suspect they know it’ll be in their best interests not to. You only give out review units if you’re think it is going to help sales.
No snowplows in the UK? Also, I notice that UK drivers often park on the wrong (right) side of the street. Is it really that common? In the US, that is never done-- here we drive on the right and park on the right.
No point as we get so little snow over the course of a year.
Nice choice of car. I was drooling over the Honda e in the Honda showroom a while ago. I can see why just an 80 mile range would be a deal breaker for many though.
The only people I know who buy things like those terrible breakfasts are single blokes who just want something cheap to fill them up and just don’t care.
I don’t think this one would fill them up. Perhaps it’s for lazy single people who don’t like food but also prefer to eat unhealthy and like having their oven on for the best part of an hour to warm the kitchen - very niche.
You can stick a lav mic into the Rode transmitter.
That’s exactly what I do when I’m wearing a shirt. In fact it comes with two in the box, which is why I can never understand why so many people prefer to stick the bulky transmitter box to a shirt.
Loved the car chat! Not a fan of Smarts (or electrics for that matter) but it's absolutely the right choice for you. I was surprised how techy the Honda E is - I had visions of a tarted up G-Wizz but it looks anything but.
The big difference between Cassette revival and Vinyl is that they never stopped making Turntables so I agree we won't see a new mechanism. I have a late 80's Aiwa deck and it plays and records fabulously, such a shame so many people get such an awful experience from modern decks.
The trend for SUV type vehicles is so awful and too many of the people in them struggle to drive them
SUV’s appeal to many people who in the past have struggled with driving. People who might have regularly bounced their cars up a kerb or have an increased chance of hitting things due to their lack of special awareness. The SUV tagline could be ‘ never mind if you’re a bit crap at driving - with an SUV you’ll be fine even if you ruin everyone else’s day’. The issue is that compared to their smaller older cars like a Corsa, Micra or Fiesta when people ‘upgrade’ to even the smallest SUVs they can’t see the edges as easily, the pillars and blind spots are wider, the car is wider and many of the drivers who used to scrape their Corsa through tiny gaps at inappropriate speeds without realising how close they were to having an accident - find out exactly how close they were when their new wider car collides with a row of parked cars.
I do enjoy the grim food section :)
I am from the UK but have lived in Finland for many years and really liked the street scenes in the snow. There is nothing more funny than watching brits cope with more than 1cm of snow! SUV's are good in the snow but only with the right tires and in the UK everyone has summer tires all year round. Here in Finland any car with winter tires would easily cope with what you showed in the video. The fact that three people could walk behind one car pushing it shows there is traction - if only the car had winter tires. Here when there is loose water on top of 10cm of ice you cannot even stand up but a car with studded tires will make it.
Since taking eight hours to get home 20 miles in the snow I bought and keep snow socks in my car. Luckily I haven't had to use them yet. On the same day a colleague who had Michelin Cross-Climate tyres on his RWD Mercedes reckoned he got home without problems by avoiding the main roads where everyone gets stuck.
techmoan upload on my birthday, best gift you could ask for