Category Archives: gadgets

sound recycling

06 Thursday Nov 2025

Posted by in computers, gadgets, music, technology

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,


So anyhow… back in January 2023 I somehow ended up with a “free” LG soundbar and woofer (Movistar client gift thing) and dutifully set it all up when it arrived (omg it made IKEA beds seem like a walk in the park in comparison) and once everything was connected I turned on the TV and, well yes, everything was much louder than before, and also way more boomier. In theory it was supposed to enhance my listening pleasure while watching television. But after a couple of months I ended up disconnecting it and went back to the TV speakers (which are just fine). I dunno, it just felt like TOO MUCH SOUND for just watching TV, you know?

And then today I was on (in?) a zoom meeting with my Gastro Guías and suddenly I couldn’t hear anything. Later the sound came back but it was all crackly. I thought it was the connection with the chat but later on when I put on some music it was still crackly. Well fuck. My lovely Galga is just over a year old and so, in theory, still on warranty. But the thought of having to deal with all that – taking her in, being computerless for god knows how long, etc – made me think of my poor rejected and neglected soundbar. 

I did actually try listening to my music connected to the soundbar and woofer when I first set everything up, but the TV setup is at the other end of the long space that is both living room and office and so it felt like the sound was filling up the whole house, not just my workspace. But today I thought… well what if I move the soundbar over to my desk? Duh. 

Can I tell you? I am so happy right now. Turns out the soundbar is the exact length of my desk, so it fits perfectly behind my laptop box (which elevates the screen to eye-level) like it was always supposed to be there. Takes up no extra space at all. And the sound! So much richer, deeper, fuller… but also easy to keep to myself in my little personal corner of the house. 

new stick blender!

11 Wednesday Jun 2025

Posted by in cooking, gadgets, sevilla

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

My trusty old Braun stick blender suddenly died while making alioli a couple of days ago… fuck. I looked back through the blog to see when I first bought it and, as it isn’t here, I can only assume it was purchased pre 2006. Otherwise everyone would have heard about it! 😃

Anyhoodle, a quick trip to El Corte Inglés this morning ended up with this purchase and it’ll be fine. Doesn’t have quite all the accessories as the other one but this will do and it was only 45€ (on sale). It’s weird how whenever I purchase anything new these days I always think this will be the last time I have to do this.

new printer 2024

21 Thursday Nov 2024

Posted by in gadgets, internet, retail therapy, sevilla, work

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, ,

printer 2024

I guess I got off easy as my previous printer lasted more than 11 years (!) and apparently the usual lifespan for a home desktop printer is 3-5 years (which clocks with others I’ve had before). Well okay, I say it lasted 11 years, but truth is it’s been printing like crap for ages.  What pushed me to look for a new one was that I needed to buy ink again and I saw that, for just 5 euros more, I could get a whole new printer! Not kidding. Also this model takes ink cartridges that cost half of what I used to pay AND it’s Black Friday Week (don’t ask) so it was 30% off. Truth is, I don’t use a printer a lot anymore, but when I need it then I really need it so it’s not a frivolous purchase. Unlike pepper mills, but that’s a whole other story. Stay tuned…

seriously duh

26 Monday Aug 2024

Posted by in gadgets, internet

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, ,

movistar

Most of the time I’ve lived here I’ve used Telefonica/Movistar as my phone and internet provider. The few times I’ve jumped ship and fallen for a cheaper offer by another provider has always ended in disappointment. One of the things I like about Movistar is their customer service. So when I suddenly stopped getting regular tv reception (the apps still worked) I got in touch. Well not exactly, at first I kept unplugging, rebooting, etc the little tv modem (there’s also a larger modem for everything else that’s working fine). They have separate remote controls. So there I was thinking that I’d have to get the little modem replaced and then I remembered I could just call them!

Well, I waited fifteen minutes to to talk to a técnico while listening to the most annoying background music ever interspersed with constant reminders that my call was important, etc etc. But I wasn’t going to give up. I just kept the phone on speaker beside me while I worked on other stuff. Then suddenly a human voice!

I explained the problem. No tv reception for over a week, the little modem turns on but then immediately shuts off, everything else is working fine. The very nice (and as it turned out very patient!) lady asked me to do this and that while she checked things on her end. Then she turned my tv on remotely! And there was the regular tv service but I still couldn’t do anything with it, change channels, etc. So she tested a couple of other things and in the end… turned out it was DEAD BATTERIES IN THE REMOTE CONTROL.

This whole time I had her on speaker as I tried everything she suggested, she even waited while I changed the batteries. Still nothing. THEN I remembered I had a fresh packet of batteries and said I would try again. Again she waited. Success! And omg I felt like such an idiot. To her credit when she asked me if there was anything else she could help me with today I didn’t detect even a smidgen of sarcasm in her voice. Then she said I would receive an email asking to rate the “experience” and said it would mean a lot if I could respond. Still waiting for the email and she is going to get the best rating possible.

Now I know why it took 15 minutes to get through to a técnico… it’s because idiots like me are calling in and wasting everybody’s time.

it’s here!

05 Thursday Jan 2023

Posted by in casa azahar, gadgets, sevilla

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

,

soundbar (1)

So THE SOUNDBAR arrived much sooner than I thought it would and at first I thought this was a good thing. Ha. What it meant was I lost an entire afternoon setting the fucker up. Initially I thought I’d take a quick glance at it, then looked over the instructions, realised I had NO IDEA how this worked. First instruction was “plug the soundbar into an HDMI ARC port”. Like, with what? It didn’t come with an HDMI cord. And yeah, I could have put it aside for another moment but I’d already unboxed the thing and somehow couldn’t leave it uninstalled. I get like that.
Continue reading →