The Tech Thread

[Steve Justice 242]

I couldn't find an appropriate thread to ask or post about all things tech, so thought I'd start one. Point me in the right direction if such a thing already exists.

If not, then if you've got a general tech question or want to post/share something cool that is tech related, here be the place to do that.

My question though:

I'm wanting to connect my laptop up to my amp via optical cable, apropos achieving surround sound. My amp does not have a HDMI port so that's not an alternative option. I have limited knowledge on upgrading laptops, other than hard drives and ram, so I have no idea if the sound card can be changed. I have seen though that external sound cards are an option, but I'm seeing mixed reviews. Has anyone used these before? Do they work? Do they sound good? Any particular model you can recommend?

[TibBo 10]

What kind of amp is it matey?

[scratchdj 771]

2 hours ago, Steve Justice said:

apropos achieving surround sound

Arrows.

[Steve Justice 242]

3 hours ago, TibBo said:

What kind of amp is it matey?

I'm not sure if it's the exact model, but it looks practically identical to the Yamaha HTR 5830.

[Rey_Piste 433]

Maybe just get a 3.5mm headphone lead to go from the computer to the amp.https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B003PU0O3A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_yy2TCbXJ78KD7

[Steve Justice 242]

A headphone lead is stereo. It wouldn't carry surround sound. 

[Undefeated Steak 172]

Can somebody explain what's going on with Huawei? I've not followed what's going on at all. All I know is there's some problem between the US and China over it and it may stop Huawei being able to work with Google? 

I ask as I have a Huawei phone and I prefer it over any Apple/Samsung/Google phone I've had. 

If Huawei can no longer work with Google from China then they're essentially going to be useless without Android, right?

Ta. 

[scratchdj 771]

@Undefeated Steak Huawei produce a lot of hardware used in wireless infrastructure. Included in that are integral components of our own 5G network, as well as in other countries. As there is common belief that given China’s government breathe heavily on some of their biggest firms, there’s reasonable concern that by including Huawei hardware in a country’s mobile infrastructure, it massively puts national security at risk as basically, the Chinese government aren’t trusted.

Trump has made it so America companies are no longer allowed to trade/do deals with Huawei as they have done before. This means Google are no longer allowed to provide Huawei a license to further-develop and distribute devices running the core of Android. It also means that they are not allowed to make use of key Google IP, such as the Play Store, Google Photos and Maps.

Huawei have been known to be developing their own mobile OS for a while and are playing this all down as they say their own OS will be ready this year.

For owners, it means your devices are likely to stop receiving updates after a certain while. Anybody buying a new Huawei device is likely to be using a new mobile OS that isn’t Android as you know it. 

The big problem here is that it’s unlikely (or at least not in the short term) that app developers will jump to support 3 OSs rather than the current big 2. The other concern, for me, would be that anyone with a brand new Huawei phone will be running a very infant OS that, by the nature of software, is likely to be more buggy and security flawed than an established OS like Android or iOS. 

Owners will also need to decide if they’re happy running software that is fully controlled by a company believed by western governments to be controlling beyond where is considered right or ethical.

Edited May 25 by scratchdj

[Undefeated Steak 172]

Ah that's a brilliant explanation @scratchdj- thank you. Speaking of 3 OS's, I had a phone a few years ago that ran on MS/Windows and while the OS seemed pleasantly unique, I remember there were barely any apps available. 

[Rossman 27]

The part I don't get is that Huawei have been making 3G/4G wireless dongles and such like for other companies for years. If they wanted to spy on anyone, they would have done it a long time ago.

The cynic in me thinks it's more to do with Huawei now outselling Apple in the mobile phone market. People are waking up to how overpriced they are, when you can buy a Huawei P20 or P30 Pro or Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 with more features at a lesser cost.

[johnnyboy 855]

55 minutes ago, Rossman said:

The part I don't get is that Huawei have been making 3G/4G wireless dongles and such like for other companies for years. If they wanted to spy on anyone, they would have done it a long time ago.

The end-user has a choice as to the device they use.  If that's baked into the core of the infrastructure there's no chance to work around that.

The Americans know what they do with regard to backdoors.

https://www.pcworld.com/article/3005709/how-cisco-is-trying-to-keep-nsa-spies-out-of-its-gear.html

They don't want anyone else getting a leg up and putting it in at source.

 

The cynic in me thinks it's more to do with Huawei now outselling Apple in the mobile phone market. People are waking up to how overpriced they are, when you can buy a Huawei P20 or P30 Pro.

Affecting handsets is merely a byproduct.  Most phones are still going to be made in China, just under American marques.  There are export restrictions under the guise of national security on tons of infrastructure equipment.  I'm forever having to guarantee that I won't pass encryption aware network switch images to North Korea.

The Huawei P20 Pro is the most disappointing phone, compared to cost, that I have ever owned.  Far too many annoying niggles for a flagship.  I'd be highly unlikely to ever buy another Huawei mobile regardless.

[mim731 664]

So just to clarify, provided I don't care about possible spying ramifications, my existing Huawei phone will still work on Android for the foreseeable? It's just future models that will be an issue? I quite like my current phone, so I don't want to have to get a new one any time soon. 

[johnnyboy 855]

6 minutes ago, mim731 said:

So just to clarify, provided I don't care about possible spying ramifications, my existing Huawei phone will still work on Android for the foreseeable? It's just future models that will be an issue?

Yes to both.

Due to the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) there's no reason why Huawei won't be able to release patches for existing stuff, but what they won't be getting until the situation changes is access to new versions of Android.  E.g. you might receive the security update for Android 9 on your phone, but unlikely you'll get to install Android 10 as an upgrade.

Edit:  Although there is specualtion that Huawei's access to AOSP could come under threat at some point.

Edited May 25 by johnnyboy

[Wretch 277]

Why is my internet fine on the virgin box, laptop and TV but shite on other devices? I can stream stuff just fine on all them but on my phone and girlfriends iPad it's shocking. Current speed on the phone . . . . 

 

 

[BigJag 101]

Which of those devices are connected via Wi-Fi. Which are connected via Ethernet? Are you using Virgins rather poor wireless hub?