Project StrikeForce: Exodus by Kevin Lee Swaim
Stories To Make You Smile: The Reading Agency by Fanny Blake
Forgotten Emperor: The Complete Campaigns by Paul Bannister
Ready Player One by Ernest ClineToday I deleted my account on Viewbug.com
It's a shame really, I like their site and their proposal but since joining around 6 weeks ago I have been bombarded with advertising, continually told there is a time limited special offer (which is the same special offer as everyone gets all the time) and had feedback from people who patently don't exist (accounts with profile pictures on a photography site where no photos are loaded, who does that, bots that's who).
It's just become tedious, along with every review complaining that competion prizes don't happen and it just seems like one big scam.
So given up having received another email with non working hyperlinks and the latest identical special offer.
Second test ride of the Swytch today.
I started with a plan to ride to the top of the Downs and take some photos, it was definitely going to be cold (approx 2 hours later the car said -2.5c) but was also misty.
A new plan was called for, I would do my "normal" 10 mile loop :
mostly flat with a couple of hills, all road, at my middle aged fat bloke pace I'm looking at around just under an hour. I should be able to do it quicker but generally I'm out for a ride, I get some puffing going, I get some sweat going and I listen to some podcasts.
My revised plan was to do the loop all on power level 1, with the plan to do another day on power level 5 to see what difference is makes.
I'm beginning to wonder why I try to make a plan, a close to the 2 miles from home mark there is a short sharp hill, it takes a couple of gear changes and a bit of effort and it's done but today all I could feel was the drag of the front wheel.
Onto the next section which is a slight uphill and I was finding it just as much effort as normal. I checked which gear I was in and no different to normal and no little red light on the sensor so I pulled over to take a look at what was what.
Sure enough the sensor has moved, so realigned as best I could, changed to power level 5 to get more obvious effect and really the rest of the route was a demonstration of how this should not work. It is quite clear that I'm not getting enough assist and the problem is misalignment of the sensor / disk meaning that I am getting a response about half the time which explains the pulsing effect I was feeling yesterday.
Almost back home and one the flat and I get a notable vibration which lasted perhaps 20 seconds and went away - that was definitely just random vibration.
Back and home and warmed up again and checked the settings on the power pack.
1) The wheel size was set to 26" not 28, changed that
2) Top speed is set as expected, so have increase that to see what happens - if anyone can help here I'm stumped because the setting only moves 1 step, almost like there is a further restriction in place.
3) Power level is set as default @ 80%.
Then there is the PAS sensor, the sensor itself has lost its stick and the replacement stickies are much thicker than the original so unusable and the cable ties don't have enough strength to hold it in place and the sensor disk is both not flat out of the box and after 1 rid mis-aligned horizontally and vertically.
What I have now done is to use one of the disk inserts to fit around the sloped part on the inside of my pedal, it doesn't fit as such but appears to be much more solid.
I have replaced the provided cable ties with bigger ones for the sensor so I can get some good tension.
Finally, I have tested just up our road and looks like might be on for better things whilst using a teenager to test the throttle shows it does work but the issue is me :-0
I thought I would start making some notes about Luminar AI which is a new photo editting product from Skylum software.
They have a number of previous products including Photo Lemur which has an automated workflow to enhance pictures and Aurora HDR for HDR enhancements.
Their previous mainstream product is Luminar (currently version 4) which aims at more traditionally editting but making things easier for normal people to use.
Luminar AI promises to use artificial intelligence to suggets templates which are enhancements similar to looks in Luminar and Presets in Lightroom.
Does the product work?
Well it doesn't work with much else running, I quite often use Lightroom at the same time as World of Tanks and other software but Luminar AI just crashes if a game is loaded.
Standalone it will run but its catalog is basic, it's just a list and doesn't approach Lightroom for provision of digital asset management, it's essentially just a browser, so no geo-tagging, no keywording, no collections for export.
My initial experiences with Luminar AI have been disappointing, standalone the AI templates are definitely A and not very I. Combined with a lack of DAM capability I was all set to invoke my right to request a refund as many customers have already done - a lot of hype to deliver something that is merely ok.
However, I have chosen to perservere, in some cases I have had a positive response from the vendor where I have had issues although there is still a clear absence of a roadmap to convince anyone it is going to get better.
One of the issues I have had resolved though is use with Lightroom as a plug-in. AI does not work like other plug-ins, you have to Export not Edit which is odd but once that option is discovered it does work and unlike Editted pictures the output is not then returned to the collection you were it although the picture is uploaded to Lightroom and can be manually added.
Is Luminar AI worth the effort?
Yes, I have paid for it and what I have found is that using the templates to experiment is worthwhile. Unfortunately, there is no preview capability (which given the AI must be doing something why is that information not available?) so you have to apply a template and once chosen go to Edit and make sure all the other attempts are removed, workflow does not appear to have been considered and another issue I have raised that has not had a response. What I have found though is that the templates provide ideas, some I have found I then cannot replicate in Lightroom so have used the AI output but most just highlight that I can tweak the picture back in Lightroom which means the product is adding value but not necessarily for the reasons Skylum thought it would.
Fed up of negative comment I have will have a very brief and amateur review of my new soundbar for my PC, this is from Amazon and is such a quality item that is was tough to find the brand name (Aisung, yes that well know brand).
What is it :
Yes a basic sound bar.
I have been trying to organise my desktop to reduce clutter and that evolved into putting my speakers behind the monitor and that was an unsatisfactory solution both due to the space taken and access to the buttons.
So I purchased the above for £24.99 and also these black metal shelves :
They were £22.99 so as expensive as the speaker but I can repeat the design for our other workstation and keep to a theme in the room.
I have mounted the shelf under my 27" monitor, the shelf is about two thirds of the width of the monitor and the speaker is roughly an inch short on either side and not as deep (even with the poorly position and sticking out USB cable at the back) so gives a little room for the remote control and a couple of pens.
Sound is excellent for something so cheap, it's not hi fi but certainly better than previous speakers I have had and is ideal when connected to my PC using the 3.5mm audio jack.
It also has a USB input, that can be used to power the device and the connection from the PC but my PC has a USB grounding problem so makes an awful din but it does work, I have it plugged directly into a USB block for power and it seems to be fine with the lowest power block I can find (I don't recall what it was but as with most people I've accumulated a pile of USB plugs and I picked the one with the lowest numbers and it works just fine).
It does support a bluetooth connection, it is either or for the connection options but it connection with no issues, colleagues on webex meetings have told me it sounds like I am in bucket but that is fine because I am able to tell people that I am upending my bucket, sitting on it to watch the office burn as the next poorly planned activity kicks off.
Any problems? Yes as the volume rises, just like most, particularly cheap devices, the hum grows, when the PC is in use it is inaudible but when the room is empty it is quite noticeable.
The only other issue is that it has purest chinglish audio confirmations, So when I turn it on using "line in mode", the usual 3.5mm jack connection, it announces "lie in mode" and I am quite disappointed that I don't then get a lie in. Actually it's still amusing me a month into ownership.
Pleased wed with my purchase and it has also enabled me to buy shelves to sit on the monitor, two of these :
to sit either side of the webcam which means even less junk cluttering up my desk, £12.99 for the pair and they are stable (one has a small whiskey decanter and glass on it).
I would rather this blog does not just become a big list of moans and groans and I am feeling thoroughly defeated by such a poor experience at the hands of Indiegogo and Huami.
Unfortunately, the news is that over on Kickstarter I am on the brink of going round the same loop with the Swytch e-bike conversion kit and again there are lots of people in the same boat.
However, I'm keeping that one quiet because they might pull something out the bag and I have a promise of delivery by Xmas, actually that's untrue, they suggested Christmas, a bit like they stated October and then December and then January or maybe February but actually it will be Christmas, no it might be after and now it's possible late January. Got that?
I am still awaiting a full refund for the Amazfit X that is being sold by Huami inspite of known problems and the "testers" who backed it on Indiegogo repeatedly flagging issues.
The software is simply not moving forwards, the GPS does not work and the battery life is poor.
I've pretty much given up hope and it's wasted money and Indiegogo's attitude leaves no recourse and a guarantee I won't be using either vendor again.
I posted on the indiegogo site about my unsatisfactory experience and did get a reply back (maybe they just reply to 1 in 10 posts and I got picked) that I can raise my issues via the support link, blah blah, same answer as ever.
I have responded that it is time they actually responded and resolved issues rather than keep asking people to raise tickets....which aren't tickets, they are emails into the void because the support site they advertise is an email address where they just often do not often bother to read it seems.
It is now over two months since I received the watch and the only material change I have seen is battery life got worse.
Indiegogo were quite clear that they would not step in and provide any support and besides new products are expected to have issues and the vendor must either provide the perks listed, provide a refund, provide a coherent way forwards or offer an alternative, none of which have happened.
2 months on and Huami have demonstrated utter disdain for their customers and an inability to move forwards and Indiegogo have demonstrated that they just want their cut and please stop bothering us.
My suspicion is, given the issues I am hearing about through other sites with Huami's other products that they do have a core product problem around GPS and I imagine that either the business has gone belly up and the we've not seen the extremities die yet or maybe it is just cynical marketing, produce a product, fire it out there, reap the rewards, ignore issues, produce a product, fire it out there <repeat>.
Ok, so I relented, the atrocious notification handling on the Amazfit default software drove me to distraction so Notify & Fitness was installed and now I have the schedule and the notifications and it's not too bad.
One loss is that the Weather panel is painfully slow to update, most times it is missing detail unless you sit there staring at it for about 30 seconds, then it updates & I have fed that back but obviously I don't expect to get any response as Huami just don't improve things as best I can tell.
I have been offered another replacement, it seems refund is not an option and I've been offered a 100-200USD voucher on Aliexpress to compensate for the postage....but when attempting to use the voucher it seems like perhaps a 10% discount on a 100-200USD purchase but given the product I already have doesn't work I don't feel inclined to add to my woes.
Anyway, so far my experience is that the watch gps is terrible but if I had no other option it at least puts me in the right county (we live close to a county border but luckily for that statement not too close) but does produce something akin to what happened. Not really useful on a day to day basis but Notify and fitness allows me to use the phone gps so manageable & I will move the workouts option down the list, not going to use it much and essentially the watch has become a really expensive fitness band.
What is interesting is that there appears to be no forward progress so to review the issues I had before the watch was returned for the first time :
Amazfit / Zepp Issues :
Amazfit & Zepp Issues no longer relevant because Notify & Fitness works - it is interesting how a little diligence appears to go a long way :
Yesterday afternoon I received my replacement watch, it's battery was on 0% charge so I had to wait.
Fully charged at 3pm which on the 19th November which I can use as my "how long does the battery last line".
I have installed Zepp again but this time I am on a different phone, everything is new so I can rule out if any issues were related to my old phone (which did have flakey bluetooth for certain).
I am not seeing any notable improvements in Zepp since my last use and on the watch I see no new watches faces which is a shame, the schedule still doesn't connect to any standard calendar software and the notifications from applications receiving messages close together is still unusual (what good is a count, show me the messages). This time while I decide if the watch is viable I am sticking with just Zepp, the time and effort required to get Notify & Fitness working in a sensible manner is too much hassle - it's great when you get there but I'll wait.
This morning I set up a work out for the morning dog walk, approx 1 mile in a circle...I already know that there are 3 issues to consider from my last Amazfit X :
1) The GPS doesn't get a lock (especially when the device is worn) & when it does it doesn't last
2) When GPS is working the route reported is only loosely based on reality
3) Zepp's software representation further smooths the route like an over aggressive compression algorithm (I know this because in Notfiy & Fitness that same data is represented in more detail).
So first walk......
1) GPS got a lock within 2 minutes, while that is slow it did get there and when I checked about a minute later it was still there, I then forgot to check again.
2) The route, oh the route, foolishly I choose to strap my watch to my tame squirrel for the walk and he visited the pub some 100 metres away from where I went and was dashing around to the side of where I went as we walked, wait, oh yes, if I zoom out from a google maps level view to google earth level view the route does represent where I went, for any sort of fitness tracking or recording of where I went it is useless still and yet even with all the extra bits it added it was reported as under a mile, not a million miles out but not the sort of accuracy we would expect from a positioning system.
I have reported this back on my ticket and on the feedback in the App because it is simply untenable as a solution.
The is still confusion between the Amazfit & Zepp apps and something triggers an alarm sometimes (I have heard it twice now when out cycling with friends, absolutely no idea what the trigger is but by the time stop & unlock the phone it is gone with no signs of any issue).
Amazfit / Zepp Issues :
Amazfit & Zepp Issues no longer relevant because Notify & Fitness works - it is interesting how a little diligence appears to go a long way :
26 days in.
Huami have now responded with an update saying that my issues cannot be resolved and that the watch needs returning "for further investigation". My suspicion is that they simply don't know, I think every issue I am seeing has been reported by others and it still seems a mixed bag on which delivery gives a good result.
I have heard that Huami charge for returns which is disappointing but I have invited that they send me a replacement with reply paid packaging, refund or just reply paid document I can print.
I do have concerns regarding how long the return will take to turnaround and how much I will get messed about, after all it seems that Huami are struggling to deliver existing orders and they have not yet managed to sell the entire list of perks on the campaign which I think is a shame, the concept and product should be good if the manufacturing issues can be resolved promptly - I'm not sure what problem Huami have, I guess they must be using a different facility to normal due to the curved glass screen because their other products don't seem to have such a high proportion of failures.
Anyway, I thought that I would rehash my list of issues to just have the Amazfit list for a reference point to summarise everything I have outstanding.
I will start by flagging that the Notify & Fitness for Amazfit app is excellent, of all the things it does it allows use of the phone GPS which means exercise can get tracked, unfortunately it does not handle goals that are not simply steps but it more than makes up for that by really top notch notification handling and pulling in Google Calendar which actually pops the reminder up too so not just a static list which I am really impressed with because it works so smoothly (but reminds me to tidy the dumping group of my calendar). I really hope that Amazfit learn from this guy - I don't want to be disloyal to him and don't begrudge the money I have handed him even though I am about to lose the watch possibly to never see it again but Zepp could be so much better, just pay the man and buy his product and integrate it all together neatly - that really is a win for everyone.
Today I had a response from that looks a bit "hmm, yeah your worry not ours" :
I am sorry to hear that you didn’t receive a response from this campaigner, and I understand your frustration around this situation.
Indiegogo values crowdfunding as a collaborative, community-driven endeavor. At the heart of any successful collaboration is open communication. This is why we ask campaigners to stay in regular contact with their backers, and provide updates on the status of their project and perks.
As with any early-stage project, crowdfunding campaigns may take unexpected turns, which can include changes, delays or unforeseen challenges. While your contribution helps to bring something new closer to reality, there is always the risk that a project may end up falling through, and that the campaign owner may not be able to deliver the perks they'd originally offered.
However, our minimum expectation is that a campaigner is transparent to contributors about the status of their project by posting updates to their campaign. We will be reaching out to them directly to urge them to post an update. While we can’t force them to post an update, if they continue to remain unresponsive, you can use our Terms of Use to take legal action against the campaigner.
Whenever a campaign fails to meet backer expectations, we share in the disappointment of the community. However, we will continue to focus on building better tools and sharing best practices to foster open communication and transparency.
We value your feedback and thank you for your understanding.
However, I have also had a response from Amazfit today stating :
"
Our developers have checked the feedback you sent. We regret to tell you that your watch issue can't be fixed online and it should be returned for further tests.
"
Perhaps progress, what we already know is that this means it will disappear for an unknown period of time and then be returned mysteriously fixed, I'm suspecting they will argue about postage and it will be a year from when the campaign started until I have a working device.
GPS is still rubbish.
There was an update but it is still rubbish.
It does usually connect but not instantly and not indoors, if I wanted to start a workout and wait approx 3-5 minutes, outside, before starting and manage to make sure my jacket / jumper does not touch the watch face during that time we're good to go. I have attempted to explain to our dog that, yes, we have left the building but no we can't start yet but she just doesn't get it.
When it does decide to track it is a cross between Father Christmas, because of the number of roofs and gardens it crosses and the occasional magical leap between houses, and a squirrel, remember how that squirrel dashed backwards and forwards in front of your car before finally leaping under your tyres, yes that, it seems every time I go for a walk I madly dash backwards and forward in an area for no apparent reason. Personally, I have no recollection of doing so but I have a craving for nuts.
Also worth mentioning that we have been repeatedly informed the China has closed for the first 8 days of October and that is why this international business has ceased to respond. This has the same sincerity as "your call is important to us".
I have installed Notify & Fitness for Amazfit which had a preview as Notify & Fitness for Zepp but updated and settled on the older branding, makes no odds. I am a long time user of Notify & Fitness for Mi band and promptly paid (yes paid) the charges for the pro version and the sync to 3rd party apps capability, total of £5 but the app is so much better than Zepp.
Does N&F have downsides, yes, the interface is chaotic at best and support is patchy / pot luck (says he having spent 3 weeks trying to get any response from Huami, an international company).
It also does not yet support the stress or sp02 monitoring on the band and also does not have the capability of goals that can flex day by day between steps & calories which is a shame because calories goals mean things like bike rides count.
I still need Zepp while I am awaiting Huami to make the device usable and something in the process is causing early morning vibrations and I'm not sure what.
Amazfit / Zepp Issues :
Amazfit & Zepp Issues no longer relevant because Notify & Fitness works - it is interesting how a little diligence appears to go a long way :
Thanks for writing in, and I’m sorry for the frustrating experience.
Regards,
Donnie
Trust and User Operations
________________________________________________________________________________________
Thank you for the response Donnie,
Request for help & support on the Indiegogo site today :
" Hi,
I wonder if you are aware of the continuing issues with the Amazfit X campaign? https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/amazfit-x-curved-smartwatch-bow-to-the-future/x/23535571#/
Clearly we are aware there are risks with any campaign but a campaign being run by an industry leader in a given sector which only offers a manufacturing change not a technological step up looks to all intents an purposes to be customers funding a new product rather than the manufacturer taking any risks.
So I've taken the risk and backed the campaign and now we have problems.
I don't think that the problems are insurmountable, it looks to me that the vast majority are likely to fall into two camps, firstly problems with delivery (which I personally have not suffered, indeed I received my product a week before I was told it was out for delivery :-)) and secondly is software, from which I can only hope my problems are a result of (my key issues is the GPS for workouts does not work 80% of the time and when it does it is exceptionally poor in direct comparison with a product that cost around 20% of the campaign price).
I probably am not stating anything of concern for yourselves at this point and what I wanted to do was raise the issue because the campaign is getting significant negativity and I don't imagine that if the process cannot be trusted for an industry leader on an industry leading start up site that will encourage people to get involved. I've already seen one public article https://www.notebookcheck.net/The-Amazfit-X-gets-a-final-release-announcement-amid-a-deluge-of-dissatisfaction-from-its-Indiegogo-backers.496249.0.html and seen various forums with a growing degree of concern.
For balance, it is not all negative because some people are happy and are having a good experience but I might suggest that is more concerning and one comment has suggested the manufacturing facilities are having quality issues producing variable output, which might explain the issues.
Whilst I am sure that will be "real issues" eg personally I am concerned that the GPS is just plain broken on my device and I am sure some shipping issues can occur, I do not believe that the problems generally cannot be resolved and I think the key issue here is that Huami are not communicating very well and providing what appears to be an honest and realistic statement. They have admitted that their support is overwhelmed but to have a clue as to when action will be taken would be very desirable. In addition given the poor experience I know there are contributors who are asking for a refund and getting a flat no (which is a shame as Huami's warranty policy is pretty clear, they will refund, replace or repair not just say "no") and already people are contacting their credit card providers seeking refunds (the product supplied I have in my hand, not on my wrist notably, does not meet the battery life claim and is currently barely over 50% of expected and given the GPS situation is simply not fit for the purposes it has been described).
It would be much appreciated if you would be able to make contact with Huami to see if they can be encouraged to be more forthcoming, personally I am at my wits end with this having spent good money and 3 weeks after delivery have only experienced worsening battery life following firmware updates but no visible improvements in function.
Thanks"
well, GPS has operated in fits and starts and sometimes vaguely represents where I actually went, quality is no where near what my Mi Band 3 and Notify & Fitness App achieve.
Today a new article appeared on Note Book Check and I appear to have made the first comment and attempted to be quite balanced especially as there was a new update today and it appears to have done 2 separate updates on the watch and took a while.
I have found one new function relating to sleep analysis but other than that no idea what fixes or new features are in there but given I had a response from support today and they didnt say anything I hold out little hope for getting GPS fixed.
