<wolfspraul>
how are electronic products typically sold in Australia? all power supplies have this native plug right away? or they have a US plug and then some adapter?
<wolfspraul>
or do some of your power sockets now support US or EU plugs as well?
<wolfspraul>
I'm asking because I am currently working on the power supplies for our upcoming run
<sqgl>
No adapter.
<sqgl>
all power supplies have this native plug right away
<sqgl>
But a US plug can be twisted with pliers and it fits.
<sqgl>
I think all devices now need an earth pin like in that picture.
<sqgl>
There used to be devices without the earth pin.
<sqgl>
Sometimes I saw off the earth pin to prevent hoise.
<sqgl>
Sometimes I saw off the earth pin to prevent noise.
<wolfspraul>
your sockets only accept the native Australia plug?
<sqgl>
Yes
<wolfspraul>
here in China most sockets are built in such a way that you can plug almost anything in :-)
<sqgl>
All of the sockets in every house
<sqgl>
hehe
<wolfspraul>
ok got it
<sqgl>
yes, some good sockets in Thailand are like that also.
<sqgl>
You can use what we call a kettle cord
<sqgl>
which is a detachable cord for a kettle (like you use to boil water)
<sqgl>
It is also usually the kind of cord/plug used for CRT monitors.
<sqgl>
but it is maybe too large for the box.
<sqgl>
If you have this socket on the box
<sqgl>
then this cord is very easy to find.
<sqgl>
All geeks have a spare one lying around.
<sqgl>
Most consumers throw them out with there old broken goods.
<sqgl>
They are ignorant.
<sqgl>
They don't know that it is a passive device.
<sqgl>
And people are wasteful here. It makes me sad.
<wolfspraul>
don't you think C5 or C7 are more common?
<xiangfu`>
wolfspraul: I found we don't have a mailing list for ender users.
<sqgl>
C15 definitely more common
<xiangfu`>
the Description, is 'Milkymist One, Milkymist SoC and Flickernoise developers' list'
<sqgl>
C7 is now obsolete because of the new law that everything must have an earth pin
<wolfspraul>
I'm not sure end users would even want mailing lists nowadays
<sqgl>
(I think it is law. I can check if you like)
<wolfspraul>
C5 and C7 both have earthin pins, as per the table a bit higher on that page
<sqgl>
C5 was only used by Compaq about 10 years ago.
<sqgl>
Used to cost $50 !!!!!!
<sqgl>
Now My Acer uses it.
<sqgl>
But I have not seen it on non laptop power supplies here.
<wolfspraul>
maybe that's a mistake in that table? don't quite understand
<wolfspraul>
C7 seems to have only 2 pins
<sqgl>
C5 has earth pin
<sqgl>
C7 has not
<wolfspraul>
then the table at the top is wrong
<wolfspraul>
it's a wiki, should we correct it? :-)
<sqgl>
I will change it.
<wolfspraul>
ok, but then I still think C5 is more common than C15, but you don't think so
<sqgl>
Then I can take the blame :)
<sqgl>
Not in Australia.
<sqgl>
C5 is very recent here.
<sqgl>
But I don't buy many consumer goods.
<sqgl>
I will ask my friends.
<wolfspraul>
and C15 is the kitchen thing for stuff that gets hot, the computer one is C13
<xiangfu`>
wolfspraul: in my kitchen is all C13.
<wolfspraul>
yes please ask and just post here, whether I'm online or not. I check the backlog.
<xiangfu`>
C5 is used in recently IBM thinkpad
<wolfspraul>
sqgl: ahh, another very important thing for us... do you have any ideas of cool retail stores or small chains in Australia that could carry the m1?
<wolfspraul>
we think we may only have a chance to generate some sales if a store can setup a demo unit and let it run, and let people play with a remote control to iterate over patches etc.
<wolfspraul>
would need to be the right environment, maybe a music store or so
<sqgl>
cool stores
<sqgl>
Let me think
<sqgl>
By the way C7 definitely has no earth pin.
<sqgl>
Have change Wiki
<sqgl>
Have changed Wiki
<sqgl>
There are two big retail outlets here in Australia:
<sqgl>
Dick Smith, Jaycar
<sqgl>
Jaycar is more geeky
<sqgl>
Dick Smith has become more consumer electronics.
<sqgl>
I don't know any people who work for them (cannot help you).
<sqgl>
So user would control it via an iPhone/iPod/iPad?
<sqgl>
Apple products are a little bit too expensive to dedicate to demo use.
<sqgl>
And customers may steal it.
<wolfspraul>
can control with a 1 USD rc-5 remote control
<wolfspraul>
I'm not looking for big stores, maybe smaller ones that get the product and are willing to setup a demo
<wolfspraul>
needs to be someone who really likes it, because we have few data to promise great sales now
<wolfspraul>
zero data actually :-)
<wolfspraul>
it's more like "set this up and _maybe_ your customers will like it"
<wolfspraul>
retail is so competitive nowadays that most larger chains will not be interested in this type of experiment
<sqgl>
Yes big chains are like that
<sqgl>
But the Jaycar chains are very geeky
<wolfspraul>
where do musicians or djs go to buy stuff?
<wolfspraul>
but has a few buttons, I think 1 button is extreme
<wolfspraul>
need to ask Sebastien what he thinks the ideal number of buttons on a milkyst one remote control should be
<sqgl>
Visikord demo video is kind of interesting.
<sqgl>
It is just wo triggers, right?
<sqgl>
It is just two triggers, right?
<sqgl>
Most of the work there is done in pre sequencing the FX
<wolfspraul>
I don't know much about visikord
<sqgl>
Wow, JMJ is a childhood her of mine that inspired me to get into music
<sqgl>
but the music in that video is cheeeeeeesy
<wolfspraul>
sebastien spoke with the guy a few times. I think it's a system built out of several components, and I don't think it's actually on sale.
<wolfspraul>
but he definitely has some good ideas and maybe m1 can be marketed in that direction
<wolfspraul>
sebastien probably thought the most about it, he's not online right now I think
<sqgl>
In direct competition?
<sqgl>
You have potential for something more sophisticated as far as I can tell
<sqgl>
But more sophisticated does not mean more sales
<sqgl>
I think Visikord has the right idea.
<sqgl>
but there must be similar apps for Wii now
<sqgl>
Nobody doing interesting work here combining VJ with live video performance.
<sqgl>
I am it I think.
<sqgl>
And now I know why.
<sqgl>
Because the technical side is so complicated.
<wolfspraul>
don't know about competition
<sqgl>
Nobody else is mad enough.
<wolfspraul>
I never spoke to the visikord.com guy
<wolfspraul>
I don't know what he sees as competition or not
<wolfspraul>
that's just 1 guy, and I don't think anything is selling
<wolfspraul>
maybe m1 can actually help him, and he can market a set around m1? I don't know
<wolfspraul>
I am focusing on m1, because I manufacture that thing
<sqgl>
They probably thought of it and thought... no, not yet, let's wait until there are purpose built gadgets... like yours!
<wolfspraul>
I for sure don't see visikord as competition, no matter what he does :-)
<sqgl>
I have not made a video lately.
<wolfspraul>
that's because the potential market is huge, and what we really compete on is marketing smarts, strength of sales/distributor network, even financing (if it gets into retail)
<sqgl>
but I am not happy because I did not have the audio/video mappings calibrated well.
<sqgl>
So you cannot really associate the dj'ing with the vj'ing
<sqgl>
Even though that is supposed to be the point.
<sqgl>
Eery DJ knob tweak or button press also controls a visual Effect.
<sqgl>
Also, it only uses static jpgs. Now I use webcam and avi's.
<wolfspraul>
m1 can only use the live video-in stream right now, no static images or static (preloaded) videos
<sqgl>
Hmmm, that's disappointing.
<sqgl>
But!.....
<sqgl>
I could use my existing Arkaos setup
<sqgl>
and output to m1 instead of to projector
<sqgl>
mq then goes to projector
<sqgl>
m1 then goes to projector
<sqgl>
So it becomes another layer
<sqgl>
I will go to Berlin in a few weeks (I hope) so I need to make my own demo video before I go.
<wolfspraul>
well, first of all we work on a rock solid update feature :-) so you can plug in the Ethernet from m1 to your router, press a button, and m1 will update itself and reboot
<sqgl>
Probably not a good time to mess abotu with a new gadget.
<wolfspraul>
sounds like a small thing, but that needs to work rock solid and super easy, then we can lift people from one update to another to add features
<sqgl>
Nice
<wolfspraul>
if you go to Berlin, maybe there is a chance to meet Sebastien, if that's worth it for both you and him (don't know)