About maratsade

I thought you actually used the Chrome browser, @GabeU . ... View more

"Simply, what's on your laptop screen and coming through your laptop speakers is what shows on your TV and comes through its speakers. "   That's what it does, though.  You have to tell it to do it using the Chrome browser, but that's exactly what it does. ... View more

The modem was rolling downhill at the time, hence the speed. LOL   @bare65wrote: Whooaaaaa! Slow down there Speedy Gonzales..your making the rest of us look bad, haha         ... View more

Siri/Ivana ... View more

@GabeU, with the Chromecast you can stream anything.  I use it to cast from my laptop. You can also cast from apps, but it works fine with the internet. You have to use the Chrome browser for that.   I stream YouTube all the time.  You can also cast your desktop, like if you want to show a PowerPoint on your TV, or browse to websites and show them on your TV. ... View more

I have a dedicated laptop that sits next to the television and is always connected with a short HDMI cable.  I use it for DVDs too because it has a DVD bay.    "Lol, I used to do that. Just got tired of lugging the laptop out to the TV to connect the HDMI." ... View more

It took me a while to figure out too.... It works really well, and you can keep the laptop somewhere else. I can't have cables on the floor because the dogs would trip and get entangled.   @GabeUwrote: I revert to the HDMI cable and using a wireless mouse to control the laptop. (I use a short HDMI cable) Ya know, sometimes things are right in front of you and you feel like a moron for not seeing them.  I have a wireless mouse, but it never dawned on me to just use the mouse as a remote and have the laptop out of the way so I don't have to trip over the cable.  SMH.  Just unbelievable.  That's a HUGE DERP moment.  😛     ... View more

That's really cool, BirdDog.  I didn't even know that it could be done (Option 2).     @BirdDogwrote: Option 2 in that link is what really saves the data when the Chromecast is powered up. I made my own 1x1 pixel .bmp images instead it the author's. Mine are only 58 bytes in size compared to his 600+ kb size. Even that difference save a lot when the images are being refreshed every 30 seconds.   ... View more

Yes, I think you're definitely right, BirdDog.       My guess is like I said, you haven't left it on long enough to notice a big difference. Either that or what is being used by Backdrop you are thinking is being consumed by whatever online streaming you are doing.   ... View more

I do have it set up to turn off when the TV is off.  I just noticed that when it was in use, it didn't seem to use a lot of data for the backdrops.  I have the 2nd generation Chromecast. Would that make a difference? ETA: I imagine that because I don't have it on for long, and I'm streaming when using it, I may not have noticed a huge use of data. But since the backdrops are images that are downloaded, it makes sense they use up data.      I have the Chromcast connected using the USB port on the TV -- so when the TV  is off, no power goes to the Chromecast. ... View more

Yes, you need a smartphone with the Home app for the settings.   I haven't noticed a big data drain from the backdrops.  @GabeU, if the broaband speed is low, Chromecast will be slow and pixelate a bit -- when that happens to me, I revert to the HDMI cable and using a wireless mouse to control the laptop. (I use a short HDMI cable) ... View more

I wonder if it's easier when you know it's coming, or if it is better when it's sudden.  I can never decide.  And no, you don't sound cold.  If you're not close to a person, their death may affect you differently than if you are close.      ... View more

"So the Chromecast device is a one time purchase, and I wouldn't have to subscribe to some monthly plan or anything, right? "   Right. There's no subscription.  I don't unplug mine -- I have them set up in such a way that they get their power from the TV, so when the TV is off, they are off.   ... View more

"What exactly is it that Chromecast does?  It says "Stream entertainment from your device to your TV".  What does this mean, exactly?  Does this mean like streaming HBO Go, DirecTV, Netflix, etc, onto your laptop, but being able to watch it on your TV instead of your laptop? "   It projects stuff from your computer or a service such as Netflix onto your television, wirelessly.  I have two Chromecasts and love them.  ... View more

"my father dying just before Christmas of last year and my stepmother, coincidentally, just last night."   My condolences, Gabe.  ... View more

He missed the snow and icy winds. LOL   Gabe, what made you decide to come back north after moving south for so long?!   ... View more

Hey, whatever saves you money.  I'm sure your folks liked having you around.    Eh, my job situation.  In the post 9/11 slowdown I ended up losing my job to someone who they could pay about 15k less.  I ended up having to come back to stay with my folks for a little while (yeah, living with my folks at 30...SMH).       ... View more

"If that's not an incentive to quit smoking, I don't know what is, lol!"   LOL ... View more

You must've turned into a Gabecicle. 🙂   Still, it was the coldest winter, I believe, that I've ever experienced here.  I had to go outside to smoke.  😛       ... View more

"I do remember there were a couple of nights during the winter of '92-'93 that got down to at least 22 below,"   YIKES. ... View more

"We found out from talking to the two kids on the bus that their parents forgot to buy one vital thing that people in this area need and always have..a snow shovel.   They were out there, at first light, trying to clear their driveway with a spade. "   That's really hilarious!  (Though I can't laugh much since I've been known to forget essentials myself, as I'm not used to the environment).  ... View more

Good point. The measuring device may definitely be the culprit. Do post your findings. I'm curious to see where so much data may be going.      I may very well do that, but I first want to make sure that it's not my Netgear router that is giving a flawed data count.     ... View more

Verizon is super slow in my area.  ... View more

That's very interesting, @GabeU.  Maybe gremlins are using the network at night.   🙂    I think though that you could approach the mods to maybe run diagnostics from their side.  Or they may have heard about this issue before and may know why it happens. ... View more

Some areas that are getting bad weather aren't used to that at all. Time to adapt, I guess!  I wasn't used to violent weather, because the UK doesn't get the same type of weather as over here on this side of the ocean.  I remember some high winds, and there's snow in the winter, but it's nothing like over in this country.     Yep.  Power's good, now.  I saw on the local news last night that only about 250 people in Western NY still didn't have power.  It's probably fixed for everyone today.    I only had some small limbs come off of my trees, but my folks had quite a bit more come down.  One of their willow trees had a sizable limb come off.  Luckily, it just fell in their lawn, as it's big enough that it would have done quite a bit of damage had it actually fallen on something.    We also didn't get much wind, thankfully, as we were a little too far inland to be affected by it.  We got a little, but nothing like they got in Mark's neck of the woods and further up the coast.     And, unfortunately, it's not melting as quickly as we'd hoped.  We've also got snow in the forecast for Wednesday.  Ugh.  Spring can't come soon enough.     What's kind of funny is that, on the 8th, it will be 25 years since I moved from this area to Virginia (having since moved back, of course), and I remember that they got a storm shortly afterward.  I wasn't used to seeing a five or six inches of snow paralyze an area like it did, and they weren't very used to snowstorms in March.     ... View more

I caught a glimpse of the snow your way on TV. Wow.  Looked insane.   @alfrescowrote: we're getting a lot of snow here in Nor Cal also. Haven't got any pics yet, i've been to busy shoveling Snow between blizzards.     ... View more

Gorgeous pics, Gabe, though I don't envy you the heavy snow.   Hope you got your power back. ... View more