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Thread: The best gift thread!

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    Seething Cauldron of Hatred TheAnimus's Avatar
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    The best gift thread!

    So here goes, what gift did you get that you really like?

    For me, its the Philips Hue, a zigbee controlled set of LED lightbulbs, that you can change the colour with. They also include a zigbee to ethernet bridge, which I've been hacking all day. Anything to avoid helping with dinner, such is the tradition in our family.

    It's really great, because I've shunned google, and am hacking it myself. Android is a real second class citizen on this Hue system, for instance the Nexus7 can't run the app. No matter, I'm running it in an emulator on my laptop, getting frustrated with Wireshark and Microsoft Net Mon, as I slowly decipher their API. It's all RESTful JSON so can't be too hard right? I know I can get the answers from google real quick, but I might as well have the fun of figuring it out myself, its like a crosswords, but geeky.

    So what about you fine chaps, how do you find yourself spending xmas!
    throw new ArgumentException (String, String, Exception)

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    Banhammer in peace PeterB kalniel's Avatar
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    Re: The best gift thread!

    Marmite. AND it's GOLD!


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    Going Retro!!! Ferral's Avatar
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    Re: The best gift thread!

    I have received :

    A T Shirt that says : No, I won't fix your computer!
    Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy TV series from 80's on DVD
    Monty Pythons Flying Circus box set on DVD
    The Thin Blue Line box set on DVD
    Dodger Hardback (Terry Pratchett)
    Bottle Tia Maria
    Bottle Amaretto

    I think the Python set and Dodger hardback are my favorites this year

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    The Irish Drunk! neonplanet40's Avatar
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    Re: The best gift thread!

    I got some money, a lot of chocolate, a calender and a Game of Thrones - Making off type book. Its a very nice book to be honest. Although weirdly, I also got a candle :s
    Home Entertainment =Epson TW9400, Samsung 65" HDTV, Denon AVRX6300H, Panasonic DPUB450EBK Ultra HD Blu-Ray and Monitor Audio Silver RX 7.0, Monitor Audio CT265IDC(x4) Dolby Atmos and XTZ 12.17 Sub - (Config 7.1.4)
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    Studmuffin Flibb's Avatar
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    Re: The best gift thread!

    I asked everybody for money this year, but I had told everybody what I was getting

    Socks (waterproof)
    Trousers (waterproof)
    Gloves (waterproof)
    Hat made from possum fur / merino wool (not waterproof but what the heck).

    all to keep me warm and dry when out in


    playing around on the river Medway

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    Moosing about! CAT-THE-FIFTH's Avatar
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    Re: The best gift thread!

    Shame on you all!! It should have been surviving the Friday apocalypse!!

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    Studmuffin Flibb's Avatar
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    Re: The best gift thread!

    Quote Originally Posted by CAT-THE-FIFTH View Post
    Shame on you all!! It should have been surviving the Friday apocalypse!!
    Thats what the boat was for

    Actually the best gift is being with the Mrs (just dont tell her that).

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    Re: The best gift thread!

    Quote Originally Posted by Flibb View Post
    Thats what the boat was for
    Being in Medway wouldn't that be exchanging one apocalypse for another??

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    Re: The best gift thread!

    Quote Originally Posted by CAT-THE-FIFTH View Post
    Being in Medway wouldn't that be exchanging one apocalypse for another??
    The Medway is a very nice river to paddle on, had a kingfisher flying along in front of me last weekend
    and theres plenty of pubs along it

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    Grumpy and VERY old :( g8ina's Avatar
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    Re: The best gift thread!

    Only a few pressies this year, not that I'm too bothered

    Really nice bottle of port off my daughter, "Senna" BluRay off my oldest son, and "25 years of Hart Reviews" off my other son (book of Ham Radio kit reviews, nice drooling material

    Sally got me a nice shiny new anti static workmat and strap My new PC was also part of my Christmas stuff !

    And I have one more to open when she gets back from work, a big box - the contents of which are a complete mystery
    Cheers, David



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    HSK
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    Re: The best gift thread!

    I'll be honest, I got about 6 T-shirts, a pair of jeans, a cardigan, and a deck of playing cards.

    And only the cardigan and one t-shirt weren't actually bought by myself.

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    Moosing about! CAT-THE-FIFTH's Avatar
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    Re: The best gift thread!

    Quote Originally Posted by Flibb View Post
    The Medway is a very nice river to paddle on, had a kingfisher flying along in front of me last weekend
    and theres plenty of pubs along it
    Quote Originally Posted by Flibb View Post
    The Medway is a very nice river to paddle on, had a kingfisher flying along in front of me last weekend
    and theres plenty of pubs along it
    Ok,you are keeping to the better part of Medway then!!

    Flying Kingfishers can be an issue though!!


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    Re: The best gift thread!

    seeing the kids playing with their toys (and me not waking up at 3.3am today!)

    all im happy with

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    Studmuffin Flibb's Avatar
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    Re: The best gift thread!

    Quote Originally Posted by g8ina View Post
    Only a few pressies this year, not that I'm too bothered

    Really nice bottle of port off my daughter, "Senna" BluRay off my oldest son, and "25 years of Hart Reviews" off my other son (book of Ham Radio kit reviews, nice drooling material

    Sally got me a nice shiny new anti static workmat and strap My new PC was also part of my Christmas stuff !

    And I have one more to open when she gets back from work, a big box - the contents of which are a complete mystery
    Funny you should mention Ham Radio, I have just ordered a book to get me going on the road to a Foundation License.

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    Seething Cauldron of Hatred TheAnimus's Avatar
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    Re: The best gift thread!


    Still playing with these

    What I really like is the fact the andriod app is so awful. Its not just a little bad, its a real 2/10.

    So a little more packet sniffing and I can so far, find the device by SSDP, pair with it by pressing the button on the thing, query all bulbs and groups, set specific bulbs to certain colours and brightnesses.

    Hell yeah! This is even better than Lego. Thanks Philips for making such a great peice of kit with truely god awful software, gives me something I can do on my laptop. Anyway, if you'll excuse me I'm off to make a better object remoting thing for RESTful JSON.
    throw new ArgumentException (String, String, Exception)

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    HSK
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    Re: The best gift thread!

    Ahh so there is an android app? They kept banging on about the iphone app I didn't think there was any for android!

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