Robert Heron
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rob7.bsky.social
Robert Heron
@rob7.bsky.social
A technologist at heart.

https://www.robertheron.com
Seeing Zork I, II, and III go open source warms my heart. Classic text adventures for everyone to poke around with 😎

opensource.microsoft.com/blog/2025/11...
November 21, 2025 at 6:56 PM
I forgot how slow secure erasing a hard drive can be - it might be time to pull out the drill and go full-on caveman 💥😎
November 20, 2025 at 9:17 PM
There are a few of these in the United States, but the nerd in me cracks a smile every time I'm driving on Disk Drive in San Jose, California 💾😎
November 19, 2025 at 11:43 PM
I was experiencing some odd video signal artifacts with a new Sony BRAVIA 8 II OLED, and restarting the TV with the power button on the remote didn't help. What worked was an "AC" restart by unplugging it for about a minute - it performed a complete reboot, and all was well 📺😎

Also, nice TV!
November 16, 2025 at 6:03 PM
I've been working on lots of OLED monitors lately (TVs too), and every one of them has a firmware update that addresses display issues or improves the chances of it living a long and productive life 😎

If you own an OLED display, ensure it's running the latest firmware.
November 1, 2025 at 4:51 PM
If you are a PowerToys user on Windows 11, you may have noticed that recent OS updates have caused the dark mode theme setting to revert to a light/bright setting.

I don't recall enabling the Light Switch function, but the fix is to turn it off and reboot ;)

learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answer...
October 23, 2025 at 6:07 AM
Ignore the power lines and I managed a decent picture of the Milky Way's thick part 😎

That image makes me want to find an even darker part of California for better stargazing 🌠
October 11, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Friend's DirecTV dish was misaligned enough to prevent the tuning of HD channels. Half of the transponders were ~69% signal strength and the others were ~86%. Tweaked the fine-tuning knobs and got everything to ~95% 😎

#MiddleOfNowhere
October 8, 2025 at 1:51 AM
My favorite $10 over-the-air TV antenna is now a $35 favorite 🤑📺

I'm fortunate to live somewhere a device like this can add 120+ channels for free 😎

#ChannelMaster
#CommissionsEarned

amzn.to/41jsiuW
Amazon.com: Channel Master FLATenna - Indoor Digital HDTV Antenna, 12' Coaxial Cable, Superior Reception Range & Signal Reliability, Supports 4K Smart TVs, OTA Broadcast & NextGen TV, Easy Install : E...
Amazon.com: Channel Master FLATenna - Indoor Digital HDTV Antenna, 12' Coaxial Cable, Superior Reception Range & Signal Reliability, Supports 4K Smart TVs, OTA Broadcast & NextGen TV, Easy Install : E...
amzn.to
August 21, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Spent a week with an MSI MPG321CURX on my desk - 4K240 @ 32" is nice, albeit a bit too big for competitive FPS gaming 😎 Decent factory calibration, but improved with a quick/dirty custom ICC profile - sRGB before/after pics.

Didn't appreciate MSI software asking to install Norton 🫤

#QuantumDot
August 7, 2025 at 7:50 PM
I find it difficult to decide whether I prefer building a new PC or stress testing its optimized settings 😎
July 22, 2025 at 7:23 PM
I'm pleased to see that the latest #Sonos App update added #Trueplay room tuning support for my 2024 iPad Mini (A17 Pro) 😎

#EarCandy 🎶
July 22, 2025 at 6:25 PM
I appreciate Ubiquiti's gateway products for alerting me to this one security camera that was pinging at least four IP addresses around ten times every minute. Easily blocked until I can replace that camera (w/something NDAA-compliant) later this week 😎
July 10, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Helping a friend upgrade an old #LCD TV on a budget - chose the TCL QM7K for its great contrast and color. The QM6K's low price is tempting, but it has a smaller color gamut and less than half the peak brightness. They're similarly priced at Best Buy 😎

amzn.to/46CMAmm

#CommissionsEarned
TCL 65-Inch Class QM7K Series QD-Mini LED 4K UHD Google Smart TV Best Premium Mini-LED TV - QLED, 144hz, 288hz Gaming Rate, Anti-Reflective Screen, Bang & Olufsen Audio, Atmos (65QM7K, 2025 Model)
The TCL QM7K Series combines stunning visuals and immersive sound. With LD2500 Precise Dimming, HDR 3000 (2000 in 50”) nits peak brightness, 144Hz Refresh Rate, Game Accelerator 288 (240 in 50”/55”/115”), and AIPQ Processor PRO, it delivers exceptional clarity, smooth gameplay, and vibrant colors like never before.
amzn.to
July 8, 2025 at 6:12 PM
The latest quantum dot electroluminescent (QDEL) display demo from Samsung Display has doubled the longevity of the blue emitter and increased light output by 60% compared to last year's demo!

Still, there are a few more years to go before commercialization.

#DisplayWeek2025
#SID
May 15, 2025 at 5:02 PM
I picked up an inexpensive UV light to highlight leak-detection products, and I'm now checking every ID and document for interesting UV-activated holograms and watermarks 😎

This eagle is the coolest one I've found so far!
May 9, 2025 at 12:33 AM
The weather is warming up - a good reminder to keep your PC or laptop running cool!

My 500-watt plug-in Metro DataVac has served me well for a dozen years😎 However, the Torque Test Channel crew found a couple of more affordable (and impressive) cordless options that also get the job done.
Impossible Turbo Fan Dusters v DataVac & Actual Air Cans
YouTube video by Torque Test Channel
www.youtube.com
April 28, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Picked up my first uninterruptible power supply (UPS) with a lithium battery (LiFePO4) five months ago - an unremarkably good experience so far 😎

Now, Goldenmate is taking pre-orders for a version that enables communication for automating NAS/PC shutdowns during a prolonged outage.
GoldenMate 1000VA LiFePO4 UPS with NAS Interface – Pure Sine Wave Battery Backup for NAS, PC & Smart Home
Upgrade to the GoldenMate 1000VA LiFePO4 UPS — featuring 800W pure sine wave output, built-in surge protection, and real-time NAS shutdown support. With 5000+ cycle life and RS485 communication, it’s ...
goldenmateenergy.com
April 26, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Is this the first year we'll see similar peak brightness from the entire line of LG's G-series OLED televisions?!?

97-inches of "Tandem OLED" goodness - available today 😎

amzn.to/3XQojnO

#CommissionsEarned
LG 97-Inch Class OLED evo AI 4K G5 Series Smart TV w/Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, HDR10, AI Super Upscaling 4K, Filmmaker Mode, Wow Orchestra, Alexa Built-in (OLED97G5WUA, 2025)
Mind-blowing picture. Head-turning design. Next-level AI. Our best and brightest OLED ever.Introducing the all-new LG OLED evo G5 with next-gen AI for a smarter personalized experience and spectacular bright-room ready picture. The LG OLED evo G5-Series is powered by the Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen2 for even better and more customized picture and performance. Brightness Booster Max produces brighter images, for luminous, high-contrast picture quality that is both glare and reflection free. All while still delivering perfect black and perfect color powered by 8.3 million self-lit smart pixels. When you're not watching, you can display art, photos and other content to blend the LG OLED evo G5 into your surroundings. Search less and stream more, thanks to the next generation of AI technology from LG webOS 25. And with Quick Cards, you can group your favorite apps and use the Magic Remote to easily find exactly what you're looking for—like instant access to over 300 free channels with LG Channels. Every LG OLED comes loaded with Dolby Vision for extraordinary color, contrast and brightness, plus Dolby Atmos for sound you can feel all around you. You'll land in the center of the action with FILMMAKER MODE, allowing you to see films in the director's original formatting. Plus, with a 5-year panel warranty⁷, you can watch on and on with confidence and peace of mind that we stand behind our premium LG OLED evo TVs.¹Source: Omdia. Unit shipments, 2013-2024. Results are not an endorsement of LG Electronics. Any reliance on these results is at the third-party’s own risk. ²Image quality of upscaled content will vary based on source resolution. ³Dolby, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and the double-D symbol are registered trademarks of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation. Manufactured under license from Dolby Laboratories. Confidential unpublished works. Copyright 2012–2025 Dolby Laboratories. All rights reserved. ⁴Depending on installation environment, there may be a slight gap between the TV and the wall. Installation requirements vary. See installation guide for details. ⁵Internet connection and subscriptions to streaming services are required; number of LG Channels subject to change. Software update will automatically download. Consumers who disable “auto-update” will receive a pop-up notification to accept or deny software update. ⁶Google is a trademark of Google LLC. Google Assistant is not available in certain languages and countries. Apple, the Apple logo and HomeKit are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. ⁷In the 1st year of the warranty, panel, parts and labor costs are covered. In the 2nd-5th year of the warranty, only panels are covered, and labor will be charged. The 5-year limited panel warranty is available for the G, M & Z Series. ⁸Subscription and compatible gaming controller are required.
amzn.to
March 15, 2025 at 11:20 PM
I appreciate mobile device options that limit battery charging to ~80%. Our tablet is almost always plugged in, which should help extend its battery life over the long term. I also do the same setup on my phone when it is regularly resting on a wireless charging stand 😎
February 20, 2025 at 12:13 AM
This landing page is a great place to start if you want more of my content, work, or updates.

www.robertheron.com
February 9, 2025 at 9:17 PM
My HDHomeRun ATSC 3.0/NextGen 4K quad-tuner is connected to the network and streaming to the app on my Roku Ultra. I believe my local Fox affiliate enables DRM, so I'm curious if I'll be able to see the game in Dolby Vision/Atmos - probably not.

@silicondust.com
February 9, 2025 at 9:03 PM
For Nvidia GPU users, a new version of the Broadcast app has dropped (v2.0.0)!

www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforc...

I mainly use it to auto-center/zoom my face in video chats and to hide my noisy mechanical keyboard from my microphone 😎
NVIDIA Broadcast: The Ultimate AI-Powered Voice and Video App
Take your live streams, voice, and video chats to the next level with the NVIDIA Broadcast App.
www.nvidia.com
January 31, 2025 at 7:34 PM
This TCL Q6-series 4K TV lacks local dimming and has limited peak light output for impressive HDR reproduction. However, it does have good color, 144Hz VRR/ALLM, and a whopping 98-inch screen size for less than $1400 😎

*5-year warranty, too!

#CostcoTemptations
#LCD
#QLED
January 22, 2025 at 12:32 AM
The Hisense U7 series 4K TV offers a remarkable balance of performance and value. Its 65, 75, and 85-inch screen sizes are at near all-time low prices and worth your consideration. Note that the 75-inch panel uses an IPS Pro panel instead of the VA panels for the 65 and 85 😎

#CommissionsEarned
Hisense U7 Series 65U7N 65 Inches ULED 4K Smart TV | Mini-LED | QLED | 1500 Nits | 144Hz | Motion Rate 480 | Dolby Vision HDR 10+ | Dolby Atmos | Full Array Local Dimming | 2.1 Ch Sound | Google TV
Looking for the ultimate upgrade? Look no further than the U7 series, which is packed with advanced features to elevate your entertainment experience. Mini-LED Pro, QLED-Quantum Dot technology and 144...
amzn.to
January 21, 2025 at 8:55 PM