Entry 3: Dave's Techie (Macro) World

Good evening,

Unfortunately, I'm not feeling very well this evening. I had planned to run home, get the Nikon and new super lens (18-200mm), and return back to the University of Arizona campus to take my symbol photos. My body had other ideas this evening, so I kept my picture taking to my home environment.

The assignment ask that we follow a theme. Easy. I'm a techie... lets to tech stuff. This involved a lot of macro photos, and I found my Sony point and shoot camera better up to the task (don't yet have a macro lens for the DSLR camera).
77 photos and an hour of editing later... this what we get:

1) Ceiling Fan Remote (Dining Room)

The Hi, Med, Low and Off are fan speeds. The true symbol here though is the light bulb - press that, and and the lights come on.

2) Nikon D40 camera

Note the symbols. Most of us are experienced camera users. This is my first example where an electronic device uses a universal symbol that transcends languages/cultures.

3) Apple iPod Touch

Apple's apple is universally known. Seriously. The entire universe. They know of Steve Jobs well beyond the Milky Way...

4) Nintendo Wii rechargeable battery

The Symbol here is the Triangle/Exclamation point. "Danger! Danger! Danger!"

5) HP Laptop Keyboard

The Microsoft Windows symbol/key. Steve Jobs's kyptonite.

6) Rayovac Battery Charger

Here we have the AA/AAA for battery sizes along with the plus/minus terminal ends to show you with symbols how to insert the battery.

7) Nintendo Wii Remote

The home key on a Nintendo Wii remote. Even though "Home" is in English, the use of a symbol makes it easy enough for a cave man.

8) Apple monitor cable

The symbol here represents a monitor connection. Steve once again transcends language barriers.

9) JVC shelf stereo (1)

I have a nifty JVC stereo in the bedroom. It can play mp3s and has a rad iPod dock. It can also play mp3s right off a USB thumb drive. I have a thumb drive with an hour long mp3 of rain sounds. I have to turn this gal on every morning about 4:45 am. Why? This is when the morning doves wake up. As this is a blog... and bloggers tend to rant... I am sure I will rant one day about how the morning doves out back or driving me a little more insane every day... Oh yeah - look! A universal USB symbol.

10) Boom Blox, a Nintendo Wii Game

This a really fun game. As the symbols above suggest, you need a Wii Nunchuck to play. And up to four players can play at once.

11) I love you, TivoThis is my Tivo remote. It's got a lot of symbols. (And look, arrows! (see entry 4 coming soon to a blog near you)). Here we have also have thumbs up and thumbs down. If you grade enough things that you watch... Tivo will record other shows it thinks you might like. (Really Tivo? "Burn Notice?" ... as if...). For all you working college students, a Tivo is really worthwhile (provided you are like me and don't want to throw your money away on a DVR from the cable company). I find it invaluable to watch programming at my schedule, and not the networks.

12) Dave!!! PC (Pic #1.1)

This is an awesome computer. I know it's awesome because I built it. (Yes, I'm a geek with such things). This is the second PC I've built, his name is Dave!!! We have symbols here for a microphone (left jack) and head phones (right jack). These are pretty common. Also becoming common on PCs are the colors used for such jacks (pink for mic, green for headphones). Symbols symbols everywhere...

13) Insert symbol trend here...
~ or ~
PC Speakers remote control

Here we have a universal remote plus/minus symbols meaning up and down, or louder and quieter. And notice the unique power button. How universal is this universal symbol at Chez Gerlach? Let's find out...

14) Epson Printer

Here Epson gives a ink warning symbol. When low on ink, it lights up orange or red. A color representing that "you better do something about this." There's that power symbol again (#2)...

15) Evil Dave!!! (PC #2)

This PC is even more "awesomer" than the above mentioned one. This is my gaming rig and its pretty rad. (Yes, rad. I am a child of the 80's). This PC is named Evil Dave!!! (She's the archenemy of Dave!!!) Power symbol #3.

16) HP Monitor

Awesome PC would be lonely with out a screen to display to. Power symbol #4.

17) PC Speakers

There's that headphone jack symbol again. And that plus/minus. And that power symbol - that's # 5.

18) Phillips DVD Player remote

Sure, there are arrows and other symbols on this thing... but I know you came here today needing to see some power symbols. (This blog needs more power symbol). Power symbol #6.

19) Power Symbol... ... er... Wii Remote (again)

Power symbol #7.

20) HP Laptop

Good for more than just its Windows key, my lappy shows off it's mad power symbol skillz. Power symbol #8

21) Maggie

This is Maggie. Or, Magellan GPS. We've named her Maggie, or Maggs, for short. Maggie gives us power symbol #9. We'd be lost without # 9.

22) Bluetooth Headset

Hmmm... I wonder how bluetooth got the name bluetooth? Power symbol #10.

23) Phillips shelf stereo system

Standby while I chat about this power symbol # 11

24) JVC shelf stereo (again)

I talked about this above. It has our power symbol # 12. I love power symbol #12 as it helps me go back to sleep when the doves behave like roosters outside my bedroom window at 4:45am. Every. Single. Morning.

25) ::CENSORED::

Alright all you VC majors (and our awesome Prof), don't hate me, but I'm a PC. She's the Mac. I've might have touched this thing twice. And one time was to install Boot Camp and Windows. This thing only makes the list because it has a power symbol - our (unlucky) # 13. It has no other purpose than that. (Well, maybe it helps her with grad school stuff - but I doubt it!)

26) Dave!!! - PC pic 1.2

Phew... back to the land of PC's, dreams and lollipops, and away from the nightmare of macworld. Look!! - a power symbol!! # 14. It sits on the front of my above mentioned Dave!!! PC.

27) Sony Shelf System

Yup. Another power system symbol... ho hum... # 15

#28) Hooray - the last picture.

My digital camera was low on film, so I combined these two. On the right we have the above Sony stereo's remote. This is an important one to showcase, as it's my 3rd oldest living electronic device. I bought this back back 1998. (I have a TV and VCR that predate this stereo, but neither had our universal power symbol). On the left is my universal remote control. Thank the gods for it. Check it: the universal remote uses the universal power button symbol - who would have thought? This is #'s 16 and 17. I have a remote for that JVC system - it also uses the symbol (sorry - no pic - you'll have to take my word for it).

Time to consult the Wiki-Gods... per Wikipedia:

"A power symbol is a symbol indicating that a control activates or deactivates a particular device. It incorporates line and circle figures, with the arrangement informed by the function of the control. The universal power symbols are described in the International Electrotechnical Commission 60417 standard, Graphical symbols for use on equipment, appearing in the 1973 edition of the document (as IEC 417) and informally used earlier."

"IEC 5009, the standby symbol (line partially within a broken circle [pictured 18 times above]), indicates a sleep mode or low power state. The switch does not fully disconnect the device from its power supply. This may appear on a toggle switch opposite a power on symbol, alone on a pushbutton that places the device into a standby state, or alone on a button that switches between on and standby. "


"Alternatively, under IEEE 1621, this symbol simply means 'power'."

And lastly, and fitting to me: "In Pop-culture: The standby symbol, frequently seen on personal computers, is a popular icon among technology enthusiasts. It features prominently in the Applegeeks webcomic, and can even be found on T-shirts. It has also been used in corporate logos, such as for Gateway, Inc. (circa 2002), Staples, Inc. easytech, Exelon and others, and even as personal tattoos. In March 2010, the New York City health department announced they would be using it on condom wrappers



Well... if you made it this far - I hereby issue you 1000 make believe bonus extra credit points. I'm sure that Professor Melhus will happily apply these to your final grade. Thanks for reading and good night.