RDP "Play on remote computer" sound workaround for Server 2008 R2

This is a workaround for playing sound via RDP (Windows 7 client) on a Server 2008 R2 host.

Due to a limitation in Server 2008 R2, it is not compatible with these settings.

The problem is known to Microsoft and documented here (along with other suggestions):

http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/2b65bfc3-89b9-4d0b-8244-7d02081a1f03/rdp-audio-issues-with-windows-server-2008

Sound playback devices viewed via RDP (server host - left, RDP client settings - right)

My goal is to play sound via remote control on a remote Server 2008 host.  For example, if I were to play a video on the remote server, the audio would play through the server's speakers.

First, make sure the sound service is running:

http://www.win2008r2workstation.com/enable-sound/

My solution is to use Chrome Remote Desktop - it allows the default audio device to be modified and controlled.  This bypasses Microsoft's RDP protocol and removes the limitation.

Sound playback devices viewed via Chrome Remote Desktop

Now audio can be started remotely and played.  Upon disconnection, sound keeps playing on the server.

Philips 424382 Soft White Household Dimmable Light Bulb Review

This is a review of the Philips 424382 11-watt A19 LED Household Dimmable Light Bulb (Soft White).

After extensive research, I recently purchased 20 of these bulbs for 9$ each under a promotion from my utility company.  Here is a summary of my research and three month ownership experience.

Available at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Philips-424382-11-watt-Household-Dimmable/dp/B00B4CPL5W/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Light Quality 10/10

Light quality is subjective person to person.  The LED bulbs produce almost the same warmth and are brighter than a standard 60W incandescent light bulb.  People cannot tell what fixtures have LED's and what have incandescent bulbs.  The light pattern is no different than a standard 60W incandescent light bulb (even with the odd shape).

The bulbs produce basically no light flicker [1].  I feel this is an important aspect to me and my family as heavy CFL / florescent lighting flicker bothers me when reading.  In summary, anyone who has seen the bulbs cannot tell them apart from a standard 60W incandescent light bulb.

Build Quality 8/10

The bulb physically is excellently built.  It feels high quality and has a solid heft to it. The bulbs take about one hour to become warm to the touch.  Metal light fixture remain cool even after many hours of use (with a standard 60W incandescent light bulb it would hurt to touch).  Also, these bulbs do not dim in weather storms unlike traditional incandescent bulbs.

I deduct two marks for the choice of an electrical component brand used in its construction (Samxon capacitors are used in the power supply).  A more expensive capacitor brand could have been used, as this will be the component that will fail at the end of the bulb's life.

Warranty 8/10

Philips' warranty covers the bulbs for 5 years.  Although 5 years is a long time, electrical components inside the bulb (the power supply capacitor) may fail inside that period.  CREE offers 10 years on their products.  However, I feel as the LED bulb market becomes commoditized - 5 years will be a long warranty period.

Return On Investment 10/10

At 9$ per bulb, these bulbs are excellent.  The return on investment will be about a year and a half per bulb in my high use installation (compared to a standard 60W incandescent light bulb)

Summary

I 100% recommend them to my family and friends.  Overall I give this bulb an A.

Technical Information and Resources 

[1] electronupdates video teardown and review: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OWKAub54sLU

[2] electronupdates blog: http://electronupdate.blogspot.ca/

How to Replace an Acer TimelineX Keyboard

Recently, the keyboard on my Acer Aspire TimelineX 3830TG stopped working.  The enter, backspace and arrow keys would take multiple presses for a keystroke to register.

I decided to replace the keyboard with one from eBay.

Here are some tips that would have helped me during the replacement process.

Disassembly / Teardown:

I followed Broo's excellent tutorial up to step 6:
http://broo2.blogspot.ca/2011/07/acer-3830tg-6431-teardown.html

Broo's recommendation of having past laptop dis-assembly experience is accurate.  This laptop is about 70% more challenging than repairing a MacBook.

Step 2 and 3:
I did not remove the hard drive, SATA board connector, wireless card nor the battery switch cable.

Step 5:
A plastic pry tool, pictured here was invaluable.  This saved leaving screwdriver marks when prying up the top case.

Step 6:
The challenging part is in step 6 - removing the top board cables.  I started by removing the power connector. The I/O connector accidental came out by itself (it has no play).  The fragile Bluetooth connector was removed by levering it from either side using a small screwdriver, slowly inching it out. I also removed the masking tape on the Bluetooth cable holding it to the I/O connector.  Finally, I removed the keyboard and the trackpad connectors.

Replacing the Keyboard:

There are several black screws around the perimeter of the keyboard.  I also removed the performance button board and the I/O board as a precaution.

In addition to the black screws, there are silver screws located under the tape of the metal keyboard frame.  I made small cuts into the tape and removed the screws (I taped over the incisions with electrical tape when reassembling).

Black screws and taped silver screws (click to view)

There did not seem to be a way to remove the keyboard from the top case without either pressing every key down simultaneously.  It seems the intended removal is to press every key so it is below the silver plastic top case and slide the keyboard assembly upwards towards the battery molding - an impossible task.

To get around this, I cut these two plastic tabs located here. (click to view)

They did not seem to have a significant structural support to the keyboard when pressing a key.  I cut away the area highlighted in red.  After cutting the tabs, the keyboard could be bent and lifted upwards enough for the keys to clear the top case.  The keyboard could then be slid upwards towards the battery molding and out.

I placed the replacement keyboard into the top case and slid back the metal keyboard frame.

I installed the screws and covered the exposed screws with tape.

Reassembly:

When reassembling the laptop, I installed the ribbon cables in the reverse order.

The I/O cable proved the most challenging and needed a credit card to close the brown clamp.  The I/O cable must fit deep into the connector.  It will easily pull out even with the brown clamp in the locked position.

Final Thoughts:

For ~2 hours, 25-30$ and your penitence, your keyboard will be as good as new.

Hope this helps.

Acer TimelineX Resources:

Broo's teardown:
http://broo2.blogspot.ca/2011/07/acer-3830tg-6431-teardown.html

Acer TimelineX Notebook Review thread:
http://forum.notebookreview.com/acer/553306-acer-timelinex-3830-4830-5830-t-g-print.html

eBay store I purchased the replacement keyboard from:
http://www.ebay.ca/usr/yxf1224-2