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Top Members Secret Santa - Unwrapped

spannerspencer

I don't know if everyone's aware, but there's a private section of the element14 Community for the Top Members, who are brought in by invite (as decided upon by the existing Top Members and the element14 team), where they discuss matters around the direction of the Community, where they help out with beta testing Community updates, and even test out new products, RoadTests & Reviews-style. But mostly they just go waaaaaay off-topic and descend into rants and raves about which Minion avatar is the strangest, or who has the biggest... soldering iron.image

 

Anyway, in December the Top Members all gathered together around the eggnog tree to exchange techno-gifts, which we (The Management) facilitated to some degree by way of distribution. Now, I know the Christmas season won't get into full swing again until late August, but their Secret Santa gifts are now arriving upon their workshop doorsteps.

 

So I'd like to invite those Top Members to give us all a big unveiling of what they got, who their Secret Santa was and why they chose the gifts they did, and for the whole Community to join in with a few ideas on what these insane elite engineering eccentrics ("improved" meaning for IEEE?) can do with their hot tech gifts.

 

Merry Christmas!

 

 

Hmm? Oh, to become a Top Member is simple, but not easy. All you have to do is make a fantastic contribution to the element14 Community by way of great projects, insightful blogs, helpful suggestions (in Feedback and Support particularly) and generally spending all your free time on here enjoying yourself image  Trust me, these guys see everything that happens, so your efforts aren't going unnoticed image  Keep it up, and you'll be a Top Member in time for this year's Secret Santa!

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  • Thanks to element14 for facilitating this.

    We weren't sure just how we were going to do this until you stepped in.

     

     

    So I sorted out the video and audio issues, and this is my unwrapping.

     

    (For some reason the video I'm trying to upload just fails.)

    Okay I have uploaded a smaller version to my content, and then linked it here.

     

    Thanks to whomever was the TM that sent this.

     

    Mark

Reply

  • Thanks to element14 for facilitating this.

    We weren't sure just how we were going to do this until you stepped in.

     

     

    So I sorted out the video and audio issues, and this is my unwrapping.

     

    (For some reason the video I'm trying to upload just fails.)

    Okay I have uploaded a smaller version to my content, and then linked it here.

     

    Thanks to whomever was the TM that sent this.

     

    Mark

Children
  • in reply to mcb1

    BeagleBone - The caped crusader!

  • in reply to COMPACT

    Yes it seems that way.

    The packing note also suggests that there should be a BB WiFi.

    For some reason we need to fill in all sorts of export paperwork (even though its the NZ website), so I suspect this prevented it being sent ...

     

    Cheers

    Mark

  • in reply to mcb1

    An update on my Secret Santa ...

     

    I received a MicroBUS cape for a Beagle Bone and a MicroBUS ADC Click module.

    Unfortunately the Export regulations to NZ got in the way of the last part of the gift, which was a Beagle Bone Black Wireless.

     

    To give you an idea, this is one part of the form

    I/we confirm that the goods will not be used in relation to nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, or missiles capable of delivering these weapons.  I/we also confirm that the goods will not be re-exported or sold to a third party who is known or suspected to be involved in relation to nuclear, biological or chemical weapons, or missiles capable of delivering these weapons, or to any sanctioned entities.  I/we confirm that the goods will not be used for any type of military end-use.

    I/We also confirm that any re-export or sale to a third party, is carried out in compliance with the originating/supplying and receiving countries’ export control laws, as applicable.

    Now I'm not too sure, but I'm betting that the average bad person is not going to admit to any of these, regardless of the actual intended use.  image

     

     

    Anyway, with a lot of help from and some really great customer relations work in the element14 office in Sydney some time ago, we were able to get it sent to my friend in Australia and not require to do any paperwork as all.

     

    His family visited him last week, and were kind enough to bring it back to NZ for me.

     

     

    So whomever my secret Santa was, thank you very much, I'm sorry it took so long to get into my hands, but rest assurred it won't live in the large box (well maybe until this challenge is completed image  ).

     

     

    Mark

  • in reply to mcb1

    Similar stuff happens in India, but i've found a way around it- Simply use the Govt. Postal Service and declare it as a gift of no commercial value. They will allow plutonium without any warning bells!