On Sat, 28 May 2016 08:51:20 +0100, Andy Burns
wrote:

MM wrote:

I've now received my Excelvan gizmo and it is just dandy.

Looks to be badged under a myriad of other names too

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/field-keywords=Laser+Distance+Meter+with+Bubble+Level

It displays the previous three measurements along with the current
measurement.

handy.

Weird use for laser distance measure #42

So having got my new Excelvan, today I was setting up a webcam to scan
my bookshelves with the aim of cataloguing all the titles. I sit at
the desktop PC, the books are between 3m and 8m away, I adjust the
webcam, then view the spines on a widescreen monitor and type in the
titles. Every so often I reposition the webcam for another bunch of
titles.

So I set it up just now -- and found that the USB extension cable
wasn't long enough at 1.5m. But as luck would have it, I had a another
1.5m extension driving the scanner, so I've stolen that one
temporarily and plugged the two together. Not ideal, but it works.
However, meanwhile I need to order a new, longer cable, but what
length?

Aha! Who has a laser measure, then! Moi! I was actually walking to the
drawer where I keep my steel tape measures when I remembered -- duh!
-- the Excelvan. It took seconds to measure the distance I'd need
from closest book to furthest away. Brilliant!

Anyone got any other bizarre uses for these things?

MM