[andi*pandi]

Evil.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

When I accidentally clicked New Outlook on, it deleted old outlook. Toggling Old Outlook back in temporarily launches an instance of Old Outlook that cannot be found or manually relaunched. It wiped Old Outlook from my PC.

I think the UI folks are disconnected from reality in a lot of ways. For example having a button to mark something as spam right next the one to move it to a folder is BAD. But that’s not what MS did. First they figured that everybody really wants their new version of Outlook, sight unseen. Next they decided that any click on a New Outlook button must have been intentional (no matter how close that button was to anything else). Then they made the switch permanent and irreversible. That’s not just bad coding, it’s pure gall.

[Laminar]

"New" is no longer on the icon.

[andi*pandi]

outlook on mac still has the toggle. I will be very sad if they ever change it.

[Laminar]

I've noticed some weird behavior in the past couple of days - while browsing normally on large commercial sites I've been on plenty of times before, I get auto-redirected. The latest one is Ford's website. I was trying to Build & Price a new Maverick:
https://shop.ford.com/configure/mave...l-seconNav-fbc

and I got redirected to this url:

Code:
https://accessories.ford.com/?clickref=1101lzwx4sIu&fmccmp=affinityglobal-aff-0accessories&utm_source=affinityglobal&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=partnerizeaccessories

Right after the forward initiated, my tracker blocker popped up to let me know I was being tracked. This pops up on all referral links or coupon code links or places that track my browsing.

I clicked through and it took me to the Ford Accessories page, and the URL makes it look like someone is capturing a click or link referral bonus. I did not interact with any part of the first page, I didn't mis-click something, immediately after initial load and it forwarded me.

I'm paranoid about having some kind of malware that's generating click revenue for itself.

[Laminar]

Just happened again from uhaul.com

[andi*pandi]

creepy.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

I've noticed some weird behavior in the past couple of days - while browsing normally on large commercial sites I've been on plenty of times before, I get auto-redirected. The latest one is Ford's website. I was trying to Build & Price a new Maverick:
https://shop.ford.com/configure/mave...l-seconNav-fbc

and I got redirected to this url:

Code:
https://accessories.ford.com/?clickref=1101lzwx4sIu&fmccmp=affinityglobal-aff-0accessories&utm_source=affinityglobal&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=partnerizeaccessories

Right after the forward initiated, my tracker blocker popped up to let me know I was being tracked. This pops up on all referral links or coupon code links or places that track my browsing.

I clicked through and it took me to the Ford Accessories page, and the URL makes it look like someone is capturing a click or link referral bonus. I did not interact with any part of the first page, I didn't mis-click something, immediately after initial load and it forwarded me.

I'm paranoid about having some kind of malware that's generating click revenue for itself.

That case looks to me like overly restrictive adblocking.

You’re configuring a truck, and the website bounces you to a different domain to select accessories and additional components. Of course it needs to track which order from the main page you’re configuring.

[Laminar]

Google has some results for "provenpixel" adware. I went through and wiped out all Chrome extensions that I don't use anymore and it hasn't happened since, so I may have had a compromised extension installed.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Google has some results for "provenpixel" adware. I went through and wiped out all Chrome extensions that I don't use anymore and it hasn't happened since, so I may have had a compromised extension installed.

The Ford site shows no indication of provenpixel. That was U-Haul, and I have no doubt that that was ad tracking.

[Brien]

Getting old and finding myself going from the early adopter to ‘that’s stupid’ more and more.

Wifi blenders? Retailers who require apps to checkout or order? Rage.

[ghporter]

It’s not you. I think it’s a combination of marketing not having a clue what draws customers and their trying to latch onto every tech trend “just in case it’s what they want”.

Using an app for ordering can make it simpler for customers. But requiring it essentially says you demand access to your customers’ phones. No, just no.

I do not want my blender to talk to the outside world. Nor my fridge, Nor (especially) my TV. I’m currently at something of a research standstill for a project I want to work on because all of the connectivity options for the <thing over there> to talk to my server include some middle-man (with their proprietary protocols and no idea what they might do with my data.

I will either find or create a way to get my data from point to point , and the Internet Of Things will have to go on without me.

[Thorzdad]

We went to a brewpub the other day, and it turned out to be one of those places that required you to scan a QR to see the menu. Ugh. Then, the menu says they add a 3% charge to the bill if you use a credit or debit card. Ugh, ugh. Luckily, we brought enough cash to cover the bill and tip (we always tip with cash.)

I also noted that we were, by far, the oldest folk in the place. Tons of 20-30-somethings around us, and every single one of them using cards to pay. For a generation that looooooves to bitch and moan about how they can’t afford shit, I guess they value convenience over anything else. And the acreage of ink on various arms, legs, necks, hands, etc. sure isn’t cheap either.

/old dude

[reader50]

Some years ago, I was in the grocery checkout. The 20-something ahead of me had his shoelaces untied. It pointed it out to him - no reaction.

Found out later it was a fad. Which fortunately, seems to have since faded away. I guess the stupidity got to everyone.

/don't care how old a dude you are. Try running in untied shoes, see how it goes.

[subego]

Seeing Halloween candy the first week of August.

[Thorzdad]

Xfinity looks to have gone belly-up in my area this morning. Everything is down until, at the soonest, 11:30. At least that’s what the blast text they sent to everyone says.

[ghporter]

We had Spectrum go out yesterday morning. Our Internet and VOIP “home phone” service (and TV, but we don’t have that service) was out for several hours. It seems to have been a “no signal” thing rather than authentication, but they haven’t said what the actual issue was.

They do send emails sort of like “We’re sorry but your Internet is down”. Umm. How am I going to get these emails if my Internet is down? There does not seem to be a way for the iPhone to detect that the WiFi it’s connected to doesn’t have an Internet connection, so it can’t automatically turn off WiFi, and while WiFi is on, cellular data ain’t.

On the other hand, they advanced their “fix time” from 2pm to 3pm to 4:30, but got it back up by 3:30.

[Thorzdad]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

There does not seem to be a way for the iPhone to detect that the WiFi it’s connected to doesn’t have an Internet connection, so it can’t automatically turn off WiFi, and while WiFi is on, cellular data ain’t.

Does the WiFi Assist control do that? It’s all the way down at the bottom of the Settings > Cellular screen. It’s supposed to automagically use cell data when wi-fi gets wonky. I’ve never used it, though, so what do I know?

[subego]

Thank you for pointing that out. I just turned it off. I want to know the WiFi’s not working.

[Laminar]

Did someone get a bonus for every UI convention they could obliterate with New Outlook? Here's the calendar in the sidebar. How would I switch it to show October?

[andi*pandi]

I would try the down arrow. Or the right arrow. Perhaps a combo: down-right- down-right-right-down-down-right-threedots?

[Laminar]

SIKE.

The down arrow collapses the month down to a single week. The right arrow moves you to today (but it's only a right arrow if your selected day is before today, it's a left arrow if you've selected a day in the future).



When you hover over the calendar arrows pop up on each side of the calendar that cycle you through the months.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Thorzdad 

It’s all the way down at the bottom of the Settings > Cellular screen. It’s supposed to automagically use cell data when wi-fi gets wonky.

The “all the way down at the bottom” part means that I have never really looked at that. However, it works by the quality of the WiFi connection. If my Internet connection is down, that doesn’t affect my home WiFi network’s signal quality, so it doesn’t help.

What I want is something that says “Hey, your WiFi ain’t connected to the webs!”.

[Thorzdad]

Hmmm...I know there’s always a “No internet connection” under the current network name in the Wi-Fi settings screen. Bit, yeah, there’s no notification on the main screen.

[subego]

Safari or Messages going nowhere is my notification. Not as good as an actual notification, but I use them enough it’s close.

[andi*pandi]

I spent too long yesterday wondering why I kept missing calls and then found my phone had been set to do not disturb. which gremlin did that?

[subego]

I almost always have that on.

I have “double call rings through” set, and the important people have been briefed.

[andi*pandi]

I have night mode, but this was the day and dr offices etc. Playing phone tag w dr offices is a PITA.

[Laminar]

M I C R O S O F T

I have a OneNote I've been keeping work notes in for the last 5 years. This is OneNote from Office '16. It has managed to stick around through several different iterations of Office local and eventually online. I want to start using "OneNote for Windows 10" (OneDrive based) so that I can sync the notes with the cloud and not lose everything. I can export my notebook, but the latest OneNote and the online OneNote have no accommodation to import a notebook.

Microsoft has a separate website, the OneNote Import website. You have to log in with your Microsoft ID before it will let you import, but it takes a local OneNote archive and uploads it to your OneDrive so you can access it via ONfW10 or office online.

Except the website doesn't accept Microsoft Business accounts, only personal accounts. So anyone using OneNote for work CANNOT import a local notebook into the latest software.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OneNote/com...ne_account_to/

[andi*pandi]

how many people actually pay for microsoft personal accounts? vs business?

[Brien]

Originally Posted by Thorzdad 

I’ve been on a kick watching first-listen-reaction videos, and past episodes of Hot Ones on YouTube, via the YT Roku app. Sweet Jeebus, is it an ordeal.

The number of ads, of course, are gargantuan. Just ridiculous. Way beyond the volume you get in broadcast tv. The thing I’m starting to get extremely annoyed by is the way the app keeps trying to get me to log-in to my YT/Google account.

The barrier keeps getting taller every time I use the thing. It used to be a simple “for a better experience” popup that was easy to dismiss. Then, they added a screen to “choose” an account” before you even got in. Luckily, that screen had a “guest” entry point. Now, in addition to that, once you get in there’s nothing but a big “login to your YT account” field that can’t be dismissed. After some fumbling around, I found that the search field was still useable, and doing so gets you around the big cockblock.

Now, if logging in actually gave me something in return (like a diminished number of ads, for instance) I might consider doing so. But, I know it just for tracking and data-mining purposes, so nope.

I guess I could just make a new YT-specific account and be done with it.

Apple TV app is the same way. I assume they will eventually remove guest functionality entirely.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by subego 

Safari or Messages going nowhere is my notification. Not as good as an actual notification, but I use them enough it’s close.

I usually figure out my Internet connection isn’t by having web pages not load. Which is not a good way to find out about it. Ideally I’d like to have my device say “By the way, WiFi is working great, but the rest of the world just went away” about the time the Internet connection stops.

[Waragainstsleep]

Originally Posted by Brien 

Apple TV app is the same way. I assume they will eventually remove guest functionality entirely.

Can you even watch anything on AppleTV without an account/subscription?

[andi*pandi]

sometimes they have "free" first episodes of series etc.

[Brien]

Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep 

Can you even watch anything on AppleTV without an account/subscription?

Sorry, to clarify, the tvOS YT app. Not the ATV app.

[Laminar]

I'm suddenly not getting certain notifications, maybe since I got my new Apple watch a couple weeks ago? Specifically missing Microsoft Family Safety and Microsoft Authenticator notifications. If I go into the app I can see what I need, but nothing pops up. Obviously I've turned those notifications off and back on in Settings and everything is configured correctly. Every online help article only tells me to do those steps, there are no other given solutions.

[ghporter]

Not so minor: stupid late summer cold. Grr.

[subego]

Car wash tore off my rear wiper. Glad I noticed it.

[andi*pandi]

what, the little baggie they put on didn't protect it?

[subego]

Oh, I’m sure it was protected.

[Laminar]

nEw OuTlOoK

In Old Outlook™ when you'd go to the Attachment button, it would prepopulate with any recent documents you'd saved on your computer. So if I just finished up a word doc or excel sheet or saved a PDF, Outlook would have that in a quick access list to attached.

No more. Outlook's main priority is to get you to upload your attachments to OneDrive in hopes that you fill up the free OneDrive and start paying for more storage (just like iCloud photo storage). They also set it up so you can't just drag and drop a file onto the email to attach it - if you drop it on the left side, it will upload to OneDrive and share a link. On the right side, it will actually attach. Now I have to shuffle windows around every time I want to attach something.



To add insult to injury, every time you have the audacity to attach an item for real, it pops up a message shaming you for being a dumb idiot that attaches files.

[Thorzdad]

YouTube.
I primarily watch YT via the Roku app, which is even worse than the YT site. Anyway...

Normally, the suggestions that the algo populates to me are more-or-less reasonably ok. They tend to fit what I’ve been watching. Over the last couple of weeks, though, I’ve been deep-diving the videos of my latest LGBTQ+ crushes, and I’ve noticed more and more quite obviously far-right “anti woke” “this’ll pwn the libs” “taylor swift is stupid” etc. vids showing up in my suggestions. Today, I started seeing vids by fucking James Dobson!

The very interesting thing is, if I swing back into stuff like music-reaction videos for awhile, the right-wing suggestions disappear. Nice and subtle, that.

[Thorzdad]

I used to run, until a back injury ended all that. But, I still live my life in running shoes because it’s just more comfortable for me. I tend to wear a pair until they are at death’s door, and, over the past few months, I have been searching for a new pair, which has turned into a damned ordeal.

I will readily admit I can be a bit of a snowflake about how my shoes fit and feel. I live in them, afterall. First, I need a wide shoe, which immediately restricts my options. Nike is out, as everything they make seems to be designed to fit the narrowest possible foot. My go-to brand in the past, Asics, used to have nice roomy toeboxes in their regular-size shoes, but they seem to have jumped on the narrow train, too. Luckily, Asics also offers wide sizes in almost all their models. Yay.

A couple of things about modern running shoes are driving me mad, though. First is the obsession with super-sized cushioning. It’s crazy. It’s become nearly impossible to find a good pair of shoes that don’t feel like you’re wearing platform shoes. I feel very unstable in such shoes, being lifted so high. I blame Hoka for starting the trend, but everyone seems to have followed suit.

There’s also a trend toward non-padded tongues in shoes. You see a lot of shoes now where the tongue is just a thin, thin strip of rubberized material. No padding. It’s very uncomfortable (to me, anyway.)

As I said above, I tend to need wide shoes. While a lot of maker offer wides, the color choices for wides are usually pretty limited. Like, maybe, black or gray. You’ll look on a website and see all the cool colors a shoe comes in, then click “wide” and your selections drop to black, gray, or, if you’re lucky, some odd shade you can’t identify.

And, of course, there’s the ordeal of actually finding a store that has anything close to what I need in stock. Almost no one stocks wides, and, if they do, it’ll be something like size 13-wide. I’ve had to resort to blindly ordering online (Amazon, usually), trying them on, then sending them back when they don’t work out. And, of course, because sizes vary so much, I have to order multiple sizes of the same shoe to hopefully find the one that fits.

Yeah, I’m a fucking snowflake.

[Waragainstsleep]

I've always struggled with shoes because my feet are wide too.

I've always lived in trainers (sneakers to most of you I guess), I don't to fret about whether they are intended for running, cross-training, basketball or whatever. When I was a teenager I used to go to the one store that stocked shoes above the usual sizes and try on the 3 pairs they had and pick the most comfortable. Shoes here stock up to size 11 (UK) as standard, you get the odd size 12 but no regular high street stores ever stocked anything bigger.
Leather work shoes or dress shoes I have to get from specialists but luckily no-one ever invites me anywhere I need those so I haven't owned a pair in years. I might one have one kicking around the house somewhere. Not sure.
An ex-girlfriend (who was an absolute nightmare to go clothes shopping with every single time) once made me try on a pair of size 11 leather shoes and got furious when I could get my feet into them, having made her try various places looking for larger sizes. Three months later they burst at the seams because they weren't wide enough.

Nowadays I buy one pair of black trainers so most people don't notice if I wear them to something reasonably formal and live in them until they die. Then I buy another identical pair. I'm on my 5th pair of New Balances I think. Maybe 6th. They've doubled in price since I bought the first pair.

[Thorzdad]

I’m wearing an old pair of New Balances now, that I’ve just about destroyed. I sort of got them at the last minute, so they never fit quite right, but they were close enough at the time. I’ve tried a couple pairs of New Balances recently. They kind of fit, but they also had the ridiculous thick stack. Wasn’t a fan. They looked great, though.

I have a pair of Asics GT-2000s coming. We’ll see. The only choices in a wide were black or an odd shade of pale orange. Not a fan of black. I don’t go anywhere nice, so orange it was.

[reader50]

Are you a fan of velcro-strap shoes? I got tired of shoelaces ages ago, but some people seem to like laces.

Anyway, I buy Avia Avi Union-II shoes. They're sort-of sneakers, but seem mostly geared to working people on their feet a lot. Choices are white, grey, black. Lots of sizes, with Wide and X-Wide options.

I find them comfortable, though they don't seem to last as long as types I got in the past. Usually last several months on the job.

[Thorzdad]

Not a big fan of velcro, myself. My grandkids might get a kick out of grandpa wearing velcro, though.

The Asics arrived. They’re nice, but the color is...ugh. I was expecting a kind of dusty desert orange, and it’s more like a pastel peachy orange. My wife says they look like women’s shoes. Nuts.

[subego]

Am I the only one who once I find a shoe I like I get multiple pairs and cycle them?

I recently ordered a pair of handmade boots. Minor irritation is 3-6 month wait.

[reader50]

After finding a good shoe, I do stock ahead. In case they get discontinued. But I don't cycle them. Break out a new pair, after the last one dies.

If you cycle them, they all wear at the same time. Until you're wearing worn shoes all the time. Until you have to replace a bunch all at once.

[subego]

In theory, the total time they last is longer with cycling. Idea is it gives the material more time to uncompress between poundings.

They do have to be replaced all at once though.