[subego]

There’s a book with a character “Mycroft Soft”. I just now figured out it’s a pun on Microsoft.

I read this book in 1992.

[subego]

YouTube thought it would be funny to lie and tell me I deleted every single video on my channel.

[andi*pandi]

[Laminar]

Have you created your new YouTube handle yet?

[subego]

I’ve only half-looked into it. I think our handle is just going to be our channel name.

[ghporter]

Every cell phone in existence that has a camera lacks one very important feature. A by-default “you’re an idiot” camera mode. Let me explain.

My wife and I went to a nice little venue here in San Antonio called The Magic Theater. It’s cozy, intimate, even. The program was a string quartet playing science fiction and fantasy-themed music, and they were really good. The venue, and the quartet asked (strongly urged) everyone in the audience to turn off their phones so they wouldn’t bother everyone else; this was like 93% successful.

But just before they started the last piece, the leader of the quartet said “this is our last number, so feel free to take pictures and videos.” Strangely it was not the horror show I expected. But here’s where the “you’re an idiot mode” comes in.

You’re in a dark theater, and the theme of the series is “candlelight concerts” so there are a bazillion (electric/LED) candles everywhere. It was a good approximation of hundreds of real candles as far as illumination goes. So you want to take a picture in this dark, “candle” lit space. Of course your phone’s camera sees the darkness and says “SuperNova Flash activated!” Repeat a few dozen times.

The YAI mode should be able to tell you’re too dumb to manually adjust the settings to actually get an image that reflects what you see, and should display “You can’t take pictures here with the current settings” or something else that could (possibly) make a reasonable person realize that they’re about to channel a teenage girl in 1966 with an Instamatic camera at a Beatles concert, and do something about it.

Or it could just refuse to work without comment. I like that option because the idiots will get all wrapped up in messing around with the phone and miss stuff - like the way their urge to take crappy pictures gets in the way of other people’s enjoyment of whatever’s going on.

I was always told “don’t complain unless you can offer a suggestion to address what you’re complaining about,” thus this suggestion.

[Spheric Harlot]

Yes.

[subego]

My 11-year-old iPad 2 needs to be taken behind the barn.

Still boots, but won’t charge past 1%.

Even though the display is archaic, the iPad 2 is one of my favorite models because the battery life was just fuckin’ sick.

R.I.P.

[Thorzdad]

Originally Posted by subego 

My 11-year-old iPad 2 needs to be taken behind the barn.

Still boots, but won’t charge past 1%.

Even though the display is archaic, the iPad 2 is one of my favorite models because the battery life was just fuckin’ sick.

R.I.P.

Heh. My OG iPadAir doesn’t last 30 seconds if I take it off the charger. As long as it’s on the charger it says 100%.

[Waragainstsleep]

iPad batteries are fun. By which I mean they are no fun to change whatsoever.

[andi*pandi]

ipads were really well designed. The ones I had only had to be abandoned due to battery issues or lack of upgrades.

[Waragainstsleep]

Originally Posted by andi*pandi 

ipads were really well designed. The ones I had only had to be abandoned due to battery issues or lack of upgrades.

Might argue an un-replaceable battery is a big design flaw. But we all know that.

[reader50]

Originally Posted by Waragainstsleep 

Might argue an un-replaceable battery is a big design flaw. But we all know that.

I was thinking the same thing. "This car is very reliable. Except for the engine."

[subego]

We can slag the choice, but it’s not unreplaceable. It’s not user-replaceable.

As an aside, I don’t think my iPad 2 necessarily succumbed to a dead battery. Instinct tells me the charging circuitry is fried, which I’ve seen happen before to old iPad 2s.

[ghporter]

Agreed. The battery in my MBP still charges and lasts quite a while, but it’s not nearly as long as it “should be,” and the OS says the battery needs service. There’s an iFixit guide to replace that battery…but it’s not only a slow and physically challenging task, but it takes a combination of tools that I don’t have. I’ll pay an Apple Store to have the battery replaced sometime in the future.

[subego]

Does the Apple Store allow walk-ins now? Due to needing an appointment, I abandoned it for local places where they let me drop stuff off whenever.

[Thorzdad]

I think they do, but they’re usually so busy that you’re much better off making an appointment.

[ghporter]

...especially for something like a battery replacement. When I replaced the battery in my iPhone 8 a while back, it was a "process" that they did in-house and while I waited. But it wasn't trivial, even with a phone. iPads and laptops would be more, and even more challenging. And I'm comfortable with fully backing up my MPB in case changing the battery out meant wiping the drive.

Yes, I'd still consider getting a "not user accessible" battery changed out a minor irritant, but when the poor battery performance goes from minor irritant to major pain, that's a tradeoff I'd go for.

[subego]

Thankfully, I’ve never needed a battery replacement with a device I was actively using, so I’ve always dropped it off, and make a point of telling them to take as much time as they want.

My technophobe friend needed a replacement on the phone he was using, so I took him to my regular place. Took about 20 minutes. One of the things I like about this place is rather than the typically antiseptic waiting room, theirs is packed with nerd shit, so browsing that made the time pass quickly.

[subego]

I’ve been trying to get more coverage with my dad’s AirPort based Wi-Fi network for months now, and it’s just not working properly. Never had this problem with AirPorts before.

Kinda done trying to deal with the irritant, so I’m considering a fresh start. Since I’ve always used AirPorts I’m completely out of the loop when it comes to Wi-Fi access points. Anyone wanna sell me on an alternative?

[subego]

I’m sure everyone will jump my shit for being irritated by this, but I’ve come to the end of my supply of 75 watt, long-life incandescent bulbs, and everyone’s left the business.

I’ll have to give simulating incandescent dimming with Hues another shot.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by subego 

I’ve been trying to get more coverage with my dad’s AirPort based Wi-Fi network for months now, and it’s just not working properly. Never had this problem with AirPorts before.

Kinda done trying to deal with the irritant, so I’m considering a fresh start. Since I’ve always used AirPorts I’m completely out of the loop when it comes to Wi-Fi access points. Anyone wanna sell me on an alternative?

Our fiber internet provider supplied us with an Eero router. I added the Eero Beacon mesh thing and we've never had better reception through the whole house. I've tried the fancy gaming routers with five antennas and all sorts of extenders and stuff but the Eero Just Works™. With every other router I'd have to do a reset every week or so, this one I haven't touched in months. The two devices cover 3 stories and 3000+ square feet of house at speeds as fast as my devices can handle.

Edit: And the Beacon has a light-sensitive nightlight which works perfectly for the upstairs hallway. Didn't know that going in but it's a nice feature.

[ShortcutToMoncton]

Was Eero the one bought by Amazon? I’ve heard absolutely great things about it from a coverage perspective. Any idea if Amazon did anything related to privacy or integrated data harvesting?

[subego]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Our fiber internet provider supplied us with an Eero router. I added the Eero Beacon mesh thing and we've never had better reception through the whole house. I've tried the fancy gaming routers with five antennas and all sorts of extenders and stuff but the Eero Just Works™. With every other router I'd have to do a reset every week or so, this one I haven't touched in months. The two devices cover 3 stories and 3000+ square feet of house at speeds as fast as my devices can handle.

Edit: And the Beacon has a light-sensitive nightlight which works perfectly for the upstairs hallway. Didn't know that going in but it's a nice feature.

Good deal! Thanks! I just ordered one up!

[OAW]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

Was Eero the one bought by Amazon? I’ve heard absolutely great things about it from a coverage perspective. Any idea if Amazon did anything related to privacy or integrated data harvesting?

I've had Eero's for years. And I was dismayed when they were purchased by Amazon. Along with Ring. Now at the time Amazon stated that it was "not changing a word of Eero's privacy policy".

https://www.theverge.com/2019/3/12/1...privacy-policy

But, of course, that was three year's ago. From a technical perspective my Eero setup has been rock-solid. A truly "set it and forget it" experience.

OAW

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by ShortcutToMoncton 

Was Eero the one bought by Amazon? I’ve heard absolutely great things about it from a coverage perspective. Any idea if Amazon did anything related to privacy or integrated data harvesting?

Even if they haven't yet: what possible reason could they have for buying the company, beyond eventually harvesting user data?

[Waragainstsleep]

Originally Posted by Spheric Harlot 

Even if they haven't yet: what possible reason could they have for buying the company, beyond eventually harvesting user data?

I suppose they might have had plans to use Eero tech in Alexa type hardware of some kind but since they have kept the brand going, data harvesting seems more likely.

[subego]

I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if the voices of millions of attorneys cried out and their summer homes were suddenly paid-off.

[Laminar]

Probably this:

https://www.npr.org/2021/06/02/10025...ss-you-opt-out

Every intrusion by a tech company is just seeing how much they can get away with right now so they can get away with more later. If my neighbor is allowed access to my wifi, then they're on my local network. There's probably some kind of VLAN in place to keep them separate, at least until there's not.

[Thorzdad]

The Xfinity gateway is the same. Out of the box, it transmits an open Xfinity hotspot. In the past, you could disable the hotspot, but it would be re-enabled with every firmware update (or even a simple power-cycling, if I recall correctly) You need to be an Xfinity customer to use it, but still. I don't think it counts against your monthly data cap, though, but I really don't know.

[Laminar]

[Thorzdad]

At least you got a reply. I’ve gotten texts like that from medical providers and I never get a confirmation that my reply registered.

[subego]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Probably this:

https://www.npr.org/2021/06/02/10025...ss-you-opt-out

Every intrusion by a tech company is just seeing how much they can get away with right now so they can get away with more later. If my neighbor is allowed access to my wifi, then they're on my local network. There's probably some kind of VLAN in place to keep them separate, at least until there's not.

It probably doesn’t help them not to sandbox things, but I don’t necessarily trust them to build a good sandbox.

[Brien]

Viva Insights. Focus Modes. ‘Suggested’ Replies. Smart Folders. Reply Reminders.

Who is asking for all this crap?

[Waragainstsleep]

Focus mode is actually ok.

[subego]

I preferred the original Do Not Disturb.

Phone asleep, nothing. Phone awake, everything. Always consistent.

[Brien]

Yep.

It's like, either most people are exceptionally lazy and/or companies are pushing through bad AI because reasons.

[subego]

I honestly think you ought to calm down; take a stress pill and think things over.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by subego 

I honestly think you ought to calm down; take a stress pill and think things over.

Let an AI recommend you a soothing YouTube video to watch and unwind.

[ghporter]

CAN’T WE HAVE THANKSGIVING (US) BEFORE WE SATURATE EVERYTHING WITH HO-HO-FREAKIN’-HO? PLEASE!!!!

It’s not that marketing is skipping over a bigger “family-oriented” holiday than either Halloween or Christmas that bugs me, or even the “Christmas music/ads/displays/etc.” coming earlier and earlier every year, as much as simply ignoring Thanksgiving entirely. Maybe we need to start a “Thanksgiving Giftgiving” tradition or something to get the money behind something other than selling turkeys and string bean casserole fixings…

[Laminar]

[subego]

I’m all out of bubblegum.

[ghporter]

Yup.

[Laminar]

Every single day I click the three dots and select "See fewer items from this category," and every single day I see (presumably) high school girl cleavage in my Marketplace results.

[subego]

You’re a size 4? Totally jelly.

[reader50]

They're sure you will buy engine parts and women's clothing soon. Holiday gifts for yourself and wife. Perhaps you did that at some point in years past.

Can't leave money sitting on the table.

[Laminar]

Boats and engines are daily clicks for me on Facebook. Clothing of any kind, let alone clothing for teenage girls, has never been a click or purchase for me. Mind you, it's not general women's clothing - it's ALWAYS either prom dresses, or some form of revealing ass/cleavage outfit. I guess I'm not sure why people keep trying to come up with "reasonable" excuses for why Facebook would be showing me this other than, "People with your interests tend to come back more often when we sprinkle ass and cleavage into their search results."

[andi*pandi]

"why are we showing you this ad?" Other male people from age 20-60 clicked on this also. Aren't we thoughtful?

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Every single day I click the three dots and select "See fewer items from this category," and every single day I see (presumably) high school girl cleavage in my Marketplace results.

Somebody else on your connection (or very near you, if you're on cable) is interested in those things.

[reader50]

I don't have a FB account. Ads elsewhere do not try and sell me prom dresses on any consistent basis. The closest I can think of is YouTube occasionally can't decide what sex I am, based on my viewing habits. So I sometimes get ads for women's weight-loss products or other medicines. This does not produce sales.

Oh, and for about a week, YT served me German-language ads out of the blue. Kinda cool. Until I noticed they make the same mistake with German ads as with English ads: playing the same ones 100x. C'mon guys, ads are like jokes. They can even be good for the first 1-3 times. But they're less valuable the more times they're played. Skip the ad targeting, and give us a bigger ads pool. Less repetition for the win.