*** begin quote ***
The AT&T Photo Storage app was discontinued on October 20, 2025. To ensure your treasured memories are safe, please make sure to retrieve your stored photos and videos before February 1, 2026.
*** end quote ***
the AT&T ashcan!
Of course, no reduction in price. Argh!
#AT&T_ashcan, #Google Graveyard
Technology’s version of shrinkflation!!!
— 30 —
Leave a Comment » | 
Technology | Tagged: #AT&T_ashcan, #Google Graveyard, Google Graveyard, the AT&T ashcan | 
Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
AirDrop is finally coming to Android, but only if you have this phone
By Mahnoor Faisal
Published 21 hours ago << EDITOR ADDED DATE 2025-11-21>>
*** begin quote ***
Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:
Summary
*** end quote ***
I’ve been using LocalSend for my transfers between devices (i.e., mac osx, iOS, and android).
Free and easy.
Share files to nearby devices.
Free, open-source, cross-platform.
What more could one want?
— 30 —
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: Mahnoor Faisal, makeuseof.com | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
https://www.dunkindonuts.com/en/account/dunkinrewards
*** begin quote ***
Dear Ferdinand Reinke,
Thank you for taking the time to contact Dunkin’.
To add a Dunkin’ card to the Dunkin’ App, please follow these steps:
1. Expand the menu in the top left-hand corner.
2. Tap “Add/Manage Cards”.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the screen and tap “Add a Dunkin’ Card”.
i. If you have an existing card that you want to add, select Yes and enter the details. If not, select No to purchase a virtual card.
4. Select your card design and tap “Done,” and then “Done” on the next screen to complete registration.
To add a Dunkin’ card using our website, please follow these steps:
To remove a card from the Dunkin’ Mobile App, select the card you want to delete and tap “Delete Card.” (Please note that if the card is not at a $0 balance, you will not be able to remove it from the account.) Before you complete the deletion, write down the card number and PIN in case you want to re-register the card later. Removing a card from the app will also unregister it from your account, and unregistered cards will no longer earn points or rewards.
If you have any further questions, please reply to this email, or give us a call. Our support team can be reached at 800-447-0013, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET.
Thanks again for contacting us.
Customer Care Coordinator
Case# CCC6870586
*** end quote ***
My réponse:
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: @dunkindonuts, DunkinDonuts | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15210077/reality-internet-meltdown-amazon-aws.html
The alarming reality EXPOSED by the global internet meltdown… and why Amazon’s crash is only the beginning
By HARRIET ALEXANDER, US SENIOR FEATURES WRITER
Published: 15:37 EDT, 20 October 2025 | Updated: 08:35 EDT, 21 October 2025
*** begin quote ***
By 11:43am ET on Monday, over eight hours after the first sign of trouble, Amazon sounded optimistic that the end was in sight.
‘We have narrowed down the source of the network connectivity issues that impacted AWS Services,’ the company said. ‘The root cause is an underlying internal subsystem responsible for monitoring the health of our network load balancers.’
They said they were deliberately slowing some services ‘to aid recovery’ and were still ‘actively working on mitigations.’
*** end quote ***
Having once ran an IT tech support group for AT&T PBXs, I sympathize with the poor souls with an impossible task. Six 9’s is the standard — .999999 reliability — that’s about 3 seconds of downtime per year. Sometimes you just need to lucky. And, you better have a fantastic testing strategy since every change that’s introduced into this tech version of Jenga has the potential to bring down the whole shaky stack.
End Users need to plan for those outages which as in this case can last for hours.
Hopefully we never have one of those
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: dailymail.co.uk, HARRIET ALEXANDER | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
https://arstechnica.com/cars/2025/10/software-update-bricks-some-jeep-4xe-hybrids-over-the-weekend/
don’t OTA on Friday
Software update bricks some Jeep 4xe hybrids over the weekend
Jonathan M. Gitlin – Oct 13, 2025 10:10 AM
*** begin quote ***
Owners of some Jeep Wrangler 4xe hybrids have been left stranded after installing an over-the-air software update this weekend. The automaker pushed out a telematics update for the Uconnect infotainment system that evidently wasn’t ready, resulting in cars losing power while driving and then becoming stranded.
*** end quote ***
Laugh! Thanks for the advice to ignore the update. A little late; no?
A good reason not to allow any car to do “over the air” updates unless it’s parked at home?
Or a good reason not to buy any such car!
Anyone wonder why I wait a week to apply updates? I’m as scared of the “update” as I am mildly “scared” of the problems it fixes.
How does one backup and restore an old version of your car’s software?
IDK !? !? !?
Do you?
— 30 —
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: arstechnica.com, Jonathan M. Gitlin | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
I get these emails every week, but they’re actually a scam
By Gavin Phillips — Published 23 hours ago
<< EDITOR ADDED DATE 2025-09-27>>
*** begin quote ***
Thunderbird’s spam filters need some better training, that’s for sure, as even after marking so many of these repeat offenders as spam, they reappear. I’m not even sure how some aren’t flagged, as they’re clearly scams.
It’s also interesting that there is a range of tolerance to the spam that lands. Some are clearly phishing emails waiting to snag my data, while others look less dangerous but have hidden threats.
It makes it all the more important I know what to look out for to keep my inbox and computer free from threats—and you should know, too.
*** end quote ***
SPAM emails seem to be a fact of life.
Google GMAIL seems to do a pretty good job of catching them. Especially after I’ve marked them.
What really annoys me is spam text messages. And, no matter how many times I mark and report they still keep coming. Is anyone at APPLE, AT&T, the FCC, or anyone listening? Argh!
Maybe if I got paid for each email message, except for pre-approved senders like family, friends, and email I asked for, then we could use “postage” to stamp out this annoyance.
— 30 —
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: APPLE, AT&T, the FCC | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
TLDR 2025-09-12
*** begin quote ***
That giant mountain of spreadsheets and screenshots standing between your startup and your success.
*** end quote ***
Why hasn’t someone come out with a simple way to “compile” a spreadsheet?
Once I’ve “perfected” my spreadsheet, why can’t I “freeze” into an app. That app would allow input BUT, (and there is always a BIG butt), not allow formulas or formatting changes.
When I was the bar manager at my local American Legion post, I had several spreadsheets for various functions. Unfortunately, I couldn’t share them with my team because invariably some one would mess it up the formulas or format. So even when we got square to take credit cards, my data entry work didn’t ease up; it increased. Argh!
I could have coded an app in assembler, Fortran, or COBOL, but why bother? That was more work than just entering, and in some cases, reentering the same data. Luckly, COVID came an killed the Post’s business. Thanks to Gooferment diktats and no reduction in fees to non-profits, we went from stay afloat to being underwater. Argh!
I still would like de able to “freeze” a spreadsheet. Maybe I should apply to Apple, Microsoft, or Google to develop it for them. I don’t see them doing much to advance spreadsheet technology?
FWIW!
# – # – # – # – #
p.s., I’d like some TLDR swag. Laugh!
https://refer.tldr.tech/3dabce84/
— 30 —
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: Spreadsheet, TLDR, tldrnewsletter | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
MAC OSX 26 upgrade
2025-Sep-15
2025-Sep-16 0911
2025-Sep-16 1150
2025-Sep-19 1000
— 30 —
Leave a Comment » | MAC OSX | Tagged: MACOSX, OS26 upgrade | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Words matter
The fight against labeling long-term streaming rentals as “purchases” you “buy”
Scharon Harding – Aug 29, 2025 5:51 PM
*** begin quote ***
Words have meaning. Proper word selection is integral to strong communication, whether it’s about relaying one’s feelings to another or explaining the terms of a deal, agreement, or transaction.
*** and ***
Often, streaming services like Amazon Prime Video offer customers the options to “rent” digital content for a few days or to “buy” it. Some might think that picking “buy” means that they can view the content indefinitely. But these purchases are really just long-term licenses to watch the content for as long as the streaming service has the right to distribute it—which could be for years, months, or days after the transaction.
A lawsuit [PDF] recently filed against Prime Video challenges this practice and accuses the streaming service of misleading customers by labeling long-term rentals as purchases. The conclusion of the case could have implications for how streaming services frame digital content.
*** end quote ***
I think the “high water mark” is when we bought CDs with the belief that we could always have the content.
I got burned buying content on cassettes and 8 tracks. Then having to buy the “content” when the player were sent to the technology equivalent of the Google Graveyard.
This is just another instance of the same fraud all over again. And again. And again.
If they said “buy”, then they have stuck themselves with a “deal” they had no intention of fulfilling. To me, that’s fraud!
— 30 —
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: arstechnica.com, long-term rentals, Prime Video, SCHARON HARDING | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Dropbox says it’s time to find a new password manager as it prepares to shut down service
By Ryan McNeal 21 hours ago
<< EDITOR ADDED DATE 2025-07-31>>
*** begin quote ***
Dropbox Passwords users will soon have to find a new password manager to store their passwords, usernames, and other sensitive data. The company will be shutting down the service in the next couple of months.
Dropbox has announced that it is preparing to sunset its password manager. According to a help center document, the decision was made so that the company can “focus on enhancing other features in our core product.” The full service is scheduled to be discontinued on October 28, 2025, but the shutdown will be carried out in phases.
*** end quote ***
“Sunsetting”? Argh! Call it what it is “shrinkflation”.
Why they ever pursued it is beyond me.
And, they don’t suggest BITWARDEN which is basically free.
Is OnePassword or Lastpass an affiliate link?
Argh!
— 30 —
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: @androidauthority, androidauthority, DROPBOX, Google Graveyard, Ryan McNeal | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
I was thinking the other night, when the local TV and Comcast weren’t “speaking” to each other, why can’t I just use an app on my phone to debug the problem?
Everything was on the same LAN. We had the TV remote and the Cable remote.
But wasn’t that completely unnecessary?
… …
Also I’ve been a sports bars where the patrons were forced to watch whatever was on at the time, when voting to change the channel could have easily been accommodated by a common app.
And, how about putting on the closed caption feature for those of us who need it. Rather than forcing us to buy an expensive hearing aid.
… …
Seems like technology is letting us all down.
Argh!
— 30 —
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: remote control, TV | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Microsoft is killing its ChromeOS competitor:
Back in 2021, Microsoft announced Windows 11 SE as a lightweight platform to rival Google’s ChromeOS, but now, the company is pulling the plug on the offshoot.
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: Google Graveyard | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2025/07/how-solid-protocol-restores-digital-agency.html
Schneier on Security
*** begin quote ***
How Solid Protocol Restores Digital Agency
The current state of digital identity is a mess. Your personal information is scattered across hundreds of locations: social media companies, IoT companies, government agencies, websites you have accounts on, and data brokers you’ve never heard of. These entities collect, store, and trade your data, often without your knowledge or consent. It’s both redundant and inconsistent. You have hundreds, maybe thousands, of fragmented digital profiles that often contain contradictory or logically impossible information. Each serves its own purpose, yet there is no central override and control to serve you—as the identity owner.
*** and ***
The economics of Web 2.0 pushed us toward centralized platforms and surveillance capitalism, but there has always been a better way. Solid brings different pieces together into a cohesive whole that enables the identity-first architecture we should have had all along. The protocol doesn’t just solve technical problems; it corrects the fundamental misalignment of incentives that has made the modern web increasingly hostile to both users and developers.
As we look to a future of increased digitization across all sectors of society, the need for this architectural shift becomes even more apparent. Individuals should be able to maintain and present their own verified digital identity and history, rather than being at the mercy of siloed institutional databases. The Solid protocol makes this future technically possible.
This essay was written with Davi Ottenheimer, and originally appeared on The Inrupt Blog①
*** end quote ***
Good luck wresting control of “digital identity” from the all-powerful omniscient Gooferment. Never mind the technology giants like Google, Facebook, and Apple. And, of course, the completely subservient “We, The Sheeple” who don’t know how they are getting <synonym for the past tense of the procreation act.>!
Argh!
— 30 —
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: Davi Ottenheimer, digital identity, incentives, Schneier, Schneier on Security, Security | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Download your photos before AT&T shuts down its cloud storage service permanently
Written by Lance Whitney, Contributor
July 22, 2025 at 8:33 a.m. PT
Reviewed by Elyse Betters Picaro
*** begin quote ***
Starting Oct. 20, 2025, AT&T Photo Storage will stop backing up your files. At that time, the app will be removed from Apple’s App Store and Google Play. The service itself, however, will still remain available until Feb. 1, 2026, at which point your stored photos will vanish as well.
*** end quote ***
Of course, the monthly nut I pat to AT&T will OF COURSE be reduced proportional to the cost of this service.
Yeah, right.
It’s just a technological form of our old friend, SHRINKFLATION!
Back in the day when I worked for Old Ma Bell, no one would dare harm the Customer. It was part of the credo, ethic, or morals of the employees.
Then Judge Green broke up the “monopoly” and the USA went from a stellar phone service to a mixed jumble of offerings. Bell Labs and Wester Electric were fatal casualties of the distruction.
Were phone calls “cheaper”? The phones certainly weren’t a durable and the politicians and bureaucrats ruled “rates” at all levels of Gooferment.
Unfortunately, unlike the leadership of IBM who told the Gooferment to go <synonym for the act of procreation> themselves, Ma Bell just rolled over and played dead.
Roll the clock forward and we have expensive phones and service (such as it is) and the AT&T ASHcan!
Argh!
— 30 —
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: AT&T, AT&T ASHcan, cloud, Cloud Storage, Elyse Betters Picaro, Google Graveyard, Lance Whitney, shrinkflation | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
https://www.makeuseof.com/genius-ways-to-use-airtags/?utm_source=MUO-NL
16 Genius Ways to Use Your AirTags (That Aren’t Just for Keys)
By Jack Mitchell
Published 2 days ago
<< EDITOR ADDED DATE 2025-07-10>>
*** begin quote ***
Track Mailed Items
If you’re sending a valuable item, sensitive documents, or something irreplaceable to friends or family, consider dropping an AirTag in the package (which they can return to you later). This way, you can track its journey to ensure it arrives at its destination, especially when delivering items overseas or sending gifts back and forth during the holidays.
*** end quote ***
Not sure if that’s allowed due to the battery?
FWIW I use them extensively.
And, I put their location (for example in the car) in the name (i.e., Rogue glove box 1/1/25) so i can find them when the battery needs replacing.
— 30 —
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: Jack Mitchell, makeuseof, MUO | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
How Do You Feel About Free VPNs?
Ben Stegner
<< EDITOR ADDED DATE 2025-06-29>>
*** begin quote ***
Security-minded folks usually advise against using free VPNs, since they have few privacy guarantees, lack features, and are slower compared to paid VPNs. However, depending on your purpose for using one, a free VPN can be suitable. If you’re just trying to see what a website looks like from another country, get around a block, or test what using a VPN is like before committing, they can work OK.
How do you feel about free VPNs; do you use them or stay far away? I wouldn’t use one all the time, but as a quick way to test something or get around a blockage, I would be open to them.
*** end quote ***
# – # – # – # – #
If it’s “free”, “you” are the product. I pay for anything that’s “free”. Sometimes in money; other times in data. I think a VPN is important enough to spend money on.
— 30 —
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: Ben Stegner, makeuseof.com, VPN | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
*** begin quote ***
Transition to LastPass for Safari: Replacing the legacy Mac desktop app
We’re replacing the LastPass Password Manager (Mac desktop app) with LastPass for Safari, a modern, secure, and optimized solution for managing your passwords on Mac.
*** end quote ***
FYI, I do NOT use Safari.
Argh!
I’ll be transitioning to BITWARDEN, which supports all platforms.
— 30 —
Leave a Comment » | SOFTWARE | Tagged: BITWARDEN, LastPass for Safari, LastPass Password Manager | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
https://www.androidauthority.com/amazon-freevee-app-shut-down-august-3573688/
Amazon’s Freevee app gets an expiry date, but here’s how to keep watching for free
Prime Video is the new home for all of Freevee’s ad-supported content.
By Pranob Mehrotra
July 3, 2025
*** begin quote ***
After announcing plans to wind down its free video streaming service late last year, Amazon has now confirmed that the Freevee app will finally be shut down in August. But there’s some good news for those who enjoy Freevee’s vast library of TV shows, movies, and live TV.
*** end quote ***
Remember if it’s “free”, then you are the product!
Now like the Google Graveyard, we have an “Amazon sunset”!
Amazon’s Dash buttons are no more. Remember the “Tide button”, and other product buttons to make reordering easy? I don’t remember Amazon “sunseting” other things. And certainly not as frequently as Google does.
— 30 —
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: amazon, Amazon Freevee, Amazon Sunset, androidauthority.com, Entertainment, Freevee, Google Graveyard, Pranob Mehrotra, Streaming | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
AN ORIGINAL THOUGHT
After sending an email to the wrong list of people, I wondered why I couldn’t have a “Mail Send Delay” universal option?
Can’t do it in GMAIL!
Can’t do it in APPLE MAIL!!
Can’t seem to find it in ANY EMAIL Client! ! !
Argh!
It’s as if every time you sealed an envelope, then you immediately had to run to the Post Office and send it out.
Argh!
Where are the User Interface coders getting their specs?
Certainly not from this User!
— 30 —
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: ANY EMAIL Client, APPLE MAIL, gmail | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
SOFTWARE: Found a strange software bug but don’t know who to blame
I downloaded my EKG from MYCHART into my MACOSX Sequoia 15.5 using FIREFOX 138.0.3 (aarch64).
No problem.
Went to attach it to an email. Problem. File’s not there?
Fist time in a long time I was befuddled.
Repeat the process.
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” — attributed to Einstein, Ben Franklin, and Rita Mae Brown
Same result.
Restart. Rinse and repeat. Same result.
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” — attributed to Einstein, Ben Franklin, and Rita Mae Brown
Try SAFARI version 18.5 (20621.2.5.11.8)
Rinse and repeat. Same result.
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting diffe rent results.” — attributed to Einstein, Ben Franklin, and Rita Mae Brown
Since I echo all my stuff into DROPBOX 224.4.4811 and the file is there as expected.
Attached it to my email and away it goes.
Now really confused.
Go back to FINDER version 15.5 and … …
<drum roll>
It’s there.
Argh!
I don’t know who to blame.
“It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a key.” — Sir Winston Churchill, in a radio broadcast in October 1939
I guess I’ll never know!
—30—
Leave a Comment » | SOFTWARE | Tagged: DROPBOX, Firefox, macOS Sequoia, MYCHART, safari, Winston Churchill | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
What Was Your Worst Data Loss Disaster?
Ben Stegner
1 day ago
<< EDITOR ADDED DATE 2025-04-24>>
# – # – # – # – #
MY REPSONSE
Back in the Wild West days of corporate computing, II used to have my own back up solution. Brought and paid for myself. It was a zip drive. Remeber good old Iomega devices. It was 10 megs that I controlled. Had my own program that I wrote in COBOL (shows you how long ago that was). Worked fine thru several IBM Thinkpad hard disk failures. Sigh!
Anyway some genious decided that there should be no foreign devices on the corporate network, All USB ports would be locked, All computers in the Window NT domain would be backed up by the domain admin team. Even floppy disks were prohibited and locked.
Having no choice, I did a lot of printing of stuff fo take home and emailing copies of working documents to a coworker and visa verse.
For about six months everything was fine. Then predictably my “workstation” that Thinkpad disk drive failed. Support dutifully replaced it and reinstalled the Operating System and started a restore from “Headquarters”.
Guess they never met Murphy.
Of course, I was idled for the better part of two days with about 50 meg of data “sped” down the undersized corporate network. Due dates be dammed. My status reports were on sentence. “Computer failed; Restore in progress; ETTR unknown.”
So it finally finished up after three DAYS, And NIGHTS! I sit down an logon. Guess what happens next? “File not found”, “File corrupt”. Another two days of “techincal magic” and everything now appears to work.
Go to open my latest — now behind schedule — “urgent” report. “File not found”.
I do a quick look and the back up data is SIX MONTHS old.
Apparent after great “STURM UND DRANG” we find out that the corporate backup system had never worked.
I do a not so quick inventory of my paper files that I had at home. And there is SOME stuff but not everything. (I was a very inefficient clerk. Especially when I am very annoyed.)
Leadership told me to “Stop Bitching” and “deal with it”.
Apparently, the various executives were going thru
# – # – # – # – #
Webform has — I guess — a size limit
# – # – # – # – #
Apparently, the various executives were going thru a similar “experience”.
I presume that they were not diligent about the corporate diktat that there was to be no “personal” data kept on “corporate computers”.
Never found out the full impact of the disaster.
But soon after IT leadership left for “other opportunities” and who bunch of “IT diktats” changed.
Laugh!
I too left soon after for a better opportunity and more money. Laugh!
About a year later the company was acquired and their IT was “absorbed” with a huge layoff.
I don’t know if the two are related.
Never looked back.
# – # – # – # – #
Thought this was a interesting memory.
Argh! Argh! Sigh!
—30—
Leave a Comment » | HARDWARE | Tagged: Ben Stegner | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Don’t call it a drone: Zipline’s uncrewed aircraft wants to reinvent retail
Tim Stevens – Apr 8, 2025 9:00 AM
*** begin quote ***
The inner portion of the Zipline P2 is lowered to the ground on a tether, facing into the wind, with a small propeller at the back. Doors on the bottom open when it touches the ground, depositing the cargo. Credit: Tim Stevens
The skies around Dallas are about to get a lot more interesting. No, DFW airport isn’t planning any more expansions, nor does American Airlines have any more retro liveries to debut. This will be something different, something liable to make all the excitement around the supposed New Jersey drones look a bit quaint.
Zipline is launching its airborne delivery service for real, rolling it out in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Mesquite ahead of a gradual spread that, if all goes according to plan, will also see its craft landing in Seattle before the end of the year. These automated drones can be loaded in seconds, carry small packages for miles, and deposit them with pinpoint accuracy at the end of a retractable tether.
It looks and sounds like the future, but this launch has been a decade in the making. Zipline has already flown more than 1.4 million deliveries and covered over 100 million miles, yet it feels like things are just getting started.
*** end quote ***
I was especially interest in their description of delivering blood in remote places in Africa. That could be used to deliver organs with less risk and fewer delays. A lot can be improved if their service is as promised. I imagine that some day, I would be able to ship stuff from my doorstep. Instacart, DoorDash, and UberEats may be in trouble.
—30—
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: arstechnica.com, Drone Delivery, Tim Stevens, ZIPLINE | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
https://www.androidauthority.com/esim-vs-physical-sim-experience-3539851/
I was ready to ditch physical SIMs forever — then my toddler threw my phone off a balcony
By Adamya Sharma
April 5, 2025
*** begin quote ***
Just before writing that wholly different article, my iPhone 15 Pro, on which my primary number was registered as an eSIM, met a dramatic end. While on holiday, my toddler decided my phone would look cool skydiving from a ninth-floor balcony. Spoiler Alert: It didn’t stick the landing. Not only did the iPhone’s screen shatter to pieces from one corner, but the grade 5 titanium frame literally tore from the antenna band. Not to mention the internal damage to other crucial components.
After mourning the loss and explaining to my child that phones aren’t actually meant to fly, I faced a new problem. I needed a new phone. And fast. Apple told me the phone can’t be fixed and will need to be replaced. Shedding tears of desperation, I swallowed the bitter pill and coughed up to buy the iPhone 16 Pro.
But here’s the catch. You can’t just pop into a store, grab a phone, and swap out the SIM anymore when you’re only using an eSIM. Sure, transferring an eSIM is usually as easy as scanning a QR code, but what happens when your old phone’s display is completely dead?
*** end quote ***
Never thought about this. Clearly, there needs to be a backup solution for an eSim.
I’m waiting.
—30—
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: @Adamya_s, androidauthority, eSims, iphone, Mobile, single point of failure, SPOF | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Why I Do All My Video and Voice Calls on WhatsApp
By John Awa-abuon
Published Nov 20, 2024
*** begin quote ***
WhatsApp is the natural choice for my video and voice calls because it just works—without any fuss. Whether I’m chatting with a friend in another time zone or hopping on a call while switching between devices, WhatsApp keeps everything seamless. Other apps may have their charm, but WhatsApp wins because it stays grounded in what matters: reliable connections, simple tools, and features that feel tailor-made for everyday life.
*** end quote ***
I’ve had it up for years but no one seems to use it even for chat and texts. With all the mischief going on, seems obvious.
I’ve invited some of my contacts (again) to try it.
Makes your comms snoop proof; why not.
And it’s completely free and platform independent
What more could you want?
—30—
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: John Awa-abuon, makeuseof.com | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Infrared drone used to rescue missing 78-year-old man on Christmas Eve
By Shane Galvin
Published Dec. 28, 2024, 2:43 a.m. ET
*** begin quote ***
California authorities used a heat-seeking drone to find an elderly man who went missing while going to fetch his mail on Christmas Eve.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s Malibu Search and Rescue Team sprung into action to locate the 78-year-old who suffers from early-onset dementia, according to an Instagram post.
Malibu SAR deployed several drones to help in the rescue — including one advanced drone that uses infrared heat-seeking technology to locate targets.
*** end quote ***
Seems like this is the future of “Search and Rescue”.
Looking at the picture, if it is the original untouched image, it’s obvious what it is.
This has implications in lost children, snipers at war, and who knows what else.
Seems like a new “mandatory” piece of gear in toolboxes around the world.
Maybe I could ever get branches off my roof easily,
—30—
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: Los Angeles, nypost, Shane Galvin | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14207135/canadian-runner-tina-lewis-arrested-india.html
Canadian tourist’s dire warning to others as she’s arrested in India over common tech device
By SHEILA FLYNN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
Published: 17:19 EST, 18 December 2024 | Updated: 18:40 EST, 18 December 2024
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A Canadian trail runner enjoying a months-long trip to India found herself in trouble with airport authorities in Goa after they detected an illegal item in her bag – a mini GPS device, forbidden under Indian law by legislation that’s nearly a century old.
Tina Lewis, who now lives in Colorado, had already been through multiple other Indian airports without problem when she caught the attention of security in Goa.
‘I brought my Garmin inReach device as I do for many of my international trips for camping, possible mountain adventures, and to use when there is no cell reception for safety as a solo female traveler,’ Lewis wrote on Instagram this week.
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WOW, wouldn’t have even occurred to me.
Isn’t every CELL PHONE a GPS device?
And, why would such a thing be illegal anywhere?
The only thing I can think of is to mark a target with GPS coordinates. But can’t you do that now with Google Earth or a topological map?
Sorry but this seems to be a case of an obsolete diktat by a Gooferment out of touch with technology.
Argh!
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FJohn Reinke
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