Thursday, November 27, 2025
RECENTLY, my problems with “DOWNTIME” for youth account have resumed.
It started with:
- A real child id account with picture
- A “ghost” child id account without picture
- An adult id that was duplicated.
Turned on, the child’s account limits and those limits were applied to my iPhone.
Argh!
— more coming —
In attempting to “fix” the problem(s):
- Had to wipe the iPhone to get rid of the “account limits”.
- The restore from iCloud backup never would complete and after three tries just wiped the iphone
- Restarting basically from a blank slate, WALLET didn’t restore or recover my passport or credit cars. Argh!
- Also, all the apps had to be reinstalled with lost “history”
- Every setting seemed to need a reset. Argh!
— more coming —
— 30 —
Leave a Comment » | 
ADMINISTRIVIA | Tagged: APPLE, IOS, iPad, iphone | 
Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Sunday, October 5, 2025
https://www.makeuseof.com/i-get-these-emails-every-week-but-theyre-actually-a-scam/?user=bXVvQHJlaW5rZS5jYw&lctg=28d2ed2b3c7a64795f347195bfd302ab46e112a2d0fa032e2ba5de55cc388ab7
I get these emails every week, but they’re actually a scam
By Gavin Phillips — Published 23 hours ago
- Gavin is the Segment Lead for the Technology Explained, Security, Internet, Streaming, and Entertainment verticals, former co-host on the Really Useful Podcast, and a frequent
<< 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
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
https://developers.googleblog.com/en/google-url-shortener-links-will-no-longer-be-available/
Nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy . . . literally, “not my circus, not my monkey;” figuratively, “not my problem.” — Polish saying
I guess monkeys are “problems” in Poland, and circuses are where “problems” come from. If it’s not your monkey, and it’s not even from your circus, then it’s not your problem. — https://goo.gl/X7VEKG
# – # – # – # – #
Google URL Shortener links will no longer be available
JULY 18, 2024
*** begin quote ***
In 2018, we announced the deprecation and transition of Google URL Shortener because of the changes we’ve seen in how people find content on the internet, and the number of new popular URL shortening services that emerged in that time. This meant that we no longer accepted new URLs to shorten but that we would continue serving existing URLs.
*** end quote ***
Once again a demonstration of the Internet axiom, “If you’re not paying of a product, then you are the PRODUCT.” Sometimes even if you are paying, it still gets “deprecated” — a fancy word for “FU, we don’t need you”! For example, Pocket from Mozilla. In this case, a service is disappearing.
https://umatechnology.org/what-does-it-mean-when-an-app-gets-sherlocked-by-apple/
Being “Sherlocked” is a term that encapsulates the dramatic and often ruthless dynamics between smaller developers and larger tech companies like Apple. It serves as a reminder of how innovation and competition can shape the tech landscape, sometimes to the detriment of those who initially paved the way.
Not just APPLE, but GOOGLE and MICROSOFT do it as well. Without the decency of acquiring the original developer. Not that “guaranties” the product or service will survive. Some are acquired to kill the competition.
There is no doubt in my mind that Google intended to SHERLOCK BITLY (https://bitly.com/pages/products/url-shortener) but for whatever reason they decided not to. I suspect that there was not margin in it for Google. So after “pushing” it, like so many other GOOGLE “products and services” they give it the FU treatment and “deprecate” it.
Sad for the Users who used it and good for BITLY.
And, for anyone who still “trusts” Gooferment to be a fair referee with respect to anti-trust issues, why do you think “corporations” “contribute” aka payoff politicians and bureaucrats?
Now I have to go and replace all “goo.gl” uses in my blog. Argh!
—30—
Leave a Comment » | DISCOURAGING | Tagged: anti-trust, APPLE, BITLY, GOOGLE, Google Graveyard, Microsoft, SHERLOCK | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Saturday, December 28, 2024
After a very frustrating day of “escalations”, broken return calls promised, and countless connect / disconnect / in case / out of case / reconnect, I gave up.
This product is not ready for prime time, I felt like an alpha tester.
Argh! ** 3
They hyped the “hearing test” so much I really wanted it to work.
Frustrated to the full extent.
—30—
Leave a Comment » | NOTRECOMMENDED | Tagged: APPLE, Applesupport | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/11/apple-shares-the-most-popular-podcasts-of-2024/?utm_placement=newsletter
# – # – # – # – #
While I don’t miss the traffic on Route 287 when I was working, I do miss having two or three or more hours listening to my self-improvement cassettes. (Imagine how less “wonderful” I’d be if I hadn’t “improved” with all those great suggestions. Laugh!).
If podcasts were available then, I could have saved a lot of money on cassettes.
I remember often griping about having to buy the same content to “upgrade” from cassette to cd. Especially if the tape broke or tangled. Why did I have to pay to replace it? Argh!
And, today, audio content is available free from the local library via Libby or other open sources.
Anyway, here’s an “interesting” list of things that might be worth listening to. Now, if I just had a long commute, treks from Fairfax VA to the Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerzee, or drives to and from Keene NH and NJ, I could “improve” even more — if such was possible.
(Not too much ego? Right!)
As always YMMV and FWIW,
Crazy Old Ferd
—30—
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: APPLE, Podcasts, self-improvement cassettes | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Friday, November 1, 2024
The DNA Database Incident
It was a beautiful sunny day when Joe woke. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, and all was right with the world.
In a joint Google-Apple-Microsoft-IBM data center, they were just preparing to populate the total DNA global database. It was the result of a decade-long project run out of the Human Genome Project. IBM Watson had been given access to the HG project and all available DNA records. It was asked one question: what was the relationship of the human genome to DNA? Scientists had debated nature versus nurture until they were blue in the face. Nothing had emerged, and there was conflicting anecdotal data on both sides.
Watson worked the problem for a month. The operators could see the process meter—which was only there to keep the humans from pulling Watson offline. All cores were running. Finally, Watson deployed a simple function:
“`
IN = F(THGGNA, T)
“`
The scientists were baffled. What that meant was that the entity was a time-based function, and every human was basically unique in an unpredictable way. A clone wasn’t really identical to the original because of the time function. While the individual and clone may be close enough for transplants, one could be identified uniquely. Bottom line: there could be only one Beethoven, and only one in that place in time.
From that, the scientists developed a unique human identification system. The political elite had always wanted unique tags for people that couldn’t be mimicked or duplicated. The computer jockeys set about generating tags, and life was going to change. The generation was started and left in the care of an operational staff.
And like most things, Murphy’s Law was still in effect and very persistent. During the late night shift, during a rousing game of pizza-tinfoil baseball—using the pizza boxes as bats and the tinfoil from under the pizza rolled up as balls—there was a high fly ball. An operator bumped a solid-state disk drive as it was processing Joe’s record.
Poor Joe. He was now not in the DNA database and a non-person as far as the Universe was concerned. On the plus side, he was never charge for anything he stole, since he didn’t exist. On the minus side, he was never able to do anything that required identification. Poor Joe.
—30—
Leave a Comment » | Writing | Tagged: APPLE, DNA database, GOOGLE, Human Genome Project, IBM, IBM Watson, Microsoft | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Saturday, October 12, 2024
https://www.theregister.com/2024/10/04/comcast_fcbs_ransomware_theft/
Cybersecurity Month
About a quarter million Comcast subscribers had their data stolen from debt collector
- Cable giant says ransomware involved, FBCS keeps schtum
Connor Jones
Fri 4 Oct 2024 // 20:13 UTC
*** begin quote ***
Among the data types stolen were names, addresses, Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and the Comcast account numbers and ID numbers used internally at FBCS. The data pertains to those registered as customers at “around 2021.” Comcast stopped using FBCS for debt collection services in 2020.
*** end quote ***
As with ALL problems, digging down for who’s at fault, eventually end at the Gooferment.
I remember n=my original Social Security card as saying in big red font all caps “NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION PURPOSES”.
I’m sure that the tin foil hats of that era would have opposed it for either “THE MARK OF THE DEVIL” or “where is your papers please” or just the enumeration of privacy concerns. And they, like almost all Conspiracy Theorists, would have been correct. Look what a mess SSN has created.
At the root of the problem is the SSN.
Fundamentally insecure! Medicare abandoned the SSN on its own medicare cards. Never explained but probably due to fraud. Which still is a huge problem.
I suggest that the SSN be abandoned. Credit cards use a 16 digit number with error correction in it and the “secret” card code on the back. Why can’t the same be done to replace SSN.
Sure “credit reporting agencies”, banks, brokers, and all would have to retool.
So what.
No one ever voted to approve this Universal Identifier.
So let’s unvote it out.
Surely SCIENCE can come up with a better one. Maybe based on our DNA, or biometric, or maybe nothing is best.
Google and Apple now have passkeys based on their device’s “biometric”.
Even that would be better than SSN!
# – # – # – # – #
FOOTNOTE: The word schtum means to remain silent. Specifically, it means not sharing any information, or telling anyone what you know. Schtum is most often used when referring to information that is harmful or sensitive in nature.
—30—
Leave a Comment » | SECURITY | Tagged: APPLE, COMCAST, Connor Jones, GOOGLE, passkeys, ransomware, theregister.com | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Sunday, January 14, 2024
https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2024/01/05/nolte-best-buy-end-sales-blu-rays-dvds/
Nolte: Best Buy to End Sales of Blu-Rays and DVDs
John Nolte 5 Jan 2024
- Best Buy will stop selling physical media this year, according to numerous reports.
*** begin quote ***
“The move away from physical media has been attributed to the changing habits of [stupid] consumers, who increasingly prefer streaming and digital downloads over traditional physical formats,” per the report. “This trend has been evident over the last decade as DVD and Blu-ray sales have experienced a significant decline.”
*** and ***
What’s the matter with you people?
This is our art! And you’re going to leave it in the hands of left-wing multinational corporations like Disney, Apple, and Amazon?
Hey, it’s no skin off my nose. I got mine, and I’m going to keep right on getting mine. But if you have a movie or book or TV show or video game you love, you are facing a future where it will either get disappeared, be censored, or made available only through a monthly subscription service.
I refuse to live in that future.
*** end quote ***
I learned this lesson when all my books on cassette were made obsolete and I was urged to rebut the same content on CDs. I griped to anyone who listen and fell on the deaf ears of all the politicians and bureaucrats. I refused to buy it all again.
Then the car makers dropped the cassette players. And, I was really screwed. So I used drive with a portable cassette player in my truck and my car. Finally the tapes began to wear out and I just gave up.
I still hate the Gooferment politicians and bureaucrats for “copyright” law that makes me “license” content that I “buy”.
Sorry, but I’m not buying into the whole scam.
Like “lifetime guarantees”, the value of a dollar, and “jumbo shrimp”, I can recognize a scam from a long way off and here comes the next one. Before long, every streaming “service” will force you to pay for everything al la carte IN ADDITION TO a low monthly “membership fee”.
Argh!
And the rubes aka “We, The Sheeple” will hail “progress”. Not me.
—30—
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: amazon, APPLE, breitbart.com, Disney, John Nolte | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Tuesday, January 31, 2023
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11668015/Devastating-photos-cobalt-mines-Democratic-Republic-Congo-power-Apple-Tesla-more.html
The shaming images that show where our iPhones, laptops and Tesla cars REALLY come from: The truth about the Congolese mines where kids are paid $2-a-day to dig for cobalt
- Images from the Shabara mine and others in the Democratic Republic of Congo show young children mining
- They dig for cobalt, the chemical element that is used in almost every tech product on the market today
- Apple, Tesla, Samsung and Microsoft are the other end of the complex supply chain
By Jennifer Smith, Chief Reporter For Dailymail.Com
Published: 08:24 EST, 30 January 2023 | Updated: 09:14 EST, 30 January 2023
*** begin quote ***
For years, big tech companies like Apple and Tesla have assured the customers of their glossy stores and showrooms that all their goods are ethically sourced and sold.
But a new series of images taken from inside mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where 90 percent of the world’s cobalt is mined and used to make the batteries that power our tech-led lives, raise uncomfortable questions.
Cobalt is the chemical element found in almost every tech gadget that uses a lithium-powered battery on the market today – a smartphone, tablet or laptop requires a few grams of it, while an electric vehicle requires 10kg.
*** end quote ***
Sorry, but this is a national disgrace. And, all EV’s should be scorned.
I’m speechless.
—30—
Leave a Comment » | Ranting | Tagged: APPLE, Congo, Congolese mines, Dailymail.com, JENNIFER SMITH, Microsoft, Samsung, Tesla | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Saturday, February 5, 2022
https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4034897/posts
You can add your COVID vaccination certificate to the Apple Wallet… but should you?
TNW ^ | 2/2 | Callum Booth
Posted on 2/2/2022, 5:01:47 PM by nickcarraway
*** begin quote ***
Spoiler: Yeah, why not?
The modern world hurts my brain. Let’s take the news that Apple enables users to store their COVID vaccination certificates in the Wallet and Health apps as an example.
When I first heard about it, I was pumped. Flashing my QR code to enter a restaurant or grab a coffee would be far simpler if it sat in my Apple Wallet. Friends, the time I’d save!
But, of course, the world had something to say about that.
We talked to 4 successful entrepreneurs This is what they wish they knew before getting started
While putting my digital certificate of vaccination in an easy-to-access place is cool… is it safe? And because I can do it, does that mean I should?
Something that seemed simple on the surface is actually a minefield. I wanted some clarity on this issue.
*** and ***
COVID vaccine certificates in the Apple Wallet app: not a huge concern To put it bluntly: there are no obvious dangers of moving your vaccine certificate to the Apple Wallet. This does come with a large caveat though, as this is only true if you tightly control what apps can access your data.
In this way, vaccination certificates differ from digital IDs. The majority of the former are digital by nature, while the most common forms of identification (driver’s licenses and passports) are paper-based. Digitizing them opens a huge and wriggling can of worms — while the vaccine pass system could actually benefit from being incorporated into the Apple Wallet.
So, there you have it! A little bit of respite before the modern world messes with our heads again.
*** end quote ***
It’s just too easy for the Gooferment make this the digital version of “show me your papers”!
It’s a BIG “NO” for me.
—30—
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: APPLE, bigbrother, Business, Callum Booth, Computers, COVID vaccination certificate, covid19, Economy, Health, INTERNET, Medicine, Vaccine | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Wednesday, November 17, 2021
I like to phot everything that passes through my hands. ID cards, letters, people, etc. etc.
From time to time I need to find the “needle in a haystack”. Unfortunately, I can’t “tag” photos to indicate what they are and why they’d be important.
Argh!
I have to create “albums” and “folders” and what not that some developer thinks is “kool”.
Argh!
Why not tags like Twitter and Facebook? Why reinvent the wheel? Like labels in Gmail but not in photos.
Argh!
—30—
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: Andriod, APPLE, GOOGLE, IOS, MAC OS X, Photos, Tags | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Monday, November 8, 2021
https://www.reviewgeek.com/102499/apple-prevents-iphone-13-screen-repairs-in-what-ifixit-calls-an-unprecedented-lockdown/\
Apple’s Attempt to Prevent iPhone 13 Repairs Hurts Customers and Professionals
ANDREW HEINZMAN NOV 5, 2021, 3:26 PM EDT
*** begin quote ***
When our friends at iFixit did their first iPhone 13 teardown, they called the device “a new low” for repairability. Apple took unprecedented steps to prevent “unauthorized” iPhone 13 repairs—particularly screen replacements, which (by design) break the phone’s Face ID functionality.
Screen replacements are by far the most common phone repair procedure. They’re also fairly cheap and easy to perform, so as you can imagine, they’re the bread and butter of small repair shops. But unless Apple gives you permission to perform an iPhone 13 screen or battery swap, you will end up with broken features or a non-working phone.
And I’m not exaggerating when I say that you need Apple’s “permission” to repair the iPhone 13. Its components are serialized—meaning that parts like the display and Face ID camera can identify each other using unique serial numbers. To make one of these serialized components work with a donor part, an authorized Apple technician needs to sync each part with Apple’s cloud network and request approval from the corporation.
*** end quote ***
It seems apparent that Apple wants to control its “customers” like sheep to be shorn.
As much as I am a little L libertarian, we are stuck with the current system until “We, The Sheeple” stand up and say “NO!”.
‘I’M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!’ I want you to get up right now, sit up, go to your windows, open them and stick your head out and yell – ‘I’m as mad as hell and I’m not going to take this anymore!’ Things have got to change. But first, you’ve gotta get mad!… You’ve got to say, ‘I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore!’ Then we’ll figure out what to do about the depression and the inflation and the oil crisis. But first get up out of your chairs, open the window, stick your head out, and yell, and say it: [screaming at the top of his lungs] “I’M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I’M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!” — the character Howard Beale played by Peter Finch in the movie Network (1976)
So, I hope the anti-monopoly folks take notice of this.
—30—
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: anti-trust, APPLE, iphone, iphone13, monopoly, RIGHT TO REPAIR, Smartphones | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Friday, October 1, 2021
https://www.reviewgeek.com/98982/ifixit-calls-the-iphone-13-a-new-low-for-repairability/
iFixit Calls the iPhone 13 “a New Low” for Repairability
ANDREW HEINZMAN @andrew_andrew__
SEP 27, 2021, 5:48 PM EDT | 1 min read
*** begin quote ***
As Right to Repair legislation garners support from both sides of the political aisle, Apple is doubling down on its anti-consumer practices. A now-complete teardown from iFixit shows that the iPhone 13 reaches “a new low” for repairability, as it’s effectively impossible to repair at home without losing key features like Face ID.
*** end quote ***
Way to lock in the consumer.
—30—
Leave a Comment » | HARDWARE | Tagged: APPLE, REPAIRABILITY, RIGHT TO REPAIR | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Friday, May 21, 2021
https://theconversation.com/apple-threatens-to-upend-podcastings-free-open-architecture-160318
The Conversation – Articles (US)
Apple threatens to upend podcasting’s free, open architecture
by John Sullivan, Professor of Media and Communication, Muhlenberg College
*** begin quote ***
A medium that exploded due to the lack of institutional gatekeepers is now seeing big tech companies act like traditional media networks, signing popular hosts and shows to exclusive contracts. Of course, other publishers like Slate and Stitcher have offered subscriptions to their shows via their own websites and mobile apps. But the m
uch larger audience share of Apple Podcasts and Spotify has much greater potential to move the podcast ecosystem in the direction of premium paid content.
This presents a potential long-term threat to the free, open architecture of podcasting, though projects like The Podcast Index are aiming to preserve the medium as platform-agnostic.
One thing is for certain: Apple and Spotify have given us a glimpse of a podcasting future where the walled gardens of platform-exclusive, premium content become the norm.
*** end quote ***
The Podcast Index are aiming to preserve the medium as platform-agnostic.
Guess that’s all that can save us from paywalls and the Apple Tax?
—30—
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: APPLE, iPod, ITUNES, Media, open architecture, Paywalls, platform-agnostic, podcasting, Podcasts, Radio, RSS, Slate, Spotify, Steve Jobs, Stitcher | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
2020-Nov-11 1257
Ok, I admit that my attempt to move from Apple to Google was a complete and utter failure.
Google:
- By killing Google Cloud Print, it made my printer “obsolete” with no alternative. (Was the final straw!)
- Google docs and sheets are no where near as good as Microsoft Office.
- Google’s “end of life”-ing chromebooks is inexplicable.
- Google’s 4a offering was “unsubscribable”. (A tech giant should be able to do that!)
- Google has no support comparable to Apple’s.
- Google Fi’s beem a disappointment compared to Altice Mobile.
Apple
- Has a remarkable consistency in their infrastructure.
- While killing iTunes Apple Music, iWeb, and a parade of obsolescence, it has been as disruptive as Google’s “end of life”-ing chromebooks.
I’ll continue to watch the field, but it’s no sense wasting anymore time.
I’ll still recomend chromebooks with the caveats about printing and “end of life”-ing.
Argh!
(My apologies for the bad advice!)
—30—
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: "end of life"-ing, APPLE, CHROMEBOOK, GOOGLE, Google Cloud Print, Google F, iTunes Apple Music, iWeb, Microsoft | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Friday, June 8, 2018
One of my beloved Chromebooks — ET101 Samsung — updated the Chrome OS and popped up an “End Of Life” message.
What?
It’s EOL when it dies.
Is this part of Google’s attempt to follow in Apple’s “planned obsolesce” “architecture”?
Personally, if the Chromebook is supposed to be the “toaster” appliance of the computer age, then it should old go “end of life” when it goes to chromebook heaven. I have toasters that lasted until the lady of the house decided the exterior could no longer be clean enough. Not my problem, but an example of “Western Electric” telephone handset engineering. Capable of operating after a flood or a nuke.
I am very upset.
And as if to rub my nose it (i.e., EOL), google helpfully offers me a selection of upgrades.
ARGH cubed!
— 30 —
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5819169/Apple-hits-claims-designs-iPhones-fail-force-consumers-buy-new-one.
‘Planned obsolescence is the craziest thinking in the world’: Apple hits back at claims it designs iPhones to fail so consumers have to buy a new one
- VP of marketing Greg Joswiak refuted that Apple uses ‘planned obsolescence’
- In an interview with noted Apple blogger John Gruber, he called those claims ‘about the craziest thinking in the world’ saying the firm wouldn’t do that
- Joswiak said Apple paid special attention to older devices with iOs 12 update
- Comments come as Apple gave customers discounts for battery throttling
- Apple has been charging £25 ($29) for replacements since December
By AARON BROWN and ANNIE PALMER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 19:07 EDT, 7 June 2018 | UPDATED: 19:18 EDT, 7 June 2018
* * * * *
Yeah, right. I believe that!
–30–
Leave a Comment » | Chromebook | Tagged: APPLE, End Of Life, EOL, GOOGLE, Planned Obsolescence | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2017/12/20/16803190/iphone-slowdown-is-needed-but-also-a-problem
iPhones start slowing down after a year of use, and that’s way too soon
By Jacob Kastrenakes Dec 20, 2017, 5:15pm EST
*** begin quote ***
But the big conspiracy has been that Apple intentionally slows down your phone every time a new one comes out, a subtle way of encouraging you to buy it. And now we know that it’s true on some level, even if you take Apple’s word and see this as about preservation and not a sales tactic, since the software update that comes out alongside every phone seems to be what introduces the throttling. Here’s how Apple puts it in its statement describing what’s going on: “Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices.”
*** end quote ***
And, this — planned obsolesence — why I am leaving the Apple family for Android and Chromebook.
# – # – # – # – #
Leave a Comment » | Technology | Tagged: APPLE, iphone, planned obsolesence | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Saturday, February 13, 2016
http://observer.com/2016/02/why-driverless-cars-will-screech-to-a-halt/
OPINION
Why Driverless Cars Will Screech to a Halt
The liability and regulatory issues involved in letting a 3000 pound death machine steer itself with no human at the controls remain huge
By Steven Hill • 02/09/16 8:42am
*** begin quote ***
Elon Musk’s Tesla recently became the latest big shot company to enter the self-driving car sweepstakes. Mr. Musk recently announced the hiring of software architecture veteran Jim Keller, who previously had played key roles at Apple and AMD, to lead its Autopilot Engineering team. Tesla’s move follows the recently announced partnership between General Motors and Lyft, in which the automaker is investing $500 million in the ridesharing company as part of a joint venture to develop self-driving cars.
*** end quote ***
I wouldn’t mind having a “driverless car”.
I don’t think it will happen in my lifetime.
It will hugely disrupt the economy. Hard to imagine all the impacts.
Great for the senior citizens who should no longer be driving.
# – # – # – # – #
Elon Musk’s Tesla recently became the latest big shot company to enter the self-driving car sweepstakes. Mr. Musk recently announced the hiring of software architecture veteran Jim Keller, who previously had played key roles at Apple and AMD, to lead its Autopilot Engineering team. Tesla’s move follows the recently announced partnership between General Motors and Lyft, in which the automaker is investing $500 million in the ridesharing company as part of a joint venture to develop self-driving cars.
1 Comment | Technology | Tagged: AIRBNB, APPLE, AUDI, BOSCH, DELPHI, DRIVERLESS CARS, LYFT, MERCEDES BENZ, NISSAN, SELF DRIVING CARS, SILICON VALLEY STARTUPS, Tesla, UBER | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Monday, September 29, 2014
The IOS8 upgrade carries a “HEALTH” app to the first screen.
(Even if I didn’t want it. At least “TIPS” went on the last page.)
It’s OBVIOUSLY a placeholder.
The select an emergency contact feature doesn’t work.
And it does NOT have a provenance, versioning, or linkage to other “health” data sources.
Not Apple’s best work.
# – # – # – # – #
Leave a Comment » | SOFTWARE | Tagged: APPLE, HEALTH app, IOS8, iPad, iphone | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Saturday, November 24, 2012
I have never been happy with the “app store” concept. As usual, immoral, inefficient, and ineffective.
(this is, as readers of my blog will know, my standard meme for gripes. Stuff that’s immoral is always wrong. Ineffective is does it work. Inefficient is it easy and cheap.)
The “app store” concept is;
~ “immoral” in that it transfers control from the “buyer” to the “seller”
~ “ineffective” in that problems are insoluble; support is non-existent
~ “inefficient” in that it doesn’t work flawlessly
My current gripe is the GMAIL icon has disappeared from the front screen, but is running in the background. I get alert messages on new email.
Double clicking start does not show it in the task list.
A hard restart or a soft restart doesn’t recover it.
App store thinks it is installed.
Argh!
I have had problems with app store in the past that were never solved.
Argh squared!!
Loss of control of my device annoys me.
–30–
Leave a Comment » | IPAD | Tagged: app store, APPLE, Apple App Store, fail, iPad, IPAD1 | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Into the Apple store tonight for service. Luckily under contact. Argh!
There re no lights on the cable or the wart to tell you that’s failed.
Since it powered the IPad1, I pretty sure it’s the IPAD3.
And, tell me again how much better Apple hardware is?
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2 Comments | IPAD | Tagged: APPLE, Apple's planed obsolescence strategy, iPad, IPAD3 | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Well, it is time to play they exit from the MCBA. Then, salvage what value I can from this trek down a technology mistake. A very expensive lesson.
So, what has to be done and what direction to take?
*Strategically, back to wintel, chrome tops, on to the cloud platform agnostic, or Linux?
* Strategically, what cloud services are impacted by platform, if any
* Strategically, where do the iPads fit in the technology plan
* Strategically, glad I didn’t lock into an iPhone. Do I need a “smartphone”. Don’t think so.
* Strategically, the mifis look smart now!
* Tactically, what about iCloud?
* Tactically, what about @me @mac
* inventory the apps on the MCBA
* what gets left on the island until the platform dies
* inventory the hardware that supports it
* what functions does it support and what’s the transition?
* What can be salvaged and sold off?
Argh, more work!
******
Leave a Comment » | MACBOOKAIR | Tagged: APPLE, MACBOOKAIR, obsolescence | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/cracking-open/teardown-shows-retina-macbook-pro-is-nearly-impossible-
to-upgrade-difficult-to-work-on/696?tag=nl.e101
Home / Blogs / Cracking Open
Teardown shows Retina MacBook Pro is nearly impossible to upgrade, difficult to work on
By Bill Detwiler
July 5, 2012, 10:08 PM PDT
*** begin quote ***
Missing “Pro” features
And if all this wasn’t enough, Apple also dropped two features that set the MacBook Pro apart the thinner, but less “professional” MacBook Air–an Ethernet port and optical drive.
*** end quote ***
For awhile I was an Apple fan boy. For a very very short time before that I was a Wintel fan boy. Both times I’ve quickly soured over “offerings”.
For Wintel, it was bloatware, crapware, feature creep, automatic updates, DRM, activation. But what really put the ultimate knot in my shorts was win rot. That almost mandatory bare metal restore every six to nine months was unacceptable.
A brief love affair with Linux, it was just too hard to install. Too many distributions to choose from. And, they really wanted you to be a hardware geek. Personally, I’m astonished that large organizations with dedicated IT staffs haven’t jumped on this as opposed to Microsoft and it’s upgrade treadmill.
That all led me to Apple. I jumped in with Mac Book Air. And, for the most part it’s served me well. Except, like Wintel, it has Mac Rot. I’ve got several problems that the Geniuses haven’t solved and requires fairly frequent reboot. A bare metal install without a Lion distribution disk scares me silly.
I don’t like the whole app store concept.
Personal computing has morphed into being a pawn or cash cow for the big guys.
Maybe it’s time to revisit Linux.
But, I’m going to try a Chromebox first.
Maybe I’ll be a Google fan boy next. I doubt. I always seem to find the man behind the curtain.
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Leave a Comment » | HARDWARE | Tagged: APPLE, Ethernet port, Missing “Pro” features, optical drive, Retina MacBook Pro | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
OK!
I was thanks to DRIVESLIM ($, not free) able to free enough space on the slender MACBOOKAIR which I cam McBahh1.
I was then able after 3 password resets finally get an MAC APP STORE id that would work.
I was then able to download the LION MAC OSX UPGRADE ($). That I had already paid for. Thankfully, I didn’t have to pay for it again.
I was then able to perform the UPGRADE.
An hour later, while I was doing other things, McBahh1 dinged like an oven timer and it was done.
Observation: McBahh1 is now running “sprightly”. No more performance like a nursing home resident. We’ll see if any of the old problems return (i.e.: “I’m too tired to compute; I’m taking my union break for as many minutes as I feel like”; “There’s no free disk space; deal with it.”, or my perennial favorite “Year, I rebooted; what of it?”)
Casualties: NVU (free) no longer runs; I quickly found BLUE_GRIFFON (free) to replace it.
Observation: BLUE_GRIFFON doesn’t do file transfer like NVU did. (Argh!)
New method: FILEZILLA dusted off to upload. New version of FILEZILLA installed. Works.
Casualties: MAC OSX 10.7.3 aka LION in the FINDER utility no longer displays the amount of free space. (Or it’s not obvious how to do it.)
Opinion: Well worth it. But what a hassle. Months of hassle to get to this point. Exponential number of Arghs.
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Leave a Comment » | MACBOOKAIR | Tagged: APPLE, Apple Store, Lion, Mac, Mac App Store, MACBOOKAIR, OS X, OS X upgrade, Problems | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Apple store asked for another reset after taking #2 to download epson ipad print (free) app. That app works beautifully. Unlike the APPSTORE app.
This is my THIRD password reset. I know I know it.
Interesting I went “up” to the APPSTORE for the free IPAD Epson utility. It challenged me for my password, I gave it, and it started to download. So, i thought: “Hey, stuff working. Let me update the 18 apps that I couldn’t do last time”. Silly rabbit.
It tells me I’ve forgotten the password I just used successfully.
Argh!
So I go thru the “i forgot my password” again. (After waiting a good 5 or 10 minutes. Reset it by incrementing the number to “3”!) Went back and retriggered the update. And, it worked.
Argh!
So here is something very funky with how Apple has the APPSTORE coded.
Argh!
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Leave a Comment » | SERVICE | Tagged: APPLE, APPSTORE, forgot my password | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
I’ve been playing with FACETIME at the behest of a youngster related to me. Other than LUDDITE, no one I know uses it.
It presents some interesting challenges for parents and guardians.
It opens up a whole new attack surface for predators and peers. While it gives the FACETIME User the undivided attention of the person they call, it does create: (1) an uncontrolled access to the two people FACETIMEing. (2) Creates a level of intimacy that could be used to break down barriers and physical inhibitions when the two people meet. (I’m being intentionally vague so as not to give any one ideas. Adults, parent, and Guardians will know EXACTLY what I mean. (If you don’t, ask.)
Its marginally better than a cell phone because, as far as know, there’s no built-in capture or forwarding. I can think of ways to do it. Hopefully peers won’t; predators will be rigged for it.
Adults, Parents, and Guardians better have a good understanding of the technology and its implications. The children can mae it work with little or no help.
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Leave a Comment » | SERVICE | Tagged: Adults, APPLE, attack surface, cellphone, FACETIME, Guardians, intimacy, no built-in capture, no forwarding, Parents, peer pressure, peers, predators | Permalink
Posted by reinkefj
Reinke Faces Life 
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