General Computing Randomness

[GreenGoo]

The moral of the story is that it is really good to have a PC tech on speed dial who can pick up your busted system, rebuild it, test it and get it back to you with a 3 hour turn-around time from pick up to drop off.

Yeah, even the best computer guy isn't going to come by and pick it up. What's your relationship? Secrety triad stuff?

[Max Peck]

The moral of the story is that it is really good to have a PC tech on speed dial who can pick up your busted system, rebuild it, test it and get it back to you with a 3 hour turn-around time from pick up to drop off.

Yeah, even the best computer guy isn't going to come by and pick it up. What's your relationship? Secrety triad stuff?

It's just the benefit of a long-established business relationship. He's been building/upgrading my PCs for something like 20+ years at this point, and he makes an allowance for the fact that I can't drive. Normally he just schedules the pick-up and drop-off to fit in around the other work that he's doing in the city. I was very surprised (and grateful) that he was willing and able to take care of this problem on a Saturday in between doing dad stuff. It's definitely concierge-level service, but I only impose on him every half decade or thereabouts, so I don't feel (too) guilty about the privilege.

[Kasey Chang]

Argh... Spent the last 30 minutes on phone support with a family friend. It's... frustrating as f- when seemingly they had lost the ability to read English while in a vehicle.

To start from the beginning... Four people are driving to Las Vegas for a venue. They were using nav paired to the vehicle as they started driving. Then sometime after crossing the CA/NV border the phone lost connection to the onboard Carplay for some reason. They are older than I am (and I'm in my 50s) but AFAIK they are not tech luddites. Yet today, they seem to not only be tech luddites, they also lost their ability to read English (that, and Chrysler UConnect is JUNK).

First, they just complained that it's not working, and this and that. I said instead of trying to describe it, take a photo of the console screen and text it to me.

There was a 3 minute debate about what to send it with (background: take a picture and send it to him on WeChat! I don't have him in contact list on Wechat. Then send it with Message/SMS! )

They sent me a picture that's cut off and slanted. I said I need one that shows the whole screen. This took them another 5 minutes. All that told me was "xxx's phone: not connected".

I told them to also send me a picture of the phone it was connected to. (Background: No, a picture of the navigating phone! Not my phone! The navigating phone!)

The phone seems fine, but it's not showing a Bluetooth symbol. It's navigating, so it's not the GPS, and signal stregth of data is good.

I told them cycle the Bluetooth on and off on the phone (it's an iPhone).

Instead of going to the quicksettings, they went all the way to settings // Bluetooth. Fine, same thing. Nope, no change.

Can you cycle the whole phone off and on again? Sure, wait, wait... Nope, no change.

On the console, I see you had paired the phone before. There's a gear symbol to the left. Press that.

Nothing. it doesn't do anything.

How about the symbol to the right? (there's one more button there). No reaction.

What vehicle are you driving? Uh, I have no idea.

Can you find out? (background: shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, open the glovebox! No, the glovebox by your knee! GLOVEBOX! I can't read this small print. )

You don't know what car you rented?

Uh... C- H - R - Y - S - L - E - R.

I mutter to myself: Had to be Chrysler Pacifica, that's the only minivan they make. Let me Google that... Something called UConnect, at least 3 different version, argh. Recent one, rental car probably pretty new, probably UConnect 5...

Back on the console, hit back.

What's that?

That left arrow on the upper left corner. (background: no! not that one! Move your finger up! Up! No, not that far! You passed it! )

Now the bottom row, there is a PHONE button. Press that please.

Okay. Back to same screen, still shows not connected.

Can you press the gear button again?

Something came up, then it went away.

What? (Mutter to self: You didn't say that before!)

Yeah! It disappeared by itself!

Please do it again and read the message back to me. (Background: Do it again! The gear button!)

"This function... cannot be engaged... while the vehicle is... in motion."

Okay, I know what to do now. Thanks! (hangs up)

[Daehawk]

Maybe its just me and maybe Im going deaf but my phone and YouTube videos seem to have such low volume sometimes I have to put my ear near to hear them. Then when a ad plays Im blown out of my chair.

[Max Peck]

Pour one out for Skype...

Skype to shut down in May, Microsoft says

Skype will ring for the last time on May 5 as owner Microsoft retires the two-decade-old internet calling service that redefined how people connect across borders.

Shutting down Skype will help Microsoft focus on its homegrown Teams service by simplifying its communication offerings, the software giant said on Friday.

To ease the transition from the platform, its users will be able to log in to Teams for free on any supported device using their existing credentials, with chats and contacts migrating automatically.

[Punisher]

Argh... Spent the last 30 minutes on phone support with a family friend. It's... frustrating as f- when seemingly they had lost the ability to read English while in a vehicle.

To start from the beginning... Four people are driving to Las Vegas for a venue. They were using nav paired to the vehicle as they started driving. Then sometime after crossing the CA/NV border the phone lost connection to the onboard Carplay for some reason. They are older than I am (and I'm in my 50s) but AFAIK they are not tech luddites. Yet today, they seem to not only be tech luddites, they also lost their ability to read English (that, and Chrysler UConnect is JUNK).

First, they just complained that it's not working, and this and that. I said instead of trying to describe it, take a photo of the console screen and text it to me.

There was a 3 minute debate about what to send it with (background: take a picture and send it to him on WeChat! I don't have him in contact list on Wechat. Then send it with Message/SMS! )

They sent me a picture that's cut off and slanted. I said I need one that shows the whole screen. This took them another 5 minutes. All that told me was "xxx's phone: not connected".

I told them to also send me a picture of the phone it was connected to. (Background: No, a picture of the navigating phone! Not my phone! The navigating phone!)

The phone seems fine, but it's not showing a Bluetooth symbol. It's navigating, so it's not the GPS, and signal stregth of data is good.

I told them cycle the Bluetooth on and off on the phone (it's an iPhone).

Instead of going to the quicksettings, they went all the way to settings // Bluetooth. Fine, same thing. Nope, no change.

Can you cycle the whole phone off and on again? Sure, wait, wait... Nope, no change.

On the console, I see you had paired the phone before. There's a gear symbol to the left. Press that.

Nothing. it doesn't do anything.

How about the symbol to the right? (there's one more button there). No reaction.

What vehicle are you driving? Uh, I have no idea.

Can you find out? (background: shuffle, shuffle, shuffle, open the glovebox! No, the glovebox by your knee! GLOVEBOX! I can't read this small print. )

You don't know what car you rented?

Uh... C- H - R - Y - S - L - E - R.

I mutter to myself: Had to be Chrysler Pacifica, that's the only minivan they make. Let me Google that... Something called UConnect, at least 3 different version, argh. Recent one, rental car probably pretty new, probably UConnect 5...

Back on the console, hit back.

What's that?

That left arrow on the upper left corner. (background: no! not that one! Move your finger up! Up! No, not that far! You passed it! )

Now the bottom row, there is a PHONE button. Press that please.

Okay. Back to same screen, still shows not connected.

Can you press the gear button again?

Something came up, then it went away.

What? (Mutter to self: You didn't say that before!)

Yeah! It disappeared by itself!

Please do it again and read the message back to me. (Background: Do it again! The gear button!)

"This function... cannot be engaged... while the vehicle is... in motion."

Okay, I know what to do now. Thanks! (hangs up)

How do I subscribe to thus web series?

[Daehawk]

Back in my day our paper maps never lost connection...though they did get lost.

Actually i went looking for a giant paper map of my towns roads a couple years back..nothing. All gone. Stores and gas stations used to be full of these things. We used them for yard sales every weekend in the late 80s early 90s. never failed us...unless there were two roads with the same..we have a couple of those.

We also had one on the wall in the pizza place i worked in 1986. We'd study it, commit it to memory, and head out on the road...then get lost sometimes lol. Find a pay phone, call back in and ask someone to look at the map and tell ya where to go. "No no...the Valley View Ave on the OTHER side of town"..DOH!

[Punisher]

Back in my day our paper maps never lost connection...though they did get lost.

Actually i went looking for a giant paper map of my towns roads a couple years back..nothing. All gone. Stores and gas stations used to be full of these things. We used them for yard sales every weekend in the late 80s early 90s. never failed us...unless there were two roads with the same..we have a couple of those.

We also had one on the wall in the pizza place i worked in 1986. We'd study it, commit it to memory, and head out on the road...then get lost sometimes lol. Find a pay phone, call back in and ask someone to look at the map and tell ya where to go. "No no...the Valley View Ave on the OTHER side of town"..DOH!

When I was a volly emt, we had a huge map of the town on our wall. We always looked at the map to plot a course unless we were already familiar with the address.

[Daehawk]

Alexa+ to start rolling out soon. Free to Prime members or $20 a month to others.

https://x.com/amazon/status/1894796967894479141

https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/device ... telligence

[gilraen]

You couldn't pay me enough to run one of those things in my house. With or without the "+".

[Blackhawk]

I'm going to be looking into mine. I need something to control certain lights, but I don't want Amazon (or Google) doing it anymore.

[hitbyambulance]

Pour one out for Skype...

Skype to shut down in May, Microsoft says

Skype will ring for the last time on May 5 as owner Microsoft retires the two-decade-old internet calling service that redefined how people connect across borders.

Shutting down Skype will help Microsoft focus on its homegrown Teams service by simplifying its communication offerings, the software giant said on Friday.

To ease the transition from the platform, its users will be able to log in to Teams for free on any supported device using their existing credentials, with chats and contacts migrating automatically.

i have been using Skype since they started! actually still use it to talk with the parents, my own language lessons with my tutor and my weekly English speaking practice for my Ukrainian student. i expect we'll probably switch to Teams IF they still have a free-tier, non-time-limted plan.

[LordMortis]

That was always the plan, wasn't it? Otherwise they just lose marketshare to other free alternatives.

https://www.ign.com/articles/end-of-an- ... soft-teams

Microsoft has confirmed plans to shut down Skype in May and replace it with a free version of Microsoft Teams.

Confirmation comes at a time when the likes of WhatsApp, Zoom, FaceTime, and Messenger dominate communication via voice over IP (VoIP), consigning direct calls to cellphones from the likes of Skype to the history books.

As reported by The Verge, current Skype users will be able to log into the Microsoft Teams app and have all their content (message history, contacts etc) available without the need to create another account. Meanwhile, Microsoft will phase out domestic or international call support.

Skype users also have the option of exporting their Skype data, including photos and conversation history, and Microsoft has made a tool to help those who don’t want to move to Teams view their current Skype chat history.

You have 60 days to decide, as Skype goes offline from May 5. Either way, Microsoft will honor existing Skype credits, but will no longer offer new customers access to paid Skype features that let you make or receive international and domestic calls.

What’s truly lost with the Skype shutdown, then, is the ability to make calls to cellphones. Speaking to The Verge, Microsoft said that while telephony functionality was useful at the height of Skype’s popularity, it is now less so.

My memory was that big for paid Teams was having a phone in support number and you never got that except in the paid for part. I also remember that conversion from Skype for Business to Teams was seamless with the worst bugs being related to Teams auto start with OS. However, that was many many years ago.

[Max Peck]

Pour one out for Skype...

Skype to shut down in May, Microsoft says

Skype will ring for the last time on May 5 as owner Microsoft retires the two-decade-old internet calling service that redefined how people connect across borders.

Shutting down Skype will help Microsoft focus on its homegrown Teams service by simplifying its communication offerings, the software giant said on Friday.

To ease the transition from the platform, its users will be able to log in to Teams for free on any supported device using their existing credentials, with chats and contacts migrating automatically.

i have been using Skype since they started! actually still use it to talk with the parents, my own language lessons with my tutor and my weekly English speaking practice for my Ukrainian student. i expect we'll probably switch to Teams IF they still have a free-tier, non-time-limted plan.

The intertubes claim that the free tier has a limit of 60 minutes for group calls and 30 hours for 1:1 calls.

Edit: Actually, Microsoft says that...

Schedule group audio or video calls for up to 60 minutes. Get unlimited 1:1 meetings lasting up to 30 hours.

[Kasey Chang]

Actually i went looking for a giant paper map of my towns roads a couple years back..nothing. All gone.

Does AAA still give out paper maps for members?

[Kasey Chang]

I'm going to be looking into mine. I need something to control certain lights, but I don't want Amazon (or Google) doing it anymore.

Through the internet, app, or can you use a remote? There are still IR or radio based remote switches for sale.

[Kasey Chang]

I finally "girded my loins" and not only replace BOTH drives (256GB SSD to 1TB SSD, 1TB HDD to 3TB HDD), I also cleaned out the rat's nest of USB cables, and re-routed them to they aren't tangling with each other and I can actually slide the keyboard drawer. AND cleaned out my CPU water cooler's radiator (it has dust dinos, not dust bunnies). Now I'm starving, as I managed to skip dinner altogether.

[Daehawk]

Cleaning out a rats nest of cables is the thing i dread if Ive let them go a long few years. I find stuff plugged in that goes to nothing and such...all covered in dust and spiderwebs. And no matter how TINY a plug in on the end if I pull it to try and unravel the nest it will hang on something every time so then im forced to trace it and untangle it.

[LordMortis]

[Kasey Chang]

I guess I never took a detailed look at my mainboard ever. Now that I finally upgraded my 2 drives, I realized there are way more SATA ports than I expected (8 total), as well as 2 M.2 PCIE 3x4 slots.

On the other hand, the onboard Intel wifi is so old, it doesn't even support WPA3. (It's the 3xxx series, Intel says you need the 9xxx series to support WPA3) But I looked... It seems to be on a daughter card that can be used on laptops? Size of an SD card? Hmmm... That's an M.2 card, right? Checked prices... I can get Intel Wifi 6 or 6E cards for... $15-25, goes into the same slot?

Right now my backup drive is connected via USB3. I'd imagine connecting it directly to SATA will be faster. Good thing I did buy a "mounting kit" in case I do need to use it to upgrade my drives... Hopefully this upgrade would NOT take 5 years like last one.

[Kasey Chang]

Investigation shows the mainboard is ASROCK Z370 OEM, with following specs:

• Supports 9th and 8th Generation Intel Core™ Processors (Socket 1151)
• Supports DDR4 4266+(OC)
• 2 PCIe 3.0 x16, 3 PCIe 3.0 x1, 1 M.2 Socket (Key E)
• DVI-D
• 7.1 CH HD Audio (Realtek ALC892 Audio Codec)
• 6 SATA3, 1 Ultra M.2 (PCIe Gen3x4 & SATA3)
• 8 USB 3.1 Gen1 5Gbps (1 Type-C)
• Intel Gigabit LAN
• ASRock Polychrome SYNC

Seems there are a lot of Intel Be200 M.2 Wifi 7 tri-band and BT5.4 cards around. Just the card, maybe 25. With a new set of external antennas, 35. Pretty sure I can replace the existing card with this thing, as these Intel cards are E-key for sure. But given I don't have any Wifi7 access point, it'd be pointless to upgrade this by itself.

Strangely, no sign of price drops on M.2 PCIE Gen 3x4 SSDs... They are still around $50/TB for relatively generic brands, and rapidly approached ridiculous prices for Samsung. I can see why there are fake Samsungs on Aliexpress. I'll probably end up with a M.2 SSD once my finances improve. Still, thee upgrades I performed should last me another few years, until I really need to buy a whole new system, IMHO.

In the meanwhile, I'll probably try to move the currently USB-SATA dock mounted HDD into an Internal SATA slot to improve the throughput of backup operation.

[Max Peck]

Gawdammit, 2025, could you not, please?



It appears that the system locked up overnight while attempting to apply the March Windows update. When I woke up it was frozen with the desktop showing but was not responding to the keyboard or mouse. I cycled the power to reboot it, and got the "You're borked, my son" error screen.

My work-around is to boot from my old C drive, then use that to create a recovery thumb drive to repair the Windows installation on the new C drive. But I don't have a flash drive with enough storage, so I can't try that until tomorrow, after the new flash drive I just ordered can be delivered.

I can still access the new drive, just not boot from it, so I've been busy this morning copying off all of the data. If the restore operation tomorrow doesn't fix the problem, then I'll just go back to square zero and clone the drive again.

[jztemple2]

It appears that the system locked up overnight while attempting to apply the March Windows update.

Just FYI, I go into both our Windows computers before update Tuesday and delay any updating for three weeks. Just in case