Octopus Overlords

Isgrimnur wrote: Thu Sep 28, 2023 2:24 pm

Time is an illusion. Lunchtime, doubly so.

Check this out

Unagi wrote: Thu Sep 28, 2023 5:45 pm Where Jz goes, flamingos.

jztemple2 wrote: Thu Sep 28, 2023 4:48 pm Today is my actual 70th birthday day

Tortoise, 82, has cricket ball-sized bladder stone removed

I had to contact Amazon for support on my Fire tablet. To save the rest of you time in the future, I've recreated their support flowchart for your convenience:

Oh, and that was a good troubleshooting tip.

Me: I can transfer two or three files at once with no problem, but if I try to transfer more than that, the transfer freezes and Windows Explorer crashes.
Them: You may be inserting the SD card the wrong way around. Rotate the card 180 degrees and reinsert (with the notch facing down and the metal pins visible to you.)
Me:

Why on earth would you contact their support for something like that? What kind of answer can they possibly give you that you wouldn't find by googling it? Unless the thing is completely broken, and you have to arrange for an RMA label, "contacting Amazon support" shouldn't even be a troubleshooting step.

gilraen wrote: Sat Sep 30, 2023 3:20 pm Why on earth would you contact their support for something like that? What kind of answer can they possibly give you that you wouldn't find by googling it? Unless the thing is completely broken, and you have to arrange for an RMA label, "contacting Amazon support" shouldn't even be a troubleshooting step.

Trust me, I contacted them only after trying everything else. Google just turned up tons of people with the same issue and no answers. Reddit was a bust (the Fire sub is dead, the Android forum turns their noses up at Amazon hardware, and the Kindle forum deletes any post about tablets.)

The original problem, by the way, is that if I try to transfer files from the PC to the SD card in the tablet, and I transfer more than two or three files at a time, the transfer freezes and Windows explorer crashes.

I've already given up on them. At this point I'm just going along to see how absurd it gets. It's getting pretty absurd:

Blackhawk wrote: Sat Sep 30, 2023 3:30 pm

gilraen wrote: Sat Sep 30, 2023 3:20 pm Why on earth would you contact their support for something like that? What kind of answer can they possibly give you that you wouldn't find by googling it? Unless the thing is completely broken, and you have to arrange for an RMA label, "contacting Amazon support" shouldn't even be a troubleshooting step.

Trust me, I contacted them only after trying everything else. Google just turned up tons of people with the same issue and no answers. Reddit was a bust (the Fire sub is dead, the Android forum turns their noses up at Amazon hardware, and the Kindle forum deletes any post about tablets.)

The original problem, by the way, is that if I try to transfer files from the PC to the SD card in the tablet, and I transfer more than two or three files at a time, the transfer freezes and Windows explorer crashes.

I've already given up on them. At this point I'm just going along to see how absurd it gets. It's getting pretty absurd:

Spoiler:

I would instead suggest acquiring and using a simple USB micro SD card reader adapter such as this, which costs <$15 after applying the discount coupon:



You'll then be able to use your micro SD card like any USB flash drive, so you can perform the file transfer directly from your PC to the micro SD card. After the transfer is complete, place the micro SD card back into your tablet and you're good to go.

Anonymous Bosch wrote: Sat Sep 30, 2023 4:05 pm

Blackhawk wrote: Sat Sep 30, 2023 3:30 pm

gilraen wrote: Sat Sep 30, 2023 3:20 pm Why on earth would you contact their support for something like that? What kind of answer can they possibly give you that you wouldn't find by googling it? Unless the thing is completely broken, and you have to arrange for an RMA label, "contacting Amazon support" shouldn't even be a troubleshooting step.

Trust me, I contacted them only after trying everything else. Google just turned up tons of people with the same issue and no answers. Reddit was a bust (the Fire sub is dead, the Android forum turns their noses up at Amazon hardware, and the Kindle forum deletes any post about tablets.)

The original problem, by the way, is that if I try to transfer files from the PC to the SD card in the tablet, and I transfer more than two or three files at a time, the transfer freezes and Windows explorer crashes.

I've already given up on them. At this point I'm just going along to see how absurd it gets. It's getting pretty absurd:

Spoiler:

I would instead suggest acquiring and using a simple USB micro SD card reader adapter such as this, which costs <$15 after applying the discount coupon:



You'll then be able to use your micro SD card like any USB flash drive, so you can perform the file transfer directly from your PC to the micro SD card. After the transfer is complete, place the micro SD card back into your tablet and you're good to go.

I like that reader. But transferring directly to the card via a reader was the first thing I tried (Fire tablets have always been finicky when it comes to cable transfers), but there is something funky with the way the Fire formats cards that prevents Windows from reading them (Windows sees the card, but the only option is to format, as if the card were new, or had an incompatible file system.) Theoretically the Fire uses FAT32, but ? I found lots of people with the same problem, but no solutions on how to make the transfer.

Right now I'm looking into another alternative.

Blackhawk wrote: Sat Sep 30, 2023 3:30 pm Trust me, I contacted them only after trying everything else. Google just turned up tons of people with the same issue and no answers. Reddit was a bust (the Fire sub is dead, the Android forum turns their noses up at Amazon hardware, and the Kindle forum deletes any post about tablets.)

Spoiler alert: that's because there is no good answer. Kindle Fire uses piece of crap slow USB connectors that are less and less tolerated by Windows. What you describe (or versions thereof) has been an issue for over a decade, across different Fire models, and it's only gotten worse.

An alternative is to install SwiFTP on your Kindle Fire so you can run it as a server (get the free APK from F-Droid, not the paid version from Play Store). Then use Filezilla or any FTP client from your PC to upload the files to the tablet.

I have a 7th gen Fire 8. It's so slow, I haven't used it in 4 years. I powered it up today since I plan on putting some movies on it for when we go on vacation next month (to watch on the plane) and maybe some books to read. Now I remember why I hate the stupid thing and want to throw it out of the window. I already uninstalled almost all apps and wiped the cache partition, and it's still barely responsive half the time. But anyway, I tried plugging it into my laptop, and the laptop doesn't see it at all. And this is with one of my best USB cables, that works with practically everything. I don't feel like looking for another cable or for my card reader (although that's also a very good option) so I'm going the FTP route.

I would defenestrate this damned thing if there were other 11" tablets out there for $200 (this is the newest one, which I ended up with for my birthday - the Fire Max 11.)

I really, really miss my old 2-in-1 laptop. 15" screen and minimal bullshit. It died a couple of years ago as a result of a localized gravity storm.

Blackhawk wrote: Sat Sep 30, 2023 4:18 pm I like that reader. But transferring directly to the card via a reader was the first thing I tried (Fire tablets have always been finicky when it comes to cable transfers), but there is something funky with the way the Fire formats cards that prevents Windows from reading them (Windows sees the card, but the only option is to format, as if the card were new, or had an incompatible file system.) Theoretically the Fire uses FAT32, but ? I found lots of people with the same problem, but no solutions on how to make the transfer.

Right now I'm looking into another alternative.

In that case, using the USB micro SD card adapter I linked above, back up what you currently have stored on the micro SD card to your PC. Then reformat the micro SD card using the exFAT file system, restore the content you previously backed up + the additional 90GB, place the micro SD card back in your tablet, and you'll be all squared away.

Generally speaking, unless it's a really old tablet, you're typically better off using exFAT because FAT32 only supports files up to 4GB in size and 2TB partitions, whereas exFAT has no practical limitations on file or partition sizes (exFAT also tends to outperform FAT32 in terms of writing and reading data). Come to think of it, if any of the files in your 90GB transfer were larger than 4GB, perhaps that's why the transfer was crashing.

Anonymous Bosch wrote: Sat Sep 30, 2023 5:43 pm Generally speaking, unless it's a really old tablet, you're typically better off using exFAT because FAT32 only supports files up to 4GB in size and 2TB partitions, whereas exFAT has no practical limitations on file or partition sizes (exFAT also tends to outperform FAT32 in terms of writing and reading data). Come to think of it, if any of the files in your 90GB transfer were larger than 4GB, perhaps that's why the transfer was crashing.

If it were a regular Android device, I'd be right there with you. Except Amazon. Fire tablets do not support exFAT.

Blackhawk wrote: Sat Sep 30, 2023 7:11 pm

Anonymous Bosch wrote: Sat Sep 30, 2023 5:43 pm Generally speaking, unless it's a really old tablet, you're typically better off using exFAT because FAT32 only supports files up to 4GB in size and 2TB partitions, whereas exFAT has no practical limitations on file or partition sizes (exFAT also tends to outperform FAT32 in terms of writing and reading data). Come to think of it, if any of the files in your 90GB transfer were larger than 4GB, perhaps that's why the transfer was crashing.

If it were a regular Android device, I'd be right there with you. Except Amazon. Fire tablets do not support exFAT.

Ugh. If you're lucky, you can perhaps install a more flexible conventional version of Android on your Fire tablet, as shown here. Otherwise, I suppose you're stuck with FAT32.

Anonymous Bosch wrote: Sat Sep 30, 2023 7:35 pm Ugh. If you're lucky, you can perhaps install a more flexible conventional version of Android on your Fire tablet, as shown here. Otherwise, I suppose you're stuck with FAT32.

Kindle Fires running FireOS 5.3.1 and older can be rooted.

What they're not telling you is that it's been five or six years since Amazon decided that they didn't like people not being tracked and locked it down. Since then, any attempt to root a Fire bricks it. The best you can do (and what I did) is sideload the Google Play store so that you're not stuck with their awful selection of outdated (and Amazon-friendly) options.

Should professional sports players be allowed to bet on professional sports?
A no-brainer that NFL should not be able to bet on NFL games, but I actually don't think they should be able to bet on NBA or MLB either.

Sometime in the next couple of years, there is going to be some massive betting scandal...

Why? Genuinely asking. Because some teams share owners? Connections between athletes in different sports?

Sudy wrote: Sun Oct 01, 2023 12:31 pm Why? Genuinely asking. Because some teams share owners? Connections between athletes in different sports?

That was my question as well. And what about NHL? Boxing? FIFA? NVA? PGA? USATT? MMA? College sports?

Probably the potential for "insider information" (or even appearance of insider information), either through deliberate collusion or inadvertent - yes, because teams share owners or athletes simply know each other very well.

If it were phrased as "Professional athletes may not engage in sports betting", it would make more sense than trying to specify which sports qualify.

Lesson to self: "Don't overthink it" doesn't mean "Don't think."

Sudy wrote: Sun Oct 01, 2023 12:31 pm Why? Genuinely asking. Because some teams share owners? Connections between athletes in different sports?

Mainly because of connections between athletes in different sports. I don't want a football player and a baseball player to join forces, throw games (or even just provide inside information to one another), etc. It seems pretty obvious to me that we are just letting kids play on the highway here, and it's only a matter of time before something happens.

Right now an NFL player just can't bet on games that involve his own team.

Blackhawk wrote: Sun Oct 01, 2023 1:29 pm If it were phrased as "Professional athletes may not engage in sports betting", it would make more sense than trying to specify which sports qualify.

Unagi originally wrote:Should professional sports players be allowed to bet on professional sports?

Yes, that's the entire point I was saying.

Unagi originally wrote:A no-brainer that NFL should not be able to bet on NFL games, but I actually don't think they should be able to bet on NBA or MLB either.

Please forgive me for giving a specific example. I certainly wasn't trying to say that it would be limited to these 3 leagues.

Ah. It gave me the impression that you were trying to do just that - specify which sports they couldn't bet on. A blanket ban built into a contract, though, makes sense.

Stress must be getting to me. I must have been having some weird bad dream though I dont remember the dream itself. I woke up on my left side with my left arm outstretched and the elbow and hand up in the air. My hand was opening and closing doing some kinda sign language in the air my brain thought when I saw it half awake. I just grabbed my hand and shoved it under the covers and went back to sleep. Weird though thinking back on it. Thats a new one.

Somgesticulism!

Blackhawk wrote: Sat Sep 30, 2023 4:37 pm I would defenestrate this damned thing if there were other 11" tablets out there for $200 (this is the newest one, which I ended up with for my birthday - the Fire Max 11.)

I really, really miss my old 2-in-1 laptop. 15" screen and minimal bullshit. It died a couple of years ago as a result of a localized gravity storm.

You may be able to get a 2-1 chromebook for under $200. Won't be superfast, but its fast enough for reading and web browsing.

Jaymon wrote: Mon Oct 02, 2023 1:48 pm

Blackhawk wrote: Sat Sep 30, 2023 4:37 pm I would defenestrate this damned thing if there were other 11" tablets out there for $200 (this is the newest one, which I ended up with for my birthday - the Fire Max 11.)

I really, really miss my old 2-in-1 laptop. 15" screen and minimal bullshit. It died a couple of years ago as a result of a localized gravity storm.

You may be able to get a 2-1 chromebook for under $200. Won't be superfast, but its fast enough for reading and web browsing.

Yeah, I'd looked a them. I'm not sure what my reasoning was (it may just have been that I got a good deal for Prime Day, or that I expected Chromebooks to be more - dunno.) If I can ever afford it, I'd love to upgrade to a 15"-17" 2-in-1 (the type that hinges all the way around so it can be held like a tablet.) 90% of what I use it for is just reading pdfs or comics. At 15"+, it's no longer necessary to zoom in, as you're getting close to the original dimensions. Above 17" and it becomes too unwieldy to hold and read comfortably (and even 17" is pushing that - I'd probably be leaning toward 16".)

I'm not even close to being able to spend that kind of money these days (and the Quest 3 is about to launch - $650 for the one that wouldn't run out of storage in an hour - that's not happening anytime soon. Now, maybe if were out of debt and found a thousand dollar bill - or if that damned billion-dollar check I wrote had gone through.)

I got 2 of them. a $500 one that I am super duper happy with, and a $179 dollar refurb that I was not entirely happy with, (thus the need for the second one)

Speaking of Amazon, we bought a power pack through them recently, and whoever packed it sent along the wrong power adapter. When we first got it, we tried charging it, nothing happened. It was only through testing that we realized they had sent us the wrong adapter with wrong amperage. You can't really deal with Amazon Support to tell them specifics like that. We tried. Far easier to just order a new adapter.

Rumpy wrote: Mon Oct 02, 2023 3:11 pm Speaking of Amazon, we bought a power pack through them recently, and whoever packed it sent along the wrong power adapter. When we first got it, we tried charging it, nothing happened. It was only through testing that we realized they had sent us the wrong adapter with wrong amperage. You can't really deal with Amazon Support to tell them specifics like that. We tried. Far easier to just order a new adapter.

Just tell them the entire thing wont work. Not really lying.

i don't get Lego theme sets... one pays a whole lot of money for one of these, builds it, and it just ... sits there? collecting dust? i thought the appeal of Lego was 1) using your imagination to build what you want 2) tear your constructions apart and build something else, over and over

Licensing is a hell of a drug. And scale modeling has been a thing since before Davinci.

Not sure if it’s specifically ‘theme sets’ (like, some Harry Potter castle) you are talking about. Or just any of the sets. But I’ll just say that some of the sets (it’s been years now, since my kids are too old to use as an excuse) in general are amazing in their design.

When I was a kid, I’d build a lot of unique creative spaceships and bases, etc. But now I don’t “play”, but the construction still has appeal. The following of steps to an end result also has appeal (I kinda like putting furniture together too, for instance).

As for building them and leaving them out.
I have two in the rafters of my basement (entirely visible)

Apollo 11
Jawa Sand-crawler


The appeal of legos changes as you get older if you keep the appeal at all.

What you describe is what a kid gets out of it.

Daehawk wrote: Mon Oct 02, 2023 5:32 pm

Rumpy wrote: Mon Oct 02, 2023 3:11 pm Speaking of Amazon, we bought a power pack through them recently, and whoever packed it sent along the wrong power adapter. When we first got it, we tried charging it, nothing happened. It was only through testing that we realized they had sent us the wrong adapter with wrong amperage. You can't really deal with Amazon Support to tell them specifics like that. We tried. Far easier to just order a new adapter.

Just tell them the entire thing wont work. Not really lying.

But it technically wouldn't be the entire thing, as it does work when the correct amount of power is fed to it. The power pack itself works just fine. It's the wrong power adapter that they sent us that's the problem. Someone fudged up in sending the completely wrong adapter for the thing they're selling.

I always type repetitive as repeditive or repedative and have to spell check it every time.

My sister carted me around town today and fed me at Cracker Barrel. Gotta say the waitress was a beauty to say the least.

Unagi wrote: Mon Oct 02, 2023 6:36 pm
What you describe is what a kid gets out of it.

i think the kids have it correct, here

Get whatever enjoyment out of it you like. I enjoy the process and the finished product of licensed sets for display. Others might enjoy the act of unstructured creativity. Neither is wrong, nor should be gatekept.