Category: Tech

A couple of days ago, after powering up my Pixel 4a it felt scary hot. As if the battery was being drained… which it was, but by what?

I wasn’t using the phone, and no apps were running, and yet by 6 PM the battery was down to 8%. I charged it back up and turned it off. Since yesterday morning it’s been behaving normally.

Other users have experienced the same behavior, but there is no official explanation from Google that I can find. If it’s a battery maintenance routine, why would it run without notice? As long as the battery doesn’t fail and bulge out — as happened with one of my old tablets — I won’t worry about it.

Yesterday when mentioning I was listening to an Elvis podcast while paying bills, these were the speakers playing it. Purchase price $7.

I’ve had numerous wired computer speakers come and go over the years, but I continue to hang onto these humble little cylinders. Whatever outfit in China makes (or made) the AX210, voices are exceptionally well articulated.

---

Another old audio product I use is a GE Superadio III. Purchase price $40. It was originally noteworthy for AM reception, but its high-fidelity FM sound quality is why it continues to sit in the window next to my desk.

---

Finding the Dell speakers and a Superadio is hit-or-miss, but these Sony headphones are readily available. They’re currently priced on Amazon at a whopping 25% more than what I paid six months ago, but we’re talking about $12.50 vs. $10. These are my notebook computer headphones.

---

This Sony product was discontinued long ago. Purchased for $8 (18 years ago, maybe?), they’re what I use with my Fire HD 10 tablet.

At last, a Boston area broadcast TV station is going to be transmitting a NextGen signal. WCRN-LD, physical channel 30, displays as channels 31-1 through 31-6. I first learned of the station’s move to ATSC 3.0 from a crawl notice at the start a show, and seeing that got me searching for this notice.

ENGINEERING NARRATIVE AND NOTICE OF ATSC 3.0 OPERATION WCRN-LD CH 30 FACILITY ID 9154 FCC FILE 00001113233 BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Tyche Media LLC (“TML”), Licensee of LPTV station WCRN-LD has been operating as a licensed LPTV DTV facility employing ATSC 1.0 in accordance with FCC Rules. Rule Section 74.782(h) speaks to stations operating in ATSC 1.0 being required to air daily announcements or crawls for a period of 30 days prior to terminating ATSC 1.0 operation and commencing ATSC 3.0 operation. TML is aware of this requirement and commenced the required notifications on June 14, 2022. The station will not provide simulcast service.

Effective July 14, 2022, TML proposes to commence ATSC 3.0 operation. The WCRN-LD operation will comply with applicable ATSC 3.0 requirements for digital LPTV stations. WCRN-LD will be transitioning to ATSC 3.0 without simulcasting as permitted under FCC Rule Section 74.782(c). The Licensee certifies that no notice to MVPDs was required based on Section 74.782(i) of the FCC Rules as there will be no change to the currently licensed facilities other than the transition to ATSC 3.0.

The WCRN-LD license was granted on May 7, 2020, and now files this formal modification of license application to be listed as a Next Gen facility as specified in Section 74.782(g)(3) of the Commission’s Rules.

WCRN has seemed experimental from the outset, with programming that has been mixed, to say the least. Some of the stations are frequently blank, and when they’re active there’s no predicting what will be aired. So I’m not surprised that WCRN is the first Boston outlet to take this step.

What does surprise me is their stated intention to broadcast exclusively in ATSC 3.0, which is not an FCC requirement. I don’t have a compatible tuner yet, and I doubt very many people do have one. So, on the day WCRN makes the switch, it will disappear from my TiVo.

Follow-up:

NextGen TV Comes to Boston