Category: Tech

Another Mandatory Update

Google issued a mandatory update for my phone that crippled its battery. In return, I got a very good deal on a new Google phone. They didn’t even want the old phone in trade.

On the front porch yesterday morning there was a big box from Verizon, filled with equipment — a new router, DVR and STB. They don’t want the old gear returned.

I have 30 days to activate the new DVR before the old one is shut down. It isn’t clear that the router needed to be replaced, but I did it anyway. Compared to the old router, it seems to have better 5 GHz coverage and it adds Wi-Fi 6 support.

Protocol: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)
Security type: WPA2-Personal
Manufacturer: Intel Corporation
Description: Intel(R) Wi-Fi 6E AX211 160MHz
Driver version: 23.70.2.3
Network band: 5 GHz
Network channel: 52
Link speed (Receive/Transmit): 432/432 (Mbps)
IPv4 address: 192.168.1.183
IPv4 DNS servers: 192.168.1.1 (Unencrypted)
Physical address (MAC): E4-0D-36-EA-20-63

Losing the old DVR will be painful. It has a nice collection of movies in HD from TCM. Almost all of them are on an external 1 TB HDD I added a decade ago. It’s connected with a Firewire interface, but the drive also has a USB port, so it can be repurposed. I’d be amazed if its file system is readable on a PC.

I’ll look into disposing the old video equipment. I’m keeping the old router and its extender, as there’s some network experimentation I want to try.

So much technology that’s been working perfectly, but is now considered junk, and I’m being forced to retire it. *SIGH* This is why I am so pleased with Lyrion, the successor to Logitech Media Server. I was close to giving up on my Squeezebox Radios and the Touch streamer, but now Lyrion has brought the music network back to life beautifully.

It’s Not the Years, It’s the Mileage

My Nordic Track ski machine was new for Christmas, 1995. Since giving up running a year ago, I’ve been on it a lot, afib be damned.

Now 29 years old, one of the one-way rollers has started to slip. New rollers are available for purchase, but I’m going to give this simple trick a try. It’s genius!

https://www.instructables.com/Refurbishing-Drive-Rollers-for-a-NordicTrack-Ski-M/

That New Phone Feeling

The Pixel 8a provides such a different experience from the 4a! It’s bigger and it’s heavier, and it’s… it’s… uh… did I mention it’s bigger and heavier? The battery lasts a lot longer, but I was doing fine with the 4a’s battery until its runtime was cut in half by that mandatory Android 13 update.

Google Pixel 8a with Otterbox Commuter case as seen by a Pixel 4a

4a x $300 = 8a

Well, it’s done. For $300 I have a Pixel 8a and keep the Pixel 4a. Everything has been copied over, the SIM swapped, and the cellular phone service checked. To my surprise, 5G came up. The last I knew, my plan was limited to 4G/LTE.

Successful data transfusion between phones

All of the many updates have been taken. Now there’s the arduous task of logging onto many accounts and pairing all of the Bluetooth devices.

How did I take a picture of both phones, while both of them were busy? With my ol’ reliable Canon PowerShot SD1000. I don’t know how long it had been since I last used the camera, but it powered right up without needing a charge.

This old commercial with Maria Sharapova had absolutely nothing to do with why I bought a Canon PowerShot camera! Not a thing, I swear!

Dude, You’re Getting a Google

The battery in my Pixel 4a has gone through some changes since I took the mandatory Android 13 update. The first day, the battery seemed to last much longer than it ever had. The second day, it returned to its previous rate of discharge. Today, it seems to be running down somewhat faster than usual.

Google Pixel 8a

Half an hour ago, Google sent me a $100 discount code for the purchase of a new Pixel phone. Checking the Google Store, I saw the Pixel 8a is once again at $400, a hundred bucks off its list price. Can the discount code be combined with the sale price? Yep, it can, so I ordered one.