Tag: verizon fios

Stupid !@@!$@#$##$%^ idiots!

Verizon FiOS workers are on strike. I don’t know if one of them screwed up the TV schedule, or if TCM’s information was wrong, but I set the DVR to record an old, rare movie for somebody — something that isn’t available on video — and it recorded only the first hour of it! AAUGH!! I am so sick and fu*king tired of damned stupid mistakes like this. If we are now supposed to be recording based on program data and not time, THEN THE DATA HAS TO BE !@#$%^&* CORRECT!!!!!! Or, if the running time is in doubt, as was the case here apparently, at least record too much, and not too little. I am REALLY PIS*ED OFF about this!

Follow-up: Tonight, the FiOS DVR listed G-Men from 1935 as the movie at 8, but the original 1932 Scarface was shown. The entry on TCM’s web site was correct. Somebody, somewhere, is screwing up.

FCC confirms FiOS delivers as promised

Ars Technica reports that the FCC has studied internet service provider speeds and, no surprise to me, found Verizon FiOS to be the best in America. Not only does it have the fastest throughput, the speed is consistent throughout the day.

Speaking of FiOS, a few weeks ago I talked about trouble with the battery that keeps the FiOS landline phone working during a power failure. We lost power for a few hours this past Sunday, due to “animal contact with equipment” according to the power company, and the battery was OK during the entire outage.

Bad battery! Bad! No, wait. Good!

Praise and thanks to the local Batteries Plus store. The “replace battery” light and buzzer came on for the battery backup that keeps the phone working with Verizon FiOS for a few hours during a power failure. This was the second battery. I replaced the original battery just a year ago, after four years.

I took both of the allegedly failed batteries to the Batteries Plus store, and the guy there, working by himself on a Sunday, said “Verizon FiOS? I bet they both test fine.” And, indeed, they did. His explanation was that the FiOS UPS seems to have a habit of overcharging batteries then declaring them worn out, prematurely.

He suggested discharging the battery with a light or letting it sit for a week or two. Well, the original battery has been sitting idle for over a year, so I figured I’d put that back in and, if the tech at the store was right, it would work. And it did. So now the question is, how long will it last? Maybe I should let it run down for an hour or two once in a while. The only catch with that idea is, unplugging the power supply will leave the phone working off the battery, but Internet and TV service will be down.

Follow-up: Six days later the original battery is still OK.