New MacBook

I have been a Mac products user since just after the inception in 1984 (Apple started earlier than that, but Mac was launched in 1984 during the SuperBowl). I have had a few machines from an Apple SE, LC 475, iMac, MacBook, and now a MacBook Air. Also have bought a number of smaller Apple products like iPhones, iPods, and iPads.

While they are more expensive and elitist than the rest of the computing world, the quality of their products are second to none. They have been dropped, coffee soaked, hard disk crashed, and more. But all have been resurrected and continued on.

I got my MacBook in late 2009. Great machine and has gone through a lot. Three hard drives, a coffee incident, many OS transformations, and a few RAM upgrades.  Still an excellent running device, but the outer plastic shell has started to crumble and it has become fragile.

After some deep soul searching and many hours of research, both about the product and with my finances, I decided to purchase a newer refurbished laptop. With my past history with Mac products I am confident that this gently used and loved machine will bring a number of good years of work and enjoyment.

Questions on Net Neutrality

As this great country just fucked over the tax payers  with 'new' tax cuts, we now face the 'leadership' of this country's next bigly move...net neutrality.

I have few questions...

If the interwebz is broken down and we are going to be charged for various packages of usage, how am I expected to pay bills? For the last several years I have been forced to electronically pay my bills online, instead of mailing a check or physically showing up and paying. Will I have to pay extra to have connection to pay my bills?

I do a majority of my banking online, will I have to pay extra for access to my own money? Bad enough we have to pay ATM fees to use our money.

Also, most of us file our taxes online, will we have to pay extra for services in order to give the government our money?

Anyone know the answers to all of this? Has anyone (including the 'geniuses') behind this thought this out?

Low Battery

So the other day my cell phone started to lose power more rapidly each day, going through about half of it's life in about 8 hours. It is approaching about 18 months in age so I figured the battery was just getting tired and I may need to think about replacing it.

Yesterday, it went through half of it's charge in about 3 hours and I knew it was a definite sign that it needed to be replaced and soon as I have some travel coming up.

When I got home a quick interwebz search suggested that I check for updates first before replacing the battery. Sure enough a new update was available (released just a week or so prior). Following the instructions, I performed the dreaded software update and switched to a brand new OS for my phone (an Android).

After the upload (or download), I let the phone charge to 100%. Worked a full day and the phone has been off the charger for 10+ hours and I have only used 12% the charge...so for now a replacement does seem necessary.

Now here is my thought...are cell phones becoming sentient? Did it know it needed to be "re-educated?" Or are the manufacturers (and or carriers) pinging our devices to make them run poorly, so that we do the updates? Someone is controlling us....and it is unsettling.

No real issues with the new OS, but trying to get used to the "subtle" changes (improvements according to the developer).

Random Thoughts Vol 17 2016 Edition

It has been a while since I just spit out the dribble that has been bouncing around in my noggin, so without further ado here it is...

• It is that time of year when students start to take practice tests for the upcoming Common Core standardized testing. I sat in classroom the other day and watched the kids conjure up their own anxiety (I am sure this is more parent driven) over the practice test, then later in the day overheard a conversation from the same group of kids about staying up late and trying time and time again to unlock the next achievement in their latest video game, after they got home from their travel sport practice...if they can compete at highly competitive levels of sports and video games, they can handle the stress of a standardized test. IMHO
• No Shave November is still going well from last year...love living bearded and of course still doing the HBM.
• Yesterday (11/16/16) I got a picture from my daughter of her sitting by the pool (hot springs) in Colorado eating dinner in her bathing suit, today (11/17/16) they getting snow.
• Finishing up a project, I am happy with the outcome, and everyone involved is excited to see this phase come to close. They are also satisfied with the end result. Good job me.

Well that is it for now....

Verizon: Gotta Love 'em Part 2

So I finally had a chance to follow up with my local Verizon store about the discontinuing of their email app. First, they had not heard anything and when I showed them the message they were just as surprised as I was. But they reassured me that switching to another app for email was probably a good thing anyways and since I used a Yahoo email address that the Yahoo app was great and I should just go ahead and use that one.

So Saturday I made the transition and it was seamless.......for about an hour. Then I started to receive intermittent non-stop text messages from Verizon (VZMMNM: followed by a number 0,1,2,3,4,5, or 6). This went on for three days. I searched on line how to stop messages and found a lot of similar advice, but could not find the drop down menu to disable what was happening.

Finally got back to the store and explained what was going on, and they were as dumbfounded as I was. Three calls later and 30 minutes on hold, they found a glitch in some setting on their end and the texts have stopped...so far. Fingers crossed.

Verizon: Gotta Love 'em

So I received a message that my cell phone carrier is dropping their email app and as of March 16th 2016, will no longer be able to get emails on my current cellphone.

I will either have to open my internet browser and get emails that way, or......upgrade my cell phone. Of course a new cell phone, that is the solution...that is in the best interest of the carrier, not sure how my bank account feels about this?

I have seen this pattern before...Yes, I remember, it is why I have a "smartphone" in the first place, I needed to update a beat up cellphone but could only do so by getting into a data plan and a device that could handle that said data plan. I was hesitant but what could I do.

Now I feel as if I am trapped again, having to pay for something that by no choice of my own they are making obsolete by discontinuing an app. But give them more money and and i can continue.

BTW, Chrome is doing a similar thing with my laptop, by stopping updates for my current browser and OS.

I guess I am just falling behind in my technology devices...

Apple v. Android: A Cage Match

I have been a fan and have used Apple products since their introduction in the mid 80s. They are a well design and built product. I like their operating system, ease of use and durability. I have had several desktops, laptops, iPods, and an iPad, but I have never been impressed with the iPhone.

Now I was late to jump on the "smart phone" bandwagon. I didn't need it, I had a laptop and an iPad, so why did I need a mobile device to do anything but make phone calls, and send and receive texts (and the camera is a nice extra). The cell service industry finally forced me into a smart phone as they have used their oligarchy control of the industry and phased out basic cell phones. {FYI: I use less than .25 gigs of data service a month}

I did my research when I had to make the jump, and I am not going to go into the battle of which is better, you can google that and decide for yourselves. I went with an Android phone based solely on price and availability with my cell service provider.

Since using an Android phone and an Apple computer, there has been a couple times that they have been connected. I have found that the Apple laptop can read just about everything on the Android phone and can even back-up files. The Android does not like to take anything from the Apple laptop (pictures, documents, calendars) and constantly gives me messages to this fact.

Which now brings me to the cage match I witnessed last night. I forgot to bring a charger for the phone (house sitting), but found a cable that would connect between the phone and the laptop. Phew, or so I thunk. Connected them and went to sleep. Woke this morning to find my cell phone completely dead. Not a single spark in the battery. I guess my Apple laptop tried to kill the Android phone by using it as a back-up power source. Well played Apple....

The Android phone is on life support and slowly recovering from its near death experience, and I have learned a lesson.