Listening to the Voices in my Head

Who wouldn't thunk it

I found a great use for all the excess hand sanitizer. Get a small microfiber cloth, squirt some on it, make sure the cloth is damp with it.

If your computer is on, open notepad and close everything else. Maximize note pad, and start cleaning. It's easier if your computer is off, but with notepad on you can actually see which keys get used the most.

The only good thing I've found so far

I have been using/wearing a Samsung Gear2 smart watch. It worked great, only needing charging every three to four days, and the version of Samsung health could measure pulse, blood oxygen and a few other things.

Along comes update on phone. Now Gear2 doesn't work, not because of hardware, but because of software. The new Samsung Health does a 'check version' on the watch, and blocks it from connecting. I email Samsung about why they're using software to block the watch. They said internet security reason. What?  The watch didn't connect to the internet, just phone.  I called bullshit, and pretty much told them so, but in polite language.  They replied with a snarky comment about watch being 'obsolete'.  THEN WHY THE F**K IS IS LISTED IN THE ACCESSORIES!

(deep breath)

Samsung suggest I get one their new smart watches, as the prices of $399 to $499. Uhh, no. I told them I don't buy items that have deliberate obsolescence built it, as you can't change the battery if it stops charging.

Dilemma: What to do.

Solution: Either buy one of my old model smart watch, that had has different OS flashed on it, and can be used with the OS makers own health software, or go in search of an 'old' model that is still compatible with the new phone.

I chose option two. at 1/4 the price of the new ones. I miss a great many features and abilities I had on my old watch. Like being able to choose a photo background AND what display of watch. Can't do that, so picked the least eye-bending color.

The only good thing I have found so far, it's great at reminding me to get up and walk around.

Annoyance with Win10 and Samsung phones.

It's a known, but for some reason, totally unfixable by either MicroSoft or Samsung (each are more interested in fixing the blame, instead of fixing the problem)

Out of the blue, S9 and Win10 can't connect, not unless you remove Samsung device, from computer, unpair phone, and start the whole thing of discovery all over again. Add to this that Win 10, unlike Win 7, you have to MANUALLY start the file transfer on the computer, then start file transfers from phone to desktop. Win 7, select file, select computer and send. Bluetooth isn't as convenient with Win 10.

Use a cable, you say? Did I mention that if you don't have your phone and cable in JUST the right position, Win 10 will cycle through USB device connected, USB device disconnected over and over? Two different computer, three different phones, three different cables, same shit over and over.

With Amazon support, you have a 50/50 chance

I found my old Windows 7 phone, and its spare battery, so decided to charge it up, and see what I can do with it over WiFi (no sim chip in it)

It charged up very quickly and I started putting it through its paces.  Sadly, there are some things that no longer work, because Zune, the desktop software you used to be able to use to update programs, no longer works. Microsoft shut off Zune's access to the servers sometime around June/July 2019. 

Be that as it may, other programs were working fine.  I fired up my Kindle app and at first, all seemed well. It started to sync, cancelled the sync, deregistered itself, and deleted the books I had on the device.  Ok, this intrepid device user went through the usual "register your device", and it failed. I tried again, and again, and again, meticulously making sure every letter/character in name and password was correct and it was.  But kept getting "Email and password not recognized".  BUT I could login via the phone's internet browser.  Time for TECH SUPPORT!  I start a chat, and I explain the situation. I was clear and succinct so I wouldn't be wasting any time.  Even though I told the person, designated by the letter P, that everything, even the Microsoft Store, said I had the app installed, it wouldn't work. My question was "Did Amazon discontinue support for the Windows Phone version of Kindle App?" 

P said no, and insisted I check MS store to see if it was there. It was. He insisted I try to login, over and over. The, P's bright idea was to switch my location, even though I told him NOT to.  Well, he did (that lead to a different bunch of trouble).  Even so, still same "email and password not recognized" message.  After P fiddling around with things, telling me to try things, and if I didn't get back to him in 60 seconds he would discontinue the chat (I reamed him about that, telling him it takes longer than 60 seconds for MS Store to launch, to search for something and get a result. He pseudo-apologized for that), for a solid 90 minutes, P finally tells me that Amazon no longer supports or has available for download the Kindle App for Windows*.  Ok, I will admit, I textually, without swearing, lit into him for not finding that out and telling me earlier. I also told him to put my Amazon setting BACK to the way they originally were. (Although I live in Australia, I am U.S. citizen. I opened my Amazon account in the US over 20 years ago. Yes, I know there's an Amazon Au, but their selection sucks. Can't get the ebooks I want on the Amazon AU site, so not ditching my Amazon US account) Ended chat, gave honest if low rating. Turns out the little $hit didn't put my settings back.  So, none of my echo dots/alexa settings worked anymore.

I admit, it was late, and I was in no mood to go searching for reason/solution, I started another Amazon help chat regarding Alexa devices, with support person, Amir. I explained I was living in Australia, but had opened amazon account when I was in the US and wanted to keep it that way.  He fixed the issue in under 30 seconds. I profusely thanked him for his friendly, quick service, ended chat, gave 5 star ratings across the board.

Next thing, I'm checking to see if I can use it as a portable audio book device. Wish me luck!

Just two a day

Slogging through all the Windows 7 "Cumulative Updates" I passed on installing so I could keep using one my favorite Blu-Ray players.  But it's come to the time that I just uninstalled it, and have installing the rather backed up Cumulative updates.  There are quite a few, but they take so long to download, and then to install, just going to do two a day.

Have to say, not happy about having to do this, but seeing as Micro$oft is going to be ending official support in 2020, it behooved me to get the updates installed, regardless how many programs Micro$oft suddenly deemed unworthy or out of date.

Well, that sucks.

I have been using Cyberfox in place of Firefox for years. I wanted to check to see if there was an update, only to keep getting errors trying to get the the website.

With a bit of Google research, I found out that the programmer of Cyberfox, due to illness, has suspended all work, indefinitely (maybe forever, maybe not). Understandable, and I wish him a speedy recovery.

I don't like what Firefox has turned into, it's become an Echo of Chrome.  And if I wanted Chrome as as my primary browser I'd use Chrome.  After FF's huge overhaul, 90% of my tried and trusted addons/extensions no longer worked.  And there was no longer a way to use Nightly Testers Tools to make them compatible, so really Mozilla, why do you even bother to have than neutered version of Nightly Testers Tools as an addon?

Chrome is ok, but this crapola with Flash ...  really?  I had disabled updates to prevent the issue with flash, but Google forced an update regardless.  I want to customize my Browser, not have the browser customize itself.

I have managed to download the latest and last version of Cyberfox (52.9.1) and am currently backing up my profiles on both Win 7 and Win 10, just in case of a screw up. (ie extensions suddenly no longer working sort of screw up)