Category: Life

Looking Forward to iOS 27

Frank PiloneLeave a comment

Here is the thing. People gripe about secured messaging, but no one seems to use it. I have both Signal, and WhatsApp installed, and none of my contacts uses either service. This makes one wonder keep these app services? Wouldn’t it just be simpler to use iMessage, or RCS? Well, the answer is Yes, it will.

There are claims that iOS 26.5 supports end to end encryption with RCS. If this is the case, then I will make sure that the bugs are worked out, and wait for iOS 27 to support encryption in RCS, and uninstall the two apps that are not being used, and just taking up space. When that happens links to send me an SMS will open Apple or Google Messages. With Apple Messages, if the recipient is not an iPhone user, then iOS 27 will be some assurance that encryption is supported. Read more “Looking Forward to iOS 27”

Giving Up Timberlands

Frank PiloneLeave a comment

There is an issue I have to deal with. I wear pedorthic shoes, and the company that commissioned my shoes to be made has moved, and no longer on the bus line. Since I rely on buses for almost all of my needs, I had to find an alternative. Based on past experience, the Timberland Pros were my best option. However, after a few months trying to adjust to them, I have given them up. The pain was too great. It doesn’t solve the issue though. There will come a time when I will need new shoes, and the fact I don’t know of any other company that would be able to make pedorthic shoes is still a reality.

As for other options, I will have to buy more boots, and give 2-3 months to try to adjust to them. This is beyond the return window which means every pair of boots will be a gamble that I most likely will not win. As for the Timberlands, I have donated them as I am sure someone else will be able to make better use than I can. I really do not know where to turn to get new pedorthic shoes when the time comes. My only option is to try to keep the pair I am wearing for as long as possible.

Synology on End of Life

Frank PiloneLeave a comment

For those that might know me will know that I do want to back up my systems. I have an iMac with Backblaze, and my MacBook Air is using my Synology 2 bay NAS for Time Machine backups. I would have liked to use Time Machine for my desktop, but there wasn’t enough storage. With that said, my current system is working fine enough. The Synology NAS has two 4TB in RAID-1. RAID-1 is typically a backup of my backup. Anything written to drive 1 is written to drive 2. Therefore, if a drive failed, the system can continue operating, and should notify me of the failed drive so it can be replaced promptly. However, I have been having some problems with the drive, and with Synology’s current policy that their new NAS systems will only accept the overpriced Synology drives, it is forcing me to consider new options.

I have done some research, and found that UGreen provides NAS systems, and therefore something worth considering. Now, I could probably use my 2 drives in my current Synology and save a lot of money, I am at a dilemma where 4TB is simply too small. While it works for the backup of my MacBook Air, it is only because the Air has a 512GB (½TB) which is more than enough for backing up the Air. However, you should have at least 4 times the capacity of the drive for backup solutions. Therefore, my current 2TB desktop will not be able to use the current drives, and even after investing into a new NAS, it will not consolidate all of my backup needs. Read more “Synology on End of Life”

New (Hopefully Better) Pharmacy

Frank PiloneLeave a comment

On April 9, 2025 – I decided to change my pharmacy. I been thinking about this for a while, and gave them opportunity to fix their issues. However, I am tired of holding CVS’s hand in them doing their job. I didn’t have the problem until I was moved to CVS after the last Downtown Rite Aid closed. This was a couple of years ago, and I haven’t been at all happy with them. With that said, I am going back to Rite Aid even if I have to take a bus to get there, and a bus back. Read more “New (Hopefully Better) Pharmacy”

UBI, and How It Could Work

Frank PiloneLeave a comment

This posting is my opinion on Universal Basic Income (hereafter referred to as UBI). The concept of UBI is that everyone deserves a certain minimum amount of money to live well enough. There are a few ways this can be done, but the most popular is that everyone gets UBI. My concept for this plan is that everyone qualifies, but is a means tested. If the person doesn’t have a certain amount of finances available to them, then they will qualify. Once they reached a certain threshold, then they won’t qualify for UBI. Read more “UBI, and How It Could Work”

Dropped Ooma

Frank PiloneLeave a comment

In late September, I had decide to drop Ooma. There was nothing wrong with the service, but since all of my telephone numbers do not ring the Ooma phone, it was becoming a waste of money. When I had Ooma, I had the premiere plan which was $10 + another $10 for taxes on something that is free. With the regards to dropping Ooma, I now rely on my Callcentric Account for all of my home phone lines including my primary home telephone number (begins with =1 855), and all of my international numbers. With that in mind, I will be saving $20 per month, and have one less service that I will have to deal with. Right now, all of my telephone services are either with my cellular provider (1 telephone number) or Callcentric (the other numbers). This will simplify things, and make life a little easier. Read more “Dropped Ooma”

Dropped Skype

Frank PiloneLeave a comment

I have finally decided to completely drop the usage of Skype. There were only 2 people that had any sort of communication with me, and I notified both of them that I will be dropping Skype. I also gave them my IM Resource Site (https://im.fsp.contact) for other options in communicating with me. Neither of them have as of yet decided to reach out to me. Even if they don’t want to provide their telephone number to me, I support Telegram which can be used without disclosing your telephone number.

The reason I dropped Skype was because I was getting too many scammers trying to waste my time with “I Love You – give me money” scams. So far, the SPAM in Telegram has been minimal. I do not miss Skype, and it has not been a good application for the past few years. With that said, I will likely not go back to Skype ever again – considering it as a service that continues to degrade as time goes on. I am guessing there are many legitimate people who are thinking the same way as I do. With that vicious cycle, I don’t see Skype ever recovering.

Why I’ll Never Use TextNow!

Frank PiloneLeave a comment

For those outside of the US, you might not know what TextNow is. To keep things simple, it is an app/service. You get a free US number that must be used at least once a month. They can also send you a SIM card to get “essential” data for free. So, in some degree, you can get a free phone number, and free cellular service. So why won’t I ever use it? Well, there are a couple of reasons.

No eSIM

There is no eSIM capabilities. Most mid-range or better phones are dual SIM with a nano-SIM, and an eSIM. Let’s assume that you have a work cellular line, and you have to use your physical SIM card slot for the work line. Well, this will mean you would have to have another phone. Now, I am not in favor of having your “work” and “personal” lines in one phone, but that is not the belief for everyone. Some people just want to carry one phone especially if that phone is a higher end phone. I have the iPhone 14 Pro Max (US Version). So what does that mean – no SIM slot at all. Both of my SIMs are eSIM only. There is no nano-SIM option. This started with all iPhones 14+ (US Model). Because of that, anyone with an iPhone 14 or better simply can not use TextNow. Read more “Why I’ll Never Use TextNow!”

Soon to Drop Skype

Frank PiloneLeave a comment

I have been a glutton for punishment. I have used Skype off and on for years, and every time I use it, it has been a disappointment. Almost everyone that contacted me were scammers, or otherwise insincere people. There is one person which I known for years on Skype, but I rarely communicate with her any longer. This is disappointing as Skype used to be a good service. However, as you can see, my perception of Skype has changed dramatically. I do have Skype installed on my PC, and on my phone. The app on the phone is just to let me know if someone sent me a message. When I reply, it is exclusively on the PC.
Read more “Soon to Drop Skype”

Back With Ooma

Frank PiloneLeave a comment

About 10 days ago at time of writing this post (204-June-16), I have decided to sign up with Ooma again. The reason for this was to have a phone line that I could use if for some reason my cellular phone was not working. I have my old system which consist of the Ooma Telo (ATA and DECT base station, 1 DECT adapter, and 2 phones). All of these are being put to the same use as before, and even had an incoming call (wrong number). I have a 60 day trial of Ooma Premiere even though this not a new system. I intend on keeping the Premiere service when my trial expires. Since I already owned the hardware, I didn’t have to purchase anything new, although setting up an old system was more trouble than good. I will get into that later. I have used it to make phone calls out on my Ooma system which call quality was good. I still usually rely on my cellular phone. Read more “Back With Ooma”