I recently had someone write me an email telling me that I don’t need a home phone, and I could use a device called Cell2Jack instead. After looking at it, I discovered it is a very niche product, and will not replace my need for a home phone. So why wouldn’t this work? There are a few reasons of why I don’t see this working. I will go into them with this blog posting, and will not consider the device anymore.
Read more “Cell2Jack – Very Niche”
Category: Tech
Windows 11 – A Waste
I bought Windows 11 Pro for my Framework 16 notebook computer. I find myself using this new PC that has more RAM, and more storage than my other desktop and notebook combined so much less than either of my other machines. This would imply that there is something wrong with this picture. Why would I not use this what I would consider as a higher end machine more often? This notebook has 64GB of memory, and 2 NVMME drives with a total of 6GB, another 1TB module, and an SD card reader along with 4 USB-C ports. This sounds like a machine that most people will want to use? Read more “Windows 11 – A Waste”
Framework 16 Walkthrough
This blog posting is a walkthrough on what I would do if I could do things the way it should have been done (in my opinion). This is not what I initially did, and therefore, you will learn from my mistakes. Obviously, if you should have any questions, feel free to ask me. I will be happy to provide some insights. This walk through is for the Framework 16 from Frame Work PCs ( https://frame.work ). The Framework 16 is obviously a 16” notebook PC that is modular and upgradeable. With it being upgradable, it is also repairable. If you need to replace the memory, you can use industry standards SODIMM memory (DDR 5 only). You can also upgrade or replace your storage by using NVME drives which is in the shape of a stick of gum. The longer one is a 2280 drive which is 22mm wide × 80mm long. The second drive is a 2230 drive which is 30mm long. Rather than Frame Work deciding on what ports it thinks the majority would need, they created an open standard system in which the ports are inserted into USB standard slots. They call these accessories cards, but they are not cards, and more likely to be thought of as modules.
Read more “Framework 16 Walkthrough”
First Impressions – Framework 16
This blog posting is my initial review of the Framework 16 notebook computer. I chosen the one with the 7840HS CPU from AMD, with the standard keyboard in addition to the number pad. For modules, I chosen 4 USB-C ports, a 1TB storage module, and an SD card module. I will go into modules a little later in this posting. In addition to the PC, I had to buy memory which I bought 2 × 32GB (64GB) of memory, a 2TB, and 4TB NVME storage drives. The 4TB drive didn’t fit because it was too high (a heatsink). All together, I paid a little more than $3,000 for all purchases. Read more “First Impressions – Framework 16”
First Impressions – Ubuntu
This blog posting is the review of Ubuntu Desktop 24.04. This is the first time I ever made a Linux distribution as my primary OS. There are some things I like about it, and some things I don’t like about it. So far, the OS does almost everything I would need without too much of a fuss. However, that doesn’t make it smooth sailing. As with most Linux OSes, Ubuntu is free, and the download .iso file was 6GB in size. This meant it needed to be installed on a drive that was 8GB or larger to install the OS. Read more “First Impressions – Ubuntu”
Why VCF?
Some people will notice the links to my .vcf file, or My VCF. One might wonder what it is, and how does it work? In this blog posting, I will detail what a .vcf is, and how to best use it. With that in mind, I would hope that you would consider providing a .vcf file, if only to a few people. Me personally, I provide my .vcf file to anyone that would want it. I would recommend right away to use your smartphone when going to the .vcf file. This will be explained later in this posting. Read more “Why VCF?”
A Problem with Mint Mobile
I am a Mint Mobile customer. I really like them, and they are reasonably priced. I have a plan that is $205/year which is very affordable. Considering that the Big 3 in the United States starts their plans at around $60/month, the less than $20/month I pay with Mint is a blessing for my meager financial resources. Yes, my plan only gives me 5GB of data per month, but I am in a trusted Wifi Network much of the time, and the data provided by Mint is more than sufficient with my lifestyle, and resources needed. I also have good international rates, although I have yet to need to call an international number, so the money I added for international calls has yet to be used. Read more “A Problem with Mint Mobile”
iPhone 16 – A Want
Well, this is a predicament. A couple of years ago, I bought an iPhone 14 Pro Max. The phone works just fine, and that would be a part of the problem. Today, Apple unveiled the iPhone 16 lineup, and with that will come a number of features that my 14 Pro Max doesn’t have. However, at $1,200USD – I would need to draw on a credit card to pay for it. This will mean that I will be paying interest as long as I carry a balance. This will mean that my $1,200 phone will cost more than $1,200. Obviously, I will perform the same tactic that I would always do with debt and that would be to attack it with a vengeance. This will mean to throw ALL of my discretionary spending at the debt. With all of this in mind, and the fact that my iPhone 14 still works just fine, and expected to work just fine with the iOS 18 updates (except the higher features), there is no way I can justify buying a brand new phone that starts at $900, and only go up from there. So what are the features that would be something I will look forward to? Here they are: Read more “iPhone 16 – A Want”
Dropped Skype
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!
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!”