Stage Select

The Mega Technology Thread - Happy 3rd Birthday!


Recommended Posts

20 minutes ago, Dayaan said:

I could never enjoy these. My pea brain as a kid always wanted a Razer mouse, and I love my Deathadder for years. I'm now on a G502 Hero or whatever the fuck they're calling these shiny mice these days. In terms of a modernised old-school products, I always wanted that IBM mechanical keyboard. You know the one. Wonder how much they go for...

If you build yourself a nice mechanical keyboard with good switches you can basically make the same thing.  All you gotta do is find a shell that looks like the old IBM ones.

Link to comment
On 10/24/2021 at 1:18 PM, Dayaan said:

Scary and expensive...

 

The old Model M's can easily sell for $500 in good shape, there's that big of a market for them. Model F's go for I think $1k?

That being said, I pulled away from getting the Pixel 6 Pro due to a combination of supply issues, along with a not-so-clear path to pay the phone off.

Link to comment
16 minutes ago, YourFavGrandpa said:

You should be able to score one at Best Buy, because if I remember right they are selling unlocked versions of the Pixel 6 Pro.

There definitely some available at the site but it keeps telling me to choose my carrier before proceeding. An unlocked phone shouldn't be asking me such a question so I find it suspect.

Link to comment

Seemingly the google store got more Pixel 6 Pros are in stock. When I looked at the ETA it appears that it's actually a backorder. Apparently, I will get the phone 3 days before Christmas. At least the fuckers won't charge me until they ship the thing. I hope they don't charge me when I already have my credit card balance paid off. 

Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...

The Google Store had the Pixel 6 Pro available in 512gb finally after being sold out of them for a bit, but I can't pull the trigger on one until after my wife's eye surgery is taken care of.

A couple of additional things as well: 

My Google TV is hooked back up to our Samsung TV, as I got tired of Tizen's inability to keep a Twitch channel native to the OS (and I didn't want to turn on the PS5 or XBox). I also have retired my Apple Watch SE in favor of a Fitbit and Garmin smartwatch combo that my wife agreed to. The last thing deserves it's own line, it's that important.

I PULLED THE TRIGGER ON A NAS ENCLOSURE! It should be here either Tuesday or Wednesday, as it's in New Jersey somewhere right now.

Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...
On 12/5/2021 at 10:15 AM, YourFavGrandpa said:

I also have retired my Apple Watch SE in favor of a Fitbit and Garmin smartwatch combo that my wife agreed to.

 

This lasted all of about two weeks before I redid the fitness calibration. Everything works fine now after the fact, and I'm closing my rings pretty much every day now since that happened. I also have a Milanese loop incoming from Apple, along with their Magsafe and fast charge cable for the watch. I also have a new power plug coming from Anker that can handle 40w altogether, so that will tie in with the Magsafe and new watch cable; and I'll be able to put both on the charger at my bedside table.

Wife is keeping both the Fitbit and Garmin for herself.

Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...

https://9to5mac.com/2022/01/10/uber-parks-its-apple-watch-app-in-the-ever-growing-junk-yard/

I can understand this going to the junkyard, but I'm curious as to why developers are stopping support for their Apple Watch apps all of a sudden. There are some very nicely done apps for the Watch (Fantastical comes to mind here), but I'm saying market share is why Uber is killing their app off for WatchOS.

Plus, they're stupid as fuck for counting Apple Watch as a demographic separate from iOS.

Link to comment
  • YourFavGrandpa changed the title to The Mega Technology Thread - Samsung Unpacked February ?? / Pixel 6 Pro Bugs Fixed?

Couple of technology-related things as of late:
 

His tweet about the Pixel 6 Pro being buggy blew up big fucking time. 

Also, Galaxy Unpacked event incoming, presumably in a couple of weeks (I've heard February 8th as the date being tossed around):
https://www.theverge.com/2022/1/20/22893640/samsung-unpacked-february-2022-galaxy-s22-ultra

 

Preview video:


Also of a personal note, I'm absolutely certain that I will go back to Android this year. About to start researching Android phones and see what I can get for the $1200 I paid 13 months ago for my iPhone on the Android side of things.

Link to comment
  • YourFavGrandpa changed the title to The Mega Technology Thread - Samsung Unpacked 9th February / EU Passes Digital Services Act
7 hours ago, Hawkingbird said:

I haven't encountered any bugs with my Pixel 6 Pro. I did start using it after the January update so I might have just dodged the bullet. Other than auto brightness being wonky it's been smooth sailing for me. 

That's what I had figured. I'm presuming that for a large portion of the Pixel 6's userbase, they haven't really had issues on the level that MKBHD did. Doesn't mean that a lot of people will blindly follow his suggestions for phones, despite on multiple occasions mentioning he carries both an iPhone and a Android phone at all times.

 

Speaking of Android phones, I have my purchase list narrowed to five phones. The Galaxy S21 Ultra/S22 Ultra stands out as the current front runner, with the OnePlus 9 Pro/10 Pro being a very close second. The Pixel 6 Pro is a distant third, but may be the one I end up getting because I have a credit line with Google, and they charge 0% interest on phones; plus I get 3% cash back through my Google One membership. I'm awaiting word on a couple of things before broaching the subject with the missus in a couple month's time. First is the global release date for the OnePlus 10 Pro, as it's only available in China right now; but can be imported via AliExpress/Banggood. Second/Third is the final specs on the S22 Ultra and it's price. I'll go no higher that $1400 for the overall cost of any phone on the list (before my accessory cost, which will be around $75-$80), and will probably subsidize the cost w/T-Mo; and pay the phone off in like 6-8 months time. I also don't need as much storage as I used to, due to having my music library on my NAS. This was my original reasoning for getting a 512gb Pixel 6 Pro in the beginning, but 256gb of storage would be more than enough for me.

Link to comment
8 minutes ago, YourFavGrandpa said:

That's what I had figured. I'm presuming that for a large portion of the Pixel 6's userbase, they haven't really had issues on the level that MKBHD did. Doesn't mean that a lot of people will blindly follow his suggestions for phones, despite on multiple occasions mentioning he carries both an iPhone and a Android phone at all times.

To be fair to MKBHD, he did say that the issues he had with the pixel were things that the average person wouldn't notice or think of as a problem.

 

For example, the average person likely wouldn't notice the drop in the refresh rate or how shitty the finger print scanner is (assuming that's something a person wants to use). The issues with the phone would be likely more sensitive to power users.

Link to comment
5 hours ago, YourFavGrandpa said:

That's what I eventually narrowed the tweet and all of that down to. I'm by no means a power user, as I consider myself in-between that and a noob user.

I'm a casual user. I largely use my phone for web browsing, youtube viewing, email and use a handful of apps like Discord and Boost. Definitely not the center of anything that I do. 

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

For those who missed the Galaxy Unpacked event on Wednesday:

 

The breakdowns/new things:

Phones:


S22 Series is official, with the S22 Ultra taking it's place atop the ashes of what once was the Galaxy Note line.
S22+/S22 Ultra start out with 8gb of RAM/128gb of Storage; the regular S22 does not have UWB support for 5G. To get 12gb of ram on the S22+/S22 Ultra; you have to commit to at least 256gb of storage. Battery sizes are from 3700 mAh on the regular S22 to 5000 mAh on the S22 Ultra. This puts the battery of my 12 Pro Max to shame.

Starter pricing is $800 for the S22/$1000 for the S22+/$1200 for the S22 Ultra.

Tablets:
Gigantic fucking tablet the size of a laptop and just as expensive as the iPad Pro tablets. That's all you need to know. Look at this fucking unit.
02-TabS8-Ultra-KV-Configurator-DT-633x47

Link to comment
  • YourFavGrandpa changed the title to The Mega Technology Thread - Android 13 Preview 1 is OUT! / OnePlus Introduces the 10 Pro Fold!

Phone update:

Wife gave her blessing to order the S22 Ultra today. With T-Mobile's promotion they had going on; I was able to get a 512gb S22 Ultra for what I would have paid for a 256gb one. I have a case on it's way from Latercase; and I plan on getting a privacy screen protector from Amazon like I have with my iPhone right now.

Also my iPhone's back glass is shattered 🤬, so we're heading to Dallas on Monday to go to the Apple Store.

Link to comment

An update on recent events surrounding my S22 Ultra and my iPhone: 

1.) UPS lost my S22 UItra 5 minutes away from home on Monday at the nearby hub. Today, they finally said it was delayed and to check back for an updated date of delivery. One phone call to T-Mobile later and I have another S22 Ultra on it's way here, by Monday at the very latest via overnight delivery (i.e. next business day).

2.) My Apple Store experience was mostly fine. Other than having to pay $100 to have the back glass fixed, it was a good interaction. I swear to god, the two people that helped me when I was there are old enough to be my kids.

Link to comment
  • YourFavGrandpa changed the title to The Mega Technology Thread - The Russian Version of Baghdad Bob
  • 2 weeks later...

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/03/eu-to-regulate-gatekeepers-in-crackdown-on-google-apple-amazon-facebook/

The vote on the Digital Services Act for the EU is supposed to happen soon, and is expected to take effect in the fall. Amongst the new regulations includes a requirement for iPhones to allow sideloading, along with various other things. 

here's the bill's full text (if you want to read it): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52020PC0825&from=en

Link to comment
  • YourFavGrandpa changed the title to The Mega Technology Thread - Elon Flips The World The Bird
2 hours ago, DarkSakul said:

What new Android Phone should I get?

 

No iPhones. 

Idk man.  I feel like ever since Huawei got crushed by the US government you pretty much end up getting a Samsung.

 

People in Asia still have a lot of choices but in NA it's pretty homogenous now...

Link to comment
23 hours ago, misterBee said:

Idk man.  I feel like ever since Huawei got crushed by the US government you pretty much end up getting a Samsung.

 

People in Asia still have a lot of choices but in NA it's pretty homogenous now...

There other competition in the Android market kinda weak. Strongest contender is the pixle and its not as good of a phone. 

Link to comment
On 5/5/2022 at 2:48 PM, DarkSakul said:

What new Android Phone should I get?

 

No iPhones. 

I'm partial to the Samsung Galaxy series now that I have a maxed out S22 Ultra. Depends on how much you want to spend tbh. 

For $1000 (if you're so inclined to pay that much), you can get flagship-quality phones from Google and OnePlus. Also the OnePlus 9/9 Pro definitely need consideration, as I believe they've dropped the prices on those phones now that the 10 Pro is out. The Pixel is highly subjective due to MKBHDs issues with the Pro model, although that's not an indicator of the vast majority of experiences.

 

spacer.png

spacer.png

Edited by YourFavGrandpa
added phone screenshots
Link to comment

Unofficial Drinking Game for Google I/O (btw, I am not responsible for you destroying your liver; proceed at your own peril):

Take a shot ... if a well-known celebrity shows up.
Take two shots ... every time the Android droid shows up.
Take a chug of water ... every time Android 13 is mentioned (gotta stay hydrated after all).

Take a shot ... for a great showcase of tech that would be absolutely impractical in day-to-day use.

Take three shots ... if the Pixel Watch is confirmed  (and shown during the keynote).

Kampai Super Bonus:
Finish your drink if the Pixel Watch is available to buy immediately after the keynote.

Link to comment
  • YourFavGrandpa changed the title to The Mega Technology Thread - Google I/O Keynote 11th May/EU Objects To Apple Computer Existing
2 hours ago, Hawkingbird said:

Your telling me. I have the XM2 and I been chomping at the bit to upgrade them because I don't want to use a micro USB anymore. Guess I'll wait for the next one

Check Woot every so often, they'll put newer (albeit refurbished) XM models up for sale there. Last time I looked, they had the XM4 headphones for less than $200; but they sold out of them.

 

edit:

Also, Google posted a new video showing off their new Bay View campus ... which is pretty gosh darn neat.

 

Edited by YourFavGrandpa
Link to comment
  • YourFavGrandpa changed the title to The Mega Technology Thread - You Get A USB-C, and You Get A USB-C! Everyone Gets USB-C (well in the EU)
  • 2 weeks later...
6 hours ago, DarkSakul said:

So follow up on this, I got  Samsung S22 day before father's day. With the trade of my old phone, a deal going with trades and store credit, I paid a total of $18, and that with a new case, screen protector and charger on the bill

Curious question, why the regular S22 and not the other models? 

Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...
  • YourFavGrandpa changed the title to The Mega Technology Thread - Android 13 Hits AOSP/OneUI 5 Beta Breaks Grandpa's Phone

Had the OneUI 5 beta on my S22 Ultra just shy of a week, and I couldn't use NFC. So that was a gigantic waste of time.

Spent most of the afternoon today resetting up my phone with my work apps and email, and banking apps. If it wasn't for Samsung's Smart Transfer app, I would have to take the next 2-3 days off work to get everything set back up how I had it before moving to OneUI 5. It's okayish, but I would rather try out the full version of OneUI 5 once it gets released to my phone through T-Mobile. Also, if you have a Pixel phone (I believe a couple of us do), you can get Android 13 like right now.

Also, if for some reason you have problems sleeping; read Esper's technical breakdown of all things Android 13:
https://blog.esper.io/android-13-deep-dive/

 

The full article takes something like 4 hours to read in full.

Link to comment
  • 1 month later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
  • Create New...
Stage Select