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* Posts by Johnr

41 publicly visible posts • joined 12 Nov 2009

We never agreed to only buy HP ink, say printer owners

Johnr

Epson just did this

I had been avoiding HP products for years . A good company screwed by the bean counters . I was really happy with My Epson Workforce 38 $25 a set 70 with the aftermarket cartridges a reasonable(?)

I made the mistake of downloading a firmware update (I had done this before with no issue) Voila! Borked the aftermarket cartridges immediately . I had to order a quick Gen-U-Ine set at Amazon for the low low discount price of $79. I had 2 complete sets of aftermarket. I ordered a used printer on Ebay for $50 and disabled the Firmware update and problem solved for now. It looks like the world is out to squeeze every last penny from us

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HP customers claim firmware update rendered third-party ink verboten

Johnr
Mushroom

Reasons not to by HP. And don't get me started on color lasers . I threw 2 in the trash bin (Cannon and Lexmark) after determining the cost of the cartridges exceeded the purchase price . In addition their wireless software was crap refusing to connect with other computers in the house. Bought an Epson workforce pro for $99 and it happily chugs along with $30 sets of aftermarket cartridges. In addition seamlessly connects with any computer in the house

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95% of NFTs now totally worthless, say researchers

Johnr
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Re: “Now”?

I have a direct lie on some very valuable Beanie Babies

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Remember that Sonos speaker you bought a few years back that works perfectly? It's about to be screwed for... reasons

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Re: Have i missed something?

But then again there will be so much used kit around that like an old car you can keep running with used parts. I'm 68 , so I should be good

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Johnr
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Hopefully someone will come up with a hack to remove the locks on the system

That was the key simple wireless set up with acceptable sound

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Flight Simulator 2020: Exciting new ride or a doomed tailspin in a crowded market?

Johnr
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Re: Things Left Unsaid

Loved that Sim

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Johnr
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VR will be great . Enough of trying to position 3 monitors to give you the "immersion" you want

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A smartphone recession is coming and animated poo emojis can't stop it

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Re: "Phone makers had banked they could compensate for slowing volume by pushing up prices"

An Android manufacturer which sells a $300 device with a removable battery and a headphone port would probably take significant market share from Samsung."

Exactly I have an old LG V20 with a removable battery so I bought a 6000 ma monster and can run for two days with no headaches. Prior to that I had an extra battery .

You know Convenience

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Airbus warns it could quit A380 production

Johnr
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Re: Poor choice of words..gives Emirates the opportunity to squeeze the hell out of Airbus.

Airbus made a BIG mistake

Boeing looked at the market when Airbus was designing the A-380 and said ...NAH

We don't think that the market is going this way . We'll stick with the 747 that people will buy it up as the price drops. People want Non stop twin aisles not great fat ugly buses.

I had the misfortune to fly an Air France A380 from Paris to Miami . Friggin horror show even with the "premium" coach . A glorified cattle car guaranteed to cripple you within 4 hrs of the 10hr flight . The ingress and egress was akin to the aforementioned cattle car not to mention the three carousels of luggage to deal with the 500 hapless souls and their 2 bags per

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Apple’s facial recognition: Well, it is more secure for the, er, sleeping user

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Which was my first thought ... OOOOOHHHHH Apple 10 Face recognition!!!! ,Wireless charging!!!! better camera!!!!!! or what Android has been doing already for 2 years

But you know the fanboys will be lining up to pay through the nose.

Fools and their money.....

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Jodie Who-ttaker? The Doctor is in

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Re: Overstated importance of fans

Indeed . I was raised in Canada and the CBC imported those early Dr. Who's. I grew up with those funky B&W cardboard Dialects .I'm 65 now Missed most of the middle years and picked it up again with BBC America .

I always am skeptical of a new Doctor , but the creativity of the stories and the ever changing companions eventually enamors me of the new Doctor. Once you learn the idiosyncrasies of the character and the bond with the companion you grow to love them. Hated Capaldi when he started , now I'm sorry to see him go. Pearl instead of Jenna Helfman? She won me over too As long as the story lines are strong who gives a rats ass . We'll love the new Doctor too

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Stupid law of the week: South Carolina wants anti-porno chips in PCs that cost $20 to disable

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Re: Anonymous

To all concerned:

As a resident of the United states I apologize.

It should be readily apparent to any observer that the dismantling and dumbing down of the school system here in the US has exceeded beyond their wildest dreams.

We now have a majority of the population devoid of any critical thinking skills whatsoever

We are now a nation of morons as can be witnessed by the recent election.

It would appear however that South Carolina has garnered more than their fair share of the aforementioned morons.

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Thunderbird is GO: Mozilla prepares to jettison mail client

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Re: Still around?

And the best is Thunderbird portable ... take it on a flash drive and plug in anywhere there is USB and internet.....

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You, FCC. Do something about these overpriced cable boxes, yells Bernie Sanders and pals

Johnr
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Re: Party/Location

Yes, sadly there are lots of people who make value judgments based on that little D or R regardless of the actual merit of an idea.

Haven't been watching the Republican debates have you? They don't have ideas

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Johnr
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Re: Party/Location

Let Me explain: It's so we can spot the loony. The (R) indicates everything out of his or her mouth including "and" and "the" is a lie.

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Johnr

I have the Comcast/Xfinty X1 system and have to say for the most part I really like it. The modem part is easy ...Ebay for $20 or $30 bucks Problem solved . Prefer my own router too. . The boxes are another story... A few years back they went "digital " Translation : We scrambled the signal so you need one of our boxes and can't plug the cable directly to the TeeVee. The non hd box runs around $6 a month and the HD box that accesses the DVR $10 a pop. I need the connection for the broadband and they structure it so you can only get the highest speeds with the dreaded "Bundle "

More competition definitely needed

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Let's shut down the internet: Republicans vacate their mind bowels

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Re: Encryption

And good luck with that. Even if PBS picked it up it would need be dumbed down or it would be too complicated for the Network NOOZE to sandwich into a minute and a half between boner pill ads and pharmaceutical ads for your latest made up condition. Maybe on Vice on HBO or let John Oliver have a whack at it (brilliant man and satirist) utilizing a half hour or so. You in Britain must realize that American News programs exist to make ratings and thusly money. They are interested only in the next shiny object .

Now watch this adorable cat video

.

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Spotify mulls Swift change of policy – we can stream Taylor, but we'll charge

Johnr

Taylor Swift? Pay? Not on your life

I wouldn't play that teen angst pop twaddle if she paid me . I made the mistake of purchasing an album for my wife after she expressed a passing interest . It was a totally unlistenable pile of 4 bar recycled disco crap. I don't mind if they put the pay option , people will vote with their wallets and rest assured mine shall remain closed

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Colorado unshackles cities, lifts ban on govt-owned muni broadband

Johnr

This is Good

The current Broadband (in the US) is a legacy from when cable companies were given charters (read monopolies) to install the infrastructure and supply cable to the unwashed masses and provide fees(kickback) to the local governments. This is how in my semi rural are I have the choice of Comcast and their (Kaff) high speed (30-50 MB) for the luxury of coughing up $60 bucks a month or choose the less expensive crap DSL that runs at 20 mb. Now most cities have found they need to install their own fiber for their infrastructure and want to sell it the bandwidth as a utility . This results in higher speed and lower cost . It's called competition and it's the American effin way baby. They've had a monopoly too long

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US to stage F-35-versus-Warthog bake-off in 2018

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Re: versus?

I always thought it a little insane to take out a $5000 dollar Toyota Pickup and a 50 caliber with a 35 million a copy fighter and $125,000 Hellfire missiles although that's what it's all about for the military industrial complex.

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Blast-off! Boat free launch at last. Orion heads for space

Johnr
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Re: @Johnr Stupid slam on the Tea Party

Don't have your snark radar on today do we? Go pound sand . Regardless of how long 'mericans have been fighting metric , the Tea party and the Republicans are vehemently anti science ...

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/10/most-anti-science-lawmakers-running-office

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Re: Typo

'Tards? We are too ! We sit around all day and have our brains calcified by Rupert Murdoch's dumbing down media arms of Fox News and the Murdoch Street Journal.

I know you lot suffer too in the UK with him doing his best to divide and stupify

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Re: Typo

Hey John,

you got your conversions wrong..

Why thank you professor. That will teach me to take the readings off my stupid cell phone switching from F to C .

You nit with the pickiest

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Johnr
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Re: Typo

Well it's 68 Fahrenheit (16 C) now heading to 80 (26 C) . Jealous now ?

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Johnr
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Re: Typo

Are you seriously telling me that NASA still works in Fahrenheit these days?!

Welcome to the USA . The tea partly would never tolerate any of that sciency Celsius stuff . If Fahrenheit was good enough for my pappy and his pappy it's good enough for me. What are you some kind of commie ?

I can watch the launches from my back yard on a clear day (about 50km away) The best are the night launches because even at that distance it lights up the horizon like the sun coming up and you can follow the flame and see the boosters drop off with the naked eye.

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Tim Cook: The classic iPod HAD TO DIE, and this is WHY

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a cheap iPhone 3GS ....it makes a really nice iPod....

No it doesn't. Crap battery life and no click wheel

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Johnr

I liked the old Ipods as they were tactile and simple. When you were in the gym and had one on your belt or arm you could adjust the volume , skip and pause without looking at it. Plus...you never ran out of space with the 160gb. Yer stupid phone or the Touch you have to have the screen in front of you to operate. Like everything else new and improved kills the stuff you like .

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Sprint starting mass layoffs to 'improve operational efficiencies' in mobile network

Johnr

Service Deterioration

"The plan is expected to include steps to, among other things, improve operational efficiencies and reduce costs, as a result of which the Company expects to incur material charges under generally accepted accounting principles. "

Translated -the service is going to get worse . I am an American business customer of Sprint and the bean counters seem oblivious to the deterioration of service. They don't seem to be able to conceive that if you have less employees your customer service goes to shyte.

Previously we had an account rep here in the state . The last round of "efficiencies" killed that and routed all service requests to bumphuck Wisconsin where the response time to an email is 1/2 to 2 hrs depending as opposed to the previous 5 minutes .This was coupled with requests that we use the online site to do our own upgrades and equipment swaps. When customers flee they are all scratching their privates going "What happened?"

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Philip K Dick 'Nazi alternate history' story made into TV series

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Re: Nazis in America?

No they're called Kochs , Who have out and out purchased the Republican Party and a good portion of the Supreme Court. War's good business so give your son....

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Comcast exec says wired broadband customers should pay-as-they-go

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Re: Gouging

You have that right . The Comcast feed is shared with your neighbors so during peak times 4- 11 pm my "Premium " service slows to a crawl . The sad part is there are no real alternatives if you are outside a major city like I am . The alternative here is Centurylink DSL which tops out at 20mbps

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Qualcomm reveals 'Toq' smartwatch

Johnr
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FAIL

Re: Battery Life

Seriously ! first thing I thought WHY?!

Then I figured they just wanted to make the next decades CNET list of technical flops.

http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-18438_7-10288870-82/the-decades-30-biggest-tech-flops/

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Panasonic to build Toughbook-style smartphone

Johnr

Day Late and a dollar short this side of the pond. We have been using the Kyocera Torque ruggedized smart phone for 6 months . Great phone , android , reasonably sized screen and push to talk .

http://www.sprint.com/landings/kyocera_torque/index.html?ECID=vanity:torque

Sony: Asleep at the wheel

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Mega-res telly demand to boom, say ball-gazers

Johnr
FAIL

Cart meet horse

With no discernible source of Ultra HD content , it's like kissing your sister , why bother?

Even the game consoles will be upscaled.

Another plot to remove money from your wallet .

I betcha those 480 youtube videos will look great.

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Analysts: Samsung will show us the MONEY on Friday

Johnr

That's a a lot of 'effin phones

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Amazon intros $199 movie Kindle

Johnr
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Thumb Down

No 3 g is the deal breaker for me state side as living in the boonies there ain't an abundance of wifi around . Plus no camera WTF ? I have a Galaxy Tab 7" with 3 g . Recon I'll hang on to that thanks very much .

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Music on plastic discs still popular, apparently

Johnr
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Megaphone

Buy Used

I wait until they have been out for 6 months or so and then snag a used CD usually for 2-5 bucks . Way cheaper than the download...and you own the sucker with no DRM

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HTC Flyer 7in Android tablet

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Nice Music Choice

Aimee Mann - great music , mostly unknown - nice to see it on your Flyer

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Sony unwraps 3D Blu-ray player pair...

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FAIL

Sony Sucks

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/Design/graphics/icons/comment/fail_32.png

I bought one of their units recently. They had a wired model that had netflx youtube and all the other goodies . So while looking around I see the next model up with N wireless - I bit for 75 more...and guess what the more expensive model had no wireless services built in !!! I mean whats the point of connecting then. Sent the crap back and bought an LG

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Dell crowned Bad Santa computer maker by angry customers

Johnr

That would be me

I ordered late November thinking normal turn around is about a week. I have since received 3 notifications that the shipping date has slipped and do I want to cancel...I just keep on waiting , cause it was a special and dirt cheap

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Snoop Dogg pimps self out on TomTom

Johnr

Doonsbury did a comic series on this

A few weeks back Doonsbury (published in US papers) did a comic series on this . And I thouught it was satire - I guess he has the pulse of the nation

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Windows XP on netbooks to lose life support?

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Well lads...I've got Win 7 Ultimate running on an MSI

an MSI SFF with an atom processor and 2GB of ram . I turned off the eye candy and it seems to be doing quite well orther than occationally chocking if the graphic are too intense or you try and run more than 5 things at once

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