Yet again Apple lied about caring about consumer safety with the loss of the emergency FM radio chip & industry standard antenna port

a. AUX Jacks are 75% of Android models, *0% choice for iPhones*
b. FM Radio is 50% of Android models, *0% choice for iPhones*
c. Portable memory is 71% of Android models, *0% choice for iPhones*

Given nobody sensible would claim a phone without the AUX jack is more
functional than a phone without it (as without it, the phone is less
functional by definition)...

And given nobody sensible would claim an FM radio isn't an important safety
feature in a phone during an emergency...

Nor would anyone who understands the power of portable memory disagree that
it's a very handy way to privately move data between devices...

Of the total of 2,548 Android models offered for sale from 2019 to today...
<https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>

For the AUX jack, 1,907 (75%) of current Android models meet this standard.
<https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&chk35mm=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>

As for FM Radio, 1,257 Androids (50%) have the FM radio emergency feature.
<https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&chkFMradio=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>

Where 1,163 (46%) have both the emergency FM radio & the standard AUX jack.
<https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&chk35mm=selected&chkFMradio=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>

Let's look at the 1,801 (71%) with the all-important portable-memory slot.
<https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2&idCardslot=1>

But only 112 with a removable battery, which is less than 5% unfortunately.
<https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2019&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2&idBatRemovable=1>

Compare those choices Android users have to those of the poor Apple user.
AUX <https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2019&chk35mm=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=3>
FM <https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2019&chkFMradio=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=3>
SD <https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2019&chkFMradio=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=3&idCardslot=1>

In summary, the choices for Android are:
a. 75% AUX
b. 50% FM Radio
c. 71% SD SLOT

That's a _lot_ of choices (especially compared to Apple choices):
a. 0% AUX
b. 0% FM Radio
c. 0% SD SLOT

The lack of basic hardware functionality on iPhones is yet another reason
why anyone claiming to "compare" the two platforms, has to ignore
everything that makes a phone useful - as the iPhone lacks basic hardware.

--
My role is to provide the facts, and to confront the morons who only know
the fantastically unbelievable bullshit that Apple MARKETING has fed them.

Alan

2023-11-18 22:52:03 UTC

On 2023-11-17 15:39, Wally J wrote:

Lots of half truths.

Post by Wally J
a. AUX Jacks are 75% of Android models, *0% choice for iPhones*

True if you consider phones still available from quite a while ago
(going all the way back to 2001)...

...but not true of you look at phones from the last 5 years.

Post by Wally J
b. FM Radio is 50% of Android models, *0% choice for iPhones*

Not close to true of phones from the last 5 years.

Post by Wally J
c. Portable memory is 71% of Android models, *0% choice for iPhones*

Not true for phones from the last 5 years.

Wally J

2023-11-18 23:02:32 UTC

For about the same footprint, consider keeping a HAM radio on the
charger.

I do have an Advanced Class ham ticket but haven't used it in years.
Think the Internet spoiled things...

>

I like your FM radio. You need it because your phone OEM saved a few
cents (at your expense) by not providing both the radio & the jack.

I was just clarifying that, in emergencies, HAM is nice in addition to FM.

The Apple iKooks are stupid in that they don't realize Apple lies to them
when Apple claims to care about their emergencies (with SOS subscriptions).

If Apple really cared, they'd let them have FM radio's for free also.
But FM radios would cut into lucrative music-streaming subscriptions.

I live in the boonies in a high fire danger area with windy mountain
roads and with the San Andreas Fault line within eyesight and we
have outages.
While the PG&E power goes out monthly, we only get evacuation orders
once every few decades - but it's going to happen. Again. And again
it will.

I live in a gated retirement community with around 8000 homes (will be
10K on buildout) in a metro area of 6M folks. The power hasn't gone out
in over a year. We live in vastly different settings...

Understood. We are subject to EPSS which is PG&E's way to punish us for
making them go out of business years ago when they burned a whole town.

So now, the power goes out two and three times a month in the dry months
(which, in California, is most of the year) but only about once a month on
the winter wet season (which started today, by the way, as it's raining).

Of course every one of us (thousands upon thousands of homes in the
mountains) has a 240VAC generator or two, plus battery backups, etc.

We even have special meters from PG&E that we can hook our generators up
_directly_ to the meter when the power goes out. Fancy that from PG&E!

I think they give them to us for free because our power goes out that much
so the CPUC forced them to do it as PG&E has the same attitude as Apple.

As a neighborhood, we went down to the local fire station years ago
to get our HAM radio licenses and each of us is tuned to the same
repeater freq.
In an emergency, the ability for two-way communication can be
important. And it's about the same cost & footprint as your (rather
nice) FM radio.

If you're talking using 2 meter repeaters the handhelds are quite a bit
more than 50 bucks...

I am one person who is not afraid to say I'm ignorant, where you saying
that means you know more than I do and I accept that and learn from you.

The only thing I know about HAM radio is what I needed to learn to pass the
test and after that, like you, I forgot about most of it over time.

So you know a lot more than I do as I only did it as a community event
for safety reasons (given we live in the highest fire danger area possible,
and we can see the San Andreas Fault, and our PG&E power goes out two and
three times a week in the dry EPSS periods but only monthly in the winter).

Is my radio any good?

If you look at the picture I provided you, the radios I have are
BAOFENG UV-5R
Are they any good?

The reason I don't know is _everyone_ in the neighborhood has them.
That's many hundreds of people who all have the same HAM radio as I do.

What happened is one HAM enthusiast aficionado long ago sent out a
suggestion we all chip in twenty-five bucks each and that would cover the
radio and the testing - which was why those two radios plus two tests cost
me only fifty bucks (one for my wife and the other for me).

We have sequential federal Id's (ain't that sweet) where I don't remember
them so since they have to be used, I write them on the back of the radio.

Are those BAOFENG UV-5R radios any good?

--
Usenet is an approach to find people who know more than you do, & then to
discuss things with them such that you learn from their added knowledge.

candycanearter07

2023-11-19 14:29:20 UTC

For about the same footprint, consider keeping a HAM radio on the
charger.

I do have an Advanced Class ham ticket but haven't used it in years.
Think the Internet spoiled things...

Don't get me wrong, I really liked the neat FM radio you showed.
<https://www.radioddity.com/products/raddy-rf75a>
It's similar in footprint to this radio I got from a neighborhood event.
<https://i.postimg.cc/1zvGYNZt/hamradio.jpg>
I like your FM radio. You need it because your phone OEM saved a few
cents (at your expense) by not providing both the radio & the jack.
I was just clarifying that, in emergencies, HAM is nice in addition to FM.

Options are definitely nice.

Post by Wally J
The Apple iKooks are stupid in that they don't realize Apple lies to them
when Apple claims to care about their emergencies (with SOS subscriptions).
If Apple really cared, they'd let them have FM radio's for free also.
But FM radios would cut into lucrative music-streaming subscriptions.

I miss the days when they had a FM radio included with the iPod..

I live in a gated retirement community with around 8000 homes (will be
10K on buildout) in a metro area of 6M folks. The power hasn't gone out
in over a year. We live in vastly different settings...

Understood. We are subject to EPSS which is PG&E's way to punish us for
making them go out of business years ago when they burned a whole town.
So now, the power goes out two and three times a month in the dry months
(which, in California, is most of the year) but only about once a month on
the winter wet season (which started today, by the way, as it's raining).
Of course every one of us (thousands upon thousands of homes in the
mountains) has a 240VAC generator or two, plus battery backups, etc.
We even have special meters from PG&E that we can hook our generators up
_directly_ to the meter when the power goes out. Fancy that from PG&E!
I think they give them to us for free because our power goes out that much
so the CPUC forced them to do it as PG&E has the same attitude as Apple.

If you're talking using 2 meter repeaters the handhelds are quite a bit
more than 50 bucks...

At least the test is pretty easy to pass.

Post by Wally J
So you know a lot more than I do as I only did it as a community event
for safety reasons (given we live in the highest fire danger area possible,
and we can see the San Andreas Fault, and our PG&E power goes out two and
three times a week in the dry EPSS periods but only monthly in the winter).
Is my radio any good?
If you look at the picture I provided you, the radios I have are
BAOFENG UV-5R
Are they any good?
The reason I don't know is _everyone_ in the neighborhood has them.
That's many hundreds of people who all have the same HAM radio as I do.
What happened is one HAM enthusiast aficionado long ago sent out a
suggestion we all chip in twenty-five bucks each and that would cover the
radio and the testing - which was why those two radios plus two tests cost
me only fifty bucks (one for my wife and the other for me).
We have sequential federal Id's (ain't that sweet) where I don't remember
them so since they have to be used, I write them on the back of the radio.
Are those BAOFENG UV-5R radios any good?

Well, the BAOFENG stuff works, I guess. I got mine for 30$

--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

Wally J

2023-11-20 00:54:01 UTC

Post by Wally J
If Apple really cared, they'd let them have FM radio's for free also.
But FM radios would cut into lucrative music-streaming subscriptions.

I miss the days when they had a FM radio included with the iPod..

I have a bunch of iPods, which is when I was first exposed to Apple's
shenanigans where to install iTunes made the computer _less_ functional
than to _not install_ iTunes (if you don't understand why, just ask).

It was shocking to me, at that first exposure to the insanely unexpected
walled-garden restrictions that you couldn't just copy all the non DRM
songs off of any iPod in the world onto any other iPod in the world.

of course, I solved that problem by uninstalling iTunes, and then I _could_
easily copy every non-DRM song off of any iPod onto the computer and then
onto any other iPod (or even from one iPod to another) at will...

But it was my first exposure to the incredible restrictions that Apple
owners put up with - like sheep led to slaughter - they just give in.

It's kind of the same with FM radio and the loss of the aux jack which
Apple tells its gullible customers they're supposed to feel courageous
about.

And guess what.... they "feel" exactly as Apple tells them to feel.
*Courageous*

As if it's a badge of honor to have a phone functionally crippled such that
it can't do the simplest things that almost every other phone easily does.

--
Never forget that Apple is a BIG MARKETING company - like Big Tobacco is.

*Hemidactylus*

2023-11-20 02:06:57 UTC

Post by Wally J
If Apple really cared, they'd let them have FM radio's for free also.
But FM radios would cut into lucrative music-streaming subscriptions.

I miss the days when they had a FM radio included with the iPod..

I have a bunch of iPods, which is when I was first exposed to Apple's
shenanigans where to install iTunes made the computer _less_ functional
than to _not install_ iTunes (if you don't understand why, just ask).
It was shocking to me, at that first exposure to the insanely unexpected
walled-garden restrictions that you couldn't just copy all the non DRM
songs off of any iPod in the world onto any other iPod in the world.
of course, I solved that problem by uninstalling iTunes, and then I _could_
easily copy every non-DRM song off of any iPod onto the computer and then
onto any other iPod (or even from one iPod to another) at will...
But it was my first exposure to the incredible restrictions that Apple
owners put up with - like sheep led to slaughter - they just give in.
It's kind of the same with FM radio and the loss of the aux jack which
Apple tells its gullible customers they're supposed to feel courageous
about.
And guess what.... they "feel" exactly as Apple tells them to feel.
*Courageous*
As if it's a badge of honor to have a phone functionally crippled such that
it can't do the simplest things that almost every other phone easily does.

Bluetooth connection to my car or headphones work. Are you still longing
for Steely Dan?

Wally J

2023-11-20 22:05:28 UTC

Post by *Hemidactylus*

Post by Wally J
As if it's a badge of honor to have a phone functionally crippled such that
it can't do the simplest things that almost every other phone easily does.

Bluetooth connection to my car or headphones work. Are you still longing
for Steely Dan?
http://youtu.be/HV3zWSawJiw

Hi Hemidactylus,

I always make well-reasoned sensible logical assessments from the facts.

Hence, thank you for your reference to that Youtube music m4a file titled
"Steely Dan - FM (No Static At All)"
(which I easily ripped to Android using a GUI that is impossible on iOS).
<Loading Image...

> D/l video & rip audio>

SIDENOTE: You can't do that on iOS - nor can you do 1/2 of what I can do.

In the end of this analysis of your comment, I will ask you the scariest
question you have ever heard, Hemidactylus. It will frighten you to no end
because that simple question exposes your entire belief system wide open.

I study you strange people but I don't know you as well as I do Jolly Roger
and Alan Browne (as Snit & Alan Baker & Rod Speed are all in my killfile).

You are gloating that you figured out a way to overcome that Apple punched
you in the gut by removing basic hardware functionality all other phones
had at the time (which most Android phones still have as 3/4ths is a lot of
new phones with the aux jack, is it not).

The only Android phones which removed the industry standard basic
functionality were those trying to copy Apple's marketing strategy.

Which means two things that you need to know, Hemidactylus:
1. Android owners have plenty of choice
2. You don't. (i.e., you're fucked)

To put it in blunt terms, Apple fucked you.
Apple told you to feel "courageous" about being fucked by Apple.
And you do feel courageous, now don't you.

I see from your strange post that you feel "courageous" that you have
overcome the punch-in-the-gut removal of the basic functionality.

That's great.
But here's the question which you can't answer because the answer scares
you so much that you no longer feel "courageous" answering this question.

Q: *What does your phone do that a phone with an aux jack can't do?*
A: ?

--
The answer to that question is why iKooks _fear_ that very question.

Wally J

2023-11-20 03:26:45 UTC

Post by Wally J
If Apple really cared, they'd let them have FM radio's for free also.
But FM radios would cut into lucrative music-streaming subscriptions.

I miss the days when they had a FM radio included with the iPod..

I have a bunch of iPods, which is when I was first exposed to Apple's
shenanigans where to install iTunes made the computer _less_ functional
than to _not install_ iTunes (if you don't understand why, just ask).

It was shocking to me, at that first exposure to the insanely unexpected
walled-garden restrictions that you couldn't just copy all the non DRM
songs off of any iPod in the world onto any other iPod in the world.

of course, I solved that problem by uninstalling iTunes, and then I _could_
easily copy every non-DRM song off of any iPod onto the computer and then
onto any other iPod (or even from one iPod to another) at will...

But it was my first exposure to the incredible restrictions that Apple
owners put up with - like sheep led to slaughter - they just give in.

It's kind of the same with FM radio and the loss of the aux jack which
Apple tells its gullible customers they're supposed to feel courageous
about.

As if it's a badge of honor to have a phone so functionally crippled that
it can't do the simplest things that almost every other phone easily does.

--
Never forget that Apple is a BIG MARKETING company - like Big Tobacco is.

Wally J

2023-11-19 00:24:52 UTC

Radio is an area that preppers are keen about. And a keen prepper would
make sure he has a standalone radio that receives at least AM/FM if not
a much wider range of bands. Such radios are often hand crankable to
charge the battery. The whole notion of this in a cell phone is not
fringe, but close to it.
Short version: if it's safety critical - get a dedicated radio.
In the meantime, most popular FM (and AM) stations here (and most
everywhere) stream their content if that is really what one wants.
Personally haven't listened to AM/FM in decades except to test a radio out.

While Apple is the George Santos of the smartphone industry... the iKooks
only have 7 excuses for why the iPhone is easily shown to be crippled.

Basic hardware functionality is *not needed* & *nobody wants it*

And yet, the fact is most current Android phones come with it.
<https://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android/c/SQ4XGhFaOgI>

FACT:
a. AUX Jacks are on 75% of current Android models; *0% on current iPhones*
b. FM Radio is on 50% of current Android models; *0% on current iPhones*
c. Portable memory is on 71% of Android models; *0% choice ever on iPhones*

Apple lied when Apple said they care about consumer safety since it's well
documented that - in emergencies - it's better to have FM radio than not to
have it.

If Apple actually cared about consumer safety, the FM radio would be there.

--
It's always the case that what Apple says it does, is not what Apple does.

Wally J

2023-11-19 00:32:43 UTC

in a feeble attempt to paint
Apple as supposedly "not caring about customer safety".

You're desperate to fabricate excuses for why iPhones are crippled.

Q: Why is my iPhone crippled, asks Jolly Roger?
A: *Nobody wants it* *Nobody needs it*
Even though most current Android models have it.

Face it, Jolly Roger: Apple lied to you.
Just like George Santos & Donald Trump lie to you.

If Apple actually cared about consumer safety, the FM radio would be there.

--
It's always the case that what Apple says it does, is not what Apple does.

Jolly Roger

2023-11-19 02:22:24 UTC

in a feeble attempt to paint Apple as supposedly "not caring about
customer safety".

You're desperate

Nah, that would be you, spending every hour of every day trolling
newsgroups for products from a company you have a raging little hate
boner for instead of leading a productive life like a normal person.

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

Wally J

2023-11-19 03:40:18 UTC

Post by Jolly Roger
Nah, that would be you, spending every hour of every day trolling
newsgroups for products from a company you have a raging little hate
boner for instead of leading a productive life like a normal person.

I study strange people like you, Jolly Roger.
Which is why I love you.

What I find interesting is how _afraid_ you are of me, Jolly Roger.
Because everything you think and believe - I easily prove to be wrong.

You actually believe, for example, that an iPhone without any of the basic
hardware that most Android phones have, can do what Android can do.

It can't.

What you hate, Jolly Roger, is that your iPhone is functionally crippled.

FACT:
AUX Jacks are on 75% of current Android models; *0% on current iPhones*
FM Radio is on 50% of current Android models; *0% on current iPhones*
Portable memory is on 71% of current Android models; *0% on any iPhones*

You _hate_ that your toy iPhone can't do what Android phones easily do, JR.
But what's interesting is how desperate you are to make excuses for that.

--
Never forget Apple is a MARKETING company - just like Coca Cola is.
There's no product value unless they can make people believe there is.

Jolly Roger

2023-11-19 03:55:44 UTC

I study strange people like you, Jolly Roger. Which is why I love
you.
What I find interesting is how _afraid_ you are of me, Jolly Roger.

More projection. You are so fearful of Apple that you literally spend
*hours* every day trolling the Apple newsgroups insulting complete
strangers from behind your keyboard. You wouldn't have the balls to
sling your little schoolyard insults in person, because you know you'd
get your ass kicked. You're a cowardly, tiny man child. And you are
scared of the world.

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

Wally J

2023-11-19 04:40:35 UTC

Post by Jolly Roger
You're a cowardly, tiny man child. And you are
scared of the world.

The sad fact is, Jolly Roger, the iPhone lacks basic functionality.

That's trivially easy to prove, Jolly Roger...
AUX Jacks are on 75% of current Android models; *0% on current iPhones*
Portable memory is on 71% of current Android models; *0% on any iPhones*
FM Radio is on 50% of current Android models; *0% on current iPhones*

The fact is, every phone that lacks these features is less functional.

You can't refute that the iPhone is crippled because it lacks normal basic
hardware, Jolly Roger... so you try to attack me... trying to insult me.

Why?

Because you can't refute that the iPhone is crippled because it lacks
fundamental hardware that most Android phones have always had & still do.

*You _hate_ that your toy iPhone is crippled, Jolly Roger*
So you attack me.

You hate that I easily prove all iPhones are crippled in functionality.
So you take it out on me because you hate Apple's incompetent designs.

So be it.

--
Apple is incompetent at designing a functional phone, but Apple is
brilliant at markteting a toy that can't do half of what Android does.

Jolly Roger

2023-11-19 16:38:23 UTC

You're a cowardly, tiny man child. And you are scared of the world.

you try to attack me... trying to insult me.
Why?

Hilarious question coming from the loser troll who has been slinging
little schoolyard juvenile "iKook" and "low IQ" insults at everyone in
the Apple newsgroups who dares to use a certain product for which he has
a raging, tiny, little hate boner for literal years...

Post by Wally J
So be it.

Indeed.

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

Wally J

2023-11-20 21:39:09 UTC

Post by Jolly Roger
Hilarious question coming from the loser troll who has been slinging
little schoolyard juvenile "iKook" and "low IQ" insults at everyone in
the Apple newsgroups who dares to use a certain product for which he has
a raging, tiny, little hate boner for literal years...

I try to understand you strange people, Jolly Roger, so I love your posts.

You want this newsgroup to be all about the Apple YELLOW advertisements,
which are "way cool" and you want it to be about their special glass that
nobody else has the trademark for, and you want us to gloat about Apple's
profits because that makes you feel your herd decisions are correct, etc.

I get it, Jolly Roger.
You want this newsgroup to only talk about Apple's marketing gimmicks.

Whenever Apple spouts a new marketing gimmick (titanium!!!!!!!!!!!), you
want all of us to rave about it - so that you feel better about your phone.

OK. I'll help you.

Do you want to know what Apple is the best in the world at, Jolly Roger?
I know what Apple is better at than anyone else in the world, JR.

Do you know what Apple does best?
I do.

candycanearter07

2023-11-21 00:32:14 UTC

I try to understand you strange people, Jolly Roger, so I love your posts.
You want this newsgroup to be all about the Apple YELLOW advertisements,
which are "way cool" and you want it to be about their special glass that
nobody else has the trademark for, and you want us to gloat about Apple's
profits because that makes you feel your herd decisions are correct, etc.
I get it, Jolly Roger.
You want this newsgroup to only talk about Apple's marketing gimmicks.
Whenever Apple spouts a new marketing gimmick (titanium!!!!!!!!!!!), you
want all of us to rave about it - so that you feel better about your phone.
OK. I'll help you.
Do you want to know what Apple is the best in the world at, Jolly Roger?
I know what Apple is better at than anyone else in the world, JR.
Do you know what Apple does best?
I do.

Wow, they market phone material? Geez..

--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

Jolly Roger

2023-11-21 02:01:26 UTC

I try to understand you strange people, Jolly Roger, so I love your posts.
You want this newsgroup to be all about the Apple YELLOW advertisements,
which are "way cool" and you want it to be about their special glass that
nobody else has the trademark for, and you want us to gloat about Apple's
profits because that makes you feel your herd decisions are correct, etc.
I get it, Jolly Roger.
You want this newsgroup to only talk about Apple's marketing gimmicks.
Whenever Apple spouts a new marketing gimmick (titanium!!!!!!!!!!!), you
want all of us to rave about it - so that you feel better about your phone.
OK. I'll help you.
Do you want to know what Apple is the best in the world at, Jolly Roger?
I know what Apple is better at than anyone else in the world, JR.
Do you know what Apple does best?
I do.

Wow, they market phone material? Geez..

Buncha losers, amiright? No other company markets their products!

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

Wally J

2023-11-21 02:22:46 UTC

Post by Jolly Roger
No other company markets their products!

But oh what MARKETING it is to get women to buy "special" cigarettes made
just for them, as you can see in this "You've come a long way baby"
commercial (which uses the same "courageous" technique Apple does).

http://youtu.be/vXUbkIkwn2Y

Big Tobacco made women feel "courageous", now didn't they Jolly Roger.
C'mon... look at the video... it's exactly like this Apple video...

When Apple removes all the functionality from the iPhone, if you still
decide to buy the crippled iPhone - you're a *courageous* person, JR!

Do you hear all those people clapping when Apple announces the _removal_ of
the headphone jack? Apple owners clap when functionality is removed, JR.

That's courageous.

You're Kidding

2023-11-21 00:45:11 UTC

Post by Wally J
I know what Apple is better at than anyone else in the world, JR.

DJT is actually Wally J?

YK

Jolly Roger

2023-11-21 02:02:00 UTC

Post by You're Kidding

Post by Wally J
I know what Apple is better at than anyone else in the world, JR.

DJT is actually Wally J?

Close, but nowhere near as successful... 🤣

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

Jolly Roger

2023-11-21 02:00:54 UTC

Post by Jolly Roger
Hilarious question coming from the loser troll who has been slinging
little schoolyard juvenile "iKook" and "low IQ" insults at everyone
in the Apple newsgroups who dares to use a certain product for which
he has a raging, tiny, little hate boner for literal years...

I try to understand you strange people

You live to insult people. It's pretty much all you do.

Post by Wally J
You want this newsgroup to be all about the Apple YELLOW

LOL... Poor, little Arlen is *still* triggered as fuck that Apple dared
to ,,,checks notes... release a different color iPhone... *GASP*
ERRMEGHERD! The audacity! He and badgolferman have trolled about
"YELLOW" for literal months like the mental toddlers they are. And they
actually think you will *respect* them more for it. 🤣

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

Wally J

2023-11-21 02:19:50 UTC

Post by Jolly Roger

Post by Wally J
I try to understand you strange people

You live to insult people. It's pretty much all you do.

Awww... that's not being nice, Jolly Roger.
I spend all that time and energy to _understand_ you, Jolly Roger.
And then you make me feel bad.

Truth is...

I understand exactly _why_ you feel "courageous" when Apple removed all the
basic functionaltiy from the iPhone - and - and - and you bought it anyway.

That made you feel courageous, didn't it, Jolly Roger.
C'mon. Tell us the truth.

You felt the same courageous sense Big Tobacco made women feel with this

BTW, I understand Apple marketing better than you think I do too, JR.

Apple told you how to feel when they removed all the functionality JR.
Just like Big Tobacco told women how to feel when they gave them cancer.

--
You can't make those ungodly profits without gullible people buying it.

Wally J

2023-11-19 00:43:11 UTC

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/analogue-radio-stations-licence-renewal-ofcom-classic-fm-talksport-a9599071.html
Norway has done and the Swiss will do soon, but other than that no other
country has plans.

Apple is like George Santos. What it says it does is not what it does.
*It's the facts that prove them wrong.*
*It's not what they say*
*But what they do*

FACT:

I quoted organizations who provide evidence that shows a phone with the FM
radio safety feature is useful in emergencies in ways that a phone without
the FM radio is crippled in. Those are just facts.

FACT:

Another set of facts is most current Android phones have these features.
AUX Jacks are on 75% of current Android models; *0% on current iPhones*
FM Radio is on 50% of Android models; *0% on current iPhones*
Portable memory is on 71% of current Android models; *0% for iPhones*

FACT:

It's simple sensible logic that a phone that has those things is always
going to be more functional than a phone that doesn't have those things.

ASSESSMENT OF FACT:

Apple lied about caring about consumer safety.
If Apple actually cared about safety, the iPhone would have an FM radio.

--
Like George Santos, what Apple does is different than what it says it does.

Wally J

2023-11-19 00:55:49 UTC

Apple is offering its
awesome SOS via satellite service for free

Assuming you're a sensible adult, Jolly Roger, allow me to ask you two
simple questions which require intelligence to answer logically.

Q: Is this "awesome SOS" safety feature expected to be free after
the stated trail period, or will it cost the consumer money?

Q: For the vast majority (apparently almost everyone) who don't wish
to pay for this "awesome SOS" feature, how is it going to benefit them?

HINT: Apple lied.
If Apple actually cared about consumer safety, the iPhone would have FM.

--
Note: Both Qualcomm and Apple have clearly indicated few will be willing
to pay the price that is expected - as their actions show that clearly.

Wally J

2023-11-19 05:49:55 UTC

I like your FM radio. I was just saying in emergencies, HAM is nice
too.

Agreed. Having both would be better in an emergency. They both have
their uses. My receiver would be better at receiving the commercial
bands (AM, FM, SW) where most local and national emergency news
broadcasts would be found. And your 2 meter handheld ham transceiver
(with a mountaintop repeater) would serve communications in your local
area with other hams.

Living in the Santa Cruz mountains, we are pretty much used to the
electrical power going out monthly & fires burning down entire
mountainsides every few years, landslides blocking the roads during the
rainy season, and of course, a few earthquakes a year so we know the
inherent safety value of not only the ubiquitous FM radio in cellphones,
but also the ability for local area communications via the ham radio &
mountaintop repeaters (where we have fantastic LOS views to them).

That's my point about the FM radio in the cellphone, which is that it's
always better to have a flashlight than not to have the flashlight.

The Apple people, for example, not only pay twice as much to NOT have the
flashlight, but they have to pay Apple to get back the missing flashlight.

And they are told by Apple that paying for missing stuff that Apple took
away from them is the modern way to do things in the Apple ecosystem. :)

the power goes out two and three times a month in the dry months
(which, in California, is most of the year) but only about once a
month on the winter wet season

Things are better here. It's been well over a year since the last power
failure. Usually it's a car or storm taking down a power pole and they
can usually reroute within a couple of hours or so.

You're lucky. We pay some of the highest electricity rates in the nation,
and we get nearly the most outages per year in the nation.

The only good thing about that is the CPUC forces PG&E to give us free
stuff related to the many power outages a year. For example, I got a
dual-fuel DuroMax XP5500EH generator from PG&E even though I already have a
built-in Generac that runs on propane.
<https://www.pge.com/en/outages-and-safety/outage-preparedness-and-support/general-outage-resources/generator-and-battery-rebate-program.html>

(which started today, by the way, as it's raining).

Yep. Your storm came this way and got my driveway (slightly) wet...

Yeah, we don't normally get rain from about March or April to about now.
Sometimes we get rivers of rain. Sometimes not. It's fickle. Weather.

Of course every one of us (thousands upon thousands of homes in the
mountains) has a 240VAC generator or two, plus battery backups, etc.

That would be wise considering the conditions you describe...

I don't know a single person that doesn't have at least one generator.
Unfortunately, some people use a suicide cord, which is just dangerous.

The funny thing is because we're in the highest fire danger area of the
country, PG&E will give us a lot of free stuff for the power outages.

If you follow the rules, you get a lot of free stuff like...
a. A free portable power generator
b. A free backup power transfer meter to connect it to
c. A free portable emergency 2KW battery with 120VAC output
d. A free 4-liter 120VAC/12VDC refrigerator

You have to follow the rules though. For example, PG&E insists our portable
generators have a NEMA L1430R Locking Outlet which they use to connect to
their proprietary backup transfer meters, which are really neat devices.

I don't know if anywhere else in the country has these new devices but us.
<https://energycentral.com/news/first-its-kind-technology-allows-pge-customers-safely-and-easily-connect-backup-power-their>

We even have special meters from PG&E that we can hook our generators
up _directly_ to the meter when the power goes out. Fancy that from
PG&E!

Neat. Here some folks have solar panels with storage batteries so they
can get a few extra hours from the batteries in a power failure.

BTW, PG&E applied for a patent and says they designed these switches.
<https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220217005846/en/First-of-its-Kind-Technology-Allows-PGE-Customers-to-Safely-and-Easily-Connect-Backup-Power-to-Their-Homes>

It's a really neat device they give us to connect to the generator.
<https://solarbuildermag.com/policy/pge-built-a-transfer-device-for-homes-in-high-fire-threat-districts-to-connect-backup-power-sources/>

But you can only get it from PG&E for free if you're in the worst fire
danger area and if they cut off your power due to frequent EPSS trips.
<https://www.power-grid.com/smart-grid/pge-develops-backup-generator-meter-for-fire-threat-prone-customers/>

_everyone_ in the neighborhood has them [BAOFENG UV-5R]. That's many
hundreds of people who all have the same HAM radio as I do. What
happened is one HAM enthusiast aficionado long ago sent out a
suggestion we all chip in twenty-five bucks each and that would cover
the radio and the testing

Back in the day (got my first ticket in 1956) you had to pass a written
AND a Morse Code test. Guess not anymore...

No Morse Code anymore. But you do have to pass the written test.
The way I passed the test was I put on my iPad a zillion free HAM radio
tests, which contained the EXACT QUESTIONS to the exams (so it was easy).

You can see my Ham Radio folder on my iPad in this old graphic in fact.
<Loading Image...

> Apple _forces_ a log in!

Another back in the day story: Some of our original mountaintop
repeaters had autopatches. There was a landline connection at the
repeater site. You could actually call someone using your 2 meter
handheld. This was pre-cellphone days so very handy. Course it wasn't
very private since all of Phoenix hamdom could listen in...

I know what you mean, but I don't know if the repeater we mostly use has
that, but we have gotten people from extremely far away on the radio.

I don't play with it all that much. Mostly I bring it on my backcountry
hikes, where it's my emergency backup in case I break a leg or get bitten
by a rattler or whatever.

An FM radio isn't needed on hikes as much as a HAM radio would be; but if
there was an emergency, I pity all those Apple iPhone owners without FM
radios since they have to buy an FM radio just to get back what was
previously already there for free in the first place (which Apple removed
to protect their streaming revenue). They have to keep it plugged in or
with batteries. And they have to find it in an emergency when their phone
is already in their hands. Apple hoodwinked them. And they ate it all up.

- which was why those two radios plus two tests cost me only fifty
bucks (one for my wife and the other for me).

Things are apparently a lot cheaper now, though I did used to get some
pretty good deals at hamfests.

I didn't do any of the buying but the guy who bought a thousand of them (or
whatever the number was) got some kind of bulk deal so I'm happy with this.
<https://i.postimg.cc/1zvGYNZt/hamradio.jpg> $25 bucks, including the test

We have sequential federal Id's (ain't that sweet) where I don't
remember them so since they have to be used, I write them on the back
of the radio.

Do you mean licenses with call letters? IIRC California was in the 6th
call district. AZ is in the 7th and my call starts with W7...

Oh my. I am glad I told you I was ignorant as I really forgot everything.
All I know is I need to mention my call sign every five minutes or so.
I don't remember it. So I taped it to the back of the radio.

Lemme look for you... OK... my call sign is of the KMxxxx type, but some of
my neighbors are ABxxx (notice only 5 characters for them but 6 for mine).

As I said, I stuff the HAM radio into my pack when I do backcountry hiking,
just in case, but I really never need to use it but, of course, if I don't
put it in my pack, that's when I'll need to use it (Murphy's Law).

Are those BAOFENG UV-5R radios any good?

Specs look Ok. If they're reliable as is your repeater then they should
work just fine.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baofeng_UV-5R>

> cellular repeater

We are so far in the boonies, that we don't have the option of cable, so we
get all our Internet over the air from a nearby mountaintop too. Which
makes us pretty self sufficient in an emergency...
<Loading Image...

> Desktop in shed with MikroTik

Which, to come full circle, is why we know to feel sorry for the hapless
iPhone users because having an FM radio on the phone is always better than
not having it (despite Apple convincing them otherwise, somehow).

If you want photos of anything I've said above, just ask. I was gonna snap
some and upload them as I am a stickler for facts - but it's night and
they'll suck without good light but in the morning let me know if there's
any emergency safety item you're interesting in more information on,
as I have everything that I said above - most for emergency purposes.

Including the FM radio, aux jack & sd card in my free Galaxy A32-5G phone.

--
What I care about is learning from others & discussing topics of interest
with others who are capable of comprehending the topics that we discuss.

candycanearter07

2023-11-19 14:37:55 UTC

I like your FM radio. I was just saying in emergencies, HAM is nice
too.

Living in the Santa Cruz mountains, we are pretty much used to the
electrical power going out monthly & fires burning down entire
mountainsides every few years, landslides blocking the roads during the
rainy season, and of course, a few earthquakes a year so we know the
inherent safety value of not only the ubiquitous FM radio in cellphones,
but also the ability for local area communications via the ham radio &
mountaintop repeaters (where we have fantastic LOS views to them).
That's my point about the FM radio in the cellphone, which is that it's
always better to have a flashlight than not to have the flashlight.
The Apple people, for example, not only pay twice as much to NOT have the
flashlight, but they have to pay Apple to get back the missing flashlight.
And they are told by Apple that paying for missing stuff that Apple took
away from them is the modern way to do things in the Apple ecosystem. :)

the power goes out two and three times a month in the dry months
(which, in California, is most of the year) but only about once a
month on the winter wet season

Things are better here. It's been well over a year since the last power
failure. Usually it's a car or storm taking down a power pole and they
can usually reroute within a couple of hours or so.

You're lucky. We pay some of the highest electricity rates in the nation,
and we get nearly the most outages per year in the nation.
The only good thing about that is the CPUC forces PG&E to give us free
stuff related to the many power outages a year. For example, I got a
dual-fuel DuroMax XP5500EH generator from PG&E even though I already have a
built-in Generac that runs on propane.
<https://www.pge.com/en/outages-and-safety/outage-preparedness-and-support/general-outage-resources/generator-and-battery-rebate-program.html>

(which started today, by the way, as it's raining).

Yep. Your storm came this way and got my driveway (slightly) wet...

Yeah, we don't normally get rain from about March or April to about now.
Sometimes we get rivers of rain. Sometimes not. It's fickle. Weather.

Of course every one of us (thousands upon thousands of homes in the
mountains) has a 240VAC generator or two, plus battery backups, etc.

That would be wise considering the conditions you describe...

I don't know a single person that doesn't have at least one generator.
Unfortunately, some people use a suicide cord, which is just dangerous.
The funny thing is because we're in the highest fire danger area of the
country, PG&E will give us a lot of free stuff for the power outages.
If you follow the rules, you get a lot of free stuff like...
a. A free portable power generator
b. A free backup power transfer meter to connect it to
c. A free portable emergency 2KW battery with 120VAC output
d. A free 4-liter 120VAC/12VDC refrigerator
You have to follow the rules though. For example, PG&E insists our portable
generators have a NEMA L1430R Locking Outlet which they use to connect to
their proprietary backup transfer meters, which are really neat devices.
I don't know if anywhere else in the country has these new devices but us.
<https://energycentral.com/news/first-its-kind-technology-allows-pge-customers-safely-and-easily-connect-backup-power-their>

Hey, at least you get compensated for the bad weather stuff.

We even have special meters from PG&E that we can hook our generators
up _directly_ to the meter when the power goes out. Fancy that from
PG&E!

Neat. Here some folks have solar panels with storage batteries so they
can get a few extra hours from the batteries in a power failure.

BTW, PG&E applied for a patent and says they designed these switches.
<https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220217005846/en/First-of-its-Kind-Technology-Allows-PGE-Customers-to-Safely-and-Easily-Connect-Backup-Power-to-Their-Homes>
It's a really neat device they give us to connect to the generator.
<https://solarbuildermag.com/policy/pge-built-a-transfer-device-for-homes-in-high-fire-threat-districts-to-connect-backup-power-sources/>
But you can only get it from PG&E for free if you're in the worst fire
danger area and if they cut off your power due to frequent EPSS trips.
<https://www.power-grid.com/smart-grid/pge-develops-backup-generator-meter-for-fire-threat-prone-customers/>

Back in the day (got my first ticket in 1956) you had to pass a written
AND a Morse Code test. Guess not anymore...

I think they removed that requirement in 2010?

Post by Wally J
No Morse Code anymore. But you do have to pass the written test.
The way I passed the test was I put on my iPad a zillion free HAM radio
tests, which contained the EXACT QUESTIONS to the exams (so it was easy).
You can see my Ham Radio folder on my iPad in this old graphic in fact.
<https://i.postimg.cc/LXzB3Lc0/appleid01.jpg> Apple _forces_ a log in!

I know what you mean, but I don't know if the repeater we mostly use has
that, but we have gotten people from extremely far away on the radio.
I don't play with it all that much. Mostly I bring it on my backcountry
hikes, where it's my emergency backup in case I break a leg or get bitten
by a rattler or whatever.
An FM radio isn't needed on hikes as much as a HAM radio would be; but if
there was an emergency, I pity all those Apple iPhone owners without FM
radios since they have to buy an FM radio just to get back what was
previously already there for free in the first place (which Apple removed
to protect their streaming revenue). They have to keep it plugged in or
with batteries. And they have to find it in an emergency when their phone
is already in their hands. Apple hoodwinked them. And they ate it all up.

- which was why those two radios plus two tests cost me only fifty
bucks (one for my wife and the other for me).

Things are apparently a lot cheaper now, though I did used to get some
pretty good deals at hamfests.

We have sequential federal Id's (ain't that sweet) where I don't
remember them so since they have to be used, I write them on the back
of the radio.

Do you mean licenses with call letters? IIRC California was in the 6th
call district. AZ is in the 7th and my call starts with W7...

It's 10 minutes, I think.

Post by Wally J
Lemme look for you... OK... my call sign is of the KMxxxx type, but some of
my neighbors are ABxxx (notice only 5 characters for them but 6 for mine).
As I said, I stuff the HAM radio into my pack when I do backcountry hiking,
just in case, but I really never need to use it but, of course, if I don't
put it in my pack, that's when I'll need to use it (Murphy's Law).

Are those BAOFENG UV-5R radios any good?

Specs look Ok. If they're reliable as is your repeater then they should
work just fine.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baofeng_UV-5R>

Thanks for checking on that as I wasn't sure how to respond to your first
suggestion that the radio would not be powerful enough. It works for me.
I talked the 3,500 gallon propane truck into giving me more than 85% as I
normally run the built-in generator which runs off of propane.
But I have a Nash Fuel hose so that I can fill up the twenty pound propane
tanks from my 1,000 gallon residential propane tank and then I have the
Flame King adaptor to fill my one-pound propane tanks from the twenty
pounder (which is all very convenient). I refuel my cars at home too. :)
<https://www.costco.com/flame-king-refillable-1lb.-empty-propane-cylinder-tank-16.4-oz%2C-2-pack---with-refill-kit.product.100679019.html>
You learn to be self sufficient in the mountains, where, for example I even
refill my five pound carbon dioxide tank myself, with dry ice, and then I
use a high-pressure stainless steel hose to refill sodastream canisters.
As another example, all of us have either a T-Mobile, AT&T or Verizon
femtocell (connected to the router) or a two-piece cellular repeater (I
have both) so that our signal strength is perfect inside the house even
though we're miles from the nearest cell towers.
<https://i.postimg.cc/XJChDCPr/spare-access-points.jpg> cellular repeater
We are so far in the boonies, that we don't have the option of cable, so we
get all our Internet over the air from a nearby mountaintop too. Which
makes us pretty self sufficient in an emergency...
<https://i.postimg.cc/Gh22Sb2N/desktop.jpg> Desktop in shed with MikroTik
Which, to come full circle, is why we know to feel sorry for the hapless
iPhone users because having an FM radio on the phone is always better than
not having it (despite Apple convincing them otherwise, somehow).
If you want photos of anything I've said above, just ask. I was gonna snap
some and upload them as I am a stickler for facts - but it's night and
they'll suck without good light but in the morning let me know if there's
any emergency safety item you're interesting in more information on,
as I have everything that I said above - most for emergency purposes.
Including the FM radio, aux jack & sd card in my free Galaxy A32-5G phone.

Can you send pics?

--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

Alan Browne

2023-11-19 16:07:14 UTC

On 2023-11-19 09:37, candycanearter07 wrote:

<blather snipped>

Post by candycanearter07
Can you send pics?

Despite the blather above, any serious prepper has everything planned
out and set up to not depend smartphones or other such devices. The
batteries do not last long enough.

In an emergency a radio receiver should cover several bands (not just
FM) and should be hand crankable. There are various cheap and not cheap
ones on the usual sites.

To flip it over - from the Troll's POV he should be shocked and angered
that Android phones do not include AM - as much emergency broadcasting
goes AM - in large part due to favourable nighttime propagation. (Why
some AM stations are legally forced to shutdown at night and others are
allowed to operate but possibly at reduced output power at night
(Class-A aka "Clear channel" in North America)).

--
“Markets can remain irrational longer than your can remain solvent.”
- John Maynard Keynes.

Wally J

2023-11-19 23:48:06 UTC

Post by Wally J
we don't normally get rain from about March or April to about now.
Sometimes we get rivers of rain. Sometimes not. It's fickle.
Weather.

Things are pretty constant here in the desert, hot and dry...

Ah, hot and dry? We're hot and dry too (not as hot, and not as dry
though), but we have thick "chaparral" which is flammable.

And we have PG&E power distribution lines running through the chaparral.

PG&E is to electricity as the Ford Pinto was to automobiles, so to speak.

<https://yubanet.com/regional/as-californias-wildfire-season-starts-pge-turns-on-enhanced-powerline-safety-settings-across-all-high-fire-risk-areas/>

Notice that we are on wells most of us in the mountains as they don't pump
water thousands of feet up the hill I guess. So we draw our own water.

Do you have a well out there in the desert?

Post by Wally J
I don't know a single person that doesn't have at least one
generator. Unfortunately, some people use a suicide cord, which is
just dangerous.

I had to look up 'suicide cord' cause in my last (and final) job I ran
across a few folks who had hung themselves using an electric cord. But
Google set me straight...

It's called a suicide cord because it is male on both 220VAC ends of the
cord; and if power is suddenly added to one end and you touch it...zzzap!

<https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/generators/why-suicide-extension-cords-are-so-dangerous-a1189731437/>

As far as I know, they don't sell these male-to-male cords; so you have to
fabricate your own cord (which in and of itself, is another safety issue).

Oh my! I just googled to make sure I was stating facts that they don't sell
'em, and they do! Yikes. I can't imagine what their lawyers think of that.

<https://midrange.tedium.co/issues/consumer-product-safety-commission-suicide-cable/>

With the male-to-male cord, people plug one male end into the female or
into the female NEMA L1430R Locking Outlet on the generator and then they
plug the other end into a corresponding female or 220VAC outlet (usually
for a clothes dryer) anywhere they have it.

<https://www.batteryequivalents.com/generator-suicide-cord-male-to-male-extension-cord.html>

There's an additional issue if you don't also turn off the mains because
you're back powering the grid (in effect) so a linesman is at risk if he
"thinks" he's working on a dead line (but you're feeding into it).

BTW, a generator is like an FM radio out here in that it's nice to have
when you need it, and, unfortunately, even PG&E says that we need it.

<https://www.pge.com/en/outages-and-safety/safety/community-wildfire-safety-program.html>

Just like with the FM radio built into the phone, you want a generator that
is built into the house (which most of us have) with a transfer switch.

Out here, a built-in generator always has a huge built-in (usually
wall-mounted) transfer switch that automatically isolates the home & grid.

Those wall-mounted transfer switch boxes have to be installed by an
electrician and hence they cost a pretty penny just to isolate the grid.

That's why it's so neat that PG&E will provide to people in the highest
fire danger area and who are therefore subject to the EPSS shutoffs a free
backup power transfer meter which isolates the grid & provides the cord.
<https://www.avpsn.org/>

The cord is, naturally, a female on the end that attaches to the meter.
The cord is also fused (I think it's fused at 30 amps) on both lines.

<Loading Image...

>

The only problem people have with the beefy cord is it's only 20 feet.

But we can't find the proprietary four-pronged connectors that PG&E uses so
we'd have to cannibalize the cord (or make a connection) which we won't do.

It's bad that we need it but when we need it, it's nice to have this.

<https://www.avpsn.org/images/images/power/pge_transfer_meter_operaton.pdf>

Hmmm.... that's EXACTLY the point on the FM radio, isn't it?
*It's better to have it for when you need it than to not have it at all!*