Rant of the Day v2.

[talmacapt]

There are suggestions on google to do what you want.

I typed "ipad remove activation lock".

[4mastacker]

Tried the various suggestions offered...nothing worked. Machine appears to have succumbed to Apple's jiggery-pokery with older models under the guise of "no longer supported". As it's Mrs 4ma's twin brother's birthday soon, I reckon that's the birthday prezzy sorted.

[Pontius Navigator]

There are suggestions on google to do what you want.

Like buy a Kindle Fire. Mrs PN's IPad was becoming temperamental, an age thing , and she said she didn't want another IPad.

At least with Amazon you can return it if you don't like it.

I echo OFSO as my Echo is used less than my Android.

[ExSp33db1rd]

Bloody Apple ! Just bought a new iPad and Apple have changed the charging cable, no longer the common "Lightning" type which fits all our other Apple devices, but now the small USB C ( I think ? ) fitting. One short cable comes with the new device of course, but it is USB C at both ends, so will have to go out and buy more cables and charging adapters to cope with all the handy charging locations we have established around the house over the years. WTF can't they leave well alone.

[OFSO]

Snigger. Android have had C for years.
Unsnigger. Kindle don't.

[4mastacker]

I agree, bloody Apple. The original i-pad is totally unusable because Mrs 4ma used our Freeserve e-mail address to register it and now the damn machine won't recognise that address. Even though we changed our Apple ID log-in data when Freeserve closed, it seems that change wasn't carried over to the i-pad.

Whilst I was picking up a new tablet for Mrs 4ma - which actually came with a charging cable and adaptor - I chanced a look at the latest i-Mac and noticed the absence of various slots/sockets in the back. I asked the in-store bright young thing, how the AF I was meant to re-charge my wireless key board, plug in my printer, external hard drive, flash drive, SD card, headphones, etc if there were no slots/sockets for them. He said I would have to go wireless on all of them...or... I would have to buy ( at ridiculous cost) a multi socket USB-C adaptor plus another adaptor to plug into the first adaptor for the SD card.

[PHXPhlyer]

Hasn't the EU decreed that all new devices, at some point, be chargeable via USB-C?

PP

[Wodrick]

Hasn't the EU decreed that all new devices, at some point, be chargeable via USB-C?

PP

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/ ... onic-waste

[TheGreenAnger]

Hasn't the EU decreed that all new devices, at some point, be chargeable via USB-C?

PP

This week, European Union lawmakers agreed on new proposals to force manufacturers of everything from smartphones and headphones to digital cameras and tablets to use the same universal charging port: USB Type-C. The plan is for the new rules to come into effect by fall 2024, after which these devices that charge using a wired cable will need to do so via a built-in USB-C port.

The single biggest impact of this legislation is likely to land on Apple’s iPhone. While the rest of the smartphone industry has gradually converged around USB-C as a single, standardized wired charging port, Apple has steadfastly stuck with Lightning, the proprietary connector it introduced with the iPhone 5 way back in 2012. The EU’s legislation could finally force it to move on.

APPLE IS THE ONLY MAJOR SMARTPHONE MAKER TO NOT HAVE EMBRACED USB-C

The EU’s rules are just a provisional agreement for now and will need to be approved by both the European Council and European Parliament before they become official. That’s expected to happen after summer recess, which ends on September 1st. It’ll enter into force 20 days thereafter, and most manufacturers will then have 24 months to comply, which is where the fall 2024 compliance date comes from. The exception is laptops because the kind of high-wattage USB-C chargers these devices require are less commonplace than phone chargers. They’ll instead have 40 months, which brings us to roughly the beginning of 2026.

If Apple wants the iPhone to have a physical charging port after fall 2024, then the EU wants USB-C to be its only option. It can’t simply offer an external dongle like it did a decade ago. The most recent public drafts of the proposed legislation specify that the USB Type-C connector used for charging needs to remain “accessible and operational at all times,” meaning a detachable dongle is unlikely to cut it. That’s because the EU’s rules are designed to reduce e-waste, with a universal charging standard that’ll hopefully mean more chargers can be reused rather than ending up in landfills. The EU estimates the rules could cut down on 11,000 metric tons (over 12,000 tons) of e-waste annually and save customers €250 million (around $268 million USD) on “unnecessary charger purchases.”

https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/8/23159 ... ion-ewaste

[Wodrick]

Some time ago, first computer time say 1976, I decided that Apple were overpriced and I would be better served by a TRS-80 (remember?)
45 years later that opinion hasn't changed except the TRS-80 bit and an Apple product has never darkened this door.

[OFSO]

Three things will never sully my door. A product from Apple, a Facebook account, and an automobile from Tesla.

[Wodrick]

+1
Two of them as I can't afford them

[PHXPhlyer]

My Samsung Galaxy S9+ is the only device that I have that uses USB-C.
The charger port doesn't work and the phone repair guy wants ~$65 to repair it. He says the high cost is due to having to take the phone apart to make the repair.
Fortunately, the phone has induction charging so I am able to charge via pads, some of which also use USB-C to power them.
Ironically, because my phone is ~7 years old and the battery capacity is fading, since he will already have the phone opened up, I can get a new battery for just the cost of the battery with no extra labor charges, ~$100 for both.

PP

[TheGreenAnger]

Some time ago, first computer time say 1976, I decided that Apple were overpriced and I would be better served by a TRS-80 (remember?)
45 years later that opinion hasn't changed except the TRS-80 bit and an Apple product has never darkened this door.

Tandy Radio Shack... Zilog 80 processor...

TRS DOS (A mangled form of CPM)...

https://www.ops-normal.org/viewtopic.ph ... 05#p339805

[Rwy in Sight]

A lunatic decided to walk along the lines of the metro line in the southern part of the network. Unfortunately the train driver saw him and stopped the train. Nut case decided to lay across the track and when police was called very late he run awake. Over paid staff in the control room with IQ below room temperature were completely unable to run a service on the remaining of the network. They even manage to have an empty train while people were waiting without any updates on the platform.

I wish a reform was taking place to oblige people serving the citizen to work on minimum wage and only get a decent salary if they provide a good service - minimum salary is more than enough payment for the service I receive from police and public transport staff.

[Pontius Navigator]

Snigger. Android have had C for years.
Unsnigger. Kindle don't.

Yes they do.

Mrs PN's from last year has the USB C as do my hearing aid chargers

[Pontius Navigator]

Got a new laptop in February. No card slots or optical drive. I now have lots of pretty coaster with names like Microsoft Office or Microsoft Money. I also have a pretty paperweight called Toshiba as Windows 11 doesn't recognise the drive.
New printer last month - hard wired into HP

[ExSp33db1rd]

Got a new laptop in February.

Similar, tho' a bit earlier, no way I can access the million CD's of data and photos that I seem to have unless I go out and buy a CD reader to plug in. WTF do they have to change every thing ?

[PHXPhlyer]

CD/DVD portable players with USB are small and relatively inexpensive.
I used to carry one with my netbook that had no optical drive and a few DVDs to watch on layovers.
I sill have them but now have hundreds of movies and tens of thousands songs on thumb drives now.

PP

[Pontius Navigator]

I have a, USB optical drive. The laptop reads CDs but not programs.
I have a 1 Tb Toshiba USB HDD. The laptop sometimes sees it but that's it.
At least it does read a 1 Tb Verbatim pen drive.