Random household issues -- questions asked and answered here

Oh, it's nothing like an iPhone. It's running MIUI 8. I'll play with that for a while then install CyanogenMod. That's one of the things about Android -- there are other "flavors" around you can try out.

Whatever. Just let us know how the iPhone ripoff works out.

tim1_2 wrote:Whatever.  Just let us know how the iPhone ripoff works out.

Or how fast it breaks down

wprager wrote:

Flo The Action wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:Whatever.  Just let us know how the iPhone ripoff works out.

Or how fast it breaks down

The water drop test is kinda bull. It's similar to can it survive a tiny bit of rain for 3 second.

Besides its not the exterior I worry about when I worry about phones, it's the software and the interior hardware.

Read the reviews. The SnapDragon 650 is a very good mid-level SoC. It's has virtually same benchmark scores as the Apple A8 that runs the iPhone 6/6P:
http://www.gsmarena.com/antutu_benchmark_releases_latest_chipset_rankings_snapdragon_820_tops_competition-news-17097.php

The phone itself is very well reviewed as well. Look, it's not the iPhone 7, but it's not far behind the iPhone 7 (not the screen). And I can try different s/w on it like CyanogenMod.

Here's a another phone it compares to: ]url=http://www.expansys.ca/google-nexus-5x-lg-h791-unlocked-32gb-carbon-black-287093/]Nexus 5X[/url]. The 32GB version is on sale for $370. It runs the SnapDragon 808 I talked about earlier (the 650 is a little faster). The Redmi Note 3 adds 3 GB RAM (versus 2), full-metal body and fingerprint scanner, IR blaster. Same resolution screens (the Nexus is a 5.2" versus 5.5"). The big advantage of the Nexus, of course, is that it runs stock Android (quickest for updates).

Girls' phones arrived yesterday; mine arrived today. And of course I'm not ready with the plan/SIMs. Last second the guy gives me a really convincing argument to go with Virgin. Now I have to decide.

Phones are very nice.

OK, so with MIUI (the skin that this phone uses) you can restrict mobile data on a per-application basis. The flip side of this is that mobile data usage is also available on a per-application data. And that includes "system" apps as well as other stuff. After the first 3 days of usage I checked my mobile data and I was at 43MB; extrapolated to 30 days that well within my 500MB allotment. Nevertheless, I went in a disabled mobile data for everything but gmail (I wanted to disable it for "Android System" but it said that "normally a few Android system apps will still connect to the internet" -- WTH does that even mean, can't they wait until there is a wifi connection?) Anyhow, checking which apps managed to use mobile data (I didn't actively use it except for sudoku or some other downloaded games unless I was on wifi), specifically ones I did not expect to use any:

- Sudoku: 1.0MB (must be those in-game ads)
- 2048 (a game): just under 1MB
- SwiftKeyboard: 102KB (a *keyboard* needs internet?)

And under "System" apps:
- Google Services Framework: 3.5MB
- Android System: 1.3MB
- Google Play Store (keep in mind I never "used" it except on wifi): 4.4MB
- Analytics: 880KB (quite light weight, actually)
- Hangouts (which I never actively fired up): 146KB
Google Calendar Sync (never used calendar): 52KB
Google Play Music (never used): 51KB
Google Keyboard (why not, the other one did, too): 24KB
...and so on

My girls are on a no-data plan but, more correctly this is a PPU data only, so I have to make sure it's configured to *not* use mobile data.

By the way, I tried that new I Heart Radio app they've been plugging on TSN1200 and everywhere and it used 7.3MB of mobile data on my walk back from work (whereas InTuneRadio used 12MB). Couldn't tell the difference in audio quality,

Traveling to the US this weekend and was looking at my phone options. I have a google voice account and used to have an assigned number, but since I hadn't used it for 2 years I think it got reclaimed. I see tutorials/instructions for getting a new number or getting back your old number or finding your number if you forgot, but I don't see the options they mention from the settings menu. So does anyone know if Google got rid of the option of getting a number assigned? I tried GVPhone and called my own number, and it came up as 00661262601. I tried it again, an hour later and it came in as the same number. So if this is the "random" number Google picks then it looks like it maintains it over multiple calls (maybe that's the number associated with my google voice account now). I doubt I can call that number (maybe in hangouts?) but at least I can dial out (so long as I have credits -- you can get credits for free by filling in surveys and installing games and so on, or just good old fashioned cash).

So does anyone know if google no-longer lets you have a real, call-able number associated with your google voice account?

Does anyone have use for a stereo system? 90s throwback. Kenwood, two big floor standing speakers, two surrounds with stands, center speaker. 5 disc CD changer. AM/FM with amp. Dual tape deck of you remember what those are. Probably 200 watts. Has been sitting in boxes for the last two moves (probably at least ten years since the last time they were used).

No Bluetooth, no use.

No blue tooth? It probably doesn't even support CD-RW. Guess I'll post it on Kijiji.

I posted a free 36"x36" mirror. Someone replies "Pictures?"

It's a mirror. It's square. It's free.

It continues. I basically replied as above but with a tiny bit less sarcasm. I get this back:

"Yes and is it in a frame .. I don't care that it's free. If it's junk ..right. so ya .do you have a picture?"

And then:


"If your annoyed by questions and don't put your stuff up on Kijiji".

When I post the stereo I'm going to say free for anyone not named "Crystal".

Of course you need to post pictures. I wouldn't give anything posted without pictures a second thought.

Ever try to take a picture of a mirror? Unless it's got an interesting shape (not a square) or a frame, there really isn't much to take a picture of other than your reflection.

wprager wrote:Ever try to take a picture of a mirror?  Unless it's got an interesting shape (not a square) or a frame, there really isn't much to take a picture of other than your reflection.

Doesn't matter. If you're posting stuff, even for free, it's gotta go with a picture. That's Internet 101.