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Why Johnny Won't Upgrade

jacquesmattheij.com

411–420 of 588 posts

Re: Why Johnny Won't Upgrade

#411
post #399

Earlier quoted context omitted.

60fps is not a limitation of HDMI. I have an LG OLED that has HDMI 2.1, which can do 4k120fps (at least). Unfortunately current-gen GPUs only support HDMI 2.0, so I am limited to 1440p120fps or 4k60fps for the time being.

OK, it was a limitation of HDMI, and most devices still use that old HDMI standard, so practically it still is a limitation until the new HDMI versions are more common. On my monitors, I use DP whenever I can.

The main disadvantage of DP over HDMI is that if you switch off a monitor that is connected to the computer via DP, then the computer thinks the monitor has been disconnected, and rearranges all your windows for you, so when you come back to the computer and switch the monitor back on it's all messed up. With HDMI, that doesn't happen.

Re: Why Johnny Won't Upgrade

#412

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A smart TV is dumb as long as it never sees an internet connection.

It could encode signal in inaudible high frequency audio that the Facebook app passively listens for.

Such BS, Facebook does not listen to audio passively. If it did, iOS 14 would have highlighted it.

Stop spreading fake news.

Also just because “Facebook” can listen, the TV still can’t receive updates and ads.

Re: Why Johnny Won't Upgrade

#413

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The embedded 5G won't be for movies, but for ads, telemetry and forced updates.

Well, it looks like enough of us either can't figure out how to attach the TV to the internet, or just don't bother (like me) to the point that -- like with ad blockers -- TV manufacturers are routing around the problem. That they would subsidize a 5G cell connection in order to get direct access to your TV should be seriously concerning. But it won't be, and cries to Congress to block this sort of thing will be met…

Ok, so if they are going to force upon us a subsidized 5G connection, what can we do to to hijack that connection & redirect it to some more useful - to the user - application?

(Also good to know that the big telcos will be rolling out 5G universally so all those 5G-connected TVs will work in every rural location, even those with coverage from only obscure CLECs /sarc )

Re: Why Johnny Won't Upgrade

#414

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People use computers to do things. When automated updates make it harder for them to do the things they want to do, especially out of no action on their own, they are going to dislike the automatic updates. And when trying to avoid the automated updates - which is what they see as the source of making it harder to do the things they want to do - is met with automated updates being forced even harder on them, they're…

Your first sentence hits the nail on the spot. For instance, I open up the Prusa slicer software (for 3d printing) and it says there is an update. I didn't open the software to update it, so I always click no - I opened this because I need to 3D print something, and I don't know what the time commitment of updating the software is. I'll go update it now that I am thinking about it, but this is a general pattern.

...and every time i go to print on mine i quickly hit the orange button (skip) when it says "new firmware available"! I just want to print. Plus, not being able to update from SD makes the process a chore in itself.

That being said, I think automatic updates are a good thing when it goes from optional to required. At the corporation I am employed, we deploy via SCCM and have a window where the user can kick off the install. For example, if a cumulative update is pushed on Monday, we give the user until Thursday to install the patch on their own. Then, at 1PM on Thursday, a countdown begins to let them to know they need to save their work because this IS happening. That takes the blame away from the information system (hey, we gave you all week) and on to the user for poor time management. The alternative is your infrastructure turns into swiss cheese with vulnerabilities.

Re: Why Johnny Won't Upgrade

#415
post #399

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OK, it was a limitation of HDMI, and most devices still use that old HDMI standard, so practically it still is a limitation until the new HDMI versions are more common. On my monitors, I use DP whenever I can.

The main disadvantage of DP over HDMI is that if you switch off a monitor that is connected to the computer via DP, then the computer thinks the monitor has been disconnected, and rearranges all your windows for you, so when you come back to the computer and switch the monitor back on it's all messed up. With HDMI, that doesn't happen.

True, that can be a disadvantage (can also be an advantage though).

Re: Why Johnny Won't Upgrade

#416

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah I made this same call. My LG Smart TV has advertisements in the menus and doesn’t have a particularly wide range of apps. So I got an Apple TV and disconnected the internet from the TV. Much better experience overall.

What can you even do with an Apple TV without internet? Did you jailbreak it?

I think they meant to say the TV is disconnected from the internet, but the Apple TV is connected.

Re: Why Johnny Won't Upgrade

#417
post #399

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OK, it was a limitation of HDMI, and most devices still use that old HDMI standard, so practically it still is a limitation until the new HDMI versions are more common. On my monitors, I use DP whenever I can.

No it’s not. HDMI can do it, it’s the device that you pick that decided it won’t, by picking an older standard.

Apparently HDMI 2.1 which specification is from November 2017 can do it.

My TV itself is even older than that, and a dumb TV doesn't need to be upgraded often. That's part of the purpose of a dumb TV; longevity.

My MBPs from 2015 also don't support it, and Apple only recently released a decent replacement for these MBPs (given the keyboard issues in previous).

My old monitor from ~2014, a BenQ, also does not support it. While I recently replaced it, it still works perfectly fine (it doesn't have FreeSync though), and achieves 144 Hz over DP.

Re: Why Johnny Won't Upgrade

#418
post #106

I had been using a great app that’s been around since before the iPhone came out (PocketMoney on Palm). They rewrote it for IOS, and it was able to import the database from the Palm version. Really great. Then sadly the author died, and it languished for a while until it was sold to someone else. The new owner seemed to try to keep it going, but then finally gave up last year and crammed an absolutely awful “update”…

Not even that is risk-free. I was doxxed by a developer after Google's idiotic real-name policy put me in his crosshairs for my one-star review.

I had an extension installed that would pop up a PayPal donation page whenever it updated, (I think it may have been a JSON pretty printer? Don't entirely remember). Whatever, it was a good extension and I can understand that.

One week it updated basically every day, and so every morning at work I was greeted with a PayPal donation page for this extension author. After the 4th update I uninstalled it and left a 1-star review saying an otherwise good extension had now gotten far too spammy.

The developer actually emailed me asking me to take down the review, and tried making the case that it wasn't spam, they just had a reason to update it so many times.

I updated my review to say the extension author is emailing anyone leaving a one star review.

Re: Why Johnny Won't Upgrade

#419
post #315

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I literally setup almost everything I personally need in about a day on a VPS. As for services like LinkedIn I almost never got anything of value from it, it is worse than most job board it is filled with slimey recruiters these days and not a lot else. I bought a NAS for backups with freenas and moving my email to a domain with a provider literally took me a few minutes (plugging DNS entries into my domain provider)…

How someone get off GMail if they have already been using it for a decade or quite a few years more than that? Has anyone done this? How do you do that with the fewest issues possible? Having the most important communications with other people and companies, and the login verification all in the hands of one company which could shaft your access in all sorts of ways (screw up, removing service, ban) is just terrible…

> How do you do that with the fewest issues possible?

You just create another email and register all your new accounts with it. Whenever you get any old notifications to your old email you recofigure them to your new email account, one by one. After about a year you will be practically free. You do not have to delete your Gmail account, you can just forward all its emails.

Re: Why Johnny Won't Upgrade

#420
post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Updated Instagram on a whim. Instantly regretted having Reels shoved in my face with no way to remove it.

WhatsApp and enabling calls a few years ago, that one irked me the most.

With lots of overseas friends and family, being able to do calls has been a lifesaver several times.
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