351–360 of 496 posts
This demonstrates where the new tech products are bringing us: to scrape everything and buy the entire thing again.
This is the direction of the automotive industry as well, so in the future you won't be able to repair a car easily too.
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Reminds me how, in USA, it’s the only civilized nation I’ve been to where you must have a prescription to purchase contacts and glasses. Everywhere else I’ve been will just sell you whatever magnification you need at the pharmacy. Obviously there is some acceptable line here, but I think the States handles this decently well enough. In Austin where I live you can get what is called a “homeowners permit” in a lot of c…
There's an easy hack for the contact lens (and maybe glasses?) situation. There is a consumer protection law meant to ensure eye doctors can't stop you from using any retailer you want (otherwise they'd essentially make themselves your retailer), and it works like this: You place an order with the retailer (online retailers typically allow you to simply type in your prescription values when adding lenses to your onli…
My current hack, which is not as great as yours, is to put a reminder on my calendar for a few days before my 1 year prescription ends. If I order new contacts in the one year period for another year’s worth of contacts (even if I am not out yet), I essentially get to go 2 years between visits. I will try your hack next if I can figure out a good way to get contact info for an office that won’t object.
This is when smart gets stupid. I'm a bit worried about this with my nest and other smart devices, but even with normal air conditioners there are a few stupid simple problems that will cost you hundreds of dollars! A couple of weeks ago my AC blower fan stopped working, the compressor would run. I went up and found out that the capacitor was bad, and took a picture of it, buying a replacement. Took about 15 minutes…
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I don't think the problem is necessarily space, but rather write-limits being used by superfluous logging
That's where the wear levelling comes in, still expose 8GB of space to the host device, but internally have I dunno, twice that in cell capacity that you can move bits to as other cells wear out. Its a shame mobile devices don't have a SMART equivalent, would be nice to have some warning as something approaches the end of its life.
It’s not going to write at twice the rate just because more space is available.
A nice solution to a completely self-inflicted problem. Next time just get a dumb thermostat, or perhaps, if you're so inclined, something cheap off-the-shelf like an ecobee.
Unfortunately a lot of the new variable-speed heat pumps require a proprietary thermostat. You can use a dumb thermostat with them, but then the unit runs at full tilt all the time, which is inefficient (more costly to run) and probably increases wear on it. Fortunately there are some heat pumps that allow you to use any old thermostat; they figure out the right speed to run at using their own temperature sensors. Re…
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There's an easy hack for the contact lens (and maybe glasses?) situation. There is a consumer protection law meant to ensure eye doctors can't stop you from using any retailer you want (otherwise they'd essentially make themselves your retailer), and it works like this: You place an order with the retailer (online retailers typically allow you to simply type in your prescription values when adding lenses to your onli…
My first thought is - how do you get the contact information for a closed office? My current hack, which is not as great as yours, is to put a reminder on my calendar for a few days before my 1 year prescription ends. If I order new contacts in the one year period for another year’s worth of contacts (even if I am not out yet), I essentially get to go 2 years between visits. I will try your hack next if I can figure…
I'm struggling to understand why someone who knows software would think things in your house relying on android was a good idea. Just get up and use a remote control people. It's not that hard. You really don't need an app to do it remotely. Your life will be fine.
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This is exactly right! Good morning from Europe. :) Also congrats to the OP! Sadly, european aircon appliances are usually built the same way (last only as long as the warranty).
My own aircons are just simple individual items that are interchangeable between rooms. There is no single control for the whole house but on the other hand I never let it run when I am away and I am never in 2 rooms at the same time so I just close the door so I only have to keep one room cool. I fail to see the need of an aircon I could control remotely with a smartphone or any smart bullshit system that control ev…
It is also handy if it is extremely hot like now and we're both out to monitor if it gets over 30 inside, so we can remotely get it cooler so the plants, cats or server will not suffer too much.
This is when smart gets stupid. I'm a bit worried about this with my nest and other smart devices, but even with normal air conditioners there are a few stupid simple problems that will cost you hundreds of dollars! A couple of weeks ago my AC blower fan stopped working, the compressor would run. I went up and found out that the capacitor was bad, and took a picture of it, buying a replacement. Took about 15 minutes…
Everyone reading this should find out what capacitor they need and buy one off Amazon, they're all I've done this repair myself, it takes maybe <15 minutes and is almost impossible to mess up. Even if you were find spending a couple hundred dollars to have someone come out and do it, you'd still go hours at least without AC. Which depending on the time of year can be miserable.
Just don’t cook yourself with the remaining good capacitance.
Personally, I wonder what could be done to temporarily get the capacitor to “kick” for a few more times to get your home temperature down as you get your replacement. Chill the capacitor?