Tech Friday: Knowing where your iPhone, or perhaps YOU are?

| March 15, 2024

As someone who has grown up with the “beware of Big Brother” mindset, the thought that even with an Apple iPhone turned off, those with access can still know your location is a bit spooky. Oh, to be sure, 99% of being able to find an iPhone that is powered down or without enough battery […]

Tech Friday: Are we getting closer to a foldable Apple iPhone?

| February 9, 2024

As an Apple advocate and device user from the 1980s and someone who as been begging for a foldable iPhone flip phone (or even slider) since using and retiring a foldable Samsung SPH i500  PalmOS device years ago, “I can’t wait”… as I mentioned to tech influencer Evan Kirsten.  We seem to be getting closer, […]

Tech Friday: Replaced the battery in my iPhone 7 plus

| December 22, 2023

A couple weeks ago I mentioned ordering a $20 battery on Amazon for my iPhone 7 Plus. I probably really should be in the market to replace this phone, but even though the iOS can’t be upgraded, it still functions pretty well. The camera on ALL phones has been improved, but at $1000+ dollars, I’m […]

X.com API test: Still would like an iPhone flipphone

| November 17, 2023

Really just testing a new X.com (Twitter) setup after the MyDesultoryBlog account stopped updating several months ago. An API change has made it more difficult for automated accounts to send out tweets. Adding a photo to keep Apple aware that I still would really like an iPhone Flip! 😉 

Tech Friday: Apple’s yawn-worthy 2023 Wonderlust event

| September 15, 2023

Perhaps it is just me paying attention to the rumors and knowing the announcements that were planned at Apple’s annual September “new iPhones” announcement event … but the iPhone15s (and Apple Watch 9) upgrades left very little to get excited about? I’m not saying that I won’t be upgrading my aging iPhone 7plus this year, […]

Tech Friday: An update on my USMobile Wireless trial

| July 21, 2023

For those keeping score as to just how frugal Rich can descend when chasing after a wireless plan … “better” (cheaper) than Mint Mobile … “he” may have gone “a bridge too far” in the latest USMobile wireless plan decision (I know, another idiom and a 3rd person reference, but don’t get me started on the whole […]

Reminiscing about a couple of my favorite iPhones #TBT

| July 6, 2023

While finding links for a blog post last week, I stumbled across a couple photos of my iPhone5 while upgrading to my current, but aging, iPhone7plus. Although the bulky protective case on the iPhone7+ did not last long, it was interesting to remember it. I quickly switched to the thinnest case I could find and […]

Tech Friday: How long before Apple makes an iPhone Flip?

| June 9, 2023

How long must I wait and watch in irritation as other manufacturers beside Apple or iOS “cloners” roll out “flip phone” (or even a slider) that at least from a first glance look like exactly what I personally am looking for in a future iPhone?  The form and function are exactly what at least some […]

Tech Friday: Testing Magfast Extreme charging an Apple iPad

| May 26, 2023

This test is more for my own curiosity than any kind of controlled tech test, but since I’m often away from convenient 110VAC charging plugs, I would like to be able to recharge iPads and iPhones on the go. A few years back, I preordered a package of products from a startup company called Magfast […]

Giving USMobile free SIM card a try on my iPhone 7 Plus

| April 14, 2023

A speed test doesn’t really tell us everything (new USMobile wireless service above), but since I was frustrated with 0.34Mbps upload Xfinity WiFi upload speeds at the condo last weekend (Xfinity WiFi speediest below the break), it was a perfect time to take the risk to port my cellphone number from Mint Mobile to USMobile. There […]

Audiobook – Inflated: How Money and Debt Built the American Dream by R. Christopher Whalen (published 2010)

| February 28, 2023

This past month on our trip to Florida, I downloaded an audiobook on Hoopla from the library in order to save on iPhone data (our Mint Mobile plan has a 4GB limit). I started it on my AfterShokz headset while on the beach, but Brenda soon wanted to listen with me … so we both […]

Tech Friday: Reading rumors regarding the iPhone 15 and Pro

| February 17, 2023

Since a new iPhone will eventually be in my future, I’m paying a little more attention to the rumors around what is changing. The most obvious seems to be the USB-C port, but according to 9to5mac photos and renderings, the iPhone15Pro could see some bezel changes too. With the iPhone 15 lineup, a USB-C port […]

Tech Friday: A better way to filter and clean up iOS messages

| December 30, 2022

Prior to 2022, I managed phone numbers and contacts on my iPhone poorly – perhaps “the wrong way.” Every year I created a new A/SPAM list of callers and emailers and self-managed these lists. Of course this didn’t stop callers or text messages from new unknown phone numbers. So I tried a couple of different […]

Tech Friday: The home Internet seems to be sluggish lately?

| September 30, 2022

Our Cincinnati Bell Fioptics Internet service has been acquired by Altafiber. I’m not sure there has been much more than a logo change in service “so far,” but whenever our cable TV isn’t quite right or the Internet acts up, the blame is now on AltaFiber. Speed has been a problem this week and “might” […]

Apple Event introduces products including iPhone14 Pro

| September 7, 2022

Considering our current iPhones are seven generations behind (iPhone 7), today’s Apple Event was watched with interest, as usual. The new iPhone14 Pro is particularly interesting and carries a higher price point … although well worth the money considering what I once spent on new computers. Still, the pre-order date of 9/9/2022 will not likely […]

Tech Friday: Campaign to fix the Apple iMessaging problem

| August 19, 2022

Google and their Android mobile OS platform has a social media campaign running to hopefully get Apple to fix their widely used text messaging app called iMessage. For years now, sending messages between Apple iPhones and other iDevices has frustrated many a users trying to communicate with friends and family. Google would like Apple to […]

What was I thinking about the iPhone 15 years ago? 😳

| June 29, 2022

After nearly 40 years of buying and using Apple products, it is kind of embarrassing that I doubted Steve Jobs and the iPhone publicly on my blog on June 29, 2007. Happy Anniversary iPhone! Check out this post from 15 years ago.

Tech Friday: Thoughts on M4A vs MP3 digital audio formats

| April 22, 2022

The MP3 format for audio has been used on My Desultory Blog since the mid-2000s and I have contemplated a variety of other opensource options over the years. Compression choices to keep file sizes and streaming acceptable come and go and as we search for quality of audio and bandwidth for streaming becomes less of […]

We can hope that April 2022 Flurries don’t kill May Flowers

| April 18, 2022

For a day after Easter, the weather sure doesn’t look like spring! https://myarchive.us/mp4/April2022FlurriesBringMayFlowers.mp4 Also testing WordPress automated mp4 plugin with added gray vs black border than my normal hardcode video from iPhone7plus in slow-motion with poster image below the break)

Tech Friday: Apple Event and our WyzeCam3 picks up a fox

| March 11, 2022

Here are a couple of technology highlights to mention on a Tech Friday from earlier this week. First, the new driveway Wyze Cam3 set-up (moved it) picked up an evening fox whizzing by and the second, an event on Tuesday from Apple announcing new products. Personally, I’m not sure what kind of surprise was expected […]

Tech Friday: Focos and updating and deleting iPhone apps

| February 25, 2022

A few years back while learning a little more about iPhone photography, I downloaded and tinkered with the Focos app. At the time, I liked it,but for some reason forgot about using it or that I even had it on my phone. In updating to Apple’s iOS 15.3.1 (security issues I assume), I figured it […]

The LONG wait for a MAGFAST charging kit is near, well 2022

| November 14, 2021

Prior to 2017, I backed a ThingCharger Kickstarter project that was an excellent product. It was overpriced for what it did, but I ended up buying a couple extras for gifts (Brenda’s phone charging in photo at Katelyn and Drew’s house). In 2017, after the business failure, founder Seymour Segnit started a new company telling […]

Grainy summer evening panorama photo (pre-driveway project)

| July 16, 2021

Just a pleasant, but warm evening photo as a Friday filler, after mowing the front lawn on Thursday night …  and before the crews come to bust up the driveway and prepare to pour concrete (I hope!)

Tech Friday: Would you consider buying this iPhone 5G slider?

| May 7, 2021

If you keep your eyes open, there are plenty of interesting Android and iPhone concept videos floating around. As a Palm Pre slider user, I’ve always thought there might be another slider (or foldable) pocket friendly phone in my future. Here’s an iPhone slider demo that has promise … although personally I think we’ll see […]

Tech Friday: Innovative hearing technology on my wish list

| April 9, 2021

Sometimes when my mind wanders, I shift from pie-in-the-sky dreaming (flying cars, mind control devices, AI/robotics (mp4), time machines (mp4), “beam me up” transporters, etc) to something that’s a bit more realistic to the world of everyday technology. Let’s get the above “pie-in-the-sky” idiom out of the way first. “Pie In The Sky” Origin This […]

Tech Friday: What is the best smartphone for 2021?

| March 26, 2021

The current opinion by many who review technology (and Consumer Reports) is that the best smartphone for 2021 is the Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max … although might be a bit larger than many are comfortable putting in their pockets. Personally I’ve shifted from wanting something small, like my old Samsung SPH-i500 aluminum bodied flipphone […]

Tech Friday: Life after switching to Mint Mobile has been good

| March 12, 2021

Back in January I switched my “off contract” iPhone7 Plus over to Mint Mobile and a month later switched over Brenda’s iPhone7. The transition was smooth and pretty much glitchless. Service from our previous Virgin Mobile then Boost Mobile plan is basically the same, although initially restricted me to 3GB of data per month (now […]

Tech Friday: Switched our iPhones to Mint Mobile to save $$$

| February 19, 2021

Well it is official, we are both with Mint Mobile. I’ve been using them for a month now and haven’t had any issues with their service (backboned on T-Mobile I believe) … and since saving money for the same service is a no-brainer, I’ve switched Brenda’s iPhone over this month as well …  and added […]

Great night sky viewing of the moon, Saturn and Jupiter

| September 28, 2020

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Apple iOS 13.7: Opt-in to COVID19 exposure notifications?

| September 13, 2020

I downloaded and installed the new Apple iOS 13.7 update, but hesitated since I regularly prefer blocking location services information. Both Apple and Google announced the “tracking” in April 2020, but as expected, it was met with reservation. Most users are naïve to the amount of personal data requested by apps and operation systems on […]

Tech Friday: i-Device Wallpapers .. the Bompa edition

| May 29, 2020

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Tech Friday: When will 5G be coming to Apple’s iPhone?

| March 27, 2020

If Daniel Ives of Wedbush is right, the new 5G capable Apple iPhone release seems "extremely unlikely" for the normal September or October release this year. Most iPhone iOS users have been anticipating or even holding off on an upgrade thinking they might want the new 5G promise data. Personally, I’m relatively satisfied with my […]

Tech Friday: Our forced switch from Virgin to Boost Mobile

| March 13, 2020

Earlier this year in preparation for the Sprint – T-Mobile merger, Sprint ended their business relationship with Virgin Mobile USA; Sprint was the carrier for the Virgin plans which we opted to switch to back in the summer of 2017. Neither Brenda or I have had any problems or complains with our wireless service or […]

Tech Friday: Apple iOS 13.1.2 was a challenging update

| October 11, 2019

My conclusion is that some of my most recent Apple iPhone and iPad iOS update problems stem from having older mobile devices and having loads older apps? That said, the upgrade to the mobile operating system known as iOS 13.1.2 (current) did not go smoothly for me. My iPhone 7plus is a few years old […]

Evaluating the Fitbit Versa – three month in and a little #TBT

| October 10, 2019

Previously I mentioned that Katelyn and Drew brought me kicking and screaming (not really) into the Fitbit “wrist device” wearing age and world. I had given up wearing a watch decades ago when I started carrying a pager. Eventually I adopted the Nextel belt holstered cellphone, then pocket folding Samsung i500 PDA phone. The new […]

Tech Friday: Insect repellents and my AfterShokz headset

| September 13, 2019

Just a heads-up for others using AfterShokz bone conduction headphones while doing outdoorsy kinds of things where bug spray is used – DON’T. I love my Aftershokz Bluetooth headphones, most likely because it enables me to hear things around me while still enabling me to clearly hear talk and music. For me, being deaf in […]

It is a great week for night stargazing and sky watching – #Jupiter

| June 12, 2019

Just north of Cincinnati the sky was perfect for viewing the rise of Jupiter as the sky darkened about 9:30PM. The bright dot (photo below from my iPhone) rose in the SE sky and arched slowly until reaching its highest point due south at about 12:30AM and then moved lower well after I was in […]

Tech Friday: There is a problem with live GPS rerouting

| June 7, 2019

A pitfall in real-time GPS mapping services is that, although they “can” highlight road construction and closures, they are not always accurate or give appropriate advice for detours or “route arounds.” This was apparent on a 16 hour drive back from Florida (see comment) and more recently for a road closing leading to our development […]

How do you hold your iPhone for video conference calls?

| May 28, 2019

Just a little bit of wasted time this weekend after realizing I need a better way to hold my iPhone when using it for video conferencing and FaceTime calls. In the past I’ve used a little rubberized tape on the edge of ceramic plate that sits under my iMac … … but it was never […]

All good again as Apple sent a replacement iPhone 7-plus

| April 24, 2019

It may not be the latest and greatest iPhone from Apple, but having one that works sure beats struggling with a microphone that does not. Thankfully staying persistent that the replacement battery service is likely what caused my microphone problem paid off. The local Apple Store may have failed me, but a return call from […]

Tech Friday: VirginMobile and iPhone 7-plus microphone issues

| April 19, 2019

All who have been through computer and cellphone issues know what a headache little glitches can become. For me, ever since having my battery replaced on my iPhone 7-plus back in January, the front facing microphone has not worked. After a couple back and forth evening phone calls with Apple Support, we set up an […]

A rainy March day in Florida beats a rainy March day in Ohio

| April 2, 2019

After a weekend trip to Encore in Florida, one would think that I would be totally rejuvenated? Unfortunately I’m feel further behind and less rested than when I left? Perhaps it is age or maybe just the long drive, but I’m tired and worn out. On the bright side, it was at least good to […]

Tech Friday: Planning on an iPad Pro upgrade in 2019, but …

| March 22, 2019

There is isn’t anything wrong with my current 2014 Apple iPad, it is just getting older as far as technology goes, and is a little sluggish (or so it seems). It is still the single most used tech device that I have … and the reason I’ll likely replace it with another when the time […]

Tech Friday: Had some new iPhone envy so downloaded Focos

| February 15, 2019

Same photo with min aperture option and maximum. Note Bokek effect. On a recent trip, I happened to break my favorite pair of polarized sunglasses, so am using them as one last prop before tossing them in the trash … they have been epoxied and “jerry-rigged” (correct use of the term) together one too many times. […]

Tech Friday: The best TECH life-changers in the last couple years

| January 11, 2019

The Amazon Echo in Kitchen/Great Room and the new Echo Dot 3rd Gen in my workshop Not a day goes by without Amazon’s Echo devices doing something for us in our home … and it is only a matter of time before “she” (Alexa) will be assisting me in the car too. It is almost […]

Battery replaced in my aging iPhone7plus under Apple program

| January 9, 2019

It was a somewhat frustrating end of year scrabble to get my iPhone 7 battery replaced under the Apple “program” after their throttling older iPhones was disclosed in 2017. My battery was still holding up, but who wants a phone with only 85% “Maximum Capacity” or hidden software artificially slowing down my now older iPhone […]

Simple iPhone cursor features unknown for years by many users

| November 24, 2018

This really should have been yesterday’s Tech Friday post, but between the holiday with turkey, family and football watching on Thursday and another market drop and oil plunge of another 7.7% to $50.42 on Friday my focus was elsewhere. As for a tech tip, a viral tweet last week caught hold when it really shouldn’t […]

Heavy ice in the morning and snow tonight …

| November 15, 2018

Winter is here as the ice came in the morning bringing down branches and knocking out power all around Cincinnati … and just when I thought it was over, the Dark Sky app indicates the heavy snow is beginning in Liberty Township. Ugh! (I’m also playing a little bit with the slow-motion settings on the […]

Pocket dust, the bane of micro plugs in our smartphones

| November 14, 2018

It is shocking just how much lint and dust can accumulate in the tiny holes and connectors of our smartphones. If you notice questionable connections and charging difficultly with your iPhone or Android phone your first look should be at the cord, plug and socket of your phone. In my case, the amount of lint […]

Fighting back my desire to participate in the Apple upgrade cycle

| October 31, 2018

It is a favorite time of year for those who enjoy seeing the new product coming online from Apple. iPhones in September,new iPads and Apple Air notebooks this week and even a new Apple Mac Mini (used an older Mini for my desktop next to a Windows machine for years). This year it seems even […]

Apple introduces their new iPhone Xs line-up and new Watch

| September 12, 2018

The biggest awaited tech news for most Apple lovers took place yesterday as they introduced their latest Watch Series 4 with "heart monitoring" capabilities and improved everything. From edge to edge larger screens, to a 64-bit processor that is twice as fast at their earlier version. The speaker is louder (common complaint), a walkie-talkie feature, […]

An impressive look at planet Jupiter this week #space

| July 14, 2018

It was a great week of skywatching in our backyard in Cincinnati this week. The sun magnificently lit up planets, especially Saturn and Jupiter while Mars, Venus (the brightest) and Mercury (doubtful) remained a bit low in the sky while I was out viewing. I was purposely out for Mars, but it will have to […]

Tech Friday: Time for an Apple iOS 11.4.1 security update

| July 13, 2018

Apple has been updating their iOS iPhone and iPad mobile operating system regularly and they seem to take far longer than in the old days (a couple years ago – HAHA). This latest update will not be appreciated by law enforcement who often want to gain access to data on a suspects phone. This recent […]

Tech Friday: What is going to be new in Apple iOS12

| June 22, 2018

It has been a while since posting on “what’s new” with Apple. As we approach the convergence of mobile operation systems and desktop, the maturing lightweight phone OS on all platforms is growing in power, size and use. The writing is on the wall. Microsoft has announced Windows 10 will be the last Windows operating […]

Disappointed in the thin Totallee cover for my iPhone 7 plus

| February 24, 2018

  I probably spoke too soon in praise of the Totallee super thin and lightweight case or more appropriately "cover" for my iPhone 7plus last year. Last week. While out of town traveling the thin skin just "slid" off the plastic case. It was as if the bonding method they used to attach the skin […]

Tech Friday: Handbrake video compression testing

| January 12, 2018

Testing and tweaking the Handbrake software I use for video encoding and am hoping to improve the .MP4 compression settings for MyDesultoryBlog and others. The test video is an 18 sec knife sharpening iPhone clip and the new setting should average about 25-30 MB per minute at full 30 frame/sec at a reasonable 1280 x720 […]

Tech Friday: Apple slows down older iPhones. What to do?

| December 22, 2017

The big technology news this week  if you are an iPhone user is that Apple has a "feature" that slows down older iPhones with older batteries in order to protect users from unwanted crashes. Yes … your phone older phone will actually run slower. According to CNET, the best option for owners of older iPhones […]

Tech Friday: Testing Apple Live Photo to downsized looping GIF

| December 15, 2017

We’ve had a colder than usual early December here in Cincinnati … and has much of the country. The freezing temperatures will likely show up in higher heating bills but I’m hoping the new LED Christmas lighting will offset that cost? We’ll see. I’ve been wanting to test the Live Photo editing feature on the […]

What’s the Apple iPhoneX line-up going to look like in 2018

| December 8, 2017

For those planning ahead and thinking about replacing their aging (1 or 2 years old! HA!) iPhone, there are rumors already floating around as to what Apple might have up their sleeve for 2018. Perhaps the most interesting "rumor" is that the iPhoneX may come in a 6.1" TFT-LCD with 320-330 PPI  AND an aluminum […]

Tech Friday: Apple iPhone iOS 11 Flashlight brightness levels

| December 1, 2017

Most Apple iPhone users (as well as Android users) have been using a smartphone as a flashlight for years with only a few innovations. The simple swipe up and click on has been relatively straight forward until the addition of brightness levels. With iOS11, the text description has been eliminated (???) but the brightness level […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
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