This old refurbished vivoactive 3, isn’t that great. My Nothing watch, has better battery life, better looking screen, and a bigger screen. And the Nothing watch syncs automatically sometimes.

If using an iPhone with Garmin, apparently shortcuts are needed to open the app. But because iOS is “secure”, it can’t open if the screen is locked.

The shortcuts don’t always work either. Somebody said to use a Focus and Shortcuts to run something every so often.

Must have been a different iOS version.

If I lived in Europe, Garmin might work better.

I wonder, can this watch be returned for any reason for free? Cause it’s overpriced.

Can’t lock the Nothing watch, but at least it syncs automatically sometimes.

Verizon

Won’t use Verizon or any MVNO that uses Verizon. First time Trump was president, Verizon got their person in the FCC. Net Neutrality gone as a result. They might be able to keep phones locked forever now too. Don’t care how good their signal is.

Red Pocket

Don’t forget Red Pocket, I bought a SIM card, signed up for a plan on their site, and got nothing. Tried emailing them, no response. Not sure calling would have changed anything.

Person on eBay said I signed up for a non existent plan, well Red Pocket should fix their site then. They had no issue taking my money.

If that happened now, I’d dispute the charge.

Boost Mobile

Tried signing up, but they didn’t want my money. Got an error. Not worth my time, to fuck around with trying to pay for something. Nor am I doing it every month.

Helium Mobile

Used them when they were really cheap. Too cheap, and don’t trust them. Looking at their site, they have some sites that shouldn’t be trusted on there, under “As featured in”. I should add all those domains to my DNS adblocker. So I don’t accidentally go to any of those sites.

US Mobile

Well, they do use Verizon, and other networks too. But when I ported out, they wouldn’t just easily give me the info, like Ultra Mobile. No I don’t want their “deal”.

Any carrier that might be hard to port out of, I won’t use. Apparently Mint Mobile might be hard to port out too. Too expensive anyways.

Looks like as long as I’m on prepaid, I’ll probably just keep on using Tello.

I might get on somebody’s T-Mobile plan, or not, who knows.

Hmm 10 GB $15 per month from Tello. How much data have I used so far? But I get the 50 GB plan for $19 a month for a year. And then I don’t have to pay attention to my data use.

Didn’t Tello use to just throttle after using all data? That was better. Cause then I could get the cheapest plan, and have slow ass data if I run out.

48.13 GB left. I need more doctors appointments.

No more mobile data for Insta360. That app is basically a big ad. Too bad I bought a charger and another battery for it. Otherwise, I might consider getting rid of it. And getting something else.

Lyca Mobile

Almost forgot one. I ordered a “free” SIM card, basically $7 in shipping. And it got sent back. Might have sent it using FedEx. And if living in a secure building, some delivery services, just keep coming back when the office is at lunch, then send it back.

So basically wasted $7. Also, looking on Reddit, probably wise not to use them. They are switching to AT&T apparently.

Also, where’s the fourth wireless carrier? Dish may be shutting down their own network. Where’s the lawsuits? I thought they had to be the fourth wireless carrier to get the spectrum. Didn’t know they were allowed to sell/lease spectrum to AT&T.

Hmm, maybe don’t use AT&T or any MVNOs either then.

They gave me more for a Xbox Series S, then they’d give me for a Mac mini.

Don’t know how old that Xbox Series S was.

The Mac mini is from 2020, and mostly useless, cause it only has 8 GB of RAM.

Over $100 for the Xbox, and only $100 for the Mac mini.

Good to know, only take video games to Pawn Shop.

I won’t stand around waiting for $100 for a Mac mini. Too much work.

A 2020 Mac mini with less space, and worse condition, $250 on eBay, and they sold 12 last time I looked.

Problem with selling anything yourself, is fraud. Somebody on eBay can rip a seller off, just say it’s not the condition described. Then they can send it back, and they might not send what you sent them back. Out money and the Mac if that happens.

Use cash, and you might get fake money.

If I don’t want it anymore, the easiest thing to do, is to donate it to Goodwill.

Otherwise, do nothing.

Since it only has 8 GB of RAM, if it’s swapping to the drive, well the drive is a flash drive, and soldered on. Eventually, the drive won’t be writable anymore. Got to use Macs with an external drive nowadays. So don’t buy space, only RAM. And hope the RAM never dies.

Also, Macs have to be reactivated after resetting it. No internet anymore? Enjoy.

Nothing like paying $600+ for a brick.

Insta360 has to be activated at least once. And to get a good video, apparently their shitty software has to be used. It still works, so I’ll keep it for now.

Ricoh THETA might not need to be activated. And if they have an iOS app, maybe it isn’t a giant ad. Can find old refurbished and used ones for under $400.

I could keep on searching for how to process a Insta360 video without their software, but I’m too lazy. It was easier to install their software using Bottles.

Found a “new” watch for $90, refurbished on GPS Nation’s site.

Is it done charging yet?

Another nice Apple, “feature”, is requiring me to remember my random password, so I can enter it, when downloading a “free” app.

Well, Garmin Connect said most features won’t be available, cause I didn’t agree to their data collection.

Update

If you don’t agree to their data collection, it’ll be a $90 dumb watch. There is software that might be able to view the data in Linux, but kind of a pain. And I already setup a shortcut to open the shitty app every hour.

iOS is “secure”, so no apps can open when it’s locked. Nothing like paying money for something, and not being able to use it how I want.

Well, the screen locking is still better then the Nothing watch. Now I won’t look at my watch much, like the notifications or anything else, except the main screen.

Bummer if Garmin’s servers are down, or my internet is.

But since it syncs to Apple Health, I can attempt to delete all my data they have. But they probably won’t delete it. No idea what they’d want all that data for though.

Glad I have no money in my PayPal account. Got an email saying who knows what was declined. Their site apparently doesn’t tell me shit either.

So what was it used for? Don’t have any email from somebody trying to charge it either.

Doesn’t make me want to keep my PayPal account though.

I cancelled the card, since I don’t need it anymore.

Maybe it was Patreon, since I didn’t cancel it apparently. Did on PayPal. Well, they didn’t email me.

Their site doesn’t say they tried charging me again.

Cool not easy to delete Patreon account. Well, not looking up how to do so.

Either forgot, or didn’t know, Macs require activation.

Just reset it. Then booted into recovery, formatted it, and rebooted to reinstall, and it had to activate again.

Might take 3 hours to reinstall as well.

The good news is, Apple can make anybody’s Mac useless.

The other good news is, I don’t plan on keeping the Mac mini. Only 8 GB of RAM, and macOS, doesn’t work very well.

Easier to use a Linux computer with only 8 GB of RAM.

It’s great for spam and scams. Just got one of those nice messages. Or did they use RCS? Well, it doesn’t show on my carrier’s site yet. So not a regular text most likely. I refuse to open it as well.

Said something about Amazon.

I had to enable the filter unknown setting, cause Apple has a lot of cool “features”.

Good luck using a third party SMS spam blocker app, Apple added more “features”, to the latest iOS, to make third party apps better.

Funny, how much spam did I get on that shitty Android phone? No idea if RCS was enabled. But probably not much. At least not any saying it’s Amazon or something.

Internet works on my iPhone on my own WiFi again. I removed the shitty NetBird app.

Just removed the Pod on my Orange Pi too.

And deleted my account.

I have no use for something that’s broken.

They have reverse proxies in beta now. Not what I want though. Upload too slow to do that.

Internet wasn’t even working on cell data. Had to fuck with the NetBird crap to get it working. Then completely removed it before I came home.

Do all iOS VPNs not work? No idea. WireGuard used to work, with old iOS. Guess I should get that info, so I can connect it to my local VPN at least. Or not. Doesn’t really matter.

Kind of a useless watch, no screen locking. I put it in my pocket, when I go to the bathroom not at home. And then if using it with iOS, it calls people. Can’t seem to disable that, without disabling a bunch of other stuff.

Well, don’t really like this watch anymore. Doubt it’s worth anything either.

Unless somebody really wants to use it with Gadgetbridge.

Thought I liked the big round screen. Not sure I care anymore.

I’d rather have a working watch. But I won’t use my Apple Watch Series 9, thanks to the burned charging cable. Threw it out. Don’t trust the watch itself after that. Didn’t even notice that when it happened. So when did it happen? With watch on it or not?

Looks like new Apple Watch SE’s are too expensive. I won’t pay much for an Apple Watch. The battery life sucks ass on them.

Apple refurbished is a big rip off too. Look at Best Buy’s price for a refurbished one.

Well, a better option, no watch. Amazfit might have a lock screen feature. Don’t get a round one, or the newest round one, and it’ll be under $100.

But then i have to use the Zepp app. Probably not much worse then using the Nothing X app.

Does the Band 7 Amazfit do more then what those Fitbit bands did?

That’s nice and cheap. On eBay.

If the screen can be locked, it’s better then this watch.

I won’t ask anybody to buy me a watch for my birthday, cause I really don’t need a watch at all. But I might buy one for $30, if it can be locked. Amazfit, likely better then the cheapo watch I bought on Amazon once.

Look at reviews on Amazon for the Band 7. Might have a problem falling off. A year ago, on Reddit, they said it’s easy to unlock the screen. Also, it sounds like it has to be locked manually.

Well, I’ll pass on any Amazfit.

I think the only other option for iOS, is Garmin. If they have a non round one, and it’s old, and refurbished, it might be more affordable.

Apple Watch isn’t a good option, neither are Google watches.

How is the Garmin vívosmart® 5 under $100 on eBay “new”? Might be stolen.

$120 refurbished on eBay. Says authorized, and not under $100. So might be fine.

Might have some bad reviews for some reason on some sites though.

Ahh, Garmin might add “features” to their software as well, just like Apple.

Well, a basic dumb watch would be a watch. But no watch is better then that too.

Apple might be one of the only with the SE 2 refurbished and no cellular. That’ll drain the battery, just like WiFi. Also, costs more money.

Under $100 on Backmarket, for SE 2 with cellular. How about $50 for the WiFi one then? Or is there no WiFi one?

$105 for the SE 3 “open box” on eBay. Says box is damaged. But how is it only $105? Everything Apple is in more demand then it should be. And buying a phone on eBay is risky. Not sure about a WiFi only watch. Oh wait, it is if Find My is turned on.

eBay automated feedback, from 51 people, all saying the same thing. That’s a red flag.

Guess I’ll need to recycle this watch, or give it to Goodwill.

And then go watch less. Better then buying a watch.

Oh yeah, I’m going to need some anti asshole itching cream anyways. That might be expensive.

How does anybody know if their “post” quantum encryption will actually work?

Well, the good news is, once Quantum Computers are easy to buy, everybody will find out “security” never existed.

Maybe some new jailbreaks for iPhones too. So everybody who gave Apple a bunch of money, can do what they want with the shit they bought.

Since Google might be going away with rooting, there might be some jailbreaks for that too.

It’ll be a good time to go offline. If I have any money, maybe switch to cash as well.