Behold, The Day Has Come. I bought a smartphone.

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussion' started by Selleri, Jun 27, 2020.

  1. JWK

    JWK Gardener Staff Member

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    I am on pay as you go, £10 lasts me a year or longer.

    When I call using wifi it doesn't use my Mobile credit. Of course I need broadband at home for this to work or in the office or other places with free wifi when I am out and about. Shopping centres, hotels, restaurants often have free wifi.
     
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    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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      I have two landlines and a broadband package so I could use the wifi at home - if we didn't have so many power cuts. All our neighbours (there aren't many of them) have landlines because of the unreliability of the power. Most power cuts last only from a few minutes to about three hours but we last power for 28 hours in February and one of the neighbours was off for three days! Although our power cables are all in the same cable we're on different phases. :scratch:
       
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      • Scrungee

        Scrungee Well known for it

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        If the problem is loss of mains power to your router, get a battery pack with integral inverter to power it during power outages.

        rsz_img_20200629_141355741.jpg
         
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        • shiney

          shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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          Will it also run our computer, the freezer, fridge and the pump for our boiler? :whistle:
           
        • Scrungee

          Scrungee Well known for it

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          No, but you'll still be able to get online/use Wi-Fi based communications including registering loss of power with your energy supplier, contacting your freezer/fridge contents insurance companies, and even have some power left to use a cordless phone systems.

          Or you could simply sit in the dark incommunicado.
           
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            Last edited: Jun 29, 2020
          • shiney

            shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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            Not when I have a landline! That still works through all the power cuts. :dbgrtmb:

            I also have light from a tilley lamp, Candles and battery lights plus cooking and heat facility from our gas range. :hapydancsmil:
             
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            • Vince

              Vince Not so well known for it.

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              I was given a smartphone....... Now Carol has two! I'm still on a basic mobile that I can use for calls and texts only.

              Having worked in IT for close to 20 years, I was reluctant to get a desktop but caved in eventually, now I have a laptop and printer/scanner/copier (all in one), never used the printer but Carol does.
               
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              • Islander77

                Islander77 Keen Gardener

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                When I first came here to the island to a long-empty council property, they promised to get the electricity reconnected. Five months later, ie September to January, it took a threat from a barrister to get it fixed. I lived the winter very snug with torches, candles, a gas cooker after the first two months ( illegally connected but that is a different tale!) . radio and my trusty solid fuel stove burning island turf and coal, AND my new mobile phone. I bought 2 from Tesco at E10 and E15 and my neighbour would take one each time and charge it. I have dealt with Irish phone companies before and value my sanity too much to go down that road. Oh then a kind person gave me a solar charger also
                 
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                • Islander77

                  Islander77 Keen Gardener

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                  Amazingly given that this is an Atlantic island, we get no power cuts, oh we have had one since I was here, We get huge gales and storms... but under ocean works great..
                   
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                  • shiney

                    shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                    We have a lot of overhead electric cables and a lot of old and badly sited underground cables.

                    One time when the power went (we still had ours but the neighbours either side didn't) I told the emergency team that turned up where I suspected the break in the underground cable was - and why I suspected it. Of course, they ignored me and dug up the road by both the neighbours.

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                    P1300288.JPG

                    They didn't find a break in the cable but managed to cut through the gas main! They vacated promptly and called the gas people in. They fixed the gas main but 'accidentally' cut through the electric cable. :rolleyespink:

                    They fixed that 'break' but still no power to the neighbours. By then they had been 'off' for over a week so the workmen had run out of their licence for having the road dug up. They had to apply for a new licence and had to reinstate the road before they could apply. They got their new licence and this time their works manager came down and he did actually listen to me.

                    I pointed out that there was a water leak right where they had parked one of their vehicles and that was where there had been a water leak some years before. The water board had fixed the leak (obviously not very well) but I had seen them bask the metal trunking for the power and put a kink in it.

                    P1300286.JPG

                    They dug up the road, saw the crack in the trunking but refused to do anything as the hole was full of water. The water board came out to pump out the hole and the cables were fixed - after having cut us off as well when they saw the water there!

                    P1300298.JPG

                    The water board then 'fixed' the leak by replacing their pipe - whilst the electricity works manager stayed there all day to make sure they didn't damage the cable. :blue thumb:

                    Job finished, roadway reinstated and resurfaced. :hapfeet:

                    One month later:- :doh: :doh: :doh:

                    P1300390.JPG

                    The water board had to come back and do it again :mad: and I called the electricity manager who also came out :blue thumb:

                     
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                    • Islander77

                      Islander77 Keen Gardener

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                      What a saga! lol... I was told that before they put the underwater cables in there were so many cuts it cost more to keep fixing it. When we get the ferry we pass the signs warning where the cables are in the shallow areas.

                      All shows that it is those who make waves who get things done. With my power -less months, I was repeatedly told it was in hand and that reconnection took 12 weeks even after the stringent checks, When I called esb, they told me that no application\ had been made. So I made the application then but our friendly barrister was so irate when he learned that. I did not know that it is illegal for esb( the power company) to leave anyone old or disabled with no power in winter and I am both. He did and one call had them scurrying over pronto. I later heard the ferryman telling a visitor, " We soon realised that this one - ie me!- is not soft but a bit tough." Some folk come to deep rural and island places and last a few weeks. Actually I quite enjoyed that quiet winter. The one drawback was no computer or internet and I caught up when I went over.
                       
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                      • jimcubs

                        jimcubs Gardener

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                        Our water shut off valve is on the other side of our neighbours, utility company years ago put next door on a meter. Unfortunately the said meter was put on our supply, so they were paying for our water.
                        At the time a single gent lived in the property, when we moved in their bills shot up. So we worked out why ourselves, as the utility company didn’t have a clue.
                        The neighbour got rid of the meter and a healthy compensation refund.
                        My builders promptly broke their valve shutting off our water as they burst our water main, the water company came out that night and dug up the path put barriers up and went home next day valve was mended but said they didn’t fill said hole in as it wasn’t their job.
                        So a team filled in hole next day leaving a pile of extra earth ( where did that come from as it came out of the hole ), a wagon came and took the spoils away.
                        Next day a team arrived to fill in and level the hole with fresh stone, then 2 days later a team of tarmac men arrived yay!!
                        No yay as they have to wait for a tarmac waggon a big 8 wheeler ( we live at the end of a cul-de-sac ), 3 houses had builders in and skips.
                        Can we drive onto our drive now then Oh no wait for a couple of days they said, what about the cement mixer with a load my builders need to lay, you’ll need a plate of it so it doesn’t sink in.
                        All this because the handle snapped off the shut off water valve.
                         
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                        • Selleri

                          Selleri Koala

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                          The Beast has now been introduced to the Selleri household. The Teenager has kindly set it up, explaining why she disables and enables things way beyond my comprehension, and has encouraged me to take a photo, send a text and receive a call. She's very kindly trying to suppress the giggles.

                          I have an APP. My Gmail is now an icon and I can quickly send photos to myself to be edited on laptop. That's the only useful thing so far. I hope you enjoy seeing my bathrobed knee (that's a bit of cheese btw ) as there will be a lot of photographic evidence of a new smartphone owner and trials to use the app to come.

                          I already have an urge to need the thing for something, but as I'm not in social media, prefer to do my online things on laptop with big screen and a keyboard, and have a handy Teenager to sort out any video calls I feel I'm artificially trying to create needs where they don't exist.

                          Looking forward to buying my bus ticket into my phone, and getting lost and then proudly GPSsing my location though. The 5000 flies can't all be wrong, this thing must be very useful. Swallow your pride, Selleri, and just get on with it. [​IMG]
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                          • shiney

                            shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                            Traitor! You've deserted the ranks of us Techless, mobileless Luddites and joined the electronic rabble. :sad: Next you'll be going on social media and growing antennae and prehensile thumbs! :dunno:

                            I thought that was a photo looking down on the top of the head of your pet bear. :scratch:
                             
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                            • Scrungee

                              Scrungee Well known for it

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                              Funnily, Google image search suggests this as a similar image

                              [​IMG]
                               
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