mfryd

About

Username
mfryd
Joined
Visits
57
Last Active
Roles
member
Points
726
Badges
1
Posts
274

Reactions

357Like36Dislike61Informative

  • Apple's Magic Mouse charging port design has never been a big deal

    mfrydmfryd
    It's a bad design as it limits functionality.  As is pointed out, it's not a big problem for those who use the mouse wirelessly, but it is a problem for those who use it as a wired mouse.

    Wired mice are quite useful in scenarios with a KVM switch, or a shared station where someone comes over with their laptop, and plugs into a monitor with keyboard/mouse attached. A wired keyboard/mouse will work with whatever computer is plugged in.  Apple automatically pairs their wireless keyboard/mouse when plugged in via USB.  

    Sure, this issue doesn't affect everyone, but it does affect many.

    The bottom line is that there is no functional advantage for having the USB port on the bottom, but there are advantages to having it on the back.  This is simply an example of Apple choosing aesthetics over functionality.

    williamlondonentropys

  • Apple jacking up prices on post-AppleCare iPhone battery replacements

    mfrydmfryd
    I have an iPhone XS that's still covered under AppleCare.  The battery capacity was slowly going down.  A little over a year ago, it hit 80%.  I brought it into Apple for a warranty battery replacement.  They refused, saying it had to be below 80%.

    It's been a year, and the iPhone still reports exactly 80% capacity.    I am not convinced that iOS correctly reports battery capacity, and Apple does not seem to allow third party software to probe the battery and report capacity.

    Apple says that I am welcome to pay for a battery replacement, but as long as iOS is still reporting 80%, they won't replace it under warranty.

    muthuk_vanalingamAlex_VAlex1Nwatto_cobra

  • Goldenmate 800W UPS review: Minimal, but effective power supply

    mfrydmfryd
    sunman42 said:
    jingo said:
    I can never understand why UPS devices do not specify their capacity, just their maximum output. Surely capacity is a key spec for them (I would argue the most important one)? Even if the manufacturer doesn’t quote this, any review should make a point of saying what it is. I assume the capacity of this unit is 400 Wh based on 30,minutes run-time at 800w output, so why not say as much. Given the figure for capacity it becomes easy to calculate how long it will last in your setup, particularly if you test it using a watt-meter.
    The article lists specs, presumably from the manufacturer, than include a 1000 VA rating. Isn't that the capacity for the 30 minutes of battery runtime also in the specs?
    The 1000VA rating specifies the maximum "speed" that energy can be supplied.    A UPS with a 150Wh with a 1000VA rating can power a 100W incandescent for about 1.5 hours.   A 500Wh UPS with a 1000VA rating can power that same 100W lightbulb for about 5 hours.

    What the 1000VA rating tells you is how many 100W lightbulbs it can power at the same time (in the case of 1000VA the answer is 10).   The Watt-hour (Wh) rating tells you how long it can keep those bulbs lit.

    Generally you need a high enough VA rating so that it can power all your devices at once (computer, monitor, external hard drives, etc.).  Then you need a high enough Wh rating to keep it running for as long as you need.  

    muthuk_vanalingam

  • Apple is back to lobbying against right-to-repair bills

    mfrydmfryd
    There are both advantages and disadvantages to parts pairing.

    "Security" also includes physical security.  Locking a phone to a particular Apple ID, and parts pairing both reduce the value of a stolen iPhone.

    If an iPhone is locked to a particular Apple ID, it has less value as it can't be used by anyone else.  That means the value in a stolen iPhone is in "parting" it out.  However, if the parts are locked to a particular serial number, they have less value as it can't be used to repair a different phone.

    If Apple can reduce the value of a stolen iPhone, then I am safer, as it is less likely that I will get hurt by someone trying to steal my iPhone.

    The real question is whether the good done by parts pairing outweighs the bad done by parts pairing.   

    One solution is software.   Right now, Apple only allows the pairing of a replacement part if it was purchased from Apple.  They could change this policy.  Instead they could allow pairing of any part, unless that part was already associated with an iPhone that was locked to an Apple ID (or reported as stolen).  That would keep the advantage that the parts to a stolen phone have little value.  Yet it would allow the owner of a broken phone to sell the parts for others to use.   It also allows Apple to continue to restrict replacement parts to genuine Apple parts.

    While it seems that a third part screen would not be a security risk, we used to think the same thing about third part USB or FireWire devices.  However clever people have figured out how to hack into computers using these sorts of devices.

    chasmmuthuk_vanalingamjose8964watto_cobra

  • Why Apple Vision Pro's constant strobing matters to your health

    mfrydmfryd
    It's the frequency, not the duty cycle that's important.  Many Modern LED lights flicker at 100Hz or 120Hz depending on where you are in the world.  TV Screens flicker somewhere between 25Hz and 240Hz, depending on what you are watching and the specific TV.   

    Video games have warnings because they may have content that includes explosions.  These explosions may included flashes of light that are turning on/off 7 to 10 times per second (that's 7Hz to 10Hz).

    My understanding is that the Apple Vision Pro has a refresh (flicker) rate of at least 90Hz.  That's not typically an issue
    Anilu_777