granfdad's recent activity
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Comment on Repairing an LG OLED TV and alternative courses of action in ~tech
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Comment on Repairing an LG OLED TV and alternative courses of action in ~tech
granfdad Link ParentSo, I finally got around to opening the thing up, and... I really can't see anything that looks out of the ordinary. I don't have a trained eye, so I'm dropping some images here: Full PSU, Closeup...So, I finally got around to opening the thing up, and... I really can't see anything that looks out of the ordinary. I don't have a trained eye, so I'm dropping some images here:
Full PSU, Closeup 1,2
Mobo 1,2,3No burns, nothing I would consider 'bulging' and no bad connections, I'm stumped! My obvious next step is to try getting LG to fix it, but if anyone can see anything I'm missing please let me know!
(paging @kai_re since you replied and might have some insight)
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Comment on AI videos have never been better: can you tell what's real? in ~tech
granfdad LinkI got a 10/10, but I basically did it through audio only. AI sounds like it's being run through a heavy noise reduction filter, and everything has the same audio quality, regardless of how...I got a 10/10, but I basically did it through audio only. AI sounds like it's being run through a heavy noise reduction filter, and everything has the same audio quality, regardless of how "professional" or "non-professional" the setting is. The videos that were real had reflections, background noise, and different levels of compression that the AI didn't have. I don't think I would have gotten 10/10 on mute, though.
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Comment on Repairing an LG OLED TV and alternative courses of action in ~tech
granfdad Link ParentI live in Australia, where switches are built-in to most outlets, so it's already something I can do. It might be silly but I just want the remote to work so I can turn the TV on from the couch...I live in Australia, where switches are built-in to most outlets, so it's already something I can do. It might be silly but I just want the remote to work so I can turn the TV on from the couch without having to think in advance.
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Comment on Repairing an LG OLED TV and alternative courses of action in ~tech
granfdad Link ParentYeah, that was my parents' solution to the problem. I hate wifi-triggered appliances and usually don't carry my phone around at home, but It's a solution I will use if I don't wind up trying a repair.Yeah, that was my parents' solution to the problem. I hate wifi-triggered appliances and usually don't carry my phone around at home, but It's a solution I will use if I don't wind up trying a repair.
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Repairing an LG OLED TV and alternative courses of action
My parents are about to get a new TV because theirs is faulty and they don't seem interested in repairing it. I'm going to be taking the faulty one from them and, because it's ridiculous that the...
My parents are about to get a new TV because theirs is faulty and they don't seem interested in repairing it. I'm going to be taking the faulty one from them and, because it's ridiculous that the TV only worked normally for 3.5 years, am very tempted to try a repair. It's an LG CX OLED from 2021, here's a description of the issue:
- When plugged into the mains, the standby light will come on and the TV can be powered on and used as normal. However, if too much time elapses after plugging-in without fully powering on (I don't actually know how long, somewhere between 5-10 minutes), the standby light will switch off and the TV will become unresponsive.
- When the TV is in this "unresponsive" state, the only thing that will bring it back to life is to unplug it from the mains and wait a bit (again, somewhere between 5-10 minutes), then plug it back in and turn it on. This happens every time the TV is plugged in, with no variation.
- The TV is fully functional when it's turned on, and there's no other issues with it at all.
- If the TV is turned back off (back to standby mode), the clock starts again until it becomes unresponsive.
So clearly there's some problem with standby mode. Some searching has indicated that other customers are frequently having this issue, and that replacing either the PSU or Motherboard of the TV will solve the issue. It's out of warranty, so I'm going to be spending money if I want to fix it. Replacement PSUs are about $250, and replacement Motherboards are about $350. I can only really afford one of these parts right now, so it's a gamble if I can't figure out a way to isolate the issue to one of the boards. I don't own a multimeter to test power, nor do I know anything about electronics, so I'm slightly fumbling around in the dark on this one.
There's always the alternative of getting up and switching the power on and off every time, which is significantly more convenient for me than it is for my parents because of room size and outlet placement, but I'd like to be able to use the remote as intended (and, as I mentioned before, it's ridiculous that the thing is falling apart after only a few years, it's a very expensive TV!). I could also... find an IR controlled outlet or something? I don't know if that's a thing, but you know what I mean.
I will end up using this TV regardless of whether or not I can get it fixed, because OLED is unbeatable, and it's not every day that my parents will replace something that isn't outright destroyed, but if you have electronics experience, or have had this problem (it seems like it's super common) any recommendations or help would be appreciated!
Vaguely Related Tangent
This TV is something like 2mm thick. Sure, there's a huge base for the electronics but it's mostly this super thin sheet. Who the hell asked for this? It makes the thing wobble and feel like it's gonna break at any second!15 votes -
Comment on “Localhost tracking” explained. It could cost Meta 32 billion. in ~tech
granfdad LinkSo... this is straight-up malware, right? Specifically bypassing strict security features to secretly gather information on the user. I have no Meta apps on my phone, luckily, but this is pushing...So... this is straight-up malware, right? Specifically bypassing strict security features to secretly gather information on the user. I have no Meta apps on my phone, luckily, but this is pushing me further towards just deleting my Instagram/whatsapp account, even if I only access it on my laptop.
Who knows what other shit they're hiding?
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Comment on Apple introduces iOS 26 with Liquid Glass redesign in ~tech
granfdad LinkI know the world has a massive hate-boner for Apple, and for the most part I agree, but for this one I may be going against the grain when I say: this looks nice! It seems to be really focused on...I know the world has a massive hate-boner for Apple, and for the most part I agree, but for this one I may be going against the grain when I say: this looks nice!
It seems to be really focused on showing content, be it a wallpaper, an article, a video, etc. and having the UI 'melt' into the display. Also, I appreciate using our modern processing power to have live(?) distortions, it seems like the natural evolution of the noisy blur that we got used to over the last 5+ years. I disagree with concerns about readability, since a UI rarely has walls of dense text, and iOS is icon-forward anyway. People have to keep in mind that the average Apple user doesn't care at all about the form (or function!) of their products in any real sense, so I can't imagine there being any real reception to this beyond "ooh, glassy buttons". All in all, I'm down for a return to depth and what seems like a pretty novel UI concept.
That said, I don't know if I agree with 'iOS 26'. I get the point, but it seems like an unnecessary change. Doesn't really matter, though.
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Comment on Google's new AI video tool floods internet with real-looking clips in ~tech
granfdad LinkThis is the nail in the coffin for me, I think. I can't see myself ever truly engaging with new digital media without some kind of proof of authenticity, or trusting any digital communication...This is the nail in the coffin for me, I think. I can't see myself ever truly engaging with new digital media without some kind of proof of authenticity, or trusting any digital communication without a way to vet it in real life.
We are so fucked.
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Comment on Why it's better not to listen to Spotify playlists – two recent books reveal the business practices that influence the content offered by this music platform in ~music
granfdad LinkHere's a book from 2021 that covers this topic, it's called Listen to Lists. Listen to Lists actually made me switch from streaming to buying, and the transition has been super easy... if you're...Here's a book from 2021 that covers this topic, it's called Listen to Lists. Listen to Lists actually made me switch from streaming to buying, and the transition has been super easy... if you're willing to build your initial library with nautical means. I just make a list of everything I've acquired, and go through it slowly buying all the albums (on Bandcamp if I can help it, otherwise I'll look on Beatport or iTunes).
The best bit from switching was figuring out what music from my Spotify library I actually wanted to listen to. There was so much garbage in there that I added just because I could, though I'm still missing a few key genres from my offline collection.
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Comment on Zootopia 2 | Teaser trailer in ~movies
granfdad LinkCan anyone explain the countdown before the trailer begins? I remember seeing it for the Gladiator II trailer and I don't understand the point, I already know what I'm watching when I click on the...Can anyone explain the countdown before the trailer begins? I remember seeing it for the Gladiator II trailer and I don't understand the point, I already know what I'm watching when I click on the video?
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Buyer's remorse for everything
I don't know if this counts as ~health.mental or ~life, so admins please feel free to move this as you see fit. A few days ago, I bought some Gameboy games for my Analogue Pocket from a local...
I don't know if this counts as ~health.mental or ~life, so admins please feel free to move this as you see fit.
A few days ago, I bought some Gameboy games for my Analogue Pocket from a local retro game store. I'm sitting here, looking at those cartridges and thinking only one thing.
"Why did buy these? They could just be a ROM".
This particular problem is easy to solve, I beat the games on cart and then sell it back to the store I bought it from. I lose some money, sure, but chalk that up to a learning experience. I just bought a new bag, I'd been researching options for months and finally picked one up when I was in the city. I felt like shit for the rest of the day because it was $30 more expensive than another option, even though the bag I bought:
- was available IRL so I knew it would fit all my stuff, unlike the online-only alternative.
- was made my city, with a lifetime warranty and a repair service available, unlike the alternative.
This seems like an unhealthy mentality to have towards buying things. Sure, a decent amount of restraint should be exercised when making purchases, but I have this feeling every single time I buy something. Even food does this to me to some degree (but usually that's because my eyes are bigger than my stomach, lol). I think this is a battle between my internal minimalist and my internal consumer, and I don't really know how to go about dealing with it.
Does anyone else have similar experience? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this matter. Alternatively, tell the story of your worst moment of buyers remorse :)
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Comment on Switch 2 - My thoughts (preview event recap) in ~games
granfdad Link Parentmy understanding is that anything that works on a switch will work on switch 2 (with the exception of games that need special controllers, accessories, etc.), but only with OG switch performance....my understanding is that anything that works on a switch will work on switch 2 (with the exception of games that need special controllers, accessories, etc.), but only with OG switch performance. there's 'upgraded' versions that you have to pay a bit more for. if you don't care about that, then I think that they can all be played on the new device just fine without any extra spending. that said, if you're not super interested in any of the new games then I don't think I would recommend the new switch.
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Comment on Switch 2 - My thoughts (preview event recap) in ~games
granfdad Link ParentTotally agree, the new 3ds line is the best portable retro console pretty much only because it's so easy to hack. If the architecture isn't far removed from the OG switch, I have my fingers...Totally agree, the new 3ds line is the best portable retro console pretty much only because it's so easy to hack. If the architecture isn't far removed from the OG switch, I have my fingers crossed that people should be able to crack it open pretty well within a few years.
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Switch 2 - My thoughts (preview event recap)
I just got back from the 'Nintendo Switch 2 Experience', so I though I'd share my thoughts on the console for those who didn't/won't get a chance to check it out. The Console Itself - 8/10 The S2...
I just got back from the 'Nintendo Switch 2 Experience', so I though I'd share my thoughts on the console for those who didn't/won't get a chance to check it out.
The Console Itself - 8/10
The S2 is a decent amount larger than the original, which really helps with the ergonomics. Pretty much all the controls are bigger, and the rounder shape might alleviate fatigue when holding it (I never got to hold it for long, the demos were mostly on TVs). I think it looks a lot worse than the original, but that's neither here nor there. The pro controller was a huge upgrade from the (already great) original, super comfortable materials and nice buttons. The screen is not OLED, which I think is ridiculous for the price tag. It theoretically has HDR, but I could not tell. Overall, it's bigger and better, but nothing super special.
Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour - 0/10
For the price of $10, Welcome Tour is a complete joke. There's absolutely nothing to say about it, it's basically an ad for hardware you'll already own. Should be free, don't buy it.
Donkey Kong Bananza - 5/10
This is the Mario Odyssey formula applied to Donkey Kong, you run around, collect bananas in some semi-open worlds. All the environments are destructible, which is super fun but adds one huge caveat: the game runs like shit. A nice 60fps when running around, but as soon as you try smashing stuff (the main gimmick of the game) the framerate jumps all over the place, and going to the world map tanks the fps to 20-30. I enjoyed surfing on chunks of the ground I pulled up, but I was constantly pulled out of the fun by performance hiccups. It looked about as good as Mario Odyssey (but at native 4k ~60pfs, of course).
Mario Kart World - 9/10
Okay, now I can start saying nice things! Mario Kart World is–as you might expect–awesome. It's a really fun twist on the formula that was perfected in 8 Deluxe. There's no more kart customisation, which I don't mind, but each kart looks really nice and detailed. I got a slight taste of free-roam mode before each knockout tour I played, and it was... fine? The open world looks great and plays well, but I'm curious to see how it's "gamified". The knockout tour was the main booth on the floor, with 24 people playing at once with the last placing racers getting eliminated at different checkpoints. It was chaos, but that classic Mario Kart chaos that works really well. I managed to come 2nd on my first race. It looks quite a lot better than 8 Deluxe, but that's mostly in the art style and animations.
Drag X Drive - 9/10
This is the gimmicky competitive game for this system (like Arms or Splatoon), showing off the mouse controls in the form of Wheelchair Basketball. I was super surprised by this game, the gimmick clicked with me instantly. I got dunked on like twice, but I also only had 5 minutes to prepare, so cut me some slack!
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond - 7/10
Again, the mouse controls work super well. It all felt pretty simple and intuitive, but that might be because I'm a PC player most of the time anyway. I don't know anything about the Metroid series, so I can't comment on the story or gameplay beyond that. It looked pretty good and ran at (I think) the full 120FPS the whole time.
Cyberpunk 2077 - 4/10
Cyberpunk was... rough. It had that classic "really really upscaled" look, and dipped down to 10fps a lot in combat. I tried both "performance" and "quality" mode, but both looked and played about the same (which might be a bug).
Breath of the Wild: Nintendo Switch 2 Edition - 2/10
I can't believe they're charging for this. It's literally just the original game running at 60fps with slightly better draw distances. You can get this look with CEMU. This is how I felt about all the "Nintendo Switch 2 Edition" games that I tried.
Conclusion
While the games were pretty good and the experience was nice, I don't think the console has justified itself costing as much as it does, and so I'm not going to buy it on launch. I'll probably pick it up used when there's a reliable jailbreak, but the preview event really dissolved any feelings of FOMO that I might have had about it, which I'm glad about because now I can save that $800! I hope there's still people playing Drag x Drive when I get to it in a few years.
Feel free to ask me any questions, and hopefully I can answer them.
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Comment on I hate phone updates in ~tech
granfdad Link ParentI had this exact reaction, that is basically perfect english. What was the original language?Also holy hell Kagi Translate is so good
I had this exact reaction, that is basically perfect english. What was the original language?
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Comment on Is it time to get offline? in ~tech
granfdad Link ParentThe bad news is: if the only other post using the minimalism.digital tag was referring to Newport's version, I think the tag refers to Newport's version. The good news is: you have the chance to...The bad news is: if the only other post using the minimalism.digital tag was referring to Newport's version, I think the tag refers to Newport's version. The good news is: you have the chance to coin a new term!
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Comment on Is it time to get offline? in ~tech
granfdad Link ParentI'm studying graphic design at uni right now, and this one hurts my soul. I'm tempted to grab a "lifetime" copy of the Affinity suite now just in case. God, I hope not. That's the kind of thing...not subscribing to the Adobe Creative Cloud
I'm studying graphic design at uni right now, and this one hurts my soul. I'm tempted to grab a "lifetime" copy of the Affinity suite now just in case.
Out of curiosity, are any of your friends using AI as a therapist?
God, I hope not. That's the kind of thing that I don't think I'd hear about even if they were, because there's still stigma associated with both 'talking' to AI, and seeing a therapist at all (though, this one is way less prominent). That said, I've been in so many situations where a friend has googled something, and then I have to stop the conversation and tell them "you're looking at the AI generated answer, that means nothing, scroll a bit and find a real source". 9 times out of 10 the real info is just a few results down, and is completely different to what they read initially.
Scary shit.
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Comment on Is it time to get offline? in ~tech
granfdad Link ParentIf you have the time and desire to write about it, I'd like to hear more about the technical ways you curate your internet. I'm using the basic stuff, ff, uBO, etc. but I haven't really gone as...I’ve managed to insulate myself from the worst of the internet’s decline, as I’ve been curating my browsing experience for decades with ad blockers, paywall bypasses, VPNs, and strict privacy settings and extensions.
If you have the time and desire to write about it, I'd like to hear more about the technical ways you curate your internet. I'm using the basic stuff, ff, uBO, etc. but I haven't really gone as deep as I would like, mainly because I don't know where/how to start.
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Comment on Is it time to get offline? in ~tech
granfdad Link Parent❗❗❗ This is something that I was made aware of from this HealthyGamerGG video, but still something that I've struggled to implement into my own life. I've made a note to do way more frequent...Interestingly enough, by thinking for myself I don't even mean that I am actively organizing my thoughts. Often it is quite the opposite where it is an internal flow of "ramblings" and half thoughts about all sorts of things. Sometimes they lead me to some insights about something that has been keeping me busy, sometimes it just helps me in letting go of things, etc.
The main takeaway is that before I had less of those moments, in fact I mostly had them under the shower because there you obviously don't have any device within reach. Shower thoughts are not unique to showers, but in modern society much rarer as phones and computers constantly push information to you where you are passively consuming it.❗❗❗ This is something that I was made aware of from this HealthyGamerGG video, but still something that I've struggled to implement into my own life. I've made a note to do way more frequent tidying of my spaces, making of loose-leaf tea rather than a teabag, preparing/eating food in silence, because it gives me a chance to be bored and process the days events, but I don't know if there's something else I could be doing.
Cloudflare, 1.1.1.1
According to the FAQ, catbox was somehow involved in the Christchurch shooting (presumably by hosting something from the shooter), so it may be scrubbed from a lot of DNSs. Never had an issue with it and it's the only site I know of that does direct linking to images, so I still use it.
EDIT: it's not loading for me anymore... it may be down.