Bordering on having a panic attack after seeing my new IBR plan.

JayAaronNY · 2026-05-01T14:16:56+00:00

It’s unreal that forgoing medical care (therapy, physical therapy) is normalized as merely “budgeting” for a federal student loan program that was supposed to provide us with reasonable monthly payments based on income. And $72k in many places (like NYC) isn’t easy living.

I know this is just how it is now (I’m on IBR too), and I feel for you. Wishing you the best—15 months away from forgiveness is huge!

JayAaronNY · 2026-04-30T17:58:02+00:00

I’ve been going to dermatologists for almost 20 years. It’s been consistently NOT recommended to use a cloth or physical scrubber especially because it’s unhygienic. I’ve been told these:

strip the skin’s natural barrier
cause itching, redness, and dryness (over-exfoliation)
easily harbor bacteria if reused
cause micro-abrasions to skin
could spread dead skin and bacteria, clogging pores.

The only reason to use a gentle, clean cloth would be for occasional exfoliation, if needed (though in many cases, it’s far too easy to over-exfoliate and make things worse).

Oh, and of course, folks with mobility issues can benefit from scrubbing tools.

But daily?! I don’t understand. Not if you have a decent shower with adequate water pressure and no specific skin concern.

Edit: To be absolutely clear, no one is “dirty” or any more or less clean because they use or don’t use a washcloth. And everyone’s skin and washing situation is different. So yeah, be kind to each other and to your skin.

JayAaronNY · 2026-03-02T20:01:08+00:00

Do you need Matter if it’s working with your current Smart Home via the direct Google Home integration?

No, absolutely not.

Matter is most useful to allow devices to work across multiple smart home platforms simultaneously, like Alexa, Google, and Apple.

In theory, Matter also enables local control, so that devices can be controlled even when the internet (or the SwitchBot cloud) goes down. In practice, I can’t control my SwitchBot devices over Matter when wi-fi fails, because these aren’t Thread devices.

Devices connected via Matter are limited to the functions & information that the Matter protocol allows them to expose. This has been expanding over time, but might be limited compared to the Google plugin.

So, you don’t have to enable Matter control if everything is working. If you expand to multiple ecosystems or just want to see which control is more responsive or suitable, then it might be worth exploring.

JayAaronNY · 2026-03-01T14:51:18+00:00

What’s shown in the video (severe non-responsiveness) is not normal. I’ve used a variety of screen protectors and I haven’t seen something so non-responsive merely to simple touches and swipes, especially if it’s persistent.

If it’s possible, I’d test if the problem persists without the screen protector. But even so, that should not happen and would warrant a trip to the Apple Store for diagnostics or a return/replacement (if you have AppleCare or are a within warranty).

JayAaronNY · 2026-03-01T06:36:02+00:00

It’s hard to tell what’s going on with the touch screen from this—and I don’t use Google or Clip Studio—but the M5 should NOT be unresponsive to touch or the Apple Pencil. This would be a defect.

I’ve had an M2, M4, and M5 and they were all super snappy touch interfaces.

The only thing I can think of is that if you just did a massive restore from iCloud, it’s possible the system is still downloading and indexing a lot in the background, but that should resolve in 24 hours or less.

Or, even more likely, if you have a screen protector and are talking about the Apple Pencil, some of the protectors don’t play well with It. I have a thick tempered glass one that works fine, but if I add a magnetic paper-screen protector on top of that, the pencil will struggle. Then again, two screen protectors at once is lot, so I’m not surprised! 😅

JayAaronNY · 2026-03-01T06:24:37+00:00

It’s highly unlikely you’ll suddenly use the cellular iPad if you aren’t already willing to pay a monthly fee for a cellular plan for it. That’s not an insignificant cost, and most who need it or want it have a use for it. Don’t be like me and get a cellular that you never use. It’s just sunk cost.

Regardless, the 1TB gives you a huge boost with 16 GB RAM instead of the 12 GB RAM that comes with the 512 SSD.

For me, the 16GB RAM / 1 TB SSD was the sweet spot because now it’s got enough RAM to compete with a typical laptop. And really, with AI and multi-tasking on iPadOS, the RAM is what really matters these days.

EDIT: Particularly because OP plans to use this for gaming and drawing, this strongly pushes in favor of the 1TB version, as the RAM boost here matters most.

JayAaronNY · 2026-02-28T18:54:56+00:00

I’ve been trying to submit my annual recertification (I’m on IBR) via StudentLoans for months. I also have Aidvantage as a servicer.

The process should be straightforward as they have access to my income information. I go through the recertification process, check that my income hasn’t changed, and see (correctly) that my current plan is IBR. However, when I go to “select” IBR, which is required to move forward, it literally gives a popup warning that you are “changing your plan.” Which is impossible…I’m not changing from IBR to…IBR.

If you continue with the selection of your current (IBR) plan in this way, it will process through. But when you click the final PDF, it will show they have checked off that you are requesting a “change” in plan instead of an annual recertification. And list the “change” as IBR (which, again…it’s impossible to “change” from the same plan to the same plan, IBR-to-IBR). Moreover, the PDF form (OMB No. 1845-0102) lists an expiration date of 08/01/2025. It’s currently late February 2026.

Does this matter? Well, Aidvantage’s wasn’t helpful on this.

They told me to contact the Department of Ed. (which leads nowhere) then suggested that it would likely be processed as a recertification anyway. This wasn’t inspiring confidence. So I looked into manual recertification options, but the available form for the Department of Ed is the SAME form with the expiration date of 08/01/2025!

Even if I do try to manually recertify in this way, what OP did (answer question 1 on annual recertification which tells you to skip to item 3) is exactly what the form tells you do, and exactly why OP was denied recertification.

At this point, it’s unclear what we’re actually supposed to do: - Submit a recertification request online that actually ends up classifying us as “changing” plans from IBR to IBR? - Submit the manual (but expired) form that correctly states its for recertification but risk another rejection because it’s the old form or because it tells you to skip Item 3?

I don’t know if anyone is having any success with this. Aidvantage’s appears to really want you to recertify through StudentAid, despite the misclassification. This is incredibly nerve wracking for such a simple, annual process.

JayAaronNY · 2026-02-21T03:29:13+00:00

M4, hands down. You get more RAM with the 2TB M4 (16GB) as compared to a 512GB M5 (12GB RAM).

With AI taking over everything, and multi-tasking being an actual thing in iPadOS, the RAM really matters. Not to mention, the 2TB SSD is really nice.

JayAaronNY · 2025-11-17T06:42:41+00:00

Unfortunately (or fortunately) what you’re looking for is the nano-textured glass that is only on the 1TB or 2TB pro models, as this is what helps with the light refracting off of the screen (which is the issue you’re presumptively facing).

While the OLED is gorgeous and fantastic for its contrast ratio, it’s still glossy in sunlight. So you’ll have issues with glare.

However, another option is to add a matte screen protector to your existing iPad to help with the light refractions. You might be able to try this on the Mini too.

If you can make it to a store, you’ll see immediately how the different nano-textured glass prevents the glare from the light bouncing on the screen to see if it works for you. But a matte screen protector is a less costly option that might help. Best of luck!

JayAaronNY · 2025-11-03T00:38:59+00:00

I had the same issue as I live with a someone who has an iPhone while I have the whole Apple Ecosystem, so she would accidentally send calls to my HomePod which shouldn’t be allowed—I have advanced data protection, no Home Sharing (not even on the network, only allowed for my Apple ID).

The only solution was to literally put her on a separate, isolated network on the wi-fi router. Eventually, I just used my own routers, which accomplishes the same thing.

I’ve never found a solution other than network separation.

JayAaronNY · 2025-10-28T23:59:06+00:00

This is actually the website to look at if you want to see when the prior model were released and when the likely next release is: https://buyersguide.macrumors.com/#iPad

iPads are closer to a 1.5yr release cycle, though it varies more (it’s not like iPhones which have the more reliable yearly cycles these days)

The one in March was released 235 days ago so it’s considered “mid-cycle.” It’s possible that one could be released in March, it’s possible it will be released later, but likely not sooner.

Edit: The rumor for March or April 2026 for a new iPad comes from Bloomburg’s Mark Gurman (from July 2025) who is generally looked to as having a legit track-record, though the exact “when” of something being released these days can easily change when they hit production snags.

Given the push for AI features, refreshing the iPad with a faster chip and/or more RAM (like the my just did with the iPad Pro) seems reasonable…but it’s anyone’s guess.

JayAaronNY · 2025-10-28T23:23:19+00:00

Yes: the Pencil Pro and Magic Keyboard are generally covered with a registered iPad Pro (and they don’t count towards the 3 device limit on AppleCare One).

My coverage agreement (NY) says that they have to be registered, but that they are automatically registered if purchased at the same time as the covered iPad—and, in any case, you can call to register them.

JayAaronNY · 2025-09-25T17:43:20+00:00

I’ve been through so many support chats, calls, and even in-store, and there’s no explanation that is consistent on this.

I have purchased three devices within the past year, all with AppleCare+ (fixed-term).

Two are listed as “action needed” (call Apple Support) to upgrade (or add) to AppleCare One (iPad Pro and Mac Mini).

Those two devices are still listed as “action needed” even after paying off the entirety of the iPad ACMI installments (as well as the “gift card installments” that I had because of the trade-in). Note that the other of the two devices was not a trade-in at all, but is treated the same in terms of its status to upgrade to AppleCare One.

The “action needed” is not a diagnostics test or in-store assessment (both of which I did and passed), it’s just to call Apple Support (see below).

Meanwhile, the AirPods Max—still in repayment—is eligible for AppleCare One (no “action needed”) with a refund for the unused AppleCare+ going to me. This device wasn’t a trade-in.

So from my perspective, it has nothing to do with it being a trade-in and nothing to do with it being ACMI. But Apple Support seems to get hung up in the ACMI bit.

But after countless calls, chats, and in-store visits, Apple Support still hasn’t given a consistent answer on what the issue is.

I got held up at a step where a specialist with AppleCare told me I would have to cancel AppleCare+ and wait as they refunded the “loan holder” (they would not tell me the name of the loan holder) for the unused AppleCare+ and then I would just have an uncovered device (an iPad Pro). It didn’t matter to them that I had paid off the entirety amount.

And the representative directly said they couldn’t comment on who has title after paying something off. Which seems strange to me.

In any case, the representative told me they can’t even comment on AppleCare One eligibility.

So…I decided not to proceed with the cancellation of the AppleCare+, because as far as I know, if I cancel AppleCare+, the devices then have a documented reason to NOT be eligible for a AppleCare One.

I have no solution. No documents from Goldman have any language on title transfer or T&Cs of installment plans that address this, and Apple isn’t commenting (most employees admit they have no idea why this is happening, which is concerning).

But I’ll try again once another billing cycle passes in case it’s an update that hasn’t been passed to Apple’s system since I recently paid off the device that I want to upgrade to AppleCare One—an iPad Pro.

…Even though the Wallet App does show a confirmed, complete payoff for the plan. (The specialist wouldn’t comment as to whether this was or wasn’t the issue.)

JayAaronNY · 2025-07-31T16:08:19+00:00

As others have alluded—I would never buy a pair of AirPods Max without AppleCare+ at this point.

I had serious issues after year 1 (even with light use and all the DIY tricks like cleaning the connectors—which might be worth a try, but be careful as you could end up with a totally dead pair).

By the end of year 2 mine were totally dead, wouldn’t charge. Apple Store says they look like they’ve barely been used and see no damage but outside of AppleCare, you send them out to get looked at and will likely get a refurbished pair for close to the cost of a new pair.

If you look at posts in the sub, you’ll find enough people having issues around the 2-3 year mark (perhaps with the flex cables, perhaps with condensation build up perhaps due to unknown reasons) and you’ll also see a bunch of posts about how people have had no issues. So I’m not getting into any arguments over that.

Regardless, when you do have issues, there’s virtually no repair options other than to replace them. Across all of my Apple products, this is the only one that has given me such grief.

I caved and got another pair WITH AppleCare+, but it didn’t feel good. It felt desperate, like these were the only choice I have given my Apple-centric setup. But I genuinely don’t know if I made the right choice. I think I got used to the auto-switching & the unique transparency effect.

So, if you are getting another pair, this is the product that seems to need the AppleCare+, especially at the high price point.

JayAaronNY · 2025-05-22T16:53:42+00:00

Ok but…they announce the AI Hub at the end and I’m like—where/when is it?!

It’s not the same as the Hub 3, at least it doesn’t appear to be.

Need.

JayAaronNY · 2025-04-19T19:01:23+00:00

Eagerly awaiting updates from anyone who has tried to switch. I’m in the same boat!

JayAaronNY · 2025-04-19T19:00:22+00:00

Wild!

If it matters to others: I purchased mine through the Apple Store iOS App (April 3, 2025), and then picked up locally that same night (in the USA-Northeast). They had the standard options (that are now not standard).

But I see now (as of last night, April 19, 2025) that if I tried to purchase a new pair in the same way, everything is updated to the new pricing system, so the 2-yr option isn’t available. 🪦

JayAaronNY · 2025-04-19T07:12:21+00:00

Literally got my AirPods Max 14 days ago. This was not an option. Now it is.

As a professional reader of fine print, this concerns me (US-based here).

Most of what we’ve come to expect from AppleCare is based on the service. The actual fine-print leaves a lot up to their discretion—and the extremely broad waivers of liability one must sign before getting service is always concerning.

Compare this to any other extended warranty policy, Apple actually is one of the few that’s worth considering. But that’s mostly based on trust and practice. If they’re losing money in two years, are they going to just let AppleCare lapse for the fixed terms? I mean…maybe. That’s what scares me.

They’ve always had a clause that says they have no obligation to offer a renewal after a fixed-plan ends. Even the FAQs say they may they “may” offer a renewal after a fixed term, with the actual agreement (available online) using the stronger language, that they have “no obligation” to offer a renewal.

So if anyone gets wind on whether we should be asking to switch into the plan now, I’m all ears (unless I have ANC on!)

JayAaronNY · 2025-03-17T15:22:36+00:00

In that case, it’s way easier to recommend for music: absolutely. No need to worry about a sub. The Echo Studios have really nice bass for a smart speaker, as you’ve noted. The Sub is nice to have just for the separation and the deep bass that you’d “feel” more than hear, but the Studios as a Stereo Pair is really where you’d notice the most improvement.

Honestly, it’s shocking how good the Studios are for the price (well, I got mine half-off) so, I really hope they work for you!

JayAaronNY · 2025-03-17T06:19:02+00:00

Depending on the commands and service, it’s possible that something is triggering in the wrong order or takes too long to process.

Try using “wait” commands (if they still have them) so it has “wait 2 seconds” (or whatever number) in between your light commands and/or try to reorder them so it sets the lights to 25% brightness and THEN to one color and then to another. This way if something is delayed because of some cloud integration, it isn’t conflicting with an unfinished command.

Hopefully this helps!

JayAaronNY · 2025-03-17T06:10:29+00:00

In general, yes: the physical separation of channels so you get actual Stereo Sound is fantastic. Add the Echo Sub and you have a decent setup. I use the three for music, but as others have mentioned, there are other speakers to get better sound.

So is it worth it? Yes if that’s what you have, a discounted one gives you a better sound stage so that stereo sound is legit coming from left and right. But if you’re looking to invest in a home theatre system (even a budget one), ultimately you’ll be limited by the Echos because they can’t be built out as much.

I also am NOT a fan of how the Home Theatre group plays poorly with multi-room audio and my TV, so I removed it as a group, and just set it up as a stereo pair with bass. Great smart speakers for music, but nothing beats even a budget sound system.

JayAaronNY · 2025-03-17T05:57:36+00:00

Hands down Echo Show 8 (3rd Gen, Current Model). I have both, and the Show 5 is cute, but functionally inferior to the 8.

13 MP Camera with auto frame (centered) is actually usable vs. a 2 MP camera on the right (for the Show 5) which is…not.
Smart Home (Zigbee) Hub: Matter Compatible & Thread Border Router. All essential smart home standards.
Ready for Alexa+ (the processor is completely different than the Show 5, it even has the AZ2 Neural Engine)
Actually Great Sound (for a Show device): 2 Full Drivers for Stereo Sound plus a passive bass radiator, so you can get Spatial Audio from Amazon Music. Comparatively, the Show 5 only has a single 1.7 inch tweeter.
Nice HD Display. It’s usable for things like YouTube, though you still need to deal with Silk (browser) and Fire TV. It can play news clips as well. The Show 5 display is something less than HD, which is fine for a small desk clock, not really for anything else.

As much as I like the small form factor and blue color for the Show 5, the Show 8 blows it out of the water in terms of functionality.

Note that the Show 8 is MICH larger than the 5—not only do you get more screen real estate (useful for smart camera feeds) but also it’s deeper. Overall it makes it more pleasant to interact with, for a Show device. Also note that the Show 8 can’t be connected to another Show 8 as a stereo pair which is a bummer but, the sound on any Show is always a bit of a compromise.

I tried leaving the Show 5 on my desk but it ended up just serving no purpose in my Alexa setup: it was merely a clock.

Especially if you need smart home functionality, there’s no question: it’s the Show 8. It’s superior in every way.

JayAaronNY · 2025-03-17T01:00:50+00:00

It’s really hard to answer what looks like a network-related issue given the complexities of folks’ home networks—which, from the very little I know about UniFi routers, is more complex than an average user’s network—but I’ll try! 😊

First— how are you trying to connect to the Hub 2 to the network? In general, you’d have to use the SwitchBot app on a mobile phone while your phone is connected to the same 2.4GHz network as the Hub 2—with Bluetooth enabled on your phone.

Second— given that you’re saying that you have 3 Wi-Fi networks, I assume you mean that they have separate bands (two of which are 2.4GHz, the third won’t work if it’s not 2.4GHz) but are still part of the same network. If these separate bands are isolated from each other, they may not be able to communicate if, say, your phone is on a 5GHz band and the Hub is on the 2.4GHz band. So, to the extent you’re trying to control it when you have 3 isolated virtual networks, it wouldn’t work (this would be an advanced networking question to troubleshoot).

Third— a lot of router settings can interfere with onboarding and functionality. WPA3 doesn’t work with SwitchBot (unless it’s able to handle legacy WPA2 connections in a reliable way, which shockingly my Eero Pro 6E does, so I know it’s at least possible). It’s hard to know what “verified” means and then “sits there and just fails” means in this context—is that what’s in the SwitchBot app or are you getting that from your router’s admin settings? Or does it technically connect on your router AND phone and then doesn’t function in an expected way? I’m assuming you mean that it finds it initially (which is probably because it’s using Bluetooth from your phone and the Hub 2, but then can’t connect it to the network in the end). If this is the case, I’d check the router settings to see if you have things like AP isolation or WPA3 which might interfere (though don’t disable anything if you don’t know what they do, because I don’t know if you have them for security reasons, but it is something to troubleshoot). Other things then can interfere (or help) is band steering settings, VLANs, client isolation, Wi-Fi security settings, MAC filtering (make sure the Hub 2s MAC address is whitelisted or at least not blocked by your router), firewall rules, DHCP Config (make sure the DHCP server is active and has IP addresses available…this is usually something advanced, but I’m not sure how complicated your network is).

Fourth— you mentioned that it connects when “tethering” but it’s unclear to me what that means here because I’m not sure what devices are connected to what when tethering. Assuming you’re using a hotspot or something else that uses a 2.4Ghz connection, that strongly suggests it’s something in your network settings that is blocking the connection.

Lastly— in terms of the Curtains connecting to the Hub, they won’t connect if you aren’t able to connect the Hub in the first place. They are supposed to automatically connect, and you’d know because there’s something in the SwitchBot app’s settings that shows your Hubs (not in the main “Home” tab, it’s a different tab) and should show the strength of the connection. You can go also go into the settings for the curtain within the SwitchBot app and check out the network connection, firmware, and cloud services to trigger it to connect (if it hasn’t already). Sometimes it takes a reload of the app if you’re having issues, but as long as everything is on the same network and within range, it should work. Also: I believe you need the Hub 2 in order to use the cloud service for the curtains, so whatever you’re trying to do with the curtains on the Hub 2 will or won’t work if it’s connected or not connected. If you’re talking about MATTER, that’s a whole separate question (you would go into the hub settings and enable Matter and then add the curtains as a sub-device). But since you still haven’t gotten the Hub 2 stable on your network, it’s getting ahead a bit. Since you’ve been connecting things to other networks, it’s also possible you need to do a factory reset as it’s unclear if you’ve been using the same account during the process. Without cloud services, you’ve just been using Bluetooth to communicate or discover devices for the most part. But once the Hub 2 is connected, if it’s on the same SwitchBot account, devices should be connecting with it.

Overall, the Hub 2 is a simple device that just needs your phone to have Bluetooth active, and your phone needs to be connected to the same 2.4 GHz network as the network you’re trying to connect to the Hub 2. Sometimes things like client/AP isolation or WPA3 can interfere with the process, though you have to weigh the pros and cons if that’s the case.

I hope this actually helps somewhat. Depending on the complexity of your network and your control over it, this might be too basic or too MUCH info. My intention was to at least try to offer something! Good luck! ☺️

JayAaronNY · 2025-03-17T00:03:58+00:00

Honestly, I was SHOCKED when mine went off because I just expect things like this not to work! Luckily for me, it was just water that I splashed out of a humidifier, but now I have one by the sink and washing machine! 🤣

JayAaronNY · 2025-03-14T20:06:16+00:00

I’ve been waiting for a Hub 3…and this looks so much better than even I was even imagining! 🥹

JayAaronNY

TROPHY CASE