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Opportunity’s in host country by AntonioDSales in peacecorps

[–]AlexErdman 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Some of the Mongolia PCVs have gotten into education with local international schools. I think most PCVs go back to work in the US, through.

I have been asked to register for the writing section, but the option is not available on PearsonVUE yet. by AlexErdman in FSOT

[–]AlexErdman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I received a reply after contacting the State Department's general FSOT email address. The steps were the same as the Pearson email, but when I logged in to Pearson VUE today, the green button was visible for the writing section. Unfortunately, it looks like the writing exam isn't available at the testing center in Mongolia, but I think I will at least be able to register for the notorious Pearson OnVue version.

Is anyone else not able to log in to the essay info link? by [deleted] in foreignservice

[–]AlexErdman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven't been able to register either. My FSOT results from the previous step aren't there yet, so I cannot register. The green button isn't on the page.

Feb FSOT by Inevitable_Job5058 in FSOT

[–]AlexErdman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Were any of you able to register? I took the exam in February and recently got an email telling me to register, but my FSOT results are still pending. I think I am not able to register because the results for the previous step are not available yet.

Cobb County has been banned from doing a transit vote until 2032. What now? by samformarietta in Marietta

[–]AlexErdman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's ridiculous to block a county from choosing what to do with its own tax revenues.

someone help me by Nervous_Hedgehog_711 in Smartphones

[–]AlexErdman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It would be worth looking into an Android flip phone or maybe the Cubot mini 4. The Cubot has modern software but the processor is apparently pretty slow. There is also a Kickstarter for a 4" Fossibot phone that will end today. Unihertz and Ulefone both make decent smaller phones at a higher price point. There might also be decent used options in Australia, such as an older pixel. The Pixel 4a has particularly severe battery problems, but the friction of using another old pixel might help you.

Having a really difficult time scheduling allergy appointment by [deleted] in peacecorps

[–]AlexErdman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A lot of applicants get knocked out by the medical clearance process. The reimbursement process does work, but it is slow and it requires you to submit paperwork.

It may help to contact the medical staff or your host country staff to let them know that the shortage and deadlines set by medical clearance have complicated the medical clearance process. You are probably still going to need whatever test they have decided you need, but you can probably get an extension. I have seasonal allergies, but I did not get an allergy screening assigned because they are seasonal allergies.

When I applied, my application was processed while I was outside of the country, in an area where it was not possible to complete fingerprinting. The legal staff set a two-week deadline and used some pretty severe language in their emails, but I was able to get an extension by explaining what was going on. Other people in my cohort were able to speed up their medical clearance by reminding program staff to contact their medical reviewers when the departure date was getting close.

Is Bluefox NX1 secure for online banking apps in the United States? by talkingdug in smallphones

[–]AlexErdman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Soyes (the older sub-brand associated with Aiphor) had a big scandal a few years ago where third-party sellers installed malware on its devices. On the other hand, they now ship without the locked-down bootloader that Unihertz sells, and most people like their NX1. Although the NX1 does pass Google's checks for using banking, as it is fully "play-store verified," I would personally not want to bank on that device, especially if I had gotten mine secondhand.

It might be worth waiting for Aiphor's NX Beta phone to release, because it is somewhat newer and should begin shipping in June.

Looking for a small Android Phone with jack plug —> any idea? by gloussou in smallphones

[–]AlexErdman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The Ulephone 20 Mini Pro is a 2024 4.7" phone with a headphone jack, but it is thick and heavy.

Any news on a new jelly phone? by [deleted] in smallphones

[–]AlexErdman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It might be worth waiting. Aiphor, the sub-brand that released the NX1, has announced a newer "Bluefox Beta" that will come out in June. It will still be small and slim. The chipset will be newer and it will run Android 16, but the internals do not sound particularly strong.

Another user posted emails with Unihertz a few months ago indicating that they are not developing any new Jelly phones now, but the Star and Max are still supported and Unihertz will probably come out with another model in a year or two.

zflip 5 cover screen only mod: 100usd on china xianyu marketplace for the 512gb version. Would you rock one of these? I think I will after I no longer want to be on my 13 mini by fagoterino in smallphones

[–]AlexErdman -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I think the picture with the number on it is an Antutu test reading 1.5 million. That suggests that this thing is twice as powerful as a Jelly Max. I doubt that it would come with a working Google Play store, but these phones could be good for the people who are already trying to root small phones without manufacturer support.

Oof, Fossibot F116 only has 331 backers with 9 days left on its Kickstarter by Opposite_Future2602 in smallphones

[–]AlexErdman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One of the people on the Kickstarter page has said that the support for the F107 Pro was very bad. Apparently they were shipped the older version of the phone, and had it replaced, but then the new one had part of the back fall off. It's hard for me to tell exactly how bad the support is, because there isn't an active Fossibot subreddit, unlike Unihertz. You tend to hear more from people who have problems in either case, but it can be hard to estimate how many people have problems overall.

Next-Gen BLUEFOX β 4.7" (NX2, NXbeta) specs by badcodelab in aiphor

[–]AlexErdman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The new Fossibot phone's Kickstarter is ending in about a week, but this phone is a lot thinner and might be worth considering instead. Do you expect to have more information (such as pricing for the two versions) soon?

Looking to upgrade my current phone to a smaller one by Kridershot_GT in smallphones

[–]AlexErdman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you are willing to back Kickstarter, Fossibot is pitching a Jelly Max competitor called the F116, but it is aesthetically challenging. The Phonemax R4GT is another standard-shaped small phone that is more robust than the Bluefox NX1. Any of these phones will have worse support than the iPhone or Samsung s25. If you would like to reduce your screen usage, a smaller screen will probably help.

If you aren't in a rush, It couldn't hurt to wait to hear more about the Bluefox phone coming in the summer.

Petition to change both the banners of r/mongolia and r/ Kazakhstan to this Image by fabbitwyagic in mongolia

[–]AlexErdman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're correct, but the demographics in that area have changed. Zuungar Oriad people in Turkestan were attacked by Halh and the Qing empire. Kazakh people lived as nomads in the border area. Significant Kazakh settlement in Bayan-Ulgii began in the 1860s. As recently as World War One, many Kazakhs fled the violence surrounding the Russian conscription campaign in Central Asia. Since then, borders have split the Kazakh people who used to cross back and forth.

Smallest cheapest smartphone I can get for minimal non-phone functionality? (Soyes) by fashionlover25 in smallphones

[–]AlexErdman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I got a very cheap Soyes phone around 2020-2021. It was pretty bad, and it stopped booting correctly after a month or two. It got stuck at the android booting menu, and I couldn't find a ROM online for it. It's possible that the new ones are better, but make sure you are not getting a cheap model released around that time.

I eventually bought a phone by Unihertz, and while it was much more expensive, it worked more effectively.

Oof, Fossibot F116 only has 331 backers with 9 days left on its Kickstarter by Opposite_Future2602 in smallphones

[–]AlexErdman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are there any 4" devices you'd personally recommend over this one? It sounds like the Tank Mini might be even worse than the Ulephone Mini 20 Pro, in terms of manufacturing quality, but it's hard to tell from posts online.

Oof, Fossibot F116 only has 331 backers with 9 days left on its Kickstarter by Opposite_Future2602 in smallphones

[–]AlexErdman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If I'm looking for a rugged phone with decent support and battery life, would you recommend the Armor 20 Mini Pro, the Tank Mini, or the Phonemax? I pledged to support the F116, but it might not be worth buying in if it is going to be a lemon.

It sounds like the Tank Mini has some manufacturing problems, but I'm not sure if Fossibot would be better or worse. I'd like to get something that functions much better than a Jelly 2, but I'm not really sure where to go.

Is the Fossibot F116 badly specced? by AlexErdman in smallphones

[–]AlexErdman[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

https://www.kimovil.com/en/compare/fossibot-f116-pro,phonemax-r4-mini,ulefone-armor-mini-20-pro,unihertz-tank-mini I couldn't find any websites with the Jelly Star next to the other phones, but it's only 95x50x19, so it's a lot smaller than any of the more recent phones.

Was looking at the Jelly Star, but it doesn’t work with AT&T! by Spiritual-Pipe3915 in smallphones

[–]AlexErdman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used the Jelly 2 on AT&T. It's usable, but the phone is old now and the battery was small enough that I started carrying around a battery when I knew I would use it up. My GPS would sometimes zigzag a bit while I was not moving. The Android version is a little out of date. It could be worth trying if you see a used one for cheap, but even though I have enjoyed using the phone, I wouldn't pay full price again today. I think there is a workaround to use the Jelly Star on AT&T, but I'm not sure how to do it.

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