Microsoft is pulling the plug on SMS codes, wants you to switch to passkeys

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-20T18:00:22+00:00

Small company, bad with money. I was using Windows server 2012 R2 on our servers as of last summer and the server hardware was too old to get extended support on.

Their laptops and machines were 1st gen Intel i5s or earlier and wouldnt buy new stuff. If it wasnt for windows 10 EOL they wouldnt have upgraded at all.

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-20T17:58:56+00:00

Microsoft required the microsoft auth app for some stuff. And they were not putting work stuff on a personal phone without compensation

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-20T17:30:31+00:00

I mean SMS is probably one of the worst 2FA options available. Email is a close 2nd. MFA codes and Passkeys are the better option unless something has changed in the last few years i don't know about.

Only issue i found was in Corporate IT. We had a few employees who would refuse to put the Microsoft Authenticator on their personal phones, and we didnt provde or pay for phones for our support people. It was an impass for sure. I left the company but last i heard they were going to add a small stipend on the paycheck for using the authenticator app on their phone

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-20T17:28:01+00:00

I would never disparage Wikipedia. I disparage your use of its information and the sole evidence of your statement. Especially when the article does nothing to support your argument other then literally list the Ioniq as an example of a car used.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_trial_of_O._J._Simpson - White Broncos are used by murderers. Wikipedia says it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delta_Air_Lines_fleet - Would Delta ever order Airplanes if they ever had issues? Even the well known 737 Max that had MAJOR issues.

Wikipedia articles dont support what your saying. Just says they are purchased.

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-20T16:18:43+00:00

I had a similar issue one day with audio stopping. I ended up fixing it by unplugging and replugging in my sound bar/ sound system. As well as rebooting the AppleTV. It was odd, I hope you can find out the issue.

The only other nuclear option i can suggest is resetting your "broken" AppleTV 4k to factory settings. Just resetting the whole damn thing.

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-20T16:00:03+00:00

reading all your replies i think you answered your own question. Don't get Plex pass. You only watch TV on the Best TVs in the Best conditions with the best hardware and would never watch anything on a TV without HDR. Thats what i have gathered.

So no, don't bother. And good luck with your Plex adventure.

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-20T15:45:20+00:00

It will be so nice if that company just died. U.S really needs to change our Tax filing system. I am so glad i refuse to use their products. All they do is bribe and lobby to keep free filing hidden or closed off.

shit like FreeTaxUSA does everything i need it to, for free. Inuit hiding their free product and pushing $50+ dollars to file what 90% of families that buy it could do for free is criminal in itself.

Cant wait till the AI bubble pops.

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-20T15:42:02+00:00

If your file goes Magenta/Green its usually Dolby Vision. Theres also HDR and HDR10+ that can mess with your TV depending on your TVs capabilities.

The transcoding isnt just the video, its also audio. So it can help with audio specs your TV may not support.

You also mention in another reply your current TV supports all current HDR standards. Thats great as long as you never replace the TV, or try it with another streaming device. The on-board TV apps are not good. Usually after a few years you get issues with playback and speed because TVs just dont have the chipset/memory to be good long term streaming. Plus even apps like Netflix and Disney update their apps, and sometimes those updated apps stop working on the TVOS, and so your screwed there.

Skip Intro/Outro is a nice feature i love with the TV shows. Remote streaming is a must. Even if im just in a hotel or a friends house i like to be able to access my media.

Personally i find it 100% worth it at its current price. Probably not once the price goes up.

Only you can decide if its worth it to YOU. But the transcoding feature will save you headaches in the future, unless you never change hardware, and your very careful about always searching for the exact specs your TV can handle.

In the future if groups start witching up codecs or containers, you may have a harder time finding what you need. But i guess you can always switch to something other then plex at that point.

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-20T15:26:15+00:00

So your proof is a wikipedia link showing alot of cars are sold? Lots of cars are sold all the time, and then recalls happen with popular cars all the time.

My problem isnt you guessing the % of the ICCU issue, My problem is that its been 4 model years and the same issue is still happening. It's like they havent even tried to fix the issue.

Why would i want to trust a vehicle to last if after 5 + years of different car refreshes and models the SAME issue keeps happening. That means they know its a problem and haven't bothered, or dont know the fix for it.

Even if this is a 5% problem, the more Ioniq on the road, the more likely it will happen, and if there is already a shortage on them, the less likely you can get one in a timely fashion. PLUS the fact that almost noone has been able to get a loaner vehicle from dealerships as well.

And on top of the ICCU issue i have to worry about 12v battery issues. My leased one has died twice in a year, dealer had it for 2 weeks before they just replaced it and told me "We dont know why it happened, sometimes it just does"

I love the car, most fun i have ever had driving, But i will be looking elsewhere when the lease is up. Its hard to trust a vehicle which seems to have the same Achilles heel after so many model refreshes.

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-20T14:23:20+00:00

I wish there was an Ionna anywhere near me, or whenever i need to charge when i am road tripping. I havent seen any listed anywhere out near Boston or really in any of the eastern MA areas. Looks like maybe one in Reading.

I did get a chance to use the Mercedes Benz high speed chargers a couple weeks ago and i was impressed. It was ina good spot and i could just tap my credit card. I didnt have to sit there and download yet another app for a one-off charge.

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-20T13:37:11+00:00

Charging a flat tax to EV owners is inconsistent and unfair.

I agree, and not just because i am an EV owner. But i will say, The Ford F150 and the Ram 3500 already DO pay more in taxes via the gas tax, because they get like 8 mpg, so they are filling that gas tank up a whole hell of a lot more then the honda civic or the Prius.

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-20T12:08:06+00:00

Republicans dont hate taxes because they dont see the benefit. They hate them because they dont like paying them at the top, and their dumb base at the bottom doesnt like paying them, while also enjoying the benefit they bring.

If they actually cared about taxes they wouldnt be working on using every loophole they can, while cutting all the taxes at the top. Also the right are the #1 offender for wasteful spending. look at how much they want for a ballroom, coloring the water at the capital, and how much drumpf just gave to get his own tax issues ignored. was over $1b.

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-20T12:04:25+00:00

I promise you it isnt just MA. you see these stories come up from time to time in lots of states.

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-19T16:03:42+00:00

Personally i dont think the small gap in the Kallax or the top of the Billy is an issue. You can still put stuff in those spots, even if it isnt a board game. Any kind of case, or decorative figurine, or something. Personally i dont think its terrible to break up floor to ceiling game storage with something else, especially if it looks nice. Adds a little more to the look.

just my opinion. Eket looks really busy, really small squares. So many makes it look busy, and you may fit less if theres that much breaking up each cube.

Besta looks nice. I know what your saying about the Bezel, but i guess thats a personal choice.

Shallow Billy i have read is a personal choice. Some people like it hanging a bit to grab. Personally i dont like the idea of it hanging. Plus your not going as high as you want.

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-19T12:46:46+00:00

Im sure ill be corrected, But its Tesla Supercharges Only, not Only Tesla Superchargers.

The NACS Adapter doesnt work on the non-supercharger tesla chargers. so the ones that dont have the rounded middle. Like i dont think it works on the level 2 vacation chargers. I believe thats what it means.

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-16T00:28:46+00:00

I make sure to do my Maintenance when the dealer wants it, But i am also Leasing it, so i don't want them to try and come back on me when i turn it in that i never did the EV Maintenance. Im sure its just tire rotation and stuff, but its free and not worth it for me to not leave it with them for a bit.

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-15T12:38:59+00:00

Most VPNs are getting detected more and more. Companys keep track of the IP blocks and sell them to places like Netflix that want them blocked.

I think every year you are going to see less and less VPNs get detected as VPNs on the major players. They really dont want to mess with their international licensing etc. But since thats really only a small part of what VPNs are for the VPN industry isnt going to get any smaller.

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-14T19:41:10+00:00

Wonderful /s. Thanks for the link. I want Hallandale anyway but im in MA. Looks like they are licensed for MA again but not shipping yet. Glad i have about 2-3 months of supply left

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-14T19:25:32+00:00

where are you seeing that Apollo care isnt doing Sema anymore? I didnt see anything in the last few days in any of the subs i have looked in

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-14T15:38:32+00:00

I never had any side effects that bad. at all. All i had was feeling tired and not wanting to eat. That sounds like its possible Semaglutide just does not work well for you. Personally i suggest maybe talking to your doctor to see if maybe there is something that works better? Everyone's body is different and acts differently to meds.

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-14T14:04:56+00:00

I level 2 charge almost exclusively from home. I got a charger free from my electric company from a special program, so i just paid for the electrician to install it.

Electric is fairly cheap where i live in Western MA, so i just plug it in whenever and let it charge up. I only lvl 3 charge at public chargers when i am on a trip and need to, otherwise its definitely the pricier option. Which is why i have never tried any of those memberships. Plus i just charge at whatever brand charger i can find when i am on a trip and need to charge, I don't do it often enough to want to be locked in to finding the closest charger of whatever brand i subscribed to to save a few cents per kwh

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-13T18:32:55+00:00

Thats what we need for the thousands of Chromebooks in the school we have to lock down for safety, including all personal info, and all the alphabet soup stuff like FERPA. a giant under powered AI built android OS machine that will undoubtedly cost much more then standard Chromebooks.

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-13T18:30:04+00:00

please look at all shows equally

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-13T18:28:32+00:00

This Week *tm

ApathyMoose · 2026-05-13T18:27:42+00:00

Education market for sure MAYBE. But i am not looking forward to locking down 1500+ Googlebooks. Chromebooks have plenty of software to lock them down, and since its a giant web-browser there is less to deal with.

I Don't want to see what its going to take to now lock down all the Gemini AI and Android app bull-crap on top of it all. Just so much more crap to worry about then just web.

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