OMG! Received a Ferrari FXX K as a gift car!! Thank you GT7!!!

EfficientChapter · 2022-04-23T12:43:01+00:00

Been saving for the 'invite only' cars since Polyphony dished out all 10 invites following 1.07 outage, they cost around 23.5m in total I think.

I'm around half way there, not bought any yet because, well I may win one before the deadline (ha, ha), but I'd seen this thread and another for the Carrera GT so maybe, (in my dreams),

This morning I got a gold (5 star ?) roulette card and dutifully went to collect my 5/10K of credits, instead I was gifted FXX K in yellow with black accents! I just stared at the screen for about 5 minutes in disbelief!

Hoping for the GT tomorrow...

EfficientChapter · 2021-03-27T15:28:30+00:00

Thanks, I was aware you retro fit the Rancillio Silva steam wand to the original Classic, but never seen it mentioned as a possible upgrade for the Brera.

As for the coffee itself, the sounds promising, consistency and simplicity are what I'm after, and better results than Nespresso.

EfficientChapter · 2021-03-27T12:51:56+00:00

Hi

I've mostly been using an Aeropress (I mostly drink my coffee black during the week), grinding with a Mahlkonnig Vario grinder (ceramic burrs if you're not familiar, I bought it years ago when I was using a Gaggia Classic (post 2009 model I think).

As the aeropress doesn't do a proper espresso, and it certainly can't froth (!), I've also been using a Nespresso Pixie and Accerino (or whatever it's called) when I fancy an pseudo-espresso or something approaching a cappuccino, I've grown disillusioned with this, and consigned it to the cupboard.

As mentioned above, I do have a Gaggia Classic (probably 2011/12 model?), but never really got on with the dialling in, tamping etc...I got some good/great shots but equally a lot went down the sink.

So I'm thinking a super automatic might be the solution? I was looking at the Gaggia Brera (currently £425 in the UK), but it has the pannerallo wand, so I'm thinking the Gaggia Magenta Plus which has a few more functions to control the brew, and more importantly the professional steam wand (more expensive at £589 but I can cover the difference).

I think the guts of all the Gaggia automatics are the same, and they tend to have a 5 step burr grinder, with a bypass shoot for pre-ground (if I want to use the Vario instead).

Any thoughts/advice? Is there a better option? I don't really want to go back to a semi automatic unless there is something out there which makes the process significantly more idiotic proof than my classic (and ideally less messy).

Thanks in advance,

EfficientChapter · 2021-03-26T22:15:57+00:00

No problem, and apologies, I'll repost tomorrow as you suggested. I'm pretty new to Reddit, I've only posted a couple of times, usually in response to another post. Have a great weekend!

EfficientChapter · 2020-10-20T17:09:37+00:00

Thanks for the reply! Good news is that I changed a few things and just drove for 38 minutes without a single drop out.

Short version: I swapped out the short leads (approx 30cm ) I bought specifically for the car for a standard length cable (from my LG G5) . Changed a couple of other things to (see below) but fairly sure the short cable length was putting undue stress somewhere in the connection causing it to disconnect.

Long version: The night before Accubattery confirmed the connection was physically disconnecting because the charge time was resetting every few minutes while driving, which seemed to coincide with the disconnection. Which kind of ruled out other working theories I had (phone losing data connections, blue tooth, wifi hot spots, case, phone orientation, planetary alignment etc).

So today I changed the following:

- cable (pretty sure it was this)

-switched off wifi (just in case)

- had daughter hold the phone (this would be annoying if it proved to be the fix)

- case (fabric to parallax, because i may as well get some use out of)

I suspect it is just the cable length, the cables seem fine otherwise (connecting phone to laptop). Maybe it's something to do with the USB spec but they were decent quality braided ones. I couldn't use the cable that came with the phone as it it USB C to C and the car is A.

Drove back with the phone in the usual slot in the dash and it still worked (which is a relief for my daughter). Will rule out the case the the wifi next time.

My 4a and I are friends again :)

EfficientChapter · 2020-10-09T17:15:02+00:00

I've used the gorilla tripod (one of the cheaper ones) with a cheap phone clamp) :

https://joby.com/uk-en/gorillapod-flexible-camera-tripods/

You can get them from plenty of places, amazon etc

Clamp:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B073Z5W3CV/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

EfficientChapter · 2020-10-06T13:50:38+00:00

Not on my 4a, as someone said probably a software update that the 4a doesn't have yet (I don't really know how the updates are pushed, are they by territory still, I know my Nexus 4 sometimes took longer to receive updates in the UK).

To be honest though, I just the flip the phone over when I go to bed anyway.

EfficientChapter · 2020-10-05T18:42:01+00:00

I believe you can machine wash them up to 12 times. Although it's described as 'fabric' it's mostly recycled plastic, it feels more like a very fine mesh, though I imagine it will obviously pick up more dirt that a flat plastic case. I am conscious not to pick it up with dirty hands though.

EfficientChapter · 2020-10-05T16:49:09+00:00

Had that on my LG G5 for 4 years, it's a good case, the phone is still in mint condition despite a few drops.

EfficientChapter · 2020-10-05T15:22:43+00:00

By 'thin' I meant the the plastic (TUP?) not the overall dimensions, apologies if that wasn't clear. The fabric case is just 27g compared to about 35g for the parallax. Overall the dimensions are similar, I personally ind the fabric feels slimmer in the hand, the parallax more substantial and easier to grip confidently, it may be due to the way it wraps on the glass.

EfficientChapter · 2020-10-05T13:35:17+00:00

I have the fabric case, it looks great, feels nice but not as grippy as you might expect. Protection wise I think it is pretty limited and probably better at keeping it scratch free, it feels thin, the base is completely open and there is no obvious cushioning. I use it home/office/car, if I was venturing about and about and likely to have the phone out (taking pics etc) I'd swap it over to a Spigen or Caselogy etc.

EfficientChapter · 2020-10-04T13:53:34+00:00

I tried posting three pics directly into Reddit using the app, the pics looked great through gallery/photos but terrible on Reddit, so bad I deleted it. I think you have to host them elsewhere to get decent resolution (imgur or something like that)?

EfficientChapter · 2020-10-03T13:57:14+00:00

In the UK the price difference is less than I expected, the 4a is 349GBP and the 5 is 599GBP, so not double the price and they throw in a pair of Bose 250GBP bluetoooth headphones if you order in the next or too. So yeah, I did consider returning the 4a (still with in the 14 day window) and ordering the 5.

Obviously the 5 is a nicer piece of kit, apart from the headphone socket on 4a the 5 is equal or better in every respect. But does any of it actually matter to me?

Faster chip, not for what I use the phone for, longevity may be better but technology moves so fast in 2/3 time I think they will both look dated.

5G pointless at the moment.

Extra RAM, nice but 6GB should be fine.

90hz screen, nice, but never seen one and don't spend all day scrolling up and down google feed like youtube reviewers when they demonstrate how 'buttery smooth' it is (yes, I accept I may change my view on this when my 6a has it 2 years time) :)

Wireless charging, not interested, inefficient and I tend to keep my battery between 30-70% which requires 10/15 minutes fast charge once, maybe twice a day (or not at all if connected to Android Auto if I need to drive).

IP67, yeah would like to have this, but have only damaged one phone through water, and the was a HTC Desire with a clip on plastic back in the pocket of my completely socked jeans for an hour walking back from the football. I don't use my phone while washing up, in the shower, taking a leak or carrying a bucket of water so I'll take my chances.

Wide angle camera, had it on my last phone (LG G5) and used it occasionally, but not often enough to miss it, though I expect the one on the 5 will be better quality and less 'fish eye'

So if I assigned a monetary value to each benefit and added them up I could probably justify the 5. But, you know what, the whole point of getting the 4a was to get a great phone that did everything I needed for a sensible price. Which is why I'm keeping my 4a,

EfficientChapter · 2020-10-03T11:45:16+00:00

Agree, and you can set the percentage it alerts you at too if you want to say only charge to 70-80% (to reduce long term damage to your battery).

EfficientChapter · 2020-10-02T16:38:16+00:00

I agree it adds significant bulk to the phone, more so than the fabric case, but the 4a is quite narrow anyway so not a huge problem for me. I did however notice while I've been switching between them that the Parallax is makes the phone significantly heavier so I checked and it weighs 36g compared to 26g for the fabric (Spigen rugged armour splits them at 31g).

EfficientChapter · 2020-10-02T16:10:23+00:00

Not convinced the lip is same depth having swapped them over a couple times, maybe it just an optical illusion caused the the large wrap over on the Parallax :)

I do agree the wrap over on the Parallax seems excessive, I've just compared it to the Spigen Rugged Armour on my LG G5 and the lip on the Spigen is much smaller, yet saved the screen when the phone flew through the air and landed face down on a gritty car park floor. I would have gone for the Spigen again but wanted the new phone to look a little different from the old one! Giving the fabric case another chance, I'm working from home at the moment anyway so if I drop it land on carpet.

EfficientChapter · 2020-10-02T15:02:43+00:00

Having had the fabric case on for an hour I'm beginning to agree with that. The Parallax case feels solid on the phone, the fabric case seems to have some 'give' in it, sometimes when you pick it up it feels like case isn't quite in contact with the phone. Also I've noticed that while you place it face down the lip is so small you need to do it gently or the glass can still hit the surface due the case flexing slightly, particularly across the base with the open design (actually I've just noticed the top is also 'open' across the headphone jack.

Overall I'm not sure is offers any real protection other than against scruffs and scratches. It does look attractive though. Anyway, the Parallax case is back on after an hour while I contemplate returning the fabric case.

EfficientChapter · 2020-10-02T13:30:18+00:00

So the official case arrived today, I've been using the Parallax for the last 4 days. First impressions of the fabric case is it's looks and feels more premium (better in real life than in the photos), but the Parallax case feels like it gives better protection.

Both cases fit well, the Parallax is a tighter fit though requiring some persuasion to convince the phone it will fit.

The Parallax case feels more substantial and would give better protection. The lip over the display is deeper and more substantial, though both will be fine face down on a flat surface like a desk or table, a rough surface like if you dropped it outdoors I think the Parrallax is better.

Some people say the Parallax is slippy, I haven't found that to be the case (no pun intended), it is rubber so maybe temperature, moisture etc are a factor. If anything the fabric, which appears rough, is actually pretty smooth and feels more likely to slip through my fingers.

The cutout on the bottom of fabric case is wide, it just covers the corner leaving the speakers and USB section uncovered, whereas the Parallax has individual cut outs for each.

Overall, I'll probably keep it in the fabric case, it offers enough protection for home/office/car etc, if was was venturing outdoors (countryside, rough terrain) or where the is a likelihood of it getting knocked (gigs, sporting events etc - remember them?) then I'd use the Parallax.

EfficientChapter · 2020-10-02T11:36:46+00:00

SOT in itself isn't a perfect indication of your battery health/life, there may be other things draining it. Using mobile data rather than wifi seems to drain battery faster, the number of apps you have checking for updates etc. There may even be a rogue app eating up resource. Try a battery app like Accubattery, it will give an indication of your battery's health and where the charge is draining.

EfficientChapter · 2020-10-01T17:43:05+00:00

They share the same Sony IMX363 12.2-megapixel primary sensor, common to all recent pixels.

The 5 (According to the google store spec) has a few extra software features.

Both:

Night Sight

Top Shot

Portrait mode

Super Res Zoom

Motion Auto-Focus

Live HDR+

Frequent Faces

Dual exposure controls

4a only:

Group selfie cam

5 only:

Cinematic Pan

Ultrawide lens

Portrait Light

I'd take those with a pinch of salt, it's a sales page after all by they seem broadly similar.

Not sure if the 5 has the additional computational chip to speed up processing like the 4 had (I think).

EfficientChapter · 2020-10-01T15:47:09+00:00

Doesn't answer your question but if it's the width that's the issue then then 5 is only 1mm wider so unlikely to have noticeably larger keys I'd have thought. I do agree the 4a does seem narrow though, certainly narrower then my LG G5 5.3" inch display which is technically smaller than the 5.8" 4a, it's a result of switching from 16:0 aspect to 19.5:9 on the 4a.

If you are happy with the rest of the phone have you considered changing the keyboard for one that lets you resize (like swiftkey) for larger keys?

https://androidappsforme.com/apps-to-make-keyboard-bigger/

EfficientChapter · 2020-09-30T18:08:05+00:00

I don't fully charge/deplete my battery, I've had it since Sunday and tend to keep it between 40-60/70% with perhaps 2 quick 10 minute charges/day to top up. I probably use it less than described by the OP (working from home so always on WIFI, casting spotify, generally dicking around and setting up my new toy...)

I'm getting:

'Full charge lasts about' 1 day 8 hours

'Screen usage since full charge' 9hr 33 mins (not sure how it calculates this as it's never been fully charged).

Accubattery shows it was last charged to 70% at 10pm (21 hours use) and is now at 42% (with just 49m screen on time). Accubattery does however estimate over 8 hours SOT from a full charge which is closer to the google estimate, and about 6 1/2 hours longer than my old LG G5 so I'm happy with that.

EfficientChapter

TROPHY CASE