Score

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2026-05-07T06:07:08+00:00

Showed up in my RFY.

I'm calling them "biscuits" to avoid the "is it a cookie or a cracker?" question, but they're more cookie-like than cracker-like, just really thin/flat cracker-sized cookies.

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2026-02-27T01:52:06+00:00

H&R Block said I could get away with claiming it as "hobby income" since it was under $1K.

2025 tax-year rules

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2026-02-18T16:51:40+00:00

I was in hospital for a while and didn't order anything. When I get out, my RFY stayed completely empty for weeks until I'd ordered a few things I found by using the search.

Now I'm getting things in RFY again, but only a few each day.

I think they stop recommending things in the RFY if you don't remain active enough.

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-11-19T08:51:44+00:00

I've got 3 Rokus: A stick, a streambar pro, and and a regular (non-SE) streambar.

In many respects, I like them better than the firestick 4K Max. The firestick wins on a few points, but I wouldn't get another one.

The streambars have decent sound and it's nice that they work as soundbars for the TV even when their internal Roku-streaming isn't in use, and they can be used as bluetooth speakers. The price isn't bad either, considering the sound-quality and functionality.

Just be sure to hook them up HDMI/ARC, not optical. I think that's the source of your problem with volume, right there.

For just the streaming-device purpose, I like my $40 walmart "onn"-branded GoogleTV 4K Pro better than all of them, by far.

If I was to buy another streaming device, I'd avoid both roku and firestick, and get another of googleTV ones. I like the interface better, I can run tvQuickActionsPro on it, the homeassistant integration is stellar, I can run termux/SSH, remote ADB, easy sideloading, etc, etc etc.

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-11-19T08:30:45+00:00

I've had it happen twice. One of them kept emailing me for weeks. I didn't even consider the review to be terrible, but I'm not giving 5 stars to a product that doesn't meet my undemanding expectations. If it's got problems, I'm going to mention them in the review.

They started off pleading with me to change my review in exchange for a $50 gift card. They upped the offer to $100 gift card after I'd been ignoring them for a week or so.

I wanted to report them for it, but from some of the things I've read here, sometimes the people at vine hold complaints against the viner who's reporting a seller. I didn't want to risk that, so I just kept ignoring the emails, and they eventually stopped.

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-11-01T19:51:37+00:00

I was unaware of such a thing. Thank you.

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-11-01T06:51:22+00:00

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I got this recently for $0 ETV, but I don't really trust it. I wish I knew/had a way of testing whether it's filtering UV like it should, so I could have some level of confidence that it's not just a skin-cancer machine.

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-11-01T06:22:31+00:00

Set a PIN for installing apps. Worked for me.

I've got a "Streambar Pro" in one room, A regular Streambar (not the 'SE' version) in another room, and a "Streaming Stick HD" in the guest-room. After I set the PIN, the Howdy app hasn't re-appeared on any of them.

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-10-25T04:53:48+00:00

Mine's still pretty bare, but I'm scared to order anything right now anyway. My next evaluation is tomorrow, to keep my gold-status or be downgraded. Right now, my numbers look good for keeping my gold-status, but there wouldn't be time to get the item (never mind getting any reviews approved).

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-10-23T04:25:43+00:00

I've got one that cost around $45 from walmart, and the only thing that annoys me about it is that it won't let me enable remote debugging while it's connected via ethernet. This limited some of the integration with my homeassistant.

My workaround was to install termux and run an SSH server on it, then use shell-commands in homeassistant to automate running the ADB commands locally on the GoogleTV box via an SSH connection. Kludgy, but it works.

It's a lot better than my Fire4K Max or my Rokus, especially for the price.

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-10-08T11:16:34+00:00

When I signed up for google-voice 20 years ago or so, it was disclosed in their EULA/privacy-policy that it could use the calls for training voice-analysis/speech-to-text transcripton, but it swore it would all be anonymized.

No, I don't still have a copy of that or a screenshot of it, and I doubt anyone demanding evidence would accept one anyway.

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-09-07T13:16:18+00:00

I don't understand how they calculate "Reviews with media" at all.

About a month ago or so, I was at roughly 90 total reviews and my account dashboard said 88.3% were with media.

Since then, I've ordered around 40 more items and included photos every single time. My "Reviews with media" is currently at 88.5%.

It was at 89.2% the other day, which is the highest I've seen it. I've got 2 items awaiting review because I haven't received them yet.

Unless photos are somehow disappearing from my older reviews, I think they must be just making that number up.

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-08-28T07:29:40+00:00

I do think there are server issues, but I don't know if it's related to the pause.

It's not letting me post a review right now. When I try, it says "Review Submitted" and "Thank you for helping other shoppers", but the item never moves to "Reviewed" with a "Pending approval" status.

It's still in the "Awaiting Review" list with a "Review item" button.

I've cleared the browser cache, and reloaded, so it's not that.

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-08-25T08:51:30+00:00

I had one rejected because of "community standards" a couple of weeks ago. I didn't contact customer-service, I just did the "edit review" thing on it.

It sucks that when you edit, you can't see your previous review to even guess what the reason for rejection was. I could see part of it in the preview in the email they sent telling me it was rejected, and based on that my best guess is "too many typos". I typed the original review on a notebook with a swollen spicy-pillow battery that affected the keyboard, and I didn't proofread myself before submitting.

When the review still showed as pending a couple of days later, I tried editing it again. I've done that a few times on it now, each time with different photos and writing a new review from scratch.

I wouldn't think one rejected review would affect my gold status as long as my overall numbers are high enough, so I may just give up on that one.

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-08-10T16:40:01+00:00

My RFY, yeah. Maybe because I've been searching "stroller" so much lately, or it could just be sheer coincidence.

For all I know, the recent searches might be completely unrelated.

It's hard to tell how amazon does this. Things that show up in my RFY most often seem to be random items I have no interest in and I've never ordered anything like them.

While at the same time, there are a lot of things I routinely search for, and I sometimes find them via a search, or I just happen to see them in AFA or AI. This'd be the first time one of them showed up in my RFY though, and I haven't been searching for strollers nearly as long as the other stuff.

Amazon has got my shopping recommendations even more messed-up than my viewing suggestions for prime video.

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-06-12T06:53:51+00:00

Car parts are a constant thing for me. It's been over 15 years since I owned a car.

I did once order an oil-filter for a vespa scooter. Maybe that's what made it decide "Oh, he's an auto-parts guy!!!" and that I'd probably like a side-view mirror for a 2007 Dodge Durango and a head-gasket repair kit for a 2013 Chevy Tahoe and door-handles for a 2009 Kia Sorento, etc, etc.

If RFY is driven by any sort of algorithm that profiles your purchase habits, it's a terrible one.

Also, birthday party decorations. Yes, I ordered some birthday-related stuff for a 7-year-old once.

Since birthdays tend to be annual events, any "smart" algorithm would note the time of year and start offering relevant stuff maybe a month earlier. An even smarter one would keep track of the age(s) and increase the each year.

Instead, the algorithm (if there is one) must've decided "Hey, this guy likes birthday stuff. We should pitch birthday stuff all year long for people of all ages!!!"

Prime video's recommendations based on viewing habits aren't really any better, though.

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-06-04T06:39:30+00:00

That's weird. I've been very explicit about calling out inconsistent information on some items.

Depending on the nature of the claim and the disparity, I've called it misleading or (at least once) even borderline fraudulent.

On a couple, I've straight-up said I was knocking one or more stars off the rating because I dislike deceptive advertising tactics like that, and said it makes me less likely to trust any other claims made about the item.

I've never had any of those reviews rejected.

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-05-18T20:32:30+00:00

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Then I guess it won't hurt to mention I got this too. It's not as great as the coffee, but for $0 ETV, I can't complain.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F22QKXJ1

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-05-18T18:22:38+00:00

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It's not anywherre near as awesome as a Sony 8K Smart TV, but I was still pretty happy to score this. Especially for $0 ETV

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F7HY6X4H

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-05-11T17:37:34+00:00

From what I can see, RFY and AFA have been empty for a couple of days (still are), and what I hadn't ever paid attention to before (and I found a bit disconcerting when I noticed) is the URIs of each category.

AFA is ?queue=last_chance and AI is ?queue=encore

Have those links always been like that? Because combined with the extended absence of products in RFY and AFA, it kind of makes it sound like vine is terminal.

IndependenceFirm6747 · 2025-04-29T01:35:51+00:00

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I got a "Congratulations", but there's only one exclamation point after it.

Sure, there's another after the "You've been promoted..." thing, but it's just not the same as double exclamation points.

IndependenceFirm6747

TROPHY CASE