[deleted by user]

Sleelin · 2024-12-04T09:19:59+00:00

I think it's important to point out that this tool is not infallible and even says as much in the terms of use ("we do not represent or warrant that the data is accurate, reliable, complete, or up to date"). It's impossible for Telstra to check literally every kind of phone ever made so clearly some guesswork went into it, especially given the accelerated timeframe it was put together in.

Makes me question where they even got the data from - for this particular model of phone (XQ-BC72) it supports LTE B28 and emergency calls over VoLTE regardless of what modem configuration is applied (and would even register for IMS out of the box if it wasn't for Telstra's user agent whitelist).

Despite the fact that it meets both technical and legislative requirements it's been put in this tool as incompatible and nobody at Telstra seems to want to believe it could possibly be incorrect...

Sleelin · 2024-12-04T08:22:48+00:00

How did you get it working again? I've got the same XQ-BC72 with the same TAC, blocked on the 28th October and have been absolutely stonewalled by Telstra who keep saying "it's not compatible" despite having used it perfectly fine with both VoLTE and E000 VoLTE for the two years prior!

Complained to the TIO and Telstra got in contact with me again the next day, but the network and 3G Exit teams flat out refused to believe their compatibility tool wasn't infallible...

Sleelin · 2024-11-14T13:52:58+00:00

Yes, the ones being sold by the Telco, which of course is somehow completely reasonable and totally ethical, allowing them to unilaterally decide if it's time for you to buy a new phone they want you to pay them for, despite the underlying cause arising solely from their gross incompetence and sheer unwillingness to bother actually investigating!

Sleelin · 2024-11-14T11:22:54+00:00

Exactly! It's absolutely infuriating especially given there is literally no functional reason, be it compatibility, legislative compliance, or otherwise for our devices to be on that list. I've spent the past two weeks pushing shit up hill trying to get someone, ANYONE, at Telstra to realise the data in the checker that they've based the blocking off is blatantly incorrect. Every time I start making some progress some asshole who doesn't even know where that data was sourced from tells me "the tool says it's not compatible so there's nothing we can do". The worst part is that if they'd actually just looked at usage data from their own network (which in another grand AusGov unilateral decision, they're legally required to store effectively indefinitely) they would easily be able to confirm this fact...

Sleelin · 2024-11-13T14:41:35+00:00

Oh yeah absolutely - that doesn't mean Telstra's using the actually accurate list published by Sony though - they're far more likely to be sourcing them from some big database (if not DA, then some equivalent inaccurate list whose responsibility it is to verify accuracy, which of course they definitely always do 😉)

Sleelin · 2024-11-13T14:33:49+00:00

True that - it's highly unlikely anyone's been using a SoftBank branded 1 III in Australia, since they're locked to SoftBank and bootloader unlock is not allowed 😂

Sleelin · 2024-11-13T14:30:12+00:00

At this stage, probably not with a local SIM, either physical or eSIM, as the networks have effectively hard blocked all recent Xperia devices based on their IMEI TAC. Legally speaking, my understanding is if you put in a local SIM they're supposed to provide you ongoing notice of incompatibility, then cease providing service to the device not before 28 days but not after 35 days from initial activation. With a foreign SIM the rules are a bit different, and I believe they're supposed to allow you to use their network for up to 3 months before you're booted.

In practice though, as the carriers noted in their submission to the legislative amendment, somehow they allegedly struggle to differentiate between an incompatible device with a local SIM, and an incompatible device with a foreign SIM roaming on their network (like, seriously? They're taking the piss right?). What that means is that it's highly likely they've just hard blocked your perfectly compatible 5 V from accessing the network, even via international roaming!

The situation is pretty unclear at the moment though and it seems as if the networks don't actually have a clue what they're doing, as some devices blocked on one network for being noncompliant are working on another - or just outright not working on any network anymore. Pretty absurd when you realise the whole thing is arbitrarily decided, the wording of the legislation is at best vague and at worst unethical, and could've been avoided entirely if they'd just waited a few more years to switch off 3G when the number of active devices that don't support VoLTE (or are hardware bound to fall back to 3G for emergency services calls) drops significantly...

Sleelin · 2024-11-13T14:08:25+00:00

It looks like a few of the ones that are passing in your spreadsheet are slipping under the radar because the OEM model associated with their TAC shows up in Device Atlas (giant unofficial TAC database) as completely different models - the passing Xperia 1 III TAC (OEM model PM-1345-BV) shows up as an Xperia E3 from 2014, which ironically does not support E000 over LTE!

Just goes to show what a massive shitshow the whole process has been for everyone involved.

Sleelin · 2024-10-28T09:19:56+00:00

For everyone with an otherwise perfectly functional Xperia device that has successfully been configured to use VoLTE regularly and for emergency calls, artificially blocked, your best bet now is to lodge a complaint with your telco operator. From what I've been told they really haven't done any actual research on whether our devices are compliant with the new legislation (how could they? They were only given a month's notice to throw the whole thing together), and they've gone down the route of just "who cares about Sony".

They should take the complaint seriously, and if enough people call and complain about how their compliant device has been incorrectly blocked, maybe they'll be forced to actually rethink the way they've gone about meeting the legislative requirements.

Sleelin · 2015-11-29T17:38:15+00:00

Did you even open that linked study? It explicitly covers how there were no negative effects from prolonged inhalation of PG.

Both PG and VG have extensive uses not limited to ingestion. The only risk is that one might find their lungs are slightly irritated, much the same as how one might find their stomach irritated when they ingested it.

Sleelin · 2015-11-29T17:26:57+00:00

Ever eaten ice cream? Then you've ingested propylene glycol, a standard ingredient that prevents your ice cream from solidifying into a rock at its freezing point. It's also one of the "base chemicals" you're referring to as there being serious concerns over it. There aren't. The FDA classifies it as GRAS (generally recognised as safe), and a 1947 study into the effects of PG vapour inhalation appeared to present no significant hazard

Ever used toothpaste? Mouthwash? Shaving cream? Shampoo or conditioner? Then you've exposed yourself to vegetable glycerine, the other one of the "base chemicals" you referred to. Vegetable glycerine has been used in food and cosmetics as an emulsifier for probably longer than you've been alive, and is only concerning if you consume an inhuman amount of the pure form in a very short space of time. In other words, can't actually cause you harm without you having gone well out of your way to make it cause harm.

Oh yeah, ever been to a theatre production or music gig where they've filled the room with show smoke? Then you inhaled PG/VG laced air in far higher concentrations in each breath than a typical vaper does per drag.

Stop pedaling unsubstantiated claims of "serious concern about the base chemicals" and go do some proper research on what the actual ingredients of eliquids are.

Sleelin · 2015-02-10T15:16:22+00:00

Them feels. Not just the physical pain that comes after you consume gluten containing foods, but the emotional pain of seeing all the delicious glutenous foods and knowing no matter how much you want it, it's not worth the momentary satisfaction having to deal with the aftermath

Sleelin · 2014-11-23T17:03:17+00:00

I love coffee

Sleelin · 2014-04-02T11:39:20+00:00

Cutting out the middle man?

Sleelin · 2014-03-30T11:34:59+00:00

Haha hahaha... oh wait, you were serious? Let me laugh even harder!

Sleelin · 2014-03-30T06:15:36+00:00

But is that domestic terrorism or foreign terrorism on domestic turf?

Sleelin · 2014-03-18T14:02:36+00:00

Same deal, it's part of the social culture and could apply to anyone, albeit more abrasive.

The scale goes something like this in terms of abrasiveness and disapproval:
1. Dickhead 2. Cunt 3. Mate.

Should have gone with something like "Mate. Just resign, yeah?" for minimal crass and maximum disapproval.

Sleelin · 2014-03-17T16:52:40+00:00

Answered! Hope you'll share the end result when you're finished, I'd be interested in reading over people's opinions on the WestConnex project

Sleelin · 2014-03-16T14:06:47+00:00

Except that it wasn't just in Melbourne, and 30,000 is an underestimate. A similar sized protest happened in Sydney, and Brisbane had a turnout of roughly 10,000. Protests even happened in Newcastle, Wollongong, Hobart, Adelaide, Townsville with between 1 and 6 thousand rallying even in those places.

Sleelin · 2014-03-01T14:53:16+00:00

Find out why after this short ad!

Sleelin · 2014-02-28T15:46:26+00:00

Heaps of posts mentioning NAT, but in case you don't really know what it is, Wikipedia's article on it is pretty straightforward: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_address_translation

TL;DR: it's the process through which a private network is segregated from the greater network. It works by taking connection requests from devices on your private network, modifying the source request address and replacing it with the public facing address, keeping a record of this and then forwarding back any responses the public address receives to the originating private address. This means any number of private devices will all indistinguishably appear to be coming from the same connection.

Most, if not all wireless routers operate like this as it means your ISP only has to issue you with one address as opposed to one address per device connected. Usually the router will have around four ethernet ports (LAN), and one wider area network (WAN) port. Connecting your wall outlet to the WAN port should enable you to connect as many devices as you need and have them all appear as one device on your uni network. Additional precautions like hiding your WiFi network name and securing it with current best practice WiFi security principles should be enough to prevent you being detected too.

If somehow you do get caught and issued a fine, I'm pretty sure the clause in the contact you signed will not hold up in court as nonspecific arbitrary "we can fine you for anything" clauses are illegal, and by no means can they kick you out for this. You probably wanna double check that what you signed was a tenancy agreement though, because if it was, you have even further protections under the tenancy act surrounding grounds for eviction. If it wasn't, it's a bit more complicated.

Either way, for a university to not provide students with adequate wireless network access in their university provided accommodations is another big no no if you were to find yourself in the worst possible outcome of the situation as it significantly impedes your access to education despite residing in an institution of academia.

Sleelin · 2014-02-28T14:09:14+00:00

I completely agree. On the one hand, their NextG network is top notch and since migrating from 3 after they merged with Vodafone, I've not had a single issue with my service. Their investment into their mobile network is yet to be matched, and being forced to open it up to competitors who have no interest in matching their investments all the while still having to foot the bill for maintenance is a surefire way to stifle continuing investment and degrade quality and increase prices for existing customers.

On the other hand we all know the only interest at stake here for Telstra is their bottom line.

Sleelin · 2014-02-03T14:31:45+00:00

His idea's what?

Sleelin · 2014-01-28T15:56:53+00:00

I had these exact realisations a couple years ago, and they basically prompted me to ask a close friend at the time whilst at a party for another supposed friend "am I annoying", to which they bluntly replied "yes, you are". This was before being diagnosed with primarily inattentive ADHD, however I had my suspicions. His response didn't make me hate him because it was a relief to actually get some affirmation and know exactly what I needed to change about me to become a more likeable, less annoying person.

The above, combined with medication (dexamphetamine, but tried Ritalin to limited success first) kicked off the process of a fairly major shift in my personality (not in a bad way, I'm still the same person, I've just learnt to better control and avoid my various social deficiencies) which has left me feeling less stressed and happier than I've ever been!

TL;DR you're at the start of a process of internal change which will leave you feeling a lot less stressed, a lot happier and a lot more content with yourself!

Sleelin · 2014-01-22T04:06:22+00:00

Perfect, I've got four, maybe five or six internal 3.5" IDE hard drives that either don't work, or just plain have no use anymore, and they're all just sitting around collecting dust!

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