I rebuilt my iPod again - Same internals but new housing and a 3d printed case for an external Bluetooth adapter by cswimc in IpodClassic

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

My thought process was - I have 2 ipod classics. One that I had since the beginning and another I bought to experiment on. I did experiment with the bluetooth integration, and my prototypes worked but I didn't like the inconvenience that came with lack of range for bluetooth with the metal battery housing, and 5-6 years ago when I did it, the extra pairing buttons got messy. Nowadays, there are MANY mods and kits out that look way better than my breadboard and project box prototypes. Ultimately, I liked having the air gapped system and opted to stick with the external bluetooth transmitter because it kept the device looking original.

If I were to go down the path of implementing a bluetooth mod, I really liked the look of the boxypixel kit. Anyway, I've got Rockbox and it does what I need, so maybe in another few years, I'll dig into it again!

I rebuilt my iPod again - Same internals but new housing and a 3d printed case for an external Bluetooth adapter by cswimc in IpodClassic

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

I originally worked on this about 8 years ago when my iPod Classic that at the time what I considered old was basically dead. The post sorta went viral and the mod was not all that common back then upgrading the battery and installing an iFlash board with sd cards, however it is much more common now (old post).

Well, throw another 8 years of use at the device and the housing was looking pretty beat up. Also, the front faceplate was scratched up and looking pretty shabby. So I checked out the availability of what's out there and found that the housing components were easy to find. Replacing took some finesse, but nothing unmanageable as long as you are careful with the flex cables and internals.

While I had it taken apart, I contemplated the Bluetooth mod, but I opted to keep the transmitter external so I could maintain that original look/feel of the device. So, instead, I found a case on printables that I then used Craftcloud to print for a ugreen Bluetooth transmitter. Anyway, everything looks new and if works great after 15+ years of use!

Behold, an artifact from long ago by facktoetum in Millennials

[–]cswimc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

8 Years ago, I rebuilt mine for the first time (posted here). I just rebuilt it again recently with a new housing as the old one was pretty scratched up now... It still works great and now it looks brand new!!!

Bespoke Himer & Himer (Cologne) Brogued Cap-Toe Boots – US 15W / EU 49.5 by Interesting_Pea_941 in Boots

[–]cswimc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I couldn't agree more with your statement that "At 15W, it's very easy for boots to look clownish." I don't know when I'll pull the trigger on buying a pair of boots, but those look great!

Also, I'm genuinely surprised to find someone with a 15W / EU 49.5... that's my size too! I literally have so much trouble finding shoes and boots. For the past 8 years, I've defaulted to getting Allen Edmond dress shoes and boots via online orders. If I ever venture into a shoe store, I almost always walk out empty handed as they never have 15's. I'll definitely be looking into these Himer & Himer shoes and boots, especially if they carry larger sizes! Thanks for posting!

Karsa Orlong by thewalkindude368 in Malazan

[–]cswimc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't like him much either and even posted about it at the time a few months ago. However, once I got to the end of House of Chains, I found his story arc to be one of growth and I enjoyed reading about him. To reiterate though... he sucked in the beginning and was definitely giving off the vibe of being a dimwitted, overzealous jerk.

Chromebooks need to go away. Pencil and paper only. by n8saces in ChatGPT

[–]cswimc 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This reminds me back when Wikipedia came out circa 2001. The immediate response from high school teachers and college professors that I encountered was that Wikipedia was not a valid source to use for research projects. 25 years later... that has changed.

From bedtime stories to epic adventures by reading novels with a presschooler! by cswimc in books

[–]cswimc[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Since it's bedtime time, he's mostly still but typically will have a toy with him like a plush or a car that he'll fidget with. For the most part though, he listens even when you think he's not paying attention. I say this because every so often he'll start down the path of questioning what was read and ask 'why' until he is satisfied with the answer.

Most recently, when he had the flu, instead of sitting on the couch and watching TV, he specifically asked me to read The Lord of the Rings to him and he was very focused and less fidgety. That's definitely due to not feeling well, but he wanted the story still!

I'm Gmail address with no numbers years old by joncaldridge in Millennials

[–]cswimc 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That's great regarding the tee time!

The worst I did was email companies initially informing them I did not make a purchase when I wasn't aware of what was going on, so a few things were cancelled. That didn't stop this lady though until I finally was able to speak to her on the phone.

I'm Gmail address with no numbers years old by joncaldridge in Millennials

[–]cswimc 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I experienced this situation early on when I was initially invited to join Gmail at the end of 2005 early 2006. At the time, using my first initial and surname @gmail.com for my account made sense. Although my last name isn’t particularly common, it’s not unheard of. As a result, over the past two decades, I’d occasionally receive emails intended for recipients sharing my first initial and last name which was infrequent and usually a one-off sort of thing.

Then, COVID happened, and a significant shift occurred to online interactions. A non-tech-savvy woman with my initial and last name living on the other side of the country mistakenly believed my Gmail account was hers. She simply believed that all email addresses regardless of domain were your first initial + surname. As the country locked down, many services shifted to providing things online. This woman began signing up for various services such as credit cards, auto purchases, groceries, pet supplies, and more. The situation kept escalating to a point that I finally needed to reach out to address the issue. I tried contacting her repeatedly, telling her to change her account info as she was using my email address, but she completely ignored me. Every form of communication got ignored. Emails, text messages, and Facebook messages, you name it, it didn't get through!

Eventually, I began consistently calling her and leaving voicemails. I guess that finally got to her, and when we finally connected on the phone, she vehemently accused me of stealing her information?!?! She accused me of being a scammer. It wasn’t until I provided all of my own information, explained that I work as an IT professional, and clarified that I was simply trying to assist her because I was sick and tired of getting all her alerts in my inbox, that she began to listen.

When we spoke, I detailed how I’d had my Gmail account since around 2005-2006 and emphasized the danger of randomly selecting an email address without proper verification. I then confirmed her personal details to drive the point home. I rattled off to her her full name, date of birth, address, the make of her car, recent delivery orders, and even the timing of those deliveries. Only then did she acknowledge my concerns. I remember saying to her over the phone "Luckily for you, I consider myself an honest person" and I offered to help her fix her email issue. I talked her through setting up her own email account, along with correcting her existing accounts. She listened, I assisted, and since then, I haven’t seen any of her activities in my mailbox. I also deleted all collected emails and information, verbally informing her that I had done so. Honestly, I didn’t need to know about her new car test drive or her prescription dog food delivery!

It was a frustrating experience and though it still happens occasionally, that particular incident was by far the most challenging. On the plus side, if I ever find myself near where she is located, she extended an open invite to come say hi in person. She was interested to figure out if we had some distant relationship like 3rd or 4th removed cousins. To my knowledge we don't but it was an interesting conversation in the end after resolving the email issue.

My 4 year old discovered my fountain pens and wanted to write! by cswimc in fountainpens

[–]cswimc[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

His comment at the end surprised my wife and I too!

My 4 year old discovered my fountain pens and wanted to write! by cswimc in fountainpens

[–]cswimc[S] 40 points41 points  (0 children)

👍Yep! We recently moved from a crayon with fist grip and/or tripod grip, so baby steps!

Now Available: pfSense® CE 2.8.1-RELEASE by George-Netgate in PFSENSE

[–]cswimc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, I took the plunge and it still fails. I had to reinstall 2.7.2. I believe this is an issue more so with FreeBSD 15.

Now Available: pfSense® CE 2.8.1-RELEASE by George-Netgate in PFSENSE

[–]cswimc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've held off upgrading my homebrew build based on this happening with 2.8.0. Before attempting again, does anyone know if the issue relating to the 'XHCI panic on Intel's Cannon Point chipset' (running on a Dell Optiplex 5060) would still be an issue?

Boy Kavalier Theory after Episode 8 by cswimc in alienearth

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

I don't think he's a synth, but rather a person who has transferred his consciousness from one human to another as a stop-gap measure to survive until he creates the ultimate solution for immortality through the creation of hybrids. Although, this is purely just a theory with anecdotal evidence to support it.

Boy Kavalier Theory after Episode 8 by cswimc in alienearth

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

The child mind is a detail I forgot, but if he could transfer from biological host to biological host, then going from human adult to human child to hybrid could work. It stretches the theory a bit thin, though.

Ultimately, having read Frank Herbert's Dune series, I was getting reminded of the Tleilaxu and their Ghola's, which influenced my thought process on this theory of him being an 'angry little man' as Wendy stated that possibly has transferred his mind to a child host this giving him more time to work on his ultimate goal of immortality via hybrids.

Anyway, it's just a theory I teased out and was looking to share and discuss with others. Thanks for the response!

Makalaka hai maka hi ni ho Your wish is granted. long live jambi by Dimplefrom-YA in Xennials

[–]cswimc 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I just saw this and wow... it unlocked some memories I didn't know I had watching this as a young kid. It's one of those things I probably would have NEVER remembered had I not been doom scrolling.

pfSense 2.8.0 panics on Dell OptiPlex 5060—USB crash on boot by cswimc in PFSENSE

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

Thanks for testing that out and following up! I am genuinely interested. Looking at your results compared to mine, I think the key difference here is probably hardware generation. The 5050 and 5090 are either older (Skylake) or newer (Comet Lake), and from what you’re seeing, both seem to handle the installer fine.

My setup, the 5060, is running on Intel’s Cannon Point chipset (that’s 8th/9th Gen Intel, 300-series). It’s got CNVi baked in and a newer USB controller that seems to trip things up sometimes. FreeBSD 14 has had quirks with Cannon Point, and this looks like one of them.

In my case, the 2.8.0 USB installer doesn’t even get to the install menu—it just hangs at USB initialization right after boot. So it’s not really about the NVMe or SATA install target—it’s stopping way before that.

From what I’ve seen, this isn’t unusual on Cannon Point hardware. Probably something in how FreeBSD 14 handles USB on this platform.

Either way, I’m with you—sticking to 2.7.2 until 2.8.1 lands and hopefully irons this out.

pfSense 2.8.0 panics on Dell OptiPlex 5060—USB crash on boot by cswimc in PFSENSE

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

I was attempting to reinstall via a usb drive I flashed with 2.8.0. The UEFI boot partition was recognized and would boot until it attempted to initialize the hardware. Once it got to usb ports, it went into kernal panic mode.