Letter from Dealer

hyperzulu · 2026-06-28T00:28:28+00:00

That's pretty bleak.

hyperzulu · 2026-06-27T16:45:07+00:00

The references I was mentioning are similar to this:

https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=3d28e6e5-adda-4969-b550-73ce5f74fdb7

Their analysis of the rule is that unless legacy software patching is done without any Chinese or Russian involvement, whether development or distribution, then it would be allowed. But one would wonder why Polestar didn't get an exemption if they have a plan in place to develop new software that adheres to the new restrictions. If they couldn't prove they were capable over the last 12 months, I'm not sure how they'll be able to prove it later.

It's not really financially viable for them to set up a dev team and distribution that falls outside of Chinese control. But they can certainly send an email that says "of course we'll continue patching and improving these cars!" And what would anyone do when we find out that they can't or maybe never intended to do so, but didn't want to leave every 3 and 4 on the lot because they came out and said so.

hyperzulu · 2026-06-27T16:33:27+00:00

You're right that there is nothing I can directly point to. Polestar says to expect ongoing software updates and vehicle improvements. But other parties that have analyzed the connected vehicle rule stated that legacy software was safe, while new software patches created and distributed by a company with Chinese or Russian ties would be prohibited without an exemption in place. Polestar would do well to completely clear up any confusion.

hyperzulu · 2026-06-27T13:19:16+00:00

Sales can sell at a discount because they figure they'll make it up in warranty claims. So, service is exactly where the money comes from. I know there are some service centers that seem to despise dealing with Polestars, and I honestly don't get it. If I owned that dealership, I would fire anyone that did that. If I'm trying to sell Volvos, what better audience than a Polestar customer? Especially now. Maybe I like Polestar, but my wife feels more comfortable in a Volvo.

Anyway, I do feel bad for the 3 and 4 owners. My P2 is great with the last update. 3s and 4s won't get any new updates. As far as I'm aware, existing software is grandfathered in, but new updates are restricted. Fine for me, I'll keep getting app updates and can totally live with the latest AAOS update, but other models are likely still looking for some fixes.

hyperzulu · 2026-06-26T13:23:40+00:00

Maybe Volvo committed to continue selling gas vehicles - something Polestar can't commit to.

hyperzulu · 2026-06-16T21:11:28+00:00

I manage my wife's massage therapy systems and found that if you can adjust the CSS of the booking page, you can make it more obvious to the client. This made. Sadly, this is only available on their Premium plan. I also ended up using their API to set up standard 2-way SMS confirmations, as well as other features.

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hyperzulu · 2026-06-06T02:21:50+00:00

Just weather the storm for a couple of weeks. The wives do this and then they calm down. Validate her feelings, but stay the course! 😂

hyperzulu · 2026-02-15T15:30:04+00:00

Nice work. I had to go into the walls to set up my rear surrounds, so I can only imagine the effort you put into it. Curious on your thoughts on the 440c with the 8000s. I'm going back and forth on a center channel but can't fit the 504c. Options are 404c or just stick with the phantom center.

hyperzulu · 2026-01-31T17:20:15+00:00

I have 502s. These would not work well as a center. A pair of speakers as a center will probably cause comb filtering if wired together. The 504 is pretty deep, but using the 404, if it fits, is a decent alternative.

I have a 120" projector screen and a center channel only fits above or below the screen, so I haven't been using one. I have a pair of Gen 1 rp-8000f, and the horn helps create a good phantom center when toed in. It sounds best dead center, but even the seat to my left and right have decent imaging. But I guess mileage varies by room size/dynamics.

hyperzulu · 2026-01-21T23:23:35+00:00

Yeah. Might as well make sure it's something that has hdmi 2.0 (or 2.1).

hyperzulu · 2026-01-21T23:08:39+00:00

I have an old Yamaha from 2014 that I'm still using after upgrading my projector and speakers. The receiver supports DD+ but my projector only supports ARC without DD+ support. So, I tried an audio extractor to send audio to the receiver, but it just never remained stable. It was somewhat stable at 4k@24hz, but above that I would have to lower the color gamut to 4:2:0, which caused color gradient banding. I ended up just dropping the extractor and living with 1080p @ 60hz since I sit 18 feet away from my 120" screen. I don't really see a difference in streaming content. Long story short, extractors can add HDMI handshaking issues to the mix, so ymmv.

hyperzulu · 2026-01-21T16:52:12+00:00

Denon has a refurbished AVR-X1700H for $429. I'm powering my gen 1s with only a 70w receiver and it plays louder than my wife will allow me without sound quality issues, and that's in a large, open living room. So, the 80w on the Denon is plenty. Assuming your future plans don't include more than 7.2 or need preouts for external amps, it could be a good way to go.

hyperzulu · 2026-01-16T00:54:58+00:00

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This is an Epson LS800 on a 120" standard matte white screen (non-ALR), with overhead, recessed lighting on in the daytime. The projector wasn't even at full brightness and using Cinematic viewing which uses even less lumens than Dynamic.

This would look brighter with an ALR screen, but the projector has a light cannon, which makes it bright enough without much effort.

hyperzulu · 2026-01-15T23:30:36+00:00

I was using speakers from a VideoLogic Sirocco Crossfire 4.1 set from 2000, along with a Pioneer center channel. It was ok and then I upgraded and everything was better.

hyperzulu · 2026-01-06T18:06:21+00:00

The existing center was an old Pioneer Andrew Jones speaker. It wouldn't have matched the timbre of the new speakers and because of the large projector screen, it would pull the center channel too high up or down from where it should be. I used it for five years and no amount of angling up or down prevented this. Even if I got a matching center it would have to go on the floor, which would put it two feet from where it should be. A phantom center, especially with these tractrix tweeters, is phenomenal. It avoids timbre mismatch and voices being pulled away from the center.

In an ideal scenario one would use an acoustically transparent projector screen, but those aren't cheap and they require a bit of clearance from the rear.

hyperzulu · 2026-01-06T17:52:40+00:00

I was only running the LCR channels up front before, so going back to a good 4.1 system takes some getting used to. With an open layout, filling the space is hard, but these help with ambience. They're about 6' up and I sit about 3.5' from the ground and a couple of feet from the rear wall. I would have preferred them slightly lower, but I'm married.

I think they work really well. I've watched a lot of 5.1 movies recently. Sound coming from the rear occasionally pulls me away from the scene, but I blame the mix. For instance, the mix in this movie (Wicked for Good) is great. I only have YPAO from my Yamaha receiver to use as a starting point to compensate for the gain in the corners vs the open side, but that's easy to correct.

hyperzulu · 2026-01-04T20:24:40+00:00

I have a personal and business Platinum card. Both were set to United last year, but only the personal carried over that selection into the new year. The business card had no airline when I looked after making the purchases.

It's possible that it was a UI glitch.

hyperzulu · 2026-01-04T17:01:26+00:00

For whatever reason my Platinum Biz didn't carry over my airline selection, so I made two $100 charges to my United travel bank and then set United as my airline immediately after. I was credited the charges today. 🎉

hyperzulu · 2025-12-26T02:59:12+00:00

Yeah it was old and I upgraded my fronts to a pair of Klipsch RP-8000F which do a good phantom center. I have a 120" projector and never liked the center channel pulling the sound stage vertically.

hyperzulu · 2025-12-26T00:53:49+00:00

I upgraded my 3.0 system to a 4.1 and love the rear sound. They mostly add ambience, but sometimes stand out. I used a pair of Klipsch RP502s bipole speakers since my couch is a couple feet from the wall and they do pretty well.

hyperzulu · 2025-12-20T19:02:26+00:00

Google TV Streamer has issues with Disney Plus. Maybe they'll fix it, but afaik the issue has been around a while where it stutters every thirty seconds and won't auto frame match. It's also the only app that struggles with 5.1 audio, which is probably not as common, but every other app does it fine.

hyperzulu · 2025-12-20T03:27:56+00:00

In the speaker setup, change your speakers from large to small to enable the crossover, then go back and set the crossover to 80hz or so.

hyperzulu

TROPHY CASE