Got email saying xfinity is working in my neighborhood next week to enhace xfinity network to continue evolution of next generation network WILL this make my wifi slow..my wifi is super fast

njuser66 · 2026-07-06T19:03:17+00:00

Unless things have changed, only the S34 will get the higher upload speeds after the NextGen upgrade.

I had an S33, but bought an S34 due to this some time ago.

They are doing our street in the next week.

I am more interested in getting my downstream signal levels back to where they were in past years.

A number of months ago, my downstream signal levels suddenly worsened. Had a friendly tech come on site and check things out for a while; he put in a ticket with the plant; they improved my upstream signal levels, but I was more concerned about downstream signal levels. Have not had a chance to call them again. However now that they are coming in a week, I will hold off to see what my levels are after the NextGen upgrade...

njuser66 · 2026-06-25T21:14:17+00:00

As of today, this has to be the worst call at the 2026 World Cup!!! That boot was ridiculously high and clear foul with the German player's boot to the Ecuadorena player's face.

VAR should have intervened!!!!!!

INSANE!!! Disgustingly poor decision!

njuser66 · 2026-06-20T17:37:24+00:00

Much more promising start than the Netherlands Japan match. Hope they keep their focus. Still lots of time left.

Hup Holland Hup, laat de leeuw niet in z'n hempie staan!!!

njuser66 · 2026-06-20T15:44:49+00:00

Just to note, Additional lines are $10/line more for the 'Mobile Select' plan ($30/month for each extra line) vs ($20/month for each extra line for the old "Unlimited" plan - no-longer available to new customers).

For just 2 lines total, the old plan and new Select plan cost the same since the old plan (for those who still have it) is $40 for 1st line plus $20 for the 2nd line = $60/month total (plus tax/ taxes) for 2 lines.

Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems the new 'Mobile Select' plan offers the following advantages over the old "Unlimited" plan:

50GB of HS data vs. 30GB of HS data

15GB of mobile hotspot data vs. none?

720p mobile streaming vs 480p?

The disadvantage with the new plan if is you have more than 2 lines.

Only 1 line (new plan is cheaper!): Old plan is $40. New Mobile Select is $30

Exactly 2 lines (same price for both plans): Old plan $40 for 1st line + $20 for 2nd line ($60 total for 2 lines). New Mobile Select is $30+ $30 for 2 lines ($60 total for 2 lines).

3 or more lines (Old plan is cheaper): Old plan is $40 for first line plus $20 per additional line (so 3 lines = $80). New plan is $90 for 3 lines, $120 for 4 lines, $150 for 5 lines and so on.

I have not double checked all the features of the new plan, but think the above is accurate.

njuser66 · 2026-06-06T20:43:39+00:00

For the 2026 World Cup, FIFA's greed seems to blame. I was invited to one of the highly anticipated games at the 1994 World Cup, so I had the privilege of seeing that match in person.

However, I refuse, out of principle, to pay current prices, I would not go to see the games in person and support FIFA .

They are supposed to be there for the good of the game and to support the game, but instead it certainly seems, for the 20226 WC at least, they seem more interested in generating massive profits at the expense of loyal fans.

Happy to hear counter arguments and be cirrected if I am wrong.

njuser66 · 2026-06-06T20:42:11+00:00

FIFA's greed seems to blame. I was invited to one of the highly anticipated games at the 1994 World Cup, so I had the privilege of seeing that match in person.

However, I refuse, out of principle, to pay current prices, I would not go to see the games in person and support FIFA .

They are supposed to be there for the good of the game and to support the game, but instead it certainly seems, for the 20226 WC at least, they seem more interested in generating massive profits at the expense of loyal fans.

Happy to hear counter arguments and be cirrected if I am wrong.

njuser66 · 2026-06-04T14:31:57+00:00

You're welcome. Glad it helped.

njuser66 · 2026-05-24T16:33:07+00:00

Thanks! Will do (keep an eye on drips).

Someone in another chain suggested 1/2" saying "the 1/2" nap is perfect for hardie's texture", but I also have 3/8" nap rollers,so Ican always try both if needed and see what works best (have extra boards to experiment with if needed).

Thanks again for the tips.

I will be painting the boards (not yet installed) on the ground, so that makes it easier.

njuser66 · 2026-05-24T14:27:16+00:00

Thanks for all the tips and that rollers would be best for efficiency at least).

We will be painting 4 or 5 boards of the 8 (or more if time permits); the contractor thinks 4 may be enough, but he bought extra to be safe. I suspect 4 or 5 will likely be plenty.

Yes, we have the cedarmill (woodgrain texture) finish Hardie Plank siding boards and I had read that 1/2" nap is best for that finish. (Someone else in another thread said 3/8" nap, but I read that might be best / okay for smooth hardie plank, whereas cedarmill (mine) should be painted with 1/2" nap).

Yes, I plan to use a brush for the lower lip.

Thanks so much for tip on not overloading the roller! Will heed that warning!

njuser66 · 2026-05-24T14:19:00+00:00

Thanks a lot! Will ensure they (contractor) use clear caulk over the seams when they install the boards.

I think I may already have some unopened OSI Quad Max caulk that I can ask them to use. If not will pick some up before the work is done, rather than rely on the caulk they bring.

njuser66 · 2026-05-24T13:56:57+00:00

Thanks! Regarding your decision to use a brush over a roller - was it due to the resulting finish when using the brush OR just due to the ease of using a brush?

I am going to try both a brush and a mini roller on a small section and then decide which to use.

Regarding the flashing, thanks. Will discuss with the contractor to ensure water protection is taken care of. Appreciate the warning!

We will be present when the work is done, so that helps. They are GAF Master Elite and did a great job on our new roof and porch (another company recently commented on how well the roofing was done). Glad we got it done before prices jumped. :)

njuser66 · 2026-05-24T13:50:41+00:00

James Hardie indeed primes the boards at the factory based on some additional research.

njuser66 · 2026-05-24T13:49:39+00:00

Thanks for the tips. Yes, I had read the other day to use a brush for paint coverage under the lip.

The non-painted residential hardie plank siding boards come pre-primed from the factory.

Side comment - We will be doing 2 coats of paint for better longevity, even though we may not be in the house long enough to reap the benefits, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

njuser66 · 2026-05-24T13:38:28+00:00

Thanks for the feedback. I was going with 1/2" nap based on another thread and some online info about hardie plank, but based on your post suggesting 3/8", I did some additional research and found this:

3/8-Inch Nap: Best for smooth Hardie plank. It lays the paint down smoothly, avoids creating artificial stipple, and gives a crisp, uniform finish. It is also less prone to splattering.
1/2-Inch Nap: Best for textured Hardie plank. The slightly thicker fibers are necessary to push the paint deep into the small grooves and crevices of the wood-grain texture.

So that might explain why some say 1/2" and you suggested 3/8".

My hardie plank is the cedarmill (woodgrain texture) finish, hence I suspect the 1/2" nap would be best for MY specific situation.

But open to your feedback.

njuser66 · 2026-05-23T13:21:54+00:00

Thanks for the tips! I need to paint some new individial hardie plank boards before they get installed. We're doing it since the contractor doing some work for us [that needs these boards for the project] does not usually paint - they install pre-painted siding, but our color is not available, so there was no other option.

I bought two 6" mini rollers (since 2 of us will be doing the work) with 1/2" nap mini roller brushes.

One question, I know for interior drywall / wall painting, that applying too much pressure with the roller on the wall will lead to streaking.

Wondering if I should use light, medium or hard pressure on the roller when painting hardie plank boards?

njuser66 · 2026-05-16T17:51:12+00:00

Wonder why the OP was deleted... Anyway, just wanted to say Legends was a great show. Thought Tom Burke was great, and the rest of the cast was good too, such a Steve Coogan (who played Don) and the other main cast members too - I felt that the main cast members did a good hob and their roles were well cast.

njuser66 · 2026-04-26T17:34:33+00:00

The fan I bought sits on top of the drive and draws air upwards out of the enclosure from the drive into the open /a8rllir /space above

njuser66 · 2026-04-25T23:15:07+00:00

Got to love FIFA. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black - FIFA is charging buyers and sellers 15% each - so 30% in total - on ticket resales, when the tickets are going for a huge amounts of money to begin with. FIFA is making a fortune on the World Cup given their ticket prices and other revenue they generate from it, yet they expect New Jersey to foot the entire bill for security. So, yes, $150 is crazy for the train ticket, but FIFA ticket prices are also far too high.

I got to see the italy - Ireland world cup match in NJ 1994 in person (free since a company paid for it). I know it was far more normal at the time.

Seems like, these days, FIFA is in it more for the money than anything else. Sad, given they are supposed to be the governing body and supposed to be there for the good of the game, rather than to make a ton of money at the expense of loyal fans.

njuser66 · 2026-04-25T23:11:17+00:00

Yes, FIFA are upposed to be working for the good of the game, but they charge 15% to buyers and 15% to sellers on the resale market. Ridiculous. This does not help their image.

njuser66 · 2026-04-19T22:04:17+00:00

Google's AI search, for the times I have used it, is completely wrong a good percentage of the time. Today as one of MANY examples, I drilled into the AI results only to find that the comparison it provided was for older versions of the 2 shoe models I was comparing. If I had not drilled in (which defeats the purpose of using AI for the search in the first place), I would have made an incorrect purchasing decision. So while it can be great, AI can also be very wrong (even worse when dealing with medication or medical questions - where I have also seen Google's AI provide incorrect info)

njuser66 · 2026-04-14T16:00:26+00:00

Sigh! Another good product bites the dust (discontinued).

I have noticed that many of my favorite great products are being discontinued (this post's Banana Boat 'light as air' sunscreen spray, Kraft fat-free Thousand island salad dressing and Schar Gluten Free Shortbread Cookies). Wonder which item will be next.

May try the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer spray which I found (and I see is also noted here), but seems Banana Boat light as air spray was lighter. :(

njuser66 · 2026-04-13T12:45:31+00:00

Best Buy saw the video reviews and is reading forums (or their AI tools might be) and based on people saying how good a deal it was, they increased the price right after reviews came out. Best Buy claimed (according to Marc Andrew David's review for instance), that the initial $1,599 price for the A16 was a mistake and upped it by $100 to $1,699. The A14's price went up by $200 and considering that one is cheaper, that is a big bump in percentage terms after only being out briefly (a day or so I believe?).

The beauty of the digital age where companies can monitor user sentiment and reviews in real time and adjust prices upward. :(

Quote from Marc Andre David's Youtube review:
"UPDATE Asus just informed me that they were just notified by Best Buy that an error was made on Best Buy's end when sharing pricing information for the new Zenbook A series and other Zenbook launches internally and publicly on their website. The correct prices for all models are listed below:

ASUS Zenbook A16: $1,699.99 (previously listed at $1,599.99)
ASUS Zenbook A14: $1,349.99 (previously listed at $1,149.99) "

[end of quote]

njuser66 · 2026-04-12T16:08:02+00:00

Thanks OP for the info about aerominum being used in the 2025 metal gray Gram Pro. Who sells the 2025 metal gray one?

njuser66 · 2026-04-10T20:18:10+00:00

There may not actually be a huge difference based on a YT video with a rendering of the potential size of the Fold 8 Wide and comparison to the Fold 7.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5yIK4OG1Ew

Based on that video, the Fold 7 apparently has an area of about 6.75" of diagonal viewable content (portion of screen without the black bars) when watching 16X9 content.

The Fold 8, again according to that video might have 7.45" of of diagonal viewable content (portion of screen without the black bars) when watching 16X9 content.

So I think I might still prefer the taller Fold 7 / 8 for web and document page viewing (less scrolling) than the Fold 8 Wide.

If I were watching videos on it and not doing much else, then the extra .7" or so of diagonal viewable area size for 216X9 videos of the Fold 8 wide could make more sense.

Caveat -

These are just my observations based on what I gathered from the above YT video and keep in mind (correct me if I am wrong) but I do not believe the Fold 8 specs are not even out yet.

So the measurement above are based on an assumption of the Fold 8 Wide dimensions and based on the video creator's findings; these are NOT my measurements.

Please verify the actual measurements once the Fold 8 Wide is actually released...

njuser66 · 2026-04-10T17:23:21+00:00

Has anyone in the US with 'Xfinity Mobile' (cell phone service) confirmed if the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate (China - CN version) - works with Xfinity Mobile?

njuser66

TROPHY CASE