Please make it make sense??? :'-(

I was at another community today, waiting for Hotwire to come and hook up both Internet and television in somebody's house. 

No, not my house; I haven't moved. I was doing this for someone else who bought a place locally and needed a body in the apartment, as they're not here yet. 

We all know what a mess Hotwire is, from dealing with the shenanigans in my community. I've made plenty of posts regarding tech issues, insights and wild blowouts, yet, there are still small challenges we face on a weekly basis. 

Today was no different, although this is going to be a brand new account for someone who doesn't know from HotMess. 

After being told a tech would arrive between 8 and 10 this morning, a guy showed up about 9:30, backpack in hand and ready to hook everything up. He was showed where the three televisions were and where the laundry room was, so the devices can be attached to the wall (a Nokia modem and an Eero router). 

The tech starts working on hooking everything together and asks us to call the person who owns the unit, so that this tech can get access to the Eero device and complete an account. We told him that there already was a Hotwire account made and we have some information to give him, and he informs us that he really needs the Eero information as what we have does him no good. 

Huh?

We get the homeowner on the phone and explain the situation: the tech is looking for a text code to continue the internet set up, but he can only do that if the homeowner downloads and installs the Eero app to their cell phone and create an account through that. 

Why? An account via Hotwire was made; what does Eero have to do with this? 

Eero is the main box that Hotwire configures everything through. In order to proceed with anything internet related, the company has to go through Eero. If you don't do anything in the Eero app, there potentially will be too many problems down the road with Hotwire, if you need any type of troubleshooting help or need to return the devices.

I said that we were told, during our set up several years ago, that Eero is a Wi-Fi extender. It makes sure that we get wireless internet through out the house. All our information is done through the Hotwire app. 

He informs us that's false because Hotwire requires everyone to install and use the Eero app in order to make their internet run. If you don't have that, you don't have internet. 

I questioned him about that, as I reiterated that the Eero is an extender because we have a Nokia modem. He shot me down, stating that's not true. The Nokia is a modem that may be the brains of what is provided, however, the Eero is the one doing all the work. It is not a mesh / extender. It is the actual router. Without the Eero, you don't have (wireless) internet. 

Again, I questioned it because it wasn't how any other tech explained this to us and we also know plenty of people in our community who were told the same thing as we were: The Nokia is what supplies the Internet, the Eero is what makes sure you get a full spray across your house. 

To this he still fought me, saying that's wrong information. 

I asked him if what he's trying to say is correct, then basically the Nokia shouldn't be part of the equation? That our internet is coming from the Eero only? 

The long of the short of it is yes and no. 

You need the Nokia modem to get a part of the Internet, as it acts as wired internet. The Eero is plugged into the Nokia and makes the Internet wireless. 

So the Nokia isn't wireless already? You can't just hook it up and go online in another room?

Correct. 

(Essentially the Nokia is a hardwired device only. You can't roam the house expecting to get online because it won't do do that)

Well that's shitty, I think to myself. What a con job. 

(there are a few con jobs going on in this deal.. it's a magician's cup special. Watch where the coin is going under one of the vessels.. and then guess which one it is)

The Eero is what makes the house Wi-Fi compatible, therefore, you need an account on the Eero app. This way, you can change the Internet name, password, boot people, pause people, do whatever you want. While being in one room, away from the actual box.

Essentially, the box takes the place of the all in one machines (modem router.. the surfboard type boxes you get from other companies) that you type in the generic IP address, log in as an administrative user, and change all the stuff you want. There's no way you can do that through the Nokia because it's just a warm body in place of having the ability to manipulate the data. 

All of this still doesn't explain why the Eero was being sold as a Wi-Fi extender. That once Hotwire hooks up the Nokia, you need an Eero in any room to be able to get a stronger spray. If this extra box is needed to make the internet, then explain it that way. Don't be telling people that you can get more bang for your buck and a better signal if you use the Amazon backed box. 

Which brings me to another con job. 

The tech today said that all you need is one Eero, the main Eero, to fill your house with Wi-Fi. It has a 2200 square foot radius, so in an 1850 square foot unit, you're more than covered, room to room. By my community overselling the unit (allowing us to have 2 boxes per house), we're being overcharged because each Eero is a set price (1x$$$) with a set range (2,200 ft²). 

This means that the included Internet being part of our HOA, we're paying more than we should for the boxes. All we need are two total devices: One Nokia modem and One Eero. We don't need anything else. The single Eero can take care of everything. It's an Internet work horse. 

Now, if you want to get another box, because you have a bigger house (more than the aforementioned 2200 square feet), then yes, a second box will be needed and that's when the entire thing is called an extension or extender. The second box is extending the radius from the first box. There is no in between. Using the first box and only the first box is not a mesh anything. It's a plain old router. 

But... but... without even bringing this next part up... you can't tell me the signals push through walls okay. We all know (or should know) how cement and brick prohibit certain frequencies from reaching specific areas. This is why the sales guys said "you need two boxes to be safe" (let alone upsell the data speed.. which is another bracket so you end up paying that tier since the community doesn't provide it. We're talking basics here for our quarterly fees). Sure, they potentially sold us something they shouldn't have, but isn't that part of sales? Making sure you get more than what you need? Going back to the original thought of "it won't go through walls", well, tell me why Ed can't get a proper signal in his garage (he has a TV hooked up with a small banger box. Which he pays extra for) because his router is upstairs in his laundry room. He told me this yesterday - he has been having trouble lately, getting a strong signal when he watches his shows downstairs. I explained to him it's because the garage TV is trying to talk to the upstairs units and since the signal is going across his house, through the floor and into his garage, it's having trouble. It's going through wood, drywall, flooring, cement. and an aluminum door. So by the time it gets to him, he could see some buffering and flickering. Although.. thinking about it now.. we get buffering and it's only going through a couple rooms and an open space. It's still going through drywall, but we're on one level and relatively close to the access points. The hardwired Eero is literally 100 feet away from the living room television. However, it's not hardwired to the Nokia, in the laundry room. It's hardwired to an Ethernet port in the guest room (last Hotwire tech who came in, moved the box from the laundry room to the guest room). This potentially means, I think, it's ultimately a Hotwire issue coming into the house. It is basically an upgraded form of Dish Network: blink or sneeze and the system goes out. You're going to have trouble regardless. 

Yet, the fact remains, take a look at Amazon, the place selling the Eero device: all searches point  to "mesh system", "extender", "mesh extender system" and other key words (yes, it is also being sold as a "router" or "mesh router"). None of these terms should be interchangeable, in my opinion. This is what is getting people confused, and in my case, frustrated. 

If several techs are using one set of vernacular to describe the devices and other techs are not using the same conversational pieces, it leads to a very awkward situation. It makes it look like the company isn't training their people correctly and there are some employees who act as if they know better than others. 

Especially today, when I was asking about the devices and the tech saying I'm wrong, even though I said the other technicians were the ones telling me this information. I feel like he treated this situation like I don't know what I'm talking about. I do have to say, he didn't directly state I was wrong; it was the way he was trying to shut me down and correct me. At one point I just mentally clocked out and stopped being part of the exchange; let him deal with the other person in the room and the homeowner on the phone.

Maybe I don't know much, but maybe the Internet doesn't know how to elaborate either, if I am asking the wrong questions to go with it. Maybe the people who come to your house and set up everything don't know what they're doing either. 

Given that I was able to disable some settings in the Android Operating System that the TiVo cable box runs on (yes, if you look at some previous posts, Hotwire uses a retrofitted TiVo type box and runs an Android OS) while the two guys who came out to fix our internet, couldn't figure out what was wrong. I asked if it was a setting issue on the box (knowing full right it was) and they scratched their heads, saying no, they didn't think so. They couldn't figure out the problem while searching through the menu and seeing everything was "correct". I didn't want to show them what I knew because it would have created more issues as they would have probably questioned my logic and I would someone look foolish (me, them or all of the above). Yet I'm sure they would have hated me for disabling some stuff as well. Another tech on another day gave me the third degree about not wanting to sign in to the cable box and use my Google account because we could download apps and make the best use of the services provided. Explaining we have other streaming devices (a Roku for example) and we rent these cable boxes, I question how refurbished they actually get some days, since we've gotten previously loved boxes before (from Comcast) and they still had the other user's log in information up and running. Which showed the box wasn't factory reset or as wiped as it should have been. The tech didn't trust that answer and gave me an earful for it. 

I digress. I'm not in the IT world, doing any sort of IT job. Everyone has to be their own advocate to a point but there is only so much you can fight back with, to make sure you're on the same page as the people you invite into your home to get everything put together need to be aware of any type of situation. 

Nevertheless, the tech today, got everything set up, the TVs turned on, powered up the TiVo splash screen, the Fision boxes logged in to the newly acquired credentials, and he was out of the house by 11am. An hour and a half in and now people who arrive in the house don't need to rely on cellular data from their phones, allowing those who stay, the opportunity to watch the news while they wait for more people to come and deliver stuff to make the unit livable for the owners. 

In the end, with all the discussions on who is right and who is wrong and why the terminology needs to be changed, I still feel like Hotwire is a hot mess because they come in, set up to their liking and don't fully explain everything. Like I said, every human working there is different, so you get a variation of knowledge, for as little as they show you on how to work everything. I know they are on a tight schedule, but it doesn't excuse the way they work. That includes the way they charge you for everything too. 

All the communities they are in, there is a ten year contract and the rates go up a percentage (4+) a year. Although today's tech wanted to not talk about that because he briefly mentioned something about charges when the extra Eeros were brought up. 

I don't know, man. I know I'm sitting here running my mouth about technology and providers, but I really need it to make sense. I was telling a few people, including someone who has been working in high level IT jobs for several decades, and everyone was like "what the actual crazy is going on" because it seems like fakery to them too. Explaining everything that happened and the way things were happening, my friends just couldn't believe what I was telling them. I included photos and videos, and they're texting me back things like "smh", "wtf" and other quizzical messages. My IT friend saw a picture of what the settings menu looked like and he was in shock at the numbers (his exact text "WTF" and then "That makes no sense!"). Overall, the entire thing just didn't seem okay to him. At one point he says "Oh, that's a Mickey Mouse set up if I ever saw one. No pun about being in Florida" because I showed him how the boxes were on the wall using Velcro and staples.

It's how it's done here. I really can't excuse it or make it seem on the level. There's no way to properly show anything and write it out because there are not enough crayons, markers and paper to get it sorted. I wish I had an answer, but this is life now, especially since everything is trying to push into the AI generation. All of today's wildness will be completed more with a touch of a button, just you wait. Then what will we do? I don't know and I don't want to know.

Right now, I think I need to stop while I'm crazily circling around and cut my losses here. My time stamps says I'm posting this at 2:43pm because that's when I started this thing. But it's actually 6pm and I've got to get going. I got squirreled for 45 minutes and had to run an errand for another 15 minutes. So I've really been working on this a few hours, even though I shouldn't have. This is what happens when you just write and lose track of time... 

Until I get back the clock pieces I lost, go find something to do and entertain yourself.

Cheers; 

The ads'll have it

I keep hearing ads for Anne Rice's Mayfair Witches on AMC in the podcasts I listen to. For old audio series I am on, they sure do have updated commercials.

Mayfair Witches is out with season two right now, but I can't make any comments on it, as I haven't start it. I've got it on my AMC app list on my (now listed as renewed on Amazon) Roku 3. 

The show really does look interesting, but I've recently completed the first season of another AMC "witch" series called Sanctuary: A Witch’s Tale. It's based on the V. V. James book titled Sanctuary: A Novel of Suspense, Witchcraft, and Small Town Secrets. 

Synopsis via Amazon of the series is:

Sarah Fenn, a modern-day witch, uses her powers for good, living in the town of Sanctuary. Though her daughter, Harper hasn't inherited Sarah's powers, when local teenager, Dan dies during a party, Harper is accused of killing him - by magic.

The first (and so far only) season is seven episodes, rated TV-MA and has some content advisory in the beginning of each episode (Flashing lights, violence, alcohol use, smoking, foul language, sexual content). Each episode does feel long and slow moving, for it being roughly 55 minutes each. 

I have mixed feelings about the series. It's new enough that it's a different spin on what we think about supernatural /sorcery. But it's old enough that it's reusing a lot of basic elements and themes, for being based in the United Kingdom (shot primarily in Ireland, according to the internet). Meaning, they're loosely premising a piece of this as being the UK's answer to the Salem Witch Trials. 

Which, after watching just the series and not reading the book, is far from being on the same side of the street. Let alone in the same circle of friends. 

Yes, this is (again) a supernatural /sorcery show. The kind we saw in science fiction shows of the early 2000s (Charmed, Buffy, etc) but it's got a dramatic flair that will keep you watching it as one of those train wrecks you can't look away from, instead of a popcorn-on-the-edge-of-your-seat show. It's interesting because it's about a star sports player who dies suddenly at a raver in the middle of nowhere and the main suspect is the "only registered witch in town" because the daughter dated the kid at one point. It's a lot of back and forth between the towns people and the suspect because she can't say "no" to anyone for fear of being retaliated on and killed because she's a witch. She wants to do what's right and keep her family safe, yet, she knows she's doing bad things in the process. 

I don't want to spoil this because I know people will want to watch it out of boredom and I actually want to see how season two progresses. I'm interested in the books (there are two) because sometimes the book is better than the video. 

I'm just torn because it's got some good to it and it's not something we've seen 100% before. But there are points in it, that are such eye rolls, you know you've seen the scene in another show. That's why it's not new new, but it's not old either. 

It's like when I watched Young Dracula. It's mind numbingly boring and a way to pass the time, but I also saw the connections to history with it. How you have to stand on the shoulders of the past in order to get to the future type of thing. I learned a little more about a Renfeld (but also because of the book A Taint in the Blood: A Novel of the Shadowspawn). 

So Sanctuary taught me that there's other worlds of witches out there and they can attempt to make a living on a small little island and help people. It's not just magic every second to fake people out. It's like in real life we go to psychics, mediums, tarot readers. This story is a woman who has a magic shop and works to help people relieve some issues. In turn, she's got her own little coven of a few close friends and she uses them to gain energy. But they use her big time in other ways and she unwillingly agrees. #Spoileralert #Nospoilers.

If you want to see something to pass the day, try this show. If you hate it, you hate it. If you like it, you like it. I'm not going to judge. I'm just making a suggestion of something else to binge for a minute in case you're stuck inside because you're sick, it's bad weather, or you're just looking for something to do. 

If all else fails, read a book. Go outside and play (if you can). Do something creative. I'm going to get ready for bed; it's almost 8:45pm and I've been going to bed way too late the past month. I've been super bad about this. 

Cheers;

Storm hasn't really hit us yet...

But word on the street (okay, the news) is that a transformer blew in Naples (about 50 minutes south of me) in the middle of the night, lighting up the sky like a rocket flare. So that area is definitely without power. On top of the water that's currently on the roads, they are probably kayaking in places right now.

According to The News Press, "LCECs power outage tracker is showing more than 4,000 without power in North Fort Myers this morning after Hurricane Helen bands swept through Southwest Florida this morning. The outages are among others throughout the area. LCEC's website reported that the power was expected to be restored later this morning. 

In total, 8,000 or so residences were without power per our power tracker."

Lee County Government tweeted this morning "Bands of inclement weather will be passing through Southwest Florida throughout the day. Stay off of the roads if possible. If you must drive, exert extra caution and never drive through flooded roads."

And yet my boss gave the option to come into work (or work from home)????

Although, so far here, there's nothing major going on. My phone had tornado alerts at 8am, but they weren't super close to where I am. The brunt of any type of the storm is not supposed to really hit us for another hour or two. News casts are saying there are areas that are currently somewhat under water, locally, and others are without power. I know where I work is bound to have water issues. It's dry right now where I sit, but I'm sure it'll change shortly.

We have the lanai shutters slightly open and it looks calm and peaceful, but knowing the day is far from over, it'll not remain that way. I'm glad we have power still. Hopefully it remains. This time tomorrow, I will probably be sitting at my desk at work and doing all of my overdue tasks from today, since 98% of the people are working from home (my job doesn't allow that, as I'm in the mail room).

On a different note, I found out yesterday that the Roku 3 has severed its ties with ABC's streaming app. 

ABC must have a contract with Hulu (like everyone else it seems these days) in order for Roku to be like "this is where we get off". They've done that before when Comcast and Paramount (previously Spike TV) were in a contract dispute. I remember the news about it because I was watching Ink Master and all of a sudden couldn't get the show. Bar Rescue was the same. Found out one of the platforms didn't want to pay the other the amount of money that was being asked (or something to that affect) and thar she blows... Comcast dropped the Spike services. I'm not saying it's a similar thing with ABC, I'm just surprised there was no email or anything from Roku saying "we are no longer keeping the app". It's fine; I only used it to watch The Good Doctor and on occasion, my mother asked to watch one of the late night talk shows on demand when Hotwire was taking a hotshit and misbehaving. 

I think if I end this now, if it looks nice enough, I'll see if I can get some time in the gym before storm clouds roll in again. 

I'll check in when I can. 

Stay dry and try to practice your breast stroke (not in these waters.. there may be alligators and snakes afoul).

Cheers;

Finished!

 Friday night I finished Young Dracula. Because I'm using a Roku (3) streaming device, I ended up watching the last two seasons on The Roku Channel app. FilmRise's Classic TV only has up to season 4, so I wanted to make sure some other app had the fifth season before I got into season 3. 

Sure enough, the Roku channel had all five seasons. 

I do have to say, as cheesy as the series got to be, it ended nicely. 

I mean, sure, in some alternate reality, maybe a spinoff could happen or a season six could have been made, but they really tied all the seasons together with five seasons. There are a couple loose ends that really could have been a 16 episode series ender, but honestly, that would have been too much. 13 episodes per season is plenty. 

Yeah, there were parts overall where it was so stupid you rolled your eyes (Count Dracula over tried as a parent to Vlad in some scenes) and the Ingrid vs Vlad sibling rivalry was spot on for some families. Although the whole "girls suck" / "girls can't amount for anything" was over bearing. I understand the concept and then Ingrid trying to be a boss bitch, but there was just something off putting about that characterization. 

Plus the "mum's run off with a werewolf" ran it's course too harshly when they announced a puppy in the picture during one of the seasons. Said puppy was in and out of 2 seasons and forgotten about by the end of the series. Which was odd. 

Look at me, creating spoilers. Oops.

The series is made for kids with adult humor in mind, for sure. It's also 13 thirty minute episodes per season, so it's mindless if you want some background comedy. 

I'd probably watch the series again if I had time to kill and wanted to find some Easter Eggs or pick things out even further. But until that happens, I wanted to make an update saying I finished watching it all.

Cheers;

Can't screen mirror??

Well, in some sort of insane update / redo of the Hotwire routing system, we can't get our devices to talk to each other and mirror what's on our phones. 

Tonight is a master board meeting in my community. I went to try to screen mirror my mother's tablet to the streaming device we use to watch the various apps on. 

The tablet mirroring system says we're connected to the Apple TV device, but nothing is casting. I tried her phone and my phone and neither showed what I was seeing on their screens.

Since we ended up getting a brand new VIZIO smart TV for the living room, I tried to connect that way, since you can cast directly to the television if everything is on the same network (which they are). So connecting to Airplay with a generated code is what I attempted.

On all three devices. 

Not one wanted to show my screen. 

I tried my phone to my Roku. 

I could play audio for some reason (cast a podcast) but it wouldn't share the phone screen. 

Odd that Airplay / mirroring played a podcast but not showed my screen, even though it's the same thing I always do to connect to the TV... 

I'm really thinking that there is a discrepancy with the Nokia gateway Hotwire provides and the bands need to be split. We didn't have any of these problems before and I know when we had the Comcast box, all I needed to do was log in to the Comcast portal on the gateway and split the bands. 

You can't do that with the Hotwire equipment. 

Like I said in a previous post regarding trying to fix the problems myself, Hotwire doesn't allow you to do that, and there's no way in hell we're about to pay fifty dollars for a service call on something I can do for free. 

I really wish this wasn't so damn hard and the stubborn mules in charge of the community didn't go jump into a company that is beyond junk. We lost internet and television again the other day and other people are still posting online that they continually lose service. 

If any one is reading this, and they live in a community thinking about Hotwire, DON'T GET IT. 

Seriously. Do some research on this crap company. You will see a lot of negative reviews about it, and it's not pretty. 

Just because the community wants to get away from a conglomerate like Comcast, doesn't mean the grass will be greener with someone else. Please do look up Hotwire before you sign up. It's nothing but trouble. 

So like... 35 minutes after I wrote the above gripe, I was tooling around on my phone because I had updated the iOS. 

I'm the dumbest monkey in the jungle. Although I do stand by the above whine (I'll have a cheese platter with that please), I have to say that I was pressing the wrong Airplay button on all our devices. 

I was pressing the actual Airplay button  instead of the mirror button .

Yup. 

I'm a  .

It's funny; every time I do something stupid, I think of That 70's Show and Red calling Eric a dumbass. I seem to be doing that a lot lately... my brain is becoming not as educated as it was once, and I think part of it is the lack of socialization I do. 

Yes, it is my own fault for not going out and doing things, but I also don't get to talk to loads of people like I did at my last few jobs. I don't get to be in crowds or deal with anything. I sit at a computer for 8 hours and listen to podcasts, where I can't even talk about them with my co workers because my co workers don't want to hear it. 

So I get  moments and it's not fun.

Although my mother calls tonight's antics a "senior moment".

Until I can sort out my shenanigans, have a good night!

Cheers;

No acrostics here, but I know someone reading one...

It's true - I know someone (Tay) reading a "memoir" of a musician, where the book is loaded with acrostics. All iterations of the autobiography are apparently loaded with secret messages. If you want to get lost down a rabbit hole, I can cite examples and links to the information I've been given. 

Today (this post) is not that moment where I'm debunking the theories and looking for answers, even though I've been on the same flight of thought for a while. It just took my friend 18 years to own up to sharing both what he knew and that we kind of have similar questions. 

What I've got going on here is an update on the whole Hotwire shenanigans. 

I was able to get in contact (via email) with the launch coordinator for my community. I had asked him some simple questions and received some answers. 

• Is there any way to add my name as a secondary user (to the account) in case I need to call Hotwire on my mother's behalf?
• "Yes, we have the ability to add secondary users onto accounts."

I just needed to supply her PIN number and I would be on the list. 

• I have been using a Roku streaming device on my bedroom TV. I have been able to sign in to specific apps (Fox, History Channel) with my Comcast email address. Now that we do not have a subscription with the company, I can not use those channels on my streaming device without logging in to an existing cable account. Is there a way to fix this and still use the Roku?
• "Hotwire also subscribes to the TV Everywhere platform, which allows cable customers to sign in with their hotwire credentials provided those apps support Hotwire.  History Channel for instance, while we aren't front facing as a cable provider like Xfinity is, the more providers section allows you to search for Hotwire and find us and sign in once you are installed with your Hotwire services"

So there IS the ability to sign in with a username. However, I did ask something relating to usernames:

• When it is set up, do I get my own (separate) username or am I using hers for log in purposes? If I get my own username, does that mean I get my own PIN as well? 
• As far as actual logins/usernames go?  Unlike Xfinity, there is only one per account.  Xfinity provides multiple since they also do email based services but as we don't, it's only one per.

In other words, because Hotwire offers internet but not email services, there's no way to have multiple user on the account and each have their own log in information. The guy added me as a secondary user to be able to make calls, but that's it. I don't have a separate user name or PIN number or any other access besides being able to talk to someone in case of breakage. 

Which means I need my mother's username and password to log in to the activation screens of all my apps. 

When you go to activate the services, you have to go to a specific website (something like the channel name dot com / activate). On the television screen, it tells you the link and the code to enter. You've usually got to select your streaming device, then your cable provider and then enter the code. From there, it goes to a new page to have you log in to that provider's website to validate the app / make sure you have a current subscription. 

I've chose the A&E landing page for this demonstration.

I didn't clip the next page, which would the after the "continue" because I don't have anything loaded right now to be able to activate the app. I made that attempt the other day. 

Yes, I logged in to my mother's account and am using her name to verify all 18 apps. I don't think I should have to, but if people are sharing other services, why should this one be so difficult? I live in the house and am the watcher of the shows. I pay my mother half of the bill. It's what it is. 

Just that Hotwire seems to have half their shit together, to offer people various forms of entertainment. 

It's funny how when the techs were here installing everything, they all said just to go to the Google Play store and download the app. 

Which, by the way, you need a Google account to do any of that - totally presumptuous, isn't it? Way to assume people have an account and are doing downloading that way. Not everyone has an Android just like not everyone has an Apple. TiVo running an Android system and making users log into their Google account to download apps is a giant ask. At least with Comcast, any app you put on the box was via their server on their box and you were logged in to their account. Free or not, at least Comcast kept everything in their environment. 

Anyway, by logging in to Google and downloading the apps, you then watch them on the Fusion / TiVo box because you don't need the Roku or any other streaming device because now everything is on this box. 

Well, having now signed into all the apps on my Roku blows the "you don't need your Roku" comment out of the water, as it's just as important to add that one of the techs who was here to figure out what became the casting issue, said outright that he doesn't trust the devices himself, for personal log in information. He refuses to use these smart boxes because he knows how dysfunctional they are and doesn't want his credentials anywhere inside the box. 

By the way, he's supposed to be a lead tech person for the company, not one of the third party contracted techs. 

Kind of sad when they gripe to you about what they're installing. 

But at the point he said all this, he was way too super frustrated because he didn't know why the box kept freezing and going out. He's so smart, he should have realized it's a main setting issue with mirroring. 

Even after I asked if there was a setting problem, he said no. So he leaves and I went in my damn self and turned off the casting option on all three boxes. It's a deep rooted system setting, but I did it. I figured it out. 

Yet I can't get a tech job. Or any decent job for that matter. 

That's neither here nor there. 

So yeah... for right now, I'm logged in to my Roku under my mother's screen name for all the cable stations. I don't need to use the TiVo box and download any app. 

Yes, in the end, part of my squawking about Hotwire has been accomplished, but it's not all there. I'm still mad we had to go through all these different steps, as well as not having my own username and other issues. There should be a way to split things up and make it less confusing, but according to the social network pages for the community, people are having more challenges as the days go by, and we aren't even a full 3 months into a 10 year contract. 

Someone said we (as a community) should get some sort of lawsuit going about this. I didn't read the whole comment, but a lawsuit was mentioned regarding how we get played by the master board (members who live in this community, to boot). It's too long a detail to go into so I'm not going to try to rehash the suggestions. 

I guess I'll find out later if all this was for nothing, if I go to watch something. 

Until that happens, it's time to get ready for the day.

Cheers;

That was "fun" while it lasted...

Enter the sarcasm and eye roll here. 

Last night I went to go watch something on the History Channel app on my Roku (the 3 is currently a refurbished model). Little did I realize, the Comcast email we "get to keep" while using Hotwire, no longer allows me the option to use it to sign in to the apps to watch shows. 

Meaning, when we had a Comcast account, I was listed as the secondary user and had my own username and email. I was able to sign in to all the apps we had a "subscription" to, and watch the shows. Since we don't subscribe to Comcast anymore, I received the following message when trying to access an app:

When I tried to access Fox (to watch Family Guy), I was given a free 4 minute preview pass. 

Which meant I was logged out. Try to log back in with my Comcast email, I got the same message I got for the History Channel.

So 18 out of 48 apps I've got on my Roku need to be uninstalled. Having the free profile (thru my Gmail and not my Comcast) doesn't get me anywhere because I am not paying for the service. Which is why I can't use the Comcast email - I am not a subscriber to them anymore.

I did see an option to log in with Hotwire, but I am not a user on the account (my mother is the user). The challenge now with Hotwire and me not being linked to it, is if I were to somehow call Hotwire on her behalf for any reason, would they talk to me since I'm not listed anywhere? One of the reasons I was a secondary user on the Comcast account was for times I needed to call for something - whether it was a billing issue, an outage, or something different. If I'm not listed on Hotwire, I can't do anything. 

There is no option to have any other users added, it seems. My mother said that there's a representative from the local area at our community clubhouse every week, so I intend on going up this week to ask him about adding another user. 

You might ask "why don't you use your mother's screen name to log in to everything?" because she asked that too. It's because I'd like to know I have access to the account - if my name is also listed, again, I can contact them for questions if needed. When she heard that, she said "good luck calling them. I don't think they have a call center". 

People have already commented online saying it's hard to talk to a real person when you call Hotwire because it seems like humans don't exist for this company. Other issues were raised regarding the technology we are using. If a box breaks or something happens to a remote, where can you go to get a new one? There's no local Hotwire facility like there is a Comcast store (out by Kohl's.. which is the "closest" one). Allegedly there is a building in Naples and Estero, but it might just be a front so that the workers have a place to clock in or out of, as well as park their personal vehicle. It might not be a returns center. 

So it's a little tricky trying to figure out how "real" the company is, when there's not a lot of information on the Internet about it, plus some searches come up with the travel site. Word to the wise: don't name your company something similar to another business or you're not going to be found. 

I knew this moment would happen, though - not being able to log in to the apps to use them. When we were told we were switching companies, I kept asking if I'd still be able to use the apps, and every technician from Hotwire both assured and not assured me nothing changes (mainly because I don't think they knew what I was really asking). I hope the representative can give me some information about secondary users, otherwise I can say goodbye to saved lists, tracked shows, and any quick binging. 

It's bad enough I've been continually booted from the free Xfinity Wi-Fi sprays on my phone... having a Comcast email gets you nowhere if you don't have any of the services.... 

But that's another subject for another time. I need to get up and started for my day.

Cheers;

"All the pretty things are going to hell"

Well... I got some interesting emails the last 2 days.

Roku decided to drop all the incarnations of Fox from their line up.

Yup. You read right. Middle of the week, just days before one of America's biggest sports games of the year, Roku made a surprising announcement that they are swiping left on Fox. Fox, in return, sent an email stating "it's not us; it's them.. we found out when you did".

Don't believe me?

So... Making the cutoff date of midnight, January 31, 2020, all Fox apps were no longer going to reside in the land of the purple button'd, purple logo'd streaming device. No reasoning behind it, outside of "We wanted to let you know....", Roku's version of a "Dear John" letter.

Speculations can be made... things can be excused... but there are far more apps to cancel, if you want to start messing around with things. Remember the Spike TV app? Yea, that lasted a hot minute.... now that Spike changed his name to Paramount. Which still doesn't have an app.

I guess Fox raised hell about this ordeal over night, as this morning I got emails from Roku and Fox saying they reconciled their differences and Roku will host Fox again.

The only argument I can see Fox giving Roku about this, would be the amount of balls it takes to sever a group such as Fox, just 3 days before one of the greatest branded cash cows in U.S. sports.

Think about it - all the money that gets poured in to making the halftime show, the various brands and their new ads, the betting houses, the teams... Americans go all out for football and spare no expense to make sure our wallets get emptied and our bellies get full.

With the clever marketing teams these days... they're getting slier by the year... I often wonder how reports say businesses are losing money. If they didn't wait for 3 specific "holidays" (Black Friday, Christmas, Super Bowl), there wouldn't be store closings.

I don't know.. I'm talking randomly now. Who's guess as to reasons behind things, I'll never understand. But I thought it was surely interesting that one day, Roku wants to change their formatting, and the next day, they double back and say sorry.

Weird.


Don't get too stuffed, drunk and high off whoever wins this weekend. You still have to go to work Monday.

Cheers;






See also (aka the title's song lyric):
David Bowie: The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell


See also (the streaming stuff):

• Roku
• Amazon Fire Stick (top of page)
• Apple TV
• Chromecast (bottom of page)

See also (aka articles I found interesting regarding empty wallets):

• NYC restaurant offers $154,000 Super Bowl 2020 feast
• BRANDS DELAY SUPER BOWL PLANS AFTER KOBE BRYANT'S DEATH: TUESDAY WAKE-UP CALL

Must be Sunday Supper... mangiare!

Again, I decided to make my (morning) smoothie and ask for some cooking music from Alexa. As she loves to surprise, I was given the playlist, "Italian Dinner Party".

Although this playlist is supposed to be curated by "experts", it seems as if there are two different lists going on: the one on the speaker is not the one on the website (for having the same title and image).

Why?

Number one: The playlist online says there are 20 songs, and there are only 13 showing up; I checked my account and in the music history, it also has 13 tracks.

Number two: The 13 tracks equal out to be 37 minutes and some change, give or take, if my math is right. The website says it's 59 minutes and 20 songs. The seven tracks that are missing, need to equal out to about 22 minutes. At that point, all the songs have to be around the 3 minute mark. It can fluctuate a maximum of 3 seconds, up or down, but I'd also like to see what songs are missing to make it happen.

Number three: the first song Alexa played was O Sole Mio by Mario Lanza (which is track 3 on the website). It was followed by Dean Martin singing That's Amore. One of the four images in the main playlist image is Dean Martin and "That's Amore", yet, it's missing from said playlist. I didn't catch the third song (I was running the blender), but the next one was Rosemary Clooney singing Mambo Italiano. Another song missing off the track list.

It was at that point, I asked Alexa to stop and got on my computer to start writing this.

It's weird how asking our smart devices to play something, and it does, but it shows up as something different online. The Alexa app on my phone says she played the Italian Dinner Party, the Amazon Music app on my Roku says I recently played the Italian Dinner Party playlist, but 4 songs I heard (okay, three that I know), are all different from what's played.

Maybe she will play something different the next time I ask for cooking music...


All in all, I guess sometimes nothing is what it seems?


Cheers;











PS: Go Pats. #Doyourjob

Give into static | Someone didn't do their job | Such a deal?

A couple weeks ago, I ordered the TotalMount Roku Mounting System for my Roku 3 from Amazon.

I got tired of having it sit on a (hand made... in high school, no less) book shelf, collecting heat all day. Since the Roku doesn't have a power button, I always worry about the thing over heating and catching things on fire. As sill as it is, you never know; it could happen.

So... after 3 years of having the Roku sit and hide, it's now hanging and hiding.

It was surprisingly easy to install; as the kit comes with everything you need, along with directions for TV mount or wall mount (if your TV hangs off the wall). All it took was figuring out what the slots were on the back of my Vizio, and 1, 2, 3, hooked! Literally, 5 minutes.

Since the mount is relatively cheap (@ $11.99 plus tax and/or shipping), it's worth it. I haven't had any problems watching shows with it on the TV vs when it was under the TV (it sat on the same shelf as the television). I know the directions suggest hooking it up in such a way (for wall mount or apartment problems), that the remote can find the device, but I've done neither, so it's not an issue. If anything, there's a two foot difference in placement.

I also didn't need to purchase any extra HDMI cables - the nice thing about the TV I have, is there are 3 HDMI inputs, so I could place my original cable in any port, but the mount still gives me a decent amount of space, to be able to leave my set up the way it was. Which is a good thing.

I know some of the reviews for this suggest Velcro, and I was originally intending on trying it out, but the Velcro I got was the 3M command strips. They didn't hold so well (because of the heat on the Roku), and I wasn't going to get Velcro velcro because it leaves sticky residue. I don't need that if I decide to get rid of the TV*. Or upgrade the Roku. Whatever comes first. The mount is perfect because it's peace of mind, outside of failed strip idea. Plus, it's seemingly cleaner looking, even though I've to too many wires back there (damn cable box... those free boxes they give out, aren't HDMI friendly. Bout time for an update in the technology??).

Proof or it didn't happen (photos taken with the Canon):

 

 

 

 

 



* The TV is "so old", Amazon doesn't have it anymore. "Currently unavailable. We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock" the site says. I do have to point out: I did try out the Velcro for my remotes, because I got the idea over a year ago to clean up the area around my TV. I know how messy the residue is, considering I've had to move the cable box around on the TV to get everything working properly. It's going to be a PITA to clean if I ever decide to upgrade, but at least it looks more aesthetically pleasing from the front. All I have to do now, is read all the books I've been hoarding.

My "messy as all hell" stash (taken on an iPhone):

 


Moving on...

I was at a local chain super market today (ok, The Fresh Market) and was walking up and down the aisles. This is one of those "you had one job. *facepalm*". Whoever created the price tags showing this week's special on a brand of coffee, didn't put the decimal in the price, so instead of getting $2 off the bag, you're getting $200 off. Who in their right mind was paying $210.99 for a bag of coffee, and what in the hell is it made out of? It better be worth it, for what it's being sold as... lol.

It's really supposed to be $12.99 original price, with a $2.00 special, making it $10.99.

Photos or it's a lie (taken on the iPhone):

 



After going to the market, my mother decided she wanted to clean a cabinet. What was found in this cabinet? A microwaveable egg poacher that she bought at the Avon, Massachusetts' Christmas Tree Shop, probably 25 years ago (or so the box looks like she did). It was probably bought sometime in the late 1990s to early 2000s, so we're talking close to 20. Which is close enough.

How old is it? (iPhone pictures):

 

 












It's old enough that I can't find the name brand on Amazon, but I've found similar ones for a couple dollars to over 10 dollars more.



Last but not least for today, I had an interesting conversation with my mother, which ultimately led to me buying her an Echo Dot.


Sure, it's the 2nd generation, but it's currently part of Amazon's 2018 Cyber Monday deals. For $19.99 plus tax and free shipping (total: $21.19), I should get it Tuesday. Just in time to wrap it and give it to her for Hanukkah (on Sunday).

What prompted this, you ask? Especially after my posts about these fancy devices?

We were at our cousin's for Thanksgiving. They are the family with the Google Mini I posted a video about the other day. My uncle has the Amazon Echo (not part of the Cyber Monday deal, but still has $30 off), and another cousin has the current Echo Dot (again, not part of the package, except it's $20 off the original price, but $5 more than what the 2nd generation is... for less than an inch in size difference).

Due to everyone talking to their devices to play music (plus we have a Prime membership, which doesn't hurt [except my wallet will ask me wtf, come January, and my phone will notify me there's been a new charge to my Visa card]). However, my mom started asking random / out of the blue questions:

• Does the device use data?
• No, mom, it uses wifi
  
• How do you know? 
• These things connect to our wireless internet, much like your computer does. It doesn't need a cellular service to work.
  
• I don't understand. How come it doesn't use data?
• Think about how you turn on your computer and read your email. Your Acer computer isn't a cell phone, but you connect to the Comcast internet to go online. It's the same thing with Ivan and Carrie's Echo and Gail's Google Mini.
  
• So if I ask it to play Michael Bublè, it would?
• Yes
  
• And not use data?
• Right.
  
• I want it. 😃

She's concerned about all the connected devices using mobile data. Which only our smartphones use, if we go out roaming around. We've never used more than the 2GB allotment our Verizon contract came with, but she got a little scare last month when the Verizon rep told her that her phone was nearing full (she keeps too much crap on it. Which isn't data; it's memory). But she still is concerned because we try to keep our bills low, regardless of what it is and is used for. Since she plans on getting the phone bill lower once our contract is up in March, I can understand the concern. I'm not savvy enough on all electronics, but I've come across certain things that help me explain our using to her, well enough, for me to understand myself (and to attempt to explain such things to people like Emily, when she got a new phone on Friday). Plus, I have a friend in IT that I always text emergency questions to (hi, Tim) and I've got a cousin that always researches the best of the best (Hi Howie). It also doesn't hurt my #brandmarketingextraordianire cousin is quite insightful as well (Hi, Brady). 

- off topic for a second: Have you checked out Brady's podcast and book yet? - 

- back on topic - 

After the conversation, I went and I ordered the Dot. I still do what I'm told by my mother. Especially since this thing will be tied to my Prime account, I'm going to be watching the card carefully, making sure she doesn't do anything stupid. Maybe she needs to FaceTime a relative and get a couple lessons in how to ask the right questions to the device? 

Considering we found out Thursday that Google doesn't like you to tell it to shut off a reminder; it prefers you say "cancel the reminder". It'll be a lesson for the both of us, actually, since I still find it shady as hell to be using these things. The future is nigh and it's invading my house quicker than I want. I've been fine with my Roku and wireless printers, but now we're diving into deeper waters, what's next? 

Time will tell, and I'll be sure to post an update on what the Echo Dot does when it's fully set up.

Until then, enjoy your online shopping.

Cheers;

Gobble gobble

It's the day after National Eat A Bird Day.

I was able to get off from work for Thursday and Friday, and Emily took the hit for the team and is working tomorrow. Leading me to have a four day weekend. Which only means one of two things: Either I won't want to go back to work on Monday, or I've got to spend time with family 90 minutes away. No matter what you think, I guess I'm going to be sleeping off the turkey sweats come Sunday and wish I could have another 4 days to recuperate.

Seeing how I had time today, not only did I take some pictures of the backyard view, I tested out the hosts' Google Mini. While Amazon sells their own streaming devices and an occasional Roku, they do not sell one of the number one search engine's. However, they do sell the Mini's accessories (wall mounts, etc).


The video below was recorded on an iPhone 6S and then my Canon EOS Rebel T3. I edited it on Pinnacle Studio 18, Ultimate.

The pictures of the backyard view are from this afternoon. Taken on my Canon and edited in Photoshop.

 

 

 

 

 

It's only 8pm on Friday and I'm so tired. We did boost the local economy, but to a point. We didn't do extreme shopping, only light "needs". No electronics, no major expenditures. I think the most everyone spent was $50. I spent $22 on food because we went to a local Amish market. Think one of those high end specialty stores (that totes itself on being natural... but it's more for those who have the paycheck to lead the lifestyle. Although I do miss that store. There's one about 45 minutes from me, although the one in Brookline I used to frequent a lot while I was in Boston).

Anyway, everyone wants to watch some new television show on one of the premium stations. They want me to watch with them.

Guess I'll shorten this up and take a gander.

Be well, be safe, hope your last paycheck is still intact.


Cheers;