Grumpy old buggers thread

[JDNSW]

A couple of months ago, Google (both phone and computer) clearly showed the route to my place using the obvious public roads, bypassing the road that has been closed for a couple of years because of the failure of a creek crossing causeway (unlike Apple, who insist on using that road!).

However, as I found returning from my son's place a fortnight ago, Google has decided that the only way to my place is a longer route that involves travelling through three private properties and at least two (possibly three) padlocked gates, and with at least one easily provoked landowner!

[V8Ian]

Turned the phone off and on. Put a different journey into it. Still insists that to reach Cairnryan have to go via Belfast ????

Begorrah, or in Australian English, big horror.

[V8Ian]

My house is the original property, that has been subdivided, years ago. Google directs me out of my current one kilometre driveway, but in via the neighbouring driveway. Very confusing for visitors.

[austastar]

Hi,
A case of illogical logic?

Cheers

[Tins]

Artificial Intelligence vs Real Stupidity? Or is that a tautology or an oxymoron?


( Apologies to the late Sir Terry ).

[NavyDiver]

"E-bikes, e-scooters, hoverboards and e-skateboards will have to meet new product standards in NSW to halt a rising number of dangerous blazes.
Lithium-ion battery-related fires, including those caused by low-quality batteries in e-mobility devices, are the fastest-growing type of fires in NSW, with one every four days this year, the state government says."

Assume since they will now Apply standards that none existed before? My dads shed burn due to battery charging a cheap e-bike.

The Chief Firefighter here in Vic said recently said almost all fires relating to batteries was using a non- genuine charger?

This yarn is worse as "Meanwhile, a coroner in July found a Queensland man died from burns to most of his body after a lithium-ion battery fire erupted in an e-scooter connected to an incompatible charger in 2022.
"We're acting ahead of other jurisdictions because unregulated products are posing a huge risk to property and in some cases, lives," NSW Fair Trading Minister Anoulack Chanthivong said on Thursday."

If true no standards here?

[Saitch]

A couple of months ago, Google (both phone and computer) clearly showed the route to my place using the obvious public roads, bypassing the road that has been closed for a couple of years because of the failure of a creek crossing causeway (unlike Apple, who insist on using that road!).

However, as I found returning from my son's place a fortnight ago, Google has decided that the only way to my place is a longer route that involves travelling through three private properties and at least two (possibly three) padlocked gates, and with at least one easily provoked landowner!

I think I posted this somewhere, a while ago. The circled area is where I've had to extricate at least seven vehicles, whose drivers were using Google Maps. My mind is still boggled by some of the replies when I asked them how they couldn't ascertain that they were driving through 100 acres of what is obviously an old pineapple farm!

Paddock2.jpg

[V8Ian]

Grrrr, internet issues, constant dropouts. Dropping out and reconnecting, multiple times in a very short period, making it almost useless.
First stop, Optus who rapidly passed the buck to NBN. They very kindly gave me the hotline to Bombay number. Wasted half an hour conversing with a LOTE speaker, performing checks I'd done before consulting Optus. Issue still unresolved, so it was escalated to a "senior technician" who spoke worse English than the "mere tech". Perform the same checks, but remove the Wi-Fi extender, because that is allegedly causing the interuptions.
"Senior tech" will monitor the modem for the rest of the day. Let's see if he calls back, as he promised.
Internet still on, off, on, off.
Aghhhh! If these companies insist on using foreign call centres, why on earth can't they make understandable English, the first bullet point criteria to be addressed?

[4bee]

Grrrr, internet issues, constant dropouts. Dropping out and reconnecting, multiple times in a very short period, making it almost useless.
First stop, Optus who rapidly passed the buck to NBN. They very kindly gave me the hotline to Bombay number. Wasted half an hour conversing with a LOTE speaker, performing checks I'd done before consulting Optus. Issue still unresolved, so it was escalated to a "senior technician" who spoke worse English than the "mere tech". Perform the same checks, but remove the Wi-Fi extender, because that is allegedly causing the interuptions.
"Senior tech" will monitor the modem for the rest of the day. Let's see if he calls back, as he promised.
Internet still on, off, on, off.
Aghhhh! If these companies insist on using foreign call centres, why on earth can't they make understandable English, the first bullet point criteria to be addressed?

Sounds like a typical day online lately. Bloody C/O to 4G seems to be at the bottom of it IMHO
My personal phone has been bouncing from 4G to 3g (normal?) & now indoors phone is SOS Only but I fixed that, I cancelled her account which they were supposed to do a couple of weeks go but I guess they want all the blood out of the stone that they can get if they drag it out. Re the OS reps. I have been complaining about them for years but they all want to go cheap cheap. When you do get someone who does speak proper Eenglish it also happens to be a senior bod who says they/he will ring you back, Just when one thinks they on a winner the bastids don't. I know little about AUSSIE BROADBAND so they could be better Their website claims that all their staff "SPik a da EEEnglish" so may have to give them A burl one day.

[oka374]

Well now that the Starlink mini is down to $80 a month for 50gb it is less than what a lot of providers are offering on the NBN and isn't subject to the problems of overloaded phone networks it might just be a goer for home use. We don't stream and the 50gb would suit us.
We're currently wandering around SE Qld having wandered up through NSW from the Hunter Valley and have noticed that in most places the phone network is unusable with often only one bar and of a morning and afternoon/evening as people are using it more. So I now just fire the Starlink (G2 on the post) up at every stop instead of when the phone signal is poor and it has proven to be very robust even when camped in rainforest with virtually no clear view of the sky. Two other vehicles with us also hook in as there is no restriction on data use.
Mobile phone calls are generally clearer on wifi than a normal mobile call plus it works everywhere and heavy rain as we've been experiencing makes absolutely no difference.
I haven't bothered leaving it on while travelling yet as i don't have a suitable place to mount it at the moment. Most times i just use either a mount on the front sunvisor or one on the rear corner of the Oka and have only once had to use the supplied pedestal and place it on the ground, much better to mount it up high where it can't get damaged.