On the occasions that I do happen to pick up a scam call and the question is asked, I always reply politely with "Who is calling him, please?" as if I were his secretary or the like. This compels them either to reveal what they are calling about...
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Dr Charles Smith has a point.
Hate it. I tolerate them from one friend because they drive for a living. Not a fan of phone calls either. Just text!
I don't think YouTube/Google do a very good job promoting their music service and it often gets hidden away behind the video content. Maybe it needs a rebrand or something as Spotify still has the name recognition but is more expensive and has virtually the same functionality as YT Music which is in some ways better.
Can anyone recommend some decent noise cancelling ones? Something that will let me listen to a podcast or some music without having to crank the volume up to extreme levels to shut out the traffic each day.
Certainly! Here’s a breakdown of popular streaming devices that can handle NTFS USB drives and support Dolby TrueHD:
### 1. **NVIDIA Shield TV**
- **Overview**: Considered one of the best Android TV devices available.
- **USB Support**: Supports NTFS formatted drives.
- **Audio/Video**: Supports Dolby TrueHD, Dolby Atmos, and 4K HDR content.
- **Extra Features**: Games support (streaming and GeForce NOW), a robust app ecosystem, and the ability to run Plex as a server.
### 2. **Amazon Fire TV Cube (2nd Gen)**
- **Overview**: A powerful, hands-free device that combines streaming and Alexa features.
- **USB Support**: Requires additional setup (like using USB OTG) to access NTFS drives; generally, its USB support is limited compared to others.
- **Audio/Video**: Supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, but not natively Dolby TrueHD playback.
- **Extra Features**: Control smart home devices, use Alexa voice commands, and integrate with entertainment systems.
### 3. **Roku Ultra**
- **Overview**: A solid streaming device that offers a wide range of channels.
- **USB Support**: Can play content from NTFS USB drives (with some limitations).
- **Audio/Video**: Supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos but does not support Dolby TrueHD directly.
- **Extra Features**: Includes a voice remote and features like Roku Search for easy content finding.
### 4. **Apple TV 4K**
- **Overview**: A high-end option with a robust ecosystem.
- **USB Support**: No direct NTFS support; external drives are mostly for app development and backups.
- **Audio/Video**: Supports Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, but not explicitly Dolby TrueHD.
- **Extra Features**: Seamless integration with Apple services and AirPlay support.
### 5. **Minix NEO U22-XJ**
- **Overview**: This Android TV box has decent performance for media playback.
- **USB Support**: Supports NTFS formatted drives.
- **Audio/Video**: Supports various audio formats, including Dolby TrueHD, through appropriate software.
- **Extra Features**: Runs Android, giving you access to a variety of apps available on the Play Store.
### 6. **Zidoo Devices (e.g., Zidoo Z9X)**
- **Overview**: High-performance media players geared towards enthusiasts.
- **USB Support**: Full NTFS support and multiple drive connections are possible.
- **Audio/Video**: Supports Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and other advanced formats, along with 4K HDR playback.
- **Extra Features**: Ideal for local playback of high-definition media files and a fully customizable experience.
### Summary
If your primary needs are accessing NTFS USB drives and handling Dolby TrueHD audio, the **NVIDIA Shield TV** is one of the best options available, offering extensive features and great performance. The **Zidoo devices** are excellent for dedicated home theater setups, while **Roku Ultra** and **Roku streaming devices** offer robust streaming options with some limitations on audio formats.
Make sure to look into individual device capabilities as they can vary based on app support and updates.
https://idlechatter.co.uk/community/threads/calibre-ebook-management-software.528/
Will convert anything to anything.
Good. Hopefully, more countries take notice and this is the beginning of the end. It has been a shit show since he took over.
I've a Lenovo tablet which has started to play up with a message popping up regularly saying "Google Play Services has Stopped" and since then the tablet is struggling to work properly.
When I've googled it most suggestions are to reboot or do a factory reset or uninstall and reinstall certain apps.
I've done all of the above and none have worked, all apps and software are the latest versions.
It's a cracking tablet so I'd rather try and get it fixed than buy a new one but don't know anywhere that repairs Android tablets.
Has anyone else come across this problem or know how to resolve the issue?
Cheers in advance.
I'd like some views from Macbook users.
I have never owned a Mac, not because I have any particular attachment to Windows, but because generally I have found the balance between price and features to fall decisively on the side of "Wintel". Until this year I had a bit of software that wasn't available on Mac, so that made the decision easy.
However, I will be coming to replace my laptop soon. I have a decent Dell, but it is quite unreliable (2 engineer visits so far, and I've only had it a year) and I am disappointed with the performance. It has a good spec on paper, but that seems to be throttled back to preserve battery life (which is mediocre either way). I was previously a dedicated Surface user, but I had some reliability issues with those, and they get very pricey very quickly if you want performance.
What I want is ultra portable oomph, and lots of it. It is for work, and there will be sufficient budget to go top end if it is worth it.
I have done some research, and it seems to me that since Apple silicon was introduced, there just isn't a Windows based laptop that can match its balance of very high performance and portability. Is that a fair assessment? I can live with the lack of a touchscreen, which seems to be the main drawback that I can see.
If so, should I wait for M4 Macbooks to hit the shelves? Or will there be a point where I can pick up an M3 relatively inexpensively?
It's better, more so for sport like the footy or F1. Clarity is noticeably better but it's subjective as to whether the price jump is worth it.
The UHD/4k channels seem to carry better audio too, like Dolby atmos, so if you've got a decent sound setup, factor that in.
"Buy cheap, buy twice".
Some folk will never learn.
I'm currently using Samsung Galaxy Buds2 and looking to upgrade to something new soon.
If I don't stick with Samsung I'll look at Jabra and Anker as I don't think Urbanista have the same variety they had before.
No, I don't. I'll probably break or lose my phone tomorrow now :(
No real dialogue. Everyone fires out the most potent version of what they have to say and get 100s of upvotes or down voted to oblivion. I have a look at it occasionally but not much. AskAHistorian is a decent sub.
I rarely watch Prime Video anyway. I have it for the shipping and I enjoy Prime Reading
If you are doing detailed models, then resin.
Resin is usually more faff and the printers currently have a much smaller surface area, meaning only smaller things can be made. But the detail is fantastic and you don’t need to use supports.
Filament (or FDM) printers basically pipe layers of melted plastic from above, so anything not connected to the ground needs a support which has to be broken off and tidied up with a file. It doesn’t look as good.
I’ve got a FDM and it is great for boxes, brackets, enclosures etc. I printed a little model dog as an extra figure for a game I play with the kids and it is not that great. The back is good, but the open mouth and under the chin is messy.
I'm no expert but it'll be a Nord issue, lots of their localised servers are known to streaming platforms so they get blocked.
Between 10 and 20 hours, I you count my daughters Disney streaming it's about double that 😂
I've not upgraded for a while so I still using an iPhone 12 but I use my iPad more than my phone nowadays.
Sky also state ...
Which suggests you have to stay for the full period you signed up for. Odd.
Had one last week, with a Glasgow area number too - 0141 501 0923. Googled the number and definitely scammers.
Genuinely couldn't understand a word the woman was saying. Told her I wasn't interested, hung up, and blocked.
Meta have realised that Twitter is in a bad position and have decided to try and take their business. It’s deliberately not trying to be too different.
Looks like a good bit of kit but I can't see it taking off, especially at $3500
I think the biggest problem is going to be automation, so you don't need staff for most things. Why have staff when you can train a robot to do the same thing quicker and better.
