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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 15th, 2023

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  • What I really want out of Google Maps is a way to ask about particular alternate routes. I know it will suggest alternates if it thinks those will save time. But I want to be able to ask it “Should I take the Whitestone or the Throgs Neck”, evaluate both routes, and tell me which one is better (and by how much). It already knows where I am going after all.

    Bonus points if I can teach it what I prefer. So, I want to be able to tell it how much I hate the Cross Bronx, and that it’s OK to send me on a different route if it’s 15 minutes longer, if it means I am not stuck on that.




  • There are 3 major credit reporting bureaus in the US which take reports on every American’s credit worthiness. Every time an American makes a payment, that information makes it to the bureaus. And before a new account is opened, a lender will ask the bureaus for a copy of that person’s report.

    When someone locks their credit file, they instruct the credit bureaus to not send those credit reports to lenders, which will prevent the lender from issuing the loan. They do it when they know that they will not apply for a loan, be cause it prevents fraudulent loans from being opened in their name.

    A common practice of identity thieves here is to open up a bunch of new credit cards or other loans in other people’s names, and run up the charges before that person finds out about the account and has it closed.

    Chexsystems is a special case, I know them as a clearinghouse to report people who write bad checks. But people are using checks less and less these days.












  • Maybe you can go a bit lower tech. There are “smart” door locks with a keypad that have Bluetooth, but are not otherwise cloud enabled. Then find a small device you can use as a Bluetooth proxy and position it near the front door, to keep tabs on it. Our lock is from Kwikset, and while there is an app to program it, once it is programmed it is pretty much stand-alone and won’t need the app anymore.

    The lock does have Home Assistant integration but I haven’t tried it yet because I haven’t done the Bluetooth Proxy yet.





  • They’re still a thing, kind of. TV Antennas are still inherently wired this way, and need the part in the picture (a balun) to convert the signal from the “balanced” 300 ohm twin antenna wire to “unbalanced” 75 Ohm coax cable.

    Most TVs used to have the twin screw connections to hook directly to a roof antenna. But at some point (I’m guessing the 90s), more people got their TV directly from cable providers, delivered over Coax, so it made more sense for manufacturers to provide a direct coax input for the antenna.

    So now, if you do have a roof antenna it probably has the balun integrated right into it, so you can take the coax (hopefully through some lightning protection) directly inside.