Need a new phone.

[Richard]

Bob, I understand what you are saying. I wrote earlier ‘That is the real point, it must meet what the user wants‘. I have always had some slight doubts about second hand, especially when am item is battery powered with a fixed life battery. I accept it may well be a less than completely supportable position. Both my wife and daughter have Samsung devices and all singing and dancing they appear to be though A5/6 items. Neither use more than about 5% of the ‘features’ though the devices are substantially more responsive than my ‘beater’ their whole operation is very alien so there would be a sharp learning curve, which I sometimes to climb to help though their needs are very modest, texting and Google maps to track congestion are about all.

I also wonder why the previous user gave up, was there an issue?

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

It was just a thought Bob ?

I still have 11 months to go on my contract phone and I am toying with the idea of getting a nearly new S9 in the mean time.

Again just a thought though ?

[Bob Williams]

I may have been a bit harsh in my comment Graham: after rereading it I realise that, did not mean to make it a criticism, sorry. Know you meant well.

I have been setting up both Sony Xperia L3’s and we are both very pleased with them so far. Great screen, like the fact that we did not have to open them up to put the SIM and SD cards in: they slide in from the side in a tiny, fragile holder. Tricky, with arthritic fingers! Got all the apps we need installed, Google stuff straight in. Only problem was caused by EE:

I set up mine first, because I wanted any mistakes restricted to mine and lessons learned from that would avoid criticism from SWMBO, if you understand my meaning. Contacted EE Chatline and the so-called ‘Tech’ bugga’d up the simplest procedure by locking my SIM, then would not give me a PUK code. Fine, I said, take me to your leader and I got a Head Tech with another strange name that I believe sounded Indonesian. He said it was a Security issue. Certainly is I said, can’t use the phone, nor can anyone else, that is about as secure as it gets! I threatened to take both myself and SWMBO out of EE (we are SIM only, no contracts) and cited the fact that (a) they had locked my phone (b) I had not been able to access the website for “MY EE” for two weeks and (c) there was no coverage here from EE.

I received a PUK code after they twice refused to recognise my Security questions. I think I shall be leaving soon anyway, what an incompetent bunch. Eventually they managed to grant access to my Login, after 3 times refusing my password, then allowing me in. With the same password.

Phones are great. Service Provider, not so great. Now I have to sell on a couple of Wileyfoxes, wish me luck!

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Ed P]

As I’m sure everyone knows, all the ‘security’ palaver was Trump trade bs and things are moving back to normal. link

Of slight interest is that the day before Trumps grand gesture, Apple announced that they were closing Mac Pro production in Austin Texas and moving it all to China! In a sop, Apple said that the Pro would include a few US made components. link

[Bob Williams]

Still happy with the Xperia’s, does exactly what we both need.

Ed, Apple are doing what they do best: sourcing a cheaper supply of parts and manufacture, but continuing to charge gullible users Top Dollar. Trump is just playing his daft games, trying to apply the Pavlovs Dog treatment to international relations. He has never understood that most nations he deals with, have much longer histories than his own. I imagine that Xi Jinping and Vlad the Mad must regularly share jokes about Trump’s total lack of diplomacy and common sense.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Dave Rice]

And this is why sucking up to the USA is such a dodgy thing to do, the current incumbent in the top seat notwithstanding. He’s just a lot more open about the vacillation and vacillates in a shorter time frame.

It’s always about American First and the politicians here and there use any excuse to get what they want now and sort it out later. Will the 5 Eyes now withdraw their objections? Will the Hawks in the Tory party do the same? No, it will quietly be dropped when it isn’t the main focus of public opinion and so won’t be job threatening for anyone. Not that it is that much anyway.

For them, what about those who have already lost money or jobs? Still we can always vote the offending politicians out at the next opportunity can’t we? There’s as much chance as voting out Xi Jinping, he’s as much beholding to his political party as BoJo is.

[Ed P]

Don’t forget that BoJo is a Yank, and only reluctantly surrendered his American nationality when he decided to become a politician.

[Dave Rice]

I had forgotten that!

[Richard]

A real incentive was to escape the future rapacious demands of the USA tax people who demanded an outrageous sum when he sold a UK based house. The USA has some ‘unusual’ expectations, if you have the misfortune to be born in the USA, even if you did not remain there for more than a few moments you automatically become a citizen and tax payer. Thank goodness our children were not born there but in Japan who have no truck with such nationality and territorial out reach games. Apparently he left the USA when aged 5 or 6 but since the UK does not tax home sales, he could not offset any UK liability against USA tax demands on the sale.

He was of course a politician before the renunciation of his secondary nationality. Renunciation is a costly and time-consuming process with a bundle of USA tax to pay.

[Ed P]

US tax law on selling homes is complex but normally there is zero tax if you buy a new house of equivalent or higher value.

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

Probly in the wrong place but im not starting a new thread for this ?

I have threatened to post a pic of the inside of my hobby PC before but the file was to big.

Now I find that since the last Android update my Galaxy S7 will not take pictures less than 3GB in size !

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

Sorry 2 MB ?

[Wheels-Of-Fire]

Anyway you get the option of high res, very high res or very very high res ?

[Ed P]

Run them through Irfanview.  It has a great batch option that allows you to resize, change formats and a myriad other things.

[Bob Williams]

+1 for Irfan Viewer.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Author]

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