Random Thoughts Thread

[Robert Hall]

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

Lets be honest, he just uses you as a bed warmer!   

She's kind of a space heater..I don't need an electric blanket in the winter.

[balthazar]

'60 Eldo Seville; I just LOVE this year/model ~

[G. David Felt]

12 minutes ago, balthazar said:

'60 Eldo Seville; I just LOVE this year/model ~

That is one SEXY  Car!  Scenery is not bad also!  

[G. David Felt]

EPA has sent proposal to White House to End California Emission Waiver and Canada has taken the gloves off and added trade taxes to just about everything coming into Canada from the US.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-31/white-house-reviewing-proposals-to-ease-auto-efficiency-rules

The war has begun, quality of life is going down due to idiots in the white house. 

[balthazar]

If taxation represents declining quality of life, we've been circling the drain for decades.

[balthazar]

[balthazar]

[G. David Felt]

5 hours ago, balthazar said:

I used to be able to buy malt for adding to pancakes and waffles and now it is so hard to find.

Shame as I love all things Malted!  

[Robert Hall]

On 6/1/2018 at 9:02 PM, balthazar said:

'60 Eldo Seville; I just LOVE this year/model ~

I like the '60 more than the '59 styling....cleaner, and I like the straight lines of the fins.

[balthazar]

[G. David Felt]

56 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Continental pickup?

[ocnblu]

What wheel is that?

[Robert Hall]

2 hours ago, ocnblu said:

What wheel is that?

Looks like old Pontiac Rally IIs...if you mean the wheels on the custom Lincoln. 

[G. David Felt]

 This sucks that the GLobal Executive for Chevrolet smashes the pace car before the race even gets started.

 

 

[Robert Hall]

Tors were probably cold and the rear end snapped around...

[ccap41]

What a freakin jabroni

[ykX]

Good news for iPhone users, Carplay will finally have Google Maps and Waze.

Why does it always take Apple so long to admit a mistake and fix it.

Good thing I am Android user but now my wife's next car definitely has to have Carplay. 

Edited June 4, 2018 by ykX

[G. David Felt]

2 minutes ago, ykX said:

Good news for iPhone users, Carplay will finally have Google Maps and Waze.

Why does it always take Apple so long to admit a mistake and fix it.

Good thing I am Android user but now my wife's next car definitely has to have Carplay. 

Since Job's Death, just further proof that Apple is surviving on the past and not creating new. Samsung has replaced Apple as the better Phone.

[Drew Dowdell]

3 minutes ago, ykX said:

Good news for iPhone users, Carplay will finally have Google Maps and Waze.

Why does it always take Apple so long to admit a mistake and fix it.

Good thing I am Android user but now my wife's next car definitely has to have Carplay. 

To be honest, that was one of the biggest reasons I've been holding out on Android. What the Motorola Z3 Force looks like is going to determine if I stay with Android or leave for iPhone.   I've been on Android for a long time, but my negative experiences with my current phone, and all the prior ones, are telling me to jump ship.

The one thing I really didn't want to lose was Waze for in-dash navigation. 

2 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Since Job's Death, just further proof that Apple is surviving on the past and not creating new. Samsung has replaced Apple as the better Phone.

Bollocks. 

#neversamsung

[Robert Hall]

I've been on iPhones for 5 years, probably will get another one soon...my 6S is almost 3 years old and the battery life is not good anymore.   Alas, will have to wait awhile before I have CarPlay since I just bought my Jeep last year..

[frogger]

2 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

I've been on iPhones for 5 years, probably will get another one soon...my 6S is almost 3 years old and the battery life is not good anymore.   Alas, will have to wait awhile before I have CarPlay since I just bought my Jeep last year..

You might as well get a replacement battery installed for $29..

https://www.macworld.com/article/3245168/consumer-electronics/iphone-29-battery-replacement-faq.html

 

 

[ykX]

11 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

To be honest, that was one of the biggest reasons I've been holding out on Android. What the Motorola Z3 Force looks like is going to determine if I stay with Android or leave for iPhone.   I've been on Android for a long time, but my negative experiences with my current phone, and all the prior ones, are telling me to jump ship.

The one thing I really didn't want to lose was Waze for in-dash navigation. 

Always was Android user but after bad experience with two LG phones I tried iPhone for six month starting past September, simply hated it.  Apple extremely limits the user in what it can do, customize etc.  iPhones are more stable for the long run but have their own share of issues.  In February could not take it anymore broke down, gave my iPhone to my dad and got Motorola X4 because didn't want to spend a lot of money at the time.  Very happy with it except the camera, it sucks.  But it to be expected from a phone in that price range.  I am thinking will go with Samsung next time just because of the camera, unless Motorola will come out with something nice.

Edited June 4, 2018 by ykX

[Robert Hall]

The Samsung Galaxy does have a very good camera.  I've been in the Apple ecosystem using iCloud and iTunes to synch my phone, iPad and Mac Book Pro for so long, don't really want to switch back to Android.  I did have a couple Android Motorola Droids back in the day, and they were awful.   Not sure if I'm going to get a iPhone 7, 8, or X.  I don't like that they deleted the audio input.  

[frogger]

Still on a Note 5, wife is on an S8 I bought for $375 outright.  Might upgrade by the end of the year, hoping Pixel 3 hardware will be worthwhile and a deal comes along with my carrier.

I would only switch to Apple if a car we buy only has Car play.

 

 

 

[ykX]

4 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

The Samsung Galaxy does have a very good camera.  I've been in the Apple ecosystem using iCloud and iTunes to synch my phone, iPad and Mac Book Pro for so long, don't really want to switch back to Android.  I did have a couple Android Motorola Droids back in the day, and they were awful.   Not sure if I'm going to get a iPhone 7, 8, or X.  I don't like that they deleted the audio input.  

Don't get me started on iTunes ....

I think even biggest Apple fans hate iTunes

Also it is kind of pathetic but I opened children account under my phone for my son and to transfer it to my wife's phone took literally 2.5 hours with Apple support. 

Honestly, I get it, people who have been in one ecosystem for a long time have hard time switching.  I think it was big part of me hating iPhone so much because I was so used to Android and using a lot of Google apps, which do not work as well on iPhone.

[Drew Dowdell]

5 minutes ago, ykX said:

Always was Android user but after bad experience with two LG phones I tried iPhone for six month starting past September, simply hated it.  Apple extremely limits the user in what it can do, customize etc.  iPhones are more stable for the long run but have their own share of issues.  In February could not take it anymore broke down and gave my iPhone to my dad and got Motorola X4 because didn't want to spend a lot of money at the time.  Very happy with it except the camera, it sucks.  But it to be expected from a phone in that price range.  I am thinking will go with Samsung next time just because of the camera, unless Motorola will come out with something nice.

I have an iPhone through work.  It's.... tolerable. 

What I'm annoyed with on Android is their planned obsolescence. I have yet to have one that works satisfactorily for more than 18 months. The fact that OS updates stop after 2 years, or earlier if your carrier decides it wants to sell you a new phone.  I have a Nexus 6P on Project Fi... so I'm all in on Google service. Yet 24 months in and OS updates have stopped.  Security updates stop in October.  This was supposed to be their flagship phone. 

Meanwhile, my partner's iPhone 6s and my own work 6S keep right on chugging along and will likely get iOS12 when it rolls out in a few weeks. 

Additionally... As of Android 8.1, Android Auto is an utter disaster.  It crashes constantly. It is laggy. Half the time my music won't play... or if it does play, the music on the screen does not match the music playing in the speakers.  Voice commands are absolute rubbish and completely non-functional. 

Car Play may be limited, but at least it works when I tell it what to do. 

[G. David Felt]

31 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

To be honest, that was one of the biggest reasons I've been holding out on Android. What the Motorola Z3 Force looks like is going to determine if I stay with Android or leave for iPhone.   I've been on Android for a long time, but my negative experiences with my current phone, and all the prior ones, are telling me to jump ship.

The one thing I really didn't want to lose was Waze for in-dash navigation. 

Bollocks. 

#neversamsung

My Samsung note 8 Rocks, Wife and I have not had the problems my son and daughter have had with their new Apple Phones and the lack of features on the Apple that I have on the Samsung surprised me.I really expected more from Apple.

[ykX]

7 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I have an iPhone through work.  It's.... tolerable. 

What I'm annoyed with on Android is their planned obsolescence. I have yet to have one that works satisfactorily for more than 18 months. The fact that OS updates stop after 2 years, or earlier if your carrier decides it wants to sell you a new phone.  I have a Nexus 6P on Project Fi... so I'm all in on Google service. Yet 24 months in and OS updates have stopped.  Security updates stop in October.  This was supposed to be their flagship phone. 

Meanwhile, my partner's iPhone 6s and my own work 6S keep right on chugging along and will likely get iOS12 when it rolls out in a few weeks. 

Additionally... As of Android 8.1, Android Auto is an utter disaster.  It crashes constantly. It is laggy. Half the time my music won't play... or if it does play, the music on the screen does not match the music playing in the speakers.  Voice commands are absolute rubbish and completely non-functional. 

Car Play may be limited, but at least it works when I tell it what to do. 

I hear you.  

I don't have Android Auto on my car so I didn't know about these issues.  I really hope they will fix them soon.

You are right, iPhones are more reliable for the long run and probably get better support but they had their fare share of disasters.  Personally, I didn't enjoy using iPhone so I doubt I will switch in the near future.

Edited June 4, 2018 by ykX

[G. David Felt]

Very cool pics of Wrenching on Auto's in Hong Kong. Amazing what they do and would be illegal in the US to do what they do there.

https://jalopnik.com/the-most-dedicated-mechanics-in-the-world-wrench-on-the-1791804151 

[frogger]

I'm hoping Project Treble on Android makes things better in the long run.. Already on XDA there are developers releasing single Treble code bases for multiple Android devices.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/project-treble/trebleenabled-device-development/lineage-phh-treble-t3767690

 

Edited June 4, 2018 by frogger

[G. David Felt]

@ocnblu Your Next Auto, California Camper Van from VW.

https://jalopnik.com/heres-every-cool-thing-we-could-find-in-the-2018-vw-t6-1826454018

 

[ccap41]

49 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

I've been on iPhones for 5 years, probably will get another one soon...my 6S is almost 3 years old and the battery life is not good anymore.   Alas, will have to wait awhile before I have CarPlay since I just bought my Jeep last year..

I'm still rocking a 6(non-s). I have had my battery replaced twice now for ~$50 each time(2nd one they replaced for free because they saw it was their battery but regardless I was willing to pay it) and it makes it a brand new phone again. It was definitely worth it to buy some time until you want to drop the cash on a new phone.

[Drew Dowdell]

1 hour ago, ykX said:

Don't get me started on iTunes ....

I think even biggest Apple fans hate iTunes

Also it is kind of pathetic but I opened children account under my phone for my son and to transfer it to my wife's phone took literally 2.5 hours with Apple support. 

Honestly, I get it, people who have been in one ecosystem for a long time have hard time switching.  I think it was big part of me hating iPhone so much because I was so used to Android and using a lot of Google apps, which do not work as well on iPhone.

I use iTunes, Amazon Music, and Google Play Music, because there is no way to get all of my music into a single ecosystem without re-buying the same stuff.  ??

I like Amazon the best, but I can't upload my old iTunes purchases or old CDs into it.  ??

I can't use iTunes on my Android, but Google Play Music will upload my iTunes library from my laptop, so that's how I can listen to my iTunes music on my Nexus. ??

But Google Play Music interface is beyond rubbish.  It can't find my music if I type in the name, but if I scroll through artist - album - song, I can click on it and play it. Forget about picking an album by voice command. Searching for music takes you to their store rather than the library you already have uploaded. I don't need to buy the music again! I already have it! Find it in my library! ??

Google Assistant is SO BAD, I ask it to play "Play Playlist Star Trek", a playlist I KNOW I have set up in Google Play Music and GPM is set up as the default music source in Google Assistant. Google Assistant tells me it can't find the playlist, then it opens Pandora  and plays Pirates of the Caribbean.    I do hope some Google engineer was listening in on that one and they entered the new swear words I invented into their database. 

Apple Car Play I haven't had as much experience with since it is my work phone, but generally, Siri does as she's told. The only frustration I had with her was one time when she couldn't find a route home while I was on an interstate 300 miles from my house.

[Drew Dowdell]

54 minutes ago, dfelt said:

My Samsung note 8 Rocks, Wife and I have not had the problems my son and daughter have had with their new Apple Phones and the lack of features on the Apple that I have on the Samsung surprised me.I really expected more from Apple.

The only reason I may stay with Android... and I do mean only.... Is the MotoMods available for the Moto Z series. Doing what I do with this here website thingy... and the instagrams and facebooks and other sites I manage. I would really like to have a proper camera attachment on my phone.  Phone cameras have come a long way, but there is only so much you can do without a true optical zoom.

For the Moto Z, you can buy this that attaches to the back of the phone:

Samsung did make a Galaxy Camera. It was a full fledged digital camera with an android operating system.. but they gave up after the second one, so now the newest OS you can get is Jellybean.  Google has already said they are going to start forcing apps to be up to date with the OS, so that means old Jellybean devices will stop getting apps. I don't blame Google for that.... but I do blame Samsung for constantly producing abandonware. 

50 minutes ago, frogger said:

I'm hoping Project Treble on Android makes things better in the long run.. Already on XDA there are developers releasing single Treble code bases for multiple Android devices.

https://forum.xda-developers.com/project-treble/trebleenabled-device-development/lineage-phh-treble-t3767690

 

It might be the one thing that could save Android. 

1 hour ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

I've been on iPhones for 5 years, probably will get another one soon...my 6S is almost 3 years old and the battery life is not good anymore.   Alas, will have to wait awhile before I have CarPlay since I just bought my Jeep last year..

Go get the $29 replacement.  It will make it like new. 

[balthazar]

1 hour ago, dfelt said:

Very cool pics of Wrenching on Auto's in Hong Kong. Amazing what they do and would be illegal in the US to do what they do there.

https://jalopnik.com/the-most-dedicated-mechanics-in-the-world-wrench-on-the-1791804151 

Looked at the 30-ish pics. Question: is that enough quantity of photos to fairly declare Hong Kong as officially being a dump?

[ccap41]

20 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Looked at the 30-ish pics. Question: is that enough quantity of photos to fairly declare Hong Kong as officially being a dump?

If the source wasn't Jalopnik, probably. 

[frogger]

2 hours ago, dfelt said:

Very cool pics of Wrenching on Auto's in Hong Kong. Amazing what they do and would be illegal in the US to do what they do there.

https://jalopnik.com/the-most-dedicated-mechanics-in-the-world-wrench-on-the-1791804151 

Nice set of photos, different from the usual skyline or "mass of people walking in dense modern urban environment" pictures you usually see of large Asian cities.  I really enjoyed my HK visit when we went 20 years+ ago, will definitely go again someday, hopefully for a month after retirement (would like to do the same in Tokyo).

 

 

[Robert Hall]

H

47 minutes ago, frogger said:

Nice set of photos, different from the usual skyline or "mass of people walking in dense modern urban environment" pictures you usually see of large Asian cities.  I really enjoyed my HK visit when we went 20 years+ ago, will definitely go again someday, hopefully for a month after retirement (would like to do the same in Tokyo).

 

 

Hong Kong and Tokyo are definitely on my long term travel list...I want to see the Japanese countryside...the mountains and coastlines, beautiful country from what I've seen of it in photos..

[G. David Felt]

14 minutes ago, Cubical-aka-Moltar said:

H

Hong Kong and Tokyo are definitely on my long term travel list...I want to see the Japanese countryside...the mountains and coastlines, beautiful country from what I've seen of it in photos..

Make sure to rent an auto for the mountains, they are a blast to drive and the scenery around Kobe is awesome. I do recommend the winter gees festival on Hokkaido. Also make sure to enjoy the Hot Springs in Beppu. 

Ferrari lovers will love this, Folks that like virgin old auto's will hate it and the rest of us will shake our head at people that have more money than brains. Yet if you like the auto you build, enjoy it just like he says.!  

https://jalopnik.com/why-this-guy-spent-1-3-million-to-restore-a-dino-with-1826406030 

[daves87rs]

9 hours ago, Drew Dowdell said:

I have an iPhone through work.  It's.... tolerable. 

What I'm annoyed with on Android is their planned obsolescence. I have yet to have one that works satisfactorily for more than 18 months. The fact that OS updates stop after 2 years, or earlier if your carrier decides it wants to sell you a new phone.  I have a Nexus 6P on Project Fi... so I'm all in on Google service. Yet 24 months in and OS updates have stopped.  Security updates stop in October.  This was supposed to be their flagship phone. 

Meanwhile, my partner's iPhone 6s and my own work 6S keep right on chugging along and will likely get iOS12 when it rolls out in a few weeks. 

Additionally... As of Android 8.1, Android Auto is an utter disaster.  It crashes constantly. It is laggy. Half the time my music won't play... or if it does play, the music on the screen does not match the music playing in the speakers.  Voice commands are absolute rubbish and completely non-functional. 

Car Play may be limited, but at least it works when I tell it what to do. 

 

Interesting, As I have had my HTC for over 2 years with no issues...granted it might need a battery soon..

Never been a fan of Samsung or Iphones (though my mom loves them) myself....then again I like a more basic phone too..

Never really got into Apple products in general.....though I am not going to lie- I like my new Ipad....?

[G. David Felt]

Interesting Read on Forbes top 12 auto's to avoid for 2018.

https://www3.forbes.com/business/steer-clear-new-cars-to-avoid-for-2018/?utm_campaign=Steer-Clear-New-Cars-To-Avoid-For-2018-auto&utm_source=Outbrain&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=00711c0c785914931f6fac419f7c06b527&utm_term=msn.com+[36]

1. Acura ILX - The Top Worst Auto on the list based on Poor Reliability, below average overall rating by Consumer Reports and JD Power Surveys.
2. Dodge Grand Caravan
3. Dodge Journey
4. Fiat 500
5. Fiat 500L
6. Fiat 500X
7. Ford Focus
8. Ford Fiesta
9. Ford Taurus
10. Jeep Wrangler JK
11. Maserati Ghibli
12. Mitsubishi Mirage

[G. David Felt]

Another Interesting read on Auto things that need to die and stop polluting our driving enjoyment.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/enthusiasts/car-performance-fads-that-need-to-go-away/ss-AAy1GAd?li=BBnb7Kz

1. Four Door Coupes - Coupes are 2 doors, not 4. German brands biggest offense of it.
2. Touch Screen Infotainment systems. Knobs are OK
3. Fake Exhaust Tips, Audi SQ5 biggest offense of this.
4. Endless Driving Modes, 
5. Electronically controlled automatic shifters
6. Fake Carbon Fiber Trim
7. Auto Rev-matching
8. Electronic Dipsticks
9. Unnecessarily Big Wheels and Low-profile tires
10. Fake Engine Sounds - Example is the fake sound of a Honda Civic Type R
11. Electric Parking Brakes

Have to say I agree with a good amount of this list and a few I could care less about. Guess you can add the Audi Q8 to the list of Fake Exhaust in the bumper crap now.

[Robert Hall]

3 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Another Interesting read on Auto things that need to die and stop polluting our driving enjoyment.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/enthusiasts/car-performance-fads-that-need-to-go-away/ss-AAy1GAd?li=BBnb7Kz

1. Four Door Coupes - Coupes are 2 doors, not 4. German brands biggest offense of it.
2. Touch Screen Infotainment systems. Knobs are OK
3. Fake Exhaust Tips, Audi SQ5 biggest offense of this.
4. Endless Driving Modes, 
5. Electronically controlled automatic shifters
6. Fake Carbon Fiber Trim
7. Auto Rev-matching
8. Electronic Dipsticks
9. Unnecessarily Big Wheels and Low-profile tires
10. Fake Engine Sounds - Example is the fake sound of a Honda Civic Type R
11. Electric Parking Brakes

Have to say I agree with a good amount of this list and a few I could care less about.

Real carbon fiber trim needs to go away also...carbon fiber may be necessary to be exposed on a race car, but on a street car interior it just looks disgusting, IMO....fake or real. 

[G. David Felt]

Stupidity knows no boundaries, US isolated at the G7 Summit over the tradewar.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade/u-s-isolated-at-g7-meeting-as-tariffs-prompt-retaliation-idUSKCN1IX478

 

[ccap41]

Oh nooooo we're no longer the good guy trying to help everybody out? ?

[frogger]

2 hours ago, dfelt said:

Stupidity knows no boundaries, US isolated at the G7 Summit over the tradewar.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade/u-s-isolated-at-g7-meeting-as-tariffs-prompt-retaliation-idUSKCN1IX478

 

I have to wonder how long this will go on. The counter tariffs are all targeting swing states and his base, no amount of lying on twitter will change that.

I doubt the antiquated, idled aluminum mfg plants are going to prosper and be heavily modernized and ramped up all of the sudden in the name of "national security"/.

[G. David Felt]

21 minutes ago, frogger said:

I have to wonder how long this will go on. The counter tariffs are all targeting swing states and his base, no amount of lying on twitter will change that.

I doubt the antiquated, idled aluminum mfg plants are going to prosper and be heavily modernized and ramped up all of the sudden in the name of "national security"/.

Kinda like coal country, if they try to force people to buy power at higher costs to just keep a few plants open, the current administration is going to loose out. Cost out weigh the profits from retiring nuclear plants and switching over to Natural gas, solar and wind. or in those areas that can support it like here in the PNW, hydro.

[balthazar]

4 hours ago, dfelt said:

Kinda like coal country electric cars, if they try to force people to buy power EVs at higher costs to just keep a few plants open, the current administration is tree huggers are going to loose out. Cost out weigh the profits savings from retiring nuclear plants driving an EV and switching over staying with proven to Natural gas, solar and wind powered vehicles saves consumers money.

?

[balthazar]

[G. David Felt]

8 hours ago, balthazar said:

Just think of all the steel sitting around the country that could be recycled.