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geoffwnz
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  #3358879 31-Mar-2025 10:22
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Garmin adding Connect+ subscription.  The main "benefit" of which currently appears to be Pay to Win on some new challenge badges so users who care about a virtual score can now pay to add more badges each month and therefore a higher score.

 

Obviously they've also jumped on the AI bandwagon and included AI comments on your training which is absolute rubbish, much like Strava's unhelpful (and often blatantly wrong) offering.

 

There's some extra graphs and added training info but overall, really not worth paying for on top of the significantly high price of the devices.

 

Hoping there will be user push back and they'll drop the subscription or at least add something that's worth it without holding our own data hostage.





  #3358938 31-Mar-2025 10:59
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Connect+ is a tricky one. As it is currently positioned there's nothing wrong with providing extra features for a fee. The concern that most people have is that over time, more and more current "free" features are going to be moved behind the paywall. Again that wouldn't be so bad if the hardware was subsidised but that's not the case with a $2,000 device.


geoffwnz
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  #3358942 31-Mar-2025 11:07
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Senecio:

 

Connect+ is a tricky one. As it is currently positioned there's nothing wrong with providing extra features for a fee. The concern that most people have is that over time, more and more current "free" features are going to be moved behind the paywall. Again that wouldn't be so bad if the hardware was subsidised but that's not the case with a $2,000 device.

 

 

I agree with paying for features which need it.  Things like InReach requiring satellite time on the Iridium network for example.  Garmin have apparently suggested that what you currently have available "for free" will remain available.  But I thought the wording was vague enough to suggest that potentially that means data you have recorded already will remain available but future data may disappear behind a paywall.

 

I also agreed with DC Rainmakers (and others) view that there should be an included subscription with the devices for, say, 2 years on the high end, 1 year on the mid range etc.  Seems a little on the nose to pay $2k for a watch and then have to stump up a subscription fee on top of that.





alasta
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  #3358951 31-Mar-2025 11:45
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The comments about Connect+ on DC Rainmaker are absolutely scathing. The price of Garmin's latest Forerunner and Fenix devices are eye-watering, and most people seem to be expecting to get premium features as part of the initial outlay for the device.

 

I personally got rid of my Garmin Fenix a couple of years ago and I don't miss it now that Apple Watch has features like training load, swimming stoke detection and auto sets, running power, external HR support, etc. Apple just need to sort out their lousy implementation of mapping - that's my small thing that annoys me.


Behodar
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  #3359143 31-Mar-2025 16:11
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A while ago you could use a New World Clubcard at both New World (to earn points) and Caltex (to get cheaper fuel).

 

Maybe six months ago, Caltex changed their system to no longer accept Clubcard, but it could accept Airpoints. Great, now I need to carry two cards.

 

But then, a week or so ago, I realised that the Airpoints card also works at New World! Hooray, only one card needed!

 

Today I go back to New World and find that they've "improved" their system and dropped compatibility with the Airpoints card.


Rikkitic
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  #3359145 31-Mar-2025 16:17
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Behodar:

 

A while ago you could use a New World Clubcard at both New World (to earn points) and Caltex (to get cheaper fuel).

 

Maybe six months ago, Caltex changed their system to no longer accept Clubcard, but it could accept Airpoints. Great, now I need to carry two cards.

 

But then, a week or so ago, I realised that the Airpoints card also works at New World! Hooray, only one card needed!

 

Today I go back to New World and find that they've "improved" their system and dropped compatibility with the Airpoints card.

 

 

Why do you even bother? All these rewards schemes are privacy-invading crap.

 

 





Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

 


 


Geektastic
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  #3359192 31-Mar-2025 17:47
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From a video about a motorcycle airbag system:

 

 

 

” inflates in a 20th of a second - literally instantaneous “

 

 

 

Ummmm, no. No. It’s not instantaneous at all. You just said so. 






networkn
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  #3359258 31-Mar-2025 21:27
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Amazon Parcel from the UK shows delayed by customs, then 6 updates since but still showing delayed. 

 

Called UPS, they not only advise it's been cleared but it's with the courier in Auckland. Both the UPS and Amazon website show the item in Australia!

 

It went UK to US through 2 states then to AU and to NZ, was 'delayed' and still was ordered after and will arrive before, my order from Champions of the World, who ship from Auckland.

 

Sigh.


kingdragonfly
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  #3359544 1-Apr-2025 17:56
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Microsoft wants every user to have a Microsoft login. I hate subscriptions, I don't trust Microsoft's to respect privacy, and I really hate being viewed as a faceless chump willing to subscribe to anything Microsoft builds in the cloud.

I don't want copilot. I don't want OneDdrive, in particular Windows constantly pushing OneDrive for backups. I don't want Edge as the default browser. I don't want Bing Search in the Start Menu. I don't want auto-Installed Cloud Apps like Microsoft 365, Xbox Game Pass, and Teams. And stop nudging me toward Microsoft 365 subscriptions instead of one-time purchases.

Linux distros are starting to look better.

If I wasn't an active gamer, I would have already left the Microsoft ecosystem.

An even better Microsoft Account bypass for Windows 11 has already been discovered: Windows Central

Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it was removing a popular command line that allowed users to bypass connecting to the internet and signing into a Microsoft Account during the setup phase on Windows 11.

Since 2022, Windows 11 has required both an internet connection and Microsoft Account when setting up a new PC. Naturally, not everybody wants this, and so workarounds and bypasses have been discovered.

The most popular bypass was "oobe\bypassnro" which, when typed into the command prompt during the Windows 11 setup experience, would enable a button that let you skip connecting to the internet, thus bypassing the Microsoft Account requirement.

Microsoft has said that it is removing this command to push more users to connect to the internet and sign in with a Microsoft Account during the setup phase. Understandably, the internet is outraged.
...

SirHumphreyAppleby
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  #3359546 1-Apr-2025 18:01
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kingdragonfly:

 


Microsoft has said that it is removing this command to push more users to connect to the internet and sign in with a Microsoft Account during the setup phase. Understandably, the internet is outraged.
...

 

It's far to say, I don't like change. I still enable Ctrl+Alt+Del to bring up the login prompt.

 

If I'm forced to use a Microsoft account, I will not be using the software. I run FreeBSD on my servers so that'd be where I'd be heading.


neb

neb
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  #3359547 1-Apr-2025 18:12
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The OOBE trick has never worked for me, what has is entering no@thankyou.com as the account and any password, Windows will tell you the account is locked and let you continue with a local account.

 

Another option, which I haven't had to try yet, is to set up a new account, set up Windows, then close/delete the account again.


MadEngineer
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  #3359598 1-Apr-2025 23:00
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My wife's open polytechnic course.  One of the questions requires her to list some points and explain further for each of the points, which she has done.

 

They bounced back her answers saying that she needs to use the course material and not content from other websites but there's nothing in the course material for the section that she's up to that has any of the required detail and it is all in her own words.  Earlier they provided links to webpages that don't exist.  The study material is very light weight with the odd youtube video inserted.  I thought there was actually something missing like a section she needed to click on to expand but there's nothing, not even through the search function.

 

They have someone providing support who she asked to do a check of her submission prior to doing so and they said it should be fine.

 

She works rotating shifts with not a lot of time to study and she's finding it quite stressful especially with the lack of sleep





You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

MadEngineer
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  #3359600 1-Apr-2025 23:11
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kingdragonfly: 
The most popular bypass was "oobe\bypassnro" which, when typed into the command prompt during the Windows 11 setup experience, would enable a button that let you skip connecting to the internet, thus bypassing the Microsoft Account requirement.
...
Without that, how do you create and sign in with a local account so that you can correctly name a new machine it before domain joining it which you don't want to be added through autopilot?





You're not on Atlantis anymore, Duncan Idaho.

kingdragonfly
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  #3359677 2-Apr-2025 08:09
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MadEngineer:

kingdragonfly: 
The most popular bypass was "oobe\bypassnro" which, when typed into the command prompt during the Windows 11 setup experience, would enable a button that let you skip connecting to the internet, thus bypassing the Microsoft Account requirement.
...
Without that, how do you create and sign in with a local account so that you can correctly name a new machine it before domain joining it which you don't want to be added through autopilot?



As you've alluded to the computer name is automatically generated by Windows during the Out-of-Box Experience (OOBE), DESKTOP-XXXXX (where XXXXX is a random string of letters and numbers).

Right-click This PC → Properties → Rename this PC
or run sysdm.cpl

You can change the computer name before joining the domain using:
run sysdm.cpl
Computer Name tab → Change

or Powershell
Rename-Computer -NewName "NewPCName" -Restart

When joining a domain, the computer name is used as the NetBIOS name and the hostname.

If the domain has a naming policy, it might override the existing name.

richms
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  #3359706 2-Apr-2025 11:36
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kingdragonfly:
An even better Microsoft Account bypass for Windows 11 has already been discovered: Windows Central

Earlier this week, Microsoft announced that it was removing a popular command line that allowed users to bypass connecting to the internet and signing into a Microsoft Account during the setup phase on Windows 11.

Since 2022, Windows 11 has required both an internet connection and Microsoft Account when setting up a new PC. Naturally, not everybody wants this, and so workarounds and bypasses have been discovered.

The most popular bypass was "oobe\bypassnro" which, when typed into the command prompt during the Windows 11 setup experience, would enable a button that let you skip connecting to the internet, thus bypassing the Microsoft Account requirement.

Microsoft has said that it is removing this command to push more users to connect to the internet and sign in with a Microsoft Account during the setup phase. Understandably, the internet is outraged.
...

 

Is this different to clicking on that you have a school or work login in the setup process, because that is what I have done the last few times I have installed and it let me do a local account. I did have to connect the microsoft one to activate from the license that I have from the old hardware, but I deleted that account soon afterwards and the activation is still working. Otherwise I guess I would have to dig out the old win 7 pro COA from the side panel of the old case and type that in, which I assume would still work but might need the phonecall drama.





Richard rich.ms

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