Given nobody sensible would claim a phone without the AUX jack is more >functional than a phone without it (as without it, the phone is less >functional by definition)...
And given nobody sensible would claim an FM radio isn't an important safety >feature in a phone during an emergency...
Nor would anyone who understands the power of portable memory disagree that >it's a very handy way to privately move data between devices...
Of the total of 2,548 Android models offered for sale from 2019 to today...
<https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>
For the AUX jack, 1,907 (75%) of current Android models meet this standard.
<https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&chk35mm=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>
As for FM Radio, 1,257 Androids (50%) have the FM radio emergency feature.
<https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&chkFMradio=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>
Where 1,163 (46%) have both the emergency FM radio & the standard AUX jack.
<https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&chk35mm=selected&chkFMradio=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>
Let's look at the 1,801 (71%) with the all-important portable-memory slot.
<https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2&idCardslot=1>
But only 112 with a removable battery, which is less than 5% unfortunately.
<https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2019&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2&idBatRemovable=1>
Compare those choices Android users have to those of the poor Apple user.
AUX <https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2019&chk35mm=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=3>
FM <https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2019&chkFMradio=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=3>
SD <https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2019&chkFMradio=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=3&idCardslot=1>
In summary, the choices for Android are:
a. 75% AUX
b. 50% FM Radio
c. 71% SD SLOT
That's a _lot_ of choices (especially compared to Apple choices):
a. 0% AUX
b. 0% FM Radio
c. 0% SD SLOT
-
My role is to provide the facts, and to confront the morons who only know
the fantastically unbelievable bullshit that Apple MARKETING has fed them.
On Fri, 17 Nov 2023 19:41:16 -0400, Wally J
<walterjones@invalid.nospam> wrote:
Given nobody sensible would claim a phone without the AUX jack is more
functional than a phone without it (as without it, the phone is less
functional by definition)...
And given nobody sensible would claim an FM radio isn't an important safety >> feature in a phone during an emergency...
Nor would anyone who understands the power of portable memory disagree that >> it's a very handy way to privately move data between devices...
Of the total of 2,548 Android models offered for sale from 2019 to today... >> <https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>
For the AUX jack, 1,907 (75%) of current Android models meet this standard. >> <https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&chk35mm=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>
As for FM Radio, 1,257 Androids (50%) have the FM radio emergency feature. >> <https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&chkFMradio=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>
Where 1,163 (46%) have both the emergency FM radio & the standard AUX jack. >> <https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&chk35mm=selected&chkFMradio=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>
Let's look at the 1,801 (71%) with the all-important portable-memory slot. >> <https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2&idCardslot=1>
But only 112 with a removable battery, which is less than 5% unfortunately. >> <https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2019&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2&idBatRemovable=1>
Compare those choices Android users have to those of the poor Apple user.
AUX <https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2019&chk35mm=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=3>
FM <https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2019&chkFMradio=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=3>
SD <https://www.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2019&chkFMradio=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=3&idCardslot=1>
In summary, the choices for Android are:
a. 75% AUX
b. 50% FM Radio
c. 71% SD SLOT
That's a _lot_ of choices (especially compared to Apple choices):
a. 0% AUX
b. 0% FM Radio
c. 0% SD SLOT
-
My role is to provide the facts, and to confront the morons who only know
the fantastically unbelievable bullshit that Apple MARKETING has fed them.
I believe all/most phones require the earphone cable for an antenna.
I don't use an earphone !
I believe all/most phones require the earphone cable for an antenna.
I don't use an earphone !
And I doubt that many carry wired earphones around. Even if you did,
there are plenty of wireless Android earbuds around. Those would make FM unusable. I've never tried testing to see if a loose piece of insulated
wire just placed in the earphone socket would act as an antenna and
allow FM radio to be heard over the phone's internal speaker. Perhaps
the coupling would work, but perhaps not if it needs a physical connection.
I rarely use the sockets for anything, but one small advantage to not
having them would be better water resistance. However, I doubt many
people swim or surf with their smartphone on them, and a waterproof bag
would be a more reliable choice (and a considerably cheaper one than an iPhone).
And if you only use it at home why not just get a real battery
operated FM radio that can do much more in an emergency. I use a
Raddy ...
Jeff Layman wrote:
I doubt that many carry wired earphones around. Even if you did,
there are plenty of wireless Android earbuds around. Those would
make FM unusable.
It's for emergencies. You don't carry it around. You use it when
needed. Like you use a flashlight.
In a real emergency, you will be frantic to be using that wired
headphone.
Not having the radio is like not having a flashlight when you need
it.
It's for emergencies. You don't carry it around. You use it when
needed. Like you use a flashlight.
If you don't carry your wired (FM antenna) earbuds around then the FM
radio built into your phone can only be used at home where you
apparently must keep the earphones?
AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote
On 11/18/2023 9:33 AM, AJL wrote:
And if you only use it at home why not just get a real battery
operated FM radio that can do much more in an emergency. I use a
Raddy ...
If anybody cares here is the model I use:
<https://www.radioddity.com/products/raddy-rf75a>
For about the same footprint, consider keeping a HAM radio on the
charger.
I live in the boonies in a high fire danger area with windy mountain
roads and with the San Andreas Fault line within eyesight and we
have outages.
While the PG&E power goes out monthly, we only get evacuation orders
once every few decades - but it's going to happen. Again. And again
it will.
As a neighborhood, we went down to the local fire station years ago
to get our HAM radio licenses and each of us is tuned to the same
repeater freq.
In an emergency, the ability for two-way communication can be
important. And it's about the same cost & footprint as your (rather
nice) FM radio.
On 11/18/2023 9:33 AM, AJL wrote:
And if you only use it at home why not just get a real battery
operated FM radio that can do much more in an emergency. I use a
Raddy ...
If anybody cares here is the model I use:
<https://www.radioddity.com/products/raddy-rf75a>
On 18/11/2023, AJL wrote:
It's for emergencies. You don't carry it around. You use it when
needed. Like you use a flashlight.
If you don't carry your wired (FM antenna) earbuds around then the
FM radio built into your phone can only be used at home where you
apparently must keep the earphones?
Emergencies can happen.
Instead of paying fifty dollars for an emergency radio that will
probably never get used
why not stock wired headphones that you can always use?
For about the same footprint, consider keeping a HAM radio on the
charger.
I do have an Advanced Class ham ticket but haven't used it in years.
Think the Internet spoiled things...
I live in the boonies in a high fire danger area with windy mountain
roads and with the San Andreas Fault line within eyesight and we
have outages.
While the PG&E power goes out monthly, we only get evacuation orders
once every few decades - but it's going to happen. Again. And again
it will.
I live in a gated retirement community with around 8000 homes (will be
10K on buildout) in a metro area of 6M folks. The power hasn't gone out
in over a year. We live in vastly different settings...
As a neighborhood, we went down to the local fire station years ago
to get our HAM radio licenses and each of us is tuned to the same
repeater freq.
In an emergency, the ability for two-way communication can be
important. And it's about the same cost & footprint as your (rather
nice) FM radio.
If you're talking using 2 meter repeaters the handhelds are quite a bit
more than 50 bucks...
On Sat, 18 Nov 2023 08:05:09 +0000, Jeff Layman wrote:
I believe all/most phones require the earphone cable for an antenna.
I don't use an earphone !
And I doubt that many carry wired earphones around. Even if you did,
there are plenty of wireless Android earbuds around. Those would make FM
unusable. I've never tried testing to see if a loose piece of insulated
wire just placed in the earphone socket would act as an antenna and
allow FM radio to be heard over the phone's internal speaker. Perhaps
the coupling would work, but perhaps not if it needs a physical connection. >>
I rarely use the sockets for anything, but one small advantage to not
having them would be better water resistance. However, I doubt many
people swim or surf with their smartphone on them, and a waterproof bag
would be a more reliable choice (and a considerably cheaper one than an
iPhone).
It's for emergencies. You don't carry it around.
You use it when needed. Like you use a flashlight.
In a real emergency, you will be frantic to be using that wired headphone.
Not having the radio is like not having a flashlight when you need it.
AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote
I like your FM radio. I was just saying in emergencies, HAM is nice
too.
the power goes out two and three times a month in the dry months
(which, in California, is most of the year) but only about once a
month on the winter wet season
(which started today, by the way, as it's raining).
Of course every one of us (thousands upon thousands of homes in the mountains) has a 240VAC generator or two, plus battery backups, etc.
We even have special meters from PG&E that we can hook our generators
up _directly_ to the meter when the power goes out. Fancy that from
PG&E!
_everyone_ in the neighborhood has them [BAOFENG UV-5R]. That's many
hundreds of people who all have the same HAM radio as I do. What
happened is one HAM enthusiast aficionado long ago sent out a
suggestion we all chip in twenty-five bucks each and that would cover
the radio and the testing
- which was why those two radios plus two tests cost me only fifty
bucks (one for my wife and the other for me).
We have sequential federal Id's (ain't that sweet) where I don't
remember them so since they have to be used, I write them on the back
of the radio.
Are those BAOFENG UV-5R radios any good?
On 11/18/2023 3:53 PM, Wally J wrote:
AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote
I like your FM radio. I was just saying in emergencies, HAM is nice
too.
Agreed. Having both would be better in an emergency. They both have
their uses. My receiver would be better at receiving the commercial
bands (AM, FM, SW) where most local and national emergency news
broadcasts would be found. And your 2 meter handheld ham transceiver
(with a mountaintop repeater) would serve communications in your local
area with other hams.
the power goes out two and three times a month in the dry months
(which, in California, is most of the year) but only about once a
month on the winter wet season
Things are better here. It's been well over a year since the last power failure. Usually it's a car or storm taking down a power pole and they
can usually reroute within a couple of hours or so.
(which started today, by the way, as it's raining).
Yep. Your storm came this way and got my driveway (slightly) wet...
Of course every one of us (thousands upon thousands of homes in the
mountains) has a 240VAC generator or two, plus battery backups, etc.
That would be wise considering the conditions you describe...
We even have special meters from PG&E that we can hook our generators
up _directly_ to the meter when the power goes out. Fancy that from
PG&E!
Neat. Here some folks have solar panels with storage batteries so they
can get a few extra hours from the batteries in a power failure.
_everyone_ in the neighborhood has them [BAOFENG UV-5R]. That's many
hundreds of people who all have the same HAM radio as I do. What
happened is one HAM enthusiast aficionado long ago sent out a
suggestion we all chip in twenty-five bucks each and that would cover
the radio and the testing
Back in the day (got my first ticket in 1956) you had to pass a written
AND a Morse Code test. Guess not anymore...
Another back in the day story: Some of our original mountaintop
repeaters had autopatches. There was a landline connection at the
repeater site. You could actually call someone using your 2 meter
handheld. This was pre-cellphone days so very handy. Course it wasn't
very private since all of Phoenix hamdom could listen in...
- which was why those two radios plus two tests cost me only fifty
bucks (one for my wife and the other for me).
Things are apparently a lot cheaper now, though I did used to get some
pretty good deals at hamfests.
We have sequential federal Id's (ain't that sweet) where I don't
remember them so since they have to be used, I write them on the back
of the radio.
Do you mean licenses with call letters? IIRC California was in the 6th
call district. AZ is in the 7th and my call starts with W7...
Are those BAOFENG UV-5R radios any good?
Specs look Ok. If they're reliable as is your repeater then they should
work just fine.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baofeng_UV-5R>
I keep wired earbuds in my car and in my suitcase and in my home.
The last two are sometimes the same ones! The only problem is when
the battery goes dead on the wired earbuds. Wait! That doesn't
happen, like it does to wireless.
AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote
we don't normally get rain from about March or April to about now.
Sometimes we get rivers of rain. Sometimes not. It's fickle.
Weather.
I don't know a single person that doesn't have at least one
generator. Unfortunately, some people use a suicide cord, which is
just dangerous.
Back in the day (got my first ticket in 1956) you had to pass a
written AND a Morse Code test. Guess not anymore...
No Morse Code anymore.
But you do have to pass the written test. The way I passed the test
was I put on my iPad a zillion free HAM radio tests, which contained
the EXACT QUESTIONS to the exams (so it was easy).
I don't know if the repeater we mostly use has that [autopatch],
but we have gotten people from extremely far away on the radio.
I don't play with it [ham radio] all that much. Mostly I bring it on
my backcountry hikes, where it's my emergency backup in case I break
a leg or get bitten by a rattler or whatever.
An FM radio isn't needed on hikes as much as a HAM radio would be;
but if there was an emergency
my call sign is of the KMxxxx type,
but some of my neighbors are ABxxx (notice only 5 characters for
them but 6 for mine).
all of us have either a T-Mobile, AT&T or Verizon femtocell
(connected to the router) or a two-piece cellular repeater (I have
both) so that our signal strength is perfect inside the house even
though we're miles from the nearest cell towers.
We are so far in the boonies, that we don't have the option of
cable, so we get all our Internet over the air from a nearby
mountaintop too. Which makes us pretty self sufficient in an
emergency...
On 11/18/2023 9:33 AM, AJL wrote:
And if you only use it at home why not just get a real battery
operated FM radio that can do much more in an emergency. I use a
Raddy ...
If anybody cares here is the model I use:
<https://www.radioddity.com/products/raddy-rf75a>
On 11/18/2023 10:47 PM, Wally J wrote:
AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote
I don't know a single person that doesn't have at least one
generator. Unfortunately, some people use a suicide cord, which is
just dangerous.
I had to look up 'suicide cord' cause in my last (and final) job I ran
across a few folks who had hung themselves using an electric cord. But
Google set me straight...
On Sat, 18 Nov 2023 08:05:09 +0000, Jeff Layman wrote:
I believe all/most phones require the earphone cable for an antenna.
I don't use an earphone !
And I doubt that many carry wired earphones around. Even if you did,
there are plenty of wireless Android earbuds around. Those would make FM
unusable. I've never tried testing to see if a loose piece of insulated
wire just placed in the earphone socket would act as an antenna and
allow FM radio to be heard over the phone's internal speaker. Perhaps
the coupling would work, but perhaps not if it needs a physical connection. >>
I rarely use the sockets for anything, but one small advantage to not
having them would be better water resistance. However, I doubt many
people swim or surf with their smartphone on them, and a waterproof bag
would be a more reliable choice (and a considerably cheaper one than an
iPhone).
It's for emergencies. You don't carry it around.
You use it when needed. Like you use a flashlight.
In a real emergency, you will be frantic to be using that wired headphone.
Not having the radio is like not having a flashlight when you need it.
Oscar Mayer <nobody@oscarmayer.com> wrote:
On Sat, 18 Nov 2023 08:05:09 +0000, Jeff Layman wrote:
I believe all/most phones require the earphone cable for an antenna.
I don't use an earphone !
And I doubt that many carry wired earphones around. Even if you did,
there are plenty of wireless Android earbuds around. Those would make FM >>> unusable. I've never tried testing to see if a loose piece of insulated
wire just placed in the earphone socket would act as an antenna and
allow FM radio to be heard over the phone's internal speaker. Perhaps
the coupling would work, but perhaps not if it needs a physical connection. >>>
I rarely use the sockets for anything, but one small advantage to not
having them would be better water resistance. However, I doubt many
people swim or surf with their smartphone on them, and a waterproof bag
would be a more reliable choice (and a considerably cheaper one than an
iPhone).
It's for emergencies. You don't carry it around.
You use it when needed. Like you use a flashlight.
In a real emergency, you will be frantic to be using that wired headphone. >>
Not having the radio is like not having a flashlight when you need it.
What "real emergency" do you envisage where the *ONLY* source of
information on your smartphone is the FM radio?
What "real emergency" do you envisage where the *ONLY* source of >>information on your smartphone is the FM radio?
I actually had one. I was coming back from Pennsyslvania on election
day night in 2016 and I wanted to hear election results. I was on a bus
with other volunteers, so there was no dashboard radio I could turn on,
or hear. I had my phone and my wired earbuds and they worked pretty
well even when I got out of range of one station and into another.
On Sun, 19 Nov 2023 10:50:24 -0500, micky wrote:
I had my phone and my wired earbuds and they worked pretty well
even when I got out of range of one station and into another.
Anyone arguing to not have them when you could use them is going to
have to claim they provide no benefits at all during an emergency
situation.
It's safer with the radio than it is without the radio, and anyone
who says otherwise has to claim that a radio provides no useful
information at all.
On 11/19/2023 12:12 PM, Wolf Greenblatt wrote:
On Sun, 19 Nov 2023 10:50:24 -0500, micky wrote:
I had my phone and my wired earbuds and they worked pretty well
even when I got out of range of one station and into another.
Anyone arguing to not have them when you could use them is going to
have to claim they provide no benefits at all during an emergency
situation.
I would argue that the hassle of carrying wired earbuds around just to
use your phone's internal FM chip in an EMERGENCY is an unnecessary PITA...
It's safer with the radio than it is without the radio, and anyone
who says otherwise has to claim that a radio provides no useful
information at all.
But I have a radio. I have hundreds (thousands?) of available AM/FM/SW >stations with me on my phone's radio apps that could be used in such an >emergency, no wired earbuds needed. That's pretty safe...
And if your emergency takes out the cell system it could just as well
take out the over-the-air FM stations...
On 11/18/2023 10:47 PM, Wally J wrote:
AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote
we don't normally get rain from about March or April to about now.
Sometimes we get rivers of rain. Sometimes not. It's fickle.
Weather.
Things are pretty constant here in the desert, hot and dry...
I don't know a single person that doesn't have at least one
generator. Unfortunately, some people use a suicide cord, which is
just dangerous.
I had to look up 'suicide cord' cause in my last (and final) job I ran
across a few folks who had hung themselves using an electric cord. But
Google set me straight...
Back in the day (got my first ticket in 1956) you had to pass a
written AND a Morse Code test. Guess not anymore...
No Morse Code anymore.
Last I listened to the ham CW (Continuous Wave = Morse Code) bands they
were dead. I suspect most all the CW ops I used to work are now dead too...
But you do have to pass the written test. The way I passed the test
was I put on my iPad a zillion free HAM radio tests, which contained
the EXACT QUESTIONS to the exams (so it was easy).
They had study books in the old days, but pretty much the same thing.
I don't know if the repeater we mostly use has that [autopatch],
Probably not. No reason these days with cell phones.
but we have gotten people from extremely far away on the radio.
Depends on the repeater location and height. I could work hams in Tucson
from Phoenix cause the repeater was on our South Mountain and had line
of sight to both cities.
I don't play with it [ham radio] all that much. Mostly I bring it on
my backcountry hikes, where it's my emergency backup in case I break
a leg or get bitten by a rattler or whatever.
Depends on the backcountry and where the repeater is cause 2 meter
repeaters generally require line of sight to work.
An FM radio isn't needed on hikes as much as a HAM radio would be;
but if there was an emergency
I see no value of an FM radio on a hike. A ham radio and/or cellphone
makes more sense for the type of emergency likely encountered there.
my call sign is of the KMxxxx type,
I'm gonna guess that your call is KM6xxx if it goes by the old ways I remember. 6 is for the 6th district which is (was?) CA.
but some of my neighbors are ABxxx (notice only 5 characters for
them but 6 for mine).
4 character calls used to be reserved for the Extra Class (highest) ham license. It was a status symbol. Regular 5 character calls (like mine - W7xxx) were for everyone else (Technician, General, and Advanced).
Except the Novice license which had an extra "N" inserted until they
upgraded and lost the 'N' (they only had a year to upgrade). They ran
out of the 5 character calls in the 60s IIRC so started the 6 character licenses. But things are likely different now, and I've not kept up.
all of us have either a T-Mobile, AT&T or Verizon femtocell
(connected to the router) or a two-piece cellular repeater (I have
both) so that our signal strength is perfect inside the house even
though we're miles from the nearest cell towers.
My Verizon is two bars in the house but I use WiFi calling and that
solves the problem. Calls are then like a landline.
We are so far in the boonies, that we don't have the option of
cable, so we get all our Internet over the air from a nearby
mountaintop too. Which makes us pretty self sufficient in an
emergency...
My cable is pretty good but when it does go out the WiFi calling is too
dumb to know it. It's apparently programmed to switch to the cell when
it loses the WiFi signal but not when the WiFi is good but the Internet
is gone. So a dead phone IF I don't happen to be online and catch it...
In comp.mobile.android, on Sun, 19 Nov 2023 14:21:03 -0700, AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote:
On 11/19/2023 12:12 PM, Wolf Greenblatt wrote:
On Sun, 19 Nov 2023 10:50:24 -0500, micky wrote:
I had my phone and my wired earbuds and they worked pretty well
even when I got out of range of one station and into another.
Anyone arguing to not have them when you could use them is going to
have to claim they provide no benefits at all during an emergency
situation.
I would argue that the hassle of carrying wired earbuds around just to
use your phone's internal FM chip in an EMERGENCY is an unnecessary PITA...
FTR, it's not just for emergencies. You save data if you listen to
actual radio instead of webradio.
If your earpiece is wireless, bluetooth you never know when the
battery will be drained. I talk 5 days a week to a friend and it's
amazing how often her wireless whatever has a dead battery.
But all in all this is the kind of silly discussion tha internet is
famous for. If you want to carry wired, do so, and if you don't, well
your safe, no one will bother you, no one will tell you what to do,
until the CSA of 2022 goes into effect. The Communications Security act
of 2022 will require everyone to carry wired earbuds on their person,
unless there is a pair in their own car which is no more than 150 feet
away.
AJL <noemail@none.com> wrote
Do you have a well out there in the desert?
BTW, a generator is like an FM radio out here in that it's nice to
have when you need it, and, unfortunately, even PG&E says that we
need it.
Hmmm.... that's EXACTLY the point on the FM radio, isn't it? *It's
better to have it for when you need it than to not have it at all!*
I never listened on CW and I listened a bit in the very beginning to
the repeater traffic but now it's only there for emergency or hiking
use.
now the FCC knows EXACTLY who I am and where I live! :)
In the beginning they were doing radio checks where they got people
on the other side of the valley - which is a good 30 or 40 miles.
Most mountains out here are about 3,000 to 4,000 feet, and much like
it is in Phoenix,
the mountains are surrounded by the valleys
You bring up a good point that when we hike, it's so mountainous and
riven with gullies, gulches and steep ravines, that I liken hiking
to a war.
The only reason I wanted the HAM radio was for emergency purposes.
As always, anyone who knows more about those [Android] settings
should let the rest of us learn from them as I don't know which ones
to set at what myself.
AJL wrote:
I would argue that the hassle of carrying wired earbuds around
just to use your phone's internal FM chip in an EMERGENCY is an
unnecessary PITA...
FTR, it's not just for emergencies.
You save data if you listen to actual radio instead of webradio.
If your earpiece is wireless, bluetooth you never know when the
battery will be drained. I talk 5 days a week to a friend and it's
amazing how often her wireless whatever has a dead battery.
But all in all this is the kind of silly discussion that internet is
famous for.
And I doubt that many carry wired earphones around.
Even if you did, there are plenty of wireless Android earbuds around.
Those would make FM unusable.
I've never tried testing to see if a loose piece of insulated
wire just placed in the earphone socket would act as an antenna and
allow FM radio to be heard over the phone's internal speaker. Perhaps
the coupling would work, but perhaps not if it needs a physical connection.
I rarely use the sockets for anything, but one small advantage to not
having them would be better water resistance.
However, I doubt many
people swim or surf with their smartphone on them, and a waterproof bag
would be a more reliable choice (and a considerably cheaper one than an iPhone).
On Sun, 19 Nov 2023 10:50:24 -0500, micky wrote:
What "real emergency" do you envisage where the *ONLY* source of
information on your smartphone is the FM radio?
I actually had one. I was coming back from Pennsyslvania on election
day night in 2016 and I wanted to hear election results. I was on a bus
with other volunteers, so there was no dashboard radio I could turn on,
or hear. I had my phone and my wired earbuds and they worked pretty
well even when I got out of range of one station and into another.
It's not that it's the only source of information,
but that it's a source
of information, just like a flashlight is a source of light and just like a smart watch is a source of medical information and just like a loaf of
bread is a source of food and just like a blanket is a source of warmth.
Anyone arguing to not have them when you could use them is going to have to claim they provide no benefits at all during an emergency situation.
It's safer with the radio than it is without the radio, and anyone who says otherwise has to claim that a radio provides no useful information at all.
Wolf Greenblatt <wolf@greenblatt.net> wrote:
On Sun, 19 Nov 2023 10:50:24 -0500, micky wrote:
What "real emergency" do you envisage where the *ONLY* source of
information on your smartphone is the FM radio?
I actually had one. I was coming back from Pennsyslvania on election
day night in 2016 and I wanted to hear election results. I was on a bus >>> with other volunteers, so there was no dashboard radio I could turn on,
or hear. I had my phone and my wired earbuds and they worked pretty
well even when I got out of range of one station and into another.
It's not that it's the only source of information,
At the point where FM is important it will be. Given the multitude of ways
to get information using a smartphone the point at which an FM radio is >useful is only when all others have failed.
In that emergency scenario I suspect there are much more immediate problems >that need solving than catching up with the news.
but that it's a source
of information, just like a flashlight is a source of light and just like a >> smart watch is a source of medical information and just like a loaf of
bread is a source of food and just like a blanket is a source of warmth.
Anyone arguing to not have them when you could use them is going to have to >> claim they provide no benefits at all during an emergency situation.
It's safer with the radio than it is without the radio, and anyone who says >> otherwise has to claim that a radio provides no useful information at all.
How is it safer?
In comp.mobile.android, on Mon, 20 Nov 2023 08:06:16 -0000 (UTC), Chris <ithinkiam@gmail.com> wrote:
Wolf Greenblatt <wolf@greenblatt.net> wrote:
On Sun, 19 Nov 2023 10:50:24 -0500, micky wrote:
What "real emergency" do you envisage where the *ONLY* source of
information on your smartphone is the FM radio?
I actually had one. I was coming back from Pennsyslvania on election
day night in 2016 and I wanted to hear election results. I was on a bus >>>> with other volunteers, so there was no dashboard radio I could turn on, >>>> or hear. I had my phone and my wired earbuds and they worked pretty
well even when I got out of range of one station and into another.
It's not that it's the only source of information,
At the point where FM is important it will be. Given the multitude of ways >> to get information using a smartphone the point at which an FM radio is
useful is only when all others have failed.
And that could happen. As a result of Hurricane Sandy?, cell phone
service in lower Manhattan failed and I presume that includes cellular
data. What still worked were landline and, I presume, radio.
In that emergency scenario I suspect there are much more immediate problems >> that need solving than catching up with the news.
In that emergency scenario, most or all of the news will be about how to remediate those very emergency immediate problems,
In comp.mobile.android, on Mon, 20 Nov 2023 08:06:16 -0000 (UTC), Chris <ithinkiam@gmail.com> wrote:
Wolf Greenblatt <wolf@greenblatt.net> wrote:
On Sun, 19 Nov 2023 10:50:24 -0500, micky wrote:
What "real emergency" do you envisage where the *ONLY* source of
information on your smartphone is the FM radio?
I actually had one. I was coming back from Pennsyslvania on election
day night in 2016 and I wanted to hear election results. I was on a bus >>>> with other volunteers, so there was no dashboard radio I could turn on, >>>> or hear. I had my phone and my wired earbuds and they worked pretty
well even when I got out of range of one station and into another.
It's not that it's the only source of information,
At the point where FM is important it will be. Given the multitude of ways >> to get information using a smartphone the point at which an FM radio is
useful is only when all others have failed.
And that could happen. As a result of Hurricane Sandy?, cell phone
service in lower Manhattan failed and I presume that includes cellular
data. What still worked were landline and, I presume, radio.
At the point where FM is important it will be. Given the multitude of ways
to get information using a smartphone the point at which an FM radio is useful is only when all others have failed.
In that emergency scenario I suspect there are much more immediate problems that need solving than catching up with the news.
but that it's a source
of information, just like a flashlight is a source of light and just like a >> smart watch is a source of medical information and just like a loaf of
bread is a source of food and just like a blanket is a source of warmth.
Anyone arguing to not have them when you could use them is going to have to >> claim they provide no benefits at all during an emergency situation.
It's safer with the radio than it is without the radio, and anyone who says >> otherwise has to claim that a radio provides no useful information at all.
How is it safer?
And that could happen. As a result of Hurricane Sandy?, cell phone
service in lower Manhattan failed and I presume that includes cellular
data. What still worked were landline and, I presume, radio.
And given nobody sensible would claim an FM radio isn't an important safety feature in a phone during an emergency...
My role is to provide the facts, and to confront the morons who only know
the fantastically unbelievable bullshit that Apple MARKETING has fed them.
On Mon, 20 Nov 2023 08:06:16 -0000 (UTC), Chris wrote:
At the point where FM is important it will be. Given the multitude of ways >> to get information using a smartphone the point at which an FM radio is
useful is only when all others have failed.
If you're traveling, the "point when all the others have failed" happens every day all day,
but the fails don't matter when there's no emergency.
In that emergency scenario I suspect there are much more immediate problems >> that need solving than catching up with the news.
You seem to be making excuses after excuses for the lack of the FM radio in your phone while many other phones have the FM radio for very good reasons.
In a situation where you need important info, it will be on the FM radio.
but that it's a sourceHow is it safer?
of information, just like a flashlight is a source of light and just like a >>> smart watch is a source of medical information and just like a loaf of
bread is a source of food and just like a blanket is a source of warmth. >>>
Anyone arguing to not have them when you could use them is going to have to >>> claim they provide no benefits at all during an emergency situation.
It's safer with the radio than it is without the radio, and anyone who says >>> otherwise has to claim that a radio provides no useful information at all. >>
If your argument is FM radio serves no useful purpose then just say so.
Otherwise agree it's useful to have FM radio in a phone, especially in emergencies, as they don't spend all that money broadcasting to nobody.
How is it safer?
If your argument is FM radio serves no useful purpose then just say so.
Can you answer the question?
could you do those of us using newsreaders on small devices a favour
and make all your subject lines shorter, so they're comprehensible
when truncated?
Wally, could you do those of us using newsreaders on small devices a
favour and make all your subject lines shorter, so they're
comprehensible when truncated?
On Tue, 21 Nov 2023 08:05:31 -0000 (UTC), Chris wrote:
How is it safer?
If your argument is FM radio serves no useful purpose then just say so.
Can you answer the question?
Of course it's safer.
If you don't know that, then you have no right to ask
the question as having information is always better than not having it.
Secondly, your excuse that cellular Internet is everywhere is just absurd. What you're really doing is making excuses for YOU not wanting information.
Maybe you don't want any information in an emergency situation.
But plenty of people do.
Information when there is no Internet is what the FM radio can do for them.
If you and they are in an area without Internet (which is very common, and which is even more common in an emergency situation), then they'll have
that emergency information and you will be stuck begging them for it.
I'm done with you because your arguments are ridiculous that Internet is everywhere and that FM radio supplies no information that you care about.
You are just making up excuses for you not wanting info everyone else does.
could you do those of us using newsreaders on small devices a favour
and make all your subject lines shorter, so they're comprehensible
when truncated?
Even full-screen on a 2880x1800 monitor, it is close to overflowing in
my preferred thunderbird view (with headers collapsed)
Wally, could you do those of us using newsreaders on small devices a
favour and make all your subject lines shorter, so they're comprehensible when truncated?
'As of November 2023' is superfluous.
'Android models' > Androids
'Portable memory slot' - SD card?
Thanks for letting me know, as my "preferred newsreader" is the vim editor >(as I don't use a newsreader since I do everything via batch files).
However, to explain... I was taught to document using long titles.
My Subject is long for the same reason scientific paper titles are long.
So they can be found in a title search on an automated web archive, e.g.,
<http://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android>
It's not worth doing all the immense efforts I do in any given thread to >document things (URLs, facts, APKs, screenshots, etc.) unless leveraged.
However, I can make titles shorter if that's what people want.
How many characters do you prefer?
Andy Burns <usenet@andyburns.uk> wrote
could you do those of us using newsreaders on small devices a favour
and make all your subject lines shorter, so they're comprehensible
when truncated?
Even full-screen on a 2880x1800 monitor, it is close to overflowing in
my preferred thunderbird view (with headers collapsed)
Thanks for letting me know, as my "preferred newsreader" is the vim editor (as I don't use a newsreader since I do everything via batch files).
However, to explain... I was taught to document using long titles.
My Subject is long for the same reason scientific paper titles are long.
So they can be found in a title search on an automated web archive, e.g.,
<http://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android>
It's not worth doing all the immense efforts I do in any given thread to document things (URLs, facts, APKs, screenshots, etc.) unless leveraged.
However, I can make titles shorter if that's what people want.
How many characters do you prefer?
However, to explain... I was taught to document using long titles.
My Subject is long for the same reason scientific paper titles are long.
Paper titles aren't long, they average 12.3 words. https://blog.oup.com/2018/09/efficient-titles-research-articles/
Titles need to be succinct and meaningful.
This thread's OP certainly isn't.
So they can be found in a title search on an automated web archive, e.g.,
<http://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android>
Google searches much more than titles.
It's not worth doing all the immense efforts I do in any given thread to
document things (URLs, facts, APKs, screenshots, etc.) unless leveraged.
However, I can make titles shorter if that's what people want.
How many characters do you prefer?
10-12 words is the recommendation for papers. No reason why your posts
should be any longer than that.
I don't know what other people want. I think the subject should be as long
as it needs to be, but no longer. Take a critical look at it: is it
concise, can you delete words without losing anything important, or use well-known (for the NG) abbreviations?
Be aware that mobile newsreaders may truncate the subject in the middle -
see screenshot of PiaoHong on a this 10" tablet. Mine does the same.
<https://www.cjoint.com/data/MKvqGGSDy5v_Screenshot-20231121-163021-NewsReader.jpg>
And I have a tablet; I don't know what it looks like on a phone. So don't waste the first few words. It's like writing a good newspaper headline.
Just my view. If I don't know what it's about I don't bother to tap on it.
I can make titles shorter if that's what people want.
How many characters do you prefer?
Wally J wrote:
I can make titles shorter if that's what people want.
How many characters do you prefer?
Similar to line-lengths, 72? 79? I'm not going to be that picky, your
125 character subject did fit, but only just
Wally J wrote:
I can make titles shorter if that's what people want.
How many characters do you prefer?
Similar to line-lengths, 72? 79? I'm not going to be that picky, your
125 character subject did fit, but only just
Did you ever notice that my posts have both wrapped lines and sometimes
long unwrapped lines (when there is a need for a long line in the post)?
Did you ever notice that my posts have both wrapped lines and sometimes
long unwrapped lines (when there is a need for a long line in the post)?
Never noticed, if you use a text editor, do you put format=flowed in
your headers?
What I do know is each header is random, from a dictionary lookup
which itself is random except when a thread is started (then it
remains).
Honestly, Andy... I don't even know what format=flowed does.
What does it do that matters anyway?
Honestly, Andy... I don't even know what format=flowed does.
What does it do that matters anyway?
It's a way of being able to treat CRLFs as "soft" rather than "hard"
breaks, so that messages display according to available screen width of
the reader, rather than in whatever width the writer used.
Wally J wrote:
What I do know is each header is random, from a dictionary lookup
which itself is random except when a thread is started (then it
remains).
Hadn't noticed, surprised that doesn't cause complaints due to incorrect character sets etc.
Given nobody sensible would claim a phone without the AUX jack is more functional than a phone without it (as without it, the phone is less functional by definition)...
And given nobody sensible would claim an FM radio isn't an important safety feature in a phone during an emergency...
Nor would anyone who understands the power of portable memory disagree that it's a very handy way to privately move data between devices...
Of the total of 2,548 Android models offered for sale from 2019 to today...
<https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>
For the AUX jack, 1,907 (75%) of current Android models meet this standard.
<https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&chk35mm=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>
On Sat, 18 Nov 2023 08:05:09 +0000, Jeff Layman wrote:[...]
I rarely use the sockets for anything, but one small advantage to not
having them would be better water resistance. However, I doubt many
people swim or surf with their smartphone on them, and a waterproof bag
would be a more reliable choice (and a considerably cheaper one than an
iPhone).
It's for emergencies. You don't carry it around.
You use it when needed. Like you use a flashlight.
In a real emergency, you will be frantic to be using that wired headphone.
Not having the radio is like not having a flashlight when you need it.
For the AUX jack, 1,907 (75%) of current Android models meet this standard. >> <https://www.gsmarena.com/results.php3?nYearMin=2019&chk35mm=selected&sAvailabilities=1,2&sOSes=2>
Yes - but many models which are 3-4 years old and just still sold. These
will disappear soon. Update these numbers in 1-2 years.
Not having the radio is like not having a flashlight when you need it.
That's why I have a *real* flashlight and a portable radio which is
powered by standard AA batteries. And yes, I also have always a stock of
at least 10 batteries of every required size at my place.
Arno Welzel <usenet@arnowelzel.de> wrote
Not having the radio is like not having a flashlight when you need it.
That's why I have a *real* flashlight and a portable radio which is
powered by standard AA batteries. And yes, I also have always a stock of
at least 10 batteries of every required size at my place.
The reason the aux jack is on almost all Androids is because it's useful.
The reason it's not on iPhones is Apple makes more money selling earbuds.
For the rare Android that follows Apple, they always have other models.
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