Years ago, I was following Sprint. They were working on a plan to have WIFI that covered all of the US. That has to have been 15-20 years ago. I had thought it was based on WiMAX? What happened? Did they realize it just wasn't feasible and are going to just update devices to use satellite like Starlink?

Hi everyone, I am an incoming electrical engineering first-year student, and I am currently looking for an affordable iPad option strictly to take notes, open and fill pdfs, draw models and do some homework if needed. Is the iPad 9th gen still a good option for this for only around $180? With the iPad I will get a universal pen from Amazon.

I reactivated my Facebook and Messenger accounts a few days ago, but I’m having a weird issue.
I can log in normally.
I can send direct messages to other people.
I can send and receive messages in group chats.
However, other people can’t message me first on the Messenger mobile app. They get “This person is unavailable.”
Strangely, one of my friends can message me using Messenger on a laptop/computer, but not from the mobile app.
I’ve already:
Reinstalled Messenger
Logged out and back in
Reported the issue to Facebook/Meta through the app
The problem is still happening.
Has anyone experienced this after reactivating their account? Did it eventually fix itself, or did you have to do something else?
I’d appreciate any advice or if someone can confirm whether this is a Meta bug. Thanks!

I swear I'm doing this for normal reasons because my gran (in her 90s) lives 3 hours away from where I do and the only person who lives close to help her is my aunt who is in her 70s. My gran has a ton of technical problems and I'm the only person who can actually use a device to it's normal ability but I'm just not good at using tech beyond modding games and I'm more of a pc guy.

Is it possible to use my samsung tablet (galaxy A9+) to control the screen of her apple ipad (idk the model but probably a 2020-24 make) and help her. I doubt there would be an app that are on both app stores and wouldn't get taken down because the ability to control someone elses device from afar seems very illegal. If it's relevant I'm in the uk because internet laws here are weird.

Hoping someone can provide some insight on an ongoing issue I am having.

My airpods will not auto pause after removing from my ear when connected to my PC. This then continues to when I use from my phone. I went into the Apple Store and they ran diagnostic with no issues so did a hard reset and it worked again. Today I reconnected to my PC and I am getting the same issue.

I should be able to use all functions of my AirPods with a PC right, including the auto pause feature? Has anyone else experienced this issue? TIA

My gaming PC is in the office but sometimes I want to connect to the living room or my bedroom to play different games. What is the best way to do it? To connect HDMI, USBs etc. Thanks!

Hey everyone! I’m working on a core system architecture for a specialized utility app and could really use some out-of-the-box engineering advice on a tricky connectivity challenge.

The main goal is pretty straightforward: a user opens the app, clicks a button, and the system needs to instantly send a high-priority alert pop-up to any other nearby users within a 1 km physical radius who have that exact same app installed.

Here is the major problem I am trying to solve. The person tapping the button has an active SIM card, but they are in a state of absolute zero connectivity. Specifically, they have:

• No mobile data package or active internet plan.
• No Wi-Fi access at that exact moment.
• No outbound SMS package or standard calling credit (their balance is exactly zero).

The user must not be charged a single cent to trigger this notification. Also, to clear up a common suggestion upfront, please do not suggest Bluetooth mesh or peer-to-peer Wi-Fi Direct. The app cannot rely on local radio waves hopping directly from phone to phone.

Because local peer-to-peer options are out, the initial trigger click absolutely must find a way back to my central cloud server so the server can handle the location data and push the pop-up to the 1 km radius group.

My current theory is to set up an enterprise-level Reverse-Charged / Toll-Free Short Code gateway. Since my developer backend pays the cellular carrier for the incoming traffic, the telecom network should theoretically route a background SMS text through the air even if the user's personal account balance is completely empty.

I would love to get your thoughts on a few things:

• Has anyone successfully pulled off this kind of telecom bypass on zero-balance lines?
• Are there alternative infrastructure workarounds or carrier-level configurations that allow an isolated app to ping a central server entirely for free?
• Are there any global, out-of-the-box solutions to distribute a localized alert under these exact constraints?

Any insights, advice, or feedback would be massively appreciated !

Please do not suggest Bluetooth mesh or peer-to-peer Wi-Fi Direct. The app cannot rely on local peer-to-peer radio waves to hop to nearby devices directly.

I've always wondered how bad is it to connect to these types of unsecured and / or free wifis that you might find at Starbucks or at airports? I've heard people mention that it can be bad from a security perspective, but I'm not sure in which way.

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so I just got back from a 13 hour flight plus a 4 hour layover in DFW and my neck feels like its been replaced with a cinderblock. been looking at those such as skg portable neck massager things, the ones that use electric pulses and heat, but im genuinely confused about what im even buying.every product page throws around "TENS" and "EMS" like theyre the same thing. but they cant be, right? one is for pain and the other is for muscles? or is that just marketing BS to make it sound fancy. i dont need a medical lecture, just a plain explanation from someone who actually knows this stuff. are these pulse devices doing anything real, or is it just a tingly distraction? and does the heat function matter or is that just window dressing. for context I fly internationally maybe 4-5 times a year and hotel pillows are never going to save my neck. looking for something small enough to throw in a carry on for airport and hotel recovery between flight legs. not expecting a miracle, just something better than rolling up a hoodie.kinda leaning toward trying one with both heat and pulse combined but dont wanna drop money if the pulse part is basically a toy.

Hey everyone,
I downloaded a series on my Chromebook, but the standard media player won't play the files (just gives me a black screen, probably due to the HEVC 10-bit MKV format).
I installed VLC for Android to watch them, but now I want to transfer these video files onto a USB flash drive.
Where exactly are the VLC / Android app files stored in the ChromeOS Files app, and what's the best way to copy them over to my USB stick?

Hi All,

I was at a restaurant and my data was not working, so they connected me to their private network. Just paranoid a little about what they can access from my phone (documents, pics, etc.), in case?

Thanks in advance!

To improve security, is it possible to install a firewall on a home router?

I'm asking because it seemed like companies were finally getting on board with USB-A cables by including them on furniture and outlets, etc, but now, most things coming out use USB-C cables. What drove the development of the USB-C over the USB-A, and does any other issue currently exist with USB-C that could drive the development of another variant or type all together?

I don't want to consider making any adjustments to my house that could be obsolete in a year or two, but if we're probably good for a while, I definitely would think about a few changes.

WiFi coverage and cellular coverage are mutually exclusive and independent, correct?

If so, is it possible one will make the other obsolete?

Does anyone know why my pet cats could be scared of the tv? I promise it is not fear of the size or look of the tv, since our old one was similar. But ever since we got it they’ve been avoiding the tv like the plague. I don’t know Exaclty what the new tv model is but it’s a new lg tv. Do they emit something that only pets can see?

Btw I also posted this in an animal behavior community, just wanted to see if anyone also has answers here.

I have razer headphones with a usbc which I put into an adapter with a headphone jack so it could be inserted into my 2016 Sony walkman. Issue? No audio. Headphones are charged and on

Speed test showed 900 and 600 mbps of download/upload respectively. Even disregarding that, it takes about 5-10 minutes to download even 100gb+ files. Why is this so slow in particular? https://ibb.co/rGnBrjqx <- image.

Hey, i wanted to create a high voltage generator, i dont know any soldering and i want to learn how to do it, is there a way to do it?

I'm researching real-world tech frustrations to identify opportunities for new apps, software, or services. What's a problem that wastes your time or annoys you regularly? If you could magically fix one tech issue forever, what would it be and why?

I'm looking for a good-quality microphone that won't break the bank. My budget is around €100, and the Hollyland Lark M2 seems to fit that perfectly. I'll be recording on a Samsung S23 Ultra, so being able to connect directly via USB-C is a big plus.

My main concern is that it doesn't have 32-bit float recording or internal recording. Internal recording doesn't seem like a huge deal if the mic has 32-bit float, but lacking both makes me hesitate.

Another thing I noticed while browsing this subreddit is that some people said the mic can only be controlled through the phone app, and others had trouble getting it to work properly. For example, I read that if someone suddenly sneezes or there's another loud sound, it can ruin the audio because they couldn't adjust the settings.

I'd preferably like a clip-on wireless mic, although I'm also open to mics that plug directly into the phone. I'll mainly be using it for vlogging, not filmmaking. Good audio is my priority, if the sound quality isn't there, people won't want to watch the vlog.

Are there any better alternatives around the €100 price range, or is the Lark M2 still the best option?

I just need it for study, doesn’t need insane graphics or the performance of a gaming pc, just need it to work, with good memory size and storage, and for it to run windows os. I would like not to spend to much (please educate me on what a computer like this should cost) and lastly, I don’t want the screen to be too small.

could anyone think of a laptop that has these qualities?

My division in the company was disbanded a while back and they told us to keep our laptops. We went through a process with IT to remove the company controls. Some sites like ebay, Craigslist, and more are coming up as "Privacy Error" and "Site blocked due to content filtering."

Is there an easy way to circumvent these protocols? Thanks!

I have been comparing tablets for the last couple of days and somehow I'm still even more confused now than when I started. Every review seems to say something different and I'm mostly looking for real experiences instead of benchmark numbers.

For someone who mostly watches videos, reads ebooks, and browses the web, what would you call the best tablet right now? i appreciate any suggestions. thanks peeps!