• Baku@aussie.zoneEnglish
    0·
    2 months ago

    The first of my replacement things have begun to arrive. Today’s delivery is the Samsung S8 that wasn’t stolen, just severely damaged, probably beyond repair.

    Fun little story about the last one (I think I told it as it was happening back in the Reddit days):

    I bought the first one off of eBay about a year ago just before I moved out of the last place. I think I scored it for like 60 bucks because it was cracked. It was listed as carrier locked, but when it arrived, I found out that it was actually phone locked. It seems that it was wiped through recovery mode and had a Google account linked, which triggered some safety feature that prevented it from being set up again until the original account was signed in and then removed. I did my due diligence before I purchased it, and the IMEI wasn’t reported stolen anywhere that I could tell. I believe it was really just a case of not being wiped properly.

    I had a back and forth with the seller about it. He was being a dick. He was like “but I listed it as locked! You should’ve read the description!!!” And I was like “no dude, you said it was CARRIER LOCKED. You didn’t say it was bloody account locked!”. I decided I’d keep it and work on it as a side project, after all, security systems on old phones are not infallible. And I also got it for like half the price of what they generally go for, so I figured if it didn’t work I could probably rip it apart and sell the parts for a profit.

    I went down a very long YouTube rabbit hole trying a bunch of different solutions. None worked. Eventually I stumbled upon a video with like 160 views with some dodgy windows exe on MediaFire linked in the description. Against better judgement, I decided to install it on an old laptop just to see if maybe it would work. Surprisingly, it did. It had an odd name, from memory it was like “Sam Vishnu’s Cell Phone Hacking Tool” and had clearly been thrown together very quickly. Looked like shit. Somehow though, it did work! It was interesting watching it control my phone through USB. I think it worked through calling one of those special codes (with the hashtags) in the emergency call app, then somehow opening the gallery, which unlocked it and then going to settings and letting me log into My google account. I didn’t even know you could control a phone like that through USB, but apparently you can.

    I ended up getting it to work, and have used it for a few projects since. As far as I can tell, it never did infect my laptop, or phone, but I wiped both of them anyway just to be sure. I’ve actually been meaning to find the video and chuck the guy a few bucks. After all it worked and he didn’t waste any time or try and sell me shit. After I got into the phone, I immediately upgraded to the latest security patch I could, which isn’t susceptible to whatever that tool did.

    Edit: it also took too long to arrive and he gave me a fake tracking number, he blamed his staff for it, which I accepted at the time, but after I realised it was locked, I reckon it was intentional

    • Nath@aussie.zone
      0·
      2 months ago

      He was being a dick. He was like “but I listed it as locked! You should’ve read the description!!!” And I was like “no dude, you said it was CARRIER LOCKED. You didn’t say it was bloody account locked!”.

      That phone was 100% stolen. I bought an android tablet many years back with a similar story (account wasn’t completely removed), the seller was all “get it back to me I’ll happily unlock for ya”. Your seller was “it’s locked” because he couldn’t unlock it.

      • Baku@aussie.zoneEnglish
        0·
        2 months ago

        Thanks seasy. They ordered a couple of other things before they finished last week, which will all arrive over the next few days. The rest of my list still hasn’t been ordered though, I think it’s a low priority, so they just order a couple a week

  • tombruzzo@aussie.zone
    0·
    2 months ago

    Two sick kids at home and I’m going to get a doctor to look at this sore throat that’s been bothering me for over a week

  • TinyBreak@aussie.zone
    0·
    2 months ago

    US politics is about to get very interesting.

    Dirty Joke

    Every media outlet going nuts over “Biden Pulls Out”, when the real headline should be at his age, how’d he manage to get in there in the first place?

  • Duenan@aussie.zone
    0·
    2 months ago

    We had a therapy dog here at work today for the first time.

    I’m not sure if this is going to be a permanent thing but it was awfully nice to see a doggo at work today.

  • Bottom_racer@aussie.zone
    0·
    2 months ago

    Over at the p’s. Aunt sent through a thing to me about a pug up for adoption for the p’s last night. Grandparents had a few of them. I was young and only met one of them and he was a nice doggo.

    Anyway mum’s bday is soon and she’s a little hard of hearing these days and she’s trying to decide where she’d like to go (last night I suggested the local pub). I told her about the pug this morning and she said she doesn’t want to go to the pug she wants something she can eat.

    That made my morning.

  • melbourne_wanderer@aussie.zone
    0·
    2 months ago

    so several months ago, I sought advice from this sub on ebikes, and got some great input from a few people (Calhoon? thornburywitch? taleya? I can’t remember, but they seem likely…). Just wanted to say that a few weeks ago, I bought one (a kalkhoff as recommended by, I think, Calhoon?) and it has been perfect. Affordable (to me, I recognise that is not the same for everone), low end ebike, perfect for the commute from home to work. it is SO MUCH FUN to ride.

    I love her (her name is Debra, just FYI).

    model: https://everybodyebikes.com.au/products/kalkhoff-endeavour-1-b?variant=44691780796568

    almost a total car replacement for anything in a…say…25k radius!

    • Taleya@aussie.zone
      0·
      2 months ago

      They open sooo much more for you, especially if you have health issues. Just having the ability to not dislocate your knee on a hill got me back in the game big time

    • Thornburywitch@aussie.zoneEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      Total fan of ebikes myself. I would consider a hitchable trailer for bulk shopping for your next investment. It will be mine. The 25k radius is about right for an ebike. They really are a freedom machine.

      • Nath@aussie.zone
        0·
        2 months ago

        A rear rack and paneer set will carry a decent amount of cargo. Probably enough for a single person’s weekly shop.

        • Thornburywitch@aussie.zoneEnglish
          0·
          2 months ago

          Nah, you’re nobody without a milk crate strapped on the back. Fix it on right, and you can fit panniers as well. The only downside to the classic crate is that it’s not big enough for bulk toilet paper AND a handbag. Hence the need for a hitchable trailer as well. The best of which can be detached easily enough to use as a shopping cart inside the shop and then just hitched up and go when done. Also allows for transport of squashables like iced cake and the like - which doesn’t survive well in panniers and/or crate.

          • Taleya@aussie.zone
            0·
            2 months ago

            I have the ol crate but I’m eyeing off this… get a couple and I can literally use the MIK qui=ick release to tow 'em upstairs when I drop the bike off in the garage

            (currently I have to unload and carry things upstairs)

            • Thornburywitch@aussie.zoneEnglish
              0·
              2 months ago

              Fortunately the Aldi insulated bags fit nicely inside a milk crate with room for slender handbag too. The colesworth ones are a bit wide and the ends get squashed so can’t be packed as tight. This is my go-to at present - fill up bag in shop, zip it up then sling in the crate and go. Keeps things chilled too - at least for a short distance. Also my local fish & chip shop containers also fit very nicely in an Aldi insulated bag. Which keeps them sizzling hot for the journey home. What’s not to like?

        • Stephen Darby :ma_flag_aus:@mastodon.au
          0·
          2 months ago

          @Nath @Thornburywitch
          An Australian unit of measurement that applies here is the milk crate. a bottom end attachment for a bike carrier will carry one persons weekly shop. attach with cable ties or similar. Wife sold our Yuba brand Boda-Boda cargo bike. I still commute with pedal power.

  • Gibsonisafluffybutt@aussie.zone
    0·
    2 months ago

    So, tomorrow is my first day (bar any issues).

    Still feels a bit Unreal, but I’m looking forward to being around people and of course earning an income.

    Huge thanks again to everyone here for your support and for my 2 guardian angel references. ❤️❤️❤️

    • MeanElevator@aussie.zoneEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      Ungrateful for putting myself in a grumpy mood. I should know better, but sometimes I’m my own worst enemy.

    • Duenan@aussie.zone
      0·
      2 months ago

      Ungrateful that I can’t treat myself to some goodies until tomorrow, I want them now!

      FOMO :(

      • Baku@aussie.zoneEnglish
        0·
        2 months ago

        I’m convinced this is the only reason Amazon still exists. Although with prime day, they seem to have suspended their next and same day delivery. Everything I’ve looked at recently has said it would arrive in 3-4 days and it was a bit like “I only order from you lot because I can get things I don’t need in less than 24 hours… If you aren’t going to do that, I’ll just order it from eBay and wait an extra day…”

    • Rusty Raven @aussie.zoneM
      0·
      2 months ago

      I just went to the post office today, and now another parcel is expected tomorrow when I won’t be home so I’ll have to make another trip there.

  • TinyBreak@aussie.zone
    0·
    2 months ago

    work is quite. I’ve pulled out of this project as much as I can. a Whoever picked the vendor needs to be running the show, not me.