Re: Bluetooth earphones [the [hopefully] final report]

Posted by Owen Densmore on Jan 24, 2015; 5:24pm
URL: http://friam.383.s1.nabble.com/Bluetooth-earphones-the-hopefully-final-report-tp7586001p7586002.html

Hey, cool.  This info is really useful 'cause we *all* run into weird Digital Ecology problems/conflicts and its nice to see how it was resolved.

My most recent was wading through the newness of Android .. after switching from iOS/iPhone.  The OnePlus One phone made it weirder by being "invite only" and heavy use of their Forum.  

The entire trail included:

- creating an account, 

- then getting an invite in one of many ways (I told a joke that won me one!), 

- buying it (really easy, no options, really), 

- buying a TMo SIM (a bit obscure but the stores and customer support can't do it, you get it via snail mail), 

- activating it (really obscure, customer service can't help and don't know they can't help .. you use the phone+web), 

- deactivating Vzn who kept insisting I owed them $.66 (they don't terminate the account 'till midnight, and Tmo sent me welcome SMSs), 

- trying to use the forum to get simple questions answered and getting an error: I can't start a topic without "replying" to 5.  

- WTF?  I'm *at* the forum 'cause I *can't* answer questions, 

- asking customer service if I am misunderstanding, 

- No I'm not, its an anti-spam measure, 

- but this *creates* spam .. lame resposes to get to 5!

- so I find a topic that someone created to resolve this -- just send 5 sill answers and you're go to post.

Whew.

So all Digital Ecology stories very, very welcome so we can avoid them ourselves! Stranger Than Fiction.

   -- Owen

On Fri, Jan 23, 2015 at 11:24 PM, Nick Thompson <[hidden email]> wrote:

Dear Colleagues,

 

Having received some very good advice from FRIAMMERS, I thought I would report back .  You recall was the problem that I had gotten given these very fancy Sony Bluetooth earphones which did not work more than a few feet from the Computer.  So, I called HP, which has a call center in Rio Rancho, of all places, which is usually very good, not only because they know a lot but also because they tell you when the DON’T know ( instead of saying three minutes into the conversation, “Well you could reformat your hard disk and reinstall windows,” like so many places do.)   They said they didn’t know much about Bluetooth, but it would not surprise them if the range was well below specification.  Called Sony, and they were ABSOLUTELY worthless.  Impenetrable and unresponsive.  Called Roger, and he said “Try a dongle; costs 5 bucks; might work.”  So, I went to Amazon (because of their return policy) and ordered a 5 dollar dongle.  It didn’t work and came with little documentation and no place to go for support.  Sent it back [no questions asked] and ordered a 12 dollar dongle from KINIVO because I noticed in the Amazon comments that they responded to comments and gave a support site.  The KINOVO dongle instructions were also inadequate, but their emails response was quick and to the point and their dongle is now shining its little blue light and transmitting to every corner of our small apartment. 

 

I am VERY happy. 

 

Thanks everybody,

 

Nick   

 

 

 

 

 

Nicholas S. Thompson

Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Biology

Clark University

http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/

 

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Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
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