Hello Daniel!

** On Monday 18.05.20 - 23:32, Daniel wrote to Doug Cooper:

really enjoyed the Marco Polo Ap for smart phones ...
... It's replaced any other form of communication other then the
telephone I choose to reply to. If I get a messanger or text, I tell
them to marco polo me, and don't answer their questions.

Yeah smartphones. I transitioned from a cell to satellite phone over two years ago. I sms/mms with a mobile PDA called 'Gemini.'

I did not realize that the Gemini is so recent! That one is a nice combination smartphone+keyboard. I like it.

But I can't think of such spending right now.

Which model do you have? Did you order yours from the UK, or did you find
a domestic seller in your USA?

Their top model with the extensive network features looks to be designed
for the frequent glob-trotter. Probably overkill for a domestic like me.

If someone wants to reach me by voice they have my landline.

Same here. My Blackberry is activated as a phone primarily because I only use it to access internet via the data services, but no one knows the
phone number.

I only "open" my landline to calls from 7p-9p only. Ringer is off the rest
of the time. I just grew tired of picking up the phone for the bogus spam calls and surveys.


../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.43
* Origin: [special text for this echo only via oxp's /S edit] (2:221/1.58)

Hello Daniel!

** On Tuesday 19.05.20 - 06:16, Daniel wrote to August Abolins:

I have the gemini PDA

https://www.www3.planetcom.co.uk/gemini-pda

I ordered it out of the UK during a black friday sale. It was 25% off
+ free shipping. Couldn't pass that up. I retired my trusty Palm Pilot Tungsten T5 for good when it came in. I just now wiped off a layer of
dust as it sits on one of my network switches.

Yes.. at the current advertised price, it would have to be a significant "sale" before I make a serious consideration.

Based on the models holding the unit to their heads, it seems borderline larger than I would like a phone to my head.

I thought my Blackberry Q10 was heavy at 135g (majority of the weight is
the 2100mAh battery), but the gemini is a bit more than twice as heavy.
Not sure if I would want to carry that in a suit pocket.

Is the battery of the gemini removable?

I don't use google services on it.

You are very disciplined! :)

My last smartphone was the blackberry Key One..
But I miss that sexy ass blackberry. What a great keyboard.

I warmed up the to Q10 keyboard very quickly. VERY smart idea to have the little raised corners on the keys.

If I were to ever get a smartphone again it would be a blackberry.
Have you seen the blackberry phone made by Punkt? That would be it for
me. Second link below.

I'm a real fan of minimalism and that takes the cake.

Never heard of that one. It *is* nice and small. But the price isn't! LOL

How would you do texting with it? C = 3 presses on 2? F = 3 presses on
3? No thanks.

I am finding that the Q10 is a fine temporary phone when I need to call my office to check messages or to have on hand for emergency when travelling.
I ordered a genuine belt holster for it. I really can't complain since
the phone was practically just given to me when the previous owner damaged the usb charging port. Instead, I just have two extra batteries and one
of them is in an external charger at the ready.

I used to have that problem. My phone's a POTS only within the house. Otherwise, it's a digital line. I setup my call rules to block all
calls but those whitelisted. So anyone who knows me can call. And my
bank plus few other debtors can call me if needed. So when my phone
rings, it's only those who I intend to call me. Any other business
needing to reach me can do so via email, which they prefer to do
anyway.

I could do something similar, but I refuse to subscribe to caller-id
features on my POTS phone. The base price would be over $100/yr. I don't care about receiving calls that much to justify that.

For five years now I've been paying my bills via mailed envelopes and checks. Doing so cut credit card fraud alerts by 100%. Seeing my mail-
lady is a highlight of my day too.

You're a flirt! LOL.

I don't have the dicipline to write cheques, stuff envelopes and mail them out in time before the due dates anymore.

Ref: https://blackberrymobile.com/us/product/blackberry-keyone/
Ref: https://www.punkt.ch/en/products/mp02-4g-mobile-phone/

Thanks for the links. They were an interesting visit.

../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.43
* Origin: [special text for this echo only via oxp's /S edit] (2:221/1.58)

August Abolins wrote to Daniel <=-

Yes.. at the current advertised price, it would have to be a
significant "sale" before I make a serious consideration.

Mhm

Based on the models holding the unit to their heads, it seems
borderline larger than I would like a phone to my head.

I use it as it is designed for, a PDA.

I thought my Blackberry Q10 was heavy at 135g (majority of the weight
is the 2100mAh battery), but the gemini is a bit more than twice as
heavy. Not sure if I would want to carry that in a suit pocket.

It's basically two 'phones' in one that folds into a clamshell. like a mini-laptop with aluminum. It's heavy but it suits my purposes. It's definitely not for everyone.

Is the battery of the gemini removable?

No.

I don't use google services on it.

You are very disciplined! :)

No, it just isn't necessary for my uses. I have a few apps that are available on f-droid that don't require google services and, well, Google doesn't even know my android install exists.

Never heard of that one. It *is* nice and small. But the price isn't!
LOL

Yeah, I know. It's pricey.

How would you do texting with it? C = 3 presses on 2? F = 3 presses
on 3? No thanks.

No idea. If so that would be a stunning no from me. But then, my PDA is there for texting.

For five years now I've been paying my bills via mailed envelopes and checks. Doing so cut credit card fraud alerts by 100%. Seeing my mail-
lady is a highlight of my day too.

You're a flirt! LOL.

shhh

I don't have the dicipline to write cheques, stuff envelopes and mail
them out in time before the due dates anymore.

Yeah, not for everyone surely.

... Visit me at gopher://gcpp.world
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
* Origin: Digital Distortion: digdist.synchro.net (1:340/7)

August Abolins wrote to Daniel <=-

Hello Daniel!

** On Monday 18.05.20 - 23:32, Daniel wrote to Doug Cooper:

really enjoyed the Marco Polo Ap for smart phones ...
... It's replaced any other form of communication other then the
telephone I choose to reply to. If I get a messanger or text, I tell
them to marco polo me, and don't answer their questions.

Yeah smartphones. I transitioned from a cell to satellite phone over two years ago. I sms/mms with a mobile PDA called 'Gemini.'

I did not realize that the Gemini is so recent! That one is a nice combination smartphone+keyboard. I like it.

That was the selling point. I hate virtual keyboard and this clamshell guarantees no breakage of screen. It can be a phone too and is built to be one as well.

But I can't think of such spending right now.

I bought mine last year and is the same model as the one linked. They have a phone and another one being kickstarted at the moment that is more slider.

Which model do you have? Did you order yours from the UK, or did you
find a domestic seller in your USA?

I have the gemini PDA

https://www.www3.planetcom.co.uk/gemini-pda

I ordered it out of the UK during a black friday sale. It was 25% off + free shipping. Couldn't pass that up. I retired my trusty Palm Pilot Tungsten T5 for good when it came in. I just now wiped off a layer of dust as it sits on one
of my network switches.

Their top model with the extensive network features looks to be
designed for the frequent glob-trotter. Probably overkill for a
domestic like me.

I use it for SMS and to ssh into my home network. Occasionally I'll fire up my irc client. I have keepass and my two factor auth. Then, naturally email.

I don't use google services on it.

If someone wants to reach me by voice they have my landline.

Same here. My Blackberry is activated as a phone primarily because I
only use it to access internet via the data services, but no one knows
the phone number.

My last smartphone was the blackberry Key One before my obese manager sat on it and bent the frame. Out went the battery with the onion-skin thin battery cable as it scampered on the floor. I reactivated my old smartphone in the meantime and filed an insurance claim about a month later due to a travel schedule and insurance wouldn't cover it since the damage was too old. I vowed never pay for phone insurance again. But I miss that sexy ass blackberry. What a great keyboard.

If I were to ever get a smartphone again it would be a blackberry. Have you seen the blackberry phone made by Punkt? That would be it for me. Second link below.

I'm a real fan of minimalism and that takes the cake.

I only "open" my landline to calls from 7p-9p only. Ringer is off the
rest of the time. I just grew tired of picking up the phone for the
bogus spam calls and surveys.

I used to have that problem. My phone's a POTS only within the house. Otherwise, it's a digital line. I setup my call rules to block all calls but those whitelisted. So anyone who knows me can call. And my bank plus few other debtors can call me if needed. So when my phone rings, it's only those who I intend to call me. Any other business needing to reach me can do so via email, which they prefer to do anyway.

For five years now I've been paying my bills via mailed envelopes and checks. Doing so cut credit card fraud alerts by 100%. Seeing my mail-lady is a highlight of my day too.

Ref: https://blackberrymobile.com/us/product/blackberry-keyone/
Ref: https://www.punkt.ch/en/products/mp02-4g-mobile-phone/

... Visit me at gopher://gcpp.world
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
* Origin: Digital Distortion: digdist.synchro.net (1:340/7)

Daniel wrote to August Abolins <=-

https://www.www3.planetcom.co.uk/gemini-pda

I ordered it out of the UK during a black friday sale. It was 25% off + free shipping. Couldn't pass that up. I retired my trusty Palm Pilot Tungsten T5 for good when it came in. I just now wiped off a layer of
dust as it sits on one of my network switches.

That does look awesome. How's the battery life?

I've wanted to make a phone into a laptop replacement, with some of the new cloud apps and a Bluetooth keyboard it's almost possible. A clamshell
palmtop with bluetooth and a cellular radio would be killer.

I was smitten with the IBM Palmtop from Japan, the Toshiba Libretto, and to
a lesser extent the Atari Portfolios and HP 95/100/200lx designs.

smartphone in the meantime and filed an insurance claim about a month later due to a travel schedule and insurance wouldn't cover it since
the damage was too old. I vowed never pay for phone insurance again.
But I miss that sexy ass blackberry. What a great keyboard.

I remember those Blackberry years - I spent years with the model with the 7290, then the Pearl, then a Curve, then one of the newer touchpad models. loved the keyboard, but I borrowed a iPhone 3GS from work and never looked back.

Loved the Blackberry Enterprise Server - I could tell it *only* to notify me if certain people emailed. Saved on a lot of distraction. Getting android to do the same is tricky; the Samsung app has a feature to accomplish this but Gmail doesn't.

Ref: https://blackberrymobile.com/us/product/blackberry-keyone/
Ref: https://www.punkt.ch/en/products/mp02-4g-mobile-phone/

There are a handful of similar sized phones on Amazon, not sure which ones support 3G networks, but I've always had a thought of going with a feature phone and cutting out all of the apps. Use the phone just to communicate.

I used to have an old Nokia 3100 Classic I'd keep around to try out - the Punkt is a hell of a lot cooler looking. I'd need a Montblanc pen and a leather journal to go with it. :)


... Emphasize the flaws
--- MultiMail/XT v0.52
* Origin: http://realitycheckbbs.org | tomorrow's retro tech (1:218/700)

Kurt Weiske wrote to Daniel <=-

Daniel wrote to August Abolins <=-

https://www.www3.planetcom.co.uk/gemini-pda

I ordered it out of the UK during a black friday sale. It was 25% off + free shipping. Couldn't pass that up. I retired my trusty Palm Pilot Tungsten T5 for good when it came in. I just now wiped off a layer of
dust as it sits on one of my network switches.

That does look awesome. How's the battery life?

Not too sure man.

I've wanted to make a phone into a laptop replacement, with some of the new cloud apps and a Bluetooth keyboard it's almost possible. A
clamshell palmtop with bluetooth and a cellular radio would be killer.

They have a USB -> HDMI that does that very thing. Keyboard/mouse on bluetooth and you're set. The gemini has two type C connectors. One for charging, the other for video output so you can charge while it is on display. It's hella.

I was smitten with the IBM Palmtop from Japan, the Toshiba Libretto,
and to a lesser extent the Atari Portfolios and HP 95/100/200lx
designs.

smartphone in the meantime and filed an insurance claim about a month later due to a travel schedule and insurance wouldn't cover it since
the damage was too old. I vowed never pay for phone insurance again.
But I miss that sexy ass blackberry. What a great keyboard.

I remember those Blackberry years - I spent years with the model with
the 7290, then the Pearl, then a Curve, then one of the newer touchpad models. loved the keyboard, but I borrowed a iPhone 3GS from work and never looked back.

Loved the Blackberry Enterprise Server - I could tell it *only* to
notify me if certain people emailed. Saved on a lot of distraction. Getting android to do the same is tricky; the Samsung app has a feature
to accomplish this but Gmail doesn't.

That's gone now. Blackberry is now a cybersecurity outfit.

Ref: https://blackberrymobile.com/us/product/blackberry-keyone/
Ref: https://www.punkt.ch/en/products/mp02-4g-mobile-phone/

There are a handful of similar sized phones on Amazon, not sure which
ones support 3G networks, but I've always had a thought of going with a feature phone and cutting out all of the apps. Use the phone just to communicate.

The current blackberry models are modern smartphones. They do 3g, 4g/lte, etc. The one i had was a sprint LTE model.

I used to have an old Nokia 3100 Classic I'd keep around to try out -
the Punkt is a hell of a lot cooler looking. I'd need a Montblanc pen
and a leather journal to go with it. :)

The punkt also has a lte connection that allows hotspotting.

Daniel Traechin

... Visit me at gopher://gcpp.world
--- MultiMail/Linux v0.49
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Hello Doug!

** On Monday 25.05.20 - 01:54, Doug Cooper wrote to Daniel:

...I'm not sure how we attract new and or past BBS USERS
(not current SysOps) when focused so internally .... but ... if I must discuss Licensed Turf Management here ... feel free to ask about crap grass, grubs, proper fertilization timing, etc.... I have a bit of experience witin it.

Are you hooked up with HOME-n-GRDN yet? I posted something in there, but maybe the intermediate hubs have long gone dropped it?

MEANWHILE, I've got a turf question for you.

My shop shares a little laneway with a neighbor:

http://pics.rsh.ru/img/grassIMG_20200605_140456_v8fump0a.png

Neighbour is on the left, I'm in the right. BUT, legally the whole
laneway belongs on the neighbour's property line.

I use it to park my vehicle there for the day and to access my back door beside the propane tanks.

For several years, I've been mowing down the grass and weeds with a
portable (electric) weed wacker. I used an electric mower once as well.
But quite frankly I'm getting quite tired of the whole process. Except
for repairing and repainting their exterior wall on the left, they don't
do anything about the weeds that crop up. Apparently, I'm the only one
using the laneway to access my back door on occassion. But they blocked
off their door (the black one at the very end) and never use it. So, why would they even care about the grass/weeds, right?

Is there an inexpensive way to get rid of the grass and weeds once and for all? And don't say Roundup. :/


../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.44
* Origin: (2:221/1.58)

Hello Doug!

** On Monday 08.06.20 - 08:38, Doug Cooper wrote to August Abolins:

Are you hooked up with HOME-n-GRDN yet? I posted something in there,
but maybe the intermediate hubs have long gone dropped it?

I received a "rules" auto-bot but thats about it. I'll double check today, maybe post a quick test message and I'll reply if I get it :)

Excellent. The updated/correct tagname is HOME_N_GRDN (with underscores).

I've "posted" a copy of your original message there. If that works, I'll reply to this message over there. See ya!


../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.44
* Origin: (2:221/1.58)

Are you hooked up with HOME-n-GRDN yet? I posted something in there,
but maybe the intermediate hubs have long gone dropped it?

I received a "rules" auto-bot but thats about it. I'll double check today, maybe post a quick test message and I'll reply if I get it :)

Is there an inexpensive way to get rid of the grass and weeds once and
for all? And don't say Roundup. :/

No weed spray is permanent .. you CAN use round up and enjoy the dirt for
good majority of the year, however dirt and sun is present, weeds will always grow. There are millions of weed seeds that live in the soil, blow through
the air, and that birds and other wildlife "dispense of." The lowest maintenance solution is gravel; and to help ensure weeds don't grow from the soil through the gravel would be a good landscape fabric and /or plastic.
It's not the "most affordable" solution, but the lowest maintenance. Many times a gravel yard will bring it out and relatively level it for nothing
more than the delivery fee. And gravels is rather cheap per the ton.
However, that would require the owners permission of course.

The other alternative to weed control is to get grass growing well. The best time to plant seed is in fall when temperatures are cooler. A good overseeding, starter fertilizer (If you can get it where you live, it has potash in it ..) lightly blanketed with loose straw, and lightly watered to keep the seed moist until it sprouts, will get the grass up and growing
better then in temperatures over 80 degrees. The obvious challenge is that
any grass wil not handle the heavy traffic of vehicles, which is why I'd lean more toward gravel for the area pictured. I would think the owner should own or split the expense which can help.

Otherwise, I'm afraid your only option to killing off grass AND weeds is roundup. That or diesel fuel I hear does the trick :) I can't imagine that smelling well, nor be safe to "apply' during the heat.

Vinegar does NOT work, so regardless of what you read, Vinegar would be considered a contact herbicide if used for this purpose, and at best just temporarly injurs the leaves of the plant, small ones will die, but not most
of what I see in the picture. To kill off thistle and any root spreading
weed, a systemic herbicide is necessary -- gets into the plant and blocks a function of photosynthesis, causing the plant to fail, down to the root.
Most systemic herbicides are designed not to kill grass, other then the
"grass and weed killers" which all share the same basic chemical as round-up, just under a different label.

Hope this helps...

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A45 2020/02/18 (Windows/32)
* Origin: The Underground [@] theunderground.us:10023 <-port (1:227/702)