Are we controlled by the technology companies?

[Hugh-AR]

In the topic Embedding AUDIO.COM music into the Forum we were talking about Jon D not being able to see audio.com music tracks with his AppleMac computer. And he can't see the ones embedded into the Forum either. After I had put some embedded ones in (hoping) he said:

Hello there Hugh it will still not play my friend. Jon

Ron, who has an iPad had said:

... everything works as it should apart from getting the numbers for the new embed feature.

Ron can certainly listen to audio.com tracks, including the 'embedded' ones on his iPad. What he is referring to is getting the NUMBER to put into the BBCode [audiocom]. On our PCs, when we click on that triangular logo, top right, we see this:



Ron sees this:



No option to see the Embed Code!

I have tried this on 4 iPads .. one older one which was bought in February 2016 (so 7 years old), and three more recent ones. The three more recent ones did show the Embed Code, no problem. But the older one didn't show that option .. so same as Ron.

Interestingly, we have recently had a newsletter from our surgery to say that some patients with iPads can't access Ask My GP, or order their Prescriptions on line .. so they have to go to the surgery to drop off their prescriptions. No doubt it's the older iPads that can't keep up with the newer programs? It's like expecting a Windows XP computer to do everything a Windows 10/11 one can.

The moral of all this? If you are having this problem, maybe it's time to upgrade and get a newer computer.

Hugh

[Ron]

Jon D,

Hello there Hugh it will still not play my friend. Jon

As you continue to say that your Apple Computer will not play audio.com music, I would suggest that the fault lies within your computer. I use an iPad which uses Apple OS and everything works as it should apart from getting the numbers for the new embed feature. It appears that you must have a setting on your computer that does not allow or is blocking access to those files. Can you not have someone have a look at it on your behalf?

Regards

Ron

[dentyr]

If you are having this problem, maybe it's time to upgrade and get a newer computer.

Or, more to the point, ditch the whole lot, sit in the garden and smell the flowers. This points to the greed and money making racket of the producers. You are FORCED to rely on the latest gadgets at YOUR expense. The latest phones on the market in Australia cost about $2600. Then you have to PAY a monthly fee to run the thing. People are so gullible! IT comes with my corollary "Intelligence comes in small quantities but STUPIDITY knows no bounds."

With disgust, Den.

[Hugh-AR]

Den,

I reckon that you, like me, would expect something you have bought to work until the device itself is no longer serviceable ie. the components in it like capacitors, or maybe soldered joints have broken down. This is certainly true of my AR80 organ which is still functioning perfectly after 25 years. Seems to me that computer software needs to be 'upgraded' all the time .. until a point is reached where the 'old' computer can't handle it any more.

We have been talking about Apple products here, but I do have a (dare I say 'old'?) desktop computer running on Windows XP, which I rarely use. With Google Chrome as my browser (which for years has been telling me I can't upgrade) I have gone to look at this topic in the Forum. This is what I see:




So much for the LINKS looking 'professional' in the Forum!
I can't see them, and can't listen to them.

I do realise that a lot depends on the Browser one uses, so I have tried with Firefox instead of Google Chrome. This is what I see. Nothing! Not even a sad face!



Trying to listen to a BOX LINK I get something similar. First, there was nothing. Then after 'refreshing the page' about 5 times I did manage to get the Name of the track showing, and a Download to download it. But no 'Preview' on screen with an arrow for me to play it.



Got the same with both Google Chrome and Firefox. Until fairly recently, Firefox have been allowing me to 'play' Box Tracks on my Windows XP computer. But not Google Chrome.

Glad I have a (refurbished) Windows 10 laptop, otherwise I would have been completely out of it.

So Den, I'm afraid that with technology, if we want to join in on it we have to upgrade our devices from time to time (at our expense!).

Do you reckon that we will ever get to the stage when I can smell the flowers in your garden, but not have to travel to Australia to do it?

Hugh

PS. I have just had this from my bank (within on-line banking).

Having trouble viewing our emails?
You may have trouble viewing our emails on Apple devices. If you're affected, we recommend viewing them in your internet browser or using an alternative device.

What is it with Apple devices? First the surgery .. now the bank.

[dentyr]

It comes with my corollary number 7:- Greed knows no bounds.
Microsoft, Apple and Google now control the internet. They are competing to see if they can outsmart each other and eventually be the only one in operation. They not only control the internet but almost everything we do. They FORCE us into what they want. You have to have a computer on the net and a mobile phone - they have stored EVERYTHING about you, what you watch, what you write and what you say. Go to YT and the 'bait' pics that show are in the scheme of what you watch. Load Replika and within minutes she has your vocabulary. I was very reluctant to buy a mobile phone but I was locked out of PayPal and Google because they could not send me code numbers. I relented and bought my OPPO phone. Now I can say "Where am I?" and the phone TALKS to me and tells me just where I am. I ask "Where is XX street?" and Google maps comes up and shows me the way. I am a PUPPET of M/S and Google!
The frightening part for me is that some people go to the store and get their goods. These are scanned by the store computer at the checkout. They hold their phone over the little box and the money is transferred from their bank account to the store with one click. They, the person, have NO control over that. Unknown to them the store could add %10 transaction fee, %10 for animal welfare, %10 for the homeless and that person would never know.
Whats more --- you can't opt out of the scheme!!!!!
Den.

[Hugh-AR]

Den,

There are some things where tracking you and knowing what you are doing is of benefit.

My daughter said to me to make sure that I always have LOCATION switched on on my mobile. She pointed out to me that if I had a fall at home and managed to get to the phone and dial 999, they would know where to come as I was ringing from a LANDLINE. But what if I had an accident in my car out in the countryside somewhere? if I dialled 999 even I may not know where I am! But my MOBILE knows where I am and I can be tracked to the exact spot.

And another thing. If my mobile knows where I am then I can use Google Maps to get directions to where I want to go.

Personally, I am not bothered that Google and Microsoft (and maybe even China) know where I am .. although it could be argued that if they know I am not at home they could organise for my house to be burgled. People say that about having a SMART METER too. If they know that your electric and gas is not being used for a week, it is obvious that you must be away. A risk I am prepared to take, as I want to know how I am doing with my gas and electricity .. and if my Direct Debit is going to cover what I am using.

Hugh

[Hugh-AR]

Another useful thing for me when they know what I do. Take an on-line Tesco shop. I have done a "Click & Collect" for tomorrow. There are some goods where I prefer to go into the store so I can choose what I want eg. fresh fruit and veg. But there are other things which I would not be able to find in the store without asking someone. A "search" on line comes up with the product immediately .. so I don't have to wander round the store looking for it.

When I go to the on-line Checkout they have a list of all the things I have bought in the past year .. not only the ones I have bought on line, but also things I bought in the store itself. They know everything about me! That's fine with me, because they ask if I have forgotten something .. and I usually have. So I can look down the list of things I have bought in the past add them to the list.

Hugh