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I recently replaced my almost decade old cable modem and wifi router. Unfortunately, the new wifi router didn't improve the dead zones we have in our house. (The house is a 75-year-old, 2,500 sq ft ranch and the walls are not wifi friendly). I tried adding a wifi extender, but it didn't...

The DW's Dad passed away not long and her Mom now lives alone. She still wants to be on her own, but acknowledges that if she fell or otherwise got hurt, she could be in trouble. She does not have internet service (and I'm pretty certain she would not be willing to get it); also, she just got...

We've used Vanguard's Personal Advisor Services for a couple of years now. Overall, we've been satisfied, but I've been doing a lot of reading (some books and the Bogleheads site) and I'm at the point where I want to "test" my thinking against our advisor's guidance. Rather than making any...

When I got my last iPhone (the 8), I paid an add'l $200 (IIRC) to go from the standard 64GB device to 256GB. This allowed me to load my iTunes library (over 100GB) and several Spotify playlists onto the device. I recently switched from Spotify to Apple Music, and I will be getting an iPhone 12...

I had a 2015 Macbook Pro for everyday use and an older (2103) Macbook Pro I used for photo storage and my iTunes library. Earlier this week, I got a Mac Mini with a 1TB SSD drive with the intention of combining both machines. The Migration Assistant program worked flawlessly for the 2015...

I’ve been tracking my steps with an app for a while now. But, I recently got a bike and have been getting exercise going for rides as well. But, the steps app does not log the bike rides. There are a bunch of cycling apps, but I’m wondering if there is an app that collects both types of...

I have been having the strangest issue with my iPhone (a 2-year old iPhone 8). Sometimes I will get a call, but the phone will not ring or even show a missed call until I open the phone "app". Then, the app badge will pop up with a "1" to indicate the missed call or a "2"to indicate the...

We are heading out tomorrow for our first long trip (5 weeks) since my retirement (Woo-hoo! :dance:) There was a thread a while back ("Leaving a House Unoccupied for Long Periods) that was very helpful. In fact, it was only after reading that thread to the DW that she was convinced it would...

Another seasonal rental question. We will be renting a condo in FL for the month of March. We will be taking our time for the drive down ( 2 or 3 days - no more "death march" 20-hour drives! ;D) and doing the same coming back. So, I'm unsure what to do about our mail. I don't really want...

I don't know if this is old news, but I just learned that Motorola is resurrecting the Razr in the next couple of months. That was a terrific phone. One of my sons and another friend both hung on to theirs for years before retiring them. It will be very interesting to see how the new...

I know just enough about technology to be dangerous. ;D On another forum I visit a poster mentioned that he air gaps his Macbook from the internet once a day, then runs a virus scan. Once that's done, he backs up his Macbook via Apple's Time Machine app before reconnecting to the internet. I...

I loved reading this post in the Class of 2018 thread, and so I thought I would give the topic it's own thread. Even though my kids are older, I still love doing things that make them want to deny they know me. One of my favorites: DS#3 is in the Army. He's a Captain now, but a couple of...

Unlike some others, I have not had too much trouble with spam phone calls (except the ones that use the same prefix as my number - but as soon as I see the prefix I know to ignore it). But, I have been pulling my hair out due to spam text messages wanting me to donate to political candidates...

Anyone ever hear of Hearthside Grove, or places similar to it? After FIREing earlier this year one of the things I wanted to do was take up camping again. For a couple of reasons that did not happen. One of the reasons was, while sleeping in a tent, enduring mosquitos, bad weather, antiquated...

I'm reading this story in the Journal right now. I didn't have to read far till I got to this whopper: "Around 10,000 baby boomers are turning 65 every day, and the same number will continue doing so for years. Some are on solid financial ground after a lifetime of planning and the fortune...

My Kindle Paperwhite is about 3 1/2 years old. Just recently, I noticed that the length of time it holds its charge has decreased dramatically. I use it every day, sometimes for a couple of hours, but keep it in airplane mode and dim the screen to extend the battery life. Up until a week...

I've lost track of all the notifications I've received from apps, websites, vendors, etc. advising me that they've updated their privacy policy. I know this is driven by the GDPR, Europe's updated privacy legislation, but I'm being overwhelmed! :blink: Is there a universal "I accept" button...

I've been ER'd for about 4 months now (and thoroughly enjoying it :)). It dawned on me the other day that maybe I should contact my insurance company to let them know that I am no longer using my car to commute to and from the office (45 mins each way). My thinking is that, as I'm no longer...

Back in the late 70s and early 80s, I had worked at a chain grocery store for about 7 years in total: high school and afterwards, and then again through college. The other day the DW mentions I should check with the union to see if I am entitled to a pension. I mostly worked part-time, but...

My wife got an odd invite in the mail. My nephew lives in Texas and has been going to school in Florida. It seems he's met a young lady at school and they are going to be married in Florida. This invite is not an invitation to attend the bridal shower itself, but simply to send a gift...

//Rant on/// I love my wife dearly, but her family ... not so much. My wife comes from a big family. Most of them still live in the area and they are the primary group we socialize with. We invited the siblings over for a wine and cheese party tomorrow night and 4 couples will be coming...

We recently reached FI (:dance:) but I'm not quite ready to fully RE. A couple of years ago, I left my megacorp and have been w@rking as a consultant. I have told my firm that my plan now is to w@rk part-time for the next 1 - 2 years. I'm figuring that I'll put in 20-30 hours a week which...

I remember being told to upgrade my wifi router a year or two ago because technology developments made routers of a certain age obsolete. Along the same lines, I was wondering this morning if I should update my cable modem. I can't find the receipt, but it's easily more than 5 years old. I've...

I know financial advisors are not real popular here, but we use one. :hide: The reason (stated briefly) is that I do not have much expertise in this area. So, I worried constantly if I was making the right investment choices. Compounding my anxiety was constant worrying that, even if the...