Subj : USB lock up - poo! To : Ky Moffet From : Barry Martin Date : Thu Mar 03 2022 08:05:00 Hi Ky! > > And if was legal probably could get around by giving the item for free > > but charging a huge shipping fee. > KM> Ah, but that's a well-known tactic for selling known-dead junk > KM> (and for money laundering). > There are times when just a part is needed, so dead isn't always bad. KM> There are a few vendors of parts-for-parts who are legit. (One in KM> particular sells logic boards for hard drives, and repairs 'em KM> too. They've got a whole bunch of info up on when their parts KM> will NOT work, and link to it on every item listed. Hint: most KM> HDs past about the 40GB era cannot be easily repaired, because KM> the ROM is unique to each unit.) Well, yes.... I wasn't thinking to far into the details. Some items like hard drives require (digital matching) of the components, something I would not attempt. I was thinking more along the lines of repairing a TV -- replace the power supply or backlight. That might not even be worthwhile as still have an old TV and for the repair costs might almost be able to get a new replacement. (I'm not really an advocate of break- and-toss -- it depends. TV -- new would be better if for just the better tuner, Audio amplifer like for a decent system: probably -- and have.) KM> Otherwise, the evidence is overwhelmingly that they're scammers. KM> Regular vendors rarely charge shipping, or very little. Any KM> "shipping" beyond the bare minimum to cover postage is a flaming KM> redflag that it's a scam. Right: I like free shipping, though of course that's built into the merchandise cost. A reasonable shipping fee is also acceptable, just don't try to also put one in the merchandise cost and double-charge me. $100 for shipping a lightweight item?? Did I just buy part of the truck? KM> The usual way is to hope that the buyer doesn't notice it's "for KM> parts only" (or just an empty box!) or to just call it "used" KM> without describing it further, and allow returns at buyer's KM> expense... then charge a whole lot more than actual cost for KM> shipping. The buyer gets defective or wrong merchandise, and KM> returns it for a refund... but the seller doesn't care, because KM> they made their profit on the shipping charge. If the price is super-low by comparison I get suspicious: something is wrong. Parts-only selling isn't always a bad thing: a repair shop would probably like them on hand. Also have seen where someone is selling a probably-OK item but is unable to test: remember reading something like "worked fine last time I used it but unable to test so selling as parts-only". > The money laundering aspect I think you sugested a while back when I > couldn't figure out why someone would sell a common $17.99 item for > $1000. And what's sort of funny is places like eBay have various > options to sort including high-to-low. Why would someone want to pay > the highest possible price? Can see the option when wanting to more > quickly get to multiple quantity purchasing: the sold individually are > going to be on the lowest price end and the I want two dozen options > towards the upper price end. KM> Oh yeah, I first noticed this about 18 years ago. Since I was KM> getting the occasional inquiry about my Tyan S1830S mainboards... KM> I checked prices and found the average was about $250, if you KM> could find one (they were a server board and uncommon in the KM> consumer market). Except for one vendor who ALWAYS had one for KM> sale, for $5000. And it would occasionally be marked "Sold" but KM> then would immediately be listed again. This went on for about KM> ten years before they moved on to some other item. Amazing how all the buyers backed out! KM> And then I looked around for other abnormally high-priced stuff KM> on eBay and Amazon, and found quite a lot of $500 USB cables and KM> the like, and it was always the same vendors, over and over. And KM> quite clearly NOT just a mistake due to English as a third KM> language, or not understanding American currency. KM> Made it pretty obvious they were laundering or moving dark money. KM> I'd guess a lot are payments to three-letter-agency informants, KM> probably handled as "refunds". But when a citizen tries that! > Now nor that heatsink.... Spray paint and make a paperweight? If the > fins are long enough could hold up notes! KM> I was thinking use 'em as caltrops, but that works too. :) My little AMD ones aren't even going to tickle! > KM> I buy used RAM at about half new price, and it all works fine. > I have in the past and also have had no issues. I do buy from a site > with customer protection as a back-up; LIS a while back I was going to > buy something from Amazon which had their direct option plus some > sellers. First seller was cheaper by about $15 and also free shipping. > Works for me! ...Check reviews -- horrible! Nope, not worthin saving > $15 for the potential aggrivation of damaged merchandise! KM> Yeah, I like to see 99% positive feedback on hardware vendors. KM> Anything less starts to become suspect. Always check the NEGATIVE KM> feedback. Pay a little more and avoid pain. I have a list of KM> saved sellers that I use if I have a choice. I don't do enough buying to have established a listing but yes, low feedback will cross that listing out. If what appears to be a new seller, determined by low sales numbers or low number of feedback I'll allow a lower overall number but not by too much. Some buyers will give a bad score just because it was wrapped in used bubble-wrap. > > How do those people find out what you have?? (OK to respond privately.) > KM> http://twilightasylum.com/pc/the_borg.htm > Ah! I forgot about that list. Plus have seen (various versions of) > signatures in forums listing their equipment. Here would be confusion: KM> Yeah, in some forums it's expected or even required, so people KM> know what you're complaining about. Makes sense. > OK, the computer I'm using to post this has the specifications listed in > the sig but the computer I'm inquiring about is a different one.... KM> That happens too. I can confuse people easily enough! > KM> Rather outdated, but you get the idea. I need to separate out the > KM> laptops, having collected enough of 'em to be a visual nuisance. > Actually could be rather fun to see the progression. Could possibly add > a column for sorting -- laptops, desktops, mainframes -- though may as > well allow for sorting in some other columns too: I'm thinking mainly > date and processor progression. KM> Yeah, I have a simple script for sorting columns and use that, if KM> I feel the need. (I do that with my fiction character sheets, cuz KM> there are a lot. If anyone asks me for a character reference....) "He was born on page 34"..... KM> This one, in fact: KM> https://www.kryogenix.org/code/browser/sorttable/ That looks worthwhile to keep a note on. :) > KM> Started as a way to keep track of hardware... got out of hand > Yeah: I never got to a master chart for the computers though do have a > mostly-accurate listing for the IP addresses. I've attempted to have > individual notes on what's in each computer. We'll just say "it's the > thought that counts". KM> What's that tool for showing all the IP addresses on the local KM> network? nc / netcat ? nmap -sn ? > KM> Note the status column; some are reduced to parts or no longer > KM> with us. > RIP - stands for RIPped apart! KM> LOL, that. I also especially like the tagline, stolen from a KM> Techhole video (linked): "I'm not a production environment, I'm a KM> basement." Not all discoveries are made in formal settings! > KM> Campfire clones will you boot up tonight... > I'll admit to getting a bit nervous when I smell smoke and I don't know > the source. Neighbour heats his house with a wood fireplace and if the > wind is coming from the right direction I'll smell it. Also the first > time in the season the furnace is turned on here: dust burns off. KM> Yeah, lot of wood-burning around here so you better know which KM> neighbor is burning what. Wait, I don't know this one, maybe it's KM> MY house! Don't want that! > KM> Probably. Thermal shutdown on a P3 was somewhere around 180F. The > KM> fan didn't get the message. Damn wonder it didn't start a fire. > Why a good thing to blow out the dust every so often: less to be fuel. KM> Well, old cig smoke isn't real flammable, but plastic... True: cigarette smoke residue would probably not be flammable but could cause something flammable to heat up to it's flashpoint. > KM> Thermal design limit on current Intel CPUs is 200F, just saw > KM> somewhere. They're actually pretty tough. > Still say they could make a nice little coffee or tea warmer option! KM> You can get a USB mug warmer... tho I gather it doesn't get hot KM> enough. Plus accidentally spilling coffee, tea, hot chocolate, etc., inside the computer is Not A Good Thing! > KM> Was looking for the design limit on P3 to refresh memory, didn't > KM> find that but did find a couple other interesting things: > KM> NASA testing of P3 and K6 CPUs: > KM> https://nepp.nasa.gov/DocUploads/8A499785-90F7-4A77-B90913144A0402 > KM> D1/MAPLD02_Ho > KM> ard_P3.pdf > Character must be missing as I got a 404 -- did indicate was able to go > to the downloads section. KM> Must have broke funny on your end. Happens with long links and KM> these old-fashioned ways of writing on rocks. Usually line splits are done properly. Usually. > KM> design considerations for heat pipes: > KM> https://celsiainc.com/heat-sink-blog/heat-pipe-design-guide/ > Haha! A nice bit of humour with the cartoon of the strongman bending the > pipe. KM> Just don't wrap it around yourself. Do not wrap in something your assistants can not unwrap you out of! ¯ BarryMartin3@ ® ¯ @MyMetronet.NET ® .... 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