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Edgecontrol🍉🛹<p><a href="https://www.latimes.com/espanol/entretenimiento/articulo/2025-07-18/el-festival-de-musica-tomorrowland-abre-tras-incendio-que-destruyo-su-escenario-principal" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">latimes.com/espanol/entretenim</span><span class="invisible">iento/articulo/2025-07-18/el-festival-de-musica-tomorrowland-abre-tras-incendio-que-destruyo-su-escenario-principal</span></a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Cheap" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Cheap</span></a></p>
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Everyone's talking about the #SteamSummerSale and the massive discounts. I see the prices, but my enthusiasm is, well, non-existent. The reason? The persistent issue of #DRM.

It's frustrating to know that even a game discounted to 5 Euros is ultimately nothing more than a #licence to use it. I don't truly "own" it; it's just #access that could be revoked at any time if #Steam ceases to exist or my account runs into issues.

I can't resell it, nor can I truly archive it. This fundamental lack of #control over my #digital #goods is an absolute deal-breaker for me.

#GOG #DRMFREE :mastosunglasses: Worth evey cent.

A Tale of Two Shitties... [1]

I've always done my own seasonal tire changes on my vehicle and my partner's as well. When I first started many years ago, I bought a cheapie 2-ton trolley #jack from Princess Auto - USAnians can substitute "Harbor Freight" and the story will be essentially the same.

But I replaced my vehicle a year and a half ago. The new one rides a little higher off the ground, and has the massive #wheels and #tires that have become the de facto standard, and my old jack didn't lift high enough to change the wheels on the new vehicle. Being the better part of 20 years newer, the new vehicle is also a lot heavier.

So I bought a larger 3-ton trolley jack, with a higher lift height. It's even a real name brand, #Torin. [2]

So anyways... I went to take the snow tires off on the weekend, and the new jack had #leaked, and won't lift properly. So it's sprung an o-ring or other #seal, after only using it 3 times (I think). The 20-year-old Princess Auto special is still fine. They sit next to each other in the garage, so it's not storage conditions.

Winner: Princess Auto.

Then, while changing tires, one lug #nut was #seized. Got out a decent sized breaker bar, and a 1/2" to 3/8" socket drive adapter from Princess Auto - their "pro" "Pro Point" line, yet - put my back into it, and #sheared the damn adapter off.

#Craptastic!

[1] Couldn't resist, sorry. [3]
[2] I didn't say it was a great name brand.
[3] Not sorry.

Continued thread

Yes, you take your chances - there's the occasional outright scam, or so-so quality parts (like the ones that inspired me to write this), but you go into it with your eyes open. You take a chance because it's dirt cheap.

And 90% of the time, the parts are just fine.

For anything important, or safety-related, or mains-connected, or anything I build for other than personal use, I won't use yum-cha parts like this. For those, I order good name-brand parts from a reputable supplier (Newark/Element14/RS, DigiKey, etc).

But for hobbyists just having fun, messing around? AliExpress and friends are an absolute godsend. You can now get into hobby electronics for practically nothing, and build stuff and see if you like it.

There's a place for quality parts, and a place for cheap parts. Knowing which is which isn't hard.

Three cheers for cheap components!

2/2

Continued thread

The best part? My cost for manufacturing the boards and shipping them to me in Canada (from China), with all applicable duty and taxes included, brings them out to about $1 per board.

I may try other designs at some point. But I can't see myself going back to the uber-expensive ones that are commercially available.

I can't wait to try one of them!

3/3

I'm pissed but not surprised: the reason my "neighbors" were so encouraged me to sell my beloved pickup: made the signs, drove it up to the road WASN'T so I wld have enough money to move

It's because they fucking want my second carport parking spot #liars

They have 4 vehicles for the 2 of them and for 20 years have been too #cheap to build a carport

It wasn't an hour after I sold it that she TOLD ME they're moving into my carport

I can't wait to get out of this hell #FuckMaga

#AliExpress / cheap #Chinese goods / #questionable sellers, part 37:

1. Order #rechargeable 3-speed folding desk #fan.
2. Receive different version of same fan - no #electronics, no #battery, just a USB lead, it runs at one speed when plugged in, unplug it to turn off.
3. File "item not as described" ticket with photos clearly showing it's the wrong item.
4. AliExpress rejects ticket, the human who spent 0.3s reviewing it didn't read it and just clicked "#reject".
5. Edit #photos, adding big red "NO BATTERY HERE -->" and "NO ELECTRONICS HERE -->" etc and resubmit ticket.
6. AliExpress accepts claim this time. Get refund.
7. Place order for same rechargeable fan from different #seller.
8. Receive fan. #Charge. Give to partner.

"It turns off after a few seconds", she says.

Take it apart. Examine the circuit board, #probe it various ways, all looks good. #Measure #voltages. Manually #power the fan and see it draws half an #amp. See the suspiciously undersized lithium-ion #cell and think "they didn't just #cheap out so much that the thing doesn't work, did they?"...

Yup. The plastic casing has a slot & tabs arrangement inside sized for an 18650 cell, but they've got a much smaller cell in there with some padding to keep it in place. It's a 14500.

When the fan's on, the load is too much for the cell. The voltage drops enough that the little 3-speed management #chip thinks the cell is flat, and it turns off.

Put in a good 18650, runs like a charm.

Sheesh.

SURPRISE! Not really.

Remember to scout out those pre-fair discount tickets. And note that the best value for older people is to go on Senior Days and to buy your ticket at the gate.

All in all, the state fair is still a pretty good deal for your entertainment dollar.

Minnesota State Fair tickets and parking to increase as part of plans for $20M in improvements
startribune.com/minnesota-stat

www.startribune.com · Minnesota State Fair tickets and parking to increase as part of plans for $20M in improvementsFair leaders plan a significant upgrade to one historic building for the first time in its 75-year history.