Recent posts

#1

General Discussion / Tuition-free online American u...

Last post by Jason - Yesterday at 08:53:05 PM

University of the People is an American (State of California) accredited online university that offers bachelor, associate and master degrees in a limited number of programs. There are small assessment fees of $160 USB per course (10 courses per year). No cost for textbooks (which can alone cost over $1000/ year in some programs). So, $1800 per year as compared to university degrees in Ontario that can cost $6000-9000 per year (more specialty programs like medical school) plus textbooks and other fees. I found out about them a few years back when they had only federal distance education accreditation. I couldn't afford a degree so I was interested but skeptical of the quality of that accreditation.

However, his year they were accredited in California by WASC. Accreditation in the US is confusing as multiple bodies across the US accredit higher institutions in their regions in various ways. Caltech and UC Berkely are accredited by the same body.  They also have a relationship with McGill. You can take two years of a bachelors at UoPeople and then transfer credits there.

I start classes on Thursday in the Bachelor of Health Science program. Still, it won't be easy. It's entirely self-driven but every week you have assignments to complete, quizzes, etc. There are no lectures to attend. There may be some videos to watch but they are optional.

While I'm pretty excited about this opportunity, there might be others among us who wanted a degree but were put off by the huge cost. Because of our low income, I applied for an received a scholarship that will cover everything but a $30/course assessment fee. So if the $1800 per year cost is too much, they will try to help you.

https://www.uopeople.edu

#2

Politics, Society and News. / Re: Simple Known Dangers with ...

Last post by Jason - Yesterday at 08:29:17 PM

I wish people would stop referring to it as artificial intelligence. It gives it more status than we should and in the worse possible way. It's not smarter than we are. It's a reflection of what we are, a conglomeration of what we know, without ethics, without humanity and prone to "hallucinations". I think it's valuable. I'm using it for distilling information but I wouldn't ask it for marriage advice. It's not a counselor, it doesn't know your life and it doesn't care about you. And it's engineered to compliment you and pat you on the back for every stupid thing you might think of.

#3

Linux Applications & Android apps / Re: 4K Video Downloader Androi...

Last post by Jason - Yesterday at 08:23:08 PM

I didn't know that the Newmarket library gives free memberships to their digital services to anyone in Ontario. Sweet. Thanks for letting us know of this, Buster. Each of us has some hidden knowledge that we can all use. I love seeing it rise to the forefront.

Are the digital services more complete than what is offered through the Peterborough library. I mean do they offer digital books that another library doesn't or are all the memberships so you don't have to wait in line as long to read the latest hot seller?

Considering what libraries offer in digital services alone, $25-50 a year isn't much for a membership anyway. I'm surprised at the number of people who make jokes about libraries still being a thing who obviously don't realize how much libraries offer digitally and the "library of things". The local library, and I'm sure others do, too, lends out CO2 detectors. They also lend out watt readers and radon detectors, canoe museum passes, programming and birdwatching kits, etc. I'm constantly surprised at what new things our library is doing.

#4

General Discussion / Re: A boring topic about visit...

Last post by Jason - Yesterday at 07:57:54 PM

I wonder how much is being scoured by AI bots hungrily sucking up new content it can deliver as its own.

#5

Linux Applications & Android apps / Re: 4K Video Downloader Androi...

Last post by ssfc72 - August 27, 2025, 08:41:30 AM

Thanks for the info, Buster. Good to know.

#6

Linux Applications & Android apps / Re: 4K Video Downloader Androi...

Last post by buster - August 26, 2025, 11:10:56 AM

1. Maybe download the audio book earlier and place it beside the router and leave it for awhile. Pick up your phone later. May increase the speed. I have a spot in our living room that is quite slow.

2. Get yourself down to the local library and get a card. They will help you download the needed app for your phone while you're there probably, I'm guessing either Libby or Cloud Library. They'll probably even help to set it up. Most people use the last four digits of their phone number for their pin. Not much need to break into someone's library account.

3. When you get home go to the Newmarket Library page and follow the instructions to get a library account. It's free to anyone living in Ontario with a residence. This will also include automatically all the libraries they are connected to, which is many. I think it's called the consortium. They all use Libby.

4. If you feel even greedier, use your family or friendship web to use an address in another city, such as Toronto, Hamilton, Mississauga, or Ottawa. Register as if you live at that address. If you get a membership in one, they will give you a virtual card for their city as well, though you have to apply for each new city and use your card number and password in the first city to get privileges in the new city. Always use the same pin. They all use Libby.

The rules are different now because you can't steal Internet books. They just take them back anytime they want, such as when they're due.

Go into your app and search for Agatha Christie. With Libby, the search includes ALL cities at the same time.

I think I have 5 libraries. A good percentage of the books available are audio-books.

#7

Linux Applications & Android apps / 4K Video Downloader Android Ap...

Last post by ssfc72 - August 25, 2025, 05:12:12 AM

I like to listen to audio books, downloaded to my Samsung smartphone, from YouTube. I listen to the audiobook at night when I go to sleep and I generally fall asleep within a few minutes of listening.
I like to download the audiobook to my phone rather than just stream it using a wifi connection at home. That way I don't have a 5GHz radio transmitter (the smart phone) sitting right next to my ear, all night long.

Using the 4k Video Downloader App works very well but at first I wasn't able to figure out how to get it to work.
Eventually I stumbled onto the way to get the Youtube audiobook to download to my phone.
It turns out the 4K Video Downloader process is an extremely slow process on my smart phone. My router wifi is down in my house lower level, so the signal strength is not that good, for a fast download.
I just had to give the downloader app plenty of time to start showing, that it was beginning to download the audio book.
To down a small 70 MB audio file takes quite some time, on my Samsung phone and my house wifi.

I like the Agatha Christi Hercule Poirot detective audio books and there are a number of original Agatha Christi books (from the 1930's era).
There are also a number of modern, Hercule Poirot audiobooks, that are not authored by Agatha Christi but they follow the Agatha Christi style and are very well done (YouTube uploader, Cafe Stories)

#8

Meetings / Re: Possible PLUG Mug, Monday ...

Last post by ssfc72 - August 17, 2025, 10:17:33 PM

Ok Mike. Looks like you are the only one who is available for tomorrow afternoon.

I will cancel the meetup for tomorrow and try again in a couple of weeks, to see if I can get some more people that are interested.

#9

Meetings / Re: Possible PLUG Mug, Monday ...

Last post by fox - August 16, 2025, 09:34:32 AM

I would be interested.

#10

Meetings / Possible PLUG Mug, Monday Aug ...

Last post by ssfc72 - August 15, 2025, 08:36:01 PM

Anyone want to meet up for a coffee, this coming Monday 2 pm,  at the Tim Hortons on Monaghan Rd. or the Lansdowne Mall food court?
Let  me know here, with a reply.