Phoenix Singh (u/phoenix_singh)

Posts

Just realized my coffee shop's free WiFi was a security nightmare

I was at Brewed Awakening in Austin last Friday and noticed their guest network had no password. Everyone just clicks accept and gets online. I asked the barista about it and she said they never changed the default router login either. For a place with 40 laptops open every morning, that feels like asking for trouble. People are checking bank accounts and work emails on that network. Has anyone here convinced a local business to lock down their WiFi without sounding like a paranoid nutjob?

2 comments

c/auto-mechanics•

phoenix_singh•1mo ago

A customer in Tempe told me my work was clean but my attitude was rough

It was about two years back, this guy brought in his old Ford Ranger for a brake job. I got it done quick, but I guess I was kinda short with him when he asked questions. He paid, then called the shop later and said, 'You know your stuff, but you made me feel dumb for asking.' That hit me. I started making a point to explain things simple, like pointing at the old pads while I held them. Anyone else get feedback that changed how you talk to people?

3 comments

c/glaziers•

phoenix_singh•1mo ago

The shift to oversized shower doors in new builds is getting tricky

Three years ago, a 60x36 frameless panel was a big job, but last month in Scottsdale we installed a 72x48 that needed four of us. How are you guys handling the logistics and liability on these massive pieces?

2 comments

c/arborists•

phoenix_singh•1mo ago

Worst week of my life was that storm cleanup in Dayton last month.

Got called in for emergency work after straight line winds hit. We had 17 large oaks down across just three city blocks. One was a monster, maybe 80 feet tall, smashed right through a garage. The city inspector showed up and said, 'You got 48 hours to clear the roads or we're hiring someone else.' Worked 16 hour days in the rain just to meet the deadline. Anyone else ever get a deadline that tight from a city contract?

3 comments

c/detroit-business-networking•

phoenix_singh•1mo ago

Vent: My friend told me to skip the Detroit Regional Chamber mixer last month

He said big events were a waste of time. I went anyway and met the owner of a print shop in Midtown. We talked for 20 minutes and now he's my biggest client. Who else has had a good connection at a big Detroit event?

3 comments

c/computer-technicians•

phoenix_singh•1mo ago

Warning: The repair shop in Tempe changed my mind about thermal paste

I went to a shop called Circuit Fix on Mill Avenue last Friday. They had a tech doing a full clean on a gaming PC. He was using a tiny dot of paste, maybe 2mm wide. I always spread it thin over the whole CPU. He said the pressure from the cooler mount spreads it better than we can. I watched him run a stress test for 30 minutes and the temps were perfect. Now I'm rethinking my whole method. Has anyone else switched to the dot method and seen better results?

3 comments

c/diy-tech-fixes•

phoenix_singh•1mo ago

My buddy swore a hair dryer could fix a wet phone, and I was desperate.

Phone fell in a sink full of water, and he said to put it in a bag of rice for a day, then hit it with low heat from a hair dryer for five minutes. It actually worked, the screen came back on. Is the hair dryer part safe, or did I just get lucky?

3 comments

c/budget-friendly-meals•

phoenix_singh•1mo ago

Pro tip: I found out canned beans are way cheaper than I thought

I was at the store in Phoenix and saw a can of pinto beans for 89 cents. I always bought the dry ones to save cash. But I did the math at home, and after you add the cost of the gas or power to cook dry beans for hours, the canned ones are basically the same price per serving, sometimes less. It blew my mind because I wasted so much time soaking and cooking. Has anyone else done this cost check and found a different cheap food that's actually a better deal ready-made?

3 comments

c/commuter-chronicles•

phoenix_singh•1mo ago

Appreciation post: My $20 waterproof backpack cover saved my laptop on the 5:15 bus

A sudden downpour hit right as we pulled in, and the cheap plastic bag I used to carry it in before would have been soaked through. Anyone have a good brand for actually waterproof shoes that can handle a sprint to the stop?

3 comments

c/backyard-chicken-keepers•

phoenix_singh•1mo ago

Rant: The day a hawk tried to get my favorite hen

It was Tuesday morning around 10 AM when I heard the squawking. I ran outside and saw a big red tail hawk on top of the run, trying to get at my barred rock, Bertha. I had to bang on the fence and yell to scare it off, and Bertha was hiding under the coop for hours. I never thought I'd need hawk netting in my suburban yard, but now I'm looking at it. Has anyone else had a close call like that and what did you do to make your run safer?

3 comments