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April 8

Please help me identify the correct power cord to buy

OK, I’m stumped. I just cannot figure this out. This regards my “iPad mini (5th generation)”, version 17.6.1 (I copied that from settings —> general —> about).

Before coming here, I googled (regular search, image search), and even took a photograph and then used tineye with the image (got zero results).

I’ve uploaded that photograph — showing the male end of the only power cord that fits—which you can view at this link.

As you can see from the photo, this power cord’s terminus narrows at the end in a little pyramid like structure—so, not a rectangular block as appears at the end of most Apple power cords.

Everything I’ve read says that this generation of iPad mini should take a lightning to USB-A cord, so last week I bought that cord and, yeah, you guessed it, it didn’t come close to fitting.

As possibly useful background, I did buy this used—-maybe it had its charging port replaced with something non-standard?

Anyway, I would like to replace my power cord with a new one, and I don’t want to waste money on another wrong one!—- 2600:4040:9103:5000:ECF6:34F9:8A2:EB8E (talk) 23:16, 8 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

What with its eight pins in the form of flat stripes, this really looks like a lightning connector. Does the reverse side look the same? In which way(s) does it not fit? Is it too thick, too wide, or does it go in but not far enough to make contact? What is unusual about it is the rounding, which I have not seen before in a connector, lightning or otherwise. Is it possible that the connector we see in the image is a lightning connector that was modified by filing off the corners? ‑‑Lambiam 08:29, 9 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

(My personal experience being given broken devices to fix.) Someone likely broke off the lightning connector inside the device. They couldn't get it out. So, they filed down a new connector so it would fit. The proper fix is to take the device apart, remove the material from inside the device's port, and use a proper charging cord. I've remove broken connector tips, lint, plastic wrapper bits, rubber bands, etc... from charging ports. I keep my own plugged with a rubber tab and then I use wireless charging to avoid the whole issue. 12.116.29.106 (talk) 14:13, 9 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I also have an iPad mini (5th gen). I use a USB to Lightning cable to charge it. In fact, any lightning cable will do. Stanleykswong (talk) 08:12, 11 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

The cable in the photo is a damaged lightning plug. Part of the edges are missing on both sides. Stanleykswong (talk) 08:16, 11 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Possibly, as suggested above, the hole contains debris that keeps the standard tip from going in deep enough to make contact, and the edges of the tip were intentionally filed off to make the tip go in deep enough. The "standard way" of removing debris is with a wooden toothpick, but if this filing theory is correct the previous owner presumably tried in vain to remove the debris before becoming so desperate that they resorted to filing. ‑‑Lambiam 10:08, 15 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

April 10

New Outlook

I am using Windows 11 on a Dell Inspiron, and am running Outlook, and decided several months ago that I find the New Outlook interface to be less intuitive and less easy-to-use than Classic Outlook, especially for someone who has been using Outlook for Windows for many years. Now Outlook is again pressing me to use or at least try New Outlook. So I have a few questions.

1. Has New Outlook changed since it was rolled out, or is Microsoft just trying to get me to try the same thing again?
2. Can anyone recommend a reason why an experienced user of Outlook should use New Outlook?
3. Does Microsoft have either a technical reason or a proprietary reason why they want to convert their users to New Outlook? For instance, does New Outlook have an improved capability to report on users to Microsoft? (That may seem paranoid, but businesses really sometimes are conspiracies.)

Robert McClenon (talk) 01:52, 10 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I think the biggest change is something called Microsoft Copilot-assisted capabilities. Copilot is an AI tool that helps you do tasks more easily, such as drafting emails, summarizing email threads, and providing writing suggestions. Stanleykswong (talk) 11:40, 15 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Corrupted PNG file

File:NLS Haig - Halting to refresh the horses in a stream.jpg has a higher resolution version available at https://digital.nls.uk/first-world-war-official-photographs/archive/74548940?mode=zoom However, the image is overlaid with columns of black-and-white. What happened to cause this issue, and can it be fixed? Jay Cubby 15:11, 10 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn30/7440/74407414.30.jpg Stanleykswong (talk) 19:27, 11 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Jay Cubby 15:11, 10 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

It's not just this one. All have this issue, so something is wrong with the software at the websiite. ‑‑Lambiam 17:14, 10 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

If you remove "?mode=zoom", then it will display properly.

https://digital.nls.uk/first-world-war-official-photographs/archive/74548940 Stanleykswong (talk) 19:35, 11 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

That I know, I'm mostly curious what causes such an issue. Jay Cubby 20:02, 11 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I don't know if it can be fixed, but there is another, uncorrupted, copy of it on Commons, linked from the first's 'infobox' under 'Other versions'. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 94.194.109.80 (talk) 17:15, 10 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Yup. I uploaded this version, the website provides a medium-res version that also works. Jay Cubby 21:47, 10 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

April 13

Freeware akin to cockpit voice recorders for home PC

Hello,

does somebody know a freeware for Windows (Win10) that can make (looping) recordings of ambient sounds, using a connected microphone? The functionality should be similar to the CAM channel on Cockpit voice recorders. Ideally, the looping time would be freely selectable and the microphone amplification changeable in the GUI. Until now, I did not manage to find something fitting this description with Google, perhaps, I did not use the correct searching terms for the current searching AI... Any help is appreciated! Regards, 2001:9E8:F3CB:9700:95F:D8D6:5B44:181 (talk) 16:42, 13 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

April 14

Apache+PHP Data Visualization Program

In our bimonthly meeting, there was a discussion that management wants a tool on our "intraweb" that can be used to visualize our spreadsheets. IT contracting services said that the county has spent 20 years investing and building everything using Apache+PHP and that there are no commercially available visualization tools for that architecture. They want us to contract with them to completely nuke and rebuild the intraweb with all new architecture. I simply don't trust the IT contractors. Are they correct? Is there something that can be installed on the intraweb that will take data from spreadsheets or a database and allow a user to develop visualizations? 68.187.174.155 (talk) 13:07, 14 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

What is your operating system? Apparently not ChromeOS, Linux, macOS or Microsoft Windows, otherwise you could just install any of several data visualization apps – but not all will work on all platforms. Also, if you can run Python, it does not take a great effort to create a visualization tool using existing Python libraries that will meet your needs. But if you are held captive by a custom-built operating environment, you may be out of luck for the remaining lifespan of the universe. ‑‑Lambiam 09:52, 15 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

My understanding is that my local computer's operating system does not matter because I access the intraweb using a web browser. I have Windows on my computer, but what I see looks identical to the Mac users using their web browser. There is a Linux computer that IT uses. The interweb looks identical there using their web browser. Are you stating that to add visualization functionality to a website, every user has to install software on his or her own computer? That does not seem accurate because I know that I can go to many websites where I can paste in data and view a chart or graph without installing anything on my computer. 68.187.174.155 (talk) 11:46, 15 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Your original question did not supply enough information to define the situation. If I understand correctly, now there is a website, served by a Linux-Apache/PHP-based server (perhaps using LAMP?), that employees access via the intranet of your employer. So do you wish to upload a local file with spreadsheet data via a web form to the server to view a visualization of the data in the browser? Or is the spreadsheet data on the server and you can view this in the browser as a table of rows and colums with cells, but you want to have a more visual representation? In either case, I do not understand why this should be a problem. The software may not come prepackaged with a visualizer, but I'd think that any data visualization tool that runs under Linux, also when written in Python, can be accessed by CGI scripting in PHP. ‑‑Lambiam 23:07, 15 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

PS. Not knowing how you want what kind of data visualized, it is not possible to recommend a specific tool out of the dozens of available data visualization tools, but very likely at least one of this recently updated list of Top 8 Python Libraries for Data Visualization will be a good fit for your organization's needs. ‑‑Lambiam 21:26, 17 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

This is not a request for me to do visualizations. It is a curiosity. Group A asked group B for added functionality on their website that would allow them to select data and make visualizations similar to Tableau or Power BI. Group B said that the web server is Apache with PHP and that there is absolutely no product available that would work with Apache and PHP. So, I asked if that is true or if there is a product, mainly because I don't trust group B. 68.187.174.155 (talk) 14:20, 19 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

By "you" I did not mean you, the OP, personally, but your organization. The server version of Tableau will run on Linux, but I do not know if it can be configured to serve up web pages. Anyway, I hope that my reply has sufficiently satisfied your curiosity. ‑‑Lambiam 20:16, 19 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

What happens if a text is sent to my landline?

Could that be what is causing all these calls where no one leaves a message on my machine?— Vchimpanzee • talk • contributions • 23:10, 14 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

That depends on your provider. I suggest you try it and see what happens. In my experience, one of two things happen:

1. Nothing and the SMS remains "undelivered".

2. The provider has a "Text to Voice" feature that calls the line and "reads" the SMS when answered.

Alien878 (talk) 07:24, 15 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I think I've had the second situation.— Vchimpanzee • talk • contributions • 22:55, 17 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

April 17

Wikipedia problem or Chrome problem?

In going to a page like Talk:China and clicking on an item in the table of contents, all used to be fine. I'd click one of the topics and it would take me to that topic. It still does that in Firefox and Opera. But in Chrome it now usually goes to the topic for a split second and then goes to the bottom of the talk page. Scroll up to the table of contents and pick a new topic and it does the same thing. If I keep going to the same topic all is well. All was fine a day or two ago. It's possible my Chrome did some update but perhaps someone here could confirm if it's me or wikipedia issues? Fyunck(click) (talk) 06:54, 17 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I'll leave this here in case someone else has issues. Right after posting this Chrome did a quick auto update (now version 135.0.7049.96) and the issue seems to have been corrected. I guess a Chrome issue. Cheers. Fyunck(click) (talk) 06:59, 17 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Before you go

How does a web site give you a list of topics you might be interested in when clicking on "Back" should take you to where you were before the web site, not to a list of topics on that web site?— Vchimpanzee • talk • contributions • 22:57, 17 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

So which website/webpage in which browser? Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:45, 18 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Any website can insert one or more web pages into your history using the history.pushState function. So, when you visit one of the web sites, they insert a page into your history. When you click 'back', you go back to the previous page in your history, which is the one that was inserted. There is nothing stopping them from stuffing your history with thousands of pages to keep you from going back other than general ethics. I do not know of any options in web browsers to stop the annoyance. Apparently, using a private or incognito mode disables your history all together, which prevents it. 68.187.174.155 (talk) 14:24, 18 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Private browsing actually doesn't change anything.— Vchimpanzee • talk • contributions • 17:10, 19 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

There's also a function (similar in experience, but different programmatically) where moving your cursor to the top left or top right of your screen (i.e. towards either the back button or the close window icon) initiates the site's "before you go..." content. The people who create such actions will be some of the first against the wall when the revolution comes and none but their mothers will weep for them. Matt Deres (talk) 16:11, 18 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

April 18

Why does referer spoofing no longer work in 2025?

our article referer spoofing still says "Several software tools exist to facilitate referer spoofing in web browsers. Some are extensions to popular browsers such as Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer, which may provide facilities to customise and manage referrer URLs for each website the user visits." however I can't find any on the Mozilla extension catalogue. so why doesn't referer spoofing work in 2025 and is it still possible to referer spoof? also should the quote be removed from the article? Therapyisgood (talk) 21:20, 18 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I would suspect a lack of extensions likely means less that it's no longer possible and more that Mozilla does not want to encourage it, so it's probably removed from the extension catalogue for ToS violations or the like. Sesquilinear (talk) 03:01, 19 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I found this extension for Firefox that allows you to do it. I haven't tried it so install at your own risk. Pinguinn 🐧 04:56, 19 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I looked at a few old and discontinued extension products. Putting the notes together, it appears tha the idea is pointless because the big search engines don't use it. Instead, they track you using cookies. If you go from site A to site B and try to spoof it claiming you went from site C to site B, the tracking cookies will accurately show your real activity. 68.187.174.155 (talk) 14:16, 19 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

April 22

Blue Sky terms and conditions

Hello, does the Blue Sky social network terms and conditions allow to post a feed of new drafts made in Wikipedia about a particular topic - say I would like to highlight effort of a particular Wikiproject, or a developer who makes tools for wiki editing?

And what about posting feed of an ebay user with links to items they put for sale today?

Thanks Gryllida (talk, e-mail) 21:22, 22 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Courtesy link: https://bsky.social/about/support/tos (I'm sure someone will have a legal opinion whether its allowed or not, but that's not what we do here.) 196.50.199.218 (talk) 05:04, 23 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

@Gryllida When anyone publishes anything (inclding a draft) on Wikipedia, they are informed (directly above the "publish" button) that "By publishing changes, you agree to the Terms of Use, and you irrevocably agree to release your contribution under the CC BY-SA 4.0 License and the GFDL." So there should be nothing on the Blue Sky page or website that contradicts that. Shantavira|^{feed me} 08:45, 23 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

i mean not in copyright sense but in "is this allowed here" sense Gryllida (talk, e-mail) 11:33, 23 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

April 23