Bluetooth at home and on the go: Now in its 30th year

Leto Bluetooth speaker (no relation to Jared and Shannon Leto)

MC SeonWoo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

 While Bluetooth has been around for some time now, it's not like me or other people to catch on late, often times because of the cost. Some even got telly decades after most of western civilisation to put it that way. When I switched phones, I couldn't use the classic cord that I grew up with anymore. A few years ago, I managed to find a pair of JBL headphones at the charity shop for $7. They work with my Android and I don't think I had them yet for my ageing iPhone. Only today at the chaz, did I finally find a standalone Bluetooth speaker that I could afford. I do have it in my record machine in another part of the house, but it's more inconvenient than playing good old vinyl since I just don't have that much room. On the same token, I have dozens of CDs stored in the attic, and it can be too cold in winter and hot in the summer to rummage through a large moving box in cramped quarters, especially if I need to play something at a moments notice or on a certain day. While I still want to go to shops and get real LPs and CDs when I can afford it, subscribing to Amazon and sometimes even going to YouTube or even a pirate site saves time and money, which is why streaming is mega these days. Netflix is more suited for the sister TV blog, and I don't watch much TV either way anymore. However, I wonder if it's actual stereo or just a glorified mono folddown. One brand sold at Dollar Tree with $5-10 items says to buy two speakers for true stereo, but I'm lucky to get this used one, since it takes time for newer tech to cost less and reach the second hand and even the thrift store, which doesn't happen everyday, but that can be explored at the retail blog. There's no need to spend hundreds more on hi-fi for your wi-fi. It was a right fortune as it is just to get the phone fixed after it broke more than once, mind. As for getting a good deal on Bluetooth at a place that is usually just full of junk, sometimes on a good day, you win the pools.
UPDATE (5/4/26): I brought my 5 CD carousel changer up from the basement and plugged it into the AUX jack in the back. I had the adapter for the RCA cables which I used for my old stereo that has since been recycled. Now I have a nice little system upstairs while the record machine downstairs has Bluetooth itself. At least I have both since streaming can get cut off, especially with several different apps running on a slightly older phone and on public wi-fi when I'm not at home between numerous people using it and the inherent risks unless you have VPN and antivirus software installed because you just can't be too careful these days with all the scams out there. Not to be Dale Gribble, mind, but you know how it is now. I also don't want to use up battery or data when an outlet and wi-fi are unavailable.