But author didn't test it :( It's entirely possible that blob of solder is for mechanical, not electrical purposes.
The author's complaint about the pins being too close together on the cable end seems silly to me. If you have a good feeling for how solder works (and how it sticks to pads and avoids solder mask), you can tell by eye that those pins will be OK.
It's lame to write up a post accusing seller of selling device w/ shorted-out pins, but not even take the time to confirm the accusations with an ohmmeter.
The author's complaint about the pins being too close together on the cable end seems silly to me. If you have a good feeling for how solder works (and how it sticks to pads and avoids solder mask), you can tell by eye that those pins will be OK.