Akir's recent activity
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Comment on Consumer Reports: Most and least expensive US supermarkets in ~food
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Comment on How Norway accomplished a near-total electric vehicle transition – almost 100 percent of new cars registered in November were electric in ~transport
Akir Link ParentThey're bad at it because they have perverse incentives. In the long run, the money Ford spent on EV development pales into the amount of money they've spent incrementally building their ICE...They're bad at it because they have perverse incentives. In the long run, the money Ford spent on EV development pales into the amount of money they've spent incrementally building their ICE drivetrains over time. They want to continue making ICE powered cars because it already makes them money and it makes a lot more sense for them to keep focusing on the "sure thing" than to try to spend a lot of money on a "maybe". In this case, the "maybe" in question is actually an inevitability, but pretty much every major business has been operating on short term logic since at least the 1980s.
Tesla, on the other hand, managed to succeed at their endeavors because they not only lacked those perverse incentives, they had every reason to avoid competing in the ICE market, which famously ate up just about every company to try it.
Honestly, part of me thinks that having the US auto makers fail might be a good thing in the long run. I don't want their factory workers to lose their jobs, but it seems that these companies simply aren't sustainable as businesses, environmental issues aside. The government is already doing a lot to keep them alive, including closing out foreign competition. Heck, they already failed around 2008 when we had to inject them with cash to keep them running.
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Comment on How Norway accomplished a near-total electric vehicle transition – almost 100 percent of new cars registered in November were electric in ~transport
Akir (edited )Link ParentThe big problem in the US is that the automakers who make cars for the market have largely been avoiding investment in BEVs. And surprisingly the domestic manufacturers - specifically Ford and GM...The big problem in the US is that the automakers who make cars for the market have largely been avoiding investment in BEVs. And surprisingly the domestic manufacturers - specifically Ford and GM - have been more aggressive than many of the foreign manufacturers like Toyota, who has still only offered a single fully electric vehicle which I have yet to see in public outside of a showing inside of a mall.
Of those manufacturers it seems like most of them are still largely focused on making affordable EVs. There’s really only two companies that I think are even moderately succeeding at it: Tesla and GM.
I think that the only way to fix this in the US would be to use the government to force manufacturers to invest in it, particularly by setting a date in which the sale of new consumer vehicles with combustion engines would be banned. Unfortunately it would need to be a long period of time and the mere existence of shithead conservatives and representatives bought by oil companies - who, to be clear, also deserve to be called shitheads - basically makes this impossible.
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Comment on How Norway accomplished a near-total electric vehicle transition – almost 100 percent of new cars registered in November were electric in ~transport
Akir Link ParentEvery modern EV will engage a heater to keep the battery healthy, and AFAIK if it’s plugged into mains electricity they will use that rather than the battery to power it.Every modern EV will engage a heater to keep the battery healthy, and AFAIK if it’s plugged into mains electricity they will use that rather than the battery to power it.
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Comment on Notepad++ hijacked by state-sponsored hackers in ~tech
Akir LinkThis isn’t the first time I’ve heard of malicious actors targeting Notepad++. Is there some reason why it seems to be a desirable target, or is it just that the maintainers are more open about...This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of malicious actors targeting Notepad++. Is there some reason why it seems to be a desirable target, or is it just that the maintainers are more open about such things compared to other IDEs?
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Comment on The downfall of OnePlus will be studied | The "enthusiast brand" arc in ~tech
Akir Link ParentYou can also virtualize windows ARM for it. It works pretty well in my experience, but I have only used for light tasks because I installed it as a demonstrator so I could show kids where to go...You can also virtualize windows ARM for it. It works pretty well in my experience, but I have only used for light tasks because I installed it as a demonstrator so I could show kids where to go when they had to do Windows-specific things.
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Comment on You are being misled about renewable energy technology in ~enviro
Akir Link ParentThere are petroleum based candles (made with paraffin wax), but there are also many candles made with renewable sources of fuel such as beeswax and soy wax. But unless it specifically says what...There are petroleum based candles (made with paraffin wax), but there are also many candles made with renewable sources of fuel such as beeswax and soy wax.
But unless it specifically says what kind it is, it's likely to be paraffin.
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Comment on Actual underrated films of the 2020s so far in ~movies
Akir Link ParentI totally forgot this movie came out this recently! It feels a bit dated in a way I can't quite put my finger on. Fantastic film. It's basically what I wish that John Wick was. Surprised the RT...I totally forgot this movie came out this recently! It feels a bit dated in a way I can't quite put my finger on.
Fantastic film. It's basically what I wish that John Wick was. Surprised the RT score is so low, actually.
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Comment on What healthy habit has made a difference for you? in ~health
Akir LinkI think I have talked about it quite a lot, but changing my diet has dramatically improved my quality of life. A lot of the things that people eat regularly are probably things that are...I think I have talked about it quite a lot, but changing my diet has dramatically improved my quality of life. A lot of the things that people eat regularly are probably things that are contributing a fine layer of misery over their daily lives. I’ve learned that too many simple carbs (including white bread) can lead to me feeling jittery and can even contribute to “crashing out”. Too many fats makes my skin oily, gross, and potentially even stinky. Not enough fiber affects bowel movements pretty directly. The thing that affected me most was what really surprised me at first: meat - regardless of if it’s red meat or lean white meat - just kind of gunks up everything. It’s cumulative so you won’t notice it immediately if you make a change. It’s a bit hard to describe, but it’s basically like the physical effect of depression or what you’d be like taking a “bed death” day if you’re used to being active. You’re just kind of generally sore and groggy. On top of that it’s usually served pretty greasy so you’ll get the same effect of high fats, and it will even make your stool smell worse than it needs to.
Of course, if any of these describe your regular diet, you won’t notice any of this because it’s just your regular baseline and you’re used to it. I assume that these things are why people feel good after doing fasts or cleanses or “detox diets” and the like. If so, there’s a reason why they have to keep repeating them.
And as someone who is currently dealing with medical issues keeping them from sleeping and only managed 3 hours last night, sleep is pretty damn important too.
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Comment on Amazon’s promotion of ‘Melania’ has critics questioning its motives (Amazon has spent 35M on marketing on top of its 40M budget) in ~movies
Akir Link ParentI assume it just got downgraded because the page says 6 for me.I assume it just got downgraded because the page says 6 for me.
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Comment on What's something you've moved on from? in ~talk
Akir Link ParentI used to be someone who ate a big portion of meat at every meal. But somehow I don’t miss it today, and I haven’t for quite a while. My husband, unfortunately, did not go veg with me, and he...I used to be someone who ate a big portion of meat at every meal. But somehow I don’t miss it today, and I haven’t for quite a while.
My husband, unfortunately, did not go veg with me, and he regularly eats meat. I haven’t told him this, but I find it really unattractive when he eats meat-heavy meals. Last night he had fried chicken and watching him with those bones going in and out of his mouth with the cartilage and muscle fibers sticking out was just plain gross. I still love him more than anything though.
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Comment on What's something you've moved on from? in ~talk
Akir Link ParentI think the thing that actively drives me away from tech the most these days is the realization that most companies just want to sell me the same shit I already own, but with whatever tech fad is...I think the thing that actively drives me away from tech the most these days is the realization that most companies just want to sell me the same shit I already own, but with whatever tech fad is currently in place. For instance, a while ago the thing was selling kitchen appliances with Bluetooth radios to make them “smart” - usually by combining them with a smartphone app that has some sort of subscription. This year they are doing the same thing but it includes some sort of AI component.
This wouldn’t be quite as bad if this were the 80s and they actually had to put a lot of effort into engineering these solutions, but today’s technologies have become trivial to implement. We are living in the post-arduino world, where even I could implement most of the things that these devices are doing. Combine this with so-called “tech journalism” which is filled to the brim with sycophants who will love everything they come across. If it’s a fantasy product that will never hit the consumer market, the journalists will believe that it will, and if it’s a demonstration shows that it’s terrible, well, that just means that it “has potential” and they’ll have a working one “soon”.
Don’t even get me started on companies who are trying to rebrand themselves as “tech companies” as a transparent money grab.
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Comment on Matt Damon says Netflix wants movies to restate the 'plot three or four times in the dialogue' because viewers are on 'their phones while they're watching' in ~movies
Akir Link ParentThey do have good stuff from time to time. The problem is the signal to noise ratio combined with the general discoverability of those good shows. Sometimes I will get recommended them but I’ll...They do have good stuff from time to time. The problem is the signal to noise ratio combined with the general discoverability of those good shows. Sometimes I will get recommended them but I’ll also be recommended a bunch of slop shows that I don’t care about.
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Comment on Matt Damon says Netflix wants movies to restate the 'plot three or four times in the dialogue' because viewers are on 'their phones while they're watching' in ~movies
Akir Link ParentIn retrospect maybe we should have seen their recommendation algorithm as the first sign of their penchant for ruthless optimization and the removal of that algorithm as a sign of the end.In retrospect maybe we should have seen their recommendation algorithm as the first sign of their penchant for ruthless optimization and the removal of that algorithm as a sign of the end.
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Comment on Do you have American healthcare? Do you pay for a gym membership? Perhaps you can pay less and get more! in ~health
Akir LinkUnfortunately Kaiser in my region only offers a discounted rate on ClassPass, which gives you access to classes instead of gyms. It’s more expensive for less access. I’m very happy with my Planet...Unfortunately Kaiser in my region only offers a discounted rate on ClassPass, which gives you access to classes instead of gyms. It’s more expensive for less access.
I’m very happy with my Planet Fitness Black Card membership. It lets me go to any PF location in the world and perhaps more importantly they have a “spa” which features hydro massage beds, massage chairs, red light therapy, and even tanning (which I will never use). The massage really helps with my recovery and has become an instrumental part of my routine.
I get all of that for $25 a month and cancelling is just a matter of telling the people at the front desk that I want to cancel. They have a bad reputation online but in my experience the gym is fairly nice and most of the complaints don’t seem to carry water. All of my complaints are fairly minor and for the most of them revolve around some annoying members, which every gym will have.
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Comment on Matt Damon says Netflix wants movies to restate the 'plot three or four times in the dialogue' because viewers are on 'their phones while they're watching' in ~movies
Akir LinkHonestly, I’m kind of amazed that people are still watching Netflix at this point. Everything they have been making for the past few years - at least since the pandemic - has been bland and...Honestly, I’m kind of amazed that people are still watching Netflix at this point. Everything they have been making for the past few years - at least since the pandemic - has been bland and boring. At this point in time the only shows I have been interested in are the handful of Anime they’ve got exclusive rights to and the occasional Knives Out movie. I did also watch the finale for Stranger Things, and it actually had an episode that wasn’t bad. But then it had an ending so stupid that it actually made me angry. It turns out that the good episode was from when they brought in Frank Darabont.
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Comment on RCS — SMS via the internet — is good, but it doesn't matter in ~tech
Akir Link ParentI’m not going to bother explaining why your privacy is important but I will say that I have to assume that you’re living somewhere in Europe, because American privacy laws are essentially...I’m not going to bother explaining why your privacy is important but I will say that I have to assume that you’re living somewhere in Europe, because American privacy laws are essentially nonexistent, especially outside of the state of California.
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Comment on RCS — SMS via the internet — is good, but it doesn't matter in ~tech
Akir Link ParentHonestly I find it preferable to being forced into creating an account with Meta.Honestly I find it preferable to being forced into creating an account with Meta.
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Comment on Amazon is closing its Fresh grocery, Go convenience stores in the US in ~finance
Akir Link ParentAmazon Fresh stores, to me, were a really weird place to go. It was the only grocery store owned by a big corporation that didn’t care about hiding the fact that they were run by soulless number...Amazon Fresh stores, to me, were a really weird place to go. It was the only grocery store owned by a big corporation that didn’t care about hiding the fact that they were run by soulless number crunchers. The last time I went out there the dozen or so people I saw in the aisle there were maybe two or three customers. The rest were people either stocking the shelves or picking for orders.
I don’t have good memories of Whole Foods Market, and I don’t even remember if I’d been in one before Amazon bought it, but it seems pretty clear to me that the management is basically turning them into Amazon fulfillment centers just like their Amazon Fresh stores were. So this move seems less of a failure of a concept and more of a universalization of business operations.
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Comment on RCS — SMS via the internet — is good, but it doesn't matter in ~tech
Akir Link ParentIt’s pointless to blame the issues on Apple. My point is not that Apple does a bad job, but the entire system fails us because there is literally zero alternatives because RCS is a closed system...It’s pointless to blame the issues on Apple. My point is not that Apple does a bad job, but the entire system fails us because there is literally zero alternatives because RCS is a closed system that is pay-to-play. RCS may not be a monolith like WhatsApp or WeChat or whatever but it’s still essentially a cartel forcing us into a less than ideal situation.
This didn’t tell me much that I didn’t already know, but I did learn some interesting tidbits. I stopped shopping for groceries at Walmart years ago because it was actually surprisingly expensive. The prices were about the same as, say, Albertson’s or Von’s. I know that they’ve done a lot to improve their grocery department in more recent years, though, so this is more of a factor of them being in a relatively inconvenient location for me now that there is better competition.
The choices of stores to represent seem a bit odd to me. For Southern California they include WinCo (a great company I wish more people knew about), but they only have a handful of locations in the region and none of them are near Central LA. They don’t include Smart & Final which has significantly more locations. With them excluded it seems ever so slightly unfair to include Costco who is playing a different game than the rest with their exclusively bulk-sized packaging, something that S&F at least partially tries to compete in with select bulk items in their stores.
I’ve said this a lot but here in SoCal the Asian markets have fresh products that are higher quality, freshness, and with better variety while generally having lower prices. The same is likely true at Hispanic grocers.