0d_billie's recent activity

  1. Comment on I just switched to an iPhone, what should I do to make the most of this change? in ~tech

    0d_billie
    Link Parent
    This is a great suggestion, thanks! I was thinking of making a shortcut for going into each app proper, but this way is much better :D

    For example, I have 3 main apps that play audio: music, Overcast (podcasting), and audible (audiobooks). So instead of having 3 apps to launch, I have the widgets for each of them in a widget stack and swipe to whichever one I want to use. It’s handier because they have the playback controls right on the widget so I can control it without messing with the app.

    This is a great suggestion, thanks! I was thinking of making a shortcut for going into each app proper, but this way is much better :D

    1 vote

  2. Comment on I just switched to an iPhone, what should I do to make the most of this change? in ~tech

    0d_billie
    Link Parent
    I've been tempted to try and do a full switch, but the opportunity cost of changing back is high enough that my own self-hosted options for most services remain perfectly sufficient. That said the...

    Go all in on Apple’s way of doing things. Apple contacts, Apple mail app, safari, etc. Switch everything you can to an Apple version of the service. Most of the time, apples services are really good, especially when you have multiple Apple devices. Use these services for a while, and after you find out what you don’t like about them (they are not perfect) you may consider switching back to your previous services.

    I've been tempted to try and do a full switch, but the opportunity cost of changing back is high enough that my own self-hosted options for most services remain perfectly sufficient. That said the integration that I have used is unreal!

    Also, consider the Apple Watch.

    Oh I very much am! But I've spent the better part of $yearsSinceSmartWatchesBecameAThing convinced that I don't need a smaller computer on my wrist. The main thing that's tempting me is the health tracking, but I vehemently dislike the idea of having to charge a watch every day.

    5 votes

  3. Comment on I just switched to an iPhone, what should I do to make the most of this change? in ~tech

    0d_billie
    Link Parent
    This is a fair point. I know a lot about how I use my phone already, and I guess I'm mainly just curious to know what other people find valuable!

    This is a fair point. I know a lot about how I use my phone already, and I guess I'm mainly just curious to know what other people find valuable!

    1 vote

  4. Comment on I just switched to an iPhone, what should I do to make the most of this change? in ~tech

    0d_billie
    Link Parent
    I've had a bit of a play with them on my iPad but I'm keen to see what use I can make of shortcuts on my phone, which is really my primary computing device these days.

    I've had a bit of a play with them on my iPad but I'm keen to see what use I can make of shortcuts on my phone, which is really my primary computing device these days.

    3 votes

  5. I just switched to an iPhone, what should I do to make the most of this change?

    ~tech Ask (advice)
    Basically the title. I've been an Android user since 2012, but have have an iPad and a Macbook that I really like, especially how well they work together. My pixel 5 was on its way out, so I...

    Basically the title. I've been an Android user since 2012, but have have an iPad and a Macbook that I really like, especially how well they work together. My pixel 5 was on its way out, so I finally took the plunge and bought an iPhone 15 Pro earlier this week. I'm still getting everything set up, and I'm particularly excited to play with the different focus modes and shortcuts. I'm curious what apps and features should I be using to make the most of this switch?

    38 votes

  6. Comment on Oceans of Slumber - Where Gods Fear to Speak (2024) in ~music

    0d_billie
    Link
    I don't listen to a lot of Doom Metal, but when I do it's Oceans of Slumber. This is their new single, which is a cool listen. For the uninitiated, they also do a badass cover of Kashmir which is...

    I don't listen to a lot of Doom Metal, but when I do it's Oceans of Slumber. This is their new single, which is a cool listen. For the uninitiated, they also do a badass cover of Kashmir which is totally worth your time.

    2 votes

  8. Comment on Amid marijuana legalization, a civic problem lingers: that smell in ~life

  9. Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music

    0d_billie
    Link
    I've been spinning a lot of Postmodern Jukebox for background music purposes. It's funky and fun without being too distracting. The real winner has been Eye to the Ear by Cosmo Sheldrake though....

    I've been spinning a lot of Postmodern Jukebox for background music purposes. It's funky and fun without being too distracting. The real winner has been Eye to the Ear by Cosmo Sheldrake though. It only came out on Friday and I've had it on a constant loop since.

    1 vote

  10. Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music

    0d_billie
    Link Parent
    I love that album, it's the one that got me into Machine Head. There isn't a skippable song on it! I learned to play some of the tracks as a teen, and Aesthetics of Hate, Halo, and Slanderous...

    I love that album, it's the one that got me into Machine Head. There isn't a skippable song on it! I learned to play some of the tracks as a teen, and Aesthetics of Hate, Halo, and Slanderous still all remain in heavy rotation while I'm jamming.

    1 vote

  11. Comment on Cosmo Sheldrake - Stop The Music (2024) in ~music

    0d_billie
    Link Parent
    Most exciting! I'm hoping my vinyl copy arrives this afternoon so I can stick it on with a glass of wine this evening :D

    Most exciting! I'm hoping my vinyl copy arrives this afternoon so I can stick it on with a glass of wine this evening :D

    1 vote

  12. Comment on A brief rundown of some of the flaws of the Cass review in ~lgbt

    0d_billie
    Link
    The Cass Review is recommending against providing any medical treatment for trans children. And it is possible (if uncharitable) to interpret the idea to continue youth care up to the age of 25 as...

    The Cass Review is recommending against providing any medical treatment for trans children. And it is possible (if uncharitable) to interpret the idea to continue youth care up to the age of 25 as an attempt to hold off on any medical treatment for gender dysphoria up to that age under the guise of "holistic care." Treating co-concurrent conditions and situations sounds appealing, but it smacks of ableism to me. It reads like an excuse to deny trans children the care that they need to live because it's more convenient to say "oh, well they're autistic, they just don't understand how society functions, let's teach them not to want to be trans." It's just conversion therapy via the backdoor. Holistic care sounds good, until you find out just how utterly fucked the rest of the provision in the UK is for mental health. I have a friend who works for CAMHS, and it is apparent that a child being referred to the service today will no longer be a child by the time the service has an appointment for them. And the report very much reads to me like treating any gender incongruity would be dead last on the list of priorities, on the hope that it'll just go away if we sort out all of this other stuff. Completely forgetting the wealth of research and evidence that shows that being transgender is not typically environmentally caused.

    This report very much feels to be the thin end of the wedge, as there is now set to be a review of adult transgender care at the seven clinics in England. I am concerned that the recommendations to withhold HRT until such time as a holistic treatment plan has been exhausted will be carried over into the adult care. If this ends up being the case, and with NHS waiting lists the way they are, it effectively bans the NHS from prescribing hormones to trans people. For myself, I am now starting to seriously consider whether I want to buy my first home in the UK or look to migrate to a more trans-friendly country.

    8 votes

  13. Comment on Cosmo Sheldrake - Stop The Music (2024) in ~music

    0d_billie
    Link Parent
    Ooo, no but that will have been a great gig, it's a good venue! The show I'm at isn't until the 20th D: He's actually playing in Leeds a second time this year in October, so I may end up seeing...

    Ooo, no but that will have been a great gig, it's a good venue! The show I'm at isn't until the 20th D:

    He's actually playing in Leeds a second time this year in October, so I may end up seeing him twice...

    1 vote

  14. Comment on Linux Distro Recommendations in ~comp

    0d_billie
    Link Parent
    Yeah, they come as standard with most DEs now. They're straightforward front ends for the package manager, and I have yet to use one that isn't slow and awful, but they exist!

    Yeah, they come as standard with most DEs now. They're straightforward front ends for the package manager, and I have yet to use one that isn't slow and awful, but they exist!

    2 votes

  15. Comment on Linux Distro Recommendations in ~comp

    0d_billie
    Link Parent
    That's all super valid, and I didn't think about the installation process. I find Debian absolutely rock solid once it's installed (both on the desktop and headless on servers), but you're right...

    That's all super valid, and I didn't think about the installation process. I find Debian absolutely rock solid once it's installed (both on the desktop and headless on servers), but you're right that it's not beginner friendly to get up and running.

    I guess our definition of basic things might differ though, as I wouldn't expect many people to need to use apt or ppas or anything similar. Most DEs come with app "stores" these days, which would surely do for the majority of beginner users' needs, no?

    3 votes

  16. Comment on Linux Distro Recommendations in ~comp

  17. Comment on Linux Distro Recommendations in ~comp

    0d_billie
    Link Parent
    Heck, even as an old hand Arch is still a faff to use!

    Heck, even as an old hand Arch is still a faff to use!

    3 votes

  18. Comment on You're wrong about Aptera's car. It's ridiculously efficient (and solar powered). in ~transport

    0d_billie
    Link
    I actually really like the look of these, they feel straight out of Star Trek. I wonder how well they'll stack up in the UK's sunlight.

    I actually really like the look of these, they feel straight out of Star Trek. I wonder how well they'll stack up in the UK's sunlight.

    2 votes

  19. Comment on Book recommendations, specifically in ~books

  20. Comment on How do you - or, how did you - leverage your hobbies into careers? in ~hobbies

    0d_billie
    Link Parent
    I would second this. Tinkering with computers used to be my hobby, but by brute force I turned it into my career after I graduated uni with an unrelated degree, and I'm so bored and unfulfilled by...

    It's worth keeping in mind that a big part of why you enjoy these things might well be because they're just hobbies and you're not doing them for work. There's something to be said for keeping your interests separate from your work so that you can continue to enjoy them. There's a reason chefs joke about going home and eating easy mac and breakfast cereal.

    I would second this. Tinkering with computers used to be my hobby, but by brute force I turned it into my career after I graduated uni with an unrelated degree, and I'm so bored and unfulfilled by sysadmin work now. It's no accident that all of my current hobbies don't really involve spending any time at a computer, and I have lately been looking at pivoting into a different career path altogether.

    7 votes