Auk's recent activity
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Comment on Pebble Round 2 announced in ~tech
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Comment on What's the coolest thrift store find you've ever scored? in ~talk
Auk LinkI like to collect old cameras and have gotten a variety from op shops, one I was particularly happy with was a Leotax S with a Simlar 50mm f1.5 lens. This is one of the rarer Leica III copycat...I like to collect old cameras and have gotten a variety from op shops, one I was particularly happy with was a Leotax S with a Simlar 50mm f1.5 lens. This is one of the rarer Leica III copycat models (many manufacturers were 'inspired' by Leica, most famously Russian ones like Zorki but various Japanese companies also did this) with a lens of unusually large aperture for cameras of the time (and rare enough that people ask silly money for it on ebay). Sadly it needs a new shutter curtain to function due to deterioration of the original material but it's still a cool camera and even non-working has a value considerably more than the $30-40 I spent on it.
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Comment on Pebble Round 2 announced in ~tech
Auk LinkAs someone who liked the original Pebble Round and found it difficult to replace I'm happy to see the new Pebble company making a new version. A Pebble Round with a better screen/bezel ratio and a...As someone who liked the original Pebble Round and found it difficult to replace I'm happy to see the new Pebble company making a new version. A Pebble Round with a better screen/bezel ratio and a better battery life is what I spent a few years wanting after I had to retire my original due to the battery not lasting through a work day.
Unfortunately I probably won't end up buying one of these as after trying a couple of different smartwatches I did end up finding a replacement that suited me in the form of a Garmin Fenix (also I now wear a mechanical watch rather than a smartwatch on work days due to various reasons). If the new iteration of Pebble sticks around though I might be convinced in the future if I end up with some spare money.
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Pebble Round 2 announced
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Comment on Looking for goals, mostly fitness but other are cool too in ~health
Auk LinkClimbing a rope with arms only - ideally a nice long rope for extra show off points. Showing grip strength by squeezing a bathroom scale with both hands and getting a suitably high readout - for...Climbing a rope with arms only - ideally a nice long rope for extra show off points.
Showing grip strength by squeezing a bathroom scale with both hands and getting a suitably high readout - for example more than your body weight.
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Comment on Fitness tracker smart watches that work well without a smartphone app? in ~health
Auk LinkPretty sure Garmin's watches can be used without a phone if so desired. My Fenix 6s definitely lets me look at activities etc on the watch itself but I never tried using it entirely without the...Pretty sure Garmin's watches can be used without a phone if so desired. My Fenix 6s definitely lets me look at activities etc on the watch itself but I never tried using it entirely without the app (I wanted notifications to come through and to be able to upload activities occasionally).
If you haven't already come across Gadgetbridge then consider this as a halfway step between apps that might make off with your data and no app at all. It's compatible with a lot of devices so there's a chance it might even work with the watch they already bought (otherwise it's an option to consider when investigating other watches).
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
Auk Link ParentI'd give good chances of you liking the Cradle series (first book is Unsouled, and it's a completed series). It's got similarities to DCC in that it's also got a lot of power/ability progression...I'd give good chances of you liking the Cradle series (first book is Unsouled, and it's a completed series). It's got similarities to DCC in that it's also got a lot of power/ability progression albeit not in an explicitly gamified setting.
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Comment on Gift recommendations in ~life
Auk LinkA nice pocketknife is something that has the potential to be a gift someone carries close on hand for years, I think many people could do with one. The classic choice is a swiss army knife, I...A nice pocketknife is something that has the potential to be a gift someone carries close on hand for years, I think many people could do with one.
The classic choice is a swiss army knife, I carried a Victorinox Huntsman ($115 AUD) for years. These fit comfortably in most pockets, pack in a good amount of utility options, and appear non-threatening to those who might otherwise pearl clutch at seeing a knife (sadly common these days). I only moved on from these as I wanted a locking blade and pliers.
My main knife in recent years has been a Leatherman Wave+ ($280), it's pricey but a good option for those who could use a useful set of pliers and a bit driver amongst other tools. You'd have to pick your person for this as while I carry mine in my pocket fine it's a bit large for some people to carry everywhere (particularly if you have to wear office clothes).
I also have a Leatherman Skeletool ($195) which is a smaller stripped down multitool with pliers, it fits inbetween the other two I've mentioned in terms of size vs capability (and price).
The prices of what I've mentioned will likely be out of many gift budgets so if you're looking for something cheaper I'd advise going for something that's just a knife rather than a multitool - I've found cheap multitools tend to be a bit rubbish to use but a plain folding knife is harder to mess up.
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Comment on Without looking, do you have a vague idea of your coordinates? in ~talk
Auk LinkI got the latitude degree right for my home but was about 10 degrees off for the longitude (wasn't even going to try for more than degree precision). Going off that I could have a decent stab at...I got the latitude degree right for my home but was about 10 degrees off for the longitude (wasn't even going to try for more than degree precision). Going off that I could have a decent stab at guessing whether something was within a days drive of my home town but I wouldn't be immediately recognising coordinates as actually nearby.
Coordinates just haven't been something I pay much attention to as I'm usually looking at relative positions to topography/landmarks/roads instead of coordinates (which are often in MGA on my topo maps anyway rather than lat/long). The most I tend to notice them is when sending a map pin location to someone.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
Auk Link ParentJust read the first one based on this comment and would agree that it gives a similar feel to the early books in the Dresden Files. The time business also reminds me of one called The Perfect Run,...Scratches the Dresden files itch nicely
Just read the first one based on this comment and would agree that it gives a similar feel to the early books in the Dresden Files. The time business also reminds me of one called The Perfect Run, that's something to try if you liked that part of it.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
Auk LinkI noticed the other day that the last of the Sun Eater series - Shadows Upon Time - had come out so have now read that. It's a decent series, set in a broad scale (both size and time - FTL travel...I noticed the other day that the last of the Sun Eater series - Shadows Upon Time - had come out so have now read that. It's a decent series, set in a broad scale (both size and time - FTL travel still takes years) galactic empire with the overarching plot being driven by the invasion of a implacable alien species. It's wrapped in a framing device of the narrator chronicling what led to him destroying a sun and a populated planet. I think one could safely guess the author liked Dune and The Book of the New Sun as there are similarities.
I've also been rereading the Commonweal series, which is one I would recommend albeit also one I think many might bounce off. Overall it's a group of surprisingly cozy stories for something set in a post world-breaking and extremely dangerous world (magic appeared, now there's been many thousands of years of powerful magic users messing with stuff and rising/falling magical despots), with little explicit explanation of how exactly things work or how the world is different to standard expectations. Note there's a bit of a genre jump from the first book (about a military expedition) to the second (a group entering a magic school with sides of civil engineering) and it jumps characters again for the fourth book.
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Comment on Pennies are being canceled and the US Mint won't make any more. What does that mean? in ~finance
Auk Link ParentI'm ambivalent on larger denomination coins since we already have notes for them (and they sit better in my wallet) but I feel coins are easier to quickly handle and count. Many cups of coffee...I'm ambivalent on larger denomination coins since we already have notes for them (and they sit better in my wallet) but I feel coins are easier to quickly handle and count.
You can't even buy a cup of coffee with less than 3 coins right now
Many cups of coffee these days could have the seller legally refuse to accept payment in <= 50c coins - technically these don't fit the definition of Australian legal tender if you're using them to pay for something over $5. Given the 10x face value limit for $1 and $2 coins even they can't get you much anymore (unless the seller agrees to take more than 10, but they don't have to).
Obviously one of the new coins should get the 20c platypus
The platypus is pretty good, I like the possum from the old 1c coin too. We should introduce a small percentage of coins with Kiwis on them too to mimic the experience of finding random NZ 20c coins mixed in with our 20c coins...
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Comment on Denmark's drive to conscript teenage girls – as the threat from Russia increases, it is no longer only young men who are being called to serve in ~life.women
Auk LinkThat's how it should be. I'm against the idea of forced conscription in general but if you as a country think there is enough of a threat to require it then you will need every person you can get....That's how it should be. I'm against the idea of forced conscription in general but if you as a country think there is enough of a threat to require it then you will need every person you can get. If you can afford to only draw from half the population then I don't think the threat was existential enough to require conscription.
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Comment on Pennies are being canceled and the US Mint won't make any more. What does that mean? in ~finance
Auk LinkAustralia ditched one and two cent coins back in 1992, and while I was too young then to notice I don't believe it caused any problems. I think we could easily lose the 5c coin now and even the...Australia ditched one and two cent coins back in 1992, and while I was too young then to notice I don't believe it caused any problems. I think we could easily lose the 5c coin now and even the 10c and 20c are marginal in their utility (apart from opening covers meant to be turned with a coin, 20c is good for that).
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Comment on Humble Bundle: Modern Sci-Fi Classics (Charles Soule, Joseph Fink, Hugh Howey, and Neal Stephenson) in ~books
Auk (edited )Link ParentI've only read Anathem and Seveneves, would recommend Anathem but I didn't find Seveneves particularly memorable (to the point where the plot escapes me now I try and think of it). Note though...I've only read Anathem and Seveneves, would recommend Anathem but I didn't find Seveneves particularly memorable (to the point where the plot escapes me now I try and think of it). Note though that for Anathem part of what makes this book interesting is figuring out the different world/vocabulary without much explicit explanation, this works for me but isn't everyone's cup of tea.
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Comment on Automotive repair costs on modern vehicles. Any horror stories? in ~transport
Auk LinkA few years back my work had a Mercedes Sprinter which started dropping into limp mode due to some (presumably emissions related) issue. It was taken to the mechanics a couple of times and they'd...A few years back my work had a Mercedes Sprinter which started dropping into limp mode due to some (presumably emissions related) issue. It was taken to the mechanics a couple of times and they'd replace bits they claimed could be the issue, then after a day or two of driving it'd drop back into limp mode. After a few goes at this the mechanics said the DPF was now ruined and it'd be $3k for the part, a bit more to fit it, and then they could try and figure out what caused that to happen. At that point the company looked at the depreciated value of the van (approaching 10 years old) and decided that putting in that much money for no guaranteed result was no longer worth it - the van went to auction instead taking whatever problem it had with it. Pity really as the Sprinters are pretty nice to drive for something their size.
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Comment on Obesity rate declining in US. Use of GLP-1 injectables for weight loss has more than doubled since early 2024. in ~health
Auk Link ParentIIRC grip strength is apparently a decent indicator of overall muscle strength (and correlates with other health related measures).any further criteria for this style of testing
IIRC grip strength is apparently a decent indicator of overall muscle strength (and correlates with other health related measures).
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Comment on The goon squad. Loneliness, porn’s next frontier, and the dream of endless masturbation. in ~life
Auk Link ParentYou don't even have to watch any to get that sort of stuff popping up though. For example i have snapchat installed but have not used it for anything but a group chat with work colleagues...You don't even have to watch any to get that sort of stuff popping up though. For example i have snapchat installed but have not used it for anything but a group chat with work colleagues (definitely not sexual) and the occasional message with friends asking about help with day to day stuff. A few months back snapchat must have decided my usage wasn't engaging enough and started sending me regular notifications for highly sexualised stories, including ones from literal porn stars (and pretty quickly got denied notification access). It'd be pretty easy to start down that rabbit hole when an app is so blatantly pushing such content at you...
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Comment on Who tried beetroot? in ~food
Auk LinkIf you're having a standalone salad grated beetroot can fit in well (similarly to grated carrot) or even small cubes of baked beetroot if you're doing the sort of salad which incorporates other...If you're having a standalone salad grated beetroot can fit in well (similarly to grated carrot) or even small cubes of baked beetroot if you're doing the sort of salad which incorporates other baked veggies like pumpkin or kumara.
If you're making something like a sandwich, burger, or wrap which includes salad then pickled beetroot (the type you get in cans) goes well with that.
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Comment on Considering the RAV4 hybrid in ~transport
Auk LinkMy sister had one for a few years, it didn't give any trouble during that period while doing the dual job of work transport and family car. The worst she had to say about it was that if you want...My sister had one for a few years, it didn't give any trouble during that period while doing the dual job of work transport and family car. The worst she had to say about it was that if you want to take it on dirt roads there's a bunch of annoying beeps that need to be turned off if you don't want to be bothered every time it sees a nearby bush or goes over a bit of gravel - that seems par for the course though with modern cars. It was a fleet vehicle rather than personally owned otherwise she would have kept it longer, apparently the Rav4 was a nicer car to have and drive than the Xtrail it got replaced with.
Long term? Not really - I would not buy something from them and expect the company to still be around in five-ten years. It's a small setup after all coming from someone who's already sold off the brand once. Long term enough for them to make this device I would say is a reasonable bet if they're telling the truth about being at the stage of having functional watches to test.
I would at least have some faith in the people behind Rebble helping with software issues in the years to come, they've got a good track record with helping keeping the older watches alive. Hardware issues could be more of a problem though, it'll be interesting to see how the new ones last.