ButteredToast's recent activity
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Comment on A three-year-old's metastatic cancer disappeared after two doses of CAR T-Cell therapy, genetically engineered immune cells that target cancerous cells in ~health
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Comment on LG smart TVs caught logging audio with screen off and snooping on local devices in ~tech
ButteredToast LinkAll the TV manufacturers engage in spyware in some capacity, even if it's "just" automated content recognition. It's a good reason to keep them offline, to buy brands that aren't as egregiously...All the TV manufacturers engage in spyware in some capacity, even if it's "just" automated content recognition.
It's a good reason to keep them offline, to buy brands that aren't as egregiously bad, and to select TVs for the OS they run — something running Android TV for example is going to be easier to reign in than something running webOS, Tizen, or Roku OS for example because you can use the exact same set of tools you'd use to debloat an Android phone to do the same on the TV.
As an example, it's pretty easy to use ADB (Android Debug Bridge) on a laptop to disable/remove the ACR packages on a Sony TV, after which you're left with just plain old Android. Disabled/removed packages along with no internet connection is about the best one can achieve in a smart TV these days, as far as I'm aware.
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Comment on What are your current pain points with Linux? in ~tech
ButteredToast Link ParentMicrosoft could probably pull it off, but it'd require something akin to Classic Mode in the early releases of OS X (a paravirtualized minimal old Windows build tweaked so programs play nice with...Microsoft could probably pull it off, but it'd require something akin to Classic Mode in the early releases of OS X (a paravirtualized minimal old Windows build tweaked so programs play nice with host window/task management) for "old world" compatibility. The bones are even already there with WSL.
I suspect that the bigger challenge would not be technological but rather with PR. Microsoft has burned a lot of trust in the past decade and change, and so the first thing that will come to the minds of many if they attempt to properly secure the OS (breaking legacy compatibility in the process) is the possibility that they're aiming to lock down the ecosystem, regardless of their actual intent. Threading that needle would be an extremely delicate operation that I'm not convinced they'd be able to pull off if recent PR blunders are anything to go by.
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Comment on What's a show you love that's from before your time? in ~tv
ButteredToast (edited )Link ParentSimilar here. Back in the early 90s, I caught a few episodes of TNG syndicated on one of the few TV stations that came in over the air at my house. The station aired it late (around midnight I...Similar here. Back in the early 90s, I caught a few episodes of TNG syndicated on one of the few TV stations that came in over the air at my house. The station aired it late (around midnight I think) and I was very young though, so it didn't become a staple. I saw enough for it to be somewhat familiar, so when my family rented the TNG movies later in the 90s I wasn't totally lost, but all in all I think I might've seen like 5% of the whole show when it was airing.
During the first dot-com boom in the late 90s we bought the TOS movies on VHS for cheap from some online video store that was no doubt furnishing its discounts (and free pack of microwave popcorn in each shipment) with VC money, so those served as my introduction to the original crew. By then I was old enough to properly take interest in things and became a bit obsessed, but those movies had become old by then.
Missed the boat on DS9 and Voyager entirely because we didn't have cable and the OTA channels we got never picked either up. The next Trek I'd see while it was airing was some of Enterprise, but we dropped that during the mediocre first season or two.
I made a point of filling the gaps back around 2017-2018, when I marathonned through all the treks. It was almost all enjoyable in one way or another but the 90s treks were particularly great at being great to come home from work to. They were just good TV.
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Comment on Saner macOS keybindings with skhd-zig in ~tech
ButteredToast LinkIf the Tildes poster and post author are one in the same, I offer the following clarification regarding the "App Shortcuts" section of System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts. It allows...If the Tildes poster and post author are one in the same, I offer the following clarification regarding the "App Shortcuts" section of System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts.
It allows the user to map or remap the key shortcut to any menu item in any application, even if the app in question is third-party. This is possible because nearly every application hooks the system-owned global menubar, contrasted to Windows and Linux where there are more ways to implement (or in the case of most GTK apps, not implement) a menubar as there are stars in the sky and thus there is no universal hook.
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Comment on 1Password wades into a right-wing mess after funding a Linux project in ~tech
ButteredToast LinkThey also just announced that they're killing sync support for 1Password 7, which is the last version that resembled AgileBits' handcrafted indie Mac app roots. With v8 they went all in on a new...They also just announced that they're killing sync support for 1Password 7, which is the last version that resembled AgileBits' handcrafted indie Mac app roots. With v8 they went all in on a new bloated, buggy Electron client with an enterprise slop look and feel that fits in better with the likes of Salesforce and JIRA.
So disappointing. I've switched to Bitwarden for now, but am aware of concerns with it too, and its UI isn't as nice as that of 1Password 7.
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Comment on 1Password wades into a right-wing mess after funding a Linux project in ~tech
ButteredToast (edited )Link ParentLast I looked at Keypass, it had an issue with something of a perpetual game of musical chairs going on with its clients, with the current "preferred" option that is maintained and secure...Last I looked at Keypass, it had an issue with something of a perpetual game of musical chairs going on with its clients, with the current "preferred" option that is maintained and secure periodically rotating, with some platforms being worse than others. Has that settled down yet?
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Comment on What are your current pain points with Linux? in ~tech
ButteredToast Link ParentI think as long as you set aside hardware caveats (poorly supported hardware will torpedo anybody's experience), the group that desktop Linux is actually weakest for are people sitting in the...I think as long as you set aside hardware caveats (poorly supported hardware will torpedo anybody's experience), the group that desktop Linux is actually weakest for are people sitting in the middle in terms of technical capability.
It's great for basic use (email, YouTube, editing docs, etc) and it's great for people who live in terminals and can write code in their sleep, but it's likely to be frustrating for people who are just technical enough to get themselves into trouble or are capable enough but just don't have the patience to sort out the problems they encounter.
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Comment on What are your current pain points with Linux? in ~tech
ButteredToast Link ParentI share your frustration with IMAP mail clients. Thunderbird may be the strongest contender but I've never really liked it much; it's somehow always felt clunky even relative to behemoths like MS...I share your frustration with IMAP mail clients. Thunderbird may be the strongest contender but I've never really liked it much; it's somehow always felt clunky even relative to behemoths like MS Outlook (the old native Office app, not the newer electron monstrosity) which is really weird, because contemporary Firefox felt comparatively light and snappy.
My personal needs aren't crazy, I really just want OS X Mail.app (minus some more recent UI degradations) except on Linux, but no such thing exists. Geary was looking promising for a bit, but development stagnated before it could mature.
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Comment on What are your current pain points with Linux? in ~tech
ButteredToast Link ParentYep, many times over the years. There are ways it’s more Mac-like than KDE, but for someone deeply familiar with macOS the resemblance is skin-deep. When you start digging in there are more...Yep, many times over the years. There are ways it’s more Mac-like than KDE, but for someone deeply familiar with macOS the resemblance is skin-deep. When you start digging in there are more differences than similarities.
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Comment on What are your current pain points with Linux? in ~tech
ButteredToast LinkI’ve been dabbling in Linux for a long time, starting in 2000-2005 with Yellow Dog Linux (Red Hat for PowerPC) and Ubuntu. In the early 10s I had a short stint where I daily drove a few distros...I’ve been dabbling in Linux for a long time, starting in 2000-2005 with Yellow Dog Linux (Red Hat for PowerPC) and Ubuntu. In the early 10s I had a short stint where I daily drove a few distros including Mint, Crunchbang, and Sabayon. Currently I have a secondary laptop that runs Fedora, a home NAS/server running Mint, and a secondary Fedora partition on the gaming tower plus a Steam Deck running SteamOS.
It’s never stuck as my main OS because it’s always had a degree of awkwardness of some sort or another that shifts around depending on what distro and DE/WM/etc I’m using that is difficult to get past. Stuff like things that’d have a System Settings prefpane in macOS requiring packages that aren’t installed and upon attempting to install them, throwing errors or having clunky, error-prone setup UX.
That’s why as far as desktop use is concerned, I use Linux only in a secondary role. Basically as long as whatever I do works within the confines of a default install, the experience is great, but the more I stray from standard the hairier it becomes.
It also annoys me that there is no Mac paradigm desktop environment. The best that can be achieved is a half-functional facsimile by enabling the global menubar in a KDE install and tweaking a few settings, but tons of details are wrong and can’t be fixed without forking the project and something like half or two-thirds of apps won’t populate the global menubar.
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Comment on What are your current pain points with Linux? in ~tech
ButteredToast Link ParentThere’s also a surprising number of things that depending on your distro/DE/etc, there isn’t a UI (or good UI) for configuration and you’re pointed at arcane CLI incantations (which unlike in the...There’s also a surprising number of things that depending on your distro/DE/etc, there isn’t a UI (or good UI) for configuration and you’re pointed at arcane CLI incantations (which unlike in the BSD world, are wildly inconsistent and share no conventions) or editing a config file buried somewhere.
Unironically, I wish I could quit my job and just tinker on my own DE (or maybe even a whole distro) day in and day out because I find current options have lots of little blind spots like this that are obvious to longtime commercial platform users but don’t even register as a potential problem to *nix vets.
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Comment on Compact phone in the works for the fans of small phones in ~tech
ButteredToast (edited )Link ParentSoftware is one factor, but another major (potentially bigger) one is SoC efficiency which is one area where Apple tends to do well relative to competitors. Even if the software is doing its best...Software is one factor, but another major (potentially bigger) one is SoC efficiency which is one area where Apple tends to do well relative to competitors. Even if the software is doing its best to be resource-conscious and keep the hardware in an idle/low-power state, that can be undermined by the SoC if it isn't very efficient.
EDIT: Also, it’s somewhat counterintuitive, but power efficiency isn’t necessarily the only spec that should get attention if long battery life is the goal. An efficient but slow SoC can lose to a less efficient but notably faster SoC because while the former is still spinning its wheels trying to finish the task it’s been given, the latter has already finished and returned to idle.
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Comment on Tokyo, yeast, and expectations in ~travel
ButteredToast LinkSorry you had a bad time. I think the specific parts of Tokyo involved probably make a big difference. I'm not a parent, but my observations from having lived in Tokyo+Yokohama for a couple of...Sorry you had a bad time. I think the specific parts of Tokyo involved probably make a big difference.
I'm not a parent, but my observations from having lived in Tokyo+Yokohama for a couple of years and having visited many times since is that toddlers are seen much more in residential areas. For example, the mini-park next to my friend's apartment has young kids in it for the better part of any day that it's not raining. My visits tend more toward walking in a random direction and seeing what turns up than hitting hotspots, though.
As far as strollers go, I don't recall seeing a lot of them. They show up, but it's more common to see kids strapped to their parents (younger end) or riding with them on a bicycle (older end), likely due to the issues you faced.
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Comment on Why does Opera GX rarely come up in browser discussions? in ~tech
ButteredToast Link ParentIf I may chime in, I personally like some Firefox forks (mainly Zen) over Firefox primarily because I've been unenthused with Mozilla's UI/UX choices for a long time… since whenever it was they...If I may chime in, I personally like some Firefox forks (mainly Zen) over Firefox primarily because I've been unenthused with Mozilla's UI/UX choices for a long time… since whenever it was they started aping Chrome with their UI design and threw in the towel on platform-tailored themes.
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Comment on What are your gaming idiosyncracies? in ~games
ButteredToast LinkNot sure if it counts, but it really bugs me when games don't let my player character jump, even if that ability has no practical function. It just feels… stifling somehow and takes me out of it a...Not sure if it counts, but it really bugs me when games don't let my player character jump, even if that ability has no practical function. It just feels… stifling somehow and takes me out of it a bit. Why? Who knows. It's not as if people jump often in real life.
Other than that I don't mind challenge-style play in games as long as it's solo. It doesn't bother me to dust myself off and try again when it's just my own time that's been spent, but as soon as other people are involved pressure ramps and the bottom falls out of my enjoyment. So for example, in WoW modes like Mage Tower (Legion), Horrific Visions (BfA), and Delves (last couple of xpacs) are all cool, but M+ dungeons past like +5 or something are just not my cup of tea. It's no fun when failure and self-improvement means dragging your teammates down.
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Comment on Lifetime Plex Pass will cost $750 USD after July 1st in ~tv
ButteredToast Link ParentI'm kinda behind in that I don't use docker or similar and just install packages directly. The closest would be jails if I'm using FreeBSD. Language factors in here because a C# runtime is...I'm kinda behind in that I don't use docker or similar and just install packages directly. The closest would be jails if I'm using FreeBSD.
Language factors in here because a C# runtime is required, which was what was causing me problems back then.
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Comment on Lifetime Plex Pass will cost $750 USD after July 1st in ~tv
ButteredToast Link ParentIt's been a long time since I last tried, but one reason for me is that Jellyfin being written in C# made setup a pain. Not that Plex is perfect there either, its Python bits tend to crap out from...It's been a long time since I last tried, but one reason for me is that Jellyfin being written in C# made setup a pain. Not that Plex is perfect there either, its Python bits tend to crap out from time to time.
I kinda wonder why there aren't Plex/Jellyfin type projects that are nice neat self-contained binaries written in Go or Rust or something. Those are usually options for most other self-hosted server packages, but not media servers.
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Comment on Control Ultimate Edition released for iOS and iPadOS in ~games
ButteredToast LinkThe kind of power on offer with modern midrange to flagship mobile SoCs these days is wild. Not so long ago the idea of running any AAA game, even those several years old, on a phone or tablet was...The kind of power on offer with modern midrange to flagship mobile SoCs these days is wild. Not so long ago the idea of running any AAA game, even those several years old, on a phone or tablet was unthinkable unless graphics had been severely degraded.
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Comment on Framework reveals 13 Pro laptop with 20-hour battery in ~tech
ButteredToast LinkThis makes Framework a much more attractive option for me. Battery life is one of the biggest advantages of MacBooks compared to everything else and it's difficult to imagine spending this kind of...This makes Framework a much more attractive option for me. Battery life is one of the biggest advantages of MacBooks compared to everything else and it's difficult to imagine spending this kind of money on a machine that doesn't have it. It's just too core to what makes a laptop a good laptop, in my opinion at least — if battery life is unavoidably poor I may as well go the route of an SFF PC which will have similar or better power and more capable/more quiet cooling for a marginally larger footprint.
It remains to be seen how well it fares in real life usage though, particularly under Linux. They also claim improved standby time which I hope is true because it's really annoying (and in the long term, bad for the environment) to have to recharge your laptop 2-3x more often due to sleep drain.
$50k is still up there, but within reach of many with some stretching. A lot of folks in the US spend more than that for vehicles and such, and potential cancer eradication is worth so much more than a big truck.
And it'll only get cheaper from here. Incredible.