Eric_the_Cerise's recent activity
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Comment on Android emulators to actually use mobile apps in day-to-day life? in ~tech
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Comment on Android emulators to actually use mobile apps in day-to-day life? in ~tech
Eric_the_Cerise Link ParentI've actually used Android Studio in the past for actual development -- pretty minimal experience, but not a noob. I think I still have a VM lying around on a HDD somewhere, explicitly dedicated...I've actually used Android Studio in the past for actual development -- pretty minimal experience, but not a noob. I think I still have a VM lying around on a HDD somewhere, explicitly dedicated to Android development.
It just never entered my head to try it for this use-case before.
Now, I'm thinking of things like SIM cards, accelerometers, GPS detection ... IDK, whatever-all-else phones generally have built into them that laptops generally do not ... and what happens in an emulator to fake those sensors and etc, and how might that screw up legitimate app functionality.
I expect, eg, my pedometer will have to stay on the real phone.
OTOH, though, my primary banking app is one of my prime targets to get to work on a laptop. It kinda infuriates me that I cannot do my banking on my computer.
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Android emulators to actually use mobile apps in day-to-day life?
My understanding is that Android emulators primarily exist for mobile development and app testing and such-like, and maybe secondarily, to play mobile games. I want to explore the possibility of...
My understanding is that Android emulators primarily exist for mobile development and app testing and such-like, and maybe secondarily, to play mobile games.
I want to explore the possibility of using them as a, basically, full-time replacement for installing apps on my phone. More and more apps and services have no "desktop/laptop" version, and no website version. Installing the app on your phone is starting to become a non-negotiable requirement ... one that I'd like to find a work-around to.
So, yeah ... I guess that's the question. Is this a 'thing'? Has anyone experimented with--or flat-out used--an emulator on a desktop/laptop to run their banking app and the like? Is this even possible? Can you connect an emulator to an app-store and just start downloading/installing stuff?
Thanks.
16 votes -
Comment on SpaceX's Starship completes successful test flight after a year of mishaps in ~space
Eric_the_Cerise Link ParentSpaceX has actually had fully autonomous driving capability for several years now. Perhaps you are confusing them with some other company?SpaceX has actually had fully autonomous driving capability for several years now. Perhaps you are confusing them with some other company?
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Comment on Vivaldi takes a stand: keep browsing human in ~tech
Eric_the_Cerise Link ParentVivaldi is primarily my dedicated RSS/news browser. It helps me keep the news segregated from the work. In that capacity, I honestly haven't run into a single UI bug. I do have an issue with, I...Vivaldi is primarily my dedicated RSS/news browser. It helps me keep the news segregated from the work.
In that capacity, I honestly haven't run into a single UI bug.
I do have an issue with, I guess, UX? They have got a lot of features and extras built into the browser, and finding them is always very unintuitive for me. I end up opening 3-4 different "settings" and "options" menus, slowly hovering my way down a long trail of icons to read what each one actually is, and still–often enough–being forced to search online to find the thing I want.
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Comment on SpaceX's Starship completes successful test flight after a year of mishaps in ~space
Eric_the_Cerise Link ParentI don't think this is Musk. When he spouts off on his Twitter feed, that's one thing. This is SpaceX official plans, which means Gwynne is at least not actively vetoing the timeline.I don't think this is Musk. When he spouts off on his Twitter feed, that's one thing. This is SpaceX official plans, which means Gwynne is at least not actively vetoing the timeline.
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Comment on SpaceX's Starship completes successful test flight after a year of mishaps in ~space
Eric_the_Cerise LinkThey sure were selling Starlink hard in this livestream -- more than usual, I think. That aside, this thing is just an epic machine that they've built, never gets old watching it fly ... watching...They sure were selling Starlink hard in this livestream -- more than usual, I think.
That aside, this thing is just an epic machine that they've built, never gets old watching it fly ... watching rockets the size of Montana flying backwards ... watching Starship fly halfway around the world, survive a brutal re-entry, and then land 100m from the camera where they expected it to land, etc.
Still, my biggest takeaway from the live feed ... they are seriously planning on launching multiple Starships to Mars next year already -- no mission beyond "can we get there and what happens if we try to land", but still. Then, they're still aiming for a second fleet in the 2028 launch window to actually land with a bunch of "real Mars colony" gear and robots and stuff, and try to prepare an area for manned landings in the 2031 window.
Until they can fully refuel one of these things in orbit, it's still just a pipe dream ... but even a somewhat more realistic timeline has them potentially landing humans on Mars by the mid-2030s.
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Comment on Donald Trump administration issues stop-work order for US offshore wind project in ~enviro
Eric_the_Cerise Link ParentYeah, agreed ... it's not in international waters -- something in the article made me think it was. So, practically speaking, it's a moot point. But technically? Just wondering ... these projects...Yeah, agreed ... it's not in international waters -- something in the article made me think it was.
So, practically speaking, it's a moot point.
But technically? Just wondering ... these projects are fundamentally designed to include a few dozen miles of buried submarine high-power lines to get the energy from the farm to the shores.
Is there any fundamental limit on range here? Could they lay 300 mi up along the coast to Canada?
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Comment on Donald Trump administration issues stop-work order for US offshore wind project in ~enviro
Eric_the_Cerise Link ParentIDK enough about the legalities of this, but I assume this is something the Feds would have to sign off on. The states don't get to unilaterally decide what happens in US coastal waters, just...IDK enough about the legalities of this, but I assume this is something the Feds would have to sign off on. The states don't get to unilaterally decide what happens in US coastal waters, just because it's near their coast ... otherwise, that first wind farm might have already started exploring that option.
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Comment on Donald Trump administration issues stop-work order for US offshore wind project in ~enviro
Eric_the_Cerise LinkThis is the 2nd such major offshore wind project, of 5 that are currently in development. It is 80% complete. The first one (Empire Wind) was stopped back in April, but apparently, it's now back...This is the 2nd such major offshore wind project, of 5 that are currently in development. It is 80% complete. The first one (Empire Wind) was stopped back in April, but apparently, it's now back on, after a lot of negotiations with the Trump Admin.
This one (Revolution Wind) is located off the coast of Rhode Island ... and also ... entirely in international waters. Which brings up an interesting idea. Probably untenable, so let's just call it a thought experiment.
Presumably, the stop-work order can only really apply to the "connecting it to RI" part of the project. So ... hypothetically -- asking Tildes users with more knowledge on the subject -- would it be A) technically possible at all, and then B) practically feasible ... for this (Danish) company to just finish the wind farm, and then lay a couple hundred miles of submarine high-power line to Canada, and sell the energy to them?
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Donald Trump administration issues stop-work order for US offshore wind project
29 votes -
Comment on A Ukrainian startup develops long-range drones and missiles to take the battle to Russia in ~engineering
Eric_the_Cerise LinkWow. I know this is happening; I have always known that Ukraine is innovating and developing their own weapons systems at a breakneck pace. They have to. And yet, day-to-day, I forget about this....Wow.
I know this is happening; I have always known that Ukraine is innovating and developing their own weapons systems at a breakneck pace. They have to.
And yet, day-to-day, I forget about this. And even when I think I remember it, articles like this remind me that I don't know the half of it.
Nothing the EU gives Ukraine today is charity.
The day this war ends, Ukraine is going to become the preeminent supplier of the best aerial weapons systems on Earth, and the EU is gonna be their favorite customer.
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Comment on Google has released data on how much energy an AI prompt uses in ~enviro
Eric_the_Cerise Link ParentExcept image generation wasn't measured separately; it wasn't measured at all, or – much more likely – it was measured, but not reported. Which, ultimately, this is Google self-reporting. They are...Except image generation wasn't measured separately; it wasn't measured at all, or – much more likely – it was measured, but not reported.
Which, ultimately, this is Google self-reporting. They are under no requirement to be complete, or accurate, or even honest, for that matter. We actually have very little chance of confirming or refuting the numbers they have published, and even if they are caught lying about the numbers, they face no consequences.
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Comment on Google has released data on how much energy an AI prompt uses in ~enviro
Eric_the_Cerise Link ParentFor the Bill Gates case, mean is misleading. But for this Google case, I think median is misleading. It understates what people would instinctively assume is the "average" energy use. That was...For the Bill Gates case, mean is misleading. But for this Google case, I think median is misleading. It understates what people would instinctively assume is the "average" energy use.
That was already my impression before I saw that they explicitly excluded image-generation and other inherently higher-energy queries.
I mean, if one AI picture costs the energy of 10,000 AI text replies, so to speak....
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Comment on Google has released data on how much energy an AI prompt uses in ~enviro
Eric_the_Cerise LinkJust at a glance, I already feel like this is an(other) instance of lying with statistics ... For this data, the mean would be much more illuminating–and more damning– than the median.Just at a glance, I already feel like this is an(other) instance of lying with statistics ... For this data, the mean would be much more illuminating–and more damning– than the median.
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Comment on Share a book you're feeling enthused about in ~books
Eric_the_Cerise LinkA childhood favorite that holds up for adults, that I still love. I go back and reread it every few years. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert O'Brian It's nominally just a children's...A childhood favorite that holds up for adults, that I still love. I go back and reread it every few years.
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, by Robert O'Brian
It's nominally just a children's story about slightly anthropomorphized animals trying to get by, but it actually has some hard sci-fi at its core, originially inspired by the Calhoun experiments on rodent behavior when over-populated.
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Comment on McDonald’s is cutting prices of its combo meals to convince customers it’s affordable again in ~food
Eric_the_Cerise Link ParentMy guess is, combos were a good value for the first 2-3 years after whichever Fast Food place invented the concept, until people got into the habit of ordering combos (and don't forget to...My guess is, combos were a good value for the first 2-3 years after whichever Fast Food place invented the concept, until people got into the habit of ordering combos (and don't forget to supersize it).
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Comment on Building ultra cheap energy storage for solar PV in ~engineering
Eric_the_Cerise LinkThis is nuts. I'm amazed that this actually works efficiently enough to be useful. It's like man-made geothermal energy.This is nuts. I'm amazed that this actually works efficiently enough to be useful.
It's like man-made geothermal energy.
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Comment on Do you share your location with your friends? in ~tech
Eric_the_Cerise LinkI have two issues with this idea. A) I have an issue with the word "permanent". For close friends and family, I could easily be convinced to share my location occasionally, or even most of the...I have two issues with this idea.
A) I have an issue with the word "permanent". For close friends and family, I could easily be convinced to share my location occasionally, or even most of the time. But there are gonna be times when I want to turn that off.
However,
B) I have absolutely zero confidence in any current "location sharing" technology, to be able to share my location with only the people I intend to, and not 18M corporate sponsors and partners and govt agencies and etc. At this stage in my life, I do not trust my own router to know my location.
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Comment on None of this is real and it doesn’t matter in ~tech
Eric_the_Cerise Link Parent"The most amazing thing is ... I get paid ... for doing THIS." -- Steve Martin, circa 1975-ish."The most amazing thing is ... I get paid ... for doing THIS."
-- Steve Martin, circa 1975-ish.
Well ... of course they have a website. That's not the same thing as being able to log in and do your banking online.
Actually, though, I may owe my bank an apology. It looks like they recently added (non-mobile) web-based banking ... I think. There's a login, anyway.
Still, I have other apps with no web-based equivalent, that I would like to get off of my phone.