IsildursBane's recent activity
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Comment on Travel essentials: eight items to pack for your next trip – and what to leave at home in ~travel
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Comment on Timasomo 2025: Week 1 Updates in ~creative.timasomo
IsildursBane LinkWorking on getting my audio player truly portable. Most of this week has been spent trying to get the settings screen to display properly. I am starting to figure out a good process for running...Working on getting my audio player truly portable. Most of this week has been spent trying to get the settings screen to display properly. I am starting to figure out a good process for running the code that is still in development, but I could refine it more. It might be worthwhile to create a dev environment that uses a keyboard to emulate the clickwheel, so that I can run a second Pi purely for dev. I am starting to understand a bit more how the GUI is programmed on the tkinter app, but I have hit a wall so I should probably just read some documentation on tkinter frames, as trying to just copy and modify existing frames has not been working. Once I get the frontend working, I will then need to tackle the backend, which has some fun issues I need to sort of having the python program run sudo commands in Linux (Raspian Lite).
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Comment on Indecision: Get a camera despite having a phone in ~tech
IsildursBane Link ParentI am using a similar list of devices as well. I plan on in the near future doing a longer write up here on Tildes about this approach, but still working on the music player before I do that.I am using a similar list of devices as well. I plan on in the near future doing a longer write up here on Tildes about this approach, but still working on the music player before I do that.
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Comment on Indecision: Get a camera despite having a phone in ~tech
IsildursBane Link ParentAnother thing I remembered that I forgot to add in, is that the more you use a dedicated camera the smoother the experience is. I never read the manual for my camera, so I slowly discovered...Another thing I remembered that I forgot to add in, is that the more you use a dedicated camera the smoother the experience is. I never read the manual for my camera, so I slowly discovered features as I used it more. Changing settings is really quick for me, because I know which buttons I need to press without looking. I did not realize for the longest time that at the bottom of my viewfinder there is a display with settings and an exposure meter. These are things you learn through using your camera over time, but make using the camera a smoother experience over time. Whereas with smartphones, while there are settings, there are not physical button combinations to memorize to make a smoother experience.
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Comment on Indecision: Get a camera despite having a phone in ~tech
IsildursBane LinkSo I have a dedicated camera (hobbyist level) and so have a few thoughts. As others have mentioned, the form factor of a camera over a phone lends itself to a much better experience. For certain...So I have a dedicated camera (hobbyist level) and so have a few thoughts.
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As others have mentioned, the form factor of a camera over a phone lends itself to a much better experience.
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For certain activities, I really enjoy the process of leaving my phone behind and only taking my camera. There are times when I carry my camera around and hardly use it. That is just part of the experience, and you have to get used to that. However, I also have some beautiful photos that I want to eventually frame some of my photos to display on my wall above my desk. I very rarely got photos like that with my phone (and one photo in particular that I quite like taken on my phone, is too low of a quality to frame).
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I do not always carry my phone on me, nor do I always carry my camera on me, sometimes I have neither. I have never been in a situation where I want my phone but do not have it, but I have been in situations where I want my camera but do not have it.
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For me, phone pictures are never artistic and purely functional (I need to take a picture of a screen, when doing IT work kind of thing).
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Carrying around a camera prompts me to look for pictures more. Since I use a DSLR, I can just pop off my lens cap (if I even have it on) and look through the viewfinder and see if it frames nicely before even deciding if I am going to turn my camera on. I have found that a phone never really prompts me to think "would that make a nice picture?" but my camera prompts me to investigate if something would make a good picture or not.
In general, I push back against the concept of the smartphone as the do it all device, and have moved towards a mentality of using dedicated devices. When you engage with a dedicated device, it is always a nicer experience, but you have to make peace with either carrying around more things or occasionally regretting that you do not have that dedicated device with you when you need it (or probably a mixture of both). A dedicated camera falls into this, where you may enjoy using the camera over your phone, but there are trade offs and that is something you have to think if you are willing to do.
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Comment on Indecision: Get a camera despite having a phone in ~tech
IsildursBane Link ParentA better option than to not shoot RAW, is shoot both RAW and JPG. For most pictures, you can use the JPGs, but for the really nice shots, you can edit the RAW and make it much better.A better option than to not shoot RAW, is shoot both RAW and JPG. For most pictures, you can use the JPGs, but for the really nice shots, you can edit the RAW and make it much better.
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Comment on 2025 NFL Season 🏈 Weekly Discussion Thread – Week 5 in ~sports.american_football
IsildursBane Link Parentended up just catching the final quarter right as the Broncos started their comeback. What an absolute mess the Eagles were on both offence and defence, considering they couldn't stop the Broncos...I wasn’t expecting the Broncos to beat the Eagles, and I don’t think really anyone else was. A crazy 4th quarter in that game.
ended up just catching the final quarter right as the Broncos started their comeback. What an absolute mess the Eagles were on both offence and defence, considering they couldn't stop the Broncos or move the ball any. I remember a stat popping up at some point near the end, and rushing yards for the quarter was something like 150 yards for Broncos, 15 for the Eagles.
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Comment on Way past its prime: how did Amazon get so rubbish? in ~tech
IsildursBane LinkReally well written article about the enpoopening1 of Amazon. I think these are really solid solutions, and it would be nice if there were laws passed to enforce them. However, it also prevents...Really well written article about the enpoopening1 of Amazon.
Take Amazon: to fix Amazon, we need policy solutions. We need to ban predatory pricing – selling goods below cost to keep competitors out of the market (and then jacking them up again). We need to impose structural separation on the company so it can either be a platform, or compete with the sellers that rely on it as a platform.
I think these are really solid solutions, and it would be nice if there were laws passed to enforce them. However, it also prevents meaningful disrupters who run at a deficit temporarily to gain a customer base. However, is it a good idea for companies to run at a loss to begin, as that leads to stage two and three where the customers are squeezed to make back the money that was lost initially?
Martin Luther King Jr once said, “It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can stop him from lynching me, and I think that’s pretty important, also.”
I just quite like this quote that was used in this article, so want to highlight it.
1 The term "enpoopening" I picked up from the dankpods YouTube channel, and I prefer it over enshitification since it is more fun
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Comment on I need headphone/mic recommendations for gaming before I rip my hair out in ~tech
IsildursBane Link ParentI did not realize that games were commonly doing processing to create a surround sound like effect, unless you are meaning just using good stereo imaging. My comment was more meant to stress that...I did not realize that games were commonly doing processing to create a surround sound like effect, unless you are meaning just using good stereo imaging. My comment was more meant to stress that some of the positional feeling that Trobador experiences is not due to the virtual surround of their headphones, but instead just stereo imaging which all headphones have.
One area that stereo imaging fails is as I alluded to, but did not fully flesh out is that this stereo effect really only has 180 degree coverage. You can tell when a sound comes from the side or in front of you, and with volume can figure out how far away it is. However, there is no solution to differentiate sound from right in front and right behind you. Also, this 180 degree coverage does not cover height, and it can not differentiate if someone is 20ft in front of you and at the same height, or 20ft in front of you and 20ft below. Headphones just do not have the physical space to add speakers to emulate a 5 point (or higher) surround system, but any pair of headphones can get pretty far on positional data with just stereo imaging.
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Comment on Taylor Swift – Eldest Daughter (2025) in ~music
IsildursBane Link ParentFair, I just really love the vocal blending of Swift and Vernon in Exile, and was not thinking of the best representation of Folklore. Cardigan is probably in the top songs of Folklore when you...Fair, I just really love the vocal blending of Swift and Vernon in Exile, and was not thinking of the best representation of Folklore. Cardigan is probably in the top songs of Folklore when you consider only doing songs without guest artists, although I quite like the drum machine and electric guitar in peace that makes it a fun vibe and worth recommending (although it is not a strong representative sample).
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Comment on I need headphone/mic recommendations for gaming before I rip my hair out in ~tech
IsildursBane Link ParentYeah, definitely it has earned its reputation, and it is a beautiful sounding mic. However, part of my gripe against it is there was a podcast I enjoyed where they were using them, but I could...Yeah, definitely it has earned its reputation, and it is a beautiful sounding mic. However, part of my gripe against it is there was a podcast I enjoyed where they were using them, but I could tell that they were moving around in their seats lots since the volume was all over the place. It is a fantastic mic when placement is good, but for people who vary their mic distance a lot, going with a condenser will probably be better.
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Comment on I need headphone/mic recommendations for gaming before I rip my hair out in ~tech
IsildursBane Link ParentWell with headphones, you can get stereo imaging, so you can discern if something is on your left/right or in the middle pretty easily, but all headphones do that. Some surround system headphones...Well with headphones, you can get stereo imaging, so you can discern if something is on your left/right or in the middle pretty easily, but all headphones do that. Some surround system headphones try to recreate being able to tell if something is behind you, but there is a limitation of physical space between your ear and the speaker to create that convincingly, whereas with a surround speaker system there is the physical space where that works.
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Comment on Taylor Swift – Eldest Daughter (2025) in ~music
IsildursBane Link ParentSuggesting Folklore and not going with Exile? Bold move IMOSuggesting Folklore and not going with Exile? Bold move IMO
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Comment on I need headphone/mic recommendations for gaming before I rip my hair out in ~tech
IsildursBane Link ParentYeah, I knew the podmic was similarly priced to the AT2020 and sm58. As an aside, the Shure SM7b is a fantastic mic, but also not the perfect mic for all situations. I think it has kind of become...Yeah, I knew the podmic was similarly priced to the AT2020 and sm58. As an aside, the Shure SM7b is a fantastic mic, but also not the perfect mic for all situations. I think it has kind of become the mic that content creators gravitate towards to signal that they have "made it." I think people have been sleeping on Electrovoice with the Variable-D on their mics, which is really nice in certain circumstances.
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Comment on I need headphone/mic recommendations for gaming before I rip my hair out in ~tech
IsildursBane Link ParentI did not realize, but am not surprised there is a USB version of the AT2020, as I only have the XLR version (well technically I have the AT2020v, but the only difference is that it is silver not...I did not realize, but am not surprised there is a USB version of the AT2020, as I only have the XLR version (well technically I have the AT2020v, but the only difference is that it is silver not black). Having a USB version would make sense for most people though, which makes it probably a better fit for Trobador. Also, with Trobador showing interest in music production, the AT2020 is a great mic, I have used mine on vocals, acoustic guitar, and grand piano.
I have not personally used the Rode Podmic, but I know a friend who bought it for his gaming mic, and he knows audio really well and has a good mic collection so probably a really solid mic if he went out and bought it.
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Comment on I need headphone/mic recommendations for gaming before I rip my hair out in ~tech
IsildursBane Link ParentGreat mic, and I personally use it for gaming myself as well sometimes. However, I do think depending on mic placement, that a dynamic mic sounds better for gaming like the Shure sm58 or Rode...Audiotechnica AT2020 for the mic.
Great mic, and I personally use it for gaming myself as well sometimes. However, I do think depending on mic placement, that a dynamic mic sounds better for gaming like the Shure sm58 or Rode Podmic. If you are wanting a condenser though, another option that is a bit cheaper is the Samson C01. Although, with all of these options (including the AT2020), they are XLR so would require an audio interface bumping up the price
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Comment on I need headphone/mic recommendations for gaming before I rip my hair out in ~tech
IsildursBane Link ParentSo going with higher ohms makes it harder to drive, and needs a stronger signal to get the same amount of volume. Normally, studio grade headphones tend to gravitate towards higher ohms, so that...By the way... ohms? What does this resistance refer to? Why does it matter?
So going with higher ohms makes it harder to drive, and needs a stronger signal to get the same amount of volume. Normally, studio grade headphones tend to gravitate towards higher ohms, so that you get less electrical noise. If your headphone jack has some electrical noise, odds are that the noise is being outputted as a weak signal. The logic with higher ohms is that the electrical background noise is too weak of a signal for headphones with high ohms, so it cannot be heard
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Comment on What are some of your routines or habits? in ~life
IsildursBane Link ParentSo my morning and evening meds are an inhaler, so a solution like that is just unfeasible. One of the flaws in my water system is I occasionally leave it on the dresser as I am getting ready for...So my morning and evening meds are an inhaler, so a solution like that is just unfeasible. One of the flaws in my water system is I occasionally leave it on the dresser as I am getting ready for bed and notice it is still there once I am in bed. Luckily, normally my wife is not in bed yet so I just get her to pass it to me since she understands my system
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Comment on What are some of your routines or habits? in ~life
IsildursBane LinkGot a few very minor ones: I keep my water on my night table overnight, but my morning meds on my dresser. When I take my meds, my water gets moved, providing a visual indicator that I took them...Got a few very minor ones:
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I keep my water on my night table overnight, but my morning meds on my dresser. When I take my meds, my water gets moved, providing a visual indicator that I took them in the morning.
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I have meds that I need to take in the morning and evening. The physical reminder is that I put my watch on/off when I take those meds.
Both of these habits have stopped me from guessing if I took my meds or not, as I look at the physical reminder
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Comment on Timasomo 2025: Roll Call in ~creative.timasomo
IsildursBane LinkAs stated, I will try and get my audio player project into a fully portable status. Here are the tasks I need to complete, with an explanation of current status: Redesign the case to fix the...As stated, I will try and get my audio player project into a fully portable status. Here are the tasks I need to complete, with an explanation of current status:
- Redesign the case to fix the issues with the current one. I have not started this task yet, but it should take less than a day to do.
- Finish knitting the pair of socks I started that are a thank you gift to my friend 3D printing the case. I am getting close to finishing the ankle of the second sock, and soon about to start the heel flap.
- Code the capability to connect to new WiFi networks, enabling it to fully portable. I have been fiddling with this for about the past week. I have started to understand how to code the various pages, so am slowly making progress on this one. I do have an issue of having to make my python script run commands as sudo, and have not figured a preferred solution for that one yet.
- Fix the bug that is leading to Openbox not launching my program 100% of the time. I have not even taken a look at this beyond preliminary Google search, but odds are that to start on this I will need to enable logging and then look at the results of those to help me figure out the culprit.
- Authenticate Raspotify, which will hopefully solve the issue of having to start playback from a second device. I started digging into this issue last night, and seems like I will need to use OAuth, but that should be easy since my frontend is also running OAuth so I should be able to just copy and paste that file.
Relatively niche, but I tend to pack all my small electronics in a microphone pouch.1 So I throw in my PSP, maybe a spare second game, charger for my PSP, earbuds, and phone charger. Then I just have this pouch that I can reach for to grab my electronics while travelling. The mic pouch I use also has a thin amount of foam padding on the inside, which is uncommon for mic pouches but is a nice added feature. You could use any small pouch, but I have found that having a small zippered pouch for tech just helps keep things contained.
1 For those who are unfamiliar, a mic pouch is a pouch that you normally get when buying a new mic, that normally measures roughly 10"x5", with a single zipper on the long edge. They are normally just two flat pieces of fabric sewn together, so you lose length and width as you put in more objects. They are normally a pleather material, but I have occasionally seen other materials.