JCAPER's recent activity
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Comment on HADES II Early Access has started in ~games
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Comment on Any tips for Barcelona and Lisbon in June/July? in ~travel
JCAPER Link ParentGreat write up, I’m portuguese and I feel you did a good job 👍 Just want to add a few things: most portuguese, especially younger generations, understand english, even outside of the cities and...Great write up, I’m portuguese and I feel you did a good job 👍
Just want to add a few things:
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most portuguese, especially younger generations, understand english, even outside of the cities and tourist attractions. Bring google translator just in case anyway, but you’ll do fine most of the time.
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if you go to Porto, you owe it to yourself trying out a Francesinha. The Wikipedia photo doesn’t do it justice, so I recommend browsing through more images to truly appreciate its allure. While Lisbon offers its versions, Porto is the undisputed heartland of the Francesinha.
Just a heads up:
- recently there have been some tensions with foreigners, or more specifically, digital nomads. You may find graffitis saying things like “foreigners go home!” in Lisbon. But they’re directed to digital nomads and the like, not to tourists. Unfortunately it has to do with how they have more capital to spend and invest, so houses, groceries, services, etc get more and more expensive. The locals can’t compete and are forced to move out of the city.
But again, these tensions are more with digital nomads, they’re not with tourists. Our country is reliant on tourism, so thank you for coming and stimulating our economy :P
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VR gaming is reawakening my enthusiasm for games
If you're me, you would be someone who would be mildly interested in VR for almost 8 years but never actually managed fork over the money to get a headset. Maybe because you couldn't or because...
If you're me, you would be someone who would be mildly interested in VR for almost 8 years but never actually managed fork over the money to get a headset. Maybe because you couldn't or because you were afraid to spend so much money on something you don't even know if it would give you motion sickness.
Last week, I decided that now is the time. I've looked over several devices, like Valve Index, Pico 4, Meta Quest 2 and 3. But my mind was kinda made up, I knew that I would either go for Valve Index or Meta Quest 3. I picked up MQ3.
The thing arrived on saturday morning. Time to play some games.
I boot up my desktop and install Steam VR, time to play Half Life Alyx... Cards on the table: I don't consider myself a Half Life fan. Not because I disliked the games, it's just I never played them when they came out. I can see why they are fan favorites and how impressive they were at the time, but I missed the chance to be wowed by them when I played them so many years later.
But HL Alyx is fixing that.
First, being "inside" the game was new. As someone who always played games on a 2D screen, I spent way more time than I care to admit looking at different objects, rotating them, interacting with them, etc. Once that novelty wore off, I proceeded with the game.
There's a scene where someone throws you a weapon. He tells you not worry, it's not loaded... Well, except it was, and when that thing dropped on the floor, it fired, I legit got jump scared. Later, when the crab thingies jump at you, I legit panicked and started shooting hoping that I would hit them. Dark sections? Legit horror.
I... Do not remember the last time I felt any of these things. If this was a conventional game, the gun falling would at best get a chuckle from me. Crab thingies? Meh, just aim and shoot them. Dark sections? Just another gaming section.
I think I get it now. I get why so many people like VR games. It's different. Because it's more immersive, you feel more involved with what's happening. Now that I'm writing this, yeah it sounds obvious, duh, but in a VR game it feels like it's you who is inside the game, in a 2D screen it feels like you, but at the same time you also understand that it's not you, it's your character who is inside the game.
I've been also trying Job Simulator.
As far as games go, this isn't really a "game". It feels more like a fun tech demo "hey, this is what you can do with a VR". An equivalent game with conventional 2D screen and controllers wouldn't get any attention from the public, and as for me, I would turn it off after 5 or 10 minutes.
But, it was legit fun. The Gordon Ramsay Robot yelling at me to cook food just made me grab everything and throw them at his face. In the office, I would throw things over to other cubicles like an annoying kid.
It's exhilarating to rediscover the joy and immersion that gaming can offer through the lens of VR. The sense of presence and tangibility breathes new life into familiar experiences, reigniting that childlike wonder I once felt.
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Comment on Elon Musk sues OpenAI, Sam Altman for breaching firm’s founding mission in ~tech
JCAPER LinkOne of those cases where I agree with the message (headline at least), but the messenger and his possible motives rub me the wrong wayOne of those cases where I agree with the message (headline at least), but the messenger and his possible motives rub me the wrong way
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Comment on Recommendations for a grammar checker? in ~humanities.languages
JCAPER LinkAn alternative to chatGPT would be maybe using Microsoft Edge. You can access the copilot on the side bar. Else, there's also the functionality of adding any website to the sidebar, so you could...An alternative to chatGPT would be maybe using Microsoft Edge. You can access the copilot on the side bar. Else, there's also the functionality of adding any website to the sidebar, so you could add chatGPT.
Creating your own extension and using the API is also not a bad idea. GPT 3.5's API is ridicously cheap, you would struggle to spend 5 or 10 cents per month
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Comment on The old games that still hold up incredibly well in ~games
JCAPER LinkSo, here I was starting to pull a mental list of old games. And I mean games like Red Alert 2, Age of Empires 2, Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4, etc. But then it hit me. GTA V is over 10 years...So, here I was starting to pull a mental list of old games. And I mean games like Red Alert 2, Age of Empires 2, Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 4, etc. But then it hit me.
GTA V is over 10 years old.
Jesus Christ. I'm old.
So, yeah. Old game. Still holds up really well, many triple A games today do not rival it in terms of animation, smoothness, physics, etc. If someone didn't know any better, they could be fooled into thinking it was released last year.
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Comment on Steam Winter Sale 2023: Hidden gems in ~games
JCAPER Link ParentIn short, you burn things and get money, and with that money you buy more things to burn to get more money. There are different catalogs, you unlock each one when you find combos. Certain things...In short, you burn things and get money, and with that money you buy more things to burn to get more money. There are different catalogs, you unlock each one when you find combos. Certain things are "weird" and don't burn like normal (some explode, some start moving, some eject countless of poop things, etc), so It's fun to mix these up too.
But at it's core is a zen game, it awakes our pyromaniac side.
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Comment on Steam Winter Sale 2023: Hidden gems in ~games
JCAPER LinkLittle Inferno The only zen game that works for me. Beautiful graphics and works in any potato machine.The only zen game that works for me. Beautiful graphics and works in any potato machine.
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Comment on The morality of using AI-generated art in my web app in ~comp
JCAPER Link ParentThere was a recent online controversy in portuguese circles over the new official symbol of the portuguese government (top: the old one, bottom: new one)...There was a recent online controversy in portuguese circles over the new official symbol of the portuguese government (top: the old one, bottom: new one)
https://executivedigest.sapo.pt/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/gagpxoqw0aeobh-570x450.jpgThe controversy came mainly from the cost which was 74k euros, some people came to defend how there’s an entire process of designing until reaching the final product.
Which is true. But at the same time most people forget that most people don’t care about the process. If I don’t like caviar, I don’t care about how much work it was to put that thing on my plate. Same for pretty much anything else.
Same for this debate about AI’s. If they get good enough, I personally wouldn’t count on society to suddenly grow a conscience and reject to use it on moral grounds. If that was the case, we wouldn’t have a lot of products on the super markets, and I for sure wouldn’t be using the phone I’m using right now to type this message, and who knows what’s the story behind the manufacturing of the servers hosting this thread
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Comment on Fooocus - The most user-friendly local image-gen interface to date in ~comp
JCAPER LinkI’ve been playing around with it and the photos it produces of people are scary good, especially if we use the default settings in “run_realistic.bat”. In a lot of the photos produced, I...I’ve been playing around with it and the photos it produces of people are scary good, especially if we use the default settings in “run_realistic.bat”. In a lot of the photos produced, I legitimately could not find hints that they were fake. The only ones I could were a few when the AI made hands (it still struggles with fingers), too elaborate/detailed backgrounds, or text.
They also included neat features like face swap, expand the image, using pictures and prompts, mixing them, etc.
This project is better than midjourney and dalle3 in my opinion.
The downside is that we may really be approaching that level where AI photos are so good that we will have trouble figuring which are real and which aren’t, maybe sooner rather than later.
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Comment on Plagiarism and You(Tube) in ~tech
JCAPER LinkWatched the whole thing, highly recommend it even if in the background. Was disappointed to see Internet Historian among those, even more that he didn't own up to what he did. Lol'ed when when I...Watched the whole thing, highly recommend it even if in the background.
Was disappointed to see Internet Historian among those, even more that he didn't own up to what he did. Lol'ed when when I saw his new video "2 fancy 2 furious: Wine", he starts with a disclaimer now.
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Comment on I found a hobby in ~hobbies
JCAPER LinkThis sounds interesting, but it looks like that website is focused on UK only. Wonder if there could be enough interest to build a worldwide platformThis sounds interesting, but it looks like that website is focused on UK only.
Wonder if there could be enough interest to build a worldwide platform
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Comment on Do you think you'd use a hardware-based file sharing solution? in ~tech
JCAPER LinkI think you would just be adding to the problem, instead of solving it. https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/standards_2x.png I believe this is one of those things that it has to be Apple, Google and...I think you would just be adding to the problem, instead of solving it.
https://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/standards_2x.pngI believe this is one of those things that it has to be Apple, Google and Microsoft to get together and figure it out. Except I doubt Apple would agree to get together in the first place
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Comment on People who use Obsidian, or other research apps, what service do you use to sync between devices? in ~tech
JCAPER Link ParentJust would like to point out that you have the option to export the files in markdown. Even if they decide one day to remove the export function, the software is open source so someone is bound to...Just would like to point out that you have the option to export the files in markdown. Even if they decide one day to remove the export function, the software is open source so someone is bound to create an export tool
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Comment on People who use Obsidian, or other research apps, what service do you use to sync between devices? in ~tech
JCAPER Link ParentNot like Obsidian, but it offers ways to do thatNot like Obsidian, but it offers ways to do that
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Comment on People who use Obsidian, or other research apps, what service do you use to sync between devices? in ~tech
JCAPER Link ParentI don't think so, it's an encrypted file. However there's an option to export in markdown filesI don't think so, it's an encrypted file. However there's an option to export in markdown files
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Comment on People who use Obsidian, or other research apps, what service do you use to sync between devices? in ~tech
JCAPER LinkTry out Anytype. It's more like Notion, but it offers sync with E2E Encryption for free. If you want to keep to Obsidian, I guess any cloud service would do (if you use Apple devices, icloud is a...Try out Anytype. It's more like Notion, but it offers sync with E2E Encryption for free.
If you want to keep to Obsidian, I guess any cloud service would do (if you use Apple devices, icloud is a good option)
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Comment on Thoughts on the Meta Quest 3? in ~tech
JCAPER LinkIt looks like a really cool upgrade over the predecessors. I get low key excited over the idea of getting one, reading posts about it, watching videos, etc. But then, I remember: Meta. All things...It looks like a really cool upgrade over the predecessors. I get low key excited over the idea of getting one, reading posts about it, watching videos, etc.
But then, I remember: Meta.
All things considered it's probably the best bang for your buck option on the market, but considering how the competition tends to be pricier, I can't help but feel uncomfortable about what Meta is going to do with my information. Are they even breaking even with the hardware sales? They must be juicing that user data for everything that's worth
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Comment on The problem with ChatGPT is that all of these websites like W3Schools and TutorialsPoint will go bankrupt in ~tech
JCAPER Link ParentGPT 4 was a game changer for my work. For quick wins, where I just need a small and simple algorithm for something, I just ask it and it gives me something that I can quickly adapt. For more...GPT 4 was a game changer for my work. For quick wins, where I just need a small and simple algorithm for something, I just ask it and it gives me something that I can quickly adapt.
For more complex problems I don't trust the code it outputs, however it works great to debate ideas, troubleshoot and deconstruct the problems I'm trying to solve. It's like my rubber duck, but it talks back
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Comment on Atlus leaked on Instagram. Persona 3 remake and another Persona 5 spin-off. in ~games
JCAPER Link ParentYeah that's a pity. In the original, I prefer her route because the social links were far more interesting than the male counterpart. If I understood correctly they may rework the social link, so...Yeah that's a pity. In the original, I prefer her route because the social links were far more interesting than the male counterpart.
If I understood correctly they may rework the social link, so we'll see what happens
Very tempting but I'm going to try to hold off. Games like this deserve to be played when they are fully released