Pilot's recent activity
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Comment on Red Hot Chili Peppers sell music catalogue for $300m in ~music
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Comment on Di.gg AI preview in ~tech
Pilot LinkOld New Digg was interesting and I was hoping it would actually recapture the magic of social link aggregators, but it just turned into a reddit clone and never really did anything to actually...Old New Digg was interesting and I was hoping it would actually recapture the magic of social link aggregators, but it just turned into a reddit clone and never really did anything to actually create a community or an ethos.
This just feels like nonsense.
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Comment on Apple set to become third-biggest laptop maker this year in ~tech
Pilot Link ParentApple provides self repair kits for their devices. Ones that are more difficult to repair these days are less because of bespoke screws and more because of the origami required to put a lot of...If apple forcefully reclaimed the enthusiast market by making the hardware repairable, that would be an unstoppable juggernaut.
Apple provides self repair kits for their devices. Ones that are more difficult to repair these days are less because of bespoke screws and more because of the origami required to put a lot of computer in a handheld device. Notably the new $600 MacBook driving this article is quite repairable.
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Comment on Which covers did it better than (or put a fresh twist on) the original? in ~music
Pilot Link ParentFor the newer generations my go-to "did you know it was a Dylan cover" is Make You Feel My Love covered by Adele.For the newer generations my go-to "did you know it was a Dylan cover" is Make You Feel My Love covered by Adele.
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Comment on The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act in ~movies
Pilot Link ParentTime will tell. The theater chains are upset with Hollywood because of their streaming services and the reduction in exclusivity windows. Theaters make most of their money on concessions and...Time will tell. The theater chains are upset with Hollywood because of their streaming services and the reduction in exclusivity windows. Theaters make most of their money on concessions and movies that do well for an extended period of time. Typically a studio takes the lion's share of the box office on opening weekend and each subsequent week the split becomes more favorable to a theater.
Bypassing the studios and exhibiting directly means the theater can take a more favorable cut of ticket sales, but their apprehension will be on longevity so they are sort of dipping their toes in the water, here. If they decide to continue with this direct model I doubt you will see windows as short as two-weeks going forward.
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Comment on The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act in ~movies
Pilot Link ParentIt's weird to me, and I don't mean to sound like I'm picking on you, how many people didn't immediately understand the theatrical windowing. This is the movie theater business model, the same as...It's weird to me, and I don't mean to sound like I'm picking on you, how many people didn't immediately understand the theatrical windowing. This is the movie theater business model, the same as The Avengers not coming to Disney+ for 90-120 days. I am also a little annoyed at it because I know some of my online spaces are at risk of having spoilers, but it feels very tumblr circa 2010 for there to have been so much drama about it. Double-edge sword of fandom as a business model I suppose, but I am surprised so many people were surprised.
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Comment on Inside Pixar’s scrapped movie ‘Be Fri’ and the “devastating” aftermath in ~movies
Pilot LinkI've heard some rumblings around that the movie just wasn't in good shape when it was cancelled, and the appetite to try and save it was poor considering the pressure from Lightyear and Elio, two...I've heard some rumblings around that the movie just wasn't in good shape when it was cancelled, and the appetite to try and save it was poor considering the pressure from Lightyear and Elio, two movies that rank low in the PIXAR canon and were widely seen as "just ok" at best. Disney execs not wanting a "girl power" movie is typical and believable, but I think there's more nuance here than the headline implies.
To wit, Hoppers is a success, and while not a "girl power" movie it is certainly a movie about a strong female protagonist.
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Comment on Used electric vehicles are a bargain right now in ~transport
Pilot Link ParentBecause of the resistance that charges the battery when you lift off the throttle, and the one-pedal driving philosophy, you aren't actually engaging the brakes to slow down as frequently as you...Because of the resistance that charges the battery when you lift off the throttle, and the one-pedal driving philosophy, you aren't actually engaging the brakes to slow down as frequently as you otherwise would. It's like dynamically being able to shift to a very low gear. Conventional cars are capable of this, too, but it's more aggressive and prevalent on EVs because of how the "drive train" works.
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Comment on Used electric vehicles are a bargain right now in ~transport
Pilot Link ParentOur friend at Technology Connections has you covered, and is even himself using a 2023 Ioniq 5. Keep in mind this video is a road trip in extreme cold. The car does great, and with warmer weather...Our friend at Technology Connections has you covered, and is even himself using a 2023 Ioniq 5. Keep in mind this video is a road trip in extreme cold. The car does great, and with warmer weather does even better.
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Comment on 'Dungeon Crawler Carl' TV series lands at Peacock in ~tv
Pilot Link ParentAnd it's really a not-very-subtle metaphor for not-so-great parts of our own culture. I recognize that the first book sort of crash lands you into the premise and that can be tough if you aren't...Like my interpretation of the narrative was that the goal of the author was to write about an alien civilization comprised of immature edgelords, as opposed to the author being an immature edgelord writing about an alien civilization.
And it's really a not-very-subtle metaphor for not-so-great parts of our own culture. I recognize that the first book sort of crash lands you into the premise and that can be tough if you aren't already primed with some of the vocabulary. I can see how and why people take literally scenes and characters that make them think the book is sexist or gaze-y, but I think they're very wrong.
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Comment on 'Dungeon Crawler Carl' TV series lands at Peacock in ~tv
Pilot Link ParentLitRPG as a genre isn't exactly winning prestigious literary awards. The Crawler Carl books are best approached as being for what they are: enjoyable pulp novels. The ride is fun, the world...LitRPG as a genre isn't exactly winning prestigious literary awards. The Crawler Carl books are best approached as being for what they are: enjoyable pulp novels. The ride is fun, the world building is good, and the cringe-y humor of the logline is quickly surpassed by the larger narrative. Characters who should be memes end up having depth, and the books don't overly dwell on aging Millennial internet speak. Mostly.
Carnival funnel cake, not French pastry.
They're part of Kindle Unlimited which has a 30-day trial.
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Comment on Seth MacFarlane teases new life for ‘The Orville’: “Season 4 is written” in ~tv
Pilot LinkThe Orville was marketed (and probably pitched) as "family guy in space" but it was really just a vehicle for MacFarlane's Star Trek fanfiction, and that was honestly why it was so great. While...The Orville was marketed (and probably pitched) as "family guy in space" but it was really just a vehicle for MacFarlane's Star Trek fanfiction, and that was honestly why it was so great. While most of the new Trek (aside from Lower Decks) tried to reinvent the genre, The Orville celebrated humanity and optimism in a way that classic Trek always did and was sorely missing from TV.
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Comment on Subnautica 2 publisher Krafton's CEO asked ChatGPT how to void $250 million contract, ignores lawyers, loses in court in ~games
Pilot (edited )Link ParentYou can read the full court order where the CEO's mindset is made pretty clear. He balked at the idea of needing to pay out on the revenue goal bonus (which would have been nearly $250 million)...You can read the full court order where the CEO's mindset is made pretty clear. He balked at the idea of needing to pay out on the revenue goal bonus (which would have been nearly $250 million) and desperately sought ways to get out of it. When his lawyers and coworkers told him no, he asked ChatGPT multiple times for "strategies" which his coworkers and lawyers also told him would result in exactly this lawsuit and outcome.
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Comment on Subnautica 2 publisher Krafton's CEO asked ChatGPT how to void $250 million contract, ignores lawyers, loses in court in ~games
Pilot LinkI recommend reading the full court order as the judge has written in plain English and in a way where the full narrative and scope are both clear and compelling.I recommend reading the full court order as the judge has written in plain English and in a way where the full narrative and scope are both clear and compelling.
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Comment on United Airlines Flight 232 lost all hydraulics mid-air. This is the story of the “impossible landing". in ~transport
Pilot LinkThere's a great episode of First Person, an Errol Morris TV documentary series about this accident that is very much worth your time (and suffering through that left-over late-90s cinematography...There's a great episode of First Person, an Errol Morris TV documentary series about this accident that is very much worth your time (and suffering through that left-over late-90s cinematography and editing style).
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Comment on Need a replacement for my old macbook pro, should I just get another one? in ~tech
Pilot Link ParentMany many many years ago. The white and black plastic ones, I think.Many many many years ago. The white and black plastic ones, I think.
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Comment on Need a replacement for my old macbook pro, should I just get another one? in ~tech
Pilot Link ParentI ran a 2012 MacBook Pro well into 2023. In your position I would honestly get an iPhone 17 and a MacBook Air as others have recommended. I'm not sure what happened to your logic board, stuff can...I ran a 2012 MacBook Pro well into 2023.
In your position I would honestly get an iPhone 17 and a MacBook Air as others have recommended. I'm not sure what happened to your logic board, stuff can happen just like with any other piece of hardware. Someone at your job could have misconfigured it, it could have been physically damaged, there could have been some defect that affected a short run, all things that are common with components you'd buy yourself to build a PC.
The one time Apple did have a longstanding issue with motherboards they replaced a lot of them as part of the limited warranty.
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Comment on You are being misled about renewable energy technology in ~enviro
Pilot Link ParentI think he focused on solar so much for this reason and also because it's a really simple parallel structure to gas/oil that's easy to follow. Wind, as he mentioned, requires moving parts and...which I assume must mean that it's cheaper than wind-powered electric generation if that claim is to be believed
I think he focused on solar so much for this reason and also because it's a really simple parallel structure to gas/oil that's easy to follow. Wind, as he mentioned, requires moving parts and ongoing maintenance which add to the cost and complexity.
If I were making a true, full, and good-faith argument for renewables I'd include that off-shore wind generation solves a lot of the downsides of wind power while increasing its output. I just think Alec was mostly focused on reframing people's conception of solar in particular because it has changed dramatically in a short time.
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Comment on r/art subreddit under new management after an artist was banned for mentioning their art prints in ~arts
Pilot Link ParentI've operated a lot of online spaces and usually include some version of, "Don't be a dick" for exactly that reason, but if the people running the online space are themselves the dicks it can...I've operated a lot of online spaces and usually include some version of, "Don't be a dick" for exactly that reason, but if the people running the online space are themselves the dicks it can quickly sour the whole community. Even then there are countless instances where I've spoken to someone who broke that rule who would swear up and down that they had not. Some people just love to argue, others might genuinely not see whatever behavior as dickish.
Same goes for the self promotion. If I am self-promoting then my threshold for what's too much is likely much lower since I stand to gain much more.
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Comment on Shrinking number of free news outlets in ~talk
Pilot Link ParentI guess, but the cost of a newspaper was more about covering the physical printing costs. They still sold tons of ads and it has really been an ads business since the start. Not to mention "free"...Journalism is a relatively new profession all things considered, and free journalism is an incredibly new thing, and I don't think it's sustainable unfortunately, though I wish it were the case.
I guess, but the cost of a newspaper was more about covering the physical printing costs. They still sold tons of ads and it has really been an ads business since the start. Not to mention "free" news in the modern way we think of it dates back to radio, which was absolutely free in the same way using a phone or computer to find news is free.
The core issue is that good journalism is harder to access than it ever way due to the decline in monoculture while the access to terrible journalism is as easy and free as ever.
What I want and my own ethics aside, there is a fundamental imbalance in "good" versus "bad' news and while the premium may be worth it to avoid all the slop, all it's actually doing is bifurcating those who stay informed and those who get misinformed.
As the article mentions, this is happening a lot. I sympathize with the idea that the payout justifies piracy or that this must mean they're out to get (more) rich, but the reality is that these kinds of sales are savvy because the individuals getting paid out are getting old. Right now the market (what we call the multiple) for publishing and masters is very high, and a musician of renown essentially trades their future earnings for a lump sum buyout. That is a terrible idea if you are a new artist starting out, or even someone in the middle of their career, but when there are fewer years in front of you than behind you it's smart to take the money you know you can get.
Moreover, this move also relieves a ton of pressure from your estate and squashes in advance any fights between your heirs and beneficiaries. Too often in the past the estates of famous artists have been made up of heirs with different priorities, which results in the art being used and misused in service of differing goals. At the very least, as is the case in many families, the control and royalties become the subject of argument and often strain or even break relationships.
Savvy artists can make stipulations in their catalogue sales about the usage and control of their music, get paid, and more cleanly setup inheritances because they are doing it in cash instead of intellectual property.