ackables's recent activity
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Comment on Need a replacement for my old macbook pro, should I just get another one? in ~comp
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Comment on What science says we’ve been getting wrong about exercise in ~health
ackables Link ParentThe 20 minute walk to work being useless is nonsense. I walk 25 minutes to the train station, 25 minutes home, and spurts of walking around my destination during the day. I get between 10,000 and...The 20 minute walk to work being useless is nonsense. I walk 25 minutes to the train station, 25 minutes home, and spurts of walking around my destination during the day. I get between 10,000 and 15,000 steps a day from that and I don’t have to think too hard about it.
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Comment on The AI industry doesn’t take “no” for an answer in ~tech
ackables Link ParentI think lots of people are lazy and would rather spend more time having someone or something else do something instead of doing it themselves in less time. I don’t mean lazy as an insult either. I...I think lots of people are lazy and would rather spend more time having someone or something else do something instead of doing it themselves in less time.
I don’t mean lazy as an insult either. I think there is something inherent to humans that makes us want to accomplish our goals with as little energy expenditure on our end as possible.
That used to lead to the development of tools that allowed us to be more productive. Now, with agentic AI systems, an inefficient process that produces mediocre results scratches the same itch since the human involved still spent less energy to achieve their goal.
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Comment on The internet wasn't built for live sports in ~tech
ackables Link ParentAs far as your NHL notification spoilers, you could set up an NHL focus mode on your phone that mutes notifications from the NHL app so you can avoid spoilers if you’re watching a game. Everyone...As far as your NHL notification spoilers, you could set up an NHL focus mode on your phone that mutes notifications from the NHL app so you can avoid spoilers if you’re watching a game.
Everyone is allowed to have their own opinions on sports betting, but I feel like they can go cry about losing out on an extra 90 seconds of collecting bets to someone who cares. The proliferation of sports betting is already a drain on society and contributing to increasing wealth inequality.
It is definitely an interesting technical problem to address, but I wish someone would make sports betting companies spend even half as much effort on preventing underage gambling or helping gambling addicts.
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Comment on What's something you've moved on from? in ~talk
ackables Link ParentI can understand that there are some skills that you just don’t want to have, and that’s perfectly valid. The skill I don’t have sympathy for people refusing to learn is how to describe the...I can understand that there are some skills that you just don’t want to have, and that’s perfectly valid. The skill I don’t have sympathy for people refusing to learn is how to describe the problem they have.
I’m happy to help people out if they can adequately describe the issue, but if “it doesn’t work” is the best description they have, it is a much greater headache.
If your tech problem is creating a big enough hurdle that you can’t continue on with your day until it’s resolved and you’ve had to wait a few hours for help to arrive, what is your excuse for not having any useful details about the problem?
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Comment on The internet wasn't built for live sports in ~tech
ackables Link ParentDoes a 45-90 second delay really matter that much? It may as well be live at that point.Does a 45-90 second delay really matter that much? It may as well be live at that point.
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Comment on C'mon, professors, assign the hard reading in ~humanities
ackables Link ParentI hated writing 10-page papers, but I remember the most from the sources I read while writing those papers. It takes much longer than an in class essay, but you are thinking about the sources for...I hated writing 10-page papers, but I remember the most from the sources I read while writing those papers. It takes much longer than an in class essay, but you are thinking about the sources for that much longer too.
Maybe the grade just needs to be on a presentation you give on your paper instead of grading the paper directly. Professors should be able to see if a student has engaged with the material and individual writing skill isn’t being critiqued.
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Comment on Microsoft has killed widgets six times. Here's why they keep coming back. in ~tech
ackables Link ParentI think if spatial computing ever takes off, your dreams will come true. Widgets make a lot of sense if your stock ticker widget is an AR application anchored to a wall in your office.I think if spatial computing ever takes off, your dreams will come true. Widgets make a lot of sense if your stock ticker widget is an AR application anchored to a wall in your office.
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Comment on Microsoft has killed widgets six times. Here's why they keep coming back. in ~tech
ackables Link ParentFor your battery information woes, look into coconut battery on macOS. If you make the one time payment for the premium license, you can wirelessly monitor battery information for your other Apple...For your battery information woes, look into coconut battery on macOS. If you make the one time payment for the premium license, you can wirelessly monitor battery information for your other Apple devices.
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Comment on Seeking guidance on a week long LA to Bay Area trip in ~travel
ackables Link ParentAlso, look into visiting Hearst Castle. It’s off the 1 on the coast and is managed by the California State Parks Department. It’s a huge mansion built by newspaper magnate, William Hearst, over a...Also, look into visiting Hearst Castle. It’s off the 1 on the coast and is managed by the California State Parks Department. It’s a huge mansion built by newspaper magnate, William Hearst, over a hundred years ago. The dining hall in the Harry Potter movies are based off of his dining room, although they weren’t allowed to film the movie there.
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Comment on Microsoft has killed widgets six times. Here's why they keep coming back. in ~tech
ackables Link ParentI think widgets are counter to the Windows design ethos. macOS defined the desktop as a distinct place where you can launch an app and arrange your windows on the desktop to customize your...I think widgets are counter to the Windows design ethos.
macOS defined the desktop as a distinct place where you can launch an app and arrange your windows on the desktop to customize your workflow in that app. Windows allows for the same kind of functionality, but you are more expected to launch programs in maximized windows. The program UI is defined by the developer and everything related to that program is contained in a single window.
On macOS, widgets make sense because you can arrange your windows to accommodate persistent widgets. The desktop is a persistent part of how the OS was designed to be used. On Windows, the desktop is where you start and end your day. You won’t see it in the middle of your workday, so desktop widgets are useless.
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Comment on Elon Musk says Tesla ending Models S and X production in ~transport
ackables Link ParentThere are basically two kinds of companies on the stock market: growth stocks and blue chip stocks. Growth stocks are priced based on their perceived potential to grow in the future. These...There are basically two kinds of companies on the stock market: growth stocks and blue chip stocks.
Growth stocks are priced based on their perceived potential to grow in the future. These companies will have valuations far greater than their current profits justify because people believe they will increase their profit in the future.
Blue chip stocks are priced based on their real life performance. Nobody really expects them to be able to drastically increase their profit because they have already captured as much of the market as they can.
Musk wants to keep Tesla as a growth stock because his fortune depends on people overvaluing Tesla stock. He’s pretty much expended the hype he can generate around cars. Unless he can convince investors that there is another market that Tesla can dominate at some point in the future, Tesla will cease to be a growth stock.
If people start to price Tesla stock on what they actually do, he’ll lose hundreds of billions of dollars.
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Comment on Creative people with ADHD: how do you handle execution and follow-through when doing small business work for yourself? I feel like I need to hire a business partner or assistant. in ~creative
ackables LinkNot a business owner, but I also have ADHD. If I only have one or two things on my todo list, it’s not hard for me to keep track of everything in my head. I run into issues when I have more than a...Not a business owner, but I also have ADHD. If I only have one or two things on my todo list, it’s not hard for me to keep track of everything in my head. I run into issues when I have more than a handful of tasks or when I’m not able to complete a task in a single session.
I’ve found that a good system to track my tasks can compensate for my absentmindedness, but also helps quell my anxiety around large, multistage tasks. Writing down what I need to do puts everything into perspective, so I can start on a single task instead of stressing about the volume of tasks that I will need to do.
I’ve been using fizzy.do which is sort of a twist on Kanban. There are plenty of different systems people use for organization which can be pretty intimidating when trying to start getting organized. The easiest and simplest way to start is to write down what you need to do on a piece of paper. You can always find the “perfect system” another time.
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Comment on San Francisco parents are letting teens ride in Waymos without an adult in ~transport
ackables Link ParentI don’t see a ton of safety officers on the trains, but things are definitely better since they implemented the improved fare gates. I’ve only seen one person yelling on BART property since the...I don’t see a ton of safety officers on the trains, but things are definitely better since they implemented the improved fare gates. I’ve only seen one person yelling on BART property since the taller gates were installed and it was some guy who was trapped inside the station and wanted out.
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Comment on Federal officers kill another citizen in Minneapolis, National Guard activated in ~society
ackables Link ParentI’m happy to see that NYT has updated their headline to “Videos Contradict Federal Accounts of Fatal Shooting”. The NYT uses a passive voice to state the obvious far too often, but I’m glad to...I’m happy to see that NYT has updated their headline to “Videos Contradict Federal Accounts of Fatal Shooting”. The NYT uses a passive voice to state the obvious far too often, but I’m glad to finally see them report what happened instead of suggesting what happened.
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Comment on Fitness Weekly Discussion in ~health
ackables Link ParentIf you don’t do any top rope, think about adding it in. For me, it wasn’t that I lacked grip strength, but grip stamina.If you don’t do any top rope, think about adding it in. For me, it wasn’t that I lacked grip strength, but grip stamina.
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Comment on Looking for a simple lists app in ~tech
ackables Link ParentDo you mind sharing the plugins you’re using for Obsidian? I know it’s really easy to flesh out notes for subtasks because you can just insert backlinks to other files in the task, but I find that...Do you mind sharing the plugins you’re using for Obsidian? I know it’s really easy to flesh out notes for subtasks because you can just insert backlinks to other files in the task, but I find that creating the perfect system in Obsidian is difficult. Half of the setup is basically designing a bespoke product for yourself and figuring out what you want is harder than actually implementing it.
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Comment on GameSir Pocket Taco Kickstarter has been launched in ~games
ackables Link ParentWhat is Mullvad? Is it just another VPN company like NordVPN or something? I see their ads in BART all the time, but they don’t really explain why it’s different than other VPNs on their posters.What is Mullvad? Is it just another VPN company like NordVPN or something? I see their ads in BART all the time, but they don’t really explain why it’s different than other VPNs on their posters.
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Comment on Cory Doctorow | AI companies will fail. We can salvage something from the wreckage. in ~tech
ackables Link ParentIs there anything you do that’s relatively simple or straightforward but also tedious and repetitive? LLMs are pretty good for those kinds of tasks. I’ve used LLMs to generate .ics files to import...Is there anything you do that’s relatively simple or straightforward but also tedious and repetitive? LLMs are pretty good for those kinds of tasks.
I’ve used LLMs to generate .ics files to import into my calendar. I can quickly check its work to see if it did it correctly and I get to not populate my calendar manually.
I’ve used LLMs for generating cover letter for job applications which hit all the key points listed in the job description. I obviously proofread what it generates and even prompt it to interview me on experiences I feel like may be relevant to include.
If there’s something you actually enjoy doing or is complex enough that you want to handle it yourself, don’t try to shoehorn LLMs into it. If there’s anything that’s tedious and annoying that you have always wished you could delegate to someone else, try delegating to an LLM and see how it does.
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Comment on Is there a way to donate or give unused ADHD medication to people in need? in ~health.mental
ackables (edited )Link ParentI like Vyvanse because it has a lot more of a steady effect than other medications do. You definitely have to go to a higher dose to get the same strength as Adderall. I can see differences in how...I like Vyvanse because it has a lot more of a steady effect than other medications do. You definitely have to go to a higher dose to get the same strength as Adderall.
I can see differences in how strong a medication feels and how long it lasts depending on when and what I ate for breakfast. If you have been eating before taking your meds, try eating after you take it. If you already take your meds before eating, try waiting longer to eat.
If none of those strategies work, you may just need a higher dose. Vyvanse is just a compound that turns into a similar compound to Adderall during digestion, so the “feel” of both are very similar besides the clear difference in the strength and duration.
Edit: For example, I was on 10mg of Adderall in the morning with a 5mg booster in the afternoon, but was at 30mg of Vyvanse when I switched. The Adderall felt stronger, but only felt really effective for about 2-3 hours for me.
I was running an M1 MacBook Air with 8GB of RAM for the past two years and just upgraded due to the lack of RAM for my use cases. 8GB is fine for normal browsing and even some coding, but definitely falls apart when doing more intense development.
I have an M4 Pro with 24GB of RAM now and that is more than enough for what I need to do. I can even run Windows with Parallels and run games at 40-60 FPS if I make sure to quit my unnecessary applications first.
All the M-series chips are beasts, so as long as you spec it with at least 16GB of RAM, you should be happy for a long time.