ackables's recent activity
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Comment on Waymo has received their permit to operate at San Francisco International Airport in ~transport
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Comment on iOS 26 is here in ~tech
ackables Link ParentI just discovered what the Preview app actually does. In old iOS versions, you could open your files directly in the Files app. Now, opening a file in the Files app launches the Preview app to...I just discovered what the Preview app actually does. In old iOS versions, you could open your files directly in the Files app. Now, opening a file in the Files app launches the Preview app to view the contents.
I guess adding the Preview app creates app parity across iOS and macOS, but it hasn’t added any extra functionality. It just split the functionality of a single app across two apps.
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Comment on iOS 26 is here in ~tech
ackables Link ParentOh yeah the files app had this feature already if you clicked the three dots in the top right. I guess it was a somewhat hidden feature though since I haven’t met many others who knew about it.Oh yeah the files app had this feature already if you clicked the three dots in the top right. I guess it was a somewhat hidden feature though since I haven’t met many others who knew about it.
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Comment on iOS 26 is here in ~tech
ackables (edited )Link ParentWhat is special about the preview app? All of the functionality in there was in the files app already unless I’m missing something.What is special about the preview app? All of the functionality in there was in the files app already unless I’m missing something.
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Comment on Wireless earphones: a belated review in ~tech
ackables Link ParentExactly. Look at the work that went into designing the iPhone Air. Having a physical SIM card doesn’t seem like it would take up that much space, but when you’re trying to be as efficient as...Exactly. Look at the work that went into designing the iPhone Air. Having a physical SIM card doesn’t seem like it would take up that much space, but when you’re trying to be as efficient as possible with space, removing it makes a big difference.
A headphone jack isn’t huge, but Apple engineers decided that the space it would take up would be better used for another purpose.
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Comment on What's a setting that you'd recommend? in ~tech
ackables Link ParentThe notifications were the main reason I got rid of my Apple Watch. My watch would vibrate to alert me to text messages when I was currently texting that person on my phone. It felt like having a...The notifications were the main reason I got rid of my Apple Watch. My watch would vibrate to alert me to text messages when I was currently texting that person on my phone. It felt like having a toddler pull at my shirt when I was having a conversation.
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Comment on Request: resources for learning digital electronics in ~comp
ackables LinkIf you are looking for Boolean logic and VHDL, check out nand2tetris. It’s a website with accompanying book($40) that starts at gate logic and works up to building a Tetris game on a simulated...If you are looking for Boolean logic and VHDL, check out nand2tetris. It’s a website with accompanying book($40) that starts at gate logic and works up to building a Tetris game on a simulated computer you designed.
It doesn’t use VHDL, but a simplified VHDL-like language for designing the computer. It might not be exactly what the class you need to take covers, but hopefully it would provide you enough experience to be able to keep up with the class next time you take it.
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Comment on AI content warning label in ~creative
ackables LinkI think AI disclosure is kind of unnecessary. Think about why people tend to not like AI generated content; It can feel generic or have some undefinable quality that people don't like. If someone...I think AI disclosure is kind of unnecessary. Think about why people tend to not like AI generated content; It can feel generic or have some undefinable quality that people don't like. If someone uses AI tools to help them write or make some art, it's not automatically upsetting to me. I can evaluate any art individually and decide if I like it or not, but having a guarantee that it is "authentic" doesn't add any value for me.
Even if we judge art on how much effort we percieve the artist putting into it's creation, AI art isn't automatically low effort. We can already see that a lot of AI generated content is unappealing to humans, so if someone is able to make art with AI that is actually appealing, they must have put a lot of thought and effort into using AI tools in a unique, creative way.
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Comment on What's a setting that you'd recommend? in ~tech
ackables LinkAnother useful setting for MacOS users is enabling the file path bar in Finder. Enable it with option+command+P or going to View > Show Path Bar in the Finder top bar. MacOS does a lot of nonsense...- Exemplary
Another useful setting for MacOS users is enabling the file path bar in Finder. Enable it with option+command+P or going to View > Show Path Bar in the Finder top bar.
MacOS does a lot of nonsense to obscure where a folder is in the file system so it can feel disorienting to know where your folders and files are in relation to each other. Enabling the path bar shows you the absolute file path of any folder you open in Finder. This makes using a Mac feel less disorienting than it does by default.
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Comment on What's a setting that you'd recommend? in ~tech
ackables LinkReduce Interruptions focus mode on iOS and MacOS devices. It eliminates most notifications from alerting you unless it’s a phone call or the Apple AI decides it’s a time sensitive message. Plus...Reduce Interruptions focus mode on iOS and MacOS devices.
It eliminates most notifications from alerting you unless it’s a phone call or the Apple AI decides it’s a time sensitive message. Plus you still can check the notifications pulldown menu to see what notifications you missed. You still have notifications, but you get to see them on your terms instead of having an app decide it gets to distract you.
It’s less isolating than Do Not Disturb, but still ends up with you not being disturbed or distracted regularly.
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Comment on Wireless earphones: a belated review in ~tech
ackables Link ParentYou can keep them looking pretty clean without much trouble. Just put some isopropyl alcohol on a q-tip and swipe them around the ear tips. It even gets rid of the yellow discoloration that ear...You can keep them looking pretty clean without much trouble. Just put some isopropyl alcohol on a q-tip and swipe them around the ear tips. It even gets rid of the yellow discoloration that ear wax can cause on the white silicone tips.
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Comment on Has anyone else run up against higher costs due to the US tariffs? in ~society
ackables LinkI haven’t encountered the “tariff” line item on any online purchases, but I am sure that I’m paying for them in the list price. Everything is definitely more expensive than it was before, but I...I haven’t encountered the “tariff” line item on any online purchases, but I am sure that I’m paying for them in the list price. Everything is definitely more expensive than it was before, but I can’t pinpoint any specific items that are more expensive. I notice at checkout when my average cart is more expensive than it used to be.
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Comment on Taco Bell rethinks AI drive-through after man orders 18,000 waters in ~food
ackables Link ParentI haven’t experienced AI at the Taco Bell drive thru, but I think I would enjoy it. I had a Baja Blast Dream Freeze once 4 years ago and I’ve never been able to order another. Even when there’s a...I haven’t experienced AI at the Taco Bell drive thru, but I think I would enjoy it. I had a Baja Blast Dream Freeze once 4 years ago and I’ve never been able to order another. Even when there’s a whole poster up in the drive thru line, the drive thru people never seem to understand what I’m talking about. Half the time I end up with a Baja Blast soda instead of a freeze, so it’s not even close to correct.
I never complain because I understand that Taco Bell ordering is a lottery and sometimes you lose, but I can’t imagine that AI could possibly be less accurate than the real Taco Bell employees I’ve met.
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Comment on Letting younger children access Fortnite - Looking for opinions in ~games
ackables LinkI think it may be too early for them to play Fortnite, but you obviously know them best. My wife’s little sister is 5 and even when we play Kirby together, she can get a little too amped up....I think it may be too early for them to play Fortnite, but you obviously know them best. My wife’s little sister is 5 and even when we play Kirby together, she can get a little too amped up. There’s some amount of maturity that’s needed to have the necessary emotional regulation to not crash out when playing more “exciting” games.
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Could a space traveler accelerate at 1g forever?
I was reading this Reddit post and was curious about whether the passengers of this theoretical spaceship could experience 1g of acceleration forever assuming the ship has an infinite fuel source....
I was reading this Reddit post and was curious about whether the passengers of this theoretical spaceship could experience 1g of acceleration forever assuming the ship has an infinite fuel source.
They shouldn’t be able to pass the speed of light relative to an outside observer, but is there some phenomenon where the passengers can feel like they are accelerating forever?
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Comment on What are your favorite and least favorite airports? in ~transport
ackables Link ParentPDX has some of the best coffee on the west coast of any airport. Lots of local businesses have shops in the airport, so there are tons of options and they actually know how to pull espresso shots.PDX has some of the best coffee on the west coast of any airport. Lots of local businesses have shops in the airport, so there are tons of options and they actually know how to pull espresso shots.
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Comment on My favorite mouse costs less than USD 10 in ~tech
ackables LinkI went with the Logitech G305. It’s still only $30, but it’s wireless, has a high DPI sensor, and a very premium scroll wheel for the price. Everything that contributes to it being a good mouse...I went with the Logitech G305. It’s still only $30, but it’s wireless, has a high DPI sensor, and a very premium scroll wheel for the price. Everything that contributes to it being a good mouse that feels good to use is high quality, but there are no extra frills. It’s a nice mouse that cut all the right corners to reach a price point.
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Comment on Question - how would you best explain how an LLM functions to someone who has never taken a statistics class? in ~tech
ackables Link ParentObviously there is a lot of nuance and various methods for creating machine learning models, but image generation and LLMs have similar starting points. The same text encoding that you’re familiar...Obviously there is a lot of nuance and various methods for creating machine learning models, but image generation and LLMs have similar starting points. The same text encoding that you’re familiar with from image generation happens with LLMs, but instead of using the encoding to generate images, it’s used to generate text.
AI should someday be capable of the “filling in the gaps” that you’re talking about because it’s interpreting the conversation the same way you do. If there’s some part of the conversation that is vague, it can make a decent guess based on the context of the rest of the conversation.
The issue is that even the best AI models don’t have as large of a context window as adult human brains. You can also draw on the context of how a certain person talks in past conversations to help you understand what they may mean in the current conversation. A LLM probably won’t have that kind of context into how you communicate, but future efficiency improvements will allow for larger context windows that improve its performance.
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Comment on Question - how would you best explain how an LLM functions to someone who has never taken a statistics class? in ~tech
ackables Link ParentExactly! AI isn’t regurgitating sentences it read during training. It’s not a parrot, it’s more like how a child learns language. As LLMs are trained, they create their own “understanding” of the...Exactly! AI isn’t regurgitating sentences it read during training. It’s not a parrot, it’s more like how a child learns language.
As LLMs are trained, they create their own “understanding” of the training data. They assign values to various words (tokens in reality, but words are easier to understand conceptually), but they also modify these values when they look at how a word is placed in context of other words in a document. These values encode some information about the meaning of each word it’s trained on, so when it receives a prompt from a user, it can figure out what they are trying to say and generate a response based on what it “understands”.
One interesting example is from GPT-3 where when you take the difference in the values assigned to “King” and “Queen” and apply it to “Boy”, you end up very close to the value of “Girl”.
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Comment on Fitness tracker (2025 edition) in ~health
ackables Link ParentI’m on iOS and there’s a reduce interruptions focus mode that has been helpful in reducing the amount of notifications I get. I’ve also just been turning off notifications for most apps and it’s...I’m on iOS and there’s a reduce interruptions focus mode that has been helpful in reducing the amount of notifications I get. I’ve also just been turning off notifications for most apps and it’s helped a lot.
I have mixed feelings about eliminating parking around BART stations. I think transit oriented development is great, but many non-central BART stations serve car dependent suburbs. If you eliminate parking, many would be riders will end up driving to work instead of parking at BART and riding to work.
Transit oriented development is great, but you have to consider the alternative transportation methods for the communities each station serves.