arch's recent activity
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Comment on I think that we won’t see any new and radical new gaming input devices or form factors anymore in ~games
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Comment on Apple has reached a preliminary deal with Intel to make chips in the US in ~tech
arch LinkI was surprised to see this article, because last I knew Intel had lost all ability to compete with the latest manufacturing processes in the U.S. decades ago. It looks like their new Chandler,...I was surprised to see this article, because last I knew Intel had lost all ability to compete with the latest manufacturing processes in the U.S. decades ago. It looks like their new Chandler, Arizona FAB 52 just opened last year, though! This seems to be where the 18 angstrom process is being used. A deal with Apple seems like a good sign that their process is legitimate and working. Apple wouldn't sign without vetting their facilities, capabilities and outputs. Intel also has a 14A facility in the works slated to open in 5 or 6 years.
This really is a huge benefit for the U.S. and it's brought to us thanks to the CHIPS and Science Act that was signed in 2022 under Biden. It is a little worrying that Trump has spoke about his desire to get rid of the CHIPS act, which would threaten these new foundries continued construction, use, etc. There have also been rumors of Intel attempting to sell up to 49% of their U.S. foundry stake off to foreign investors, which would kid of suck for the American taxpayers.
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Comment on Nintendo raises prices for Switch, Switch 2 and NSO in ~games
arch Link ParentI think this is finally a price correction because they do not see prices going down. If I remember correctly Nintendo did not raise prices from the U.S. tarrifs, has not adjusted for the pandemic...I think this is finally a price correction because they do not see prices going down. If I remember correctly Nintendo did not raise prices from the U.S. tarrifs, has not adjusted for the pandemic and following year's inflation, and now RAM prices are through the roof. So it's probably not a sign of things go come.
Personally, I suspect we will see the death of the petrodollar sometime in the next decade or so. That is likely to bring pain to the U.S. that is worse than 2008. America has shown the world that we aren't any more stable than any other country.
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Comment on What's something that you missed out on? in ~talk
arch LinkBitCoin. I learned about it when it was being used to buy a pizza for a couple of coin, and you could mine it with your home computer for free. I was a few years out of college, working full time,...BitCoin. I learned about it when it was being used to buy a pizza for a couple of coin, and you could mine it with your home computer for free. I was a few years out of college, working full time, and felt like I had no time any more to chase the next fad. I also thought it sounded dumb as hell. Like it had no chance to ever be worth anything.
But since it cost basically nothing but time back then, if it had happened 2 or 3 years earlier, I would have absolutely bothered to have a wallet and use my PC to mine coins. I guess I'd probably be a millionaire if that happened.Oh well.
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Comment on "The reason I'm not an atheist is that I think the philosophical arguments against it are unanswerable" (gifted link) in ~humanities
arch Link ParentFor your second point, I think this is hinting on an innate tendency humans have towards tribalism and opposition. For some reason many people put science and religion in opposition. This is...For your second point, I think this is hinting on an innate tendency humans have towards tribalism and opposition. For some reason many people put science and religion in opposition. This is especially the case (in my experience) with American religious sects. If you actually look to the Catholic Church, they have had the Pontifical Academy of Sciences for almost 100 years now. They are at least somewhat dedicated to furthering the understanding of the world because they believe that brings us closer to understanding God. Evolution is not a problem for the Catholic Church, but it is a problem for certain American denominations.
Moreso, the scientific method leads us to believe that if there were a verifiable religious proof of consciousness, or creation, then that would be accepted as scientifically accurate! These things are not separate tribes. They are not in opposition. Yet for some reason we increasingly read about them as if accepting one is a rejection of the other.
Anyway, as a born and raised Catholic who grew turned agnostic, then grew to reject the church and eventually because an atheist: I honestly just don't understand what is going on in the "popculture" zeitgeist of the modern religious world. The more I read about it, interact with it and hear about it, the more confused I get.
[edit] I wanted to add that I hope rational people of faith like Stephen Colbert and now James Talarico can give us some direction and clarity in the religious world in the future.
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Comment on For thirty years I programmed with Phish on, every day. In 2026, the music is out of phase with the work. in ~tech
arch LinkThis reminds me of some of Linus Torvald's writings from a decade or two ago. I remember reading his opinion that he had switched from writing code for the Linux kernel to basically managing the...I don’t really write code anymore. The main thing now is managing agents. I open a session, ask a question, redirect, switch to a different one, check on a merge, review what came back, send it back for changes, switch again. The day is a queue. Things finish at different times and require different responses, and the responses are short and the contexts are constantly different.
This reminds me of some of Linus Torvald's writings from a decade or two ago. I remember reading his opinion that he had switched from writing code for the Linux kernel to basically managing the git merges full time. It sucks that this person is going through it. I felt it in my previous job when I went from being an individual contributor to a manager. I absolutely dreaded being in charge of other people's output, and not being held accountable for my own any longer. Some people excel at that type of work, and others aren't cut out for it.
I never learned to code, myself. So I don't feel qualified to comment if the invention of LLMs is actually the death knell for programming by hand or not. Past experience of similar situations have me thinking that it likely isn't the case, though: because typing didn't eradicate writing by hand, and self driving cars didn't save us all from driving for ourselves. But I see the other side, too: the assembly line has made it so no one assembles products fully by hand any longer.
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Comment on Apple set to become third-biggest laptop maker this year in ~tech
arch Link ParentI personally have been driven to consider Apple for the first time in 20 years because of the ongoing enshittification of everything. Vendors are attacking interoperability of services, the open...I personally have been driven to consider Apple for the first time in 20 years because of the ongoing enshittification of everything. Vendors are attacking interoperability of services, the open web is no longer committed to being open. On top of that it is getting to the point where every company wants to change for everything: mail, photo storage, music, the list goes on.
If I'm going to have go pay for basic services, I may as well go with a company that has shown commitment to high quality hardware.
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Comment on MKBHD - Glass is glass || Or how the wording "scratch resistant" and "shatter resistant" misleads customers in ~tech
arch Link ParentSounds like this could be best splved by having a highly shatter resistant screen, with a highly scratch resistant replaceable screen protector over it. This would probably be best handled if...Sounds like this could be best splved by having a highly shatter resistant screen, with a highly scratch resistant replaceable screen protector over it. This would probably be best handled if Apple was just comfortable with selling phones with a screen protector already applied, having free replacement in stores, etc.
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Comment on The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act in ~movies
arch LinkI'm glad you posted this, because my 8-year old keeps asking to watch this show. It seemed inappropriate at my first glance, so I told her I needed more time, and probably to watch it myself...I'm glad you posted this, because my 8-year old keeps asking to watch this show. It seemed inappropriate at my first glance, so I told her I needed more time, and probably to watch it myself before giving a final okay. Her friends and family her age have unfortunately watched it already, so it 0+keeps creeping into my day to day life, and other people have let her watch an episode or 2 without my okay. The conversation here, and especially the link to commonsensemedia have given me some of the tools and language I need to make these decisions more quick, and communicate them more clearly in the future.
After browsing commonsensemedia for a little, I want to pivot to a bit of a rant. I checked out reviews for another show named The Hollow and the swing between what constitutes an inappropriate rating on that show vs. Digital Circus is just pissing me off. There are people posting 10+, 12+ or even 16+ for it containing "LGBT themes". The theme in question is that one of the characters says the works "I'm gay" in the 2nd season. In comparison, a show like Digital Circus has a female character literally say the words "I want to have sex" and it is seen as appropriate for 12+? So hetero-normative sexual themes are seen as more appropriate to these people that a gay person existing? It just makes me want to go onto review the majority of shows as 12+ for containing "hetero-normative themes".
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Comment on How worried should I be about plastic water bottles? in ~talk
arch LinkThere is so much that we do every single day that is cumulatively much worse for us. Not eating enough fiber, not getting enough vitamin D, and paradoxically not protecting ourselves from the sun...There is so much that we do every single day that is cumulatively much worse for us. Not eating enough fiber, not getting enough vitamin D, and paradoxically not protecting ourselves from the sun are probably the most common. Each of these have proven negative outcomes and are shown to increase our risks or premature death. Plastics have no conclusively proven negative outcomes at the levels we are exposed to them from using them in our households, and avoiding using them is not conclusively proven to actually reduce your exposure.
The real concern is the accumulation of plastics on a global level. Limiting or banning plastics by a government is the actual solution to that. Car tires are likely to be the worst source in our lives, and they have very little regulation since they're not made to be in contact with our bodies, yet they release particles that we breathe in all day. Polyester in fabrics is probably the second biggest source of microplastics in the water and air.
Donating blood is probably the best step you can take to reduce your levels of plastic in your body. If you actually want to make a change to do it, donating blood should be the first one.
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Comment on Half-baked idea for metered inline image allowances in ~tildes
arch Link ParentI just want to push back slightly on the notion that the argument against images is "we can't because reddit has that". The argument is actually that we watched the rollout of images on reddit,...I just want to push back slightly on the notion that the argument against images is "we can't because reddit has that". The argument is actually that we watched the rollout of images on reddit, and the effects were detrimental. It would be foolish not to look to historical contexts to anticipate the outcome of an action. I dare say it feels like an unintentiknal strawman argument the more time I spend with it, so I'll just leave it at that.
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Comment on Anthropic announces deal with Google, Broadcom, says revenue has tripled in ~finance
arch Link ParentI did the exact same thing. I tested Gemini a little, first, but I'm disturbed by the amount of data I've given to Alphabet over the years, and I'd like to slow that bleed down. Sticking to their...I did the exact same thing. I tested Gemini a little, first, but I'm disturbed by the amount of data I've given to Alphabet over the years, and I'd like to slow that bleed down.
Sticking to their values definately gave them good will with consumers. From a corporate standpoint, IT is more likely to build partnerships with the companies they use at home.
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Comment on Denuvo DRM has been cirmumvented using hypervisor based bypass in ~games
arch Link ParentThe hypervisor bypass method seems to be a ring -1 based exploit. The Windows kernel itself is a higher level, ring 0. There's already some security components that utilize ring -2, and Intel...The hypervisor bypass method seems to be a ring -1 based exploit. The Windows kernel itself is a higher level, ring 0. There's already some security components that utilize ring -2, and Intel Management Engine at ring -3. I'm not security focused enough to offer any insight into how these things work, or how they might use them for copy protection.
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Comment on What have you been listening to this week? in ~music
arch Link ParentI was introduced to them by someone I work with a week or so ago, and I have also been surprised by how good their first album is. It's oddly pleasing, and rife with hooks despite dissonance and...I was introduced to them by someone I work with a week or so ago, and I have also been surprised by how good their first album is. It's oddly pleasing, and rife with hooks despite dissonance and counterpoint. They often sound like a fusion of math rock and jazz to me. The two piece band with looped twin neck guitar lends itself to comparison with El Ten Eleven. That makes them often sounds like El Ten Eleven trying to write an album in the sound of Do Make Say Think.
Their music honestly seems monumental to me the way Refused's album The Shape of Punk to Come felt. It fits together so perfectly that it seems effortless, like this is what music always has been, and always should be. But I imagine other musicians following them will have the same trouble matching their style. Even Refused couldn't live up to what they accomplished when they got back together (don't get me wrong, I actually like Freedom and War Music in their own right).
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Comment on Lore based suffixes in ~creative
arch Link ParentThis is wild, thank you for sharing it. It unsurprisingly reminds me of German the way words are derived by compounding. Since English is a Germanic language, I guess that makes the most sense....This is wild, thank you for sharing it. It unsurprisingly reminds me of German the way words are derived by compounding. Since English is a Germanic language, I guess that makes the most sense. For instance dictionary becomes wordbook.
Linguistically this is rather interesting. I do have to mention that the phrase "linguistics pluralism" makes me feel a bit uncomfortable, and I do feel some concern that it speaks to something less savory. I honestly don't want to spend enough time with it to begin drawing any conclusions.
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Comment on Android to debut "advanced flow" for sideloading unverified applications in ~tech
arch LinkAlphabet is trying very hard to assure us that this is not a big deal. Ultimately, I hope they are unsuccessful in that endeavor. At first glance, their pull back to this ground actually feels...Alphabet is trying very hard to assure us that this is not a big deal. Ultimately, I hope they are unsuccessful in that endeavor. At first glance, their pull back to this ground actually feels like a sane move. But when I spend time with it, I realize that this was probably the intention from the start. The plan was probably to make a move that was clearly too far so when they pull back there isn't outrage over what Alphabet actually cares about: government issued ID requirements for developers.
That's the problem I really have with their proposal. Developers having a government issued ID does absolutely nothing to build trust for me as a user. This move seems to serve corporations and governments in their move to increase surveillance, control, and wealth extraction of the digital realm.
I'm now extremely weary of Alphabet ever shipping a Fuschia OS based device. I hope this boosts interest and development in GrapheneOS, strengthens their partnership with Motorola and boosts development interest in true Linux based phones. I don't want to support this, and I hope there's a true alternative available to me when the time comes.
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Comment on Xbox confirms 'Project Helix', its next-gen console that will also play PC games in ~games
arch Link ParentI think it's a continuing sign that Microsoft is absolutely all in on Xbox Game Pass as their future. It feels more and more like the Netflix model for games as time goes on. You own nothing, but...I think it's a continuing sign that Microsoft is absolutely all in on Xbox Game Pass as their future. It feels more and more like the Netflix model for games as time goes on. You own nothing, but as long as you subscribe you can play whatever you want for as long as you want.
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Comment on Photons that aren’t actually there influence superconductivity in ~science
arch LinkThe math in this article is way above me head. That said, I was listening to an excerpt of a Feynman lecture yesterday, who I find infinitely more accessible. The man had a real skill at teaching....The math in this article is way above me head. That said, I was listening to an excerpt of a Feynman lecture yesterday, who I find infinitely more accessible. The man had a real skill at teaching. He was speaking on how each photon emitted actually travels every possible path along its route instantly. He goes on to say that the vectors for all but the path of least resistance that we observe it traveling cancel each other out. Is this a layman's way of understanding what these "virtual photons" are, or are they something unrelated?
I find myself wondering if the fact that photons have mass, are simultaneously everywhere, exert gravitational force, and instantly travel all paths somehow relates to what we've labelled "dark matter".
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Comment on Is higher education still valuable? in ~life
arch Link ParentI have a few counter points to your statement that I'd like to bring up. I do believe that higher education is still worth pursuing today, assuming you do it in a reasonable manner, and pay...I have a few counter points to your statement that I'd like to bring up. I do believe that higher education is still worth pursuing today, assuming you do it in a reasonable manner, and pay reasonable amounts for it (in state tuition, getting any grants and scholarships possible, and trying to use any employer programs available).
even if you take the "AI" subject out of the equation, it is definitely no longer a guaranteed yes like it used to be.
I have been hearing this since I started college myself in 2005. The Graduate came out in 1967 and deals in the background with the listlessness of being a recent college graduate, having to live with his parents, and not being able to land a career. There's always been a ton of uncertainty. I'm not trying to say that there aren't new problems that we have to deal, but I don't believe those problems have made higher education worthless.
It used to be that simply having a bachelors degree in any subject heavily correlated to significantly higher lifetime earnings.
As of 2024 this still seems to be the case, according to [this post by the Bureau of Labor Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2025/data-on-display/education-pays.htm]
Anecdotally of course, any one person's mileage may vary based on their personal circumstances. It's impossible to tell in your life if the job you get would have been available to you if you hadn't earned a degree. It's impossible to tell if you would have been hired if you didn't have that on your resume, or if you lacked the knowledge you gained through education. But, also anecdotally, I can tell you that my spouse's company will not promote her above a certain level in the organization without a college degree, and she has been forced by the company to hire degreed candidates with less experience over more experienced candidates who do not hold a degree. In my experience, climbing the ladder is easier with a degree.
Also anecdotally, it varies wildly on the field you're in. I am currently pivoting my career from construction/Project Management into elementary education. Because I have a BA in English I can go back to school for 1 year, get a graduate degree in education, and be certified to teach in my region. If I didn't have that, I would have far fewer doors open to me. It has also allowed me to substitute in my local school system, and find out that I am truly passionate about that work. I wouldn't be able to do any of this at my age if I didn't have my bachelor's. I'm not saying this is the best financial choice for me, that part is up for debate, but when I'm currently laid off and earning no money the teacher's pay scale in my state certainly looks sufficient for me. But again, this varies wildly based on region.
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Comment on The AI disruption has arrived, and it sure is fun in ~tech
arch LinkMaybe I'm the one who is out of touch here. Maybe AI truly is groundbreaking and earth shattering. But I can't help but read these two above excerpts, and think of a person in 2005 firing up...When I rebooted my messy personal website a few weeks ago, I realized: I would have paid $25,000 for someone else to do this.
When a friend asked me to convert a large, thorny data set, I downloaded it, cleaned it up and made it pretty and easy to explore. In the past I would have charged $350,000.
Maybe I'm the one who is out of touch here. Maybe AI truly is groundbreaking and earth shattering. But I can't help but read these two above excerpts, and think of a person in 2005 firing up WordPress and thinking they would have paid tens of thousands to have a developer make that website. When they actually would have used geocities or a more basic html template instead. I can't help but think of someone exporting a data set into Excel, running the Filter function, cleaning it up, and thinking they could have charged hundreds of thousands as a consultant for that. It's just a gross misunderstanding of what proper development can actually accomplish, and where you actually get value from hiring a human.
AI isn't going to be able to replace the web development team of a fortune 500. It can't replace the inhouse IT of these companies. If you try to do that, you are going to have huge issues that cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars in downtime. What are you going to do when your VPN goes down at 7 am on Monday if you don't have someone who supports it? Or when your sales portal designed by Claude crashes, or refunds all of your customers but keeps shipping orders? What do you do when a bug lists a $1,000 item for $0.10?
Valve has been alleged to be working on direct brain interfaces for a long, long time. Here's a recent article about something involving Valve and neural interfaces. I imagine it's a long, long way from fruition. I'm certainly in no rush to have anything surgically implemented.