jackson's recent activity
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Comment on Kroger’s panopticon: Making criminals of grocery shoppers in ~tech
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Comment on I just switched to an iPhone, what should I do to make the most of this change? in ~tech
jackson Link Parentah yeah if it’s a non-pro model it’s just using the cameras and is much less accurateah yeah if it’s a non-pro model it’s just using the cameras and is much less accurate
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Comment on I just switched to an iPhone, what should I do to make the most of this change? in ~tech
jackson Link ParentWhich model of iPhone was this on? I've found it to be relatively accurate on the 14 Pro ("standard" models do not have lidar), but I only ever use it when I need a rough approximation ("how much...Never really tried it before but just did and it was off by 5% to 10% so definitely not fully reliable
Which model of iPhone was this on? I've found it to be relatively accurate on the 14 Pro ("standard" models do not have lidar), but I only ever use it when I need a rough approximation ("how much cat6 do I need to go around the perimeter of this room"). Definitely stick with a measuring tape for anything requiring precision.
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Comment on Kroger’s panopticon: Making criminals of grocery shoppers in ~tech
jackson Link ParentI think Kroger wants to have their cake and eat it too. My local QFC (one of their million store brands) has about a dozen cashier checkout lines but typically has between 0 and 2 open. I’m...I think Kroger wants to have their cake and eat it too. My local QFC (one of their million store brands) has about a dozen cashier checkout lines but typically has between 0 and 2 open.
I’m relatively cost-conscious while shopping, and legitimately could not tell you how much my cart will cost when I get to checkout because the design of their price tags is so (intentionally!!) hard to decipher. At another store down the street I’m able to approximate my total cost to within $5. Fortunately I can afford unpredictable grocery bills but a lot of people cannot- I am not at all surprised people are willing to steal from Kroger.
Ultimately shoplifting is not a Kroger problem but is a community problem. We should be looking at what is causing people to want or need to shoplift and address the root causes, rather than increasing surveillance.
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Comment on What's the best way to avoid scams when being paid by strangers on the internet? in ~finance
jackson LinkA third option is credit cards- it's not terribly difficult to set up payments using Stripe (though this does come at a cost), and you can generate a link to a hosted checkout/payment page from...A third option is credit cards- it's not terribly difficult to set up payments using Stripe (though this does come at a cost), and you can generate a link to a hosted checkout/payment page from the dashboard that you can send to the client.
You do run the risk of a chargeback, but I don't think that's a common practice of scammers.
On PayPal, a common scam is to forge a "payment received" email and send it to your address, either just to trick you into sending the product or it'll include something like "your account has been locked, please send $400 to support at notactuallypaypal.com to unlock your account." Other than that, it's a pretty solid way to pay for things online. Venmo and Cashapp also work and support non-reversible transactions (though buyers on Venmo can mark it as "for a purchase" which allows them to reverse it like on PayPal and has fees for you).
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Comment on Executions in ~humanities
jackson Link ParentI believe this video is available anywhere you can’t legally stream it on a paid service (like HBO Max). They’ll post just the executions segment on Thursday, available (mostly) everywhere (at...I believe this video is available anywhere you can’t legally stream it on a paid service (like HBO Max). They’ll post just the executions segment on Thursday, available (mostly) everywhere (at least in the US, not certain about elsewhere).
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Comment on How do you feel about student loan forgiveness? in ~life
jackson Link ParentI think there is presently value in geneds for college students due to the wild variations in how complete high school curricula can be, but I think there's a future in which we have higher...I think there is presently value in geneds for college students due to the wild variations in how complete high school curricula can be, but I think there's a future in which we have higher standards for high school education that replace our need for them.
I did have a relatively focused degree plan though, with most of my geneds exempted through AP/dual credit before I actually started at university.
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Comment on Does anyone else have really strange FedEx driver stories? in ~talk
jackson Link ParentDefinitely had this happen before as well. Quite surprising that "package arrived too early" is not a failure case many delivery services are prepared for. Though this is partly an issue with how...Definitely had this happen before as well. Quite surprising that "package arrived too early" is not a failure case many delivery services are prepared for.
Though this is partly an issue with how delivery dates are now being "guaranteed," before that you didn't have any idea when it'd arrive.
I've noticed that Amazon is starting to require authentication to receive high-value packages by sending you a 6-digit code on the day of delivery, which must be shared with the driver for them to complete the delivery (they stress that this should be done in-person). Interestingly a driver didn't ask for a code on one of my packages and it's still showing in my account as "shipped, not yet received," even after several months. This seems to be a better system than the signature system, but it has a whole host of usability concerns (should a package locker negate the need for this, sending packages as gifts, etc).
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Comment on Does anyone else have really strange FedEx driver stories? in ~talk
jackson Link ParentI may be reading based on personal assumptions, but I assume the package was a “hand to me” or “signature required” and the driver walked off with it based on the tone of the post. I have a...I may be reading based on personal assumptions, but I assume the package was a “hand to me” or “signature required” and the driver walked off with it based on the tone of the post.
I have a similar issue occasionally where I get notifications that my package was undeliverable even though the carrier never attempted to call me on the intercom (directory code is included in delivery instructions). Occasionally Amazon drivers will open a chat session then immediately leave (probably to convince the app they tried to contact me). Can’t really blame the driver given the terrible working conditions but it’s reflecting poorly on the company with how often this happens.
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Comment on Will the Apple antitrust case affect your phone’s security? in ~tech
jackson Link ParentSo there’s interestingly a hidden level of control that you can take here- I’m not certain on the details, but carriers have apps that allow you to more dynamically block spam calls. ATT’s is...So there’s interestingly a hidden level of control that you can take here- I’m not certain on the details, but carriers have apps that allow you to more dynamically block spam calls. ATT’s is called ActiveArmor, and it’s definitely better than nothing (and is free on all postpaid rate plans, not sure about prepaid).
It’s imperfect, and doesn’t allow a super fine-grained level of control, but it’s certainly better than nothing. I believe there are also 3rd party apps that can use this same API, but have not specifically sought any out.
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Comment on Tiny undervalued hardware companions in ~tech
jackson LinkYou can! It's just hidden away in the app or through a weird gesture. You can toggle that feature ("Speak to Chat") by holding two fingers on the right earcup until the headphones say "Speak to...The only ‘downside’ is generally the downside of the Sony WH1000XM4 headphones – that You CAN NOT disable their silencing while you speak – so using them in ‘passive’ mode with Boom Microphone Cable is preferred to meet all needs.
You can! It's just hidden away in the app or through a weird gesture.
You can toggle that feature ("Speak to Chat") by holding two fingers on the right earcup until the headphones say "Speak to Chat disabled."
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Comment on GM cuts ties with two data firms amid heated lawsuit over driver data in ~transport
jackson Link ParentIf I'm understanding the suit correctly, even customers who never touched the OnStar button have had their data sold. There is no opt-out mechanism other than "don't buy GM." Other makes have...Wouldn't most GM customers be aware that, by signing up for OnStar, their data would be shared?
If I'm understanding the suit correctly, even customers who never touched the OnStar button have had their data sold. There is no opt-out mechanism other than "don't buy GM." Other makes have similar features too, though it's unclear if they're providing data to external parties.
Really I just want this nonsense outlawed. Stop selling my data, period. But in a world where data's being sold anyways, I think there's a pretty big gap between selling it to people for advertising and selling it to the people who price your insurance - the latter will have a direct financial impact on you without your explicit consent.
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Comment on How does Paris stay Paris? By pouring billions into public housing. (gifted link) in ~life
jackson (edited )Linkgift link https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/17/realestate/paris-france-housing-costs.html?unlocked_article_code=1.eE0.TGTp.9PERwQ9YP7Rs&smid=url-share (btw your public library may offer temporary...(btw your public library may offer temporary subscriptions to nytimes! I get 3-day passes from our website all the time, just have to sign in with my library card number)
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Comment on Sorry. Your car will never drive you around. in ~transport
jackson Link ParentThis is also already happening today, just with roads.Just building trains will negatively impact a lot of people in the first few years before they see any benefit from it. Eminent domain will kick people out of their homes
This is also already happening today, just with roads.
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Comment on Credit cards and privacy: Can I have both? in ~tech
jackson LinkAnother option in the realm of online service subscriptions is gift cards- you can buy gift cards for most online services in physical stores and sometimes even digital codes for purchase online....Another option in the realm of online service subscriptions is gift cards- you can buy gift cards for most online services in physical stores and sometimes even digital codes for purchase online. These would only have “a gift code” linked to the payment card and “a gift card” linked to the nitro card.
The store will probably keep a record of the ISs if the gift cards purchased, but it’s not something they’ll talk to the service provider about, unless there was was some huge amount of fraud or somethjng.
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Price fixing by algorithm is still price fixing
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Comment on Waymo can now charge for robotaxi rides in LA and on San Francisco freeways in ~transport
jackson Link ParentWorth noting- this incident was under Cruise (GM), not Waymo (Google). https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/11/after-robotaxi-dragged-pedestrian-20-feet-cruise-founder-and-ceo-resigns/Worth noting- this incident was under Cruise (GM), not Waymo (Google).
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Comment on How I accidentally made my link shortener into a malware honeypot in ~tech
jackson Link ParentI have a private shortener that I use for presentations- I manually edit a Cloudflare K/V table to create a new link, so no risk of malware being distributed through it. Looks nice since it's on...I have a private shortener that I use for presentations- I manually edit a Cloudflare K/V table to create a new link, so no risk of malware being distributed through it.
Looks nice since it's on my own domain, works great for QR codes (which work better at a distance when they're simple), and allows people to quickly type them in if they don't want to use their phones.
I don't use it too terribly much, but it's running on a serverless function so it's not like I'm paying to run it 24/7 (usage has always fallen into free tier anyways).
I've also implemented URL shorteners in applications as a part of the app, but that's again been done without an actual UI, just to make ridiculously long URLs (like data display configurations) presentable. Those usually don't make the URL "short," the unique reference is just a UUID, but it's an improvement from the several hundred character length of the original URL.
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Comment on Police bodycam shows sheriff hunting for 'obscene' books at library in ~books
jackson LinkI originally wanted to post a comment alongside the article, but was really struggling to put into words what I thought about it. I'll let the subject of the article speak for herself: Out of...I originally wanted to post a comment alongside the article, but was really struggling to put into words what I thought about it. I'll let the subject of the article speak for herself:
“You can check out anything in here, no holds barred. You can be 10 years old and get anything on any subject,” Cochran says. “They can, at home, log online literally with three clicks and get any book from one of 28 libraries. It doesn’t matter if you can’t drive. Say you live in Athol and you want a book that’s in Coeur d’Alene [30 minutes away]. They shuttle it,” she adds, referring to a Bookmobile program (that is currently out of service) where people who are unable to find transportation to the library can get books delivered to them. “It’s parked right back there. They shuttle it. They shuttle it.”
Out of context, this seems innocuous- almost as if she supports it. There's a video in the article where you can hear her incredulously describe how a library works (including that portion), which gives a fascinating view into the mind of someone who wants to ban books.
The sheriff went so far as to remove the barcodes from the books he personally found offensive (after refusing the return them), which meant the library was unable to put them back into circulation.
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Police bodycam shows sheriff hunting for 'obscene' books at library
54 votes
Here’s the different varieties of price tags I’ve seen off the top of my head:
I only realized the difference between the “2 for $5” and the “buy 2 and save” about a week ago after deliberately experimenting with an item that had that tag- the lower price was nearly 50% lower than the “standard price” so it’s obviously meant to encourage people to buy more than they actually need.
At self checkout, only the standard price displays on the machine until you press “pay,” so you can’t actually tell what the running total is. Non-card prices are ludicrously high, grabbing several random receipts out of my reusable bag shows average 25% “savings” with my card. So I guess I could just lop 25% off of the running sum as I’m scanning things.