largepanda's recent activity
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Comment on Looking for early users to try my app in ~tech
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Comment on Iceland pushes Apple to add Icelandic language support in ~humanities.languages
largepanda Link ParentThe flip side of this argument is that adding Icelandic is not an expensive proposition for Apple; even going as far as hiring several full time Icelandic translators would still be a drop in the...The flip side of this argument is that adding Icelandic is not an expensive proposition for Apple; even going as far as hiring several full time Icelandic translators would still be a drop in the bucket of their profits from Iceland alone.
Having your OS in a language you want to learn/keep knowledge of is very valuable, you see people setting their systems to secondary languages all the time to help build that immersion. Even if you're fluent in both languages, only operating in English will cause your Icelandic to diminish.
Plenty of other major tech platforms support Icelandic, including Android and Facebook, so iOS's lack of translations feels out of place.
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Comment on Almost half of EU’s busiest flight routes are ‘hard or impossible’ to book on trains in ~transport
largepanda Link ParentEven if you do know who operates them, booking the trains can be a nightmare. My recent trip to Europe included a DB (🇩🇪) train and a SCNF (🇫🇷) train. I tried and failed multiple times to book the...Even if you do know who operates them, booking the trains can be a nightmare. My recent trip to Europe included a DB (🇩🇪) train and a SCNF (🇫🇷) train. I tried and failed multiple times to book the DB train through their website, ending on inexplicable error pages each time. I was never able to figure out a first-party way to book the SCNF route I needed, with the official SCNF booking site just not showing a buy button for that route (and yet showing buy buttons for similar routes in my search?). I ended up buying both tickets through SBB (🇨🇭), even though the only involvement SBB had in either was operating the train stations at one end of each route. And even then it took me trying three different US credit cards checking out with SBB before one of them would actually do the "3D secure" thing correctly and actually process the transaction (the winner was, remarkably, a Wells Fargo issued MasterCard; an American Express card and a Bank of America issued Visa card both wouldn't work).
I'm only an English speaker but all of these companies had English versions of their sites, I was on the direct pages for each one, actively trying to purchase tickets with a valid credit card, and wasn't even able to do so. For an airline ticket I can navigate to the official sites of Ryanair, Lufthansa, British Airways, Condor, etc; immediately find the flight I'm looking at, and book it. This process should be low friction, I'm actively trying to give you money, and yet it was an entire stressful evening for no reason.
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Comment on SteamOS runs on jailbroken Nintendo Switch in ~games
largepanda Link ParentIt already is in some circles, YouTuber Bringus Studios has made it a habit of putting SteamOS or similar gaming Linux OSes (Bazzite, ChimeraOS, etc) onto devices they were never meant for,...It already is in some circles, YouTuber Bringus Studios has made it a habit of putting SteamOS or similar gaming Linux OSes (Bazzite, ChimeraOS, etc) onto devices they were never meant for, including a medical display computer, a clear plastic prison laptop, a Google Meet conferencing computer, a network firewall appliance, and more.
Even back in 2016, fail0verflow ended their demonstration of getting Linux running on the PS4 by launching Steam and playing Portal 2 on it.
When Steam runs just about anywhere, seeing it running on funny devices isn't too hard to achieve and is definitely amusing.
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Comment on What are you reading these days? in ~books
largepanda LinkAfter seeing Project Hail Mary in theaters (fantastic!) I was discussing it and Andy Weir's other novels with some friends. I was considering rereading PHM or The Martian (or maybe Artemis) but...After seeing Project Hail Mary in theaters (fantastic!) I was discussing it and Andy Weir's other novels with some friends. I was considering rereading PHM or The Martian (or maybe Artemis) but instead a friend pointed me at The Mare-tian by Kris Overstreet. It is, as absurd as it sounds, a crossover fanfic between My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic and The Martian. I know, I know, but hear me out. Overstreet adopts Weir's writing style pretty damn closely, the addition of magical horses may solve some problems from the original book, but it introduces plenty more to be worked through and solved by the group of castaways stuck on Mars. Magic isn't free, and is instead a limited resource that has to be budgeted and used as effectively as possible, just like food or water or power or heat.
Giving Mark Watney people(/ponies) to talk to gives the story a different feel and flow, so although it follows all the same broad plot points as the book, it doesn't feel like a retread. I greatly enjoyed reading through it, as I'm always desperate for more of Weir's methodical hard scifi problem solving tales, and this just feels like another book to add to that collection.
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Comment on Europe’s $24 trillion breakup with Visa and Mastercard has begun in ~finance
largepanda LinkThis is great, though I'm curious about what their plan is for a system that works without a functional smartphone on the buyer, since this system seems to be dependent on QR codes for in-person...This is great, though I'm curious about what their plan is for a system that works without a functional smartphone on the buyer, since this system seems to be dependent on QR codes for in-person payments.
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Comment on Humble Choice - February 2026 in ~games
largepanda LinkI've 100%ed Steamworld Build, it's a very fun city builder with a story attached. The game is pretty easy in my opinion, even on the hardest difficulty, but it was still enjoyable to play through...I've 100%ed Steamworld Build, it's a very fun city builder with a story attached. The game is pretty easy in my opinion, even on the hardest difficulty, but it was still enjoyable to play through and complete all the maps. Runs just fine on Linux, I played it exclusively on my Steam Deck with no issues.
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Comment on Nova Launcher: An update in ~tech
largepanda Link ParentI've been following Lawnchair for a while now, it's been under active development and I've been waiting for it to get all the features I want out of a launcher to switch from Nova.I've been following Lawnchair for a while now, it's been under active development and I've been waiting for it to get all the features I want out of a launcher to switch from Nova.
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Comment on Removing obfuscation in Minecraft Java Edition in ~games
largepanda Link ParentAzure is having a bad time right now, see the article on archive.org instead.Azure is having a bad time right now, see the article on archive.org instead.
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Comment on Remedy Entertainment CEO Tero Virtala steps down after nine years – developer appoints co-founder and chief product officer Markus Mäki as interim CEO in ~games
largepanda Link ParentGiven FBC: Firebreak was released about a year before it was ready, it's certainly not a good look under his leadership. We're now four months after release, they've released one major rework...Given FBC: Firebreak was released about a year before it was ready, it's certainly not a good look under his leadership. We're now four months after release, they've released one major rework which refined the game a lot, but it's still a mess.
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Comment on Remedy Entertainment issues profit warning after FBC: Firebreak's big overhaul fails to turn things around in ~games
largepanda Link ParentAgreed, even as the core gameplay gets fixed, lack of mission variety bogs down long term interest. Payday 2 launched in October 2013 with 11 heists, and was up to 16 by the end of the year. FBC:...Agreed, even as the core gameplay gets fixed, lack of mission variety bogs down long term interest.
Payday 2 launched in October 2013 with 11 heists, and was up to 16 by the end of the year. FBC: Firebreak launched with... 5, and is up to... 6. And on smaller, cramped maps.
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Comment on Remedy Entertainment issues profit warning after FBC: Firebreak's big overhaul fails to turn things around in ~games
largepanda LinkI wrote a big writeup about FBC: Firebreak last time it came up, having put nearly 20 hours into it. I've played a few hours of the new update, admittedly I haven't played the new mission yet, but...I wrote a big writeup about FBC: Firebreak last time it came up, having put nearly 20 hours into it.
I've played a few hours of the new update, admittedly I haven't played the new mission yet, but I've seen enough to judge the overall gameplay improvements. The game still feels unfinished, but far less so, and is a lot closer to what it should've been on release. Enemy difficulty has been reduced, bullet sponge enemies are less spongey, gameplay variety in zones 1-2 of missions have been improved, and the new perk system is a welcome replacement for the old mess.
However, it's definitely not done. I've had several times where my performance has gone to zero (~80-100 FPS down to ~5-10, and sometimes even ~1-2) for no visible reason, recovering randomly a bit later. Many of the weapons still don't feel balanced right, like the bolt action (needs to hit harder and/or have a bigger magazine) or the submachine gun (feels useless vs the regular machine gun). Ground Control zones 1 and 2 still suck.
The game got an influx of improved reviews, going up to "Mixed" on Steam, which matches my current opinion of it. I'm going to play more of this update, but it's still not done, and I hope future updates bring the game closer to a finished product.
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Comment on Travel essentials: eight items to pack for your next trip – and what to leave at home in ~travel
largepanda Link ParentIf your laptop charges over USB-C, there are absolutely alternative chargers available. You can do up to 100W over USB PD, and many laptops take advantage of this now. Everything in my travel bag...If your laptop charges over USB-C, there are absolutely alternative chargers available. You can do up to 100W over USB PD, and many laptops take advantage of this now.
Everything in my travel bag can be charged by a single USB-C brick I keep with me (though I do keep 3 in my big backpack) and not having to stress about different chargers is fantastic.
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Comment on Humble Choice - September 2025 in ~games
largepanda Link ParentDestiny 2 isn't really F2P, it's more accurately a free demo that you then need to buy at least some of the DLCs to get a remotely full experience.Destiny 2 isn't really F2P, it's more accurately a free demo that you then need to buy at least some of the DLCs to get a remotely full experience.
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Comment on Donald Trump Department of Justice is looking at ways to ban transgender Americans from owning guns, sources say in ~lgbt
largepanda Link ParentThe NRA also tweeted opposition against the proposed ban, both themselves and retweeting a post explicitly against a "Tran Ban" (both Nitter links). I don't like the NRA, really at all, but they...The NRA also tweeted opposition against the proposed ban, both themselves and retweeting a post explicitly against a "Tran Ban" (both Nitter links).
I don't like the NRA, really at all, but they did show up almost immediately in response to this news.
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Comment on WinRAR zero-day under active exploitation – update to latest version immediately in ~tech
largepanda Link ParentYes, tons and tons of people don't know about 7-Zip and are still using WinRAR.Yes, tons and tons of people don't know about 7-Zip and are still using WinRAR.
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Comment on Remedy Entertainment is "unsatisfied" with the sales of its live-service shooter FBC: Firebreak, as the game underperformed on Steam in ~games
largepanda LinkI've put 16.2 hours in FBC: Firebreak, playing right on launch day and launching it back up after every patch. The game is fun with two friends, but only for so long, because it's an unfinished...I've put 16.2 hours in FBC: Firebreak, playing right on launch day and launching it back up after every patch. The game is fun with two friends, but only for so long, because it's an unfinished mess.
There are 5 missions: Hot Fix, Paper Chase, Ground Control, Frequency Shift, and Freezer Duty. Each mission has 1-3 rooms (depending on difficulty), you complete an objective to unlock the next room, then once you've completed all the rooms, you have to book it back to the entrance in room 1 before the enemies overwhelm you.
Room 1-2 are always the same objective, just on different maps. Room 3 is a different thematically-related objective, except for Frequency Shift where it's the same. Every map is identical, with only pickups for the objectives and health/ammo stations shuffled. The objectives themselves, saferooms, and layout are always the same.
Paper Chase and Hot Fix are the best missions, but would still be B tier Payday 2 heists at best. Frequency Shift and Freezer Duty are both alright, though they could definitely use some refinement. Missions still have key pieces that aren't relevant, like Paper Chase's electricity attack in the final boss room doing borderline nothing, and you should only worry about the water pipes. Freezer Duty takes way too long to dispatch frost specters, and moving the heaters feels bad.
My friends and I would have sessions where we'd do one run on each mission on high or max difficulty. After a few nights of this we cut out Ground Control, as the first two rooms feel like an unrefined first draft, which is especially a shame as GC's final room, the titular ground control to launch a rocket, is actually pretty decent.
There are 3 character classes in the game and Splash is wildly more important than the other two. Jump and Fix are both useful at times, but without a Splash (who basically has to play a medic role) you're screwed. For a game called "Firebreak", having only one class able to easily extinguish fires is an insane design choice.
To earn the secondary upgrade currencies, you have to play missions with the corrupted difficulty slider turned up. This will spawn 1-3 corrupted items in the level to make things harder, except the corrupted items aren't balanced well at all. A few items (riot helmet, stapler, snare drum) make the game wildly difficult, to the point of being unfair if they spawn in before you have good weapons and upgrades, or if you're not playing with two similarly experienced friends. The rest are easily managed or even beneficial to you.
Taking the black rock rounds upgrade trivializes disposing of corrupted items, and not having it makes dispatching them a nightmare, having to find a black rock launcher somewhere in the level. Some items, namely the stapler and crowbar, have such small hitboxes they're not fun to try and shoot, especially with the amount of rounds you need to dispatch them.
While I was playing it with friends, we were constantly comparing it to similar co-op games that do this better. Payday 2 has small fixed maps, but avoids monotony with randomized objectives in randomized locations. Left 4 Dead 2 has massive maps with randomized weapons, so even though they're the same they take so much longer that they stay interesting. Helldivers 2 has randomized maps with randomized objectives, and an overarching story to keep things fresh.
All those listed games have better team cohesion, better gunplay (you have a primary and a secondary!), more varied levels, and just generally are more fun once the novelty of "discount helldivers in the oldest house" wears off. I'm hopeful the game will get to a better point with future patches, but until then I don't see myself reopening it.
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Comment on Reddit will block the Internet Archive in ~tech
largepanda LinkThis is just depressing.This is just depressing.
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Comment on Why won't the Wayback Machine archive my page? in ~tech
largepanda LinkThere's a delay between a webpage being saved by archive.org and it being accessible via the wayback machine. It's generally only 10-30 minutes, but can sometimes take longer if you get unlucky in...There's a delay between a webpage being saved by archive.org and it being accessible via the wayback machine. It's generally only 10-30 minutes, but can sometimes take longer if you get unlucky in the processing queue.
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Comment on Did a fictional character from a show/movie influence your life? in ~talk
largepanda Link ParentSocially acceptable in high school now? No. Less socially unacceptable? Yeah.Socially acceptable in high school now? No.
Less socially unacceptable? Yeah.
I'll be honest, I don't think this is worth any amount of recurring charge, especially not $72 a year. I don't deny it took time and effort to develop, but I think the cost just doesn't add up w.r.t the current feature set.
Social features will be a hard sell, especially when you're competing with "just share the links to someone". Not to mention there's already a social bookmarking storage site, it's called Pinboard, and it costs $22/yr, a fraction of your offering.
People who aren't tech savvy won't even know this is something they could want or acquire; regardless of if they'd like it or not. People who are tech savvy might find it, but they'll look at it, gawk at the price, then find one of the open source alternatives and call them good enough. I really just don't see a market for this.