magico13's recent activity
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Comment on What are your favorite “chore” games? in ~games
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Comment on EV discussion thread in ~transport
magico13 Link ParentAustralia probably has some different vehicles available but I can throw out some thoughts at least. That temperature range is ideal for a heat pump for heating and it's generally true that it has...Australia probably has some different vehicles available but I can throw out some thoughts at least. That temperature range is ideal for a heat pump for heating and it's generally true that it has a smaller impact on range than a resistive heater. When you get to below freezing that's when the heat pump stops being as efficient. Personally I've seen much better winter efficiency with my heat pump model 3 vs my older resistive one, I'm in upstate New York so we definitely get cold here.
I'd also look at highway range tests since the rated range doesn't always line up with reality. I think Out of Spec and Edmunds both have them. The market is big on SUVs and crossovers right now so I'm not sure if you're looking for something like a VW id3 (kinda like a Golf) compared to a VW id4 (small SUV) or even an id7 (bigger hatchback sedan).
My typical recommendations are the Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6 (same car with different bodies), VW id4, Ford Mach E, Tesla Model Y, maybe the Equinox/Blazer. The Toyota BZ4X and Subaru Solterra (same car basically), and Nissan Ariya aren't ones I'd normally recommend but for the right price they can be attractive choices. There are a bunch of more luxury options with more range/comfort/etc but those are the ones I'd start with in the US at least. You might have some more Asian market options and some of these might not be available (or reasonably priced if they are).
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Comment on EV discussion thread in ~transport
magico13 Link ParentIf Mazda made a good electric Miata (ie, didn't do it just because they "had" to) I would immediately sell my car for it. I don't care that it's impractical, I just want an electric roadster that...If Mazda made a good electric Miata (ie, didn't do it just because they "had" to) I would immediately sell my car for it. I don't care that it's impractical, I just want an electric roadster that A) exists and B) doesn't cost an arm and a leg. RWD, 50-50 weight distribution, ~6s 0-60, 150+ miles of range, same or a little more weight. I don't need it to have top specs, it's a Miata, so I want it to still feel like a Miata.
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Comment on EV discussion thread in ~transport
magico13 LinkI've been primarily driving EVs since 2017. I also like to try new things so there's more cars in this list than necessary: 2017-2019: 2015 Nissan LEAF SV 2019-2021: 2019 Tesla Model 3 SR+...I've been primarily driving EVs since 2017. I also like to try new things so there's more cars in this list than necessary:
- 2017-2019: 2015 Nissan LEAF SV
- 2019-2021: 2019 Tesla Model 3 SR+
- 2021-2022: 2021 Ford Mustang Mach E SR AWD
- 2022-now: 2022 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD
The 2019 model 3 was a lease and I was able to get out of it a year early and also get $10k by selling it to a third party dealer. Tesla doesn't let you buy out the lease otherwise I'd probably still have it. I only kept the Mach E for a year because it was too big, only getting about 3 miles per kwh compared to the model 3's 4-5 and I didn't need the space. It was also the 210 mile standard range which was fine, except that most of my family lives about 300 miles away and in the winter that drive was two charging stops and the SR Mach E did not charge quickly and Electrify America was a pain. I also really missed aspects of my old Model 3.
The 2022 model 3 is really a late 2021 (November 21, lead acid battery, MCU 2, ultrasonics) that I got used in June 22 with about 5k miles on it. Traded the Mach E for what I paid before the tax credit, so I got to basically put that toward the Model 3. That was of course the peak of used car prices so a new one now is a lot less than what I paid then for a lightly used one. But it's been very solid, I had some speakers replaced in my driveway but otherwise no issues. I work from home, so most of my driving is local, but I've put about 30k miles on since then, including a trip of about 750 miles each way where I did the whole drive back in one day. Supercharging has been great, that drive I mentioned that I do often that sucked in the Mach E is just a single 15 minute stop (and the car usually needs less than that, we just grab a drink and use the restroom and that takes longer).
My wife has a 2022 Ioniq PHEV. She's able to do her whole commute on electric so the gas engine is only used for longer drives. If it had twice the battery range she could do a lot more local driving fully electric (her mom's house and back is about 50 miles but it only has a 29 mile range). She's warmed up to a full EV but she's the type to keep her cars for a while, but probably her next one will be fully electric.
Looking forward I'd really like to be able to use a small utility trailer when we need to move something that won't fit in our two sedans (we're remodeling a lot right now ourselves and it's becoming a challenge). I considered swapping to an Ioniq 5 but my car's current value compared to what we owe is not worth it right now. The 2025 Ioniq 5 also has some really nice updates so it's worth waiting for that over the 24. I'm a fan of the Rivian R2 but it seems too big for me, so what I'm really looking forward to is the R3. I'd consider the Equinox and id4 but I think I'd miss a lot about the design and support philosophy of Tesla (like I did when I had the Mach E) but Rivian seems like a way to get what I like about Tesla without Musk. I'd also love a small pickup like the Maverick but as a PHEV or EV, or something like the Buzz. I know the inefficiency would bug me compared to a sedan for either, but a van is one of the best form factors for transporting both people and stuff. A pickup's only real advantage there is for taller items and dirty stuff like gravel but I do not like full-size trucks, just give me an electric maverick for that please.
One thing to keep in mind for us is that we've got really cheap electricity and more than average cost of gas. We pay 5 cents per kwh factoring in all fees (bill total divided by usage) but gas is like $3.40 right now. We pay less than $20 a month usually for our two cars. About 400kwh, which is generally >1600 miles. At 40mpg that'd be about 40 gallons or $136 in gas at current rates. It doesn't make up the difference in costs (but if that was our goal we'd have a used Bolt instead) but we basically don't think about "fueling" costs with our cars.
I am happy to answer questions in the comments or elaborate more. EVs are basically my hobby so I really like talking about them. Been a fan of them ever since I saw a video about people building conversions when I was in High School in like 2008, so the fact that you can just buy so many of them now is so exciting to me!
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Comment on EV discussion thread in ~transport
magico13 Link ParentIt doesn't immediately void your warranty, they do have to prove that the damage was caused by you towing. It definitely increases the risk of them denying a claim but it's not a silver bullet.It doesn't immediately void your warranty, they do have to prove that the damage was caused by you towing. It definitely increases the risk of them denying a claim but it's not a silver bullet.
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Comment on If you could send someone to any historic moment, who and when? in ~talk
magico13 LinkI like the idea of bringing someone to the modern day whose impact on society happened primarily after their death. I believe that was the plot of a Doctor Who episode with Vincent Van Gogh. It...I like the idea of bringing someone to the modern day whose impact on society happened primarily after their death. I believe that was the plot of a Doctor Who episode with Vincent Van Gogh. It doesn't have to be an artist, there are many scientists and engineers, or activists, that fit the bill as well.
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Comment on How are AI and LLMs used in your company (if at all)? in ~tech
magico13 LinkSoftware developer for a company that isn't in the software field, we use GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio and in Teams for meeting summaries. For development I find I use it pretty extensively for...Software developer for a company that isn't in the software field, we use GitHub Copilot in Visual Studio and in Teams for meeting summaries.
For development I find I use it pretty extensively for writing unit tests, mostly to save copy and paste setups and assertions. I'll use the chat feature if I'm not sure how to do something or for some types of refactoring.
The meeting notes aren't perfect but they're good enough that I don't really need to take notes usually.
Otherwise we're not really using it. Our team has thought about ingesting all our documentation into a chatbot but that wasn't really something we'll look into doing.
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Comment on A handful of US grocery stores now have ammo vending machines in ~finance
magico13 Link ParentI'm in a similar boat, it almost seems more secure than walking up to a counter operated by a person who doesn't really feel like checking IDs today. The cold, logical robot doesn't decide "that's...I'm in a similar boat, it almost seems more secure than walking up to a counter operated by a person who doesn't really feel like checking IDs today. The cold, logical robot doesn't decide "that's a good kid who usually buys ammo with their parent, it's not an issue to sell it to them by themselves".
I personally don't care for the concept of ammunition being easy to acquire but this could at least make it harder to acquire illegally if done correctly.
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Comment on Does anybody know why transactions don't include metadata about the products bought? in ~finance
magico13 LinkI work in a related field, processing credit card transactions for a grocery store. By the time a transaction gets to where I deal with it, there's no information about the cart, basically just a...I work in a related field, processing credit card transactions for a grocery store. By the time a transaction gets to where I deal with it, there's no information about the cart, basically just a single number for the total that gets sent out to the payment processors and some info about the card (but not the card number itself, we never see it ourselves).
For FSA/HSA, EBT/WIC, and probably others there is information about the cart sent so we can find out which items are covered by those programs, but I'm honestly not very familiar with that since I mostly work with typical credit cards. Also, I absolutely never want to see your cart info because that's getting into PII and I never want to have PII stored. Elsewhere in the company that data exists and is used for marketing but I never want to see it when handling payments.
If you want to track spending at individual item levels, keep your receipt or take a picture of it. With a picture you can use your phone's OCR to extract the info and I'm sure there are tons of apps that can extract it all for you. And a receipt can have all the items broken out without the backend servers storing that info tied to you. And if you don't use a loyalty number all that it can tie to is your credit card (and your phones wifi and Bluetooth MAC addresses since they can track you throughout the store).
If you care about not being tracked, use Google/Apple Pay so the card number is different and periodically changes, don't use a loyalty card, use a phone that randomizes your MAC address(es) and/or turn those radios off, don't give apps location access unless they need it (and close the apps when you're done) and also use ad blockers (phone-wide if you can).
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Comment on Tildes Book Club discussion - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir in ~books
magico13 Link ParentI read this book when it first came out, so I'm a bit rusty, but one of the things I love about Andy Weir's novels is that the science is usually believable. It might still be futuristic...I read this book when it first came out, so I'm a bit rusty, but one of the things I love about Andy Weir's novels is that the science is usually believable. It might still be futuristic technology but it's got a believable route to get there. This book in particular is the most fantastical of his in my opinion (see the discussion of the xenonite elsewhere) but still usually believable.
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Comment on Toyota’s bet on hybrids was mocked, then vindicated. Now it’s trying to repeat the trick with an unlikely bet on the combustion engine. in ~transport
magico13 LinkToyota's anti-EV stance is exactly why we won't buy them anymore. The Japanese automakers are set to make tons of money in the short term by capitalizing on people's fears of EVs, at the expense...Toyota's anti-EV stance is exactly why we won't buy them anymore. The Japanese automakers are set to make tons of money in the short term by capitalizing on people's fears of EVs, at the expense of falling behind in the long term.
I suppose I'm biased though, having been driving EVs for almost a decade. I've experienced the restrictions of an 80 mile range LEAF, 200 mile Ford Mach E relying on Electrify America for trips, and a 300 mile Tesla model 3 using superchargers. I could pretty confidently drive coast to coast in my model 3 without needing extensive planning, though the furthest I've actually done in a day is 750 miles.
We have a PHEV second car that my wife commutes in (30 miles of range, 24 mile round trip commute) but we don't use it for road trips, it's just not as good of a road trip vehicle (tighter space, lower safety ratings, higher costs). Our electricity is cheap hydro power at 5 cents per kwh, so our fuel costs are basically nothing (about $20 a month), so when we do need to use public chargers the costs don't matter too much.
If you don't have an option for home/work charging then it's still difficult to rely only on public charging, but that will improve in the future. So for now a hybrid is likely better in that situation, but eventually the difference won't be as big. There will always be people who won't be able to use an EV because they drive into the middle of nowhere for 400 miles and have to take extra fuel tanks, but most people vastly overestimate what they actually need.
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Comment on Recommendation request: Computer monitor with built-in speakers/soundbar in ~tech
magico13 LinkHonestly I'd look at something like PCPartPicker and just filter to the things you care about. Built in speakers probably aren't going to sound the best but I'm not personally that picky about...Honestly I'd look at something like PCPartPicker and just filter to the things you care about. Built in speakers probably aren't going to sound the best but I'm not personally that picky about them myself.
If your computer is struggling with the current display resolution then going higher won't be of any use, you can reduce the resolution in the game but you may as well stick to a 1080p display or 1440p if you want a bit higher. You might not be able to push a faster refresh rate either but 144Hz is still a nice option and 77Hz at half VSync is still more than 60. Personally I wish I had gone 1440p 144Hz instead of the 4K 60Hz that I did last upgrade.
Look through this list maybe and consider some of the better rated ones. https://pcpartpicker.com/products/monitor/#F=558800000,685800000&r=192001080&S=1
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Comment on The Murderbot Diaries Book 7 - System Collapse just got released in ~books
magico13 LinkExcellent, I was needing a new book to pickup and I'm a fan of this series. Though I should probably get Fugitive Telemetry back from my friends and actually read that one first, then read this...Excellent, I was needing a new book to pickup and I'm a fan of this series. Though I should probably get Fugitive Telemetry back from my friends and actually read that one first, then read this afterwards.
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Comment on Smart home automation - tip, tricks, advice? in ~life.home_improvement
magico13 LinkLots of other people here with great advice. I can also strongly recommend Home Assistant. I wish I knew about it when I started with home automation because I would have chosen more local...Lots of other people here with great advice. I can also strongly recommend Home Assistant. I wish I knew about it when I started with home automation because I would have chosen more local options.
For thermostat I can recommend the Ecobee line, I've had three now in different homes and been happy with them. But instead of using the cloud integration to connect them into Home Assistant, use the Homekit integration. That will get you fully local access and way faster updates and you don't actually need any Apple devices for it to work, Home Assistant can emulate a Homekit hub. I still use their cloud in case Home Assistant isn't running for some reason but I use it just as a backup.
Everything at our cabin is being set up to be local, so it's all zigbee (check out the Home Assistant Sky Connect for a zigbee/matter compatible dongle) or ESPHome. I'm trying to keep Wi-Fi devices down but that's more preference than requirement. Also any Hue compatible bulbs are zigbee and don't need any Hue bridge if you have a zigbee dongle, so that gives you a ton of options for smart bulbs.
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Comment on Framework Laptop 16 pre-orders are live in ~tech
magico13 Link ParentIs the 13 inch too big? That seems like a good compromise between size and portability to me. I'd probably get that one if I didn't already have a Surface and a 16 inch laptop available to me.Is the 13 inch too big? That seems like a good compromise between size and portability to me. I'd probably get that one if I didn't already have a Surface and a 16 inch laptop available to me.
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Comment on City services | Feature highlights #5 | Cities: Skylines II in ~games
magico13 LinkI'm so excited for Cities Skylines 2. I played the first one for a little while at release, then forgot about it for a long time, came back to it around Industries and was amazed at how much had...I'm so excited for Cities Skylines 2. I played the first one for a little while at release, then forgot about it for a long time, came back to it around Industries and was amazed at how much had been added to the base game. Then I played it a bunch and bought all the main expansions and it's one of those games where I cycle through playing it nonstop for a while and then taking a break and coming back later to a bunch of new stuff.
All the talk of the sequel has me wanting to play it again but there's so many things that look improved over the first one that I just want to play the new one instead of trying to replicate it with mods. Plus I have a bunch of other games on my backlog... I haven't tried playing it on my steam deck yet and if the controls aren't too rough I might end up getting pulled back into it.
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Comment on How bisexuality changed video games in ~games
magico13 Link ParentThe issue I had with Cyberpunk was that, at least playing as a woman and trying to romance Panam, it wasn't until the end of the "track" that you find out she's straight despite the fact that...The issue I had with Cyberpunk was that, at least playing as a woman and trying to romance Panam, it wasn't until the end of the "track" that you find out she's straight despite the fact that she's been flirty with you the whole time. I think the dialog is the same for male vs female PC basically the whole time until the very end. I wish she had different dialog sooner and I didn't have to look up a guide to figure out what I messed up. I'm fine with her being straight but at least be consistent about it.
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Comment on The Password Game in ~tech
magico13 LinkI made it to the YouTube video, found one that was close enough to 33:34 to count, but that screwed up my Roman Numerals and elements because of C and W. Then Paul didn't make it. Poor Paul :(...I made it to the YouTube video, found one that was close enough to 33:34 to count, but that screwed up my Roman Numerals and elements because of C and W. Then Paul didn't make it. Poor Paul :( Definitely don't recommend playing on your phone like I did. Thankfully when you bold your vowels it doesn't care if you bold everything.
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Comment on Any people who do not consider themselves part of the "community"? in ~lgbt
magico13 Link ParentNot to try to assign labels to you or anything, but that sounds more aromantic than asexual to me, in case you do find yourself trying to find like-minded people. I think it's pretty common for...Not to try to assign labels to you or anything, but that sounds more aromantic than asexual to me, in case you do find yourself trying to find like-minded people.
I think it's pretty common for aro and ace people to not really feel included in the LGBTQ+ umbrella since they don't really experience much in the way of discrimination and it doesn't often become a big part of how they identify themselves. I think it is important to have them be recognized because they can have the need to talk with others "like them" in a safe way. For instance, my wife is ace and I'm a cis male (or maybe a transfem, that's a whole other can of worms at the moment) so it puts a strain on our relationship in a unique way that can be more comfortable to discuss with other people who are ace, or she can talk to people who are just discovering for themselves that they're ace and explain how that's affected things for herself.
Long story short, in general I think the community should be welcoming of just about everybody but not everybody who might fit the labels needs to become a part of the community. If people are happy doing their own thing then that's cool with me.
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Comment on Purchase a Chromebook or "regular" laptop? in ~tech
magico13 Link ParentYou probably can but I'm not sure what effects that will have on the battery life and stylus support. I'm happy enough with it as a little Windows machine personally and I'm not sure my wife would...You probably can but I'm not sure what effects that will have on the battery life and stylus support. I'm happy enough with it as a little Windows machine personally and I'm not sure my wife would appreciate me messing with it that much since she uses it quite a bit as well.
Might not match exactly but Euro Truck Simulator 2. You start by borrowing trucks and trailers but eventually own your own, with garages everywhere and employees that generate passive income. A job takes maybe 30 minutes and it's peaceful to just drive and enjoy the changing scenery. Plays well on Steam Deck but also is great on a big screen.
My friends just recently picked up RuneScape again now that group ironman is a thing. The grind doesn't really get better in that game though, but you can do it at your own pace.
Another along this vein that I enjoyed and need to come back to since they have added a lot recently is Big Ambitions. Start with a gift shop where you're buying the furniture, product, and running the place alone out of your Honda Civic. Then build up to running a bunch of fully staffed businesses with all of the supply chains automated. It's paced pretty well to always feel a sense of growth and accomplishment but you can also be as hands-on as you want even when things are automated. If you like things like Supermarket Simulator but want more depth, this game is way deeper.