microbug's recent activity

  1. Comment on Solo South East Asian route in ~travel

    microbug
    Link Parent
    I have used it successfully. I just downloaded the app again to check, and the options are Visa, UnionPay, Wechat, Alipay, or BCEL One. I used Visa.

    I have used it successfully. I just downloaded the app again to check, and the options are Visa, UnionPay, Wechat, Alipay, or BCEL One. I used Visa.

    1 vote

  2. Comment on Solo South East Asian route in ~travel

    microbug
    Link Parent
    In general, train travel is cheap and reasonably comfortable if you book a more expensive cabin/seat in advance. Advance is the key word -- they do often sell out of the nicer options, so book...

    In general, train travel is cheap and reasonably comfortable if you book a more expensive cabin/seat in advance. Advance is the key word -- they do often sell out of the nicer options, so book well ahead. In Thailand and Vietnam, third class sleepers are usually just battered old rail cars with seats in them, no air con and all the shadiest characters travelling with you (wear your bag at all times and lock the zips -- things do get stolen, same applies on sleeper buses). Second class sleepers are fine, they have AC and horizontal 'beds' but aren't that comfortable if you're tall like me (6ft/182cm). First class are good (I have heard), but sell out fast.

    In Laos the trains are a different story. They are high-speed Chinese trains and very comfortable. Not sleepers but the longest journeys are easily doable in the day because they're so fast. Book with the official LCR Ticket app, and be aware that they don't release tickets until 3 days before the day of travel. I had no problems finding tickets once they were released. The Lao train travel experience is quite a strange one, it's such a poor country in most areas but train travel is like stepping into another dimension.

    There are many different websites that sell train tickets. Usually there is one official website with the best selection and lowest prices, and lots of unofficial tourist sites that have much better SEO and will be the first few options on Google. The official Thai site is this one. Select English in the top right menu if you don't read Thai! (Or use Google Translate.)

    The unofficial sites are fine, but they usually have a certain allocation/stock of seats that sells out faster than the official site. They are always more expensive.

    I didn't try trains in Malaysia/Singapore (except the MRT) but the buses were very good. The least psychopathic drivers I encountered in SE Asia...

    1 vote

  3. Comment on Solo South East Asian route in ~travel

    microbug
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    You're out of date wrt the Lao high speed train. As of ~April 2023, the app is working and you can book and pay for tickets remotely and easily. The stations being so far from the cities is still...

    You're out of date wrt the Lao high speed train. As of ~April 2023, the app is working and you can book and pay for tickets remotely and easily. The stations being so far from the cities is still a pain though. Prices are much lower if you book yourself rather than through an agency.

    Edit: the three day release window does still apply though.

    2 votes

  4. Comment on Solo South East Asian route in ~travel

    microbug
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    I think given the time you have to spend, you can't do all the major destinations in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Do you have any particular preferences for the type of places you'd like to visit?...

    I think given the time you have to spend, you can't do all the major destinations in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Do you have any particular preferences for the type of places you'd like to visit?

    In general, the easiest way to get around in most of these countries is bus/train for long distance travel, and motorbike/scooter for shorter journeys. In cities, you can get a bike taxi, but in rural areas you will find it much harder and more expensive. Definitely consider getting a bike license or at least some practice (e.g., CBT in the UK) before you go. No licence is usually no problem, but you don't want to get hurt or hurt others.

    In Vietnam I really enjoyed Ha Giang (go on your own if you have a motorbike license, otherwise be prepared to go with a tour -- roads are very dangerous and they are strict about licences). Ninh Binh was also stunning. Cat Ba / Ha Long Bay was nice but overtouristy. Vietnam has decent trains and sleeper buses.

    In your situation I'd probably cross into Laos in the north, and visit Luang Prabang (on the high-speed train line). Consider heading to Huay Xai and do the Gibbon Experience -- it's great fun and you get amazing views of the rainforest, but it will take a day to get there (train + long minibus journey).

    Definitely head south through Laos if you can. It's a bit off the beaten tourist track, but the people, food and scenery are amazing. The Thakhek loop is well worth doing, and make sure to visit Don Det.

    From there you could cross into Thailand (short detour but once there, the transport is much faster and smoother) or go through Cambodia. I'd mostly be looking at visiting Koh Rong Sanloem, Phnom Penh (for the Khmer Rouge history) and Siem Reap for Angkor Wat.

    Thailand is lovely and well covered by other resources online. Chiang Mai is home to quite a lot of digital nomads and has places you could get some work done for a while. Lots of diving in the south if that's your thing. Don't do an elephant tour -- they aren't as ethical as they claim to be.

    Malaysia -- definitely visit Penang Island, I'd allow for a week there. Kuala Lumpur is ok but a bit of an unpleasant urban sprawl.

    Singapore is only much fun if you're willing to spend >$200 a day. I'd allow for only a few days there.

    3 votes

  5. Comment on Any thoughts on Cloudflare's new(ish) VPN/DoH service? in ~tech

    microbug
    Link Parent
    As far as I can see the existing privacy policy for 1.1.1.1 is very good. The only thing to watch is whether it's changed in the future.

    As far as I can see the existing privacy policy for 1.1.1.1 is very good. The only thing to watch is whether it's changed in the future.

    3 votes

  6. Comment on Any thoughts on Cloudflare's new(ish) VPN/DoH service? in ~tech

    microbug
    Link Parent
    Yeah. At least Cloudflare doesn't have the incentive to collect your data that Google does (their products are generally enterprise-focussed). If you're worrying about DNS requests being captured...

    Yeah. At least Cloudflare doesn't have the incentive to collect your data that Google does (their products are generally enterprise-focussed). If you're worrying about DNS requests being captured by the source you pretty much have to use TOR or I2P (slow). There's no point in the average person thinking about this stuff, a bad actor would have to have massive resources to exploit it (i.e., if someone can exfiltrate your info from Cloudflare they can probably also hack your devices directly).

    1 vote

  7. Comment on Any thoughts on Cloudflare's new(ish) VPN/DoH service? in ~tech

    microbug
    Link Parent
    It's using around 15% battery per day for me, which is fine since I rarely use more than 50%. Roaming between WiFi and mobile data seems to work better than with the native WireGuard app, though...

    It's using around 15% battery per day for me, which is fine since I rarely use more than 50%. Roaming between WiFi and mobile data seems to work better than with the native WireGuard app, though it's still not as fast as with no VPN.

    I think the paid version is faster. There are some speed test comparisons online. I believe it's not that they intentionally limit the normal version, rather that the paid one tries to find the least congested route using Cloudflare's backbone networks.

    5 votes

  8. Comment on Any thoughts on Cloudflare's new(ish) VPN/DoH service? in ~tech

    microbug
    Link Parent
    I'd dispute that. Sure, once it's set up it's more or less the same but setting up your own VPN server is beyond the abilities of most people. Downloading this onto their phones/computers and...

    easier

    I'd dispute that. Sure, once it's set up it's more or less the same but setting up your own VPN server is beyond the abilities of most people. Downloading this onto their phones/computers and pressing start probably isn't.

    1 vote

  9. Comment on Any thoughts on Cloudflare's new(ish) VPN/DoH service? in ~tech

    microbug
    Link
    This actually looks pretty good. It's fast (Cloudflare's network is massive) and Cloudflare's privacy policy appears to limit what they collect pretty harshly (anonymous data only). I believe it...

    This actually looks pretty good. It's fast (Cloudflare's network is massive) and Cloudflare's privacy policy appears to limit what they collect pretty harshly (anonymous data only). I believe it is based on WireGuard.

    Any thoughts?

    1 vote

  11. Comment on Apple to reveal glimpses of its next era of apps and sevices at WWDC in ~tech

    microbug
    Link Parent
    I doubt it's a priority for Apple given that high-bitrate AAC is indistinguishable from lossless codecs.

    I doubt it's a priority for Apple given that high-bitrate AAC is indistinguishable from lossless codecs.

    4 votes

  12. Comment on Facebook plans to launch 'GlobalCoin' cryptocurrency in 2020 in ~tech

    microbug
    Link
    Mr Robot wasn't meant to be a guide, Facebook!

    Mr Robot wasn't meant to be a guide, Facebook!

    3 votes

  17. Comment on Google hit with 4.3bn euro Android fine from EU in ~news

    microbug
    Link Parent
    The problem is that preinstalling apps is anticompetitive. See: Microsoft's behaviour with Netscape in the 90s. Microsoft had to actively ask users which browser they wanted to use after a new...

    What is the problem exactly? Apps being preinstalled doesn't mean you have to use them.

    The problem is that preinstalling apps is anticompetitive. See: Microsoft's behaviour with Netscape in the 90s. Microsoft had to actively ask users which browser they wanted to use after a new Windows installation for a few years as a result of the legal action brought against them.

    7 votes

  20. Comment on Donald Trump hints at the Queen's private views on UK Brexit in ~news

    microbug
    Link Parent
    Trump does this all the time.

    Trump does this all the time.

    "Now, I have to tell you, it's an unbelievably complex subject," [Trump] added. "Nobody knew health care could be so complicated."

    7 votes