pmheavy's recent activity

  1. Comment on USB Wi-Fi adapter suggestions in ~comp

    pmheavy
    Link Parent
    I'll second the idea of using powerline adaptors. I've had good luck with them in several cases where I wanted to get a device off WiFi and use a wired connection instead. Another option might be...

    I'll second the idea of using powerline adaptors. I've had good luck with them in several cases where I wanted to get a device off WiFi and use a wired connection instead. Another option might be a MoCA adaptor, which uses the coax cable from cable TV/internet instead of power lines.

    1 vote

  2. Comment on Personal inventory management software in ~comp

    pmheavy
    Link Parent
    I think you're right about just trying them and seeing what works. And I definitely agree with needing to find what I can stick to using, since this is really a case where it's only useful if I...

    I think you're right about just trying them and seeing what works. And I definitely agree with needing to find what I can stick to using, since this is really a case where it's only useful if I consistently track things.

  3. Comment on Personal inventory management software in ~comp

    pmheavy
    Link Parent
    That looks close to what I'm wanting, so I'll definitely check it out. Even if I don't use it for this specific use, I may try it out for the general items I own, since it also seems to track...

    That looks close to what I'm wanting, so I'll definitely check it out. Even if I don't use it for this specific use, I may try it out for the general items I own, since it also seems to track manuals as well.

    1 vote

  4. Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp

    pmheavy
    Link Parent
    I haven't used FastAPI before, but uv might be helpful for your use case. It integrates with FastAPI and supports building Docker containers from it as well. Basically, you would use uv to manage...

    I haven't used FastAPI before, but uv might be helpful for your use case. It integrates with FastAPI and supports building Docker containers from it as well. Basically, you would use uv to manage the dependencies and dev environment, and when you're ready to deploy it on the droplet, you'd build a Docker image to run it from.

    1 vote

  5. Comment on Personal inventory management software in ~comp

    pmheavy
    Link Parent
    I saw this when looking before, but thought it was focused on groceries. Though looking at it again, I see it supports custom items, so that may work for my needs. I hadn't thought about storing...

    I saw this when looking before, but thought it was focused on groceries. Though looking at it again, I see it supports custom items, so that may work for my needs. I hadn't thought about storing manuals before, but that seems useful as well.

    4 votes

  6. Comment on Personal inventory management software in ~comp

    pmheavy
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    I had no idea LibreOffice Base existed until your comment. I'm going to look into that more. Even if it turns out to be limiting in some way, it could help find out what features a more specific...

    I had no idea LibreOffice Base existed until your comment. I'm going to look into that more. Even if it turns out to be limiting in some way, it could help find out what features a more specific tool would need.

    3 votes

  7. Comment on Personal inventory management software in ~comp

    pmheavy
    (edited )
    Link Parent
    That video was very interesting! I'll send that to a few other people I know who may be interested. The part about using a grid for keys makes me think about an idea I had to organize things not...

    That video was very interesting! I'll send that to a few other people I know who may be interested. The part about using a grid for keys makes me think about an idea I had to organize things not by related groups, but just in a grid of containers. Then I could have some database sort of thing that knows what bin they are in. At least for me, I wouldn't really mind if, for example, M5 bolts and capacitors are in the same container (assuming they are in separate sections of the container) as long as I can easily look up what that bin is.

    2 votes

  8. Comment on Personal inventory management software in ~comp

    pmheavy
    Link Parent
    Bar code scanning could be cool, but I'm not sure I'd use it. I would like to be able to search for items at least somewhat easily, so I'm not sure Excel would support that well. My main concern...

    Bar code scanning could be cool, but I'm not sure I'd use it. I would like to be able to search for items at least somewhat easily, so I'm not sure Excel would support that well. My main concern would be needing to either keep an Excel license/subscription or stick to features that LibreOffice supports.

    2 votes

  9. Comment on Personal inventory management software in ~comp

    pmheavy
    Link Parent
    That was actually one of the first approaches I considered (and have definitely not ruled out). It seems like an easy enough problem to either use some basic Flask/Django app for or to try out one...

    That was actually one of the first approaches I considered (and have definitely not ruled out). It seems like an easy enough problem to either use some basic Flask/Django app for or to try out one of the Rust web frameworks I've been needing a project for. And SQLite makes projects like these simple.

    1 vote

  10. Personal inventory management software

    ~comp Ask (recommendations)
    I'm looking to better organize all the computer and electronics parts I have laying around and am looking for recommendations for software from people who are already doing this. I saw InvenTree...

    I'm looking to better organize all the computer and electronics parts I have laying around and am looking for recommendations for software from people who are already doing this. I saw InvenTree but wasn't sure if there are other alternatives I should look at. Most of what I found so far is focused on companies and is therefore a bit more than I need. My only major requirement is that I can self-host it, or at least easily export all my data out of it. Ideally, the same software would work well for organizing home workshop parts as well (e.g. bolts, sockets, glues), though that's not a hard requirement.

    Also, I'm not sure if this makes more sense here or in ~hobbies, but I figured the computer/electronics focus means it makes more sense here.

    26 votes

  11. Comment on Business idea and feedback thread in ~talk

    pmheavy
    Link Parent
    I had a similar idea to the company/values mapping. My thought was to have an app to scan barcodes, and it would present scores for the company on different values. If the company had low scores,...

    I had a similar idea to the company/values mapping. My thought was to have an app to scan barcodes, and it would present scores for the company on different values. If the company had low scores, it would suggest similar products from higher rated companies. The main issue I ran into was getting a barcode database that was reasonably priced and accurate. As for scoring companies, I wondered if it would be possible to crowdsource it for many cases, with a message explaining if the scores are crowdsourced or verified.

  12. Comment on What is one of the coolest museums you've visited? in ~travel

    pmheavy
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    The Royal Ontario Museum is great if you want to see a mix of everything a museum can have. Natural history, history, art, and it's from a variety of time periods and places. After a while it's...

    The Royal Ontario Museum is great if you want to see a mix of everything a museum can have. Natural history, history, art, and it's from a variety of time periods and places. After a while it's somewhat overwhelming, in a great way.

    Also in Toronto, the Bata Shoe Museum is really unique. It has exhibits on not just shoe related fashion, but history, production methods, and cultural influences as well.

    2 votes

  13. Comment on What’s a book that we were never supposed to be able to read? in ~books

    pmheavy
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    Meditations by Marcus Aurelius likely was not meant to be released, considering it is his private writings to himself. I found that aspect made it interesting to read, because it seems very...

    Meditations by Marcus Aurelius likely was not meant to be released, considering it is his private writings to himself. I found that aspect made it interesting to read, because it seems very personal to read someone's journal.

    The reference to the Platonov novella makes me wonder how many books published in the USSR (and maybe authoritarian countries more generally) are only known from their censored versions. Reading an afterward of Roadside Picnic was interesting because it gave an overview of working with/against/around censors. And I think the translations made after 1991 are likely based on the authors' version and not the censored one.

    15 votes

  14. Comment on The Airbnb/Hotel Gap: Private common spaces in ~life

    pmheavy
    Link
    I haven't done it myself, so I'm not sure how it compares to AirBnB, but many hotel brands also arrange house rentals. I know Marriott does through their Homes and Villas site and it's likely...

    I haven't done it myself, so I'm not sure how it compares to AirBnB, but many hotel brands also arrange house rentals. I know Marriott does through their Homes and Villas site and it's likely other brands have similar rentals. In some tourist areas there are often local rental companies that arrange house or cabin rentals, but you'll likely need to search for them by region.

    5 votes

  15. Comment on What was your first programming language, what languages do you know now, and what tips do you have for those trying to learn any of those? in ~comp

    pmheavy
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    My first language would either be Blitz Basic or C++, though can't really remember which since I started with both around the same time. Now I've done work in a variety to at least some degree,...

    My first language would either be Blitz Basic or C++, though can't really remember which since I started with both around the same time. Now I've done work in a variety to at least some degree, but typically work with either Python or Rust now.

    As far as tips:
    For beginners, it's generally not too important which language or libraries you use, it's more important to start building something. Getting experience in making even a small project in a "wrong" language choice is far more educational than not finishing something in a "correct" one. Also, don't skip on learning data structures.

    For more advanced users, if you have some Python experience and are looking to improve it, I found Fluent Python to be an excellent book. It definitely taught me a lot about not only the language, but how to write much cleaner code and take advantage of a lot of features I didn't know were available.

  16. Comment on What are some traditional internet forums that you still use? in ~tech

    pmheavy
    Link
    Ars Technica has a forum that covers a variety of topics/interests. It has a heavy focus on science and tech.

    Ars Technica has a forum that covers a variety of topics/interests. It has a heavy focus on science and tech.

    9 votes

  17. Comment on Besides Shawshank Redemption, what films do you like that feature grit, resilience, endurance under hostile circumstances? in ~movies

    pmheavy
    Link
    I'm surprised Kajaki (released in the US as Kilo Two Bravo) hasn't been mentioned yet. Though it is probably a bit of a different take on the topic.

    I'm surprised Kajaki (released in the US as Kilo Two Bravo) hasn't been mentioned yet. Though it is probably a bit of a different take on the topic.