pumpkin-eater's recent activity
-
Comment on Apple overhauls EU App Store rules following penalty in ~tech
-
Comment on What are your favorite vegan pre-packaged foods? in ~food
pumpkin-eater LinkIn the UK/Ireland, Marks & Spencer do a really good vegan "no chicken kyivs", they've got a really nice texture and a fantastic garlic flavour - I prefer them to chicken kyiv.In the UK/Ireland, Marks & Spencer do a really good vegan "no chicken kyivs", they've got a really nice texture and a fantastic garlic flavour - I prefer them to chicken kyiv.
-
Comment on I think I’m done thinking about genAI for now in ~comp
pumpkin-eater (edited )Link Parent"I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.", as Blaise Pascal so beautifully put it.Unfairly, those of us with ADHD can write walls of text and often struggle to read a few paragraphs unless highly motivated.
"I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.", as Blaise Pascal so beautifully put it.
-
Comment on Ukraine destroys more than forty military aircraft in a drone attack deep inside Russia in ~news
pumpkin-eater Link Parent(as you no doubt already know) they don't even have the option to replace them because they don't have any active production bombers (aside from technically the Tu-160). Reducing air-launched...I think the Russian’s likely counter would be to ramp up the use of drone warfare rather than attempting to replace very expensive bombers.
(as you no doubt already know) they don't even have the option to replace them because they don't have any active production bombers (aside from technically the Tu-160).
Reducing air-launched ballistic and cruise missile volume in exchange for more focus on drones seems like a good tradeoff for Ukraine since that means Russia will be using slower-moving drones launched closer to the front-line with smaller payloads.
And, of course, it also increases stress and maintenance burden on the remaining bomber fleet.
-
Comment on Ukraine destroys more than forty military aircraft in a drone attack deep inside Russia in ~news
pumpkin-eater Link ParentSounds like a prime target for a drone swarm... either the device first or the power source first. You'll no doubt also need a radar to identify and track the drones, too, so you've introduced a...Heavy, expensive and requires a lot of power
Sounds like a prime target for a drone swarm... either the device first or the power source first. You'll no doubt also need a radar to identify and track the drones, too, so you've introduced a nice strong radiating source...
-
Comment on What are some good vegan substitutes for cheese? in ~food
pumpkin-eater LinkI'm not vegan but I know (processed-food type) vegans and I enjoy trying vegan alternatives. I share your experience, there just aren't any good vegan cheese simulacrums yet. Unlike meat, where...I'm not vegan but I know (processed-food type) vegans and I enjoy trying vegan alternatives.
I share your experience, there just aren't any good vegan cheese simulacrums yet. Unlike meat, where (IMHO anyway) the Burger King & McDonalds plant-based patties are superior to their beef patties, all vegan cheese substitutes range from repulsive (for me, it's plant-based Babybel which has the mouthfeel and taste of eating a candle) to simply boring and insipid (Violife). I assume it's just too complicated a combination of flavours to replicate currently.
A friend who enjoys Violife hasn't had cheese for so long that I think he simply doesn't have a point of comparison anymore, and is just enjoying it as a novel non-cheese snack food. I could be totally wrong on that, but hard and mature cheeses are life for me.
He is American and I'm European, so could also be a general difference in cheese cultures (pun neither intended nor regretted). -
Comment on A broken thruster jeopardized Voyager 1, but engineers executed a remote fix in ~space
pumpkin-eater Link ParentI'm sorry to say that (unless you're unlucky) it definitely will be. The team running it are aiming to get it to 2030, but the reality of their dwindling nuclear power source means there's a limit...I'm sorry to say that (unless you're unlucky) it definitely will be. The team running it are aiming to get it to 2030, but the reality of their dwindling nuclear power source means there's a limit on how long it can keep operating.
There's a lovely and sad documentary about this, https://itsquieterfilm.com/trailer
-
Comment on What is one of the coolest museums you've visited? in ~travel
pumpkin-eater LinkThe Corning Museum of Glass in New York state - they had so many cool interactive exhibits of optics, beautiful contemporary and historical art pieces, live demos, and hot shops where you can...The Corning Museum of Glass in New York state - they had so many cool interactive exhibits of optics, beautiful contemporary and historical art pieces, live demos, and hot shops where you can participate in doing basic glass-blowing.
-
Comment on What's the oldest tech you use, and why do you still use it? in ~tech
pumpkin-eater Link ParentYeah, absolutely - good point. I assume you'd also be paying a lot more for parts/repairs than we would here given that the US market won't have as many front loaders as the rest of the world (and...Yeah, absolutely - good point. I assume you'd also be paying a lot more for parts/repairs than we would here given that the US market won't have as many front loaders as the rest of the world (and I assume they'll require different innards to cope with the lower voltage and that will be lower volume).
-
Comment on What's the oldest tech you use, and why do you still use it? in ~tech
pumpkin-eater Link ParentI think front-loaders are actually more energy efficient, as well as being better at washing, and use less detergent & water... so it's entirely possible a front-loader would pay for itself in...I think front-loaders are actually more energy efficient, as well as being better at washing, and use less detergent & water... so it's entirely possible a front-loader would pay for itself in reduced energy/water/detergent bills.
I've only ever used a top-loading washing machine once, when staying with a friend in the US, and I was pretty unimpressed with the cleaning performance (although, sample size of 1)
That said, modern washers & dryers sure do take a long time - my heat pump dryer is wonderfully efficient but takes 4 hours to run.
-
Comment on What's the oldest tech you use, and why do you still use it? in ~tech
pumpkin-eater (edited )LinkI take photographs with a 1951 Rolleiflex It's a very relaxing, quiet experience. It has two lenses (one for prevewing, one for taking - rather than a single lens with a mirror that moves out of...I take photographs with a 1951 Rolleiflex
It's a very relaxing, quiet experience. It has two lenses (one for prevewing, one for taking - rather than a single lens with a mirror that moves out of the way) so the shutter mechanism is just a soft click. It doesn't take batteries, it's just a clockwork mechanism. The viewfinder is on top and you see the image projected onto a sheet of ground glass, which is just magical.
It also produces 6cm by 6cm negatives, which are really fun (and much more fun to unspool and develop vs 35mm film)
P.S. Technically, the oldest thing I use is a chair from the late 1600s, but I don't think that counts...
-
Comment on Amber: a high-level programming language that compiles to Bash in ~comp
pumpkin-eater Link ParentTheir example on the homepage didn't compile for me (type checker said no), but with a little tweak it did. The bash it produced looked more readable than I expected. Minification is a build...Their example on the homepage didn't compile for me (type checker said no), but with a little tweak it did. The bash it produced looked more readable than I expected. Minification is a build option but it doesn't seem to change the output.
Source:
import { join } from "std/text" fun get_weather(cities: [Text]): Null { let temperatures = [Text] for city in cities { const result = $ curl -s "https://wttr.in/{city}?format=1" $ failed { echo "Error: Failed to get weather for {city}" continue } temperatures += [result] } //return temperatures } get_weather(["Mumbai", "Jakarta"])Result:
get_weather__29_v0() { local cities=("${!1}") __AMBER_ARRAY_0=(); local temperatures=("${__AMBER_ARRAY_0[@]}") for city in "${cities[@]}"; do __AMBER_VAL_1=$( curl -s "https://wttr.in/${city}?format=1" ); __AS=$?; if [ $__AS != 0 ]; then echo "Error: Failed to get weather for ${city}" continue fi; local result="${__AMBER_VAL_1}" __AMBER_ARRAY_2=("${result}"); temperatures+=("${__AMBER_ARRAY_2[@]}") done # return temperatures } __AMBER_ARRAY_3=("Mumbai" "Jakarta"); get_weather__29_v0 __AMBER_ARRAY_3[@]; __AF_get_weather29_v0__17_1="$__AF_get_weather29_v0"; echo "$__AF_get_weather29_v0__17_1" > /dev/null 2>&1 -
Comment on TSMC may have approval to create 2nm chips in the US in ~tech
pumpkin-eater Link ParentI agree, but I suspect Taiwan's loss of leverage is strategic realism on the part of their leaders - they know that if China invades they'll have to flee, and not standing in the way of the US...I agree, but I suspect Taiwan's loss of leverage is strategic realism on the part of their leaders - they know that if China invades they'll have to flee, and not standing in the way of the US securing advanced chip supply chain means they're more likely to have a place to go.
I don't think China's invasion of Taiwan can be realistically stopped. For the US & allies Taiwan is just so far away for force projection on a scale needed to combat the scale of China's military build-up (especially given their much improved energy security: nuclear and solar build-up, and an increase in land-based gas pipelines to reduce vulnerability to a blockade of tankers moving through the Strait of Malacca).
Due to chip sanctions, China have been growing their own chip foundry industry as fast as they can, so there's also a strong economic incentive to invade while the world is dependent on Taiwan: if TSMC foundries are destroyed (or, worst case, under PRC control) that means realistically less competition for Chinese foundries even though they're currently worse than TSMC's state-of-the-art.
-
Comment on What long book series is worth its page count? in ~books
pumpkin-eater Link ParentI actually think the series improves upon the books. It was written by the authors, and from interviews they explain that they took the opportunity to edit and improve story & characters. Camina...I actually think the series improves upon the books. It was written by the authors, and from interviews they explain that they took the opportunity to edit and improve story & characters. Camina Drummer, for instance, is an amalgamation of a few book characters to create a much stronger character (although a lot also comes down to the great performance).
I think you could probably pick up and start on the last three books - there's a 30 year time jump, so I don't think it will be too confusing going in straight from the show.
-
Comment on You can watch a 1982 lecture by Grace Hopper in ~comp
pumpkin-eater LinkComments from the last time this was posted to Tildes: https://tildes.net/~tech/1igo/nsa_releases_footage_of_rear_admiral_grace_hopper_speech_from_the_1980sComments from the last time this was posted to Tildes: https://tildes.net/~tech/1igo/nsa_releases_footage_of_rear_admiral_grace_hopper_speech_from_the_1980s
-
Comment on The destruction of the soft power of the United States in ~society
pumpkin-eater LinkI think much worse than the reputational damage is his replacement of ambassadors and others in the diplomatic corp with people who just seem wholly incapable of real diplomacy and working behind...I think much worse than the reputational damage is his replacement of ambassadors and others in the diplomatic corp with people who just seem wholly incapable of real diplomacy and working behind the scenes to avoid crises. Biden had worked to restore some of that, but it would have taken much more time to build that base up again.
Empires die, and I think this is just a rapid accelerator on the demise of the American empire which was already well underway (unfortunately, because I think they have been a net positive for us in the West), and hastening the Chinese empire's ascendancy. I also think half-assed sanctions on China have also accelerated that, since as a result China need to become independent of US/Allied supply chains as a matter of survival, and they are able to do that during peacetime.
-
Comment on <deleted topic> in ~society
pumpkin-eater Link ParentI don't know whether it would be unpopular in Spain, but I don't think monarchs are well situated to do unpopular things: I suspect them going with the tides of public opinion are why the public...I don't know whether it would be unpopular in Spain, but I don't think monarchs are well situated to do unpopular things: I suspect them going with the tides of public opinion are why the public permit them to continue in their positions - an unpopular figurehead monarch without dictator power under a democracy is likely to be ousted (and of course, even in the past with dictator powers, unpopular monarchs tended to have a shortened life expectancy)
-
Comment on US National Security Agency releases footage of Rear Admiral Grace Hopper speech from the 1980s in ~tech
pumpkin-eater LinkSo much of what she talked about in this lecture still seems highly relevant to this day - in particular "what is the value of your information", which is a question people still don't consider...So much of what she talked about in this lecture still seems highly relevant to this day - in particular "what is the value of your information", which is a question people still don't consider (especially the cost of incorrect data)
-
Comment on What advantages does Linux have over other operating systems? in ~tech
pumpkin-eater Link ParentI think that's maybe focusing too much on the "I'm too dumb" part and not the "don't understand what's happening" part - there's plenty of stuff in Linux that's...I think that's maybe focusing too much on the "I'm too dumb" part and not the "don't understand what's happening" part - there's plenty of stuff in Linux that's bad/dumb/ancient-decision-no-longer-fit-for-purpose that you can navigate and work around if you understand it... but often that is not the case with Windows/macOS
(I caveat this response saying that I use macOS on desktop with gnu commandline tooling, and Linux only on servers - used to use Linux desktop for work but that was a long time ago)
-
Comment on What would it take for a soup to be exciting? in ~food
pumpkin-eater Link ParentI really like this take on it, "soup" as a word does have a branding problem. I wonder if it's also to do with it often being a course rather than a main component of a meal in western dining...I really like this take on it, "soup" as a word does have a branding problem. I wonder if it's also to do with it often being a course rather than a main component of a meal in western dining tradition?
I'm a soup naysayer myself, and don't get excited by the prospect of a meal consisting entirely of soup (even delicious flavoursome soups, or noodle soups like ramen), they read as drinks to me. That said, I don't like thinner sauces either (generally not a fan of anything that's likely to splash when I eat too much too fast) so I might just be odd.
As a heavy Apple user for most of my life, my view of the company has significantly changed because of this - the level of constant petty malicious compliance makes them look weak (and tasteless)