redwall_hp's recent activity
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Comment on Seven39 - Social media that’s only open from 7:39 PM to 10:39 PM, EST in ~tech
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Comment on Nintendo President on the new Switch 2, tariffs and what's next for the company in ~games
redwall_hp Link ParentThat's why I want to see higher game prices. The current situation, after decades of inflation is untenable, and pay has been terrible in games for a long time. I'd make half my salary working on...Do people not want developers to get paid for their labor?
That's why I want to see higher game prices. The current situation, after decades of inflation is untenable, and pay has been terrible in games for a long time. I'd make half my salary working on games, and people still take that hit because they want to work on games. And modern teams for games are massive compared to years ago, with mile long credits lists of 3D artists, texture artists, voice actors, animators, motion capture actors and technicians, etc..
If the prices stay stagnant, it's just going to keep squeezing those workers and things will get worse. For what is, ultimately, the production of a luxury product.
I happily pay my FFXIV subscription and throw occasional money at Genshin Impact, which are easily the majority of my gaming these days, but when I buy an anticipated single player game, I'm not averse to the cost, because it's only an occasional thing. I got well more than $80 worth of enjoyment out of a solid year of Baldur's Gate 3.
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Comment on Cany anyone recommend a dead simple voice recorder? in ~tech
redwall_hp LinkNot sure how simple they are to use, since I have been controlling my urge to impulse buy one, but "field recorder" is the term used for professional audio recorders: they're very basic and rugged...Not sure how simple they are to use, since I have been controlling my urge to impulse buy one, but "field recorder" is the term used for professional audio recorders: they're very basic and rugged devices with stereo mics that record raw audio files to a memory card and can be plugged into a computer. They're at least not any more complicated than old style microcassette recorders, with a big record button and transport controls.
Something like a TASCAM can be had for under $100, and is designed for recording music, podcasts, dictation, whatever.
I've been causally looking at these for sampling random things to make weird wavetables for synths.
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Comment on It's official, Switch 2 Joy-Con will not feature Hall Effect sticks in ~games
redwall_hp (edited )Link ParentI replaced two DualSense controllers after several years of use caused some tracking issues, so it's not like they're immune to problems...but I also just don't think it's a big deal? Mechanical...I replaced two DualSense controllers after several years of use caused some tracking issues, so it's not like they're immune to problems...but I also just don't think it's a big deal? Mechanical things wear out eventually.
What I'm getting at is it's the norm more or less, and I'm not going to hold Nintendo to a higher standard for an even cheaper device. Hall effect controls are, presently, a luxury/niche thing that's not yet widely adopted by the major industry players.
As long as they bring the failure rate down in line with their peers, it's reasonable.
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Comment on It's official, Switch 2 Joy-Con will not feature Hall Effect sticks in ~games
redwall_hp LinkNotably, nobody else uses hall effect sticks either. The PS5 and Xbox controllers both use conventional setups. Yes, there are advantages to using that mechanism, but its absence is not the reason...Notably, nobody else uses hall effect sticks either. The PS5 and Xbox controllers both use conventional setups.
Yes, there are advantages to using that mechanism, but its absence is not the reason for the drift problems and the continued absence is not an indicator that there will be similar failure levels. Nintendo surely lost a significant amount of money on their replacement program, so it's in their best interests to design something more durable.
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Comment on It's official, Switch 2 Joy-Con will not feature Hall Effect sticks in ~games
redwall_hp Link ParentMore like the Steam Deck isn't even meaningful competition against the Switch, an older and much less powerful device. There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that the Steam Deck will scratch the...More like the Steam Deck isn't even meaningful competition against the Switch, an older and much less powerful device. There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that the Steam Deck will scratch the sales of Switch 2.
The Switch has sold over 150 million units, while the Steam Deck hasn't even scratched half of the Wii U's 13.5 million units.
Back when the Switch launched, it had the same sort of comments, which had "no wireless, less space than a Nomad" energy then and still do this time.
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Comment on Why US President Donald Trump's tariff chaos actually makes sense (big picture) in ~society
redwall_hp Link ParentStealing this from the other thread: And, make no mistake, the tariffs are tantamount to an act of war, as Warren Buffet just referred to it recently. The peace of the modern world comes from...Stealing this from the other thread:
"What protectionism teaches us, is to do to ourselves in time of peace what enemies seek to do to us in time of war."
– Henry GeorgeAnd, make no mistake, the tariffs are tantamount to an act of war, as Warren Buffet just referred to it recently. The peace of the modern world comes from interlinked economies freely exchanging resources for mutual benefit, with the threat of being sanctioned into oblivion for breaking the peace, whereas in the past simply taking resources to center them within national borders was incentivized. These tariffs are a declaration of intent, and the world will respond in kind.
Already we're seeing Japan, Korea and China setting a unified front of economic retaliation. And Canada and Japan are both now in the program to succeed the EuroFighter Typhoon, meaning they are setting plans to abandon the use of US fighter jets.
I only hope the rest of the world will eviscerate the US with finance before it can shift gears to using arms, and force a change of course.
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Comment on Disney’s ‘Tangled’ live-action movie hits the pause button in ~movies
redwall_hp Link ParentThe live action Atlantis already exists ;)The live action Atlantis already exists ;)
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Comment on Why do domestic prices rise with tariffs? in ~finance
redwall_hp Link ParentNotably, interlinked global economies are the greatest power to enforce peace that exists, and the tariff announcement illustrates it perfectly: China, Japan and South Korea agreed to a unified...Notably, interlinked global economies are the greatest power to enforce peace that exists, and the tariff announcement illustrates it perfectly: China, Japan and South Korea agreed to a unified front of retaliatory tariffs against the US. Despite centuries of on and off animosity, and even recent territorial disputes, they chose rational economic benefit and allied against the betrayal from a shared trade partner.
Warren Buffet went so far, in a recent interview, as to refer to Trump's tariffs as an "act of war." On the whole world, no less.
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Comment on Chappell Roan - Pink Pony Club (Live from the 67th Grammy Awards, 2025) in ~music
redwall_hp Link ParentI found it interesting that Rick Astley covered one of her songs, for exactly that reason: he always wanted to be a musician, then he had a big hit and walked away for years because he realized he...I found it interesting that Rick Astley covered one of her songs, for exactly that reason: he always wanted to be a musician, then he had a big hit and walked away for years because he realized he hated being a celebrity. It ceased to be about making music overnight, and became interviews and public appearances and other bullshit.
Imagine just trying to do your job or hobby and constantly being chased down and harassed for your opinion on things, or having people writing nasty things about you online. Having people invade your privacy wherever you go and scrutinizing everything you do.
Nobody is entitled to anything just because someone released some music, appeared in a movie, wrote some software, whatever.
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Comment on Nintendo delays Switch 2 pre-orders in US due to tariffs and "evolving market conditions" in ~games
redwall_hp Link ParentThe Switch had shortages at launch too, back in 2016. People were running around to different retailers and asking employees for tips on when shipments would come in, and I recall there being...The Switch had shortages at launch too, back in 2016. People were running around to different retailers and asking employees for tips on when shipments would come in, and I recall there being tracker sites like there was for the great Raspberry Pi shortage as well.
Nintendo underestimated demand, the internet was out of touch as usual, and the real demand for them eclipsed expectations.
I fully expect the initial run to sell out quickly and then it'll be difficult to obtain for awhile.
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Comment on An image of an archeologist adventurer who wears a hat and uses a bullwhip in ~tech
redwall_hp LinkAn interesting post I came across on the orange link aggregation site. It's kind of funny how it quickly devolves into a sort of game to see how easily you can get it to spit out something that's...An interesting post I came across on the orange link aggregation site. It's kind of funny how it quickly devolves into a sort of game to see how easily you can get it to spit out something that's likely infringing.
[Ghiblifying is] an example of the things people hate about Gen AI- its ability to reproduce while managing to strip away the things about the art/product/experience that were the most human.
According to a Business Insider article on this “Ghiblifying”, “copyright laws generally allow artists to mimic a visual style”, but I mean… come on.
Just how easy is it to wrangle from GPT that which is very clearly someone else’s IP?
Well, you’re in luck.
I ran a half-assed experiment to do just that.
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An image of an archeologist adventurer who wears a hat and uses a bullwhip
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Comment on Nintendo delays Switch 2 pre-orders in US due to tariffs and "evolving market conditions" in ~games
redwall_hp Link ParentGamers are pretty much an even cross section of the whole population at this point, with the things skewing the distribution being that it leans much heavier to the side of children than the side...Gamers are pretty much an even cross section of the whole population at this point, with the things skewing the distribution being that it leans much heavier to the side of children than the side of 80 and 90 year olds.
A majority of Americans didn't even vote for Trump, because a majority of the population didn't vote (~60% of eligible voters and many people are not eligible, e.g. children). Approx 152 million votes cast vs a population of over 340 million.
I don't think it's numerically reasonable to cast that aspersion at all.
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Comment on See Donald Trump's list: More than 180 countries and territories facing reciprocal tariffs from the US in ~society
redwall_hp Link ParentIt might be the ISO-3166 list, which is what gTLDs are based on.It might be the ISO-3166 list, which is what gTLDs are based on.
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Comment on Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 – 4.2.2025 in ~games
redwall_hp Link ParentDOOM, made by a half dozen or so people in 1993, cost $40. That over $89 in 2025 money. And a modern game has a credits list a mile long, with teams of hundreds of people working on it. Super...DOOM, made by a half dozen or so people in 1993, cost $40. That over $89 in 2025 money. And a modern game has a credits list a mile long, with teams of hundreds of people working on it.
Super Mario 64 debuted at $60 in 1996, which is $124 now.
Game prices really haven't kept pace with inflation at all.
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Comment on What lesser-known alternative would you recommend as a substitute for something more popular? in ~talk
redwall_hp Link ParentI also recommend Skechers. The hands-free slip on line is super convenient, and the ArchFit products are very nice if you suspect you might have plantar fasciitis.I also recommend Skechers. The hands-free slip on line is super convenient, and the ArchFit products are very nice if you suspect you might have plantar fasciitis.
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Comment on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds | Season 3 teaser trailer in ~tv
redwall_hp Link ParentSeason 3 of Picard isn't great, but it's easily better than Discovery or Nemesis. It basically jettisons the new characters, brings back some of the old crew, and feels like a more fitting end...Season 3 of Picard isn't great, but it's easily better than Discovery or Nemesis. It basically jettisons the new characters, brings back some of the old crew, and feels like a more fitting end than Nemesis.
Strange New Worlds is easily the best post-90s Trek though.
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Comment on Everything is a remix in ~tech
redwall_hp (edited )Link ParentI'm not even talking about corporations, necessarily. Copyright is ill-suited for music, as a glaring example, actively hindering artists from creating new songs in order to protect the wealth of...I'm not even talking about corporations, necessarily. Copyright is ill-suited for music, as a glaring example, actively hindering artists from creating new songs in order to protect the wealth of a small handful.
The vast majority of musicians will never make a living from music, and not for any reason to do with the minutia of recording royalties or venues or whatever, but for simple economic reasons: they will never be popular enough for it to be viable. The number of artists who reach that point are a rounding error. But the artists who do, generate millions in revenue for their labels.
So every artist pays a price, where their creative potential is handcuffed to protect the capital of the 0.001% of artists.
You have to deal with licenses to simply cover a song or perform it live at a venue, a fundamental part of music. (Thankfully, those licenses are compulsory, but require someone to make the legal arrangements and collect the royalties.) And technically this does not permit you to release a YouTube video of it, though the ContentID system kind of supersedes that.
You can't remix a song or sample portions of it without explicit permission from the capital-holder (not compulsory), and they're going to want a sizable cut of your original work, even if it's only a minuscule portion.
Artists get sued by larger capital holders for songs that are superficially, subjectively similar in some aspect. (In musicological terms, this is called a genre... /s) These suits are increasingly encroaching on basic music theory, like chord progressions, which are fundamentally limited in possible combinations. (At least, ones people want to here...) Or having melodic fragments that are similar, which in one high profile case, had an obvious example from centuries-old classical music. There is now a looming specter, a chilling effect, making every artist second guess what they do in case someone can argue it's vaguely similar enough to excuse a legal battle.
EDM and hip hop are squarely rooted in sampling culture. Whether it was DJs manually looping a drum break on a turntable, or House artists loading slices of chords or vocals into hardware samplers to build entire new tracks based on a small element of a song, a massive tree of music genres grew out of the same tradition of sampling. And it's all illegal.
Yep. After the 90s "sample wars," courts landed on the decision that using a fragment of a recording, no matter how short, is squarely copyright infringement and makes your track derivative of the original.
We have samples that are so widely used, they have names. Like the "landlord stab" (a slice of a keyboard chord) or the "amen break" (a short drum break that's in a ridiculous number of songs...you'll know it when you hear it). That "whoo!" sound all over 90s dance music, like 2 Unlimited's Twilight Zone? That's a famous sample from a song called "In the Morning Time." All sorts of music uses little slices of other music as a bit of sound design, sometimes even as a wave table for a synth, and they just count on nobody noticing. (You can kind of see this in action with We No Speak Americano. The lead instrument is a slice from the old brass sample at the beginning.)
Yeah, screw your creativity and subculture, that's now a crime. Music appears fully formed from divine inspiration, in the head of a blessed capital holder. It definitely doesn't come from a vast ocean of things that came before.
Something bothers me about a tiny few ruining a fundamental part of humanity for literally everyone else, just to enrich themselves.
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Comment on Everything is a remix in ~tech
redwall_hp (edited )Link ParentI tend to frame it the other way around: copyright is a legal construct that creates a new kind of capital, hypothetically for the petit bourgeoisie but realistically trading in copyright is the...I tend to frame it the other way around: copyright is a legal construct that creates a new kind of capital, hypothetically for the petit bourgeoisie but realistically trading in copyright is the domain of large scale capitalists. It takes something we all have a natural right to and turns it into a commodity to be exploited by the wealthy. Now limitless non-material things can be owned, just like land.
Copyright is the use of force to protect that capital, inflicting horrific financial harm or imprisonment onto those who dare trespass, even to create new things. If you really want to make things, you'll be coerced into performing labor for them while they capture the majority of the value generated.
I play the game, because I have to, as a software engineer and someone who dabbles in music, because it's not exactly optional, but I have a distaste for it. I deeply believe in Free Software, and consider copyright a chilling obstacle for many of the genres of music I'm interested in, as they're heavily rooted in sampling and remixing culture. (At least covers have a legal framework that has mandatory licensing...)
I consider this a forum. Social media is where you're primarily concerned with interpersonal connections rather than discussion. e.g. you friend or follow people instead of subscribing to topics.
MySpace and Facebook were trying to bring cliques online when we already had democratized discussion without so much fixation on who said something.