redwall_hp's recent activity
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Comment on ‘Andor’ creator Tony Gilroy gives the interview he couldn’t during its release in ~tv
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Comment on ‘Andor’ creator Tony Gilroy gives the interview he couldn’t during its release in ~tv
redwall_hp (edited )Link ParentAndor retroactively makes the rest of Star Wars look almost silly with the change in tone. It's a gritty, on-the-ground prequel that shows what was going on between Revenge of the Sith and A New...Andor retroactively makes the rest of Star Wars look almost silly with the change in tone. It's a gritty, on-the-ground prequel that shows what was going on between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, showing how the Rebel Alliance was painstakingly organized behind the scenes by Mon Mothma and a spymaster. And it unambiguously shows the actions of the Empire.
It's a stark contrast from the sequel material, where the Empire is either a generic set piece or cartoon villains laughing like Skeletor. Andor clearly shows that they're brutal fascists consolidating power and plotting genocides over lunch in a castle.
It brilliantly adds depth and context to A New Hope (keep in mind Luke grew up on the Outer Rim, away from the reach of the Republic or Empire).
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Comment on In a blind test, audiophiles couldn't tell the difference between audio signals sent through copper wire, a banana, or wet mud in ~tech
redwall_hp (edited )Link ParentIt's a hobby. Learning to produce music necessarily means learning to listen critically to be able to correct flaws. Sibilance is not something you should be hearing in a professionally mixed...It's a hobby. Learning to produce music necessarily means learning to listen critically to be able to correct flaws. Sibilance is not something you should be hearing in a professionally mixed song...but it's something that will drive you crazy in raw recordings. You hear it, you do surgery with a multiband compressor or EQ, and then the problem is gone in the mix.
Spending a little money on decent speakers is like going to the optometrist and getting your vision corrected: there's a whole world of stuff that gets obliterated by low-tier equipment. There are obviously diminishing returns. (I mostly just use Sony MDR-7506s for mixing—a staple of studios and radio stations due to their flattish frequency response—and AirPods Pros for daily use.)
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Comment on In a blind test, audiophiles couldn't tell the difference between audio signals sent through copper wire, a banana, or wet mud in ~tech
redwall_hp (edited )Link ParentThere's a major difference between audio playback equipment enthusiasts and people who work with audio production. The gold plated cable crowd (which is also the group that falsely thinks analog...There's a major difference between audio playback equipment enthusiasts and people who work with audio production. The gold plated cable crowd (which is also the group that falsely thinks analog equipment is better) might be oblivious to a lot of things, but people who work with mixing/mastering absolutely pick up on MP3 artifacts when listening on familiar monitors or headphones.
I'm hardly a professional, and I had to bump my mobile Spotify bitrate when I bought a new car, because the improved speakers made a nasty "sharpness" in cymbals more apparent.
I can also often identify when a song has a sidechain compressor in use, while "most people" would have no clue what that is. Or pick out the timbre of a 909 and make some educated guesses about the effects chain used to treat it. I also know how to work a synthesizer and can listen to a sound and make assumptions about the basic properties of it (waveform, unison, filter, ADSR, etc).
Ear training for audio engineering isn't any different than training for pitch. You don't need gold cables, but you do need decent speakers. If you spend enough time behind an EQ, you'll also start to pick up on things like sibilance (a piercing high-pitched noise when people pronounce S, TH, etc sounds), and you'll never be able to stop hearing it.
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Comment on Something big is happening in ~tech
redwall_hp Link ParentIf LLMs can replace software developers, and your business's main value is your software, LLM companies can straight up replace your business. Why make shovels for digging companies when you can...If LLMs can replace software developers, and your business's main value is your software, LLM companies can straight up replace your business.
Why make shovels for digging companies when you can cut out the middlemen and be the one who owns all of the shovels?
Actually useful AI would be an existential threat to a great many businesses, so it's completely asinine for them to do anything but obstruct and fight LLMs. But if you only care about the next quarter...
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Comment on Need a replacement for my old macbook pro, should I just get another one? in ~comp
redwall_hp (edited )Link ParentThat does sound like the battery, and that's just a fundamental truth of lithium batteries: a "depleted" battery is actually something like 10% charged still, and if it ever drops to zero, the...That does sound like the battery, and that's just a fundamental truth of lithium batteries: a "depleted" battery is actually something like 10% charged still, and if it ever drops to zero, the battery is toast forever. And since they self-discharge over time, being stored in that state can cause that to happen. (Or, in relatively rare cases, combust.) Plus, lithium batteries have a rough number of full charge/discharge cycles before they start losing the ability to hold charge, which you're going to be close to after five years.
Batteries are a consumable item, like brakes and tires. Mac batteries are replaceable though, by someone comfortable working on them.
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Comment on ‘Avatar’s’ costly sequels are getting harder to justify. Will James Cameron make two more? in ~movies
redwall_hp LinkHonestly, the latter two Avatar films have been very good. Impressive technically, and the story has more depth than the first did. I'm enjoying them a lot more than, say, the Star Wars sequels....Honestly, the latter two Avatar films have been very good. Impressive technically, and the story has more depth than the first did. I'm enjoying them a lot more than, say, the Star Wars sequels.
As far as light, action-oriented sci-fi/fantasy fare, it's not a bad option compared to what else is out there...and it's not a case of Hollywood butchering a book, for once.
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Comment on Spotify will soon sell hardcover and paperback books through its app, in partnership with Bookshop.org in ~books
redwall_hp Link ParentFor the unaware: mass market paperbacks are the smaller, more cheaply made ones you'll see at grocery stores or airport news stands or whatever. Usually more pulpy paper. Trade paperbacks are...For the unaware: mass market paperbacks are the smaller, more cheaply made ones you'll see at grocery stores or airport news stands or whatever. Usually more pulpy paper.
Trade paperbacks are closer to a hardcover: similar dimensions, better paper quality and binding usually, but they have a lighter cardboard cover. Some books only release as trade paperbacks and not hardcover, especially nonfiction. e.g. a hardcover "For Dummies" book would be very unusual.
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Comment on Dschinghis Khan - Moskau (1979) in ~music
redwall_hp Link ParentOh yeah, how could I have forgotten them? Good old "Russian Turbo Polka Metal."Oh yeah, how could I have forgotten them? Good old "Russian Turbo Polka Metal."
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Comment on Dschinghis Khan - Moskau (1979) in ~music
redwall_hp Link ParentThey were actually a Eurovision entry, and had success beyond that at one point. I found the song 10-15 years back, via my brothers, but have no idea where they got it, other than maybe trawling...They were actually a Eurovision entry, and had success beyond that at one point. I found the song 10-15 years back, via my brothers, but have no idea where they got it, other than maybe trawling old Eurovision songs.
There are actually quite a few German bands that draw from Russian and Soviet themes, in unusual fusions. (Kraftwerk qualifies, of course.) Another newer one that comes to mind is RotFront. They're a Berlin act with a number of Ukrainian, Hungarian and Russian members at different points of time, they do a mix of ska, hip hop, klezmer and dancehall with a vague Eastern European flavor. Their catchiest song is probably Sovietoblaster.
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Comment on ‘Baldur’s Gate’ TV series continuing game’s story in works at HBO from ‘The Last Of Us’ co-creator Craig Mazin and Hasbro Entertainment in ~tv
redwall_hp Link ParentBaldur's Gate 3 is itself a continuation of two other games with characters and plots that aren't super connected. My assumption is it's not going to be heavy on characters from the game, and will...Baldur's Gate 3 is itself a continuation of two other games with characters and plots that aren't super connected. My assumption is it's not going to be heavy on characters from the game, and will be its own standalone story set somewhere in the vicinity of Baldur's Gate.
It's basically a lever to get Forgotten Realms as a concept out there more.
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Comment on Passing question about LLMs and the Tech Singularity in ~tech
redwall_hp (edited )Link ParentIt's the ELIZA Effect. Weizenbaum even described it as "disturbing," how people he otherwise respected would attribute intelligence to something he knew full well just repeated back what was said...It's the ELIZA Effect. Weizenbaum even described it as "disturbing," how people he otherwise respected would attribute intelligence to something he knew full well just repeated back what was said to it.
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Comment on ‘Baldur’s Gate’ TV series continuing game’s story in works at HBO from ‘The Last Of Us’ co-creator Craig Mazin and Hasbro Entertainment in ~tv
redwall_hp LinkHoly shit...and another Netflix-produced Forgotten Realms series causally mentioned in the article too. Hasbro actually figured out the thing I've been ranting about? And it's not an out of season...Holy shit...and another Netflix-produced Forgotten Realms series causally mentioned in the article too. Hasbro actually figured out the thing I've been ranting about? And it's not an out of season April Fools joke?
I'm still disappointed we probably won't see another Larian D&D game, but Divinity is pretty damn good too.
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Comment on Any software engineers considering a career switch due to AI? in ~comp
redwall_hp Link ParentThat's because you're probably a smart person who cares about things being correct. If you were the kind of person who would copy and paste a Wikipedia page for a writing assignment, or think that...That's because you're probably a smart person who cares about things being correct. If you were the kind of person who would copy and paste a Wikipedia page for a writing assignment, or think that you should get credit for writing some nonsensical wrong numbers on a math assignment (because you put in effort!)...then LLMs are perfect. The bullshit accelerator generates plausibly correct-looking junk that takes more effort to prove isn't what's required than it takes to make, so one can DDoS the people who care and hope they can slide by without being called out.
I've found some decent use of LLMs (my employer is paying for them, anyway) as an aid for searching for information about things when I dont have solid terminology to use, but it's far been eclipsed by the egregious junk I've seen generated and foisted upon everyone else.
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Comment on Wired vs. wireless mouse and keyboard? in ~tech
redwall_hp LinkFor my personal Mac, which I do some (MMORPG) gaming on, I use a Logitech Lightspeed mouse. It's a low latency wireless protocol that uses a USB dongle. The mouse itself runs on a single AA...For my personal Mac, which I do some (MMORPG) gaming on, I use a Logitech Lightspeed mouse. It's a low latency wireless protocol that uses a USB dongle. The mouse itself runs on a single AA battery that lasts months with my typical usage level.
For my work Mac, I keep a Logitech MX Master at the office. It's Bluetooth and has an internal rechargeable battery, charged through USB type C, that lasts a solid month of all-day usage. It's heavier than you want for gaming, but ergonomic and I don't notice obvious latency.
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Comment on Any software engineers considering a career switch due to AI? in ~comp
redwall_hp Link ParentOr: "we're laying off 1,000 people because the economy is bad and we're going to try to wring more pennies out of our existing business instead of investing in expansion. Oh wait, *waves hands*,...Or: "we're laying off 1,000 people because the economy is bad and we're going to try to wring more pennies out of our existing business instead of investing in expansion. Oh wait, *waves hands*, AI."
That should be a major red flag for investors, but that's basically the last few years.
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Comment on SpaceX is acquiring xAI in ~space
redwall_hp (edited )Link ParentYeah, IIRC, AI-focused data centers are hundreds of megawatts in some cases, and some of the largest planned are pushing into gigawatt territory. That's powering an entire city territory. A medium...Yeah, IIRC, AI-focused data centers are hundreds of megawatts in some cases, and some of the largest planned are pushing into gigawatt territory. That's powering an entire city territory. A medium US city can be like 10GW (roughly one St Louis), and Tokyo (one of the largest cities in the world) has something like 60GW of generation capacity.
It really is a staggeringly stupid waste, hurting strides made against climate change...all to suppress wages/eliminate jobs by making shit-quality graphics, visuals, text and code and/or enable bullshitters to more effectively waste the time of people doing actual work.
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Comment on SpaceX is acquiring xAI in ~space
redwall_hp (edited )Link ParentIt's completely stupid on at least three separate fronts: Launching. Take a low margin commodity (running computing hardware) and do it in the literal most difficult and expensive location outside...It's completely stupid on at least three separate fronts:
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Launching. Take a low margin commodity (running computing hardware) and do it in the literal most difficult and expensive location outside of putting them on another planet.
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Cooling. Vacuums insulate heat, and computers generate a ton. It takes an absurd amount of costly equipment to keep the International Space Station habitable, and that's not full of servers with high-wattage GPUs. A single server is roughly analogous to a 1KW space heater, and they're stacked on racks 42 high, and there will be hundreds of racks in a small data center.
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Electricity. A single H100 GPU, excluding the rest of the server, pulls 700W. Lets just say a single server is still a 1kW spec heater. 42 high, 100 racks = 4200kW, and that's ignoring the larger cost of cooling (each of those 100 racks needs about a half dozen window AC units worth of cooling on earth, and it's harder to cool things in space). 1kW of solar generation is about 2 square meters of space, so we're talking kilometers...
And this is all contextualizing on a small scale. These data centers they're building out with their own power plants dwarf this. Realistically, we don't produce enough solar to meet humanity's needs on earth, and if we could increase that enough to make space servers viable on that single front, we'd have far more need of that to avoid fucking climate change.
But Elmo is a moron, we all know that.
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Comment on Grammys 2026: Bad Bunny takes Album Of The Year for ‘Debí Tirar Más Fotos’ in ~music
redwall_hp LinkMayhem is excellent. I've been listening to it a lot lately. It's a cool blend of Disco and New Wave elements with a moodier and bassier twist. A couple of songs straight up remind me of Franz...Lady Gaga ran her career career Grammy haul to 17, taking Best Pop Vocal Album for Mayhem after taking her 15th and 16th during the preshow.
Mayhem is excellent. I've been listening to it a lot lately. It's a cool blend of Disco and New Wave elements with a moodier and bassier twist. A couple of songs straight up remind me of Franz Ferdinand and Annie Lennox.
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Comment on What have you been watching / reading this week? (Anime/Manga) in ~anime
redwall_hp LinkI saw, on the only day it was shown at the local theater, the new Zombie Land Saga: Yumeginga Paradise movie. It continues where the previous season of the show left off. If you've seen the...I saw, on the only day it was shown at the local theater, the new Zombie Land Saga: Yumeginga Paradise movie. It continues where the previous season of the show left off. If you've seen the absurdity that is Zombie Land Saga, it's the continuation you've been waiting (for years) for.
If you haven't seen the show, it's about someone trying to restore Saga to its former glory the only way he knows how: starting an idol group by raising zombies from the dead. Each one an idol from a previous time, plus Sakura. And now they're fighting aliens, because why not.
That's usually one of my pet peeves about post-Lucas Star Wars: I strongly dislike the lack of Jedi. It's crucial for the period Andor is set in, but it's usually something I would otherwise complain about.
The core of Star Wars is heavily Kurosawa: the wandering ronin throwing a wrench in misdeeds.