scarecrw's recent activity
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Comment on F-Droid 2.0: A new chapter for Android freedom in ~tech
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Comment on Using ASCII art to prove that I, not an LLM, wrote something in ~tech
scarecrw Link ParentIf you haven't seen it, Tom7 made a tool to do exactly this: https://youtu.be/Y65FRxE7uMc (about halfway through) Not intending to rain on your parade or anything, just thought it was relevant.If you haven't seen it, Tom7 made a tool to do exactly this: https://youtu.be/Y65FRxE7uMc (about halfway through)
Not intending to rain on your parade or anything, just thought it was relevant.
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Comment on Googlebook revealed and ready for pre-order in ~tech
scarecrw Link ParentI had the precursor pixelbook and the containerized linux support was pretty useful. You could shortcut apps installed in the linux container and run them alongside regular chromeOS and android...I had the precursor pixelbook and the containerized linux support was pretty useful. You could shortcut apps installed in the linux container and run them alongside regular chromeOS and android apps.
I ended up just swapping the entire thing over to linux later, though I don't recall if it had support for that at launch.
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Comment on KOReader: custom reader software for eink devices in ~books
scarecrw LinkThis could not come at a more relevant time for me! I've been getting back into using an ereader and using KOReader. I have a jailbroken kindle paperwhite that's ~10 years old now that I intended...This could not come at a more relevant time for me! I've been getting back into using an ereader and using KOReader. I have a jailbroken kindle paperwhite that's ~10 years old now that I intended to use KOReader on but I never really got used to the interface.
It's taken a fair bit of work, but I finally have a setup I can enjoy using. I set up calibre web automated so I can just drag and drop books into it to convert them and then download them from KOReader later. I know it's silly, but actually having to go grab the device and a micro usb cable was just enough friction to make me not bother. This way I just add books to calibre whenever I find one of interest, and then can browse that library from the ereader.
I'll have to take a look at that SimpleUI plugin, as that's still a minor pain point. At the end of the day, though, it's not like I'm looking at the UI while reading, so it doesn't matter too much.
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Comment on Overview of the proofs behind the Navier-Stokes $1 million millennium prize problem in ~science
scarecrw Link ParentWith four parameters I can fit an elephant, and with five I can make him wiggle his trunk.
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Comment on Apple announces iPhone Duo, its first foldable iPhone in ~tech
scarecrw Link ParentI think it's just an optical illusion, but some of the shots of a single hand holding the phone look ridiculous. Like they took a normal phone/hand and stretched them both out. Maybe they found a...I think it's just an optical illusion, but some of the shots of a single hand holding the phone look ridiculous. Like they took a normal phone/hand and stretched them both out. Maybe they found a long-fingered hand model?
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Comment on Little late but...anyone interested in fantasy football? in ~sports.american_football
scarecrw Link ParentI'd be down for a Tildes league! Probably a better bet for next year, though.I'd be down for a Tildes league!
Probably a better bet for next year, though.
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Comment on Ig Nobel Prize winners 2026 in ~science
scarecrw LinkThe 3D necroprinting paper reminds me of a previous winner I liked about a necrobotic gripper: https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202201174 What's your favorite?The 3D necroprinting paper reminds me of a previous winner I liked about a necrobotic gripper: https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202201174
What's your favorite?
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Ig Nobel Prize winners 2026
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Comment on What are your "how on earth did I not learn this sooner" tech moments? in ~tech
scarecrw Link ParentAlso ctrl-del or ctrl-bksp to delete a whole word!Also ctrl-del or ctrl-bksp to delete a whole word!
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Comment on What are your "how on earth did I not learn this sooner" tech moments? in ~tech
scarecrw (edited )Link ParentOn aliases, I actually really like fish's abbreviations feature. Lets you see and edit the actual command while being as easy to type as an alias.On aliases, I actually really like fish's abbreviations feature. Lets you see and edit the actual command while being as easy to type as an alias.
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Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games
scarecrw LinkDatabase Detective: Minor Crimes Division Shockingly fun game about using SQL queries to solve mysteries. I had tried a couple of similar games/puzzles in the past, but none of them hooked me. The...Database Detective: Minor Crimes Division
Shockingly fun game about using SQL queries to solve mysteries. I had tried a couple of similar games/puzzles in the past, but none of them hooked me. The humor in this one and the mixture of SQL and other more standard puzzle-solving challenges kept it fun. I didn't have any real background with SQL, so no prior experience necessary, though I think you kind of know if this game is for you or not. Strong recommendation for anyone who thinks this sounds up their alley.
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Comment on What are your current pain points with Linux? in ~tech
scarecrw LinkMy setup is customized enough that the majority of my issues are of my own making. With that said, here are a handful of things that are currently a thorn in my side: If my machine boots while the...My setup is customized enough that the majority of my issues are of my own making. With that said, here are a handful of things that are currently a thorn in my side:
- If my machine boots while the monitor is off, it doesn't recognize it when the monitor is turned on.
- Waybar occasionally stops running and I have to restart it
- My webcam's audio occasionally stops working and I have to use a separate microphone
- Some programs that launch pop up windows don't play nicely with niri
- Apps that just don't support linux (most recently Chromebook Recovery Utility)
All of these fall into one of two categories: I could probably fix it but it hasn't crossed the worth-it time threshold, or it's some proprietary software that just doesn't support linux.
I've had some form of linux in my life for 15~20 years now, though only more recently leaving other OSes fully.
I don't have any interest in switching back; not because linux is perfect, but because the issues that arise are usually in my control. In contrast, the reason I needed the Chromebook Recovery Utility was because an automatic update a couple weeks back stuck my family member's chromebook in a bootloop. Just, turn on your computer one day and... nope! doesn't work.
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Comment on Has anyone tried making their own font? in ~design
scarecrw LinkI very much do not have real, studied/professional experience with this, but I did give it a go a while back and made my own font. I didn't find this resource until I was mostly finished, but it's...I very much do not have real, studied/professional experience with this, but I did give it a go a while back and made my own font.
I didn't find this resource until I was mostly finished, but it's what I wished I would have had from the start: designwithfontforge.com
The other thing I found useful was taking pictures of various fonts I came across in the real world (primarily not computer fonts) to build up a better palette of ideas.
The only other main advice I'd give from my brief attempt at this, which it sounds like you've already handled, is to have a narrow aim of what you want to use your font for. I didn't realize until I was too far along how different fonts can be when used at different sizes or in different mediums.
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Comment on Tim Curry, outlandish star of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show,’ dies at 80 in ~movies
scarecrw Link ParentStrong recommendation for anyone to check out this video on Tim Curry and his work in Muppet Treasure Island: https://youtu.be/XzU8f4HaQw0Strong recommendation for anyone to check out this video on Tim Curry and his work in Muppet Treasure Island: https://youtu.be/XzU8f4HaQw0
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Comment on Why your Amazon order confirmation emails have become so unhelpful in ~tech
scarecrw Link ParentI wonder if it's as simple as going by keywords? I had lock pin tweezers classified as "beauty", presumably because of "tweezers" which would also make sense with "cover".I wonder if it's as simple as going by keywords? I had lock pin tweezers classified as "beauty", presumably because of "tweezers" which would also make sense with "cover".
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Comment on The most confusing Major League Baseball play of the season, a breakdown in ~sports.baseball
scarecrw Link ParentPhew. I watched the video, read the article, read the wikipedia page on appeal plays, watched the video again, and I think I finally get what happened. I'm kind of surprised that I've gone this...Phew. I watched the video, read the article, read the wikipedia page on appeal plays, watched the video again, and I think I finally get what happened.
I'm kind of surprised that I've gone this long without ever understanding appeal plays before. I'm not a baseball fan or anything, but I'll watch games on occasion and have been to a few here and there, but never realized these were different from other outs.
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Comment on Firefox for iOS now has a native adblocker in ~tech
scarecrw Link ParentDespite being a user of adblocking myself (and would generally endorse it for others), I'm split on whether it should be on or off by default. On the one hand, ads are predatory and excessive to...Despite being a user of adblocking myself (and would generally endorse it for others), I'm split on whether it should be on or off by default.
On the one hand, ads are predatory and excessive to an extent that, especially for those less internet-savvy, it makes sense to provide some layer of default protection.
Looking at it from a purely technological perspective however, a browser's job is to fetch web resources and present them to the user, not to make opinionated choices about how to do so. If we forget momentarily that these are ads, the idea that I would download a web browser, navigate to a page, and the browser would just not show certain parts of that page seems concerning.
Having the option is great, and even as a default is arguably more good than harm, but I get nervous whenever communication tools start taking too active a role in manipulating the content being shared.
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Comment on Browser fingerprinting demonstration in ~comp
scarecrw LinkOverall cool site, but this particular statistical error bugs me. You can only get this result if you assume these groups aren't correlated, which they absolutely are. That's not to say the...How rare that makes you
Each thing on its own is common. Watch how fast they multiply.Overall cool site, but this particular statistical error bugs me. You can only get this result if you assume these groups aren't correlated, which they absolutely are.
That's not to say the premise of browser fingerprinting isn't real, it's just that their suggested uniqueness score is going to be off by a couple orders of magnitude.
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Comment on What music have you been playing recently? in ~music
scarecrw Link ParentI had never heard of Hiromi, but I'm extremely glad your comment introduced me! I just listened to the Spectrum album and it is wonderful! Just so full of LIFE.I had never heard of Hiromi, but I'm extremely glad your comment introduced me! I just listened to the Spectrum album and it is wonderful! Just so full of LIFE.
This isn't to suggest your aims are unwarranted, but I think it's worth considering what it means to identify "good" apps and if that's something F-Droid wants to do.
Looking over https://f-droid.org/en/about/ I don't see anything that would entirely prohibit them from providing some sort of rating or recommendations, but I could understand some reluctance to take that on and a desire to exist as an impartial repository.