smithsonian's recent activity
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
smithsonian Link ParentOh, I recently really got into the Home Assistant thing, too! I've been playing with some ESP32-CAM boards in order to run AI-on-the-Edge and automate reading my water/electric/gas meters and get...Oh, I recently really got into the Home Assistant thing, too!
I've been playing with some ESP32-CAM boards in order to run AI-on-the-Edge and automate reading my water/electric/gas meters and get the data into Home Assistant.
I have the water meter one working great, but I've been banging my head against the wall getting the gas and electric ones to read correctly.
For both of them, I think it's the same problem: glare from the flash reflecting on two acrylic surfaces (one on the waterproof enclosure for the ESP32, one on the enclosure for the meter).
I really want to get electricity usage tracking without having to spend a few hundred dollars for a Shelly + install... :/
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Comment on Gift ideas for niece who’s into sewing? in ~life.women
smithsonian Link ParentAs someone whose wife recently got into cross-stitching, I can confirm that high quality tools are an easy win. Shell out for a pair of Gingher shears and snips and they can easily last a lifetime...As someone whose wife recently got into cross-stitching, I can confirm that high quality tools are an easy win. Shell out for a pair of Gingher shears and snips and they can easily last a lifetime (assuming they aren't used to cut materials other than fabric).
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Comment on Obsidian Entertainment reportedly lays off a quarter of staff, cancels multiple projects, and begins work on new Fallout game in ~games
smithsonian LinkA lot of people are assuming this will be a New Vegas style FPS, but given Obsidian's history with Pillars of Eternity and the success of BG3, what if we get a CRPG, instead?A lot of people are assuming this will be a New Vegas style FPS, but given Obsidian's history with Pillars of Eternity and the success of BG3, what if we get a CRPG, instead?
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Comment on How do I keep my dog from fearing water sprinklers? in ~life.pets
smithsonian Link ParentIs there a specific reason? Or is it just that weird sense of guilt about "drugging" him? I had to go through heartworm treatment that required several months of exercise restrictions and...I'm really hoping we don't need to resort to medications
Is there a specific reason? Or is it just that weird sense of guilt about "drugging" him? I had to go through heartworm treatment that required several months of exercise restrictions and crate-rest with a high-energy rescue with severe separation anxiety, so I definitely understand the latter.
Medication would only be necessary to facilitating training, not as a long-term solution. The main goal of the meds is to lower his arousal so he can actually respond to training (because it's hard to learn when your body is flooded with adrenaline) and the training will reduce his fear response so the medication won't be necessary.
It's quite possible that the sprinkler heads are creating high frequency sounds above the human-audible range. If he doesn't respond to the sounds with the water turned off, maybe you can try it with the water on but the sprinkler heads removed. If he doesn't respond when the heads are off, then maybe you'll be able to try different types of sprinkler heads to see if you can find one that doesn't produce high frequency sounds that trigger him.
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Comment on How do I keep my dog from fearing water sprinklers? in ~life.pets
smithsonian LinkSo it sounds like you approached the desensitization the wrong way. Typically you start below the trigger threshold—so mild he notices but doesn't panic—and pairing it with good things, then...So it sounds like you approached the desensitization the wrong way. Typically you start below the trigger threshold—so mild he notices but doesn't panic—and pairing it with good things, then ratcheting up over weeks.
One thing you can try is to manually open a valve with the water supply off (or just the controller clicking without flow) to see if he reacts. That might tell you whether it's the sound of the system energizing vs. water noise/pressurization and maybe give you a starting point.
But this degree of phobia is something that will almost certainly need to involve medications (e.g., trazodone) and a pro (veterinary behaviorist or certified behavior consultant, not a general trainer). The medication will likely be required because a dog this panicked is in fight-or-flight and won't be capable of learning/training.
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Comment on ‘Supergirl’ fall to earth with $68m worldwide opening in ~movies
smithsonian Link ParentI think the difference is that Kara has never had a chance to find her groove, in the first place. The journey is about Kara figuring out who she really is, apart from Superman.I think the difference is that Kara has never had a chance to find her groove, in the first place. The journey is about Kara figuring out who she really is, apart from Superman.
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Comment on ‘Supergirl’ fall to earth with $68m worldwide opening in ~movies
smithsonian Link ParentUnfortunately, I felt like they kept the beats of the original comic but missed the themes behind it, when they really should have done it the other way around. I went in wanting to like the movie...Unfortunately, I felt like they kept the beats of the original comic but missed the themes behind it, when they really should have done it the other way around.
I went in wanting to like the movie so much, but all I could feel was disappointment, walking out. But I also know I'm not being objective and judging the movie on its own merits because I can't help but compare it to the comic.
Story aside, though, Millie Alcock absolutely killed it as Kara and I definitely want to see a lot more of her in the DCU.
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Comment on US releases powerful Anthropic model Mythos to some US companies in ~tech
smithsonian Link ParentI can't speak for Mythos, but at first blush, Fable seemed pretty comparable to Opus. For me, Fable didn't really distinguish itself until I gave it bigger problems or tasks. With Opus, I'd...I can't speak for Mythos, but at first blush, Fable seemed pretty comparable to Opus.
For me, Fable didn't really distinguish itself until I gave it bigger problems or tasks. With Opus, I'd typically have to go through several back and forths dialing everything in. But Fable seemed to get what it needed to do a lot more quickly, like it really understood the assignment.
That's what made Fable so unique vs. Opus, in my limited experience. It was almost like describing a task to a competent person who's completely new to a project vs describing it to someone who's been around for a while.
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Comment on A Parade of Horribles - Matt Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl #8) in ~books
smithsonian Link ParentI think I struggled getting back into it because the pace and the stakes were so high in the last book, it was hard to really care about the races, at first. I think it was kind of inevitable,...I think I struggled getting back into it because the pace and the stakes were so high in the last book, it was hard to really care about the races, at first. I think it was kind of inevitable, though, having to go from Faction Wars to just a normal floor, but it doesn't look like that will be a problem he'll have to deal with anymore.
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Comment on A Parade of Horribles - Matt Dinniman (Dungeon Crawler Carl #8) in ~books
smithsonian Link ParentAround Book 5 of Dungeon Crawler Carl, I realized it reminded me a lot of The Dresden Files, just at a much more accelerated pace. Dresden is a much slower burn, and it takes longer before the...Around Book 5 of Dungeon Crawler Carl, I realized it reminded me a lot of The Dresden Files, just at a much more accelerated pace. Dresden is a much slower burn, and it takes longer before the larger set pieces of the world start becoming visible, but it's kind of the same arc of a guy just trying to survive slowly becoming embroiled in (and the center of) a much larger conflict.
Book 7 of DCC is probably akin to Book 17 of The Dresden Files, in terms of scale. I think the author has 3 more Dresden books planned before the BAT—Big Apocalyptic Trilogy—to cap off the series.
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Comment on Gemini 3.2 Flash rumored to hit 92% of GPT-5.5 performance at lower cost in ~tech
smithsonian Link ParentThings are advancing and evolving so quickly that I don't think it's even possible to know the answer and, even if you could objectively measure and compare the models, I feel like the answer...How do I truthfully learn which AI is best? Or which AI is going to be best in the future?
Things are advancing and evolving so quickly that I don't think it's even possible to know the answer and, even if you could objectively measure and compare the models, I feel like the answer would vary greatly depending on what you're trying to do with it.
Personally, I'm the happiest with Claude. I used to use ChatGPT, but it always felt like I was just trying to give it the correct instructions to get what I needed from it. It went off the rails, enough, that I would just sigh, delete the chat, and try again with a better tuned prompt and fresh context window. It improved, over time, but it still happened.
I use Gemini less, but it seems to suffer from the same issue, and it just feels overly—excessively—verbose.
Despite being slower than ChatGPT and Gemini, Claude has impressed me the most. I've been using it to organize, track, and plan a TTRPG campaign I started GMing for my son and I've found the entire experience to feel far more... collaborative than I've ever experienced with LLMs. It's offered great suggestions and ideas, and even the suggestions that are so-so often serve as great jumping-off points for me.
It also seems less sycophantic than other LLMs. It seems more willing to push back on my own bad or mediocre suggestions (like when I made an offhand remark that I would just retcon a past character, it actually pushed back, pointed out how retconning it would actually weaken the arcs, and suggested a better approach with a different arc).
Ultimately, though, I think the biggest decider is going to be what you're using it for and what integrations you want or need. Gemini has the "advantage" of being able to integrate with all of its existing apps and service ecosystems, which is a huge advantage if you mainly want a personal assistant AI.
The general consensus seems to be that Claude is better for coding that ChatGPT, but I've only used both for one-off troubleshooting, planning, and scaffolding (not for large scale "here's the repo, here's what I need" type of work), and both have been pretty satisfactory for my use.
So I'd mainly say to just play around with all of them. Try giving each one the same prompt and see what you like most.
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Comment on Reddit reports 69% jump in revenue, topping analyst estimates in ~tech
smithsonian Link ParentFrom /r/modnews ~1 month ago: Ban bot policy update: removing automated bans based on community association -
Comment on Reddit reports 69% jump in revenue, topping analyst estimates in ~tech
smithsonian Link ParentReddit just recently put an end to this; you can no longer ban users based on their participation in other subreddits.Reddit just recently put an end to this; you can no longer ban users based on their participation in other subreddits.
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Comment on Gizmoplex, the Official MST3K storefront and archive shutting down on September 30th in ~tv
smithsonian LinkI don't really get it... I thought the whole point of the Gizmoplex was that it was hosted by Vimeo and that it was essentially self-sustaining. (But I guess that assumption is also part of the...I don't really get it... I thought the whole point of the Gizmoplex was that it was hosted by Vimeo and that it was essentially self-sustaining. (But I guess that assumption is also part of the reason why Joel's last Kickstarter came up short...)
The upside of all this is that I didn't realize I could download those episodes until now. I would have had all of these episodes downloaded to my Plex library on my NAS ages ago because the Gizmoplex UI is garbage.
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Comment on I’m traveling internationally for the first time and could use tips! in ~travel
smithsonian LinkSome small things I didn't really expect, as an American: Germans are very serious about things like not crossing streets when the pedestrian light is red, even if there isn't a vehicle in sight....Some small things I didn't really expect, as an American:
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Germans are very serious about things like not crossing streets when the pedestrian light is red, even if there isn't a vehicle in sight.
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The default "right turn on red is okay unless otherwise stated" is reversed: assume you cannot turn right at red lights unless it's posted that you can.
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On the Autobahn, you should always be in the rightmost lane whenever you are able. It likely means you will spend plenty of time changing lanes, but Germans are also generally sticklers about this. (You probably won't get arrested or pulled over unless particularly egregious, but they will be judging you if you aren't.)
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If you drink soda, at all: plastic soda bottles are recycled (as in "returned, washed, and refilled") and there is a deposit built into the price.
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If you "cheers" (Prost), you are obligated to clink glasses with each person and make eye contact with them as you do so.
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Toilets generally have two buttons for flushing: a "big" flush for #2s, and a "little" flush for #1s.
Before we got together, my wife spent several years in Germany after college. I'll check with her to see what other things she remembers being surprising.
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Comment on TV series suggestions in ~tv
smithsonian Link ParentI'm in my 40s and I still think about Steven Universe, from time to time. It really caught me off guard. There are so many interesting and incredible things about the show, but the depth of the...I'm in my 40s and I still think about Steven Universe, from time to time. It really caught me off guard. There are so many interesting and incredible things about the show, but the depth of the show's lore still really impresses me, especially on re-watches. (I'm still a little bitter that Hulu didn't have the last season, at the time, and I didn't realize it so we started watching the Steven Universe movie, whose opening song basically spoils the big ending points of the series. It would have been fun to theory-craft while watching that final season.)
I started watching it with my son, who was five at the time, and tuned out a little bit after the first few episodes because it just seemed like a silly little fantasy show. But, at some point midway into the first season, it caught my attention, again, and I went back to rewatch the episodes I missed on my own. I still have a bunch of songs from the show in rotation on my playlists.
The show's themes mature as the show goes on (as does Steven), and there's also an excellent movie and limited series (Steven Universe: Future) that follows up on the Steven, explores the aftermath of the series ending in the universe and on Steven (it's pretty heavy, at times).
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Comment on Seth MacFarlane teases new life for ‘The Orville’: “Season 4 is written” in ~tv
smithsonian Link ParentI think the way they largely abandoned most of the humor really drained it of a lot of its spark. I feel like the first season was a bit too heavy on the comedy, but then they overcorrected in...I think the way they largely abandoned most of the humor really drained it of a lot of its spark.
I feel like the first season was a bit too heavy on the comedy, but then they overcorrected in Season 3.
Hopefully they find the right balance in Season 4.
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Comment on Repotting houseplants: is it really necessary? How to know when to do it? in ~hobbies
smithsonian Link ParentThis gets back into bonsai territory. Plants don't really want to find an equilibrium; they want to keep growing. In bonsai, you typically have to trim foliage, repot (typically reusing the same...This gets back into bonsai territory. Plants don't really want to find an equilibrium; they want to keep growing.
In bonsai, you typically have to trim foliage, repot (typically reusing the same size pot or even a smaller one), and trim the roots back to prevent it from getting too root-bound every year. (For bonsai species, this has an added bonus effect of causing new leaves to come in smaller and new roots to come in more fine.)
So, if you wanted to stay in the same size pot (or even size down), you could apply the same concepts by trimming the roots back an inch or two during repotting—and even going down a size—and trimming back the top growth to keep it the desired size.
Some species of plants will respond differently to being trimmed, though, so I'd definitely make sure to look up the best way to do it for any specific species to make sure it will have the desired effect.
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Comment on Repotting houseplants: is it really necessary? How to know when to do it? in ~hobbies
smithsonian Link ParentIf it's too deep, it will be difficult for all of the soil at the very bottom to dry out. If the soil stays wet for too long, you can end up with bacterial/mold growth and it also leads to poor...If it's too deep, it will be difficult for all of the soil at the very bottom to dry out. If the soil stays wet for too long, you can end up with bacterial/mold growth and it also leads to poor oxygenation.
In short, the
wet --> dry --> wetcycle is important for potted plant root and soil health, and it's difficult to get that cycle to occur uniformly (at least without stressing the plant) in a pot that's too big.
The only reading I can really point you to is the docs.
I've mostly gotten my gas meter camera working, which is pretty exciting, but I'm still struggling to get my electric meter—the one meter I was initially going after, to start with!—and I'm running out of options due to physical limitations and the location of the meter on the exterior of the house. I just can't move the device farther away and I just can't seem to get rid of the glare and still maintain a reasonable perspective and brightness. :(
So I'd probably recommend exploring alternatives like connecting directly to your meter via your power company, intercepting the reading with an RTL-SDR, or one like the Shelly Pro 3EM before trying to go the AIOTED route unless you have all the stuff lying around.