smithsonian's recent activity

  1. Comment on How do you decide *when* to buy a new computer, smartphone, etc.? in ~tech

    smithsonian
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    The last four phones I owned were the Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 6 Pro (XL), and Pixel 8 Pro (XL). For the 2, 4, and 6, I feel like they were solid upgrades with improvements over the prior...

    The last four phones I owned were the Pixel 2 XL, Pixel 4 XL, Pixel 6 Pro (XL), and Pixel 8 Pro (XL). For the 2, 4, and 6, I feel like they were solid upgrades with improvements over the prior models, so while I didn't need them, I felt there were enough benefits to make it worthwhile (which makes sense, as they were iterating on designs and still figuring out what works best).

    For the Pixel 8, I held out until Black Friday to save a couple hundred more dollars on the phone since it was much less of an upgrade vs the 6.

    I'm not sure what I'll do about the Pixel 10... I expect we'll start to hear more rumors about it pretty soon, so we'll have to see what it offers. Hopefully they have more in store than just "newer, better, built-in, dedicated Tensor chip to support Pixel 10 exclusive AI-powered features!" to entice me... but I'm not very optimistic that will happen. So when (or whether?) I upgrade to the Pixel 10 will probably really end up being a question of the price point.

    It's worth noting that I do opt for the 2-year preferred care coverage for damages (not the recurring monthly subscription). I really probably shouldn't, but I feel like I will 100% drop and break my phone as soon as I opt to forgo the coverage.

     

    For my PC, last year I finally gave in and rebuilt (which really just meant a new motherboard, CPU, and CPU cooler, and installing the Samsung 980 Pro NVMe drive I got on sale a year or two earlier as the new primary drive) in order to upgrade from an Intel Core i7 6700K to the 13700K.

    My PC was still doing alright when I decided to rebuild, and I had done other upgrades since first building it (e.g., adding another 16 GB of RAM, Nvidia GTX 1080 to RTX 3080 (12 GB)), so it didn't stay feeling like an 8 year old PC, which also helped with the budgeting aspect of it. The 1080 to 3080 also felt like a great choice and, with the prices and power consumption of the newer series, I really haven't been tempted by any of the new GPU releases.

     

    And, in January, I just upgraded to an Xbox Series X after 10 years with the Xbox One. I don't really do a ton of gaming anymore (mostly just twice a week with my son), but the loading times for some of the LEGO games we like to play together were downright painful, and with the expected tariffs coming from Trump, I figured it was probably a good time to upgrade (which, given their recently announced price increases, feels justified).

     

    So, as you can see, I don't have a real strategy for when to upgrade... a lot of it depends on market conditions and prices, but "how big of an upgrade is this?" and "how much do I want this?" is definitely a big factor.

    2 votes

  2. Comment on Convincing the new Digg not to use downvotes in ~tech

    smithsonian
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    What about a system like private torrent trackers have, where you have to maintain a good upload-to-download ratio, except it would be upvotes-to-downvotes? You'd probably have to make it a...

    What about a system like private torrent trackers have, where you have to maintain a good upload-to-download ratio, except it would be upvotes-to-downvotes? You'd probably have to make it a rolling window so people couldn't bank up a ton of upvotes to go in downvote sprees later, but it would seem to democratize downvotes by giving more to those who are more active.

    4 votes

  3. Comment on Wisconsin governor can create 400-year school funding increase using a partial veto, court says in ~society

    smithsonian
    Link Parent
    There are absolutely limitations to it, like not being allowed to strike out individual letters to create new words, and not being allowed to combine words from two or more sentences to create a...

    There are absolutely limitations to it, like not being allowed to strike out individual letters to create new words, and not being allowed to combine words from two or more sentences to create a new, single sentence.

    It essentially means the legislature has to be very deliberate in how it writes its bills, as seen here. (Not that it's been that important, given that the Republican-controlled legislature has done as little as humanly possible since Evers became governor... but that's a different story.)

    And this is the final step of the process, so there’s no recourse apart from the courts?

    No, it works the same way as the federal government: the state legislature can override a veto with a 2/3rds vote.

    This court case was just about whether or not this partial veto usage was within the already established limits of the power.

    The article also mentions the different times that this veto power was amended via constitutional amendments (which aren't subject to the governor's veto) to limit the power, so there's certainly recourse to further limit it, if necessary.

    3 votes

  4. Comment on Seeking new wireless router for high bandwidth streaming in ~tech

    smithsonian
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    For the most part, the biggest advantages of Wi-Fi 6* and Wi-Fi 7 come from situations with a lot of devices (e.g., a smarthome enthusiast, apartment dweller, or commercial setting). If you have...

    For the most part, the biggest advantages of Wi-Fi 6* and Wi-Fi 7 come from situations with a lot of devices (e.g., a smarthome enthusiast, apartment dweller, or commercial setting). If you have most/all of those devices connected to 2.4 GHz and are reserving the 5 GHz for stuff like your phone, Steam Deck, etc., then you'll see limited benefits on your 5 GHz devices.

    *: An exception to this is Wi-Fi 6E, which adds the 6 GHz spectrum as channel options. But most devices still aren't even Wi-Fi 6 compatible, let alone Wi-Fi 6E where the 6 GHz channels aren't backwards compatible.

     

    The reason for recommending against going with a Wi-Fi 6E/Wi-Fi 7 router now as a way is future-proofing: Wi-Fi protocols don't change quickly, but cutting edge options are always going to be far more expensive. You'll likely spend x3+ more on the hardware for ultimately no near-term benefit and the chance the hardware will fail (and will most likely be end-of-life support from the manufacturer) before you even have devices that can support it. And hardware generally improves over time, becoming more powerful, more energy efficient, and less expensive over time, so there's really limited benefits to upgrading before you even have client devices that can support it.

    As someone who upgraded to Wi-Fi 6 routers (and has an Ethernet-backhauled mesh network in my home), you'll honestly probably see more performance benefits by doing a Wi-Fi site survey and making sure your 5 GHz network is using bands that have the least noise from neighboring networks.

     

    Other than that, for the most part, I'd recommend looking at routers that have third-party firmware support (e.g., Asus routers that are supported by Asus-WRT). I'm not sure if DD-WRT is still active, but that was another big router firmware project.

    7 votes

  5. Comment on Superman | Sneak peek in ~movies

    smithsonian
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    I'm really hopeful about this movie. And I really want it to do well so it can kick off DC's new universe. I don't buy Superhero Fatigue... it's just Mediocre Movie fatigue. We've proven...

    I'm really hopeful about this movie. And I really want it to do well so it can kick off DC's new universe. I don't buy Superhero Fatigue... it's just Mediocre Movie fatigue. We've proven repeatedly that people will show up if you give them a reason to instead of just assuming they will. I fully believe there's a whole demographic whose needs haven't been met by Marvel, giving Gunn and DC a chance to fill that hole.

    DC has a deep bench of characters to draw from (yet it seems to be the same handful of characters that just keep being overused), so it's exciting to see that this Superman's universe is already lived-in (and that we're not doing yet another origin story).

    Ordinarily, I'd be skeptical of another Superman movie/reboot... but with Gunn at the helm, my interest is definitely piqued. He's been able to consistently juggle a wide array of tones and emotions in the Guardians trilogy, so I am really interested to see what he does with this.

    Thankfully, Gunn seems really focused on making sure that the individual stories are good and not worrying about how they're going to fit into the overall universe. I feel like that's what Marvel started doing wrong after Endgame; they were focusing so much on the next big Infinity War/Endgame culmination that they left the individual stories desperately lacking.

    11 votes

  6. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    smithsonian
    Link Parent
    I just started playing Slay the Spire a few days ago! I haven't been able to beat the Act 3 boss, yet, but I definitely see the appeal of the game. Any good advice for good builds or strategies?

    I just started playing Slay the Spire a few days ago! I haven't been able to beat the Act 3 boss, yet, but I definitely see the appeal of the game.

    Any good advice for good builds or strategies?

    1 vote

  7. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    smithsonian
    Link Parent
    Funnily enough, I managed to get Blue Stakes on this deck with a Pareidolia Joker along with the good ol' Photo-Chad combo. After beating all of the decks on Blue Stakes, I've been struggling to...

    I'm stuck on Abandoned Deck's blue stake and can't budge it.

    Funnily enough, I managed to get Blue Stakes on this deck with a Pareidolia Joker along with the good ol' Photo-Chad combo.

    After beating all of the decks on Blue Stakes, I've been struggling to stay motivated to keep going on Purple Stakes so I've decided to take a break for a bit.

  8. Comment on Pixel Buds Pro 2 help - frequent disconnects from phone in ~tech

    smithsonian
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    It only happens if the case is open, though. If I leave the case in the same spot but closed, I don't have any issues. I frequently go for walks/runs with my Pixel Buds Pro and leave the case at...

    It only happens if the case is open, though. If I leave the case in the same spot but closed, I don't have any issues.

    I frequently go for walks/runs with my Pixel Buds Pro and leave the case at home without issue, so they're clearly capable of directly connecting.

  9. Comment on Pixel Buds Pro 2 help - frequent disconnects from phone in ~tech

    smithsonian
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    I had a problem with the OG Pixel Buds disconnecting like I was out of range when I was doing yardwork, despite the phone being in my pocket. It turned out the issue was that I was sometimes...

    I had a problem with the OG Pixel Buds disconnecting like I was out of range when I was doing yardwork, despite the phone being in my pocket. It turned out the issue was that I was sometimes leaving the case open in the garage.

    I'm not entirely certain why this mattered, but it was almost like my phone was connecting to Buds via case. Not sure if this could be the situation with you, but I figured it's worth mentioning.

    4 votes

  10. Comment on ‘Pokémon Go’ video game maker Niantic acquired by Scopely for $3.5 billion in ~games

    smithsonian
    Link Parent
    Oooh, I'm going to give this a try! Is there any particular faction I should join over the others, or are they all pretty equal?

    Oooh, I'm going to give this a try!

    Is there any particular faction I should join over the others, or are they all pretty equal?

    1 vote

  11. Comment on What games have you been playing, and what's your opinion on them? in ~games

    smithsonian
    Link Parent
    Oh, just wait until higher stakes when you only get 2 discards per round! After unlocking all of the decks, I did Gold Stakes on Checkered Deck. That's pretty much the only deck where flushes are...

    not getting it after 4 discards in a row,

    Oh, just wait until higher stakes when you only get 2 discards per round!

    After unlocking all of the decks, I did Gold Stakes on Checkered Deck. That's pretty much the only deck where flushes are a viable strategy (unless you luck out with an early Negative Smudged Joker).

    I've been working my way through all of the stakes on all of the decks. I've beaten every deck on Blue Stakes and I'm starting to get burnt out on Purple Stakes (where score requirements scale faster).

    It just feels like the number of viable builds (that aren't dependent on legendary jokers) get fewer and fewer on the higher stakes and pretty much defaulting to the Photo-Chad (Photograph + Hanging Chad with Glass/Red Seal face cards) builds just to get by. Hell, that's what I ended up beating the Abandoned Deck (the deck with no face cards) with on Blue Stakes, thanks to a Pareidolia Joker.

  12. Comment on Split Fiction sold one million units in its first 48 hours in ~games

    smithsonian
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    Last night, I started playing Split Fiction with my six year old son who has relatively mild right-side spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy, which impacts his fine motor skills in his right hand....
    • Exemplary

    Last night, I started playing Split Fiction with my six year old son who has relatively mild right-side spastic hemiplegic cerebral palsy, which impacts his fine motor skills in his right hand. We've been doing "games on TV" 2-3 times a week as a bonding experience, reward, and as (secret) occupational therapy for his right hand for over a year, mostly playing the various LEGO games.

    So far, he's been doing really well with it. Using the right stick for controlling the camera and aiming is definitely more difficult for him, but we've never really played any games where he needed to use the right stick, before. But, as long as one player is still alive, the other player will respawn without any loss of progress.

    Overall, though, the game is honestly pretty forgiving and there are helpful accessibility options (including the ability to skip to the next checkpoint, which we've had to use a couple of times, so far) to make things easier.

    8 votes

  13. Comment on What's the best counter argument to "Well, if I don't do it somebody else will" in ~talk

    smithsonian
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    Sorry, my comment was posted before I finished it. I edited it to include the example I was intending. :)

    Sorry, my comment was posted before I finished it. I edited it to include the example I was intending. :)

  14. Comment on What's the best counter argument to "Well, if I don't do it somebody else will" in ~talk

    smithsonian
    (edited )
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    Just to clarify: the Prime Directive is that they cannot interfere in the natural development of other species—particularly pre-Warp civilizations. The purpose of it is to essentially prevent them...

    In ST it usually ends with the captain, being presented with the moral dilemma, choosing the "right" option which is to respect the Prime Directive to save this unknown species even if it puts their whole crew at risk.

    Just to clarify: the Prime Directive is that they cannot interfere in the natural development of other species—particularly pre-Warp civilizations. The purpose of it is to essentially prevent them from playing god and doing things like getting involved in a civilization's development before they are ready.

    Edit: I just realized the comment I was started to write but thought I lost actually posted, so here's the remainder of what I was going to write:

    Star Trek: Enterprise probably deals with these concepts the most, with questions like do you intervene in a pre-warp civilization to help cure a plague that's only effecting the dominant sapient species on the planet but isn't effecting the somewhat oppressed, less advanced minority sapient species? Curing the plague would obviously save millions of lives and potentially an entire species, but it would also mean that the minority species would continue to be oppressed and never have the opportunity to truly thrive and develop. Is it right to intervene and effectively play god, saving one species at the expense of another? Or should they let things follow their natural course? (And how would the scenario change if there was only one sapient species on the planet?)

    3 votes

  15. Comment on Any troubleshooting recomendations for cable internet? in ~comp

    smithsonian
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    Is it a modem/router combo? If so, then I would consider buying your own modem to remove another variable you don't have control over. I have Spectrum and have my own Motorola/ARRIS Surfboard...

    I'm using my own router (but their modem)

    Is it a modem/router combo? If so, then I would consider buying your own modem to remove another variable you don't have control over.

    I have Spectrum and have my own Motorola/ARRIS Surfboard modem that I bought so I wouldn't have to deal with extra equipment I don't want/need with limited control.

    Depending on your speed requirements, you might be able to get away with a SB6141 for a pretty reasonable price.

    6 votes

  16. Comment on What do you drink with Mac and Cheese? in ~food

    smithsonian
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    As someone born and raised in Wisconsin, I can assure you this is factually incorrect. :) For starters, the "cheese" in most box-made Mac and Cheese is hardly worthy of the name. But even then,...

    Well you've already got dairy with the cheese so you don't need the milk

    As someone born and raised in Wisconsin, I can assure you this is factually incorrect. :)

    For starters, the "cheese" in most box-made Mac and Cheese is hardly worthy of the name. But even then, the actual quantity of dairy provided by the cheese is usually pretty minimal and certainly nowhere near an actual serving of dairy.

    But, mostly, I feel like a good 2% milk (and yes, 2%, not 1% and—*shudder*—especially not skim) is the best complement to the mouth feel of a good Mac and Cheese. While other drinks will just wash away that savory cheesey feel, milk further accentuates it without erasing it. (For children 12 and under, chocolate milk is an acceptable substitute.)

    13 votes

  17. Comment on Lucasfilm boss Kathleen Kennedy expected to retire this year in ~movies

    smithsonian
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    I don't think I can ever truly forgive her for greenlighting the sequel trilogy with zero plan and zero coordination between the different writers/directors. The least they could have done is have...

    I don't think I can ever truly forgive her for greenlighting the sequel trilogy with zero plan and zero coordination between the different writers/directors. The least they could have done is have the three of them work together to build a coherent arc across the three movies before giving the full green light.

    "Winging it" with such an iconic franchise is still just so mind-boggling insane to me. I just don't know how anyone thought they'd get a coherent trilogy doing a relay race with the story.

    29 votes

  18. Comment on Weekly thread for casual chat and photos of pets in ~life.pets

  19. Comment on Installing an aftermarket radio in a old car in ~transport

    smithsonian
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    It's been about 25 years since I replaced a car stereo, but back then my go-to was Crutchfield because they had a compatibility filter, vehicle-specific installation instructions, and (I don't...

    It's been about 25 years since I replaced a car stereo, but back then my go-to was Crutchfield because they had a compatibility filter, vehicle-specific installation instructions, and (I don't know if this is still true) a harness that would connect the aftermarket harness to the car's OEM harness.

    I'm not sure how they compare in terms of price competitiveness, but it looks like they still have the Compatibility Filter and include the vehicle-specific installation instructions. It looks like any adapters or other accessories are an additional cost, but it should help you narrow down your options even if you don't buy through them.

    5 votes

  20. Comment on I bought the newly-in-print Playboy for the articles. It did not disappoint. in ~talk

    smithsonian
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    About 15 years ago, I lived with two roommates. One of them had a subscription to Playboy, with the copies stored on the back of the toilet. At first, I thought it was funny but I was pleasantly...

    About 15 years ago, I lived with two roommates. One of them had a subscription to Playboy, with the copies stored on the back of the toilet. At first, I thought it was funny but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the articles, interviews, and writing.

    Even back then, I feel like they had already heavily transitioned away from the focus of nudity (because there were already plenty of magazines that were far more sexually explicit than Playboy and, of course, the internet existed) and it was merely there out of tradition rather than it really being a main selling point or theme.

    It will be interesting to see if they're able to find a strong enough market for their content to stay in business. Having half-naked women (and even just the name Playboy) on the cover is going to turn away a huge swath of potential readers no matter how good the writing and content is inside... there's just too much social stigma attached.

    12 votes