smithsonian's recent activity
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Comment on Any significant changes to Tildes are extremely unlikely in ~tildes.official
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Comment on Defective D&D magic items in ~games.tabletop
smithsonian LinkI made something similar for a campaign I built for my son. I added some "read the fine print" items that he'd get excited about until he read the actual details, like the Invisible Cloak: when...I made something similar for a campaign I built for my son. I added some "read the fine print" items that he'd get excited about until he read the actual details, like the Invisible Cloak: when activated, the cloak becomes invisible. Fine print: the wearer does not. You are still fully visible, but nobody will know you're wearing a cloak.
I also had boots that gave you REALLY good grip, but they always squeak. With every step. On every surface. The softer you step, the louder the squeak.
There was also the Ring of Detect Fire: while worn, the ring glows orange whenever it comes in contact with fire.
And my personal favorite: the Silent Spoon. Any liquids consumed from the spoon happen in complete silence; no slurping, no matter how hard you tried. (You just know there's a story behind why someone created that spoon.)
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Comment on Why normal people aren’t using AI agents in ~tech
smithsonian Link ParentRelevant xkcd Personally, I actually kind of enjoy this loop. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯Programmers be like: I have to do a thing, let me spend all day automating it so that I never have to do it again
Programmers a week later: spending time coding because other related use cases came up and code needs to be expandedPersonally, I actually kind of enjoy this loop. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
smithsonian Link ParentI just got ESP32-CAM-MB with the OV3660 camera; you can find a two pack of them on Amazon for ~$20 in USB-C or Micro USB variants. The MB makes it easy to plug a USB in to a PC to flash/power....I just got ESP32-CAM-MB with the OV3660 camera; you can find a two pack of them on Amazon for ~$20 in USB-C or Micro USB variants. The MB makes it easy to plug a USB in to a PC to flash/power.
Just FYI that the OV2640 camera seems to have better hardware support across projects, depending on what you want to do with it. But the OV3660 does have native support in both ESPHome and AIOTE, so it might not matter that much.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
smithsonian Link ParentUpdate: I ended up enlisting Claude's help to train a new digit detection model using actual samples of my meter's digits and I'm finally getting good, consistent results! So I retract my previous...Update: I ended up enlisting Claude's help to train a new digit detection model using actual samples of my meter's digits and I'm finally getting good, consistent results!
So I retract my previous statement about exploring other alternatives. I spent over a week chasing physical tuning (lighting/position/angle/camera exposure settings/etc.) and couldn't get consistent reads, but a couple hours of training on 224 sample digits captured over ~18 hours made more impact than any other change I tried.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
smithsonian Link ParentThe 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...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.
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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.
Me, who has been donating $3 a month through GitHub: I'm doing my part!