snazz's recent activity
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Comment on AT&T widespread cell phone outage in US in ~tech
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Comment on What are your cooking experiments that haven't turned out well? in ~food
snazz Link ParentThis is the point where I’m known to abuse the microwave to get it more cooked in the middle :) I did that with some expensive veal that I screwed up and felt terrible about it but it actually...Then proceeded to overheat the oil and char the heck out of them. To top it off, the outside was charcoal black but the inside was raw.
This is the point where I’m known to abuse the microwave to get it more cooked in the middle :) I did that with some expensive veal that I screwed up and felt terrible about it but it actually turned out surprisingly good (and cooked enough in the middle).
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Comment on Those free USB sticks in your drawer are somehow crappier than you thought in ~comp
snazz Link ParentDevice that connects the power lines but not the data lines (if you want to charge your phone without allowing any data connection)Device that connects the power lines but not the data lines (if you want to charge your phone without allowing any data connection)
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Comment on Help: Dual sim mobile phone replacement in ~tech
snazz Link ParentThe 13 series has a physical slot but allows dual eSIMThe 13 series has a physical slot but allows dual eSIM
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Comment on An instant fake ID factory - An underground website called OnlyFake is claiming to use “neural networks” to generate realistic looking photos of fake IDs for just $15 in ~tech
snazz LinkThis is an interesting use of image generation technology. I doubt that it's really quite as revolutionary as the article implies, though. The price in the headline is about 1/3 the price of...This is an interesting use of image generation technology. I doubt that it's really quite as revolutionary as the article implies, though. The price in the headline is about 1/3 the price of buying an actual plastic one (in bulk), so the primary advantage of this would be being able to produce the images quicker and at a somewhat greater scale. I can't imagine a photo of an ID would be enough to open a bank account at very many banks since they usually do a soft credit pull. And then I'd think it would raise some red flags at the IRS when the bank sends the 1099-INT and nobody exists with that SSN.
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Comment on I rent a million-dollar home: Why can’t I buy one? in ~finance
snazz Link ParentWhat are the "niceties" that you personally enjoy about NYC? I ask because I'm in college and will likely have the opportunity to look for a job pretty much anywhere in the country afterwards, but...What are the "niceties" that you personally enjoy about NYC? I ask because I'm in college and will likely have the opportunity to look for a job pretty much anywhere in the country afterwards, but I'm really not sure what I'm looking for in terms of the place.
I can imagine access to tons of activities and culture on your doorstep being a fun nicety in New York but the Wisconsin lifestyle might come with a lot more peace and quiet if you value that more instead. "The city is my living room" and having a big private living room both appeal to me in different ways :)
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Comment on Windows Phone gets revenge on YouTube from the grave by helping users bypass its ad-blocker-blocker in ~tech
snazz Link ParentI had a Lumia 830 and I liked it a lot too, but the software quality definitely went downhill with the Windows 10 Mobile update. I had to reboot every week or so because something leaked memory,...I had a Lumia 830 and I liked it a lot too, but the software quality definitely went downhill with the Windows 10 Mobile update. I had to reboot every week or so because something leaked memory, which made web browsing feel like you were on the Nintendo DSi browser. Just quitting Edge didn't fix it, it was some OS component. The camera app also had a nasty bug where it would delete the picture if you tried to open the preview too quickly after taking a photo. I learned pretty quick to always wait a second before checking my work :)
I stuck it out until 2019, and then got an iPhone. The Windows Phone was definitely more fun and unique and I really liked the UI, but I run into major iOS bugs less often (certainly not never, though!).
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Comment on "No one is listening to us": More people than ever are hospitalized with COVID-19. Health-care workers can’t go on like this. in ~health
snazz Link ParentI figured that the dashboard I found was misleading, given the lower-than-expected values that clearly didn’t take a few variables into account. Thanks for the details!I figured that the dashboard I found was misleading, given the lower-than-expected values that clearly didn’t take a few variables into account. Thanks for the details!
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Comment on "No one is listening to us": More people than ever are hospitalized with COVID-19. Health-care workers can’t go on like this. in ~health
snazz LinkDoes anyone know where I can find some hard data (maybe another ArcGIS dashboard) showing hospital utilization? News articles from across the political spectrum paint very different pictures of...Does anyone know where I can find some hard data (maybe another ArcGIS dashboard) showing hospital utilization? News articles from across the political spectrum paint very different pictures of how well the healthcare system is holding up, so I'm finding it hard to find a balanced perspective. I'm not denying that any of the perspectives in left-wing news sources like The Atlantic are valid—just that I would like irrefutable data as well.
Compared to case numbers, hospital usage should be very accurate data with little error potential. Why do news articles like this one always seem to cite anecdotes from epidemiologists, hospitals, and universities instead of hard data from centralized authorities like state health departments?
I found one dashboard which shows about 50% hospital bed utilization across the US. How accurate does that seem?
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Comment on Microsoft Edge Browser on Linux: Surprisingly good in ~tech
snazz LinkThis seems like a strange strategic move for Microsoft. With WSL and Linux running on Azure, it seems like they're trying to promote Windows as the desktop operating system for software...This seems like a strange strategic move for Microsoft. With WSL and Linux running on Azure, it seems like they're trying to promote Windows as the desktop operating system for software development. It doesn't make a ton of sense to me that they would provide desktop software for Linux.
Does anyone have other thoughts on this?
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Comment on Apple introduces iPhone 12 in smaller size and 5G, and iPhone 12 Pro & Pro Max with LiDAR, larger screens, and more capable cameras in ~tech
snazz Link ParentWhile I agree with you, I see it as a positive—a sign of maturity—that you can continue using a 2015 iPhone somewhat comfortably until late 2020.While I agree with you, I see it as a positive—a sign of maturity—that you can continue using a 2015 iPhone somewhat comfortably until late 2020.
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Comment on <deleted topic> in ~games
snazz Link ParentMinetest also has 3D chunks, which are really cool. Minecraft is the better game, but Minetest's engine and modding offers more possibilities.Minetest also has 3D chunks, which are really cool. Minecraft is the better game, but Minetest's engine and modding offers more possibilities.
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Comment on Toward a "modern" Emacs in ~comp
snazz Link ParentI do agree with you. My first, second, third, fourth, sixth, and eighth points are possible while retaining elisp as the configuration language. By having better defaults—like using MELPA out of...I do agree with you. My first, second, third, fourth, sixth, and eighth points are possible while retaining elisp as the configuration language. By having better defaults—like using MELPA out of the box and including syntax highlighting for modern formats and using the two-pane approach to editing config.el—I think it's possible to significantly improve the user-friendliness of Emacs without dropping elisp.
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Comment on Linux graphical apps coming to Windows SubSystem for Linux in ~tech
snazz Link ParentIt appears that Microsoft is trying to take a chunk out of the "develop on Mac, deploy on Linux" market. Apple has largely dominated here because they provide a serious UNIX with a very nice...It appears that Microsoft is trying to take a chunk out of the "develop on Mac, deploy on Linux" market. Apple has largely dominated here because they provide a serious UNIX with a very nice graphical environment on top. Microsoft wants people to buy PCs and use WSL instead.
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Comment on Toward a "modern" Emacs in ~comp
snazz Link ParentTake Sublime Text as an example of an editor with "sane defaults". Out of the box, keyboard shortcuts work exactly like other applications on your system (although you can rebind them, of course)....Take Sublime Text as an example of an editor with "sane defaults".
- Out of the box, keyboard shortcuts work exactly like other applications on your system (although you can rebind them, of course).
- Scrolling feels smooth and natural with any mouse or touchpad. I could never get this working perfectly in Emacs no matter how hard I tried.
- Syntax highlighting for common formats like Markdown doesn't require third-party packages.
- Installing a new plugin is as simple as typing a few commands into the command palette (conceptually similar to M-x) or clicking in the menus. You can use alternative Package Control repositories, but you don't need to write elisp to configure the default.
- Settings are changed through JSON, not elisp. When editing your Sublime config, two editor panes open, where the left one shows the default settings and explanations in comments.
- Packages are separated from one another in a more natural way. Package conflicts are rarer.
- The plugin-writing language is Python 3, not elisp. Even if you like Lisp, elisp is a poor example. Far more people know Python anyway.
- Compared to Emacs distributions like Spacemacs, Sublime's performance is amazing.
Emacs can attract new users without losing its principles, but it's going to require some serious effort and willingness for change from the maintainers.
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Comment on What did you do this weekend? in ~talk
snazz Link ParentI haven’t tried this myself—does oversleeping like that mess up your hydration level to cause the headache?I haven’t tried this myself—does oversleeping like that mess up your hydration level to cause the headache?
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Comment on 4K screen on 15" laptop - worth it? in ~tech
snazz Link ParentYeah, I think the software compatibitility aspect is the most significant consideration. macOS and nearly all third-party Mac apps support Retina very nicely. Windows supports HiDPI monitors to an...Yeah, I think the software compatibitility aspect is the most significant consideration. macOS and nearly all third-party Mac apps support Retina very nicely. Windows supports HiDPI monitors to an extent (many included programs like Computer Management are fuzzy) and third-party software is less guaranteed to support it. Linux might be challenging to get working with HiDPI displays outside of programs like the default GNOME applications which are meant to work at those resolutions.
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Comment on Email sucks in ~tech
snazz Link ParentIt's definitely still possible to create a new Google Account with no phone number or backup email account, although it will bug you with messages like "add a phone number so that you don't get...It's definitely still possible to create a new Google Account with no phone number or backup email account, although it will bug you with messages like "add a phone number so that you don't get locked out" whenever you sign into your account. There are certainly some dark patterns to try to get you to give them a phone number, but plenty of kids sign up for their first email accounts with Google and have no trouble, despite not having another email or a phone.
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Comment on Life has gotten a lot more stressful for me lately in ~talk
snazz LinkI'm not going to make a substantial comment on the first part of your post other than to echo the suggestion to see a doctor as soon as you can. However, I do have a few ideas for ways to make...- Exemplary
I'm not going to make a substantial comment on the first part of your post other than to echo the suggestion to see a doctor as soon as you can.
However, I do have a few ideas for ways to make money given the skills you've highlighted. And while my experience with the kinds of mental health issues you suffer from is pretty limited, I would hope that some financial success could create a positive feedback loop that might help you in other aspects of your life.
I'm a student in the US. To make a little side money, I started writing IT- and programming-related articles for companies. I made a profile on Fiverr with two gigs: writing computer-related articles and editing them. I set up my profile and added my gigs sometime in early December 2019. I did no marketing of any kind after that; when Christmas went by with no sales, I nearly forgot about it.
Then, in late January, a very kind German entrepreneur placed an order for a 1000-word article out of the blue. I don't remember the exact topic, but it was the kind of thing that I had no trouble writing about. After my first buyer was pleased with my work and I received a positive review, orders started flowing in from others as well. I now make an average of about $350 per month without spending large amounts of my day writing articles, which is just about perfect for me.
Here's what made a huge difference: I was providing a service to companies who were willing to pay for it. Every project you linked to in this post is really impressive, but it's not necessarily the type of work that a company would be willing to pay significant money for.
I also know for a fact that my American nationality helped get my business off the ground, but given how well you write in English, I expect that you would be able to compete with writers from other parts of the world very effectively. You also clearly know computers very well, which could allow you to capitalize on the niche of "good writing produced by people who understand technology deeply". That's a niche with ton lot of potential!
A few more suggestions that might be helpful to you:
- Set your prices higher than your competition if you use a website like Fiverr. I know you live in a low-cost-of-living place, but don't let that stop you from asking for a more significant amount of money. I charge $0.05/word or $50 per 1000 words, which seems to be a very palatable price point for my clients that also makes me enough money. Extremely low prices make you look like you aren't confident in your work.
- Savings are the backbone of independence. Even when you're making more money, don't adjust your spending to match. With significant savings, you may even be able to move out to a city and start your own life without your parents' involvement.
- Be productive, but don't work long days. Separate your "work life" from your "personal life", even if they occur in the same room. This is really important for my mental health and would probably be even more important for yours. Your idea of setting a schedule is useful and should help here as well.
- Take pride in what you do even if it's not perfect. Freelance writing sometimes requires that you turn in an assignment before it seems perfect to you. That's absolutely ok; you're almost always the harshest critic of your own work.
If you have any more questions about my little business, feel free to reach out! You can use the email in my bio if you would like—or just reply here.
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Comment on Apple plans to announce move to its own Mac chips at WWDC in ~tech
snazz Link ParentGiven that Windows 10 runs just fine on ARM64, Apple might still include Boot Camp support. The hard part is that very little of the Windows ecosystem can run without Microsoft's x64 emulation...Given that Windows 10 runs just fine on ARM64, Apple might still include Boot Camp support. The hard part is that very little of the Windows ecosystem can run without Microsoft's x64 emulation layer, meaning that a lot of third-party applications are slow. Unlike Microsoft, Apple has the power to force developers to adapt to changes in macOS and Mac hardware.
I don't know how Apple's EFI would work on their ARM laptops, so Linux support would be iffy at first. But ARM is clearly the direction that many laptop manufacturers are going in, so I expect that the support will eventually be there.
I’m pretty sure that all three US carriers have required VoLTE capable hardware for a while now. I’m also not sure how widely deployed VoNR is in the US given that most 5G deployments are running in NSA mode (non-standalone—meaning that there is still an LTE connection as well used for the control plane and presumably VoLTE).