sneakeyboard's recent activity
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Comment on Chegg is on its last legs after ChatGPT sent its stock down 99% in ~tech
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Comment on 49M people still use their PS4s, matching the PS5 in ~games
sneakeyboard Link ParentMost of us could think of a handful of issues surrounding the PS5 launch that probably influenced the company into releasing exclusives on PC but maybe I'm just extrapolating. My thoughts, for...Most of us could think of a handful of issues surrounding the PS5 launch that probably influenced the company into releasing exclusives on PC but maybe I'm just extrapolating. My thoughts, for now, are that there were no resources available to sustain a stable launch of a new generation of consoles, leading to where we are today.
While the numbers seem to indicate an increase, OP (and the article) point out that the difference is negligible when adjusting for inflation. Again, maybe it's just a marketing strategy and we will never see their games on PC again but I find it alarming that the adoption of the new console is still this low.
Interestingly, I had a similar experience with PS subscription service as @Notcoffeetable and found some good titles back when I had a PS4 but made the transition to PC from there; the extensive library and "free" online services for multiplayer games is too convenient and is hardly justified for consoles.
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Comment on How a simple fix could double the size of the US electricity grid in ~enviro
sneakeyboard Link ParentYeah, it's not doomsday everywhere but almost all utility companies face the same issue: no funding to do anything. I'm not against these green energy policies but when these promises turn into a...Yeah, it's not doomsday everywhere but almost all utility companies face the same issue: no funding to do anything. I'm not against these green energy policies but when these promises turn into a contest to see who's got the "biggest one" in the room, you end up with unrealistic expectations from everyone involved in this project with no politician providing financial support.
Wildfires aside, look at the issues that California is facing with all their green energy initiatives. They're great on paper but the market is terrible and the utility company is being forced to abide by these incentives and isn't given the resources for the needed infrastructure upgrades.
One of the main reasons the U.S. grid stands today is the high level of knowledge and strict requirements that resulted in a reliable infrastructure but, as the article points out, has yet to be upgraded since its inception. No amount of maintenance will prevent failure of a 45+ year old component or structure and those are common everywhere from generation to the lines going to your home.
The paywall doesn't help but thankfully the main comment gives good context and hopefully enough to highlight the main points. I think that rewiring transmission lines is a necessary step but with electrification being in every other state's to-do list, the bottleneck will be first seen on the distribution (homes and businesses) where the capacity is much lower. Doubling your capacity on the transmission side won't change that and I'd say that's a much bigger issue with so many new constructions of buildings/homes, EV charging stations, solar panels added by consumers, etc. that further stress the grid's distribution side.
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Comment on Why Joe Biden matters in ~society
sneakeyboard Link ParentRegardless of which party is in charge, the main challenge with making changes remains bipartisanship support. There’s just so many issues to tackle that—even if a bill makes it out of planning...Regardless of which party is in charge, the main challenge with making changes remains bipartisanship support. There’s just so many issues to tackle that—even if a bill makes it out of planning phase—any attempts to fix it change something will get shut down at every level.
The author seems well informed on the presidents agenda but if I had to come here to find out, then the average voter isn’t even going to notice any of these changes until years after another president is in office.
On a bit of a side note: I do feel bad for those appointees. They’re going to look like Obama did after his two terms. Withered and exhausted. It wouldn’t surprise me if they leave.
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Comment on ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ gets up and stands up to $51M; ‘Madame Web’ crawls near $26M over six-day holiday frame in ~movies
sneakeyboard Link ParentYour comment points out one of the main issues. They’re just pumping out films to see what sticks but forget what made iron man successful. This race to the bottom-line is sad because these...Your comment points out one of the main issues. They’re just pumping out films to see what sticks but forget what made iron man successful.
This race to the bottom-line is sad because these characters are still part of the MCU and would often play important roles on big arcs. I’m no expert with comics but from their presence in the TV shows I find it challenging to make a movie with these characters at the center when isolating them from the world they're part of—specially when no one knows these characters. I think it’s just a matter of reading and understanding the source material.
Exhibit A: Deadpool. Not the best rating for its second film but there’s a lot that’s done right.
Exhibit B: if Disney pulls it off, the upcoming X-men series. They did their homework with that trailer.
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Comment on Can you recommend songs or musicians/bands with lyrics in Spanish? in ~music
sneakeyboard Link ParentI really like the idea of learning through exploring the cultural aspects of a culture. After all, much of modern artists were influenced by those before them. Just to add a bit of more...I really like the idea of learning through exploring the cultural aspects of a culture. After all, much of modern artists were influenced by those before them. Just to add a bit of more information on the "tropical"/salsa genre:
It's main roots, at least during the time of Grupo Niche, were based of ballads; this is how the song was initially drafted, then the composition would change to the iconic and vivid tune of salsa. They were one of the most famous bands and their songs are still played today.If going through recommendations is still a bit challenging, don't be afraid to explore youtube for independent artists who performed covers for any song. Covers like this one are well thought out and recreate those roots with a bonus of being slower and easier if the original is too fast. You will notice that some recommendations by @Cuaderno tend to be slower paced as well.
Another mention, in case you like drama/romantic songs (this is a big part of Spanish culture) is Mana and Shakira. Both have older and popular songs that can be looked up easily and should have proper translations. I always found that, while learning English, some words were lost due to the figurative use of these words and this wasn't easily noticed to me as a non-native speaker.
Hope that helps.
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Comment on Twitch's new sexual content guidelines updated to include 'artistic nudity' after viral topless stream in ~tech
sneakeyboard Link ParentSadly, one side of me thinks this wouldn’t be possible if Amazon wasn’t the parent company behind them. I hope this doesn’t end up getting backtracked and we end up where we startedSadly, one side of me thinks this wouldn’t be possible if Amazon wasn’t the parent company behind them.
I hope this doesn’t end up getting backtracked and we end up where we started
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Comment on Twitch's new sexual content guidelines updated to include 'artistic nudity' after viral topless stream in ~tech
sneakeyboard Link ParentI too would hope that we don’t end up losing more of the content that made me use the platform due to content creators grabbing all the viewers with their “talking “ streams. In their defense,...I too would hope that we don’t end up losing more of the content that made me use the platform due to content creators grabbing all the viewers with their “talking “ streams.
In their defense, it’s a good business move to provide options but I could see this further saturating the platform.
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Comment on Does anyone use Framework laptops? What has been your experience? in ~comp
sneakeyboard Link ParentSo the keyboard in the framework is decent? That’s interesting. I have noticed that most keyboards aren’t terrible and, as an owner of an xps13, I couldn’t agree more on their terrible design.So the keyboard in the framework is decent? That’s interesting. I have noticed that most keyboards aren’t terrible and, as an owner of an xps13, I couldn’t agree more on their terrible design.
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Comment on Development of a live-action film of The Legend of Zelda to start in ~movies
sneakeyboard Link ParentI meant this as in bringing him back into another Batman film. I’m aware he wasn’t the voice actor.I meant this as in bringing him back into another Batman film. I’m aware he wasn’t the voice actor.
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Comment on Development of a live-action film of The Legend of Zelda to start in ~movies
sneakeyboard Link ParentI’ll need to clarify: this isn’t an attack on the film itself but rather on the marketing of the film. The movie is fine and did well. The voice acting was fairly good too. I know nobody here...I’ll need to clarify: this isn’t an attack on the film itself but rather on the marketing of the film. The movie is fine and did well. The voice acting was fairly good too. I know nobody here called it a masterpiece. However, the actor’s manes in animated films has always been used as a selling point; even when the quality is not there. This is not going to change.
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Comment on Development of a live-action film of The Legend of Zelda to start in ~movies
sneakeyboard Link ParentWhile it sounds repetitive, the problem with the Mario movie is the same problem every animated film has had since the genie’s success as a character. Popular celebrity names are thrown around as...While it sounds repetitive, the problem with the Mario movie is the same problem every animated film has had since the genie’s success as a character. Popular celebrity names are thrown around as if this fact alone automatically made the film a masterpiece.
No one remembers the failures of that emoji film. I just spent 3 minutes looking up the name of the film Pixels (so bad I couldn’t remember it). But you’d remember the Batman Lego movie being good before naming a voice actor and saying “yea it made sense to spend all the money on Christian Bale as Batman again.”
Regardless of who’s cast as the voice for a specific character, I’m going to be skeptical and will probably skip this one if all I hear is something along the lines of “Morgan freeman as The Great Deku Tree!” Which sounds great for margins but I think we need to dissociate the name of an actor with the success of an animated film. Just focus on a good story and stop spending all the budget on bringing these popular celebrities.
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Comment on Does anyone use Framework laptops? What has been your experience? in ~comp
sneakeyboard Link ParentIt’s the key feel and really nothing else. Not worth the premium but I haven’t seen any other laptop with a similar feeling when typing. I usually opt to take a keyboard and plug that in rather...It’s the key feel and really nothing else. Not worth the premium but I haven’t seen any other laptop with a similar feeling when typing. I usually opt to take a keyboard and plug that in rather than using the terrible one in most laptops…which kind of defeats the purpose.
Let me swap in that keyboard in the framework and I’ll never change to another brand.
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Comment on Lighthearted comedy anime? in ~anime
sneakeyboard LinkWhile there are popular mentions, I’d want to add some that may not be mentioned: Hinamatsuri is a good one. The story follows a girl from another planet that ends up living with a member of the...While there are popular mentions, I’d want to add some that may not be mentioned:
Hinamatsuri is a good one. The story follows a girl from another planet that ends up living with a member of the Japanese mafia (yakuza) and their new, chaotic lifestyle. It’s purely good comedy with a few feels good moments. No clichés nor any tropes that ruin the good story.
If they prefer or you know they like a family theme, there’s kakushigoto. This story is about a manga artist who works his hardest to provide for his daughter all the while keeping his job a secret from her.
Both of these are relaxing and focus more on slice of life.
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Comment on Does anyone use Framework laptops? What has been your experience? in ~comp
sneakeyboard (edited )Link ParentAs an additional source of first-hand experience, Louis Rossman gave his thoughts on the laptop after two years of use as a daily drive. Louis is one of the biggest supporters of right-to-repair...As an additional source of first-hand experience, Louis Rossman gave his thoughts on the laptop after two years of use as a daily drive. Louis is one of the biggest supporters of right-to-repair and "fix-it-yourself" ideology.
Here's his video discussing the first-gen laptop. The video is not too long but the summary is: good quality but don't expect to have a smooth transition from other high-end models like a thinkpad (darn those keyboards are nice).
edit: there are trade-offs but these are worth it in my mind and he discusses these.Aside from having followed the company's development, I haven't heard a lot of opposition to the product's quality and plan to purchase one when my current laptop dies. From all I've seen or heard about it, this laptop seems to be the sweet-spot between configurable and high quality.
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Comment on Intel's next-gen Meteor Lake CPUs: A game-changing 40-year architectural shift to rival Apple in ~comp
sneakeyboard Link ParentI strongly believe the majority of battery issues with other laptops are mainly due to how terrible windows is optimized. While hardware matters, the software that runs on it matters as well....I strongly believe the majority of battery issues with other laptops are mainly due to how terrible windows is optimized. While hardware matters, the software that runs on it matters as well. Apple's advantage is that both software and hardware is developed internally.
I understand that these M-devices are considered "laptops," but they are completely different technologies and shouldn't be compared to traditional laptops because they're completely different products. Apple has been building these "computers" since the first iphone and seem to be trying to unify their ecosystem further with how these devices operate. Costs and branding aside, I still consider these M-variants an amazing device but not a fully-functional computer replacement; you can't run anything outside their app store and only time will tell how well Apple implements compatibility with X-86 applications. That said, the integration of their app store with these devices and their capabilities make them suitable for general purpose and unsurprisingly, that covers the majority of end-users.
Unless I'm mistaken, intel's CPU is still x-86 based and Apple switched to ARM. As @vord mentioned, the move reads a LOT like AMD's announcement for Ryzen with the "glued-down" technology that intel mocked at some point and not a response to Apple as the article's title suggests.
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Comment on Intel's next-gen Meteor Lake CPUs: A game-changing 40-year architectural shift to rival Apple in ~comp
sneakeyboard (edited )Link ParentMy first thought was about AMD and how they pushed the envelope towards what is 64-bit architecture today; they're usually the first to risk improvements on R&D for both CPUs and GPUs. Also:...My first thought was about AMD and how they pushed the envelope towards what is 64-bit architecture today; they're usually the first to risk improvements on R&D for both CPUs and GPUs.
Also: didn't intel snatch AMD's lead engineer for Ryzen/EPIC? I take it this is what he's been working on since then. Interesting stuff and 100% agree that the likelihood of Apple competing is relatively low.
edit: I will add that while the response isn't to Apple's M-chips, they could be targeting to compete with them later on. Unlikely but the article reads like AMD's announcement for Ryzen.
And yes, I'm also curios about what will be the next denomination after nm...pm? My issue is that these tell you nothing as the metric isn't really an accurate measure and more of a stamp you'd find on those "As seen on TV" products.
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Comment on Blockchains are entering their “broadband era” in ~finance
sneakeyboard Link ParentWhich sounds great on paper…and their margins but defeats the entire purpose of this technology. I did not live through the inception of visa and master card, nor am I old enough to be hiding...Which sounds great on paper…and their margins but defeats the entire purpose of this technology.
I did not live through the inception of visa and master card, nor am I old enough to be hiding money under the mattress but it wouldn’t surprise me if there was a similar argument made when these companies tried to convince the general public to use their services.
I see blockchain having two possible routes for its future: grow to compete on its own against existing networks or be forced into those existing networks that claim to provide financial security.
While this article may not be the make all our break all, I think we already missed the opportunity for blockchain to become its own thing. Too many big players have invested in it.
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Comment on NVIDIA BIOS signature lock broken, vBIOS modding and crossflash enabled by groundbreaking new tools in ~comp
sneakeyboard Link ParentYeah I get what you both mean but I'm just not sure if the driver is ready to make use of this 'unlock' nor if adding support is feasible. I haven't used nouveau in a while but i do remember that...Yeah I get what you both mean but I'm just not sure if the driver is ready to make use of this 'unlock' nor if adding support is feasible. I haven't used nouveau in a while but i do remember that the proprietary driver was recommended unless you strictly wanted foss.
If I'm interpreting you credent, it seems that this driver could be ready as is or with minimal changes. Whole be interesting if that's the case.
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Comment on Los Angeles is exploring banning cashless businesses, following the example of New York City, Philadelphia, Massachusetts, Colorado, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Washington, DC in ~finance
sneakeyboard Link ParentBut wouldn’t this be a circular argument then? Couldn’t we argue that if it doesn’t take much to accept cash, then why not do so? Also, I’d say that this affects everyone. I haven’t looked much...But wouldn’t this be a circular argument then?
Couldn’t we argue that if it doesn’t take much to accept cash, then why not do so?
Also, I’d say that this affects everyone. I haven’t looked much into it but there are studies looking into what a cashless society would need to function and I’m not sure if we’re there yet.Additionally, I don’t think all businesses have the alternative options you mentioned; I.e., the gas station doesn’t have their own generator as a Walmart does. Again, there are only the two major companies that issue cards, their network, and then there’s everything else. There is no central, widely accepted method of payment that replaces cash as of yet. Not one that’s accepted everywhere at least.
Not everyone takes diners, or Amex, for example, but, as you stated, anyone could take cash.
In order to replace cash, something that’s accepted in its place should be accessible to everyone. I’ve seen people have to ask me or others to pay for them due to the restaurant not taking certain cards but they still take cash. I’m not saying cash should stay forever but I don’t think the problem is solved either. Specially not with the duopoly visa and master card have on businesses. Ex: they suspended payments for the infamous only fans due to their “lose" policies on content and age of consent. I say "lose" because it's really difficult to manage and operate a site that scaled as fast as they did. Now imagine this problem for an essential business and the impact this can have locally for the community.
The only surprising thing here is Chegg still generating revenue--how many of those could be users who forgot to cancel their subscriptions?
The company, for whatever reason, decided to pass up on two big opportunities to modernize their services. With everyone aiming for software as a service, it couldn't have been impossible to add, aside from access to their solutions bank, the ability to rent textbooks for an additional, flat amount. The second opportunity missed was with them ignoring LLMs entirely. I recall they purchased mathway, probably to compete with wolframalpha, but it's unlikely that these types of algorithms have changed much.