soks_n_sandals's recent activity
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Comment on I am new to Mac OS, give me your favorite or preferred settings/ tools! in ~tech
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Comment on I am new to Mac OS, give me your favorite or preferred settings/ tools! in ~tech
soks_n_sandals (edited )LinkI switched to MacOS less than a year ago. The learning curve was about 2-3 weeks, but I was determined to like it. For Mac, I am only using trackpads. It makes the UI more intuitive for me, but...I switched to MacOS less than a year ago. The learning curve was about 2-3 weeks, but I was determined to like it. For Mac, I am only using trackpads. It makes the UI more intuitive for me, but everyone is different!
The biggest thing, as someone else mentioned, was learning new keystrokes and finding ways to do things efficiently on a laptop. The "Option" key's icon took me a while to figure out, but it really does indicate that it takes the keystroke on a different path. Learning that any app's settings can be opened with
Command + ,was vital for the first weeks because I was tweaking everything!Getting help
- Searching what you want to do in an application by clicking "Help" in the top window is very efficient. It should expand the menu paths and point to it, showing where to find it in the future!
- Also, the "Tips" app is actually just the user manual. Extremely helpful when learning to machine to be able to search things there.
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- A subnote, the top bar's options never really move, and instead they change app-by-app. This is a departure from how Windows does it, but it makes it easy to learn that File/Edit/etc. are always in the same spot, and only the app name in the top left changes and it's generally where app-specific information is.
Opening things quickly:
- Using
Command + Spaceto open Spotlight and quickly open up apps/files/etc. is really handy - In a similar vein, I removed almost everything default from the dock. Don't know why more people don't do this!
Making it easier to see what's open:
- [this is for users with a a MacBook or Magic Trackpad] If you have multiple windows of the same application open (Safari, Preview, etc.), you can get an overview of all the windows of just that app by:
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- A) "hard" pressing, or "pressing through" the trackpad until it clicks twice while the cursor is hovering over the icon in the dock
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- B) with two fingers at the same time, double tapping the icon in the dock.
- Swiping up with 3 fingers produces a similar view, but for all applications
Deleting words/typing:
- Pressing
Command + deleteremoves a whole row, which is helpful but often excessing. - Use
Option + deleteto remove single words at a time (likeAlt + Backspaceon Windows) - To get the "Delete" key function from Windows, which deletes a character in front of the cursor, press
Fn + delete! You can also doFn + Option + deleteto remove words in the forward-feeding direction.
Moving windows around
- You can tweak the window snapping features. There's always the option to hover your cursor over the little green dot in the top left, but you can also change:
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Settings > Desktop and Dock: "Double click a window's title bar to: FILL"so that double clicking a window makes it full screen. The Mac desktop is happy to have a bunch of weirdly sized windows. I usually want them full screen!
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Desktop and Dock: Hold Option key while dragging windows to tilegives you a little target box as you drag a window and hold the Option key and makes windows snapping easier
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Desktop and Dock: Drag windows to menu bar to fill screenallows you to just drag a window toward the top of the display to make it full screen. Just makes sense to me!
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Keyboard Shortcuts > Windows > Halves > Tile Left HalfI changed toOption + Command + Left(then similar for right). The reason is that I want to be able to tile windows with either hand and not need it to be a two-handed operation. This works on windows except for Safari, where it switches tabs?
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Keyboard Shortcuts > Windows > Halves > General > Fill >Option + Command + F` is an easier reach for me to get a window fullscreen if I'm not double clicking or dragging it.
Other cool stuff (if you have an iPhone):
- Need to record a video for work? You can use your iPhone as a webcam for a high quality recording.
- Need to share your literal desktop with someone? Like to drawn on a piece of paper to explain a concept? You can share that desktop view in FaceTime and it can use an iPhone as the camera.
- Need to scan a document? Two-finger click in finder and you can
Import from iPhoneand it'll pull up a scanner and then automatically transfer it to your Mac.
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Comment on I am new to Mac OS, give me your favorite or preferred settings/ tools! in ~tech
soks_n_sandals Link Parent+1 for Stats. It is super helpful! I try to kick a little money to the devs every time it prompts (which is not that often).+1 for Stats. It is super helpful! I try to kick a little money to the devs every time it prompts (which is not that often).
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Comment on Advice on a voice recorder in ~tech
soks_n_sandals LinkA few questions because I just went through something similar and learned a lot. I am not an audio professional, just an enthusiastic hobbyist. Do you have a budget in mind? And also do you plan...A few questions because I just went through something similar and learned a lot. I am not an audio professional, just an enthusiastic hobbyist.
Do you have a budget in mind?
And also do you plan to do any sort of processing with the audio after you record it?
Will you record on location, like a field recording at people’s homes or similar?
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Comment on Happily sharing that one of my all-time favorite sites, LooksLikeGoodDesign, is (partially) back online in ~design
soks_n_sandals Link ParentIt’s interesting to look back after nearly 3 years of posting the link, but the new site is a total redesign! Just read the details About pages and it seems like the new iteration is in good hands.It’s interesting to look back after nearly 3 years of posting the link, but the new site is a total redesign! Just read the details About pages and it seems like the new iteration is in good hands.
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Comment on Ambient music on iOS 18.4 and the return to the Apple’s Music app in ~music
soks_n_sandals LinkI’ve never seen the background sounds before, so that’s a really neat feature. Though, I’ll say that as a new Apple Music user, I’ve been heavily enjoying their curated late night and mediation...I’ve never seen the background sounds before, so that’s a really neat feature.
Though, I’ll say that as a new Apple Music user, I’ve been heavily enjoying their curated late night and mediation playlists. So many hours of good ambient electronic music.
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Comment on Help me find the perfect sandals? in ~life.style
soks_n_sandals Link Parent+1 for the Bedrocks - I’ve tried Teva, Chacos, Xeros, Vibrams, and the bedrocks are the only sandals I’ve purchased a second pair of. The adjustable Y-strap is so much easier than chacos, and...+1 for the Bedrocks - I’ve tried Teva, Chacos, Xeros, Vibrams, and the bedrocks are the only sandals I’ve purchased a second pair of. The adjustable Y-strap is so much easier than chacos, and they’re so much lighter. I found Teva and Xero sandals to be way too slippery when my feet sweat or the sandals got wet.
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Comment on Question about routers and access points in ~comp
soks_n_sandals Link ParentOK, thanks a ton for confirming that I’m not too far off. The QA person in me desperately wants to figure out what’s going wrong with my current router, and the other part of me wants to buy...OK, thanks a ton for confirming that I’m not too far off. The QA person in me desperately wants to figure out what’s going wrong with my current router, and the other part of me wants to buy something new and move on lol
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Comment on Question about routers and access points in ~comp
soks_n_sandals Link ParentI haven’t seen the advice to check the power supply yet, so that’s worth trying. Thankfully, the hardware itself should be safe since we don’t have kids and I’m rarely touching the antennas, but...I haven’t seen the advice to check the power supply yet, so that’s worth trying. Thankfully, the hardware itself should be safe since we don’t have kids and I’m rarely touching the antennas, but if they happened to be delicate or I inadvertently damaged one then I could see that as a possibility as well.
I have thought about whether network interference might be playing a role here, but what I think is strange is having a device that previously had 100 Mb up down one moment, suddenly slow to a crawl without changing our usage or location in our apartment. But that’s definitely something to investigate and see if that might resolve the issue.
Ultimately, reflashing the firmware seems like the most logical first step. Then, checking for interference and power issues, and maybe a hardware upgrade if that all fails.
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Comment on Question about routers and access points in ~comp
soks_n_sandals Link ParentAll good points. The CPU usage had me thinking about a compromised device as well since it’s just me and my wife and we do concurrent 4K streaming or gaming on multiple devices. Thankfully, I’m...All good points. The CPU usage had me thinking about a compromised device as well since it’s just me and my wife and we do concurrent 4K streaming or gaming on multiple devices.
Thankfully, I’m pretty tech savvy, but I have been trying to figure out what level of tinkering I’m willing to do. I agree the firewalla is on the pricey side, but there is some appeal about having a lot of the insights already set up and made available in their user interface.
I have been thinking about reflashing the firmware as a step to see if these some of these issues resolve. I changed the password somewhat recently, but not so recently that I remember exactly when so that’s not a bad idea either.
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Question about routers and access points
Hi all, I've had a Netgear XR300 serve me fairly well for the past 5 or so years, but in the last few months I've had increasingly frustrating levels of failure. Things like sustained 100% CPU...
Hi all, I've had a Netgear XR300 serve me fairly well for the past 5 or so years, but in the last few months I've had increasingly frustrating levels of failure. Things like sustained 100% CPU utilization, individual machines connected but unable to access internet, being unable to access the router admin page, individual machines suddenly having their ping go to 500-2000ms and bandwidth down to the kB range (I have symmetric 300Mbps up/down).
As a potential, I've been eying the Firewalla Purple to become my new router for a few reasons (Netgear not getting security updates, Firewalla has Wireguard support, etc.). The Firewalla only has short-range wifi, so my question is this:
Would using a Firewalla as a router and using the Netgear device as an access point for wireless connectivity be likely to mitigate these kinds of issues?
I've realized I lack the knowledge on which aspects of connectivity would be handled by two discrete devices, so I'm hoping to suss out if this is a viable solution.
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Comment on Is there one AI product you would recommend over another to a complete newbie? The primary task is writing. in ~tech
soks_n_sandals LinkI think Anthropic’s paid service for Claude is quite good for writing. I’ve been discussing different models with my wife, and she’s been using Claude’s document upload to great effect, including...I think Anthropic’s paid service for Claude is quite good for writing. I’ve been discussing different models with my wife, and she’s been using Claude’s document upload to great effect, including for cover letters. She’d used a bit of chatGPT but none of the paid tools before Claude. You can upload writing samples, a job posting and your resume, give it some direction, and it can produce compelling results.
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Comment on What are your favorite books with an unreliable narrator? in ~books
soks_n_sandals LinkI just finished Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer and the narrator is partly what makes the book. She feeds the perfect amount of information to allow the reader to build assumptions, then circles...I just finished Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer and the narrator is partly what makes the book. She feeds the perfect amount of information to allow the reader to build assumptions, then circles back to break them. The book is filled with extravagant details and descriptions, but the narrator never comes fully into focus and skews parts of her experience as it happens.
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Comment on Audio enthusiasts share your audio setups in ~hobbies
soks_n_sandals Link ParentThey’re priced in a way where replacement cables don’t make sense. I think I picked up my pair for around $130, which is pound-for-pound the best return on investment I’ve ever gotten on any audio...They’re priced in a way where replacement cables don’t make sense. I think I picked up my pair for around $130, which is pound-for-pound the best return on investment I’ve ever gotten on any audio equipment. They could legitimately replace my loudspeaker setup if life suddenly went south, and I’d still feel like I had access to the joy of hifi.
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Comment on I bought the newly-in-print Playboy for the articles. It did not disappoint. in ~talk
soks_n_sandals Link ParentThose are nearly double or triple the length of this year’s printing. Thanks for looking through them! I really liked the fewer ads. An inflation calculator says the 1985 Madonna edition would be...Those are nearly double or triple the length of this year’s printing. Thanks for looking through them! I really liked the fewer ads. An inflation calculator says the 1985 Madonna edition would be ~$10, so this new one being $20 is worth it to have fewer ads.
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Comment on I bought the newly-in-print Playboy for the articles. It did not disappoint. in ~talk
soks_n_sandals Link ParentThere’s a digital version, but I’m not sure if it’s available as a PDF or an ebook format.There’s a digital version, but I’m not sure if it’s available as a PDF or an ebook format.
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Comment on I bought the newly-in-print Playboy for the articles. It did not disappoint. in ~talk
soks_n_sandals Link ParentI don’t have any old copies to reference against, but my feeling is that it’s not a lot, per se. In the opening pages, there are three non-nude (albeit provocative) photos, followed immediately by...I don’t have any old copies to reference against, but my feeling is that it’s not a lot, per se. In the opening pages, there are three non-nude (albeit provocative) photos, followed immediately by the shoot with the cover model Lori Harvey, which has no nudity. There’s a centerfold model in the middle of the magazine, and there’s a photoshoot with nudity on the last couple of pages. But aside from the very beginning/middle/end, it’s basically uninterrupted. Perhaps this describes the previous formats. If it’s a new format, hopefully it indicates a new approach.
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I bought the newly-in-print Playboy for the articles. It did not disappoint.
Or, let’s be honest, firstly as a novelty. I don't know anyone else personally who has bought, or would buy, a copy. I figured it would be interesting to see what it was like. My wife and I...
Or, let’s be honest, firstly as a novelty. I don't know anyone else personally who has bought, or would buy, a copy. I figured it would be interesting to see what it was like.
My wife and I stopped on Valentine’s day to buy a copy, and I think we were both surprised by the print. I knew Playboy magazines produced some notable interviews in the past, but a dozen important conversations over several decades isn’t exactly going to outweigh the sea of photographs they’re known for. The new edition was a surprising $20 in-person. It felt like a bit of a gamble, but I think it was worth it.
By the numbers, it’s ~125 pages long and features 3 pictorial photoshoots. Beyond a few pages of photos, the rest is basically all writing. There are a few ads, but nothing like the volume of ads in other magazines I’ve read recently. I figured the magazine would be full of risqué photos, but it’s more of a tasteful inclusion alongside other, more substantial discussion. It is essentially all writing, and it’s good writing.
From the outset, the Editor’s Letter (Mike Guy) sets the tone of the new printing:
Five years have passed since an issue of Playboy rolled off a printing press, and they have been strange years indeed. We’ve passed through the wreckage of a pandemic, sat on a violent political see-saw, and watched as discourse shrinks to tiny digital moments that explode into divisive range at precisely the time we need reason. Just as Playboy was frustrated with the conservative norms of the ‘50s, we want to challenge them now, too. This can mean just showing up, listening; it can mean choosing connecting and pleasure over sensation and isolation. It means rejecting poisonous, meme-driven narratives, as writer Magdalene Taylor urges in “The Rise of the Beta Male” …, her disturbing report from the front lines of our emerging dystopia about young men who have given up on sex. … The internet - OnlyFans, TikTok, and the rest - has stolen sexuality and fed it into the meat grinder of the attention economy. We’re doing our part to steal it back. As the poet Wallace Stevens wrote, “The greatest poverty is not to live in the physical world.”
I didn’t anticipate an article detailing a first-person investigation into the rise of anti-semitism, or an article about a far-out apocalyptic billionaire party, nor did I expect a humorous memoir about the rise of Nashville as the bachelorette party destination. But, these were funny, interesting pieces that spurred much discussion in my house. My wife and I have taken turns reading these long-form articles aloud each night. The article on an ultra-exclusive sex party in LA fell inline with the sort of topics I expected, but the writing and description of a beautiful spectacle made us pause and say, “that actually sounds like a fun time.”
It turns out you really can read Playboy for the articles, and more importantly resonate on the value of re-engaging human connection, disarming hate, building up our communities, and challenging our preconceived notions.
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Comment on Audio enthusiasts share your audio setups in ~hobbies
soks_n_sandals (edited )LinkMy main setup is in our small, multi-use living room/kitchen/dining room. I have slowly added components over the years, and it currently is: Digital (computer running Roon, phone with Airplay) ->...My main setup is in our small, multi-use living room/kitchen/dining room. I have slowly added components over the years, and it currently is:
- Digital (computer running Roon, phone with Airplay) -> Cambridge Audio AXN10 network streamer
- Streamer (or TV) -> Cambridge AXA35 integrated amp
- Integrated amp to Elac DBR62 bookshelf speakers and an SVS SB1000 powered subwoofer.
- Roon runs convolution filters for the main system, and I control subwoofer levels with the SVS app on my phone.
- edit: totally forgot I also have a turntable haha. Pro-ject Debut Carbon Evo with the Sumiko cartridge -> integrated amp
At my desk, I run a simple setup:
- Roon endpoint to Schiit Modi 3 DAC
- DAC to Adam Audio T7V reference monitors
- No DSP for this setup just yet
I previously had a pair of Sennheiser IE200 in-ears which I loved, but then seem to have lost on a plane recently. I'm massively disappointed by that, because they were my favorite for hifi listening when I traveled.
Edit: I’m really considering running my Mac Mini with something like the Blackhole loop back software to pull it into MainStage and run a tube saturator or other effects to experiment with plugins to liven up the sound for certain records. And, I really want to rip my vinyl records to FLAC/ALAC and have them locally because the turntable really only gets used by my wife.
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Comment on ADHD representation in media in ~health.mental
soks_n_sandals LinkThere's a short clip from Malcom in the Middle that I saw online a few years back that always stuck with me - link here. It's less than 60 seconds, but the feeling of getting distracted by...There's a short clip from Malcom in the Middle that I saw online a few years back that always stuck with me - link here. It's less than 60 seconds, but the feeling of getting distracted by something random in a project which leads to another, totally unrelated project really resonates.
While not traditional media (TV/streaming/etc.), I feel much more closely aligned with Adam Savage's persona. He put out solo, uncut VLOGs on his Tested YouTube channel during the pandemic through now. I had never seen anyone else cut off in the middle of their thought to pause, reframe, backtrack, or start over completely. It felt like looking in a mirror when he would hear something random in his shop and look away from the camera, head cocked, before coming back to the thought after a few seconds. Another mirror behavior was seeing him stop in the middle of a thought to go root around in his shop for something to support his thoughts and bolster his enthusiasm.
I found Savage's YouTube channel at a time where I had just started to wonder whether, as an adult, I might have ADHD (I do). He became an encouraging, positive role model in my adult life after having been a role model in my childhood when Mythbusters aired on TV. He conveys a joy, humor, enthusiasm, and excitement for the scientific method and creativity in general that I find inspiring.
My biggest pain-point after using Linux CLI servers for years before Mac was getting used to being able to throw command-line flags wherever I wanted. Mac is a lot more picky. Example:
grep word file.txt -A 5works on Linux to searchwordinfile.txtand print the 5 lines after the match. Mac doesn't allow that on ordering a lot of commands! But they can be aliased to gnuutils.I've also struggled with how the Mac terminal interacts with the command/option/control keys. But eventually I sort of just figured it out.