turmacar's recent activity
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Comment on Valve has released CAD files for the Steam Controller in ~games
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Comment on Nobody understands the point of hybrid cars in ~transport
turmacar Link ParentThere's a story, possibly apocryphal, about one of the old electrified train routes out of Chicago making more electricity than it used in one direction. I know Rio Tinto has some all-electric...There's a story, possibly apocryphal, about one of the old electrified train routes out of Chicago making more electricity than it used in one direction. I know Rio Tinto has some all-electric dump trucks that net generate electricity because they're hauling ore down from a mountain and are significantly lighter traveling back up.
There's a lot of weird cool stuff that fully electrifying vehicle fleets would let us do that we kind of sidestepped because oil was so cheap/plentiful/transportable and batteries sucked comparatively for so long.
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Comment on Steam Controller 2 sold out in ~games
turmacar Link ParentDon't get me wrong, wouldn't have been in a funk if I had to wait. I just really like the original and was free at launch time. The rest is just general frustration with the modern state of having...Don't get me wrong, wouldn't have been in a funk if I had to wait. I just really like the original and was free at launch time.
The rest is just general frustration with the modern state of having to compete with bots to do just about anything online. I get that it's not a trivial problem... but a lot of times the only resources thrown at it seems to be a bucket of corporate apathy. After all none of these products are 'necessary'.
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Comment on Steam Controller 2 sold out in ~games
turmacar Link ParentI was lucky enough to get one, but I have no idea why Valve didn't handle this launch like they did the Deck where you reserved a virtual spot in line if you had a long-term steam account in good...I was lucky enough to get one, but I have no idea why Valve didn't handle this launch like they did the Deck where you reserved a virtual spot in line if you had a long-term steam account in good standing with $X spent. Maybe at this point they figure people have gamed that a bit, but you're never going to completely defeat scalpers.
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Comment on Street Fighter | Official trailer in ~movies
turmacar Link ParentI don't think anyone would be able to really follow Raul Julia's M. Bison, but David Dastmalchian is an actor that could do something interesting at least? They seem like they're taking notes from...I don't think anyone would be able to really follow Raul Julia's M. Bison, but David Dastmalchian is an actor that could do something interesting at least? They seem like they're taking notes from the Netflix live action anime in a good way.
Guess we'll find out in October.
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Comment on The Punisher: One Last Kill | Official trailer in ~tv
turmacar LinkThis looks really good, and the Daredevil revival has been really good. But I can't help feeling like I want to see Kingpin's taskforce attempt to arrest a heavy hitter like Dr. Strange. I'm sure...This looks really good, and the Daredevil revival has been really good.
But I can't help feeling like I want to see Kingpin's taskforce attempt to arrest a heavy hitter like Dr. Strange. I'm sure in-universe they're making some distinction like "an Avenger is not a Vigilante" but it's a little weird wondering what the other NY based supers are up to. Maybe this is all happening while Strange is off dealing with the Multiverse or something.
In the comics the street level / world / cosmic hero thing tends to work because there's just so much going on at any given time but the MCU has been setup so it's mostly sequential.
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Comment on Bitcoin’s creator has hidden behind the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto for seventeen years. But a trail of clues buried deep in crypto lore led to a 55-year-old computer scientist named Adam Back. in ~finance
turmacar (edited )Link ParentI also don't really buy "the guy got tense when it was suggested he was a controversial shadowy figure". Like a few years ago if a reporter had suggested I was behind the Snowden leaks or...I also don't really buy "the guy got tense when it was suggested he was a controversial shadowy figure". Like a few years ago if a reporter had suggested I was behind the Snowden leaks or something I would also have been a bit startled and asked them not to print that.
I know this is the guy that broke Theranos, but there's a lot of leaps in technical understanding going on in this article. Claiming PGP and Bitcoin are related because they use public key cryptography is like saying Gears of War and Three Thousand Years of Longing are related because they use English. Saying it's suspicious that Black and Satoshi both used C++, in the 90s, is basically connecting the dots that they both used keyboards to program. I think that successfully narrows Satoshi candidates to anyone who read 2600 in the 90s.
Generally he seems to be finding things a group of people were doing and every commonality is 'proof' of his suspicions. This is ridiculous reasoning:
How was I going to find someone so good at hiding his tracks?
As I wrestled with this question, it occurred to me that Mr. Back, too, was adept at operating anonymously on the internet. Deeply paranoid about government monitoring, he constantly gamed out ways to elude it. In fact, like Satoshi, Mr. Back was a big fan of using pseudonyms.
And again, describes everyone from the phone phreaks in the 60s to Banksy. Half of getting online in the 90s was having a handle.
IDK, some of the later sections are more compelling. Maybe Black is Satoshi but this article doesn't seem to have proof of anything other than the author wanting to find Satoshi.
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Comment on When $1.4 billion isn’t enough: ‘Avatar’ sequels under the microscope as Disney weighs franchise’s future in ~movies
turmacar Link ParentHollywood accounting is always weird, but I can't imagine that that billion dollars of profit factors in the park, or the plushies, or any of the rest. I know that's the franchise as a whole and...Hollywood accounting is always weird, but I can't imagine that that billion dollars of profit factors in the park, or the plushies, or any of the rest. I know that's the franchise as a whole and not Avatar 3 in particular, but it still seems disingenuous for them to be talking about the movie in a vacuum.
The profit trending lower is something to keep in mind sure. But thinking out loud about wrapping up the whole project seems silly.
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Comment on TV series suggestions in ~tv
turmacar LinkHaven't seen a recommendation for Shrinking, which if you like Ted Lasso it's right up y'all's alley. For All Mankind is a fun alt-history thing, though I'm a few seasons behind at this point. The...Haven't seen a recommendation for Shrinking, which if you like Ted Lasso it's right up y'all's alley.
For All Mankind is a fun alt-history thing, though I'm a few seasons behind at this point. The first several at least are very well done.
Abbott Elementary is a fun school-based comedy similar to Parks and Rec or The Office. There's a couple crossover episodes with It's Always Sunny but that was more a promotional thing than an on going plot point.
The live action One Piece show is a lot of fun. Nails the fun anime spirit while being a much needed (IMO) editing pass that vastly compresses the pacing of the anime.
Primal is a fantastic wordless animated show. Maybe a little out there compared to the shows listed but it's at least an interesting art piece.
Your Friends and Neighbors with John Hamm is entertaining.
If you're watching LetterKenny, Shorsey is also a great series from the same people.
Honorable mention to everything Dropout TV does. I know you said you're probably not interested in gameshow stuff but theirs are mostly an excuse for improv comics to play not about winning, and it makes them really fun.
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Comment on Android to debut "advanced flow" for sideloading unverified applications in ~tech
turmacar Link ParentIt's frustrating that it's a technological solution to a legal problem. This is a reasonable enough middle ground to try and combat fraud while also allowing people to install whatever programs...It's frustrating that it's a technological solution to a legal problem.
This is a reasonable enough middle ground to try and combat fraud while also allowing people to install whatever programs they want on devices they own. Still not a fan of 'sideloading' as the framing but that battle was lost at least a decade ago. So, fine.
But in large part it's a band-aid in order for Google / telecom companies to "do something" so there won't be any actual legal pressure to fix the problem. (Basically?) Every western country has an aging population, scams are going to become more of a problem, not less of one. There needs to be a legal framework to meaningfully punish the companies enabling the scams.
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Comment on BYD claims five-minute electric vehicle charging with new battery tech in ~transport
turmacar Link ParentI'm just very on-board the Technology Connections et. al. argument of: if you can get ~100+ miles of charge overnight and rarely travel more than 50 miles a day, that really is good enough. For my...I'm just very on-board the Technology Connections et. al. argument of: if you can get ~100+ miles of charge overnight and rarely travel more than 50 miles a day, that really is good enough. For my use case an EV having 300+ mile range or charging in 5 minutes is firmly in "nice to have" territory. Even with my daily ICE car that I love I'll rent a vehicle for a long trip because it'll be more comfortable and I won't have to worry about maintenance or not having a vehicle to get to work because I was in a collision out-of-town.
The infrastructure we have for refueling ICE cars probably shouldn't be the goal infrastructure we have for refueling EVs, they're different tech with different pros/cons. Modern gas stations are a long way from the service stations earlier generations of cars required with mechanics on call. Future charging stations will also probably look pretty different than modern gas stations. If nothing else, electricity is a lot easier to transport and the distribution networks far more built out than daily/weekly tanker trucks of fuel. (Excluding rant about the US's lacking investment in the electric grid) A central distribution node isn't needed in the same way you do with a liquid fuel. It would be handy for some use cases. But for most it would be more space and time efficient to have trickle charging in places the vehicle is already parked for 8+ hours a day.
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Comment on BYD claims five-minute electric vehicle charging with new battery tech in ~transport
turmacar LinkAssuming the claims actually hold up in the real world and it doesn't impact longevity too much this is pretty exciting tech. Fast charging isn't useful unless you're doing a road trip or can't...Assuming the claims actually hold up in the real world and it doesn't impact longevity too much this is pretty exciting tech. Fast charging isn't useful unless you're doing a road trip or can't charge overnight but it's a big hangup for people who haven't looked into EVs that much.
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Comment on Hackers expose the massive surveillance stack hiding inside your “age verification” check in ~tech
turmacar Link ParentIt can be both. Which they're more concerned about probably varies by company sure.It can be both.
Which they're more concerned about probably varies by company sure.
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Comment on Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair | Official trailer in ~tv
turmacar Link ParentPrior to home video it was done a lot. It's why Gone with the Wind's box office record was untouchable for so long, it was put into theaters several times over several decades.Prior to home video it was done a lot. It's why Gone with the Wind's box office record was untouchable for so long, it was put into theaters several times over several decades.
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Comment on US Pentagon leverages AI in Iran strikes amid feud with Anthropic in ~society
turmacar Link ParentI think the discussion below is probably right that "explainable" is probably a better word than deterministic. Mostly it comes down to how much trust is placed in the system. The second you slap...I think the discussion below is probably right that "explainable" is probably a better word than deterministic.
Mostly it comes down to how much trust is placed in the system. The second you slap "AI" on it, or it starts responding in sentences, there seems to be an over-sized amount of trust paced in the system regardless of how it performs in real world conditions.
It's all just getting super close to circumventing the reason behind having a human in the loop, because the human is blindly trusting the systems to the point that they're bored and pushing the 'kill' button is an annoyance keeping them from their other tasks.
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Comment on US Pentagon leverages AI in Iran strikes amid feud with Anthropic in ~society
turmacar Link ParentPersonally, an algorithm is (at least somewhat) deterministic and can be tested and debugged. With the current generation of AI, vision or LLM, the only OODA loop taking place is long after the...Personally, an algorithm is (at least somewhat) deterministic and can be tested and debugged.
With the current generation of AI, vision or LLM, the only OODA loop taking place is long after the automated system has made its determinations, if at all. Hopefully before their suggestions are being acted on but that doesn't seem to be the case. Seemingly there isn't any parallel process checking that it's suggestions are actually optimal, or are even based in reality.
As with a lot of AI projects we're running headlong into "any decision isn't as good as a correct decision". If a script or a legal argument or a social media post is generated 'good enough', that might actually be good enough. If the output of the automated system is killing someone it needs to have an audit trail.
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Comment on First look: Pokémon Winds and Pokémon Waves | Announcement trailer in ~games
turmacar LinkVaguely encouraged that they're continuing and expanding the transition to 3D. Can't help but feel like this is what I was hoping would come out on the GameCube after Pokemon Stadium though.Vaguely encouraged that they're continuing and expanding the transition to 3D. Can't help but feel like this is what I was hoping would come out on the GameCube after Pokemon Stadium though.
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Comment on California’s new bill requires Department of Justice-approved 3D printers that report on themselves in ~hobbies
turmacar Link ParentOh we're past that. There's usually some wiggle room in that claim, you need a processor and motors of some kind, but those are about the only off the shelf parts needed. There's plenty of open...Oh we're past that.
There's usually some wiggle room in that claim, you need a processor and motors of some kind, but those are about the only off the shelf parts needed. There's plenty of open source printer OSs.
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Comment on California’s new bill requires Department of Justice-approved 3D printers that report on themselves in ~hobbies
turmacar Link ParentLike they reference with Home Depot, a chain-link fence post with some screws in front of some explosive at the end is a single use firearm. Most of any firearm can be wood or plastic or epoxy...Like they reference with Home Depot, a chain-link fence post with some screws in front of some explosive at the end is a single use firearm. Most of any firearm can be wood or plastic or epoxy filled blue jeans.
The chamber of a firearm has to withstand some relatively intense pressures to function so it has to be some form of hardened metal. That would be the barrel, the breach face, and the firing pin and that's most of it. You probably want the parts around that to be metal too, partly because they're moving metal parts interfacing with other moving metal parts. But if longevity isn't necessary that's less necessary too. Manufacturing all that to a precision that produces a working firearm is a non-trivial issue, and it's metalworking, not 3D printing.
A paintball gun doesn't need to be hardened metal, it just has to be a tube.
That then runs into other issues, you can harden metal at home, but it's at least looking at the core of the problem. Banning unregistered 3D printing / CNC is like trying to control automobile deaths by banning aftermarket car parts. You would maybe approach single digit gains in safety figures, but you aren't looking at the actual problem. You're playing for votes by saying you're doing something.
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Comment on How do you remember? in ~tech
turmacar Link ParentAppreciate it, was disappointed with self-hosting AI previously but this seems like a good use case where it's just chugging away in the background.Appreciate it, was disappointed with self-hosting AI previously but this seems like a good use case where it's just chugging away in the background.
30%, at least in the 2000s, was a significantly smaller cut than brick and mortar stores and dealing with physical inventory, which is why it's also what Apple / patreon / most other online retailers take by default.
It could definitely be revisited but "shelf space" on Steam is a legitimate asset, if only because of the download/patching/cloudsave infrastructure they provide, much less everything else in the platform. ( I have a weird love of the useless trading cards ) I feel like more of the complaints come from want-to-be competitors like Epic than developers.