Weldawadyathink's recent activity
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Comment on What is your top, unknown, non fiction recommendation ? in ~books
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Comment on The average US college student is illiterate in ~life
Weldawadyathink Link ParentInteresting, I might have to try this. My go to method is to stare down the driver and start walking in front of them. In my experience, very few drivers will fail to stop with a pedestrian who is...Interesting, I might have to try this. My go to method is to stare down the driver and start walking in front of them. In my experience, very few drivers will fail to stop with a pedestrian who is staring at them, despite the inattention. I have only had to bail a handful of times.
And I think people like you are probably few and far between. My guess is that people like you are probably as common as people using torrents for Linux isos. Yeah, they exist, but if you pick a random sample there is basically zero chance.
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Comment on Apple announces Macbook Neo, a new budget Mac in ~tech
Weldawadyathink Link ParentHonestly I have to disagree with you here. I have an 8gb air, and it works perfectly for all lightweight tasks. The 256gb ssd is far more limiting than the ram. No, you won’t be doing Xcode on it,...Honestly I have to disagree with you here. I have an 8gb air, and it works perfectly for all lightweight tasks. The 256gb ssd is far more limiting than the ram. No, you won’t be doing Xcode on it, but basic web browsing and pages document editing is fine. And that is what the target audience needs out of a laptop like this. If you are doing development, get a different computer. But I hope nobody needed me to say this. But for the way my mom and sister use computers, this would be absolutely fine.
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Comment on A day in the life of an ensh*ttificator in ~tech
Weldawadyathink Link ParentI think the generic term is « mechanical fuse » A good example is kitchenaid stand mixers. The old ones that are otherwise all metal drivetrains have a single plastic gear in them. If you overload...I think the generic term is « mechanical fuse »
A good example is kitchenaid stand mixers. The old ones that are otherwise all metal drivetrains have a single plastic gear in them. If you overload it, that gear shreds, protecting the motor and the rest of the drivetrain. I’ve heard that people often aren’t aware of this, and sell them as used and broken. You can apparently get really good deals on them if you find one and replace the single fuse gear.
Very useful idea.
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Comment on British Columbia announces it is making daylight time permanent after years of promises in ~society
Weldawadyathink Link ParentI wonder if you can work around it by just changing when you go into and out of DST. It’s not permanent DST. We could go to standard time at 10:00 on New Year’s Eve, and back to DST at 10:01 on...I wonder if you can work around it by just changing when you go into and out of DST.
It’s not permanent DST. We could go to standard time at 10:00 on New Year’s Eve, and back to DST at 10:01 on New Year’s Eve.
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Comment on What’s your preferred work monitor setup? in ~comp
Weldawadyathink LinkIf I am stuck with the awfulness that is windows, any multiples of monitors have to use the same display scaling. There are so many visual annoyances and bugs that come from mixed scaling sizes....If I am stuck with the awfulness that is windows, any multiples of monitors have to use the same display scaling. There are so many visual annoyances and bugs that come from mixed scaling sizes. This usually rules out the laptop+external monitor, since laptops usually have 150%+ scaling. Or at least the laptops I have been given for work. So clamshell mode it is.
My monitors need to be as high resolution as I can get it. Size doesn’t really matter, but it needs to be large enough to not need to scale up the display to read things. My previous roles have been analyst type roles, so a ton of looking at spreadsheets. With spreadsheets, you literally just need as many pixels as you can get. I would keep asking my work for higher resolution monitors, and they would keep sending larger monitors that were still 1080p. That literally just makes things worse. I ended up buying my own cheap 4k monitors.
So my current setup is 2x 4k 27" monitors, just because I invested in those at my last job. I like the idea of a single 5k or 6k large monitor, but I don’t have the money for that right now.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
Weldawadyathink LinkJust a slight mini rant. I have been replacing my cars cigarette sockets with usb c ports. I found a nice panel mount circular usb c port that can replace the factory sockets entirely. It just...Just a slight mini rant. I have been replacing my cars cigarette sockets with usb c ports. I found a nice panel mount circular usb c port that can replace the factory sockets entirely. It just acts as a passthrough usb c. I found some tiny usb c charge controllers on aliexpress that can deliver 65w. Super convenient. I hope someone in china makes 100w or higher versions of this.
Anyway, installed this for port 1, works almost perfectly. It only delivers 36w. I do some testing with the other modules. They take 8-30v, but if they get less than 20v, they only report 36w not 65. Oh well, just need to boost the cars 12v to 24v. I bought a 5a buck converter on Amazon. Used, because why not. Previous owner had cut back the sleeves, but no big deal. Everything works perfectly!
So I go to do the same for the second socket I have in my car. Same boost converter, also used. Same plate mount usb c. Same charge controller. I install it in my car, and absolutely nothing works. I didn’t test the boost converter, and it turns out it didn’t work at all. Ugh.
Okay, I’ll buy a third boost converter on Amazon. Same brand, but new this time. I solder it to the controller and test it this time. Boost converter works! Charge controller gives me 36w. What? It’s getting 24v. Somehow if I connect power to the boost with the controller connected, the controller will still think it can only provide 36w. I have tested slowly ramping the voltage up with these controllers, and it will reevaluate after the voltage goes above 20v. So it can’t be the buck converter slowly ramping up voltage. More importantly, it’s the exact same brand as my installed one that works perfectly? Wtf?
Anyway, so now I have a different brand boost converter to test. Fun times!
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A day in the life of an ensh*ttificator
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Comment on Is higher education still valuable? in ~life
Weldawadyathink LinkI just recently got my bachelors in winemaking. If I had paid what a California 4 year charges for it, I would definitely say no. But it does seem to be opening some previously closed doors. I am...I just recently got my bachelors in winemaking. If I had paid what a California 4 year charges for it, I would definitely say no. But it does seem to be opening some previously closed doors. I am still job hunting, and the wine industry is in a terrible place, so I can’t say for sure yet. Keep in mind that I got my degree at a huge discount compared to the US. Believe it or not, it was far cheaper for me to live in France for a year for my degree than it would have been in the US. Cost for tuition and housing for a year was less than the cost of dorms housing in a CA state school for a single semester, not including tuition. Also, a European bachelors degree is 3 years instead of 4, so less tuition and less time away from the workforce.
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Comment on A rant about how devices handle users with language backgrounds other than English in ~tech
Weldawadyathink Link ParentI have done almost zero iOS development, so tell me if this is wrong. Isn’t it more work to do what Apple Maps and fitness do than to use the stock apis? Like isn’t proper support just to use...I have done almost zero iOS development, so tell me if this is wrong.
Isn’t it more work to do what Apple Maps and fitness do than to use the stock apis? Like isn’t proper support just to use swift NumberFormatter? And to get the behavior I am seeing, they have to build their own one-off number formatting functions into the app? I can understand just defaulting to periods for decimals. I can even understand the Bordeaux metro app which just has options for English and French, so they only need two mappings. But the Apple apps support every language and region iOS does. Doesn’t that mean they have to build their own internal mapping of region > number format without using the stock iOS one?
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Comment on A rant about how devices handle users with language backgrounds other than English in ~tech
Weldawadyathink LinkYeah, it’s a really annoying problem. iOS breaks a bunch of things, like temperature units, decimal separators, etc off of the standard localization, so that users with preferences can customize....Yeah, it’s a really annoying problem. iOS breaks a bunch of things, like temperature units, decimal separators, etc off of the standard localization, so that users with preferences can customize. The problem is so many developers just ignore them.
The Bordeaux transit app uses 24 hour time if the language is set to French, but 12 hour time if it’s set to English. Despite the fact that there is a separate setting for 12 or 24 hour time.
Then there are some really popular apps that are made by small low budget developers, such as Apple Maps and Apple Fitness. If you don’t know, these are made by a small company called Apple. They are the first trillion dollar company, and just don’t have the budget to implement these things at all. Both of these apps use the decimal separator based on the region, not the explicitly set decimal separator. I keep meaning to send a feedback about this, but, like, I shouldn’t have to. This is not some esoteric bug, it’s a simple setting that Apple should have automated tests for.
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Comment on Chef Gusteau in Ratatouille was a fraud in ~movies
Weldawadyathink Link ParentI haven’t watched this video, but I have watched ratatouille many times. This is not accurate. Skinner realizes Remy is the chef at 1:19:45 (watch for about a minute). He doesn’t realize until...I haven’t watched this video, but I have watched ratatouille many times. This is not accurate. Skinner realizes Remy is the chef at 1:19:45 (watch for about a minute). He doesn’t realize until Linguini says it pretty explicitly and Skinner overhears it. Skinner literally says at that time, surprised « the rat is the cook ».
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Comment on Hold on to your hardware in ~tech
Weldawadyathink Link ParentIt depends on if the manufacturers build new fabs or not. Everything I have heard so far is that they are very hesitant to scale up, because of this exact issue. If the bubble bursts today and...It depends on if the manufacturers build new fabs or not. Everything I have heard so far is that they are very hesitant to scale up, because of this exact issue. If the bubble bursts today and every order is cancelled, the market would likely settle out to what it was pre-ai. If they build some new fabs and the bubble pops, the market would probably settle out a bit cheaper than pre-ai because of the extra production capacity. If they built enough new fabs to handle the ai bubble then it popped, the market would be crazy. It’s possible that ram would end up being cheap enough that the manufacturers will go out of business, causing the supply to vastly decrease, meaning more expensive ram.
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Comment on Humble Bundle Books: (Almost) the entirety of Discworld for $16 in ~books
Weldawadyathink LinkPro tip for anyone who gets these kobo bundles and rips them into a different book manager: you can archive books in the kobo web interface. It won’t show up in your books section, but will show...Pro tip for anyone who gets these kobo bundles and rips them into a different book manager: you can archive books in the kobo web interface. It won’t show up in your books section, but will show in an archive page if you ever need it again. I archive all the books I have ripped into Booklore. That way, when I get a new bundle, I can just blindly download everything from my books page instead of carefully having to download only the new books.
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Comment on Here are your choices for a self-hosted ebook server in ~books
Weldawadyathink (edited )Link ParentIt does! The kobo software is actually incredibly open. When you plug it into a computer, it mounts as a removable device. That is how you sideload books. But there is a hidden folder with some...It does!
The kobo software is actually incredibly open. When you plug it into a computer, it mounts as a removable device. That is how you sideload books. But there is a hidden folder with some config files. One of the config files has a key for the kobo api. You replace that api with a url generated by booklore. Your server does need to be publicly accessible, or syncing will only work on the local network (I use tailscale funnel for this). Booklore will pretend to be the kobo api and let you download your books. It also proxies to the real kobo api, so your kobo purchased books are still there, you can buy new books, and you can rent books from the library still.
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Comment on Here are your choices for a self-hosted ebook server in ~books
Weldawadyathink LinkI tried a few, in particular calibre web, but Booklore is the first one that I found that really worked for me. The kobo sync integration was a dealbreaker for me, so most of these aren’t an...I tried a few, in particular calibre web, but Booklore is the first one that I found that really worked for me. The kobo sync integration was a dealbreaker for me, so most of these aren’t an option for me. But I can say that booklore is pretty good.
Another option that isn’t mentioned is audiobookshelf. Despite the name, it also supports ebooks. And it is definitely the best way to manage audiobooks.
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Comment on What programming/technical projects have you been working on? in ~comp
Weldawadyathink LinkI have been doing some hacking with AirTags. I have wanted to embed an AirTag in my Steam deck for a long time now. People have already done this, but I didn’t want to have to take apart my Steam...I have been doing some hacking with AirTags. I have wanted to embed an AirTag in my Steam deck for a long time now. People have already done this, but I didn’t want to have to take apart my Steam deck to replace the battery all the time. I want to wire my AirTag into the Steam deck battery directly.
Biggest potential problem was the voltage difference. Lithium ion will go up to 4.2v, and coin cell batteries start at 3v. I looked for others online who tested the safe voltage range of AirTags and couldn’t find anything. Gemini hallucinated that it would definitely blow it up to give it 4.2v and recommended a low drop out regulator. I have a few spare AirTags right now, so I decided to just try it.
One interesting feature is the power switch. The AirTag has two positive terminals and one negative. I figured it was just for redundancy, but it’s actually used as a switch. You have to short the two positive terminals together for the AirTag to power on. With that resolved, I hooked it up to my bench power supply and started pumping the voltage. Turns out an AirTag will work just fine at 4.2v! In fact, it is just fine up to 4.35v (for high voltage lithium cells).
Right now I have an exposed AirTag board soldered to an old pouch lithium cell to see if there are any long term issues. Last ping was 6 minutes ago, which is normal for being away from an AirTag. I have some conformal coating coming in soon. My plan is to completely conformal the AirTag board and hot glue it to the steam deck circuit board. Someone already found a spot for an unmodified AirTag in the grip, so a bare circuit board should be easy to fit.
Next step is doing the same thing for my kobo Clara ereader. There is a surprising amount of space in there to use, but I’m not sure if there is a spot to fit the entire AirTag, just because it’s circular. I also haven’t looked for a spot to tap the battery voltage yet. The steam deck has some easy pins to tap, but I think the kobo will be more difficult.
Here are some pictures: https://share.icloud.com/photos/02cFG8ZdAhZRYgPxXX9lRlrng
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Comment on Recommend me some deep dive YouTube videos / Portland trip recs! in ~travel
Weldawadyathink LinkI always gotta recommend technology connections. What do you want a deep dive on? Dishwashers? Air conditioners? Really cool toasters? Fully mechanical pinball machines? Typewriters with a working...I always gotta recommend technology connections. What do you want a deep dive on? Dishwashers? Air conditioners? Really cool toasters? Fully mechanical pinball machines? Typewriters with a working undo function? Lightbulbs where the filament flings itself around super fast? Or one of my favorites: a yearly series about Christmas lights and how led lights are worse than old incandescent Christmas lights?
Yes, all of those are real videos (or many real videos). If you want the links to any of these, let me know.
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Comment on Need a replacement for my old macbook pro, should I just get another one? in ~comp
Weldawadyathink Link ParentYep. The Walmart one is an M1. The M4 will run circles around the M1, but, if the ram were enough for you, that M1 will still perform better than most of the rest of the market.Yep. The Walmart one is an M1. The M4 will run circles around the M1, but, if the ram were enough for you, that M1 will still perform better than most of the rest of the market.
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Comment on Need a replacement for my old macbook pro, should I just get another one? in ~comp
Weldawadyathink Link ParentYou underestimate Apple silicon. There isn’t any computer that you can get that is better than that for anywhere close to the same price. With this line of reasoning, the Apple tax isn’t $500,...You underestimate Apple silicon. There isn’t any computer that you can get that is better than that for anywhere close to the same price. With this line of reasoning, the Apple tax isn’t $500, it’s probably closer to -$500. Unless you are buying used or open box, Apple typically matches the best prices you will find elsewhere.
Anyway, I think Walmart still sells the original M1 Air for a bit cheaper. It’s noticeably worse than the current air, but it is still a really good laptop.
How to think: A survival guide for a world at odds, by Alan Jacobs.
I read it more than 5 years ago now, but it was pretty influential to my way of thinking. I don’t remember it well, but it talks about why and how people change their minds, why stereotypes exist, and things like that. I think it is a very useful book to read, especially in the current political climate.