winther's recent activity
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E03: “Soul Hunter” - Episode Discussion in ~tv
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Comment on Hisense TVs show ads during normal operation in ~tech
winther Link ParentDifference is for cars it is the only way to become connected - so it make sense to do for all their cars, for TVs it will only catch those small % of customers that deliberately go out of their...Difference is for cars it is the only way to become connected - so it make sense to do for all their cars, for TVs it will only catch those small % of customers that deliberately go out of their way to not connect the tv to wifi. Adding simcards to all their TVs for that reason is not really comparable to car manufacturers.
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Comment on Hisense TVs show ads during normal operation in ~tech
winther Link ParentI still think it would require a bigger shift towards consumers deliberately not connecting their smart tv to the internet. Right now it seems like a somewhat niche thing to do for privacy minded...I still think it would require a bigger shift towards consumers deliberately not connecting their smart tv to the internet. Right now it seems like a somewhat niche thing to do for privacy minded people, and installing sim cards in every tv to catch the minor percent of users that don't connect their tv, is probably not there where the cost benefit is there. Though of course that might change.
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Comment on Hisense TVs show ads during normal operation in ~tech
winther Link ParentI keep seeing the claim that TVs are searching for open wifis, but haven't actually seen any substantial evidence for it, and I somehow doubt it is a viable option these days. I haven't...I keep seeing the claim that TVs are searching for open wifis, but haven't actually seen any substantial evidence for it, and I somehow doubt it is a viable option these days. I haven't encountered an unsecured wifi in ages, outside places like malls or airports. A sim card would add a subscription fee for all their TVs, which I doubt would be worth it to combat the very few percent that go out of their way to not connect their TV to the internet, as most normal users would just do it for the smart tv functionality. An always online requirement seems like the easier approach for tv manufacturers if they want to go that route.
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Comment on Hisense TVs show ads during normal operation in ~tech
winther LinkI just got a new TV and just didn't connect it to the internet, but I am sure some day they will make it impossible to even start your TV in offline mode.I just got a new TV and just didn't connect it to the internet, but I am sure some day they will make it impossible to even start your TV in offline mode.
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Comment on I don’t know if my software engineering job will still exist in ten years in ~comp
winther Link ParentYes, it still comes down to good precise problem definition. I have generally found the best results with AI if I can describe the task in very detailed terms covering all edge cases, but as most...Yes, it still comes down to good precise problem definition. I have generally found the best results with AI if I can describe the task in very detailed terms covering all edge cases, but as most software engineers know, if you are at that far in the process, then typing out the code isn't the most time consuming task. This become especially important if you are working with large long lived systems with lots of legacy and many customers that rely on things working in a very specific way. Applying that knowledge and getting a seemingly simple feature request into something that works within an existing ecosystem is where good engineering skills become important. I have seen examples of someone applying AI to very quickly get things done and released, but soon after customers started reporting in that XYZ legacy feature didn't work and migration wasn't possible etc., which had to be handled as more AI made hotfixes. Depending on the system, that may be an okay tradeoff, but can be disastrous in other circumstances. Sure some of those risks can be mitigated with good automated tests and good system documentation, but that needs to be maintained as well and ensuring that it actually reflects reality. So far I haven't seen AI doing the needed critical pushback that good engineers do, as it will happily do with equal confidence good and horrible implementations depending on its input.
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Comment on Almost a third of Gen Z men agree a wife should obey her husband in ~life.men
winther Link ParentAlso, millennials are at 29% and Gen Z at 31%, so if anything it doesn’t seem like an exploding trend within the younger generations and within statically inaccuracies. The is a much bigger jump...Also, millennials are at 29% and Gen Z at 31%, so if anything it doesn’t seem like an exploding trend within the younger generations and within statically inaccuracies. The is a much bigger jump from Gen X to millennials.
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Comment on What are you no longer a fan of? in ~talk
winther Link ParentVery much the same sentiment from Denmark. Danish troops fought and died in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and Trump has disregarded that as though we were merely hiding the back and not really doing...Very much the same sentiment from Denmark. Danish troops fought and died in both Afghanistan and Iraq, and Trump has disregarded that as though we were merely hiding the back and not really doing anything. Which is completely false, as Danish troops where deployed in the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan and our casualties are percentage wise on par with the US. As you say, trade wars, demands for more NATO spending and all that is fine and within reason, but the amount of disrespect and total disregard of historical truth is impossible to shy away from. I see no recovery from that betrayal for many decades, even if the US government became sane tomorrow.
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Comment on LLMs can unmask pseudonymous users at scale with surprising accuracy in ~tech
winther LinkI think I have always had this fear that something like this would be possible, so I have generally made my online presence something that I could tolerate being potentially linked back to me. I...I think I have always had this fear that something like this would be possible, so I have generally made my online presence something that I could tolerate being potentially linked back to me. I had an anonymous Reddit profile for years, until my wife found it and could deduce it was me. So now I am simply not anonymous anymore, and it some ways it is sort of freeing as I don't have to worry about whether what I write could potentially reveal who I was. Easier to just remove that completely. I realize that is of course a very privileged position to have, as I am not belonging to any sort of marginalized group or anything. It is certainly worrying with the potential impact for harmful doxxing these sort of thing could be used for.
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Comment on What are some bands you regret not seeing live (or, just never had the chance to see in the first place)? in ~music
winther LinkTo name just one, it would have to be Death. I have seen the sort of live jam band Death To All but with only one original band member and without Chuck Schuldiner, it is obviously not the real...To name just one, it would have to be Death. I have seen the sort of live jam band Death To All but with only one original band member and without Chuck Schuldiner, it is obviously not the real thing. I am glad they still tour frequently and would definitely recommend it.
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E02: "Midnight On The Firing Line" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
winther Link ParentYeah that strategy seems to be a stable among spacefaring commanding officers.Yeah that strategy seems to be a stable among spacefaring commanding officers.
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E02: "Midnight On The Firing Line" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
winther LinkWhile there is a plot that both starts and wraps up - sort of, it is still very evident that everything is part of a greater worldbuilding. It properly feels like we are just thrown into the...While there is a plot that both starts and wraps up - sort of, it is still very evident that everything is part of a greater worldbuilding. It properly feels like we are just thrown into the middle of things, with plenty of alliances, previous wars and people with interesting back stories we get glimpses off. The political aspects is what really gets established here, with the conflict between orders from Earth and the difficult diplomatic problems needing to be dealt with far away from home. It has been so many years that I can't remember many specifics, but it all feels very familiar.
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Comment on Midweek Movie Free Talk in ~movies
winther Link ParentCurious about Poor Things. It was the first Lanthimos I saw and I did find it interesting to see something that wacky as almost a mainstream feature, though I did have some qualms with its...Curious about Poor Things. It was the first Lanthimos I saw and I did find it interesting to see something that wacky as almost a mainstream feature, though I did have some qualms with its bluntness and lack of subtlety. I have since seen all Lanthimos' films and my opinion now is that he has basically gotten less interesting as his popularity has grown. Dogtooth is still his absolute best.
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Comment on Legacy sequels and remakes you think were actually good and worth making? in ~movies
winther LinkI really liked Godzilla Minus One and would highly recommend it over the original from 1954. The classic is definitely worth seeing, but requires a more historical mindset where Minus One has the...I really liked Godzilla Minus One and would highly recommend it over the original from 1954. The classic is definitely worth seeing, but requires a more historical mindset where Minus One has the same core qualities with the addition of being a high budget modern production. With the black and white version it retains the 1950s monster aesthetics as well.
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Comment on Babylon 5 S01E1: "The Gathering" - Episode Discussion in ~tv
winther (edited )LinkI have dusted off my old complete DVD boxset, and that was really fun revisiting this again after so many years. Couldn't remember the plot as such, but I was immediately reminded of why...I have dusted off my old complete DVD boxset, and that was really fun revisiting this again after so many years. Couldn't remember the plot as such, but I was immediately reminded of why Garibaldi, G'Kar and Mollari were such great characters. And I had almost completely forgotten about Sinclair
as he is only in the first season.While it is clearly a pilot with some drawbacks compared to what the show later become in terms of quality, it still establishes many of the important characters and the overall setting without explaining too much. It really feels like we are just thrown into a setting where plenty has happened before and we get to piece the things together. Especially the former conflict between Earth and Minbari becomes extremely vital to the rest of the series, and we get some great little foreshadowing of that as well.If this becomes a weekly thing, we are in for over 2 years with hopefully at least some people committed to a watch/rewatch.
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Comment on Hot take: movies suck because there is no rental market in ~movies
winther Link ParentThere were definitely big blockbusters in the past that adjusted for inflation can rival those of the present, but a film like Jaws was made on a budget that in today’s money would be $55m which...There were definitely big blockbusters in the past that adjusted for inflation can rival those of the present, but a film like Jaws was made on a budget that in today’s money would be $55m which is a sort of range that don’t really work anymore.
On the contrary, I would say physical media is cheaper today. I paid more for VHS than I do for most Blurays today - and that isn’t even adjusted for inflation. Digital rental prices is also about on par what physical rentals Blockbuster rentals was.
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Comment on Messy 2026 F1 cars leave a deeply disturbing impression in ~sports.motorsports
winther Link ParentI agree, objective speed doesn't matter much. 90s F1 "feels" faster, even though it isn't, because the camera tech back then made things shakier and the cars didn't have the same downforce levels,...I agree, objective speed doesn't matter much. 90s F1 "feels" faster, even though it isn't, because the camera tech back then made things shakier and the cars didn't have the same downforce levels, so the cars appear harder to handle.
In many ways, IndyCar more or less gives what many F1 fans seems to want in that regard, but in reality the whole off-track drama and tech development is always a very integral part of F1 that makes it very different from closer to spec type of series.
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Comment on Hot take: movies suck because there is no rental market in ~movies
winther Link ParentI assume that is just down to opportunistic profit maximization because a small subset of customers will just want it as soon as possible. It usually only stays on that high price for a couple of...I assume that is just down to opportunistic profit maximization because a small subset of customers will just want it as soon as possible. It usually only stays on that high price for a couple of weeks before dropping back to normal levels from what I can observe in iTunes. The new Running Man is for example €6 for me, and it was in theaters just 2 months ago. About the same price considering inflation I paid to rent new titles in Blockbuster 15 years ago, but they didn't arrive so quickly. If anything, the short timeframe to rental is probably hurting the theater business as you don't have to wait as long as you did before.
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Comment on Hot take: movies suck because there is no rental market in ~movies
winther Link ParentMubi and The Criterion Channel is the only streaming services I find worth keeping, exactly because they do curated selections and not just fill their catalogue of random titles they got in a big...Mubi and The Criterion Channel is the only streaming services I find worth keeping, exactly because they do curated selections and not just fill their catalogue of random titles they got in a big bundle deal. Selections based on theme, actors, directors or decades are much more interesting to dive into than algorithmic driven recommendations.
But the hard truth also is that experimental movies that does things a bit differently aren't exactly profitable. Most of what is being produced in Europe only exists due to state funded grants for film production, as only the big ticket sellers are commercially viable. With the loss of the profits from the DVD market, the industry has shifted more towards either massive big budget blockbusters that must make a big profit, or small low budget indie productions. The middle ground has dwindled a lot.
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Comment on AI doesn’t reduce work—it intensifies it in ~tech
winther Link ParentAI tools has definitely unlocked productivity potential that were previously mostly available to programmers, as has become apparent to me when I see what my non-engineers coworkers are talking...AI tools has definitely unlocked productivity potential that were previously mostly available to programmers, as has become apparent to me when I see what my non-engineers coworkers are talking excited about being able to do. I am sure most engineers have encountered countless examples over the years of workflows they could see be greatly improved with a little bit of custom software tooling, but the resources or priority are rarely given to improve internal tooling. In that space, there is potential for great improvement if applied properly.
A good example of a seemingly standalone story that is still vital for long spanning character arc. Here especially Sinclair and Delenn. The dilemma is interesting with two very opposing views on how handle the dead, though the soul hunter is clearly an extremist for his species.