xethos's recent activity

  1. Comment on Android Quick Share can now work with iOS’s AirDrop in ~tech

    xethos
    Link Parent
    Early access for Pixels might be due to their receiving monthly updates direct from Google, one of their unique selling points, ...though given how "Open" AOSP has become, I strongly suspect...

    Early access for Pixels might be due to their receiving monthly updates direct from Google, one of their unique selling points,

    ...though given how "Open" AOSP has become, I strongly suspect you're correct

    8 votes
  2. Comment on The death of punctuation in ~humanities.languages

    xethos
    Link Parent
    Absolutely. Further, punctuation gives your text a voice. It means the people you're messaging can hear your intention, how you meant to phrase something, where the emphasis is. In short, it...

    Absolutely. Further, punctuation gives your text a voice. It means the people you're messaging can hear your intention, how you meant to phrase something, where the emphasis is.

    In short, it matters, and it takes just a moment - and yes, I do mean just a second or two per message once in the habit of doing so. Getting back to scrolling is not more important than taking an extra second for whomever I'm messaging.

    6 votes
  3. Comment on Overwatch 2 now: how does it look to you? in ~games

    xethos
    Link Parent
    Mine routinely took a bit to compile shaders every launch, but following that Flatpak-Lutris matched your Windows experience (framerates smoothing out within one game, often nothing noticable/done...

    Mine routinely took a bit to compile shaders every launch, but following that Flatpak-Lutris matched your Windows experience (framerates smoothing out within one game, often nothing noticable/done by the time I made it past the menu).

    My guess would have been to try using Lutris installed through Flatpak, and that might be worth exploring if there are other games that Steam/Proton struggles with day-1 support on in the future, but for now it's more "Congrats on getting everything working!"

    Thanks for following up too, even if I took a day or two to be able to read it

    1 vote
  4. Comment on Is vaping less harmful than smoking, and does it help people quit? in ~health

    xethos
    Link Parent
    If my partner smoked 4-5 a day, I'd say they were a smoker. If a Tinder date stepped out for a cigarette after coffee or dinner, I'd assume they lied on their bio if they said they weren't a...

    should I have even really been considered a 'smoker' at 4-5/day?

    If my partner smoked 4-5 a day, I'd say they were a smoker. If a Tinder date stepped out for a cigarette after coffee or dinner, I'd assume they lied on their bio if they said they weren't a smoker.

    If your clothes or fingers smell like smoke, if it affects your fingernails teeth or gums, if you keep a pack around just for you that hasn't gone stale: I'd say you're a smoker

    3 votes
  5. Comment on Overwatch 2 now: how does it look to you? in ~games

    xethos
    Link Parent
    I had, another comment caught me out too. I'm not going to say it's been too long since I played (I'"m enjoying Rivals more currently), but evidently it's been too long for me to contribute...

    I think you misunderstood what I was saying

    I had, another comment caught me out too. I'm not going to say it's been too long since I played (I'"m enjoying Rivals more currently), but evidently it's been too long for me to contribute significantly to the conversation

    Thanks for clarifying :)

    1 vote
  6. Comment on Overwatch 2 now: how does it look to you? in ~games

    xethos
    Link Parent
    I found Lutris worked flawlessly a couple years ago - d'you mean OW didn't work for you earlier when using Steam exclusively, or did Lutris let you down in a way it didn't for me?

    I found Lutris worked flawlessly a couple years ago - d'you mean OW didn't work for you earlier when using Steam exclusively, or did Lutris let you down in a way it didn't for me?

  7. Comment on Overwatch 2 now: how does it look to you? in ~games

    xethos
    Link Parent
    I mean, completely changing how he plays, his moveset, and even how he's classed (tank instead of DPS) may have something to do with this too

    Doomfist now dominates lobbies in a way he didn't before because

    I mean, completely changing how he plays, his moveset, and even how he's classed (tank instead of DPS) may have something to do with this too

    2 votes
  8. Comment on Millennials: How do you feel about nostalgia pandering? in ~talk

    xethos
    Link Parent
    Age is a number, old is a feeling, and "middle-aged" is half of however long you plan on living You do you, and as long as you're okay with it, everything's good. It is not, however, something...

    now I am firmly in middle age territory

    Age is a number, old is a feeling, and "middle-aged" is half of however long you plan on living

    You do you, and as long as you're okay with it, everything's good. It is not, however, something you're strictly forced into.

    3 votes
  9. Comment on YouTube has a new video player in ~tech

    xethos
    Link Parent
    I assume that's the entire point? Sure server-side ad-injection is great for Google's bottom line, and that affects yt-dlp and Invidious, but anything exclusively "We'll use this to slow down...

    it just ends up wasting a lot of people's time.

    I assume that's the entire point? Sure server-side ad-injection is great for Google's bottom line, and that affects yt-dlp and Invidious, but anything exclusively "We'll use this to slow down piracy"? That feels designed to cause juuust enough pain that normal people will just throw up their hands and watch the damn ads.

    That pain makes normal people give up and watch the ads, bumping ad revenue growth. But it's also just possible enough to work around that even the geeks will keep using YouTube, letting Google keep their network effect. Any easier and they lose ad revenue. Any harder and Peertube / Odysee start to attract the geeks - that is, the people most likely to be willing and able to submit PRs for UI / UX, or to cross-upload their videos out of spite.

    IMO, pissing you off is Google's explicit goal here.

    6 votes
  10. Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk

    xethos
    Link Parent
    I could also see Korea on that list

    I could also see Korea on that list

  11. Comment on Why cassette tapes are coming back in ~music

    xethos
    Link Parent
    No, but we could probably all do with fewer subscriptions, and good-enough audio quality, a portable format, and a relatively mechanically and tactile medium can be a nice change when everything...

    No, but we could probably all do with fewer subscriptions, and good-enough audio quality, a portable format, and a relatively mechanically and tactile medium can be a nice change when everything else has switched to digital and touch-based.

    2 votes
  12. Comment on Travel essentials: eight items to pack for your next trip – and what to leave at home in ~travel

    xethos
    Link Parent
    It looks like stripping Kobo ebook DRM is easy, but I can't comment with any authority having never done so. I've almost exclusively used Anna's archive or LibGen, with one or two pulled from my...

    It looks like stripping Kobo ebook DRM is easy, but I can't comment with any authority having never done so. I've almost exclusively used Anna's archive or LibGen, with one or two pulled from my local library

    1 vote
  13. Comment on Travel essentials: eight items to pack for your next trip – and what to leave at home in ~travel

    xethos
    Link Parent
    Buying an eReader actually dramatically increased the number of books I go through. Seemingly infinite battery life, and being small and light enough to perpetually be on my person, made a big...

    Buying an eReader actually dramatically increased the number of books I go through. Seemingly infinite battery life, and being small and light enough to perpetually be on my person, made a big difference.

    4 votes
  14. Comment on Travel essentials: eight items to pack for your next trip – and what to leave at home in ~travel

    xethos
    Link Parent
    Another vote for a Kobo (the B&W Clara for me, so easy to fit into a pocket or bag <3). Great battery life, and it acts like a USB drive you can just drag'n'drop books onto if you're not by the...

    Another vote for a Kobo (the B&W Clara for me, so easy to fit into a pocket or bag <3). Great battery life, and it acts like a USB drive you can just drag'n'drop books onto if you're not by the Calibre software - which is handy if you want to use a USB-C to C cable to download to, then copy books from, your phone when out of country.

    1 vote
  15. Comment on Microsoft is plugging more holes that let you use Windows 11 without an online account in ~tech

    xethos
    Link Parent
    Thought you were badmouthing a different community with the missing asteisk (and capitalized N) for a second there lol https://nixos.org/

    Thought you were badmouthing a different community with the missing asteisk (and capitalized N) for a second there lol

    https://nixos.org/

    2 votes
  16. Comment on I need headphone/mic recommendations for gaming before I rip my hair out in ~tech

    xethos
    Link Parent
    The (original) cable I use with mine is thick enough that I don't hear it, but mine definitely do creak in some movements. Once they're seated on my head they're fine though, so it never really...

    The (original) cable I use with mine is thick enough that I don't hear it, but mine definitely do creak in some movements. Once they're seated on my head they're fine though, so it never really bothered me. The headband (on your HD550) being looser could be a bonus though - my ATH-M50's will press the arms of my glasses a little too tight over time

    1 vote
  17. Comment on British Columbia Premier David Eby announces new Prince George, Surrey involuntary care facilities in ~health.mental

    xethos
    Link Parent
    I agree with pretty well everything you've said, notably that the majority of offenses are committed by a small group; getting the 100 worst off the streets will make an outsized difference. I'd...

    I agree with pretty well everything you've said, notably that the majority of offenses are committed by a small group; getting the 100 worst off the streets will make an outsized difference. I'd also like to point out that people are more likely to leave careers like healthcare if the work environment is poor - meaning no longer having to deal with the 100 worst aggressive addicts may actually help healthcare staffing, even accounting for staffing the two new facilities (four total).

    I don't think there's any nation with a history of asylums that's both honest and pretty to look at, but I do trust my province to make the situation better for everyone by adding these. Right now, it's not too pretty either.

    7 votes
  18. Comment on Disney decides it hasn’t angered people enough, announces Disney+ price hikes in ~tv

    xethos
    Link Parent
    I stole the hell out of most of Mankind is Obsolete's discography, to the point my LastFM-scrobbling-Subsonic server pegged them as one of my most listened to artists. A couple weeks ago I picked...

    I stole the hell out of most of Mankind is Obsolete's discography, to the point my LastFM-scrobbling-Subsonic server pegged them as one of my most listened to artists. A couple weeks ago I picked up an album I didn't have via Bandcamp, where one sets their own price (past an artist-set minimum).

    My price was ~$100. Paying the artist [as] directly [as I can] ensures the money goes to (primarily) the people that made the music.

    This, I think, leaves us with two takeaways:

    1. I would recommend "Rise", if one is looking for a new album to try

    2. Should any one, any where, ask "Does any one actually do this?", no matter how odd, someone will crawl out of the woodwork to say yes

    9 votes
  19. Comment on Sweden's employment agency has been tracking the online locations of thousands of citizens claiming unemployment benefits in an effort to crack down on welfare fraud in ~tech

    xethos
    Link Parent
    I'd further point out that it's the likelyhood of getting caught that keeps many people honest. Enforcement is expensive, and if the job is done well, over a long period of time, they'll catch...

    I'd further point out that it's the likelyhood of getting caught that keeps many people honest. Enforcement is expensive, and if the job is done well, over a long period of time, they'll catch almost nobody - because everyone knows they'll get caught.

    So to keep the state handing out benefits above reproach by the taxpaying population, there needs to be enforcement - even if, several years in, when they slow down catching people, it looks like a high cost for no results

    I'd view it as the same as "Nobody speeds because they'd get caught", with a number of timed average-speed cameras seeming useless (because they never catch speeders anymore)

    3 votes
  20. Comment on iPhone 17, 17 Pro and Air announced in ~tech

    xethos
    Link Parent
    It's niche, and definitely not for everyone, but I'm very excited about the BlackBerry Q20 revival that's currently in progress [0]. If your goals are "small size and not-gimped hardware", it...

    physical size was also enough to get me to switch ecosystems entirely

    It's niche, and definitely not for everyone, but I'm very excited about the BlackBerry Q20 revival that's currently in progress [0]. If your goals are "small size and not-gimped hardware", it might be worth a look. Reasonable specs & camera, running up-to-date Android, in a properly-small size

    [0] https://linkapus.com/

    2 votes