xethos's recent activity
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Comment on Clicks Communicator: the ultimate communication companion in ~tech
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Comment on Clicks Communicator: the ultimate communication companion in ~tech
xethos Link ParentTook me a minute to remember, but no, I didn't. Delivery was via Canada Post, and if I hadn't kept looking for who the carrier was, it would have just shown up in my mailbox one evening (instead...Took me a minute to remember, but no, I didn't. Delivery was via Canada Post, and if I hadn't kept looking for who the carrier was, it would have just shown up in my mailbox one evening (instead of noticing "It's here!" and running downstairs like it was Christmas morning)
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Comment on Clicks Communicator: the ultimate communication companion in ~tech
xethos LinkThis is very cool, and a year ago I'd be hyped. Currently though, I'm typing this on my Q25 [0,1] - and honestly, I like the Q25 better. I like the BlackBerry keyboard better. I actually like the...This is very cool, and a year ago I'd be hyped. Currently though, I'm typing this on my Q25 [0,1] - and honestly, I like the Q25 better. I like the BlackBerry keyboard better. I actually like the toolbelt, despite being on the fence when I ordered it. I like that I don't have to use my carrier's imperfect 5G, and can stick to LTE. I enjoy the trackpad, and I adore that replacement backs, screens, keyboards, etc are available and dirt-cheap.
I don't have a fingerprint sensor, but my phone stays on my person 95% of the time anyways. So I set a longer "lock" timeout, and when I set it down I use the long-press 'k' shortcut to lock it - just like BBOS10.
Their LED on the side is neat, but I'm perfectly content with it on the face. And the touch-sensitive keypad is (for me, at least) competing with the trackpad - and the trackpad wins for ease-of-repair, for being cheaper to replace should it die, and for being able to double as a mouse.
My Q25 is physically smaller too, while retaining a headphone jack. And possibly the most damning of all, the Q25 isn't using an IoT SoC. Which, while it is on the 4nm node, IoT SoCs are more likely to assume they're to be plugged in, and care less about power draw.
Not to dissuade anyone, the Communicator looks very cool - I'm glad I got something I'm happier with though.
[0] https://linkapus.com/products/q25-pro-full-device
[1] A modified BlackBerry Q20 / Classic. Externally, still the hardware RIM made ~12 years ago. Internally, an aftermarket mainboard runs Android 14, with a new battery and camera module
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Comment on Clicks Communicator: the ultimate communication companion in ~tech
xethos Link ParentThey almost certainly used Niagara for keyboard shortcuts from the homescreen. When the Zinwa-modded Q25 (new mainboard with Android 14 in a BlackBerry Q20 body) started showing up for the general...They almost certainly used Niagara for keyboard shortcuts from the homescreen. When the Zinwa-modded Q25 (new mainboard with Android 14 in a BlackBerry Q20 body) started showing up for the general public, Niagara was found to be one of the few launchers that will work with homescreen keyboard shortcuts out-of-the-box.
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Comment on Toll roads are spreading in America in ~transport
xethos Link ParentBecause I'm not seeing this addressed nearly enough: Great! The road should be public access, available to all. Now take a stroll through the road (not the sidewalk), and tell me it's currently...Because I'm not seeing this addressed nearly enough:
roads should be public-access, and that means they should be free
Great! The road should be public access, available to all. Now take a stroll through the road (not the sidewalk), and tell me it's currently accessible to all, instead of paved, maintained, widened, paid for, and throwing off excess noise and other pollutants for the exclusive benefit of motorists instead of inhabitants of the area.
The road currently has a toll: it's the price of an automobile, with the costs associated with one. This makes the costs more overt, but also more targeted at those that are benefiting.
As it stands, we're all subsidizing motorists, and enforcement for traffic violations is nowhere close to stringent enough for me to have any sympathy at all for them
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Comment on Grocery stores are profiling online shoppers and charging them dynamic prices based on algorithmically determined affluence in ~finance
xethos Link ParentAffluent people may actually get the lower price to incentivize long-term relationships, because industry claims dynamic pricing is to match the price to the value the customer recieves at the...Affluent people may actually get the lower price to incentivize long-term relationships, because industry claims dynamic pricing is to match the price to the value the customer recieves at the till [1]. So if they think you're too broke (in time or money) to go elsewhere, dynamic pricing screws you. Notably, the affluent value time, the broke value money - so rich or poor, dynamic pricing is bad news.
Further, some stores will charge higher based on where you are - inside the store, compared to in the parking lot [0]. So while not a grocery store, it can (and will) still be done by companies other than Instacart.
For a fun (video) overview of why dynamic pricing is to be derided instead of defended as well: [2]
[0]
https://retailwire.com/discussion/will-targets-dynamic-pricing-strategy-erode-customers-trust/ -
Comment on A new Jolla phone has reached the required pre-order crowd-funding amount in ~tech
xethos Link ParentIf you're after the bridges, I found the Mautrix-* ones very easy to set up. They can be, and default to, not E2EE though, which makes me less willing to share those. I don't want the...If you're after the bridges, I found the Mautrix-* ones very easy to set up. They can be, and default to, not E2EE though, which makes me less willing to share those. I don't want the responsibility, nor the possibility of what would be, from the outside, a not-unreasonable accusation.
However! If you're after straight Matrix messaging and want to test if you like it, or verify that notifications are better/faster/more reliable than the default matrix.org though, feel free to shoot me a message. I'm happy enough to share an invite / registration code to my server, and because Matrix is E2EE [0], I'm willing to handle messaging for an unknown, but presumed reasonable, Tildes netizen [1]
[0] Disclaimer: This is not Signal, AFAIK it is possible for admins to see room names and some other metadata (though it's being worked on by the team at Matrix), and I'm a private (Canadian) citizen without promises of uptime, redundancy, or availability. Cue the GNU "This is free (in beer and liberty), use at your own risk" paragraph
[1] Further, this stands for pretty well anyone on Tildes, the community here is marvelous
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Comment on A new Jolla phone has reached the required pre-order crowd-funding amount in ~tech
xethos Link ParentI'll immediately cop to hitting a few hurdles [0], so I can't blame you, but a basic matrix-synapse install (real-time messaging & notifications, closed registration, no Single Sign On), was...I'll immediately cop to hitting a few hurdles [0], so I can't blame you, but a basic matrix-synapse install (real-time messaging & notifications, closed registration, no Single Sign On), was pretty painless on Debian Stable using Matrix's python package. I've gone through at least one Debian dist-upgrade as well (bookworm -> trixie), with my Synapse install just working across it.
So while I can sympathize (through lived experience) with dependancy hell and Debian being juuust too far behind, even boring (and thank god for that) old Debian is well-supported
[0] Their new calls system took me an hour or two, and multiple attempts
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Comment on A new Jolla phone has reached the required pre-order crowd-funding amount in ~tech
xethos Link ParentWhile more Linux Mobile than Jolla, I just used Matrix bridges [0] for my Pinephone. Discord, Telegram, Signal, Whatsapp, and FB Messenger are all fine for text / images, but not calls. As a...While more Linux Mobile than Jolla, I just used Matrix bridges [0] for my Pinephone. Discord, Telegram, Signal, Whatsapp, and FB Messenger are all fine for text / images, but not calls. As a bonus, this gives me one app that needs a background connection [1,2] instead of 5 on my current de-Googled Android
[0] Which, together with ntfy, I run my own server for. Much faster and more reliable than the overcrowded, and at times under-provisioned, matrix.org
[1] without Google Play Services and the background connections included, something has to watch for notifications. Some apps, like Whatsapp, just keep an open network connection 24/7. This is very not-good for battery life
[2] Most Matrix clients (for Android) support ntfy / Unified Push as well, which is much better for battery life, and can bundle notifications for Matrix, Mastodon, and Dav5x (for CalDav and CardDav syncing) - meaning reliable sync with a single bckground connection
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Comment on Android Quick Share can now work with iOS’s AirDrop in ~tech
xethos Link ParentEarly 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
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Comment on The death of punctuation in ~humanities.languages
xethos Link ParentAbsolutely. 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.
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Comment on Overwatch 2 now: how does it look to you? in ~games
xethos Link ParentMine 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
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Comment on Is vaping less harmful than smoking, and does it help people quit? in ~health
xethos Link ParentIf 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
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Comment on Overwatch 2 now: how does it look to you? in ~games
xethos Link ParentI 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 :)
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Comment on Overwatch 2 now: how does it look to you? in ~games
xethos Link ParentI 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?
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Comment on Overwatch 2 now: how does it look to you? in ~games
xethos Link ParentI 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 tooDoomfist 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
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Comment on Millennials: How do you feel about nostalgia pandering? in ~talk
xethos Link ParentAge 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.
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Comment on YouTube has a new video player in ~tech
xethos Link ParentI 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.
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Comment on What is your 'Subway Take'? in ~talk
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Comment on Why cassette tapes are coming back in ~music
xethos Link ParentNo, 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.
I'm actually spoiled with Harpocrat Keyboard - a modified BlackBerry Passport (or possibly KeyOne or 2?) apk that lets me use the keyboard exactly the same as my Key2 LE. Unfortunately, I'm too spoiled to switch for now (though I do appreciate the suggestion, and will keep playing with it periodically)
The launcher's worth looking further into for me though, thank you