zlsa's recent activity

  1. Comment on My thoughts on Denis Villeneuve's Dune in ~movies

    zlsa
    Link Parent
    I had initially thought Blade Runner 2049 was a remake and didn't watch it because of that; I randomly saw it a few months ago and was absolutely blown away. It is hands down the most visually...

    I had initially thought Blade Runner 2049 was a remake and didn't watch it because of that; I randomly saw it a few months ago and was absolutely blown away. It is hands down the most visually impressive film I have ever seen.

    6 votes

  2. Comment on New MacBook Pros in ~tech

    zlsa
    Link Parent
    I don't want to impose on your workflow, but it'd be a shame to not see the beautiful display :/

    I don't want to impose on your workflow, but it'd be a shame to not see the beautiful display :/

    1 vote

  3. Comment on New MacBook Pros in ~tech

    zlsa
    Link Parent
    This, 100%. "Why don't they just put the iPhone FaceID module in the lid?" Because the phone is 7mm thick, and the display lid is 3-4. FaceID uses up all the depth in the phone, too - that's why...

    This, 100%.

    "Why don't they just put the iPhone FaceID module in the lid?"

    Because the phone is 7mm thick, and the display lid is 3-4. FaceID uses up all the depth in the phone, too - that's why the iPhone X (first one with FaceID) had a vertical camera array instead of horizontal (because the regular back cameras use up almost all the depth in the phone, too. So they can't overlap with Face ID.)

    I wish the notch were smaller though; I don't use the webcam all, so I'd be happy with no camera at all, but I get why they did it. Like it or not, the notch is Apple design language now, and given the choice between a poor quality camera (like Dell with the XPS line) or a higher-quality camera and a notch, they've clearly decided the notch isn't bad enough to justify a low-quality camera.

    5 votes

  4. Comment on New MacBook Pros in ~tech

    zlsa
    Link Parent
    This is what their laptops currently have; a large top bezel. Don't think of the notch as extending into the display; instead, think of it as extra room to the sides of the camera. (This isn't...

    Why is there a notch at all? Just make the top bezel bigger.

    This is what their laptops currently have; a large top bezel. Don't think of the notch as extending into the display; instead, think of it as extra room to the sides of the camera. (This isn't just me saying this, either - the displays are 16:10 aspect ratio, plus 74 pixels for the notch. So even if the entire space next to the notch were blacked out, you're not losing any space.)

    Why are the top corners of the display rounded?

    Eh. This is getting more common now from everyone; it keeps the bezel a uniform thickness all the way around. Without rounding the display edges, you'd need to have sharper corners (like Dell's XPS line.) It's just a design decision that shouldn't have much of an impact on everyday use.

    Why are the bottom corners not rounded?

    Probably because the top of the display is always has a menubar (system-controlled), but apps can draw on the bottom edge; so there might be info there that shouldn't be obscured.

    6 votes

  5. Comment on Amazon copied products and rigged search results to promote its own brands, documents show in ~tech

  6. Comment on Collins Aerospace to provide life support for privately run LEO outpost in ~space

    zlsa
    Link Parent
    It's worth noting Starlink is technically orbiting at an altitude above the ISS, but it's also just not designed for orbital use to my knowledge so I wouldn't expect Starlink on ISS anytime soon.

    It's worth noting Starlink is technically orbiting at an altitude above the ISS, but it's also just not designed for orbital use to my knowledge so I wouldn't expect Starlink on ISS anytime soon.

    1 vote

  7. Comment on Gamasutra is becoming Game Developer - Switching to a new name, domain, and website this Thursday in ~games

    zlsa
    Link
    I'm in favor of this except for using possibly the most generic name for a resource for game developers...

    I'm in favor of this except for using possibly the most generic name for a resource for game developers...

    8 votes

  8. Comment on 1Password 8: The story so far in ~tech

    zlsa
    Link Parent
    I think 1PW 8 will still cache passwords offline, so you should have offline functionality (but please don't take my word for it!) You just won't get synced updates when offline (obviously.) With...

    I think 1PW 8 will still cache passwords offline, so you should have offline functionality (but please don't take my word for it!) You just won't get synced updates when offline (obviously.)

    With cloud-based password storage, I'm not at all worried about someone gaining access to my passwords, since they're all E2E encrypted (that is, they're only decrypted on your machine, and the only data stored on their servers is a useless binary blob without your personal master key.) I'm far, far more worried about a "supply chain attack", where an attacker is able to introduce a vulnerability into the apps themselves.

    2 votes

  9. Comment on Linus Sebastian tries the Steam Deck in ~games

  10. Comment on Nauka module docks with ISS and performs uncommanded thruster firings, bringing ISS 45 degrees off nominal attitude; crew was never in danger in ~space

    zlsa
    Link
    The crew is safe, and according to NASA they were never in danger. This is an ongoing event, so I've linked to a tweet about the situation and attempted to summarize the events so far in the title.

    The crew is safe, and according to NASA they were never in danger.

    This is an ongoing event, so I've linked to a tweet about the situation and attempted to summarize the events so far in the title.

    5 votes

  11. Nauka module docks with ISS and performs uncommanded thruster firings, bringing ISS 45 degrees off nominal attitude; crew was never in danger

    ~space Tweet

    @Chris Bergin - NSF: Rob Navias with the NASA TV overview.ISS went 45 degrees out of attitude. SM (automatically reacted) to the issue, and then Progress thrusters were commanded to place the ISS back in the proper attitude.30 mins to the ability for MCC-M to command the safing of the thrusters. pic.twitter.com/5XIiJInVub

    10 votes

  12. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech

    zlsa
    Link Parent
    The business edition also doesn't have the Oculus store, so you can only install your own software. It's clearly a business-only solution, and not intended for consumers.

    The business edition also doesn't have the Oculus store, so you can only install your own software. It's clearly a business-only solution, and not intended for consumers.

    3 votes

  13. Comment on Recommend some upbeat / high-energy music that, if I listen to it in my car, will make me want to roll the windows down and drive at unsafe speeds in ~music

    zlsa
    (edited )
    Link
    DREAMERS - Insomniac Foals - The Runner Enter the Haggis - To The Quick And some selected tracks from soundtracks: TENET (Ludwig Göransson - Rainy Night in Tallinn Inception (Hans Zimmer) - Mobasa...

    DREAMERS - Insomniac

    Foals - The Runner

    Enter the Haggis - To The Quick

    And some selected tracks from soundtracks:

    TENET (Ludwig Göransson - Rainy Night in Tallinn

    Inception (Hans Zimmer) - Mobasa

    Cyberpunk 2077 (P.T. Adamczyk) - The Rebel Path

    Note: I don't typically listen to the lyrics much; I just focus on the emotion and sound. So my recommendations aren't based on the lyrics at all.

    3 votes

  14. Comment on How do I hire a CG artist to sculpt a 3D model from an old portrait? in ~creative

    zlsa
    Link Parent
    Character modeling is some of the hardest CG work there is. Honestly, in your situation, I don't think you could get it for what could be considered a reasonable price. It would take a talented...

    Character modeling is some of the hardest CG work there is. Honestly, in your situation, I don't think you could get it for what could be considered a reasonable price. It would take a talented character artist a day or two to sculpt, a few days to texture, and a few days to rig. At a game or movie studio, there would be probably a dozen people, each specializing in one small aspect of character modeling. If I had to guess at a price, I'd say it would easily cost well north of $1000, if not far more.

    Fiverr is an option, but I would expect most of the artists there are using something like Daz, and won't be able to match the likeness very well.

    4 votes

  15. Comment on NASA picks SpaceX to land next Americans on Moon in ~space

    zlsa
    Link Parent
    Agreed, SpaceX were definitely the odd one out. High-risk, low-cost, but also far more capability. But having read the NASA Source Selection Statement, NASA calls out Blue Origin a lot for very...

    Agreed, SpaceX were definitely the odd one out. High-risk, low-cost, but also far more capability.

    But having read the NASA Source Selection Statement, NASA calls out Blue Origin a lot for very questionable decisions, like testing unproven propulsion hardware (think: fuel tanks and engines) for the first time on a crewed mission.

    6 votes

  16. Comment on NASA picks SpaceX to land next Americans on Moon in ~space

    zlsa
    Link
    Some context: NASA opened up a Human Landing System bid, to build spacecraft that would bring astronauts from lunar orbit to the lunar surface and back. Three companies were selected in the...

    Some context:

    • NASA opened up a Human Landing System bid, to build spacecraft that would bring astronauts from lunar orbit to the lunar surface and back.
    • Three companies were selected in the initial stage of the contract, to build basic mockups and demonstrate to NASA their processes: Blue Origin (aka the National Team) bid a three-stage lander), Dynetics bid ALPACA, and SpaceX bid a modified version of Starship.
    • After evaluating these three options, and in light of Congressional budget constraints, NASA decided to choose only SpaceX.

    Under this $2.9 billion contract, SpaceX will develop, build, and fly their modified Starship; perform one uncrewed lunar landing; and perform one crewed lunar test flight. The operational lunar missions will be awarded at a later time.

    Some more context on the selection:

    From the start, Starship was seen as the weird underdog. Here's a render of the three competing vehicles, to scale. Starship can bring in the neighborhood of 100 metric tons to the surface of the Moon, and the other two contenders decidedly cannot.

    At the same time, Starship would need huge-scale orbital refueling to perform its mission, along with very high performance engines that (at the time) had only been flown one time, to 150 meters. In light of the higher risk, SpaceX's bid was far lower than the other competitors. The expectation was that NASA would select two companies, similar to their Commercial Crew Program, for redundancy and competition. However, the Congress-specified budget forced NASA's hand, and they judged SpaceX to be the best option out of the three.

    SpaceX is still largely seen as an unproven newcomer to human spaceflight, whereas Blue Origin (working with Lockheed Martin and a number of highly established aerospace companies) and Dynetics (a long-time aerospace contractor) were seen as the "safer" options, despite being higher cost.

    5 votes

  18. Comment on SpaceX lands Starship prototype for the first time — and then it blows up in ~space

  20. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tech

    zlsa
    Link Parent
    To add to the dual-boot discussion, Boot Camp lets you run Windows on any recent Intel-based Mac.

    To add to the dual-boot discussion, Boot Camp lets you run Windows on any recent Intel-based Mac.

    4 votes