39 votes

Topic deleted by author

19 comments

  1. [5]
    cfabbro
    (edited )
    Link
    <3 Mark Rober, his channel is fantastic. It's insane how far he goes and how much engineering he puts in to accomplishing such "silly" goals. The automatic bullseye dartboard project is probably...

    <3 Mark Rober, his channel is fantastic. It's insane how far he goes and how much engineering he puts in to accomplishing such "silly" goals. The automatic bullseye dartboard project is probably my favorite.

    p.s. For anyone who is unaware of him, he's a former NASA JPL engineer who actually worked on Curiosity.

    11 votes
    1. [4]
      unknown user
      Link Parent
      He currently works for Apple, which made the HomePod box a nice subtle touch, along with being a good housing size for this project!

      He currently works for Apple, which made the HomePod box a nice subtle touch, along with being a good housing size for this project!

      4 votes
      1. [3]
        cfabbro
        Link Parent
        Ah, I didn't know he worked for Apple now. Looking in to it, he is apparently developing VR/AR tech for self-driving cars with them, in some unknown capacity. Neat.

        Ah, I didn't know he worked for Apple now. Looking in to it, he is apparently developing VR/AR tech for self-driving cars with them, in some unknown capacity. Neat.

        6 votes
        1. [2]
          unknown user
          Link Parent
          He's definitely a smart cookie. His "first principles" approach to otherwise simple, fun engineering & statistical problems is certainly inspiring, and makes me wish I was less dumb :P.

          He's definitely a smart cookie. His "first principles" approach to otherwise simple, fun engineering & statistical problems is certainly inspiring, and makes me wish I was less dumb :P.

          5 votes
          1. cfabbro
            (edited )
            Link Parent
            You and me both. And more motivated too. It's kind of insane what he has managed to accomplish... and he's not even 40. What have I been doing with my life? :( :P

            and makes me wish I was less dumb :P.

            You and me both. And more motivated too. It's kind of insane what he has managed to accomplish... and he's not even 40. What have I been doing with my life? :( :P

            4 votes
  2. [2]
    nothis
    (edited )
    Link
    I've seen the headline for a while and I thought that was a cardboard box with a spring, lol. Holy crap, this is over-engineered like crazy, I love it! Oh god, this is amazing!

    This custom printed circuit board is the brains of the operation...

    I've seen the headline for a while and I thought that was a cardboard box with a spring, lol. Holy crap, this is over-engineered like crazy, I love it!

    The world's finest glitter!

    Oh god, this is amazing!

    11 votes
    1. frickindeal
      Link Parent
      You know these idiots are going to be finding that glitter for years.

      You know these idiots are going to be finding that glitter for years.

      8 votes
  3. [8]
    Algernon_Asimov
    Link
    I'm not as impressed by his over-engineered practical joke as I am by the fact that he caught so many people with it. Does this really happen that much? Do total strangers really just walk up and...

    I'm not as impressed by his over-engineered practical joke as I am by the fact that he caught so many people with it. Does this really happen that much? Do total strangers really just walk up and grab random packages off other people's porches? And not just one or two, but lots of people. What sort of place does he live that this happens so often?

    8 votes
    1. [2]
      MimicSquid
      Link Parent
      He lives in Santa Clarita, a suburb of LA.

      He lives in Santa Clarita, a suburb of LA.

      10 votes
      1. Algernon_Asimov
        Link Parent
        Firstly, it was a rhetorical question. Secondly, I, an Australian, have no idea what sort of neighbourhood Santa Clarita is.

        Firstly, it was a rhetorical question. Secondly, I, an Australian, have no idea what sort of neighbourhood Santa Clarita is.

        2 votes
    2. [5]
      StellarV
      Link Parent
      I've only had a couple of packages stolen, one of which I'm sure was my neighbor. I feel like in his case it's because it's a well off neighborhood and the package was so out in the open. My...

      I've only had a couple of packages stolen, one of which I'm sure was my neighbor. I feel like in his case it's because it's a well off neighborhood and the package was so out in the open. My grandparents have a lockbox outside of their house with a combination lock that they give delivery drivers since I think it's happen to them a few times.

      1 vote
      1. [4]
        frickindeal
        Link Parent
        I've read it before, but I've never understood the "that they give delivery drivers" part of that. The only delivery drivers I can get messages to are pizza or other food drivers. UPS doesn't...

        I've read it before, but I've never understood the "that they give delivery drivers" part of that. The only delivery drivers I can get messages to are pizza or other food drivers. UPS doesn't exactly say "your package is scheduled for delivery today, here's the number to contact your driver with any preferences or combination lock numbers you may wish to provide him/her," and I've never seen a text field to type such information that will get directly to the driver. Same with USPS. How are your grandparents contacting these drivers?

        3 votes
        1. jsx
          Link Parent
          Sometimes I've seen the ability to leave "delivery instructions" with the vendor that passes on to the shipper/deliverer. Could put the combination on there and once it's in the lockbox it doesn't...

          Sometimes I've seen the ability to leave "delivery instructions" with the vendor that passes on to the shipper/deliverer. Could put the combination on there and once it's in the lockbox it doesn't matter if it was printed on the package.

          Outside of that I have no idea.

          3 votes
        2. [2]
          StellarV
          Link Parent
          If you sign up for an online account with the USPS/UPS/FedEx/etc you can set up standard delivery options or update an incoming shipment with delivery instructions. On top of that my grandparents...

          If you sign up for an online account with the USPS/UPS/FedEx/etc you can set up standard delivery options or update an incoming shipment with delivery instructions. On top of that my grandparents used to run a business out of their home so they had a lot of incoming and outgoing packages.

          1 vote
  4. [3]
    unknown user
    Link
    Why are the boxes left in front of the doors? Is that standard practice in the US? In Turkey if nobody's home the cargo / mail deliverers would take it back to the cargo / post office and either...

    Why are the boxes left in front of the doors? Is that standard practice in the US? In Turkey if nobody's home the cargo / mail deliverers would take it back to the cargo / post office and either ask you to come to collect or they'd bring it again the next day. The postmen leave mail only if there is a mailbox somewhere. I'd probably sue if they left the mail / cargo in front of the door.

    4 votes
    1. [2]
      cfabbro
      Link Parent
      It depends. You can usually opt to require the package be taken back to the closest post office if there is nobody home to receive it. But the default is generally to just leave it on the doorstep...

      It depends. You can usually opt to require the package be taken back to the closest post office if there is nobody home to receive it. But the default is generally to just leave it on the doorstep unless it's registered/certified mail or insured, and in the vast majority of cases the default works out just fine. I and my family get a ton of stuff delivered (prob 1-2 shipments a week on avg.) here in Canada and have never once gotten a package stolen from our front porch. In about 10 years of living in the US we never had it happen there either. But it is a risk you take when you choose to just get things dropped off at your door for convenience sake.

      3 votes
      1. frickindeal
        Link Parent
        I had a driver set an $800 television on my back porch. I had no idea it was there for several hours. I got an email notice that it had been delivered, but there was no note on the door either. I...

        I had a driver set an $800 television on my back porch. I had no idea it was there for several hours. I got an email notice that it had been delivered, but there was no note on the door either. I only found it once I happened to go out to the back yard. I also had a driver leave a $1600 guitar in plain view on my front porch. I got seriously worried when I got an email alert at my shop and I wasn't closing for another three hours. But there it was, sitting on the porch when I pulled in. It's really not that common to have items go missing, at least not where I live.

        3 votes