balsoft
@balsoft@lemmy.ml
- Comment on Apple will let iPhone users in Brazil get apps and services outside of the App Store 3 hours ago:
- This is not a problem that needs solving, it’s an artificial barrier to prevent you from using the device which reduces profit for the manufacturer. Being able to install and run whatever software you want (apart from actual hardware limitations) has been part of personal computers since the invention of personal computers.
- Google is trying its best to do this as well, if you’ve missed the news.
- Comment on Apple will let iPhone users in Brazil get apps and services outside of the App Store 5 hours ago:
I think the actual headline is “Apple forced to remove illegal barriers to app installation for users in Brazil”
- Comment on xkcd #3186: Truly Universal Outlet 7 hours ago:
Ground is always there just for safety. It is supposed to be connected to any metal bits on the outside of any device, so that if a live wire touches the outside it just shorts and some fuse blows or circuit breaker trips, rather than providing an unpleasant surprise to anyone who touches it.
Most modern electronics is “double-insulated”, meaning there are at least two layers of reinforced insulating material between any mains-carrying conductors and the user. This is deemed to be safe enough so that those devices don’t need to be grounded, and if the case is plastic then they will almost never be. So if you’re only connecting plastic-cased electronics to the socket, a ground would be superfluous in almost all cases. There might be some exceptions, like power supplies connecting one of the low-voltage pins to ground, but it is quite rare to see.
- Comment on Scheduling is hard 2 weeks ago:
Most jobs on the planet can’t be done with WFH, because they require doing stuff with your hands.
The actual solution to traffic is: viable alternatives to driving, such as rapid, comfortable, accessible transit and cycling infrastructure. (once that’s done, let’s ban private cars in cities altogether, they’re the worst thing to ever happen to cities).
- Comment on Holy Fu*k 3 weeks ago:
F**k. You added two, so I have to censor one to keep the world balanced.
- Comment on There should be a "last used combination" faucet handle for sinks so you don't have to balance hot and cold everytime during winter 5 weeks ago:
Actually, fuck yeah. My parents also have one of those bad boys:
It’s really nice to bathe in!
- Comment on There should be a "last used combination" faucet handle for sinks so you don't have to balance hot and cold everytime during winter 5 weeks ago:
Oh, yeah, that makes much more sense actually. Now I kinda want that setup, but I bet it’s expensive.
- Comment on There should be a "last used combination" faucet handle for sinks so you don't have to balance hot and cold everytime during winter 5 weeks ago:
That’s still confusing to me. My parents had the water heater tank in the bathroom, between the shower/bath and the sink. The kitchen sink had a separate small water heater.
- Comment on There should be a "last used combination" faucet handle for sinks so you don't have to balance hot and cold everytime during winter 5 weeks ago:
hot water circulation systems should be more common
That just sounds like a waste of energy. Why not have the water heater right next to your shower, so that there’s no wait? It’s how it was set up in my parents home. Really enjoyed that setup, never had to wait for hot water.
- Comment on Refrigerator ads are finally here! 1 month ago:
Yeah, true, but it certainly would add a lot of economic pressure on that industry.
- Comment on Refrigerator ads are finally here! 1 month ago:
Eh, I would say just ban all paid advertisements like ones you’re describing. Want to advertise your product? Send it over to some state-run hub, which then randomly distributes it to professional reviewers. They then publish their findings, and if your product is good and people are looking for your product category, they will find you.
Get rid of stupid ads where the only reason they are shown to you is because someone is paid to stuff it in your face. Ads should be something you actively seek out, not something being shoved in your face.
- Comment on Refrigerator ads are finally here! 1 month ago:
Banning “marketing” in general is impossible. In order for humans to survive, we need to acquire means of sustenance. With division of labor, you cannot acquire all the means of sustenance you need by yourself or within your local community. As such, a market is necessary to exchange commodities, including means of sustenance and means of production, and the mere act of bringing a commodity to a market is, by definition, marketing.
Banning advertising in general is more possible, but probably a bad idea. Imagine you want to buy bread. How would you go about that? Look for a “bakery” sign? Whoops, that’s advertising, can’t have that. Your best bet then is, like, going into every single open door on the street until you find a bakery, which doesn’t sound good at all.
What we should do is regulate advertising down to its minimum necessary function, which is helping people find what they are already looking for, plus maybe PSA type of ads (e.g. reminding you to get vaccinated and stuff). So yeah, most modern ads should be banned, but some should be kept because there is some actual use in them.
- Comment on Refrigerator ads are finally here! 1 month ago:
Certain groups will lobby really hard to make it illegal and punishable.
- Comment on Breaking: Google is easing up on Android's new sideloading restrictions! 1 month ago:
That feels too easy, no? It just adds like 12 taps to scammer’s instructions, 10 of which is the taps to show developer menu.
- Comment on Breaking: Google is easing up on Android's new sideloading restrictions! 1 month ago:
Ooh, cool! Might be my new phone when the current one cacks or Android becomes completely unusable.
- Comment on Breaking: Google is easing up on Android's new sideloading restrictions! 1 month ago:
My bet is that they will just remove the GUI settings for alternative APK installation sources, and require you to explicitly allow them via terminal (
adb shellor similar). This will probably scare 99% of regular users from doing it, while keeping devs relatively happy. - Comment on Breaking: Google is easing up on Android's new sideloading restrictions! 1 month ago:
That was the plan before this latest announcement. Presumably this will be something different, probably allowing F-Droid and friends to keep working on-device somehow.
- Comment on Breaking: Google is easing up on Android's new sideloading restrictions! 1 month ago:
Nothing wrong with it, if you just use it for music listening/youtube/light browsing/satnav/messaging, snapdragon845 is more than enough. Probably not too good for gaming and stuff.
- Comment on Breaking: Google is easing up on Android's new sideloading restrictions! 1 month ago:
Fairphones are probably not daily-able for now, sadly. E.g. on FP4 GPS doesn’t work at all and there are issues with charging/battery reporting AFAIR. OnePlus 6 is definitely more promising ATM, but there are camera issues and you need to do a weird reflashing dance to get GPS to work. Otherwise it’s… passable as a daily phone.
- Comment on xkcd #3167: Car Size 1 month ago:
I’m pretty sure Randall agrees
- Comment on xkcd #3167: Car Size 1 month ago:
I just think they should cost more, be taxed more, and be forbidden to park in certain areas.
This won’t help with rich assholes who want to drive around an F-950 or whatever, but will make groceries more expensive.
What really needs to happen is to mandate a special license to drive anything over like 2500 kg, and only be able to register it to a business with a valid use-case. To get a “small car” license (B-type), you have to pass an easy theory exam and drive around a tiny sedan around a city for 30 minutes (at least in europe). Trucks have different driving characteristics and are way more dangerous, so the driving tests should be way more difficult too.
Also, maybe this?
Oh, also, ban private cars in cities. Like, completely. Cars are so dangerous that their amount in populated areas needs to be kept to an absolute minimum.
- Comment on Aeroplane 1 month ago:
if the autopilot is engaged, you can’t physically move the wheels, because it is moving them for you.
I’m pretty sure on newer 737s the autopilot disconnects when it detects a sufficient physical force on the yoke. But yeah the button is easier and safer.
- Comment on Aeroplane 1 month ago:
It’s more as a reminder to NOT engage reverse thrust while in the air.
- Comment on Aeroplane 1 month ago:
Chill, it’s just a shitpost.
BTW, a regular person can likely fly and land a 737 with some basic ATC instructions, there have been multiple experiments demonstrating this (in a simulator). A guide like this would be immensely helpful in that situation.
- Comment on Aeroplane 1 month ago:
Yeah, the foot pedals and IAS indicator are glaring omissions. I guess they really just want you to fly with autopilot and autothrust, but good fucking luck setting up autoland without prior experience.
- Comment on Aeroplane 1 month ago:
Few additions:
- “reverse thrust” → “slow down (after you land)”
- “go fast” → “go fast (keep levers together)”
- “keep it above the ground” → “keep it above the ground, but not too high”
- (at IAS indiciator) “how fast you’re going”, “keep between 170 and 400, lower to 140 when landing”
- “make wings bigger” → “make wings bigger, required when taking off or landing”
- Comment on UK's Andrew asked to testify over Epstein as he formally loses titles 1 month ago:
I love how it’s just “UK’s Andrew” now LOL. Condolences to all other Andrews on the island.
- Comment on Billionaire opinion is not news 1 month ago:
This aint a shitpost, this is just a fact
- Comment on xkcd #3161: Airspeed 1 month ago:
Ah sorry, I meant the one before that with the continents and space.
- Comment on xkcd #3161: Airspeed 1 month ago:
Yep, the last two comics are quite fundamentally wrong. It’s as though he didn’t fact check them in the most basic way. Slightly disappointing
