Technology Connections

I'm that YouTube person who told you about how dishwashers work. Trying out this whole Mastodon thing.

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Last Notes

2024-07-28 02:14:38

I have made a discovery
https://media.mas.to/media_attachments/files/112/861/695/696/104/947/original/d1ff3e616f1f7027.mp4

2024-07-15 17:15:05

OK, so of course there's now a rolladen vs. awning debate going on and, I kid you not, there's somebody out there who thinks the fact that rolladen blocks the view when in use is irrelevant because "the reason we had windows was to let in natural light and with efficient LEDs we don't need that anymore"
Sure, pal.

2024-05-15 19:53:25

New Internet Annoyance Unlocked:
Nitpickers who know a lot about specific things chipping away at (and not seeing) a holistic argument.

2023-12-26 15:55:03

A dishwasher tip specifically for those of you in North America:
Your dishwasher expects to be filled with hot water. If it takes more than 15 seconds for the water at your kitchen tap to get hot, your dishwasher may be washing with cold water for much of its cycle.
If your dishwasher seems kinda meh, try running the kitchen tap until it's proper hot and steamy before you start a wash cycle. It may make a huge difference.

2023-12-05 13:45:42

Huh. Pleasantly surprised this morning by the discussion occurring around my smart thermostat posts. Good job, Fedi!
And it has been useful: apparently there are many, MANY different imaginations out there of what thermostats are and how they work (made even more complicated by technical/equipment norms across the world).
If I'm going to try and illustrate my frustrations in a video, I'll need to do fairly substantial foundational buildup.

2023-12-02 16:20:56

Real talk:
It is utterly exhausting to look at my notifications every morning (which is a difficult slog as it is with this many followers) and see response after response saying "just mute/block those folks" again and again.
I'm gonna make this as clear as I can:
On Twitter,
this. was. not. a. thing. I. had. to. do.
I can probably count on one hand the number of times I had to block people because, get this, Twitter had a quality filter which caught most insufferable people

2023-10-30 19:58:28

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@npub178r…qekt "with so many tools at your disposal to curate your experience, if you're having an issue... sounds like a you problem" is an all-too-common sentiment around here.
And just wait 'till you see how this toot is received!

2023-09-28 18:09:57

In my last video, I probably should have included an image of what "in conduit" means. So here's the outlet in my kitchen island, and what's inside the cabinet.
All electrical work around Chicago is done like this even in residential construction. Armored cabling is sometimes allowed and is much easier for a DIYer. I've worked with it before, though, and it still sucks compared to Romex!
https://media.mas.to/masto-public/media_attachments/files/111/144/104/559/587/919/original/894b46f80c3312ce.jpg
https://media.mas.to/masto-public/media_attachments/files/111/144/105/529/737/909/original/2ea3550ab0f22307.jpg

2023-08-24 23:37:41

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@npub14yr…8xwm keep in mind humidity, though. 76 with 70% RH (which it currently is inside) is quite a lot less pleasant than 80° at 25% RH
In the Midwest you basically cannot get below 50% RH in the summer, despite having air conditioning. Hell, even after the AC was running for 10 hours straight, it was still 55% indoors.

2023-08-21 03:27:20

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@npub1j6a…h8w9 And by normal, I mean staffed, well-lit, with bathrooms, food, and windshield squeegees.
We really didn't have to reinvent the wheel. Tesla did because it's easier for them in a lot of ways - but I don't view today's band-aids as good. Far from it.
I am eagerly looking forward to the days recharging at facilities like truck stops is normal.

2023-08-21 03:24:33

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@npub1j6a…h8w9 I have charged my EV at night in the outskirts of a parking lot. Don't really like that.
I charge at home mostly, but when I'm out on a road trip, I just want a normal place to charge.

2023-08-21 02:47:51

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@npub1j6a…h8w9 Whether it "works" and whether people actually want that experience are very different questions.

2023-08-20 21:37:18

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@npub14ep…cpuj I dunno, most of the truck stops around here pay for billboards miles away which advertise their price.

2023-08-20 21:33:33

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@npub14ep…cpuj @npub185t…pwlf Your run-of-the-mill in-town gas station doesn't, no.
But truck stops are 95% there. Make them a little bit nicer and boom. Done.

2023-08-20 21:00:09

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@npub185t…pwlf My gut says once signs that actually advertise charging cost are normalized (which, perhaps won't happen but time will tell) people will still view it more of a commodity than anything else and will look for the cheapest charge.
But, I agree with you that niceties of the site will be a large factor. And personally, I don't think Tesla has a winning formula there (though others disagree with me).

2023-08-20 20:58:07

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@npub16cw…uxgx Sure, but in theory (and actually in-practice in many gas stations) you could run recharging at /negative/ margin if your other business makes sufficient money.
That's kind of my whole point.

2023-08-20 20:06:48

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@npub1pqv…wa3v Sure, but 10-year-old cars aren't getting made anymore. Because they're 10 years old.
That's what I mean by those cars are fixed in number. You won't need to cater to all that many of them once EVs are the norm.

2023-08-20 19:37:06

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@npub120k…0pux Oh, for sure! That's why I think this it's ultimately a good thing that we switch.

2023-08-20 19:27:06

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As soon as a big player like Pilot, Loves, whatever rolls out charging en masse they're gonna be able to do the same with electricity.
Tesla, unless they want to learn the ins-and-outs of running convenience stores, won't be able to do that, so the cost of their charging will stay high. They aren't set up to subsidize it with other things.

2023-08-20 19:24:54

I don't know why it took me this long to articulate this thought, but Tesla's charging model is ultimately a trap for themselves:
They rely on other folks to provide services near their charging sites. That's clever, BUT it means they do not make any money from those services.
And that's precisely what keeps gas stations in business. They compete with one another to such an extent that the fuel is sold barely above cost, and the store/car wash/cafe is where they /actually/ make money.

2023-08-19 21:35:20

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@npub1juc…p8cu Three-phase here depends largely on application.
If you want a building with a basic three-phase service, it's gonna be 120/208. 120 for all convenience receptables, 208 for anything else. Many commercial buildings have this, plus larger apartment buildings.
But if you've got a really big building or need to power really big stuff, you might have 277/480 and use step-down transformers for other things. And there are higher voltages, too!

2023-08-19 18:47:40

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And just for some proof that this was 240
https://media.mas.to/masto-public/media_attachments/files/110/917/769/730/208/232/original/bc715f97110c2f92.jpg

2023-08-19 18:17:19

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And to explain for all my non-North American peeps, these two cords go to plugs that are on adjacent breakers in the panel. That means across the two hot wires you'll get 240V rather than 120V.
So, in a pinch, you can just do this.
Should you? No. But it's possible.

2023-08-19 18:15:52

Need 240V for a test?
This'll work.
(Note: do not do this)
https://media.mas.to/masto-public/media_attachments/files/110/917/641/809/322/230/original/c9b3dc3e0d7c4704.jpg

2023-08-17 03:22:00

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@npub13yh…a5se I, for one, appreciate being reminded that I'm rad.

2023-08-16 17:57:59

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@npub1uwc…c3lz Probably wise.

2023-08-16 17:11:42

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@npub1f05…grer No, and to be quite honest, I'm similarly annoyed that every time I mention something to do with electric cars, I am flooded by "car bad!" comments.
Some folks will still needs cars. We need to electrify them.
We should also make not needing one easier.
Conversations don't need to be broadened at every opportunity. It's pretty close to sealioning, honestly.

2023-08-16 17:06:21

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@npub1f05…grer The answer you're looking for is in the video, and a word of advice:
I know about all the things you've mentioned here, and agree. Don't take my excitement for this process as an endorsement that electric cars are some sort of panacea.

2023-08-16 16:28:17

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@npub1nvm…f78c ...but this isn't about that

2023-08-16 15:46:30

Reading some comments, it's clear beliefs are stickier than evidence.
There's a contingent of numbskulls who simply cannot (will not?) make the effort to envision a future in which this is scaled up. Trying to find a way to deal with that is one of the great challenges of our time.
https://youtu.be/s2xrarUWVRQ

2023-08-16 04:15:33

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@npub1jr7…7xwv I'm glad this works for you, but personally I don't ever want my car keys to be on my phone.
I don't have and will never have a smart lock so I need a physical keyring anyway, and honestly I don't want a layer of software between me any my ability to drive, no matter how reliable it might be.

2023-08-16 04:06:40

lololol, a comment on the video says something like "see, here's why plug-and-charge is so great. You don't always have your phone or wallet with you, but -" and I'm gonna need to stop you right there, bud.
Yes. Yes I do.
I do the ol' pocket pat every time I grab my cars keys.

2023-08-14 22:11:04

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@npub1cs3…8jld goin' by the Jewels ta pick up two or tree loafs a bread.

2023-08-14 21:54:53

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This post absolutely brought to you by
"I ran into Jewel for the first time in a while and forgot to bring my reusable bags with me, and now I have a Jewel bag"
https://media.mas.to/masto-public/media_attachments/files/110/890/192/375/342/236/original/170d3f4bdffd4129.jpg

2023-08-14 21:48:37

Suddenly I'm wondering something.
I call disposable plastic grocery bags "Jewel bags" after the Chicagoland grocery store chain. I don't even shop there all that much these days, but any such bag is still a "Jewel bag" in my head.
Anybody else do this?
(Oh and, fun fact, an industry term for that kind of bag is T-shirt bag, despite it resembling a tank top if anything)

2023-08-12 17:28:44

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@npub1n3x…303y There needs to be a provision to isolate them, so they can't just be wired in parallel. That's perhaps doable with AC, bit really tricky with DC. DC contactors which can handle that much current ain't cheap!

2023-08-12 16:23:36

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@npub1zc6…p2sj On-street parking is the biggest one.

2023-08-12 16:19:43

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@npub1zc6…p2sj And honestly, I don't think we need to or even should standardize charge port location.
If it's at the back of the car, it should probably be on the passenger's side. But putting it up front has some advantages, too.
People can choose what they like best, and longer cables and better charging sites would make this issue evaporate entirely.

2023-08-12 16:17:29

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@npub1zc6…p2sj Oh, to be clear, I also think that's an oversight from GM and Ford.
I just think if you're gonna say we need to standardize a charge port location... think it through a little harder.

2023-08-12 16:14:21

Also.
It's apparently impossible for people to take information in before barfing their thoughts out.
Lots of people saying "NACS is a tragedy because it doesn't support three-phase" when, y'know, I'm pretty sure I spent some time talking about how we just flat out don't have three-phase power in homes.
Ugh.
Anyway, I'll shut up. Overall, the response has been much better than I figured. I was very worried about how this video would be received!

2023-08-12 15:50:46

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@npub19hc…9pfz Eh, I still feel it's unnecessarily vulnerable.
Adding to that, though, live in a place with winter and mucky roads and the /last/ place you want that port is on the nose of the car

2023-08-12 15:47:31

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@npub1eua…jcsu @npub1ds3…truq That's how they get away with shoving 625 amps through a cable about 30mm across!
It's a big maintenance issue on third-party networks, as cable-cooling equipment failure leads to drastically reduced output.

2023-08-12 15:45:14

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@npub1eua…jcsu @npub1ds3…truq No, quite often they are thicker because those cables won't be actively cooled like the charger's cable is.

2023-08-12 15:39:03

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@npub1ds3…truq @npub1eua…jcsu For AC, sure. DC... you'll be running some extremely thick cables around the car.

2023-08-12 15:38:25

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@npub19hc…9pfz I like that from a functional point of view, but small fender benders disabling the car worries me.

2023-08-12 15:35:26

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@npub1eua…jcsu Well... it is actually a little more difficult than you might imagine, especially with DC charging in the mix.
At best there could be another port which can only do AC charging, and you'll need a way to isolate it from the other port which adds components and cost.

2023-08-12 15:32:33

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By the way, it's a massive oversight to put the charge door on the driver's side. That presumes on-street charging will just... never happen.
And sure, there's hardly any of that in the US at present. But that'll probably change.

2023-08-12 15:24:48

I like how I specifically said in the video that the current charging infrastructure landscape is weird and that we shouldn't look to it as setting a norm, and yet I am still getting bombarded by Tesla apologists who think all automakers need to put the charge port where Tesla does to be compatible with their weird chargers with dinky cables.

2023-08-12 03:10:08

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@npub1n3h…uwgc I have found that most people don't make those sorts of connections unless you show them.
Hence... my job!

2023-08-12 02:52:56

Is there a name for the phenomenon where the general public won't stop mentioning a solution that they /imagine/ will be standard one day without knowing the details behind it?
That's a word salad but like, "plug type won't matter once wireless charging becomes the norm" is, uh, a sentiment few people who know much about electricity transmission and electric vehicles will agree with, yet it's repeated ad nauseum.

2023-08-11 23:51:33

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@npub13xj…sys0 I guess my counterpoint would be that the people that currently rely on DC fast charging and can't charge at home are living the same life that people with gas cars do.
I just can't see plug-and-charge as anything more than a "well that's neat," because if payment /actually worked/ with a simple tap of a card (or a watch if you're into that) it would be a non-issue.

2023-08-11 18:01:40

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@npub1l3g…2rff It's the SAE taking it on that makes me most at peace.
I wouldn't believe Tesla's "we're opening it up to the world" otherwise

2023-08-11 17:49:34

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@npub169g…68s4 So long as things pan out as it looks like they will, we can have a best-of-both-worlds reality, here.
I'm only annoyed because other automakers caved, but they only caved because NACS will no longer be in Tesla's control.

2023-08-11 17:45:30

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@npub1wtu…rk3k Probably, but most of my angst is directed towards Electrify America.
The only real Tesla-contrarian take I express is that plug-and-charge is, imo, nothing special. Just use a damn payment card reader.

2023-08-11 17:38:40

I'm ripping the band-aid off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJOfyMCEzjQ

2023-07-17 18:04:55

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@npub183l…erjd I want to push back on the framing here: I'm saying there isn't any issue that can be identified as *the* issue.
I hold both that bigger vehicles are more dangerous and that people are getting more distracted in my head at the same time.
Another reason I'm hesitant to call vehicle size *the* issue is that truck and SUV sales have been exploding since the '90s, and the reversal in death trends is newer than that.

2023-07-17 17:53:25

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That's what I really want to know.
Are people getting *hit* more often? I'm almost certain the answer is yes.
There are plenty of other things we're uniquely bad at, too - road design, licensing requirements, lack of regulations. So by no means am I saying that I feel smartphones are the primary issue here, and I also don't want to make this a personal responsibility thing.
But I'm really weirded out by how this one very much so personal responsibility aspect is just... completely ignored.

2023-07-17 17:50:31

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I'd like to see someone suss out the data on the number of pedestrian collisions that are occurring over time, but I can't find it easily.
Deaths are obviously going up, and I'm not arguing that a larger car isn't more dangerous to pedestrians and other road users (they most certainly are).
But... I'm almost certain pedestrian impacts have gone up, making you more likely to be hit in the first place. That's important and that matters to the discussion.

2023-07-17 17:47:05

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The sudden reversal in reduction in pedestrian deaths coincides not only with increase in vehicle size, but the prevalence of the smartphone.
Anybody who drives and gives the remotest shit about being a safe driver will have noticed how many other folks are holding their phones and looking at them while driving 40+ miles per hour, and I really feel like this can't be dismissed as a factor. But seemingly nobody talks about this as meaningful.

2023-07-17 17:44:43

Y'know how I like nuance and am skeptical of simple narratives?
Well, I have a bugbear regarding the discussion on pedestrian fatalities in the US.
To start this thread, I'd like to think I have an unbiased perspective here. I don't drive a very large vehicle, I loathe the arms race in vehicle size, and I welcome all efforts to reduce car-dependence and make our streets safer for all.
But... every discussion I listen to on this topic is real handwavey on the impacts of distracted driving.

2023-07-06 16:51:43

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Like, yeah, you can go too far. Put a huge hot dish in there and it'll be overwhelmed.
But... putting warm things in the fridge to chill is a thing I imagine nearly everyone does from time to time here, and recipes assume your fridge is up to it. Hell, even just, like, Jell-O assumes that's gonna be A-OK.
It's been humorous discovering this apparent continental fridge difference! We like our fridges cold, fast, and uniform.

2023-07-06 16:48:20

So, I just made some fudge from a recipe that says to chill it once poured into a greased pan.
Given feedback on the fridge video... do y'all just never ever do that in Europe? Because, yeah, the little red fridge would not handle that well at all but I got a lot of folks being like "well, duh, you just don't put warm things in the fridge, everybody knows that" in the comments.
We don't know that because - get this - our fridges can usually just handle it!

2023-07-04 21:15:31

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"are you sure it wasn't cycling off to protect the compressor?" - yes, the thermostat was satisfying which is obvious due to the sound it makes
"you need to re-do the fan test with the power source outside the fridge" - I will, though to be honest I am highly doubtful that added a meaningful amount of heat
"the fans should only run when the compressor runs" - I will also try that
I'll also go over other fridges I've encountered because, truly, I don't think its design is common at all here

2023-07-04 21:11:24

Update on the little red fridge:
Firstly, I cannot believe the video did that well. Hour-long videos definitely aren't gonna be the new norm for me, but let that be a lesson to those afraid of making long videos.
I intended on making a Connextras follow-up to go over the results of my new sensor placement (which look promising) and address a number of questions/concerns that kept coming up and I didn't think to answer. Such as...

2023-07-04 00:30:34

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@npub13c0…4520 I know other people have different goals, but to me it seems a quintessential part of social media to be where other people are.
If you're not looking for this to be a social experience, then yeah. I really don't know what I'm doing here.

2023-07-04 00:20:53

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@npub13c0…4520 that's great! But in order to get this platform to branch out beyond very committed nerds... I feel like it's gonna need something of a department store.

2023-07-04 00:16:20

Lots of people here seem to want this place to be like some version of a shopping mall - a place we can hang out together, but with little niches everywhere.
I think this is a pretty good idea, but I feel like it's worth remembering that most shopping malls without large anchor stores quickly die - because then it's just another strip mall.

2023-07-01 15:41:25

On this trip we've rented a Toyota Highlander, and my mom and dad have the closely-relayed Toyota Sienna.
I gotta say, if you're not looking at the minivan for whatever silly reason you think you might have, you're making a mistake. It is astonishing how much tighter and confined it feels in the Highlander when it's nearly the same size.
Minivans are simply packaging heroes and y'all need to get over it.

2023-06-26 14:34:16

Are you ready? There's a new video out today and it's a doozy.
Watch as I lose my mind over a silly little fridge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZTfYqgYExY

2023-06-09 21:05:13

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@npub1l2f…d8sh Your recollection seems a little off. Those codes were for CDs, and digital recording didn't practically start until the late '70s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPARS_code

2023-06-09 16:25:16

The history of digital sound has a curveball in it I didn't expect - years before the CD existed, you could buy a digital audio recorder and make your own digital recordings at home!
If, that is, you also had a VCR.
New video!
https://youtu.be/xSnrQBfBCzY

2023-06-05 17:33:18

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BTW, I don't wish to yuck on your yums if this is a thing that excites you.
I'm just very, very on the side of "until your computer/phone/whatever is getting in the way of what you do, you almost certainly don't need a new one."
I'm very jaded by events/announcements/the like that drum up hype to convince you otherwise.

2023-06-05 16:41:59

I wish the world could get as excited about heat pumps as they are when the fruit company has announcements about new stuff

2023-05-22 19:57:01

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So here's what two sessions from one camera looks like in a folder.
You can sort by date and get them in the correct order, but it still hurts to look at.
https://media.mas.to/masto-public/media_attachments/files/110/414/082/170/565/492/original/9b931929e7e19151.png

2023-05-22 19:47:25

Oh boy do I intensely dislike how file names are numbered by a GoPro!

2023-05-09 22:20:57

I don't normally like being Mr. Grumpy old man, but it is currently 68° (20°C) and just about perfect outside, yet I hear a bunch of air conditioners running.
Consider opening yer dang windows, people!

2023-05-09 12:40:47

hi.
do you have an uncle who won't shut up about how VHS didn't deserve to win against Beta? does this uncle cite all sorts of reasons for his opinion? is one of them beta's use in the pro-market?
please send this to your uncle
it's a new video
https://youtu.be/hGVVAQVdEOs

2023-04-27 13:52:35

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You plug your phone in (or even connect wirelessly now) and your car hands over the screen (or some portion of it) to your phone.
Your phone is sending an audio and video feed to that screen, and the car will send touch inputs (and some other data) back to the phone.
This has been a thing for a long while now, and a really neat thing is that my folk's 2017 Bolt has infotainment from 2023 when I plug my phone into it.
It's a fantastic idea, and dropping it is bonkers and/or nefarious.

2023-04-27 13:50:11

Wow, OK, so I guess a lot of folks don't know what Android Auto / CarPlay do and why it's bonkers that GM is dropping it. So, quick explainer:
Car companies generally suck at making software. Everyone complains at how buggy their infotainment screens are, and getting updates for maps etc. is an awful experience.
So, why not just provide a way for your always-up-to-date phone to take over the car's infotainment screen - leaving the software to the people who are good at software?
It's that.

2023-04-27 12:39:26

🧵
So, GM is killing the Chevy Bolt later this year. A lotta folks are upset about that, but as someone who knows a lot about the car and how it fits into the broader EV landscape, I'm not actually too bothered by this news.
There's a /different/ bit of news from GM that I'm much more upset about but honestly the Bolt's time has come.

2023-04-25 00:24:33

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#[0] I'm using Trader Joe's as an example of this as it's a well-known case study of this very phenomenon! It is legitimately a huge part of their success.
I could also compare Linux/Windows/MacOS in a similar vein but I won't because dear god

2023-04-25 00:21:03

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One of the reasons Trader Joe's is successful is that they limit choices.
Do you really need to have two dozen varieties of peanut butter? Probably not. So they just stock a few. Gets people in-and-out very quickly, makes the stores smaller, and it's a very enjoyable experience for many despite being objectively quite limited.
Choice-overload is a real thing, and I think those steering this ship need to sit with that for a while.

2023-04-25 00:19:01

One thing I'm noticing here on Mastodon (mostly through observing experience of others, to be fair) is that there seems to be a point at which catering to people with, let's call it, overly-particular needs seems to embolden those people to foist those needs onto others and it devolves into a mess of opinions real fast.

2023-03-08 16:25:23

Here's a fun observation:
I've run into several European Mastodon folks who lead me to believe an interesting barrier to adoption of heat pumps over there will be previously long-held beliefs that air conditioning is a horribly wasteful American thing, and getting a heat pump is a slippery slope to making air conditioning mainstream