Rick Baumhauer / is on Nostr

Michigan-raised, Connecticut-based photographer and consultant.

Last Notes

2024-03-26 16:13:44

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@npub1hvd…9sq9 And this happened pretty recently on Bsky 👍
https://media.universeodon.com/media_attachments/files/112/162/873/261/064/277/original/bd6efbad12d2da18.jpeg

2024-03-23 20:42:12

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@npub15ml…2w4s Beyond the simple availability of browser choice on Windows, as part of the 1997 request to hold MS in Civil Contempt for violating the 1994 consent decree, DOJ wanted them to decouple Windows licensing and Internet Explorer licensing. While the final settlement didn’t actually require them to separate the products, the period between 1997 and 2002 created enough uncertainty in the market that the push to integrate ActiveX into the web effectively died. The final settlement also mandated third-party access to Microsoft APIs through at least 2007.
This allowed the web to remain open enough that Apple, while using a Mac-specific version of IE for a few years, was also free to develop Safari during this period, unencumbered by a need to somehow support Microsoft’s proprietary ActiveX web extensions.
See https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts///cs181/projects/microsoft-vs-doj/ie/DOJSuesMS.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft_Corp, and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ActiveX

2024-03-23 20:02:19

@npub15ml…2w4s @npub1cuf…6f4c Enjoyed the discussion of the DOJ case this week. One thing I would take some issue with is the notion that the DOJ case against Microsoft in the 90s had nothing to do with their decreased dominance of the industry.
While the rise of mobile put the final nails in the coffin of Microsoft’s dominance of the industry, that didn’t happen until ~2010 and after. The DOJ case effectively neutered Microsoft’s attempts to embed their proprietary ActiveX technologies in the web at the height of Windows’ dominance. By mandating browser choice on Windows, the DOJ effectively kept the web platform-neutral enough that Apple could release the iMac as the easiest way to get on the internet before the end of the 90s, which began the trend of increased Mac sales and market share that has continued ever since.

2024-01-28 20:01:10

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@npub1hyk…3p33 After a couple painful electric bills this summer, we decided to take another look at solar. We have a reasonable location for it - house is at the top of a hill, few large trees around, back of house faces ssw, new roof.
While we could pay cash, it would drain a lot of our cash reserves. We talked to two different companies - one pushed financing, the other a PPA, and each said we’d be crazy to go with the other option.
Financing over a reasonable period has us paying it off around when we’d be retiring and selling the house. So, we wouldn’t be saving any money, and would essentially be buying solar for the next owner of our house, with no guarantee that energy needs would match up and allow us to recoup the investment.
Go with a PPA, and there could be issues when we sell, with many people saying they’d never buy a house with a PPA attached because of headaches with transfer, etc. So, just like a decade ago, we don’t move forward with solar.

2024-01-27 15:50:37

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@npub1hvd…9sq9 I wish that UK S4 and S5 had made it to the US - we watched S1-3 on Max before the US version debuted, and really enjoy both iterations. Looking forward to the return of US Ghosts in a few weeks, but have not seen any updates on whether the rest of the UK version will ever be shown here.

2024-01-05 21:35:02

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@npub1f6s…y8ra @npub1c2x…w0nm I will never tire of the magic of David Zinn. Such a treasure.

2023-12-05 16:42:25

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@npub1kv9…5vnl Quick note: Lindsey isn’t from Georgia.

2023-09-08 03:38:38

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@npub1qct…7yyw @npub15ml…2w4s @npub106j…5wsy Yeah, I was hoping that Marco was going to continue with his thought, as that was also what popped into my head. The 2x camera on the 14 Pro isn’t a digital zoom, it’s a 12MP crop of the 48MP sensor. If you aren’t shooting Pro Raw (is there another mode available to get the full 48MP?), doing your crop after the fact will leave you with substantially less than 12MP.

2023-06-06 16:13:10

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@npub1fq5…p8du Right now, I’d agree with that assessment; it’s possible that will be the case for the foreseeable future. Given where they want to get to - all-day glasses - I understand the need to get a product out as a statement of intent, start iterating, and see how people use it.
As a photographer, I really didn’t see much use for something like Vision Pro, but I found the presentation intriguing. The cost of a good desktop display keeps going up, and my current calibratable display is coming up on 5 years old (and is starting to very-slightly fail certain calibration targets). While I’m not going to jump on version 1, I could see a 3rd/4th generation product possibly obviating the need for a big, expensive display on my desk, given everything else that it brings to the table.
That said, I’m still not convinced that this part of the market is ever going to be more than a niche, but I think Apple needed to push the limits and see if there’s something there.

2023-06-05 23:13:25

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@npub1fq5…p8du I’m hopeful that Apple has been thoughtful enough in their goals and design to avoid the dystopia we fear, buy that doesn’t diminish the power of “More”. I still remember showing it to my then-fiancé (now ex-wife) almost 25 years ago. (Also, TIL that Mark Osborne directed the first “King Fu Panda“ movie)