jqubed

jqubed, 8 days ago

I think a perfect example of this is email. We used to pay for email; it came with our Internet service. Then they started offering free email services that would show banner ads in a webpage. Kind of annoying but good for people who didn’t have regular access to email in the dialup days, or eventually we realized it was convenient so we didn’t have to change our email everywhere each time we changed our ISP. Then Google started actually scanning our emails to give more relevant ads. They were less obtrusive, but we were giving up more, but we also got a lot more email storage in return and it seemed okay. Now most people use a free email for their primary. Our ISP (probably) still offers an email address with a small storage option, but who still uses that? People gradually gave it up without realizing what they gave up. Now it seems like you have to pay even more on top of your Internet access to actually get email privacy.

jqubed, 10 days ago

I literally just found out about O&O ShutUp10++ and in the same post other commenters recommended Optimizer and privacy.sexy.

jqubed, 11 days ago

I can’t comment on Linux, but IIRC SMB was best for situations needing both Mac and Windows, so I’d guess that’s the choice. Totally off memory, though.

jqubed, 11 days ago

Can the Stream Deck be used with other VR systems? I’d just assume not so I’d never looked at it for that.

jqubed, 12 days ago

Scroll through, read interesting links, engage in comments.

jqubed, 12 days ago

Dare I ask what “cluster b” means?

jqubed, 12 days ago

I think it’s a lot of frozen food now and I don’t think it was as a child. I haven’t eaten there nearly as much when on road trips now, but I remember the food was a lot better as a kid. Maybe my memory is bad or my tastes have improved, but I think something has changed.

You make a lot of solid points. It would make the stores more interesting to have more unique local connections. That’d give you more of a reason to stop knowing the Cracker Barrel in Brunswick will be different than the one in Roanoke Rapids. I’m also surprised they haven’t put in more electric vehicle chargers. Their whole existence seems built around giving travelers a place to stop on road trips and trying to keep them there longer than a quick potty break (and spending money in the store or restaurant). Who better fits that bill than drivers who need to wait 20-30 minutes anyways?

jqubed, 13 days ago

Are you just changing the password or have forgotten it and need to reset it? If it’s the latter I’m guessing you can’t reset without losing these things; basically you’re losing the encryption key.

jqubed, 13 days ago

They’ve updated the article, launching no earlier than Wednesday now.

NASA announced late Saturday that it will not attempt to launch the Starliner on Sunday. The next available opportunity to lift off is Wednesday at 10:52 a.m. ET., however the agency indicated mission teams have not yet determined whether they will attempt to launch the spacecraft then. There is another backup launch window on June 6.

jqubed, 13 days ago

While evaluating the helium issue during the lead-up to launch day, engineers also spotted a “design vulnerability” in the propulsion system — essentially identifying a remote scenario in which certain thrusters might fail as the vehicle leaves Earth’s orbit, without a backup method of getting home safely.

I hadn’t seen this tidbit; that’s kind of horrifying for a Boeing vehicle!

jqubed, 13 days ago

Would also be a good fit for !trams_trolleys_streetcars

jqubed, 15 days ago

But that basically was a fake show on 30 Rock: “MILF Island” showed up in season 2 episode 11.

jqubed, 15 days ago

The second season takes place in a lakefront chalet and instead features the younger men competing against their own fathers for the same pool of women.

Someone needs to go to prison for coming up with this premise

jqubed, 16 days ago

Hadn’t heard about this but sounds like a crazy situation, and a Hollywood script to be on the verge of the postseason for the first time ever while about to be shut down.

jqubed, 16 days ago

Has Amazon Games released anything decent? I feel like I’ve heard they exist but not of anything well-regarded released by them. Like the only thing I can think of offhand was a tie-in game for The Grand Tour when they started streaming the show.

jqubed, 16 days ago

Maybe someone in the art department keeps a Windows 98 VM setup specifically for these tech obituaries for programs and services people thought were long dead. I don’t think I’ve used AIM/ICQ/MSN Messenger since around 2007/2008, and it was because it had become pretty dead.

jqubed, 16 days ago

Is that a project to bring back AIM?

jqubed, 17 days ago

I haven’t played in at least a year so I have no idea what this means. But it does seem to be around the time of year for a new update.

jqubed, 17 days ago

Were you dismissed from jury duty when they learned you were a crime dad?

jqubed, 18 days ago

Both candidates on one item? This might be more than mildly interesting, even if it is only for coroner!

jqubed, 18 days ago

Are there any local bookstores near you still? I’m an American and we still have a few Barnes & Noble around, but there’s also at least one independent local bookstore that has a decent selection of new titles and can order most other titles currently available from publishers. They regularly have events with authors on tour, so that could be a way to find a store near you.

jqubed, 18 days ago

You’ve never owned your games. You owned the media they came on but legally you only ever had a license to use the software. Depending on the license agreement (the thing where most people click “I agree” without reading) you had more or fewer rights, such as transfer of license, but the way things work legally ownership of software seems to mean the more of the copyright ownership. Maybe like a book: you own your copy of the book but you don’t have the rights to print more books or make a movie based on the book.

jqubed, 18 days ago

Which is why those license agreements generally had a clause that if you disagreed you could return the software with all the media for a full refund.

I’m not saying it’s the right way, just that’s how it’s been structured legally. Of course, in the days of physical media with software that couldn’t phone home it was harder to enforce those licenses if people didn’t strictly adhere to them. The software companies didn’t generally find it worth going after individuals if they found out about violations either. Corporations, on the other hand… I worked once at a media company that Adobe caught running a lot of unlicensed software. The story went that it was so bad at the main office their auditors found a copy of After Effects or something similarly ridiculous on a computer that was used as a cash register in the corporate cafeteria. That was very much worth Adobe’s time and money to get the lawyers involved, and became a very expensive problem for my employer. I wasn’t involved in the problem, but I had to check and clean my local office, where we found about a half-dozen computers with unlicensed software.

jqubed, 20 days ago

Perhaps they could store the celebrities heads in jars if the technology for the transplant isn’t ready yet, keeping them going past the year 3,000?

jqubed, 20 days ago

It’s as easy to learn as your ABCs