renard_roux
@renard_roux@beehaw.org
- Comment on Tech CEOs Praise Donald Trump at White House Dinner 3 weeks ago:
These men are more than powerful enough to go against Trump
Was just discussing this with my wife last night — are they?
This time around, there is zero oversight, no checks and balances worth mentioning. Donald Quixote has pretty much carte blanche, complete power. If they went against him, he could fine them (their companies), levy crazy taxes or tariffs, kill government contracts and subsidies, and nobody could stop him. Even if a non-evil judge halts an executive order, it will eventually get to the Subpreme Court, get overturned, basically no more than a delay.
I understand that they could still Do The Right Thing™, throw themselves in their sword in protest, but they’re all publicly traded, must have Boards. Most (?) of these men can just be fired if they go against the shareholders.
Could they really do anything that would be more than a symbolic gesture?
- Comment on Tech CEOs Praise Donald Trump at White House Dinner 3 weeks ago:
I can’t believe they didn’t show the table with the McDonald’s bags 😳
- Comment on Tech CEOs Praise Donald Trump at White House Dinner 3 weeks ago:
Context? 🤔
- Comment on Reddit is using AI to determine users beliefs, values, stances and more based on their activity (posts and comments) summarizing it to Subreddit Mods. 5 weeks ago:
I’m sorry; it’s a coping mechanism for not being able to adequately read mood/tone from written text. I’m trying to quit, or at least dial it down, but it’s a struggle 😞
With my current progress on that front, we might as well be talking about grammar and punctuation — right …? 😶
- Comment on Reddit is using AI to determine users beliefs, values, stances and more based on their activity (posts and comments) summarizing it to Subreddit Mods. 5 weeks ago:
(╯°□°）╯︵┻━┻
- Comment on Reddit is using AI to determine users beliefs, values, stances and more based on their activity (posts and comments) summarizing it to Subreddit Mods. 5 weeks ago:
What the fuuuuuck 😳
I can see how that could be a useful mod tool, but still (see line 1).
So happy I left that hellhole 😮💨
- Comment on Mayo project uses kites to generate power 2 months ago:
Thank you! Weird, I thought I read the whole thing, maybe there was an ad block or something and I missed the rest 🤔
Clever system!
- Comment on Mayo project uses kites to generate power 2 months ago:
I’m guessing there’s no way to generate power by simply pulling continuously on something — we’d just dangle large boulders off cliffs and be done with it.
So how does this generate power? Add a large spring to the generating end, kite pulls away, spring pulls it back, rinse + repeat? 🤔
- Comment on Microsoft pushes staff to use internal AI tools more, and may consider this in reviews. 'Using AI is no longer optional.' 2 months ago:
I’m starting to root for Microsoft’s failure these days, because they haven’t done anything useful or innovative since the pandemic.
That is the most insanely generous thing I’ve read in years. What the — pardon my French — fucking fuck have they done that was useful or innovative in the last 20 years?! 🤯
- Comment on Dark web’s longest-standing drug market seized in multinational effort 3 months ago:
✅ Trump doner
✅ Super PAC owner (pro-trump)
✅ Racist
✅ Obama Birther conspiracy theorist
✅ Republican senator son
Sounds delightful! 🤢
- Comment on Apple will end support for Intel Macs next year, macOS 27 will require Apple Silicon 3 months ago:
Recently bought a 2015 MacBook with great specs, running Ventura via OCLP and purring like a kitten 👌
- Comment on 10 to 100 Times Faster than a Starlink Antenna, and Cheaper Than Fiber: Taara Unveils a Laser Internet That Could Shatter the Status Quo 3 months ago:
Asked cgpt to compare lasers to microwave for data transmission; take with a grain of salt, but seems transfer rate especially isn’t comparable.
🔄 Comparison: Laser vs Microwave Data Transmission
📋 Comparison Table
Feature Laser Transmission (e.g., Taara) Microwave Transmission Medium Free-space optical (light, like a fiber-optic cable without fiber) Radio/microwave frequencies (GHz range) Wavelength ~780–1600 nm (near-infrared) ~1–100 GHz Typical Data Rate 10–100 Gbps (Taara targets ~20 Gbps and higher) 100 Mbps – 1 Gbps (modern line-of-sight microwave) Max Practical Range ~10–20 km, highly sensitive to weather ~30–50 km, more tolerant of weather Line-of-Sight Requirement Yes, with tight beam alignment needed Yes, but more forgiving alignment Weather Sensitivity High — fog, rain, dust degrade performance Moderate — heavy rain can attenuate signal Latency Low Low Power Usage Lower power for same data rate Slightly higher power use Security High — narrow beam, hard to intercept Moderate — wider beam, easier to jam or intercept Deployment Harder — requires precision mounting and stability Easier — flexible mounting, ruggedized equipment Cost Higher upfront (optical gear, alignment systems) Lower per-unit, mature market Use Cases High-throughput backhaul (rural, terrain-constrained areas) Medium-throughput links, often as telco backbone
📌 Key Insights
- Bandwidth: Lasers have a much higher data capacity, similar to fiber optics. Microwave is far more limited in throughput.
- Range: Microwave wins in raw distance, particularly in less-than-ideal weather. Lasers struggle with any visibility obstruction.
- Stability: Lasers require precision alignment and environmental stability (wind, vibration can disrupt link). Microwaves are more forgiving.
- Security: Lasers are harder to intercept due to their tight beams. Microwaves, being broader, are more vulnerable to eavesdropping and interference.
🧠 When to Use What
Use Laser Links (e.g., Taara) when:
- You need fiber-like throughput without laying fiber
- The link is short to medium range (under 20 km)
- You can ensure clear line-of-sight and good weather conditions
- You prioritize security and low interference
Use Microwave Transmission when:
- You need a reliable, moderate-speed link over 30–50 km
- Operating in all weather conditions is a must
- You want easier setup with more flexibility in alignment
- Budget constraints are tighter
- Comment on 10 to 100 Times Faster than a Starlink Antenna, and Cheaper Than Fiber: Taara Unveils a Laser Internet That Could Shatter the Status Quo 3 months ago:
The bandwidth of IPoAC is considerably lower, though.
- Comment on Byond game engine suffers a weeks-long DDoS attack, apparently because a wanna-be Bond villain is trying to force it to go open source: 'Attacks on Byond servers are a symptom of your obstinance' 3 months ago:
“Drats! My evil schemes are thwarted yet again by reason and sensible suggestions! When will this citric tyranny end?!?! Curse you, Lime! !!!”
Mr. Hacker falls to his knees, releasing a primal scream towards the heavens, torrential rain soaking his purple tuxedo, turning brackish as it mixes with his salty tears of rage.
- Comment on Byond game engine suffers a weeks-long DDoS attack, apparently because a wanna-be Bond villain is trying to force it to go open source: 'Attacks on Byond servers are a symptom of your obstinance' 3 months ago:
“MUAHAHAHAHA!!!” — Hacker, probably
- Comment on Nintendo warns that it can brick Switch consoles if it detects hacking, piracy 4 months ago:
I fucking love the thought of paying Big Corporate in ‘exposure’ 😂
Also my basic experience — nobody lost anything (Linux ISOs, obviously), because the alternative was not me buying something.
- Comment on Petition: Bring the Affinity Suite to Linux - #AffinityOnLinux 5 months ago:
Also, guessing their standard is pretty low if Gimp does the job — at least from a professional standard. There’s not much of a comparison.
- Comment on Petition: Bring the Affinity Suite to Linux - #AffinityOnLinux 5 months ago:
Seconded.
- Comment on EU Civil society organisations file DSA complaint against Meta for toxic feeds 5 months ago:
Well that’s nice. Hopefully they have some teeth, so we don’t have to go through another one of Zuck’s crocodile-tears-fuelled hearings, followed by absolutely fuck-all change 🙄
- Comment on Trump administration retreats in fight against Russian cyber threats 6 months ago:
Slightly unrelated — was watching a Danish military analyst’s commentary on the farcical white house shit-show the other day, and he had this really great line (I’ll paraphrase): “The interesting thing with [Chump] isn’t what he’s going to do next, it’s what he’ll do when it fails” 😂
Video link for those interested (quite good, and in English).
- Comment on Trump administration retreats in fight against Russian cyber threats 6 months ago:
Someone mentioned that to me, but said the story had been attempted scrubbed from the web — anyone have a link?
- Comment on Is This How Reddit Ends? 7 months ago:
It’s only a matter of time before 6 Flags is just 1000 AIs on rollercoasters.
- Comment on 8 months ago:
… wasn’t OpenAI not also …
Uhm. No? Or yes? Maybe? 🤔😅
- Comment on TikTok Users Gleefully Embrace Even More Chinese App To Spite US TikTok Ban 8 months ago:
“… reports Chinese state propaganda branch, through western media …” 🙄
- Comment on I love my smart TV (From Mastodon) - Repost 8 months ago:
We have a Samsung “smart” TV, hooked up to an AppleTV box. The TV’s original remote is in a drawer somewhere, forever unused.
I have the apps that I need, the tiny Siri Remote turns on the TV and handles volume, and, apart from the aggressively, insanely, mind-blowingly horrible on-screen “keyboard” / text input (we don’t have Apple phones we can use to mitigate this, sadly. Also, what the fucking fuck, Apple?!) we’re happy. For now. I trust Apple to make the experience incrementally worse as a fact of life.
Not perfect, but leagues better than dealing with Samsung’s interface.
- Comment on I love my smart TV (From Mastodon) - Repost 8 months ago:
either
Is there any indication that they won’t implement this shit at some point?
Also, should we be trying to come up with the most insane “features” in this vein that we can imagine (knowing full well that some corporation will come up with them eventually), and then patent them to protect humanity from them?
Is there any organization that collects patents just to block them (in the consumer’s favor)? A kind of white-hat patent troll? And, if not, should we create one?
- Comment on I love my smart TV (From Mastodon) - Repost 8 months ago:
I spy a research rabbit hole in my near future … 🐰
- Comment on Period tracking app refuses to disclose data to American authorities 10 months ago:
That requires that you trust the app vendor not to have some sort of back door, no?
- Comment on Google turns to nuclear to power AI data centres 11 months ago:
I think that would release an awful lot of carbon 😓
- Comment on Apple appears to mislead UK Regulator over deceptive default browser user interface - Open Web Advocacy 1 year ago:
I mean, fuck Apple, but …
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
Hanlon’s Razoe (Wikipedia)
Still, though — fuck Apple.