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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: October 11th, 2024

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  • “Android is Linux” is a bit oversimplified.

    What the is issue, still simply, the way I understand it:

    • Linux kernel contains drivers for the specific hardware used in devices (processors, modem, memory, display, camera, etc.)
    • Each Android smartphone has different hardware configuration
    • Hardware manufacturers want to guard their secrets, so they sign contracts and NDAs with phone manufacturers
    • Phone manufacturers create a unique, dead-end fork of a Linux kernel that contains drivers and is configured specifically for that model. (There are exceptions, but generally)

    So yes, Android uses a Linux kernel, but in most cases, a very specific one.

    Why not replace it? This requires:

    • Access to the bootloader and ability to read/write to internal storage on low level, and manufacturers lock it down.
    • Knowing the hardware and the drivers. As mentioned, manufacturers will provide drivers only to their contracts. So someone would need to write a driver.
    • Once someone writes a driver, it can be added to mainline Linux, available to all.
    • That is why “mainlining” a device is a big deal - that means that the kernel for that device can be built, and going forward, that device will be supported for all future kernel versions.







  • A small town, or a suburb of a city that is described as “a great place to raise a family”. From what I have seen, that usually means one of two things:

    1. The town/suburb is closer to the city, but is wealthy, real estate is expensive, usually very car-centric, which excludes anyone poor (or even middle class, sometimes).

    2. The town/village is far away from the nearest city, not necessarily wealthy, but usually ran by a group of people that know each other (good old boys club), probably heavy on religion or other “traditional” values.


  • Late Soviet Union might be a similar to what you are looking for? I wasn’t alive back then, but from what I recall from reading old science magazines as a kid, there were few home computers, lots of “radio-hobbyist” stuff (DIY electronics from radio to computers), and praise for “inventor and rationalizer” for the good of the people. On paper at least. I think most interpersonal communication was over the phone or amateur radio, or even telegrams.

    I don’t know much about how modern China goes about it though.

    But TBF it’s very difficult to speculate about message encryption. Thinking back from my own experience, digital communication (over the internet or even SMS over cell phone networks) was not common until 90s-2000s, and encrypting them became a concern not too long ago, early 2010s I think? Before that, it was HTTP (without the S) and unencrypted AIM chats over the Jabber protocol.





  • Honestly, plain old ignorance. (and some anglo-centrism)

    I am a software dev, worked on two translation projects at different points in time, and both of them were kind of a mess. In one case, translation team was all Americans (US company), and I was the only person who spoke another language and had firsthand experience with bad translation in media. When I asked how to switch the language in their app, senior dev told me to switch my OS language. Translations themselves often sounded overly verbose, robotic, or plain weird in other languages.

    And then, the typical oversights like not leaving enough screen space for longer translated text, using ambiguous terms without providing context, badly splitting phrases. Text-in-image, etc.



  • I see Microsoft Dynamics 365 and would like to introduce you its little brother: Microsoft Dynamics NAV. The language is C/AL, offshoot of Pascal, code editor does not support multi-line selection (let alone any features like highlighting or navigation), and source code control is managed by locking files.



  • When I read books, picturing everything in my head is a part of the enjoyment. Often, books describe senses and feelings that would be more difficult to portray in images or video. Some examples:

    Right now, I am reading Ancillary Justice (by Ann Leckie), and the main character (who is the narrator) has difficulty with recognizing gender, so, unless explicitly stated, it is up to me to decide how characters look. Also, main character controls multiple bodies at once, and some paragraphs are full of parallel events and thoughts.

    Annihilation (by Jeff Vandermeer) has a movie adaptation, but it’s different from the book. The book goes deeper into the main characters own thoughts, concerns and regrets. It also describes smells and physical senses quite often, and the creature the main character encounters evokes emotions more so than just a description. And throughout the story, in addition to the general eeriness of Area X, there is just a feeling of being lost. (I should give credit that It Follows does the uneasy feeling really well, too)

    And just to be annoying, I can extrapolate your logic to “video does not show what happens around the camera, VR is better”, and “VR does not bring the senses of touch, smell, and heat, fully immersive simulators are better” :)




  • I knew a guy in his 30s that has similar attitudes: thinks that his ways and opinions are the only valid ones, thinks he is smarter than most people, has instant assumptions about people based on appearance, and does not take criticism well.

    From talking to him, I would say that to avoid becoming someone like him:

    • Do not define yourself in terms of work or money. Yes, most people need a job to pay bills to live. But find a hobby, passion, or charity that you like. Trying to make / hustle / gamble money for the sake of a larger number in your account (with no other goal) is honestly sad.
    • No one is out to get you. Stop seeking enemies or blaming problems on others.
    • Do not make IRL opinions from online “content” (I don’t even wanna know which subreddits and YouTube people this guy follows) Interact with real people.
    • If your friends are repeatedly calling you out on questionable or insensitive actions and opinions, listen and think for a minute.