[-] WaterWaiver@aussie.zone 6 points 5 months ago

I honestly didn’t read it

Please read it.

[-] WaterWaiver@aussie.zone 6 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

The fact the lines are at the same height between different jobs suggests something is wrong with your Z axis. Can you post photos of your printer, including the Z rails and/or screws?

[-] WaterWaiver@aussie.zone 7 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I wish they'd use the common names for the drugs alongside the technical ones, that would allow people to remember the message more clearly and have generally better benefits overall. In fact I'd expect links to Wikipedia or Healthdirect at a minimum -- amongst other things that lets non-english speakers discover what these drugs are called in their native language. Stating things like “Consumers are advised that sibutramine is a prescription-only substance in Australia” is like trying to explain a car loan with a latin copy of the old testament; all people will remember is that there were complex words that they've never heard before.

Public advice with links:

  1. sildenafil = Viagra (also see Healthdirect). Do not take if you are on nitroglycerin AKA glyceryl trinitrate (commonly Rectogesic bum cream for piles/haemorrhoids/anal fissures, also used as a heart medication), your blood pressure might go extremely low and kill you. It interacts with some other medications badly too, hopefully you doctor will warn you before prescribing but if you are unsure then you need to ask them.

  2. Sibutramine = Reductil, Meridia, interestingly Healthdirect has very little information on this one. Can cause strokes & heart attacks, no longer considered a worthwhile medication due to its safety concerns.

[-] WaterWaiver@aussie.zone 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Without bias power, the sound itself needs to power the system, meaning any sound below some threshold will get “used up” by the mic and not transmitted

This is false. I suspect this myth came about because this is how magnetic audio tapes work (tape bias).

Dynamic microphones do not benefit from bias. They can tolerate a small amount but too much will burn them out (depending on their resistance & the voltage applied) or increase distortion (depending on the mechanical construction & how much the diaphragm is moved by the DC). Some dynamic mic units are built with capacitors in them to intentionally block bias voltages, preventing them from burning out.

I have never seen a datasheet or research paper showing improved dynamic mic performance due to DC offset. If it helped then a manufacturer would be recommending it in the datasheets (so they could claim better distortion & sensitivity specs).

Mics with in-built amplifier circuits require bias voltage to function. Many small "electret" modules contain jfet amps, you have to check the datasheet because they look identical to non-amplified versions on the outside. This is very common in small computer & headset mics. Some might work without bias, but they will sound poor because the amplifier circuit is not designed to work this way.

Condenser mics need some form of bias voltage to function at all. Electrets provide this themselves through some magic materials science that's similar to a battery that lasts for years/decades/centuries. The other types of condenser mic require you to apply an external bias voltage (aka "phantom power").

Magnetic audio tape suffers 'hysteresis' and nonlinearity which cause distortion of audio (especially quiet audio). Applying a bias voltage works around this problem. DC biases work, but high frequency AC ones are typically better.

I suspect the source of this myth is a confusion between the magnetics of tapes and the magnetics of dynamic mics. I think I recall a year 8/9 science class where I was taught that audio could be amplified slightly by putting a battery in series with a microphone and speaker. I failed to find any sources to support that at the time, but the teacher was adamant that this used to be a legitimate method. Perhaps if the coils were not glued properly in the speaker & mic? It was supposed to be a solution before the days of tube amplifiers but I think the true information turned into nonsense somewhere along the chain.

but… all real world materials have a resistance, capacitance, reactance and a resulting impedance, which need to be overcome for the signal to resemble the sound the membrane is picking up.

Resistance, capacitance and inductance are linear. They will affect all signals the same way, they will not only affect small signals.

To affect the small signals differently to the large signals you need nonlinear elements, like diodes and transistors. EDIT: there are also nonlinear capacitors and resistors, but they're from more exotic materials than what you find in standard headphone wires & mic designs.

[-] WaterWaiver@aussie.zone 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Ways chocolate baked products get ruined (even one of these things is bad):

  • Sugar too high. It might taste nice on the initial bite, but then 15 seconds later your mouth tastes disgusting. This continues for several minutes to half an hour, which you have to intentionally forget and ignore to be able to enjoy the rest of the product. Example: Timtams.
  • Replacing cocoa butter with cheaper vegetable oils. Again it tastes fine initially, but then tastes weird as you go on. Most chocolate chip cookies do this. "Compound chocolate" drops sold for cooking are made like this, try eating those directly if you're not familiar.
  • Stupidly low amount of product in big packaging. I feel like a victim of a crime and never buy your stuff again.

I think all of the companies focus too much on (1) the initial purchase decision and (2) the initial flavour/sensation. They're idiots that are prioritising specific metrics rather than "actually nice product".

[-] WaterWaiver@aussie.zone 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I have a 3D printer and I've found this to work well:

https://www.printables.com/model/475587-de-safety-razor

One big problem: I left it tensioned in sunlight and it distorted (PLA probably isn't the best choice but I don't print in ABS). I had to print new parts. Probably not "buy it for life" but making replacement parts is so much easier than for a commercially bought model that it's probably now a "ship of Theseus for life".

[-] WaterWaiver@aussie.zone 5 points 11 months ago

The formerly successful site known as Twitter.

[-] WaterWaiver@aussie.zone 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Probably Windows update running in the background. On laptops it's a particularly garbage experience (fan spins up & runs hot as you say) with no communication until it's "done". If you have deigned not to turn on Windows for a while (tisk tisk) then it might require multiple reboots and a forced fullscreen blue questioning about why you're not using OneDrive and sharing more information (OOBE).

Are they still doing the MoDeRn standby thing where windows update runs when your laptop is "in standby" in your bag?

My approach to handling Windows Update is to use my imagination. You're in an alternative dimension where a medieval super-powerful church-state controls technology. Windows update is a regular procedure required to obtain the necessary computing purity and state that has been deemed appropriate for your status. Those who choose to ford their own lazy path without it risk requiring the penance of reinstallation, or even worse, revocation. An occasional skip of your sessions is tolerated, but if you no longer habitually open your laptop for a few hours each morning then you will develop the symptoms.

view more: ‹ prev next ›

WaterWaiver

joined 1 year ago