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conk

459 karma · joined December 26, 2017

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conk··on China’s open-weights AI strategy is winning
I asked Claude to give me the US national anthem and it said it couldn’t because it’s copyrighted. It’s not, and even if it was a more recent work, how can a copyright be enforced for a National Anthem.
conk··on CarPlay Is Additive
I’m one of these buyers. I had a reservation for a Rivian, then this interview shut the door on possible CarPlay. I canceled my reservation and bought an EV9 which I love and it has CarPlay!

Rivian is turning away potential lifetime customers because they want to force customers to pay for another cellular data plan and get their cut.

conk··on Mexican government unveils a prototype for a new homegrown, ultra-affordable EV
I’d argue that garbage trucks, snow plows and fire engines are candidates for EVs. They are large and heavy with plenty of space for batteries. Typically used in predefined routes, traveling less than 100 miles per day.

I would gladly vote for a bond to fund electric trash trucks if that resulted in quieter weekly trash service.

conk··on Removable batteries in smartphones will be mandatory in the EU starting in 2027
Why only one decade? I’m still running a 2012 Mac mini. Apple stopped updating Mac OS some time ago, but there are plenty of alternatives that can run on the bare metal. Hardware makers should be required to provide support for the life of the device (defined by customers still using the device), or provide a reasonable way to install 3rd party OS.
conk··on ‘Energy independence feels practical’: Europeans building mini solar farms
Because NEC 210.12 requires all devices to be protected. Which means if you have a switch or splice before a plug the only way to protect those is with an AFCI breaker. The only exception is a continuous run from the breaker to an outlet in metal conduit or MC cable. Given how much is romex this effectively forces AFCI branch breakers.
conk··on ‘Energy independence feels practical’: Europeans building mini solar farms
There are inverters with local only monitoring and control. I have one integrated locally with home assistant. You can also add an external current transformer and monitor the production with that independent of the inverter.
conk··on Fear and denial in Silicon Valley over social media addiction trial
Show me one ice cream parlor that has license psychologists on the payroll for “persuasive design” or GTFO with your bad faith argument.
conk··on iPhone 17e
I moved off the mini to get satelite messaging which I use while hiking. But now that T-Mobile/starlink support satelite on the 13 mini, maybe I’ll go back.
conk··on iPhone 17e
I really want to like the lower cost e phones, but the lack of ultrawide band support is a deal breaker. Does adding this feature really increase the cost, or is this a calculated move by Apple to ensure those who use this for air tags or keyless entry continue to buy higher end phones.
conk··on Banned in California
I want a more efficient truck!
conk··on Meta to retire messenger desktop app and messenger.com in April 2026
I think some in your situation will reactivate Facebook, which must be part of the decision to stop messenger.com.
conk··on Trump Accounts
Then why don’t you have a child to take care of you in your old age.
conk··on Adoption of EVs tied to real-world reductions in air pollution: study
Braking from regen or braking from a brake pad has the same net impact on tire wear. EVs can coast too and don’t apply full regen the moment you apply brakes. Some even have brake coach alerts to get you to gradually apply the brakes to maximize energy return.
conk··on Adoption of EVs tied to real-world reductions in air pollution: study
Just get a used one that’s a decade old. The cell providers will all move on past 3g/4g etc and the cars won’t be able to connect. Plus I’m sure no one is paying to keep a cell connection going for a decade old EV.
conk··on CATL expects oceanic electric ships in three years
My guess is not every port can supply bunker fuel. It prob makes sense to load up when the ship is near a refinery and then make several trips before refueling.
conk··on GM Deprecating In-Car App Store for Models as Recent as 2020
GM is removing CarPlay, and now this story that they are dropping support for in car infotainment apps for cars that are 5-7 years old. Are consumers really going to buy their cars? I won’t consider a new car that doesn’t offer CarPlay/android auto.
conk··on Rivian's TM-B electric bike
I think the MPH limit for ebike classification makes sense. But why do they need a 750W limit? Whats the harm in a motor putting out 3000W to get a loaded cargo bike up a steep hill at 8 MPH.
conk··on DIY solar launches in US – no installers or permits needed
I like the idea of this product. Simple, safe, plug and play solar should be a thing.

I was looking at this product last week. I remember seeing a photo with a current transformer (CT) in it. Maybe they have the user install a CT on the upstream breaker to ensure the total load for the branch circuit isn’t exceeded. Without that they run into an issue where it could overload the branch circuit wiring.

conk··on Pakistan pulled off one of the fastest solar revolutions in the world
There’s no funding crisis from EVs. A car that drives 12k miles/year is going to net at most ~$250 in gas tax revenue (using CA rate ~.7/gal). This can be added to the vehicle registration easy enough.
conk··on Show HN: Nissan's Leaf app doesn't have a home screen widget so I made my own
I don’t want to drive a computer. I want to drive a machine. Give me some buttons to control the car and a decent screen for nav (CarPlay/android auto) and I’m happy.
conk··on MacBook Air M4
My MBP is physically uncomfortable to hold in my lap because it runs so cold ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
conk··on Schools reviving shop class
There are enough shop teachers out there with missing digits to prove this statement is not true.
conk··on Nokia's internal presentation after iPhone was launched (2007) [pdf]
WhatsApp supported windows phone through 2019.
conk··on Hospitals gave patients meds during childbirth, then reported them for drug use
Both are akin to major surgery.
conk··on Why America's economy is soaring ahead of its rivals
Kids can share a room but that still means an extra room, which has a cost. Plus kids come with stuff like clothing, toys, school supplies, etc.
conk··on Even solar energy's biggest fans are underestimating it
There are still millions of oil fanbois…
conk··on Even solar energy's biggest fans are underestimating it
Yup, I just bought 60 kWh of LFP batteries. Total with shipping was $3100.
conk··on Backlash over Amazon's return to office comes as workers demand higher wages
The work still gets done or the employee gets fired. Also, just because someones in an office doesn’t mean they're working.
conk··on EV Motors Without Rare Earth Permanent Magnets
In my expierence it’s not that significant. Also regen going down hill adds a lot of control, reduces brake wear, and recovers some of the energy spent going up.
conk··on Engineer's solar panels are breaking efficiency records
Existing power generators have deprecation schedules measured in the decades. The free market forces are going to prevent those investments from becoming a write off today.
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