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  1. Stochastic

    Apple releases iOS, iPadOS, macOS 26.4 with a long list of medium-size tweaks

    Apple FINALLY added a charge limit to MacOS. Thank goodness. Hopefully, this extends battery longevity further, making Macs even better long-term value laptops.
  2. Stochastic

    It’s outright war for the Iron Throne in House of the Dragon S3 teaser

    I think it just takes that long to plan and make, given the production values, high-quality sets/costumes/lighting, and CGI of a modern prestige show.
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    It’s outright war for the Iron Throne in House of the Dragon S3 teaser

    This is why I've started watching shows only after they've finished. I have a hard time remembering all the plot details after 1-2 year gaps.
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    What if riders don’t close a robotaxi door after a ride? Try DoorDash.

    I feel like it would be cheaper to offer riders a $1.00 post-ride discount if they remember to close the door.
  5. Stochastic

    Waymo leverages Genie 3 to create a world model for self-driving cars

    Waymo has been testing its cars in the snow for years. They aren't just relying on simulations.
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    Waymo leverages Genie 3 to create a world model for self-driving cars

    From the first link: Reading between the lines, it looks like a kid jumped into the road without looking both ways. A human driver likely would have hit the kid at a much higher speed, but the Waymo was able to slow down to 6 MPH. The Waymo probably handled this situation better than the vast...
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    RAM shortage delays Valve’s Steam Machine desktop and Steam Frame headset

    A price increase and delay make this product vastly less interesting. The entire premise of a Steam Machine is that it's an accessible, affordable, small, and quiet box that provides a console-like experience and serves as a gateway to PC gaming. If you raise the price (more than $1000), the...
  8. Stochastic

    AMD and Sony tease new chip architecture ahead of PlayStation 6

    That's what high-end PCs are for. Maybe for the PS7 generation.
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    AMD and Sony tease new chip architecture ahead of PlayStation 6

    Going forward, I imagine new console generations will bring more incremental improvements than they have in the past. We're not going to get the huge, generational jumps we saw going from PS1 --> PS2 --> PS3. The "cross gen" period will persist such that the PS5 will likely still be the main...
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    Intel’s next-generation Panther Lake laptop chips could be a return to form

    Weirdly enough, MacBook Airs provide better value for money than most, if not all, ultrabooks (especially with the educator discount). Windows has annoyed me enough to the point where I'm planning on sticking with macOS for the foreseeable future. And AMD is eating Intel's lunch in the desktop...
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    Research shows Google AI Overviews reduce website clicks by almost half

    I must admit that I've been relying on Gemini more and more to get quick answers to my questions. The truth is, I have dozens (sometimes hundreds) of questions per day where I'd like a little background information, but I'm not so concerned about accuracy that I'm willing to devote 10-20...
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    GOP budget bill poised to crush renewable energy in the US

    The "culture wars" are setting the US back decades. It frustrates me to no end that the GOP is focused on these childish battles rather than solving real problems.
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    Review: At $349, AMD’s 16GB Radeon RX 9060 XT is the new midrange GPU to beat

    I find myself priced out of the PC gaming market. I would seriously consider getting a Steam Deck 2 if launched at a reasonable price point. But that's probably at least a year or two away.
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    RFK Jr.‘s fluoride ban would ruin 25 million kids’ teeth, cost $9.8 billion

    I think we're on the same page. Perhaps I didn't communicate clearly. Yes, I agree that on balance the benefits to children (particularly low SES) far outweigh whatever minor, possibly non-existent, downsides there may be. As I said before, I haven't found any evidence that water fluoridation...
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    RFK Jr.‘s fluoride ban would ruin 25 million kids’ teeth, cost $9.8 billion

    Can you provide a citation for the first point? You may very well be correct, I just haven't seen any support for it. Here's what I found from 2 minutes of research effort: I get that the dose makes the poison. Which is why water fluoridation doesn't concern me. Still, I'd prefer to have...
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    RFK Jr.‘s fluoride ban would ruin 25 million kids’ teeth, cost $9.8 billion

    This is one of those issues where I've changed my mind a bit over time. Is there evidence that fluoridated water provides additional protection against dental decay if one brushes with fluoridated toothpaste (or hydroxyapatite containing toothpaste) twice a day? I understand the public health...
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    Gemini in Google Drive may finally be useful now that it can analyze videos

    Presumably the movie, script, Wikipedia page, and basically anything that's ever been written about it online are already in its training set.
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    Trump throws coal a lifeline, but the energy industry has moved on

    How does supporting coal help Trump politically or financially at this point? What is he getting out of this?
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    Switch 2 joysticks won’t use Hall effect sensors to avoid stick drift

    What percentage of owners were affected by stick drift? Maybe they're doing a simple expected utility calculation. If the % of users that are affected is sufficiently low, it's more cost effective to reimburse replacement Joy-Cons than to increase the bill of materials for all Joy-Cons by...
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    Gemini is an increasingly good chatbot, but it’s still a bad assistant

    You should also be able to select the response style as you can with Claude (Normal, Concise, Explanatory, Formal). Gemini is often excessively chatty when I want a succinct response.