The Technology Thread

[MikeT14]

I'd second google drive. 

[Tugboat]

On 4/7/2023 at 10:29 AM, D82 said:

I figured this would be the right place to ask.

Looking for a good site that would be able to handle storage of media files (scanned magazines, high-quality images, etc.)...anyone have suggestions? 

I'd probs just use the annoying *** OneDrive Cloud.

 

 

Google Drive is immensely more usable if you want to do it casually.  Sharing documents through OneDrive is a mess.  Spent the last while operating in a shared MS Teams cloud and it's annoying to set up and annoying to use, but it's also really easy to use.  If you're using both in conjunction.  If you want something similar to Google Docs but more Gatesy.  But there are also harsh limits before you start having to pay for the MS cloud.  So large files, high def stuff, etc probs isn't gonna fly for long.

 

 

I think googleDocs has limitations too though?  Idk.  I've never had to use it in professional capacity with big files or anything.

 

I've mostly just used specialized cloud platforms for things.  Which are medium okay and i wish it was just on my computer.

Edited May 10, 2023 by Tugboat

[TVScout]

Over 400 million infected with Android spyware — delete these apps right now (msn.com)

[adamq]

 

So how long do we have until AI takes over?

[D82]

14 hours ago, adamq said:

 

So how long do we have until AI takes over?

It's like we learned nothing from The Terminator

[Sugashane]

7 hours ago, D82 said:

It's like we learned nothing from The Terminator

You mean that cheap knock off of the Shermanator?!

 

 

[D82]

11 hours ago, Sugashane said:

You mean that cheap knock off of the Shermanator?!

 

 

No, not that one. That just taught us to stay away from gingers. 

[Sugashane]

9 hours ago, D82 said:

No, not that one. That just taught us to stay away from gingers. 

Anyone getting to smash Nadia is an exception to the rule. 

Basically every other instance though you're right.

[titansNvolsR#1]

What crowd is Apple pushing this VR/AR headset for? Seems far too pricey for the average consumer. Just business people?

[ET80]

On 6/2/2023 at 12:07 AM, adamq said:

 

So how long do we have until AI takes over?

So… was this always just a blank post with a lot of spaces? Or did someone remove… something? 

[ET80]

On 6/5/2023 at 7:35 PM, titansNvolsR#1 said:

What crowd is Apple pushing this VR/AR headset for? Seems far too pricey for the average consumer. Just business people?

Apple products are generally more costly than most - so I expect this as something Apple groupies are going to buy as the market sets itself to make this the absolute most expensive offering in this space. Once that equilibrium is established in the market, the price should start coming down…

[adamq]

38 minutes ago, ET80 said:

So… was this always just a blank post with a lot of spaces? Or did someone remove… something? 

It was the tweet that turned out to be fake about the AI simulation trying to kill it's human operator.. twitter must have deleted it

Edited June 12, 2023 by adamq

[AkronsWitness]

On 6/5/2023 at 8:35 PM, titansNvolsR#1 said:

What crowd is Apple pushing this VR/AR headset for? Seems far too pricey for the average consumer. Just business people?

Rich kids whose parents will buy it for them for their birthday, only for them to use it 5x and never play it again.

VR is something I believe has no future until 1) Its more cost effective and 2) Its not incredibly uncomfortable to wear a bulky device on your face for more than 20 mins at a time and 3) It can support Live TV streaming apps in sort of a IMAX sorta way with 5+ hour battery life.

I see VR's niche for success not being the at home consumer, but something that could work wonders in Healthcare with rehab/medicine/physical therapy/telehealth.

VR falls into a similar category as Tablets. I never saw a practical use for tablets for your average person and still dont. They are basically a limited version of a laptop or a bulky version of a cellphone. Like, what target are tablet makers trying to hit that a cell phone or laptop cant accomplish. The only purpose I can think of is outdoor sales in the cooperate world.

Edited June 21, 2023 by AkronsWitness

[Tugboat]

On 6/20/2023 at 5:56 PM, AkronsWitness said:

Rich kids whose parents will buy it for them for their birthday, only for them to use it 5x and never play it again.

VR is something I believe has no future until 1) Its more cost effective and 2) Its not incredibly uncomfortable to wear a bulky device on your face for more than 20 mins at a time and 3) It can support Live TV streaming apps in sort of a IMAX sorta way with 5+ hour battery life.

I see VR's niche for success not being the at home consumer, but something that could work wonders in Healthcare with rehab/medicine/physical therapy/telehealth.

VR falls into a similar category as Tablets. I never saw a practical use for tablets for your average person and still dont. They are basically a limited version of a laptop or a bulky version of a cellphone. Like, what target are tablet makers trying to hit that a cell phone or laptop cant accomplish. The only purpose I can think of is outdoor sales in the cooperate world.

 

Yeah.  VR has a lot of limitations that i think keep it from being useful for the average consumer any time soon.

 

Cost and uncomfortable headwear is a part of that.  But it's also just extremely content-limited.  Especially since it's so awkward and disconcerting for most people to have moving content without...actually having their body physiologically aligning with that movement.  Even if it doesn't make you feel sick or disoriented...it's still just so disjointed from reality.  Hugely immersion breaking, which kind of defeats half the purpose of VR stuff.  So it ends up fairly limited to mostly static content which isn't very useful or compelling.

 

I will say, there are clear applications for things like architecture/interior design/urban planning/etc.  A lot of people struggle to really visualize a space or environment from drawings, renderings, and 2D images in general.  Being able to put someone in a VR representation of a room and flip around between different finishes and design features or put them at street level to see how a new street design flows with the surrounding buildings and context has some merit.  But again, it's a largely static sort of content.  And not really at the typical consumer level.

 

 

Tablets on the other hand...i've come around on a little bit.  There was a point where i felt pretty much the same.  They're kind of neutered as a computer when it comes to productivity and efficiency in a lot of ways.  They're not as powerful and the lack of a keyboard in particular, as well as a mouse in a lot of cases...just makes them a lot clunkier to use for those type of tasks.

 

But i think there's a niche in there for consumers that makes a lot of sense as just a super easy to use giant sized phone substitute.  Instead of using your phone for that kind of stuff, you can get a smaller telephone that's more convenient for on the go...and then have a much bigger screen to doodle around with while you're watching tv or eating breakfast or whatever.

 

There are also more and more professional applications for Tablets that are popping up everywhere.  Where it's not practical or convenient to plunk down a full on laptop and get to work.  But a phone isn't going to quite cut it either.  They're a good substitute for old fashioned pen and paper in a way that phones and laptops just miss the mark.  The ability to have access to an increasingly networked world of information on your pen and paper substitute is pretty huge for a lot of purposes.

I think in that respect as well, tablets are kind of filling the niche that used to be filled by a print newspaper or magazine for consumers.

[AkronsWitness]

23 hours ago, Tugboat said:

 

Yeah.  VR has a lot of limitations that i think keep it from being useful for the average consumer any time soon.

 

Cost and uncomfortable headwear is a part of that.  But it's also just extremely content-limited.  Especially since it's so awkward and disconcerting for most people to have moving content without...actually having their body physiologically aligning with that movement.  Even if it doesn't make you feel sick or disoriented...it's still just so disjointed from reality.  Hugely immersion breaking, which kind of defeats half the purpose of VR stuff.  So it ends up fairly limited to mostly static content which isn't very useful or compelling.

 

I will say, there are clear applications for things like architecture/interior design/urban planning/etc.  A lot of people struggle to really visualize a space or environment from drawings, renderings, and 2D images in general.  Being able to put someone in a VR representation of a room and flip around between different finishes and design features or put them at street level to see how a new street design flows with the surrounding buildings and context has some merit.  But again, it's a largely static sort of content.  And not really at the typical consumer level.

 

 

Tablets on the other hand...i've come around on a little bit.  There was a point where i felt pretty much the same.  They're kind of neutered as a computer when it comes to productivity and efficiency in a lot of ways.  They're not as powerful and the lack of a keyboard in particular, as well as a mouse in a lot of cases...just makes them a lot clunkier to use for those type of tasks.

 

But i think there's a niche in there for consumers that makes a lot of sense as just a super easy to use giant sized phone substitute.  Instead of using your phone for that kind of stuff, you can get a smaller telephone that's more convenient for on the go...and then have a much bigger screen to doodle around with while you're watching tv or eating breakfast or whatever.

 

There are also more and more professional applications for Tablets that are popping up everywhere.  Where it's not practical or convenient to plunk down a full on laptop and get to work.  But a phone isn't going to quite cut it either.  They're a good substitute for old fashioned pen and paper in a way that phones and laptops just miss the mark.  The ability to have access to an increasingly networked world of information on your pen and paper substitute is pretty huge for a lot of purposes.

I think in that respect as well, tablets are kind of filling the niche that used to be filled by a print newspaper or magazine for consumers.

I agree with the tablets part, Ive worked in the business world long enough to where I only really see them used by sales reps because they can sit down with you and run slides/presentations on them at a table. Same thing with door-to-door outside sales where somebody can show you a presentation of their product on a actual screen and not their phone or carrying around a laptop. They just seem to be incredibly niche where they are REALLY good, but only for this small group of people.

The one thing I will say.....and hear me out....is that I had a major major major infatuation with the Microsoft Surface Pro tablets where you can attach the 'dock' and keyboard with all of the normal peripherals of a laptop, but you can also detach it when you need to leave and it functions like a high performance tablet on the go. Wheeeeeeew that thing is awesome.

Since I was a digital marketing person, the idea of having the stylus pen to use all of their editing/design programs either at my desk attached to the dock or when I had to go into another room in the building I could take it in tablet form....boiiii stop. I want it, I need it, I have to have it.

Problem is they are like $50M and I couldnt possibly justify the cost (as I sit here on a 2k gaming computer)