VoIP doesn't work when the power is out. At least mine doesn't. The router in house is out, the fiber to Ethernet box on the power pole is out, and the fiber switch on the corner is powered by the same power lines so it's out too.
It's batteries only.
I can't even really blame them. The wired system is subject to a lot of maintenance. Not even counting rampaging backhoes, people setting fence posts, washouts, rodents, and trucks running over the junction boxes are continuing problems. We won't even discuss what happens when a snowplow gets a bit off the road.
As for cost, when I dropped Frontier a decade ago they wanted $35 a month which did not include long distance. Today Consumer Cellular charges $28/ month. It's not a contest. A Traq phone was even cheaper, but the 4G Verizon tower was installed on the wrong side of the hill from my point of view.
For people way out there base-station cellular is a thing though it still won't help with the mountain problem.
Python has native libraries. I don't have a problem using c++.
No, the Python APIs are implemented on top of C++. Qt is a fundamentally C++ API and library. Anything other than C++ will be some sort of wrapper.
Agreed, though the trend towards expansion of presidential power through executive orders goes back long before Biden. Back to Reagan, at least, and much of the root of it was in legislation signed by Carter (IEEPA). Every successive administration -- both parties -- has pushed the boundaries. Dubya was probably the worst, mostly because he had the biggest hammer. But the pattern is that each administration takes a bit more and when the other party gets elected, they don't give any of it back.
Very much a "both sides" problem.
But not only do you have to use a bridge for that (more limited) but it's in C++ anyway!
Same with Python.
Child safety and actual auto deaths are nothing when compared to the inconvenience of, y'know, changing the time you get up TWO WHOLE TIMES a year. THAT'S the REAL ISSUE.
People can't even complain they have to change their clocks, since easily 95%+ get their time from their phones or computers that auto-set anyway.
having the world's worst criminal state as your greatest ally
I take your point, but I have to ask "Which state is which"? If forced to choose between Israel and America for the title of worst criminal state, I'd have to flip a coin.
There are a lot of problems with both, but neither deserves the title of worst criminal state. Most hypocritical state, maybe.
android 16 is expected to start flagging rogue cell phone towers.
It does. I got a notification in early 2025 (running a pre-release Android 16 build) while traveling in NY. I got someone who was working on the feature to pull the detailed logs from my phone and they were able to get quite a bit of detail about what kind of fake tower it was. Pretty cool.
Is it possible to put software on a phone that prevents it from being tracked this way? Sort of like randomized MAC addresses with WiFi.
Not if you want to have mobile phone/data service.
If your mobile provider supports VOIP and you have Wifi available (e.g. at home) you can just disable cellular service. Then everything will go through your Internet connection -- and everything is encrypted these days. But that only works when you have Wifi.
I care about my heroin. I buy good quality China white and I inject two moderate doses each morning. I may have a third in the afternoon on occasion. It is a baseline "quality of life" staple for me - a ritual that pleases me greatly.
I will not give it up if I'm told it's unhealthy, and I won't ramp up my intake if I'm told it's medicine.
It's pure pleasure. So I don't give a damn what your studies say. I'm not interested. I will consume it as I see fit, and health informs exactly none of the decision.
(I'm not claiming any equivalence between coffee and heroin, but the "I enjoy it so I don't care about health effects" claim really only works if the health effects are fairly minor.)
Ok so when I develop an application in Python or c++ I use Qt. Is there something comparable to Qt in rust?
You can use Qt from Rust.
> radical increase in legal wage floors
The Federal minimum wage remains unchanged.
Notice how I didn't say anything about the Federal minimum wage?
30 states + DC (basically, the blue ones) have implemented minimums of $15 and higher, some of those nearly doubling their previous $8 rates.
Pls, show me where QE or QE-like policies were implemented in 2001? The Fed rate was cut, but they didn't print money like drunken sailors in 2008, 2010 (less so), and 2012. What incompetent wastrel was president each of these times, again? I'm not even arguing 2008 due to the crisis (I still disagree with it, but my job isn't to get re-elected either). But democrats perhaps need to stop trying to print themselves out of every crisis, maybe?
I don't get your point about qe vs money to 'ordinary people'? I prefer NO increase in M1 no matter in whose pockets it lands. Whether it's largesse to billionaires or 'hardship checks' to 200m 'ordinary' people, THAT INCREASES INFLATION.
And no, it WAS $1trn, or as close as matters:
I see:
1) (CARES Act, 2020): Up to $1,200/adult + $500/child. Total: ~$300b.
2) (Dec. 2020 / Consolidated Appropriations Act): Up to $600/adult + $600/child. Total: ~165b.
3) (American Rescue Plan, 2021): Up to $1,400/person incl dependents Total: ~$410b.
I callt it about $900b, the GAO tallies $931 billion across roughly 165 million recipients
(https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-106044)
This is DIRECT PAYMENTS to people.
Stupid Keynesians actively validating the damned gold-bugs.
Don't sweat it -- it's only ones and zeros. -- P. Skelly
