When looking at older issues in GitHub I get frustrated by the use of relative timestamps like 1 week ago or 1 month ago. They’re vague and don’t offer much help in understanding the specific timing of events.
I found a userscript that replaces these vague timestamps with a more precise and customizable format. Grab it here.
Ollama is an app that lets you quickly dive into playing with 50+ open source models right on your local machine, such as Llama 2 from Meta. It’s CLI-based, but thanks to the community, there are plenty of frontends available for an easier way to interact with the models. You can even customize a model to your specific needs pretty easily by adding a system prompt.
Open source models might not be as good as GPT-4 but they’re still pretty impressive. And, for those worried about data privacy, these models run locally, so your conversations stay on your computer.
Ollama also includes a REST API, making it a practical local alternative to the OpenAI API for coding projects.
The thing is big, heavy, and honestly, a bit silly-looking. We’re dreaming of a future where VR headsets are just slightly heavier than glasses, but we’re not there yet. But don’t call it VR, Apple gets mad. It’s AR, cough cough. I don’t think there will be many people interested in its AR features given the current form factor, although the nearly real-time video passthrough is a feat of engineering.
All in all, the device feels like a step into an exciting future. Imagine being on a flight, lost in your own personal cinema. Let’s hope it catches on; otherwise, you’ll be that one weirdo with the giant ski goggles. Remember the glassholes? If anyone can make something look cool and fashionable, it’s probably Apple.
The concept of multitasking with multiple screens hanging in the air is fascinating. It’s like a peek into a future where traditional desktops could become obsolete.
The way you interact with it is nothing short of magical. From selecting things by pinching your fingers to typing, it’s surprisingly intuitive. Watching someone new pick it up and start gesturing like a pro is what inspirational tech dreams are made of.
Can’t wait to try it out!
Edit: Casey, in his unmistakle unique style, shows us why the Apple Vision Pro is the future of computing.
My recent trial of Xbox Cloud Gaming left a very positive impression on me.
Essentially, it’s a way to stream games on your phone, tablet, or laptop without needing a console. All you need is a decent internet connection and you’re good to go!
One thing that struck me right away was the reasonable resolution of the games, although there were a few times when the image was a bit pixelated. This was more noticeable when I played on a 4K TV, but it didn’t really affect my enjoyment of the games overall.
I tested out the service on a Mac, an iPad, and a 4K TV, and it worked well on all three devices. The only issue I had was occasional hiccups when streaming via Wi-Fi, although most of the time the service ran perfectly fine and I almost forgot I was streaming a game. When I switched to ethernet, I didn’t experience any problems at all.
In terms of pricing, Xbox Cloud Gaming costs $1 for the first month and $15 per month thereafter. While I personally might not commit to a monthly subscription, the trial offer is a good way to test out the service and see if it’s something you’d like to use more regularly. It’s also worth noting that the subscription includes access to many games, so you don’t have to pay for individual titles separately. This helps to make the overall cost of the service more reasonable.
I’ve been playing Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy and Sea of Thieves and have found both games to be thoroughly enjoyable on the platform.
I’d say that Xbox Cloud Gaming is a good option for occasional game play or when you’re traveling and don’t want to lug your console around with you. So, it’s a good option for those who want to play their favourite games on the go.
I recently created a binary sensor for Home Assistant that lets me know if it’s off-peak electricity hours or not. It’s a pretty simple piece of code, but it’s been really helpful for me in terms of managing my energy usage.
Here’s how it works: the sensor checks the current date and time, and then compares it to the off-peak hours for my area. If it’s currently off-peak, the sensor will be “on” and I’ll know that I can use my appliances without worrying about high energy costs. If it’s not off-peak, the sensor will be “off” and I’ll know to be more mindful of my energy usage.
One of the best things about this binary sensor is that it’s really useful for automations. For example, if I have a smart washing machine that I can control over my home network, I can set up an automation so that the washing machine only runs during off-peak hours. This way, I can save money on my energy bills and make sure that I’m not using too much energy during peak hours.
The same is true for other energy-hungry devices, like an electric car. I can set up an automation to make sure that I only charge my car during off-peak hours, which will save me money and help me be more energy efficient.
Overall, this binary sensor has been a great addition to my Home Assistant setup, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to save money on their energy bills and be more environmentally friendly.
Here’s the code for the sensor:
template:
- binary_sensor:
- name: "Off-peak"
icon: "mdi:lightning-bolt"
state: >
{% if ( now().weekday() in [0,1,2,3,4] ) %}
{{ today_at('00:00') <= now() < today_at('07:00') }}
{% elif ( now().weekday() == 5 ) %}
{# Summer time first, then winter. #}
{% if ( now().timetuple().tm_isdst > 0 ) %}
{{ ( today_at('00:00') <= now() < today_at('09:00') ) or ( today_at('14:00') <= now() < today_at('20:00') ) or ( today_at('22:00') <= now() <= today_at('23:59:59') ) }}
{% else %}
{{ ( today_at('00:00') <= now() < today_at('09:30') ) or ( today_at('13:00') <= now() < today_at('18:30') ) or ( today_at('22:00') <= now() <= today_at('23:59:59') ) }}
{% endif %}
{% else %}
{{ true }}
{% endif %}To add the binary sensor code to your Home Assistant configuration, copy the code from the blog post and paste it into your configuration.yaml file. Be sure to save the file after making the changes, and then restart Home Assistant to apply the changes.
I am excited to announce the launch of my new blog where I’ll be sharing my personal thoughts and experiences, diving into my passion for all things tech-related.
As a developer, I’ve built countless websites and blogs for others, but I’ve never had a blog of my own. That is, until now! I’m excited to finally have a space to share my thoughts and insights on the latest developments in the world of software engineering, home automation, cryptocurrencies, and games.
In this blog, I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts and experiences related to technology, along with updates on my personal projects. My aim is to use tech to make life better for people, and I’m always exploring new ways to achieve that.
Thank you for visiting my site, and I hope you enjoy learning more about me and my interests!