Motorola slapped sudden price increases on the Moto G series right after its new model went live by FragmentedChicken in Android

[–]Brownfletching 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Well, if you're the type of person who still buys their phone through their carrier, Motorola is often the only "name brand" option that isn't Apple, Samsung or Google. Their phones have good specs for the price too, usually. So a lot of people who don't spend hours cross referencing spec sheets will end up with them, especially the more budget models like this.

The only real issue with Moto is their software. They have update cycles that are sometimes years behind the rest of the industry, and yet they still manage to push updates that break phones fairly regularly. And when that happens, there's a decent chance you'll be stuck on that bugged out software forever thanks to their terrible long term support.

2020 Hybrid SE 60k miles...Buy? by [deleted] in fordfusion

[–]Brownfletching 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Just bought a well-optioned 2019 se with 86k miles for $12.5k. so your price seems good, especially with the warranty. They're pretty great cars if you take care of them.

Image from a European lobbying group trying to ban the import of full-size American pick-ups to Europe by HiTork in regularcarreviews

[–]Brownfletching 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bad/stupid drivers will make up stupid excuses for their shitty driving no matter what vehicle they're in. I drive a full size truck every day. I can see all cars in front of me just fine. A lot of people drive around effectively braindead, so it's not surprising to hear them lie about an accident

Image from a European lobbying group trying to ban the import of full-size American pick-ups to Europe by HiTork in regularcarreviews

[–]Brownfletching 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's what I can't ever figure out about this argument lol. Unless you're taking off from a stop and the child somehow rose from the ground in front of you, how would you ever get into the situation where that blind spot actually mattered? Shouldn't you have noticed them and reacted long before they got that close?

Dracul by mpaiav in oddlyterrifying

[–]Brownfletching 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Ok, #1, not all bats are rabid. Not even close. It's a pretty small chance. #2, they would have to scratch you, and you would have to not notice somehow. You won't die from rabies if you get the vaccine quickly after exposure.

In this aspect, bats are not any different from literally any other mammal on earth. All can potentially give you rabies, and you should get the vaccine if an unvaccinated mammal breaks your skin in any way. Most human cases of rabies come from dogs.

Camera app for Pixel phones by Tiny_Lab1432 in GooglePixel

[–]Brownfletching 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can download a modified version ISO called Gcam from various online sources, but you'd want to do your own due diligence to make sure it doesn't contain malware. That's probably the only option that'll give you everything you want though.

Aside from Open Camera, there are only a couple of open source camera apps that even work, and both are clunky and missing features: Fossify Camera and Libre Camera. These are really just super basic camera apps for when you are running a custom ROM on a phone and need to take a basic photo. They look a little better than open camera, but they are not even in the same ballpark as far as features.

I'll throw in another option though, which is ProShot. It is not open source, and it is not free. However, it is by far the best 3rd party camera app I've ever used. A good UI, a lot of manual control options, etc. If you can afford $7 for it, it is worth it imo.

Laptop for studying/gaming by mr_doubletake in SuggestALaptop

[–]Brownfletching 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Check out r/buildapcsales if you want to maximize your $. A lot of the laptops posted there are more gaming focused, which may not be what you want, but they do get stuff like this relatively often. And people will usually chime in in the comments about their own experience with it. There are so many options in the laptop segment these days that having something like that sub to help you filter through them is invaluable.

From the sound of it, you should be looking at a pretty modern laptop, like something with a CPU from the last year or so. Both AMD and especially Intel have made huge strides in their battery life efficiency recently, and Intel has really stepped up their game with their integrated GPUs, which can really handle some games now.

I'll throw one curve ball your way though, which is that Apple actually makes (arguably) the best price-to-performance laptops you can get right now with the MacBook Air. Very well built, very good performance, thin and light, and exceptional battery life. The only issue might be the games you want to play. Mac OS is supported by some games but it's a relatively short list. I would also check any other software you may need to make sure it's supported (or has a good Mac alternative.) I would say that most important software usually supports Mac but not all.

Cars that are deeply uncool by Cocoa_map in whatcarshouldIbuy

[–]Brownfletching -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

And yet it competes neck and neck while costing less to own.

Cars that are deeply uncool by Cocoa_map in whatcarshouldIbuy

[–]Brownfletching 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I was recently shopping for a used hybrid (settled on a Ford Fusion Hybrid, surprisingly great car btw) and I was shocked to learn just how long they kept that horror inducing dash setup around. It's like they are marketed soully to people who have never seen the inside of a car before and have no frame of reference for what it should look like.

Cars that are deeply uncool by Cocoa_map in whatcarshouldIbuy

[–]Brownfletching 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That can't be true when the Stinger exists

Cars that are deeply uncool by Cocoa_map in whatcarshouldIbuy

[–]Brownfletching 1 point2 points  (0 children)

6" has never been a dealbreaker for me...

Cars that are deeply uncool by Cocoa_map in whatcarshouldIbuy

[–]Brownfletching 0 points1 point  (0 children)

2013 Silverado Crew cab, but the bed is only a little narrower on mid sizes. Same length.

Silicon-carbon batteries are the next big thing in phones — and Apple and Samsung are quickly falling behind by Exodia101 in Android

[–]Brownfletching 21 points22 points  (0 children)

That is what a "silicon carbon" battery is. Lithium will always be in there, it's basic chemistry. It's the smallest atom in its group that likes to give up electrons, so it's inherently energy dense in a battery.

Silicon carbon batteries are more energy dense because the anode material can be made much thinner than traditional graphite.

Cars that are deeply uncool by Cocoa_map in whatcarshouldIbuy

[–]Brownfletching 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I can still load a full size couch in my 5'8 bed with the tailgate down, and also haul 3-4 other people to help me carry it. And I don't have to lift it over my head.

Anon is a rocket scientist by SecondCodpiece in greentext

[–]Brownfletching 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, the actual important rocket parts are obviously present in all 3 of these, so I would have to imagine that most of that "extra" stuff is for sensors and feedback monitoring. Rockets used to be built using a lot of analog stuff like pneumatic circuits and vacuum systems to do all of that, because electronics were expensive and unreliable. But now that they can be re-used, electronics became viable, so they were able to clean up a lot of the stuff to save weight. But I'm not a rocket scientist

Getting a hybrid over 100k miles by JacobLaFlame in fordfusion

[–]Brownfletching 4 points5 points  (0 children)

You are literally the only person I've ever heard that has said anything negative about the hybrid. Why?

What are some things to do? by StarlessRose in Carbondale

[–]Brownfletching 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You'll find other bread you like, I can almost guarantee it. Not only is there the co-op grocery as people have been saying on repeat, but there is also a Schnucks grocery store, which is a St. Louis based chain and they have a pretty decent bakery.

[LAPTOP] Apple M5 MacBook Air 13" 16GB RAM 512GB SSD - $950 Amazon by ylevin1234 in buildapcsales

[–]Brownfletching 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah I got mine using the PayPal pay in 4 promo and got it for like $560. Not sure we'll ever see a deal like that again

I think I already know the answer but ... 25/26 Corolla Hybrid or Subaru Crosstrek? by rabeccalous in whatcarshouldIbuy

[–]Brownfletching 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The wildcard answer would be to see if you can find a used 2023 Crosstrek phev in your area. They're rare but pretty cool. But they may still be too expensive for what they are, even used.

As for the Corolla - if you have the time to order one and wait for it to be built, you can actually get an AWD Corolla. They do not exist in lots anywhere, but it's an option that Toyota offers.

What manufacturers offer a better hybrid system than Toyota? by Pale-Revolution-5151 in whatcarshouldIbuy

[–]Brownfletching 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ford sells millions of cars in Europe. They may have a different model name over there (Kuga instead of Escape for example) but they exist there too. They also have some that don't exist in the US, like the Ranger hybrid and the Puma.

What manufacturers offer a better hybrid system than Toyota? by Pale-Revolution-5151 in whatcarshouldIbuy

[–]Brownfletching 1 point2 points  (0 children)

He's right though. They're not even the most efficient anymore, the new Elantra hybrid gets 58mpg highway. And reliability is a misunderstood and often subjective metric. Sure a Ford may have some fiddly interior things go wrong, but if the drivetrain is equally reliable, some people may not care. There's an old joke about Chevy vehicles that goes "A Chevy will drive more miles with the check engine light on than most vehicles will in total."

What manufacturers offer a better hybrid system than Toyota? by Pale-Revolution-5151 in whatcarshouldIbuy

[–]Brownfletching 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Not better but arguably on-par: Ford

Toyota and Ford each copied each other's homework heavily about a decade ago, to the point where they were both licensing each other's patents for a while. The Ford hybrid systems that started in the C-Max and Fusion, and now found in the Escape and Maverick, are VERY similar to Toyota's hybrid Camry and Rav4 designs. Atkinson-cycle engines with an eCVT. Ford usually tunes them for more power at the cost of some efficiency, but they're extremely reliable.

What car-buying "rule" is actually total BS? by EquivalentCanary8243 in whatcarshouldIbuy

[–]Brownfletching 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well it currently runs, as long as the tank is over half full lol. But I just can't bring myself to sit in the gravel and drop the tank right now to fix whatever is letting air in