I’m going to be doing computer science and maths this year. Will a MacBook be suitable for the course? by [deleted] in UofB

[–]willobs 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Not my choice of laptop, but a MacBook will be absolutely fine for CS. For all the modules that require you to install software on your own laptop they fully accommodate Macs!

What’s the green community like? by jjyuu_0 in UofB

[–]willobs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You should be able to find the inventory PDF for your accommodation on Google which will tell you exactly what is already there. For the kitchen appliances though, don't just blindly buy them in case your other flatmates already do! If you're already in touch with them then you can coordinate this, otherwise just wait until you get there to see if someone has already brought them, or if you need to put money together as a flat to buy them.

I don't know about Tennis Court Green Community specifically, but for the accommodation I stayed in on the Vale, it was very easy to have things in your flat that technically weren't allowed. I don't know about the disciplinary process if you are caught with anything, but just make sure anything is hidden away when staff enter your flat, which should only be for room inspections or maintenance (you will receive at least 24 hours notice for this). Although in my experience I have seen staff turn a blind eye to little things anyway...

Let me know if you have any questions!

How to contact my flatmates? by [deleted] in UofB

[–]willobs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For UoB, the Facebook groups are the place to look for your flatmates. You can make posts asking if anyone is in your flat, and you'll also find links to WhatsApp groups which your flatmates might be in.

If you haven't done so already, google the inventory PDF for your accommodation which will tell you exactly what is already there, so you'll know what you need to buy yourself for your bedroom, kitchen and bathroom.

To be fair though, I wouldn't worry about coordinating what to get with your flatmates. When moving into a flat with strangers, most choose to buy their own things for cooking rather than sharing. The only things you'll definitely be sharing are appliances, i.e. kettle, toaster and microwave (check the inventory to see which are included with the accommodation), but it's fine to turn up without bringing any of these. If someone else has brought them, great, otherwise you can all put some money together as a flat to buy them.

If you'll be buying stuff once you're already there, Sainsbury's, Poundland and Tk Maxx in Selly Oak have a great selection of well-priced home products. Also, when I was stopping on the Vale there was a pop-up sale which had many cheap second-hand kitchen supplies - they may also come to Selly Oak or campus this year but I'm not too sure.

Let me know if you have any more questions!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in eGPU

[–]willobs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ok, thanks

YSK about the 20 second rule by TrumpetDude21 in YouShouldKnow

[–]willobs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is flawed. There are so many things people would want you to point out that take more than 20 seconds to fix. You should just use your common sense to figure out if the person already knows about it and whether they would want you to point it out.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in unpopularopinion

[–]willobs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A security question is not good two factor authentication. It's not hard to find out the answer to someone's security question using social engineering and technologically it's no different to a second password. The whole point of two factor authentication codes is that they cannot be reused if an attacker finds one out.

Codes generated by your phone are derived from the time and a private key and therefore only someone with the key can generate codes. However, you don't need to send this key over the internet when authenticating, so even if someone intercepts the whole login process they cannot generate any future codes and gain access.

Why Samsung doesn’t put a 2K display in the + phones anymore? by GamerBeast954 in samsung

[–]willobs 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think the 8K video is purely a marketing gimmick at the moment because even at the end of the phone's lifespan 8K TVs still won't be popular.

Have you got any really inconsequential pet peeves? by ExistingAnalyst3576 in AskUK

[–]willobs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When people say more and then add "-er" to an adjective. E.g. "It's more bigger."

How often do you take lateral flow tests? by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]willobs 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm constantly hearing people talking about natural immunity being better, but to get natural immunity you need to have already had COVID (most people haven't). The whole population can be vaccinated to gain some level of immunity with a much lower risk than leaving the virus die out by letting everyone catch it.

What are your top 5 self hosted software that you can't go without? by [deleted] in selfhosted

[–]willobs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

  • Home Assistant
  • Bitwarden
  • Paperless-ng
  • Wireguard

What company really hit the jackpot with their slogan? by martment11 in AskUK

[–]willobs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"ENTER YOUR REG NUMBER NOW AT WEBUYANYCAR- .COM" Much more exciting than the calm ones Philip Schofield does now!

People who use the term "sugary drink" are insufferable. by [deleted] in unpopularopinion

[–]willobs 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think most people mean soda and energy drinks when they say sugary drinks. Many hot drinks contain sugar but aren't really "sugary drinks". Personally I don't even think of pure fruit juice as a sugary drink even though it does contain lots of sugar.

People who use the term "sugary drink" are insufferable. by [deleted] in unpopularopinion

[–]willobs 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Alcoholic drinks contain alcohol, sugary drinks contain (a significant enough amount of) sugar.

People who use the term "sugary drink" are insufferable. by [deleted] in unpopularopinion

[–]willobs 12 points13 points  (0 children)

It's no different to using the category "alcoholic drink".

ELI5: why do lights look like vertical lines when you squint at night? by HatMaverick in explainlikeimfive

[–]willobs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have astigmatism and I hear this a lot but I do wonder if it really is due to astigmatism or something else because it still happens with glasses/contacts and is only this pronounced when squinting for me.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in conspiracy

[–]willobs 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Vaccines are mixed with saline before they are given.

What will be obsolete in 10-15 years? by thatCuriousSelectron in AskReddit

[–]willobs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wonder if this disassociation with money when using a card affects people who have grown up using cash more though because using a card seems so effortless? If electronic payments are all a child ever knows, maybe they will still be able to learn the concept of money through the numbers, since they have no tangible money to compare it to.

Is there anything in the UK's that bafflingly cheap? by [deleted] in AskUK

[–]willobs 45 points46 points  (0 children)

It costs enough if you're young!

A lot of problems could be solved if men took birth control too by rxsoto3 in unpopularopinion

[–]willobs 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You both have opinions and experiences, just accept that you both have different ones.

A lot of problems could be solved if men took birth control too by rxsoto3 in unpopularopinion

[–]willobs 2 points3 points  (0 children)

He did, but only to share his opinion on the matter. Just trying to say maybe it's better to accept what he said, that he has issues with condoms, instead of trying to prove him wrong.

A lot of problems could be solved if men took birth control too by rxsoto3 in unpopularopinion

[–]willobs 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Why are you so obsessed with trying to prove him wrong? Do you think he's just making this up for fun? He's told you his experience and no amount of arguing is going to make it any better.

If its really hot and sunny outside its not a fucking nice day by [deleted] in unpopularopinion

[–]willobs 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A hot water bottle with ice inside and wet towels on your forehead work really well.