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For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

blog.tomayac.com

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Re: For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

#141

Post by wonger_ »

happens wrote: post #12
Liftyee wrote: post #6

Not criticising the article or the decision to buy a new washing machine (20 years is a long time), but just noting that the old machine was likely fixable. If spare parts are even still available, that is. Whether it's deemed worth fixing is another matter. This must be the case for so many discarded appliances these days, especially underengineered ones with common issues. Also, not using the QR code protocols prop…

Do you know where I can read more about QR code protocols? I was under the impression that a simple URL (with http/s) is common, and I've never had it not on any device.

Not OP, but I found this article recently: https://cubiclenate.com/2024/03/22/generate-qr-codes-in-the-...

Includes patterns for wifi credentials, calendar events, and a few more.

Re: For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

#142

Post by tomayac »

Telemakhos wrote: post #7

I tried hitting the "identify" button but got the error "LanguageModel is not supported." This is on latest Safari, iPadOS.

[Author here] Safari is not supported. See https://developer.chrome.com/docs/ai/prompt-api#hardware-req... for the requirements.

Re: For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

#144

Post by SAI_Peregrinus »

redserk wrote: post #114
Night_Thastus wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be honest, looking at the PiHole logs the TV itself hasn't tried to do much of anything. The apps on my streaming device (namely Netflix before I uninstalled it) tried, but the PiHole always caught it.

At this point I wouldn’t rely on PiHole DNS logs alone. You’d need to check network traffic from the device in general, it could use DoT/DoH. And I suppose there’s the even-creeper Amazon Sidewalk: https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=... I hate sounding like I’m wearing a foil hat but there are a lot of easy ways to get around trying to neuter smart devices now.

And DoT/DoH don't even add new capabilities, it's been possible to use a VPN to a popular shared hosting provider (e.g. AWS) to hide traffic for a long time before DoT & DoH became standards.

Re: For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

#145

Post by wonger_ »

skwee357 wrote: post #122

There is something I can't seem to understand in the relationship between technology and non-tech people / companies. As a tech-savvy person and someone who relocated recently, I rely a lot on tech solutions for daily problems. When I was choosing my medical insurance company, I concentrated on one that has a good app and English interface. When I need a barber, I search Google Maps and look for barbers who have a we…

Some thoughts based on talking with small business friends:

- most business comes from local word of mouth, so digital presence is not a priority

- existing solutions are good enough; contact info and maybe a scheduling flow is all the website needs, regardless of UX polish

- changing tech solutions (e.g. website migration) is painful; they have more important things to do with their time and energy

- will investing a few thousand dollars in a website pay off? Probably not, and hard to convince them even if true; they have more important things to do with their tight budget

- I think there's a lot of mediocre devs and agencies offering mediocre work; the talented devs delivering great, user-friendly work are probably not pursuing these projects

Re: For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

#146

Post by yonatan8070 »

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #27
LauraMedia wrote: post #8

I fail to see a useful usage for AI in this case. Couldn't you just print the product number as a barcode/qrcode and let a "dumb code scanner" read it, instead of having to download a multifunctional LLM?

I was thinking just have it included in the QR code, so the URL the QR points to is prod-reg.example.com/pid/91234567 or whatever.

Why even have to register the product in the first place? When I buy a Lenovo laptop from any store, it just has a warranty associated with the serial number, and if I need support or repair, I can just contact Lenovo, and get service under the warranty.

Re: For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

#147

Post by danaris »

mooreds wrote: post #74
nativeit wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

100% Customer support representatives, with very few exceptions, are just going to tell you whatever they think will get you off the phone. In I.T., this is generally accomplished by blaming whatever adjacent equipment/services they can plausibly pin the issue on.

Huge competitive opportunity here. All you have to do is hire customer support who is empowered, knowledgeable and actually cares. Source: support is a competitive differentiator for $CURJOB.

This only works when there's actual competition.

And most of industry today—but especially the tech industry—is laser-focused on making sure they never actually have to compete on a level playing field with anyone.

Re: For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

#148

Post by inetknght »

Night_Thastus wrote: post #119
publicdaniel wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don’t forget about DNS over HTTPS which bypasses PiHole

Is there a way to set up the modem, router, pihole, or any other part of the network to close that loophole?

Yes. Put your TV behind a second router, manually assign IP address and route to your local network, and don't give the router an upstream gateway. Then any packets the TV might send even to a plain IP address will be dropped at its router before reaching your main router.

Re: For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

#149

Post by Yoric »

mooreds wrote: post #94
MathMonkeyMan wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> All you have to do is hire customer support who is empowered, knowledgeable and actually cares Those people you have to pay, because they can do well in other positions. But paying them contradicts the goal of minimizing cost. I'm not saying there isn't an opportunity to invest in top notch customer service as a product differentiator, but it's probably a safer bet to have barely-existing support and lower the stic…

> it's probably a safer bet to have barely-existing support and lower the sticker price. Depends on the product and the size of the company selling. Sure, in certain circumstances it makes sense to skimp on customer support. In others, it absolutely does not.

For instance, one of the reasons Amazon was so successful when introduced in Europe was its great customer support. Years earlier, IBM had similar success stories.

Re: For all that's holy, can you just leverage the web, please?

#150

Post by Terr_ »

hedora wrote: post #58
pbhjpbhj wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>There’s no reason these things shouldn’t last more than 20-30 years on average. This is actually a difficult problem I feel. Misaligned incentives aside. How do you keep a company running if it is so good it captures the whole market in 15 years, but it takes 30 years before it's products need replacing? (This is a simplistic presentation of the issue, but I feel it's understandable enough to start to formulate idea…

I can think of a few solutions: - support model. You pay 1/10th the manufacturing cost per year. They immediately give you a new one if it fails. Profits are dictated by the difference between the real mean time to failure and ten years. “10” is set by law. - the price of the machine includes the cost of supplying the above service contract for 30 years, by law. The price of the machine therefore drops as the reliabi…

Hmmm, even if plans of that nature are not mandated to exist, I wonder if having a clear legal definition of them could help create a market anyway.

> including things like modifications to cabinets

Or perhaps require that the "plan" being purchased includes specs on min/max dimension and max weight.

> the price of the machine includes the cost of supplying the above service contract for 30 years

This seems like a recipe for bankruptcy though. For example, suppose Acme Appliances has a lot of customers, and then that country elects a crook as President who abruptly declared an (illegal?) import-tax (tariff) of one bajillion percent on all the spare parts.

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