Messages

16

Random / Re: Ready for the Metaverse?

« on: December 30, 2023, 04:21:35 AM »

On the Meta side things keep getting better.  The Quest 3 is outstanding and inexpensive.  For may users this could now be a standalone computing option as key native apps continue showing up.  Office was the big one.

17

Random / Re: Ready for the Metaverse?

« on: December 20, 2023, 11:18:01 AM »

I have really enjoyed the Quest Pro.  I use it every day.  It hasn't replaced my laptop but it is amazing for many things.  I am really looking forward to the Vision Pro.  That is going to be an epic device. 

Most recently I have been using the Quest Pro for the CS 50 courses like below. What a stunning piece of online education that is. Essentially, Harvard has put their computer science program online and holy cow! I'm blown away by how well thought out and orchestrated it is.  The Python course below is a freaking masterpiece.  You can start at hello world, but by the end you can feel comfortable to interact with any API, integrate machine learning and AI libraries into your code, use and maipulate big data sets from any available source, etc.  Really remarkable.  I have been watching the lectures and working through the coding excersizes using the Quest and it is a super comfortable and immersive way to do it.

That can either be done all natively through a browser IDE or streaming from a computer using a desktop IDE.  I am really hopeful that Vision pro will come wth native apps that make full desktop functionalty possible without a second device.  The harware is certainly capable enough.  Amazing times!

18

Classifieds / Re: Free Classifieds - Please read before posting

« on: October 16, 2023, 03:40:25 PM »

Is there no way for original authors to edit posts? It would be nice to be able to edit or add "SOLD" to the title

Please just reply Sold.  Thanks!

19

Random / Re: GPT 5, Sam Altman, What's coming

« on: October 13, 2023, 03:13:25 AM »

That is a great banner!  You should work in the Ferrari pic though.

It was clearly a big surprise to everyone that creativity came first.  It makes sense (in hindsight) that tasks/ jobs which were already largely digital would be first, but creativity?  The striking screen industry knows what is coming.  They expect on demand movie etc. content created generated on the fly from user prompts.  All of those closest to this expect humans as a secondary intelligence within 10 years.  Many see no way to control it from here.  It seems like there might be a moment right now (which we won't take), but not much longer.  The call for government regulation is my favorite.  Regulate us, regulate us.  That should result in some meaningful oversight . The very request should be concerning to everyone.  Wealth redistribution and UBI are in every discussion, and often global.  That is hard to grasp.  In my mind a superintelligence like this flattens the range of human intelligence.  Much like we think of more/less intelligent cows.  Ooh, look at the smarty over there! Our intelligence and thought contribution will be negligible.  Likely no way to stop self programing and once that is fully in effect the Pre Trained part of GPT is out the window, leaving just the Generative.  We will likely see many amazing things come from that, but the idea that an intelligence this vast would remain beholdent to its inferiors doesn't compute.  Unplugging is a ridiculous protection and they know it.  That is placation.  We are in for an interesting ride.

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Random / Re: GPT 5, Sam Altman, What's coming

« on: October 12, 2023, 06:41:37 AM »

With lowly GPT 3.5.  It is very exciting, but not so distant, superintelligent, robot contolling entitities...that's a lot to consider.

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Random / GPT 5, Sam Altman, What's coming

« on: October 10, 2023, 10:36:25 AM »

So wild to see how fast his is advancing, and how.  Real coding, voice, audio, video generation, robot control, etc.  Inevitable at this point but with a course that no one has a handle on.

22

The Shape Shack / Re: All in One

« on: October 05, 2023, 04:00:26 AM »

Very stoked to hear that Bambulabs is working on an XL version of the X1 and that it will use the new next generation tech.  He said not too long to wait.  They have my wish list.  Hah!

23

Travel, Trips, Destinations / Re: La Ventana - March

« on: October 01, 2023, 04:20:00 AM »

We have been down there for the month of March three times.  Two were pretty much 100% windy.  One trip was lighter with about 50% windy days.  Great weather all trips and town is emptying out but not empty. 

24

General Discussion / Re: AWSI Show 2023

« on: September 19, 2023, 12:36:49 PM »

he's so good. That crazy tack 360 in like a 6 foot circle is wild.

Wow.  That is a beautiful move.  It takes a second to realize that his riding is that inspiring without airtime. 

Also between he and Kane they may have the widest and narrowest stances .

Great filming, Robert!

25

The Shape Shack / Re: All in One

« on: September 15, 2023, 09:29:06 AM »

Fantastic! What is the first impression? Any specific feedback, rejects?

Many thanks!  She had a ball, and she rode like this for an hour each session (two so far).  She liked the one hand carry weight, ease of takeoff, stall forgiveness and whatthefuckisthat factor.  She is working on best foot position.  Without the cantilever design of conventional foils, the mast can (and really needs to be) more centered under the rider and stabilization can be much closer in, but the specifics of that are crucial and I have a lot of questions which will require alternate designs and time.

As always with something new, there were a lot of assumptions (OK, guesses).  As the stabilizers are now very close in, stabilization was the big question mark.  What stabilizer profile, what dimensions, where, what angles, how to flow that all together, etc.  That is a lot of unknowns, so I was thrilled to see her airborne.

After this first day we picked up some 6mm mounting bolts which allowed us to use the front of the track.  That got us about an inch further forward which was helpful.  Because of the direct mount (mast into wing), we lose 3-6 inches compared to conventional fuselage mounted systems.  Chan could use another two inches further forward so I will have to build an adaptor (or add a forward box or find another board).  There is really no room for her back foot further back, so she is riding a bit further forward in relation to foil position than optimal.  She can get away with this due to her lighter weight, but a larger rider would struggle until I get the track/mount sorted.  Right now, we are just forward enough so that she may be able to use the front straps (which she is used to).  Riding without straps is brand new to her.  She is also riding a 78 mast where she had been riding a 96.  That is new as well.  This currently has the foils very close to the surface.  Once I correct the mount position, the mast length and the footstraps, we should have an improved testing platform for Chan and some larger riders. 

26

The Shape Shack / Re: All in One

« on: September 14, 2023, 03:44:15 PM »

Hi guys,  I wanted to share this video of the very first run on this design.  As always, Chantalle Strome took her for the maiden voyage.  It is a pretty radical design and I was stoked to see level fight right away.  The conditions were very stripey and we were getting 8 to 23 MPH with quick ups and downs.  That made for great, if not challenging, testing conditions.  This is going to be a really fun foil and I think I can learn a lot from it.  Thanks for looking!

27

General Discussion / Re: Is new members registration is working?

« on: September 06, 2023, 03:25:22 AM »

Hi, Yes please do have them use a Watersports related name.  I won't miss that.  That helps me seperate out good entries from spammers.  Thanks

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Foil SUP / Re: Oh My!

« on: September 02, 2023, 11:42:03 AM »

and some next level flying...

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1455014958631315

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The Shape Shack / Re: All in One

« on: September 01, 2023, 12:30:03 PM »

Hey Bill,

Yeah, these are is the guys I told you about.  They are doing drone painting for Insitu.  They have awesome temp / humidity / dust controlled spray rooms with heated drying etc.  I finished this one to smooth, did two coats of my graphite epoxy mix sanded it back again and then brought it for pro paint.  Next one I may just bond, sand and send.  If that works, I can bring him a bunch of parts all at once.  That would save me a lot of time and a whole course of sanding.  I am the world's slowest craftsman (term used lightly) I hate sanding and I want to move much quicker now.  If there are no side effects, this is my new plan.

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Foil SUP / Oh My!

« on: August 31, 2023, 09:54:47 AM »

This is some next level shredding.