I can’t even begin to count how many times I have come acrossa slew of 5 star reviews for something COMPLETELY unrelated to the listed item at the very top of search results. Product: Wood Headphone Stand. Review: This kitchen whisk is so amazing, it saved my marriage, 23 out of 5 stars.

OH and don’t forget the reviewer that when you access their profile you see that they have posted 76 reviews in a single day and every single one of them is 5 stars with the title "Great ‘X’! " where x is the product title.

Don’t get me wrong, I used Amazon back when it only sold books and I’ve been using Prime since it came out non-stop but the quality of the items, the search results, and the trust I have in the platform has gone waaaaaaaaaay down.

Seriously, I average 3.5 hours of watch time a day so I am paying roughly 10 cents per hour. That is a phenomenal deal. I can’t think of any other form of entertainment anywhere remotely near that cheap.

Youtube is effectively the only form of streaming my wife and I use. We have access to others through family members accounts but probably 19 times out of 20 we go straight for YouTube.

Name another streaming service where I can watch a 171 video saga spanning six years covering every single nut, bolt, plank, and brass fitting of a historic sailing ship restoration.

I have lost count but I think we are up to something like 130 subscriptions.

Great ingenuity but if falling into the inventor trap of “I’ve figured out one part of the equation and am neglecting the rest of it”

The inventor says “Some additional off-the-shelf systems – brake and steering boosters, as well as e-heating and air conditioning – would also be added under the hood.” While also stating all the original components are remaining untouched.

Does he have any idea how cramped the majority of modern engine bays are? I used to work on saburbans, bucks, chevys, and ford’s where you could literally stand in the engine bays. Modern cars though? Good luck having enough space to even get your tool let alone your hand where it needs to go.

Also “Off the shelf” systems?

Heaters are a nightmare. Resistive heaters, while being the most common, cheapest and easiest to access, use obscene amounts of energy and would put a huge drain on the tiny batteries he is proposing being used. PTC heaters are a possibility but Heat pumps would be ideal. Heat pumps take up space and are best designed into a car from scratch.

E-brake boosters are definitely a thing but are not a one size fits all and ABSOLUTELY require the removal of the existing system.

Finally the AC… The best electric units I’ve seen are retrofit kits for classic cars. Once again those require significant removal of existing infrastructure in order to be installed. More of an issue though… they cost 2-4 thousand dollars! That’s certainly going to eat into the project 4-5 thousand dollar estimated installation cost.

Side note: These are effectively motorized wheel spacers and I have seen a ridiculous amount of damage to vehicles from wheel spacers that are just simple chunks of metal.

Innovation is always encouraged of course and hopefully his work leads to something applicable. As it stands right now it’s a bit of a pipe dream.

Two I surprisingly haven’t seen yet:

“I haven’t given a shit about anything in a while”

and

“I’ll just cancel the free trial”

You almost hit the nail on the head. Disney is not to blame in this situation at all. One of their designers went to shutterstock (totally normal) to buy and use some art (again, normal, industry standard), shutterstock sold the art that had been uploaded by an independent artist (that’s how this all works).

HOWEVER, the artist used AI to create his image and neglected to add the “Created using AI” tag to his art which is required by the terms and conditions of shutterstock.

In this instance both Shutterstock and Disney got taken for a ride and are getting the negative press because of an individuals decision.

You could technically blame shutterstock a little bit for not vetting what they host but as far as I am aware there are no reliable tools for determining if an image is AI with 100% certainty.

That’s actually pretty interesting. I started with minimalist footwear once I was old enough to start making shoe decisions myself and apparently that was partially causing some of the problems I was experiencing.

Five Fingers were my go to’s (once they came out) for most days and Vivobarefoot’s / Nike Free’s for when the social side of five fingers was in questionable taste.

It’s always fascinating to me how wildly different solutions are the exact remedy needed for different individuals. It’s why I always get a little irritated when you read someone saying “Use this thing AND THIS THING ONLY! everything else is junk and dumb and you will be a worse person for using it.” such a close minded approach to the world.

I’ve been out of the minimal shoe worlds for a bit minute, anything cool to come about recently?

I had this exact stance until I won a pair of $200 running shoes in a raffle. My occasional backpains and joint problems disappeared almost immediately. I started buying the best footwear I could afford and my quality of life went measurable up after that decision.

The BIGGEST changes were going to a reputable podiatrist and getting shoe recommendations based off of my arch shape, weight and gait. They put me on a treadmill with highspead cameras at the sides and rear to record how my stride landed both walking and running. That and custom molded insoles.

Now Shoes are a part of our yearly budget to make sure we have good condition, supportive shoes at all times. Also re-soleing if applicable.

Side note: Dress shoes can die in a fire.

Oh yeah! That one is pretty cool. Went there when we lived on the wast coast. The Atlas Obscura is great for stuff like that.

We need an IRL Easter eggs for stuff like this.

The original was awesome, can’t wait to give this one a try.

oooo, Warhammer games on sale? Might have to pick those up.

Mirrors Edge + Blade combat + rhythm esque racing? Looks interesting.

Oh no… The last thing my wallet needs is another steam sale.

Kinda looks cool though.

I’ll believe it when I see it. Still won’t buy one… but I’ll believe it.

I feel enlightened. When’s your next talk!

Man, having a damn fail is one of my few nightmares. I hope as many people are able to be saved as possible.

Please don’t give them any ideas. It’s bad enough already.

Nope, I don’t like them.

I love them.

In a country described as “Historically prone to earthquakes” I wonder what kind of earthquake resistant architecture is present. You have to wonder if the level of wealth available to the general population has something to do with that.