topspin (u/topspin) - Readit News

topspin commented on Acronis True Image costs performance when not used randomascii.wordpress.com... · Posted by u/juanviera23

kiriberty · 8 hours ago

There software was so bad. I once had purchased a license. But when I started using, in the setting there was a possible workflow that if you click that button/menu option it will reset the license key. It happened (because I am curious right?) then my copy was no longer valid. I called their customer support and that person treated my like a criminal trying to lie all the way. So explained numerous times and sent them purchase copies and screenshots. After some attempts they issues a new license key (they might have verified their stupid mistake). On top of that, the version I bought did not have a way to delete option. I had to purchase that feature. This was long time ago and I no longer use this sh*.

topspin · 7 hours ago

I use to license Acronis as well and I share your view of the software quality. Since then I moved on to Macrium Reflect: better UI, faster, fewer glitches. It paid off about 9 months ago when a 1TB 970 Pro NVMe failed. Flawlessly restored in about 50 minutes.

topspin commented on Texas Instruments’ new plants where Apple will make iPhone chips cnbc.com/2025/08/22/apple... · Posted by u/giuliomagnifico

mgraczyk · 12 hours ago

Okay so make a prediction. What is the probability that Canada or Mexico will declare war on the United States in the next 100 years?

topspin · 12 hours ago

100 years? Only a fool would attempt that. 100 years from now Uzbekistan could be fighting Brazil in orbit around Venus.

topspin commented on Texas Instruments’ new plants where Apple will make iPhone chips cnbc.com/2025/08/22/apple... · Posted by u/giuliomagnifico

mgraczyk · 13 hours ago

How? What if we just decide we will never go to war with Mexico or Canada and get comfortable with the idea of importing from our allies? There is no serious future risk from doing that

topspin · 12 hours ago

> if we just decide we will never go to war with...

That's hubris. Although the US does indulge elective wars, one does not always get to choose with whom one will war.

topspin commented on U.S. government takes 10% stake in Intel cnbc.com/2025/08/22/intel... · Posted by u/givemeethekeys

m4rtink · a day ago

Isn't that pretty bad, Darth Vader style changing of previously agreed on deals ?

Not sure how anyone can believe anything that was agreed will hold in such an environment. :P

topspin · a day ago

> Isn't that pretty bad, Darth Vader style changing of previously agreed on deals ?

There has been some changing of deals on Intel's part as well, with indefinite delays on US fab buildouts the US passed a bill to subsidize. Now the US is taking some equity for its debt.

Far more dramatic Government intervention took place in 2009 when the US bailed out domestic automakers, including equity. Don't recall as much angst about that among the laptop class. Because Obama.

topspin commented on AWS in 2025: Stuff you think you know that's now wrong lastweekinaws.com/blog/aw... · Posted by u/keithly

cavisne · 4 days ago

http://www.patentbuddy.com/Patent/20140047261

Is tape even cost competitive anymore? The market would be tiny.

topspin · 3 days ago

One way to know is to see if new tape products exist, indicating ongoing development. As of May, 2025, LTO-10 is available, offering 30TB/75TB (raw/compressed) storage per cartridge. Street price is a bit under $300 each. Two manufacturers are extant: Fujifilm and IBM.

topspin commented on Pixel 10 Phones blog.google/products/pixe... · Posted by u/gotmedium

bityard · 4 days ago

> Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL are all available for preorder today starting at $799, $999 and $1199.

Sigh, still not going to pay more for a phone than I paid for my computer.

Also, what is up with that camera module? This doesn't look like it can physically slide into jeans pockets. At least round the corners or add little ramps. I guess this is what happens when design folk are allowed to trump engineers.

topspin · 4 days ago

Few people are paying those prices. Cell providers sell these at far less: on the order of 60% of Googles retail price.

topspin commented on Custom telescope mount using harmonic drives and ESP32 svendewaerhert.com/blog/t... · Posted by u/waerhert

fest · 4 days ago

When I was doing stepper control on rp2040 I looked into using PIO but the 5 bit counters and 32 instruction limit made it too awkward to use. What worked better for my needs was dedicating 2nd core for just motion control and bit-banging the step/dir signals- simple to implement and good enough for the modest needs I had (just trapezoidal velocity profile for single axis motion).

topspin · 4 days ago

> but the 5 bit counters

5 bit shift register, I believe you mean. Have a look at this. 16 instructions. Completely untested. I qualified my comment about RP2350 as "I believe," because I haven't actually done this: only investigated it via ChatGPT and Gemini. But it appears sound. Precision bit banging. PIO is pretty cool.

    ; PIO program for high-precision stepper profiles with a two-word data format.
    ; RP2350 clock is 150 MHz
    ; Word 1: [32-bit Low-Time Delay]. A value of 0 is the sentinel to stop.
    ; Word 2: [32-bit Repetition Count] (N-1).

    .program stepper_pwm
    .define HIGH_PULSE_CYCLES 2998 ; 20us @ 150MHz. Total delay is (CONSTANT + 2) cycles. 3000 - 2 = 2998.
    .side_set 1 opt

    entry_point:
        pull block              ; Pull Word 1 (Low-Time Delay) from DMA.
        mov x, osr              ; Copy to X for sent sentinel test
        jmp !x, process_step    ; fall through to the stop_sequence when sentinel == 0

    stop_sequence:
        nop side 0              ; Force the output pin LOW.
        irq set 5               ; Signal the core that the profile has finished.

    halt_loop:
        jmp halt_loop           ; Halt state machine.

    process_step:
        mov y, x                ; Y now holds the 32-bit Low-Time Delay.
        mov isr, y              ; Save LOW delay in ISR for use in every repetition.
        pull block              ; Pull Word 2 (Repetition Count) from DMA.
        mov x, osr              ; X now holds the 32-bit Repetition Count.

    rep_loop:
        ; High pulse duration = (HIGH_PULSE_CYCLES + 2) clock cycles.
        mov y, HIGH_PULSE_CYCLES side 1

    high_loop:
        jmp y-- high_loop side 1
        ; Low pulse duration between reps = (LOW_DELAY_FROM_ISR + 3) clock cycles.
        mov y, isr side 0

    low_loop:
        jmp y-- low_loop side 0
        jmp x-- rep_loop        ; Decrement repetition counter and loop if not zero.
        jmp entry_point         ; Finished all reps for this step, get the next one.