pockets

Is it a little cold in here, or is that just me?

https://pockets.bearblog.dev/20260414/

#PocketsBlog #vanlife

@ecsaln@todon.eu
I always forget about the meta meme, mostly because I try not to participate. Thanks for the reminder.

Personally, I'd lump all the addiction-related stuff in with the health and mental health category, but I can certainly understand the justification for giving it its own bullet point.

Content Warnings for what?

This poll assumes types of content that you put Content Warnings on are the same types of content that you want to see others put Content Warnings on. If it's not symmetrical for you, I'd like to know why.

#PocketsPolls #poll #AskFedi

So apparently it's a "simple" weighted average to calculate the resulting temperature when mixing two volumes of liquid, and the formula doesn't care whether you're using metric or imperial or scientific units (as long as you're consistent).

1 US cup of 50F water + 1 US cup of 200F water = 2 US cups of 125F water

1 dL of 10C water + 1 dL of 100C water = 2 dL of 55C water

3 parts 373K water + 1 part 273K water = 4 parts 348K water
(That's K as in Kelvin.)

(Well, minus whatever you'll lose to the surrounding atmosphere.)

Handy thing to keep in mind if you're trying to brew a hot beverage at a certain temperature, but you don't have one of those newfangled temp-adjustable kettles.

#PocketsLearned

xkcd is just so 🤌 today.
And all the settings except Spring mode worked on my smartphone, so no excuses to not go check it out.

(Though maybe save Darkest Mode for last. I turned it on and now I'm struggling to turn it back off again. :neofox__w:)

https://xkcd.com/3227/

I revived my OnePlus 6 (Android 11/Oxygen 11.1.2.2/A6003) a few months ago with a new battery. But suddenly in the past few days, (1) the camera has stopped working and (2) the flashlight is disabled because it claims the camera is currently in use.

When I launch the camera app, there's no in-app buttons visible. I can see the back/home/app-drawer buttons at the bottom and the dropdown/clock/notification bar at the top. But otherwise, the screen is black and blank.

I'm trying to determine if there are any troubleshooting steps I can do *that I haven't already done* before I resort to a Factory Reset. And if a Factory Reset is even worth it at this point.

I have:
- removed camera permissions from all other apps on the phone
- briefly removed camera permissions from the camera app itself (I put them back afterward)
- verified there are no apparent physical damages to the exterior of the camera hardware (without opening the device up--I'm not certain I'd be able to spot hardware damage to the internal boards)
- cleared the data and cache of the camera app
- force-stopped the camera app
- checked for updates (there are none, last update was November 2021)
- ensured there are no third-party camera apps on my phone
- tried operating the camera in Safe Mode (there was no change to the behavior)
- wiped the cache partition in Recovery Mode

Despite all those changes, both the camera app and the flashlight functionality remain inoperable.
Even with *everything* denied access to camera permissions (even the camera app itself) the flashlight still denied access with the excuse of the camera being in use.

I'm trying to avoid sinking money into a new device, so I'm also concerned about the value of taking it to a service center.
I do have a last resort backup phone with a somewhat working camera (but it's a really bad camera, such that I can't use it for the reasons I switched back to the OnePlus 6).

I have a working work-around for the flashlight (a solid white image and turning the screen brightness all the way up) so that's just an inconvenience.
But not having a working camera is a problem for several reasons (using it as an MFA device being one, using it for personal banking as another).

So, Fedi, am I missing any troubleshooting steps?
Do you think it's worth trying a Factory Reset?
Should I pop the back again (I'd rather not, but if it'll help) and send y'all a pic of that?
Or am I just boned and need to get a new device?

#AskFedi #TechSupport #OnePlus #OnePlus6

Part two of nine-days-ago's post.

https://pockets.bearblog.dev/20260119/

#PocketsBlog #VanLife

Should a book about the "cult of Trump" be sorted into Theology>Cults or Social Sciences>Politics?

(No, I'm not going to put a copy into both. He doesn't deserve that much space on my hard drive.)

#PocketsLibrary #PocketsPolls #Poll

I think the title says enough. I don't really need to add another tagline.

https://pockets.bearblog.dev/20260110/

#PocketsBlog

Once more for the people in the back:
I don't do new year's resolutions.

https://pockets.bearblog.dev/20260102/

#PocketsBlog

@mayintoronto@beige.party
On Mastodon:
1. Settings
2. Import & Export
3. Download everything that there's an option to download.
Other interfaces will be slightly different, but are likely pretty similar.

After that, I recommend:
- Renaming the files to have integrated timestamps (if they don't already—makes maintaining multiple versions of backups easier)
- Renaming the files to include the instance domain (if they don't already—important if you have accounts on multiple instances)
- Backing the files up in a few places. Don't just leave them on a single hard drive, where they can be lost as surely and easily as if you hadn't downloaded them at all.

If your instance should go down, this is essentially a checkpoint, a save point, so you don't lose everything.

With the new year soon approaching, I highly recommend that *everybody* take this reminder, this opportunity, and backup your fedi account(s).

Do it today.
Do it right now if you can.
Don't put it off.

And if you just did it... maybe do it again anyway, because doing it regularly is a good habit to get into.

If you don't know how, read this as a starting point: @pockets@lgbtqia.space

:boost_requested:

#PocketsSoapbox

So far, every PocketsReads book-quote-post has been standalone. Should I keep doing that?

#PocketsPolls #PocketsReads

Are there *any* ethical uses for LLMs?

#PocketsPolls #poll

One does not simply pass the captcha. These rainbow gates are guarded by more than just creative questions.

#PocketsCaptcha

Hammocks: all the insulation of a fitted sheet.

https://pockets.bearblog.dev/20251214/

#PocketsBlog

If a guy-line is a rope or cable used to restrain the motion of something, like a tent or a mast, then what's a gal-line or an enby-line used for?

#SillyAnswersOnly

Edit:
Answered as far as being possible, though power draw feasibility is still uncertain.

Thanks y'all!

--
My current car has an engine block heater, which I love. Leave it plugged in overnight, and in the morning the engine warms up nice and quick in winter.

Except the plug (which to my non-expert eye looks like a standard NEMA 5-15P) comes out the front grill of the car. That's ideal in my current situation, where I'm plugging it into an extension cord that's plugged into the grid.

But I'm working on a utility van/vanlife plan right now for my next vehicle, where the nearest and most convenient power source will be onboard. This leads to my question:

Is it possible to install an engine block heater such that the plug exits into the passenger compartment (inside the vehicle), preferably without having to run an extension cord around/under the exterior?

(I'm not looking for the engine block heater to be plugged into the car's fusebox/battery. I'd just like to plug it into the independent electrical system I install inside the van.)

(I know very little about cars and even less about engines, but I'm trying to rectify that. Also, I've tried looking this up online and have come up empty, though maybe I'm not wording it correctly. If AskFedi doesn't answer it, I'll probably have to call a service centre directly and ask.)

:boost_requested:

#AskFedi #CarRepair #CarMaintenance #VanLife