Interesting Links for 02-05-2024

[andrewducker]

1. Painting! With Lego!

(tags:Lego painting video stopmotion )

2. Advice for people with terrible memory

(tags:adhd memory advice )

3. Windows 10 reaches 70% market share as Windows 11 keeps declining

(tags:windows )

4. Some photos from Edinburgh's Beltane Fire Festival

(tags:beltane edinburgh photos )

5. How Fear of Regret Influences Our Decisions

(tags:psychology fear )

6. Mass Effect Legendary Edition is currently 90% off. If you've never played it then this is a great time to pick it up.

(tags:games scifi )

Comments

5.

[channelpenguin]

Otherwise known as "never swap till queues in the supermarket" :-)

Re: 5.

[andrewducker]

Hah!

5

[wildeabandon]

Humans are weird. I'm not particularly surprised that only 10% of people swap when the incentives don't change, but I find it really hard to comprehend the mindset that doesn't change for a 20% increase in expected value.

Re: 5

[andrewducker]

Same. The fact that many people need the expected value to triple seems ridiculous to me.

And then I think of all of the people I've known who stuck with a terrible job rather than switch to an almost-certainly-better one...

Re: 5

[aldabra]

I think I assume that anyone suggesting I change my mind probably has a vested interest in my doing so. There must be some way of setting these scenarios up so that they're not actually measuring whether you trust the experimenter.

Re: 5

[andrewducker]

Yeah, there was a poll on twitter that was supposed to be finding out if you understand exponentials by asking if you would rather have a million dollars or a cent that doubles every day for 25 days, and a fair chunk of the responses were clearly answering "Do I believe that the coin will keep doing that and I will get to keep it."

Re: 5

[channelpenguin]

Excellent point!

[radiantfracture]

The ADHD advice is <3

[movingfinger]

3. I was forced to buy a machine that could and does run Windows 11 to do tax software! The Windows 10 laptop is still fine and could run the software if Intuit had written it that way.

Loved Legos - & be aware of the EAPlay fine print for the 'Mass Effect' offer

[melchar]

1 = Painting with Legos was very fun to watch!

6 = While 'Mass Effect' is an excellent game, the 'offer' being made is one of EA's sneaky gambits to make you [a] sign up for 'EA Play'** - & which will then

[[**Quote from website link to EA Play fine print = When you purchase EA Play from Sony that purchase will auto-renew at the then-current renewal subscription price (plus applicable tax or inclusive of applicable taxes based on billing address) on each renewal date, without any additional action by you, until you cancel. You may cancel your subscription at any time with the relevant Sony entity.]]

[b] charge you every month, quoting - from the link to EA Play on a different website:
How much does EA Play cost?
EA Play is just $5.99 a month or $39.99 for a full year. EA Play Pro is $16.99 a month or $119.99 for a full year.

So EA Play makes an offer for a 'special deal' on a game that you never actually own, but only rent from them. You can't get the game without signing up for EA Play & their EULA is very specific about how you never own the game. They did the SAME THING last month with 'Fallout 76'. No doubt they have another 'classic' game they will off come June.

Re: Loved Legos - & be aware of the EAPlay fine print for the 'Mass Effect' offer

[andrewducker]

You can *also* sign up for EA Play, but there's also the option to just buy the game.

Re: Loved Legos - & be aware of the EAPlay fine print for the 'Mass Effect' offer

[melchar]

I don't see an option to buy just the game on Steam. Maybe I'm just missing it, looking at the wrong offer - or that the 'first month is free for EA Play' hasn't kicked in yet.

But to buy the game at all it requires [stated in the 4 brown 'boxes' on the right column, right above the languages offered]:

Incorporates 3rd-party DRM: EA on-line activation and Origin client software installation and background use required.

Requires 3rd-Party Account: EA Account

Requires agreement to a 3rd-party EULA Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition EULA

EA Play subscription requires acceptance of EA Play Terms


and at the bottom of the system requirements, in smaller, non-bold fine print is:

INTERNET CONNECTION; EA ACCOUNT; STEAM ACCOUNT; ACCEPTANCE OF EA USER AGREEMENT (terms.ea.com); AND DOWNLOAD & INSTALLATION OF EA’S CLIENT SOFTWARE (origin.com/download) REQUIRED TO PLAY. EA’S PRIVACY & COOKIE POLICY APPLIES TO YOUR USE OF EA’S SERVICES. YOU MUST LINK YOUR EA AND STEAM ACCOUNTS TO PLAY; EA WILL SHARE YOUR ACCOUNT ID AND INDIVIDUAL GAME AND PLAY RECORDS WITH STEAM TO VALIDATE YOUR PURCHASE AND/OR REFUND REQUEST. ACCESS TO SOFTWARE CONTENT IS LIMITED TO ONE EA & ONE STEAM ACCOUNT & IS NON-TRANSFERABLE AFTER PURCHASE. YOU MAY NEED TO BE 13+ or 16+ TO REGISTER FOR AN EA ACCOUNT (AGE MAY VARY, SEE http://o.ea.com/ea/child-access FOR DETAILS). SOME CONTENT MAY REQUIRE GAMEPLAY TO UNLOCK. CONTENT UPDATES MAY BE DOWNLOADED AUTOMATICALLY, REQUIRE ADDITIONAL STORAGE, AND INCUR BANDWIDTH USAGE FEES. EA MAY PROVIDE CERTAIN FREE INCREMENTAL CONTENT &/OR UPDATES. EA MAY RETIRE ONLINE FEATURES AFTER 30 DAYS NOTICE POSTED ON ea.com/service-updates.

Re: Loved Legos - & be aware of the EAPlay fine print for the 'Mass Effect' offer

[channelpenguin]

Auto-renew in this style is standard on nearly everything in Germany. Plus very long notice periods on cancellation -if indeed it's even possible, often not even for 2 year contracts!

I think there's either just been out about to be a law change to make cancellations easier though. They do still have to be in writing/email. Phone call not valid.

[bens_dad]

5. Making a choice has a cost. Changing is another choice with another cost.
So is Not Changing, but it is also a declaration that you aren't playing anymore.

For 50% chance of five bucks I'll pick a cup, but if you are changing the rules, I don't really want to play.
A chance of another buck isn't really interesting; either you will or you wont give me five or six bucks. Could you go ahead and do or not do it, please ?

$5 to answer a question: fair enough.
$6 to answer two questions: You have reduced the rate; I don't wish to play again.

If you then keep offering me more I will trust you less, and perhaps I should keep saying no to make you offer even more ?