Asklemmy

My wife and I are constantly struggle with our remotes.

For whatever reason the AAA batteries in our remotes die within a month of replacing them. I got fed up with it, so we eventually switched from a Google TV to an Apple TV.

However, the Apple TV remote will not control our TV’s volume or power.

I have found a few different apps on the iOS App Store that are either not compatible or want us to spend 40 dollars annually for a universal remote.

I’m not opposed to spending 5-25 for an app, but IAP subscription for 40 annually is too rich for me.

Do you have any suggestions?

This is the app my wife prefers, but the free trial expires tomorrow.

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tv-remote-universal-control/id1539090879

The modern relationship between Russia and China is often portrayed as a burgeoning partnership, one driven by shared strategic interests in countering Western dominance. However, beneath the surface lies a more complex and fragile relationship, one that is shaped by historical tensions, diverging economic trajectories, mutual opportunism, and the influence of other key global actors.

1. Russia and China have shared an uneasy relationship. Despite ideological alignment during parts of the Cold War, the Sino-Soviet split in the 1960s underscored the deep mistrust between the two powers. Territorial disputes, ideological divergences, and competing ambitions in Asia have left scars that persist today, even as both nations publicly present a united front against perceived Western hegemony.

Implications: – Historical mistrust suggests potential fault lines that could be exploited to weaken the partnership. – Unresolved border issues could resurface, requiring close monitoring of regional military movements.

2. Russia’s pivot to China for energy exports has grown markedly since the imposition of Western sanctions in 2014 and their intensification following the Ukraine conflict. Projects like the Power of Siberia pipeline highlight this dependency. However, China’s diversification of energy sources, including investments in renewables and partnerships with Middle Eastern countries, limits its reliance on Russian energy. In 2023, bilateral trade between the two nations reached $190 billion, with China exporting high-tech goods to Russia while importing raw materials such as oil, gas, and timber. This dependency underscores an unequal partnership where China holds the leverage.

Projections: – By 2030, China is expected to reduce its reliance on Russian energy by 25%, as renewable projects and Gulf partnerships mature. – Russia’s GDP, already constrained by sanctions, is projected to grow only 1% annually, compared to China's 4-5%.

3. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) encroaches on Central Asia, a region Russia considers its sphere of influence. Similarly, China’s growing ties with Eastern European and Arctic nations challenge Russia’s geopolitical ambitions. Despite their growing economic ties, there is a clear power imbalance. Russia remains a resource-driven economy, heavily reliant on energy exports, whereas China has become the world's manufacturing hub and a leader in technological innovation. This discrepancy often leaves Russia at a disadvantage in negotiations, as China can leverage its economic size and diversification to dictate terms more readily than Russia can.

Recommendations: – Strengthen alliances with Central Asian nations (e.g., Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan) to counter China’s growing influence in the region. – Expand energy partnerships with Gulf states to further reduce China’s reliance on Russian resources. – Central Asia may become a flashpoint if Russia feels cornered by China’s expanding influence. – Arctic militarization could accelerate as both nations vie for dominance.

4. The trajectory of the Russia-China relationship is heavily influenced by the actions and alignments of other nations. India’s historical ties with Russia, primarily in defense procurement, provide Moscow with a counterbalance to China. However, India’s rivalry with China over border disputes and its alignment with the U.S. through the Quad alliance complicate this dynamic.

Insights: – India's growing economy (expected GDP growth of 6% annually) could present Russia with alternative trade and investment opportunities. – India’s procurement of Russian weaponry keeps Moscow relevant in global defense markets, but U.S.-India ties could dilute this influence.

5. China’s deepening ties with Saudi Arabia and the UAE position it as a key energy player in the Middle East, potentially sidelining Russia.

Insights: – Encouraging Gulf nations to diversify their energy exports further weakens Russia’s leverage over China. – Military Insight: Any instability in the Middle East could force China and Russia to reassess their global strategies, potentially leading to discord.

6. The EU’s sanctions on Russia and cautious engagement with China make it a critical player.

Insights: – Europe’s focus on renewable energy and reduced reliance on Russian gas will shift global energy markets, affecting the Russia-China dynamic. – Strengthening EU-China trade relations could incentivize Beijing to distance itself from Moscow.

7. While both Russia and China oppose U.S. dominance, their strategies diverge significantly.

Insights: – The U.S. pivot to the Indo-Pacific, coupled with NATO’s expansion, creates pressure points for both nations, but particularly for Russia. –The U.S. can exploit this divergence by engaging China economically while isolating Russia militarily.

Brief: Economic Independence: China’s diversification of energy sources and global trade partnerships limits its reliance on Russia. Technological Disparities: China’s advancements in AI, manufacturing, and green energy technologies further widen the gap between the two nations. Regional Rivalries: Central Asia and the Arctic are becoming contested zones, testing the limits of their partnership. Global Alliances: China’s need to maintain strong ties with Europe and the U.S. conflicts with Russia’s adversarial approach to the West.

It's hard to characterize in a single sentence, so I'll just break it down into its constituent parts.

The Beep

When the laundry cycle finishes it does the following:

• It beeps super loudly for 5 seconds
• If you don't run to switch it off, it will wait 30 more seconds and then continue to beep super loudly for 5 seconds
• If you switch it off whilst it's beeping, it will continue to finish its beeping
• There is no volume setting nor any way to switch this off.

The Door

When it's finished. It does not release. That beeping sound from earlier to tell you to come get your laundry? No no no, that was just the "come and watch me drain" alarm.

• Switching it off has no effect on the door release.
• It releases whenever it wants. It could be 5 minutes, it could be 20.
• When it does release, all you will get is a sound, so you better be around to hear it.
• If you miss this sound, it will lock itself again 10-15 minutes later and rotate your clothes.
• It will then repeat the release process.

HELP ME. HE-ELP ME.

Reddit never had to compete with a musician in search results.

Most of my original subs come from .world so I don’t know what’s worth following on .ml, lemmygrad, hexbear, etc.

Maybe I could even extend this question to what communities in non major instances are worth subing too.

Ok, here's the thing: Earlier this week I had the idea of setting up a Lemmy community focused on Lowpoly modeling done with PicoCad, Blockbench and Blender. I went with my Mastodon instance looking for feedback on community regulations. Then the admin of my instance contacted me to tell me if he wanted me to set up a whole Lemmy instance.

He told me it was something he had been thinking about for a while. He already has several projects in the fediverse: two Mastodon instances (TKZ.one and Mas.lat), one on Pixelfed (Pixelfed.es), one on Peertube (TKZ.video), etc. It's just that, as I wasn't familiar with Lemmy, I didn't know where to start, and as I'm one of the only ones in the instance that is active on Lemmy....

Lemmy is the second page, after Mastodon, where I've been messing around the most and I'm close to a year around here (it's not much, but it's something), so I'm pretty familiar.

The instance is already set up (Lem.to). At the moment it has nothing, since we just finished making it today. It will be focused on the Spanish-speaking public, although I don't rule out the possibility of bilingual communities (Spanish and English), although that remains to be seen.

So, I am asking for help to know how to get off to a good start in this new responsibility. I would like to do the best job possible and attract more users to Lemmy if possible. Any advice is welcome.

An older leader often has fewer long term stakes in the decisions they make, if they were to destabilize the economy or lead the country into conflict, they may not experience the full consequences of their actions, as their personal future is less affected compared to younger generations. Leadership at that level requires making decisions that will shape the long term future of a nation, and it’s crucial that those in power have a vested interest in that future. Additionally, presidents and politicians are public servants, and like any profession, there should be an age limit or retirement age to ensure the vitality, adaptability, and long term accountability necessary for effective leadership. At what age do you think they need to retire?

I am obsessed with entering competitions, and I've won quite a few by now (I got free tickets to the same music festival seven years in a row due to my dedication). I love hearing stories of what others win and how they use their winnings.

Have heard of it during the Tiktok ban and most comments about it seem positive.

I generally try to avoid using apps that are non-FOSS or opensource, and tried to use the website. I think it's my network provider, but I can't really use the site as it only seems to be available once every 2-3 reloads(I also use a private dns as without that it take 4-5 reloads). I also think that app users can easily change the interface language, as I couldn't find where the switch was on the website. Couldn't create an account because of the same too.

Is there any foss client for it? If not, is the app decent on privacy n all? I generally avoid meta apps, except Whatsapp(which is the major messaging app in India).

Also, what was your experience there? Most comments about the interactions seem very positive. But I have that doubt whether I'm being biased my pov as a leftist.
So I thought I could ask here and see the general opinion.

Thanks in advance.

I’ve been day dreaming about a social media platform built entirely on a peer-to-peer (P2P) model, leveraging the existing BitTorrent protocol. The idea is to decentralize content creation, distribution, and moderation, eliminating the need for centralized servers and control.

Here’s the high-level vision:

• Posts as Torrents: Every original post creates and seeds a torrent file on behalf of the OP.
• Upvotes as Seeds: Upvoting a post downloads and seeds the post, reinforcing its availability.
• Comments as Torrents: Each comment generates and seeds a torrent file somehow linked to the original post.
• Comment Upvotes as Seeds: Upvoting a comment downloads and seeds the comment, amplifying engagement.
• Text Only: to avoid exposing users to potentially graphic content (due to lack of centralized moderation) this platform would initially be limited to text content only. This would also drastically reduce the compute and bandwidth requirements of the seeder.
• Custom BitTorrent Clients: Open-source Social Media BitTorrent clients would display the most popular social media content by day, week, month, or year. These clients would allow users to seed only the content they find valuable thus organically moderating the network of ideas. Relevant content continues to be seeded and shared, while outdated or unpopular content fades due to a lack of seeds.

This setup seems like it could address key issues in traditional social media—privacy, censorship, and centralized control—while naturally prioritizing high-value content.

Why hasn’t a system like this been widely adopted? Is it a matter of technical limitations, lack of a viable economic model, or something else?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

My cousin in SoCal recently got on permanent disability last year. So he signed up for MediCal with Kaiser (his last provider), but now it’s 2025, he doesn’t seem to know if he needs to apply each new year.

Tried checking online, but SEO has made it impossible to find out easily. I just don’t want him missing out on enrollment if he needs to do it manually each year.

TIA to anyone who might know the logistics and how the system works. His mom seem is retired and seems 100% sure since he was put on MediCal in mid 2024, it automatically carries over and stays Kaiser. I just don’t want him missing out since he has seizures and his medication cost is high.

I'm looking to stock up on podcasts, whether in Mandarin, French or English. Don't worry about my tastes I'll sort it out later

But share good podcasts in other languages ​​if you know any (it might be useful for other people)

As the Titel says. I would like to learn piano. So I thought a Guitar Hero clone on PC with MIDI Keyboard support and community made levels would be a good idea.

Anybody knows of something like that?

I'm trying to build up my feed using rss, but some sites just don't have it or doesn't let me filter through it as thoroughly as I want to.

I found this website, rss.app, that seems to be the solution to these problems, but I never really heard of this site before. Is there anything I should know about it?

I'm asking because the site requires you to make an account there to use it which asks for your name and email address and I don't want some random company spamming my email.

The sequence of events as far as I can recall:

• Trump promised to ban TikTok
• TikTok was slated to be "banned" in the twilight of Biden's term
• Trump says he'd give it 90 days to make a decision
• Biden decides not to ban it, handing it off to Trump
• TikTok goes dark
• It returns, but if you search for something anti-Trump in the United States, you can't find it
• Using a VPN will give you that content
• Various news outlets are now calling it Trump's "Propaganda Arm"

What the fuck is going on? From a political or technological standpoint.

For the sake of the question, let's just assume that no apocalyptic event happens that wipes out the human race.

Hi Lemmy,

Apologies if this is a dumb question.

I have a trans person that I supervise and I know he is having a hard time after Trump's only two genders executive order.

Is there anything I can do to make sure that he feels supported at work?

I have regular check-in meetings with my staff so I was hoping to see how he was doing, but don't want to force him into an uncomfortable discussion.

Note: His performance is still excellent at his job so this isn't a "coaching conversation" or anything like that

Why are the journalist bending over to Musk?

i don’t really need advice yet, it’s just a question. a girl im friends with acts really odd. we are friends, and we used to talk a lot, but then she started getting quieter, making less eye contact.

she also started being tenser/snippy at times.

when she’s not snippy, she’s just very quiet, which is most of the time. sometimes she’ll scoot over next to me but then scoot away, or act like she wants to sit by me but then goes away.

she doesn’t seem to be acting rude at all or mad at me. she will be nice, like smiling and waving and saying “hello”, or energetic when she can respond over text, so i don’t believe i’ve done anything to hurt her, but it’s just been really odd. what, from your experience, make a friend start acting this way? (especially girl because idk about guy friend behaviors)

most of the time, she acts normal, and i appreciate our friendship, and she seems to not hate me or anything like i said

update: i asked bc i was curious abt her behavior as friends, not just wondering if she liked me or anything even if that’s the impression some of y’all get 😭

I’ve had several conversations/arguments recently with my brother making clear my system of values and my hatred for the wealthy. He is nearly diametrically opposed on all accounts and often makes light of their actions. He goes so far as to say that poor people and people in need of social services should have to figure things out for themselves. He often defends Elon Musk and champions him for being self made.

He is getting married in a foreign country soon and I have been able to put aside our differences and have been planning on going

…up until yesterday that is. I asked him of his thoughts on Musk’s seig heil maneuver and he sent a right wing meme of democratic leaders caught mid wave, saying that “they did it first”. He continued to be avoidant and didn’t respond to me calling it a strawman.

In this moment it feels necessary to cancel my plans to send a message that this is not ok. Am I the (or an) asshole for not going to his wedding because of this?

Am I projecting? What do you think, fellow lemmings?