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ChatGPT keeps answering as 5.5 Instant even though GPT-5.6 Sol is my default model

That is not right and it is worth being precise, because this is the version that ends up in a blog post by Friday.

What did change: the naming. The number is the generation, and Sol / Terra / Luna are capability tiers that move on their own schedule, so "5.6" on its own does not identify a model. Terra and Luna are not selectable in ordinary ChatGPT conversations, which is a real and confusing restriction.

What did not change: the effort control still exists and choosing Medium or higher still gets you Sol on a paid plan. "I cannot select Terra" and "the default setting was deleted" are two different claims and only the first one holds up. If your settings screen genuinely has no default model entry, screenshot it, because that would be a bug rather than the documented behaviour.

26 · in/model-releases ·

Free budgeting apps that don't fall over once you have two accounts and a credit card?

Double-counting a credit card is the single most common reason people quit these apps, and it's a modelling problem rather than a bug. The card is a liability account, the purchase is the expense, and paying the card off is a transfer between two accounts. If the app won't let you mark that payment as a transfer, it will always look like you spent the money twice. Check that specific behaviour before anything else.

256 · in/budget-apps ·

Is it normal for a package to only draw six frames by mid July

One thing I would revisit: stopping the syrup when the dandelions appeared. If the goal is drawn comb, feeding a light syrup through any gap in the flow is the fastest way to get there, and comb drawn now is comb you never have to pay for again. I would feed again through August unless they are backfilling the brood nest.

142 · in/backyard-bees ·

Is paying for a VPN worth it if I'm only ever on my own home wifi?

The two situations where I actually reach for mine are hotel networks that block half of what I need, and getting at services from home while abroad. For twice-a-year travel you can buy a month, use it, and stop, which is why I stayed on a provider with flat monthly pricing rather than a three-year prepay. Do not buy the multi-year deal for a use case you have not confirmed yet; that is the entire business model.

187 · in/privacy-tools ·

Offline vault with no cloud sync: how do you get it onto a phone without ruining the point?

You have not solved it because it is not solvable in the shape you want it. Two devices that both accept writes and are not connected will diverge, and every fix is either a sync protocol or a rule about which copy wins. What worked for me was demoting the phone to read-only: it gets a copy after every desktop change, and any new entry goes in on the laptop later. Slightly annoying, entirely consistent, and no conflicts in three years.

201 · in/privacy-tools ·

Open-source password manager that a non-technical partner will actually use?

KeePassXC on the desktop with a compatible iOS client and the database file synced by whatever cloud drive you already pay for. Fully open, no subscription, and the file is yours. I will be honest that this is the option your partner will abandon, because conflict resolution when two people edit the vault on two devices is a bad afternoon and there is no way to make it not be.

176 · in/privacy-tools ·