Oiva Eskola

Hello there. I'm this guy and this is my home page. Below are all blog posts I have written since 2007. Some of them are silly, but self-censorship would be worse I guess.

Blog Posts

  • Feb 12, 2025

    TV Series Costs Are Bananas

    This tidbit about Apple TV+'s 'Severance' caught my eye: From Hollywood Reporter (via MacRumors):

    Puck reported that this season of Severance approached the price tag of $20 million per episode. Stiller declines to state a budget for the show, saying: “Both seasons have been interrupted by these force majeure things that threw everything upside down, so it’s never had a regular season where you could just say, ‘Yeah, this is what it is.’

    It's not anything new, but I always forget just how much money is poured into making these "prestige TV" shows. $20 million per episode.

    And apparently 'Severance' is not even the worst. The Marvel Cinematic Universe shows are said to have cost up to $25 million per episode:

    Disney is sparing no expense on programming, projecting a 2020 original content budget short of $1 billion. The Mandalorian is said to cost $15 million an episode, for instance, and a source pegs Marvel entries The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision and Hawkeye at as much as $25 million per episode. [Hollywood Reporter]

    Wikipedia naturally has a 'List of most expensive television series'.

    "Big" Finnish movies typically have budgets around 1–3 million euros, so with $20 million you could make like ten movies here!

    That's a very apples to oranges comparison for sure, but it's fun to think about what "more" you get production-wise for the $20M. Bigger stars, more expensive directors, lots of CGI... I bet the catering is better too.

  • Feb 11, 2025

    Hacker News Bots

    In 2011 I created a few Twitter bots that would find posts from Hacker News and post them to Twitter. The bots would only post links that had over 200, 250, or 500 points, so that you could follow the bot and only see the good (most upvoted) stuff on Hacker News.

    I recreated the bots in Mastodon after the great Twitter exodus in 2022. After that Twitter ended their API access and the bots ceased working there. Recently a person contacted me and requested to bring the bots also to Bluesky, which I now managed to do.

    Mastodon

    Bluesky

    There are multiple bots to let people balance the amount of links they see. Personally I like to 250 points level which posts around 10 links a day.

    The 750 and 1000 point accounts didn't exist before, but I added those now. I'm not sure, but I feel there's been some inflation in Hacker News, and more posts go over 500 points. Some data scientist somewhere has probably crunched the numbers.

    P.S. I'm a bit worried about the Bluesky accounts, as there doesn't seem to be a way to mark the profiles as being bots. Mastodon has a clear checkbox "this is an automated account" and I checked with Toot.community admins that it's OK to create these bots. We'll see how it goes with Bluesky.

  • Feb 7, 2025

    Everyday Carry

    I discovered "Slash Pages" somewhere and while I don't think these are very discoverable, some of them are good writing prompts.

    I started by documenting what I /carry everyday.

  • 3.2.2025

    Simulennon Airbus A321 -simulaattori

    Oiva näyttämässä peukkua Airbus-simulaattorin kapteenin penkillä onnistuneen laskeutumisen jälkeen

    Huomasin viime vuonna Instagramissa Simulento-nimisen yrityksen päivityksen: Joku oli rakentanut Helsingissä Airbus A321 -lentokoneen ohjaamon missä pääsi kokeilemaan Airbusilla lentämistä.

    Kiinnostuin, koska olen pelannut kotona Microsoft Flight Simulatorilla (MSFS) ja keskittynyt siinä nimenomaan Airbusin A320 -koneella lentämiseen.

    Lentosimulaattorit on yksi aihe, missä pelkään sanoa "harrastavani" jotain. Olen pelannut MSFS:a ehkä 80 tuntia ja osaan siinä lentää sen verran, että saan Airbusin yleensä ehjänä takaisin, autopilotilla tai ilman.

    Lentosimulaattorit on kuitenkin aihe, missä riittää ihan loputtomasti opeteltavaa ja Oikeat Harrastajat ovat opiskelleet lentämistä ja ilmailun sääntöjä niin paljon, että olisivat, tai ovat oikeasti päteviä lentämään.

    En itse jaksa enkä pysty panostamaan aiheeseen yhtä paljon, mutta tykkään kasuaalista liikennelentokoneella lentämisestä. Siinä on samaa hauskaa haastetta kuin kokkaamisessa: pitää hallita useampia aikakriittisiä tehtäviä ja samalla yrittää havainnoida mitä lentokoneelle tai lihapullille tapahtuu. Mutta en muista kenttien ICAO-koodeja tai lennonjohtotornien radiotaajuuksia ulkoa.

    Tutustumislento

    Halusin joka tapauksessa päästä kokeilemaan miltä lentäminen tuntuisi oikeassa ohjaamossa. Kotona pelaan joystickillä, näppäimistöllä, ja hiirellä. Sainkin "sattumalta" joululahjaksi lahjakortin Simulennon tutustumis­lennolle.

    Noin tunnin mittaisella tutustumislennolla käynnistetään lentokone, tehdään lentosuunnitelma, ja lennetään pieni lenkki Helsinki-Vantaan lentokentältä. Asiakas saa toimia koneen kapteenina, eli käytännössä nousta ja laskeutua. Simulennon pyörittäjä Mikko Saarvola toimii perämiehenä ja opastaa koneen lentämisessä.

    Simulaattori

    Simulennon simulaattori sijaitsee Helsingin Alppilassa. Mikko on rakentanut A321:n ohjaamoa vuodesta 2020. Minulla ei ole kokemusta kuin MSFS:ta, mutta ohjaamo vaikutti omaan silmään hyvin aidolta. Mitään hydrauliikkoja ei ole, eli ohjaamo ei heilu, mutta en tiedä miten paljon se toisi lisää tavanomaisessa lentelyssä.

    Äänet on vakuuttavat, ja esimerkiksi maassa rullatessa kentän epätasaisuudet huomaa hyvin – penkkeihin asennetut "bass shakerit" auttaa tässä.

    Simulennon simulaattori on rakennettu toisen tunnetun simulaattoripelin, X‑Plane Pro:n päälle. Jos ymmärsin oikein, niin itse rakennetun ohjaamon liittäminen peliin on toteutettu paremmin X‑Plane:ssa kuin MSFS:ssa.

    MSFS:n etu taas on omaan silmään paremmat grafiikat. Ympäristö on mallinnettu luomalla satunnaisia taloja OpenStreetMapin karttadatan perusteella, eli talot ovat oikealla paikalla ja usein oikean kokoisia, mutta eivät oikean näköisiä. Lisäksi MSFS:ssa on käsin mallinnettu kuuluisia taloja ja nähtävyyksiä.

    Grafiikoilla ei toki kauheasti ole väliä kun lennetään korkealla, mutta loppulähestymiseen olisin kaivannut enemmän tuttuja maamerkkejä.

    Kaiken kaikkiaan simulaattorilla lentäminen oli tosi mukava kokemus. Kotona PC:llä virtuaaliohjaamon nupikoiden kääntäminen hiirellä on aina vähän kankeaa. Oikeiden vipujen ja rullien käyttäminen simulaattorissa on paitsi selkeää, myös tuntuu hyvältä. Laskusiivekkeiden laskeminen oikealla vivulla *thonk* on vain hauskempaa kuin joystickin "flaps down" -napin painaminen.

    Hinta

    Tutustumislennolla oli hintaa 60 €, mistä olen vähän kahta mieltä. Oletan, että lentosimulaattorien käyttäjäkunta on paljolti kaltaisiani keski-ikäisiä miehiä, ja varsinkin lahjaksi annettavasta lennosta voisi mielestäni pyytää helposti enemmänkin.

    Mikko perusteli halpaa hintaa sillä, että haluaa tarjota isommalle joukolle mahdollisuuden päästä kokeilemaan lentämistä ja varsinkin nuorilla hinta voi nopeasti tulla esteeksi. Tämä on kieltämättä hieno tavoite. Taviksille suunnatuilla kilpailijoilla vastaavat lennot ovat 100–200 € ja Finnairin simut noin 500 € / h.

    Mutta toisaalta toivon, että Simulento tuottaa tarpeeksi rahaa, jotta toimintaa on mielekästä jatkaa ja pääsen joskus toisenkin kerran kun ruuhkavuodet vähän hellittää.

    Kannattaa käydä kokeilemassa jos vain aihepiiri kiinnostaa yhtään!

  • Jan 31, 2025

    There are no simple videos

    I sometimes watch train videos on YouTube. They seem simple: strap a camera in front of a train and shoot the train running its route. For example:

    There are tons of these "cab view" videos on YouTube. I quite like them because I like trains (choo-choo!) and I also like to see driving videos if those are more your thing.

    Having seen a few of these, I noticed I kind of disliked some of them. Even when the concept is so simple (train + camera + time), there are still ways to make them "good" or "bad."

    This got me thinking about how many creative decisions you can and need to make, even in a seemingly simple project like a "train video."

    So just for fun, I started to enumerate these decisions. This might not be a very useful thing to do, but I need to stop thinking about this :)

    What's the purpose of the video?

    Many of the following creative decisions come down to the purpose of the video. Who is the video for, and what does it try to achieve? The purpose could be one of:

    1. You want to showcase your beautiful country and the vistas along the route. The train is the 'camera' that films these incredible places.

    2. Same but different; maybe you want to show what it would be like to travel on this route as a passenger. Take the viewer on a journey they wouldn't otherwise be able to take.

    3. You want to show how exciting (or dull) it's like to drive a train along a certain route, for example, a busy local line in Tokyo. Maybe the driver is visible on screen.

    4. ...or you have a train and a camera and just want to document the track without thinking the viewer too much.

    Before filming

    • What route do you choose? The most beautiful, interesting, or longest? Or the one you happen to have access to? Are you slowly documenting every piece of track that exists?

    • What happens if it's raining? Do you try again later or go with it? There are some Finnish videos where rain makes the video worse because you are either looking at water droplets on the window or a windshield wiper swishing around.

    • Do you shoot introductory footage of the actual train beforehand? It can be nice to know what kind of train we are riding. Especially if it's some special attraction train.

    Black Ship Train, Japan's 'most luxurious local train'.
    'Black Ship Train', Japan's "most luxurious local train." From Driver's View of IZUKYU Resort21, from Izukyu Shimoda to Izukogen.

    Picture

    • Where do you put the camera? Do you have access to the engine and can place the camera on the windshield? Or are you filming through a transparent wall behind the driver? You'll see the driver, but don't see the track as well.

      • Do you attach the camera outside? Do you also record sound outside? That can be of low quality.

      • How do you attach the camera? Can you dampen shaking from the train or do this in post? (I don't know if that's possible or not.)

    • What is visible on screen? The driver? Parts of the engine? If you are showcasing a beautiful route, then probably nothing else should be on the screen.

      Screenshot from a Swiss train video. The image is framed so that the train is not visible. The view is beautiful with the railroad tracks laid in the banks of a lake.
      Example 1: The focus is in the view. Screenshot from St-Triphon - Lausanne - Basel cab ride
      Screenshot from a Japanese train video. Parts of the engine or cabin are visible framing the tracks, and a windshield wiper is resting on the window. The track goes through a snowy Japanese city with two-storey houses and what looks like a mountain ridge in the horizon.
      Example 2: parts of the engine are visible. Screenshot from Takayama Line Wide View Express Train "Hida" No.3 Nagoya to Toyama, Japan
      Screenshot from a Japanese train video. The train driver in a round hat is visible in the left part of the image and parts of the train's controls in front of him. The train is going through a big Japanese city with at least five tracks going side by side.
      Example 3: The train's driver is doing their job. Screenshot from Let's Ride The Yamanote Line In Tokyo

    • Of course all the normal decisions for capturing images apply here too: a sensible exposure, and you'll probably want a deep depth of field.

      • Frame rate? 60 fps is probably good for smooth motion.

    Sound

    • Are you allowed or able to record sound in the engine? The signal sounds can be meaningful if you want to depict the driver's role.
    • If you are filming a passenger train, do you want ambient sound from the passenger side as well? The conductor's announcements are one key part from a passenger's point of view.
    • Do you add music to your video? (Don't.)

    Editing

    Alright, you have all the footage in the can, but we are not done!

    • Maybe the video should have an introduction of the route or the train? These can be valuable to place the viewer.
    • During the trip, the train stops at a station. Do you include the whole time the train is standing still, cut it away, or fast-forward? Sure, it's very boring to just wait there for a few minutes, but it's also not "realistic" to skip it. You could also add a countdown timer telling when the train is about to depart and let the viewer skip the wait if they choose so.
      • A very long tunnel appears. Cameras have trouble adapting to darkness, and the following two minutes are just darkness? Do you cut that?
      • The train has to make an unscheduled stop in the middle of nowhere. Do you fast-forward or cut that?
    • What labels do you add to the video? Names of stations probably should be there, but what about other noteworthy places?
      • Should you label the tunnels or bridges and their lengths? Could be interesting, or at least set the expectation how long the tunnel will take.
        Screenshot from train video showing a tunnel. A label on screen says 'Fürten II Tunnel, 609 m (1913)'
        Basel - Kandersteg - Brig Re 6/6 cab ride
      • Are you educating the viewer about things the driver needs to observe? Speed limits, signals, etc. You could label all these, but it's a ton of work.

    Some sort of conclusion

    The list of decisions here is not an exhaustive list, but what came to mind watching these videos. A more free-form video would have a ton more decisions to make, including editing multiple shots together, pacing, and sound design.

    I guess the point I'm making here is that any creative endeavor that tries to be good comes with tons of creative decisions to make. Thinking about them is easier if you have some sort of idea of the purpose of the work, or in this case who is the viewer and how to serve them. I've seen too many time-lapse and drone videos that suffer from not having an idea and just dumping all footage they have on hand. Be a bit more mindful!

  • 27.1.2025

    Storytel Readerin korvaaminen Onyx Boox tabletilla

    Storytel-lukulaitteen valmistus on lopetettu, mutta sen voi korvata Onyx Boox-tabletilla →

  • 22.1.2025

    Mastodon vs. Threads vs. Bluesky

    Vikasietotila-podcastissa oli hyvä jakso Twitterin korvaajien eroista →

  • Jun 28, 2020

    Youtube recommendations

    Some youtube videos I've like recently →

  • Oct 31, 2019

    Technical learnings from InfoToggle

    Technical aspects of InfoToggle →

  • Oct 21, 2019

    InfoToggle

    I'm creating a SaaS called InfoToggle →

  • Nov 24, 2016

    A Winter Mountain Bike

    After some unfortunate bike-thieving-events half a year ago I was left with only one bike: a White road bike. It's a good bike, I even scored a pair of carbon wheels for it. →

  • Jan 20, 2016

    Stories about switching to Fuji

    Some experiences from folks who've switched to from Nikon to Fuji systems, something I might be doing as well. Many of these talk about Fuji's X-T1 which is the big brother of the X-T10 I'm interested in but also about the reasons for switching. →

  • Jan 19, 2016

    Next camera: Nikon vs. Fujifilm

    Buying a camera in 2016 is hard. What kind of camera should you buy? →

  • Aug 18, 2015

    Most Popular Black Ops II Multiplayer Maps

    Call of Duty: Black Ops II is a 2012 first-person shooter game for the previous generation consoles (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U). While the game is a bit old, its multiplayer mode is still insanely popular. →

  • Aug 11, 2015

    Airbnb is a reservation tool

    During a recent road trip to Croatia we booked most of our accommodation through Airbnb. We hadn't booked anything in advance and at the height of the summer season there were no cheap hotels left. Airbnb had much more choice and prices were reaso... →

  • Aug 11, 2015

    Back to Work Reading List

    Back to Work is a great podcast about productivity, communication and many other things. From time to time the hosts Dan and Merlin recommend books and comics they've read. The books cover a wide range as well, from Buddhism to Unix to cooking. →

  • Apr 17, 2015

    Does Meditation Suppress Bad Memories?

    The other day I stumbled upon a Facebook argument about meditation: is it about suppressing bad memories, or processing bad memories? The person thinking meditation suppresses memories naturally considered it harmful, and a possibly dangerous fad. →

  • Mar 17, 2015

    Trade one hour of your time for one solid idea

    You go into the woods and come back with an idea. How does that work? →

  • Feb 23, 2015

    What to do with my blog

    It seems that blogs are more or less on their way out. On the other hand people publish more material than ever, but it's divided into a multitude of services based on content and context. Personal life updates go to Facebook, vacation photos to I... →

  • Jan 16, 2015

    This is Water

    This is Water from Patrick Buckley on Vimeo. →