It's tipping/gift season again. People are struggling. So if you have the ability to ask yourself, what gifts should I give the teachers, delivery workers, staff, or person who provides a service in my life, cash is a great option. People love cash. Even small amounts of cash are nice.

QUESTION: Me and a couple other organizations are looking for businesses who would consider donating incense or smudge sticks or palo santo to about 35-45 volunteers and women impacted by incarceration for an upcoming event! DM me or visit our website at thurmanperryfoundation.org

One of my extra bright Hue bulb purchased five years ago just "burnt out" which is a much longer life than a traditional light bulb, but still a little soon for an LED. Surprisingly, all of my other Hue bulbs (some from 2012) are still going strong.

Okay, I guess. Pantone’s 2026 Color of the Year. 🥱

Did y'all know that the post office has dungeons and dragons stamps? store.usps.com/store/produc...

I am dying of laughter. I know we're not as excited by the Spotify Wrapped feature here, but mine put my listening age at 42 (I'm 47) while it put my teen's age at 79. My teen's top artist is Tchaikovsky (again).

We're not ready for the privacy implications of RF Sensing. Especially since it can be activated via software with no new hardware required. Today it can determine motion and eventually provide presence detection using Wi-Fi, ZigBee or other radios. Updates could provide even more details.

💵Reminder: You can get $10 off your @consumerreports.org subscription until the end of the year! 🎙️ And be sure to check out my delightful interview with @yaelwrites.com @gigastacey.bsky.social and @jefflandale.bsky.social , too! www.consumerreports.org/fdsd/

I hit up the Barnes Museum in Philly and I think I have grown out of liking Impressionism. Is this something that happens with age? Serraut still jams, but there may be just too many Renoirs in one place.

Interesting tool to see if the potential zombie devives on your network (or simply poorly secured devices) are up to no good.

When thinking about E2E encryption in a wearable, as opposed to the E2EE for messaging, we have to define "user data." Are we talking the raw data or the metrics such as heart rate variability or body temp? All of that is algorithmically generated using raw data from sensors.

So much fun talking holiday gifts alongside @gigastacey.bsky.social and @jefflandale.bsky.social for Carey Parker's podcast, @firewalldragons.bsky.social. And Bailey makes a guest appearance! podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2025/11/24/b...

For the love of humanity, don't buy kids in your life toys that require a cloud connection, much less anything with AI-powered chat ability. "...powered by Wi-Fi, powered by artificial intelligence, those types of things are red flags that a lot of children’s data might be collected here.”

Don't miss Monday's amazing show: my annual Best & Worst Gift Guide! This year I collaborated with three amazing people from @consumerreports.org : @yaelwrites.com @gigastacey.bsky.social and @jefflandale.bsky.social Subscribe here: firewallsdontstopdragons.com/podcast/

Today we're publishing our list of recommendations on how to build long-lived IoT devices. We're trying to address the factors that lead to your smart thermostat losing functionality or even dying altogether when the manufacturer decides to stop supporting it. It doesn't have to be this way.

Cybersecurity agencies from the Five Eyes have released joint guidance on how to deal with bulletproof hosting providers www.cisa.gov/resources-to...

Today we're publishing our list of recommendations on how to build long-lived IoT devices. We're trying to address the factors that lead to your smart thermostat losing functionality or even dying altogether when the manufacturer decides to stop supporting it. It doesn't have to be this way.

Is the gender neutral word for niece or nephew ... nibbling? Or does that just imply cute?

What’s behind Silicon Valley’s psychotic break with reality? Welcome to Apocalypse Capitalism. As one prominent tech VC put it: “Maybe if you aren’t trying to destroy the world, you’re not trying hard enough.” www.thenerdreich.com/silicon-vall...

I keep reading how the government is worried about depopulation, but even if we somehow increase the birth rate, killing those kids with cancer seems counterproductive.

My colleagues are asking the FTC and state attorneys general to take action against Meta for profiting off ads for scams that cost consumers billions. It's baffling to me that this company hasn't been fined or regulated out of existence. advocacy.consumerreports.org/press_releas...

Taught the second Pilates class. Completely forgot how to cue, count and correct. Apparently I can deliver only one well. Maybe one day I'll get to doing two at the same time.

This may be the first photograph of the mysterious Okka. In Japan it is known as a yōkai, with only a few old scrolls alluding to it. The reason for its elusiveness is the deadly poison it sprays around it. Those who have been close enough to see it, such as this photographer, have quickly perished.

If you need a little laugh today, please enjoy the 93yo artist June Leaf (RIP) answering the T magazine questionnaire by just telling her interviewer that the questions are dumb www.nytimes.com/2022/11/01/t...

Content you purchased online shouldn’t disappear if a publisher and a tech company get into a fight. www.digitalrightsbytes.org/topics/wait...

Kociemba has launched the No Longer Evil project, an open-source initiative aimed at breathing new life into decommissioned first- and second-generation Nest thermostats. www.techspot.com/news/110186-...

This time I only took #shittynorthernlightpics because of the cloud cover and a wee bit more light pollution.

Today is Veteran’s Day! Consider a donation to thurmanperryfoundation.org, named in memory of my deceased father Master Sgt. Thurman Perry Jr. The work we do is in my father’s name, who had a heart for aiding those returning to society from incarceration for many years tpfwoman2woman.funraise.org

Vote for Automatic Noodles. Also, you should read it first because it is a truly enjoyable story. And it's snack-sized!

I love this kid, especially because he chose to avoid coming forward to preserve a bit of mystery with his viral moment. I also cannot believe this is a 15 year-old.

So Marriot terminates their deal with Sonder, which then instantly folds travelers caught in the middle, no recourse Capitalism has entered a state of full creaky bullshit where you can’t count on contracts or transactions any component of the system can collapse and eat your money at any moment

I've been talking about building long-lived IoT devices for years. And why I hate to see functional devices lose their functionality when a company fails or walks away. This is very much on people's minds with the possible death of iRobot.

I just taught my first group Pilates class (I've been teaching one-on-ones for a while) and it was terrifying. But it felt amazing to be doing something new and scary. I definitely have a lot to learn.

It is especially insulting because the government isn't even spending our taxes in a legal manner. And we have to pay them. It's like if your local mob boss added a processing fee on top of whatever money he extorted from you. And that processing fee went to his friends.

So frustrating. Killing a free and easy way for Americans to file their taxes in exchange for a more complicated and or fee-based program from private companies is ludicrous. Why would a government want to make it difficult for citizens to pay their taxes?

The ACA and associated subsidies are a huge driver of entrepreneurship in our economy. So this idea that most people using ACA are unemployed grifters is demonstrably false. They are the people starting small businesses, freelancing, or those who cannot find full-time work.

Texting and messaging scam attempts have increased by 50% in the past year, with young adults ages 18-29 experiencing the sharpest rise of any age group. See our report with @aspendigital.bsky.social & @gca.bsky.social: innovation.consumerreports.org/2025-Consume... #CybersecurityAwarenessMonth

Another day. Another brutal review for Google's Gemini AI for smart home monitoring. Wirecutter following Ars with more tales of hallucinated animals.

It's Friday and you've probably had enough cyber... but I'm re-upping my story on this.weekinsecurity.com about how AI browsers are shipping with security bugs that put your private data (saved passwords, credit cards, browsing history) at risk. Here's why AI browsers aren't safe for general use.

New Podcast Episode: This Week in Tech: The Big Sleep The Great Router Ban with @leolaporte.me, Jill Duffy, Alex Stamos, @gigastacey.bsky.social

The @consumerreports.org cybersecurity testing lab has helped improve security for several connected products. We showcase a few examples of what they have found and how they work with companies to improve product security. Also, if you're building a connected device, encrypt your traffic.

"The best way to deal with this is to downgrade to the cheaper plan" is probably not the conclusion Google was hoping for.

This is a brutal review.

It's worth noting that some of the mechanisms the FCC cites as reasons the industry can be trusted to implement good cybersecurity practices are under threat or simply exist. For example, a banking group has asked the SEC to repeal a rule that requires companies to report attacks.

I testified to Congress that I believe the PRC operations prepositioning for disruptive effects in the US make it a bad idea to use TP-Link routers in millions of American homes. New reporting- the government appears to have reached the same conclusion! www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...

The @consumerreports.org cybersecurity testing lab has helped improve security for several connected products. We showcase a few examples of what they have found and how they work with companies to improve product security. Also, if you're building a connected device, encrypt your traffic.

Change one letter, ruin a candy. Shittles.

Change one letter, ruin a candy Death bar