If you're tech support for family and friends who have to use/upgrade Windows, something else to worry about: Windows 11 possibly turning on Bitlocker if they sign in with a Microsoft account, etc., even on the home version, without warning or permission www.tomshardware.com/software/win...

Opossum would like everyone to know if you live somewhere where you can leave the leaves- that’s where the tastiest snacks are😄

I highly recommend looking closely at the teeny tiny spiders you pass by😄 #Arachtober

I've started checking AP, Reuters, and UPI regularly, but still feel like I'm starting to run out of news sites, here. www.them.us/story/bari-w...

Apple is amazing at what it does, but its corporate goal is most definitely not to bring computing to the masses. There's probably a billion people of meager means who have a smartphone, but no other computer they personally own. And they may have a billion friends even poorer, that they share with.

Last week a museum docent pounced and started telling me all about how lucky I was to see an exhibit, before I had a chance to pull out an earbud. If people really don't notice chonky black stems in my ears, maybe I'd better get something brighter, for safety's sake.

countdown until the new "share gem" thing at Google Gemini is weaponized by spammers/scammers...

None of the reports I have seen so far have tried to explain where the "stray bullet" came from, which is kinda telling. Bullets just happen these days, like backhoes: www.wfaa.com/article/tech...

Nexstar is in the process of trying to merge with TEGNA. If they succeed, people may find this list of TEGNA TV stations handy: www.tegna.com/brands/

Nexstar helpfully publishes a list of its TV stations: www.nexstar.tv/stations/

I have wondered why some people who are at high inherited risk of fatal diseases refuse to get tested, because they may miss out if treatments are discovered while they're still in an early enough stage to benefit. Looks like one of those discoveries just happened. www.bbc.com/news/article...

A few minutes ago I saw something streaking past the south windows of our house, then a double flash through the door in the east. Didn't hear anything, though.

Just found out the Nova Launcher for Android is now dead, no longer maintained: teslacoilapps.com/nova/solong.... Been using it off and on since Jellybean or ICS, I think? Especially with e-reader type devices, lately. Nova Prime (premium upgrade) was my very first purchase on the Google App Store.

You want to be alive, but they want you dead. We’re a new, well, funded democratic group that thinks you can meet them halfway.

Google's Daily Listen podcast thing calls GNOME "g-nomey," and I think that's it's name now; works for me.

I wish I could get news aggregators not to recommend any article that can be summarized as 'just stories copied off Reddit.'

Let me point out the bent laptop in the lower left hand corner of the teaser image for this article, and how the screen itself still looks flat. How does that even happen? Maybe it was open on a couch, and someone sat on it?

I never saw a notification of this Corsair Memory class action before now. It's good Tom's is reminding us: www.tomshardware.com/pc-component...

Texas Dems: got a poll asking me whether I'd choose Colin Allred or James Talarico for US Senate in the primary. Hadn't even looked up Talarico before. He's probably the most progressive. I don't want to settle for a centrist, but which of them can beat Paxton or Cornyn in the actual election?

If nano banana makes it into phones, I look forward to telling people, 'I can't hear you, I have a nano banana in my ear.' www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwsm...

I just heard someone say "six cubic truckloads." I guess they're box trucks?

Watching this video 10 times has significantly improved my mood.

Just saw someone still arguing that people should leave X because it's a nazi bar, but then pointing to their article on Substack. 🙄

Earlier: The Texas GOP has had years to prioritize critical disaster-response legislation but has instead refused to engage with hundreds of related proposed bills to better prepare for disasters and ensure more resilience to climate change.

Fun thing to do on Facebook: Start blocking every suggested post, and hide all the ai-slop reels they try to shove at you. After a few pages you'll get this error message, below. Hit the bug in the corner and remind them they could just give you the posts from your friends that you came to see.

Not all cargo bikes are used to carry children and shopping

"I just find it amusing that you came from somewhere."

Tim Cook pathetically kisses Trump's ass by pretending him with a "24 karat gold" gift

Finally deleted my Substack account a couple days ago, and it was surprising how many progressive and nature-oriented newsletters were still using them. Weirdly, I've had at least 3 messages today saying I've been signed up for new ones, for people/causes I don't recognize.

UPS management is evil. It's hard to boycott them when you don't know who an online store may ship through, but avoid them if you can. Of course, if you can get what you need locally that's better.

Using my ancient Beatport account to dig for new music to stream in the middle of the night. I went in looking for chill room, but just found "Tropical Bleyage" in psytrance, instead. Sure, why not? www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Uk7...

We just added 100 more Texas agencies using Flock Safety automated license plate readers to the Atlas of Surveillance. As police tech spreads, you can count on EFF to track it and fight for your rights. www.atlasofsurveillance.org/

Just heard on local public radio (KXT): www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyhz...

The woman who married me said what attracted her to me was that I was kind. Men: the love of my life was not wrong. Be kind. We need more of that and less alpha male BS. Hollywood has done you a disservice. Joe Rogan and other “male” influencers have steered you wrong. It’s simple. Be kind.

sticky

I cannot believe I haven't muted "love island" here yet. Or on Mastodon, apparently.

Followed this at about 1 AM on my bed, but at least I had a full replacement fan/heat pipe assembly. I never want to repair that laptop again; there's like a dozen cables with at least 4 types of connectors. www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4QX...

"don't sing if you want to live long they have no use for your song"

Suddenly remembered the xAI chatbot has chosen a pronoun, and we should respect that, and not deadname it. So "MechaHitler," from now on.

Looks like some lenders have forgotten what caused the 2008 housing market crash. Even better, unlike subprime mortgages, these are completely unsecured loans; it's not like they can repossess 'horse armor' or the burritos from your party last week.

Just finished watching all the Murderbot episodes tonight, except, oh no, I was one week early. Last one of the season comes out on the 10th.

Catastrophic flooding hit Kerrville overnight. Fourth of July revelers and campers are feared lost in the floodwaters.

all walks of life out there trying to survive in the gig economy

Heavy bass from a car passing on the street and thunder overhead compete with the sound of fireworks going off in the rain. In North Texas people don't wait for the actual holiday to shoot them off, because that's when the cops are watching for them.

'baby, you're a firework'

35W bridge Minneapolis, MN 6/29/25

your chicken sandwich is boring because you forgot the pickles

Vaccination schedules on the CDC website have already started changing under RFK Jr. So we published a guide to the evidence-based vaccine recommendations in place *before* all 17 members of the advisory panel were abruptly dismissed by the new admin. www.scientificamerican.com/article/see-... 🧪

some history. www.smithsonianmag.com/history/a-ce...