GeekNights Monday - Science and Technology

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about the dangers of trying to mandate age verification on the Internet. In the news, Discord embarks on a disastrous age verification scheme, Anthropic is mad that other "AI" companies are using their product, and Goldman Sachs launches an AI-free index.Related LinksForum ThreadAge Verification on the InternetDiscord ChatAge Verification on the InternetBluesky PostAge Verification on the InternetThings of the DayRym - Unicode ExplorerScott - The Sharp PC-2000 Computer Boombox from 1979

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss webcams. In the news, ICE murdered another person in broad daylight with video and witnesses, and Senate Democrats are willing to shut the government down over continued funding of ICE. Call your senators today. No funds for ICE: abolish, dismantle, and prosecute.In other news, Europe may ban Elon Musk's nonconsensual porn machine and France is planning to build a video conferencing tool to reduce dependence on American technology.Related LinksForum ThreadWebcamsDiscord ChatWebcamsBluesky PostWebcamsThings of the DayRym - RESOURCE: Just how advanced WERE the Maya?Scott - Ignoring Lithium Battery Safety Warnings.. For Science!

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss tech bubbles like the Dot-com bubble. Unrelatedly here's a video by Hank Green titled The State of the AI Industry is Freaking Me Out, and a video by Adam Conover titled Sora Proves the AI Bubble Is Going to Burst So Hard. In the news, nearly 7 million Americans marched in defense of democracy, Amazon AWS went down Sunday night reminding us how fragile the Internet has become, and the end of Windows 10 shouldn't be ignored.Related LinksForum ThreadTech BubblesDiscord ChatTech BubblesBluesky PostTech BubblesThings of the DayRym - The Hammond A-100 OrganScott - Mac Source Ports

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss fitness tech like heart rate monitors and Strava and Dance Dance Revolution. In the news, Tik Tok has a dubious deal to keep operating in the US and the regime has plans for the algorithm. Also go see Perfect Blue remastered while you can. And read The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.Related LinksForum ThreadFitness TechDiscord ChatFitness TechBluesky PostFitness TechThings of the DayRym - KNIGHTS OF GUINEVERE: PILOTScott - 86box

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about specific mice. Mice we've used over the years, since the days of balls. In the news, Google dodges consequences in the US but not in the EU, Google is sued yet again for their advertising monopoly, and Google is looking to flood the phone lines of tiny businesses.Related LinksForum ThreadSpecific MiceDiscord ChatSpecific MiceBluesky PostSpecific MiceThings of the DayRym - Ti-85 Megademo (Calculator demonstration)Scott - The Old Robots Web Site

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about the modern marvel that is video chat. In the news, Perplexity is using undeclared crawlers to scrape content, Samsung has a crazy Micro LED TV, real life ad block is possible, and Trump is forming the American SS.The next GeekNights Book Club book will be The Running Man, by Richard Backman, who you may know better as Stephen King.Related LinksForum ThreadVideo Chat and TeleconferencingDiscord ChatVideo Chat and TeleconferencingBluesky PostVideo Chat and TeleconferencingThings of the DayRym - Survival food - dandelion seedsScott - blahaj goes to waffle house at 3am

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss audio interfaces. Rym uses a PreSonus Studio 1810c to record GeekNights, and as his general purpose "sound card" in the studio.In the news, the CEO of GitHub steps down, you can consider Forgejo if that worries you, Reddit will block the Internet Archive, and Trump illegally forces the National Guard to deploy to the streets of Washington DC.Related LinksForum ThreadComputer Audio InterfacesDiscord ChatComputer Audio InterfacesBluesky PostComputer Audio InterfacesThings of the DayRym - Map of Queens NY, ExplainedScott - The Pianolizer

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider why there, broadly, aren't major consumer technology developments lately. In the news, Debian reduces support for i386 and Chrome OS is combining with Android. Also we'll be live at PAX West!Related LinksForum ThreadWhy there's no big tech newsDiscord ChatWhy there's no big tech newsBluesky PostWhy there's no big tech newsThings of the DayRym - The ‘Goal’ That Changed The NHL ForeverScott - Hot Spring Shark Attack

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the blinky lights and LEDs the kids are putting on everything including their computers. In the news, Windows 10 has extended security support, Broadcom is desperate to monetize VMware, and the EU forced Apple to comply, at least in the EU.Related LinksForum ThreadBlinky LightsDiscord ChatBlinky LightsBluesky PostBlinky LightsThings of the DayRym - NHL: Refs Mic'd Up Part 2Scott - Balatro for the Nintendo E-Reader

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider toilets, washlets, and bidets. (Oh my). In the news, some context on the current Iran conflict, and Apple WWDC25 was mostly uneventful other than keeping old devices going for a while yet.Related LinksForum ThreadToilets and Bidets and WashletsDiscord ChatToilets and Bidets and WashletsBluesky PostToilets and Bidets and WashletsThings of the DayRym - Explaining the Most Bizarre Piano Etude of the 19th CenturyScott - Restoring the Buran

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss capacity management. It's changed a lot over the years. In the news, evil people are trying to accelerate climate change, and a silly camera is coming.Related LinksForum ThreadCapacity ManagementDiscord ChatCapacity ManagementBluesky PostCapacity ManagementThings of the DayRym - Lemmings: How DMA Design Redefined Puzzle GamesScott - What's the Longest Trip You Can Make With a MetroCard?

Tonight on GeekNights, we muse a bit on the problem of discoverability. Nearly all experience is mediated, and this includes deciding what web site to look at. In the news, Rym is back from Zenkaikon, Moon Zooz is continuing to rock it, the cosmological constant might not be, niri is a scrollable-tiling Wayland compositor, and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is a dangerous idiot.Related LinksForum ThreadThe Discoverability ProblemDiscord ChatThe Discoverability ProblemBluesky PostThe Discoverability ProblemThings of the DayRym - I Drove to Every McDonald's in AmericaScott - FamiTracker

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about MIDI. The Musical Instrument Digital Interface, which is still in use today. In the news, Donkey Kong ‘94 is re-released on Switch, Youtube adds translated dubbing, and Ontario (rightly) taxes Americans using their energy.Related LinksForum ThreadMIDIDiscord ChatMIDIBluesky PostMIDIThings of the DayWater your yard FOR FREE !!!Rym - Sound Blaster AWE32 2MB (MIDI bank)Scott - Heated Driveway in Buffalo

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider Windows 11 and the fools who refuse to upgrade. In the news, the iPhone 16e arrives, Gmail is (correctly) dropping SMS two-factor, Twitch is capping uploads for 0.5% of streamers, and Germany represents a profound realignment of global politics.Related LinksForum ThreadWindows 11Discord ChatWindows 11Bluesky PostWindows 11Things of the DayRym - SS United States — finally — departs South PhillyScott - Dragonsweeper

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss electronic payments. We grew up in a world where credit cards were imprinted on carbon paper and cheques were on physical paper. In the news, the Baltics have disconnected from the Russian power grid, Football Manager 25 will be skipped, and there's one weird trick to stop Google's terrible AI summaries.Related LinksDiscord ChatElectronic PaymentsForum ThreadElectronic PaymentsBluesky PostElectronic PaymentsThings of the DayRym - Sounds between the Crowns (2020)Scott - Destroying and Reprogramming the Sprite Engine of Ghosts 'n Goblins

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider all the ways to sell software. From shareware to software-as-a-service to "just buying it" it's evolved quite a bit over the years. In the news, CES happened, Republicans killed net neutrality, and Pornhub is blocked in the entire US south. Also we will be live at MAGFest, which is imminently about to sell out.Related LinksForum ThreadWays to Sell SoftwareDiscord ChatWays to Sell SoftwareBluesky PostWays to Sell SoftwareThings of the DayRym - Rondò Veneziano - La SerenissimaScott - Blade Runner-Electric Unicorn fan release- deleted scenes

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about Terminals. From the VT100 to any modern Terminal Emulator, they are still a part of the computing world and are worth knowing about. In the news, Jimmy Carter has died at 100, Chinese state-sponsored hackers attacked the US Treasury, and a hero has defeated a fake Nintendo lawyer.Related LinksDiscord ChatTerminalsForum ThreadTerminalsBluesky PostTerminalsThings of the DayRym - LineScott - Natural Number Game

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about drones. In the news, the common clay of the New West think they're seeing nefarious drones everywhere and we have WordPress vs WP Engine.Related LinksForum ThreadDronesDiscord ChatDronesBluesky PostDronesThings of the DayRym - 1-900-490-FREAKScott - Elevator Music

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider blogging. In the news, Roblox is making a closed ecosystem Discord competitor, the US gave Intel a pile of money, and Intel's CEO hit the bricks. Rym has also consolidated all of his social media into rym.social and talks about how he set up cross-posting across microblog, Mastodon, and Bluesky.Related LinksForum ThreadBlogsDiscord ChatBlogsBluesky PostBlogsThings of the DayRym - Staring at Rupees for 17 hoursScott - The Network of Time

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about widgets. Mostly status and telemetry widgets that people like to put on their desktops or their phones. They have their uses, but are usually useless. In the news, Cloudplane is shutting down in December, Adobe's Project Turntable is stunning, and Tesla's robots were (obviously) fake.If you are able to vote in the United States, make a plan to vote. You can't sit this one out. You can't vote for a "third party." It's frankly unethical to do anything but vote straight ticket for Democrats.There are two power-seeking coalitions in America. Choose the one that you want setting the rules for the next election. The Democrats are the literal best option we have. Do the right thing.Related LinksForum ThreadWidgetsDiscord ChatWidgetsThings of the DayRym - An undulating thrillScott - Asian Hockey Card Collection

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about cores and concurrency and threads and such. Also Rym and Emily fought a bear. In the news, Intel's chip instability saga has concluded, and Python 3.13.0 is pretty good.Related LinksForum ThreadMulticore Multiprocess Concurrency and SuchDiscord ChatMulticore Multiprocess Concurrency and SuchThings of the DayRym - How Mei Blows Up the GameScott - Popular Science (May 1872)

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the evils of web trackers and analytics. They are used almost exclusively to feed the ad industry and you should block them wherever possible. Rym has installed the microcode patch for some Intel chips and you should too if you have one of them.In the news, Microsoft is moving to a security-first posture, nostalgia accounts on social media are making up nonsense, and chatbots are intruding into and slowly ruining online social spaces.Related LinksForum ThreadWeb Trackers and AnalyticsDiscord ChatWeb Trackers and AnalyticsThings of the DayRym - We Spent $20 To Achieve RCE And Accidentally Became The Admins Of .MOBIScott - Magician's Brick

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the sad state of the technology creeping into car dashboards. In the news, the US Supreme Court has disastrously ruled that the president is above the law in extreme and shocking complicity with authoritarian takeover. In other news, some good Python development practices and Apple cramming AI into their largely failed Vision Pro.Related LinksForum ThreadCar Dashboard TechDiscord ChatCar Dashboard TechThings of the DayRym - Small BIRDS 8K ULTRA HD with Names and SoundsScott - Can You Make It Bigger?

Tonight on GeekNights, it's a Tech News Roundup! Mouse movers are getting people fired but are also a sign of late stage capitalism, social media is messing up the kids, don't operate your i9 at turbo voltages when it's overheating, Adobe is mostly wrong here but also read what you buy, this is a good car that will never reach the US, data breaches are getting worse as people care less and less that they happen, Wine patches bug 7955 after 17 years, the Pentax 17 is bad, Apple cancels Apple Pay Later, New York gets digital IDs (sort of), Microsoft slow rolls Recall after backlash, and Voyager 1 still lives!Related LinksForum ThreadTech News Roundup Summer 2024Discord ChatTech News Roundup Summer 2024Things of the DayRym - ZEUS, POSEIDON & HADESScott - TerminalTextEffects

Tonight on GeekNights, we make some technology predictions for one, five, and ten years into the future. We did this once back in 2010. In the news, Ticketmaster and Santander have massive data breaches, Google accidentally published its secret search sauce, Twitter adds pornography, and Rubin is the next generation AI chip.Related LinksForum ThreadTech Predictions for 2025, 2029, and 2034Discord ChatTech Predictions for 2025, 2029, and 2034Things of the DayRym - Balance (1989)Scott - The Panzerbike

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss markup languages like Markdown. In the news, Rym posted an analysis of strange noises in Sportsnet NHL streams, the ship that broke Baltimore Harbor has been removed, you can read a paper exploring The consequences of generative AI for online knowledge communities, and there are new iPads.Related LinksForum ThreadMarkup LanguagesDiscord ChatMarkup LanguagesThings of the DayRym - Come stay in a $40 2/10 hotel with me for an evening.Scott - Non-Euclidean Doom:

Tonight on GeekNights we talk about when technology fails. Dead PSUs, dead hard drives, and the like. In the news, there is a vulnerability in practically all VPNs and Tesla is firing everybody after they fired a bunch of people.Related LinksForum ThreadTechnology FailuresDiscord ChatTechnology FailuresThings of the DayRym - Why Stomping Wigglers Glitches Super Mario WorldScott - The Unique Urination of Cicadas

Tonight on GeekNights we consider what A New TV in 2024 looks like. In the news, the Stanley Cup Playoffs are underway, GameCube and Wii emulators won't work on iOS due to Apple's ban on just-in-time compilation, and Meta really makes money from all the data they collect about you.Related LinksForum ThreadA New TV in 2024Discord ChatA New TV in 2024Things of the DayRym - 90s computer room ✨🛰️ 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝟗𝟓 𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐠𝐢𝐚𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 🎧 extended versionScott - MAPSCII

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the ramifications of a ridiculous Texas law being argued before the Supreme Court, and its ramifications for the imperfect but valuable Section 230. In the news, A lot of Redditors hate the Reddit IPO, Reddit is selling your data to Google for AI training, and Reddit admitted that your moderator protests are working. Also Rym has some notes on his new workstation.Related LinksForum ThreadModeration, Section 230, and Free SpeechDiscord ChatModeration, Section 230, and Free SpeechThings of the DayRym - The Oldest Room in the HouseScott - GifCities

Tonight on GeekNights, 18 years after Rym tried to switch to Mac, Scott switches to Mac. (Except for gaming). In the news, Rym is building a new primary workstation,, Tim Sweeney calls out Apple's "malicious compliance" in light of The Digital Markets Act, and the Superb Owl went to overtime.Related LinksForum ThreadScott Switches to MacDiscord ChatScott Switches to MacThings of the DayRym - Why It Was Almost Impossible to Make the Blue LEDScott - No Vehicles in the Park

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss the vicious smartphone upgrade cycle. Try to use your phone for more than a year or two at least. In the news, Apple has to halt new Apple Watch sales, Adobe gives up on buying Figma, and Scott had fun on the Star Wars ride at Disneyland.Related LinksForum ThreadThe Smartphone Upgrade CycleDiscord ChatThe Smartphone Upgrade CycleThings of the DayRym - Why do Americans Pronounce it Zee?Scott - Battle of Cherbourg (1864)

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the the idea of remote access. In the news, here's a list of all the tech layoffs so far in 2023, and Twitch changes its simulcasting guidelines.Related LinksForum ThreadRemote AccessThings of the DayRym - Star Trek + DesignScott - Homeward

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the current state of search engines and why Google increasingly doesn't work anymore. In the news, iOS has multiple zero-day zero-interaction vulnerabilities (update your devices immediately) and Reddit is trying to embrace the worst parts of phpBB. 12 years ago we gave two short talks about how game mechanics (and UX design) literally make the communities that use them.Related LinksForum ThreadSearch Engines (suck now)Things of the DayRym - Imaginary Numbers Are RealScott - The best hockey goal in the history of Australia

Tonight on GeekNights, in light of Twitter's dying husk removing the ability to block people, we consider the concept of "blocking" in social platforms. The root problem is, as always, the twin evils of advertising and capitalism. In the news, the inability to warn the residents of Maui to the rapidly escalating wildfires requires significant government technology investment, and Dolby Atmos FlexConnect might prove interesting for home theatre setups.Related LinksThings of the DayRym - Quantum Fields: The Most Beautiful Theory in Physics!Scott - The process of making fake food.

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss when, how, and if you should upgrade your technology. From phones to cameras to TVs to skis, it comes mostly down to what problem you're trying to solve. In the news, Web Environment Integrity is a potentially worrying but not yet apocalyptic threat to the World Wide Web, the BBC has launched its own journalism Mastodon, and the US has a new nuclear reactor.Related LinksForum ThreadUpgrading Your TechThings of the DayRym - Feed the Machine - Metropolis Music VideoScott - Bruce Lee and Me

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the surprising challenges of throttling and rate limiting. In the news, Twitter rate-limiting reading twitter and broke Tweetdeck while also blocking non-logged-in views , Norway has 100 years of phosphate rock deposits, and the US Supreme Court is wholly illegitimate.Related LinksThings of the DayRym - Dr. Bunsen Honeydew & Beaker Montage - 24 ClipsScott - A Candid Conversation with Miles Davis

Tonight on GeekNights, we briefly consider when and why to adopt a new technology. In the news, Apple WWDC 2023 brings a $3,500 AR/VR headset in 2024 (we've talked about AR (Augmented Reality) before), and Reddit is pulling a Twitter and possibly destroying the best third party app it has.Related LinksThings of the DayRym - The FIRE TOILETScott - Learn x86-64 assembly by writing a GUI from scratch

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about the noise that computers make. It used to be a lot worse, but most of you are probably too young to have experienced this era. In the news, Rym went to a Star Trek convention, Google supports passkeys, actually read this article and not just the headline, and Rym is running in the New York Marathon in November!Related LinksForum ThreadComputer NoiseThings of the DayRym - The Heisenberg uncertainty principleRym - The more general uncertainty principleScott - Counter-Strike Steganography for Ukraine

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider computer fonts. In the news, the world lost a legend with the passing of Al Jaffee, why "trucks" have taken over America, and Mac sales are down 40%.Related LinksForum ThreadComputer FontsThings of the DayRym - Starship VelociraptorScott - merlin

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the immense challenge of archiving the Internet. This is a critical era of human history, and historians centuries from now will be desperate to know things we all think are "common knowledge" today. In the news, the Internet Archive flew too close to the sun, the emerging geopolitical blocs will likely end TikTok in America, and Nvidia (correctly) says cryptocurrencies do not "bring anything useful for society"Related LinksForum ThreadArchiving the InternetThings of the DayRym - Evolution of Kantele (Finnish Harp)Scott - Touring a Startup Fiber Optic ISP

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider what to do about E-Waste and worthless old technology. Old cables, old smartphones, 500MB hard drives, and the like. It's OK to get rid of it (and you probably should), but don't just throw it in the garbage unless you're a bad person. In the news, new open gangway subway cars debut on the A train in New York, and Silicon Valley Bank collapsed.Related LinksForum ThreadE-Waste and Worthless TechThings of the DayRym - The Thermador Car CoolerScott - FD Displays

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the technology and ramifications of Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3) and autoregressive language models in general. We further explore other similar machine learning tools and their short and long-term ramifications for humans. In the news, Discord Stages have low bitrate limits, the US Department of Energy concludes with low confidence that COVID-19 emerged from a lab leak in China, the UK wasn't content with ruining its economy with Brexit and is also considering ruining its technology with the Online Safety Bill, and a terrifying toxic new Dust Bowl is descending on Utah.Related LinksThings of the DayRym - Cold Starting Diesel Locomotive EnginesScott - The Gatekeepers of New York’s Most Coveted Tables Tell All

Tonight on GeekNights, Rym is back from his ski trip, so we resume our regularly scheduled shows with a review of online advertising and adtech. In the news, the Department of Justice is seeking to break up Google in some trust busting over online advertising and tech layoffs foretell difficult times ahead.Related LinksForum ThreadGeekNights Monday - Online Advertising and AdtechThings of the DayRym - Lackadaisy TRAILERScott - 【完全再現】『バブリーダンス』踊ってみた！【令和版｜伊原六花】

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about everybody's favorite operating system: Microsoft Windows. In the news, Youtube contracts NFL Sunday Ticket, America is subsidizing a road at $1 Billion per mile, and it's 2023.Related LinksForum ThreadGeekNights Monday - Microsoft WindowsThings of the DayRym - A Friendly Little Guy in Your HouseScott - Ripes

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss the concept of Zero Trust Security. It's a pain, and it's not necessary in all environments, but it's something you should understand. In the news, a company is suing to put profits over preventing harm to children, disgraced former president Donald Trump has been referred for criminal prosecution over his coup attempt, Apple introduces Advanced Data Protection, and Google introduces client-side encryption to paid gmail.Related LinksForum ThreadGeekNights Monday - Zero Trust SecurityThings of the DayRym - 『Push and Pull』Scott - The hockey game in the background of Gremlins

Tonight on GeekNights, we discuss Federated Architecture in light of the collapse of Twitter. Federation is how most of the Internet works, and you should understand the ramifications of it before you dive into platforms like Mastodon. From XMPP (formerly Jabber) to ActivityPub, even the nature of an email address, federation is how the Internet was intended to be used. In the news, the FCC has a more accurate broadband map, and the rail unions are (rightly) threatening to strike over intolerable working conditions.Related LinksForum ThreadGeekNights Monday - Federated ArchitectureThings of the DayRym - Sim Copter on the N64Scott - The Last Ridge Racer

Tonight on GeekNights, in the shadow of Twitter's collapse at the hands of a narcissistic failure of a man, we discuss the best way to protect yourself from the inevitable collapse of every platform: the POSSE model. Publish (on your) Own Site, Syndicate Elsewhere.Related LinksForum ThreadGeekNights Monday - The POSSE Model and The End of TwitterThings of the DayRym - The Most Important Algorithm Of All TimeScott - How I Dumped an Arcade Game for MAME

Tonight on GeekNights, we reveal the secrets of How to Not Suck at Smartphone Security. There is a lot of drama that can arise from mishandling your smartphone. Tonight we'll walk you through a simple set of rules that, if you follow them, will nearly guarantee such drama does not befall you.In the news, KakaoTalk loses millions of users after a massive outage not only cuts people off from their primary means of communication but reveals sensitive personal information related to multiple profiles. This is on the heels of Google taking their cut and has now led to calls for a monopoly probe. Also Leica has a new camera for a lot of money and Scott has written about it in the forum.Related LinksForum ThreadGeekNights Monday - How to Not Suck at Smartphone SecurityThings of the DayRym - Microsoft 3D Movie Maker is Open SourceScott - Mini5 Word Crusher

Tonight on GeekNights, after a surprisingly long hiatus between Rym going to Europe for work and Rym & Emily biking 480 miles across the state of New York, we talk a bunch about IPv6 woes with Intel NICs, and happenings in the street before we get to the news that companies shouldn't spy on their employees, and the GTX 4090 is coming. Eventually, we talk a bit about web scraping and why it is noble and just.Related LinksForum ThreadGeekNights Monday - Web ScrapingThings of the DayRym - The Most Disturbing Lego Set Ever: Lego Castle 1981 - Knight's ProcessionScott - What 99% of Hitting Coaches Do NOT Understand