GeekNights Mondays: Science Technology Computing

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 Links Forum Thread Multicore Multiprocess Concurrency and Such Discord Chat Multicore Multiprocess Concurrency and Such Things of the Day Rym -  How Mei Blows Up the Game Sco...

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 nonsens...

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 Links Forum Thread Car D...

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 le...

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 Links Forum Thread Tech Predictions for 2025, 2029, and 2034...

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 Links Forum Thread Markup Languages Discord Chat Markup Langua...

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 Links Forum Thread Technology Failures Discord Chat Technology Failures Things of the Day Rym -  Why Stomping Wigglers Glitches Super Mario World Scot...

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 Links Forum Thread A New TV in 2024 Discord Chat A New TV in 2024 Things of the Day Rym -  90s co...

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 workst...

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 Links Forum Thread Scott Switches to Mac Discord Chat Scott Switches to Mac Things of the Day R...

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 Links Forum Thread The Smartphone Upgrade Cycle Discord Chat The Smartphone Upgrade Cycle Things of the Day Rym ...

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 Links Forum Thread Remote Access Things of the Day Rym -  Star Trek + Design Scott -  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...

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 Fl...

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 . Rel...

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 Links Things of the Day Rym -  Dr. Bunsen Honeydew & Beaker Montage - 2...

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 Links Things of the Day Rym -  The FIRE TOILET Scott -  Learn x86-64 assembly by...

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 Links Forum Thread Computer Noise Thin...

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 Links Forum Thread Computer Fonts Things of the Day Rym -  Starship Velociraptor Scott -  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 cryptoc...

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 Links Fo...

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...

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 Links Forum Thread GeekNights Monday - Online Advertising and Adtech Things of the...

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 Links Forum Thread GeekNights Monday - Microsoft Windows Things of the Day Rym -  A Friendly Little Guy in Your House Scott -  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...