Technology

So I was reading that 95.9 of households have television

|

So I was reading that 95.9 percent of American households have televisions… 📺

I guess when I sent back my Neilsen TV survey showing that I watched no television in the past week I was a bit of an odd ball – I don’t even own a television. And to think that I don’t even have internet at home so no streaming video, although I do download YouTube videos using that youtube-dl script and some extra scripts I wrote myself to automate the download of lists of videos I want to watch on the exercise bike.

I don’t like television because I think it’s primarily about promoting state propaganda and fear by the public. It glamorizes violence rather than promoting thoughtful discussion. Even NPR lately has gotten a lot into state propaganda so I listen to that less and less too. Instead of living a life of fear, I prefer to observe nature and read books.

I am a bit conflicted about the use of social media to read news, because some of that is pretty rotten too but at least I can block the hate and violence filled content I dislike. The same can be said about my YouTube watching but at least with my scripts downloading the videos at the library I don’t have to watch the ads and I can choose to watch channels that educate me – put together by real off grid folk, real farmers stepping through the manure and real trappers and hunters cutting up real animals. The stuff I watch is reality, and I’m getting exercise as I only watch YouTube when I’m on the exercise bike.

U.K. Says Company Will Help Build Part Of Its 5G Network : NPR

|

Huawei: U.K. Says Company Will Help Build Part Of Its 5G Network : NPR

The U.K. government says it will allow telecom giant Huawei a "limited role" in building its new 5G data network, despite U.S. pressure to cut the Chinese company out of development plans. The U.S. considers Huawei a security risk and has long cited its ties to China's Communist Party and possible links to the military.

The U.K. says it will prevent Huawei's equipment from being used in "sensitive 'core' parts of 5G" and other high-speed networks. It will also cap the involvement of Huawei and other "high risk" vendors at 35 percent of nonsensitive parts of Britain's network.

The U.K.'s National Cyber Security Centre, which conducted a security and technical analysis for the government's 5G supply chain review, says it considers Huawei a high-risk vendor – but rather than banning the company from its important new network, the center is asking British companies "to use Huawei in a limited way so we can collectively manage the risk."

LGR Oddware – Thermaltake 5.25

|

Y'know, sometimes you just wanna use your PC to light something on fire and hold your drink. Oddware has you covered with the Thermaltake Xray from 2004! Providing a 12V DC lighter alongside a cupholder in a single five and a quarter inch computer case drive bay.

Back in the day when you could smoke in your office, you might want a cigarette lighter in your computer.

I have lived in the same rundown apartment for more than 12 years, and Spectrum is still trying to get me to sign up for television and internet with fancy colorful advertising.

|

I have lived in the same rundown apartment for more than 12 years, and Spectrum is still trying to get me to sign up for television and internet with fancy colorful advertising. Give me a break! You would think after a decade plus they’d figure I’m not interested in all that technology stuff. I’m quite happy walking down the public library or park when I have a need for internet not serviced by my very basic $40 a month smartphone.

Taconics in the Distance

Phil Ochs – Automation Song

|

People have been talking about automation since the 1950s. Has anything really changed since then? Technology has gotten more efficient, smaller, and able to process many more inputs quickly then in the past. But many jobs aren't easy to fully automate, due to the unpredictability of life. Computers are good at doing repetitive tasks accurately, but not very good at dealing with unexpected circumstances or widely varying materials and conditions. Microcontrollers only do what they are programmed to do, they can't do anything they aren't told to do.