Colton Provias
@cprovias.bsky.social
I'm currently visiting Japan and just heard a store use the EAS SAME header (the dissonant tones heard before an emergency weather alert) followed by an announcement of a sale. It actually scared me slightly for a moment thanks to the conditioning around that sound.
November 2, 2025 at 11:39 AM
I'm currently visiting Japan and just heard a store use the EAS SAME header (the dissonant tones heard before an emergency weather alert) followed by an announcement of a sale. It actually scared me slightly for a moment thanks to the conditioning around that sound.
News fatigue is real in the current era. However, skipping following the news for a few days is like returning to a series after missing a few seasons.
October 7, 2025 at 1:03 PM
News fatigue is real in the current era. However, skipping following the news for a few days is like returning to a series after missing a few seasons.
Wait, TODO lists can actually shrink? I thought that was a myth!
September 11, 2025 at 5:09 AM
Wait, TODO lists can actually shrink? I thought that was a myth!
TIL the City of Palo Alto is named after a tree called El Palo Alto, or "The Tall Stick."
September 7, 2025 at 4:54 AM
TIL the City of Palo Alto is named after a tree called El Palo Alto, or "The Tall Stick."
Third spaces should make a comeback.
August 2, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Third spaces should make a comeback.
I'm a large fan of the urbanism movement. However, the widespread proliferation of the term "carbrain" sours it a bit. Posts containing the term focus primarily on generating anger and distrust, further deepening existing divides that stymie progress on improving urban systems.
May 20, 2025 at 1:28 AM
I'm a large fan of the urbanism movement. However, the widespread proliferation of the term "carbrain" sours it a bit. Posts containing the term focus primarily on generating anger and distrust, further deepening existing divides that stymie progress on improving urban systems.
PSA: If a cyclist is holding their arm straight to the left, they are signaling that they are about to turn left. It is NOT a signal to pass on their left.
#bikecommuting
#bikecommuting
May 6, 2025 at 1:00 AM
PSA: If a cyclist is holding their arm straight to the left, they are signaling that they are about to turn left. It is NOT a signal to pass on their left.
#bikecommuting
#bikecommuting
While I like Busuu, one issue I have noticed is the occasional overly-zealous language prescriptivist in the comments. I just encountered one exercise where the user correctly used casual speech, only to be derided by a commenter for "clearly poor education" due to a lack of formal grammar.
April 29, 2025 at 2:07 PM
While I like Busuu, one issue I have noticed is the occasional overly-zealous language prescriptivist in the comments. I just encountered one exercise where the user correctly used casual speech, only to be derided by a commenter for "clearly poor education" due to a lack of formal grammar.
The entropy of software tends to increase. The rate of increase increases by several orders of magnitude once it is released.
April 26, 2025 at 12:17 AM
The entropy of software tends to increase. The rate of increase increases by several orders of magnitude once it is released.
Reposted by Colton Provias
With the improved resolution of tennis balls over electrons, scientists can finally observe down to Planck length.
Unsurprisingly, everything down there is just made of… well, planks.
Unsurprisingly, everything down there is just made of… well, planks.
April 25, 2025 at 2:35 PM
With the improved resolution of tennis balls over electrons, scientists can finally observe down to Planck length.
Unsurprisingly, everything down there is just made of… well, planks.
Unsurprisingly, everything down there is just made of… well, planks.
If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why is it perfect pitch?
April 15, 2025 at 12:53 AM
If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why is it perfect pitch?
Just had the filesystem on my external RAID1 corrupt. Fortunately I recently set up off-site backup. If it wasn't for that, I'd be SOL.
Remember: RAID is not a backup!
Remember: RAID is not a backup!
March 30, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Just had the filesystem on my external RAID1 corrupt. Fortunately I recently set up off-site backup. If it wasn't for that, I'd be SOL.
Remember: RAID is not a backup!
Remember: RAID is not a backup!
To-do lists always seem to become harder to check on the longer they get.
March 24, 2025 at 1:18 AM
To-do lists always seem to become harder to check on the longer they get.
I have found myself suffering from library culture shock recently.
My hometown in Pennsylvania had a very small, free library. Its usage was very limited, which was exacerbated by the limited selection it offered. The only thing that appeared to keep it going was its computer and Internet access.
My hometown in Pennsylvania had a very small, free library. Its usage was very limited, which was exacerbated by the limited selection it offered. The only thing that appeared to keep it going was its computer and Internet access.
March 5, 2025 at 3:54 AM
I have found myself suffering from library culture shock recently.
My hometown in Pennsylvania had a very small, free library. Its usage was very limited, which was exacerbated by the limited selection it offered. The only thing that appeared to keep it going was its computer and Internet access.
My hometown in Pennsylvania had a very small, free library. Its usage was very limited, which was exacerbated by the limited selection it offered. The only thing that appeared to keep it going was its computer and Internet access.
Reposted by Colton Provias
Performed Samaagam with Sarod Grand Master Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan & Ayaan Ali Khan, Amit Kavthekar and the Googler Orchestra. youtu.be/ZxoqqoPdyOY
Samaagam by Amjad Ali Khan
YouTube video by Googler Orchestra
youtu.be
March 2, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Performed Samaagam with Sarod Grand Master Amjad Ali Khan, Amaan & Ayaan Ali Khan, Amit Kavthekar and the Googler Orchestra. youtu.be/ZxoqqoPdyOY
I've been a Duolingo user ever since its beta in 2012. However, Busuu recently is starting to supplant it in my language learning process.
Busuu still has some bugs, but the grammar lessons and community are something Duolingo has unfortunately lost over the past few years.
Busuu still has some bugs, but the grammar lessons and community are something Duolingo has unfortunately lost over the past few years.
February 17, 2025 at 7:17 AM
I've been a Duolingo user ever since its beta in 2012. However, Busuu recently is starting to supplant it in my language learning process.
Busuu still has some bugs, but the grammar lessons and community are something Duolingo has unfortunately lost over the past few years.
Busuu still has some bugs, but the grammar lessons and community are something Duolingo has unfortunately lost over the past few years.
I've recently migrated from regular Android tablets to tablets with e-ink displays. After 1 month, I'm finding that the experience has improved over the previous, even if the color rendering and refresh rates have not.
January 27, 2025 at 8:26 PM
I've recently migrated from regular Android tablets to tablets with e-ink displays. After 1 month, I'm finding that the experience has improved over the previous, even if the color rendering and refresh rates have not.
In December, I helped the Googler Orchestra sync live to an animated film. While I can't post a video of the concert for licensing reasons, I did post a writeup of the process. coltonprovias.com/posts/202501...
Syncing A Live Orchestra to Video
I lead the technical production for the Googler Orchestra, an orchestra comprised of Google/Alphabet musicians. This entails coordinating the technical requirements that a show main demand. Sometimes ...
coltonprovias.com
January 21, 2025 at 5:43 AM
In December, I helped the Googler Orchestra sync live to an animated film. While I can't post a video of the concert for licensing reasons, I did post a writeup of the process. coltonprovias.com/posts/202501...
One of the biggest mistakes in web design is allowing a website to override how scrolling is expected to behave. Scrolling should translate a page vertically or horizontally within the viewport, not scrub through an animation of a product with no vertical motion.
#webdesign
#webdesign
January 21, 2025 at 5:32 AM
One of the biggest mistakes in web design is allowing a website to override how scrolling is expected to behave. Scrolling should translate a page vertically or horizontally within the viewport, not scrub through an animation of a product with no vertical motion.
#webdesign
#webdesign
Airlines should have jingles that play for announcements like train companies in Europe and Asia. It would make it quicker to judge if an announcement may be relevant to you or not within the first 3 seconds.
#flying
#flying
December 29, 2024 at 2:49 AM
Airlines should have jingles that play for announcements like train companies in Europe and Asia. It would make it quicker to judge if an announcement may be relevant to you or not within the first 3 seconds.
#flying
#flying
United airlines apparently has a feature that shows information on places you are flying over.
Who needs an inflight movie when you essentially get to speedrun Wikipedia!
Who needs an inflight movie when you essentially get to speedrun Wikipedia!
December 21, 2024 at 5:24 PM
United airlines apparently has a feature that shows information on places you are flying over.
Who needs an inflight movie when you essentially get to speedrun Wikipedia!
Who needs an inflight movie when you essentially get to speedrun Wikipedia!
It's that time of year again to start figuring out goals for the next year. I've got some ideas with some centered on writing more.
As to if that will pan out, we'll see. At the very least, I've updated my website in preparation.
As to if that will pan out, we'll see. At the very least, I've updated my website in preparation.
December 19, 2024 at 5:22 AM
It's that time of year again to start figuring out goals for the next year. I've got some ideas with some centered on writing more.
As to if that will pan out, we'll see. At the very least, I've updated my website in preparation.
As to if that will pan out, we'll see. At the very least, I've updated my website in preparation.
Restaurants in airports should be required to bring card readers to the table for payment. It's 2024 and handing somebody your card to be run out of your sight shouldn't pass as acceptable anymore.
September 2, 2024 at 8:45 PM
Restaurants in airports should be required to bring card readers to the table for payment. It's 2024 and handing somebody your card to be run out of your sight shouldn't pass as acceptable anymore.
// TODO: Write a post.
November 7, 2023 at 6:13 AM
// TODO: Write a post.
I'm also on Mastodon at https://universeodon.com/@cprovias. I've generally been more active there, but I'll try this platform out some as well.
July 6, 2023 at 4:45 AM
I'm also on Mastodon at https://universeodon.com/@cprovias. I've generally been more active there, but I'll try this platform out some as well.