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Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 14h

I love how my solution to slow internet on vacation was to successfully figure out a way to make it faster

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Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 14h

In a cabin with terrible Wi-Fi. Solved that problem by installing an esim and a FOSS tethering app.

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Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 1d

Find something you love as much as Tedium contributor David Buck loves Dr. Demento, who’s retiring this weekend:

https://tedium.co/2025/10/07/dr-demento-retirement-tribute/

Dr. Demento, performing at w00tstock in 2010 with his protégé, Weird Al.

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Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 1d

Tedium’s David Buck: “The show means a great deal to me. Without it, I probably never would have become a musician, I never would’ve gotten into radio and, later, journalism, and I certainly wouldn’t have the sense of humor I have today.”

https://tedium.co/2025/10/07/dr-demento-retirement-tribute/

Dr. Demento Is Retiring. He Leaves Behind An Army Of Musical Oddballs

A Dr. Demento superfan looks back on the novelty radio icon as he finally hangs up his microphone. Oh, he pulled in a bunch of other superfans.

tedium.co

Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 1d

As you might have heard, Dr. Demento is retiring this weekend. Fortunately, I know an incredibly massive Dr. Demento fan.

https://tedium.co/2025/10/07/dr-demento-retirement-tribute/

new @tedium

Dr. Demento Is Retiring. He Leaves Behind An Army Of Musical Oddballs

A Dr. Demento superfan looks back on the novelty radio icon as he finally hangs up his microphone. Oh, he pulled in a bunch of other superfans.

tedium.co

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Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 2d

Stark headline works.

https://www.theverge.com/news/792752/cbs-news-paramount-the-free-press-acquisition-bari-weiss

Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 2d

The idea of OpenAI owning a 10% stake in AMD seems like a great way for OpenAI to coast on someone else’s stock as it continues to fail to make a profit. https://www.reuters.com/business/amd-signs-ai-chip-supply-deal-with-openai-gives-it-option-take-10-stake-2025-10-06/

AMD与OpenAI签署人工智能芯片供应协议，并赋予其认购10%股权的选择权

AMD signs AI chip-supply deal with OpenAI, gives it option to take a 10% stake (www.reuters.com) 20:17 ↑ 107 HN Points

www.reuters.com

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Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 2d

Jamiroquai: I wish this room had a couch to match the chairs

*camera looks down, then back up, revealing Jamiroquai sitting on a couch*

Jamiroquai: It’s a crazy world we’re livin’ in

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Reposted by Ernie Smith

Stefan Bohacek @stefan.stefanbohacek.online.ap.brid.gy · 5d

Just a CEO of a hot new social media platform calling its users freeloaders and telling them to stop posting, hm.

#bluesky #socialmedia

A pair of two posts from Jay Graber, the CEO of Bluesky.

In first, she says "You could try a poster’s strike. I hear that works."

In the second, she replied "Are you paying us? Where?" to someone saying "Yeah but a customer threatening to cancel their service usually gets a couple things accomplished. C'mon, Jay. Shame on you."

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Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 5d

@ricmac This is how I feel about the whole thing. Like, disagree with how her team handles moderation. Don’t just constantly attack her.

Reposted by Ernie Smith

Richard MacManus @ricmac.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy · 5d

The personal abuse being directed at Bluesky’s CEO is deeply uncomfortable to read. Call me old fashioned, but it is never acceptable. I especially hate seeing that stuff from anonymous accounts that have cartoon avatars. It’s ok to debate the technical merits or otherwise of moderation, but not […]

Original post on mastodon.social

mastodon.social

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Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 5d

Shout-out to the user in Brazil that is absolutely plowing through my ShortFormBlog archive

Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 6d

The piece features a mention of the first portable audio player ever, the Belmont Boulevard. It looks like a flask, has vacuum tubes, and is covered in leather and brass.

https://writing.exchange/@ernie/115306209402096059

An ad for the Belmont Boulevard, bought to you by the Raytheon subsidiary Belmont. Released in 1945, it is the first pocketable portable radio, and it looks nothing like an iPod.

Headline Text: “The First of Belmont’s ‘Better Things to Come.’”

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Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 6d

(Also, I learned when writing this that a key figure in the rise of transistors was a racist and eugenicist, which, uhm, yikes.)

Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 6d

Along the way, I learned about the tale of Norman Krim, a champion of subminiature vacuum tubes’ key early use case: Hearing aids.

That success came in handy during World War II. But when he heard about transistors, he didn’t get prissy about it. He sold Raytheon on them […]

Original post on writing.exchange

writing.exchange

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Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 6d

So, I just wrote a 3,000 word piece about a great electronics what-if. What if we didn’t get transistors? What if we just kept using vacuum tubes? Would we be where we are today?

That thought experiment led me to the story of the subminiature vacuum tube […]

Original post on writing.exchange

writing.exchange

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Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 7d

Ever read a review of something you rely on daily (Universal Blue/ostree in this case) and think the reviewer just doesn’t get it? I submit to you this review in The Register: https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/01/aurora_immutable_kde_workstation/

Aurora immutable KDE Plasma workstation big, slow, confusing

: Based on Universal Blue, it's akin to Fedora Kinoite with knobs on… A lot of knobs

www.theregister.com

Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 8d

Amazing. Waiting for the inevitable Apple Silicon port https://hackaday.com/2025/09/29/macintosh-system-7-ported-to-x86-with-llm-help/

Macintosh System 7 Ported To x86 With LLM Help

You can use large language models for all sorts of things these days, from writing terrible college papers to bungling legal cases. Or, you can employ them to more interesting …read more

hackaday.com

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Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 10d

Watching a video about NixOS and only now realizing that there's been a gun on the desk this whole time.

I know Linux drama is serious but it's not that serious, Mutahar.

A middle aged Indian man wearing a blue shirt talking into a microphone at his desk. To his right, there is a gun for some reason

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Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 12d

This is the most geriatric millennial thing I’ve ever written.

https://tedium.co/2025/09/26/modern-gaming-later-in-life/

I’m A Gamer Again. How The Hell Did That Happen?

Thoughts on getting into modern-day gaming later in life after taking a very long break. (Warning: This is a very elder millennial post, leaning on geriatric.)

tedium.co

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Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 12d

Honestly, with the craziness of the news lately, I’ve found respite from the noise in gaming. Not just old games, either. Modern games—which I once used to shun—somehow sucked me in.

Here’s why I think that is.

https://tedium.co/2025/09/26/modern-gaming-later-in-life/

new @tedium

I’m A Gamer Again. How The Hell Did That Happen?

Thoughts on getting into modern-day gaming later in life after taking a very long break. (Warning: This is a very elder millennial post, leaning on geriatric.)

tedium.co

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Reposted by Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 14d

Hey, can you all do me a big favor? My childhood friend Chris recently found out he has terminal cancer. He has two daughters.

One of them, Alivia, wants to go see Alex Warren with her dad in Columbus, Ohio.

If you know someone in his orbit, send it to him. If you don’t, please share this post. ❤️

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Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 14d

Hey, can you all do me a big favor? My childhood friend Chris recently found out he has terminal cancer. He has two daughters.

One of them, Alivia, wants to go see Alex Warren with her dad in Columbus, Ohio.

If you know someone in his orbit, send it to him. If you don’t, please share this post. ❤️

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Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 14d

I recommend this post, it seems to point out that the Secret Service might be feeding us a line.

https://cybersect.substack.com/p/that-secret-service-sim-farm-story

特勤局 SIM 农场的故事是假的

That Secret Service SIM farm story is bogus (cybersect.substack.com) 16:24 ↑ 119 HN Points

cybersect.substack.com

Ernie Smith @ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy · 15d

No sugar-coating it: This shit is crazy.

https://tedium.co/2025/09/23/secret-service-raid-sim-bank-telecom-hardware/

An example of 256-slot SMS gateway, which has SIM slots and multiple ceullular modems built in.

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