A Geek Goes Flying

 ... But you knew that. I have more than a few observations on that point, though I think I’ve maybe only blogged about it once before? ( https://flying-geek.blogspot.com/2025/03/when-your-dishwasher-has-to-connect-to.html ) Yesterday I got this notice, that my Kevo would no longer have any app or remote functionaltiy, starting November 15th (so, less than a month’s notice, great): The lock is ~6 years old. I’m on the hunt for a lock that does not require any sort of cloud access, can’t be remotely bricked (essentially; the Kevo will still work as a dumb lock, or even with a fob, but not via a smartphone). Stay tuned. Shit like this is why I figured out how to locally control the HS105 , why I crack DRM on eBooks and keep local copies of the resulting ePub (or whatever), why I have a large collection of physical media ( you can’t stream Battlestar Galactica (2004) anywhere ?! Really?!), why there’s been a rash of recent videos proclaiming streaming dead and heralding the return of ...

Found this critique of the newer Bosch dishwashers: I can relate. (I recently installed a Bosch dishwasher, replacing one that finally gave up after ~21 years.) And it bugs me. There have been too many instances of companies going out of business and their cloud-reliant “smart” devices becoming useless bricks . I want everything run locally. (I even hacked a smart plug to be just that .) At least there’s an open source implementation of the protocol . Have to look into that. I also, for the record, do not want anything on my car to be enabled by subscription. Just in general, I’m against having anything that has to “phone home” to be useful. I mean, I’ll use streaming services for light casual listening / watching, but anything I care about I obtain at least a non-DRM digital copy (and have backups). Because: Spotify is going to break every Car Thing gadget it ever sold   “Unprecedented” Google Cloud event wipes out customer account and its backups ‘ My whole library is wiped out’:...

J. R. "Bob" Dobbs, reading the paper Filing under D, for “duh!”: In most industries, regulation prevents competition . 37Signals, whose architects have written a couple of books ‡ I have in my perpetually growing “to read” folder, are pulling back from AWS and moving some cloud infrastructure in-house, for significant cost savings . Flying taxis are coming: Hundreds of Flying Taxis To Be Made In Ohio (by Joby). Preliminary injunction issued in NetChoice, LLC v. Bonta , 5:22-cv-08861-BLF (N.D. Cal.) (ECF No. 74), blocking enforcement of the California Age-Appropriate Design Code Act. Ask for advice (critical and actionable input), not feedback (vague, generally praising comments). Stay awake without caffeine : (1) water and snacks (high protein with carbs and fats; an apple, a salad, toast with peanut butter); (2) exercise and activity (go outside for 15 minutes); (3) take a power nap (10-20 minutes) or, if you've planned ahead, a longer (up to 1 hour) nap earlier in t...