Firehose

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New post published:
I Got A Flipper Zero

A fantasmagorical planet flipping oracle.

My review of the Flipper Zero and the things I've done with it. Encompassing everything from the initial purchase to setup and usage, as well as the community and some cool projects.

https://vale.rocks/posts/i-got-a-flipper-zero

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I’ve got a review of the Flipper Zero coming out on my blog tomorrow. It includes my thoughts on the Flipper itself, the Momentum firmware, and some mischievous uses. Stay tuned!

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Finally gave Zed a quick go on NixOS. It’s slick. The collaboration features are unrivalled.

If someone asks for a code editor in future, Zed is gonna be my suggestion. As much as I love NeoVim, I understand it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I can only see Zed getting better and filling the shoes of VS Code.

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Does this Neuralink stuff remind anyone else of “Flowers for Algernon”? The patient experiences temporary enhancement and then has it slowly taken away. I fear the potential psychological impact.

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So, uh, is the punchline of The Big Bang Theory just misogyny?

I don’t watch the show, but every time I’m exposed to it, that’s the impression I get.

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Been keeping an eye on the GitHub milestone as the issues were slowly crossed off the list. Very glad to see the release of Neovim v0.10.

So many great improvements with this release! Congrats to the team!

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Well, I just watched Red vs Blue: Restoration. I suppose that’s it. Red vs Blue is over. I was late to the series, having only discovered it in recent years, but that doesn’t make seeing it end any easier.

Restoration felt rushed and unpolished. I think an extra half hour on it’s runtime would have it many favours. It certainly wasn’t the best ending, but it was an ending, and that’s something.

It’s sad to see things end but I think it’s important to simply value the memories they created. After all, memory is the key

Thanks Rooster Teeth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQ0lXRq4Q3o

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New post published:
JPEG XL and Google's War Against It

The best format you can't use.

Starting with an overview of existing image formats, including JPEG, PNG, and GIF, a look into the very promising JPEG XL and why it hasn't seen the adoption it deserves as an innovative new file format in the web landscape.

https://vale.rocks/posts/jpeg-xl-and-googles-war-against-it

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New post published:
My Code Formatting Guidelines

Stirring the tabs vs spaces pot once again.

Code formatting, how I go about it, and why I choose to do it the way I do. This article covers indentation, string formatting, my take on the classic tabs vs spaces debate, and much more.

https://vale.rocks/posts/my-code-formatting-guidelines

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There is an old saying that goes “If you’re not paying for the product, then you are the product.”

It almost seems that for the digital age it should be altered to “If you’re paying for the product, then you are the product.”

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Congrats to the GNOME team for the release of version 46!

Nothing revolutionary but so many fixes, tweaks, and quality of life improvements. Bravo!

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I’ve noticed what seems to be a growing distaste for Git in my frontend development feeds on Bluesky.

I must say that once I got past the initial learning curve, I’ve found it quite nice.

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There is a problem with the legal system when organisations can throw around their weight and money to crush innovation and community-driven projects under the guise of protecting intellectual property.

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New post published:
Cybersecurity Superstition

It's time to cut through the cyber clutter.

A look into some cybersecurity myths and misinformation. Explore the best practices regarding passwords, multifactor authentication, social engineering tactics, antiviruses, and much more.

https://vale.rocks/posts/cybersecurity-superstition

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Considering the amount of far right content that keeps making its way into my YouTube recommendations, I now understand how so many people end up falling down the path of hate.

YouTube needs to do better and moderate its platform.

I’m especially sickened by the sheer amount of anti-trans content that enters my YouTube recommendations. Videos that outright suggest that people assault transgender individuals.

Yesterday, I saw a video from a literal Nazi. His content was promoted and had a large number of views. He engages in marches around cities, urging others to join him in his hate campaigns. This really shouldn’t be sent to my front page, or anyone’s, for that matter.

I created an alternate account on another device, on another network. This account had no links to my own and a fresh install of its OS. I received the same content nearly immediately. I found YouTube’s Shorts feature pushed it particularly hard.

I also noticed that YouTube’s “news” tab promoted Sky News above all other broadcasters.

News arguably shouldn’t be treated differently on the platform at all, but to promote a network with such bias and prejudice above all others is inexcusable.

Remember not to engage with this content. Move on as soon as you realise what it is. Don’t dislike it. Don’t comment condemning it. Move on.

The more you interact, the more is promoted.

YouTube, you must do better. This isn’t acceptable. Stop this hate bait and get it off the platform.

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With the increasing popularity of folding phones I hope we’ll see a mod that plays Mario’s “Goodbye” sound byte from Super Mario 64 DS when closing the lid.