“She’s like this ghost neighbor." Photographer reveals disturbing trail camera find after top predator vanishes: 'Without a doubt, there's been something unethical' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
A new feature in our membership CMS (Passport — check it out) lets us make individual episodes of Dithering free for everyone to listen to. I can’t think of a better way to first use this new capability than to open up Friday’s episode, recapping my “Something Is Rotten in the St … | Continue reading
For more than a decade, the #1 EV story was Tesla’s growth story. It was extremely hard to believe that Tesla sales growth would stop anytime soon. And maybe it won’t in the bigger picture of this decade. However, there were signs a year and a half ago that Tesla ... [continued] … | Continue reading
The decision may have dire effects. Senate votes to block key energy regulation — here's how it could affect your utility bills first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
Netflix and other streaming platforms are stepping up efforts to sign YouTubers, which could mean big streaming deals for sports channel Dude Perfect or former NASA engineer Mark Rober, reports The Wall Street Journal. The Journal writes that streaming platforms’ creator-signin … | Continue reading
Many homeowners remain in temporary housing due to toxic air pollutants. Homeowners reeling after being denied coverage for devastating reason: 'Committed to paying what we owe' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
Imagine having a pairing buddy to help you with those finicky Pull Request (PR) reviews. During reviews, when it comes to refining small code snippets, Large Language Models (LLM) using Artificial Intelligence (AI) is my new friend and pairing buddy. Using AI, developers can quic … | Continue reading
"Public transit is the lifeblood of New York City." Federal agency pressures state to abandon major traffic program: 'Critical to our economic future' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
Perovskite LEDs are emerging as a game-changing technology, offering vibrant colors, lower costs, and easier manufacturing compared to traditional LEDs. But for these next-generation LEDs to take over the market, researchers at Linköping University argue that technical performanc … | Continue reading
Slug: /7-things-this-week-172 A weekly list of interesting things I found on the internet, posted on Sundays. Sometimes themed, often not. 1️⃣ I’ve long wondered how folks did bold and italic text on sites like Twitter that didn’t support formatting. This website does it for you … | Continue reading
Optimizations, Small And Big Hi , Slow apps are a nuisance and can cost real money. Hence, optimization should always be a regular part of the development workflow. In some cases, optimizations are spectacular, such as the rewrite of the TypeScript compiler in Go (see the Feature … | Continue reading
"It has already become very difficult to continue our global greenhouse gas-monitoring network." Government agency considers shutting down key research command center: 'It looks like our monitoring program will soon be dead' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
"We are actually producing oil and gas at record amounts." Economic analyst sounds the alarm over politician's 'perplexing' national emergency declaration: 'Why do so many people ignore the facts?' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
Project Overview: For my main project, I will be designing and manufacturing a ski boot and glove dryer—a functional device that ensures ski gear is warm and dry, whether before hitting the slopes or preparing for the next day of adventure. This project combines engineering princ … | Continue reading
Now you don’t even need code to be a programmer. But you do still need expertise My recent piece on how I use LLMs to help me write code got a positive mention in John Naughton's column about vibe-coding in the Guardian this weekend. My hunch about Apple Intelligence Siri feature … | Continue reading
Your language adds clever features. Making YOU more obsolete TL;DR: Overusing implicit returns makes your code harder to read and debug. Problems 😔 Reduced readability Hidden logic and unclear intent Debugging difficulties Misleading simplicity Over-reliance on syntax Lan … | Continue reading
My personal aesthetic is rooted in clean, straightforward design, favoring simplicity over excess. I am drawn to neutral colors—black, navy blue, white, and other understated shades that exude timeless elegance. I avoid bright, flashy colors, as they often feel too loud or tempor … | Continue reading
San Francisco Chronicle Overall, from 2013 to 2023, the share of 20-somethings in San Francisco County dropped from about 18% of the population to about 14% — the largest such decline of any major U.S. county and nearly quadruple the national drop. The data prompts a big question … | Continue reading
(Lord's day). This morning, till churches were done, I spent going from one church to another and hearing a bit here and a bit there. So to the Wardrobe to dinner with the young Ladies, and then into my Lady's chamber and talked with her a good... | Continue reading
Colorado is creating the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan to provide a last-resort coverage plan. Residents blindsided as insurance companies pull coverage without warning: 'The ability to afford where we live is decreasing rapidly' first appeared on The Cool Dow … | Continue reading
"Our findings call for further research, funding, and action." Scientists issue warning after making disturbing find in bird species: 'An urgent need to address' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
Now that the Webmention plugin is finally Craft 5 compatible after last week's update, I jumped at the chance and updated another plugin I had once written for my personal site. The Internet Archive plugin automates the archiving of your posts to the Wayback Machine. Each time yo … | Continue reading
Just read @thewk post on building his Polar Explorer II replica. Such a great post, and considering it’s pretty much exactly the same as my Seiko SBSC009, but for 1/3 of the price - and he got to build it - I’m a little jealous. 😂 https://www.thewkblog.com/2025/03/16/i-bu … | Continue reading
Smart home company SwitchBot is preparing a new Matter-enabled smart hub called the SwitchBot Hub 3, according to a registration with the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA) that HomeKitNews spotted. It has a display like the $70 Hub 2, but adds physical controls — including, d … | Continue reading
A meta-analysis of previous studies indicates a positive effect, showing a reduced risk of certain cancers among coffee and tea drinkers. A new analysis of data from over a dozen studies suggests that drinking coffee and tea may be associated with a lower risk of developing head … | Continue reading
"The companies that own search engines are built to respond to the highest bidder." Professor speaks out against dangerous corner of the internet: 'They've made products that can be gamed' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
A lot has changed since the last time we took a serious look at blogging. A few items, as examples. When RSS came along Markdown didn't exist. The two technologies belong together, imho. Websockets have replaced long polling. Servers got cheap! (and easy to deploy). SQL is fast a … | Continue reading
This past week has been amazing with a new sign of spring for southeast Michigan showing up each day! One of my favorite signs of spring was seeing a garter snake slithering on top of fallen dead oak and maple leaves along the Lakeside Trail at the University of Michigan-Dearborn … | Continue reading
Introduction The upcycle project for this class has been an exciting and challenging task, requiring resourcefulness, creativity, and hands-on fabrication. The goal was to transform discarded materials into something functional and aesthetically compelling, demonstrating the pote … | Continue reading
Subtle patterns in America become explicit. | Continue reading
The increased water levels couldn't come at a better time. Authorities confirm unexpected trend in state's water levels — here's what the latest numbers reveal first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
Lots of food-related conversations happening around me today as we share our conciliatory Monday French toast: “It’s just good to have onions in general.” “What’s the smallest tomato juice that you have?” “[Tagalog]… it’s integral damn it… [Tagalog]!" “Nobody wants carrot in thei … | Continue reading
"She said it’s not her problem that people are driving on my property." Homeowner furious after neighbor treats their yard like a public road: 'Call the cops every time' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
Adding and deleting categories are part of WordLand 0.50, released earlier today. These are the same categories you can edit in the WordPress user interface. But I learned that you need to be able to add categories when you're writing. You want this functionality to be close-by. … | Continue reading
"How many times does someone need to be told to keep away from the wild animals?" Tourist learns harsh lesson after reckless move near massive creature: 'Should be fined and banned from all parks' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
If you’re looking to boost your online protection, the suite of tools offered by NordVPN might catch your interest. | Continue reading
Mark Klein, the AT&T technician who exposed NSA’s mass surveillance of US residents, has passed away. He discovered the NSA had installed secret rooms in AT&T facilities, specifically Room 641A in San Francisco. These rooms contained splitters that copied all internet traffic pas … | Continue reading
One thing we’re absolutely doing to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? Sipping on an Irish coffee. Ideally with a slice of cake in the same flavor. And if you didn’t know that was an option, don’t worry—now you do. Skip the crowded bars and make something fun at home instead. Whether i … | Continue reading
Something happened to me on the weekend that I’m still coming to terms with! And now I get to share it with you. You all know by now my interest in retrocomputing; some may refer to as harbouring an obsession. Neither of you are wrong. Everything from this, to my literal current … | Continue reading
This week on Mac Power Users: All aboard! David and Stephen talk about the tech, bags, and planning that go into their travel. | Continue reading
Ryan Christoffel, 9to5Mac: Here’s the thing about pre-recorded videos: it’s way easier to market features via concept videos rather than true demos. Sure, live demos can also be faked to fool an audience too. But the Siri presentation was able to get a pass because highly edited … | Continue reading
"This move demonstrates a fundamental disregard for retail investors." Potential federal rule could have big impacts on workers and consumers: 'Deeply flawed' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
Researchers are using basalt spectra to study exoplanets and search for water with the James Webb Space Telescope. By studying chemical processes in the Earth’s hot mantle, Cornell scientists are building a library of basalt-based spectral signatures. This research aims to identi … | Continue reading
There’s a legitimate case for tariffs. But the president needs to explain it to the public—in a way that makes great TV. | Continue reading
My wife and I are in the process of detangling ourselves from four of the biggest tech companies: Meta, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. Of those four, Amazon is the most firmly entrenched in our lives since the company, and it's owner without a soul, billionaire Jeff Bezos provide … | Continue reading
"Consequences ... can extend far beyond the winter." Experts sound alarm over crisis that could threaten water supplies for millions: 'Abnormally low' first appeared on The Cool Down. | Continue reading
Solar is one of the best solutions to the growing demand for renewable green energy. However, while conventional solar panels contribute to clean energy production, their disposal presents several environmental challenges. Now, a groundbreaking innovation may change that: researc … | Continue reading
Trump and the Republicans are trying to make things even worse. | Continue reading