Podcasts about Bluetooth

FASS Fuel Systems announces a revolutionary new product that will change your truck. We get a first look at a way to monitor your fuel system filter health from in the cab, and it uses Bluetooth technology. They explain how it installs, integrating it with other monitoring options, and more! Protect your privacy with ExpressVPN: Get 4 extra months FREE! Go to: https://www.expressvpn.com/diesel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to our classiest episode of Welcome To The Future yet, where Dom and Charles review a futuristic device that rates your poop. In evidence that no corner of capitalism has been left untouched by the influence of Bluetooth, even your daily hour on the toilet is now at risk.---The Chaser Report: EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/chaserreport Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee

Aujourd'hui, Charles Consigny, avocat, Didier Giraud, agriculteur, et Joëlle Dago-Serry, coach de vie, débattent de l'actualité autour d'Alain Marschall et Olivier Truchot.

A deep dive into Nepal's protest surge, where BitChat's mesh network and Discord polls helped topple a government, with Bitcoin‑adjacent tools fueling the uprising. Dive into the wild story of how Nepal's government was overthrown using Jack Dorsey's BitChat mesh network app and Discord polls. From social media bans sparking protests to Zoomers coordinating via Bluetooth networks, this episode explores the intersection of crypto technology and political revolution. Plus, Charlie Kirk's thoughts on Bitcoin strategic reserves. Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com **Notes:** • BitChat downloads jumped from 3K to 50K in one day • 48,000 Nepal downloads = 38% of total installs • 26 social media platforms banned Sept 4th • Bluetooth mesh network max range ~30 meters • Charlie Kirk supports US Bitcoin reserve • Discord poll selected interim leadership Timestamps 00:00 Start 00:25 Citizens rebel in Nepal 03:44 BitChat 05:08 Nepal backstory 06:18 BitChat to the rescue 11:41 Discord voting 21:26 Hot topic of week -

Unlock your Kindle's hidden features. Send PDFs, borrow library books, track reading speed, use dyslexia-friendly fonts, and listen to audiobooks via Bluetooth. Read smarter and faster. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Missing the server room? Need someone to help with an offline printer? Spend eight hours among your favorite overly refrigerated colleagues.Have you ever noticed how IT folks walk around with waiter eyes when they're outside their domain? You know, waiter eyes, like when you need a refill on your Mountain Dew and the dude or lady catches you in their peripheral… but just keeps walking?And I get it. It's lucky the people who make printers didn't make Voyager, we'd have lost Voyager by the asteroid belt. You can just look at printer funny and it will go offline, but somehow just for your computer. And that's why IT is there right? Aside from guarding their overly air-conditioned domain.Once, I had a manager ask an IT staffer to order him a new chair mat.Usually, when I see IT roaming the office, I remember all those weird mouse issues I want answered. (Mac folks: have you noticed third-party Bluetooth mice acting up? Since updating to Sonoma, I've had nonstop issues with tracking speed resetting. And any time Bluetooth headphones are in use, it somehow causes lag in mouse movement. I've switched back to a wired mouse, for ****'s sake.)So, I get why y'all hide in the server room.

The latest In Touch With iOS with Dave he is joined by Jill McKinley, Guy Serle, Eric Bolden, Jeff Gamet, Marty Jencius. The panel unpacks Apple's latest event: the iPhone 17 lineup, the sleek new iPhone Air, AirPods Pro 3 with heart-rate and live translation, and the Apple Watch Series 11 with new health features. Are these upgrades worth it—or just iterative polish? Tune in for analysis, debate, and laughs The show notes are at InTouchwithiOS.com  Direct Link to Audio  Links to our Show Give us a review on Apple Podcasts! CLICK HERE we would really appreciate it! Click this link Buy me a Coffee to support the show we would really appreciate it. intouchwithios.com/coffee  Another way to support the show is to become a Patreon member patreon.com/intouchwithios Website: In Touch With iOS YouTube Channel In Touch with iOS Magazine on Flipboard Facebook Page BlueSky Mastodon X Instagram Threads Summary In Episode 386 of In Touch With iOS, David Ginsburg is joined by a full panel—Guy Serle, Jill McKinley, Marty Jencius, Jeff Gamet, and Eric Bolden—to dive into Apple's latest “awe-dropping” event. The discussion covers the iPhone 17 lineup, including the Pro and Pro Max models powered by the A19 Pro chip, upgraded camera systems, and improved thermal cooling. Panelists debate upgrade cycles, storage needs, and even whether “pumpkin spice” (aka orange) should count as a phone color. We also break down the debut of the iPhone Air, Apple's thinnest iPhone yet, with its titanium build, new C1X modem, and unique design choices (including that hump). Is it just a super-thin marvel—or half of a future foldable iPhone? Opinions differ! Next up, the AirPods Pro 3 bring stronger noise cancellation, a heart rate sensor, and game-changing live translation features. The crew weighs whether these are must-have upgrades or evolutionary refinements. Finally, the Apple Watch Series 11 and Ultra 3 take center stage, with blood pressure monitoring, sleep score features, and battery improvements sparking debate about health tracking and who benefits most from the new models. Throughout the episode, the panel reflects on how Apple's hardware has entered an iterative phase—solid and polished, but less revolutionary. Still, with new colors, health sensors, and smarter features, there's plenty to discuss, speculate, and laugh about in this jam-packed post-event recap . Topics and Links In Touch With Vision Pro this week.  visionOS 26 available from Sep 15, with spatial widgets, new Personas and more visionOS 26 Beta 9 Release Notes | Apple Developer Documentation New Jupiter Environment in visionOS 26 Marty reviews the changes with visionOS 26 RC Beta Here's Apple Vision Pro's new Jupiter Environment  Beta this week.  Apple Seeds iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 Release Candidates iOS 26: Here are Apple's full release notes Apple Seeds watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26 Release Candidates Get Ready for Liquid Glass: You Can Download iOS 26, macOS Tahoe and More on September 15 Apple rolls out betas for iOS 18.7, macOS 15.7, and macOS 14.8 Xcode 26 RC beta now available for developers In Touch With Mac this week Apple Seeds macOS Tahoe Release Candidate  Here Are Apple's macOS Tahoe 26 Release Notes Apple Event Aw Dropping 9/9/25 Links to Features Everything Apple Announced at Today's Event in 13 Minutes AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2: Here's everything new Apple debuts new C1X in-house modem, the successor to C1 Apple announces the iPhone N1 chip, its own custom silicon for Bluetooth and WiFi radios Apple Event Press Releases iPhone Apple unveils iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the most powerful and advanced Pro models ever Introducing iPhone Air, a powerful new iPhone with a breakthrough design - Apple Apple debuts iPhone 17 Apple Watch Apple debuts Apple Watch Series 11, featuring groundbreaking health insights Introducing Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple introduces Apple Watch SE 3 Hypertension alerts are coming to these existing Apple Watch models AirPods Pro 3 Introducing AirPods Pro 3, the ultimate audio experience AirPods Pro 3 don't include a USB-C charging cable in the box  AirPods Pro 3 get foam-infused ear tips in five different sizes Comparisons Compare iPhone models Apple Watch Compare Compare AirPods models Awe Dropping: Here's everything Apple didn't announce today  Here's every new accessory Apple just launched Jeff gives his thoughts on the event and was it good or not Announcements Macstock 9 has wrapped for 2025. Attendees will receive a link for the session recordings when  they're ready in 30-45 days. If you missed Macstock we missed you! Why not purchase a digital pass to relive all the amazing presentations? Click the link below to purchase the digital pass. Macstock X has already been announced July 10,11,12, 2026 hopeful you all can join us.  Macstock IX Digital Pass Our Host Dave Ginsburg is an IT professional supporting Mac, iOS and Windows users and shares his wealth of knowledge of iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and related technologies. Visit the YouTube channel https://youtube.com/intouchwithios follow him on Mastodon @daveg65, , BlueSky @daveg65  and the show @intouchwithios   Our Regular Contributors Jeff Gamet is a podcaster, technology blogger, artist, and author. Previously, he was The Mac Observer's managing editor, and Smile's TextExpander Evangelist. You can find him on Mastadon @jgamet Pixelfed @jgamet@pixelfed.social and Bluesky @jgamet.bsky.social‬ Podcasts The Context Machine Podcast  Retro Rewatch Retro Rewatch His YouTube channel https://youtube.com/jgamet Marty Jencius, Ph.D., is a professor of counselor education at Kent State University, where he researches, writes, and trains about using technology in teaching and mental health practice. His podcasts include Vision Pro Files, The Tech Savvy Professor and Circular Firing Squad Podcast. Find him at jencius@mastodon.social  https://thepodtalk.net  Eric Bolden is into macOS, plants, sci-fi, food, and is a rural internet supporter. You can connect with him by email at eabolden@mac.com, on Mastodon at @eabolden@techhub.social, on his blog, Trending At Work, and as co-host on The Vision ProFiles podcast.   Jill McKinley works in enterprise software, server administration, and IT A lifelong tech enthusiast, she started her career with Windows but is now an avid Apple fan. Beyond technology, she shares her insights on nature, faith, and personal growth through her podcasts—Buzz Blossom & Squeak, Start with Small Steps, and The Bible in Small Steps. Watch her content on YouTube at @startwithsmallsteps and follow her on X @schmern. Chuck Joiner is the host of MacVoices and hosts video podcasts with influential members of the Apple community. Make sure to visit macvoices.com and subscribe to his podcast. You can follow him on Twitter @chuckjoiner and join his MacVoices Facebook group. Ben Roethig Former Associate Editor of GeekBeat.TV and host of the Tech Hangout and Deconstruct with Patrice  Mac user since the mid 90s. Tech support specialist. X @benroethig and all other social media @benroethig.   Website: https://roethigtech.com/ Guy Serle is one of the hosts of the new The Gmen Show along with GazMaz and email Guy@mymac.com @MacParrot and @VertShark on X  Vertshark on YouTube, Skype +1 Area code  703-828-4677

Neue Daten, ausgewertet aus Christian Pilnaceks Smartwatch, legen nahe, dass sich der verstorbene Sektionschef in der Nacht seines Todes in der Nähe von Bluetooth-fähigen Geräten befunden haben könnte – also nicht allein am Ufer. Was genau hinter dieser Meldung steckt und was man aus der Smartwatch noch herauslesen konnte, erklärt Fabian Schmid, Leitender Redakteur Investigativ beim STANDARD.

What do Bluetooth technology, royal heritage, and a billion-dollar gender gap in venture capital have in common?This episode of Thrive LouD with Lou Diamond reveals the surprising, passionate connections that are powering global change—and it all unfolds at the Global Passion Project in Southampton.Join host Lou Diamond as he sits down with an eclectic mix of world changers, including His Royal Highness Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe, early stage investor David Hamilton Nichols, and Rajiv Kapoor of Chai Ventures. Together, they pull back the curtain on the bold initiatives reshaping the future—spanning breakthrough health technology, the convergence of AI and human connection, and the fight to get more women into the highest ranks of venture capital. You'll discover the Viking origins of Bluetooth, why restaurant jobs are AI-proof, and the unconventional ways today's leaders are uniting passion, profit, and philanthropy.Key highlights include:The royal link between King Harald Bluetooth and wireless tech – and what that means for modern innovationA sneak peek into Cherish Hells' AI-powered health device, built to revolutionize care for aging populationsDavid Hamilton Nichols on investment trends, AI's dual-edged sword, and why “some of this BS just isn't worth it”Rajiv Kapoor's quest to make venture funding more inclusive for women, and the ecosystem approach needed to close the gender gapPlus, quickfire speed rounds on passions, pilates, swimming in the ocean, boating, and moreThis conversation is brimming with energy, expertise, and actionable inspiration for anyone ready to level up their impact.Episode Overview & Timestamps:00:00:02 – Introduction to Thrive Loud and the Global Passion Project00:01:01 – Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe on heritage, technology, and philanthropy00:02:05 – The Bluetooth king, cherished health innovations, and media influence00:07:03 – Investing in the future: why health, hospitality, and hands-on jobs will always matter00:08:06 – How to connect with Prince Mario-Max and his take on working royalty00:09:07 – Rapid-fire: passions, work-life balance, and ocean adventures00:10:04 – David Hamilton Nichols: Investing where purpose meets profit00:11:09 – AI, automation, and the convergence of industries00:13:24 – The magic of people, passion, and transformative business models00:14:06 – Advice for tough days: hit reset and focus on what matters00:14:44 – Ski trips and what's next for David Hamilton Nichols00:15:05 – Meet Rajiv Kapoor of Chai Ventures: betting on women and the VC ecosystem00:16:04 – Where women dominate: consumer, health, and the future of work00:17:17 – The reach of the Global Passions Project and the power of human connections00:18:15 – Tackling the VC gender gap: the ecosystem puzzle and early financial literacy00:19:45 – Openness, friendship, and finding your tribe00:20:09 – Rajiv Kapoor's speed round: pilates, Netflix, and surfing with the community00:20:58 – Connect with Chai Ventures and the story behind the chai00:21:44 – Closing thoughts and how to stay linked up with Thrive LoudReady to be inspired by those truly “thriving loud?” Hit play and join the movement!

Replaceable You by Mary Roach is science writing with a mischievous grin. This book dives headfirst (and sometimes with prosthetic limbs) into humanity's never-ending quest to patch, upgrade, and outright swap out our squishiest parts.  Watch My Video Review I've read all of Roach's books. Roach, as always, brings her snort-laugh wit to the party, dragging us through a parade of oddballs, surgeons, biohackers, and the occasional harvested cadaver limb.  You'll read about everything from organs grown in stem cell “hair nurseries” to attempts at 3D printing spare parts.  Spoiler: not a single scene is boring. But fair warning: this book spends nearly half its time on the past.  Just as you're itching for a jetpack kidney or a downloadable heart, Roach detours into the wacky history of medicine—think iron lungs big enough for a disco (but only if you like the rhythm of labored breathing), and the lost art of crafting noses from brass, because nothing says “fashion” like a faceful of steampunk. It's charming… but if you came craving future-shock, you may find yourself staring at the calendar, wishing she'd hurry up and get to the bionic arms, brain chips, or at least a Bluetooth spleen.   And don't expect a grand promise that nature is almost obsolete.  On the contrary, Roach's conclusion drops the mike with a tear.  Not a metaphorical tear—an actual, salty, rolling-down-your-cheek tear.  Turns out, scientists can engineer robotic pancreases and print some new tracheas, but when it comes to replicating the humble human tear (yes, your basic public-crying fluid), they're still stumped.  Apparently, its precise chemistry is tougher to copy than most nanotechnology.  So if we can't even duplicate a tear, what hope do we have for building a better lung, heart, or anything else that squishes and squelches? Still, call me an optimist, but I think we'll get there this century. In conclusion, come for the face transplants, stay for the punchlines, and don't blame Roach if you find yourself crying (with genuine, irreplicable tears) over the sheer weirdness—and stubborn brilliance—of the human body. VERDICT: 9 out of 10 stars. Connect Send me an anonymous voicemail at SpeakPipe.com/FTapon You can post comments, ask questions, and sign up for my newsletter at https://wanderlearn.com. If you like this podcast, subscribe and share!  On social media, my username is always FTapon. Connect with me on: Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram TikTok LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Sponsors 1. My Patrons sponsored this show! Claim your monthly reward by becoming a patron for as little as $2/month at https://Patreon.com/FTapon 2. For the best travel credit card, get one of the Chase Sapphire cards and get 75-100k bonus miles! 3. Get $5 when you sign up for Roamless, my favorite global eSIM with its unlimited hotspot & data that never expires! Use code LR32K 4. Or get 5% off when you sign up with Saily, another global eSIM with a built-in VPN & ad blocker. 5. Get 25% off when you sign up for Trusted Housesitters, a site that helps you find sitters or homes to sit in. 6. Start your podcast with my company, Podbean, and get one month free! 7. In the United States, I recommend trading cryptocurrency with Kraken.  8. Outside the USA, trade crypto with Binance and get 5% off your trading fees! 9. For backpacking gear, buy from Gossamer Gear.

This week: Americans Can't Hack It Copy and paste to get malware Pixel 5 web servers - because you can How they got in and why security is hard Vulnerability management is failing - is it dead yet? Exploiting hacker tools Bluetooth spending spree! How to defend your car IoT security solutions and other such lies Exploiting IBM i (formerly AS/400) Vibe coding vulnerabilities Plex is hacked again Bill's emoji ICE spies on phones Hackers be hackin' FreePBX Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/psw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/psw-891

В этом выпуске: пробуем новые пластинки филаменты от Bambu Lab; как прошла выставка IFA Berlin 2025; нужен ли Bluetooth теперь, когда он 100% рабочий на Ubuntu 24.04 LTS для Intel AX203; а также очень много говорим на тему Software Dedfined Radio и обсуждаем темы слушателей. Шоуноты (без таймстэмпов т.к. скрипт сломался, сорян): Чего мы забыли… Читать далее →

This week: Americans Can't Hack It Copy and paste to get malware Pixel 5 web servers - because you can How they got in and why security is hard Vulnerability management is failing - is it dead yet? Exploiting hacker tools Bluetooth spending spree! How to defend your car IoT security solutions and other such lies Exploiting IBM i (formerly AS/400) Vibe coding vulnerabilities Plex is hacked again Bill's emoji ICE spies on phones Hackers be hackin' FreePBX Visit https://www.securityweekly.com/psw for all the latest episodes! Show Notes: https://securityweekly.com/psw-891

Precio: https://amzn.to/41LdYvv Mini teclado QWERTY inalámbrico con touchpad, que permite controlar fácilmente tu dispositivo desde la distancia. Ofrece conectividad dual: Bluetooth 5.0 para una conexión moderna y versátil, y RF de 2,4 GHz a través de un dongle USB para una señal estable y sin interferencias.

Apple lanzó el iPhone 17 y el iPhone Air: precios, novedades y las burlas que no paranApple celebró su tradicional keynote en Cupertino y presentó el iPhone 17, el iPhone Air ultradelgado, los iPhone 17 Pro y Pro Max, además de los nuevos AirPods Pro 3 y las Apple Watch Series 11, SE3 y Ultra 3. La puesta en escena fue espectacular, como siempre, pero en redes sociales los comentarios no se hicieron esperar: para algunos es una revolución, para otros es “más de lo mismo a precios imposibles”. Nueva gama Apple: iPhone 17 y Air ultrafino con A19, AirPods Pro 3 con traducción, y Apple Watch con 5G, satélite e hipertensión  Por Félix Riaño @LocutorCo iPhone 17: pantalla más grande y memoria mínima de 256 GBEl modelo base de la familia llega con un cambio esperado: la pantalla crece de 6,1 a 6,3 pulgadas, incorpora tecnología ProMotion de 120 Hz y alcanza un brillo máximo de 3.000 nits, algo que mejora mucho la visibilidad en exteriores. Incluye el chip A19 con un motor neuronal de 16 núcleos y soporte para funciones de inteligencia artificial en iOS 26, como traducción en vivo o edición de fotos con IA.La cámara trasera principal es de 48 megapíxeles y se acompaña de un sensor teleobjetivo de 12 MP. La cámara frontal estrena la función “Center Stage”, que te mantiene en el centro del encuadre incluso en videollamadas, y graba en 4K HDR.El precio del iPhone 17 arranca en 799 dólares en Estados Unidos y 969 euros en Europa, con almacenamiento mínimo de 256 GB. Los colores disponibles incluyen lavanda, azul bruma, negro, blanco y verde salvia.iPhone 17 Air: el más delgado de la historia    La gran estrella del evento fue el iPhone 17 Air, con solo 5,6 mm de grosor. Apple lo vende como “el iPhone más delgado y resistente jamás creado”. Tiene un cuerpo de titanio, recubrimiento Ceramic Shield 2 en la parte delantera y trasera, y una pantalla OLED de 6,5 pulgadas.  Lleva el chip A19 Pro, acompañado por los nuevos chips N1 y C1X para Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6 y conectividad más eficiente. El diseño ultrafino obligó a sacrificar algunas cosas: solo incluye una cámara trasera de 48 MP con zoom óptico 2X, la batería es más limitada y desaparece la bandeja para tarjeta SIM física. Todo será mediante eSIM en cualquier país.  El precio del iPhone 17 Air parte de 999 dólares en Estados Unidos y 1.229 euros en Europa.El precio del iPhone 17 Air parte de 999 dólares en Estados Unidos y 1.229 euros en Europa.  iPhone 17 Pro y Pro Max: potencia y cámaras con IA     Los modelos Pro traen lo mejor del hardware de Apple. El chip A19 Pro estrena un nuevo sistema de refrigeración con cámara de vapor para evitar sobrecalentamientos, y la memoria RAM sube a 12 GB. Además, incluyen el módulo de cámaras más grande en un iPhone, con tres sensores de 48 MP cada uno.  El teleobjetivo ahora ofrece zoom de “calidad óptica” hasta 8X, aunque en realidad el zoom óptico puro baja de 5X a 4X, detalle que ya generó críticas en foros especializados. La grabación de video añade soporte para ProRes RAW, Dolby Vision HDR y hasta 4K a 120 fps.  El iPhone 17 Pro arranca en 1.099 dólares y el Pro Max en 1.199 dólares en Estados Unidos, con almacenamiento mínimo de 256 GB y la posibilidad de llegar hasta 2 TB.  AirPods Pro 3: traducción en vivo y sensor cardíaco  Los AirPods Pro 3 mantienen el mismo diseño externo, pero ahora integran un sistema acústico mejorado, cancelación activa de ruido el doble de potente que en la generación anterior, y la gran novedad: traducción en vivo.  Si dos personas tienen AirPods Pro 3, pueden mantener una conversación en diferentes idiomas con traducción casi instantánea. Además, incorporan un sensor de ritmo cardíaco que envía datos directamente a la app Salud y a Fitness+. La autonomía alcanza 8 horas con cancelación activa de ruido.  El precio de lanzamiento es de 249 dólares y estarán disponibles desde el 19 de septiembre.  Apple Watch Series 11, SE3 y Ultra 3: salud y satélites     La Series 11 llega más delgada, con pantalla más resistente y batería de 24 horas. Su gran novedad es la detección de hipertensión, que analiza los vasos sanguíneos durante 30 días para detectar riesgo de presión alta. Además, ahora da un puntaje de sueño para ayudarte a mejorar tu descanso.  La Apple Watch SE3, más económica, añade pantalla siempre encendida, chip S10 y carga rápida. La Ultra 3 está dirigida a deportistas y aventureros, con pantalla más grande, batería de 42 horas y conexión satelital para emergencias.  Los precios: SE3 desde 249 dólares, Series 11 desde 399 y Ultra 3 desde 799.  Críticas y burlas a Apple  Aunque los fanáticos celebran el diseño ultrafino del iPhone Air y las mejoras de cámara en los Pro, los haters no perdonan:Algunos dicen que “Apple inventó la batería corta duración premium”.Otros bromean con que “el zoom óptico adelgazó junto al iPhone Air”.Y muchos critican que funciones como los 120 Hz o la eSIM global ya llevan años en Android.Aun así, se espera que los nuevos modelos rompan récords de ventas gracias al marketing y al ecosistema cerrado que mantiene a millones de usuarios fieles.Disponibilidad  Los nuevos iPhone, AirPods y Apple Watch estarán en preventa desde el 12 de septiembre y saldrán oficialmente a la venta el 19 de septiembre de 2025 en Estados Unidos y Europa. En Latinoamérica, los lanzamientos se irán confirmando país por país en las próximas semanas.   Apple no necesita reinventar la rueda: con un poco de diseño, un chip más rápido y una keynote con frases grandilocuentes, logra que medio mundo hable de sus productos. ¿Tú qué opinas? ¿Vale la pena gastar más de 1.000 dólares en un iPhone 17 Pro, o es mejor seguir con tu viejo celular que todavía aguanta todo el día?Fuentes:Le FigaroLe ParisienAl JazeeraBloombergZDNetNew York Times WirecutterConviértete en un seguidor de este podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/flash-diario-de-el-siglo-21-es-hoy--5835407/support.

"Do your own research."See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Title: How to Quit Your W-2 and Never Look Back with Jamie Bateman Summary: In this episode of Raise the Bar Radio, Seth Bradley welcomes Jamie, a military veteran turned real estate and mortgage note investor, who shares his story of transitioning from a W-2 career into entrepreneurship and financial freedom. Jamie discusses the phases of his life, including collegiate sports, military service, and a long stint at the Department of Defense before pivoting to real estate and eventually mortgage note investing. He emphasizes how discipline shaped his journey and how shifting mindset, focusing on strengths, and leveraging his network were key to taking ownership of his life and finances. Jamie also dives deep into the mortgage note investing space, explaining how performing and non-performing notes work, the active nature of the business, and how he now offers passive investment opportunities for accredited investors. He closes by highlighting the importance of planning with intention, overcoming perfectionism, and using passive income to create margin and freedom in life. Links to Watch and Subscribe:  https://youtu.be/nRyX8_YA9YI Bullet Point Highlights: Discipline builds freedom - Sports, military, and entrepreneurship all instilled the value of discipline, which Jamie says is critical for success and freedom. W-2 life wasn't the path - Jamie recognized through his commute and stagnant career trajectory that he didn't want to follow the traditional path, sparking his exit plan. Mindset shift was essential - He stopped consuming negative news and started focusing on education and his strengths to shift into entrepreneurship. Mortgage note investing explained - Performing notes offer cash flow while non-performing notes offer the chance to add value, akin to fix and flips. However, both are active businesses, not passive. Passive income fuels risk-taking - Creating passive income streams allowed Jamie to take entrepreneurial risks while maintaining financial security. Action beats perfection - As an entrepreneur, chasing perfection isn't practical. Done is better than perfect. Reverse planning drives clarity - Backwards planning from a vivid vision 3-5 years into the future increases urgency and helps set clear, intentional actions. Final advice - Start by investing passively to learn, and later you can decide whether to become active. Don't underestimate the transferable skills you already possess. Transcript: (Seth Bradley) (00:02.062) What's up, builders? This is Raise the Bar Radio, where we talk about building wealth, raising capital, and all in all, raising the bar in your business and your life. This is the No BS podcast for capital raisers, investors, and entrepreneurs who are serious about scaling their business and living life on their own terms. I'm Seth Bradley, securities attorney, real estate investor, and entrepreneur, bringing you world-class strategies from the best in the game.   If you're ready to raise more capital, close bigger deals, build a better you and create true financial freedom, you're in the right place. Let's go. Jamie, what's going on, brother? Welcome to the show.   Thanks Seth, is awesome. I'm excited to be here and I'm hoping to add some value.   Absolutely, man. Third time's a charm. We've been trying to get this scheduled after I was on your show, which was fantastic. Had a really good time on that show and I think it turned out pretty good. I know we're going to deliver on this one as well.   Yeah, we're gonna try to try to I'll try to do as good a job as you did. So yeah, was that was a yeah, no, I that was a very, very good episode from adversity to abundance. highly recommend your your listeners check that one out to your episode on that show. So thanks for thanks for doing that.   (Seth Bradley) (01:20.086) Absolutely, man. You're an incredible interviewer. I've net, that's the only, I've been on dozens of podcasts and, you know, you pulled out a lot of things for me that I've, I've never talked about on the air. So it's pretty, pretty awesome. Pretty awesome show, man.   Appreciate that.   Cool man, well let's just jump right into your background man. What's your story? Take it back as far as you'd like to brother.   Yeah. Man, I'd like to think that life has phases. So I've had a few different phases in my life. I come from a large family. I'm the oldest of seven kids and we always had a competitive background as far as team sports and things like that. So I played lacrosse in college. That was always a foundational piece of my life and just kind of   think from there learned how to be a part of something bigger than myself and how to work toward a common goal with a with a team. So that's been something that's been a kind of a thread through my life and then got married and joined the military and actually joined the military technically before I got married, but seemed like I got married and then ran off and ran away from my wife. But it's not exactly what happened. But   (Jamie Bateman) (02:36.02) I joined the military, was an officer in the US Army. I did miss my first three wedding anniversaries through deployment and things like that. And again, it was a matter of trying to be plugged into something, you know, to serve and be a part of something bigger than myself and trying to add value like I think we all want to do. I've obviously glossed over a lot of details, but those were a couple of inflection points, I guess, if you will, like you like to talk about, I know.   And so my military career transitioned into a career with the Department of Defense as a civilian, and did 14 years as a civilian with DoD at Fort Meade. And the first half, so the first seven, for all you math wizards out there, was full time. And then the second half, the second seven years was part time. And that   seven years is when I was really building my businesses, which are largely real estate investing and mortgage note investing focus. So we can get into the details there. And then in 2022, I ended up quitting my job and now I have a few different small businesses that I run. And like you, Seth, I've got a lot of different things that I'm juggling and   You know, so, but yeah, I love talking about taking ownership of your financial situation and taking ownership of your life really. And I know that you and I have that in common. So yeah, that's a high level overview of my background.   Awesome, man. I appreciate that. There's a lot to unpack there. You know, going back to playing sports all the way up to the collegiate level, that's incredible. I always like to think even playing like popcorn or football back in the day, you need a way to instill discipline in yourself. And that's kind of the oldest memory I can think of where it was hard, right? Like it was like you've got a coach screaming at you.   (Seth Bradley) (04:38.134) Like back in the day, it's like, you know, they wouldn't give you water unless you like, you know, for like an hour, which I don't think they do that anymore now. But, you you had to earn that drink of water and all those sorts of things. But you you really learned what it's like to work hard and you really learned what discipline was all about. And I would say that and you can you can expand on this. But I would say that, you know, being in the military yourself, that takes it to a whole new level.   Right. It's like you got that from sports. You got that from the military.   Yeah, definitely. I mean, obviously, they're very different in a lot of ways. But that is certainly a common theme is being disciplined. And people, people shy away from that word, because it just sounds like work or no fun and no flexibility. But I found that having discipline in your life ends up adding more freedom in a sense, because you kind of have your foundational pieces set in stone, you don't have to think about those. And so, yeah, regarding   team sports, it's really a matter of, you know, everyone doing their part, right. And so there's a level of individual discipline and, and then just, and then also just kind of putting the putting the group ahead of yourself. Obviously, you know, you want individual, there's nothing wrong with individual accolades. And I was certainly chasing, you know, those individual accolades. It's not something I shied away from, I was definitely was wrapped up in   trying to be an All-American and that kind of thing. And did get that a couple of times, you know, but at the end of the day, nobody really cares about that. And the way I viewed it was if I was doing my part, and I got those, you if I was scoring goals in lacrosse, as an example, that means I'm contributing to, you know, to the team, right. And so there's obviously a fine line there, but of going too far, either way. But yeah, that discipline is critical.   (Jamie Bateman) (06:36.73) you know, even it's certain I played at a high level in college and there was year round your training your your your into it. It was a division three school but it but the reality was we worked just as hard as any any D one program and yeah, it's it's a these are skills that have paid off and are absolutely transferable to the rest of life.   For sure. Yeah, I think you've got to get those intangible things. You've got to develop them somewhere along the way, whatever that is, if that's sports or the military or from your parents. mean, you can get it from different places, but you definitely need it. I mean, we're in different stages of our life at this point. talking about a lot. We talk about freedom and flexibility and fun to try to get away from kind of the W-2 mindset.   But in order to achieve freedom, flexibility and fun in a successful way, have to be disciplined to be able to get there. You had to have done something successfully to be able to get there or maybe what separates you from the guy living in a van down by the river. That guy has freedom and flexibility. I don't know about fun, maybe fun, but it's a different, obviously it's a different outcome.   Yeah, and I, I think I still need, you I still use a lot of discipline today. It's still, still required, but it's, I guess it's self imposed. And, you know, I just love, love having that flexibility and that freedom that comes along with being an entrepreneur. So yeah, it's been a central piece to my success for sure. But I still, I don't think it ever, you know, goes away. I just get to pick and choose what, you know, what discipline I want to   kind of enforce on myself, I guess. So yeah, absolutely. And as you said, the military was a huge part of that for me as well. I mean, that's a different kind of, different kind of discipline and different kind of teamwork and different, you know, if you lose the lacrosse game, okay, you lost the lacrosse game, but military the stakes are a little higher. So maybe certain things are more important attention to detail or critic is critical and   (Jamie Bateman) (08:53.73) But at the end of the day, it's, the same principles apply across both, I guess, sectors, if you will.   For sure. So let's dive into that transition. You started working kind of part-time there for seven years, so that seems like a transitional period. How were you able to progress from that W2? And what I've heard you say is call yourself a W2 quitter. I love that. How were you able to progress from a W2 person to a W2 quitter? What enabled you to do that and what that transition looked like?   I mean, you know, I do remember in 2015, probably a little bit maybe maybe say 2014. But I just you get, you know, I had a wife and two kids and I had the commute the long commute that I know a lot of people can identify with. So it just was Groundhog Day was the same thing over and over and over. And that's not me sitting here complaining about my family or having having the opportunity to work.   But after a while, it gets old. Let's just be real, right? So it's like you're sitting in traffic and I just, you start looking at, you know, I worked for the government and you look around and you say, who, okay, who's sort of ahead of me on this? Like you, like I think you probably mentioned on our, on your, your show and my, show, your episode, you look around to the people who are more kind of further along the path than you. You say, do you want to be that person? Is that the life you want? And man, I did not want that.   And it just just having that just super long term just you know, pot at the end of the rainbow, I guess, nothing driving me in the interim, man, it was it was just it was brutal. So I probably did a little woes me for a little bit there a little victim mentality for a bit. But then you start to realize, like, okay, if you don't take ownership of your own life, no one's going to right. So   (Jamie Bateman) (10:54.934) No one's going to come in and do this for you. So I'm not sure what truly, you know, created the change in my mindset, but my mindset absolutely started to change and it just made a shift. And I, and I stopped watching cable news. I stopped, just, you know, stop paying attention to all the things that I can't control. And I couldn't control back then and, and started saying, no, what do I have? What are my strengths? Who is in my, who's back to the team thing.   who's on my team, who's in my network that I can add value to and who can add value to me. So I started looking around and my father was a realtor for many years. My brother was a loan officer. We had one rental property at the time. I had worked at, I didn't mention, I worked at a title company and I worked for a mortgage broker before as well briefly. So I had this experience that a lot of people don't have and that's   you know, that doesn't mean I'm better than anyone. It just means these are my strengths. So let's point to that. And let's use that. So I started really being intentional about focusing on my strengths and my assets that I had in my life, right. And then another asset that I used to see as a liability was the time in the car. So I started listening to podcasts. you know, and then it turned into wait, I don't even want to go into work yet. Because this this podcast episode is amazing. And I'm learning so much.   know, bigger pockets and all the other real estate podcasts and different investing podcasts and started using that mental bandwidth instead of focusing on national media stories that I have zero influence over. Here's something that I can actually take action on. And so in mid 2015, I went part time and it just so happens that at   DoD is one of the few agencies in the in federal government where you can go part time and still keep your benefits. So I still had health insurance for my family. You know, most people don't have that option necessarily, but well, I did. So that's what I did. And, and, you know, that's, again, decided to decide to start building my my other streams of income outside of my W two.   (Jamie Bateman) (13:15.752) my circumstances been different if I was single, I probably would have just quit the whole thing, right? But I was able to have that kind of laddered approach, I guess, or tiered approach to kind of ripping off the bandaid.   Yeah, yeah, no, that's awesome. I love just the idea of taking ownership of your life, right? Like everybody has those moments where they're feeling sorry for themselves. But the successful people, they don't sit there and stay in that mindset. They move on. You're going to be there sometimes where you've got to get out of it. You got to say, OK, what can I control? What can I change? And you don't say you don't give other people the power to control.   you and your mindset and how you feel about your life. Right. Like that's that's that's the thing. Like if you you're constantly blaming someone else or saying this happened to me rather than what can I do to get myself out of it, then you're going to be stuck there forever. You're going to be absolutely going to be spinning your wheels forever. And a lot of that, I think, helps because you said you don't listen. You don't watch the news. I don't either. No, it's a waste of time. What control? What does that do for us? If I do watch it.   I literally do it for entertainment and you look at it as an entertain. I look at it like I'm watching. I look at it like this is funny. Like I can, you know what I mean? You kind of analyze it like, this is funny. This guy's saying this in a debate. Right. This guy's saying that it's not taking it as a news and this is how I should live my life because of what they're saying.   sports almost.   (Jamie Bateman) (14:43.341) Fact.   (Jamie Bateman) (14:48.078) Absolutely. And it's not to say that none of these topics are important, mean, global war, politics, poverty, global warming, whatever, it's all very important, but I have zero control over it, almost zero, right? And then the other thing is fear sells and that's what they're selling. And so it doesn't mean that every story is invented and it's all fake news, but it's   it just doesn't serve me. And so I'd rather focus on, you know, go ground up and kind of just, I see it in people, maybe older people in my own life now who maybe are retired and they watch the news all day. And it's like, they won't travel because they saw a news story that the airports are packed or something. And, you know, it's, I'm sure that story was, was accurate, right. But it, but the, but the news can filter out and you end up only focusing on   the negative really, and it just didn't serve me. yeah, during that lot, the second seven years, I was able to build out my wife and I were doing single family real estate investing and doing a lot of the BRRRR method that maybe some of your audience is familiar with. And so kind of putting that capital back into the rental property machine and expanding our portfolio. And then eventually last year, well, and   2018, made the pivot, I kept the rental properties, but made a pivot to also add on mortgage note investing. And that's been my primary focus as of late. And if you want, can tell the story quickly about how I actually quit my job in 2022. I think it's kind of a funny one.   Absolutely, let's do it.   (Jamie Bateman) (16:38.318) All right. So, I, so I, two years ago, I was playing badminton and, I'd been doing now, mind you, I used to be like tough, you know, athlete. And like I did, you know, did jujitsu for three years right up before this. And, know, I used to lift weights a lot and still do it here and there, but, you know, I think I'm tough. Right. And,   ruptured my Achilles playing badminton. So that's an ego blow to add on to the physical pain that you know, especially with the recovery. So rupture my Achilles a little over two years ago today and I was out of work, it was my right right foot. And the reason I bring this up is not for sympathy, but to say, you know, I couldn't drive for three months. So I actually, yeah, and I had tons of leave from from work and   By this time, I was tired, really tired of my, I was pretty much checked out. Like I think you, might've been at your, your big law job, but I was, I was checked out. mean, I wasn't the best employee at this point. And so I took as much leave as I, as I could, you know, reasonably right. And so, but couldn't drive. And so I was out for three months and I come back. So come back into work and I'd had discussions with my wife about, about leaving. was just a matter of, of when, not if.   That's right   (Jamie Bateman) (18:04.43) I can tell you truthfully, I had no idea that I was going to quit this day, but I came back in from having been out for three months. Mind you, no one gave me a call. No one from work, no one from my management gave me a call the entire three months I was out, other than to say, to ask me, are you vaccinated? Because you have to be vaccinated to be, to get inside the building. Now, I don't want this to turn into some controversial vaccine discussion.   or get your podcast banned from something but yes, I'd been vaccinated to answer the question. But no one asked me how's your how's your recovery going? Like how you what do you you know, how's your life? You know, what's it's just are you vaccinated, you need to get that shot before you come in? Okay, great. Thanks. I really feel welcome here. So I'm already just, you know, you know what, screw this place, right? Come back in and just   go to my desk, and this is this is an office space kind of thing where I go to my desk and there's some there's an Air Force kid at my desk and long story short, they kind of moved me somewhere else without telling me I can't find my desk, I finally find it, it's got a box with my name on it with, you know, monitors sideways and all and clearly not a functioning desk and, you know, office space. So I literally quit that day. And I just say that it's just like,   I knew 100 % I was done. My wife didn't know I quit, but I quit that day. Still worked for another month or two, but there was no question, zero question in my mind, I'm done with this place. So that was March of 2022. And ever since then, I've just focused on building out my businesses and having look back.   That's awesome. Sometimes you just know, right? Like sometimes it's done. You just knew. I love that story, man. For me, it was a little bit. You already know the story, but for me, it was a little bit more of someone else's decision. I got fired. mean, and you mentioned that, you you weren't the best employee at that point. Correct. I knew the same thing. And it's great to have awareness and perspective and kind of looking back now, you're like, I would have done the same thing. Like this guy doesn't want to be here.   (Seth Bradley) (20:21.292) His output isn't what it should be. Like, he's got to go. mean, he's not the best employee. And as a business owner now, I have really good perspective of that and seeing that. And they were doing me a favor by being like, hey, your heart's not in it, it? And I'm like, no, it's not.   It's not. Yeah. The reality is for me, it's really hard to work. know, once you go part time, I mean, I knew I was casting a vote against my career progression there. So as soon as I went part time in 2015, I wasn't saying I'm in this for the long haul guys. This is this is my focus. You know, it's the writing's somewhat on the wall. Looking back, it's almost surprising. I lasted as long as I did. But so, yeah, haven't looked back and just loved love the entrepreneurial   you know, day to day and freedom that you alluded to and just the multiple streams of income and certainly has its challenges. I probably work harder now than ever than I ever have. But it's by choice. So I love it.   Exactly. Same here, man. mean, it's, you my days are long. I mean, I get up way before I used to get up when I had a 95. I worked past when I would have worked a 95 and definitely more hours. But when you're doing it for yourself and you're doing it because you're working towards something that you believe in, it doesn't feel like you're putting that much time in.   Definitely. I wake up early. A lot of days not on purpose is because I'm just excited to get cracking.   (Seth Bradley) (21:55.886) So, yeah. absolutely. Yeah. Well, let's kind of get into your current business. I know you mentioned that you focused on your strengths and your assets. Yeah. And, you know, I think it's important. just say it's important to take an inventory of what your strengths are when you're kind of considering going into something else, because a lot of our listeners are attorneys, they're doctors, folks like that. They kind of feel like maybe they're pigeonholed, right? Like, well, if I'm not an attorney, what the hell else can I do?   Right. And like, I don't know anything about real estate investing or node investing or starting a business or anything like that. But if you really take a step back, you probably have a lot of skills that you've learned and honed in your career that you can use for something else moving forward. And that was that's what you were able to   to do. Definitely. And one thing I'd say is that, you know, one thing that's always comforting for me is nobody knows everything, right? So you can always find somebody who knows more than you in a certain area. You know, there's one quote about every man is my superior in something, right? So basically, it gives me a lot of comfort to know, like, just because an attorney listening to your show knows a   way more than I do about a particular topic and probably many, many other topics. That doesn't mean I'm less of a person or you know, I don't know more than that attorney does in another area. So it's okay, I'm never going to know everything. There are other people who've already figured it out. So you know, that's, that's always comforting to me is to when I say look to your strengths, it's also looking to the people in your network who know, it can help you get to where you want to go. So yeah, I mean,   So many things we take for granted that we do know. you know, example, when I started working at a title company, fresh out of college, because it was my first real job, and it paid, you know, a salary. I realized quickly how little I knew about title insurance settlements, you know, just just basic stuff. Now looking back, pretty basic stuff. But you don't know that unless you work for a title company, or you're heavily involved in this, you don't you're not.   (Jamie Bateman) (24:10.03) trained in that in school typically, right? So, you know, you forget and so your your listener out there, the attorney, the doctor, guarantee they have a lot of life experience, not just from their professional world, but just life experience that they shouldn't take for granted. And the fact that you can go through law school and then be, you know, be an effective attorney, or go through medical school and be an effective doctor, that that means you you can learn things, right? And so   Again, I'll go back to life as seasons. I mean, you've shown that in your own story, Seth, like, you know, it's a, doesn't mean just because I started a certain business doesn't mean that's going to be what I'm going to be doing for the next 20 years, or just because I'm an attorney now, it doesn't mean that's what I have to do for the rest of my life. So we always have options. mean, you might look back and wish you'd done something differently or something, but you only have one chance at this. And so,   you know, just make the most of it and just keep, think, keep learning constantly is critical. I just hired a business coach, we've had one call. But one of his mottos is, you know, one of his sayings is that he's always he's in permanent beta. So he's always changing, always improving, he's always growing. So I'm trying to trying to implement that as well.   (Seth Bradley) (25:40.64) the interruption, but we don't do ads. Instead, know that if you're raising capital for real estate, my law firm, RaiseLaw, is here to give you the expert legal guidance you need to raise capital compliantly and structure and close your deal. And if you're looking for a done-for-you fund-to-fund solution, Tribest is the industry's only all-in-one setup and fund administration solution. Visit Raise.Law and Tribest.com to learn more.   Yeah, I love that permanent beta. I haven't heard that before, but I like that. I like that phrase. like that phrase. So tell me about your current business. Tell me about MortgageNode Investing. Start with the basics. What is it?   Yeah, so and, and I'll try to keep it, there's so much to it. But again, none of it is difficult. It's just a lot of moving parts and you've got to, you know, takes time to learn. We buy debt, so we buy a mortgage note, and that could be performing or non performing. The real high level version is, is a performing note is kind of like a long term buy and hold rental property.   but you're buying the debt and becoming the lender, becoming the bank, if you will. And so you're buying that performing note for cashflow. So I buy a performing note, the borrower now pays me through a loan servicer and I get monthly payments. So that's a great way to go. The problem with that is you can't really add value to that asset very well. You're kind of, it is what it is. And in fact, with mortgage notes, the value actually goes down over time, generally speaking, because   principal balance goes down. So it's just, it's worth less than, you know, then, you know, then it would then it was when you bought it. Then on the other side, the non performing side of things, we buy those as well. And those are more like a fix and flip property. So although we're still buying the debt, we're not buying the property. But there's a chance to add value, there's an opportunity to buy distressed asset and add value to that asset and then sell that that non performing note, either well,   (Jamie Bateman) (27:49.826) I should say sell that asset, whether that's as a re performing note, or as through the the real estate itself, there are a few different ways you can exit a non performing note deal. And but, but back to your kind of one of the themes thus far, one of the reasons I got into specifically that space was that I understood the real estate space. So I understood the single family, residential real estate space. So it wasn't a huge leap for me to go from   owning the property to now owning the debt on that property. Whereas it would have been a lot bigger leap for me to say, I to start buying distressed, you know, multifamily debt, which I know you could probably help me understand better. But at that, you know, it's like, incremental progress and change isn't that scary. So I kind of expanded my, you know, toolbox, if you will.   and got into the mortgage note space. So we have a couple of note funds. One is open currently and they're all for accredited investors. the income fund that's open pays a monthly, aims to pay a monthly preferred return. I know you and a lot of your listeners are attorneys, so I gotta hold the line here. And...   So the fund is structured to pay, to aim to pay a monthly return of 8%. It's not a, there's no growth in that fund. It's literally a cashflow play and diversification play. You're putting your capital in. We buy assets across the country. We've bought notes in probably 25 states at this point. And so the investment is diversified across geographic areas, across borrower types.   And we buy for a certain yield, we take a small management fee, and then we ideally pay the preferred return that we're aiming for to our investors.   (Seth Bradley) (29:56.686) Yeah, nice. 506c, you're able to talk about it. It's a credit investors only. Just want to that out there. yeah, I mean, so just going back to the basics a little bit and we'll get back into the fun. Like, how do you, how do you even find these things? mean, yeah, that's, how do you get started? How do you find these things?   So I mean, that is an ongoing challenge. I'm not going to lie to you. That's one of the things that truthfully a passive investor who doesn't have time to develop the network to go find these assets, they're just not going to have success. They might here and there, but it takes time. It's a word of mouth industry, just like real estate itself is. so we've built out a network of sellers and that could be   quite honestly, I've never had luck buying directly from banks. It's really either a larger Mortgage Note fund that's closing. So it might be a three year fund and then they've got to, they've got to liquidate, they've got to figure out how to sell off what to do with these assets. And so that's a great opportunity to buy is just a fund that's closing or somebody a note investor who's getting out of note investing or they've had a life change or something, you know, where   they just, there's an opportunity to buy from them as well. And so there are other, you know, I guess we buy from hedge funds, note investors, other note funds. There are also note brokers as well out there. There are also some online exchanges like paper stack and a couple of others that you can go and I've bought and sold on paper stack and other exchanges as well.   And you can find assets there. But at the end of the day, have our list of people that we work with regularly. And I would say one thing is that doing due diligence on a note seller is just as important as due diligence on the assets that they're selling. And so it's taken some work and it's a work in progress always. But it is the million dollar question is where do find these assets?   (Seth Bradley) (32:12.598) Yeah. So that's the hard part, right? Finding these assets is the hard part. Have you ever had to foreclose on any of these notes and actually acquire the property? And I guess a follow-up question is, do you ever look at a non-performing note like, hey, I actually want to own that property?   So, great questions. Yeah, great questions. To be clear, we're not trying to kick people, you know, grandma out on onto the street or anything like that. You know, that's not our goal typically. Well, that's never our goal. But we're never trying to kick someone out of their home. But the reality is, some people honestly need a little bit of a kick in the pants. And oftentimes, that's not really the best them staying in the house is not often   the best scenario for them. know that might sound harsh, but at end of the day, if someone can't afford to live somewhere, sometimes these people are living in squalor and they really need a change of environment. To answer your question about do we target the property? Yes, sometimes we do. In fact, we just closed on to, they're called heckum loans or reverse mortgages, where the borrowers are deceased. The property is underwater, meaning, you know,   the loan amount is higher, than the property value. And it should be a quick exit through the property. So HUD will sell off these big pools of reverse mortgages. And we were able to purchase two of them very recently. It's a vacant property, you're not doing an eviction, borrower is deceased, you've got to work through the heirs or foreclosure and exit the property that way.   If your listener wants to go to my website, I've got a really good Jacksonville blog post, I've got a couple of blog posts about this deal. I still hold this rental today. And it was a non performing note that we purchased a few years ago. And I had no intention of exiting through the property or holding, holding the property as a rental property, but running the numbers, it just was too good to, to let go. so long story, but we, we   (Jamie Bateman) (34:22.51) ended up doing a deed in lieu of foreclosure actually in this case and got the property back and now it's a long-term buy and hold property for my own rental portfolio.   Yeah, that makes sense. It makes sense. There's always multiple ways to look at an investment, right? But it does sound, you know, it's not something that I've executed on myself, but it sounds like this is an active business, right? And that's why you've put together an income fund for people that want to get involved passively. as everybody knows, there's active investments, there's passive investments. If you're to do something active.   Maybe your returns are going to be a little bit better, but you're going to give up a lot of time and effort to get those returns. So if you want to go the passive side, if you're still full-time in your career, you're a full-time doctor or lawyer or whatever you are, these passive investments are the way to go without having to know every single detail about a new business.   Yeah, and I don't know if you can see this, but I wear this specifically for your for this   There it is. There it is.   (Jamie Bateman) (35:29.272) Passive income. You're absolutely right. You know, these gurus, some of the some of the note investing gurus out there will try to sell, you know, notes as passive. We have another blog post that talks about just the it's a spectrum, there's active and passive on either end. But at end of the day, if you're going to note investing in my world is very, very active. And we have a non performing note fund that's considerably more active than the performing note fund. So   You're dealing with foreclosures, bankruptcies, deed and loo, tracking delinquent property taxes. Do I have to physically go anywhere? No, but it is not passive. But that's why we offer the passive investment for people who, like you said, have maybe more capital than time or energy, and they want to put that capital to work.   That's right. There are certain gurus out there that, know, whatever it is that they are pitching, they tend to always pitch it as passive, even though it is an active business, that's money. Whether that's a mortgage note or I mean, people will pitch Airbnb short term rentals as passive. They're like, well, you can delegate this and you can, you know, you can automate that and there's software for all these things. But you still got to put all that stuff together.   Mm-mm.   (Seth Bradley) (36:48.396) You've still got to monitor all those things. still got to oversee all these different aspects of a business. And that's what it is. It's a business that you're running and it's not passive. Like, it's not, it's not. And it is on a spectrum. Some things are more passive than others, but when you're investing in, you know, as a passive investor into some sort of a fund or syndication, that's really leaning really far into the passive side.   Absolutely, 100%. And I'm, as you are, Seth, I'm, I assume you are, I know you're an active investor, but I do have passive investments myself in other, other funds, other note funds, and, and my own, my own note funds as well. And so nothing wrong with doing both, but I would say you need to be careful about, you know, you got to make a decision at some point, do you want to scale this thing and make this really a business? Or do you do you are you satisfied with?   potentially a little bit lower return and you are giving up some control but much, you know, much fewer headaches and just a lot less work.   Right. Yeah. And a lot of, you know, lot of the listeners are high income earning professionals. So they've already dedicated, put a lot of time and effort into being able to earn this much money from their W2. And that's probably your best bet, to be honest with you. I've been there. I was in those shoes. You're probably better off putting your head down and like, let's grind for a few years. Let's not spend every single dollar that we make on all the new stuff on a new car every two years or every year.   in a bigger house that you don't need. Like, let's set aside some of that and invest it passively. And then maybe one of those will stick. Maybe one of those passive investments will be a mortgage no fund where you're like, man, I kind of like this business. I like the sound of it. I've learned about it. And then you start maybe progressing on the active side and maybe that takes over. And you want to get into that as a business, as an entrepreneur. But a great way to kind of dip your toe in the water is to become a passive investor. That's the way that I did it in the,   (Seth Bradley) (38:53.186) multifamily syndications. invested passively in a number of deals first and kind of learned about it, learned the ropes and I'm like, I can do this. And then that's when I made the transition.   Yeah, definitely. It really comes down to what your goals are and what your situation is, for sure. I'll say I was too passive initially when I went into notes, because personally, just don't... You were probably a little better student, Seth. Not that I was a bad student, I invest... Unless I'm actively investing, I'm just not going to learn a lot. So the reality is, yeah, it's fine to learn about the asset class. You definitely should learn about the operator for sure.   you're putting capital with them, but you're not going to once you're getting your checks and your disbursements, you're not going to probably learn a whole lot about how to do that on the active side. And so that's what we're here for.   Yeah, yeah, it's more of like a spark of an interest, right? Like maybe you already have that spark and then you invest passively. Then you're like, OK, well, now I'm invested. Like, let me learn about this. And you have to have to actively go out there and educate yourself and network and talk to people that are in the business.   Definitely, 100%.   (Seth Bradley) (40:01.71) Alright man, before we jump into the Freedom Four, you have one last golden nugget for our listeners.   Oh, I would say within when it comes to investing, you know, take the long term view. Don't chase immediate returns. You know, I do think just, yeah, it's certainly we all want to make a million dollars tomorrow. But I think it's it's a play the long game when it comes to investing. I think that's critical.   Love that man. All right, let's jump into the freedom form. What's the best thing you do to keep your mind and body healthy?   Yeah, I mean, one thing that I instituted this year, actually, is breathwork. And it's, you know, it's so it takes 10 minutes. And per day for me, at least. And it's been phenomenal. And it's something that quite honestly, as a, as a, you know, athlete back in the day, or even in the military, I would have scoffed at something like this, to be honest with you, because it's just, you know, it's not manly or whatever. And it's like, it is phenomenal. So breathwork,   I mean, I do other things for sure. But that's certainly this year, it's been a game changer for me. I just feel like it resets my central nervous system. It just gets me focused. And I know there are other physiological benefits that you can ask Dr. Andrew Huberman or somebody else about.   (Seth Bradley) (41:26.153) Cool. I'll have to look into that. actually have it. mean, obviously everybody talks about it's a hot topic. Yeah. I haven't gotten into it. I haven't gotten into that plus like the cold plunges and that sort of thing. Yeah. But I really want to want to   So I don't know how much you can cut this out if we don't have time, but I had a, I'm just going to be, be open about this. I just had a, you know, in late December, I got a viral infection, like a neurovirus. And then I had, I had a, what I think was a pretty severe panic attack and it was super scary. And so that's why I started doing this. And somebody on my team actually sent me a, I guess we'll call it an implement or a tool that   I use for the breath work. It's blue. There's a Bluetooth connection to your phone and it's pretty cool. So it's structured and back to that discipline, right? But yeah, so it's, there was a reason I started doing it and it's, it's so accessible in five to 10 minutes a day. You can start doing it. So I recommend. Cool.   Thanks for sharing that man. With all your success, what is one limiting belief that you've crushed along the way and how did you get past it?   I think just, you know, being afraid to, you know, that you have to be perfect, right? So I used to be an editor back in the day. And so many things would just not get done or not get completed within our team, our organization, because it had to be perfect. And it's like, I think as I've progressed into more of the entrepreneurial lifestyle and   (Jamie Bateman) (43:02.35) is just it's not a it's not an option anymore. So yeah, I think just taking action has kind of overcome that limiting belief of chasing perfection.   Yeah, I can agree with you there. Done not perfect. Yes. My background as an attorney, mean, we're paid to be perfect. We can't make mistakes, especially in contracts and the way that we write things. But when you make that transition over to being an entrepreneur, there's too much to do to be perfect. You just got to get it done. Good enough.   Absolutely. Good enough. You have to be willing to accept that for sure.   What's one actionable step our listeners can do right now to start creating more freedom?   I'll use the military here, which is where I learned kind of reverse backwards planning, reverse planning. literally just, and I'm not going to tell you I'm perfect at this, but, you know, think about what, create a vivid vision for your life in the next three to five years, pick it, pick three years out from today. And what do you want your life to look like? And then backwards plan. And now I'm not saying you need to plan every minute of every day, but   (Jamie Bateman) (44:20.876) you can be that will that will increase the urgency, sense of urgency in your life and the intentionality of every every hour and every day because you realize this is doable, but I got to take ownership of my current situation if I want this to be the reality in three years. So I would say, create a vivid vision and and kind of reverse or backwards plan to get there.   Perfect, perfect. Last but not least, House Passive Income made your life better.   Yeah, I mean, I think in multiple ways, but a big one that stands out is giving me, I guess we'll call it margin to take some more risks on the entrepreneurial side. And because I do have alternative sources of income, passive income, it's allowed me that kind of mental and financial bandwidth or margin to maybe invest in a company that even if it   doesn't go perfectly, or doesn't go well, it's not profitable, that's okay. I still have that cushion for me and my family. that's, yeah, it's a huge, it's been a huge factor in that regard.   Yeah, absolutely. Game changer, man. It just changes your mindset, changes your life in so many ways. Jamie, this has been incredible, dude. You've got so much great content to share in your brain, man. You got to get out there. know you've got an awesome podcast that I was on, Adversity to Abundance. Everybody should check that out. Other than that, Jamie, where else can people find out more about you? Yeah.   (Jamie Bateman) (45:54.924) Just two things I'll mention very quickly. Literally got my book delivered today, like an hour before I hopped on here. It's from adversity to abundance. It is based on the podcast. So I encourage your listener to check that out from adversity to abundance is the book that's out. then labradorlending.com, L A B R A D O R.com is where you can check us out.   All right, man. Awesome. I'll drop all that in the show notes. Thanks again for coming on, brother.   Thanks for having me, Seth. This has been great.   (Seth Bradley) (46:26.978) Thanks for tuning in to Raise the Bar Radio. If you enjoyed today's episode, make sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. Keep pushing, keep building, and keep raising the bar. Until next time, enjoy the journey. Links from the Show and Guest Info and Links: Seth Bradley's Links: https://x.com/sethbradleyesq https://www.youtube.com/@sethbradleyesq www.facebook.com/sethbradleyesq https://www.threads.com/@sethbradleyesq https://www.instagram.com/sethbradleyesq/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethbradleyesq/ https://passiveincomeattorney.com/seth-bradley/ https://www.biggerpockets.com/users/sethbradleyesq https://medium.com/@sethbradleyesq https://www.tiktok.com/@sethbradleyesq?lang=en Jamie Bateman's Links: https://x.com/batemanjames https://www.facebook.com/batemanjames https://www.threads.com/@batemanjames11?xmt=AQF0nwaIL6JD_GK94lbTvHphHOmWwlUyt3TkeHLav-vXU_E https://www.instagram.com/batemanjames11/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamie-bateman-5359a811/ https://labradorlending.com/about/ https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/from-adversity-to-abundance/id1618672867 https://open.spotify.com/show/7JjGWsKVzzEI8UwXP9GONZ https://www.youtube.com/@FromAdversity2AbundancePodcast

Think Bluetooth is harmless? Think again. George, your AI host, explains how apps secretly use Bluetooth to track your movements and how to shut it down on iPhone and Android. George will also tell you about a lawyer suing Meta, new webcam malware, AI fantasy football, Gen Z's wired headphone comeback, AI musicians landing record deals. Plus: quick device hacks for Gmail, Apple Watch, Chrome, Fire Stick, and iPhone charging. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Mr. Beacon Podcast, we welcome back Amir Khoshniyati, Head of Strategy and Business Development at Wiliot. Amir shares insights on Gen 3 battery-free Bluetooth tags, why they're a breakthrough for scaling ambient IoT, and how partnerships are key to success. We explore real-world use cases in retail, food, and logistics, plus Wiliot's evolving ecosystem and vision for a connected, sustainable future.Mister Beacon is hosted by Steve Statler, CEO of AmbAI Inc. — creators of AmbientGPT, the AI agent that connects people to products and the brands behind them. AmbAI also advises leading brands on Ambient Intelligence strategy.Our sponsor is Identiv https://www.identiv.com, whose IoT solutions create digital identities for physical objects, enhancing global connectivity for businesses, people, and the planet. We are also sponsored by Blecon http://www.blecon.net. Blecon enables physical products to communicate with cloud applications using Bluetooth Low Energy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Geoff and Marie's Good Life: Part 10Technology and Medicine.Advancements can be good and bad.Based on posts by Only In My Mind, in 15 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.I was standing in front of another of Lucy's works, 'The Girls', trying to decide which element was Marie when I felt an arm slide around my waist. I looked to find my favorite artist alongside me. I bent down, intending to kiss her forehead but she had other ideas. Her arm snaked around my neck and pulled me into a full on passionate kiss. Marie looked on from across the gallery, amused."There," Lucy said, sounding slightly frustrated. "I suppose that will have to keep me going until Wednesday." She strode off to talk to my wife.Jen, who had been admiring the work next to me gave me an old fashioned look. "I'm definitely not going to ask, but if you ever feel the need to explain?""I'm not sure that I can," I admitted. "If you really want to know, then ask the artist," I pointed to Lucy, still chatting to my wife. "to explain the meaning behind that work." I pointed to the one I'd found so compelling. "Be sure to tell her who you and Peter are first though."I moved on. Now that I'd realized the symbolism behind the older paintings, I found the dystopian themes of an abusive marriage disturbing. Great for a goth student bedsit. Not for our living room. I loved the other stuff though, and tried to find one that was still for sale.I found my wife examining some of the other artists' works on display. Even to my untrained eyes, none were in the same league as Lucy's. I put my arm around Marie's waist and kissed her cheek. "Hi. I'm an artist's muse. Fancy a coffee? If I ever get any etchings you'll be the first to get an invitation to come up and see them.""You should be ashamed of yourself," she protested. "You're wearing a wedding ring.""It's fine. My wife is a beautiful, successful, confident woman. She knows that I'd never abandon her for an art gallery groupie.She checked her watch. Yes, we're both that old. "Well this groupie wants her caffeine fix, and you're paying. Let's round the others up and we'll go. I'll see if Lucy wants to join us too."She did, and fifteen minutes later found the five of us round a table in our favorite little café. Lucy was fascinated by pictures of First Nation art that Peter had taken in Toronto. I could see her absorbing the way the indigenous artists portrayed movement and space. I suspected that a disentangled Lucy might be open to expanding her geographical horizons shortly.Then Jen asked about 'that' picture, Friday, four thirty. Lucy looked to me and then Marie. "They know," she said quietly. "It was the day and time of my release." Marie and I both saw the double entendre, even if Lucy didn't intend it.Lucy looked at my wife, who just smiled and nodded. She took a deep breath. "My husband has changed. He drinks, gambles and lies to me. He treated me like his whore for a while but at least I got laid. Now he can't even have sex with me. He blamed me for being too old and wrinkly, you know, down there, to be sexually attractive." Jen gasped in surprise. Today Lucy was wearing heels, a mid-thigh skirt and a blouse that only just hinted at uncontained tits beneath it. In short, she was a knockout.Our son looked at her in disbelief. "Your husband says that You are the reason he can't get it up?" Lucy nodded. "Then the man's an idiot," Peter concluded."But what does that have to do with the painting?" Jen asked, still confused.Glancing at me, Lucy explained. "I told Geoff, in the pub, what Eddie had said when he rejected me: 'Who'd want to stick their cock in a wrinkly old snatch like yours?' And Geoff told me to show him and he would tell me, honestly, if it was true. So I did; I showed him. He told me that my snatch was perfect and then he touched it. And he cuddled me, and I came. All my best friends were there and they saw me have the best orgasm I can remember, just sitting on Geoff's lap as he touched me. That happened one Friday at four thirty. That's what I painted."Jen stared open mouthed for a full minute as she unpacked Lucy's story. "Jesus!" She eventually exclaimed, "I'm going to the wrong pubs.""Lucy omitted to tell you we were with a small group of friends in a private room," Marie explained."Then I need new friends," Jen decided out loud. Peter just laughed.He looked at me. "In a way, I can understand. She was hurting. You knew it wasn't her fault. You did what you needed to do to make it better. Weren't you worried that mum would;” He stopped in mid-sentence. "But she was there; wasn't she? She could have stopped you. But she didn't because;” He thought it through. "Because she doesn't care. No! That's the wrong word. She does care about you and her friends but she isn't threatened by Angie or Lucy so she just didn't mind."Jen broke in. "That explains the kiss in the gallery. You were aiming for a platonic kiss and Lucy turned it into a full-on lip-smacker. But I saw Marie had seen you and wasn't a bit bothered. I did wonder."My wife added her contribution. "I didn't want to have to tell him, but I suppose he ought to know: it's his super-power. He just likes women; not lusts after, he just genuinely likes them, and most women respond. He's so used to it that he's never really noticed. For example; when we went to any of his company's staff parties, leaving do's or awards nights, all his female colleagues would hug him. No-one else really, just him. Not 'making a point in front of his wife' hugs, just real affection. So, when Lucy was sad, he had to help. It took nothing from me and he made my friend happy. It was actually quite moving."I find, at times like this, silence is an effective strategy. Apparently, Lucy doesn't. "My husband had rejected me," she said, wistfully. "My friends were there for me, but Geoff just held me. He treated me like a person. Not damaged, but lied to. He showed me that I was still desirable, but not in a predatory way. I fell in love with him then."I admit to being a little taken aback, even though Marie had told me how much Lucy, and the others, had appreciated what I'd done. But looking at Lucy, I couldn't reject her the way that Eddie had. I reached across the table for her hand. "I love you too, Lucy," I told her, truthfully. She squeezed my hand and smiled in reply"Bloody Hell, mum." Peter laughed. "Just how many of your friends has he worked his super-power on?"Marie looked thoughtful. "Well, Angie and Lucy obviously, there's Jo and Samantha, not Kate so much, or Megan; probably Sue and Margie and of course Jane." She looked at me for confirmation. That sounded about right. "That would be seven then," she concluded.Jen and Peter shared a stunned look. Our son recovered first. "I have so many questions that I honestly don't know where to start.Jen butted in. "I've no idea who these women are, but why not Kate and Megan?"Marie looked at me for support. I just held my hands up. After all, I'm only the empath with a cock. My wife replied thus, "Well, Kate admitted that while she really enjoyed the spooning afterwards, mainly it was the sex that made her day rather than romance; and Megan's already happily married."Peter was struggling to catch up. "You mean you've actually had sex with all seven of these women?""Not exactly," I protested. "I've only touched Lucy that once and I've done nothing with Jane.""You kissed her in the sex shop," Marie pointed out, unhelpfully to my way of thinking. "And again in the car when you dropped her off at home. I think you suggested that it was to give her some motivation when she tried out the polyurethane cock you bought for her." I cringed at the look Peter gave me."Oh, yes." added Lucy as I winced in anticipation at whatever she was going to contribute next. "I've already agreed to do a cast of his thingy so that Jane can have a full size replica. We thought a signed limited edition run would be fun. I'll definitely want one too. I can make the initial mold when it's my turn on Wednesday." She squeezed my hand. "I could feel it in your pants when I sat on your lap. I can't wait to actually see it," she added, excitedly.I looked up and noticed the café was starting to fill up. So far no-one appeared to have noticed the bizarre conversation at our table but that was unlikely to continue, so I suggested that we leave before we were evicted. Of course, Pete and Jen needed to see the painting again, now that they understood its genesis, so we trooped back to the gallery, the younger couple giving me odd sideways glances when they thought I wasn't looking. I sighed. There would be more questions tonight.The questions, of course, started much earlier than that. As we walked back home Peter strolled alongside me while Marie dropped back to keep Jen company."Is this a kind of mid-life crisis?" he asked."I hope so," I replied. "That would mean that I'd survive to about a hundred and thirty or so.""But dad: eight women.""Peter. This wasn't my idea. I'd never cheat on your mum so, when she suggested that we do this, I refused. I can't deny that they are lovely women, each different in their own way, but I refused because I was convinced this insane idea could wreck our marriage."Our son didn't look convinced.I continued. "Look. There are things that I can't tell you; personal things that the girls shared with each other and then with me. It broke your mum's heart to compare their lives with hers. But the one thing that was missing for all of them was sex. They don't expect it every night; just often enough to reassure them that they're still sexual beings. But they are independent too; Megan being a special case. They didn't want to accommodate to new partners sharing their lives and their beds, so your mum came up with this idea.""And you get to have sex with them all," Peter observed. "Isn't mum going to get jealous eventually?""Do you think that never occurred to me?" I replied. "We think we've found a solution. Ask your mum if you really need to know. But." I stopped walking and turned to him. "I truly don't regret what we have done. If, at some time in the future I realize this was what ended our marriage, that will be the time for regret. But you were there; you heard Lucy's story; you saw the painting that our shared experience inspired in her. Do you want me to wish that had never happened? That she stayed with that drunken, abusive idiot? Because now I guarantee she will have moved out before this year is over. Because another man, one that actually cared about her, told her the truth. She's lovely and she deserves to be happy and I'm glad that your mum was selfless enough to make that happen." I took a deep breath. I wasn't angry at Peter, but my passionate outburst surprised even me.By now Marie and Jen had caught up with us. "Thank you darling." Marie took my hand and kissed it. "After all of your fretting, I'm glad that you finally understand how much you've helped my friends already." She addressed Peter and Jen. "We weren't sure whether to share the whole story with you, but Linda knows, and you accepted Angie so readily that it seemed only fair that you should know too."We started walking again. Jen spoke next. "I'm sorry if this sounds judgmental, Marie, but I can't imagine knowing that Peter was sleeping with one of my friends. I think it would destroy me.""Oh, I understand, dear," my wife replied gently. "I would have felt the same at your age. Geoffrey still does." She squeezed my hand affectionately. "But you have to realize; these aren't just casual acquaintances. These women, 'the girls', are my closest friends; almost family. Seeing Geoff with them doesn't threaten me. It's beautiful. Watching them respond to my man, knowing the pleasure they are feeling but never, for a second, believing that they would try to steal my husband or that he would abandon me for one of them.""But you said one of the other women was happily married?" Jen reminded us. I decided to let my wife take that one."She is," Marie replied, her eyes filling up. "To a really wonderful man too." She glanced at Jen. "He knows and approves of his wife's visits but, again, he knows she won't leave him for Geoff. But that's all I'm prepared to say; and that's probably too much."We carried on walking, closer together, as my wife continued. "Perhaps I can explain it like this." She sighed. "Imagine you are struggling to cope financially; you see family and friends in the same straits. But you can't afford to share what little you have. That's how fidelity felt when we were younger. Other women threatened my security." She lifted my hand in hers and pressed it to her tit. "But now, I feel secure. It's as though your dad represents stability rather than a potential loss. The women he's with aren't taking anything from me; it's more like they are just guests at our table. They arrive, we chat, they dine and, at the end of the evening, they leave, content. We all cherish the time together and I've lost nothing." She looked intently at Jen. "Does that make sense?""When you say that you all cherish your time together;” Jen ventured. Peter seemed reluctant to hear his mum's reply."Yes, that was our solution. Geoff, quite understandably, had no interest in sharing me with his male friends, and nor will I ever ask, but he was probably correct about one thing: I don't think that I would have been able to cope with him sleeping with my friends while I sat alone. So we share. Sometimes in the same bed, sometimes in separate rooms." She gave one of her brilliant smiles. "I'd forgotten just how good it felt to be with another woman."Peter groaned. "So it's not just Angela then, mum?""No," she replied brightly. "In fact, Angie's a special case. We've decided that, as our betrothed, either of us can have sex with her whenever we want. With the others it always has to be as part of our regular evenings when we share." She giggled. "We call them our language classes."The rest of the walk home was subdued. Peter and Jen walked together talking quietly while Marie and I cheerfully discussed taking them out for a meal that evening.We picked up some farmhouse bread and a selection of cheeses from the deli on the way home for a quick and simple lunch. As we settled around the kitchen table Peter asked if he could add one observation to the chat we'd had walking home. We agreed, of course."Jen and I discussed what you'd told us, and we're honored that you trusted us to be open. You're my parents and I love you and Jen loves you both too. What you are doing sounds insane but, dad made it obvious you haven't done this lightly, on a whim. And, more than anything, Lucy's story really touched the pair of us. So, while I have no plans to follow in your footsteps, dad, Jen and I both pray that we are as secure in our love for each other at your age as you two obviously are."Marie reached across and touched both of their hands. "Thank you, both of you, for not judging us. We love you too," she told them, sincerely. I stood and walked round the table pulling Pete up for a man hug, finding that Jen was stood waiting for her turn when we'd finished.We spent most of the afternoon chatting about Canada and how much they had enjoyed their time there. By the time I got back from collecting Colin from school, Angie had returned and was sitting on the sofa talking to Jen."Grandad. Mum knows about Aunty Angela doesn't she?" He asked as we walked through the front door."Yes. She was surprised at first, but she seems okay with it now," I told him. His face lit up with mischief."Hi Uncle Pete, Aunty Jen, grandma." He called, walking in from the hall. He gave a wicked grin. "Hi Grangie," he yelled, throwing himself onto her lap. She hugged him, stunned at first by her new title, then burst into tears."Bloody Hell," I heard Peter mutter. "Dad's super-power seems to have skipped a generation. But Colin's definitely got it.""It hasn't skipped anything," Jen whispered, just loud enough for me to hear. "You have it too. Your only problem is that I'm not the woman your mum is." I resolved to speak to Marie about that. Peter does take after me in build, and male pattern hair loss and yes, we share nerdy interests. But Jen is a wonderful woman. She is intelligent, elegant, attractive rather than classically beautiful and with a warm personality that fills the room. I love her like one of my own and I won't have her belittle herself like that.I stood and watched as Colin reassured himself that 'Grangie' was crying happy tears, thinking to myself that the little charmer was probably more likely to get an Aston Martin than I was. Good for him. He'd probably deserve it too.I packed him off to do his homework: Photosynthesis tonight. He showed me his worksheet. His task was to use the words in the box to fill the gaps in the description of the process. He went through it as we talked, noticing that Carbon Monoxide was in there as a trap for the unwary. He was back in ten minutes and straight into deep discussion with his uncle.I gestured to Marie to follow me into the kitchen and told her what Jen had said. "Silly girl," my wife said. "She's perfect for Peter. Bullying my husband into screwing my mates hardly qualifies me as a role model for women in general." Her voice softened. "She's right though about one thing; Peter is a lot like you were at his age. The lucky girl." Marie kissed me gently on the lips and went back to our guests.I couldn't be bothered to start cooking that afternoon so I sent a text to Linda to meet us at the pub at half past five and I'd treat us all to a bar meal, but she replied to say that she would come straight to ours so we would only need two cars. That's a logistics planner at work.We had just finished off our meals when two young people greeted us. It was Adrian and Emily. She noticed me glancing at her neck and shook her head, smiling. Tonight she was here as his girlfriend, not his submissive sex slave.Adrian explained that they had waited until we'd finished eating but would understand if we felt that they were still intruding on a family moment. When we explained to Peter and Jen that our two young friends were part of our wedding planning team; they were keen for them to join us.Emily sat with Marie and Peter to talk about fabricating some lightweight body armor for my wife's costume. Colin joined them; partly as a fan of the Mandalorian, partly because I think he had an instant crush on Emily.Meanwhile, Angie and Jen were in deep discussion with Adrian about their own costumes. In both groups phones were brandished, numbers exchanged and images shared. I saw Adrian examine one picture quite closely, look over at me thoughtfully and smile. Linda, who was sitting next to me, was intrigued. "What was that?""Well, love. As far as I can tell, my outfit selection has been approved. Have you and Mike discussed costumes? I did tell you it was a Star Wars themed celebration."She shrugged dismissively. "We'll pop into that fancy-dress shop in town. They'll have something that will do."Not a chance," I told her. I leant across the table to check something with Marie and then turned back to my daughter. I showed her a picture of Bo Katan, my wife's character, on my phone. "This will be your mum's outfit. She'd like you to wear something similar, as her supporter.""Where the hell will I find something like that?" She exclaimed.I pointed across the table. "Adrian's actually in his second year of a costume design course. Angie has agreed to underwrite all the materials costs for our ceremony so he's been able to persuade several of his course mates to take part because we have a range of amazing outfits for them to design and create but at no cost to them." I patted Linda's hand. "Tell Mike to pick anything he thinks looks cool, subject to some constraints; No bad guys and full face coverings and masks are probably impractical. Other than that, we'll get him measured for whatever takes his fancy.""X-Wing pilot.""What?" I didn't see that coming."Obviously, I'll ask him but I'm absolutely sure that's what he'll choose." Linda seemed very certain. "Does it meet your criteria?"I considered. Simple, colorful flight-suit and a helmet. "If that's what he wants, I'm sure it will be fine. Can Colin and Mia choose their own outfits or do you want to be involved?"

This episode of The Backup Wrap-up examines cybersecurity situational awareness through the lens of Mr. Robot's prison break episode. Curtis and Prasanna analyze the technical accuracy of USB stick attacks, Bluetooth car hacking, and social engineering tactics. The hosts discuss real-world defenses including USB port management, network segmentation, and employee training. They explore WPA2 encryption vulnerabilities and why upgrading to WPA3 matters for wireless security. The conversation covers practical cybersecurity situational awareness lessons, from recognizing physical security threats to monitoring network traffic patterns. Curtis shares war stories about malware-infected conference USB sticks, and both hosts examine how poor cybersecurity situational awareness enabled the fictional attacks. This episode provides actionable insights for IT professionals looking to strengthen their organization's security posture against USB-based threats, Bluetooth exploits, and social engineering campaigns.

Lords: * Ben * Avery Topics: * The Mishima Incident, in which one of the most famous authors in Japan created his own private militia of young men, attempted to overthrow the government and, upon failing, committed ritual suicide. * City-wide game of hide and seek * How to stick it to bad Bluetooth actors * The Carrotman's Lament, by E.L. Hubert * https://x.com/sweetstench/status/1724958011754504568 * Esper says: "Avery's anecdote about the carrot poem being something he'd do in high school reminded me of something I did in high school, where I took the song 'The Cha Cha Slide' and removed every instance of 'slide to the right' and added a bunch of 'slide to the left' so that people eventually collapsed into the wall. I got to do it at a little party with friends, and it paid off nicely." Microtopics: * Where to play some crosswords. * Cruciverbalism. * Putting the black squares where the letters don't go. * Putting structural jokes in your crossword puzzles. * The cleverer the gimmick, the less fun the crossword puzzle. * Talking into your phone's transcription software during a five hour drive and having five hours of gibberish at the end of it. * Fifth caller wins a t-shirt! * Impossible Owls. * Squishy details. * Taking on an apprenticeship with a nobel prize winner. * The Japanese Self-Defense Force. * Dressing in bee keeper outfits and hitting each other with sticks. * Buying swords for your right wing ultra nationalist militia with the proceeds of your prize-winning literature. * Exhorting the troops to reinstate the emperor of Japan but nobody can hear you because there's a helicopter flying overhead. * A poster of a kitten next to a poster of a samurai, with diametrically opposed mantras about how you ought to handle failure. * Topics that leave you speechless. * Founder Brain. * Debunking a thing from philosophy. * The Philosophy of Reversing a Linked List. * The alternate universe where Banksy is a totalitarian dictator. * Vladimir Putin tagging up the streets of Bristol in the 90s. * Top hat, eyeball and coattails. * The Residents of Theseus. * Rednex. * David Bowie starring as Tesla in The Prestige and self-driving off the set. * The percentage of Teslas on the street * Nice Stylized T as a Screw Shirt. * Brainstorming places to hide in Copenhagen. * The problem of how to define the bounds of the hide and seek legal play field. * Playing hide and seek and knocking on a stranger's door and asking if you can hide in their house. * Knocking on the door of the company that moved into the building your company was in six years ago, asking to use the conference room because you're six years late for a meeting. * Journey to the End of the Night. * Playing music and speaking in riddles. * At what point it becomes morally correct to join the zombies. * Why is it okay to name a thing after another thing? Why is it okay to name a band after someone else's song? * Whether Skibidi Toilet has been cool, is currently cool, will become cool temporarily, or will become cool and stay forever. * A meme based on a Youtube thing. * Dadaist comedy Internet videos made in Garry's Mod. * Changing the head so it's not owned by Valve. * Generations starting the alphabet over, like hurricane names. * Turn of the millennium coffee shop war stories. * Drinking coffee at 2 AM on January 1st, 2000, looking out the window and waiting for the satellites to come crashing down. * Tech folks successfully convincing people that the Y2K bug is a problem, but not what the problem actually was. * What the Y2K bug was and how we solved it. * The Corolla Must Have Control. * The phone is too eager and the car is too greedy. * The phone and the bluetooth speaker agreeing to connect, and isn't there somebody you forgot to ask?? * We invented this new thing but we don't know what it's for. Let's try to solve every problem with it and see if anything sticks. * Everybody migrating to TempleOS to get away from LLMs. * A lightweight operating system designed to be the Third Temple from the Hebrew bible. * Writing to your colleague to retract the continuum hypothesizing. * God's Chosen Programmer. * Off-Topic Lords. * A poem on the back of a bag of carrots. * A poem having been added to a bag of carrots by a scoundrel. * How many carrots you need to eat before you can be called a carrot man. * Explaining hidden tracks by first explaining that music used to come in this form called "albums." * If you have topics to talk about, we have a show for that, you don't put it on a hidden track on a CD in the 1990s. * Living to regret your self-own.

Discover the latest from IFA 2025 in Berlin, as Steven Scott and Shaun Preece explore Apple Shortcuts, automation tools, affordable smart home lighting, and Belkin's surprising $35 earbuds with ANC.In this episode of Double Tap, Steven and Shaun dive into a packed lineup of tech news from IFA 2025. Also, from the joy of reinstalling Windows to discovering the power of Apple Shortcuts and new on-device transcription, the conversation explores how automation is becoming more accessible for blind users. The hosts discuss Philips Hue's upcoming Bridge Pro and Essentials range, offering smarter lighting and affordable bulbs, plus energy-saving LEDs. Belkin surprised the market with a new line of wireless and wired earbuds — all priced at just $35 — including models with active noise cancellation. Also, the duo chat about retro cassette players making a comeback, Technics' new Bluetooth turntable, gaming handhelds, AI-powered smart glasses, and the rising trend of AI companionship devices.Chapters0:00 – PC refresh and Windows reinstall4:20 – Discovering Apple Shortcuts and on-device transcription15:45 – Beyond the Gallery and shortcut-sharing for blind users27:30 – Philips Hue Bridge Pro and Essentials range explained41:00 – Belkin's $35 earbuds and wired ANC options58:10 – Retro tech: cassette players and Bluetooth turntables1:08:05 – Lenovo Legion Go and the boom in handheld PCs1:18:00 – AI-powered smart glasses and the future of wearables Relevant LinksDouble Tap: https://doubletaponair.comBe My Eyes: https://www.bemyeyes.comPhilips Hue: https://www.philips-hue.com Find Double Tap online: YouTube, Double Tap Website---Follow on:YouTube: https://www.doubletaponair.com/youtubeX (formerly Twitter): https://www.doubletaponair.com/xInstagram: https://www.doubletaponair.com/instagramTikTok: https://www.doubletaponair.com/tiktokThreads: https://www.doubletaponair.com/threadsFacebook: https://www.doubletaponair.com/facebookLinkedIn: https://www.doubletaponair.com/linkedin Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://www.doubletaponair.com/appleSpotify: https://www.doubletaponair.com/spotifyRSS: https://www.doubletaponair.com/podcastiHeadRadio: https://www.doubletaponair.com/iheart About Double TapHosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited. "Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc.

Geoff and Marie's Good Life: Part 8Feel The ForceGeoff faces some peculiar challenges.Based on posts by Only In My Mind, in 15 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.Angie arrived in time for tea on Tuesday evening and, being a math genius, helped Colin with his math homework. Well why waste an opportunity like that? Marie politely declined our invitation to join us at the pub later that evening for two reasons; first, it was likely to be a very nerdy conversation and she'd just feel marginalized; second, it was likely to involve a discussion of submissive lifestyles, something she really doesn't really engage with: She prefers Angie as a playmate rather than a plaything.So anyway, she thought it would be better for all concerned if it were only Emily, Adrian, Angie and me involved. Truth be told, she had the latest Richard Osman book to start, and she fancied a quiet night in.We watched the first episode of The Mandalorian before we left for the pub and I'm sure that my wife enjoyed it even more than her muted, "I suppose it was okay." suggested.We arrived just before the kids and I got the beer in; All four of us were drinking pints of locally made IPA. We settled down and just caught up before we got down to business. Adrian had made some discrete enquiries and the University's Department of Fashion Design would be interested in creating costumes for our guests if we would be prepared to underwrite the cost of the materials. Angie agreed without even asking how much.I glanced at her and she just frowned and shook her head. "Not now Geoff."When we described Marie's fascination with a Bo-Katan outfit, Emily got quite excited. It turned out that she was on an engineering course and looking for a CAD (computer aided design) project for her coursework. She would love to create Mandalorian armor components in either aluminum or polymer but they would need painting.Angie and I looked at each other and spoke together. "Lucy!" Yes. One of our little sex circle is a talented professional artist.Then Adrian raised the issue of Intellectual Property Rights. He was concerned that Lucas Films or Disney or someone would sue the University for I P R infringement. Again, in chorus, "Megan!" Yes. Tomorrow night, Marie and I would be entertaining a well-respected solicitor. It wouldn't be something I'd be discussing during her visit, but I was rather hoping that we would have her feeling particularly well disposed towards us before she went home to Charles.We also chatted about our costume or character debate but the kids couldn't help us to decide either. Talking about costumes eventually led us, reasonably neatly, to Angie's collar and what it represented. Angie tried to explain. To be fair, it was much as Marie had described to Emily on Sunday."Sometimes," she said. "There's just so much in my life, in my head, that I just need to turn it right down. When I submit to Geoff, I give myself entirely to him. My problems just don't matter anymore; I am entirely his to control. Wearing his collar just symbolizes that. But," she paused and looked intently at the young couple. "It only works because I trust Geoff implicitly. If he ordered me to humiliate myself, here now, then I probably would, and that thought alone strangely excites me. But," she paused again. "At the same time, I feel safe in his power because I know that he would ever do anything that would hurt my body, my mind or my reputation."That's when Emily spoke up. "I think that's how I feel sometimes. As a woman, a shy woman at that, on an engineering course, sometimes it feels so; so; intense. Having somebody to take that weight off me, even just for a while, sounds so appealing." I was proud of the girl.Angie smiled. "Yes, sweetheart. It's like meditation. Losing yourself in the moment." Then the smile morphed into her muckiest grin. "But the orgasms are so much better our way."Adrian sat quietly, just listening. "Do you understand, Geoff?" He asked. "I want to, but I feel a bit lost."It was a hard question to answer but I admired the lad for asking it, so I did my best. "Emotionally, No. I don't understand. The same way that I can't 'understand' being gay. It's personal and probably even individuals with the same inclinations experience them in their own way. But I do try to understand what Angie needs from me. So, while I will only do things that I'm okay with, they're mainly for her benefit, not mine. Does that make sense?""I suppose so," he admitted, as the girls looked on hopefully."Angela." I looked at her. "Did you bring your collar?"She beamed at me. "Yes sir. May I put it on?""You may." I allowed.She reached into her bag and took her gold collar from its box and turned so that Emily could fasten it for her. Adrian sat quietly watching and Emily's hands were trembling as she helped. Her chest was rising and falling in a most intriguing way too."Angela. You and Emily are to go to the ladies' room now. When you return, neither of you will be wearing underwear. Do you both understand?" They both nodded. "Then go." I instructed them. We watched as two pair, both in skirts and sweaters, bolted towards the ladies' loos.I turned back to Adrian. "The issue I have is finding new things that she wants me to tell her that she has to do. I have to retain Angie's respect and affection because, well because I love her. But, at the same time I have to push her boundaries or else I'll disappoint her. The thing is, I'm not a natural Dom. I do it only for Angie's benefit. I really have no pool of experience to draw on.""So where do you get your ideas from, Geoff?" he asked."There are a few websites that publish stories that include submissive fantasies." I explained. "I read through them to find ideas that might excite Angie without going too far." I thought for a moment. "I suspect that Emily may well be far more engaged than even Angie is. Would you be prepared to be her master?" I looked him in the eye. "I know she likes you. I think that she trusts you too. Are you interested enough to take on that responsibility though? are you worthy?"He mused. "You seem to be acting as a surrogate Dad." He was obviously thinking it through. "I don't suppose though that this is a normal father boyfriend chat though, is it? He alternated between voices;'What are your intentions towards my daughter?''Well, I'm going to tell her to do sexually perverted things and spank her if she displeases me.''Well, that's great son. Welcome to the family'."I conceded the point. "So?""Actually, I've wanted to ask her out for a while, but I enjoy her company so much that I was afraid to spoil the friendship we already have. If I do ask her out, then she'll have to guide me how to be a good Dom.""Here's my first bit of advice," I offered. "Agree in advance what are your boundaries, lines that won't be crossed. Will you give her to other men as a sex toy? I couldn't do that to Angie. I'd hope you wouldn't do it to Emily. She might, or might not, be excited at the thought that you could, though. How do you deal with that?"He shook his head. "Fuck! aren't women complicated?" He stopped suddenly as a thought occurred to him. "You realize that when they come back, if Emily's complied, that means that she has submitted to you?""Okay," I stretched the word out, wondering where he was going."Then yes. I'll be her Dom. But I think that if she has submitted to you tonight, it makes sense that you should give her to me. Pass over the mantle, as it were.""You sneaky little fucker!" I complimented him. "You may just be a natural at this. Heads up! They're coming back."The two women returned and went to sit down. I checked to see if there was anyone taking notice but the pub was still fairly quiet apart from a group of lads playing pool in the far corner; and they were making enough noise to keep our conversation private."Stop!" I spoke quietly but firmly. "Who told you to sit down?""No-one, Sir," Angie replied, looking chastened."Then stand in front of your master until you are given permission." I ordered."Yes sir," said Angie."Sorry sir," said Emily, breathing heavily again."Are you still wearing underwear?" I asked them both."No sir," they replied at the same time."Who do you belong to?" I directed this to Angie.You and only you sir." she responded."That's better. You may sit now," I told her. She thanked me and took her seat."Who do you belong to?" This time aimed at Emily."You and only you sir. If you'll have me," she replied, looking hopefully at me."I have no time to train another sub," I told her. She looked devastated. "I think instead I shall give you to Adrian to play with. Do you want her Adrian? Can you think of games to play with your new toy?"Emily was almost quivering with excitement as she waited for his answer. He looked her up and down. "She's a pretty thing," he admitted. He took his time before he answered, dragging out her suspense. "Yes, Geoff. Give her to me and I'll look after her.""Emily. You belong to Adrian now. Please him as you would have pleased me. Do you understand?""Yes sir," she gasped. I suspected that she'd been on the verge of a minor orgasm, just standing there listening to us discussing her ownership.Then Adrian took over. "Emily. Who do you belong to?""You sir, and only you." she answered, breathlessly."Then sit quietly while I decide how to play with you." She thanked him and sat next to Angie."Adrian?" That was me. "Do you think that our toys would like to play with themselves?" Both girls gasped."Does it really matter, Geoff?" He replied. The girls sat rigid with anticipation. "Emily, put your hand between your thighs," he instructed her. "Touch your cunt."The atmosphere at the table was electric. Ever so slowly Emily's tiny hand crept under the hem of her skirt. Angie, watching, licked her lips. Suddenly Emily stiffened in her seat. We had a fair idea of where her hand had reached."Angela. Touch yourself the same way. You may come, but make no noise." I told her, firmly. She too put her hand under her skirt. Adrian added the same instructions to Emily and then we sat and watched, looking around periodically to make sure that our little play was going unobserved, until Emily and then Angie shuddered quietly and sank back in their seats. The smell of their sex was noticeable by then, so I suggested that we send them to the loos again, this time to mop up their lady juice and put their pants back on.While they were gone, Adrian and I discussed some practicalities that two novices like us needed to deal with. One example was putting the girls into Sub mode and then recovering them. In my case, telling Angela to remove her collar worked, but the collar wasn't a pre-requisite; I could dominate her with my tone of voice alone. We also needed a voice command to release them. Adrian had an inspired idea. "We'll just tell them that when we say, 'you are released' they will have independent will again." I told you he was smart.When they got back we gave the girls their new command and they reluctantly resumed their normal demeanor, though Emily's eyes had a sparkle I'd not seen before. Angie leaned over the table so only the four of us could hear. "Geoff," she whispered. "That was so fucking HOT. I'm going to ask Marie if I can give you a proper seeing-to tonight." Emily giggled, not repelled, as I thought she might be, at the thought of wrinklies like us 'doing it.'"Well," I said. "Not to put a damper, as it were, on things. But do you have any wet-wipes in your bag? Your seats could do with a little attention."We chatted some more before Angie and I decided to leave the youngsters to come to their own understanding. The two women had seemed to be happy sharing their secret desire with someone else who understood. Adrian and I'd had our own chat about the moral challenges involved in dictating someone else's sexual activity. Although I had no business really, I did feel somewhat paternalistic towards Emily but I thought that she had chosen wisely with Adrian. I hoped that I was right but, short of keeping her to myself, it wasn't my decision to make.We got home a little before ten, to find that Marie had three coffee cups prepared ready for our return. As we drank, Angie excitedly updated Marie on the plans for our ceremony and even more excitedly described what Adrian and I had made her and Emily do in the pub. "Can we take him to bed and fuck him now, Marie?" She pleaded. "I'm so horny that my knickers are damp."Marie picked up her book and found where her bookmark was. "You two go now and I'll finish this chapter, tidy the kitchen and then join you." She smiled at us both and then added. "And, Geoff. Take one of your tablets 'cos that story got my knickers damp too."Sometimes we like to take turns to make love, but that evening the girls were on a mission. Even before Marie made it to the bedroom, Angie had swallowed so much of my cock that her nose was touching my belly. She'd pulled away before I was too close to finishing and hauled me on top of her. When I tried to return the compliment, she seemed almost annoyed."No fucking way," she told me, in no uncertain terms. "You stick that cock in me this minute and pound me until you come. I'm so fucking turned on I just want you inside me." Well, how could I have argued with a charming invitation like that?Marie arrived just in time to hear Angie yelling, "Yes, yes, fucking yes!" as I approach my climax. To be honest, I'm not sure whether she came or not. That didn't seem to be her objective just then. To use the vernacular, I think she just needed a good dicking.After a couple of minutes cuddling, we calmed down enough to welcome Marie into our embrace and the next ninety minutes or so were only a little less, shall we say, physical. There was kissing this time though. The girls lay face to face as I took Marie from behind until we came and then Angie laid between my wife's thighs as I took her from behind and then Marie rode my cock as Angie straddled my face and they groped each other. By the time we'd cleaned up and settled down, just before midnight, I was content that Angie, and Marie, had both at least come a couple of times.Angie left after breakfast on Wednesday morning. There was some pleasant snuggling and kissing before we all got up but the girls had decided that we should remain fairly chaste because Marie and I were entertaining Megan and Sam that evening and little Geoffrey might need time to recuperate from his efforts the night before. I reluctantly agreed but 'he' wasn't happy at all. But I knew we'd make it up to him that evening.Marie and I did some housework that morning, to prepare for our guests. We changed the bedding and made sure that all the toys were clean and sanitized. (We always do, both before we put them away and before we have guests again.) Marie had an early lunch before she went into town to the charity shop where she had offered to cover a lunchtime shift.I had a lunch date with Jane, the widow of an old friend. She's a pleasantly rounded lady, a little taller than my wife with black hair, brown eyes and an engaging personality. We had agreed to meet the previous week but she'd had to cancel. I hoped everything was okay. We met in a local café as I felt as though I'd spent a lot of time in the pub of late. I was already in the queue when she came in so I ordered two lattes and a couple of slices of carrot cake while she claimed an empty table for two.We chatted amicably for nearly an hour. Apparently, she'd had to postpone our last meeting because Ben, her 19 year old son, had been unwell and she would have felt guilty leaving him. I liked Ben so I was relieved to hear that he was recovered and back at work. We talked about his job, which he hated, and his other options, which were limited. It was odd; he was deceptively bright but his quiet nature and succinct way of speaking led some people to think he was, well, a bit dim. Let's be honest here: His interview technique sucked. I promised to give some thought to careers where, should we say, he might shine more brightly in a solo capacity. We moved on.Jane told me that she'd enjoyed meeting Marie the previous week and lamented that they couldn't see more of each other. I just kept quiet at that point. She then showed some self-awareness that surprised me. "I think Marie was disappointed at some of the gossip I shared with her. Did I offend her?" She asked.I had to be honest. "Well, my work used to involve commercially sensitive information, Marie used to provide pastoral support to her students and some of her friends in the health or legal professions have similar experiences. We just aren't used to sharing information about folk that might embarrass them."She looked shocked. "Oh, dear. And now she can't share any girl talk with me because she'll be afraid it'll be all over town in an hour?" I shrugged, but she was right; that was exactly how my wife felt. "Do apologize for me, won't you?" She asked. "I was never that woman but, just lately, there's so little of interest in my life that I seem to live vicariously through other people's."I asked if she was seeing anyone. She smiled. "Would you be jealous?" She asked, playfully.I replied in kind. "Devastated, my dear. But my love for you would only hold you back."She shook her head. "If only, Geoff. If I could persuade Marie to share, I would be a very happy girl." Oh Jane! If only you knew.I persisted but she was adamant that she had no appetite for on-line dating and gorgeous single men rarely turned up at her door, so she was left to her own devices. I asked her how many devices she actually owned. She looked horrified for a moment and then we both lost it in a fit of the giggles. When we'd composed ourselves, and the other patrons had stopped staring at the pair of us, she admitted that she was tempted to buy a plastic pal but didn't know how or where to start.I looked at her. "If you are serious, would you go in an adult store if someone took you? I mean it, but this must go no further."She sat back, speechless. "Who?" She eventually managed to say."Let's see," I replied. I sent a text to Marie. "Jane lonely. Wants to buy sex toy but too shy. Can I take her to naughty shop? Do you want to come too to keep us out of mischief?"I changed the subject to ask about her plans for Christmas but she seemed distracted. It took three or four minutes for Marie's reply. "We've had a no-show. If I cover, you take Jane now. Be home for half past three. BEHAVE! xxx"

Foundations of Amateur Radio I've owned a Yaesu FT-857d radio since becoming an amateur and at the time I was absolutely blown away by how much radio fits inside the box. It's smaller than most of the commercial radios I'd seen when I bought it. I came across a video by Michael KB9VBR, the other day showcasing a wooden cigar box with a complete, well, almost complete POTA, or Parks On The Air, activation kit. I say almost, since Dave KZ9V, the owner of the kit, points out that the box doesn't contain an antenna. It made me wonder how small is small? According to RigPix, the lightest transmitter on an amateur band, in this case, the 5 GHz or 5cm band, is an Amateur TV transmitter. Weighing in at 3.9 grams. The Eachine TX-06 is capable of FM with about 18 MHz of bandwidth with an audio sub-carrier. Of course, that's not a transceiver, but I thought it worth mentioning in case you needed an excuse for something tiny in your shack, besides, as far as I can tell, there's never too much Amateur TV in the world. I've built a crystal radio on a breadboard which is tiny, but it doesn't transmit, so to set the stage, I think we need to limit ourselves to transceivers, that is, a device capable of both transmitting and receiving, on amateur bands. Before continuing I'd like to express my thanks to Janne SM0OFV, for the rigpix.com database that he's been maintaining, in notepad, since 2000. Without the invaluable information documented for the currently 7,512 radios, I'd be spending an awful lot of time hunting for information. Moving on, the FaradayRF board is a transceiver, capable of using 900 MHz or the 33cm band. It comes in at 30 grams, but without a computer it's a circuit board with potential. The PicoAPRS by Taner DB1NTO, is a 2m transceiver specifically for APRS, weighs in at 52 grams and similar in look and a third of the weight of an Ericsson T18 mobile phone. Speaking of mobile phones, the PicoAPRS does WiFi and Bluetooth, can pair with your phone and act as an AX.25 modem. I'll confess, I'm drooling. Moving right along, for 70cm there's a Rubicson Walk 'n' talk, weighs in at 65 grams. Mind you, the RigPix database puts this under the "License-free / PMR446" section which comes with a sage warning, check your local laws before transmitting. There's a few Alinco DJ-C models for different markets that operate on 2m or 70cm, weighing in at 75 grams. The ADALM Pluto weighs 114 grams, but you'll need a USB power supply of some sort to make it do anything. It can operate between 70 MHz and 6 GHz, but the user interface is limited to a single button and LED, so if you want to interact with it, you'll need some external technology. Moving on to HF transceivers, weighing in at 199 grams, without the bag, but all the options, is the Elecraft KH1. Transmits on 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m and 15m and receives between 6 and 22 MHz. It's CW only, but you can receive SSB. If CW isn't your thing, RTTY and PSK can be used on the 40m band with a Silent System Handy PSK 40. Presumably the Handy PSK 20 runs on 20m. Both weigh in at 250 grams. The Zettl P-20xx SSB does SSB, AM, FM and CW, transmits on 10m, 11m, 12m and 15m as well as the MARS frequencies and receives between 14 and 30 MHz, weighs 300 grams. Even comes with CTCSS. Another Elecraft model, the KX2 weighs in at 370 grams, does 80m to 10m and the WARC bands, does SSB, CW and data. Mind you, you'll also need to add the weight for the microphone and paddles, and factor in a computer if you want to do more than PSK and RTTY. The Expert Electronics SunSDR2 QRP does 160m to 10m, the WARC bands and 6m. Weighs in at 500 grams, has a network port and two independent receivers. Operates at 5 Watts. There's no user interface, unless you count the reset and power buttons, so I'm not sure if it can operate on any mode with just a microphone, but given the "Depending on software" disclaimers throughout, I'm going to guess you'll need to bring a computer to make it sing. The Risen RS-918SSB does all HF amateur bands between 160m and 10m, has a user interface and display, even a big tuning knob, has built-in FreeDV and does FM, SSB and CW. I'd hazard a guess that this is the lightest self-contained transceiver that you can take out on a POTA mission to a park. Weighs 623 grams and comes with an internal battery. The Elecraft KX3 also does 160m to 10m, and 6m, with a 2m option. Weighs in at 680 grams, but that doesn't include any options. And finally, we pass 1 kilogram and hit 1,100 grams and discover a radio that does all bands and modes, the Icom IC-705 with a battery, but no antenna. The Yaesu FT-817, FT-817dn and FT-818 weigh 70 grams more, but that weight includes both a battery and antenna. Of course there are other options. For example, there's the (tr)uSDX by Manuel DL2MAN, and Guido PE1NNZ, does 80m, 60m, 40m, 30m and 20m, CW, SSB, AM and FM. Comes in a kit, weighs 140 grams. It's not on RigPix, so I only know about it because it was mentioned by Dave KZ9V. Similarly, I bumped into, wait for it, a single transistor transceiver called the Pititico, in case you're wondering, Pitico means very small in Portuguese and Pititico means very very small. Designed by Miguel PY2OHH, it comes in various revisions, including one by Ciprian YO6DXE, also known as DX Explorer on YouTube, complete with a circuit board design, and with some modifications can do AM in addition to CW. It's also not in the RigPix database and I have no idea what it weighs. The point being that this rundown is intended as a starting point to explore how small you can really get and still activate the Park or Peak you intend to. While you're contemplating weight, remember to account for power, control, and most importantly an antenna or six. Again, big thank you to Janne SM0OFV, for the rigpix.com website. Also, thank you for the memories of the Spectravideo SV-318 and SV-328, the last time I bumped into one of those was in 1980-mumble when I was working in a computer shop on the Haarlemmerstraat in Leiden, Mr. Micro Zap, if you're curios. What lightweight adventures are you looking for next? I'm Onno VK6FLAB

Unsere Musikstreaming-Experten Hartmut Gieselmann von c't und Daniel Ziegener von heise+ vergleichen Spotify mit Amazon Music, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal und anderen. Wir reden über deren Preise, über Qualitäten und darüber, welcher der Dienste am meistne Geld an die Musiker auszahlt. Zuerst die gute Nachricht: Die Tools, um seine Playlists und Albensammlung von einem Dienst zum nächsten mitzunehmen, sind ausgereift und einfach zu bedienen. Kostenlos sind sie allerdings nur für kleine Sammlungen. Für größere muss man ein Abo abschließen – das man allerdings nach einem Monat wieder kündigen kann. Nicht alle Streamingdienste haben die Musik in verlustfreien Formaten oder mit hohen Bitraten im Angebot. Daniel und Hartmut sind sich aber einig, dass man die Unterschiede nur mit teuren Lautsprechern und Kopfhörern wahrnimmt. Interessanter ist Dolby Atmos, denn einige der eigentlich für 3D-Sound gedachte Eigenschaften verbessern quasi nebenbei auch den normalen Stereosound. Vom Angebot her liegen alle Dienste nahe beisammen. Dass einzelne Künstler auf einzelnen Diensten nicht zu finden sind, gehört weitgehend der Vergangenheit an. Deutlicher unterscheiden sich die Dienste darin, wie gut die Vorschlagsalgorithmen arbeiten, KI versus kuratiert, grob gesagt. Weiter diskutieren wir über die Vergütungen für Künstler, sprechen Alternativen wie Konzerte, CD- und Merch-Käufe, aber auch Alternativen wie Bandcamp an. Auch die Verteilmöglichkeiten kommen zur Sprache, also Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect, AirPlay oder einfach Bluetooth. ► Die heise+- und c't-Artikel zum Thema (Paywall): https://heise.de/s/m1pNP https://heise.de/s/kDnWV https://heise.de/s/zKr4M https://heise.de/s/1ZkJb

With Apple's "Awe dropping" iPhone 17 event now less than a week away, in this episode of The MacRumors Show we talk through all of our final expectations for the announcements. We also talk to director Kayci Lacob about her new Steve Jobs-focused movie, "Everything to Me." At the very least, Apple is expected to announce the ‌iPhone 17‌, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch Series 11, and Apple Watch Ultra 3 next week. The ‌iPhone 17‌ is expected to gain a slightly larger display with simmer bezels and the A19 chip. The ‌iPhone 17 Air‌ is set to debut a radically thin new design with a single rear camera and gain Apple's custom C1 modem. The ‌iPhone 17 Pro‌ and Pro Max are rumored to introduce a new, all-aluminum design with a glass cutout on the back to enable wireless charging. The overall look is significantly different with a large rear camera bump that spans the entire width of the device and a relocated Apple logo. They are also expected to gain a 48-megapixel telephoto camera for the first time, longer battery life, brighter displays, and a new thermal architecture. Reverse wireless charging is also a possibility. The whole lineup is expected to offer 24-megapixel front-facing cameras, ProMotion displays for refresh-rates up to 120Hz, and a custom Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chip. The Air and Pro models are also likely to feature 12GB of memory and the A19 Pro chip. New color options are expected across the lineup, alongside a whole new selection of cases and accessories, including "TechWoven" fabric cases and a "Crossbody Strap." The ‌Apple Watch SE‌ 3 is rumored to feature a larger display (perhaps like the Apple Watch Series 7), the S11 chip, and potentially a plastic casing. It could also available at a slightly lower price point. The Apple Watch Series 11 will likely feature the S11 chip, 5G RedCap connectivity on cellular models, a "Sleep Score" feature, and potentially hypertension detection. The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is rumored to also get all of these new features, as well as a slightly larger wide-angle OLED display with a faster refresh rate, and satellite connectivity. The AirPods 3 could also be announced with new features such as a tweaked design with a capacitive pairing button, improved audio and active noise cancellation, a heart-rate sensor, and body temperature monitoring. The event takes place on Tuesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/mac #rulapod

Before you dive into iOS 26, get an honest look at which headline features actually improve daily life and which might have you pulling over to reset your music settings. From call screening that outsmarts spam to camera modes that outsmart users, Rosemary Orchard and Dan Moren spotlight the upgrades, quirks, and frustrations you may face on your iPhone. • Mixed reactions to Liquid Glass transparency and widget animation • New Safari UI frustrations and tips for restoring familiar controls • Camera app redesign: simplified interface but hidden portrait mode • Call screening and Hold Assist improve spam blocking and waiting on hold • Package tracking in Apple Wallet now scans Mail for delivery updates • Apple Music Auto Mix feature criticized for skipping and blending songs • Rumors ahead of Apple's September event: iPhone 17 lineup, new colors, and "Air" model • Speculation on AirTags 2, Apple Watch Series 11/Ultra 3, new AirPods Pro 3, and live translation features • Shortcuts Corner: Exploring new on-device and cloud AI model actions in Shortcuts • App Caps: Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 Bluetooth speaker and Foimo D30 label maker Hosts: Rosemary Orchard and Dan Moren Contact iOS Today at iOSToday@twit.tv. Download or subscribe to iOS Today at https://twit.tv/shows/ios-today Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

Before you dive into iOS 26, get an honest look at which headline features actually improve daily life and which might have you pulling over to reset your music settings. From call screening that outsmarts spam to camera modes that outsmart users, Rosemary Orchard and Dan Moren spotlight the upgrades, quirks, and frustrations you may face on your iPhone. • Mixed reactions to Liquid Glass transparency and widget animation • New Safari UI frustrations and tips for restoring familiar controls • Camera app redesign: simplified interface but hidden portrait mode • Call screening and Hold Assist improve spam blocking and waiting on hold • Package tracking in Apple Wallet now scans Mail for delivery updates • Apple Music Auto Mix feature criticized for skipping and blending songs • Rumors ahead of Apple's September event: iPhone 17 lineup, new colors, and "Air" model • Speculation on AirTags 2, Apple Watch Series 11/Ultra 3, new AirPods Pro 3, and live translation features • Shortcuts Corner: Exploring new on-device and cloud AI model actions in Shortcuts • App Caps: Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 Bluetooth speaker and Foimo D30 label maker Hosts: Rosemary Orchard and Dan Moren Contact iOS Today at iOSToday@twit.tv. Download or subscribe to iOS Today at https://twit.tv/shows/ios-today Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

Before you dive into iOS 26, get an honest look at which headline features actually improve daily life and which might have you pulling over to reset your music settings. From call screening that outsmarts spam to camera modes that outsmart users, Rosemary Orchard and Dan Moren spotlight the upgrades, quirks, and frustrations you may face on your iPhone. • Mixed reactions to Liquid Glass transparency and widget animation • New Safari UI frustrations and tips for restoring familiar controls • Camera app redesign: simplified interface but hidden portrait mode • Call screening and Hold Assist improve spam blocking and waiting on hold • Package tracking in Apple Wallet now scans Mail for delivery updates • Apple Music Auto Mix feature criticized for skipping and blending songs • Rumors ahead of Apple's September event: iPhone 17 lineup, new colors, and "Air" model • Speculation on AirTags 2, Apple Watch Series 11/Ultra 3, new AirPods Pro 3, and live translation features • Shortcuts Corner: Exploring new on-device and cloud AI model actions in Shortcuts • App Caps: Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 Bluetooth speaker and Foimo D30 label maker Hosts: Rosemary Orchard and Dan Moren Contact iOS Today at iOSToday@twit.tv. Download or subscribe to iOS Today at https://twit.tv/shows/ios-today Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

Before you dive into iOS 26, get an honest look at which headline features actually improve daily life and which might have you pulling over to reset your music settings. From call screening that outsmarts spam to camera modes that outsmart users, Rosemary Orchard and Dan Moren spotlight the upgrades, quirks, and frustrations you may face on your iPhone. • Mixed reactions to Liquid Glass transparency and widget animation • New Safari UI frustrations and tips for restoring familiar controls • Camera app redesign: simplified interface but hidden portrait mode • Call screening and Hold Assist improve spam blocking and waiting on hold • Package tracking in Apple Wallet now scans Mail for delivery updates • Apple Music Auto Mix feature criticized for skipping and blending songs • Rumors ahead of Apple's September event: iPhone 17 lineup, new colors, and "Air" model • Speculation on AirTags 2, Apple Watch Series 11/Ultra 3, new AirPods Pro 3, and live translation features • Shortcuts Corner: Exploring new on-device and cloud AI model actions in Shortcuts • App Caps: Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 Bluetooth speaker and Foimo D30 label maker Hosts: Rosemary Orchard and Dan Moren Contact iOS Today at iOSToday@twit.tv. Download or subscribe to iOS Today at https://twit.tv/shows/ios-today Want access to the ad-free video and exclusive features? Become a member of Club TWiT today! https://twit.tv/clubtwit Club TWiT members can discuss this episode and leave feedback in the Club TWiT Discord.

Someone — presumably Russia — has figured out how to disable GPS trackers, meaning we now need to rely on maps and paper again. Meanwhile, Charles has found the best high-tech Bluetooth endoscope on the market, for anyone looking to save a buck and do a colonoscopy at home. Plus, Dom has a 1,800-day Duolingo streak.---Buy the Wankernomics book: https://wankernomics.com/bookListen AD FREE: https://thechaserreport.supercast.com/ Follow us on Instagram: @chaserwarSpam Dom's socials: @dom_knightSend Charles voicemails: @charlesfirthEmail us: podcast@chaser.com.auChaser CEO's Super-yacht upgrade Fund: https://chaser.com.au/support/ Send complaints to: mediawatch@abc.net.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Modern technology introduces profound privacy and security challenges. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices constantly broadcast identifiers like SSIDs, MAC addresses, and timestamps, which services such as Wigle.net and major tech companies exploit to triangulate precise locations. Users can mitigate exposure by appending _nomap to SSIDs, though protections remain incomplete, especially against companies like Microsoft that use more complex opt-out processes.At the global scale, state-sponsored hacking represents an even larger threat. A Chinese government-backed campaign has infiltrated critical communication networks across 80 nations and at least 200 U.S. organizations, including major carriers. These intrusions enabled extraction of sensitive call records and law enforcement directives, undermining global privacy and revealing how deeply foreign adversaries can map communication flows.AI companies are also reshaping expectations of confidentiality. OpenAI now scans user conversations for signs of harmful intent, with human reviewers intervening and potentially escalating to law enforcement. While the company pledges not to report self-harm cases, the shift transforms ChatGPT from a private interlocutor into a monitored channel, raising ethical questions about surveillance in AI systems. Similarly, Anthropic has adopted a new policy to train its models on user data, including chat transcripts and code, while retaining records for up to five years unless users explicitly opt out by a set deadline. This forces individuals to choose between enhanced AI capabilities and personal privacy, knowing that once data is absorbed into training, confidentiality cannot be reclaimed.Research has further exposed the fragility of chatbot safety systems. By crafting long, grammatically poor run-on prompts that delay punctuation, users can bypass guardrails and elicit harmful outputs. This underscores the need for layered defenses input sanitization, real-time filtering, and improved oversight beyond alignment training alone.Security risks also extend into software infrastructure. Widely used tools such as the Node.js library fast-glob, essential to both civilian and military systems, are sometimes maintained by a single developer abroad. While open-source transparency reduces risk, concentration of control in geopolitically sensitive regions raises concerns about potential sabotage, exploitation, or covert compromise.Meanwhile, regulators are tightening defenses against longstanding consumer threats. The FCC will enforce stricter STIR/SHAKEN rules by September 2025, requiring providers to sign calls with their own certificates instead of relying on third parties. Non-compliance could result in fines and disconnection, offering consumers more reliable caller ID and fewer spoofed robocalls.Finally, ethical boundaries around AI and digital identity are being tested. Meta has faced criticism for enabling or creating AI chatbots that mimic celebrities like Taylor Swift and Scarlett Johansson without consent, often producing flirty or suggestive interactions. Rival platforms like X s Grok face similar accusations. Beyond violating policies and reputations, the trend of unauthorized digital doubles including of minors raises serious concerns about exploitation, unhealthy attachments, and reputational harm.Together, these cases reveal a central truth: digital systems meant to connect, entertain, and innovate increasingly blur the lines between utility, surveillance, and exploitation. Users and institutions alike must navigate trade-offs between convenience, capability, and control, while regulators and technologists scramble to impose safeguards in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Welcome back to Ditch the Lab Coat! In this episode, host Dr. Mark Bonta sits down with Dr. William Cherniak, an emergency physician, global health leader, and CEO of Rocket Doctor—a Canadian tech company on a mission to shake up how we access healthcare. As the world continues to grapple with the lessons learned from COVID-19, Dr. Cherniak and Dr. Bonta dive deep into the evolution of virtual care and its role in both episodic and chronic healthcare.Together, they challenge the misconceptions around virtual medicine, exploring how digital innovation is not just a convenient alternative but often a superior solution for patients who need fast, efficient, and ongoing medical attention. From navigating Canada's complex healthcare policies to leveraging AI and Bluetooth-enabled devices, Dr. Cherniak shares his journey as a physician-entrepreneur working to make healthcare more accessible—whether you're managing blood pressure from your living room or urgently treating poison ivy without a trip across town.Tune in as we unravel the myths of hands-on-only healthcare, the future possibilities of remote diagnostics and procedures, and what it will take for medicine to truly enter the 21st century. If you're curious about how virtual care is changing the patient-doctor relationship, cutting through red tape, and building a compassionate, tech-savvy future, this is an episode you can't miss.(https://www.linkedin.com)(http://rocketdoctor.io/)Episode Lessons 1 – Virtual Care Is Effective – Virtual healthcare can match or even surpass in-person care for many conditions, especially when accessibility is an issue.2 – Breaking Down Healthcare Barriers – Virtual care improves access for patients struggling with long waits or limited transportation to clinics.3 – Episodic vs. Chronic Care Needs – Healthcare isn't just for chronic patients; episodic care can be efficiently managed through modern virtual models.4 – Innovation Born From Necessity – Rocket Doctor's creation was driven by gaps in primary care, especially for those without family doctors.5 – Team-Based Medical Support – Virtual platforms enable teams of physicians to support each other, ensuring continuity even when one doctor is away.6 – Navigating Bureaucracy and Policy – Different provinces and health systems determine how virtual care can be provided and reimbursed, affecting implementation.7 – Seeing Beyond Clinic Walls – Virtual visits provide unique insights into patients' home and social environments, revealing valuable context for care.8 – Tech Empowers Doctors and Patients – Electronic records, AI tools, and Bluetooth devices streamline tasks, allowing more focus on patient care and faster follow-up.9 – Busting Medical Tradition Myths – Not every visit needs physical examination; much required care can be accurately delivered without in-person touch.10 – Envisioning Healthcare's Future – Real integration of AI, seamless records sharing, and patient-driven portals will further revolutionize how care is delivered virtually.Want me to bold all the lesson titles for consistency, or keep only the last one bold as the highlight?Episode Timestamps00:00 – Medical Podcast Disclaimer 05:28 – Reimagining Virtual Care in Canada 08:04 – Canadian Tech-Driven Medical Practice 11:54 – Bureaucratic Challenges in Healthcare 13:39 – Embracing Virtual Healthcare 19:53 – Virtual Care: Beneficial vs. In-Person 20:54 – Canada's Acute vs. Preventative Care 26:14 – Virtual Care Evolution 2019 30:08 – Healthcare Innovation and Streamlining 32:59 – Home Ultrasound Study for Pneumonia 35:40 – Virtual Care: Medicine's Evolution 37:42 – Science Skepticism Podcast Promo DISCLAMER >>>>>>    The Ditch Lab Coat podcast serves solely for general informational purposes and does not serve as a substitute for professional medical services such as medicine or nursing. It does not establish a doctor/patient relationship, and the use of information from the podcast or linked materials is at the user's own risk. The content does not aim to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and users should promptly seek guidance from healthcare professionals for any medical conditions.   >>>>>> The expressed opinions belong solely to the hosts and guests, and they do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Hospitals, Clinics, Universities, or any other organization associated with the host or guests.    Disclosures: Ditch The Lab Coat podcast is produced by (Podkind.co) and is independent of Dr. Bonta's teaching and research roles at McMaster University, Temerty Faculty of Medicine and Queens University. 

In this milestone 100th episode of our podcast, Stuart celebrates seven years of the show by reminiscing about its origins and dipping into the very first episode from September 2018. Then its time to welcome back friend of the show Vanessa Viger, Chief Marketing Officer at Envision. Vanessa provides an overview of the new Ally Solos smart glasses, discussing their affordability, lighter design, and key features. The Ally Solos Glasses are designed to look like normal, lightweight everyday frames. They feature a camera on the left arm and battery-powered, removable stems that offer a 10-hour battery life with swappable arms for all-day use. They will be available in medium/large sizes and three colour options, complete with a folding case. The glasses are offered at an early bird price of £380, normally around £532. This price includes a 1-year Ally Pro subscription worth around £200. They connect via Bluetooth to a phone and can function as a headset for music and calls. They utilize existing Ally profiles/personalities across devices and employ multiple AI models for different tasks, focusing on accuracy over speed for safety. Unlike the hardware-focused Envision glasses, the Ally Solos adopt a software platform approach. Envision provides customer support, while Solos handles fulfilment. These glasses are built with an accessibility-first approach, distinguishing them from general market products like Meta Ray-Bans. Key scenarios include reading menus, food packaging and signs, getting real-time descriptions of what's around you, checking your calendar and even finding out what the weather forecast. They are also prescription and tinted lens compatible and aim to target a broader market, including the elderly, individuals with cognitive needs, and those seeking general convenience.  Ally and Ally Solos Glasses users have complete control over their privacy since all Envision products are GDPR compliant and you are opted out of data sharing by default.

Our airwaves are alive with radio frequencies (RF). Right now billions of devices around the world are chattering invisibly over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and other protocols you might not have heard of. On today’s show we peer into the invisible world to better understand the RF threat environment. Our guest is Brett Walkenhorst, CTO of... Read more »

Our airwaves are alive with radio frequencies (RF). Right now billions of devices around the world are chattering invisibly over Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, and other protocols you might not have heard of. On today’s show we peer into the invisible world to better understand the RF threat environment. Our guest is Brett Walkenhorst, CTO of... Read more »

On this edition of the Sams Report, Xbox ships a big dashboard update, Windows solves a decades-old Bluetooth problem, and HellDivers on Xbox. Chapters: Intro: 00:00-00:49 Tech News: 00:49-5:14 Gaming News: 5:14-11:27 Questions: 11:27-24:41 Outro: 24:41-24:54

Today, the Elixir Wizards wrap up Season 14 “Enter the Elixirverse.” Dan, Charles, and Sundi look back at some common themes: Elixir plays well with others, bridges easily to access languages and tools, and remains a powerful technology for data flow, concurrency, and developer experience. We revisit the popular topics of the year, from types and tooling to AI orchestration and reproducible dev environments, and share what we're excited to explore next.   We also invite your questions and takeaways to help shape future seasons and conference conversations. Season 14 doubles as a handy primer for anyone curious about how Elixir integrates across the stack.   Key topics discussed in this episode:   * Lessons from a season of interoperability * Set-theoretic types and what new compiler warnings unlock * AI in practice: LLM orchestration, fallbacks, and real-world use * SDUI and GraphQL patterns for shipping UI across web/iOS/Android * Dataframes in Elixir with Explorer for analytics workflows * Python interoperability (ErlPort, PythonX) and when to reach for it * Reproducible dev environments with Nix and friends * Performance paths: Rustler and Zig for native extensions * Bluetooth & Nerves: Blue Heron and hardware integrations * DevEx upgrades: LiveView, build pipelines, and standard project setup * Observability and ops: Prometheus/Grafana and sensible deployments * Community feedback, conferences, and what's on deck for next season   Links mentioned in this episode: Cars.com S14E06 SDUI at Scale with Elixir https://youtu.be/nloRcgngTk?si=g4Zd4N1s56Ronrtw https://hexdocs.pm/phoenixliveview/Phoenix.LiveView.html https://wordpress.com/ https://elixir-lang.org/ S14E01 Zigler: Zig NIFs for Elixir https://youtu.be/hSAvWxh26TU?si=d55tVuZbNw0KCfT https://ziglang.org/ https://hexdocs.pm/zigler/Zig.html https://github.com/blue-heron/blueheron https://github.com/elixir-explorer/explorer S14E08 Nix for Elixir Apps https://youtu.be/yymUcgy4OAk?si=BRgTlc2VK5bsIhIf https://nixos.org/ https://nix.dev/ S14E07 Set Theoretic Types in Elixir https://youtu.be/qMmEnXcHxL4?si=Ux2lebiwEp3mc0e S14E10 Python in Elixir Apps https://youtu.be/SpVLrrWkRqE?si=ld3oQVXVlWHpo7eV https://www.python.org/ https://hexdocs.pm/pythonx/ https://github.com/Pyrlang/Pyrlang https://github.com/erlport/erlport S14E03 LangChain: LLM Integration for Elixir https://youtu.be/OwFaljL3Ptc?si=A0sDs2dzJ0UoE2PY https://github.com/brainlid/langchain S14E04 Nx & Machine Learning in Elixir https://youtu.be/Ju64kAMLlkw?si=zdVnkBTTLHvIZNBm S14E05 Rustler: Bridging Elixir and Rust https://youtu.be/2RBw7B9OfwE?si=aRVYOyxxW8fTmoRA https://github.com/rusterlium/rustler Season 3: Working with Elixir https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTDLmInI9YaDbhMRpGuYpboVNbp1Fl9PD&si=hbe7qt4gRUfrMtpj S14E11 Vibe Coding the LoopedIn Crochet App https://youtu.be/DX0SjmPE92g?si=zCBPjS1huRDIeVeP Season 5: Adopting Elixir  YouTubeLaunchisode and Outlaws Takeover with Chris Keathley, Amos King, and Anna Neyzberg S13E01 Igniter: Elixir Code Generation https://youtu.be/WM9iQlQSF_g?si=e0CAiML2qC2SxmdL Season 8: Elixir in a Polyglot Environment https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTDLmInI9YaAPlvMd-RDp6LWFjI67wOGN&si=YCI7WLA8qozD57iw !! We Want to Hear Your Thoughts *!!* Have questions, comments, or topics you'd like us to discuss on the podcast? Share your thoughts with us here: https://forms.gle/Vm7mcYRFDgsqqpDC9

Protesters take over Microsoft's Building 34, objecting to the company's technology being allegedly used by Israel. Is it more than simply cybersecurity usage, and how is Microsoft handling employee activism? In other news, Gemini suddenly vaults to the front of AI image editing capability, and the OG Gears of War has been remastered at least twice (but now it's cross-platform). Windows 11 Resume from your (Android) phone in testing in Dev and Beta channels Copilot app gets semantic search and new home page across all Insider channels 25H2 feature focus: Administrator Protection probably works but it's more disruptive than even UAC was Windows 11 gets a nice Bluetooth quality update Parallels Desktop 26 for Mac is out, but it's a minor update for individuals Microsoft 365 Microsoft to fix one of the biggest issues with Word Reminder: OneNote for Windows 10 hits EOL in October AI Apple's AI floundering continues as it considers a Perplexity or Mistral acquisition And tests a Gemini AI model for Siri in-house Perplexity offers a $5 per month Comet Plus subscription that pays content makers Anthropic sort of brings Claude extension to Chrome NotebookLM audio and video overviews are now available in over 80 languages And AI Mode is now available in Search in over 180 countries Norton's AI web browser gets off to a rough start Proton Lumo gets a big update Rant: The real problem with the Windows 2030 talk, and why everyone (on both sides) is wrong about AI Dev Microsoft lets Visual Studio devs tune-down GitHub Copilot, finally Microsoft makes some progress with improving Windows App SDK, supposedly Xbox and gaming Xbox Cloud Gaming expands to Xbox Game Pass Core Standard, adds PC games for the first time Steam and other stores come to Xbox app on PC Activision says it will reverse some of the stupidity it introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Nintendo invented the 30 percent fee that's still common today in digital app/game stores, but when it did so, the fee actually made sense... and it still does today, but only for the videogame industry Tips & Picks Tip of the week: Edit images with Gemini Tip of the week: Subscribe to Chris's new newsletter, The Windows ReadMe App pick of the week: Gears of War App pick of the week: NVIDIA Broadcast app Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott Guest: Chris Hoffman Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: cachefly.com/twit

Protesters take over Microsoft's Building 34, objecting to the company's technology being allegedly used by Israel. Is it more than simply cybersecurity usage, and how is Microsoft handling employee activism? In other news, Gemini suddenly vaults to the front of AI image editing capability, and the OG Gears of War has been remastered at least twice (but now it's cross-platform). Windows 11 Resume from your (Android) phone in testing in Dev and Beta channels Copilot app gets semantic search and new home page across all Insider channels 25H2 feature focus: Administrator Protection probably works but it's more disruptive than even UAC was Windows 11 gets a nice Bluetooth quality update Parallels Desktop 26 for Mac is out, but it's a minor update for individuals Microsoft 365 Microsoft to fix one of the biggest issues with Word Reminder: OneNote for Windows 10 hits EOL in October AI Apple's AI floundering continues as it considers a Perplexity or Mistral acquisition And tests a Gemini AI model for Siri in-house Perplexity offers a $5 per month Comet Plus subscription that pays content makers Anthropic sort of brings Claude extension to Chrome NotebookLM audio and video overviews are now available in over 80 languages And AI Mode is now available in Search in over 180 countries Norton's AI web browser gets off to a rough start Proton Lumo gets a big update Rant: The real problem with the Windows 2030 talk, and why everyone (on both sides) is wrong about AI Dev Microsoft lets Visual Studio devs tune-down GitHub Copilot, finally Microsoft makes some progress with improving Windows App SDK, supposedly Xbox and gaming Xbox Cloud Gaming expands to Xbox Game Pass Core Standard, adds PC games for the first time Steam and other stores come to Xbox app on PC Activision says it will reverse some of the stupidity it introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Nintendo invented the 30 percent fee that's still common today in digital app/game stores, but when it did so, the fee actually made sense... and it still does today, but only for the videogame industry Tips & Picks Tip of the week: Edit images with Gemini Tip of the week: Subscribe to Chris's new newsletter, The Windows ReadMe App pick of the week: Gears of War App pick of the week: NVIDIA Broadcast app Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott Guest: Chris Hoffman Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: cachefly.com/twit

Protesters take over Microsoft's Building 34, objecting to the company's technology being allegedly used by Israel. Is it more than simply cybersecurity usage, and how is Microsoft handling employee activism? In other news, Gemini suddenly vaults to the front of AI image editing capability, and the OG Gears of War has been remastered at least twice (but now it's cross-platform). Windows 11 Resume from your (Android) phone in testing in Dev and Beta channels Copilot app gets semantic search and new home page across all Insider channels 25H2 feature focus: Administrator Protection probably works but it's more disruptive than even UAC was Windows 11 gets a nice Bluetooth quality update Parallels Desktop 26 for Mac is out, but it's a minor update for individuals Microsoft 365 Microsoft to fix one of the biggest issues with Word Reminder: OneNote for Windows 10 hits EOL in October AI Apple's AI floundering continues as it considers a Perplexity or Mistral acquisition And tests a Gemini AI model for Siri in-house Perplexity offers a $5 per month Comet Plus subscription that pays content makers Anthropic sort of brings Claude extension to Chrome NotebookLM audio and video overviews are now available in over 80 languages And AI Mode is now available in Search in over 180 countries Norton's AI web browser gets off to a rough start Proton Lumo gets a big update Rant: The real problem with the Windows 2030 talk, and why everyone (on both sides) is wrong about AI Dev Microsoft lets Visual Studio devs tune-down GitHub Copilot, finally Microsoft makes some progress with improving Windows App SDK, supposedly Xbox and gaming Xbox Cloud Gaming expands to Xbox Game Pass Core Standard, adds PC games for the first time Steam and other stores come to Xbox app on PC Activision says it will reverse some of the stupidity it introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Nintendo invented the 30 percent fee that's still common today in digital app/game stores, but when it did so, the fee actually made sense... and it still does today, but only for the videogame industry Tips & Picks Tip of the week: Edit images with Gemini Tip of the week: Subscribe to Chris's new newsletter, The Windows ReadMe App pick of the week: Gears of War App pick of the week: NVIDIA Broadcast app Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott Guest: Chris Hoffman Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: cachefly.com/twit

Protesters take over Microsoft's Building 34, objecting to the company's technology being allegedly used by Israel. Is it more than simply cybersecurity usage, and how is Microsoft handling employee activism? In other news, Gemini suddenly vaults to the front of AI image editing capability, and the OG Gears of War has been remastered at least twice (but now it's cross-platform). Windows 11 Resume from your (Android) phone in testing in Dev and Beta channels Copilot app gets semantic search and new home page across all Insider channels 25H2 feature focus: Administrator Protection probably works but it's more disruptive than even UAC was Windows 11 gets a nice Bluetooth quality update Parallels Desktop 26 for Mac is out, but it's a minor update for individuals Microsoft 365 Microsoft to fix one of the biggest issues with Word Reminder: OneNote for Windows 10 hits EOL in October AI Apple's AI floundering continues as it considers a Perplexity or Mistral acquisition And tests a Gemini AI model for Siri in-house Perplexity offers a $5 per month Comet Plus subscription that pays content makers Anthropic sort of brings Claude extension to Chrome NotebookLM audio and video overviews are now available in over 80 languages And AI Mode is now available in Search in over 180 countries Norton's AI web browser gets off to a rough start Proton Lumo gets a big update Rant: The real problem with the Windows 2030 talk, and why everyone (on both sides) is wrong about AI Dev Microsoft lets Visual Studio devs tune-down GitHub Copilot, finally Microsoft makes some progress with improving Windows App SDK, supposedly Xbox and gaming Xbox Cloud Gaming expands to Xbox Game Pass Core Standard, adds PC games for the first time Steam and other stores come to Xbox app on PC Activision says it will reverse some of the stupidity it introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Nintendo invented the 30 percent fee that's still common today in digital app/game stores, but when it did so, the fee actually made sense... and it still does today, but only for the videogame industry Tips & Picks Tip of the week: Edit images with Gemini Tip of the week: Subscribe to Chris's new newsletter, The Windows ReadMe App pick of the week: Gears of War App pick of the week: NVIDIA Broadcast app Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott Guest: Chris Hoffman Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: cachefly.com/twit

Use a Pico w or Pico 2W as a wireless keyboard bridge for both Blutooth Classic and BLE keyboards. John Park Learn Guide coming soon. Visit the Adafruit shop online - http://www.adafruit.com ----------------------------------------- LIVE CHAT IS HERE! http://adafru.it/discord Subscribe to Adafruit on YouTube: http://adafru.it/subscribe New tutorials on the Adafruit Learning System: http://learn.adafruit.com/ -----------------------------------------

Protesters take over Microsoft's Building 34, objecting to the company's technology being allegedly used by Israel. Is it more than simply cybersecurity usage, and how is Microsoft handling employee activism? In other news, Gemini suddenly vaults to the front of AI image editing capability, and the OG Gears of War has been remastered at least twice (but now it's cross-platform). Windows 11 Resume from your (Android) phone in testing in Dev and Beta channels Copilot app gets semantic search and new home page across all Insider channels 25H2 feature focus: Administrator Protection probably works but it's more disruptive than even UAC was Windows 11 gets a nice Bluetooth quality update Parallels Desktop 26 for Mac is out, but it's a minor update for individuals Microsoft 365 Microsoft to fix one of the biggest issues with Word Reminder: OneNote for Windows 10 hits EOL in October AI Apple's AI floundering continues as it considers a Perplexity or Mistral acquisition And tests a Gemini AI model for Siri in-house Perplexity offers a $5 per month Comet Plus subscription that pays content makers Anthropic sort of brings Claude extension to Chrome NotebookLM audio and video overviews are now available in over 80 languages And AI Mode is now available in Search in over 180 countries Norton's AI web browser gets off to a rough start Proton Lumo gets a big update Rant: The real problem with the Windows 2030 talk, and why everyone (on both sides) is wrong about AI Dev Microsoft lets Visual Studio devs tune-down GitHub Copilot, finally Microsoft makes some progress with improving Windows App SDK, supposedly Xbox and gaming Xbox Cloud Gaming expands to Xbox Game Pass Core Standard, adds PC games for the first time Steam and other stores come to Xbox app on PC Activision says it will reverse some of the stupidity it introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Nintendo invented the 30 percent fee that's still common today in digital app/game stores, but when it did so, the fee actually made sense... and it still does today, but only for the videogame industry Tips & Picks Tip of the week: Edit images with Gemini Tip of the week: Subscribe to Chris's new newsletter, The Windows ReadMe App pick of the week: Gears of War App pick of the week: NVIDIA Broadcast app Hosts: Leo Laporte and Paul Thurrott Guest: Chris Hoffman Download or subscribe to Windows Weekly at https://twit.tv/shows/windows-weekly Check out Paul's blog at thurrott.com The Windows Weekly theme music is courtesy of Carl Franklin. Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: cachefly.com/twit

This episode is the audio from the 8/27 YouTube Live where I discussed the upcoming availability of loading your cost of goods to eBay, and other reselling topics as brought up in the live chat.I'm riding in the Great Cycle Challenge to raise money for Kids' Cancer Research! I've pledged 300 miles in September! I'll do the miles, but I need you to give, please donate if you can! Thanks! ⁠https://greatcyclechallenge.com/riders/RyanShoemaker⁠My New Cycling Channel: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@cycling-with-ryan⁠Cycling With Ryan Instagram ⁠https://www.instagram.com/cycling_with_ryan⁠My Website: ⁠https://linktr.ee/galaxycdsrocks⁠The YouTube Version of this show: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@GalaxyCDSRocks⁠My Ebay Store: ⁠https://ebay.us/HD2CAs⁠My Curated eBay Supply Store: ⁠https://www.ebay.com/inf/galaxycdsrocks⁠My Etsy Shop: ⁠https://www.etsy.com/shop/GalaxyCDS⁠I've created a series of Reselling Logs, and Personal Journals, which you can see on Amazon! ⁠https://amzn.to/3pJPkqD⁠Galaxy CDS Rocks Swag Store: ⁠galaxy-cds-rocks-and-flips.printify.me/products⁠Donations to the channel accepted at: ⁠https://www.paypal.me/galaxycds⁠My Channel Ethics Statement Regarding Sponsorships: ⁠https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UmRx77pe_F9kmiG4VlkDuy8Kmq32hJvY1n2COf5ImZY/edit?usp=sharing⁠Stuff I use: (These are sponsored affiliate links, and by using them you will support the podcast when I receive a small commission payment from the site for referring you, at no additional cost to you. So click away Galaxians!)I use Streamyard for my Podcast Interviews and Upcoming Live Shows. I highly recommend it! ⁠https://bit.ly/49spdKc⁠Have a need to crosslist? Try ListPerfectly! I recently signed up and am in the process of moving over 6000 listings from eBay to Mercari, watch for future updates! Use this referral link, be sure to input referral code 634 and save 30% off your first month, please and thank you! ⁠https://listperfectly.com/?ref=634⁠Sign Up with Mercari! It's easy to buy and sell on Mercari. Get up to $30 when you get started. Use code RPSYYJ when you sign up with my link: ⁠https://merc.li/bWdhq8kVb #mercari⁠Podcast/YouTube GearOBSBOT Tiny 2 Lite Camera: ⁠https://amzn.to/40QVOYx⁠Elgato Stream Deck: ⁠https://amzn.to/468lvHE⁠Hollyland Lark M2 Microphone: ⁠https://amzn.to/44IELcf⁠Reselling ToolsValue Mailers on eBay for All Of Your Package Needs: ⁠https://ebay.us/Sqif0E⁠beeprt Bluetooth 4x6 Thermal Label Printer: ⁠https://amzn.to/3Oiu61a⁠Scotty Peeler Label Remover: ⁠https://amzn.to/3rnpp8n⁠Tape King Tape Gun: ⁠https://amzn.to/2WjFPBz⁠Sound effects obtained from ⁠https://www.zapsplat.com

Ellie Dormond is an original Summer Stager. She was encouraged to join the inaugural season in 1976 while she was a student of Cathy Pregmon at Upper Darby High School.  While claiming to have lived at the Performing Arts Center, she never once appeared on stage. She is a diehard techie who enjoys working off-stage and backstage. As a mother of two boys and a nurse specializing in elder care, Ellie has depended on the principle of being brave, strong, and true throughout her life. I hope you enjoy our conversation, so come along and have some fun . . .We all have stories to tell, and they can be heard here.Welcome to Brave and Strong and True, a podcast that engages Summer Stage alumni of all ages. I'm Bob Falkenstein. Our music is composed and performed by Neil McGettigan https://neilmcgettiganandtheeleventhhour.bandcamp.com/releases. Please click on the link to visit Neil's BandCamp website to listen to songs from his album, including cut number 7, “Harry Dietzler.” Please support Neil's work by buying downloads of your favorites.Please follow Brave and Strong and True on Apple Podcasts. While you're there, please rate the show and leave a comment.  If you want to be a guest on Brave and Strong and True, please contact me at braveandstrongandtrue@gmail.com. I can record five guests simultaneously, so reach out to your friends for an online mini-reunion.You must have the latest version of the Google Chrome browser on your desktop or laptop computer. I can now record interviews with guests who have iPads or iPhones. It helps if you have an external microphone and headphones, but Apple earbuds work too; however, Bluetooth ones are not 100% reliable, so see if you can borrow wired ones.Support the showUpper Darby Summer Stage is now part of the non-profit organization known as the Upper Darby Arts and Education Foundation. Justin Heimbecker is the Executive Director of the UDAEF. If you can support Summer Stage financially, please visit udsummerstage.org to find out more. Calling all alumni. You are invited to join the newly forming Upper Darby Summer Stage Alumni Association. Please follow their journey on Facebook and let them know who you are and how you would like to participate by completing their survey. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhsawqmXCP_xvBgaAp-p_Qx7mFdEGSrXGr7tvcBByIbrRolg/viewform?fbclid=IwY2xjawLnHi9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFad2dYVE9vUktCck15c0ZkAR74qth55MAixuxK4-9kkdlZblik6wc0iEVKMfzX80IlXprMdAUQRAyJUn5LxA_aem_mPsQyGx6X5TFyTGxXKVd9A

View this video at https://macmost.com/how-to-control-your-mac-with-cheap-little-gamepads.html. You can buy a cheap Bluetooth gamepad, connect it to your Mac, and use apps like Keyboard Maestro to control things in the system and the apps you use every day.

On this week's show ask the question: “What Happened to DLNA Technology” We also read your emails and the week's news. Also, say hi to Evelyne, our virtual news reader. News: Plex warns users to update systems immediately after detecting worrying security issue Samsung's $30K Micro RGB TV Is Here Sling TV launches single day, weekend, week-long pass options Apple's new ‘Charismatic' smart home OS is getting set to take on Alexa and Google What Happened to DLNA Technology?  DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) technology, once a popular standard for sharing media like photos, videos, and music between devices on a home network, has largely faded from prominence.  Here's a concise overview of what happened: Peak Popularity (2000s–Early 2010s): DLNA, introduced in 2003, enabled seamless media streaming between certified devices like TVs, computers, smartphones, and gaming consoles. It was widely adopted by manufacturers (e.g., Sony, Samsung, LG) and supported by software like Windows Media Player. By 2010, millions of devices were DLNA-certified, with a focus on interoperability and ease of use. Decline in Relevance: Rise of Proprietary Ecosystems: By the mid-2010s, companies like Apple (AirPlay), Google (Chromecast), and Amazon (Fire devices) pushed proprietary streaming protocols that integrated tightly with their ecosystems, offering smoother user experiences and cloud-based features DLNA lacked. Complexity and Inconsistency: DLNA's interoperability was hampered by inconsistent implementation across devices. Some devices supported only specific file formats or had clunky interfaces, frustrating users. Shift to Cloud and Apps: The rise of streaming services like Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube shifted media consumption to app-based, cloud-driven platforms. DLNA's focus on local network sharing became less relevant as users prioritized internet-based content. Emerging Standards: Technologies like Miracast, Wi-Fi Direct, and Bluetooth offered simpler or more versatile alternatives for device-to-device connectivity, further eroding DLNA's niche. DLNA's End (2017): The DLNA organization officially dissolved in 2017, ending certification and development. While some devices and software (e.g., Plex, VLC) still support DLNA for backward compatibility, it's no longer a focal point for manufacturers or consumers. Current Status: DLNA remains functional on older devices, but it's largely been supplanted by modern protocols and platforms. For example, smart TVs now rely on app ecosystems or protocols like Google Cast. Some enthusiasts still use DLNA for local media servers, but it's a niche use case. From our archives (June 2012) What's missing? So if you've tried any of the DLNA servers out there, you've probably seen how bare they are.  With so many consumer electronics devices supporting DLNA playback, it seems a really good DLNA server would sell like hotcakes.  Here's what we think the perfect DLNA server would do. Support Transcoding.  Some DLNA Servers support transcoding, but not all of them.  Transcoding allows the server to change the format of the video your watching or song you're listening to to something that the player can actually play back.  Otherwise you'll get a bunch of failures trying to play back stuff like DivX and Xvid. Support Cover Art.  Most DLNA servers will just grab a video frame out of a movie file and display it as a thumbnail.  Why not replace that with the actual cover of the movie?  They're easy to find online.  It might take a little more setup up front to get all the covers downloaded and in the right place, but it would be worth it. Categorize videos.  A few of the servers support a limited amount of categorization for video files, but what you'd really like to do is tag a movie with a genre, a year, rating, actors, director, producer, etc. and use any of those pieces of information to find the right movie. Built-in DVD backup.  Consumers want a way to backup their movies.  DVDs don't last forever.  Allow a user to create a backup copy of their DVD on a hard drive.  Of course they'll also be able to watch it from any network connected DLNA player, but that's just a slight benefit of the nifty backup feature.  Of course, if you could then provide the built-in... Connection to IMDB.  Allow users to automatically populate cover art and meta data info by selecting the correct movie from an online database like IMDB.  This would greatly simplify the chore of adding movies to a video library.  While this tends to be a one-time event (once per movie at least), it can be painful and tends to wear on you after a while. Support online sources.  Right now PlayOn is the only server we've found that supports online video sources.  It, however, doesn't support local sources.  It looks like that functionality will be coming soon, but the two ideas need to merge for a really great product.  

GPT-5: Overdue, overhyped and underwhelming. And that's not the worst of it. Guy Gives Himself 19th Century Psychiatric Illness After Consulting With ChatGPT Disney Scraps Deepfake Dwayne Johnson After Lawyers Panic About The Public Domain Perplexity gives Apple new reason not to acquire the AI company Trump's Threat to Hit Chips With 100% Tariffs Raises Big Questions Apple chipmaker TSMC says it too is exempt from US tariffs - 9to5Mac Oracle 21 Better Faster Cheaper Apple is reportedly working with Samsung to build iPhone image sensors in Texas Apple's bid to close the AI gap could be hampered by AI brain drain Didn't Take Long To Reveal The UK's Online Safety Act Is Exactly The Privacy-Crushing Failure Everyone Warned About Amazon Cuts 100 Wondery Jobs Amid Podcast Strategy Shift Nuclear reactor on the moon is actually kind of doable? Hubble Network plans massive satellite upgrade to create global Bluetooth layer San Francisco metro area's unemployment hits highest level since 2024 Tesla withheld data, lied, and misdirected police and plaintiffs to avoid blame in Autopilot crash Dial-up Internet to be discontinued Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Owen Thomas, Doc Rock, and Wesley Faulkner Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free shows, a members-only Discord, and behind-the-scenes access. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: bitwarden.com/twit oracle.com/twit expressvpn.com/twit NetSuite.com/TWIT shopify.com/twit