RUN TCP/IP | Morgan Lucas is Tech Blogging

 Good on Netflix for being more like cable television, from adding ads , to attempting to livestream in 2023.  I am not familiar with Netflix's "Love Is Blind" show, but on 4/16, Netflix had intended to livestream a reunion at 8/7c, and it was hotly anticipated. To their credit, they did it successfully earlier this year, after a comedian's stint at the Hippodrome Theater in March, where there was apparently a waiting room for viewers while technical checks were run. When it did not start on time, tweets began to flow in confusion -- and jokes. Netflix tried to play along and soothe impatient fans: Love is ... late #LoveIsBlindLIVE will be on in 15 minutes! — Netflix (@netflix) April 17, 2023 Even (the last existing) Blockbuster took to the stage to fire shots: Remember renting vhs’ from us. You could start it on time no problem… This is what we get. — Blockbuster (@blockbuster) April 17, 2023 Apparently, the internet at the venue had issues :   That's Vanes...

There's no need to buy new technology just for the sake of having new technology, in my opinion. I will use things until they wear out to the ground. I held onto my LG phone a year after they stopped manufacturing phones entirely. I still use a laptop from 2019 that I got refurbished from Best Buy despite it literally having pieces falling off of it. And I do have other computers that I use (Thank you, you know who you are) but technically, that laptop still works so why not use it for personal stuff? Two, count 'em, two FitBits. This (Yellow one) is the Fitbit Inspire 3. I have the Fitbit Versa 2 (Blue one) from 2018 or so, which means it was probably made in 2017 and just sat on the shelf. I was a bit due for a wearable technology upgrade. It took a lot of thought to spend the 99$ to buy this watch, when my old one was, while failing, still doing the basics. I don't like to throw things out if they can still be used.  Maybe I'll put it on my dog. This recent FitBit w...

 I like no- or low-code solutions to things. I've often wanted to simply push a button or move some GUI around and have the code implement itself.  I've thought about building something that's like a customer relationship management (CRM) system for keeping up with my network better than my little spreadsheet where I click links and then go like something. The general idea in this CRM Development is:  To have a GUI to add people to a NRM (Network Relationship Management).       Attach it to a database (MySQL is what I went with eventually using Amazon Relational Database service, but you can use PostGRES, and probably others).     Make sure components are connected to each other in the retool interface. This video is a good start. Watching the tutorial video, heard some SQL commands and went 'Oh no 😳" before going "Wait I know basic SQL", which is good, because you'll see.  When you get set up, there's a plethora of resources you ...

 Ergonomic wireless mice! They look funny, but allegedly they help your hand and wrist not hurt so much. I use this wireless mouse for my laptop since about 2021. They don't come in a nice variety of colors and patterns like tiny Logitech mice, but they also don't break when I drop them. My previous ergonomic mouse was a random shape with the company name Jelly Roll slapped on it. Now, the company name it bears is iClever , giving more credence to the theory of the glorified dropshipping warehouse that is Amazon. To its credit, so far, I like it a more than the Anker, at least physically.  They may also be called vertical mice, although they look a bit more like Alienware towers than these.  The Jelly Comb (Right) is a little bigger, with back and forward buttons are placed more naturally for a thumb to click. The clicks are not as loud. Anker is on the left. However, the JellyComb would randomly stop working, despite having batteries and lights indicating all systems go...

    Having multiple pairs of headphones and earbuds are important to me. I still use my Galaxy Buds on walks or at the gym, but I prefer wired, over ear for at home, and it was time to get a new pair, moving to Sony . These replace my Sennheisers from about 2017 -- While they were uncomfortable for a long period of time, the sound quality was unmatched. I couldn't find a pair that looked comfortable and were hovering around 120$. One of the ear cups has broken off, and I can't super glue and rubber-band it back forever 😥 (Maybe I could use sugru ? It's held up my car windows for 5 years. #NotAnAd)  I had 5 criteria for a new set of wired over the ear headphones; Colorful Wired Reasonable sound quality Under 100$ Made in the past 3 years (No earlier than 2019)   I managed to get 4.5/5 -- The headphones are a nice blue (albeit darker than I'd like -- A lot of my furniture is dark, and I have lost tech for days because my cases are also dark.), they have both wire...

 Happy new year -- Let's take it back to 2007-2008, and completely ignore the housing crash and economic downturn to talk about Microsoft's semi-failed* mobile media device, the Zune. Mine is the Halo 3 30GB version. I've never played Halo; It was the cheapest one and had a fair amount of storage, so aesthetics be damned. With tactile, round buttons, one within another, it did reasonably simple things like 'host pictures' and 'play music' and even videos.   Source: Halopedia .  I didn't realize there were two different versions, I had the Military Special Edition one! Looking at this picture, I don't remember the Community aspect one bit. I also don't remember the home screen looking like this. I remember The GUI being simple, with the same narrow fonts that zoomed in when selected, but the text was quite a bit larger on my device.Maybe I had changed a setting. This UI is 17(!) years old, and still looks super modern pic.twitter.com/4wCtd49EEp — ...

Cars have computers now.   Photo by Andrew M on Unsplash  Not mine, mine is about 20 years old. I put a key into the ignition, the CD player keeps eating my alt-pop-rock CDs, it gets me from here to there, and I like it. My next car will be the same, sans CD-eating. But! Other people's cars have computers, and sometimes I have to work on the computer parts.