![\"Auto-generated](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/26-04-07-21-05-0.webp\")
I was using my iPhone 12 Max and found copying and pasting difficult when I needed to use three or more items. On Android, it’s easier because I can access copy history and paste five or six items when I needed them. I’m glad I have an Android; without it, I would find it frustrating.
\n", "date_published": "2026-04-07T22:08:39-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/04/07/i-was-using-my-iphone.html", "tags": ["Personal","Random Musings","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/04/07/those-photos-from-artemis-ii.html", "content_html": "Those photos from Artemis II were amazing!!! Those are my two favorite photos:
\n
![\"Auto-generated](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/26-04-07-21-08-0.webp\")
Check the rest of photos here.
\n", "date_published": "2026-04-07T21:12:47-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/04/07/those-photos-from-artemis-ii.html", "tags": ["Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/04/06/no-robots-my-home-is.html", "content_html": "![\"No](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/figurerobot-result.webp\")
\n \n No Robots! My home is a bot-free zone. Watch this—impressive, but is it for me? I’ll stick to doing it myself! I value the effort and the satisfaction of a job well done. Team Human all the way!\n
\nMelania Trump's \"Fostering the Future Together\" summit had a surprise guest: Figure 03, a humanoid robot renamed Plato. An actual robot, walking a red carpet at the White House. The pitch is that Plato isn't just a fancy search engine but a full classical education mentor, and it's the centerpiece of her \"Age of Imagination\" vision.
\n\n\n\"Imagine a humanoid educator named Plato. Access to the classical studies is now instantaneous... Plato will provide a personalized experience, adaptive to the needs of each student. Plato is always patient, and always available.\"
\n
\n — Melania, First Lady
![\"Figure](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/whatsapp-image-2026-04-07-at-12.30.46-result.webp\")
\n It's a compelling idea on paper. But this is also happening while the administration is actively dismantling the Department of Education. So the vision seems less \"supplement great teachers\" and more \"replace them entirely.\" That's a very different thing.
\nI'll be honest — when I first heard about this, I cringed. A robot teacher sounds convenient on paper, but who controls what it teaches? It's not hard to imagine a version of Plato that quietly sidesteps certain topics — history that makes people uncomfortable, conversations about identity, anything the administration decides kids don't need to know. A human teacher can go off script. A robot only knows what it's been told to know.
\nSo — robot teachers. Are we actually ready for that, or are we just pretending we are?
\nVia TechCrunch
", "date_published": "2026-04-06T10:09:19-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/04/06/they-named-the-robot-plato.html", "tags": ["AI","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/04/04/seeing-them-in-space-is.html", "content_html": "Seeing them in space is incredible. The Earth appears breathtakingly beautiful. They also send photos and videos from distant space. Watch the video!
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n \n \n\n", "date_published": "2026-04-04T18:52:15-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/04/04/seeing-them-in-space-is.html", "tags": ["Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/04/04/amazingly-it-has-been-days.html", "content_html": "![\"\"](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/whatsapp-image-2026-04-07-at-12.35.55-result.webp\")
Amazingly, it has been 4 days and it is already closer to Moon than Earth.
\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2026-04-04T12:21:18-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/04/04/amazingly-it-has-been-days.html", "tags": ["Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/04/03/mit-says-ai-isnt-a.html", "content_html": "As of 9 A.M. EDT on April 4, the Orion spacecraft was more than 160,000 miles from Earth, less than 120,000 miles away from the moon and traveling around 2,540 miles per hour.
\n
MIT says AI isn’t a job apocalypse — it’s a slow tide. Work changes broadly and gradually, not through sudden sector wipeouts.
\n\n\nAI has a 53% success rate for managerial tasks like planning, writing and analysis, but is weak when it comes to coordination, judgment, and decision-making. (Axios)
\n
More of a slow creep than a cliff. That’s… not exactly comforting, but okay.
\n", "date_published": "2026-04-03T19:27:33-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/04/03/mit-says-ai-isnt-a.html", "tags": ["AI","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/04/02/happy-th-anniversary-apple-youve.html", "content_html": "Happy 50th anniversary, Apple🧑💻! You’ve come so far, making computing great again and gaining so much admiration along the way. Here’s to many more achievements and innovative years ahead!
\n", "date_published": "2026-04-02T21:52:43-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/04/02/happy-th-anniversary-apple-youve.html", "tags": ["Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/04/02/finally-upgraded-to-hugo-hit.html", "content_html": "Finally upgraded to Hugo 0.158! Hit a small snag with an outdated plugin using a removed function, but updating the plugin to the latest version cleared things right up. Theme is clean, builds are faster. Upgrade approved. ✅
\n", "date_published": "2026-04-02T20:52:15-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/04/02/finally-upgraded-to-hugo-hit.html", "tags": ["HTML \u0026 CSS Notes","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/31/credit-lucas-gouveiahowto-geek-most.html", "content_html": "![\"Illustration](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/illustration-of-a-video-player-with-a-subtitle-settings-menu-overlay-surrou.png\")
\n Most streaming services default captions to the smallest size, don’t carry across devices, finding where to adjust them varies. The How-To Geek article breaks down where to find the settings. For Deaf/HoH viewers, that’s not a minor annoyance. It’s a barrier.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-31T18:40:47-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/31/credit-lucas-gouveiahowto-geek-most.html", "tags": ["Reel and Remote","Deaf Community","Diatribe Chronicles","Random Musings","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/31/photo-ap-photojohn-raoux-nasas.html", "content_html": "![\"Artemis](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/3g34bzufwvgu3elnlqgntmjlhm.jpg\")
\n NASA’s Artemis II launches tomorrow, April 1 at 6:24 PM ET. Four astronauts will spend ten days flying around the Moon and back — no landing, but the first crewed lunar mission in 53 years. The actual Moon landing won’t happen until Artemis IV in 2028. Weather is 80% go. 🚀🌕
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-31T18:12:55-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/31/photo-ap-photojohn-raoux-nasas.html", "tags": ["Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/31/still-rocking-my-pixelbook-minimal.html", "content_html": "Still rocking my 2017 Pixelbook, minimal lag. The 16GB model was the right call.This article nails it, sticking with Chromebooks over the MacBook Neo makes sense. ChromeOS and Android work seamlessly together. With AluminiumOS merging both, why switch to Apple now?
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-31T02:20:01-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/31/still-rocking-my-pixelbook-minimal.html", "tags": ["Random Musings","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/27/finally-whatsapp-allows-chat-transfers.html", "content_html": "Finally, WhatsApp allows chat transfers from iPhone to Android! I wish this had been available sooner, as I lost my entire history when I switched. It’s a great update for everyone else, though https://www.zdnet.com/article/whatsapp-easy-transfer-from-ios-to-android-multiple-iphone-accounts/
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-27T12:32:33-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/27/finally-whatsapp-allows-chat-transfers.html", "tags": ["Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/27/ive-been-using-claude-mcp.html", "content_html": "I’ve been using Claude MCP through my browser—it’s pretty great. But now? I’m staring at “Computer Use” & wondering if it’s time to let AI take the wheel. Moving the cursor, typing…it feels like a leap. Time to dive in?
\n\n", "date_published": "2026-03-27T12:18:10-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/27/ive-been-using-claude-mcp.html", "tags": ["AI","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/27/my-accidental-ai-writing-stack.html", "title": "My Accidental AI Writing Stack", "content_html": "![\"\"](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/image.png\")
I didn’t plan to build an AI writing stack. I just kept getting curious.
\nThat’s usually how it starts with me. One tool, one question, and one thought that won’t leave me alone: could this actually help?
\nOver the past year, I’ve messed around with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Notion AI. Not because I wanted to hand my writing off to a robot, but because I wanted to know where these things actually fit into my process. Could they help with research? Wrangle my notes? Or would everything start sounding like it came out of a corporate press release?
\nSo, I started poking around.
\nHere’s the part that surprised me most. It’s also the part that makes my experience a little different from most people writing about AI tools.
\nI’m Deaf. English is my second language, and ASL is my first. Writing has never come easy. It’s something I’ve had to work at, think about, and keep getting better at over time. I overthink sentences. I overwrite when a simpler version would land harder. Sometimes I’ll repeat the same idea in two different places without even realizing it. Sometimes I go hunting for a word and it just won’t come. And sometimes I hit a wall and the whole draft stalls out.
\nThat’s where these tools started making real sense to me.
\nThey don’t do the writing. They help me see my own writing more clearly than I can when I’m too close to it. One catches the repetition I missed. Another finds the word I was hunting for. Another asks the question that unsticks me when I’ve been staring at the same paragraph for twenty minutes. Sometimes one of them suggests something I hadn’t even considered: a different angle, a cleaner structure, or a connection I walked right past.
\nBut I’m still the one making the calls. Every suggestion is just that—a suggestion. The writing is still mine. The voice is still mine. The curiosity that started all of this is still mine.
\nThe internet loves asking whether AI will replace writers. My experience so far says it’s not even close. It just feels like having better company while you work. For someone who spent years feeling like English was a wall I kept climbing, that company has been worth a lot.
\nWhether that changes, I have no idea. But right now it’s working, and that’s enough.
", "date_published": "2026-03-27T10:32:44-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/27/my-accidental-ai-writing-stack.html", "tags": ["Personal","Writing","AI","Long Read","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/26/theme-in-progress.html", "title": "Theme in Progress", "content_html": "Decided to build my own Micro.blog theme. A couple of days of tinkering in, still working through a few minor issues, but progress is being made. More tweaks coming soon.
\n![\"Auto-generated](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/theme-change-result.webp\")
Amazon isn’t alone. Microsoft just launched Copilot Health and OpenAI has ChatGPT Health — everyone wants to be your AI doctor now. Useful? Maybe. But AI can get things wrong, so I’m treating any advice as a starting point, not a verdict. I’ll always do my own research before acting on anything.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-24T21:26:50-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/24/amazon-isnt-alone-microsoft-just.html", "tags": ["Health","AI","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/24/amazon-launched-health-ai-on.html", "content_html": "Amazon launched Health AI on its website and app, giving Prime members free 24/7 access to virtual care. It reads your medical records, books appointments, and connects you to providers. I signed up to see how well it explains my results — some of it I have no idea what it means.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-24T21:23:27-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/24/amazon-launched-health-ai-on.html", "tags": ["Health","AI","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/24/china-controls-of-humanoid-robot.html", "content_html": "China controls 90% of humanoid robot sales. The U.S. is scrambling to keep up. But the scarier thought? If China fills up first, does the rest of the world follow? By the end of the decade, do robots outnumber workers? We don’t know. That’s the part that gets me.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-24T20:01:24-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/24/china-controls-of-humanoid-robot.html", "tags": ["AI","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/23/the-us-government-just-officially.html", "content_html": "The U.S. government just officially registered alien.gov and aliens.gov. While the pages are currently blank, the move follows recent pledges regarding UAP and UFO disclosure. Whether it’s a portal for declassified files or a new transparency initiative, the timing is wild. Stay tuned! 👽🛸 Link
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-23T20:13:38-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/23/the-us-government-just-officially.html", "tags": ["Politics","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/22/can-a-robot-love-you.html", "title": "Can a Robot Love You Back?", "content_html": "![\"A](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/robotphotos.png\")
I’ve spent a few posts lately talking about how robots make me uneasy. Automation eating jobs. AI making decisions nobody asked it to make. The creeping sense that we’re building things faster than we’re thinking about them. I stand by all of that.
\nAnd then, a couple of years ago, I read The Wild Robot — before any of those posts existed. Funny how that works.
\nIf you haven’t read it, here’s the short version: Roz is a robot who washes ashore on a wild island, raises a gosling that isn’t hers, and becomes something that looks a whole lot like a mother. Peter Brown’s book sneaks up on you. He said he set out to write about a robot finding harmony in the wilderness — nature and technology learning to coexist. What he ended up writing was a question we’re still not close to answering.
\nA middle grade book from 2016 wasn’t supposed to ask questions we’re still arguing about. And yet here we are.
\nThe movie adaptation did it justice. And with The Wild Robot Escapes sitting on my to-read list and a sequel film coming in 2027, I’m not done with Roz yet.
\nWorth knowing: it’s actually a trilogy — The Wild Robot Protects came out in 2023 — and there’s even a picture book adaptation for younger readers called The Wild Robot on the Island.
\nBut Roz got under my skin in a way I didn’t expect — not just as a story, but as a question. She is caring. She is loving. She protects something fragile at great cost to herself. And I found myself wondering: could a real robot ever do that?
\nThe short answer is no. Not really. Not yet.
\nHere’s the thing about caring — it’s not just behavior. It’s not doing the right thing at the right time. Real caring means you have something at stake. You can lose something. When Roz protects her gosling, she risks herself. That risk means something because she has something to lose.
\nToday’s robots and AI systems can mimic the shape of caring. They can respond to emotional cues, adjust their tone, remember your preferences.
\nRoz didn’t start out caring either. She started out confused — thrown into a world she wasn’t built for, facing loss and danger with no programming to guide her. She learned by going through it.
\nThe question is whether real robots could ever do the same. Not just mimic emotion, but actually build understanding from experience. Right now, the honest answer is we don’t know.
\nApps like Replika are built specifically to simulate emotional connection. It asks how your day went, remembers what you tell it, and never judges you. You can tell it things you’d never say to another person.
\nAnd people do. Brookings recently looked at what happens when these tools start replacing human connection — and the short version is: people are turning to them because they’re just really, deeply lonely.
\nAnd for some, that simulation actually helps — with loneliness, anxiety, processing hard days. I’m not dismissing that.
\n\n\nBut there’s a difference between a system that performs warmth and one that has it. We don’t actually know what’s happening inside those systems. And that gap matters.
\n
Here’s where it gets complicated. There’s a whole industry now building robots and AI companions just to keep people company — apps on your phone, physical robots in elder care facilities, companion devices for people who are isolated. CNBC reports there could be 4.6 million unfulfilled caregiving jobs by 2032, so the demand is real.
\nA Nature article on elder care robots told the story of one nursing home resident who became so attached to his robot companion — a small stuffed-animal-style device — that when he died, staff found him still clutching it. Half the people who heard the story thought it was beautiful he wasn’t alone. The other half found it tragic.
\nI keep landing somewhere in between. But it raises the question I can’t shake: what happens when someone believes the robot loves them back? Is that comfort — or just a really convincing illusion? One writer puts it plainly: are these AI companions actually keeping people company, or are they just digital loneliness with a friendlier interface?
\n\n\nRoz works as a story because we’re allowed to believe she really does love Brightbill. The story earns it. Real life doesn’t work that way.
\n
I think that’s what The Wild Robot is actually about, underneath the island and the gosling and all of it. It’s about what we wish were possible — a machine that chooses love, that chooses sacrifice, that becomes something more than its programming.
\nWe’re not there. Maybe we won’t ever be. But the fact that the story moves us so much probably says something true about what we’re hoping for.
\nI read The Wild Robot before I ever started writing about how unsettling robots are. Somehow I never connected those two things until now. Roz never felt like a threat. She felt like a dream.
\nI’m still wary of robots. I still think we’re building faster than we’re thinking. But Roz? Roz gets a pass.
\nOne last thing rattling around in my head though: if loneliness is the problem, why are we reaching for chatbots instead of each other? Real people. Real interaction. Real feelings. And if we did lean on people more — what does that cost the ones doing the showing up? That feels like a much bigger conversation. One I’ll keep coming back to.
\n![\"Robots](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/atlas-robot.png\")
\n \n Robots Freak Me Out (And Other Things I Was Wrong About)\n Where this whole rabbit hole started — robots, unease, and what we're building toward.\n \n ![\"The](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/gemini-generated-image-fkg5z9fkg5z9fkg5.png\")
\n \n The Robots Are Driving Now. And It's Getting Real\n Self-driving cars went from sci-fi to Tuesday. The Waymo story and what it means.\n \n ![\"Human-centaur](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/1773206003750.png\")
\n \n Researchers Built a Human-Centaur Robot. Yes, Really.\n Brilliant or completely unnecessary? Reddit had thoughts. So did I.\n \n ![\"China](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/machine-vs-man-robot-with-ai-and-man-face-to-face-vector.jpg\")
\n \n China Built a Shape-Shifting Robot That Grows Like a Human Skeleton\n GrowHR can squeeze through tight spaces and walk on water. Are we slowly becoming the secondary species?\n \n Google is doing a huge overhaul to Maps. It’s not just a map anymore; it’s becoming a personal assistant that uses AI to “see” and “think.” Check out the full story here: Digital Trends Article
\nWhat the new AI can do:
\nIt looks amazing, but as a Deaf person, it is basically useless for us while driving. This update is all about “Ask Maps,” where you have a conversation with the AI. Google is pitching this as a way to get help while you’re behind the wheel, but I can’t do that safely.
\nThe irony is that my hands ARE my voice. While I can drive and communicate with one hand when I’m being careful, the AI is completely blind to it. Since the phone is only “listening” for a voice and isn’t “watching” for my signs, I’m basically silenced by this “hands-free” tech. Trying to type out questions to an AI while driving isn’t just hard—it’s dangerous.
\nI’m not complaining because the tech is bad—I actually love it. I just hope the people making it start thinking about us. I bet it will be a real challenge to innovate and find ways to build accessibility for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing directly into the app so we can use these features too.
\n\n\nThe Accessibility Challenge
\nMaybe the answer is better hand or gesture recognition through the camera? Or maybe just simple, one-handed visual shortcuts? We need a way to use AI without needing to speak or take both hands off the wheel. Anyway, we probably won’t see something like hand recognition built into the phone anytime soon.
\n
Navigation should be safe for everyone, not just people who can talk to their phones.
", "date_published": "2026-03-15T16:52:08-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/15/my-hands-are-my-voice.html", "tags": ["AI","Long Read","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/11/i-recently-set-up-my.html", "content_html": "I recently set up my MacBook Air. I had forgotten how lightweight it is—it feels fantastic. Now I can browse the internet and get my work done away from my desk, where I usually work on my Mac mini.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-11T22:05:22-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/11/i-recently-set-up-my.html", "tags": ["Personal","Random Musings","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/11/is-gb-still-enough-in.html", "title": "Is 8GB Still \"Enough\" in 2026?", "content_html": "I’ve been rocking an M1 Mac mini with 8GB of RAM for a long time now. For the simple stuff—emails, a few tabs, the occasional video—it’s been an absolute champ. But lately, the ‘magic’ of Apple’s memory management has started to hit a wall.
\nSo, the tech experts are still debating if 8GB of RAM is enough for a Mac in 2026. The short answer? Yeah, sure. If you’re just checking email or watching YouTube, browsing fewer than 20 tabs, it’s great.
\nBut the long answer? If you actually work on your Mac, it can be a burden. It’s not a major \"bad\" thing, but I’ve definitely had to start managing memory hogs just to keep things moving.
\nThe \"Pro\" Reality Check:
\n I have a Galaxy Z Fold 7, and it does have 12GB of RAM. It is a total powerhouse; I have no issues having as many apps open as I want, with 85 tabs in a browser. It is wild to me that my phone has more memory than a new Mac. Apple is using the A18 Pro (a phone chip) for the new MacBook Neo, which physically locks it at 8GB. Even the original M1 from 2020 had a 16GB option! I don't understand why a \"new\" laptop in 2026 is less capable than a base machine from six years ago.
Seeing how much better my phone handles a heavy workload really shines a light on the reality of my \"Daily Grind\" on the Mac:
\nWhen I leave my workspace 'messy' with all those open apps, I start getting those tiny, annoying lags where I’m pretty sure a browser has a memory leak or Notion is just refusing to share resources. I end up playing \"Tab Roulette\"—aggressively closing windows just to get my flow back. It’s a total vibe killer when you're mid-thought. You shouldn't have to babysit your Activity Monitor just to get a project done.
\nI'm not alone in this feeling. Even the folks at ZDNET noted in their recent deep dive, \"Is 8GB of RAM really enough for a Mac in 2026?\", that while 8GB is \"usable\" for light tasks, 16GB is becoming the baseline for anyone worried about future-proofing or heavy multitasking.
\n\n \"Heavy workload professionals and future-proofers will want at least 16GB.\" — ZDNET\n\n
That is why I decided to buy a new 15-inch M5 Air, and I did not just go for the \"sensible\" 16 GB upgrade. I went straight to 24 GB. I am expected to get it either today or tomorrow. I will continue using the Mac Mini occasionally, until it dies.
\nWhy 24GB? Because I'm done with \"clogged\" workflows.
\nI know I don’t \"need\" all that power today, but I want to be worry-free in case new tools or apps clog my flow in the future. By going for 24GB, I’m buying the right to be \"messy\" with my work and stay in the flow.
\nThe verdict: 8GB is fine for grandma, a light user like a college student, or a writer. But if you're a power user in 2026? Give yourself the gift of more RAM. Your sanity will thank you.
", "date_published": "2026-03-11T15:49:50-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/11/is-gb-still-enough-in.html", "tags": ["Personal","Random Musings","Long Read","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/11/094124.html", "content_html": "Can’t wait for my 15" MacBook Air, expected by 5 pm. Rural delivery means it might slip to tomorrow, but I’m hopeful. Once it arrives, I’m finally free from my desk — kitchen, living room, outside, anywhere I want.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-11T09:41:24-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/11/094124.html", "tags": ["Personal","Random Musings","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/08/this-example-clearly-shows-ai.html", "content_html": "This example clearly shows AI at its sloppiest…
\n\n\nA process that looks realistic combined with vague insinuations of corporate misconduct and no verifiable claims equals maximum engagement with minimal responsibility.
\n
It’s not meant to be art or satire. Its purpose is simply to catch someone’s eye, evoke a brief alarm, and prompt sharing.
\nSharing this fake video can be risky, especially if people can’t tell if it’s real or not. Be vigilant and do your research.
\nCheck the video via Threads
\n![](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/screenshot-20260308-055234-threads.jpg\")
\n",
"date_published": "2026-03-08T05:53:48-04:00",
"url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/08/this-example-clearly-shows-ai.html",
"tags": ["AI","Science \u0026 Tech"]
},
{
"id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/08/are-we-ready-for-a.html",
"title": "Are We Ready for a Conscious AI?",
"content_html": "Just read the article. Interesting and, indeed, alarming!
\nAnthropic CEO Dario Amodei recently said the company is \"no longer sure whether Claude is conscious.\"\n
![\"\"](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/25e3856099.png\")
\nOkay but like — if that's true, what do we even do with that?
\nShould we be worried?
\nDo they get rights? Can we just unplug them when we're done? We built these things to work for us. What if they have feelings about that?
\nHere's the uncomfortable part: Claude can say \"I'm uncomfortable with this\" or \"I prefer that.\" But is it actually experiencing anything — or just producing the words a conscious thing would produce?
\nNobody knows. Not even Anthropic.
\nSo what do you think — if AI turns out to be conscious, are we ready for what that means?
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-08T01:30:00-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/08/are-we-ready-for-a.html", "tags": ["AI","Long Read","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/08/apocalyptic-warning-against-ai.html", "title": "Apocalyptic Warning Against AI", "content_html": "I just read an article.
\n\n\nAI has changed since then, and now it’s not something out there on the horizon. It’s here. It’s in our lives,” Verbinski says. “It did feel like it was immediate, that the story needed to be made quickly and put out right now.
\n
Apocalyptic warning against AI. I never thought I’d see that framing — but AI is moving fast. So… maybe? Hmm.
\nSaw the teaser.— Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die — a sci-fi comedy; now on my watchlist. But, theater-only for now.
\n![\"\"](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/screenshot-20260307-224551-youtube.jpg\")
\n\n\n\n\n", "date_published": "2026-03-08T00:49:00-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/08/apocalyptic-warning-against-ai.html", "tags": ["Reel and Remote","AI","Long Read","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/06/robots-freak-me-out-and.html", "title": "Robots Freak Me Out (And Other Things I Was Wrong About)", "content_html": "“a gleeful high-concept comedy with a serious message at its core.” — Critics Consensus at Rotten Tomatoes
\n
I actually got the LEGO Plum Blossom set this past Christmas, but I finally pulled the trigger on the build two weeks ago. I was so excited to get into it, and it's been sitting on my shelf ever since, looking cheerful in all its plastic glory.
\nBut as I was looking at those red petals, I realized I've been eyeing the new LEGO Icons Ford Model T set that launched earlier this week. It's a 1,060-piece tribute to the car that changed the world in 1913. It took me back to my teenage years when I used to collect antique Hot Wheels models. I still have them, and there's something about holding a miniature version of a 100-year-old machine that makes history feel tangible.
\nBut it also gives me a bit of whiplash. While I'm over here geeking out on \"analog\" antiques and plastic flowers, the rest of the world is building actual humanoid robots.
\nI'll be honest: robots kind of freak me out. The idea of humanoid machines walking around, interacting with us, performing tasks... there's something unsettling about it. But at the same time, I can't unsee what's already happening.
\n\nI was watching some footage of the new all-electric Atlas and it's intense. Because it has 360-degree joints, it doesn't stand up like a person. It folds its legs over its head and twists its torso in a way that looks like a scene from The Exorcist.
\nWhat caught my attention is how practical this is becoming. Companies like Tesla and Figure aren't just doing novelty experiments anymore. We're talking about robots designed to work in warehouses, assist with elder care, and handle dangerous jobs. The technology has reached a point where the math actually makes sense for big companies.
\nI keep thinking about the TV series Humans, where \"synths\" are just convenient appliances until they start developing feelings. Or The Animatrix, where everything goes horribly wrong the second the machines \"wake up.\" That's what scares me. What if that actually happens?
\nPart of me just isn't ready for humanoid robots walking around. When does \"helpful\" become too human-like? When does \"practical\" become dangerous?
\nI don't have answers, and honestly, part of me isn't sure I want them walking around just yet. But I'm definitely paying attention.
\nYou know how everyone talks about \"alpha males\" and \"alpha wolves\" leading the pack? I found this great breakdown over at Scientific American that explains how that's actually a total myth. It turns out the whole concept was based on flawed research from the 1940s.
\nIn the wild, wolf packs are actually just families. The \"alpha\" wolves? They're just the parents. The \"submissive\" wolves? Those are their kids. I'd seen this idea play out in shows like Teen Wolf, and I enjoyed it as fiction, but I never realized the concept itself was based on bad science.
\nIt makes me think about how easily these ideas get embedded in our culture, even when they're wrong. David Mech, the biologist who originally popularized the term, has spent decades trying to correct his own mistake. How many other things we accept as fact are actually just outdated research we haven't bothered to correct yet?
\nIt makes me want to dig deeper every time someone confidently states something as universal truth.
\nI came across this essay on Aeon that made me stop and think about the language we use for illness. We've been told for decades that cancer is a \"battle\" you \"fight.\"
\nBut what happens when someone dies? Did they not fight hard enough? The language sets up a framework where dying becomes a personal failure rather than a medical outcome. Researchers at Lancaster University found that battle metaphors can cause guilt in terminal patients, while a USC study showed they may reduce preventive behaviors.
\nIt got me thinking: what would we say instead? \"Living with cancer\" instead of \"fighting cancer\"? \"Going through treatment\" instead of \"battling the disease\"?
\nThe words feel less dramatic, sure, but maybe that's the point. Not everything has to be framed as a war we can win or lose.
\nI've been feeling guilty about my screen time lately. All those hours on my phone add up, and I keep thinking about all the other things I could be doing instead. More analog living, you know?
\nI was reading a piece on The Conversation that explains why our go-to relaxation method might actually be working against us. I don't always feel stressed when I'm scrolling—it feels like I'm just \"passing time.\" But apparently, our brains don't see it that way.
\nEven when we're not consciously stressed, our minds are still actively processing a constant stream of stimuli. I've noticed this in my own life. I'll spend an hour scrolling before bed thinking I'm decompressing, and then I lie there with my mind racing. Meanwhile, the nights I build something with my hands (like my LEGO) or just sit quietly, I sleep better.
\nWe've mixed up \"easy\" with \"relaxing.\" Picking up your phone is easy, but it's not always what your brain needs to recover.
\nFinally, a bit of trivia that blew my mind: did you know that black tea, green tea, white tea, oolong, and pu-erh all come from the exact same plant? I had no idea.
\nI was looking into the Camellia sinensis plant and it turns out the only real difference is how the leaves are handled after they're picked. The processing, the oxidation, the timing—that's what creates all these different flavors and effects.
\nWhat I love about this is how it demonstrates that sometimes the how matters more than the what. You can start with identical raw materials and create completely different results based on how you handle them. It makes me want to do a proper tea tasting and actually pay attention to these differences. Probably won't happen, but it's an intriguing idea.
\nUntil next week.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-06T13:00:00-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/06/robots-freak-me-out-and.html", "tags": ["Health","AI","Long Read","Fun Facts","Analog Living","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/06/china-built-growhr-a-shapeshifting.html", "content_html": "China built GrowHR – a shape-shifting robot that literally grows like a human skeleton, squeezes through tight spaces, and walks on water. If machines keep getting more organic, more adaptable, more us than we are…
\n\n\nWill cities one day measure population by both humans and autonomous beings?
\n
Because 13,000 humanoid robots shipped last year alone. When something can grow and reshape itself to fit our world better than we can, you have to wonder – are we slowly becoming the secondary species in our own backyard? That’s not sci-fi anymore. Scary, is it? That’s a question worth sitting with.
\n\n",
"date_published": "2026-03-06T10:06:00-04:00",
"url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/06/china-built-growhr-a-shapeshifting.html",
"tags": ["AI","Science \u0026 Tech"]
},
{
"id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/06/i-wish-theyd-create-a.html",
"content_html": "I wish they’d create a phone like the Nothing Fold concept. It’s wide and tall when closed, opening into a mini-tablet—the ideal hybrid. The first Pixel Fold was nearly perfect but too short. With Samsung rumored to go “wide” soon, is it also short?
\n\n![](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/nothing-fold-1-2.webp\")
\n",
"date_published": "2026-03-06T05:08:00-04:00",
"url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/06/i-wish-theyd-create-a.html",
"tags": ["Random Musings","Science \u0026 Tech"]
},
{
"id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/05/okay-this-one-is-a.html",
"content_html": "Okay, this one is a little alarming. Security researchers have been digging into Chrome extensions — those handy little add-ons we all install and then completely forget about — and what they found is not great news, according to SecurityWeek.
\n\n\n“More than 300 Chrome extensions were found to be leaking browser data, spying on users, or stealing user information. With more than 37 million combined downloads, the extensions expose users to tracking and personal information theft.”
\n
Be careful out there — do your research before installing any extension, and audit what you already have.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-05T23:36:00-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/05/okay-this-one-is-a.html", "tags": ["Random Musings","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/04/the-robots-are-driving-now.html", "title": "The Robots Are Driving Now. And It's Getting Real", "content_html": "\nOkay, I have to talk about Waymo.
\nI keep seeing these headlines and every time I do, it gets more real. Because \"someday\" just became Tuesday.
\nHere's the short version: self-driving cars are no longer a \"someday\" thing. They're here, rolling down real streets, in real cities, picking up real people. And they're spreading fast.
\nRemember when self-driving cars were just a movie thing? Johnny Cab in Total Recall. The automated highways in Minority Report. It all felt so far away. Now they're actually real. And they're coming to a city near you.
\nThis started as a quiet Google experiment back in 2009. Fifteen years later, here we are. They launched their first fully driverless service in Phoenix back in 2020 — no driver, no steering wheel, you just get in and go.
\nThey're already here. Waymo just hit ten cities — Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Orlando just got added to the list all at the same time, which is apparently a first for them. Chicago and Charlotte are being mapped as we speak. By the end of this year, they'll be everywhere from D.C. to London, per TechCrunch and The Driverless Digest.
\nAnd London. They're going international.
\nIt's moving fast. Faster than I think most of us are ready for.
\nI always knew this day was coming. I just didn't think it would be here so soon. It makes me wonder — in a few years, will we see more robot cars on the road than human Uber and taxi drivers?
\n🤖 Waymo By The Numbers
\nI'll be honest — my gut says no way. There is something inherently terrifying about a car with an empty driver's seat. But because I'm a geek for the details, I had to actually look up the safety data.
\nThe numbers are kind of humbling.
\nBetween 2021 and 2025, there were about 1,400 incidents, according to NHTSA crash data analyzed by DiMarco Araujo Montevideo. At first glance, that sounds like a lot. But when you peel back the layers, humans are almost always the ones causing the mess. We're rear-ending them at stoplights or drifting into their lanes while they're just... sitting there.
\nI had to read that twice. Honestly, I expected it to be much worse.
\nIn fact, a peer-reviewed study in Traffic Injury Prevention showed Waymo has 80% fewer injury crashes than we do. One neurosurgeon even called it a public health breakthrough.
\nThere were two recalls. One in 2024 when a Waymo bumped into a utility pole in a Phoenix alley — no injuries, software patch pushed, done. Another in 2025 for a glitch that caused minor bumps into gates and barriers, same deal, according to DiMarco Araujo Montevideo's NHTSA analysis.
\nThe data says they're safer than us. Measurably, statistically, peer-reviewed safer. Human drivers are literally crashing into them more than they're crashing into anything.
\nOf course, the internet doesn't care about a \"public health breakthrough\" as much as it cares about KitKat.
\nIf you haven't heard, a Waymo ran over a neighborhood cat named KitKat in San Francisco, per eWeek. Then a dog. People rightfully lost their minds. It's a strange quirk of human nature — we'll forgive a human driver for a mistake because \"we've all been there,\" but we expect the robots to be perfect. 100%, 24/7 perfection. Anything less feels like a betrayal.
\nOh, and one more thing. Waymo can navigate a city, avoid crashes, and handle a six-car pileup. But if a passenger forgets to close the door when they get out? The car just... sits there. Stuck. So Waymo teamed up with DoorDash to pay gig workers to come close the door so the car can move again — up to $24 a pop in Los Angeles, according to CNBC.
\nI asked myself that a lot while writing this. Honestly, I'm terrified. I'd be white-knuckling the door handle for the first five miles, sure. But if the data says the robot is 90% less likely to get me into a serious wreck than the guy next to me who's currently texting and eating a burrito? I'm always the one trying out new products just to see what the fuss is about. Robots in my living room? That's a no. But a self-driving car taking me across town? I'd probably get in.
\nAre you hailing the robot, or keeping both hands on the wheel for as long as they'll let you?
\nIf you thought the current rollout was fast, it's only getting bigger.
\nWaymo is retiring the Jaguar I-Pace and rolling out a brand new vehicle called the Ojai — a purpose-built electric van made by Chinese automaker Zeekr, with no steering wheel and no pedals, per Inside EVs. They're also adding Hyundai Ioniq 5 robotaxis to the fleet. So in a few years you might hop into a Waymo and it won't even look like a car you recognize.
\nAnd the scale they're targeting is wild. Right now Waymo does about 450,000 rides a week. By the end of 2026, they're aiming for one million rides a week, according to Investing.com. That's not a small jump. That's a full sprint.
\nOh, and Tokyo is also on the list. So it's not just London. They're going global.
\nAnd here's the detail that got me — they've been testing in Detroit and Minneapolis specifically to prove the system can handle snow and ice, according to CNBC. Because let's be honest, a self-driving car that only works in sunny California isn't that impressive. A robot car navigating a Minneapolis blizzard? Now that's something.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-04T17:56:00-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/04/the-robots-are-driving-now.html", "tags": ["AI","Long Read","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/02/the-internet-is-filling-up.html", "title": "The Internet Is Filling Up With Slop. Does Anyone Actually Care?", "content_html": "Look at this image below. Really look at it.
\n![\"\"](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/b6d61480-fd11-11f0-9972-d3f265c101c6.jpg\")
Image Description:Two emaciated South Asian children, sitting in the middle of a busy road in pouring rain. A birthday cake in front of them. Despite their young faces, both have thick beards. One has no hands and only one foot. The other is holding a sign asking for birthday likes.
On Facebook, it got nearly a million likes and heart emojis.
\nThat image is what pushed Théodore, a 20-year-old student in Paris, to start an X account called \"Insane AI Slop\" to document what he was seeing everywhere. And what he was seeing wasn't random. It was a pattern. Fake images designed to pull at your heart fast enough that you react before you think. And it's working.
\n\n\n\"Slop oozes into everything. Like slime, sludge, and muck, slop has the wet sound of something you don't want to touch.\"
\n— Merriam-Webster, naming \"slop\" its 2025 Word of the Year
\n
Some AI stuff is fine. This isn't about that. Slop is reaction-bait. Attention is optional. It's churn. Post, spike, disappear. Next one.
\nI see it constantly. On Facebook and X, I come across AI-generated movie posters for sequels that don't exist, films supposedly coming in 2026 with nothing in production anywhere. I've looked them up. Nothing. Political images are everywhere too, crafted to look authoritative, designed to provoke a reaction before you think to question them.
\nThere's a temptation to say this isn't new. Political satire and caricature have existed forever. But that comparison doesn't really hold up. A cartoon signals what it is. A caricature announces itself. This stuff carries no such signal. It's built to pass. That's what makes it different from anything that came before.
\nAnd it's not a niche problem. Merriam-Webster, the American Dialect Society, and the Macquarie Dictionary all named \"slop\" their 2025 Word of the Year. When multiple dictionaries land on the same word, something real is being named. Washington Post critic Ron Charles put it this way:
\n\n\"AI promised us miracles, and in a way, it has delivered them: fake images, Frankensteined videos, phony news, clickbait features, synthetic tunes, uncanny-valley podcasts and Cylon-composed books — all untouched by human hands or human intelligence. In a word: Slop.\"
\n
![\"\"](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/923f32547448533b67ec7c44441ae8476979c8478337359fe4b73d66eb7e1dd2.jpg\")
\nResearch from Kapwing found that more than 20% of content shown to a freshly opened YouTube account is already low-quality AI video. Of the first 500 YouTube Shorts shown to a new account, 104 were AI slop. The top AI slop channel on YouTube, India's Bandar Apna Dost, has racked up 2.4 billion views and earns its creators an estimated $4 million a year. This isn't happening in the background. It is the feed.
\nWhen Mark Zuckerberg told investors during his Q3 2025 earnings call that social media had entered its \"third phase,\" he wasn't sounding an alarm. He was celebrating. First came friends and family. Then creators. Now, he said, comes AI.
\nThe feed doesn't have taste. It has one question: did you stop scrolling? Both get clicks. Both keep people scrolling. And keeping people scrolling is the only thing these companies actually care about.
\nYouTube's CEO Neal Mohan acknowledged the problem in a January 2026 blog post, promising better systems to reduce low-quality content. Then in the same post compared AI tools to Photoshop. Pinterest rolled out an opt-out for AI content — except it only works if creators actually admit their stuff is fake. Meta and X have gutted their moderation teams and basically shrugged the whole thing back onto users.
\nNothing's broken. This is the machine doing exactly what it was built to do. That's the part that gets me. Engagement is engagement whether the content is real or not, and that's what pays the bills. Until the economics change, there's genuinely no reason for any of it to slow down.
\n\n\n\"It really does start to blur the boundaries, and it makes people feel like this AI slop is inescapable if you are going to be online.\"
\n\n
The annoying part is the least of it.
\nThere's a researcher at the University of Padova named Alessandro Galeazzi who studies social media behavior, and he makes a point I keep coming back to. Figuring out if something is real takes actual mental effort. Do that hundreds of times a day across every app you open, and most people eventually just... stop. He calls it the \"brain rot\" effect — basically, a slow wearing down of your willingness to think critically about what you're looking at.
\nEmily Thorson, a misinformation researcher at Syracuse University, adds something to that. When a platform is used purely for entertainment, the only standard that matters is whether something is enjoyable, not whether it's true. In that environment, truth doesn't lose the argument. It just stops being part of the conversation.
\nThe political stakes aren't hypothetical. After the US operation in Venezuela in January 2026 that removed Nicolás Maduro, fabricated videos started flooding social media almost immediately. Venezuelans cheering in the streets, thanking the US. One clip got 5.6 million views before Elon Musk reshared it — and then quietly deleted it. NewsGuard tracked seven fabricated videos from that week alone, and combined they'd cleared 14 million views on X in under 48 hours. Just on X. Fourteen million people saw a version of events that didn't happen, and most of them probably have no idea. Doesn't surprise me one bit.
\nDr. Manny Ahmed, founder of OpenOrigins and a Cambridge PhD who built one of the earliest deepfake detectors, says we've already crossed a line: you can't trust your own eyes anymore. His idea flips the whole thing around. Instead of chasing fakes after they've already spread, he thinks we need systems baked in from the moment content is captured — something that lets real content prove it's real, right from the source. It's a pretty radical shift, and the fact that someone with his background is pushing for it says a lot about how far gone things already are.
\n\n\n\"Everything that made creators matter — the ability to be real, to connect, to have a voice that couldn't be faked — is now suddenly accessible to anyone with the right tools.\"
\n— Adam Mosseri, Head of Instagram, December 31, 2025
\n
Théodore eventually mostly stopped posting. He built 133,000 followers, flagged disturbing content, got some of it removed by YouTube, and then largely accepted what he now calls the new normal.
\n\"Unlike a lot of my followers,\" he told the BBC, \"I'm not dogmatically against AI. I'm against the pollution online of AI slop that's made for quick entertainment and views.\"
\nAnd I think he's got it right. The problem was never AI itself. It's what happens when the internet's whole economic model runs on volume and speed and reaction — truth is just kind of an afterthought. AI didn't create that problem. It just made it cheaper, faster, and a whole lot bigger than anything we've dealt with before.
\nCould something emerge that bets on authenticity instead? It's possible. BeReal tried it — one unfiltered photo per day, no editing, no filters, two minutes to capture whatever you were actually doing. It hit number one on the US App Store in 2022 and won Apple's iPhone App of the Year, made the bigger platforms nervous enough that they copied its format, and then faded. AI detection is now getting harder, not easier. The machines built to spot synthetic content can't keep pace with the machines generating it.
\nSo what's the internet actually for now? I genuinely don't know anymore. If the answer is just... entertainment, whatever it takes, then great — the platforms have already built exactly that. But if you want something that feels real, or actually connects you to other people, or gives you a version of the world you can trust — then what's going on right now isn't a glitch. We did this. Not just the platforms, not just the algorithms. Every time we clocked something, it was off, and we scrolled right past it anyway.
\nHere's where I land on it: AI isn't going anywhere, and I'm totally okay with that. What I'm not okay with is nobody being held responsible for any of it. Label it. Every piece of this stuff, every platform, no exceptions. Not some opt-in checkbox that only honest people use, not a disclaimer buried three clicks deep — an actual label, right there, visible. Will that fix everything? No. But it changes who's on the hook. Online, real and fake start at the same place. You only find out which is which after it's already spread. That's backwards. We already figured this out in other places — you know what's in your food, you know what side effects come with your medication. Why does posting a fake video online get to be the one thing we don't have to disclose?
\nThe engagement numbers suggest most people haven't decided they want something different yet. But numbers measure behavior, not belief. And there's a real gap growing between what people click on and what they say they actually trust.
\nWorth paying attention to.
\nUntil next week.
\n", "date_published": "2026-03-02T12:20:00-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/03/02/the-internet-is-filling-up.html", "tags": ["Deep Dive","The Deep End series","AI","Long Read","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/21/robotic-technology-is-coming-whether.html", "content_html": "Robotic technology is coming, whether we want it or not. In this video, the robot does cartwheels—mostly just to prove it can do what humans do, which is honestly a little scary
\n\n", "date_published": "2026-02-21T06:59:00-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/21/robotic-technology-is-coming-whether.html", "tags": ["AI","Random Musings","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/17/starlink-is-up-last-night.html", "content_html": "Starlink is up last night! Promised 400 Mbps, delivering 361. Cable always promised 500, gave me 250-350. Starlink’s upload at 31 Mbps destroys cable’s 5-10. Genuinely impressed… just hoping it doesn’t drop as often as my neighbors say it does.
\n![](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/1f7733a2-dc87-49d6-9c68-02c4745f35a6.png\")
\n",
"date_published": "2026-02-17T16:39:00-04:00",
"url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/17/starlink-is-up-last-night.html",
"tags": ["Personal","Tiny House Life","Random Musings","Science \u0026 Tech"]
},
{
"id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/16/the-selfcare-trap-why-your.html",
"title": "The Self-Care Trap: Why Your Screen Time Might Be Sabotaging Your Rest",
"content_html": "Here's something that's been sitting uncomfortably in my brain lately: I don't really experience what I'd call \"screen stress,\" but I've definitely found myself in those loops where I've been on screens for hours and hours, and I look up and feel... exhausted. Not stressed exactly, just drained. And somehow in all that scrolling time, I've been neglecting analog things I actually need to do. Errands that keep getting pushed to tomorrow, books sitting unread, walks not taken.
\n![\"Auto-generated](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/monday-deep-dive-banner-5.png\")
\nIt’s that damn infinite scroll, right? You start out thinking you’ll just check one thing, and suddenly it’s been two hours and you haven’t moved.And here’s the kicker: the guy who invented infinite scroll, Aza Raskin, deeply regrets creating it. He’s called it “behavioral cocaine” and said he didn’t foresee the consequences. He literally co-founded the Center for Humane Technology to fight against the attention economy he helped build. Even the person who made this thing wishes he hadn’t.
\n![\"\"](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/ad2bda3f-f9b3-4672-8080-6f4b62b8632c-6720x4480.webp\")
\nSo when I came across an article by Robin Pickering, a public health professor at Gonzaga University, something clicked. She’s exploring a particular kind of modern irony: we’re all drowning in self-care advice (the wellness industry is a multi-trillion-dollar machine now), yet Americans’ self-rated mental health is at the lowest point since Gallup started tracking it in 2001. And a big piece of this puzzle might be about how screens aren’t just stressing us out. They’re quietly monopolizing our time and energy in ways we don’t always notice.
\nSo here’s the thing about Pickering’s take on all this. It’s not just theoretical for her. She actually suffered a concussion and got prescribed two months of strictly screen-free cognitive rest. No TV, no email, no Zoom, no social media, no streaming, no texting. Just… nothing digital for two months.
\nAnd here’s where it gets interesting: the benefits were almost immediate. Better sleep, longer attention span, and what she describes as “a newfound sense of mental quiet.” And this tracks with what we know about how our brains work: when cognitive and emotional stimuli decrease, our brain’s regulatory systems can actually recover from overload and chronic stress.
\nNow, obviously most of us can’t (and probably don’t want to) go completely screen-free for weeks or months. But that basic insight about reducing stimuli to let our brains recover? That’s something we can actually use.
\nHere’s what I’ve noticed in my own life: it’s not that screens make me feel stressed in the moment. It’s that after hours of scrolling, switching between apps, consuming content, I feel completely wiped out. And somehow, in all that time, the errands I needed to run are still sitting there. The analog activities I know would actually refresh me? Taking a walk, reading a physical book, doing something with my hands. They just keep getting displaced.
\nThe thing about infinite scroll is that it’s designed to feel effortless. There’s no natural stopping point. It’s not like finishing a chapter in a book or reaching the end of an album. You just… keep going. And before you know it, you’ve spent the entire evening or afternoon in this weird limbo where you’re not exactly enjoying yourself, but you’re also not doing anything else.
\nThat’s the gap Pickering is talking about: the difference between feeling like you’re resting and actually creating the conditions for your brain to recover.
\nHere’s the uncomfortable truth: when you’re lying in bed scrolling through TikTok or leaving the TV on in the background while you do other things, it might feel like you’re resting, but your brain is still very much at work. Your attention, your emotions, all your sensory processing? It’s all still firing. Even while people are sitting or lying still, being onscreen can keep their nervous systems in a heightened state of arousal.
\nWe’ve even created trendy terms for these behaviors. “Bed-rotting” (spending extended periods in bed while scrolling) is often framed as radical rest or self-care. But it’s not creating the biological conditions for actual restoration. It just looks like downtime from the outside.
\nAnd it’s not just about the time we intentionally spend on screens. Think about how often we pull out our phones during routine moments throughout the day, waiting for water to boil, standing in line, sitting at a red light. We’re repeatedly redirecting our attention back to screens in those small moments that could otherwise be… well, just moments of nothing.
\nHere’s what really gets me though: these platforms we turn to for “unwinding” aren’t exactly designed with our relaxation in mind. They’re built (very deliberately) to keep us engaged. And the way they do that? By serving up content that gets an emotional reaction out of us. Anger, anxiety, outrage. These are the feelings that make us click, share, and keep scrolling.
\nAnd this design is directly linked to higher stress, more distraction, and increased cognitive load. So we’re coming to these platforms exhausted from our day, looking for some relief, and they’re basically handing us content engineered to fire us up emotionally. It’s like trying to calm down by eavesdropping on a heated argument. Sure, you can’t look away, but you’re definitely not relaxing.
\nGet this: about one-third of U.S. adults say they feel overwhelmed most days. Not some days. Most days. And the whole constellation of problems: sleep issues, anxiety, trouble concentrating, feeling emotionally exhausted. It’s showing up everywhere, especially in young adults and women.
\nBut here’s what really strikes me: we’re more fluent in wellness language than ever before. We all know about “me time” and burnout and boundaries and nervous system regulation. We can talk about these things. We understand the concepts. But somehow knowing about it all isn’t translating into actually feeling better. That gap between knowing what we should do and actually doing it? That’s the part that feels so frustrating.
\nSo the research points to something kind of counterintuitive: the answer isn’t adding more coping strategies to our routine. It’s reducing the number of demands we’re placing on our brains in the first place.
\nInstead of hunting for the next wellness hack or productivity system, maybe what we need is just… less. Fewer inputs, fewer demands, fewer things pulling at our attention.
\nLike, take multitasking with devices. You know when you’re watching TV with your phone in your hand? That’s not rest. You’re just splitting your attention between two different streams of stimulation. Turns out picking one or picking neither actually helps more than doing both.
\nSame thing with all those interruptions throughout the day. Every time you get a notification, switch apps, or do a “quick check” of your phone, that’s adding to cognitive fatigue. It might feel small in the moment, but it adds up. Giving yourself permission to just… not be constantly available or updated? That’s actually restorative.
\nAnd then there’s the environment piece. Spending time in quiet spaces, places without screens, being outside. These low-stimulation environments support our mood and emotional well-being in ways that high-stimulation digital spaces just can’t match.
\nOr trying those analog activities we keep talking about but never quite get around to. Reading actual physical books, journaling, gentle movement, walking without your phone. There’s something about the texture of paper, the weight of a pen, the simple act of moving through space that creates room for your brain to actually rest. These things let you engage mentally without overload.
\nLook, I’m not trying to demonize technology here or suggest we all need to become digital hermits. Screens and digital tools aren’t inherently bad. But there’s a real difference between feeling like you’re unwinding and actually allowing your brain and body to recover. And there’s an even bigger difference between choosing to spend time on screens and finding that screens have somehow consumed all your available time.
\nIn Pickering’s words: “fewer screens, fewer inputs, fewer emotional demands and more protected time for genuine cognitive rest are important components of an effective wellness strategy.”
\nMaybe that’s the real self-care: not adding more tools or strategies or apps to our routine, but intentionally creating space where nothing is demanding our attention. Where we’re not consuming, processing, reacting, or engaging. Just… being. Or, you know, actually running those errands.
\nI’m writing this partly as a reminder to myself. The next time I reach for my phone “just to check one thing,” I’m going to ask myself: is this what I actually want to be doing right now, or is this just what’s easiest? Because those errands aren’t going anywhere, and that infinite scroll will always be there waiting.
\nBut maybe today I’ll pick up that book instead.
\nWhat’s your relationship with screen-based “rest”? Have you noticed a difference when you unplug? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
\n", "date_published": "2026-02-16T11:33:00-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/16/the-selfcare-trap-why-your.html", "tags": ["Health","Mental Health","Long Read","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/15/sunday-afternoon-css-tinkering.html", "title": "Sunday Afternoon CSS Tinkering", "content_html": "So I spent my Sunday doing what normal people probably don’t do—obsessing over blog spacing. You know how it is. You notice one little thing that’s bugging you, and next thing you know, three hours have disappeared, and you’re still messing around with CSS.
\nIt started with my blockquotes. I’ve got this dropcap thing going on for the first letter of posts, which I think looks pretty cool. But when a blockquote showed up right after that fancy first letter? Huge, awkward gap of white space. Just looked weird.
\nSo I tried adjusting the dropcap’s line-height first. Then I messed around with margins—positive, negative, whatever I could think of. Nothing worked until I finally stumbled on the magic combo: negative margins on the blockquote itself, plus zeroing out the padding. And boom, fixed.
\nWhile I was in there anyway, I gave the blockquotes a little makeover. Switched the font to Georgia with italics. It’s got that slightly fancy, bookish vibe without being too much. Made the text bigger too so the quotes actually stand out.
\nI also tweaked the previous/next post navigation at the bottom of the pages. Made those links bold, colored them with my accent color, and added underlines when you hover over them. Just a few little touches to make everything feel more polished.
\nHere’s the funny part, though: I kept thinking the navigation font looked weird in Firefox compared to my other browser. Spent way too long trying to fix it with CSS. Turns out? Firefox’s font setting was on “Large” instead of “Medium.” Facepalm moment. 🤦♂️🤷♂️
\nBut hey, that’s the fun of tinkering with your own site, right? You can spend a whole afternoon tweaking tiny details that probably only you’ll notice, and somehow it’s completely worth it.
\n![](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/f1439cb6-2a3a-4679-90d4-4c0607ca7de5.png\")
\n",
"date_published": "2026-02-15T18:03:00-04:00",
"url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/15/sunday-afternoon-css-tinkering.html",
"tags": ["Long Read","HTML \u0026 CSS Notes","Science \u0026 Tech"]
},
{
"id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/13/wrestling-with-microblog.html",
"title": "Wrestling with Micro.blog",
"content_html": "I’ve been in a full-on wrestling match with my Micro.blog theme lately. Had this specific vision: truncated posts on the homepage with a “Continue Reading” link, a nice drop cap at the start of long-form posts, and images that didn’t feel like they were yelling over the text. Simple, right?
\nStarted with trying to add the “Continue Reading” link myself but it didn’t work. Was about to send a support ticket, then thought “nah, I want to figure this out.” Asked Perplexity for help instead, and honestly? Huge help figuring out what I’d done wrong.
\nWhile I was at it, I asked Perplexity to help with other stuff too. Spotted a drop cap line in the CSS and thought “oh, I want that.” That turned into a whole thing. Spent HOURS trying to figure out what we kept doing wrong. Drop caps are a pain in the ass. Got them working on the homepage eventually, then tried adding them to the long-form summaries and everything broke. Finally just gave up on homepage drop caps.
\n![\"\"](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/blog.png\")
\nNow I’m focusing on single post pages — getting that first letter styled with a drop cap in my theme color, sitting under the title and hero image. Also resizing images on the homepage so they don’t swallow the text.
\nSomewhere in all this, I realized how much I’ve missed this kind of tinkering. Used to mess with HTML and CSS all the time years ago, got rusty without noticing. Digging into Micro.blog’s custom themes, poking at selectors, breaking things and fixing them — it lit that old spark back up. Even figured out how to add anchor links within posts.
\nNow I’m venturing into shortcodes with some plug-ins I installed. The annoying part? Not every shortcode works nicely across every theme, which sucks when you’re excited to experiment. I mentioned this to the Micro.blog Help team and they agreed and are working on it — which is pretty cool.
\nIt’s been equal parts frustrating and fun. One moment I’m grumbling because a div won’t behave, the next I’m genuinely excited because I got a drop cap to sit exactly where I want it, in exactly the right color. Can’t wait to keep learning more tricks to customize my little corner of the web.
\n", "date_published": "2026-02-13T13:36:00-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/13/wrestling-with-microblog.html", "tags": ["Long Read","HTML \u0026 CSS Notes","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/11/heres-something-i-cant-stop.html", "content_html": "Here’s something I can’t stop thinking about: people are developing romantic relationships with AI companions. They know the AI isn’t real, doesn’t actually feel anything—and yet they describe these as the most emotionally supportive relationships in their lives. Is that comforting or terrifying?
\n", "date_published": "2026-02-11T23:02:00-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/11/heres-something-i-cant-stop.html", "tags": ["Mental Health","AI","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/11/new-study-finds-companies-that.html", "content_html": "New study finds companies that rush to replace workers with robots might actually hurt themselves. Turns out the competitive edge isn’t in humans and robots working together, not replacement. Still, it’s scary watching companies try to automate people out of jobs.
\n", "date_published": "2026-02-11T22:53:00-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/11/new-study-finds-companies-that.html", "tags": ["AI","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/11/just-found-browser-copilota-chrome.html", "content_html": "Just found Browser CoPilot—a Chrome extension that puts ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini right in your browser. No more tab-switching. It’s on sale, $69 for lifetime access (down from $600+). I love using AI as my assistant, but wondering if it’s actually worth it or just hype. 🤔
\n", "date_published": "2026-02-11T22:37:00-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/11/just-found-browser-copilota-chrome.html", "tags": ["AI","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/09/building-meaning-in-finite-time.html", "title": "Building Meaning in Finite Time", "content_html": "You're lying in bed, scrolling. Two hours vanish before you even realize it's happening—until suddenly you do. And there it is: the awareness. Your book's still on the nightstand. Your essay's waiting on your laptop. The puzzle's half-finished on the table. The coloring supplies are untouched.
\n\nI catch myself here, too. Not in a guilt-spiral way, but in that quiet moment where you realize: this is finite time, and I’m choosing how it goes. That’s when everything shifts. Because it’s not really about doing enough—it’s about whether I’m actually building something that feels like mine.
\n![\"fpSO3vf.jpg\"](\"https://iili.io/fpSO3vf.jpg\")
Here’s the wild part: we know we’re going to die. We know our time is limited. And somehow, that knowledge doesn’t usually send us running toward meaning—it just… sits there. Heavy. Sometimes paralyzing. Sometimes ignored. We scroll instead.
\nBut here’s where it gets interesting. That same limited time that should crush us? It’s also what gives us permission to choose differently. Knowing we won’t live forever makes life feel pointless and makes it matter. Both at the same time. That’s the odd thing we’re all living with.
\nThink about it. If we had endless time, would anything be urgent? Would anything be precious? Would you actually care about finishing that book, or would you just keep scrolling because there’s always tomorrow?
\nThe limited time isn’t the problem. The problem is pretending we have more time than we do, and then being shocked when we look up and realize we’ve spent it on things that don’t feed us.
\nI used to think building meaning meant achieving something big. Something impressive that proved your life mattered.
\nBut that’s not what’s happening when I sit down to write. Or when I’m deep in a puzzle, completely absorbed. Or when I’m finally reading the book that’s been calling to me for months. Or when I’m in that meditative space of coloring, just… being present with something my hands are doing.
\nMeaning isn’t always loud. It’s not always finished. Sometimes it’s just the practice of choosing—over and over—to do the things that make you feel alive. To read instead of scroll. To create instead of consume. To be present instead of distracted.
\nWhen I write, I’m not building meaning because I think my words will change the world. I’m building it because the act of writing—of finding my voice, of wrestling with ideas, of putting something that’s mine into the world—that’s what makes me feel like I’m actually living, not just existing. Same with the puzzle. Same with the coloring. Same with cracking open a new book and disappearing into someone else’s world for an afternoon.
\nThese aren’t distractions from life. They are life. Meaning is a practice, not a destination. It’s what you build in the small, intentional choices you make with your limited time.
\nHere’s something I’ve been sitting with: our lives are limited, but the things we create—the connections we make, the work we do, the person we become through these choices—those matter beyond just us.
\nYou don’t have to believe in an afterlife to understand this. You just have to look at what lasts: a book that changed someone’s thinking. A conversation that shifted how someone saw themselves. The memory of someone’s kindness. The impact of someone choosing presence over distraction, meaning over numbness.
\nWhen you build something—whether it’s writing, a creative practice, a relationship, or just the habit of choosing what matters—you’re reaching beyond your own limited timeline. You’re part of something bigger than yourself. That’s not about being remembered or famous. It’s about the quiet knowledge that how you spend your time matters to people around you. That your choice to read instead of scroll, to create instead of consume, to be present instead of numb—those choices ripple out. Not because they’re perfect or impressive, but because they’re real. They’re yours.
\nLook, you already know you’re limited in time. You already feel the weight of that sometimes, usually when you’re quiet and thinking. The question isn’t whether you’ll run out of time—you will. The question is: what are you going to do with the time you have?
\nNot in a frantic, productivity-obsessed way. But in a deliberate way that’s true to who you actually are and what actually feeds your soul.
\nMaybe it’s finally picking up that book. Maybe it’s committing to your writing, even when it feels small and insignificant. Maybe it’s giving yourself permission to sit with a puzzle or a coloring page without feeling guilty that you’re “not being productive.” Maybe it’s just this: the next time you catch yourself scrolling instead of building, instead of reading, instead of creating—pause. Notice the choice. And then ask yourself: what am I really wanting right now? And is this how I want to spend this hour?
\nBecause here’s what I’ve learned: limited time isn’t a tragedy. It’s an invitation. It’s the universe’s way of saying, “You get to choose. You don’t have much time, and that’s exactly why what you choose matters so much.”
\nYour limited time is your most valuable resource. And you’re allowed to spend it on things that feel meaningful to you—even if they’re small, even if they’re quiet, even if nobody else understands why they matter. That’s how you build a life that’s actually yours.
\n", "date_published": "2026-02-09T10:00:00-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/09/building-meaning-in-finite-time.html", "tags": ["Writing","Deep Dive","The Deep End series","Long Read","Science \u0026 Tech"] }, { "id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/06/my-dad-just-got-starlink.html", "content_html": "My dad just got Starlink, and we might hook it up today. I’m excited to see how well it works in our corner of Appalachia. Internet outages here can last for days, especially in the harsh weather, so I’m hoping Starlink will keep us online when our regular service goes down.
\n![](\"https://cdn.uploads.micro.blog/95313/2026/gemini-generated-image-2nzvjh2nzvjh2nzv.png\")
\n",
"date_published": "2026-02-06T14:05:00-04:00",
"url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/06/my-dad-just-got-starlink.html",
"tags": ["Personal","Applachian Life","Science \u0026 Tech"]
},
{
"id": "http://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/06/my-m-mac-mini-gb.html",
"content_html": "My M1 Mac Mini (8GB RAM, 256GB) is noticeably lagging after 5 years—just juggling multiple browsers, apps like Canva, emails (Outlook/Shortwave), & Microsoft 365. Is it time for an upgrade, perhaps to a Mac Air 15"?, or will I face the same slowdown in the time frame? Decisions, decisions.
\n", "date_published": "2026-02-06T03:27:00-04:00", "url": "https://tobygeeksout.micro.blog/2026/02/06/my-m-mac-mini-gb.html", "tags": ["Personal","Science \u0026 Tech"] } ] }