If you use Debian-based linux (Ubuntu, Minut, others), Mozilla recommends getting the package directly from their respository rather than flatpak or other repos.

Personally, I saw a major performance increase on my low-powered laptop when I switched from flatpak to the Mozilla package.

https://blog.mozilla.org/en/products/4-reasons-to-try-mozillas-new-firefox-linux-package-for-ubuntu-and-debian-derivatives/

Back in the day, I used to grab any piece of paper, and then walk around the entire office with a slightly angry and urgent look on my face as if I was going to talk to someone important. Do a lap. Back to your desk. Job done.

Dell Latitude 5000 series are usually bought by corporations for employees. They are made of sturdy metal, and have features like backlit keyboards and physical trackpad buttons. Then, after 2-3 years, or if they have some minor problem, they end up in a giant stack that either never gets diagnosed, or just gets sent to recycling.

I have had fantastic luck getting a couple of these either direct from the company I’m working for, or from ebay or a company that recycles laptops. They usually don’t actually have a problem, and if they do, parts are readily available on ebay. You can end up with a high-spec laptop from just a few years ago for practically nothing.

I’m really interested in Graphene and Google privacy, but what does it mean when you say "Sandboxed? Like… I want to use Google Maps, does Google still track me? Maybe only when the app is open, and not when it’s closed?

I work for a company that does marketing, and they are seriously struggling right now because TV and Social media ads are getting more expensive, while at the same time becoming less effective.

Yes. This is true.

Because ads suck and people hate them. Whats the new way? Be good at what you do so people talk about your brand. Show up in searches when I’m looking for you. That’s it.

I still like it. But it does have two problems:

1. Post spam. There is no enforcement of the posting rules, and nobody reacts if they are reported. For example, I’m looking for a Volvo, and people post a Dodge but put every car manufacturer name in the listing so they show up in every search.

2. Scam fucking overload. Every time I post anything for sale, the scam traffic is overwhelming. I listed a car and got like 12 similar scam responses. Most appeared to be chat bots with no human behind it. Some surprised me by responding to my sarcastic replies.

But I still look there. The site works for the most part, especially if you use the search modifiers. And selling stuff works too. Sometimes you get murdered, but it’s rare.

Oh good. Because if there’s a profile of my advertising preferences out there, it knows that when I am forced to view an ad, I look away from the screen, turn off the volume, sigh dramatically, and say “Fuck <this product> right in the ass.”

Personalize away.

I quit smoking and got on the nicotine lozenges. I was eating a bunch of lozenges, almost constantly. Then I started kinda smoking again, but didn’t stop the lozenges. Then I had a stroke which left me with a permanent disability, likely partially caused by wild blood pressure swings due to high levels of nicotine.

I quit by default after 3 weeks in a rehab center. The lesson here is… quit before the hospital. It’s worth it.

That was my thought. I’m not sure if it’s based in science, but I remember being a huge fan of Windows 2000 back in the day, and Microsoft pushed a final service pack that made it highly unstable in 2005, and refused to update/fix it. My theory was that they were trying to push everyone to Windows XP, but I’m prone to thinking the worst of large corporations.

Holy crap. Other people have heard of Discuit.

I got an idea.

Aggressively develop and move everything to non-fossil fuel technology. Share that technology with the rest of the world. Then, boom: Iran loses 70% of it’s GDP, and everyone wins without any shots fired.

The HR person who works with my team actually said “I actually really like firing people. Well, that didn’t sound right… but I do like making these changes.”

ha ha ha… ok. Cool.

“People, selling people, to people”

My HR team has been doing layoffs inside their own department. It’s kind of interesting to watch.

Yeah. To break down why this meme is bad information, in simple terms:

• You can’t deduct “your mortgage”. You can only deduct interest on a loan.
• You can’t take this deduction on a rental property. You have to live in the home part of the year to take this.
• Since the tax changes in 2017, most homeowners don’t deduct mortgage interest anymore, because it’s better to take the standard deduction offered to anyone.

Don’t share or believe bad information.

This was happening to some extent 10-12 years ago when I first signed up for Facebook. There would be an ad for Target and it would say “Your friend Jimmy Smith likes Target”. And then I’d ask Jimmy if he follows the Target account on Facebook, and he’d say hell no.

This always seemed shady as fuck, and that was before Facebook got much much worse.

Yep. I use either and both. They are both phones that work well and have annoying issues.

SmartTube Next if you’re on a TV device.

A coworker bought a Jeep and I said “Oh wow, Jeeps are great vehicles! …unless you drive them on roads.”

I test drove one when they first came out. The salesperson was telling me about the continuously variable transmission, and how revolutionary it was.

“It’s a new technology? From an American car company? In it’s first model year? Ok, no thank you.”