Masterman friends: what was that card game we played in math class making equations with numbered cards? They combined it with Egyptian Ratscrew and you can play it for real money. Holy shit.

My review of new gadgetry and buzzing pseudoscience from CES Unveiled: http://ift.tt/2De2Zya #CES2018 CES 2018: CES Unveiled Gives a Duck

My TidBITS stories from #CES2018 are going up after a writing-until-dawn and editing delay; this is my Sunday opener.

CES 2018: Tech Trends from the Consumer Technology Association

Folks, there’s a known problem in the media industry that headlines regarding bad things about Apple get the clicks. Ergo, you should be a little suspicious about bad headlines about Apple. (Most commonly, bad headlines about computers or phones in general become Apple headlines.)

Apple has always tested batteries before replacing them; if your device is less than two years old, it’s unlikely the battery is in bad enough shape to need a replacement. But it can happen in months, and that’s not an Apple hates you thing, that’s a laws of physics thing.

I’m any case: don’t run, saunter. Demand will likely exceed supply for a while; $29 is a steal (most third-party replacements are $50), and *everyone* thinks right now that Apple is personally trying to screw them. Go if you’re unhappy about your battery life, or if your old phone is slow and you’re not sure if it’s the battery thing. (Most of the time, it won’t be; other things make your phone *look* slow which have nothing to do with it.)

Otherwise, sure, ask about the battery next time you’re in or near an Apple Store anyway. This program isn’t going to go anywhere for a long while, and when it “ends,” my instinct is that the new permanent battery replacement price will probably split the difference at $49 or so. Review | Run, don’t walk, to replace your iPhone battery for $29

What a fucking catastrophe: basically every device with a CPU made this century has two major security flaws. One can’t be fixed without replacing the hardware, but no one’s figured out how to use it for an attack yet. The other can be fixed in the OS, but your devices will get slower. Meltdown and Spectre

GOP: “Government shouldn’t help people, charities should help people.”

Also GOP: “Fuck charities.” (Under the tax bill, maybe 95% of taxpayers no longer get charitable deductions.)

Merry Christmas. I Hope I’m Wrong | Alan Cantor Consulting LLC

6-year-old killed by police gunfire as they also killed an unarmed suspect wanted for auto theft.

So let that sit for a bit. Then read this article, where you’ll see an ostensibly neutral media bend itself over backwards to paint the dead woman as a massive threat, and the police as the victims of a tragic incident.

As the risk of sounding unfriendly to cops: if your choice is personal injury, or shooting bystanders behind walls that clearly won’t deflect a bullet, “protecting and serving the public” means you’re going to be injured. It’s not just your job, it’s your oath. (Never mind that, if you don’t believe the rosy details the sheriff provided, this sounds like excessive force against the suspect as well.) 2 dead after BCSO deputy-involved shooting, manhunt through San Antonio suburb

It’s always seemed obvious to me that good government can’t create a good economy (only stimulate one), but a bad government can certainly fuck one up. The Myth of the ‘Trump Miracle’