Hmm. There’s a layoff at Automattic, the WordPress company.
Category: Tech
In Musk They Trust
How about a review of the Social Security Administration’s processes? Let’s assemble a team of experienced managers and technologists from within the administration, especially if they have concerns about how the administration operates.
Knowledgeable outsiders, including business experts and past SSA personnel, will also be recruited. Input from many beneficiaries will be solicited. After a careful review, new procedures will be recommended and a implementation plan developed for upgrading the technology.
Nah, let’s not do that. Let’s assume there is rampant waste to be found, and we’ll toss a bunch of nervy, inexperienced kids in there, with no knowledge of the existing systems or underlying technology. They’ll tear everything apart, let the chips fall where they may, and everybody will have to hope for the best, especially those who receive Social Security benefits.
Tapping Touch
My Kindle e-reader is just new enough to support a feature that’s coming in a firmware update. I’ll be able to tap the side or back of the unit, rather than the screen, to advance to the next page.
Having been a fan of the physical buttons on my long dead Kindle Keyboard, I’m looking forward to giving this a try. I could do the update manually via USB, but I’ll wait for it to be pushed out over WiFi.
Update: My mistake. Re-reading that article, I see the update on a 10th generation Kindle only includes the Recap feature. I’m not going to buy a new model just to get double-tap and a USB-C connector, rather than the Micro USB on my Paperwhite.
Choose Carefully
A recap: Google notified registered users of its Pixel 4a phone that an update would affect battery performance. Three alternatives were offered in compensation.
I chose to take the $100 credit at the Google Store. Combined with a sale price that was already $100 off, I bought a Pixel 8a for $300.
All’s well that ends well… except when it doesn’t.
I planned to… switch my “appeasement,” but then I noticed the fine print: No changes are possible after making a selection. So—no money for me.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/03/how-google-nerfed-my-pixel-4a-then-stuck-it-to-me-too/
Mighty Marvel Audio Team-Up
My hearing isn’t as acute as Daredevil’s, but it’s good enough to appreciate my buddy Bismo’s Klipsch surround sound setup.
Casting Call
The second Google inconvenience this year has been resolved. Unlike the battery update that crippled my Pixel 4a, bringing my Chromecast pucks back to life with new encryption certificates didn’t cost me anything. Google’s follow-up is appreciated.
Update regarding your Chromecast device
Thank you for your patience as we worked to resolve the issue with Chromecast (2nd gen) and Chromecast Audio devices. As of today, this disruption has been fixed.
If you did not perform a factory reset, your device should now function normally. If it is still not functioning as intended check the firmware version of your device by following the instructions here. If your device is not on the corresponding firmware version, please try rebooting your device to start the update process.
For users who have performed a factory reset, you will need to update your Google Home app to the latest version (3.30.1.6 for Android and 3.30.106 for iOS) to set up your Chromecast (2nd gen) or Chromecast Audio device again. The app roll out is beginning today and may take up to a few days to roll out to everyone. Updates will be posted in the Google Nest Community.
We sincerely apologize for this disruption and any inconvenience it may have caused, and we are committed to ensuring all users are back up and running as quickly as possible.
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