Last week Twitch announced that it had automatically opted all of its user accounts into using all content for training Amazon's generative “AI” models. They didn't send their users an email or notify us within Twitch. They posted about it on X, a platform I don't use, acting like they were doing us a favor by allowing us to opt out. Furthermore, they made it opt-out knowing most of us are skeptical about “AI” and would never opt in – and they clearly don't care. This is a gross violation of privacy and betrayal of trust. Therefore, because they clearly do not respect their users, I am quitting Twitch both as a streamer and viewer.

I received my pre-ordered Clicks Power Keyboard this week. It's a quality iPhone accessory and it made my thumbs very happy. But a Clicks account is required for firmware updates, and that's a deal-breaker for me.

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

It's a quote that's often misattributed to Gandhi. There doesn't seem to be a consensus on who said it, but that doesn't make it any less of a good quote. And it's something I've been thinking about a lot lately and trying to make some changes with it in mind.

One of the things I chose to abstain from for Lent was Twitch – both streaming and viewing other streams. But it has cut me off socially from good friends I enjoy interacting with there, and it occurred to me during a sleepless night last night that I'm feeling socially isolated.

People are freaking out over Ring cameras being used by ICE. But privacy advocates have been warning that this exact scenario was possible – even inevitable – ever since Ring cameras were first released. And now there are rumors of Apple working on an AirTag-sized AI pin you can wear that has multiple cameras and a microphone. What could go wrong?

Back in mid-November I decided to try using a Linux laptop as my daily driver for at least the rest of the year. Things were going pretty well until the laptop stopped booting into Pop!_OS.

I'm a few days late to the party, but I just heard about the new product announcements from Clicks – the company that makes physical keyboard cases for smartphones – and I haven't been this excited about mobile device announcements since the BlackBerry KEY2 (2018).

To help encourage and facilitate intentional use of technology, I've declared my bedroom a technology-free space. None of my devices with screens will “live” in that room anymore.

I just finished bingeing both seasons of the TV series Andor again before my Disney+ subscription lapses. Along with Rogue One – the film it was based on – it remains my favorite Star Wars story to date. They've made that universe more relatable and real to me than any other movie or TV series.