X just added a new feature where users can see where a particular account is based geographically. In a shocking twist, it turns out that a huge number of high-profile pro-MAGA accounts are based in foreign countries: Africa, Russia, and India, for example.
DJI has announced (and released) the Action 6, an update of their action camera with an adjustable mechanical aperture and a larger square sensor which they promise will make cropping to different aspect ratios. I have an Action 3 and a 4, and I’ve been very happy with both cameras (apart from their picky insistence on particular SD cards). I tend to buy them one generation behind the current version, and I have no real need for a third right now, but I’ll keep an eye on these.
Massive Attack just announced the release of new music in 2026, available digitally. Their last full album release was 2010.
IKEA just announced a suite of smart home products that work with the Matter standard, including a whole slew of smart light bulbs, five smart sensors, remote controls and a smart plug. I’ve dabbled with home automation before, and I’ll be looking at these carefully to see how well they work with HomeKit. Our AppleTV is ancient, and if we upgraded to a new 4K version I could use that as the hub for smart devices, including these.
A small glimmer of hope in an otherwise bleak world: Defector, the creator-owned website founded by former writers at Deadspin, is five years old and profitable, quietly publishing excellent journalism. I’ve been a member since they launched, and will continue to do so (as well as the Autopian). Today I’m adding the Baltimore Banner to this group.
Here’s a cool site to check out over coffee on a Sunday: Historic Aerials is a Google Maps-style interface where you can look up your address and walk back in time as far as they’ve got aerial photos of it. They also have topographical maps which typically go back much further. For our house, the earliest photo is from 1957 but the topo maps go all the way back to 1894.
Phillip Bump was until recently a journalist working for the Washington Post who decided to leave. He wrote thoughtfully about what institution he wanted to write for next, in his words, “…directing their accrued power responsibly.” He talks about not publishing on Substack due to that platform’s position on supporting white nationalists, but finding an institution that does good work and using his voice to build that power. See also: How to Read This Chart.
(via onfocus)
I saw a great reel on the Autopian’s Instagram feed about a beautiful harlequin Series II Land Rover spotted on its way back from Monterey Car Week the other day and immediately mashed the LIKE button. They got so much response from it, they followed up and got the full story, which is even better.
Here’s a great article on how to curate your own feed with RSS: Find a good reader app and connect to the sites you like the most through their syndicated feeds. Most modern platforms have RSS built in; it’s just a matter of digging out the URL and hooking it up. I haven’t played with an RSS feeder in years, but this is a great idea.
Here’s a 7-minute retrospective on the USCGC Taney, a Treasury-class cutter that’s currently moored in Baltimore Harbor, and one of only two surviving ships from the attack on Pearl Harbor. This channel is run by a Brit who has an entire channel dedicated to the histories of warships, something I’ve been diving into to get my mind off the world burning around me.