Yes, RSS Readers Still Exist. I Look At Some Of My Favorites.

Winter solstice references in cartoons | Diverse Tech Geek

Depictions of the winter solstice in cartoons, from Nickelodeon's "Avatar: The Last Airbender" to Disney's "The Weekenders."

Today’s the winter solstice! (Or summer solstice for those in the southern hemisphere.)

Superman, “Star Wars” among the worst passwords of 2021 | Diverse Tech Geek

NordPass released a list of the worst passwords of 2021; among the entries include Superman, "Star Wars" and Winnie-the-Pooh.

From December 2021, I look at the year’s worst password choices.

Tips on setting up a Plex server | Diverse Tech Geek

With streaming service changes reviving interest in physical media, I offer some tips on setting up a Plex server for your video collection.

I offer some basic tips on setting up a Plex server for streaming your own video content.

Google releases its 2022 “Year in Search” results; Wordle, “Encanto” dominate | Diverse Tech Geek

A look at what appeared on the 2022 Google Year in Search list, from Disney's animated film "Encanto" to the popular word game Wordle.

A look at what appeared on the 2022 Google Year in Search list, from Disney's animated film "Encanto" to the popular word game Wordle.

Cartoon review: “Velma” | Diverse Tech Geek

I give a review of the new HBO Max series "Velma," supposedly an adult-oriented "Scooby-Doo" prequel. Unfortunately, it doesn't do its source material or adult focus well.

Overall, “Velma” didn’t leave me irate, just mildly annoyed at how banal and adolescent its “adult” humor felt, while lacking much else of interest. While I’m glad we finally got a racially diverse version of Mystery, Inc., I just wish it was for a more traditional take on the gang. Otherwise, this show is pretty much “‘Scooby-Doo’ in name only.”

So long for now, Twitter

Apparently Musk is allowing Trump back on Twitter... which was my final straw for what I was willing to tolerate, even after Musk's chaos. Thus, for now, I'm signing off of Twitter, and will try to use Tumblr (as well as Mastodon, Instagram, and my blog) more. Granted, Twitter's immediate future might make pulling out moot (I expect downtime due to the World Cup, on top of any bugs/security breaches/other problems), but still...

As for Tumblr, I figure I'd use this page to A) catch anyone who isn't using any other services, B) as a makeshift stand-in for a Facebook page, and C) to post links to my blog. I'm not sure I quite fit into Tumblr culture, though. Still, we'll see how here works out. Wish me luck!

Tumblr to add ActivityPub support | Diverse Tech Geek

With the possibility of Tumblr adding ActivityPub support, could this give federated social networks like Mastodon a boost in popularity?

With the possibility of Tumblr adding ActivityPub support, could this give federated social networks like Mastodon a boost in popularity?

Please please vote, friends. No time to screw around here. Everything’s on the line. 

https://www.vote.org/

Alternatives to HBO Max | Diverse Tech Geek

With all of the turmoil surrounding HBO Max, I thought I'd offer a list of alternatives to HBO Max, from Netflix to going old-school (aka buying DVDs/Blu-rays).

HBO Max has seen a lot of its content, from "Westworld" to Looney Tunes, getting axed as part of Warner Bros. Discovery's penny-pinching austerity drive. As such, it's growing hard to recommend as a streaming service for casual viewers. In today’s post, I take a look at some alternatives to HBO Max.

Diverse Tech Geek

Netflix launches an ad-supported plan | Diverse Tech Geek

Netflix is launching a new ad-supported plan, Basic with Ads. I look at reasons why you might want to stick with the ad-free Netflix tiers.

Netflix is launching its ad-supported plan in early November. That said, I think you're better off with the ad-free tiers.