#Best Internet Radio Device

[katakaluptastrophy]

The Nine Houses are obviously deliberately technologically limited. Aside from having FTL capable spaceships, the most advanced piece of technology that we see in the Houses is "an electric transmitter box, with headphones and a mic." It's not clear entirely what sort of device this is, but it apparently requires you to stick an antenna out the window.

On New Rho, Cam has a beeping, and therefore presumably digital watch. Nona has to remind her that's it's called a "watch", and not the House term, "clockwork", which rather suggests House timepieces are analog.

There's a projector box embedded in the BoE conference table, which loads an image like dial up internet because they are "using shortwave" - presumably shortwave radio, which can transmit pictures. As We Suffer apologises for the slowness of the image loading because of shortwave, that suggests that other methods of transmitting an image do exist, but that for whatever reason they're not using those. Perhaps they do normally have something akin to the internet, but this is down due to the conditions on New Rho, or being avoided due to House or inter-cell monitoring.

The audio of Juno Zeta's proof of life is on "a little piece of electronics, a fingernail-shaped thing with prongs", which sounds like some kind of drive.

We also see We Suffer in the impromptu command centre in the tunnels with "a headpiece and a flip-top computer", presumably being used for some kind of communicatons or planning.

And of course, there's Cam and Pal's recorder, which from the descriptions of it making squeaks and garbled noises sounds rather like it might contain a cassette tape.

A paramilitary group on a beseiged planet may not be the best evidence for the level of technology outside of the Houses, but if it is in any way indicative, non-House society doesn't seem to have non-space travel technology beyond things that would have been available in the early 00s.

[do-you-have-a-flag]

i'm just gonna call it that we need to practice mindful tech usage and security and i don't mean screentime tracking apps and vpns or whatever i mean starting from early childhood and going into adult wellbeing culture to encourage tactile hobbies and long-form work and the understanding of online devices as commodifying the user with spyware

i'm talking throwback word processors with the same ergonomics as regular smart devices for general educational work and dedicated subjects for working with digital technologies so you have theory in practice and then applying that theory in a contemporary work context. that's where you learn applications, digital safety, and how to implement the generative tools. separately. once you've already developed the critical analysis and expressive skills first.

i have been basically addicted to the internet since i was 13, i've had ups and downs with it, but i've always had a little bit of over caution when it comes to information and identity online. i overshare what i chose to but i think the break down of privacy as a norm when it comes to personal data tracking is genuinely awful.

i like algorithms in some places but i do not think this super-customisation is worth this panopticon of tech.

have you heard about how phone locations can still be triangulated when the phone is off? this is incidentally why if you are gong to protests and you think you are in danger it might be best to leave it at home. but generally if you want to avoid audio and video being used to build a marketing profile you can just switch it off and pop it in a bag or the next room. but with fb trying to make voice command smart glasses a thing (after snapchat and google both failed to sustain the same product) it bears caution that so called wearable tech such as glasses, pendants, watches, earbuds, ect.... even outside of smart cars there's the risk of passive listening for user marketing profiles. we already have location based advertising, ads that track your useage to predict your menstrual cycle or life events, public ads that react to nearby phones

i am going off on this tangent to say that i am not naïve to the fact that we already have to constantly dig into 'dark patterns' of settings to opt out of surveillance and commodification. i'm aware that the easiest path is to do nothing and use the shortcut machines even when they don't actually help or save much time or effort beyond selling you tools that already exist with a new price tag. i'm aware that the plagiarism software with no idea what it's talking about and runs on resource wasting pollution and underpaid remote human labour that also gets slapped in every function role despite basically being fancy autofil and pixel pulp not only has all of those issues but the lay person is either unaware or does not care and companies only care that it is a new way to pretend they're innovating. i know all this just like i know that mass automation is just exploitation unless it is balanced with social structures for all that mean emancipation from the need for labour.

but while i think all tech can be used for good, facilitating human connection across physical distance, carefully trained data analysis on a rapid large scale, removing the tedium of technical drudgery where needed, just providing light entertainment. but we have gotta be better about legislating, moderating, and use culture.

use culture goes hand in hand with convenience. it's why vinyl records are still trendy, not only are they good at what they do, but there is enough cool factor that the inconvenience becomes a feature. CDs are also convenient still! but CDs do not have the cool factor so they get wiped out by the convenience of streaming. playlists in streaming have a cool factor that radio does not despite radio still being convenient. and remember no matter how much streaming claims you can pay to opt out of ads that's usually something that you get payment tiered out of eventually so the convenience facilitated by accessibility is debatable the longer time passes.

looping back to my original point, if we can encourage an understanding of digital privacy as something you shouldn't be complacent about, that you shouldn't have to pay for tools to get out of the spotlight, that it is immensely embarrassing to be too into exploitation by tech companies and make that the problem of everyone around you. user control should be synonymous with convenience. customisability/personalisation through individual control rather than passive scraping. you can still commodify decorative tech.

we gotta make slop and babying algorithm brained tech usage cringe. people don't care to hear that it's immoral so just make them feel uncool at this point. because it is embarrassing that you have the universe of resources at your fingertips and you're too scared to do anything with it other than beg it to put words in your mouth. who cares if you're chronically online or too busy irl to learn a new skill. you are like a little bird pecking at it's own reflection, that's sad. try saying something mediocre and honest. we gotta stop tap dancing into technofeudalism just because we're too complacent to actually talk to each-other.

[inspired-lesson-plans]

Diaries from the Front Lines of Education, day 4:

Know the difference:

Bone Fone

Fone Bone

Phone Bone

The Bone Fone is best described by its stub Wiki article

The Bone Fone was a wearable radio that draped around the user's neck like a scarf. Bill Hass invented the device,[1] and JS&A marketed it in 1979.[2][3] According to the marketing materials, the Bone Fone resonated sound through the wearer's bones.[4] The device represents an evolutionary step from hand-held electronics (transistor radios) to wearable technology (Walkman, iPod, smart phone). The Bone Fone did not achieve the longevity of transistor radios, originating in 1947, and surviving to the present. The Sony Walkman line achieved greater popularity; iPods and smartphones achieved greater impact. But, the Bone Fone helped make the transition to products users could wear, freeing the hands for other activities, such as exercise or gardening.[5][6][7] In late 2019, Sony introduced a similar, though much less-rugged product, the SRS-WS1 Wearable Neck Speaker.[8]

Fone Bone is the main character of Jeff Smith's classic comic series, Bone. Borrow it from your local library.

But the Phone Bone is a literal growth of bone tissue that two Australian researchers discovered in 2019. I highly recommend clicking that link to read the article. It will take you 3 minutes tops, and you literally cannot find this information anywhere else.

I will now assume that yes, you clicked the link and read the article.

Crazy right???

<edit> That website is a bad resource, it is a Chiropractic Advocacy Group. The research behind the Phone Bone is actually quite sketchy and should not be taken at face value.

I did take it at face value. I am not immune to propaganda. </edit>

How has there never been any more research into this? Well, maybe there is. The Internet is really weak here, so I can't look into it very much.

Or maybe you don't believe that it's real?

Then I encourage you to step into a room full of teenagers who are all sitting at their desks and hunched over their phones. Because literally, their necks all look like this

<edit> if you don't want this to happen to you, then look up some good posture exercises. Here are the ones I use:

[thatstormygeek]

The Rot Economy is neoliberalism’s true innovation: a kind of economic cancer that with few reasons to exist beyond “more” and few justifications beyond “if we don’t let it keep growing then everybody’s pensions blow up.”

I need you to stop trying to explain away how fucking offensive using the internet and technology has become. I need you to stop making excuses for the powerful and consider the sheer scale of the societal ratfucking happening on almost every single device in the world, and consider the ramifications of the difficulty that a human being using the internet has trying to live an honest, dignified and reasonable life. ... The picture I am trying to paint is one of terror and abuse. The average person’s experience of using a computer starts with aggressive interference delivered in a shoddy, sludge-like frame, and as the wider internet opens up to said user, already battered by a horrible user experience, they’re immediately thrown into heavily-algorithmic feeds each built to con them, feeding whatever holds their attention and chucking ads in as best they can. As they browse the web, websites like NBCnews.com feature stories from companies like “WorldTrending.com” with advertisements for bizarre toys written in the style of a blog, so intentional in their deceit that the page in question has a huge disclaimer at the bottom saying it’s an ad. 

Now, what’s important to accept here is that absolutely none of this is done with any real consideration of the wider effects on the customer, as long as the customer continues doing the things that the company needs them to. We, as people, have been trained to accept a kind of digital transience — an inherent knowledge that things will change at random, that the changes may suck, and that we will just have to accept them because that’s how the computer works, and these companies work hard to suppress competition as a means of making sure they can do what they want. In other words, internet users are perpetually thrown into a tornado of different corporate incentives, and the less economically stable or technologically savvy you are, the more likely you are to be at the mercy of them. Every experience is different, wants something, wants you to do something, and the less people know about why the more likely they are to — with good intentions — follow the paths laid out in front of them with little regard for what might be happening, in the same way people happily watch the same TV shows or listen to the same radio stations.  Even if you’re technologically savvy, you’re still dealing with these problems — fresh installs of Windows on new laptops, avoiding certain websites because you’ve learned what the dodgy ones look like, not interacting with random people in your DMs because you know what a spam bot looks like, and so on. It’s not that you’re immune. It’s that you’re instinctually ducking and weaving around an internet and digital ecosystem that continually tries to interrupt you, batting away pop-ups and silencing notifications knowing that they want something from you — and I need you to realize that most people are not like you and are actively victimized by the tech ecosystem. 

The onslaught of AI-generated content — facilitated, in no small part, by Google and Microsoft — has polluted our information ecosystems. AI-generated images and machine-generated text is everywhere, and it’s impossible to avoid, as there is no reliable way to determine the provenance of a piece of content — with one exception, namely the considered scrutiny of a human. This has irreparably damaged the internet in ways I believe few fully understand. This stuff — websites that state falsehoods because an AI hallucinated, or fake pictures of mushrooms and dogs that now dominate Google Images — is not going away. Like microplastics or PFAS chemicals, they’re with us forever, constantly chipping away at our understanding of reality.  These companies unleashed generative AI on the world — or, in the case of Microsoft, facilitated its ascendency — without any consideration of what that would mean for the Internet as an ecosystem. Their concerns were purely short-term. Fiscal. The result? Over-leverage in an industry that has no real path to profitability, burning billions of dollars and the environment - both digital and otherwise - along with it.  ... Societal and cultural pressure is nothing new, but the ways we experience it are now elaborate and chaotic. Our relationships — professional, personal, and romantic — are processed through the funhouse mirror of the platforms, changing in ways both subtle and overt based on the signals we receive from the people we care about, each one twisted and processed through the lens of product managers and growth hackers. Changes to these platforms — even subtle ones — actively change the lives of billions of people, and it feels like we talk about it like being online is some hobbyist pursuit rather than something that many people do more than seeing real people in the real world. ... I believe billions of people are in active combat with their devices every day, swiping away notifications, dodging around intrusive apps, agreeing to privacy policies that they don’t understand, desperately trying to find where an option they used to use has been moved to because a product manager has decided that it needed to be somewhere else. I realize it’s tough to conceptualize because it’s so ubiquitous, but how much do you fight with your computer or smartphone every day? How many times does something break? How many times have you downloaded an app and found it didn’t really do the thing you wanted it to? How many times have you wanted to do something simple and found that it’s actually really annoying?  How much of your life is dodging digital debris, avoiding scams, ads, apps that demand permissions, and endless menu options that bury the simple things that you’re actually trying to do?  You are the victim of a con. You have spent years of your life explaining to yourself and others that “this is just how things are,” accepting conditions that are inherently exploitative and abusive. You are more than likely not deficient, stupid, or “behind the times,” and even if you are, there shouldn’t be multi-billion dollar enterprises that monetize your ignorance.  And it’s time to start holding those responsible accountable.

[robobrainrot]

What’s Past is Prologue

An Earthspark Post-S1, Pre-S2 summary fic

If you were left unsatisfied by the jarring time gap and tone shift between S1 and S2, here's a mini fic to help fill the void. I'm going to write out the full version on Ao3. But this is the short and sweet summary~

It had been a month since The Battle of Witwicky. The Maltos are still picking up the pieces, both literally and figuratively. While they succeeded in their goal of defeating Mandroid, saving all Transformers on Earth, and quite possibly, the world as a whole, some things were left shattered. Most notably, Quintus Prime’s Emberstone. The pieces were scattered across the globe and, for a moment, Team Prime feared they would be lost forever.

However, Quintus Prime would never leave his chosen stranded. Prime Power or not, the kids did not give up hope. The shards of the Emberstone dispersed, but they were not lost forever. Starting right in their backyard, The Maltos found their first shard in the cow pasture… With the help of Fluffy-Ears, of course. Less than a week later, another was found by Breakdown while racing across the countryside with Bumblebee.

At first, the alliance between Autobots and Decepticons had been tense. Both sides were anxious that the other might sell them out or deceive them. But with the help of the newly declared “Malto-bots,” tensions eased. It was hard not to enjoy their company. It had been centuries since any of them had interacted with bots so young. It was refreshing to have such young and enthusiastic faces around.

Every day, the Maltos searched for more ways to find the missing shards. Some they stumbled across accidentally. Some ended up in museums- dazzling archeologists. Schloder and Optimus Prime had to be the ones to get those. Nightshade created a way of scanning for the shards, but their device’s range was limited so the scouting parties had to travel the world to identify possible locations. Did someone say road trip? The Trine were quick to point out that they were much better suited for the job thanks to the help of Skywarp’s powers.

Starscream had to admit, he was fascinated by these ancient Cybertronian artifacts. His volunteering to help the Maltos was not entirely altruistic. It was an opportunity to show off the superiority of himself and his fellow Seekers and gain knowledge about these strange crystal shards. That’s what he told himself at least. The fact that he often hoovered around the Malto residents when Hashtag was around, and Megatron was not, was purely so he could gather intel.

As for the Malto-bots, they enjoyed the month of relative peace. While not all the Decepticons were eager to become ‘friends’, the ones that stuck around would do their best to teach the kids something while they were there.

Breakdown was the first. Never one to turn down a chance to show off, he was happy to oblige Thrash when he asked for racing tips. He showed the young bot a few flashy new moves, including one that Robby insisted was called “The Akira Slide.” Breakdown maintained that it was a Stunticon specialty, and certainly not inspired by a cartoon.

Swindle tried to teach the kids how to override security locks at the junkyard, but was quickly shut down by Elita-One. He complained to Hardtop about what a wasted opportunity it was for three days straight.

Skullcrusher, Grimlock, and Jawbreaker formed a special alliance that Jawbreaker dubbed “The Beastie Boys.” They spent their down time sparing and seeing who could leave the biggest dent in scrap metal pieces.

Soundwave and his casseticons taught Hashtag how to utilize her radio to scramble comm frequencies. In return, she taught them about the wonders of the internet. This was a terrible decision, as Frenzy quickly became engrossed by internet subcultures. Soundwave had to step in with what Mo would call his “Mad Dad Voice.” On the bright side, the discovery of Kandi culture led to a group friendship bracelet making party.

Even Shockwave took some time to mentor the bots. Well. Realistically it was just Nightshade in the lab, but The Great Shockwave was cool enough that the other Maltos pretended to pay attention for half of his science monolouge.

The Decepticons started creating their own home base in between Emberstone shard scouting missions. Led by Starscream, with Shockwave as his Second, they found a suitable location far enough away from the former-GHOST base, but not so far away that it would be impossible to reach the Terrans if needed.

This was one area that walked the line of the treaty. The Decepticons were entitled to make a home on Earth. Optimus Prime respected their wishes on this matter. He instructed the other Autobots and Maltos to stay out as well. If there was going to be a chance at lasting peace, they needed to build trust. Many of the Decepticons had been imprisoned by GHOST for years. They deserved a safe space without surveillance as much as anyone. Freedom was the right of all sentient beings, and Prime would sooner go offline than go back on that principle.

There was still much they didn’t know. With every new answer about the emberstones came more questions. Between chaos and confusion, there was also stillness and affection. For these precious moments, both Autobots, Decepticons and Maltobots could enjoy the time of respite.

However, nothing really lasts forever.

[irkimatsu]

I like how Sinners in Hell have different approaches to advancements made after they died. Angel and Vox, for example, have taken to modern technology like smartphones and video streaming just fine, little to no stumbling as far as I know.

Sir Pentious... tries to keep up, bless him, but hey, not everyone can do it easily. I don't think it's necessarily tied to age at death or time of death, some people are just better at adjusting to newfangled fads and devices than others. I'm sure him dying in the 1800's certainly doesn't help, but also he's just a bit dim regardless. (He's still great with steam technology, though, so he'll be fine! ...oh god, Sir Pentious somehow making a functioning computer using technology that existed while he was alive and then proceeding to "How do you do fellow kids" all over the Internet)

And then there are Sinners like Alastor who thought things were just fine when all we had was radio, thank you very much, he's not going near any of this video bullshit. The idea that it could be his deep hatred of video technology that makes him impossible to film makes me laugh. It's not a superpower, really, he just hates cameras that goddamn much.

As for Husk, for now I see him as disinterested in modern technology, and with his claws, trying to teach him how to use a keyboard or a touch screen would be a nightmare. And don't even get him started on synthesized music. What is this garbage. Electro-swing leaves him feeling violated.

(Probably best that Husk doesn't discover the Internet, really. We don't need him getting hooked on one of those shady virtual poker sites that steals your banking information.)

[kordeliiius]

long backstory post for axis because I feel like it

her name comes from coaxial transmission lines, which carry high-frequency waves, and is utilized in devices like radio transmitters/receivers (other symbolism pending). at first I wanted to name her something like “lan” but decided not to because that invokes the internet, and even though other modern tech like fiber optics is referenced in our story, I think the internet is too far ahead. (if nowhere finds the internet, lord have mercy on everyone)

she's vietnamese-coded and has both autism and agoraphobia; prior to the inciting incident she ran away from a neglectful guardian/caretaker. she despises the loud city environment, but at some point she began to compare threats and decided her guardian was worse.

a few different community ensemble members are autistic and they all hit different points on the spectrum, but axis probably has the highest support needs. she's very sensitive to noise, more prone to meltdowns, and has pretty bad inertia, meaning she has to be prompted into starting/stopping tasks. her reactions to stress are also tactile in some way. she initially depends on clave a bit too much, either that or he's a bit overbearing (they met each other several months before his arrest). it frustrates her because while she needs that support, she still wants some level of independence and to accomplish something big on her own.

she serves as a mirror image of how i characterize ten, who's a fast learner and can function independently, but is still subject to crashing at the end of the day if he pushes himself too hard. they're both deeply shameful whenever this happens. he sees himself in her and yet they're so different. part of their respective journeys is learning their limits and being able to admit when they need help. tho i think it'd be an interesting contrast if other characters like yao had developed their own coping mechanisms already.

in all 21 years of her life, no one had thought to give axis a sensory aid until now. or if they have, they just couldn't afford one. the type of headphones(?) she uses is similar to what telephone operators or perhaps construction workers wear. clave used to work in construction before joining, so maybe he was the one who obtained them, but it could've been someone else's idea.

as mentioned in her debut post, axis is very knowledgeable about radio technology, which fills in the gaps found in the resistance's physical evidence stash. she's very attentive and has great hearing, plus she can hear spirits to some extent, so she picks up on details that others may miss when intercepting transmissions. she's very passionate about the things she loves and wants to be more social, but things have held her back in the past.

my very first attempt at this envisioning character was more badass and conventionally attractive (the above doodles are over a year old now), but im trying to inch away from that. the former was already accomplished by making her a basement dweller, and i also wanna make her less skinny and tweak her facial features. plus she’s not the best at taking care of her hair. but she’s still sexy in her own right, she just doesn't know what she's got yet.

she’s pansexual but contrary to assumption that does not actually guarantee you get bitches. initially, she has trouble expressing her attraction to other people and tends to keep it inside. however the lesbians find her charming, so she has a shot there if/when she's brave enough to try. she would probably also find jay really sexy if they weren’t mean to her.

[eloquentcoconut]

☆ Harleys in Hawaii ☆

Synopsis: Thorn is just having one of those days - for the past week. Deuce notices and does something about it.

Word Count: 1,502

Notes: Almost didn't make the cut to be posted with my other parts in my ~ Intermission ~ chapter in my 'twst upon a time' fanfic (ao3/wattpad/quotev) AND in my original outline, this was going to be a Cater/MC, but he already had his time in my fic with a coffee date. AND AND, the music featured are some of the songs I was listening to while writing.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

“Catch” 

I fumbled to catch the black helmet Deuce tossed to me. I couldn’t help but give him a confused look. 

“Follow me.” 

Was all that he offered. I matched his determined strides as we silently walked behind the main campus onto the forest grounds. 

Parked on the long-overrun mossy trail was a blast cycle! A sleek sparking blue design with neon blue light features. 

“What’s going on Deuce?” I ask with a small smile. 

Helmet already on, he pressed a button on the side to unshade his face. “You looked really done with this week, and riding always makes me feel better so I thought maybe it would make you feel better too. Plus, I did say I’d take you for a ride one day.”

Deuce took the helmet out of my hands and placed it on my head. Slapping the top. I gave him a look as the helmet magically adjusted. 

“That’s how my mom used to put it on me.” Was all he said with a grin, pressing the side button on his helmet once more. 

The helmet was much more technologically advanced than the exterior would lead one to believe. With a click of a button, Deuce and I could easily speak to one another, similar to a cell phone.  

Deuce had already sat on the blast cycle, making a show of revving the engine, with his own magic possibly. “Well, what are you waiting for? Let’s go!” 

I approached the mono wheeled device, unsure of how to move forward. “Deuce, I’ve never even ridden a motorcycle, let alone a magical vehicle.”

“Never? So, this is your first time…” Deuce thought for a while, then stepped off his bike, pulling me forward. “I think it would be best if you were in front of me for the best experience.” 

As I sat in the front, Deuce pressed his torso against me and put his hands over my own on the handlebars, the purr of the engine returning once more.  

A few thoughts swirled in my mind. ‘Whoa, sitting so close like this, feeling the shift of his movements… I never realized Deuce is BUFF AS HELL! You can get muscles like this from track?!’ 

“Heh. You ready for the ride?” Deuce questioned; I could hear the grin in his voice. 

The tire had the dirt skidding, the bike threatening to unleash its full potential as it waved left to right. 

Whether or not I was, I forced out a grin and called, “let’s ride!” 

The magical wheel shot off, instantly sending me even closer into Deuce, the force of the air and magic having us go this way and that. 

We were moving so fast; I had no idea how Deuce could expertly evade the small boulders and trees. My heart sped up at every turn, and hills became launch pads as we soared over each one. 

I started cheering and yelling over the excitement.

“All we’re missing now is some music.” 

“I got you covered Thorn!”

The song that happened to come on, from Deuce’s playlist, the radio, or internet, I’ll never know: JOYRIDE by Kesha. 

“Best night of your life, get in loser for the J O Y R I D E.” Deuce and I yelled as we laughed after each impromptu landing pad. 

The song changed to My Chemical Romance’s The World Is Ugly. Deuce quickly changed it. 

“Hey! Bring that back! I love songs like that!” I yelled. 

Although I couldn’t see Deuce, his sputtering told me I had caught him off guard. “Seriously? You don’t think it's like middle school emo cringe?” 

I answer, “no way, and if it is, who cares? Haha! Be free!” 

Deuce turned that sucker up! As we exited out of the woods, we flew through an open clearing, opalescent waves caught my attention.

I couldn’t help mumbling to myself. “I’ve never been to a soft starry sand beach before.”

“That changes today.” Was all that Deuce said, driving past the open water and loose sand, opting to turn into Sage Island’s town. 

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

Deuce parked his magical wheel outside of a convenience store. As our feet hit the cobblestone, Deuce tossed me his helmet once more. 

“Making an emergency purchase?” I chuckled, feeling the adrenaline of something new made my body feel light and bouncy. 

“You bet. Stay out here I’ll be right back.” Deuce was already rushing inside before I could even reply. 

He wasn’t kidding. I didn’t even have time to start ruminating on my thoughts, he held one small bag in hand. Fishing around, he handed me an eyeliner pencil. 

I raise a brow. “Are you saying I look too ugly to be seen with?”

“WHAT?! No!” Deuce panicked, waving his hands in defense. 

“I’m only teasing you Mr. Honor Student.” I laugh lightly.

Deuce frowned slightly but quickly returned to his positive expression. “Makeup is a great way to either express yourself or hide yourself - whichever makes you feel more comfortable.” 

“True. But I don’t even have a mirror…The visor might be difficult to accurately use.” 

“I have an idea, if you’ll let me.” 

I hand Deuce the eyeliner, and he starts drawing a design on one of the corner of my eye, right outside the shop. 

I stare at my reflection from the shop window; Deuce and I now have matching spades. 

“Thanks Deuce, now we’re twinsies for real. What else is in the bag?” I make a show of attempting to peek inside, but Deuce puts it behind his back. 

Deuce mocks me with my own words. “Wouldn’t you like to know? It's a surprise tool that will help us later.” 

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

LA Devotee by P!ATD is playing as the salty crashes sound out and blinding sand comes into view. 

As we find a spot on the beach to bask in the soft yellow glow, Deuce reveals his secret purchase, ice cream. 

Of course, during this time, I make sure to take a bunch of photos for magicam, and for myself of course. Eventually Deuce and I come together, pressing our faces together to make the spades look like an upside-down heart. 

Gently kicking the sand Deuce suggests, “wanna play in the water?”

I start removing my school blazer and rolling up my sleeves. “You’re on!”

The race to the coastline doesn’t stop once we hit the water, it evolves into a game of tag. Kicking and splashing the ocean water, getting completely soaked as we laugh and tease one another.  

Deuce accidentally slips, sitting in the shallow waves as he becomes a fountain. Between my laughs I walk over to help him when a melody catches my attention.

My head turns trying to find the source, spotting a few rocks, I start walking towards them in an attempt to figure out who could be singing so close to us. Before I can reach them, Deuce wraps his arms around my torso, lifting me up and throwing me into the water. A blur of glowing red passes my vision before I hit the water. 

I raise for air, pushing my slicked hair out of my face, mystery long forgotten. Deuce extends a hand to help me up, to play some more. 

Returning to the beach, the sunset is ethereal, surreal like a painting. Strokes of violet, light blue clouds, pinks and orange lowering into the ocean. 

Deuce starts freaking out over the sight. “I FORGOT ABOUT CURFEW! WE GOTTA GO!”

“But Deuce we’re still wet!” I say grabbing our disregarded items.   

“We’ll dry off during the ride!” He answers. 

We quickly scamper back to the magical motorbike, I sit behind Deuce this time, sitting so close to him that I can rest my head to the side of him. 

It's a race against the darkening sky back to campus. Halestorm’s cover of Bad Romance is playing as we whip through the forest, one solitary headlight activated. The wind is harsh against our exposed salty skin.   

  . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

Our hair is frazzled, makeup smudged, clothes in a sorry state, partially on and half dry. We’re panting as Heartslabyul comes into focus. Riddle is standing outside the gates, tapping his foot impatiently, a stern look covering his features. But he’s not the only one, his vice housewarden, and Cater are also present. Trey reveals nothing with his neutral demeanor, however, Cater has a mischievous smile about him. 

“Do you realize what time it is?” Riddle demands. 

“What happened?” Trey asked in concern. 

“I think you mean *who* happened Trey.” Cater wiggles his eyebrows in our direction.  

It was at this moment I realized I did not have to run back to Heartslabyul with Deuce and could have been spared this awkward and slightly embarrassing confrontation if I had just gone back to my own dorm. 

Deuce tried to rationalize an excuse, but his prefect was having none of it. Thankfully he was spared from a collar. 

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

[@ alienprotag posted 6 photos with @ magicalwheels4lifer captioned: Rockstars on the beach.] 

[hellsgreatestshow]

Vox; Voxtek & Contractees

All lore & headcanons are my own and not to be used or shared without my permission. This will apply to my portrayal of Vox and how he is with his staff. Heavy trigger warning for gore, abuse, manipulation & more.

This post will cover the true nature of making a deal with the exploitative T.V demon.

Road to Voxtek

Vox arrived in hell in the mid 60s shortly after the rise of television. While he did witness this, it was not his goal in hell. He only got connected to television after meeting the radio demon, Alastor. He came absolute enamored from the moment they met.

Vox's power is the ability to control and amplify electrical wavelengths.

During his first few years, t.v was not popular in hell. All the signals in hell were under control of Alastor which lead Vox to become his protege.

Everything Vox learned was from watching Alastor. He attempted to mimic him in everything he did. Even trying to recruit people on their behalf thinking they were a duo.

He slowly began to make changes to things which caused tension between the two. It only got worse as Vox began to hang out with Valentino. His behavior started to devolve and become erratic.

Vox began to make deals behind the radio demon's back and brought Valentino into their office and that was the last time he and Alastor were only friendly terms.

The events following this were quite difficult. Vox lost what little humanity he had left. It broke him.

He began working toward making himself the best in hell so no one could hurt him like that.

He implemented the things Alastor taught him, using the radio waves to slowly build his own empire off. (yes he is still riding Alastor's coattails).

He took on many contracts early on of various sinners and hellborn to recruit for the FUTURE of HELL.

He started a television studio to get his face out there and it helped move Hell into the age of new media, gameshows and scandalous stories.

After conquering media, he began to expand his empire into merchandise for his shows. Over time that grew into manufacturing technology.

After many years of a close, intimate relationship with Val, they partnered together in the 2000s. This was the first time he let anyone in outside of Alastor. It was a progressive step for him as it gave Valentino a stake in his various businesses and life.

They soon became an empire together. One of the few Overlords to openly work together as a partnership.

His team was completed when Velvette joined them to cover the internet, socials and more.

Together the three pretty much monopolize the entertainment industry in Pride.

Voxtek Terms & Conditions

All purchases from Voxtek requires you to sign a wavier of agreement. Hidden throughout this document has many hidden and painful condition.

The first thing is when you have bought anything from his company, it explicitly states that once you have agreed to the terms that you have given him permission to use this device to get information or travel through it when needed.

This essentially means he can record and stalk anyone that has a device from Voxtek. He can hear and see out of these devices and all information sent to him will be stored on a private server.

Things he finds on this server can sometimes be used as blackmail and leverage against those who get in his way.

It also means he can take over your device and display messages or even hypnotize you.

The next important thing in his conditions state that once you have bought something from him, you are considered a contractor of Voxtek and therefore any ideas you come up with are intellectual property of Voxtek and essentially his.

This means that if someone tries to start a business and has agreed to this, Vox can demand compensation from them.

It allows him to keep more revenue coming in and preventing competition in the market.

Another thing in these conditions is that you wave the right to arbitration. So you can not sue him.

This makes it to where he has no consequences for this poor behavior.

Employees

While his terms & condition are left very vague to cover all bases, his personal contracts with his employees are different.

For those who seek an opportunity at his company are faces with unique and detailed expectations and condition as well as a non-disclosure agreement.

Not all Voxtek employees hold contracts with Vox. Their souls are still their own, but they are expected remember their place.

He had one of the highest employee rate in hell. Holding hundreds of jobs for television, manufacturing, I.T and more.

Employees can not discuss anything that they see or witness.

There are some high profile employees like Katie Killjoy, have a tailored contract for a more mutual understanding where Vox does give them more to assure they preform well for sales.

Contracts

Those who are brave or stupid enough to make a contract with Vox have a much more difficult path.

Vox does not see his contractees as anything more than a dollar sign. He uses them for everything they have.

They often are overworked and belittled.

One of this biggest things is that once you enter a contract with him, he will remove one of their eyes and replace it with a prosthetic. This prosthetic allows him to see and record everything from their point of view.

He does keep the removed eyes in a jar he keeps in his bedroom to admire.

He also installs a chip in them that will cause sharp electrocution to their neck when they mess up or just annoy him. It's hell's most painful shock collar.

Each contract is very personal and is pages and pages detailing expectations on both ends. However, Vox hardly offers much in return. His protection from other overlords, pay and security at Voxtek housing and his brief praise. That's it.

All his contractees also always must be loyal and are forbidden from any romantic or sexual encounters with Val and Alastor. However, it is okay when it's a threesome if he is there.

[asksebs]

I've made several smartphone-looking devices before, though I don't have the actual materials or internet access to code them properly here, but mostly I've been attempting to recreate other things I've seen before from memory. Take the handcrank flashlight for example: if I recall correctly, it's made of a radio and a flashlight, and so I do my best to remake them without a reference just to keep my wits and skills active.

I think if I tried though, and if I had a safe place to spend a few hours in, I could make something more complex. I have experience in the field of robotics, and it would keep me occupied and distracted, which is always good.

- "Smiley" anon

Experience in the robotics field, you say?

I might have an idea that you could work on, if you’re willing to attempt something a little more on the.. complicated side of things.

Hell, I’ll even let you work on it in my shop, if you’d like. It’s safe in here.

For the most part, anyways..

Whadd’ya say? Wanna hear more about what I might have in mind?

[onlinemarketing222]

Why Digital Marketing Is Essential in 2025

The business world is changing more quickly than ever in 2025. The way we market and expand businesses has fundamentally changed as more individuals spend time online. No matter the size of your organization, digital marketing is now a must rather than an option. Selecting the top digital marketing agency in Allahabad is therefore more crucial than ever.

Let's examine why digital marketing will be crucial in 2025 and how it might benefit your company.

1. Everybody is online

More than 5 billion people will be using the internet every day by 2025. Nowadays, almost all of your clients look for goods and services online. Before making a choice, they check Google, social media, YouTube, and review websites.

Therefore, you are losing out on a sizable audience if your company is not available online. A team of experts from Allahabad's top digital marketing agency can make sure that your company ranks where your clients are searching.

2. Results-oriented and economical

Digital marketing is far less expensive than conventional marketing techniques like radio, TV, or print ads. You may spend less money and reach more people.

Thanks to clever digital strategies, even tiny firms can now compete with big brands. A well-thought-out campaign from an expert Prayagraj digital marketing business can increase your leads and ROI (return on effort).

One of the biggest advantages of digital marketing is that you can track everything. You can see how many people saw your ad, clicked your link, visited your website, or made a purchase.

This helps you understand what works and what doesn’t. The best digital marketing company in Allahabad will give you regular performance reports so you can make better business decisions.

3. Communicate with the Correct People at the Appropriate Time

The goal of digital marketing is to reach the right people, not just more people. By using technologies like social media targeting, SEO, and Google Ads, you may connect with your interested clients according to their region, age, hobbies, and behavior.

This results in more conversions, higher-quality leads, and less effort spent. A trusted digital marketing institute in Allahabad is adept at using these resources for faster business growth.

4. Enhances Brand Reputation and Trust

Customers will have more faith in companies with a strong web presence in 2025. They examine internet reviews, social media accounts, your website, and even your response to comments.

5.The Future Is Mobile Marketing                                

Nowadays, the majority of individuals access the internet via cellphones. Everything takes place on mobile devices, including online booking and buying. Your company must thus be mobile-friendly.

Digital marketers make sure that all of your content, advertisements, and website are mobile-friendly. The top digital marketing agency in Allahabad ensures that your brand functions quickly and looks great across all platforms.

6. Local SEO Helps in Local Domination

Local SEO, or search engine optimization, is essential if your company is based locally. When a local person searches for your product or service, it helps your company show up at the top.

For instance, your company needs to appear first when someone searches for "top doctor in Allahabad" or "best salon in Prayagraj." Here is where boosting your business profile on Google and local listings is where an Allahabad digital marketing agency can really help. 

7. Digital Marketing Continues to Change

The digital world is always changing. New technology, trends, and platforms are always emerging. In 2025, what worked in 2023 might not work. Businesses thus require a workforce that is up-to-date and flexible.

To keep you ahead of the competition, the top digital marketing firm in Allahabad will always employ the newest technologies, fashions, and approaches. 

In conclusion

Digital marketing will be important in 2025, along with Whether you want to attract new customers, grow your brand, or increase your sales, digital marketing offers the tools and strategies to help you reach your goals.

You may obtain professional assistance, a higher profile, and long-term success by collaborating with Allahabad's top digital marketing agency. Select a reputable Prayagraj digital marketing firm and services now if you're prepared to expand your company online, and you'll be amazed at the impact.

[tia-amorosa]

Sunset Died - Alto/Landgraab

Under pressure (short Part)

A little later. While his wife is on her way to bed, Nick gets on the radio. This was only intended for radio communication between him and the people who apparently had a great influence on him. The Altos hadn't used their computer for a long time, as they still believe they no longer have internet. The reception with this old device was not always the best, but this one frequency was crystal clear to understand. “Please don't talk for so long, Nick, I want to sleep”.

Back then, the catastrophe with the meteorites was just the right opportunity for those who control things from afar to turn Nick Alto into their puppet. They were the ones who contacted him first The radio receiver was usually always in the town hall. And by now he already knew the frequency by heart, which allowed him to make contact with the outside world, albeit involuntarily.

Nick adjusted the volume so quietly that he could just hear something and that it didn't disturb his wife. You could hear a soft click on the line, rhythmically, at intervals of about 2 seconds. Like a telephone ringing through. Then you heard a man's voice. “What's the Parole?"/ ‘Censorship 20 doesn't exist“. A short pause… “Mr. Alto… what do you have to report?”.

“Well…the experiment is not going as you had hoped. As you ordered me to do, I have contributed nothing to the reconstruction. I didn't give any Support. But the people here are not as stupid as you thought…"/ „Nevertheless, you were of the same opinion as we were, Mr. Alto….“/ „I know, but..“/ „But?’…

Nick deliberately took a little time before answering again. “Mr. Alto??"/ ”I'll let you know my decision next time. But to do so, you have to support us once again with an important delivery, regardless of whether my decision is positive or negative for you, we urgently need a few things here”. For a few seconds, all you could hear were two or three muffled voices conferring at the other end, one of them a little louder. “Don't play games, Alto… What do you need?”.

Of course, Vita wasn't asleep yet. She could only really rest when the room was completely dark. So she listened to the conversation, even though her husband tried to be as quiet as possible. She could hear Nick listing a few things that were urgently needed here. And she smiled quietly to herself. “If YOU don't cooperate, there's no deal between us, over and out.” was the last thing Nick said before he cut the connection again. His thoughts were racing and he really had a lot to think about.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

End of this part (the next one will be longer again)

@greenplumbboblover 😊

[stargazingdustbunny]

Random Batman Villain OC

For some reason, while I was trying to do my homework today, my brain decided to invent a Batman Oc. My only knowledge of Batman comes from webtoons, the Lego movies, the 1965 movie, and cultural osmosis. My feed has had a lot of WFA stuff in it lately, which I guess inspired it, but I’m not qualified to write a fic about it. I’ve rarely created any fanfiction, and I have no idea why my brain decided to choose WFA as inspiration instead of one of the fandoms I am an active part of, but I guess I’ll take whatever writing inspiration I can get. Anyways, my OC is a minor villain, a teenage girl whose obsession with Nightwing grows from online stalking to learning how to hack, fight, and sew with the goal of manipulating her way into being a hero he would love. Her real name is Ashleigha, but her villian/hero name is Obsession. Anyway, here is a 400 word scene I wrote for no reason if anyone is interested.

She smiled as she typed in the code. As far as she was concerned, the rise of Bluetooth security cameras was the best thing that had happened in Gotham. Other than meeting Nightwing. She doubted that he remembered her. After all, he must have saved thousands of people. But she wasn’t like those people. She was going to make sure he remembered her. For months now, she had been watching and planning. She wasn’t about to let that go to waste.

Ashleigha leaned back in her gamer chair and spun in a lazy circle. Hundreds of pictures of Dick’s eyes gazed down at her from her bedroom walls. She smiled back at them. This place, her shrine, was perfect. She must never let him find it. On the wall above her computer, the most important pictures were hung. Connected by pieces of red yarn, dozens of news clippings and blurry security camera images were centered around one central theme: Nightwing was Dick Grayson. Once she had made that connection, the rest was easy. Half of the news was about the Wayne Family or the Batfamily. Turns out, they were the same thing. She had no idea why this wasn’t public knowledge yet, but the secret was safely hers. All of his secrets were hers.

The page finally loaded. It showed exactly what she wanted. Nightwing was on his expected route. Clearly things had been too calm lately, as the heroes had slipped back into regular routines. The “incident” she had prepared was perfectly calculated. A few minor crooks, a few innocent victims, a formula Dick couldn’t resist. Once the fight had started, her trap would spring. And then, Gotham’s newest hero, Obsession, would be there to rescue him. 

The camera feed showed Nightwing leaping over an alleyway. It was time for her to go. She checked that everything was prepared. In exactly 10 minutes, hundreds of wifi based devices and radios would emit the exact frequencies needed to interfere with the Bat’s comms. In 10.5 minutes, Nightwing would be trapped. In exactly 12 minutes, she would repay her life debt by saving her one true love.

She was already wearing her supersuit. It was adapted from a knock-off nightwing costume. It was cheap and corny, but she was sure that once she was accepted as a hero, the Bat family would buy her a better one. She had never sewn before, but with the help of the internet, she had been able to replace the blue with orange, and attach her own symbol to the chest: an O with an eye in the center. She had also adjusted the costume to fit her feminine shape. It wasn’t perfect, but from a distance, she looked stunning. 

She swept her golden hair into a ponytail, put on her orange mask, and the transformation was complete. Obsession was ready to fight.

[justkafka]

The weather's been pretty hot today.

I started off this write up with a bit about the weather because even in social situations, or especially in social situations, when one has difficulty trying to come up with a topic to break the ice, the weather's the easiest thing everyone can relate to.

Now, my months-long hiatus from writing has fallen victim to this rut, this unimaginative attempt at starting back from where I last picked up. I could just take the easy way out and have an AI find me topics to discuss, but where's the fun in that? I remember I used to post incredibly detailed prose and mundane ramblings about my life solely because my brain was just filled with ideas. I didn't need another device to tell me what thoughts to think, or words to write, or memories to ponder. God, my nostalgia was incredibly efficient at churning out scenarios to write about.

While my writing has taken a bit of a backseat ride, seeing as I have been focusing on a myriad of things, I thought for over the past few days that I might find inspiration from other people. Now I know books will have a much better and more effective effect in inspiring me, but I was hoping to find more chunk-size essays or stories. Unfortunately I can't seem to find anything decent.

The Internet's vastness has been it's downfall too, I guess. Search rankings on Google simply churn out ad-driven corporate bullshit about topics I actually want to read. That or everyone else has simply turned to social media to write 140 (or 280 apparently) character stories that simply don't just do it for me.

I mean I could understand. Friends of mine who used to write countless essays have also gone radio silent. Just a couple of days ago, my best friend shared that the current political landscape has eroded her drive to write things she likes. She'll end up venting her frustrations over the corrupt undertakings of the admin to the point where her attempt at describing her quiet Sunday afternoon brunch had seem almost an afterthought.

Still, we continue to jot things down. Either through sheer will or stubbornness, we write what we can. Just as writers of centuries-old have done.

I'll probably end up writing this and find how sharply my skills have dropped from my 17 year old self, writing incredibly moving tales of his time in the big city. But we tread on against these thoughts anyway. Because words just..linger in ways that stain, not just paper pages, but something deeper, almost primitive. A tug on the heartstrings perhaps? Or maybe, just a simple need to vent.

[logorrhea5mip]

So, and correct me if I'm wrong, this is the only completely secure way to communicate over the internet:

1. Get a second computer which you will from now on never connect to the internet nor in any way allow to talk with any other computer, including flash drives, cables, Bluetooth, whatever.

2. Get it inside a Faraday cage that has an airlock type door so that you can always keep it closed.

This is because even of you rip out the antennas on a device, all modern motherboards have a backdoor which allows any government agents with proper equipment to compromise it via short range radio.

For good measure, get that computer its own power supply separate from the grid, to truly air gap it from the internet.

3. Anything which ever appears on any computer or phone can immediately be considered known to every security agency in the world, since all modern devices have backdoors put there for that reason.

Therefore, install on the other computer an encryption program(best if you make it yourself), whose resulting meaningless jumble of digits you by hand copy over to send to whoever needs it, presuming you gave them the key to decrypt it irl scribbled on a note or via the usual public private key method.

If any of this could be made simpler, please tell me, but I'm pretty sure that it can't.

[harpyreborn]

Phenexis’s Tools! Gifts from the Omnidentus and Friends

First gift, The Rift Sword: A very…pretty but typical looking two handed great sword. Its got Good balanced weight. And is extraordinarily sharp. Made from as pure metal as could be acquired at time of construction. Imbued with magical properties that allow the extremely sharp blade to cut through time and space itself opening portals to new places. The sword also allows you to pull places into one another. So she can pull her shopfront into a different world/dimension by cutting open a space just big enough for the shop front to fit into. Thus always having an immediate way back home.

Second gift, The Scrying Necklace: A crystalline clear aquamarine/turquoise gem held by a pure silver chain and cap. The jewel is a scrying device that can find almost anything your looking for on a map, works with almost any map but works best with Phens navimap. Swing it above the map and when it locates whats asked of it, it yanks down and pinpoints the location. (Phen has currently only used it to find already used portals to specific locations)

Third Gift, The Navimap: A map that shows the surrounding area(s) in complete accuracy. It magically changes as the land itself does ensuring it is always accurate. You can zoom in and out to see the area in more detail and depth as needed. Will tell you what beings/ creatures and plants are in the area, just not where they are.

GIFTS FROM FRIENDS

First Gift, The Multiversal Camera aka the Funny Bunny Pola Mini!: Taking a picture with this polaroid allows you to travel to that SPECIFIC universe. (Like earth 52 vs earth 45 kinda thing) Traveling without a specific universe in mind will land you in one of the MANY multiverse options. (So you wanted to go to merpeople earth but instead went to goblin earth because you didn’t take a picture in merpeople earth) Phenexis takes a picture with the first friend she makes there so she can return to see them.

Second gift, The Shellphone:

A Video phone made by combining her friends knowledge of magic and technology with her own to create not only a communications device but a whole magic based version of the internet! So long as it can connect to magic, the internet/some form of mechanical or radio telecommunication, or another communications device in semi close range it will work just about any and everywhere!

It takes photos/videos.

Plays music/Audio/basic games/movies

You can store and read texts (like books)

Send “scrolls” (a text)

Write with a holo-pen in your scrolls!

And beam up little interactive holograms of whatever is on your screen by opening it up flat!

Eventually her friends are gifted/make their own variations of these items so they can travel separately but always find one another!