#Pause iPhone Location

[luvnoirs]

caught

paring: paige x fem!reader synopsis: reader walks in on kk and paige during a tiktok live and accidentally exposes their relationship warning(s): none ! (sfw) word count: 742

a/n: shoutout to oomf for giving me this idea lmao

"hey guys. where's p?" you question after you opened the front door to one of the team's shared apartment.

you had first stopped by your girlfriend's shared apartment which was next door, only to find out that she wasn't there. confused, you had sent her a text that had gone unanswered for ten minutes. so then you decided to go next door to see if her other teammates knew where the hell she was.

you were first met with amari as she held a jar of pickles, half of a pickle being chewed in her mouth while she held the remaining half in her hand. aubrey sat on the couch cheering on aaliyah as she wildly danced in front of the tv playing just dance 4.

amari was the only one who actually noticed your presence and she nodded towards the back of the apartment where the rooms were located since her mouth was still busy chewing on the salty pickle.

you thanked her as you made your way out of the common area and into the hallway. you could already hear loud chatter accompanied with the sound of music playing. you instantly knew one of the voices belonged to kk, so you decided to open it because paige was known to keep kk by her side most times.

your assumption was proven right once you finally opened the door and laid your eyes on kk and paige goofing off in front of an iphone camera. their backs were faced towards you while ice laid on the bed playing fortnite so she noticed you first. yet, her eyes widened a bit before they quickly cut towards kk and paige's direction. but before ice could say anything you had beat her to it.

"babe, seriously?"

kk paused her dancing while her and paige both turned around to the sound of my annoyed voice.

you watched confusedly as kk let out an 'oh shit!", scrambling to grab her phone and tap the screen quickly. before you could question it, paige was walking towards you with a surprised expression.

"y/n?" paige questioned. "i thought you said you couldn't come over tonight?"

you smacked your teeth and shook your head at her. "i texted you saying nevermind. then, i showed up to your dorm but you weren't there and when i texted you again you never responded. where is your phone?"

"it died so i had it on the charger while kk and i went live…" paige scratched her head, glancing back at kk who was now sitting on ice's bed biting the inside of her cheek.

"oh shit, you were live? i thought you were making one of those stupid tiktok videos-- ice! why didn't you tell me?" you whacked the side of her leg as she yelled out dramatically.

you and paige haven't exactly made your relationship public yet and you literally avoided the girl as if she was the plague whenever one of the girls went live. it was honestly all your decision for it to be this way because you didn't want the media to focus on who paige was dating rather than her actual talent and love for her community. you also knew how many fans she had and you could only imagine what they would say about you if they had found out that you were dating the paige bueckers.

"hey, i tried to warn them!" ice defended herself, still trying to concentrate on her game.

"they probably screen recorded the live, too" kk added, looking back and forth between you and unbothered paige.

you groaned as paige wrapped her arms around you, resting her cheek on top of your head. "nah it's fine… you weren't in the camera anyway so they can speculate all they want about it."

laughing, you hugged her back. she had practice earlier tonight so she smelled like fresh clean clothes and the lavender soap she uses. you inhaled and relaxed against her body. "your fans aren't dumb, paige…"

paige pulled back a bit to look at your face. "i don't care. i'm tired of hiding you-"

"um, not to be rude, but can y'all do this lovey-dovey shit somewhere else…" kk feigned disgust and held her stomach as if she was sick.

paige rolled her eyes and you let out another laugh. you said goodbye to her two teammates as your girlfriend grabbed you by the hand and walked you out of the room.

[nicohischierz]

the makeup: nico hischier x devs!reader

tagging: @ivy-34, @francesfarhadi, @hzstry8, @cixrosie, @itsnotgray, @estapa94, @trevs-swiftie, @heartz4hisch

nico was panicking.

how could you just disappear from the apartment without so much as telling anyone? especially now that you were pregnant.

immediately, nico checked find my iphone, but your location didn't show up. he checked snap maps as well but you'd turned your location off, making the hischier man even more worried.

"isla please tell me you know where y/n is," he pleaded on the phone.

on the other line your best friends rolled her eyes. “what do you want nico,” she asked.

“isla, i want to talk to y/n/n, please just tell me where she is,”

“oh so now that she’s gone you want to talk?”

nico sighed and looked to jack, the phone was on speaker, jack just shrugged he had to agree with his ex.

“i didn’t want to talk when i was angry okay, so please tell me she’s with you and i’ll come pick her up” nico justified.

“she’s not with me.”

nico groaned, banging his head on the table. jack was scrolling on his phone before he spoke up “she’s not with isla, maybe try calling her.”

shaking his head, nico looked through his phone to dial another person.

“nico hischier do you know what time it is?” amanda asked.

“amanda, please tell me y/n/n’s with you,” nico responded.

over the phone nico could hear amanda sigh. “nico, i’m going to give you some advice and i really think you should listen to it,”

nico’s silence served as an ‘okay’ for amanda to continue.

“you and y/n have gone through great lengths to keep this relationship a secret. you’ve been dating for what a year and a half and your fans still don’t know. that just shows how willing you are to look after your girlfriend. but when you’ve got a pregnant girlfriend who’s had to put her career on hold you don’t get to shout at her,”

“i know and that's why i want to talk to her,” he interrupted.

"nico, go to sleep. she's finally gone to sleep and she shouldn't be disturbed. go to sleep and the two of you can talk tomorrow," amanda advised him.

although, the mother couldn't see him, nico nodded. "yeah okay. goodnight, sorry for disturbing you," he apologised.

nico didn't sleep very well.

he tossed and turned all night thinking of a way he could plead for you to come back home.

nico woke up to a pleasant surprise, amanda had sent him the address to where you were.

"she's in fucking boston," nico cursed.

he, jack and timo were gathered in jack's apartment waiting to go pick you up.

"great, now pack your bag and let's get on the team plane we can head to this address when we land," jack ushered.

nico looked at his alternate in confusion.

"we're playing the bruins nico. in boston," he informed.

that was all it took for nico to haul ass into the plane.

meanwhile in boston

"marchy, i don't want you to hurt him," you repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.

brad gave you a pointed look "are you sure cause sid said he's ready to knock a few teeth in and flower's planning on tripping him he comes close enough to the net," he rambled.

"hold on, how do flower and sid know?" you asked.

brad paused for a second. you weren't supposed to know about the group chat.

"bradley kevin marchand. how do sidney crosby and marc-andre fleury know I'm not talking to my boyfriend?" you asked again.

"i may have texted the group chat," he answered.

brad then spent thirty minutes explaining that all the older guys in the league that wanted to look out for you, created a group chat to keep each other up to date about your whereabouts.

he then confessed to there being a league-wide group chat filled with both old and young guys who care about you.

you were going to blame your hormones but the thought of people in the league caring about you made you cry.

and faith always had perfect timing as the doorbell rang.

brad had an inkling of who it could be so he asked you to get it.

upon opening the door, you were met with nico's worried face staring at you in relief.

the devils captain brought you in for a hug, not caring that the two of you were fighting previously.

"schatzli, you have to promise me you won't do this again. i was so worried about you I couldn't sleep and I called everyone but they didn't know where you were until amanda sent me your location this morning. when I saw you were here I realised that you probably flew and that's not exactly safe for the baby so I started panicking even more," he ranted.

"i'm sorry," you interrupted.

"no schatzli, you have nothing to be sorry about. I'm the one who got mad at you for no reason, I shouldn't have shouted at you especially now that you're pregnant," he apologised.

"it's just so hard seeing you guys play and not be there with you. like guys who are injured still get to go on the ice but I can't and it sucks. and none of the guys come visit anymore and it makes me think you guys forgot me," you whispered the last part.

nico's eyes softened at your hurt expression.

"i'm so so sorry my love. it's all my fault. i thought you were upset when the boys came over so I told them not to hound you with their presence, I never meant for them to stop visiting at all," he explained.

you nodded and brought him in for a hug and a kiss.

"does this mean i can tell the guys to hold off of hurting him?" brad asked, making his way to the front door.

you turned and nodded at him. "yes and if I see anyone try something, I will fight them myself," you threatened.

brad nodded and took his phone out to send a text.

out the corner of your eye, you saw nico giving you a look that said 'what is he talking about?'.

but you ignored him and gave him one more kiss "thank you for your hospitality brad, but I think I'm gonna follow this guy back home," you thanked going over to give brad a hug.

brad marchand may be a rat on the ice but to you he's just uncle brad.

[akkivee]

HOW ARE YOU WATCHING THE DIVISION FANMEETINGS I’m a hypster member so that’s not a problem I just get an error when I click on the link and I lowkey need to watch mtcs or I may pass away

lol i’ll apologise upfront about this ask, this one is a monster topic

ight so the fan meetings are actually not at all streamed on hypster!!!! all lives, stage plays, and most hypmic extra content are streamed on abema. the fan meetings cost like, ¥4400 a ticket and i think???? they take international credit cards???? idk about that one actually, i usually just buy tickets on my phone 😭😭😭

thing is tho, abema has probably one of, if not thee strictest region blocking system on the planet i feel lmao, like you can’t watch a lot of content on that site if you’re located anywhere outside of japan. which means you’re going to need a ✨vpn✨

i use two different methods of watching abema content and they both lead back to vpn gate!!!!

the landing page is important if you’re on mobile, but i’ll get to that later. what you need for pc is to go to the download link at the top of the site, and hit the first option

on the download page, download the first option

and install!!!!! or i think it’s run application after you extract the files lol

i highly recommend you follow the instructions on the site to get connected lol, but once you run the app, let it do its installation thing and once it’s done, let the program open up and it should look sumn like this

double click the option that’s boxed in the pic and it’ll bring up a BUNCH of vpns to use!!!! double click on any one that says japan, hit yes until it starts connecting and once it does, you’re in, you’ve done it, you’ve learned basic vpn connecting lmao

except i meant it when i said abema has the strictest region blocking on the planet 😌

a lot of the vpns on the app are pretty old, and the first couple dozen or so (they have the ip 219) are actually blocked by abema. the older the vpn, the more likely it will not work on abema. try to aim for any that’s been up for a few hours, two days at max and it should circumvent the block. the host tho may close the connection at any time so sometimes you may get disconnected mid stream (or that you’ve been relying on that one connection for a very long while only to discover you can’t connect anymore either bc of the host or abema themselves blocking the ip but i don’t think you’ll have to worry about this specific problem lol). if you get disconnected, just find a new one as quickly as you can so you don’t miss anything lol

if you’re on mobile, i can only help with iphone stuff!!! but you’ll need to have these things:

the openvpn app

the abema app

a jp itunes account LOL and jp itunes gift cards bc apple won’t let you add an international card iirc

the abema app is only available in jp itunes so if you don’t want to google how to make one real quick, feel free to stick to pc lol. but if you already have one download the two apps 😌

to run a vpn on your phone, i again recommend you follow the instructions on the site lmao (tho it was made using ios ‘old as dirt’ so the interface looks a liiiittle outdated lol. should be the same tho) but go back to the previously linked landing page and click on the link in the boxed section of your chosen vpn

on that page, there’s typically four links; you’ll want to choose either of the bottom two, but i’ve found tcp links works more frequently. click the link and it’ll download the file. once it’s downloaded, pull it up and it should offer to open via openvpn. the app will redirect you to a tab that looks like this in the app

hit add, then hit connect, and it’ll go back to the connections tab in app and start connecting. if it connects, it’ll be all green and you’re good to go!!!!

more times than not tho, it’ll fail LOL just repeat the steps until you find one that works 😭😭😭

my hot vee tip is that sometimes when you’re connected, videos might pause mid connection. idk what’s causing it, but my gut says it’s likely bc of the ping you see in the line quality section (or the ping section on pc). go for a high mbps and very low ping if possible for less interruptions on both pc and mobile!!!!

that’s all i got for ya lol good luck i’m sorry we have to fight everyday to enjoy and support this fcking franchise ✌️

[boltvolta]

The War Rectangle.

It's completely troubling to me that people talk about how phones and the rest of the small, handheld, general-purpose computers we have now are such damaging acids to society's fabric. "They're raising a generation of iPad kids." "Liveleak damaged my innocence as a kid." "We don't know the full extent of the societal damage on-" It goes on and on and all the complaints are valid and need to be discussed, but they miss another, much more pertinant issue that these devices have in them; Your Phone is a dual-use technology, a weapon in every aspect in your life.

What does that term even mean? It's Military Jargon-ese for: 'This item, or thing, is used for civilian purposes, but can also easily be used in, for, or as a weapon of war at the drop of a hat.' Your phone can do this, it can do it so easily you don't even think about the dilemma that way. It's absurd and the absurdity crawled into your life while you were enthralled with being able to take the internet on the go.

You can kill a man with your phone and an FPV drone. Your choice in how he dies, from a dropped grenade or an RPG warhead duct taped to the front, or a million other ways to plant a payload into his body. You can even record a video of his death as your own little trophy to display. You can spot for artillery, interface with GPS-based navigation software and push out corrections to your entire teams tactical map, turn manhunts into trivial pursuits, upload intellegence of almost any kind to wherever it needs to go. They don't even need special phones to do this, they've been using 'Commercial-Off-The-Shelf' hardware since the early 2010's. You already knew that, though.

You can drain a persons life savings from their bank account, all from the park bench they passed you by. There's a million little holes in the systems that let you "manage" the money under your name that isn't even yours, and it only takes serendipity for someone fidding around to find a lucrative crack in the armor. Contactless payment, NFC and payment processors are just as big a vunerability as they are a convience. They don't even have to inconvience you to steal from you. But, You already knew that.

You can track people from their phones, with yours. It's not even hard, you probably haven't even thought about searching for the software to do it. Current Wifi and cellular chipsets can be used to sniff networks and track other end-user devices on them. You can war drive with a flagship smartphone if you need to, and modern laptops are more than capable of doing it now. You can hand off your entire life, digitally recorded, to a stranger without even knowing it, just likeyour money. Apple had to add additional software safeguards to Airtags because people used them to stalk other people by putting them in cars or other objects that people take with them. It's a service that uses regular peoples iPhones to make a gigantic network to ping that Airtags location to a central server somewhere in the bowels of Apple, and them beams it to you, keeping all that data in the meanwhile. You didn't pause to think about it, but you already knew that.

The algorithms people are concerned about, that they're still letting raise their kids, are more than just the content reccomendation they do. You can pattern an entire persons IQ quotient, disposition, disabilites, mental faculties, and politics just off their engagement with a service. Researchers could predict when people with BPD and gambling disorder would relapse or go on a gambling spree with a near 99% efficiency. Facebook openly admitted to experimenting on people to boost engagement with the site, negative content greatly encouraging extended interaction. Countless other sites with countless other controversies and manipulations and yet it still became normal under tired, doomscrolling eyes. Any government with enough arm-twisting, money, or subterfuge can buy, obtain, steal, and then scrutinize your digital identity, and then nudge you in the ways governments want to. It's still basic, baby steps now. Imagine how it'll be in a decades time when you can spool up an AI and feed it information about the algorithms your children use, in real time, feed the information it predicts about them back into those algorithms, all the time, to give them the right ideas, at the right moment, in the right tone, and they'll feel like those positions were just something they developed themselves, even if it was their clone who nudged them into an artificial headspace at the behest of a meeting in a government building somewhere. Again, you already knew that, it was just the quiet bit no one wanted to spit out lest they get odd looks.

We'll still use them though. Our progeny will still use them. In a sea of endless information, you have to stay plugged in, lest everything and everyone else pass you in the blink of an eye, like an F1 driver making a bad move, and getting thrown to back of the pack. No time to think. There's a weapon raised against you by leviathan hands in your pocket. You bought it and paid for it, your tax payed for the rest of it as well, and its aimed at your loved ones too. And you're running out of time in the epoch before its indispensable in your world, and your kids.

[bunting27]

leanring curve ❤︎ r. sandin

chapter one. carter walker

a/n: kyle dubas. sleep with one eye open.

summary: carter finds herself in toronto, ontario after finally leaving behind her life in california. 

warnings: language, allusions to toxic relationship, i have never been to an airport or a pawn shop, pls bare with me

wc: 1.9k

✏︎

his words rang in her head over and over as she shoved clothes and necessities in a duffel bag as fast as she could manage.

if you really wanted to leave, you would. but i think you know deep down that you could never make it without me, you’re completely fucking useless. i take good care of you, and you’re just an ungrateful brat

if he really knew her at all, he’d have known she’d take that as a challenge. so here she was, packing everything she could while he was in a meeting. 

she could feel the tears welting in her eyes as she pulled off her engagement ring and slotted it into her jewelry box, but she refused to cry because of him anymore, so she held them there. she was careful with the box as she placed it into her bag and eased her way down the stairs and to the garage door.

there were cameras, but she knew well enough where they were, and she’d been studying how to bypass them without activating them for months. she took the path to the road she knew would cause the least amount of movement warnings on them and then sprinted to the nearest bus stop.

as soon as she was situated in the bus, it had felt like a weight lifted off her shoulders. that was until her phone went off, and it was tucker. 

tucker dawson : you’d better be going on a fucking jog

tucker dawson : attachment, 1 image

she inhaled sharply at the image he had sent her. a screenshot of her location labeled ‘carter’s iphone’ that was brightly highlighted at the bus stop her route had recently passed.

she hardly gave it a second thought before she opened the window on the bus and tossed her phone out of it, the other passengers on the bus giving her weird, judging looks until she flipped her hood over her head and sat back down.

-

carter took the box out of her hoodie pocket and placed it gently on the table in front of the man, whose interest was piqued. the box was wide but thin, covered in a soft velvet fabric that was kept perfectly maintained. 

when the man opened the box, his jaw fell open and he looked at her, flustered and at a loss for words. the box held two rings - her engagement ring and one tucker had given her when they first met. along with a necklace and a pair of stud earrings that matched the second ring.

her face never wavered as the man admired and muttered compliments at the pieces. she didn’t want the whole spiel she normally got about how whoever got her these must love her so much. it was bullshit and she didn’t think she could hear it again without falling apart and listing every reason why tucker’s feelings for her were not ones of love.

“if you don’t have enough cash on hand a cheque will suffice” the man paused and stared at her for a moment.

“yes- yes ma’am. if you don’t mind, i will need to check these for authenticity. i’ll also need government identification and if possible, proof of purchase” she had never been so glad that tucker never gave a shit about her, because both of the rings were originally bought in the wrong size, so she had the receipts.

you’re so fucking ungrateful. here, take the receipts, go get them resized yourself. i did my part already.

she kept them for so long, something in the back of her mind telling her that one day it would save her ass. as usual, she was right. she almost teared up in relief as she pulled out her wallet, grabbing her licence and the two receipts. 

‘yes, of course. here you go,” she watched calmly as he scanned the diamond and the rubies for authenticity, and then quickly checked overall for any signs of the jewelry being fake or any wear and tear. 

he handed her her drivers licence back and pulled his checkbook out from the drawer where he was sitting, an exasperated smile on his face. 

“the dates on the receipts for the rubies are a couple years old, but the diamond ring is fairly new. they’re all kept in such perfect condition, though. so i think i can offer…” he scribbled some numbers down on a stray piece of paper, circling the final sum and showing it to her. 

it was far from a lowball offer, which she was ecstatic about, and she knew it would cover her flight and any basic necessities when she got to wherever she was going, at least until she got a job. so she took it. happily.

as he was writing out the cheque, he was gushing. “thank you, miss. for your contribution to our shop. these are just wow-” at those words, the owner came barreling around the corner, and carter smiled to herself. 

“james, how many times have i told you not to thank people while giving them our money, i- holy mother of christ, carter? sweetie what are you doing here, you’re loaded” carter nodded to the small collection she had just sold away and smiled sadly to the woman.

“you never did like tucker, auntie nat. i’ll see you around. thanks for your help, james”

-

carter let out a shaky sigh as cold water hit her face. it was almost two in the morning and she was exhausted, shaking and trying to keep it together long enough to ask the woman at the front desk for her ticket. 

it was so easy to sell off some jewelry that he’d gotten her, but now that she was actually at the airport, preparing to leave, everything was hitting her all at once. she wasn’t just leaving tucker, but her friends and everything she had in california.

she’d be starting off new, which she needed, but she still knew that she would miss it here, and that it wasn’t all bad. it was hard to let go. regardless, if she didn’t leave now she didn’t know if it’d ever be possible again, so she was just gonna have to suck it up.

the airport wasn’t as loud and overwhelming as it usually was, but it was still california, so an unreasonable amount of people were around to catch flights at this time of night. carter kept her hood over her head and her hand tight on the strap of her bag, walking out of the bathroom with her head down. 

she only looked up to see the list of flights coming up, and the desk receptionist was clearly in a snotty mood, so she tried to be quick, but her eyes were watering and the board quickly became a blob of light. 

“who comes to the airport in the middle of the night and doesn't know where they're trying to go?” carter bit the inside of her cheek and looked back down, wiping her face roughly in frustration. 

“wow, fuck, okay. get me far, but not like different language far. and fast. one way” the receptionist rolled her eyes and started typing away, looking back and forth between the screen in front of her and carter, who was staring at her feet.

the receptionist asked her several questions, such as her name and email, baggage questions and little things that carter was spewing out answers to faster than her mind could even comprehend.

“toronto. boarding in fifteen” carter nodded, digging her hand into the pockets of her sweatpants and handing the woman a handful of cash, about five hundred dollars.

“that enough?” the woman’s eyes blew wide and she nodded, printing off a ticket and handing it to her. carter walked rapidly to her section and sat, waiting for boarding to be announced without even taking her change. she just wanted to be alone with her thoughts for a minute. 

it felt like forever before she was finally in her seat, and when the plane took off, she felt like she could breathe for the first time in years.

-

carter decided she could thank tucker for one thing and one thing only - his absolute incapability to use any and all social media platforms. because it made her resume stacked in terms of social media management. it had only been three weeks of hotel hopping in toronto and she had an interview lined up earlier this morning. she’d be starting at her new job on saturday.

the perks were endless - a lot of travelling, benefits, and she’d be surrounded by her sport constantly. the job wasn’t at all physically challenging, so her knee wouldn’t give her any issues, and she assumed she wouldn't have any nagging co-workers asking her why in her right mind she’d leave beautiful california for the dumpster fire that was toronto in october.

she spent the last of the money she had on a used car, which she was able to pick up a few days ago, some clothes, food, furniture and her first and last on an apartment. 

on top of that, tucker hadn’t found any borderline psychotic ways of tracking her down yet, so her stay in toronto had been glorious so far. she was currently sat on the floor of her new place assembling ikea furniture, which given the circumstances wasn’t horrible.

she continued to tell herself that at least she wasn’t going from living off seven figures to living in a used 2002 honda civic. 

she guessed there were two things she could thank tucker for - stupidity and horribly expensive taste in jewelry.

-

so far, carter’s first day had gone amazing save for one thing - auston matthews asked a lot of questions. a lot of spontaneous, personal questions. she could have expected that from mitch, who was publicly known for his filterless mouth, but auston? she didn’t see that one coming.

what happened to your knee? where are you from? when did you get to toronto? why socials management? california? huh. you’re really quiet, are you alright? 

she almost cried tears of joy when someone shouted his name across the dressing room at the ford centre. 

“matty, jesus. let her breathe, bro.” both carter and auston whipped their heads around to face rasmus, who was chuckling at them to himself. 

auston pouted, wanting to ask a boatload more questions and figure out literally everything there was to know about her. he wasn't sure if it was his lingering trust issues or his inability to keep it in his pants, but she had piqued his interest. 

carter, however, smiled at ramsus and mouthed a quick ‘thank you’ before using the distraction from her personal life as an escape, walking over to a group of player’s she hadn’t met properly. 

auston followed behind her, watching as she quietly went about introducing herself to players and staff. she often took looks behind her, wondering why he was being a shadow. she didn’t want to say anything, though. she just wanted to be neutral and do her job so she could continue to live under tucker’s radar.

“how did you do that to your knee?” he had asked the same question, worded differently, about three times now and she had yet to come up with a great answer, so she gave the only one she could think of.

“i played hockey. couldn’t afford surgery to fix it back in anaheim” both of auston’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and carter was just hoping he wasn’t thinking up the logistics of how a knee could get so badly screwed in a supervised game of hockey.

luckily, if he called her bluff, he didn’t say anything about it. instead, he took it upon himself to invite her to a dinner him and some of the guys were having over at his place that night.

against her better judgement, she agreed.

[aquoteamusetheword]

The Music of My Life

“Music can heal the wounds which medicine cannot touch.” ~ Debasish Mridha

I remember when I fell in love with music, rock music. It was when my very cool uncle Lynn returned home from Vietnam. He had a reel-to-reel tape deck and giant headphones (hence the picture). This is when I first heard Iron Butterfly, King Crimson, Yes, Led Zeppelin, Warm, to name a few… I was hooked.

My Mom and stepdad loved music too. Our road trips always included loud signing with the windows down. I will never forget the Christmas when I received my first stereo. I still know my first two vinyl albums; Supertramp ‘Breakfast in America’ (a favorite even today) and John Lennon / Yoko Ono ‘Milk & Honey’.

Many Friday and Saturday nights were spent playing bumper pool in my friend Stephen's basement. We had a car 8 track player wired to a set of speakers. The only 8 track we had was Bad Company ‘Burning Sky’, I still know every word to every song.

Eventually, we purchased a CD player for the house. My mind was blown when I listened to the full digital recording that was Dire Straits ‘Brother in Arms’, I am sure our neighbors enjoyed it too.

In the event that someone under the age of thirty-five is reading this, I have some explaining to do. Here is a brief history of pre recorded music in my lifetime. In my early childhood vinyl LPs were what we listened to at home. The only option for the car was the 8 Track. If you don’t know what an 8 Track tape is, imagine a case twice as wide and twice as tall as your iPhone. It made up for its clunkiness by pausing and changing tracks in the middle of every other song (usually during the best part of the song). Finally, cassettes arrived, they were roughly half the size, played on both sides and you could record LPs on to them (I know the technology is overwhelming). CDs ushered in the digital age.

Believe it or not, we used to hear a song we liked on the radio, actually drive to the music store, browse the CDs, find the one with the song on it, pay $12.99 (if it was on sale), hope the rest of the songs were good, spend and hour recording it on to cassette so that we could listen to it in the car, this was a far cry from “Alexa, shuffle the hits of the eighties…”

I worked at Musicland when I was in college. After school, my first 'real' job was to manage the one in Brookwood Village in Birmingham. This store was the number one Jazz and Classical location in the entire 2000 store chain. We played it every morning and I learned to love these genres as well. David Sanborn ‘Straight to the Heart’, David Lanz ‘Cristofori’s Dream’ and Nigel Kennedy ‘Vivaldi’s Four Seasons’ are all still in my rotation.

It was here that I met the sweetest older man, Stan. He walked the mall a few times a week and he knew and loved classical music like no one else I have ever known. He was in the middle of the long and arduous task of buying CDs to replace his LPs as they were being released. I had his list and anytime a we received one of the recordings on CD, I would give him a call. We often had lunch in the food court, he taught me about classical composers, I taught him about Stevie Ray Vaughn.

Stan stopped walking the mall. I left two messages about new arrivals and he didn’t show. I was concerned and missed my friend. A few days later a man entered the store and asked for me, I introduced myself. He told me that he was Stan’s son and that his father had passed away. I never even knew that he had cancer. I will never forget the next words from his mouth…” my dad wanted me to tell you how much he appreciated your talks and you calling him, and he wanted you to have this.” He handed me an LP wrapped in brown paper. We embraced, he departed. I went to the back, shed a tear and unwrapped a pristine copy of ‘Meet the Beatles’ on Apple records, still in cellophane. I have never even had it appraised, to me it is priceless.

“Sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things” ~Psalm 98:1

[lunarw0rks]

The most embarrassing thing just happened to me.….

So basically.I was scrolling on your page..then I came across the Reddit audio link.And I normally don’t click on author recommended links,but this time I decided to. i was so curious to listen to the audio link that I created a whole Reddit account, and downloaded the app. so I listened to the first audio, got hooked and then I fell down a rabbit hole of Reddit audios.

Fast forward I decided to take a break. and finish my tasks today. One of my tasks being contacting apple support for cause I have storage problems.

Basically I called Apple and I was connected with a agent and they helped me through.but then comes the relevant and crazy part. In order to help me and guide me to what I needed to do and to fix this storage problem.I needed to screen share 😳

So I allowed the women access to my screen share.but then I forgot I had the audio paused but the tab still opened.

You know the control settings part of the iPhone tools where you can play and pause music or podcasts?(the part where you slide down on the right upper and corner, and there's a drop down of tools.like where wifi, blue tooth and more is located)

So basically it was there. But paused. And the lady asked me to connect to my wifi 💀

To make it worse

I had to switch apps,my Reddit tab was like three or four tabs down to the left of the current tab I was on.And “soundgasm.net” was still open 😭

She didn’t react,but deep down I have a feeling she saw it �� and I couldn't even close the tab if I wanted to cause then she would've saw it, so I just pretended it wasn't there like a dickhead and I tried to avoid the tab at all costs.

Ahhh.. in conclusion, this is what happens when I'm blinded by stupidity and horniness.

IM SO SORRY— I WOULD BE MORTIFIED LMAO. GOOD THING SHE DIDNT SAY ANYTHING, MAYBE SHE WANTED THE LINK, WHO KNOWS 👀

GLAD YOU DISCOVERED A LOVE FOR HORNY AUDIOS, THOUGH!!

WELCOME TO THE LAND OF DELUSIONS AND DEPRAVITY :))

[govindhtech]

Google Gemini App for iPhone: AI Features at Your Fingertips

Google Gemini App for iPhone: Instant Access to AI Features

Now that Gemini is accessible on the iPhone, you can take advantage of Google’s personal AI assistant and have free, organic conversations with Gemini Live.

Google is releasing a Gemini-specific iPhone app today, which can be downloaded globally from the App Store. Now, Google’s personal AI helper will be easily accessible and available for free on your iPhone.

Try the new Gemini app on your iPhone

With Google specialized mobile software, iPhone users may now enjoy Gemini in a completely new way. Users of iPhones can take advantage of a more simplified Gemini experience, with simple access to tools that enhance learning, creativity, and productivity, in addition to utilizing Gemini via the Google app for iOS or a web browser.

The Gemini iPhone app allows you to accomplish the following, to name just a few examples:

Use Gemini Live on your iPhone to have an open discussion:

Now, iPhone users may engage in conversation with Gemini, including pausing to ask questions or switch topics. It’s excellent for brainstorming and coming up with original ideas, practicing for an impending interview, and getting suggestions for things to do in a new city. Gemini’s voice can be customized by selecting from ten different voices. More than ten languages are already available for Gemini Live on iPhones, and more will be added soon.

Study smarter with Gemini

Asking questions about any subject and receiving personalized study plans are two ways that Gemini facilitates learning. Additionally, Gemini may offer personalized, detailed instructions that adjust to your preferred method of learning. You can even take tests to gauge your understanding. You may ask Gemini to test you on a complicated diagram, for instance.

Create stunning pictures in Gemini

Its best image creation model to date, Imagen 3, turns your written descriptions into beautiful AI graphics in a flash. Imagen 3’s improved photorealism and accuracy can make your ideas come to life, whether you’re searching for the ideal picture to post in your friends’ group chat or require a distinctive image for a creative project. You can even create galaxy-themed, almond-shaped nails with amazing detail and color.

In Gemini, access your preferred apps

Gemini easily integrates with your preferred Google Gemini App. Within a single chat, Gemini may use Extensions to locate and display pertinent data from the Google apps you use on a daily basis, such as YouTube, Google Maps, Gmail, Calendar, and more.

Download Gemini, your new personal AI assistant

Gemini may assist you with brainstorming exciting new ideas, producing beautiful photos, and writing the ideal email or text. The Google Gemini App, which is currently accessible on both iOS and Android, offers the capabilities of a real AI-powered personal assistant in your pocket. You can download the Gemini app from the App Store right now and test it out on your Android phone.

What is Gemini App?

The Gemini app organizes and cleans your photo library. It discovers duplicate or similar photos and lets you delete them, making image management and device space freeing easier.

Gemini mobile app

Gemini mobile app availability

Currently, Gemini mobile apps are accessible in over 150 countries and several languages. In accordance with regional laws and our AI tenets, we will progressively extend to additional languages, nations, and regions.

Any of the following could be your Gemini mobile app:

The Google Gemini App, which also functions as your mobile assistant, is available for Android.

On iOS: The Google app’s Gemini tab or the Gemini app itself.

What you need to use Gemini mobile apps

You must be 13 or older and logged into a personal Google account that you independently manage in order to use the Gemini mobile app.

If your account is for business or school:

If you are using a school account or Gemini Advanced, you are unable to access the Gemini mobile app. These users will soon get access to the mobile app.

If your Workspace administrator has granted access to both Google Assistant and Google Gemini App, you can use the Gemini mobile app on an Android device with a work account even if you are not using Gemini Advanced. As an administrator of Google Workspace,

Google Gemini App are not available to users with Family Link-managed Google Accounts or Google Workspace for Education accounts that are marked as under 18.

The Gemini mobile app is not available in the Android Work Profile.

Device requirements

The Gemini mobile app for Android can be found on:

Numerous foldable Android phones are available.

Pixel Tablet and other Android tablets

running Android 10 or later, with at least 2 GB of RAM.

To select a language that qualifies, press your profile photo or initial in the Gemini mobile app, then Settings, Languages, and finally select a language. Selecting a language that is compatible with Gemini and Google Assistant will cause your Assistant’s language options to open.

Read more on govindhtech.com

[doramcdonald]

Everything You Need to Know About the Apple Watch Ultra 2: Specs, Design, and Performance

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 sets a new standard in wearable technology, combining cutting-edge specs, innovative design features, and robust performance capabilities. From tracking your workouts to navigating your adventures, and even offering the convenience of a smartwatch, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is a versatile device that appeals to a diverse audience.

Key Specs

At the heart of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the all-new S9 SiP (System in Package), a custom Apple silicon that powers the device with unprecedented speed and efficiency. The S9 SiP includes a dual-core CPU with 5.6 billion transistors, which is 60% more than its predecessor, making the watch faster and more capable. Additionally, the 4-core Neural Engine processes machine learning tasks up to two times faster, enabling advanced features like on-device Siri, Precision Finding for iPhone, and the new double tap gesture control.

The Ultra 2 also boasts a precision dual-frequency GPS, integrating L1 and L5 GPS into its design. This feature ensures unparalleled accuracy in tracking your location, even in dense urban environments. The always-on Retina display is another highlight, offering up to 3,000 nits of brightness, making it easily readable in bright sunlight.

Design Enhancements and User Comfort

Apple has always been at the forefront of design, and the Ultra 2 is no exception. Built with a rugged 49mm titanium case, the Ultra 2 is designed to withstand the toughest environments, from freezing mountaintops to scorching deserts. Despite its durability, the watch remains comfortable to wear, thanks to innovative strap designs like the Trail Loop and Alpine Loop. These straps are not only stylish but also functional, providing comfort and security during intense physical activities.

The Ultra 2 is also Apple’s most environmentally friendly watch to date, with case and strap combinations that are carbon neutral. The Trail Loop, made with recycled content, is light, thin, and flexible, making it ideal for long runs and hikes. The Alpine Loop, tough and durable, is crafted from two textile layers seamlessly woven into one continuous piece without stitching, ensuring it can handle the rigours of outdoor adventures.

Performance Analysis in Various Scenarios

Workouts

For athletes, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is an ultimate training companion. It offers advanced running metrics such as Stride Length, Ground Contact Time, and Vertical Oscillation. The watch also supports multisport workouts, allowing users to combine running, cycling, or swimming into a single session, with the Workout app automatically recognising when you switch activities.

The Ultra 2’s ability to connect to cycling accessories like power meters via Bluetooth further enhances its appeal to serious cyclists. When you start a cycling workout, it automatically shows up as a Live Activity on your iPhone, providing a better view of your performance during the ride.

Daily Use

In everyday scenarios, the Ultra 2 excels with its intuitive user interface and seamless integration with other Apple devices. The new double tap gesture allows you to interact with your watch without touching the display—perfect for situations where your hands are full. This feature enables you to answer calls, pause and resume timers, and perform other tasks with a simple tap of your thumb and index finger.

The Ultra 2 is also a powerful health monitoring tool. It offers ECG capabilities, heart rate notifications, sleep tracking, and blood oxygen measurements. These features provide valuable insights into your overall wellness and help you stay on top of your health.

Connectivity

Connectivity is another area where the Ultra 2 shines. With built-in cellular, you can make calls, send texts, stream music, and access maps without needing your iPhone nearby. The Precision Finding feature, enabled by a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, helps you locate your iPhone with greater accuracy, using haptic feedback to guide you.

Unique Features

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is packed with unique features that set it apart from other smartwatches on the market. One of the standout features is its precision dual-frequency GPS, which provides incredibly accurate distance, pace, and route calculations, even in challenging environments like dense urban areas. This makes it an essential tool for athletes who require precise metrics during their workouts.

Another notable feature is the reimagined Compass app, which offers critical details like elevation, incline, longitude, and latitude on the watch’s large display. The app also includes a Backtrack feature, which uses GPS data to help you retrace your steps, making it easier to navigate back to your starting point if you’re off the grid.

For those who love the water, the Ultra 2 is EN13319 certified for diving and supports the Oceanic+ app, turning your watch into a full-featured dive computer. Whether you’re jet-skiing, kitesurfing, or scuba diving, the Ultra 2 can handle it all, with a depth gauge and metrics designed for recreational divers.

Final Words

The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is more than just a smartwatch; it’s a versatile tool designed to enhance your life, whether you’re training for a marathon, exploring the wilderness, or simply staying connected on the go. With its powerful specs, rugged design, and innovative features, the Ultra 2 is the ultimate wearable for those who push the limits. Whether you're an athlete, an adventurer, or someone who appreciates cutting-edge technology, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 is built to exceed your expectations.

[speedlauncher]

Speed Launcher - All Games Download

Position or even Update Many Apps at the same time

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The best sites always offer a fair volume involving match from different genres. Finally, Ocean involving Diversion ends up being an additional positive put for attaining free video game within a scale involving varieties. The outline and also interface of this particular put stay a tiny fundamental and outdated, but it however do the job completely, with kind knob next a convenient look for tavern to assist you locate concepts you want.

[cyarskj1899]

📸 Look at this post on Facebook https://www.theroot.com/23-moments-from-2023-that-we-did-not-see-coming-1851127020?utm_campaign=The+Root&utm_content=1703877600&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR34TwgC0wOVXYz-LbkQMklSq2RGE8Y2OFEmhhMlCSwBQRedLqzsVeqXTPg_aem_AfKRJNTBgTgkFvKesuNNPoAlfpVW4-CNYKSAkX1EDY9Tao-vWAqBM0SGnE1RyAf_jWQ

Plot twist !

Sent from my iPhone

CULTURE

23 Moments from 2023 That We Did NOT See Coming

Who thought 2023 would be the year the government confirms aliens are real?

By

Kalyn Womack

PublishedYesterday

The year of 2023 had a whole bunch of WTF-jaw-dropping-are you serious? moments. Some days, you had to take a pause after reading a headline because of the information you were about to receive.

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The government dropped a bomb on us about aliens, the environment started doing backflips (again), celebrities were going viral for all the wrong reasons and even your average citizen made headlines for outrageous situations.

Now, not everything was bad. We got some unexpected surprises that turned out to be the highlights of the year. Nonetheless, we ain’t see it coming no matter how many conspiracies we mustered up.

I fear it’s only going to get more intense in 2024, but before we even cross that line, let’s take a look back at 23 moments in 2023 that had us SHOOK.

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2 / 25

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Aliens Confirmed?

The House Oversight subcommittee on National Security, the Border and Foreign Affairs, all held a hearing to confirm the government discovered“unidentified anomalous phenomena.” In simpler terms, they found aliens. A few military veterans said non-human “biologics”  were recovered from some locations crash sites and gave haunting accounts of their reactions. 

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3 / 25

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Alabama Boat Brawl

https://www.theroot.com/embed/inset/iframe?id=youtube-video-umo2tQ1DDWw&start=0Alabama River Boat Brawl Goes Viral!

Good ol’ racism turned out to be the root of the most hysterical scene. A stubborn white family refused to move their boat from a dock and tried to provoke an altercation with the Black dock worker who asked them to move. After a group of white men ganged up on the doc worker, more Black bystanders spawned into thin air ready to swing everything from hands to chairs. One teen swam across the river just to jump in to the action. You had to be there.

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4 / 25

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Carlee’s Kidnapping Hoax

Miss Carlethia “Carlee” Russell wasted everyone’s damn time this summer after allegedly disappearing following a 911 call to report a missing toddler on the side of the highway. Two days later, she walked back home and told the cops she was abducted by a man with an orange beard. Upon investigation, police found out Russell was a damn lie - she was searching kidnapping-related topics on her phone and planned her secret escape for reasons we still don’t know. Russell’s attorney released her apology. Following that, she was charged for the false alarm.

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5 / 25

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Hip Hop 50's Epic Reunion

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6 / 25

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Diddy Sued for Egregious Claims

Casandra “Cassie” Ventura she filed a lengthy lawsuit accusing the Hip Hop mogul of physical abuse, rape, sexual assault and sex trafficking over their 11 year relationship. Sean Combs moved a little too swiftly to settle their beef but Cassie opened the door for more women who filed suits accusing the rapper of sexual assault as well as the goons he rolled with at Bad Boy.

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7 / 25

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Trump Goes to Jail

The former president nearly broke the internet announcing his plans to surrender to authorities at Fulton County Jail after being slammed with a FOURTH indictment by District Attorney Fani Willis. The city of Atlanta greeted him with a “Welcome to Rice St.” celebration. He bailed out of course but that oversaturated spray tan was just too good to see in the form of a mugshot.

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8 / 25

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Spy Balloon Floats Around America

Ummm... so how did we wake up one day and just accept that a spy balloon from China casually crossed the states peeking on us in our day-to-day routines until it was shot down damn near North Carolina? Chinese officials claim it was to track the weather and kind of went off course but what they need to know about our forecast for? The whole thing was sus.

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9 / 25

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Andre 3Stacks Flute-Filled Album

We’ve seen one-off clips of this man playing the flute in unicorn spottings around New York City. Though we didn’t realize he would make his comeback album full of flute tunes, every true Andre 3000 fan was ready to hit “download” as soon as his project dropped.

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10 / 25

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RENAISSANCE... The Movie?!

Mother FED us okay? Not only did she give us the tour of all tours to tour but then she made the entire performance into a production/documentary viewable for the big movie screen. When she said, “You are the visuals, baby,” she meant it. 

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11 / 25

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Rihanna’s Special Superbowl Guest

Anyone else look at their TV screen sideways, squint a little and ask your neighbor, “She pregnant?” The Navy cried real tears as RiRi’s baby bump indicated we were indeed NOT getting another album anytime soon. But... baby Riot is the cutest!

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12 / 25

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Man Buried with No One’s Knowledge

A lot of Black men were wronged by the criminal justice system this year but this case was more bizarre beyond any police brutality incident. Dexter Wade, a Mississippi man, was fatally struck by an off-duty police officer’s vehicle. His mother turned to the police reporting him missing but received no help in finding him. Instead, unbeknownst to her, the county coroner’s office already identified him and buried him in a pauper’s grave. Wade’s mother, Bettersten, told reporters she didn’t find out until 9 months later that her son was dead and gone. 

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13 / 25

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The Titanic Expedition

The internet had never been invested in a single submarine before. Five people boarded the OceanGate underwater vessel, sealed in from the outside, to explore the remains of the Titanic wreck, per NBC. However, it became clear after it was too late that the group wouldn’t be able to make it back to the surface and they were lost in the deep blue. The memes and jokes stopped immediately after officials confirmed the pressure of the water caused the watercraft to suffer a “catastrophic implosion,” instantly killing everyone aboard.

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14 / 25

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Bishop T.D. Jakes Getting Swept into Diddy’s Mess

The head of Dallas’ Potter’s House Church was dragged on the internet and dubbed “Bishop Power Bottom” for being listed as one of the men Christian Keyes claims sexually harassed him at Diddy’s secret sex parties. He’s since said it was a lie but the tea was too hot for the internet not to run with it. 

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15 / 25

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The Death of Tina Turner 

Long live the Queen of Rock n Roll! 

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16 / 25

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The Israel-Palestine War

I don’t think any of us anticipated to witness the absolute horror and tragedy of events that occurred overseas. About 5,500 children - an entire generation - in the Gaza Strip were slaughtered by Israeli airstrikes in response to the Hamas invasion. For the first time in a while, our Western media was taken over by coverage of something so heinous, we had no choice but to climb out of our own worlds and pay attention. 

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17 / 25

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Keith Lee Drags ATL

Yo... TikToker Keith Lee probably didn’t expect to become the viral food critic sensation he is but his honesty and credibility brought Atlanta’s critically acclaimed food business to a humble revamp. The food to the customer service was so bad, in one video bro didn’t even purchase any food! Kandi Burruss and her crew at The Real Milk & Honey had to issue an apology. Social media users from all over the globe were invested in this series.

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18 / 25

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The SAG-AFTRA Strike

The Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strike had the whole demographic of TV show and movie lovers shook by going on the picket line and vowing to pause all our favorite shows in demand of better pay, healthy working conditions and of course, protection from allowing AI to make profits off the likeness of the actors. 

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19 / 25

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DeSantis vs Disney

In the lame attempt to scrape up some more anti-woke supporters, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a ban on Disney World’s DEI programs. Their beef stems from Disney publicly speaking out against the governor’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill and now he’s facing a lawsuit from the company alleging their freedom of speech is being violated. 

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20 / 25

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Tucker Carlson Fired from FOX

Ugh! Good riddance. He doesn’t need a platform to argue his bigoted beliefs and spread harmful misinformation on topics he doesn’t know a thing about. 

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21 / 25

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Roe v Wade’s War on a Woman’s Miscarriage 

Brittany Watts of Warren, Ohio suffered the latest consequence of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. After having a miscarriage over the toilet, prosecutors charged her with felony abuse of a corpse and accused her of trying to discard her fetus down the drain - drawing a debate over when a fetus is considered a person or “viable,” per WKBN News. This certainly sent a chilling affect across the population of women considering having children or ones who’ve experienced miscarriages before.

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22 / 25

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New York Turns Orange

Everyone woke up one day to the orange cast from the Canada wildfires and was welcomed with the rude awakening of what it felt like to breathe that in upon stepping outside... like smoking an entire pack of cigarettes. You would’ve thought it was the end of days.

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23 / 25

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Angela Bassett Snub

Let’s not say this snub was entirely a shocker but Mother Bassett did her big one in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” okay? The expression of disappointment on her face was just heartbreaking. However, she’ll always be our Queen - Oscar or nothing.

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24 / 25

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X? or Twitter?

BOOOOOO! Tomato, tomato, tomato! Elon Musk ruined the entire brand of this beloved site. The Black users of whatever the hell this platform is called will always be Black Twitter, whether Elon likes it or not. 

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25 / 25

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[televisionenjoyer]

This was under a read more but the whole collapsible posts feature made that futile so let's see if this fixes it or like. At least you can reblog it without this chunk

SO. When I was getting my references for this i thought, huh, I should probably include some crappy supernatural licensed videogame here. AND THERE ARE NONE. And I couldn't believe it, I mean. Merlin had its crappy DS game, House MD got one, it only seemed logical for a show that RAN FOR 15 SEASONS to have some kind of videogame themed after it. But no. Although I did find some footage from a russian demo of a supernatural indie videogame??? that you can only download from russia?? insane. I watched some gameplay and my craving to play it was insaaane.

Realistically I don't think the whole gameplay of such a game would revolve around dialogue, but it's the most convincing part to mock-up to get the concept across. If it were up to me, the game would be a balance between dialogue, combat against monsters, and gathering evidence/collecting objects that directly affect the storyline.

So anyways.It was clear to me that I wanted to give it an early gen console vibe (was thinking ps2, xbox 360 at most), at least to the main menu. And for that I'd have to bite the bullet and 3D model for the first time in 2.5 years. I actually wanted the name carvings to be on shot but I was too stupid to add that to the model and by the time i figured it out i was well into editing. I briefly thought of scrapping the 3D model altogether but i had already gone through agonies unimaginable just to make it.

I had been thinking a lot about dynamic menus like that of half life 2, menus that change depending on the current stage or location that the player left off at. I thought that was really cool, so that's why when the player hovers over the 4x02 save slot the background changes to bobby's house. I thought something similar could be fitting for the pause menu as well, even though I originally wanted it to be a retro phone, before realizing that they had iphones by this point. and those are boring!

Oh, and by the way, there's this weird bug in which if you play the game in english you can't get the reciprocated confession event to work?? Which, it's weird that they haven't patched it in four years, but the whole game is filled with bugs and by this point the devs have pretty much moved on from the game, rogue recurrent rumors of a comeback aside.

And, of course there's a dedicated modding community making whats basically destiel fanfiction as mods for the game, did you even have to ask?? It's what keeps the whole fanase still loyal to the game, bugs and all.

Your plan? Getting everybody safe? That's good, okay, but it won't last forever.

Supernatural as a visual novel — 15x18 "Despair"

Based on my merlin as a visual novel gifsets.

ok so like. i have a lot of thoughts about all this. about what spn would look like as a game, about my creative process and whatnot so I'll put that on a reblog.

[randomrainman]

meta and fraud.

Hi, people.

I want everyone to know that I do still deeply enjoy writing -- the process of conveying specific thought processes to people who may not have a single clue who you are or what you represent can be quite a thrilling proposition. Furthermore, real research takes quite a bit of time, as one needs to check, double-check, or quintuple-check the information for bias, but the result, for me, is well worth it.

That said, I write not out of obligation, but out of inspiration. I refrain from saying "that can't happen to me", because a few of those can't-happens became did-happens, but a truly unanticipated thing occurred to me:

After over a decade-plus-long stint with no incident, my Instagram account was hacked.

It started with a message: one of my followers (someone with who I was acquainted in real life) sent me what appeared to be a message asking for help in "her" account recovery. The message did not initially appear out of place, as I have personally needed help in that regard previously, and I have also successfully helped others in similar ways. "She" asked for my phone number, which I had no problem giving, and with it, a link and six-digit confirmation codes for two-factor authentication (2FA) were sent through Meta's short code.

To be fair, it literally says "Don't share it," so maybe I am slightly daft.

This gave me pause, as I am typically suspicious of links, but my naïve giving nature overrode my wariness, and I forwarded it. Not long after, the phone number asked for a six-digit code:

A lot of Americans are total idiots and can't spell to save their lives, but they never say shit like "pls" or make these specific spelling errors. Ever.

I didn't actually give the correct code, but the damage was already done. That wasn't all:

This was the mother of all red flags: this motherfucker was not my friend, and he was definitely not American. I like WhatsApp -- it's not only great for corresponding with foreigners without exorbitant fees, but it's also great if you want a non-email method of sending large files or full-resolution images. However, this was neither of those -- this was a cleverly disguised spoofing and social engineering attack, and WhatsApp is used quite frequently for such things.

I don't own an iPhone and probably never will, so that's a bigger red flag than all of the others combined. Also, the phone number is an Indianapolis area code and definitely not actually located in Pontiac, SC.

Once this became obvious, I searched for the username letter by letter, and lo, there were two accounts! After viewing the legitimate account holder's story post about the fake account, I subsequently reported the fraudulent account as being such, but soon, my own account accesses began to go awry, and I was soon rendered unable to log in at all, despite multiple attempts. It wasn't long after this that I began receiving texts and calls from actual friends that someone using my account was asking for money:

See, I do have friends. Sometimes.

The Aftermath

Having acknowledged the situation, I attempted to resolve it by the only way I saw possible: another login attempt! After all, the cheeky bastard didn't bother changing the damn password, so it still worked. However, Scammer McScammerton enabled 2FA, so following my successful password input, I was left staring at a screen asking for a six-digit code from an authenticator, which I obviously didn't have. I selected "Try another way", and then "Get support". Conveniently, "support" didn't actually exist, but rather, a prompt to send a verification code to my email to take a "video selfie", which involves rotating my head in every direction like an oversized bobblehead.

Actual instruction on how to do an Instagram video selfie verification

Several hours and tens of tries later, a whopping zero attempts worked. I went through my browser instead to report my account as having been hacked, which led me through a virtually identical process, but with a twist: there was a chat button! Never before had I been so excited to see a chat button since America Online.

Anyone who really knows me knows that I'm not an optimist, but rather, a stark realist, so I didn't really expect much. Of course I was right:

About as useful as a flaccid weiner in an orgy in a fraud case, but swoops down on a slight perceived violation of Community Standards like Batman. Oh, and it won't even allow me to get to this screen anymore, because reasons.

Twisted Meta

After numerous reports from a variety of people, including myself, you would think Meta are surely aware that this is an issue -- they would have a complete timeline of events leading up to and following the hack. I mean, they quite literally asked me to detail what happened in chat. They should also have a record of devices used, and while it can be frustrating in certain specific situations, it's quite useful when Google forces you to verify new devices from the old ones. While it's understandable that everyone won't have access to everyone's information, when there is such overwhelming evidence in favour of there being a hack, the obvious thing to do is to move past the "did you turn it off and on again" phase and start verifying some damn identities, especially when you're aware of actual crimes being committed on your platform.

And I have plenty of identities, er, identification.

Many people, including large banks, have called for Meta to take action against the rampant fraud that takes place on their platforms, yet the outcries are met with inaction. From my perspective (and others', presumably), it would make sense for such a large platform used by half of the planet would at least attempt to curb criminal activity, but not so.

Of course I returned the money. He's one of my best peeps, and I try to not be a scumbag.

It's bigger than me, of course: though I happen to use Meta platforms to further my business and to network, the harm extends well beyond me. I may not be a fan of crime in general, but scammers rest comfortably on one of the lowest tiers of humanity's totem pole, and it's for one reason, really.

There are very few "victimless crimes", but most crimes are those of opportunity rather than malice, and typically affect small numbers of people. Fraudsters, especially these types, go full scorched-earth: they steal money from people who have nothing and either think nothing of it or enjoy it. It typically takes an exceptionally low level of skill and effort, and they deliberately target vulnerable people, such as the elderly, or simply people who have good hearts. This results in more bitter and heartless individuals who are reluctant to give.

On the bright side, I do have the scammer's information:

Not very bright, are you, Uvuvwevwevwe Onyetenyevwe Ugwemubwem Ossas? Ol' black Q-tip lookin', ultra-minimumweight, barefoot, ashy knuckle- and knee-havin', witless, bummy dunderhead...

This dude's entire life is spoofing accounts and using them to gain access to others' shit in order to peddle their information on Facebook or wherever he pleases, because he is incapable of honest work. Stop giving hard-working and intelligent Nigerians a bad name. Feel free to bombard him with hate mail and/or phishing attacks. Fucktard.

And to the social media giant which has helped me in numerous ways in terms of networking, yet also enables malicious behaviour such as this: become more aware and act against criminals. You know, because that would be very...

Meta.

|the kid|

[h2smedia]

iOS 17 Public Beta Released: What are the New Features?

During WWDC 2023, Apple unveiled iOS 17, the latest iteration of its iPhone operating system. A free public beta version of iOS 17 has recently become available to iPhone users.  Please note that this is a beta version that offers a preview of the final software so Apple is still working on it to identify bugs and errors before it’s officially released to a wider audience.  On that note, let’s check out all the details related to this latest OS version below:

How to download iOS 17 public beta?

If you are running iOS 16 on your iPhone, you can simply go to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates > Select Public Beta. But to download the beta version, make sure you have signed up for the public beta updates via the Apple Beta Software program website. To download the iOS 17 public beta, use the same Apple ID on your iPhone. 

iOS 17 - Major New Features

There are numerous updates available with iOS 17 that will give you fresh ways to use and customize your iPhone. Let’s go through all the major features: Standby mode It is a new mode that your iPhone will display when you place it horizontally on the dock or wireless charger. Your phone screen will switch to a new display with widgets such as clock, calendar, music, and weather. Standby also detects light in your room, thereby adjusting the iPhone’s screen. If you want, you can choose to disable this mode in the Settings. 

Contact posters Contact Posters is another prominent feature that allows you to customize your contact cards. You can choose photos, color schemes, and fonts to change how you look when you call other iPhone users. 

New Airpods features AirPods Pro will feature new capabilities now enabled through the latest OS. One of the biggest new features is Adaptive Audio which utilizes ML (machine learning) and other technologies to analyze what are you listening to and automatically turns down the volume to give you better awareness of your surroundings.  Interactive widgets Now you can interact with apps without opening them. You can play and pause Apple Music or other media right from your home screen. You can now also call or text your favorite contact without opening the Contacts or Phone app. However, not all Widgets come with this level of interaction. Music, News, Contacts, Podcasts, and Safari are a few apps that offer this level of dynamic functionality. 

iMessage improvements iMessage has also got several improvements too. For instance, now you can just swipe to reply to a specific message. Before this, you had to long press a message to initiate a reply. Autocorrected words will also be temporarily underlined so you know what’s been changed. You can also share your location with people directly via Messages. All you have to do is select your recipient’s name or icon at the top of the window. From here, you can select Share My Location or Request Location. Apple also improved message search, and stickers and will automatically transcribe short audio messages.  Journal app This is another highlighting feature of iOS 17. It is a simple yet effective way to keep track of your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. The app uses on-device machine learning to create personalized suggestions of moments to inspire your writing. You can also add photos, drawings, and audio recordings to your entries.

Offline maps Now Apple users will be able to download and utilize maps without an internet connection. While Google Maps has been providing this capability for a long time, it is the first time Apple has introduced it. Users will be able to download maps for entire regions at once. Wrapping up! iOS 17 public beta is now available for download, giving users a chance to try out the latest features and changes before the final release. The beta includes several key features, such as interactive widgets, a Journal app, NameDrop, and updates to the Phone, Messages, and FaceTime apps. It is important to note that the beta is still in development, so there may be some bugs or stability issues. It’s advisable to wait for the final release if you are not comfortable with the beta version.  However, if you are eager to try out the new features, the public beta is a great way to do so. Just be sure to back up your device before installing the beta, and report any bugs you find to Apple. Read the full article