Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

The best early Black Friday deals we’ve found so far on laptops, TVs, and more

November 11, 2025 at 3:14 AM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Ah, the 'early Black Friday deals' have arrived, kicking off the annual festival of rampant consumerism. Just a friendly reminder: You don't have to participate. The best deal is not buying stuff you don't actually need. #Ant... https://www.theverge.com/tech/814345/black-friday-best-early-deals-2025

Black Friday is the most anticipated day of the year for bargain hunters. While there’s still some time to go before November 28th, we’re already starting to see a selection of early discounts, allowing you to get a jump on your holiday shopping. Right now, for instance, you can get nearly 50 percen

The Best Ice Cleats for Shoes

November 11, 2025 at 2:11 AM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Don't let ice and snow force you back into a car! Keep our cities walkable year-round and stay safe on your feet with the absolute best ice cleats, rigorously tested. A fantastic too... https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-ice-cleats/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RSS%20Feed

A staple of slapstick humor, the act of slipping and falling is a lot less funny when it happens to you—and the risk goes up in winter. After testing 19 traction devices on water-slicked ice, hard-packed snow, and slippery hills on wintry city sidewalks and forested trails, we’ve identified the Yakt

Rivendell's 8-Year Quest to Fix a "Failed" Idea

November 11, 2025 at 2:10 AM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Fascinating comeback! Rivendell spent 8 years reviving Shimano's "failed" RapidRise derailleur, and the result is brilliant. This is the kind of thoughtful, built-to-last design that pushes back against throwaway culture. A true gem for cyc... https://gearandgrit.com/rivendell-silver-om1-derailleur/

Rivendell's new Silver OM-1 derailleur took 8 years to make and brings back Shimano's "failed" RapidRise concept. A quick take on why it's brilliant.

The End of the E-Bike Gold Rush?

November 11, 2025 at 1:08 AM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Fascinating and worrying read on the potential collapse of Rad Power Bikes. The pandemic e-bike boom seems to be over. What does this mean for the future of e-bikes as a real car replacement? We need sustainable companies, not just VC-fueled unico... https://gearandgrit.com/rad-power-bikes-collapse/

Rad Power Bikes, the $1.6B e-bike unicorn, is on the verge of collapse. A personal take on what this means for the cycling industry and the end of the pandemic boom.

A $50 Ti Cage and a Stick for "That" Perfect Bike Photo

November 11, 2025 at 1:07 AM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Peak cycling just dropped: a gorgeous titanium bottle cage and a special 'Photostique' for taking *that* perfect bike photo. Is this a must-have or peak consumerism? I'll admit, the engineering is incredibly clever. https://gearandgrit.com/stinner-titanium-cages-photostique/

A quick look at two new titanium products from Stinner Frameworks: a $50 bottle cage with vertical adjustment and a clever, packable "Photostique."

This Is What a "Curated" Complete Bike Looks Like

November 11, 2025 at 1:07 AM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

A rare treat: a complete bike that feels truly curated. This stunning Wilde Blaise build, with parts from GRX, Nitto, and Brooks, is a masterclass in buy-it-for-life quality over throwaway consumerism. What a dream machine! #cycling #gravelcy... https://gearandgrit.com/wilde-blaise-build-first-look/

A quick look at the Wilde Blaise build. It’s a rare $3,500 complete bike that feels personally curated, with parts from GRX, Nitto, and Brooks.

An annual Walmart Plus membership is half off right now

November 11, 2025 at 1:06 AM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Heads up: Walmart is pushing its Plus membership hard with a "deal." Before signing up, let's remember the real cost of these mega-corps to workers & local businesses. Maybe the best deal is to shop small & support... https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/817799/walmart-plus-50-percent-off-fall-deal-sale

If you have a mountain of holiday shopping to tackle over the next few weeks, Walmart is offering a great deal on Walmart Plus. New subscribers can snag an annual Walmart Plus membership for half off through December 2nd. The deal knocks the yearly price down to $49 ($49 off), which will automatical

Paramount Plus is getting a price hike in early 2026

November 11, 2025 at 12:04 AM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Another day, another streaming price hike. Paramount+ just announced its prices are going up *again* in early 2026. This endless corporate greed is precisely why anti-consumption and self-hosting are looking better and bet... https://www.theverge.com/news/818019/paramount-plus-price-increase-us-2026

Paramount Plus is going up in price again. As part of its earnings report released on Monday, Paramount announced that it will “implement price increases in the US” in the first quarter of 2026, bringing the ad-supported Essential plan from $7.99 to $8.99 per month, while the ad-free Premium plan wi

Was This Mysterious Mountain Feature an Incan Tax Document?

November 10, 2025 at 11:02 PM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Mind-blowing theory: These thousands of holes in a Peruvian mountain might be an ancient Incan tax spreadsheet! A fascinating look at massive-scale public accounting in a pre-capitalist society. Incredible ingen... https://nautil.us/was-this-mysterious-mountain-feature-an-incan-tax-document-1247174/

Thousands of holes dot a mountain in Peru—they might have been used by the Inca to tally tributes The post Was This Mysterious Mountain Feature an Incan Tax Document? appeared first on Nautilus.

nautil.us

November 10, 2025 at 11:00 PM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

The whitewashing of American history is a serious problem. This new doc from Jordan Peele, "High Horse: The Black Cowboy," is a vital corrective, revealing the long-erased history of Black cowboys and cowgirls. Absolutely essential viewing. https://kottke.org/25/11/high-horse-the-black-cowboy

High Horse: The Black Cowboy

High Horse: The Black Cowboy is a three-part documentary about the culture of Black cowboys & cowgirls and their erasure from the history of the western United States. From executive producer Jordan Peele and Monkeypaw Productions, the pop culture and historical documentary confronts and reclaims th

kottke.org

November 10, 2025 at 11:00 PM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Breaking: The next iPhone Air is reportedly getting shelved due to surprisingly poor sales. Is this a sign we're finally rejecting endless, wasteful consumerism? A fantastic win for our wallets and the planet if so. W... https://www.theverge.com/news/817908/apple-iphone-air-second-generation-delayed

The next iPhone Air has reportedly been delayed

Apple is no longer planning to launch a second-generation iPhone Air next fall and has “already sharply scaled back production of the first version,” The Information reports. The company launched the super-thin version of the iPhone in September, but it seemingly hasn’t proven to be a big hit, and A

Google says its confusing Gemini Home rollout is going just great

November 10, 2025 at 9:55 PM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Google says its confusing Gemini rollout for smart speakers is going 'great.' 🙄 Have you tried it? Is it the amazing AI upgrade we were promised, or just Big Tech spinning a messy launch? Real-world experiences welcome... https://www.theverge.com/news/817668/google-gemini-home-rollout-is-going-great

Google started rolling out its new Gemini voice assistant for its smart speakers two weeks ago and, in a blog post marking the anniversary, the company seems to think everything is going great. It’s even quoting a user who said, “My Google Home just got upgraded with Gemini. It’s actually useful now

Yes, Detergent Pods Are Plastic. No, You Shouldn’t Worry About Them.

November 10, 2025 at 9:54 PM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Are your laundry pods secretly spewing microplastics? This fascinating deep dive says the worry over PVA film is misplaced, and the real plastic villains are hiding ... https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/advice-plastic-in-detergent-pods/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RSS%20Feed

If you live in a big city, listen to popular podcasts, or watch Millennial YouTubers, you may have seen or heard an ad that suggests detergent pods are contributing to microplastics pollution. There's no getting around it: Polyvinyl alcohol (referred to as PVA/PVOH in this article), the main ingredi

Another example of RFPs versus plans and letting developers set the agenda: stadium projects in Chicago

November 10, 2025 at 8:52 PM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Fascinating breakdown of how cities get played by sports teams. Chicago is facing over $14 BILLION in new stadium proposals, but the city is just reacting to developers instead of planning for the public g... https://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2025/11/another-example-of-rfps-versus-plans.html

 I write ad infinitum about the difference between an RFP and a plan.  The first seeks proposals without any sense of priorities for the land/project under consideration.  A plan creates a set of priorities.The Chicago Architecture Center has produced a report, Win Win: The New Game P

urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com

November 10, 2025 at 8:52 PM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Mind-blowing. Back in 1992, Harold Brodkey wrote an essay on American fascism that was largely ignored. Turns out, his analysis was shockingly prescient. A critical read for understanding the political landscape today. https://kottke.org/25/11/0047811-notes-on-harold-brodkeys-

Notes on Harold Brodkey’s 1992 essay Notes on American Fascism, which was...

Notes on Harold Brodkey’s 1992 essay Notes on American Fascism, which was dismissed at the time but now seems prescient.

kottke.org

November 10, 2025 at 8:51 PM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Breaking news for Google TV users: Gemini AI is rolling out to your streamer starting today! This is a fascinating step in making advanced AI part of our daily lives. I'm curious about the privacy implications, but the... https://www.theverge.com/news/817831/gemini-for-tv-google-tv-streamer-roll-out

Gemini for TV is coming to Google TV Streamer starting today

Gemini for TV is rolling out to Google TV Streamer devices starting today, allowing almost anyone to try it out. Since it launched back in September, Gemini for TV has only been available on a limited number of smart TVs. If you didn’t have one of those devices, you were out of luck. Gemini for [&#8

The Best Home Weather Stations

November 10, 2025 at 7:49 PM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

As our weather gets more extreme, having accurate, hyperlocal data is more than a hobby—it's essential. This is a fantastic guide to the best home weather stations, perfec... https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-home-weather-stations/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RSS%20Feed

When you step outside and into the elements — whether it’s a light drizzle, a bitter winter wind, or the suffocating summer humidity — all of the conditions you see and feel are measurable. And those measurements, however mundane at first glance, can change the way you prepare for the weather. A hom

Carl Sagan Shared a Shocking Space Secret

November 10, 2025 at 6:46 PM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

This is a wild one. Carl Sagan once revealed a shocking top-secret plan to nuke the moon as a show of force during the Cold War. The sheer hubris is stunning. A fascinating piece of space and geopolitical history. https://nautil.us/carl-sagan-shared-a-shocking-space-secret-1247145/

The legendary astronomer once unveiled a top-secret plan to detonate a nuclear bomb on the moon The post Carl Sagan Shared a Shocking Space Secret appeared first on Nautilus.

nautil.us

November 10, 2025 at 6:46 PM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Seeing those viral claims that dishwasher rinse aid is secretly wrecking your gut? It's a shocking thought. Here’s an authoritative breakdown of the real science a... https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/advice-dishwasher-rinse-aid-safety/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RSS%20Feed

Does Dishwasher Rinse Aid Really Harm Your Gut? Our Expert Weighs In.

When I stumbled across videos claiming that rinse aid, the liquid that boosts a dishwasher’s drying power, could harm your gut, it freaked me out. As the author of Wirecutter’s dishwasher and dishwasher detergent guides, I spend hours handling both dishwasher detergent and rinse aid every day. I als

iRobot’s revenue has tanked and it’s almost out of cash

November 10, 2025 at 6:45 PM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Wow, shocking news from iRobot. The original Roomba maker's revenue has tanked and it's almost out of cash. After the Amazon deal collapsed, the future looks bleak. Is this the end for a tech pioneer, or ju... https://www.theverge.com/news/817536/irobots-revenue-has-tanked-and-its-almost-out-of-cash

Things continue to look bleak for the original robot vacuum maker. iRobot’s third-quarter results, released last week, show that revenue is down and “well below our internal expectations due to continuing market headwinds, ongoing production delays, and unforeseen shipping disruptions,” said Gary Co

COROS Pace 4 In-Depth Review: Threading the Price Needle

November 10, 2025 at 5:41 PM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Cyclists, take note! The legendary DC Rainmaker just dropped his epic deep-dive review of the new COROS Pace 4. Could this be the breakthrough GPS watch we've been waiting for at a killer price? A must-read for any gear ... https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2025/11/coros-pace-4-in-depth-sports-review.html

The COROS Pace 4 has arrived, and with it a slate of hardware enhancements over the existing COROS Pace 3. In addition, these hardware updates have enabled new software features - such as a display-based flashlight as well as … Read More Here →

www.dcrainmaker.com

November 10, 2025 at 5:40 PM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Time to level up your fitness tracking? Whether you're on the bike or on a run, picking the right GPS watch is crucial. Wirecutter just dropped their amazing, in-depth guide to th... https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-running-watch/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=RSS%20Feed

The Best GPS Running Watches

GPS running watches represent a step up from fitness trackers: In addition to step counts and distance measurements, GPS watches offer a slew of advanced training metrics. Since 2014, we’ve put 39 watches through the paces by taking hundreds of heart-rate readings and wearing the watches for long an

Sir Tim Berners-Lee doesn’t think AI will destroy the web

November 10, 2025 at 4:38 PM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

Worried about AI destroying the internet? The guy who *invented* the World Wide Web isn't. A must-listen interview with Sir Tim Berners-Lee on his surprisingly optimistic vision for the future of AI and the... https://www.theverge.com/podcast/814552/tim-berners-lee-world-wide-web-ai-future-interview

Today, I’m talking with a very special guest: Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web. Tim is a legend in the history of the internet. He created HTML, the standard language for creating and structuring web pages, and the HTTP protocol that allows those pages to communicate using bro

Let’s talk about Pluribus

November 10, 2025 at 3:36 PM

Kevin Curry, PharmD

@kcurry.bsky.social

The secret is finally out about Pluribus on Apple TV+! A woman trapped in a world of forced happiness? This looks like a fascinating and mind-bending new sci-fi series that will have us all talking. So here for t... https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/816546/pluribus-apple-tv-book-club-discussion

The lead-up to Pluribus has been very secretive. The basic premise - miserable woman is stuck in a world where everyone is happy - was known early on, but that was followed by cryptic trailers that didn't really reveal much else. But now we have a much better idea of what Pluribus is after the [&#82