Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

November 29, 2025 at 4:55 PM

Reposted by Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

Yes, there’s a bit of irony in the fact that Cat Stevens frequently played “Peace Train” on an Ovation. But on the other hand, the guy who developed the guitar was a genuine innovator.

Hey, at least you’re not in a canoe with Northrop Grumman branding […]

Affinity for Linux? Canva's next big move could reshape the desktop software market

November 25, 2025 at 4:50 AM

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

Apparently Affinity is seriously considering making a legit Linux version. Huge. https://techcentral.co.za/affinity-for-linux-canvas-next-big-move-could-reshape-the-desktop-software-market/

Canva is seriously considering porting Affinity to Linux - a move that could transform desktop Linux and challenge Adobe.

techcentral.co.za

November 26, 2025 at 7:07 PM

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

RAM is still cheap if the RAM you’re buying is registered DDR3 memory intended for a server that was in use 15 years ago

November 25, 2025 at 5:16 PM

Reposted by Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

The Ovation guitar, or the latent tension of a defense contractor using its aerospace skills to make musical instruments.

https://tedium.co/2025/11/24/ovation-guitar-history/

new @tedium

Ovation Guitar History: A Defense Contractor Tries Music

Considering the inherent tension of the Ovation guitar, which applied aerospace concepts to the acoustic guitar. It’s a brilliant-but-conflicted object.

Ovation Guitar History: A Defense Contractor Tries Music

November 25, 2025 at 4:50 AM

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

The Ovation guitar, or the latent tension of a defense contractor using its aerospace skills to make musical instruments.

https://tedium.co/2025/11/24/ovation-guitar-history/

new @tedium

Considering the inherent tension of the Ovation guitar, which applied aerospace concepts to the acoustic guitar. It’s a brilliant-but-conflicted object.

November 25, 2025 at 4:50 AM

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

The HEVC organization is raising its licensing fees by four cents per unit, so HP and Dell responded by disabling HEVC hardware support in its business laptops—tanking the ability for these laptops to do anything with video.

Straight-up: This is a scandal […]

Should CEOs Produce Their Own NYT Video Op-Eds?

November 21, 2025 at 2:46 PM

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

When a CEO publishes a video op-ed for The New York Times, at what point does it become an ad by another name?

A new video by the CEO of Patreon raises the question.

https://tedium.co/2025/11/19/patreon-new-york-times-op-ed/

new @tedium

The New York Times’ choice to publish a video op-ed by the CEO of Patreon points at why exec-produced video op-eds might be a bad idea.

Why Does Every Thumb Keyboard Look Like That?

November 19, 2025 at 4:41 PM

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

Doing a @tedium meeting of the minds with David Buck

November 18, 2025 at 3:07 AM

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

Maybe this will solve my bad living room keyboard problem

An Xbox controller with an attached Chatpad

November 18, 2025 at 12:32 AM

Reposted by Ernie Smith

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

Tonight on @tedium, I explain my obsession with why thumb keyboards for home theater PCs feel hopelessly stagnant. If you’re using a device that looks like a combination graphing calculator and Game Boy Advance, join the club.

https://tedium.co/2025/11/16/home-theater-mini-keyboard-history/

Thumb keyboards built for the home theaters represent one of computing’s more forgotten niches. But will devices like the Steam Machine bring along a revival?

Why Does Every Thumb Keyboard Look Like That?

November 17, 2025 at 4:39 AM

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

Tonight on @tedium, I explain my obsession with why thumb keyboards for home theater PCs feel hopelessly stagnant. If you’re using a device that looks like a combination graphing calculator and Game Boy Advance, join the club.

https://tedium.co/2025/11/16/home-theater-mini-keyboard-history/

Thumb keyboards built for the home theaters represent one of computing’s more forgotten niches. But will devices like the Steam Machine bring along a revival?

November 17, 2025 at 4:39 AM

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

The great folks at @IEEESpectrum republished my piece on Mac clones—and why they didn’t really work out for anyone, especially Apple.

https://spectrum.ieee.org/apple-mac-clones-history

November 14, 2025 at 5:26 PM

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

It took 35 years, but someone thought to create an easy graphical desktop installer for FreeBSD.

It sounds like this is going to be part of the default install, which would be great because it immediately opens up FreeBSD to a larger audience.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbWOLzGDa4I

November 12, 2025 at 1:51 PM

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

Tonight I have a refreshed @tedium piece on the art of stage banter—who does it well, who stinks at it, and at what point it starts to lose its objective qualities.

My good example is Barenaked Ladies. My bad examples? Elvis and The Gaslight Anthem […]

Let’s Nerd Out On Halloween Pop Culture Oddities

November 9, 2025 at 3:58 AM

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

@killyourfm Cheers for reviving Linux for Everyone! Look forward to seeing what you do with it!

November 9, 2025 at 2:24 AM

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

New David Buck post on weird Halloween culture? New David Buck post on weird Halloween culture.

https://tedium.co/2025/10/31/halloween-pop-culture-obscurities/

new @tedium

Coming back for a second helping of pumpkin spice pop culture as a way to try to get relief from these trying times.

Ernie Smith (@ernie@writing.exchange)

November 1, 2025 at 4:08 AM

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

In a video on its YouTube page, Affinity Chief Product Officer Cameron Adams basically confirms my thesis here: “When more pros use Affinity, more teams end up using Canva.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9YR9KeCJDY

https://writing.exchange/@ernie/115466153225308096

With the new Affinity, Canva found a way to neutralize the power user. The reason? Canva thinks it can make more money from regular users. https://tedium.co/2025/10/30/canva-affinity-free-loss-leader-strategy/ new @tedium@social.tedium.co

November 1, 2025 at 2:38 AM

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

Want to learn everything you need to know about Halloween in a handful of minutes? @tedium has a playlist full of YouTube shorts—and a full video on the way this evening. Check it out here:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3jAatKx9NNuP81L3CfdkqKrbYlLtJxZm

October 31, 2025 at 9:52 PM

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

I’m seeing some sky-is-falling posts about Affinity and download links. It is still possible to download v1 and v2 without logging in. Here are the links for Windows:

v1: Windows:
Designer: https://store.serif.com/en-us/update/windows/designer/1/
Photo […]

Canva’s Affinity Strategy: Normies Over Power Users

October 31, 2025 at 2:20 AM

Ernie Smith

@ernie.writing.exchange.ap.brid.gy

With the new Affinity, Canva found a way to neutralize the power user. The reason? Canva thinks it can make more money from regular users.

https://tedium.co/2025/10/30/canva-affinity-free-loss-leader-strategy/

new @tedium

Canva makes a bold bet with Affinity: The real money is in the rank-and-file office worker, not the pros. It just turned the pro tool into the loss leader.