Iain Thomson
@iainthomson.bsky.social
UK journalist in SF covering security, space, and science, and stuff that looks fun. Fond of sailing, F1, F5, the Oxford comma, and Marmite.
All views my own. Signal: iainthomson.60 if you want to talk.
All views my own. Signal: iainthomson.60 if you want to talk.
Fun fact - in SF you can adopt a drain and keep it clear in the rain. The city will give you the tools for the job if you keep drains clear and stop flooding.
The best bit is you get to name it. Respect to the keeper of a Castro drain dubbed “It’s Draining Men.”
The best bit is you get to name it. Respect to the keeper of a Castro drain dubbed “It’s Draining Men.”
Adopt-a-Drain San Francisco
You can adopt one of San Francisco's 25,000+ storm drains and pledge to help keep it clear of leaves and debris this rainy season. Lend a hand and help the City avoid flooding.
adoptadrain.sfwater.org
November 13, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Fun fact - in SF you can adopt a drain and keep it clear in the rain. The city will give you the tools for the job if you keep drains clear and stop flooding.
The best bit is you get to name it. Respect to the keeper of a Castro drain dubbed “It’s Draining Men.”
The best bit is you get to name it. Respect to the keeper of a Castro drain dubbed “It’s Draining Men.”
Drive safe in the Bay Area today.
So much rain after a significant dry period is making the roads very slippery. Just popped to the shops and saw a nasty accident on the way.
So much rain after a significant dry period is making the roads very slippery. Just popped to the shops and saw a nasty accident on the way.
November 13, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Drive safe in the Bay Area today.
So much rain after a significant dry period is making the roads very slippery. Just popped to the shops and saw a nasty accident on the way.
So much rain after a significant dry period is making the roads very slippery. Just popped to the shops and saw a nasty accident on the way.
An enormously fun episode, and and while the correct term is ferret legging the wrong trousers is always funny.
It's a bonkers legendary sport. The current record holder lasted five hours and thirty minutes with some serious bites.
Lots of good talk, and some marvelous folks to talk tech with.
It's a bonkers legendary sport. The current record holder lasted five hours and thirty minutes with some serious bites.
Lots of good talk, and some marvelous folks to talk tech with.
New Podcast Episode:
This Week in Tech: Ferret Trousering
Can Apple TV Fix the Broken World of Streaming Sports?
with @leolaporte.me, @iainthomson.bsky.social, @ashleyesqueda.com, @jank0.bsky.social
This Week in Tech: Ferret Trousering
Can Apple TV Fix the Broken World of Streaming Sports?
with @leolaporte.me, @iainthomson.bsky.social, @ashleyesqueda.com, @jank0.bsky.social
Ferret Trousering | TWiT.TV
Elon Musk’s eye-popping trillion-dollar pay package, Apple’s big F1 gamble, and Meta’s scam-friendly ad policies set the stage for a candid debate on Big Tech’s priorities and
twit.tv
November 10, 2025 at 8:11 PM
An enormously fun episode, and and while the correct term is ferret legging the wrong trousers is always funny.
It's a bonkers legendary sport. The current record holder lasted five hours and thirty minutes with some serious bites.
Lots of good talk, and some marvelous folks to talk tech with.
It's a bonkers legendary sport. The current record holder lasted five hours and thirty minutes with some serious bites.
Lots of good talk, and some marvelous folks to talk tech with.
Sadly this isn't true, the AARP's fact-checking department needs a boot up the bum. Until checking I thought I had a gold mine in the back room.
There's a market for gaming cables, and specialized connectors, but no - your SCSI cables aren't worth that much.
There's a market for gaming cables, and specialized connectors, but no - your SCSI cables aren't worth that much.
November 10, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Sadly this isn't true, the AARP's fact-checking department needs a boot up the bum. Until checking I thought I had a gold mine in the back room.
There's a market for gaming cables, and specialized connectors, but no - your SCSI cables aren't worth that much.
There's a market for gaming cables, and specialized connectors, but no - your SCSI cables aren't worth that much.
San Francisco goes all-in on Halloween, both adults and children.
This is still my favourite costume, by a British mate on the year of Brexit.
This is still my favourite costume, by a British mate on the year of Brexit.
November 1, 2025 at 12:18 AM
San Francisco goes all-in on Halloween, both adults and children.
This is still my favourite costume, by a British mate on the year of Brexit.
This is still my favourite costume, by a British mate on the year of Brexit.
Signal boss nails the reason why, even with last week's outage, it has to use AWS - and why others do too.
The whole thread is well worth a read.
The whole thread is well worth a read.
In short, the problem here is not that Signal ‘chose’ to run on AWS. The problem is the concentration of power in the infrastructure space that means there isn’t really another choice: the entire stack, practically speaking, is owned by 3-4 players. 11/
October 27, 2025 at 2:17 PM
Signal boss nails the reason why, even with last week's outage, it has to use AWS - and why others do too.
The whole thread is well worth a read.
The whole thread is well worth a read.
In position for the @archive.org celebration of one trillion pages saved for posterity, a superb achievement. Tonight should be fun and fascinating, and if you haven't signed up for the Archive you're missing out on an amazing resource.
October 22, 2025 at 11:48 PM
In position for the @archive.org celebration of one trillion pages saved for posterity, a superb achievement. Tonight should be fun and fascinating, and if you haven't signed up for the Archive you're missing out on an amazing resource.
Superb headline from The Sun.
October 17, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Superb headline from The Sun.
Out on the morning walk and spotted the first hummingbird of the season. Time to put the feeders out.
October 13, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Out on the morning walk and spotted the first hummingbird of the season. Time to put the feeders out.
A fascinating chat with Pablos Holman about funding long-shot projects that might not get a look in from a standard VC.
The underground nuclear reactors look promising, and non-toxic e-waste recycling shows great promise. As for a laser-zapping mosquito system - take my money now.
The underground nuclear reactors look promising, and non-toxic e-waste recycling shows great promise. As for a laser-zapping mosquito system - take my money now.
Odd ideas welcome: VC wants to make science fiction fact
: Nuclear power is getting hot, but don't hold your breath for everlasting batteries
www.theregister.com
October 12, 2025 at 5:41 PM
A fascinating chat with Pablos Holman about funding long-shot projects that might not get a look in from a standard VC.
The underground nuclear reactors look promising, and non-toxic e-waste recycling shows great promise. As for a laser-zapping mosquito system - take my money now.
The underground nuclear reactors look promising, and non-toxic e-waste recycling shows great promise. As for a laser-zapping mosquito system - take my money now.
As said by the legendary Clarence Darrow: "I have never killed any one, but I have read some obituary notices with great satisfaction."
Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins dies after being attacked in prison
Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins dies after being attacked in prison
48-year-old was serving 29-year prison sentence after admitting multiple child sex offences
The convicted child sexual abuser and former Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins has died after being attacked in prison.
The 48-year-old was serving a 29-year prison sentence at HMP Wakefield, with a further six years on licence, after admitting a string of sex offences including the attempted rape of a baby. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
October 12, 2025 at 12:23 AM
As said by the legendary Clarence Darrow: "I have never killed any one, but I have read some obituary notices with great satisfaction."
Recycling has bitten me in the arse.
The phone died this morning and the only functioning handset in the house is a first-gen Pixel. Using an eight-year-old handset again makes me feel like I've gone back to XP, hopefully without the security issues.
The phone died this morning and the only functioning handset in the house is a first-gen Pixel. Using an eight-year-old handset again makes me feel like I've gone back to XP, hopefully without the security issues.
October 7, 2025 at 3:51 AM
Recycling has bitten me in the arse.
The phone died this morning and the only functioning handset in the house is a first-gen Pixel. Using an eight-year-old handset again makes me feel like I've gone back to XP, hopefully without the security issues.
The phone died this morning and the only functioning handset in the house is a first-gen Pixel. Using an eight-year-old handset again makes me feel like I've gone back to XP, hopefully without the security issues.
An interesting start to the morning, with Nadella pulling an Ellison and handing off the mundane part of Microsoft to an employee so he can think big thoughts.
Nadella creates Microsoft Commercial CEO, will plan future
: Judson Althoff gets the job of keeping the biz running
www.theregister.com
October 1, 2025 at 7:21 PM
An interesting start to the morning, with Nadella pulling an Ellison and handing off the mundane part of Microsoft to an employee so he can think big thoughts.
The Jane Goodall Institute threatened to sue Gary Larson over this cartoon.
Goodall told them not to be so stupid, sold it on a tshirt, and wrote the introduction to The Far Side Gallery 5. Absolute legend.
Goodall told them not to be so stupid, sold it on a tshirt, and wrote the introduction to The Far Side Gallery 5. Absolute legend.
October 1, 2025 at 7:20 PM
The Jane Goodall Institute threatened to sue Gary Larson over this cartoon.
Goodall told them not to be so stupid, sold it on a tshirt, and wrote the introduction to The Far Side Gallery 5. Absolute legend.
Goodall told them not to be so stupid, sold it on a tshirt, and wrote the introduction to The Far Side Gallery 5. Absolute legend.
Damn these security questions are getting tougher.
September 29, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Damn these security questions are getting tougher.
As a Brit I'm biased but half an inch of rain over three days for the Bay Area is not a drenching.
Back-to-back storms to drench Bay Area in 'first true widespread rainfall'
The first round of rain is expected to arrive as soon as Monday morning.
www.sfgate.com
September 29, 2025 at 3:56 AM
As a Brit I'm biased but half an inch of rain over three days for the Bay Area is not a drenching.
If you can't use AI then it's bye bye, Accenture tells staff.
If you can't use AI then it's bye bye, Accenture tells staff
ai-pocalypse: Consultancy says machine learning advice is making bank
www.theregister.com
September 26, 2025 at 8:05 PM
If you can't use AI then it's bye bye, Accenture tells staff.
Terrible news to wake up to. If you want to see a masterclass in acting (although not safe sailing techniques) watch All is Lost.
September 16, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Terrible news to wake up to. If you want to see a masterclass in acting (although not safe sailing techniques) watch All is Lost.
So much wrong with this movie (although I love it,) but they were spot on with “RISC architecture is going to change everything.”
September 16, 2025 at 12:47 AM
So much wrong with this movie (although I love it,) but they were spot on with “RISC architecture is going to change everything.”
Fog Town is living up to its name.
This is the top of Salesforce Tower tonight @karlthefog.bsky.social is in the city big-time.
This is the top of Salesforce Tower tonight @karlthefog.bsky.social is in the city big-time.
September 15, 2025 at 2:03 AM
Fog Town is living up to its name.
This is the top of Salesforce Tower tonight @karlthefog.bsky.social is in the city big-time.
This is the top of Salesforce Tower tonight @karlthefog.bsky.social is in the city big-time.
To be fair, the bees could just have been taking back what they made.
Thousands of 'robber bees' invade B.C. apiarist's shop in attempted honey heist | CBC News
"Robber bees" hunt for dwindling resources in the late summer and early fall, but they usually only attack other beehives. So the owner of Rushing River Apiaries in Terrace, B.C., was shocked to find ...
www.cbc.ca
September 12, 2025 at 3:22 PM
To be fair, the bees could just have been taking back what they made.
There's a message there, if only Labour would see it.
It is 1998. Peter Mandleson has resigned over a scandal.
It is 2001. Peter Mandleson has resigned over a scandal.
It is 2025. Peter Mandleson has been sacked over a scandal.
It is 2001. Peter Mandleson has resigned over a scandal.
It is 2025. Peter Mandleson has been sacked over a scandal.
September 11, 2025 at 4:28 PM
There's a message there, if only Labour would see it.
Oracle's share price jumped over 27% today, making Larry Ellison the second richest person in the world. Here's why.
Oracle's Larry Ellison set to become world's richest man
: Big Red's profits are flat, but its order book is phat
www.theregister.com
September 10, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Oracle's share price jumped over 27% today, making Larry Ellison the second richest person in the world. Here's why.
Doug Coupland for the headline but it fitted the latest return-to-work rule changes at Microsoft.
Redmond have handled it better than most, but 50 miles in Seattle traffic will suck. But you can get a lot more done in five minutes of chat than in a flood of IMs and teams meetings IMO.
Redmond have handled it better than most, but 50 miles in Seattle traffic will suck. But you can get a lot more done in five minutes of chat than in a flood of IMs and teams meetings IMO.
Microsoft employees ordered back to office
: If you're within 50 miles of Redmond, then it's time to come in
www.theregister.com
September 9, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Doug Coupland for the headline but it fitted the latest return-to-work rule changes at Microsoft.
Redmond have handled it better than most, but 50 miles in Seattle traffic will suck. But you can get a lot more done in five minutes of chat than in a flood of IMs and teams meetings IMO.
Redmond have handled it better than most, but 50 miles in Seattle traffic will suck. But you can get a lot more done in five minutes of chat than in a flood of IMs and teams meetings IMO.