Category: Site News

Weekly Report 10/10/2020

Thomas Holbrook II | The *Nixed Report

Weekly Links

As opposed to writing something every day I’ll be doing a weekly wrap up every Saturday night. This week’s report comes courtesy of my Librebooted ThinkPad T500. The keyboard is a dream to type on and this system actually has 8 GB of DDR2 memory.

This fine machine can still hold up to this day and is currently running Linux Mint 20.

Each section will follow the flow of the magazine itself. The Unix section covering Unix-like operating systems and related technology will be followed by the Overlooked Pop Culture section, which covers a variety of popular things that are often overlooked, misunderstood, or both.

Unix

Even though Apple’s OS X is based on BSD, it still has security vulnerabilities. It turns out the T2 Chip is vulnerable to exploits that would let someone take control of a user’s Mac. This would require physical access to a Mac, so it won’t impact most users.

Maybe Louis Rossman can utilize this exploit for data recovery purposes.

Even with newer hardware, Apple will likely face skepticism regarding its branded silicone, Apple Silicone. At least they still have a foothold in the mobile arena. Their next iPhone is expected to be announced this Tuesday.

In Linux news, Sparky Linux 4.13 was recently released. Based on Debian, they updated the “stable” package repositories, the kernel, Firefox ESR, and more. Speaking of cool Linux news, System76 recently interviewed two individuals from the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) about the use of a Lemur Pro for archiving satellite imagery for NASA.

In cloud computing news, Nextcloud’s capabilities are increasing as well. Not only can you collaborate with their tools, you can integrate Microsoft Teams, Slack, Github, and more. It’s a good thing that software is updated from time to time, because legacy software has its limits, which can become dangerous depending on the situation.

The legacy version of Excel has a limit of 65,000 rows, which caused the loss of information pertaining to nearly 16,000 positive COVID-19 tests in the UK.

Overlooked Pop Culture

Pro Wrestling fans may be excited about Halloween Havoc making a comeback this year. The classic WCW Pay Per View event is being adopted by NXT. It has been years since the Halloween themed event has aired, so having spookiness galore may ignite fan enthusiasm.

It isn’t all pumpkins and candy corn.

What may also be scary, albeit to Vince McMahon, is this piece from What Culture about Paige learning about Unionism. This comes in the wake of WWE wanting to take more control over performers’ use of social media platforms, even though said performers are “independent contractors.”

Though the WWE has become creative in offering a form of entertainment to the world in the midst of COVID-19, they aren’t the only option.

The Anime News Network has their Fall 2020 Preview Guide, so anime fans who want more than people in spandex in a squared circle wearing night goggles may be happy. Video games, whether it’s on a console or PC, are among a plethora of entertainment options as well.

Those who prefer building their own gaming PC may want to take note of Patrick Lathan’s article reviewing the Lian Li Lancool 215 Airflow Case. As for console gamers, William D’Angelo of VGChartz has an interesting piece regarding the Xbox Series X and PS5.

On a mental health note, it’s important to understand one thing: Even if one is “being edgy,” it’s never a good idea to show up at someone’s house uninvited and unwelcome.

In conspiracy theory news, QAnon, a joke on 4Chan that got way out of hand, has now caused Facebook to change their policies regarding groups mentioning theories peddled by the fake entity.

The removal of said groups will impact the spreading of certain theories.

John McAfee has been arrested in Spain and faces extradition to the US over tax evasion. Topping off the craziness is the story of a group who got caught attempting to place under citizens’ arrest kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes; that’s all for this week.

While you’re here, would you be willing to become one of our Patrons on Patreon? Doing so will get you access to the magazine for much cheaper than purchasing from the website while allowing us to grow. With enough resources, we’ll be able to have more content available throughout the week. Thank you so much in advance for your time.

Volume 3, Issue 1 Now Available

Cover Issue of the 1st Issue.
Conspiracy theories, a first glance at Linux Mint 20, and Pro Wrestling in the COVID-19 era.

Thomas Holbrook II | The *Nixed Report

The first issue of volume 3 of the magazine is now available free of charge. In this issue, the following topics are covered.

  • Why conspiracy theories go viral.
  • A first look at Linux Mint 20, an operating system that’s an alternative to OS X and Windows
  • Pro Wrestling in the age of COVID-19 by Stephen Kelley.

In the future, we’ll sell individual issues for $5 USD. If you become a patron on Patreon, it’s only $1 USD.

You can also get a free copy if you write for us and get published. With this issue and others in the future, please give away copies for free. Whether you share the file through torrenting or cloud storage links or print it, the more people read it, the better.

For those who want to print, bear in mind that the color scheme is RGB as opposed to CMYK, so inkjet and laser printers instead of commercial printers used for newspapers and traditional magazines.

19 Years Ago

Thomas Holbrook II | The *Nixed Report

Based on work by Michael Foran / CC BY

I was in high school walking back to class from a restroom break when I heard the news of the twin towers being struck. The day went from being normal to surreal in a matter of moments.

Learning the rest of the day was going to be out of the question.

At one of the computer classes I was in at a vocational school that was partnered with my high school, we watched the news. We were in awe and terrified as the twin towers came down.

I was emotionally numb about the event for several days.

When the numbness began to wear off, I became uneasy as the Patriot Act was passed into law. The next thing I knew, talks of Saddam Hussein and weapons of mass destruction entered the news cycle.

The former Iraqi President was dealt with more swiftly, even though he had nothing to do with 9/11, than Osama bin Laden.

Today is a reminder of the thing that we have forgotten.

We must not let fear prevent ourselves from speaking up. Traditional media has had too many failures in the past, which is why there is so much distrust now. Crying wolf one time too many has its price.

Due to circumstances in my life and too much negativity, I stepped away from this project as the motivation was just not there.

I’ve concluded that the time has come to bring back The *Nixed Report.

There will be plenty of discussion of things that are not always for the faint of heart. At the same time, I’ve learned that a hard price is paid for taking things too seriously. When people say they get four hours of sleep a night or less as they grow less and less sane, it should be obvious that they are about to crack.

While not everything in life is a joke, being able to laugh is important; even if it’s at ourselves occasionally.

The magazine will be returning next week and will be on sale. The first issue will be free for everyone, and copying will be encouraged. I want the word to get out.

The idea will be to sell copies as well.

They can either be purchased off the website directly or through various crowdfunding platforms such as Patreon. Since choice is important when it comes to media consumption, multiple platforms will be available as well.

Publishing again for the sake of it isn’t a part of the mission statement.

The website, the magazine, and other media published will also serve as teaching tools as well so that others who want to know how to build an independent media venue will have a place to start. A store front with tools, supplies, and learning materials will also be provided as well in the future to help fund this project and help others learn about media creation.

Finally, having fun will be of the utmost importance.

If I don’t enjoy doing this, then there won’t be any point to it. I’m looking forward to rebuilding this brand into something better. Stay tuned.

P.S. Fuck Paul Isaac Jr.

Feedback Solicited

Thomas Holbrook II | The *Nixed Report

I want to make things brief. After such a long time, I made the decision to bring this media venue back. Before doing so, it’s prudent to know what people want in regards to media consumption.

Let’s face it; a lot of venues have lost trust over the years for a variety of reasons.

For that reason, I want to know a thing or two about some of your thoughts. What would be a reasonable price for a subscription? What would convince you to pay for any sort of media and/or news?

Those are the things I need to know to better serve the audience in the near future.

Changing it Up.

Things are still on hiatus, but behind the scenes things are slowly rolling along. You see, it was time to change the site theme.

We’ll Be Back

Life has just happened, so we’ll be adjusting some things. There isn’t a current time table at the moment. Rest assured we shall return after having a more thorough  plan in place.

For now, refocusing on what the mission of this site is supposed to be about will be paramount. In the meantime, we shall see you later.

Friday Roundup: May 26, 2017

Thomas Holbrook II | The *Nixed Report

This week has been interesting, but due to time conatraints, this week’s roundup will be short.

I want to wish everyone in the U.S. a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend.

 

Friday Roundup: May 12, 2017

Thomas Holbrook II | The *Nixed Report

After taking care of some personal matters, I decided it was best to simply make this week’s roundup about the future of the website. Thinking such things through is a good idea before moving forward.

I haven’t pushed the Patreon Campaign hard, because the audience isn’t there yet.

The Invest page does have a link to that page as well as PayPal. There are those who may not be comfortable with either option, and that is understandable. More options will be added in the future.

I don’t want this venue to simply aggregate news from other places.

Original content is a must, so I am working on it. I have not had the chance to do a full review of the current generation of the Meerkat from System76. It is an interesting piece of machinery to say the least.

As for the podcast, it’s still in the cards with the possibility of something special in the near future.

In the meantime, the YouTube Channel needs more than just podcast episodes. I am formulating plans to put together small mini-documentaries.

Even if our channel is not deemed “advertiser friendly,” content will still be published there for pure enjoyment.

As for the digital magazine, I have been torn on it. On the one hand, all digital has been a thing for quite some time. On the other hand, there is still value in printing things out.

I may revisit an idea that I had a long time ago to ooerate in the best of both worlds.

For now, stay tuned. There are lots of exciting changes down the road, and I hope you join all of us for this amazing journey.

We’re Back

Thomas Holbrook II | The *Nixed Report

After a technical issue has been resolved, the site is now back to normal. We’ll resume our regular schedule.

Our Return

Thomas Holbrook II | The *Nixed Report

I haven’t been keeping up my end of the bargain. I promised more content, and I haven’t delivered. This changes starting now.

On Tuesday, the podcast feed will be updated so you’ll be able to enjoy the next episode.

Each Friday, there will be a weekly report to bring you news on Unix and Overlooked Pop Culture. After all, that’s the purpose of the site. As time allows, more content will be posted.

Starting in the middle of this month, there will be more free time to do so.

Entertain yourself, educate yourself, and empower yourself.

This is The *Nixed Report, where we cover Unix and Overlooked Pop Culture.