Yes, there are magnetic USB cables which do data. Here’s my review of one https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2021/10/gadget-review-subbytech-magnetic-charge-sync-cables/

Six years ago today we launched https://openbenches.org/ - it is a crowdsourced map of memorial benches from around the world.

Uses OSM for displaying the maps and letting uploaders pick the exact right spot.

There’s an API and data-dump so it can be incorporated into OSM - but our data isn’t always as precise as needed. I’m still trying to work out a way to map an OSM bench ID to our ID.

If you’re out mapping and spot a memorial bench, please do submit a geotagged photo to our site :-)

Magnets. (How do they work?)

I replaced all my USB-C and Micro-USB connectors with magnetic ones. No more orientation worries, no more fumbling in the dark, no more not-inserting-it-hard-enough. Just bring the two into proximity and them magically snap together.

Bliss.

Yup - I quite agree. I have a portable powerbank which will also charge gadgets using USB-PD. I fill it up from solar and use it when I’m out and about.

Even my eReader has USB-C. Makes going on holiday much more convenient.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Cracked black pepper. Then either shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano or nutritional yeast.

Basically, all the savoury flavours at once - and not as boring as plain salt.

Not that I know of. And I don’t think a Lemmy user can block (for example) a Mastodon user.

What?! That boggles my mind - and would probably break my brain.

Cheers! It is actually a very lightly customised version of Atkinson. See https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2022/08/an-update-to-the-atkinson-hyperlegible-font/

Oooof! Yeah, I don’t think I could cope with that.

I used mine to inspect the solar panels on our roof - https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2017/03/inspecting-solar-panels-using-a-drone/

I wanted to see if they were covered in bird shit. They weren’t.

Note when I did this, it was legal to fly a drone that close to private property. I don’t think it still is.

Just to expand on the other (excellent) answers.

Why can’t you buy a bottle of ketchup directly from Heinz? Well, Heinz only sell wholesale to other businesses, like supermarkets. That’s a simple model for them - not having to sell to end users. They don’t want to be in a retail business because it’s cheaper selling to other businesses.

Additionally, most people don’t want to go to the Heinz shop for their ketchup and the Hellmans Shop for their mayonnaise. Most customers want one place where they can buy all their condiments together.

Registrars buy domains wholesale from registries. So you can go to a registrar and buy a .com or .co.uk and email hosting and a blogging platform.

I don’t think there are any Registries which sell direct to end customers. They don’t want your £10 - they want a Registrar’s £10,000.

It’s my understanding that HDMI can supply a small amount of electricity - but it is from the computer to the display. See https://web.archive.org/web/20150319112324/http://www.hdmi.org/learningcenter/kb.aspx?c=13

How do you stop your instance getting out of hand?

I think that’s a lovely idea - which doesn’t work in reality. At some point someone will need to be cast out. That can’t be done by peer pressure, because scammers, spammers, and griefers don’t care about that.

Individual blocks also don’t work because they leave unaware users open to being abused.

Sure, you could have a town council vote on a block, or have software which blocks a user for all if they have been blocked >=N times, but that’s still moderation.

That’s brilliant. I hope one day it becomes viable for in-home use. I have a small solar setup and sell a lot of electricity back to the grid. My 2kWh battery can’t hold much.

One underrated thing that keeps the village going is the police. Or, in our case, the mods.

I know, I know! Everyone hates the mods - with their over-inflated egos and unaccountable practices and their capricious banning of innocuous subjects.

But life without the mods means a village where rioters run rampant.

Not everyone has the same level of mobility that you do.

Incidentally, do you get off your arse to change the volume on your TV?

I think the best starting point is asking “what do I want yo do with technology.”

It is a vast subject and no one knows all of it.

If all you want to do is read the news and comment on cat pictures, that’s fine.

If you want to learn how to make your own music, or write your own website, or edit photos of your cats - then that is where you should start.

What do you think would be a good, small starter project for you?

The question is always going to be “who are you defending against?”

If the CIA/FBI/MI5/KGB etc want in to your data, they’ll probably find a way. If it is just stolen, then the phone’s built in protection is going to stop anyone from brute forcing it.

But your biggest weakness is yourself. Do you really want to type in a 8 digit pin every time? No. So you’ll leave it unlocked for longer - which gives a theif more time to fiddle with it.

Set your meal preference. I usually choose “Asian Vegetarian”. That guarantees you a (somewhat) tasty curry and you’ll also be served first.

If you’re travelling to somewhere with a significant timezone change, prepare beforehand. Start shifting your body clock about 1 hour per day. Most importantly, shift when you eat your meals - that seems to be the key for me.

Unless you are flying business class or higher, there’s no real way to get a good sleep on a plane. All the gadgets in the world won’t help. Get a thick sleep mask and some earplugs and hope for the best.

Once the seatbelt sign is off, take your shoes off. You’ll feel a lot more comfortable. Put them on if you go to the toilet though!