I create a complete image of my SSD every six months that I can install on a clean SSD and be exactly in the same state as when I imaged the computer. All settings, installed programs, licenses, cookies, passwords, and data files are captured. It is larger than if I just archived the data files but has the advantage of a single file that can get me back online with one install.

I continue to use Norton/Symantec Ghost mostly because I have been using it for over 30 years and I like the compression and single-file extraction it offers. I have also used Clonezilla, MS DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management), and True Image over the years. Some automatically skip cache files, hibernation files, pagefiles, and user selectable file trees. Include or exclude as many folders as you prefer.

Hiren's BootCD has many drive imaging programs included and helps you build a Windows PE boot USB to image, scan outside Windows, repair, partition, etc.

When I move to a new PC, I install the programs I am used to using then migrate my preferences and configuration files from my backup image. I have migrated my entire Thunderbird and Firefox profiles to the new machine just by copying and then changing the default profile setting. I've also migrated config files from image editors, video editors, custom templates, and all my data files. I've also had some success of exporting and installing drivers for non-supported scanners and printers from the backup image. I can also install the backup image on an external drive and boot into the previous image to try a different method. It's not perfect but I've migrated from a Win7 machine to a new Win10 machine to a newer Win11 machine using this method.

Unfortunately I fear YouTube is a bit more savvy than that.

I watch YouTube videos signed in on my Google TV and it suggests topics that I have shown an interest in or have subscribed to interesting channels.

Occasionally I will look up a topic and watch a YouTube video on my computer using a private/incognito session with cookies and histories deleted. Even with these precautions I will notice some topics will pop up on my TV, even though it should not have associated my computer private browsing with my TV account.

For example, if I do a private session search on my computer for "Shoebill storks", after watching a few videos I will notice that topic will start to pepper my Recommended videos. This has happened more than once for topics like unusual birds, actor's biographies, and musical groups. One notable example was when I watched "Hoist the Colours by The Bass Singers" in a private session. I wanted to hear the song but not have every pirate song or bass singer appear in my Recommended list. The next day that happened even after trying to keep everything separate.

My working hypothesis is they can tell my IP address for my logged in TV account and tie private searches from that IP address to my account. This has happened at least six times. At least I'm lucky they don't cross link my wife's cooking and gardening topics into my Recommended list.

I find it interesting that the article says the building blocks of life didn't arrive on COMETS, but specifically states that there is an alternative chance they might have arrived on ASTEROIDS, which typically struck Earth more slowly and in greater numbers.

Comets create huge craters, many lined with fused quartz and silica from the intense heat. Asteroids often reach the surface or explode in the atmosphere and arrive on Earth as meteorites, many of which can be found sitting on the surface even today. This is how we analyzed the atmosphere of Mars, from trapped gases in meteorites.

https://www.nasa.gov/solar-sys...

You might change your mind two hours into a 20 hour power outage. The ability to temporarily borrow power from an EV to keep your lights, fridge, and furnace running would be a major selling feature for many people.

This is the first video I watched and it gave a little background on why it was done and how they went about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

This has been getting a lot of attention, especially in the productivity application clones, after Art Craft used AI to replicate most of the features of many Adobe programs. So far Art Craft has 13 applications that they have created alternatives to and they can be found on their website Art Craft Apps

I'm not a major Adobe user so the only application I could test was Acrobat. The interface was different from Acrobat but it had most of the same features for an alpha product. There are many other Acrobat editors that will allow editing, page reordering, etc. but PDF Craft is the first free version that I have seen that allows creation and editing of form fields, something that Adobe reserved for their Pro product.

It's not perfect, but for a free editor to install on my travel laptop, it's better than other free programs. I can't evaluate the other Adobe products like Photoshop, Illustrator, Light room, Premiere Pro, or After Effects but plenty of other people have reviewed them already.

When I searched for PDF Craft I notice one option was to install it from the Microsoft Store so these programs are gaining some attention.

There is a video that discusses Margaret Hamilton, the changing nature of computers during the early Apollo era, the source code for the Apollo 11 lander, and a simulator to examine the software operating.

I thought the comments in the source code were funny and showed Margaret had a good sense of humor about how the program was supposed to work.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

Agreed. An orchestra can record a performance of a public domain song and claim copyright to their performance. An artist can use open source software to create a copyrighted work of art. An author can use FOSS software to write a story or book and claim copyright on the work.

If someone creates something using AI, the SCOTUS has ruled that the AI cannot own the copyright. The individual that submitted the prompt, reviewed the game, tweaked the prompt, tested again, decided that the work matched their intention CAN claim copyright on the result. The tool doesn't define what is copyrightable, it is the human or team that receives the copyright.

And I learned they have a social security program with unique numbers the hackers can steal. Is theirs also funded by currently working individuals paying for seniors like in the US?

The Kindle has thought of this and has a few features that make things easier.

1. Just tap the upper-right corner of the page to create a bookmark for that page. You can later view your bookmarks, jump to them, or erase them.
2. Highlight a paragraph or section of the page you're reading. You can review, jump to, or clear the highlights later.
3. Create your own notes to review later. You can add notes like "proves earlier occupation" or longer entries
4. Search for text. If you are on page 456 and remember somewhere previously in the book it mentioned geode crystals, you can search for that phrase to find it

Kindle bookmarks, notes, and highlights

I understand that an ereader is not perfect for research, but knowing what features are built in can help make it slightly easier to use

This reminds me of the opportunity in the 70s to get in on the ground floor of a new "Air Filtration System". I could elect to be paid salary or, the better option they said, by commission. Just attend the free training and sign up.

I found this was a tactic to recruit door-to-door salespeople for "Rainbow Vacuums".

** Rainbow vacuums basically married a shop vac with a bong. https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

But the pool is getting smaller. So many Windows-only applications are moving to browser-based portals that the underlying OS is becoming less relevant.

You can now run online versions of CAD, designing software, video editing, image editing, programming IDEs, 3D slicers, CRM, accounting, and the whole document management suite (word, excell, powerpoint, etc.) regardless of OS. All you need is a standard browser. The website doesn't care if you are running from Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, or ChromeOS.

I viewed it as a matter of definition. It's like saying "No matter how bright, an LED can't be an incandescent lamp."

The two studies aren't very representative of what I consider mainstream users. Both studies appear to be run on a Mac Mini running Firefox 146 (current version is 155). CPU and memory usage appear to be more dependent on the OS than the individual browsers. Very little data is available for Brave Desktop on Windows, or Brave for Android on mobile devices.

Claiming a program needs a specific amount of memory for their tests also seems OS dependent. My running copy of Firefox with multiple tabs and private windows is only using half of the claimed 1.65GB for Firefox (847MB). Open windows in Amazon, Slashdot, and Google don't need the memory amount their tests claim is needed for their test page.

Granted, I am running both uBlock Origin and Privacy Badger so some of my memory usage might be reduced by those tracking and ad blockers, but I think most users of any browser will have installed similar blocking software when available.

If their claim is the built-in blocking features of Brave are better than the clean installed versions of Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, then the test results should be a little more specific about their conclusion.

Critically short career fields have Selective Reenlistment Bonuses (SRB). Those careers that are critically undermanned, have extremely long training programs, or require unique skills (SEALs, submarine nuclear technicians, cybersecurity, critical language linguists, etc.) will pay bonuses to entice members to reenlist.

The bonus is calculated by the member's monthly base pay x number of years reenlisting x SRB multiplier. An E-5 earning $4000 a month that reenlists for 6 years in a career field with an SRB multiplier of 3 could receive a SRB bonus of $72,000. This bonus is paid with 50% at the reenlistment and the remaining partial percentage paid each year. Reenlisting for 6 years would give 50% at signing, then 12.5% at year 2,3,4,5.

SRB bonuses are normally highest at the first reenlistment time frame. Members that reenlist for 6 years to get the maximum bonus are usually advance to the 10 year point in their career and at that point most of them will normally continue to the 20 year retirement without needing an added incentive. A critical career with a SRB multiple of 3 during the windows of 4-6 years might drop to an SRB bonus multiple of 1, 0.5, or 0 for years after 8.