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. Siliconlimey on Instagram, iainthomson on Twitter.
All views my own. Signal: iainthomson.60 if you want to talk. Siliconlimey on Instagram, iainthomson on Twitter.
Italian commuters are more likely to give up their seat to a pregnant passenger is there's someone dressed as Batman in the rail coach. Delightfully silly boffinry.
Unexpected events and prosocial behavior: the Batman effect - npj Mental Health Research
npj Mental Health Research - Unexpected events and prosocial behavior: the Batman effect
www.nature.com
November 21, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Italian commuters are more likely to give up their seat to a pregnant passenger is there's someone dressed as Batman in the rail coach. Delightfully silly boffinry.
This appears to show a Tesla Robotaxi "safety" driver falling asleep at the wheel and getting woken up by the car. Not a way to inspire confidence.
From the sanfrancisco community on Reddit: My Tesla Robotaxi “safety” driver fell asleep
Explore this post and more from the sanfrancisco community
www.reddit.com
November 18, 2025 at 6:12 AM
This appears to show a Tesla Robotaxi "safety" driver falling asleep at the wheel and getting woken up by the car. Not a way to inspire confidence.
Just past 8am and Jeff Mills is starting his set. Banging way to start the day. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K7X...
SUPER DOMMUNE 2025/11/15 LIQUIDROOM + AXIS RECORDS present JEFF MILLS live at Liquid Room 2025
YouTube video by DOMMUNE
www.youtube.com
November 15, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Just past 8am and Jeff Mills is starting his set. Banging way to start the day. www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K7X...
Scrambled eggs on Marmite toast, teatime snack of champions.
November 15, 2025 at 12:09 AM
Scrambled eggs on Marmite toast, teatime snack of champions.
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.