On mobile, when everyone was releasing their new voice assistant technologies, Cortana outperformed them all. On desktop I agree that Cortana was a waste of space.

I’ve been a MS products fan since Windows Phone, Cortana, and OneNote stole my heart. I loved the great features that Windows 10 and Edge provided out-of-the box. Bing provided better results than Google for some time.

But Phone was never accepted by the market, and with it, Cortana faded away. OneNote hasn’t kept up with the market, and they somehow broke the cursor on mobile. Sticky Notes lost compatibility with Dark Mode. They started pushing ads to Windows start menu, and embedded ads in Edge Collections.

Microsoft makes great software, then fuck it all up. Oh well, back to Linux.

What do you normally like to do when you have an evening alone?

Jesus Christ.

🫡

You’re conflating a few different concepts, and misunderstanding how DNA tests work. …And the only thing any of this has to do with CRT is that these questions are a symptom of it.

Race, ancestry, and ethnicity are not synonyms.

Race is “A group of people identified as distinct from other groups because of supposed physical or genetic traits shared by the group. Most biologists and anthropologists do not recognize race as a biologically valid classification, in part because there is more genetic variation within groups than between them.” (American Heritage)

Ethnicity refers to “people sharing a common cultural or national heritage and often sharing a common language or religion.” (American Heritage)

Ancestry is biological lineage.

DNA tests approximate the location on the globe (overlaid with national borders) where your ancestors lived at some point in time. They do this by taking DNA samples of people from all around the world, mapping that with human migration patterns, and comparing your DNA to that data pool to determine the statistical likelihood that you’re ancestors lived in a certain place within a certain time period in human history.

DNA tests do not determine race (social classification) or ethnicity (cultural classification). DNA tests can determine some physical traits, but not everyone with the same traits belong to what we might consider the same race. And not everyone who considers themselves to be of the same race have the same DNA.

There is no biological definition for the word “race”.

You lost me with all the ads baked into the OS. You’re not gonna win me back with… checks notes Notepad.

I’ve dipped my toes in Linux a few times over the years, but after Windows started pushing ads to the start menu, the lock screen, and the Edge Collections pane, they pushed pushed me off the cliff.

It’s a little bright at night, that’s why I use dark mode, inverting the “paper” and “ink”.

I did a lot of research and ended up buying a Kobo for my wife who was looking to switch from paperback. At the time the Clara HD was the newer model in the size and feature family she was looking for. I made the choice based on e-ink quality, wide compatibility of formats (including public library rental), and price.

Keep in mind that Amazon keeps device prices artificially low by pushing ads to your screen. I have had four different Kindle Fires over the years, and hate how intrusive the advertising is on their devices.

After spending a year or so jealous of my wife’s Kobo Clara HD, I bought myself the then newer Kobo Libra 2. Then she was jealous of my Libra and bought herself one, and gave the Clara to our kid who is a bookworm as well.

We love our Kobos.

What where’s the “unnecessary” part?

The cure I’ve always used is to suck water through a restricted straw. I take a plastic straw, pinch it in the middle with a paperclip, and drink a small glass of water through it.

The science is still out on what causes hiccups, why we get them, and how exactly to stop them.

I had a DM wanting us to come up with a party name after a dozen or so sessions together. Our first big quest - and a couple reoccurring themes - had to do with escorting NPCs, so we decided to call ourselves “The Escorts”. All the players not only liked it but were actually excited about it. But DM flat out refused to allow it. (Important context, we were all adults between 25 and 40). We never came up with another name, and the campaign started falling apart no long after that.

Dark mode and live widgets.

Edit to add: https://www.howtogeek.com/809114/5-ways-windows-phone-was-ahead-of-its-time/

Windows phone was the best phone OS I ever experienced. Features were years ahead of iOS and Android.

I’ve tried a few for ios and landed on Bean.

You look great. You’ll crush it!

I can’t confirm this. I’ve never played a Warlock.

It’s mixed at the tap. At a soda fountain thw water, CO2, and syrup are stored separately and mixed at the tap. Flavor difference is likely the result of a different ratio.