smolZINE - Issue 23

2022-04-01

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Hidden (and not so hidden) Gems

Emanations

Recreation

Community Contributions & Discussion

Thanks

Introduction

April...ah nevermind. You're all too lovely to try to fool so lets just have a good time in this issue. Carriunix is carrying the torch that was lit by Jone with a return of the Word Search. As always we have some gems that are a reflection of all you amazing people out there in geminispace.

Hidden (and not so hidden) Gems

bad-gateway

This simple journal or log consists of an index of regular and interesting short posts.

bad-gateway

Locrian Zone Reading Nook

We've featured Locrian Zone in smolZINE before and now it is back with a new section full of great reading material. The Reading Nook has a library of public domain books that have been converted and made available to read directly over the gemini protocol. The full text can be loaded all at once or is broken down by chapter as well. Also within the Reading Nook is the Archive of Miscellany that is home to a variety of other texts.

Locrian Zone Library

Locrian Zone Archive of Miscellany

orrg

orrg is an rss/atom feed reader. You can view random feeds, recent feeds or popular feeds. Hit the view feed link to paste in any feed of your choice and view it over gemini. The software making this possible is also open source and available to be used on your own capsule.

orrg

Chilly Weather

There are a few other weather services available on gemini and Chilly Weather is a fine addition to the bunch. It produces a simple a visually pleasing conditions and forecast report based on your autodetected location but also has options to specify a location and switch between Fahrenheit and Celsius.

Chilly Weather

Ori's Capsule

Ori, aka the Bean, has some great ASCII art, an excellent URL and slew of fun nooks to explore in their gemini spaceship.

Ori's Capsule

Emanations

The Lost Features From Technology of Yore

There is this continual march of progress with the computers and electronics we use. New computers and devices aim to improve upon their predecessors in most if not all ways. It is obvious that our computers and other personal electronic devices have made massive strides in what they can do compared to 10, 20 or more years ago. Except there are some instances where certain aspects get lost along the way that were superior to the solution that pushed them out.

I was reminded of this today when I took my trusty monochrome Palm PDA and portable minidisc player with me in the caddy that is slung across the stroller handle while taking my kids for a walk. The minidisc player was the first example with the way I was able to easily glance down to see what song was coming on the passive lcd that is easily viewable in bright sunlight and stays on continually without draining the battery. Additionally I am able to change tracks or adjust volume without even looking or slowing down because of the physical buttons. When compared to modern music players minidisc is clearly lacking in the storage capacity department. However there are few modern replacements with always on sunlight readable displays or intuitive physical controls. Especially not the most typical modern replacement, the smartphone.

The next retro tech features that trumped their modern day replacement were the Palm m500 PDA's instant on and graffiti writing system. As often happens when I go for walks an idea or two popped into my head that I didn't want to let get away. With the press of a single physical button the PDA was on and open to my note taking app in about 1 second. For this one I did have to slow down a little bit but I was able jot the key words I needed to remember my train of thought when I got home later. The graffiti handwriting system is more forgiving of sloppiness than haphazardly pecking at a smartphone on-screen keyboard while walking and pushing a stroller. Again, the passive and highly sunlight readable display worked much better for this task than the ubuquitous backlit LCD that has to try to outshine the sun to remain visible. Not only is the PDA screen much easier to read in the sun it is also very friendly to battery life by not needing a backlight on all the time. Made even more impressive by the fact that this is a 20 year old design that boasts what is still today considered incredible battery life.

Clearly there were other reasons why these devices faded away and new ones took their place. Despite how much I enjoy retro tech I'm not suggesting that these devices are better than more modern devices. Still, for various reason there are many features that would still be welcome but are nowhere to be found today. Would I like my smartphone to have some physical buttons that instantly wake and jump to the most common and useful tasks I use the device for? Would I like my mobile devices to be useable outdoors without quickly draining their batteries? Absolutely! So lets pour one out for all those features we miss that didn't make the cut.

- kelbot

Recreation

Chess Puzzle

by carriunix

Solution

Word Search

by carriunix

We've arranged a global CIVILIZATION in which the most crucial elements — TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNICATIONS, and all other INDUSTRIES; AGRICULTURE, MEDICINE, EDUCATION, ENTERTAINMENT, protecting the ENVIRONMENT; and even the key DEMOCRATIC institution of voting — profoundly depend on SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY. We have also arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. This is a prescription for DISASTER. We might get away with it for a while, but sooner or later this combustible mixture of IGNORANCE and POWER is going to blow up in our faces.

- Carl SAGAN on "The demon-haunted world : science as a candle in the dark" (1995).

Word Search Solution

Stinky Pinky

by kelbot

To play Stinky Pinky you will need to read the two descriptions below. They each describe a word and the two words rhyme. Example: 1. Smelly, 2. Finger; Answer: Stinky Pinky. Get it? You can email your answer to the address found at the bottom of each smolZINE to confirm if you are correct. The first to answer wins...uhhh I haven't figured that out yet so my congrats will have to do for now.

1. Quartz containing rock/mineral

2. Playful social interaction

Community Contributions & Discussion

Please consider taking part in making this zine better and more diverse by contributing your thoughts and finds. If you are interested in contributing a short article or capsule picks email me at: smolzine (at) cyberbot.space.

If you have any feedback or just want to discuss anything related to gemini or smolZINE hit me up at the above email or ping me on the fediverse at kelbot@retro.social and/or use the #smolZINE tag.

Thanks

Thank you to the following geminauts for their contributions to this issue of smolZINE.

carriunix