Weekly output: Clarus the dogcow, Pixel feature drop, trust in AI, WiFi hotspots
I’m in the middle of one of my shorter pauses between trips this year–I got home Sunday evening from visiting Los Angeles for Cranky Dorkfest, my second trip to that excellent avgeek meetup, and Monday afternoon I start my journey to Amsterdam for the HumanX AI conference there, where I’m moderating two panels and having my airfare and lodging covered by the organizers.
Patreon readers got an extra post Saturday, inspired in part by my Dorkfest travel logistics: how the major hotel operators, Hyatt in particular, have convinced me that it’s not particularly worth trying to earn elite status better than whatever tier is above general membership.
9/14/2026: Apple Hid a Legendary ’80s Mac Mascot Inside Its New OSes. Here’s How to Find It, PCMag
After reading a report about this Easter egg in 9to5Mac, I felt obliged to write it up myself as a Mac user old enough to remember seeing this printer-settings mascot in everyday use.
9/15/2026: Latest Pixel Feature Drop Expands Access to Scam-Text Detection, PCMag
This was one of Google’s skimpier sets of updates to its Pixel devices.
9/16/2026: Trust in AI Eroded Significantly Over Past Year, Even Among Those Who Use It, PCMag
A survey with surprising results will always get my attention.
9/16/2026: The Best Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wirecutter
This update was supposed to have been published months ago. But right as I was about to file my revisions, I learned that AT&T had discontinued the hotspot we’d picked as the best option for most people. Then I learned of new hotspots coming to all three carriers, which required me to request loaner units and reboot my hardware testing for this piece–after which I also had to update our information about hotspot-data plans on the market because those, too, had changed a bit.
#5GHotspots #AIAnxiety #Clarus #dogcow #EasterEgg #Gallup #iOS27 #iPadOS27 #macOS27GoldenGate #PixelDrop #polling #scamDetection #WiFiHotspots
