That 1956 article on the long-distance telephone network is fascinating reading.<p>The chart on page 24 gives the very first division of the US phone into area codes, many of which have of course remained unchanged today.<p>From page 82, when discussing automated in-band signaling on the phone lines:<p>> The signal component is a band about 100 cycles [Hz] wide centering on the signal frequency [2600 Hz]. [...] In the talking condition (tone off in both directions) the guard detector sensitivity is such that almost a pure tone is required to operate the receiver since other than signal frequencies will produce a voltage opposing its operation. The guard feature prevents false operation of the receiver from speech signals.<p>Of course in hindsight, the flaw in this is obvious. The guard band prevents <i>accidental</i> triggering of the signal mechanism by ordinary speech. It does nothing to stop someone from <i>intentionally</i> playing a pure 2600 Hz tone into the telephone handset, using e.g. a whistle from a cereal box.
The best thing for me for 2025 is a Costco heated blanket. It is so soft and cozy and rocks my world. We love it so much we got one for my partner, my mother in law and my mom and they all love it. Highly, HIGHLY recommend.<p><a href="https://www.costco.com/p/-/berkshire-life-heated-throw/4000178658" rel="nofollow">https://www.costco.com/p/-/berkshire-life-heated-throw/40001...</a><p>I was very skeptical until my partner plugged it in, turned it on and put it on me and was like holy cow this is amazing.<p>My best book of 2025 was Dungeon Crawler Carl, the entire serious.
As far as I can tell you can't buy the ebooks for Dungeon Crawler Carl on Kobo, they seem to be exclusive to Kindle... unless anyone knows differently?<p>Otherwise I guess it'll be the seven seas for me which I really don't want to have to do
If you liked dungeon crawler carl, and like dungeons and dragons (or just like the idea of it), I can highly recommend “worth the candle”. It has a surface level similarity as well as some thematic overlap with dungeon crawler carl. it’s one of the most interesting books I’ve read in a long time.
I second Dungeon Crawler Carl. I haven’t been this enthralled with a book series in decades. If you’re looking for a new series, I highly recommend it!
I was skeptical on Dungeon Crawler Carl and resisted reading it for so long and finally people on reddit constantly recommending it wore me down, even though it's not typically a genre I like I gave it a try and am SO GLAD I did, it is fantastic! I love how it looks like dumb, chaotic fun on the surface but the undercurrent and story steadily reveals something much smarter, angrier and emotionally brutal about resistance and survival in an oppressive system. It's a great series!!
The blanket seems to have been hugged-to-death (pun intended) and is now sold out in all colors.
Also checkout the Milwaukee heated hoodies!
No kidding, when did America actually start making original Korean light novels? I somehow entirely missed that trend.
I'm currently on audio book 4 of dungeon crawler carl. The narrator is amazing. The first time I heard Donut talk I searched for the name of the female narrator only to be surprised that the male narrator is just that good at female voices.
Wow, I’m honored! When I wrote that calculator post, I really only thought two or three people would ever read it haha. I never would have dreamed that so many people would be interested in it<p>Also, that video is really making me want to get an OP-1 haha.
> Also, that video is really making me want to get an OP-1 haha.<p>From experience, I get you. There are many videos on the internet that do the same.<p>I bought one and found it... a little constraining for my taste. My observation was that most of the music creation was 'live' (i.e. you had to play something perfectly, to time, and record that) and for what is fundamentally a computer, it has very limited 'sequencing' ability. Also, a lot of the cutesy interface ideas that are so charming on someone else's video grate over time. Luckily I bought mine second-hand and the residuals on these things are insane, so I made a marginal profit reselling it.<p>All I'd say is that before pulling the trigger, do some research (YouTube reviews especially) on the term "groove box" - there are many, that come with different abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. The OP-1 is cool but limited, and comes with the Teenage Engineering price tag.
Congrats! And thanks for taking the time to write it
Death & Vanilla sounds more like Portishead to me than Dead Can Dance, but solid either way, and thanks. I had a similar musical year, except switch the Cocteaus with Stereolab (helps that they released their best album in decades this year).
Reading glasses that fold up and fit on a keychain, for when you forgot yours:<p><a href="https://www.thinoptics.com/products/readers-black-keychain-case?variant=44502614442018" rel="nofollow">https://www.thinoptics.com/products/readers-black-keychain-c...</a>
<i>Worst things and Stuff of 2025:</i> The Legend of the Galactic Heroes themed cafe in Tokyo closed down the month before I visited for the first time.
His coloured task planning system reminds me of <a href="https://www.hyperplan.com" rel="nofollow">https://www.hyperplan.com</a> .
I found my love back in the Cure, 2025 kind of bit like the Cure, sad but happy at the same times
I really like the aesthetic! I also enjoyed the content.
Related. Others? (and how did we miss 2023, 2018, and 2016?)<p><i>Fogus: Things and Stuff of 2024</i> - <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42495077">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42495077</a> - Dec 2024 (44 comments)<p><i>The best things and stuff of 2022</i> - <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33969300">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33969300</a> - Dec 2022 (47 comments)<p><i>The Best Things and Stuff of 2021</i> - <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29702698">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29702698</a> - Dec 2021 (23 comments)<p><i>The best things and stuff of 2020</i> - <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25593828">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25593828</a> - Dec 2020 (37 comments)<p><i>Things and Stuff of 2019</i> - <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21932647">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=21932647</a> - Jan 2020 (11 comments)<p><i>Great things and people that I discovered, learned, read, met, etc in 2017</i> - <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16075626">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16075626</a> - Jan 2018 (24 comments)<p><i>Best things and stuff of 2015</i> - <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10807501">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10807501</a> - Dec 2015 (85 comments)<p><i>The best things and stuff of 2014</i> - <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8809710">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8809710</a> - Dec 2014 (26 comments)<p><i>The best things and stuff of 2013</i> - <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6971351">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6971351</a> - Dec 2013 (29 comments)<p><i>The best things and stuff of 2012</i> - <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4969569">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4969569</a> - Dec 2012 (13 comments)<p><i>The best things and stuff of 2011 by Fogus</i> - <a href="https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3410990">https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3410990</a> - Dec 2011 (20 comments)
I’m intrigued by that Japanese calendar stamp. Does anyone know where to get it?
JetPens in the US has a variety such. Not quite the one here, though.<p><a href="https://www.jetpens.com/search?q=stamp&v=2" rel="nofollow">https://www.jetpens.com/search?q=stamp&v=2</a><p><a href="https://www.jetpens.com/Midori-Paintable-Stamp-Pre-Inked-Plan/pd/30724" rel="nofollow">https://www.jetpens.com/Midori-Paintable-Stamp-Pre-Inked-Pla...</a><p><a href="https://www.jetpens.com/Nombre-Mizushima-Stamp-Schedule-Week/pd/27607" rel="nofollow">https://www.jetpens.com/Nombre-Mizushima-Stamp-Schedule-Week...</a><p><a href="https://www.jetpens.com/Shachihata-Daily-Log-Stamp-Weather-and-Days-of-the-Week/pd/40823" rel="nofollow">https://www.jetpens.com/Shachihata-Daily-Log-Stamp-Weather-a...</a>
Found it here: <a href="https://shopfivenine.com/products/rubber-stamp-week" rel="nofollow">https://shopfivenine.com/products/rubber-stamp-week</a>
If you do a search for Shimaenaga Weekly Calendar then you’ll find something that’s very similar and may be able to similar ones that work better for you.
I got mine in Japan at a store called Loft, but I suspect that you’d have to pay a substantial mark up to get the same thing elsewhere.
you could get one made for a few bucks.
I think it was the year before last, I found a new band that's been rocking my socks off: Uranium Club.<p>(I am a big fan of <i>egg punk</i> and a true devo-tee)<p>Last year they came to Australia, which I didn't know about, and it's the first time I've ever felt like I missed out on a musical event.<p>Then they released a new album this year, " infants under the bulb" which has been growing on me.<p>I also started Warhammer this year, and one of my frigates is driven by a small grey man
Thanks for this! Some of these are really interesting.<p>The Dream Factory was a great book this year on Shakespeare.
heh, google calculator gets it wrong<p><a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=%2810%5E100%29%2B1-%28100%5E100%29" rel="nofollow">https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=%2810%5...</a>
You have a typo in there. You want <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=%2810%5E100%29%2B1-%2810%5E100%29" rel="nofollow">https://www.google.com/search?q=%2810%5E100%29%2B1-%2810%5E1...</a> . Google also gets the "wrong answer" for this expression, 0 instead of 1.
Interesting, my favorite one on Android - HiPER Calc - does it correctly and returns 1.
This feels like it needs its own post. Just had to check my goto, Qalculate, which similarly gives -10^200
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