Topic: Printers

Former Israeli peace negotiator Daniel Levy tells the BBC that cutting off food and water to a civilian population cannot be justified as targeting militants, calling such claims "lies." The hosts agree that "war is a racket," noting that the financial markets and the "money printer" benefit from continued conflict. They suggest the U.S. is pivoting from Ukraine to Israel to maintain high levels of military spending.

NPR reported on the first "owner-occupied" 3D printed Habitat for Humanity home in Williamsburg, Virginia. Adam Curry describes seeing similar "automated mud flappers" in action, noting that the technology primarily prints the cement walls but not the roof or doors. The hosts critique the media hype surrounding the "first" status of the project.

The hosts reminisce about the early days of computing when users had to solder kits like the Sol-20 and write their own printer drivers. They discuss the importance of user groups for sharing technical knowledge. Adam Curry explains his goal of creating a portable Linux virtual machine on a USB drive.

The hosts discuss technical difficulties following a major Windows update, including corrupted URL dialog boxes in Microsoft Outlook. One host describes a recurring issue where printing from Photoshop or IrfanView prompts a "save to file" dialog instead of executing the print job. Troubleshooting steps involve checking legacy forum posts from 2012 and attempting to reinstall printer drivers before finding a workaround by printing directly from a web browser.

A long-time donor, Sir Anonymous of Dogpatch, sent a significant contribution along with a note regarding the "printer deep state," referring to the yellow tracking dots used by modern printers to identify serial numbers. The note also reflects on how the constant "safety net" of mobile phones has changed human decision-making and risk assessment. It argues that millennials take more foolish risks because they believe help is always a button-press away.

Producers from Pittsburgh and Los Angeles request karma for local events and businesses, including a 3D printer repair service. John C. Dvorak discusses his experience with a new "bionic" eye following surgery, describing the "information overload" his brain is experiencing with restored vision. He admits to having difficulty reading names correctly due to the sudden influx of visual data.

The discussion opens with an analysis of the printer ink industry and the tactics used by manufacturers to prevent the use of third-party or counterfeit cartridges. Manufacturers often use firmware updates to reject non-official ink, forcing users to acknowledge that using such products may void their warranties. Despite these warnings, the cost-saving benefits of bogus ink often outweigh the risks for consumers using inexpensive printers.

An anecdote describes purchasing a $39 Canon printer from Amazon that failed to arrive on the promised Saturday delivery date. After filing feedback, Amazon issued a $20 refund, reducing the cost to $19. However, the device, which utilizes Google Cloud Print, proved difficult to set up, highlighting frustrations with modern "cloud-only" hardware.

A visit to Canal Street in New York City reveals a shift in the counterfeit goods market following copyright enforcement. Vendors now use spotters and catalogs to lead tourists to secondary locations for high-end knockoffs like Rolex watches and designer handbags. The manufacturing quality of these items suggests they may originate from the same factories as legitimate products, similar to the market for compatible printer inks.

A discussion regarding the maintenance of a Tektronix Phaser 8560 solid ink printer reveals that the device requires a maintenance kit every 30,000 copies. The hardware utilizes a counter chip to disable the printer once the limit is reached, regardless of the physical condition of the parts. This "engine light" style of forced maintenance prevented the printing of show notes.

A discussion regarding technical difficulties with office printers following a router replacement. Details include the transition to 802.11ac wireless standards, which theoretically deliver 1.2 gigabits per second by utilizing multiple channels on the 5GHz frequency. Windows 8 is noted for providing real-time connection speed data compared to previous operating systems.

Adam Curry proposes a new business venture called "Manuals on Tape" featuring John C. Dvorak reading technical instruction manuals. The concept involves Dvorak providing step-by-step audio guidance for tasks like printer network configuration to replace traditional reading. Curry suggests branding the service with Dvorak wearing a spandex superhero suit.

The administration is expanding the "IED" label to include incidents like the 2009 "crotch bomber" and the 2010 air cargo printer ink plot. This shift is seen as a way to justify increased domestic surveillance and the integration of advanced detection technologies into critical infrastructure. The hosts argue that the term "IED" is being used as a new "terror word" to bypass privacy protections.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has highlighted that most color laser printers embed nearly invisible yellow dots on every printed page. These dots encode the printer's serial number and a timestamp, a feature implemented at the government's request to track counterfeiters and authors of anonymous letters.