Topic: Storage

The "Tip of the Day" recommended a 22-terabyte Seagate high-capacity hard drive for $299 as a cost-effective storage solution. Listeners were encouraged to attend upcoming local meetups in North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Idaho to build community connections. The segment reinforced the "Value for Value" philosophy, urging supporters to contribute based on the utility they receive from the broadcast.

A fire at the Vistra ML300 battery storage facility in California highlights the dangers of large-scale lithium-ion infrastructure. An industry insider reports that the facility was built in an old turbine building with inadequate fire suppression. The incident is viewed as a significant setback for California's "net zero" push and utility-scale battery adoption.

Following the Southern California fires, the discussion turns to the limitations of fireproof safes in firestorms. The hosts recommend digitizing memorabilia and maintaining off-site backups, such as hard drives or cloud storage, to prevent the total loss of personal history and manuscripts.

Adam Curry provides a "Foodie Tip" regarding Thai chilis, noting that their thin skins allow them to be stored in the freezer for years without losing quality. The hosts sign off by teasing Episode 1701, which will feature a Star Trek theme. They thank the producers for 1700 episodes of support.

Referencing Klaus Schwab's warnings of a "cyber pandemic," the hosts discuss the vulnerability of modern cloud-based data systems. They contrast current "cavalier" backup practices with legacy methods involving physical tape archives and off-site storage, suggesting that modern data volumes have become unmanageable.

The UK government has extended the window between the first and second vaccine doses from three weeks to twelve weeks, prompting questions about scientific efficacy. Skepticism is raised regarding the logistics of mixing and storing sensitive vaccines at sub-zero temperatures in retail pharmacies like CVS and Walmart. A theory is proposed that some administered shots may simply be saline solutions to manage supply shortages or public hysteria.

A listener anecdote provides insight into the "Fat Leonard" Navy corruption scandal involving officers on the USS Blue Ridge who diverted ships for bribes. The discussion transitions into the evolution of data storage, noting that 18-terabyte hard drives are now available for $150. This massive storage capacity is framed as a tool for permanent record-keeping of personal data by authorities.

LastPass notifies customers of a significant security breach where hackers stole cloud storage keys and customer vault data, including encrypted passwords and personal metadata. The hosts advocate for decentralized password management solutions like VaultWarden or physical notebooks over centralized cloud services.

A fire broke out at a PG&E Tesla-powered energy storage facility in Moss Landing, California, prompting a shelter-in-place order. The incident forced the closure of Highway 1 due to concerns over toxic lithium smoke and gas emissions. The fire highlights ongoing safety concerns regarding large-scale battery storage infrastructure.

Environmental writer Bjorn Lomborg calculated that current global battery storage could only power the world for approximately one minute and 15 seconds if all other energy sources failed. The discussion highlights the technical challenges of moving from continuous energy processes, like coal, to "batch" processes like battery storage.

Alternative energy storage methods, such as water-pumping "mechanical batteries" and the "trompe" compressed air system, are explored as potential solutions for power grid stability. One project involves a windmill designed to collect and store compressed air in tanks to drive electrical generators during low-wind periods.

The Westminster City Council in London has issued a four-year government tender for temporary body storage structures across 32 boroughs. The procurement seeks a provider to handle "excess death situations," raising questions about what future events the government is anticipating. This follows a year where such storage was not fully utilized despite the pandemic.

A new form of support group emerges for people suffering from "climate anxiety" and grief over the "loss of the future." These groups use modified 12-step programs, similar to Al-Anon, to help participants process their emotions. Despite the psychological toll, activists like Al Gore remain hopeful, citing the rapidly falling costs of solar panels, wind turbines, and battery storage as a technological solution to the crisis.

A new Israeli study published in The Lancet suggests that a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine is 85% effective, supporting the UK's policy of delaying second doses. Pfizer also submitted data to the FDA showing their vaccine can be stored in standard pharmacy freezers rather than ultra-cold units. This revelation raises questions about the necessity of the massive prior investment in specialty deep-freeze infrastructure.

The Pfizer vaccine requires ultra-cold storage at minus 70 degrees Celsius, presenting significant logistical challenges for local administration. Additionally, Pfizer and BioNTech reported a cyber attack on the European Medicines Agency targeting vaccine-related data, with various foreign nations named as potential suspects.

The loss of historical show notes and artwork occurred when the startup Drop.io was acquired and shut down by Facebook. This experience led to a policy of never relying on "free" third-party corporate servers for critical data. Most modern tech startups are viewed as being built specifically to be acquired by giants like Google or Facebook rather than to establish sustainable business models.

President Trump discussed the recent phenomenon of negative oil prices, where producers pay to have oil taken away. He expressed interest in filling the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and charging for storage while the market is oversupplied.

Google has begun charging users for Gmail storage once they exceed a 15-gigabyte limit, a move described as a "long-game bait and switch." Users are being prompted to sign up for "Google One" to continue receiving emails. The hosts recommend ProtonMail as an alternative, though they express minor concerns regarding its default encryption key structure.

Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak discuss technical difficulties regarding listeners sharing files via Google Drive. Curry explains that he does not have a Google account linked to his primary email address, requiring users to adjust sharing permissions. He also notes his mail server's ten-megabyte limit on incoming attachments to manage storage space.

Microsoft 365's cloud storage service is praised for its fast search capabilities and indexing efficiency compared to local desktop software. The benefits of using remote servers to process and index large volumes of data are discussed. Mention is also made of Acronis as an alternative cloud service provider.