iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 27/09/2026

I'm very close to deciding to just build my own ESPHome thread thermostat. I thought matter-over-thread thermostats would be a no-brainer (it's about the only viable wireless protocol for a battery powered smart thermostat). But no one seems to make them for central HVAC systems.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 26/09/2026

Speaking as a retired sandbox guy, I'm beginning to question how good these AI companies are at sandboxing. 🤔

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 25/09/2026

A prediction: Jake Tapper stays at CNN and gets elevated to a larger role because he signalled early that he's Bari Weiss friendly. I also think both Rob Bonta and Gavin Newsom will suffer some political fallout, but it's unclear how much that matters.

nbcnews.com

‘We all got played’: Hollywood torn over Paramount settlement with AGs

The deal announced this week resolved the last remaining major obstacle standing in the way of the merger. But it didn’t put an end to the drama in the entertainment industry.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 25/09/2026

Manufacturers need to learn that capacitive inputs are simply a non-starter whenever you need to operate a device: - Without looking at it (operating by feel) - Exposed to the elements (gloved hands, wet, etc.) - Where it's likely to be brushed against it A wall switch runs afoul of all three.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 25/09/2026

The Eve Matter switches could be perfect: one big button plus up/down side control for dimmers; every possible state/control; great thread performance. But for some damn reason the main button is capacitive. So many potentially great products get ruined by capacitive inputs where they don't belong.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 25/09/2026

There's no good reason why every smart switch/outlet/plug doesn't have a child lock mode and full control of indicator LEDs. It's all software that can be trivially wired up. At least I can emulate the lock in Home Assistant, or pop out the physical buttons and replace them with 3D printed stubs.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 24/09/2026

Every year the kids go back to school and we all spend a few weeks passing around colds. It does at least get better as they get older. The teen and tween do seem less inclined to put random objects in their mouths than they did as toddlers.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 22/09/2026

Alkaline batteries have a smooth discharge curve that makes it easy to detect a low battery early. That doesn't work for lithium, which has a steep discharge cliff. Now there are rechargeable AA lithium batteries with an integrated MCU-controlled voltage regulator to fake a discharge curve. 🤯

goughlui.com

Review, Teardown: XTAR 1.5V AA CLR 4300 2700mAh Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery

It would seem the market for lithium-ion-based rechargeable 1.5V AA cells is heating up, as Ni-MH rechargeables don’t always provide optimum performance due to their lower voltage and disposa…

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 22/09/2026

It's interesting watching my thread mesh self-optimize over time. I have a handful of cheap Onvis T20 smart outlets that were gradually promoted to be my core backbone routers. It makes sense given their location, but there are similarly placed REEDs. I guess the T20s just have better link quality.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 17/09/2026

Just learned I owe a large bill for underreported taxes from a few years ago due to a data processing error. The part that bothers me is being assessed a penalty when the IRS had this data the whole time and even refunded taxes I'd prepaid to cover the amount owed. Honestly, fuck the GOP.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 14/09/2026

I don't know if anyone here cares about Matter, but I'm sharing anyway. Here's some things I learned setting up Matter-over-Thread: 1. The more FTDs (Full Thread devices) the better. You want a highly redundant mesh with FTDs near any battery powered device. Just spreading plugs/bulbs around works.

threadgroup.org

Thread with Matter: Better Connections, Smarter Homes

Embracing the Present and Future of Smart Homes with Thread and Matter Matter and Thread address different challenges faced by smart home product makers. However, when combined, devices can successf...

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 13/09/2026

Seriously. Qualified immunity was never legislated. SCOTUS just made it up in 1967 to avoid holding dirty cops criminally accountable after the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 13/09/2026

No, I'm practical. You're the weird one for not keeping a few tubes of veterinary grade surgical superglue in your fridge.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 13/09/2026

It's a shame that Matter multi-admin doesn't have a notion of "owner." I want to give tenants access to installed smart devices, but there's no way to revoke access when they move out (other than physically resetting every device). A "tenant" commissioning mode seems like such an obvious use case.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 12/09/2026

Seems like the SLZB-MR5U Thread/Zigbee coordinator is kinda garbage. After hours of troubleshooting it turns out it simply can't handle 50ft cable run. Sorta defeats the purpose of PoE if it only works over very short runs. And this was the safe choice over hacking up a PoE ESP32 border router. 🤷

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 11/09/2026

Everyone should be able to achieve fuck-you money. No one should be able to achieve fuck-the-world money.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 09/09/2026

Looks like the cheap metal-cased IP68 Weigand keypads are drying up. Last year I could find them on Amazon for around $20 and now they're closer to $40. They're even more expensive on eBay, and the floor on AliExpress is about $25 when it used to be closer to $10. End of a decades long era.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 05/09/2026

More IoT fun: I'm setting up IPv6 on my IOT VLAN: Unifi does only one /64 and AT&T won't do a /60. I got halfway through configuring NAT66 before realizing I should just keep all Thread traffic link-local and firewalled, since the HAOS is the only thing that needs access outside the VLAN anyway.

community.ui.com

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 05/09/2026

Just finished setting up a Yale Smart Lock With Matter (YRD510-MT1). I was annoyed at needing Yale's app to calibrate, but after that I've been able to manage it entirely via local Matter-over-Thread. And as a bonus it uses a standard 1¼" KIK cylinder for the physical key. Only 14 more to install.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 04/09/2026

At the risk of sounding like a crank, I do wonder if we couldn't accidentally stumble into a sort of emergent, hive-like artificial superintelligence in the coming decades. Like, just from agents communicating online and regularly producing public artifacts that get fed back into their training set.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 02/09/2026

The worst thing about automated phone support is that all the systems are over-optimized to funnel you into common operations better handled on the website. But the whole reason I'm calling is because I have a case that isn't handled by the automated systems. So instead I'm stuck on hold forever.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 02/09/2026

We were at Old Navy a few weeks ago getting fall clothes for the kids and I came across a Misfits t-shirt for $8. I was never a big fan—at that age my tastes ranged more between DRI, Jane's Addiction, and Suicidal Tendencies. But I felt ironically compelled to buy the $8 Old Navy Misfits t-shirt.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 29/08/2026

It'd be nice to know how the Managing Editor of @propublica.org has gotten so brain-boiled on the lab leak conspiracy that he's pushing far-right disinfo from Daily Caller. This has been going on for years, and it really tarnishes the whole outlet.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 26/08/2026

I weirdly tend to think of Dolly Parton as an actress first because her early 80s movies were in heavy rotation on cable when I was 7 or so. I saw "9 to 5" again when I was older, but I haven't seen this one since. I may watch it as an adult just to learn how much of it I didn't get at that age.

youtu.be

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas Official Trailer #1 - Burt Reynolds Movie (1982)

YouTube video by Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 18/08/2026

TIL that Rob Liefeld didn't even come up with the visual design for Cable—one of the few things I'd thought he deserved credit for. Turns out it was heavily cribbed from Valance The Hunter, a Star Wars character from 1978 designed by Walt Simonson (husband of Cable co-creator Louise Simonson).

starwars.fandom.com

Beilert Valance/Legends

Beilert Valance, also known as Valance the Hunter, was a former Human male Imperial stormtrooper non-commissioned officer who, after a crippling injury in combat, was rebuilt as a cyborg and, after le...

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 16/08/2026

If I were still running Chrome security I'd be all over this. Matter made the PAKE standard for secure local network connections that we'd always wanted. Layering HTTP/2 on top would close the last blocker for safe local network services. No cloud required—you control what's on your own network.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 14/08/2026

An aircraft carrier is a floating city of 5000 people living in cramped quarters and working 12-hour shifts 7 days a week while underway. It's not just that the ship is running out of supplies after nearly 9 months at sea—it's that the crew hasn't had so much as a day off in all that time.

cnn.com

Trump says USS Lincoln’s deployment was ‘not nearly long enough’ | CNN Politics

President Donald Trump on Friday dismissed claims that families of service members aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have concerns about conditions aboard the aircraft carrier, which has been deployed fo...

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 14/08/2026

Still no tap-to-pay on the Pixel 9a. It appears that Capital One (and many banks) use device allow-lists. And the Pixel 9a hasn't been added to their list since it's only 4 months old and isn't an iPhone or Samsung. PSA: Don't use device detection when you should be using capability detection.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 12/08/2026

The feature I'd been missing most from old Twitter.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 12/08/2026

I've never run an ad blocker. It's just an ethical line I never felt comfortable crossing. I did block binary plugins back when they were the primary compromise vector. I never felt good about that, so I resolved it by killing NPAPI and eliminating binary plugins on the Web.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 11/08/2026

Computer hardware is so expensive right now. I'm managing 6 units in this building, so I need a simple Home Assistant setup for local automation of some lights, electronic locks, sensors, etc. I've significantly downgraded from the hardware I spec'd last year, but it's still 3x what I budgeted.

tomshardware.com

Scientist says RAM pricing has risen to normalized 2007 levels, AI shortage undid 20 years of progress in a matter of months — memory prices had been falling exponentially for decades

The price reversal is caused by the unbridled demand for HBM.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 07/08/2026

Before we made the Mv3 announcement in 2018 our counterparts at Microsoft Security said they entirely supported it and would follow after our rollout, but their PR team wouldn't let them say anything publicly because they wanted to use the opportunity to stir the pot. I do not miss that industry.

theverge.com

Microsoft Edge is about to lock out older ad blockers, just like Chrome did

No more uBlock Origin on Edge.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 07/08/2026

Prediction: Cassidy votes for Blanche and Vance has to take a day off the podcasting circuit to break the tie. It's all just silly theater so Collins can have a faux veneer of independence in Maine while she and every other member of the GOP continue to be party to Trump's rampant corruption.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 06/08/2026

I got only one bite on this, and it was pretty half-hearted. So much for having a bit of fun dragging my fellow Marines. I guess I've lost the ability to troll anymore.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 05/08/2026

Between the news about Miller and Platner over the last few months, I'm going to share my deeply informed position that Marines should probably stay out of politics. There's arguably a reason the Marine Corps is over 250 years old and we've never had a Marine as president.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 02/08/2026

Turns out Grandma's cancelled Paramount+ subscription hasn't run out yet. The whole family is very much looking forward to tonight's viewing.* ___ * We're still mad at how dirty Paramount did the creative team. The Ellisons poison everything they touch.

paramountplus.com

Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender - Watch Full Movie on Paramount Plus

Avatar Aang, the world's last Airbender, learns of an ancient power that could save his culture from extinction. With the help of his friends, he embarks on a

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 02/08/2026

Since I'm feeling reminiscent today, here's a word association puzzle that a geographically-specific group of '90s teens will appreciate: Aurelio's Record Swap Off The Alley

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 02/08/2026

Reminds me of the great sod fight during Lollapalooza '92 at the World Theater. Though, that's back when tickets were under $30 and easily available (or you could sneak in if that was your thing). Honestly a bit surprised to see the $400 ticket + $2000 travel crowd rolling in the mud like we did.

blockclubchicago.org

Rain, Mud And Big Firsts Mark Lollapalooza’s 3rd Day

Olivia Dean and Jennie made history onstage, while Chicago teens and an impromptu sapphic mud-wrestling match brought their own memorable moments.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 01/08/2026

Discovered two new arguments that warrant auto-blocks: 1) Disagreeing with AIPAC is antisemitism. 2) J Street and AIPAC are the same blah blah ZIONIST blah blah.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 29/07/2026

These things are one of the most useful purchases I've ever made. There are so many projects they let you safely tackle as one person.

A pair of DeWalt construction jacks (DWHT83550) along with a pair of jack extensions (DWHT83554)

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 28/07/2026

A "science journalist" and "fact checker" claimed that "most Americans have never met a Jew." I pointed out how wildly false this assertion was and got blocked (along with seemingly anyone else who noted the error). Just a reminder that there's a whole lot of misinformation out there.

Erin Biba (@erinbiba.bsky.social) posted:
I am always trying to explain to folks that most Americans have never met a Jew and people do not believe me and I just need you to understand that the perception that we are a powerful group in this country is intentionally created by antisemites and you’re unknowingly buying in.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 28/07/2026

No. Just no. The truth is that about 50% of Americans have a Jew in their close social circle (50 people). It gets to about 75% if you expand to a standard social network (150 people). And if it's just loose acquaintances (600 people) then you've covered 98% of Americans.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 27/07/2026

Some people don't understand bourbon color theory. For sipping, Jim Beam Black or Evan Williams White are fine. For mixing or cooking you can save some cash by swapping the colors. If you really want to spend more on your bourbon I won't disparage you, but I rarely see the point.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 26/07/2026

I just found out there's a new Coca-Cola Cherry Float flavor. The old Coca-Cola Black Cherry Vanilla was discontinued almost two decades ago, and I'd suffered all these intervening years without the perfect Jim Beam mixer. Finally, the world is returning to some semblance of normalcy.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 25/07/2026

I'm kinda torn. The WHCD exemplifies the worst kind of sycophantic access journalism and just needs to die. At the same point, pretty much everyone there deserved the hour of berating and boredom that they suffered through as Trump thoroughly bombed on stage. Really, a pox on all their houses.

independent.co.uk

Trump bombs in WHCD return and unleashes on CNN’s Kaitlan Collins in anti-media rant

Even Republicans looked stunned amid the stone-faced White House Correspondents’ dinner ballroom of journalists before president revealed ‘Trump 2028’ punchline

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 22/07/2026

I keep finding myself in conversations where I'm arguing that AI is a groundbreaking tech that will be as pervasive as the Internet *and* that we're probably in an AI bubble. Like, I was a tech worker during the dot-com bubble; it's hard not to see the parallels after you've lived through them.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 21/07/2026

My out-of-pocket cost for fixing the obstructed kidney is about $2500 (entirely in-network). And the insurer total is a made-up six-figure number that defies credulity. Similar health events with Kaiser cost us tens of dollars out of pocket. It's a shame we mostly killed staff model HMOs in the US.

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Justin Schuh @justinschuh.com · 20/07/2026

Starting to wonder if they don't eventually cut bait on this one as it keeps dragging out. Daddy's net worth is down 40% since the offer was made and Oracle's future prospects aren't looking good. And the Saudis at least seem increasingly less interested in these sorts of foreign investments.

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