iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 18h

FYI: Frankenstein was actually the name of the author

This photo shows a shelf full of reprints of classic books. The one book, frankenstein, is misprinted with the author name and the title swapped.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 04/10/2026

Had to run to Goodwill to buy a carry-on bag for the books I bought on this trip. How's your day going?

This is a cheap junkie carry-on bag with holding my books.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 26/09/2026

for some reason my print book won't play the audio clip

this photo shows a screenshot of a print book with a digital audiobook player printed on the page.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 24/09/2026

I am having Crimson Coward chicken for dinner tonight, and I think I've cracked the recipe their secret sauce. I've loved this sauce since I first had it 3 or 4 years ago, but for the longest time I've tried and failed to copy it. But then when I was on a trip to Pittsburgh I encountered

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 23/09/2026

That's funny, I had actually made a new one with that additional quip.

What has four letters, occasionally has twelve letters, sometimes has nine letters, and never has five letters.

Hint: It has two letters.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 23/09/2026

What has 4 letters, occasionally has 12 letters, always has six letters, and never has five letters.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 16/09/2026

I just picked up 3 first editions in H Beam Piper's Paratime series. They were obviously published posthumously, so I can't get Piper's autograph, so maybe I'll ask Turtledove to sign them. hehehe

this photo shows 3 books by Harry Turtledove

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 13/09/2026

Two new additions to my collection.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 11/09/2026

Nate’s travel tips: Las Vegas This is a long one. The thing that separates LV from the other cities I’m writing travel tips about is that I lived there for 3 years in the early 1990s, and went there for CES for 4-5 years, and also went back in 2021 for a conference.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 10/09/2026

Nate's travel trips: Denver! My next trip in a few weeks is going to take me back to Denver. I've only been there for a few hours here and there (I flew in for a conference in Colorado Springs) but I did pick up a few things.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 10/09/2026

Nate's travel tip: When staying in Norfolk, be sure to pick your hotel based on its location relative to the tunnels in the area. A lot of those tunnels have tolls.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 05/09/2026

First, this series is set in a Pittsburgh which was magically transported to Elfhome, only to be brought back for 48 hours every month. The area is described as being a 50 mile diameter circle. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I can show you roughly how big that is. 3/x

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 05/09/2026

The secret to cooking really good pork loin is to first tenderize it with a hammer, then season it with a Badia spice blend, and then bake it in a covered casserole at 350 degrees. It is soooo good.

this image shows a plate of pork loin I just cooked.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 05/09/2026

I bought one of these, but forgot to get a photo before everyone grabbed one. It was okay but not really worth buying.

this image shows a pack of 4 Dr Pepper jello cups

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 03/09/2026

Nuts. There's an online tool I like that removes backgrounds from images. It's pretty simple, but I keep going back to it because it's easy to use. It was sold to Canva, and the site is shutting down at the end of the year. What online tool do you consider indispensable?

What online tool do you consider indispensable?

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 28/02/2025

Did you know Libre Office has that button?

This image shows a snippet of a screenshot. It focuses on the X which closes the Libre Office app on Windows.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 28/02/2025

They're already about the right size; all that needs to be done is a little cutting, gluing, and painting, which is easy to do on a plastic flashlight. Heck, the flashlight on the right even looks like a lightsaber! I don't know that I'll ever follow through, but it is a fun idea, no? 4/4

This is a photo showing 3 small flashlights.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 18/02/2025

The second most interesting thing I found in the storage unit I wanted auction yesterday was a vintage set of double nine Domino's. The most interesting thing was this stack of $100 bills. Too bad they are fake.

This image shows a stack of fake $100 bills. This is money that was created for the movie industry and is not real.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 11/02/2025

Want to see something dumb? The camera on that smart doorbell is oriented vertically instead of horizontally. Yes, I do want to see peoples faces, but I also want to see a wide angle view of the street.

This images shows a Google Home terminal. On the screen we see the camera view from my mother's new doorbell camera.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 11/02/2025

My mother is getting solar panels installed on our house, and today the installer came to set up the Google home system which came with it. Do you see that little metal key on the left? That is what you use to detach the rechargeable doorbell cam so it can be recharged inside the house.

This image shows a set of car keys next to a little metal pokey thing used to remove a Google home doorbell camera.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 09/02/2025

Even He-man has to deal with this

This image shows the cartoon character He-Man sitting on a toilet. There is a giant cat paw reaching under the door.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 02/02/2025

I decided to do some redneck carpentry and punt the issue down the road aways.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 02/02/2025

The laminate edge on my almost 13 year old desk from Ikea is pulling away. Should I a, turn the desk around and just ignore it the peeling edge, b, replace the top with a new table top from ikea, or c, buy a whole new desk?

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 27/01/2025

Google is rolling out its second-gen plagiarism as a service to Workspace users.

This image is a screenshot of an email. It reads:

Dear administrator,

We’re writing to let you know that as early as February 5, 2025, users in your organization with qualifying Google Workspace editions will have access to NotebookLM as a core service.

Currently, NotebookLM is available as an additional service.

What this means for your organization
NotebookLM is our AI-powered research assistant. It helps you gain critical insights and generate podcast-like audio overviews. It uses content from source documents you trust.

As early as February 5, 2025, NotebookLM will be covered under your existing Google Workspace agreement.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 23/01/2025

Random reminder that this is the tech equivalent of razor blades in candy - it has never been spotted in the wild. bsky.app/profile/hamm...

this image shows a Bluesky post which warns against charging your device from rando USB ports in public places

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 15/01/2025

How very generous of you, Amazon! (I also got a version of this in Spanish, LOL)

This image shows a screenshot of an email from Amazon where they offered me zero dollars in ad credits.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 11/01/2025

When I was told that I was being gifted a couple pieces of naan bread from a halal bakery, I was thrilled. But then I picked it up. Now I am vaguely dismayed. I have absolutely no idea how to prepare this, but on the upside I have lots of bread to experiment with.

This image shows a couple very large pieces of naan bread.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 31/12/2024

I am currently testing the Kon Mari method of decluttering where you hold every object that you own, and if it doesn’t bring you joy, you throw it away. So far I have thrown away two bills, the in-laws, the dirty dishes, and all of the vegetables.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 21/12/2024

Scientists at Stanford University have reconstructed a 3D model of how the lost husband of Elizabeth the first, the virgin queen, might have looked.

This image shows a bust and a caption which reads "Scientists at Stanford University have reconstructed a 3D model of how the lost husband of Elizabeth the first, the virgin queen, might have looked".

This bust resembles the actor David Tennant, who played the Doctor in Doctor Who. There was a story in that series where the character the Doctor marries Elizabeth the first.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 19/12/2024

Caring about this might be weird, but I'm not wrong. (see the alt text)

The image shows a badge ribbon which refers to the fictional Klingon language and says quote there is no K in Klingon unquote. The badge ribbon also spells Klingon correctly: t l h I n g a n.

As a matter off act, there is no K in that language; the K sound is provided by the letter Q.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 13/12/2024

And here's a map of what the world would look like if there was no land.

This image is a solid blue rectangle. It's a joke.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 12/12/2024

My new hobby is making maps. For example, here's one showing the major watersheds of the planet Tatooine.

this is a tan-colored image and is a joke which is supposed to represent the river systems of the desert planet Tatooine

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 27/11/2024

If anyone sees a large number of this badge ribbon at a con or other fan event, a tray of them were stolen from under my table in the dealers room at Philcon. This is my original design, and that was the first time they were available. So no, it can't just be a coincidence if a tray-ful shows up.

this photo shows a badge ribbon which reads "keep calm and qapla"

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 21/11/2024

I'm planning to make some SF&F job badges, but I could use some feedback first. Which of the following 15 designs are good to go right now, and which ones need more work?

This image shows 4 designs for fictional SF&F jobs.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 19/11/2024

BTW, I actually have a bunch of designs in my draft folder. I haven't made the yet because I'm not sure they are the best they could be. Let me know which ones you like and I'll add them to my todo list.

This image shows 4 designs for fictional job badges, including Arcology Window Cleaner, Earth Flattener, and Broom Inspector.

This image shows 4 designs for fictional job badges, including Monster Hunter, Magic Wielder, and Swamp Thing Dermatologist.

This image shows 4 designs for fictional job badges, including Hedge Witch, Sasquatch Hairstylist, and Potion Maker.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 19/11/2024

Name a show you’re positive no one remembers but you. This show was so effing good!

this image shows a cover for the tv series Ascension.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 19/11/2024

Name a show you're positive no one remembers but you.

this image shows the boxed set for the failed SF lawyer show Century City

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 19/11/2024

Name a show you're positive no one remembers but you. There's a reason no one remembers it - it was awful (the show didn't even show off the cleavage shown here).

This image is a promo for an old show called Highlander The Raven.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 15/11/2024

I was just throwing away today's mail when I discovered that they delivered a phone book. This is the first one I've seen in (I think) 15 years.

This image shows the phone book which was delivered today, 15 November 2024.

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Nate Hoffelder @natehoffelder.com · 15/11/2024

Did you know Frankenstein was actually the name of the author?

This images shows a shelf of classic books, including one (Frankenstein) where the printer goofed and swapped the name of the author with the title of the book.

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