Pook-Emu Bee: Links For 11-09-26

Pook-Emu Bee links have been sporadic lately. But my backlog grows. It is time for me to get back to work (before work-work, that is).

How I avoided tech unpleasantness

1 | Your Gmail and Photos could now fuel Google’s personalized ads. Shimul Sood for Android Authority. Oct. 23, 2026.
Speak for yourself. My primary email is Posteo and I don’t use Google Photos.

2 | Applebee’s exposed customers’ personal data after leaving database password in app. Zack Whittaker for TechCrunch. Oct. 30, 2026.
I don’t think I’ve ever been to Applebee’s. But even if I were a regular there, I would not install the app. See e.g., Tim Hortons Settles Claims Related to Creepy App.

3 | People are using AI to make their smart TVs dumb again. Sarah Perez for TechCrunch. Oct. 19, 2026.
I skipped the AI step by disconnecting my TV from the internet and connecting a mini PC.

4 | NBA 2K25 Sounds The Buzzer On Its Best Game Modes, With A Delist & Server Shutdown Inbound. Jim Norman for Nintendo Life. Oct. 5, 2026.
As a veteran of the original NBA 2K for Sega Dreamcast, I just remember the series as it once was.

Outdated storage media

5 | Porting Video Games to VHS. Maya Posch for Hackaday. Oct. 5, 2026.
I watched many movies on VHS as a kid. I did not, however, play any games on VHS.

6 |US FAA says it will phase out floppy disks from air traffic control by 2028. David Shepardson for Reuters. Nov. 5, 2026.
AI is nothing but a distraction to give them cover for taking away our floppies.

Education

7 | Say no to Kalshi or any online-betting biz in NYC’s schools. New York Post Editorial Board. Nov. 7, 2026.
Wow. This is a close call but after careful consideration I too will err on the side of “maybe we shouldn’t have gambling companies in schools.”

8 | Google says schools can’t use Search without AI. Sam Klebanov for Morning Brew. Nov. 4, 2026.
Instead of fixating on the issue of the moment, I’d think more broadly about whether centering classrooms on laptops has led to any meaningfully positive outcomes over the last 15 years and change. For more on that subject, see my 2023 article The dangers of adapting school to tech.

Video

9 | Kyushu Basho Day 2: Aonishki vs Yoshinofuji. Courtesy of SumoStats. Nov. 9, 2026.
Aonishki pulled out the uncommon uchimuso to drop my pick for the tournament winner. Well done.

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