Matthew S. Smith

Bad faith argument that makes up strawmen in a vain attempt to defend the travesty that is IP law, but what else would expect from an IP lawyer.

Columbia Sportswear Sues Columbia University, Alleging Branded Gear Causes Confusion Columbia Sportswear sued Columbia University in U.S. District Court for Oregon today, alleging trademark infringement, unfair competition and breach of contract.

Columbia (the company) claiming dibs not only on the word Columbia, but also the color blue.

“...many of these garments are, or incorporate, a bright blue color that is confusingly similar to the blue color that has long been associated with Columbia Sportswear..."

Can't make shit like this up!

The NVIDIA 50 Series Laptop Summer Buying Guide Beat the heat - stay inside and game on these high-powered laptops instead.

Over at Micro Center News, I have an all-in guide on buying a new laptop with Nvidia's hot RTX 50-series GPU.

In summary: it's complex.

#laptop #gpu #nvidia

www.microcenter.com/site/mc-news...

A lot of the industry is showing their ass here. And making the idea that some shadowy industry group is hunched around a table conspiring to make sure no gamer owns any game feel more plausible.

TriMet: Service cuts will start in November A 10% overall cut to service is expected by August 2027.

Trimet service is set for cuts, yet bizarrely, ODOT says the I-5 expansion in the Rose Quarter can go ahead (even though there's not anywhere near enough funding for it).

This makes no sense. Cancel the I-5 Rose Quarter project. Keep Trimet funded.

#pdx

bikeportland.org/2025/07/23/t...

Very pleased to spot positive reviews of my book on EverQuest across the Internet!

One from Talking Pixels by Paul Werkema; "A wonderful book." paulwerkema.com/2025/07/15/e...

And another William Schwartz at Old School Gamer Magazine: www.oldschoolgamermagazine.com/a-review-of-...

#everquest

❤️

Nothing crazy. But nailing these basics at $160? Not bad at all. After all, you could spend $500 and end up with a laptop that doesn't look or feel any more premium than this.

In this regard, it's a reminder that fundamental design basics still carry a lot of water in the PC laptop space. The CX15 works because it looks fine, it has a decent keyboard, it has a perfectly sharp 1080p display, and an acceptable number of ports.

Tested: This $160 Asus Chromebook is basic, but in a good way The Asus Chromebook CX15 offers just the basics—and nothing more—for under $200.

Can you buy a passable computer for $200?

Yes, you can. Though just barely.

The latest Asus Chromebook CX15 is just $160. It has an Intel dual-core processor and 4GB of RAM. It ain't quick, folks, but it does basic computer things fairly well.

#chromebook #laptop #computerhardware

YouTube video by Matt On Tech Acer Travelmate P6 14 AI Review: Featherweight champ

Finding the right laptop for business travel is a balance of power, portability, and durability. I recently spent time with the new Acer TravelMate P6 14 AI, and it makes a compelling case.

But how does its performance and keyboard stack up against established competitors in the business space?

Boss Fight Books: Season 8 - The Depths Below Three documentary-style books on classic video games. #1: Legend of the River King. #2: Life is Strange. #3: ???

I wrote about the first Life is Strange game for Boss Fight! I’m really excited about it!!!!

I think this book is one of my favourite things I’ve written and I also think I only could’ve written it in my mid to late 30s

Nintendo Switch 2 account bans continue — Content creator with over a million subs issues warning after buying an old copy of Bayo 3 on eBay Snazzy Labs' Quinn Nelson has fallen foul of Nintendo's aggressive anti-piracy measures

PSA: Be careful buying a Switch 2!

Nintendo is a corporation with terrible policies about game and console ownership, which may ban your console from online play because of reasons you have to guess at.

www.tomshardware.com/video-games/...

YouTube video by Matt On Tech Combine Android and ChromeOS? It would be a DISASTER

The long-standing rumor of a merger between Android and ChromeOS has just been reignited by a stunningly direct quote from Google's President of the Android Ecosystem.

In a recent TechRadar interview, he stated, "...we're going to be combining ChromeOS and Android into a single platform."

Important x notices Notice to F, M, and J Visa Applicants on Social Media Vetting Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media accounts to ‘public’ to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States under U.S. law.

Applying for a US presa visa right now and this message is on the top of every page. I wonder if they know about the existence of Mastodon, lol.

Anyway, long live the American leaders who have never done anything wrong and are flawless in every way.

Wish me luck 🤞🤞🤞

YouTube video by Matt On Tech Is this the last iPad I will ever buy?

The iPadOS 26 is packed with features that promise to finally make the iPad a true computer replacement.

But as a longtime user with an aging iPad Pro, I'm finding it harder than ever to pull the trigger on an upgrade.

#apple #iPadOS #ipados26 #ipadpro #iPad

youtu.be/2c4EwWM248U

Topographic Neural Networks Help AI See Like a Human All-TNN networks mimic human vision and consume less energy than CNNs. Curious how they achieve this? Dive into the details.

🧠 What if AI could see the world more like humans? 👀

While today's AI vision systems excel at recognizing images, they process the world very differently than we do. But that could change...

#ai #machinelearning

For Day 2 of our Season 8 launch, here's a preview of the full cover of LEGEND OF THE RIVER KING by @aeneas-nin.bsky.social. Please note the authentic Game Boy Camera author photo.

The campaign: www.kickstarter.com/projects/gab...

It’s true. But I also kinda understand. It’s a lot.

Anyone else using Google Gemini CLI in Linux and just kinda stunned at what it can do? How does this not change the PC forever? #linux

New Boss Fight Books on Kickstarter…for all you video game history nerds out there.

YouTube video by Matt On Tech How to avoid Amazon Prime Day slop

🚨 PSA: It's (almost) Amazon Prime Day, which means it's time to navigate the annual mountain of trash masquerading as "deals."

Watch before you spend a single dollar 💸 youtu.be/KSDFRJ0j5qo

#PrimeDay #Amazon

Right? Yes! Windows is trying to get there (they added more AI to settings recently, I think still in preview), but it's very slow.

I was using Gemini CLI in Linux to help me configure a new desktop environment (Sway) and it felt like a complete game changer for Linux as a desktop OS.

Just ask for a change, and it just…does it. Unless it requires admin privilege, in whic case, it tells you how.

#linux #ai

After several false starts my Raspberry Pi Pico 2 weather station is functional. Now I need to build an enclosure. #raspberrypi #weatherstation

What I’m up to on my 4th 🎆🎇🐧

EverQuest by Matthew S. Smith Official Release Date: December 3, 2024ISBN: 978-1-940535-35-7224 pages “You’re in our world now.” This bold tagline led Sony’s 1999 ad blitz for EverQuest, the year’s most anticipated massively multi...

I'm pleased to say my book exploring the history of #EverQuest has sold over 1,000 copies.

I might be a bit biased...but I think if you played EverQuest back in the day (or today!) it's a must.

Check it out at @bossfightbooks.com

#everquest #mmorpg #gaming

YouTube video by Matt On Tech Apple's new budget MacBook might have an iPhone inside

Apple may be planning a new, entry-level MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to a report from renowned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

Priced around $700 and potentially using the A18 Pro, it would be the new on-ramp for Mac users.

#apple #MacBook #macbookair #macbookse

youtu.be/Qxqm1zkxnhE

YouTube video by Matt On Tech Windows laptops have lost the plot

Reviewing a new $5,000 gaming laptop that weighs 8 pounds, has a few hours of battery life, and sounds like it's preparing for takeoff.

At what point do we just admit we're building desktops with attached screens?

My full rant is here: youtu.be/47cFuClmSFc

#windows #pcgaming

Oregon democrats what the hell are you doing. You literally have a supermajority. If you let this bill get through as it stands Friday night, you may as well sail into the sunset. You’re toast. #oregon #odot

www.oregonlive.com/politics/202...