Seamus Bellamy

Alberta

Senior Editor, Electronics for @Reviewed. Full-time Hobo. Peer Support Volunteer for @BadgeLifeCanada. Eventual novelist. There’s more to us than this.

Articles

Car feature subscriptions make it easy for the government to track you

2 weeks ago | boingboing.net | Seamus Bellamy

Over the past few years, It's been damn near impossible to purchase an app for your phone or tablet without having to invest, after the fact, in an additional subscription to get access to all of the app's features. It's a charming financial death of a thousand cuts that has spread to several other products. Arguably, none feels more insidious than paying micro-transactions to get the most out of a car you just bought or are leasing.
Medication delivered by chewing gum

3 weeks ago | boingboing.net | Seamus Bellamy

Here's something cool: brains at the University of Pennsylvania have developed a chewing gum that, at least in lab tests is able to trap flu virus and the little buggers that cause herpes—simplex viruses one and two. That's right: in the near future there may be no need for shots, pills or other unsavoury delivery systems. Your vaccines and medicines could be delivered via a stick of Juicy Fruit. From Gizmodo:The Penn researchers have been working on antiviral gum for some time now.
This knife has become my best EDC buddy

3 weeks ago | boingboing.net | Seamus Bellamy

When I leave the house, I like to be prepared for anything. Even though I realize this isn't possible, I do what I can. You'll rarely find me without a few essentials: a reliable flashlight, whichever smartphone I'm currently using, an Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) and a knife. The last time I was in the 'States, I stayed for six months. I travelled with nothing but a carry-on. So, no knife for me. I decided to use the trip as a chance to snag a new blade I can't get in Canada.
ICE detains Harvard Medical School cancer researcher

3 weeks ago | boingboing.net | Seamus Bellamy

Kseniia Petrova is a scientist at Harvard Medical School. Born in Russia, Petrova's been busy developing computer scripts essential for decoding the findings of a new kind of microscope. It's a device so unique that it has the potential to lead to astounding breakthroughs in the early detection of cancers. Unfortunately, she's fallen a little behind in her research as she's been detained by ICE for the past two months, locked up at the Richwood Correctional Center in Monroe, Louisiana.
Canada creates maple syrup fraud deterrent

3 weeks ago | boingboing.net | Seamus Bellamy

Canadians churn out close to 70% of the world's maple syrup. That's a lot of buckets nailed to a lot of Canadian maple trees. Americans are crazy for the stuff. According to the CBC, in 2024 alone, folks in the United States gobbled up $450 million worth of the stuff. Anyone who loves maple syrup knows that it doesn't come cheap. Collecting and processing tree blood is a labour-intensive practice. Add to this the cost of trucking it south across the border, and you've got yourself a premium product.
Good deal on hit RPG Baldur's Gate 3

3 weeks ago | boingboing.net | Seamus Bellamy

If you haven't played Baldur's Gate 3 yet, chances are you've had to listen to a friend blather on about why it's so great. Larian Studios' BG3 is a frigging masterpiece, with hundreds of hours of gameplay (it's wicked replayable), outstanding voice acting and compelling writing that keeps players coming back for more. It's so popular there's been no reason to discount it. Folks keep forking over cash for this outstanding CRPG, no matter the price.
ICE enlists Palantir to track down people it wants gone

4 weeks ago | boingboing.net | Seamus Bellamy

According to a leaker in contact with 404 Media, Peter Thiel's spooky private intelligence company, Palantir Technologies, has taken on a significant role in assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) with locating individuals destined for deportation. Given recent whimsical comments by President Trump, such deportation targets could include American citizens—'accidental' or otherwise.
Date announced for Peacemaker season two

4 weeks ago | boingboing.net | Seamus Bellamy

James Gunn is describing the second season of Peacemaker as 'one of his favourite things ever.' As Peacemaker season one was one of my favourite things ever, this statement excites me. According to GamesRadar, there's finally a date to focus that excitement on: August 25th. Now that he's done apologizing for recognizing Taiwan as a nation, John Cena will be back along with the rest of his merry band of rejects, as they awkwardly try to save the world.
America's rich die sooner than Europe's poor

1 month ago | boingboing.net | Seamus Bellamy

The rich won't be happy until they've taken ever damn thing that was once ours. Our jobs, the dignity of being able to pay for housing, living under the freedom that a democracy can afford and, of late, mortality rates. If you hold a grudge about this sort of thing, good news: According to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine, being a rich bastard in the United States no longer equips you with everything you need to live out we, the little people.
Today's new horror: necrotizing fasciitis of the vulva

1 month ago | boingboing.net | Seamus Bellamy

Doctors in the U.K. report a rise in the number of cases of necrotizing fasciitis of the vulva. Doctors at the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust detailed three such cases in a paper published this month in BMJ Case Reports. All three women were hospitalized, and one died as a result. These cases are part of a growing trend in the UK, the doctors say, and infections that can cause necrotizing fasciitis are increasing in the U.S. as well.