• Mint Mobile — Mobile Plans for Cheap

    Gene’s real-world carrier endorsement: Mint Mobile for $240 a year ($20 a month) and says he uses 17GB data a month. For only $16 a month, you get 6Gb a month. “This is freaking awesome… I’ve been super happy with the one I’m on.” ” Mint’s current setup lets each line on a family plan pick its own data tier (6GB up to unlimited) at a flat per-line rate — a real alternative if you’re tired of a big-carrier family plan bill.
    Try it: mintmobile.com.

    [Unrelenting #206 2:19:55]

    Sir Gene and Mint Mobile

  • What It Actually Costs to Run AI Locally — Mac Studio vs. Nvidia DGX Spark

    Gene ran the real numbers on ditching cloud AI for your own hardware. A maxed-out Mac Studio (M5 Ultra, 256GB RAM, 8TB SSD) runs about $14,000. The alternative: two Nvidia DGX Spark boxes (128GB RAM each, $5,000 apiece at retail, though scalpers want closer to $7,000 right now), linked by a 200Gb connection so they act as one shared 256GB machine. His take: “Local AI, man, we called it here first… it’s where it’s going to go” — though by his own admission, cloud AI is still the cheaper route for most people today.
    Amazon doesn’t carry the high-end Mac Studio configuration discussed — that one’s configured directly at apple.com/mac-studio. For a cheaper way into the lineup, Amazon does sell a renewed base Mac Studio: amazon.com (M2 Max, 32GB RAM/512GB SSD — well below the specs discussed, so think of it as a taste of the lineup, not the same machine). The Nvidia DGX Spark isn’t sold on Amazon at all; find it at nvidia.com or Micro Center.

    [Unrelenting #206 59:00]

    What It Actually Costs to Run AI Locally

  • The Pete Dye Course Sunset Dinner at French Lick Resort

    Gene’s birthday dinner find at French Lick Resort: a Sunday-only sunset dinner at the Pete Dye Course clubhouse, held inside the historic Taggart mansion (former Indiana governor’s home, complete with a hidden staircase out of the bedroom). Only about 20 seats, run just 16 times a year, 4 courses (bruschetta or shrimp, tomato bisque, a filet Oscar-style, dessert) with full table-side service as the sun sets. “This was the best dinner I’ve had in years… highly recommend it.” Not cheap — their bill ran $462 with tip for two — but a genuinely exclusive experience if you’re already at the resort.
    Not sold on Amazon (restaurant experience). More info: frenchlick.com/dining — reservations needed, Sunday nights in season only.

    [Unrelenting #206 1:29:56]

  • A Zojirushi-Style Hot Water Dispenser for Proper Tea

    Gene’s tea setup: a Zojirushi electric water boiler/warmer — basically a thermos that plugs into the wall, boils water, holds it at the exact temperature your tea needs, and dispenses it with a pump button. He’s had his Zojirushi for over a decade and just bought a second (cheaper, nearly identical) one for a different room. “It boils water to exactly the correct temperature” — handy since different teas want different water temps.
    Get it: amazon.com (Zojirushi CD-WCC40, a comparable current model — his exact unit is older).

    [Unrelenting #206 1:18:24]

    Zojirushi

  • Chambord + Champagne — Darren’s Fix for Not Being a Champagne Guy

    Came up while pricing out the resort’s $567 bottle of Dom Pérignon room service: Darren says he’s not a champagne drinker on its own, but “if you pour Chambord and champagne, then I’ll drink it” — basically a Kir Royale with the raspberry liqueur Chambord standing in. An easy, cheap way to make champagne drinkable if it’s not usually your thing.
    Amazon doesn’t sell liqueur directly in the US (same restriction as wine) — check your local liquor store, or see chambord.com for where to find it.

    [Planet Rage #236 2:21:37]

    Chambord + Champagne

  • Muse, Part 3 — Trip Planning, Recipe Tweaks, and Outsmarting Amazon’s Own Pricing

    Adam’s been on Meta’s Muse for a couple of weeks now and calls it outstanding. Real examples from the show: it’s helping plan his upcoming Malaysia trip, explaining an unfamiliar cathedral facade in Italy from a single photo he took, tweaking his own bread recipes, and sending him a daily digest pulled from Gmail tied to stocks he owns. He also found a workaround after Amazon blocked Muse from price-comparison shopping on its own site — Muse now tunnels through his own browser session instead, so it looks like him searching, not a bot.

    Try it: ai.meta.com/muse.

    [No Agenda #1908 1:30:00]

    Adam Curry drinks the Muse Kook-Aid
  • John C. Dvorak’s Office, Untouched: The No Agenda 5K Reveal

    John C. Dvorak’s Office, Untouched: The No Agenda 5K Reveal

    The No Agenda Instagram account just crossed 5,000 followers, and JCD made good on his promise: a photo of his office podcasting setup, untouched, in all its glory. It does not disappoint. Highlights: a boom-arm mic swung over the desk, a red audio interface, a tangle of cables that could power a small town, a…

  • Mint Mobile — Mobile Plans for Cheap

    Mint Mobile — Mobile Plans for Cheap

    Gene’s real-world carrier endorsement: Mint Mobile for $240 a year ($20 a month) and says he uses 17GB data a month. For only $16 a month, you get 6Gb a month. “This is freaking awesome… I’ve been super happy with the one I’m on.” ” Mint’s current setup lets each line on a family plan…

  • What It Actually Costs to Run AI Locally — Mac Studio vs. Nvidia DGX Spark

    What It Actually Costs to Run AI Locally — Mac Studio vs. Nvidia DGX Spark

    Gene ran the real numbers on ditching cloud AI for your own hardware. A maxed-out Mac Studio (M5 Ultra, 256GB RAM, 8TB SSD) runs about $14,000. The alternative: two Nvidia DGX Spark boxes (128GB RAM each, $5,000 apiece at retail, though scalpers want closer to $7,000 right now), linked by a 200Gb connection so they…

  • The Pete Dye Course Sunset Dinner at French Lick Resort

    The Pete Dye Course Sunset Dinner at French Lick Resort

    Gene’s birthday dinner find at French Lick Resort: a Sunday-only sunset dinner at the Pete Dye Course clubhouse, held inside the historic Taggart mansion (former Indiana governor’s home, complete with a hidden staircase out of the bedroom). Only about 20 seats, run just 16 times a year, 4 courses (bruschetta or shrimp, tomato bisque, a…

  • John C. Dvorak’s Office, Untouched: The No Agenda 5K Reveal

    John C. Dvorak’s Office, Untouched: The No Agenda 5K Reveal

    The No Agenda Instagram account just crossed 5,000 followers, and JCD made good on his promise: a photo of his office podcasting setup, untouched, in all its glory. It does not disappoint. Highlights: a boom-arm mic swung over the desk, a red audio interface, a tangle of cables that could power a small town, a…

  • Mint Mobile — Mobile Plans for Cheap

    Mint Mobile — Mobile Plans for Cheap

    Gene’s real-world carrier endorsement: Mint Mobile for $240 a year ($20 a month) and says he uses 17GB data a month. For only $16 a month, you get 6Gb a month. “This is freaking awesome… I’ve been super happy with the one I’m on.” ” Mint’s current setup lets each line on a family plan…

  • What It Actually Costs to Run AI Locally — Mac Studio vs. Nvidia DGX Spark

    What It Actually Costs to Run AI Locally — Mac Studio vs. Nvidia DGX Spark

    Gene ran the real numbers on ditching cloud AI for your own hardware. A maxed-out Mac Studio (M5 Ultra, 256GB RAM, 8TB SSD) runs about $14,000. The alternative: two Nvidia DGX Spark boxes (128GB RAM each, $5,000 apiece at retail, though scalpers want closer to $7,000 right now), linked by a 200Gb connection so they…

  • The Pete Dye Course Sunset Dinner at French Lick Resort

    The Pete Dye Course Sunset Dinner at French Lick Resort

    Gene’s birthday dinner find at French Lick Resort: a Sunday-only sunset dinner at the Pete Dye Course clubhouse, held inside the historic Taggart mansion (former Indiana governor’s home, complete with a hidden staircase out of the bedroom). Only about 20 seats, run just 16 times a year, 4 courses (bruschetta or shrimp, tomato bisque, a…

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