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Today's quotable quote: Albert Einstein: It was the experience of mystery -- even if mixed with fear -- that engendered religion.

This day in history: 31 December 2025: The Vandals Invade Gaul (406 CE). An ancient Germanic tribe that originated in North Jutland, the Vandals began a decades-long migration in the early 5th century. The violent path they cut through Europe made their name synonymous with senseless destruction. Crossing the Rhine in 406 CE, they invaded their first stop, Gaul. The Roman-allied Franks refused to allow them to settle there, so the Vandals devastated the region and kept moving.



Home - Outeniqua Choo Tjoe

outeniquachootjoe.com, 29 October 2025

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Please watch this site for news about Classic Rails’s project to return steam trains to South Africa's Garden Route.




Klepetan and Malena - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org, 14 October 2025

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Klepetan and Malena were a pair of white storks (Ciconia ciconia) who became renowned in Croatia for their romantic endeavors. Between 2001 and 2021, Klepetan traveled from South Africa to Brodski Varoš, Croatia, each spring to mate with Malena, who was unable to travel due to a gunshot injury. On ...


The Vintage

Woah #fblifestyle, 02 October 2025

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Woah #fblifestyle


A Brief History of the Minimoog Part I

youtube.com, 23 September 2025

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Follow the life of the Minimoog Synthesizer from its inception through its prolific contributions to poplular music throughout the last 4 decades.In this fir...



Physics wins, hydrogen cars lose

medium.com, 24 July 2025

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How many times have we heard that hydrogen-powered cars are “the future”? Well, that future has been collapsing like a house of cards for a…


The Vintage

In South Portland, Maine, a group of parents sparked a quiet revolution by replacing smartphones with landlines for their kids. Concerned about the effects of constant screen time, they formed a “landline pod,” where children use home phones to call one another, plan playdates, and have real conversations—no texting, no apps, no distractions. The result? Kids building confidence, empathy, and stronger social skills through simple, meaningful connection. What began as one mother’s creative idea has grown into a neighborhood movement that’s bringing back the lost art of talking., 20 July 2025

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In South Portland, Maine, a group of parents sparked a quiet revolution by replacing smartphones with landlines for their kids. Concerned about the effects of constant screen time, they formed a “landline pod,” where children use home phones to call one another, plan playdates, and have real conversations—no texting, no apps, no distractions. The result? Kids building confidence, empathy, and stronger social skills through simple, meaningful connection. What began as one mother’s creative idea has grown into a neighborhood movement that’s bringing back the lost art of talking.



Frogsicles: Frozen But Still Alive

youtube.com, 05 July 2025

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The wood frog's body makes its own anti-freeze that allows it to survive the winter. The secret ingredient? You'll never guess.From: CRAZY MONSTER FROGShttp:...



Abandoned

These weren't just "oaks" - they were planted between larch and spruce so that they would grow tall and straight, which means the navy oak forests are rather unusual., 20 April 2025

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These weren't just "oaks" - they were planted between larch and spruce so that they would grow tall and straight, which means the navy oak forests are rather unusual.




The Vintage

The real question is why was a 46-year-old interested in a 13-year-old......, 01 March 2025

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The real question is why was a 46-year-old interested in a 13-year-old......

Contact details

Dion Truter

Work: map2tech, Unit 186, Block F, Millennium Business Park, 19 Edison Way, Century City, 7441

082 389 2834

contact7@truter.org

https://map2tech.com/

In the news

Neanderthals were actually making fire 400,000 years ago: The ability to make fire on demand has long been seen as a turning point in our evolutionary story. Posted on 31 December 2025.

Laser weapons go mobile on US Army small vehicles: Laser weapons go mobile as the US Army takes delivery of two 20-kW, anti-drone Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV)-mounted Laser-Oriented Counter-UAS System (LOCUST) Laser Weapon Systems (LWS) from AeroVironment. Posted on 30 December 2025.

2025 Measles Cases In America Surpass The 2,000 Mark: This administration is in the midst of failing the American people in so many ways, of course, but if you need one stark example of that failure then you can find it in measles. Posted on 31 December 2025.


Cape Town weather

5 day forecast

  • Wed 31: scattered clouds

    19 ° - 25 ° Wind 8 km/h / Clouds 36 %
  • Thu 01: few clouds

    19 ° - 24 ° Wind 7 km/h / Clouds 21 %
  • Fri 02: broken clouds

    19 ° - 24 ° Wind 7 km/h / Clouds 58 %
  • Sat 03: overcast clouds

    19 ° - 23 ° Wind 10 km/h / Clouds 99 %
  • Sun 04: overcast clouds

    19 ° - 26 ° Wind 11 km/h / Clouds 100 %

See next two weeks

News (continued)

How I Get Free Traffic from ChatGPT in 2025 (AIO vs SEO): Three weeks ago, I tested something that completely changed how I think about organic traffic. Posted on 04 December 2025.

Who should get paid when AI learns from creative work?: A new paper co-authored by Cornell law professor Frank Pasquale argues that the current copyright system is ill-equipped to handle a world in which machines learn from, and compete with, human creativity at unprecedented scale. Posted on 22 December 2025.

: Posted on 01 January 1970.

Facebook slow to act on posts celebrating Bondi beach massacre, anti-hate group says: Exclusive: CST highlights volume of IS-supporting accounts and says social media firms ‘putting all of us in danger’Facebook hosted terrorist propaganda that celebrated the murder of Jews and praised Islamic State, a leading anti-hate group has alleged. Posted on 31 December 2025.

Two new subtypes of MS found in ‘exciting’ breakthrough: Exclusive: Scientists uncovered biological strands using artificial intelligence and hope discovery will revolutionise treatmentScientists have discovered two new subtypes of multiple sclerosis with the aid of artificial intelligence, paving the way for personalised treatments and better outcomes for patients. Posted on 31 December 2025.

Finally, a MagSafe wallet that doesn't feel like a scam (especially at this price): The UAG Metropolis MagSafe wallet resembles my favorite Journey wallet nearly identically, and it's cheaper. Posted on 31 December 2025.

Great white sharks face extinction in Mediterranean, say researchers: Overfishing and illegal fishing are contributing to the loss of sharks, including great whites. Posted on 30 December 2025.

The year in AI and culture: From the advent of AI actress Tilly Norwood to major music labels making deals with AI companies, 2025 has been a watershed year for AI and culture. Posted on 28 December 2025.

The New Billionaires of the A.I. Boom: Just like past tech booms, the latest frenzy has produced a group of billionaires — at least on paper — from smaller start-ups. Posted on 30 December 2025.

I paid $500 for a private room with 2 beds and a toilet on a 30-hour Amtrak ride. Take a look inside: I took a 30-hour Amtrak train traveling from New York City to Miami in October 2021. Posted on 31 December 2025.

Space Events 2026: NASA’s Artemis II Moon Mission, Summer Eclipse and More: In 2026, there will be journeys to the moon and Mars, new visions of the cosmos and a solar eclipse that might be worth traveling for. Posted on 31 December 2025.

In the snow, these salamanders get supercool: Blue spotted salamanders have been seen walking across snow and new research suggests how they get by in the cold. Posted on 24 December 2025.

Winning Ways: . Posted on 31 December 2025.

Israel Deploys World's First Drone Defense Laser: Israel has operationally deployed Iron Beam, a 100,000-watt laser air-defense system capable of shooting down drones, rockets, and mortars at negligible per-shot cost. Posted on 31 December 2025.

China’s humanoid robots are gaining ground – but they’re not there yet: The U.S. and China are racing to build humanoid robots capable of performing many daily tasks – but the complexity of home and business environments makes that challenging. Posted on 29 August 2025.

'Artificial intelligence' myths have existed for centuries – from the ancient Greeks to a pope’s chatbot: 'Artificial intelligence' myths have existed for centuries — from the ancient Greeks to a pope's chatbot. Posted on 30 December 2025.


Some of the tech in my workday

Best programming language?

The PYPL PopularitY of Programming Language Index is created by analyzing how often language tutorials are searched on Google.

The TIOBE Programming Community index measures popularity based on the number of skilled engineers world-wide, courses, third party vendors and search engine activity.

w3techs analyses page content to determine the technology used, and also uses publicly available information from sources such as Alexa, Google, Microsoft and ipinfo.io.

While Java and Python top the popularity charts, more than 80% of all websites run on PHP.


Longer term weather forecast

Cape Town weather

  • Wed 31: scattered clouds

    19 ° - 25 ° Wind 8 km/h / Clouds 36 %
  • Thu 01: few clouds

    19 ° - 24 ° Wind 7 km/h / Clouds 21 %
  • Fri 02: broken clouds

    19 ° - 24 ° Wind 7 km/h / Clouds 58 %
  • Sat 03: overcast clouds

    19 ° - 23 ° Wind 10 km/h / Clouds 99 %
  • Sun 04: overcast clouds

    19 ° - 26 ° Wind 11 km/h / Clouds 100 %
  • Mon 05: broken clouds

    18 ° - 25 ° Wind 8 km/h / Clouds 63 %
  • Tue 06: scattered clouds

    19 ° - 24 ° Wind 6 km/h / Clouds 32 %
  • Wed 07: light rain

    19 ° - 24 ° Wind 5 km/h / Clouds 87 %
  • Thu 08: overcast clouds

    18 ° - 21 ° Wind 5 km/h / Clouds 96 %
  • Fri 09: light rain

    17 ° - 20 ° Wind 11 km/h / Clouds 75 %
  • Sat 10: sky is clear

    16 ° - 22 ° Wind 12 km/h / Clouds 0 %
  • Sun 11: sky is clear

    16 ° - 28 ° Wind 6 km/h / Clouds 10 %
  • Mon 12: sky is clear

    20 ° - 24 ° Wind 5 km/h / Clouds 1 %
  • Tue 13: sky is clear

    19 ° - 23 ° Wind 9 km/h / Clouds 1 %
  • Wed 14: sky is clear

    18 ° - 23 ° Wind 6 km/h / Clouds 0 %
  • Thu 15: light rain

    19 ° - 23 ° Wind 7 km/h / Clouds 69 %