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Today's quotable quote: Samuel Beckett: Dublin University contains the dream of Ireland - rich and thick.

This day in history: 29 December 2025: WWII: Germans Firebomb the City of London (1940). By the end of the Blitz—Germany's eight-month nighttime bombing campaign in Britain—tens of thousands of people were dead and millions of homes lay in ruins. For about a two-month period, the country faced nightly attacks. One of the worst raids occurred on December 29, when much of London—including such historic landmarks as St. Paul's Cathedral and the Guildhall—was destroyed or damaged by bombs and the fires they started.



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

Bio-mimicry? Try 'beaver-mimicry' dams to offset climate chaos: The descendants of black-bear-sized giants who could haul massive rocks with their mouths, modern Castor canadensis once numbered as many as 400 million in North America. Posted on 28 December 2025.

Design without restraint: 2025's most ambitious architecture: The past 12 months have produced a remarkable number of buildings that push architecture to new heights. Posted on 29 December 2025.

It’s Almost Time! The Public Domain Game Jam Starts This Week: As we announced a few weeks ago, it’s nearly time for the latest installment in our series of public domain game jams, Gaming Like It’s 1930! It’s an extra special jam this year as we begin a brand new decade of works entering the public domain, and as always it will begin on New Year’s […]. Posted on 28 December 2025.


Cape Town weather

5 day forecast

  • Mon 29: sky is clear

    19 ° - 28 ° Wind 4 km/h / Clouds 0 %
  • Tue 30: broken clouds

    18 ° - 24 ° Wind 6 km/h / Clouds 55 %
  • Wed 31: overcast clouds

    20 ° - 25 ° Wind 8 km/h / Clouds 97 %
  • Thu 01: scattered clouds

    19 ° - 24 ° Wind 8 km/h / Clouds 48 %
  • Fri 02: overcast clouds

    19 ° - 24 ° Wind 8 km/h / Clouds 97 %

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.

From shrimp Jesus to erotic tractors: how viral AI slop took over the internet: Flood of unreality is an endpoint of algorithm-driven internet and product of an economy dependent on a few top tech firms In the algorithm-driven economy of 2025, one man’s shrimp Jesus is another man’s side hustle. Posted on 29 December 2025.

The pioneering light boxes helping Orkney islanders avoid seasonal affective disorder: Wintering Well boxes to counter effects of low light on mental health are ‘super popular’, says island librarian“Boxes of light” are being used to help people who struggle with low winter mood while living in one of Scotland’s darkest communities as part of a wider research initiative to support the million-plus sufferers of seasonal affective disorder across Britain. Posted on 29 December 2025.

How you're charging your tablet is quietly killing it - 3 mistakes to avoid (and the right way): A tablet is only as good as its battery, so it's time to start taking better care of it. Posted on 29 December 2025.

Why 2026 looks bright for Northern Light sightings: With the Sun still in an active phase there could be more spectacular Northern light displays in the year ahead. Posted on 29 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.

A Father and Son’s $108 Billion Hostile Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery: Larry and David Ellison didn’t always have a close relationship. Posted on 29 December 2025.

Webull delivers zero fees and full investing power: For years, Hong Kong retail investors have tolerated a patchwork of commissions, platform fees and small-print add-ons that quietly eat into their gains. Posted on 29 December 2025.

Twins’ Peaks: The Gilbertson Brothers Want to Rewrite Your Country’s Map: Two brothers, both mechanical engineers, are climbing many of the world’s tall peaks to prove they have been measured incorrectly. Posted on 28 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.

Trump and Netanyahu are to meet in Florida at a crucial moment for the US-backed Gaza ceasefire: . Posted on 29 December 2025.

AI Chatbots May Be Linked to Psychosis, Say Doctors: One psychiatrist has already treated 12 patients hospitalized with AI-induced psychosis — and three more in an outpatient clinic, according to the Wall Street Journal. Posted on 29 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.

Primates Quiz: Go ape and test your knowledge on our closest relatives: Time to stop monkeying around — just don't go bananas if you get the wrong answer!. Posted on 28 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

  • Mon 29: sky is clear

    19 ° - 28 ° Wind 4 km/h / Clouds 0 %
  • Tue 30: broken clouds

    18 ° - 24 ° Wind 6 km/h / Clouds 55 %
  • Wed 31: overcast clouds

    20 ° - 25 ° Wind 8 km/h / Clouds 97 %
  • Thu 01: scattered clouds

    19 ° - 24 ° Wind 8 km/h / Clouds 48 %
  • Fri 02: overcast clouds

    19 ° - 24 ° Wind 8 km/h / Clouds 97 %
  • Sat 03: overcast clouds

    19 ° - 23 ° Wind 10 km/h / Clouds 89 %
  • Sun 04: sky is clear

    19 ° - 25 ° Wind 11 km/h / Clouds 5 %
  • Mon 05: few clouds

    18 ° - 24 ° Wind 8 km/h / Clouds 22 %
  • Tue 06: scattered clouds

    19 ° - 24 ° Wind 8 km/h / Clouds 29 %
  • Wed 07: light rain

    18 ° - 23 ° Wind 4 km/h / Clouds 8 %
  • Thu 08: sky is clear

    17 ° - 21 ° Wind 7 km/h / Clouds 0 %
  • Fri 09: sky is clear

    18 ° - 22 ° Wind 11 km/h / Clouds 7 %
  • Sat 10: sky is clear

    18 ° - 22 ° Wind 11 km/h / Clouds 0 %
  • Sun 11: sky is clear

    17 ° - 23 ° Wind 11 km/h / Clouds 0 %
  • Mon 12: sky is clear

    18 ° - 24 ° Wind 10 km/h / Clouds 0 %
  • Tue 13: sky is clear

    18 ° - 23 ° Wind 7 km/h / Clouds 3 %