Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the humble tradition of carving pumpkins. You may recall in 2006 when we reviewed Pumpkin Scissors or our review of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, but we have never dedicated an entire episode to the carving of pumpkins.

In the news, tonight is the 19th anniversary of GeekNights. (The brave can listen to the remastered pre-launch beta episodes (with commentary)). Also jaywalking is no longer illegal in New York.

• Pumpkin Carving

• Pumpkin Carving

• Rym - Megilat Ḥam-Ed — the Scroll of the Steamed Portions of Cham
• Scott - What is the first American graphic novel?

Tonight on GeekNights, we review the Terminator Zero anime. It's a worthy Terminator entry, though we'd suggest watching Terminator and Terminator 2 (and nothing else) before watching it. Eight episodes on Netflix and produced by Production IG, Skydance, and Netflix. In the news, John Wick is getting a prequel anime, and Animation Speak Easy is this Friday in Brooklyn.

Be sure to make a plan to vote for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. Don't be a sucker.

• Terminator Zero (2024)

• Terminator Zero (2024)

• Rym - he single worst seat at Guaranteed Rate Field
• Scott - Protecting a Dust Jacket

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about widgets. Mostly status and telemetry widgets that people like to put on their desktops or their phones. They have their uses, but are usually useless. In the news, Cloudplane is shutting down in December, Adobe's Project Turntable is stunning, and Tesla's robots were (obviously) fake.

If you are able to vote in the United States, make a plan to vote. You can't sit this one out. You can't vote for a "third party." It's frankly unethical to do anything but vote straight ticket for Democrats.

There are two power-seeking coalitions in America. Choose the one that you want setting the rules for the next election. The Democrats are the literal best option we have. Do the right thing.

• Widgets

• Widgets

• Rym - An undulating thrill
• Scott - Asian Hockey Card Collection

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the concept of debt. In the news, the FTC makes a move against dark patterns in subscriptions and North Korea blows up its connection to South Korea and decrees that unification is no longer possible.

• Debt

• Debt

• Rym - Wireless Non-Electrical Remote
• Scott - The woman who revolutionized the fantasy genre

Tonight on GeekNights, we review The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. It's a Zelda game and you probably should play it. In the news, the big Nintendo leak isn't that exciting and Reiner Knizia’s SHOCKING Confession.

• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

• The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom

• Rym - BART Speedrun Records
• Scott - BigBoxDB

Tonight on GeekNights, we review Look Back. Directed by Kiyotaka Oshiyama and based on Tatsuki Fujimoto's manga of the same title. You may know Tatsuki Fujimoto from Goodbye Eri and Chainsaw Man. In the news, Rym's flight home from Singapore has its own wikipedia page, Anno is producing a new Space Battleship Yamato film, and the Uzumaki anime has some drama.

• Look Back (2024)

• Look Back (2024)

• Rym - T-Bar Problems
• Scott - BBC Sound Effects

Tonight on GeekNights, we talk about cores and concurrency and threads and such. Also Rym and Emily fought a bear. In the news, Intel's chip instability saga has concluded, and Python 3.13.0 is pretty good.

• Multicore Multiprocess Concurrency and Such

• Multicore Multiprocess Concurrency and Such

• Rym - How Mei Blows Up the Game
• Scott - Popular Science (May 1872)

Tonight on GeekNights, we consider the evils of web trackers and analytics. They are used almost exclusively to feed the ad industry and you should block them wherever possible. Rym has installed the microcode patch for some Intel chips and you should too if you have one of them.

In the news, Microsoft is moving to a security-first posture, nostalgia accounts on social media are making up nonsense, and chatbots are intruding into and slowly ruining online social spaces.

• Web Trackers and Analytics

• Web Trackers and Analytics

• Rym - We Spent $20 To Achieve RCE And Accidentally Became The Admins Of .MOBI
• Scott - Magician's Brick