Tootfinder

Declared extinct in 2025: A look back at some of the species we lost https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2025/12/declared-extinct-in-2025-a-look-back-at-some-of-the-species-weve-lost/

Declared extinct in 2025: A look back at some of the species we lost
Some species officially bid us farewell this year. They may have long been gone, but following more recent assessments, they’re now formally categorized as extinct on the IUCN Red List, considered the global authority on species’ conservation status. We may never see another individual of these species ever again. Or will we? Slender-billed curlew This […]

Filing: Fox News seeks to dismiss Newsmax's antitrust lawsuit filed in Wisconsin, after a Florida judge dismissed an earlier version of the case in September (Matthew Keys/TheDesk.net)
https://thedesk.net/2025/11/fox-moves-to-dismiss-second-newsmax-anti…

Fox News moves to dismiss second Newsmax antitrust lawsuit
Attorneys for Fox News Media are seeking to dismiss an antitrust lawsuit filed by cable rival Newsmax in Wisconsin federal court, the second such case involving the two right-of-center news outlets.

Prototype device restores lost smell by teaching the brain to feel odors https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-11-prototype-device-lost-brain-odors.html
Substitution of human olfaction by the trigeminal system

Prototype device restores lost smell by teaching the brain to feel odors
There is new hope for people who have lost their smell. Scientists have successfully tested a breakthrough device that lets people detect the presence of certain odors. This innovative system helps them "smell" again by translating odors into feelings (like touch) inside the nose.

Filing: iRobot says its last potential buyer withdrew from the process and its financials remain dire, following Amazon abandoning a 2024 bid; IRBT drops 33% (Annie Palmer/CNBC)
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/27/irobot-stock-roomba.html

iRobot stock tumbles 33% after Roomba maker warns the search for a buyer has stalled
The Roomba maker's financial condition has worsened since Amazon abandoned its planned acquisition of the company in 2024.

I never thought I’d see Waterworld on a list of «best of…» films. I mean, it’s a cheesy, fun movie — but good? Hm; maybe not. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/27/youre-gonna-need-a-bigger-b…

Day 30: Elizabeth Moon
This last spot (somehow 32 days after my last post, but oh well) was a tough decision, but Moon brings us full circle back to fantasy/sci-fi, and also back to books I enjoyed as a teenager. Her politics don't really match up to Le Guin or Jemisin, but her military experience make for books that are much more interesting than standard fantasy fare in terms of their battles & outcomes (something "A Song of Ice and Fire" achieved by cribbing from history but couldn't extrapolate nearly as well). I liked (and still mostly like) her (unironically) strong female protagonists, even if her (especially more recent) forays into "good king" territory leave something to be desired. Still, in Paksenarion the way we get to see the world from a foot-soldier's perspective before transitioning into something more is pretty special and very rare in fantasy (I love the elven ruins scene as Paks travels over the mountains as an inflection point). Battles are won or lost on tactics, shifting politics, and logistics moreso than some epic magical gimmick, which is a wonderful departure from the fantasy norm.
Her work does come with a content warning for rape, although she addresses it with more nuance and respect than any male SF/F author of her generation. Ex-evangelicals might also find her stuff hard to read, as while she's against conservative Christianity, she's very much still a Christian and that makes its way into her writing. Even if her (not bad but not radical enough) politics lead her writing into less-satisfying places at times, part of my respect for her comes from following her on Twitter for a while, where she was a pretty decent human being...
Overall, Paksenarrion is my favorite of her works, although I've enjoyed some of her sci-fi too and read the follow-up series. While it inherits some of Tolkien's baggage, Moon's ability to deeply humanize her hero and depict a believable balance between magic being real but not the answer to all problems is great.
I've reached 30 at this point, and while I've got more authors on my shortlist, I think I'll end things out tomorrow with a dump of also-rans rather than continuing to write up one per day. I may even include a man or two in that group (probably with at least non-{white cishet} perspective). Honestly, doing this challenge I first thought that sexism might have made it difficult, but here at the end I'm realizing that ironically, the misogyny that holds non-man authors to a higher standard means that (given plenty have still made it through) it's hard to think of male authors who compare with this group.
Looking back on the mostly-male authors of SF/F in my teenage years, for example, I'm now struggling to think of a single one whose work I'd recommend to my kids (having cheated and checked one of my old lists, Pratchett, Jaques, and Asimov qualify but they're outnumbered by those I'm now actively ashamed to admit I enjoyed). If I were given a choice between reading only non-men or non-woman authors for the rest of my life (yes I'm giving myself enby authors as a freebie; they're generally great) I'd very easily choose non-men. I think the only place where (to my knowledge) not enough non-men authors have been allowed through to outshine the fields of male mediocrity yet is in videogames sadly. I have a very long list of beloved games and did include some game designers here, but I'm hard-pressed to think of many other non-man game designers I'd include in the genuinely respect column (I'll include at least two tomorrow but might cheat a bit).
TL;DR: this was fun and you should do it too.
#30AuthorsNoMen

TIL: the #39c3 DECT network also covers at least part of the Radisson hotel. I was just woken up by a call from someone to my DECT.
Have to switch it off next night.
Well, not much harm done, my alarm would have woken me up soon anyway for my Angel shift at 04:00 in the Cloakroom Lost and Found.

Series C, Episode 06 - City at the Edge of the World
KERRIL: Sorry, Vila, it's all my fault.
VILA: No, you were right. Bayban would never have let me out without finishing the job.
KERRIL: How long do you think the air will last?
https://blake.torpidity.net/m/306/402 B7B2

Day 6: Kamome Shirahama
Before I wander much father afield, I'd be remiss not to include at least one Mangaka (I've got 8 on my planning list; if you think Manga is pushing it just wait until you see what the next few days have in store).
I'm currently following "Witch Hat Atelier," and it's absolutely amazing in several dimensions: first class world-building, deep philosophical themes, nuanced diverse cast, tightly-constructed interwoven plots, deep mysteries that keep everything churning and show up in unexpected places, absolutely stellar art both in terms of in-panel depictions and page layouts (some are Watchmen-quality), especially if you are sartorially inclined, and general kindness of its core messages. This is a series I wish every programmer would read, because it includes excellent advice about software design in multiple ways (did I mention there's an intricate and logical magic system within which the main character innovates in legible-to-the-reader-as-innovation ways?). Also, I bet I would have enjoyed this just a much as a 10-year-old as I'm enjoying it in my 30's, which is something that takes well-honed skill to pull off.
Shirahama is a master of her craft, and I'm honestly kinda surprised to see Witch Hat is only her second series. Definitely thinking how I can get my hands on her earlier work in English.
#20AuthorsNoMen

Filing: Strava voluntarily dismissed its patent lawsuit against Garmin, for allegedly infringing its heat map and segments features, just 21 days after filing (Ray Maker/DC Rainmaker)
https://www.dcrainmaker.com/2025/10/strava-drops-voluntarily-lawsuit-again…

Strava Voluntarily Drops Lawsuit Against Garmin
 Strava’s multifaceted legal (and social media) attack on Garmin was short-lived. Just 21 days after filing the original patent infringement case, alongside a Reddit post from their executive team attacking Garmin, the company has decided to dismiss the case