Well, it’s almost Christmas (and thus almost the end of the year) and we’re still working through our (hopefully soon to be former) marketing software solution. Still having issues with names and email addresses, so rather than fight to get things partially done with the new platform, we’ll just suffer with the old one for another week or two. Last week I sent two copies out- one from the old platform and one from the new. If you’d be so kind as to do me a favor, I’d love to know if you got one, both, or neither. Just hit that “submit a thought” button at page bottom, and tell me what you received last week. In the meantime, scroll down for last minute gifts, party topics (as if I don’t provide you with those EVERY week), detecting deepfakes, and more.
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Rising PC Costs
If you’re planning to buy a new PC or laptop (or upgrading multiple users in your organization), you might want to act quickly. Already we’ve been seeing increases of 75-100% in the cost of RAM, and we’ve been told by distributors that early in 2026 we’ll be seeing big jumps in device pricing. Much of this is due to the shortage of RAM as manufacturers devote all of their capabilities to producing hardware for data centers, leaving the consumer market in a shambles. This price increase/hardware shortage is even effecting the cost of warranties, causing them to jump by 50-75%.
In short, expect big price hikes and longer lead times when you’re purchasing new PCs and laptops in 2026.
Party Topics
The premise behind this newsletter is that you’re supposed to have three topics of conversation any time you go to a cocktail or dinner party. In theory, you’ll be the most interesting person in the room. But how about making your fellow party attendees the most interesting people by asking them good questions? Here are some great ideas for your family or company holiday parties this season.
Words of The Year
Merriam-Webster’s official word of the year is “slop”, for the “digital content of low quality” that’s typically created by artificial intelligence. Can’t argue with that one! Further down the list of popular words are a couple of others that have been used plenty of times in the past. And then there’s the name of the New England lake that’s so long I don’t have room to put it here. My son visited there a couple of times with an ex-girlfriend whose family had a cabin on the lake… and she could pronounce the name without even having to think about it.
Last Minute Gifts
If you’re looking for some last minute gifts, this piece has you covered from head (headphones) to feet (robot vacuum) and everything in between (a bidet). There are 35 other items too, so don’t think this is only for various body parts. I’ll vouch for the Meater thermometer and the Birdfy bird feeder. Both pretty cool items that get a lot of use at our house.
I did get a kick out of the digital tape measure (sounds like a cordless hammer) that comes complete with a button for retracting the tape. ???? Somebody who doesn’t know any better will actually pay more for that feature, I’m sure.
Detecting Deepfakes
Tired of all the AI slop you see on social media? Worried about a deepfake scam leading you to send $25M to a hacker? Here are some tips for determining real from deep fake. (And they forgot to mention the ubiquitous people with six fingers on one hand)
Phishing
Some people don’t even give a second thought when they receive an email with a .pdf attached- they just open it. Others might question the attachment but click on a suspicious link without ever considering the repercussions. But how ’bout a .pdf with links inside the attachment? That’s a new trick that phishers and hackers are using to coerce people into providing their email login credentials, as many security solutions can’t detect that bad link because it’s embedded within a file.
This article is a bit too technical but it’s a good reminder to always considering what you’re about to download or click through to. And if somebody (something) is asking you for creds, you have to stop and think twice. Security training from KnowBe4 is a good starting point and so is endpoint protection and email filtering from Sophos. If you’re curious to learn more, let me know.
Nancy's Nuggets
It’s been ages since Nancy passed on anything to put in this section. So maybe we have an early Christmas gift. In this case, the new museum/subway station at Rome’s Colosseum.
That’s all for this week. Hoping your shopping is almost done and you’re ready for family and friends (or maybe peace and quiet). Christmas lights are all up at our house, and while I’ve never been a fan of inflatables, I did laugh at this one, which finally made me realize why somebody might have a hundred of them in their front yard. Volume up.
Finally, if you’re planning to cook but realize your cast iron is rusty, here are some great tips for bringing it back to good shape.
You won’t hear anything from me next week, and I’ll be back the following with the most read articles I’ve had this year.
Merry Christmas!
Abbey