Quirky Journal

Goodbye, Data Plans Why Your Next Smartphone Might Come With Built-in LoRa

Goodbye, Data Plans: Why Your Next Smartphone Might Come With Built-in LoRa

Editors Picks, Must Read, Technology, Tools & Gadgets /

Forget $50/mo data plans. LoRa radios in phones (Spec5 Spectre) + Meshtastic create 1-10mi mesh networks for free encrypted texts/GPS sharing. No towers needed—devices relay messages. Urban: 1-3mi/node. Rural: 5-10mi+. Solar relays extend 30mi+. Hike/disasters/privacy/rural without cellular dependency. USB adapters upgrade existing phones $30-60.

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The Great Rotation Why Investors Are Finally Ditching Big Tech for Small Caps

Great Rotation: Small Caps Surge as Investors Dump Magnificent 7

Editors Picks, Finance, Must Read /

After 10 years of Big Tech dominance, capital rotates to small/mid-caps: Russell 2000 +7% YTD, 14-session win streak not seen since ’96. Lower rates cut small cap debt costs, Trump tax cuts boost earnings, AI productivity helps small biz compete. Equal-weight S&P (RSP inflows $4B) outperforms cap-weighted. Regional banks, industrials, energy lead as valuations normalise.

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Set It and Forget It How Smart Investors Simplify Decisions Without Losing Control

Set It and Forget It: How Smart Investors Simplify Decisions Without Losing Control

Editors Picks, Finance /

Most investors don’t lose money because they pick terrible assets—they lose because constant decisions lead to stress, overtrading, and emotional mistakes. By automating contributions, rebalancing, and tax optimisation through robo-advisors or simple rules, you cut 90% of the noise while still controlling your goals, risk level, and big-picture strategy. A “set it and forget it” system doesn’t mean abdication; it’s how disciplined investors protect returns and reclaim their time.

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The $100k Net Worth Blueprint How to Hit Six Figures on a $60k Salary

The $100k Net Worth Blueprint: How to Hit Six Figures on a $60k Salary

Case Studies, Finance, Tutorials /

A $60k salary feels like “real money” until taxes, rent, and loans hit—leaving roughly $3,900/month to work with. Yet plenty of people still reach $100k net worth on similar incomes by tracking every dollar, using a 50/30/20 framework, building a $3–5k emergency fund, grabbing every dollar of employer match, and automating $500–$800/month into simple index funds for 8–12 years—long enough for compounding to finally make the money start working harder than you do.

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Flat Rate Loan Scam Why 5% Actually Costs You 9-10%

Flat Rate Loan Scam: Why 5% Actually Costs You 9-10%

Editors Picks, Finance /

Dealership offers “5% flat rate” car loan with perfect monthly payments? Math says you’re paying 9.2% effective interest—nearly double. Flat rate ignores principal payments, charging interest on money you’ve already repaid. Always demand written APR (not flat rate), verify with amortization schedule, and shop credit unions. This legal scam costs Americans thousands extra yearly.

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Financial Sabotage China and India Just Orchestrated the Greatest Supply Chain Attack in History

Financial Sabotage: China and India Just Orchestrated the Greatest Supply Chain Attack in History

Editors Picks, Finance, Must Read /

London’s metal vaults are quietly running dry while factories in the West discover their “just‑in‑time” supply chains were really “just‑one‑shipment‑away‑from‑failure.” India has been pulling silver out of Western vaults in record tonnage, and China now effectively controls the rare earths that power EVs, wind turbines, smartphones, and modern weapons. This isn’t a glitch in globalisation—it’s a deliberate long game that swapped Wall Street’s paper claims for Beijing and New Delhi’s physical metal. The result is a new era where controlling rocks in the ground matters more than running the world’s stock exchanges.

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The All-Weather Portfolio How to Build a Portfolio That Thrives in Any Economy

The All-Weather Portfolio: How to Build a Portfolio That Thrives in Any Economy

Finance, Must Read /

60/40 portfolios worked when rates fell for 40 years. Now both crash together during inflation. Ray Dalio’s All-Weather spreads risk equally: 40% long bonds (TLT), 15% intermediate (IEF), 30% stocks (VTI), 7.5% gold (GLD), 7.5% commodities (DBC). Add 10-month trend filter to cut drawdowns 50%. Rebalance annually. Thrives when you can’t predict growth/inflation/recession/stagflation.

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