Hi, hello, and welcome to the last edition of the overkill digest newsletter for the year. This one will be a bit different.
I'm once again in the middle of a French forest with absolutely shitty internet. At least this time, I managed to convince people to let me order a Starlink antenna.
It will arrive during my stay here, so I might write a little thing for overkill about the experience. I've been running around the premises with my phone pointed at the sky, trying to find the best spot with the fewest obstructions. I might have to cut a tree or two, or climb onto the roof, so please wish me luck that I don't die trying.
Also, wish me luck that this actually fixes the internet situation. Because if it does, I might come here more often and work remotely for a week or so each time.
Since I am staying for two weeks, I brought way too many gadgets. I brought the ASUS ROG Flow Z13, which I am testing for the next three months. I've installed CachyOS, and after about a week or so, and no more than three reinstalls, I've decided to make the switch to Linux full-time.
I'll start a series early next year on how the whole experience has been going, but if you've been considering trying Linux, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. I'm using KDE, but I also have a VM running Arch Linux, where I'm testing the Dank Linux Shell with Niri. I might wait for a few more updates to Dank Linux and then switch to Niri.
Also, the Z13 hardware is great. I'm still a bit unsure whether I prefer a traditional laptop, since this is more of a tablet and laptop hybrid, think Microsoft Surface, but Strix Halo is a crazy chip. There's a hardware review in the works, too. Laptop-wise, the Zephyrus G14 looks intriguing AF, but I'm unsure how it will behave with Linux, and hardware is just too expensive right now thanks to the AI memory madness. The alternative would be a ThinkPad P14s, but that is the boring choice.
I also brought the Playnix machine. It's a custom PC with a 3D-printed case made by the creator of EmuDeck. The hardware is powerful, way more powerful than a Steam Machine. I downloaded a whole bunch of games, brought too many controllers, and will hook it up to the living room TV after hitting send, or rather, schedule, on this newsletter. I'll probably play the remakes of the first three Yakuza games and finally get through Clair Obscur and Silksong.
Finally, I also brought my camera, the AYN Thor (review soon), the Boox Palma 2 Pro, (review soon, although I'm currently reading a paper book), the FiiO, and a whole pile of chargers. So many chargers.
This week, the company structure behind overkill was officially closed. I'm relieved that everything was done before the end of the year, as it was one of those things that kept nagging at the back of my mind and zapping creative energy. Now, overkill is officially back to being a hobby project, written by yours truly.
That said, I decided to launch a Ko-fi page in case you want to support overkill. While I tried to reduce all costs, there is still the server to pay for, around $800 a year (sending emails is ridiculously expensive), plus domains and some other services I rely on. Any additional cash would go toward buying devices to review.
So if you want to support overkill, this is one way. The other is simply sharing what I write with people you think might be interested, although the more people subscribe to the newsletter, the more expensive it gets, which is kind of funny. And if all you do is read what I write, know that this alone is already more than enough.
I want to change a few things for 2026, both in how I run overkill and how I interact with technology.
For one, I am still planning a redesign to turn overkill more into a blog and less into an online magazine. I want to comment on and link to other posts more regularly, but right now, the way overkill is set up makes that process a bit too cumbersome. I also want the project to be more interactive and community-driven. Maybe a Discord server, or using social media more intentionally, could be ways to get there. I'm still undecided, so if you have suggestions, feel free to slide into my inbox.
I'm also rethinking my relationship with technology.
With the rise of AI (and at this point, I think it's safe to say it is here to stay), and companies cramming it into every single nook and cranny of their products, the way we operate with tech will change. Or at least, companies really want it to, since there is too much money involved.
I believe there will be a counterculture emerging from this, with more people wanting to take back control over their digital lives.
For example, my switch to Linux is one of these changes. I'm realizing that I no longer want to be at the whim of a trillion-dollar company that can decide to redesign an entire operating system for the worse overnight. I'm looking at you, Apple.
And while I do use AI (or rather LLMs, since I still hate calling it AI as I don't consider it intelligent in the way I define intelligence), as a digital assistant, I'm not willing to let it take over the parts of my life that I actually enjoy, especially the creative side of things.
So this is what I want to focus on more in 2026, on overkill and beyond: a more mindful relationship with technology. I hope you'll join me on that journey.
And with that, thank you so much for reading overkill over the past few years, and thank you for your support. While I love writing about tech, knowing that there are people out there reading these newsletters sparks a tremendous amount of joy.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and see you again in 2026.
With love, Kevin!
P.S.: The newsletter will be back on January 11.