jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
"Mr. Trump has asked the Supreme Court to enforce a norm — that in the United States, public officials do not engage in tit-for-tat political prosecutions — that he has for years threatened to shatter. In promising to sic his Justice Department on Mr. Biden, Mr. Trump has laid the grounds for the very conditions that he was asking the justices to guard against by granting him immunity." https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/30/us/politics/trump-biden-president-immunity.html
TikTok seems to be dodging App Store commissions in Epic fashion
It’s unclear how many TikTok users are being prompted in-app to visit its website for cheaper TikTok Coins. | The Verge
TikTok appears to be probing App Store rules that require it to pay the “Apple tax” on in-app purchases. According to Sendit app co-founder David Tesler, some TikTok users are being directed to purchase TikTok coins — digital tokens used to tip creators during live streams — on the company’s website via an in-app link, effectively dodging the 30 percent commission Apple takes on digital purchases.
Screenshots acquired by Tesler show at least two instances where iOS users are encouraged to “recharge” their TikTok coins on TikTok.com to explicitly “avoid in-app service fees.” Tapping the “try now” link on these notifications opens an embedded web view where users can access payment options like Apple Pay, PayPal, or credit/debit cards to...
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
International Workers' Day! Rejoice & resist!
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/05/01/happy-international-workers-day/
Attachments:
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
Today in History: Leo Salkeld
Sowerby is born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1895
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
Today in History: Aram Khachaturian dies in Moscow, 1978
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
Today in History: Antonin Dvorak dies in Prague, Czechoslovakia, 1904
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
Today in History: Kate Smith born, 1907, Greenville, VA
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
Today in History: Adam Weishaupt founded the Illuminati of Bavaria, 1776
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
Today in History: First BASIC program run at Dartmouth, 1964 (and the poor soul was never able to learn to program as a result)
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
Today in History: Little Walter (Marion Walter Jacobs) is born, 1930, Marksville, Louisiana
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
Mastodon gave me some good commentary on my rejection of ChatGPT as a writing aid.
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/05/01/social-media-1-chatgpt-0/
Attachments:
This Majority-Black City Has a Water Crisis That Privatization Won’t Fix
This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. In the summer of 2022, heavy rainfall damaged a water treatment plant in the city of Jackson, Mississippi, precipitating a high-profile public health crisis. The Republican Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency, as thousands of residents were told to boil […]
January 6 Rioter Derrick Evans Could Return to the Capitol—as a Congressman
Derrick Evans had served only 37 days as a freshman West Virginia state legislator when he livestreamed himself storming the US Capitol on January 6. “Derrick Evans is in the Capitol!” he yelled, after pushing his way into the building with the mob. He was soon arrested, and in February 2022, he pleaded guilty to […]
Reblogged by keul@fosstodon.org ("Luca Fabbri"):
hannah@social.alt-text.org ("Hannah Kolbeck 🏳️⚧️") wrote:
Hi friends,
The http://alt-text.org alt text library project needs a new leader, I have brain cancer.
I built a working, scalable, proof of concept library of shared alt text with fuzzy matching.
I'd like to connect with the #accessibility dev community. I want to hand the project off to a team or a leader if anyone is willing to take it over.
Github: https://github.com/alt-text-org
WIP MVP: a site designed for writing alt text with a private library: https://my.alt-text.orgBoosts appreciated
When judges get free trips to luxury resorts, disclosure is spotty
Many federal judges receive free rooms and subsidized travel to luxury resorts for legal conferences. NPR found that dozens of judges did not fully disclose the perks they got.
How some faculty members are defending student protesters, in actions and in words
The protests sweeping college campuses don't just involve students. Professors are increasingly pushing back against university administrations they see as infringing on students' free speech rights.
For many Missouri Catholics, abortion rights means choosing between faith, politics
The state is shaping up to be big battleground over abortion rights in November. Research shows a majority of U.S. Catholics supports abortion rights — even though church leadership does not.
Florida's 6-week abortion ban is now in effect, curbing access across the South
Florida has been a major access point for abortion in the South. Now its residents, along with thousands more in the region, will have to seek abortion care elsewhere after six weeks of pregnancy.
Christian conservatives wrestle with shifting GOP stance on Arizona abortion ban
After former President Donald Trump and Arizona GOP senate candidate Kari Lake distanced themselves from the law, some abortion rights opponents are left wondering who they can count on.
Reforms and heartbreak after final sentencing in Elijah McClain's death
Three police officers and two paramedics faced felony charges in death of McClain, a young Black man not suspected of a crime. Two cops were aquitted.
NPR poll: Democrats fear fascism, and Republicans worry about a lack of values
A new 2024 election poll from NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist shows fundamental divides over concerns for America's future and what to teach the next generation.
Republicans in Congress are trying to reshape election maps by excluding noncitizens
There's growing support from Republicans in Congress for excluding non-U.S. citizens from a special census count that the 14th Amendment says must include the "whole number of persons in each state."
After chronicling California at 'L.A. Times' for 43 years, Louis Sahagún has retired
In his 43 years at the L.A. Times, Louis Sahagún reported on everything from the Latino communities of east LA, to the plight of the desert tortoise. And he got his start sweeping floors.
El Niño weather is leading to droughts and power cuts in South America
A drought has upended life in several South American cities, leading to water rationing and power cuts as well as forest fires.
Before living in a pineapple under the sea, SpongeBob was born as an educational tool
Nickelodeon's megahit show SpongeBob SquarePants made its TV debut on May 1, 1999. Fans of the cartoon span generations and the animated series has become a multibillion-dollar franchise.
Deno 1.43: Improved Language Server performance
Deno 1.43 enhances productivity with a faster language server, improved npm compatibility, a new `deno serve` subcommand, URL.parse() API, and announcements regarding Deno 2.
Reblogged by keul@fosstodon.org ("Luca Fabbri"):
designthinkingcomic@mastodon.cloud ("Design Thinking! Comic") wrote:
Actions have consequences
Attachments:
New York police have cleared Hamilton Hall and the encampment at Columbia University
New York police officers cleared pro-Palestinian student encampments late Tuesday night at two campuses as similar protests continued to simmer across the country's higher education institutions.
The announcement of a new prime minister divides Haiti's transitional council
A surprise announcement that revealed Haiti's new prime minister is threatening to fracture a recently installed transitional council tasked with choosing new leaders for the gang-riddled country.
Walmart says it will close its 51 health centers and virtual care service
The Arkansas-based company said that after managing the clinics it launched in 2019 and expanding its telehealth program, it concluded "there is not a sustainable business model for us to continue."
Bestselling novelist Paul Auster, author of The New York Trilogy, dies at 77
A leading figure in his generation of postmodern American writers, Auster wrote more than 20 novels, including City of Glass, Sunset Park, 4 3 2 1 and The Brooklyn Follies.
Here's this year's list of the most endangered historic places in the U.S.
The National Trust's annual list includes Eatonville, the all-Black Florida town memorialized by Zora Neale Hurston, Alaska's Sitka Tlingit Clan houses, and the home of country singer Cindy Walker.
Columbia Just Triggered a Massive Campus Crackdown. Now the NYPD Will Stay for Weeks.
Police cleared and arrested protesters occupying Hamilton Hall at Columbia University on Tuesday night at the request of university administrators, marking a dramatic climax to the antiwar protesters’ occupation of the building. As the drama unfolded, campus officials asked police to remain on campus until at least May 17. The NYPD’s arrival on campus was its […]
collinsworth@hachyderm.io ("Josh Collinsworth") wrote:
I don't feel like Mastodon started like this, either. It used to be a cozy, welcoming niche for all kinds of nerdery.
Last year or so, though, I feel like I can't even find the content I'm here for. It's just drowned out, if it's even there. Almost like there *is* an algorithm, but it only pushes stuff that's gonna wreck your current mental state.
collinsworth@hachyderm.io ("Josh Collinsworth") wrote:
I hate to say it, but I miss having an algorithm.
Mastodon content is overwhelmingly non-stop variations on "everything sucks, we're all fucked," to a degree I don't feel like Twitter was even at the height of the pandemic. But at least with Twitter you got a few laughs in with your depression and despair.
Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz 🖤"):
LALegault@newsie.social ("LA Legault ✌🏻MCRT") wrote:
Attachments:
- t? Hon. Darth Vlader reposted maryam alwan E @maryamalwan Follow Police were quite literally throwing tables and pushing students down the stairs until one passed out. Inviting the NYPD onto campus at @Columbia University has both destroyed more property and endangered more people than the original occupation of the building. 10:26 PM • 2024-04-30 • 98K Views 2.2K Reposts 49 Quotes 5.4K Likes 190 Bookmarks (remote)
Reblogged by pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑"):
triker@mstdn.plus ("Sarah with an H") wrote:
Bike Stolen! Please Boost!
https://bikeindex.org/bikes/406557
Someone stole my trike! It had to have been a professional thief with a truck, as they cut the cable in situ, but the lock on the front wheel and frame was taken along with the trike. They couldn't have ridden it away.
If you see this trike for sale on social media, ebay or craigslist please DM me.
Attachments:
Reblogged by pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑"):
temptoetiam@octodon.social ("Abie") wrote:
@pzmyers
Specialty bike stolen in MN. Maybe boost?
https://mstdn.plus/@triker/112360424467380443
Announcing Google Summer of Code 2024 selected projects
The Rust Project is participating in Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2024, a global program organized by Google which is designed to bring new contributors to the world of open-source.
In February, we published a list of GSoC project ideas, and started discussing these projects with potential GSoC applicants on our Zulip. We were pleasantly surprised by the amount of people that wanted to participate in these projects and that led to many fruitful discussions with members of various Rust teams. Some of them even immediately began contributing to various repositories of the Rust Project, even before GSoC officially started!
After the initial discussions, GSoC applicants prepared and submitted their project proposals. We received 65 (!) proposals in total. We are happy to see that there was so much interest, given that this is the first time the Rust Project is participating in GSoC.
A team of mentors primarily composed of Rust Project contributors then thoroughly examined the submitted proposals. GSoC required us to produce a ranked list of the best proposals, which was a challenging task in itself since Rust is a big project with many priorities! We went through many rounds of discussions and had to consider many factors, such as prior conversations with the given applicant, the quality and scope of their proposal, the importance of the proposed project for the Rust Project and its wider community, but also the availability of mentors, who are often volunteers and thus have limited time available for mentoring.
In many cases, we had multiple proposals that aimed to accomplish the same goal. Therefore, we had to pick only one per project topic despite receiving several high-quality proposals from people we'd love to work with. We also often had to choose between great proposals targeting different work within the same Rust component to avoid overloading a single mentor with multiple projects.
In the end, we narrowed the list down to twelve best proposals, which we felt was the maximum amount that we could realistically support with our available mentor pool. We submitted this list and eagerly awaited how many of these twelve proposals would be accepted into GSoC.
Selected projects
On the 1st of May, Google has announced the accepted projects. We are happy to announce that 9 proposals out of the twelve that we have submitted were accepted by Google, and will thus participate in Google Summer of Code 2024! Below you can find the list of accepted proposals (in alphabetical order), along with the names of their authors and the assigned mentor(s):
- Adding lint-level configuration to cargo-semver-checks by Max Carr, mentored by Predrag Gruevski
- Implementation of a Faster Register Allocator For Cranelift by d-sonuga, mentored by Chris Fallin and Amanieu d'Antras
- Improve Rust benchmark suite by s7tya, mentored by Jakub Beránek
- Move cargo shell completions to Rust by shanmu, mentored by Ed Page
- Rewriting Esoteric, Error-Prone Makefile Tests Using Robust Rust Features by Julien Robert, mentored by Jieyou Xu
- Rewriting the Rewrite trait by SeoYoung Lee, mentored by Yacin Tmimi
- Rust to .NET compiler - add support for compiling & running cargo tests by Fractal Fir, mentored by Jack Huey
- Sandboxed and Deterministic Proc Macro using Wasm by Apurva Mishra, mentored by David Lattimore
- Tokio async support in Miri by Tiffany Pek Yuan, mentored by Oli Scherer
Congratulations to all applicants whose project was selected! The mentors are looking forward to working with you on these exciting projects to improve the Rust ecosystem. You can expect to hear from us soon, so that we can start coordinating the work on your GSoC projects.
We would also like to thank all the applicants whose proposal was sadly not accepted, for their interactions with the Rust community and contributions to various Rust projects. There were some great proposals that did not make the cut, in large part because of limited review capacity. However, even if your proposal was not accepted, we would be happy if you would consider contributing to the projects that got you interested, even outside GSoC! Our project idea list is still actual, and could serve as a general entry point for contributors that would like to work on projects that would help the Rust Project maintainers and the Rust ecosystem.
Assuming our involvement in GSoC 2024 is successful, there's a good chance we'll participate next year as well (though we can't promise anything yet) and we hope to receive your proposals again in the future! We also are planning to participate in similar programs in the very near future. Those announcements will come in separate blog posts, so make sure to subscribe to this blog so that you don't miss anything.
The accepted GSoC projects will run for several months. After GSoC 2024 finishes (in autumn of 2024), we plan to publish a blog post in which we will summarize the outcome of the accepted projects.
Reblogged by pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑"):
@pzmyers Here are a few more or less random papers on the topic - they exist, are they all self-serving? https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/ChatGPT-4-and-Human-Researchers-Are-Equal-in-A-Sikander-Baker/66dcd18c0f48a14815edca1d715fa8be8909cca6 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10164801/ https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/ChatGPT-Utility-in-Healthcare-Education%2C-Research%2C-Sallam/dfdf7ff01aa6f691831e663fd29bc71890be39e2
Reblogged by isagalaev ("Ivan Sagalaev :flag_wbw:"):
mapache@hachyderm.io ("Maho Pacheco 🦝🍻") wrote:
Do you feel like your Resume/CV is personal information that you don't want to share unless it is a technical recruiter? Or do you feel like this is public information and you don't mind sharing?
Israel will invade Gaza's Rafah 'with or without' a hostage deal, Netanyahu says
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the vow Tuesday amid the negotiations mediated by Egypt that seek to reach a cease-fire deal that could see the release of some or all of the remaining hostages.
Turns out the Rabbit R1 was just an Android app all along
I mean, at least it’s just $200? | Image: David Pierce / The Verge
Since it launched last week, Rabbit’s R1 AI gadget has inspired a lot of questions, starting with “Why isn’t this just an app?” Well, friends, that’s because it is just an app.
Over at Android Authority, Mishaal Rahman managed to download Rabbit’s launcher APK on a Google Pixel 6A. With a little tweaking, he was able to run the app as if it were on Rabbit’s own device. Using the volume-up key in place of the R1’s single hardware button, he was able to set up an account and start asking it questions, just as if he was using the $199 R1.
Oh boy.
Rahman points out that the app probably doesn’t offer all of the same functionality as the R1. In his words: “the Rabbit R1’s launcher app is intended to be preinstalled in the firmware and be...
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
djsundog@toot-lab.reclaim.technology ("DJ Sundog - from the toot-lab") wrote:
Good track.
Great music video.
"Days Go By" from Dirty Vegas
Attachments:
Judges put Louisiana's congressional map on hold. A Supreme Court appeal is likely
A federal court has blocked Louisiana's new congressional map in a case that could determine the balance of power in the next Congress and set up another Supreme Court test of the Voting Rights Act.
First responders were sentenced in Elijah McClain's death. But has justice been done?
All first responders charged in the fatal botched arrest of Elijah McClain have been sentenced, but questions remain about whether it's changed how Black people are treated by police and paramedics.
iOS 17.5 beta lets you keep Find My on during iPhone repairs
Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge
Pretty soon, Apple might let you send your iPhone in for repair without disabling Find My and Activation Lock. In the fourth iOS 17.5 beta, 9to5Mac and MacRumors found that Apple is planning to introduce a new “Repair State” mode that keeps the anti-theft measures on while your iPhone is getting fixed.
Apple and many authorized repair providers currently ask you to turn off Find My when you’re getting your iPhone repaired. It has this requirement to “prevent anyone else from getting service for your device without your knowledge,” according to Apple’s support page.
But turning off Find My got a little more tricky with the introduction of Stolen Device Protection. When enabled, this feature forces you to wait one hour before performing...
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
breakingtaps@universeodon.com ("Breaking Taps") wrote:
This project has been something of a white whale for me. Think I've been working on it 5-6 months now?
Still a lot of work to be done, but I'm finally confident (enough) in the results to share some details!
I made photosensitive pixels from Copper Oxide 😎
Apple’s latest AirPods Pro with USB-C have returned to their all-time low
The second-gen AirPods Pro offer a wealth of ecosystem tricks, along with some of the best ANC you can get in a pair of earbuds. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Earlier today, Beats announced the Solo 4 alongside the forthcoming Solo Buds. The latter joins a burgeoning lineup of wireless earbuds under the Beats brand, though, despite being an Apple product, they don’t offer noise cancellation and the kind of deep ecosystem tricks afforded by the latest AirPods Pro with USB-C. Fortunately, Apple’s second-gen earbuds are currently matching their all-time low of $179 ($70 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.
Whereas the entry-level Solo Buds are geared toward both Android and iOS, the premium AirPods Pro are aimed squarely at Apple users. The refreshed earbuds continue to offer top-tier ANC, refined sound, and the same feature set as the second-gen model from 2022, save for some added dust...
Fubo drops Discovery networks and blasts WBD for abusing its power
Image: Fubo
The face-off between streaming TV service Fubo and Warner Bros. Discovery is continuing to escalate. Fubo announced via a late afternoon press release that it has dropped Discovery networks effective immediately — “including Discovery, HGTV, Food Network and TLC, among others” — and has been unable to reach a separate deal to bring Turner sports networks TNT, TBS, and truTV to its customers.
The company claims that it had little choice but to drop the batch of Discovery channels after talks with WBD went nowhere, and it’s accusing WBD of bad-faith negotiations and an “abuse of massive market power that ultimately limits consumer choice.”
Fubu says that it offered WBD “market rates” to secure all of this content but that it never received...
Google is building a fart button into Android
This could be the perfect gas to get Google I/O started this year. | Illustration: The Verge / Shutterstock
I simply don’t know how to feel about an incoming update to the Google Phone app that adds sound effects to the Android dialer. First spotted as part of a beta update by 9to5Google, the app may soon let you tap one of six “Audio Emoji” buttons to play a short sound clip that both sides of the call can hear.
There’s clapping, laughing, crying (a sad, sliding trombone), partying, a drum sting (ba-dum ts) and... poop, which emits a fart sound. You can access the buttons during a call by tapping the option in the dialer’s overflow menu or with a small flag positioned toward the bottom.
The dormant adolescent in me wants to try the poop button at least once with a trusted friend who won’t disown me for having a questionable sense of humor....
New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, and others sue OpenAI and Microsoft
Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images
More news organizations, including the New York Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Orlando Sentinel, San Jose Mercury News, and four others, are suing OpenAI and Microsoft for alleged copyright infringement.
The publications, all owned by the hedge fund Alden Global Capital, claim that both OpenAI and Microsoft trained on their articles without compensation or permission. The plaintiffs included as evidenceseveral excerpts from conversations with both ChatGPT and Copilotshowing that both chatbots reproduced lengthy excerpts of specific articles on command, indicating that their training datasets included the texts of those articles.
They also showed screenshots of Copilot, which can search the web in real time, reproducing entire news...
Judi Dench reflects on a career built around Shakespeare
Dame Judi Dench has played everyone from the writer Iris Murdoch to M in the James Bond films. But among the roles the actress is most closely associated, are Shakespeare's heroines and some of his villians. Amongst those roles are the star-crossed lover Juliet, the comical Titania and the tragic Lady Macbeth. Now she's reflecting on that work, and Shakespeare's work in Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays The Rent.The book is comprised of Dench's conversations with her friend, the actor and director Brendan O'Hea.For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
Dragon’s Dogma 2, One Month Later
Fans of the original Dragon’s Dogma never dreamed the wonky fantasy RPG might get a sequel. Over a decade later, Capcom delivered a successor that improved on the flaws of the first without shaving off the sharp edges that earned it a cult following to begin with.
Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz 🖤"):
Adam_Cadmon1@mastodon.online ("Adam F. Lawton") wrote:
"Who failed Uvalde? YOU failed Uvalde!"
Coldest chant I've heard in years. Should be yelled at every Texas Ranger and State cop for eternity.
New Funko Fusion Trailer Cramming Even More Franchises Into This Nightmare
A new trailer is here for Funko Fusion, a game that looks more and more like a fever-dream mess of giant-headed characters from popular movies and shows. The game is out this September, so get excited, because our monoculture future is getting closer and closer!
A freed Israeli hostage waits with hope for her husband, still held by Hamas in Gaza
Aviva Siegel, 63, was taken hostage by Hamas militants on Oct. 7, along with her husband Keith. She was released after 51 days, but he was not. On Saturday, Hamas released a video showing Keith alive.
Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz 🖤"):
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz 🖤") wrote:
How to write pro-Meta propaganda disguised as a think piece:
Step 1: offer an early concession that Meta is a bad company. But keep it vague!
2. Say it's too early to make any conclusions.
3. Then conclude that you're optimistic nonetheless.
4. Tell people to ignore all critical thinking and instead to "wait and see."
Bonus: make it personal. Identify a Meta employee with no decision making authority and state you think they have good intentions.
The drinking fountain button is tragically misunderstood
Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
Buttons feel magical. You press here, and invisible connections make something happen elsewhere. But “magical” is probably not how I’d describe most public drinking fountains.
Who among us hasn’t walked up to a drinking fountain, expecting a bubbling stream of life-giving water, only to experience the crushing disappointment of a measly trickle after smashing in that button?
But I’m beginning to think it’s not the drinking button’s fault; they’re actually some of the most elegant buttons out there. They’re one of the few remaining buttons where your push directly and mechanically controls the result. They’re over a hundred years old. And all the action happens within an inch of the button itself.
Photo by Amelia...
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
Jontofski@mastodon.art ("Jonathan Edwards") wrote:
Yasaka Jinja, Kyoto. Watercolour.
Attachments:
With a deadline looming, countries race for a global agreement to cut plastic waste
A United Nations official said negotiators have a "clear path to landing an ambitious deal" on plastic pollution. But environmentalists say the plastic industry is undermining an effective agreement.
Top companies are on students' divest list. But does it really work?
Campus protesters want administrators to sell off investments in companies with ties to Israel. Here's a look at what divestment means — and why universities are saying no.
Saying he was too nice in his first term, Trump plots an aggressive second chance
In a new interview with TIME Magazine, Trump promises to prosecute President Biden, unleash the National Guard on immigrants and says it's "irrelevant" if he's comfortable criminalizing abortions.
The Biden administration is moving to reclassify marijuana. Here's what that means
The Justice Department is expected to propose a new, lower classification for marijuana that would lessen restrictions on the drug. But there's another review process to come.
Google fired a software engineer over an anti-war demonstration — he says he wasn’t even protesting
Illustration: The Verge
A software engineer who was fired from Google in connection to internal protests at the company’s offices says the company retaliated against him for merely watching the demonstration against an Israeli defense contract.
The former employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said he went to the lounge on the 10th floor of Google’s New York City office around lunchtime to check out the protest.
“When I got there, there were probably 20-ish people sitting on the floor. I didn’t talk to any of them, I talked to folks who were standing up, passing out flyers, doing other roles,” he said, adding that the protesters were wearing matching T-shirts.
The worker then went back to his desk before returning to the protest around 5PM. “I chatted with...
Fallout 76’s Great Community Makes It The Next Logical Step For Fans Of The Show
If you’re anything like me, you went looking for a Fallout game to play the second you were done with watching the well-received Amazon show. Despite the fact that the ending tees up a second season that will assuredly expound on New Vegas, a settlement from a similarly titled and beloved game, I zagged a bit and…
A Family Member Finally Shows Up to Donald Trump’s Hush-Money Trial
The first criminal trial of a former US president is underway, with Donald Trump facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments allegedly made in 2016 to cover up an affair he had with adult film star Stormy Daniels. Here’s the latest—the key updates and absurd moments—from the historic trial. Threats of jail […]
Tesla layoffs hit Supercharger team just as it’s poised to take over EV charging
Photo: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Tesla was on the cusp of taking over electric vehicle charging in the US — then, the layoffs came.
Today, multiple outlets reported that the company has laid off hundreds of employees, just weeks after cutting 10 percent (approximately 14,000 people) of its global workforce. Tesla’s Supercharger division was said to be particularly hard hit, with several soon-to-be-former employees saying that close to the entire team had been cut.
According to The Information, Rebecca Tinucci, Tesla’s senior director of EV charging, is leaving the company, alongside most of the 500-person team she oversaw. Tinucci oversaw the effort to win near universal support from other automakers for Tesla’s North American Charging Standard (NACS), an enormous...
An Agonizing Choice: Whether to Flee Southern Gaza Ahead of Assault
Israel has been public with it's plan to conduct an assault on the city of Rafah, in southern Gaza, absent a ceasefire agreement with Hamas. Such a military operation could be catastrophic for more than a million Palestinian civilians there, many having fled there from fighting elsewhere in Gaza. We hear the voices of people who are weighing the risks of staying and wondering where they can go. For more coverage of all sides of this conflict, go to npr.org/mideastupdates
It's surreal how slowly time moves in the world of C compilers.
Today there are still active projects that are hesitant to move past C89, and C99 is still the "new" standard.
The C99 standard has been released before the first public Mac OS X and Windows XP. It's older Itanium and the x86-64 instruction set. It predates iPod, Game Cube, first ever Xbox, and Nokia 3310.
Entire platforms lived and died in the meantime, while C programmers still can't be sure if they can rely on the new C99.
Eight newspapers sue OpenAI, Microsoft for copyright infringement
The New York Daily News, the Chicago Tribune and others contend that the tech companies illegally copied their work without seeking permission or ever paying the publishers.
Report: The DEA Is Finally Reclassifying Pot As Less Dangerous
On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that the Drug Enforcement Administration is proposing that cannabis be reclassified from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, a classification that comes with steep penalties, to the less severe Schedule III, for drugs with significant medical use. If the White House Office of Management and Budget approves the decision, the DEA […]
Amazon expands enterprise AI play with wider availability of its Q chatbot
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Amazon is doubling down on enterprise AI with the release of its AI chatbot Q, even as its competitors angle to offer more consumer-facing products.
Amazon announced Q in November and made it available only to a small number of users. In a post, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy writes that bringing Q to more people will help solve misalignment issues for developers.
The chatbot acts as an assistant for Amazon Web Services (AWS) users, learning from a company’s data and workflows so employees can ask questions about their business. Users can also ask Q questions about coding, HR information, or logistics, Amazon says.
Amazon’s AI focus has been largely turned toward other businesses, with most of its releases falling under the AWS banner. It o...
Priest Allegedly Spent $40,000 On Candy Crush Using Church's Credit Card
A Catholic priest in Pottstown, Pennsylvania allegedly used a church credit card to spend over $40,000 on “power-ups” in mobile games Mario Kart Tour and Candy Crush over a three-year span.
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao sentenced to four months in prison
Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images
Binance founder Changpeng Zhao was sentenced to four months in prison for failing to establish adequate anti-money laundering protections. Zhao, once the head of the largest crypto exchange in the world, pleaded guilty in November 2023.
Judge Richard Jones says that Zhao prioritized “Binance’s growth and profits over compliance with US laws and regulations.” While Jones doesn’t think Zhao is likely to reoffend, the scale of the crime is notable.
Binance “violated US law on an unprecedented scale”
Though Zhao is not as well-known as FTX fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried, he is a more important figure in the crypto world. The Chinese-Canadian entrepreneur founded Binance in 2017. Though he was required to step down as CEO of the exchange as...
With mixed economic signals, the Federal Reserve is likely to stand pat on rates
The Federal Reserve is expected to hold interest rates steady this week — and possibly for months to come — as policymakers try to sort through mixed signals about the U.S. economy.
Stellar Blade's 'Secret Request' Side Quest, Explained
There are over 30 side missions for you to accept in Stellar Blade, the new PS5-exclusive character action game from South Korean developer Shift Up, each with their own outcomes and rewards. Some are simple fetch quests, while others are multi-part affairs that see Eve impacting the lives of other characters. One,…
I’m Tired Of Dragging Big Boxes Around In Video Games
Over the weekend I spent a fair bit of time playing Stellar Blade, enjoying the action while doing my best to ignore the Discourse™. But that fun was killed when the game asked me to start moving around random boxes to complete elementary school math puzzles. And not just once, but multiple times in various areas…
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
GossiTheDog@cyberplace.social ("Kevin Beaumont") wrote:
Do I know any Wikipedia editors?
I have an actor that wants to change their picture and can supply a royalty free photo themselves. I can edit the page but I don’t know the process to make sure it is done properly.
They’re not trying to control the image btw, the current pic is just really old.
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
CogitoErgoWtf@mastodon.world ("Frankp") wrote:
That Merchan is allowing the Asshole to attend his son's graduation gives me some guarded optimism that the judge will actually throw thus fuck in jail at the next gag order violation, because it looks to me like a preemptive show of fairness and accommodation to Trump.
#TrumpTrial
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
thisistheworldofollie@mastodon.world ("Ollie the Golden Retriever") wrote:
My new little friend, Mister Duck (a l'Orange). 😊
Read my Dog Blog at vangemeren.nl (link in Bio).
#dogsofmastodon #goldenretrieversworld #goldentriever #goldenretrieversofmastodon #goldenreetrieverpuppy #goldenretrieverlovers #mastodondog #goldenpuppy #cutestpuppy #cutepuppy #dog #puppy #dogblog #adogwithablog #dogblogger #dogoftheday #doglife #cutedog #happydog #ilovemydog ❤️ 🐾
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The Rabbit R1’s first software update addresses its dismal battery life
With a dead battery, this is just a nice-looking paperweight. | Image: David Pierce / The Verge
Just a week after its initial launch, the Rabbit R1’s first software update is here — and not a moment too soon. Right on top of the list of improvements in the OTA update is “up to 5x” improved idle battery performance, addressing a major pain point for early R1 adopters. It’s also great news for me, specifically, because my R1 is constantly out of power.
Today’s update consists of two parts: an OTA update pushed directly to R1 devices and a cloud update to Rabbit OS. Battery life is far from the only issue addressed — other highlights include an improved music playback UI, improved Bluetooth reliability, and a fix for a compatibility issue when the device is plugged into a car that seems to have bricked at least one R1.
There’s also...
Honkai: Star Rail’s Sentient Capybara Is Everything To Me
During Honkai: Star Rail’s Cosmodessy event, players were treated to a little personality test. Over the course of the minigame you’d be asked a series of questions, and in the end, based on your answers, you’d be assigned a personality linked to a game character. But the characters in the test weren’t the game’s main …
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
s0@cathode.church ("s0: Soldering Saboteuse") wrote:
I’m one of today’s lucky 10000 to learn about the Japanese fusion jazz band Casiopea’s live album Mint Jams. What an absolute masterclass in tight bops. And live recording mastering too, damn. Absolutely on point.
#musicRecommendation
CBP is interrogating TikTok employees
Illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo from Getty Images
Immigration officers have interrogated more than 30 TikTok employees who traveled to the US, Forbes reports. Some workers at TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, have been pulled aside by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and held for additional questioning, according to the report. Many of the workers who have been singled out are Chinese nationals.
Some of the people who have been interrogated work in machine learning or data engineering. CBP agents have asked them about their access to US users’ TikTok data. The workers have also been asked about the location of TikTok’s US-based data centers and their own individual involvement with Project Texas, a massive corporate restructuring project designed to wall off US...
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
I think I’m going to love using Simon Willison’s “llm” tool https://simonwillison.net/2023/Aug/1/llama-2-mac/
Kobo and iFixit partner for OEM parts and repair guides
Here’s what the inside of your Kobo looks like. | Image: iFixit
E-readers might be relatively cheap when compared to your typical smartphone, but it’s still a bummer when they break, given how hard it is to find parts for them. Now, iFixit has announced that it’s offering OEM replacement parts for certain Kobo e-readers, along with detailed guides on how to install them, starting today. The first e-readers being supported are Kobo’s latest: Kobo Clara Colour, the Clara BW, and the Libra Colour.
Kobo owners can buy OEM batteries, motherboards, front and back covers, and screen assemblies for those devices on iFixit’s new Kobo Repair Hub page. iFixit has a detailed guide for installing each part.
We're thrilled to announce our partnership with Rakuten Kobo, starting with their new Colour eReaders!...
How a Few Secret Donors Are Fueling the New Right-Wing Infrastructure
In early 2021, Stephen Miller—former White House senior adviser to Donald Trump and architect of the 45th president’s hopeful second-term mass deportation agenda—announced his next venture: America First Legal (AFL). Paraded as “the long-awaited answer to the ACLU,” AFL fights for Trumpist values in the legal system. And the group is prolific: In its three years […]
bcrypt@infosec.exchange ("yan") wrote:
people who have had kids: what are the top things you wish you'd done (or done more of) in your pre-kids phase of life?
Trump Says States Could Prosecute Women for Abortions Under His Watch
Eight years ago, in his 2016 run for president, Donald Trump said that women who have abortions should be criminally charged. “There has to be some form of punishment,” Trump said at the time. The comment caused a firestorm and his campaign walked it back within hours. It marked one of the few times that […]
The best laptops you can buy
Illustration by William Joel / The Verge
The best laptops for you, from ultraportables to gaming machines, MacBooks to Chromebooks.
Dave & Buster's Will Soon Let You Place Bets On Arcade Games
Starting later this year, popular family entertainment restaurant chain Dave & Buster’s will offer its customers (who are 18 years or older) the ability to place “friendly wagers” on various games using the company’s app.
Five Years Ago, The First Sonic Movie Trailer Broke The Internet
Looking at the original trailer for the live-action Sonic the Hedgehog movie is like looking into a portal to a different timeline, one where the film itself likely doesn’t herald the arrival of a massively successful film franchise that eventually spawns a bad Paramount+ spin-off. At best, it results in a Morbius-leve…
Assassin’s Creed Mirage trust falls onto the iPhone this June
Image: Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed Mirage will be coming soon to an Apple device near you. Ubisoft has announced that the latest entry in the Assassin’s Creed series will arrive on select Apple products on June 6th. Said devices include the “iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and iPad Air and iPad Pro with M1 chip or later,” and you can preorder the game on the App Store here.
Apple has been slowly rolling out higher-end gaming experiences on its mobile devices and macOS. Last year, the Resident Evil 4 remake and Resident Evil Village released on iOS, while Death Stranding debuted earlier this year. According to The Verge’s Jay Peters, who reviewed _RE Village’_s performance on iPhone, AAA games on the iPhone play better than expected but struggle in terms...
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
I explained the tech demo for the idea I am working on to the lawyer today, and they said: "That sounds like magic." every time I get a reaction like that to my quick hack demo I am re-energized.
If your iPhone alarm has gone quiet, Apple says it’s working on a fix
Image: Apple
Apple says it’s working on a fix for an issue that’s causing some iPhone owners’ alarms to trigger silently. That’s according to the Today show’s segment this morning about the issue, which has been spreading on social media as users complain that their alarms aren’t waking them up. Vergecast producer Liam James told me he’s been having the same problem since Friday, with an alarm that he set “6 or 7 years ago” and hasn’t touched since.
It’s not clear how widespread the problem is. If you’re going through it, though, it wouldn’t be the worst idea to check a couple of your settings. One is to make sure that the ringtone and alerts volume slider under Settings > Sound & Haptics is turned up. It can be easy to accidentally turn down your...
Reblogged by bcrypt@infosec.exchange ("yan"):
tethik@infosec.exchange ("Joakim Uddholm 🇸🇪🇩🇪") wrote:
Started working on a tool to create PDFs for printing backups of cryptographic keys. Uses @bcrypt 's niceware format/encoding. Meant for use in storing offline copies of yubikey/disk encryption keys.
⚠️ Not ready for use yet. Please do not use in production and lose your keys.
Just sharing the initial prototype.
Still todo:
- Make PDF look pretty, with clear instructions.* Add option to encrypt (pbkdf+memorized master passphrase, or a static key) before encoding.* Move go port of niceware to it's own repo/lib.* Add recovery command/flow to the cli* Print and ✨Laminate✨ some keys :)
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jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
a lot of the time, I think things through while walking. it beats hell out of doing so while sitting at my desk, and has the added virtue of confusing ppl about why I walk so much each day.