Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge
Meta is reportedly planning to build a world-spanning fiber-optic subsea cable for its own exclusive use. According to TechCrunch, the $10 billion project will create a new 40,000+ kilometer (about 24,850 miles) cable network around the world that avoids “areas of geopolitical tension” where subsea cables have been sabotaged, such as the Red Sea, the South China Sea, Egypt, Marseilles, the Straits of Malacca, and Singapore.
While Meta is already a part-owner of 16 existing networks, this new cable project would be entirely owned by the company — allowing it full control to prioritize traffic to its own products and services. That would bring Meta in line with Google’s efforts, which privately owns a handful of cable routes and has...
The new Nest Learning Thermostat (4th Gen) is on sale this Black Friday. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
‘Tis the season to stock up on smart home gear. Whether you are looking to expand your own setup or searching for a good gift for a smart home newbie, there are some great discounts right now on smart speakers, locks, lights, and even smart trash cans.
Here, I’ve rounded up some of my top picks for gadgets I love that are seeing some serious discounts. I will keep this post updated throughout the holiday shopping weekend, so check back often.
Author and TV host Kelly Corrigan has a radical way to support a loved one through a crisis, big or small. Here's her technique to make someone feel like it's safe to open up.
We’re nine months through 2024 now, and this year has carried over two significant trends for the video game industry from 2023 into 2024: a lot of excellent games are coming out, and, unfortunately, the people who make them are suffering. We’ve gotten some fantastic new games like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and the…
Screenshot: Twinkly
Whenever Verge staff is asked to describe their favorite games, smart tech, desktop accessories, or whatever, they are free to talk about things they recently bought, things they picked up 10 years ago, or things they’ve had sitting around their house for decades. Inevitably, though, some of the items have popped up in Black Friday sales. We thought we’d offer a curated list of a few of them.
Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, reviewer
Finding a board game that will entertain a 13-year-old girl, a 16-year-old boy, my partner, and me is a challenge. We’ve cycled through all the classics as well as newer options — Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride, Catan, and more. While these are all great, inevitably one of the group develops a...
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
countering right-wing tactics like FoxNews with MSNBC didn’t work either. the counter to misinformation & disinformation is *not* more information. (see earlier posts on ‘Nexus’ by Harari)
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
thumbs are a terrible advantage
Amazon’s latest Echo Dot is one of the better Echo speakers available — and it’s down to just $22.99. | Image: Amazon
Combing through the deluge of Black Friday deals can be a daunting task, but the most affordable end of the spectrum is always a good place to start. In fact, we’re already seeing plenty of discounts available on budget-friendly gadgets and goodies ahead of the holiday, much of which can be had for under $30. You’re not just getting junk, either.
If you know where to look, it’s not hard to find something useful for your arsenal. Right now, for example, you can get a great smart speaker in the fifth-gen Echo Dot, pick up a classic platformer like Super Mario Odyssey, or even level up your home security with cameras like the Blink Video Doorbell or Ring Indoor Cam. Many of the deals make for great stocking stuffers, too, or serve as an...
NPR staffers bring you more than 300 new book recommendations in the latest edition of Books We Love. Plus, what to expect from a record-breaking holiday spending season.
It's time to discuss one of the perennial debates of the holiday season. Are real Christmas trees or their fake counterparts more eco-friendly?
When Richard III's skeleton was found under a parking lot in England in 2012, it was an exciting enough discovery for the general public, but a game-changer for Yvonne Morley-Chisholm.
The parliamentary election will decide the next government, and will show whether Ireland bucks the global trend of incumbents being ousted by disgruntled voters.
NPR's Michel Martin speaks with pediatricians Candice Jones and Jaime Friedman, who offer tips on how to travel with little ones. (Story aired on Morning Edition on Nov. 24, 2024.)
In this week's StoryCorps, Philadelphia radio host Cherri Gregg remembers her grandmother, Maryhall Fuller Robinson Snead, who helped her find her voice.
Shark’s newest robot vacuum is $500 off for Black Friday and is worth buying just so you can call it Sharkira. | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge
Robot vacuums are on sale all the time. But this Black Friday, there are some fairly significant price drops, including on rarely reduced flagship models like Roborock’s S8 MaxV Ultra and iRobot’s Combo 10 Max. If you’ve been holding out on trying the latest and greatest, now is a good time to dive in.
Deep discounts are also available on some of our favorite midrange and budget bots, and iRobot is slashing prices on its entire line. Read on for our rundown on the best deals on robotic floor cleaners this holiday shopping weekend.
From hiding, María Corina Machado says she'll continue to fight for Venezuelan democracy.
The six-month season saw an above-average number of storms. Scientists say climate change is leading to more powerful and deadly hurricanes that can affect inland communities far from the coasts.
Indigenous advocates called the final agreement in Azerbaijan "drastically insufficient." Now they're focusing on next year's global climate summit in Brazil where Indigenous participation is expected to be historic.
In an episode we first brought you in March, we consider butter chicken. It is a much-loved Indian dish, both within that country and around the world. But who can claim they invented it? That question is the subject of a lawsuit. Our reporter tries to get to the bottom of butter chicken's origin and finds out that it is a journey through India's history.You can find celebrated Indian chef Madhur Jaffrey's recipe for butter chicken here.
The Apple Watch Series 10 is on sale for Black Friday, too. | photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
The holiday shopping season is here — which means it’s a great time to snag deals on smartwatches and fitness trackers.
Black Friday and Cyber Monday, in particular, are excellent opportunities if you or a loved one have health or fitness-related goals for the year ahead. That said, it can get a little daunting sifting through the dozens of models out there. Not to worry — we’ve rounded up the best deals for smartwatches and fitness trackers out there.
At least five Democratic members of Congress from Connecticut were targeted by bomb threats on Thursday. Police who responded said they found no evidence of explosives on the lawmakers' properties.
Image: Elen Winata for The Verge
From OLED TVs and iPads to streaming services, games, and e-readers, here’s the very best of what Black Friday has to offer.
slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell") wrote:
A whole lot of people selling the idea that they would "define the future" and "change the world" conveniently omitted that change is a vector; it has both magnitude and direction.
Longtime state media journalist Dong Yuyu met often with journalists and diplomats. His family believes he is now being persecuted for those exchanges.
nadim@infosec.exchange ("Nadim Kobeissi") wrote:
Finally received the results for my driving exam today. I passed! Getting a driver’s license in France was shockingly strict. The standards are ultra high. It took four months, including 35 hours of lessons! Both the written and practical tests had almost zero tolerance even for minor errors.
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
dancast@wandering.shop ("DanCast") wrote:
Sad that the 5 lbs sugar free Haribo gummy bear bags are no longer available on Amazon. The reviews were priceless.
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
Louder, for the people in the back:
I don't fight because I'm sure I'm going to win. I do it because I know that a world in which I don't fight will be worse.
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
fsf@hostux.social ("Free Software Foundation") wrote:
"'This equipment is supposed to save your life,' David Burchell, who has type 1 diabetes, told the BBC. 'And basically it broke, just showing a white screen, and I had a panic.'" Read the full article on the importance of software freedom in medical devices: https://u.fsf.org/448
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
jerry@infosec.exchange ("Merry Jerry, powered by AI🎄🎅🕎⛄️❄️") wrote:
In 2028, I am running for president on the platform of taxing home garden grown produce! People should not be able to exploit that loophole in the system.
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
jerry@infosec.exchange ("Merry Jerry, powered by AI🎄🎅🕎⛄️❄️") wrote:
I had to break the news to my millennial kids that they’re going to have to choose between housing and their avocado toast, given today’s tariff announcement
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
I love when ppl write in plain language
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
sometimes the timing of me seeing things in the Multiverse just amazes me. I am beginning to work out a 2FA flow of my own for my seekrit project, to validate user account CREATE email & to authenticate account UPDATE & DISABLE/DELETE operations.
https://til.simonwillison.net/cloudflare/workers-github-oauth
Simon puts out some real gold nuggets in the email newsletter 👍🏼
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
JFC
https://bsky.app/profile/rmac.bsky.social/post/3lc2cywmafs2m
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
- The fact that a worm ate half of RFK Jr’s brain means he won’t have as many thoughts distracting him from his job.
- If you ask me, Kristi Noem’s dog was asking for it.
- Thank God Trump is kicking out all those undocumented workers! If I want fruit and vegetables I’ll just pick them myself.[2/2]
(courtesy ‘The Borowitz Report’)
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
Dinner Talking Points:
- Matt Gaetz would have been a great Attorney General. No one cares more about America’s children.
- I can’t wait for Trump’s tariffs. I’m sick of paying so little for everything.
- American education is a mess, and that’s because we’ve never had someone in charge of it with professional wrestling experience.[1/2]
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
ahhhhh
Hank's Other Soul (Remastered 2006) by Hank Mobley
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:
Happy thanksgiving to all who celebrate and a good evening to everyone. I drank sangria and at ham.
slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell") wrote:
This is a cool website:
Vito, a pug from Chapel Hill, N.C., beat out more than 1,900 dogs representing more than 200 breeds and varieties that competed in this year's event.
Nintendo, currently predicting 2024 net sales of $8.4 billion and operating profits of $2.4 billion, is continuing its furious crackdown on those modding or emulating its systems and games. Its latest target, via a story by Game File, is the Reddit sub SwitchPirates, while also asking to subpoena information from a…
Reblogged by keul@fosstodon.org ("Luca Fabbri"):
bw@social.lol ("Blake Watson :prami:") wrote:
This is the coolest blog post I’ve ever seen. https://mgx.me/kirby-vs-this-blog-post
Putin said his military may use another of its new hypersonic missiles to target government or official buildings in Kyiv, in response to Ukraine's continued use of American and British weapons.
4K TVs like the Sony A95L don’t come cheap, but they’re a bit easier to acquire right now. | Image: Sony
Black Friday wouldn’t be Black Friday without a deluge of TV deals. And while we wouldn’t exactly recommend the second-rate models lining the Sunday circulars, there are plenty of TVs already on offer for Black Friday that deliver a satisfying viewing experience and solid feature set — whether you plan on gaming, watching sports, or catching up on the latest TV shows and movies.
Several of the best OLED models are currently sitting at or near all-time low prices right now, including the excellent LG C4 and Sony A95L QD-OLED, the latter of which a panel of judges (including our own Nilay Patel) voted as the veritable “King of TV.” Below, we’re also highlighting briefcase TVs, solid midrange picks under $1,000 like the 65-inch TCL QM85...
Once upon a time, the United States of America would enjoy a holiday called “Thanksgiving.” However, over time, as culture shifted and the country changed, it eventually evolved into the day of celebration we now all know and love. That’s right, Thanksgaming! It’s the day of the year when everyone in America—and all…
Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan") wrote:
Good news, folks, head of Mastodon partner Meta met with Trump.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mark-zuckerberg-meets-donald-trump_n_6747cc84e4b0f94744d1c903
Via @dromografos
Gargron ("Eugen Rochko") wrote:
I have to record a video message for a conference and it's giving me newfound appreciation for all of the entertainers who can speak to a camera coherently.
Reblogged by keul@fosstodon.org ("Luca Fabbri"):
marino222@mastodon.uno ("libriperlapace.it") wrote:
Devi iniettarti ogni giorno un po’ di fantasia
per non morire di realtàRay Bradbury
Although they look fantastic on a Christmas tree, Philips Hue’s vibrant string lights work great year-round. | Image: Philips Hue
If you were planning on putting up the holiday lights this weekend, then you might want to take a look at the Philips Hue Festavia string lights. Normally $219.99, you can currently pick up a 65-foot string with 250 color-changing LEDs from Amazon and Philips Hue for $153.99. If you need a longer strand, the 130-foot string with 500 bulbs available from Amazon and Philips Hue for an all-time low of $251.99 ($108 off).
Philips Hue’s Festavia are some of the best holiday string lights you can buy. They outshine their rivals with rich colors and magical preset scenes and effects, which allows your house to stand out (if you want it to). Of all the models we tested last year, they were also the only ones with a relatively robust IP54 rating...
Image: Pocketpair
Pocketpair isn’t letting a major lawsuit slow it down. The developer has announced that its Pokémon-like hit Palworld is getting a big update in December, which will add a new island to the game. It’s described as the “largest, harshest, and most mysterious” location in the game, measuring around six times the size of Sakurajima, an island that was added in a summer update.
Aside from the new location, there aren’t many other details about the forthcoming update. But the announcement comes amid a surge in news for the game, which became a viral sensation at the beginning of 2024. In 2025, Palworld will be getting some kind of crossover with the survival crafting game Terraria, and a mobile version is also in the works, helmed by PUBG...
The keyboard features eight RGB lighting modes that shine through the translucent keycaps. | Image: 8BitDo
8BitDo has announced a new version of its mechanical keyboard with a design inspired by the transparent green edition of Microsoft’s original Xbox console. The 8BitDo Retro 87 Mechanical Keyboard - Xbox Edition features a transparent green shell and matching keycaps similar to the console. But unlike previous iterations of the keyboard, this is the first from 8BitDo to incorporate RGB backlighting.
The Xbox Edition mechanical keyboard is now available for preorder through Amazon for $119.99 with shipping expected to start on January 16th, 2025. 8BitDo also announced the matching 8BitDo Retro R8 Mouse alongside the keyboard, which is also listed on Amazon, but not available for preorder yet.
Image: 8BitDo
The...
As Nintendo gears up to take down Palworld for its aping of Pokémon game design elements, another high-profile court case seems inevitable with Tencent’s announcement of Light of Motiram (thanks Gematsu), a game that looks uncannily similar to Sony’s Horizon Zero Dawn.
Photo by: Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Eastman Kodak has temporarily paused all film production. The news comes as part of a shutdown in November allowing the company to upgrade and modernize its Rochester, New York factory, according to a report by Kosmo Foto. The decision was announced by Kodak CEO Jim Continenza during the company’s Q3 2024 quarterly earnings call on November 13th. The improvements will help Kodak keep up with an increased demand for film.
“Our film sales have increased on motion picture and in still film and other films. So on film, we’re doing a shutdown in November, total shutdown,” Continenza said during the earnings call. “We’ve continued to invest in our manufacturing process, while we need to shut down completely to bring light into the dark, right?...
Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan") wrote:
Folks: that stupid Elon Musk, he really ran Twitter into the ground…
Elon Musk: buys Twitter and uses it to win Trump the presidency of the United States and propel himself into the upper echelons of government.
He’s not an idiot, folks. He’s the winner of your beloved capitalism game and a most dangerous fascist.
The ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel brokered by the United States and France was characterized by President Biden as an attempt to deliver a "permanent cessation of hostilities."
Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
raeve@transfem.social ("Raeve :spinnycat_enby: :neocat_amogus:") wrote:
@cwebber@social.coop okay this one hurt
Apple’s new M4 MacBook Pro is a great computer for its usual $1,599. It’s even better if you nab it for $1,399. | Photo by Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
A laptop is one of the larger tech purchases for most people, so Black Friday is a good time to make that investment. Windows laptops, MacBooks, and even Chromebooks all have their regular cadence of discounts and sales promotions from retailers like Best Buy, but this time of year is often when you can save a few hundred bucks and get a quality machine that should easily last more than a few years.
Yes, the timing can feel slightly awkward because CES is right around the corner in January, and all the big Windows laptop makers debut new generations of products there. But those anticipated models can take another couple of months to actually hit store shelves — and even longer before they see any sizable sales. If you’re in need of a...
Photo by Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Australia just voted into law a social media ban for children under the age of 16. The legislation was approved by Australian lawmakers on Thursday with the aim of protecting the mental health of children online, despite opposition from tech companies who claim the rules are unworkable.
The new law is scheduled to come into effect in 12 months, giving social media companies time to meet the requirements. These include taking “reasonable steps to prevent children who have not reached a minimum age from having accounts.” Children who violate these upcoming restrictions won’t face punishment, nor will their parents — the responsibility lies entirely with platform providers.
“We want Australian children to have a childhood, and we want...
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better tablet for $249.99 than the 10th-gen iPad. | Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge
Apple may have announced a new iPad Mini just over a month ago, but if all you want is a basic tablet for entertainment purposes, it’s probably not worth forking out $499 for Apple’s latest tablet. In fact, unless you’re clamoring for Apple Intelligence or a pint-sized form factor, the 10th-gen iPad will suffice. Thankfully, it’s on sale at Amazon with Wi-Fi and 64GB of storage starting at $249.99 ($100 off) when you clip the on-page coupon, which drops the tablet to its best price to date.
The A14 Bionic processor in the entry-level iPad isn’t as snappy as the Mini’s A17 Pro chip, but it offers more than enough power for streaming, browsing the web, and video chatting. The iPad can also last up to 10 hours or more when doing basic...
Image: BioWare
From romance to character classes, BioWare has made made almost all the game’s options compelling.
A social media ban for children under 16 will become first law in the world to levy fines on TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, Reddit, X and Instagram for allowing youth accounts.
Back in October, Microsoft announced that come November, it would be able to finally start selling Xbox games via its app on Android devices. This, as The Verge points out, has not yet happened. Now Xbox president Sarah Bond has taken to social media to lay the blame for this delay squarely at Google’s feet.
The Israeli military said it had fired at people trying to return to certain areas of southern Lebanon on the second day of a ceasefire with the Hezbollah militant group.
Whether you’re preparing to deep-fry a turkey or hiding from family and friends in the bathroom and looking for Black Friday deals, you could probably use something to watch this Thanksgiving Day break. Fortunately, we have plenty of recommendations, from tried-and-true favorites to off-the-beaten path picks.
The Brotli format is being extended to support multiple files, and looks a lot like a ZIP replacement:
https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-vandevenne-shared-brotli-format/
Image: Snoo
This time last year, I was pregnant with my first child and extremely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of decisions to make. Should we buy a rocking chair or a glider? Which bassinet should we get? What how-to book, white noise machine, or magical schedule would make a newborn sleep? I spent a lot of time asking friends, searching Reddit, and reading blogs to try to figure out what things I would actually need — and then which specific products to buy.
I did not exhaustively test every product against the competition (having a baby is very all-consuming), but I can tell you what gear I frequently use and love with my son, who is now eight months old. A lot of these products get nice discounts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so it’s a...
Christopher Nolan is in the rarified air of directors like Steven Spielberg and James Cameron where his name alone is enough to get audiences to theaters.
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
I think it might be winter now.
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/11/28/where-have-all-the-flowers-gone/
Mall of America's recipe for success includes an amusement park, pop-up stores, weddings and raves. Can local malls take a page from the country's largest shopping center?
The team behind the note-taking app Craft released a new version this week, after months of beta testing and more than a year in development. It includes lots of changes, but three big ones: new ways to style your documents; a new section called Collections that lets you compile and organize related stuff; and a bunch of new task-management tools.
Craft works on Apple devices, Windows, and the web, and the team says Android is coming eventually. I’ve been testing the beta for the last few months, and I absolutely love it. This new Craft is the best app I’ve tried for managing both big projects and day-to-day life. It’s still missing a few features, particularly on the to-do list front, but it is both beautifully designed and very...
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:
A quick note— Bluesky may have the juice, but we don't have to drink the Kool-Aid.
https://fromjason.xyz/p/notebook/bluesky-may-have-the-juice-but-we-don-t-have-to-drink-the-kool-aid/
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
I need to start reading more poetry.
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/11/28/is-it-too-late-for-me-to-switch-fields-to-poetry/
Here you can see the original 1983 G-Shock (left) compared to the DW-5000R recreation (right). | Image: Casio
It’s been 41 years since Casio debuted the very first G-Shock digital watch, and its latest timepiece is the brand’s most faithful recreation to date. The new G-Shock DW-5000R is visually near-identical to the original DW-5000C launched in 1983 — right down to the length, and dimple positioning on the watch strap.
The rugged appeal of the original DW-5000C carries plenty of nostalgic charm, but it was a novel concept when it first launched. Its creator, Casio engineer Kikuo Ibe, was inspired to make a damage-resistant timepiece after his mechanical watch shattered on the ground when it fell off his wrist. The resulting G-Shock design was intended to have “triple 10” resistance — meaning a battery life of ten years, water resistance of 10...
Many topics have divided the nation recently. NPR asked readers for insights into how they handle divisive conversations over the holidays. Here are the tips they provided.
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:
If there were truly centrists willing to vote for Harris but didn't because she didn't throw trans people under the bus enough for their liking, where's the liberal outrage for those centrists?
Why do centrists get a pass? Let's look at the demographics-- oh.
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:
Blame:
- T̶r̶a̶n̶s̶ ̶p̶e̶o̶p̶l̶e̶
- L̶a̶t̶i̶n̶o̶s̶
- B̶l̶a̶c̶k̶ ̶p̶e̶o̶p̶l̶e̶
- L̶e̶f̶t̶i̶s̶t̶s̶
- Mercury retrograde ✅https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kamala-harris-campaign-polls_n_67462013e4b0fffc5a469baf
This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. For decades they have been working underground, establishing mycorrhizal-like networks of commerce and influence, taking root in academia and institutions, and even extending their tendrils into supranational governance. Their goal is to transform the diets of people across the world, to […]
todb@infosec.exchange ("Tod Beardsley :thinkerguns:") wrote:
I’m not pirating movies, I’m just training my model.
Daojoan ("JA Westenberg") wrote:
Life is technically full of endless possibilities, but most of us just choose the same three: procrastinate, overthink, and order takeout. Philosophers call this ‘the human condition.’ Delivery drivers call it ‘job security.'
attoparsec@clacks.link ("Matthew Dockrey") wrote:
Things I think people should be more angry about:
* Mortality
* The problem of evil
* The fact that we spend ONE THIRD of our lives asleep.
Most Black women voters supported Kamala Harris in her presidential run against Donald Trump. Now some say they are pulling back, to rest and mourn.
In an episode we first posted in January, we go to the West African country of Ghana. The Ghanaian government began encouraging people of African descent from around the world to move to the country in 2019, calling it the "Year of Return". They even created settlements for the people who took them up on the offer, giving out free land. But our correspondent talks to locals who say their farm land was stolen to give to foreigners.
A spokesperson for Meta confirmed that Zuckerberg and Trump met on Wednesday, saying he was invited for dinner with the president-elect to talk about the incoming administration.
Among those targeted were New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, Trump's pick to serve as ambassador to the United Nations, and Matt Gaetz, Trump's initial pick to serve as attorney general.
A federal appeals court Wednesday ruled that Border Patrol agents cannot cut razor wire that Texas installed on the U.S.-Mexico border in the town of Eagle Pass, Texas.
KAKURAT!
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:
Does following a Treads account from Mastodon count as "accessing" Meta's products?
From: @tomjennings
https://tldr.nettime.org/@tomjennings/113556193793911384
Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
tomjennings@tldr.nettime.org ("tom jennings") wrote:
Hahahahaha fuck you.
Instagram just "updated their terms" -- I don't have an Instagram account --
"... This includes things like clarifying that people or businesses may still be subject to our Terms when they are logged out or if they access our products without an account."
So even non instagrammers must comply with changeable rules.
Uhuh fuck you.
Mark Zuckerberg. | The Verge | Photo by Tom Williams via Getty Images
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg met President-elect Donald Trump for dinner at Mar-a-Lago on Wednesday.
“It’s an important time for the future of American Innovation,” Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in a statement shared with The Verge. “Mark was grateful for the invitation to join President Trump for dinner and the opportunity to meet with members of his team about the incoming Administration.”
While it’s unclear what the two men discussed, the meeting suggests Trump may be softening his view of Zuckerberg. He has said the tech billionaire should be jailed for Facebook’s role in the 2020 presidential race and his personal donations to mail-in ballet initiatives.
Zuckerberg, meanwhile, has intentionally distanced himself from politics this...
Oh, Twitter, why can't I quit you? https://jwz.org/b/ykdg
The Rust team is happy to announce a new version of Rust, 1.83.0. Rust is a programming language empowering everyone to build reliable and efficient software.
If you have a previous version of Rust installed via rustup
, you can get 1.83.0 with:
$ rustup update stable
If you don't have it already, you can get rustup from the appropriate page on our website, and check out the detailed release notes for 1.83.0.
If you'd like to help us out by testing future releases, you might consider updating locally to use the beta channel (rustup default beta
) or the nightly channel (rustup default nightly
). Please report any bugs you might come across!
This release includes several large extensions to what code running in const contexts can do. This refers to all code that the compiler has to evaluate at compile-time: the initial value of const
and static
items, array lengths, enum discriminant values, const generic arguments, and functions callable from such contexts (const fn
).
**References to statics.**So far, const contexts except for the initializer expression of a static
item were forbidden from referencing static
items. This limitation has now been lifted:
static S: i32 = 25;
const C: &i32 = &S;
Note, however, that reading the value of a mutable or interior mutable static is still not permitted in const contexts. Furthermore, the final value of a constant may not reference any mutable or interior mutable statics:
static mut S: i32 = 0;
const C1: i32 = unsafe { S };
// error: constant accesses mutable global memory
const C2: &i32 = unsafe { &S };
// error: encountered reference to mutable memory in `const`
These limitations ensure that constants are still "constant": the value they evaluate to, and their meaning as a pattern (which can involve dereferencing references), will be the same throughout the entire program execution.
That said, a constant is permitted to evaluate to a raw pointer that points to a mutable or interior mutable static:
static mut S: i32 = 64;
const C: *mut i32 = &raw mut S;
**Mutable references and pointers.**It is now possible to use mutable references in const contexts:
const fn inc(x: &mut i32) {
*x += 1;
}
const C: i32 = {
let mut c = 41;
inc(&mut c);
c
};
Mutable raw pointers and interior mutability are also supported:
use std::cell::UnsafeCell;
const C: i32 = {
let c = UnsafeCell::new(41);
unsafe { *c.get() += 1 };
c.into_inner()
};
However, mutable references and pointers can only be used inside the computation of a constant, they cannot become a part of the final value of the constant:
const C: &mut i32 = &mut 4;
// error[E0764]: mutable references are not allowed in the final value of constants
This release also ships with a whole bag of new functions that are now stable in const contexts (see the end of the "Stabilized APIs" section).
These new capabilities and stabilized APIs unblock an entire new category of code to be executed inside const contexts, and we are excited to see how the Rust ecosystem will make use of this!
These APIs are now stable in const contexts:
Check out everything that changed in Rust, Cargo, and Clippy.
Many people came together to create Rust 1.83.0. We couldn't have done it without all of you. Thanks!
Efforts to contain the virus are falling short. A teenager in Canada is in critical condition after an unexplained infection. And the arrival of flu season has scientists on edge.
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A few weeks ago, Microsoft exec Sarah Bond said that in November, “players will be able to play and purchase Xbox games directly from the Xbox App on Android.” It’s almost December and the feature still isn’t live, but Bond says it’s not Microsoft’s fault.
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3/4: Due to a temporary administrative stay recently granted by the courts, we are currently unable to launch these features as planned. Our team has the functionality built and ready to go live as soon as the court makes a final...
Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
cory@follow.coryd.dev ("Cory Dransfeldt :demi:") wrote:
🔗 For Love of God, Make Your Own Website via Aftermath #Tech #Blogging #Socialmedia
Browsing the internet used to be a hobby of mine. Ever since my dad got us a modem when I was around ten, I spent hours at a time just looking at different websites. The internet felt like a limitless expanse of free expression. Now, despite how many more people use the internet, I usually end up at the same three or four websites, and I end up a...
https://aftermath.site/website-musk-twitter-facebook-internet
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
Valve has dropped the price of the 512GB Steam Deck LCD to $336.75 (about $112 off) as part of its Steam Autumn Sale. The sale runs until December 4th at 1PM ET and includes plenty of game discounts too, but Valve discontinued the 512GB Steam Deck LCD, so it might not make it to the end. (It’s already sold through the 64GB model, which was also discounted.)
It’s a shame to see the 512GB LCD model going away, even if its picture doesn’t pop the same way the Steam Deck OLED does. At its normal $449 price, it’s a more affordable alternative to the OLED model with the same storage, which costs $100 more but plays the same games. Especially if you’re getting it to play AAA bangers like Baldur’s Gate 3 and Elden Ring — those will fill up your...
Illustration by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has finalized amendments to its Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR), making it easier to protect consumers who are tricked into paying scam tech support companies. The FTC could already go after these fraudster companies if they initiated calls to people — now, they can do the same thing if people call the scammers too.
Fake tech support fraud has been on the rise for many years. The “company” tricks people into thinking they have a virus or other problem by sending scam emails, popups, and other messages. This encourages them to call to a help desk, which then convinces them to pay up.
The FTC has long attempted to wrangle money back from these scammers. But as it explains in a published proposal, a 2021...
Image: Laura Normand / The Verge
Microsoft is being investigated by the Federal Trade Commission in a wide-ranging antitrust probe, making it the fifth Big Tech company to fall under such scrutiny in several years.
The agency is looking into Microsoft’s cloud and software licensing business, cybersecurity services, and AI offerings. Bloomberg first reported the news and The Verge confirmed the investigation with a person familiar with the matter, granted anonymity to speak to a confidential probe.
The demand for information that spans hundreds of pages and culminates over a year of informal discussions with Microsoft competitors and partners. One focus is on how Microsoft bundles productivity and security software with its Azure cloud, per the source. The FTC’s...
Illustration: The Verge
Google Chat is launching huddles, a Google Meet-powered addition that lets you start a quick call with your coworkers. Google said it would add huddles to Google Chat in customer preview over a year ago, but we haven’t heard about it since then. The company says the feature has started rolling out and should reach all Workspace users by January 6th.
As we noted last year, this is the same feature as Slack’s Huddles, using the same exact name. There aren’t a lot of differences between the various office suites these days, but this is really going the extra mile.
GIF: Google
To get one going, simply click a dropdown menu at the top of a chat and select “Start a huddle.” That’ll pop open an audio call invite that you can...