Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
maleve@zeroes.ca ("Matti Aleve") wrote:
There has been a lot of hand wringing by conservative media over car thefts and alcohol thefts at the LCBO where thieves are not confronted.
Today we have 4 dead on the 401, two grandparents and an infant as Durham police chase an LCBO thief.
Ford says this is why he is investing in more police helicopters. Durham has one and didn’t use it.
Property is not more valuable than lives.
Hey Atlus, Let Us Upgrade To Definitive Editions
The video game industry has habitually repackaged things and put them on store shelves. Remakes and remasters are one side of the conversation, but Atlus, it seems, prefers to release “enhanced editions” like Persona 5 Royal and now Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance. These add new content and major quality-of-life…
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
four generations of my family have taken an oath, which starts off with the words: “I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic”. by his actions, Citizen Trump has declared himself to be an enemy of that Constitution.
Citizen Trump should be treated as any other in our courts of law, for equal treatment under the law is one of the core promises of our Constitution.
Pixel 8A leak reveals $499 starting price
The Google Pixel 8A might not be getting that rumored price hike after all. Details shared with Smartprixby reliable leaker OnLeaks suggest that the base 128GB model will have the same $499 price as its predecessor.
However, Google could bump the price of the Pixel 8A to $559 for a new 256GB storage option, according to Smartprix. The leak also suggests that the Pixel 8A will come with a larger 4,500mAh battery instead of the 4,385mAh option that came with the Pixel 7A.
So far, Pixel 8A leaked details point to a G3 Tensor chip just like its more expensive siblings, along with a brighter 120Hz display than its predecessors, IP67 water resistance, and seven years of security upgrades. It’s also rumored to come with Google’s AI features...
Stellar Blade Combat Tips To Become The Best (And Prettiest) Sword Swinger
Stellar Blade, the PS5’s upcoming action game where you get to play as a cute lady (feels good, right?), has had a demo out since March 29. Perhaps you’ve been playing it? Whether you’ve been enjoying it or found it too cumbersome at first, it’s always a good idea to brush up on some basics again.
Students at Columbia Occupy Building—Echoing Protests of the Past
Early Tuesday morning, Columbia student protesters took over a building on campus, pledging not to leave until their demands—for the university to divest from Israel, financial transparency from Columbia’s endowment, and amnesty for pro-Palestinian protesters—are met. The group of “autonomous protesters” took over Hamilton Hall, an academic building on the Morningside Heights campus, shortly after midnight, […]
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
brianleroux@indieweb.social ("Brian LeRoux 💚") wrote:
Cloudflare has always been problematic in a variety of ways. Starts at the top.
https://www.theregister.com/AMP/2024/04/29/cloudflare_ceo_dog_lawsuit/
House Democratic leaders say they would help save Speaker Johnson's job
Democrats have been telegraphing for weeks their willingness to help Mike Johnson — a Republican — keep his job as speaker if members of his own party trigger a vote to oust him.
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
NBC: ‘Judge in hush money trial threatens Trump with jail after holding him in contempt for violating gag order
Judge Juan Merchan warned that if Trump continues to violate the order, he could impose “an incarceratory punishment.”’
Ranking Fortnite's Lobby Tracks From Worst To Best
Fortnite, Epic Games’ wildly popular battle royale, has been a platform for music streaming for quite some time now. Recently, it even launched its own built-in rhythm game, Fortnite Festival, which has been headlined by icons like Lady Gaga, The Weeknd, and most recently, Billie Eilish.
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
I think Nate Silver can just go fuck a duck.
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/04/30/i-never-cared-much-for-nate-silver/
Attachments:
Tekken 8 Players Are Getting Crushed By A Bot Mashing A Single Move
The Tekken 8 community is having its mind completely blown right now, as a bot is rampaging its way up the online leaderboards. It isn’t employing actual combos or traditional fighting-game skill, though. Instead, thanks to a few lines of code, the bot is merely button-mashing a single move, and players who run into…
Helldivers 2’s Latest Patch Turns Shrapnel Into Your Most Fearsome Foe
Helldivers 2 was patched earlier this week and introduced some sweeping changes with it. Among the more notable adjustments are a much-needed reduction in fire damage and a broad increase in damage output, but it’s an otherwise innocuous patch note about ricochet damage that has set the community ablaze. The patch…
Binance founder’s sentencing hearing
Zhao “violated US law on an unprecedented scale,” prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo. | Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images
Changpeng Zhao pleaded guilty to money laundering charges.
Judge Fines Trump $9,000 and Threatens to Throw Him in Jail
The judge overseeing Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial fined the former president $9,000 on Tuesday for violating a gag order—and he warned Trump that any further violations might result in jail time. Trump is facing 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for his role in a 2016 scheme to cover up an alleged […]
Call Of Duty’s Dune Skin Costs $40, Hides Timothée Chalamet’s Face
Call of Duty players are (yet again) up in arms over the exorbitant cost of a new cosmetic item. This time the community dissatisfaction stems from a Modern Warfare 3 Dune: Part Two crossover skin that will set players back $40.
A top U.N. court won't order Germany to halt weapons exports to Israel
Nicaragua brought the case arguing that by providing arms to Israel, Germany is failing to prevent possible genocide against Palestinians in Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza.
Even Walmart thinks American healthcare is too expensive
Image: Getty Images
Walmart isn’t making enough money off its new health centers, so it decided to close up shop. The retail giant announced today that it’ll shutter all 51 health centers it opened up across five states since 2019. Walmart is also getting rid of its virtual care program after acquiring telehealth provider MeMD in 2021.
“We determined there is not a sustainable business model for us to continue,” Walmart said in an announcement today.
“We determined there is not a sustainable business model for us to continue.”
Retail giants like Walmart, BestBuy, and Amazon have each tried to take their own share of Americans’ $3.6 trillion in health spending each year. But while retailer heavyweights thought they could turn a profit by making healthcare...
Mammograms should start at age 40, new guidelines recommend
A rise in breast cancer among younger women prompted the U.S. Preventive Task Force to issue new screening guidelines. They recommend mammograms every other year, starting at age 40.
Stellar Blade Settings Guide To Maximize Your Gameplay
In our review of PS5-exclusive action game Stellar Blade, Kotaku’s Levi Winslow praised the action, but found it lacking in certain areas like platforming. While the game has had its fair share of silly controversy in recent days, it definitely makes for a fun time for those who enjoy action games. Read on for tips…
Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz 🖤"):
DavidNielsen ("Sir David Nielsen") wrote:
Typically, the police.
https://mastodon.world/@muz4now/112351356771129613
Bumble’s app redesign lets women automate conversation starters
Image: Bumble
Bumble’s redesigned dating app has a new “Opening Move” feature that’s supposed to take the legwork out of starting conversations. Women on the app can now choose from a list of prewritten prompts — or come up with their own — that the app will send to all their matches.
Unlike dating apps like Tinder and Hinge, Bumble lets women take the first move when they get a match. The new Opening Move option should at least make it less intimidating (and less time-consuming) to send out those first messages.
Some of the prewritten prompts include questions like “Who’s your dream dinner party guest (real or fictional)?” or “What do you like about my profile?” Once the match responds, women can choose whether or not to carry on the conversation,...
The Xbox games showcase airs June 9th, followed by a Call of Duty Direct
Image: Microsoft
Microsoft is officially holding its big Xbox summer showcase on June 9th, as The Verge reported earlier this month. The showcase will air on Sunday, June 9th, at 10AM PT / 1PM ET / 6PM UK and will include a deep dive into the next installment of Call of Duty after the main show ends.
Microsoft is only teasing the Call of Duty Direct as “the next installment of a beloved franchise,” but sources familiar with the company’s plans tell me that this is indeed Call of Duty.
This will be the first Xbox showcase featuring games across Activision Blizzard, Bethesda, and Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios. I understand Microsoft is currently planning to announce a new Gears of War game during the show. The showcase will also include a number of release...
Final Fantasy Publisher Eats $140 Million In 'Extraordinary Losses' Ahead Of Big Strategy Pivot
Square Enix’s games have been hit or miss for years, and now the publisher behind Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and other blockbuster RPGs says it plans to be more careful about which projects it invests in. The company expects to “recognize extraordinary losses pertaining to abandonment losses associated with its content…
Reblogged by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
baldur@toot.cafe ("Baldur Bjarnason") wrote:
How many companies adopted MongoDB because “it’s the future!” and are now stuck with it until insolvency or the heat-death of the universe, whichever comes first?
Be careful about making technical decisions based on bubble logic
Gargron ("Eugen Rochko") wrote:
Some more experimentation with my tungsten light setup on a willing subject.
📷 Pentax 6x7
🎞️ Kodak Portra 400
🔭 Super Takumar 105mm/2.4
👤 @bibabobubi#BelieveInFilm #MediumFormat #FilmPhotography #AnalogPhotography
Attachments:
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
I am so fucking proud of our students protesting against the ongoing genocide in Gaza. Even though I'd think it the easiest decision to make, there are people who can't seem to figure it out in the administration, in the press, in the capitol.
Attachments:
Donkeys take center stage at an annual festival in Colombia
Every year, the town of San Antero celebrates the hardworking pack animals that haul crops and supplies for farmers who can't afford trucks or motorcycles. There's even a donkey beauty pageant.
Roku plans to start showing video ads on your homescreen
Illustration: The Verge
Roku has a plan to boost ad revenue. The company will start showing video ads on your homescreen at some point. Roku CEO Anthony Wood told investors during the company’s earnings call last week that the company will put the video ads in the “premier video app we called the Marquee” where static image ads live now.
It sounds like Wood is referring to the box on the homescreen that sits to the right of your Roku apps, which hopefully means the video ads won’t be full-screened. He said the company is also testing out “other types of video ad units” and looking into other ways to “innovate more video advertising” on the homescreen. The company’s push comes after it performed its third layoff in less than a year last September amid a slower...
Beats announces Solo 4 headphones and $79.99 Solo Buds
Image: Beats
Beats just announced its new Solo 4, its latest in a long line of on-ear wireless headphones. The latest model, priced at $199.99, offers battery life of up to 50 hours. That endurance is no doubt helped by the fact that these lack active noise cancellation, a feature present in many competing products at the same price point. But Beats says plenty of other improvements await buyers of the Solo 4.
For one, they support wired audio over both USB-C and the 3.5mm jack. And these headphones have passive tuning, meaning they can keep playing when plugged in even when the battery is dead — without any degradation in sound. Beats is also hyping all the custom acoustic architecture that’s gone into the Solo 4. And just like the Beats Studio...
SteelSeries’ improved Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset is also great in white
The white Nova Pro in an optional carrying case.
SteelSeries is launching a white version of its excellent Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset today. While it’s mostly just a white color option for a headset from 2022 that’s packed full of tech, there’s an important change to the ANC mics that could make these even more appealing.
SteelSeries has made the ANC mics within the ear cups slightly smaller overall, with less of a bump so they’re more comfortable to wear. At launch, some Nova Pro owners complained about the ANC bump and SteelSeries quietly redesigned it at some point last year so both the black and new white models benefit from this improvement.
The ANC bump is smaller on the white version than the original launch model.
The $349.99 white version of the Nova...
Beats Solo 4 review: playing both sides
Beats’ on-ear headphones get an overdue refresh with a more comfortable design, longer battery life, and wired audio over both USB-C and the 3.5mm jack — but no ANC.
The Arc browser arrives on Windows to take on Chrome and Edge
Arc for Windows includes a powerful sidebar. | Image: The Browser Company
The excellent Arc browser that’s been impressing macOS and iOS users over the past couple of years is finally making its way to Windows today. Arc is designed to change the way you use a browser in many fundamental ways, with a collapsible sidebar that combines vertical tabs and bookmarks into an app switcher-like experience, a command bar for navigation, and useful tools to help you browse the web.
The company behind Arc, aptly named The Browser Company, is betting on its browser being different enough to entice Windows users away from Chrome and Edge. “Arc really is just calming and keeps you organized,” says Hursh Agrawal, co-founder of The Browser Company, in an interview with The Verge. “It helps you handle your tasks during the day...
Kylie Robison Joins The Verge as Senior AI Reporter
Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
The Verge’s editor-in-chief Nilay Patel today announced that Kylie Robison is joining the site as senior AI reporter, where she’ll lead the technology publication’s coverage of artificial intelligence. She’ll work closely with The Verge’s policy and tech teams, delivering must-read coverage around the people and companies shaping the future of AI, how the technology is being developed and used by consumers and creators, and how it’s changing the world – for good and for ill.
Robison joins The Verge from Fortune, where she was senior technology reporter and regularly broke news about Twitter / X. She authored the magazine’s recent cover story on OpenAI and has also profiled buzzy AI startups like Runway. She begins her role on May 6th.
“...
Trump ordered to pay $9,000 for violating gag order in criminal hush money trial
Judge Juan Merchan previously issued a gag order that specifically bars Trump from making or directing others to make public statements about potential jurors, court staff or family members of staff.
Fallout TV Show Claims 65 Million Viewers In Two Weeks
Amazon Prime has revealed that its Fallout TV show is the second-most popular program it’s made, with a claimed total of 65 million people—or one United Kingdom—watching in its first two weeks. These are the kinds of numbers a network TV channel executive would sell his children’s souls to receive.
SwitchBot S10 review: with plumbing hookups, this robovac and mop is actually hands-free
Thanks to its self-cleaning mop, automatic water tanks, and supersize bin, this robot vacuum can go for two months without any manual intervention.
Automatic emergency braking at speeds up to 90mph required under new rule
Photo by Joseph Weiser / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Automatic emergency braking is now the law of the land.
The US Department of Transportation finalized a new Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard requiring all vehicle manufacturers to include automatic emergency braking in their light-duty vehicles (basically all passenger vehicles, including SUVs and pickup trucks) by 2029. The new rule aims to prevent hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries every year. The Department of Transportation is also in the process of finalizing a similar rule for heavy-duty vehicles weighing over 10,000 pounds.
Around 90 percent of light-duty vehicles on the road today come standard with automatic emergency braking, or AEB. But the new rule requires automakers to adopt a more robust version of...
Phones are the ultimate AI gadget
Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge
Humane. Rabbit. Meta. All these companies and more are working hard to invent a new category of tech, one that doesn’t live as an app on your phone but actually creates room for other AI-powered gadgets. The AI gadget revolution could be huge.
So far? It’s not going great. And in fact, as Google and Apple in particular find new ways to add powerful new models to their existing products, it seems as though the big winner in the AI race might be the phone already in your pocket.
On this episode of The Vergecast, The Verge’s Allison Johnson tells us about her experiments with AI gadgets and her attempt to make a flip phone into a chatbot-toting wearable. (It worked! Kind of!) We also discuss which other gadgets might make good AI gadgets,...
Instagram’s updated algorithm prioritizes original content instead of rip-offs
Image: Kristen Radtke / The Verge
Instagram is making significant changes to how its system recommends content, with a focus on original content and increased distribution for smaller accounts. The slew of changes were announced by the company in a blog post today.
The biggest change deals with aggregators — accounts that download or screenshot other users’ videos and photos and repost them. Sometimes aggregators will credit the original poster by tagging them in the post or caption, but often, content is wholesale ripped off with no acknowledgment, and engagement is siphoned off from the person who created the content in the first place.
Instagram clearly has a problem with this and will begin removing reposted content from recommendations across the platform. The...
Endless Ocean is a simple, serene swim on the Switch
Image: Nintendo
The best way to experience Endless Ocean Luminous is to just swim. A follow-up to a series of scuba diving games on the Wii, Luminous has a story to play through and goals to accomplish. But they’re fairly mundane. Instead, the game is at its most interesting — and relaxing — when you let go of specific goals and just explore for the sake of exploring.
What makes Luminous so chill, at least when you’re going for a solo dive, is that it’s completely open-ended and devoid of roadblocks. You’re given a huge swath of the so-called Veiled Sea to explore (the game generates a new map with each dive), and you don’t have to worry about monitoring your oxygen, getting too cold, or running into a dangerous shark. There’s no way to die or even get...
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
Looks like a great place to visit. It's where?
FLORIDA?
'
Never mind.https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/04/30/too-bad-its-in-florida/
Attachments:
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
There are weird growths sprouting all over our trees. I think they're called "leaves".
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/04/30/spring-is-sprunging/
Attachments:
EU probe targets Facebook and Instagram amid spike in Russian disinformation
The EU is assessing whether Meta violated its obligations under the Digital Services Act. | Image: The Verge
The European Commission has targeted Meta with a formal investigation to assess whether it’s doing enough to moderate political content, illegal content, and disinformation on Facebook and Instagram. The probe comes amid a spike in online pro-Russian propaganda in the run-up to EU elections in early June.
In a press release on Tuesday, the European Commission claims that Meta may have breached its obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA), a set of EU rules that aim to protect users by fostering safer online environments. The potential violations being investigated cover Meta’s approach to tackling disinformation campaigns and “coordinated inauthentic behavior” in the EU, alongside the lack of effective third-party tools for...
Columbia students barricade themselves in campus building; China's EV vehicles
Pro-Palestinian student protesters have occupied a campus building. Electric vehicles are the newest front of competition between the U.S. and China.
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
edited a server's sshd config, for increased security through obscurity ;^}
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
one of my former colleagues sent me this… it is end-of-term grading time, I fear
Attachments:
Yelp’s Assistant AI bot will do all the talking to help users find service providers
Yelp’s new AI releases. | Image: Yelp
As Yelp tries to remind users it’s more than just a place to find a new restaurant to try, it’s launching the Yelp Assistant, an AI chatbot that “contextually” understands what users are looking for and can match them with service professionals in their area.
If you want to replace your bathtub, the chatbot will ask questions like what type of bathtub you want and which features you’re interested in, then suggest a couple of nearby bathtub installers. People have the option of writing their own messages to selected businesses or having Yelp Assistant make one for them. After you review the final project request (generated based on what you asked for in your chat session), the bot can send it to service providers on your behalf, which...
Elon Musk goes ‘absolutely hard core’ in another round of Tesla layoffs
Musk said he wants Tesla to be “absolutely hard core” about the headcount reduction. | Illustration by Kristen Radtke / The Verge; Getty Images
Barely two weeks after initiating layoffs for at least 14,000 staffers, Tesla is now reportedly laying off hundreds more — including senior executives and the majority of its Supercharging team.
According to an email first reported by The Informationand thenElectrek, the automaker’s senior director of EV charging Rebecca Tinucci is leaving the company on Tuesday, alongside most of the 500-person team she oversaw. Tesla’s head of the new vehicles program, Daniel Ho, is also out along with his team. These cuts come in addition to the recent 10 percent workforce reduction — and Musk’s email leaves room for more.
In the email sent to executives last night, Musk said he wants Tesla to be “absolutely hard core” about the cuts, and that...
Scientists restore brain cells impaired by a rare genetic disorder
A therapy that restores brain cells impaired by a rare genetic disorder may offer a strategy for treating conditions like autism, epilepsy, and schizophrenia.
Report: Taxing Fossil Fuel Extraction Could Raise Nearly $1 Trillion for Climate Aid
This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. A new tax on fossil fuel companies based in the world’s richest countries could raise hundreds of billions of dollars to help the most vulnerable nations cope with the escalating climate crisis, according to a report. The Climate Damages Tax report, […]
Five Titles This Black Video Game Guru Can’t Live Without
Below are five video game recommendations from the journalist, comic-book writer, and video game narrative designer Evan Narcisse, with commentary in his own words. Read more about Narcisse and his worldview in Jamal Michel’s Mother Jones profile, “One Man’s Mission to Make Video Games a Little Less White.” Rez United Game Artists (2002) In this […]
One Man’s Mission to Make Video Games a Little Less White
They might not know his name, but millions of video gamers have encountered narrative designer Evan Narcisse’s handiwork in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which showcases more Black and Brown characters in its first few minutes than most popular games do in their entirety. The action-packed 2020 release opens on a Harlem street scene where our […]
As pro-Palestinian protests spread, more university leaders weigh police involvement
As college administrators face growing unrest on campuses, a growing number are grappling with whether to bring in law enforcement to quell the demonstrations.
AI is contentious among authors. So why are some feeding it their own writing?
Many authors are concerned about the use of their copyrighted material in generative AI models. At the same time, some are actively experimenting with the technology.
A U.S. diplomat tells NPR why she resigned in protest over the policy in Gaza
As protests against the U.S. policy in Gaza unfold on college campuses across the country, the State Department is facing its own protests too.
Victims of harassment by federal judges often find the judiciary is above the law
Federal judges have enormous power over their courtrooms and their chambers, which can leave employees vulnerable to abuse, with few ways to report their concerns anonymously.
Abortion rights on the ballot may not be bad news for Republicans everywhere
More states than ever are gearing up to vote on abortion rights this fall, including Republican-led Missouri. There, voters could show the issue isn't a down-ballot Democratic dream everywhere.
A simple smile saved this man's life
Ken Wilcox's life felt hopeless, like there was nowhere left to turn. Then a simple act from a stranger on the street changed his perspective and his life.
Sign here? Financial agreements may leave doctors in the driver's seat
Agreeing to an out-of-network doctor's financial policy, which protects their ability to get paid and may be littered with confusing jargon, can create a binding contract that leaves a patient owing.
Erling Haaland becomes the first ‘real person’ in Clash of Clans
Image: Supercell
Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland is becoming a playable video game character in Clash of Clans this week. It’s the first time a real person has been added to the game, and footballer Haaland will become the Barbarian King character during a month-long football-themed seasonal event.
Clash players will be able to recruit the Norwegian striker or raid his village and ruin it — perfect if you’re an Arsenal fan like me.
Haaland has played Clash of Clans for more than 10 years and reached out to Supercell, the Finnish game developers behind the popular mobile game, to make a partnership happen. Supercell jumped at the opportunity. “When we heard Erling Haaland was a fan of our game and that he wanted to partner with us, it was really...
Protesters at Columbia University have begun occupying a campus building
Students entered Hamilton Hall early Tuesday morning and began moving furniture and climbing through open windows.
Protesters at Columbia University have begun occupying a campus building
Students began occupying Hamilton Hall early Tuesday morning. The university's public safety department urged people to avoid coming to the Morningside campus Tuesday if they could.
Reblogged by keul@fosstodon.org ("Luca Fabbri"):
As of 2 May, we will stop using X (formerly Twitter).
The reason is that X no longer matches SURF's public values such as humanity, autonomy and justice.
Also, the reach is declining on X and more and more academics and researchers are leaving the platform.
Read more about our decision: https://www.surf.nl/en/news/surf-stops-using-x-twitter?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=2024-04-social&utm_kwd=surf-stops-using-x-twitter--&utm_source=mastodon&utm_content=surf
Mexico is taking Ecuador to the top U.N. court over storming of the Mexican Embassy
Mexico is taking Ecuador to the top U.N. court Tuesday, accusing the nation of violating international law by storming the Mexican Embassy in Quito.
Reblogged by nadim@symbolic.software ("Nadim Kobeissi"):
abstractbill@mathstodon.xyz ("Bill Moorier") wrote:
I've suspected for years that kids can pick up some pretty advanced math at a far younger age than they're typically allowed to. Now that I've spent a couple of years teaching my own kids math, and they're both comfortable with things like Cantor's Diagonal Argument (they adored the story of Hilbert's Hotel!) I'm even more certain this is true.
The way most people learn math now seems almost cruel to me. It's as if we were refusing to allow kids to read any fun stories until they had done a requisite amount of drilling on spelling and punctuation first. And if we did that, how many of those kids would wind up enjoying reading and writing?
U.S. to require automatic emergency braking on new vehicles in 5 years
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration unveiled the final version of the new regulation on Monday and called it the most significant safety rule in the past two decades.
Gérard Depardieu will be tried for alleged sexual assaults on a film set
French actor Gérard Depardieu will face a criminal trial in October over the alleged sexual assaults in 2021 of two women on the set of a film, prosecutors announced Monday.
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz 🖤") wrote:
As someone who has loved gadgets as long as I can remember, sometimes it feels like hardware is in the dark ages.
Starting to think that the key (if there is one) to these AI assistants is local-first processing in non-dedicated devices.
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz 🖤") wrote:
Keep in mind, FireChat in its heyday was the darling of the tech world. Its successor can't get a tech crunch fluff piece? What is happening?
Attachments:
Reblogged by collinsworth@hachyderm.io ("Josh Collinsworth"):
cory@social.lol ("Cory :prami_pride_demi:") wrote:
🔗: You are not a commodity. via Joan Westenberg #Tech #SocialMedia #Music https://joanwestenberg.com/blog/you-are-not-a-commodity
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz 🖤") wrote:
UPDATE: Got a comment from a developer of NewNode which is supposed to be FireChat's successor.
After a 20min loop of CAPTCHAs and unsent SMS codes, I gave up trying to sign up. Other comments said the same thing.
The app has been out over a year and there is zero press coverage. I can't find a Reddit thread, a tweet, a blog post from anyone who has successfully signed up for NewNode.
What's stranger than a disappearing app is a successor with no apparent users.
Reblogged by isagalaev ("Ivan Sagalaev :flag_wbw:"):
stroughtonsmith ("Steve Troughton-Smith") wrote:
Here’s your AI astonishment/nightmare fuel for today:
"TL;DR: single portrait photo + speech audio = hyper-realistic talking face video with precise lip-audio sync, lifelike facial behavior, and naturalistic head movements, generated in real time.”
Attachments:
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
djsundog@toot-lab.reclaim.technology ("DJ Sundog - from the toot-lab") wrote:
Decided to write a short blog post about some of my thoughts around the current discussions around Mastodon, forks, and other related ideas, rather than fling another long-ass toot into the void about it. You're welcome.
Reblogged by kornel ("Kornel"):
tvaziri ("Todd Vaziri") wrote:
And now, part four.
"No CGI" is really just Invisible CGI (4/4)
https://youtu.be/n8oQ1jV859w?si=SoN2xyjt_GxnjMVm
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz 🖤") wrote:
HyperWolf is a free newsletter for rediscovery the web.
I don't have a date yet, but I hope to launch soon-ish. I want to create a couple of issues first so I feel good about tone, content, etc.
PS— RSS will be an option too :) I'll keep you posted.
Attachments:
Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz 🖤"):
oconnell@federate.social ("Mx. Kit O'Connell—Hire me!") wrote:
Activists are now blocking in a van full of arrestees chanting "let them go!"
Attachments:
Maybe go look at Google’s AR animals before they enter the grave
The shark still looks fake. | Image: Wes Davis / The Verge
Remember Google’s AR search, which can make augmented reality bugs, dinos, neat objects, and buildings appear atop the real world through the lens of your phone? Now might be a good time to take it in because it seems to be vanishing.
According to 9to5Google, the number of animals that will give you AR renders when you search for them has shriveled to just a few. My editor, Richard Lawler, saw the same thing on his Pixel 8 Pro, as did I when I checked my Pixel 6. But when I searched in Safari on my iPhone 15 Pro, there they were: Tyrannosaurus Rex, Spinosaurus, Rhinoceros Beetle, Jewel Beetle, and a Giant Panda!
Perhaps it’s just a bug? Or perhaps Safari is a temporary workaround.
Screenshot: Wes Davis / The Verge ...
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz 🖤") wrote:
🎶 Don't read the comments, don't read the comments 🎵
Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz 🖤"):
@natureworks Absolutely. I don't recall which protest this was a few years ago, but this is dead-on.
Attachments:
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.
Todd Howard On Fallout 76 Crossplay And Cross-Progression
Fallout 76, Bethesda’s MMORPG set in the Fallout universe, is probably more popular today than ever thanks to Amazon’s new TV series. So it makes sense that in a recent interview, Bethesda executive producer Todd Howard was asked about Fallout 76and crossplay. And while the ability for PC and console players to…
Transgender health care must be paid for by state insurance, says an appeals court
The federal appeals court in Richmond, Va., ruled in favor of transgender patients on Monday. The case was brought by Medicaid recipients in West Virginia and state employees in North Carolina.
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
agiletortoise ("Greg Pierce") wrote:
As someone with two kids currently on college campuses, the presence of protesters doesn't concern me nearly as much as the presence of law enforcement.
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
cmconseils ("Laura Manach :bongoCat:") wrote:
Ticketmaster be like:
Concert ticket: $50
Venue fee: $26.10
Access fee: $14.28
Paperless transaction fee: $7.23
Convenience fee: $17.24
Fee fee: 6.23
Fee Fi Fo Fum fee: $9.23
Because we can fee: $8.12
Another dollar won’t hurt fee: $1
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
Edmonds_Scanner@universeodon.com wrote:
There are wolves inside of you, fierce and wild.
There's also a sleepy chipmunk, an older badger that loves musical theatre, and one little hedgehog with a cheese hangover.
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
simon@simonwillison.net ("Simon Willison") wrote:
There's a mysterious new, undocumented model in the https://chat.lmsys.org/ arena chat tool called "gpt2-chatbot" - you can access it by selecting "Direct Chat" and then picking it from the big select menu there
It's providing responses that feel significantly more impressive than GPT-4, for both factual-knowledge lookup and logic puzzles. It's possible this is a stealth preview launch of something like GPT-4.5
Attachments:
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
simon@simonwillison.net ("Simon Willison") wrote:
Blogged a few more notes here, including the system prompt https://simonwillison.net/2024/Apr/29/notes-on-gpt2-chatbot/
Tesla Cybertruck finally gets more off-road controls
Image: Tesla
The Tesla Cybertruck is finally getting an off-road mode via an over-the-air software update, allowing early owners of the monstrous electric truck to finally get granular 4x4-style features that were promised from the start.
The news comes via a post by Tesla’s Cybertruck account on X, which shared an image of the Off-Road Mode screen with different settings, options for locking differentials, the ability to turn off rear steering, and more. Off-Road Mode has two main settings: Overland Mode for consistent handling and better traction on rock, gravel, snow, and sand, plus a Baja Mode that improves balance and “handles more freely.”
Big Cybertruck update https://t.co/iwSJxQGS32
— Tesla (@Tesla) April 29, 2024
Wes Morrill, whose X...
Gargron ("Eugen Rochko") wrote:
Was very lucky to catch these rays of sunlight during a very rainy week in Switzerland.
📷 Pentax 6x7
🎞️ Kodak Portra 400
🔭 Super Takumar 105mm/2.4
💃 Wife#BelieveInFilm #MediumFormat #FilmPhotography #AnalogPhotography
Attachments:
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz 🖤") wrote:
New Note: FireChat was a tool for revolution. Then it disappeared.
https://fromjason.xyz/p/notebook/firechat-was-a-tool-for-revolution-then-it-disappeared/
Reblogged by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
briankrebs@infosec.exchange ("BrianKrebs") wrote:
Well this has been a long time coming: The FCC today levied fines totaling nearly $200 million against the four major carriers -- including AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon -- for illegally sharing access to customers' location information without consent.
Some highlights: "The FCC's findings against AT&T, for example, show that AT&T sold customer location data directly or indirectly to at least 88 third-party entities. The FCC found Verizon sold access to customer location data (indirectly or directly) to 67 third-party entities. Location data for Sprint customers found its way to 86 third-party entities, and to 75 third-parties in the case of T-Mobile customers."
..."The fine amounts vary because they were calculated based in part on each day that the carriers continued sharing customer location data after being notified that doing so was illegal (the agency also considered the number of active third-party location data sharing agreements). The FCC notes that AT&T and Verizon took more than 320 days from the publication of the Times story to wind down their data sharing agreements; T-Mobile took 275 days; Sprint kept sharing customer location data for 386 days."
Attachments:
Everything Shown At Today's Indie Xbox Showcase
Microsoft is still working hard to court indie games. The company showed off a bunch of them, old and new, during its 2024 ID@Xbox showcase, though once again Hollow Knight: Silksong wasn’t among them. In addition to a small tease for upcoming Palworld creatures, we also got our first look at some newly announced…
The jump in measles cases in 2023 is 'very concerning' says WHO official
And the numbers in 2024 aren't looking any better. Why is this highly infectious disease on the rise? And how can it be tamed?
New Fan-Made Set Lets You Play Tetris With Lego Bricks
We’ve gotten some Lego sets based on video games over the last few years. Stuff like the Atari 2600 set, or all the Super Mario Bros. playsets featuring various characters and obstacles. But none of them are as cool as this fan-made Lego set that turns Tetris into a playable tabletop game.
Game Of Thrones MMO Reportedly In Development
We might be getting another chance to revisit our favorite people and places from Game of Thrones. That’s according to a new report from Witcher and Game of Thrones news site Redanian Intelligence, which claims that an MMORPG set during the height of the HBO series is in the works. Here’s what we know.
A new intergovernmental group will try to stem abuses tied to critical mineral mining
Trucks haul away ore from a pit in one of the largest copper and cobalt mines in the world in southeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on June 17th, 2023. | Photo: Getty Images
The United Nations launched a new panel to craft mining guidelines for critical minerals in high demand for electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies.
The newly established Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals includes representatives from close to 100 countries as well as nonprofit organizations and industry groups. It’s tasked with developing “a set of global common and voluntary principles to safeguard environmental and social standards and embed justice [in] the energy transition.”
Powering an economy with renewable energy is a mineral-intensive endeavor. And it’ll take a concerted effort to curb human rights violations and environmental harms tied to the extraction of those minerals. This is just a first step...
Razer’s Pricey Covid Mask Is Costing Them $1 Million In Refunds
In 2021, video game accessory manufacturer Razer announced its plans to release a mask that people could wear to help stop the spread of covid-19 during the height of the (ongoing) pandemic. Now, almost three years later, the company owes the Federal Trade Commission over $1 million in fines due to “misrepresenting”…
Paramount CEO Bob Bakish steps down as merger inches closer
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Paramount has removed Bob Bakish as CEO — and it doesn’t have plans to fill the role. The company announced the news as part of its earnings results on Monday, which will leave Paramount reliant on a committee made up of three executives.
The new Office of the CEO consists of George Cheeks, the president and CEO of CBS; Chris McCarthy, the president and CEO of Showtime, MTV Entertainment Studios, and Paramount Media Networks; and Brian Robbins, the president and CEO of Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon. Reports first emerged of Bakish’s potential departure on Friday.
Bakish has been with the company since 1997 and became CEO of Viacom in 2016. He remained in the position when Viacom and CBS Corporation merged in 2019 to form Paramount...