Strava’s API debacle highlights the messiness of fitness data
Strava is the de facto fitness data middleman. | Photo by Victoria Song / The Verge
A few days ago, Strava upset its users over some restrictive API changes. It might seem odd for one app’s users to fume over an API, but at the heart of the matter is the inherent messiness of fitness data.
Here’s a typical scenario. Say you’re all in on Garmin’s platform. You use their watches for running and strength training. Then, you pick up a Peloton bike for indoor cycling. Well, Garmin devices aren’t compatible with Peloton bikes because the two companies haven’t struck a direct deal with one another for data sharing. So, to get your heart rate on the Peloton bike, you buy a chest strap. And then you decide to train for a race, so you sign up for one of those digital coaching platforms — the kind where a personal trainer reviews...
Reblogged by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
This important guidance from OIRA will help federal agencies take steps to learn and understand how people make use of government websites and online forms. It's a watershed moment, and a lot of people in the world of #CivicTech are really excited about this. I am too. 1/3
Reblogged by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
owa ("Open Web Advocacy") wrote:
Breaking, CMA Provisional Report Just Released:
"Apple’s rules appear to be holding back a category of apps known as ‘progressive web apps’ (PWAs) that are lower cost and easier for developers to build since they can run on any operating system"
Jonathan Majors and ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari settle assault and defamation case
In a civil lawsuit this spring, the actor's former girlfriend alleged a "pattern of pervasive domestic abuse" in addition to defamation. Her legal team said the suit has been settled.
Reblogged by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
taylorlorenz ("Taylor Lorenz") wrote:
These anti trans bills are huge threats to civil liberties and we should do everything in our power to fight them https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/nancy-maces-federal-trans-bathroom
University of Texas, MIT and others announce free tuition for some undergraduates
Nearly half a dozen institutions of higher education announced plans this week to make tuition free for undergraduates whose families make below a certain income threshold, starting in fall 2025.
A Bunch Of Awesome Games Have Big Free Updates
We live in a time of plenty. Perhaps even excess. Before I finish a game, or sometimes even start it, the developers are already releasing free updates ranging from new quality-of-life settings to full-blown content add-ons. Each one makes the game worth revisiting and adds to the pull of picking it up for the first…
"A defense secretary with a tenuous grip on reality, who can’t differentiate foreign enemies from domestic political opponents, and who seems to exist in a state of permanent hysteria is a problem that the US has never had to survive. The main question I was looking to answer when I started reading Hegseth’s collected works was whether he would follow a Trump command to shoot peaceful protesters. After having read them, I don’t think he would even wait for the order." https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/11/pete-hegseth-books-trump/680744/
Traffic Sign Liberation.
Boulder: "We don't right now have any information about who put them up," department spokesperson Dionne Waugh said Thursday. "We do know that they're very professionally designed signs. They're very large. They're very well...
https://jwz.org/b/ykdW
Attachments:
Google is prepping Gemini to take action inside of apps
Gemini could spring into action soon. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Google released the first Android 16 developer preview earlier this week and keen-eyed observers are already uncovering interesting tidbits, including one that hints about a much more useful future for Google’s AI assistant. In Android Authority, Mishaal Rahman writes abouta mysterious new API in Android 16 called “app functions,” which appears to give Gemini Assistant agentic-like abilities to take action in apps. It sounds awfully similar to the upgraded “app intents” Apple supports in iOS 18, and it’s exactly the kind of thing that could make AI assistants much more useful than they are in their current state.
A page on Google’s developer site describes an app function as “a specific piece of functionality that an app offers to the...
PlayStation's Big Black Friday Sale Includes Deals On PS5 Consoles, Games, And PS Plus
It’s late in November, so its time for another big Black Friday sale. Sure, Black Friday used to be a day, but now it’s spread out over two weeks. And PlayStation is the latest big company to offer a bunch of discounts as we get closer to Thanksgiving.
Judge rules SiriusXM’s annoying cancellation process is illegal
Image: The Verge
A New York judge has determined that SiriusXM’s “long and burdensome” cancellation process is illegal. In a ruling on Thursday, Judge Lyle Frank found SiriusXM violates a federal law that requires companies to make it easy to cancel a subscription.
The decision comes nearly one year after New York Attorney General Leticia James sued SiriusXM over claims the company makes subscriptions difficult to cancel. Following an investigation, the Office of the Attorney General found that the company attempts to delay cancellations by having customers call an agent, who then keeps them on the phone for serval minutes while “pitching the subscriber as many as five retention offers.”
As outlined in the ruling, Judge Frank found that SiriusXM broke...
Judge rules SiriusXM’s annoying cancellation process is illegal
Image: The Verge
A New York judge has determined that SiriusXM’s “long and burdensome” cancellation process is illegal. In a ruling on Thursday, Judge Lyle Frank found SiriusXM violates a federal law that requires companies to make it easy to cancel a subscription.
The decision comes nearly one year after New York Attorney General Leticia James sued SiriusXM over claims the company makes subscriptions difficult to cancel. Following an investigation, the Office of the Attorney General found that the company attempts to delay cancellations by having customers call an agent, who then keeps them on the phone for serval minutes while “pitching the subscriber as many as five retention offers.”
As outlined in the ruling, Judge Frank found that SiriusXM broke...
Every time I see someone Well Actually that Dorsey isn't involved in Bluesky any more I just hear: "Pfffff Hitler fired Goebbels *months* ago."
Yes this is a subtwit.
Hyundai recalls more than 145,000 Ioniq and Genesis EVs that can lose power while driving
Photo by Patrick George for The Verge
Hyundai is recalling over 145,000 Ioniq and Genesis vehicles due to a 12-volt battery charging issue that could cause the EVs to lose drive power and increase the risk of a crash.
NHTSA says the cause is the vehicles' Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU), which is likely to get damaged due to an internal electrical fault.
Upon failure of the ICCU, a series of driver warnings appear, and the vehicle activates a “fail-safe” driving mode that slowly reduces drive power over the course of 20 to 40 minutes.
Hyundai will instruct owners to take affected vehicles to dealerships to replace the ICCU and its associated fuse and install new software to prevent overvoltage that could damage the part again. Hyundai told NHTSA that as of November...
nadim@infosec.exchange ("Nadim Kobeissi") wrote:
A remarkable moment: I started a new chat with ChatGPT after clearing my history. Its memory allowed it to remember which brand of instant camera I had bought, and then when I shared a photo, it immediately recognized my dog by name. Technology has become oddly intimate.
Attachments:
Baidu’s supercheap robotaxis should scare the hell out of the US
Image: Getty
Baidu’s robotaxi division, Apollo Go, just rolled out its latest robotaxi across multiple cities in China, and if stakeholders in the US aren’t nervous yet, they should be.
The RT6 is the sixth generation of Apollo Go’s driverless vehicle, which made its official debut in May 2024. It’s a purpose-built, Level 4 autonomous vehicle, meaning it’s built without the need for a human driver. And here’s the thing that should make US competitors nervous: adopting a battery-swapping solution, the price for one individual RT6 is “under $30,000,” Baidu CEO Robin Li said in an earnings call.
“All the strengths just mentioned above are driving us forward, paving the way to validate our business model,” Li added.
Adopting a battery-swapping solution,...
You can now try Microsoft’s Recall AI feature on a Copilot Plus PC
Image: Microsoft
Microsoft is releasing the first preview of its Recall AI feature for Copilot Plus PCs today. After a series of delays, Windows Insiders in the Dev Channel can now install a new build of Windows 11 that includes Recall and Click to Do — a feature that’s very similar to Google’s Circle to Search.
Recall takes screenshots of almost everything you do on a Copilot Plus PC to make it searchable and easy to recall a memory or retrace your steps. If you enable snapshots to be recorded by Recall, then you can use the Recall app to search for what you were working on previously with natural language queries. There is also a scrollable timeline so you can skip back to a specific date and find the apps or websites you were using. Recall’s search...
Plex’s upcoming app redesign is a big swing at going legit
Image: Plex
Plex is beginning to test its “newly reimagined Plex experience,” which will be available first on mobile and is coming to TV platforms “very soon.” Plex says the new experience has been in development for almost two years and is “designed to bring everything you love into one seamless interface.” But don’t worry — while the new version of the app is currently missing some features, Plex says it will be “closing those gaps” and will keep the current app available during the preview, which will hopefully prevent a Sonos-like debacle.
A big change for the new app is redesigned navigation that more clearly delineates between media you might have on your Plex server and the company’s streaming and on-demand offerings. The bottom bar has...
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
edsu@social.coop ("Ed Summers") wrote:
Along with everyone else (bah AI) we've been experimenting with Whisper for transcribing media that lack transcripts. The thinking being that any transcript is probably better for accessibility? (we'll see)
We noticed that when you tell Whisper to generate word timestamps the JSON file it generates also includes confidence levels for each word [0-1].
I thought it might be useful/fun to be able to view the JSON transcript with confidence levels colored, so here is https://edsu.github.io/whisper-transcript/
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
spritely@social.coop ("The Spritely Institute") wrote:
Hello! We're the Spritely Institute and we're building Spritely, next-generation decentralized network tech! https://spritely.institute
We're building off experience from standardizing ActivityPub (two of our co-founders worked on it!) and researching techniques to build the future of secure collaboration!
(We just moved here from @spritelyinst, hello!)
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
"... an inside-out way of talking about context collapse. Context collapse—communication tuned for one socially distinct group but encountered by another, with uncomfortable and mind-bending sometimes life-ruining results—emerges from Erving Goffman’s work in the 1950s, as expanded by Joshua Meyrowitz in his No Sense of Place in the 1980s, and which danah boyd began resuscitating and applying to the internet in the early 2000s."
https://www.wrecka.ge/against-the-dark-forest/
h/t jenniferplusplus@hachyderm.io
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
jenniferplusplus@hachyderm.io ("Jenniferplusplus") wrote:
@kissane
"Because yes, the existence of dipshits is indeed unfixable, but building arrays of Dipshit Accelerators that allow a small number of bad actors to build destructive empires defended by Dipshit Armies is a choice. The refusal to genuinely remodel that machinery when its harms first appear is another choice."https://www.wrecka.ge/against-the-dark-forest/
Or, as I've said: culture is reciprocal with affordances, and everything is downstream from culture.
Why Republicans Are “Very Excited” About Dr. Oz
Since winning the election, President-elect Donald Trump has seized headlines with a series of alarming appointments for his incoming administration. Many lack the basic qualifications for their respective posts; nearly all can be fairly characterized as MAGA loyalists. Dr. Mehmet Oz, the former TV personality and failed Republican Senate candidate, is among the more heavily […]
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
if true, that would mean one can buy a State Attorney General for $27,500... I had no idea they were that cheap.
to rephrase Simon Cameron: "An honest politician is one who, when bought, will stay bought."
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
"No one in elective office shielded Jeffrey Epstein more than Pam Bondi."
Read more at:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/115571163.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
every bag of gunpowder produced by the DPRK for their Russian allies is a bag of fertilizer their farmers will not have next growing season.
DPRK munitions production for the Russian war against Ukraine this Fall and Winter seems likely to produce further starvation in DPRK next Spring.
Reblogged by xor@tech.intersects.art ("Parker Higgins"):
tailscale@hachyderm.io ("Tailscale") wrote:
How do we get by with such a small infra team? Our tech lead explains how we use Tailscale while building Tailscale, which keeps her attention off finicky networking problems https://tailscale.com/blog/infra-team-stays-small
Judge indefinitely postpones sentencing in Trump's hush money case
The decision to indefinitely adjourn next week's sentencing date comes several days after both lawyers agreed that a stay would help sort out unprecedented legal questions.
Overwatch 2’s New Tank Hero Looks Like An Absolute Menace
Overwatch 2’s newest tank hero, Hazard, is officially launching next month when the shooter’s 14th season starts, but you can take him for a spin from now until November 25. Just before the test period began, Blizzard released the first footage of Hazard in action and a breakdown of the Scottish hero’s kit. In some…
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
peachfront@toot.community wrote:
No flash used here but this rare species turned out to be surprisingly cooperative on its gathering grounds so handheld photography worked out just fine... have some flying photos I can develop & post later but this is minimally processed to hurry up & show you my brag
"I'm a Marvelous Spatuletail and you're not"
#bird #birds #birding #hummingbird #hummingbirds #EndangeredSpecies #Rare #Nature #Outdoors #BirdPhotography #Wildlife #NikonZ8
Attachments:
- A fancy hummingbird with a vividly fluorescent turquoise & green gorget (throat) and a snazzy purple crown sits in profile on a skinny vine to show off the length of its very long tail flowing and fluttering behind it. The two central tail feathers are just long straight ribbons but the two outer flowing tail feathers are much longer and curvier ribbons capped with broad oval pancake-flat feathers that flutter around like a pair of butterfly wings to draw attention away from the main hummingbird. This is the male Marvelous Spatuletail. Photo by Peachfront. Nov. 13, 2024. (remote)
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
jencmars@mastodon.art ("Jen C Mars") wrote:
Fluff
Attachments:
Trans health care under Trump may follow the abortion playbook and its Hyde amendment
Republicans spent $222 million on anti-trans and LGBTQ advertising in the campaign. Various policy initiatives are on the incoming administration's to-do list.
cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen") wrote:
I'm still plugging away, although getting time to draw has been a struggle recently. I'm sharing two that, like many things in life, aren't the best but also not the worst.
The Santa wannabe was not planned. I started with what became the top of the bag, and the rest followed from that.
I included a bonus snail, because snail shells are fun to draw and look at.
Attachments:
- A wannabe Santa figure struggles to drag a large sack of something (hopefully toys) across the ground. He's pulling with the sack over his left shoulder and furrowing his brow and squinting his eyes with the strain. Large, wet flakes of snow are falling, and there's a thin layer of snow on the ground. Just in front of the wannabe Santa, there's a small dog leading the way. (remote)
- 3/4 view of a cartoon snail with a look of shock or horror. The caption above the snail reads, "In his haste, Gary had unknowingly stumbled into a salt field." Don't worry. Gary eventually figures a way out of his predicament. He's like a snail MacGyver. (remote)
6 tourists in Laos have died after drinking tainted alcohol
Tourists from the U.S., Australia, Denmark and the U.K. have died. A tourism police officer said a "number of people" had been detained in the case but that no charges have yet been filed.
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
“Linda McMahon, who ran World Wrestling Entertainment for decades, was accused in the lawsuit of not preventing one of the organization’s employees from victimizing children who helped set up wrestling rings.”
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
money doesn’t talk, it screams…
TV's Dr. Oz invested in businesses regulated by the agency Trump wants him to run
The celebrity doctor recently held investments worth tens of millions of dollars in health care, tech, and food companies which could pose significant conflicts of interest.
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
“In 2013, Ms. Bondi’s office received nearly two dozen complaints about Mr. Trump’s short-lived for-profit university, and her aides said she was considering joining a multistate lawsuit… Four days later, Ms. Bondi’s political action committee received a $25,000 contribution from a nonprofit funded by Mr. Trump. She never joined the lawsuit.
Both Mr. Trump and Ms. Bondi have denied a quid pro quo. But Mr. Trump had to pay a $2,500 fine…”
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
"… she tried unsuccessfully to overturn and weaken the Affordable Care Act, opposed expanding legal protections for the L.G.B.T.Q. community and cultivated a national reputation by supporting anti-human-trafficking efforts.
She also drew fire for her fund-raising practices — and for persuading the governor at the time, Rick Scott, to postpone an execution in 2013 because it conflicted with a fund-raiser for her re-election campaign."
Teen streamer dumped a meme coin for $30K, then things got weird
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
The young streamer behind a viral meme coin called Quant was doxxed by the crypto community after he ripped off investors, as reported by Decrypt and The Crypto Times. During a livestream earlier this week, the kid giddily watched the price of his meme coin go up before selling his stake for $30,000 and flipping off viewers, causing its price to plummet.
The young investor, who reports claim is 13 years old, started gaining attention after his post on X went viral. “Just made 2k before school. Lock in,” the post said, alongside a photo of the kid holding up his phone to show off his gains. When the boy later launched his token Quant during a livestream, investments quickly started coming in — until he pulled all of the money out of the...
This cheaper Apple Pencil alternative now has tilt detection and a better tip
The SonarPen 2 includes upgraded features like USB-C and finer pen tips. | Image: Greenbulb
In 2018, the SonarPen debuted as a cheaper alternative to the Apple Pencil by using audio signals transmitted to the iPad over a cable instead of Bluetooth. Its creators are back with an upgraded USB-C version that introduces additional functionality, including tilt detection and an improved tip that now closely resembles the Apple Pencil’s.
The SonarPen 2 is currently available for preorder through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, with shipping estimated to start as early as April 2025. If you preorder early, the SonarPen 2 is discounted to around $32, with full retail pricing expected to be closer to $45.
Image: Greenbulb
The SonarPen 2 includes integrated cable management.
The SonarPen 2 still supports...
Elon Musk’s new DOGE plans are actually old ideas about mass deregulation
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have laid out their plans for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a currently nonexistent entity they say will “cut the federal government down to size.” Though DOGE isn’t a real department — and may in fact just be President-elect Donald Trump’s way of placating Musk by giving him the appearance of a real job — it represents a long-running right-wing attempt to gut the civil service, a plan the incoming administration fully supports.
DOGE could be a mechanism for a Musk shadow presidency, a nonsense job designed to keep Musk busy without giving him real power, or a curious mix of the two. In any case, Musk and Ramaswamy have proposed cutting “thousands” of federal regulations and determining the...
Threads is overhauling its search and trending features
Image: The Verge
Meta is promising “long-overdue improvements” to its X competitor, Threads, including more precise search features and expanded trending topics.
First, users will be able to search for posts within a specific date range or from a single account — similar to what X’s search allows. Threads is also testing a new trending page in the US that includes additional topics to follow as well as AI-generated summaries of what other users are talking about.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri, who led the launch of Threads, wrote in a post that the tests begin today.
This week has been full of updates on Threads, which is facing increased competition from Bluesky, the decentralized text-based platform that people have been flocking to in recent weeks....
Black Myth: Wukong Devs Tease December Surprise For The 2024 GOTY Contender
Black Myth: Wukong turned out to be one of the surprise hits of the year, and the action-adventure game is currently racking up awards. During an acceptance speech for one of those trophies, the cofounder of the studio behind the game said fans can expect a new surprise next month.
SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds review: earbuds for your PlayStation or Xbox
SteelSeries brings its EQ audio expertise to consoles and mobile devices.
Audi’s latest RS E-tron GT ‘Performance’ is its quickest car yet
Audi RS E-tron GT Performance starts at $167,000 before destination charges. | Image: Audi
Audi is giving its all-electric E-tron GT sports sedan higher performance, more battery range, and faster charging speeds for the 2025 model year. It’s also increasing its starting price.
The lineup now includes a new entry S E-tron GT model that starts at $125,500 before destination charges, a far cry from the already expensive $100,000 base it previously sold since the beginning in 2022. There’s also a new RS E-tron GT “Performance” version that starts at a whopping $167,000 before destination charges. We reviewed the 2022 model year version, which was priced at an extravagant $140,000.
However, you’re getting Audi’s quickest car yet for that Performance price tag, which also comes with a special RS performance mode. It packs 912...
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
ProPublica@newsie.social wrote:
#RussVought, a #Project2025 architect, is reportedly set to repeat as head of Office of Management and Budget after serving in the position for Trump's first term.
We recently unearthed private videos of Vought's plans for "traumatically" razing the civil service, siccing military on protestors, defunding environmental protections, and generally helping #Trump accumulate more executive power than any president before him.
#News #USPolitics #Politics #Government
https://www.propublica.org/article/video-donald-trump-russ-vought-center-renewing-america-maga
10 Vital Things Pokémon TCG Pocket Needs To Fix ASAP
Pokémon TCG Pocket has been quite the roller coaster ride. It’s absolutely got its hooks in a lot of us at Kotaku, and we’re playing it every day. But at the same time, it’s unquestionably a predatory gacha game using a children’s IP. What a muddle. But there’s one thing that’s unambiguous: there’s a lot of room for…
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
CBSNews@flipboard.com ("CBS News") wrote:
Surge of guns and ammunition flowing from U.S. to Latin America and Caribbean, fueling conflict
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/guns-ammunition-seized-us-latin-america-caribbean/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypubPosted into Crime @crime-CBSNews
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
CBSNews@flipboard.com ("CBS News") wrote:
Jan. 6 Capitol rioter from Tennessee convicted of creating "kill list" in plot to murder FBI agents who investigated him
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/capitol-rioter-edward-kelley-convicted-plan-kill-fbi-agents/?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypubPosted into U.S. News @u-s-news-CBSNews
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
Left-leaning media ecosystem grows after Trump win https://t.co/xuoX8IjnFf
Amazon to invest another $4 billion in OpenAI rival Anthropic
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Amazon announced today that it’s pumping another $4 billion into Claude AI maker Anthropic, bringing its total funding amount to $8 billion. This latest round follows $1.25 billion last September and another $2.75 billion in March.
Along with the money, Amazon wrote in its blog post that Amazon Web Services (AWS) would be named Anthropic’s “primary training partner” and that the OpenAI rival would use Trainium and Inferentia chips for future models.
The investment and deeper partnership align with previous reporting by Reutersthat Claude will power Amazon’s new Alexa voice assistant. The improved Alexa — the release of which has been delayed — reportedly performed better with Claude than it did when using Amazon’s in-house model. The...
The Perfect Starting Party For Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Is Surprisingly Simple
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is overflowing with quality-of-life improvements around every corner, successfully bringing the best version of one of the world’s most beloved role-playing adventures to an entirely new generation of players. However, that doesn’t mean that every aspect of the game is drastically…
The newest Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite are on sale for the first time
The new Paperwhite is bigger, and the base Kindle comes in a new color. | Photo: David Pierce / The Verge
It’s about that time of the year to turn on the heat, warm up some cocoa, and curl up in your reading nook. If you’re running out of space for physical books to enjoy, Amazon’s newest Kindle ebook readers can hold thousands of digital ones, and some are on sale for the first time in the retailer’s Black Friday sale.
That includes the 2024 Kindle that’s dropped to $84.99 ($25 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, as well as the updated Kindle Paperwhite, which is now just $129.99 ($30 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. Sadly, the Kindle Colorsoft (the first with a color display) and the new Kindle Scribe haven’t gotten the same treatment.
The Kindle Paperwhite is the most compelling of the two for anyone looking for solid reasons...
A proposed climate tax on crypto mining is gaining momentum
Image: Nick Barclay / The Verge
A tentative proposal totax cryptocurrency mining to raise funds for climate action took off during a United Nations climate conference that’s set to come to a close today.
A levy on energy-hungry crypto mining, at $0.045 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity used, could generate $5.2 billion in revenue annually, according to a report released last week by the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force, led by Kenya, Barbados, and France.
The Bitcoin network is estimated to use more electricity annually than a majority of the world’s countries do individually. The idea is that a climate tax could reduce emissions by incentivizing mining firms to clean up their operations. And it could provide desperately needed funding to help less affluent...
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
pinskal@sfba.social ("Jon Pinter") wrote:
Attachments:
- Two panel comic by amii.illustrates. In the first panel a man in a suit and tie says "stop immigration so we can take care of our own". In the second panel a small man not wearing a suit has walked up and says "I'm starving" and the much larger man in a suit puts his hands on his hips and tells the small man to "fuck off". (remote)
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
Today in History: Barnardo Pasquini dies in Rome, 1710
("Italian composer of operas, oratorios, cantatas and keyboard music. A renowned virtuoso keyboard player, he was one of the most important Italian composers for harpsichord")
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
Today in History: Benjamin Britten born, 1913
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
Today in History: John F. Kennedy assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas, Texas, 1963
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan") wrote:
Streamiverse is written in Kitten and you can follow the “htmx, the htmx WebSocket extension, and socket routes” tutorial to create a Kitten app that consumes the API:
https://kitten.small-web.org/tutorials/htmx-the-htmx-web-socket-extension-and-socket-routes/
To get started with Kitten, see:
(Could be a fun little thing to play with this weekend.)
:kitten:💕
#Kitten #SmallWeb #htmx #WebSocket #streaming #fediverse #Mastodon #API #SmallTech #web #dev
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
aral@mastodon.ar.al ("Aral Balkan") wrote:
Introducing Streamiverse… a simple Mastodon-compatible streaming API of curated posts from the fediverse.
https://streamiverse.small-web.org
Consume the public API curated/hosted by Small Technology Foundation (for non-commercial and educational use) or host your own.
Mastodon had a public streaming API but it was locked down this year. This gives you back that useful feature (for demos, teaching, etc.) plus you know exactly what you’re getting.
Attachments:
- Screenshot: two browser windows, side-by-side. On the left is the Streamiverse index page showing a number of curated posts. On the right is the Settings screen with areas to add to stream and a place where you can enter your fediverse account for removal requests. The Settings page also contains the curated tweets with the ability to remove them. (remote)
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
ahmetasabanci ("Ahmet Alphan Sabancı") wrote:
One side effect of this blog post is it made me realize I really like the “just put whatever is in your mind and hit publish” kind of writing and actually missed doing it.
Searching for tiny dung beetles that clean the vast forest floor
Creating a census of the dung beetles of Massachusetts gives clues into the health of forests and fields.
The government’s plan to break up Google
Image: Alex Parkin / The Verge
For two decades, Google Search has been unstoppable. Invincible. So thoroughly dominant that would-be competitors often couldn’t even get funding, because investors didn’t see the point in trying. But earlier this year, a judge declared that Google’s power, and the way the company wields it, was an illegal monopoly. And so now the US Department of Justice has to figure out how to undo it.
On this episode of The Vergecast, we dig into the DOJ’s first attempt at a plan. The Verge’s Lauren Feiner joins the show to talk through the recently filed proposal, which includes selling Chrome, possibly selling Android, and requiring Google to give vast quantities of its search tech and data to anyone wanting to compete.
We try to figure out...
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake's New Vocation Is Worth Leveling Up
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake is a surprisingly faithful adaption of the original Dragon Quest III, opting to prioritize visuals and quality-of-life changes over many drastic overhauls. It’s a remake done right, and its new features and mechanics only serve to enhance the fundamental experience. One of these very…
Apple’s first smart display needs to make the smart home just work
Some Apple Home users have shoehorned iPads into wall-mounted home controllers. However, reports indicate Apple is developing a dedicated home control device. | Photo By Carlos Avila Gonzalez / The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
The smart home has an interface problem. Searching for an app on your phone, fighting with a confused voice assistant, and fiddling with a “smart” display to turn off a light is enough to send anyone running back to the wall switch. But now, Apple is taking a crack at solving the frustrations of smart home control — and it has the opportunity to actually make the smart home work.
Next year, the company will reportedly launch an “AI wall tablet for home control,” and it’s said to be developing more devices for the home (including cameras, a tabletop robot, and maybe even a TV). Among other features, such as video calling, this new smart display will reportedly be a hub for Apple’s home automation platform, Apple Home, providing a communal...
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
The social media shakeout is happening, and I fear Mastodon isn't looking great…although that's from my narrow perspective on one dying instance.
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/11/22/mastodon-flaws/
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Trump's new pick for attorney general. And, Russia's message to NATO countries
President-elect Donald Trump picks Pam Bondi as attorney general after Matt Gaetz withdraws from consideration. And, Putin says Russia tested a new intermediate-range ballistic missile on Ukraine.
Reblogged by collinsworth@hachyderm.io ("Josh Collinsworth"):
johnmorton ("John Morton") wrote:
Reading through the Tailwind CSS v4 pre-release page. I like the idea of moving from a tailwind.config.js file to defining the base in CSS. #webdev https://tailwindcss.com/docs/v4-beta
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
takmatsuoka@vivaldi.net ("松岡さん@散歩記録(写真)垢【仮】") wrote:
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Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
@mindpersephone The CPU is a polished stone tablet covered with magical runes and other complex carvings. If you trap a lightning bolt and feed it to the dead stone, it will become alive to serve you. Anything you command it will do at demonic speed and precision, as long as you know how to say what you want in the strange language it obeys.
These Five Companies said They’d Curb Plastic Waste. They Made It Much Worse.
This story was originally published by the Guardian and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Oil and chemical companies who created a high-profile alliance to end plastic pollution have produced 1,000 times more new plastic in five years than the waste they diverted from the environment, according to new data obtained by Greenpeace. The Alliance to […]
You can sword-fight at this club. But no politics allowed
At the Pittsburgh Sword Fighters club, members are asked to leave their politics at the door, a rule that has led to closer relationships and more learning from one another.
Enjoy Your Air Travel This Thanksgiving. Next Year Will Likely Be Much, Much Worse.
Flying during the Thanksgiving holiday is likely to be terrible—as usual. The lobbying group Airlines for America anticipates a record 31 million people will take to the air to visit family and friends for the holiday. But no matter how terrible the flying experience might be this season, it will probably be as good as […]
How will China impact the future of climate change? You might be surprised
As a new Trump administration signals a retreat on climate action, China is stepping up. China is the biggest producer of climate technologies like electric vehicles and solar panels.
More than 100,000 pounds of ground beef are recalled for possibly having E. coli
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture alerted federal authorities about several illnesses in the past week.
President-elect set to shape 'Trump judiciary' for next generation
Legal experts predict President-elect Donald Trump will move quickly next year to cement and extend his legacy in appointing federal judges.
Tesla won the plug war. Enter the age of the EV charging adapter
The auto industry is embracing Tesla's charging technology in order to share its vast Supercharger network. This is going to be a slow transition — expect to see a lot of adapters.
In this election, demographics did not determine how people voted
Groups that Democrats believed would always turn out in their favor did not do so this year. Here's how the vote shook out in the seven swing states.
Reblogged by keul@fosstodon.org ("Luca Fabbri"):
webdev_discussions ("Webdev Weekly") wrote:
Tailwind CSS v4.0 Beta 1
https://tailwindcss.com/blog/tailwindcss-v4-beta
Discussions: https://discu.eu/q/https://tailwindcss.com/blog/tailwindcss-v4-beta
United Nations nuclear agency again condemns Iran for failing to fully cooperate
The resolution comes after the agency said Iran has defied demands to rein in its nuclear program and has increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
Alabama carries out nation's 3rd nitrogen gas execution
An Alabama man convicted in the 1994 killing of a hitchhiker cursed at the prison warden shortly before he was put to death Thursday evening in the nation's third execution using nitrogen gas.
Reblogged by slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell"):
bendelarre ("Ben Delarre") wrote:
The web balances on a knife edge. It's kept upright by impassioned people arguing for security and privacy and pushing within these organizations to make it all a reality. But it also runs on real engineering hours, sunk into projects that those same folks have managed to carve out space for within what should be entirely self interested corporate bodies.
Yes there is some lopsidedness right now, but upsetting that balance within the current economic and political environment is a Very Bad Idea
ionizedgirl@toot.cat ("react loading skeleton") wrote:
so if google is forced to sell off chrome, does that mean The Onion can buy it
Snap says New Mexico intentionally friended alleged child predators, then blamed the company
Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
Snap says the basis of a scathing lawsuit suggesting it systematically recommends teens’ accounts to child predators is backwards — the company is now accusing the New Mexico attorney general of intentionally seeking out such accounts before recommendations were made. The company says the AG’s case is based on “gross misrepresentations” and cherry picks from Snap’s internal documents.
In a motion to dismiss filed Thursday, Snap says AG Raúl Torrez’s complaint makes “patently false” allegations, and particularly misrepresents its own undercover investigation, in which the AG’s office created a decoy 14-year-old account. Torrez alleges Snap violated the state’s unfair practices and public nuisance laws by misleading users’ about the...
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
drwho@hackers.town ("The Doctor") wrote:
@djsundog https://www.kqed.org/arts/13929900/shock-g-revolutionized-hip-hop-and-created-a-secret-trove-of-funky-art
Trump names former Florida AG Pam Bondi as his new pick for U.S. attorney general
After former Rep. Matt Gaetz withdrew from consideration, President-elect Donald Trump named Pam Bondi, a former attorney general of Florida, as his next pick for U.S. attorney general.
The best iPhones
New iPhones for the AI era. | Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge
Whether you want a battery that lasts for days or the very best deal, we’ve got some recommendations for an iPhone you’ll love.
Some Trump cabinet picks are accused of sexual misconduct. What's it mean for #MeToo?
If you're tracking Donald Trump's cabinet picks, you may have noticed common threads among them: top jobs are going to people fiercely loyal to Trump, people with experience appearing on TV, but no experience directly relevant to the jobs they would be doing.There's another thing several share: being accused of sexual misconduct. Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth, HHS Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, Elon Musk, who Trump has picked to co-run the Department of Government Efficiency — all these men have faced some variation of accusations of sexual misconduct. All have denied it, or claimed no memory.Donald Trump's first presidential win helped lay the groundwork for the #MeToo movement. What do his cabinet picks say about the movement today?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.
The Verge’s guide to Black Friday 2024
Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge
These days, Black Friday isn’t so much a single-day shopping holiday as it is an ever-expanding, monthslong event that often begins as early as October. The 24-hour deal blitz that once was the focus of newspaper headlines and mobs outside of stores is no more, which makes knowing when and where you should be spending your cash all the more confusing.
Luckily, we’re here to help. Over the next month or so, we’ll be poring through scores of presale spreadsheets and thousands upon thousands of deals to separate the real discounts from the unexciting, made-up bargains every retailer seems to hawk around the holidays. We’ll have tips on how to find the best deals and when to shop, and we’ll continue to flag the most compelling sales in the...
Here are the best Black Friday deals you can already get
Image: Elen Winata for The Verge
From noise-canceling earbuds to robot vacuums and 4K OLED TVs, there is already plenty on offer.
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
drahardja@sfba.social ("Dave Rahardja") wrote:
Congratulations to the #AmazonTeamsters in DCK6 #SanFrancisco #sfba for officially forming a union!
https://www.instagram.com/p/DCpBNtZMYiA/
https://teamster.org/2024/10/amazon-warehouse-workers-in-san-francisco-join-teamsters-union/
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FCC passes auto safety spectrum rules
Image: Department of Transportation
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to finalize new spectrum rules that will push cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) communications technology forward.
C-V2X will use existing cellular networks to send messages from vehicle to vehicle, vehicle to infrastructure, vehicle to cyclists, or vehicle to pedestrians to warn of each other's presence for safety purposes. It could cross-alert for hazardous road conditions, including speeding cars, weather, or traffic congestion.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the agency’s efforts will drive innovation in wireless and transportation economies and “keep us safe on our roadways when we walk, ride, and drive.” The decision on the proposed rule promotes “efficient use of...
Police report gives details, timeline of the sexual assault claim against Pete Hegseth
The woman who accused then-Fox News host of sexual assault in 2017 said that she "remembered saying 'no' a lot," according to a police report. Hegseth is President-elect Donald Trump's choice for Secretary of Defense.
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
dangerous move, no matter by whom, & critical to discover if this really was the work of a PRC vessel
https://www.perplexity.ai/page/baltic-sea-cable-sabotage-ZPHHtKJkQQuT_t3DykHcsA
Even Dr. Oz Can’t Break Medicare
Some 15 percent of Americans are enrolled in Medicare Part D, which covers outpatient prescription drug costs for older adults and other qualifying individuals, providing nearly $140 billion a year in support to about 50 million people. But the program is administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services—which President-elect Donald Trump has nominated […]
Rabbit now lets you teach the R1 to perform tasks for you
Photo: David Pierce / The Verge
Rabbit is rolling out “teach mode” to its R1 devices, allowing you to create an AI agent that can perform tasks for you. The feature works by “learning” a task you demonstrate, such as retrieving updates from a content creator you follow, or helping you draft a post on social media.
You can access the feature by logging into the Rabbithole, the web interface for managing an R1 device. From there, you’ll create a “lesson” by describing a task and then recording yourself performing it. Once you show the AI agent what you want it to do, you can then ask it to recall what it’s learned and have it complete the task. It seems straightforward, but Rabbit acknowledges that teach mode is experimental and results may not always be what you expect.
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