jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
that’s a lotta bucks
Two years later.
Want to know one of the major reasons Mastodon didn't catch on with journalists and large website owners?
It is *invisible* in referrer statistics.
Here's my blog from the last month.
BlueSky now sends me more traffic than Bing.
How much traffic does Mastodon send? It is impossible to know due to the "noreferrer" header in all links.
(I'm not saying your privacy isn't important. But you can't grow a community if no-one knows you exist.)
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cstross@wandering.shop ("Charlie Stross") wrote:
IT EXISTS!!!!
(My first hardback author copies—the Orbit UK edition—of "A Conventional Boy" just arrived.)
Attachments:
- A photograph of the first author copy of my latest novel, "A Conventional Boy", which will be published by Orbit in the UK in hardcover next month. It's a predominantly red and black design featuring 20-sided and 4-sided dice, tentacles, sinister human silhouettes, and an even more sinister step pyramid with a temple on top. (remote)
Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
hammerhead@goblin.camp ("✨🍊Orange Feelings🍊✨") wrote:
I jokingly googled “hooters embroidery files” and wow I’ve never hit the motherlode like this
Attachments:
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:
There are few places on the web where someone can post a website and people will give really helpful feedback. Mastodon is one of those places.
Thank you all.
From: @fromjason
https://mastodon.social/@fromjason/113609997933720195
X gives Grok a new photorealistic AI image generator
Image: The Verge
X has given Grok a new AI image generator model called “Aurora” that seems to create far more photorealistic imagery than Grok’s other image generator, with similarly few apparent restrictions on what it will produce, TechCrunch reports. Like Grok, anyone can use Aurora. It lives in a new “Grok 2 + Aurora beta” option in the Grok model selector, though you’ll only get a few queries before you hit the X Premium subscription paywall and have to wait.
TechCrunch found that the model, which X employee Chris Park posted is available this morning, was willing to create copyrighted characters and public figures, including Mickey Mouse and “a bloodied Donald Trump,” but that it “stopped short of nudes.” Its lack of restrictions isn’t surprising, given our experience with Grok’s other model.
In another example highlighted by TechCrunch, an X user showed off AI-generated images of Ray Romano and Adam Sandler in the X post below — both realistic, but with some very obvious weirdness when it comes to human anatomy and continuity.
Behold my images using the new Grok @grok image generator Aurora:
1. Ray Romano and @AdamSandler on a sitcom set pic.twitter.com/2V491RdjMF
— Matt (@EnsoMatt) December 7, 2024
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
emilylorange@mastodon.art ("Emily L'Orange 🦆🍊") wrote:
This year's Interlude (warcraft fancomic anthology) has been made available for you to read in full for FREE! I was once again able to contribute a story to this collection, and you should take a peak at how hard the team worked :3
Attachments:
- a comic page featuring four panels, depicting a scene in nature, that appears to be a fantasy elf with green hair tending to flowers tied to a trunk of a twisting tree. First panel: Title card that reads 'Regrowth by Emily L'Orange', and a pair of hands in close up with blue orchids. Second panel: a more zoomed out look at the scene, elf in the front in silhouette with the tree, and cliffs and waterfalls and floating islands in the background. Third panel: elf from about the waist up, fussing with the flowers Fourth panel: someone off to the side yells 'Archdruid! The alliance calls for aid!', the elf looks surprised and confused. (remote)
X helps update Kids Online Safety Act in final push for passage in the Republican-led House
Photo illustration by Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos by Jerod Harris, Chesnot, Getty Images
With just weeks left to pass legislation before Congress adjourns, X CEO Linda Yaccarino announced she worked with the authors of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) to update the bill in what seems like a play to win over the Republican House leaders standing in the way of it becoming law.
The striking announcement is the latest example of how Elon Musk and his companies are taking on significant roles in influencing government output. While it’s not unusual for outside stakeholders, including companies, to weigh in on pending legislation, the fact that the bill’s sponsors, Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), announced X’s input indicates they view it as helpful to the bill’s chances of passing.
“Led by X, the new changes made to the Kids Online Safety Act strengthen the bill while safeguarding free speech online and ensuring it is not used to stifle expression,” Blumenthal and Blackburn said in a joint statement. “These changes should eliminate once and for all the false narrative that this bill would be weaponized by unelected bureaucrats to censor Americans. We thank Elon and Linda for their bold leadership and commitment to protecting children online and for helping us get this bill across the finish line this Congress.”
KOSA aims to make the internet safer for kids by imposing a duty of care on tech platforms to prevent and mitigate certain harms when they implement certain design features, including photo filters and infinite scroll. The bill passed overwhelmingly in the Senate over the summer but has stalled in the House, with the bill’s critics fearing it could be weaponized against disliked speech or lead to a more restricted internet due to platforms’ fears of legal risk.
The changes include a clarification that the bill can’t be used to enforce the platforms’ duty of care “based upon the viewpoint of users expressed by or through any speech, expression, or information protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.” It also narrows the duty of care with respect to anxiety and depressive disorders to make it enforceable only when those conditions are “objectively verifiable” and linked to “compulsive usage.”
Yaccarino previously endorsed the bill on behalf of X earlier this year, while CEOs of companies like Meta and Google have not gone so far, and KOSA supporters point to tech lobbying as a key obstacle.
But Republican leadership in the House has also become a hurdle for the bill’s passage. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) told Punchbowl News in October, “I love the principle, but the details of that are very problematic.” He worried about “unintended consequences.” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) is viewed as potentially even harder to win over, Punchbowl reports, and is concerned about the scope of the duty of care in the bill.
Severance’s season 2 trailer teases answers and raises strange new questions
Image: Apple
We already knew that the tensions and scares were going to ramp up in season 2 of Severance, and the latest trailer provides a deeper glimpse into what to expect — along with teasing answers to some important (and weird) questions.
The show follows a megacorporation called Lumon Industries, which utilizes a new procedure called severance that allows workers to spatially split their brains, creating two selves: one who works for Lumon, and another who lives life on the outside. The new clip shows the return of four Lumon employees — Mark (Adam Scott), Dylan (Zach Cherry), Helly (Britt Lower), and Irving (John Turturro) — who are back in the office after managing to bridge those two different worlds. However, it’s unclear if they’re actually in trouble for their actions; instead, they’ve turned into celebrities of sorts.
That doesn’t mean that the vibes are any less unsettling, though, with the always-intense supervisor Milchick (Tramell Tillman) saying things like, “I’m tightening the leash.” More than anything, the new trailer promises answers to some of Severance’s strangest questions. There’s the mystery of what actually goes down in Lumon’s basement, which we’re told “will be remembered as one of the greatest moments on this planet” as well as just what the hell is going on with all of the goats. The trailer also introduces an unexpected new question: how could a child be an office manager?
Clearly, there’s a lot going on in season 2, and it’s not too far off now. The new season of Severance starts streaming on January 17th. In the meantime, here are some excellent new posters.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25776464/unnamed.png)
Image: Apple
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:
People in the video are my very talented friends from improv, Hannah and Cole. I gave them the general idea and they ran with it. Everything in the video is 100% improvised except for the tag line.
Google sues to stop the US from monitoring it like a bank
Image: Hugo Herrera / The Verge
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced on Friday it had placed Google Payment Corp. under federal supervision, reports Reuters. Google reportedly filed a lawsuit to block the CFPB’s order, which could result in routine inspections and monitoring like those imposed on banks.
The agency found that Google’s error resolution and fraud prevention processes pose risks to consumers, citing consumer complaints about Google Pay Balance and Google’s peer-to-peer payments. Those complaints, which Google’s lawsuit claims are “unsubstantiated,” according to The Washington Post, include that the company didn’t seem to fully investigate fraudulent charges and didn’t “adequately explain” the results of those investigations.
The CFPB says its finding that Google should be supervised doesn’t mean the company is “guilty of wrongdoing.” It also notes in its order that Google Pay and the P2P platform were discontinued earlier this year.
Google spokesperson José Castañeda provided a statement to The Verge:
This is a clear case of government overreach involving Google Pay peer-to-peer payments, which never raised risks and is no longer provided in the U.S., and we are challenging it in court.
Update December 7th: Added statement from Google spokesperson José Castañeda.
USDA to Require Testing of Milk to Monitor Spread of Bird Flu
The United States Department of Agriculture will begin mandatory testing of US milk supplies for bird flu. The Friday announcement was a break from the previously voluntary testing program for the bird flu virus known as H5N1. This strain of bird flu was first found in US dairy cattle in March, according to the USDA. […]
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:
The UnitedHealthcare Gunman Understands the Surveillance State:
"This killing raises the possibility that our surveillance network—an intricate web meant to enhance public safety and private security—has become so obvious and intrusive that criminal perpetrators can figure out how to dodge it."
I can’t (read: can) believe the media are using this situation to call for a grander police ... https://micro.fromjason.xyz/2024/12/07/the-unitedhealthcare-gunman.html
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:
Is Google Making Us Stupid? - The Atlantic (2008):
"Over the past few years I’ve had an uncomfortable sense that someone, or something, has been tinkering with my brain, remapping the neural circuitry, reprogramming the memory." https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-stupid/306868/
Ukrainians face another harsh winter as Russia attacks coal country
Many Ukrainians continue to leave their coal mining towns, with the front line of the war with Russia nearby.
The Racist Hoax That Changed Boston
In 1989, Chuck Stuart called 911 on his car phone to report a shooting. He told a dispatcher that he and his wife Carol were leaving a birthing class at a Boston hospital when a man forced him to drive into the mixed-race Mission Hill neighborhood, and shot them both. Carol Stuart would die that […]
Vote to Impeach South Korean President Fails After Martial Law Declaration
The effort to impeach South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol failed on Saturday morning. Yoon was able to survive because his party, the People Power Party, ultimately opposed impeachment. The impeachment effort came after Yoon set off a political crisis earlier this week in South Korea by declaring martial law. Yoon’s move led to protests […]
Syrian opposition activists say insurgents have reached the suburbs of Damascus
Syrian insurgents have reached the suburbs of Damascus as part of a offensive that has seen them take over some of Syria's largest cities, opposition activists and a rebel commander said Saturday.
Photographer pays homage to Our Lady of Guadalupe and reclaims her connection with the divine
Our Lady of Guadalupe is a significant religious figure who signifies hope and protection for countless Latinos in the U.S. and abroad. For photographer Amanda Lopez, she's an emblem of home.
Musk and Ramaswamy's DOGE echoes past budget promises that faced big hurdles
Vows to shrink the deficit, pay down the debt and run government more like a business have long been a stock element of politics. Candidates for office who have business backgrounds made it a mantra.
Fortnite’s new mode is an FPS that’s a lot like Counter-Strike
Image: Epic Games
Epic Games is about to let Fortnite creators publish experiences with first-person modes, and to help show what’s possible, Epic itself is introducing a tactical FPS shooter that seems like it will play a lot like Counter-Strike or Valorant.
The new mode, called “Ballistic,” is “an adrenaline-filled, round-based 5v5 competitive game mode where strategy, tactical teamwork, and individual prowess are essential for victory,” according to an Epic blog post. Players will be split into two teams, with one that has to plant the bomb — sorry, I mean the “Rift Point Device” — and another that has to defend against that. Between rounds, you’ll be able to buy gear for the next one. Teams will switch sides after six rounds, and the first to win seven rounds will be crowned the victor.
This isn’t the first time Epic has cribbed a game idea for Fortnite: its racing and festival modes both borrow a lot from Psyonix’s Rocket League and Harmonix’s Rock Band (Epic owns both studios), the Lego survival mode has a lot of similarities to Minecraft, and Epic even admitted that the (now-gone) Impostors mode was inspired by Among Us. Heck, the game’s main battle royale mode was actually a spinoff that followed the success of PUBG.
But now that Epic is trying to make Fortnite into something more akin to Roblox (another inspiration!), where players are encouraged to sample lots of experiences instead of just one, modes like Ballistic and Reloadlet Epic experiment with different ideas without changing the core battle royale experience. And since your purchased Fortnite outfits and gear generally work across all of the modes, there’s a financial incentive for Epic to add more experiences, too.
Ballistic launches in early access on December 11th. Fortnite creators will be able to publish their own experiences with first-person modes that same day.
Ballistic is arriving during an already busy time for Fortnite. The game’s Japanese-themed season kicked off at the beginning of the week, and on Friday, Epic launched the permanent version of its throwback OG mode.
How to stop the AI you’re using from training with your data
Image: The Verge
There’s plenty to consider when it comes to deciding whether you want to engage with the many generative AI bots now available inside our apps. These include the ethics of copyright use, soaring energy demands, and the diminishing of human creativity, to begin with.
Something else to bear in mind when engaging with these tools is they’re often going to use your flesh-and-blood human inputs to further train their underlying models. While some AI companies make efforts to anonymize this data, it’s something you may not feel comfortable with. The good news is, in most cases, you can find a setting to turn the training off.
Disabling AI training isn’t quite the same as wiping your AI chatbot history, though they are linked. Your chats can still be used for training purposes before they’re wiped, and you may well want to keep your chat history in place — but at the same time stop AI companies from using your data for model refinement.
Here are instructions on how to turn off AI training on several AI or AI-supporting apps.
ChatGPT
Screenshot: ChatGPT
On ChatGPT, you can refuse to “improve the model for everyone.”
On the web
Click your profile picture (top...
We May Have Gotten Our First Glimpse Of Switch 2 Joy-Con This Week
This week, a low-quality video may have given us our first look at the Joy-Con that will be used by the successor to the Nintendo Switch. Also, Sony celebrated the 30th anniversary of PlayStation by putting the original console’s boot-up sound on PS5, along with customization options that let people apply the familiar…
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
scott@carfree.city ("scott f") wrote:
this is a genuinely great protest song
also the artist has a bandcamp and it's #BandcampFriday for 3 more hours 👀 https://mipsomusic.bandcamp.com/album/book-of-fools-2
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Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
doersino ("Noah Doersing 🐦🎨🌿") wrote:
The tiniest icicle, suspended from a piece of spider silk.
#macro #macrophotography #naturephotography #photography #frost #winter #ice
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Google’s AI weather prediction model is pretty darn good
People shelter under umbrellas from the wind and rain as they cross a road near Shinjuku train station on October 12, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan ahead of Typhoon Hagibis’ expected landfal later in the evening. | Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images
GenCast, a new AI model from Google DeepMind, is accurate enough to compete with traditional weather forecasting. It managed to outperform a leading forecast model when tested on data from 2019, according to recently published research.
AI isn’t going to replace traditional forecasting anytime soon, but it could add to the arsenal of tools used to predict the weather and warn the public about severe storms. GenCast is one of several AI weather forecasting models being developed that might lead to more accurate forecasts.
GenCast is one of several AI weather forecasting models that might lead to more accurate forecasts
“Weather basically touches every aspect of our lives ... it’s also one of the big scientific challenges, predicting the weather,” says Ilan Price, a senior research scientist at DeepMind. “Google DeepMind has a mission to advance AI for the benefit of humanity. And I think this is one important way, one important contribution on that front.”
Price and his colleagues tested GenCast against the ENS system, one of the world’s top-tier models for forecasting that’s run by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). GenCast outperformed ENS 97.2...
A wolf walks into a flower — and appears to pollinate it
The bees and ... the wolves? Turns out, the Ethiopian wolf may be a pollinator, too.
The end of the ISS will usher in a more commercialized future in space
Image: NASA
Can privately owned space stations replace the ISS? And what becomes of the research?
Joker: Folie à Deux Will Be Available To Stream Very Soon
One of 2024's biggest disappointments in movie theaters will soon be able to try and redeem itself in your homes. Before you and yours get into the holiday spirit on Christmas Day, Joker: Folie à Deux will be available to stream on Max on December 13.
South Korean President Yoon's impeachment vote fails after ruling party boycotts it
A South Korean legislative push to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his imposition of martial law fell through on Saturday.
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
Added support for #gowin #fpga to Swim - the Spade build tool
If you have one of these laying around you can just `swim install-tools` and then `swim init --board tangnano9k` or `5k`
With this update, we're also no longer on an ancient oss-cad-suite which should give a nice area and fmax improvement on other FPGAs
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How many species could go extinct from climate change? It depends on how hot it gets.
A new study projects biodiversity threats if global warming speeds up. Under the most extreme scenarios, about one in three species could be facing extinction by the end of the century.
Activists worry that Trump will bulldoze trans rights. Here's how they're preparing
Trump's campaign promised policies targeting the transgender community once he's in office. LGBTQ groups face fear, anxiety and uncertainty as they prep for an anticipated challenging four years.
We Need Copper, and These New Methods Could Make Refining It a Lot Cleaner
This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. At a laboratory in Newark, New Jersey, a gray liquid swirls vigorously inside a reactor the size of a small watermelon. Here, scientists with the mining technology startup Still Bright are using a rare metal, vanadium, to extract a common one, copper, from ores […]
Internet sleuths are trying to solve the New York CEO killing
The public is racing to find evidence that might lead to the gunman who killed health insurance CEO Brian Thompson. When does crowdsourcing detective work help police, and when can it cause harm?
Trump travels to Paris for Notre Dame Cathedral's reopening and to meet with Macron
Donald Trump is off on his first international trip as president-elect, ready to join world leaders and dignitaries in Paris for a Saturday celebration of the renovation of Notre Dame Cathedral.
jonny@neuromatch.social ("jonny (good kind)") wrote:
Attachments:
- [butterfly meme, denoting an anime character receiving a butterfly into their hand, usually meaning they are receiving something whose meaning or identity they dramatically misperceive, labeled with "is this {x}" where {x} is the thing they (incorrectly) think the received item is] butterfly: "free hit counter server shuts down" character: "everyone who gets mad online about technology" bottom text: "is this enshittification?" (remote)
![[butterfly meme, denoting an anime character receiving a butterfly into their hand, usually meaning they are receiving something whose meaning or identity they dramatically misperceive, labeled with "is this {x}" where {x} is the thing they (incorrectly) think the received item is] butterfly: "free hit counter server shuts down" character: "everyone who gets mad online about technology" bottom text: "is this enshittification?"](https://files.mastodon.social/cache/media_attachments/files/113/610/269/620/907/350/original/e5641635961cafc9.png){kind=link}
Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):
darkuncle@infosec.exchange ("Scott Francis") wrote:
If “the purpose of a system is what it does” [0], we need to have a hard think about:
* health insurance
* social media
* advertising
* the tech sector
* banking and finance
* capitalism
* society
* governmentsAnd quite a few other things. If we are to judge based on observed outcomes, we should (as a society) be demanding some changes.
0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_purpose_of_a_system_is_what_it_does
fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:
About to launch my new freelance website (after I proofread tomorrow).
What do y'all think?
cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen") wrote:
(And yeah, the God thing didn't stick with me after that. So it goes.)
cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen") wrote:
I have to admit my experience as a child matches some of these studies.
https://skepchick.org/2024/12/its-still-ok-to-lie-to-your-kids-about-santa/
Me: [confronting my mom about Santa at 7] So Santa isn't real is he?
Mom: No he's not.
Me: Tooth Fairy?
Mom: No.
Me: Easter Bunny?
Mom: No.
Me: God?
Mom: Oh no, he's real.
Me: [thinking to myself] Really?... 🤔
It was valuable to learn that even people I trust most in life are capable of lying when it suits them, which might include "bringing joy".
Reblogged by cstanhope@social.coop ("Your friendly 'net denizen"):
LauraJG@deacon.social ("Laura G, Sassy 70’s") wrote:
Gustave Doré (1832-1883), La Nuit de Noël (Christmas Eve), black ink and gouache on paper, 75x51.5 cm, Musée d'Orsay. A magical scene. Yes, sentimental and sweet, but perhaps not too saccharine. #arthistory #christmas #art
An interesting note about the artist, who, besides his work as a painter, engraver, book illustrator, sculptor, is considered the father of the comic strip.
From the website Lambiek Comix-Strips: “… in his career, he was also an important comic strip pioneer. Four text comics by his hand were published in comic book format: 'Les Travaux d'Hercule' (1847), 'Trois Artistes Incompris et Mécontents' (1851), 'Les Dés-Agréments d'un Voyage d'Agrément' (1851) and 'L'Histoire de la Sainte Russie' (1854). Particularly ''L'Histoire de la Sainte Russie' is seen as a highlight in comic history. Doré elevated the still young medium through inventive experiments with lay-out, text, image and comical exaggerations.” https://www.lambiek.net/artists/d/dore_gustave.htm
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Reblogged by xor@tech.intersects.art ("Parker Higgins"):
tailscale@hachyderm.io ("Tailscale") wrote:
Let's say you've got a service you want to get onto your tailnet. What's the move? We've laid out some options in order of just how Tailscale-y you want to go https://tailscale.com/blog/four-ways-tailscale-service/?utm_source=Mastodon&utm_medium=owned-social&utm_campaign=devrel-social
Gargron ("Eugen Rochko") wrote:
I've been using last.fm since 2008 and the only device in my possession that isn't scrobbling is the record player. It is a bit amusing that for how privacy-conscious I am in all other ways I'm happy to share what I listen to, when, and how much. But that's the thing, it's my choice.
Gargron ("Eugen Rochko") wrote:
I'm a bit sad that last.fm isn't more popular. To preempt, yes, it's still a centralized commercial company, but at least it's agnostic about where you listen to music. Instead, most people have their listening habits locked within specific streaming platforms like Spotify or YouTube Music, and rely on them to make that information available to them once a year...
The Verge’s 2024 holiday gift guide for dads
Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
If you’re unsure what to gift the father figure in your life this year, we have more than a few suggestions.
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
Cartoon time!
https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/12/06/trying-to-be-unambiguous/
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Valve’s master plan for Steam Machines is finally coming into focus
Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
If I told you that Valve could make a play to dethrone the Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox in your living room this next year while simultaneously challenging the Meta Quest as the gamer’s VR headset of choice, would you believe me? Because Valve may have a lot of SteamOS hardware on the way.
If there’s fire where we currently see smoke, Valve is currently preparing a wireless VR headset codename Deckard, a pair of trackable wands codename Roy, a Steam Controller 2 gamepad codename Ibex, and a codename Fremont living room console too. (That last one now looks likelier than it did yesterday.) And Valve has also now seemingly revealed plans for partners to create third-party SteamOS hardware too.
It won’t be easy to take on Sony, Microsoft, or Meta. Those companies have a lot to lose, and they’re deeply entrenched. But the Steam Deck has revealed a massive weakness in each of their businesses that may take them years to correct — the desire to play a huge library of games anytime, anywhere.
And while they figure that out, Valve may be building an entire new ecosystem of SteamOS hardware, one that could finally let PC and peripheral makers tap into the huge and growing...
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
HopelessDemigod@mstdn.social ("Imogen") wrote:
Once upon a time, a brash outsider entered the Oval Office with a promise to “drain the swamp.” He brought in a posse of businesspeople, led by a leading industrialist, to work like “tireless bloodhounds” to root out inefficiencies in Washington’s vast bureaucracy.
It was 1982, and President Ronald Reagan’s Grace Commission began its quest to get rid of hundreds of billions of dollars in wasteful spending.
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
noupside.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy ("Renee DiResta 🆒") wrote:
Vibe shift!
Pre-emptive allegations of fraud - which had been pushed for months by right-wing elite election truthers like Elon Musk - simply evaporated after Trump won. Why might that be? What would have happened if he’d lost?
RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ln72v57ivz2g46uqf4xxqiuh/post/3lco3rsshek2c
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
mastodonmigration@mastodon.online ("Mastodon Migration") wrote:
Get Mastodon For Christmas
Family has been pestering, but don't really want anything except a couple sweatshirts. 🤔 Then boom! 💥 Why not ask for Mastodon for Christmas? 🎁
So asking people to donate $25 each to Mastodon:
- Instance server: Check https:// [your server] /about
- Mastodon GmbH Trust and Safety Lead: https://givebutter.com/givingmastodon
- Mastodon GmbH: https://patreon.com/mastodonWhy not. 🤷
jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:
okay, this is amazing
Reblogged by jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein"):
bruno_j_navarro ("Bruno J. Navarro") wrote:
Universal healthcare coverage in the U.S. would have saved hundreds of thousands of lives as well as hundreds of billions of dollars through the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new analysis.
isagalaev ("Ivan Sagalaev :flag_wbw:") wrote:
And there you go! Pomegranate dusting sugar for a festive cup of cocoa. The photo with the actual cocoa is coming after Christmas :-)
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Microsoft Surface rumors point to a big Copilot Plus refresh next year
Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Microsoft’s first Copilot AI-ready Surface laptop arrived earlier this year, and now Windows Central reports that the rest of the lineup is due for a refresh in 2025.
According to the report, we can expect new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop computers — and we’ve already seen a possible prototype pop up in October — with Intel Lunar Lake chips, that will be Copilot Plus PCs with AI features, just like the current Snapdragon versions.
That would make them the first Intel-powered Surfaces with the label after Microsoft didn’t extend the label and those features to the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6. Those machines had Intel Metor Lake chips with NPUs that didn’t meet the necessary mark. The new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop are also expected to get anti-reflective screen coating, and the Laptop version might get a card reader and 5G options.
It also says the Surface Laptop Studio is due for an upgrade from the current model’s 13th-gen Intel chips that could use Intel or AMD. Whatever the case, I hope it will have better battery life than we saw in our review of the current model. Meanwhile, Microsoft confirmed to Windows Central that the Surface Studio 2 Plus all-in-one is g...
Will Assad Survive in Syria? And Will the Conflict Widen Into a Regional War?
Rebels in Syria are making rapid advances against the government forces of President Bashar al-Assad. Assad has managed to stay in power throughout the civil war that has engulfed his country for more than a decade. But he again finds himself in a precarious position. We weigh the chances of his political survival. And in Lebanon, residents are watching as Syrian rebels get closer and closer to their border. There is concern that the fighting will spill over, threatening a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah and perhaps becoming a regional war.
Kotaku's Weekend Guide: 4 Awesome Games To Get Cozy With
Folks, it’s December. That means that unless you live in a part of the world where the weather is nice all the time (or you’re in, like, Australia), you’re likely doing your best to keep the frigid temperatures at bay. And hey, if you’re looking at a weekend of being stuck indoors, I can think of no better time to…
isagalaev ("Ivan Sagalaev :flag_wbw:") wrote:
There's a slight difference in color after a couple of minutes in the oven, and I think I like the result. The downside is that individual crumbles got fused together and it needs to be crushed again, which is going to reintroduce some of the dullness.
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What Arm’s CEO makes of the Intel debacle
Arm CEO Rene Haas. | Getty Images / The Verge
Arm CEO Rene Haas has a unique, bird’s eye view of the tech industry. His company’s chip designs are in the majority of devices you use on a daily basis, from your smartphone to your car. The SoftBank-backed company he leads is worth almost $150 billion, which is now considerably more than Intel.
With the news earlier this week that Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger “retired” and Intel is evaluating its options for a possible spinoff or outright sale, I wanted to hear what Haas thought should happen to his longtime frenemy. There were reports that he approached Intel about buying a big chunk of the company before Gelsinger was ousted. At the same time, Arm is also rumored to be eyeing an expansion into building its own chips and not just licensing its designs.
Haas and I touched on all that and more in an exclusive interview earlier today, which will air in full on a future episode of Decoder. (You can listen to my episode about AI spending in the enterprise that just came out as well.) In the meantime, I wanted to give subscribers the first peek at the highlights from my conversation with Haas.
The following interview has been edited and condensed:
On what he makes of the Intel...
isagalaev ("Ivan Sagalaev :flag_wbw:") wrote:
After 3 days and some chopping I got this. This is already good, even though it lost the Christmas-y red color and became pink. On the other hand, this way it's more evocative of pomegranate. It also still tastes like it, so that's good.
But let me see if I could bring back some sheen and sparkle by trying to quickly melt the surface level at 320°F.
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fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:
CEOs seek protection after UnitedHealthcare executive shooting: Kroll:
"“An executive is the face of the organization,” he said in an interview. “A CEO is the lightning rod that attracts the ire regardless of the product or services sold.”"
Pretty sure no one’s looking up the CEO’s name for Yankee Candle. https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/05/ceo-protection-unitedhealthcare-new-york-shooting.html
Grand Theft Auto 6's First Trailer, A Year Later
Grand Theft Auto 6's first trailer arrived a year ago this month on December 4 following a leak. Like hyenas scavenging a dead elephant, in the days and weeks that followed fans picked it apart for every possible detail.
USDA orders testing across nation's milk supply amid rising bird flu cases
The virus has spread to over 710 dairy herbs across 15 states, with California reporting the highest number of infections. At least 58 people have been infected with bird flu, including one child.
Suicide Squad Fans Get Hyped For Deathstroke As They Wait For MIA Offline Mode
Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is about to head into season 4, and the players who remain are relieved to see that the newest character joining the multiverse fray is Deathstroke, and that he actually looks cool. Whether he’ll arrive solo or alongside the live-service game’s promised offline mode remains to be…
The holidays are peak time for volunteers, but how about the rest of the year?
Thanksgiving Day kicks off a wave of volunteers stirred by the holiday spirit, but those in charge of local charities say they'd rather have that help at other times of the year.
14 Things To Know Before Playing Indiana Jones And The Great Circle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a lot of fun. The new game from MachineGames and Bethesda lets you step into the (I assume very muddy and warm) boots of the famous adventurer for an exciting new journey around the world. Along the way you solve ancient puzzles and riddles and, of course, fight Nazis.
T-Mobile is introducing ‘revamped’ 5G Home Internet plans
T-Mobile would just love to sign you up on one of its new plans. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge
T-Mobile is once again shuffling its 5G internet options, adding a streaming bundle to its priciest plan and introducing a new mid-tier option. The new plans start at $50 per month (including an autopay discount) and become available starting December 11th.
Importantly, it seems that prices are staying consistent with T-Mobile’s previous 5G Home Internet options — if you’re new to T-Mobile. Discounts for existing customers with a T-Mobile voice line aren’t quite as generous with the new plans.
The new T-Mobile Rely Internet plan costs $50 per month for new customers, which is what T-Mobile charges now for its Home Internet Unlimited plan. Current T-Mobile customers will pay $35 per month, which is $5 more than the $30 a month promo the company is offering now. Unlike the pricier plans, Rely includes a previous-gen 5G router.
The next step up is a new T-Mobile Amplified Internet plan that costs new customers $60 a month with autopay or $45 with a T-Mobile voice line. It comes with T-Mobile’s newest 5G gateway; the small business version of the plan includes a mesh access point, too.
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Image: T-Mobile
I love a comparison chart.
The new top tier plan, All-In, includes the latest router and a streaming bundle with ad-supported Hulu and Paramount Plus Essential. It’s still $70 per month to new T-Mobile customers, but current customers will pay $55 per month — again, not quite as good as the $50 per month promotional price on the outgoing Internet Plus plan.
T-Mobile spokesperson Katie Brinton tells The Verge “There are no changes for existing customers” on the outgoing plans. The Home Internet Backup plan is also sticking around for anyone who just wants an option when their primary Wi-Fi goes down.
Wireless carriers in the US are leaning into fixed wireless internet as a way to make the most of the 5G spectrum these companies have acquired at great cost. T-Mobile has been at the front of the pack with 6 million wireless internet customers, according to its October 2024 earnings release. But its net internet customer additions were down year-over-year, something T-Mobile’s earnings factbook attributes partially to “Increased deactivations from a growing customer base.” A fresh batch of internet offers with extra streaming services included look like they’re a key part of T-Mobile’s strategy to keep pushing forward in the category.
Apple’s custom modems could put 5G in Macs and Vision Pro
Image: The Verge
Apple has big plans for its rumored custom modems. Along with using them in iPhones and iPads, Apple also plans on putting the chip inside Macs and maybe even future versions of the Vision Pro, according to a report from Bloomberg.
Macs with cellular connectivity reportedly won’t arrive before 2026, which is when Bloomberg expects Apple to launch its more advanced, second-generation custom modem. Apple may also add the 5G chip to a pair of augmented reality glasses that Bloomberg says is “years away.” In addition to the iPhone, the company already sells iPads and Apple Watches with cellular connectivity.
Rumors suggest that Apple will debut its custom modem in the iPhone SE next year, followed by entry-level iPads and an iPhone that’s 2mm thinner than the iPhone 16 Pro, Bloomberg reports. Apple is also expected to bring its second-generation modem to high-end iPhones and iPads over three years as it phases out the use of Qualcomm’s modems.
Google Wallet can now be your passport at many airports
Illustration: The Verge
Google is now rolling out the ability to make a digital ID from your passport that you can store in Google Wallet and use at select TSA checkpoints.
Here’s how to make the ID, per Google’s September blog post where it initially announced the feature:
Select the prompt in the Google Wallet app to “create an ID pass with your U.S. passport” and follow the instructions to scan the security chip in the back of your passport. You’ll be asked to take a selfie video to verify your identity, and Google Wallet will notify you when your ID pass is ready (typically within a few minutes).
However, in that blog post, Google also cautions that a digital ID in Google Wallet is “not a replacement for your physical ID” and that you should still carry a physical ID when traveling “for now.”
The digital ID feature will be available to “all eligible users in the coming weeks,” according to Jenny Cheng, VP and GM of Google Wallet. You can see a map of which airports accept digital IDs on the TSA’s website.
Cheng also shared that New Mexico driver’s licenses and state IDs can be saved in Google Wallet. New Mexico is the sixth state to support the feature, 9to5Google reports.
Election confidence among Republicans surges after Trump's win, a new poll finds
Almost 9 in 10 U.S. voters felt the November election was run well, according to new survey data. That's a jump compared with 2020 — an increase driven exclusively by Republican voters.
Dev Behind Co-Op Hit It Takes Two Has A New Game Reportedly Coming Out In March
Hazelight Studios, led by the colorful Josef Fares, might be revealing its latest game very soon. A new report suggests the upcoming project is called Split Fiction and will release sometime in March 2025.
Today I blackholed a telco's whole /13 to get rid of one homophobic troll, how's your day going?
Silo Season 2's Most Shocking Death Is Going To Change The Show
They say history is written by the victors. And often times it’s written in blood. The second season of Apple TV+’s hit sci-fi series Silo has been inching toward a rebellion, and the latest episode featured a shocking death that will set up the biggest conflict the series has ever seen.
claytoncubitt.bsky.social@bsky.brid.gy ("Clayton Cubitt") wrote:
Of all the founding fathers, Ben Franklin would immediately get this entire scenario
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The 10 Worst Games Of 2024 According To Metacritic
2024 was a year filled with good games, especially if you looked beyond the biggest AAA releases and played some of the amazing indie titles and smaller games we got over the last 12 months. But there were some bad ones, too.
hannu_ikonen@zeroes.ca ("Freddie Oversteegen Was Right") wrote:
My my.
Be careful what you wish for when you're a fucking violent, bigoted dipshit I guess.
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Dragon Age: The Veilguard Is On Sale For A Short Time, But There’s A Catch On PlayStation
Dragon Age: The Veilguard has been out for about a month now, and with the holidays approaching, BioWare and EA have put the game on sale for consoles. So if you’ve been waiting to try the fourth entry in the fantasy RPG series, you can get it for a bit cheaper at the moment. However, for whatever reason, the…
DNA Lounge Update, Wherein we drown in a sea of "one-time expenses"
https://www.dnalounge.com/backstage/log/2024/12/06.html
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TikTok Ban Will Move Forward After Court Rejects Appeal
One of the most popular video sharing apps in the world might not be on your phone come next year. A U.S. ban of TikTok will move forward unless Chinese-owned tech company ByteDance divests its control by January 19 after an appeals court rejected its argument against the constitutionality of the new law.
A company that turned homeowners into renters abruptly shuts down
EasyKnock, which pioneered 'sale-leaseback' deals for struggling homeowners, abruptly closes its doors
The Verge’s favorite holiday gifts under $50
Photo: Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge
The holidays are expensive, but they don’t have to be. From fitness trackers to smart speakers, here are the best gifts under $50.
Young people are dying of heat and their risks could grow, study finds
Scientists have pointed out that extreme heat is particularly dangerous for older people. A new study shows that young, healthy people are also dying too often in extreme weather.
pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:
Moist von Lipvig has a lesson for every banker and insurance agent.
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Large drones are flying over New Jersey at night and no one knows why
Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photos from Getty Images
For over a week, New Jersey residents have spotted unidentified aircraft in the northern part of the state, including Morris County and near Newark — and now the authorities are urging people to remain calm.
The FBI’s Newark office, along with Morris County officials, recently issued a statement asking the public to share any information they might have on the mysterious drones, while reiterating that there is “no known threat” to the public. And NJ Governor Phil Murphy said that his office is actively monitoring the situation.
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Image: Julie Shavalier via NBC News
One of the drones looks like an airplane.
The drones were captured on camera by residents in multiple boroughs in the state, mostly at night. Some images and videos shared in news broadcasts and social media depict strange winged aircraft that look like small planes (or “car-sized drones”). Others seem like groups of consumer-level drone copters.
The drones would fly back and forth for “hours,” some witnesses said. Following the reports, the FAA has banned drones from flying over President-elect Donald Trump’s New Jersey golf course, NJ.com reports.
finally got a video of my own. the mystery "drones" that have been circling nj and puzzling its residents. even the FBI has requested these sightings be reported as they are allegedly investigating them further. the best I could do given my shite phone and the fact that I was freezing my fingies off #newjersey #drones #mysterydrones
This drone mystery has taken over the New Jersey subreddit and is spawning a bunch of citizen investigations. It even has the attention of UFO enthusiasts. Some are speculating that the aircraft could be foreign spy drones like the Chinese spy balloon last year, or US military tests, or surveillance drones from the local authorities. Even the FBI is being targeted as a potential culprit.
Google’s Pixel 9A looks destined to ditch the camera bar
Illustration: The Verge
There’ve already been renders of Google’s yet-to-be-announced Pixel 9A and one real-world sneak peek. Now we’re getting yet another look at an early prototype of Google’s next mid-range phone. X user fenibook has posted two shots of the phone, and it’s got the company’s usual markings that designate this as a still-under-development device.
These latest images offer yet more proof that Google plans to ditch the camera bar — a visual hallmark of recent Pixels — on the 9A in favor of making the camera flush with the back of the phone. That’s a bit surprising to see, but Google’s Claude Zellweger told us back in August that designers were likely to reevaluate the ratio of camera hardware to phone hardware thanks to advancements in computational photography.
Google Pixel 9a leaked. pic.twitter.com/XxP67PsY0D
— fenibook (@feni_book) December 5, 2024
The Pixel A-series might be the ideal phone for Google to test whether it can get away with a smaller sensor and camera housing without sacrificing too much in the way of image quality. It’s logical to expect the company’s very best photo capabilities from the flagship models, but as my colleague Allison Johnson can attest, “pretty good” is often enough for the mid-tier Pixel. That said, this phone looks rather bland as is, so hopefully Google will give us a good selection of colors to pick from.
Rumors indicate the 9A will have a larger 6.3-inch display with a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz and the same Tensor G4 used in the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, and 9 Pro Fold. But there have also been reports that Google will saddle it with an older modem, which would be a shame since the Pixel 9 lineup really made strides in cellular performance this year.
Google could announce the Pixel 9A as early as March, so the rumors claim. The series has traditionally stuck to a spring release timeframe, but after Google changed up the schedule this year, anything’s possible. Android 16 will be rolling out earlier than usual, so the two might line up nicely.
Coronavirus FAQ: I didn't get the latest COVID vaccine. Should I? And if so ... when?
If you haven't rolled up your sleeve for the jab, you're not alone. In fact, you're in the majority. Here's why doctors think the shot is important.
jef ("Jef Poskanzer :batman:") wrote:
Earliest sunsets in SF: last night and tonight, at 4:49:44 pm. Tomorrow's will be two seconds later.
"But Jef," you ask, "it's not the solstice yet. How does that work?" I'm glad you asked! The solstice is the shortest day, but the earliest sunset and the latest sunrise are offset from it in opposite directions because the Earth's orbit is slightly elliptical. Sunrises are still getting later by about a minute per day. They will continue getting later at a slowing pace until January 4th/5th.
A body has been found in the search for a woman missing near a Pennsylvania sinkhole
A Pennsylvania coroner's office said investigators believe they have located the body of 64-year-old Elizabeth Pollard, who was last seen four days earlier near a sinkhole above a shuttered coal mine.
neurovagrant@masto.deoan.org ("Ian Campbell") wrote:
The noosphere is pulling no punches today. This is the more tame content.
I’m here for it.
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fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:
TikTok (CW): Spotify Wrapped AI podcast casually drops a racial slur https://www.tiktok.com/@motherspooky/video/7444614162484923690
This Game Boy Advance clone could satisfy your purple taco nostalgia
The Anbernic RG34XX looks inspired by Nintendo’s GBA but with a larger screen and more buttons. | Screenshot: YouTube
Anbernic announced its next retro handheld today and it’s easy to see where the design of the RG34XX draws its inspiration. It appears to be a faithful clone of Nintendo’s original Game Boy Advance, although updated with additional action and shoulder buttons allowing games from more recent systems to be played. Pricing and availability hasn’t been revealed yet, but the RG34XX will come in transparent red and green colors, as well as the GBA’s purple and black.
One feature Anbernic didn’t carry forward is the Game Boy Advance’s LCD screen which lacked a backlight and was notoriously difficult to see unless you were playing outside on a sunny day or cozied up next to a bright lamp. The RG34XX will instead feature a larger 3.4-inch display with a 720x480 resolution. The display will also use the same 3:2 aspect ratio as the Game Boy Advance, so GBA titles should look great, and older games developed for 4:3 TV screens will fit without extensive stretching or pillarboxing.
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Image: Keep Retro
The RG34XX will be available in purple or black colors, and transparent red or green.
As with previous Anbernic handhelds, the RG34XX doesn’t have a cartridge slot like the Analogue Pocket or the ModRetro Chromatic. It’s instead designed to play games through software emulation. Details on the RG34XX’s processor aren’t known yet, but Retro Handhelds speculates it will be based on the Allwinner H700 chipset the company has used in its other XX series handhelds. If that’s the case, you can expect it to play games from older consoles up to the original Sony PlayStation, and even some N64 and Sega Dreamcast titles.
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Image: Keep Retro
The RG34XX will include two sets of shoulder buttons, a mini HDMI port, USB-C for charging, and dual microSD slots.
The RG34XX will include Wi-Fi connectivity facilitating online play as well as streaming PC titles through Moonlight, and Bluetooth for connecting multiple wireless controllers for shared screen multiplayer. If that 3.4-inch screen still seems too small, the RG34XX also includes a mini HDMI port for connecting it to a TV, alongside a USB-C port for charging, and a pair of microSD card slots for storing ROMs and its operating system.
This isn’t the first time that Anbernic has copied Nintendo’s homework. Earlier this year the company released its RG35XXSP with a design inspired by the clamshell Game Boy Advance SP but with an improved screen, a more capable processor, and a concerning number of pre-installed pirated ROMs.