The best Garmin watches for training and everyday life

The death penalty is barbaric and this is an inarguably good thing. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/23/us/politics/biden-commutes-37-death-sentences.html

Attachments:

56345622dd6009a0.png (remote)

Honey’s deal-hunting browser extension is accused of ripping off customers and YouTubers

@The Verge

2024-12-23 22:18:55 +0000

The PayPal Honey browser extension is, in theory, a handy way to find better deals on products while you’re shopping online. But in a video published this weekend, YouTuber MegaLag claims the extension is a “scam” and that Honey has been “stealing money from influencers, including the very ones they paid to promote their product.”

Honey works by popping up an offer to find coupon codes for you while you’re checking out in an online shop. But as MegaLag notes, it frequently fails to find a code, or offers a Honey-branded one, even if a simple internet search will cover something better. The Honey website’s pitch is that it will “find every working promo code on the internet.” But according to MegaLag’s video, ignoring better deals is a feature of Honey’s partnerships with its retail clients.

MegaLag also says Honey will hijack affiliate revenue from influencers. According to MegaLag, if you click on an affiliate link from an influencer, Honey will then swap in its own tracking link when you interact with its deal pop-up at check-out. That’s regardless of whether Honey found you a coupon or not, and it results in Honey getting the credit for the sale, rather than the YouTuber or website whose link led you there.

Paypal VP of corporate communications Josh Criscoe said in an email to The Verge that “Honey follows industry rules and practices, including last-click attribution.”

MegaLag isn’t the first to make such claims. A 2021 Twitter post advises using Honey’s discount codes in a different browser to avoid it taking the affiliate credit. A Linus Media Group employee also explained in a 2022 forum reply that Linus Tech Tips dropped Honey as a sponsor over its affiliate link practices.

Honey’s convenience has resulted in the extension being recommended widely, including in almost 5,000 Honey-sponsored videos across about 1,000 YouTube channels, according to MegaLag. We’ve even recommended it here at The Verge; now we do not.

Here is Criscoe’s full statement:

Honey is free to use and provides millions of shoppers with additional savings on their purchases whenever possible. Honey helps merchants reduce cart abandonment and comparison shopping while increasing sales conversion.

Halide Mark III is coming with color grades, HDR, and early access for subscribers

@The Verge

2024-12-23 22:14:38 +0000

Image: Lux Optics

Lux Optics has released a loose product roadmap for its next big iPhone photo app, Halide 3.0 (which it’s calling Halide Mark III). After being more forthright than usual in the development of its Kino video app, which was recently awarded iPhone app of the year for 2024 by Apple, Lux is giving the next version of its popular photo app a touch of the Steam indie dev treatment.

Not only is Lux already hyping key upcoming features in a blog post by cofounder Ben Sandofsky, but it also plans to open up the development process via a Discord server, where users can give feedback once they start trying Halide Mark III.

So far, Lux has detailed three upcoming features for Halide Mark III that subscribers will be able to try early: Color Grades, HDR photos, and an app redesign. Color grades will operate a lot like they do in Kino, with users able to quickly load an aesthetic look / color palette based on Lux’s own creations, film stocks, and imported recipes cooked by other users. In addition to what sounds like Lux’s take on Fujifilm’s film emulations, Halide Mark III will also include the developer’s take on HDR photos — now that iOS 18’s Adaptive HDR feature is making it easier to view HDR images on more platforms.

Closing out the year doing things a bit different: sharing our Halide 3.0 roadmap, including its three major features! We’re also launching a Halide community Discord so we can bounce ideas off fans, solicit feedback on early builds, and more! www.lux.camera/the-road-to-...

— Ben Sandofsky (@sandofsky.com) 2024-12-23T19:22:48.678Z

Not much has been revealed so far about Halide 3.0’s redesigned interface, but Sandofsky said in the blog post that form follows function, and “if Halide’s version of Instant Grade goes as smooth as we think it will, we’ll make grade-picking central to the UI, just like Kino.”

Sandofsky’s blog post also didn’t go into further detail about when Halide Mark III will ship beyond sometime in 2025, and it didn’t say how much Halide Mark III will cost. But the @halideapp account on Threads indicated to a commenter that Mark III will be included for Mark II users, and an upgrade for v1 users.

Hyundai will give its EV customers free NACS adapters in early 2025

@The Verge

2024-12-23 22:05:33 +0000

An Ioniq 5 using a CCS to NACS adapter to charge at a Supercharger. | Image: Hyundai

Hyundai announced it will start distributing free CCS to Tesla NACS adapters to its EV customers in the first quarter of 2025. The adapters will enable vehicles such as the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 to connect to “20,000-plus” Tesla Supercharger stations. The free adapter is available to those who purchased or leased their Hyundai EVs on or before January 31st, 2025.

The NACS adapter deal includes 2024 and earlier Kona Electric, Ioniq hatchback, Ioniq 5, and Ioniq 6. It also includes the 2025 Ioniq 6, 2025 Ioniq 5 N, 2025 Kona Electric, and Genesis brand EVs (a full list will be revealed next year). You can request the free adapter through the My Hyundai owner portal.

Hyundai’s sister brand, Kia, is also giving free NACS adapters to some owners starting in early 2025.

Meanwhile, the 2025 Ioniq 5 with a native Tesla port will have Supercharger access as soon as it ships to customers. Tesla posted on X that it has already flipped the switch, enabling the 2025 Ioniq 5 to charge at Superchargers. Still, owners with older CCS-native models must wait for the Hyundai-approved adapters to get access.

2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 drivers with NACS native charging ports now have access to 20k+ Tesla Superchargers through the Tesla App, drivers with existing CCS charging will have access with a Hyundai approved adapter in Q1.

Download the Tesla app to charge →https://t.co/JRMxRtmK7p https://t.co/neOFxPNm6T

— Tesla Charging (@TeslaCharging) December 23, 2024

Here are 40 last-minute gifts you can still nab before Christmas

@The Verge

2024-12-23 21:41:14 +0000

Xbox Game Pass, Spotify subscriptions, retail store gift cards, and other digital products make for great last-minute gifts. | Image: Meta

Yes, Christmas is a couple of days away — and yes, we know you have yet to buy a gift. We understand that life gets busy, though, and sometimes it feels like the holidays creep up on you out of nowhere. But before you spiral into a full-blown panic attack, take a deep breath. Luckily for you, the internet is filled with a treasure trove of gift cards, subscriptions, and other great digital gifts you can buy as late as Christmas Day itself.

To help make your life a little easier, we’ve curated a list of some of the best digital gifts we’ve either used ourselves or gifted to our friends and family. We’ve organized the list by interests, too, so you can find the perfect present whether your loved one is into the arts, exercise, or something else entirely. That way, you’ll at least be able to gift something more thoughtful than a generic Amazon, Best Buy, or Walmart gift card — even if those are still totally viable options in our book.

Gifts for film and TV buffs

Regardless of whether you’re shopping for a movie buff or an avid sports fan, there are a number of subscriptions on the market that’ll grant your giftee access to a wide range of content. Below are some of the most popular, as well as a few catered toward anime diehards, horror lovers, and those looking for something more niche.

A gift card to a major streaming service like Netflix (Amazon, Target , Best Buy, or Walmart) or Max is a good gift that’ll cater to all kinds of passions. On Netflix, they can spend their holiday binging Carol and the End of World, The Crown, Onimusha, and Squid Game: The Challenge. Max viewers, meanwhile, can catch up on everything from Barbieto The Last of Us, Euphoria, and House of the Dragon.
A Criterion Channel gift card grants access to over a thousand classic and contemporary Hollywood, international, art house, and independent movies. It also features programming spotlighting directors, stars, genres, and themes, including a “15-minute-a-month film school.”
For the anime lovers in your life, a Crunchyroll gift cardprovides access to hundreds of anime shows and films shortly after they air in Japan, including Jujutsu Kaisen, Blue Lock, and Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury. They caneven use the gift to purchase Crunchyroll’s extensive collection of anime figures, vinyl records, and clothes.

Gifts for the gamers

If you’re not sure which type of games your giftee prefers, you can gift them an Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo subscription. Not only will these memberships grant him access to free digital titles but they also come with perks such as online multiplayer and cloud-based saves, among other incentives.

If your giftee is a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 owner, a membership to PlayStation Plus grants them access to free titles and discounts every month, lets them play games online, and allows them to access cloud-based backups. PlayStation Plus memberships start at $9.99 a month, and you can subscribe directly via PlayStation or buy a subscription with a PlayStation Plus gift card, which is available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target in denominations starting at $10 and going up to $250.
Nintendo Switch lovers, meanwhile, might enjoy an annual subscription to Nintendo Switch Online, which starts at $19.99 a year (Amazon, Best Buy, and GameStop). The membership lets giftees play with more than 70 retro games released during the NES, SNES, and original Game Boy eras. They can also play online with friends and access cloud saves.
If you’re willing to fork out extra money, you can also buy an annual Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription. In addition to offering all the same benefits as the Switch Online membership, it also grants access to Game Boy Advance, Sega Genesis, and Nintendo 64 games, as well as DLC content for some titles. Individual plans cost $49.99 (Walmart), while a family plan — which allows for up to eight accounts — is currently available via gift card at Walmart for $79.98.
Alternatively, you could buy a gift card to a store like GameStop (Amazon, GameStop), which is useful if you don’t know which console your giftee prefers or want to give them the option of buying accessories and games.

Gifts for the adventurers and globe-trotters

Is your giftee in dire need of a screen break? Fortunately, the internet is filled with travel-oriented gifts, ranging from the obvious — like airline gift cards — to national park passes.

A GetYourGuide gift card provides an easy way to take advantage of guided tours and fun tourist attractions at various destinations around the world, allowing your loved one to explore volcanoes like Italy’s Mount Etna or swim with sharks in Cape Verde.
For aspiring polyglots, a Rosetta Stone membership will make it easy to learn everything from French to Arabic to Japanese from the comfort of their home. Along with lessons, memberships come with helpful extras, including speech recognition tech to get the accent just right. At the moment, Rosetta Stone is offering up to 50 percent off of its plans, with the 12-month tier for learning just one language starting at $126 ($42 off).
Finally, a gift card to a rideshare service like Uber (also usable for Uber Eats and available at Amazon, Best Buy, Target) or Lyft (Amazon, Best Buy, Target) will come in handy when they need a ride to the airport or for a ride home if their New Year’s Eve plans include popping a few celebratory shots.

Gifts for health and wellness fans

For health and wellness enthusiasts, many services offer a wealth of streamable fitness classes to help them get fit at home. Other gifts can help your giftee practice self-care and lighten their load with meditation or even massages. Below, we’ve listed out a range of options that’ll help your giftee take care of both their body and mind.

A gift card for Headspace, a popular mindfulness app, offers members access to hundreds of expert-taught meditations, each designed to help them relax, sleep better, and improve their mental health. A gift subscription will run you $38.99 for three months, or you can save by getting 12 months for $48.99 ($21 off).
Fitbit Premium subscriptions start at $9.99 a month or $79.99 a year (33 percent off) and are available to all, even if your giftee doesn’t own a Fitbit (though, they’ll be able to enjoy more in-depth metrics if they do). A membership comes with thousands of guided and customizable workouts, which cover everything from martial arts and dance to meditation. Fitbit also offers guided programs covering topics like nutrition, along with the option to one-on-one with a professional health coach for an extra $54.99 per month.
For those who prefer in-person classes to virtual, a gift card that goes toward aClassPass subscription will let your giftee try out thousands of gyms and fitness studios in their local area, not to mention nearby salons and spas.
If your giftee is too busy to prepare healthy meals every day, a gift card to Blue Apron, HelloFresh, or any meal prep service that offers a healthy selection of meal kits will be very welcome.

Gifts for foodies

Whether they’re a diehard foodie, a wine connoisseur, or a caffeine addict, the internet is filled with subscriptions and gift cards for all types. Here are just a few of our favorites:

A Sur La Table gift card (Sur La Table, Kroger, Staples) is a great gift for the beloved chef in your life. They can use it to buy whatever they need for the kitchen, as well as to take online cooking classes where live instructors help students make everything from chicken piccata to tiramisu. Classes start at $29 per household, with each taking between 90 and 120 minutes a pop.
For those with a sweet tooth, Goldbelly’s monthly ice cream subscription allows them to enjoy up to six pints of ice cream or 24 ice cream sandwiches a month, all of which are sourced from small creameries all over the country. It’s a pricey subscription, however, with a three-month plan going for an eye-watering $298.95. You can explore other types of subscriptions, too, from BBQ to New York City staples, or get a gift card to let your recipient order whatever they like.
These days, it feels like there’s a Starbucks pretty much everywhere you look now, meaning a Starbucks gift card (Amazon, Best Buy, or Target) can help your giftee get their caffeine fix whenever, wherever.
Sometimes, it’s better to leave the cooking to somebody else. For foodies, a gift card to a food delivery service like DoorDash (Amazon, Best Buy, Target) means they can nab some crab rangoons from their favorite Chinese restaurant without leaving home.

Gifts for music lovers

Whether your giftee is a musician or just loves to unwind with some music, there are a lot of digital presents you can buy. We all know about Spotify gift cards (Amazon, Best Buy, or Target), but there are also other streaming services that you can gift as a subscription, some of which we’ve highlighted below.

For the true audiophiles out there, a Tidal gift card (Walmart, PayPal, or Best Buy) is great because it will allow them to stream music in the highest audio quality possible. The ad-free service starts at $10.99 per month and allows giftees to enjoy support for lossless FLAC audio, Dolby Atmos Music, and Sony’s 360 Reality Audio formats. If they happen to be a DJ or aspire to become one, paying an extra $9 per month gives them access to the DJ add-on, which offers high-quality catalogs of more than 110 million songs that they can mix on popular DJ software and hardware.
If you know somebody who’s always wanted to learn to play the guitar, a Fender Play subscription can help them do so thanks to a continuously updated catalog of hundreds of instructor-led video lessons. A subscription typically starts at $19.99 a month, but you can gift them six months for $79.99 or 12 months for $149.99.
A Vinyl Me, Please subscription is perfect for those who love spinning records. Every month, giftees receive vinyl records from their choice of music genre, whether that’s hip-hop, rock, or jazz. The packages also come with booklets so they can learn more about the record, along with access to exclusive discounts. Three-month subscriptions start at $148 and come with a total of four records (one of which is a limited-time bonus).
Lastly, a Ticketmaster gift card is a present that’ll allow your loved one to buy a ticket to watch their favorite musicians perform live, whether that’s Shakira, Garth Brooks, or The Rolling Stones.

Gifts for the bookworms

Obviously, you could just gift a bibliophile a book and they’d probably be happy. But what if you don’t know what your giftee is into or simply want to give them more options? In that case, a gift card to their favorite bookstore or a subscription to something like Kindle Unlimited, which grants members access to millions of ebooks and even select audiobooks, is a good idea. That said, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite alternatives below.

For fans of Marvel and DC comics, as well as manga like Fairy Tale, a Comixology Unlimited subscription is perfect. For $5.99 a month, they’ll be able to enjoy over 45,000 comics and graphic novels, not to mention more than 2,400 manga titles from their phone or tablet. Subscribers also get discounts on select digital books.
You can also gift a Book of the Month membership, which currently starts at $59.99 for a three-book plan. The company curates a small selection of five to seven bestsellers and classics for members every month, making it easy to quickly choose something to read.
If your giftee prefers to pick up books from brick-and-mortar bookstores, a gift card to Barnes & Noble (Barnes & Noble, Amazon, or Best Buy) might be a good idea. For those who want to support local bookstores, there’s also a gift card for Bookshop.org.
For those who prefer traditional newspapers and magazines, you can gift a subscription to The New York Timesor The Washington Post, or publications catered to specific interests like Cosmopolitanand National Geographic.

Gifts for the creatives

Movie buffs and bibliophiles are easy to shop for, but what do you get the creative type? It’s actually not that hard — just buy them something to help them create, whether that’s an online course or access to a new tool. Below are a few subscriptions and gift cards creators will love that you can also buy last minute.

A MasterClass membership (which normally starts at $10 a month but is currently 50 percent off for all tiers) provides access to classes taught by world leaders and other subject matter experts, including screenwriters, musicians, and business experts. Going for a Masterclass Plus or Premium subscription allows concurrent viewing on two or six devices, respectively, and also unlocks offline viewing.
An Adobe Creative Cloud subscription ($59.99 per month) is a good gift for both aspiring and experienced creative professionals alike, providing access to popular services like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, InDesign, and other Adobe apps. Adobe doesn’t yet support gifting subscriptions, so you’ll need to create a new account or login to an existing account your recipient may have. You can also purchase digitally redeemable Creative Cloud subscription codes from partner retailers like Best Buy, which has a 12-month plan on sale for $428.92 (about $231 off) right now.
If you know somebody trying to learn how to code, a subscription to the coding educational platform Codecademy ($29.99 per month) can help them build their portfolio with online courses, a community, fun events, cheat sheets, and other resources. There’s even a $39.99 a month plan for those looking to change career paths, one that offers all the above as well as technical interview help.
For giftees into arts and crafts, a Craftsy membership ($123 a year) grants access to more than 2,000 live and on-demand classes led by experts covering everything from baking and cake decorating to woodworking and painting. Members also get to connect with other crafters in the Craftsy community and attend live events.

Gift cards for pretty much anyone

Sometimes the best gift card is one that’ll give your giftee a ton of options, especially if you’re having a hard time figuring out what they want. Gift cards from major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Target are perfect in these situations, namely because they’ll let your giftee choose whatever they like from a wide range of departments.

Update, December 23rd: Updated links, pricing, and info for several digital gifts.

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 21:33:22 +0000

isagalaev ("Ivan Sagalaev :flag_wbw:") wrote:

@midgephoto love the photos on your site!

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 21:22:02 +0000

isagalaev ("Ivan Sagalaev :flag_wbw:") wrote:

But regardless, shooting LEDs is a pain in the ass :-)

Dune: Prophecy's Season Finale Twist Could Have Huge Implications For The Future Of The Franchise

@Kotaku

2024-12-23 21:05:00 +0000

It took six episodes, dozens of burning bodies, some Spice snorting, and too many betrayals to count, but Dune: Prophecy’sfirst season has finally come to an end. And, as did much of the first season, the finale is already creating possibilities that’ll have ramifications in the next season as well as the next Dune mo…

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 21:04:58 +0000

isagalaev ("Ivan Sagalaev :flag_wbw:") wrote:

One of the most convincing examples of "why shoot RAW". The left shot here is a processed RAW which clearly shows the central star as red, which matches what it looked like in reality, as best as I can remember. The right one is a camera JPEG, where the red hue is completely lost from this particular spot. Interestingly, two different phones we had with us were also showing it as yellow.

Camera processors are smart, but not that smart.

#photography #raw #darktable

Attachments:

Screenshot from darktable showing two side by side shots of a stylized LED light sculpture of a star with a red (left) and yellow (right) central piece.

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 21:00:01 +0000

Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):

jat23@aoir.social ("Jamie Theophilos") wrote:

I've been working on a research project on the #freefediverse
movement for several years now and it's finally published! Thank you to everyone I interviewed and spoke with. This was such a wonderful learning experience through it, I came to love the fediverse, FOSS, and the communities that make them even more.

"Closing the door to remain open: The Politics of Openness and the Practices of Strategic Closure in the Fediverse" : https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20563051241308323

#academia #foss #mediastudies #STS

Google to court: we’ll change our Apple deal, but please let us keep Chrome

@The Verge

2024-12-23 20:46:39 +0000

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

After its victory against Google in an antitrust trial earlier this year, the Department of Justice recently proposed a sweeping set of changes its search business. The DOJ put a lot on the table, demanding that Google sell its Chrome browser, syndicate its search results, and avoid exclusive deals with companies like Apple for default search placement. It even kept open the possibility of forcing an Android sale.

Now, Google has responded with a far simpler proposal: prohibit those default placement deals, and only for three years.

A court found Google liable for unlawfully monopolizing online search, and its remedies are supposed to reset the market, letting rivals fairly compete. Google (obviously) disagrees that it’s running a monopoly, but before it can appealthat underlying conclusion, it’s trying to limit the fallout if it loses.

Google’s justification is that search deals were at the heart of the case, so they’re what a court should target. Under the proposal, Google couldn’t enter deals with Android phone manufacturers that require adding mobile search in exchange for access to other Google apps. It couldn’t require phone makers to exclude rival search engines or...

Read the full story at The Verge.

Tech companies want to capture carbon at paper mills and sewage plants

@The Verge

2024-12-23 19:59:06 +0000

Illustration by Hugo Herrera / The Verge

Google, Salesforce, H&M and other brands have turned to unlikely allies to help them clean up their carbon pollution: sewage treatment plants and paper mills. The companies joined an $80 million plan to take CO2 out of the atmosphere, though the strategies they’re using have yet to show whether they can have a meaningful impact on climate change.

They’re paying $32.1 million to a startup called CREW that aims to trap carbon dioxide emissions produced at wastewater treatment facilities. And $48 million will go to another startup called CO280 that retrofits pulp and paper mills with controversial carbon capture technologies. The two agreements were facilitated by a carbon removal initiative called Frontier that’s led by led by Stripe, Google, Shopify, and McKinsey Sustainability on behalf of those founding companies and other brands trying to meet their own sustainability goals.

Companies are increasingly looking for ways to try to cancel out the damage caused by their greenhouse gas emissions

Companies are increasingly looking for ways to try to cancel out the damage caused by their greenhouse gas emissions. They’ve funneled millions into startups building new-fangled industrial...

Read the full story at The Verge.

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 19:57:44 +0000

isagalaev ("Ivan Sagalaev :flag_wbw:") wrote:

I don't think the "president Musk" gambit is going to work this time. It worked with Bannon in 2017 because it was genuine and unexpected, and Trump overreacted. This time "the left" laid into it so soon and so heavy-handed, Trump has already shown he's seeing through this. He's just going to mercilessly mock "the left" for desperately willing it to happen.

("The left" here vaguely meaning opposition to Trump, couldn't find a good name.)

#uspol

Asus teases a new RGB-outlined Rog Strix laptop coming next year

@The Verge

2024-12-23 19:47:33 +0000

Image: Asus

Asus is planning to launch a new Rog Strix laptop at CES on January 6th, 2025, the company confirmed in a post spotted by VideoCardz. The short teaser shared by Asus shows a laptop with RGB lighting that wraps all the way around the bottom of the device, likely making for an even more colorful underglow when compared to previous generations.

Though Asus doesn’t say which Rog Strix models it will introduce, leaked retail listings suggest Asus could reveal new Rog Strix 18 Scar and Rog Strix G16 laptops.

New STRIX, January 6, 8PM PST
Save the date https://t.co/mS9trt2BCn #UnlockTheROGLab #CES2025ROG #CES2025 pic.twitter.com/y4hb43gRdY

— ROG Global (@ASUS_ROG) December 23, 2024

While the Rog Strix Scar 18 is rumored to come with up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 285 HX processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics chip, the Rog Strix G16 could feature the same CPU options but with up to a GeForce RTX 5080, as noted by NotebookCheck.

Asus may have more to share than just a pair of new Rog Strix laptops at CES, which is just a couple of weeks away. Recent leaks also indicate that Asus is getting ready to reveal an upgraded Rog Flow Z13 hybrid tablet / gaming laptop equipped with AMD’s next-gen “Strix Halo” processor.

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 19:46:00 +0000

pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:

Merry Capitalist Christmas! My present just arrived: a shiny M4 Mac Mini!

The numbers were good, but feelings were bad: The US economy in 2024

@NPR News

2024-12-23 19:21:25 +0000

By most objective measures, the US economy is in good shape. Employers added about 2 million jobs this year. Unemployment is low. In much of the country, gasoline is now selling for less than $3 a gallon. The Economist has called the United States' performance "the envy of the world."But even as the U.S. is outperforming most other countries, many Americans remain frustrated by the high cost of living. And that's fueled a lot of unhappiness, and a political comeback for President-elect Donald Trump. Trump will soon take the reins of an economy that's bounced back strongly during the four years he was out of office. For many families, though, that rebound was overshadowed by soaring prices for food, housing, and other necessities.Will his policies bring costs down? Or rekindle inflation? 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.

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 19:14:07 +0000

Mastodon wrote:

If you're curious how #Mastodon is doing by the numbers, the 2023 Annual Report is finally here. How large is our budget, and where does it go? Who works on Mastodon? For all of this and more, we've got an answer--at least as far as 2023 goes.

https://blog.joinmastodon.org/2024/12/annual-report-2023/

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 19:05:15 +0000

pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:

I have a suggestion for the next Marvel franchise, and the magic words are Starfish Hitler.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/12/23/the-only-superhero-movie-i-need-to-see/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx9uJI9mWyg

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 18:24:55 +0000

pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:

Is this stuff made of pixie dust and moonbeams? I would like to see a critical breakdown of Impossible Burger.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/12/23/the-numbers-are-almost-magical/

Attachments:

Impossible Burger package (remote)

Walmart illegally opened delivery drivers' deposit accounts, U.S. says

@NPR News

2024-12-23 18:21:27 +0000

Lawsuit alleges Walmart and the payments platform Branch Messenger cost delivery drivers millions of dollars in fees, opening deposit accounts without consent and requiring their use to get paid.

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 18:12:46 +0000

Reblogged by jwz:

nocontexttrek ("Star Trek Minus Context") wrote:

#StarTrek

Attachments:

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 18:07:49 +0000

Reblogged by jwz:

annaghughes@mastodon.online ("Dr. Anna Hughes") wrote:

Frau Perchta is a witch who lives in the Alps. She is absolutely terrifying. She has one enormous goose foot for some reason, and if you’ve been bad she will disembowel you and stuff your stomach with straw on Christmas.

Attachments:

Old photo of a witch lady with a goat head (remote)

Biden Pulled Off a $370 Billion Miracle for the Climate. Where Did the Money Go?

@Mother Jones

2024-12-23 17:48:36 +0000

This story was originally published by Vox.com and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act stands as the single largest piece of legislation to address climate change in United States history. The IRA contains nearly $370 billion for programs like tax credits for more efficient appliances, building new battery plants, and subsidies for renewable energy. And […]

Sony’s WH-1000XM4 headphones are nearly 50 percent off right now

@The Verge

2024-12-23 17:46:15 +0000

The XM4 are over four years old, but they still sound great for the money. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

A couple of months ago, we saw the Sony WH-1000XM4 drop to $129.99, which was an absolute steal for the last-gen noise-canceling headphones. That deal predictably sold out in a heartbeat, and there’s no telling whether we’ll see it that low again, but Amazon is selling them in black for $178.20 (about $170 off), which would be an all-time low if not for said outlier. You can also pick them up in other colors for $198 right now, though that price is frequently available these days.

The newer Sony WH-1000XM5 have leapfrogged the heap as the best noise-canceling headphones for most people in our book, but the XM4 remain a great pair of headphones if you’re looking to save some money. They feature phenomenal audio quality and noise cancellation, which keeps them in the big leagues occupied by newer sets. They also have nice quality-of-life features, including a foldable design and multipoint Bluetooth support, the latter of which allows you to connect them to two devices simultaneously. The XM5’s improved microphones make them the better buy if you frequently take calls while using your headphones, but not so much that we would dissuade you from saving more than $100 by going for the older pair.

Read our Sony WH-1000XM4 review.

More Monday deals and discounts

If you want to try something a little different to play games on Xbox and PC, RIG’s Nacon Revolution X controller might be worth checking out. Amazon is selling it in white for an all-time low of $39.99 (50 percent off) when you clip the on-page coupon. You can customize the weightiness of the wired gamepad, change its analog stick shafts and toppers, remap all of its buttons (including its four back buttons), and set thumbstick sensitivity and trigger dead zones using the companion app. It doesn’t have Hall effect sticks and its build quality doesn’t quite match that of the best Xbox controllers; however, those are fair tradeoffs at this price.
The newly released Insta360 Link 2 is pretty expensive, but you can get it for a new low of $179.99 ($20 off) at Amazon, B&H Photo, and Adorama right now. The 4K webcam is overkill for the average work needs, but its rotating head can be fun for content creation, dynamic presentations, or just to ensure you’re always centered in the frame. The Link 2 builds on the original with magnetic mounting, the ability to recognize and reframe multiple people in a scene, improved gestures, and stronger noise cancellation.
The budget-friendly Sony ZV-1F is a modest step above a smartphone for basic vlogging needs, and now the camera is going for a new low of around $348 ($151 off) at Amazon, B&H Photo, and Sony’s online storefront. It has a 20mm-equivalent fixed focal length lens with a 20-megapixel sensor and decent low-light performance, and records up to 4K at 30 frames per second or 1080p at up to 120fps. It also has an articulating display to help frame your shots, plus eye autofocus like some of Sony’s pricier cameras (but with a less effective contrast-detect autofocus system). The ZV-1F is not a great stills camera as you can’t shoot RAW photos, but it’ll do if all you need are quality clips and YouTube thumbnails.

Walmart sued over illegally opening bank accounts for delivery drivers

@The Verge

2024-12-23 17:14:05 +0000

Illustration by Hugo Herrera / The Verge

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is suing Walmart and payroll service provider Branch Messenger for alleged illegal payment practices for gig workers.

The bureau says Walmart was opening direct deposit accounts using Spark delivery drivers’ social security numbers without their consent. The accounts also can come with intense fees that, according to the complaint, would add either 2 percent or $2.99 per transaction, whichever is higher. It also says Walmart repeatedly promised to provide drivers with same-day payments through the platform starting in July 2021 but never delivered on that.

The Bureau alleges that for approximately two years starting around June 2021, defendants engaged in unfair, abusive, and deceptive practices in violation of the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010, including by requiring Spark Drivers to receive their compensation in Branch Accounts, opening Branch Accounts for Spark Drivers without their informed consent or, in many instances, on an unauthorized basis, and making deceptive statements about Branch to Spark Drivers.

“Walmart made false promises, illegally opened accounts, and took advantage of more than a million delivery drivers,” said CFPB Director Rohit Chopra in a statement. “Companies cannot force workers into getting paid through accounts that drain their earnings with junk fees.” The agency sued both companies in the US District Court for the District of Minnesota.

Spark delivery workers have been complaining about Walmart’s Branch Messenger account requirements for years, which forced workers to use these accounts with no option to direct deposit to a preferred credit union or local bank. Walmart allegedly told workers they’d be terminated if they didn’t accept the Branch accounts.

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 17:12:42 +0000

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

Luigi Mangione’s trial begins today. He has pleaded not guilty.

Here’s a snippet of what his lawyer had to say to the judge:

"They’re literally treating him like some political fodder; like some sort of spectical. He was on display to see on the biggest staged perp walk I’ve ever seen in my career. It was absolutely unnecessary… There was no reason for the NYPD to have these big assault rifles, that frankly, I ... https://micro.fromjason.xyz/2024/12/23/luigi-mangiones-trial-begins-today.html

Forget what you think you know about fruitcake

@NPR News

2024-12-23 17:00:00 +0000

For generations of Americans, making fun of fruitcake has been a holiday tradition. But a Canadian pastry chef and master food preserver would like us to reconsider our assumptions.

Sonic 3 Beats Mufasa At The U.S. Box Office, Chaos Ensues

@Kotaku

2024-12-23 16:57:25 +0000

Back in April, Sonic the Hedgehog fans declared war against the new Lion King prequel Mufasa when it was revealed that the blue blur’s third live-action movie and Disney’s latest photorealistic CGI venture would both release in theaters on the same day. Well, the moment has come, with both films premiering this past…

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 16:52:21 +0000

bcantrill ("Bryan Cantrill") wrote:

Today on Oxide and Friends, we have our Changelog-inspired end-of-year wrap up. Join @ahl and me, and bring your favorite moments from the past year -- and any topics you would like to see us tackle in 2025. Join us, 5p Pacific!
https://discord.gg/QrcKGTTPrF?event=1318686003283623946

12 Must-Watch Vampire Movies For Bloodsucker Lovers

@Kotaku

2024-12-23 16:45:00 +0000

Originating from folklore and legends across different cultures and centuries, the supernatural creatures with a lust for blood and a fear of garlic and crucifixes have become some of the most iconic figures in horror and popular culture. And some of the most popular. The Twilight film series alone grossed over $3…

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 16:43:59 +0000

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

Honey is stealing affiliate payments from influencers by swapping their links for Honey links at the last second. Honey is also suppressing coupon codes that aren't controlled by Honey.

PayPal is working overtime to be the most horrible company of 2024.

https://youtu.be/vc4yL3YTwWk?si=NU-tja4Gp7wayBMk

The Container Store files for bankruptcy, vows to keep stores operating as normal

@NPR News

2024-12-23 16:43:06 +0000

The Container Store said its 102 locations and website will continue to operate as normal during the bankruptcy process.

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 16:35:41 +0000

Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):

taylorlorenz ("Taylor Lorenz") wrote:

Misogyny is at the core of these types of smear campaigns targeting women, yet media coverage consistently and intentionally avoids naming it. https://www.usermag.co/p/blake-lively-justin-baldoni-smear-campaign-misogyny-amber-heard-gamergate

House panel releases report on sexual misconduct allegations against Matt Gaetz

@NPR News

2024-12-23 16:24:40 +0000

Among other accusations, the committee found Gaetz engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl and used or possessed illegal drugs on multiple occasions. Gaetz fiercely denied the allegations.

How Netflix took on live TV — and got ready to take on the NFL

@The Verge

2024-12-23 16:00:00 +0000

Patrick Mahomes is playing on Christmas. Netflix better not screw it up. | Photo by Jason Miller / Getty Images

It hasn’t always gone well for Netflix. Remember the Love Is Blind reunion or the laggy Paul / Tyson fight? But Netflix is betting big that live still matters, even in the on-demand world it helped create.

Read the full story at The Verge.

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 15:51:57 +0000

pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:

The only way Matt Gaetz could be any creepier is if he suddenly sprouted spider legs.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/12/23/the-lurid-salacious-sensationalist-news-we-all-want-to-read/

Attachments:

Hideous spider/human head thing from "The Thing" (remote)

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 15:38:48 +0000

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

According to MegaLag, PayPal-owned coupon browser extension Honey is stealing affiliate commissions from people by swapping out the link at the last minute. They do this even when there’s no coupons available. Which is often.

Honey is also favoring their own coupon codes which are often of less value than non-Honey coupon codes. Anyone using this service is better off just searching the web.

Watch: ... https://micro.fromjason.xyz/2024/12/23/according-to-megalag-paypalowned-coupon.html

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 15:33:35 +0000

pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:

This guy has a pile of retracted papers that has just increased by one. We should learn a lesson and never listen to him ever again.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/12/23/do-not-trust-this-man-with-your-medicine/

Attachments:

Didier Raoult, quack (remote)

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) review: slightly larger, slightly faster, slightly better

@The Verge

2024-12-23 15:30:00 +0000

Performance upgrades and screen improvements make the new Paperwhite’s minor updates feel more substantial.

Three years have passed since Amazon last updated its flagship e-reader, and while this year’s Kindle lineup seemed focused on Amazon’s first color offering, the Paperwhite still got some welcome improvements. With a higher-contrast screen and snappier performance, the 12th-generation Kindle Paperwhite remains the best e-reader on the market.

I tested the $199.99 Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, which is $40 more than the $159.99 basic Paperwhite. The screen and internals are the same, but the Signature Edition includes an ambient light sensor for automatic brightness adjustments, 32GB of storage rather than 16GB, no lockscreen ads, wireless charging, and a metallic finish on the back. The metallic jade version I was sent looked great (metallic black and raspberry are also options) but felt slightly less grippy than the plastic of the base Paperwhite.

The new Paperwhite features a 300ppi screen with a small bump in size from 6.8 to seven inches — not really enough to be noticeable, but enough to let you squeeze a few extra lines of text on a page. Thanks to smaller bezels, the new Paperwhite is just a few millimeters larger than the previous version while managing to be slightly thinner; in use, it feels nearly identical. This year’s model also brings the display flush with the bezels, although it’s another subtle improvement.

The new Paperwhite (right) has noticeably improved screen contrast over the previous version (left).

What is noticeable is the increased contrast. Thanks to the use of an oxide thin-film transistor on the screen, the new Paperwhite has the highest contrast ratio of any e-reader I’ve ever tested. The benefits aren’t immediately obvious when you’re reading plain text, but the deeper blacks make the screen look closer to an actual printed page. It gives illustrations, pictures, and book covers more pop and presence, and makes comics and manga panels look sharper. The new screen occasionally made some of the fine text in Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto’s Ultimate Spider-Man: Married with Children appear bolder and easier to read without zooming in.

It’s not a feature that’s as flashy as a color E Ink screen, but it’s easily the new model’s best upgrade, and it’s going to make it hard to return to my Kobo Libra 2.

The Paperwhite released in 2021 (left) compared to the new 2024 version (right).

Amazon has also improved the new Paperwhite’s lighting, giving the screen a more neutral tone at its default settings. The last generation Paperwhite’s screen skews a little cooler, but with both Paperwhite models’ warmth sliders turned up, the differences are indistinguishable.

This is also the first Paperwhite to use a dual-core processor (the Oasis, rest in peace, had a dual-core processor back in 2017). The 1GHz Mediatek CPU would be painfully slow for a device with an LCD screen, but it makes a big difference on an e-reader. Amazon’s claims of 25 percent faster page turns weren’t noticeable when I was reading text — the refresh rate of the E Ink screen is the limiting factor there — but I was genuinely surprised at how much faster it opened half-gigabyte, image-heavy PDF files I sideloaded. On the 11th-generation Paperwhite there’s a pause that makes me wonder if the device is going to choke on the files, but the new Paperwhite opens them instantaneously and flips through the pages nearly as fast as it does with plain text.

The user interface also feels faster. It’s still not as fast or responsive as a smartphone or tablet, and zooming in and out of comics and photos can still feel sluggish, but scrolling through book lists, navigating Amazon’s book store, and popping in and out of various menus is satisfyingly speedy. Or at least as speedy as it can be with the limitations of E Ink.

Amazon claims the new Paperwhite can be used for up to 12 weeks between charges, but that’s when limiting your reading to just 30 minutes a day at half screen brightness and wireless features turned off. After an hour reading, jumping back and forth between books and PDFs, and browsing other titles on Amazon’s online store with screen brightness set to 75 percent, the new Paperwhite lost five percent of its charge. With that daily routine I’d expect to squeeze about three weeks out of the Paperwhite’s battery, and potentially even longer if I wasn’t so indecisive about what I was reading.

If you’re a Kindle user who’s upgraded in the past few years, the new Paperwhite’s functionality will feel familiar. If you’re switching from competitors like Kobo, you may find yourself running into some frustrating limitations. Sideloading documents like PDFs or ePUB files is harder than it needs to be, since Kindle devices no longer connect to computers as external drives. You need to use Amazon’s online services or desktop apps to get e-books and other documents onto the Paperwhite, and both options are clunky.

Text customization is also limited in the Kindle OS compared to Kobo devices, which offer finer adjustments for font size, line spacing, and margins. Although I find the Paperwhite’s formatting options too simplified, I can see the appeal for those wanting a device that’s very easy to use. I like that you can save your adjustments as custom themes — it’s a feature I wish Kobo would add — but I can’t understand why Amazon limits each device to just five custom themes.

Borrowing library books is also easier on a Kobo. The new Paperwhite still requires you to use the Libby app or website on a separate device to browse and borrow titles. Kobo’s e-readers have Overdrive built-in, and while they do obfuscate the borrowing process, you don’t need to pull out your phone to do so.

The Kobo Clara BW (left) introduced earlier this year has a smaller recessed screen that doesn’t look as good as the new Paperwhite (right).

But Kobo seems to be focusing on color e-readers and larger E Ink note-taking devices these days, and its black-and-white e-reader options are now limited. The $129.99 Kobo Clara BW uses the same E Ink Carta 1300 screen as the new Paperwhite, but it’s only six inches, and its contrast doesn’t look as good. Its all-plastic body and sunken screen also feel cheaper than the new Paperwhite’s. And while the $269.99 Kobo Sage has page turn buttons and stylus support, it’s more of a hybrid e-reader and note-taking device; I find that the eight-inch screen makes it too big to be a take-anywhere e-reader.

The Kindle Colorsoft (left) next to the new Paperwhite (right).

Although it’s not a significant upgrade, the new Kindle Paperwhite remains the best e-reader you can buy, with a beautiful black-and-white screen that feels closer to printed paper than any e-reader I’ve tested and a UI that’s faster and more responsive than the previous version. If you’re on the hunt for your first e-reader, the new Paperwhite should be at the top of your list.

Although the basic Amazon Kindle is cheaper at $109.99, the better screen, adjustable warmth lighting, and waterproofing — extra insurance if you read in the bath or at the beach — make the new Paperwhite worth the extra money.

The new Paperwhite Signature Edition is available with a back panel featuring a metallic jade or raspberry finish that looks great but feels slightly less grippy.

Is the Signature Edition worth an extra $40? Wireless charging isn’t necessary given the Paperwhite’s battery life, and it can be frustrating to align properly. But the ambient light sensor can save you the swipe and tap needed to adjust screen brightness manually if you take your Kindle everywhere (warmth settings don’t automatically adjust) and extra storage is always welcome on a device with no memory card slot. When you factor in the $20 Amazon charges to remove lockscreen ads from the basic Paperwhite, the Signature Edition is the way to go.

Unless you read a lot of large PDF files and are frustrated by laggy performance, the new Paperwhite isn’t a necessary upgrade over the 2021 model. But it’s a different story if you’ve got an even older Paperwhite model or other aging Kindle. When you add up the past six years of improvements — including USB-C, color-temp-adjustable lighting, a larger screen with better contrast, and better performance — it’s probably time to consider an upgrade.

Photography by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge

The Sonic The Hedgehog Movies And Shows, Ranked From Worst To Best (Now With Sonic 3)

@Kotaku

2024-12-23 15:00:00 +0000

The Sonic the Hedgehog franchise has seen significantly more television and film adaptations than most video game series can claim. While it’s having its most widespread moment ever with its current live-action movie franchise, the blue blur has been starring in animated series for over 30 years. Each of these…

How an Israeli community helped its children heal from trauma after the Oct. 7 attack

@NPR News

2024-12-23 14:58:02 +0000

Kibbutz Be'eri was hit hard in the Hamas-led attack of Oct. 7, 2023. Survivors were evacuated to a hotel, where they worked together to create programs to help their children recover from trauma.

Trump announces new tech policy picks for his second term

@The Verge

2024-12-23 14:44:01 +0000

Michael Kratsios appearing at the Web Summit in 2019. | Photo by Rita Franca/NurPhoto via Getty Images

In a pair of Truth Social posts on Sunday, Donald Trump announced a set of picks for his administration’s tech policy team that will report to David Sacks, Trump’s “AI and crypto czar.” The picks include Michael Kratsios, who will lead the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) if confirmed by the Senate.

Kratsios, who served in Trump’s first term as the White House chief technology officer, also briefly held an acting undersecretary role at the Department of Defense near the end of the term. He later became a managing director at Scale AI and has been helping lead Trump’s tech policy transition team.

The President-elect also picked his former deputy CTO, Dr. Lynne Parker, as Executive Director of the Presidential Council of Advisors for Science and Technology. Directing the Presidential Council of Advisers for Digital Assets (AKA the “Crypto Council”) will be former college football player and unsuccessful Republican congressional candidate Bo Hines. Advising Trump on AI policy as part of the OSTP will be Sriram Krishnan, who has extensive Silicon Valley experience, with roles at Andreessen Horowitz, X, Meta, and Snap.

Sacks is close with Elon Musk, who Trump has charged with gutting the US government as part of the not-yet-established Department of Government Efficiency — and who recently helped send Congress into chaos by posting relentlessly to stop a US spending bill.

Nosferatu is the stuff of exquisitely erotic nightmares

@The Verge

2024-12-23 14:30:00 +0000

Image: Focus Features

Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu gets at the heart of what makes vampires an eternally fascinating fixture in our sexual imaginations.

Even if you haven’t seen F.W. Murnau’s original Nosferatu or read Bram Stoker’s Dracula, those stories have undoubtedly shaped your ideas about vampires. They weren’t the first tales about undead ghouls rising from the grave to suck the blood out of the living. But by presenting their monsters in such wildly innovative ways, they became a blueprint from which countless subsequent tales took inspiration. Writer / director Robert Eggers knows that his Nosferatu remake would be hard-pressed to scare audiences who cut their teeth watching a multitude of Draculas and demon hunters menacing one another on the big and small screens.

But rather than trying to work around that obstacle with experimental riffs on vampire lore, the new film accepts it as fact while inviting you to imagine what it might have felt like to experience this kind of disturbing story for the first time when they were new. You can feel Eggers working to conjure an atmosphere of psychosexual dread, and you can see him using modern filmmaking techniques to create haunting visuals evocative of early 20th century cinema. Though it cleaves very close to the original while incorporating elements from other vampire classics, this Nosferatu puts far more focus on the interiority of its central heroine as she grapples with her deep-seated longing to be taken by an avatar of death.

“Vampire” is not a word that many people are familiar with in Nosferatu’s depiction of 19th century Wisborg, Germany, but after years of being tormented by psychic visions of a shadowy presence, Ellen Hutter (Lily-Rose Depp) is no stranger to living in fear of the supernatural. Despite her constant feeling of being misunderstood, Ellen’s days are filled with joy thanks to her realtor husband Thomas (Nicholas Hoult) and best friend Anna Harding (Emma Corrin). But Ellen’s nights of sleepwalking through her deathly quiet mansion are harrowing because of the way a mysterious voice from within beckons her to give in to her darkest, most unsettling desires.

Even when Ellen is awake, she can sense that somehow, somewhere, something is watching and waiting for an opportunity to make her its own. No matter how much Ellen insists that danger is afoot, though, all her loved ones can see is a woman on the brink of a mental breakdown. It’s much easier for Thomas and Anna’s husband, Friedrich (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), to dismiss her fears as symptoms of a wandering uterus rather than consider whether there might be more to her premonitions. It’s even hard for Anna — a mother to two young girls — not to assume that Ellen’s troubles are rooted in the fact that she and Thomas have no children of their own. But Ellen and the sinister voice in her head both know that, while sex is definitely on her mind, having kids is not.

Nosferatu’s depiction of Ellen is one of the clearer examples of Eggers combining aspects of the 1922 film and Stoker’s novel to create a new take on the character that feels both true to the source materials and deeper than the sum of its parts. The moviepresents Ellen as the kind of woman who, even without her visions, would still feel smothered by the misogynistic social norms of her era. Ellen’s powers are an innate part of who she is, as is the way they often send her into fits of moaning that, to onlookers, read as explicitly orgasmic.

Ellen struggles to remember or articulate much of what she experiences during her nocturnal premonitions. But Nosferatu spells it out plainly as it first shows you how Transylvanian Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) is the one calling out to her through their seemingly inexplicable telepathic connection. The mechanics of Ellen and Orlok’s bond is another detail that Eggers has retooled just enough to make it work as a point of intrigue. It’s obvious that this is a film about a vampire who wants to sink his teeth into an unsuspecting woman’s flesh. But Nosferatu cleverly leaves you wondering how, exactly, Orlok first came to know about his latest target.

Establishing that link early on adds a delicious layer of dread to Nosferatu’s story as Thomas’ presence is requested in Transylvania, where he’s meant to assist an “eccentric” nobleman purchase a new home. We can see that Orlok is orchestrating some kind of elaborate plan to insert himself into Ellen’s life, but what’s fun is the way none of the film’s characters have any frame of reference cluing them in to the fact that they’re dancing through the motions of a classic Dracula period piece like Tod Browning’s 1931 adaptation.

Contemporary horror movies about people who don’t know standard horror movie beats are frustrating because they pull you out of the fantasy. Eggers previously worked around that by focusing his films on characters planted firmly in times when their fears of the surrounding world and their own feelings could give rise to creatures they had never seen before. This Nosferatu is doing something similar, but because its story stays so true to the original, it also feels like Eggers is encouraging you to appreciate it as a thoughtful remake rather than a film trying to reinvent vampires.

This becomes clearer as Nosferatu shows you more of Orlok’s ability to project his shadow across Europe to menace Ellen with promises of untold pleasure. On a technical level, it’s clear that Eggers is creating scenes that Murnau could have only dreamed of, but you also get the sense that this is exactly the kind of alarming energy that made Max Schreck’s Orlok so frightening when he first appeared onscreen. To that end, this Nosferatu works hard to make you feel Orlok’s presence more than it actually tries to show you what he looks like as his plans begin taking shape. He’s lurking in Ellen’s mind but also in Thomas’ fears that he might not be able to satisfy his wife’s needs.

Skarsgård’s Orlok is skincrawling once the film gets around to fixing the camera squarely on his face, but much of the count’s essence is channeled through the way Depp and Hoult inhabit Ellen and Thomas. Ellen vacillates between terror, shame, and arousal to make you feel exactly what kinds of designs Orlok has. And Thomas’ guileless confusion when he encounters clearly supernatural things speaks volumes to Orlok’s ability to misdirect his unsuspecting victims.

While Nosferatu isn’t trying to shock you with its plot or gory deaths, it does want to impress you with its arresting visuals. We’ve seen Eggers work in black and white before, but the way Nosferatu frequently shifts into a near-monochromatic palette of blacks and blues is a brilliantly artful trick evocative of blood draining out of a face in fear. Those moments help make Nosferatu feel like a uniquely inspired presentation of vampires as beings of darkness. But beyond their aesthetic beauty, they also highlight the extent to which Eggers has crafted Nosferatu as a tribute to films from Murnau and Browning.

It’s rare to see a remake that so effectively celebrates its predecessors while also realizing its own distinct vision, but that’s what is going to make Nosferatu an instant horror classic when it hits theaters on December 25th.

Nosferatu also stars Willem Dafoe, Ralph Ineson, and Simon McBurney.

EA Really Isn't Interested In Making More Dead Space

@Kotaku

2024-12-23 14:11:46 +0000

Last year’s remake of Dead Spaceproved a critical hit, reviving the beloved space horror series after it had been left fallow for ten years. However, despite being January 2023's second-biggest selling game (behind Modern Warfare II), this seemingly wasn’t enough success to satisfy EA, and it was reported in April of…

The AI smartphones that never materialized in 2024

@The Verge

2024-12-23 14:00:00 +0000

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images

Despite loud proclamations, AI on smartphones is still mostly a sideshow.

Read the full story at The Verge.

How hopes for Myanmar's democracy faded and why leadership is needed (again)

@NPR News

2024-12-23 13:40:56 +0000

Former U.S. Ambassador to Myanmar Derek Mitchell asks how hopes for Myanmar's democracy faded and why leadership is needed again in restoring them.

Here’s a new way to lose an argument online: the appeal to AI

@The Verge

2024-12-23 13:30:00 +0000

Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge

Not even authority, just the signifiers of authority

Read the full story at The Verge.

Kotaku’s 15 Best Games Of 2024, Ranked

@Kotaku

2024-12-23 13:30:00 +0000

Trying to sum up 2024 in video games in an entirely celebratory way would feel somewhat dishonest. In recent years, our efforts to recognize the best video games of the past 12 months always come with a caveat: Yes, great games undeniably come out, but things are bad for the industry. The world makes another trip…

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 13:13:41 +0000

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

and the Captain of the USS Gettysburg will be retiring momentarily

“had flown off the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman when it was mistakenly fired upon by the guided-missile cruiser Gettysburg”

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/22/us/us-fighter-jet-red-sea.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 13:11:21 +0000

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

and so it begins ramping up

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/22/us/oregon-anti-immigrant-letter-investigation.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

'We are not California': New Jersey dealers push back on electric truck rules

@NPR News

2024-12-23 13:00:00 +0000

Vehicle dealers are pushing back on rules that would increase the number of electric trucks sold in New Jersey. It could be a preview of a brewing fight over state rules about cars.

McLaren Artura review: a plug-in hybrid for the 1 percent

@The Verge

2024-12-23 13:00:00 +0000

A hybrid supercar that can run on electricity alone, while still delivering that twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 experience

Read the full story at The Verge.

For young adults, caregiving isn't just hard. It can shape you for life

@NPR News

2024-12-23 13:00:00 +0000

Caregiving responsibilities can cut young people off from peers and interrupt their emerging life story. And there's been little research or support directed at this group. That's starting to change.

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-23 12:57:31 +0000

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

I think it’s hilarious that Eric Adams is such a raging piece of shit narcissist that it never occurred to him that the juxtaposition of him behind Luigi would make for perfect radicalizing propaganda. That, or, he didn’t care so long as he got his photoshoot.

Attachments:

Luigi in an orange jumpsuit with Eric adams behind him.

Biden commutes 37 federal death row sentences. And, a push to understand long COVID

@NPR News

2024-12-23 12:38:26 +0000

President Biden commuted 37 of the 40 men on federal death row to life without parole this morning. Here are the factors that drove his decision. And, a push to better understand long COVID.

Honda and Nissan plan to merge as we enter the age of electric cars

@The Verge

2024-12-23 12:14:44 +0000

Photo by PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images

Honda and Nissan have announced plans to merge as the Japanese automakers struggle with competition from rival brands in the electric vehicle market. The two companies confirmed on Monday that they had signed a memorandum of understanding that would create the third largest car maker by sales, behind Toyota and Volkswagen.

Nissan alliance member Mitsubishi Motors is also in talks with Honda and Nissan to join the integration, with a decision expected by the end of January. Based on the market capital of all three companies, a finalized merger could result in an entity worth more than 50 billion dollars. Honda will initially lead the management of the merged company according to Honda president, Toshihiro Mibe, with the aim to complete a formal merger agreement by June and finalize the deal by August 2026.

“Creation of new mobility value by bringing together the resources including knowledge, talents, and technologies that Honda and Nissan have been developing over the long years is essential to overcome challenging environmental shifts that the auto industry is facing,” Mibe said in a statement.

The proposed merger was initially teased last week, and aims to establish a joint holding company to tackle growing global competition from brands like Tesla and China’s BYD in the EV market. The deal would also help to rescue the struggling Nissan, which saw its net earnings in mid-2024 fall by more than 90 percent year over year, and announced plans in November to lay off thousands of workers.

“If realized, I believe that by uniting the strengths of both companies, we can deliver unparalleled value to customers worldwide who appreciate our respective brands,” said Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida. “Together, we can create a unique way for them to enjoy cars that neither company could achieve alone.”

Ex-Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn told Bloomberg on Friday that the merger is a “desperate move” by Nissan, and that it’s “not a pragmatic deal because frankly, the synergies between the two companies are difficult to find.” The company has been in turmoil since Ghosn was arrested by Japanese authorities in 2018 over charges of financial misconduct.

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2024-12-23 08:39:36 +0000

pzmyers@octodon.social ("pzmyers 🦑") wrote:

MAGA seems to have imperial ambitions.

https://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2024/12/23/maga-means-imperialism/

Attachments:

| am pleased to announce Ken Howery as my choice for United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Denmark. Ken is a World renowned entrepreneur, investor, and public servant, who served our Nation brilliantly during my First Term as U.S. Ambassador to Sweden, where he led efforts to increase Defense, Security, and Economic Cooperation between our Countries. As a Co-Founder of PayPal and venture capital fund, Founders Fund, Ken turned American Innovation and Tech leadership into Global success stories, and that experiencegyill be invaluable in representing us abroac#or purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessit);&en willdo a wonderful job in representing the interests of the United States. Thank you Ken, and congratulations! (remote)

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2024-12-23 07:32:14 +0000

slightlyoff@toot.cafe ("Alex Russell") wrote:

How have I never seen this talk before?:

https://youtu.be/rX0ItVEVjHc?si=KgebrjI1UMEVgjKp

Albanian prime minister says TikTok ban was not a rushed reaction

@NPR News

2024-12-23 06:18:56 +0000

Prime Minister Edi Rama said over the weekend that the government will shut down TikTok for one year, accusing the popular video service of inciting violence and bullying, especially among children.

A million taxpayers will soon receive up to $1,400 from the IRS

@NPR News

2024-12-23 05:53:30 +0000

People who missed one of the COVID stimulus payments or had received less than the full amount were able to claim the credit.

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2024-12-23 05:26:42 +0000

Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):

ernie@writing.exchange ("Ernie Smith") wrote:

@fromjason @taylorlorenz Based on the dates in the Wayback Machine, the blacklisting happened sometime before October 2023; the last archived date for the story was June 2023.

EDIT: That may be a widespread thing on the site though. I found other stories with “noarchive.”

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2024-12-23 05:10:27 +0000

Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):

taylorlorenz ("Taylor Lorenz") wrote:

Seeking help! No matter how many keywords/names u search related to this story the article doesn't appear on Google

This was a front page A1 story I wrote for WaPo on how smear campaigns and abuse women journalists endure are a press freedom issue. Can someone explain why the article does not appear on Google? https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/02/14/women-journalists-global-violence/

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2024-12-23 05:03:13 +0000

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

UnitedHealthcare murder: CEOs facing reality that many Gen Zers view corporate America as the enemy | Fortune:

"While practical security systems are definitely required, we should not overreact to this singular incident in ways that keep us and our families from living normal lives. If we do, people with evil intent have already won."

It’s fascinating how the corporate elite truly believe they are the ... https://micro.fromjason.xyz/2024/12/23/unitedhealthcare-murder-ceos-facing-reality.html

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2024-12-23 04:13:38 +0000

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

You can see the contempt on Colin’s face as he realizes the crowd is cheering for Luigi.

"Colin Jost after the SNL audience woo'ed for Luigi Mangione: "Yeah, definitely woo. You're wooing for justice, right?"[image or embed]— LateNighter ([@latenightercom.bsky.social](http://latenightercom.bsky.social)) Dec 22, 2024 at 12:29 AM https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2tv6knjkuuxxsr2gmumdmw2u/post/3lduopf2mfc2a?ref_src=embed

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2024-12-23 03:58:45 +0000

Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):

strangefour@retro.pizza wrote:

For some reason I have a bunch of yeti pictures in an old folder (full of monsters and chtulhus). Enjoy more shots of bigfeet than we got tonight.
#Monsterdon #Snowbeast

playing with curl calls to generate images

curl https://api.openai.com/v1/images/generations \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer myLongRandomAPIkey" \
-d '{
"prompt": "A dragon wearing a beret",
"size": "1024x1024"
}'

Attachments:

a green and blue and cartoon dragon with black wings and a dark orange tongue who is wearing a red beret and smiling (remote)

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2024-12-23 01:52:57 +0000

jsonstein@masto.deoan.org ("Jeff Sonstein") wrote:

Chuck Berry on Mar 18, 1967

https://wolfgangs.app.link/bWFasms9xPb

Attachments:

41811b59ef9a2241.png (remote)

Blake Lively accuses 'It Ends With Us' studio of harassment and smear campaign

@NPR News

2024-12-23 01:51:23 +0000

In a legal complaint, the actor says co-star Justin Baldoni and his team launched a smear campaign as a way to silence Lively's narrative about his and a producer's alleged repeated sexual harassment.

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2024-12-23 01:44:27 +0000

Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):

jomc@friend.camp ("joanne mcneil") wrote:

I wrote about Bluesky.

https://filmmakermagazine.com/128200-joanne-mcneil-bluesky/

Attachments:

screengrab "More than its Web3-esque elements, what worries me about Bluesky is that it is iterating on a model that has, time and time again, failed users: social media at scale. Global-scale platforms like Facebook and Twitter foment problems both top-down (shareholders calling the shots) and bottom-up (users who share gruesome content like beheading videos that must be scrubbed by human content moderators). Not to mention that, at present, the AT Protocol system of record-keeping and data storage is massively centralized. As Lemmer-Webber explained on her blog, DustyCloud.org, it would be enormously expensive for an individual to run their own “relay,” or capture and transmission of data, across the AT Protocol. If Bluesky were like a physical mail delivery service, she writes, the way it operates is like dumping all the mail at the post office. The problem isn’t only receiving this massive trove, Lemmer-Webber says, but also “it’s the responsibility of interested parties to show up and filter through the mail to see what’s interesting to them.” These are serious technical challenges to surmount, and when you throw venture capital in the mix, user-focused solutions seem unlikely." (remote)

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2024-12-23 01:24:44 +0000

Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):

nullagent@partyon.xyz wrote:

So anyways, I can see why the homeland security guy might feel so stressed. The poor and average people up and down the Americas do not seem to see this as an act of terror.

I suppose he would at least like to see people slow down on the hero worship. And I got you bro.

There's been a growing discourse online about the quality of service health insurers provide to people with prosthetics. We could make that trend instead I suppose.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/health-insurance-coverage-prosthetic-joint-replacement/

#Prosthetics #UHC #healthinsurance

Attachments:

29be09486fedf0e2.jpg (remote)

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2024-12-23 01:12:04 +0000

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

Recap: Party City

So, a private equity firm Berkshire Partners, racks up a billion dollars in debt—money that went to an exclusive supplier also owned by the firm.

Then, when there was nothing left to loot, they fire their employees days before Christmas and shut everything down.

Can’t image why people are so furious with corporate America.

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2024-12-23 01:01:20 +0000

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

Exclusive | Party City’s founder blames bankruptcy on private-equity firms:

"Steve Mandell, who launched the chain in 1986 with a single store in East Hanover, NJ, pinned the retailer’s implosion on a lack of bargains and variety at its stores — a problem he claims was created when private equity executives locked it into a large supply deal with a manufacturer they already owned for roughly 80% of its ... https://micro.fromjason.xyz/2024/12/22/exclusive-party-citys-founder-blames.html

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2024-12-23 00:44:26 +0000

Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):

atomicpoet@atomicpoet.org ("Chris Trottier") wrote:

Social media “gurus” spout off a whole lot of bullshit about engagement, reach, and metrics. But if your mentality is “bar go up”, there’s really only one thing that matters:

How to talk to the algorithm and figure out what it wants.

That’s really it. If you have this one skill, you don’t have to learn much else. Do this, and you’re gold.

And this is why assholes – people you love to hate – are seen on social media constantly. Because they’re not making content for you. They’re making content for the algorithm. And when the algorithm likes what it likes, it gets pushed onto your home feed – regardless of whether or not most people like it.

But there’s a flipside to this. When these “algo whisperers” wind up on the Fediverse, they end up hating the experience. Why? Because now they have to make content for people. They don’t like it that there’s no optimizations – no tricks – to push their stuff to home feeds. They have to survive entirely on human-to-human connections and this is scary.

This is why typical influencers largely stay away from the Fediverse.

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2024-12-23 00:07:06 +0000

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

Starting my Best of 2024 lists 🎉🎉

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-22 23:44:29 +0000

Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):

oliphant@oliphant.social ("Oliphantom Menace") wrote:

What the fedi taught me is that when people are given the choice and can control their networks, they really don't want to hear from Elon Musk supporters, tradwife fetishists, and fascist TERFs nearly as much as their algorithms seem to suggest.

In fact, the "nice" thing about this place is that you don't have to listen to that shit. This place is like an antidote to that.

Though as a tech-focused space, it has its own culture and its own issues, and I'm not trying to elide those.

I'm really just trying to point out that Bluesky will not save us, in the end. In the end, they'll do what every other startup does:

They'll monetize, and they'll not want to alienate customers by telling them that their speech is unwanted.

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2024-12-22 23:41:43 +0000

Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):

oliphant@oliphant.social ("Oliphantom Menace") wrote:

As people are learning about Bluesky, too, it's all the same people.

You can't go to another platform to escape "those people" because "those people" can join platforms, too.

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-22 23:41:41 +0000

Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):

oliphant@oliphant.social ("Oliphantom Menace") wrote:

Now, the reason we escape Donald Trump supporters and TERFs here is largely because those folks are insta-ban.

They aren't insta-ban anywhere else.

Like literally nowhere else.

Everywhere else they are just "asking questions" and "contributing to the discourse" and so on.

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2024-12-22 23:39:22 +0000

Reblogged by fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻"):

capper@crooklyn.social wrote:

Question of the day:

Attachments:

20dffcb7cb014d3f.jpg (remote)

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2024-12-22 23:10:59 +0000

fromjason ("fromjason.xyz ❤️ 💻") wrote:

Maybe don’t sign your name to a list of names asking the government to remove the terrorist charge from Luigi Mangione.

Don’t engage with accounts encouraging you to “organize in public”

Just… it’s not that kind of party.

@Mastodon Feed

2024-12-22 23:02:57 +0000

Reblogged by isagalaev ("Ivan Sagalaev :flag_wbw:"):

Teryl_Pacieco ("Teryl's Tales of Whim~") wrote:

"Begone. This temple is not yours!"

The creature slowly turned its head towards the adventurers, hissing in the smallest voice, "Shhh."

"We will use force if diplomacy is ignored!"

"Can I move later?" it pleaded, "Because my master prevents me from acting."

"Then we shall slay your master!"

"You almost woke her," the beast rasped, revealing the tiny black kitten asleep upon its paw.

The adventurers found them both a new home, later.

#TootFic #MicroFiction #Writing #TerylsTales #Caturday