by Boars, Gore, and Swords on (#293WG)
As HBO's Westworld nears its conclusion, Boars, Gore, and Swords is there to keep up with all the twists and turns. For this week's "The Well-Tempered Clavier," Ivan and Red discuss Arnold's true identity, the relative lack of value of human cognition, Logan wearing a "Hand of The King" pin, when and where Dolores is, and the male nudity everyone's been waiting for.<iframe style="border: none" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/4865309/height/90/width/640/theme/custom/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/autoplay/no/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/no-cache/true/render-playlist/no/custom-color/ff0000/" height="90" width="640" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen></iframe>To catch up on previous episodes of Westworld, previous seasons of Game of Thrones, the A Song of Ice And Fire books, and other TV and movies, check out the BGaS archive. You can find them on Twitter @boarsgoreswords, like their Facebook fanpage, and email them. If you want access to extra episodes and content, you can donate to the Patreon.
|
Link | http://feeds.boingboing.net/ |
Feed | http://feeds.boingboing.net/boingboing/iBag |
Updated | 2024-11-25 06:02 |
by Caroline Siede on (#293WM)
I came across this fascinating discussion on Tumblr, comparing the oft-irreverent blogging platform to the avant-garde Dada art movement of the post-WWI era:http://mustangsally78.tumblr.com/post/148810171953
|
by Caroline Siede on (#293V0)
In honor of MLK Day, the Chicago branch of the Black Lives Matter organization wrote this new piece for The Root. The article compares BLM's contemporary fight for racial justice with the work of Martin Luther King Jr. It argues: King died working on a Poor People’s Campaign and demanding that a redistribution of wealth was necessary to eradicate poverty. Black Lives Matter Chicago echoes this demand and asserts that violence in Chicago will not end, but will only worsen, if continued divestment, unemployment and blight occur.The solutions to addressing poverty are well-known.We must implement the radical measures King died fighting for right now by demanding fully funded schools, health care, jobs, access to housing, free drug-treatment programs and food. The fact that these demands are considered radical today are a testament to how little regard our political establishment prioritizes life and how little has changed since King’s day, even since the nation has experienced its first black president.For some time now, King’s legacy on mainstream media has been bastardized, completely removed from his actual work. This gross misrepresentation of King is all about the sanitized “dream†devoid of reality.It would have us sleep through police shootings, a monstrous legal system that unjustly and disproportionately eats up black communities, and a lack of quality educational and employment opportunities to dream of a better day of equality and brotherhood.We see images of a smiling or thoughtful King, likely thinking of peace and looking crisp and clean in his suits, quite unlike today’s protesters. We think of King and we hear freedom ringing on mountaintops and in valleys and ignore the cries of oppression even in the streets named after him.We have conflated nonviolence with passivity, and we have forgotten that King’s legacy is meeting incredible violence with masses in the street.You can read the full article—which was written by Kofi Ademola Xola, Amika Tendaji, and Aislinn Pulley—on The Root. You can find more information on the Black Lives Matter website and Twitter account, and you can connect to the Chicago branch on its website and Twitter account as well. Both organizations are also currently accepting donations (BLM donations and BLM Chicago donations).[photo: "Martin Luther King, Jr., speaking against the Vietnam War, St. Paul Campus, University of Minnesota, 27 April 1967," Creative Commons, Minnesota Historical Society]
|
by Gareth Branwyn on (#293HG)
Adam Savage visited Weta Workshop in New Zealand last year and has posted videos of him touring various studios within the well-known movie effects and prop studio. In this video, he sits down (on the floor) with Peter Jackson to get a tour of Jackson's collection of John Chambers' makeup kits and latex appliances. Chambers is perhaps best known for being the makeup artist who created Spock's ears and for his work on the Planet of the Apes films. What most people don't know is that Chambers also worked with the CIA to create special agent disguise kits at the height of the cold war. Adam and Peter look at Chambers' movie makeup kits and some of his molds and appliance from Planet of the Apes, but they spend most of the time going through and discussing the CIA disguise kit. As Adam says, it's the closest we probably get to verification that Mission Impossible was at least based on some type of reality. It's insane to imagine someone actually using a kit like this in a real life-or-death getaway. As one person on the YouTube page commented about this video:I love that this totally feels like just two nerds doing "show and tell," but it's actually Adam Savage and Peter-fucking-Jackson!But isn't that one of the things that we love about nerds?
|
by Rob Beschizza on (#292X3)
|
by Rob Beschizza on (#292VW)
Super Retro-Boy is a compact, minimal reimplementation of Nintendo's classic Game Boy with the look as well as the tech. It plays real cartidges, including those from the full-color Game Boy Advance—presumably this is why there are four buttons. It gets 10 hours on a charge, and will come with a 10-in-1 game from Retro-Bit this summer.
|
by Rob Beschizza on (#292RT)
The legendary hydraulic press is now heated to a thousand degrees to provide additional crushing pleasure. Here, in an unusually pointed metaphor, a Nokia candybar phone bursts into flame as it is compressed.What can defeat the hydraulic press? Glass!https://youtu.be/fIpVfHhzy5Y?t=28s
|
by Andrea James on (#292M4)
Remember the Lily Drone that automatically follows you while filming? After generating almost $50 million in funding and pre-sales, Lily is shutting down in wake of litigation that concluded their too-good-to-be-true demo video was not shot on the Lily. (more…)
|
by Cory Doctorow on (#292GJ)
Rules for Revolutionaries: How Big Organizing Can Change Everything is a book by Bernie Sanders advisor Becky Bond and netroots pioneer Zack Exley. (more…)
|
by Cory Doctorow on (#291NM)
Evan from Fight for the Future writes, "Chelsea Manning saw injustice and stood up for what's right. Now, she's serving a 35 year sentence in an all-male military prison, and has faced systematic abuse. But now there's hope! President Obama has reportedly put her on a "short list" of candidates for a possible commutation. we need to show how much support Chelsea has right now, so people are posting photos with their arms outstretched, to tell POTUS they want Chelsea Manning free, so we can all give her a hug. Post your own photos to #HugsForChelsea and we'll add them to the gallery!"
|
by Cory Doctorow on (#291M6)
In November, Bruce Sterling published "Pirate Utopia," a dieselpunk novella set in the real, historical, bizarre moment in which the city of Fiume became an autonomous region run by artists and revolutionaries, whose philosophies ran the gamut from fascism to anarcho-syndicalism to socialism. (more…)
|
by Cory Doctorow on (#291K6)
In July 2012, professional poker-player Phil Ivey won $4.8M from the baccarat tables at Atlantic City's Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in 17 hours; on other occasions, he took a total of $9M out of the Borgata: he did it by asking the house to deal Gemaco Borgata cards, whose backs contained minute asymmetries in their patterns. By asking the dealer to turn some cards upside down, Ivey's partner, Cheng Yin Sun, was able to track them as they moved through the deck. (more…)
|
by Cory Doctorow on (#291HS)
Randal Munroe nails it again in an XKCD installment that expresses the likelihood that your houseguests will be able to connect to your wifi (I confess to having been the "firmware" guide -- but also, having been reminded to do something about my own firmware when other difficult houseguests came to stay).
|
by Cory Doctorow on (#28YZB)
Reed writes, "Carmen Ortiz, the US Federal Attorney for the state of Massachusetts who was responsible for the death of EFF member Aaron Swartz, recently announced her retirement. For those who don't recall the case, Swartz committed suicide following an unlawful and vindictive prosecution, undertaken only to enhance Ortiz's career as being 'tough on white collar crime' and 'lawless hackers'. (more…)
|
by Boing Boing's Store on (#28YX0)
One of the best ways to progress a career in project management is through earning recognized certifications. These certifications carry significant clout and don’t require expensive tuition or student loans. This Ultimate Project Management Certification Bundle is a great example of an affordable way to get ahead. It includes training for 9 certifications including PMP, ITIL, and Six Sigma.These courses prepare students for unseen project pitfalls with risk management, and for meeting goals more frequently. You’ll even learn best practices for integrating technology services with business needs. This bundle includes nine comprehensive courses, with 24/7 access to materials for twelve months. With tailored study material quizzes and mock exams, these courses will fully prepare you for formal certification.For a limited time, get access to this Ultimate Project Management Certification Bundle for just $69, 98% off the usual value to become a successful team leader.
|
by Richard Kaufman on (#28WBD)
Mysterious things that unfold with multiple mailings are all the rage, but some are infinitely better than others. Personally, I find those that include a murder with a nice spatter of blood to be among the more interesting. If there’s insanity involved, so much the better.And thus we have The Haunted Dollhouse, a subtle tale of horror which takes place almost a century ago in New Orleans, and which is reliant upon you to do your part: you have to build the house. And there are puzzles to solve, as well, which reveal a narrative of misfortune and murder. What is that enormous bloodstain on the carpet in the parlor?The pieces come delivered in four packages over the course of a month, each box containing items both small and large. When you’ve put in your time with a straight edge, X-Acto knife, small scissors, and the imaginatively titled “goo,†the end result is a miniature doll house that bears witness to a story of death, madness, and murder which occurred in 1923.Numerous letters, newspaper articles, postcards, and miniature items (I’m quite fond of the bloody pair of scissors) to decorate said house come within the packages, all of which taken together with the house provide clues to a mystery.Who killed who? Who’s dead? Who’s alive? Who’s nuts? Your recreation of the crime scene and the many pieces of evidence lead you down a curious path to the truth. When you have gathered sufficient evidence and puzzled it out, an online portfolio is revealed that, like a crystal ball, answers some questions. Some answers evidently must remain with the dead.The packages are being sent from 1933 by a certain Lady Delaney. Ms. Delaney seems to exist simultaneously in multiple time periods, since she is also making fantastical miniature doodads of all sorts today and selling them on Etsy. The miniatures are exquisite, and some like the Explorer’s Desk are highly detailed and chock-a-block with cool stuff.That’s an expensive one, but the Human Bone Museum Display is only $24 some of your guests might find it quite alarming. It's remarkably tiny.L. Delaney is either a very old yet remarkably well preserved alchemist or the very talented Lauren Delaney George, who currently has a tiny library inspired by Shakespeare’s The Tempest on display at the National Building Museum here in Washington, DC until January 22.Ms. George is also the author of the upcoming book All Dolled Up, which she describes as “… not the story of a well-behaved paper doll!†Naughty paper dolls? It comes out February 15 and can be ordered in advance.Back to our central mystery: A new mailing of The Haunted Dollhouse will next begin in February, with packages sent out over the course of that month, and you can pre-order the experience now. You’re invited … at a small price. Sending it to a friend who is easily creeped-out but likes DIY projects and puzzles would be fun. In the meantime, I would hide both the scissors and the matches from mischievous hands. The Haunted Dollhouse has taught me that the scissors can end up embedded in someone’s skull, and it’s easy to burn down a house.
|
by Caroline Siede on (#28WBF)
Now I’ve really seen it all.
|
by Cory Doctorow on (#28VEM)
The five Volkswagen executives who were criminally charged in the USA for their role in the Dieselgate scandal have been advised not to travel to the USA because they are liable to arrest there: they've also been told that leaving Germany is risky because they might be arrested and extradited to the USA. (more…)
|
by Cory Doctorow on (#28VCM)
Facebook spokespeople and cryptographers say that Facebook's decision to implement Open Whisper Systems' end-to-end cryptographic messaging protocol in such a way as to allow Facebook to decrypt them later without the user's knowledge reflects a "limitation" -- a compromise that allows users to continue conversations as they move from device to device -- and not a "defect." (more…)
|
by Gareth Branwyn on (#28SWE)
When I was 15 years old, I decided that I wanted to try marijuana. It took me a while, but I eventually scored some from a high schooler and went to a friend’s house to smoke it. His brother was away at college and allegedly had rolling papers in his room. We needed something to clean the pot on, too, and his brother conveniently had a large book, a floppy, unwieldy beast called The Last Whole Earth Catalog. As I hunched over this mysterious artifact, picking out seeds and stems while scanning the oversized pages, for the first time, I encountered names like Buckminster Fuller, Gregory Bateson, Stewart Brand, and concepts like systems thinking, nomadics, geodesic domes, and countless domains of DIY. I was completely enthralled. We managed to roll a sad-looking, lumpy joint and smoked it, but I was more interested in the book than the dope. When we were done, I asked him if I could trade my nickel bag ($5-worth) for the catalog (which had a big $5 price tag, printed in big Cooper Black type, right on the cover). He said his brother hadn’t seemed tremendously interested and probably wouldn’t miss it. We made the trade. I didn’t know it at the time, but in that transaction, I had just set foot on the path that leads directly to today. My lifelong work in DIY media, tech, and culture (I lived in communes for nearly 20 years) can all be traced directly back to this copy of the catalog and all those that followed. I even had the honor of being a contributor to The Millennium Whole Earth Catalog in 1994. The Whole Earth Field Guide, new from MIT Press, attempts to bring some of the genius that inspired me and so many others in the 60s and 70s to a new generation of Spaceship Earth crew members and to anyone interested in counter-cultural history (a speciality of the author). This is not a facsimile or best-of The Last Whole Earth Catalog (the edition the book focuses on). As the name implies, this is a guide to understanding the world that the catalog was attempting to map and build. But that understanding is meant to come from the carefully-curated excerpts offered. The author doesn’t attempt to situate The Whole Earth Catalog in the wider counter-culture landscape of the time. As much as possible, she lets the material speak for itself. My favorite section of the Whole Earth Field Guide is the first 52 pages which serve as an introduction to The Whole Earth Catalog, editor and instigator Stewart Brand, and to the process by which the catalogs were put together. Every edition of the catalog always had a few behind-the-scenes pages in the back, sometimes with photos of the layout and production process. I always looked forward to those the most. This section feels like a lengthy, meta version of that.The bulk of the Whole Earth Field Guide is comprised of introductions to the iconic sections of the catalog (Understanding Whole Systems, Shelter, Land Use, Community), explaining the overarching ideas and philosophies behind each, excerpts from particularly potent (some now famous) essays found in LWEC, and illustration-excerpts. This book really is an introduction to the Whole Earth philosophy, as it was patched together in the essays, book reviews, and book excerpts that made up the bulk of the catalog. Reading the Whole Earth Field Guide, you really get a sense for how these powerful and timely ideas, presented in this unique format, helped shape many aspects of our modern world (never forget that one of the first significant settlements in cyberspace, The Well, was a computer bulletin board on a mini-computer in a closet of the Whole Earth offices in Sausalito, CA).Seminal essays and ideas from the iconic DIY catalog of catalogsWhole Earth Field Guide by Caroline Maniaque-Benton (Editor), Meredith Gaglio (Contributor)The MIT Press2016, 288 pages, 8.0 x 0.6 x 10.5 inches, Paperback$27 Buy on Amazon
|
by David Pescovitz on (#28SVW)
If you walk past this bus shelter ad in Stockholm while smoking, the model on the screen starts to cough. Next, the display shows smoking cessation products sold by pharmacy chain Apotek Hjartat, the sponsor of the ad. From CNN:Akestam Holst, the agency behind the campaign, created the effect by attaching smoke detectors to the digital advertising screen. They chose a location where people often smoke -- Stockholm's Odenplan square -- and let the coughing begin.The agency filmed the reactions of smokers -- some express surprise, others react with laughter.
|
by David Pescovitz on (#28SRF)
Cable network Sky will not air the episode of the comedy series Urban Myths featuring Joseph Fiennes, who is white, portraying Michael Jackson. The decision came in response to intense criticism from the likes of Jackson's daughter Paris Jackson who tweeted that the trailer (above) "honestly makes me want to vomit." “We have taken the decision not to broadcast Elizabeth, Michael and Marlon, a half hour episode from the Sky Arts Urban Myths series, in light of the concerns expressed by Michael Jackson’s immediate family," said a Sky spokesperson. "We set out to take a light-hearted look at reportedly true events and never intended to cause any offence. Joseph Fiennes fully supports our decision.â€(NPR)@TheMJCast i'm so incredibly offended by it, as i'm sure plenty of people are as well, and it honestly makes me want to vomit.— Paris-Michael K. J. (@ParisJackson) January 11, 2017
|
by Mark Frauenfelder on (#28SJZ)
Erik of Root Simple is a self-identified member of the untidy tribe. As such, he is trying different ways to leave the club. He has been trying an iPhone app called Tody (a mash up of today, tidy, and to-do, I guess). Here's his review<.>Tody gives you a room by room schedule for tasks such as cleaning the bathroom sink, dusting the living room and wiping down electronics. You can create your own custom tasks. For instance, I made a reminders to change the cat’s water and sweep the front porch.Setup is simple and the app suggests common sense cleaning intervals (which you can also customize to your own taste). The app generates a daily to-do list and has a kind of red, yellow and green color warning system. The interface is clean and simple, like a well tended house. Other apps that I tried had too many reminders, cluttered interfaces, distracting ads and annoying notifications. We untidy tribe members are easily distracted from our cleaning tasks and don’t need an app that offers temptations to sit on the couch and slack off.
|
by Cory Doctorow on (#28SFQ)
A new phishing attack hops from one Gmail account to the next by searching through compromised users' previous emails for messages with attachments, then replies them from the compromised account, replacing the link to the attachment with a lookalike that sends you to a fake Google login page (they use some trickery to hide the fake in the location bar); the attackers stand by and if you enter your login/pass, they immediately seize control of your account and attack your friends. (more…)
|
by Mark Frauenfelder on (#28SBV)
Zine publisher Jonno Revanche says he likes zines because they are not connected to a network infected with crap: clickbait, tracking, trolls, etc.From his piece in The Guardian:There’s a liberty to creating, or witnessing subversive material knowing that it won’t be monitored, that the information is contained only within the pages of the zine. The trustworthiness of a physical object in our current age is strangely compelling. Links shared via Facebook or messenger apps can be intercepted, logged, or dispersed otherwise into the ether. Especially for teenagers, zines counter the anxiety and subsequent frantic deletion of browser history so that your family can’t see it. Hide it under your bed instead, or in a zipped inner sanctum within your school bag.(Thanks, Kathi!)
|
by Rob Beschizza on (#28RR6)
I had an unsettling realization and it checked out. Is it just that we needed their warm, comforting companionship instead of the cooly cerebral presence of felines? Or are they in on it?
|
by Rob Beschizza on (#28RMZ)
A T-Mobile customer in Florida drove her SUV into the store, smashing through the front window and coming to a stop deep in the showroom. Then she emerged from her disabled vehicle, hefted a broken window frame, and smashed a display."What is wrong with her?" calls out an unseen observer.According to witnesses who spoke to WPFB News, she was upset by the store's employees.It's unclear if the woman was arrested. Palm Spring Police Department has not commented on the incident. T-Mobile representatives referred WPBF 25's questions to police, but did say no one was injured in this incident.
|
by Rob Beschizza on (#28RN1)
007craft lived a lavish life of luxury—in a U-Haul storage unit. The key, he says, is being a ghost: do nothing that could get you noticed. I had just came back from hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and found myself homeless. I had given up my apartment to go hike and now that I was back I wanted to turn my car into a livable space. I eventually did that ... but found I still needed access to lots of stuff from my storage unit which was 6x4x10 and everything was just jammed in there. I figured there had to be a better way. I scoped out a 10x10x6 unit and moved all my stuff inside. Still super small, I managed to build shelves and organize it in a way where everything is accessible. But why stop there! I decided to build shelves and a water system and setup my actual apartment so I could live there. I was moving in! I ended up living in the unit for around 2 months. I only spent around $100 making the space as efficient as I did, mostly because I already owned so much hardware. The cost of rent on my unit was $205 a month (which included insurance). A bargain, considering an apartment in the area was $1000+ a month. I made this video showcasing my work/unit.The power extension cable seems awfully obvious to me, too, but I guess if they're not looking for it, they won't see it. (more…)
|
by Rob Beschizza on (#28REV)
A 12-year-old boy demanded a Chicken McNugget from a girl who had just bought some, then held a gun to her head and asked again. She pushed the gun away and boarded the train, and he was later taken into custody, police say. The New York Police Department says the gun has not been found, and it remains unclear whether it was real or a replica. They say the boy was released on Thursday, and the case has been referred to the family courts.
|
by Caroline Siede on (#28RC3)
Cartoonist Clay Bennett of the Chattanooga Times Free Press looks ahead to the inauguration in a piece called “The Transfer.†You can follow Bennett on Twitter and see more of his work right here.[via @deray]
|
by Caroline Siede on (#28RC7)
Illustrator Kim Jung Youn shared this incredible video on Instagram. It starts out as sketch and turns into something much more. You can find more drawings and videos on Kim Jung Youn’s Instagram @vagab.
|
by Boing Boing's Store on (#28QZJ)
The 2016 World Series game 7 will undoubtedly go down in history as one of the greatest baseball games of all time. With endless suspense, a nefariously-timed rain delay, and extra innings, it reminded over 40 million viewers why they love America’s pastime - and why all bets were truly off in 2016. Savor the Chicago victory forever with these commemorative press plates.Featuring the Chicago Tribune front page and sports page, these plates make a perfect wall hanger for a den or office. For anyone looking to give the gift of limited-edition memorabilia to a Chicago sports fiend, or gloat to a Cleveland fan about the win that was just out of reach, I highly suggest this option.These 11.5†x 22†aluminum plates will definitely last longer than the 108-year drought. For a limited time, pick up these Chicago Cubs World Series Press Plates for just $35, 55% off retail value.
|
by Cory Doctorow on (#28QG7)
Shane from Crimethinc writes, "As 2017 opens, we face new challenges in an increasingly volatile world. Since last summer, we’ve been hard at work expanding our networks and updating our infrastructure to prepare for the global situation that is now unfolding. Over the next month, we’ll be announcing several ambitious new projects." (more…)
|
by Cory Doctorow on (#28QG9)
It's not just regulatory compliance exec Oliver Schmidt -- arrested last week -- who faces personal criminal repercussions for his role in the Dieselgate scandal: five more VW execs have been indicted and face criminal charges, including the former head of VW R&D, the head of engine development, an engine development supervisor, and another regulatory compliance liason. (more…)
|
by Cory Doctorow on (#28QAF)
The price of Epipens -- purchased annually by people with severe allergies and stocked in the first-aid cabinets of schools, businesses, and ambulances -- more than quintupled in a decade, thanks to the tactics of Mylan CEO Heather Bresch (daughter of Senator Joe Manchin [D-WV]), who took home a 671% raise for her work, which raised this lifesaving technology's pricetag beyond the reach of many people, who turned to low-cost DIY alternatives. (more…)
|
by Cory Doctorow on (#28QAH)
For 8 years, Tea Party activists captured Congress, electing members sympathetic to their cause and terrifying fence-sitters into backing their plays; now, in Indivisible, progressives are offered their own version of the Tea Party playbook, which explains the Tea Party's tactics and provides notes for adapting them to resisting trumpism. (more…)
|
by Rob Beschizza on (#28PRA)
quakkaquakkaquakkakaaaaaquakkaquakkaquaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaweeeeeaaaaeiiiiiiiiieeeequakka. quakka. quakka. quakka. quakkaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa (more…)
|
by David Pescovitz on (#28N2T)
From the Kubo and the Two Strings soundtrack, this hauntingly gorgeous cover of The Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" by Regina Spektor who kindly said the following in an interview a few years back:"I love Boing Boing. It's cool because the site is filled with curated information all about science, art and culture -- plus, you still get cute distractions like little animals."Thanks, Regina!
|
by Mark Frauenfelder on (#28MK8)
Here are 10 amusing sucker bets from Richard Wiseman's book, 101 Bets You Will Always Win.
|
by Caroline Siede on (#28MJW)
In this new video, Great Big Story profiles a Yorkshire Terrier named Smoky, “the tiniest war hero of all time.†Adopted by Corporal Bill Wynne during World War II, Smoky went on to follow her owner on combat missions in the Pacific Ocean theater, serve as a therapy dog for wounded soldiers, and become a genuine celebrity after the war. And she did all that while weighing only four pounds and standing at just seven inches. You can learn more about Smoky on her Wikipedia page. One of the highlights includes the time she ran telegraph wire through a 70-foot-long pole to help engineers establish an airbase in the Philippines. As the page notes, “What would have been a dangerous three-day digging task to place the wire was instead completed by this little dog in minutes.â€
|
by Caroline Siede on (#28MDB)
Is this bit from The Late Late Show With James Corden, Tony-winner Neil Patrick Harris faces off with Tony-winner James Corden in a Broadway death match.[via Entertainment Weekly]
|
by Cory Doctorow on (#28MDD)
My new Locus column is "It’s Time to Short Surveillance and Go Long on Freedom," which starts by observing that Barack Obama's legacy includes a beautifully operationalized, professional and terrifying surveillance apparatus, which Donald Trump inherits as he assumes office and makes ready to make good on his promise to deport millions of Americans and place Muslims under continuous surveillance. (more…)
|
by Rob Beschizza on (#28M9F)
Michael Marczewski's adorably trapped machines go about their mechanically-defined routines. When things speed up, things go wrong. The perfect music is by Marcus Olsson.
|
by Cory Doctorow on (#28M76)
Isao Echizen, a researcher at Japan's National Institute of Informatics, told a reporter from the Sankei Shimbun that he had successfully captured fingerprints from photos taken at 3m distance at sufficient resolution to recreate them and use them to fool biometric identification systems (such as fingerprint sensors that unlock mobile phones). (more…)
|
by Caroline Siede on (#28M5A)
The illustration comes from Owl Turd Comix.
|
by Rob Beschizza on (#28M5C)
Ilya Katsman shot this photo of clouds forming parralel lines over Australia. (more…)
|
by Cory Doctorow on (#28M3G)
In case you were wondering why Bitcoin experienced a crazy spike recently: China's economy is a hyperinflated bubble, poised to burst and the Chinese central bank is depreciating the Renminbi -- so China's wealthy are getting their cash out of the country as fast as they can, using any means necessary: suing themselves, spending huge whacks of cash while on vacation, and converting it to Bitcoin (this is especially urgent now that the Canadian real-estate money laundry is shutting down) -- this is just the latest salvo in the Chinese capital flight story.
|
by Futility Closet on (#28M1X)
In 1919 a bizarre catastrophe struck Boston's North End: A giant storage tank failed, releasing 2 million gallons of molasses into a crowded business district at the height of a January workday. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the Boston Molasses Disaster, which claimed 21 lives and inscribed a sticky page into the city's history books.We'll also admire some Scandinavian statistics and puzzle over a provocative Facebook photo.Show notesPlease support us on Patreon!
|
by Caroline Siede on (#28M1Z)
If you need your daily dose of cute, look no further than the Instagram account Baronthegerman, which documents the adorable friendship of Baron the German Shepherd and his best friend Alvin the cat.https://www.instagram.com/p/BOK2RRxgeyU/?taken-by=baronthegermanhttps://www.instagram.com/p/BNMkJIEg6pc/?taken-by=baronthegermanhttps://www.instagram.com/p/BNoyLALgWKy/?taken-by=baronthegermanhttps://www.instagram.com/p/BNWq-rPgk0B/?taken-by=baronthegermanhttps://www.instagram.com/p/BM37pexAKbd/?taken-by=baronthegermanhttps://www.instagram.com/p/BMxaAklAqUl/?taken-by=baronthegermanhttps://www.instagram.com/p/BMp1lsMg0ZK/?taken-by=baronthegermanhttps://www.instagram.com/p/BMgltndAMfX/?taken-by=baronthegermanhttps://www.instagram.com/p/BK2_sTrgZV-/Although even best friends fight sometimes:https://www.instagram.com/p/BNHTegnAWbj/?taken-by=baronthegermanYou can also follow Baron and Alvin on Facebook.
|
by Andrea James on (#28M1K)
Samuli Cantell had the interesting idea of importing her ultrasound data into a 3D modeling program to create a VR experience: (more…)
|