The One Love Machine band is the brainchild of German artist Kolja Kugler, whose work focuses largely on moving sculptures. As he explained to CNN:When I build a band member I start obviously with the music-making parts. The fingers, plugging or playing, and then I build the character behind it.The special thing about my robots is that they do actually play the music themselves. My robots play the bass guitar, the drum kit and they play the flute. They've got an affinity for punk rock.My robots perform all around the world. Tech events, festivals, university lectures or TED Talks.That's fucking metal. And also punk.There's a punk band made completely of robots [Briony Edwards / Louder Sound] Read the rest
Pee-wee Herman for president? SURE, WHY NOT?! Stranger things have happened. At least Pee-wee's slogan is honest: "In your guts, you know he's nuts." Go to Pee-wee's new store for the "Pee-wee for president" buttons (and tees and pins and stickers and hoodies) but stay for that terrific animated banner! Francis, his running opponent, is taking a different route with his campaign slogan, the familiar "I know you are, but what am I?" oneimages via Pee-wee Store Read the rest
Where would we be without Alexa? Without Amazon’s virtual assistant, who would we ask to play back our favorite songs or tell us the weather or beatbox? No, seriously...ask Alexa to beatbox.Of course, Alexa does have her limitations. The biggest one being that she’s tethered to an electrical outlet. For the vastness of her all-knowing powers, Alexa, and the Amazon Echo she’s working through, are dependent on staying plugged in, which means their range only extends as far as the power cord.The SkyTote Battery Sleeve seeks to change all that, taking your Amazon Echo off the chain so Alexa can freely roam anywhere within your WiFi range.The SkyTote works with all second-generation Amazon Echo units. All you have to do is slide the factory casing off your Echo, open the battery cover at the base, slip the SkyTote over the top -- and now, your Echo is cordless. The two sync right up, so rather than getting a new Echo for every room in your house, you can now just take one room-hopping with you.The SkyTote sports a rechargeable 8,800mAh lithium-ion battery that lasts up to eight hours on a single charge. Unencumbered, the SkyTote even lets you take Alexa out of the house, so long as you can keep her connected to your vehicle WiFi or a smartphone hotspot.A set of four LEDs on the base always keep you aware of its current power levels, and a power button lets you shut the speaker down to preserve your battery life when it isn't in use. Read the rest
I bought a USB rechargeable lighter last year and will never go back to using matches or a butane lighter. I've used it to light many charcoal barbecues, candles, and stove burners. It works by making a small electric arc across two electrodes. It makes a barely perceptible hissing sound, but one of my cats can hear it from across the room and she runs away. It must sound like another cat hissing at her. Read the rest
Kids under the age of 5 who show symptoms of COVID-19 have higher concentrations of the virus than any other age group, according to a study published today in the JAMA Pediatrics journal.From Fortune:"One of the things that’s come up in the whole school reopening discussion, is: since kids are less sick, is it because they have less of the virus?," said Taylor Heald-Sargent, the lead author and a pediatric infectious diseases specialist at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, and assistant professor of pediatrics at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine."And our data does not support that,” she told Fortune. As a result, "we can't assume that kids aren't able to spread the virus." Read the rest
I bought this wall-mounted magnetic strip in 2015 to have easy access to tools I need for simple household tasks: opening packages, hanging pictures, assembling furniture, tightening loose nuts, installing door locks, measuring things, simple plumbing repairs, etc. It's much better than keeping the tools in a kitchen drawer because I can instantly find the tool(s) I need. The magnet is very strong, so I don't have to worry about a tool falling off. The strips come in various lengths. The one I bought is 24 inches long. The shortest I've seen on Amazon is seven inches. Read the rest
Minnesota continues to be in the news for all the wrong reasons, this time thanks to a meme posted by the Wabasha County Republican Party comparing wearing a face mask to Jews forced to wear Stars of David under Hitler. Said official is no longer officially with the organization.Jewish Community Action led the local response, pointing out they support mask wearing:Given that Minnesota rabbis recently spoke out in favor of a mask mandate, comparing that mandate to the Holocaust feels especially disgusting. We ask the @MNGOP to tell Wabasha Republicans to stop using imagery like this. It betrays a total lack of both empathy and education. pic.twitter.com/xGMT3cUvvo— Jewish Community Action (@JCA_MN) July 27, 2020Earlier this month, a couple of Walmart patrons made the same analogy, which went over about as well.Image: City Pages Read the rest
Last week, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) gave a stirring response to now-disgraced Rep. Ted Yoho (R-FL) calling her a "fucking bitch."Yesterday AOC posted "behind-the-scenes details" of how she decided how to respond. She included a page from her dot grid notebook with a rough outline of her speech. (What kind of notebook is it?)I want to thank everyone for your immense outpouring of personal stories and support for one another after last week’s speech on the violence of misogyny and abuse of power in the workplace. I figured I’d share some behind-the-scenes details of what went into that moment.Many have asked me if my speech was pre-written. The answer is no. But in some ways, yes. Yes because this speech was a recounting of thoughts that so many women and femme people have carried since the time we were children. It flowed because every single one of us has lived this silent script: stay silent (why?), keep your head down (for whom?), suck it up (to whose benefit?). But my chosen words were largely extemporaneous. I got to the House floor about ten minutes before my speech and scribbled down some quick notes after reflecting on what had transpired over the last few days. Pictured here are all the notes I had, and from there I improvised my composition and spoke live.The evening before my speech, I did not know what I was going to say. I wrestled with this question: what is there to say to a man who isn’t listening? Read the rest
Earlier this month the US Government built a fence in Portland, which is blocking a bike lane. Last week, the Portland Bureau of Transportation sent a cease-and-desist notice to the Fed Gov, demanding it removes the fence. So far, the Fed Gov has not responded, and now the City of Portland is fining Fed Gov $500 for every 15 minutes the fence remains. The fine is approaching $300,000.This website has a counter that shows how much the feds currently owe Portland. Read the rest
TEKOI was a Cold War era United States government installation in Utah that tested the solid-fuel rocket engines that powered Minutemen nuclear warheads. The site has long since been abandoned, and in this video, CGP Grey presents the history of TEKOI, which used footage from the video above. Read the rest
"Is the government watching you through your computer camera? Does Google read all your Gmail? Does a strong password protect you from hackers? Will encryption keep my data safe?" Wired asked these questions to Eva Galperin, director of cybersecurity at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Read the rest
Even mild cases of Coronavirus can result in lasting cardiovascular damage, according to a study published this week in JAMA Cardiology.From The Week:But a recent study of 100 recovered coronavirus patients reveals 78 of them now have lasting cardiovascular damage even though a vast majority of them had mild cases of COVID-19 in the first place.The study published Monday in JAMA Cardiology details the results of cardiac MRI exams of 100 recovered coronavirus patients. Twenty-eight of them required oxygen supplementation while fighting the virus, while just two were on ventilators. Read the rest
Kinetic artist Joseph Herscher, maker of impractical and wonderful Rube Goldberg machines, created this delightful series of machine puzzles. I only got two correct! Read the rest
In the late 1950s, a truck carrying a cement mixer crashed on E300 Road between Talala and Winganon, Oklahoma. Apparently too heavy for anyone to deal with, the mixer sat for decades where it was occasionally graffitied or whimsically decorated. In 2011, artists Heather and Barry Thomas celebrated their wedding anniversary by transforming the drum mixer into a space capsule. It's now a popular roadside attraction for curious travelers, terrestrial or otherwise.Winganon Space Capsule (via MAKE) Read the rest
Learning to Cartoonize Using White-box Cartoon Representations, by Xinrui Wang and Jinze Yu at the University of Tokyo, describes an AI trained to turn photographs into paintings reminiscent of cartoon backdrops.Landscapes become beautiful Ghibli-esque backdrops...... whereas portraits become rotoscoped 1980s ads, Patrick Nagel by way of Ralph Bakshi...The AI presumably cares nothing for whatever constellation of references we might pose it under. More examples and inference code at the github repo.Here's a video of an early version of the code in action: Read the rest
On January 16, 1985, BBC One was playing a classic Star Trek rerun when something weird and wonderful occurred. They might call it a "Temporary Fault" but Sulu knows it as... paradise.(ObscureMedia, thanks UPSO!) Read the rest
Emily Groves' Mew is an interactive furry slab. When you approach it, it begins to purr. When you stroke it, the purring intensifies and miaowing commences. If you stroke it too hard, the miaowing becomes wailing and hissing.Mew was part of a collaborative sound object project between Design Products, Information Experience Design and Visual Communication students at the RCA, London. Sensors and sounds were programmed with Arduino and Max MSP. Read the rest
This video illustrates "spherical geometry", the peculiar phenomena observed when you simulate a world by raycasting within a spherical manifold instead of Euclidean space. Beyond a certain distance from the viewer, things start to appear larger the further away they are.A quick look at spherical geometry in 2 and 3 dimensions and why it looks so unusual. This is part 2 of my Hyperbolica Devlog series, and both geometries will be in the game. I promise I'll get to some actual game development stuff in the next video!VR in this is gonna make me hurl. Read the rest
As the Wear OS revolution chugs on, we can expect to see more diversity in smartwatch design, including more stylish and elegant models for business or a night out; as well as those better suited to the rough and tumble of sports and workouts.The TicWatch Sport Smartwatch definitely fits into the later category, engineered by maker Mobvai as a one-stop home fitness center on your wrist powered by the entire Google app ecosystem.Sporting a clean, simple design, the TicWatch S is packed with all the features an active user would need. Integrated with the extensive Google Fit app, users have full access to all of its features, from a distance tracker and step counter for measuring walks and runs to a heart rate monitor for registering your heart rate in real-time with a built-in PPG sensor and even the ability to get personalized coaching tips. Of course, it’s still a smartwatch so in addition to its workout aids, the TicWatch also handles all the standard wearable OS tasks, allowing Android users to make and receive calls, reply to messages, get news notifications and even stream music right from your wrist.A Google-enabled device, TicWatch also works hand in hand with Google Assistant, so you can ask a question, text or call, or use one of the thousands of Google-compatible apps, all with the sound of your voice.Built for an active lifestyle, the TicWatch is also more than at home outside, despite its award-winning design. As well as its sporty bezel display and breathable watch band, this model also has an integrated GPS antenna for more accurate tracking as well as IP67 water-resistance to keep up with you, even on rainy days. Read the rest
In this video, a stonecutter demonstrates a traditional method for splitting an enormous slab of rock. Holes are drilled down the length, expansion sheaths inserted, and metal wedges carefully hammered in until the cracks join to form a neat split down the entire length of the stone. After hours of careful work, now he has two problems.Dennis Carter, founder and owner of Deer Isle Hostel in Maine uses a 2-pound hammer to cut a 26,000 pound block of lovely Deer Isle granite into two equal parts. This is the first of many cuts. When finished, the resulting smaller blocks will be used to make the foundation of a workshop that he is building at the Hostel.Here's a less sedative illustration of the same method, using sledgehammers to get the job done quickly and wads of grass (!) instead of metal sheaths. Read the rest
A recent investigation from the Public Accountability Initiative, a nonprofit corporate and government accountability research institute, and its LittleSis database partners breaks down some of the ways that oil producers such as Chevron, Shell, and Wells Fargo are closely intertwined with police departments in cities like Seattle, Chicago, Washington, New Orleans and Salt Lake City. None of this is particularly surprising — whether you've been paying to environmental justice and its disproportionate impact on Black and Brown Americans, or you're just generally aware of corporations who like to bend the laws to their will and enforce a hierarchical structure on the communities around them — but it's still interesting to see spelled out so clearly:Marathon Petroleum, the nation’s largest oil refining company, has a history of environmental pollution that disproportionately impacts the health of Black and Brown communities where their refineries are based. Sine 2000 Marathon has been fined over $1.4 billion for various environmental, consumer, and workplace violations.The company operates 16 refineries around the country, including a notorious 250-acre refinery in a Detroit, Michigan community that is 71% Black. Since 2013 Marathon’s Detroit refinery has received 15 violations from the state environmental regulator for surpassing state and federal emissions limits. In 2019 the refinery leaked a “gasoil” mixture that created a toxic vapor cloud that sent workers to the hospital.Marathon’s Security Coordinator sits on the board of the Detroit Public Safety Foundation, the city’s police foundation. Marathon is also listed as a “Commanding Sponsor” of the foundation’s fundraising event “Above & Beyond” and a “Bronze Sponsor” of their “Women in Blue” event. Read the rest
Do masks work? Uncle Rob investigates by simulating coughs with aerosol starter fluid, mannequin heads and a propane torch.Disclaimer: Uncle Rob is a "professional" Don't be a moron.Looks like they work pretty good. Read the rest
As long as prisons exist, I've generally been a fan of the idea behind work release programs like the one in the Maine State Prison system, where incarcerated people learn skills like woodworking that will help them get jobs upon release. Or at least, it's the least worst work-related prison program I've come across. Most people who spend time in prison are usually driven there through a series of events complicated by poverty, so it makes sense to provide them with rehabilitative opportunities that they can keep them from experiencing the same depths of desperation after they've served their sentences.That being said, there is nothing practical about this:among the things we (the people of Massachusetts) make state prisoner-laborers produce in our depraved state prison labor system pic.twitter.com/jMx66uXRVF— Bill Humphrey (@BillHumphreyMA) July 19, 2020Bill Humphrey is a city councillor in Newton, Massachusetts, and also hosts a podcast called Arsenal for Democracy. He came across this jarring tidbit while researching for a recent podcast episode on prison labor.According to the Daily Hampshire Gazette:More than 500 people participate in MassCor [the Massachusetts Department of Corrections production company], and compensation ranges between $.85 and 1.45 an hour. Around the country, in 2017, wages for inmates in state-owned businesses like MassCor averaged between $.33 and $1.41 per hour, according to the Prison Policy Initiative, a research nonprofit based in Easthampton that focuses on mass incarceration and advocates for reform.I received a cutting board from the Maine State Prison Showroom as a wedding gift. Read the rest
This short documentary explains how St. Louis, Los Angeles, and every other major US city were segregated by design, via decades of federal, state, and local actions.Via the filmmakers:Prejudice can be birthed from a lack of understanding the historically accurate details of the past. Without being aware of the unconstitutional residential policies the United States government enacted during the middle of the twentieth century, one might have a negative view today of neighborhoods where African Americans live or even of African Americans themselves.We can compensate for this unlawful segregation through a national political consensus that leads to legislation. And this will only happen if the majority of Americans understand how we got here. Like Jay-Z said in a recent New York Times interview, “you can't have a solution until you start dealing with the problem: What you reveal, you heal.” This is the major challenge at hand: to educate fellow citizens of the unconstitutional inequality that we’ve woven and, on behalf of our government, accept responsibility to fix it.Learn more at segregatedbydesign.comImage: Vimeo / Silkworm Read the rest
Back in the old days of the 20th century, practicality was the biggest reason most people wore a watch. If you didn’t have a clock face right on your wrist, how else would you know the time?Of course, in the age of smartphones and even smartwatches, the time is available virtually everywhere at any time at a glance. So watchmakers today have steered sharply into the other reason people have always worn watches -- because they look cool as hell.Fashion-forward watches are the mission statement for Zinvo, a luxury watch producer dedicated to crafting striking design pieces that instantly catch the eye. And each member of the Zinvo Blade collection reaches that lofty goal in true attention-grabbing style.Zinvo Blade watches feature their distinctive dial design that incorporates a spinning titanium disk that replaces the traditional second hand. It actually looks like a working turbine engine -- or quite possibly, like a sci-fi time-travel device. Either way, it’s bound to attract stares.Despite their hard eye for fashion, Zinvo doesn’t scrimp on function either. Constructed with a 44mm gunmetal stainless steel case, resilient scratch proof sapphire crystal, water resistance to 330 feet and a genuine leather strap, the Blade watches are built to last.These self winding timepieces are designed to gain power from the natural movements of the wrist, making winding unnecessary. The mechanical movement core of the Blade is so reliable, it will even continue running and keeping perfect time for up to 42 hours when it's left stationary. Read the rest
Researchers compared the sprays of droplets we spew out of our mouths when wearing a one-layered cloth mask, two-layered cloth mask, surgical mask, and no mask at all -- while talking, coughing, and sneezing. Mashable sums up the findings succinctly:The study's big takeaways are:• When talking, wearing even a single-layer mask significantly limits the exhalation of droplets. • For coughing and sneezing, a double-layer mask is much more effective than a single-layer mask.• Generally, the more layers a mask has the better. The researchers suggest "at least three layers" and found surgical masks performed best in this study — though not everyone has access to these masks.For more details read the published results in Thorax. Read the rest
Marooned in Florida in 1528, four Spanish colonists made an extraordinary journey across the unexplored continent. Their experiences changed their conception of the New World and its people. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the remarkable odyssey of Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and his reformed perspective on the Spanish conquest.We'll also copy the Mona Lisa and puzzle over a deficient pinball machine.Show notesPlease support us on Patreon! Read the rest
Lasts week, we lost iconic avant-garde fashion designer, Kansai Yamamoto. Yamamoto is best known for this long-term collaboration with David Bowie, especially the costumes for the Martian rocker's Ziggy Stardust tour.On the Fashion United website, there's a piece about the 2018 Brooklyn Museum evening with Yamamoto, done in support of the David Bowie Is exhibit. Here, Yamamoto describes his collaboration with Bowie:“Unlike me, Bowie was quiet, shy, but on stage he flips a switch and becomes David Bowie,” says Yamamoto. “Me, I’m always that way.” But they shared a love of what the designer calls “radical appearance,” and when asked what they learned from each other, he replies that through Bowie he developed his understanding of Western dress while he helped Bowie interpret Eastern clothing. He agrees that he sees a direct line between what he created in the 70s for Bowie and the current conversation on gender and dress. “I approached Bowie’s clothes as if I was designing for a female,” he admits. “Notice there is no zipper in front.” But he feels proud seeing how the younger generation attending the “David Bowie Is” exhibit can express themselves when compared to the societal restrictions he encountered in Japan 50 years ago, as a self-taught, broke, designer launching his career at the age of 21. A photographer had snapped a picture of him walking along London’s Kings Road and it was featured on the cover of Life magazine. “I felt every day I was the model in a fashion show and everyone around me were members of the audience,” he says. Read the rest
Georgia Senator David Perdue claims his attack ad, in which the nose of Democratic Challenger John Ossoff is enlarged, was simply a graphic design error.Ossoff said the ad employed “the oldest, most obvious, least original anti-Semitic trope in history.”Senator David Perdue just ran an attack ad that artificially enlarged the nose of his Jewish opponent, Jon @Ossoff.The ad claims that “Democrats are trying to buy Georgia.”This is blatant antisemitism. It’s not an accident. It’s their platform.@Perduesenate, apologize now. pic.twitter.com/h0sOpllgHe— Bend the Arc: Jewish Action (@jewishaction) July 28, 2020From Huffington Post:Perdue’s campaign claimed that “in the graphic design process handled by an outside vendor, the photo was resized and a filter was applied, which appears to have caused an unintentional error that distorted the image.”“Obviously, this was accidental, but to ensure there is absolutely no confusion, we have immediately removed the image from Facebook,” a spokesperson said in a statement sent to multiple media outlets. Perdue himself hadn’t seen the ad before it was released, they said.“Anybody who implies that this was anything other than an inadvertent error is intentionally misrepresenting Senator Perdue’s strong and consistent record of standing firmly against anti-Semitism and all forms of hate,” they added.Ossoff wasn’t buying the explanation, however.“Senator, literally no one believes your excuses,” he tweeted Monday.Image: Senator David Perdue. A filter was applied, which appears to have caused an unintentional error that distorted the image. Read the rest
Last year, Leonardo was on offer. Today, it's Raphael, his dead glass eyes staring bleakly from his rotting latex form. The bidding estimate starts at $3,000.This costume includes a zip-up green turtle bodysuit constructed of foam latex cast elements over a Spandex base affixed with dense-foam chest and shell elements, leather knee and elbow pads, and a leather sheath for Raphael's signature sai. The removable head features foam latex skin with cast resin teeth, urethane eyes, a red fabric eye mask, internal padding, and a zipper closure.The costume is in fragile and fair to poor overall condition. It exhibits significant breakdown to its foam latex elements from age and may require restoration to preserve it from further deterioration.As with Leonardo, I have created a nice video (embedded above) of this decaying latex fursuit accompanied by the TMNT theme tune, respectfully slowed in solemn remembrance. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle suit from 1993 movie hits the auction block Read the rest
“Many powerful companies that drive environmental injustice are also backers of the same police departments that tyrannize the very communities these corporate actors pollute,” write the authors of a newly released investigation by the Public Accountability Initiative. The report is titled "Fossil Fuel Industry Pollutes Black & Brown Communities While Propping Up Racist Policing" and it's a damning indictment of corporate giants who protect their astronomical wealth by exploiting the vulnerable.From the report:Shell, one of the biggest fossil fuel companies in the world and a major global emitter of carbon pollution. It is building a huge ethane cracker plant near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that some feel could start to turn Appalachia into the next “Cancer Alley” – the nickname for the New Orleans-to-Baton Rouge corridor of Louisiana refineries, where Shell is also a major polluter. Cancer Alley runs through several Black communities that face extremely high rates of pollution and cancer – largely believed to be caused by refining and petrochemical operations. Shell is a “Featured Partner” of the New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation and a sponsor of the Houston Police Department’s Mounted Patrol.Entergy is a publicly-traded, Fortune 500 company headquartered in Louisiana that also services parts of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas. Entergy is arguably the most powerful corporate force in Louisiana, with presences on prominent chambers, business associations, philanthropic organizations, and even charter school advocacy groups across the state. Entergy is a “Featured Partner” of the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation with top billing on the foundation’s sponsors page. Read the rest
More than 30 years ago, Mauro Morandi was attempting to sail from Italy to Polynesia when he ended up on Budelli, a small private island off Sardinia. Morandi, now 81, never left and eventually became the island's official caretaker. Above is a Great Big Story about Morandi from two years ago. Soon though, Morandi may get the boot. La Maddalena's National Park, owner of the island since 2015, plans to renovate Morandi's shack into an environmental observatory. From CNN:"Our priority is to intervene against all illegal constructions inside the park, including Mauro's hut, a former World War II radio station which has undergone modifications which aren't in accordance with the rules. We need to set the example, protect our environment by first restoring this illegal structure ,and then move on with a new project which will likely be a scientific center for the spreading of environmental awareness," La Maddalena Park president Fabrizio Fonnesu tells CNN in Italian.[...]"Nobody wants to chase him away, but what title does he have to stay since the island is no longer private?," says Fonnesu. "If in future there is the need to have a caretaker, we could reconsider his position, but when the works will start he must leave." [...]Morandi, meanwhile, says that although the mere thought of leaving hurts him, he's more worried about the fate of the "pink atoll," so-called because of the rosy hue of its unique coral sand beach."Just the other day I chased away two tourists who were trespassing on the off-limits pink beach," he says. Read the rest
While most businesses suffer through the pandemic, Wham-O is raking in the sales with Slip 'N Slide. Even three months ago, "the company enjoyed 10 consecutive days in late April where sales doubled each day," says TMZ. Now the water toy, which made its debut in 1961, is out of stock. And it's not just Slip 'N Slide that is keeping Wham-O fat. Frisbee sales are up 500%, according to TMZ, and Boogie Boards are up 300%. Wham-O's timeless toys, which also include Super Ball, the Hula hoop, and Hacky sack, are perfect for bored kids during long hot stay-at-home days, so it makes sense that they were first created by, well, "bored kids on a hot day." Here's the Slip N Slide origin story, posted by Andrea a few weeks ago. Read the rest
The president of the United States, folks.So disgusting to watch Twitter’s so-called “Trending”, where sooo many trends are about me, and never a good one. They look for anything they can find, make it as bad as possible, and blow it up, trying to make it trend. Really ridiculous, illegal, and, of course, very unfair!Here's the original.So disgusting to watch Twitter’s so-called “Trending”, where sooo many trends are about me, and never a good one. They look for anything they can find, make it as bad as possible, and blow it up, trying to make it trend. Really ridiculous, illegal, and, of course, very unfair!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 27, 2020 Read the rest
“Texas is investigating Facebook for possibly running afoul of state laws on the collection of biometric data, according to June documents uncovered by a tech watchdog group,” reports Ashley Gold at Axios.And the attorney general of Texas may just be on to something.Facebook users in Illinois recently secured a major settlement over the issue of biometric data collection.Excerpt:The Texas AG is investigating Facebook for possibly violating its Texas Deceptive Trade Practices — Consumer Protection Act by improperly collecting biometric identifiers, according to the documents, obtained by the Tech Transparency Project through a public records request and shared with Axios Monday. The documents show the Texas AG issuing a civil investigative demand to Facebook, asking for many pages of information related to Patel v. Facebook, the case that led to the settlement in Illinois in February, when Facebook agreed to pay $550 million (recently bumped to $650 million).Between the lines: The latest documents don't make clear exactly what the Texas AG's office is looking into, but the Illinois case centered on Facebook's use of facial recognition tech to identify people in photos uploaded to the platform and suggest tagging them. That violated Illinois law on biometric privacy, argued the plaintiffs in the case. The settlement still has to be approved by the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of California.Where it stands: The documents Texas is seeking include discovery materials, responses to requests for interrogatories, the identity of experts retained by Facebook in the matter, unredacted transcripts of depositions, and a copy of all motions and pleadings. Read the rest
In an attack on the New York Times' 1619 project tracing slavery in America to its origins, Republican senator Tom Cotton described it as “the necessary evil upon which the union was built”. “We have to study the history of slavery and its role and impact on the development of our country because otherwise we can’t understand our country. As the Founding Fathers said, it was the necessary evil upon which the union was built, but the union was built in a way, as Lincoln said, to put slavery on the course to its ultimate extinction.” Cotton write.Nikole Hannah-Jones, who was awarded this year’s Pulitzer Prize for commentary for her introductory essay to the 1619 Project, said ... “If chattel slavery – heritable, generational, permanent, race-based slavery where it was legal to rape, torture, and sell human beings for profit – were a ‘necessary evil’ as Tom Cotton says, it’s hard to imagine what cannot be justified if it is a means to an end.Cotton concedes a claim, often denied by conservatives, that slavery was central to the founding of the American republic. That said, Cotton now insists he was merely attributing the remark to the Founding Founders.The text of his editorial, however, plainly poses him in agreement: "As the Founding Fathers said, it was the necessary evil." Cotton attempted a similar "clarification" after his "Send in the Troops" op-ed was interpreted as a call for a general crackdown on rowdy protestors. Once again, he set out to sound like a no-nonsense strongman of the right, poured cement around his own feet, didn't like how fast it set, and ended up bleating about "fake news" on Twitter. Read the rest
Several US state departments of agriculture report that people are receiving unsolicited packets of seeds in the mail, apparently from China. Don't plant them, the officials warn. From USA Today:The agriculture departments in Washington, Louisiana, Kansas and Virginia have recently issued statements warning residents that the seeds may be invasive or otherwise harmful to local plants or livestock. People in Utah, Arizona and Ohio have also reported receiving the mysterious packages, local news outlets reported.Some of the packages were labeled as jewelry and may have Chinese writing on them, according to agriculture officials[...]Police in Whitehouse, Ohio, said the seeds appear to be connected to an online scam and are not "directly dangerous." “A brushing scam is an exploit by a vendor used to bolster product ratings and increase visibility online by shipping an inexpensive product to an unwitting receiver and then submitting positive reviews on the receiver’s behalf under the guise of a verified owner," the department said in a statement. Read the rest
High-speed cinematographer Darren Dyk turns his lens on a solitary kernel of popcorn to impressive effect. Bonus pareidolic creature in profile opening its mouth at 1:32. Read the rest
In 1991, scientists discovered a strange form of fungi growing at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The organisms seem to feed on radiation, converting gamma rays into energy for growth. Now, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Stanford University are exploring whether these "radiotrophic fungi" could protect astronauts living on the Moon or Mars. A big benefit is that the fungus self-replicate so the material could be grown upon arrival rather than having to be carried into space from Earth. Experiments conducted on the International Space Station suggest that growing a layer of fungus on top of Mars rock could result in a sufficient shield for people stationed on the Red Planet. From their technical paper in bioRxiv:In search of innovative radiation-shields, biotechnology holds unique advantages such as suitability for in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), self-regeneration, and adaptability. Certain fungi thrive in high-radiation environments on Earth, such as the contamination radius of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Analogous to photosynthesis, these organisms appear to perform radiosynthesis, using pigments known as melanin to convert gamma-radiation into chemical energy. It is hypothesized that these organisms can be employed as a radiation shield to protect other lifeforms.[...]Estimations based on linear attenuation coefficients indicated that a ~ 21 cm thick layer of this fungus could largely negate the annual dose-equivalent of the radiation environment on the surface of Mars, whereas only ~ 9 cm would be required with an equimolar mixture of melanin and Martian regolith. Compatible with ISRU (in-situ resource utilization), such composites are promising as a means to increase radiation shielding while reducing overall up-mass, as is compulsory for future Mars-missions. Read the rest
The price of gold is at an all-time high, fueled by the unchecked spread of Covid-19 in the U.S. and deepening tensions at home and abroad.In the morning of Asian trading hours on Monday, spot gold traded at about $1,931.11 per ounce after earlier trading as high as $1,943.9275 per ounce. Those levels eclipsed the previous record high price set in September 2011.In a note circulated before the new highs, Commonwealth Bank of Australia’s Vivek Dhar said the fall in U.S. 10-year real yields has been the “most important driver.” Meanwhile, Johan Jooste of The Global CIO Office told CNBC’s “Street Signs” on Monday that there’s a “horrible feeling of chasing it a bit after the fact” if investors enter the gold market now.Gold doesn't pay dividends or bear interest, but interest rates are near zero and the economy is in ruins, so... Go Go Gadget Gold. Prices are up 28%. CNN posted this chart, drawn by Julia Horowitz:Also alarming is President Trump's coy disinclination to leave office as November's general election approaches. Read the rest
According to the Lobster Institute at the University of Maine, there's a one in 2 million chance of catching a blue lobster. The very rare crustaceans have a genetic defect that causes the unusual tint. In Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Red Lobster employees noticed a blue lobster in their daily delivery and contacted the Akron Zoo. They named it Clawde after the restaurant mascot. From the Akron Beacon Journal:Zoo spokeswoman Elena Bell said a conservation partnership called Seafood Watch run by the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California helped to coordinate the donation of the rare American lobster.The lobster has been put into isolation in a so-called Man Cave tank at the zoo before it can join its new friends who call the Komodo Kingdom building home.(Thanks, Charles Pescovitz!) Read the rest
Utopia was a short-lived BBC black comedy/thriller series about a few fans of a cult graphic novel, whose search for original manuscript pages brings them into the orbit of a massive conspiracy that involves unleashing a man-made "Russian Flu" pandemic to cull the population and carefully cultivate human eugenics. With just 12 episodes spread across two seasons, it's succinct and consistently exciting, with stunningly gorgeous cinematography.So naturally, Amazon Prime is making an Americanized adaptation of it, during a pandemic when conspiracism has reached fever heights. Gone Girl writer Gillian Flynn is a co-writer and executive producer on the new series, which, judging by this new comic-con trailer, looks fine. I'll watch it. And then I'll probably go back and re-binge the original again.There's no release date yet, but here's the official synopsis:‘Utopia’ centers on a group of comic fans who meet online and bond over their obsession of a seemingly fictional comic called ‘Utopia.’ Together, Ian (Dan Byrd), Becky (Ashleigh LaThrop), Samantha (Jessica Rothe), Wilson Wilson (Desmin Borges), and Grant (Javon “Wanna” Walton) unearth hidden meanings cloaked within the pages of ‘Utopia,’ predicting threats to humanity. They realize these are not just the makings of a conspiracy; they are very real dangers coming alive right now in their world. Read the rest
Comic legend George Carlin died in 2008 but his 2005 stand-up bit/rant "The American Dream" has been made even more poignant than ever in "America Wake Up." Portland-based Pattern Integrity Films are behind the powerful new short that uses modern footage to illustrate Carlin's timeless message. Read the rest
Flipping through the pages of Los Angeles magazine this morning I came across this advertisement with a photo of a woman in an empty field, transfixed by a slot machine. The advertising copy reads "Welcome to Freedom."If I saw this in a dystopian science fiction movie I would think it was too over-the-top. Read the rest
@jslade88 Deleted but here is the OG video all over the news...#americanairlineskaren #fyp #foryou #karen #dailymail ♬ original sound - jslade88 American Airlines mandates that all passengers wear masks during the coronavirus pandemic, but this lady wasn't having any of it. Unfortunately for her, the passengers weren't having any of that, and she was asked to deboard the flight. She took her time about it, leading to a ripple of applause when she finally began hauling her bags down the aisle. NY Post:“You can clap all you want!” the woman snaps back angrily.In the background, two masked American Airlines employees can be seen waiting to escort her off the aircraft.Along with refusing to wear a mask — which is required for all adults on American Airlines flights amid the worldwide coronavirus pandemic — Slade said the woman demanded to be boarded first and caused other problems.“She was argumentative from the gate,” Slade told the outlet. “She demanded to be boarded first and was causing an obvious scene. Once boarded, she was making phone calls and arguing with the attendant when asked to put her phone away.” Read the rest
Even as something of a Beatlephile, I learned a few things reading this Rolling Stone article from 2018 about The Beatles' most "open-hearted masterpiece," Hey Jude.Cynthia and Julian thought “Hey Jude” was for them. John heard it as the ballad of John and Yoko. But neither side was wrong — countless people around the world have heard this homily speaking to them. “The movement you need is on your shoulder” — John was so right about that line, and as Paul says, he thinks of John every time he sings that part. “Hey Jude” is a tribute to everything the Beatles loved and respected most about each other. Even George, who plays the most low-profile role in this song, tipped his cap with the na-na-na-na finale of “Isn’t That a Pity,” which you can hear as a viciously cheeky parody, an affectionate tribute or (most likely) both. The pain in “Hey Jude” resonated in 1968, in a world reeling from wars, riots and assassinations. And it’s why it sounds timely as our world keeps getting colder. After more than 50 years, “Hey Jude” remains a source of sustenance in difficult times — a moment when four longtime comrades, clear-eyed adults by now, take a look around at everything that’s broken around them. Yet they still join together to take a sad song and make it better.Image: YouTube Read the rest
From The Verge:President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign is reportedly fighting cellphone carriers over the right to send Americans unsolicited texts. According to Business Insider, the campaign’s lawyers are in active talks with phone companies after a third-party screening tool blocked Trump texts in early July. The campaign alleges that screening the texts amounts to suppressing political speech, while carriers fear allowing them will result in fines for violating anti-spam rules.The 2020 election has brought a wave of text messages from across the political spectrum, particularly with the pandemic limiting in-person outreach. Many users didn’t opt in to these missives, and it’s unclear whether they violate federal laws meant to curb unwanted texts. The Trump administration, meanwhile, has imposed steeper fines for spammy and illegal robocalls. That’s reportedly put carriers on edge despite Trump’s campaign contending it’s not illegally automating texts.Naturally, this whole screw-up is being blamed on Jared Kushner, who's supposed to be mediating the campaign's (and/or the President's?) relationships with the major telecom companies.Trump reportedly clashes with AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile over spam texts [Adi Robertson / The Verge]Image: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons Read the rest
When I'm not writing here on BoingBoing (or anywhere else, for that matter), I also play guitar and sing in a rock band called The Roland High Life. Today we announced our new record, Songs About Comic Books and Mid-30s Malaise, and released the first single, which is kind of a Cars / Green Day mashup about ADHD and Hawkeye from the Avengers called "My Life as a Weapon."I'm pretty proud of the work we did on this, considering that we wrote, engineered, and recorded it all by ourselves in our moms' basements (in fitting with the album theme) over just 2 weekends.You can watch the lyric video above, or listen to it on your preferred music service."Songs About Comic Books and Mid-30s Malaise" by the Roland High LifeImage: Pat Loika / Flickr (CC 2.0) Read the rest