Algonauts: Experimental artist Shardcore uses machine learning to generate “Algonauts” – uncanny, fake Peanuts panels – Cory Doctorow
That’s the art of the deal, people! Trump paid $7.3 million for covid “test tubes” that turned out to be contaminated miniature soda bottles – Cory Doctorow
Avia, c’est mort: French courts struck down a law that would have required the Internet Archive to remove 15 million documents, including a repository of Grateful Dead music, for violating anti-terrorism rules – Cory Doctorow.
Keep on truckin', you French courts you.
Austerity in disrepute – Cory Doctorow: 75% of Americans favor maintaining or expanding extended unemployment benefits from pandemic stimulus bills. The extensions are popular even among Republican voters.
But GOP politicians intend to terminate the payments, and they’ve been clear about why: poor people won’t risk death or permanent disability in order to serve cocktails or give manicures unless the alternative is homelessness and starvation.
Cory Doctorow: Microsoft criticizes Apple’s monopolism – and Microsoft oughta know about monopolies!
But companies that try to sic antitrust regulators against competitors need to watch out, because that kind of thing bites back.
Thousands of tampons! The Hugo Girls discuss Mary Robinette Kowal’s Hugo award winning novel, “The Calculating Stars,” which is, they say, basically Mrs. Maisel in space. They also discuss women’s body hair. And also feminism and sexism and stuff.
Today, Explained: A good day for DREAMers: The Supreme Court’s decision upholding DACA was a wonderful surprise, but Trump can strike down DACA again in literally a few hours. The Supreme Court didn’t rule on the specifics of DACA; it just said Trump didn’t file the right paperwork. Transcript
Still, it’s a good day for for DREAMers, who can breathe a little easier. And also a good day for all Americans with empathy for their fellow human beings. And now we all get to enjoy a little more the contributions that DREAMers make to society.
Ice skating in a suit. 1930s via
Medical supply company threatens to sue to stop iFixit from distributing repair manuals
When a once-in-a-century public health emergency strikes, some people leap to help. Others leap to sue.
Ifixit published maintenance manuals for medical equipment. Steris Corporation threatened to sue them for it.
Steris, makes sterilizer equipment, is behaving obscenely. This is why we need “right to repair” laws – you have a moral right to do whatever you want with your own property. In this case, that right is literally a matter of life and death.
The EU has an opportunity to break Big Tech's monopolies by requiring interoperability
This is the EU’s interoperability moment – Cory Doctorow
It should be legal for you to buy a third-party service to manage your Facebook feed.
Oracle: How sports teams are keeping fans engaged during the pandemic shutdown: Money quote: “Sports fans are committed and involved. They are the only customers I know who are willing to have their favorite team logo tattooed on their bodies.”
How to stop Google Calendar from automatically including Google Meet links in meeting invitations.
Zoom: Disable Google Hangout on Google Calendar
This has been a stone in my shoe for years; now that I’m sending out meeting invitations more frequently, it’s become a real problem.
The article refers to “Google Hangout,” which is what “Google Meet” was called recently.
Television promo photo 1970 in Hungary via
Welcome to the future, brought to you by America’s Independent Electric Light and Power Companies, advertising art from Newsweek, April 1959. via
Cory Doctorow: “Hue and cry, posses, sheriffs: What did we do before cops?” Professional policing is a relatively recent invention, and one whose time has gone.