The ancient code holding the world together may meet its match in AI. Today is not that day.
Alongside laying off 1,000 employees, Netflix has fired the heads of its film and content divisions this month. We’ve already explained the company can’t fire its way out of a slump that’s now hitting its engagement metrics, but Bloomberg recounts just why co-CEO Ted Sarandos thinks otherwise, and how he got here in the first place.
It was supposed to be a “full-length movie,” but whatever — Elon Musk’s version of Homer’s epic poem has now arrived to take on Christopher Nolan. Just ignore the inconsistency of the character’s faces, historically inaccurate armor, non-functional shield wall, etc…
Searching for the ‘silent majority’ of supporters for Flock’s surveillance technology in one West Virginia town.
Dazzle analyzes photos to answer questions and perform tasks. It launched last month, and is designed to be “more approachable.” than other AI tools. The former Yahoo CEO believes it might be a hit with women, who “tend to take more photos and are more visual.”
[The New York Times]
Developer Charlie Gerard has released a fun Chrome extension that makes digital plants grow over your tabs when you’re not actively looking at them, at a timescale of your choosing. Once a page is more than 5 percent overgrown, you can’t click, select, or drag anything until you clear the vines.
Nobody was riding a horse alongside a steam engine and firing a six-shooter, but odd to think that train robberies are still a serious problem in the 21st century. In this case, the thieves tried to make off with tens of thousands of dollars in collectible Hot Wheels. Because why rob a bank when eBay is safer?
Walker’s 2006 album is unsettling, bizarre, and the perfect way to kill a party.
Instagram was one of the apps touted as being “Made for iPhone Duo.” The Verge’s Nilay Patel has already pointed out that it’s a bit broken, and now Instagram’s head has replied to a user on Threads, saying that he agrees the app needs a rethink on the wider screen.
Want a recap of all the abuses of Flock? A look at its failures to properly secure its system? An examination of its efficacy? Well, it’s all here, along with possible solutions to the problems of warrantless AI surveillance — including a prototype secure dumb camera.
Let’s travel back to when memes were new, anyone could get their 15 minutes with a silly dance, and the amount of data tech companies collected about you was slightly less creepy. Mozilla reunited some of the biggest names in late ‘aughts memedom for its “come back to Firefox” campaign.
Publishers spent years figuring out how to get clicks on Google. But new AI search features have torn that ecosystem apart.
The so-called “Father of the PlayStation” told VGC that while he understands why users are upset about Sony phasing out game discs, he thinks it’s the right decision. But I’m also not sure he understands what a “metaphor” is.
“I understand that physical discs have become a metaphor for ‘owning’ games. I really understand that mentality… But nobody thinks [physical media] is necessary for a networked device like a smartphone, for example, because people feel that they will keep their content. So it’s a mentality.
“I really understand [why some people are upset], but I don’t think it’s economically reasonable. Maybe it’s a mentality issue.”
Hopefully you don’t need it already. But just in case, here’s a link to the official iPhone Duo repair manual. But you know, maybe try not to break your new $2,000 foldable phone in the first place.
[Apple Support]
The Ukrainian president posted on X that the services have been “restored to the speeds we had before the restrictions.” Reuters reports that the defense ministry said the connection remained stable at over 400 kph, crucial for countering Russian drones.
Some Kind of Animal, the latest record from Fielded, jumps from slinky R&B, to neo-soul, to industrial funk.
Not that I believe for a second that Apple will actually make a 2-in-1 convertible.
Foldables are fragile beasts. And it turns out the iPhone Duo is no different. The matte internal screen scratches just like all the rest. But the real death knell for Apple’s device is a handful of dirt that works its way into the hinge and keeps the phone from closing ever again.
How the stop-motion animation studio blends traditional techniques with modern tech.
Axios has the story. The company, Sundial, was founded by two former Meta employees, and they and others from Sundial will join Meta. One of the co-founders, Chandra Narayanan, will lead Meta’s “data analytics tooling and agents work,” according to Alex Shultz, Meta’s chief data officer.
About a year after Valve introduced the feature, which recommends new and upcoming games you might be interested in and even shows some on an actual calendar, it’s now considered a “full feature” of the Steam Store, Valve says.
My personal calendar page has me pretty dead to rights; among other games, it recommends Final Fantasy Resonance, Star Wars: Galactic Racer, both of which I reviewed and really liked, and some indie games I already had my eye on.
[Steam News]
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and team countered by asking for $800 million, and Netflix has pulled its offer, Puck reports in an article discussing the new leadership at Netflix.
Xbox launched an “XP” division this month that will work on adaptations of its games, and Xbox is already working with Netflix on a Diablo animated series.
Blackburn (R-TN) said the updated terms “indicate Meta is attempting to exploit American creators and businesses by granting itself sweeping authority to scrape content from any website associated with Facebook and Instagram business accounts,” according to Reuters.
Following publisher pushback, Meta delayed the enforcement of these new policies until November 20th.
