The Arbitrage Life: Help Wanted: Rat Czar
Published on 12/09/2022Hate rats? Are you a “somewhat bloodthirsty” New Yorker with excellent communication skills and “a general aura of badassery”? Then you might have what it takes to be the city’s new rat czar.
Facebook Oversight: VIPs Slipped Through
Published on 12/08/2022Facebook parent Meta’s quasi-independent oversight board said Tuesday that an internal system that exempted high-profile users, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, from some or all of its content moderation rules needs a major overhaul.
Game Prices are Too Dang High... or Are They?
Published on 12/08/2022Microsoft has become the latest big-name publisher to jump to a $70 asking price for the launch of big-budget games. The company said in a statement to IGN that the new pricing will start in 2023 for games built for the Xbox Series X/S and will include titles like Starfield, Redfall, and the next Forza Motorsport.
We Just Want to Sleep
Published on 12/07/2022Move over melatonin, there may be something out there better than you that won’t result in melatonin poisoning (or something similar).
Johnny 5 Is Alive... And Packing in San Francisco
Published on 12/06/2022The unabashedly liberal city of San Francisco became the unlikely proponent of weaponized police robots last week after supervisors approved limited use of the remote-controlled devices, addressing head-on an evolving technology that has become more widely available even if it is rarely deployed to confront suspects.
ICYMI: Therapy Dogs in Ukraine
Published on 12/06/2022Located in Boyarka, a suburb around 20 kilometers (12 miles) southwest of Kyiv, the canine therapy center was established in 2000 as part of an effort to give psychological support to people affected, directly or indirectly, by the explosion at the nuclear plant in Chernobyl in 1986. Now they focus on the victims of war.
Return the Slab
Published on 12/05/2022Return the slab… or suffer the curse… is probably what the Egyptian people want to tell the British Museum.
Chief Twit Finds Content Moderation isn't Simple
Published on 12/05/2022Since the world’s richest man paid $44 billion for Twitter, the platform has struggled to define its rules for misinformation and hate speech, issued conflicting and contradictory announcements, and failed to full address what researchers say is a troubling rise in hate speech.
Frankly My Dear, US Salmon Won't Have a Dam
Published on 12/04/20222023 is looking like without changes we aren’t having shellfish or certain species of tasty fish. Lucky for you, if you like salmon the US has decided to do something about it.
Maybe Plan Bee Isn't the Best Option
Published on 12/03/2022Walmart seems to be developing drone bees, which unlike China’s surveillance robot pigeons, will serve an environmental purpose. Maybe.
The Arbitrage Life: No Monkey Business, Just Monkey Food
Published on 12/01/2022A meal fit for monkeys was served on Sunday at the annual Monkey Feast Festival in central Thailand.
Netflix DVD is Still a Thing!
Published on 11/29/2022Netflix’s trailblazing DVD-by-mail rental service has been relegated as a relic in the age of video streaming, but there is still a steady - albeit shrinking - audience of diehards.