Below are posts associated with the “link” type.
🔗 linkblog: Researcher Hacks Into Backend for Network of Smart Jacuzzis'
Yet another example of why I’m wary of smart devices.
🔗 linkblog: Texas GOP's new platform says Biden didn't really win the 2020 election : NPR'
I get that some of this is bluster and posturing, but that doesn’t make it any less worrying. This is the same state GOP that leaned into Gab a year or two ago.
🔗 linkblog: There's a legal battle over burkinis in France : NPR'
I have never understood the panic about burkinis. It’s one of many examples where French laïcité goes further than appropriate and desirable secularism.
🔗 linkblog: Kentucky court delves into use of cell phones for tracking | AP News'
Good for the court, though the narrow majority is disappointing.
🔗 linkblog: Amid Jan. 6 Revelations, Election Lies Still Dominate the G.O.P. - The New York Times'
This is more worrying to me—and more damning for the GOP—than anything that happened on January 6th.
🔗 linkblog: 4 takeaways from the third Jan. 6 hearing : NPR'
Pence deserves credit for the steps he took on January 6th, but I agree that he has responsibilities to do more right now.
🔗 linkblog: Trump Attorney Eastman Admitted His Jan. 6 Plot Was Illegal—and Asked for a Pardon'
All of this is worrying, but not as worrying as the possibility that it won’t make a difference in the minds of people who should be outraged.
🔗 linkblog: Diverse and inclusive stock photos for your next presentation, learning design, etc – George Veletsianos, PhD'
Really appreciated George’s post here. Looking forward to trying these out in future slide decks.
🔗 linkblog: $1-2 Billion In Streaming Ads A Year Aren’t Being Watched Because The TV Is Off | Techdirt'
I mean, there’s still plenty to be worried about when it comes to targeted advertising and smart TVs, but this is a good reminder to take a step back.
🔗 linkblog: What the Latter-day Saint hymn ‘Love at Home’ has to do with blackface'
So, so many wild things in this article. I grew up loving this hymn and had no idea it had roots in blackface minstrelsy. Hope the Church will take it out of its next hymnbook, but I’m not holding my breath. The real kicker is Brigham Young’s concern about blackface—not because it’s racist but because it’s degrading to white people.
🔗 linkblog: This PC orchestra, built from 512 floppy disk drives, is wondrous to hear and behold - The Verge'
I remember the first Floppotron, and 3.0 continues to be delightful. I may have to show this in class next year.
🔗 linkblog: Facebook Says Apple is Too Powerful. They're Right. | Electronic Frontier Foundation'
Doctorow is spot on here. Apple may be the most benevolent of the big tech companies, but it still has far too much power over its users.
🔗 linkblog: A far-right plan to riot near an Idaho LGBTQ event heightens safety concerns at Pride : NPR'
Given the aggressively queerphobic language I’ve read on Gab, events like this are worrying but not surprising. More worrying is the way that this queerphobic language is increasingly used in the mainstream GOP. How do Republican politicians and voters feel about these events?
🔗 linkblog: Senator Declares Amazon Ring's Audio Surveillance Capabilities 'Threaten the Public' | Electronic Frontier Foundation'
I’ve been plenty spooked by Ring’s video capabilities, but apparently I haven’t been worried enough about its audio surveillance.
🔗 linkblog: EFF’s Flagship Jewel v. NSA Dragnet Spying Case Rejected by the Supreme Court | Electronic Frontier Foundation'
Disappointing news, but glad for the fight that the EFF and others are waging.
🔗 linkblog: How the Federal Government Buys Our Cell Phone Location Data | Electronic Frontier Foundation'
The only thing worse than the already-bad reality of powerful, private data brokers is public agencies buying what they have to sell.
🔗 linkblog: Trump’s ‘Free Speech’ Social Network, Truth Social, Is Banning People For Truthing The Truth About January 6 Hearings | Techdirt'
This is a peak example of what performative concerns about “free speech” boil down to.
🔗 linkblog: Big Tech Has Spent $36 Million on Ads to Torpedo Antitrust Bill - WSJ'
I haven’t read much about this bill, but it’s worrying that powerful entities have such an advantage in the debate about limiting their power.
🔗 linkblog: Telecom Lobbyists Are About To Scuttle The Nomination Of A Popular Reformer To The FCC And Nobody Much Seems To Care | Techdirt'
Depressing read, though I’ll freely admit I haven’t been paying enough attention here myself.
🔗 linkblog: The linguistics search engine that overturned the federal mask mandate - The Verge'
Very, very interesting read on how the purported objectivity of big data is influencing how (conservative) judges use corpus linguistics.
🔗 linkblog: Ted Lasso season 3 might be the show’s final one - The Verge'
I hope it will be the last. End it while it’s still good.
🔗 linkblog: Elon Musk Threatens to End Twitter Deal Without Information on Spam Accounts - The New York Times'
What a mess. Glad to be pivoting toward my blog and Mastodon.
🔗 linkblog: Axon Halts Plans to Sell Flying Taser Drones to Schools'
What’s the point in having an ethics board if you’re going to so flagrantly ignore them? Good on members for responding with resignations, and thank goodness Axon woke up to how dunb their decision was.