Notices by Dwight Silverman (dsilverman@mastodon.social)

@WarnerCrocker "Eventually? Why not now!?"

Seems to me the whole point of "Jurassic Park" is that we shouldn't make "Jurassic Park" happen.

Texas company raises $200 million to make Jurassic Park happen

https://www.chron.com/life/wildlife/article/colossal-biosciences-mammoth-20038093.php

@WarnerCrocker The whole point of confirmation hearings is to see how a nominee would do in a ... checks notes ... hypothetical situation. To answer that way should get a swift rebuke: "The reason we are here is to ascertain the hypotheticals and how you'd respond to them. To refuse to answer is evasive at least, and certainly disqualifying."

@WarnerCrocker I know what you mean. All iteration, little innovation. But still: an iPhone toaster! 😮

I haven't attended CES in years (and thank you, Lord!) but I still keep track of what's intro'ed there. Here are a few items that caught my eye in this week's coverage. I REALLY want the iPhone battery toaster, even though I have zero need for it!

Gift link:
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/tech/article/ces-ai-new-consumer-technology-20018964.php?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=copy-url-link&utm_campaign=article-share&hash=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaG91c3RvbmNocm9uaWNsZS5jb20vYnVzaW5lc3MvdGVjaC9hcnRpY2xlL2Nlcy1haS1uZXctY29uc3VtZXItdGVjaG5vbG9neS0yMDAxODk2NC5waHA%3D&time=MTczNjYwODAwMTUwMA%3D%3D&rid=YmE1NjU5MDMtMDM4OS00MDYwLWE1YzItNTYwNzYwZDQ2NDc5&sharecount=Ng%3D%3D

Gentrified Doom remake trades chainsaw for cheese knife - Ars Technica

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/01/doom-marine-crashes-art-gallery-politely-sips-wine/

Annoyed by AI overviews topping Google search results pages? While I think of AI as just another tool in my search arsenal - always verify! - some folks have a viscerally negative reaction to anything AI. Here are some ways to avoid AI-based results.

Gift link.
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/tech/article/google-ai-alternative-search-engines-20011767.php?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=copy-url-link&utm_campaign=article-share&hash=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaG91c3RvbmNocm9uaWNsZS5jb20vYnVzaW5lc3MvdGVjaC9hcnRpY2xlL2dvb2dsZS1haS1hbHRlcm5hdGl2ZS1zZWFyY2gtZW5naW5lcy0yMDAxMTc2Ny5waHA%3D&time=MTczNTk5NzY4NjIyOA%3D%3D&rid=YmE1NjU5MDMtMDM4OS00MDYwLWE1YzItNTYwNzYwZDQ2NDc5&sharecount=NA%3D%3D

WordPress Developer Publishes Code To Block Mullenweg's Web Hosting Clients

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/wordpress-developer-publishes-code-to-block-mullenwegs-web-hosting-clients/536427/

An error-filled meme floating around social media earlier this month warned that Apple Intelligence can read messages in the privacy-focused Signal app, and offered tips on preventing it. But the settings offered have nothing to do with Apple Intelligence. And while the issue is overblown, I've got the settings that will really do the trick.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/tech/article/apple-ai-privacy-messages-19986208.php?utm_source=marketing&utm_medium=copy-url-link&utm_campaign=article-share&hash=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuaG91c3RvbmNocm9uaWNsZS5jb20vYnVzaW5lc3MvdGVjaC9hcnRpY2xlL2FwcGxlLWFpLXByaXZhY3ktbWVzc2FnZXMtMTk5ODYyMDgucGhw&time=MTczNDc4OTAyNjYzOQ%3D%3D&rid=YmE1NjU5MDMtMDM4OS00MDYwLWE1YzItNTYwNzYwZDQ2NDc5&sharecount=Mg%3D%3D

US targets TP-Link with a potential ban on the Chinese routers - The Verge

https://www.theverge.com/2024/12/18/24324140/tp-link-us-investigation-ban-chinese-routers

Surprise factoid in the original WSJ report: TP-Link has 65% of the market for home routers in the U.S.

@WarnerCrocker The best thing anyone can do is avoid faux-cable packages like YouTube TV, and rethink everything about how they watch TV. Because the delivery may be faux-cable, but the endless prices hikes are very much real-cable.

You may have heard that desktops are dead. You've heard wrong. Check out the new iMac and amazing Mac mini.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/tech/article/imac-mac-mini-2024-review-19959675.php

(Sorry all out of gift links for the 30-day period. But if you live in Houston, you should subscribe to the Houston Chronicle anyway.)

Belkin recalls its BoostCharge Pro power bank due to fire risk - The Verge

https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/27/24307644/belkin-recall-boostcharge-pro-fast-wireless-charger-bpd005-power-bank-apple-watch

Apple Smells Blood in the Water | PetaPixel https://petapixel.com/2024/11/14/apple-smells-blood-in-the-water/

I Can't Stop Thinking About This Scene From ‘A.I. Artificial Intelligence'

https://150wordreviews.substack.com/p/i-cant-stop-thinking-about-this-scene

@JohnDeVore revisits this misunderstood masterpiece.

Growing pains at Bluesky.

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/17/technology/bluesky-growing-pains.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

"Times New Dumbass" is a font inspired by the owner of Xitter - Boing Boing

https://boingboing.net/2024/11/13/times-new-dumbass-is-a-font-inspired-by-the-owner-of-xitter.html

Gemini for iPhone: Google releases its AI app for iOS - The Verge

https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/14/24296295/google-gemini-app-iphone-ios-ai

@WarnerCrocker I don’t think there will be another one-social-network-to-rule-them-all; it’s fractured and you’ll choose your neighborhood.

I dabble in all of them because watching these nascent communities grow and evolve is fascinating. At least to me, and maybe others who study online culture.

I have not seen similar growth at Threads, which has many more users already. I chalk much of the growth at Bsky to some of its unique features, including the ability to create your own feeds, user-driven moderation and Starter Packs, which make it easy to find people to follow. Also, Bsky looks a lot more like the original Twitter. The vibe is looser and more fun.

I can’t say I’ve seen much growth at all here. This is no longer a destination for Xitter refugees. (2/2)