Nick @internic@social.cleverlibre.org

Is this thing where chain drug stores are unstaffed rifts in space and time (a kind of carpeted liminal purgatory) with lines and wait times that defy physics… just a NYC thing ? or are they like that in the burbs too ?

(I was going to buy a pack of gum… but realized no one was in there who had any other earthy choice)

Linux surpasses the Mac among Steam gamers

It's not the year of Linux on desktop; it's the year of Linux on a handheld.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/linux-surpasses-the-mac-among-steam-gamers/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Just backed the Kickstarter for @pluralistic's soon-to-arrive book, combination of DRM-free audio and ebook. There are lots of other options, so take a look.

https://www.theverge.com/2023/8/2/23816924/twitter-x-blue-subscribers-hide-blue-check-option

why are we calling it machine learning when we could be calling it stochastic errorism

Microsoft cloud security blasted for its “culture of toxic obfuscation”

Azure looks like a house of cards collapsing due to exploits and vulnerabilities.

https://arstechnica.com/security/2023/08/microsoft-cloud-security-blasted-for-its-culture-of-toxic-obfuscation/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

Doing another one of those weaponized etymology comics

These were the hottest places during Earth’s hottest month https://wapo.st/44R6lmG

#july #hot #climatechange

ASTRONOMY HELP NEEDED.

I am an artist looking for an exoplanet astronomer who has experinece of working with data from the TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) mission to help me produce animations of target pixels from known exoplanets. If anyone knows of such a person and can put me in touch I would be very grateful!

#Astrodon #Astronomy #Exoplanet

Your reminder that I've written a book on the business risks of generative AI. "The Intelligence Illusion"

https://illusion.baldurbjarnason.com/

Stuff I cover (not exhaustive):

- AGI is not happening any time soon.
- AGI and anthropomorphism will cripple your ability to think clearly about AI
- The AI industry has a long history of snake oil and fraud
- These models copy more than you think
- Hallucinations are still a thing and aren't going away.
- AI "reasoning" is quite broken
- Security is a shit show

Researchers figure out how to make AI misbehave, serve up prohibited content

Adversarial attack involves using text strings and may be unstoppable.

https://arstechnica.com/ai/2023/08/researchers-figure-out-how-to-make-ai-misbehave-serve-up-prohibited-content/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

http://smbc-comics.com/comic/game-4

@pluralistic I just listened to the 8 minute audio teaser, signed up for libro.fm, and joined your kickstarter. I feel like I am trapped in Apple’s walled garden, but I am at least looking for a window to open!

Steering failures are Tesla’s new federal safety worry

Steering failure is the latest in a string of safety investigations into Tesla EVs.

https://arstechnica.com/cars/2023/08/steering-failures-are-teslas-new-federal-safety-worry/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

#BBCNews - Elon #Musk to be billed for #unauthorised flashing X sign
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66371435

Rishi Sunak’s family firm signed a billion-dollar deal with BP before the UK opened new North Sea licences.

The CEO of one of Infosys' other major clients, Shell, also joined Rishi Sunak's new business council two weeks ago.

#climate #climatechange #climatecrisis
https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/sunaks-family-firm-signed-a-billion-dollar-deal-with-bp-before-pm-opened-new-north-sea-licences-353690/

The Google Assistant is getting a big reboot around generative AI

"Supercharging" the Assistant means some layoffs and a lot of leadership changes.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/08/the-google-assistant-is-getting-a-big-reboot-around-generative-ai/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social

The Radical Left Bajoran Thugs shouldn’t be allowed to investigate me during & in the middle of, my campaign. Why didn’t they transmit these ridiculous charges 2.5 years ago? They waited because they wanted to illegally & negatively influence the Election, arguably the most important Election in the history of the Alpha Quadrant. We are going to take our now Third World Planet (Space Stations, Starships, Wormhole, Bajor, etc.) and, MAKE ALPHA QUADRANT GREAT AGAIN. BE STRONG! #startrek

The family of Henrietta Lacks has reached a settlement with Waltham-based Thermo Fisher Scientific over allegations the biotech company improperly profited from cells stolen from their family member. In 1951, doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital harvested cells from Lacks without her knowledge. Those became the first human cells to be cloned, and the so-called HeLa cells are now considered a crucial tool of biomedical research. @gbhnews https://www.wgbh.org/news/local-news/2023/08/01/family-of-henrietta-lacks-reaches-settlement-in-lawsuit-against-thermo-fisher

I have no legal background but as best as I can tell, "scraping" means "recording information that the twitter platform willingly served via its web interface."