Category Archives: Blog

The date is September 27, 2068. On your neural net’s news feed, you catch a glimpse of an item that says “50th anniversary of Brett Kavanaugh hearings.” You think you vaguely remember something about that from the American history class pills, but the details are vague (you keep confusing the name with Clarence Thomas, for some reason). You fire up the video.

What do you see, through disinterested, utterly neutral future eyes?

You see a woman — quiet, dignified, vulnerable,  heartbreakingly so. She is a neurology professor, and speaks in measured academic tones to an intimidating committee of silent men. She details a sexual assault that took place when she was 15. That’s right, you remember — this is the era when women were just starting to dare speak out about this sort of thing.  Read more…

More about Brett Kavanaugh, Christine Blasey Ford, Culture, and Politics

Yes, you read that headline right. 

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford testified before the Senate on Thursday about Kavanaugh’s alleged sexual assault.

Later during the hearing, Senator Kamala Harris asked Kavanaugh, “Did you watch Dr. Ford’s testimony?”

“I did not,” Kavanaugh admitted. “I planned to, but I did not. I was preparing mine.” 

Americans were both furious and unconvinced that Kavanaugh claimed he didn’t watch his accuser’s testimony. 

More about Kamala Harris, Kavanaugh, Culture, and Web Culture

It’s increasingly clear that Facebook is viewing YouTube as a major competitor.

In a blog post today, Facebook once again demonstrated its focus on video, with an announcement concerning the rollout of more video ad options. It’s a response to advertiser demand for even more control over where video advertisements are shown, the company said. These new options borrow heavily from some of YouTube’s very own video advertising models.

The first new video ad option coming from Facebook is called In-Stream Reserve, which will “allow advertisers to reach people watching video from a selection of the most engaging, highest quality publishers and creators.” Basically, Facebook is allowing advanced ad space buyouts from only its best performing video makers. The audiences for these video ads are U.S.-based and are verified by Nielsen.  Read more…

More about Facebook, Youtube, Video Ads, Facebook Watch, and Tech

Google Search is 20 years old today. Judging by the Google Doodle and recent feature upgrades, Google would like the day to be a celebration of how the company’s algorithms have evolved over the years, cementing its position as the dominant player in the space.

But, more than ever, tech doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Google Search is turning 20 in a time where the public is questioning both our relationship with technology and the fundamental principles and motivations of the companies building it. Social networks like Facebook and Twitter have borne most of the criticism, but Google has been a target as well. Read more…

More about Google, Google Search, Tech, and Big Tech Companies

Shane Dawson released the second episode of his Jake Paul docu-series, and … things don’t look so good. 

The Dark Side of Jake Paul opens with a scene from one of Paul’s vlogs. Dawson looks into how Paul treats his Team 10 roommates, showing a clip of him pranking fellow YouTuber Tessa Brooks with the “buried alive prank.” 

Smothering her in blankets while she sleeps and blasting siren noises, Paul wakes Tessa up by convincing her she’s in the back of an ambulance with a serious injury. 

It’s not the first, and definitely not the last, time that Paul has brushed off cruelty as “just a joke.”  Read more…

More about Youtube, Jake Paul, Shane Dawson, The Mind Of Jake Paul, and Culture

More about Supreme Court, Lindsey Graham, Brett Kavanaugh, Culture, and Politics

As another allegation surfaces against Brett Kavanaugh, Time’s Up has released an ad asking him to withdraw his Supreme Court nomination.

It echoes a statement released by the organization earlier this week, in which they said Kavanaugh’s confirmation would “compromise the integrity of the court for years to come,” and called for a walkout in solidarity with survivors of sexual assault and harassment.

The advertisement is another in the strong campaign supporting Kavanaugh’s accusers, which recently featured 1,600 men signing a full-page ad in the New York Times. Read more…

More about Politics, Activism, Times Up, Brett Kavanaugh, and Culture

From my very first demo two years ago, back when it was called Santa Cruz and had a fan and processor strapped to the back, I’ve been impressed with the headset. Last year, I saw an even better demo that convinced me the future of VR is wireless. 

Now that I’ve seen the product fully realized, I’m even more certain: the Oculus Quest feels like what VR should have been all along — mobile, wireless, and about the same price as a gaming console.

For Facebook, the Oculus Quest ($399) rounds out its VR lineup, with the Oculus Go ($199) at the low end and Oculus Rift ($399, plus the cost of a powerful PC) at the high end. Oculus Quest, by comparison, is a kind of compromise that attempts to offer the best of both worlds: the portability of the Go with games worthy of the Rift. Read more…

More about Tech, Gadgets, Facebook, Virtual Reality, and Vr

The way Dr. Jesse Karmazin sees it, New York City needs some fresh blood. 

It’s been over a year since we last heard from the physician behind Ambrosia LLC, the company hoping to reverse aging by pumping adults with the blood plasma of the young, but don’t think for a second that Karmazin’s been sitting still. Far from it.

Karmazin confirmed today over email that he plans to transform what was once a clinical trial running out of Monterey, California, into a full-fledged New York City-based clinic offering that most elusive of products: youth.  Read more…

More about Parabiosis, Tech, and Drugs

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