Reading List
The most recent articles from a list of feeds I subscribe to.
Alternative app store AltStore PAL is joining the fediverse
AltStore PAL, the alternative iOS app store available in the European Union and Japan, is joining the social web. In a post on Wednesday, AltStore PAL announced that users across Mastodon, Threads, and Bluesky can now interact with apps that developers choose to federate on its explore.alt.store website. Any likes from the social web will […]
Canva’s new editing tool adds layers to AI-generated designs
Canva introduced a new feature that separates flat image files and AI-generated visuals into layered, fully editable designs. The Magic Layers tool is launching in public beta today in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia, allowing design components like objects, text boxes, and other graphics to be selected individually while preserving the original layout. "After […]
How to ditch Ring’s surveillance network
Recently, Ring ran a Super Bowl ad for its Search Party feature showing how it uses AI to scan footage from Ring cameras and video doorbells to help find lost dogs. It sounds neighborly — until you consider that the same system could theoretically search footage for anything or anyone. Combined with longstanding concerns around […]
You can’t replace the battery in Lego’s Smart Bricks — and many of its sensors aren’t available yet
The first Lego Smart Brick sets, based on Star Wars, aren't quite what my kids and I hoped, and I suspect much of that's down to programming. But the Smart Bricks may also have some technical limitations out of the gate. The first sets don't ship with a number of their sensors enabled, including the […]
Godzilla Minus One, a very good movie, is $15 on 4K Blu-ray
I love Godzilla Minus One. Granted, it’s only the second Godzilla movie that I’ve watched, the other being 1998’s terrible Godzilla featuring Matthew Broderick (the soundtrack has bangers, though). While I may not exactly be an expert, this is a good movie, whether you’re a first-time Godzilla viewer or a longtime kaiju fan. If you’ve […]