| Yesterday, people on Twitter did what people on Twitter do best: be angry at Twitter. Specifically, CEO Jack Dorsey said that he would fund a team of five whole people to conduct research into a decentralized version of its platform, called Bluesky. Reactions were, as they say, mixed. We'll have much more to say about this in the days and weeks ahead. Right now, Dorsey's proposal is more like a promise to find some people who will think about whether to make a proposal. It's all so vague and yet the reaction from people I generally agree with is so angry that I need to take a beat and think about it. I will say a few things right off the bat, though. After the links. - Dieter News from The Verge + Twitter will now let you post iOS Live Photos as GIFs I still love Motion Stills from Google, but getting a good gif that was small enough for Twitter to accept was difficult. Glad to see this. + Space Force may finally become real — but it won't be an overhaul While it may feel as though the Air Force Space Command is simply getting a new name, there are a few key distinctions. For one, the Space Force would get full Title 10 authority, which would give the branch the ability to make its own decisions about operating and training people to use equipment. + This was the decade the commercial spaceflight industry leapt forward Loren Grush on how wildly space flight has changed in the past 10 years. It's absolutely remarkable when you think about it. Capitalism finally infiltrated spaceflight in the 2010s, and that meant competition was in full swing. Other launch providers looked at ways to also bring down costs over the last decade, with some pursuing reusability as well. New players are coming onto the scene: Blue Origin, Virgin Orbit, Rocket Lab, and more. As launch costs have come down, space has become more accessible than ever. + Swiping meant dating this decade, and it's time for a change Ashley Carman with an excellent piece on the state of the dating app industry: The swipe sped dating up — people could take in as many humans as they wanted, as fast as they wanted. But as conversations around tech, mental health, and burnout reach a fever pitch, the swipe likely isn't going to stick around forever. It might remain the gesture with which we make dating decisions, but it'll require more than a hot-or-not choice. + Skydio 2 review: a drone that flies itself The video here is a collaboration between Sean and a bunch of people on our West Coast video team and it's absolutely worth the watch. + Rewound is a new app that turns your iPhone into an iPod Genuinely surprised Apple allowed this. Wonder if it will continue to. Although Anslow isn't marketing Rewound as an app that will transform your iPhone into an iPod, that's the primary purpose right now. The way the app has been built has allowed it to be published in the App Store, as skins are simply downloaded after the app is installed. It's a clever workaround as long as Apple doesn't pull the app, and it will mean others will be able to create additional skins in the future. + Why are so many AI systems named after Muppets? + YouTube expands anti-harassment policy to include all creators and public figures This is a complete capitulation from YouTube, 100 percent — it made the things we all were telling it to do back when Maza was being attacked the new policy. And thank god. I don't know if it is ever too late to do the right thing, but damned if YouTube hasn't tried. The new policy comes several months after YouTube was criticized for declining to remove videos posted by right-wing commentator Steven Crowder in which he repeatedly called Vox video host Carlos Maza a "lispy queer," among other things. In the face of strong public outrage, YouTube said it would reconsider all of its harassment policies. + How two Australian brothers plan to kick-flip over Boosted with a new lineup of electric skateboards This all sounds... too good to be true? I hope it all is true, because a ton of the design choices here are about making these boards more accessible and, as you surely have figured out by now, I am all for the proliferation of electric rideables. Dot Boards' vehicles can be light or heavy, depending on how many batteries you decide to add. Each battery module has a range of six miles and people can add up to four batteries to the board for a total range of 24 miles. Different wheels can be swapped in for greater levels of comfort. And riders can change from one motor to two in under a minute with an Allen key that comes with purchase. ... Dot Boards' hub motors can reach a top speed of 24 mph and can climb hills with up to a 30 percent incline. (That's on par with the Boosted Stealth.) They also let you "roll without resistance," Matt said. "You can't tell it's an e-board, it doesn't drag behind you." The brothers also found that hub motors are much more intuitive for a beginner to ride, in that the board rolls in a more natural way that doesn't pull you unexpectedly or lurch forward. "So that opens up a much more natural sort of cruising feel when you ride it," Matt says. + BMW finally announces Android Auto integration is coming in 2020 + EPA says the Porsche Taycan Turbo will get just 201 miles on a full battery The range figure is "lower than what we were anticipating," a spokesperson for Porsche tells The Verge, "but it is what it is." |
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