Politics
Should parliament ban phones?
In today's bulletin, parliament considers trialling limits on phone use on the House floor, plus SpaceX, Google, YouTube and more.
AI and avoiding digital phrenology
Giving AI too much credit is a big issue that needs to be considered in the mix of how we improve the ethical structures around its use. If it isn’t as good as we’re told it is, why is it allowed to play such a big role in parts of our lives?
Five times Peter Dutton did shit that would make a GTA scriptwriter blush
Minister Dutton wants to blame games for why there's so much toxic masculinity out there. Here's a bunch of times he was more toxic than GTA.
So polished it's lifeless
The past few weeks watching PM Morrison flounder has been a textbook lesson in how media training has gone so terribly wrong in corporations and politics. The effort to be so good at only ever saying the thing you’re prepared to say – to “never accept the premise of the
Building the history of Korea
The humble plastic brick can allow you to build history, explore perspectives, and come to a deeper appreciation for humanity's complexity.
Games with loot boxes could face an 18+ rating if new German laws pass
It could soon be illegal to sell videogames containing loot boxes to children, if legislation ahead of the German Federal Council passes.
Bargaining Code amendments give Facebook all it wanted and then some
We handed Facebook fewer rules and no mandatory code while giving it an excuse to gain data on what a Facebook without news looks like.
Police officer plays music to try and take down social media recording
A Beverly Hills police officer played music (not Weezer) in a reported attempt to copyright strike an activist's Instagram account.
Warner Bros. makes nemeses with Middle-Earth Nemesis system patent
Warner Bros. finally succeeds patenting the Nemesis system made famous by Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, causing controversy among game devs.
Stonks indeed
There was a version of this story where memes triumph over money. Then Robinhood reminded everyone that the house always wins in the end.
What's up? Millions flee WhatsApp amid updated terms
A poorly communicated update from secure messaging service WhatsApp sees millions abandon the service in favour of competitors.
Everyone looks ridiculous in the Australian media bargaining code fight
Big media, big tech, and big politics. Everyone is trying to look like the biggest tool in the name of winning a fight about the wrong thing.
Bad bargain, wrong code
This media bargaining code battle has been running for about three years now, and the closer it gets to the finish line, the more everyone involved look like assholes.
US Govt speaks up on Australia's proposal to force Google and Facebook to pay up
Australia's developing media laws continue to get spicy, with US officials the latest detractors alongside Facebook and Google.
NPCs may be smart enough to have anxiety in GTA6
A new patent filed by Take-Two talks about a new way to give NPCs more divergent AI for future games like GTA6.
Toxicity Ghettoing: an Amazon patent could create a gaming class system
From quitters to shouty men, toxic players deserve a special place in hell. But is this the right path to send them there?
AI Frank Sinatra sings Britney Spears, gets copyright takedown
When a song written by an AI riffing on two separate artists gets a copyright strike, who owns it? Or is it just another case of AI vs AI.
Fighting the Unlightenment
By every measure, the future demands creativity. It demands a return to the raw pursuit of ideas. And supporting nerds in their pursuit of amazing innovations is fundamental to the problems we face.
One of Australia's spy agencies collected COVIDSafe app data, promised they didn't peek
At least one of Australia's top security agencies has "incidentally collected" data from the COVIDSafe app.
Twitch's DMCA mess continues with no clear end in sight
Twitch has finally provided a clear update on the DMCA situation plaguing the streaming service, but the issues continue.
