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What I read this weekend
Sad but True: Internet has become cable television. U.S. Internet households watch an average of 43.5 hours of video per week, up from 37.2 hours in 2020. #
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Five Long Reads
Why do today’s cars look so similar? Why are today’s cars so boring? Why are today’s cars so much safer? Do you see the connection? [NPlusOneMag]
The New Yorker asks, what is the deal with flying cars? Are they here yet?
“There is a yawning gap between ‘AI tools can be handy for some things’ and the kinds of stories AI companies are telling (and the media is uncritically reprinting),” writes Molly White, a tech critic known for her skewering of the crypto-bros. She is not an AI skeptic, but rightfully recommends a bit of caution and some perspective.
Titanium is everywhere! Even my fountain pen nib is made from the #22 element on the periodic table. So what is titanium’s story?
Climate change is going to change everything, including America and its makeup. And the sad part is that it is already happening. Louisiana’s southern coast is experiencing a quiet migration northward due to worsening conditions. ProPublica reports on one of the most important changes in our world.
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All Things Considered
Why Solid State Drives are a solid bet for storage: Backblaze knows something about storage. I always listen to them when it comes to recommendations. They are taking a deep dive into the solid-state drives, which is a good primer. TLDR: Switch to SSDs because they are more reliable. Users replace them only to upgrade rather than due to failures. I still have Samsung drives that are going strong, though they use the older (slower) USB connections.
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The Final Word
“There is an interesting relationship between fashion and photography – today, the camera is not just documenting the dress but is actually influencing its design. I mean, we used to be called couturiers, then we ended being designers and then creative directors – and today, the whole idea of image making has become the name of the game. The buzz is sometimes more important than the product, the packaging is almost stronger than the inside.”
April 21, 2024. San Francisco