Watching Cassini Die This Morning
Cassini burned up in Saturn's atmosphere this morning after twenty years, and I watched the whole thing alone in my kitchen while everyone else argued about the iPhone X.
Tech News
Tech News
The Software Switch That Gave Tesla Owners More Battery Overnight
Everyone's talking about the iPhone X notch this week, but the story that actually stuck with me is Tesla flipping a software switch to unlock extra battery range for Florida owners fleeing Hurricane Irma.
Waiting on the Essential Phone
The Essential Phone from Android co-founder Andy Rubin finally started shipping this week, minus mine. Notes on the ceramic back, the missing headphone jack, and the accessory that isn't ready yet.
The Guy Who Runs Half the Internet Had a Bad Morning
Cloudflare's CEO admitted he pulled a neo-Nazi site's protection because he woke up in a bad mood, and that admission is the part worth sitting with.
The Leak That Spoiled Its Own Keynote
Apple accidentally shipped its own iPhone X secrets inside a HomePod firmware build, and a few developers with disassemblers found everything before the keynote even had a date.
HBO Got Hacked and Now I'm Muting Half of Twitter
HBO's data breach and multi-million dollar ransom demand have me less worried about corporate security and more worried about surviving Twitter until the next Game of Thrones episode.
Woke Up and Bitcoin Had Split in Two
Bitcoin split into two coins this week and I spent way too much time watching exchange rates instead of just enjoying my evening.
SoundCloud Is Cutting 40% of Its Staff and I Don't Know Where My Old Mixes Go
SoundCloud just announced it's cutting about 40% of its staff and closing two offices. Some notes on what that actually feels like from someone who's had an account since 2012.
Musk's Own Words: "Production Hell"
Tesla handed over the first 30 Model 3s last night, and Musk used the same breath to warn of months of "production hell" ahead — the number that actually stuck with me wasn't the price.
Verbal Approval Is Not Approval
Musk says he has "verbal government approval" for a 29-minute NY-to-DC tunnel. Verbal approval isn't a real thing, and the coverage this week mostly forgot to mention that.
SoundCloud Guts Itself, and I Went Digging Through My Old DJ Mixes
SoundCloud just laid off 40% of its staff and closed two offices, which sent me digging through DJ mixes I uploaded back in 2011, plus a quick note on this week's net neutrality banners.
Everybody's Buffering: Notes on Yesterday's Net Neutrality Stunt
A rundown of what the July 12th net neutrality "Day of Action" actually looked like across the sites I visit, and why the loading-spinner gimmick worked better on some of them than others.