Reading Log ForMay 5, 2023 (#27)
Between a weekend trip and my site update, this has been 3 weeks in the making. This log we look at the passing of a folk legend, Microsoft reverting to its old ways, Microsoft facing a hurdle in its Activision acquisition, some chatty parrots, and more.
Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian folk legend, dies at 84
I grew up with my dad listening to Gordon Lightfoot quite a bit. It gave me a real appreciation for his music. I have several vinyl records of his and have seen him in concert. The world has lost a fantastic musician.
Software Development & Design
- Next.js 13.4 - Tim Neutrons & Sebastian Markbåge
- The details element is amazing - Robin Rendle
- State Hasn't Changed? Why and when Blazor components re-render - Jon Hilton
- Dark mode: How accessible design raises the bar - Layth Sihan
Technology & the Internet
- Substack CEO Chris Best Doesn’t Realize He’s Just Become The Nazi Bar - Mike Masnick
- Microsoft Broke a Chrome Feature to Promote Its Edge Browser - Thomas Germain
- The Internet Isn’t Meant To Be So Small - Kelsey McKinney
- Microsoft is forcing Outlook and Teams to open links in Edge, and IT admins are angry - Tom Warren
- These New Yorkers Want to Stop Landlords From Using Facial Recognition - Mack DeGeurin
- How Companies Use Dark Patterns to Keep You Subscribed - Caroline Sinders
- Mozilla’s setting up shop on Mastodon and trying to reinvent content moderation - David Pierce
- Elon Whines That He’ll Give Away NPR’s Twitter Account If They Won’t Start Using Twitter Again - Mike Masnick
- Mercedes Locks Better EV Engine Performance Behind Annoying Subscription Paywalls - Karl Bode
- Colorado Finally Kills Dumb 2005 Comcast-Backed State Law Banning Community Broadband Networks - Karl Bode
Gaming
- A new video game educates young people about the Holocaust - The Economist
Business & Finance
- UK government blocks Microsoft’s proposed Activision purchase - Kyle Orland
- Judge slams Tesla for claiming Musk quotes captured on video may be deepfakes - Jon Brodkin
Science
- Caught in the act: Astronomers spot star swallowing a planet for first time - * Jennifer Ouellette*
- Most Planets in the Galaxy Orbit Stars You Can’t Even See - Phil Plait
- Scientists Taught Pet Parrots to Video Call Each Other—and the Birds Loved It - Sarah Kuta
Podcasts
- Techdirt Podcast #351: Save the Children (From State Social Media Laws)
- Cautionary Tales: The Online Date That’s Too Good to Be True
- Radiolab: Black Box
- 99% Invisible #513: The Safety Bicycle
- Short Wave: Will artificial intelligence help — or hurt — medicine?
Everything Else
- Is The Economist Making the Best News Podcasts Right Now? - Nicholas Quah
- Galaxy Quest is Getting a TV Show, For Real this Time Hopefully - Austen Goslin
- Simple Truths About Personal Websites - Matthias Ott
- Metallica's new album, '72 Seasons,' has met critical acclaim. What's their secret? - Vincent Acovino, Ailsa Chang, & Jonah Mehta