The Download: labeling AI, and Twitter’s transformation
1 Twitter as we knew it is dead
What comes next, in its new guise of X, is anyone’s guess. (Wired $)
+ The company has reinstated Kanye West’s account after an eight-month ban. (WP $)
+ We’re not tweeting anymore—we’re just posting. (The Verge)
+ Why doesn’t Elon Musk understand that he’s not above needing permits? (NYT $)
+ We’re witnessing the brain death of Twitter. (MIT Technology Review)
2 It looks like another covid wave is brewing
Cases are slowly creeping up, but we still don’t know if covid exhibits a seasonal pattern. (The Atlantic $)
+ Cases are on the rise in the UK, too. (The Guardian)
3 Starlink controls nearly all satellite internet services
That disproportionate power doesn’t bode well for international relations. (NYT $)+ Starlink signals can be reverse-engineered to work like GPS. (MIT Technology Review)
4 Amazon is asking some of its remote workers to resign
If they can’t join office hubs, they’re being asked to vacate their positions. (Insider $)
+ Things aren’t great for UPS drivers either. (The Atlantic $)
5 Evangelical Christians are spying on sex workers online
Their surveillance tactics are helping police to obtain search warrants. (The Intercept)
+ Evangelicals are looking for answers online. They’re finding QAnon instead. (MIT Technology Review)
6 Why EV bikes keep catching fire
Though lithium-ion batteries are generally safe. (WSJ $)
+ The speed limit on certain e-bikes can be circumvented. (NYT $)
7 Military start-ups are booming
AI is supercharging weapons and systems, with potentially deadly consequences. (FT $)
+ Silicon Valley has been capitalizing on the war in Ukraine. (MIT Technology Review)
8 Creating prosthetic arms has always been challenging
The Boston Arm was among the first to harness electrical signals from its wearer’s muscles. (IEEE Spectrum)
+ These prosthetics break the mold with third thumbs, spikes, and superhero skins. (MIT Technology Review)
9 3D-printing is helping to protect rare species
By providing convincing replicas of animal body parts used to decorate traditional headdresses. (The Guardian)
