Better Internet, EEG Tattoos, and… Sneakers
Also, I got a new watch that's dumber.
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Note: I’m writing this well before April Fools’ Day 2021, so these links are not pranks. Be on the lookout today, though!
I’ve gotten a bit more into watches after replacing my Pebble 2+HR recently with a “dumb” watch. With that as context, I enjoyed learning a bit about watch face history—honestly more than I expected!—from this piece: The iconic watches that inspired Apple Watch faces
Apple, Google, Nike
A hyperbolic title perhaps, but the Apple’s choices definitely ripple throughout the broader tech ecosystem: Tim Cook May Have Just Ended Facebook
Sadly, the end of an era where Google threw large amounts of money at ridiculous but plausible ideas: Alphabet is shutting down Loon, its internet balloon company
Next up in Sneakers I’m Definitely Buying, Nike's new Flyease Go shoes snap right onto your feet. Even cooler than that is the story behind these:
Front Office Sports @FOS
Nike has unveiled their first hands-free shoe: the Nike GO FlyEase. https://t.co/FZeKDTPUcfThere’s a bit more to it than just that, but these were actually designed to be more accessible sneakers. Accessibility makes things better for everyone. Accessibility FTW!
Working From Home
If you’ll allow me to get on my soapbox for a minute, I feel very strongly that Internet access is a human right. With that said, as the country that basically invented it, it’s shameful how slow and expensive our Internet access is, compared to other similarly-developed countries.
If you agree with this, the most important thing you can do right now is submit a comment to the FCC about the access to broadband that you have in your area:
The FCC @FCC
Today we will begin collecting first-hand accounts on #broadband availability and service quality directly from consumers as part of our Broadband Data Collection program. #FCCGov #BroadbandData https://t.co/aLwrmfWF9LOn this topic, a couple pieces:
I’m grateful that this issue is being taken up by our congress and the current administration. 🌐
Next Level Working From Home: Instagram User Rolls Down Major Street While Working From A Desk On Wheels (VIDEO)
Speaking of WFH, Spain is set to pilot four-day week as response to coronavirus pandemic. In case you were wondering what some of the options that we have are… this is one of them.
Culture, Tech, Policy
I hope you like reading about Cyberpunk 2077 because WIRED keeps publishing interesting pieces commenting on the game and its world-building: The World in Cyberpunk 2077 Is Hollow—the Posters Prove It
Speaking of Cyberpunk, I think we’ll need much more convincing use-cases before folks get electrodes in their brains, but this less-invasive option seems a much easier sell: A Graphene Tattoo to Continuously Monitor Your Brainwaves
Japan continues to be delightful (yes I think this is delightful) because “the station was built for people to take a breather, to sit, enjoy the view, and wait for the next train to arrive.” This train station in Japan has no way for passengers to to exit
Biotech 🧪
Growing pieces of organs in a lab is becoming more common (and affordable):
Lab-grown 'mini-bile ducts' used to repair human livers in regenerative medicine first
Pretty nerdy and very cool breakdown of how, exactly, the microRNA vaccine works! Reverse Engineering the source code of the BioNTech/Pfizer SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine
Policy 🌍
A group of leading international law experts plan to submit a draft of new legislation to the governing body of the International Criminal Court, aiming to make environmental destruction an international crime called 'Ecocide'.
If we don’t speak for the trees, who will?
After my rant last time or two about the F-35 program, I can’t resist sharing this:
The U.S. Air Force Just Admitted The F-35 Stealth Fighter Has Failed
In a tacit acknowledgement of the program’s failure, the USAF has started to look for a new plane to serve the need that the F-35 was created to address. Yikes 😬