Putin’s playbook for discrediting America and destabilizing the West
“The book in question is The Foundations of Geopolitics: The Geopolitical Future of Russia by neo-fascist political scientist Aleksandr Dugin, whose nickname is “Putin’s Brain”.”
Lost Stanley Kubrick screenplay, Burning Secret, is found 60 years on
From the 50s, during his time at MGM
Apple’s new 2018 MacBook Pros are now available, and the top specs are much faster
Yay! Although I specced out my dream laptop and it came to eight grand.
How Silicon Valley Fuels an Informal Caste System
This is fairly terrifying.
Someone hung their own artwork inside the Banksy exhibit
Go Tharanga!
Why shopkeepers in one Ontario city have enlisted a low-income cleanup crew
In Peterborough
Apple is rebuilding Maps from the ground up
Good, in-depth article. The section about the tech in the Maps vans is especially interesting given Apple’s interest in AR and autonomous vehicles.
Last call at Massey Hall: fans and musicians share their stories
It’s closing down for 2 years for renovations (that sound pretty great BTW)
Toronto wants mid-rise housing, but can we afford it?
Yes, but developers make more money from high-rise, so they’re not into it. I like this idea though, despite it paining me as well as it would transform many great (albeit unaffordable) neighbourhoods:
Expand densification deeper into Toronto’s sleepy, leafy, low-rise neighbourhoods. [Ted Kesik] argues that the city should open up the so-called “yellowbelt” (areas where single-family homes predominate) to allow for fourplexes and other mini-condos to be built. He suggests the return of the so-called Toronto Specials of the 1950s and ‘60s that responded to an earlier wave of immigration would do a lot to let homeowners unlock the value in their land, and create more affordable options for newcomers and new families.
I would also hope that the reforms to the OMB – it’s now the LPAT – might close the door to out-of-control high-rise construction.
Russian pop star involved in collusion story releases salacious music video slagging Trump
‘Westworld’ showrunner explains those finale twists, hints at season 3 plan
JAZZ.FM91 listeners stunned at changes, allegations of misconduct at beloved radio station
Sad! Hope someone can right the ship… “it’s one of only three all-jazz radio stations in North America.”
Facial recognition software is not ready for use by law enforcement
From the CEO of a facial recognition company
Experts Bet on First Deepfakes Political Scandal
YouTube is the preferred platform of today’s teens
They still like Snapchat and Instagram, less so Facebook and Twitter.
Instagram announces IGTV, a standalone app for longer videos
Boooooo. I used to love Instagram but it is getting totally wrecked by Facebook. Isn’t it enough to be the world’s favourite photo sharing platform? Do they have to take on Snapchat and YouTube and who next, Uber? Amazon? The International Criminal Court?
Also, vertical video. What are we, animals?
Family Separation, Evil Via Policy and The Internal Contradictions of Trumpism
Performative cruelty and channel separation. This is excellent analysis.
Mr. Rogers’s Simple Set of Rules for Talking to Kids
Simple but based on deep understanding of academic research about the topic.
Shortcuts: A New Vision for Siri and iOS Automation
The Siri Shortcuts feature (and the rebirth of the app Workflow as Shortcuts) is the iOS 12 feature I’m most excited about
Trump Showed Kim Jong Un A Fake Movie Trailer Starring The Two Of Them As Heroes
Vice Was Built on a Bluff. What Happens When It Gets Called?
For almost 25 years, Shane Smith’s plan for Vice was that, by the time the suckers caught on, he’d never be stuck owning the company he co-founded.
The Lifespan of a Lie
The Stanford Prison Experiment was BS
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Electric Scooters
The Beam is Sonos’ ambitious attempt to win the living room
Voice-enabled soundbar, at $399 USD
Rob Ford’s widow sues Doug Ford, alleging he has deprived her and her children of millions
So that’s some news.