We recently discussed Spotify’s decision to completely brick the Car Thing products it sold to customers up until very recently. While this was a very niche product without a ton of adoption, Spotify’s decision caught my attention for two reasons. First, the company could have updated the devices it didn’t want to support any longer […]
Minnesota is the latest state to eliminate a pointless state ban on community owned and operated broadband networks ghost written by the telecom lobby. New legislation, just signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz, eliminates two statutes that sought to protect large monopoly telecommunications providers from community-based competition. Minnesota is one of 17 (now 16) […]
In the last year, the Canadian rap artist Drake has embroiled himself in several high profile controversies involving AI-generated music. The ongoing saga underscores how existing laws apply to artificial intelligence, dispelling the myth that AI, including AI music, is unregulated. In April 2023, TikTok user ghostwriter977 released “Heart on My Sleeve,” featuring AI-generated vocals […]
This is an interesting case with some very serious implications. For the most part, anything discarded by a suspect fleeing from law enforcement officers can be searched or seized without a warrant. For years, this wasn’t necessarily a problem. The stuff discarded ranged from bags containing “substances” to wallets to the occasional backpack. The intrusion […]
When I posted my defense of the Supreme Court’s 303 Creative decision, a common criticism was that the principle the decision vindicated was likely to only be upheld in situations where discriminatory social values were being advanced and not situations where it was inclusive ones. While I don’t think that’s a reason to criticize the […]
MagStack is the perfect on-the-go wireless charging station that also transforms into a phone stand for FaceTime or video playback while charging. This 3-in-1 foldable design featuring 3 wireless charging spots, enables charging for up to 3 devices simultaneously, including iPhone, Apple Watch, AirPods Pro, AirPods with Wireless Charging Case, other Qi-compatible Android phones, and […]
It’s a running joke here at Techdirt that many elected officials in charge of copyright policy seem wholly ignorant of the subject. But sometimes, it’s still shocking when people who should definitely know better brazenly parade their cluelessness. Enter Jerry Nadler, the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, and a man who has been […]
Fifth-generation wireless (5G) was supposed to change the world. According to wireless carriers and gear makers, not only was it supposed to bring about the “fourth industrial revolution,” it was supposed to usher forth amazing new smart cities and help with cancer treatment. Wireless giants routinely portrayed a world full of 5G powered robots giving tattoos or […]
The Wild West we all imagine contains two forms of law: the brave people who’ve decided to be sheriffs. And the vigilantes who perform frontier justice when not cashing in bounties while ignoring the enshrined civil rights (the Constitution came out ahead of the Wild West, non-American folks) of the people they beat, tortured, threatened, […]
Depending on just how often you use Google News, you may have noticed that Google News was down recently. Down hard. No, it wasn’t just you; Google News suffered a pretty sizable outage this morning, impacting the service on desktop and mobile. Impacted users took to Downdetector and social media to note the issues and that no stories were […]
At the latest committee hearing about its repeal bill, Congress finally deigned to bring in one witness who spoke in defense of Section 230. Engine Executive Director Kate Tummarello got a little bit of time to explain how Section 230 isn’t about protecting big tech, it’s about protecting the hosts and users of all kinds […]
This was entirely predictable, but it’s still worth calling out. Donald Trump, who started the whole “we should ban TikTok” idea before changing his mind as soon as Joe Biden decided it was a good idea (and a billionaire Trump backer who also was heavily invested in TikTok gave Trump a call), is now joining […]
Here’s yet more unsurprising news about Israeli malware developer NSO Group and its preferred customers. More phones infected by NSO’s flagship Pegasus malware have been discovered by Citizen Lab researchers. And yet again those targeted are journalists, critics, dissidents, and opposition leaders. The latest investigation identifies seven additional Russian and Belarusian-speaking members of civil society […]
Headway Premium is the revolutionary app designed to help you turn personal growth into a habit. With a lifetime subscription, you get unlimited access to a huge number of non-fiction bestsellers, summarized into 15-minute reads. Be it personal development, business strategies, or health insights, Headway has you covered. It’s on sale for $60. Note: The […]
ProPublica has quite a scoop of a story, highlighting how various witnesses and potential witnesses in the long list of lawsuits Donald Trump is facing, suddenly, coincidentally, seem to be getting large payouts from Trump, his companies, and his campaign. The benefits have flowed from Trump’s businesses and campaign committees, according to a ProPublica analysis […]
The FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), part of the 2021 infrastructure bill, provided 23+ million low-income households a $30 broadband discount every month. But the roughly 60 million Americans benefiting from the program are now facing much higher broadband bills because key Republicans — who routinely dole out billions of dollars on far dumber fare — refused to fund a $4-$7 billion […]
In my basement at home, I have a handful of old gaming consoles that were left to our family after other family members either got too old to want them any longer or after they passed away. Coming along with them are a handful of games for those consoles. As a result of the physical […]
Kind of an odd bit of Fourth Amendment jurisprudence here, given all the factors. (h/t FourthAmendment.com) Obviously, some conversations have an expectation of privacy, even when they’re held in police interrogation rooms. Those would be ones between the suspect and their legal representation. But that’s not really a Fourth Amendment issue as it is about […]
In recent years, there have been concerns about social media and disinformation. The narrative has three dominant threads: (1) foreign troll farms pushing disinfo, (2) grifter “influencers” pushing disinfo, and (3) the poor kids these days suckered in by disinformation. A new study in Science suggests that instead of the kids or the trolls, perhaps […]
It appears Chicago’s city leaders (well… excluding the mayor, Brandon Johnson) aren’t afraid of spending nothing on do-nothing tech that even the city’s watchdog says is a waste of money. They’re not afraid to blow money on stuff that’s doing nothing to make residents safer, even as residents continue to complain about the level of […]
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