Last month, Google rolled out an updated version of its Photos app that had been divorced from Google+ and bolstered with a few slight tweaks—in particular, its ability to automatically tag photos and generate albums based on objects it identifies, including "food" and "landscapes."
And it's only photos I have with her it's doing this with (results truncated b/c personal): pic.twitter.com/h7MTXd3wgo
Unfortunately, that object database not only included wild animals but also conflated them with humans—specifically, on Monday, when an African-American man looked in his Google Photos collection and discovered an automatically generated album of him and his black female friend labeled "gorillas."
Last weekend I attended EdgeConf, a conference populated by many of the leading lights in the Web industry. It featured panel talks and breakout sessions with a focus on technologies that are just now starting to emerge in browsers, so there was a lot of lively discussion around Service Worker, Web Components, Shadow DOM, Web Manifests, and more.
EdgeConf’s hundred-odd attendees were truly the heavy hitters of the Web community. The average Twitter follower count in any given room was probably in the thousands, and all the major browser vendors were represented—Google, Mozilla, Microsoft, Opera. We had lots of fun peppering them with questions about when they might release such-and-such API.
There was one company not in attendance, though, and it served as the proverbial elephant in the room that no one wanted to discuss. I heard it referred to cagily as “a company in California” or “a certain fruit company.” Its glowing logo illuminated nearly every laptop in the room, and yet it seemed like nobody dared speak its name. Of course I’m talking about Apple.
On Tuesday, Facebook changed the login process for its Messenger app, meaning users no longer need to have a Facebook account in order to talk to the service's members. All they need is a phone number—but not a landline one.
Ars confirmed the change by installing and testing the Facebook Messenger app. Now when Android and iOS users load the app without having been logged in, they will see a smaller-text option that reads, "Not on Facebook?" If a user taps that, the app will automatically fill in the device's default number if it's a mobile phone, which can be changed—but whatever number is used, it has to accept SMS, as Facebook confirms your phone number via a text message.
Once that has been done, Messenger asks for a full name—which, again, it will auto-populate based on your mobile device's information, but you can delete and retype that as you see fit. It also asks new users to upload an image, but that's not required. Phone-only Messenger users only have one way to add new contacts: by entering the phone number attached to any FB profiles. Searching by name won't work; you'll have to ask friends for their account phone numbers (or let the app comb your contact list for numbers that match up with Facebook accounts).
A judge in New York has ruled that a 2011 patent for an invention that lets fans crowdfund creators’ work through a website is invalid, because it’s basically just the age-old system of patronage.
Since its launch in 2012, Brian Provinciano has been bringing Retro City Rampage, his homage to ’80sgames and pop culture, to just about every platform on the market. In 2013, he even released a limited prototype that could play on a real NES—hearkening back to the project’s beginnings as an attempt to make a version of Grand Theft Auto that was developed on Nintendo’s old standby. But yesterday, Provinciano took his obsession with vintage verisimilitude even further by announcing Retro City Rampage 486, a new version built to play on computers from as far back as 1989.
Unlike the NES experiment, according to Provinciano, this is a complete conversion that includes all of the game’s missions and modes. The “486” in the title is a reference to the Intel 80486 processor, first released in 1989. Aside from one of those cutting-edge CPUs, your rig will ...
If you’re not a person who follows news about gaming or gamers, you might have missed a thing that happened. Tauriq Moosa, a media critic, left social media due to sustained harassment over something he wrote on the Internet. Yesterday, Moosa wrote something else that I want you to read. I’m quoting extensively. Still, read the whole thing. Lots of folks are trying to show me support. I really…
Jeff Kunkle, owner of Vintage Roadside, a small business that has sold photographs of the neon sign for $25 to $40 on Esty.com, said he received a trademark violation letter from the city attorney's office in May for photos he took of an older version of the sign.
The city took ownership of the sign in 2010 and trademarked it with the state in 2011. The city charges businesses $100 to $20,000 for using the sign for "any sort of commercial purpose, such as licensing, filming or photography," according to Kunkle's lawsuit filed last week in Multnomah County Circuit Court.
He said he isn't seeking any money and just wants the city to back off its trademark claim and stop charging businesses. He contends the city improperly trademarked the sign because it's not an image used to denote goods or products.
"I've photographed signs all across the country and most people are happy to see their signs photographed because it's great publicity," Kunkle said.
Months ago, Kunkle heard the city was going to go after photographers on Etsy. So he said he stopped selling images of the current sign that reads "Portland Oregon," but kept selling photos he took before 2010 when it read "Made in Oregon."
The city didn't own the sign before then, and Kunkle said he's baffled that the city is trying to charge him a fee for using an image of a sign it didn't own. (Permalink)
Yes, there's a new Rocky movie. Yes, you should be excited about it.
Is it time to get pumped about a new Rocky movie? Heck yes it is. Even though what is technically Rocky VII is tragically NOT called Adrian's Revenge, it looks like it should still be one heck of a film. It looks like it's going to hit all of the notes you'd want in a Rocky movie, with the added bona fides of being helmed by the director of Fruitvale Station and featuring everyone's favorite Wallace and/or Johnny Storm, Michael B. Jordan, arguably the second-most beloved Michael Jordan in history.
Long story short, LET'S ALL GO SEE THE NEW ROCKY MOVIE WOOOOOOO
The deal will kick in starting with the 2015-16 season, and Davis' specific maximum number will not be set in stone for next summer. He is expected to be eligible for the Derrick Rose rule criteria that enables him to get 30 percent of the cap in the first year, and he will achieve that benchmark with one more All-Star starter appearance. The salary cap is expected to be around $89 million in 2015-16.
Davis' deal will have an opt-out clause after the fourth year that will allow him to become a free agent again, per ESPN's Marc Stein.
Davis has emerged as one of the league's best players and it was never in doubt that he was going to receive an extension for the maximum allowable. For Davis, that's 30 percent of the cap, as he's eligible for a special contract reserved for players who have made an All-NBA team at least twice, the All-Star team as a starter at least twice or were named league MVP. Davis will surely fit that criteria after this season, as he already has one All-NBA and one All-Star team selection.
Davis will have a starting salary of around $26 million, as his extension will kick in just as the cap explodes following the first year of the league's new television deal. With the cap projected to keep rising, his contract will be fantastic value and should allow the Pelicans plenty of flexibility to surround him with talent.
Davis made the first team All-NBA last season and finished fifth in MVP voting. He averaged 24.4 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks during the regular season and led the Pelicans to the playoffs.
U.S. Senator John McCain had a chance at a foul ball in the seventh inning on Tuesday night at the Diamondbacks game, but when this Jimmy Rollins pop up came McCain's way after a bounce... well, McCain didn't exactly haul it in.
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Dodgers photographer Jon SooHoo captured a wonderful still shot just when the ball found its way to McCain.
Yoga is great. It improves your strength, flexibility and conditioning. It also works a bunch of stabilizer muscles that are difficult to target otherwise.
The Girl Scouts are not only good role models for young girls, but for all of us, deciding the dignity of trans girls is more important than money. That should be rewarded, I think.
THEY DID IT IN ONE DAY. SUCK IT, TRANSMISOGYNISTS.
They’ve nearly doubled the goal in one day. DOUBLED. This is the best thing, the very best thing.
Phil Knight will be stepping down next year as the chair of Nike. The company announced that Tuesday, among a series of actions meant to provide “long-term stability.”
In a press release, Knight said, “For me, Nike has always been more than just a company – it has been my life’s passion.”
Phil Knight co-founded Nike and has been a director of the company since 1968. He’s 76 now, and has told Nike’s Board of Directors that he recommends Mark Parker to succeed him as chairman
Parker is what’s known as a “lifer” at Nike. He joined the company as a designer in 1979 and he’s credited with overseeing a tremendous period of growth since 2006.
Nike said it expects to name a new chairman in 2016, but no specific date was set for Knight’s departure.
Phil Knight’s son, Travis Knight, was named to a spot on the board. The younger Knight is best known for his leadership of Laika, an animation company famous for films including “The Boxtrolls” and “Coraline.” (Permalink)
President Obama will announce Wednesday that the U.S. and Cuba have reached an agreement to open embassies in Havana and Washington, an administration official confirmed to Fox News.
The announcement marks a major step in ending hostilities between the longtime foes and an opportunity to re-establish formal diplomatic relations. (Permalink)
River Song has become a bit of a controversial figure on Doctor Who—even the fans who like her aren’t sure they want her to return to the show. But while River isn’t back on the TV show for now, she is making the leap to Doctor Who audio plays. And this time, she gets to have adventures with classic Doctors.
'the new game’s editor excels in the same way: it is really good at generating insufferable teens.'
Make a Fire Emblem Fates character now ⊟
Even if you don’t have the game yet (since it doesn’t come out in the West until next year) you can make a Fire Emblem Fates Kamui character right now, thanks to a web app by LuminescentBlade (via @finalmacstorm)
Though the hairstyle, face, and accessory choices are different from the Fire Emblem Awakening character creator, the new game’s editor excels in the same way: it is really good at generating insufferable teens.
The best part of Dai Gyakuten Saiban’s new trailer ⊟
More zaniness from the game’s prosecutor Barok van Zieks, please. Dai Gyakuten Saiban, the latest entry to the new Ace Attorney series, hits the 3DS in Japan next week. Watch the subtitled “launch” trailer below:
A lot of websites are going to try to tell you that their video of a lion cub trying to roar is today’s most adorable video. Normally, that would be entirely accurate (it just squeaks!) but not today. No, today that title belongs to a clip of the 62-year-old creator of Mario having the time of his life playing around with a puppet of a vulpine fighter pilot.
For a little backstory, Nintendo’s E3 presentation this year was heavilypuppetbased and, as it turns out, if you want to do anything with puppets in this world you’re going to have to go through the Hensons. That means that we all get to be treated to a video of Shigeru Miyamoto running around the Henson Studio playing with puppets, doing the Charlie Chaplin walk, and speaking at length about the Nintendo collaboration with Brian Henson.
Misty Copeland, whose openness about race in ballet helped to make her one of the most famous ballerinas in the United States, was promoted on Tuesday by American Ballet Theater, becoming the first African-American female principal dancer in the company’s 75-year history.
Her promotion — after more than 14 years with the company, nearly eight as a soloist — came as Ms. Copeland’s fame spread far beyond traditional dance circles. (Permalink)
As far as I can tell, the Buddha didn't really offer clear reasons for his reluctance to ordain women, yet being the Buddha, he must have given it a lot of consideration. (Permalink)
New comic book characters -- who will also be added gradually to the game -- will enhance the story. One such character is Guillotine, a superhero whose powers draw from a magic sword handed down in her family since the French Revolution.
Kabam helped Marvel conceive of the character, creating sketches and offering ideas for different traits, like a skull affixed to Guillotine's magic sword that talks to her. (Permalink)
