Linked from the previous, but worth calling out here too.

The Pocket Guide to Bullshit Prevention - The Last Word On Nothing

Shameless merch update: Want the Bullshit Prevention Protocol on a T-shirt, sticker, poster, mug, or onesie? Sure you do. Shop here for the original, and here for a SFW version. I am often wrong. I misunderstand; I misremember; I believe things I shouldn’t. I’m overly optimistic about the future quality of Downton Abbey, and […]

www.lastwordonnothing.com

Fun article, even if it’s really not about Big Data.

“Conclusions that dramatically confirm your personal opinions or experiences should be especially suspect.”

How to Call B.S. on Big Data: A Practical Guide

At the University of Washington, students are learning to navigate the hazards of our information-addled age—fact, falsehood, and the half-truths in between.

www.newyorker.com

Chris Adamson:

“This feels like it could be the end of 10+ years of codec peace, and a return to the bad old days of the late 90s when internet media insisted users install plugins for Windows Media, RealPlayer, QuickTime Streaming, or Flash, based on the technology choices made by the content provider. If the only way to have One True Codec today would be to standardize on VP9, well, let’s face it: there is no way in hell Apple would ever allow a core part of its business depend on a Google-controlled technology.”

Ugh.

Scum.

Before You Hit ‘Submit,’ This Company Has Already Logged Your Personal Data

If you’re daydreaming about buying a home or need to lower the payment on the one you already have, you might pay a visit to the Quicken Loans mortgage

gizmodo.com

I predict no outrage from the right; people who were crying about “the emails” will be silent now.

President Trump is being sued for deleting official emails because we have learned nothing

I voted for the meteor

www.theverge.com

Woot! Can’t wait!

Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy announced this evening that directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are leaving the Han Solo standalone film over “creative differences.”

Oh, crap.

Star Wars’ Han Solo spinoff directors were fired in the middle of shooting

There’s no replacement yet

www.theverge.com

They’re definitely not at the same level as some of the other enhancements the Airstreams have received since we bought ours (ducted AC has to be at the top of that list), but the 2018 gets a few nice bonuses:

• Upgraded electrical system including a multi-stage converter and an improved battery disconnect feature
• Dedicated HDMI wall plugs and wiring to articulating TVs

That first one should have been in there all along; it’s criminal to ship such a nice trailer with a battery-eating charger like ours had. HDMI in the walls is just plain nice.

What’s new with the 2018 International

www.airstream.com

This is a pretty good article covering the mess around the legal rights to Spider-Man, and what it means for fans of Marvel’s cinematic universe. Sadly, the bottom line is that Sony retains the rights to Spider-Man, and will make a bunch of movies in his world that aren’t part of the MCU, so Spidey will have one foot in the MCU and one out. Sigh.

And that doesn’t even touch the mess that is the X-Men. Double sigh.

Sony and Marvel’s Spider-Man deal may create one universe, but two worlds

The Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in video, and in podcasts.

www.theverge.com

Excellent.

120°! Ouch.

It’s so hot in Phoenix, planes are physically unable to fly

Science explains why extreme heat affects air travel

www.theverge.com

lol

Awesome.

Bat-Signal to Shine Over L.A. in Honor of Adam West

Mayor Eric Garcetti will light up the sky Thursday to remember the late ‘Batman’ actor.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

“Fantastic Four and X-Men: The Last Stand screenwriter Simon Kinberg has been tapped to direct the upcoming X-Men: Dark Phoenix movie for 20th Century Fox.”

So much is wrong in just that sentence. Fantastic Four and “X-Men: The Last Stand” were not good movies. Now that guy gets to direct the best X-Men story of all time? Arrrgh! 20th Century Fox sucks; I wish Marvel could get the rights away from them.

Fantastic Four writer Simon Kinberg will direct X-Men: Dark Phoenix

The Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in video, and in podcasts.

www.theverge.com

I spent some time with the Surface Laptop at the local Microsoft Store about a month ago and came away really impressed. This is the first Windows laptop that I actually think gives Apple a run for its money. Compared to the MacBook Air, this is the clear winner, except that it runs the wrong OS. If it ran MacOS, I’d probably have ordered one on impulse right then.

Microsoft Surface Laptop with Windows 10 Pro review

The Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in video, and in podcasts.

www.theverge.com