So, yes, Sherlock is back as brilliant as ever and there's joy and entertainment and superb craftsmanship abounding in this first episode (you might feel like clapping in appreciation when it ends), but there's also the promise of more goodness ahead.

Can't wait. Well, since it's aired in the UK, I suppose I could be watching it now, so I guess I can literally wait. But, I'm waiting for anticipation for the 19th, when it airs on BBC America.

Sherlock: TV Review

The acclaimed detective, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, returns for season three as superb (and unscathed) as when he left.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

When someone reveals that government officials have routinely and deliberately broken the law, that person should not face life in prison at the hands of the same government.

Indeed.

Opinion | Edward Snowden, Whistle-Blower (Published 2014)

Considering the value of his leaks and the N.S.A. abuses he has exposed, Mr. Snowden should be offered clemency or a plea bargain.

mobile.nytimes.com

Nice piece. The last three paragraphs are the best of the whole thing.

Via Rands.

"Like the RX1, the a7s aren’t without their faults, namely a poor autofocus system, poor battery life, still fairly high price tag, and very limited lens options. But they are just the start, the first of a breed of camera that is sure to be the nail in the DSLR’s reflex mirror. Many photographers might hesitate to jump ship right away — the a7s aren’t ideal for sports photography and other specific disciplines — but once Sony builds out the lens options and improves the autofocus, it’ll be all but over."

Sony is on a tear, and has been innovating up a storm. Fuji's been doing great with their lenses, too. It feels like the next generation is going to finally start getting this stuff down.

Sony Alpha A7 and A7R review

Sony does the supposedly impossible

www.theverge.com

“Surely, such a program infringes on ‘that degree of privacy’ that the Founders enshrined in the Fourth Amendment. Indeed, I have little doubt that the author of our Constitution, James Madison, who cautioned us to be aware ‘the abridgment of freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments by those in power,’ would be aghast.”

Yes!

"We don't want the girls because the girls won't buy toys."

Infuriating is right.

"There is no other way that we know of to connect the dots."

Time to fire Alexander and find someone who can "connect the dots" without mass surveillance of the entire American populace.

"Like Bitcoin, marriage holds the promise of both massive success and devastating failure. No one knows how things will wind up five, ten, fifteen, or fifty years from now."

Ha, awesome.

A good review, with lots of great pictures. I test rode the LTC when shopping for my new bike and, while I didn't end up with the Tallboy, I agree with the review. In fact, other than the frame, my Yeti is very similarly spec'd. A drool-worthy bike, to be sure.

"Learn about spelling and grammar. Writing is now so essential to our lives online, and sometimes it’s the only thing people see of us."

Oh, please no. It's great that we can finally use iPads and such throughout the flight, but the thought of people yapping into their phones for a whole flight makes my skin crawl. Terrible, terrible idea.

If you want to kill someone, your job might be a lot easier if that person is a cyclist.

The problem, according to Ray Thomas, a Portland, Ore., attorney who specializes in bike law, is that “jurors identify with drivers.” Convictions carry life-destroying penalties, up to six years in prison, Mr. Thomas pointed out, and jurors “just think, well, I could make the same mistake.

When I was learning to drive, my Drivers' Ed teacher said that it's basically always the driver's fault if he hits a pedestrian in a crosswalk. We should make the same basic premise true about bike lanes: kill a cyclist who is legally proceeding in a bike lane, and you're going to get prosecuted.

Opinion | Is It O.K. to Kill Cyclists? (Published 2013)

Based on how drivers who run over and kill cyclists are punished, you’d have to say yes.

www.nytimes.com

Nice feature!

Track down those noisy tabs

Have you ever shuffled through your tabs to figure out where that sound or music is coming from? We hear you! With today’s latest Chrome Bet...

chrome.blogspot.com