"With the city's infrastructure having collapsed long ago–or perhaps having never been built in the first place–there are no works of public sanitation, no sewers, no licensed doctors, no reliable food supply, no electricity. The feral city is a kind of return to medievalism, we might say, back to the future of a dark age for anyone but criminals, gangs, and urban warlords. It is a space of illiterate power–strength unresponsive to rationality or political debate." Cities Under Siege (bldgblog, thanks, Susannah).
Feral cities
Spotify uses ghost artists to "shape listening behavior" and avoid paying real ones
Spotify pads playlists with music by unknown artists, and has been accused of generating this music itself or using cheap library music to reduce the amount paid to artists. At… READ THE REST
Tom Whitwell's annual collection of 52 fascinating facts returns, featuring expensive calculators and trademarked scents
For the last several years, Tom Whitwell, has written an annual list of 52 things he's learned that year. He just posted his new one. Here are five samples: There… READ THE REST
The Bop Spotter is listening to your music picks. But where is it?
Riley Walz created the Bop Spotter: an inconspicious gadget running Shazam and surveilling the musical tastes of passers-by in San Franciso. Think "Shot Spotter" but for culture, writes Riley. I… READ THE REST
Goodbye TikTok, hello brainscrolling
TL;DR: Stop wasting time scrolling and start learning—Pearls Premium gives you lifetime access to bite-sized, 15-minute summaries of bestsellers for just $29.99. TikTok might get banned, and while it may feel… READ THE REST
Find the perfect color match every time with this handy dandy sensor
TL;DR: Match any color like a pro with the Nix Mini 3 — the go-to gadget for $69.97 until February 9. Ever stared at a wall and wondered, What shade of blue… READ THE REST
Who needs daylight? This night-vision device has you covered
TL;DR: Explore the night with this compact night-vision device — on sale for $99.99 (reg. $159) for a limited time. The night is full of wonders — if you can actually see them.… READ THE REST
