Aaron Swartz sez, "Bold legislators in New Jersey and Idaho have introduced bills
stopping the new porno-scanners, but that's not enough — we need to
pass these bills in every state! So I set up a thing to make it
super-easy to contact your state legislator about it. Just add your
name and zip code to our petition and we'll automatically email your
state rep."
A scoop from Buzzfeed News: "Parler wanted Donald Trump on its site. Trump's company wanted an ownership stake. Here's the exclusive story of their negotiation." Parler is the chat app founded in 2018 by former college roommates John Matze and Jared Thomson, and Rebekah Mercer, the right-wing political donor and daughter of hedge fund magnate… READ THE REST
The electronic voting systems maker Smartmatic on Thursday sued Rupert Murdoch's Fox News, and Trump attorney Rudolph Giuliani. The lawsuit claims both the right-wing TV network and the famously frenetic lawyer falsely accused Smartmatic of rigging the 2020 U.S. presidential election in favor of Joe Biden. More at Reuters. The defamation suit, filed in New… READ THE REST
Jeff Bezos is departing Amazon.com, the company he founded. "Bezos will step down as CEO and become executive chairman, naming the head of its lucrative cloud computing division as successor in a sign of the company's transformation from web retailer to internet conglomerate," reports Reuters. Previous Amazon news: their new HQ don't look so great. READ THE REST
Here's an entirely uncontroversial statement: the convenience of smartphones and tablets is amazing. At no point in human history has so much information, communication, and entertainment been available in such a tiny package. But, that minuscule size is one of the only downsides of a smartphone, a tablet, or even a laptop. If you want to… READ THE REST
No one needs to tell you that the cost of higher education is astronomical. A year of tuition and fees at the average American private university will cost over $37,000, while even a public school option for in-state students will likely set you back over $10,000 a year. Heap on housing, food, and utilities, as… READ THE REST
The excitement of bringing a new pet into your home, particularly an indescribably cute kitten or puppy, is intoxicating. Between welcoming the new family member and enjoying all that youthful energy around your house, it's easy not to think about some of the other immediate considerations surrounding pet ownership. But those realities will appear, likely… READ THE REST