Posts by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
 (DIR) Post #AYGLVwKSdfQbcAyMYi by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
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       One of the creepier tech-related incidents I remember was many years ago when I wanted the Sam's Photofacts (a third-party creator of device specs and schematics, etc.) for a very old portable TV. Way out of date, but I was trying to help someone with it.I mentioned to a friend that I was looking for old Photofacts, but I did not say anything about the TV. He scribbled an address on a scrap of paper, an address locally here in L.A. "Try him," he muttered.I drive over. It's a small unmarked storefront. I go in, the bell on the door rings. Sitting inside, like the caterpillar in "Alice in Wonderland", is this little guy perched on a stool, with immense stacks of paper surrounding him everywhere. Total mayhem.I walk up to him -- knowing that this was a waste of time and really wanting to get out of there -- and asked if he had the Sam's Photofacts for that specific very old TV model.Without saying a word, he reached over to the pile of papers right next to him, took the TOP item off the pile, and silently handed it to me. It was the ancient one I needed. Stunned, I paid him the amount marked on the item, and left with it, not completely sure what had just happened.When I drove by there a month later that storefront was something else entirely. He was gone.
       
 (DIR) Post #B45Tyy2qiBFjfOTgo4 by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
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       The topic for my usual Monday national network radio tech report today will be the escalating battles over Big Tech Billionaires attempting to force monstrous data centers into communities that don't want them.
       
 (DIR) Post #B4Diqa4d0Osda6RrMG by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
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       Pentagon is banning photographers from press briefings, because Hegseth was upset about "unflattering" photos
       
 (DIR) Post #B4SZnAeR5I7leLtYuG by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
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       Hegseth suggests that Jesus Christ supports Trump's war in Iran
       
 (DIR) Post #B4iqyje082fz789PMm by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
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       @stux If they knew how the mobile versions of these systems are designed to manipulate users even more than the desktop view versions, they might better understand.
       
 (DIR) Post #B51K6Txki6esJNiLUu by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
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       The complete text of Trump's deranged rant; he's an ill and dangerous man, probably most dangerous in history given our nukes"Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin' Strait, you crazy bastards, or you'll be living in Hell - JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP."If Hell exists and anyone is destined for it, this man will spend eternity in its innermost circle when he shuffles off the stage.
       
 (DIR) Post #B5rtvRDwFlwrCXEb4K by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
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       @stux Human, you are a good human.
       
 (DIR) Post #B6t79kgMioj5KYudFY by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
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       I am absolutely convinced that the most effective way to put the Big Tech AI billionaires on short leashes is to enact laws holding the firms financially, legally, and criminally responsible for the damages done by their AI systems -- just as a human in the same position would be held responsible. And this means prison for the CEOs for serious damages, AI involvement in murders and suicides, and so on. The devil is in the details of course, but if someone proposed a California Proposition addressing this, I suspect there would be an enormous amount of interest.
       
 (DIR) Post #B7eJBmtC7ccrJooWGm by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
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       California pushing massive censorship legislation with social media ban requiring Internet tracking that would affect all users of any age and take away parental rightsThe ultimate goal is tracking/controlling/censoring every user of every aspect of the Internet, not just social media and not just children.https://eff.salsalabs.org/stopcasocialban/index.html
       
 (DIR) Post #B80WBY4PYdREV5et84 by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
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       The cure for most of the problems of Large Language Model generative AI systems is making the firms absolutely liable for what their AI models say and do. Financially, Legally, and Criminally. The firms can then decide which of their AI services they wish to continue deploying to the public under that set of constraints. It will be completely up to them!
       
 (DIR) Post #B88ccus92dnO1p28xM by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
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       HORRIFIC: Waymo robotaxi kidnaps and imprisons teenagersThis story is much worse than I realized. Those drinking teenagers who were shooting Orbeez from a Waymo were not just reported to the police, Google/Alphabet literally kidnapped them, locking them helplessly in the vehicle, until police arrived. This is a scenario I predicted years ago, robocars kidnapping passengers and taking them against their will to "authorities". Imagine what Trump's DOJ would do with this power.Despite the fact that these teens were engaging in low level misbehavior, Google/Alphabet is NOT supposed to be an arresting agent of the government. What if one of those teens had suffered a medical emergency locked in that vehicle? THIS IS HORRIFIC.https://www.wpxi.com/news/trending/waymo-car-delivers-misbehaving-teens-california-police/UCOGYIJRHJG2LMHYWJQ3PH7VEY/#waymo #google #alphabet #robotax #kidnapping
       
 (DIR) Post #B88cd0Jyma20vb5wXI by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
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       More on teens kidnapped by #WaymoBTW, there are conflicting accounts on one point -- some stories say the teens were locked in the vehicle, some say they were "trapped", some say Waymo lied to them and told them there were "maintenance" issues and don't leave the vehicle. In any case, they were kidnapped. They weren't even charged by police at the time, apparently.
       
 (DIR) Post #B9hUELZauRRjmPNmRU by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
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       @stux The high speed rail project is the vote in my life that I most regret. I voted yes, not realizing we were being sold a total fraud.
       
 (DIR) Post #BA8d1kRZRwl3ABLDuq by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
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       @dangillmor The problem with transcripts -- and I mean all them -- radio ones like I do, podcasts, courts, etc., is that you easily lose emphasis, sarcasm, and more. This not just an annoyance, it can be a real problem.
       
 (DIR) Post #BAEw7fAH3Of8bcXofI by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
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       @stux Insanely expensive. Just say no.
       
 (DIR) Post #BALOuArUOmnJIb7q8e by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
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       @stux Goodnight Claude, ChatGPT, Grok and Gemini. Sleep well.
       
 (DIR) Post #BAW0aCIdkIc4Wx55xQ by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
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       @stux And, how does anyone know that wasn't just AI? Eh?