theverge--2020-09-03--Proposed COVID-19 testing strategy faces pitfalls

When someone gets a COVID-19 test , the result does one thing : tells that person if they have the coronavirus in their body .
Some researchers , though , are trying to get tests to do more — and reframing the goal of testing as a result .
Instead of simply finding people who are infected with the virus , they ’ d prefer to focus on finding people who are infectious and at risk of spreading it to other people .
The proposal offers one possible way to get the pandemic under control in the US .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to isolation and quarantine and help give people a better understanding of when they ’ re most at risk to others .
It would be a big change in how we think about testing .
Clinicians have never used tests for respiratory infections like COVID-19 to determine if someone is infectious , says Matt Binnicker , director of clinical virology at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota .
The concept is interesting and could be useful , he says .
“ But there are a lot of potential pitfalls.
” Let ’ s start @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
When researchers develop tests for viruses , they typically aim to make them as accurate as possible .
The Food and Drug Administration grades tests based on how well they can catch everyone who has an infection and how often they rule out everyone who does not .
Typically , the very best tests are the ones that can catch every single person who has even the slightest bit of virus in their system .
Typically , the very best tests are the ones that can catch every single person who has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their system The trouble with the coronavirus , though , is that it sticks around .
Tiny amounts of the virus ’ s genetic material could stay in someone ’ s nose or throat even after they ’ re better .
That could cause them to keep testing positive for the virus .
That ’ s one reason experts think there ’ s a downside to highly sensitive tests .
These tests often catch people who probably don ’ t need to be in isolation because they ’ ve already gone through the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is using less sensitive tests .
It ’ s an idea that ’ s been promoted by experts like Michael Mina , an epidemiologist at Harvard School of Public Health , and covered in articles in The New York Times and The Atlantic .
These tests wouldn ’ t be as likely to come back positive when there were only a few bits of virus in a patient sample .
Instead , they ’ d be set off when people have lots of virus floating around in their body — a sign that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an active infection , even if they ’ re not showing symptoms .
That ’ s preferable , some experts say , because those are the people public health officials are most worried about .
There are a few ways to do that .
One would be to rely more on tests that detect the small proteins on the surface of the coronavirus .
These antigen tests are fast but tend to be less accurate .
We could also change how we interpret information from the more-accurate PCR tests that are commonly used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They make copies of the virus in a sample , amplifying it over and over until it ’ s detectable .
The more copies it takes to detect the virus , the lower the amount that was there to begin with .
To make the tests likely to flag samples with negligible virus , clinicians could lower the cutoff point for the number of copies they let a sample run through .
The idea is that people who have lots of virus are the most contagious But these “ test people with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on an assumption .
The idea is that people who have lots of virus are the most contagious , and people who have low levels of virus are less contagious .
It ’ s not an unreasonable assumption , says Mark Slifka , a professor at Oregon Health and Science University studying viral immunology .
It makes intuitive sense : someone with more virus is more likely to exhale viral-laden droplets than someone with less virus .
There ’ s some indirect evidence to back this idea up .
Lab experiments have shown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus from patient samples with a high viral load than from samples with a low viral load .
This is a sign that the virus in the higher-count sample is actually infectious ( not just dead leftovers ) .
It ’ s also hard to find infectious virus in samples taken around 10 days after symptoms start — and that ’ s the window of time contact tracing shows that people are most likely to pass the virus to a close contact , Slifka says .
But there ’ s still not enough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ viral levels and infectiousness .
Someone with a lower level of virus might have a lower probability of infecting others , but it doesn ’ t mean that they can ’ t .
“ I don ’ t think that we have enough data to conclude that people are only infectious when they ’ ve got really high amounts of virus , ” Binnicker says .
“ I ’ m pretty comfortable saying that a person is more infectious.
” “ I don ’ t think that we have enough data to conclude @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ve got really high amounts of virus.
” That ’ s because levels of virus aren ’ t the only thing that can contribute to infectiousness .
Someone who has lots of virus but doesn ’ t have symptoms might be less likely to infect another person than someone with lower levels of virus who coughs every so often .
“ It ’ s not telling the full story , ” says Jen Heemstra , an associate professor of chemistry at Emory University .
The levels of virus measured by a test @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have higher levels of the virus than what appears on the swab .
It depends on how thoroughly the test is taken .
If a tester only lightly brushes a swab against the throat , they might not pick up much virus — even if the person actually has high levels .
A low-sensitivity test might not flag them , even though they have enough virus that it should .
“ We ’ ve all had strep tests where it just kind of touches the throat , and we ’ ve had others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that influences the test , ” Binnicker says .
Making tests less sensitive also runs the risk of missing people who are early on in their infection .
Analyses of COVID-19 patients show that the amount of virus starts low and rises quickly at the start of illness before falling back down .
A test doesn ’ t distinguish between someone who has low levels of virus because they ’ re recovering and someone who has low levels because they just got sick .
Someone who just got sick is going to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become more contagious ) very soon .
Take a hypothetical person named Bob , who comes into contact with someone who has COVID-19 , Slifka says .
When Bob gets tested , he has a low level of virus .
“ He could be on the downward slope , where he ’ s already cleared it , and would continue to be less likely to transmit , ” Slifka says .
“ Or it could be the opposite , where he has a viral load that ’ s low and then goes up.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but it requires getting more information from Bob and sending Bob to get more tests .
That way , if he doesn ’ t get flagged in a test on Monday , he ’ d be tested again on Wednesday to see if his viral levels rose .
“ If you can test people frequently enough , and then couple that with a lot of monitoring and data collection , then you can start to really piece together , ” Heemstra says .
“ If you can test people frequently enough ... @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Implementing this strategy would mean dramatically scaling up the amount of testing done in the US each day and making sure people don ’ t wait multiple days to get a result .
That takes increased manufacturing , better distribution , and political will — at a time when the Trump administration seems determined to limit testing .
The administration pushed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to change its guidelines around when people without symptoms should be tested .
Admiral Brett Giroir , the US testing leader , said this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could get fast , regular , and cheap COVID-19 tests was an unrealistic “ utopian world.
” Logistical problems aside , Binnicker says he ’ d like to see more evidence that low-sensitivity tests could actually separate infected people from infectious people and help control the spread of COVID-19 .
That might mean testing a few hundred people multiple times a week with a low-sensitivity test and watching to see if repeated testing could keep the virus from spreading .
“ It ’ s always useful to talk about innovative ideas , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ problem was the proposition was put out there without much in the way of supportive data to show that it could work .
”

When someone gets a COVID-19 test, the result does one thing: tells that person if they have the coronavirus in their body. Some researchers, though, are trying to get tests to do more — and reframing the goal of testing as a result. Instead of simply finding people who are infected with the virus, they’d prefer to focus on finding people who are infectious and at risk of spreading it to other people.
The proposal offers one possible way to get the pandemic under control in the US. It would allow for a more targeted approach to isolation and quarantine and help give people a better understanding of when they’re most at risk to others.
It would be a big change in how we think about testing. Clinicians have never used tests for respiratory infections like COVID-19 to determine if someone is infectious, says Matt Binnicker, director of clinical virology at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. The concept is interesting and could be useful, he says. “But there are a lot of potential pitfalls.”
Let’s start with how we think about tests now. When researchers develop tests for viruses, they typically aim to make them as accurate as possible. The Food and Drug Administration grades tests based on how well they can catch everyone who has an infection and how often they rule out everyone who does not. Typically, the very best tests are the ones that can catch every single person who has even the slightest bit of virus in their system.
Typically, the very best tests are the ones that can catch every single person who has even the slightest bit of virus in their system
The trouble with the coronavirus, though, is that it sticks around. Tiny amounts of the virus’s genetic material could stay in someone’s nose or throat even after they’re better. That could cause them to keep testing positive for the virus. That’s one reason experts think there’s a downside to highly sensitive tests. These tests often catch people who probably don’t need to be in isolation because they’ve already gone through the course of the illness.
The alternative is using less sensitive tests. It’s an idea that’s been promoted by experts like Michael Mina, an epidemiologist at Harvard School of Public Health, and covered in articles in The New York Times and The Atlantic. These tests wouldn’t be as likely to come back positive when there were only a few bits of virus in a patient sample. Instead, they’d be set off when people have lots of virus floating around in their body — a sign that they’re in the throes of an active infection, even if they’re not showing symptoms. That’s preferable, some experts say, because those are the people public health officials are most worried about.
There are a few ways to do that. One would be to rely more on tests that detect the small proteins on the surface of the coronavirus. These antigen tests are fast but tend to be less accurate. We could also change how we interpret information from the more-accurate PCR tests that are commonly used. PCR tests look for coronavirus genes. They make copies of the virus in a sample, amplifying it over and over until it’s detectable. The more copies it takes to detect the virus, the lower the amount that was there to begin with. To make the tests likely to flag samples with negligible virus, clinicians could lower the cutoff point for the number of copies they let a sample run through.
The idea is that people who have lots of virus are the most contagious
But these “test people with less sensitive tests” strategies are based on an assumption. The idea is that people who have lots of virus are the most contagious, and people who have low levels of virus are less contagious. It’s not an unreasonable assumption, says Mark Slifka, a professor at Oregon Health and Science University studying viral immunology. It makes intuitive sense: someone with more virus is more likely to exhale viral-laden droplets than someone with less virus.
There’s some indirect evidence to back this idea up. Lab experiments have shown that it’s easier to grow coronavirus from patient samples with a high viral load than from samples with a low viral load. This is a sign that the virus in the higher-count sample is actually infectious (not just dead leftovers). It’s also hard to find infectious virus in samples taken around 10 days after symptoms start — and that’s the window of time contact tracing shows that people are most likely to pass the virus to a close contact, Slifka says.
But there’s still not enough data to fully explain the relationship between viral levels and infectiousness. Someone with a lower level of virus might have a lower probability of infecting others, but it doesn’t mean that they can’t. “I don’t think that we have enough data to conclude that people are only infectious when they’ve got really high amounts of virus,” Binnicker says. “I’m pretty comfortable saying that a person is more infectious.”
“I don’t think that we have enough data to conclude that people are only infectious when they’ve got really high amounts of virus.”
That’s because levels of virus aren’t the only thing that can contribute to infectiousness. Someone who has lots of virus but doesn’t have symptoms might be less likely to infect another person than someone with lower levels of virus who coughs every so often. “It’s not telling the full story,” says Jen Heemstra, an associate professor of chemistry at Emory University.
The levels of virus measured by a test are also sometimes wrong. Someone might have higher levels of the virus than what appears on the swab. It depends on how thoroughly the test is taken. If a tester only lightly brushes a swab against the throat, they might not pick up much virus — even if the person actually has high levels. A low-sensitivity test might not flag them, even though they have enough virus that it should. “We’ve all had strep tests where it just kind of touches the throat, and we’ve had others with nurses who really scrape it — that influences the test,” Binnicker says.
Making tests less sensitive also runs the risk of missing people who are early on in their infection. Analyses of COVID-19 patients show that the amount of virus starts low and rises quickly at the start of illness before falling back down. A test doesn’t distinguish between someone who has low levels of virus because they’re recovering and someone who has low levels because they just got sick. Someone who just got sick is going to have high levels of virus (and potentially become more contagious) very soon.
Take a hypothetical person named Bob, who comes into contact with someone who has COVID-19, Slifka says. When Bob gets tested, he has a low level of virus. “He could be on the downward slope, where he’s already cleared it, and would continue to be less likely to transmit,” Slifka says. “Or it could be the opposite, where he has a viral load that’s low and then goes up.”
It’s a fixable problem, but it requires getting more information from Bob and sending Bob to get more tests. That way, if he doesn’t get flagged in a test on Monday, he’d be tested again on Wednesday to see if his viral levels rose. “If you can test people frequently enough, and then couple that with a lot of monitoring and data collection, then you can start to really piece together,” Heemstra says.
“If you can test people frequently enough ... you can start to really piece together”
Implementing this strategy would mean dramatically scaling up the amount of testing done in the US each day and making sure people don’t wait multiple days to get a result. That takes increased manufacturing, better distribution, and political will — at a time when the Trump administration seems determined to limit testing. The administration pushed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to change its guidelines around when people without symptoms should be tested. Admiral Brett Giroir, the US testing leader, said this week that a world where all Americans could get fast, regular, and cheap COVID-19 tests was an unrealistic “utopian world.”
Logistical problems aside, Binnicker says he’d like to see more evidence that low-sensitivity tests could actually separate infected people from infectious people and help control the spread of COVID-19. That might mean testing a few hundred people multiple times a week with a low-sensitivity test and watching to see if repeated testing could keep the virus from spreading.


theverge--2020-09-03--Facebook is paying people to shut down their accounts ahead of the election

As part of Facebook ’ s latest study on how social media impacts democracy , the company appears to be paying users to log off of its products ahead of the 2020 US presidential election , according to new screenshots posted by Washington Post reporter Elizabeth Dwoskin on Thursday .
Earlier this week , Facebook announced that it was partnering with outside researchers to study the impact its social media products have on society during the upcoming US presidential election .
Facebook expects around 200,000 to 400,000 users will opt in to the project .
Once they ’ ve opted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to see how they interact with its products , including both Facebook and Instagram .
“ To continue to amplify all that is good for democracy on social media , and mitigate against that which is not , we need more objective , dispassionate , empirically grounded research , ” Facebook explained in a blog post .
“ That ’ s why today we are announcing a new research partnership to better understand the impact of Facebook and Instagram on key political attitudes and behaviors during the US 2020 elections.
” The screenshots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an Instagram pop-up asking users to select how much money they ’ d be willing to receive in order to deactivate their Instagram and Facebook accounts ahead of the election .
Facebook gives the options of $ 10 , $ 15 , and $ 20 per week as some users would be asked to deactivate for one week while others could be asked to leave the platform up to six weeks total .
A Facebook spokesperson confirmed that the company would be paying users who complete surveys or deactivate as part of its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to opt in – whether it ’ s completing surveys or deactivating FB or IG for a period of time – will be compensated , ” Liz Bourgeous , a Facebook spokesperson , said in a tweet Thursday .
“ This is fairly standard for this type of academic research.
” According to Facebook , the company doesn ’ t expect to release the findings of its research until at least the middle of next year .

As part of Facebook’s latest study on how social media impacts democracy, the company appears to be paying users to log off of its products ahead of the 2020 US presidential election, according to new screenshots posted by Washington Post reporter Elizabeth Dwoskin on Thursday.
Earlier this week, Facebook announced that it was partnering with outside researchers to study the impact its social media products have on society during the upcoming US presidential election. Facebook expects around 200,000 to 400,000 users will opt in to the project. Once they’ve opted in, the company will be able to see how they interact with its products, including both Facebook and Instagram.
“To continue to amplify all that is good for democracy on social media, and mitigate against that which is not, we need more objective, dispassionate, empirically grounded research,” Facebook explained in a blog post. “That’s why today we are announcing a new research partnership to better understand the impact of Facebook and Instagram on key political attitudes and behaviors during the US 2020 elections.”
The screenshots posted by The Washington Post Thursday show an Instagram pop-up asking users to select how much money they’d be willing to receive in order to deactivate their Instagram and Facebook accounts ahead of the election. Facebook gives the options of $10, $15, and $20 per week as some users would be asked to deactivate for one week while others could be asked to leave the platform up to six weeks total.
A Facebook spokesperson confirmed that the company would be paying users who complete surveys or deactivate as part of its research Thursday. “Anyone who chooses to opt in – whether it’s completing surveys or deactivating FB or IG for a period of time – will be compensated,” Liz Bourgeous, a Facebook spokesperson, said in a tweet Thursday. “This is fairly standard for this type of academic research.”


theverge--2020-09-03--This music video was shot entirely in Animal Crossing, and it’s great

If you can host a popular talk show in Animal Crossing , why not stage an official music video there ?
Particularly when , as you ’ ll see in Sylvan Esso ’ s official “ Ferris Wheel ” music video , the results are excellent .
It ’ s a delightful shot of summery goodness , even if it ’ s a little on the nose here and there .
Don ’ t have time for the full vid ?
Here ’ s a Twitter sample : Artists are having a tough time connecting to their fans during the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit Nintendo game seems as good a way as any !
This actually isn ’ t the first official music video shot in Animal Crossing , by the way .
We did find another , earlier one on YouTube by a Sad Alex : And plenty of fans are staging their favorite songs to Animal Crossing as well .
Or an entire Hamilton musical .
It ’ s worth noting Sylvan Esso didn ’ t bet their song ’ s entire video debut on Animal Crossing , though .
Here ’ s the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Finally , I ’ ll leave you with this .
Enjoy !

If you can host a popular talk show in Animal Crossing, why not stage an official music video there? Particularly when, as you’ll see in Sylvan Esso’s official “Ferris Wheel” music video, the results are excellent. It’s a delightful shot of summery goodness, even if it’s a little on the nose here and there.
Don’t have time for the full vid? Here’s a Twitter sample:
Artists are having a tough time connecting to their fans during the pandemic, and filming inside the breakout hit Nintendo game seems as good a way as any!
This actually isn’t the first official music video shot in Animal Crossing, by the way. We did find another, earlier one on YouTube by a Sad Alex:
And plenty of fans are staging their favorite songs to Animal Crossing as well. Or an entire Hamilton musical.
It’s worth noting Sylvan Esso didn’t bet their song’s entire video debut on Animal Crossing, though. Here’s the original “Ferris Wheel” music video:


theverge--2020-09-04--Telling people to delete Facebook won’t fix the internet

Is your teenage son falling in with a bad crowd ?
Does your tween daughter have low self-esteem and serious impulse-control problems ?
Are your family dinners brief and poorly attended ?
If this sounds familiar , your household may be a victim of… social media .
We ’ ve seen years of escalating ( and reasonable ) fears that Facebook , YouTube , and other big social networks are bad for their users .
The Social Dilemma , a docu-drama that debuts on Netflix next week , is meant as a vivid cautionary tale .
It ’ s actually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on manipulative interface design in the form of an earnest after-school special or a feature-length anti-drug PSA .
Directed by Jeff Orlowski , The Social Dilemma is an enjoyably lucid explanation of how sites keep users scrolling and clicking .
But it ’ s reiterating a familiar and simplistic assessment of how the internet has changed our lives .
What is endless scrolling doing to the web ?
The Social Dilemma advances a popular explanation for why social media has exacerbated the world ’ s biggest problems — including authoritarian politicians , COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rates among teenagers .
Through expert interviews intercut with narrative segments , it argues that ad-supported networks use addictive interface elements ( like endless scrolling and pop-up notifications ) and automated personalization ( like recommended videos or groups ) to increase engagement with harmful but compelling content ( like conspiracy theories , misinformation , and mean comments from your Instagram followers ) .
In its telling — as well as that of subjects like tech ethicist Tristan Harris , internet pioneer Jaron Lanier , and academic Shoshana Zuboff — this has turned the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The film cleverly dramatizes social media ’ s downsides with a fictionalized network that ’ s literally run by three sociopathic men ( all played by Mad Men ’ s Vincent Kartheiser ) inside a server .
Between its experts explaining specific systems , The Social Dilemma offers a story about teen social media addict Ben ( Booksmart ’ s Skyler Gisondo ) and his equally screen-dependent family .
Watching a smirking , amoral personified algorithm ruin a kid ’ s life might be the most fun you ’ ll ever have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drama undercuts The Social Dilemma ’ s ostensible message — or maybe just reveals its weaknesses .
The film ’ s interviewees hammer home the idea that social media is a totally unprecedented threat , dismissing comparisons with radio , television , or any previous mass medium .
Ben ’ s story , meanwhile , is a typical Rake ’ s Progress of middle-class juvenile dysfunction .
He loses interest in cute girls and sports , starts supporting an antisocial pseudo-political movement , and generally falls into a malaise that earlier social critics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( It ’ s also worth noting that many real teens don ’ t have a supportive family or great social life to unplug for . )
Similar to The Great Hack , another anti-Big Tech documentary that Netflix distributed last year , Orlowski ’ s movie relies on tech industry insiders gone rogue , with all that strategy ’ s power and attendant limitations .
The film features several former employees of Facebook , Google , and similarly large platforms , all of whom are now critical of their product .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same Silicon Valley culture they ’ re criticizing , and they ’ re selling a version of the same mythos : that a few omnipotent engineers caused the apocalypse by building a perfect mind-control machine .
In fact , conflating Facebook , YouTube , and Instagram with social interaction on the internet — and “ social media ” with the internet at large — is the greatest trick these platforms ever pulled .
The Social Dilemma , like many critiques of social media , portrays a world where algorithmically manipulated data hives replaced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it treats any problem with the internet as a problem with the specific conditions that make Facebook or YouTube bad .
Any large-scale solution boils down to tinkering with or shutting down those platforms .
And any small-scale one involves cutting back on “ screen time ” or deleting your accounts , the main options that The Social Dilemma proposes .
Propaganda , bullying , and misinformation are actually far bigger and more complicated .
The film briefly mentions , for instance , that Facebook-owned WhatsApp has spread misinformation that inspired grotesque lynchings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t mention , however , that WhatsApp works almost nothing like Facebook .
It ’ s a highly private , encrypted messaging service with no algorithmic interference , and it ’ s still fertile ground for false narratives .
As Alexis Madrigal notes , condemning the platforms together comes “ uncomfortably close to admitting that mobile communications pose fundamental challenges to societies across the world.
” There ’ s a fair case for that , he argues — but a case with much more alarming implications .
Radicalization doesn ’ t just happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the deadliest far-right killers were apparently incubated on small forums : Christchurch mosque killer Brenton Tarrant on 8chan ; Oregon mass shooter Chris Harper-Mercer on 4chan ; Tree of Life Synagogue killer Robert Bowers on Gab ; and Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik on white supremacist sites including Stormfront , a 23-year-old hate site credited with inspiring scores of murders .
These sites aren ’ t primarily driven by algorithms or profit motives .
Instead , they twist and exploit the open internet ’ s positive ability to connect like-minded people .
When @ @ @ @ @ @ @ raises complex moderation questions for domain hosts and web infrastructure providers — a separate set of powerful companies that have completely different business models from Facebook .
Big social platforms can play a key role in amplifying hate and conspiracies .
The QAnon movement , for instance , began on 4chan and 8chan but spread through Facebook ’ s group recommendations and similar algorithmic promotional tools .
In a world without gigantic , centralized social giants , its power might have been far more limited .
But small , toxic online spaces have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backlash against Big Tech by presenting themselves as alternatives .
The Social Dilemma , by contrast , doesn ’ t offer a terribly convincing portrayal of life without its fictional Facebook clone .
It assumes that if you weren ’ t scrolling through your feed , you ’ d be drawn to spontaneous tête-à-têtes or reading Zuboff ’ s 700-page sociopolitical tome The Age of Surveillance Capitalism… instead of tabloids , telephones , movies , television , shopping centers , pornography , talk radio , internet forums , or any of the million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing good books and conversation .
There ’ s a clear hunger for polemics like The Social Dilemma , even if most people view big tech companies favorably .
When a handful of sites dominate the internet , their problems are easy to spot .
But neat unified theories — including the tiny evil server men — unhelpfully conflate problems posed by specific social platforms , mass online communication , and bad actors outside the tech world .
Old-fashioned business , media , and politics still play a powerful role in shaping what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ propagandists include world leaders , political parties , and military figures , as well as celebrities minted on film or television — people who can and should be held accountable in their own right , not dismissed as inevitable byproducts of “ the algorithm.
” Similarly , web platforms aren ’ t just run by code .
Senior Facebook leadership , for instance , has reportedly intervened to protect right-wing misinformation from its standard moderation process .
And as with many self-help movements , denouncing screen addiction is an easy trick for transmuting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tristan Harris , a former Google employee and one of The Social Dilemma ’ s central figures , relates his epiphany that Gmail ’ s email interface is addictive .
Nobody raises an equally obvious issue : at many companies , answering email around the clock is encouraged or required .
( Weirdly enough , Harris later lauds ride-hailing apps — a ruthlessly exploitative business built on opaque algorithms and manipulative interfaces — as an example of Silicon Valley ’ s potential . )
Instead of asking companies to untether employees from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ phone users for leaving their notifications on .
Are you addicted to email or tethered to work ?
The Social Dilemma discounts the notion of using social networks creatively or critically , sometimes to the point of condescension .
( A couple of interview subjects imply that ordinary people see sleight-of-hand tricks as literally magic , so no wonder they don ’ t trust them . )
But it ’ s easy to find people thoughtfully engaging with these apps , particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic , which has turned screens into some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Activists who are deeply critical of Facebook and Google have still built mutual aid networks and organized protests on their networks .
These activists aren ’ t oblivious to the downsides of big platforms , and plenty have called for — or even constructed — better independent tools .
Despite this , they ’ ve repurposed flawed systems to serve real social needs .
In the process they ’ ve helped illuminate the ways that social media might be used for good , as well as the changes required to make that happen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say that all media have caused problems , and therefore social media is no different from TV or radio .
The internet scales up , speeds up , and automates older media in a way that poses unique problems .
But it makes the old status quo look worse , not better .
Talk radio , television , and books have pushed misinformation for years with little more than affectionate eye-rolling from the public .
Cable channels dedicated to science , history , or “ reality ” are rife with pseudoscience , deception @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have magnified all the worst parts of existing culture .
Fixing that can ’ t simply mean condemning Facebook .
Instead , we have to treat it as one part of a much bigger problem .
And more importantly , we need to imagine what comes after it .
The Social Dilemma will debut on Netflix September 9th .

Is your teenage son falling in with a bad crowd? Does your tween daughter have low self-esteem and serious impulse-control problems? Are your family dinners brief and poorly attended? If this sounds familiar, your household may be a victim of… social media.
We’ve seen years of escalating (and reasonable) fears that Facebook, YouTube, and other big social networks are bad for their users. The Social Dilemma, a docu-drama that debuts on Netflix next week, is meant as a vivid cautionary tale. It’s actually something a bit weirder: a primer on manipulative interface design in the form of an earnest after-school special or a feature-length anti-drug PSA. Directed by Jeff Orlowski, The Social Dilemma is an enjoyably lucid explanation of how sites keep users scrolling and clicking. But it’s reiterating a familiar and simplistic assessment of how the internet has changed our lives.
What is endless scrolling doing to the web?
The Social Dilemma advances a popular explanation for why social media has exacerbated the world’s biggest problems — including authoritarian politicians, COVID-19 misinformation, and increased suicide and self-harm rates among teenagers. Through expert interviews intercut with narrative segments, it argues that ad-supported networks use addictive interface elements (like endless scrolling and pop-up notifications) and automated personalization (like recommended videos or groups) to increase engagement with harmful but compelling content (like conspiracy theories, misinformation, and mean comments from your Instagram followers). In its telling — as well as that of subjects like tech ethicist Tristan Harris, internet pioneer Jaron Lanier, and academic Shoshana Zuboff — this has turned the internet into a global force for ill.
The film cleverly dramatizes social media’s downsides with a fictionalized network that’s literally run by three sociopathic men (all played by Mad Men’s Vincent Kartheiser) inside a server. Between its experts explaining specific systems, The Social Dilemma offers a story about teen social media addict Ben (Booksmart’s Skyler Gisondo) and his equally screen-dependent family. Watching a smirking, amoral personified algorithm ruin a kid’s life might be the most fun you’ll ever have learning about push notifications.
Fun with push notifications
But the drama undercuts The Social Dilemma’s ostensible message — or maybe just reveals its weaknesses. The film’s interviewees hammer home the idea that social media is a totally unprecedented threat, dismissing comparisons with radio, television, or any previous mass medium. Ben’s story, meanwhile, is a typical Rake’s Progress of middle-class juvenile dysfunction. He loses interest in cute girls and sports, starts supporting an antisocial pseudo-political movement, and generally falls into a malaise that earlier social critics pinned on rock music or television. (It’s also worth noting that many real teens don’t have a supportive family or great social life to unplug for.)
Similar to The Great Hack, another anti-Big Tech documentary that Netflix distributed last year, Orlowski’s movie relies on tech industry insiders gone rogue, with all that strategy’s power and attendant limitations. The film features several former employees of Facebook, Google, and similarly large platforms, all of whom are now critical of their product. But these tech apostates are products of the same Silicon Valley culture they’re criticizing, and they’re selling a version of the same mythos: that a few omnipotent engineers caused the apocalypse by building a perfect mind-control machine.
In fact, conflating Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram with social interaction on the internet — and “social media” with the internet at large — is the greatest trick these platforms ever pulled. The Social Dilemma, like many critiques of social media, portrays a world where algorithmically manipulated data hives replaced wholesome physical interaction. By extension, it treats any problem with the internet as a problem with the specific conditions that make Facebook or YouTube bad. Any large-scale solution boils down to tinkering with or shutting down those platforms. And any small-scale one involves cutting back on “screen time” or deleting your accounts, the main options that The Social Dilemma proposes.
A few omnipotent engineers aren’t causing the apocalypse
Propaganda, bullying, and misinformation are actually far bigger and more complicated. The film briefly mentions, for instance, that Facebook-owned WhatsApp has spread misinformation that inspired grotesque lynchings in India. The film doesn’t mention, however, that WhatsApp works almost nothing like Facebook. It’s a highly private, encrypted messaging service with no algorithmic interference, and it’s still fertile ground for false narratives. As Alexis Madrigal notes, condemning the platforms together comes “uncomfortably close to admitting that mobile communications pose fundamental challenges to societies across the world.” There’s a fair case for that, he argues — but a case with much more alarming implications.
Radicalization doesn’t just happen on Facebook and YouTube either. Many of the deadliest far-right killers were apparently incubated on small forums: Christchurch mosque killer Brenton Tarrant on 8chan; Oregon mass shooter Chris Harper-Mercer on 4chan; Tree of Life Synagogue killer Robert Bowers on Gab; and Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik on white supremacist sites including Stormfront, a 23-year-old hate site credited with inspiring scores of murders.
These sites aren’t primarily driven by algorithms or profit motives. Instead, they twist and exploit the open internet’s positive ability to connect like-minded people. When harmful content surfaces on them, it raises complex moderation questions for domain hosts and web infrastructure providers — a separate set of powerful companies that have completely different business models from Facebook.
Big social platforms can play a key role in amplifying hate and conspiracies. The QAnon movement, for instance, began on 4chan and 8chan but spread through Facebook’s group recommendations and similar algorithmic promotional tools. In a world without gigantic, centralized social giants, its power might have been far more limited.
It’s easy to twist a simple backlash against Big Tech
But small, toxic online spaces have already proven adept at hijacking a simple backlash against Big Tech by presenting themselves as alternatives. The Social Dilemma, by contrast, doesn’t offer a terribly convincing portrayal of life without its fictional Facebook clone. It assumes that if you weren’t scrolling through your feed, you’d be drawn to spontaneous tête-à-têtes or reading Zuboff’s 700-page sociopolitical tome The Age of Surveillance Capitalism… instead of tabloids, telephones, movies, television, shopping centers, pornography, talk radio, internet forums, or any of the million other activities that were previously blamed for killing good books and conversation.
There’s a clear hunger for polemics like The Social Dilemma, even if most people view big tech companies favorably. When a handful of sites dominate the internet, their problems are easy to spot. But neat unified theories — including the tiny evil server men — unhelpfully conflate problems posed by specific social platforms, mass online communication, and bad actors outside the tech world.
Old-fashioned business, media, and politics still play a powerful role in shaping what we see online. Misinformation peddlers and propagandists include world leaders, political parties, and military figures, as well as celebrities minted on film or television — people who can and should be held accountable in their own right, not dismissed as inevitable byproducts of “the algorithm.” Similarly, web platforms aren’t just run by code. Senior Facebook leadership, for instance, has reportedly intervened to protect right-wing misinformation from its standard moderation process.
And as with many self-help movements, denouncing screen addiction is an easy trick for transmuting workplace culture problems into personal shame. Tristan Harris, a former Google employee and one of The Social Dilemma’s central figures, relates his epiphany that Gmail’s email interface is addictive. Nobody raises an equally obvious issue: at many companies, answering email around the clock is encouraged or required. (Weirdly enough, Harris later lauds ride-hailing apps — a ruthlessly exploitative business built on opaque algorithms and manipulative interfaces — as an example of Silicon Valley’s potential.) Instead of asking companies to untether employees from a 24-hour office, tech addiction experts chide phone users for leaving their notifications on.
Are you addicted to email or tethered to work?
The Social Dilemma discounts the notion of using social networks creatively or critically, sometimes to the point of condescension. (A couple of interview subjects imply that ordinary people see sleight-of-hand tricks as literally magic, so no wonder they don’t trust them.) But it’s easy to find people thoughtfully engaging with these apps, particularly amid the COVID-19 pandemic, which has turned screens into some of the only safe public spaces. Activists who are deeply critical of Facebook and Google have still built mutual aid networks and organized protests on their networks.
These activists aren’t oblivious to the downsides of big platforms, and plenty have called for — or even constructed — better independent tools. Despite this, they’ve repurposed flawed systems to serve real social needs. In the process they’ve helped illuminate the ways that social media might be used for good, as well as the changes required to make that happen.
It’s overly glib to say that all media have caused problems, and therefore social media is no different from TV or radio. The internet scales up, speeds up, and automates older media in a way that poses unique problems.
But it makes the old status quo look worse, not better. Talk radio, television, and books have pushed misinformation for years with little more than affectionate eye-rolling from the public. Cable channels dedicated to science, history, or “reality” are rife with pseudoscience, deception, and conspiracy. Modern social networks have magnified all the worst parts of existing culture. Fixing that can’t simply mean condemning Facebook. Instead, we have to treat it as one part of a much bigger problem. And more importantly, we need to imagine what comes after it.


theverge--2020-09-04--Peloton is reportedly planning a cheaper new treadmill to keep home workouts on track

There are no two ways about it : the pandemic has been good for Peloton .
Demand for the company ’ s high-end exercise equipment and at-home workouts has boomed as COVID-19 has shut gyms and kept customers indoors .
Now , in a move likely intended to capitalize on this growth , Bloomberg reports that Peloton is planning to launch a new , cheaper treadmill .
Bloomberg says Peloton ’ s new treadmill will cost less than $ 3,000 — pricey , but still less expensive than its current $ 4,295 model , known as the Tread .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a simpler belt to replace the Tread ’ s current slatted design .
Bloomberg says Peloton will continue to sell the current Tread but rebrand it as the Tread+ .
Peloton will offer cheaper and more expensive options for its treadmill and bike Alongside the new treadmill , Peloton is also reportedly planning to launch a new higher-end workout bike , to be known as the Bike+ .
This will cost more than the current Bike ( yours from $ 2,245 ) which will in turn be bumped down to a new sub- @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both bike and treadmill will have a new , two-tier pricing scheme .
The new equipment will come with redesigned tablet screens , says Bloomberg .
These will be more adjustable than the screens on current models , making it easier for people to use them for workouts that don ’ t require the company ’ s equipment .
Peloton already offers a range of such video classes for activities like yoga , strength training , and “ dance cardio.
” Bloomberg says Peloton could announce the new treadmill and bike “ as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the treadmill likely to go on sale later than the new bike .
Despite increasing interest in its wares , Peloton has struggled to keep up with demand , with many customers complaining of canceled orders and bad customer service .
Adding new products to its lineup will sustain growth , but Peloton needs to be sure it has the stamina to keep up .

There are no two ways about it: the pandemic has been good for Peloton. Demand for the company’s high-end exercise equipment and at-home workouts has boomed as COVID-19 has shut gyms and kept customers indoors. Now, in a move likely intended to capitalize on this growth, Bloomberg reports that Peloton is planning to launch a new, cheaper treadmill.
Bloomberg says Peloton’s new treadmill will cost less than $3,000 — pricey but still less expensive than its current $4,295 model, known as the Tread. The cheaper treadmill will be smaller and have a simpler belt to replace the Tread’s current slatted design. Bloomberg says Peloton will continue to sell the current Tread but rebrand it as the Tread+.
Peloton will offer cheaper and more expensive options for its treadmill and bike
Alongside the new treadmill, Peloton is also reportedly planning to launch a new higher-end workout bike, to be known as the Bike+. This will cost more than the current Bike (starts from $2,245) which will in turn be bumped down to a new sub-$1,900 price tag. That means both bike and treadmill will have a new, two-tier pricing scheme.
The new equipment will come with redesigned tablet screens, says Bloomberg. These will be more adjustable than the screens on current models, making it easier for people to use them for workouts that don’t require the company’s equipment. Peloton already offers a range of such video classes for activities like yoga, strength training, and “dance cardio.”


theverge--2020-09-04--Using lasers and glass to make practical psychedelic scenes with Lewie Wilkinson

Every so often , I come across a striking design and can ’ t immediately tell if it ’ s 3D or practical .
Most recently , this was when I caught the work of Lewie Wilkinson , aka Laserlewdude , on Reddit .
What I saw were images of bright neon lines , spheres refracting light , and color over a black background .
Color and light spilled everywhere .
I immediately thought of the words “ vapor wave disco ” in my head .
The images themselves are very similar to 3D-rendered art , including some of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these even more incredible is that they are all done practically , with real lasers and glass .
I reached out to Wilkinson over email to learn more about his work and process .
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity .
Okay to start , can you give us a little background about yourself ?
Human .
Live in Indianapolis ( USA ) , husband , father of five .
Love light and glass !
I studied informatics , music , and atmospheric sciences in school .
Work full-time in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ love that , too !
How did you get started making these ?
Pretty much fell into it !
Long story short : I bought a replacement green laser a few years ago and thought to myself , “ I bet I could build one.
” So I learned how and did .
And I was addicted .
For about a year , I built super high-powered pointers .
Lots of them .
Then I got more interested in the photography aspect .
Seeing a collimated beam of light and controlling that , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ art .
The high-powered pointers have to cool off frequently , and the beams / spots were too bright for the camera ( and I ’ m no photography master ) .
So I started making “ labbys , ” which have better heat-sinking and a built-in fan .
These can virtually be run constantly .
After beefing up the “ laser ” collection ( again , this time with “ labbys ” instead of pointers ) , the procurement of glass and other setup items started .
Now I have a huge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shops / flea markets ) and lasers ... and broken mirrors .
It ’ s been fun : ) What ’ s your inspiration ?
These look like they take a lot of work , not including the videos you edit together .
The “ wow ” effect !
The challenge of making something new and visually exciting .
I ’ ve always loved glass and light , individually .
Being able to combine those passions and also use “ both sides of the brain ” is what really draws me to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ involved , a super simple setup ( think one piece of glass and a laser ) can be done very quickly .
However , a big part of this is cleaning .
You can clean some glass and think it ’ s clean , until you shine a beam of light at it .
Some setups can take hours to get right .
All that ends up being more time for haze from the fog machine ( I recently switched to a water-based hazer ) to settle .
It creates a film that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ normal ” surface , but it is very evident when it ’ s on a mirror or piece of glass and you shine a laser at it .
So then you are cleaning and moving all the objects , which ends up shifting the light just slightly ... leading to more tweaking , more cleaning .
The video edits can get to be a couple of hours in themselves .
I do it all on my phone .
It ’ s a whole process that I ’ ve gotten down to a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on about that for a while .
Can you describe your workspace for us ?
Don ’ t laugh .
My family moved just over a year ago .
We have a spare bedroom in the basement with a walk-in closet .
I would have loved to have taken the whole bedroom , but I got the closet .
I will say , it ’ s nice and dark !
It has nice built-in shelves , which are completely occupied with glass .
It ’ s just wide enough to fit my Ikea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
That is where I build everything .
I have placed black foam board around the desk area on the walls , and I place black poster board on the desk itself .
I also have a stereo — because you got ta have jams !
The room heats up , even being in the basement , with all the electronics and lasers going , and no HVAC .
Maybe someday I ’ ll move out in the bedroom , but for the past year , the closet has been the perfect space @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start to finish , your process to create one of these ?
The true inception of a setup might be an image or idea that pops in my head while outside of the closet , and I ’ ll make a quick sketch and try to replicate it later .
Or a new piece of glass or some new optics will inspire an idea , and I ’ ll just start trying things out .
More often than not , I start simple , and experimenting with angles and refraction will create “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flow another way .
Most setups have foreground lasers with visible beams and a background component .
I find this to be often the most interesting part of the whole piece — choose which glass to use , what laser pattern to shine through it , what strength of magnification for refocusing .
It all makes this part very dynamic and also hard to get just the way I want it !
The foreground setup involves placing single-beam modules strategically around the desktop and incorporating glass and mirrors to reflect / refract the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I use small hobby vices , chemistry stands , and mini tripods .
After messing with different pieces of glass for the centerpiece , and swapping different laser colors ( wavelengths ) , I usually go back to adjusting the background — trying different patterns , using other diffraction gratings , swap out the glass that ’ s being used for the Lumia ( a unique technique of shining light through bumpy glass ) , add in another projector with some movement .
This sometimes turns into another full session .
Finally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s typically a pretty popular request to see the setup without the lasers .
Also , I was gifted a Rylo 360 camera that I use to capture a VERY wild video going through the setup .
Finally , I break down the setup , as having some of that glass accidentally fall 18 inches can be pretty catastrophic !
Have there been any catastrophic glass-related accidents ?
Every glass accident sucks .
Finding inexpensive , first-surface mirrors is not easy .
Every time I break one of those , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not very long ago , I found three huge mirrors salvaged from some rear-projection TVs on eBay for $ 15 .
Incredible find .
Some people charge $ 100+ each for these .
However , they were located in California , and I live in Indy .
Shipping was $ 120 .
Still worth it .
I had an accident where something fell and hit the edge of one mirror .
Now I have two of these huge mirrors , and my pile of broken mirrors grew a little bit .
Luckily @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one or two items breaking per crash , but it adds up .
Working in such a tight space and having to constantly tweak / clean the surfaces is usually the cause for these accidents .
The photos are so crisp and vibrant .
How much post work do you do on the photos themselves ?
Not much at all !
All my photos are taken on my phone ( currently a Pixel 4 ) , and the only adjustments I make are in Google Photos ( again , on my phone ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ color correction .
I ’ d love to see what a legit photographer could do with a nicer camera !
Oh wow , I would not have guessed the photos were taken with a Pixel 4 !
Slightly off topic , how do you like that as a camera ?
Hardware-wise , it ’ s just fine .
Nothing really out of the ordinary ( some might even say it ’ s an outdated sensor ) .
They did leave a wide-angle lens off of this phone , so I use a clip-on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Google leaving it off this phone was a poor move .
Everyone will tell you the software is where it ’ s at .
Previous to this phone I had an HTC , and I had a modded version of the native camera , which added some manual exposure controls .
That was a must — being able to control the ISO and shutter speed , especially when using a projector ( which has a scan rate that will cause either undesired flicker or some super rad stop-motion effects depending on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ third-party camera apps that will give you this control , but for the most part , the Pixel 4 ’ s built-in camera has been what I ’ m using , and just adjusting the brightness works well .
Certain wavelengths — shorter wavelengths like violet ( 405nm ) and darker blues ( 445nm , 450nm ) — can benefit more from the manual controls , but overall I ’ m pretty impressed with the Pixel .
Your art reminds me of a lot of 3D art I see on Instagram , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ few renders that feel related in style ( here , here , and here ) !
That ’ s really impressive since it ’ s all practical .
I think the inclusion of spheres or primitive shapes / objects is what ties the two together .
Do you ever look at 3D art ?
One of my favorite types of comments right now is “ I thought this was a render !
” I do not see much physical art like this , so I think it ’ s a real surprise for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CGI .
I usually state in photo captions , “ Not a render ” or “ No Photoshop , ” and I do not mean this as slam to digital art .
Making art on a computer is awesome .
There are so many talented individuals that can blow my mind with their renders / edits .
I state it out loud because it ’ s a pretty common misconception when someone sees my work for the first time .

Every so often, I come across a striking design and can’t immediately tell if it’s 3D or practical. Most recently, this was when I caught the work of Lewie Wilkinson, aka Laserlewdude, on Reddit. What I saw were images of bright neon lines, spheres refracting light, and color over a black background. Color and light spilled everywhere. I immediately thought of the words “vapor wave disco” in my head.
The images themselves are very similar to 3D-rendered art, including some of our own early wallpapers. But what makes these even more incredible is that they are all done practically, with real lasers and glass. I reached out to Wilkinson over email to learn more about his work and process.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Okay to start, can you give us a little background about yourself?
Human. Live in Indianapolis (USA), husband, father of five. Love light and glass! I studied informatics, music, and atmospheric sciences in school. Work full-time in the information security field, and I love that, too!
How did you get started making these?
Pretty much fell into it! Long story short: I bought a replacement green laser a few years ago and thought to myself, “I bet I could build one.” So I learned how and did. And I was addicted.
For about a year, I built super high-powered pointers. Lots of them. Then I got more interested in the photography aspect. Seeing a collimated beam of light and controlling that, reflecting it, refracting it, making art. The high-powered pointers have to cool off frequently, and the beams / spots were too bright for the camera (and I’m no photography master). So I started making “labbys,” which have better heat-sinking and a built-in fan. These can virtually be run constantly.
After beefing up the “laser” collection (again, this time with “labbys” instead of pointers), the procurement of glass and other setup items started. Now I have a huge collection of glass (mostly from thrift shops / flea markets) and lasers... and broken mirrors. It’s been fun :)
What’s your inspiration? These look like they take a lot of work, not including the videos you edit together.
The “wow” effect! The challenge of making something new and visually exciting. I’ve always loved glass and light, individually. Being able to combine those passions and also use “both sides of the brain” is what really draws me to this work.
As far as work is involved, a super simple setup (think one piece of glass and a laser) can be done very quickly. However, a big part of this is cleaning. You can clean some glass and think it’s clean, until you shine a beam of light at it. Some setups can take hours to get right.
All that ends up being more time for haze from the fog machine (I recently switched to a water-based hazer) to settle. It creates a film that you don’t notice on a “normal” surface, but it is very evident when it’s on a mirror or piece of glass and you shine a laser at it. So then you are cleaning and moving all the objects, which ends up shifting the light just slightly... leading to more tweaking, more cleaning.
The video edits can get to be a couple of hours in themselves. I do it all on my phone. It’s a whole process that I’ve gotten down to a repeatable state, but I could go on about that for a while.
Can you describe your workspace for us?
Don’t laugh. My family moved just over a year ago. We have a spare bedroom in the basement with a walk-in closet. I would have loved to have taken the whole bedroom, but I got the closet.
I will say, it’s nice and dark! It has nice built-in shelves, which are completely occupied with glass. It’s just wide enough to fit my Ikea standing (crank) desk in it. That is where I build everything. I have placed black foam board around the desk area on the walls, and I place black poster board on the desk itself. I also have a stereo — because you gotta have jams!
The room heats up, even being in the basement, with all the electronics and lasers going, and no HVAC. Maybe someday I’ll move out in the bedroom, but for the past year, the closet has been the perfect space.
Can you walk us through, start to finish, your process to create one of these?
The true inception of a setup might be an image or idea that pops in my head while outside of the closet, and I’ll make a quick sketch and try to replicate it later. Or a new piece of glass or some new optics will inspire an idea, and I’ll just start trying things out. More often than not, I start simple, and experimenting with angles and refraction will create “happy accidents” that make the direction flow another way.
Most setups have foreground lasers with visible beams and a background component. I find this to be often the most interesting part of the whole piece — choose which glass to use, what laser pattern to shine through it, what strength of magnification for refocusing. It all makes this part very dynamic and also hard to get just the way I want it!
The foreground setup involves placing single-beam modules strategically around the desktop and incorporating glass and mirrors to reflect / refract the beams. To mount the modules, I use small hobby vices, chemistry stands, and mini tripods. After messing with different pieces of glass for the centerpiece, and swapping different laser colors (wavelengths), I usually go back to adjusting the background — trying different patterns, using other diffraction gratings, swap out the glass that’s being used for the Lumia (a unique technique of shining light through bumpy glass), add in another projector with some movement. This sometimes turns into another full session.
Finally, I’ll capture a lights-on picture. It’s typically a pretty popular request to see the setup without the lasers. Also, I was gifted a Rylo 360 camera that I use to capture a VERY wild video going through the setup. Finally, I break down the setup, as having some of that glass accidentally fall 18 inches can be pretty catastrophic!
Have there been any catastrophic glass-related accidents?
Every glass accident sucks. Finding inexpensive, first-surface mirrors is not easy. Every time I break one of those, I die a little on the inside. Not very long ago, I found three huge mirrors salvaged from some rear-projection TVs on eBay for $15. Incredible find. Some people charge $100+ each for these. However, they were located in California, and I live in Indy. Shipping was $120. Still worth it.
I had an accident where something fell and hit the edge of one mirror. Now I have two of these huge mirrors, and my pile of broken mirrors grew a little bit. Luckily, any crashes have only resulted with one or two items breaking per crash, but it adds up. Working in such a tight space and having to constantly tweak / clean the surfaces is usually the cause for these accidents.
The photos are so crisp and vibrant. How much post work do you do on the photos themselves?
Not much at all! All my photos are taken on my phone (currently a Pixel 4), and the only adjustments I make are in Google Photos (again, on my phone). Usually exposure / contrast and some color correction. I’d love to see what a legit photographer could do with a nicer camera!
Oh wow, I would not have guessed the photos were taken with a Pixel 4! Slightly off topic, how do you like that as a camera?
Hardware-wise, it’s just fine. Nothing really out of the ordinary (some might even say it’s an outdated sensor). They did leave a wide-angle lens off of this phone, so I use a clip-on fish-eye or wide-angle lens when needed. But Google leaving it off this phone was a poor move. Everyone will tell you the software is where it’s at.
Previous to this phone I had an HTC, and I had a modded version of the native camera, which added some manual exposure controls. That was a must — being able to control the ISO and shutter speed, especially when using a projector (which has a scan rate that will cause either undesired flicker or some super rad stop-motion effects depending on the shutter speed).
There are some third-party camera apps that will give you this control, but for the most part, the Pixel 4’s built-in camera has been what I’m using, and just adjusting the brightness works well. Certain wavelengths — shorter wavelengths like violet (405nm) and darker blues (445nm, 450nm) — can benefit more from the manual controls, but overall I’m pretty impressed with the Pixel.
Your art reminds me of a lot of 3D art I see on Instagram, and actually, I have personally made a few renders that feel related in style (here, here, and here)! That’s really impressive since it’s all practical. I think the inclusion of spheres or primitive shapes / objects is what ties the two together. Do you ever look at 3D art?
One of my favorite types of comments right now is “I thought this was a render!” I do not see much physical art like this, so I think it’s a real surprise for someone to figure out this is not CGI. I usually state in photo captions, “Not a render” or “No Photoshop,” and I do not mean this as slam to digital art.


theverge--2020-09-04--The legacy of the skate video lives on in TikTok

The last professional skate video I remember getting excited about was Lakai ’ s Fully Flared .
Featuring a roster of top talent at the time — Mike Carroll , Eric Koston , Guy Mariano , plus up-and-comer Mike Mo Capaldi — paired with a fittingly pretentious soundtrack , I remember thinking it was the closest thing to art a skate video could possibly attain .
It was co-directed by Spike Jonze , and the opening featured a series of slow-motion stunts and explosions set to M83 ’ s “ Lower Your Eyelids To Die With The Sun.
” It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ once .
It was also the last of its kind .
The video debuted on November 16th , 2007 , a little over one year after Google bought a fledgling video-sharing site called YouTube and a few months after the release of the very first iPhone .
In my unprofessional opinion — I stopped skateboarding seriously at age 17 and fell out of the culture shortly after — I consider it a swan song of the skate video as a cultural artifact .
The idea of waiting with anticipation to buy a DVD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so alien to me now that I have trouble remembering when and where I first watched Fully Flared , other than inevitably on a television connected to a disc player .
It was probably at Krudco , my local skate shop .
Now , a decade and a half later , I find myself getting back into skating because of a very different type of video that lives mostly on TikTok .
Arriving at skateboarding TikTok isn ’ t hard to do .
Like a couple of videos and follow a few accounts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mysterious black box of an algorithm that governs the platform ’ s addictive delivery mechanism , you ’ ll find the “ For You ” tab inundated with skateboarding .
All of these clips feature short bursts of activity , usually with some catchy modern song attached — a far cry from the days of Fully Flared and its 90-minute runtime and what I imagine were rather costly music licensing fees .
Many of these TikTok clips showcase obscenely talented skaters doing mind-blowing tricks , the stuff I thought you could only pull @ @ @ @ @ @ @ controller .
Part of the beauty of platforms like TikTok and Instagram is that they not only democratize distribution , but they also help shrink the world down .
Skaters that will never get their own video game can still go viral pulling off a trick you may have never seen before in your life .
And now you know their name .
I occasionally go back through my like history on TikTok to rewatch some of these clips , like this one showcasing the world ’ s cleanest 180 gap .
Or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 540 heelflip out , originally part of pro Luan Oliveira ’ s 2017 Nike skate part ( the shoe giant is one of the few companies still making big-budget skate videos ) but resurfaced for a new audience on TikTok , where it ’ s found a second life years later .
I ’ ve learned about “ coconut wheelies , ” where a skater rides on the thin edge of the board turned sideways using only a sliver of the two bottom wheels .
And I discovered the Merlin twist , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impossible frontside 180 that is as ridiculous-looking as it sounds on the page .
It turns out a whole legion of skaters can inexplicably do it , and many have TikTok accounts .
You can spend hours and hours on TikTok creating your own algorithmic skate video out of spliced-together clips and whatever music happens to be overlaid on top .
But because of the robust editing tools TikTok offers , alongside the unprecedented access to licensed music it provides , many savvy skaters have turned short TikToks into a new breed of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ internet culture-fluent pros like 16-year-old prodigy Dylan Jaeb and Santa Monica park mainstay Haden McKenna have earned millions of likes and video views featuring spliced-together tricks , ample use of slow motion , clever on-screen overlays , and catchy and meme-appropriate music .
In a recent interview to celebrate the release of Tony Hawk ’ s Pro Skater 1 + 2 , remasters of the video games that helped catapult skate culture into the mainstream at the turn of the century , legendary pro Rodney Mullen told The Verge he lamented the death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are no more big videos , barely .
People come out with videos , but you ’ re right , everything is Instagram-related , everything is a stream , ” Mullen said , “ rather than those chunks of progression that genuinely made an impact on the culture.
” He has a point — many TikTok and Instagram videos feel unconsidered and spontaneous , like they were filmed only moments ago and fired off into the void .
Few videos today carry on the tradition of carefully choosing a song and working with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around a skater ’ s cultivated style , in a way fans can talk about and dissect for months or , in some cases , even years to come .
While skate videos haven ’ t totally disappeared today , they ’ re on the periphery .
Without those slices of media as cultural events released at distinct moments in broader skate culture , you could argue it ’ s harder to see who ’ s really pushing the limits and leaving their mark on history .
Online skate culture is more inclusive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is much to appreciate about how skateboarding has evolved in the last decade , and the way it now lives predominantly on social platforms .
The culture is more inclusive and supportive than ever , with scores of accounts dedicated to tutorials and shoutouts and just celebration of someone else ’ s killer trick .
It ’ s also more resilient , held together by the glue of an online community that skating didn ’ t have during its cyclical booms and bursts in the pre-smartphone era .
And it ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tag has amassed 4.6 billion views to date , surpassing tags for tennis and movies , and the most popular accounts have more than 1 million followers and tens of millions of likes .
And it ’ s not all street or vert tricks like you used to see in the skate videos of old .
There ’ s longboard dancing , pump track skating , and even pet dogs pulling off impressive park lines .
Skating TikTok is an online portal to a world of like-minded creators no matter where you live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ love of the sport with the press of a button .
One video I came across the other day featured 19-year-old Brazilian pro Dora Varella dropping into the steep end of vert skating legend Bob Burnquist ’ s mega ramp .
She ’ s clearly anxious about the height — she ’ s standing on an artificial cliff the likes of which you might not survive if you fell straight off .
But after she psyches herself up and takes a deep breath , she steps on her board and sails down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the ramp .
She wasn ’ t doing a trick or showing off .
Verella was conquering her fears , for everyone — especially the legions of young female skaters coming up on TikTok — to see .
The video has more than 7 million likes and counting and more than 50,000 comments overwhelmingly showing support .
The skate culture renaissance on social media isn ’ t restricted to just TikTok , either .
Many pro skaters , like Olympic team member Nyjah Huston , have excellent Instagram accounts updated daily with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than those on TikTok but impressive and endlessly entertaining all the same .
And when a video of freestyle prodigy Isamu Yamamoto , a Japanese skater who pioneered a style involving riding two boards simultaneously , went viral in late July , it did so thanks to a Twitter clip .
It felt like watching a young Mullen get discovered all over again .
The skate culture renaissance on social media isn ’ t restricted to just TikTok I certainly share Mullen ’ s nostalgia for the early days when a skate video @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s much more influential Video Days back in 1991 , could leave such a lasting impact on the culture that they still land on online listicles today .
And it ’ s reasonable to worry that social platforms , with how they ’ re engineered today , don ’ t lend themselves well to the quiet competitive trail blazers like Mullen .
To succeed on skate TikTok and get noticed , you do need to think at least a little bit like an influencer — or have a friend or editor who can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also know that every time I open up TikTok and stumble upon a skate video , I ’ m seeing a whole new generation of younger skaters who are doing exactly what I did as a teenager .
They have better technology , sure , but they ’ re out in the streets and busting their asses and recording with their phones for the same reasons .
They love to skate , and part of that is documenting how far they ’ ve come and what they can accomplish in their corner of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s because they know there are people like me out there , ready with the like button and in awe of what they ’ re able to pull off with just four wheels and a plank of wood .

The last professional skate video I remember getting excited about was Lakai’s Fully Flared. Featuring a roster of top talent at the time — Mike Carroll, Eric Koston, Guy Mariano, plus up-and-comer Mike Mo Capaldi — paired with a fittingly pretentious soundtrack, I remember thinking it was the closest thing to art a skate video could possibly attain. It was co-directed by Spike Jonze, and the opening featured a series of slow-motion stunts and explosions set to M83’s “Lower Your Eyelids To Die With The Sun.” It was absurd and awesome, all at once. It was also the last of its kind.
The video debuted on November 16th, 2007, a little over one year after Google bought a fledgling video-sharing site called YouTube and a few months after the release of the very first iPhone. In my unprofessional opinion — I stopped skateboarding seriously at age 17 and fell out of the culture shortly after — I consider it a swan song of the skate video as a cultural artifact.
The idea of waiting with anticipation to buy a DVD put out by a shoe company feels so alien to me now that I have trouble remembering when and where I first watched Fully Flared, other than inevitably on a television connected to a disc player. It was probably at Krudco, my local skate shop.
Now, a decade and a half later, I find myself getting back into skating because of a very different type of video that lives mostly on TikTok. Arriving at skateboarding TikTok isn’t hard to do. Like a couple of videos and follow a few accounts and suddenly, by way of the mysterious black box of an algorithm that governs the platform’s addictive delivery mechanism, you’ll find the “For You” tab inundated with skateboarding.
All of these clips feature short bursts of activity, usually with some catchy modern song attached — a far cry from the days of Fully Flared and its 90-minute runtime and what I imagine were rather costly music licensing fees.
Many of these TikTok clips showcase obscenely talented skaters doing mind-blowing tricks, the stuff I thought you could only pull off with your thumbs and a PlayStation controller. Part of the beauty of platforms like TikTok and Instagram is that they not only democratize distribution, but they also help shrink the world down. Skaters that will never get their own video game can still go viral pulling off a trick you may have never seen before in your life. And now you know their name.
I occasionally go back through my like history on TikTok to rewatch some of these clips, like this one showcasing the world’s cleanest 180 gap. Or this just absolutely preposterous switch tailslide to 540 heelflip out, originally part of pro Luan Oliveira’s 2017 Nike skate part (the shoe giant is one of the few companies still making big-budget skate videos) but resurfaced for a new audience on TikTok, where it’s found a second life years later.
I’ve learned about “coconut wheelies,” where a skater rides on the thin edge of the board turned sideways using only a sliver of the two bottom wheels. And I discovered the Merlin twist, the magical name for a switch front foot impossible frontside 180 that is as ridiculous-looking as it sounds on the page. It turns out a whole legion of skaters can inexplicably do it, and many have TikTok accounts. You can spend hours and hours on TikTok creating your own algorithmic skate video out of spliced-together clips and whatever music happens to be overlaid on top.
But because of the robust editing tools TikTok offers, alongside the unprecedented access to licensed music it provides, many savvy skaters have turned short TikToks into a new breed of short but enthralling skate videos. Young internet culture-fluent pros like 16-year-old prodigy Dylan Jaeb and Santa Monica park mainstay Haden McKenna have earned millions of likes and video views featuring spliced-together tricks, ample use of slow motion, clever on-screen overlays, and catchy and meme-appropriate music.
In a recent interview to celebrate the release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2, remasters of the video games that helped catapult skate culture into the mainstream at the turn of the century, legendary pro Rodney Mullen told The Verge he lamented the death of the skate video. “There are no more big videos, barely. People come out with videos, but you’re right, everything is Instagram-related, everything is a stream,” Mullen said, “rather than those chunks of progression that genuinely made an impact on the culture.”
He has a point — many TikTok and Instagram videos feel unconsidered and spontaneous, like they were filmed only moments ago and fired off into the void. Few videos today carry on the tradition of carefully choosing a song and working with professional editors to craft perfect highlight segments around a skater’s cultivated style, in a way fans can talk about and dissect for months or, in some cases, even years to come. While skate videos haven’t totally disappeared today, they’re on the periphery. Without those slices of media as cultural events released at distinct moments in broader skate culture, you could argue it’s harder to see who’s really pushing the limits and leaving their mark on history.
Online skate culture is more inclusive and accessible than ever before
But there is much to appreciate about how skateboarding has evolved in the last decade, and the way it now lives predominantly on social platforms. The culture is more inclusive and supportive than ever, with scores of accounts dedicated to tutorials and shoutouts and just celebration of someone else’s killer trick.
It’s also more resilient, held together by the glue of an online community that skating didn’t have during its cyclical booms and bursts in the pre-smartphone era. And it’s a growing subculture on TikTok — the skateboarding tag has amassed 4.6 billion views to date, surpassing tags for tennis and movies, and the most popular accounts have more than 1 million followers and tens of millions of likes. And it’s not all street or vert tricks like you used to see in the skate videos of old. There’s longboard dancing, pump track skating, and even pet dogs pulling off impressive park lines. Skating TikTok is an online portal to a world of like-minded creators no matter where you live, where you can easily share your love of the sport with the press of a button.
One video I came across the other day featured 19-year-old Brazilian pro Dora Varella dropping into the steep end of vert skating legend Bob Burnquist’s mega ramp. She’s clearly anxious about the height — she’s standing on an artificial cliff the likes of which you might not survive if you fell straight off.
But after she psyches herself up and takes a deep breath, she steps on her board and sails down the pipe and over to the other side of the ramp. She wasn’t doing a trick or showing off. Verella was conquering her fears, for everyone — especially the legions of young female skaters coming up on TikTok — to see. The video has more than 7 million likes and counting and more than 50,000 comments overwhelmingly showing support.
The skate culture renaissance on social media isn’t restricted to just TikTok, either. Many pro skaters, like Olympic team member Nyjah Huston, have excellent Instagram accounts updated daily with clips, some more polished and well-shot than those on TikTok but impressive and endlessly entertaining all the same. And when a video of freestyle prodigy Isamu Yamamoto, a Japanese skater who pioneered a style involving riding two boards simultaneously, went viral in late July, it did so thanks to a Twitter clip. It felt like watching a young Mullen get discovered all over again.
The skate culture renaissance on social media isn’t restricted to just TikTok
I certainly share Mullen’s nostalgia for the early days when a skate video, like Fully Flared or Jonze’s much more influential Video Days back in 1991, could leave such a lasting impact on the culture that they still land on online listicles today. And it’s reasonable to worry that social platforms, with how they’re engineered today, don’t lend themselves well to the quiet competitive trail blazers like Mullen. To succeed on skate TikTok and get noticed, you do need to think at least a little bit like an influencer — or have a friend or editor who can do that for you.


theverge--2020-09-04--The Witcher 3 is getting a free next-gen upgrade for PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC

The Witcher 3 : Wild Hunt is getting a graphical upgrade for next-generation hardware , and current owners of the game on PC , Playstation , and Xbox will get the update for free .
Developers CD Projekt Red announced the news today , saying the updated game will be available on the PS5 , Xbox Series X , and PC , featuring a “ range of visual and technical improvements.
” These include faster loading times and ray tracing graphics .
The upgrades will apply to the base game , says Projekt Red , as well as to both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Blood and Wine ) and all other “ extra content.
” The appeal of this news is testament to The Witcher 3 ’ s lasting greatness .
This is a game that came out five years ago but remains incredibly well-regarded and an appealing title for many to pick up and play through all over again .
It still regularly appears in the top Steam charts on PC , too .
In this case , the free upgrade to the next-gen version also looks pretty generous .
It ’ s not clear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the upgrade beyond just owning a current copy of The Witcher 3 .
That means if you ’ ve not yet played the game and are waiting for the next-gen version ( for whatever reason ! )
you could buy the title now and get the upgrade free next year .
Of course , you ’ ll have to own the relevant console or PC hardware , too .
It ’ s not clear when the upgrade will be available .

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is getting a graphical upgrade for next-generation hardware, and current owners of the game on PC, Playstation, and Xbox will get the update for free.
Developers CD Projekt Red announced the news today, saying the updated game will be available on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, featuring a “range of visual and technical improvements.” These include faster loading times and ray tracing graphics. The upgrades will apply to the base game, says Projekt Red, as well as to both of its expansions (Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine) and all other “extra content.”
The appeal of this news is testament to The Witcher 3’s lasting greatness. This is a game that came out five years ago but remains incredibly well-regarded and an appealing title for many to pick up and play through all over again. It still regularly appears in the top Steam charts on PC, too.
In this case, the free upgrade to the next-gen version also looks pretty generous. It’s not clear if there are any other conditions for getting the upgrade beyond just owning a current copy of The Witcher 3. That means if you’ve not yet played the game and are waiting for the next-gen version (for whatever reason!) you could buy the title now and get the upgrade free next year. Of course, you’ll have to own the relevant console or PC hardware, too.


theverge--2020-09-04--Uber launches car rentals in the UK for maximum social distancing

Uber announce today that it will soon allow users in the UK to rent cars via its app in a partnership with car rental company CarTrawler .
Users will be able to select the new “ Uber Rent ” option from within the app and then browse available cars for their chosen date and location .
Rental cars can then be picked up from the “ hundreds ” of car hire company pickup locations .
The UK launch follows trials in France and Australia .
The process works a little differently from Uber ’ s bike or scooter rentals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ able to make your booking at the same time as you pick up the vehicle ( as you would when renting one of its Jump bikes in the UK ) , it encourages you to make car reservations at least 24 hours in advance .
Rentals can be cancelled up to 48 hours ahead of collection and Uber is promising discounts on rentals of up to 25 percent .
Uber recommends you book your car 24 hours in advance This isn ’ t the first time Uber has offered car rentals .
Back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scheme in partnership with Getaround in the US , but discontinued the consumer-focused part of the program later that year in favor of focusing on offering rental cars solely for its drivers .
However , the COVID-19 pandemic could give the idea a new lease of life .
Although the company has introduced a number of health and safety precautions for its drivers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic , sitting in an enclosed space with a stranger can still feel risky and the alternative , public transport , comes with its own @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rental cars will be thoroughly cleaned between users .
Car rentals are just the latest new product offering that Uber is exploring after being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic .
Last month the company reported that it had lost $ 1.8 billion in the quarter , and its ride-hailing business was down 80 percent compared to the previous year .
The downturn has forced the company to lay off thousands of employees , and it ’ s warned that it may have to shut down its operations in California after a court @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as employees .
In response , Uber is exploring more areas for growth .
It ’ s acquired meal delivery service Postmates , launched an on-demand grocery delivery service in Latin America and Canada , and even partnered with a commuter riverboat service in London on “ Uber Boat.
” Although Uber says the service is launching today , the car rental functionality doesn ’ t appear to be live in the iOS or Android apps just yet .
We ’ ve followed up with Uber for more details and will update this @ @ @ @ @ @

Uber announce today that it will soon allow users in the UK to rent cars via its app in a partnership with car rental company CarTrawler. Users will be able to select the new “Uber Rent” option from within the app and then browse available cars for their chosen date and location. Rental cars can then be picked up from the “hundreds” of car hire company pickup locations. The UK launch follows trials in France and Australia.
The process works a little differently from Uber’s bike or scooter rentals. Although Uber says you’re technically able to make your booking at the same time as you pick up the vehicle (as you would when renting one of its Jump bikes in the UK), it encourages you to make car reservations at least 24 hours in advance. Rentals can be cancelled up to 48 hours ahead of collection and Uber is promising discounts on rentals of up to 25 percent.
Uber recommends you book your car 24 hours in advance
This isn’t the first time Uber has offered car rentals. Back in 2018, it announced a similar scheme in partnership with Getaround in the US, but discontinued the consumer-focused part of the program later that year in favor of focusing on offering rental cars solely for its drivers. However, the COVID-19 pandemic could give the idea a new lease of life. Although the company has introduced a number of health and safety precautions for its drivers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, sitting in an enclosed space with a stranger can still feel risky and the alternative, public transport, comes with its own social distancing issues. Uber says that rental cars will be thoroughly cleaned between users.
Image: Uber
Car rentals are just the latest new product offering that Uber is exploring after being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Last month the company reported that it had lost $1.8 billion in the quarter, and its ride-hailing business was down 80 percent compared to the previous year. The downturn has forced the company to lay off thousands of employees, and it’s warned that it may have to shut down its operations in California after a court ruled that its drivers should be classified as employees.
In response, Uber is exploring more areas for growth. It’s acquired meal delivery service Postmates, launched an on-demand grocery delivery service in Latin America and Canada, and even partnered with a commuter riverboat service in London on “Uber Boat.”


theverge--2020-09-04--Digital pregnancy tests are almost as powerful as the original IBM PC

Pregnancy tests used to be fairly simple sticks you peed on , but the move to digital versions has transformed them into tiny computers almost as powerful as the original IBM PC .
Fascinated by the digital era of pregnancy tests , Twitter users foone and xtoff recently pulled apart examples from Walmart and Clearblue to reveal what ’ s really going on inside .
Each test , which costs less than $ 5 , includes a processor , RAM , a button cell battery , and a tiny LCD screen to display the result .
The processor is an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RAM , capable of running at either 4Mhz or 8Mhz depending on the battery configuration .
That might sound very basic , but the chip is surprisingly complicated .
“ You might think it ’ s very limited because it ’ s only got 64 bytes of RAM , but it ’ s actually using a pipelined architecture to operate at 1 instruction per cycle , giving it quite good performance for a 4Mhz CPU , ” explains Foone in a fascinating Twitter thread .
Foone speculates that this device is “ probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than the CPU used in the original IBM PC.
” IBM ’ s original PC was based on Intel ’ s 8088 microprocessor , an 8-bit chip that operated at 5Mhz .
The difference here is that this is a pregnancy test you pee on and then throw away .
You might assume that the addition of an LCD screen and processor to digitize this pregnancy test improves the accuracy or modernizes how the test works , but that ’ s certainly not the case .
This digital pregnancy test still includes a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you create when urinating on the strip .
The paper strip inside acts like a wick so when it gets wet it activates the battery and powers the device on .
The device then uses three LEDs and two photosensors to read the lines on the paper strip that usually provide a pregnancy test result .
The processor , RAM , battery , and LCD display literally exist to read a paper strip and improve the clarity of a test by displaying “ pregnant ” or “ not pregnant ” on the display @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be difficult to read .
Unfortunately the chip inside isn ’ t programmable , so there ’ s no feasible way people can get Doom to run on these digital pregnancy tests .
I ’ d recommend reading foone ’ s full Twitter thread as it ’ s a fascinating teardown .
While these digital pregnancy tests seem like an incredible waste of plastic and electronics , I ’ m just thankful humanity has moved on from injecting frogs with urine to verify pregnancies .

Pregnancy tests used to be fairly simple sticks you peed on, but the move to digital versions has transformed them into tiny computers almost as powerful as the original IBM PC. Fascinated by the digital era of pregnancy tests, Twitter users foone and xtoff recently pulled apart examples from Walmart and Clearblue to reveal what’s really going on inside.
Each test, which costs less than $5, includes a processor, RAM, a button cell battery, and a tiny LCD screen to display the result. The processor is an 8-bit Holtek microcontroller with 64 bytes of RAM, capable of running at either 4Mhz or 8Mhz depending on the battery configuration. That might sound very basic, but the chip is surprisingly complicated.
“You might think it’s very limited because it’s only got 64 bytes of RAM, but it’s actually using a pipelined architecture to operate at 1 instruction per cycle, giving it quite good performance for a 4Mhz CPU,” explains Foone in a fascinating Twitter thread.
Foone speculates that this device is “probably faster at number crunching and basic I/O than the CPU used in the original IBM PC.” IBM’s original PC was based on Intel’s 8088 microprocessor, an 8-bit chip that operated at 5Mhz. The difference here is that this is a pregnancy test you pee on and then throw away.
You might assume that the addition of an LCD screen and processor to digitize this pregnancy test improves the accuracy or modernizes how the test works, but that’s certainly not the case. This digital pregnancy test still includes a paper strip to measure the chemical reaction you create when urinating on the strip.
The paper strip inside acts like a wick so when it gets wet it activates the battery and powers the device on. The device then uses three LEDs and two photosensors to read the lines on the paper strip that usually provide a pregnancy test result. The processor, RAM, battery, and LCD display literally exist to read a paper strip and improve the clarity of a test by displaying “pregnant” or “not pregnant” on the display instead of the usual lines that can be difficult to read.