Thursday, 9th November 2017
[On a startup using machine learning to encourage people to get addicted to apps] This technology is so unethical it needs to be criminalized globally, before it evolves into a Fermi Paradox solution... and I generally DON’T think banning technologies is a good idea. But this is like a neuroscience homebrew dirty nuke.
— Charlie Stross # 10:50 pm
Pink Trombone (via) Explorable explanation of the human vocal system by Neil Thapen. View source for some pleasantly readable JavaScript / canvas / window.AudioContext code. # 6:44 pm
dhash (via) Python library to calculate the perceptual difference hash for an image. Delightfully simple algorithm that’s fully explained in the README—it works by scaling the image to 8x8 grayscale and then creator a bitmap representing of each pixel is lighter or darker than the previous one. # 5:44 pm
Use a Render Prop! Michael Jackson makes a convincing argument for using the render prop pattern in React in preference to HOCs (Higher Order Components, the React equivalent of Python class decorators). # 3:39 pm
The Booming Japanese Rent-a-Friend Business. “In Japan, you can pay an actor to impersonate your relative, spouse, coworker, or any kind of acquaintance.”. Surprisingly poignant interview with a man who runs a company that employs 800 professional actors for almost any conceivable situation. # 3:28 pm
When you’ve written the same code 3 times, write a function. When you’ve given the same in-person advice 3 times, write a blog post.
— David Robinson # 7:10 am