US 50 states redrawn as equal population
4 by cryptozeus | 2 comments on Hacker News.
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Kim Jong-un: fragile and under pressure but he won’t give up
The Observer The North Korean leader’s surprise freeze of his nuclear programme is less a genuine move than a diplomatic manoeuvre,...
Saturday, 30 November 2019
Free Apple AirPods are up for grabs with Vodafone
TL;DR: Purchase an unlimited plan on the iPhone 11 range with Vodafone, and get a free pair of Apple AirPods worth £159.
It's not every day that a retailer offers a free set of Apple AirPods, but the Black Friday weekend is not an everyday event.
Anyone purchasing an unlimited plan on the iPhone 11 range with Vodafone can now claim a free pair of Apple AirPods worth £159, at no extra cost. This deal is only available while stocks last, and expires on Dec. 3. It's available to new and upgrading customers, so anyone can get involved.
More about Vodafone, Black Friday, Mashable Shopping, Shopping Uk, and Uk Dealsfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/uk/shopping/best-deal-vodafone-apple-airpods-black-friday-dec-1/
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Friday, 29 November 2019
iPhone 11 contract deals haven't stopped just yet
TL;DR: The iPhone 11 (64GB) is on sale for only £33 per month on Mobiles.co.uk, with an upfront cost of £79.
If Black Friday has taught us anything this year, it's that there are some great mobile contract deals out there. You just have to know where to look.
If you're worrying that you missed out, do not fear, because there are still plenty of good opportunities to save on sites like Carphone Warehouse and Mobiles.co.uk.
The iPhone 11 is still available with one of the cheapest Black Friday deals we have come across. It will cost you £33 per month, and you only have to pay £79 upfront when you use the exclusive code MASH10. It comes packed with 60GB data provided by Vodafone, with unlimited calls and texts. Read more...
More about Black Friday, Mashable Shopping, Iphone 11, Shopping Uk, and Uk Dealsfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/uk/shopping/best-deal-iphone-11-black-friday-nov-30/
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All the best Black Friday tech deals: Laptops, TVs, headphones, and more
Black Friday weekend is in full swing — because, let's face it, deals don't just last one day anymore.
We've gone through all the major retailers to scope out the best deals across the tech spectrum and there are some pretty killer deals on laptops, TVs, headphones, smartphones, tablets, and gaming devices. Rather than making you go through pages and pages of deals, we're offering you a condensed list of all of the best ones. We just like you that much.
So, enjoy your shopping holiday, and happy spending! Read more...
Best laptop deals
More about Tech, Laptop, 4k Tv, Black Friday, and Mashable Shoppingfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/shopping/best-black-friday-tech-deals-2019/
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New top story on Hacker News: Introduction to Data Compression (2013) [pdf]
Introduction to Data Compression (2013) [pdf]
3 by skovorodkin | 0 comments on Hacker News.
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Thursday, 28 November 2019
Take ‘family fun’ to the next level with $40 off the MyHeritage DNA test
The following content is brought to you by Mashable partners. If you buy a product featured here, we may earn an affiliate commission or other compensation.
TL;DR: MyHeritage is kicking off the holiday season with a 60% Black Friday discount on their DNA test. At $39 down from $79, this is the best price of the year.
The holiday season is all about family. You know the drill: your mom probes about your dating life; your uncle goads you with political jabber; grandma scoffs at your caloric intake in one breath and forces pie on you in another. Why not shake things up for once by adding a DNA test into the mix? Read more...
More about Black Friday, Mashable Shopping, Myheritage, Ancestry Tests, and Sponsored Shoppingfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/shopping/nov-28-myheritage-black-friday-2019-sale/
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AT&T announces real 5G is coming
AT&T is scheduled to fully launch its 5G network in the U.S. in 2020, but the company is planning to bring 5G to "tens of millions" including Indianapolis, Pittsburg, Providence, R.I., Rochester, N.Y., San Diego, Boston, Las Vegas, Milwaukee, New York City, San Francisco, Birmingham, Ala., Bridgeport, Conn., Buffalo, N.Y., Louisville, Ky., and San Jose, California in the coming weeks. Read more...
More about Mashable Video, At T, 5g, 5g Networks, and Techfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/video/atandt-announces-5g/
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Elon Musk reveals the first electric pickup truck from Tesla
Starting at $39,900 with 250 miles of range (and going up to 500 miles), the truck is supposed to have 7,500 pounds of towing capacity and still able to pull off 0 to 60 mph in under 6.5 seconds. Read more...
More about Mashable Video, Tesla, Elon Musk, Electric Vehicles, and Cybertruckfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/video/tesla-reveals-electric-pickup/
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In defense of 'Mrs. Fletcher': the most frustrating show on HBO
The following contains mild spoilers for Mrs. Fletcher.
Mrs. Fletcher is slow going.
Four weeks into the seven-part series and we still have big questions about Eve (Kathryn Hahn) and her sexual reawakening. We’ve watched as the isolated empty-nester explores internet porn, masturbates on the kitchen floor, flirts with an array of suitors, and battles the many obstacles facing middle-aged women and their expressions of sexuality — all to varying effect.
Mrs. Fletcher could be a brave representation of one woman’s victory over societal expectations and self-doubt; but for every step forward, Eve seems to take ten steps back. She's held down by her obligations, her insecurities, her hang-ups, and her fears. Read more...
More about Entertainment, Hbo, Kathryn Hahn, Hbo Now, and Mrs. Fletcherfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/article/mrs-fletcher-kathryn-hahn/
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Everything coming to HBO Now in December 2019
Planning your viewing for the holidays? Here's what's new on HBO Now.
This December, Watchmen, Mrs. Fletcher, Silicon Valley, and His Dark Materials will all have season finales. The streaming service isn't shepherding in many replacements quite yet, but there are tons of films to tide you over until January.
Try out Pokémon Detective Pikachu, Unfriended: Dark Web, Her Smell, Bridesmaids, The Sun Is Also a Star, Buena Vista Social Club, and Being Julia — plus a few new HBO documentaries including Moonlight Sonata: Deafness in Three Movements and Belichick & Saban: The Art of Coaching.
Check out everything coming to (and going from) HBO Now in December 2019 below. Read more...
More about Hbo Now, Detective Pikachu, Entertainment, Streaming Services, and Movies Tv Showsfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/article/hbo-now-december-2019/
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Microsoft has dropped a bunch of Black Friday deals on laptops
TL;DR: The Surface Book 2 is on offer in the Microsoft Black Friday Sale, saving you up to £630 on list price.
Black Friday is contagious, and even the biggest of brands have caught the bug. Microsoft has launched its Black Friday Sale with impressive deals on a wide range of laptops.
It's difficult to pick a favourite from the sale, because everyone has a different set of preferences when it comes to laptops. We highly recommend you check out the full offering before making a decision, but we reckon the Surface Book 2 deal is a winner.
SEE ALSO: Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2019: When is it and what are the best deals in the UK? Read more...
from Mashable https://mashable.com/uk/shopping/best-deal-microsoft-surface-book-2-black-friday-nov-22/
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Get an unmatched selection of the world's best stories with Audible
TL;DR: A four-month subscription to Audible is on sale for £3.99 per month, saving you 50% on list price.
Black Friday is all-encompassing, which means even subscription services come under its blanket of discounts.
Audible is not immune to Black Friday, and your first four months are now available for just £3.99 per month, saving you 50% on list price. After this term your subscription renews automatically at £7.99 per month, but you can cancel anytime if you wish to avoid this price jump.
Audible offers an unmatched selection of the best stories and lets you pick from the world's largest selection of audiobooks and premium spoken-word entertainment. It's a great service that could be all yours for a really low price thanks to Black Friday. Read more...
More about Black Friday, Audible, Mashable Shopping, Shopping Uk, and Uk Dealsfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/uk/shopping/best-deal-audible-black-friday-nov-22/
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The new Amazon Echo has never been cheaper
TL;DR: The Amazon Echo (third generation) is on sale for £59.99 on Amazon, saving you 33% on list price.
Amazon's Black Friday Sale has started in the best possible way, with deals on all of its own devices for the home. You can save on smart speakers, video doorbells, media players, tablets, and much more.
The latest deal to make a statement is the discounted Amazon Echo. This all-new device has never been cheaper, and could be all yours for just £59.99 on Amazon. This is down by 33% on list price, saving you £30. This deal will probably stick around for the duration of the sale, but why wait? Read more...
More about Amazon Echo, Black Friday, Mashable Shopping, Shopping Uk, and Uk Dealsfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/uk/shopping/best-deal-amazon-echo-black-friday-nov-22/
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New top story on Hacker News: Ask HN: What Are You Thankful For?
Ask HN: What Are You Thankful For?
4 by japhyr | 3 comments on Hacker News.
I think this gets asked most years, and I always enjoy the threads that come out of it. I am thankful for a family that I enjoy spending the holidays with. I am thankful that I had a safe childhood and got a good education throughout my life. I am also thankful for the HN community. People dump on this site sometimes, but over most of the past decade HN has been an overwhelmingly positive part of my life. Thank you to everyone for what you bring to the community here.
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4 by japhyr | 3 comments on Hacker News.
I think this gets asked most years, and I always enjoy the threads that come out of it. I am thankful for a family that I enjoy spending the holidays with. I am thankful that I had a safe childhood and got a good education throughout my life. I am also thankful for the HN community. People dump on this site sometimes, but over most of the past decade HN has been an overwhelmingly positive part of my life. Thank you to everyone for what you bring to the community here.
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New top story on Hacker News: Ask HN: What should be taught in high school?
Ask HN: What should be taught in high school?
9 by NiloCK | 4 comments on Hacker News.
I'm an educator with a CS / programming background. There's a possibility that I'll be moving into the 'Information and Communications Technology' role next year at my medium sized high school (grades 9-12, ~700 students, diverse student population). My jurisdiction's curriculum in this area is not well developed, and there are no standardized tests to prepare for. I'll have an amount of freedom in deciding course content that's unusual for high school teachers. What would HN have the modern western high school student learn with respect to "Information and Communications Technology"?
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9 by NiloCK | 4 comments on Hacker News.
I'm an educator with a CS / programming background. There's a possibility that I'll be moving into the 'Information and Communications Technology' role next year at my medium sized high school (grades 9-12, ~700 students, diverse student population). My jurisdiction's curriculum in this area is not well developed, and there are no standardized tests to prepare for. I'll have an amount of freedom in deciding course content that's unusual for high school teachers. What would HN have the modern western high school student learn with respect to "Information and Communications Technology"?
Middlesbrough
The best Black Friday deals so far: Sales that went live on Thanksgiving
Hope y'all are done with your stuffing and already took your post-turkey nap, because it's go-time.
Black Friday officially kicked off at 5 or 6 pm EST at most retailers, which means the last of those deals that didn't go live early are live now.
We hope you were wise enough to map out what you want to buy with the ad scans, but if you didn't, we've pulled all the best deals so that you don't have to waste time flipping through deal pages. If you see something on sale, skip the virtual bloodbath and snag yours before other customers catch wind. "Out of stock" notices on doorbusters will happen quickly: Some 4K TVs and Apple Watches at Walmart are already sold out online and are only available for in-store purchase, and the MacBook Air is completely sold out on Amazon. Read more...
More about Laptop, Black Friday, Kitchen, Mashable Shopping, and Instant Potfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/shopping/best-black-friday-deals-2019/
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Wednesday, 27 November 2019
ZenMate VPN is offering one of the best Black Friday deals around
TL;DR: ZenMate VPN is on sale for £1.40 per month for Black Friday, saving you 84% on list price.
There are a lot of VPN deals out there on the market at the moment, and you're out of your mind if you think we're going to go through each and every one of them.
We would however like to feature one impressive deal from ZenMate VPN, in which you can pick up a three-year plan for just £1.40 per month. This is down by 84% on list price, and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.
ZenMate VPN offer strong levels of encryption, fast servers in over 35 countries, personal customer support, and a no-logging policy. It's a really comprehensive service that is probably not as well known as some others, but should be. Read more...
More about Black Friday, Mashable Shopping, Shopping Uk, Uk Deals, and Zenmate Vpnfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/uk/shopping/best-deal-zenmate-vpn-black-friday-nov-28/
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You can totally take a Thanksgiving turkey on a plane, according to Stephen Colbert
This week is Thanksgiving in the U.S., a time when families gather together to eat copious amounts of food and silently hate each other, like pre-gaming for Christmas.
Fortunately for those saddled with the enormous task of cooking a Thanksgiving feast, the host of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert pointed out that they could just start the preparations early and bring the food along on their flight.
"According to the TSA, you can bring your Thanksgiving turkey on an airplane. Just tell them that's your emotional support meat," said Colbert. "As for other Thanksgiving foods, pies or cookies are allowed right in your carry-on, gravy and cranberry sauce can go in your checked luggage, and corn pudding can go directly to hell." Read more...
More about Politics, Thanksgiving, Stephen Colbert, Michael Bloomberg, and The Late Show With Stephen Colbertfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/video/stephen-colbert-thanksgiving-turkey-plane-michael-bloomberg/
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Save £15 on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with this simple hack
TL;DR: Get a three-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for £1.49 when you join Quidco (after cashback).
Black Friday is a time for generosity, and there is no service more generous than Quidco. New members can now sign up to get £15 cashback on any purchase from a massive selection of retailers.
This means you can now get a heavily discounted Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership on GAME. The £15 discount brings the price of a three-month membership down to just £1.49 after cashback. This can be redeemed through PayPal, bank transfer, or as gift vouchers.
SEE ALSO: Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2019: When is it and what are the best deals in the UK? Read more...
from Mashable https://mashable.com/uk/shopping/best-deal-xbox-game-pass-ultimate-black-friday-nov-28/
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CyberGhost VPN has launched its Black Friday Sale
TL;DR: CyberGhost VPN is on sale for £2.45 per month in the Black Friday Sale, saving you 76% on list price.
We have already come across quite a few VPN deals in this Black Friday shopping period, and most of these offers have one thing in common: long contracts.
It's inevitable that if a service is going to offer you a really low monthly rate, you are probably going to be asked to commit to a long contract. That is just the way things tend to work, and there's not much you can do to avoid this.
Well, unless you opt for CyberGhost VPN, because you can get its best deal on its shortest contract. You can now sign up for a one-year plan for just £2.45 per month, and save 76% on list price. This deal even comes with a generous 45-day money-back guarantee, so you are covered if you don't like the service. Read more...
More about Black Friday, Mashable Shopping, Shopping Uk, Uk Deals, and Cyberghostfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/uk/shopping/best-deal-cyberghost-vpn-black-friday-nov-28/
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Seth Meyers traces Trump's made-up 'war on Thanksgiving' back to (duh) Fox News
On Wednesday's episode of Late Night with Seth Meyers, the host put forward his theory on where Trump may have gotten the "completely nonsensical" idea that people want to rename Thanksgiving. Spoiler alert that isn't really be a spoiler alert because this should be a gimme: It was Fox News.
"One thing we know about Trump is that his brain is basically a toxic waste dump with a bunch of trash, debris, just floating around in there," said Meyers. Yet even in chaos, ideas require a spark. In the case of Trump, that spark is usually his favorite television channel, which Meyers noted had aired a segment on the "war on Thanksgiving" earlier this month. Read more...
More about Thanksgiving, Donald Trump, Seth Meyers, Late Night With Seth Meyers, and Culturefrom Mashable https://mashable.com/video/seth-meyers-trump-war-on-thanksgiving/
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The innovation trends flipping the script on workplace health and safety
In the space of just 12 months, workplace injury and fatality rates in Australia dropped almost 20% between 2017 in 2018. And while this year is set to reveal an even lower number, we still have a ways to go to ensure the safety and security of workers throughout the country. Thankfully, a number of nifty and innovative tech solutions are making it easier than ever to ensure effective workplace health and safety solutions are accessible to everyone, each and every day.
Dress the part
The best defence is a good offence – or a good outfit in this instance. Not only does safety workwear serve as the first line of defence against injury and contamination on any job site, it helps ensure workers are comfortable and protected at the same time. Manufacturers of all types of work attire, from uniforms to accessories, are currently investing millions of dollars into researching and developing the most resilient and ‘smart’ fabrics possible. These include materials like Tencel, which uses eucalyptus pulp or wood-based fibrous material to strengthen clothes and ensure they’re more resistant to the dangers of industrial environments. Read more...
More about Technology, Safety, Workplace Safety, Health And Wellness, and Lifestylefrom Mashable https://mashable.com/ad/feature/tech-trends-in-the-workplace-health-safety/
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How to look human while travelling
Bed hair is one thing but when you spend half your life on a plane, in a train or hooning down the highway in your very own campervan – it can be hard to maintain your luscious locks. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to style yourself on the road, even if you have to leave your beloved straightener at home.
Keep it simple
There are so many amazing things to focus on while travelling but your hair shouldn’t have to be one of them. To make life easier for yourself, aim for as many up do’s as possible. From ponytails to plaits, braids and buns, all these styles will keep your hair off your face and out of the way of those giant backpack straps and pesky bags. What’s more, a braid or plait during the day can lead to some seriously killer curls when you let your hair down (quite literally) later that night. Just make sure you invest in some robust bobby pins, durable elastic bands and hairspray that will hold your ‘do without turning your hair into a crunchy mess that’s hard to wash out. Read more...
More about Supported, Hair Dryer, Lifestyle Tech, Brand X, and Beauty Techfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/ad/feature/hair-grooming-maintenance-travel-overseas/
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AirPods, air fryers, and robot vacuums are the winners at Walmart
OUR FAVORITE BLACK FRIDAY WALMART DEALS:
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AirPods with charging case (latest model) — $129 (save $30)
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iPad Pro (10.5-inch with WiFi) — $699 (save $300)
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Farberware 3.2-quart air fryer — $39 (list price $69)
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Instant Vortex Plus (10-quart) — $79 (list price $119.99)
In recent years, Walmart has really pulled ahead as one of the best stops for deals, Black Friday or otherwise, and they aren't about to slow down any time soon. Officially, Walmart begins its in-store Black Friday sale at 6 pm local time on Thanksgiving, but their online sale has already started.
Here's what you need to know: Read more...
There are some awesome deals on AirPods
More about Mashable Shopping, Tech, and Consumer Techfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/shopping/walmart-black-friday-deals-airpods-air-fryers/
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Apple 'doesn't give a damn,' marks Crimea as part of Russia on Apple Maps
Apple's Maps and Weather apps, when accessed in Russia, now mark the disputed peninsula of Crimea as Russian territory — a move that has upset Ukrainian officials and defied international consensus.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Russia's parliament announced it had met with an Apple official who advised the "inaccuracy" in their apps regarding how Crimea was marked had been "finally removed."
"[Committee on Security and Corruption Control head] Vasilii Piskarev noted that Apple fulfilled its obligations and brought the applications on its devices in compliance with the requirements of the Russian legislation," said the statement. Read more...
More about Apple, Russia, Ukraine, Apple Maps, and Ukraine Crisisfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/article/apple-maps-crimea-russia-ukraine/
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Amazon's 2019 Black Friday sale is here, and these are the best deals
After a literal month of hype and dozens of teaser deals, Amazon's Black Friday sale has officially started — and if I may quote Michael Scott, "Oh my GOD, okay, it's happening. EVERYBODY STAY CALM."
It's go time, people. And if you want to avoid one of those dreaded "out of stock" banners, you'd better hurry; the site's sales tend to move pretty quickly.
No pressure, you know.
The last time we checked, there were no less than 1,000 active deals up on Amazon's official Black Friday landing page, and they covered everything from electronics to kids' toys. If you don't feel like scrolling through all of them (fair!), fret not: Below, you'll find a quick rundown of the best bargains that are up for grabs right now. Read more...
More about Apple, Amazon, Black Friday, Mashable Shopping, and Techfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/shopping/amazon-black-friday-2019-first-deals-macbook-airpods-pro-lg-tvs/
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Vox Sentences: When Trump knew
Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images
New information comes to light about when Trump learned of the whistleblower complaint; Palestinians hold a “day of rage” over the US’s settlement policy change.
Vox Sentences is your daily digest for what’s happening in the world. Sign up for the Vox Sentences newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox Monday through Friday, or view the Vox Sentences archive for past editions.
Trump reportedly knew about whistleblower before aid release
- More is known about President Donald Trump freezing nearly $400 million in military aid to Ukraine thanks to the impeachment inquiry testimony of White House Office of Budget and Management (OMB) official Mark Sandy, which was released this week. [NPR / Elena Moore]
- Sandy told lawmakers Trump voiced concerns about the aid in June, and that by mid-July, there was open discussion of the president’s desire to withhold the aid at OMB. The hold was announced on July 18, and formally put into place following Trump’s July 25 call with the president of Ukraine. [Wall Street Journal / Andrew Duehren and Dustin Volz]
- According to Sandy, legal and process concerns over the hold led to at least two OMB officials resigning. [Washington Post / Erica Werner and Felicia Sonmez]
- And of course, concern over Trump’s interactions with Ukraine led to a whistleblower complaint that helped launch the impeachment inquiry. The public learned of the complaint in September, but the New York Times reports Trump found out about it in August. [New York Times / Michael S. Schmidt, Julian E. Barnes and Maggie Haberman]
- This means when Trump finally released the aid on September 11, he knew about the report. [Axios / Zachary Basu]
- Democrats will likely argue this bolsters their claim Trump released the funds because he got “caught” attempting to improperly pressure Ukraine. But in early September, Trump also believed Ukraine would be opening the investigations he’d requested. [Vox / Andrew Prokop]
- At a rally Tuesday night, Trump called the impeachment proceedings “bullshit” and said: “They’re attacking me because I’m exposing a rigged system that enriched itself at your expense and I’m restoring government of, by and for the people.” [Politico / Nancy Cook and Matthew Choi]
- But Democrats are moving forward with the inquiry as planned: Lawmakers are preparing a report on what they’ve learned so far, and House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler has announced his committee’s first impeachment hearing, to which he has invited the president. Trump has yet to RSVP. [BBC]
Palestinians protest US announcement
- In protest of the change in US policy toward Israeli settlements, Palestinians protested across the West Bank Tuesday. [Al Jazeera]
- Last week, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced the US will no longer consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank to violate international law. [The Guardian / Julian Borger and Oliver Holmes]
- Fatah, a Palestinian political party in the West Bank, organized a “day of rage” to protest the decision. [AP News / Matthew Lee]
- Tuesday, more than 2,000 people gathered in Ramallah to burn photos of Trump as well as Israeli flags. [Middle East Eye / Shatha Hammad]
- Mahmoud Aloul, a Fatah official, said protesters hoped to send this message: “The biased American policy toward Israel, and the American support of the Israeli settlements and the Israeli occupation, leaves us with only one option: To go back to resistance.” [Time / Mohammed Daraghmeh]
- The US policy change doesn’t alter international legal standards, but it could severely hinder the US’s ability to mediate for peace in the region. [BBC]
Miscellaneous
- Navigating Thanksgiving dinner with a variety of dietary restrictions among attendees isn’t easy. Here’s how to do it. [Vox / Julia Belluz]
- Russian cows are getting a new treatment in the hopes of increased happiness and better-tasting milk: augmented reality goggles. [CNN / Leah Asmelash]
- Winter threatens holiday travel as stormy weather looms nationwide. [Bloomberg / Vincent Del Giudice and Brian K Sullivan]
- If you want to include your furry friends in your holiday meals, here is a list of pet-friendly Thanksgiving foods. [The Advocate]
- In continuing with tradition, Butterball experts will be only a phone call away to answer your turkey crisis questions on the big day. [New York Times / Kim Severson]
- At a rally on Tuesday, Trump claimed that Democrats want to change the name of Thanksgiving. [Vox / Emily Stewart]
Verbatim
“In the world of social media, some people are hard at work in sowing toxic doubts and disinformation to undermine trust.” [Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing’s response to China attacking him for failing to bring the province in line with the mainland]
Listen to this: A tribe called keto
Some say the Kardashian-endorsed keto diet craze that’s sweeping the nation could help fight epilepsy and cancer, too. Vox’s Julia Belluz separates fat from fiction. [Spotify]
Read more
UN: Countries have failed miserably to cut emissions, and now must take drastic action
You can now buy Star Wars hypebeast sneakers, fancy Dutch ovens, and status parkas. Here’s why.
Giving thanks may make your brain more altruistic
These uses of CO2 could cut emissions — and make trillions of dollars
4 young Indigenous people on what “home” looks like today
from Vox - All https://www.vox.com/vox-sentences/2019/11/27/20986387/trump-impeachment-israel-settlements-palestinians
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TikTok is accused of censoring anti-Chinese government content, again
A visitor at the booth of Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok) at the 2019 Smart Expo in Hangzhou, China, on October 18, 2019. | Costfoto / Barcroft Media via Getty Images
A US teen says the video-sharing platform suspended her account for criticizing China’s treatment of Muslims.
A US teenage TikTok user’s attempt to spread awareness about China’s oppression of its Uighur Muslim population has renewed questions about censorship on the China-based social media company’s platform.
Earlier this week, 17-year-old Feroza Aziz, who lives in New Jersey, posted on TikTok what was presented as a three-part tutorial on how to get longer eyelashes but quickly switched to a call-out about China’s treatment of its Muslim population. Several human rights groups have accused China of putting 1 million Muslims, mostly from the Uighur ethnic group, into concentration camps and shutting down or destroying mosques. China’s government denies this and claims that the camps are merely vocational training centers.
In her TikTok videos, Aziz begins her beauty tutorial simply enough. “The first thing you need to do is grab your lash curler, curl your lashes, obviously,” she says. Then she changes her message: “Then you’re gonna put [the curler] down and use your phone that you’re using right now to search up what’s happening in China. How they’re getting concentration camps, throwing innocent Muslims in there, separating their families from each other, kidnapping them, murdering them, raping them ... this is another Holocaust.”
Aziz said she sandwiched her political commentary between eyelash improvement tips in order to circumvent censorship she anticipated from the platform. Less than two days after her first video was posted, she tweeted that she had been suspended from TikTok for a month.
I am blocked from posting on tik tok for a month. This won’t silence me.
— feroza.x (@x_feroza) November 25, 2019
In a statement, TikTok confirmed that it banned Aziz — though it denied it was because of her beauty tutorial-cum-impassioned plea on behalf of China’s Muslims. Instead, it said it only banned the phone that Aziz used to upload those videos because it was tied to her previous account, which had been banned for violating policies on terrorism-related imagery. (One of her videos briefly showed a photo of Osama bin Laden in what she has described as a joke about other people’s perceptions of the kind of men that she, as a Muslim woman, is romantically interested in.)
There is a bit of a discrepancy here: TikTok says it only permanently banned one of Aziz’s devices and that her account was otherwise left alone. But Aziz says her entire account was suspended for a month, and she tweeted an image of what she said was a message from TikTok saying as much.
TikTok said that it had removed Aziz’s videos, but only for a 50-minute time period “due to a human moderation error.” Finally, the social media company apologized to Aziz and said it would un-ban her phone so she can access her account again. Aziz tweeted that she does not believe TikTok’s stated reasons for banning her, but said she had regained access to her account.
This all comes in the middle of the app’s attempts to distance itself from its Chinese owner, ByteDance, amid concerns over how it handles user data and whether or not the Chinese government has access to it. TikTok was fined $5.7 million by the FTC earlier this year over allegations that it knowingly allowed children under 13 to sign up for its service and provide their personal information without parental consent — a violation of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. In September, reports from the Guardian and the Washington Post claimed that TikTok was censoring politically sensitive content. Last month, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Tom Cotton co-authored a letter requesting that the intelligence community assess TikTok for any national security risks based on its parent company’s Chinese ties. And ByteDance’s 2017 $1 billion acquisition of Musical.ly, which was then folded into TikTok, is now being investigated by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.
In response, TikTok has repeatedly insisted that all US-based user data is stored in the US and Singapore, and that the Chinese government has no access to it. The company says it does not censor content the Chinese government disapproves of, that moderation of US content is done by a US-based team, and that it does not operate in China at all (for Chinese users, ByteDance has a similar app called Douyin — which is heavily censored, like everything else on the Chinese internet). In a recent interview with the New York Times, TikTok head Alex Zhu said that TikTok did not share user data with its parent company. He also said TikTok wasn’t really a platform for politics, but for a “creative and joyful experience.”
“Today, we are lucky,” Zhu told the Times, “because users perceive TikTok as a platform for memes, for lip-syncing, for dancing, for fashion, for animals — but not so much for political discussion.”
Examples like this only cast more doubt on TikTok’s claims that free speech is alive and well in the American version of its app. Despite those censorship concerns, it remains hugely popular, especially among Gen Z. After all, Aziz didn’t walk away when her previous account was banned; she simply created another.
from Vox - All https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/11/27/20985795/tiktok-censorship-china-uighur-bytedance
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Tuesday, 26 November 2019
New top story on Hacker News: Ask HN: Quiting Big Tech, what is it like?
Ask HN: Quiting Big Tech, what is it like?
3 by throwaway1m | 0 comments on Hacker News.
I've spent the last decade in two FANG companies, and I've got to a high level where my total compensation is ridiculous. The problem is that it bores me to tears, and I don't want to do it anymore. At first thought, maybe I am burned out? However, I can still come home and write code for a side-project, so I don't think this is "burn-out". I don't know to be honest. I think the best description is that I am cynical of the "mission", and I can't connect my work to people I care about. How do I know what the source of the problem is? However, I wanted to pose two questions. First, what is the environment like for exiting high-level former-FANG employees? Second, what are some of the surprises post-FANG that I would be in for if I wanted to start a company? Thank you for your time.
Middlesbrough
3 by throwaway1m | 0 comments on Hacker News.
I've spent the last decade in two FANG companies, and I've got to a high level where my total compensation is ridiculous. The problem is that it bores me to tears, and I don't want to do it anymore. At first thought, maybe I am burned out? However, I can still come home and write code for a side-project, so I don't think this is "burn-out". I don't know to be honest. I think the best description is that I am cynical of the "mission", and I can't connect my work to people I care about. How do I know what the source of the problem is? However, I wanted to pose two questions. First, what is the environment like for exiting high-level former-FANG employees? Second, what are some of the surprises post-FANG that I would be in for if I wanted to start a company? Thank you for your time.
Middlesbrough
Lewis, the internet-famous koala rescued from Australia's bushfires, has died
"Lewis" the koala, who was brought to international attention by a viral video of him being rescued from Australia's devastating bushfires, has been euthanised.
Port Macquarie Koala Hospital made the sad announcement yesterday on Facebook, stating that they had placed him under general anaesthetic that morning "to assess his burns injuries [sic] and change the bandages."
"We recently posted that 'burns injuries can get worse before they get better'," wrote the hospital. "In Ellenborough Lewis's case, the burns did get worse, and unfortunately would not have gotten better.
"The Koala Hospital's number one goal is animal welfare, so it was on those grounds that this decision was made. We thank you for your ongoing support." Read more...
More about Australia, Animals, Bushfires, Koalas, and Firesfrom Mashable https://mashable.com/article/lewis-koala-dead-australia-bushfire/
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New top story on Hacker News: It's Way Too Easy to Get a .gov Domain Name
It's Way Too Easy to Get a .gov Domain Name
13 by jakejarvis | 0 comments on Hacker News.
Middlesbrough
13 by jakejarvis | 0 comments on Hacker News.
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