I’m not fully sure about the logic and hinted conclusions here. The internet itself is a network with major CSAM problems (so maybe we shouldn’t use it?).
The "report" is issued by something called the Stanford Internet Observatory, which is not in fact a telescope on a hill, but rather an operation by the guy who, from 2015-2018, was the "Chief Security Officer" of Facebook - an ironic title, considering that this was the period of the Cambridge Analytica machination, the Rohingya genocide, and the Russian influence operation that exposed 128 million Facebook users to pro-Trump disinformation.
Sounds like they are becoming worried over the growth of these networks and wants to convince the large public that they should stay away.
It’s pretty much standard tactics to paint a false picture of something, and they get away with it too. I bet people will now say “mastadon, isn’t that where there is child porn? No thanks”.
I just want to say, if you have an electric oven… you have an ‘air fryer’.
Usually electric ovens have indirect and direct options of heating (upper elements for example, compared to ones hidden in the back closer to the fan).
Granted a tiny ‘air fryer’ might do something a little quicker. But I struggle to see their benefits if you have an electric fan forced oven (all electric are). Its an additional $100 - $200 for no real benefit, other than something else you have to clean. And I’d argue that cleaning an oven tray out of the oven is much easier (granted I have a dishwasher) than baskets and oil catchers etc, but can you put those parts of an oven fryer in the dishwasher? ( I use cheap cookie coolers on an oven tray if I am going to cook something like chicken that would drip, keeping the pieces crisp.)
If your oven is gas or coal, then absolutely - get the Air Fryer.
As someone who has both a regular full-size electric oven and an air fryer, I use my air fryer a lot more and would 100% recommend it.
It’s not just quicker, it’s a lot quicker, considering you don’t need to do a 15 minute preheat like regular ovens. On the other hand, my air fryer only needs 2 minutes.
Saves a lot of energy - I mean, who doesn’t like to save energy? Especially when I want to reheat stuff, I’m done with the air fryer - even cleaning it - all in the duration a conventional oven would take just to finish heating up.
In my experience of cleaning both ovens and air fryers, I’d say an air fryer is easier to clean, simply because the surface area is a lot smaller. Sure, you can put an oven tray in the dishwasher, but don’t you clean the rest of the oven? As for an air fryer, you may be able to put the tray/basket in the dishwasher, depending on the model, but even otherwise, a couple of quick swipes with a paper towel does the trick.
In saying that, newer tabletop electric ovens also double up as air fryers, such as the one by Breville - so if you have the space and don’t have an existing oven, get one of of these I’d reckon as they would be more versatile.
I’m always vaguely jealous that I missed out on NES culture first time around.
In the UK, consoles weren’t really a big thing until the Megadrive and the SNES, and the NES seemed to be nowhere at all, at least where I grew up. A few people had Master Systems, but mostly it was Spectrums and C64s.
I’d see the NES in magazines occasionally, or in game ads in American comic books I got my hands on, and it always looked so cool.
In South Africa, we got the Famicom. I was young and not aware of any others until the Mega Drive. I don’t even remember the SNES. Arcades ruled. Until the Gameboy and PS1
Yeah, until about 1990… I’m not sure why, but I suspect it was because of the relative price of console games. It was a lot easier to swing 8 quid for a game than 30 quid for a NES game. Plus, there was an underlying delusion that parents were buying their kids a tool that could be used for learning if they bought a computer over a console.
Consoles were a niche thing that occupied a couple of pages in the multi-format magazines of the late 80s.
As I said, that’s a bootlegged NES! look at that Ghostbusters cart on the right :)
And you’re right, the controller looks like a Genesis one. But zoom enough on the pic and you’ll see that where the ‘C’ button would be, it’s actually the ‘Start’ button
NES is one I think is on the verge of “not holding up” vs SNES/Genesis where you can just release a game for it now and it would still do well for an indie.
Still, solid enough library. Favorite game is Jackal.
I dunno, there’s so many great NES games with interesting mechanics, and totally hold up today. Stuff like the OG Mega Man series, Bionic Commando, Castlevania (especially CV3), River City Ransom, Batman (Sunsoft version), Metal Storm, Double Dragon 2, Mighty Final Fight (IMO better than the original), Ninja Gaiden series, Contra, Tecmo Super Bowl, Shatterhand… list goes on.
There’s a lot of great games for the system if you can look past the graphics. And there are still games being made either for it, or as homages. Stuff like Micro Mages (actual NES game that’s also on Steam and it’s great), Blazing Chrome (inspired by Contra/Contra 3), and stuff like Legend Bowl and Retro Bowl (retro inspired American football games), and The Messenger, which was Ninja Gaiden and Metroidvania inspired.
the funny thing is this it’s not the first article I’ve read about it this year, and tbf to them it’s really hard to talk about how some of the games we love for the NES are turning 40 while the console itself is only 38
I’m sure for the marketing it’s a lot better to be succinct with a title for the casual reader. Saying "The Famicom, the pre-cursor to the NES, turns 40: … "
I think it’s about money and control. Slavery is a far more lucrative framework to a shortsighted business model that doesn’t value human life or input in the least beyond what it can earn. Think about exploiting a machine for unlimited gains vs waiting for people to work through a creative process, or rewrites. No breaks for hundreds or thousands. No day limits.
Then think about the people in power being able to implement their own (stupid) visions without any pushback or challenge. Want to incorporate your advertisers, backers or political agendas? Want to change your mind after you release? Responding instantly to testing? Boom. No creative pushback. No talent pushback or wrangling.
And they own it all outright if it came from their platform. Near total “self sufficiency”. There are so many stories about great movies or films that almost didn’t happen because one or several out of touch producers, or bean counters from accounting, almost ruined everything. (Thinking about “The Offer”, or more recently The Algorithm on “Barry”)
Eventually, maybe it could mean fewer unions to negotiate with if studios own both likenesses and writing process, or less bargaining power for the existing unions. They already own your face, or can compose “original” amalgams.
Much can be accomplished on a set / lot with computers as it is. Factor in non union performance, or weaker unions, and I bet they think they’ll print money. I am thinking like late career-Bruce Willis where it’s quantity over quality (before he announced his illness, he squeezed a few more millions out of his name and face doing a scene or two in a series of very low budget films). This would matter to many who care about quality, and ethics, however, look at network drama or procedurals like L&O. People in general can be far less discerning as long as it’s not too bad. In fact, they often prefer formula and tropes are tropes for a reason. Sometimes formulae are overt and sometimes it’s more subtle.
Is that all possible under current law? Do antitrust or monopoly laws cover this? I don’t know. I think pressure could shape laws as usual.
Just a thought experiment from a former entertainment professional. I side with unions of course against the executives and shadowy funders that make the millions behind the scenes. But take all with a grain of salt.
Edit: now I’m thinking about how cost and investment there is over a life to train people to achieve the necessary competence and ability (like any job, or any soldier), and how they could bypass some, or eventually all of that, knee capping human arts and culture. And to some degree literacy. We don’t belong in museums yet… Dang it >:(
This all comes after striking actors rejected a proposal from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) that generously offered workers a one-time $200 day rate for performers to get scanned for future use as AI-enhanced CGI simulacrums forever, until the end of time. SAG-AFTRA says the company would “own that scan, their image, their likeness, and be able to use it for the rest of eternity in any project they want with no consent and no compensation.”
I commend those people, if I can’t even say what I’d like to do if I was the one receiving such an insulting proposition
I do hope that the strikers get what they are asking for however this AI stuff is inevitable. AI written scripts performed by AI Characters in full virtual space is going to happen. Oh sure it will suck Donkey Ballz for the first 3-4 years while studios get a handle on the tech but it will improve rapidly.
The porn studios are already playing with this this and I predict that in less than 10 years the people over at !aigen will be cranking out full length pr0n movies using OSS tools.
Unless computers go away this trend is unstoppable.
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