Stream of Reading (Prepare to be Forwarded) – An Archive of What I'm Reading
The ceremonies and traditions involved in most forms of witchcraft may seem exclusive and arcane, passed down for centuries through covens and other secret groups, but today, trying your hand at the occult can be as easy as downloading an app on your smartphone. For everything from spells and rituals to numerology and tarot…
I am on the record as liking Uber. I like its service, which has revolutionized urban mobility by improving convenience, taking cars off the road, and (most likely) reducing incidents of impaired driving. I’m partial to its swashbuckling style, particularly when confronting taxi interests and municipal regulators who are more concerned with self-preservation than the…
Photo Travis Kalanick, chief executive of Uber, which views the Middle East as an increasingly important overseas market. Credit Ioulex SAN FRANCISCO — In its quest to build a global empire, Uber has turned to the Middle East for its biggest infusion of cash from a single investor. Uber said on Wednesday that it had…
Apple#tbt.Apple sent two engineers to a customer’s house to troubleshoot after he wrote about how iTunes deleted swathes of his music collection, and his story subsequently went viral. The Cupertino, California-based company is now rolling out an update to iTunes in an attempt to solve the issue. James Pinkstone had detailed his frustrating experiences with…
With Instant Apps, clicking a link can give you an app-like experience even if you don’t have the app installed already. Google cache hit 288:single/related:d6301bcf9efc0b595dd8f77bfbfb6673 empty MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—Mobile websites are often more convenient than their desktop counterparts when you’re on your phone, but they’re also usually missing some important functionality that’s available (or just…
Snapchat is developing an algorithm that will act as a gatekeeper between publishers and brands and their audiences, according to sources. Many publishers and brands are earmarking resources for Snapchat, the platform of the moment for reaching a large, young and active audience. Users currently see all the messages from accounts they follow in chronological order, but with…
Uber faces other labor-related hurdles. Along with Lyft, a competing ride-hailing service, the company this week withdrew operations from Austin, Tex., after losing a battle with the City Council over the nature of its background checks for drivers. Under the terms of the deal in New York, which will be in effect for five years,…
“We Will Literally Predict Their Life Outcomes” Scientist Vivienne Ming says she can foretell a child’s earning potential, happiness, even longevity. But not all her claims add up. Earlier this year, I met an entrepreneur who believed people could become better parents by texting with a software program she’d built. To me, a new mother,…
As Monday morning arrives in Austin, Texas, the thousands of people who’ve come to rely on Uber and Lyft (as both passengers and drivers) in this car-oriented city are waking up to a new reality. The two ride-hail leaders lost a major vote on Saturday, one they collectively spent more than $8 million trying to…
Austin, Texas voters have rejected a measure called Proposition 1 that would have shielded ride-hail drivers from stricter background checks, and now Uber and Lyft are threatening to cease operations entirely in the city. Uber says it will “stop” its Austin operations at 8AM Monday though it’s unclear if that’s a permanent withdrawal. Lyft says…