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DOGE claims it’s not an “agency” that has to comply with FOIA. We don’t buy it — and so far judges haven’t, either. theintercept.com/2025/03/24/in…

DOGE Keeps Trying to Dodge the Freedom of Information Act. So We’re Suing.

Shawn Musgrave (The Intercept)

mastodon - Link to source

Apparently, Google is pro-encryption.

arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/0…

"While the data is stored locally by default, you have the option of creating encrypted backups in the cloud. If you did that, you should be able to restore the data."

#Encryption


Oops: Google says it might have deleted your Maps Timeline data

Google Maps switched to local-only Timeline storage in December.
Ryan Whitwam (Ars Technica)
#encryption

mastodon - Link to source
a tweet from @JamesSurowiecki "One obvious reason why Trump's advisers might choose to talk on Signal would be if they do not want their conversations permanently recorded and archived, as is required by federal law."

mastodon - Link to source
As preps continue, it’s looking more likely NASA will fly the Artemis II mission
The core stage of NASA's Space Launch System is now integrated with the rocket's twin boosters.
arstechnica.com/space/2025/03/…

As preps continue, it’s looking more likely NASA will fly the Artemis II mission

The core stage of NASA’s Space Launch System is now integrated with the rocket’s twin boosters.
Stephen Clark (Ars Technica)

mastodon - Link to source
If today does not call for a re-up, no day will.
Simpson's meme This is the most embarrassed I've been of the U.S.A. This is the most embarrassed you've been of the U.S.A. So FAR

mastodon - Link to source

PPS Is The Hottest USB-C Feature You Didn’t Know About

hackaday.com/2025/03/24/pps-is…


PPS Is The Hottest USB-C Feature You Didn’t Know About

USB Power Delivery is widely considered to be a good thing. It’s become relatively standard, and is a popular way for makers to easily power their projects at a number of specific, useful vol…
Hackaday

mastodon - Link to source
My daughter made this Undertale comic and said to share it with y'all. I said I wasn't entirely sure I got the joke, but she said I should trust her cause she's funnier than me
Sans a smiling skeleton from Undertale saying "Papyrus, I just want you to know that ramen is better than spaghetti" Second panel is a taller skeleton responding "Sans, stop joking around!" Last panel is Sans saying "It's not a joke, it's the truth!"
in reply to geekysteven

qurlyjoe
mastodon - Link to source
qurlyjoe
• •
I’m entirely sure I don’t get the joke. Can someone explain it to me like I’m 5, please.

mastodon - Link to source

'rising turmoil'

#MotherNature #LoveNature #Environment #eco #ProtectNature #ClimateChange #SaveOurPlanet
#MastoArt #WaterColour #AbstractArt #Krita

watercolour & ink; dark background with a circular swirl of green and pale brown from which swirled lines rise, the inner centre exudes a blue tint, colouring the inner edges, distorted sections form circular anomalies, dots of colour are randomly scattered around the scene
#MastoArt #climatechange #environment #watercolour #AbstractArt #mothernature #krita #lovenature #saveourplanet #eco #protectnature

mastodon - Link to source

it's new video time. things are heating up. but not too much.

youtube.com/watch?v=HnMuNCl7tZ…


The clever feature that makes cheap heaters safe — and why they're actually dangerous

It's best to know what you actually need to be worried about.Technology Connextras (the second channel where I put stuff sometimes)https://www.youtube.com/@T...
YouTube

mastodon - Link to source
Text "I don't hear this nearly enough tbh" attached image is Max Caulfield from Life is Strange Double Exposure thinking "Skinny and curved... That's actually kinda perfect?"

mastodon - Link to source
And just like that we have a functioning clock! currently running on a propmaker RP2040 but I will probably have to move over to something WiFi enabled before long #pcb #electronics #maker #RP2040 #RaspberryPi #jlcpcb #circuitpython @adafruit #1segrgb
#maker #electronics #raspberrypi #jlcpcb #pcb #CircuitPython #rp2040 #1segrgb @adafruit
This entry was edited (2 months ago)

Tod Kurt (todbot) reshared this.

mastodon - Link to source
A stunning albino #Squirrel of the Day for March 24, 2025 #squirrels
white squirrel poses in tree
#squirrel #Squirrels

mastodon - Link to source
ATSC 3 Update: The CTA Takes on the NAB on Tuner Mandate Request youtube.com/watch?v=sQVb62Cn_t…

ATSC 3 Update: The CTA Takes on the NAB on Tuner Mandate Request

See more in this series: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCZHp4d1HnItSSUpA-DskfKKKrQ_LQYwP - The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) fired back at a...
YouTube

mastodon - Link to source
#Memes some guy "boosted" the last meme (which I think is like a repost?) So I guess that means memes are ok here. I'll just keep posting a few to kind of understand how people find each other
#memes
in reply to Herr.Juxnerp-Sama

FediFollows
mastodon - Link to source
FediFollows
• •
You can find lots of recommended accounts organised into categories on my site at fedi.directory 🙂

Fedi.Directory – Interesting accounts on Mastodon & the Fediverse

Interesting accounts to follow on Mastodon and the Fediverse
fedi.directory

mastodon - Link to source
The second big open source (this time Apache 2.0) model release from a Chinese AI lab today is Qwen's Qwen2.5-VL-32B, which appears to be a truly fantastic multi-modal vision model based on my first attempt at running it locally (using MLX-VLM) simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/24/…
A complex map of a marine protected area
This image appears to be a map highlighting specific areas along the coastline, likely in California, based on the geographical features and place names. Here is a detailed description of the image: Geographic Features: The map shows a section of the coastline, with land on the right and the sea on the left. The land area includes parts of SanMateo County, as noted in the top-right corner. The coastline features several named locations, including: Point Montara Pillar Point Kings Rock VicenteCreek DennistonCreek State Beach Highlighted Areas: The map contains two distinct areas marked with different colors: Red Area (Top Section) Labeled as "MONTARA" and "MONTARA M R" (possibly referring to a "Marine Reserves" or similar protected area). This area is marked with a dark red color and extends from the coastline inland. Blue Area (Bottom Section) Labeled as "PILLAR" and "PILLAR P O I N T" along with "SMCA" (Special Management Area). This area is marked with a blue color and is located closer to the coastline, including the area around "Pillar Point." Depth Contours: The map includes depth markings in the sea, indicating the bathymetrical features: 20 fathom (fm) line is marked in the upper-left part of the sea.
Other Features: State Beach: Marked near the top-right, indicating a protected recreational area. Kings Rock: A prominent feature near the coastline, likely a rocky outcropping. Creeks: The map shows several creeks, including VicenteCreek and DennistonCreek, which flow into the sea. Protected Areas: The map highlights specific protected areas: Marine Reserves: "MONTARA M R" (Marine Reserves) in red. Special Management Area (SMCA) "PILLAR P O I N T" in blue, indicating a Special Management Area. Grid and Coordinates: The map includes a grid with latitude and longitude markings: Latitude ranges from approximately 37°25'N to 37°35'N. Longitude ranges from approximately 122°22.5'W to 122°35.5'W. Topography: The land area shows topographic features, including elevations and vegetation, with green areas indicating higher elevations or vegetated land. Other Labels: "SMR": Likely stands for "State Managed Reserves." "SMCA": Likely stands for "Special Management Control Area." In summary, this map highlights specific protected areas along the coastline, including a red "Marine Reserves" area and a blue "Special Management Area" near "Pillar Point." The map also includes depth markings, geographical features, and place names, providing a detailed view of the region's natural and protected areas.

Qwen2.5-VL-32B: Smarter and Lighter

The second big open weight LLM release from China today - the first being [DeepSeek v3-0324](https://simonwillison.net/2025/Mar/24/deepseek/). Qwen's previous vision model was Qwen2.5 VL, [released in January](https://simonwillison.
Simon Willison’s Weblog

mastodon - Link to source
they’re called kolea because they’re cool, yeah?
Photo of a kolea, which is a plover, standing on green grass with its gold speckled back to us and its head turned enough to reveal the white stripes along each side of its black belly

mastodon - Link to source

Don't come to the US.

If you absolutely have to for some reason, this guide might be beneficial for boarder crossings.

But really, just stay away.

wired.com/2017/02/guide-gettin…

Glyn Moody reshared this.

mastodon - Link to source
California’s AB 412 would undermine fair-use rules and make it almost impossible to train an AI model without facing a lawsuit; all it would do is crush smaller startups and give big tech companies even more power. cybernews.com/news/california-…
in reply to Electronic Frontier Foundation

Cristin Pescosolido
mastodon - Link to source
Cristin Pescosolido
• •

I normally agree with you, but this stance is indefensible.

LLM training is not "fair use" - it is use for commercial purpose.

If you support LLM training on copyrighted materials, you are supporting theft, plain and simple.

I fully support curbs to "AI" companies' use of copyrighted materials. And forcing them to show their receipts of where they got their material for training sets.

#proAB412

#proab412
in reply to Electronic Frontier Foundation

Mark Chick
mastodon - Link to source
Mark Chick
• •
Thanks for the great work you do, but you've called this one wrong. Please reconsider.

mastodon - Link to source
During research for a column I stumbled upon the eggs dashboard by the European Commission and it is...mindblowing.
agriculture.ec.europa.eu/docum…
#OMGraphs #GraphPolice #GrafiekPolitie
A hot mess of charts and graphs, including exploded 3D pie charts
#grafiekpolitie #graphpolice #omgraphs

mastodon - Link to source

I step out of the room for a couple of minutes to bring the garbage bins up from the curb and when I return, I have two little scammers trying to trick me into giving them treats, twice.

#cats #catsofmastodon #fedicats #CatsOfInfoSec

A grey and white tabby cat sitting on a table and a brown and white long haired cat sitting on the counter.
#cats #fedicats #catsofmastodon #CatsOfInfoSec

mastodon - Link to source
My #cat just wanted to say hello. #CatsOfMastodon #Meow
A very fluffy, long-haired cat reaching her paw out to shake your hand. She has mostly brown hair with dark and light streaks throughout. Her chin is white, as are her long ear tufts.
#catsofmastodon #cat #meow

mastodon - Link to source

It's been a very productive year, in addition to Pixelfed and Loops, we shipped a few smaller initiatives.

socialweb.network

respectfulplatforms.org


SocialWeb.Network - Your Gateway to Decentralized Social

Comprehensive resources for decentralized social web protocols including ActivityPub, AT Protocol, Nostr, and more.
socialweb.network

mastodon - Link to source
🦨 Pepe Le Pew • STL files
➡️ Download 3D print model: cults3d.com/:2843629
💡 Designed by reddadsteve

mastodon - Link to source

Access historical versions of U.S. government websites from before January 20, 2025
govwayback.com/

(via brianmoore.com/)

A website screenshot explaining "GovWayback," a tool to access historical versions of U.S. government websites before January 20, 2025. It instructs users to add "wayback.com" directly after ".gov" in any .gov URL to be redirected to the Wayback Machine's archived version. Examples are shown for simple domains, specific pages, and complex URLs, demonstrating how to modify the URLs to access the archived versions.

GovWayback

Access historical versions of U.S. government websites from before January 20, 2025 via the Wayback Machine
govwayback.com

mastodon - Link to source

This is all @piggo's fault.

We're thinking about raising the windows, because on the inside, they're very low. At knee level, to be specific.

On the inside it would look fine, but we can't decide if it looks weird on the outside or not. Too close to the roof beam casing? Or not?

Excuse the crude gimposhop job.

#LogHouse #Windows #Renovation #Plan #Homestead

#windows #homestead #renovation #loghouse #plan
in reply to mcSlibinas

Y⃒̸̷̝̜̙ͥͥͥngmar
mastodon - Link to source
Y⃒̸̷̝̜̙ͥͥͥngmar
• •
@mcSlibinas Yeah, we'll have to take off the external planking at some point and see what the status underneath is. Good point about doing that before deciding on windows. Might be easiest to replace rotten wood with glass 😁
@mcSlibinas
in reply to Y⃒̸̷̝̜̙ͥͥͥngmar

mcSlibinas
mastodon - Link to source
mcSlibinas
• •
old man explained why windows was low in old houses: in winter you get more sun, in summer - less, also owner slept near window just to be able to wake up on any sound and see the yard about who's make noises without leaving bed.

mastodon - Link to source
A frogge biþ a smal beaste wiþ foure leggeys 🐸

mastodon - Link to source

“How many types of insects are there in the world?” Asks Sawyer, age 8, from Santiago, North Carolina.

In our latest Curious Kids column, Kennesaw State University Biology Professor Nicholas Green discusses this mind-boggling question. buff.ly/lRTohty


How many types of insects are there in the world?

The number of insect species is mind-boggling – and they are a critical part of the environment.
The Conversation
in reply to The Conversation U.S.

The Conversation U.S.
mastodon - Link to source
The Conversation U.S.
• •
#CuriousKids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsus@theconversation.com.
#curiouskids

flipboard - Link to source

Lindsay Vonn sets a record straight out of retirement
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/24/nx-s1-5338753/lindsay-vonn-sets-a-record-straight-out-of-retirement?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into Sports @sports-npr

@sports-npr

flipboard - Link to source

Trump targets Big Law, and Big Law appears intimidated : Consider This from NPR
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/24/1240552685/trump-targets-big-law-firms-rachel-cohen-responds?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into Politics @politics-npr

@Politics

mastodon - Link to source

Realised today that, tonally, the 'done cooking' tone on my air fryer is the same as the line "Meet George Jetson" from The Jetsons theme tune.

Perhaps that's why cooking with it always feels so futuristic, in spite of the fact that the tech inside is actually decades old.

I do, of course, have proof.

This entry was edited (5 months ago)

mastodon - Link to source
CURRENTLY IN ROTATION
Tune in to our stream for more!
youtube.com/watch?v=v5xFUtQn3-…

Sam Kinison - Wild Thing (Official Video), Full HD (Digitally Remastered and Upscaled)

All rights belong to their respective owners. Digitally remastered and AI Full HD 1080 Upscaled.R.I.P. Sam, (1953–1992)http://www.samkinison.org/home.htmlhtt...
YouTube
This entry was edited (5 months ago)

mastodon - Link to source
UK on alert after H5N1 bird flu spills over to sheep in world-first
The UK sheep had inflamed mammary gland much like infected cows in US.
arstechnica.com/health/2025/03…

UK on alert after H5N1 bird flu spills over to sheep in world-first

Beth Mole (Ars Technica)

glitchsoc - Link to source
It seems that I bought a bike when I was in a thrift store today. :neocat_thinking:
A schwinn Sprint road bike.
A $50 price tag
in reply to ThatKomputerKat

Emily Velasco
mastodon - Link to source
Emily Velasco
• •
An urban river in a city with a high population of homeless people because housing prices are so high

mastodon - Link to source
Promises made. Promises kept.
mastodon.social/@Eetschrijver/…

GJ Groothedde 🇪🇺 (@Eetschrijver@mastodon.social)

Cardboard boxes full of classified information in the bathroom of a private home where a janitor has access or a casual chat on Signal about war plans with a sloppy door policy. Pretty much same energy.
Mastodon

flipboard - Link to source

Scientists look to a rat-like creature to better understand the kangaroo's hop
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/24/nx-s1-5334540/scientists-look-to-a-rat-like-creature-to-better-understand-the-kangaroos-hop?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into Science @science-npr

@Science

flipboard - Link to source

U.S. officials hold separate negotiation talks with Russia and Ukraine
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/24/nx-s1-5336189/u-s-officials-hold-separate-negotiation-talks-with-russia-and-ukraine?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into World News @world-news-npr

@World News

flipboard - Link to source

Russia's history of broken agreements with Ukraine
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/24/nx-s1-5332151/russias-history-of-broken-agreements-with-ukraine?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into All Things Considered @all-things-considered-npr

@All Things Considered

flipboard - Link to source

Astronaut Amanda Nguyen discusses her new memoir and activism around sexual assault
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/24/nx-s1-5187082/astronaut-amanda-nguyen-discusses-her-new-memoir-and-activism-around-sexual-assault?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into All Things Considered @all-things-considered-npr

@All Things Considered

flipboard - Link to source

Israeli strikes in Gaza targeted key hospital and journalists
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/24/nx-s1-5338703/israeli-strikes-in-gaza-targeted-key-hospital-and-journalists?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into All Things Considered @all-things-considered-npr

@All Things Considered

flipboard - Link to source

Wildfires devastate western North Carolina, fueled by debris from flooding
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/24/nx-s1-5338685/wildfires-devastate-western-north-carolina-fueled-by-debris-from-flooding?utm_source=flipboard&utm_medium=activitypub

Posted into All Things Considered @all-things-considered-npr

@All Things Considered
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