"They're doing what now?"

It’s been a dark year for tech culture discussions. Lots of ‘oh no, that nice thing has turned out even worse than we’d feared?’ discussions. And a few more of those today… BUT I’ve made sure and throw you some more positive links at the end to send you off with a song in your heart.

Most podcasts will return to a structured weekly rhythm this week, so keep an eye for that. And speaking of podcasts, one has some…

PRIZES!

Yes, prizes up for grabs on my new podcast, The Game Table, so if you like prizes, especially super nerdy D&D books, go check it out.

I’m also throwing you my own links as quick links at the top this week, with the bigger previews focused on the stories I’ve curated from around the web. I hope this feels like the best way to offer value as a newsletter without making it feel too heavy on the self-promo.

Great Reads

Fake noise will be added to new electric cars starting today in the EU

A safety feature for pedestrians

The VergeJon Porter

Hans Zimmer designed the sound for BMW’s futuristic concept car

Blade Runner vibes

The VergeAndrew Liptak

Soon, satellites will be able to watch you everywhere all the time

Can privacy survive?

MIT Technology ReviewChristopher Beam

7-Eleven Japanese customers lose $500,000 due to mobile app flaw

Hackers exploit 7-Eleven’s poorly designed password reset function to make unwanted charges on 900 customers’ accounts.

ZDNETCatalin Cimpanu

Amazon Alexa keeps your data with no expiration date, and shares it too

A US senator asked questions, and Amazon provided answers you might not want to hear.

CNETAlfred Ng

Microsoft is about to shut off its ebook DRM servers: “The books will stop working” | Boing Boing

“The books will stop working”: That’s the substance of the reminder that Microsoft sent to customers for their ebook store, reminding them that, as announced in April, the company…

Boing BoingCory Doctorow

Some good news

The Band-Aid of the future knows when you’re healed

It’s easy to imagine these wearable circuits on the shelves of CVS.

Fast CompanyMark Wilson

Early days, but we’ve found a way to lift the IQ and resilience of Australia’s most vulnerable children

An economic evaluation of a program of interventions for Australia’s most vulnerable children has produced startling results.

The ConversationJeff Borland

Hybrid cruise ship powers through the water on battery-power in world first

Traditional cruise ships pose all kinds of air quality problems for the cities that they frequent, especially in hotspots like Barcelona and Venice where locals regularly protest against the toxic particles they pump out at berth and when passing by. But Norwegian operator Hurtigruten is eyeing a…

New AtlasHurtigruten

Just crazy fun

Flappy Royale is the Flappy Bird battle royale that we now realise was inevitable

Flappy Bird? Huge. Battle royale? Huge. So this feels right.

VG247James O’Connor