YouTube Liaison on X: "No GenAI, no upscaling. We're running an experiment on select YouTube Shorts that uses traditional machine learning technology to unblur, denoise, and improve clarity in videos during processing (similar to what a modern smartphone does when you record a video) YouTube is always" / X No GenAI, no upscaling. We're running an experiment on select YouTube Shorts that uses traditional machine learning technology to unblur, denoise, and improve clarity in videos during processing (similar to what a modern smartphone does when you record a video) YouTube is always

x.com/YouTubeInsid...

As a statistician teaching data science, I'm well aware of the difference between machine learning and genAI. But what Google's post totally fails to mention is the issue of CONSENT, and the fact they didn't even bother to ask for it

AI slop and the destruction of knowledge This week I was looking for info on what cognitive scientists mean when they speak of ‘domain-general’ cognition. I was curious, because the nuances are relevant for something I am researching at t…

AI slop and the destruction of knowledge irisvanrooijcogsci.com/2025/08/12/a...

Ugh chronic headaches are such a pain, literally and figuratively. You have my deepest sympathies

After seeing the mostly disappointing Life of Chuck, I want to see Tom Hiddleston in more movies with dancing. Giles suggested "Loki, the Musical" and I AM SO HERE FOR IT that I've been writing the set list in my head

#LokiTheMusical #OnceMoreWithGloriousPurpose

And particularly ill-timed, given the cost of living is hitting so many people hard right now

This was an Opinion article, but it was otherwise packaged and headlined to look like part of their price-aware thread

What bothers me is that the Stuff article is totally oblivious to the downside

Note that the article's example has the cost of a coffee after the change being lower than the cost with the surcharge, but higher than the cost without the surcharge, and customers had the option to avoid the surcharge by using their PIN instead of using paywave.

The payment processing racket is finally getting busted OPINION: That awkward checkout dance has been playing out across New Zealand for years, but it was never really about café owners trying to squeeze extra profit from your flat white.

www.stuff.co.nz/business/360...

This change is great for those customers who were choosing to pay with paywave and pay the extra, but crap for those who were choosing to not use paywave, who will soon be forced to absorb the extra cost of everyone else using paywave.

#Dunnettcontent
Latest WG issue quoted a comparison between Dunnett and Dumas that made me grin, because I discovered Dunnett soon after I got my adult library card, by wondering what the other big hardbacks were on the shelf next to Dumas ⚔️📚

I seem to recall her saying she believed in astrology and telepathy, but I can't remember the source of her comment, and she didn't mention a specific experience

And I am disturbed that the face cream Nostradamus gives Philippa has mercury in it. Not unusual for the time, but eek!

Coalition parties call for opposition not to re-ban oil and gas exploration The government's repeal of the 2018 ban passed through Parliament yesterday.

www.1news.co.nz/2025/08/01/c...

F*** you. You have no f***ing right to call for the next government to not repeal your law when you've been repealing perfectly sensible laws right, left and centre since you got into power 2 years ago

The writing quality outweighs it, for sure, but it contributes to the fact that much as I adore many scenes in Checkmate, I don't love the overall book, because Lymond spends 95% of it being pushed around by Philippa, Marthe, the Dame or circumstances rather than driving the plot.

It's because I don't believe in either. My biggest issue is with the Dame de Doubtance though, and her arranging Lymond's birth and then his life because of what she'd foreseen

I object to the telepathy and I object to the divining. But the divining at least provides a bit of fun in terms of spotting the links between the two series, whereas the telepathy in CM mostly seems to convey misery in both directions

Are you saying that the filming ban is barely mentioned or that Hamas-run health ministry is barely mentioned? Neither is true; both get repeated in BBC stories multiple times every week

The former Attorney General of Israel, Michael Benyair is now calling Israel's actions in Gaza genocide.

"To eternal shame. Jews, who suffered a genocide 80 years ago, are committing genocide in Gaza. Shame, rage, and sorrow"

Science shouldn’t be a partisan issue.

From cancer treatments to extreme weather alerts, science makes everyone’s life better, regardless of political affiliation.

But science becomes partisan when corrupt politicians defund research, fire scientists, and censor data, harming us all.

How does Matt Goodwin expect to know what people voted for? Just because a politician has a manifesto and people vote for them, that doesn't mean you have any idea what they voted for or why. His post is stupid as well as horrific

Cowabunga Dude! 🤙
#tmnt

Ten writers by whom I've read more than 10 books:

Dorothy Dunnett
Lois McMaster Bujold
Ursula le Guin
Terry Pratchett
C J Cherryh
Ben Aaronovitch
Martha Wells
Georgette Heyer
Ellis Peters
Captain W E Johns

Meta wants to upload every photo you have to its cloud to give you AI suggestions Meta's latest feature gives Facebook the power to continuously upload your private photos to its cloud — even the ones you never intended to share. Here's how to stop it.

appleinsider.com/articles/25/...

Please share this as far and as widely as you can. I find it additionally infuriating that I can't opt out via desktop, as I only ever use Facebook on desktop

Beetroot! Very tasty on burgers (and very common on burgers in NZ)

Car skid road warning sign, which features a car and two skid marks coming from the wheels that somehow cross over each other...

Car skid warning sign is the perfect summary of generative AI issues: initially looks plausible, then you realise it's not physically possible -- and there's danger in your future

Yes, I saw that, it was good, I'm just not so keen on the graph

I love the results ie high public transport use, but not happy about the plot, esp. that the title is described as an increase but it's actually just showing the amount of bus use as a percentage of the 2019 usage, you have to work out the increase by comparing the bars in the plot

@clairewillett honestly the best marketing scheme in history is men successfully getting away with calling women the "more emotional" gender for like, EONS, because they've successfully rebranded anger as Not An Emotion 6:00 PM • Aug 12, 2020

once again I must tap my own sign

I realise now also that many people won’t know that harmful digital communications & much of harassment is considered civil law, not criminal. So those women photographed without their consent can’t have been harassed because they don’t *know* that he photographed them. It’s a massive flaw.

I find that reading and listening are not equivalent, but neither is better. I take in information more easily by reading, so find it easier to immerse myself in the world of the book, but I also skip over lots of bits in a way I can't while listening so listening reveals stuff I missed on reading.