Interesting Links for 14-12-2023

[andrewducker]

1. Some promising news on the Covid vaccine front

(tags:vaccine Pandemic GoodNews )

2. Polish Hackers Repaired Trains the Manufacturer Artificially Bricked. Now The Train Company Is Threatening Them

(tags:trains drm Poland OhForFucksSake viaPatrickHadfield )

3. Edinburgh City Council considers ban on fuel-powered leaf blowers

(tags:plants waste fuel Edinburgh Scotland noise )

4. Behold: The most Scottish dog of all time!

(tags:Scotland dogs ai art )

5. Netflix releases information on what shows people watched, and how long for.

(tags:netflix tv streaming )

Comments

[calimac]

5. Does Netflix count all the tv shows I don't bother to watch because, every time I do watch one, I watch it for about half an hour and then turn it off?

[andrewducker]

In this case they're counting the number of minutes watched, so you'll have added "30" to a few places.

[movingfinger]

3. I just bought a modest, low-end leaf blower, not even the strongest battery-powered model, and I cannot understand why anyone is still using the fuel ones. Even if you need one for a nebulous job like dispelling tear gas at a protest, the battery ones are probably better.

4. Behold: The most Scottish dog of all time!

[anef]

Is the dog no longer visible because he has collapsed into a black hole of Scottishness?

Re: 4. Behold: The most Scottish dog of all time!

[andrewducker]

I am happy to accept that explanation!

[movingfinger]

4. These are going to be great covers for a romance series about a clan of dogs in Scotland! Possibly a dog shapeshifter, given the tailed bagpiper...

[matgb]

Netflix: "we believe it's time to [release more info]"
Agreement to end strikes: release more info (not read the final agreements but it was a key demand of both unions that they stop obfuscating streaming success)

I wonder how Polish law handles companies that are willfully making their products worse post sale, I'd jail the CEO myself

[andrewducker]

You'd think that "We sold you a train, and then we turned it off remotely" would be the kind of thing that got you into a lot of trouble.

[matgb]

Yup, and it definitely should, that's just awful behaviour--it would depend on terms of sale/lease, leased stuff frequently has restrictions but maintenance should be included in least costs. Really weird.

Going thru Netflix data, Shadow and Bone was released half way thru the period but got top 25, they still cancelled it. That's weird and annoying

[andrewducker]

Yeah, I don't understand that one!

I'm glad that Sandman got renewed. Interested to see how it does in the rankings when season 2 comes out.

[channelpenguin]

Oh no! Shadow and Bone was FUN! But since I don't have Netflix any more, I could not watch it again anyway.

(I hate that so little stuff is on Blu-ray).

[nancylebov]

Maybe Blu-ray will be the next thing to be revived-- like vinyl.

[matgb]

Netflix specifically don't want their exclusive stuff released on other mediums, they want your sub money. Whereas, for example, Amazon just want your money and will release everything they can if they think it'll sell, they bought LoveFilm to run as a loss leader to get subs to prime, it works. Some creators switched to them specifically because of this

But yeah, I hadn't finished S2 before it got ditched and I just, well, it was so much fun. Not great TV, but fun, and the sort of thing I need to cheer me up. It's why I'm switching away from Netflix essentially, it's bundled with my cable deal else it'd be gone by now.

[andrewducker]

I am quite surprised Sandman got a Blu-ray release. I assume that was down to Warner.

[matgb]

I vaguely recall something about it being insisted on in the deal, that the prod companies got the dvd rights or something, but it was awhile ago, obviously Neil wanted it to happen. But yeah, very unusual for them, it's why the guy that did the Haunting and Midnight Club jumped ship to Amazon

[channelpenguin]

Oh yeah. It's totally obvious that they want subscriptions. Like the whole fracking world do. Dammit. I don't want to have to be online to watch stuff. Sometimes I don't HAVE connection. I also don't want stuff just disappearing like it does. I'm happy to pay out good money - but once (well maybe twice - I have upgraded DVDs to Blu Ray). Not every dammed month.

God it's all just so depressing...