In Cramped and Costly Bay Area, Cries to Build, Baby, Build
An activist who calls her group BARF is pushing for more housing, pitting cranky homeowners and the political establishment against newcomers who want the region to make room for them, too.
Hasnain says:
"“There’s that book, ‘What’s the Matter With Kansas?’” said Gabriel Metcalf, executive director of SPUR, an urban policy research organization. “What’s the matter with San Francisco? Why is it that in a city that’s two-thirds renters we have adopted a housing policy that is horrible for renters?”"
Love that they're called BARF
Posted on 2016-04-16T16:49:39+0000
VR is the opposite of cinema « Ken’s Blog
I was on a panel this evening about the future evolution of VR. At one point I made the argument that people who try to “make their film in VR” are getting it very wrong. In fact, I argued, VR is essentially the very opposite of cinema.
Hasnain says:
A gem from the HN comments: "For a long time, game developers struggled with how to tell a story while not locking the player into a track ride. A movie is a story. A good game today is a place you visit. VR track rides are somewhere in between."
Posted on 2016-04-16T05:51:24+0000
Gone In Six Characters: Short URLs Considered Harmful for Cloud Services
[This is a guest post by Vitaly Shmatikov, professor at Cornell Tech and once upon a time my adviser at the University of Texas at Austin. — Arvind Narayanan.]
Hasnain has not yet written a summary for this.
Posted on 2016-04-16T05:48:14+0000
Keeping secrecy the exception, not the rule: An issue for both consumers and businesses -...
This morning we filed a new lawsuit in federal court against the United States government to stand up for what we believe are our customers’ constitutional and fundamental rights – rights that help protect privacy and promote free expression. This is not a decision we made lightly, and hence we want…
Hasnain says:
"This morning we filed a new lawsuit in federal court against the United States government to stand up for what we believe are our customers’ constitutional and fundamental rights – rights that help protect privacy and promote free expression. This is not a decision we made lightly, and hence we wanted to share information on this step and why we are taking it."
Woo! MSFT suing the us government
Posted on 2016-04-16T05:40:30+0000
A New Map for America
The 50-state model is holding the country back. It needs a new system, built around urban corridors.
Hasnain says:
Interesting read and point of view.
"America faces a two-part problem. It’s no secret that the country has fallen behind on infrastructure spending. But it’s not just a matter of how much is spent on catching up, but how and where it is spent. Advanced economies in Western Europe and Asia are reorienting themselves around robust urban clusters of advanced industry. Unfortunately, American policy making remains wedded to an antiquated political structure of 50 distinct states."
Posted on 2016-04-16T05:35:04+0000
What If We Just Gave Poor People a Basic Income for Life? That’s What We’re About to Test.
Over the last decade, interest has grown in an ostensibly unorthodox approach for helping people who don’t have much money: just give them more of it, ...
Hasnain says:
"But fundamentally, the question should be an empirical one: What are the impacts of a universal basic income? And how do they compare with other forms of assistance?
We’re planning to find out. To do so, we’re planning to provide at least 6,000 Kenyans with a basic income for 10 to 15 years. These recipients are some of the most vulnerable people in the world, living on the U.S. equivalent of less than a dollar. "
Posted on 2016-04-15T15:52:22+0000
March 2016 National Housing Market Tracker
National inventory continues to decline by 3.2%, clamping down on March home sales. Read on for more housing market news.
Over 1,000 Leaders Worldwide Call for End to "Disastrous" Drug War, Ahead of UN Special Session...
Former Presidents of Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, Nigeria, Cape Verde, Switzerland & Poland; Former Prime Ministers of Greece, Hungary & The Netherlands Join With Distinguished Scholars, Celebrities, Clergy, Business Leaders, Elected Officials, and Others in Calling for Alternatives to Prohibiti…
Hasnain says:
"Governments devoted disproportionate resources to repression at the expense of efforts to better the human condition. Tens of millions of people, mostly poor and racial and ethnic minorities, were incarcerated, mostly for low-level and non-violent drug law violations, with little if any benefit to public security. Problematic drug use and HIV/AIDS, hepatitis and other infectious diseases spread rapidly as prohibitionist laws, agencies and attitudes impeded harm reduction and other effective health policies."
Posted on 2016-04-15T07:34:10+0000
Tensorflow — Neural Network Playground
Tinker with a real neural network right here in your browser.
Inky the Octopus Escapes From a New Zealand Aquarium
Tracks suggest he slipped through a small gap at the top of his tank, scampered across the floor, slid down a 164-foot-long drainpipe and reached the ocean.
Hasnain has not yet written a summary for this.
Posted on 2016-04-15T06:04:03+0000