Dr. Stephon Alexander is a theoretical physicist specializing in cosmology, particle physics and quantum gravity (String Theory and Loop Quantum Gravity). He received his BSc from Haverford College and Ph.D. from Brown University. He also explores interconnections between music, physics, mathematics and technology though recordings, performance, teaching and public lectures.
Stephon tells his story about growing up in the Bronx amidst a very diverse group of students. Encouraged by his parents and teachers, he showed great curiosity and intelligence. Still, as person of color, he faced many challenges as he worked towards his Ph.D. We chatted about the mind of the physicist, physics intuition, music, the role of mathematics, String Theory and Loop Quantum Gravity as well as events before the Big Bang. If you are a young student, dreaming of becoming a physicist, this show is a must – full of inspiration and insights.
The EFF unveiled the Atlas of Surveillance today. It’s a database of surveillance tech used by law enforcement across the country. Anyone can use it to see what spying technology their state’s LE uses. You can download datasets, too.
We specifically focused on the most pervasive technologies, including drones, body-worn cameras, face recognition, cell-site simulators, automated license plate readers, predictive policing, camera registries, and gunshot detection. Although we have amassed more than 5,000 datapoints in 3,000 jurisdictions, our research only reveals the tip of the iceberg and underlines the need for journalists and members of the public to continue demanding transparency from criminal justice agencies.
In an hour-long video released over the weekend, the cast and crew of Apple TV+ flagship series The Morning Show took part in a virtual panel. They discussed the show and what the relevance of it is today, in the midst of a pandemic and following the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement. The discussion features stars like Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Guga Mbatha Raw, Desean Terry, Billy Crudup, and Mark Duplass. Showrunner Mimi Leder also took part in the conversation, as did CNN’s Brian Stelter, on whose book Top of the Morning the series was based.
We have a deal on a portable power bank that comes with a 4-panel, foldable solar charger. The portable battery has a 10,000mAh capacity and smart charging. It can also be charged through a micro USB port, and it features two USB charging ports for charging your devices. It’s $34.99 through our deal.
In a new video, Apple tackles our current work from home environment. Of course, Apple products are essential to navigating the situation, helping users work creatively and productively.
Satellite radio platform SiriusXM is continuing its push into podcasts buying Stitcher. The deal is worth $325 million, according to The Verge.
Stitcher is not only a popular podcasting app with a premium, ad-free subscription service, but it’s also a network that, combined with its other entity Earwolf, produces shows like Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. Scripps also combined Stitcher with Midroll Media, a podcast ad company that sells ads for other shows like The Dream and Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness that it acquired in 2015 for $50 million. The Sirius deal will give it ownership of all these companies, which, in some cases, could be redundant with what it already owns and operates. For one, Sirius owns Pandora, which it acquired in 2018 for $3 billion. Pandora, of course, is a popular place to listen to music and podcasts and also has its own exclusive content deals, like one with Marvel that was signed last year. It also owns AdsWizz, a podcast ad technology company that places ads in shows.
Apple agreed earlier this year to settle a class action lawsuit over the Batterygate scandal. Affected customers can now file a claim to receive approximately US$25.
The developers of popular camera app “Camera+” have a new camera app specifically for videography. It’s called “REC” and it gives you advanced controls to customize shooting to your liking, like automatic camera stabilization, locking exposure and white balance, controlling the bit rate, controlling resolution, controlling format, and more. You can also control the audio for your videos, like the sample rate, format, and which microphone it uses. REC is currently available for preorder at US$3.99, and it launches Friday, June 17.
· John F. Braun & Dave Hamilton · Mac Geek Gab Podcast
Is your mail forwarder secure? Are you sure? How about your Internet? These are just two of your dozen-or-so questions that John and Dave tackle this week. It’s not just questions, of course. There are Quick Tips, regular tips, Cool Stuff Found, and even some router fun. Press play and enjoy listening to your favorite geeks while learning at least five new things!
Greyhound is an exciting movie on Apple TV+, designed to make a splash. But, as with any historical presentation of war, there’s a lot more behind the scenes to know about.
