Panda-monium
The one video you need to watch this week. An embarrassment of pandas (What? That’s what a group of pandas are called!) does everything in its power to stop a zookeeper from raking leaves. Madness ensues. Via @Sci_Phile
Flying High
Would you ride in an autonomous plane? A writer for WIRED did and lived to tell the tale. The company Xwing is developing planes that can self-pilot, with the hard stuff done by remote control operators. Check out this video, if only to watch a plane land itself. Via WIRED
Deepfake-Out
You can catch the NBA’s Damian Lillard in Hulu’s newest ad, except not. Hulu made a deepfake, capturing Lillard’s face remotely via Zoom and superimposing it over a body double — letting Dame Dolla be in two places at once. Now that’s deep. Via Protocol
Straight Up Fax
Soccer star Lionel Messi shook the world Tuesday when he announced his departure from FC Barcelona. How did he deliver this news to his club? Not over phone or email, but via fax machine — after wiping off an inch of dust and cobwebs. Via BBC
Learning Privacy
Remote learning is about to be more popular than ever. The New York Times offers up some tips for parents with children who will be learning via their laptops this semester. Via NYTimes
Big Brother Is Confusing You
It’s not just you — even Google workers can’t tell when the big G is gathering information about them. Documents from a lawsuit against Google have been unsealed, revealing even Google employees don’t understand when their location data is being collected. Via Ars Technica
Amazon Vs. Etsy
A new consumer protection bill wants Amazon to operate under added liability rules. In a jujitsu move by Amazon, the company says if they have to, so should their competition. Sites like Etsy are pushing back, noting only Amazon can afford the brunt of this. Via CNBC
Expecting No Privacy
A new report found that Premom, a pregnancy app that helps women monitor their cycles, shared data with three analytics firms based in China. Android users had their device identifiers shared along with activity across apps and sites without their knowledge. Via The Verge
Ad Nauseam
Facebook continues to engage in discriminatory ad practices. The Markup found job ads on the platform that specifically weeded out people older than 54 or targeted people of “African American multicultural affinity” — which is illegal. Via The Markup
Covid-19 x 2
Coronavirus immunity may wear off. Hong Kong researchers have discovered the world’s first case of Covid-19 reinfection. A man in his 30s, who tested positive for coronavirus 142 days prior, was infected again. Via MIT Tech Review
Hurricane Laura
Classified as “unsurvivable,” Thursday’s Hurricane Laura storm is one of the most destructive to ever hit the U.S. Astronaut Chris Cassidy captured rare footage of the violent storm from high above, on the International Space Station. Via Insider
Too Little, Too Late
Two were killed in Wisconsin Tuesday during a protest for Jacob Blake — a Black man who was shot in the back by police. The murders are suspected to be tied to a Facebook event post that was reshared by InfoWars. Facebook didn’t remove the post until Wednesday. Via Business Insider
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