Tag: design
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The “lightbulb conspiracy” refers to a notorious episode in the history of planned obsolescence, centered around the Phoebus cartel of the 1920s. This group of major lightbulb manufacturers, including Osram,… more ›
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Kashmiri houseboats drift against a multi-coloured mountain vista, carrying passengers in bathing suits. A Lama dance is in progress in Darjeeling. At Calcutta Zoo, an adult hippopotamus yawns next to… more ›
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Our world runs on randomly generated numbers and without them a surprising proportion of modern life would break down. So, why are they so hard to find? The friends did… more ›
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No, this isn’t the end of software, but it is the beginning of a new software era. And I like the media industry analogy, but it’s an evolution, not a… more ›
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Welcome to Smithsonian Open Access, where you can download, share, and reuse millions of the Smithsonian’s images—right now, without asking. With new platforms and tools, you have easier access to… more ›
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Over the past few decades, software has eaten the world as the world’s economy has digitized. As the world has come to run on software, engineers have developed a shared… more ›
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When I go up the mountain to ask the ChatGPT oracle a question, I am met with a blank face. What does this oracle know? How should I ask my… more ›
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Not too long ago, smartphones had more personality. An iPhone with a home button looked distinct from a BlackBerry with a keyboard; an HTC might have used metal instead of… more ›
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If the day of Otti Berger’s death is not known, its place and cause are. In April 1944, Berger – part deaf, Jewish, a communist – was arrested in her… more ›
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At any given time, there are between five and eight phones on my desk. And by “my desk,” I mean any combination of tables and countertops throughout my house. https://www.theverge.com/2024/4/21/24134967/ai-gadgets-humane-pin-android-pixel-gemini more ›