MetaFilter

The past 24 hours of MetaFilter

J. S. Bach, Prelude No 6 In D Minor

Anke Chen plays Bach.

And Chopin. And Clementi. More here.

here we go again: Toronto's air quality worst in the world

Toronto air was orange this morning. The smell of smoke is everywhere Toronto has been ranked worst in the world for air quality by IQAir It's high risk hazard 10+ Many outdoor events are cancelled today including the FIFA parties Possibly drifting to New York . So take care New Yorkers. --- Previously on the blue from June 7 2023 Stay inside and reduce your exposure. As Fizz states in that thread: Just a new normal, this shit is going to happen more and more

A squeezed China is trying to wring more from its state assets

Its latest campaign won’t solve its debt woes, but inches in the right direction.


Het conflict met de kat van de overburen

De kat van de overburen en ik hebben een meningsverschil. Beter gezegd: wij hebben meningsverschillen, in overweldigend meervoud.

Nederland heeft de dure plicht op te komen voor het Internationaal Strafhof

Met de afbraak van de internationale rechtsorde, laten de Amerikanen zien dat vanaf nu voor hen alleen nog het recht van de sterkste geldt.

Een dijkdoorbraak door droogte, kan dat vaker gebeuren? ‘Als we water niet de ruimte geven, neemt het water zélf die ruimte’

In Wilnis vond in 2003 een dijkdoorbraak plaats, vanwege een uitgedroogde veendijk. De vraag is nu of Nederland met het aanhoudende hete voorjaar en de droge zomer iets dergelijks opnieuw kan overkomen. „Van deze dijkdoorbraak heeft iedereen in Nederland iets geleerd.”


Slashdot

News for nerds, stuff that matters

OpenAI Launches a Keypad for AI Agents

OpenAI's first hardware device is a limited-edition desktop keypad called the Codex Micro that lets users monitor and control AI coding agents. Axios reports: Codex Micro is a collaboration with Work Louder, a boutique hardware company known for customizable mechanical keyboards and shortcut controllers for developers and designers. The small, square macro pad -- with backlit keys, a rotary knob and a tiny joystick -- sits beside your regular keyboard as a physical shortcut box for common Codex actions and shows the status of your agents. The keys are customizable and include a push-to-talk option as well as a dial to adjust your reasoning setting. Codex Micro is a niche device for Codex power users and will only be available until it sells out. It's priced at $230.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Stripe, Advent Offer to Buy PayPal For More Than $53 Billion

Stripe and private equity firm Advent International have reportedly made a joint $60.50-per-share offer to buy PayPal, valuing the payments company at more than $53 billion. The bid is said to represent a 28% premium to PayPal's latest closing price and is backed by roughly $50 billion in committed bank financing.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Microsoft Patches a Record 570 Security Flaws

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Krebs on Security: Microsoft today released software updates to plug at least 570 security holes in its Windows operating systems and other software, almost triple the number of vulnerabilities the software giant fixed in its record-smashing Patch Tuesday release last month. Microsoft attributed the burgeoning patch counts to vulnerability discoveries aided by artificial intelligence. Nearly 60 of the bugs quashed in July's Patch Tuesday earned a "critical" severity rating, meaning miscreants or malware could use them to seize remote control over a Windows device with little or no help from the user. Microsoft also addressed three zero-day flaws, including two that are already being exploited in the wild.

Two of the zero-day weaknesses allow an attacker to elevate their user rights on a Windows system, as do approximately 250 other elevation of privilege flaws fixed this month; they include CVE-2026-56155 - an Active Directory Federation Services bug -- and CVE-2026-56164, a Microsoft Sharepoint vulnerability. CVE-2026-50661 is a security feature bypass in Windows BitLocker that could allow attackers to gain access to encrypted data if they have physical access to the device. Microsoft said this bug has been detailed publicly, but that it is not aware of any active exploitation.

In a blog post on July 9, Microsoft Executive Vice President Pavan Davuluri wrote that Windows users will notice "a higher volume of security updates included in each security release" as a result of AI aiding in the discovery of vulnerabilities. "The pace of vulnerability discovery is changing with advances in AI making it possible to find more issues, faster, across more code, with new mechanisms that can accelerate both discovery and analysis," Davuluri wrote.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Get Out

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Get Out

Found Photograph

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Found Photograph

Killer

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Killer

75th Birthday Golden Gate Bridge

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

75th Birthday Golden Gate Bridge

You Had No Faith to Lose and You Know It

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

You Had No Faith to Lose and You Know It

Mayfair Supper Club

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

Mayfair Supper Club

40 Motel

Thomas Hawk posted a photo:

40 Motel

The Register

Biting the hand that feeds IT — Enterprise Technology News and Analysis

ZTE's AI new calling builds an open and intelligent telecom ecosystem, transforming from basic voice call to an AI-powered service hub

ZTE showcased at MWC Shanghai 2026 its groundbreaking AI New Calling solution, together with China Mobile Research Institute (CMCC). Based on the concept of "Calling as a Service", this innovation uses open interfaces to deeply integrate traditional voice calls with artificial intelligence (AI), establishing a dual-engine system powered by "Calling + AI Agents" and "Calling + AI Capabilities". Through an intelligent service portal, it expands the scope of communication applications and converts the conventional closed voice network into an intelligent, open, and flexible AI-integrated network. This enables operators to create a versatile, continuously evolving service ecosystem and unlock new business growth opportunities. Dual engines driving commercial value With real-time AI assistants capable of understanding multimodal intentions, the system automatically handles complex tasks like booking travel and scheduling meetings, providing users with a smooth experience of "automatic recognition, intelligent execution, and task completion" without the need to download additional apps. While enhancing user experience, the integration of calling and AI also generates commercial value. It establishes a powerful service gateway within the calling interface, expanding operators' business horizons to realize "Calling as a Service". Additionally, advanced features such as real-time translation and AI-based fraud prevention improve core call quality, offering unique services that increase customer loyalty and generate additional revenue. Two-layer technological upgrades strengthening the foundation The AI New Calling architecture delivers two key technological advancements: Enhanced Capability Infrastructure: The introduction of an IMS Data Channel (IMS DC) enables multimodal data transmission and lightweight H5 app deployment, overcoming limitations in audio/video interactions and creating a superior calling platform. A new ecosystem is established by launching a plug-and-play AI calling open platform that supports third-party plugin integration for flexible capability use and rapid innovation development. Together, these improvements facilitate the smooth transition from closed voice networks to an intelligent, open, and agile AI+ network, helping operators build a sustainable and evolving communication service ecosystem. Four core capabilities redefining the value of voice call Focusing on essential user needs, ZTE's AI New Calling removes traditional barriers in audiovisual communication by fully embedding AI capabilities throughout the communication process. It redefines the value of calling across four main areas: enhancing efficiency, expanding the ecosystem, improving experience, and embracing technological inclusivity. AI personal assistant: Users can activate a personal AI agent during calls to independently manage meetings, travel plans, and other routine tasks—achieving complete task closure and turning every call into a productive interaction ("calls that get things done"). Super service gateway: The native dialer is transformed into a comprehensive service gateway, providing direct access to frequently used services like business travel and government functions—without requiring app downloads. This allows instant service access at the moment of dialing ("dial and enjoy"). AI clear voice: By combining background noise reduction, voiceprint optimization, and weak-network compensation, AI Clear Voice delivers crystal-clear, high-definition two-way audio even in challenging network environments. Accessible calling services: Utilizing AI integrated within the network, the system offers inclusive features like real-time language translation and proactive fraud detection. These services operate independently of the capabilities of user devices, ensuring truly universal and fair communication for all. Open collaboration to co-build the intelligent calling ecosystem AI New Calling is a strategic path toward the digital and intelligent transformation of voice communication. Its widespread implementation requires collaboration throughout the industry. ZTE is dedicated to driving innovation in communication technologies and facilitating the smooth transition of traditional voice networks into intelligent, open, and flexible AI-powered networks. Moving forward, ZTE will continue to collaborate with partners across the ecosystem to push the boundaries of AI and telecommunications integration, speed up the adoption of AI calling solutions in various industries, and deliver smarter communication experiences to millions of households, collectively shaping the future of digital intelligence in telecom. Contributed by ZTE.

LIVEBLOG FALKLANDOORLOG - Engeland vs Argentinië in de halve finale

Daar zijn we dan, het laatste potje voor het allerbelangrijkste potje (ok vooruit, er is nog een troostfinale voor de losers) van de komende vier jaar. Aan de ene kant staan de Engelsen, aangevoerd door totaalkampioen Harry Kane in de spits en tovenaar Jude Bellingham als topscorer. Aan de andere zijde Argentinië, die hebben Messi. Sommigen zouden daar '...en de scheids' aan toevoegen, maar vergeleken met Qatar valt het aantal dubieuze beslissingen in Argentijns voordeel nog alleszins mee. Toch, je kunt dan wel de grootste voetballer sinds Maradonna in je selectie hebben, als je er bijna uit knikkert tegen Kaapverdië en je in 90 minuten niet langs Zwitserland komt, ben je niet bepaald de gedoodverfde favoriet. Bovendien is deze strijd al eens beslecht in het voordeel van de Engelsen, in 1982. Krijgen de boys van Thomas Tuchel het voor elkaar om hun innerlijke Maggie Thatcher te doen ontwaken en zo die sluwe Argentijnen te braden en te serveren met vette worst en witte bonen in tomatensaus? We geven toe, wij zijn de kwartfinale in 2022 niet vergeten en na een paar weken online hype en tamelijk leuk voetbal beginnen wij onderhand langzaam It's Coming Home te neuriën. Misschien zingt het hele StamCafé vanavond uit volle borst Wonderwall. Wtf is dat eigenlijk, een wondermuur? Ach boeien. We gaan ervoor zitten met chips, nootjes en de rest.

Update 3' - Hahaha nu al bijna knokken
Update 24' - ZUIPPAUZE
Update 35' - Ook in die andere oorlog is het onrustig. Amerika valt Iran aan.
Update 45+3' - Einde eerste helft. Geen doelpunten maar wat een matpartij is deze wedstrijd.

DE SFEER

SocialSocial
@supersonnyspurs01

let's have it 😤 Football belongs to England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿. We want it back 🏆.

♬ original sound - SuperSonnySpurs01

Of; HUP ARGENTINIË

SocialSocial

Ook al kolonialisme: huisdieren

Social

Wellicht leest u dit en heeft u nu ergens in uw huis een kwispelend, spinnend of knagend dier rondlopen. Ga dan even goed bij uzelf te rade: waarom vind ik het zo belangrijk om macht te hebben over een andere aardbewoner? Welke rol speelt uw diepgewortelde gevoel van witte superioriteit bij het brokjes voeren aan de kat? Ja, uw viervoeter is trouw. Maar trouw aan wat? Aan een systeem van onderdrukking en uitbuiting? Als u een hond aanlijnt voor een blokje om, doet u dan diep in de kern iets anders dan Jan Pieterszoon Coen deed op de Banda-eilanden? Als u uw tot huisdier gemaakte een 'af!', 'zit!' of 'hier!' toebijt, klinkt daar dan niet stilletjes een zin als 'en nou hierkomen gore bruine katoenplukker of ik gesel je de vernieling in!' in door? Allemaal belangrijke vragen om onszelf en elkaar te stellen na dit inspirerend betoog van 'marketingvrouw' Chanel Lodik. Laat de ze allemaal vandaag nog vrij. Daarna een excuses van premier Jetten, en dan natuurlijk; herstelbetalingen.

Oh toch geen kolonialisme, of zo


Colossal

The best of art, craft, and visual culture since 2010.

See Peter Marlow’s ‘The English Cathedral’ at London’s Oldest Gothic Church

See Peter Marlow’s ‘The English Cathedral’ at London’s Oldest Gothic Church

Acclaimed British photographer Peter Marlow (1952-2016) was known for his journalistic attention to people and happenings in conflict zones and political interactions. Throughout his career, though, he also embarked on numerous personal documentary projects like Liverpool: Looking Out to Sea, which he completed in the late 1980s and early 1990s as the city experienced sharp economic decline—its historic docks were no longer viable for global industry. He was also president of Magnum Photos twice.

One of Marlow’s more meditative projects revolved around 42 Anglican cathedrals across England. The Anglican Christian tradition stems from the establishment of the Church of England following the English Reformation in the 16th century, although the cathedrals’ architectural lineage usually predates this period.

a photograph of the nave of a cathedral in natural light
Worcester Cathedral (2010)

Completing The English Cathedral involved coordinating visits at times of day when Marlow could experience the buildings in natural light, not unlike the way they were seen for centuries before the advent of electricity. He focused on the churches’ naves, illuminating their rosette-covered wooden ceilings, Gothic arches, altars, and hints of apses beyond.

An exhibition of The English Cathedral opens on July 21 and continues through August 31 at Southwark Cathedral, which has roots dating back at least to the 11th century. Today, it’s the oldest Gothic church in London.

a photograph of the nave of a cathedral in natural light
Peterborough Cathedral (2010)
a photograph of the nave of a cathedral in natural light
Southwark Cathedral (2010)
a photograph of the nave of a cathedral in natural light
Derby Cathedral (2010)
a photograph of the nave of a cathedral in natural light
Worcester Cathedral (2010)

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article See Peter Marlow’s ‘The English Cathedral’ at London’s Oldest Gothic Church appeared first on Colossal.