Tootfinder

“What if AI Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This?” – a pretty good summary for those who don't want to read Gary Marcus’s rather… elaborate… treatizes.
> I think it’s safe, at least for now, to turn your attention away from the tech titans’ increasingly hyperbolic claims
🧘‍♂️
https://ca…

What if AI Doesn’t Get Much Better Than This? - Cal Newport
In the years since ChatGPT’s launch in late 2022, it’s been hard not to get swept up in feelings of euphoria or dread about the ... Read more

The Daily Beast says Reddit and Facebook have made up for falling Google referral traffic; Vox CEO says OpenAI is a good partner but still undervalues content (Dominic Ponsford/Press Gazette)
https://pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/…

Daily Beast gains on Reddit and Facebook as Google traffic falls
Reddit and Facebook have made up for falling referral traffic from Google for the Daily Beast, Cannes Lions event hears.

OMFG. A horror movie... from the dog's point of view.

▶️ Good Boy - Official Trailer | HD | IFC Films
https://youtube.com/watch?v=q4-CRkd_74g&si=9F9raVHyPkCojRAX
✅ Good Boy Trailer: A Supernatural Story From a Dog’s POV

I need to spend some time with a USB PD analyzer and some of my hardware.
Earlier today I observed the following cursed USB-C behavior at a friend's place:
1) Laptop -> phone: charges phone
2) Power bank -> phone: charges phone
3) Wall brick -> phone: red LED on phone turns on, but OS doesn't show any indication of charging and battery level doesn't go up
4) Wall brick -> power bank: charges bank
5) Laptop -> power bank: LED flashes …

Many people are detained at U.S. airports for reasons they find arbitrary and mysterious.
I got lucky—when I was stopped by Customs and Border Protection last week, after flying to Los Angeles from Melbourne, a border agent told me, explicitly and proudly, why I’d been pulled out of the customs line.
“Look, we both know why you are here,” the agent told me.
He identified himself to me as Adam, though his colleagues referred to him as Officer Martinez.
When I said that…

How My Reporting on the Columbia Protests Led to My Deportation
Alistair Kitchen on being detained at Los Angeles International Airport and sent back to Australia because of his reporting on the protests at Columbia University criticizing Israel’s actions in Gaza.

Chemical vapor deposition synthesis of (GeTe)n(Sb2Te3) gradient crystalline films as promising planar heterostructures
M. Zhezhu, A. Vasil'ev, M. Yapryntsev, E. Ghalumyan, D. A. Ghazaryan, H. Gharagulyan
https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.12888

Chemical vapor deposition synthesis of (GeTe)n(Sb2Te3) gradient crystalline films as promising planar heterostructures
Phase-change materials of the (GeTe)n (Sb2Te3) (GST) system are of high relevance in memory storage and energy conversion applications due to their fast-switching speed, high data retention, and tunable properties. Here, we report on a fast and efficient CVD-based method for the fabrication of crystalline GST films with variable Ge/Sb atomic content. In particular, the approach enables compositional control without changing the precursor, facilitating a gradient synthesis of Ge3Sb2Te6, Ge2Sb2Te…

Evaluating Reinforcement Learning Algorithms for Navigation in Simulated Robotic Quadrupeds: A Comparative Study Inspired by Guide Dog Behaviour
Emma M. A. Harrison
https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.13277

Evaluating Reinforcement Learning Algorithms for Navigation in Simulated Robotic Quadrupeds: A Comparative Study Inspired by Guide Dog Behaviour
Robots are increasingly integrated across industries, particularly in healthcare. However, many valuable applications for quadrupedal robots remain overlooked. This research explores the effectiveness of three reinforcement learning algorithms in training a simulated quadruped robot for autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance. The goal is to develop a robotic guide dog simulation capable of path following and obstacle avoidance, with long-term potential for real-world assistance to guide d…

H-Net Job Guide Weekly Report for H-USA: 2 June - 9 June https://networks.h-net.org/group/announcements/20070295/h-net-job-guide-weekly-report-h-usa-2-june-9-june

good news: California Assembly passed a bill to require Caltrans to develop a quick-build program for bike lane and intersection safety projects on state highways! it's #AB891 (Zbur)
https://

Quick-Build Legislation Makes It Through the Assembly - Streetsblog California
Following the success of Quick-Build projects in Santa Monica, their Assemblymember wants to allow them on state highways.

Officials from various European countries took to social media to share their reactions following the Alaska summit.
"Putin got his red carpet treatment with Trump, Trump got nothing,"
German diplomat Wolfgang Ischinger wrote on X.
"As was to be feared: no ceasefire, no peace. No real progress
— clearly 1:0 for Putin
— no new sanctions.
For the Ukrainians: nothing.
For Europe: deeply disappointing."
During the post-summit …

'Clearly 1:0 to Putin' — European officials react to Alaska Summit
"Putin got his red carpet treatment with Trump, Trump got nothing. ... For the Ukrainians: nothing. For Europe: deeply disappointing."