Linked List: October 6, 2020

Tuesday, 6 October 2020

Instagram Brings Back Classic Icons With 10th Anniversary Easter Egg ★

Sam Byford, writing for The Verge:

Instagram launched ten years ago today: the photo-sharing app first hit the App Store on October 6th, 2010, a few months after the release of the iPhone 4. To celebrate, Instagram has added an easter egg to the app that lets you change its home screen icon.

The icons available include the classic Polaroid-style camera designs that were used for more than five years. There are themed variations on the current logo, too, including Pride rainbow colors and monochrome options. The app update also includes another feature: a private map and archive of your stories from the past three years.

In addition to depth and texture in UI design and iconography, I also miss Easter eggs.

Facebook Bans QAnon Across Its Platforms ★

Ben Collins and Brandy Zadrozny, reporting for NBC News:

Facebook said Tuesday that it is banning all QAnon accounts from its platforms, a significant escalation over its previous actions and one of the broadest rules the social media giant has put in place in its history. […]

A company spokesperson said the enforcement, which started Tuesday, will “bring to parity what we’ve been doing on other pieces of policy with regard to militarized social movements,” such as militia and terror groups that repeatedly call for violence.

The best time to do this was long ago. The next best time is now. Good for Facebook for doing the right thing here.

Trump Says He Will Not Negotiate on COVID Relief Until After Election ★

Axios:

President Trump tweeted on Tuesday that he has instructed his representatives to stop negotiating with House Democrats on coronavirus relief until after the election, accusing Speaker Nancy Pelosi of “not negotiating in good faith.” […]

Behind the scenes: Several Trump advisers told Axios’ Jonathan Swan they are utterly perplexed by the decision. They need this like a punch in the face.

A Trump campaign adviser said of the president’s decision to own pulling out of the talks: “You have to try to be this politically inept. What is going on in the White House? Where is Mark Meadows?” One GOP lawmaker told Axios that this is “a gift” for Pelosi.

This would actually make a certain sense, in his usual vindictive, divisive way, if Trump promised that he will only agree to post-election COVID relief for states that vote for him. But here in the real world, it makes no sense at all.

Eddie Van Halen Dies at 65 ★

Andy Greene, writing for Rolling Stone:

Were it not for his titanic influence, hard rock after the late 1970s would have evolved in unimaginably different ways. He may not have invented two-handed tapping, but he perfected the practice and introduced it to a mass audience. Yet despite his complete mastery of the electric guitar, he never learned to read music.

“I don’t know shit about scales or music theory,” he told Rolling Stone in 1980. “I don’t want to be seen as the fastest guitar in town, ready and willing to gun down the competition. All I know is that rock & roll guitar, like blues guitar, should be melody, speed, and taste, but more important, it should have emotion. I just want my guitar playing to make people feel something: happy, sad, even horny.”

That it did.

House Judiciary Committee Report: ‘Investigation of Competition in Digital Markets’ (PDF) ★

The House Judiciary subcommittee that held a hearing with the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google back in July has issued a 449-page report on its findings and recommendations. It just dropped, so I’m not sure what’s in it, other than brief quotes from yours truly and Brent Simmons on pp. 341-342.

All Consuming ★

New podcast from Noah Kalina and Adam Lisagor wherein they buy and try a new direct-to-consumer product (think: stuff advertised on podcasts and Instagram) and talk about it. I swore up and down I wasn’t going to buy anything they talk about but I’m already signed up for a breakfast cereal subscription.

Apple Event Next Tuesday: ‘Hi, Speed’ ★

Not much to read into on the event name or invitation design, other than some speculation that the concentric rings are a hint about new HomePods. But I really can’t see making HomePods the central design aspect of an invitation. Sometimes nice looking rings are just nice looking rings.

John McAfee Arrested in Spain on Tax Evasion Charges, Now Awaiting Extradition to U.S. ★

I’ll go out on a limb and say this tweet isn’t aging well.