Linked List: February 3, 2024

Saturday, 3 February 2024

Tom Dowdy ‘Signed’ the SimpleText Newspaper Document Icon ★

I must have seen this icon thousands of times, and while the word “EXTRA!” was obvious, I always assumed the newspaper’s name was greeked out gibberish. Turns out it’s “dowdy” upside down. (Via this splendid thread on Mastodon.)

Break Out Your Tiny Violins: Zuckerberg Thinks Apple’s DMA Compliance Plans Are ‘Onerous’ ★

Sarah Perez, reporting for TechCrunch:

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has added his voice to those criticizing Apple’s compliance with the EU’s new Digital Markets Act (DMA) regulation, which forces Apple to open up its App Store and allow developers to use their own payment systems, among other things. During Meta’s Q4 earnings call this afternoon, Zuckerberg responded to an investor question asking for Meta’s thoughts on the DMA by saying Apple’s new rules were “so onerous” that he would be surprised if any developer adopted them. [...]

“I don’t think that the Apple thing is going to have any difference for us because I think that the way that they’ve implemented it, I would be very surprised if any developer chose to go into the alternative app stores that they have,” Zuckerberg told investors. “They’ve made it so onerous, and I think, so at odds with the intent of what the EU regulation was that I think it’s just going to be very difficult for anyone — including ourselves — to really seriously entertain what they’re doing there.”

Left unsaid is what Zuckerberg thinks the intent of the DMA is. I, for one, do not think it was “Make Meta very happy.” Keep in mind that Apple has broken no laws, and the DMA is, ostensibly, not a penalty targeting Apple specifically.

Also keep in mind that Meta charges a 47.5 percent commission for digital content sales in Horizon Worlds, its “metaverse” platform for its VR headsets.

Mark Zuckerberg, Testifying Before a Senate Hearing, Stands Up, Turns Around, and Apologizes to the Families of Victims of Online Child Sexual Exploitation ★

Zuckerberg is very smart, but somehow he let himself get played by Senator Josh Hawley, a cowardly dingbat demagogue here.

Meta Quarterly Results ★

Meta:

“We had a good quarter as our community and business continue to grow,” said Mark Zuckerberg, Meta founder and CEO. “We’ve made a lot of progress on our vision for advancing AI and the metaverse.”

$40.1 billion in revenue, $14 billion in profit. That’s a good business. In comparison, Apple reported $120 billion in revenue and $34 billion in profit. It’s worth keeping in mind that Apple’s numbers for the October–December quarter are skewed by holiday sales, but as a ballpark estimate, Meta is roughly one-third an Apple — and their current market caps (Meta: $1T, Apple: $3T) reflect that.

Colin Cowherd on the ‘Weird, Lonely, Insecure Men’ Who Are Upset Regarding Taylor Swift’s NFL Fandom ★

I’ve never been a fan of Cowherd’s sports takes, but it turns out I love his take on this Taylor Swift thing. Well worth a few minutes of your time.