The Robots Are Not Ok - Newsletter week of 9/1
Added 2025-09-07 10:55:24 +0000 UTCHello from Germany!
For the last few days, I have been deep in the throes of IFA, a large tech trade show held annually in Berlin. And I have been focused on one thing and one thing only-- robots, that I am sad to report are not ok.
They are falling down...
and heads are popping off!
All while their soulless eyes attempt to understand our world.
Not to mention, their owners, with hidden controllers behind their backs, continually push them around to prove they have good balance.
Needless to say, the robots at this show could not be further from ready to take our jobs, do our laundry, or be our best friends. But more on that in this week's video!
If you work in robotics, or know anyone who does, please let me know, as I am trying to figure out just what the hell is going on with these all-metal dummies.
Here is everything else I thought about this week:
📖 Things I Read:
Citizen Is Using AI to Generate Crime Alerts With No Human Review
Musk’s $1T pay package is full of watered-down versions of his own broken promises
"The other, buried in a footnote, is that Tesla received 'assurances that Musk’s involvement with the political sphere would wind down in a timely manner.'”
Canon Sold More DSLRs in 2024 Than Fujifilm Sold Total Digital Cameras
I also have to suspect that the nostalgic look of DSLRs has helped sales a bit.
Nothing busted using professional photos as Phone 3 samples
The Great Bedrock Clog Heist
Great art in this one, too!
📺 Things I watched:
Why everyone is quitting social media
I Spent 30 Days With Bears In Remote Alaska. It Didn’t Go As Planned
If not friend, why friend-shapped?
Hasselblad X2D II review: why $7,399 is a reasonable price
I'll have a review of this in a few months, but for now, please enjoy Vjeran's amazing photography, videography, and last video for The Verge <3
🎶 Things I listened to:
Peer-to-Peer Mythbusters, Photo Background Matcher, Resume Building Podcasts, and Alarm Dumbwatches
Thank you to Patreon member Leo for having me on his podcast, Spitball! I had a great time pitching my wrist alarm clock and getting every tech marketing term wrong.
On the music front, I have shamelessly been on a pop music run. I'm talking Justin Bieber, Olivia Dean, and Billie Eilish. Any guilty pleasures you care to share??
Ok, that is all I have for this week. As always, thank you for your support, bud. I hope the weekend is treating you well :)
-B
Comments
Oh, the pop runs are never-ending! My boyfriend hates it but I blast old Billie Eilish like I never left my sophomore year😂
Jackson Dembro
2025-09-09 22:12:08 +0000 UTCI hope the concert was good! My sister and I were going to try to get to her show, but I think we might have to miss it. RE: fake nostalgia - it's EVERYWHERE I look, I swear. Cameras for sure, but also fashion, music, and even folks wanting minimal flip phones. I don't mind it because I love the look, and I generally liked my time in the early 00's 😅, but my lord we are hungry for style.
Becca Farsace
2025-09-08 13:44:53 +0000 UTCspeaking of pop music runs, I went to Marina concert last night, and two things surprised me. (In combination, perfectly fine individually though.) first, the whole show was building upon the pixelized aesthetics of 80's video games. Not just one or two elements, it was literally the theme of the show. Which wouldn't surprise me at all, if the target audience would have been hairy tech bros in their late 30's to mid 40's (like myself.) but second, almost the entire audience were teenage girls and queer folks. (Which is probably what you would expect from Marina's show.) so, these two things just don't compute in my head. Perhaps it has some parallels with the industry trends of "bad cameras" and polaroids that you touched upon recently? Sounds kind of fake nostalgia of things you did not have a chance to experience naturally in their times?
Pronichkin
2025-09-07 18:17:20 +0000 UTC
