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I thought it meant that all the icons/interfaces for AI seem to have a graphical gradient between colors, usually cool colors like blue/purple/pink. (Like the face in the meme)

This photo is a great illustration of the “Speckled axe” story from Ben Franklin’s autobiography:

It was about this time that I conceiv’d the bold and arduous Project of arriving at moral Perfection. I wish’d to live without committing any Fault at any time; I would conquer all that either Natural Inclination, Custom, or Company might lead me into. As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might not always do the one and avoid the other. But I soon found I had undertaken a Task of more Difficulty than I had imagined.

While my Attention was taken up in guarding against one Fault, I was often surpris’d by another. Habit took the Advantage of Inattention. Inclination was sometimes too strong for Reason. I concluded at length, that the mere speculative Conviction that it was our Interest to be completely virtuous, was not sufficient to prevent our Slipping, and that the contrary Habits must be broken and good ones acquired and established, before we can have any Dependence on a steady uniform Rectitude of Conduct.

For this purpose I therefore contriv’d the following Method. In the various Enumerations of the moral Virtues I had met with in my Reading, I found the Catalogue more or less numerous, as different Writers included more or fewer Ideas under the same Name. “Temperance,” for Example, was by some confin’d to Eating & Drinking, while by others it was extended to mean the moderating every other Pleasure, Appetite, Inclination or Passion, bodily or mental, even to our Avarice & Ambition.

I propos’d to myself, for the sake of Clearness, to use rather more Names with fewer Ideas annex’d to each, than a few Names with more Ideas; and I included under Thirteen Names of Virtues all that at that time occurr’d to me as necessary or desirable, and annex’d to each a short Precept, which fully express’d the Extent I gave to its Meaning. These Names of Virtues with their Precepts were:

• Temperance. Eat not to Dullness Drink not to Elevation.
• Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling Conversation.
• Order. Let all your Things have their Places. Let each Part of your Business have its Time.
• Resolution. Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.
• Frugality. Make no Expense but to do good to others or yourself: i.e. Waste nothing.
• Industry. Lose no Time. Be always employ’d in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary Actions.
• Sincerity. Use no hurtful Deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
• Justice. Wrong none, by doing Injuries or omitting the Benefits that are your Duty.
• Moderation. Avoid Extremes. Forbear resenting Injuries so much as you think they deserve.
• Cleanliness. Tolerate no Uncleanness in Body, Clothes or Habitation.
• Tranquillity. Be not disturbed at Trifles, or at Accidents common or unavoidable.
• Chastity. Rarely use Venery but for Health or Offspring; Never to Dullness, Weakness, or the Injury of your own or another’s Peace or Reputation.
• Humility. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

…

I enter’d upon the Execution of this Plan for Self Examination, and continu’d it with occasional Intermissions for some time. I was surpris’d to find myself so much fuller of Faults than I had imagined, but I had the Satisfaction of seeing them diminish … This Article therefore cost me so much painful Attention & my Faults in it vex’d me so much, and I made so little Progress in Amendment, & had such frequent Relapses, that I was almost ready to give up the Attempt, and content myself with a faulty Character in that respect.

Like the Man who in buying an Ax of a Smith my neighbor, desired to have the whole of its Surface as bright as the Edge; the Smith consented to grind it bright for him if he would turn the Wheel. He turn’d while the Smith press’d the broad Face of the Ax hard & heavily on the Stone, which made the Turning of it very fatiguing. The Man came every now & then from the Wheel to see how the Work went on; and at length would take his Ax as it was without farther Grinding. No, says the Smith, Turn on, turn on; we shall have it bright by and by; as yet ’tis only speckled. Yes, says the Man; but—I think I like a speckled Ax best.

And I believe this may have been the Case with many who having for want of some such Means as I employ’d found the Difficulty of obtaining good, & breaking bad Habits, in other Points of Vice & Virtue, have given up the Struggle, & concluded that a speckled Ax was best.

Deleted scenes from Eye of Argon?

I believe they do this the same way they do traffic jams, by seeing how many android phones are at the location vs. average.

There’s a great YA book about this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boy_Who_Reversed_Himself?wprov=sfla1

And Onion articles, and other satire.

This is a plot point in The Accidental Time Machine: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21608.The_Accidental_Time_Machine; the main character

You didn’t read the article. These are images that appeared in the documentary and were not marked as generated. It was implied they were real photos.

The bridge in Baltimore collapsing after its pier was hit by a cargo ship.

They work better for podcasts than music. For music, they’re better than a phone speaker but worse than cheapo earbuds in terms of sound quality.

I have those exact ones and I love them; I use them for running and when I’m doing stuff around the house but still want to hear people getting my attention. I had a previous version that I also accidentally turned to Chinese but I just learned to recognize the different messages.

These people are saying “we finally created the utopia of Neuromancer.” And I look at them and I go, “I don’t think you read Neuromancer."

–Cory Doctorow

Yeah, in an article talking about how news stories about crime often show pictures of tents, they pointed out that the photo is of a crime scene, but the crime was not committed by those living in the tents.

I had a (wonderful) colleague who would call a big fuck up an “opportunity for excellence”.

Nah, flip that around. What’s a random crackhead going to do with a stolen car? Vs an already-organized and knowledgeable business like a towing company who wants to add a lucrative side gig. That’s who’s doing catalytic converter theft, too.

Culture comes from the top.

Because some scammer told them they could fire people if they did.

The first time I joined a gym, they gave me a free orientation where one of the staff asked me what I was planning to do and showed me how to use the gym’s equipment to do that stuff. Results come from consistency, and consistency comes from goals, and even a short conversation can help set good goals that are achievable and that can support consistent behavior.

Lingo was amazing! My husband and I played through it together; he’s better at 3d navigation so he navigated, and I’m better at word games, and we had a blast. We should try some of the custom maps!