Tech Industry

Stop Cheering for Automattic: The ‘Open Internet’ Crusade Is the Ultimate Monopoly Shield

Automattic’s ‘open internet’ crusade isn’t a rebellionβ€”it’s the most sophisticated monopoly strategy of our time. By framing walled gardens as the enemy, they turn developer loyalty and user passion into an unpaid army, masking their own dominance over 43% of the web. The rhetorical shield is perfect: who questions a revolution?

Your Waymo Is a Police Informant. Here’s Why You Should Be Terrified.

A Waymo self-driving car recently reported its own passengers to the police, turning a private ride into a surveillance event. This isn’t just a glitchβ€”it’s a feature. As autonomous ride-hailing expands, every car becomes a potential informant, and every passenger a suspect. We’re paying a premium to lose the last sanctuary of privacy.

DRM Doesn’t Stop Pirates. It Stops You.

Widevine, Google’s DRM system, runs on billions of devices and silently controls your streaming experience β€” from resolution to regional pricing to device restrictions. It doesn’t stop piracy. It stops you from realizing you’re renting everything and owning nothing. The real customer isn’t you. It’s the studios, the platforms, and Google itself.

A Judge Broke Federal Law. Her Punishment Was a $5,000 Fine. Yours Would Be Prison.

Former Judge Hannah Dugan was convicted of obstructing a federal ICE operation β€” and walked away with a $5,000 fine. No prison. The same system that puts ordinary people behind bars for far less showed one of its own the kind of mercy it never extends to the people who stand before the bench. This isn’t justice. It’s a membership benefit.

Google Earth Pro Is Dying. And It’s Not an Upgrade.

Google’s decision to kill Earth Pro desktop downloads by 2027 isn’t a software upgradeβ€”it’s a strategic power grab. By forcing users into a web-only ecosystem, Google is sacrificing local performance and offline autonomy for cloud control. If you rely on heavy geospatial data, it’s time to plan your exit.

You’re Watching Tarantino Wrong. Close Your Eyes.

Tarantino’s films aren’t visual masterpieces with great soundtracks β€” they’re audio experiences that happen to have pictures. Every needle drop, pause, and line rhythm is engineered to carry narrative weight independent of the image. Close your eyes during his movies and you’ll discover the real story was always in your ears.