For the last few days, I’ve had the privilege of digesting Yeezus, the newest project from Kanye West. After running through the album numerous times, there are three things that are very clear about what Yeezus is and will mean to music.
Category Archives: Editorials
When Power Corrupts
“I came in with a healthy skepticism about these programs. My team evaluated them, we scrubbed them thoroughly, we actually expanded some of the oversight, increased some of the safeguards. But my assessment, and my team’s assessment, was that they helped us prevent terrorist attacks. And the modest encroachments on privacy that are involved in getting phone numbers or duration without a name attached and without looking at content — that on net, was worth us doing. Some other folks may have a different assessment of that.
But I think it’s important to recognize that you can’t have 100 percent security, and also then have 100 percent privacy, and zero inconvenience. You know, we’re going to have to make some choices as a society. What I can say is that in evaluating these programs, they make a difference in our capacity to anticipate and prevent possible terrorist activity.”
That was President Obama, speaking on the data-mining and surveillance program PRISM, the homo erectus stage in the evolution of our loss of privacy. Much has been said about PRISM, its legality, and its effect on privacy and our country over the last few days. More information will be made known to the public by some exceptional journalists over the next few weeks and months. But there is a much larger, underlying issue with PRISM and programs like it that can’t be solved by great journalism or whistleblowers, and that is the undiluted power that corrupts so many of our elected officials.
What is Yahoo Trying to Become?
Yahoo is attempting to procure Tumblr for $1.1 billion, and its board will meet on Sunday night to discuss the deal, according to Peter Kafka and Kara Swisher of AllThingsD — who at this point may have a direct line into Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer’s occipital lobe (Update: the deal has been approved by Yahoo’s board, says Kara Swisher). With over 100 million visitors per month, according to comScore, and 108 million blogs, according to Tumblr’s homepage, Tumblr could be a great acquisition for just about any major company. But what kind of company is Yahoo trying to become?
As Foxconn Moves Into The TV Business, The New York Times Sees Nothing But Apple
Last week, The New York Times published a look at Foxconn’s push into creating its own products, specifically branded televisions. It’s a pretty good report, with a pretty big flaw; In an attempt to catch readers interests, and page views, reporter Lin Yang focuses on Apple, not Foxconn. The article frames Foxconn’s move into making their own televisions as a move away from Apple, Foxconn’s biggest customer. But Foxconn isn’t moving away from Apple, and Apple isn’t moving away from Foxconn.
Continue reading
Welcome to CE: The Magazine
When we launched Current Editorials back in 2011, we had one simple task in mind — to write long-form technology pieces that people would enjoy reading. We soon added news coverage and reviews on top of our initial objective, and the outcome and response was far greater than we initially anticipated. We reached and surpassed every goal we placed on ourselves, and accomplished much more than we could have ever hoped for, with what started out as (and still is) a four-man, part-time operation.
Today marks the beginning of the next phase of Current Editorials, a substantial shift into a new model, which we consider our biggest undertaking yet.
Welcome to CE: The Magazine.
Dispatches From The Tech Bubble
The bubble isn’t exclusive to politics, as Bill Maher would lead us to believe.
Yesterday, Jemelle Bouie, a political journalist who writes for The American Prospect and The Nation, among others, republished a piece he wrote in January for The Magazine on his blog regarding the lack of diversity in the tech media. It was noticed by entrepreneur Jason Calacanis. The following conversation ensued.
Frozen Pizza: How Instagram And Vine Are Fuelling The Frivolous
That is a frozen piece of pizza, on the ground, covered in snow. I found it in the parking lot this morning as I was leaving school. I posted an Instagram of it.
At the outset of the new year, I set some social media goals for myself. Things like learning to better leverage Twitter as a networking tool, expanding my presence and my brand online, and trying to take more Instagram photos. I hoped to achieve that last one by taking at least one Instagram photo each day for the entire year. For the first few weeks, I did quite well. I started taking photos of everything, some days posting more than one. On occasion, more than five.
Apple, Wall Street, America, and Pot-Smoking Lesbians
48 million phones sold. Three different iPhones sold 48 million units. 23 million tablets sold. Three different iPads sold 23 million units.
13 million MP3 players sold. 13 million MP3 players sold. 13 million MP3 players sold. 13 million MP3 players sold. 13 million MP3 players sold. Who still buys MP3 players?
$54 billion in revenue. $13 billion in profits. All in 12 weeks. Revenue records broken. Profit records broken. Phone sales records broken. Tablet sales records broken.
