Bas Grasmayer
@bas.bsky.social
Formerly at COLORS, IDAGIO, and founded the MUSIC x newsletter.
Now: Calm & Fluffy newsletter. calmfluffy.cloud
https://bas.grasmayer.com/
Now: Calm & Fluffy newsletter. calmfluffy.cloud
https://bas.grasmayer.com/
"Both Google and Meta received a record number of subpoenas in the United States during the first half of 2025 as Trump’s second term began, with Google receiving 28,622, a 15 percent increase over the previous six months."
newrepublic.com/post/206088/...
newrepublic.com/post/206088/...
DHS Hunts Down 67-Year-Old U.S. Citizen Who Criticized Them in Email
The Department of Homeland Security is using a little-known tool to go after its critics.
newrepublic.com
February 4, 2026 at 9:31 AM
"Both Google and Meta received a record number of subpoenas in the United States during the first half of 2025 as Trump’s second term began, with Google receiving 28,622, a 15 percent increase over the previous six months."
newrepublic.com/post/206088/...
newrepublic.com/post/206088/...
A decade before 'Moltbook', there was SubredditSimulator.
www.reddit.com/r/SubredditS...
www.reddit.com/r/SubredditS...
February 2, 2026 at 6:24 PM
A decade before 'Moltbook', there was SubredditSimulator.
www.reddit.com/r/SubredditS...
www.reddit.com/r/SubredditS...
Meta's Secret Weapon in the AI Race? All Your Personal Data
www.cnet.com/tech/service...
www.cnet.com/tech/service...
January 30, 2026 at 1:51 PM
Meta's Secret Weapon in the AI Race? All Your Personal Data
www.cnet.com/tech/service...
www.cnet.com/tech/service...
People who have stopped using Google as their search engine: which do you use now and how happy are you with search results generally?
January 28, 2026 at 7:44 PM
People who have stopped using Google as their search engine: which do you use now and how happy are you with search results generally?
Was looking up the lyrics to the Ghostbusters theme...
January 19, 2026 at 10:13 AM
Was looking up the lyrics to the Ghostbusters theme...
Are EU leaders actually so naive as to believe that a greater European military presence in Greenland might appease Trump?
It's not about normal geopolitical interests: Trump cares foremost about the billionaires who want the territory's resources.
The US's defensive position is an excuse.
It's not about normal geopolitical interests: Trump cares foremost about the billionaires who want the territory's resources.
The US's defensive position is an excuse.
January 14, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Are EU leaders actually so naive as to believe that a greater European military presence in Greenland might appease Trump?
It's not about normal geopolitical interests: Trump cares foremost about the billionaires who want the territory's resources.
The US's defensive position is an excuse.
It's not about normal geopolitical interests: Trump cares foremost about the billionaires who want the territory's resources.
The US's defensive position is an excuse.
This Saturday morning, I woke up early and finally snapped.
I ditched Gmail for @proton.me... and boy, would I have made the switch earlier if I had known it would only take me minutes.
(I'd seen the advertising claims. I was sceptical. I was wrong.)
www.calmfluffy.cloud/p/i-put-off-...
I ditched Gmail for @proton.me... and boy, would I have made the switch earlier if I had known it would only take me minutes.
(I'd seen the advertising claims. I was sceptical. I was wrong.)
www.calmfluffy.cloud/p/i-put-off-...
I put off switching from Google to Proton for years. It took minutes
The price of convenience when your life's turned into training data.
www.calmfluffy.cloud
January 13, 2026 at 2:19 PM
This Saturday morning, I woke up early and finally snapped.
I ditched Gmail for @proton.me... and boy, would I have made the switch earlier if I had known it would only take me minutes.
(I'd seen the advertising claims. I was sceptical. I was wrong.)
www.calmfluffy.cloud/p/i-put-off-...
I ditched Gmail for @proton.me... and boy, would I have made the switch earlier if I had known it would only take me minutes.
(I'd seen the advertising claims. I was sceptical. I was wrong.)
www.calmfluffy.cloud/p/i-put-off-...
Not all heroes wear capes… www.pcmag.com/news/hacker-...
Hacker Dressed As Pink Power Ranger Dismantles Racist Websites Live on Stage
At the Chaos Communication Congress in Germany, it was morphin' time for hacker Martha Root, who took down several white supremacist websites during their presentation.
www.pcmag.com
January 11, 2026 at 1:56 PM
Not all heroes wear capes… www.pcmag.com/news/hacker-...
This is your reminder to periodically delete all your data on AI platforms, because you can not know whose hands your chats will fall into.
My recommendation is to completely delete your account, and, if in EU, to submit a specific GDPR data deletion request.
arstechnica.com/ai/2026/01/n...
My recommendation is to completely delete your account, and, if in EU, to submit a specific GDPR data deletion request.
arstechnica.com/ai/2026/01/n...
News orgs win fight to access 20M ChatGPT logs. Now they want more.
OpenAI's loss in privacy fight could lead to sharing even more deleted chats.
arstechnica.com
January 7, 2026 at 12:30 PM
This is your reminder to periodically delete all your data on AI platforms, because you can not know whose hands your chats will fall into.
My recommendation is to completely delete your account, and, if in EU, to submit a specific GDPR data deletion request.
arstechnica.com/ai/2026/01/n...
My recommendation is to completely delete your account, and, if in EU, to submit a specific GDPR data deletion request.
arstechnica.com/ai/2026/01/n...
There seems to be some confusion over record labels’ suing AI companies, only to turn around and partner with them.
The lawsuits are part of the negotiation strategy.
It’s a very common strategy in IP-heavy industries.
(See also: UMG vs TikTok)
The lawsuits are part of the negotiation strategy.
It’s a very common strategy in IP-heavy industries.
(See also: UMG vs TikTok)
December 7, 2025 at 8:03 PM
There seems to be some confusion over record labels’ suing AI companies, only to turn around and partner with them.
The lawsuits are part of the negotiation strategy.
It’s a very common strategy in IP-heavy industries.
(See also: UMG vs TikTok)
The lawsuits are part of the negotiation strategy.
It’s a very common strategy in IP-heavy industries.
(See also: UMG vs TikTok)
“participants were asked to listen to three tracks and determine whether or not they were fully AI-generated – 97% of the respondents failed”
newsroom-deezer.com/2025/11/deez...
newsroom-deezer.com/2025/11/deez...
Deezer/Ipsos survey: 97% of people can’t tell the difference between fully AI-generated and human made music – clear desire for transparency and fairness for artists - Deezer Newsroom
Deezer and Ipsos unveil a first-of-its-kind study exploring attitudes and perceptions around AI and music, conducted across 8 countries with 9000 people. The survey shows overwhelming support for labe...
newsroom-deezer.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:40 PM
“participants were asked to listen to three tracks and determine whether or not they were fully AI-generated – 97% of the respondents failed”
newsroom-deezer.com/2025/11/deez...
newsroom-deezer.com/2025/11/deez...
Reposted by Bas Grasmayer
How you hear these two tones might depend on if you grew up in California or the United Kingdom. Noam Hassenfeld, host of the Unexplainable podcast, talks to researcher Diana Deutsch about why people from different countries hear tritones differently.
November 3, 2025 at 5:37 PM
How you hear these two tones might depend on if you grew up in California or the United Kingdom. Noam Hassenfeld, host of the Unexplainable podcast, talks to researcher Diana Deutsch about why people from different countries hear tritones differently.
“Enjoy the futuristic capabilities of these browsers by all means, but remember that even Opera's 10% success rate with one particular prompt injection attack means that you need to be lucky every time, while an attacker only needs to get lucky once.”
www.xda-developers.com/please-stop-...
www.xda-developers.com/please-stop-...
Please stop using AI browsers
Agentic AI browsers are dangerous, and even some of the biggest browser companies think so.
www.xda-developers.com
November 1, 2025 at 5:44 PM
“Enjoy the futuristic capabilities of these browsers by all means, but remember that even Opera's 10% success rate with one particular prompt injection attack means that you need to be lucky every time, while an attacker only needs to get lucky once.”
www.xda-developers.com/please-stop-...
www.xda-developers.com/please-stop-...
Innovation at major labels often looks like:
1 Startup has new tech they want to apply.
2 Get shown the door at the label.
3 Investors and founders take risk, develop tech, and launch without proper licenses.
4 Label sues.
5 Startup and label settle with licensing deal.
Major label: INNOVATION!
1 Startup has new tech they want to apply.
2 Get shown the door at the label.
3 Investors and founders take risk, develop tech, and launch without proper licenses.
4 Label sues.
5 Startup and label settle with licensing deal.
Major label: INNOVATION!
October 30, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Innovation at major labels often looks like:
1 Startup has new tech they want to apply.
2 Get shown the door at the label.
3 Investors and founders take risk, develop tech, and launch without proper licenses.
4 Label sues.
5 Startup and label settle with licensing deal.
Major label: INNOVATION!
1 Startup has new tech they want to apply.
2 Get shown the door at the label.
3 Investors and founders take risk, develop tech, and launch without proper licenses.
4 Label sues.
5 Startup and label settle with licensing deal.
Major label: INNOVATION!
2025 and German media still call female DJs “DJane”. 🤦♂️
October 24, 2025 at 11:49 AM
2025 and German media still call female DJs “DJane”. 🤦♂️
Reposted by Bas Grasmayer
I wrote about AI + why artists need ownership (incl. governance) or they’re up shit creek!
A simple but important argument! And I messed w/ David Harvey’s “Paths of Capital Accumulation” diagram to make it 🤓FUN!
+ a Neil Young song 🧛🔵🏖️!
musicx.substack.com/p/the-foreve...
A simple but important argument! And I messed w/ David Harvey’s “Paths of Capital Accumulation” diagram to make it 🤓FUN!
+ a Neil Young song 🧛🔵🏖️!
musicx.substack.com/p/the-foreve...
The “Forever” Stakes of Generative AI Ownership
On synthetic data and dead labour
musicx.substack.com
October 23, 2025 at 5:10 PM
I wrote about AI + why artists need ownership (incl. governance) or they’re up shit creek!
A simple but important argument! And I messed w/ David Harvey’s “Paths of Capital Accumulation” diagram to make it 🤓FUN!
+ a Neil Young song 🧛🔵🏖️!
musicx.substack.com/p/the-foreve...
A simple but important argument! And I messed w/ David Harvey’s “Paths of Capital Accumulation” diagram to make it 🤓FUN!
+ a Neil Young song 🧛🔵🏖️!
musicx.substack.com/p/the-foreve...
There’s a generational changing of the guards happening.
What tacky boomer memes on Facebook were for the previous generation of the internet..
Corny millennial AI slop is for this generation.
What tacky boomer memes on Facebook were for the previous generation of the internet..
Corny millennial AI slop is for this generation.
October 11, 2025 at 4:28 PM
There’s a generational changing of the guards happening.
What tacky boomer memes on Facebook were for the previous generation of the internet..
Corny millennial AI slop is for this generation.
What tacky boomer memes on Facebook were for the previous generation of the internet..
Corny millennial AI slop is for this generation.
Stress response all over. busysimulator.com
Busy Simulator
Pretend you're busy by playing a bunch of app notification sounds. Made by Brian Moore.
busysimulator.com
October 8, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Stress response all over. busysimulator.com
Reposted by Bas Grasmayer
📣 Germany's close to reversing its opposition to mass surveillance & private message scanning, & backing the Chat Control bill. This could end private comms-& Signal-in the EU.
Time's short and they're counting on obscurity: please let German politicians know how horrifying their reversal would be.
Time's short and they're counting on obscurity: please let German politicians know how horrifying their reversal would be.
We are alarmed by reports that Germany is on the verge of a catastrophic about-face, reversing its longstanding and principled opposition to the EU’s Chat Control proposal which, if passed, could spell the end of the right to privacy in Europe. signal.org/blog/pdfs/ge...
signal.org
October 6, 2025 at 6:46 AM
📣 Germany's close to reversing its opposition to mass surveillance & private message scanning, & backing the Chat Control bill. This could end private comms-& Signal-in the EU.
Time's short and they're counting on obscurity: please let German politicians know how horrifying their reversal would be.
Time's short and they're counting on obscurity: please let German politicians know how horrifying their reversal would be.
Earlier this year I left my phone at home for a month and was offline every time I went out.
In October I'm inverting that: I'll go offline at home, every day at 8pm.
You can join the adventure •‿•
Read more here: calmfluffy.substack.com/p/why-im-spe...
In October I'm inverting that: I'll go offline at home, every day at 8pm.
You can join the adventure •‿•
Read more here: calmfluffy.substack.com/p/why-im-spe...
Why I’m spending my October evenings offline
And how you can join me on this adventure for peace & health
calmfluffy.substack.com
September 24, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Earlier this year I left my phone at home for a month and was offline every time I went out.
In October I'm inverting that: I'll go offline at home, every day at 8pm.
You can join the adventure •‿•
Read more here: calmfluffy.substack.com/p/why-im-spe...
In October I'm inverting that: I'll go offline at home, every day at 8pm.
You can join the adventure •‿•
Read more here: calmfluffy.substack.com/p/why-im-spe...
Every day I wake up to another reason to be happy not to have a job that requires me to travel to the US.
With a background in both music and tech, industries highly oriented towards NYC & California, I’m actively making career choices to further avoid this.
With a background in both music and tech, industries highly oriented towards NYC & California, I’m actively making career choices to further avoid this.
September 18, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Every day I wake up to another reason to be happy not to have a job that requires me to travel to the US.
With a background in both music and tech, industries highly oriented towards NYC & California, I’m actively making career choices to further avoid this.
With a background in both music and tech, industries highly oriented towards NYC & California, I’m actively making career choices to further avoid this.
Went nomadic after 15 years with Spotify.
Tried Apple Music out for 3 months, but the way the app is designed is really clunky (still don't understand the difference between favourite & add to library).
Now trying Tidal and it's seriously underrated.
Tried Apple Music out for 3 months, but the way the app is designed is really clunky (still don't understand the difference between favourite & add to library).
Now trying Tidal and it's seriously underrated.
September 12, 2025 at 7:35 AM
Went nomadic after 15 years with Spotify.
Tried Apple Music out for 3 months, but the way the app is designed is really clunky (still don't understand the difference between favourite & add to library).
Now trying Tidal and it's seriously underrated.
Tried Apple Music out for 3 months, but the way the app is designed is really clunky (still don't understand the difference between favourite & add to library).
Now trying Tidal and it's seriously underrated.
I am SO tired of ads for Shopify.
September 9, 2025 at 3:14 PM
I am SO tired of ads for Shopify.