Sam Machkovech
@samred.com
This feed is 1/3 dog, 1/3 arts+tech, 1/3 something something. Currently: Digital Foundry. Recently: NYT, Polygon, The Stranger, Game Developer, Games Radar. Previously: Ars, American Airlines, The Atlantic. He/him, from Seattle.
Pinned
Sam Machkovech
@samred.com
· Nov 10
After the Triumph of Tetris, an Unsolved Puzzle
Alexey Pajitnov, who created the ubiquitous game in 1984, opens up about his failed projects and his desire to design another hit.
www.nytimes.com
I've dreamed my entire career of writing an article like this. New in today's @nytimes.com: My profile of Tetris creator (and Seattle-area resident) Alexey Pajitnov, on the games, attempts, and failures he's worked on in the 40-year shadow of his most famous game. (Upshot: He's still designing.)
I called my mother, a 75-year-old TX grandmother, and she is calling her US House Representative to demand action about ICE and DHS as a result of our chat on yesterday's news. This is because she was surprised to hear what raw videos contained compared to what she saw on NBC.
CALL YOUR FAMILY.
CALL YOUR FAMILY.
January 8, 2026 at 6:24 PM
I called my mother, a 75-year-old TX grandmother, and she is calling her US House Representative to demand action about ICE and DHS as a result of our chat on yesterday's news. This is because she was surprised to hear what raw videos contained compared to what she saw on NBC.
CALL YOUR FAMILY.
CALL YOUR FAMILY.
Reposted by Sam Machkovech
"So if the violence of the deportations, and the crackdowns, and the cuts, and the raids, and the air strikes, haven’t been enough for you, let something so simple and evil as the daytime execution of a poet move you to action." Thank you, @literaryhub.bsky.social 💥
January 8, 2026 at 4:16 AM
"So if the violence of the deportations, and the crackdowns, and the cuts, and the raids, and the air strikes, haven’t been enough for you, let something so simple and evil as the daytime execution of a poet move you to action." Thank you, @literaryhub.bsky.social 💥
elected leaders are supposed to put themselves on the line when it comes to defending the principles we voted for - it's why we hired them
they're the ones who are supposed to make the fuss and mobilize forces to arrest and prosecute criminals
and if they don't, we protest THEM
they're the ones who are supposed to make the fuss and mobilize forces to arrest and prosecute criminals
and if they don't, we protest THEM
The stakes have been raised. The Democrats have got to run on putting these people in prison. They have to. Jobs, food, all the rest, but shooting a mother in the head on a public street? None of this Garland stuff. "The full force of the government will be brought to bear" on this and similar.
January 7, 2026 at 10:32 PM
elected leaders are supposed to put themselves on the line when it comes to defending the principles we voted for - it's why we hired them
they're the ones who are supposed to make the fuss and mobilize forces to arrest and prosecute criminals
and if they don't, we protest THEM
they're the ones who are supposed to make the fuss and mobilize forces to arrest and prosecute criminals
and if they don't, we protest THEM
Reposted by Sam Machkovech
here's this vintage jeopardy clip with ken jennings
January 7, 2026 at 9:25 PM
here's this vintage jeopardy clip with ken jennings
I regret watching the video but can confirm the mayor's sentiment. Plus, when you shoot someone point-blank who is not only sitting still but whose feet rest on car pedals, you're doubly threatening bystanders - in a court, I would assume that's aggravated assault by proxy, on top of other charges.
Mayor Jacob Frey: "They are already trying to spin this as an action of self defense. Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bullshit."
January 7, 2026 at 6:52 PM
I regret watching the video but can confirm the mayor's sentiment. Plus, when you shoot someone point-blank who is not only sitting still but whose feet rest on car pedals, you're doubly threatening bystanders - in a court, I would assume that's aggravated assault by proxy, on top of other charges.
Reposted by Sam Machkovech
Masked ICE agents, it seems, are now killing American citizens on American streets.
Any Democrat who doesn’t support abolishing ICE should be instantly primaried and run out of the party.
This is non negotiable. You cannot support the continued existence of this fascist murderous secret police.
Any Democrat who doesn’t support abolishing ICE should be instantly primaried and run out of the party.
This is non negotiable. You cannot support the continued existence of this fascist murderous secret police.
January 7, 2026 at 6:14 PM
Masked ICE agents, it seems, are now killing American citizens on American streets.
Any Democrat who doesn’t support abolishing ICE should be instantly primaried and run out of the party.
This is non negotiable. You cannot support the continued existence of this fascist murderous secret police.
Any Democrat who doesn’t support abolishing ICE should be instantly primaried and run out of the party.
This is non negotiable. You cannot support the continued existence of this fascist murderous secret police.
DLSS 4.5 is live! Like, right now! Find out more about the new 2nd-gen transformer model and the upcoming Dynamic Multi-Frame Generation model. My latest for Digital Foundry:
Nvidia Announces DLSS 4.5 - New Transformer Model Already Live
Ambitious "Dynamic Frame Generation" coming "Spring 2026."
www.digitalfoundry.net
January 6, 2026 at 5:32 AM
DLSS 4.5 is live! Like, right now! Find out more about the new 2nd-gen transformer model and the upcoming Dynamic Multi-Frame Generation model. My latest for Digital Foundry:
CES embargo week is different this week than years past, where consumer-grade products aren't necessarily the priority in the AI-obsessed bubble. Still, AMD has at least one fun thing to announce this week. Here's my latest for Digital Foundry:
AMD Unveils Ryzen 7 9850X3D: Fast, Incremental
A "2-3 percent" jump beyond 2024's 9800X3D.
www.digitalfoundry.net
January 6, 2026 at 3:32 AM
CES embargo week is different this week than years past, where consumer-grade products aren't necessarily the priority in the AI-obsessed bubble. Still, AMD has at least one fun thing to announce this week. Here's my latest for Digital Foundry:
Reposted by Sam Machkovech
I know it’s probably deeply annoying to see Americans go “holy shit, the nakedness of this” after our history of indigenous genocide and global regime change, but what is especially scary about this is that the more recent bullshit alibis at least took some time to drum up and put into place.
Trump: "We're going to have our very large United States oil companies go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure and start making money for the country. And we are ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so."
January 3, 2026 at 5:00 PM
I know it’s probably deeply annoying to see Americans go “holy shit, the nakedness of this” after our history of indigenous genocide and global regime change, but what is especially scary about this is that the more recent bullshit alibis at least took some time to drum up and put into place.
Reposted by Sam Machkovech
vibe in seattle today
January 2, 2026 at 7:10 PM
vibe in seattle today
Get to know my taste in music: 365 songs, 365 days.
1/365: I saw Molina perform this song live in Seattle, and the sense memory remains forever wedged into my spine. There aren't many musicians like Molina and her band - "singular" means something with what they make.
1/365: I saw Molina perform this song live in Seattle, and the sense memory remains forever wedged into my spine. There aren't many musicians like Molina and her band - "singular" means something with what they make.
Estalacticas, by Juana Molina
from the album Halo
juanamolina.bandcamp.com
January 2, 2026 at 3:56 AM
Get to know my taste in music: 365 songs, 365 days.
1/365: I saw Molina perform this song live in Seattle, and the sense memory remains forever wedged into my spine. There aren't many musicians like Molina and her band - "singular" means something with what they make.
1/365: I saw Molina perform this song live in Seattle, and the sense memory remains forever wedged into my spine. There aren't many musicians like Molina and her band - "singular" means something with what they make.
apparently my nephew is the coolest human on the planet, as he rung in 2026 by perfectly timing the original Karate Kid's crane kick to his time zone's stroke of midnight
January 2, 2026 at 1:14 AM
apparently my nephew is the coolest human on the planet, as he rung in 2026 by perfectly timing the original Karate Kid's crane kick to his time zone's stroke of midnight
really not loving the metaphor of the dog puking on top of my bed twice to ring in the first morning of 2026
January 1, 2026 at 6:30 PM
really not loving the metaphor of the dog puking on top of my bed twice to ring in the first morning of 2026
I just saw a friend's photo of how foggy the Space Needle scene is ahead of tonight's NYE fireworks. As in: you can't see the Needle through the fog. Someone please metaphor that for me.
January 1, 2026 at 5:38 AM
I just saw a friend's photo of how foggy the Space Needle scene is ahead of tonight's NYE fireworks. As in: you can't see the Needle through the fog. Someone please metaphor that for me.
Seattle is Silent Hill af rn, happy foggy year
January 1, 2026 at 2:22 AM
Seattle is Silent Hill af rn, happy foggy year
my goty is wtiting down a brief description of one intense experience per day, matching it with a thought, matching THAT with an emotion, and giving that emotion an intensity rating from 1-10
January 1, 2026 at 12:09 AM
my goty is wtiting down a brief description of one intense experience per day, matching it with a thought, matching THAT with an emotion, and giving that emotion an intensity rating from 1-10
my first 2026 resolution is to seriously switch to Linux on one PC and try it as a daily driver system.
my biggest hold-up is not gaming, but instead something hilarious: I still play D&D 4E and thus rely on Silverlight to run its long-dead Character Creator software lol
my biggest hold-up is not gaming, but instead something hilarious: I still play D&D 4E and thus rely on Silverlight to run its long-dead Character Creator software lol
December 31, 2025 at 10:42 PM
my first 2026 resolution is to seriously switch to Linux on one PC and try it as a daily driver system.
my biggest hold-up is not gaming, but instead something hilarious: I still play D&D 4E and thus rely on Silverlight to run its long-dead Character Creator software lol
my biggest hold-up is not gaming, but instead something hilarious: I still play D&D 4E and thus rely on Silverlight to run its long-dead Character Creator software lol
1) Ellison's Paramount stays sucking
2) my all-time fave band Morphine would've never entered my life without them getting an MTV push, and I'm forever grateful
3) how's MuchMusic doing, Canadian neighbors?
2) my all-time fave band Morphine would've never entered my life without them getting an MTV push, and I'm forever grateful
3) how's MuchMusic doing, Canadian neighbors?
December 31, 2025 at 8:26 PM
1) Ellison's Paramount stays sucking
2) my all-time fave band Morphine would've never entered my life without them getting an MTV push, and I'm forever grateful
3) how's MuchMusic doing, Canadian neighbors?
2) my all-time fave band Morphine would've never entered my life without them getting an MTV push, and I'm forever grateful
3) how's MuchMusic doing, Canadian neighbors?
MS must have known this was coming, right? Like, KNOWN THIS known this. They've already pushed Xbox Cloud Streaming in select regions where it's cheaper to buy a streaming-capable TV than a console. That reality is coming to more regions very soon. In RAM-starved 2026, "This is an Xbox" makes sense.
RAM Price Increases Could See Next-Generation Console Releases Delayed
Insider Gaming has learned that the ongoing price increases in RAM due to the rise in AI could delay the next generation of console releases.
insider-gaming.com
December 29, 2025 at 5:58 PM
MS must have known this was coming, right? Like, KNOWN THIS known this. They've already pushed Xbox Cloud Streaming in select regions where it's cheaper to buy a streaming-capable TV than a console. That reality is coming to more regions very soon. In RAM-starved 2026, "This is an Xbox" makes sense.
the Mabel weather report: partly perfect, 42°F
December 28, 2025 at 10:31 PM
the Mabel weather report: partly perfect, 42°F
Reposted by Sam Machkovech
Hate how much I like Arc Raiders. So many hilarious moments encountering other players, perfect gameplay loop, challenging combat—Embark, go back in and record voice lines with people and rid me of this guilt!!!
December 28, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Hate how much I like Arc Raiders. So many hilarious moments encountering other players, perfect gameplay loop, challenging combat—Embark, go back in and record voice lines with people and rid me of this guilt!!!
Reposted by Sam Machkovech
i don’t see how any of the benefits of chatgpt and other consumer-facing LLMs can possibly outweigh their incredible ability to induce suicides
Adam Raine’s life hurtled toward tragedy soon after he began talking with ChatGPT about homework. Analysis of his ChatGPT account shows how the chatbot became a confidant as he planned to end his life.
74 suicide warnings and 243 mentions of hanging: What ChatGPT said to a suicidal teen
Analysis of high-schooler Adam Raine’s ChatGPT account by attorneys for his parents shows how the chatbot became a confidant as he planned to end his life.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 28, 2025 at 2:06 AM
i don’t see how any of the benefits of chatgpt and other consumer-facing LLMs can possibly outweigh their incredible ability to induce suicides
I stopped at the Smoke Shop arcade in Ballard, and I saw a kid stare in wonder at the Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 cab. I asked his mom if I can suggest that he try MvC2, she obliged. He proceeded to lose his mind. As I leave, I told them it's playable on Switch. "I HAVE A SWITCH!" ❤️🥺😭
December 27, 2025 at 10:56 PM
I stopped at the Smoke Shop arcade in Ballard, and I saw a kid stare in wonder at the Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 cab. I asked his mom if I can suggest that he try MvC2, she obliged. He proceeded to lose his mind. As I leave, I told them it's playable on Switch. "I HAVE A SWITCH!" ❤️🥺😭
three weeks later, still no answers on Google's sites. anyone???
Why does this dumb banana AI prompt keep coming up in Android Messages? How do I disable it? I have Gemini disabled top to bottom but cannot figure out how to make this constant banana nudge go awaaaaaaay
December 26, 2025 at 11:50 PM
three weeks later, still no answers on Google's sites. anyone???