Bret Carmichael
@bretcarmichael.mastodon.social.ap.brid.gy
Opinions about technology news, social media platforms, and policy. Interested in the future of tech and its power to shape society.
🌉 bridged from ⁂ https://mastodon.social/@bretcarmichael, follow @ap.brid.gy to interact
🌉 bridged from ⁂ https://mastodon.social/@bretcarmichael, follow @ap.brid.gy to interact
RE: https://mastodon.social/@verge/115928059186300150
Trump telegraphed tariffs. In response, retailers pulled lots of demand forward before “Liberation Day.” Now that inventory has run out.
Trump telegraphed tariffs. In response, retailers pulled lots of demand forward before “Liberation Day.” Now that inventory has run out.
mastodon.social
January 20, 2026 at 6:21 PM
RE: https://mastodon.social/@verge/115928059186300150
Trump telegraphed tariffs. In response, retailers pulled lots of demand forward before “Liberation Day.” Now that inventory has run out.
Trump telegraphed tariffs. In response, retailers pulled lots of demand forward before “Liberation Day.” Now that inventory has run out.
I just scrolled through several posts on Threads. They were all AI slop. If you can’t trust a cat video, what can you trust? Still, Threads continues to grow at the expense of X. It’s funny that Threads became the AI home that OpenAI’s Sora intended to be.
January 20, 2026 at 2:19 PM
I just scrolled through several posts on Threads. They were all AI slop. If you can’t trust a cat video, what can you trust? Still, Threads continues to grow at the expense of X. It’s funny that Threads became the AI home that OpenAI’s Sora intended to be.
As usual, @CARROT delivers the most accurate weather forecast.
January 19, 2026 at 3:19 PM
As usual, @CARROT delivers the most accurate weather forecast.
Just another example that Musk is no match for his impulses. He swore off politics…until he had an opportunity to throw his weight around again. Then, obviously, he couldn’t help himself.
https://www.axios.com/2026/01/19/elon-musk-10-million-campaign-donation-kentucky
https://www.axios.com/2026/01/19/elon-musk-10-million-campaign-donation-kentucky
January 19, 2026 at 2:42 PM
Just another example that Musk is no match for his impulses. He swore off politics…until he had an opportunity to throw his weight around again. Then, obviously, he couldn’t help himself.
https://www.axios.com/2026/01/19/elon-musk-10-million-campaign-donation-kentucky
https://www.axios.com/2026/01/19/elon-musk-10-million-campaign-donation-kentucky
RE: https://mastodon.social/@verge/115867268281704932
It’s gonna be pretty hard to claim any real principles in the future after you let a deepfake, child pornography app stay in your app store.
It’s gonna be pretty hard to claim any real principles in the future after you let a deepfake, child pornography app stay in your app store.
mastodon.social
January 10, 2026 at 4:14 AM
RE: https://mastodon.social/@verge/115867268281704932
It’s gonna be pretty hard to claim any real principles in the future after you let a deepfake, child pornography app stay in your app store.
It’s gonna be pretty hard to claim any real principles in the future after you let a deepfake, child pornography app stay in your app store.
Elon Musk has effectively made child pornography legal by paralyzing platforms from taking action against X for fear of retaliation by the Trump admin — which is not taking action. 🤔 Release the Epstein files.
https://www.theverge.com/news/859631/democrats-x-grok-apple-google-app-store
https://www.theverge.com/news/859631/democrats-x-grok-apple-google-app-store
Democrats ask Apple and Google to remove X’s undressing bot from their app stores
They point to the companies’ removal of ICE-tracking apps under government pressure.
www.theverge.com
January 9, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Elon Musk has effectively made child pornography legal by paralyzing platforms from taking action against X for fear of retaliation by the Trump admin — which is not taking action. 🤔 Release the Epstein files.
https://www.theverge.com/news/859631/democrats-x-grok-apple-google-app-store
https://www.theverge.com/news/859631/democrats-x-grok-apple-google-app-store
Download X in the App Store. It violates multiple guidelines, and it’s appropriate for ages 16+
One example of how Grok is being used to target women. Swedish Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch being sexualised, degraded, and humiliated step-by-step by Grok. All the images accurately reflect the prompts provided.
January 6, 2026 at 12:31 PM
Download X in the App Store. It violates multiple guidelines, and it’s appropriate for ages 16+
Interesting that Apple has been totally silent on allowing CSAM on the App Store via X. Whether St. Clair is a credible witness or not, it’s a thing that’s been happening. Apple is afraid to step on Musk’s toes, because to step on Musk’s toes is to step on Trump’s toes […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
January 5, 2026 at 3:05 PM
Interesting that Apple has been totally silent on allowing CSAM on the App Store via X. Whether St. Clair is a credible witness or not, it’s a thing that’s been happening. Apple is afraid to step on Musk’s toes, because to step on Musk’s toes is to step on Trump’s toes […]
I didn’t think Trump left The Onion any room to go, yet it delivered.
This is not a paid advertisement. Subscribe at membership.theonion.com to receive the newspaper and see more print-exclusive content.
January 4, 2026 at 8:16 PM
I didn’t think Trump left The Onion any room to go, yet it delivered.
RE: https://mastodon.social/@verge/115838445239995253
Switchbot is also showing off a laundry robot. If a robot future is really coming, assisting the disabled and elderly is a great use case. For some, it will be the difference between living at home and having to live in a nursing home.
Switchbot is also showing off a laundry robot. If a robot future is really coming, assisting the disabled and elderly is a great use case. For some, it will be the difference between living at home and having to live in a nursing home.
mastodon.social
January 4, 2026 at 8:13 PM
RE: https://mastodon.social/@verge/115838445239995253
Switchbot is also showing off a laundry robot. If a robot future is really coming, assisting the disabled and elderly is a great use case. For some, it will be the difference between living at home and having to live in a nursing home.
Switchbot is also showing off a laundry robot. If a robot future is really coming, assisting the disabled and elderly is a great use case. For some, it will be the difference between living at home and having to live in a nursing home.
In one rambling press conference on taking over Venezuela, Trump also threatened Colombia and Cuba, while Katie Miller said on X that the US would annex Greenland. I keep looking for a limit to what Americans will tolerate or when Congress will stop denying that it has any job at all. We’re not […]
January 4, 2026 at 1:50 PM
In one rambling press conference on taking over Venezuela, Trump also threatened Colombia and Cuba, while Katie Miller said on X that the US would annex Greenland. I keep looking for a limit to what Americans will tolerate or when Congress will stop denying that it has any job at all. We’re not […]
RE: https://mastodon.social/@randahl/115835211061994628
The EU has two primary adversaries: Russia and the US. Russia is an immediate military threat, and the US is a social-economic threat. It lacks the military capability to combat Russia and needs to persuade the US to function as a barrier […]
The EU has two primary adversaries: Russia and the US. Russia is an immediate military threat, and the US is a social-economic threat. It lacks the military capability to combat Russia and needs to persuade the US to function as a barrier […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
January 4, 2026 at 10:35 AM
RE: https://mastodon.social/@randahl/115835211061994628
The EU has two primary adversaries: Russia and the US. Russia is an immediate military threat, and the US is a social-economic threat. It lacks the military capability to combat Russia and needs to persuade the US to function as a barrier […]
The EU has two primary adversaries: Russia and the US. Russia is an immediate military threat, and the US is a social-economic threat. It lacks the military capability to combat Russia and needs to persuade the US to function as a barrier […]
Says Microsoft CEO Nadella, “We need to get beyond the arguments of slop vs sophistication and develop a new equilibrium.” He right, because it doesn’t matter. Slop is here, and it’s a tradeoff we need to live with.
“Slop” has two connotations: 1) [junk] zero marginal cost content that makes […]
“Slop” has two connotations: 1) [junk] zero marginal cost content that makes […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
January 2, 2026 at 5:03 PM
Says Microsoft CEO Nadella, “We need to get beyond the arguments of slop vs sophistication and develop a new equilibrium.” He right, because it doesn’t matter. Slop is here, and it’s a tradeoff we need to live with.
“Slop” has two connotations: 1) [junk] zero marginal cost content that makes […]
“Slop” has two connotations: 1) [junk] zero marginal cost content that makes […]
Social media companies don’t directly prioritize divisive content. Instead, algorithms prioritize engagement to earn ad revenue, and divisive content is what engages the most.
🏭 Politics or not, an algorithmic ad factory’s fuel is divisive content, and polarization is its pollutant. X is a […]
🏭 Politics or not, an algorithmic ad factory’s fuel is divisive content, and polarization is its pollutant. X is a […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
January 2, 2026 at 1:38 PM
Social media companies don’t directly prioritize divisive content. Instead, algorithms prioritize engagement to earn ad revenue, and divisive content is what engages the most.
🏭 Politics or not, an algorithmic ad factory’s fuel is divisive content, and polarization is its pollutant. X is a […]
🏭 Politics or not, an algorithmic ad factory’s fuel is divisive content, and polarization is its pollutant. X is a […]
There are great use cases for AI. Social media isn’t one of them. Young people — the people platforms are trying to attract — are already getting sick of AI slop. Meta’s over-indexing on the AI news feed could come back to bite it. The newness is over, and every post is the same now.
January 1, 2026 at 5:13 PM
There are great use cases for AI. Social media isn’t one of them. Young people — the people platforms are trying to attract — are already getting sick of AI slop. Meta’s over-indexing on the AI news feed could come back to bite it. The newness is over, and every post is the same now.
“We are ending 2025 with every major social media platform fully or partially controlled by Trump-friendly US billionaires.” This is true, and it’s why I’m glad that I spend most of my social media time on this smaller, decentralized social media platform that is decidedly not de facto moderated […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 30, 2025 at 1:37 PM
“We are ending 2025 with every major social media platform fully or partially controlled by Trump-friendly US billionaires.” This is true, and it’s why I’m glad that I spend most of my social media time on this smaller, decentralized social media platform that is decidedly not de facto moderated […]
This USA Today “news” article appeared in my Apple News feed today. It’s an ad to sell a supplement through an affiliate link. It’s presented as being news, without any disclosure of it being an ad. If legacy media outlets intend to defend their remaining turf as credible sources of information […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 29, 2025 at 1:04 PM
This USA Today “news” article appeared in my Apple News feed today. It’s an ad to sell a supplement through an affiliate link. It’s presented as being news, without any disclosure of it being an ad. If legacy media outlets intend to defend their remaining turf as credible sources of information […]
🎄 Merry Christmas! If you’re celebrating, I hope you enjoy the day surrounded by friends, family, and good food.
December 25, 2025 at 10:33 AM
🎄 Merry Christmas! If you’re celebrating, I hope you enjoy the day surrounded by friends, family, and good food.
RE: https://journa.host/@w7voa/115763761748239085
“EJ Antoni, will now serve as acting director of the organization’s Center for Data Analysis and Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies.” Here’s a photo of Antoni in front of the Nazi battleship […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
“EJ Antoni, will now serve as acting director of the organization’s Center for Data Analysis and Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies.” Here’s a photo of Antoni in front of the Nazi battleship […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
December 22, 2025 at 6:58 PM
RE: https://journa.host/@w7voa/115763761748239085
“EJ Antoni, will now serve as acting director of the organization’s Center for Data Analysis and Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies.” Here’s a photo of Antoni in front of the Nazi battleship […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
“EJ Antoni, will now serve as acting director of the organization’s Center for Data Analysis and Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies.” Here’s a photo of Antoni in front of the Nazi battleship […]
[Original post on mastodon.social]
RE: https://journa.host/@w7voa/115735700907099028
Cruz is right, even though his argument is self-serving. The tide is shifting, and Cruz knows it. This is the same Ted Cruz who threatened MLB with the revocation of its antitrust exception when it spoke out against voter restriction laws in […]
Cruz is right, even though his argument is self-serving. The tide is shifting, and Cruz knows it. This is the same Ted Cruz who threatened MLB with the revocation of its antitrust exception when it spoke out against voter restriction laws in […]
December 17, 2025 at 5:12 PM
RE: https://journa.host/@w7voa/115735700907099028
Cruz is right, even though his argument is self-serving. The tide is shifting, and Cruz knows it. This is the same Ted Cruz who threatened MLB with the revocation of its antitrust exception when it spoke out against voter restriction laws in […]
Cruz is right, even though his argument is self-serving. The tide is shifting, and Cruz knows it. This is the same Ted Cruz who threatened MLB with the revocation of its antitrust exception when it spoke out against voter restriction laws in […]
There have been other stories about Europe protecting its digital sovereignty from the Trump-led U.S.; moving from Windows to Linux. De-risking is picking up steam. European governments are increasingly viewing U.S. tech as a security exposure. The same is true of military hardware. China and […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 17, 2025 at 1:23 PM
There have been other stories about Europe protecting its digital sovereignty from the Trump-led U.S.; moving from Windows to Linux. De-risking is picking up steam. European governments are increasingly viewing U.S. tech as a security exposure. The same is true of military hardware. China and […]
RE: https://mastodon.social/@daringfireball/115725104766779418
Now, as @gruber says in the article, iRobot is in China’s hands. “By 2022, the Amazon acquisition was iRobot’s lifeline. EU regulators wanted it shot down, and despite the fact that it was one American company trying to acquire […]
Now, as @gruber says in the article, iRobot is in China’s hands. “By 2022, the Amazon acquisition was iRobot’s lifeline. EU regulators wanted it shot down, and despite the fact that it was one American company trying to acquire […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 15, 2025 at 7:09 PM
RE: https://mastodon.social/@daringfireball/115725104766779418
Now, as @gruber says in the article, iRobot is in China’s hands. “By 2022, the Amazon acquisition was iRobot’s lifeline. EU regulators wanted it shot down, and despite the fact that it was one American company trying to acquire […]
Now, as @gruber says in the article, iRobot is in China’s hands. “By 2022, the Amazon acquisition was iRobot’s lifeline. EU regulators wanted it shot down, and despite the fact that it was one American company trying to acquire […]
GM’s decision to remove CarPlay, and to a much lesser extent Android Auto, can do nothing but cost it sales. The only question is: will the money that GM earns from monetizing its entertainment stack offset those losses? I doubt it […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 15, 2025 at 6:39 PM
GM’s decision to remove CarPlay, and to a much lesser extent Android Auto, can do nothing but cost it sales. The only question is: will the money that GM earns from monetizing its entertainment stack offset those losses? I doubt it […]
Said X product chief Nikita Bier on attracting journalists back to X, “We have to earn their trust.”
Is this the same Nikita Bier who terminated the EU’s ad account after it fined X? Does Elon Musk — who defaced news outlets’ X accounts, banned journalists, created MechaHitler, and cloned […]
Is this the same Nikita Bier who terminated the EU’s ad account after it fined X? Does Elon Musk — who defaced news outlets’ X accounts, banned journalists, created MechaHitler, and cloned […]
Original post on mastodon.social
mastodon.social
December 12, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Said X product chief Nikita Bier on attracting journalists back to X, “We have to earn their trust.”
Is this the same Nikita Bier who terminated the EU’s ad account after it fined X? Does Elon Musk — who defaced news outlets’ X accounts, banned journalists, created MechaHitler, and cloned […]
Is this the same Nikita Bier who terminated the EU’s ad account after it fined X? Does Elon Musk — who defaced news outlets’ X accounts, banned journalists, created MechaHitler, and cloned […]
RE: https://mastodon.social/@Mastodon/115689197254890052
@Mastodon has a point. While politicians and news orgs can accept some tradeoffs for audience access, X is run by a guy that takes revenge on people he disagrees with — defacing and banning accounts, lawsuits — and whose words and actions […]
@Mastodon has a point. While politicians and news orgs can accept some tradeoffs for audience access, X is run by a guy that takes revenge on people he disagrees with — defacing and banning accounts, lawsuits — and whose words and actions […]
December 9, 2025 at 1:31 PM
RE: https://mastodon.social/@Mastodon/115689197254890052
@Mastodon has a point. While politicians and news orgs can accept some tradeoffs for audience access, X is run by a guy that takes revenge on people he disagrees with — defacing and banning accounts, lawsuits — and whose words and actions […]
@Mastodon has a point. While politicians and news orgs can accept some tradeoffs for audience access, X is run by a guy that takes revenge on people he disagrees with — defacing and banning accounts, lawsuits — and whose words and actions […]