Today sees the return of not one but two classic games, albeit in very different forms. First up is Goldeneye 007, the 1997 Nintendo 64 classic which is releasing on Xbox consoles and the Nintendo Switch today. Second is Dead Space, a remake of the 2008 sci-fi horror game. The former is a traditional remaster that makes more or less the same game playable on modern systems, while the latter is a complete rebuild. Both are worth checking out if you get the chance.
Next up, Google is packing even more functionality into Google Search. Now, if you search for vehicles for sale, it’ll list individual cars that are available from local dealerships (dependent on availability). It’s a helpful feature on its face, but I can’t help worry that it’s yet another reason to never leave Google’s search results to visit another website.
And finally, we recently checked out Amsterdam’s brand new underwater parking garage, which has enough space for seven thousand bicycles and zero cars. It’s an amazing facility, and if you’re anything like me you’ll be left feeling intensely jealous of the Dutch after looking at Thomas Ricker’s photos.
Here’s a silly tweet to start your day:
Stay tuned, as we continue to update this list with the most important news of today: Friday, January 27th, 2023.
“Legislation should not greenlight mainstream institutions, like pension funds, to dive headlong into cryptocurrency markets.”
The White House has noticed the crypto shenanigans of the last year, and presumably its denizens are not especially pleased about them.
Of particular note: “While congressional action in these areas would be welcome, Congress could also make our jobs harder and worsen risks to investors and to the financial system.”
“I had been a hot girl and I saw how she had been treated. How could I fare any better?”
This post, about working as a social media manager for creators who work on “the pre-eminent marketplace for digital sex work,” is both fascinating and deeply depressing. It’s beautifully-written, and after reading it, I needed to go outside and touch some grass.
A tech demo worth traveling across the world for.
This week, Verge alum Sam Byford launched his new tech blog, Multicore. One of its debut stories is this fun look back on the prototype Oculus Rift VR headset, which Sam flew from Japan to check out with other Verge crew at CES 2013.
VR has come a long way since then, but nothing beats the wonder of your first time with the headset on.
FDA proposes further lifting discriminatory blood donation policies.
The agency has gradually lifted restrictions on blood donations over the past decade, but rules on who can give blood have still been punishing for gay and bisexual men. The new proposed policy would eliminate time-based deferral requirements, though other restrictions related to sexual behavior still remain.
Zuckerberg puts Meta’s middle managers on notice.
In the latest edition of my newsletter Command Line, I report on comments Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg made in a recent all-hands meeting: “I don’t think you want a management structure that’s just managers managing managers, managing managers, managing managers, managing the people who are doing the work.”
Also in this last edition: the bigger implications of Meta unbanning Donald Trump, debunking some Twitter office gossip, and the ad industry is still in a tizzy about Apple.
Elon Musk is a bad game designer.
And this tweet inadvertently highlights the big problem with his free-for-all version of Twitter. PvP games are obsessively — if not always successfully — balanced to make the most players happy for the longest time, not cater to their most abrasive users. (Has the man ever read an Elden Ring patch report?) Also, there are few things players hate more than pay-to-win mechanics. Developers might disguise their competition as a macho deathmatch, but the whole point is making it feel fun and fair — otherwise players will just log off.
