Lord Huron have released their Spotify singles.
Lord Huron Spotify Singles
Twitter To Delete Fake Accounts
Twitter will begin removing tens of millions of suspicious accounts from users’ followers on Thursday, signaling a major new effort to restore trust on the popular but embattled platform.
The reform takes aim at a pervasive form of social media fraud. Many users have inflated their followers on Twitter or other services with automated or fake accounts, buying the appearance of social influence to bolster their political activism, business endeavors or entertainment careers.
I wrote about this five months back and all I can say is: finally.
Circa Survive Repress ‘Blue Sky Noise’
A new remastered version of Circa Survive’s Blue Sky Noise is up for pre-order on vinyl.
iOS 11.4.1 and Blocks Passcode Cracking Tools Used by Police
Chris Welch, writing for The Verge:
Apple today released iOS 11.4.1, and while most of us are already looking ahead to all the new stuff coming in iOS 12, this small update contains an important new security feature: USB Restricted Mode. Apple has added protections against the USB devices being used by law enforcement and private companies that connect over Lightning to crack an iPhone’s passcode and evade Apple’s usual encryption safeguards.
If you have an iPhone, you should install this when you get the chance.
Drake Tops the Charts
Drake has the number one album in the country this week:
Scorpion, which was released on June 29 via Young Money/Cash Money/Republic Records, bows with 732,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending July 5 according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 160,000 were in traditional album sales.
Starbucks to Eliminate Plastic Straws
Starbucks have announced they will be eliminating plastic straws globally by 2020:
Today, Starbucks Coffee Company announced it will eliminate single-use plastic straws from its more than 28,000 company operated and licensed stores by making a strawless lid or alternative-material straw options available, around the world. Starbucks, the largest food and beverage retailer to make such a global commitment, anticipates the move will eliminate more than one billion plastic straws per year from Starbucks stores.
Dessa to Released Book in September
Dessa will release her book, My Own Devices, on September 18th. Pre-orders are up on Amazon and more information can be found at this website.
Further Reading: Ant-Man and The Wasp
Did you see Ant-Man and the Wasp this weekend? Wanna give comics a try? The comic book thread has put together some recommendations to help guide your journey. Check ’em out, and then jump into the comic book thread if you have questions (or want more comic recommendations of any kind). The thread loves helping new readers navigate the weird and wonderful world of comics.
‘Pick It Up! Ska in the 90’s’ Documentary on Kickstarter
PopMotion Pictures’ Kickstarter campaign for their next project, Pick It Up! Ska in the 90’s, a feature-length documentary film that explores the third-wave ska explosion of the 1990’s, is now the number one music project on Kickstarter.
Elvis Costello Cancels Tour After Cancer Surgery
Elvis Costello has revealed he is recovering from cancer surgery and canceled his upcoming tour.
To leave you with some more optimistic news, The Imposters and I – together with several of our other friends – have made a magnificent new record of which we are truly proud. It will be issued in October, I believe. We will return at the soonest opportunity to play that music and your favourite songs that still make sense to us all.
Take very good care of your loved ones but Gentleman, do talk to you friends – you’ll find you are not alone – seek your doctor’s advice if you are in doubt or when it is timely and act as swiftly as you may in these matters. It may save your life. Believe me, it is better than playing roulette.”
How Smart TVs in Millions of U.S. Homes Track Us
Samba TV is one of the bigger companies that track viewer information to make personalized show recommendations. The company said it collected viewing data from 13.5 million smart TVs in the United States, and it has raised $40 million in venture funding from investors including Time Warner , the cable operator Liberty Global and the billionaire Mark Cuban.
Samba TV has struck deals with roughly a dozen TV brands — including Sony, Sharp, TCL and Philips — to place its software on certain sets. When people set up their TVs, a screen urges them to enable a service called Samba Interactive TV, saying it recommends shows and provides special offers “by cleverly recognizing onscreen content.” But the screen, which contains the enable button, does not detail how much information Samba TV collects to make those recommendations.
Brendon Urie Lays It All Out
Beatrice Hazlehurst, writing at Paper:
No. I’m married to a woman and I’m very much in love with her but I’m not opposed to a man because to me, I like a person. Yeah I guess you could qualify me as pansexual because I really don’t care. If a person is great, then a person is great. I just like good people, if your heart’s in the right place. I’m definitely attracted to men. It’s just people that I am attracted to.
So you’re pansexual.
I guess so, I guess this is me coming out as pansexual.
Deafheaven Stream New Album
Deafheaven’s new album, Ordinary Corrupt Human Love, is streaming over at NPR.
Nick Martin Creates “Much Love Journal”
Nick Martin of Sleeping with Sirens has teamed up with Offer Music to create the “Much Love Journal,” a place where you can write anything and everything. The journal includes a free bookmark, handwritten positive affirmations, and tour photos. It is only available until July 12th. 10% of sales go to benefit Love is Louder, a non-profit organization that supports anyone feeling mistreated, misunderstood, or alone.
New Tariffs Causing Hell for Synthesizer Manufacturers
Donald Trump’s new tariffs are going to be horrible for synthesizer manufacturers. The company behind the the Moog synthesizer has posted an open letter on their website:
A U.S. tariff (import tax) on Chinese circuit boards and associated components is expected to take effect on July 6, 2018.
These tariffs will immediately and drastically increase the cost of building our instruments, and have the very real potential of forcing us to lay off workers and could (in a worst case scenario) require us to move some, if not all, of our manufacturing overseas.