Month: March 2023
Missouri Reps Vote To Completely Defund State’s Public Libraries
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Motherboard: Late Tuesday night, the Missouri House of Representatives voted for a state operating budget with a $0 line for public libraries. While the budget still needs to work its way through the Senate and the governor’s office, state funding for public libraries is very much on the chopping block in Missouri. This comes after Republican House Budget Chairman Cody Smith proposed a $4.5 million cut to public libraries’ state aid last week in the initial House Budget Committee hearing, where Smith cited a lawsuit filed against Missouri by the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri (ACLU-MO) as the reason for the cut.
ACLU-MO filed the suit on behalf of the Missouri Association of School Librarians and the Missouri Library Association (MLA) in an effort to overturn a state law passed in 2022 that bans sexually explicit material from schools. Since it was first enacted in August, librarians and other educators have faced misdemeanor charges punishable by up to a year in jail or a $2,000 fine for giving students access to books the state has deemed sexually explicit. The Missouri law defined (PDF) explicit sexual material as images “showing human masturbation, deviate sexual intercourse,” “sexual intercourse, direct physical stimulation of genitals, sadomasochistic abuse,” or showing human genitals. The lawsuit claims that school districts have been pulling books from their shelves.
“The house budget committee’s choice to retaliate against two private, volunteer-led organizations by punishing the patrons of Missouri’s public libraries is abhorrent,” Tom Bastian, deputy director for communications for ACLU-MO said in a statement to Motherboard. Like in all ACLU cases, the organization is not charging the two Missouri library groups for services. Both library organizations are also run by volunteers — every state has an equivalent of these two organizations that serve public and school libraries. In other words, a politician either lied or didn’t have his facts straight, and now 160 library districts risk losing state aid in June. “State Aid helps libraries provide relevant collections, literacy based programming, and technology resources to their communities,” Otter Bowman, president of the MLA told Motherboard in a statement. “Our rural libraries rely the most heavily on this funding to serve their communities, and they will be crippled by this drastic budget cut.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Motherboard: Late Tuesday night, the Missouri House of Representatives voted for a state operating budget with a $0 line for public libraries. While the budget still needs to work its way through the Senate and the governor’s office, state funding for public libraries is very much on the chopping block in Missouri. This comes after Republican House Budget Chairman Cody Smith proposed a $4.5 million cut to public libraries’ state aid last week in the initial House Budget Committee hearing, where Smith cited a lawsuit filed against Missouri by the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri (ACLU-MO) as the reason for the cut.
ACLU-MO filed the suit on behalf of the Missouri Association of School Librarians and the Missouri Library Association (MLA) in an effort to overturn a state law passed in 2022 that bans sexually explicit material from schools. Since it was first enacted in August, librarians and other educators have faced misdemeanor charges punishable by up to a year in jail or a $2,000 fine for giving students access to books the state has deemed sexually explicit. The Missouri law defined (PDF) explicit sexual material as images “showing human masturbation, deviate sexual intercourse,” “sexual intercourse, direct physical stimulation of genitals, sadomasochistic abuse,” or showing human genitals. The lawsuit claims that school districts have been pulling books from their shelves.
“The house budget committee’s choice to retaliate against two private, volunteer-led organizations by punishing the patrons of Missouri’s public libraries is abhorrent,” Tom Bastian, deputy director for communications for ACLU-MO said in a statement to Motherboard. Like in all ACLU cases, the organization is not charging the two Missouri library groups for services. Both library organizations are also run by volunteers — every state has an equivalent of these two organizations that serve public and school libraries. In other words, a politician either lied or didn’t have his facts straight, and now 160 library districts risk losing state aid in June. “State Aid helps libraries provide relevant collections, literacy based programming, and technology resources to their communities,” Otter Bowman, president of the MLA told Motherboard in a statement. “Our rural libraries rely the most heavily on this funding to serve their communities, and they will be crippled by this drastic budget cut.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
510K CPUs, HDDs & more seized as smugglers keep trying to sneak tech into China
A stuffed silicone stomach and other extreme smuggling attempts thwarted.
Enlarge / Hong Kong customs said it seized about $3.8 million in tech, including these HP laptops, on Monday. (credit: Hong Kong Customs)
The recent chip shortage showed us how far people will go to obtain rare components and gadgets. Those who couldn’t wait for new electronics battled enormous price tags, frustrating lottery systems, questionable sellers, and unreliable stock. But just as people will go to extremes to buy tech, extreme measures can be taken to sell them.
In 2023, the gray market for PC components, including CPUs, SSDs, and HDDs, and devices like phones and computers in mainland China appears thriving. Just ask the China and Hong Kong customs agents who have been announcing seizure after seizure of tech hardware, including a batch reportedly worth about $3.8 million obtained on Monday.
510,000 electronics seized
Hong Kong customs announced it seized 508,000 PC parts, including CPUs, computer hard drives, and RAM sticks, with an estimated market value of around $3.5 million. There were also 2,000 electronic devices, like laptops, phones, dash cams, and styli for touchscreens, that are estimated to be worth about $255,000.
CEOs are quietly backtracking on remote work—and more companies could follow
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Best Air Purifier Deals: Save on Coway, Blueair, Shark and More – CNET
Get clean air in your home or office so you can breathe easy with prices starting at just $50.
Get clean air in your home or office so you can breathe easy with prices starting at just $50.
E3 might be gone, but this summer still has some big gaming events to watch
Geoff Keighley at The Game Awards 2019. He’ll be hosting his fourth Summer Game Fest in June. | Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images
E3 2023 has been canceled, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have big summer gaming events to look forward to. We’re already aware of at least three things you should mark on your calendar, and it seems like there will be major news of some kind from each one.
Here’s the 2023 summer gaming events that we’re currently aware of. Given that E3 is now officially not happening, it’s possible this list will grow if more companies want to make a splash in June.
June 8th: Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest. Since 2020, Summer Game Fest has taken E3’s place as the industry’s collective summer news blowout, with reveals like the first gameplay trailer for Elden Ring in 2021 and Naughty Dog’s standalone The Last of Us multiplayer game in 2022. Summer Game Fest is already teasing a look at the new Cyberpunk 2077 expansion this year and has promised that the 2023 event will be its “biggest” ever. Summer Game Fest 2023 will take place live in Los Angeles at the YouTube Theater, and the show will begin at 3PM ET / 12PM PT.
June 11th: Microsoft’s Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct. The 2022 Xbox showcase was jam-packed with news, including 15 minutes of Starfield gameplay, the announcement of Overwatch 2 being free to play, and the reveal that Hollow Knight: Silksong would be released within 12 months of the show. Hopefully, the 2023 Xbox event in LA is just as exciting, and even if it’s not, there will be the dedicated Starfield show to look forward to after it’s over.
June 12: Ubisoft Forward Live. Ubisoft was actually going to be at E3, but it bailed just a few days before the convention was officially canceled. Instead, Ubisoft will be hosting Ubisoft Forward Live in LA at 1PM ET / 10PM PT. The company hasn’t said what games will be at the show, but I have to imagine Assassin’s Creed: Mirage will be at least one of the featured titles. Fingers crossed we’ll see the troubled Prince of Persia remake. And maybe the oft-delayed Skull and Bones, too?
Geoff Keighley at The Game Awards 2019. He’ll be hosting his fourth Summer Game Fest in June. | Photo by JC Olivera/Getty Images
E3 2023 has been canceled, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have big summer gaming events to look forward to. We’re already aware of at least three things you should mark on your calendar, and it seems like there will be major news of some kind from each one.
Here’s the 2023 summer gaming events that we’re currently aware of. Given that E3 is now officially not happening, it’s possible this list will grow if more companies want to make a splash in June.
June 8th: Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest. Since 2020, Summer Game Fest has taken E3’s place as the industry’s collective summer news blowout, with reveals like the first gameplay trailer for Elden Ring in 2021 and Naughty Dog’s standalone The Last of Us multiplayer game in 2022. Summer Game Fest is already teasing a look at the new Cyberpunk 2077 expansion this year and has promised that the 2023 event will be its “biggest” ever. Summer Game Fest 2023 will take place live in Los Angeles at the YouTube Theater, and the show will begin at 3PM ET / 12PM PT.
June 11th: Microsoft’s Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct. The 2022 Xbox showcase was jam-packed with news, including 15 minutes of Starfield gameplay, the announcement of Overwatch 2 being free to play, and the reveal that Hollow Knight: Silksong would be released within 12 months of the show. Hopefully, the 2023 Xbox event in LA is just as exciting, and even if it’s not, there will be the dedicated Starfield show to look forward to after it’s over.
June 12: Ubisoft Forward Live. Ubisoft was actually going to be at E3, but it bailed just a few days before the convention was officially canceled. Instead, Ubisoft will be hosting Ubisoft Forward Live in LA at 1PM ET / 10PM PT. The company hasn’t said what games will be at the show, but I have to imagine Assassin’s Creed: Mirage will be at least one of the featured titles. Fingers crossed we’ll see the troubled Prince of Persia remake. And maybe the oft-delayed Skull and Bones, too?
Disney: 1, Ron DeSantis: 0
Remember that story a few weeks about Florida governor Ron DeSantis stripping Disney of its de facto control over the 27,000 acres of land encompassing Walt Disney World, as political retribution for Disney’s public opposition to Florida’s anti-gay education legislation? The New York Times reports:
Over the past two months, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has
repeatedly declared victory in his yearlong effort to restrict the
autonomy of Disney World, the state’s largest employer.
“There’s a new sheriff in town,” he said numerous times, including
at a news conference last month on Disney property, hours before
appointing a new, handpicked oversight board.
Nobody seemed to have paid attention, however, to an important
detail: Disney had been simultaneously maneuvering to restrict the
governor’s effort. In early February — at a public meeting held
by the previous, Disney-controlled oversight board — the company
pushed through a development agreement that would limit the new
board’s power for decades to come.
And now, the governor’s appointees, having belatedly discovered
the action, are none too pleased. “It completely circumvents the
authority of the board to govern,” Brian Aungst Jr., a member of
the new council, said on Wednesday at the group’s second
meeting. “We’re going to have to deal with it and
correct it.”
The agreement is effective for perpetuity. It uses contractual
language known as a “royal lives” clause: “Shall continue in
effect until twenty one (21) years after the death of the last
survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, King of England
living as of the date of this declaration.” (The royal language
quickly spawned numerous internet memes, striking
people as odd in a matter involving a theme park that is home to
Cinderella’s castle.)
The people who run Disney are pretty smart, and Ron DeSantis seems pretty dumb, so I’m not surprised at how this turned out.
★
Remember that story a few weeks about Florida governor Ron DeSantis stripping Disney of its de facto control over the 27,000 acres of land encompassing Walt Disney World, as political retribution for Disney’s public opposition to Florida’s anti-gay education legislation? The New York Times reports:
Over the past two months, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has
repeatedly declared victory in his yearlong effort to restrict the
autonomy of Disney World, the state’s largest employer.
“There’s a new sheriff in town,” he said numerous times, including
at a news conference last month on Disney property, hours before
appointing a new, handpicked oversight board.
Nobody seemed to have paid attention, however, to an important
detail: Disney had been simultaneously maneuvering to restrict the
governor’s effort. In early February — at a public meeting held
by the previous, Disney-controlled oversight board — the company
pushed through a development agreement that would limit the new
board’s power for decades to come.
And now, the governor’s appointees, having belatedly discovered
the action, are none too pleased. “It completely circumvents the
authority of the board to govern,” Brian Aungst Jr., a member of
the new council, said on Wednesday at the group’s second
meeting. “We’re going to have to deal with it and
correct it.”
The agreement is effective for perpetuity. It uses contractual
language known as a “royal lives” clause: “Shall continue in
effect until twenty one (21) years after the death of the last
survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, King of England
living as of the date of this declaration.” (The royal language
quickly spawned numerous internet memes, striking
people as odd in a matter involving a theme park that is home to
Cinderella’s castle.)
The people who run Disney are pretty smart, and Ron DeSantis seems pretty dumb, so I’m not surprised at how this turned out.
I never went to E3, but I’ll miss it anyways
It was inevitable that E3 would end this way. Even before the pandemic put a pause on in-person gatherings, the Electronic Entertainment Expo was already on life-support as the larger developers had already put distance between themselves and the event to focus on their own presentations on their own time. And though E3’s eventual cancellation was all but written in stone, I still feel a great sense of loss. Which is odd considering I’ve never been to E3.
I’ve covered it remotely before. It was my first year of freelancing for a small video game wiki site that no longer exists and I was excited because this was, in my freelancer’s eyes, the big leagues. I was covering E-friggin’-3. This was event that I had dreamed of when I first decided that working an office job was no longer for me. I was still at that office job, watching the presentation live on YouTube, ignoring my actual work, while I rushed to get short 200 word blogs up about stuff like Hazelight Studios’ newest game No Way Out. And I figured that once I got a full-time games journalism job, I wouldn’t be doing this from a cubicle, but from the E3 auditorium itself.
I did eventually get that job, and I have been blessed to accomplish goals that were both on my bucket list like attend Summer Game Fest and interview Naoki Yoshida (a couple of times), as well as things that I had no idea would affect me as profoundly as they did like my interview with Flute Guy and “Snake Eater” performer Cynthia Harrell, and this silly little blog about Kirby.
But E3 was this monolith, my Everest, the one thing I felt needed to do to able to call myself a “real” video game journalist. And now it’s gone, possibly for good.
I’m sad not just because it’s a video game merit badge I’ll likely never earn, but because there are so many little things to see and experience that in-person events like E3 facilitate. I just got back from GDC, and I hold finding little indie games like 5 Force Fighters and Moonstone Island and having random, spur-of-the-moment conversations with game developers and my own peers in higher esteem than I do walking the show floor, or sitting through presentations and panels. E3 could have been that times 1,000.
I know that my idea of E3 was and is outdated. I also know that the event can be a massive burden for developers who have to take time out of their development schedule to produce the glossy demos and trailers E3 demands, not to mention the costs associated with flying and housing folks in Los Angeles. In that regard, E3’s cancellation is a net good. But if it’s brought back in the future as ReedPop’s statement suggests it will, I hope I’ll finally get my opportunity to go.
It was inevitable that E3 would end this way. Even before the pandemic put a pause on in-person gatherings, the Electronic Entertainment Expo was already on life-support as the larger developers had already put distance between themselves and the event to focus on their own presentations on their own time. And though E3’s eventual cancellation was all but written in stone, I still feel a great sense of loss. Which is odd considering I’ve never been to E3.
I’ve covered it remotely before. It was my first year of freelancing for a small video game wiki site that no longer exists and I was excited because this was, in my freelancer’s eyes, the big leagues. I was covering E-friggin’-3. This was event that I had dreamed of when I first decided that working an office job was no longer for me. I was still at that office job, watching the presentation live on YouTube, ignoring my actual work, while I rushed to get short 200 word blogs up about stuff like Hazelight Studios’ newest game No Way Out. And I figured that once I got a full-time games journalism job, I wouldn’t be doing this from a cubicle, but from the E3 auditorium itself.
I did eventually get that job, and I have been blessed to accomplish goals that were both on my bucket list like attend Summer Game Fest and interview Naoki Yoshida (a couple of times), as well as things that I had no idea would affect me as profoundly as they did like my interview with Flute Guy and “Snake Eater” performer Cynthia Harrell, and this silly little blog about Kirby.
But E3 was this monolith, my Everest, the one thing I felt needed to do to able to call myself a “real” video game journalist. And now it’s gone, possibly for good.
I’m sad not just because it’s a video game merit badge I’ll likely never earn, but because there are so many little things to see and experience that in-person events like E3 facilitate. I just got back from GDC, and I hold finding little indie games like 5 Force Fighters and Moonstone Island and having random, spur-of-the-moment conversations with game developers and my own peers in higher esteem than I do walking the show floor, or sitting through presentations and panels. E3 could have been that times 1,000.
I know that my idea of E3 was and is outdated. I also know that the event can be a massive burden for developers who have to take time out of their development schedule to produce the glossy demos and trailers E3 demands, not to mention the costs associated with flying and housing folks in Los Angeles. In that regard, E3’s cancellation is a net good. But if it’s brought back in the future as ReedPop’s statement suggests it will, I hope I’ll finally get my opportunity to go.