Russell Baker @therussellbaker.bsky.social · 25/03/2026Good. Now keep going. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03...abc.net.au'Accountability has arrived': Meta and Google found liable in landmark social media addiction lawsuitThe case was brought on by a 20-year-old woman who accused the tech companies of causing harm by deliberately designing addictive platforms which worsened her mental health. 081
Reposted by Russell BakerBrent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 25/03/2026If you’re in your car in traffic and you see people moving smoothly on bikes in a protected bike-lane, or a full bus zooming past you in a bus-only lane, sure you could be mad at them for moving faster than you, or you could be someone who understands geometry and knows it works better for EVERYONE. 441622277
Reposted by Russell BakerAndrea Learned | Name & Fame host Ⓥ 🚲 @andrealearned.bsky.social · 12/03/2026Speaking of leaders hopeful about the future (per my last @dwallacewells.bsky.social mention), and a joy to talk with. My latest #NameAndFame #podcast episode is with @janellekellman.com , who is running for Lt. Gov of #CA. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/b... #JoyAsAnActOfResistance #Climate #Policy 052
Reposted by Russell BakerReject Convenience @rejectconvenience.com · 11/03/2026Did you know that Anthropic shares data with Palintir? Learn about all the things they collect and share here: youtu.be/f9s-8Stql3Myoutu.beAnthropic - Actually reading privacy policiesYouTube video by Privacy Policies Explained 06316
Reposted by Russell BakerElectronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 10/03/2026Join EFF Exective Director Cindy Cohn and @404media.co Cofounder Jason Koebler for an in depth conversation about Cindy's new book "Privacy's Defender: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Digital Surveillance" live on March 19 at 11 am PT eff.org/livestream-...eff.orgEFFecting Change: Privacy's DefenderLivestream on Thursday, March 19th at 11 am PT. EFF and 404 Media take on digital surveillance. 03111
Russell Baker @therussellbaker.bsky.social · 10/03/2026This... could be a good thing? 🤔 Let technical minds shine. Just don't like the 'VC' of it all. And yeah, I realise that's partly how they are being funded, but the less vulture capital that's here, the better. 021
Reposted by Russell BakerElectronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 06/03/2026If OpenAI faces a rebellion of employees and customers angry at a DoD contract that leaves the door open for domestic surveillance—then they deserve it.eff.orgWeasel Words: OpenAI’s Pentagon Deal Won’t Stop AI‑Powered SurveillanceOpenAI, the maker of ChaptGPT, is rightfully facing widespread criticism for its decisions to fill the gap the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) created when rival Anthropic refused to drop its restric... 212328
Russell Baker @therussellbaker.bsky.social · 07/03/2026I did it. About 5 and a half years ago I realised just how sedentary I was whilst working and studying full time. Maybe I'd get 500 steps in per day. So I challenged myself to do 10x that each day. 2,000 days later, and I've walked 19,406,975 steps. That's 9,703 p/day - nearly 20x! Not bad. 070
Reposted by Russell BakerHackaday @hackadayofficial.bsky.social · 27/02/2026What's to be done with that old smartphone? Maya Posch makes the case for reuse over recycling. hackaday.com/2023/02/28/r...hackaday.comRepurposing Old Smartphones: When Reusing Makes More Sense Than RecyclingWhen looking at the specifications of smartphones that have been released over the past years, it’s remarkable to see how aspects like CPU cores, clockspeeds and GPU performance have improved… 1210326
Reposted by Russell BakerKatharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 26/02/2026Most weeks, bad climate news feels like a deluge. But even in the midst of the storm, there's always good news too. Hang on to your seats, here we go!patreon.comHave China's carbon emissions peaked? | Talking Climate with Katharine HayhoeGet more from Talking Climate with Katharine Hayhoe on Patreon 111024
Reposted by Russell BakerElectronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 22/02/2026Buying a track or ebook that you can’t pass on, share, or transfer isn’t ownership; it’s a rental. We need to restore digital first sale. www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...eff.orgRent-Only Copyright Culture Makes Us All Worse OffIn the Netflix/Spotify/Amazon era, many of us access copyrighted works purely in digital form – and that means we rarely have the chance to buy them. Instead, we are stuck renting them, subject to 622075
Reposted by Russell BakerJustin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 23/02/2026As AI technologies proliferate, a growing number of people are asking what it means to live in a world dominated by algorithms and automated systems—and what gets lost when those systems optimize human behavior at scale. @josemarichal.bsky.social wrote a book to answer their questions.techpolicy.pressHow to Become an Algorithmic ProblemJosé Marichal, author of You Must Become an Algorithmic Problem: Renegotiating the Socio-Technical Contract, joined the Tech Policy Press podcast. 12510
Reposted by Russell BakerMike Masnick @masnick.com · 23/02/2026Given all the discourse today about Bluesky vs. X... seems like good timing for @lastweektonight.com's latest video on just how bad X has become... www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7ZG...youtube.comTwitter: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)YouTube video by LastWeekTonight 11861267
Reposted by Russell BakerElectronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 20/02/2026“Complex problems require complex solutions,” EFF’s Paige Collings told @CodaStory.com. “It’s more expensive. It’s longer-term. … But blocking under-16s from social media — that is something you can implement overnight.” www.codastory.com/polarizatio...codastory.comEurope vs Big Tech: A battle for democracy? - Coda StorySilicon Valley and the U.S. government are positioning their frustration over European regulation as ideological, as a defense of freedom over government control. 14016
Reposted by Russell Baker404 Media @404media.co · 18/02/2026SCOOP: Ring’s controversial, AI-powered “Search Party” feature isn’t intended to be limited only to dogs, the company’s founder, Jamie Siminoff, told Ring employees in an internal email obtained by 404 Media.404media.coLeaked Email Suggests Ring Plans to Expand ‘Search Party’ Surveillance Beyond DogsRing's CEO told staff the feature is “first for finding dogs,” indicating a plan to expand. 12421195
Reposted by Russell BakerMark Gongloff @markgongloff.bsky.social · 18/02/2026The world has never needed climate journalism more than it does right now. Yet last year climate got less coverage than at any point since the pandemic www.colorado.edu/today/2026/0...colorado.eduClimate change media coverage fell 14% in 2025Despite rising impacts, climate change received less attention in media around the world in 2025. CU Boulder sociologist Max Boykoff shares the reasons and 27154
Reposted by Russell BakerTaylor Lorenz @taylorlorenz.bsky.social · 17/02/2026“Teen mental health in the US and Australia had already improved even as the book came out. And there’s the irony that Haidt, who used to deride safetyism, now calls for a massive expansion of state censorship.”spectator.comThere is no evidence that social media harms children’s mental healthFar from ‘drowning in evidence’, real researchers – not pop psychologists – are scouring a great desert looking for puddles 1316440
Reposted by Russell BakerKetan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 17/02/2026OKAY BIG ONE FOR YA NEW report out today: I dig deep into how big tech has been muddling tech types and overstating evidence to claim "AI" will make global emissions drop like a stone.... Not only will it not, it seems to be verifiably doing the opposite!! ketanjoshi.co/2026/02/17/b... + 📼+🧵> 17672326
Reposted by Russell BakerMar Hicks @histoftech.bsky.social · 14/02/2026fellas is this ontological epistemology 1505
Reposted by Russell BakerKatharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 13/02/2026Bluesky is the new science Twitter, new study by @whysharksmatter.bsky.social and Julia Wester concludes! "Results show that for every reported professional benefit that scientists once gained from Twitter, scientists can now gain that benefit more effectively on Bluesky than on Twitter."academic.oup.comScientists no Longer Find Twitter Professionally Useful, and have Switched to BlueskySynopsis. Social media has become widely used by the scientific community for a variety of professional uses, including networking and public outreach. For 9667912210
Reposted by Russell BakerParis Marx @parismarx.com · 13/02/2026The EU told TikTok to “change several key features, including disabling infinite scrolling, setting strict screen time breaks and changing its recommender systems. The demand follows the Commission's declaration that TikTok’s design is addictive to users.” Now do the same for the US services!politico.euThe EU moves to kill infinite scrollingBrussels is going head-to-head with social media platforms to change addictive design. 123938
Reposted by Russell BakerBenj Edwards @benjedwards.com · 11/02/2026I wrote a tribute for BYTE Magazine's amazing cover artist, Robert Tinney, who died Feb 1st Tinney painted 80 vivid and surreal covers illustrating various concepts in early personal computing from 1978-1990, usually airbrushed with gouache. May he RIP ❤️ arstechnica.com/gadgets/2026... 6375117
Reposted by Russell BakerCERN @cern.bsky.social · 11/02/2026🎉 Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science 🔬 On 11 February, we celebrate the important contributions of women to the STEM disciplines. Find out more about CERN’s #WomenInScience2026, where we feature six scientists: home.cern/news/news/kn... 12670173
Reposted by Russell Bakerkate conger @kateconger.com · 11/02/2026get in loser we’re going to the moon www.nytimes.com/2026/02/10/t...nytimes.comElon Musk Wants to Build an A.I. Satellite Factory on the Moon 25967
Reposted by Russell BakerDavid Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 08/02/2026Amsterdam will ban fossil fuel and meat advertisements in public spaces and on public transport starting May 1st. 🥳euronews.comThe European city banning all fossil fuel and meat adverts in publicAmsterdam initially proposed the move in 2020, becoming the first city in the world to do so. 7675178
Reposted by Russell BakerCivics of Technology @civicsoftech.bsky.social · 08/02/2026Today, learn from activists who have resisted data centers and other exploitative projects. Sue Kasun and Erin Anderson interview Omar Lázaro García and Aurora Gómez. You can also read their conversation in Spanish! www.civicsoftechnology.org/blog/activis...civicsoftechnology.orgActivists who challenged Industry Inevitability Myths — Civics of TechnologyCivics of Technology Announcements New! Technology Audit Curriculum: This activity provides a structured way to surface the ethical dimensions of technology tools. Drawing on four analytic ap... 0136
Reposted by Russell BakerRachel Coldicutt @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · 08/02/2026Thinking about the woman who uses AI to write a novel a day (can't find the story now, but it was all over my TL a minute ago) and it's so interesting how that focus on production and monetisation forgets what writing is for. I write for 2 reasons: to work things out and to communicate with others. 7508
Russell Baker @therussellbaker.bsky.social · 19/01/2026An nWo Carney... ⚫⚪🍁 For your consideration, @maffewgregg.bsky.social 711241
Reposted by Russell BakerElectronic Frontier Foundation @eff.org · 15/01/2026What creepy nonsense are companies up to when they have to guess your age or take your ID for AV? www.eff.org/deeplinks/2...eff.orgSo, You’ve Hit an Age Gate. What Now?This blog also appears in our Age Verification Resource Hub: our one-stop shop for users seeking to understand what age-gating laws actually do, what’s at stake, how to protect yourself, and why EFF 17741
Reposted by Russell BakerMél Hogan / The Data Fix @melhogan.bsky.social · 14/01/2026www.npr.org/2026/01/14/n...npr.orgThe risks of AI in schools outweigh the benefits, report saysA new report warns that AI poses a serious threat to children's cognitive development and emotional well-being. 1513175
Russell Baker @therussellbaker.bsky.social · 15/01/2026OR... what about just blocking that function ENTIRELY? 🤦 It's almost like X mgmt has no regard for consent. Or a functioning trust & safety team. Or morals.apnews.comGrok blocked from undressing images in places where it's illegal, X saysElon Musk’s X says its AI chatbot Grok won't be able to edit photos of real people in revealing clothing in places where that is illegal. 030
Reposted by Russell BakerTaylor Lorenz @taylorlorenz.bsky.social · 15/01/2026Larry Ellison named a giant yacht "Izanami" after a Shinto deity, but quickly renamed it after it was pointed out that the name spelled "I'm a Nazi" backwards 2334861
Russell Baker @therussellbaker.bsky.social · 14/01/2026🟢 LIVE: New Year, New Episode. Making some wild (and mild) predictions for tech and sustainability in 2026. Spoiler: I don't think one of the big 'AI' companies is going to make it. You know who. Also the tough lessons I learned in 2025 & plans for 2026. (Donation poll in comments)youtube.comBig 2026 Predictions, Year in Review and the Future of the ShowYouTube video by A Modern Remedy 132
Reposted by Russell BakerScience Magazine @science.org · 11/01/2026In 2024, researchers in #ScienceRobotics followed up on their development of Third Thumb—a robotic appendage that, when trialed by members of the general public, was a big hit. Learn more: scim.ag/3LmQ9oL #ScienceMagArchives 29624
Reposted by Russell BakerJohn Hanger @jrfhanger.bsky.social · 13/01/2026Good morning with good news: Renewables produced a record high 50.86% of Australia's electricity in December 2025. Solar was 30.5%! Wind 15.4%. RE Dec. Share 2025: 50.86% 2024: 45.22% 2019: 25.63% 2014: 12.36% RE gains 5.6 points in 12/2025! Solar surges 11x from 2.85% in 12/2014! #energysky 33914
Russell Baker @therussellbaker.bsky.social · 13/01/2026Feels good to support a not-shit (Australian) company that: ✅ provided me with a quality product for years ✅ doesn't force-feed me 'AI' 'features' ✅ doesn't lock me in w/ subscriptions ✅ never asked for a penny And now I'm a card-carrying member. #GoodTech 040
Russell Baker @therussellbaker.bsky.social · 10/01/2026Yesterday it was raining ash 🫠 Today I drove home and all I could see in the distance was smog. The sky was orange. And the air smelt of smoke. At least the heatwave has broken. Hopefully the fires end soon 🤞 #australia #heatwaveabc.net.auEvacuations ordered as out-of-control fires burn in Victoria's OtwaysFires in the Otway National Park are moving towards the town border of Colac, as firefighters continue to battle blazes across the state. 181
Russell Baker @therussellbaker.bsky.social · 07/01/2026It's a little bit hot outside 🫠 Reached 42*C / 107*F here in Vic, other parts hit 47*C / 116*F. Tomorrow's going to be a cool 30*C, back to 40*C on Fri. 15*C above avg, national fire warnings 👍 This has been your mid-summer weather report from the 9th circle of hell, I mean, Australia. #climate 040
Russell Baker @therussellbaker.bsky.social · 31/12/2025Happy New Year from Melbourne, Australia! 🎆🥳🎉 It's early days, but so far 2026 is looking pretty good. May you all have a wonderful start to the year! PS: I think this is going to be the best one yet... 070
Reposted by Russell BakerRest of World @restofworld.org · 31/12/2025The boom in AI data centers is colliding with weak power grids, soaring energy demand, and growing local pushback. restofworld.org/2025/ai-data-center…restofworld.orgGovernments welcomed data centers. Now they’re grappling with the falloutThe boom in AI data centers is colliding with weak power grids, soaring energy demand, and growing local pushback. 02817
Russell Baker @therussellbaker.bsky.social · 31/12/2025𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟱𝟬/𝟱𝟬 Today we're training... birds? 👇 That's Mabel, the Aussie Magpie living in my backyard since she was a chick. So, how'd we go on the fitness front? - Sleep quality massively improved - 40x strength sessions - Down 4.5 KG (10lbs) - Ran over 100KM Think I'll do this again to start 2026! 030
Russell Baker @therussellbaker.bsky.social · 25/12/2025Wishing y'all a very merry, holly jolly, happy (dappy?) Christmas, ya filthy animals! And in case you're wondering, this is what Dec 25 looks like in Australia. XMas lunch, then sun 🐨🦘🌞 Pls note: Our creeks are not, in fact, made of chocolate, beer or gravy. They are brown from algae. Just because 180
Russell Baker @therussellbaker.bsky.social · 23/12/2025𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟰𝟰/𝟱𝟬 In the home stretch! Today I woke up feeling... great? As in, no tiredness, no desire to hit snooze, no brain fog. Seems that my sleep routine, training schedule and work-life balance readjustment is now paying off. 050
Reposted by Russell BakerZen @zen-browser.app · 16/12/2025We noticed a rising interest regarding the use of AI in browsers. To be clear about our position on this: Zen currently is disabling all AI features included in Firefox and will continue to do so. 26816243
Reposted by Russell BakerZeteo @zeteo.com · 13/12/2025“Despite the chaos & abject harm the law in Australia has wrought, US lawmakers are eagerly seeking to replicate it.” @taylorlorenz.bsky.social explains why a children’s social media ban will make the internet less safe & how such laws don’t hold Big Tech accountable. 🔗: zeteo.com/p/social-med... 1215764
