Alice Clarke
@alicedkc.bsky.social
Multi-award winning freelance journalist specialising in technology, games, entertainment and opinion. Co-curator of the PAX Together area at PAX Aus.
With the new Mac OS update, Apple just moved me onto the new version of Pages. What made Pages great was the lack of AI nonsense & nothing trying to push me into a subscription. With the new update, it's now constantly trying to get me to "create" images and subscribe to get "premium templates". ew.
February 8, 2026 at 9:25 PM
With the new Mac OS update, Apple just moved me onto the new version of Pages. What made Pages great was the lack of AI nonsense & nothing trying to push me into a subscription. With the new update, it's now constantly trying to get me to "create" images and subscribe to get "premium templates". ew.
Reposted by Alice Clarke
Relax, bread department
February 6, 2026 at 1:16 AM
Relax, bread department
Reposted by Alice Clarke
Reposted by Alice Clarke
go off jack white
February 6, 2026 at 7:24 PM
go off jack white
Reposted by Alice Clarke
Once again, it turns out “fully autonomous” means “a guy in the Philippines.”
It Turns Out Waymos Are Being Controlled by Workers in the Philippines
During a Congressional hearing, Waymo's chief safety officer, Mauricio Peña, was grilled over the company's reliance on overseas workers.
futurism.com
February 6, 2026 at 3:37 PM
Once again, it turns out “fully autonomous” means “a guy in the Philippines.”
Dammit. I slip, slop, slapped today, but didn’t seek or slide, and now I must live with the consequences.
February 7, 2026 at 8:11 AM
Dammit. I slip, slop, slapped today, but didn’t seek or slide, and now I must live with the consequences.
Reposted by Alice Clarke
I reckon what’s also bullshit about companies using AI is you know it’s not like they’re gonna charge people less for their shit. It’s just self service checkouts again
February 6, 2026 at 7:35 AM
I reckon what’s also bullshit about companies using AI is you know it’s not like they’re gonna charge people less for their shit. It’s just self service checkouts again
“What should be a major tourism attraction for Sydney is being hijacked by left-wing extremists.”
It’s a queer pride parade. What on earth are you on about? Fuck off with your tourism nonsense
It’s a queer pride parade. What on earth are you on about? Fuck off with your tourism nonsense
The cancellation of the LGBTQIA+ parade's afterparty has escalated to the NSW parliament, with the Pride in Protest group being accused of threatening the viability of the event.
'Hijacked by left-wing extremists': Calls for Mardi Gras funding review
The cancellation of the LGBTQIA+ parade's afterparty has escalated to the NSW parliament, with the Pride in Protest group being accused of threatening the viability of the event.
www.abc.net.au
February 5, 2026 at 10:26 AM
“What should be a major tourism attraction for Sydney is being hijacked by left-wing extremists.”
It’s a queer pride parade. What on earth are you on about? Fuck off with your tourism nonsense
It’s a queer pride parade. What on earth are you on about? Fuck off with your tourism nonsense
I’m sorry, since when are babyccinos (no marshmallows) $2????
February 5, 2026 at 2:13 AM
I’m sorry, since when are babyccinos (no marshmallows) $2????
Reposted by Alice Clarke
journalists are workers who deserve to be paid fairly for our labor and I think that far too few consumers of media recognize or even care about this fact
February 4, 2026 at 5:20 PM
journalists are workers who deserve to be paid fairly for our labor and I think that far too few consumers of media recognize or even care about this fact
Reposted by Alice Clarke
A publisher who lays off a reporter whose pen is freezing because she's covering a frigid war zone while dodging missiles is not an editor you want to work for, in a more perfect world
February 4, 2026 at 5:07 PM
A publisher who lays off a reporter whose pen is freezing because she's covering a frigid war zone while dodging missiles is not an editor you want to work for, in a more perfect world
Reposted by Alice Clarke
worth noting that the second rich people stopped being afraid of mobs tearing them limb from limb, they stopped building libraries and opera houses and stuff and started ripping the copper wiring out of the walls of society instead
February 4, 2026 at 4:44 PM
worth noting that the second rich people stopped being afraid of mobs tearing them limb from limb, they stopped building libraries and opera houses and stuff and started ripping the copper wiring out of the walls of society instead
Reposted by Alice Clarke
Fresh giraffes (6mo and 4 day old)
February 5, 2026 at 12:35 AM
Fresh giraffes (6mo and 4 day old)
The AIS has already gotten in contact with that kid who swam 4km to save his family, yeah?
February 4, 2026 at 12:44 AM
The AIS has already gotten in contact with that kid who swam 4km to save his family, yeah?
In this episode of 5 or 8, two beautiful storytellers use cards to weave fascinating tales. Then I, very sleep deprived at the time, am also in it.
Five or Eight play The Hollow Woods (Storytelling Card Game)
YouTube video by Five or Eight
www.youtube.com
February 3, 2026 at 11:59 PM
In this episode of 5 or 8, two beautiful storytellers use cards to weave fascinating tales. Then I, very sleep deprived at the time, am also in it.
I got to talk to some of the best in the business about the return of rhythm gaming and the second coming of plastic guitars:
CRKD x Gibson guitar marks a return to rhythm gaming | ScreenHub: Film, TV, Streaming and Games
The new controller, a collaboration between CRKD and Gibson, revives the glory days of games like Guitar Hero and Rockband.
www.screenhub.com.au
February 3, 2026 at 11:00 PM
I got to talk to some of the best in the business about the return of rhythm gaming and the second coming of plastic guitars:
Reposted by Alice Clarke
xAI is valued at $200 billion and burns through $1 billion/month in cash. The primary product development has been a chatbot that self-identified as "MechaHitler" then pivoted to production of nonconsensual porn, including of minors.
I do not consider this an optimal use of society's resources.
I do not consider this an optimal use of society's resources.
WaPo reports xAI deliberately loosened Grok's guardrails to boost popularity, sparking internal alarm. Employees had to pledge to work with "profane content." Even more disturbing, employees were listening to lurid audio conversations Tesla drivers had with Grok. Musk prioritized growth over safety.
Inside Musk’s bet to hook users that turned Grok into a porn generator
Under pressure to boost its popularity, Elon Musk’s xAI loosened guardrails and relaxed controls on sexual content, setting off internal concern.
www.washingtonpost.com
February 2, 2026 at 2:30 PM
xAI is valued at $200 billion and burns through $1 billion/month in cash. The primary product development has been a chatbot that self-identified as "MechaHitler" then pivoted to production of nonconsensual porn, including of minors.
I do not consider this an optimal use of society's resources.
I do not consider this an optimal use of society's resources.
Reposted by Alice Clarke
The woke scolds are trying to make this about racism. But Musk is right. It's about historical and scientific integrity. When the God of Thunder disguises himself as a swan to seduce and fuck a queen and the resulting baby hatches from an egg, *of course* the baby will be white. It's just science.
Elon Musk claims Christopher Nolan has lost ‘integrity’ over The Odyssey casting
Lupita Nyong’o is reportedly set to play Helen of Troy in Nolan’s upcoming adaptation of Homer’s epic poem
www.independent.co.uk
February 2, 2026 at 12:59 PM
The woke scolds are trying to make this about racism. But Musk is right. It's about historical and scientific integrity. When the God of Thunder disguises himself as a swan to seduce and fuck a queen and the resulting baby hatches from an egg, *of course* the baby will be white. It's just science.
Reposted by Alice Clarke
Not the main point but reading some of these Epstein emails really makes you realise why so many of these guys love ChatGPT
February 2, 2026 at 12:01 PM
Not the main point but reading some of these Epstein emails really makes you realise why so many of these guys love ChatGPT
Reposted by Alice Clarke
Amazing coda here.
February 2, 2026 at 11:44 AM
Amazing coda here.
Reposted by Alice Clarke
This article from The Guardian has me really pissed off. It’s basically ‘What, you haven’t been paying extra on your mortgage? What are you — some sort of Poor?!’
February 2, 2026 at 6:58 AM
This article from The Guardian has me really pissed off. It’s basically ‘What, you haven’t been paying extra on your mortgage? What are you — some sort of Poor?!’
Press Any Button is back for 2026! You should read and subscribe if you like it. @timbiggs.bsky.social and I have a lot of fun writing it each week.
2026 is going to be a year
Maybe it will be good! Plus the year of the PC, hands on with the Lego Smart Brick, and the Nintendo consoles with lower back pain
open.substack.com
February 3, 2026 at 12:19 AM
Press Any Button is back for 2026! You should read and subscribe if you like it. @timbiggs.bsky.social and I have a lot of fun writing it each week.
!!!THERE IS A FRESH GIRAFFE AT THE ZOO!!!
February 2, 2026 at 10:38 PM
!!!THERE IS A FRESH GIRAFFE AT THE ZOO!!!