Saturday, September 09, 2023

Simplicitas of Cory Doctorow: Interoperability Can Save the Open Web

The Evolution of Hummingbirds Kottke.org


Butterfly paradise at The Simplicitas

As you get further from the A9, two things happen: the roads get smaller and a delicious sense of peace begins to creep over you. 

The final 2 km to Simplicitas are up a roughish mountain road, but when you finally reach this utterly unpretentious 19thC villa, just switch off your engine, open the door and listen to the glorious sound of absolutely nothing at all. 

This is a much-loved, lived-in house, oozing charm and character and filled with 19thC antiques and objects (and a magnificent billiard table) and an air of rustic gentility. 

Meals, taken on the terrace in fine weather, usually feature produce from the surrounding 80-hectare farm.
The bedrooms (some small), most with lovely views, are like comfortable guest rooms in a private house, with a liberal scattering of knick-knacks. Shower rooms are simple. Six further rooms have recently been renovated and added, but overall, with the exception of electric lights, the 20th century hasn’t made much impression on the villa. 

Once your energy levels are restored, you can walk, ride or play tennis nearby. ‘Gorgeous building in a wonderful setting’ 


CONTACTUlla Wagner
CALL+39 031 831132
FAX+39 031 830455
EMAILinfo@villasimplicitas.it
WEBSITEwww.villasimplicitas.it


Research Directorate – Regulation of Artificial Intelligence Around the World, August 2023: “This report, prepared by the research staff of the Law Library of Congress, provides a list ofjurisdictions in the world where legislation that specifically refers to artificial intelligence (AI) or systems utilizing AI have been adopted or proposed. Researchers of the Law Library surveyedall jurisdictions in their research portfolios to find such legislation, and those encountered have been compiled in the annexed list with citations and brief descriptions of the relevant legislation. Only adopted or proposed instruments that have legal effect are reported for national and subnational jurisdictions and the European Union (EU); guidance or policy documents that have no legal effect are not included for these jurisdictions. Major international organizations have also been surveyed and documents adopted or proposed by these organizations that specifically refer to AI are reported in the list.”


Cory Doctorow: Interoperability Can Save the Open Web

IEEE Spectrum: How to free users from Big Tech’s walled gardens: “In his new book The Internet Con: How to Seize the Means of Computation, author Cory Doctorow presents a strong case for disrupting Big Tech. While the dominance of Internet platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Amazon is often taken for granted, Doctorow argues that these walled gardens are fenced in by legal structures, not feats of engineering. Doctorow proposes forcing interoperability—any given platform’s ability to interact with another—as a way to break down those walls and to make the Internet freer and more democratic…”



Meet Zoom AI Companion, your new AI assistant! Unlock the benefits with a paid Zoom account



Underworld figure Gavin Preston shot dead at Melbourne cafe