Hello. Welcome to TechScape. I’m Blake Montgomery. I’m the technology news editor for the Guardian US. Today on TechScape, I’m decoding Elon Musk’s global political goals, a notable documentary filmed inside World of Warcraft, a vote on support for school phone bans, and TikTok’s cats. Thank you for your participation. First, let’s talk about Mr. Musk’s world politics.
Over the weekend, Mr. Musk promised to give $150,000 a day to registered voters in U.S. battleground states who signed Mr. Pack’s petition in support of the First and Second Amendments. He awarded the first prize, a novelty check the size of a kitchen island, at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, and the second prize on Sunday in Pittsburgh. He plans to continue running until the November 5th election. Experts say the stunt may be illegal.
Why is Mr. Musk doing this? what does he want?
Last week, my colleagues Nick Robbins Early and Rachel Reingan published an article examining Musk’s inevitable influence on the US presidential election. The article delves into Musk’s political activities over the past few months, but what particularly interested me was the question it raised: As restrictions ease, masks around the world Is it the driving force behind his political activities? Is all this spending and campaigning about cutting government departments?
The constant battle with all the regulatory agencies comes at the same time that Musk has made numerous public statements supporting deregulation and calling for a full-scale federal audit. The idea has gained support from President Trump, who announced in September that he would create a Musk-led Government Efficiency Commission to audit cuts at federal agencies. Musk wants to call it the Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), a reference to one of his favorite memes, the expressive Shiba Inu.
One of Musk’s go-to memes. Photo: The Guardian
The plan is vague in details and fails to address Mr. Musk’s apparent conflict of interest in auditing the regulators that oversee his company, but both Mr. Trump and Mr. He repeatedly brings up the idea of playing some kind of role. President Trump appeared on Fox News earlier this week and said he would create a new position called “Secretary of Cost Reduction” and appoint Musk to the position.
“He wants to do this,” President Trump said.
But Musk’s fight to reduce government agencies is not limited to the United States. At times, he found himself at odds with other billionaires in battles with “regulators.” In India, Mr. Musk is winning over Mr. Mukesh Ambani in a battle with the government over the distribution of satellite broadband. Asia’s richest man wanted more favorable terms for his communications empire.
He calls himself a “free speech absolutist” and is dissatisfied with speech regulators. A month after the general election, when Britain was in the midst of violent race riots, Musk tweeted that “civil war is inevitable” and posted a cartoon depicting a man in the electric chair. , argued that this was gratuitous punishment by the government. He has made similar criticisms of California’s government and President Joe Biden’s administration.
His fight for deregulation regularly puts him at odds with the judiciary. Last month, Brazil cut off access to X for failing to comply with a judge’s order and also fined SpaceX subsidiary Starlink for violating its sister company. Mr. Musk and Mr. X eventually complied.
Recently, some regulators have taken new steps and begun imposing penalties on mask companies for their (or Musk’s) actions.
Last week, European regulators took a page out of Brazil’s book, telling Company X’s lawyers that the EU could impose fines on social media companies that fail to comply with digital services laws. Importantly, regulators are proposing to calculate that tax based on the total revenue of Mr. Musk’s businesses, not just Company X’s profits. A possibly much larger fine could leave the social media platform in financial limbo.
In California, the Coastal Commission cited Musk’s tendency to tweet misinformation during a vote to reject SpaceX and the U.S. Air Force’s petition to launch more rockets from a base on the Santa Barbara coast. did. In response, Musk filed a lawsuit alleging political bias and violations of the First Amendment. He just wants to be left alone to peacefully fire rockets, tweet, and spend tens of millions of dollars on his presidential campaign.
Read the full story about Mr. Musk’s ubiquitous campaign.
Photo: Christopher Kumar/PR
The Amazing Life of Evelin traces the legacy of Mads Steen, a Norwegian teenager who suffered from a degenerative disorder that left him in a wheelchair for most of the last 25 years of his life.
As Steen became more dependent on his wheelchair and breathing machine, he began spending more time playing World of Warcraft and other games, sometimes up to 12 hours a day. The film takes place where he spent most of his life: online.
Steen’s parents are worried about the negative effects screen time is having on their son. They fear he will “never experience friendship, love, or making a difference in the lives of others.” But after his death, they realize that their despair has given him a lifeline, freeing him to do all the things they never thought he could do. Steen’s Warcraft character Eveline led him into deep friendships, adventures, and even digital romance. He left them a password when he died so they could find out about his second life.
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The action in this film, which mirrors Steen’s life, occurs both offline and online. Shot in digital locations on World of Warcraft’s Azeroth, it follows Ibelin’s reenactments of her conquests, conversations, and relationships there. Close-up shots zoom in on the avatar’s facial expressions, simulating the presence and emotions of Steen and his friends who talk about him as part of the Warcraft family. Each speaks of the deeply positive impact of the in-game friendship they shared with Steen through Evelin.
Evelin’s scenes in Azeroth succeed in imbuing the fictional characters’ actions there with real meaning. Evelin kisses her date at sunset. He joins a family called Starlight. In moments of distress he lashes out at those closest to him. These avatars constitute the entire emotional life of a group of friends. They gave hope to a boy whose parents saw his life as truncated and lacking. Who’s to say they’re not real?
The success story of video games and social media is as old as the backlash against both. But what makes this documentary different is that it places the viewer next to the subject on screen. It’s an immersive and empathetic approach, and it’s much better than watching someone use a device from a third-person perspective.
The film comes as parents around the world debate how much screen time is appropriate for their children. The argument that time spent digitally with friends has tangible weight is made even more persuasive by its format. By relying on in-game cinematography, the film shows the emotional weight of online life.
The film will be available on Netflix on October 25th.
on my iPhone
Photo: The Guardian
This week I’m watching a video of a cat wearing a camera collar. This video is not only a peek into the secret lives of outdoor pets, but also a marvel of camera stabilization technology. The camera company has already sponsored Kitters, who has become one of TikTok’s main characters. Another feline star, the confrontational @max20499, is more of a villain. He loves to ambush and fight unsuspecting cats. To find him, the app suggests the search terms “Maxwell the Bully Kitten” and “Maxwell the Bully Kitten meets his match.”
Britain has banned students from using mobile phones in schools. Should U.S. schools do the same?
Photo: Carlos Barria/Reuters
Last week, Pew Research released a poll of 5,110 American adults about banning cell phone use in schools. You may be surprised by the results, as I was. Quote from the poll results:
68% of U.S. adults say they support banning middle and high school students from using cell phones in class.
36% support banning middle and high school students from using cell phones in class.
Young adults are less supportive of banning cell phone use in and throughout class. Less than half (45%) of adults under 30 say they support banning students from using cell phones in class. This percentage rises to 67% for those aged 30 to 49 and 80% for those aged 50 and over.
Reason: Almost all (98%) who support banning it in class say the reason they support it is because it reduces the chance that students will be distracted during class.
Of those who oppose the ban, 86% say parents should be able to contact their children when needed.
