Twitter’s Redesign Is Impressive. Is It Enough?
Uncanny Valley | WIRED19 Heinä 2019

Twitter’s Redesign Is Impressive. Is It Enough?

On Monday, Twitter began rolling out its first desktop redesign in seven years. It was a mostly aesthetic makeover, with changes like a new layout, dark mode, and a more prominent search bar. As with anything Twitter, the reaction has been polarizing, with many users criticizing the platform for not doing enough to address its major problems. Today on the Gadget Lab podcast, Arielle, Mike, and Lauren discuss the changes Twitter has made, and how the company continues to grapple with its ongoing existential crisis.

Also in the news: The latest eruption of FaceApp paranoia and the nuances of Amazon’s Prime Day. Oh, and Elon Musk wants to drill a computer into your brain.

Show Notes:

Read Arielle’s story about the Twitter redesign here. Read Brian Barrett’s story about FaceApp here. Read Adam Rogers’s story about Elon’s latest sc-fi machinations here. Read about Amazon’s labor woes here, or follow WIRED’s coverage of Amazon here.

Recommendations:

Arielle recommends staying on top of the latest online hullabaloo by going to Reddit’s r/outoftheloop subreddit. Mike recommends the show Kantaro: The Sweet Tooth Salaryman on Netflix. Lauren recommends the book My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh.

Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Jaksot(425)

BIG INTV: Melinda French Gates on Secrets: ‘Live a Truthful Life, Then You Don’t Have Any’ (Re-Run)

BIG INTV: Melinda French Gates on Secrets: ‘Live a Truthful Life, Then You Don’t Have Any’ (Re-Run)

On this week’s episode of The Big Interview podcast, the philanthropist sits down with Katie to offer her insights on billionaire donors, kids on phones, and the importance of women’s healthcare.Join ...

24 Helmi 47min

AI Researcher Resignations; Bots Hiring Humans; Evie Magazine’s Party

AI Researcher Resignations; Bots Hiring Humans; Evie Magazine’s Party

This week, Zoë dives into why some researchers at top AI companies have been resigning and publicly voicing their concerns around AI safety. Then, Brian tells us about Rent-A-Human — a website where A...

19 Helmi 30min

ICE’s Secret Expansion Plans; Palantir Employees’ Ethical Concerns; AI Assistants

ICE’s Secret Expansion Plans; Palantir Employees’ Ethical Concerns; AI Assistants

This week, Brian, Leah, and Zoë discuss WIRED’s big scoop on ICE’s startling plans to expand to nearly every state in the US. Then, they unpack Alex Karp’s nearly-hour-long non-response to Palantir em...

12 Helmi 37min

Tech Elites in the Epstein Files; Musk’s Mega Merger; Crypto Scam Compound

Tech Elites in the Epstein Files; Musk’s Mega Merger; Crypto Scam Compound

This week, Brian and Leah dive into the key tech industry figures who show up in the final batch of the Epstein Files. Then, they discuss SpaceX and xAI’s blockbuster merger, and what it says about th...

5 Helmi 35min

BIG INTV: Fallout Director Jonathan Nolan Says He's Still a Techno-Optimist

BIG INTV: Fallout Director Jonathan Nolan Says He's Still a Techno-Optimist

Katie sits down with the Westworld showrunner, Jonah Nolan for a wide ranging conversation about what keeps him coming back to sci-fi storytelling about technology and human nature. After decades of w...

3 Helmi 48min

BIG INTV: Silicon Valley Tech Workers’ Campaign to Get ICE Out of US Cities

BIG INTV: Silicon Valley Tech Workers’ Campaign to Get ICE Out of US Cities

In the wake of the shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti in the streets of Minneapolis, several prominent tech executives attended a private White House screening of Melania, a documentary being released ...

30 Tammi 31min

Minneapolis Misinformation; TikTok’s New Owners; Moltbot Hype

Minneapolis Misinformation; TikTok’s New Owners; Moltbot Hype

In today’s episode, Brian and Zoë are joined by WIRED’s Tim Marchman to discuss the news of the week — including how far-right influencers spread misinformation in Minneapolis, and why TikTok’s US ver...

29 Tammi 35min

Trump Davos Drama; AI Midterms; ChatGPT's Last Resort

Trump Davos Drama; AI Midterms; ChatGPT's Last Resort

Welcome back to Uncanny Valley! This week, WIRED’s Brian Barrett and Leah Feiger are joining the show as the new co-hosts, alongside Zoë Schiffer. And our attention has been on the drama going down in...

22 Tammi 36min