Captain, I suggest we go to Red Alert. We’re detecting signs of a very bad idea just off the starboard bow. 

Famed director Quentin Tarantino has apparently set himself on a collision course with the Star Trek franchise, according to a report by Deadline. The Hollywood trade site says Tarantino is keen to direct a Trek film and has discussed his idea with Trek producer J.J. Abrams; the pair are reportedly at the stage of assembling a writer’s room.

Is this likely to actually pan out in the long run? Possibly. Tarantino does know his Trek, and he and Abrams have worked together before (Tarantino guest-starred on Alias)Should it? Hell no. Read more…

More about Star Trek, Quentin Tarantino, Star Trek Beyond, Star Trek Into Darkness, and Tarantino
Source: Mashable | Quentin Tarantino's Star Trek movie is literally the last thing the world needs right now

Twenty-eight senators including Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Corey Booker signed a letter urging Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai to delay the upcoming net neutrality vote.

They cited a study that estimated that more than 1 million public comments submitted to the FCC ahead of the Dec. 14 vote were written by bots. 

With the repeal of net neutrality, internet service providers like AT&T and Verizon would be able to set different prices for access and favor websites that pay a premium. In the Monday letter, the senators requested an FCC investigation into reports about bots filing comments.  Read more…

More about Fcc, Senate, Net Neutrality, Bots, and Public Comment

Source: Mashable | Senators urge FCC to delay net neutrality vote over fake comments

More people will be reviewing content across Google platforms, especially at YouTube which has had a problem of violent, disturbing videos targeted to kids making it onto the video site. 

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki announced in a rare blog post that by next year, 10,000 human moderators would be reviewing content that violates policy. 

“Human reviewers remain essential to both removing content and training machine learning systems because human judgment is critical to making contextualized decisions on content,” Wojcicki wrote.

YouTube had previously promised more human oversight and more machine learning to flag the content, but Monday’s announcement is the first from the CEO and with strategy details. Read more…

More about Youtube, Kids, Kids Programming, Susan Wojcicki, and Exploitation
Source: Mashable | YouTube CEO announces more human moderators to end violent kid videos

That “smart” suitcase might not be the best gift idea thanks to new checked baggage restrictions from several major airlines.

On Friday, American Airlines announced that starting Jan. 15, only smart suitcases with removable batteries will be allowed on planes. The same goes for Delta and Alaska Airlines. 

Anyone checking a smart bag will have to remove the battery. And if your smart suitcase doesn’t have a removable battery? Too bad — you’ll have to leave it behind and spend a small fortune at an overpriced airport shop for new luggage, or ship it. 

Smart suitcases have become more popular recently thanks to features like bag tracking, phone-charging ports, remote-controlled locks, and even weight scales to know if your bag is within airline limits. All the “smart” features are powered by a lithium ion battery. Read more…

More about Air Travel, American Airlines, Tsa, Batteries, and Smart Luggage

Source: Mashable | Don't buy a smart suitcase that doesn't have a removable battery