Ina Fried has an interesting profile of Lytro, a start-up that’s releasing a digital camera containing some exciting new technology:
The breakthrough is a different type of sensor that captures what are known as light fields, basically all the light that is moving in all directions in the view of the camera. That offers several advantages over traditional photography, the most revolutionary of which is that photos no longer need to be focused before they are taken.
As a writer/broadcaster, I have limited time to take on watching new TV properties, so I have to choose wisely. Awhile back, I asked my Twitter followers whether I should begin watching HBO’s Game of Thrones or AMC’s The Killing. Overwhelmingly, people insisted I check out Game of Thrones. While many said The Killing was good, everyone insisted that Game of Thrones was incredible. Thus, I’ve been watching Game of Thrones religiously and it has rekindled my love of television and shot to the top of my list of favorite TV shows of all time.
Both shows had their season finales last night. And based on the reviews of TV critics, it looks like I made the right choice. Here’s Maureen Ryan:
‘The Killing,’ in the last two months or so, has been a waste of time. This week, it turned into a giant insult. This wasn’t a swing and a miss. Those are forgivable and expected on networks that take chances with their material. This hour was, in my opinion, the worst season finale of all time, because it was a terrible execution of a set of colossally stupid, misguided and condescending ideas. And clearly, people at the network have known about what would be in the finale for some time. They should have stopped it. All of it.
Alan Sepinwall agrees:
[T]his will be the last review I write of “The Killing,” because this will be the last time I watch “The Killing.” Because I have no interest in going forward with a show that treats its audience this way.
It is unusual for me to post reviews of shows/films I haven’t watched, but this criticism is so brutal and withering that it is fun to read even if you don’t follow The Killing (Just know that spoilers are included).
Also: the disparity between these shows reinforces my inclination that when dealing with serialized shows that have season-long arcs, sometimes it is best to wait until the end and see whether the showrunners did right by the audience before investing 10 hours of your life into what may be a pointless waste of time.
A moving meditation by Charles M. Blow on every boy’s need for a father.
Jon Stewart squares off against Mike Wallace. It gets heated.
Jennifer Preston assembles the evidence that one or more users faked identities on Twitter to make Rep. Anthony Weiner look bad. To what end? It is still unclear, but if they bore him ill will, they are probably pretty happy at the moment:
At least three months before the revelation that former Representative Anthony D. Weiner was sending lewd messages and photos to women online, a small group of self-described conservatives was monitoring his exchanges with women on Twitter. Now there is evidence that one or more people created two false identities on Twitter in order to collect information to use against him.
Mildly related: I really appreciated Dan Savage’s epic rant about the hypocrisy surrounding the Anthony Weiner story on this week’s episode of “Savage Love.” Here’s a direct link to the audio file. The rant is right at the beginning.
The New York Times has a rare look at Amanda Hocking, the 26-year old literary phenomenon who’s already made millions by self-publishing her books on Amazon.
[Side note: I’m usually a fan of the work of photographer Ben Innes, but that is not a flattering photo of Hocking.]
Slate has an interview with comedian Louis C.K., who took to Twitter recently to defend fellow comedian Tracy Morgan’s recent homophobic remarks. After much reflection, I have to side with C.K. on this one, based on the very limited information I have. C.K. himself routinely makes outrageous statements that provoke laughter from his audience (and me), so it did not surprise me to see him taking a stand for free speech on the comic stage.
The overarching question in this whole ordeal is: is there anything that is in such poor taste it should never be made a topic of comedy? C.K. thinks the answer is no, and I’m inclined to agree.
[Update: Ta-Nahesi Coates chimes in with a measured, even-handed take on C.K.’s defense. Coates does not agree with C.K. And he’s really convincing! (If you can’t tell, this is a topic I’m pretty torn about)]
