Tessera
Folgen

Victoria Song

@vicmsong.bsky.social

Senior reviewer and author of the Optimizer newsletter for The Verge. I write about wearables, health tech, the wellness wild west, and other gadgets. Previously: Gizmodo, PCMag, Yomiuri Shimbun. Signal: @vicmsong.14 Grand poobah of the penguin brigade.

1248 Posts15230 Follower320 Folgt
Victoria Song@vicmsong.bsky.social · 2w ago

Been rewatching all the 90s sitcoms for the last year or so, and man, I miss the old pre-smartphone and pre-social media miscommunication gags. But watching Paul in Mad About You set up an old school answering machine… that I don’t miss that.

Victoria Song@vicmsong.bsky.social · 2w ago

I dunno dude if you read the article it’s all about how Meta uses the cuteness to distract from all the data the agent asks for. The headline is about how the cuteness is sinister.

Bild
Victoria Song@vicmsong.bsky.social · 3w ago

It's been over 24 hours so I can say this now. The absolute last place that any AI should be deployed is fielding angry calls when your flight is cancelled. Did I, at some point Monday, scream into my phone at Newark "SHUT UP YOU STUPID AI AND GIVE ME A HUMAN, A HUMAN!!!!" Yes.

Victoria Song@vicmsong.bsky.social · 3w ago

Well 11 hours after leaving home, one airport skedaddle from Newark to JFK, getting bonked in the head by a giant backpack, a middle seat and broken inflight entertainment… my plane took off! Maybe we should invest in better infrastructure so a cable doesn’t take out 6 major airports next time.

Victoria Song@vicmsong.bsky.social · 3w ago

Me trying to survive getting to Meta Connect after that Amtrak crew cut a fiber optic line crippling all the airports in the tristate area. (I can’t drink tho so this is expensive juice. As a treat.)

Victoria Song@vicmsong.bsky.social · 3w ago

Me trying to survive getting to Meta Connect after that Amtrak crew cut a fiber optic line crippling all the airports in the tristate area. (I can’t drink tho so this is expensive juice. As a treat.)

Bild
Victoria Song@vicmsong.bsky.social · last mo.

I don’t think people understand how technically difficult Golden from Kpop Demon Hunters is to sing and what a flex it was for Kelly Clarkson to do it live in the original key. Like I don’t think most people understand how BIBLICALLY difficult that is and how few ppl can execute it at that level.

Victoria Song@vicmsong.bsky.social · last mo.

Upon further investigation, I don’t think this is an actual trend so much as a few weirdos triggering rage bait content mill creators that media did not thoroughly vet before writing trend pieces and I have never been more relieved. Please god don’t prove me wrong.

Victoria Song@vicmsong.bsky.social · last mo.

Me, minding my business: 🙂 My FYP: hay gurl been a min since I showed you a viral wellness trend Me: 🫪 no I was having a nice evening My FYP: the looksmaxxers are not showering and drinking their piss to attract women instead of going to therapy. It’s called pheromonemaxxing. Me: 🥲🔫

Victoria Song@vicmsong.bsky.social · last mo.

Me, minding my business: 🙂 My FYP: hay gurl been a min since I showed you a viral wellness trend Me: 🫪 no I was having a nice evening My FYP: the looksmaxxers are not showering and drinking their piss to attract women instead of going to therapy. It’s called pheromonemaxxing. Me: 🥲🔫

Victoria Song@vicmsong.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Okay, I wrote this week's Optimizer about this. Here's a gift link: tinyurl.com/93hacu9h

Your Oura Ring can’t measure what’s going on in your skull

A new lawsuit charges the company with duping customers. Who’s at fault?

tinyurl.com

Victoria Song@vicmsong.bsky.social · 2mo ago

This complaint, while true, is also kind of like saying "wearable abnormal heart rate alerts are not directly measuring your heartbeat so there is no value to them." I always write to take sleep stage data with a grain of salt, but Oura *does* publish its science/data in peer-reviewed journals.(1/)

Victoria Song@vicmsong.bsky.social · 2mo ago

This complaint, while true, is also kind of like saying "wearable abnormal heart rate alerts are not directly measuring your heartbeat so there is no value to them." I always write to take sleep stage data with a grain of salt, but Oura *does* publish its science/data in peer-reviewed journals.(1/)

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · 2mo ago

According to the complaint: “Oura did not just claim to measure a heartbeat or a temperature, but the exact stage of sleep the wearer is in—which in reality requires electrodes in the scalp and sensors on the eyes, as only a hospital or other clinical setting can do.”