Iain Thomson
@iainthomson.bsky.social
UK journalist in SF covering security, space, and science, and stuff that looks fun. Into sailing, F1, F5, the Oxford comma, and Marmite. All views my own. Signal: iainthomson.60 if you want to talk. Reluctantly siliconlimey on Insta & iainthomson on X.
The latest View from the Valley is up. And for once the @ianbetteridge.com law does not apply IMO - and I'm not alone.
View from the Valley: Are we facing an AI subprime debt disaster?
Are we facing an AI subprime debt disaster? This month’s quarterly reporting suggests so, says our man in Silicon Valley.
techfinitive.com
I've seen a lot of Tesla stickers decrying Elon Musk but this one, spotted on today's hike, really takes the biscuit.
I'd heard rumors that JCD was in trouble but it's now been confirmed. One of the first-generation tech journalists has gone 404, and we're all a little poorer for it. One of the benefits of working at PC Magazine was getting an advance look at his column before everyone else. Never dull reading.
RIP JCD. No Agenda Newsletter.
mailchi.mp
A smart move. Scrapping the digital ID scheme to pay for lower home energy bills brings a big benefit for UK citizens and gets rid of an insecure boondoggle no one really wants.
Financial Times@financialtimes.com · 2w agoBurnham to remove VAT on household electricity bills ft.trib.al/2r7uTTR
Dear @hntdove.bsky.social, you are an utter wanker :) Loved Three Miles Down but you've got to give us a sequel. You can't just end on that.
It's been 50 years since the first successful landing on Mars. Mankind will get there, one day. It does make sense not to have humanity's eggs in one basket but anyone born on Mars is going to find Earth's gravity impossible to deal with. But it's likely there is life there. Roll David Bowie.
Did Viking 1 find life on Mars 50 years ago? Here's why the debate continues
"Viking more likely than not found autotrophic microbial life on Mars, roughly 1,000 cells per gram."
space.com
While I've heard good things about The Odyssey, I'd pay more money to see this.
James Dolan, meet the Streisand Effect. Wired's a lot better than most at accuracy and must be relishing the discovery phase of this.
WIRED@wired.com · 3w agoA statement from WIRED leadership.
Was interviewing someone in a downtown cafe and they have the footie on. Took all my resolve not to check the phone when I heard the roars. Get in there England, the hopium is strong.
I'm still baffled by a recipe that calls for one anchovy fillet. Once the can's opened anything left over gets scoffed.
The problem with vikings is they always try to walk it in.
The IT Crowd - Roy's Hilarious Football Commentary
Alt: The IT Crowd - Roy's Hilarious Football Commentary
static.klipy.com
Looks like someone left their belongings on BART. Luckily no smell. First time I've seen something like this on the train in over a decade.
Can't say I liked her policies but this is a shocking case of suspected murder.
Police to give update after they launch murder investigation into death of Ann Widdecombe – UK politics live
Police have said suspect is white male, and inquiry ‘moving at significant pace’
theguardian.com
An utter legend, and she should have made it into space much sooner and walked on the Moon.
Space.com@space.com · 4w agoWally Funk, trailblazing pilot and astronaut, passes away at 87 www.space.com/space-explor...
What if you hold a by-election and nobody turns up? Excellent piece by the FT. Farage can twist and turn like a twisty-turny thing but his goose is cooked. If he wins, he loses.
Tories and Labour try to call Nigel Farage’s bluff
Mainstream parties denounce Reform UK leader’s by-election ‘gimmick’ and decide not to stand against him
ft.com
The Independence Day special of View from the Valley is now up. As a Brit there was a temptation to get snarky about Traitor's Day, but what is clear is that Google's AI attempts are in trouble, judging from the departures, and Anthropic is increasingly being seen as the place to be.
View from the Valley: AI engineers enjoy their independence day
AI talent is bolting from Google to Anthropic, writes our man in San Francisco, as IPO riches push salaries and housing costs into absurd territory
techfinitive.com
This is going to make the free-kick line much more entertaining.
England stars allowed to use viagra to help them cope with World Cup altitude
DOPING rules allow England players to tackle altitude issues with VIAGRA at the World Cup. The prescription drug is not on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) 2026 list of banned substances…
thesun.co.uk
See also ebooks. Libby is a fantastic app that I started using during lockdown and in the Bay Area the selections are fantastic.
Old School Punk Librarian@kennethf62.bsky.social · last mo.Just a reminder. I'm always surprised how many people aren't aware of this. #Libraries
Eyeing up the Waymo competition. Given it has just gone through a red light some work needs to be done still by the Zoox team.
Museum folks get it - share the art.
Michael Lobel@mlobelart.bsky.social · last mo.Yes I know there are serious & important things happening in the world right now, but this is kind of great: just learned the Van Gogh Museum has made many of their publications, including collection catalogs, freely available on @archive.org. More museums should do this: archive.org/details/vang...
American tea at conferences is generally so.bas I bring my own tea bags. So essentially I'm paying $5 for water and a splash of milk.
One of the most enthusiastic speakers at the AI Engineer World's Fair, and has a magnificent moustache.
DEV Community@dev.to · last mo."No amount of harness engineering or loops maxing can solve what is fundamentally a model training issue," HumanLayer's Dex Horthy told the World's Fair. @iainthomson.bsky.social reports for The Daily Context. dev.to/dailycontext...
It was fascinating seeing them in action, and I'm willing to bet barely any got The Who reference :)
DEV Community@dev.to · last mo.87 kids, ages 8 to 16, coded games and wired Arduino sensors at AI Engineering Kids Day in SF. One teacher's tip: make tech fun, skip the syntax. { author: @iainthomson.bsky.social } dev.to/dailycontext...