Books Are Dead

Why Books Are More Than Books: The Power of Intellectual Property

A valued patron recently pointed me toward a video by a YouTuber called the Nerdy Novelist. He's been in the newpub scene for the better part of a decade now and frequently rubs elbows with some of the bigger players. According to him, the advent of A.I. is forcing authors…
December 19, 20241 Comment
A.I. Music

Why A.I. Music Can’t Replicate the Human Touch

As we've explored on this blog, A.I. has made remarkable strides in fields from image generation to writing. But when it comes to creating music that really touches people, A.I. faces formidable obstacles. Because while A.I. music generators can churn out competent melodies, their output often feels hollow or disconnected…
December 6, 20243 Comments
Anime Police

How A.I. Policing Anime Piracy Could Reshape the Industry

The anime industry has long been on the horns of a dilemma: Pursue artistic innovation, or bow to commercial pressures? And the latest move by the Japanese government to combat piracy with A.I. could change anime's trajectory. With $2 million allocated to develop an A.I.-powered system that tracks and removes…
December 3, 20243 Comments
Death of the Author

A.I. Books: The Death of the Author?

There's been a marked uptick in nervous chatter within the publishing world over A.I. books. Some say they'll upend the whole industry, while others once again predict the death of the author. Hat tip to author JD Cowan for pointing me to this piece in The Bookseller about an upstart…
December 2, 20244 Comments
Larry Correia on the A.I. Enthusiasm Deficit

Larry Correia on the A.I. Enthusiasm Deficit

In case you missed it, speculation about the effects of A.I. on the publishing industry are bubbling up again. For instance: Over on X yesterday, a bunch of authors struck up a conversation about A.I. that included this item: That tweet caught the attention of best selling author Larry Correia,…
November 26, 202411 Comments
World of Nintendo

How Nintendo Changed Retail Shopping Forever

Everybody credits Nintendo with reviving–and reshaping–the video game industry. But the Big N's impact extends far beyond games. Over the years, Nintendo has transformed the retail sector, influencing how businesses manage inventory and how consumers interact with the marketplace. And the revolution has been so thorough, you probably never stop…
October 23, 20244 Comments
Software Death

How Big Tech’s Novelty Obsession Killed Software

If you've used pretty much any consumer software or internet search engine in recent years, you've noticed a decline in user friendliness and utility. What was once a simple matter of navigating intuitive interfaces and obtaining relevant information has become a frustrating ordeal. From constant updates that seem to break…
October 21, 202411 Comments
Rings of Power Streaming

Why People Are Fleeing Streaming Services in Droves

Over the past decade, streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ changed the way people consume media. TV viewers flocked to streaming's promise of liberation from rigid programming schedules and endless entertainment on demand. Yet today, the same platforms that once dominated the media landscape are facing a crisis. Subscribers…
October 17, 20245 Comments
CRT LCD Dracula

Why Millennial Devs Can’t Make Authentic Retro Games

For many gamers who grew up with the classics of the 1980s and 1990s, 8 and 16-bit video games hold a special nostalgic charm. Yet despite the recent surge in retro style indie games, it’s apparent that even talented Millennial developers struggle to recreate the authentic look and feel of…
October 15, 202412 Comments
Future Past Screen

Welcome to the Future Past

It's been observed that nobody really wants to live in 2024. A lot of people, especially members of Generation Y, long to go back to the simpler days of the 1980s. But in reality, the main difference between daily life in the 80s compared to now was the absence of…
September 30, 20245 Comments