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no gradient in 2019

no gradient was established on 2017 September 26. Here’s the publication in 2019. viewership • 3,710 website views • 1,941 website visitors • 1,401 podcast downloads • 103 newsletter subscribers • 44 YouTube subscribers supporters Clark Burnap, Chris Derr, and Matt Buckley supported no gradient in 2019. no gradient costs ~$500

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the titan m chip is the most underrated pixel feature

Absent from reviews of the Pixel 4 is any mention of its most underrated feature- the Titan M chip. Introduced in the Pixel 3, the chip boasts security improvements across the board to the bootloader, lock screen, disk, third party apps, and firmware. Google offers a $1 million bounty reward

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Before 2030 a financial services company in the United States with >$1 trillion in assets under management will offer consumers a financial instrument giving them broad exposure to the cryptocurrency market. – Twitter

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oneplus and the elephant in the room

OnePlus is by all accounts making the most compelling Android phone on the market. It’s well deserved. OnePlus charges far less for a comparable or better experience than the competition. But something that has been completely absent from coverage of OnePlus is security. OnePlus is owned by Oppo, a

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41 predictions for the 2020s

A compilation of all no gradient predictions which will be resolved before the next decade. Unlike most publications, no gradient actually tracks the accuracy of every prediction it publishes. Check in on the prediction scorecard or subscribe to the newsletter to follow along on the accuracy of these predictions as

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In 2020 the United States will not engage in military conflict on Iranian soil or in Iranian airspace. – Twitter Resolved True. Why? • Iran will make sure not to give the United States sufficient reason to.

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There will be no confirmed US casualties in Iran’s attacks on the Al-Asad and Erbil military bases in Iraq. – Twitter, Reddit Why? • These bases were already on high alert and expecting such an attack. Iran is attempting to save face without escalating this into something they can’t control.

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Through 2020 Iran will continue to allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regular access to all Iranian nuclear facilities as outlined in the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). – Twitter Resolved True. The last report in 2020 is from 17 November 2020. Related • IAEA Iran Reports, IAEA Iran report

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Boris Johnson campaigned on making a trade deal with the EU before the end of 2020. The UK will not make a trade deal with the EU before the end of 2020. – Twitter Resolved • False. The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation agreement was signed at the end of 2020. Why • The

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Before 2030 Amazon.com, Inc. will offer a courier service similar to UPS and FedEx for consumers to ship their own packages to arbitrary locations. – Twitter Why? • Amazon has a history of exposing internal services to consumers e.g. AWS. • UPS and FedEx alone had a combined net income of

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Before 2024 Apple will support Rich Communication Services (RCS) in the Messages app on iOS. – Twitter

Podcast

Motorboating the Pacific Crest Trail

Pacific Crest Trail class of 2019 legends Monk, Ranger, Bumble Bee, and Half Facts riff no holds barred on the 2,650 mile trail from Mexico to Canada. Watch on YouTube, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever podcasts are available. Support the show on Patreon. Follow on Instagram and

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What Dick’s Missed Since He Left

As no gradient interim editors, we would like to apologize for letting down the no gradient community, as well as Dick Lucas himself (aka Richard, aka Lakkis, aka Buzzy), who left us in charge of his legacy while he was away. It’s inexcusable, and we vow to make Dick

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Sawyer and Pat have arrived, Dick shall return

For Immediate Release: Los Angeles, California — no gradient today announced that Sawyer Billings will be joining as Managing Editor and Pat Daly as Assistant to the Managing Editor. A fortunate addition given founder Dick Lucas will be on leave until 2020. My plan for no gradient is simple: keep it

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Apple will be Called to Account

Before 2030 Apple will be called to account by the United States government for their willingness to cooperate with the Chinese government. – Twitter Readers of no gradient will know that I’ve discussed this in my In 2018 and Facebook’s Feasible Future is Apple’s Fictitious Present posts. I

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Coinbase and the Future

Editor’s note: A business plan I wrote for Coinbase in late 2018. Publishing here for posterity. Today Coinbase has positioned itself as the most trusted cryptocurrency exchange with its perfect track record of security and its constant rollout of new products and features. More importantly though, it has established

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Facebook’s Feasible Future is Apple’s Fictitious Present

CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg just had his Jerry Maguire moment. In his mid 30s and at the height of his career Zuckerberg has released an about face mission statement for the future of his company. That’s where the metaphor ends though. Unlike Tom Cruise’s character Zuckerberg won’

Podcast

The Wonderful Jimmy Flowers

San Francisco godfather Jimmy Flowers talks planting gardens in public spaces, giving away weed, spreading love, and following his angels. Watch on YouTube, subscribe via iTunes, Spotify, or wherever podcasts are available. Support the show on Patreon. Follow on Instagram and Twitter for pictures of the guests and show updates.

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To be gay, with Mathew Holliday

On Hyde and California in San Francisco we talk SF culture, the short fuse in the court of public opinion, and how “being gay isn’t all roses and penises.” Watch on YouTube, subscribe via iTunes, Spotify, or wherever podcasts are available. Support the show on Patreon. Follow on Instagram

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Cloudflare, The Most Important Company You’ve Never Heard Of

Nearly a decade ago when it was difficult for small sites to handle large amounts of traffic, especially from DDoS attacks, I remember stumbling on Cloudflare‘s first promotional video. At the time it seemed like magic. No hardware or software configuration needed, and you could ensure your site would

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Square, Twitter, and Cryptocurrency

Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter and Square, recently made public statements (shown below) voicing his support for Bitcoin while showing his lack of support for other cryptocurrencies. Given Jack is CEO of two publicly traded companies with a combined value of over $50b, it is no small thing for the

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Tesla Predictions

Was riffing with some brothers on Tesla and some predictions came out of it. We’ll check back on this one in a few years. Let’s start with the no gradient prediction. Before 2030 Tesla will be worth $100 billion as an independent company. – Twitter Resolved • True. Tesla crossed

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What I Learned from the Ethereum Classic 51% Attack

Beginning January 5 2019 Ethereum Classic was the victim of a 51% attack allowing the malicious party to successfully double spend tokens to exploit one exchange. I cover a timeline of the events, some learnings, and end with applicable excerpts from the original Bitcoin white paper. On January 6, the

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In 2018

In 2018 I made a concerted effort to focus my attention on the slow moving trends behind the constant events of the news cycle. That’s where you stay the most informed. The Economist, Peter Zeihan, and Benedict Evans, among others, helped me with this. Below I cover things that

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Ethereum Classic 51% Attack Fallout Predictions

A 51% attack is currently being carried out against Ethereum Classic. ETC is currently trading at $5.05. Before February 1, 2019, ETC will at one point have a market price below $2.50. The goal of a blockchain is to maintain consensus. Once that’s gone, the value is