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- The real winner
The real winner
+ Victorian minimal graphic design is sick
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OVERWORLD:
-Inside the FBI’s secret encryption penetrator.-
ONE BETWEEN:
-You are now in the era of the “Ozempic coat”.-
THE DEPTHS:
-This guy saved your life, and you don’t even know it.-
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Spy kids
Inside the FBI’s secret encryption penetrator.
Hola, not Spanish hola, but Hola, is the FBI’s covert surveillance system.
It’s not in use now, but "Hola iBot" was the key for monitoring communications on the encrypted messaging app Anom.
Now, we’re learning that the surveillance was far more extensive than we thought. Check it out:
All-seeing eye: Hola iBot, designed by FBI computer scientists, enables near-total digital surveillance of thousands of users across over 100 countries. This system goes beyond simply intercepting messages; it allowed FBI analysts to track users' physical movements, summarize conversations, and map social connections between individuals.
Cautionary tale: Anom used to be a secure messaging platform and functioned like a social network for criminals, until it was secretly controlled by the FBI.
The FBI took control of Anom in 2018 after shutting down the encrypted phone company Phantom Secure, with the help of a confidential human source (CHS) who offered Anom to the FBI in exchange for over $100,000.
Hola iBot's interface, accessible through the Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal (LEEP), allowed analysts to review and categorize intercepted messages, most of which were criminal in nature. The system also provided translation services for communications in various languages, including Swedish, Chinese, and Serbian.
Hola iBot also mapped user interactions visually, illustrating connections between users in a network of circles, where the targeted user was highlighted in red. This feature helped FBI analysts understand the complex web of criminal organizations operating across borders and traditional ethnic divides.
Despite assurances to Anom users that GPS functionality was disabled, the devices often recorded users' physical locations, which were then displayed on Hola iBot’s map interface.
The FBI’s operation led to the arrests of over a thousand individuals and the seizure of large quantities of drugs worldwide. However, some flaws in the system resulted in missed opportunities, such as a murder in Sweden that was planned on Anom but went undetected by the FBI in time to prevent it.
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✦QUICK HITS✦
✦Business & Tech✦
Reaction: The UK government is considering toughening internet safety regulations following misinformation-fueled protests. This could involve revisiting the Online Safety Act, aiming for stricter disinformation and hate speech controls.
Hardcore: Judge James Donato says “he’ll tear the barriers down” after its Android app store was deemed a monopoly. He plans to enforce remedies, including opening Google Play to rival stores, despite Google's objections.
Oh: Apple is reportedly developing a tabletop device with an iPad-style display on a robotic arm, capable of tilting and spinning 360 degrees. This smart home device could launch in 2026 or 2027, priced around $1,000, and would integrate with Siri and Apple Intelligence for advanced control.
✦Fashion & Culture✦
Full circle: Tyler, the Creator stars in new Supreme campaign photos, sparking speculation among fans about potential upcoming collaborations. Posters featuring Tyler in a Supreme tee were spotted in London.
✦Hmm… Interesting✦
Cozy 1-minute read: I’m addicted to analytics, but in a good way?
Please try this: YouTube, but with actual channels
ONE
BETWEEN
Big numbers
The numbers behind the Olympics, and the real winner of it all.
The Paris Olympics have turned out to be a smash hit culturally, and statistically. Gold medals were handed to some athletic motherfuckers, but NBC might be the real winner behind it all:
Numbers: The Olympics had an average daily viewership of 30.6 million people, an 82% increase from the Tokyo Olympics. That's across platforms including NBC, cable channels like USA, and the Peacock streaming service, as reported by NBC Sports.
More numbers: The closing ceremony of the Paris Games attracted a U.S. audience of 20.8 million, more than doubling the figures from Tokyo's closing ceremony. Peacock offered viewers the ability to stream all 329 medal events on demand, enhancing its appeal.
If you didn't know: Peacock is NBC/Comcast's own streaming platform. Comcast this to promote Peacock, which lags behind streaming giants like Netflix, Disney+, and Max in subscriber numbers.
Nuuuumbers: Individual events also saw impressive viewership, with the U.S. men’s basketball team's gold-medal victory over France attracting 19.5 million viewers, the highest for the event since the 1996 Atlanta Games.
Again: Globally, the Paris Olympics broke records, with the BBC streaming the Games 218 million times, more than double that of Tokyo. Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. also reported record-breaking numbers in Europe, with 215 million viewers and a 77% increase in paid streaming subscribers compared to Tokyo.
THE DEPTHS
Visuals
Victorian minimal graphic design is sick.
Victorian design is often remembered for being maximalist. But, a notable exception emerged between the late 1870s and mid-1880s.
During this period, a group of American and British letterpress printers developed a design style known as "Artistic Printing," characterized by clean, bold, and graphic aesthetics. This movement revolted against the current Victorian taste, favoring simplicity and elegance over clutter.
These printers wanted to elevate the craft of letterpress by with thoughtful typography, creative use of color, and sophisticated design elements. Harpel’s 1870 publication, "TYPOGRAPH, OR BOOK OF SPECIMENS," laid the groundwork for this movement, advocating for a refined approach to typography.
Artistic Printers focused on what letterpress could achieve within its limitations. They used metal type, brass rules, and carefully selected color palettes to create compositions that often appear surprisingly modern to contemporary eyes.
The movement’s finest works are found in trade cards, advertisements, and specimen pieces created by the printers themselves. As with anything, not all efforts were successful, and commercial projects often fell short of the clean elegance that Artistic Printers aimed for, as client demands could overwhelm the design.
Still, Artistic Printing left a lasting legacy, influencing the evolution of graphic design and demonstrating the potential for beauty and creativity within the constraints of traditional printing methods.
