New York Times tech workers, who create and maintain the technology that powers the New York Times websites, games, and apps, have been on strike since Nov. 5. As the New York Times Tech Guild, which includes more than 600 people, bargains with the Times management for fair pay and protections, the union has asked supporters to stop playing Wordle, Connections, and other Times games.

“We know how hard it is to break your Wordle streak, so we have been hard at work making more games for our supporters,” the Times Tech Guild posted to X. So far, it’s published seven short, simple games to keep the Times gaming community busy.

There’s, of course, Strikle, the picket line-safe version of Wordle; Word Search, where you search for words like “fair,” “contract,” and “now;” Connections: Strike Edition, a labor-themed version of Connections; Match Strike, a match-two card game; Scabby’s Fair Contract Builder, where you catch union proposals; Frogger 8th Ave, a version of Frogger where you avoid cars and union-busting management to hop toward the picket line in front of the New York Times office; and a page full of trivia and jokes. All of the games are pretty simple, but a fun way to engage supporters. A NewsGuild of New York spokesperson told The Verge that all games were made by guild members, expect Strikle, “which was made by an external supporter.”

Alongside the games boycott, the union is also asking supporters to stop using the NYT Cooking app; the linked website has a few strike-themed recipes to try out in the meantime.

Union members are on strike as they look to negotiate a contract that addresses concerns like “remote/hybrid work,” “just cause” protections (something the newsroom union has), and “pay equity/fair pay.” The Times Tech Guild has also filed an unfair labor practice charge against the Times. The union expects to strike until they’re able to reach an agreement; the strike was the “first to coincide with a presidential election in the NewsGuild since the 1964 Detroit Newspaper Strike,” the Times Tech Union said in a news release. Despite the strike, the Times infamous election needle ran on Tuesday.

The Times Tech Guild has been fighting for a contract since 2022, when 82% of workers voted to unionize.

This magnificent supercut by HanahakiBlank shows scenes from anime videos depicting gadgets and technology: telephones, stereos, turntables, dashboards, game controllers, the lot.

What a fascinating tribute to the precision and interest of the artists responsible.

Previously: This gorgeous Dune fan art is like an epic art nouveau Anime adaptation of the series

The post Anime depictions of gadgets and technology appeared first on Boing Boing.

Mastodon, the open-source, federated alternative to Twitter, is now available for the Apple II thanks to incredible work by Colin Leroy-Mira. All the good features are included, such as "unfollow" and "block", and none of the bad features such as "account creation" and "polls." — Read the rest

Nana Tuckit, a drag queen from Portland, Oregon known for her vintage style, has a compelling message for haters: "Drag queens are more than what you see." Advocating for acceptance, she encourages critics to delve deeper into understanding her, and other drag performers. — Read the rest

Myst developers Cyan have revealed they’re working on a “from-the-ground-up” remake of its sequel, Riven. The original puzzle adventure was released on PC on October 31st 1997, and Cyan made their remake announcement exactly 25 years later. The new version of Riven will adopt the Myst remake’s freely 3D movement, but there are very few details yet other than that. Watch the very short announcement teaser below.

Read more

Colin Nissan finally got a book deal for the McSweeney's essay he authored that's been bringing autumn-time laughs since *2009*! Fuck yes, "It's Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers" is now a book.

At last, the epically funny internet sensation It's Decorative Gourd Season, Motherfuckers is now a visual tour-de-force, teeming with a cornucopia of perfectly paired photos and seasonal enchantments to make it really fucking sing.