r/ThielWatch

Justin Bieber among many other celebrities such as Chris Rock and Julia Robert’s take pay checks to perform at the private, Fortune 500 execs only retreat.

They hosted events and performances for Palantir CEO Alex Carp and more.

Palantir is partnered with the Israeli ministry of defence and provides them with targeting systems. They support their “war related missions” and also run all of ICE’s identification, mapping and targeting software

One of the biggest concerns with the rollout of Flock Drones in Monroe County is the risk of constant, invasive surveillance that could overstep constitutional boundaries. While the drones are pitched as tools for emergency response, critics argue that having high-tech cameras in the sky creates a "big brother" environment where the movements of innocent people are recorded without their consent. There is a fear that this technology could shift from being a reactive tool for 911 calls to a proactive tool for mass surveillance, potentially violating Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches if the drones capture footage of private backyards or non-criminal activity.

Another major issue involves the security and ownership of the data these drones collect. When a private company like Flock Safety manages the hardware and the footage, questions arise about who really controls that information and how long it is kept. There is a risk that sensitive data could be stored in a way that makes it vulnerable to hackers or that it could be shared with other agencies and private entities without clear oversight. If the policies regarding data retention are too vague, residents worry their daily habits and locations could be permanently logged in a searchable database, creating a digital trail that lasts long after the one-year pilot program ends.

Luke Nickel ~ Feck Your AI

https://youtube.com/@lukenicklemusic

I know this is an investing sub but I thought I should share this weird conversation for some weekend fun. She cancelled the date because I sent her a pic of the book I was reading (Zero to one)

Is this an omen for what's about to come Monday post market, guys ?

The push for technological immortality is not an act of evolution, but a devotion to the physical realm and a rejection of the natural human experience of mortality. This technology is not intended for the masses but rather functions as a "closed source" tool for elites to maintain their power indefinitely

The data analysis company is selling a version of the jacket that it says will show its commitment to “re-industrializing America.”

Palantir, the data analysis and technology firm, is many things to many people.

It’s a major military contractor, and its technology has helped the Trump administration track people for deportation. It also worked with the federal government to distribute Covid-19 vaccines. For some privacy advocates, it’s a Big Brother-like entity. And some amateur investors speak about Palantir’s stock performance and one of its founders, Alex Karp, with fervent excitement.

Now, Palantir hopes that people will wear its merch.

Palantir has sold clothing — including logo-emblazoned hoodies, shorts, caps and a T-shirt featuring Karp’s favorite motto, “Dominate” — for years. A new line of chore coats dropping on Thursday is a step up in ambition.
Eliano Younes, head of strategic engagement at Palantir, wanted to make something “that wasn’t a bland corporate polo or vest,” he said. “Something that was comfortable, stylish and durable for the front lines or for daily life.”

The jacket, which costs $239 and comes in bright blue and black, closely resembles a classic chore coat — heavy blue twill, denim or moleskin coats with three patch pockets (two roomy ones at the bottom and a smaller one at the breast). The French jacket, also known as bleu de travail (work blues) was created to outfit laborers in 19th-century France. The blue or indigo color helped conceal oil or dirt stains, and it may have inspired the term “blue-collar work.”

Work wear has long been worn by those not engaged in manual labor. Over the years, chore coats have been worn by celebrities such as Austin Butler, Jacob Elordi and Jeremy Allen White. The photographer Bill Cunningham was almost always seen in one. Even Paul Newman sports a chore coat in the 1967 film “Cool Hand Luke.”

Peter Zottolo, a fashion photographer and electrician based in San Francisco, described Palantir’s version of the chore coat as “nothing interesting,” though he said he understood the appeal of the chore coat in fashion circles, citing a collaboration between the Japanese brand Sacai and the work wear staple Carhartt, as well as the Row’s version, which had a cotton-cashmere lining. Though, he added, “a software company that is associated with government agencies is not generally associated with cool.”

This is hardly the first time the Silicon Valley set has leaned into fashion beyond standard corporate merch like tote bags and T-shirts. Last month, Nvidia, the chip giant, introduced green sweaters featuring a cartoon rendering of the company’s chief executive, Jensen Huang. Vintage tech merch from companies like Intel and Apple fetches high prices on resale sites like eBay. Nor is Palantir the first defense contractor to sell apparel.

Lockheed Martin, the weapons manufacturer, licenses its name to Doojin Yanghang, a South Korean manufacturer that designs and produces streetwear.

Some critics see Palantir’s push into fashion as a way for the company to gain cultural capital and influence its public perception. Brendon Holder, a New York-based writer, sees Palantir’s chore coat as an attempt by the company to appeal to a “left-leaning, performative male type that would be in Prospect Park reading ‘Infinite Jest.’” (An unexpected customer base could wear the garment ironically, as was the case with Tucker Carlson’s merch.)

“When you wear work wear, you’re telling people, ‘I’m down to earth,’” Zottolo said, adding, “It usually is a disarming outfit.”

This drop, according to Younes, demonstrates Palantir’s commitment to “re-industrializing America.” The company designs and manufactures its garments in Montana using local and imported materials.

The designs for the merchandise, Younes said, are inspired in part by the personal styles of Shyam Sankar, Palantir’s chief technology officer and executive vice president, and Karp, who, beyond his standard-issue navy suits and quarter-zips, is known to have an affinity for brightly colored ski gear.

The company’s online store, which sells products in limited drops, frequently sells out of items within 15 minutes, Younes said. (The company typically makes between 300 and 1,000 units per garment. It has made 420 chore coats.) He said its customer base spanned the globe, with 29 percent of sales coming from outside the United States. In October, Palantir staged a two-day pop-up store in Seoul, and the company is considering another one stateside.

“It’s not political,” Younes said. “It’s about people who love Palantir and are aligned with our mission.” He said he expected the jackets “to probably sell out in 30 minutes.”

The jackets, which went on sale at 9:30 a.m. Eastern, were sold out by about five hours later.