Innovation
DeepMind’s latest AI can master games without being told their rules— www.engadget.com
In 2016, Alphabet’s DeepMind came out with AlphaGo, an AI which consistently beat the best human Go players. DeepMind then created AlphaZero, which could play Go, chess and shogi with a single algorithm. DeepMind’s latest AI, MuZero, didn’t need to be told the rules of go, chess, shogi and a suite of Atari games to master them. #AI
The Future of Travel? Get a First Look at Richard Branson’s Virgin Hyperloop Pods — people.com
ICYMI First look at Virgin Hyperloop Pods w/ each pod seating up to 28 people & capable of traveling @ 621 mph thru a low-pressure tube using magnetic levitation — to bring ppl from LA to SF in 45 mins for same price as driving, by 2030.
Apple and Hyundai-Kia pushing toward deal on Apple Car
www.cnbc.com
Apple is close to finalizing a deal with Hyundai-Kia to manufacture an Apple branded autonomous electric vehicle at the Kia assembly plant in West Point, Georgia.
Technology
The Great Unbundling — www.ben-evans.com
These presentations from @benedictevans are always interesting to read.
Update Your iPhone and iPad Now If You Haven’t Recently — www.wired.com
Google’s next big Chrome update will rewrite the rules of the web — www.wired.co.uk
Instead of cookies, Google plans to target ads against people’s general interests using an AI system called Federated Learning of Cohorts (FLoC). The machine learning takes your web history and other things, puts you into a certain group based on interests for advertisers. This benefits Google.
Google has launched its News Showcase in Australia, paying seven publishers to host content
Nine, Sydney Morning Herald and the Age reject tech giant’s offer to pay publishers to host content. #Google
Microsoft slams Google over threat to shut search engine in Australia
RT @michellemanafy Microsoft slams Google over threat to shut search engine in Australia. Group throws weight behind draft media code and offers free switch for small businesses to Bing
Facebook strikes back against Apple privacy change, prompts users to accept tracking to get ‘better ads experience’
It’s the latest move in a skirmish that pits Apple’s planned iOS 14 privacy update against Facebook’s ad-dependent business model. #Facebook
Instagram tests removing the ability to share posts to stories — www.theverge.com
In certain countries, Instagram is disabling the ability to reshare posts from your feed to Instagram stories. Reshares can be annoying, but many small businesses and artists rely on the feature to circumvent Instagram’s algorithm.
Instagram’s ‘recently deleted’ feature lets you change your mind about deleting a post — www.theverge.com
Instagram’s recently deleted feature gives users the chance to restore content they’ve deleted. Posts, which span Instagram’s variety of formats, will live in the recently deleted section for 30 days before permanently disappearing.
Reliance aims to embed JioMart in WhatsApp — www.livemint.com
Move will allow 400M WhatsApp users to order goods within the app
Nearly 6,000 Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama will vote next month on forming the first union in the company’s history
Amazon will pay $61.7 million to Flex drivers after wage theft allegations — www.theverge.com
Amazon Flex drew criticism in 2019 for using tipped income to crowd out base pay, resulting in more than $60 million in allegedly stolen tips. The Federal Trade Commission has pledged to redistribute the money to drivers.
Substack has more than 500,000 paid subscribers — blog.substack.com
RT @simonowens Substack announces it’s passed the 500,000 paid subscriber threshold. It announced it had 250,000 in mid-December. That means it could conceivably reach the 1 million mark by early summer. That’s amazing growth.
90% of US GenZ watched Snap Shows or publisher content
MT @tgpHarding @Snap coming in hot with their Q4 earnings call. Highlights include:
- 265m DAU (+22% YoY)
- $911m rev (+62% YoY)
- ARPU $3.44 (+33% YoY)
- On average, 30x app opens /day
- 90% of US GenZ watched Shows or publisher content!
Interesting breakdown from an Amazon seller analyzing 2020 vs. 2019— www.molsonhart.com
Publishing & Media
GroupM, Unilever launch tool to measure ethics of data decision-making — adage.com
GroupM has launched a first-of-its-kind tool that attempts to measure the ethicality of decisions in the advertising industry. The so-called Data Ethics Compass uses “proprietary scoring logic” to evaluate ethical risk levels from a consumer’s point of view. via @adage
IMC acquires StackCommerce, the “Shopify for media” — www.axios.com
Digital Culture & Trends Report — www.youtube.com
ICYMI Insights.
Creator Portal | TikTok
Check it out — @tiktok_us has a Creator Guide
NetGalley and Its Parent, Firebrand, Acquired by Japan’s Media Do — publishingperspectives.com
Fran Toolan remains CEO of Firebrand and Netgally for at least three years, after being acquired by Tokyo’s Media Do.
Reese Witherspoon’s wildly popular book club is now an app — www.fastcompany.com
MT @FastCompany @ReeseW is seeking to broaden the reach of her wildly popular book club and the impact of @hellosunshine with @ReesesBookClub, a free app.
‘Price gouging from Covid’: student ebooks costing up to 500% more than in print
www.theguardian.com
Call for inquiry into academic publishers as locked-down students unable to access study material online
Accessible publishing in action — BookMachine — bookmachine.org
RT @LauraB7 When you consider inclusion from the start of the publishing process, accessibility can become an organic part of a workflow.
Indie Bookstores Embrace E-Commerce… and It Pays Off — www.publishersweekly.com
After a year spent pivoting out of necessity, booksellers now see online sales as a permanent part of their business model.
ALA Announces 2021 Annual Conference Will Be Virtual Only — www.publishersweekly.com
“We had hoped that by this summer it would be safe to meet again in person. However, that is clearly not the case.”
Organization Advocating Against Gun Violence Launches Book Club — www.publishersweekly.com
Everytown for Gun Safety is launching, through its grassroots division Moms Demand Action, a book club for its six million supporters intended to inform them about movements intersecting with their own advocacy.
Time, Sports Illustrated Introduce Paywalls — wwd.com
Time’s digital subscription will start at $2.99, while Sports Illustrated’s digital-only subscription is priced at $5.99. #magazinebusiness
Hearst releases first diversity and inclusion report — www.sfchronicle.com
Hearst releases its first US diversity and inclusion report, says 78% of employees who were managers or above, and 73% of its US employees were white.
Hearst to relocate some magazine staffers to former bowling alley — www.lehighvalleylive.com
Home decorating mag Domino sold again as fate of print edition in doubt — nypost.com
Domino Media, once a red-hot Conde Nast magazine, has been sold for the second time in three years — and the fate of the print edition is up in the air. #magazines
The New York Times Tops 7.5 Million Subscriptions as Ads Decline — www.nytimes.com
In its fourth-quarter earnings report, The New York Times Company said 2020 was its biggest year for adding subscribers.
West Virginia newspaper publisher sues Google, Facebook
West Virginia’s HD Media filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google and Facebook, citing threat of news “extinction.”
Colin Cowherd is creating a new podcast network called the Volume, where he will be the owner and the biggest star.
Cowherd will own the company, and IHeartMedia will sell the advertisements. #podcasting
Subtext lets journalists build deeper relationships with readers, one text at a time — www.niemanlab.org
RT @michellemanafy “Media companies were investing a huge amount of time, money, and effort in building out these huge audiences on social media…but at the end of the day, they’re renting those audiences.” Some are using texting to make direct connects. Via @NiemanLab
YouTube now reaches more 18–49 yr olds than all linear TV networks combined, advertising up 47% (mostly due to direct-response ads). Google’s cloud biz lost $5.61B in 2020.
Univision has acquired Spanish-language streamier Vix as it gears up to launch ad-supported streaming outlet PrendeTV.
Vice is launching its own online documentary film festival with 11 features curated by the company’s co-founder — deadline.com
The Free Black Women’s Library Celebrating Black Women and Nonbinary Writers — bookriot.com
Learn about The Free Black Women’s Library celebrating Black women and nonbinary writers, and support their reading room campaign.
Resources & Opportunities
New Exhibition in Manhattan Showcases How Magazines Helped Shape the Nation — www.ny1.com
Magazines and the American Experience is on display at the Grolier Club in Midtown through April 24th. #magazines
15 free LinkedIn Learning classes that help users get promoted the most — www.businessinsider.com
RT @insider_reviews Through February 28, LinkedIn Learning is offering free classes that helped people get promoted in 2020.
Microsoft Launches Immersive Black History Month Experience Free for K-12 Students — people.com
Microsoft is teaming up with museums around the world to bring virtual Black History Month programming to classrooms
Pharrell Williams Launches Black Ambition
RT @NYUEntrepreneur Pharrell Williams (Tisch artist-in-residence) Launches the Black Ambition Prize, which will find, support, and seed early-stage companies in tech, design, healthcare, and consumer products. The grand prize winner will receive up to a $1 million prize!
Penguin Random House Library Award for Innovation
MT @RHCBEducators The Penguin Random House Library Award for Innovation recognizes U.S. libraries and librarians who create lasting innovative programs that successfully inspire and connect with new readers. The award consists of a $10,000 cash prize. Apply by March 1. #teamPRH
Emerging Tech Grants for Women Founders
RT @anneravanona Exciting news! @WomenWhoTech just opened applications for their Emerging Tech Grants to fund women founders. Apply to pitch the biggest investors #womenintech #emergingtech #startups#VCs
PBS Announces Open Call for Emerging Filmmakers
PBS announced an open call for submissions for long and short form films by next generation content creators.
Writing for Justice Fellowship $5K-$8K — PEN America — pen.org
RT @PENamerica Poems, novels, dramas, hybrid media: the range of Writing for Justice Fellowship projects has no limit. Learn more about the Fellowship, gain inspiration from past Fellows, & apply! Applications close 2/15.
Library of Congress Accepting Applications for 2021 Literacy Awards Until March 5 — www.loc.gov
Funding for BlackCreatorsInKidLit — www.32auctions.com
Silent auction ‘Funding for BlackCreatorsInKidLit’ hosted online at 32auctions. #BlackCreatorsInKidlit
Women’s Media Group — “You Don’t Have to Read the Book” Book Club: Bookish Broads
Attn. WMG and BAWIP members: Join @WMG_NYC on February 25th to celebrate fierce, trailblazing women authors including WMG member Lauren Marino herself, author of our latest book club selection Bookish Broads: Women Who Wrote Themselves into History (Abrams). Free, members only.
Picture Book Pitch — www.pbpitch.com
HT @janycampana #PBPitch #WritingCommunity
Paisley Book Festival
MT @edbookfest With a superb 10 day programme featuring phenomenal writers, free online events, exciting guest curators, workshops, educational resources and more, don’t miss out on @BookPaisley Festival! #PBF2021
NYWICI Scholarship Program
RT @NYWICI The NYWICI Scholarship application is OPEN!! We invite undergraduate students to apply. Complete the application form by the deadline of midnight, February 26. #scholarship #collegestudents
Support Troop 6000 to Help NYC Girl Scouts in Shelters and Order Cookies — digitalcookie.girlscouts.org
RT @MrPeanut Girl Scout cookie season is the best season. And Troop 6000 helps girls from New York shelters find comfort in community.
So I’m buying 10,000 boxes to help them go #ANutAbove their goal — and donating them to a local food bank.
(P.S. Tagalongs over everything, don’t @ me.)