Innovation
Google’s new AI automatically turns webpages into videos
HT @MariSmith If you have a product webpage, you’d wish that you could create a handy video to show to clients with all the info. However, you might not have the budget to hire someone to make it. To solve that, Google’s AI team is working on a future solution that automatically converts webpages into videos.
L’Oreal Paris responds to pandemic with first digital make-up line —www.campaignlive.co.uk
The digital make-up tool enables social-media users to try out different looks on Google Duo, Snapchat and Instagram. #innovation
Will Facebook Horizon be the first step toward the metaverse? —venturebeat.com
ICYMI — This is a tech to watch: Facebook Horizon is a user-generated virtual reality world currently in closed beta testing as the hype around a metaverse (an interconnected universe of virtual worlds) #gaming #VR
Amazon Explore
ICYMI Amazon Explore is a series of 1-on-1 virtual tour guides, where you can connect with hosts in destinations to take lessons, learn about landmarks and view new destinations remotely. Uses live streaming and experience experts selling their knowledge.
Amazon introduces the Amazon One, a way to pay with your palm when entering stores — techcrunch.com
As Augmented Reality Evolves, the Reporting Is All Around You
From beekeepers to ocean mappers, Lobe aims to make it easy for anyone to train machine learning models — blogs.microsoft.com
The free app aims to make machine learning easier for people to use and helps them train models without writing code. #Microsoft #ML
An AI-Powered Film/Game That’s Different Each Time You Watch/Play— www.agence.ai
You play god to an evolving species of AI creatures. As you interact, they begin to learn from your actions, and each playthrough is unique. On Oculus, Viveport, Steam, and it can be experienced on PC and mobile.
LIKELIKE — likelike3d.herokuapp.com
HT @FoSTorg LikeLike is an online re-creation of a real arcade-slash-art-gallery. They’ve expanded w a new 3D, MMO manifestation of its still-closed physical space, featuring 6 games that experiment w 1st-person perspective
Rules & Roberts — molleindustria.itch.io
HT @FoSTorg Need to learn Robert’s Rules of Order for a non-profit? There’s a game for that (and it looks amazing).
To Boldly Go Where No Internet Protocol Has Gone Before —www.quantamagazine.org
Planning the interplanetary internet via @QuantaMagazine #innovation#technology
Tilt Five raises $7.5 million for AR goggles for tabletop board games —venturebeat.com
Game tech to watch #AR
Jellybooks and Blackwell’s creating ebook/audiobook snippets in cloud
MT @arhomberg @jellybooks is teaming up with @blackwellbooks to build a UK-based, cross-industry platform for ebook excerpts and audiobook snippets accessible to any publisher or bookseller. The effort is being supported with funding from @innovateuk
Technology
Beyond the Great Firewall
ICYMI Online service providers have to use a combination of labour and automated technology to keep content within acceptable boundaries or risk fines and other punishments. #technology #censorship
Publishing
They’re Just Like You: New Yorker Staff Writers Complain About How Hard it is to Access Your New Yorker Account — www.mediaite.com
Staff of the New Yorker took to Twitter to complain about how difficult it is navigate a New Yorker subscriber’s account — even if you write for the magazine.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Announces Intent to Explore Potential Sale of HMH Books & Media Consumer Publishing Business —www.prnewswire.com
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Biggest Investor Wants Out
lunch.publishersmarketplace.com
Lagardere Denies French Media Reports that Company Will Sell International Publishers to Vivendi
lunch.publishersmarketplace.com
Amazon is Killing Kindle Owner’s Lending Library on 1/4
ByteDance to pump $170 million into e-book reader Zhangyue —techcrunch.com
As revenue declines, Quad/Graphics closes four printing plants, eliminates 1,100 jobs in four states
HT @BoSacks
New York Times Hits 7 Million Subscribers as Digital Revenue Rises —www.nytimes.com
For the first time, the publisher brought in more revenue from online readers than from its print subscribers. 4.7 million subscribe to the core product; the rest of the 7 million to the crossword or cooking app.
How the Washington Post is expanding its global subscriber base — Digiday — digiday.com
HT @BoSacks Since the beginning of 2020, the Washington Post’s subscriptions biz has grown by over 40% year over year, while its global subscriptions business is up over 60% from last year. #newsbusiness
Washington Post Creates Contextual Ad Targeting Product
The holiday shopping season is on and Bustle Digital Group is setting up shop virtually — digiday.com
Bustle Digital Group is trying to recreate the holiday shopping experience online this year with its three-week-long Shop Holiday virtual bazaar.
Rolling Stone + Yappa World partnered for virtual live event series, Useful Idiots Live, based on podcast. Yappa’s commenting tool installed on select Rolling Stone music lists
Your Favorite Children’s Book Characters as Fashion Icons —www.nytimes.com
ICYMI Madeline is wearing Chanel, Mary Poppins is in Burberry.
Business
Amazon reportedly planning new service for its rural deliveries —www.theverge.com
Amazon may be looking to handle its own deliveries to rural areas rather than relying on the US Postal Service, according to several job postings. Several since-deleted job postings described “a new delivery business … that will support Amazon’s rural communities.” #Amazon
TikTok secured the rights to recordings from thousands of artists in a new deal with Sony Music Entertainment — www.bloomberg.com
ICYMI Agreement would give artists more money when their work is used in the popular video app. #MusicIndustry
China Millionaire Livestreamer Viya Shows Online Shopping Future —www.bloomberg.com
Seems like a trend (fad?) to watch: She’s a millionaire at 34 and bigger than “Sunday Night Football.” Meet China’s star saleswoman, Viya, who rules a $60 billion world of live online shopping
The Secret To Peloton, Apple, Netflix, and Tesla’s Growth: It’s Vertical Integration — www.entrepreneur.com
Instead of just focusing on one thing, these companies are building and mastering every part of the market/supply chain themselves.
12 Career Lessons — The Future Does Not Fit In The Containers Of The Past — rishad.substack.com
ICYMI A good read: 12 Career Lessons by @rishad
Resources and Opportunities
Women’s Media Group — Virtual Happy Hour with BAWIP —www.womensmediagroup.org
Last chance for @WMG_NYC members to sign up for the FREE Virtual Happy Hour with @Womenpublishing on 11/11.
Romancing the Runoff Donations
MT @RomancingRunoff Hi! We’re here to give 2020 a HEA. Join us!
Donate to the auction: https://forms.gle/ukZsSkMJ4GfE7nvr7…
Donate on ActBlue (US): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/romancingrunoff…
Donate on ActBlue (Intl): https://secure.actblue.com/donate/romancingrunoffintl
The auction will run from November 18th to November 24th.
LET’S GO GET THAT HAPPILY EVER AFTER!
Jacaranda launches online book festival — www.thebookseller.com
RT @thebookseller .@JacarandaBooks has launched an online book festival exploring the Black experience through writing, with sessions from “Empowering Black Women Through Romance Writing”, “Between Two Worlds: Exploring Mixed-Race identity” and “The Poets of #Twentyin2020”
Public libraries invited to apply for $5,000 American Dream grants for adult literacy services
RT @amlibraries ALA News: Public libraries invited to apply for $5,000 American Dream grants for adult literacy services
Neil Gaiman wants you to #DrawForRefugees this winter — Deadline 11/12/20
RT @neilhimself Last year, you all joined me to write 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐦, a poem to raise funds for @refugees. Now I need your help to bring it to life. We’re making an animated film and would love to include some drawings by you. #DrawForRefugees
Team @simonsinek looking for a graphic designer
HT @swissmiss
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