automates a growing array of coding tasks, from auto-completing segments of code & fine-tuning algorithms to searching source code & locating bugs #AI
Thanks to Merriam-Webster, you can now own the NFT of the definition of “NFT” — www.multivu.com
Merriam-Webster today announced it is auctioning the NFT (non-fungible token) of its definition of “NFT.”
CryptoPunks NFTs sell at Christie’s for $16.9 million — www.theverge.com
Nine CryptoPunks from Larva Labs sold at a Christie’s auction. It’s among the largest NFT purchases to date. CryptoPunks are among the earliest NFTs, consisting of 10,000 algorithmically generated pixel-art portraits. via @Verge #NFTs
NFT Platform Bitski Levels Up With $19 Million Investment From Serena Williams And Jay-Z — www.forbes.com
Sports, hip-hop and digital art have collided with Jay-Z and Serena WIlliams investing in Bitski, an NFT marketplace that aims to simplify creating, buying, and selling non-fungible tokens. With NFT sales up 55% since 2020 from $250 million to $389 million, just how lucrative is the industry?
Walmart announces plans to purchase virtual fitting room company Zeekit — www.zdnet.com
The Israeli company has created a virtual fitting room platform designed to make shopping easier.
Amazon blocked 10 billion listings in counterfeit crackdown — apnews.com
RT @petermccarthy Scale and ML. #Amazon blocked 10 billion listings in counterfeit crackdown.
New AI ‘Deep Nostalgia’ brings old photos, including very old ones, to life — www.theverge.com
ICYMI HT @neilperkin Deep Nostalgia can take photos from any camera and create a life-like animation. The AI program uses pre-recorded driver videos of facial movements and applies the one that works best for the still photo in question, so you can take photos of deceased loved ones and see them in “action.” #AI
Springer Nature advances its machine-generated tools and offers new book format (AI-based lit overview)
Technology
AT&T in talks with Discovery to combine media assets to better compete with entertainment giants like Disney and Netflix
MT @sarafischer
— Both have new general entertainment streaming services, neither are massive
— Both have sports assets, Discovery’s mostly abroad and ATT’s in the US
— ATT has a news network and a movie studio
Biden signs executive order to strengthen US cyber security
MT @DCNorg Move comes after several high-profile hacks, including attack on crucial fuel pipeline
Can Apple change ads? — www.ben-evans.com
RT @benedictevans Apple won and then lost music, failed TV, won games massively, and makes $25bn a year in rent from iOS. Now it’s looking at advertising — so can it do to that what it did to music?
Amazon launches miniTV, an ad-supported free video streaming service that is available within the Amazon shopping app in India
Amazon Shipping
MT @benedictevans Somehow I had no idea that Amazon was now doing deliveries for other websites where the consumer and product never touched Amazon.
Twitter Blue Subscription Service has Undo Send, Collections
MT @wongmjane Twitter is calling their upcoming Subscription Service “Twitter Blue,” priced at $2.99/month for now, including paid features like undo tweets, collections.
Facebook takes on Nextdoor with Neighborhoods tool — www.cnet.com
The social network is testing the feature in Canada and four US cities first. #Facebook
Instagram will let people list their pronouns on their profiles — www.theverge.com
Instagram is allowing users in a few countries to define their pronouns on their profiles. This can be publicly accessible or made only available to people who follow them.
Clubhouse will make its Android app available worldwide in a week — www.engadget.com
Clubhouse now expects its Android app to be available worldwide within a week after limiting it to US beta testers.
Attorneys general from over 40 states urge Facebook to cancel plans for Instagram for kids — www.cbsnews.com
Attorneys general from 44 states and territories are calling on Facebook to abandon its plans to create a version of Instagram for children under 13.
Inside NBCU’s Bid to Become a Shopping Powerhouse — wwd.com
Comcast Readies Shopping Powerhouse — NBCUniversal aims to turn passive viewers into active shoppers with its newly unveiled One Platform Commerce initiative. #ecommerce
Pinterest to test livestreamed events this month with 21 creators — techcrunch.com
Pinterest is expanding into live events. The company is planning to host a three-day virtual event that will feature livestreamed sessions from top creators, including big names like Jonathan Van Ness and Rebecca Minkoff, among others. The virtual event will run inside the Pinterest app from May 24th through May 26th.
Publishing’s Problem is not a Tech Problem
Via @ThadMcIlroy
Media & Publishing
YouTube Will Spend $100 Million To Lure Away Influencers From TikTok
HT @chrisbrogan YouTube will pay out the cash over 2021 and 2022 to creators who publish Shorts, its answer to TikTok.
BuzzFeed in Talks to Acquire Complex Networks
Digital media companies pump the brakes on their rush to go public as SPAC market cools
ICYMI Vice, Bustle Hit the Brakes on Drive to Go Public — BuzzFeed may be the only significant digital media company to go public with a SPAC partner this year, executives said. #MediaBiz
Bustle Digital Group formally rebrands as BDG ahead of anticipated IPO
(In a curious contradiction to the above story.) The new logo and name will roll out Tuesday.
Vice Media joins streaming gold rush in new bid for profitability
Vice Media has launched a free online channel on Roku in the US, describing itself as “a gigantic TV production company.”
Funny or Die Sold to Momento Latino Founder
MT @michellemanafy Designer, philanthropist and former Democratic National Committee finance chair Henry R. Muñoz III has acquired Funny or Die. Via @thr
U.K. Arms of Condé Nast, Hearst Plan Hundreds of Layoffs in Post-COVID-19 Restructure
wwd.com
The U.K. arms of Condé Nast and Hearst are tightening operations, and thinking more globally, with hundreds of jobs said to be at risk.
Hearst has sold the US edition of Marie Claire to the British publisher Future, the publisher of the magazine’s UK edition — www.nytimes.com
ICYMI #magazines
Why Hearst’s digital-native food brand Delish is getting into print — digiday.com
After creating cookbooks and bookazines, Delish will launch a quarterly print magazine to build out its membership offering.
Meredith Debuts ‘Paw Print,’ Print Magazine For Pet Owners
Here’s how Bloomberg Media plans to turn a popular podcast into paying subscribers
Bloomberg has launched a suite of subscriber-only content — including a weekly newsletter and daily blog — aimed at the three-quarters of Odd Lots listeners who are not yet subscribed. #Podcast
IAB: Podcast Advertising To Surpass $1B This Year
via @IAB @KLmarketdaily
Spotify acquires exclusive rights to Dax Shepard’s podcast “Armchair Expert”
www.axios.com
It’s the latest in a long line of exclusive podcast deals Spotify has inked to bolster its podcast ambitions.
Slate is selling audiobooks that you can listen to through your podcast app — www.theverge.com
Slate is selling audiobooks that can be enjoyed through various podcasting apps. The company is partnering with Penguin-Random House, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, and Hachette to sell the books.
HarperCollins Completes Purchase of HMH Trade
The second largest trade publisher in the U.S. has completed its acquisition of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books & Media, for $349 million.
Kakao Buys Radish Fiction App, Tapas Storytelling App for $950 Million
variety.com
South Korea’s Kakao Entertainment is buying fiction app Radish for $440 million and short-form media firm Tapas for $510 million.
Elliott Buys Paper Source Out of Bankruptcy, to be Run by BN CEO James Daunt
lunch.publishersmarketplace.com
Elliott Investment Management announced an agreement to acquire the assets and operations of bankrupt stationery retailer Paper Source for approximately $91.5 million…. Elliott says in the announcement that Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt will have oversight over Paper Source as well. They say Paper Source and BN “are highly complementary, with shared product ranges and a common commitment to excellent customer service. While the businesses will continue to operate independently, considerable opportunities exist for mutually beneficial retail partnerships.”
RBmedia Acquires McGraw Hill Professional Audiobook Publishing Business
RBmedia to also publish new McGraw Hill business audiobook titles as part of an exclusive, long-term agreement.
The Rise of Virtual Foreign Author Tours
www.publishersweekly.com
The shift to virtual author events during the pandemic has prompted booksellers and publishers to put together events for overseas authors who would not traditionally tour the U.S.
These Amazon Category Hacks Will Boost Your Book Sales
HT @inkbitspixels via @DavidGaughran #Amazon #BookMarketing
17 Instagram Book Promotion Ideas from Publishers
HT @inkbitspixels #Instagram #BookMarketing
Pandemic Survey Finds NYC Writers, Lit Organizations Face Economic Loss
A new survey examining the impact of the pandemic on New York City’s literary community found that 75% of the city’s literary organizations reported some financial loss over the last year, with some organizations reporting losses as high as $100,000.
Carmen Maria Machado: Banning My Book Won’t Protect Your Child — www.nytimes.com
You can’t recognize what you’ve never been taught to see….My memoir could teach teenagers how to exit an abusive relationship. So why don’t some parents want their children to read it?
The LeVar Burton Book Club is launching with three great picks — ew.com
Former Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton tells EW about his new book club and his journey as a lover of literature.
Stacey Abrams’ New Novel While Justice Sleeps Set to be Adapted for TV Series — thegrapevine.theroot.com
The Obsessive Scholar Who Rescued Iceland’s Ancient Literary Legacy— lithub.com
Staff of Baltimore Sun, other Tribune newspapers rallied on Saturday to ‘save local news’
Staff of Baltimore Sun, other Tribune newspapers rallied on Saturday to ‘save local news’ — demanding their parent company not sell to Alden Global Capital. #newspapers
Music Inc: Why song rights sales are booming — www.dw.com
From Bob Dylan to Shakira and now the Red Hot Chili Peppers, many music superstars are selling their song catalogs for hundred-odd-million sums. What’s behind the megadeals? #copyright #MusicBiz
National Endowment for Arts Announces Second Round of Grants for FY 2021 — www.arts.gov
MT @NEAarts Today we’re excited to announce a second round of @NEAarts grants for FY 2021! More than $88 Million will be distributed to organizations in all states and jurisdictions.
Phylicia Rashad appointed Dean of Fine Arts at Howard University — www.cnn.com
Howard University announced Wednesday that alunma Phylicia Rashad has been appointed dean of the recently reestablished College of Fine Arts.
Resources & Opportunities
#BooksForHope #BooksForHopeIndia — twitter.com
MT @nandinibajpai Over $54,000 raised!! #BooksForHope#BooksForHopeIndia Thanks to all the authors, editors, agents, and publishing industry professionals for donating generously and everyone who boosted and bid! The conditions in India remain dire. Please continue to support efforts to help!
MT @brendadrake Get ready! The next #PitMad is Thursday June 3 from 8AM to 8PM hosted by @PitchWars #amwriting #amquerying #amediting#WritingCommunity
Pitch An Agent! 📚 Bookish Shark Tank
RT @WeAre_ALit Want to pitch an agent live on Clubhouse? Here’s your chance! “Pitch An Agent! “ Bookish Shark Tank” with @carlywatters, @ceciliaclyra, @claire_m_harris, @msmariavicente, and Publishing Professionals. Tuesday, May 25 at 11:00 AM CDT on @clubhouse!
Gallery First Novel Contest Page
MT @GalleryBooks Announcing BOOKS LIKE US: First Novel Contest! Spearheaded by Gallery’s BIPOC staff, our mission is to facilitate accessibility to underrepresented writers by amplifying voices that represent us, by publishing BOOKS LIKE US.
Mellon, Flamboyan Foundations Launch Fellowship for Puerto Rican Writers
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Flamboyan Foundation’s Arts Fund have jointly established the Letras Boricuas Fellowship for Puerto Rican writers. 30 fellowships will come with an unrestricted $25K grant
Mary Beard to fund classics students from under-represented groups
www.theguardian.com
Academic and broadcaster will give £80,000 to support two students at Cambridge as parting retirement gift
Lit Fest 2021 — www.lighthousewriters.org
MT @wordisdiversity Registration is now open for this year’s #LitFest! Lit Fest offers seminars, workshops, panels, and happy hours for writers from virtually everywhere this year.
SLJ Picture Book Palooza — www.slj.com
MT @sljournal Join us July 15 for our very first SLJ Picture Book Palooza, an all-day, free virtual celebration of authors and artists dedicated to the visual dance and extraordinary craft of picture books!
NYU Tandon Future Labs Next Round
HT @nycmedialab Attn. founders:The Data Future Lab at NYU Tandon is accepting applications for Next Round, a 2-yr incubator program for Seed to Series A startups. NYU resources, eligibility for START-UP NY tax-free status, subsidized office space, and more.
Consumer Reports Digital Lab Fellows
HT @nycmedialab Consumers Reports 2021–22 Digital Lab Fellows program. Deadline 5/21. Paid, non-resident opportunity to uncover and address emerging consumer harms in the digital world. Fellows receive a generous stipend + access to CR labs, reporters, and more.
NPR Diverse Sources Database
RT @michellemanafy Love this from @NPR Diverse Sources Database to help everyone find experts from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in the media.
Virtual Digital NY Summit — www.cityandstateny.com
HT @nycmedialab Free City & State’s Digital New York Summit 5/18 NY’s info leaders from govt + industry discussion/presentations w innovative ideas being used to improve the delivery of services to both citizens and government agencies
Latest vaccination freebie in NYC: Show your vax card at @shakeshack and get a free side of fries with your order.
Last Chance — Sign up today for FREE movie screening and Q&A 5/20— www.womensmediagroup.org
Come for the FREE screening, stay for the exclusive Q&A — Join @WMG_NYC on 5/20 from 6–8pm ET as we stream the meet-cute Hallmark film “Love to the Rescue” written by WMG member @sarahemontana+ Q&A after the movie. All are welcome! Sign up today!!