McKinsey’s top technology trends
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USA TODAY’s inaugural NFT — www.msn.com
The USA Today Network will auction its inaugural non-fungible token inspired by the first newspaper delivered to space in 1971.
NFT-Powered Digital Comic to Let Fans Decide Heroes’ Fates — www.coindesk.com
Leveraging the Tezos blockchain, Interpop aims to bring back back the interactivity comic books lost when they ditched the letter columns. #comics #NFT
Jay-Z to Auction ‘Reasonable Doubt’ NFT at Sotheby’s — www.highsnobiety.com
JAY-Z is gearing up to sell his first NFT based on the cover art of his debut album ‘Reasonable Doubt’ at Sotheby’s.
Colts LG Nelson holds NFT auction for ‘Blocking Cancer’ initiative
Technology
Facebook’s Instagram Adds Shopping Via Images, Virtual Try-On
Instagram is adding new shopping tools, like letting people search for products using an image, as it expands e-commerce offerings across its family of apps. When users click on the images they see on Instagram, Facebook will direct them to similar-looking products for sale. A user could click on a floral dress on the social media network and find similar outfits being sold in Instagram Shops, which are the stores the app hosts from third-party businesses.
Instagram tests putting suggested posts ahead of your friends’ — www.theverge.com
Instagram’s latest test will place suggested posts within users’ actual feeds. They’ll be able to define their interests and snooze recommendations, as well.
AT&T, WarnerMedia Sell Playdemic Mobile Game Studio To Electronic Arts For $1.4 Billion in cash
Google delays phase out of tracking tech by nearly 2 years — apnews.com
Google will delay by nearly two years the phase out of Chrome web browser technology that tracks users for ad purposes, saying that it needs more time to develop a replacement system.
Microsoft Will Bundle Its Slack Rival to in New Windows Software
Microsoft is unveiling a new version of Windows for the first time in six years, and says said it will integrate its Teams chat and videoconferencing software directly into the operating system
Snap Strikes Licensing Deal With World’s Top Record Label Universal Music Group
www.bloomberg.com
Snap Inc. has struck a licensing deal with Vivendi SE’s Universal Music Group that gives its users access to thousands of songs, including tracks from Taylor Swift and Drake, in the latest tie-up between social-media giants and record labels.
Publishing & Media
Survey Reveals a Need for Greater Workplace Inclusivity
RT @PocPub We collaborated with @LatinxinPub for a survey asking current and former BIPOC publishing professionals to anonymously share their experiences with workplace racism. Read our interview with PW here:
Wattpad and Webtoon Merge Studio Divisions, Parent Company Commits $100M in Development and Production Financing
variety.com
Wattpad Studios will merge with Webtoon’s studio operations, funded with $100 million from their joint parent company, South Korea’s Naver.
Get Caught Reading Expands Reach with Community Leader Program— www.publishersweekly.com
Every Child a Reader, the charitable arm of the Children’s Book Council, is introducing a new component to its Get Caught Reading program, featuring local leaders of key cultural and social services organizations.
Brontë enthusiasts have banded together to stop Sotheby’s from auctioning off rare manuscripts — lithub.com
Transworld launches bookclub with online platform Noon
MT @thebookseller .@TransworldBooks has started a book club partnership with new online platform @FromNoon which is described as “the first dedicated channel for women in midlife, providing expert advice, community and inspiration.”
Drew Barrymore is launching her own magazine — nypost.com
ICYMI Bauer Media’s new magazine with Drew Barrymore — a quarterly called Drew — will cost $10 #magazines
Travelers Are Returning to the Skies. Some In-Flight Magazines Aren’t.
American Airlines will play videos on seat-back screens created under the mastheads of Vogue, GQ and Conde Nast Traveler. #magazines
BuzzFeed to Go Public, Acquire Complex Networks, targets $1.5 billion valuation
Facebook and Google both say they will give news media more support in next five years
The New York Times has begun offering subscribers the ability to “gift” 10 articles per month to non-subscribers. — www.niemanlab.org
Charter, new media company about work, launched by Quartz, NYT vets — www.axios.com
Bloomberg leans into personality journalism with new newsletters — www.axios.com
Hearst rolled out all-new CTInsider, covering news from across Connecticut, in addition to six new newsletters
Inside Comcast’s Plan to Become a Streaming Giant
Comcast is considering a potential tie-up with ViacomCBS or an acquisition of Roku, in an effort to become a streaming giant.
Resources & Opportunities
Finding Ada Conference 2021 — Jul 19
RT @FindingAda Finding Ada Conference for #womeninSTEM, feat. talks on writing a science book, designing demos, developing DEI initiatives & more. 20–22 Jul, free: https://hopin.com/events/finding-ada-conference-2021…
Improve your media skills, scicomms, & social media skills. Workshop info & tix: https://findingada.com/events/the-finding-ada-conference-2021/#workshops