Innovation
Japanese scientists invent masks that glow when exposed to traces of coronavirus — www.designboom.com
Researchers in Japan have developed a new mask that glows in the dark when exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19.
What influencer marketing looks like in the metaverse — www.voguebusiness.com
A broad range of fashion brands, including Prada, Puma and Yoox, are creating avatars to stand alongside the likes of Shudu and Lil Miquela. Their common goal? To be purpose-driven and community-led. #metaverse#influencermarketing
‘Reading your mind’: How eyes, pupils and heart rate could be used to target ads in the metaverse — www.euronews.com
Brands are already staking out the commercial opportunities within the metaverse but some experts are raising the alarm about the implications immersive advertising will have for user privacy, safety and consent. #advertising
Global survey: The state of AI in 2021 | McKinsey
A majority of companies now adopt AI, and leaders are using more sophisticated tools and practices. Via @McKinsey #AI
Seven types of NFTs 🧵
A good overview of NFT use cases from @cdixon. #NFTs
Never-Ending Tickets (NETs): An NFT Road Map for Content Creators
Three Steps to the Future
This year’s presentation from the perennially prescient @benedictevans.
The 9 factors that attract talent to companies also attract long-term brand loyalty
More wisdom from @rishad.
Technology
Google’s Year in Search — trends.google.com
ICYMI A moving video. Explore the searches that shaped 2021, from Google Trends. #yearinsearch
The Movement to Hold AI Accountable Gains More Steam
HT @nycmedialab A New York City law requires algorithms used in hiring to be “audited” for bias. It’s the first in the US — and part of a larger push toward regulation.
Inside Tim Cook’s Secret $275 Billion Deal with Chinese Authorities
MT @waynema Apple CEO Tim Cook secretly signed a five-year investment agreement with Beijing in 2016. Internal Apple documents provide a rare glimpse at Apple’s interaction with Chinese officials over the years.
Instagram will bring back a chronological feed in 2022
Twitter’s High Profile Users Get VIP Treatment When Internet Trolls Attack
www.bloomberg.com
‘Project Guardian’ aims to protect prominent tweeters from abuse, harassment
Over 200 newspapers now involved in quiet lawsuits v. Google, Facebook
www.axios.com
A small-town effort to take a stand against Big Tech has turned into a national movement.
Amazon Is Fined $1.3 Billion by Italy’s Antitrust Regulators
www.nytimes.com
In an investigation into how the e-commerce giant gains an advantage over competitors, regulators said third-party vendors paying for Fulfillment by Amazon received special perks.
Social Media Ad Market to Overtake TV In 2022, Zenith Forecasts
MT @savvybostonian Expenditures on platforms like TikTok, Instagram will jump to $177 billion next year to top television, which will account for $174 billion, according to the media agency’s global forecast.
How to Use Your Phone’s Privacy-Protection Tools — www.nytimes.com
New settings in iOS 15 and Android 12 give you more power over your personal information and when (or if) apps and sites can see it.
Emerging Market Research Firm Vault AI Closes $8M Series A Round Co-Led By Hearst Ventures
Vault AI, a market research startup blending computer tools with more traditional methods, has closed an $8 million Series A funding round.
First look: Inside The New York Times’ audio app — www.axios.com
“New York Times Audio” will debut as an iPhone app in a private beta.
Publishing & Media
Millions of Followers? For Book Sales, ‘It’s Unreliable.’
www.nytimes.com
Social-media fandom can help authors score book deals and bigger advances, but does it translate to how a new title will sell? Publishers are increasingly skeptical.
R.R. Donnelley Board Unanimously Determines that Chatham’s Unsolicited Proposal to Acquire RRD for $10.85 Per Share in Cash Constitutes a “Superior Proposal”
Education Publishers Sue Shopify for Copyright, Trademark Infringement
HT @BISG A group of educational publishers (incl. Macmillan, Cengage, Elsevier, McGraw Hill, Pearson+) filed suit against Shopify, accusing them of copyright+trademark infringement for facilitating the sale of pirated textbooks + educational materials. #copyright
How Publishers Can Get Alt Text Right
Via @BillKasdorf #Accessibility
Feminist retelling of Nineteen Eighty-Four approved by Orwell’s estate
www.theguardian.com
American writer Sandra Newman’s novel Julia will tell the dystopian story from the perspective of Winston Smith’s lover
How content creators are using subscription services to make a living
The Creator Economy is thriving. What was once the reserve of well-known journalists and established brands is now an opportunity for the masses, with thousands going it alone as paid content creators. Empowered by accessible publishing platforms and recurring revenue streams, in today’s world, anyone can start their own media company.
From Content Providers To Experience Makers In Seven Easy Steps
HT @BoSacks via @MrMagazine.
Coalition Condemns Political Attacks Against Books in Schools — www.publishersweekly.com
The National Coalition Against Censorship has issued a statement signed by more than 600 signatories condemning the political efforts to remove books from schools as acts of censorship that threaten the education of children while putting the safety of librarians, teachers, school administrators and school board officials in jeopardy.
Students, Teachers, and Librarians are Fed Up With Book Challenges
bookriot.com
“Reading books like All Boys Aren’t Blue have helped me acknowledge who I am,” said one Ankeny, Iowa, high school junior.
UK Publishers push back titles as shipping delays cause ‘unprecedented’ challenge
Shipping delays are hitting publication dates for a number of titles, with some publishers even going as far as sending books to print nine months in advance to ensure they are released on time.
Hachette UK CEO David Shelley Says UK Supply Chain Problems Are Causing the ‘Most Extreme’ Challenges He’s Seen in His Career
The 101 Best Book Covers of 2021
RT @lithub The book designers have spoken.
Best Graphic Novels 2021 — www.slj.com
Webtoon’s North American CEO Ken Kim on the Platform’s Staggering Growth, Reach and Connections with the U.S. Comics Market
HT @glecharles Webtoon generated >$1.2B last year (about the same as the entire U.S. comics industry put together) + has 72M readers.
TILDA SWINTON AS LIBRARIES: a thread
Via @JudeAtwood
Resources & Opportunities
Penguin Hotline
Last chance to receive personalized book recommendations from the experts at the #PenguinHotline! Staffed by employees (like me!) and celebrity authors!! For every request placed through 12/15, @penguinrandom will be donating $2 to @ProLiteracy. Join the cause! #BetterWithBooks #GreatGiftIdeas #TeamPRH
Berkley Open Submission Program
RT @BerkleyPub We are THRILLED to announce that Berkley is now open for submissions! The Berkley Open Submission Program allows writers to submit a ten-page sample of their completed manuscript, NO AGENT NEEDED. #TeamPRH
Bid on a 3-Night Retreat at The Barn at Boyds Mills in PA
Attn Writers: Want to getaway to your own private cabin for a writing retreat? Here’s your chance!! @HighlightsFound has donated a super cozy 3-Night Retreat at The Barn at Boyd, including meals, to @WMG_NYC. Bid today! #amwriting
Partnerships Manager | CreativeMornings
MT @swissmiss Come work with me! Team @creativemorning is looking to hire a Partnerships Manager. If you have partnership experience and just like me tend to become friends with the people you have built partnerships in the past, please apply.
Binc Fundraising Efforts Head to Finish Line — www.publishersweekly.com
The Book Industry Charitable Foundation is $200,000 short of its annual fundraising target. @BincFoundation receives an average of eight to 10 calls a week from bookstore and comic shop employees and owners looking for help.
Moderna boosters
@nycshotslots: Moderna boosters aren’t as widely available in Manhattan as Pfizer. Try your local independent pharmacy — the chains in Manhattan are booked for the next few weeks. You can also schedule Moderna boosters at city-run sites here: https://vax4nyc.nyc.gov/patient/s/ or https://covid19.nychealthandhospitals.org/unaffiliatedhealthcareworkers
NYC’s app for storing images of your vax card has been updated to allow parents to store their children’s info as well. — twitter.com
RT @MarkLevineNYC Download “NYC Covid Safe” in iphone or android app store