| By Kathy Sandler • Issue #146 • View online |
| Innovation |
| 3D video calls, where you feel like the other person is sitting at the table across from you: Google’s Project Starline#MLblog.google • Share |
| Language models like GPT-3 could herald a new type of search engineThe way we look for information online hasn’t changed in decades. A new idea from Google researchers could make searching the web more like talking to human experts. #AIwww.technologyreview.com • Share |
| Facebook announced that it trained an AI model to build speech recognition systems that don’t require transcribed data.#Facebook #AIventurebeat.com • Share |
| Ethereum Closes In on Long-Sought Fix to Cut Energy Use Over 99%Shift could boost Ether as Bitcoin’s environmental rap worsens; ETH’s 45,000 gigawatt usage may fall to 1/10,000th of that.www.bloomberg.com • Share |
| Meredith, Snapchat To Launch Scan Initiative For ‘Allrecipes’Home cooks soon will be able to access Allrecipes recipes based on ingredients captured in the Snapchat camera. #magazines #innovationwww.mediapost.com • Share |
| Where are all the women innovators? Here’s a startThese are some of the women whose devotion to innovation is inspiring.www.mckinsey.com • Share |
| Technology |
| Shein: The TikTok of EcommerceMT @packyM SHEIN is the quiet Chinese quindecacorn #addicting America’s Gen Z shoppers. You’ve probably never heard of them.$10bn in 2020 rev$15bn valuation, Sequoia & Tiger#2 shopping app in the USCreating real-time retailwww.notboring.co • Share |
| Pinterest introduces Idea Pins, a video-first feature aimed at creatorsPinterest is expanding further into the creator community with the launch of a video-first feature called “Idea Pins,” aimed at creators who want to tell their stories using video, music, creative editing tools and more. The feature feels a lot like Pinterest’s own take on TikTok, mixed with Stories, as the new Pins allow creators to record and edit creative videos with up to 20 pages of content, using tools like voiceover recording, background music, transitions and other interactive elements.techcrunch.com • Share |
| Spotify enters the virtual concert business, starts selling $15 tickets to eventsSpotify is selling tickets to prerecorded concerts. Each ticket costs $15, and viewers must have a Spotify account in order to tune in. Artists include The Black Keys, Leon Bridges, and Jack Antonoff of Bleachers.www.theverge.com • Share |
| Twitter previews Ticketed Spaces, says it’ll take a 20 percent cut of salesTwitter is planning the launch of Ticketed Spaces and is previewing what users can expect to see when they go to host their first one. The company is partnering with Stripe to handle payments and will take a 20 percent cut of sales.www.theverge.com • Share |
| Discord takes on Clubhouse and Twitter Spaces by pointing users to audio chatsAnd Discord is testing ticketed events, which it may take a cut of #Discord #Audiowww.cnbc.com • Share |
| Netflix Seeks Executive to Expand Game EffortsNetflix is looking to hire an executive to oversee an expansion into video games, as it considers options including a Apple Arcade-like games bundlewww.theinformation.com • Share |
| Facebook’s US data transfers suffered a setback in Ireland. Here’s what you need to know.Dublin court rejects Facebook appeal against Irish privacy regulator.www.politico.eu • Share |
| Internet Explorer: Microsoft is finally getting rid of its most-hated productThe end is finally near for Internet Explorer, one of Microsoft’s most-reviled products that refused to die.www.cnn.com • Share |
| Google to Open Its First Permanent Retail Store This Summer in New York CityThe store near the company’s Manhattan offices is designed to showcase Pixel phones, Fibit wearables and other items, in a bet on bricks-and-mortar retail as the pandemic eases.www.wsj.com • Share |
| Amazon Sidewalk will create entire smart neighborhoods. Here’s what you should knowLaunching June 8 on Echo speakers, Ring products, Tile trackers and more, Amazon’s low-bandwidth internet-of-things network lets your smart home stretch beyond Wi-Fi range. #Amazonwww.cnet.com • Share |
| Does Amazon know what it sells?Amazon has been able to scale indefinitely because it treats every product as an interchangeable packet, and doesn’t need to know what they are, only what they weigh. But if it doesn’t know what it sells, that’s only half a retailer. And what would happen if it could change that?www.ben-evans.com • Share |
| Amazon says its ad-supported video reaches more than 120 million viewers a monthThe company said this is up from 20 million monthly viewers of that content in January 2020. Twitch is one main driver of the growth — although Amazon acquired the company in 2014, it only recently added ad inventory on Twitch to its programmatic advertising platform, whereas inventory previously had to be bought more manually.www.cnbc.com • Share |
| Apple to add lossless audio to Apple Music at no additional costApple has announced that it is adding some new features to its music streaming service Apple Music. Starting next month, users will find some new options, such as spatial audio with support for Dolby Atmos as well as lossless audio files. Spotify recently announced a new high-end subscription tier with CD-quality, lossless audio files. But Spotify HiFi isn’t included in Spotify Premium by itself. You’ll have to pay a bit more money to stream lossless audio.techcrunch.com • Share |
| Spotify brings offline listening to the Apple Watch – good news for runners#Spotifytechcrunch.com • Share |
| The Canon R3 Has the Potential to Transform PhotographyHT @benedictevans The Canon R3 Has the Potential to Transform Photography – it captures still-quality images at 30 frames per second – in effect, you can now record video at photo quality and pick any frame you want. #photographypetapixel.com • Share |
| Snapchat users will be able to tip popular creators later this yearSocial media companies are adding more ways for creators to make money off their content in order to attract more users.www.cnbc.com • Share |
| Snap acquires AR startup WaveOptics, which provides tech for Spectacles, for over $500MSnap yesterday announced the latest iteration of its Spectacles augmented reality glasses, and today the company revealed a bit more news: it is also acquiring the startup that supplied the technology that helps power them.techcrunch.com • Share |
| Publishing & Media |
| Amazon is in talks to buy MGM for $9 billionAmazon has reportedly offered $9 billion for MGM, according to Variety, following a scoop from The Information earlier in the day that suggested a range of $7-10 billion fo a potential deal.www.theverge.com • Share |
| Apple threatens to upend podcasting’s free, open architectureHT @BoSacks Creators will now have the option to require a payment for audiences to access their content on Apple’s platform, with Apple taking a 30% cut of the revenue. #podcasting #Applewhatsnewinpublishing.com • Share |
| Netflix is expanding its podcasting footprintNetflix is forging ahead into the podcast space with new hires and entertaining pitches for audio productions.www.latimes.com • Share |
| Clubhouse vs. Podcasts: Which Should Marketers Use?HT @MariSmith Hear from a range of experts on both sides discuss which audio tool is better for businesses: Clubhouse or podcasts? via @HubSpot #clubhouse #podcasting #socialaudioblog.hubspot.com • Share |
| iHeartMedia forms Latinx podcast network to address an underserved audienceiHeartMedia is launching a Latinx podcast network called My Cultura that will push out 30 original podcasts in its first year.digiday.com • Share |
| Bloomberg Strikes Exclusive Podcast Deal With iHeartMedia, Plans To Co-Produce A Dozen New SeriesBloomberg Media is ramping up its podcast business.deadline.com • Share |
| ‘Where the action is’: Vice Media Group now produces more Stories than text or videoThe success of Stories Studio has Vice thinking through ways it can use it across other parts of the organization, even in its branded content business.digiday.com • Share |
| ProQuest to be Sold to Clarivate for $5.3 BillionPublicly-traded Clarivate (the awkward modern name for what was Thompson Reuters’ IP and science division, FKA as Thompson Scientific) has an agreement to acquire library content and services company ProQuest for $5.3 billion from Cambridge Information Group and its partners. #librarieslunch.publishersmarketplace.com • Share |
| Amazon Publishing, DPLA Ink Deal to Lend E-books in LibrariesThe deal represents a major step forward for the digital library market. Not only is Amazon Publishing finally making its digital content available to libraries, the deal also gives libraries a range of models through which it can license the content. #LoveLibrarieswww.publishersweekly.com • Share |
| Axel Springer and Facebook agree on global cooperationMT @gbrotman @axelspringer & @facebook sign a global content deal. Content from @bild @welt @COMPUTERBILD @thisisinsider (national + UK eds) to launch on FB News; @autobild will follow. #Facebookwww.axelspringer.com • Share |
| Univision to court advertisers with 24/7 news channel, new tools to target adswww.reuters.com • Share |
| Disney’s Onyx Collective Launches for Underrepresented CreativesThe brand will primarily live on Hulu and is led by Freeform president Tara Duncan.www.hollywoodreporter.com • Share |
| TheSkimm hires bankers, exploring sale to non-media companyThe company brought in roughly $20 million in 2019 revenue.www.axios.com • Share |
| What Is an Entertainment Company in 2021 and Why Does the Answer Matter?Why is every media company now an “every media” company? What is it that audiences truly want? And what’s the most important goal for a franchise or IP?www.matthewball.vc • Share |
| The U.S. Media Index database shows news consumers who owns whatIf you ever wanted to track down who owns a news outlet, it’s now much easier to do it. The U.S. Media Index database by the Future of Media Project has done the grueling work of compiling that information for us.www.niemanlab.org • Share |
| The media landscape is constantly changing and so is this chart. Here’s the latest version, updated for the AT&T/WarnerMedia splitIn the new media landscape, everything is up for grabs: Netflix buys stuff from the studios, but makes its own stuff, too, and sells it directly to consumers. That’s one reason older media companies are trying to compete by consolidating. Disney, for example, bought much of 21st Century Fox — though the early success of its Disney+ streaming service looks like a result of the earlier purchases of Lucasfilm, Marvel, and Pixar.www.vox.com • Share |
| The ultimate guide to the creator economy220+ platforms that can help you turn your hobby into a paying professionwww.antler.co • Share |
| Condé Nast may have a place in the Warner Media/Discovery mergerThe billionaire Newhouse family’s significant stake in Discovery Inc. has some media watchers speculating that the magazine empire behind Vogue, the New Yorker and Vanity Fair could soon be folded into the entertainment juggernaut being formed by David Zaslov.nypost.com • Share |
| Condé Nast and Verizon Media Are Swapping Content for Ad TechThe owner of Vogue and GQ will create web videos for Yahoo sites in exchange for deeper monetization offerings. #magazines #advertising #video #adtechwww.adweek.com • Share |
| British GQ editor Dylan Jones leaves after 22 years amid Conde Nast global teams mergerBritish GQ editor Dylan Jones departs after 22 years in the role; GQ to be led globally by American GQ editor Will Welch, as Conde Nast merges editorial teamswww.pressgazette.co.uk • Share |
| Future (which just bought US Marie Claire) targets further acquisitions as ecommerce strategy pays off#magazines #ecommercewww.ft.com • Share |
| Drama Book Shop, Backed by Lin-Manuel Miranda, to Open in JuneThe quirky bookstore, which sells scripts and other theater-related work, was acquired by a team of “Hamilton” alumni after years of struggle.www.nytimes.com • Share |
| Pizza Hut’s BOOK IT Is Back! Pizza Hut Book It Program Back for Summer 2021Pizza Hut is bringing back its summer reading program, Camp BOOK IT!, for its second year. The camp is part of the wider BOOK IT! program, which rolled out 36 years ago and was beloved by countless kids who grew up in the ‘80s and ‘90s (and beyond).parade.com • Share |
| EU wants firm pledges from tech giants in fake news fightFacebook, Google, and other tech giants will have to pledge to do more to curb the monetization of false information through advertisement placements, according to a European Commission document.www.reuters.com • Share |
| Tribune shareholders vote to sell legendary chain of newspapers to Alden hedge fundRT @ElaheIzadi Our final story: Hedge fund Alden’s takeover of Tribune newspapers approved by shareholders today, something many of its journalists had said for a year would be an apocalyptic outcome for journalism in their communitieswww.washingtonpost.com • Share |
| Axios is the latest media company to try to make money from local news. History is not on its side.Axios plans to launch local newsletters in eight more cities by the end of 2021, with a goal of expanding to 50 total by the end of 2022.www.washingtonpost.com • Share |
| Resources & Opportunities |
| LitUp Writer’s FellowshipMT @ReesesBookClub There’s still time to apply for #LitUp writer’s fellowship for unpublished, underrepresented women. Those selected will:attend an all-expenses-paid writer’s retreatget mentored by the best in the businessjoin the @ReesesBookClub family!Apply by 5/30/21 #amquerying #writingcommunityreesesbookclub.com • Share |
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| Nightfire Unagented SubmissionsMT @TorNightfire Calling all horror writers! Dust off your manuscripts, because Nightfire will be open for un-agented submissions from June 15th to June 22nd. While you get your manuscript ready, check out our submissions guidelines.tornightfire.com • Share |
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| WNDB Emergency Fund for Diverse CreativesMT @diversebooks The WNDB Emergency Fund for Diverse Creatives is accepting new applicants! We’ve updated our criteria so that even more diverse creatives can apply for grants (ranging from $500 to 1,000) during this challenging time.diversebooks.org • Share |
| Apply to be The 19th’s Editor-in-chiefRT @19thnews We’re looking for our next editor-in-chief!Starting salary: $160,000+Location: Austin, Texas, preferredDeadline to apply is June 11.19thnews.org • Share |
| The Bronx Book Festival 2021MT @bronxisreading We are less than a month out for the 4th Annual Bronx Book Festival! We have an amazing author line-up! Have you rsvp’d?www.thebronxisreading.com • Share |
| NYC Tech Talent PipelineTech Talent Pipeline is an NYC govt-industry partnership to help surface diverse talent & connect them to their 1st job in Tech; Screening untapped talent with diverse backgrounds from across the five boroughs incl. 15 local colleges & 20+ tech bootcamps.www.techtalentpipeline.nyc • Share |
| Free Machines + Media 2021 6/9MT @nycmedialab NYC Media Lab & Bloomberg present the 5th annual gathering of technologists, media professionals & academic thought leaders for “Machines + Media 2021: Facing the Future” -> June 9th, 10am-3pm EDT. Register for free today! #MachinesMedia21 @TechAtBloombergwww.eventbrite.com • Share |
| 👉 Join the hot $100,000 event for talented NFT artists by Liquidifty!The Liquidifty team is announcing its open event for NFT talents with a $100,000 prize pool. In order to join the competition, artists just need to create unique artwork, fill in the form and share it on socials (Twitter/Instagram) with the #LQTart hashtag.liquidifty.medium.com • Share |
| Little Island, a New $260 Million Charmer, Opens on the HudsonLittle Island, developed by Barry Diller, with an amphitheater and dramatic views, opens on Hudson River Park. Opponents battled it for years.www.nytimes.com • Share |
| TurboVoteRT @MarkLevineNYC You got your vaccine appt through @TurboVax. Now you can get registered to vote in NYC in just 5 mins with @TurboVote (Hurry… deadline to register for the June primary is this coming Friday, May 28.)nycvotes.turbovote.org • Share |
| By Kathy SandlerThe latest in technology, innovation, and publishing curated by Kathy Sandler. I work at Penguin Random House. Opinions expressed are my own. Tweet Share |
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