Technology • Innovation • Publishing — Issue #170
Innovation
‘Pokémon Go’ maker Niantic is helping others create AR metaverse apps — www.engadget.com
Niantic Labs offering everyone the chance to get their hands on the tech behind Pokémon Go so they can build their own augmented reality & “real-world metaverse” apps. Coachella + ‘One Piece’ publisher Shueisha are already using the Lightship platform #AR
What Is the Metaverse? The Future Vision for the Internet
RT @WSJ People will be able to do almost anything in the metaverse: attend concerts, watch UFC fights, participate in work meetings. Here’s what it could look like.
A whole new world: Disney is latest firm to announce metaverse plans
www.theguardian.com
Entertainment company plans to ‘connect the physical and digital worlds … allowing for storytelling without boundaries’
How NFTs Create Value
A good explainer on #NFTs from @HarvardBiz.
Discord pushes pause on exploring crypto and NFTs amidst user backlash
Escape Velocity!
MT @davidburn Media companies and content owners are working to re-invent themselves… but the real challenge is now dawning on everybody…what happens if talent owns the rights and is increasingly empowered to be their own media companies? By @rishad
Technology
Spotify acquires audiobook company Findaway
www.axios.com
Companies like Spotify want to increase their offerings with products beyond music, like live talk shows, podcasts and books.
Storytel enters the U.S. with acquisition of Audiobooks.com
Swedish audiobook streaming group Storytel said on Friday it had agreed to buy Audiobooks.com from investment firm KKR, marking its entry into the U.S. market. #audiobooks
As The Holidays Approach, Media Companies & Advertisers Are Launching Livestream Shopping To Viewers — www.forbes.com
For the Holiday season, Pinterest, YouTube, Comcast are launching livestream shopping.
NBCU Targets Bravo Fans With Virtual Bazaar and Shoppable Instagram Series — www.adweek.com
RT @Adweek Bravo is today taking the wraps off an interactive virtual shopping mall with rooms dedicated to various network series like Below Deck, Southern Charm, Summer House and The Real Housewives franchise. #ecommerce
YouTube Pushes into Shopping With Livestreams, Shoppable Video
YouTube will host a livestreaming event where social media stars will sell merchandise and brand name products. Via @technology. #YouTube
Netflix for iOS is rolling out Kids Clips, a TikTok-like feature that shows new daily short videos from its children’s library — www.bloomberg.com
Amazon will let you easily share clips from its Prime Video content — www.theverge.com
MT @michellemanafy Amazon enables viewers to easily share clips from its Prime Video content unlike competitors like Hulu and Netflix. When you take a screenshot while watching one of their shows, the video content just ends up blacked out. Via @Verge.
Instagram might soon let you add moderators to live videos
Instagram is reportedly testing another new feature for Live creators that will let them add moderators to their live stream to manage comments. By @pranobmehrotra.
Instagram is offering huge bonuses for posting on Reels, its TikTok clone — techcrunch.com
Instagram really wants you to post Reels — they’ll even pay you up to $10,000 for one, if you’re lucky. As TikTok surpasses the 1 billion monthly active users mark, competitor platforms like YouTube Shorts, Snapchat Spotlight and Instagram Reels are incentivizing users to post their short-form content on their apps instead. By @asilbwrites.
Twitter brings $3 ‘Twitter Blue’ subscriptions to the US — www.engadget.com
RT @michellemanafy Twitter is expanding its premium subscription service. Twitter Blue, which unlocks additional features like the ability to “undo” a tweet or browse news without ads, is now available to users in the United States ($2.99/mo) & New Zealand ($4.49/mo).
Facebook parent company Meta to block some ad targeting around politics, religion, sexual orientation
“Like many of our decisions, this was not a simple choice,” said Graham Mudd, VP of product marketing for ads. #Facebook
Social audio app Callin announces live podcasts with Glenn Greenwald, Matt Taibbi, Briahna Joy Gray, Antonio García Martínez, and Andray Domise
Apple Announces ‘Business Essentials’ Service for Small Businesses — www.macrumors.com
Apple today announced the debut of Apple Business Essentials, a new subscription-based service that will offer device management like setup and onboarding, iCloud storage, and optional 24/7 access to Apple Support for small businesses with up to 500 employees.
Publishing & Media
Book challenges in Texas schools boosted sales for author Jerry Craft, he says — www.chron.com
Texas’ plan to ban books is backfiring.
A ‘war on books’? Conservatives push for audits of school libraries
www.latimes.com
Conservative parents in Texas and around the country rally to expunge certain titles from school libraries for reasons of race and sex.
‘I think we should throw those books in a fire’: Movement builds on right to target books
HT @PublishersWkly Accompanying the anti-critical race theory push has been a building effort to rid school libraries of certain books. Often, these books are deemed to be sexually explicit. But others included acclaimed works about race and racism. Via @washingtonpost.
Texas town’s first Black principal fired over CRT, which school district admits was never taught
When the Anti-CRT Movement Comes for Collections — www.slj.com
Panelists offered their personal stories, resources, and advice during the SLJ Summit session on book challenges.
UpLift literature leadership scheme for young people of colour launches
MT @thebookseller .@WordsofColour and the @IrishWritersCtr have unveiled UpLift, an international literature leadership initiative for young people of colour aged between 18 and 30, with a workshop to be launched too.
Bookselling still not ‘particularly diverse’ say trade figures, as New Futures project launches
www.thebookseller.com
Bookselling is still “not particularly diverse” say trade figures, as a scheme launches to help entrepreneurs from underrepresented communities start bookshops.
Pandemic sparks union activity where it was rare: Bookstores
Bookshops thrive as France moves to protect sellers from Amazon
HT @BISG ICYMI Legislation for minimum delivery price aims to stop ‘distorted competition’ against independent bookshops. #Bookstores
Surprise! The Future of Media Involves a Crypto-Based Popularity Contest
Could Mirror, a new independent publishing platform, offer an escape from the exhaustion of the creator economy? Via @vice.
Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club Partners With Simi Winery — variety.com
Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club and Simi Winery have launched their new collaboration just in time for the holidays.
Pushkin Industries Pushes Audiobook Conventions
www.publishersweekly.com
The audio producer, founded in 2018 by author Malcolm Gladwell and former Slate Group chairman and editor-in-chief Jacob Weisberg, has built a roster of more than 25 podcasts since its launch, and is ramping up audiobook production.
Lost in translation: The global streaming boom is creating a severe translator shortage — restofworld.org
RT @filmwonk Buried in the 9th paragraph of this article, Netflix spent a grand total of $6,305 on translation for SQUID GAME, most of which didn’t go to the translator. On a show that reportedly made them almost a billion dollars. Pay translators what they’re worth.
Group Nine’s branded product boxes brought in at least $1 million in revenue in the first year
digiday.com
Group Nine’s direct-to-consumer ad product sends brand-sponsored and editorially-curated items to sweepstakes winners. It’s created 19 boxes, bringing in seven-figure revenue.
InStyle Continues Collaboration Push With Parisian Brand Ba&sh — wwd.com
‘Collaboration is key to InStyle,’ said editor in chief Laura Brown. Via @wwd.
Freelancers Notch a Rare Win as Hearst Moves to Net Zero Payments
RT @NiemanLab “Following an uproar around a post on October 26 by @rgay, Hearst adjusted its freelancer payment policy to universal net zero payouts, financial nomenclature meaning they will now pay immediately when billed rather than waiting 30 days or more.”
Hearst’s magazine journalists protest a mandatory return to the office
Over 300 employees at Hearst’s magazine division petition against the company’s plans to return to the office next week; their union has filed an NLRB complaint. By @marcatracy.
New platform launches for business journalists
MT @mediagazer Workweek, a platform aiming to let business journalists work independently by giving them a salary and full-time benefits, launches with $1.5M in funding. By @sarafischer.
Washington Post: Our journalists sit side by side with our engineers and product designers to figure out the best way to package journalism.
Here are the newsroom layoffs, furloughs and closures that happened during the coronavirus pandemic
An updated list of furloughs, layoffs and pay cuts in the news industry due to the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Via @Poynter.
Resources & Opportunities
WMG Talk, Listen, Connect hosted by Sally Ekus
Have you missed the exchange of ideas, industry information, random conversations about topical events, and general camaraderie that used to happen in the “before times” at the water cooler, in front of the restroom sink, and in the lively chatter before the start of a @WMG_NYC event? As we optimistically look forward to more in-person communication, we could all use a little TLC, so come Talk, Listen, and Connect! 11/16 at noon. FREE, virtual, members only, w @SallyEkus.
MIT Press announces Grant Program for Diverse Voices — news.mit.edu
Call for Donations
RT @diversebooks Authors & industry folks: WNDB’s hosting a holiday auction this year and we’re collecting donation items! We are seeking critiques, “ask me anything” 30-to-60-minute video calls, ARCs, and signed or annotated titles. Details:
NY Times Fellowship
HT @TheoTypes Budding Journalists: Apply now. Deadline = Dec. 1.
Free 2021 Forbes Power Women’s Summit — www.forbes.com
HT @SStaaterman Free 2021 Forbes Power Women’s Summit 12/9 w @ava, @JaneGoodallInst, @NaomiCampbell and many more.
Where Can I Run — Run for Something Action Fund
RT @amandalitman The deadline to file to run for office in Texas in 2022 is December 13th at 6pm. It’s not too late to get started — @runforsomething will help you.
COVID-19 Vaccination and Other Medical Procedures
MT @CDCgov If you’re due for a mammogram and have been recently vaccinated against #COVID19, ask your doctor how long you should wait to get your mammogram. Vaccination can cause swelling in the lymph nodes and possibly a false reading on a mammogram.
