Technology * Innovation * Publishing Newsletter #299
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While I focus on Technology, Innovation, and Publishing, because I have a platform, I also flag items that I think are important, which you might have missed, and try to include a bunch of resources & opportunities. My goal is to surface at least one interesting tidbit you didn’t see. How did I do — did you learn something new?
Important Items
Supremely F*cked! Project 2025
This is more from the crazy Project 2025 plan that Maga Republicans push for their platform — please vote accordingly! See for yourself — I’ve put the link in the headline and URL below. Here are some excerpts via MT @GalvinAlmanzawith page numbers!
- If there is something you care about in this world, I think you should dip into this document and search for it, because you might find something hideous….I’m sorry to tell you guys this, but this is like…scratching the surface. This is the beginning. This is the stuff you should know now.
- They really hate healthcare: “In essence, our deficit problem is a Medicare and Medicaid problem.” (283).
- Oh also if you were looking forward to lower drug costs, they want to end the program where the gov’t can negotiate lower prescription drug costs. 465.
- As a matter of fact, no one will protect consumers against fraud and dangerous products under this admin…they are going to eliminate the CFPB completely and return consumer protection to banking regulators who are SO GOOD AT CONSUMER PROTECTION OF COURSE (/s/) 839.
- Even though they want people to have a lot of babies, they’re putting in new requirements on SNAP (299), reducing eligibility for Medicaid (467), cutting school lunch programs (302–303), and eliminating Head Start (482).
- Oh and also f*ck Sesame Street (247) (and public broadcasting generally).
- Safe baby formula? Not a priority. “As for baby formula regulations generally, labeling regulations and regulations that unnecessarily delay the manufacture and sale of baby formula should be re-evaluated.” (302).
- Speaking of schools, they’re going to get rid of the Dept of Education, which they say is “a convenient one-stop shop for the woke education cartel,“ (285, 319).
- Instead of schools, let’s give teens more dangerous jobs. “Some young adults show an interest in inherently dangerous jobs…DOL should amend its hazard-order regulations to permit teenage workers access to work in regulated jobs with proper training and parental consent.” (595).
- There’s kind of a sharp contrast here between high trust of parents in some contexts (to let their kids work dangerous jobs) and low trust of parents in others (if a father isn’t father-y enough terminate parental rights as fast as you can (481–482)).
- Having a job may be overrated anyway, and so the Trump Admin will tell the Fed to only think about price stability, eliminating full employment as an economic goal (661). Actually WTH maybe abolish the federal reserve completely (also 661).
- Speaking of misinfo, there will be no more independent Federal Election Commission. Headed by a Trump official (with or without Senate confirmation!) the FEC will only investigate claims the Trump administration wants investigated, and remove its authority to decide what to litigate by handing that over to DOJ. (803, 865)
- Stopping the USDA’s efforts to focus on sustainable food production (293)
- Cutting down all EPA activity related to climate change, including repealing the Inflation Reduction Act programs providing grants for environmental science activities (440)
- You know how TX created an abortion regulation scheme that incentivized members of the public to effectively be abortion bounty hunters? Project 2025 would do the same for *science.* Project 2025 would incentivize citizens to come after scientists under the False Claims Act for research misconduct. This is p 438
- Oh, if how much oil drilling the US is doing matters to you as a voter, Project 2025 basically says maximum drilling, all the drilling, all the time (523–524). Basically more drilling, no windmills, don’t even think about encouraging electric cars (286).
- Look at the hypocrisy: “States are better resource managers than the federal government because they must live with the results” (524) vs. revoking CA’s ability to set its own air quality standards (627)
- Also open season on wolves and bears (534) and let’s just mass execute America’s wild horses (529)
https://static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s dissent is a clarion call against corruption
MT @BarbMcQuade Lost among the SCOTUS drama was its decision in Snyder, allowing public officials to accept corrupt payoffs so long as they occur AFTER the official act. Justice Jackson’s dissent points out the absurdity of that decision.
Clarence Thomas takes aim at a new target: Eliminating OSHA
Clarence Thomas thinks the Occupational Safety and Health Administration may be unconstitutional. He disagreed with his fellow justices who declined to take up a case challenging OSHA’s authority. The archconservative justice has questioned other decisions, like marriage equality.
https://www.aol.com/clarence-thomas-takes-aim-target-170623047.html
Innovation
MRI Sheds Its Shielding and Superconducting Magnets
A cheaper, smaller scanner uses AI to match other MRIs’ image quality. Low-power, highly simplified, MRI device by researchers @ Univ. of Hong Kong uses AI, requires compact 0.05 T magnet & can run off wall power outlet, requiring only 1800 watts.
Brain-Reading Device Deciphers Internal Thoughts w Surprising Precision
CalTech Scientists created a brain-machine interface device that can translate internal speech, on a rudimentary level to help those w spinal cord injuries.
https://gizmodo.com/brain-machine-interface-translate-speech-telepathy-bmi-1851476460
Technology
The future of AI in graphic design
Agencies are using AI for design ideation, experiments, collaboration, research, and analysis
https://www.creativebloq.com/ai/the-future-of-ai-in-graphic-design
WhatsApp Planning To Launch An AI Avatar Generator In The US
The AI Avatar generator will generate images using user-provided images, text prompts, and Meta’s indigenous Llama language model.
https://www.mobileappdaily.com/news/whatsapp-ai-avatars-us
Fear and Loathing (and Hype and Reality) in Los Angeles
HT @benedictevans Why the Major Studios Won’t Use AI Video Generators Extensively Anytime Soon — And Why That Puts Them in a Bind. If the mantra in Silicon Valley is “move fast and break things,” the mantra in Hollywood is “better run it by legal first.” Via @ShapiroDoug
https://open.substack.com/pub/dougshapiro/p/fear-and-loathing-and-hype-and-reality
Google’s using AI to take targeted ads to creepy new heights
4500 different Pixel 8 ads were shown on YouTube using Demand Gen. Google’s AI-driven Best Phones Forever campaign is hyper-personalized marketing.
https://www.androidpolice.com/google-ai-ads-creepy-new-heights/
Instagram’s ‘Made with AI’ label swapped out for ‘AI info’ after photographers’ complaints
Former White House photographer Pete Souza pointed out the tag popping up on an upload of a photo originally taken on film during a basketball game 40 years ago, speculating that using Adobe’s cropping tool and flattening images might have triggered it.
https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/1/24190026/meta-instagram-facebook-made-with-ai-info-label-metadata
How to Fix “AI’s Original Sin”
Interesting food for thought on copyright and AI from
https://www.oreilly.com/radar/how-to-fix-ais-original-sin/
Major Labels Sue AI Firms Suno and Udio for Alleged Copyright Infringement
Spearheaded by the RIAA, Universal, Warner and Sony have banded together to sue two of the most advanced start-ups in the emerging field of AI music.
https://www.billboard.com/pro/major-label-lawsuit-ai-firms-suno-udio-copyright-infringement/
Figma pulls AI tool after criticism it ripped off Apple’s design
Figma’s new tool Make Designs lets users quickly mock up apps using gen AI. Now, it’s been pulled after the tool drafted designs that looked strikingly similar to Apple’s iOS weather app
https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/2/24190823/figma-ai-tool-apple-weather-app-copy
This is your brain on Pink Floyd
Brainstorms mixes art, data and neuroscience into mesmerizing visualizations. Exhibition visitors opt in to have brain activity recorded while listening to Pink Floyd’s “The Dark Side of the Moon” and displayed as a mesmerizing cloud synced to the soundtrack in London’s immersive art gallery Frameless.
https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/22/this-is-your-brain-on-pink-floyd/
I felt I was talking to him’: are AI personas of the dead a blessing or a curse?
As growing numbers of people turn to grieftech, some are disturbed by its possible consequences
TikTok Shares Updated Trend Insights for Marketers
https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/tiktok-shares-updated-trend-insights-marketers/719846/
Amazon plans to launch a Temu-like bargain section, with direct shipping from China
Publishing & Media
Audio Publishers Association Stages an ‘International Summit’
The Audio Publishers Association, based in the United States, hosts a first ‘International Summit of Audio Publishers’ in September.
This AI Startup Wants You to Read Audiobooks to Yourself
HT @publishingtrend AI startup Speechify lets you import your own voice to make an AI clone and then listen to text with your voice.
Accessible fixed layout EPUBs? First draft of W3C best practices published
How the Kindle Became a Must-Have Accessory (Again)
The e-reader has become the gadget of choice on #BookTok
https://www.wsj.com/tech/personal-tech/who-are-all-these-20-somethings-buying-a-kindle-339a30c5
Outrage as Idaho libraries BAN children and demand visitors show ID if they are under 30
Public libraries across Idaho have banned children from entering due to a controversial law putting a ‘bounty’ on thousands of books.
Resources & Opportunities
WMG Small Group Gatherings!
Sign up quick for @WMG_NYC’s members-only small group gatherings. They’re really special, as you get to meet other members in small groups. Choices include lunch at the Central Park Boathouse, dinner in Philly or Long Island, drinks & light bites in Westchester, afternoon tea in Soho, a free in-person New Member Social, a virtual gathering about jobs, or lunch w me!
https://www.womensmediagroup.org/events
Learn the Secrets to Sales Success
Don’t miss this career-changing @WMG_NYC Lunch & Learn via Zoom featuring Julia Pimsleur, founder of Million Dollar Women. Julia will provide a deep dive into the strategies needed to consistently get prospective clients to say YES. She’ll help you understand why some of your sales are closing and others aren’t, and provide five key strategies to get to yes more often. 7/17, 12–1 pm ET. FREE for WMG members; $15 for non-members.
https://www.womensmediagroup.org/event-5765074
🔔 Walter Grant applications are officially OPEN!
MT @diversebooks 🔔Emerging writers or illustrators with a diverse background can apply for one of our Walter Grants! Apply and see our full eligibility guidelines below! ⬇️
https://diversebooks.org/programs/walter-grant/
Wendy’s Subway Open Reading Period and Carolyn Bush Poetry Award
HT @thethoughtcard Wendy’s Subway is now reviewing submissions for the Open Reading Period and Carolyn Bush Poetry Award until July 15, 2024
https://www.wendyssubway.com/publishing/submit
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