networking

A meme gold rush? Classic viral images selling as NFTs for thousands

The image of Zoe Roth, her small face grinning somewhat ominously at the camera while firefighters work to save a burning home behind her, has made the rounds online for years. The image of Roth, taken in 2005 near a planned and controlled burn, became an iconic meme known as “Disaster Girl.” Now, 16 years after the image was snapped, “Disaster Girl” has made Roth, 21, roughly $430,000.

Source: A meme gold rush? Classic viral images selling as NFTs for thousands

It’s here! The winners and losers of Apple’s seismic privacy change

Apple’s long-awaited crackdown is being enforced. Starting today (April 26), people will start receiving prompts on their Apple devices as to whether they want to be tracked by various apps. Now comes the hard part: while no one can say with any certainty how this will shake it out, it’s clear that mobile advertising won’t be the same once it does.

Source: It’s here! The winners and losers of Apple’s seismic privacy change

Apple’s $64 billion-a-year App Store isn’t catching the most egregious scams

Recently, I reached out to the most profitable company in the world to ask a series of basic questions. I wanted to understand: how is a single man making the entire Apple App Store review team look silly? Particularly now that Apple’s in the fight of its life, both in the courts and in Congress, to prove its App Store is a well-run system that keeps users safe instead of a monopoly that needs to be broken up.

Source: Apple’s $64 billion-a-year App Store isn’t catching the most egregious scams

Fake Famous on HBO

Fake Famous explores the meaning of fame and influence in the digital age through an innovative social experiment. Following three Los Angeles-based people with relatively small followings, the film explores the attempts made to turn them into famous influencers by purchasing fake followers and bots to “engage” with their social media accounts.

Source: Fake Famous 
See also:  
What HBO’s Fake Famous Doesn’t Understand About Young People and Influencer Culture

100 Million More IoT Devices Are Exposed—and They Won’t Be the Last

Over the last few years, researchers have found a shocking number of vulnerabilities in seemingly basic code that underpins how devices communicate with the internet. Now a new set of nine such vulnerabilities are exposing an estimated 100 million devices worldwide, including an array of internet-of-things products and IT management servers.

Source: 100 Million More IoT Devices Are Exposed—and They Won’t Be the Last

For Creators, Everything Is for Sale

A rash of new start-ups are making it easier for digital creators to monetize every aspect of their life — down to what they eat, who they hang out with and who they respond to on TikTok. Tens of millions of people around the globe consider themselves creators, and the creator economy represents the “fastest-growing type of small business,” according to a 2020 report by the venture capital firm SignalFire. But as the market gets more and more competitive — and the platforms and their algorithms remain unreliable — creators are devising new, hyper-specific revenue streams.

Source:  For Creators, Everything is for Sale

How Blockchain Can Simplify Partnerships

Collaborations that require information sharing and mutual trust between companies, suppliers, and clients can be tough, particularly in the remote era. But blockchain’s distributed ledger — and its use of smart contracts — can simplify the process, creating a common, reliable record of transactions and avoiding costly disputes. In doing so, blockchain changes how deals are made: Partner selection is made simpler, as establishing trust is less important; agreement formation is more important, because protocols are hard to alter once put in place; and execution is made easier, because outcomes can be automated. Blockchain isn’t a magic bullet — it works much better in some situations than others — but it can fundamentally change how collaborations work

Source: How Blockchain Can Simplify Partnerships

The agency that controls U.S. nukes had its Twitter account accessed by a child

An unintelligible tweet made by U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) on Sunday was produced by a small child, the Daily Dot has learned. USSTRATCOM, which is responsible for the U.S. nuclear arsenal, stirred confusion after releasing a tweet that appeared to be gibberish: “;l;;gmlxzssaw.” The tweet was deleted shortly after.

Source: The agency that controls U.S. nukes had its Twitter account accessed by a child