networking
Google workers across the globe announce international union alliance to hold Alphabet accountable
Google workers across the world are coming together to form a global union alliance. The newly formed coalition, called Alpha Global, is comprised of 13 different unions representing workers in 10 countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
Source: Google workers across the globe announce international union alliance to hold Alphabet accountable
Trump v. Facebook
Facebook has decided to ask its new, independent Oversight Board to rule on its decision to suspend Donald Trump indefinitely . The Board will be able to make a binding determination regarding Trump, telling Facebook it was right or wrong, and Facebook and Instagram will obey.
Source: Trump v. Facebook
Music has developed an attention dependency
The attention economy defines and shapes today’s digital world. However, we have long since reached peak in the attention economy with all available free time now addressed. What this means is that previously, when digital entertainment propositions grew, they were often using up users’ free time.
Bridgerton: The Musical? Fans of Netflix hit take tunes to TikTok
@jer24601#duet with @abigailbarlowww Submitting to be the Dukes understudy #bridgerton #bridgertonmusical
Adjoa Andoh, who plays Lady Danbury in the show, admires the creativity, zest and collective spirit of tribute songs Bridgerton, the Regency-era TV smash that sparked a virtual water-cooler moment for period drama fans, is now firing the imaginations of musical theatre devotees on TikTok.
Source: Bridgerton: The Musical? Fans of Netflix hit take tunes to TikTok
Google will disable Search in Australia if government insists that it pays publishers
“We don’t respond to threats,” says the Prime Minister With great power comes great responsibility, and also great scrutiny — just ask Google. The world’s leading search engine may have to pay publishers in Australia if new legislation is passed by the government.
Source: Google will disable Search in Australia if government insists that it pays publishers
Pinterest Adds New AR ‘Try-On’ Tools for Eyeshadow, Expands Product Tagging Within Pins
Pinterest is expanding its AR tools with new eyeshadow Try-On Pins, while it’s also looking to expand its shopping tags.
Source: Pinterest Adds New AR ‘Try-On’ Tools for Eyeshadow, Expands Product Tagging Within Pins
Microsoft patent details tech that could turn dead people into AI chatbots
It’s Black Mirror come to life.
Source: Microsoft patent details tech that could turn dead people into AI chatbots – CNET
Democrats ask Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to rework their suggestion algorithms
A group of more than 30 democratic lawmakers led by Representatives Tom Malinowski (D-NJ) and Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) are calling on Facebook , Twitter and YouTube to make substantive changes to their recommendation algorithms. In three separate letters addressed to the CEOs of those companies, the group makes a direct link to the January 6th US Capitol attack and the part those platforms played in radicalizing the individuals who took part in the uprising. “On Wednesday, January 6th the United States Capitol was attacked by a violent, insurrectionist mob radicalized in part in a digital echo chamber that your company designed, built and maintained,” the letter addressed to Google and YouTube CEOs Sundar Pichai and Susan Wojcicki says.
Source: Democrats ask Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to rework their suggestion algorithms
TikTok Launches ‘Creator Portal’, A Hub For Educational Resources, Best Practices, More
TikTok has launched today a new online platform that will be chock full of creator-focused educational resources. The TikTok Creator Portal , which will live at TikTok.com/creators and is also available inside the TikTok app itself, will cover the basics of launching a TikTok account, best practices, and how to connect with audiences — with content to serve both new and established influencers, the company said .
Source: TikTok Launches ‘Creator Portal’, A Hub For Educational Resources, Best Practices, More
Canvas users report that the remote-learning app is down as hundreds of schools across the US start their first day of online classes
School districts across the US reported that Canvas, Instructure’s remote-learning app, was taken offline by outages Monday morning.
People first started reporting problems with the app shortly after 8 a.m., according to Down Detector.
An Instructure spokesperson said that its apps are seeing higher usage than normal as schools reopen. It’s the first day of class for thousands of schools across the US, many of which rely on tools like Canvas for remote learning.
Zoom, another tool used by schools, was also down Monday morning.
Source: Business Insider
TikTok to sue Trump Administration over ban as ByteDance weighs sale
TikTok is taking its fight against the Trump administration to the courts, saying it will file a legal challenge Monday against the government’s order to ban the video app effective mid-September. TikTok alleges that President Trump’s executive order is “not rooted in bona fide national security concerns,” according to excerpts of the complaint the company detailed in a blog post. It also alleges the U.S. government did not conduct a fair process in deciding that the app needed to be banned in the country and that its Chinese owner ByteDance must divest its assets in the United States.
Source: The Washington Post
A guide to Instagram Reels: How to make your first video
Instagram has rolled out its Reels feature to everyone. Now you can make your own music videos within Instagram itself. Here’s how to get started.
Source: TRW
The Attack That Broke Twitter Is Hitting Dozens of Companies
WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT arrested three alleged young hackers in the US and the UK last month, the story of the worst-known hack of Twitter’s systems seemed to have drawn to a tidy close. But in fact, the technique that allowed hackers to take control of the accounts of Joe Biden, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, and dozens of others is still in use against a broad array of victims, in a series of attacks that began well before Twitter’s blowup, and in recent weeks has escalated into a full-blown crime wave.
Source: Wired
TikTok’s big UnitedMasters deal is the way forward for creators looking to secure their bag feedly
TikTok is right in the jaws of a thorny situation with the U.S. Government regarding its ownership, but it’s sending a clear message today that it is not sitting on its heels with big deals. Yesterday, it announced a deal with UnitedMasters to allow artists on TikTok to distribute their songs directly to streaming services and other partners directly.
Source: Tech Crunch
Scrutinizing the effects of digital technology on mental health
Does time spent using digital technology and social media have an adverse effect on mental health, especially that of adolescents? Here, two scientists discuss the question, and how digital devices might be used to improve well-being.
Source: Nature
Google Maps’ Jen Fitzpatrick Says the Future of Maps Goes Beyond Driving
Fifteen years ago this week, Google Maps launched on the web. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that Google Maps transformed both the way we think about maps and the way we move around in the world. Over time, the application has evolved from a fairly static online representation of an atlas to a GPS-powered navigation tool to a platform for reviews—and, of course, for ads.
Source: Wired
YouTube is a $15 billion-a-year business, Google reveals for the first time
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YouTube generated nearly $5 billion in ad revenue in the last three months, Google revealed today as part of parent company Alphabet’s fourth quarter earnings report. This is the first report under newly instated Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, who took over as the chief executive of the entire company late last year after co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin stepped back from day-to-day duties and promoted Pichai, formerly Google CEO, to the top spot. The announcement marks the first time in YouTube’s nearly 15 years as a Google-owned platform, since Google bought the website in 2006 for $1.65 billion, that the company has revealed how much money YouTube-hosted ads contribute to the search giant’s bottom line.
Source: The Verge
Oh Sure, Big Tech Wants Regulation—on Its Own Terms
At Davos and beyond, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Co. are talking a big game about regulation, but in ways that protect their bottom line.
Source: Wired
Doctors on TikTok Try to Go Viral
Here’s your evidence based sex ed TikTok for the day….let’s spread reliable info. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/nTHJyxUTum
— Mama Doctor Jones | Danielle Jones, MD (@MamaDoctorJones) January 14, 2020
Although medical professionals have long taken to social media to share healthy messages or promote their work, TikTok poses a new set of challenges, even for the internet adept. Popular posts on the app tend to be short, musical and humorous, complicating the task of physicians hoping to share nuanced lessons on health issues like vaping, coronavirus, nutrition and things you shouldn’t dip in soy sauce. And some physicians who are using the platform to spread credible information have found themselves the targets of harassment.
Source: New York Times
To Survive, Byte Needs to Win Over Creators Where Vine Failed
When Twitter suddenly announced it was shutting down Vine in 2016, fans immediately started campaigning to bring the beloved short-form video app back. Dom Hofmann, one of the original cofounders, has been working on doing just that for years. After a few stops and starts, his new app Byte finally launched last week. It already has 1.3 million downloads, according to Sensor Tower. It also appears to have learned some lessons from Vine’s demise, but that won’t necessarily be enough for another social video app to survive in 2020.
Source: Wired