Apple's iPhone 15, The Problem with the BIG in Big Tech, You Need to Update Your Browser, & More
Future Essentials - Edition 53
Here’s what you’re getting in this edition:
My latest IRL tech convo with a random stranger
10 news articles worth reading
A PODCAST: The Problem with the "Big" in Big Tech
Apple’s iPhone 15 Marks a New Era
Visualizing Google’s Search Engine Market Share
The Twisted Eye in the Sky Over Buenos Aires
Going to a Show? Here’s the Data You’re Giving Up
You Need to Update Your Browser, Like, Yesterday
Grow your brain by moving your body—just 10 minutes a day
A Guided Meditation | Tara Brach
My latest IRL tech convo with a random stranger
I’ve been having these conversations with random people that I encounter. I want to learn if and how much they know about the latest technologies.
The most recent convo went like this:
EXT: PARKING LOT
A man, mid-forties, walks towards his black Audi SUV.
Me: Excuse me. I’m doing some research. May I ask you a few questions?
Man: (smiles) Sure thing.
Me: Do you know what web3 is?
Man: (brow crinkling) No.
Me: Crypto?
Man: Yes.
Me: Have you ever bought any Bitcoin?
Man: No.
Me: Ethereum?
Man: No… maybe… back in the day.
Me: What about NFTs?
Man: (nods) Yeah.
Me: Ever bought one or were sent one?
Man: No.
Me: Do you know what ChatGPT is?
Man: Yeah.
Me: Have you used it?
Man: Tried it out. I despise it!!!
Me: What do you do for work?
Man: I’m in music production. A producer.
I explain to him that web3 is this technology that allows artists/creatives to cut out the middleman (the EVIL record labels) and connect directly with their fans/audience. I mention Soundxyz, a startup that does this.
Man: Maybe I should check it out. (nodding vigorously) I will check it out.
END SCENE
10 articles from this week that are worth reading
Australian Bank ANZ leveraging Chainlink’s CCIP for cross-chain operability - Blockworks
Deutsche Bank to hold crypto for institutional clients | Reuters
Google Cloud is LayerZero’s new default oracle operator - Blockworks
The iPhone 15 Opts for Intuitive AI, Not Generative AI | WIRED
We Don't Need CEOs Anymore and AI Could Easily Replace Them (businessinsider.com)
The A.V. Club's AI-Generated Articles Are Copying Directly from IMDb (futurism.com)
How artificial intelligence can revolutionise science (economist.com)
This EV smashed the world record for distance on a single charge | Ars Technica
A PODCAST: The Problem with the "Big" in Big Tech
This episode features two segments, both of which consider the scale of technology platforms and their power over markets and people.
In the first, Rebecca Rand delivers a conversation with University of Technology Sydney researcher Dr. Luis Lozano-Paredes about a community of drivers in Colombia who have hacked together a way to preserve their power alongside the adoption of ride sharing apps.
And in the second, Justin Hendrix speaks with Columbia University Law School Professor of Law, Science and Technology Tim Wu, who recently spent two years on the National Economic Council in the White House as Special Assistant to the President for Competition and Technology.
The discussion touches on privacy legislation, ideas about competition and scale, and Wu’s observations on the landmark antitrust trial between the Justice Department and Google. LINK
Apple’s iPhone 15 Marks a New Era
Say goodbye to the mute switch and the Lightning port. The new iPhone lineup packs USB-C, but it’s the Pro models that have the spotlight.
EVERY NEW IPHONE in the past few years may have felt like an iterative upgrade—slightly better camera here, slightly better performance there. But Apple's new iPhone 15 lineup is getting a few once-in-a-decade changes that make them stand out in a sea of visually similar iPhones. The company announced the new iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max at its annual September event in Cupertino, California. From the addition of USB-C to the removal of the ill-famed notch, here are all the top features of the new iPhone. LINK
Visualizing Google’s Search Engine Market Share
Google is ubiquitous in the daily lives of billions of people around the world, with leading positions in online search, maps, and other services.
In fact, Google’s dominance is so far-reaching, it has led the U.S. Justice Department to launch a civil antitrust lawsuit for what it believes are examples of anticompetitive and exclusionary conduct.
This graphic, which uses data from Similarweb, shows the scale of Google’s lead over major search engine competitors like Bing and Yahoo. LINK
Learn web3 and lead the future.
I run an online cohort-based web3 course, Become a Web3 Leader.
It’s for non-techies—artists, creators, business owners, and other smart people— who want to take control of their future.
The next cohort runs September 27 to 29, 2023.
Here’s what alumni say:
Learn more and join us here: BECOME A WEB3 LEADER
The Twisted Eye in the Sky Over Buenos Aires
When speaking of South America, mass surveillance technology is likely not the first thing that comes to mind.
But a study by the data protection organization Access Now shows Argentina is one of the most surveilled countries in the region, along with Brazil and Ecuador.
There are more than 15,000 surveillance cameras in Buenos Aires alone. Facial recognition systems also are in use in the cities of Mendoza, Córdoba, Salta, San Juan, Tigre, and San Salvador de Jujuy. While US cities like San Francisco and Boston have banned real-time facial recognition in public spaces, South America is investing.
Critics see this as a worst-case scenario: The technology is being used without an adequate regulatory framework and sufficient controls. LINK
Going to a Show? Here’s the Data You’re Giving Up
CUSTOMER DATA IS a goldmine in the live music industry as promoters, venue operators, ticket marketplaces, and the artists themselves seek to learn more about their audiences and their habits to better serve them — and get them to spend more.
From the moment fans check out online all the way to when they walk through security and buy a beer, data collection is everywhere. Some venues use giveaway prompts at concerts to get concertgoers to provide their phone number, while something as simple as an admission bracelet can track which parts of a festival get the most foot traffic.
While that may sound scary to an uninformed concertgoer on the surface — and, yes, in some cases that data may be improperly used. LINK
You Need to Update Your Browser, Like, Yesterday
A significant vulnerability in the WebP Codec has been unearthed, prompting major browser vendors, including Google and Mozilla, to expedite the release of updates to address the issue.
Update (9/13/2023): So far the Web Browsers that have confirmed a fix and released an update include: Google Chrome[1], Mozilla Firefox[2], Brave[3], Microsoft Edge[4], and Tor Browser[5]. If your browser of choice is using Chromium then expect an update to already be rolled out or will be done shortly. LINK
Grow your brain by moving your body—just 10 minutes a day
Exercise neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki explains how your brain can age gracefully and optimally — and it starts with just a 10-minute walk.
Did you know that just three months of consistent exercise can boost your brain function?
Exercise neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki explains how working out can strengthen your cognitive abilities.
Guided Meditation | Tara Brach
This guided meditation awakens an embodied presence through a body scan, and invites us to rest in the breath, while allowing the different waves of sensations, feelings and sounds to come and go. When difficult experiences arise, we breathe with them, feeling them fully and mentally whispering, “this belongs,” or “this too.” By not resisting, we discover the sea of awareness that has room for all the waves.
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