Curated Commons // Edition 17
Thank you for subscribing and welcome to the Seventeenth edition of Curated Commons. Let’s dive right in.
Algorithmic bosses and the one-way rating street
Gig workers these days work for demanding algorithmic bosses. And in many cases, algorithms written by devs who take a highly mathematical look at efficiency & productivity. That these are driven by customer ratings where the assumption that the customer is always right adds to the challenges. This is a worrying read on how a minor drop in ratings for a gig worker can mean dramatically lower earnings.
A quote from a gig worker in a different piece in Bloomberg says it all -
“Customers don’t understand that any rating less than five stars crushes us.”
A geek’s look at the Pfizer vaccine
Fascinating post reverse-engineering the Pfizer vaccine and explaining it in computing terms. We are but a machine, and we increasingly have the means to program ourselves! The future is lit!
https://berthub.eu/articles/posts/reverse-engineering-source-code-of-the-biontech-pfizer-vaccine/
Have data, will sell
This is a good read on how datasets, or stalkerware tools, of any kind are up for sale in India. Bottomline - there’s always a market. And where there’s a market, there’s an intermediary that will try to work around the system. Which is also why we need a larger movement around data minimization - companies/institutions/governments not collecting more data than they need!
https://restofworld.org/2020/all-the-data-fit-to-sell/
The artificial heart is here
European regulators have approved the first artificial heart. The backstory to this company is fascinating - it started with a French doctor reaching out to the then head of what is today’s EADS group who supported with engineers from the defense company.
Fonts matter
Excellent discussion with one of the biggies of the fonts business! Lots of insights into typography and how companies increasingly are investing in their own fonts.
https://www.ft.com/content/b2471936-0119-4514-b109-0a32dc4dffc6
Google’s research dilemma
Google wants to attract smart tech talent for research.But it is also a large company responsible to shareholders and extremely worried about public image. These two don’t go hand-in-hand often. Like in this case when Google apparently told its scientists to 'strike a positive tone' in AI research -https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alphabet-google-research-focus-idUSKBN28X1CB
There’s always someone who thinks different
Something from earlier this year, but worth reading. This hedge fund booked a 4,100%+ return. The CEO sits out of a goat farm. He gives immediate gratification in pennies away in anticipation of a massive payday down the road. Fascinating approach.
(Re)Meet Claude Shannon
If you are reading this, you probably already know all about Claude Shannon. Nevertheless, a good refresher of how he invented the future in this Quanta Mag story - https://www.quantamagazine.org/how-claude-shannons-information-theory-invented-the-future-20201222/
There’s apparently a new movie as well on him called The Bit Player.
If it is on a database, it will be hacked
That’s more or less how we should drive our mental models given the number of security breaches and ransomware attacks. This time around, hackers have apparently stolen the data of a large cosmetic surgery chain in the UK and are threatening to publish patients' before and after photos.
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-55439190
The digital transformation of payday loan sharks
App-based loan sharks are on the rise in India. Their modus operandi - scoop up contacts, pics, and then create Whatsapp groups and use abusive language and shame the borrower. Sad.
Today in unintended consequences
Many laws are well intentioned. Their consequences are anything but. Interesting report that suggests that smoking bans in bars and restaurants likely resulted in increased drunk driving fatalities.
Data, data everywhere
…And everybody wants a piece of it.
Blackstone, the private equity giant, wants to collect and monetize data from the companies it buys.
And while at it, this is a very interesting acquisition from Bloomberg. It is buying an alternative data company that aggregates online sales data through credit cards and builds market share models out of it.
https://www.bloomberg.com/company/press/second-measure/
Hey Alexa, define thug life
Have you changed your browser at work?
Why, you might ask? Apparently, it’s a predictor of performance. Interesting short thread.
Don’t be like GoDaddy
GoDaddy sent its employees a mail from its own domain telling employees they are getting a special bonus. Then two days later, shamed a bunch of them for clicking through (again, on a mail from their own domain!) saying they need to undertake their phishing security training again.
The virtues of laziness
If you wanted to rationalize laziness, this post makes a good read.
“Progress isn’t made by early risers. It’s made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.”
https://nesslabs.com/benefits-of-laziness
More good reads:
Good read from Reuters on how the Oxford-Astra Zeneca vaccine went from a being a frontrunner to its current state. Hopefully, it gets back on track soon - https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-vaccine-sp/special-report-how-a-british-covid-19-vaccine-went-from-pole-position-to-troubled-start-idUSKBN28Y0XU
Excellent episode of A16Z’s bio podcast featuring the CEO of Moderna - https://a16z.com/2020/12/18/moderna-covid-vaccine-mrna-technology/
Malls are not dead, fully. This mall in the US, an open-air mall, is seeing record sales - https://www.ft.com/content/b5424fb2-73a8-4eca-963c-dcabb490c351
9 young armchair traders made close to half a billion pounds in a day when oil prices went negative in April - https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/business/the-only-way-is-oil-for-essex-armchair-traders-who-hit-500m-pls6g7k35
Octopuses are apparently bullies - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/24/science/octopus-punch-fish.html
World's first wooden satellite to be launched by Japan in 2023 - https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Science/World-s-first-wooden-satellite-to-be-launched-by-Japan-in-2023
KFC, yes, that restaurant chain, has a gaming console. It will keep your fried chicken crispy and warm - https://collider.com/kfconsole-real-specs-price-release-date-details/
There's no such thing as a free lunch, even if you are named Robinhood - https://www.morningstar.com/articles/1015686/robinhood-was-indeed-too-good-to-be-true
I leave you with this apt description of many banks today from The NewYorker! Stay safe, and happy reading! And if you liked the newsletter, please do share on your social networks. My DMs on Twitter are always open for any feedback.