Curated Commons // Edition 64
Thank you for subscribing and welcome to the 64th edition of Curated Commons.
If you are new, or if you received this newsletter as a forward, I send this once a week and each edition focuses on tech/business/science/algorithmic future/Internet weirdness/anything-else-that-catches-my-eye. Let’s dive right in ($ indicates potential paywall).
Social media can help sell a bag of dirt for $110!
This is one of the weirdest stories out there. In the pandemic-driven world of online misinformation, an alternative medicine started doing quite well. It was dirt. Literal dirt. The story only gets more weird from there - Read here
And on the topic of weird stuff amplified by social media, very good story on a multi level marketing ‘cult’ - Read here ($)
Battling tech woes with tech
Revenge porn is one of the terrible externalities of tech and social networks. Now Facebook/Meta is trying to do something about it, using tech. - Read here
The algorithm as the Thinkpol
Multiple companies have sprung up that claim to predict if someone will commit a crime - based on their online presence. And cops globally are beginning to fall for their tall claims. - Read here
This professor put it brilliantly:
PS: Thinkpol reference from 1984
On this note, another interesting read on how a crime detection software promised to be free of bias and data shows how it actually perpetuated it! - Read here
Surveillance cameras, for hindering and helping
Hindering spies from doing their job.- Read here ($)
Helping the Chinese Govt to track “suspicious people” - Read here
The Amazon juggernaut gains steam during the pandemic
Amazon went on an overdrive hiring people and building out warehouses. Good luck to its competitors. - Read here ($)
Since the end of 2019, Amazon has hired roughly 670,000 people, with its global workforce now totaling more than 1.4 million, according to the company. During roughly the same period, Amazon said it nearly doubled the size of its fulfillment network. The company now has more than 930 facilities across the country.
Streaming music makes someone some money. Finally.
Two scamsters apparently made over $20 Mn by falsely claiming to YouTube that they own the rights to thousands of Spanish songs. Imagine how many such frauds are operating globally where rights owners don’t even know they are being duped! - Read here
The world is aging
A sign of the aging population in China - market for adult nappies is growing rapidly. - Read here ($)
Is a 1/10,000th part of a Banksy art, art?
Pixels are more exciting than atoms these days. - Read here ($)
How China is eating into Africa’s digital sovereignty
The Chinese takeover of African physical infrastructure is well-known. And it appears they are repeating the story with digital infra too. Interesting connection of the dots story. - Read here
New models powered by NFT are here
Interesting to see how this pans out… - Read here
The executive producer behind blockbusters including Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman is to make Hollywood’s first feature film funded entirely by non-fungible tokens (NFTs), with a promise that those who invest will get a share of any profits and meet the stars of the production.
Do you play God in a planet of your creation?
This is a really interesting read on Terrariums, how social media is fueling an increase in interest and how they might help our mental health. - Read here
Moscow doing Moscow things
Moscow apparently thought it was cool to threaten that they will consider blowing up the 32 GPS satellites that are used for, well, far more than ordering an Uber. - Read here
The fashion industry is embracing the metaverse
Why? Why else? Money. And hey, there’s a sustainability angle too! - Read here
Welcome to the future
Living robots made in a lab have found a new way to self-replicate. Go figure! - Read here
Making cow dung less dangerous for the planet
Very interesting startup using plasma to zap cow dung so they can reduce emissions!
More interesting reads
Thinking further, as always. AWS to now support robotics apps - Read here
15 minute grocery is coming to the US too. Instacart wants to do it. - Read here
#TIL Microsoft Excel influencer making six figures! - Read here
Today in uniquely French things - Read here
Uber to test audio recording safety feature. Remains to be seen if people will trust the company that once had a “God mode”. - Read here
DVDs still exist. With a different audience than one you’d expect. - Read here
What can companies learn from your voice and how you speak? Fascinating thread - Read here
And finally, I went viral. Thanks to one ‘like’ from Musk! The Internet is a weird place!
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.