Curated Commons // Edition 81
Thank you for subscribing and welcome to the 81st edition of Curated Commons. Happy reading, and do pass on the newsletter and share it on your social networks if you find it interesting!
Let’s dive right in ($ indicates potential paywall).
NFTs, lawyers, and big brands.
We truly live in the future. Nike has filed a case against apparel marketplace StockX over unauthorized NFT sales.
“I’d like to add you to my Deepfake network”
Is your latest connection on Twitter’s favorite professional network a deepfake? Fascinating story! - Read here
And on the topic, handy Chrome extension to right click and check if a picture is GAN-generated or real - Download here
Today in creepy robots that get the job done
Looks uggh. But swell idea! - Read here
We live in a world awash in greenwashing
Companies have begun to realize that consumers are beginning to place more value on sustainable/healthy living. So they made them adjectives. Without real-world change! Sigh! - Read here
There’s always money to be made selling shovels
And in a crypto world, one example of a shovel is this father-son duo helping people brute-force their lost Bitcoin wallet passwords. - Read here
AI’s gaining in smarts
An AI system has now beat eight world champions in Bridge - a game that requires more advanced human-like skills. - Read here
Last-mile delivery. In the middle of the ocean
Interesting read on online shopping in French Polynesia, a collection of 100+ islands over 3,500 Sq.Km. Facebook is the front-end there! - Read here
Hackers are hacking ‘emergency data requests’ for gaining access to personal data
When we create a channel, howsoever narrow it is, it will still be exploited. Illustrative case from the US. - Read here
Reminded me of this classic cartoon from the NYT.
Trees are good for fighting climate change. Which trees?
Interesting experiment to create a ‘super forest’ - Read here
Mercedes is owning up to its algorithms
There have been many questions on who’s to blame in an accident in a self-driving car. Now, Mercedes is saying they will own liability if an accident happens while their autopilot system is engaged. - Read here
From China, with control
China’s now restricting researchers from participating in international conferences. On Zoom! - Read here
The Chinese government has identified genetic data as a national strategic resource and is strengthening state control over the country's gene banks and other repositories of genetic information. - Read here
Chinese regulators are planning rules limiting virtual tipping of live-streaming hosts and time spent by young people on the apps - Read here ($)
Do you work in data analytics, like watching TV, and live in a town? You might be the world’s most boring person! - Read here
Your AI system is only as good as the data you feed it
Lots of AI systems have been developed to help catch COVID. Not of much help. Good explainer on some of the reasons. - Read here
Great tweet on similar lines
More Interesting Reads:
It’s the season of security flaws. Wyze now. - Read here
“The vest "hits the right sweet spot between East Coast money and West Coast casual"“ - Good piece on that quintessential piece of VC wardrobe - the Patagonia vest. - Read here
This Ukranian’s way of fighting - sabotaging a formidable Russian ransomware gang - Read here
Viasat is still struggling with hacks on its modems in Ukraine - Read here
Security, union-busting, TikTok, spam scripts, all together- Read more
Great interview of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang by Ben Thompson with a focus on ‘Manufacturing Intelligence’ - Read here
Research shows the perfect amount of friction gives finger snaps their signature pop - Read here
Neat collated report on the Indian tech startup ecosystem from Blume, an Indian VC - Read here
Weird love some desis in the US have with insider trading! Yet another case - Read here
Good long read on COVID-19 origins and role of the infamous EcoHealth Alliance - Read here
Wild story. Apparently, pre-pandemic, USA consumed over 80% of the global supply of Amphetamines! - Read here
This is big. Amazon gets its first workers union in the US. - Read here
Stay safe, and happy reading! And if you liked the newsletter, thank you, and maybe consider sharing it? My DMs on Twitter are always open for any feedback.