Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?
My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”
Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another:
- Why Dune’s Visual Effects Feel So Different – Thomas Flight – YouTube. “I absolutely loved the visuals in the new Dune. And I’m not alone. They did a lot of things right—in particular, they fought against the fakery of green screens in clever ways. This video really opened my eyes to why so many movies, particularly action flicks, have a sense of surreal ‘comic book’ uncanny valley. From using sand-colored screens instead of green screens to capturing helicopter wash before superimposing ornithopters, this is a fascinating look. If you haven’t seen the movie yet: Spoiler alerts ahead.” (Alistair for Hugh).
- Facebook Patent Shows How You May Be Exploited in the Metaverse – Tech Policy Press. “I’ve been trying to step back from the hyperbole about the Metaverse/Web3/Cryptoanything and understand it from first principles, partly in preparation for some upcoming on-stage talks (Yay! Real world events!) and partly because a lot of smart people are also excited about it. My summary so far, in a single sentence, is that it’s about creating permanent objects in an impermanent world, then attaching them to things—whether that’s art (NFTs), money (Bitcoin), certifications (a token), or digital clothing (loot.) Today, if we want to do that, we enforce it with laws (copyright, etc.) or limit it to a single platform that’s controlled by someone (a skin in Fortnite). But in this new world, we enforce things with math, rather than laws. The problem, of course, is that there are still plenty of folks trying to make money who may not have the users’ best interests at heart. Case in point: Tomorrow’s targeted ads are tailored objects, according to this patent.” (Alistair for Mitch).
- Introducing the idea of ‘hyperobjects’ – High Country News. “Some things — like, say, global warming — are so big, complex and span such long timeframes that it is very hard for humans to know how to think about them. Timothy Morton calls these things (another example would be the expanse of the universe) ‘hyperobjects’. I’m not sure if it helps to put a name to these kinds of things (another example would be the global Covid pan/endemic), but there’s something comforting about having a word to a thing that’s just so big and worrisome it makes me want to have a nap.” (Hugh for Alistair).
- Can genetics help eliminate inequality? – The Washington Post. “Genetics is one of those really difficult subjects — it’s impact on people, groups of people, outcomes and inequalities. It’s a minefield. Imagine for instance suggesting a certain genetic group, for instance, is better or worse at math? Kathryn Paige Harden comes at this question from a progressive position, but fully engaged in the science and data itself (she had a great conversation a while ago with Sam Harris, a lefty-righty internet personality worried about wokeness and the silencing of debate, that’s well worth a listen as well).” (Hugh for Mitch).
- Elgato Facecam Webcam Review (Bonus Brio Comparison) – Live Streaming Pros – YouTube. “If you have not made the switch from webcam to DSLR/Mirrorless camera (which I have not), then this is for you. The gold standard in webcams is the Logitech Brio 4K. I’ve tested more webcams than I care to remember and, even with the software limitations of the Brio, it was always head and shoulders above the competition. Elgato has been an amazing company from a streaming/video/online presentation perspective. Originally started as a company for gamers and streamers to buy expensive hardware that was for commercial broadcasting, Elgato produced switchers (Stream Deck), lighting (Key Light, etc…), video capture cards and more – making this kind of tech affordable without sacrificing on quality. Their most recent addition is a webcam. It’s called Facecam. I picked one up this week and, well, I think it sent my Brio into retirement. The picture quality is great, I love the size of it (it feels like you’re looking into a camera rather than a dot) and the software allows you to really play with the overall picture quality. TLDR: If you’re looking to upgrade, go with the Facecam.” (Mitch for Alistair).
- Clubhouse Is More Exclusive Than Ever: No One’s On It – Gawker. “The argument against Clubhouse never made much sense to me. Many pundits criticized it as having its moment strictly because of the pandemic. It’s said as if no one was binge-watching Netflix or the growth of podcasting wasn’t happening before our world went sideways. It never sat well with me as a reason. People have always yearned for connection and, if the pandemic, did anything for digital media it was both an amplification (more awareness of it) and distribution (from our very youngest to our most elderly were now ‘digital first’) of tech. So, where has the shine and bounce of Clubhouse gone? It’s hard for me to explain. I still frequent a small amount of regular rooms, but not much else. If I had to sum it up in a sentence: The content is not compelling and connections haven’t moved the needle in my world of networking. With that, I fully understand that your mileage may vary, and others feel the complete opposite (which is great.. the world doesn’t need everything to be for everyone). Still, is it scaling and can Clubhouse claw its way back to either ‘darling’ status or into something meaningful for the world of new media?” (Mitch for Hugh).
Feel free to share these links and add your picks on Twitter, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.
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