The Comunicano for Friday September 27th 2024
TGIF and welcome to another edition of THE COMUNICANO—a place where, much like Google’s NotebookLM, we take everything you’re overloaded with and summarize it for you. But don’t worry, unlike an AI, I promise I still have a heart. Or at least, that’s what I tell my tech support.
Speaking of AI, Google’s NotebookLM has upgraded and now supports audio files and YouTube links. You can summarize entire lectures, conversations, and even YouTube videos with it. In other words, now when you’re watching cat videos, Google can explain why that kitten’s fall is a metaphor for the economy. It's collaboration made easy, and the best part? All your secrets are still private—until Google "accidentally" sends your entire audio summary to your mom.
Now, moving from upgrading notebooks to downgrading human CEOs. The Harvard Business Review came out swinging, saying AI can outperform human CEOs in data crunching and decision-making. But don’t worry, CEOs, AI isn’t replacing you just yet. Apparently, we still need that human touch for things like creativity and, you know, convincing us that paying $20 for coffee is a great idea.
But the real money-making is happening at OpenAI. They're about to raise $6.5 billion, pushing their value to a jaw-dropping $150 billion. The good news? The funding round is oversubscribed. The bad news? CEO Sam Altman didn’t get a "giant equity stake"—meaning even he doesn’t know where all this money is going.
On the west coast, California is dreaming up some new consumer protection laws. They’re tackling everything from medical debt to those annoying auto-renewing subscriptions that just won't let go—kind of like that one ex who insists you're still friends. Thanks to Governor Newsom, canceling those subscriptions just got easier. Now, if only there was a law to cancel your cousin’s never-ending group texts.
Over at WordPress, things are a little less dreamy. They’ve blocked WP Engine from accessing plugin updates, accusing them of being freeloaders. Apparently, WP Engine is benefiting from WordPress without contributing to its development. Kind of like that guy who always shows up to the party but never brings a six-pack. Now, WordPress is cutting off WP Engine like a bad roommate—no plugins, no updates, no fun.
Meanwhile, Amazon's posting big numbers—$1.8 billion from video ad sales. With that kind of cash, they can buy a small country, or at least all of NASCAR, which they’ll soon be streaming. I guess now, when you're watching “Thursday Night Football,” it’ll come with a healthy dose of “Here’s an ad for that thing you Googled five minutes ago."
And finally, in the world of yachts and espionage, a dead British tech billionaire’s yacht sank, taking encrypted hard drives and sensitive information with it. It’s like a James Bond movie, but with way more paperwork.
That’s it for the news! Thanks for tuning in—And, to steal a line from a Nando’s commercial I once produced, no AI was harmed in the making of these jokes, but one might come for your job soon! Now. On to the NEWS and THE COMUNICANO!!!
Andy Abramson
AI Watch
Upgrade Your Notebook—Google's NotebookLM now supports audio files and YouTube links, expanding its ability to summarize and analyze multimedia sources. Users can explore lecture videos, transcribed conversations, and create comprehensive study guides from recordings, notes, and slides. The new update also simplifies sharing with a public link for Audio Overviews, enhancing collaboration. These improvements offer users deeper insights and more efficient access to key information across diverse media types. All data stays private, and Google Workspace admins can now enable NotebookLM across organizations.
The Better CEO—The Harvard Business Review explores how AI can outperform human CEOs in tasks such as decision-making, data analysis, and optimizing operations. While AI demonstrates efficiency in these areas, it lacks the emotional intelligence, creativity, and strategic vision crucial for leadership roles. The piece suggests that rather than replacing CEOs, AI should complement human leaders by handling routine tasks, allowing CEOs to focus on more complex, human-centric challenges.
No, I’m Not Wrong—A recent study shows that larger AI language models (LLMs), while more accurate overall, are increasingly prone to generating false answers instead of acknowledging uncertainty. This leads to a higher volume of incorrect responses, which users often fail to recognize. The study suggests AI models should avoid answering overly complex questions and focus on providing accurate responses to easier ones to improve reliability. However, current trends show AI chatbots answering almost everything, which can mislead users about their actual capabilities.
OpenAI Watch
Funding OpenAI—OpenAI is close to completing a major funding round, expected to raise $6.5 billion, valuing the company at $150 billion. Despite recent leadership changes, CFO Sarah Friar reassured investors that the round is oversubscribed, reflecting strong interest from backers like Thrive Capital, Microsoft, and NVIDIA. The funding will support OpenAI’s expansion in AI and reinforce its position in the market amid competition and strategic shifts in its corporate structure. More on this in the Wall Street Journal.
Not Funding Sam Altman—At a recent all-hands meeting, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman clarified to employees that he did not receive a "giant equity stake" in the company, addressing rumors that had circulated. Altman stated that there are no current plans for him to acquire a significant ownership stake despite OpenAI's rising valuation, which is now reportedly close to $150 billion as it raises new funding. The clarification comes amidst a period of executive departures, including Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati and research leaders, as OpenAI undergoes significant transitions.
Regulatory Watch
California Dreamin—Governor Gavin Newsom signed a series of consumer protection bills aimed at reducing financial burdens for Californians. The new laws include protections against medical debt being reported to credit agencies, easier cancellation of auto-renewing subscriptions, and limitations on overdraft and nonsufficient funds fees. These measures are designed to shield consumers from hidden costs and ensure greater financial transparency. The legislation targets areas like medical debt relief, subscription cancellations, and unfair banking fees, with a focus on providing relief to lower-income residents. More on this from Digital Democracy.
WordPress Watch
The Saga Continues—WordPress.org has blocked WP Engine servers from accessing its resources, including crucial plugin updates, in a dispute over WP Engine's lack of financial contributions to the WordPress project. WordPress co-founder Matt Mullenweg criticized WP Engine for benefiting from WordPress without supporting its development, even calling it a "cancer." This ban raises concerns about security updates for WP Engine-hosted sites, as users now face difficulties managing essential WordPress plugins and themes. WP Engine disputes these claims, leading to escalating tensions between the two entities. Read more about this from TechCrunch.
Streaming Watch
Amazon Posting Big Numbers—Amazon secured over $1.8 billion in video ad sales during its 2024 upfronts, exceeding internal expectations. These ads will appear on platforms like Prime Video, Freevee, and Twitch, including major broadcasts like *Thursday Night Football*. The company’s ad business has become increasingly crucial, with plans to stream NBA and NASCAR events starting in 2025, highlighting its growing investment in live sports content.
Starlink Watch
Flying High—SpaceX's Starlink now serves over 4 million customers worldwide, rapidly adding 1 million new users in just the last four months. This internet-from-space service, operational since 2020, spans more than 100 countries and territories. With over 6,300 satellites in low-Earth orbit, Starlink's network is expanding to offer faster and more reliable coverage. Besides residential users, Starlink is also expanding into enterprise sectors, including partnerships with airlines like Air France. Despite its success, Starlink has faced criticism from astronomers over satellite light trails and electromagnetic interference affecting space observation.
Workplace Watch
Old School Time—On July 19, 2024, a bug in CrowdStrike software disrupted operations for 8.5 million computers worldwide, impacting airlines, banks, and various other industries. Some air travelers experienced manual check-ins with handwritten boarding passes, highlighting the challenge of such IT failures. Experts now suggest that businesses should plan for these incidents by incorporating manual, paper-based processes as a backup. Companies like Norsk Hydro, which was hit by a ransomware attack in 2019, used such methods to maintain operations. Practicing these analog alternatives may help mitigate the effects of future cyberattacks or system failures.
Security Watch
Sunken Treasure—The $40 million superyacht *Bayesian*, owned by British tech billionaire Mike Lynch, sank off Italy in August, killing seven people, including Lynch. The yacht carried encrypted hard drives believed to contain sensitive intelligence linked to Lynch's cybersecurity work with agencies like Darktrace. Fearing espionage attempts from foreign powers, authorities have ramped up security around the wreck to protect the classified data until it can be salvaged. The high-profile incident has triggered investigations into potential manslaughter and negligence.
EV Watch
Charge It Up—A Tesla Cybertruck owner revealed it costs $73 to fully charge the vehicle in San Leandro, California, where electricity is $0.61 per kWh. Charging from near-empty to a full 296-mile range took 1.5 hours. Many commenters were shocked by the cost, comparing it to fueling a gas-powered vehicle, which offers more range and faster refueling. Despite the Cybertruck's futuristic appeal, some users questioned its cost-efficiency.
Lifesaver Watch
New Life for Old Newsboxes—To combat the opioid crisis, Project Monday is distributing free Narcan, a naloxone nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses, through repurposed newspaper boxes. The initiative is part of "Save a Life Day," aiming to make the life-saving drug more accessible in rural areas hit hard by opioid addiction. Volunteers refill the boxes regularly, offering a practical solution to the region's overdose crisis.
Travel Watch
Come Fly With Me—Southwest Airlines is undergoing a significant overhaul, with activist investor Elliott Management pushing for changes due to operational issues and a lagging stock price. Elliott aims to influence strategy, suggesting a shift towards modernization and improving efficiency to address challenges like flight delays, cancellations, and competition. The move follows several operational disruptions that have damaged the airline's reputation, including the December 2022 holiday fiasco.
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App of the Day
Make.com
A Powerful, No-Code Automation Tool
Make.com is a robust automation platform designed to streamline workflows and connect various apps without needing to write a single line of code. Whether you're a solopreneur, developer, or part of a large team, Make offers a visual, drag-and-drop interface that simplifies the automation process.
Key Features
1. Visual Workflow Builder: Make uses a drag-and-drop system, allowing you to create automated workflows (called "scenarios") by connecting different apps. Its visual nature makes it intuitive, even if you're new to automation.
2. Thousands of Integrations: With over 1,400 apps supported, including major platforms like Google Drive, Slack, Shopify, and HubSpot, Make can help you automate everything from marketing tasks to operational workflows. You can easily connect your favorite tools, whether they are SaaS apps or custom APIs.
3. Powerful Customization: Make goes beyond simple automation; it allows for complex data manipulation, filtering, and branching workflows. This means that you can process multiple records and use conditional logic to customize every detail of your workflow.
4. Templates & Real-Time Monitoring: The platform offers thousands of pre-built templates for common tasks, such as adding new leads from Facebook to a Google Sheet or sending Slack alerts when new users sign up. You can also monitor your workflows in real-time, seeing data flow through the different stages.
5. Collaboration Features: Teams can collaborate on workflows with granular permissions, ensuring that the right people have access to the right scenarios. The platform also keeps a detailed execution history, making it easy to troubleshoot or review changes.
Who Should Use Make.com?
Make.com is ideal for users who want flexibility and power in their automation tools. While its interface is beginner-friendly, those unfamiliar with concepts like APIs or webhooks might find its advanced features challenging. However, for tech-savvy users or teams dealing with complex data problems, it's a perfect fit.
Pricing
Make offers five pricing tiers, starting with a Free plan that gives you 1,000 operations per month. The Core plan, starting at $10.53/month, is a great entry point for more regular users, providing 10,000 operations per month and access to 300+ API endpoints. For more advanced needs, the Pro plan at $18.82/month includes features like custom variables and priority scenario execution. Enterprise-level plans offer even more, including dedicated support.
Comparison to Competitors
Compared to other automation tools like Zapier, Make stands out for its lower entry price and more visually intuitive builder. While Zapier supports over 5,000 apps, Make still covers an impressive number of integrations (1,400+), allowing for more detailed workflow control at a lower price.
Final Thoughts
Make.com is an excellent choice for users looking to automate business processes with flexibility. While its advanced features may require a learning curve, its combination of visual simplicity and powerful customization makes it a top contender in the no-code automation space. Make can handle it all, whether you're automating simple tasks or complex data flows.
You can get started with Make at Make.com.
