The Comunicano for Wednesday September 11, 2024
This week, the tech world didn't roar—it hummed….Apple's latest iPhone event? More "Glowtime" than Showtime. Battery life got a bump and the camera? A little better. But Om Malik sums it up best: evolutionary, not revolutionary. Apple's real game? Locking you deeper into their ecosystem. Clever, but nothing to write home about.
Meanwhile, OpenAI's "Project Strawberry" is about to drop. It’s smarter, solves problems better, and could reshape how AI works for you—just don't expect it to juggle images yet. Oh, and Facebook? They’re scraping Australian data, and nobody's happy. It’s the privacy headache we’ve seen before, but this time, there's no opt-out. Dirty data scraping for AI training is raising eyebrows down under. (sounds like there’s a song about that—see below)
In the world of wheels, autonomous vehicles keep improving, but guess what? It's still us humans causing the crashes. Until AV tech and our bad driving coexist, safety's just a hope…..And for EVs, Delaware—a state most forget—leads the U.S. in car chargers per capita, proving that size doesn’t always matter…..Revolut is struggling with a surge in scams—it’s hard to build trust when your platform’s getting fleeced…..Facebook is not doing any better; it is flagging wildfire alerts as spam….On the pop culture front, Taylor Swift is calling out AI-generated misinformation after being fake-linked to Trump. Her real endorsement? Kamala Harris. Stay informed, Swifties….And let’s talk money. Martyn Ware of Heaven 17 turned down Rockstar’s “pathetic” offer to license "Temptation" for GTA 6. When a billion-dollar game offers peanuts, sometimes you say no…..Lastly, the Wet Martini is back—more vermouth, less attitude. Cheers to that….
Key takeaways: AI, EVs, and big tech keep creeping forward, but humans are still the wild card.
And now…on with the news…..a new app review…and some coffee too!!!
Andy Abramson
Apple Watch
Om on Apple-Om Malik has been a friend, brother, groomsman, and blogging cabal comrade to me for over 20 years. He started and closed GigaOm (which we all miss) and became a VC. He “retired” and is now writing some of his best work ever. All that makes his analysis of Apple’s announcement well worth taking time out of your day to read. This week Om reflected on Apple's iPhone 16 "Glowtime" event, highlighting the incremental changes in design and features, the hardware improvements being notable, such as battery life and camera enhancements, and how they feel evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Om also touches on Apple's expanding focus on software and services, emphasizing the importance of their ecosystem.
AI Watch
AI Advanced—OpenAI's "Project Strawberry," an advanced reasoning-focused AI, is expected to launch soon, potentially before September 20, 2024. This model enhances ChatGPT's ability to solve complex problems like mathematical equations and word puzzles. While not yet multimodal, it offers more detailed responses and could be part of a dropdown menu of AI models within ChatGPT. The release will likely include rate limits and different pricing tiers, aiming to provide a smarter, more capable AI tool. You can read even more here from Magnitive.
Spending Spree—There’s a massive surge in investments driven by artificial intelligence (AI), underscoring how tech giants, venture capitalists, and other players are pouring billions into the sector. This wave of spending is reshaping industries from software to semiconductors, creating both opportunities and risks. Investors are chasing profits, but there's uncertainty about when, or if, AI will meet sky-high expectations. Companies across various sectors are positioning themselves to capitalize on AI’s transformative potential, though doubts remain about the long-term payoff.
About Face—Facebook has recently acknowledged scraping public photos and other data from Australian users without offering an opt-out option. This practice aims to train its AI models, raising concerns about user privacy. While in some regions, Facebook provides more control over data usage, Australian users currently have fewer privacy safeguards. More on this Dirty Deed Done Dirt Cheap.
AV Watch
It’s The Human’s Fault—Human drivers are primarily responsible for most accidents, even as autonomous vehicle (AV) technology advances. Human error, such as distracted driving and poor decision-making, remains a significant cause of collisions. So, while AVs have the potential to reduce accidents, the challenge lies in integrating them with human-driven vehicles on the roads. Ultimately, solving traffic safety issues will require a combination of improved AV technology and changes in human driving behavior.
EV Watch
The First State—Delaware ranks highest in the U.S. for public EV charging infrastructure per capita, according to SBD Automotive’s analysis. Despite being a small state, Delaware has 101 chargers per 100,000 people, reflecting its proactive approach to supporting electric vehicles. This contrasts with larger states like Texas and California, where high population density and slower infrastructure rollout pose challenges. This analysis also highlights what’s most important: the need for continued investment in EV infrastructure as adoption rates increase.
Election Watch
A Swift One—Taylor Swift expressed her concerns about AI-generated misinformation after a false endorsement of Donald Trump was posted online using her likeness. In response, she clarified her support for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. She admires Harris for her calm leadership and commitment to causes such as LGBTQ+ rights and women's reproductive freedoms. Swift encourages her followers to do their own research, register to vote, and vote early. She emphasizes the importance of transparency and combating misinformation with the truth. Read Even More from Decrypt.
FinTech Watch
You’ve Been Scammed—Revolut is facing increasing challenges from a surge in scams on its platform, threatening its growth and customer trust. Despite its ambitions to expand globally, the company is struggling with the rise in fraudulent activities, impacting both users and its reputation. Revolut has been working to strengthen its security measures, but the escalating issue could undermine its plans for further growth in key markets. Here’s a deeper dive from the same reporter.
Facebook Watch
Fire Country—Facebook has been mistakenly flagging and removing wildfire and emergency-related posts, including those from official sources like Cal Fire and Watch Duty. These posts, crucial for communities during disasters, are marked as spam for allegedly violating community standards. This issue, occurring during critical moments, is causing concern among users who rely on Facebook for real-time updates. Despite the platform's efforts to investigate, the removals continue, frustrating responders and residents in fire-prone areas who depend on timely information.
VideoGame Watch
An Offer I “Can” Refuse—Martyn Ware of Heaven 17 rejected Rockstar's offer of $22,500 to use the band's 1983 hit "Temptation" in GTA 6, calling it "pathetic" given the game's immense profitability. He criticized the disparity between the game’s success and the low offer, noting GTA V made $8.6 billion. Sync deals for artists vary greatly, with some going into the millions, but Ware argued his song's value far exceeded the offer. Some suggested the band missed out on reaching new fans, but Ware stood firm in his decision.
Growth Watch
Business is Powered by the Internet—A recent GoDaddy study highlights how the expansion of the Internet has empowered small businesses, particularly in rural areas. The study found that better internet access has allowed small businesses to grow and increase their digital presence. Entrepreneurs have leveraged new digital tools and platforms to reach broader audiences, fueling economic growth in underserved regions. This emphasizes the importance of continued investment in internet infrastructure to support small business development further.
Mistake Watch
Oops. Big Oops—Goldman Sachs recently made a mistake that contributed to a sell-off in AI stocks, adding to the broader market's concerns about overvaluation in the tech sector. This misstep, combined with worries about potential regulatory challenges and competition in the AI space, exacerbated the drop in stock prices. The event highlights the sensitivity of AI-related markets to even minor errors or shifts in investor sentiment.
Coffee Watch
A Change To The Daily Grind—Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol has outlined his commitment to refocus on the core Starbucks experience—great coffee and welcoming spaces. Key initiatives include empowering baristas, improving morning service, elevating store environments, and strengthening Starbucks' brand identity. Niccol emphasizes better customer service, operational investments, and global growth, especially in markets like China and the Middle East. His first 100 days will focus on restoring Starbucks' core values and enhancing the customer experience.
Workplace Watch
Mr. Indespensible—Being indispensable at work may seem like a good thing, but it can come with hidden costs. Constantly being relied on leads to stress, burnout, and reduced time for personal growth or new opportunities. It can create a work-life imbalance and limit career progression by trapping individuals in their current roles. It’s important to set boundaries, delegate tasks, and focus on developing skills that can lead to career advancement.
Brain Watch
Brain Drain—A recent study from the University of Washington revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated brain aging in teens, especially girls. Neuroimaging showed that, during the first year of lockdowns, girls' brains aged 4.2 years ahead of expectations, compared to 1.4 years for boys. This rapid cortical thinning, linked to stress, impacts areas associated with social cognition, like the fusiform gyrus and temporal cortex. Researchers suggest that the social isolation caused by the pandemic hit girls harder than boys, likely due to their reliance on emotional relationships.
More on this from a science perspective.
Cocktail Watch
It’s On Ice—The wet martini, a variation of the classic martini, is making a comeback by balancing a higher ratio of vermouth to gin, usually around 2:1. This cocktail offers a smoother, more complex taste than its dry counterpart, which has minimal vermouth. With the wet martini, vermouth’s botanical and herbal flavors shine, complementing the gin and making it a more approachable option for many. Its richer profile is perfect for those who appreciate a fuller, softer martini experience.
Have a second round.
Dining Watch
Round One—The significance of round tables in Chinese restaurants is all about how they foster communal dining and shared experiences. The circular shape symbolizes equality, ensuring no one feels excluded, and allows for the easy passing of dishes, reinforcing family-style meals. This tradition emphasizes the importance of togetherness and mutual respect in Chinese culture, making it a key feature of many Chinese dining experiences.
App of the Day
Cleft Notes: AI-Powered Note-Taking for the Modern Thinker
Cleft Notes is an innovative, AI-enhanced note-taking app designed for those who need to capture and organize ideas swiftly and efficiently. What sets it apart is its ability to transform voice memos into fully formatted Markdown text, offering seamless conversion from audio to written form. This app is ideal for creatives, professionals, students, and anyone who relies on note-taking to structure thoughts, brainstorm, or conduct meetings.
It’s The Features that Matter
1. AI-Powered Transcription
One of Cleft Notes' core strengths is its AI-driven transcription service. You can record audio notes or upload audio files, and Cleft automatically converts these into structured, legible Markdown notes. This feature is a game-changer for those who prefer verbal brainstorming or need to quickly capture their thoughts without typing. The transcription works on-device, making it secure, fast, and respecting your privacy.
2. Markdown Integration
Cleft Notes doesn't just transcribe your thoughts; it ensures they're immediately formatted in Markdown. For those unfamiliar with Markdown, it's a lightweight markup language with plain text formatting syntax. It is widely used to create formatted documents in apps like Obsidian, Notion, or simple text files. This gives users a flexible way to structure their notes that can be easily shared or integrated into other platforms.
3. Cross-Platform Availability
Currently available for iOS and macOS, Cleft Notes integrates with other popular apps such as Obsidian, Drafts, and Zapier, offering smooth workflows. You can record a voice memo on your iPhone, and the transcription will be readily accessible on your Mac, making it ideal for professionals who switch between devices. The app is perfect for users who want to streamline their digital ecosystem.
4. Intuitive Design and Accessibility
The app's clean, user-friendly interface makes it accessible even for the less tech-savvy. Moreover, Cleft Notes supports neurodiverse users, offering simple, distraction-free interaction for those struggling with more complex note-taking apps.
5. Privacy-Focused
Cleft prides itself on its privacy-first design. Unlike competitors, which may rely on cloud-based transcription, Cleft performs transcriptions locally on your device. This ensures that sensitive conversations or brainstorming sessions are not uploaded to external servers.
Why Choose Cleft Notes?
Cleft Notes is perfect for busy professionals, students, content creators, or anyone looking to quickly capture and organize fleeting thoughts. The AI scribe transforms otherwise unstructured voice memos into clean, actionable notes, making this app an indispensable tool for productivity. It also eliminates the tedious manual note-taking or typing process, letting users focus more on their thoughts and ideas.
Free vs. Premium
The app offers a free version with limitations, such as a 5-minute recording cap, making it suitable for quick notes or short meetings. However, the premium version removes these restrictions, offering extended, 30-minute recording times and deeper integration with third-party apps like Notion and Google Docs. This premium access unlocks Cleft's full potential, transforming it from a basic note-taker to a comprehensive idea-capturing tool.
Comparison with Competitors
Cleft Notes stands out by offering on-device transcription and Markdown formatting, setting it apart from similar apps like Otter.ai, which transcribe but lack robust formatting features. While apps like Notion and Evernote are excellent for long-form writing and documentation, they don't have the AI-powered voice-to-text conversion that Cleft offers, making it unique for audio-driven note-taking.
Best Use Cases
- Meetings: Record and transcribe meeting notes in real-time, then instantly share them with colleagues.
- Brainstorming: Capture spontaneous thoughts and organize them later without stopping and typing.
- Content Creation: Perfect for writers, podcasters, and YouTubers who often express their ideas first.
- Students: Lecture transcriptions make it easier to revisit important points without distraction.
Cleft Notes is a must-have for individuals who juggle many ideas and tasks. Its combination of AI-driven transcription, Markdown support, and privacy-first design makes it one of the most powerful note-taking apps available. With free and premium versions, there's something here for both casual users and productivity powerhouses alike.
If you want to streamline your note-taking process, try Cleft Notes. You can download it on iOS or macOS from their website.
