News | August 9, 2021

Tech Talk Weekly Newsletter: Monday, August 9, 2021

The Tech NewsletterĀ  Ā 

EMPIST Tech TalkĀ  Ā 

The same news you know and love, with just a slightlyĀ different format. The Tech Talk Newsletter is back with a revamp! Read on for your weekly dose of technology information, marketing insights, and more from the EMPIST team.Ā 

 

5 Tech Stories to KnowĀ This Week

1. ZoomĀ Reaches $85MĀ Settlement in ā€˜Zoombombingā€™Ā Lawsuit

The conferencing giant is owning up and paying out; What does that mean for yourĀ privacy?

2. Amazon Will Give You a Whole $10 for Your Palm Print

AmazonĀ will literally payĀ forĀ you toĀ use biometric data.

3. Twitter Works With News Sites to Tackle Disinformation

Will partnering with Reuters and the Associated Press solve Twitterā€™s fake news problem?

4. Security Flaws Found in Popular EV Chargers

Is your car at risk?Ā Is your safety?

5. Square to Buy ā€˜Buy Now, Pay Laterā€™ GiantĀ AfterpayĀ in $29B DealĀ 

FintechĀ isĀ on the move, once again.

 

The Tech Talk Newsletter Tip

From the EMPIST Help Desk

UseĀ Google alerts to stay up-to-date on Covid-19 policiesĀ in your area.Ā FromĀ Delta variants to breakthrough cases, thereā€™s a lot to keep track of when it comes to Coronavirus news. To stay in the know on policyĀ updatesĀ in your areaĀ withoutĀ doom scrolling on Twitter,Ā set up localized alerts using keywordsĀ and trusted news sites.

 

Trending Topics

What is theĀ metaverse?

Sci-Fi novelist Neal Stephensonā€™s clever portmanteau is now Silicon Valleyā€™s biggest buzzword. But when Mark ZuckerbergĀ announcesĀ that he wants to transform Facebook from a social media company into a ā€œmetaverse company,ā€ what,Ā exactly,Ā does he mean? While it may sound more like the subtitleĀ ofĀ a new Marvel movie than an actual enterprise, the metaverse is a (currently theoretical) shared online space that combines physical, augmented, and virtual reality into one. This so-called ā€œembodied internetā€ would be a place to buy and sell goods, interact with avatars, and well,Ā live, entirely online. Audacious, isnā€™t it? Of course, Zuck isnā€™t the only one in the metaverse game; In recent months both Roblox and Fortnite have also discussed the possibilities of going meta.Ā WhatĀ this news spellsĀ for the future of media we canā€™t really predict, but whoā€™s to say ā€“ perhapsĀ science fictionĀ may soon become socialĀ reality.

 

The Tech Talk TriviaĀ  Ā 

Question: ā€˜Yahooā€™ isĀ actually aĀ backronym ā€“ an acronym for an already existing word. What does it stand for?

 

The Weekly Marketing SpotlightĀ  Ā 

Non-fungibleĀ tokensĀ (AKA NFTs)Ā areĀ bigĀ fun forĀ brands.

Still a bit confused by NFTs? Youā€™re certainly not alone.Ā Despite their complexity, however, many brands appear to be taking theĀ newfoundĀ popularityĀ ofĀ Non-fungible TokensĀ in stride.Ā To prove it,Ā Coca-Cola recentlyĀ auctioned off its first NFTĀ for charityĀ last weekend. The prize? AĀ ā€œFriendship Boxā€Ā ā€“Ā modeled after video game loot boxesĀ ā€“Ā whichĀ comesĀ complete with a bubbleĀ jacketĀ to beĀ wornĀ by the ownerĀ in theĀ 3D realityĀ platform, Decentraland.Ā Ā Similarly, Campbellā€™s SoupĀ will be releasing redesigns of their classic labels from artist Sophia ChangĀ as part of an NFT collectionĀ entitled ā€˜AmeriCANa.ā€™Ā Beauty giantsĀ NARS,Ā e.l.f,Ā and Givenchy haveĀ alsoĀ joined inĀ on what can only be called anĀ NFT branding craze,Ā leading us to ask:Ā is blockchain the hottest new marketing stunt?Ā If so, does itĀ work?Ā 

 

Trivia Answer: Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle

For more IT news, blogs, and industry insights throughout the week, follow us on Facebook,Ā Twitter,Ā LinkedIn,Ā andĀ Instagram.Ā 

Search: