Forget Zuckerberg – the tech giants don’t have to own the future | John Harris

Facebook, Google and Apple make the headlines, but there are many inspiring startups to dissipate the sense of techno-dreadA quarter of a century ago, the Canadian author Douglas Coupland published his third novel. Microserfs was the tale of a group of young Microsoft employees who decide to exit the realm of Bill Gates in Washington state and chase a dream of their own in California places that, back then, sounded like the epitome of futuristic magic: Palo Alto, Menlo Park. As well as prescient flashes of the world to come – “Beware of the corporate invasion of private memory,” warned one of its protagonists – what always stuck with me was its air of techno-optimism, perfectly crystallised right at the end, when the central character’s mother has a stroke and is rescued from silence by a set-up attached to an Apple Macintosh. She communicates via such staccato sentences as “I am here”, and “I feel U”; the novel’s closing pages capture her and her family marvelling at the fact that she has become “part woman/part machine, emanating blue Macintosh light”.The book was published in 1995, when computers suddenly offered an ever-expanding window on to the world. Many of us had no doubt that the leap from old to new represented nothing but progress. By the start of this decade social media platforms were being hailed as a means of individual and collective emancipation. But where has this faith in the future gone? Related: The rise of technology in care: how will it affect... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2018-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #central character

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Forget Zuckerberg – the tech giants don’t have to own the future | John Harris'


The AirPods Pro drop back to an all-time low, plus the rest of this week's best tech deals

This week, the biggest event in tech took place in Seoul with Samsung's Unpacked showcase. Among other announcements, the company officially unveiled its latest foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 5. It's not even available yet, but Amazon is offering a $200 gift card if you pre-order from... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-07-28 18:33:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #6ghz band #record low #buying advice #$100 savings #follow @engadgetdeals #kindle


Apple's 10.2-inch iPad drops back to $250, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

This week's best tech deals include a couple of all-time lows on older but still worthwhile Apple gadgets, with the 9th-gen iPad on sale for $250 and the M1-powered MacBook Air available for $750. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a solid value for those in need of a cheap media streamer at... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-07-21 15:15:52 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #wireless earbuds #extra cost #$40 cheaper #$100 drop #follow @engadgetdeals #audiobook


Google has a new AI tool for journalism—but should we trust tech to meddle in newsrooms?

Historically, big tech’s attempts to shape how the media operates have often done more harm than good. Google has a new plan to help save journalism—or at least make it easier for journalists to work. The company has been pitching a generative AI-powered product, nicknamed Genesis, to major... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2023-07-21 11:48:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #big tech #publishers including


Prince Harry asks for £440,000 in damages as phone-hacking case ends

If Harry wins he will have to thank legal precedent set by apprentice chimney sweep 300 years agoIf Prince Harry wins his phone-hacking claim against Mirror Group Newspapers he will have to thank a legal precedent set by an apprentice chimney sweep more than 300 years ago.The royal’s case... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-06-30 16:17:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Rare Harry Potter bought for 30p may fetch up to £5,000

First edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone bought by UK book collector goes up for auction next weekIt is a book that has certainly lived up to its name: a rare edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone bought for 30p could fetch up to £5,000 at auction.The first novel... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-06-30 09:29:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jk rowling #dozen publishers #hardback #bloomsbury #first novel #uk book #harry potter


All the big tech layoffs of 2023

The tech industry is reeling from the combination of a rough economy, the COVID-19 pandemic and some obvious business missteps. And while that led to job cuts in 2022, the headcount reductions have unfortunately ramped up in 2023. It can be tough to keep track of these moves, so we’ve compiled... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-06-29 15:28:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #simply put #ibm pivoted #cloud computing #second-largest wave #beaten expectations #staffing level #big names #podcast empire #quickly put #premium subscribers #revenue existed #reach break- #earnings sooner #publishing giant


Amazon's Echo Dot is down to $28, plus the rest of this week's best tech deals

Summer can be a sleepy time for deals, but there was actually a fair amount of savings to be found on tech this week. Amazon's Prime Day is probably about a month away, but the company looked like they were getting a head start with discounts on Kindles, two Echospeakers, Fire TV devices and... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-06-16 16:33:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #$50 discount #$40 discount #$20 discount #usual $100 #follow @engadgetdeals #kindle


The Only Good Harry Potter Spinoff Could Teach a Thing or Two to J.K. Rowling

America’s second-most-popular play at high schools is a very unauthorized wizard story. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2023-05-26 09:50:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #high schools #harry potter


Vice and BuzzFeed were meant to be the future of news. What happened? | Jane Martinson

Their young audience made them the envy of the media’s old guard. But, ultimately, they couldn’t convert this into profitAfter Rupert Murdoch invested tens of millions of pounds in his digital publishing company in 2013, Shane Smith, boss of Vice Media, laughed at how much old media companies... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-05-20 07:00:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #vice media #jane martinson #jonah peretti #closest rival #digital publishing


Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K Max drops to $35, plus the rest of this week's best tech deals

The biggest news in tech this week came from Google's annual developer conference on Wednesday. They announced three new devices: The Pixel 7a smartphone, the Pixel Tablet and the Pixel Fold. Discounts on brand new products don't happen often, but both Amazon and Google were quick to bundle... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-05-12 15:15:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #save money #virtual assistant #buying advice #$100 cheaper #follow @engadgetdeals #ebooks #kindle


Dan Gerstle Named to Succeed John Glusman at Norton

John Glusman, who served as v-p and editor-in-chief of W.W. Norton since 2011, will step down from his position as editor-in-chief in July. Succeeding him is Dan Gerstle, who joined Norton’s Liveright imprint as a senior editor in 2018. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-11 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #senior editor


Prince Harry’s ghostwriter, JR Moehringer, says pair bonded over media intrusion

Author says paparazzi and reporters began to follow him in his car and snoop around his homePrince Harry’s ghostwriter has said he bonded with his subject over the “callousness” of paparazzi and media after the “frenzied mob” around the book Spare led to photographers and journalists invading... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-05-09 03:35:56 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #prince harry #jr moehringer #memoir


The second-gen Apple Pencil drops to $89, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

It's Friday, which means it's time for another roundup of good deals on recommended tech. Among this week's highlights, the second-gen Apple Pencil is back down to an all-time low of $89, while the latest Echo Dot is within $5 of the best price we've tracked at $30. If you need to upgrade the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-05-05 16:30:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #robot vacuums #heavily discounted #self-emptying base #buying advice #follow @engadgetdeals #kindle


Nielsen and the Future of TV Measurement

We all have our favorite TV shows, and it seems every year there's a new hit series to add to our watchlist. What do these trends mean, especially to marketers? For decades, Nielsen was the place where advertisers and marketers could turn to better connect with their audiences by understanding... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2023-05-02 20:53:41 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tv measurement #hit series #nielsen


iRobot's Roomba 694 drops back to $180, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

Two factors had an effect on the deals we saw this week: spring sales and early Mother's Day promotions. Even if you don't need a gift for a mom or it's still cold (or weirdly summery hot) where you are, you can snag a decent price on some of our recommended tech. Like our top budget robot... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-04-28 18:00:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #wireless headset #holding firm #buying advice #$40 savings #follow @engadgetdeals #ebooks #kindle


Practice Makes Perfect, and Also Nothing Matters: Emily St. John Mandel on Revision and Recklessness

Emily St. John Mandel is the guest. Her latest book, Sea of Tranquility, is out now in paperback from Vintage. Subscribe and download the episode, wherever you get your podcasts!  From the episode: Brad Listi: As I was reading with my writer hat on and thinking about the challenges presented by... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-04-27 08:53:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #emily st #john mandel #brad listi #challenges presented


Prince Harry does not blame queen for alleged deal with Murdoch press, court hears

Duke of Sussex has alleged royal family agreed not to sue newspaper publisher in return for an apology and settlementPrince Harry does not blame Queen Elizabeth II for backing an alleged secret phone-hacking deal between the royal family and Rupert Murdoch’s newspapers, the high court has... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-26 14:40:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #prince harry #murdoch press #court hears #royal family #rupert murdoch #high court


BuzzFeed News’ business model turned to dust because they were always at the whim of mercurial tech titans | James Hennessy

BuzzFeed changed the way news was reported for the digital age. But it became a casualty of its lopsided relationship with FacebookThe announcement of the demise of BuzzFeed News last week felt unlike the cavalcade of media closures and layoffs of the past decade. In a sense, it represented the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-26 03:36:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #buzzfeed news #news operation #digital age #past decade #harry potter


As Prince Harry battles the press, why have the other royals given up the fight? | Zoe Williams

If its true that William took a payoff from Murdoch and the royals struck a peace deal, they seem willing to surrender reputations cheaplyPrince Harry has long alleged that the royal family – “the Institution”, as he calls it – is locked in a trap of appeasement with the tabloid media. In their... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-25 16:54:24 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #royal family #netflix documentary #memoir spare #phone hacking #claims made #memoir


CNN’s new, proprietary publishing platform helps ‘reduce tech debt’

CNN has a new CMS, which it built to cut back on costs, improve reader engagement and draw in advertisers. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2023-04-20 04:01:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #cut back #publishing platform