Last year, when Minnesota’s progressive politicians coalesced around a bill to raise the minimum pay for Uber and Lyft drivers in the state, Governer Tim Walz shocked many of his allies by vetoing it. However, what might have seemed like a misstep at the time proved to be deft handling of a tricky situation when faced with two major tech companies threatening to leave the state if the bill was passed. [@theverge](
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The Verge (@theverge) on Flipboard
Every day, The Verge asks how technology is changing the way we live and seeks out the most important ideas, people, events, and objects that might...
 ) takes a closer look at how Walz managed to keep all sides on board while a compromise was reached, and what that might say about his approach to tech is likely to be, should he make it to VP.
The Verge
Uber and Lyft threatened to leave Minnesota — then Tim Walz stepped in
Walz proved deft at handling all the stakeholders.
 #Uber #Lyft #TimWalz #KamalaHarris #USPolitics #Minnesota #Tech
Disney has announced its streaming portfolio is heading for another price hike in the fall. It’s the second rise to hit its popular Disney+ service in 12 months, with Disney-owned Hulu and ESPN+ also on the receiving end of an increase of $1-2 a month. With Netflix, Paramount+, Max, and Peacock all also raising their prices recently, @npub1y4vq...5np4 has branded it the “era of subscription fatigue” with constant price rises leaving people frustrated enough to unsubscribe entirely. Here’s more.
Gizmodo
Disney+'s Latest Price Hike Is Officially Driving My Subscription Fatigue
Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN are all getting annoying price increases.
 #Disney #Streaming #Tech
The British government has called on Elon Musk to act responsibly after the tech billionaire unleashed a barrage of posts on X that officials say risk inflaming the violent unrest gripping the country, reports @npub1zf92...cupn. Justice Minister Heidi Alexander made the comments after Musk posted a comment saying that “Civil war is inevitable” in the U.K., and branded Prime Minister Keir Starmer "#twotierKeir", aligning himself with far-right complaints that the police handle different groups of people in different ways. Here’s more.
AP News
UK government calls on Elon Musk to act responsibly amid provocative posts as unrest grips the country
The British government has called on Elon Musk to act responsibly after the tech billionaire used his social media platform X to unleash a barrage ...
 #ElonMusk #SocialMedia #UKPolitics #UKRiots
With three of OpenAI’s top execs announcing they are leaving or taking time out from the company in the last couple of days, and a fresh legal battle with Elon Musk heating up too, it’s fair to say that it’s not been a great week for the AI giant so far. It only adds to what's been a pretty rocky year for the company overall, raising questions over its tenacity in increasingly turbulent waters. With its technical edge eroding, its top minds leaving and its reputation faltering, @npub1jsv4...5zrc asks — what lies ahead for the company that promised to bring us artificial general intelligence? https://flip.it/u_z_7- #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #OpenAI #Tech
AI music websites that generate songs with likenesses to copyrighted works are posing novel questions for courts as to where the line of fair use is drawn, but also what determines copyright infringement in something as multifaceted as music. As lawsuits from Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music against the likes of Udio and Suno begin to make their way through the courts, in cases that could take years to play out, [@FastCompany](
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 ) has published a closer look at the claims on both sides, and the intricacies the courts will have to consider as AI and the creative industry come to blows yet again. https://flip.it/Or8btu #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Music #Copyright #Tech
Silicon Valley never used to get involved with politics. For years, people in tech stayed well away from the bureaucracy in DC, with VCs keeping their political opinions quiet to avoid offending potential portfolio-company entrepreneurs, and vice versa, writes @npub1zwyq...lmv4. However, with the threat of regulation from Washington hanging ever heavier, politics has become all the more relevant in tech, and with simmering tensions boiling over on social media, a flame war has been ignited between some of the industry’s biggest names. [@bloomberg@flipboard.com](
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Bloomberg (@bloomberg) on Flipboard
The first word in business news. Visit bloomberg.com for the latest on global business, markets and more.
 ) has more on tech’s growing political divide.
Bloomberg.com
Politics Turns VCs Into Playground Brawlers
A Silicon Valley rift becomes public. Plus: Copyright trolling in the Middle East and stress-relieving dolls go viral.
 #USPolitics #SiliconValley #Tech
During the early days of Silicon Valley and at the height of the Cold War, a tech industry entrepreneur teamed up with the FBI to ship faulty devices to Moscow in a huge multiyear, transcontinental operation only just being revealed for the first time. @npub16wgk...tfmj tells the fascinating story of Operation Intering — a major counterintelligence campaign that would see the Soviet Union unknowingly purchase millions of dollars’ worth of sabotaged U.S. goods, draining the Bloc’s coffers, exposing its intelligence officers, and revealing to American counterspies exactly what tech the Russians were after.
Moscow’s Spies Were Stealing US Tech — Until the FBI Started a Sabotage Campaign - POLITICO
 #Russia #SiliconValley #FBI #Tech
After becoming the unofficial videoconferencing app of the COVID era, Zoom struggled to maintain the same buzz once people returned to some form of post-pandemic normality. But now, Zoom is back, and it’s all thanks to Kamala Harris, reports Slate. The pro-Harris Zoom calls that have popped up since July 21 have seen hundreds of thousands of participants, and millions of dollars raised for Harris’ presidential campaign. [@slate](
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 ) spoke with leaders of two of the most prominent conferences — Win With Black Women and White Women: Answer the Call — to find out how they made the technical aspects of their respective calls work, to great success.
Slate Magazine
Kamala Harris’ Campaign Single-Handedly Revived a Beleaguered App
Identity groups are organizing massive, successful video calls to support the presidential nominee—but it’s a chaotic effort behind the scenes.
 #KamalaHarris #USPolitics #Harris2024 #Election2024 #Zoom #Tech
Broadcasters, including NBC and Eurosport, national teams, and even the International Olympic Committee itself have been turning to social media influencers to make content from the Olympic Games and encourage a younger generation to tune into the biggest event in sport. Dozens of Instagrammers, TikTokers and YouTubers have reportedly been flown into Paris to help fill “storytelling gaps”, to such a scale that YouTube chief executive Neal Mohan calls it the “first of its kind.” The @npub1qlvs...k3kp has more on the changing face of sports reporting.
Client Challenge
 [may require subscription] #Paris2024 #Olympics #Tech #Influencers #SocialMedia #TikTok #YouTube #Instagram