Think, Thought, Imagine: Daily tech, media & more (1/4/16)
Quick News (read the headlines and you’re done)
Oculus Rift Pre-Orders Will Open On Wednesday [no price announced, yet] - Techcrunch
The Beatles Are Coming to Apple Music, Spotify and Everywhere Else on Christmas Eve [this is “old” already, but worth noting in case you missed – because it’s The Beatles and because they launched on essentially every streaming platform] - recode
Activision Buys Major League Gaming to Broaden Role in E-Sports [why interesting: e-sports is big and getting bigger, and Activision is a massive gaming company so the deal (while relatively small in money) could turn into something interesting] – NY Times
Yahoo Shutters Video Service 'Yahoo Screen' [had been around for a little under three years trying original “digital shows” and traditional sitcoms like Community as well as an NFL game – had been a large focus of CEO Marissa Mayer’s proposed turnaround] - Variety
GM Invests $500 Million in Lyft and Strikes Strategic Autonomous Car Alliance [“Strategic Autonomous Car Alliance” meaning GM and Lyft will build an on-demand network of autonomous cars – also will build a short-term rental hub for people who want to drive for Lyft. As part of the deal GM gets seat on Lyft’s board – context: this as Ford is reportedly making a deal with Google to build autonomous cars] - recode
“GM is closely allying itself to the shift away from its main business until now — the sale of cars — to a more service-oriented one.”
Please Explain (someone's gotta do it)
Mark Zuckerberg’s 2016 Challenge: Code an Artificial Intelligence Assistant [i.e. ‘Jarvis’ from Iron Man (he literally said that) – context: every year Zuckerberg takes on a personal challenge (last year was two books a month, and year before that was learn Chinese)] - WSJ
Toyota to Adopt Ford’s Entertainment Software to Fend Off Google, Apple [explain: Google’s Android and Apple both have software for the car that many auto companies have adopted, but Ford (and now Toyota) are resisting a “takeover” of software by the two companies] - recode
Look, Listen (and um, learn)
Look: Volvo Wants You To Netflix And Drive – The Verge
Great Reads (why settle for good?)
The Mogul of the Middle [it’s somewhat of a “puff piece” on STX, the new highly backed company trying to compete with major movie studios, but gives a lot of insight into how Hollywood works, and more importantly, thinks – the main takeaway? STX really wants to be just like everyone else and do it all (even if their original mission statement disagrees)] – The New Yorker
"The goal was to look enough like a Hollywood studio to get a huge infusion of money from Chinese investors, then use the money to cherry-pick Hollywood’s assets en route to becoming a global conglomerate. The story Simonds originally told, about making old-fashioned, human-scale stories, had given rise to its own sequel, about ramifying digital exploitation. Aiming at being a studio, today, is like aiming at being a caterpillar. The end game is metamorphosis."
Culture (more)
Columbia House to Relaunch as Vinyl Subscription Service in 2016 [hm] – Rolling Stone
The Concept Of Different “Learning Styles” Is One Of The Greatest Neuroscience Myths [we’re not scientists, but potentially another case of what you think may not be what is - at least bears investigating] - quartz
“The assumption behind learning myths seems to be based on the scientific fact that different regions of the cortex have different roles in visual, auditory, and sensory processing, and so students should learn differently 'according to which part of their brain works better.' However, writes Howard-Jones, 'the brain’s inter-connectivity makes such an assumption unsound.'”
Industry"ish" (we're so Hollywood)
China's Wanda Acquiring Controlling Stake in Legendary Entertainment [values the studio behind Godzilla and Pacific Rim at 3 to 4 billion dollars - is this the beginning of the Chinese Hollywood buying spree?] – THR
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