A newsletter about Pop Culture, Software Studies, Business Strategy, Media Platforms, Algorithmic Management, Game Design, and everything in between.
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How AI Tokens Challenge Broadband Economics
The parallel evolution of two foundational commodities in a new economic layer.
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Designers at a new crop of creative studios create fake personas they hope real people will love. Are they distorting culture or mirroring it? https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/13/arts/ai-podcasts-fashion-pop-avatars.html?unlocked_article_code=1.5FA.fKfk.bMp5uecIkIOV&smid=bs-share more ›
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Amid fears for jobs, some film-makers say AI could enable them to bypass studio giants and take more creative risks https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/aug/16/directors-embracing-ai-film-making?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other more ›
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Massive spending commitments for data-center leases and chips aren’t shown on companies’ balance sheets https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/why-big-techs-ai-spending-is-3-trillion-higher-than-it-seems-e1067bb2?st=hKauuG&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink more ›
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Comedian and former late-night host Craig Ferguson joins Neal Brennan on the Blocks Podcast to explore the “blocks” that have defined his life and career. From his upbringing in Scotland and the impact of sectarian violence to his iconic run… more ›
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Craig Ferguson tells Neal Brennan about his struggles with alcoholism, and how he’s navigated multiple decades of sobriety. Full Episode: https://youtu.be/wBoEsrpnPHA Watch Neal Brennan: Crazy Good on Netflix: https://ift.tt/sN6YFTz Theme music by Electric Guest (unreleased). Edited by Will Hagle (wthagle@gmail.com)… more ›
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Listen: https://ift.tt/FOkxjoP This week on Sinica, a rare treat: an in-person recording from Beijing with two dear friends who happen to be two of the very best in the business on technology and China — Samm Sacks and Paul Triolo,… more ›
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Solar hit a record 10% of global electricity in the first half 2026, a quarter at midday and near zero at night. Now, battery storage is unlocking the next stage of solar growth in the non-sunny hours. https://ember-energy.org/latest-insights/batteries-have-unlocked-the-era-of-anytime-solar/ more ›
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Listen: https://ift.tt/uFZ6es4 Today, Derek talks with cybersecurity expert Alex Stamos about a recent wave of alarming AI cyberattacks. For decades, one of the biggest fears about AI has been that the machines will start doing things we didn’t ask them… more ›