10 stories this week (w/e 7 Dec)
Further news & commentary to help you live 20 Minutes into the Future
Hello from 20 Minutes into the Future. I know you weren’t expecting me again until Tuesday but I’m trying something of an experiment. A weekender complement to the normal weekly commentary. Below you’ll find 10 links to stories that also take a critical look at how technology is shaping our lives today.
Do let me know if you’d like to see this become a weekly addendum. Thanks!
The end of America’s second gilded age is coming. And it’s coming fast.
https://time.com/5735384/capitalism-reckoning-elitism-in-america-2019/A sobering look at what happens with rocket barons build 21st century version of company towns.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/30/business/amazon-baltimore.htmlCompelling thoughts on how social media and the internet might be different.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/11/30/opinion/social-media-future.htmlThe internet can be feral. What happens when you’re able to pay a subscription to avoid the worst of it?
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/11/13/magazine/internet-premium.htmlHow monopolies are strangling the US economy. And how Europe is doing better because of its tough-on-tech regulations.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/01/america-is-not-the-land-of-the-free-but-one-of-monopolies-so-predatory-they-imperil-the-nationHow media, researchers, and inventors conspire to overhype AI.
https://thegradient.pub/an-epidemic-of-ai-misinformation/The bubble is starting to burst…
https://www.wsj.com/articles/silicon-valley-adjusts-to-new-reality-as-100-billion-evaporates-11574764205Amazon moves from surveillance capitalism to state surveillance. All thanks to your fucking doorbell.
https://theintercept.com/2019/11/26/amazon-ring-home-security-facial-recognitionThe glut of cardboard from Amazon deliveries is choking recycling efforts.
https://www.theverge.com/2019/12/2/20986298/cyber-monday-black-friday-amazon-effect-recycling-cardboard-shoppingGreat podcast about cities regulating companies like Uber and AirBnB. Worth it for the conversation about failing/passing the duck test alone.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2019/dec/02/cities-vs-big-tech-chips-with-everything-podcast
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20 Minutes into the Future is a critical look at how technology is shaping our lives today. And what actions we can take for a better tomorrow. If you you're not already a subscriber and found this newsletter worth your while then please sign up.
Daniel Harvey writes 20 Minutes into The Future. He is a product designer and has written for Fast Company, Huffington Post, The Drum, & more. If you're pissed about the current state of tech and want to see us do better then you’ve found a kindred spirit.
You can email him at daniel.harvey@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @dancharvey.