Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Vox could become a better version of Mediumand The Ringer could be its first step
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Of all the horrible things the internet has brought us, the word “platisher” is among the worst.
That’s the word used back in 2013 when Medium first launched. The brainchild of Twitter cofounder Ev Williams, Medium at the time was one of the most beautiful things onlinevery much the opposite of the word used to describe it.
The company also launched with some of its own content, hence the portmanteau of “platform” and “publisher.” Medium would have a few in house publications, but its model would be to power others. If successful, Medium might operate the way some printing presses worked, servicing the needs of a variety of publications.
It didn’t work very well. Medium has closed pretty much all its publications, and recently moved toward a subscription model after laying off some of its staff. Perhaps we would be relieved of having to use the word “platisher” ever again.
Not so fast. On Tuesday, Vox announced a deal with The Ringer to power the company’s technology and advertising.
The Ringer, which had previously operated on Medium, is the sports and culture website started by sports media mogul Bill Simmons. After gaining a large following as a columnist at ESPN, he helped start Grantland and the “30 for 30” documentary series, before a falling out with the media company led Simmons to strike out on his own.
“Vox Media’s expertise is building strong media brands that go deeper with audiences. Weve proven that empowering the most talented creators is a successful model for growth,”said Jim Bankoff, chairman and CEO of Vox Media, in a press release.
The move is bad news for Medium. The Ringer is undoubtedly its most high-profile independent operation. The company has struggled to figure out a way forward and has just about given up on an ad-supported model. It’s going to offer a subscription service, though Williams hasn’t sounded terribly optimistic lately.
The platisher, sadly, is not dead. Vox might just be able to succeed where Medium failed.
Have started from humble, bloggy roots, the company now reigns as one of the hottest startups in media. Vox Media now encompasses eight major verticals including the eponymous Vox blog focused on explaining the news, The Verge for tech, and SB Nation for sports.
But like any good, modern media company, the content is only part of it. Vox boasts about Chorus, its publishing platform. That’s what will power The Ringer. Bankoff told the Wall Street Journal that Vox will look at similar deals but be selective. In other words, it’s not going to become some open place for anybody to publish anything.
Sounds a lot like what Medium hoped to do. Vox has plenty of work ahead of it to make that into a real business (the existing Vox properties easily dwarf The Ringer), but the upside is there. And they’re not the only ones. The Washington Post recently licensed its web technology to Tronc, the publisher of a variety of major newspapers.
Can Vox be a better Medium than Medium? It might have already happened.
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Airbnb removes tone-deaf teepee ad after Native American activist backlash
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Airbnb is in hot water over its clumsy treatment of Native American culture.
The housing rental service hastily scrubbed an ad from its social media profiles on Tuesday after Native American scholars and activists slammed it for racial insensitivity.
The post featured a listing for an “off-the-grid” teepee, where visitors are promised a “true Sioux style” experience.
So @Airbnb wants you to “go off the grid…in true Sioux style” this weekend. http://pic.twitter.com/14jmrc5LE3
Dr. Adrienne Keene (@NativeApprops) May 29, 2017
Never mind that the Joshua Tree, California dwelling is thousands of miles away from the historic territory of the Great Plains-based Sioux.
“Airbnb is profiting off of racist stereotypes and that is unacceptable in a democratic society,” Judith Le Blanc, director of the Native Organizers Alliance and a member of the Caddo Tribe of Oklahoma, told BuzzFeed.
@NativeApprops @Airbnb Companies only show parts of Indigenous life when there’s $ to be made by appealing to a certain demographic? What, no Inipi too @Airbnb?
Christy (@Chronic_Christy) May 29, 2017
@Airbnb Why are you encouraging racism and cultural appropriation? The average non-Native knows nothing about Native people. #NotYourMascot http://pic.twitter.com/EGffGUZ8pN
Josh (@Josh2085) May 28, 2017
Other critics, like Brown University American Studies professor Adrienne Keene, drew comparisons to the brutal crackdown on Native pipeline protests at Standing Rock earlier this year.
In their eyes, the ad is an example of how mass media commoditizes a stereotypical, glamorized version of Native American culture while ignoring the people themselves.
Folks want to be us with the “comforts of a master bedroom” but don’t want to deal with the actual consequences of being Native.
Dr. Adrienne Keene (@NativeApprops) May 29, 2017
@Airbnb Asking because my Lakota, Dakota & Nakota friends & I had our asses kicked in Standing Rock, on unceded “Sioux” territories for almost a yr.
Samakuu (@erynwisegamgee) May 27, 2017
Airbnb removed the ad from its Facebook and Instagram channels on Tuesday after Buzzfeed broke the story.
“We should not have used this language and we want to apologize to everyone for our poor judgement,” an Airbnb spokesperson said in an email. “We have deleted these posts.”
The misstep comes as Airbnb is still reeling from widespread accusations of racism on the platform that came to a head last year.
The company has sought to address that ongoing controversy with a host of service policy changes and damage-control advertising that stresses diversity.
Airbnb chief marketing officer Jonathan Mildenhall has doubled down on calls for diversity in the advertising industry in recent weeks.
Airbnb’s ill-conceived ad underscores his point.
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Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Monday, May 29, 2017
Sunday, May 28, 2017
Saturday, May 27, 2017
On-demand food startup Sprig is shutting down today
Sprig, the startup that makes and delivers its own food, is shutting down today,The Information reports. TechCrunch has since obtained a copy of the email Sprig is sending to customers today.
It is with a heavy heart that my co-founders and I share that Sprig, Inc. will be shutting down the app today, Sprig CEO Gagan Biyani wrote in an emailcustomers will receive shortly.We apologize to those of you who relied on Sprig for daily meals, and to our extended Sprig team for how this will impact them.
So if you are trying to order food from Sprig today, youre out of luck because today is Sprigs last day of operations. This doesnt strike me as a huge surprise because Sprig has been experimenting with some interesting strategies in the last few months. For example, it opened its kitchen on Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco to start serving food to walk-in customers, and also started delivering its food via Caviar. Sprig had also been struggling in Chicago, where it laid off seven people and paused its operations last July.
Sprigs shutdown will affect around 200 people, including part-time employees, TechCrunch has learned. There will be a severance package, and, at this point, the goal is to help connect now-former Sprig employees with other companies that are hiring.
Sprig, which had raised $56.7 million to cook and deliver its own meals, is not alone in the on-demand food delivery graveyard. It joins the likes of Maple, which shut down earlier this month, SpoonRocket and Indias Ola. Meanwhile, Munchery has been on the struggle bus for a while,so maybe its only a matter of time before Munchery joins the crew.
The on-demand food business is tough, especially if youre trying to handle all elements of the experience, like sourcing the food, cooking the food and delivering it. Its a lot.
No question, Im sad that the Sprig model did not work out but the food delivery space on the whole is growing, Biyani wrote. The demand for Sprigs convenient, high-quality food was always incredibly high, but the complexity of owning meal production through delivery at scale was a challenge. After spending four years as a food-tech industry insider, Im amazed at what the space has become. Food is one of the foundations of society and I believe strongly that it must become more sustainable and ethical.
Heres the email Sprig is sending to its customers:
Dear friends and customers,
It is with a heavy heart that my co-founders and I share that Sprig, Inc. will be shutting down the app today. We apologize to those of you who relied on Sprig for daily meals, and to our extended Sprig team for how this will impact them.
Food delivery has a bright future, and Im proud of the work we have done at Sprig that has had a positive impact on the space.
To our employees: thank you. You provided the best customer service in the industry and created innovations that were admired by your peers. You created a daily rotating menu with hundreds of different dishes served, you prepared the most delicious delivery food Ive ever tasted, you built a 100% self-engineered system that delivered industry-leading transparency and accountability in our ingredient sources and nutritional data, and you created a logistics engine that let us bring food to people hot and ready to eat often in less than 15 minutes. All of our employees, including our servers, kitchen, hub and HQ staff, will receive two months pay as part of the close down. More importantly, we will be hosting career days to help you on your next path. You are armed with experiences that will help accelerate your career and we will be there to help you succeed. (Note: If you are a company that is hiring and interested in talking to our team, please e-mail us at jobs@sprig.com.)
To our customers: you have been our inspiration on this journey. Thank you for the tremendous word-of-mouth growth and feedback youve provided us: your messages, phone calls, photos, and reviews made this all worthwhile. Were proud to have delivered millions of meals to you, and hope you keep demanding the best from the companies that feed you. Four years ago, food delivery was a pain expensive, hard to find, and poor quality. Today, there are thousands of restaurants delivering amazing food to you; were hopeful for the future.
To the press and public: No question, Im sad that the Sprig model did not work out but the food delivery space on the whole is growing. The demand for Sprigs convenient, high-quality food was always incredibly high, but the complexity of owning meal production through delivery at scale was a challenge. After spending four years as a food-tech industry insider, Im amazed at what the space has become. Food is one of the foundations of society and I believe strongly that it must become more sustainable and ethical. Im hopeful that the food delivery companies that are succeeding will make this a priority. Please continue to help us inspire change: encourage sustainable food systems, better treatment of workers and more awareness of nutrition. These are serious issues and they cannot have enough attention.
As for me, my primary goal for the coming weeks is to ensure our team members find their next steps. After that, some time for personal reflection, then off to the next venture.
Thank you for everything,
Gagan
Im in touch with Sprig but the company said to refer to the email for official comments.
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Friday, May 26, 2017
Thursday, May 25, 2017
DJIs Cute $499 Spark Drone | Crunch Report
Todays Stories
- DJIs tiny new Spark drone is $499 and kind of a big deal
- Unity, whose software powers half of all new mobile games, lands $400 million from Silver Lake
- Tennis star Serena Williams joins SurveyMonkeys board
- SoftBanks Nvidia stake is reportedly worth $4BN
Credits
Written by: Tito Hamze, John Mannes
Edited by:Gregory Manalo
Hosted by: Tito Hamze
Filmed & Teleprompter:Joe Zolnoski
Notes:
- I dont know what to wear on Crunch Report (Its a hard decision and I suck at dressing myself). If you are a startup andwant to me to wear something mail me an XL T-shirt and Ill wear it in an episode. Im not going to mention the company on the shirt in the episode but it will be there. No offensive stuff, its totally at my discretion if I wear it.Mail it to me. Thanks <3 Ok, bye.
TechCrunch C/O Tito Hamze
410 Townsend street
Suite 100
San Francisco Ca. 94107
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Wednesday, May 24, 2017
U.S. Leaks About Manchester Attack Raise Concern In U.K.
While U.K. officials attempted to control the release of information about Monday nights deadly terrorist suicide bombing in Manchester, U.S. officials privy to the investigation passed alongclosely guarded details to the media.
Hours before U.K. authorities divulged such facts as the nature of the attack after an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena, media outlets citing unnamed U.S. officials briefed on the incident had already revealed them. The leaks continued into Tuesday, even after the Manchester police leader asked people not to speculate or share information that doesnt come from official sources.
A Belgian counterterrorism expert told BuzzFeed Newshe suspects U.K. authorities are livid that U.S. officials disregarded the possibility that prematurely shared details could disrupt the investigation.
It happens sometimes when a larger partner like America assists on an investigation like this one, the official, who asked not to be identified because he lacks permission to speak with the press, told BuzzFeed. You know you are trading the additional resources they bring for a chance of increased leaks. In this case, I suspect the Brits are livid I know we would be to have a suspect IDd before theyre ready, and obviously the recent performance of the Trump administration on leaking sensitive information cant be far from anyones mind if they examine the situation.
The first of the unofficial details emerged shortly after 1 a.m. Manchester time on Tuesday, when several media outlets, including NBC, Reuters and CNN, reported that U.S. officials said the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber:
At the time, Greater Manchester Police were only releasing a brief statement that outlined casualties,and said the explosion was being treated as a terrorist incident.
Six hours later, police released a statement from Chief Constable Ian Hopkins confirming that the attacker died at the scene and was believed to be carrying an improvised explosive device which he detonated causing this atrocity.
In that statement, Hopkins stressed the importance of letting his department release information when investigators deemed it safe to do so.
We would ask people not to speculate on his details or to share names, he said. There is a complex and wide ranging investigation underway.
But U.S. officials anonymously continued to bypass U.K. authorities. They shared the name of the suspect,22-year-old Salman Ramadan Abedi, to Reuters,The Associated Pressand other outlets,which published it shortly after 4 p.m. Manchester time on Tuesday.
The name was soon everywhere, forcing U.K. authorities to release the bombers identity sooner than they planned, The Guardian reported.
Greater Manchester Police released the name about an hour after the AP report came out.
The leaks follow revelations that U.S. President Donald Trump disclosedhighly classified information during a meeting with Russian officials earlier this month, directing extra attention to how the U.S. handles sensitive intelligence information.
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Tuesday, May 23, 2017
These Before And After Images Show The Startling Effects Of Climate Change
WASHINGTON As the Trump administration and numerousU.S. lawmakers, primarily conservatives, downplay the threat of climate change and take aim at policies to combat it, researchers are documenting undeniable transformations around the globe.
A United Nations-backed study published in January, for example, concluded that unless we take swift action to curb greenhouse gas emissions,coral bleaching events like the one that resulted in a major die-off atAustralias Great Barrier Reef will soon decimate nearly all of the worlds coral reefs.
And just last week, the U.S. Geological Survey and Portland State University released data showing the dramatic melting of glaciers in Montana. Since 1966, climate change has reduced the size of 39 glaciers, some by as much as 85 percent.
Earlier this year, NASA published Images of Change, a gallery of more than 100 startling before and after pictures most taken from space that show our planet in a state of flux. The photos capture everything from natural disasters to urban growth and volcanic eruptions. Here, weve selected images that specifically show how climate change is affecting landscapes in different parts of the world.
The image below shows Glacier National Park in August 1984 (left), compared to August 2015 (right).In 1850, the area contained roughly 150 glaciers, compared to just 25 today, many mere remnants of what they once were, according to the National Park Service.If the current rate of warming continues, Glacier could be free of the features for which it is named by 2030.
On average,the worlds glaciers are losing ice at three times the rate lost in the 1980s, according to a 2015 study. And roughly 69 percent of the rapid melting of Earths glaciers can be linked to human activity, including the burning of fossil fuels, a 2014 report found.
Below are images ofNeumayer Glacier, on South Georgia Island in the southern Atlantic, in January 2005 (left), and in September 2016 (right). Since 2000, Neumayer has retreated more than 2.5 miles.
The images below show Pedersen Glacier, in southern Alaska, sometime between the mid-1920s and the early 1940s (left), and in August 2005 (right). In that 60- to 80-year period, the glaciers terminus retreated more than 1.2 miles.
Below are images of Northwestern Glacier, in southern Alaska, sometime between the mid-1920s and the early 1940s (left), compared to August 2005 (right). During that 60- to 80-year period, the glaciers terminus retreated more than 6.2 miles.
The images below show Muir Glacier, also in southern Alaska, first in August 1941 (left) and again in August 2004 (right). Between the 1890s and 2005,Muir retreated more than 30 miles, according to USGS.
Climate change, driven by greenhouse gas emissions, has also triggeredaccelerated melting in Antarcticaand caused the Arctic to warm faster than any other region on Earth.
The image below shows the Bellinghausen Coast, in western Antarctica,in February 1975 (left) and again in March 2015 (right). Over the last four decades, West Antarcticas coastline has lost about 390 square milesof ice, according to a study last year led by researchers at the University of Edinburgh.
The graphic below shows the decline in Arctic sea ice between September 1984 (left) and September 2016 (right). Over that 32-year period, the area covered by ice at least four years old has plummeted from 718,000 square miles to 42,000 square miles.
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Monday, May 22, 2017
Tomi Lahren Lectured ‘Snowflakes’ About Holding A Job. It Didn’t Go Well.
Tomi Lahren, who recently lost her jobas a commentator on Glenn Becks The Blaze network, blasted the snowflakes who walked out on Vice President Mike Pences commencement speech at the University of Notre Dame on Sunday.
In comments many found lacking in self-awareness given the very public spat she just had with her former employer, Lahren suggested the Notre Dame grads would struggle to hold a job.
Heres her initial tweet:
Last March, Lahren appeared on The View and declared hersupport for abortion rights. When the conservative network benched her, the two sides responded withpublic sniping and lawsuits.
Lahren and The Blaze settled earlier this month and she was released from her contract with the network.
As a result,her comments about snowflakes and holding a job drew a quick and sharp reaction:
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Sunday, May 21, 2017
Saturday, May 20, 2017
Interior Secretary Claims He’s Made No Decision On Bears Ears. His Comments Raise Some Doubts.
WASHINGTON The Interior Department has denied that Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke told Utah officials he will recommend the 1.35-million acre Bears Ears National Monument be abolished.
E&E News reported Friday that San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman told the publication Zinke disclosed his plans during a meeting with the commission earlier this month. LikeUtahs Republican congressional delegation, the commission opposes the monuments creation.
We got a chance to visit with [Zinke]in his office, and our message was that wed like to see Bears Ears National Monument rescinded, Lyman reportedly told E&E. He said, Well, let me tell you what Im thinking: Not only should that monument be rescinded, but were not going to stop there. We need to discuss all the dysfunctionality of public land management over the last three decades.
Shortly after the story published was, Interior spokeswoman Heather Swift said on Twitter that such reports were not accurate.
The Secretary is listening to and talking with advocates on all sides of the issue in Utah, Swift wrote in a statement. He has not yet reached a decision.
Reached by phone late Friday, Lyman said he did not intend to convey that Zinke has made up his mind, and felt hed been misquoted. But when asked about the meeting, Lyman said Zinke told the commissioners the administration intends to not only address the monument, but also a number of other public lands issues.
Zinke said, My boss [Donald Trump] says that these rural counties have been systematically shut down and its time for them to go back to work, Lyman told HuffPost.
Lyman also said theres no question the Trump administration is moving in a certain direction when it comes to monument designations.
My impression is hed like to rescind it, Lyman said of Zinke, adding that hes confident the former Montana congressman will do his homework and make the right decision.
Bruce Adams, chairman of the San Juan County Commission, also disputed the the E&E report. Although he hadnt read the story, Adams told HuffPost that at no point did Zinke tell the commission hes made up his mind.
Bears Ears is one of27 American national monuments that together span more than 11 million acres of land and about 760 million acres of ocean, and is threatened by a pair of executiveordersTrump signed last month. One order tasks the Interior Department with reviewing all federal monuments 100,000 acres or larger that were established or expanded under the Antiquities Act after Jan. 1, 1996. The other instructs the Department of Commerce to review all marine sanctuaries and monuments designated or expanded within the last 10 years.
The Interior Department has stood by its claim that it is conducting a fair and thorough review. In a statement earlier this month, Zinke said there is no predetermined outcome on any monument. Given he and Trumps previous comments, however, its easy to see why many remain skeptical.
In his remarks last month,Trump said former President Barack Obamas designation of Bears Ears should never have happened. With the review, Trump said, hes looking to end another egregious abuse of federal power, put states back in chargeand open up now-protected areas to tremendously positive things. The Antiquities Act of 1906, he added, does not give the federal government unlimited power to lock up millions of acres of land and water, and its time we ended this abusive practice.
Zinke said last month that the law has become a tool of political advocacy rather than public interest. And during a visit to Bears Earsearlier this month, Zinke said he believes the area should be preserved, but that the issue is whether the monument is the right vehicle.
It is public land, he said. It was public land before the monument. It will be public land after the monument. What vehicle of public land is appropriate to preserve the cultural identity, to make sure the tribes have a voice and to make sure you protect the traditions of hunting and fishing and public access?
Sixteen presidents have used the law to designate 157 monuments; however, no president has ever tried to revoke a designation. If Trump tries, theBears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition a group of five Native American tribes that co-manages Utahs Bears Ears National monument and other groups have promised to sue.
In a paper this week, four legal scholars concluded that nothing gives U.S. presidents the authority to abolish, shrink or otherwise weaken national monuments. Rather, that power is lies solely with Congress.
As part of its review, the Interior Department kicked off a public comment period last week. Comments relating to Bears Earsare due by May 26, while comments related to all other monuments must be submitted by July 10.As of Friday, more than 47,000 comments total had been submitted.
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Thursday, May 18, 2017
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
Keith Olbermann: Trump May Have Committed 6 Crimes In A Single Week
Keith Olbermann is keeping score and, by his count, President Donald Trump could theoretically be charged with 17 counts related to six alleged crimes he says were committed over a single week.
In his latest Resistance webcast for GQ, the political commentator said Trump has benefited from the fact that the issues around suspected ties to Russia are complicated and confusing.
But the last week changed that, he said, when Trump fired FBI Director James Comey,implied thathe had tapes of conversations with Comeyandattacked fired acting Attorney General Sally Yates ahead of her Senate testimony.
Donald Trump has now eliminated his own benefit of the confusion, Olbermann said. The Trump-Russia cover-up case is now about threatening people and firing people and pressuring people to keep them from investigating you and your colleagues.
Olbermann listed 17 possible charges he said Trump could face in impeachment proceedings before Congress and even raised the specter of criminal prosecution afterward related to six suspected crimes all from last week, before news reports surfaced Monday accusing the president of leaking highly classified information to Russia.
The smoke doesnt matter anymore, Olbermann warned. Who needs Russian smoke when the White House is on fire?
Check it out above.
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