Aldo's Notes 2020 04 11
Hello World
This week:
Google and Apple are teaming up to assist public health authorities with contact tracing.
By using mobile phones Bluetooth-technology, it is possible to trace people that you have come into contact with within a few meters.
If they turn out to be infected with COVID-19, you could then be notified, get tested and self-isolate.
Contact tracing is vital in understanding how the current coronavirus is spreading within populations.
As the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic grows, the two tech giants are working together to develop APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and operating system-level technology.
This will help the enablement of contact tracing.
As the speed of delivery is very important under the circumstances, Apple and Google are saying that the project will deliver results in two phases.
First, in May, APIs will enable interoperability between iOS and Android devices.
This will enable apps from public health authorities to work with users across the two operating systems.
The data collected from iOS users can work with the data collected from Android users and vice-versa.
The following step, to be delivered in the coming months, will aim to insert Bluetooth-based contact tracing in the underlying platform rather than through an API.
This, in principle, will be a more robust solution and allow a broader interaction between apps.
Apple and Google say that the tracing technology will not store a user’s location or any other identifiable data stored on any server.
To learn more, read here the announcement from Apple.
Disney+ has reached a major milestone.
In a press release, the entertainment giant has revealed it has achieved 50 million paid subscribers globally.
What makes this even more impressive is that the milestone has been reached within five months of the U.S. launch of its service.
The launch in November 2019 is probably one of the ‘luckiest’ in the history of launches.
Just a few months before a global pandemic that is forcing the world into lockdown.
A lockdown with an insatiable appetite for an endless stream of entertainment.
Having recently launched in several Western European countries and India, the service will be made available in Japan and Latin America late in the year.
Offering Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic content, Disney+ is sure to capture eyeballs and attention.
Edison Research has released ‘The Infinite Dial 2020’.
This is the longest-running survey of digital media consumer behavior in America.
The survey tracks mobile behaviors, internet audio, podcasting, social media, smart speakers and more.
Very interesting stuff has been shared in the video below. Must watch.
YouTube has updated its policies regarding the monetization of COVID-19 content.
Content that references or features COVID-19 is now eligible for monetization as long as…
it complies with YouTube’s guidelines for being Community and Advertiser friendly.
Content will still be unable to be monetized if:
it features distressing footage
it spreads medical misinformation
it features pranks and challenges
and more
YouTube advises creators to:
fact check content using reputable sources
be sensitive
follow guidelines
An article from Digiday reveals that there are some green shoots in the advertising market in China.
Having gone through a massively traumatic past few months, there are some signs that advertising activity is getting stronger.
“Anyone who’s been following China closely the last few months would have gone through this phase of horror. And then fear, and then more fear. And then finally optimism,” said Brian Wieser, global president, business intelligence, GroupM.
Make no mistake, the situation is still dire and fragile.
The last few months have been a catastrophe on so many levels.
Yet.
Manufacturing activity is slowly increasing and hopefully, many other sectors of the economy will follow.
Instagram has announced that everybody in the world can now send a Direct Message on desktop.
DataSparQ has created a solution to the most important problem in the world.
Queues in bars.
It uses facial recognition and artificial intelligence to work out the order in which patrons get to the bar to buy a drink.
The lovely people working behind the bar have a screen which shows them the serving order of customers.
On a video, each person has a number on their forehead showing their placing in the queue.
Genius!
Currently watching Money Heist Season 3. No spoilers, please! :-)
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