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The Byteside Newsletter

Art & Culture

Blunt instruments won't solve the social media challenge

Parents are absent from the picture as politicians skip science to enact bad laws that create some nice feelings but do nothing to solve real problems.

A person, face out of frame, is clutching their smartphone as they look toward its screen and type.
Technology

HTC Vive XR Elite: How far have we come?

HTC's latest is another big leap forward for VR fans, but why is it still not enough for everyone else?

The VR headset and pair of controllers floating on a white background.
Google

Google Gemini upgrades AI powers in Bard, Pixel, and more

Can the arrival of Google Gemini give OpenAI the serious competition we've been waiting for?

Google Gemini upgrades AI powers in Bard, Pixel, and more
Apple

Make spatial videos for your family's science fiction future

Apple's iOS 17.2 update enables Spatial Video capture on iPhone 15 Pro models. Your descendants will thank you for using it.

Beach scene with two guitar players while a woman videos on her iPhone.
Art & Culture

Great summer reads

16 great links to some of the best stories around the web that help you stay on top of what's next in digital.

Cartoon style robot at a table looking at a typewriter.
AI

What will the Canva of AI copy mean for writing?

Every industry has its practitioners who over charge and under deliver. Both graphic design and copywriting have more than their fair share.

A robot sits in the foreground, typing on a weird typewriter. There are rows of more robots, all typing.
Computers

Maintaining a clear sense of the future

In 1999 I completely dismissed the importance of flash memory cards as a storage medium for the future. It taught me big lessons on how to consider a technology's long-term potential.

An advanced robot looks toward a sunset from a mountain above a city skyline.
Technology

Building a 21st Century knowledge engine

ChatGPT reveals the potential for a Knowledge Engine that can speed up our ability to learn.

Building a 21st Century knowledge engine
Twitter

Heavy the bird nest

At the end of the first week of Musk's Twitter, it's hard to put a finger on which part of the chaos engine has been the most damaging to the brand.

Heavy the bird nest
Security

💡 Weekly: Is anyone *not* getting hacked out there?

News rounded up from Google, USB 4, Medibank, Spotify exclusive pods, positive social apps for teens, and AI bias issues in the jobs market.

💡 Weekly: Is anyone *not* getting hacked out there?

14 great articles to close out the week

14 great articles from across the web that capture some of the biggest ideas in tech and digital culture from the first half of October.

14 great articles to close out the week
Art & Culture

💡 Weekly: September 30, 2022

New gear from Amazon, Optus breach still a confusing mess, plus a host of news updates and juicy articles to enjoy.

💡 Weekly: September 30, 2022
Security

💡 Byteside Weekly: Optus says 'yes, we were hacked'

No bigger news than the Optus hack this week, but there's still plenty more to explore in this week's round up.

💡 Byteside Weekly: Optus says 'yes, we were hacked'
Business

Slack, Canva, and a reset on where we spend our workday

In a year where every business is looking for an excuse to reduce costs, adding a few more 'essential' features to a subscription service can keep you off the cut list.

Slack, Canva, and a reset on where we spend our workday
Art & Culture

'In the style of': why AI art needs to address named artists as prompts

If you ask an AI art tool to be inspired by a specific artist, should the artist be compensated?

'In the style of': why AI art needs to address named artists as prompts

💡 Byteside Weekly: Ethereum powers down, Canva powers up

From Ethereum's shift to proof-of-stake to Canva, Zoom and Figma making big (but very different) moves, it's been quite a week in tech.

💡 Byteside Weekly: Ethereum powers down, Canva powers up
AI

💡 Byteside Weekly: Are AI art programs a tool or a cheat?

An AI artwork wins a local art competition. Is that fair? Plus other curated links on digital twins, USB4 Version 2 confusion, the end of SIM cards, and plenty more.

💡 Byteside Weekly: Are AI art programs a tool or a cheat?
Media

"It's not me, it's the algorithm!"

Executives say they can't stop the trends they're seeing on their platforms. Oh, really?

"It's not me, it's the algorithm!"
New Realities

The Visual Turing Test: a unified VR vision for the future

Showing your working helps us all grasp what we're aiming for.

The Visual Turing Test: a unified VR vision for the future
Media

E3 who?

Reports of E3's death have been greatly exaggerated.

E3 who?