The future of social networks might be audio

Why more countries need covid vaccines, not just the richest ones

Sponsored by Darktrace The Download Your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology The sound of social media 01.26.21 Good morning! Today: we might listen to social media in future, and why it's in our interest for every country to have covid-19 vaccines—not just rich ones. Get your friends to sign up here to get The Download every day. The future of social networks might be audio     What’s happening: A new wave of apps are baking the immediacy and rawness of audio into the core experience of social media, making voice the way people connect again.  Some examples: Cappuccino is an app that takes voice recordings from a closed group of friends or family and delivers them as downloadable audio. The best-known audio-focused network is Clubhouse, the buzzy, invite-only app that debuted last spring to glowing reviews but has since come under fire for its lack of moderation. Gaming chat app Discord, meanwhile, has exploded in popularity. Twitter launched voice tweets—140 seconds of audio—last year. And dating apps are getting in on the audio act, too. The good and bad: The intimacy of voice makes audio social media appealing in the age of social distancing and isolation. But voice-only spaces can quickly get ugly, just like elsewhere on the internet. And content moderation in audio is far more difficult than it is in text. Read the full story. —Tanya Basu Why more countries need covid vaccines, not just the richest ones The global vaccine rollout is full of glitches, shortages, and problems, but not every country faces the same challenges. Evening out those inequalities to make sure poorer countries are included in the vaccination race isn’t just the ethical thing to do: it’s good for rich countries, too. A new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that the entire global economy depends on poorer countries getting residents vaccinated: advanced economies will still bear 49% of the costs of the pandemic, even if they get their own populations entirely inoculated.  With a new leader in the White House, we’re seeing signs that the US will do its part. The Biden administration says it will join Covax, a global vaccination effort led by the World Health Organization that aims to get the first batches of vaccines to poorer countries in February.  To learn more about global vaccine inequality and how to address it, one of our editors, Lindsay Muscato, spoke with Anita Ho, associate professor in bioethics and health services research at University of British Columbia and The University of California, San Francisco. Read the full interview. We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction in these weird times. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.)   + This is one hell of a gymnastics routine and Nia Dennis is having a lot of fun performing it.    + Knitters are recreating Bernie's mittens and Harry Styles' cardigan at home. (NYT $)   + It snowed in London. There was much rejoicing, and a lot of terrible snowmen.   + Wintry photography.   + If you're looking for a satisfying project, try reorganizing your kitchen.    + If you don't identify as a Dad, LOOK AWAY NOW.   + You can make curd out of so much more than just lemons.  Sponsor Message Cyber Security is Now a Machine Fight AI is being used to create increasingly customized, targeted, and hard-to-detect cyber-attacks at scale.  Autonomous Cyber AI learns ‘normal’ for your organization and stops advanced threats in their tracks.   Learn more > The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 The best places to live right now Your regular reminder that some countries have handled the pandemic way better than others. (Bloomberg $)   + Doctors need to follow the evidence on covid-19 treatments. (Wired $)  2 Mixed news on vaccines and variants 💉 Two pharma companies reported that their vaccines, while still effective, offer less protection against the South African variant. (NYT $)   + Israel's early vaccine data offers hope. (NYT $)   + We shouldn't be surprised by the post-vaccine deaths reported in Norway. (Wired UK)   + Merck has abandoned covid-19 vaccine development. (Axios)  3 Signal employees are sounding the alarm The company seems to be prioritizing growth at the expense of safety (sound familiar?!) (The Verge)   4 Twitter has come up with a new idea for fighting misinformation Basically, get a bunch of volunteers to do it for you for free. (NBC)   + Big Tech hopes decentralization might save it. (NYT $)   5 The far-right is getting increasingly paranoid online People think FBI agents are in their midst. And they're probably right. (The Atlantic)   6 A voting machine company is suing Rudy Giuliani for $1.3 billion Let's see if outlandish, untrue claims have consequences. (WP $)   7 Like a good deal? Maybe an AI can negotiate it for you AIs are rapidly improving at haggling. (BBC)   8 Delivery apps in China are putting riders at risk Management by algorithm is a dangerous game. (FT $)   9 TVs are getting really good 📺 Which is just as well, since we're using them more than ever. (The Economist $)   10 What happens when universes collide? 🤯 Physicists are using simulations to try to work it out. (Quanta) Take the survey: The global AI agenda 2021.  “The global AI agenda” is a five-year research program by MIT Technology Review, seeking to chart how enterprises are using AI technology. In the past year, covid-19 has led to unprecedented disruption, and this 10-minute survey focuses on how big data and AI will help forge a path toward recovery. We’re also interested in how businesses are reevaluating data privacy and citizen consent to AI practices. Take the survey now. Quote of the day “It’s like a robot zombie army.” —Stuart Ritchie, a psychology lecturer at King's College London, describes what it's like fighting back against "lockdown skeptics" online to The Guardian.  Top image credit: MS TECH | PEXELS Please send Dad rock to hi@technologyreview.com. Follow me on Twitter at @charlottejee. Thanks for reading! —Charlotte Was this newsletter forwarded to you, and you'd like to see more? Sign up for free Intelligent computing Join us virtually | February 10-11, 2021   Follow us: MIT Technology Review One Main Street Cambridge, MA 02142   Want to change how you receive these emails? You can *update your preferences or *unsubscribe from this list.  Subscription Information This email was sent to Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog   *the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally