David Lidsky's Blog, page 2847
November 16, 2015
Where ISIS Attacks
And how the terrorist group's coordinated attacks in Paris represent a disturbing turn of events
ISIS has marched across the Middle East and North Africa, recruiting fighters in what has seemed a frightening, if largely contained, threat. But a new set of visualizations on the New York Times suggests that things might have changed with last week's Paris attacks. If ISIS is indeed responsible as it has claimed, it's the first time the organization has launched an organized attack outside of its normal provinces.
Buy A Luxury Condo, Give A Slum Dweller A New Home
Can the buy-one-give-one model work for housing?
On a flight to Vancouver, two real estate developers happened to sit next to Toms shoes founder Blake Mycoskie. They started to talk, and had an idea: Could the one-for-one model pioneered by Mycoskie also be applied to housing?
November 13, 2015
Snapchat Unveils Paid Lenses To Pimp Out Photos
For 99 cents each, Snapchat users can now pay for additional photo effects.
Snapchat is monetizing their popular Lens feature and turning the picture add-ons into a new profit stream. The Lens add-on, which offers a variety of animations and effects that can be superimposed on photos, is one of the service's most popular features.
Huawei's New Batteries Charge To 48% In Five Minutes
Huawei's new quick-charging smartphone batteries could transform the way we use our devices.
Chinese smartphone maker Huawei has a powerful new weapon in its competition for the global Android market: phone batteries that can recharge in less time than it takes to power down a latte. The company just unveiled quick-charging batteries at a Japanese trade show that charge to 50% capacity within what Huawei calls "mere minutes."
The Future of Sesame Street Is Kinder and Gentler, With Fewer Puppets
Sesame Street creative director Brown Johnson talks to Fast Company about what's next for "the gold standard of children's programming."
Quite a bit has changed since Sesame Street first aired in 1969. Between evolving cultural norms and shifting demographics, the show's audience is different than it was back then. Meanwhile, the show itself has become populated with more and more puppets. Too many puppets, in fact.
Facebook Is Upgrading Search Functionality Within User Profiles
Facebook users say they can now do key word searches within individual profiles.
Facebook appears to be quietly rolling out a new search feature: the ability to search within individual profiles. Although no official announcement has been made, Facebook users are reporting a new search box showing up on individual profiles they view.
Two Days In, Tumblr Users Have Sent 9 Million Instant Messages
"Tumblr didn't start off as a particularly social platform," says founder David Karp.
Tumblr's new instant messaging feature, which it launched to a limited pool of users on November 11th, is gaining momentum. Users sent more than 9 million messages in the first two days.
Beats Music Is Shutting Down On November 30
Apple is encouraging users to migrate to Apple Music, which it touts as a better discovery tool.
Well, Beats Music, it was good knowing you. Apple is formally announcing that Beats Music is shutting down on November 30; the service's mobile apps will stop working at that time. Users are being encouraged to switch over to Apple's successor service, Apple Music, via a migration tool.
Today in Tabs: 7 Things Highly Effective People Do Before 7 a.m.
Or after 7 a.m. All the time really.
It's been an honor to be your Tabs proprietor this week. I've been Laura Olin, Rusty has been over at Everything Changes with a dark mime story only he could write, and you all have been lovely.
How The New Republic's Redesign Is Chasing Millennials
The American liberal magazine's readership is skewing younger than ever. That's why the new design is practically mobile-first.
One hundred and one years old this month, The New Republic is probably America's oldest liberal political magazine. But its readers are younger than ever. While the vast majority of The New Republic's print readers have been historically over 55, 60% of TNR's online audience is between the ages of 18 and 44, and more than half of them visit the site exclusively on smartphones.
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