?? Wiser! Digest: Microsoft v Google | Snapple Use ChatGPT | Bitcoin Ordinals | AI Fake Photos | Digital AdTech

Hello Wiser! readers, here’s your mid-week “in case you missed it” recap of the key stories from the latest issue of Wiser! with updates and some new stories.

Because today is Valentine’s Day, I asked Dall-E to draw?“a valentines scene with two lovers standing face to face with their arms by their sides. one is dressed in the colours of Google, the other is dressed in the colours of Microsoft. Create in an expressive cyberpunk style against a background of heart.”?I can’t say that the image is exactly what I asked for, but I thought it captured the spirit of when Google and Microsoft fall in love.

• For writing:?I’m loving NotionAI.
• For drawing: I use?You.com?and?Dall-E
• For music:?I use Mubert

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Brand Strategy Collection

A unique collection of use-cases and innovations in emerging technologies amongst 250 consumer brands. (Discover more.)

Snapple uses ChatGPT to engage with customers

For the past 20 years, Snapple has defined the fun in their brand with RealFacts, which are facts printed on the underside of the bottle cap. Now, instead of the marketing team coming up with little gems like?"beavers can hold their breath underwater for 45 minutes,”?the Dr Pepper brand is giving customers the chance to make up the facts...using ChatGPT.

Continue reading here...

What’s happening in tech

• Payments giant PayPal is pausing work on launching its own stablecoin amid a regulatory crackdown on crypto, Bloomberg?reported?Friday.
• Washington is becoming increasingly hostile towards the cryptocurrency industry, indicating a new attitude towards the rapidly expanding digital asset class. According to a report by Axios, government officials have taken a hard stance on crypto, citing the need to protect consumers from potential risks that come with investing in the asset class.
• Shopify, the $multi-billion e-commerce giant, has released a host of?new blockchain tools.?Merchants can now easily build token gated apps using NFTs to give exclusive discounts & benefits to customers. Users can also verify themselves with new features like Sign-in With Ethereum, without having to give up any personal information to third-parties. This is big - more to come on Wiser!
• President Zelenskyy has called out the CEO of SpaceX?after they said that the country has 'weaponised' the Starlink satellite internet.?Source:?Fortune
• Paris’s leading contemporary art museum, the Centre Pompidou, has announced a new permanent exhibition focused on?the relationship between art and the blockchain.
• In a landmark ruling in the NFT/copyright debate, a nine-person jury ruled in favour of Hermès in a trademark case against NFT artist Mason Rothschild.?The jury found that Rothschild profited from designing NFTs based on Hermès’ Birkin bags?without the fashion houses consent. The court awarded Hermès $133,000 in damages. Rothschild is appealing.
• Did you know that Amazon's advertising business is bigger than that of YouTube? The so what of this is that we tend to think of Amazon as many things, but not a digital Adtech giant. In fact, Amazon generated $8.7 billion?more?in revenue than YouTube in 2022 ($37.7 billion vs. $29.2 billion.)
• One in four humans on this planet use Facebook every month
• One in six use the Facebook family of apps?EVERY DAY! Think about that for a moment. There is no other organisation, nation state or religion in the history of humankind that has matched Facebook's reach or influence.
• The?Caribbean island nation of Sint Maarten has been exploring ways to use cryptocurrency?to boost its economy and improve financial inclusion. The move is part of a larger initiative to move away from its reliance on the US dollar and create a more stable economy.
• Nokia is collaborating with an Australian university?to create a 5G-connected microbrewery using Metaverse technology.
• Metaverse CEO says?ChatGPT is speeding up the timeline for emulating dead people.
• Twitter went down because an employee accidentally deleted data, and there was nobody left on the team responsible due to Elon Musk's cuts.?Source:?Insider
• Athletic-wear brand Alo Yoga has?opened a virtual store?in the Metaverse that offers a range of services, inc tutorials, workout classes and experiences.
• Friends With Benefits (FWB) has launched a social networking application. The app allows members to connect with each other, read governance proposals, and discover upcoming in-person events.
• Cathie Wood, the CEO of Ark Invest, thinks?Bitcoin is going to $1.48 million!

??? Big Tech Little Tech Podcast: Google antitrust, ChatGPT, Avatar, and a new dodo

In the latest episode of the podcast, Rick and?Shaun?discuss why the US Gov is suing Google. Plus: how we know that ChatGPT's success was a surprise, the un-extincting of the Dodo, movies, what's with World Stats and some tech news.

Listen to the podcast on all major platforms, including:

Apple Podcasts?|?Spotify??|?Amazon Music??|?Anchor

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Google and the "illegal monopolisation" of the digital advertising market

An AI-generated image on a magazine cover has raised questions of authenticity

One of these photos used on the cover of a?French magazine was created by AI. The person is not a real person. The other is a real photo of a real person.

What are Bitcoin Ordinals?

One of the biggest trends in the current crypto economy is?“Bitcoin Ordinals.”

These so-called Bitcoin NFTs and have become a highly discussed topic sparking a wave of positive as well as negative reactions. Want to know what are they, how did they appear, and what purpose they serve??Read this.

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