🎉 Many retail websites don’t have static pricing: Depending on the time or day of the week, you might beat the algorithm and score a better deal. Your best bet for a bargain is early in the week or at off-peak hours (think late at night or early in the morning). Whoa, this tip alone is worth the price of this newsletter. Oh, wait — it’s free!
Use the NewsBreak app? Delete it. Here’s why
My husband, Barry, is a total news junkie. He has all the major news apps on his phone. That’s why this story stopped me in my tracks. NewsBreak, the most downloaded news app in the U.S., with more than 50 million readers per month, has strong ties to Communist China.
A Reuters investigation shows the NewsBreak app is also packed with inaccurate stories (including some that appear to be totally made up by AI), content stolen from legit sources and fake bylines. This is bad, people.
Join the party
NewsBreak is a privately owned company with offices in Mountain View, California, along with Beijing and Shanghai. It bills itself as “all things local” for American readers, but one of its primary backers is Beijing-based IDG Capital.
Never heard of it? Let me catch you up. In February, the Pentagon added IDG Capital to a list of Chinese companies said to be working directly with Beijing’s military.
Def not the write stuff
NewsBreak republishes news from sources like Reuters, Fox, the Associated Press and CNN. They used to republish my content and let me tell you, the traffic from it to my website was huge. NewsBreak stopped sharing my stuff when I started writing negatively about apps with ties to China. Coincidence? I don’t think so.
The rest of NewsBreak’s content is “written” by AI, with facts scraped from press releases and sites around the web. All this happens where half their staff works (about 200 people) — in their China-based offices. Their algorithm isn’t just choosing what stories make it in the app, by the way; it’s also influencing the angles of the coverage.
That’s a huge problem. When the parent company has a political agenda (i.e., China wants to destroy our commerce and influence votes), that trickles down into what you read.
When news is the money machine
Like most apps, NewsBreak makes bank by showing you ads. The more often you use the app, the more ads you’ll see — and the more money they make. That means the whole goal is to publish stories that keep you coming back.
That’s where things get messy. Take a story they published in December: “Christmas Day Tragedy Strikes Bridgeton, New Jersey Amid Rising Gun Violence in Small Towns.” Wow, I bet most of us would click on that. The problem? The shooting never happened.
3 ways to boost your site’s SEO right now
Search engine optimization (SEO) feels like magic if you don’t know how it works. Google’s algorithm determines what makes it to page one of any particular search — and the traffic flies in.
Fun fact: That algorithm is called RankBrain (I know, quite a name). Why doesn’t Google post all the secrets online? Aside from protecting its secret sauce, Google wants to protect against people having too much info to game the system.
AI can tell your politics from your face
An AI algorithm called VGGFace2 can accurately guess if you’re conservative or liberal with just a single pic. Smartphones in school? Teachers are pushing back with cell phone bans. Plus, Dawn from Atlanta thinks she’s being cyberstalked, and I help her look for clues.
The new influencers: Unemployed folks are using TikTok to share “day in the life” videos with followers to show how they cope. The algorithm rewards shocking and emotional content, so it’s a good way to rack up views — and money. Better idea: Refresh your LinkedIn profile and set yourself as #OpenToWork there to find an actual job (paywall link).
Applying for jobs? Don't make these mistakes
The world (and I) can’t shut up about all the brand-new things artificial intelligence (AI) can do. But it’s not exactly new in the HR and hiring world. In fact, a 2019 study shows three of four resumes were never even seen by a person.
Chalk one up for social media
For over 27 years, a very outdated law has shaped the internet. It’s Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act. And it has some profound implications.
It protects online platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and Twitter from being held responsible for what users post … even if that content encourages terrorist radicalization.
Ditch Hulu’s algorithm and browse by channel: Click Browse > Networks, then filter from A-Z. What’ll it be? Renovations on HGTV? Recipes on Food Network? Rom-coms on Lifetime? Feels like old-school channel surfing!
🦐 Anything for likes: Facebook hasn’t stopped AI slop like “Shrimp Jesus” from landing on your news feed, even though this junk is often tied to scams. Why? Well, it doesn’t violate their rules if there’s no nudity or violence. But really, they want to keep people sharing and liking. When you see a post like this, hit the three-dot icon on it and click Hide post. Hopefully, the algorithm will catch on.
The first mistake: A children’s jewelry maker promoted its products using photos of a 5-year-old girl on Instagram. Guess what? The ad mainly reached adult men. The New York Times (paywall link) repeated the test, attracting convicted sex offenders and solicitations. IG’s blaming the algorithm again.
Lost the thread: Neuralink says its brain chip has already malfunctioned in its first human patient. Some of the “threads” — hair-thin electrodes meant to monitor his brain activity — stopped working. Neuralink tweaked the chip’s algorithm and now says its performance is “better than ever.” I hope this is true and not PR BS.
Amping up your followers: Instagram’s algorithm is changing to promote original content over people reposting others (aka aggregator accounts). If you’re trying to build an audience on IG, you’ll want to post more videos or Reels. That’s why I’ve been doing just that on my IG account here.
AI can now tell if your political leanings are conservative or liberal using just your face. Algorithm VGGFace2 can suss you out with over 70% accuracy. Apparently, liberals have smaller lower faces, while conservatives’ faces are typically larger and wider. And independent voters? Theirs go straight down the middle. OK, I made that one up.
Billion-dollar listing: U.S. investors are lining up to bid on a freshly legislated TikTok. A top contender? Former treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin. If a sale happens, don’t expect China to give up its algorithm — whoever buys it will get the brand but probably not the tech behind it.
AI can tell your politics just from your face
No need for angry dinner table debates — a new AI algorithm can predict someone’s political leanings from biometrics alone.
Be AI aware: Facebook’s new algorithm is filling people’s feeds with AI-generated images, and older adults are falling hard for their tricks. Quick crash course: Look for unnaturally smooth textures, gibberish text, and unusual teeth and fingers. I do a deep dive in tomorrow’s newsletter about spotting election fakes online, so be sure you don’t miss it.
Expand your streaming horizons: Ditch Hulu’s algorithm and browse by channel. Click Browse > Networks, then filter by A-Z. What’ll it be? Renovations on HGTV? Recipes on Food Network? Rom-coms on Lifetime? Feels like old-school channel surfing!
Get on the list to try Bing's new AI chatbot search
Google and Amazon’s virtual assistants are based on AI to give recommendations, and Spotify’s algorithm uses AI to suggest songs and new music. But the power of AI has been thrust into mainstream conversations with ChatGPT’s success.
Finally! How to see ONLY posts from friends and family on Facebook
Facebook is an excellent tool for keeping in touch with family and friends. But the longer you spend on it, the more cluttered it becomes. You might not realize it, but every group, page or event you join will add posts to your feed.
3 ways Twitter could change immediately with Musk in control
Have you followed Kim on Twitter? You’ll get information on our latest stories, Kim’s Daily Tech Update, tips on deals and more. Find her at twitter.com/kimkomando. Speaking of Twitter. Elon Musk has been making headlines lately with his activity on the social media site.