First Derivative [12]
Turkey—Comey—classified intelligence—AI—Silicon Valley—Venezuela—patronage —gender
More politics than usual this week. I usually try to filter out a lot of the Trump stuff but the developments of this week are important and substantiated
Flynn stopped military plan Turkey opposed - after being paid as its agent
One of the Trump administration's first decisions about the fight against the Islamic State was made by Michael Flynn weeks before he was fired – and it conformed to the wishes of Turkey, whose interests, unbeknownst to anyone in Washington…
Forget Trump, take Flynn. This is just so dishonorable. Paid by Turkey while acting as the nat sec adviser. Made decisions to Turkey's benefit. Now refusing to comply with Senate subpoena—TK
Initial Thoughts on the Washington Post's Game-Changing Story
The Washington Post this afternoon published a stunning story reporting that President Trump disclosed highly-classified information to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during their visit to the Oval Office last…
The story speaks for itself. The ally that shared the intel was Israel by the way.—TK
Another Bomb Drops: Initial Thoughts on Trump Asking Comey to Kill the Flynn Investigation
The New York Times is reporting that President Donald Trump asked then-FBI Director James Comey to drop the FBI's investigation into former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn. The conversation allegedly occurred in a February meeting in the…
Eager to see what else comes from this vein. Firing Comey was a foreseeably bad move. Which means it was 1) done impulsively by Trump, not staff or 2) it was the only move they had left, a delaying tactic or 3) his staff is incompetent. I don't know which—TK
Study uses Apple Watch heart rate sensor to detect serious heart condition with 97% accuracy
New research conducted by the University of California, San Francisco, in collaboration with Apple Watch app Cardiogram, shows Apple Watch's heart rate sensor can aid in the detection of atrial fibrillation, a common heart arrhythmia that can lead…
This is so cool! Medical diagnosis is going to be one of the earliest (and most impactful) use cases of deep learning paired with wearables—TK
Nathan, a successful lawyer in Manhattan, hardly seems like a candidate for sympathy. His midtown office is smart, his suit is natty and he earns a decent living negotiating contracts and intellectual-property rights for players in the city's…
'Women may not be moving as fast into male-dominated worlds as feminists would like, but they have moved much faster than men have into female-dominated ones... we need to look more closely at the relative value we place on masculinity and femininity.'
Patreon doubles in a year to 1M paying patrons and 50K creators
Patreon's novel idea of fans just directly paying the artists they love is having its hockey stick moment. Patreon tells TechCrunch that in a year, it's doubled the number of monthly active paying patrons to 1 million, and the number of active…
Silicon Valley: A Reality Check
The nation has spoken: weird useless $400 wi-fi enabled juicing company Juicero is the perfect symbol of Silicon Valley. So says the Washington Post: Juicero Shows What's Wrong With Silicon Valley Thinking. So says TechCrunch, which calls Juicero…
The Power Of Pride At Facebook
If one buzzword has dominated management speak lately, it's employee engagement. Satisfaction isn't enough. We want people to bring their full attention, energy, and effort to work. We know that engaged employees perform better —and that…
Inside the Seemingly Relentless Protests in Venezuela
On April 4, 2017, Venezuelans decided they had had enough. Enough of the shortages. Enough of the interminable store lines. Enough of the hunger, and of the inflation, and of the crime and of the government's crackdown on the opposition. Enough of…
Venezuelans have lost an average of 19lbs over the past year. Photojournalism piece covering the mass demonstrations—TK
Lyft and Waymo Reach Deal to Collaborate on Self-Driving Cars
As the race to bring self-driving vehicles to the public intensifies, two of Silicon Valley's most prominent players are teaming up. Waymo, the self-driving car unit that operates under Google's parent company, has signed a…
This is an interesting partnership. Not much substance in the details but the thrust of the move: a strategic attack on Uber's flank, just as Google/Waymo is putting the screws on them in court.—TK