#signalfire

[aiwts]

[bibliobethblog]

A beautiful hardback proof of Signal Fires by Dani Shapiro was sent to me by the kind folk at @vintagebooks and I’m so glad I took them up on the offer to read this remarkable story. Thank you to them! This is the story of two very different families whose lives intersect in moments of crisis and need, which ends up having serious reverberations in the future. ⁣ ⁣ The story begins in 1985 and we are taken to one of those crisis points - three teenagers in a car who had been drinking, a horrific accident and we begin to see the aftershocks of that fatal night on the Wilf family, where Ben Wilf, a trained doctor and father of two of the teenagers, is first to respond at the scene. ⁣ ⁣ Nearby, we have the Shenkman family - a young couple expecting a baby who becomes Waldo, an intelligent boy who is fascinated by constellations and the connections between everything in the world. Sadly for him, his father struggles to connect both with his enthusiasm and forming a bond with his son. ⁣ ⁣ As the two families’ fates become entwined we begin to understand the deeper connections and crucial moments they’ve shared and will continue to share moving forwards. I loved how this inter-connecting thread of the narrative was woven between all the characters and expertly picked up at specific, important moments. ⁣ ⁣ Signal Fires is also a novel with so much heart and soul bursting from each page. The relationships that form and divide are so intricately woven that it was a pleasure to connect all the dots and to see the development/growth of characters as they are brought together in stressful and unprecedented situations. Waldo in particular had my heart from the very beginning and one of the most memorable scenes for me is one in which he introduces Dr Wilf to the magic of the constellations. This is a poignant and gorgeous story that I would highly recommend to fans of beautiful storytelling and complex family dynamics. ⁣ ⁣ Four solid stars 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 ⁣ #bookstagramuk #scottishbookstagrammer #reviewingbooksonthegram #giftedproofcopy #chattoandwinduspublishers #vintagepublishing #signalfires #danishapiro #memorablereads #fourstarreading #booksandplantsofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CoxkGmvrjxt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[isfeed]

SignalFire, CapitalG, and Comprehensive.io coming to TechCrunch Disrupt 2024

As the startup landscape evolves, so do hiring strategies. With Big Tech downsizing and the labor market tightening, founders must navigate a conservative job market to attract and retain top talent.  The hiring landscape in 2025 will offer challenges and opportunities for those who can adapt. Founders now hold increased leverage, but respect for staff […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved.…

[ndigitalhealth]

PayZen Secures $232M Series B Financing to Tackle Healthcare Affordability

Health technology company PayZen has secured $232 million in series B financing round to continue tackling healthcare access and affordability through its payment platform.

Co-founded in 2019 by Itzik Cohen, Tobias Mezger, and Ariel Rosenthal, the EHR integrative platform aims to make medical bills affordable to patients while boosting cash flow for medical service providers.

PAyZen’s series B financing round was co-led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Magenta Medical Ltd., with a significant contribution from existing investors SignalFire, 7wireVentures, and Viola Ventures, alongside other angel investors.

Read more: https://nextdigitalhealth.com/funding-news/payzen-secures-232m-series-b-financing-to-tackle-healthcare-affordability/

fundingnews #FundingOpportunity #SeriesB #StartupFunding #StartupSuccess #HealthcareNews #HealthcareFunding #nextdigitalhealth #Wi4 #vineetagrawal

[americanahighways]

REVIEW: Eddie Berman “Signal Fire”

REVIEW: Eddie Berman “Signal Fire” #eddieberman #signalfire #americanahighways #americanamusic #newmusic2024 #johnapice

Eddie Berman – Signal Fire This is an L.A.-born/Portland-based artist with a persuasive gritty voice that isn’t a growl like Dylan or Tom Waits but is somewhat balanced between Jon Dee Graham & John Hiatt. Effective tunes especially the swampy Tony Joe White approach on “Go From Here.” Quite good. Berman (vocal/guitars) says the songs emanate from the point of view of someone teetering on the…

[automatismoateo]

Dozens of churches across Canada have been burned via /r/atheism

Dozens of churches across Canada have been burned https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxkX6NPpe14&list=TLPQMTIwMTIwMjQvhiLLvD7HMA&index=5 Submitted January 12, 2024 at 04:26AM by signalfire (From Reddit https://ift.tt/nscPujl)

[warningsine]

Hollywood writers and actors recently proved that they could go toe-to-toe with powerful media conglomerates. After going on strike in the summer of 2023, they secured better pay, more transparency from streaming services and safeguards from having their work exploited or replaced by artificial intelligence.

But the future of entertainment extends well beyond Hollywood. Social media creators – otherwise known as influencers, YouTubers, TikTokers, vloggers and live streamers – entertain and inform a vast portion of the planet.

For the past decade, we’ve mapped the contours and dimensions of the global social media entertainment industry. Unlike their Hollywood counterparts, these creators struggle to be seen as entertainers worthy of basic labor protections.

Platform policies and government regulations have proved capricious or neglectful. Meanwhile, creators’ bottom-up initiatives to collectively organize have sputtered.

Living on the edge

Industry estimates regarding the size and scale of the creator economy vary. But Citibank estimates there are over 120 million creators, and an April 2023 Goldman Sachs report predicted that the creator economy would double in size, from US$250 billion to $500 billion, by 2027.

According to Forbes, the “Top 50 Creators” altogether have 2.6 billion followers and have hauled in an estimated $700 million in earnings. The list includes MrBeast, who performs stunts and records giveaways, and makeup artist-cum-true crime podcaster Bailey Sarian.

The windfalls earned by these social media stars are the exception, not the norm.

The venture capitalist firm SignalFire estimates that less than 4% of creators make over $100,000 a year, although YouTube-funded research points to a rising middle class of creators who are able to sustain careers with relatively modest followings.

These are the users who find themselves most vulnerable to opaque changes to platform policies and algorithms.

Platforms like to “move fast and break things,” to use Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s infamous expression. And since the creator economy relies on social media platforms to reach audiences, creators’ livelihoods are subject to rapid, iterative changes in platforms’ features, services and agreements.

Yes, various platforms have introduced business opportunities for creators, such as YouTube’s advertising partnership feature or Twitch’s virtual goods store. However, the platforms’ terms of use can flip on a switch. For example, in September 2022, Twitch changed its fee structure. Some streamers who were retaining 70% of all subscription revenue generated from their accounts saw this proportion drop to 50%.

In 2020, TikTok, facing rising competition from YouTube Shorts and Instagram reels, launched its billion-dollar Creator Fund. The fund was supposed to allow creators to get directly paid for their content. Instead, creators complained that every 1,000 views only translated to a few cents. TikTok suspended the fund in November 2023.

Bias as a feature, not a bug

The livelihoods of many fashion, beauty, fitness and food creators depend on deals brokered with brands that want these influencers to promote goods or services to their followers.

Yet throughout the creator economy, people of color and those identifying as LGBTQ+ have encountered bias. Unequal and unfair compensation from brands is a recurring issue, with one 2021 report revealing a pay gap of roughly 30% between white creators and creators of color.

Along with brand biases, platforms can exacerbate systemic bias. Creator scholar Sophie Bishop has demonstrated how nontransparent algorithms can categorize “desirability” among influencers along lines of race, gender, class and sexual orientation.

Then there’s what creator scholar Zoë Glatt calls the “intimacy triple bind”: Marginalized creators are at higher risk of trolling and harassment, they secure lower fees for advertising, and they are expected to divulge more personal details to generate more engagement and revenue.

Couple these precarious conditions with the whims and caprices of volatile online communities that can turn beloved creators into villains in the blink of a text or post, and even the world’s most successful creators live on a precipice of losing their livelihoods.

Rumblings of solidarity

Unlike their counterparts in the legacy media industries, creators have neither taken easily nor well to collective action as they operate from their bedrooms and fight for more eyeballs.

Yet some members of this creator class recognize that the bedroom-boardroom power imbalance is a bottom line matter that requires bottom-up initiative.

The Creators Guild of America, or CGA, which launched in August 2023, is but one of many successors to the original Internet Creators’ Guild, which folded in 2019. Paradoxically, CGA describes itself as a “professional service organization,” not a labor union, yet claims to offer benefits “similar to those offered by unions.”

There are other movements afoot: A group of TikTok creators formed a Discord group in September 2022 to discuss unionizing. There’s also the Twitch Unity Guild, a program launched in December 2022 for networking, development and celebration and includes a dedicated Discord space. In response to the rampant bias in influencer marketing, creator-led firms like “F–k You Pay Me ” are demanding greater fairness, transparency and accountability from brands and advertisers.

Twitch streamers are already seeing some of their organizing efforts pay off. In June 2023, after a year of repeated changes in streamer fees and brand deals, the company capitulated in response to the backlash of their top streamers threatening to leave.

None of these initiatives has yet attained the legal status of unions such as the Writers Guild of America. Meanwhile, efforts by the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to recruit creators have proved limited. Legal scholar Sara Shiffman has written about how SAG-AFTRA provides creators with health and retirement benefits, but offers no resources to ensure fair and equitable compensation from platforms or advertisers. Nonetheless, while on strike, SAG-AFTRA threatened creators that partnered with studios with a lifetime ban from joining the union.

And despite these bottom-up efforts, the tech behemoths refuse to recognize creators’ fledgling organizations. When a union for YouTubers formed in Germany in 2018, YouTube refused to negotiate with it. Nonetheless, you’ll see companies trot out their biggest stars when they find themselves under regulatory scrutiny. That’s what happened when TikTok sponsored creators to lobby politicians who were debating banning the platform.

An invisible class of labor

Meanwhile, most governments have failed to provide support for – or even recognition of – creator rights.

Within the U.S., creators “barely exist” in official records, as technology reporters Drew Harwell and Taylor Lorenz recently pointed out in The Washington Post. The U.S. Census Bureau makes no mention of social media as a profession; it is invisible as a distinctive class of labor.

To date, the Federal Trade Commission is the only U.S. agency to introduce regulation tied to the work of creators, and it’s limited to disclosure guidelines for advertising and sponsored content.

Even as the European Union has operated at the forefront of tech and platform policy, creators rate scant mention in the body’s laws. Writing about the EU’s 2022 Digital Services Act, legal scholars Bram Duivendvoorde and Catalina Goanta criticize the EU for leaving “influencer marketing out of the material scope of its specific rules,” a blind spot that they describe as “one of its main pitfalls.”

The success of the 2023 Hollywood strikes could be just the beginning of a larger global movement for creator rights. But in order for this new class of creators to access the full breadth of their economic and human rights – to borrow from the movie “Jaws” – we’re gonna need a bigger boat.

[metamoonshots]

The chilling winds of crypto winter proceed to sting initiatives, prompting a number of of them to take a tough take a look at downsizing or ceasing operations completely. A decentralized content-sharing and publishing platform – LBRY – is the most recent one to succumb to the market situation. The corporate behind the LBRY blockchain mentioned that “there isn't a escaping this.” LBRY Shuts Store In a somber announcement, LBRY weighed in on shedding judgment to the federal authorities and mentioned it has money owed to the US Securities and Trade Fee (SEC), its authorized crew, and a personal debtor that it can not pay. Consequently, its property, together with Odysee, at the moment are underneath receivership. On the time of this assertion, all executives, staff, and board members of LBRY have resigned. They're dedicated to fulfilling any excellent authorized obligations however won't be concerned past these necessities. The corporate now fears that the LBRY blockchain, which is decentralized, may die, too. “Decentralization isn’t magic – it solely works if sufficient individuals use it. Might LBRY nonetheless swallow all digital publishing like we supposed? Might this be the start of a descent to obscurity? Who is aware of? It’s not like we’re LBRY consultants.” LBRY mentioned it won't be persevering with its enchantment towards the monetary regulator. The blockchain firm had beforehand disclosed its intention to conclude operations in July following a last SEC judgment. The regulator had initially pursued a penalty of $22 million however subsequently revised it all the way down to $111,000 upon recognizing LBRY’s monetary incapacity to fulfill the bigger sum. In September, LBRY filed an enchantment with the US Court docket of Appeals for the Second Circuit looking for to problem the ultimate judgment, arguing that the SEC’s verdict was flawed. Tasks Shut as Winter Bites Earlier this week, SuperDao, the platform facilitating community-driven decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), revealed its choice to stop operations and refund any remaining funds to buyers. It cited “lack of profitability” as the explanation behind its choice. In its 2021 seed spherical, the corporate secured $10.5 million in funding, backed by SignalFire, Circle, and One Block Capital. SuperDao initially aspired to safe promoting area on the 2022 Tremendous Bowl, however opponents comparable to FTX and Crypto.com secured multi-million greenback offers forward of them. Decentralized finance platform Yield Protocol additionally announced shutting operations, citing low demand along with regulatory hurdles. It had revealed coming to a conclusion after intensive deliberation with varied stakeholders. The bear market didn't spare NFT platform RECUR, which known as its quits after $50 million in an funding spherical almost two years in the past. Unfavorable market circumstances and monetary challenges additionally claimed Nifty’s, a platform devoted to Web3 creators, which declared winding down operations in August. The crew had strategically shifted its focus in the direction of crafting a platform designed for Web3 creators and, to that extent, was actively looking for the required capital to maintain its efforts. Nevertheless, the funding prospects they pursued did not materialize, pushing the corporate to the sting of its monetary capabilities. SPECIAL OFFER (Sponsored) Binance Free $100 (Unique): Use this link to register and obtain $100 free and 10% off charges on Binance Futures first month (terms).PrimeXBT Particular Provide: Use this link to register & enter CRYPTOPOTATO50 code to obtain as much as $7,000 in your deposits.

[digitalcreationsllc]

Spec Secures $15M Series A Funding, Accelerating Innovation in Fraud Defense

PRESS RELEASE SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 18, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Spec, a leading cybersecurity firm specializing in advanced frauddetection and defense, is thrilled to announce the successful closure of its $15M Series A funding round, marking a significant milestone in the company’s journey. This funding round was led by SignalFire, with participation from Legion Capital, and Rally Ventures. From…

[techrookies]

Kolena, a startup building tools to test AI models, raises $15M

Kolena, a startup building tools to test, benchmark and validate the performance of AI models, today announced that it raised $15 million in a funding round led by Lobby Capital with participation from SignalFire and Bloomberg Beta. The new cash brings Kolena’s total raised to $21 million, and will be put toward growing the company’s […] Go to Source Kyle Wiggers

[lutoogyan]

The outside advantage that your investor may be interested in

Hello, and welcome back to Equity, a podcast about the business of startups, where we unpack the numbers and nuance behind the headlines. This is our Wednesday show, where we niche down to a duo, think about their work and unpack the rest. This week, Natasha Mascarenhas interviewed Sam Chaudhary, CEO and co-founder of ClassDojo, and Chris Farmer, CEO of SignalFire, a venture firm that recently…

[aserougi]

Register now to attend today’s filming of TechCrunch Live with ClassDojo and SignalFire

http://dlvr.it/Sn6CQR t.ly/m_Jb

[newzzwired]

Bitwave raises $15 million Series A to expand its crypto accounting software

Bitwave raises $15 million Series A to expand its crypto accounting software

The crypto accounting and compliance platform Bitwave today announced that it has closed a $15 million Series A led by Hack VC and Blockchain Capital, with participation from other funds including SignalFire. Bitwave co-founders Pat White and Amy Kalnoki told Fortune that the funding will help develop Bitwave Institutional, a new product targeted at enterprise customers with complex accounting…

[isfeed]

SignalFire, CapitalG, and Comprehensive.io coming to TechCrunch Disrupt 2024

As the startup landscape evolves, so do hiring strategies. With Big Tech downsizing and the labor market tightening, founders must navigate a conservative job market to attract and retain top talent.  The hiring landscape in 2025 will offer challenges and opportunities for those who can adapt. Founders now hold increased leverage, but respect for staff […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved.…

[ndigitalhealth]

Online Weight Loss Startup Form Health Secures $38M to Advance Telehealth Platform

Form Health has Secured $38M series B funding to advance its telehealth technology platform, recruit more certified physicians, and enhance its partnership with enterprises.

Founded by Evan Richardson in 2019, the company focuses on helping people struggling with obesity to lose weight through a personalized science-backed approach.

The latest funding round was spearheaded by Sound Ventures, with contributions from NextView Ventures, M13, and SignalFire.

Read more: https://nextdigitalhealth.com/funding-news/online-weight-loss-startup-form-health-secures-38m-to-advance-telehealth-platform/

fundingnews #FundingOpportunity #StartupFunding #StartupSuccess #HealthcareNews #HealthcareFunding #weightloss #nextdigitalhealth #Wi4 #vineetagrawal

[reporterpiner]

Lzip pgc1a

Membrane Blocking and Antibody Incubations Electrotransfer to nitrocellulose membrane ( #12369).Ĭ.NOTE: Loading of prestained molecular weight markers ( #59329, 10 µl/lane) to verify electrotransfer and biotinylated protein ladder ( #7727, 10 µl/lane) to determine molecular weights are recommended. Load 20 µl onto SDS-PAGE gel (10 cm x 10 cm). Heat a 20 µl sample to 95–100☌ for 5 min cool on ice.Sonicate for 10–15 sec to complete cell lysis and shear DNA (to reduce sample viscosity).Immediately scrape the cells off the plate and transfer the extract to a microcentrifuge tube. Lyse cells by adding 1X SDS sample buffer (100 µl per well of 6-well plate or 500 µl for a 10 cm diameter plate).Aspirate media from cultures wash cells with 1X PBS aspirate.Treat cells by adding fresh media containing regulator for desired time.Protein Blotting A general protocol for sample preparation. Detection Reagent: SignalFire™ ECL Reagent ( #6883).ī.Secondary Antibody Conjugated to HRP: Anti-rabbit IgG, HRP-linked Antibody ( #7074).Pore size 0.2 µm is generally recommended. Blotting Membrane and Paper: ( #12369) This protocol has been optimized for nitrocellulose membranes.Blue Prestained Protein Marker, Broad Range (11-250 kDa): ( #59329).Biotinylated Protein Ladder Detection Pack: ( #7727).Primary Antibody Dilution Buffer: 1X TBST with 5% BSA for 20 ml, add 1.0 g BSA to 20 ml 1X TBST and mix well.Blocking Buffer: 1X TBST with 5% w/v nonfat dry milk for 150 ml, add 7.5 g nonfat dry milk to 150 ml 1X TBST and mix well.10X Tris Buffered Saline with Tween ® 20 (TBST): ( #9997) To prepare 1 L 1X TBST: add 100 ml 10X TBST to 900 ml dH 2O, mix.10X Tris-Glycine Transfer Buffer: ( #12539) To prepare 1 L 1X Transfer Buffer: add 100 ml 10X Transfer Buffer to 200 ml methanol + 700 ml dH 2O, mix.10X Tris-Glycine SDS Running Buffer: ( #4050) To prepare 1 L 1X running buffer: add 100 ml 10X running buffer to 900 ml dH 2O, mix.1X SDS Sample Buffer: Blue Loading Pack ( #7722) or Red Loading Pack ( #7723) Prepare fresh 3X reducing loading buffer by adding 1/10 volume 30X DTT to 1 volume of 3X SDS loading buffer.10X Tris Buffered Saline (TBS): ( #12498) To prepare 1 L 1X TBS: add 100 ml 10X to 900 ml dH 2O, mix.20X Phosphate Buffered Saline (PBS): ( #9808) To prepare 1 L 1X PBS: add 50 ml 20X PBS to 950 ml dH 2O, mix.NOTE: Prepare solutions with reverse osmosis deionized (RODI) or equivalent grade water. Solutions and Reagentsįrom sample preparation to detection, the reagents you need for your Western Blot are now in one convenient kit: #12957 Western Blotting Application Solutions Kit NOTE: Please refer to primary antibody product webpage for recommended antibody dilution. For western blots, incubate membrane with diluted primary antibody in 5% w/v BSA, 1X TBS, 0.1% Tween ® 20 at 4☌ with gentle shaking, overnight.