Ten from the weekend 09/18: A few interesting reads that I came across

Focus areas: Blockchain| ML-AI| Data science/Analytics applications |eSports| CRISPR| Design thinking

1. Starbucks details its blockchain-based loyalty platform and NFT community, Starbucks Odyssey: Crypto is technically in its winter cycle, Starbucks got most of digital right in the last 10–15 years, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out: https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/12/starbucks-unveils-its-blockchain-based-loyalty-platform-and-nft-community-starbucks-odyssey/ || https://www.geekwire.com/2022/starbucks-goes-web3-how-the-coffee-giant-plans-to-use-nfts-and-blockchain-in-its-rewards-program/

2. SNARK Security and Performance: https://a16zcrypto.com/snark-security-and-performance/

3. One more on stable diffusion: https://www.reddit.com/r/MachineLearning/comments/xhahv5/p_stable_diffusion_web_ui_img2img_after_effects/ || with keras: https://colab.research.google.com/drive/1fBlfPsL5DEscub0O_3oJNnJbON4w3EKq?usp=sharing

4. Scientists are using AI to dream up revolutionary new proteins: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02947-7

5. Underwrite or Lose (Money)!: https://investors.affirm.com/news-releases/news-release-details/underwrite-or-lose-money-by-max-levchin?mobile=1

6. Patagonia Founder Gives Away the Company: https://www-nytimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.nytimes.com/2022/09/14/climate/patagonia-climate-philanthropy-chouinard.amp.html

7. Where Walmart, Amazon and Target are spending billions in a slowing economy: https://www-cnbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2022/09/11/where-walmart-amazon-target-are-spending-billions-in-slowing-economy.html || https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2022-09-11/amazon-will-spend-15-billion-on-programming-this-year || https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2022/09/15/walmart-levels-up-virtual-try-on-for-apparel-with-be-your-own-model-experience

8. David Senra — Henry Ford: My Life and Work: https://www.joincolossus.com/episodes/42142819/senra-henry-ford?tab=transcript

9. Why Super Apps are Proliferating Across Emerging Markets: https://afridigest.com/super-apps-in-emerging-markets/

10. The B-52 was designed in a hotel room over one weekend (and will probably fly for 100 years): https://www.sandboxx.us/blog/the-b-52-was-designed-in-a-hotel-room-over-one-weekend-and-will-probably-fly-for-100-years/

Diffusion Models: A Comprehensive Survey of Methods and Applications: https://arxiv.org/abs/2209.00796v5