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- Is Zette AI the future of journalism?
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Did you know India's got a post office that floats?
Yep, right on Dal Lake in Srinagar, Kashmir, there's a huge houseboat that's been doubling as a post office since 2011 - that’s almost 15 years of floaty post!
Today:
How an AI startup is changing journalism for the better
FREE resource - get our master sales and marketing prompt pack!
Microsoft’s notepad has some nifty new features
AI JOURNALISM
Paywalls. We all hate them, right? What’s more intrusive than a big padlock in front of the content you want to read?
News organisations don’t seem to get that we like to read news from a variety of sources. Each publisher is a walled garden, keeping journalism stuck in boxes, inaccessible to many.
One startup has an ingenious, sustainable solution to the paywall problem.
Introducing Zette
Meet the one-subscription, pay-per-article solution that’s pioneering a future where the news is never off limits.
With a simple installation into your Chrome browser, you can unlock paywalls in one click. Your Zette account comes with credits that refill every month. Want to access an article? One credit equals one article unlock.
It’s a win-win: you aren’t forced into a subscription for a specific news site, and the journalist is paid for every view.
It’s true journalism without barriers, and over 50,000 people have already signed up.
Zette’s AI finds better content for you
Zette isn’t just a paywall remover, its AI tool carefully helps you unearth hidden gems and find articles you’ll love reading.
Many paywalled articles see little coverage on social media. A lower readership prevents the article from spreading widely. Not only do readers miss out on excellent articles, but journalists go under-appreciated, with a far smaller reach for their work.
Finding and recommending content like this isn’t easy - but that’s what Zette’s AI has set out to master. Readers can sift through articles from 110 (and growing) publishers including Forbes and the Miami Herald, all while Zette’s AI algorithm auto-magically recommends content to you based on your reading history.
A lightbulb moment for ex-journalist founder Yehong Zhu
Zette’s founder, Yehong Zhu, is a Harvard graduate and a 30 under 30 honoree who had the idea for Zette while working as a business journalist for Forbes.
It came as a true Eureka moment for Zhu - the “Spotify model” but for news! Why should all the news orgs compete for clicks and attention when they could instead share a larger revenue pool?
Not only will publishers be paid per view, but journalists and their most important stories can now make a bigger splash.
With publishers fighting a losing battle against paid subscriptions for their sites, it’s clear they need to find an alternative method to monetise content. That method is Zette.
Zette solves the paywall problem and frees journalism from walled gardens. With over $1.7M raised in funding, and 5x year-on-year growth - it's clear Zette has a big future, and could forever change the future of media.
Join hundreds of investors democratizing access to journalism
Zette’s first equity crowdfunding round closes soon - with limited investment slots (starting at $250) that are selling out fast.
Once their round is closed, it’s closed—so don’t miss the chance to help revolutionize journalism for good!
Can AI save the journalism industry? |
Vote for live results and see results + opinions from yesterday at the bottom of the email.
AI Image or Real? - The Results!
Yesterday we asked you to vote on an image and guess whether it was a real photo or an AI-generated image.
Yesterday we asked you to vote on an image and guess whether it was a real photo or an AI-generated image.
What did you think?
55 % said made with AI…
45 % said real photo…
It was… Real! Did we fool you this time?
This was taken by Photographer Lany-Jade Mondou.
Free Resource
MICROSOFT
Microsoft is updating its Notepad app for Windows 11 by adding spellcheck.
This new feature is available for testers now and rolling out to everyone later this year.
It highlights misspelt words in red and offers corrections with a right-click, just like in Word and Edge.
It also includes autocorrect and supports multiple languages.
Users can customise spellcheck settings for different file types or disable it for coding-related files, as noted by Dave Grochocki from Microsoft.
Notepad's spellcheck joins recent updates like a character count, autosave without prompts, dark mode, tabs, Copilot AI integration, and even a virtual fidget spinner.
The humble notepad, every coder’s best friend, is becoming a powerful tool in its own right!
Mindstream Picks
Investors greenlight merger, making Trump Media publicly traded; shareholders' approval paves way for multi-billion dollar windfall for former President amid financial and legal challenges.
Denmark's tech ambassador, Anne Marie Engtoft Meldgaard, emphasizes the increasing importance of tech diplomacy in today's divided world.
BMW introduced the Vision Neue Klasse X, a concept SUV that will influence its future electric vehicles, boasting a unique design and innovative electric architecture.
Amid economic instability, Argentinians are turning to Bitcoin as a hedge against inflation, as the cryptocurrency surges to record highs, outpacing traditional safe havens like the U.S. dollar.
Blizzard Entertainment revamped Overwatch 2's business model, separating the game's heroes from the paid battle pass.
AI Art
Artwork submitted by Mindstream reader Jackie P: “80s vintage style Transformers movie poster”
Get art inspiration by trying this prompt in your image generator of choice.
A pixel art style of the tower of Babylon
Happy with the result, or have some other artwork you’re proud of?
You can send in your artwork and we will feature it, with credit to you.
We get a lot of submissions, but we do look at every single one! So please don’t hesitate to send us your art.
Yesterday’s Poll
“Will GPT-5 surpass expectations?”
Oh yes! We trust Sam. 70% ✅
Nope, same old, same old. 30%
Reader’s Opinions
“I had tow make a choice but frankly I have no idea. History is usually a reliable guide but not in this instance. Do I trust a single human being to have the wisdom to anticipate all problems and be able addres”- russ@red
“Sam Altman is an excellent person manager, and in A.I., people are the most important component of success. ”- paolodi
Submit your opinions in our daily poll for the chance to be featured!
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