Sent as a newsletter July 3, 2023. Not on my list? Sign up here.
👋 Hi friends,
Welcome to the latest edition of Newley’s Notes, a weekly newsletter containing my recent Wall Street Journal stories, must-read links on tech and life, and funny dog videos.
Image of the week, above:
🇭🇰 A recent sunset here in Hong Kong.
My WSJ latest:
🥽 Just out, a story with my colleague Raffaele Huang: Zuckerberg’s Quest to Re-Enter China Faces Challenge: His Own Words <– Free link
The story begins:
HONG KONG—Mark Zuckerberg in late 2021 had a question for those working on Meta Platforms’ strategy for its virtual-reality headset: If Apple can sell iPhones in China, and Tesla can sell cars, why can’t we sell our devices there?
The question, posed on a video call, led to a push by Meta to restart its China business by selling its Quest headsets in the country, according to a person familiar with the matter, more than a decade after Facebook was blocked there.
The company held discussions with several Chinese tech companies and has made progress with videogame powerhouse Tencent Holdings, people familiar with the matter said. But the effort faces challenges, in part because Chinese executives worry that Zuckerberg isn’t seen as friendly to China, according to people familiar with the matter.
Here are 10 items worth your time this week:
1) 🇷🇺 In last week’s NN I pointed to several stories about Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin’s rebellion against Putin. For more, check out this excellent WSJ documentary, available on YouTube: “Inside Prigozhin’s Wagner, Russia’s Secret War Company.”
2) 🤖 People may fear mass layoffs, but artificial intelligence just represents another another wave of automation, writes tech analyst Benedict Evans.
3) 📸 Here are the winners of this year’s Audubon Photography Awards.
4) 🍕 Is that a pizza depicted in a fresco from 79 A.D. that was recently discovered in Pompeii?
5) 🪧 Here’s a beautiful collection of street sign lettering in India.
6) 🌹 With crime, open drug use, and housing prices all rising, Portland, Oregon is losing its residents.
7) 🍴 The signature dishes at the world’s 150 most legendary restaurants.
8) 📞 What after work time was like for young people before cellphones.
9) 🗾 Everything you always wanted to know about amazing Japanese convenience stores.
10) 🐊 Extreme food, Taiwan edition: crocodile ramen.
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🦴 Dog-related video of the week:
“Sailor the Touchdown Dog Sets Record for the Longest Catch at a Live Sporting Event” (Thanks, Anasuya!)
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💡 Quote of the week:
“The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.” – William James
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👊 Fist bump from Hong Kong,
Newley