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In today’s issue:

1. Google’s AI may be coming to your iPhone - this combo could be more impactful than Google Search paired with Siri.

2. ChatGPT’s new Generative Video Offering - OpenAI’s CTO shares some incredible news

3. Productivity Tip: Creatively clearing content in Excel

4. Soft-skills in Hyperdrive: Chasing questions

5. News, Need-to-know, and Stats:

   • Stalkers using AirTags, the new global chip ‘arms-race’, Apple buying Tesla?, Reddit’s AI is fon the hot seat

Scheduling works better when teamed with Time Management

We find it incredible that some people believe they get a big win by asking meeting partner candidates to do work with a scheduling link that they should be doing instead.

For sales people especially, don’t expect your leads and prospects to want to work with you when you drop them into a shopping cart experience in the manner that the previous generation of scheduler does.

And you’re only gaining a couple seconds by doing that.

This is not to say that you shouldn’t be using scheduling links — just that it’s important to do it in a way that doesn’t put the burden (including perceived burden) on your meeting partner.

Break through the tiny gains of traditional scheduler apps with the larger gains of true time management that will have real impact in your success. Think about upgrading to the next generation, where time management and scheduling team up in a glorious way to make you more successful.

Did we mention that the way to do it is with Confirmed? I guess we did now. Find out more here.

ChatGPT’s ‘Sora’ videos will arrive in 2024 

OpenAI has made it official that in the upcoming months, it will release the ability for you to describe what you want to have in a video, and ChatGPT's new "Sora" will create the video for you. 

The first videos being shown to the public are impressive, although they still have similar creation problems as the outputs of their still image creations, such as hands with 6 or seven fingers.  But we know it's going to get better.

The bigger question is societal.  How will AI-generated videos affect the public, including how they affect the next Presidential election? 

OpenAI's CTO, Mira Murati, pledges to deal with those types of issues before before the product is released to the public; but she stops short of saying that the product will be delayed until after the election. 

All the company officially admits so far is that it will be released in the coming months THIS YEAR after they make it better and more secure.  And she says that they have trained it on both publicly available data and data that they have acquired commercially. 

Does that mean your Facebook or Instagram feed has been used to train the model? 

Based on OpenAI's evasiveness to date, it's tough to tell.  We do know how, however, that Elon Musk has taken exception to the path that OpenAI is on.  (He is one of the original board members, and is now launching his own competing version.). See more in our news links later in this newsletter.

Many AI companies have pledged to make their AI outputs identifiable as AI-generated; but so far, it's almost impossible for most people to tell the difference.  Plus, it's not all-that-difficult to work around these types of protections.  

Whether ChatGPT introduces their video creation before or after the election, it's likely that other video creation A.I.s will be available for those who want to mis-use them for the election.

See Joanna Sterns' enlightening video interview with OpenAi's CTO in the Wall Street Journal

Productivity tip: Excel - Creatively clearing content

Sometimes you need to clear out contents of part or all of your spreadsheet — but what you want to clear differs from time to time.  You might want to clear the data without affecting the formatting, so the same formatting will be applied to the next data you put in those cells; or you might want to delete just the comments, or hyperlinks that were created on purpose or by accident.

With Excel, you can easily choose exactly what you want to remove by selecting a useful icon on your Excel ribbon (the tools shown at the top of your Excel pane).

1. First, highlight the range of cells, rows or columns that you want to clear.

2. Then click on the icon to reveal a context-sensitive drop-down menu.

3. Then choose from the options provided.

As you can see from the image above, you'll have choices based on what you already have in those cells — including clear all, clear comments and notes, and remove hyperlinks (which is only clickable if one or more cells contains a link).

Most users will find the icon on their "Home'" tab, near the right side of their ribbon.

Enhancing your soft-skills: ‘Chasing Answers’ or ‘chasing questions’?

As noted by the James Clear quote at the top of this page, people who have mastership of the way they focus will try to determine what the right questions are. 

When brainstorming in particular (as well as in some newer sciences such as A.I. prompt-engineering), knowing which questions to ask is a particularly important skill. 

Asking the right questions means you will be solving problems that matter, and it gives you a better way to focus on a range of solutions to get you to your goals. 

That doesn't mean you should never look for answers.  That’s the natural follow on step once you have determined the right questions.  But taking a step back first to make sure you're asking the right questions before seeking answers will help you reach your goals easier and more often.

News, Need-to-know, and Stats

Suits claim AirTags are Weapons of Stalkers

Computer Chips are the New Global Arms Race

Apple considered buying Tesla before its ill-fated attempt to design its own car

FTC probes Reddit's AI content licensing practices prior to IPO

The last word

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David