ReportWire

Tag: Content Creators

  • Social Media Star Noah Beck Takes Aim at His Next Challenge

    [This story contains spoilers for Tubi‘s Sidelined 2: Intercepted.]

    Noah Beck has conquered social media, so he’s ready for a new challenge.

    The 24-year-old collegiate athlete-turned-content creator-turned-actor has already amassed a massive fanbase, with more than 40 million followers across TikTok and Instagram. After dropping out of college to pursue a social media career in 2020, Beck went on to capture the hearts of millions with his viral lip-syncing and shirtless dancing videos, in addition to his collabs with other members of the Sway House, the former L.A.-based content frat that once dominated TikTok.

    While Beck has expanded his presence beyond those viral videos, going on to dabble in the fashion world, he now has his full attention turned to acting. He made his film debut in Tubi’s Sidelined: The QB and Me last year and just reprised his role as Drayton in the newly released sequel, Sidelined 2: Intercepted, opposite Siena Agudong. But he knows there’s so much more to learn and is ready for anything thrown his way.

    “At this point in my career where, unlike with social media, I’ve truly loved how humbling this industry is. And if this industry will continue to have me, I will happily be there,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I want to try different things and I want to do just about every genre. I’ll never rule something out before doing it. That’s just shooting yourself in the foot.”

    Below, Beck opens up about Sidelined 2, what it was like working with James Van Der Beek again and teases the possibility of more movies in the franchise. He also shares how his view of social media has changed and the biggest challenge he’s been able to overcome.

    With fans loving the first Sidelined movie, how excited were you to be able to return to the role of Drayton for the sequel?

    This movie is my baby. I’ve been attached to it since the very beginning. I’ve kind of been a part of the adaptation process of taking it from Tam Marley’s book to what it is now. And so people resonated with it and people responded, and that’s all you can ask from going away for several months and creating something and just crossing your fingers, being like, we had the best time and we hope that we were able to at least capture a little bit of that on camera because the movie doing well or not, honestly, it’s at a point where it doesn’t even matter. I had so much fun filming these movies and it’s just a little bonus if they do well. And the first one did better than any of us thought it was going to do, so that’s obviously a blessing.

    Sports were also such a large part of your life growing up, so what was it like to mix your love of sports and acting for these films?

    Let’s just say Drayton and this story were not too far from my experience, so it was very easy to pull from things that I needed to pull from in some scenes. And those days filming the football shot, it was just play. And it was purely that camaraderie of being with a team and the extras of the football team coming in. It was hard to rally us. We were just on the field throwing the ball around, we were just having fun, and they were like, “Yo, we got to come film this.” And I was like, “One more throw.” And so it was really fun and it was truly my two worlds colliding, where you take sports and my newfound love, which is acting in movies and film and all the good things and just creating, to be honest.

    Noah Beck and Siena Agudong in ‘Sidelined 2: Intercepted.’

    Tubi

    Since you all were already comfortable as scene partners, having done Sidelined: The QB and Me, were you looking forward to reuniting with Siena for the sequel?

    She’s truly one of my best friends. I have so much love for that girl, and more than anything, I was just excited to spend some more time with her. It’s funny because when we film these movies, like promoting it, we were just in Rome together and it doesn’t feel like work at all. Anytime I’m around her, even when we’re away filming a movie, it’s just one long hangout and one long sleepover, and it’s summer camp with your best friends. That alone is a selling point for me to continue acting in this franchise that it now is. And I think when you enjoy the work so much, I hope it shows through the screen because she’s just so easy to have chemistry with, and I am very lucky.

    You also worked with the iconic James Van Der Beek again on the sequel, and I know he’s been battling cancer, so how special was it to reunite with him? 

    I could sit and talk about how amazing James was to me for an hour if you have it. With James, he has such a presence to him, and you can’t not be present in a scene with him. I learned so much, and I’ve just felt like I had this front row seat to such an acting masterclass. In our scenes, he’s Drayton’s father, so when he’s yelling or when he’s being stern with me, I’m just sitting there and I caught myself a few times just really being in awe of him, and I was like, oh shit, I forgot it’s a wide [shot] so I have to be in this. So there were times when I fell out of it and just wanted to enjoy what I’m seeing, what people literally pay to come see and I’m getting paid to do this with him. It’s pretty surreal. And off camera, he was such a gentleman and just such an amazing guy to have on set. He’s such a mentor to me.

    Noah Beck and James Van Der Beek in Sidelined 2: Intercepted.

    Tubi

    Thinking about the ending to Sidelined 2: Intercepted, it concluded in quite an ambiguous way. So have there been talks about a third film in the franchise, and if so, would you be open to returning as Drayton?

    We were kind of going for that bittersweet ending, and when we shot the thing, we shot three or four different endings and were like, “I guess we’ll see in the edit which one works the best and which one we decide.” It came together so quickly, and there’s no second book, so we were like, this can go wherever we want it. And they have so much love for each other, and it’s kind of that saying of if you love something, let it go and if it comes back to you, [it’s really yours]. But I’m stoked to see where it goes, and let’s just say I would love to continue these movies and there definitely are some unanswered questions. So if we decide to continue this story, I would happily come back as Drayton.

    Looking ahead, do you have any dream genres or roles you would love to take on in the future? 

    At this point in my career where, unlike with social media, I’ve truly loved how humbling this industry is. And if this industry will continue to have me, I will happily be there. I’m not too picky right now, and just like how I started with TikTok, I want to try different things, and I want to do just about every genre. I’ll never rule something out before doing it. That’s just shooting yourself in the foot.

    Having got your start on TikTok five years ago, so much has changed during this time with social media. How has your view of social media changed from then to now? 

    My view of it has never been too serious. And I think maybe that’s the only way that it’s really changed. But at the same time, as much as I feel like I’ve used social media to be this catapult for other things in my life that I’ve had an interest in … I guess I’ve treated my brand as my résumé. But then the seriousness quickly gets flooded out by the unseriousness of the silly videos or whatnot. I treat each platform fairly different. I think each one serves its purpose but ultimately not taking life that serious.

    Social media has definitely changed in a way where it really was this series of boredom activities that I’m just going to put on camera to just past the time. And to an extent, it still is that with the occasional brand deal. I think social media now is — whereas it was super entertainment-based when I was first starting out — a search engine. You can be educated on it, you can be entertained, it can be escapism or it can be informational. It is truly whatever you please and whatever your algorithm is feeding you. So, for me, I still view it as if you want to do anything, if you want to promote anything, if you want to break into a space and you don’t have social media, I think you’re really doing yourself a disservice if you’re not capitalizing on it.

    Do you see yourself continuing to do social media in the future as you focus more on acting? 

    A hundred percent. To each their own, and it’s not one size fits all, so I wouldn’t say it’s pretentious of me to just all of a sudden drop it and be like, “I don’t need this.” It’s never that. In the past year, I have pumped the brakes on certain platforms, but then I’ll also hit these spurts where I’ll go on vacation or I’ll travel for work and get some amazing content, and I’m pumping out an Instagram Reel or an Instagram dump a day, and then I’m also throwing up two to three TikToks, because I’m just so inspired. So I like to not put any pressure on any of it. If there’s a day where I’m like, I’m not inspired by anything, I don’t have any drafts, I am not forcing myself to do it. And that might allow me to have the bandwidth to do something else creatively. But yeah, I think I will continue; it wouldn’t be fair to the people who have been following me through this whole journey.

    Noah Beck

    Courtesy of Noah Beck

    What’s one of the biggest challenges you’ve been able to overcome to get you where you are today? 

    I think acting’s really helped me with not caring too much about what people think. And in a world with social media, it’s quite literally all it is in a sense. You’re putting stuff out there, it’s very vulnerable. And especially if you’re not playing a character online and you’re not playing a different persona and you’re truly being yourself, you’re like, “Hey, this is me in a video. This is the potential to hit millions of people. Am I okay with how this might be perceived?” So I think just being authentically yourself and just being like, “This is me, take it or leave it,” has really helped with the acting and kind of getting out of my own skin a little and just being like, “No one cares that much.”

    If you had to describe what makes Noah Beck Noah Beck, what would you say? 

    Ultimately, I am just curious, and the day that I’m not curious is the day that I need someone to slap me upside the head and be like, stay curious. Because life’s more fun that way, and you start to romanticize things. You start to just constantly be a student and ask questions. I don’t think I’ll ever get to a point where I think I know everything. I hope I don’t. I don’t want to be that cursed with knowledge. But yeah, I think curiosity. Without that, I wouldn’t be myself.

    Carly Thomas

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  • The Viral ‘DoorDash Girl’ Saga Unearthed a Nightmare for Black Creators

    When DoorDash delivery driver Livie Rose Henderson posted a video alleging that one of her customers sexually assaulted her in October, it set off a firestorm of reactions.

    Henderson’s TikTok claimed that when she was dropping off a delivery in Oswego, New York, she found a customer’s front door wide open and inside, a man on the couch with his pants and underwear pulled down to his ankles. Henderson was dubbed the “DoorDash Girl,” and her video accrued tens of millions of views, including some supportive and consoling responses to what she said she had endured on the job as a young woman. Many others on the platform made commentary videos that called into question Henderson’s alleged victimhood, defended the customer, and spread misinformation, with TikTok’s algorithm seemingly amplifying these “hot takes.” Then, following Henderson’s November 10 arrest—she has been charged with unlawful surveillance and the dissemination of unlawful surveillance imagery—a new wave of reactions emerged. (Police have dismissed her sexual assault allegation.)

    None of these responses came from Black content creator and journalist Mirlie Larose.

    But Larose opened TikTok one day to find dozens of messages from friends and supporters alarmed by a video of her responding to the situation in favor of the customer and DoorDash’s decision to terminate Henderson. (Henderson was fired for sharing a customer’s personal information online, DoorDash spokesperson Jeff Rosenberg tells WIRED.) As Larose stared at the video in disbelief, for a split second she second-guessed herself as she became flushed with anxiety about the comment section “tearing her apart.”

    “Did I film this?” she asked. “It’s my face, it’s my hair.”

    “Then, within three or four seconds, I noticed something’s off. There’s no way I said this. I didn’t [want to] talk about this topic,” Larose tells WIRED. The video had been AI-generated.

    The situation highlights an increasingly common form of digital blackface, buoyed by the rise of generative AI. The term, popularized by culture critic Lauren Michele Jackson, describes various contemporary types of “minstrel performances” on the internet. This looks like the overrepresentation of reaction GIFs, memes, TikToks, and other visual and text-based media that use Black imagery, slang, gestures, and culture. TikTok’s reliance on attention-grabbing short-form video content, coupled with apps like Sora 2, has made it far easier for non-Black creators and bot accounts to adopt racialized stereotypical Black personas using deepfakes. This is also known as digital blackfishing.

    In the midst of the DoorDash/Henderson controversy, users on TikTok began to notice two videos in particular: one from a bot account and another from an actual Black content creator parroting the same script. They adopted seemingly DARVO (Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender) positions, minimizing the allegations Henderson made and justifying her termination: “I saw the original video posted by the DoorDash girl, and … I understand why DoorDash fired you and why you’re blocked from the app.” The videos go on to say, “As for the guy, I can see why everyone is saying he did it on purpose. But when you look at the original video, that couch is not in eye view unless you angle yourself and look over, and if you really want to break it down, he’s inside his house.” In a statement on Facebook, the Oswego City Police Department said the male was “incapacitated and unconscious on his couch due to alcohol consumption” and that the video was taken outside his house. Police also said they “determined that no sexual assault occurred.”

    Matene Toure

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  • The ‘Womanosphere’ Is Reshaping the Conservative Dating Landscape

    But even as conservatives are reclaiming the debate around modern dating, coasting on the momentum of Trump 2.0, there are noticeable fractures and hypocrisies in their approaches.

    On the podcast Culture Apothecary, Turning Point USA’s Alex Clark educates women about optimal fertility health and well-being. In an episode of Relatable titled “Be a Godly Woman, Not Just a Trad Wife,” host Allie Beth Stuckey discusses the appropriation of the trad wife trend, saying it “can be a great thing to aspire to” but Christian motherhood is “not just an aesthetic.” More recently, in response to polycule family structures, Stuckey noted that “the sexual revolution is reaching new lows.” Much of what the women discuss—on marriage, faith, and the importance of childbearing—dovetails with the agenda of the Trump administration.

    On social media, however, where Lacey has more than 1 million followers between TikTok and Instagram, she often straddles her conservatism with a wink and a smile. In one video, Lacey jokes about the consequences of not performing oral sex on your partner. In the next, she’s prancing through a green meadow declaring love for “my bible,” sundresses, and conservative men.

    Still, as the womanosphere grows louder, its influence is creating a less stigmatized environment for singles who no longer feel the shame of their values. “Of course that trickles down into the dating scene as well,” says right-wing influencer Debra Lea of the cultural shift, who adds that the “the popularity of monogamy, marriage, and starting a family is growing far beyond just the conservative movement.”

    Though she hasn’t prioritized finding a partner, Lea, 25, has dated a range of conservative men over the last few years. In the post-Biden era of young romance, she’s noticed a key difference; “politics seem to be more commonly discussed both on and before dates.” The hardcore moderates always “bring out my ultraconservative side,” she says. “I would never marry or seriously date somebody unaligned with me politically, but I believe there are many more important factors to align on, such as religion, healthy lifestyle, and hobbies.”

    Jason Parham

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  • The best monitors for every budget in 2025

    Monitors are more than screens to plug into your PC — they shape how you work, play and create. Whether you need the best monitor for gaming, video editing or everyday tasks, there are plenty of options that balance price, performance and design.

    In 2025, you’ll find everything from compact displays for light work to massive widescreen panels that make multitasking a breeze. A new monitor might also mean sharper images with high resolution panels, or better comfort with IPS displays that offer accurate colors and wide viewing angles.

    Of course, not every job calls for 4K or higher. Sometimes a lower resolution option makes more sense, especially if you want to save money or don’t have a powerful GPU. With so many types of monitors on the market, the right choice comes down to your setup and the kind of work (or play) you plan to do.

    Quick Overview

    Table of Contents

    Best monitors for 2025

    SAMSUNG

    Screen size: 27 inches | Resolution: 1080p | Display type: IPS | Max refresh rate: 75Hz | Weight: 6.6 pounds | Connector type: HDMI | Brightness (cd/m2): 250cd/m2

    The best budget monitor with a balance of size, refresh rate and color accuracy is Samsung’s 27-inch 1080p T35F. It’s good for business or light PC gaming and content work, thanks to the IPS panel and 75Hz refresh rate. Plus, it’s fairly attractive and modern looking. There are some things you don’t get at that price, of course – it can only tilt and has just an HDMI 1.4 connection.

    $153 at Amazon

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    BenQ

    Screen size: 24-inches | Resolution: 1080p | Display type: IPS | Max refresh rate: 165Hz | Weight: 12.2 pounds | Connector type: HDMI | Brightness (cd/m2): 350cd/m2

    If you’re good with a 24-inch 1080p display, BenQ’s EX240 offers a fantastic mix of image quality, brightness and speed. The key selling point is the 165Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, both excellent for a monitor in this price range. At the same time it puts out a very respectable 350 nits of brightness and offers punchy colors and good viewing angles. It also looks like it costs a lot more, making it a very good value overall.

    $105 at Amazon

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    HP

    Screen size: 28-inches | Resolution: 4K | Display type: IPS | Max refresh rate: 60Hz | Weight: 14 pounds | Connector type: HDMI, DisplayPort | Brightness (cd/m2): 400cd/m2

    The 28-inch HP V28 4K HDR monitor is a great all around choice, especially for entertainment or content creation. The 60Hz IPS panel and factory calibration delivers excellent color accuracy and it’s a nice size for creative or business work. It comes with DisplayPort, HDMI and three USB 3.0 ports, along with a USB-C port with 65W of charging for a laptop or tablet. And it’s easy to set just right, thanks to its height, swivel and pivot adjustments.

    $219 at Amazon

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    ASUS

    Screen size: 27-inches | Resolution: 4K | Display type: IPS | Max refresh rate: 60Hz | Weight: 19 pounds | Connector type: HDMI, DisplayPort | Brightness (cd/m2): 350cd/m2

    The ASUS ProArt PA279C is a great content creation monitor for the price due to the 4K resolution and remarkable color accuracy straight from the factory. At the same time, it offers decent brightness at 350 nits, a wide 180 degree viewing angle and excellent ergonomics. It even has an HDR setting, though the monitor isn’t really bright enough for true HDR editing, and color accuracy falls off a bit at that setting.

    $400 at Amazon

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    Dell

    Screen size: 27-inches | Resolution: 4K | Display type: IPS | Max refresh rate: 60Hz | Weight: 21.5 pounds | Connector type: HDMI, DisplayPort | Brightness (cd/m2): 400cd/m2

    The Dell UltraSharp U2723QE is a perfect monitor for content creators thanks to the IPS Black panel that allows a true 2000:1 contrast ratio. It also offers 98 percent coverage of the DCI-P3 HDR color space with 1.07 billion colors (via 8-bit + FRC) — excellent numbers for a monitor under $500. It also has a wide array of ports, including USB-C, HDMI and DisplayPort, along with a Gigabit Ethernet port, five USB-A ports, two USB-C ports (one with 90W charging) and a KVM switch for use with multiple computers at once.

    $529 at Amazon

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    LG

    Screen size: 32 inches | Resolution: 4K | Display type: IPS | Max refresh rate: 60Hz | Weight: 18.1 pounds | Connector type: HDMI, DisplayPort | Brightness (cd/m2): 350cd/m2

    If you want bang for the buck in terms of size, look no farther than the 32-inch LG 32UN650-W. It comes with a 31.5-inch 60Hz IPS 10-bit panel (8-bit + FRC to be exact) that covers an excellent 95 percent of the DCI-P3 gamut and displays up to 1.07 billion colors. At the same time, it supports HDR, albeit with just 350 nits maximum brightness, along with AMD FreeSync to improve smoothness when gaming. It’s great ergonomically as well thanks to the tilt and height adjustments, and it even comes with built-in speakers.

    $390 at Amazon

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    Dell

    Screen size: 27 inches | Resolution: 1440p | Display type: QD-OLED | Max refresh rate: 280Hz | Weight: 14.97 pounds | Connector type: HDMI, DisplayPort | Brightness (cd/m2): 1000cd/m2 peak

    Alienware’s 27-inch 280Hz QD-OLED Monitor (AW2725D) is in the upper end of this category, but the price point may be a new low for a QD-OLED monitor. It combines QHD resolution with a high-speed 280Hz refresh rate and true 10-bit display with 99.3 percent DCI-P3 coverage, allowing sharp high-quality visuals along with a smooth gaming experience. Oh, and there is one other catch — you’ll need to wait until this summer to buy one.

    $800 at Dell

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    ViewSonic

    Screen size: 27 inches | Resolution: 4K | Display type: IPS | Max refresh rate: 60Hz | Weight: 18.4 pounds | Connector type: HDMI, DisplayPort | Brightness (cd/m2): 350cd/m2

    ViewSonic’s ColorPro VP2786 27-inch 4K HDR monitor offers a great balance of resolution, color accuracy or brightness for content creators. The true 10-bit IPS panel covers 98 percent of the DCI-P3 color palette with an excellent Delta <2 accuracy figure, and is certified for soft-proofing by the demanding Fogra print industry. At the same time, it offers HDR10 support, albeit with a limited 350 nits of output. It even includes a “ColorPro” wheel control compatible with Adobe or Capture One apps.

    $1,000 at Amazon

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    ASUS

    Screen size: 32 inches | Resolution: 4K | Display type: OLED | Max refresh rate: 240Hz | Weight: 19.4 pounds | Connector type: HDMI, DisplayPort | Brightness (cd/m2): 1,000cd/m2

    The OLED benefits of the ASUS Rog Swift OLED PG32UCDM are crystal clear as it offers nearly everything creators or gamers would want: 1,000 nits of brightness in HDR mode, true 10-bit with 99 percent DCI-P3 coverage for maximum color accuracy and a 240Hz refresh rate with an incredible 0.03 ms response time. Contrast is also top-notch thanks to the QD-OLED display’s ability to flip individual pixels completely off. It’s also on point in terms of connections with a 90W USB-C charging point, plus both HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 available. Note that it lists for over $1,000 but it can often be found on sale at or below that price.

    $1,000 at Amazon

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    Dell

    Screen size: 31.5 inches | Resolution: 4K | Display type: LCD | Max refresh rate: 60Hz | Weight: 22.5 pounds | Connector type: HDMI, DisplayPort | Brightness (cd/m2): 350cd/m2

    Dell’s P3223QE 4K USB-C Hub monitor is productivity-oriented, thanks to its wired Ethernet connectivity and USB-C ports that offer up to 90W of power delivery for laptops. It’s a 4K IPS panel with a 178-degree viewing angle and 350 nits of brightness and support for a billion colors (8-bit + FRC). It offers height, pivot, swivel and tilt adjustment, a VESA mounting interface and DisplayPort/HDMI inputs.

    $393 at Amazon

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    AOC

    Screen size: 27 inches | Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440 | Display type: VA | Max refresh rate: 180Hz | Weight: 11.9 pounds | Connector type: HDMI, DisplayPort | Brightness (cd/m2): 1000cd/m2 in HDR mode

    For more on this subject it’s best to check out Engadget’s gaming monitor guide, but here, we highlight two top picks from that story.

    The Q27G3XMN offers a nearly unbeatable mix of features, performance and affordability. It’s a mini-LED monitor with HDR performance that’s not as good as the OLEDs on this list (though far brighter overall), but better than anything you’ll find on an edge-lit LCD. With a 180Hz refresh rate, it’s also speedy enough for all but the most fast-paced competitive esports games. Best of all, it’s priced affordably at under $300. For those reasons, unless you have a bigger budget or more specific needs, the Q27G3XMN is going to be the best bet for most people.

    $270 at Amazon

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    Alienware

    Screen size: 26.7 inches | Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440 | Display type: QD-OLED | Max refresh rate: 360Hz | Weight: 9.4 pounds | Connector type: HDMI, DisplayPort | Brightness (cd/m2): 400cd/m2

    Screen size: 26.7-inch | Resolution: 2,560 x 1,440 | Refresh rate: 360Hz | Panel type: QD-OLED | Response time: 0.03ms (GtG) | Aspect ratio: 16:9 | Brightness: 250 cd/m² | Weight: 9.4 pounds without stand

    If you want a gaming monitor that basically does it all, the Alienware AW2725DF has a lot going for it. This QD-OLED features a 360Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response. It also carries a Vesa DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification, so expect near-flawless HDR performance. It even has a HDMI 2.1 port if you want to use it with an Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5. From a performance standpoint, the only downside is that it won’t produce true blacks in rooms with too much ambient light. However, this is true of every QD-OLED monitor on the market right now.

    At close to $1,000, it’s also expensive. But for what it’s worth, the OLED market is incredibly competitive at the moment. I’ve seen the AW2725DF go on sale a few times over the past couple of months, dropping to as low as $700.

    $730 at Amazon

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    Apple

    Screen size: 27 inches | Resolution: 5K | Display type: Retina (Mini LED) | Max refresh rate: 60Hz | Weight: 13.8 pounds | Connector type: USB-C, Thunderbolt 3 | Brightness (cd/m2): 600cd/m2

    In general, monitor compatibility issues with MacBooks and Macs are a thing of the past, though you can still experience issues with things like refresh rates, particularly on M1 Macs. If you’d prefer to stay within the Apple family, the most cost-effective option is still the 27-inch Apple Studio Display. It supports 5K resolution (5,120 x 2,880) with up to 600 nits of brightness, so it can handle creative chores with ease. It even includes a 12-megapixel UltraWide camera that keeps you in frame via Center Stage, along with a three-mic array, so you won’t have to spend extra on a webcam

    $1,679 at Amazon

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    Lenovo

    Screen size: 14 inches | Resolution: 1440p | Display type: IPS | Max refresh rate: 60Hz | Weight: 1.5 pounds | Connector type: USB-C | Brightness (cd/m2): 300cd/m2

    This category also has its own guide, but we’re including the best travel monitor as this category applies to a lot of buyers.

    If you’re always on the go, Lenovo’s M14t Gen2 mobile monitor makes it easy to bring a nice second display anywhere you want. Its 14-inch panel features a 2,240 x 1,400 resolution with a 100 percent sRGB color gamut and a 16:10 aspect ratio for a little extra vertical screen space. It also supports USB-C power pass-through (up to 65 watts) so it can conveniently share juice with a connected device like a phone or laptop. You even get sketching support thanks to Lenovo’s included stylus. Best of all, the stand tilts from zero to 90 degrees so it can fit even in tight spaces and it’s portable enough to cross the globe at just 1.5 pounds.

    $281 at Amazon

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    ASUS

    Screen size: 32 inches | Resolution: 4K | Display type: Mini LED | Max refresh rate: 120Hz | Weight: 32.3 pounds | Connector type: HDMI, DisplayPort, USB-C | Brightness (cd/m2): 1,600cd/m2

    ASUS has lowered the price for its high-end ProArt PA32UCXR reference monitor to just $3,000 , making it a true bargain for a no-compromise display. It delivers up to 1,600 nits of peak brightness and is DisplayHDR 1400 certified thanks to the mini LED display tech with 2,304 local dimming zones. The true 10-bit panel also offers 98 percent DCI-P3 and Rec.2020 coverage and supports Dolby Vision, HDR10 and HLG HDR modes, and color accuracy is calibrated to Delta E < 1, less than nearly any monitor on the market.

    If that’s not enough, it supports up to a 120Hz refresh rate and has a 5-millisecond response time, while supporting AMD FreeSync — making it perfect for gaming creation artists.

    On top of this model, ASUS now makes several slightly less bright and much less expensive variants, including the $1,300 PA32UCRK, offering 1,000 nits of brightness and a 60Hz (not 120Hz) refresh rate. Specs are nearly identical otherwise.

    $2,800 at Amazon

    Factors to consider before buying a monitor

    Panel type

    The cheapest monitors are still TN (twisted nematic), which are strictly for gamers or office use. VA (vertical alignment) monitors are also relatively cheap, while offering good brightness and a high contrast ratio. However, content creators will find that LCD, IPS displays (in-plane switching) deliver better color accuracy, pixel density, picture quality and wide viewing angles — making them a strong option for general computer monitor use.

    If maximum brightness is important, a quantum dot LCD display is the way to go — those are typically found in larger displays. OLED panels are now available and offer the best blacks and color reproduction, but they lack the brightness of LED or quantum dot displays. Plus, they’re expensive. The latest type of OLED monitor, called QD-OLED from Samsung, is now common among gaming monitors. The most notable advantage is that it can get a lot brighter, with recent models hitting up to 1,000 nits+ of peak brightness.

    MiniLEDs are now widely used in high-end displays. They’re similar to quantum dot tech, but as the name suggests, it uses smaller LED diodes that are just 0.2mm in diameter. As such, manufacturers can pack in up to three times more LEDs with more local dimming zones, delivering deeper blacks and better contrast. MiniLED displays also tend to offer excellent backlight control, making them a great choice for HDR content and video editing.

    Screen size, resolution and display format

    Where 24-inch displays used to be more or less standard (and can still be useful for basic computing), 27-, 32-, 34- and even 42-inch displays have become popular for entertainment, content creation and even gaming these days.

    Nearly every monitor used to be 16:9, but it’s now possible to find 16:10 and other more exotic display shapes. On the gaming and entertainment side, we’re also seeing curved monitors and widescreen ultrawide monitors with aspect ratios like 21:9. If you do decide to buy an ultrawide display, however, keep in mind that a 30-inch 21:9 model is the same height as a 24-inch monitor, so you might end up with a smaller display than you expected.

    A 4K monitor is nearly a must for content creators, and some folks are even going for 5K or all the way up to 8K. Keep in mind, though, that you’ll need a pretty powerful computer with a decent graphics card to drive all those sharp pixels. And 4K higher resolution should be paired with a screen size of 27 inches and up, or you won’t notice much difference between 1440p. At the same time, I wouldn’t get a model larger than 27 inches unless it’s 4K, as you’ll start to see pixelation if you’re working up close to the display. That’s when a lower resolution monitor shows its limits.

    One new monitor category to consider is portable monitors designed to be carried and used with laptops. Those typically come in 1080p resolutions and sizes from 13-15 inches. They usually have a lightweight kickstand-type support that folds up to keep things compact and maximize portability and functionality.

    HDR

    HDR adds vibrancy to entertainment and gaming – but be careful before jumping in. Some monitors that claim HDR on their marketing materials don’t even conform to a base standard. To be sure that a display at least meets minimum HDR specs, you’ll want to choose one with a DisplayHDR rating with each tier representing maximum brightness in nits.

    However, the lowest DisplayHDR 400 and 500 tiers may disappoint you with a lack of brightness, washed out blacks and mediocre color reproduction. If you can afford it, the best monitor to choose is a model with DisplayHDR 600, 1000 or True Black 400, True Black 500 and True Black 600.

    Where televisions typically offer HDR10 and Dolby Vision or HDR10+, most PC monitors only support the HDR10 standard, other than a few (very expensive) models. That doesn’t matter much for content creation or gaming, but HDR streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and other services won’t look quite as punchy. In addition, the best gaming monitors are usually the ones supporting HDR600 (and up), rather than content creation monitors – with a few exceptions.

    Refresh rate

    High refresh rate is a key feature, particularly on gaming monitors. A bare minimum nowadays is 60Hz, and 80Hz and higher refresh rates are much easier on the eyes. However, most 4K displays top out at 60Hz with some rare exceptions and the HDMI 2.0 spec only supports 4K at 60Hz, so you’d need at least DisplayPort 1.4 (4K at 120Hz) or HDMI 2.1. The latter is now available on a number of monitors, particularly gaming displays. However, it’s only supported by the latest NVIDIA RTX 3000- and 4000-series, AMD RX 6000-series GPUs. Support for G-Sync and AMD FreeSync is also something to look for if you want to eliminate screen tearing and stuttering during fast-paced gameplay — especially when paired with a high refresh rate.

    Inputs

    There are essentially three types of modern display inputs: Thunderbolt, DisplayPort and HDMI. Most monitors built for PCs come with the latter two, while a select few (typically built for Macs) will use Thunderbolt. To add to the confusion, USB-C ports may be Thunderbolt 3, and by extension, DisplayPort compatible, so you may need a USB-C to Thunderbolt or DisplayPort cable adapter depending on your display.

    Color bit depth

    Serious content creators should consider a more costly 10-bit monitor that can display billions of colors. If budget is an issue, you can go for an 8-bit panel that can fake billions of colors via dithering (often spec’d as “8-bit + FRC”). For entertainment or business purposes, a regular 8-bit monitor that can display millions of colors will be fine.

    Color gamut

    The other aspect of color is the gamut. That expresses the range of colors that can be reproduced and not just the number of colors. Most good monitors these days can cover the sRGB and Rec.709 gamuts (designed for photos and video respectively). For more demanding work, though, you’ll want one that can reproduce more demanding modern gamuts like AdobeRGB, DCI-P3 and Rec.2020 gamuts, which encompass a wider range of colors. The latter two are often used for film projection and HDR, respectively.

    Monitor FAQs

    Is OLED better than mini-LED for monitors?

    OLED is better than mini-LED in many areas but not all. Here are the advantages of OLED panels:

    • OLED monitors don’t have any “blooming” or halos around bright parts of the image.

    • OLEDs have blacks with zero brightness, which is not achievable on mini-LED. That means they also have higher contrast ratios.

    • OLEDs consume less energy.

    • OLEDs have faster response times for gaming.

    And here are the advantages of mini-LED monitors:

    • They are brighter (often much brighter), so it can be better for HDR content.

    • They don’t suffer from burn-in like OLED can.

    What size monitor is best for a home office?

    This depends on the individual. For normal use, 27-32 inches is the sweet spot. If you’re one who likes many windows open at a time (like a stock broker), then you might want to go up to 37 or even 42 inches.

    Are curved monitors worth it for gaming?

    If you need as much speed as possible, a curved monitor lets you rapidly look around the screen without changing focus or moving your head as much compared to a flat screen. It also provides more immersion. The drawback is that curved displays tend to be wider so they take up more desk space. They’re also generally more expensive.

    Steve Dent

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  • ‘No Tax on Tips’ apparently also applies to your favorite streamer

    Streamers, YouTubers and other content creators are eligible for the new “No Tax on Tips” policy in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act President Donald Trump signed into law on July 4, 2024. “Digital Content Creators” are included in a preliminary list of occupations that are eligible for the new tax deduction on tips the US Treasury Department released last week. That means a podcaster could receive the same tax relief as a waiter or bartender.

    Under that guidance, the “Bits” received during a Twitch stream or the “Super Thanks” a YouTuber receives for a great upload could go untaxed when next year’s tax season rolls around. As The Hollywood Reporter notes, though, there are limits to how much of that tipped income will be deducted — up to $25,000 per year and it’s phased out for single filers who make more than $150,000 per year — and language that suggests not every tipping scenario content creators face might apply.

    According to the Treasury, tips won’t qualify for the deduction “if they are received in the course of certain specified trades or businesses,” which includes “the fields of health, performing arts, and athletics.” Does that mean this is a much narrower carve out for content creators than it appears? Possibly, but these classifications will need to be finalized before anyone will be able to say for sure. Ultimately, content creators have multiple possible sources of income: direct subscriptions, ad revenue, paid partnerships, direct sales and digital tips. How much a new tax deduction changes their calculus will vary.

    Making tips tax deductible was one of several campaign promises leading up to his reelection in November 2024. The idea was eventually folded into the One Big Beautiful Bill, which is perhaps better known for the catastrophic cuts it made to and . As it turns out, the bill might also reshape the creator economy, too.

    Ian Carlos Campbell

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  • How the workforce of the future will be more like an ‘ecosystem’

    How the workforce of the future will be more like an ‘ecosystem’

    CFOs have become central in steering business strategy and value creation. But that task is about to get a lot more comprehensive in scale.

    The workforce is changing into an ecosystem, consisting of full- and part-time employees, but also includes robots, chatbots, contractors, gig workers, professional service firms, app developers, and even customers. These internal and external elements all contribute to an organization’s value creation and strategic goals, according to the new book, Workforce Ecosystems: Reaching Strategic Goals with People, Partners, and Technologies.

    Two of the authors explained their research on Thursday during MIT Sloan Management Review’s (SMR) virtual summit on the future of work. “When Amazon decided it wanted to have its own transportation system, it didn’t hire people,” said Elizabeth J. Altman, coauthor and an associate professor of management in the Manning School of Business at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. “It started subcontracting, often with mom and pops. These people add value to Amazon, but don’t work for Amazon.”

    She continued, “If you think about YouTube or TikTok, those content creators are contributing to the business in a very meaningful way, and enabling the business to go forward. For many platform businesses that rely on contributions from users, those users absolutely, in my mind, are part of the workforce ecosystem.” However, “the relationship between the company and their customers or contributors is a little more complex than it was when a company was just selling a product to customers,” Altman said.

    The years of research culminating in a book included global surveys of more than 10,000 business leaders across industries, and more than 100 executive interviews, with 26% of the businesses surveyed earning more than $1 billion in revenue. 

    When external contributors are considered to be part of an organization’s workforce, that’s “a non-trivial shift,” said David Kiron, a coauthor and editorial director of MIT SMR. “It’s so nontrivial that three-quarters of managers agree that effectively managing these external folks is critical to their organization’s success,” Kiron said. “It’s especially true for organizations like Cisco and Novartis, and some of these other organizations that have tens of thousands of external contributors getting the work done.” 

    However, based on their research, just 30% of business leaders agreed that their organization is sufficiently prepared to manage a workforce that relies on all of these external contributors. “Those leaders who are taking this issue seriously consider it to be a holy grail, or a potential strategic differentiator for them to figure this problem out,” Kiron said. 

    Regarding a workforce ecosystem framework, four vital themes emerged in their research: management practices, technology enablers, integration architectures, and leadership approaches. Senior leaders and business unit leaders have to manage these themes. And the departments—HR, procurement, finance, legal, and IT—closely collaborate in a cross-functional approach for the workforce, internally and externally. There can’t be departmental silos in this approach. 

    However, a workforce ecosystem comes with challenges like issues of ethics, compliance, and regulatory matters. “The third part of the book is about ethics and social responsibilities and corporate social responsibility,” Altman explained. “We’re very aware that this structure leads to all kinds of questions. Like, who owns the intellectual property, for example. That is an ongoing discussion. There are different mechanisms for working with it. It’s not that it hasn’t been addressed at all, but I think these discussions continue to evolve as workforce ecosystems become more prevalent.”

    In a workforce ecosystem, I asked the authors if company strategy and value creation ultimately fall under the purview of the CEO and CFO. “We have realized that these discussions move to the C-suite,” Altman said. “They are strategic conversations because they get to the heart of how organizations compete [in their] industry, how they develop new products and services and move into new markets. So yes, ultimately, we think this is a very cross-functional C-level discussion. But we also see it going down deep into an organization.”

    A workforce redefined, for sure.

    Enjoy your weekend. See you on Monday.

    Sheryl Estrada
    sheryl.estrada@fortune.com

    Big deal

    The “Nasdaq 2023 ESG & Climate Survey” is based on feedback from executives in North America and Europe. Companies of varying maturity levels report they are leaning in on sustainability initiatives despite an unclear path forward and with regulation looming on the horizon. Forty-five percent of companies have been tackling ESG strategy for fewer than three years, and 9% of companies have been tackling ESG for more than five years. As companies advance in their journey, teams grow and become more integrated into day-to-day operations and decision-making.

    When asked how the most senior team member responsible for ESG and sustainability was appointed, 47% of executives said the person voluntarily took on responsibilities on top of their own role. Meanwhile, 39% said the team member migrated internally from other teams, and 14% said the person was hired for the role.

    Courtesy of Nasdaq

    Going deeper

    Here are a few Fortune weekend reads:

    “A famous hedge fund chief who managed to net record returns as stocks fell in 2022 says investors should look abroad to profit” by Will Daniel

    “Frank founder sued by JPMorgan for making up customers is in talks with DOJ over fraud charges” by Luisa Beltran

    “Airbnb’s CEO spent 6 months living in his company’s rentals—and found the core problem with his business” by Trey Williams

    “7 ways to bounce back after a bad night’s sleep” by Alexa Mikhail

    Leaderboard

    Here’s a list of some notable moves this week:

    Markus Neubrand was named CFO at Guess?, Inc. (NYSE: GES), effective Aug. 1. Neubrand will succeed interim CFO Dennis Secor. Neubrand currently serves as group CFO of luxury fashion brand MCM Worldwide. Before that, he spent 17 years at Hugo Boss, in roles including managing director of Scandinavia, and group director of financial planning, then COO and CFO. 

    Teresa Chia was named CFO at Vertafore, an insurance technology company. Before joining Vertafore, Chia was a senior partner and managing director at White Mountains Insurance Group, a publicly traded holding company. She was responsible for White Mountains’ direct investing and corporate mergers and acquisitions activity. Before that, Chia was a private equity investor at Permira Advisors, where she focused on investments in the global technology and consumer verticals.

    Tim MacCarrick was named CFO at project44, a supply chain visibility platform. MacCarrick has over 25 years of senior executive experience in finance and operations roles. He’s held both COO and CFO roles at public and private companies including Qlik, Xerox, DLL, and most recently OutSystems. 

    Patricia Kaelin was named CFO at Safe & Green Holdings Corp.(Nasdaq: SGBX), a developer, designer, and fabricator of modular structures, effective May 2. Kaelin served as CFO of Buddies Brand, a privately held consumer packaged goods (CPG) company. Before that, she served as CFO of 1933 Industries, Inc., a publicly traded CPG company. Kaelin also served as CFO of business operations at Clifton Larson Allen, a CPA and consulting firm. 

    Jay Matushak was named CFO at Bright Health Group, Inc. (NYSE: BHG), the technology-enabled health care company, effective May 12. Matushak will succeed Cathy Smith, who is stepping down to pursue another opportunity. Matushak joined Bright Health in 2021. He currently serves as SVP of finance. Matushak also serves as CFO of Bright HealthCare, the company’s insurance business. 

    Michael Dougherty was named CFO at bioAffinity Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIAF; BIAFW), a biotechnology company. Most recently, Dougherty served as CFO of Alexa Business Domains, Amazon’s Alexa AI and Voice division. Before that, Dougherty was chief financial and operating officer of TINT and CFO at Filestack. He also previously served as CFO for Amazon Pay. 

    David Black was named CFO at Proterra Inc. (Nasdaq: PTRA), a commercial vehicle electrification technology company, effective May 16. Karina Padilla, the current CFO, will step down from her role, effective May 15. Black served as a special advisor to the CEO of BWX Technologies, a supplier of nuclear components and fuel to the U.S. government. Before that, he served as SVP and CFO of BWX Technologies. 

    Overheard

    “We continue to see our customers return to us for reasons of the product innovation…in areas like refreshers, iced shaken espresso, cold foam, those are difficult to make at home, they give customers a reason to come in.”

    —Starbucks CFO Rachel Ruggeri told Yahoo Finance.  

    Sheryl Estrada

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  • Lightning Paywalls Versus Value4Value Asks

    Lightning Paywalls Versus Value4Value Asks

    This is an opinion editorial by Will Schoellkopf, author of “The Bitcoin Dog” and host of the Bitcoin podcast “It’s So Early!”

    When it comes to paywalls versus #value4value, is it really all or nothing?

    Author’s note: My aim is not to attack anyone personally. I will use specific people’s quotes for my examples, but my intent is to respectfully challenge ideas, not attack people. Healthy debate of ideas in good faith helps Bitcoin, so I hope they understand.

    In Gigi’s article, “The Freedom of Value,” he breaks down what’s broken with the monetization of information, “The problem with the internet is that information wants to be free.”

    Will Schoellkopf

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  • Disctopia Welcomes ‘Song of Appalachia’ Singer Tim Goodin to the Platform to Establish His Presence in the Music Industry

    Disctopia Welcomes ‘Song of Appalachia’ Singer Tim Goodin to the Platform to Establish His Presence in the Music Industry

    Press Release
    –

    Nov 10, 2022


    CHARLOTTE, N.C., November 10, 2022 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Disctopia, one of the fastest-growing indie music streaming platforms, today announces a collaboration with Southeastern Kentucky’s singer and songwriter, Tim Goodin. As a star on the rise with a growing social media presence, Disctopia seeks to expand the singer’s musical reach.

    After establishing his musical prowess through social media, Disctopia aims to get Goodin closer and faster to his musical career goals by collaborating with the music streaming platform. The North Carolina-based service offers the country singer a dedicated outlet where his music can gain a wider audience with room for exponential growth.

    Goodin, called a “crooner” given his soft singing voice, multiplied his following from a newcomer in December 2021 to more than 100,000 followers on TikTok. He’s also cultivating a listenership after releasing his debut EP, “Son of Appalachia,” which went up to #11 on the Top 100 iTunes charts earlier this year. The singer is currently gearing up to embark on an eight-show tour with The Steel Woods, a major national country act—adding to the perfect timing of this collaboration.

    “Our partnership with Tim Goodin sprung out of what we’ve seen him achieve in little time. We believe a platform like ours is what he needs to grow further. At Disctopia, we aim to meet the needs of new and emerging sounds,” said Patrick Hill, founder and CEO of Disctopia. “We are optimistic that we’ll be able to contribute positively to the career of both Tim and all other artists on the platform.”

    “I am honored to be partnering with Disctopia as the face of the music platform. It’s the right platform I need at this stage of my music career; I am hopeful that they will help in pursuing my dreams and aspirations as an artist,” said Tim Goodin, corroborating Hill’s statements.

    About Disctopia

    Disctopia is as a streaming platform dedicated to delivering indie content from creatives to fans globally through the Disctopia App. The platform is on a mission to revolutionize the independent creators’ industry by allowing fans to fuel the culture. The company is reimagining content streaming by providing access to indie creatives’ content. Ultimately, Disctopia aims to build a future where every creator is given a fair chance to succeed.

    About Tim Goodin 

    Tim Goodin is a singer/songwriter from the Hills of Southeastern Kentucky. The old Appalachian mountain hymnals inspired him to sing and pick up the guitar. Tim began playing in small country bands and fronted his own band before moving to Alabama at age 18. Eventually, Goodin decided to put some of his original creations out to the public via TikTok, gaining massive social media recognition. 
     

    Source: Disctopia

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