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Showing posts from July, 2023

Seeking nominations for the top angel investors funding creator economy startups in 2023

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Insider is seeking nominations for angel investors in the creator economy. Courtesy of Position Ventures; MaC Venture Capital; Behind Genius Ventures; Signal Fire; Sydney Bradley/Insider Insider is compiling our 1st annual list of the top angel investors in the creator economy. We want to hear from you about who the standout angels and solo investors are in 2023. Please submit your ideas through this form (or below) by August 10. From Hollywood celebrities to startup founders to influencers, the creator economy has been bootstrapped by many famous angel investors . Typically high-net-worth individuals, angel investors provide startups with funding using their own money, unlike venture capital firms. For instance, Grammy-winning electronic music duo The Chainsmokers have invested in several creator-economy startups, including a recent investment into the digital-goods marketplace Whop. And Jack Conte, CEO and cofounder of Patreon, has also invested in several up-and-coming...

Ampere Analysis: ad tiers from Netflix, Disney, and others have collectively crossed 100M users in the US; 90%+ of Hulu subscribers are on its ad-supported tier (Lucas Manfredi/The Wrap)

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Lucas Manfredi / The Wrap : Ampere Analysis: ad tiers from Netflix, Disney, and others have collectively crossed 100M users in the US; 90%+ of Hulu subscribers are on its ad-supported tier   —  London-based research firm Ampere Analysis estimates that ad tiers from Netflix, Disney and others have collectively surpassed 100 million users from Techmeme https://ift.tt/eJ1h8r4

Your Amazon packages will soon come faster — if that's even possible

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Amazon announced it has plans to double the number of same-day deliveries at a faster pace. Spencer Platt/Getty Images Amazon announced its plans to double its same-day delivery sites in the coming years.  So far this year, the company has delivered 1.8 billion packages in the same or next day. The plans come months after Amazon said it ramped up the pace of some deliveries to "within hours." Fans of instant gratification will soon be even more gratified. Amazon is planning to double its number of same-day delivery facilities "in the coming years," the company said in a press release.   As of July, the company said it delivered more than 1.8 billion packages in the same or next day to US Amazon prime members this year — almost four times the amount of same or next-day deliveries it made over the same time period in 2019. Since the beginning of this year, Amazon said it decreased the distance between its delivery sites and customers by 15%, which means t...

X says Elon Musk will lead product and engineering teams, CEO Linda Yaccarino will lead teams including legal and sales, and both will oversee trust and safety (Sheila Dang/Reuters)

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Sheila Dang / Reuters : X says Elon Musk will lead product and engineering teams, CEO Linda Yaccarino will lead teams including legal and sales, and both will oversee trust and safety   —  X, the social media company formerly known as Twitter, said on Monday that owner Elon Musk will lead the product and engineering teams … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/aw5pcx8

An in-depth look at a January strike at Amazon's BHX4 Coventry warehouse, a carefully planned and legal effort, the likes of which Amazon UK had never faced (Jack Shenker/The Guardian)

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Jack Shenker / The Guardian : An in-depth look at a January strike at Amazon's BHX4 Coventry warehouse, a carefully planned and legal effort, the likes of which Amazon UK had never faced   —  When staff in Coventry downed tools, they kickstarted a David v Goliath battle against one of the most powerful companies on Earth. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/jRiT5Sa

A Florida Republican running for Congress says DeSantis may have tanked his own political career in the state by running against Trump

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Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, left, and former President Donald Trump. AP Photo Republican Alan Pincus told WaPo that DeSantis may have tanked his political future in Florida over his 2024 bid. DeSantis once led Trump in earlier Florida surveys of the Republican presidential primary. But Trump has continued to dominate the GOP race and DeSantis has had to reboot his campaign. Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida is at a major crossroads in the 2024 presidential race. He entered the race in May as the top challenger to former President Donald Trump, hoping to carve out a lane among Republicans who wanted to see a nominee who was laser-focused on conservative policies and had the results to back it up. But his campaign has stalled in recent weeks, forcing him to lay off staffers and recalibrate his message as he faces an emerging threat from the candidacy of Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. But at DeSantis' core is his political appeal in Florida, where he won reelection last No...

See inside Arnold Schwarzenegger's childhood home in Austria where he grew up without running water or electricity

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Arnold Schwarzenegger's childhood home, with an inset of him as a child. sommthink/Shutterstock; Netflix Arnold Schwarzenegger, who turns 76 on July 30, was born in Thal, Austria. His family's apartment overlooked a castle and farmland but had no running water or electricity. Schwarzenegger revisited the home in the 2023 Netflix docuseries "Arnold." Arnold Schwarzenegger's incredible story — from bodybuilder to Hollywood actor to American politician — all began in Thal, Austria. After his birth 76 years ago on July 30, 1947, he lived in a one-floor apartment that overlooked a castle and surrounding forests and farmlands in the village. "It was absolutely beautiful," Schwarzenegger said in "Arnold," a 2023 Netflix docuseries about his life. But it was also where he experienced a "tough" childhood at the hands of his "tyrant" father , who would beat him and his older brother, he said. In the series, Schwarzenegge...

How to watch UFC 291: Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 live stream links and PPV schedule

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Poirier will look to repeat his knockout performance against Gaethje at UFC 291. Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. You'll want to know how to watch the UFC 291 live stream tonight, July 29. The Octagon will move to the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, for this stacked card. Dustin Poirier will meet Justin Gaethje for a second time. With these fighters being seeded second and third, respectively, Poirier vs. Gaethje 2 will set a pivotal tone for the future of the lightweight division.  The two last fought in 2018 when Gaethje lost via TKO to a flurry of masterful Poirier punches. Both are former lightweight champions, but there's no divisional championship on the line tonight. Instead, the winner's waist will be adorned with UFC's ceremonial "BMF" title, a pretty nice consolation. The fight will come after the co-main event, Jan Blachowicz vs. Alex Pe...

Despite TikTok prohibiting branded content promoting alcohol, some creators say they're sponsored by alcohol brands, and they drink excessively to promote them (Jessica Lucas/HuffPost)

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Jessica Lucas / HuffPost : Despite TikTok prohibiting branded content promoting alcohol, some creators say they're sponsored by alcohol brands, and they drink excessively to promote them   —  While the app has strict rules prohibiting branded content promoting alcohol, creators are still allegedly making money drinking to excess — and at least one has died. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/15xQKcP

China is installing offshore wind turbines as tall as 30 Rock in the Taiwan Strait

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A boat sails past wind turbines north of Pingtan Island, opposite Taiwan, in China's southeast Fujian province on April 10, 2023. GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images China recently switched on a 16-megawatt offshore wind turbine in the Taiwan Strait. It's the largest, most powerful turbine in the world, at 499 feet tall with 404-foot blades. That dwarfs the size and capacity of American and European wind turbines currently in use. China now has the most powerful wind turbine in the world. The MySE-16-260 was connected to the grid on July 19, IFLScience reported . The China Three Gorges Corporation behind the monstrosity says the 16-megawatt turbine should generate enough electricity to power 36,000 households a year. For comparison, the Block Island Wind Farm  off the coast of Rhode Island has five wind turbines capable of generating 30 megawatts of electricity combined , which the company behind it says can power 17,000 homes . Workers install the world's first 1...

Sources: the Biden admin is looking for malware it believes China hid inside critical infrastructure, mainly aimed to disrupt the military if a conflict emerges (New York Times)

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New York Times : Sources: the Biden admin is looking for malware it believes China hid inside critical infrastructure, mainly aimed to disrupt the military if a conflict emerges   —  American intelligence officials believe the malware could give China the power to disrupt or slow American deployments or resupply operations … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/kivHmPj

The remains of long-lost climbers are appearing as climate change melts glaciers

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A melted glacier revealed the remains of a long-lost German mountain climber this month. Denis Balibouse/Reuters Swiss officials found the body of a climber missing for 37 years after portions of a glacier melted. Just last year, another glacier in Switzerland melted enough to reveal a 1968 plane crash. Glaciers melting, driven by climate change, may result in extreme sea-level rise, experts say. Melting glacier ice — a worrying symptom of worsening climate change — is leading to the discovery of people thought lost for decades . Earlier this month, Swiss officials found the remains of a German mountain climber missing for almost 37 years after a portion of the Theodul glacier melted, local police said Thursday. The explorer's identity was confirmed using a DNA sample from the human remains, police said. He went missing in 1986 at 38 years old. This is not the first time melting ice has helped solve a cold case. Last summer, thawing ice on the Chessjen glacier in Swit...

Subway fans have until Friday to win free subs for life, but the catch will require some legal fees

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Subway's new Deli Hero lineup include The Titan Turkey, The Grand Slam Ham, The Beast and The Garlic Roast Beef. Subway Subway's latest change will grant one fan free sandwiches for life. Hopefuls must legally change their name to Subway by Thursday night to enter the contest. The chain says it will also cover the legal and processing fees for the name change of the winning participant. Subway is promising free sandwiches for life to one lucky fan, but they'll have to make a pretty permanent change to qualify for the deal. You have until Friday at midnight to legally change your first name to Subway if you want to score free sandwiches for life from the chain, according to a press release . Fans can visit SubwayNameChange.com to enter starting Tuesday. "Subway brand love and dedication run deep, especially when free sandwiches are up for grabs," the announcement read. "In 2022, one superfan camped out for two days to get a footlong tattoo of the Su...

A Trump strategist compared Ron DeSantis' candidacy to New Coke, which was released to much fanfare in 1985 but quickly flopped

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Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida speaks with patrons at the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, New Hampshire, on May 19, 2023. AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty Ron DeSantis has sought to paint himself as a conservative without Donald Trump's political baggage. But DeSantis remains mired as Trump's distant second-place competitor in most national polls. Trump strategist Chris LaCivita told the Washington Post DeSantis' candidacy was like New Coke. When Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida entered the GOP presidential primary , his candidacy was widely seen as the one with the most potential to dethrone former President Donald Trump's frontrunner status. Three months later, DeSantis is still Trump's most direct competitor, but he's facing a rising threat from Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. And as DeSantis has seen his numbers in early-voting states remain relatively stable in recent weeks, his campaign has sought to reboot his candidacy in an effort to chip away at Trump...

US smartphone shipments fell 24% YoY in Q2 2023, the third consecutive quarter of decline; Samsung shipments fell 37% YoY, and Apple's fell 6% (Matthew Orf/Counterpoint Research)

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Matthew Orf / Counterpoint Research : US smartphone shipments fell 24% YoY in Q2 2023, the third consecutive quarter of decline; Samsung shipments fell 37% YoY, and Apple's fell 6%   —  - Shipments declined YoY for the third consecutive quarter amid weak consumer demand.  — Android smartphone shipments declined 38% while Apple shipments fell 6% YoY. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/w8JQpV7

Ron DeSantis takes a swipe at President Biden's age after Mitch McConnell's apparent health scare

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Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida. AP Photo/Phil Sears, File During a press conference on Wednesday, Mitch McConnell froze and stopped talking mid-sentence. In an interview with Megyn Kelly , Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed concerns about aging politicians. He also swiped at Biden's age, saying Biden got elected to the Senate before DeSantis was born. In an interview on "The Megyn Kelly Show" released Friday, the host asked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis about the consequences of aging politicians holding office, referencing an incident in which Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell briefly appeared unable to speak  during a press conference on Wednesday. "It used to not be that way," DeSantis said. "You used to serve in your prime and then pass the baton to the next generation, and I think this generation has not really been as willing to do that. One of the reasons I'm running compared to Biden, I mean, my gosh, we need energy in the executive. We need ...

Elon Musk doesn't care that Tesla values are tanking — but it could drive buyers to Ford and GM

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Used Tesla values are down 30% year-over-year, but Tesla doesn't seem to mind yet. The automaker might need to, one day. Getty Images Used Tesla values are down 30% year-over-year, according to firm Recurrent.  Tesla doesn't seem to mind as it continues to blow production and delivery numbers away. But eventually the company might need to care if it wants to maintain its lead over rivals. Tesla might eventually have to care about its plummeting resale values. Used Tesla values have dropped dramatically from last year as the company continues to slash prices and flood the market with more new cars. So far, Elon Musk's electric car company is unphased. Tesla is still hitting its targets in other places and Musk has told investors the company is ready to compensate for lost profits down the road. But eventually, as more competition hits the EV market and Tesla's edge wanes, poor resale values will be hard to ignore — especially as competition from other automa...

Seattle-based Proprio, which offers a device with multiple cameras and a display that shows real-time 3D visualization of surgery, raised a $43M Series B (Devin Coldewey/TechCrunch)

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Devin Coldewey / TechCrunch : Seattle-based Proprio, which offers a device with multiple cameras and a display that shows real-time 3D visualization of surgery, raised a $43M Series B   —  Surgeries of all kinds have become more and more powerfully assisted by technology, but in most cases it's still a human holding the scalpel … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/Fbt1Url

Where to watch Women's World Cup live stream for free online from anywhere

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The FIFA Women's World Cup trophy is currently held by the USA. Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more. Tracking down a free Women's World Cup live stream is easier than ever this year in what promises to be one of the most competitive tournaments in years. Multiple countries are showing games for free, and we can show the best options on where to watch the Women's World Cup online. If your country is putting games behind a paywall (hello, USA), or you can't find a local option for a game, then our guide will help point you to a country that is showing it. If you are trying to access these live streams from outside those countries, you must switch on a VPN (virtual private network) to bypass geo-restrictions . These handy apps let your devices mimic various international locations of your choosing so you can carry on watching the World Cup online for free. We'll show you how furth...

T-Mobile rolls out ultrafast 5G capable of 3.3Gbps, first in a few US markets for Samsung Galaxy S23 users only, then nationwide in "the coming weeks" (Wes Davis/The Verge)

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Wes Davis / The Verge : T-Mobile rolls out ultrafast 5G capable of 3.3Gbps, first in a few US markets for Samsung Galaxy S23 users only, then nationwide in “the coming weeks”   —  / T-Mobile's new wireless tech is live in a few markets and will be available nationally in ‘weeks.’ from Techmeme https://ift.tt/ZJKrIPo

China's economy is losing momentum, while Russia's recovery is accelerating, IMF says

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Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with China's President Xi Jinping at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on March 21, 2023. Sergei Karpukhin/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images China's economy is losing momentum, after an initial post-COVID bounce, the IMF said. That's due to continued weakness in the real estate sector and softness in foreign demand. Meanwhile, the IMF raised its forecast on Russia's 2023 GDP growth to 1.5% from a prior view of 0.7%. China's post-COVID economic rebound is losing momentum, while Russia's prospects for growth look brighter, according to the International Monetary Fund's newest report . The lender's growth estimate for China remained unchanged at 5.2% for this year, but key headwinds are hitting top drivers of the economy. "Following a reopening boost, China's recovery is losing steam," the IMF said.  To be sure, China saw a rebound in manufacturing and services consumption early this year, after zero-...

The Browser Company launches Arc on macOS and iOS after a two-year waitlist; the browser helps users take notes, redesign webpages, organize tabs, and more (David Pierce/The Verge)

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David Pierce / The Verge : The Browser Company launches Arc on macOS and iOS after a two-year waitlist; the browser helps users take notes, redesign webpages, organize tabs, and more   —  Arc, the Mac and iOS browser from The Browser Company, is finally ditching its waitlist.  The company has been testing the app … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/TLSK74a

7,400 student-loan borrowers hurt by a school's 'widespread misconduct' are getting $130 million in debt wiped out, Biden's Education Department says

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Getty Images The Education Department announced it will be wiping out $130 million in student debt for 7,400 borrowers. It impacts borrowers who attended Colorado-based campuses of CollegeAmerica between 2006 and 2020. The department accused the institution of misleading borrowers on employment rates and terms of private loan products. Thousands of student-loan borrowers are receiving automatic debt relief after President Joe Biden's Education Department accused their school of wrongdoing. On Tuesday, the Education Department announced it will deliver $130 million in debt cancellation to 7,400 students who were enrolled at Colorado-based locations of CollegeAmerica between January 1, 2006 and July 1, 2020. CollegeAmerica is a group operated by the Center for Excellence in Higher Education, a nonprofit that closed in 2021 and managed a number of schools in the US. The department said in its press release that the company "made widespread misrepresentations about th...

Sources: EU regulators rebuffed an offer from Meta to curb its use of rivals' ad data for Facebook Marketplace as a way to settle an antitrust investigation (Foo Yun Chee/Reuters)

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Foo Yun Chee / Reuters : Sources: EU regulators rebuffed an offer from Meta to curb its use of rivals' ad data for Facebook Marketplace as a way to settle an antitrust investigation   —  Meta Platforms (META.O) offered to curb the use of competitors' advertising data for its Facebook Marketplace online classified service … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/zTraMv4

Xi Jinping's politburo is set to weigh up how to revive China's faltering economy

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Xi Jinping unveiling six members of the Politburo Standing Committee in 2022. Zhai Jianlan/Xinhua via Getty Images China's top decision-making body, the Politburo, is set to meet to discuss the economy Friday. The country's growth has stagnated in recent months, while youth unemployment has soared. Beijing will announce some fiscal support – but not the "big bang" measures investors are hoping for, according to analysts. China's top leaders are expected to discuss the economy at length Friday, with the country's much-heralded post-pandemic recovery faltering in 2023. The Politburo, which is Beijing's top decision-making body, is set to meet at the end of what could be a make-or-break week for markets. The group typically uses its July meeting to mull over economic policy. That's become a crucial concern for China in recent weeks, with growth stagnating , youth unemployment soaring , and the country teetering on the brink of deflation . B...

This $220 light switch is the latest quiet luxury status symbol

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Ultrawealthy homeowners are clamoring for $220 light switches for their homes. Forbes & Lomax A $220 light switch is popular among ultrawealthy homeowners, The New York Times reported. The light switch is part of the growing quiet luxury trend. In comments left on the piece, Times readers made light of the switch's price tag. What comes to mind when you think of quiet luxury ? Perhaps a logo-less designer handbag or a perfectly tailored suit. But a $220 light switch probably wasn't on your stealth wealth bingo card.  The "Invisible Light switch," which takes design cues from the 1930s and is distributed by English design company Forbes & Lomax , is one of the latest status symbols among the ultrawealthy, as noted in a recent New York Times piece .  Or, as David Hottenroth, a partner at the architectural firm Hottenroth & Joseph, said of the light switches to The Times: "They're house jewelry." Typical light switches, which can sell...