Mission Everywhere

Beth Gasser and Alec Harwerth took their engagement photos at Costco. Booker T. Brown Photography Beth Gasser and Alec Harwerth captured the internet's attention with an engagement shoot at Costco. They posed in the aisles and with shopping carts, and Costco shared the photos on its Instagram. Nontraditional engagement photos in locations like Olive Garden and Target have become a trend. When it was time for Beth Gasser and Alec Harwerth to plan their engagement shoot, they couldn't decide on the location at first. But the Kansas City, Missouri-based couple knew they wanted to take photos somewhere that felt natural to them. Gasser, 25, told Business Insider they considered an art museum in Kansas City that was a popular engagement-shoot destination, as well as a local park, but neither felt like them. As they considered their options, inspiration struck in the unlikeliest of places: Costco . "We're pretty goofy people," Gasser said of herself and Har...

Lawrence Bonk / Engadget : Google rolls out updates to Android, Wear OS, and Google TV devices, including adding AI-created image descriptions and an Assistant Routines feature   —  Wear OS and Google TV are also getting new tools.  —  Google is rolling out a trio of system updates to Android, Wear OS and Google TV devices. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/YdpWNk1

Some Family Dollar stores could close, rebrand, or move as a result of a review of the brand by parent company Dollar Tree. Scott Olson/Getty Images Some Family Dollar stores could close, move, or rebrand under the Dollar Tree name. Dollar Tree, which owns Family Dollar, is planning to review stores that aren't meeting its expectations. Together, the two brands run about 16,600 stores. There may soon be fewer Family Dollar stores around after the retailer's parent company takes a closer look at some of its locations. Dollar Tree , which owns Family Dollar, is starting a review of stores that are not meeting its expectations, CEO Richard Dreiling said on an earnings call on Wednesday. "This will involve, among other things, identifying stores as candidates for closure," Dreiling said, adding that other stores might be relocated or rebranded with the Dollar Tree name. Dollar Tree doesn't yet have a list of stores that it might close, rebrand, or move, ...

Todd Spangler / Variety : Netflix plans to add Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy for its users at no extra charge on December 14 in its mobile app or on the App Store and Google Play   —  The three classic titles in “Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition" will be available Dec. 14 for Netflix customers at no additional charge on mobile platforms. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/iNfL0CQ

One of Donna Sasse's favorite pieces of equipment is her elliptical machine. Courtesy of Donna Sasse Donna Sasse, a septuagenarian, told Business Insider that age wouldn't stop her from working out. She does press-ups, sit-ups, and other exercises six days a week.  Sasse, who just got married to her 76-year-old beau, said he admired her flexibility and stamina. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Donna Sasse. It has been edited for length and clarity. Six times a week, starting at 7:30 a.m., I make sure I do 90 minutes of exercise. I meditate for 20 minutes before I begin. Next, I write in my journal 10 things I'm grateful for. One of them is my healthy body. I might be 79, but I love it. My 76-year-old husband, Jim Theodores, whom I married in September, jokingly says that I look like a teenager. He compliments me on my flexibility and stamina. I'll kick things off with 30 minutes on my elliptical machine , followed by 30 minutes on the ...

Karen Weise / New York Times : Amazon launches Amazon Q, a workplace-focused AI assistant starting at $20/user/month that competes with ChatGPT Enterprise, Microsoft's Copilot, and others   —  Amazon has been racing to shake off the perception that it is lagging in the push to take advantage of artificial intelligence. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/vgXJbie

Ron Miller / TechCrunch : AWS launches Guardrails in preview to help companies implement safeguards for LLMs, available for foundational models and agents on Amazon Bedrock   —  We are all talking about the business gains from using large language models, but there are lot of known issues with these models and finding ways … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/5tTpwHr

Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch : Pika, a startup building AI tools to generate and edit videos, raised $55M led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, after emerging from stealth six months ago   —  The generative AI hype hasn't died down yet.  —  Case in point, Pika, a startup creating an AI-powered platform to edit and generate videos … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/hp8B7ns

When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more Booking your next trip on Cyber Monday offers travel-savvy pricing on airfare and hotel stays. Expedia; Business Insider Cyber Monday deals are here, and though the occasion usually calls on us to shop for discounted gifts and gadgets, there are also ways to save on travel with special deals on flights, hotels, car rentals, and the like. Sites like Expedia , Hotels.com , CruiseCritic , and more are running promos when you schedule a trip with them today, so if you're already planning an escape from the winter doldrums, we've rounded up a guide to popular sites you can book and save with.  Pro tip: If you're planning a flight, it's worth noting that you should avoid leaving on a Saturday, as this tends to be the most expensive day to fly. Leaving on a Wednesday and returning on a Thursday is likely the least busy and least costly window for air travel. For helpful tips on savvy...

Cate Lawrence / Tech.eu : UK-based Oxford Quantum Circuits, which offers quantum-computing-as-a-service, announces a new 32-qubit system and an ongoing $100M Series B led by Japan's SBI   —  The company also announced the public availability of OQC Toshiko, the world's first enterprise-ready quantum computing platform. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/h6egs3E

Mia Sato / The Verge : A look at Shein's NYC pop-up store, which resembled its website and may have only reinforced Shein's image of being quick, cheap, and not quite as it seems   —  The Shein pop-up store in New York this month resembled the e-commerce giant's website, except picture-perfect. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/oIxDPlj

When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more You can save big on Disney Plus and Hulu with this excellent Cyber Monday deal. NurPhoto/Getty; Insider Disney Plus is one of the top streaming services you can subscribe to for blockbuster franchises and family favorites. It's home to Disney's vast vault of animated movies, the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and tons of "Star Wars" content. But while a membership can get pricey, right now you can snag a huge discount on an ad-supported plan with this incredible Cyber Monday Disney Plus deal.  Now through November 28, you can get a Disney Plus Basic plan bundled with Hulu for just $3 per month for 12 months . That's less than the regular monthly cost of Disney Plus alone! The limited-time promotion is being offered through Hulu, and it's a fantastic deal for two major streaming services with tons of exclusive content. Just follow the instructions below to claim ...

A fly. Getty Images A 63-year-old man was having a routine colonoscopy when doctors saw a fly in his intestines. Doctors said it was a "mystery" how the fly had gotten in there and remained intact. Insects can enter the intestines if food containing insect eggs or larvae is consumed. Doctors in Missouri were baffled to spot a fly inside a man's intestines during a routine colon screening. Images taken during the colonoscopy and published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology show the intact fly inside the man's colon. Matthew Bechtold, the chief of Gastroenterology at the University of Missouri, told The Independent that he had prodded the fly and confirmed it was dead. The 63-year-old patient told doctors that he had only consumed clear liquids the day before the procedure and had no idea how the fly had gotten into his colon. He said he had eaten pizza and lettuce for dinner two days before the procedure but did not remember a fly being in his fo...

Anton Shilov / Tom's Hardware : Dutch media: Chimera, a China-linked hacker group, infiltrated Dutch semiconductor giant NXP's network between 2017 and 2020 and stole chip designs and more   —  The full extent of the security breach is unknown.  —  Chimera, a Chinese-linked hacker group, has infiltrated the network … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/tIqo2MQ

A Ural Airlines A320 has been stranded in a Siberia wheat field since September 12. Alexey Malgavko/Reuters A Russian airline gave customers about $1,100 each after it ditched a plane in a Siberian wheat field. An investigation found the pilots were at fault, but Russia's aviation authority dismissed the findings. The Airbus A320 is still stuck over two months later, and the carrier may "mothball" it for the winter. After ditching an Airbus A320 in a wheat field in Siberia in September, Russian carrier Ural Airlines has so far handed out RUB15.8 million ($178,000) in compensation to 158 passengers, the press service of the airline, AlfaStrakhovanie, told the Russian news agency TASS . People onboard the jet that day, none of whom were seriously injured in the accident, got 100,000 rubles each, or about $1,127. The outlet further explained that there were "several passengers who have not contacted the airline" but noted they are "aware of this pos...

Aaron Holmes / The Information : Filing: Nvidia says regulators in the EU and China requested information about its sale of GPUs and how it allocates their supply   —  Regulators in Europe and China have questioned Nvidia about how it allocates its supply of highly sought-after chips used for running AI software, the company said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/1QD0FU8

Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Sun cruise ship docked in Jacksonville, Florida. Sam Greenwood/Getty Images Norwegian Cruise Line canceled more than seven months of sailings on its Sun ship in 2025. The cruise line says the voyages were canceled due to fleet redeployment.  Passengers will receive full refunds for their voyages as well as 10% off their next cruise.  Some Norwegian cruise passengers recently received a disappointing letter derailing their travel plans , USA Today reported on Wednesday. The cruise line canceled nearly eight months of sailings on its Sun ship from March 28 to November 3, 2025, according to a letter to passengers obtained by USA Today. "We sincerely appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming you aboard very soon," the letter stated, according to the newspaper. USA Today reports that passengers are receiving a full refund for the canceled voyages as well as 10% off their next Norwegian cruise. The discount app...

Bloomberg : Automotive tech company Valeo sues Nvidia, after an Nvidia engineer accidentally shared data he stole from his former employer Valeo, on a video call with Valeo   —  - Oops moment happened during video conference call with Valeo  — Nvidia said in letter that it had tried to protect Valeo's IP from Techmeme https://ift.tt/h0SnZXT

When you buy through our links, Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more Max is home to shows and movies like "Harry Potter" films, "House of the Dragon," "Fixer Upper: The Hotel," and much more. Warner Bros., HBO, Max Max, the streaming service formerly known as HBO Max, is offering a special Black Friday deal for new and returning subscribers. Through November 27, viewers can get their first six months of Max for $2.99 a month , but the deal only applies to the ad-supported version of Max. Max plans normally start at $9.99 monthly for the ad-supported version, so the deal offers a 70% savings. Max recently raised its prices, so this is the best introductory deal you can expect, as long as you don't mind watching a few commercials. Commercial-free Max costs $16 a month, and you need to pay $4 more ($20) to watch Max in 4K with no commercials. Annual plans are available, but none are on sale for Black Friday. Along with HBO original...

Alan Baldwin / Reuters : FIA, which runs F1, plans to use its Computer Vision tech to tackle track limits breaches at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, using shape analysis to count pixels   —  Formula One's governing body is trialling artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle track limits breaches at this weekend's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/9SvMYJn

Bennett Raglin/Getty Images AI won't take your job , but it will "change it forever," Bill Gates says. Gates says that a 3-day work week is "probably OK." The billionaire has previously acknowledged the risks of AI being misused. Technology may not replace humans, but it could make a 3-day work week possible — at least, that's what Bill Gates thinks. The billionaire joined Trevor Noah on his "What Now?" podcast in an episode that premiered on Tuesday. When Noah asked about the threat of artificial intelligence to jobs , Gates said there could one day be a time when humans "don't have to work so hard." "If you eventually get a society where you only have to work three days a week, that's probably OK," Gates said. There could exist a world where "machines can make all the food and the stuff," and people don't have to work a five day-plus work week to earn a living wage. While artificial intelli...

Bloomberg : Honor plans board changes to meet diversity standards for a public company, as it prepares for an IPO, three years after it was spun off from Huawei   —  The Shenzhen-based firm will adjust the composition of its board to meet diversity standards for a publicly listed company … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/XtHwfcE

Traders on Reddit and other internet forums famously pushed up the price of meme stocks to dizzying highs at the start of the pandemic. SOPA Images/Contributor Meme stocks have been on the rise recently as November's market rally brings a wave of bullishness.  A handful of meme-stock ETFs have beat the S&P 500 over the last trading week. Still, the ETFs have fallen much further from all-time highs than the S&P 500. The meme-stock boom of 2021 has waxed and waned since the pandemic heyday, and the latest rally in the market is bringing the speculative bets back into focus as investors chase the year-end equity rally.  In a note on Tuesday, DataTrek Research cofounders Nicholas Colas and Jessica Rabe broke down the recent performance of several exchange traded funds with exposure to popular meme stocks, including the Roundhill MEME ETF (MEME), the Robotics & AI ETF (BOTZ), and iShares Russell 2000 Growth (IWO).  "The upshot: the reemergence of meme s...

David Jeans / Forbes : Sources: Richard Teng, Binance's head of regional markets outside the US, is a leading candidate being considered to take over as Binance CEO   —  With Changpeng “CZ” Zhao stepping aside as part of a $4 billion settlement, the crypto exchange is considering replacing him with the Binance executive, according to a source familiar. from Techmeme https://ift.tt/XcrEM1L

Jem Aswad / Variety : Spotify unveils new royalty policies from 2024: tracks must hit 1,000 streams in the previous year and noise recordings must be over two minutes   —  The company claims the updates will drive an additional $1 billion toward artists, by re-directing the payments that had previously gone to fraudulent streams … from Techmeme https://ift.tt/BxeEwkd

In the battle between Microsoft and AI doomers, Sam Altman (pictured, middle) came out on top — with some help from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who promptly scooped up the AI wunderkind. Even Open AI's Ilya Sutskever has said he regrets his role in Altman's firing. Ben Kriemann/ Kevin Dietsch /JACK GUEZ Getty After OpenAI's board booted CEO Sam Altman , industry peers and colleagues voiced their support. The OpenAI board, including chief scientist Ilya Sutskever, has come off looking ridiculous. Whatever happens, the public narrative is clear: Altman comes off looking like a hero. Late Friday afternoon, when OpenAI released a statement announcing that CEO Sam Altman was out after being "not consistently candid in his communications with the board," people assumed the worst. For hours, everyone wondered: Was he embezzling? Self-dealing? Did he cover up some horrible misdoings at the company? Was there some personal scandal? Was he secretly writing all ...

Bloomberg : Sources: the US DOJ seeks $4B+ from Binance as part of a proposed resolution of a years-long probe; CZ would still potentially face criminal charges in the US   —  - Resolution could come as soon as the end of this month  — Binance and founder Changpeng Zhao would face charges in US from Techmeme https://ift.tt/yiJ1h3e