DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ LinkedIn wants you to compete against your coworkers and classmates with its new Wordle-like puzzle games
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Camilo Fonseca | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Its new puzzle games include trivia, word association, and a colorful twist on sudoku. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementIf you get tired of networking the next time you're on LinkedIn, you can now take a break with one of its competitive puzzle games. The social media site announced a new suite of games this week, seemingly looking to capitalize on the hype surrounding Wordle and other online puzzle games to keep its users coming back. Online word puzzle games seem to have exploded in popularity in recent years.

Persons: —, We've, Lakshman Somasundaram, you'll Organizations: Service, LinkedIn, The New York Times

☆ Move over New York Times, now LinkedIn is adding brain-busting games
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —Watch out “Connections,” LinkedIn says it’s adding a variety of games aimed at making actual connections. The Microsoft-owned platform, best known for professional networking and sharing news, is taking a page from the New York Times and adding three, free “thinking-oriented” games as a way to tap into the explosive popularity of brain-busting puzzles people are adding to their daily routine. People share articles less to push advice on people and more because “they’re trying to build meaningful relationships,” Daniel Roth, editor in chief of LinkedIn, told CNN. “We’ve seen that with the recent explosion of short games that help you.”What are the games? Ultimately, Times’ games have become a major revenue driver for the newspaper.

Persons: “ they’re, ” Daniel Roth, ”, “ We’ve, Minda Smiley, “, Roth, Laura Lorenzetti, Smiley Organizations: New, New York CNN —, LinkedIn, Microsoft, New York Times, CNN, “, Times, New York World Locations: New York, Queens, ”

☆ 10 Years, 100 Stories: The Work That Defines the Upshot
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( The Upshot Staff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +20 min

Ten years ago this week, The New York Times introduced the Upshot, a section devoted to explaining “politics, policy and everyday life.” That’s a wide scope, by design. As a result, more than 5,000 articles later, the Upshot has been many things to many readers. To mark our 10th birthday, we’ve collected 100 stories that embody the Upshot. WordleBot Eden Weingart/The New York Times When Wordle first became popular, several people on the internet claimed, plausibly, that they had come up with the “best” opening word. Force of Ship Impact Was on the Scale of a Rocket Launch Erin Schaff/The New York Times We think of the Upshot as a place where back-of-the-envelope calculations can be both helpful and welcome.

Persons: ”, Nate Cohn’s, we’ve, Kevin Quealy, John Branch, John, Patrick Thomas, tut, Trump, pollsters, Obamacare, Leif Parsons, We’re, Jason Henry, Tony Luong, Jordan, ‘, Ruth Fremson, Laurel, ’ Rodrigo Corral, Alex Welsh, Paul Romer, Tim Enthoven, Barack Obama, epidemiologists, It’s, you’re, WordleBot Eden, Wordle, Lila Barth, McCabe, Tom Brady, ChatGPT, —, Erin Schaff Organizations: New York Times, Facebook, Yankees, Red, State Newspaper, ESPN, The Athletic, The Times, You’re, Voters, Trump, Mr, Times, Siena College, Walmart, The New York Times, Jordan Siemens, Health, New, Nike, Democratic, Twitter, America, Iowa, Iowa Democratic, Cancer, Hit, Biden, Insurance, Roe America, Disorders, Republican, Republican Party of, U.S, Budget, NASA, National, Traffic, Administration, Yorkers, Force Locations: It’s, Red Sox, State, America, Dakota, Ireland, Chipotle, Japan, U.S, United States, Siena, New Pennsylvania, District, Iowa, Covid, York City, New York, Pennsylvania, Roe, Tonga, Arizona, York, Holland

☆ My teenage son is pushing me away. I'm heartbroken and proud of him.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Shanti Brien | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview"Tell me about your day," I lobbed to my 15-year-old son, hoping my command for details would prevent his customary "It was fine." My son, my baby, my secretly favorite child, couldn't even bear 10 minutes of talking? The Littlest Bear, a small pudge of brown fur, asks his mom in a slight peep, "Am I your favorite?" Yes, my son is breaking up with me, exactly as he is supposed to do.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, Business

☆ I quit my tech job to be a stay-at-home boyfriend who cooks, cleans, and sews for my girlfriend. I have no plans to return to the 9 to 5.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-04 | by ( Kim Schewitz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementThis as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with William Conrad, a 25-year-old stay-at-home boyfriend and content creator from Canada. But I ended up studying computer science at college and then found a job at a tech startup. AdvertisementI have no plans to return to the 9-to-5 and would only do so if our online businesses stopped working.

Persons: William Conrad, Levi Coralynn, Conrad, —, I've, Levi, we're, We've, we've, I'd, hemming, Andrew Tate, I'm, it's Organizations: Service Locations: Canada, Toronto, Alberta, Ontario

☆ The NYT Connections game got an April Fools' Day makeover, and users are freaking out
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The NYT Connections game has players in an uproar. For those unfamiliar with the game, players are tasked with finding the connections between four groups of words. And the new-look emoji game has left some users confused and even a little angry when they went to play Connections. "nyt connections editor I am in your walls," one post read. And one person on X pointed out, "No one is forcing you to do the NYT connections, by the way."

Persons: —, sarah 💛🤎 Organizations: Service, New York Times

☆ Inside the world of Wordle at the New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Saira Mueller | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

After the New York Times acquired Wordle from its creator, software engineer Josh Wardle, in January 2022, its player base grew to tens of millions. The New York Times assigned a dedicated editor for Wordle, Tracy Bennett, in November 2022. “You’re even going to be able to play Wordles that predate the New York Times acquisition, which is really fun,” Knight told CNN. What Wordle has done for the New York TimesAside from the editorial strategy, Wordle fits perfectly into the Times’ business plans. For Donna Cona, who has played it since before the Times acquisition, Wordle has become her go-to thing each morning.

Persons: Wordle, Josh Wardle, Everdeen Mason, “, ”, Jonathan Knight, Tracy Bennett, we’re, ” Bennett, “ I’ve, Bennett, Mason, ” Mason, it’s, — Bennett, Knight, “ You’re, ” Knight, “ We’re, —, ’, Donna Cona, I’m, …, Nanny, Cona, Malia Griggs ’, they’re, Malia, Jerrold Griggs —, ” Malia, Griggs ’, Malia it’s, ADIEU, Malia Griggs, “ I’m, Wordle “ Organizations: CNN, New York Times, Times, NYT, Louis, Cities, Fulham, Bournemouth, Bradford, New York, Sydney Melbourne New York, DC Locations: North, ”, Seattle, Aberdeen, Hinsdale, Angeles, Lansing, London, Coventry, Auckland, Wandsworth, Wantage, Vancouver, Wordle, New York City, Columbia , South Carolina, Washington, DC Vermont Wyoming, Hoquiam , Washington, Willowbrook , Illinois

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Times is fighting off Wordle “clones” — arguing that numerous games inspired by the mega-popular word-guessing game infringe on its copyright protections. And now the Times, which purchased the game in 2022, is sending takedown notices to people behind some of the look-alikes. "As a result, hundreds of websites began popping up with knock-off ‘Wordle’ games that used The Times’ ‘Wordle’ trademark and copyrighted gameplay without authorization or permission,” the spokesperson said. Photos You Should See View All 60 ImagesThe Times’ DMCA takedown notices were first reported by tech outlet 404 last week. Still, Brauneis said he believes the Times' arguments for Wordle copyright infringement are on “a little bit shaky ground" for several reasons.

Persons: ”, GitHub, Vignesh Venkat, Venkat, “, Robert Brauneis, George, Brauneis, —, Josh Wardle, Wordle Organizations: New York Times, Times, Copyright, New York Times Co, George Washington University's Law, Associated Press, AP, U.S . Copyright Locations: California, GritHub

☆ New York Times Co. Adds 300,000 Digital Subscribers in Quarter
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Katie Robertson | More About Katie Robertson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The New York Times Company added 300,000 paid digital subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2023, the company said on Wednesday, helping to push annual revenue for digital subscriptions above $1 billion for the first time. The Times reported total revenue of $676.2 million in the last three months of the year, essentially flat compared with a year earlier. Adjusted operating profit increased 8.5 percent, to $154 million. It was “a strong year for The Times that showcased the power of our strategy to be the essential subscription for every curious person seeking to understand and engage with the world,” Meredith Kopit Levien, the company’s president and chief executive, said in a statement. The company has focused in recent years on pushing a bundle of products to subscribers: its core news report as well as games like Wordle and Spelling Bee; its product review site, Wirecutter; a recipe app; and The Athletic, its sports news website.

Persons: ” Meredith Kopit Levien Organizations: New York Times Company, The Times, Athletic

☆ The Nicest Place on the Internet
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-21 | by ( Deb Amlen | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

New York Times Games — which includes the Crossword, Spelling Bee, Wordle, Connections and more — has a devoted fandom. But I think the word “community” is a better way to describe them. I told my readers that Wordplay was a party, and that everyone was invited. Wordplay began talking directly to beginners, because I knew that every day new people pick up crosswords for the first time. The more experienced solvers rose to the occasion in the comments, and began helping beginners find their way.

Persons: Sam Corbin, Caitlin Lovinger — Organizations: New York Times Games, Times

☆ Tracy Bennett Brings Whimsy to Wordle
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-31 | by ( Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Times Insider explains who we are and what we do, and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. When Tracy Bennett sits down to play Wordle, she does so with a word of six — not five — letters in mind: Whimsy. “I got one green letter and four gray letters,” she adds, referring to the game’s color-coded squares that signify which guessed letters are correct. Some may find the exercise meritless — Ms. Bennett does, after all, already know the answer. As Wordle’s first and only editor, she knows every answer to every Wordle puzzle about six weeks in advance.

Persons: Tracy Bennett, —, “ I’m, “, Ms, Bennett, Wordle’s Organizations: New York Times Games

NEW YORK (AP) — In an age of deepfakes and post-truth, as artificial intelligence rose and Elon Musk turned Twitter into X, the Merriam-Webster word of the year for 2023 is “authentic.”Authentic cuisine. “We see in 2023 a kind of crisis of authenticity,” he said ahead of Monday's announcement of this year's word. Merriam-Webster added the word to its online dictionary in September and it's been among the top lookups since, Sokolowski said. DOPPELGANGER: Sokolowski calls this “a word lover's word.” Merriam-Webster defines it as a “double,” an “alter ego” or a “ghostly counterpart.” It derives from German folklore. Interest in the word surrounded Naomi Klein's latest book, “Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World,” released this year.

Persons: deepfakes, Elon Musk, Webster, Peter Sokolowski, “, ”, Sokolowski, OpenAI, Taylor Swift, Prince Harry, Musk, ” Sokolowski, ” There's, there's, EGOT, Viola Davis, Merriam, it's, Israel ”, Lookups, ” Merriam, Naomi Klein's, Naomi Wolf, King Charles III, Ryan Reynolds, Mike Johnson, recirculated, Donald Trump Organizations: Merriam, Associated Press, Twitter, Pixar, Titan, Covenant School, U.S, Rep, D.C Locations: Dubai, Israel, Gaza, Nashville , Tennessee, Louisiana, New York , Florida, Georgia, Washington

☆ Activist investor ValueAct has been building a stake in Disney
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

ValueAct Capital has taken a significant stake in Disney (DIS) and has been in dialogue with Disney's management, the Activist Spotlight has learned. It operates through two segments, Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution; and Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. Activist Commentary: ValueAct has been a premier corporate governance investor for over 20 years. ValueAct began buying Disney this summer during the WGA and SAG strikes and it is one of the firm's largest positions. This certainly gives the Disney board an alternative they were not expecting.

Persons: ValueAct, Warner, Mason Morfit, Wordle, Bob Iger, Iger, Satya Nadella, Steve Ballmer, Nelson Peltz, Ken Squire Organizations: ValueAct, Disney, Business, Disney Media, Entertainment, Disney Parks, Warner Bros, Paramount, Netflix, WGA, SAG, Microsoft, Adobe, New York Times, Spotify, Century Fox, ESPN, Hulu, Athletic, Trian Partners, 13D Locations: Salesforce

☆ Can anyone save the internet? Neal Agarwal is trying, one Hampster Dance at a time.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Brian Barrett | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

Internet Artifacts is the latest project from Neal Agarwal, the creative 25-year-old coder who launched neal.fun six years ago today. "I grew up at the tail end of that era of the internet," Agarwal said. Internet Artifacts has taken closer to three months. Internet Artifacts takes several touchstones of the anteplatformian internet and places them on literal digital pedestals. As delightful as Internet Artifacts is to click through, it also provides valuable context for Agarwal's larger ambition.

Persons: Neal Agarwal, Agarwal, antic, Steve Jobs, Jamie Cohen, It's, coders, he'd, —, Bill Gates, Josh Wardle, Neal, neal.fun, Brandon Chilcutt's, Jessa Lingel, Nicole He, Matthew Rayfield, Brian Moore, Wardle, what's, There's, Brian Barrett Organizations: today's, Adobe, Apple, Developers, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, CUNY, Virginia Tech, Ripley's, The New York Times, Napster, University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication, Immaculate Grid, MacWorld, Wired, Yorker Locations: Queens, Fairfax , Virginia, MSCHF, New York

☆ iPhone 15 Pro review: It comes with new Action button on the side, here's how to use it
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The new iPhone 15 Pro lineup offers the typical slate of new features designed to persuade customers to upgrade: They’re slimmer and thinner than last year’s crop. It’s certain the Action Button will become a viable resource for anyone who revisits an app time and time again throughout the day. Another selling point to splurge for the iPhone 15 Pro ($1,099) or iPhone 15 Pro Max ($1,199): The phones come with a titanium casing — the same alloy used to build the Mars Rover — making them what Apple calls the thinnest and lightest Pro models to date. Apple’s entry level iPhones, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, cost $799 and $899, respectively. For now, iPhone 15 Pro users will enjoy playing with the new Action Button.

Persons: I’ve, Max, Apple, Ramon, ”, It’s, Annette Zimmerman Organizations: CNN, Apple, Amazon, Apple's, Rover, Apple Watch, IDC, Gartner Locations: Cupertino , California

☆ Connections: New York Times might've found its next Wordle
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN —The New York Times found instant success with Wordle. A new puzzle called Connections is officially joining the newspaper’s portfolio of games this week, following a successful summer testing phase where it became the Times’ second-most played game behind Wordle despite minimal promotion. Players will see Connections appear in the Times’ Games app and in the news app under the Play tab beginning this week. Connections is the newest hit for the New York Times. Players playing other games other than Wordle “experienced record growth over the last year,” Times CEO Meredith Kopit Levien said in a recent earnings call.

Persons: New York Times Jonathan Knight, Knight, ” Knight, “, Wordle, Wordle “, Meredith Kopit Levien, ” Brian Morrissey, ” Morrissey, ” Organizations: New, New York CNN, The New York Times, Wordle, Times, Times ’, New York Times, CNN, ”, “ Locations: New York

☆ How to Talk About Wordle
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( New York Times Games | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

If the tile turns green, the letter is in the word, and it is in the correct spot. If the tile turns yellow, the letter is in the word, but it is not in the correct spot. If the tile turns gray, the letter is not in the word. GlossaryThanks to reader Outside Observer for compiling this glossary of common terms people use when talking about Wordle. Golf terms — Not to be confused with Wordle Golf, many solvers use golf terms in reference to their scores, sometimes with an emoji.

Persons: —, Deuce — Organizations: Usu Locations: Par

☆ He Pushed the New York Times to Buy Wordle. Now He Has to Make Sports Work.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Alexandra Bruell | Photographs Nate Palmer For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/he-pushed-the-new-york-times-to-buy-wordle-now-he-has-to-make-sports-work-ea22d743

Persons: Dow Jones

☆ New Features for an Updated WordleBot
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Tom Giratikanon | Josh Katz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

As more readers have made WordleBot part of their day, we’ve updated it with new features and improvements. View and compare your past WordleBot scoresOne of the most common reader requests is to view the bot’s analysis for past Wordles. Now, for up to the past 90 days, you’ll be able to review each of your past WordleBot scores, and you can ask the bot to analyze past Wordles it hadn’t analyzed before. If multiple people play Wordle or use WordleBot on a single Times account, the bot will list only the most recently played or analyzed game for each previous day. If you have a hunch you’ve done better than other players and even the bot lately, now you’ll have the proof.

Persons: Here’s, You’ll, you’ll, hadn’t, WordleBot Organizations: New York Times, Times

☆ Today's Wordle: Hints and Answer for June 16, Wordle #727
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Business Insider | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Warning: There are spoilers for today's Wordle answer below. Below, find hints, tips, and tricks to solve today's Wordle, plus the answer. Today, June 16, Wordle #727 starts with the letter S.Does today's Wordle end in an S? No, today's Wordle does not end with an S.Are there double letters in today's Wordle? Wordle Answer for June 16, 2023The answer for Friday, June 16, 2023 is "Strap."

Persons: Wordle, —, you'll, today's Organizations: Service, New York Times, Wordle

☆ Today's Wordle: Hints and Answer for June 14, Wordle #725
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Business Insider | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Warning: There are spoilers for today's Wordle answer below. Below, find hints, tips, and tricks to solve today's Wordle, plus the answer. Today, June 14, Wordle #725 starts with the letter C.Does today's Wordle end in an S? No, today's Wordle does not end with an S.Are there double letters in today's Wordle? Wordle Answer for June 14, 2023The answer for Wednesday, June 14, 2023 is "Crime."

Persons: Wordle, —, you'll, today's Organizations: Service, New York Times, Wordle

☆ Today's Wordle: Hints and Answer for June 13, Wordle #724
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Business Insider | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Warning: There are spoilers for today's Wordle answer below. Below, find hints, tips, and tricks to solve today's Wordle, plus the answer. Today, June 13, Wordle #724 starts with the letter P.Does today's Wordle end in an S? No, today's Wordle does not end with an S.Are there double letters in today's Wordle? Wordle Answer for June 13, 2023The answer for Tuesday, June 13, 2023 is "Plunk."

Persons: Wordle, —, you'll, today's Organizations: Service, New York Times, Wordle

☆ New York Times revenue hit by slow ad spending, subscriber growth
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 10 (Reuters) - The New York Times Co (NYT.N) missed estimates for quarterly revenue on Wednesday as a turbulent economy sapped digital subscriber growth and forced businesses to cut back on advertising spending, sending its shares tumbling 6%. The Times expects digital ad revenue to decline by low-to mid-single digits in the current quarter, joining ad-dependent companies such as Snap Inc (SNAP.N) in struggling with tightened marketing budgets across industries. Digital ad revenue fell nearly 9% to $61.3 million in the January-March period, while total revenue of $560.7 million was below estimates of $571 million, according to Refinitiv data. It added 190,000 digital-only subscribers in the first quarter, compared with 240,000 in the prior quarter, bringing its total subscriber base to more than 9.7 million. Separately, the Times named strategy head William Bardeen as its finance chief, replacing Roland Caputo who had announced his retirement in December.

☆ The Times Added 190,000 Subscribers Last Quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Benjamin Mullin | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The New York Times Company on Wednesday said it added 190,000 digital subscribers last quarter, driven partly by subscriptions to a bundle of products that includes The Athletic sports site, bringing the company’s total digital subscriber base to nine million. Adjusted operating profit was $54 million, a drop of 11 percent from a year earlier, as the new subscription revenue was offset by higher operating costs and lower advertising revenue. “In the first quarter, we made steady progress on our essential subscription strategy, with clear signs of substantial runway ahead,” Meredith Kopit Levien, chief executive of The Times, said in a statement. Over the last decade, The Times has tried to offset declines in its print business — which is profitable but fading — with new revenue from digital subscribers. In recent years, the company has honed that strategy by offering readers a bundle of online utilities including a cooking app, the Wirecutter online shopping service, games like Wordle and The Athletic, pitching itself to subscribers as a guide to the wider world.

Jeremy Selwyn/WPA Pool/Getty Images Camilla stands next to Queen Elizabeth II during a Diamond Jubilee pageant on the River Thames in June 2012. Chris Jackson/Getty Images From left, Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip attend the state opening of Parliament in May 2013. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, Duchess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William. Frank Augstein/WPA Pool/Getty Images In pictures: Britain's Queen Camilla Prev NextShe reportedly met Prince Charles at a polo match in Windsor in 1970 and they became friends. From left are Camilla, Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Louis, Duchess Catherine, Princess Charlotte, Prince George and Prince William.

Search resuls for: "Wordle"

25 mentions found