DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Number of US children killed by guns hit record high in 2021: study
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( Rachel Nostrant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Aug 22 (Reuters) - Child gun deaths in the United States have hit a record high, according to a new study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Gun violence has been the number one cause of death for children in the United States since 2020. The study was published as Tennessee lawmakers opened a special session on public safety after a Nashville school shooting earlier this year that killed three children and three teachers. The study further showed that Black children accounted for around 67% of firearm homicides while white children made up about 78% of gun-assisted suicides. Reporting by Rachel Nostrant; Editing by Donna Bryson and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Annie Andrews, Iman Omer, Omer, Bill Lee, Rachel Nostrant, Donna Bryson, Alistair Bell Organizations: American Academy of Pediatrics, for Disease Control, Pediatrics, of Oxford High School, Oxford High School, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee Firearms Association, Thomson Locations: United States, Tennessee, South Carolina, Oxford , Michigan, Clarkston , Michigan, U.S, Nashville

☆ Number of US children killed by guns hit record high in 2021, study shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Rachel Nostrant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Seth Herald/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsAug 22 (Reuters) - Child gun deaths in the United States have hit a record high, according to a new study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Gun violence has been the number one cause of death for children in the United States since 2020. The study was published as Tennessee lawmakers opened a special session on public safety after a Nashville school shooting earlier this year that killed three children and three teachers. The study further showed that Black children accounted for around 67% of firearm homicides while white children made up about 78% of gun-assisted suicides. Reporting by Rachel Nostrant; Editing by Donna Bryson and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Seth Herald, Annie Andrews, Iman Omer, Omer, Bill Lee, Rachel Nostrant, Donna Bryson, Alistair Bell Organizations: Oxford High School, REUTERS, American Academy of Pediatrics, for Disease Control, Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University, Tennessee Firearms Association, Thomson Locations: Oxford , Michigan, Clarkston , Michigan, U.S, United States, Tennessee, South Carolina, Nashville

☆ How Google's augmented-reality dream turned into chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-22 | by ( Hugh Langley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Google's AR glasses were beset by a messy strategy, company insiders say. Google's AR fumbles have proven frustrating for employees in the face of mounting competition from Apple and Meta. "They're dabbling," one insider said of Google's AR efforts. Ramin Talaie/Getty ImagesNorth leaders were told they would lead a new project under Google's hardware boss, Rick Osterloh, and Google's AR and VR leader, Clay Bavor. A small group inside the AR division is also exploring how artificial intelligence could be used with AR glasses, a source said.

Persons: Tim Cook, Iris, Google's, Clay, Ramin Talaie, Rick Osterloh, Clay Bavor, Mark Lucovsky, Lucovsky, Paul Greco, —, Google's Hiroshi Lockheimer, Samsung's, Bavor, Shahram, Hiroshi Lockheimer, Betty, Barry, Greco, Eddie Chung, Kurt Akeley, Akeley, Justin Sullivan, Meta, Sundar Pichai, it's Organizations: Samsung, Apple, Google, Meta, CBC, Insiders, Vision, SBS Biz, Labs, Pro, Bloomberg Locations: Raxium, Kitchen , Ontario

☆ Altcoins slide to begin the week while bitcoin and ether stabilize
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-21 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

The crypto market was lower to start the week after bitcoin posted its worst week since May. Bitcoin was higher by just 0.02% at the $26,136.36, according to Coin Metrics. Last week, it lost 11% due to a sharp decline that began Wednesday afternoon. Ether was lower by 0.18% at $1,674Altcoins were making bigger moves to the downside on Monday, however. The Cosmos token lost more than 3% and Uniswap's coin was 2% lower.

Persons: bitcoin, Bitcoin, Ripple's XRP, Cardano, Chris Martin Organizations: Metrics, Solana, Polygon, Cosmos Locations: China, Asia, Hong Kong, Singapore

☆ Snap is ending employees' cash food benefit, citing 'on-site' meals ahead of full RTO mandate
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

That benefit is disappearing as Snap wants to get people in the office at least four days a week. Instead of the food benefit, workers have been told to "explore" on-site lunch offerings. Snap is ending a benefit for employees to buy food during the work week. It also afforded Snap employees who worked in other offices that did not offer catered food some parity on a company perk they'd never had access to. Snap was one of the first tech companies, after Apple, to reveal to employees such a strict RTO policy .

Persons: they'd, It's, RTO, Elon Musk's, Kali Hays Organizations: Santa, Apple, Meta, Facebook, Twitter Locations: Santa Monica, khays

☆ PE firm Novacap has acquired the TV adtech platform Cadent, which now plans to go on an acquisition spree
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

PE firm Novacap has acquired TV adtech company Cadent. Canadian private equity firm Novacap has acquired the US TV adtech platform Cadent, the pair said Wednesday. With traditional TV viewing long in decline, advertisers have increasingly turned to connected-TV platforms. US broadcast and cable TV ad spending is expected to drop by 8% this year, but will still be significant at $61.3 billion, per Insider Intelligence's forecast. Cadent had previously been owned by another private equity firm, Lee Equity Partners, which acquired the company in 2013.

Persons: Novacap, Nick Troiano, Troiano, Cadent, Pascal Tremblay Organizations: Cross Mediaworks, CTV, Intelligence, Fund, Investment, RBC Capital Markets, TD Securities, Scotiabank, Lee Equity Partners

☆ News firms seek transparency, collective negotiation over content use by AI makers - letter
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Yuvraj Malik | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

AI (Artificial Intelligence) letters are placed on computer motherboard in this illustration taken, June 23, 2023. "Generative AI and large language models ... disseminate that content and information to their users, often without any consideration of, remuneration to, or attribution to the original creators. Services like OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard, which use the language producing generative AI, has led to a surge in online content produced by bots and several industries are assessing its impact on their businesses. Even as the technology sees wide adoption - several companies have launched features based on generative AI - governments around the world are still deliberating rules to govern its use. Meanwhile, news companies are beginning to experiment with generative AI and negotiate deals with tech companies for their content to be used to train AI models.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Google's Bard, OpenAI, Yuvraj Malik, Katie Paul, Maju Samuel Organizations: REUTERS, News Media Alliance, European Publishers ' Council, Google, Facebook, Associated Press, American Journalism, Thomson Locations: United States, Bengaluru, New York

☆ Exclusive: Snapchat under scrutiny from UK watchdog over underage users
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Under UK data protection law, social media companies need parental consent before processing data of children under 13. Social media firms generally require users to be 13 or over, but have had mixed success in keeping children off their platforms. Snapchat declined to give details of any measures it might have taken to reduce the number of underage users. It also found Snapchat was the most popular app for underage social media users. However, other apps take more proactive measures to prevent underage children accessing their platforms.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Snapchat, Martin Coulter, Matt Scuffham, Alexander Smith Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, Inc, Social, ICO, Ofcom, National Society for, Thomson Locations: U.S, Britain

☆ Google and Meta are creating so much new ad inventory, it's causing big price drops. Here's how much ads cost across the Big Tech giants.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Lauren Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Ad prices declined in the second quarter as new formats like Reels and Shorts rolled out. After some rough quarters, Google's and Meta's ad businesses are on the rebound , and they're creating so much short-form video ad inventory that the surge in supply is driving ad prices down. "Anytime you've got an influx of newer ad inventory, typically that inventory does come with lower ad pricing," he said. And Instagram Reels ad inventory is both plentiful and 39% cheaper than Instagram Feed ads, according to Tinuiti. Meta also added more ads to its Marketplace on Facebook, which dropped Facebook ad prices by 25%, Taylor said.

Persons: Shawndu Stackhouse, Tom Williams, Andy Taylor, Pacvue, Taylor, Tinuiti's Taylor, Mike Ryan, Meta, TikTok TikTok Organizations: Inc, Getty, Tinuiti, Brands, Google, Anadolu Agency, Meta, Facebook, CPM Locations: Google's, Northeast Washington, lockstep

☆ Snapchat is paying augmented-reality developers for silly, viral lenses, opening up a new way for creators to earn beyond branded effects
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Snapchat is launching a new fund for augmented-reality lens creators. Traditionally, AR creators have leaned on branded effects to make money. For years, augmented-reality creators who make amusing visual effects for Snapchat have relied on brand work to make money. It's also tested a program where AR creators could charge users for access to variations and upgrades of certain lenses. Other social-media platforms have also recently launched funding programs for AR creators.

Persons: Philip Walton, he'd, Walton, we're, Joseph Darko, It's, TikTok Organizations: Inc, Developer Locations: United States, India, Mexico

☆ Snapchat augmented-reality creators can now earn thousands of dollars for lenses that go viral
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Dan Whateley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Snapchat is launching a new fund for augmented-reality lens creators. Traditionally, AR creators have leaned on branded effects to make money. For years, augmented-reality creators who make amusing visual effects for Snapchat have relied on brand work to make money. A Snap spokesperson declined to share the total amount of funds available to AR creators, but said that "many creators" will earn rewards each month. It's also tested a program where AR creators could charge users for access to variations and upgrades of certain lenses.

Persons: Philip Walton, he'd, Walton, we're, Joseph Darko, It's, TikTok Organizations: Inc, Developer Locations: United States, India, Mexico

☆ Aircraft lessors set for June 2024 trial over Russia insurance claims
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File photoDUBLIN, July 31 (Reuters) - Some of the world's largest aircraft lessors and insurers are aiming to be ready to go to trial in June 2024 over contested insurance claims for aircraft stuck in Russia, a lawyer for one of the lessors said on Monday. Those steps include finding a venue large enough for the 180 attendees Smith said were expected at the trial each day. Justice Denis McDonald told a packed hearing last month that no court in Ireland was large enough to hear the case. The world's biggest aircraft lessor, Irish-based AerCap (AER.N), is pursuing its insurance claims through London's High Court. AerCap's Chief Financial Officer said on Monday that it continued to have discussions with Russian insurers on a potential settlement regarding some of its aircraft stranded in Russia.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Lessors, Kelley Smith, Avolon, Smith, Denis McDonald, we're, Peter Juhas, Padraic Halpin, Mark Potter Organizations: SMBC Aviation, REUTERS, BOC Aviation, HK, CDB Aviation, Nordic Aviation Capital, Carlyle Aviation Partners, world's, Thomson Locations: Russian, DUBLIN, Russia, Ukraine, Ireland, London's

☆ Google stock jumped 10% this week, fueled by cloud, ads and hope in AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of Alphabet's stock jumped 10% this week after the company reported second quarter earnings that showed growth despite a tough ad market. Among growth, revenue rose 7% to $74.6 billion from $69.7 billion in the year-earlier period. Google's ad revenue only increased 3.3% from a year earlier, but that's an improvement from the first quarter, when ad revenue fell. Google's YouTube and Cloud units also showed revenue growth despite competition. "We believe this bodes well for the broader online advertising environment," Citi analysts wrote in a note about Google's earnings.

Persons: Snap's, Bernstein, Ruth Porat, she's Organizations: Google, YouTube, Microsoft, Citi Locations: OpenAI

☆ The advertising winter may finally be starting to thaw
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The long advertising winter could be coming to an end in the second half of this year. There are tentative signs that the advertising winter is starting to thaw. Meta, which derives more than 98% of its revenue from advertising, reported revenue well ahead of analysts' estimates for the second quarter. To be sure, some pure-play advertising companies remain challenged. Indeed, on Thursday, the US Commerce Department said the US economy grew by 2.4% in the second quarter, which was up from 2% in the first quarter.

Persons: spenders, Kimberly, Clark, Brian Wieser, Groupe, IPG, Arthur Sadoun, It's, they're Organizations: Companies, Meta, Google, PepsiCo, Wall, Tech, Microsoft, US Commerce Department Locations: Madison

☆ Gap names Mattel executive as CEO - WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

July 26 (Reuters) - Gap (GPS.N) has appointed Mattel (MAT.O) executive Richard Dickson as its new chief executive officer, the retail groups's chairman and interim CEO told the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday. Shares of the company were up 6.4% at $9.80 in premarket trade. Last year, Gap's former CEO, Sonia Syngal, stepped down just after a liitle over two years into the role, as the apparel seller wrestled with weak demand for its casual attire and a slump in its stock price. Gap and Mattel did not respond to a Reuters' requests for comment. Reporting by Granth Vanaik in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri and Vinay DwivediOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Richard Dickson, Sonia Syngal, Granth, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Vinay Dwivedi Organizations: Mattel, Wall, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Snap's advertising technology 'just isn't there', says Big Technology's Alex Kantrowitz
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

In this videoShare Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSnap's advertising technology 'just isn't there', says Big Technology's Alex KantrowitzAlex Kantrowitz, ‘Big Technology’ founder, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss shares of Snap plunging following disappointing Q3 sales forecast, social media's ad spend, the digital advertising market at large, and more.

Persons: Big, Alex Kantrowitz Alex Kantrowitz Organizations: Technology

☆ The rise and fall of the Gap: The iconic but beleaguered brand is counting on a new CEO poached from Mattel
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Bethany Biron | Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Gap was once one of America's most beloved apparel retailers, known for its laid-back basics and classic denim. The company announced Mattel executive Richard Dickson will become Gap's new CEO. Here's the story of the company's rise to mall brand darling and eventual fall from grace. For decades, Gap was one of the most beloved retailers in the US and an emblematic part of American fashion and style. Here's a look at Gap's humble beginnings of selling Levis and records, through its meteoric rise across America to its eventual fall.

Persons: Richard Dickson, Dickson Organizations: Mattel, Service, Navy, Old Navy, Banana Republic Locations: Wall, Silicon, Levis, America

☆ Meta to report second-quarter earnings after the bell
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Meta will report second-quarter earnings after market close on Wednesday. Here are the key numbers to watch:Earnings: $2.91 per share expected, according to Refinitiv$2.91 per share expected, according to Refinitiv Revenue: $31.12 billion expected, according to Refinitiv$31.12 billion expected, according to Refinitiv Daily Active Users (DAUs): 2.04 billion expected, according to StreetAccount. 2.04 billion expected, according to StreetAccount. Monthly Active Users (MAUs): 3 billion expected, according to StreetAccount. 3 billion expected, according to StreetAccount.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Mark, Meta's, William Blair, Brad Erickson Organizations: Meta, Inc, Refinitiv Revenue, RBC Capital Markets, CNBC, Company Locations: San Jose , California, Ukraine

☆ Snap stock drops 19% on weak forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Snap shares plunged at the start of trading, falling 19% as analysts and investors recoiled from a weaker-than-expected forecast for the current period. Overall sales declined 4% year-over-year, with a slightly-than-expected lower-end total sales forecast for the third quarter. The broader social media industry has become "harder" to forecast in, CEO Evan Spiegel said in an interview with CNBC's Julia Boorstin on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley maintained a $6.5 price target and an underweight rating on the social media stock. Bank of America analyst Justin Post reiterated a neutral rating and an $11 price target.

Persons: Evan Spiegel, CNBC's Julia Boorstin, Morgan Stanley, Brian Nowak, Nowak, Justin Post, CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Viva Technology, Bank of America, Online Locations: Paris, North America

☆ Facebook's ad rebound gives Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg freedom to pursue far-out bets
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

While Snap's revenue dropped 4% in the second quarter, Meta is solidly growing again, driven by Facebook's ad business. Neither Zuckerberg nor Spiegel have plans to cut back on spending money on experimental projects. Meta is burning billions of dollars a quarter on the futuristic metaverse , and Snap is pouring cash into augmented reality products and services. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is once again a fan favorite on Wall Street. And while Meta has seemingly fixed most of its ad problems, Snap is still struggling.

Persons: Mark Zuckerberg, Zuckerberg, Spiegel, Evan Spiegel, Susan Li, Li, —, Snap's, Meta, James Cordwell, Cordwell Organizations: Meta, Labs, Apple, Google, Facebook, Atlantic Locations: San Jose , California, U.S, Ukraine

☆ Gap taps top Mattel executive to be its new CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Gabrielle Fonrouge | In Gabrielle-Fonrouge | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Gap announced Wednesday it's poached a top Mattel executive to be its new CEO as the apparel giant seeks to reverse an ongoing sales slump and regain its relevancy in the fashion industry. Since then, Gap's chairman, Bob Martin, has been serving as interim CEO during a longer-than-expected search for a successor. During a May earnings call, Martin told investors he didn't expect to hold the position of interim CEO as long as he had. Gap shares gained about 6% on Wednesday after the news, while shares of Mattel fell slightly. During his tenure with Mattel, Dickson is credited with reviving the Barbie franchise and growing the toymaker's other top brands, including Hot Wheels and Fisher-Price, according to Mattel.

Persons: it's, Richard Dickson, Sonia Syngal, Bob Martin, Martin, Dickson, Price Organizations: Mattel

☆ Snap shares tumble after softer Q3 outlook as app revamps ads
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Sheila Dang | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Shares of Snap, which owns the Snapchat app, dropped 16% to $10.50 in after-market trading. The Santa Monica, California-based company said it estimates third quarter revenue will be between $1.07 billion to $1.13 billion. Changes to its platform to adjust advertisements took a toll, but Snap told Wall Street it is seeing benefits now. Daily active users on Snapchat rose 14% year-over-year to 397 million, beating Wall Street expectations of 394.8 million. Snap said it expects between 405 million to 406 million daily active users in the third quarter.

Persons: Sheila Dang, Susan Heavey Organizations: Inc, Facebook, Meta, Revenue, Analysts, Thomson Locations: Santa Monica , California, Dallas

☆ Google points to many ways it can win in A.I. even as online ad market shows cracks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Jennifer Elias | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Google's revenue rose 7% to $74.6 billion from $69.7 billion in the year-earlier period, topping analysts' estimates. Google's ad revenue only increased 3.3% from a year earlier, but that's an improvement from the first quarter, when ad revenue fell. Search revenue, which makes up the majority of Google's ad business, also saw steady growth. AI companies are flocking to Google's cloud technology so they can run the compute-heavy projects that are only available in a few places. Google's cloud business, which turned profitable in the first quarter, saw revenue increase 28% in the second quarter to $8 billion, topping analysts' estimates.

Persons: Snap's, Michael Nathanson, Moffett Nathanson, Bing, Sundar Pichai, Pichai, we'd, Dan Ives Organizations: Microsoft, Google, Amazon Web Services Locations: OpenAI

☆ Snap shares plunge more than 16% on weak forecast
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Jonathan Vanian | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Here's how the company did:Loss per share : 2 cent loss vs. 4 cent loss expected by analysts, according to Refinitiv. : $1.07 billion vs. $1.05 billion expected, according to Refinitiv. Global Daily Active Users (DAUs) : 397 million vs. 394.9 million expected, according to StreetAccount. : 397 million vs. 394.9 million expected, according to StreetAccount. Last quarter, Snap did not provide official guidance for the second quarter, instead disclosing an "internal forecast" for revenue estimates in the time period.

Persons: Evan Spiegel, Porte, William Blair, Susan Li Organizations: Snap Inc, Viva Technology, Porte de, Analysts, Meta Locations: Paris, France, Refinitiv

☆ Singapore opposition members quit in latest political shake-up
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Workers' Party Chairman Sylvia Lim and Secretary-General Pritam Singh attend a press conference at their headquarters in Singapore, July 19, 2023. REUTERS/Edgar SuSINGAPORE, July 19 (Reuters) - Two senior members of Singapore's largest opposition party quit on Wednesday after admitting to an inappropriate relationship, the latest scandal to hit a country otherwise used to stable and drama-free politics. Seah had also denied the relationship when asked by party leaders at that time, Singh said, adding the pair's behaviour was "unacceptable". Both the WP and the PAP have in the past sacked members for extramarital relationships. Reporting by Chen Lin, Writing by Xinghui Kok, Editing by Kanupriya KapoorOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Sylvia Lim, Pritam Singh, Edgar Su SINGAPORE, Leon Perera, Nicole Seah, Singh, Perera, Seah, Chong Ja Ian, Chen Lin, Xinghui Kok, Kanupriya Kapoor Organizations: Workers ', REUTERS, Workers ' Party, Action Party, National University of Singapore, Thomson Locations: Singapore

Search resuls for: "AP's"

25 mentions found