DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Author who coined the term 'metaverse' says AI-generated content is 'hollow and uninteresting' because people aren't 'communing with the creators'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Author and entrepreneur Neal Stephenson has spoken out about AI-generated content. Speaking to the FT, he said things produced by AI might seem comparable to those produced by humans. In one part of the interview, he told the outlet: "I think of AI in terms of supply and demand. Stephenson coined the term metaverse in his 1992 sci-fi novel "Snow Crash." It's even been listed as author or co-author of more than 200 books on Amazon's bookstore, Reuters reported first.

☆ NHL roundup: Sharks end Lightning's record home win streak
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Sharks controlled play for most of the three-on-three session, and Karlsson helped the visitors post their second straight win with a slick diagonal pass that Meier easily netted at 2:19. Meier finished with two goals and an assist while Karlsson notched a goal and two helpers. The Penguins killed off a penalty in overtime, then scored during a delayed penalty call. Adin Hill didn't work too hard in stopping 16 shots to record his career-high 11th win. Vatrano scored with a backhand off a feed from Isac Lundestrom to end Anaheim's eight-game losing streak against the Blackhawks.

One of the really interesting questions here – this will be fascinating – the core of linear TV is sports rights. When you look at the size and scope of the linear TV business, it's huge. Patrick T. Fallon | Afp | Getty ImagesByron Allen, Entertainment Studios founder and CEO: I think linear TV will exist for a very, very long time. Simmons: I believe Apple, out of nowhere, will start making their own awesome televisions that have Apple TV embedded in them. We are witnessing early stages of this dynamic with deals like "NFL Sunday Ticket" on YouTube and the MLS deal with Apple TV.

☆ Meta's chief product officer says the metaverse will one day be as 'important as the smartphone'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Sawdah Bhaimiya | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Meta's chief product officer said the metaverse will one day become as important as the smartphone. Speaking at a Davos panel on Wednesday, Chris Cox discussed Meta's vision for the metaverse. Cox said Meta believes that "one day that computing platform will be as important as the smartphone has become in our lifetimes." It is the "only thing Mark wants to talk about," one director level employee told Insider in April. "It's basically fomenting disorganization and anxiety," an employee told Insider at the time.

☆ Davos 2023: Thirty years on, author Neal Stephenson discusses his metaverse vision with Meta
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] A 3D printed Facebook's new rebrand logo Meta is seen in this illustration taken on November 2, 2021. A DECADE TO PAY OFFMeta Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has said he expected his metaverse investments to take around a decade to pay off. By that time, Cox says people will be able to take a walk with friends and family in virtual worlds as readily as they now make video or voice calls. "A more open metaverse is better," HP Chief Executive Enrique Lores said on the panel. "If someone controls the full metaverse the ability for others to add value is much smaller."

☆ Canada Looks Poised to Pass Law on Forced Labor
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Richard Vanderford | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

Canada could require that companies report on their efforts to stop goods made with forced labor from entering their supply chains, adding to momentum among Western governments to tackle the practice. Pending legislation would compel many companies to report on steps taken to prevent or reduce the use of forced labor in their supply chains by detailing, among other things, parts of the supply chains where forced labor might be occurring and the company’s due-diligence procedures. We are consuming products that contain forced labor.”With the passage of S-211, Canada would join several other Western governments in trying to stop businesses’ use of forced labor. Canada’s legislation would apply more broadly than, for example, France’s law, having an impact on some companies with as few as 250 employees. Photo: AssentCanada pledged in the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement, which became effective in 2020, to block the import of goods made with forced labor.

☆ NHL roundup: Connor McDavid hits milestone in Oilers' win
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Barzal is on a career-best, five-game goal streak, and he has six goals and two assists during that span. Vancouver goaltender Collin Delia made 30 saves, while Elias Pettersson, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Ilya Mikheyev each collected two assists. Ty Smith also scored for Pittsburgh, which lost its sixth straight game, just one off matching its longest losing streak of the season. Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Martin Fehervary and Garnet Hathaway also scored, Dylan Strome had three assists, and Darcy Kuemper made 25 saves. Washington has won a franchise-record seven straight road games and is 7-0-2 in its past nine games overall and 12-2-3 in its past 17.

☆ NHL roundup: Alex Tuch, Sabres knock off Bruins in OT
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 37 saves for Buffalo, facing 11 shots in the second period and 19 more in the third. Nic Dowd had a goal and an assist, while Dylan Strome, Anthony Mantha and Garnet Hathaway also scored. Emil Bemstrom and Kirill Marchenko also scored for the Blue Jackets in the comeback victory over the NHL's last-place team. They netted goals three times in the second, including Alex Killorn's go-ahead breakaway goal for a 4-3 lead. Stamkos scored his 498th career goal and had an assist, and Brayden Point notched a goal and a helper.

☆ Shipping companies brace for harsh winter weather with 'contingency plans' to help gifts arrive on time for the holidays
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Antonio Planas | Antonio Planas Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Postal Service, will be shipping on average a combined 100 million packages per day this week leading up to Christmas. A blast of Arctic air from Canada is expected to bring “life-threatening” cold to parts of the United States in the lead-up to Christmas, weather forecasters have warned. Postal Service, their workers are ready for harsh weather. “UPS has a team of full-time meteorologists who monitor the weather and help us create contingency plans as winter storms develop. Postal Service said it plans for “various weather issues throughout the year.” The postal service also said its workers have the proper equipment to do their jobs safely.

☆ NHL roundup: Blues' Jordan Kyrou nets first hat trick
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Jordan Binnington made 33 saves for the Blues, who have won the first three outings of a five-game road trip. It was the second consecutive game, and fifth on home ice this season, that the Canucks lost 5-1. Nic Dowd scored goals 11 seconds apart in the second period and had an assist on Orlov's game-winner. He remains at 800 career goals, one behind Red Wings legend Gordie Howe for second place on the all-time list. Jeff Skinner and Lawrence Pilut also scored goals for the Sabres, who won their fourth straight game and completed a sweep of a three-game Western road trip.

☆ From Disney to Target to Boeing, retirement is a thing of the past for CEOs
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Bob Woods | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

SUN VALLEY, ID - JULY 13: (L-R) Bob Iger, chairman and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, Dick Costolo, former chief executive officer of Twitter, Lachlan Murdoch, co-chairman of Twenty-First Century Fox, Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Google, and Randall Stephenson, chief executive officer of AT&T, mingle during the annual Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference, July 13, 2018 in Sun Valley, Idaho. The average tenure for departing CEOs during that same time period was about 11 years, up from nine years in 2020. That's not surprising, because of the impact of the pandemic and [other] crises, where boards put CEO succession on hold," Anterasian said. "In our research, boards put CEO succession on hold during crises," Anterasian said. At Disney, Iger has said he will only stay on for two years before a successor takes over.

“There’s no such thing as a set forecast right now,” said Sophie Kelly, senior vice president of whiskies at Diageo North America, speaking at the same event. The firm, a unit of Interpublic Group of Cos.’ Mediabrands, cut its growth forecast for next year to 4.8% from an earlier prediction of 5.8% in June. Organic revenue growth is a metric that removes the effects of currency fluctuations, acquisitions and disposals. Airbnb Inc. slashed its advertising spending and invested in brand marketing, lessening its reliance on search-engine marketing. “We knew that people are changing their behavior,” said William White, Walmart’s chief marketing officer.

☆ U.S. charges Haitian gang leaders for 2021 missionary kidnapping
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Brian Ellsworth | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MIAMI, Nov 7 (Reuters) - The United States has unsealed charges against a group of Haitian gang leaders, including three men involved in last year's kidnapping of U.S. missionaries, the Department of Justice said on Monday. Joseph Wilson, known as Lanmo Sanjou, and Jermaine Stephenson, aka Gaspiyay, of the 400 Mawozo gang that took responsibility for the October 2021 kidnapping, were charged with hostage taking and conspiracy to commit hostage taking. Vitel'homme Innocent, leader of a Kraze Barye gang, worked with 400 Mawozo on the kidnapping, the DOJ said. The DOJ also unsealed charges against four other Haitian gang members for separate kidnappings involving U.S. citizens, who it did not identify. Earlier this year, Haiti's police said that 400 Mawozo leader Germine Joly, aka 'Yonyon,' was extradited to the United States following a request by the U.S. authorities.

☆ Airbnb Says Its Focus on Brand Marketing Instead of Search Is Working
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Megan Graham | Ceo Brian Chesky | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Airbnb Inc. said its strategy of slashing advertising spending, investing in brand marketing and lessening its reliance on search-engine marketing is continuing to pay off. Its marketing spending is now low enough that it doesn’t anticipate drastic reductions even if economic headwinds worsen next year, it said. It has also made deep cuts to its overall marketing spending. “Our brand marketing results are delivering excellent results overall with a strong rate of return, and it’s been so successful that we’re actually expanding to more countries,” he said. But the brand could be tested if its competitors ratchet up spending in a downturn, Mr. Zucker said.

☆ Airbnb expects holiday-quarter bookings to moderate; shares fall
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Aishwarya Nair | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 1 (Reuters) - Airbnb Inc forecast holiday-quarter revenue that could fall short of market expectations, saying a strong dollar had started to pressure its business and bookings would moderate, sending its shares down 7% after the bell. Airbnb's shares have slumped more than a third this year, versus a roughly 19% fall in the broader market (.SPX). Airbnb guided fourth-quarter revenue between $1.80 billion and $1.88 billion, versus analysts' expectations of $1.85 billion, according to Refinitiv. The company recorded its highest ever third-quarter bookings, with nearly 100 million nights and experiences booked. Airbnb said, however, the majority of travelers in North America and Europe had booked domestic stays.

☆ I took an $18-an-hour job in an Amazon warehouse to cure the spiraling depression I felt as a CEO. It worked — and gave me a new perspective on the industry.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Hannah Towey | Katherine Long | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +13 min

He quit his CEO job and began working 11-hour Amazon warehouse shifts during the company's busiest season. I decided to take a warehouse job at AmazonIt felt like the one thing I really needed for myself was some structure — wakeup times, some exercise — just to get out there somehow. Philip Su worked in an Amazon warehouse for seven weeks. My warehouse job lifted me out of my depressionI took the job because I was desperate for something to enforce regularity for me, and I very much benefited from Amazon doing that. Are you an Amazon warehouse worker with a story to tell?

☆ NHL roundup: Lightning topple Islanders again
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

The Lightning, who beat the host Florida Panthers 3-2 in overtime Friday, improved to 8-2 in their past 10 games against the Islanders. Devils 2, Sharks 1Yegor Sharangovich and Dawson Mercer scored second-period goals to lead New Jersey to a victory over visiting San Jose. The Blues controlled the first eight minutes of the game and scored the game's first goal on a power play. Avalanche 3, Golden Knights 2Nathan MacKinnon, Valeri Nichushkin and Evan Rodrigues scored goals, and visiting Colorado beat Vegas. He also became the first defenseman in NHL history to begin a season with a five-game goal streak.

☆ NHL roundup: Sabres top Flames behind Alex Tuch's hat trick
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY SportsOctober 21 - Alex Tuch produced his first career hat trick to help the visiting Buffalo Sabres earn a 6-3 win against the Calgary Flames on Thursday. Dylan Cozens and Casey Mittelstadt each added a goal and an assist while Rasmus Dahlin also scored for the Sabres. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterTuch extended his goal streak to three games 46 seconds into the second period. Dahlin has scored in each of the Sabres' first four games, the longest season-opening goal streak by a blue-liner in NHL history. The Canadiens also got first period goals from Josh Anderson, Cole Caufield and Brendan Gallagher to get off to a 5-0 start.

☆ How does 'work from anywhere' actually work?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Seema Mody | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

If the entire world is your talent pool, would all your hiring challenges disappear? How much happier would your workers be if they could live and work wherever they want? The tax and benefit complications? Airbnb announced this bold experiment earlier this year allowing its employees to live and work anywhere without financial penalty. CNBC Global Markets Reporter and Host of "Trading Nation," Seema Mody speaks with Dave Stephenson, Airbnb CFO at the Workforce Executive Summit on October 13, 2022.

☆ Airbnb offers employees a live-and-work anywhere program
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | 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 EmailAirbnb offers employees a live-and-work anywhere programAirbnb CFO Dave Stephenson joins 'TechCheck' to discuss the economic resilience of Airbnb's business model, the consumer appetite for travel, and Airbnb's stock buyback program.

☆ Heightened Cyber Threat Brings CIOs, CISOs Closer
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-30 | by ( Isabelle Bousquette | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

In a year of high-profile cyberattacks, chief information officers say cybersecurity has sprinted up their agenda and got them working more closely than ever with chief information security officers. Her goal is to foster a culture of cyber preparedness across the company, including ensuring staff are educated about risks. Noelle Eder, chief information officer at Cigna. While compensation is growing for both the CIO and CISO roles, Mr. Stephenson said it is growing faster for CISOs. “We really need to be working together to think about ways we can better secure information,” Mr. Vidoni said.

☆ U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorses Republican Mehmet Oz in Senate race
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday endorsed Republican celebrity physician Mehmet Oz in a high-stakes race for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania, lauding what it called his "commitment to free enterprise and pro-growth policies." Both Biden and Trump have traveled to the state in recent weeks to promote their parties' candidates. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe Chamber, the largest lobbying group in the United States, said it was endorsing Oz as a "pro-business" candidate whose views stood in "stark contrast" to those of Fetterman. Biden last week suggested that adding two more Democrats to the Senate would open the possibility of Democrats removing the filibuster and restoring federal abortion rights for women. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Leslie Adler and Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Elizabeth Banks Thinks This Interview Is Dangerous for Her
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-26 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +21 min

I don’t know where, but people are seeing it. I don’t know what they thought that movie was meant to be marketing-wise, but it was a little gem for us. He basically said, Pay me or I’m going to tell your wife. Let’s do another one.” Ray said, “OK, what do you want me to do differently?” The director said: “I don’t know. I don’t know that there’s any way to communicate that to you.

☆ From Meatspace to Metaverse: Two Books on Virtual Reality
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Steven Poole | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

In the annals of hype about things that don’t yet exist, the metaverse has enjoyed an impressive rocketlike trajectory. Other tech giants, including Microsoft and Nvidia, are also pivoting to the metaverse. In the mid-20th century, “metaverse” was an obscure synonym for metapoetry, or poetry about poetry. Mr. Stephenson’s readers have wanted to go to the metaverse ever since. John Carmack, the lead developer of the first-person-shooter game “Doom,” once said it was a moral imperative to build the metaverse.

☆ MLB roundup: Aaron Judge belts 2 more HRs in Yankees' win
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

Gerrit Cole (12-7) earned the win with four hits, four runs, three walks and eight strikeouts in five innings. Eloy Jimenez had three hits, including a two-run home run, and drove in three runs. Willi Castro hit a two-run homer and Javier Baez had a solo shot for the Tigers. Rays 5, Rangers 3Christian Bethancourt and Jose Siri hit back-to-back homers in host Tampa Bay's win over Texas. The duo went deep in the second inning for a 2-1 lead that the Rays never relinquished.

Search resuls for: "Stephenson"

25 mentions found