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☆ I used the hot new web browser Arc for 8 months, and am never going back to Chrome. These are the best and worst things about it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Arc is a buzzy web browser that sheds the traditional browser interface as we know it. Eight months ago, my browser tab hoarding was out of control. Finding an open tab was like playing hide and seek in the cluttered abyss of Chrome, each link harder to find than the last. Then came Arc, a new web browser recommended by Jason Spinell, manager of Slack's early-stage investment fund. If tidying guru Marie Kondo had a favorite web browser, it would be Arc.

Persons: I'm, Jason Spinell, Slack's, Spinell, Marie Kondo, Arc Organizations: The Browser Company, Browser Company

☆ What Is It About Montecito?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-30 | by ( Amy Larocca | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Montecito is where Gwyneth Paltrow goes when the pressures of Brentwood are too much. Jennifer Aniston bought a $16.5 million property from Ms. Winfrey, who had not had time to use it. But it’s not just the famous who come to Montecito, it’s also the straight-up rich. Montecito is loaded with the less-recognizable names behind very recognizable things, including Ty Warner, the press-shy inventor of Beanie Babies, who lives in a rose-colored mansion with views of the whole landscape. It’s a dizzying combination of old wealth, new wealth and outrageous physical beauty that has begun to attract an ever-wider range of dreamers.

Persons: Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres, Gwyneth Paltrow, Adam Levine, Ritchie, Ariana Grande, DeGeneres, Jennifer Aniston, Winfrey, Katy Perry, Orlando Bloom, Perry’s, Ed Hardy, Elton John, Flav, Amanda Chantal Bacon, Madame Tussauds, —, Prince Harry, Meghan, Duchess of, it’s, ”, Pierce, Eric Schmidt, Montecito, Ty Warner Organizations: Chrome Locations: Montecito, Brentwood, Patagonia, Duchess of Sussex, Santa Barbara

☆ Twitter is rebranding to X. Here are 5 more tech companies that controversially changed their names or faced backlash.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Here are five more tech companies which changed their names — some controversially, and others leading to success. From The Facebook to Facebook, then MetaMark Zuckerberg at Harvard University, three months after The Facebook was created. But the business plan was first written for a company called Cadabra, as in a magician's "Abracadabra." Before Twitter became X, X.com became PayPalPeter Thiel, left, and Elon Musk, right, hold VISA credit cards branded with the X.com company logo on October 20, 2000. Paul Sakuma/APElon Musk cofounded the online payment company X.com in 1999 before it merged with Peter Thiel's Confinity a year later.

Persons: Elon Musk, Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Rick Friedman, Sean Parker, Justin Timberlake, Zuckerberg, that's, Frances Haugen, Sergey Brin, Larry Page, Martin Magunia, Brin, Sundar Pichai, Mike Krieger, Kevin Systrom, Stephen Chernin Instagram, Andreessen Horowitz, Krieger, Systrom, Instagram, Jeff Bezos, Evan Agostini, —, Bezos, Mackenzie Scott, X.com, PayPal Peter Thiel, Paul Sakuma, AP Elon Musk, Peter Thiel's Confinity, Jimmy Soni's, Thiel, Walter Isaacson Organizations: Twitter, PayPal, Morning, Facebook, Harvard University, Meta, VR, Reality Labs, Google, Getty, Stanford, Microsoft, REUTERS, Baseline Ventures, Stanford University, Inc, Amazon, AP Elon, eBay Locations: Burbn

☆ Behold, the Orb: I can't stop thinking about Sam Altman's dystopian eyeball-scanning device
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The orbs, shiny sculptural spheres that scan the eyeballs of new members, seem to have become the company's dystopian symbol. But Worldcoin's Orbs look more like inscrutable machines than something mythological. Worldcoin has said it has emphasized privacy in designing a system based on extracting eyeball scans. And the eyeball scans get erased, according to Worldcoin. Worldcoin has said that "World IDs" don't contain any eyeball scans or iris data.

Persons: Sam Altman's, Worldcoin, Sam Altman trumpeted, Alex Blania, Donald Trump, Tim Sweeney, It's Organizations: Twitter, Epic, pitchfork, MIT Technology Locations: Lisbon, Singapore, Sands, Miami, Tokyo

☆ Read the memo Shopify sent employees explaining its meeting cost calculator: 'Your calendar is a strategy.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"Your calendar is a strategy, and the Meeting Cost Calculator helps you make informed decisions for organizing or accepting meetings. He said that employees could reference a page in Shopify's internal "vault" for more information about the meeting cost calculator. The Meeting Cost Calculator is here to challenge the status quo, nudging us to reconsider meeting necessity and explore more creative collaboration methods. The meeting cost calculator is the latest in a series of experiments Shopify has launched to maximize time and efficiency in its workplace this year. Your calendar is a strategy, and the Meeting Cost Calculator helps you make informed decisions for organizing or accepting meetings.

Persons: Shopify, Kaz Nejatian, Mark Zuckerberg, Tobi Lütke

☆ Shopify gets ruthless on calendar invites by posting the price of employees' time, with a 30-minute meeting 'costing' up to $2,000
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Sarah Jackson | Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Shopify is trying to discourage useless meetings with a tool that estimates the cost of employees' time. The calendar tool calculates meeting costs based on employee pay data, meeting duration, and attendees. The strategy is part of Shopify's push to purge thousands of unnecessary meetings. Shopify has introduced a new tool to help employees find out — and encourage them to cut back on non-crucial meetings. "No one at Shopify would expense a $500 dinner," Shopify COO Kaz Nejatian, who built the program, told Bloomberg.

Persons: Shopify, Kaz Nejatian, Tobi Lütke, Nejatian Organizations: Service, Bloomberg Locations: Wall, Silicon

☆ Shopify calculator shows how much unnecessary meetings really cost the company
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Shopify, a Canadian e-commerce company, rolled out its Meeting Cost Calculator internally Wednesday as part of ongoing efforts to encourage emptier calendars. By getting rid of even three meetings a week per person, Shopify estimates it will see a 15% reduction in overall costs. Shopify wants to make it easy for other businesses to see how much pointless meetings are costing them, which is why the company is rolling out its Shopify Meeting Cost Calculator Chrome extension today. “[W]e have seen meeting creep seep back in and we needed to take immediate action,” the company wrote in the internal note this week. “The Meeting Cost Calculator is here to challenge the status quo, nudging us to reconsider meeting necessity and explore more creative collaboration methods,” the company wrote.

Persons: Shopify Organizations: New, New York CNN, Google, CNN Locations: New York

Amazon Prime Day 2023 is on to its second day, and you don't have to purchase any big-ticket items to get big savings. Here are the best products you can get for under $25 this Prime Day. Best Prime Day beauty deals under $25Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. The Prime Day sale is over 25% on this product, making it a great time to buy. $19.54 from Amazon Originally $22.98 Save 15%Best Prime Day tech deals under $25Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Persons: it's, Kit Burt's, Kit, Anastasia Beverly Organizations: Amazon, Prime, frizz

☆ Golf, Aussie-style: How to play alongside crocodiles, snakes and kangaroos
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Jack Bantock | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Steve Storm / Anglesea Golf ClubWater hazardsThere is no need for a no-petting rule for other animals that commonly inhabit Australian golf course – chief among them, crocodiles. “Everyone asks about crocodiles – some out of fear, others excitement,” Half Moon Bay’s general manager Tim Mackrill told CNN. Half Moon Bay Golf ClubOperating in the course’s favor is a “crocwise” nature built into the majority of the club’s players. The last big crocodile to be removed by rangers from Half Moon Bay was in 2019. Half Moon Bay Golf ClubHissing holeSometimes though, it’s inquisitive wildlife that brings potential danger to patrons.

Persons: ‘ Roos, ‘ roos, It’s, Marg Lacey, …, ” Anglesea, ” Lacey, roos, you’ve, ”, Steve Storm, Tim Mackrill, ” Mackrill, Amanda Jayne, Jayne, Jayne’s, Luke Goodier, ” Jayne, it’s Organizations: CNN, Golf, “, birdlife, The Locations: Australia, Melbourne, –, England, Australian, Northern Territory, Queensland, Cairns, Eastern Australia

☆ Google's new Pixel Tablet is perfect for smart home devotees
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Rohan Goswami | In Rohangoswamicnbc | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In this article GOOGL Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTGoogle's new Pixel Tablet on its default Home screen. CNBCI've been breaking out of my usual wheelhouse and getting hands-on with Google's new Pixel Tablet for the last few days. What's good Hub Mode, Hub Mode, Hub Mode. For example, you could find a recipe from the couch, tote your Pixel Tablet to the kitchen and get to cooking. Google's Pixel Tablet in Chrome.

Persons: CNBC I've, It's, hasn't, that's Organizations: CNBC, Google, Apple

☆ Lupita Nyong’o wears custom silver breastplate to 2023 Tony Awards
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Leah Dolan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Attending the 2023 Tony Awards in New York Sunday night, Lupita Nyong’o arrived in timeless formalwear: a sharp black velvet dinner jacket and flared trousers. Nyong’o was wearing a custom breastplate cast and molded on her body by Misha Japanwala, a Pakistani artist and designer whose subversive sculptures are already increasingly attracting an impressive celebrity clientele. (An exhibition of Japanwala’s work is also currently on display at the Hannah Traore art gallery in New York.) Misha Japanwala's work "asks viewers to see the body exactly as it is," the artist writes on her website. Japanwala’s work, however, presents a very different picture.

Persons: Lupita Nyong’o, Nyong’o, Misha Japanwala, Hannah Traore, Misha Japanwala's, Nyong'o, Steve Eichner, Ford, Bella Hadid, Rihanna, breastplates, Yves Saint Laurent, Claude Lalanne, Lalanne, ’ breastplates, Japanwala’s, Japanwala, ” Nyong’o, ” Organizations: CNN, Cannes Film Locations: New York, Pakistani, ribcage, Couture, Greece

☆ The 15-inch MacBook Air offers superb battery life and portability at an aggressive price
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( Kif Leswing | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

In this article AAPL Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTKif Leswing/CNBCApple announced a 15-inch MacBook Air last week. But if you held out and need a new laptop, the 15-inch MacBook Air hits the sweet spot for most people in terms of price, capability, and portability. The extra screen size makes a difference versus the 13-inch MacBook Air. The 13-inch M2 MacBook Air (silver) versus the 15-inch M2 MacBook Air (dark blue.) The 15-inch MacBook Air fits easily into a backpack or briefcase, and I didn’t really notice the extra 3.3 pounds while I was commuting with it on public transportation.

Persons: it’s, Kif, I've Organizations: CNBC Apple, MacBook, Meta, Microsoft Office, Google, CNBC, isn’t, Apple, Intel Locations: Stardew, Kif

☆ China to clamp down on AirDrop and Bluetooth file sharing for national security reasons
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Laura He | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s cyberspace regulator plans to issue new rules clamping down on the use of wireless file sharing functions such as Bluetooth and Apple’s AirDrop on national security grounds. The move comes after protesters in China used AirDrop during anti-government protests in October 2022 to share content, bypassing strict internet censorship. Weeks later, Apple moved to limit the use of the AirDrop function on devices in China. The aim of the regulation is to “maintain national security and social public interests” by regulating the use of close-range wireless communication tools such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and other technologies, it said. Other than AirDrop, Google’s Nearby Share allows users to transfer data between Android and Chrome OS devices via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

Persons: Weeks, Apple, Xi Jinping, Oppo, Xi Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, Bluetooth, Cyberspace Administration, The New York Times Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing

☆ The World Bank is betting on this company to 'green' the $1.6 trillion steel industry — take a look inside
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Boston Metal CEO, Tadeu Carneiro Photo courtesy Boston MetalThe Boston Metal offices in Woburn, Mass. A diagram of the process Boston Metal is using to make green steel. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards This is where the electricity is converted from AC to DC in the Boston Metal location. (A portion of the photo has been altered to protect the intellectual property of Boston Metal.) Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards The Boston Metal electrolysis process releases oxygen as a byproduct.

Persons: Tadeu Carneiro, Cat Clifford, Adam Rauwerdink, It's, Carniero, Sonneborn, Rauwerdink, Boston Metal's, " Carneiro, doesn't Organizations: Boston Metal, CNBC, Boston, Boston Steel, DC, MIT, IFC, BHP, World Bank Locations: Woburn , Mass, Boston, Woburn, Asia, Burkina Faso, India, Brazil, South Asia

☆ The Death of Passwords Is Coming, a New Technology Will Replace Them
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Shubham Agarwal | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Despite their ease of use, passwords come with significant downsides: More than 80% of data breaches are the result of weak passwords. In 2004, Bill Gates famously envisioned the death of traditional passwords, and there have been several attempts to replace them. That's great if all of your devices are from one company — your Apple passkey would work across an iPhone, iPad, and MacBook. "Similar to our recommendations when it comes to other forms of authentication, we advise against the sharing of passkeys, passwords, etc. Passwords won't disappear overnight, but what FIDO Alliance has accomplished has convinced me our passwordless future is just around the corner.

Persons: it's, I'm, Zhao, There's, Christiaan Brand, Bill Gates, FIDO, Steve Won, Florentin, passkeys, Andrew Shikiar, Won, Google's Brand, 1Password, Buffalo's Zhao, Shubham Agarwal Organizations: Microsoft, Cybersecurity Ventures, Apple, Google, Alliance, University at Buffalo, University of Cambridge, Mastercard, TU Darmstadt, FIDO Alliance, Bluetooth, Research, Istanbul Technical University, University, Buffalo's, Wired, Company Locations: Germany, Ahmedabad, India

☆ Microsoft keyboard users are ‘so devastated’ after discontinuation of accessories
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +10 min

He switched newspapers in 1998 and bought the newer model, the Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite. A study had shown that 22 out of 23 people preferred the geometry of the Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 over the older Microsoft Natural Keyboard Pro. In 2022, he bought a Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard for his house in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and another one for when he was working at a client's office. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards From top to bottom, Matt Steinhoff's home collection includes the Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard he uses every day, a Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Desktop 7000 keyboard someone gave him and his old Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000, which he keeps around as a backup. The model costs $129.99 on Amazon, twice the price of the discontinued Microsoft Ergonomic Keyboard.

Our list of the best student credit cards features two Discover credit cards: the Discover it® Student Cash Back and the Discover it® Student chrome. Compare Discover it Student Cash Back and Student Chrome Discover it® Student Cash BackDiscover it® Student chrome Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Read our review Read Our Review A looong arrow, pointing rightNeither the Discover it® Student Cash Back nor Discover it® Student chrome offer a conventional welcome bonus. In case it's not clear at first glance, the rewards structure offered by the Discover it® Student Cash Back is almost universally preferable to that offered by Discover it® Student chrome. Given the similarities between the Discover it® Student chrome and Discover it® Student Cash Back, a comparison of the two boils down to their different rewards structures, and on that count, the Discover it® Student Cash Back is unequivocally superior.

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Apple's upcoming 'Reality' headset, BookTok drives book sales, and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AI startup cloud deals by Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are ringing "accounting alarm bells" across Silicon Valley over revenue "round-tripping." As Big Tech firms invest in AI startups in exchange for commitments to use their cloud services, some investors question whether those arrangements are artificially inflating cloud revenue growth. A former Apple marketing executive predicts the company's upcoming "Reality" headset risks being "one of the greatest tech flops of all time." How the BookTok phenomenon helped send book sales to an all-time high and reignite a love for reading. Read on to find out more about what you can use the AI app for.

☆ Google is pressing ahead with its plan to kill off cookies. Advertising and privacy groups aren't convinced its cookie alternatives are ready for public consumption.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Google has laid out the latest timeline for its plan to kill off third-party cookies in Chrome. Google will take the next steps in its plan to kill third-party tracking cookies from its Chrome browser, the company said on Thursday. Google has missed previous deadlines to stop supporting third-party cookies in Chrome. Google's blog post also included quotes from adtech companies crediting the tech giant for soliciting feedback from developers who have tested the Privacy Sandbox technology. The Privacy Sandbox proposals have also faced privacy concerns.

The Asus ROG Ally is a brand-new handheld gaming system that's set to hit Best Buy on June 13. On top of all that, the ROG Ally boasts more powerful hardware than even the Steam Deck. Asus plans on releasing two different versions: One with an AMD Z1 Extreme CPU that costs $700, and another with a weaker AMD Z1 chip for $600. Asus ROG Ally Gaming Handheld (Z1 Extreme) The Asus ROG Ally is a handheld gaming PC, running Windows 11. The ROG Ally is a mediocre way to use Windows 11Asus has built the ROG Ally to run Windows 11.

☆ Google is bringing an AI chatbot to search results. Here's what it's like
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

With the update, the look and feel of Google Search results will be noticeably different. Users can now sign up for a waitlist for the new Google Search, which will first launch in the United States, via the Google app or Chrome’s desktop browser. The new Google Search also offers a Perspectives feature to showcase what other people are buying or thinking about, and factoring that into results. Like ChatGPT, the new Google Search and Bard are built on a large language model. Google previously told CNN that Bard would serve as a separate, complementary experience to Google Search, and planned to “thoughtfully” add large language models to search “in a deeper way” at a later time.

☆ Google I/O event: first foldable phone, new tablets and more AI features
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Samantha Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Pixel FoldThe Google Pixel Fold is the company's first foray into foldable phones GoogleGoogle became the latest tech company to unveil a foldable smartphone. Like other foldables, the $1799 Pixel Fold features a vertical hinge that can be opened to reveal a tablet-like display. The Pixel Fold is very much a phone first: when it’s unfolded, it opens up into a 7.6-inch screen, and moves on Google’s custom-built 180-degree hinge. Under the hood, the 11-inch tablet is powered by Google’s Tensor G2 chips, which bring long-lasting battery life and AI features to the device. AI features coming to searchGoogle is also moving forward with plans to bring AI chat features to its core search engine amid a renewed arms race over the technology in Silicon Valley.

☆ Here are 10 AI-powered tools to help boost your productivity at work
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Sarah Jackson | Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

ChatGPT isn't the only AI-powered tool that can help make your job easier. Here are 10 that can help with everything from generating slideshows to writing emails. Tome: Building slide decksIf you make a lot of PowerPoints for work, the app Tome can help you do it faster. Managing your inbox can be a pretty tedious time-suck, but tools like Remail might help you get through emails more efficiently. Brain.fm, an AI-generated music tool, can help users stay on task.

☆ ChatFished: How to Lose Friends and Alienate People With A.I.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Emma Goldberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It is enough time to listen to the Spice Girls’ “Spice” album (40 minutes), Paul Simon’s “Paul Simon” album (42 minutes) and Gustav Mahler’s third symphony (his longest). It is enough time to roast a chicken, text your friends that you’ve roasted a chicken and prepare for an impromptu dinner party. Five hours is about how long many workers spend on email each day. It’s a weird thing, workplace chatter like email and Slack: It’s sometimes the most delightful and human part of the work day. It can also be mind-numbing to manage your inbox — to the extent you might wonder, couldn’t a robot do this?

☆ Microsoft opens up Bing access and adds chat history and export features
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Microsoft said Thursday that it's dispensing with the waiting list it has had in place for the past three months for its revamped Bing search engine, allowing anyone with a Microsoft account to use it. Kumar said the company will provide more details on how developers can build for the Bing chatbot at its Microsoft Build developer conference, which starts on May 23. That means Google has yet to allow people to use the Bing chatbot from Google's dominant Chrome browser. Microsoft includes Edge in its Windows 10 and Windows 11 operating systems, and the default search engine in Edge is Bing. may ruin Alphabet's only real business: Google Search, says CIC Wealth's Malcolm Ethridge

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