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That meant revenue growth rates were about 5 percentage points lower in April than in the first quarter, he said, referring to a period that saw a sequential drop. Its economy-wary customers aside, Amazon aimed to project confidence for its cloud longer-term. Jassy said the growing adoption of generative AI, which can create text, imagery and other content from past data, represented a huge opportunity for Amazon's cloud. Likewise, Olsavsky told reporters, Amazon had seen no shift in the competitive balance among cloud providers. AWS sales growth slowed to 15.8% in the first quarter.

☆ Amazon to shut down Halo division, lays off some staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 26 (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) said on Wednesday it was shutting down its Halo division that sells health and sleep trackers as the technology giant kicks off wider company layoffs. The company said it will stop supporting Halo services from July 31, and will fully refund Halo devices purchases made in the preceding 12 months. The company had introduced the original Halo band in 2020, which came as a fitness tracker along with a subscription to certain health monitoring and analysis services from Amazon. It later released a new version called Halo View and Halo Rise, a contact-less sleep tracker and smart alarm clock. Heads of Amazon Web Services and the People Experience and Technology team emailed affected staff about the cuts, the company said.

☆ Microsoft's blockbuster Activision deal may be doomed. But the tech giant's future is still bright
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Microsoft 's (MSFT) proposed blockbuster acquisition of video-game publisher Activision Blizzard (ATVI) may be doomed thanks to British regulators. The U.K.'s top antitrust body — the Competition and Markets Authority — said Wednesday that it opposes Microsoft's $69 billion bid because of competition concerns in the budding cloud gaming market. Microsoft's multipart gaming business includes Xbox consoles, cloud-based Xbox Game Pass service and in-house titles, such as the long-running "Halo" series. The CMA's opposition centered on competition concerns in the burgeoning world of cloud gaming, which Jefferies analysts estimate is less than 2% of the overall gaming market. Cloud gaming enables players to, essentially, stream video games without having to buy a physical console.

Amazon will no longer sell its Halo health and fitness tracker, the company announced Wednesday. Amazon will stop supporting Halo devices and the Halo app on July 31. "At Amazon, we think big, experiment, and invest in new ideas like Amazon Halo in our efforts to delight customers," the company said. "While we are proud of what we built, we recently made the difficult decision to stop supporting Amazon Halo effective July 31, 2023." The company said it will refund any purchases made in the last year of Halo View, Halo Band, Halo Rise and Halo accessory bands.

☆ How moving food from farm to table puts global supply chain logistics to extreme tests
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Cargill With Insider Studios | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Regional conflicts like the invasion of Ukraine have had far-reaching global consequences, impacting global food supply and food security. Prior to the war, Ukraine could produce enough food to feed 400 million people per year. To keep food growing and moving in the region, operators like Cargill must rely on critical data, partnerships, and dedicated employees. Farmer livelihoods and the rebuilding of Ukraine's agriculture economy are also critical to ensure ongoing global food systems and security. Click here for more information about Cargill's efforts to address needs of the food supply chain in Ukraine and around the world.

☆ Juice mission launches to explore Jupiter’s icy ocean worlds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The European Space Agency has sent a spacecraft to explore Jupiter and three of its largest and most intriguing moons. The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission, or Juice, launched Friday at 8:14 a.m. Toward the end of the mission, Juice will focus solely on orbiting Ganymede, making it the first spacecraft ever to orbit a moon in the outer solar system. The Juice mission was designed to unravel what takes place as Jupiter interacts with its moons, including auroras, hot spots, radio emissions and waves of charged particles. Given the eventual distance between the spacecraft and Earth, it will take 45 minutes to send a one-way signal to Juice.

☆ The Juice mission will soon launch to Jupiter’s icy ocean worlds
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission, or Juice, was expected to lift off Thursday at 8:15 a.m. European Space AgencyGanymede, Callisto and Europa are ice-covered worlds that may contain subsurface oceans that are potentially habitable for life. European Space Agency“With Juice, we want to confirm there’s liquid water in these moons, confirm their heat sources. Testing and modeling of Jupiter’s radiation belts allowed engineers to prepare for what Juice will encounter. Given the eventual distance between the spacecraft and Earth, it will take 45 minutes to send a one-way signal to Juice.

☆ 'Human-grade' dog food is on the rise, as pet owners ditch traditional kibble in favor of high-end brands promising health benefits
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Pet owners are giving up typical kibble for food that more closely matches a human diet. According to a new report from The New York Times, pet owners are giving up dry food, and in many cases even canned food, in favor of nourishment that more closely resembles a human diet. Companies like The Farmer's Dog and Ollie have led the charge, marketing high-end dog food to pet owners and calling it "human-grade," according to the Times. But in the eyes of some pet experts, the new trend is little more than a gimmick looking to disrupt an industry where pet food has been tested by decades of use and research. Still, for many pet owners, human-grade food seems like a strong option to keep their dogs healthy, and show that they care about their pets' health and diet.

Microsoft will release a Diablo IV Xbox Series X bundle alongside the game's launch on June 6. The $560 bundle includes an Xbox Series X console and a copy of Diablo IV for a small discount. The $560 Diablo IV bundle will include a standard Xbox Series X, a digital copy of Diablo IV, and multiple digital preorder bonuses. Xbox Series X Diablo IV Bundle This bundle includes a standard Xbox Series X console, a digital copy of Diablo IV, and special in-game rewards. Where to preorder the Diablo IV Xbox Series X bundleThe Diablo IV Xbox Series X bundle will be released alongside the game on June 6, and preorders are available now at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy.

The premium OLED TV uses quantum dots, an advanced color tech that Samsung also uses in its QLED TVs. New 2023 Samsung OLED TVs are just starting to hit the market, but they're considerably more expensive than the S95B. Deal Samsung 65-inch S95B OLED 4K TV Samsung's high-end 4K OLED TV uses quantum dots to achieve some of the best color performance on the market. Steven Cohen/InsiderLike other Samsung TVs, the S95B uses the Tizen operating system rather than interfaces like Roku, Fire TV, or Android TV. AmazonThe Samsung S95B is an excellent buy for anyone who wants a high-end TV under $2,000.

☆ Another SEAL parachuting death highlights the inherent danger of US special operators' go-to infiltration method
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Deadly accidentsNaval Special Warfare operators perform a free-fall jump in Alaska in September. The incident, which likely happened during as part of a pre-deployment workup, is still under investigation, according to Naval Special Warfare Command. Despite that danger, however, free-fall parachuting is also extremely valuable as an insertion method for special-operations units. The Navy SEAL community — especially the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, formerly known as SEAL Team 6 — is well-versed in free-fall operations. Most US special-operations units have recognized the value of free-fall parachuting and have incorporated it into their training.

☆ Farmers in Ukraine are forced to dig up land mines by hand to save their livelihoods: 'I don't have any other choice'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-27 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian farmers face a hard choice: another year without income or clearing land mines themselves. Around a third of Ukraine is contaminated by land mines. Around a third of Ukraine is currently contaminated by unexploded munitions, CNN reported, including vast stretches of farmland. He told CNN: "I don't have any other choice." But because one day of war generally equals several months of clearance work, it could take years to clear the country of unexploded munitions.

☆ Image from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope reveals a rare star preparing to explode and die in a supernova
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | Jessica Orwig | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope captured a star getting ready to die in stunning detail. The image shows a rare Wolf-Rayet star, expelling its outer layers in the phase before a supernova. A Wolf-Rayet star is "among the most luminous, most massive, and most briefly-detectable stars known," according to NASA. Webb helps investigate a dusty cosmic mysteryThat cosmic dust is of great interest to astronomers. An artist's conception of the James Webb Space Telescope.

☆ Nike is facing a PR nightmare as Kyrie Irving, Ja Morant, and now Tom Sachs face scandals – but experts say partnerships with celebs and athletes will never go away
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Matthew Kish | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Curbed published a blistering story about Tom Sachs, a Nike collaborator, this week. As long as companies have partnered with celebrities, some endorsement deals have run aground, said Coresight Research CEO and founder Deborah Weinswig. Longtime sportswear industry analyst Matt Powell, who recently founded Spurwink River, said endorsement deals are "fraught with peril." "I thought for a while that brands were moving away from real celebrity endorsements," he told Insider. "We're talking about a very, very small percentage of celebrities who get endorsement deals who have that halo effect," Herzog said.

☆ Some brands are 'slack-filling' to cleverly disguise how much product you actually get
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

There's a name for that empty part of the packaging: slack-fill. Dworsky suggested that some brands used slack-fill to deliberately mislead shoppers into thinking they're getting more product than they really are. The firm noted that these lawsuits are generally dismissed, in part because it's hard to prove that slack fill is nonfunctional. Halo Top and Mondelez have been unsuccessfully sued over slack-fill, too, lawsuits viewed by Insider show. But slack-fill lawsuits aren't always dismissed.

REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File PhotoMarch 6 (Reuters) - American carmakers will lean on technology to keep the horsepower wars going among their electric muscle cars, a tectonic shift from the big, rumbling motors of the past. GM and Dodge have both issued timelines to stop selling gas-powered muscle cars and replace them with electric variants that will wear the same badges. Dodge's Charger and Challenger muscle cars will not be made next year, while Chevrolet has laid out plans for an electric Corvette. Brands such as Polestar and Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE) have announced optional power upgrades to their sedans that improve acceleration and total horsepower via paid OTA (over-the-air) software updates. Dodge has said it will transition its muscle cars to an electric platform, and is working to differentiate those models.

☆ OnePlus just unveiled a new concept phone equipped with cryogenic liquid to keep it cool
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Chinese tech company OnePlus has unveiled a new concept phone at MWC 2023. The OnePlus 11 Concept boasts a new eye-catching cryogenic cooling system. The new OnePlus 11 Concept pairs PC-grade cooling technology with the design of high-end watches. Tasmin Lockwood/InsiderThere's no doubt that the OnePlus 11 Concept was designed to show off the system. The OnePlus 11 Concept has three camera lenses in the same style as other OnePlus 11 models.

☆ Hasbro keeps expectations low for the start of 2023, but sees turnaround coming
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Hasbro said it expects revenue for the year to decline in the low-single digits, percentage-wise, which missed Wall Street's expectations. But despite its confidence, the company underperformed in consumer product sales for its fourth quarter. The company announced on Thursday that Magic: The Gathering is on track to be its first billion-dollar brand. Pandemic disruption to its film productions also meant delaying a key revenue stream that had helped buoy sagging product sales. This is the first full quarter since Hasbro announced its three-year turnaround plan in October.

☆ You might not find as many chocolates in that last-minute Valentine's Day gift box as you did last year — blame 'slack-filling'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-11 | by ( Aidan Pollard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Federal regulations prohibit slack filling, but some claim its happening with Valentine's Day candy, the Washington Post reported. Valentine's Day candy prices have gone up nearly 10%, according to the Post. Federal regulations prohibit companies from over-packaging goods, and even refer to the practice of slack-filling by name. Still, some consumers say the practice of slack-filling chocolates seems to continue unabated in the Valentine's Day candy aisles of grocery and convenience stores. "You used to get a box of candy and it was packed with the candy, one right next to the other."

☆ 2023 Alpine A110 South Beach Edition: A Rally Racer Revived
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Dan Neil | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

PINK MARTINI The Alpine A110 is a two-seat coupe with aluminum chassis and body weighing only 2,430 pounds. Powered by a mid-mounted 1.8-liter turbocharged engine (252 hp) and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, the rear-drive A110 can hit 62 mph in 4.5 seconds. I STOOD in the parking lot of my hotel near Heathrow, in falling snow, amazed by the Alpine A110 South Beach Edition that had been left for me. Then it dawned on me: “The South Beach Edition.” Oof! The halo car for Renault ’s premium-performance Alpine brand, the two-seat, mid-engine A110 went on sale in 2017 and is often favorably compared to Porsche ’s fabulous 718 Cayman.

☆ How Paramount+ is punching above its weight with Stallone, Showtime, and reinvented library shows like CBS' 'Criminal Minds' and MTV's 'Teen Wolf'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access) is beefing up by bringing sister network Showtime into the fold. "The shows with rich, deep libraries are the ones that get a lot of consumption," said Paramount+ streaming chief Tanya Giles. But Paramount+ (formerly CBS All Access) is beefing up by bringing sister network Showtime into the fold — rebranding both the Showtime cable network and the streamer as Paramount+ With Showtime. Paramount+ is also building upon its library with originals: The streamer recently revived "Criminal Minds," which aired on CBS for 15 seasons. In anticipation of "Criminal Minds: Evolution," viewership of the original CBS "Criminal Minds" jumped 46%, a Paramount+ spokeperson shared with Insider.

☆ I tried to see the green comet and totally failed. I needed more planning and equipment than I expected.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

I tried to see the famous green comet in the night skies, far from the city, last weekend. The moon outshined most of the stars, and I couldn't locate the faint comet, even with binoculars. I've heard (and written) a lot of hype about this comet, called C/2022 E3 (ZTF), or Comet ZTF for short. Morgan McFall-JohnsenIf I had spotted the green comet, there's no way I would've been able to capture it on my iPhone X. Who knows, maybe I looked right at the green comet and didn't recognize it because it was too faint.

☆ Can't get enough of Showtime's 'Billions'? Get ready for 'Trillions'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Travis Clark | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Showtime is making spinoffs of some of its biggest shows, like "Billions" and "Dexter." It reflects its owner Paramount's larger content strategy of doubling down on franchises. Showtime is planning to make up to four spinoffs of "Billions," including "Millions" and "Trillions." The plan reflects Paramount's larger content strategy of doubling down on its biggest hits and expanding them into franchises. Showtime content is being fully integrated within Paramount+, and some Paramount+ originals will air on Showtime linear programming.

WASHINGTON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Ticketmaster is preparing to sell tickets for Beyonce's first tour in six years in a different way, hoping to avoid a repeat of last year's Taylor Swift debacle. Ticketmaster tweeted on Thursday that the demand to register for a chance to buy tickets for concerts in the nine cities in Group A, whose registration closed on Friday, exceeded the number of tickets by more than 800%. The North American leg of Beyonce's tour opens in Toronto on July 8 and closes in New Orleans on Sept. 27, according to the Ticketmaster website. After loud complaints from Taylor Swift fans, the company blamed more than 3.5 billion requests from fans, bots and scalpers for its overwhelmed website. On Thursday, the Judiciary Committee retweeted a news report about the Beyonce tour announcement and tweeted to @Ticketmaster, "We're watching."

☆ Why Hollywood's tech evangelists are bullish on NFTs and Web3 storytelling, even after the FTX scandal tarnished blockchain's rep
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Elaine Low | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Amid the FTX scandal and declining NFT sales, Web3 chatter has grown quieter in Hollywood. But proponents of NFTs and Web3 storytelling are betting on the tech's entertainment potential. Hollywood's evangelists of Web3 — the decentralized, blockchain-based future of the web that includes crypto and NFTs — were out in full force. She has worked to distance the creative and storytelling potential of NFTs and other blockchain-based technologies from the cowboy rep of the digital currency world. "I'm excited about moving Web3, blockchain technologies past sort of the hype cycle that we've seen with digital collectibles and NFTs," Greg Reed, Universal Pictures' VP of technology partnerships, told Variety.

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