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☆ RIP Sports Illustrated. And RIP, magazines.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewSports Illustrated used to be an American cultural touchstone. And sad for a certain kind of media person — like me — who remembers when Sports Illustrated was Really Important. AdvertisementFor people who don't remember that era: In a pre-internet world, Sports Illustrated was many things. In recent years, you were much more likely to read about a scandal or stupid controversy at Sports Illustrated than you were to actually read Sports Illustrated. So feel free to pour one out for Sports Illustrated — both the idea and the actual place where people worked.

Persons: —, John Steinbeck, William Faulkner, Don DeLillo, Gilbert Carrasquillo, who've, it's, Condé Nast, Steve Jobs, DotDash Meredith, Conde Organizations: Service, Sports Illustrated, Business, Authentic Brands, Group, Brands, Sports, Inc, Vogue, Apple, Pitchfork, Google, Facebook Locations: American

☆ Can you watch porn on an Apple Vision Pro? Yes and no.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Apple's Vision Pro goes on sale today. You can still watch porn on a Vision Pro via a web browser. I've asked Apple PR to confirm that the guidelines will extend to apps made specifically for the Vision Pro. (This is why the fact that neither Netflix nor YouTube are making Vision Pro apps is not a big deal — if you want to watch Netflix or YouTube on a Vision Pro, you can do it on a browser). But don't expect to see porn that fully exploits the capabilities of the Vision Pro anytime soon.

Persons: —, Apple, Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, Jobs, I've, it's Organizations: Vision, Service, Apple, Netflix, YouTube

☆ Streaming music is a brutal business. Just ask Spotify.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But streaming music is a really, really hard business to make money in. That's why Spotify has spent so much time and money trying to do things beyond streaming music. These are some of the ventures Spotify has bet on to expand beyond its core business — selling streaming music subscriptions. But the main takeaway you ought to get from reading about Spotify's attempt to do something beyond selling music subscriptions is this one: Spotify really, really wants to do stuff beyond selling music subscriptions. AdvertisementBecause just selling music subscriptions is a really hard business.

Persons: —, they're Organizations: Spotify, Service, Comedy Central, ESPN, Netflix, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Sony, Warner, Merlin

☆ Why constant job cuts could be the new normal for Big Tech
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. A shorter, plain-English version might look like this: "We're a really big company that makes a lot of money and Wall Street wants us to make more. And if that's happening at Google — a company worth close to two trillion dollars — you can expect to see it at other Big Tech companies, too. All of the biggest tech companies would like to have something shiny and new to show off to investors — another growth story. But in any case: Absent a truly breakthrough product, Big Tech is going to look like any other big, established industry — one that periodically lays off workers.

Persons: —, What's, Sundar Pichai, it's, Meta, that's, they're Organizations: Service, Business, Google, Wall, Big Tech, Tech

☆ Why a Supreme Court decision means Apple's App Store is as powerful — and profitable — as ever
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Read previewIf you were scanning headlines yesterday you might have seen something about the Supreme Court forcing Apple to open up its powerful App Store. What yesterday's court decision — and, crucially Apple's response to the decision — means is that Apple's control over its powerful and very profitable App Store remains 100% intact. In 2020, Epic argued that Apple's control of its App Store — and, crucially, the way developers like Epic had to use Apple's App Store to sell "in-app" items like power-ups and other digital goods — was a monopoly. Apple's App Store prints money. In 2021, a US judge announced that games represent 70% of Apple's App Store topline.

Persons: —, Apple, Tim Sweeney, Fortnite — Organizations: Service, Apple, Business, Epic Games, Epic, Big Tech, Meta, Google, European Union, Spotify Locations: EU

☆ Was the NFL's first streaming playoff game a success? We still don't know.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewMost people who wanted to watch the Dolphins-Chiefs playoff game this past weekend had to do so by paying for Peacock, NBCUniversal's streaming service. On Sunday, NBC said the streaming game was a success: Depending on how they measured it, the network said the game averaged an audience of 23 million to 26 million viewers. But we won't really know if the game was a success for NBC until it announces the most important metric: How many people paid for Peacock so they could watch the game? Before Saturday's game, NBCUniversal's parent company, Comcast, had said Peacock had 30 million paid subscribers. But that number will almost certainly determine whether NBC or any other service pays up for a streaming-only playoff game next year.

Persons: —, Peacock, Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce —, NBC hasn't Organizations: Service, Dolphins, Chiefs, NFL, Business, NBC, Travis Kelce — NBC, Comcast Locations: Miami, Kansas City, Paris

☆ Chiefs-Dolphins playoff game on Peacock is a big test for streaming: Will people actually pay?
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

You won't see this weekend's Kansas City Chiefs-Miami Dolphins NFL playoff game on broadcast TV. It's a big change — and a test for Comcast: How many people will actually subscribe to a streamer to watch the NFL? AdvertisementThat's because last year, NBCUniversal paid the NFL $110 million for the rights to a streaming-only playoff game. (One exception: In 2015, cable channel ESPN aired a single playoff game.) At a press call with reporters earlier this week, NFL distribution executive Hans Schroeder wouldn't commit to whether the league would do more streaming-only playoff games next year: "This is a deal for this year, but it's an NFL playoff game.

Persons: — Peacock, It's, —, Taylor Swift, NBCUniversal, hasn't, Peacock, Hans Schroeder wouldn't Organizations: Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins NFL, Comcast, Service, Miami Dolphins, NFL, Business, ESPN, Kansas City, NBC Locations: America, Kansas, Miami

☆ Aaron Rodgers' ESPN ban lasted a full day
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewRemember when the Aaron Rodgers/Pat McAfee/Jimmy Kimmel situation was resolved because Rodgers was no longer going to be on ESPN? Thursday, the NFL quarterback was back on McAfee's ESPN show, commenting on Patriots coach Bill Belichick's departure . But that doesn't really matter. And for a day, at least, that's working out for McAfee and Disney, since Rodgers didn't use his TV time to attack another Disney star. The unanswered question: What happens if Rodgers — or anyone else McAfee books — causes problems for Disney again?

Persons: —, Aaron Rodgers, Pat McAfee, Jimmy Kimmel, Rodgers, Bill Belichick's, McAfee, Disney, Kimmel, Bob Iger, it's, he'll, We've Organizations: Service, ESPN, NFL, Patriots, ABC, Disney, Business, McAfee, Rodgers, Big Time

☆ Disney's Bob Iger needed a win. Pat McAfee just gave him one.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-10 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Disney's Bob Iger got out of a jam with two of his biggest stars: Jimmy Kimmel and Pat McAfee. AdvertisementThere aren't a lot of media moguls who could get out of a jam involving two of their biggest stars and accusations of pedophilia. It's unclear when McAfee intends to bring Rodgers back or if he ever will; ESPN reps declined to comment. One of the reasons is that while Disney and ESPN are reported to be paying McAfee $85 million over five years to bring his daily talk show to ESPN, McAfee isn't a Disney employee. And certainly not one about one of ESPN's biggest stars, who's supposed to represent its path to the future.

Persons: Bob Iger, Jimmy Kimmel, Pat McAfee, ABC's Kimmel, ESPN's McAfee, Iger, —, Pat McAfee —, Aaron Rodgers, Jeffrey Epstein, Epstein, Kimmel, Rodgers, McAfee, Pat McAfee's, Randy Holmes, strafe Kimmel, who's Organizations: Disney, Service, ABC, ESPN, NFL, DR, Wednesday, Super, Pat McAfee's ESPN, ESPN It's, McAfee, Iger, Marvel, — Locations: —

☆ Another Billionaire Finds It's Hard to Run a Newspaper
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Peter Kafka | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Another billionaire is having a hard time with his newspaper. That's because the LA Times is owned by billionaire Patrick Soon-Shiong, and it is losing money; even though Soon-Shiong is a billionaire, even billionaires have limits. Asked for comment, an LA Times spokesperson said that company leaders "don't generally make forward-looking statements about staffing levels and aren't able to comment further at this time." In 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported that Soon-Shiong was considering selling the LA Times itself , but Soon-Shiong said that was not the case. Last fall, for instance, The Washington Post — owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos — one of the richest men in the world — underwent giant staff cuts .

Persons: Patrick Soon, Jeff Bezos's Washington, Warren Buffett, —, Kevin Merida, Patrick, Shiong Axelle, Bauer, Griffin, It's, Shiong, doesn't, Jeff Bezos —, Warren Buffett — Organizations: Los Angeles Times, Jeff Bezos's Washington Post, Service, LA Times, LA, San Diego Union, Tribune, Street Journal, Washington Post, Amazon, Omaha, Alden Global Capital Locations: Merida, San Diego, Berkshire

☆ I went to school in the US and in Spain. My learning felt stagnant in the US, but my social life was fun.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Megan Thorson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

After moving back to the US for high school, I felt like my classes were a joke. When my family moved back to the US, I started my freshman year of high school. And while that learning stagnated a bit in the US, high school was great social fun. High school felt like a joke by comparison. Much of what I learned in my chemistry and algebra classes in high school was a repeat of 8th grade.

Persons: —, I'd, Franz Kafka's, you'd Organizations: Service, AP Locations: Madrid, Spain, British, Atlanta, Georgia

☆ EV charging growth plans slowed by EU's power grid problems
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Julia Payne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

These are due to be implemented in 18 months and include addressing EV charging station power shortages. The ease of building an EV charging hub varies considerably country by country. To do so, it will ban sales of CO2-emitting vehicles from 2035 and wants to develop a network of EV charging stations. "Sometimes we have to send physical mail," said Peter Badik, co-founder of EV charging firm Greenway Network, which has set up 1,300 EV chargers in Slovakia, Croatia and Poland. "There is a clear need for more standardisation (of requirements for charging hubs)," BP's van Dobschuetz added.

Persons: Repsol, It's Kafka, Lucie Mattera, Mattera, Miguel Stilwell de Andrade, Peter Badik, Stefan van Dobschuetz, Dobschuetz, ChargeUp Europe's Mattera, Julia Payne, Alexander Smith Organizations: European Union, European Commission, EV, Reuters, Industry, Greenway Network, BP Pulse, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Germany, Spain, Europe, EU, Slovakia, Croatia, Poland

☆ Marina Abramovic Thinks the Pain of Love Is Hell on Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-29 | by ( David Marchese | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +13 min

Talk Marina Abramovic Thinks the Pain of Love Is Hell on Earth“I’m all for heroism,” Marina Abramovic says. You can find bliss and be happy; you don’t need to be with somebody you don’t love. But if you have unconditional love, general love for the planet, human beings, the rocks, the trees, everything else, this is the love that nourishes. It is important not to fear pain, to understand pain and accept it. You ever have love pain?

Persons: Marina Abramovic, ” Marina Abramovic, “, Katya Tylevich, Abramovic, ” Abramovic, Henri Matisse, Louis Armstrong, Stevie Wonder, Beckett, Kafka, Dostoyevsky, Proust, madeleine, Medici, —, It’s, they’re, Andrew H, Walker, I’ve, I’m, it’s, Ernst Jünger, Basquiat, Long, Hannes Magerstaedt, David Marchese, Alok Vaid, Menon, ordinariness, Joyce Carol Oates, Robert Downey Jr Organizations: Royal Academy of Arts, Marina, Museum, Marvel Locations: London, Belgrade, Ukraine, Israel, Venice, Silicon

OVIEDO, Spain (AP) — For Japanese author Haruki Murakami, the bloody conflict in the Gaza Strip is a horrendous example of how our world is divided by walls, both physical and metaphorical. And I’m also aware that the Palestinian situation that I saw when I visited Israel is miserable,” Murakami told The Associated Press in an interview. “In my novels, walls are real walls. But of course they are also metaphoric walls at the same time,” the 74-year-old writer said. “When I’m writing a novel, my head is filled with bugs, but I still write novels using the brain,” he said.

Persons: Haruki Murakami, “, I’m, ” Murakami, Murakami, Asturias, Princess Leonor de Borbón, Spain's King Felipe VI, Princess, ”, ” “ Kafka, Charlie Parker, Norwegian Jon Fosse, “ I’m, Mari Yamaguchi Organizations: Associated Press, AP, Bird Locations: OVIEDO, Spain, Gaza, Israel, Berlin, Spanish, Oviedo, Friday's, Asturias, Japan, Norwegian, Princesa de Asturias, Tokyo

NEW YORK (AP) — Errol Morris has just sat down with a reporter when his wife calls. The film, which opens Friday in select theaters and on Apple TV+, is based on le Carré's 2016 memoir of the same name. AP: The central, mysterious metaphor of le Carré's, “The Pigeon Tunnel" — a tunnel that funnels pigeons to shotgun-wielding men — looms throughout the film. Morris: I’ve often compared the writing to a Kafka parable, except John le Carré wrote it. I say to (le Carré) at some point: “History is chaos.” And he agrees, “History is chaos.”

Persons: — Errol Morris, “ I’m, ” Morris, ”, Morris, John le Carré, “, “ Tinker, le, David Cornwell, It's, Ed Gein, Robert Bloch’s, Alfred Hitchcock’s, … Morris, It’s, Ed Gein’s, Didn’t Freud, I’ve, Robert McNamara, vindicating, —, Saul Kripke, David, Steve, Bannon Organizations: Apple, Research Locations: British, Waushara County , Wisconsin, Morris

☆ Trump trial judge Arthur Engoron: Who is the quippy, Ivy league-educated judge deciding the fate of Trump's NY business empire?
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Associated Press | Azmi Haroun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

New York City judge Arthur Engoron is presiding over Donald Trump's NY fraud trial. Engoron, a Democrat, has ruled repeatedly against Trump in the three years he's been presiding over James' lawsuit. But asked Friday if he planned to be at the New York trial, Trump said: "I may. In 2013, he was appointed an acting justice of the state's trial court and ran unopposed for a permanent post in 2015. In another ruling, Engoron said New York's review process for new housing "seems like Rube Goldberg, Franz Kafka, and the Marquis de Sade cooked it up over martinis."

Persons: Arthur Engoron, Donald Trump's, he's, James, —, Stevie, Engoron, Trump, Letitia James, frontrunnerwrote, Jean Carroll, He's, Christopher Kise, who've, irreverence, Michael Bloomberg's, Wheatley, Michelle Bernstein Ravenscroft, Bob Dylan, Shakespeare, Marx, Frank Sinatra, — Engoron, Rube Goldberg, Franz Kafka, Marquis, Sade Organizations: Democrat, Trump, ACLU, Service, New, Ivy League, NYS, Trump Organization, White, The Wheatley, New York Mets, Mets, Columbia University, American Civil Liberties Union, New York University, New York, New York City Civil Court Locations: York City, Vietnam, New York City, York, Engoron, Manhattan, New, New York, Queens, East Williston, Long, Old Westbury , New York, Wheatley, Central Park, Trump

But asked Friday if he planned to be at the New York trial, Trump said: “I may. I may.”Engoron, a Democrat, has ruled repeatedly against Trump in the three years he's been presiding over James' lawsuit. He's forced Trump to sit for a deposition, held him in contempt and fined him $110,000. At a hearing in the case last Wednesday, the day after his ruling, Engoron offered “a little bit of New York humor" to break the tension. In 2013, he was appointed an acting justice of the state’s trial court and ran unopposed for a permanent post in 2015.

Persons: —, Arthur Engoron, Stevie, ”, Donald Trump's, Engoron, Trump, Letitia James, James, Jean Carroll, “, he's, He's, ” Trump, Christopher Kise, Engoron's, who’ve, ” Engoron, irreverence, Michael Bloomberg's, ” He’s, Wheatley, Michelle Bernstein Ravenscroft, Bob Dylan, Shakespeare, Marx, Frank Sinatra, Stevie ” —, — Engoron, Rube Goldberg, Franz Kafka, Marquis, Sade, James ’ Organizations: New, Ivy League, Trump, NYS, Trump Organization, Democrat, White, The Wheatley, New York Mets, Mets, Columbia University, American Civil Liberties Union, New York University, New York, New York City Civil Court Locations: Vietnam, New York City, York, Manhattan, New, New York, Queens, East Williston, Long, Old Westbury , New York, Wheatley, Central Park, Trump, Sisak, x.com

☆ Would you let movie studios use an AI likeness of you in exchange for a day's pay? That's what striking actors say was offered to them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Striking actors say studios want full discretion over any digital replacements of background actors. It evoked a recent "Black Mirror" episode in which actors on screen turn out to be digital versions. In the real world, members of the actors' union SAG-AFTRA worry that such a dystopian future may not be far off. He said that the studios had proposed to pay background actors for a day in exchange for companies taking scans that can be used to create their digital likenesses. "Any other use requires the background actor's consent and bargaining for the use, subject to a minimum payment."

Persons: Joan, Salma Hayek, Duncan Crabtree, Crabtree, AFTRA Organizations: Morning, Netflix, SAG, Alliance, Television Producers, Hollywood, Writers Guild of America Locations: Ireland

☆ Felipe Romero Beltrán’s photographs document Spain’s ‘Kafka-esque’ migration system
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-03 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Felipe Romero Beltrán/Courtesy Loose Joints Beltrán's subjects recreate the moment one of them landed on Spain's coast. Felipe Romero Beltrán/Courtesy Loose Joints "The system is built to avoid you, or to deny you access to (it)," Beltrán said. Felipe Romero Beltrán/Courtesy Loose Joints The men are pictured working out and giving one another hair cuts. Felipe Romero Beltrán/Courtesy Loose Joints Beltrán often turned his lens on conditions inside the facility in which the nine migrants lived. Felipe Romero Beltrán/Courtesy Loose Joints "Dialect," published by Loose Joints, is available now.

Persons: Felipe Romero Beltrán’s, Beltrán, ” Beltrán, Felipe Romero Beltrán, Youssef Elhafidi, ” Elhafidi, “, —, ”, “ Authorizations, ‘, Elhafidi Organizations: CNN, “, Spanish, Beltrán, UNHCR Locations: Spain, Seville, Andalucía, Madrid, “, Spanish, Spain's, Morocco, Strait, Gibraltar, Colombia, ”

☆ Summer Book Preview and 9 Thrillers to Read
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

There’s no rule that says you have to read thrillers in the summer — some people gobble them up them year round, while others avoid them entirely and read Kafka on the shore — but on a long, lazy vacation day it’s undeniably satisfying to grab onto a galloping narrative and see where it pulls you. This week, Gilbert Cruz talks to our thrillers columnist Sarah Lyall about some classics of the genre, as well as more recent titles she recommends. “There’s all this commercial pressure on the writers, and when there’s too much pressure on a writer, they can’t really let their imagination go. She’s probably lost a lot of money because of it. She’s probably given up a lot.

Persons: Kafka, Gilbert Cruz, Sarah Lyall, Donna Tartt’s, ” Lyall, “, there’s, Donna Tartt, She’s, Joumana Khatib

☆ DEI Brings Kafka to My Law School
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Scott Gerber | ) 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/dei-brings-kafka-to-my-law-school-ohio-tenure-collegiality-viewpoint-discipline-102d62b8

☆ Six Exercises to Relieve Stiff Hips and Ankles
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-18 | by ( Jen Murphy | Photographs Evan Kafka For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

As we age, we can start to feel like we are made of rust. About 70% of people over age 50 said they experience at least occasional joint pain, according to the 2022 University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging. Decreased range of motion in our joints often causes pain and stiffness, says Bo Hickey , a Huntersville, N.C.-based U.S. Masters swimming coach.

☆ YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki is stepping down
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki is stepping down, the company shared in a blog post Thursday. Chief product officer Neal Mohan will be the new head of YouTube. Wojcicki became CEO in 2014 after moving over from Google. Wojcicki became CEO in 2014, coming from Google, YouTube's parent company. Under her leadership, YouTube launched products like YouTube Gaming, YouTube Music, YouTube Premium, and YouTube TV.

☆ Read the leaked farewell memo Shopify's departing CTO sent staff, praising the founder-led company and its accomplishments
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

I'll be working with the team over the next few weeks to ensure a smooth and efficient transition. All of this is a tiny fraction of our truly incredible work, done by incredible humans. The best way to learn is to read the code, to pair program with Shopifolk inside and outside of your team. I didn't truly understand the impact Shopify has on merchants until I met some in person. I leave you in the capable hands of our leaders, and I know you'll continue to do incredible work.

☆ I'm a writer for "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." It was an incredibly difficult road to get here — here's my advice for other immigrants who want to break into a creative industry.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Eboni Boykin-Patterson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

He says that while being a comedy writer helps him make light of it, the system could be better. Being an immigrant comedy writer or comedian is so absurd. I recently got married to an American comedy writer, and she writes for "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver." Applying to be a late-night writer is a pretty secretive processMost late-night shows will invite you to submit a sample. That spun up "The Colbert Report," and then all the other late-night shows after that always had an opinion on politics.

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