DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

☆ Rare purple pigment found in Bronze Age pottery
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-29 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CPA Media Pte Ltd/Alamy Stock PhotoAncient Greeks and the Romans considered Tyrian purple, first developed in the Bronze Age, an elite, royal color. But the recipe for the long-lasting pigment, made using Mediterranean sea snails, disappeared with the fall of the Byzantine Empire. Now, researchers have found the precious pigment within pottery fragments containing 3,600-year-old purple dye from a Bronze Age workshop in Kolonna on the Greek island of Aegina. Life for a vulnerable child in the Stone Age would have been difficult because Neanderthals moved from place to place. Meanwhile, the agency has selected SpaceX to design a vehicle that will drag the space station out of orbit at the end of the decade when it ceases operations and plummets into the ocean.

Persons: Jesus Christ, Down, paleoanthropologist Mercedes Conde, Valverde, ” Conde, Trent Sugg, Tracy Dyson, NASA’s OSIRIS, REx, China’s, NASA’s, Mars, Emin Yogurtcuoglu, —, — Wood, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, CPA Media, University of Alcalá, NASA, Collins Aerospace, Boeing, SpaceX, Anadolu Agency, Getty, CNN Space, Science Locations: Byzantine Empire, Kolonna, Aegina, Spain, “, Iceland, Rainier, Washington, Kyrenia

☆ Kyrenia shipwreck has a new estimate for the year it sank, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —A lone diver first laid eyes on the ancient Kyrenia shipwreck off the north coast of Cyprus nearly 60 years ago. The authors of a new study dated almonds found aboard the Kyrenia ship to find a new estimated range of years for when the ancient vessel's last voyage took place. Dating a Hellenistic-era shipTwo main obstacles stood in the way of achieving a high-precision age estimate for the Kyrenia shipwreck, according to Manning. The Kyrenia ship's hull is seen shortly after it was raised from the seabed and reassembled. Kyrenia Ship Excavation“Part of the value of this story is about process.

Persons: CNN —, —, Andreas Cariolou, Michael Katzev, “, ”, Sturt Manning, Manning, ” Manning, you’ve, it’s, Mark Lawall, Lawall, ” Lawall Organizations: CNN, Cornell University, Northern Hemisphere, University of Manitoba Locations: Kyrenia, Cyprus, New York, Winnipeg

☆ I spent thousands renovating a 2,000-square-foot home — but these 5 cheap upgrades actually made the biggest difference
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Katie Cline | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

We spent thousands and flexed our HGTV muscles in every corner of that house, but looking back, I'd say these five cheap upgrades made the biggest difference. Jessica Ulysses GrantPeel-and-stick wallpapers couldn't be easier to install, and the busy patterns are extremely forgiving of uneven walls. Jessica Ulysses GrantThe diverse range of patterns available ensures there is something to suit every taste, every room, and every home. A fresh coat of white paint is an instant facelift for an old houseA coat of paint can make a world of difference in a home. Jessica Ulysses GrantI worked in the hotel industry for many years, so I know how important a good bed is.

Persons: —, we'd, Lake George —, Jessica Ulysses Grant Peel, Jessica Ulysses Grant, Twig, Herringbone, HomeAdvisor, Behr, Jessica Ulysses Grant I'm, Costco's Organizations: Service, Business, Plaid, Sealy Locations: George, Lake, Airbnb, Gliderite, Italian, Kohl's

☆ 5 tips to turn your anxiety into a positive force
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-02 | by ( Andrea Kane | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Most have experienced this sort of anxiety — not clinical anxiety, which might result in a full-on panic attack, but the run-of-the-mill kind that leaves you feeling uncomfortable. She is also the author of “Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion.”“The misunderstanding is that it is valuable,” Suzuki said. 1 reason to learn how to modulate that stress response.”The first step toward getting to “good” anxiety, Suzuki said, is learning how to lower your level of everyday anxiety. To enhance productivity and reduce worry, transform your anxious what-if list into a productive to-do list, Suzuki advised. “This simple act can release dopamine and improve your own mood.”We hope these five tips help you turn your anxiety into something more productive.

Persons: Sanjay Gupta, —, Wendy Suzuki, “, ‘, ’ ”, Suzuki, ” Suzuki, ”, Deepak Chopra, Wendy Organizations: CNN, New York University, school’s College of Arts and Science

☆ Live Updates: Scripps National Spelling Bee Will Crown a New Champion
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Emmett Lindner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Tarini Nandakumar of Austin, Texas, competing Tuesday in a preliminary round of this year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee. The Scripps National Spelling Bee brings together more than 200 of the top elementary school spellers in the United States in a rigorous, three-day competition. Credit... Evelyn Hockstein/ReutersIn a recent regional spelling bee where he secured a place at Scripps, he was asked to spell brume. Bee week is quite the bash. Tarini, who also studies classical Indian dance and singing, advised Scripps newcomers not to stress.

Persons: Tarini, Logan Edwards, Logan, Pranav Nandakumar, Vanathi Senthurkani, ” Logan, Evelyn Hockstein, brume, “, ”, Sasha Kenlon, Scripps Organizations: Scripps, Spelling, Merriam, Webster, Texas, M University, ., Reuters, Washington, 173rd, 192nd Locations: Austin , Texas, United States, Rock , Texas, Greer, S.C, South Carolina, North Africa, Park City , Utah

☆ A frog was found with mushroom sprouting from its side, leaving scientists baffled
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A tiny frog baffled scientists by growing a mushroom on its side. Whether the frog continued to live with the mushroom on its side will remain a mystery. Rao's intermediate golden-backed frog is a small frog that is endemic to India. "When I first observed the frog with the mushroom, I was amazed and intrigued by the sight," Lohit told CNN. "To the best of our knowledge, never has a mushroom sprouting from the flank of a live frog been documented," the authors said in their paper.

Persons: Lohit, C Maliye, Matthew Smith, Smith, he'd, Alyssa Wetterau Kaganer, Karthikeyan Vasudevan, Kaganer Organizations: Service, CNN, New York Times, University of Florida, Times, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory, Centre, Cellular Locations: India, Telangana

☆ A frog in India has a mushroom sprouting out of it. Researchers have never seen anything like it
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The prognosis of the frog with the mushroom hitchhiker is unknown, but there are a handful of theories as to the cause of its condition. Therefore, something like this is interesting and should be followed up with observations and screening of frogs,” Vasudevan said in an email. Initially, Vasudevan had thought the mushroom was stuck on the frog’s skin rather than a growth, but photos of the critter convinced him otherwise. “It is indeed the case of a live mushroom on a live frog,” Vasudevan said. The disease has been observed in low levels in all the frog hotspots across India, the authors of the new note wrote.

Persons: —, ”, Lohit, mycologists, Alyssa Wetterau Kaganer, ” Kaganer, Kaganer, Karthikeyan Vasudevan, Vasudevan, ” Vasudevan, it’ll Organizations: CNN, World Wildlife Fund, India, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Laboratory, Centre, Cellular Locations: Karnataka, India, Bengaluru, Kerala, Telangana

☆ Getting Ready for the Worst. Just in Case.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-19 | by ( Will Higginbotham | Marlena Sloss | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the chilly dusk on a recent Saturday, nine people were creeping through the California hills. Their faces were painted in shades of green, yellow, brown and black, so that they blended into their surroundings. Moving uphill through thickets of trees, they tried to be silent, as if not to draw the attention of some unseen enemy. They were conscious of every breath, every dry leaf that crunched underfoot, every snapped twig. They were just civilians — biotech workers, a masseuse, an entrepreneur — who had decided to spend a weekend preparing themselves for a war, societal collapse or some other calamity.

Persons: —, Jessie Krebs Organizations: U.S . Air Force Locations: California, U.S

☆ 2 cicada broods are popping up together for the first time in 221 years — and they'll meet in Illinois
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Hannah Getahun | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Two broods of periodical cicadas are emerging simultaneously for the first time in 221 years. That's because two broods of periodical cicadas — Broods XIII and XIX — will emerge from their underground lairs simultaneously for the first time in 221 years. Brood XIX will predominantly appear in southern states, while Brood XIII will appear in a small section of the Midwest — mainly Illinois. Unlike annual cicadas, periodical cicadas spend years in their underground rooms like brooding teenagers (is that why they're called broods?) In the case of the next two emerging broods, Brood XIII emerges every 17 years, while Brood XIX emerges every 13 years.

Persons: —, Lewis, Clark, Thomas Jefferson, Hype, Instagram, Brood, Gene Kritsky, Jessee Smith, I've, Kritsky, they're, it's, cicada, you've Organizations: Service, Business, Joseph University, Southern Locations: Illinois, Chicago, Louisiana, Marbury, Madison, Lake, Mount St

☆ Climate tech startups Montinutra, Harvest Thermal, Bisly, and Twig recently raised a combined $13.6 million. We got a look at the pitch decks they used to raise the funds.
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Climate tech startups Montinutra, Harvest Thermal, Bisly, and Twig have recently raised a collective $13.6 million between them as early-stage deals continue to dominate the venture capital industry. Biochemicals startup Montinutra, founded in 2018, raised 2 million euros, $2.1 million, in October to convert forestry sidestreams into sustainable alternatives to petrochemicals. Check out the 18-slide pitch deck below:MontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraMontinutraHeat pump startup Harvest Thermal raised $4 millionCalifornia-based Harvest Thermal raised a $4 million round for its heat pump and thermal storage combination in October. It is riding political tailwinds amid the US' recent commitment to install 20 million heat pumps by 2030. Check out the redacted pitch deck that it used to raise the funds below:Harvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest Thermal Harvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalHarvest ThermalBuilding energy management startup Bisly secured $3.8 millionEstonian startup Bisly, which wants to make it cheaper to improve the energy efficiency of buildings, just raised 3.6 million euros, $3.8 million, in seed funding in October.

Persons: Twig, Pajunen, Portfolia, Russ Tucker Organizations: Metsä, Earth Foundry, Climate Partners, Starshot, National Science Foundation, California Energy Commission, International Energy Agency, Aconterra, Second Century Ventures, SmartCap, Fund, Pinorena, Innovation, Seed Fund Locations: California, London

☆ Food production is accelerating the climate crisis, but AI and other emerging technologies could turn things around
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-07 | by ( Hazel Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Many common consumer food products are derived from fossil fuels. AdvertisementAdvertisementMultinational consumer food brands, including the fast-food giants McDonald's and Burger King, are under increasing pressure to decarbonize their supply chains and meet global net-zero and ESG goals. Many common ingredients used in consumer products are derived from fossil fuels or produced through unsustainable farming methods. AdvertisementAdvertisementHoxton Farms, a London-based biotech company, is working on creating cultivated fat as a sustainable alternative to traditional animal fats. Regulatory challenges and the path forwardWhile the potential for sustainable and alternative food products is promising, regulatory challenges exist.

Persons: —, Twig, Russ Tucker, Tucker, Ed Steele, Steele, Shivin Kohli, Kohli Organizations: Service, Department, Agriculture, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, USDA, Access Locations: Burger, Hoxton, London

☆ We left Florida because our homeowners insurance ballooned to $12,000. We walked away from everything we knew so our kids could have a future.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

They fled to Wisconsin after their homeowners insurance premium doubled, seeing no end in sight. Natalia: In 2016 my husband and I purchased the home I grew up in in Plantation, Florida, from my parents. After the roof, we got a quote from the statewide insurance, Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. AdvertisementAdvertisementIt was just kind of like you're walking, you're walking, you're walking with your head down, and then when you finally look up, you realize you're lost. John: We haven't paid insurance yet, but all our neighbors tell us that insurance is about $1,200 a year.

Persons: Natalia, John, It's, we're, FPL Organizations: Service, Property Insurance Corporation, Florida Power, Wisconsin Dells, . Wisconsin, Olive Photography Locations: Florida, Wisconsin, Wall, Silicon, Plantation , Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Dell Prairie , Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Miami, That's, Dell, Plantation, South Florida, ., . Wisconsin Dells , Wisconsin, Disney

☆ Defiant Ukrainian TV star poses for Playboy in an armored bikini after being shot and losing an eye in the war
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Ukrainian TV presenter lost an eye and in a suspected assassination attempt last year. She mounted a comeback, appearing on the cover of Playboy in an armored bikini and eye patch. The issue is dedicated to the resilience of Ukrainian women who injured during the war. Clad in an armored bikini and eye patch, Bilotserkovets appeared on the cover of the first edition of Playboy Ukraine to print since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Playboy Ukraine said in a statement that Bilotserkovets was featured as part of their "Women Stay Strong" edition.

Persons: Iryna Bilotserkovets, Bilotserkovets, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Fighting Organizations: Playboy, Service, British, Kyiv, Telegraph Locations: Ukrainian, Wall, Silicon, Kyiv, Playboy Ukraine, Russia, Russian, Ukraine

☆ ‘The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart’ Review: The Right Kind of Melodrama
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Mike Hale | More About Mike Hale | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The title of the new Amazon offering “The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart,” with its echo of V.C. Andrews’s Gothic novels of family calamity, is a case of truth in advertising. “Lost Flowers” is a reminder that when it is handled with skill, sophistication and a measure of restraint, melodrama can be as satisfying as any other style of storytelling. June is one pole of a story in which the keeping of shameful family secrets is the foundation of tragedy. The other pole is Alice, who is a child when we first see her (played by Alyla Browne) and knows nothing about June, her grandmother.

Persons: Alice Hart, Holly Ringland, Sigourney Weaver, Leah Purcell, Frankie Adams, Alice, Alyla Browne, Savage Locations: Thornhill, June’s

☆ Opinion: ‘Dear Canada…’ an American firefighter’s heartfelt letter to north of the border
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Opinion Clare Frank | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

This means agencies creating the wildland-urban interface or WUI — where human settlements meet the natural environment — are not ultimately responsible for protecting it. By my fifth year in firefighting, I’d seen plenty of wildfires and structure fires, and wildfires threatening structures. As we convoyed in, a battalion chief instructed each engine company, “If it’s not savable, leapfrog to the next house. Smoke rises from the Texas Creek wildfire south of Lillooet, British Columbia, Canada, on July 9. In this banner year, some are crying for Canada to form a national fire department.

Persons: Clare Frank, Read, Cynthia Smalley, nature’s, partiers, leapfrog, Luis Ascui, they’d, ember, Smokey Bear, “, it’s, Canada’s Organizations: CNN, CNN —, Del, Getty, Australia, Service, Reuters, Twitter, Facebook Locations: California’s, United States, Pebble Beach , California, Del Monte Forest, Kinglake, Victoria, Australia, Canada, Texas, Lillooet, British Columbia, California, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy, France

☆ Nasim Alikhani Brings the Flavors of Iran to America
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Emily Bobrow | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Nasim Alikhani says she was a 23-year-old “twig of a girl” when she left her war-torn home in Iran, arriving alone in New Jersey in 1983. Poor and disoriented, she commuted to Queens College to study English and threw herself into the cheap comforts of American fast food. “There was a McDonald’s and a Dunkin’ Donuts right next to the college, and you could pay a dollar for this massive bucket of fries,” she recalls. Yet she soon found her new diet unsustainable: “I gained about 20 pounds in a month.”

Persons: Nasim Alikhani, ” Organizations: Queens College Locations: Iran, New Jersey

☆ Clandestine Ukrainian unit claims successes against Russian forces in Bakhmut
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Sam Kiley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Because Kyiv region, Chernihiv region, Sumy region are forested areas. An aerial view of a battle field with damaged Russian tanks near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Saturday, May 27, 2023. Brabus and his group, all former soldiers with specialist skills, coalesced around an ex-officer from the Ukrainian forces after Russia's invasion. He said that signals intelligence suggested that Russian units were being swapped over. Ukrainian Armed Forces/ReutersSince Brabus and his group were in Bakhmut, there appears to have been growing anarchy among Russian commanders.

Persons: Brabus, Vladimir Putin, ”, –, “, wasn’t, Yevgeny Prighozhin’s Wagner, He’s, Wagner Organizations: Eastern, Eastern Ukraine CNN, Russian Volunteer Force, Russia Legion, “, NATO, CNN, intel, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Reuters, Russian 72nd Brigade Locations: Eastern Ukraine, Russia, Ukraine, Kyiv, Chernihiv region, Sumy, balaclava, Bakhmut, Donetsk, Russian, “, Zaporizhzhia

☆ Exclusive: TripActions has filed confidentially for an IPO, targeting a $12 billion valuation, a rare exception in the frozen IPO market
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Ben Bergman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

TripActions, which was last valued at $7.25 billion, aims to modernize business travel. Founded in 2015 by Ariel Cohen and Ilan Twig, the Palo Alto-based company helps businesses manage travel, company cards and expenses for employees. At the time, Cohen said TripActions had originally planned to go public this year but delayed those plans when the market went south. TripActions raised $275 million in series F funding last fall at a $7.25 billion valuation in a deal led by Greenoaks. Andreessen Horowitz first invested in TripActions in 2018, when it led the company's series C funding round at a $1.1 billion valuation.

Search resuls for: "Twig"

18 mentions found