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☆ Samsung unveils new Galaxy smartphone lineup with powerhouse camera
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The new lineup, which includes the 6.8-inch Galaxy S23 Ultra, 6.6-inch Galaxy S23+, and 6.1-inch Galaxy S23, look similar to last year’s models, but with new photo features, a longer lasting battery life (with faster charging speeds) and an exclusive chip. The cameras on the Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23 even have a subtle new look: the contour housing has been removed, which Samsung said marks a new era of design. The Galaxy S23 Ultra’s display comes with a reduced curvature to create a larger and flatter surface intended to improve the visual experience. Galaxy S23 Ultra, which comes with Samsung’s signature S pen, will start at $1,199.99, while the Galaxy S23+ starts at $999.99 and Galaxy S23 starts at $799.99. “The Galaxy S23 family demonstrates just how hard it is to tell a new story in today’s smartphone market,” said Leo Gebbie, principal analyst at CCS Insight.

☆ Mobile phone, PC shipments to fall again in 2023, Gartner says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Supantha Mukherjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

STOCKHOLM, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Shipments of personal computers and mobile phones are expected to fall for the second straight year in 2023, with phone shipments slumping to a decade low, IT research firm Gartner said on Tuesday. Mobile phone shipments are projected to fall 4% to 1.34 billion units in 2023, down from 1.40 billion units in 2022, Gartner said. That was close to the 2009 shipments level when Blackberry and Nokia phones were the market leaders as Apple tried to dent their dominance. The mobile phone market peaked in 2015 when shipmentstouched 1.9 billion units. Personal computer shipments are expected to slide 6.8% this year after falling 16% in 2022, the research firm said.

☆ ChatGPT creator rolls out ‘imperfect’ tool to help teachers spot potential cheating
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Two months after OpenAI unnerved some educators with the public release of ChatGPT, an AI chatbot that can help students and professionals generate shockingly convincing essays, the company is unveiling a new tool to help teachers adapt. OpenAI on Tuesday announced a new feature, called an “AI text classifier,” that allows users to check if an essay was written by a human or AI. Public schools in New York City and Seattle have already banned students and teachers from using ChatGPT on the district’s networks and devices. OpenAI now joins a small but growing list of efforts to help educators detect when a written work is generated by ChatGPT. Some companies such as Turnitin are actively working on ChatGPT plagiarism detection tools that could help teachers identify when assignments are written by the tool.

But Mr. Musk’s Twitter feed is often an echo chamber. 48 hours of Elon Musk’s tweets Circles representing Musk’s tweets are sized by the total retweets, likes, replies and quote tweets in response to what he posted. A chart of Mr. Musk’s original tweets, replies and quote tweets over a two-day period in November. A website tracking Mr. Musk’s private jet movement suggested that he traveled away from San Francisco around that time. Shareholders are now also seeking billions of dollars in damages in a lawsuit after Mr. Musk’s takeover proposal never materialized.

☆ Premarket stocks: Is this the beginning of the end for Big Oil's windfall?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Brutally high oil and gas prices were the talk of the town and one of the largest contributing factors to sky-high inflation. That was bad news for drivers, but ended up being great for the energy industry as oil prices and energy stocks are closely interlinked. As markets fell under the pressures of economic uncertainty, geopolitical chaos, elevated inflation and a hawkish Fed, the energy sector thrived. The S&P ended 2022 down nearly 20%, while the energy sector grew by about 60%. But analysts say US oil companies can’t keep winning for much longer.

☆ A Chinese invasion of Taiwan is a real and dangerous possibility that could wreck armies and ruin the global economy worse than the 1929 stock market crash
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-29 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Experts say the military and economic impacts for could be catastrophic, and not just for China and Taiwan. Whether it's 2030, 2027, 2025, or even this year, experts say it could wreak havoc on the global economy and take a devastating toll on the militaries involved. CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty ImagesThough China's actions have stirred fears of a possible Chinese attack, the US military assesses that an invasion of Taiwan would prove extremely difficult for the Chinese military. Threats to one company could spell catastropheLooking at this situation from an economic perspective, a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could mean trillions of dollars in losses and a serious global recession. Others have argued it's in the self interest of both China and the United State to overplay the likelihood of a Taiwan invasion.

☆ France produced 2 of the world's oldest people: Here's what the French do differently to stay healthy
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Most people are lucky to live to 100, but two women lived far beyond that, joining the ranks of the world's oldest people — and they're both from France. Jeanne Calment is believed to be the world's oldest person on record, gracing the Earth for 122 years. And recently, a French nun named Sister André was the oldest person in the world until Jan. 17, when she passed at the age of 118. It's hard to pinpoint what exactly helps people live beyond age 100, considering the varying behaviors of supercentenarians, says Jean-Marie Robine, an expert demographer who studies the relationship between health and longevity. Here are some reasons why people from The Hexagon tend to have some bonus years.

☆ Chevron annual profit hits record but Q4 miss hits shares
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Sabrina Valle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The second largest U.S. oil producer's adjusted net profit for 2022 exceeded its previous record set in 2011 by about $10 billion. High prices from strong demand and shortages since Russia's invasion of Ukraine position Western energy firms to show a combined $200 billion profit for the year, according to analysts. It left global oil and gas production guidance for this year at flat to up 3%. FOURTH-QUARTER MISSIn the final quarter, Chevron posted adjusted earnings of $7.9 billion, or $4.09 per share, below analysts' estimate of a $4.38 per share profit. Its refining business picked up and almost tripled results from the previous year as international fuel production delivered stronger margins.

☆ Smartphone shipments plunge to a low not seen since 2013 — their largest ever decline
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Arjun Kharpal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Apple maintained its position as the world's largest smartphone maker by shipments in the fourth quarter of 2022, according to IDC. Global smartphone shipments plunged in the fourth quarter of 2022 — usually a big holiday shopping period — thanks to macroeconomic weakness and soft consumer demand, according to market research firm IDC. The U.S. tech giant shipped 72.3 million iPhones in the fourth quarter, down 14.9% year on year, IDC said. Samsung, the second-largest smartphone player, saw shipments decline 15.6% year on year to 58.2 million units. That was the biggest decline among the top five smartphone players, which also include Chinese smartphone makers Oppo and Vivo.

☆ Meta and Twitter decided to restore Trump’s account. Will other platforms follow suit?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The decisions by Twitter and now Facebook-parent Meta to bring back Trump could push — or at least provide cover for — a number of other platforms to make similar moves. Facebook and Twitter restricted Trump’s accounts in the aftermath of the January 6 attack. Many other platforms followed suit by banning or restricting Trump, including YouTube, Snapchat and game streaming platform Twitch. On Wednesday, Snapchat parent Snap indicated that it is not planning to revisit its decision to ban Trump’s account two years ago. “In January 2021, Donald Trump’s Snapchat account was terminated for violating our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines,” a Snap spokesperson said in a statement to CNN.

Walmart said Tuesday it would raise the average hourly wage of its associates to more than $17.50 an hour — up from about $17 an hour. A Walmart representative also told CNBC Tuesday that its overall minimum wage would climb to $14 an hour, a roughly 17% jump for workers who stock shelves and serve customers. The range of salaries for store employees will also climb to between $14 and $19 an hour, from $12 and $18 an hour. About 340,000 store employees will get a raise, representing 21% of Walmart’s 1.6 million U.S. employees. "The labor market for most workers cooled somewhat over 2022, but it’s still hot," he said.

Verizon Communications Inc (VZ.N) dropped 0.4% after forecasting annual profit below estimates, while Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) fell 1.3% as it warned that a surge in China COVID-19 cases could dent the first half sales in 2023. General Electric Co (GE.N) fell 0.2% on a disappointing profit forecast for the year, despite topping quarterly earnings estimates. Big Tech earnings could also determine whether renewed enthusiasm for growth stocks will be sustained. Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) is scheduled to report quarterly earnings after the bell. Analysts now see fourth-quarter earnings for S&P 500 companies dropping 2.9% year-on-year, according to Refinitiv data.

Industrial conglomerate 3M Co (MMM.N) fell 5.9%, leading the decliners among Dow components after reporting a fall in quarterly profit. General Electric Co (GE.N) fell 1.1% on a disappointing profit forecast for the year, despite topping quarterly earnings estimates. Big Tech earnings could also determine whether renewed enthusiasm for growth stocks will be sustained. "In the near-term, the answer seemingly lies with tech earnings ... longer-term, if we do experience a Fed pivot this year, then would anticipate a strong, positive buying impulse for tech," JPMorgan analysts wrote in a client note. Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) is scheduled to report quarterly earnings after the bell.

☆ Inside Ken Griffin's rise to one of Wall Street's most powerful people, and why politics could be next
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Dakin Campbell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +30 min

JB and I are not on speaking terms these days," said Ken Griffin, the billionaire hedge-fund manager, referring to JB Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois. As Florida rolled back pandemic restrictions more quickly than Chicago, even more Citadel employees migrated south. Ken Griffin's hedge fund has had a run of eye-popping returns since 2020. Others worry that it gives Griffin's hedge fund an unfair advantage. Hundreds of Citadel employees, partners, and families gathered at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando Florida.

☆ Capital One Job Cuts Signal Trouble for IT Labor Market
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-21 | by ( Belle Lin | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +5 min

Technology sector employment overall has remained stable, but job postings for future tech hiring have declined for the second consecutive month, according to IT trade group CompTIA. Companies across industries hired 137,000 tech workers in December, compared with 130,000 the month prior, CompTIA estimates based on an analysis of U.S. Labor Department data. Newsletter Sign-up WSJ | CIO Journal The Morning Download delivers daily insights and news on business technology from the CIO Journal team. News of the job cuts was reported earlier by Bloomberg. Some employers might be shedding the additional technology workers they hired to ramp up remote-work capabilities during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, said Mark Muro, a senior fellow at Brookings Institution.

☆ In 2022 inflation data trumped Fed comments for moving markets, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Michael S. Derby | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In terms of market moves, “the sheer volatility around each CPI release is remarkable” and reflects the magnitude of inflation surprises last year and how those unexpected readings changed the outlook for Fed policy, they wrote. Last year was the year the Fed got caught flatfooted by the highest levels of inflation seen in 40 years. Rates will almost certainly go up further this year even as inflation pressures are showing some initial signs of cooling. Among policymakers, the report found that remarks by Fed Chair Jerome Powell, Vice-Chair Lael Brainard and New York Fed leader John Williams had notable market impacts. The report did not rank the market impact of the 11 remaining regional Fed leaders, who speak with much greater frequency than Board members and even the New York Fed leader.

☆ Europe’s ban on Russian diesel could send pump prices even higher
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

That has included a ban on all Russian seaborne crude oil imports, which came into force in December. Russia is the bloc’s biggest supplier, making up 29% of its total diesel imports last year, data from Rystad Energy shows. “On diesel we see the opposite, where imports have picked up — almost a final dash before the finish line,” he added. But importing diesel from suppliers further afield, including the United States and Saudi Arabia, will push up freight costs, feeding into higher consumer prices, he said. But León said that the impact of the ban won’t be felt immediately in Europe because of the large amount of diesel in its stocks.

The ban is likely to create a diesel supply shortfall that Europe hopes to fill with Chinese fuel, some of which will be produced from Russian crude. China has raised its first batch of 2023 export quotas for refined oil products by nearly half from a year ago. "But without Chinese exports pushing swing barrels westward, Europe is unlikely to replace the 0.5 million bpd loss in Russian diesel exports come the embargo," Energy Aspects analysts said. Russia has long been the main diesel supplier for Europe, where refineries do not produce enough to meet domestic demand from its large diesel car fleet. Reuters GraphicsAn EU ban on Russian crude imports that took effect in December will be broadened to include refined fuels from Feb. 5.

☆ Salary Transparency Is Coming — so I Decided to Tell Everyone What I Make
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Aki Ito | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +37 min

But there's a glaring catch to my support for pay transparency: I haven't actually practiced it in my own life. To find out why, I decided to commemorate the dawning age of salary transparency by telling pretty much everyone in my life what I earn. Norway responded to pay transparency with yet another level of transparency, and that brought down the level of snooping.. Thanks to its nationwide experiment, Norway has been fertile ground for scholars trying to measure the consequences of extreme pay transparency. But I do believe that as more states implement pay-disclosure laws — and as Gen Z increasingly comes to dominate the workforce — salary transparency is going to become the new norm.

Moderating inflation and a strong labor market may mean that no recession will come in 2023. At the same time, the US labor market has looked at the possibility of a recession and essentially shrugged. Although the US saw higher gains in the first few months of 2022, the job growth in December still shows the labor market is hot. "Today's inflation numbers are good news, good news about our economy," President Joe Biden said during Thursday remarks. Regardless, the labor market will continue to cool, and the unemployment rate will still rise — which will be uncomfortable, Zandi said, but not a recession.

☆ Why Apple may finally be embracing touchscreen laptops
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

On Wednesday, Bloomberg reported Apple engineers are developing a touchscreen for the MacBook Pro with an expected launch date of 2025, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. While it’s unclear if the touchscreen laptop will see the light of day, introducing the product could accomplish two important things for Apple: adapting to shifting consumer expectations and supercharging sales for its Mac product line. Apple has previously kept the touchscreen away from its Mac lineup to prevent it from cannibalizing iPad sales. Now, however, Apple could use a Mac touchscreen to incentivize consumers to upgrade their computers and keep Mac sales momentum growing. When asked at a conference last fall if Apple will add a touchscreen to Macs, Federighi responded: “Who’s to say?”

☆ Assassin's Creed maker Ubisoft sinks to more than seven-year low after slashing guidance, cancelling games
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The stock has since pared losses slightly and was last trading at around 20 euros, down 16% from the Wednesday close. In a trading update on Wednesday, Ubisoft lowered net bookings guidance for the third quarter of 2022 to 725 million euros, down from an earlier target of 830 million euros. The company forecast full-year net bookings would likely fall 10% after an earlier projection called for an increase of 10%. Ubisoft said Wednesday that it would depreciate around 500 million euros of capitalized research and development and narrow its focus to fewer titles. The company hopes to cut costs by about 200 million euros through a mix of targeted restructuring, divestment of "non-core" assets, and employee attrition.

The debate comes less than two months after Twitter restored Trump’s account, but Meta’s intention to reevaluate the decision predates Twitter’s reversal. “I can’t think of what that rigorous standard would be that would make this policy be applied fairly, not just to former President Trump, but to any politician.”Is Trump bound to Truth Social? A phone screen displays the Truth Social app in Washington, DC, on February 21, 2022. Trump now has his own rival social media platform, Truth Social, which he launched in February. Despite his desire for a bigger megaphone and aides encouraging him to rejoin Twitter, Trump has said he is committed to Truth Social.

☆ George Santos campaign paid staffer nearly $100k to pretend to be Kevin McCarthy's chief of staff and get money from donors
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Joshua Zitser | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A fundraiser for George Santos allegedly posed as Kevin McCarthy's chief of staff, per CNBC. According to FEC filings, the fundraiser was paid almost $100k by Santos' campaign. According to CNBC, Santos' campaign paid Miele almost $50,000 for fundraising during the embattled lawmaker's failed 2020 run for Congress. Meyer, McCarthy's office, and Santos' campaign did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment. The non-partisan watchdog Campaign Legal Center (CLC) also filed a complaint with the FEC on Monday, alleging that Santos and his 2022 campaign violated campaign-finance laws by engaging in a "straw donor scheme."

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