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☆ Databricks is joining rival Snowflake in backing a $1.5 billion startup as they race to own the way companies use their data
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Matthew Lynley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Databricks said it's making a strategic investment in the $1.5 billion data startup Matillion. It's one of a few coinvestments with a rival, Snowflake, as the two race to own the data experience. Another unicorn startup is joining the small club of companies backed by both Snowflake and Databricks, the big-data rivals that are racing to own companies' entire experiences working with their data. The Databricks Ventures partner Andrew Ferguson said Matillion appealed to a slightly different customer profile than that of Databricks' traditional highly technical audience. While data budgets may be getting more scrutiny, there hasn't been any significant impact in the company's performance, he said.

☆ Billionaire IAC chairman Barry Diller says Elon Musk bought Twitter as a toy: 'How long he will use it, like toys, we don't really know'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Sarah Jackson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Billionaire IAC chairman Barry Diller has mixed feelings about Elon Musk's Twitter acquisition. On CNBC's Squawk Box, Diller said Musk "bought a toy, and how long he will use it, like toys, we don't really know." "You've got this extraordinarily wealthy person, and he bought a toy," Diller said. "He bought a toy, and how long he will use it, like toys, we don't really know, but he's not going to walk away, I don't think." By headcount, however, Twitter is already much smaller in the days since Musk bought it.

☆ 10 Things to Know About the 2022 iPads
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +6 min

It’s a fresh look for the tablet, bringing it more in-line with the iPad Pro, iPad Air and iPad Mini, with some notable compromises. Most people are likely better off choosing the 9th-generation iPad for non-demanding work, or the iPad Air or iPad Pro for more power. It has been totally redesignedThis is the first “mainline” iPad to get the edge-to-edge design that started with the iPad Pro before spreading to the iPad Air and iPad Mini. It uses fingerprint-based Touch ID on the top button for security, rather than the Face ID system found on the iPad Pro and almost all current iPhones. That’s nearly 40% more expensive than the base model, 9th-gen iPad, and only 25% less than the superior iPad Air.

☆ Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee wants us to 'ignore' Web3: 'Web3 is not the web at all'
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

It involves a few technologies, including blockchain, cryptocurrencies and nonfungible tokens. Personal data stores have to be fast, cheap and private." "Ignore the Web3 stuff, random Web3 that was built on blockchain," he added. Berners-Lee said people too often conflate Web3 with "Web 3.0," his own proposal for reshaping the internet. "The result was a big data race where the winner was the one corporation that controlled the most data and the losers were everybody else," he said.

☆ Casey DeSantis, Florida's 'co-governor': Rivals, friends, and former colleagues say she's the secret behind husband Ron DeSantis' meteoric rise
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Lyz Lenz | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

Florida's first lady, Casey DeSantis, is a close confidant to her powerful husband, several people told Insider. He added, "We would not see Ron DeSantis outside of press conferences if he did not have a wife and kids." Ron DeSantis began clawing his way into the national spotlight in 2017 as a member of the US House of Representatives. She smiled wryly and said: "Everyone knows my husband, Ron DeSantis, is endorsed by President Trump, but he's also an amazing dad. "Ron DeSantis would be a very good candidate for the St. Johns county commission if he did not have Casey DeSantis in his life," Schorsch said.

Others have ground to a halt, sending companies back to technology that is less sci-fi, but can be deployed more quickly and cost-effectively. Some companies are satisfied their robots are doing the job. The perils of the outdoors are a big problem for delivery robots, in particular. Some people have also raised concerns that delivery robots could block wheelchair access on sidewalks or otherwise get in the way of humans, leading local authorities to limit or prohibit their use. Toronto, for example, last December banned delivery robots.

You can convert Google Sheets files to Excel files by using the "Download" option. Google Sheets allows you to download your spreadsheets in a format that can be opened in Microsoft Excel. Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel are similar in many ways. Check out the products mentioned in this article:How to convert a Google Sheets file to Excel1. Melanie Weir/Business InsiderOnce the new Excel file has been downloaded, you can open it into Excel like any other Excel file.

☆ A Walmart-backed fintech has been making changes to an online bank it acquired. Long-standing customers are getting fed up.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Carter Johnson | Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

But once the Walmart-backed fintech venture Hazel acquired One and adopted its moniker in January, some of the features that drew Gastley to the bank disappeared. The page has become, in some cases, the first place customers turn to for information about product changes. (Like most neobanks, One has partnered with a sponsor bank, the Washington-based Coastal Community Bank, to provide financial services.) But then One customers received an email from the bank on May 12: It would be closing current credit lines, effective immediately. That's not the only change to Pockets for which Joseph, who has dozens of the virtual bank accounts, didn't receive a notification about, he said.

☆ Elon Musk idea to charge for Twitter verification draws critics
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Eli M. Rosenberg | Eli Rosenberg Is An Investigative Tech Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

Critics of Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover say any plan to charge users for identity verification could make information on the site less trustworthy and more vulnerable to manipulation — devaluing the company. The idea of a monthly fee for the blue verification checkmark by users' names was reported Sunday by Casey Newton’s tech-focused newsletter Platformer. Musk hasn't confirmed a charge will be added but on Sunday tweeted, “The whole verification process is being revamped right now,” on his own verified account. Jeff Jarvis, a prolific Twitter user and journalism professor who studies how information travels in the digital age, worries such a plan could backfire. “Twitter has had many, many people working on issues like user interface design and innovation, testing it with user groups, and people who specialize in working with VITs — very important Twitter users,” she said.

☆ Elon Musk has pulled more than 50 Tesla employees into his Twitter takeover
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Lora Kolodny | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesNew Twitter owner Elon Musk has pulled more than 50 of his trusted Tesla employees, mostly software engineers from the Autopilot team, into his Twitter takeover, CNBC has learned. At Twitter, Musk is counting on his lieutenants and loyalists to decide who and what to cut or keep at the social network. It is not immediately clear how Tesla employees are expected to split their schedules between the automaker and Twitter. Typically, when Tesla employees work for other Elon Musk ventures, usually SpaceX or the Boring Company, they can get paid by the other venture as a consultant. Employees say Musk wants that work done by the first week of November.

☆ Elon Musk owning Twitter should give everyone pause
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Seth Fiegerman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Elon Musk, the mercurial billionaire, had agreed to buy Twitter for $44 billion the month before only to begin raising doubts about the deal soon after. Now, Musk joins the list of rich, white men who single-handedly control social platforms that collectively reach and shape the lives of billions of people around the world. And Musk, who will reportedly have “absolute control over Twitter” according to a shareholders’ agreement, promises to be uniquely disruptive. To those in the first camp, Musk serving as the sole decider at Twitter may be cause for celebration. Elon Musk is a conglomerate, and each arm of his empire potentially gives him more leverage, real or imagined, in advocating for the others.

☆ Elon Musk's plan to turn Twitter into a super app is a step closer now that he owns the platform
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

According to Musk, the Twitter acquisition will play a part in the creation of a super app called X. If Musk plans to turn Twitter into X, it will likely mean bringing in many new features. Although reports vary about Musk's full intentions, the billionaire has made repeated claims that the acquisition would play a part in the creation of a super app, or what he has also referred to as an "everything app." If Musk plans to create his everything app with Twitter it will mean bringing in many new features. 'Grand vision'Musk has stated that the Twitter acquisition may speed up the creation of his super app by three to five years.

☆ Why is Mark Zuckerberg so obsessed with building the metaverse? It has a lot to do with Apple.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

It proved a huge blow to ad-dependant social platforms, Facebook top among them, which said it lost $10 billion because of the change. Zuckerberg insisted that "fortifying" Facebook's business against the likes of Apple is not the only reason he's investing heavily in building the metaverse. Zuckerberg sees four platforms in Facebook's futureRight now, the metaverse stack as Zuckerberg envisions it is based on "four major platforms" being developed. The first is Horizon Worlds, with user avatars making it more akin to a "social metaverse platform," he said. Zuckerberg seems keen to give Apple a taste of its own medicineBeyond trying to give his company a path away from being hit by the decisions of Apple, Zuckerberg also seems keen to give Apple a taste of its own medicine.

☆ Luxury hotel booking programs from Amex, Capital One, Visa, and more can get you free elite benefits like room upgrades and on-property credits — here's how
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Eric Rosen | Tessa Campbell | Read More | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +39 min

David Slotnick/Business InsiderMany travel rewards cards offer elite-like hotel benefits when you book with their online portals. The prices through credit card travel portals are often on par with booking directly through hotels. However, it's only available to Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card and Capital One Spark Travel Elite cardholders. Bottom lineYou might not have a premium hotel credit card or elite status with one of the major loyalty programs. However, that doesn't mean you can't take advantage of credit card booking portals to enjoy perks like room upgrades, free breakfast, and on-property credits.

☆ I drove a Tesla Model Y after testing 14 other electric cars. I loved its sleek interior and easy charging but the giant screen is overkill.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Since the company doesn't provide press cars, I borrowed a 2022 Model Y from a friend and put it through its paces. Awesome tech featuresThe Tesla Model Y. Tim Levin/InsiderThe Model Y comes with an impressive assortment of tech features accessed through its snappy, iPad-like touchscreen. Lots of rangeThe Tesla Model Y. Tim Levin/InsiderMany EVs sacrifice driving range for enhanced performance or vice-versa. Cargo space galoreThe Tesla Model Y. Tim Levin/InsiderTesla did a great job of maximizing space for passengers and their stuff. The Tesla Model Y. Tim Levin/InsiderThe Model Y benefits from a front trunk and a surprisingly large under-floor storage spot in back.

☆ Web3 VC Adam Struck says better crypto wallets could protect retail investors in the future, after they lost billions from the Celsius meltdown. Here's how.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( April Joyner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Crypto wallets let people keep custody of their assets, but they're notoriously hard to use. As a result, there's a big market opportunity for friendlier wallets, VC Adam Struck told Insider. By contrast, non-custodial crypto wallets, such as MetaMask, allow people to keep control over their assets. That opens up a big opportunity for wallet startups that can offer a better user experience, according to Adam Struck, the founder and managing partner of the investment firm Struck Crypto. But having easier options for storing crypto assets without having to rely on any given company's investment practices could serve as a valuable stopgap until that happens, he believes.

☆ Capital One will launch the Premier Collection luxury hotel booking program, plus new culinary-focused Capital One Landing airport lounges
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Tessa Campbell | Personal Finance Reviews Fellow | Read More | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Capital OneCapital One will offer its own premium hotel booking program with the launch of the Premier Collection for Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card members. Read Insider's guide to the best travel rewards credit cards. And it's got a lot in common with existing credit card hotel programs, like Amex Fine Hotels and Resorts and Chase's Luxury Hotels and Resorts Collection. To access the Capital One Premier Collection, you'll need to have a Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or Capital One Spark Travel Elite card (only available through Capital One Business relationship managers). Oftentimes, credit card hotel booking programs have higher rates than booking through the property (or chain) directly.

☆ PayPal is trying to leverage its $4 billion deal for Honey with a new feature that combines cash-back rewards across the payments giant. Here's why it made the change ahead of the holiday season.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Emmalyse Brownstein | Carter Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

PayPal is combining cash-back rewards earned through Honey, PayPal's debit and credit cards, and the PayPal app. PayPal acquired Honey in 2019 for $4 billion, and this is its latest strategy to "leverage" the browser extension product. The payments giant will announce on Monday plans to combine the cash-back perks of several of its offerings into one system, called PayPal Rewards. The new tool will allow customers to pool cash-back rewards earned from their various products: the PayPal app, PayPal Honey, and, in the future, PayPal's Cashback Mastercard and PayPal's debit card. The expansion of PayPal's rewards offering also comes as established competitors like JPMorgan Chase,Wells Fargo, and CashApp continue to leave an impression on the market.

☆ Inside how ESG fintech OpenInvest is helping JPMorgan roll out a variety of tools focused on sustainable investing
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Asia Martin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

JPMorgan acquired OpenInvest in 2021 to meet client demand for sustainable investing. OpenInvest, a sustainable-investing robo-advisor, has spent the past 13 months integrating into JPMorgan following the bank's acquisition of the startup in August 2021. Josh Levin, OpenInvest cofounder and chief strategy officer, told Insider clients are able to view things like how much carbon or tobacco the client has avoided funding. OpenInvest is helping JPMorgan work with other fintechsMurray and Levin told Insider that JPMorgan's acquisition represents more than an opportunity to upgrade the bank's sustainable investing offering. And so, we're gonna be looking to work more readily with fintechs in the future," Murray told Insider.

☆ Best Online Stock Trading Platforms of 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +15 min

Luckily, the past few years has seen a profusion of online stock trading platforms. We spent hours comparing more than a dozen stock trading platforms looking for the most intuitive tools, in-depth research and access to guidance and other educational content. We considered all of this when making our picks for the Best Stock Trading Platforms of 2022. How we pickedTo pick Buy Side from WSJ’s best stock trading platforms, we reviewed offerings from more than a dozen companies. Morgan Stanley is the corporate parent of E*Trade, one of the stock trading platforms considered for this story.

☆ What Elon Musk has said publicly — and in private texts — about X, his idea for an 'everything app'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Elon Musk has discussed his plans for X, an "everything app," in Twitter and in private texts. AP Photo/Jacquelyn MartinPrivate texts about a blockchain-based platformMusk has also discussed creating a social media platform built on a blockchain. In April, the billionaire privately outlined his idea for a "Doge" social media platform in texts to his younger brother, Kimbal Musk. "I have an idea for a blockchain social media system that does both payments and short text messages/links like Twitter," Musk texted. A battle against botsOne thing is clear throughout Musk's dealings with Twitter — the billionaire's social media platform will be tasked with eliminating scam accounts.

☆ Wesley Chan's FPV Ventures coleads $10 million round in Astra, a fintech startup that makes it easier for companies to embed payments technology into their businesses
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Emilia David | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The startup raised $10 million in Series A funding led by FPV and Slow Ventures. Astra, a fintech startup that's developed technology to allow developers to embed financial automation into existing products, raised a $10 million Series A along with a $30 million line of credit. "Everything was going really, really fast and really big, so we said, why not ride this growth." For example, B2B payments company Hopscotch recently raised $6.1 million in additional funding in March. Akos said one of Astra's goals is to move upmarket and begin providing payments services to startups in the later stages.

☆ Billionaire Izzy Englander's hedge fund is hiring for more than 100 engineers and developers. Here's how to get a job at $57 billion Millennium, according to a top recruiter.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Alyson Velati | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Millennium Management, which houses multiple trading pods across the globe, is looking for more than 100 engineers and developers to help expand its footprint in top technology hubs. Izzy Englander's $57 billion fund is just one of many quant shops battling it out with the finance industry and top tech companies for hot talent. The firm is looking for back-end engineers, front-end engineers, data engineers, and quantitative researchers who are experts in Python, which is a popular computer programming language. Millennium looks for the typical attributes most financial institutions and big tech companies look for in engineers like experience and having an "entrepreneurial mindset," Talarico said. "You have to be able to communicate effectively with your client, whether that is an investment professional or someone else in the organization or someone else within technology" Talarico said.

☆ Rapidly-growing productivity startup ClickUp poached new executives from ServiceNow and Zscaler as it looks to an eventual IPO
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Paayal Zaveri | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

ClickUp has brought on new executives as it looks to grow and prepare for an eventual IPO. Productivity and collaboration startup ClickUp has brought on new executives from competitors like ServiceNow to help it grow and prepare for an eventual IPO. From ServiceNow comes two execs: Jim Bartolomea, now ClickUp's new senior VP of people, and Marshall Tyler, ClickUp's newly-minted chief strategy officer. ClickUp's new leadership bench will be focused on "creating a predictable, scalable, and efficient revenue engine," Tommy Wang, ClickUp's chief business officer, told Insider. Jim Bartolomea is ClickUp's new senior VP of People ClickUpThat's where Bartolomea, the new senior VP of people, comes in.

☆ Here's how OpenInvest is upping JPMorgan's ESG game and helping the bank partner with more fintechs
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Asia Martin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

OpenInvest, a sustainable-investing robo-advisor, has spent the past 13 months integrating into JPMorgan following the bank's acquisition of the startup in August 2021. Such products would include ESG and values-aligned investment strategies for JPMorgan financial advisors, along with proxy voting and philanthropic giving. Josh Levin, OpenInvest cofounder and chief strategy officer, told Insider clients are able to view things like how much carbon or tobacco the client has avoided funding. OpenInvest is helping JPMorgan work with other fintechsMurray and Levin told Insider that JPMorgan's acquisition represents more than an opportunity to upgrade the bank's sustainable investing offering. And so, we're gonna be looking to work more readily with fintechs in the future," Murray told Insider.

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