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☆ Former Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer bets on digital problem that Apple iOS 17 is focused on, too
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Carolyn Chun | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Whenever there's mention of a new CEO opening in tech, former Yahoo CEO and former Google vice president Marissa Mayer's name always seems to come up. However, Mayer raised some eyebrows in 2020 when instead of turning up at another Silicon Valley giant, she launched startup Sunshine to focus on the seemingly "smaller" problem of contacts. Mayer and co-founder Enrique Muñoz Torres started working on Sunshine in 2018 to automate the mundane task of organizing contact information. The company also has Sunshine Birthdays and Sunshine Circles that delve into organizing birthdays and sharing information with groups. "The idea is that Sunshine Contacts basically becomes the brain that operates your contacts," Mayer told CNBC back in 2020 when the app was launched.

Persons: Marissa Mayer's, Mayer, CNBC's Julia Boorstin, Enrique Muñoz Torres Organizations: Yahoo, Google, CNBC, Summit, Sunshine, Lumi Labs Locations: Sunshine, Santa Barbara , California

[1/2] GitLab Inc logo and words 'Artificial Intelligence' are seen in this illustration taken June 6, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationNEW YORK, June 6 (Reuters) - Shares of GitLab Inc (GTLB.O) jumped more than 35% on Tuesday after the software development platform announced plans to launch a revenue-boosting artificial intelligence (AI)-powered product. The product is expected to be launched this year at $9 per month, GitLab said late Monday. GitLab said on Monday its first-quarter revenue jumped 45% to $126.9 million, beating the Refinitiv consensus estimate and the company's earlier forecasts. Eighteen analysts on average recommended buying GitLab shares, and set a median price target of $53.50, according to Refinitiv.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, GitLab, Koji Ikeda, Chibuike Oguh, Lance Tupper, Richard Chang Organizations: Intelligence, REUTERS, GitLab Inc, " Bank of America, Thomson Locations: New York

☆ GitLab shares rocket 31% as software vendor boosts forecast, announces generative A.I. plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Jordan Novet | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

GitLab shares rose 31% on Tuesday, after the provider of code-deployment software reported a narrower loss than analysts expected and bumped up its full-year forecast. GitLab said that revenue in the quarter ended April 30 jumped 45% to $126.9 million from $87.4 million a year earlier. The company had an adjusted loss of 6 cents per share, according to a statement. Analysts surveyed by Refinitiv had expected sales of $117.8 million and an adjusted loss of 14 cents per share. During the quarter, GitLab raised the price of its premium tier to $29 per user per month from $19.

Persons: It's, GitLab, Refinitiv, Brian Robins, Sid Sijbrandij, Sijbrandij, Robins, Piper Sandler, Rob Owens, Ethan Weeks, Jefferies, Brent Thill Organizations: Nasdaq

☆ Black Sea urchins have disappeared from the Gulf of Aqaba. Their loss could kill off an entire coral reef
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Black sea urchins. The epidemic only affects the black sea urchins, and was even killing them in the research lab's tanks, and Eilat's aquarium -- which all use freshly circulating seawater. Black sea urchins feed on the algae that grows on the reef. The first step, needed in the coming weeks, is to establish "broodstock populations" that will eventually help repopulate and reintroduce the black sea urchins into the region. But the surviving sea urchins that could be used to do so are themselves under threat.

Persons: Omri Bronstein, Bronstein, we've, Bornstein, they're, " Bronstein, Omri Omesi, Omesi, he's Organizations: CNN, Tel, Tel Aviv University, Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences, Israel Nature, Parks Authority Locations: Eilat, Israel, Aqaba, Tel Aviv, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Turkey, Caribbean, Syria, Lebanon

☆ A US Navy ship dumped diesel fuel into its own water supply. Years later, sailors were still getting sick.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The USS Boxer dumped fuel into the ocean, which contaminated its own water supply. A Marine veteran from that deployment told Insider they drank and showered in the contaminated water for as long as a few weeks. Boxer's crew soon noticed the smell of fuel in the drinking water, and Marines and sailors told Military.com that Boxer leadership had claimed that the water was safe to drink. The Boxer is not the only US Navy ship to be stricken with contaminated water over the last few years. One sailor aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln told Insider in an interview last year that the ship's water tasted "horrible" and they couldn't "escape it."

Persons: —, Military.com, Boxer, Wally Schirra, Machinist's, Michael Gonzales, Daniel Martin, Martin, it'll, Abraham Lincoln, USS Abraham Lincoln Organizations: US Navy, Service, Naval Surface Force, Navy Locations: Japan

☆ Intel gives details on future AI chips as it shifts strategy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Stephen Nellis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

May 22 (Reuters) - Intel Corp (INTC.O) on Monday provided a handful of new details on a chip for artificial intelligence (AI) computing it plans to introduce in 2025 as it shifts strategy to compete against Nvidia Corp (NVDA.O) and Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD.O). At a supercomputing conference in Germany on Monday, Intel said its forthcoming "Falcon Shores" chip will have 288 gigabytes of memory and support 8-bit floating point computation. Intel, by contrast, has essentially no market share after its would-be Nvidia competitor, a chip called Ponte Vecchio, suffered years of delays. Intel on Monday said it has nearly completed shipments for Argonne National Lab's Aurora supercomputer based on Ponte Vecchio, which Intel claims has better performance than Nvidia's latest AI chip, the H100. But Intel's Falcon Shores follow-on chip won't be to market until 2025, when Nvidia will likely have another chip of its own out.

☆ Rocket Lab revenue increases slightly, company adds NASA launch contract
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Rocket Lab's revenue increased slightly in the first quarter, but losses grew as well, as the spacecraft and launch company added a NASA contract and continued to invest in its future Neutron vehicle. Rocket Lab said an increase in R&D spending for its Neutron rocket and Photon spacecraft drove a rise in expenses. The development of our larger rocket Neutron is continuing at pace," Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck said in a statement. It had $450 million in cash on hand at the quarter's end, down from $484.3 million the prior quarter. Shares of Rocket Lab were little changed in after-hours trading from its close at $3.94 a share.

☆ Elon Musk once praised a rocket CEO who didn't go to college for beating Jeff Bezos to orbit, new book reveals: 'Bezos has spent a shitload of money, and he hasn't made it'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Britney Nguyen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A new book reveals Elon Musk once praised a rival New Zealand rocket CEO in a 2018 phone call. Musk said it was "impressive" that Rocket Lab launched a rocket into orbit before Blue Origin, per the book. Like SpaceX, Rocket Lab has been able to launch rockets into orbit — something Bezos' Blue Origin company has not yet achieved. In March, Rocket Lab launched its 35th Electron rocket just a week after launching its 34th Electron rocket. Neither Rocket Lab, Blue Origin, nor Musk responded to Insider's requests for comment.

☆ Rocket builder Firefly takes on high-speed Space Force mission for crucial next launch
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The Alpha rocket for the Space Force's Victus Nox mission stands on the launchpad at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The mission for the military's Los Angeles-based Space Safari team calls for flying a Millennium Space Systems-built satellite on Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket — on remarkably short notice. The Alpha rocket for the Space Force's Victus Nox mission stands on the launchpad at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Space Force selected Firefly and Millennium for the Victus Nox contract in October, setting off a chain of events starting with the build phase. Firefly's opportunitywatch nowFirefly originally planned to fly a NASA mission on its third Alpha rocket launch, after the company reached space with its second launch in October.

☆ Google DeepMind boss predicts AI as powerful as the human brain could arrive within the next few years, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

DeepMind boss Demis Hassabis believes AI as smart as humans might not be far off. He made the comments at a Wall Street Journal conference. AI that is as powerful as the human brain could arrive within the next few years, according to the boss of Google-owned AI lab DeepMind. The Wall Street Journal reported the news. Speaking at a Wall Street Journal conference, Hassabis acknowledged that "progress in the last few years has been pretty incredible."

☆ Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley say these chip stocks have more upside — giving one nearly 50%
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC Pro trawled through Wall Street research to look for semiconductor stocks that Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley expect will grow in value. Morgan Stanley In an April 24 note, Morgan Stanley said it expects a "headwind for most broad based companies" toward the second half of the year. Wolfspeed : Morgan Stanley said execution "will be key" as the company creates new manufacturing capacity. ON Semiconductor : Morgan Stanley said the company could have an earnings stream that is "likely more recession proof than the higher end analog names." Goldman Sachs Goldman named two buy-rated semiconductor stocks in an April 23 report: KLA Corporation and Impinj .

☆ SpaceX and Rocket Lab are the only consistent and reliable launch companies as other space stocks have trouble raising capital, Bank of America says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Meanwhile, most other companies have had trouble raising capital in the risk-averse environment. "Fast forward to 2023, and there are truly only two launch companies that have proven consistent and reliable operations, only one of which is publicly traded Rocket Lab," analysts wrote. "When presented this reality, most satellite companies expressed their reluctance to being over reliant on certain launch companies, namely SpaceX." But other launch companies like Richard Branson's firm Virgin Orbit have run into trouble. "Also, contrary to popular belief, the space industry is not blind to the importance of profitability, and most are aggressively seeking this milestone," the note added.

☆ US weighs action against Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Lab -WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 7 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Commerce is weighing an enforcement action against Russian cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday citing people familiar with the matter. President Joe Biden's administration is looking at an enforcement action against the company under its online security rules, the report said. The administration ramped up its national security probe into Kaspersky Lab's antivirus software last year as fears grew about Russian cyberattacks after Moscow invaded Ukraine. Kaspersky Labs did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The reported enforcement action on Kaspersky follows the introduction of a new U.S. legislation that would allow the White House to ban China based TikTok or other foreign-based technologies if they pose a national security risk.

☆ AI experts disown Musk-backed campaign citing their research
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Martin Coulter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Civil society groups in the U.S. and EU have since pressed lawmakers to rein in OpenAI's research. Among the research cited was "On the Dangers of Stochastic Parrots", a well-known paper co-authored by Margaret Mitchell, who previously oversaw ethical AI research at Google. Her research argued the present-day use of AI systems could influence decision-making in relation to climate change, nuclear war, and other existential threats. Asked to comment on the criticism, FLI's Tegmark said both short-term and long-term risks of AI should be taken seriously. Twitter will soon launch a new fee structure for access to its research data, potentially hindering research on the subject.

☆ Congress sends bill to Biden requiring his administration to declassify intelligence on COVID-19's origins
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The House passed a bipartisan bill that would require the Biden administration to declassify information related to COVID-19's origins. The origins of COVID-19 have long been debated and theorized. The House of Representatives unanimously approved the bill, titled the COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023, in a 419-0 vote on Friday. The bill comes after the US Energy Department recently concluded with "low confidence" that the pandemic was likely the result of a lab leak. Indeed, lawmakers could likely override a potential veto with a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate.

☆ Watch Relativity attempt the first launch of its 3D-printed rocket Terran 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-08 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

3D-printing specialist Relativity Space is attempting its first rocket launch on Wednesday, a mission that marks the most significant test yet of the company's ambitious manufacturing approach. The company's Terran 1 rocket is launching from LC-16, a launchpad at the U.S. Space Force's facility in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The company's Terran 1 rocket stands on its launchpad at LC-16 in Cape Canaveral, Florida ahead of the inaugural launch attempt. The company says that 85% of this first Terran 1 rocket was 3D-printed. Relativity Space | gif by @thesheetztweetz

☆ Target says cuts to workers are off-limits as it hunts for up to $3 billion in savings
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-02 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Target, bracing for leaner sales, wants to cut $2 billion to $3 billion of operating costs. Even as tech firms lay off thousands of workers, major retailers are still hoarding labor. One area that's off-limits, O'Neil said Tuesday, is Target's investments in "the best team in retail." Both companies echo similar sentiments shared last week when Walmart and Home Depot reported earnings and committed major cash to recruit and retain workers. Even as tech sector layoffs make headlines and companies brace for a tougher road ahead, major retailers are opting to hang onto all the front-line workers they can.

☆ Rocket Lab quarterly revenue stays steady as space company doubles order backlog
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Rocket Lab conducted two successful launches of its Electron vehicle during the quarter, generating $12 million in revenue. Rocket Lab began production of the first Neutron tank structures, as well as construction of the launch pad for the rocket. Alongside its results, Rocket Lab announced a contract for four Electron launches from satellite company Capella Space. Shares of Rocket Lab are up 19% so far this year, as of Tuesday's close at $4.50. For the first quarter of 2023, Rocket Lab expects to see launch revenue of about $18 million, and between $32 million to $35 million in Space Systems revenue.

☆ Why a U.S. national electric grid would be great for the climate — and is nearly impossible
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-22 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +15 min

But the energy grid in the U.S. has developed over decades as a patchwork of thousands of individual utilities serving their own local regions. The Department of Energy is in the process of conducting a National Transmission Planning Study,to look into all of this. "Many mid-U.S. states have excellent wind resources, and the southwest U.S. has excellent solar resources, but the population is insufficient to use them," McCalley told CNBC. Finally, improved energy sharing would also lead to a more reliable energy grid for consumers. At the kickoff for its next round of transmission planning, MISO had a three hour planning meeting with 377 people in the meeting.

☆ Stakeholder Labs sees an opportunity helping companies convert customers into shareholders. Here's how the fintech backed by a Reddit cofounder plans to do it.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Paige Hagy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Stakeholder Labs helps businesses identify and engage with retail investors. Stakeholder Labs provides plug-in software that verifies a company's shareholders and measures customer behavior with a goal of driving long-term loyalty. "Not trying to convert that customer into a shareholder is the biggest missed opportunity," Max Goldstein, head of marketing and shareholder experience at Stakeholder Labs, added. Stakeholder Lab's software, called Roundtable, is integrated directly into a company's website or app, allowing customers to self-identify as a shareholder. Stakeholder Labs customers range from small to mid-sized publicly traded companies that tend to be more agile and willing to try new technologies.

☆ This fintech helping companies engage and build loyalty with retail investors just nabbed funding from Alexis Ohanian's Seven Seven Six
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Paige Hagy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Stakeholder Labs helps businesses identify and engage with retail investors. CEO and cofounder Matt Joanou observed the untapped potential of retail investors while at Reddit. This startup wants to help companies engage with their retail investors, and it just got backing from an investor well-versed in building active communities. Stakeholder Labs provides plug-in software that verifies a company's shareholders and measures customer behavior with a goal of driving long-term loyalty. Stakeholder Lab's software, called Roundtable, is integrated directly into a company's website or app, allowing customers to self-identify as a shareholder.

☆ A husband-wife duo turned the $1,700 Snoo into the holy grail of parenting, but some say they run their company like a dysfunctional 'surveillance state'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Kate Taylor | Jake Swearingen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +31 min

Karp and Montée Karp built the hype into a parenting-media empire that put out three books and two instructional films in 10 years. Karp and Montée Karp met at a Hollywood party in the early '90s. Karp and Montée Karp promised her independence and flexibility to accommodate her two young children's day-care schedules and a 90-minute commute. Karp and Montée Karp insisted on being involved in minutiae that most top executives hand off. Karp and Montée Karp turned the Snoo into an award-winning holy grail of parenthood in just a few years.

☆ Nina Montée Karp and Dr. Harvey Karp turned the $1,700 Snoo into the holy grail of parenting. But some say they overhyped the crib's abilities and created a nightmarish corporate culture.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-13 | by ( Kate Taylor | Jake Swearingen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +31 min

☆ Rocket Lab establishes new U.S. foothold with successful launch after years of delays
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The company's Electron rocket lifts off from LC-2 at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia on Jan. 24, 2023. Rocket Lab 's first U.S. launch got off the ground Tuesday evening, marking a successful mission and a long-awaited expansion of the company's capabilities. The company's Electron rocket launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on the coast of Virginia, carrying a trio of satellites to orbit for radio frequency analytics specialist Hawkeye 360. Rocket Lab Electron launches possible with our game-changing flight safety technology," he said. Rocket Lab stock was down about 2% in early trading Wednesday from its previous close of $4.97 a share.

The digital ad industry is scrambling as consumer anti-tracking policies from big tech companies like Google and Apple and privacy regulations across the world have already started to wipe out ad revenue. By one estimate, Apple's 2021 app tracking privacy change alone was expected to erase $16 billion in revenue from the world's biggest digital ad companies last year. "As every year progresses, it's much more of an existential issue for the ad industry than the year prior," said Anthony Katsur, CEO of IAB Tech Lab, an ad industry trade group. These companies were selected based on Insider's own reporting, input from ad industry experts, and data from Sincera, an analytics company that tracks which adtech companies are most used in the industry. This list does not include the big tech companies like Google and Amazon.

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