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☆ Stop comparing Zuck and Cook's headsets. They're built around sharply different visions of the future.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( Matt Turner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Apple revealed its new headset, the Vision Pro, at its developer conference. But this comparison forgets that the two headsets are built around differing visions of future. Apple this week revealed its new Vision Pro mixed-reality headset, and comparisons were instantly drawn with Meta's own Quest headset. Then the price of Apple's headset, at $3,499, has been compared with the $500 cost of the Quest headset. Apple didn't mention the metaverse once when it unveiled the Vision Pro at WWDC, and barely mentioned gaming.

Persons: Nich Carlson, Apple, Mark Zuckerberg, Mark Zuckerberg's, Zuckerberg, Alex Heath, Ben Thompson Organizations: Apple, Vision, Morning, Vision Pro

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Bernstein's brutal letter to Andy Jassy, the price of our AI future, and Reels vs. TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

But now, let's find out why a major Wall Street research firm has hit out at Amazon. Andy Jassy, who leads Amazon Web Services, will replace Jeff Bezos as Amazon CEO and leaves an opening for a cloud new leader. A top Wall Street firm wrote a brutal open letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. Meta's short-form video service, Reels, is starting to make headway against TikTok, according to a new survey by Morgan Stanley. Amazon is reportedly plotting an ad tier for Prime Video, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

Persons: Nathan Rennolds, —, let's, Andy Jassy, Jeff Bezos, Mike Blake, Bernstein, Amazon . Bernstein, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Morgan Stanley, I'm, Zach Smith, Z, Ben Thompson, Yuvo, YouTuber Matt Mikka, Tesla, Matt Mikka, Hallam Bullock Organizations: Amazon Web Services, Amazon, Wall, Amazon ., Getty, Facebook, TikTok, Apple, Prime, Street, Health Centers, Mastry Ventures, Samsung Locations: London, TikTok

☆ Apple's new Vision Pro is 'the future of the Mac', one of the top minds in tech says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Thomas Maxwell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Stratechery founder Ben Thompson believes that Apple's Vision Pro is the "future of the Mac." The Vision Pro will start at $3,499, which is a steep price, likely signaling the cost of manufacturing a complex product. An example of what Apple Vision Pro may look like at work. Those who attended WWDC in person and were able to try the Vision Pro have said that it's a product in search of a purpose. Apple Vision Pro AppleThompson notes that Apple is using "high-bandwidth connections" to share desktop screens with the Vision Pro, suggesting it might create a direct WiFi connection between the two devices to prevent lag.

Persons: Ben Thompson, Thompson, Apple, Apple Thompson, Meta Organizations: Apple, Vision, Mac

☆ Apple buys AR headset startup Mira - The Verge
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 6 (Reuters) - Apple Inc (AAPL.O) has acquired Mira, a Los Angeles-based AR startup that makes headsets for other companies and the U.S. military, the Verge reported on Tuesday, citing a post from Mira CEO's private Instagram account and a person familiar with the matter. The Verge added that Apple had confirmed the acquisition saying that it buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and generally does not discuss its purpose or plans. Apple has brought on at least 11 of Mira's employees as part of the acquisition, according to the report. Apple, Mira and its CEO Ben Taft did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Reporting by Samrhitha Arunasalam in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju SamuelOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mira, Meta, Ben Taft, Samrhitha, Maju Samuel Organizations: Apple Inc, U.S ., Apple, Meta, Facebook, U.S , Air Force, Navy, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, Mira, Bengaluru

"(This) creates a very good defending position for Russians who expect Ukrainian offensive activity,” Matysiak said. Russia has denied responsibility and accused Ukraine of sabotaging the dam to deflect from what Moscow said were Ukrainian military failures. "For Russians the reason to do it would have been to stop the Ukrainian counteroffensive, obviously. For Ukraine, the breach might have provided a way of distracting the Russians while Kyiv launches its counteroffensive, she added. Patricia Lewis, Research Director for International Security at the Chatham House think tank, said the situation helps Russia even if the Ukrainian counteroffensive later makes inroads.

Persons: Ruslan Strilets, Ben Barry, Maciej Matysiak, ” Matysiak, Strilets, Mohammad Heidarzadeh, Heidarzadeh, Dmytro Kuleba, Marina Miron, Patricia Lewis, they're, Aiden Nulty, Ben Tavener, Mark Heinrich Our Organizations: Kyiv, International Institute for Strategic Studies, Stratpoints Foundation, University of Bath, Civil, Engineering, University of Warwick, Reserve, Nova Kakhovka, King's College, International Security, Chatham House, Thomson Locations: Moscow, Dnipro, Kyiv, Nova, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Russia, Kherson, Crimea, Britain, London

☆ Replanting the Amazon could slow global warming. Here’s why it’s hard
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +24 min

Milton da Costa Junior nosed his pickup through a remote stretch of the western Brazilian Amazon to check on his babies. Local authorities said the September 2021 incident, which Da Costa outlined in a police report that was reviewed by Reuters, is being investigated. Out of dozens of reforestation initiatives in the country, Rioterra and The Black Jaguar Foundation, a Brazilian-European group, are among the largest. Illegal invaders destroy in hours what it takes Rioterra or Black Jaguar a year to plant. In all, Black Jaguar has signed contracts with 26 farms and planted 326 hectares (806 acres) to date.

Persons: Milton da Costa, Da Costa, Carlos Nobre, Alexis Bastos, Rioterra, ”, Nobre, “, Bastos, Jamari, Dejesus Aparecido Ramos, it’s, ” Bastos, Jair Bolsonaro, Germany –, Bolsonaro, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Black, Ben Valks, Valks, Leandro Silveira, Silveira, São, ” Valks, aren’t, Cristina Banks, Leite, Marcos Mariani, Araguaia, Mariani, Tânia Irres, ” Irres, Regina Molke, I’ll, Clovis, Black Jaguar, Aquaverde, Renato Franklin, “ Ben, ” Franklin, L’Oreal, da Costa, ” Da Costa, da, Spring, Clare Trainor, Catherine Tai, Lais Morais, Ilan Rubens, Lucy Ha, John Emerson, Marla Dickerson Organizations: Milton da Costa Junior, Toyota, Reuters, Black Jaguar Foundation, National Institute for Space Research, Rioterra, Cultural, Environmental Studies, Petrobras, “, Amazon Fund, Environment Ministry, United, United Arab Emirates, São Paulo, Global, Farmers, Brazil’s Central Bank, Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research, Imperial College London, Santana, Bolsonaro, United Nations, Space Agency, Copernicus, Sentinel Locations: Machadinho, Rondônia, Brazil, Germany, Brazilian, European, Manhattan, Lebanon, Nicaragua, Bastos, Porto Velho, droves, Rio, Black, Itapuã, Oeste, Norway, United Arab, Pará, Caixa, “, Costa, Syria, Paris, Santana, Araguaia’s, Clovis, Regina, United States, South, Geneva, Rio Preto, da Costa

☆ Walmart gobbled up and spit out e-commerce brands like Bonobos and Moosejaw. Here's what happened to the retailer's jilted exes.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Walmart has sold three digital companies — Moosejaw, Bonobos, and Eloquii — this year. In the past few months, Walmart announced it was selling outdoor recreation apparel and gear company Moosejaw, upscale e-commerce apparel company Bonobos, and plus-size clothing company Eloquii. Under Lore, despite big revenue growth, the Walmart e-commerce division incurred major losses, sometimes annually upwards of $1 billion. Here's a look at each of the companies Walmart has offloaded this year. Bonobos, founded in 2007, attracts young, urban customers with its slim-fitting pants, shirts, jackets, and suits.

Persons: Marc Lore, —, Lore, Doug McMillon, Eoin Comerford, Bebeto Matthews, Ben Tobin Organizations: Walmart, Service, Privacy, Lore's, Dick's Sporting Goods, Moosejaw Walmart, Bonobos Walmart, Bonobos, Bebeto Matthews Walmart, WHP Global, Express, FullBeauty Brands Locations: Arkansas, Bentonville , Arkansas, Michigan, Walmart's, New York

☆ Patagonia accuses Nordstrom of selling 'thousands' of fake Patagonia sweatshirts and T-shirts at its Rack stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Patagonia filed a lawsuit against Nordstrom in California federal court on Tuesday accusing the retailer of selling 'counterfeit' Patagonia products. Patagonia had a "years-long dealer relationship" with Nordstrom, but after Patagonia chose to end the agreement Nordstrom sold "counterfeit" Patagonia items in its off-price Nordstrom Rack stores in 2023, according to the suit filed Tuesday in the US District Court for the Central District of California. An alleged counterfeit Patagonia clothing item claiming to be both 100% polyester and made of organic cotton. A tag attached to an alleged counterfeit Patagonia clothing item showing a typographical error. Additionally, Patagonia is asking a judge to immediately prevent Nordstrom from manufacturing, producing, sourcing, importing, and selling any products that resemble Patagonia's products and trademark.

Persons: Nordstrom, —, Defendant, Ben Tobin Organizations: Nordstrom, Service, Seattle, Court, Central, Central District of, Patagonia Inc, Nordstrom Inc Locations: Patagonia, California, Central District, Central District of California, Nordstrom

☆ Temu's meteoric rise is fueled by social media, but some accounts promoting the shopping app appear to be fake — here's what experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Mary Hanbury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Insider found hundreds of Twitter profiles of people claiming to be Temu ambassadors. Experts say these accounts are likely created by individuals or organizations who want to exploit coupon codes to earn commission. A display name – that includes a nickname or a seemingly real name – alongside a couple of emoticons, and the words: "Temu Ambassador, "Ambassador of Temu," or "Campus Ambassador of Temu." An example of one of the many Twitter profiles we found. All of the profiles we checked shared a link to a $20 coupon to be used on Temu's site.

☆ Sam's Club history: How Walmart grew its small-business supply store to a 600-warehouse behemoth locked in a battle with Costco
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

Kathryn McLay is the current CEO of Sam's Club, assuming the role in 2019. "We still see ourselves as the 'experiment' Sam Walton launched back in 1983, always looking to evolve and improve," she said in a recent LinkedIn post. Sam's ClubSource: Sam's Club, LinkedIn

☆ Big Lots says its decision to accept Bed Bath & Beyond coupons is drawing more 'dislocated' shoppers to the struggling discount retailer
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Big Lots is one of many retailers that have accepted Bed Bath & Beyond coupons at their stores. Big Lots president and CEO Bruce Thorn said the retailer is trying to pick up 'dislocated' BBBY customers. For Big Lots, a discount furniture and home decor retail chain that's been wrestling with its own financial problems, Bed Bath & Beyond's pain has been its gain, per Big Lots executives. He said Big Lots also plans to focus on "other companies that unfortunately have gone out of business." The Container Store, JoAnn, and Sur La Table have also been accepting Bed Bath & Beyond coupons in hoping to attract new customers.

This photograph taken on October 20, 2022 shows a replica of the Big Ben Tower at the Londoner Casino resort at the Cotai Strip in Macau. They can now do the same in Macao, the so-called Las Vegas of Asia. The Londoner Macao, a British-themed luxury casino resort in the Chinese gambling hub, held its grand opening ceremony on Thursday. You can't get better spa experience, you can't get better food experience," Las Vegas Sands CEO Robert Goldstein told CNBC on Thursday. The Londoner Macao casino resort and the Venetian casino resort, along the Cotai strip in Macau, China.

Persons: Eduardo Leal, EDUARDO LEAL, Ben, David Beckham, we've, Robert Goldstein, Goldstein, Wonderland, Beckham Organizations: AFP, Getty, Afp, Vegas Sands, CNBC, Downing, Fountain, Las Vegas Sands, Sands, The Plaza Macao, Hotel Macao, Bloomberg, Macao, Guard Locations: Macau, Asia, Macao, Vegas, British, Westminster, Shaftesbury, London, Las, Venetian Macao, Parisian Macao, Italy, France, England, Paris, China, Buckingham, Hong Kong

☆ Walmart employees are inundating the company's social-media site with memes making fun of management
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Walmart started using Workplace, a Meta-designed social-media app, in 2017. "Most of the posts I see on Workplace are just memes making fun of management and corporate," a Walmart employee from Minnesota said. On Walmart's Workplace site, the first photo was captioned "using workplace for work-related posts," and the second photo said "using workplace for memes." Just as on Facebook, users have Workplace feeds where they see what other Walmart workers post, with their names attached. The Walmart employee from Michigan said he was "surprised at first" that workers would share memes on Workplace without being anonymous.

☆ Lowe's is trying to lure rural shoppers by copying Tractor Supply and selling livestock products, Carhartt, and Wrangler
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Analyst group Jeffries says Lowe's may cut into Tractor Supply Co.'s rural-customer market share. They will roll out in up to 300 Lowe's stores by the end of the year and include new Carhartt apparel, an expanded Wrangler lineup, as well as items for pets, livestock, and trailers. Lowe's push to expand farm and ranch offerings could be troubling news for Tractor Supply Co., which has more than 2,000 stores nationwide. Per the Jeffries report, Lowe's rolled out a pilot of its rural concept in two stores in rural parts of Tennessee in 2020. Tractor Supply could face greater competition from Lowe's.

☆ Some climate-tech startups want you to believe AI tools can save the planet — but it's not that simple
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Aaron Mok | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

AMP Robotics is just one of more than 44,500 climate tech startups that have emerged since 2010. Last year investors poured $70.1 billion into climate tech, an 89% rise compared with 2021, according to HolonIQ Global Impact Intelligence. While AI tools like Horowitz's waste-sorting robots have been around for years, the advent of generative-AI tools like OpenAI's ChatGPT has reignited conversations around deploying AI to address societal issues. PersefoniBut researchers warn AI may do more harm than goodResearchers, activists, and climate tech execs agree that AI can't single-handedly cool the planet. AMP RoboticsEven AI climate tech executives see limits to their impactEven climate tech executives believe there are limitations to AI.

Persons: Matanya Horowitz, Horowitz, ChatGPT, Carling Spelhaug, Sasha Luccioni, Luccioni, David Rolnick, Banks, James Newsome, Newsome, Rolnick, Bill McKibben, McKibben, Helena Norberg, Hodge, Norberg, OpenAI's ChatGPT Organizations: AMP Robotics, Caltech, Global, Intelligence, Carling, UN, McGill University, Research, Tech, Greenpeace, AMP Locations: Colorado, Africa, South America

The characters on the HBO show "Succession" often reference real events and billionaire figures. Here's what the Roys have said, done, and worn that capture the real-life world of the rich. Top editors give you the stories you want — delivered right to your inbox each weekday. The HBO drama, which has won awards for its acting and writing, is also incredibly well-researched. There are obvious nods: The Roys, like the Murdochs and the Arnaults, have succession drama that's made for TV.

☆ The most dangerous place for retail workers might be right outside their stores
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Ben Tobin | Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Store parking lots can present dangers for workers and customers alike. Roughly half of all deaths one outlet recorded at retailers in early 2022 occurred in parking lots. The incident illustrates a particular danger for retail workers that lies not within the confines of their brick-and-mortar stores but outside them, in the parking lot. Many of them identified the parking lot as the place they felt most unsafe. Retail store's parking lots are the scene of both violence and accidentsA worker collects shopping carts from the parking lot of a Walmart store in Chicago.

☆ Inflation brought higher-income customers to Walmart, and the retailer's determined to keep them coming back
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Walmart prides itself on offering "everyday low prices" no matter the economic environment. Executives said in a recent earnings call that they want to retain shoppers through convenience. This isn't the first time Walmart, which prides itself on "everyday low prices," has talked about the importance of higher-income shoppers to its bottom line. But the brand's low prices and penchant for discounting — or in Walmart parlance, rollbacks — have also historically attracted lower-income shoppers. Yet, as food inflation remains "stubborn," per McMillon, higher-income shoppers looking to save a few bucks have stuck with the Bentonville, Arkansas-based retail giant.

☆ Walmart is winning back online shoppers with 3 key strategies
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Walmart's US e-commerce sales grew 27% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2023. Throughout 2020, Walmart US e-commerce sales soared, as customers hunkered down at home and bought more groceries and general merchandise on walmart.com and through the Walmart app. For the second quarter of 2020, Walmart reported 97% year-over-year e-commerce growth. The following years, Walmart e-commerce growth naturally dropped as more shoppers returned to stores. What do you think of Walmart's e-commerce operations?

☆ I make hundreds of dollars a month filling in online surveys. I can do it from anywhere, even on my way to school.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Ryan S. Gladwin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Ben Thornbury of Wiltshire, England started doing online surveys at 13 as an easy way to make money while in school. Now he's 18 years old and makes hundreds each month filling in surveys for eight hours a week. My parents were shocked when they found out what I was doing online. On that site alone, I've made more than £200 (or $250) in a month filling in surveys for 10 hours a week. Online surveys are particularly great for teenagers like meI can do them on my commute to school or in my bedroom.

☆ An obituary for the Metaverse, the latest fad to join the tech graveyard
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Matt Turner | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

On the agenda today:An obituary for the metaverse, the latest fad to join the tech graveyard. BlackRock is wrestling with who could succeed Larry Fink. Also read:Who will succeed Larry Fink? BlackRock CEO Larry Fink Thos Robinson/Getty Images for The New York TimeWall Street has long been fascinated by succession stories. CEO Larry Fink, now 70-years old, has the rare distinction of leading a Wall Street behemoth he helped found.

☆ Check out the wild robot that Sam's Club is testing to make burgers in its cafes
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Sam's Club recently unveiled a robot that can assemble a burger start-to-finish without humans. Walmart-owned Sam's Club is testing out a robot that can assemble your burgers — toppings, seasoning, and all — at a location in Fayetteville, Arkansas, not far from the company's headquarters of Bentonville. Sam's Club declined to comment when Insider reached out about the robot. Sam's Club does not have any current plans to roll out this robot nationwide, Tim Simmons, Sam's Club senior vice president and chief product officer, told Axios. Have you tried the Sam's Club burger or do you want to?

☆ A retired Georgia couple is fighting back against a railroad company that wants to take land their family has owned for generations
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

A retired Georgia couple is battling a railroad company that wants their land. The couple is part of a group fighting Sandersville Railroad's plan to use the eminent domain process. The Institute for Justice has accused the railroad company of abusing eminent-domain power. Blaine and Marvin Smith own separate parcels of land, both of which Sandersville's push for eminent domain would impact. Institute for JusticeBen Tarbutton III, a representative for Sandersville Railroad, said the company disagreed "with the assertions made by the Institute for Justice."

☆ Walmart and Target employees reveal the most dangerous parts of working in retail, from towers of boxes to armed customers and inattentive drivers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Dominick Reuter | Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Front-line retail workers face a variety of workplace hazards both inside and outside their stores. "There are a lot of dangerous aspects to working retail," said a Walmart employee of eight years who works at a store in Minnesota. In a statement to Insider, Walmart said, "The safety of our customers, suppliers, and associates is a top priority. Insider spoke to a dozen current and former Walmart and Target employees nationwide to understand the dangers that retail workers face on the job. Three Walmart employees and a former Target executive team lead told Insider about incidents with customers wielding guns.

☆ Peloton recalls more than 2 million of its original $1,400 bikes after reports that the seat posts can break, causing lacerations and bruises
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Ben Tobin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Peloton is recalling more than 2.1 million of its original bike products, the company announced. The seat posts of dozens of these bikes suddenly broke, causing injuries, per the company. This recall does not impact Peloton Bike+ Members nor Peloton original Bike owners in the UK, Germany, and Australia, according to the company. The company is offering free, updated seat posts to all US Peloton original Bike owners, which can be installed at home, according to Peloton. Do you work for Peloton or own Peloton's original bike?

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