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☆ What is Hive? I tried the latest Twitter alternative to gain steam
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Catherine Thorbecke | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

This week, Hive Social garnered the top spot in the social networking category on the US App Store. As I tried to download the Hive app on my Apple device, however, I was greeted with a series of errors. Hive Social, which lists just two employees on LinkedIn, did not respond to CNN Business’ requests for an interview or further comment. On its website, Hive Social also outlines goals for keeping the community respectful. To be fair, Hive started in 2019 and never sought to be a Twitter clone or to welcome a sudden influx of disgruntled Twitter users.

☆ Over a decade after founding Grindr, Joel Simkhai wants a do-over
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Zachary Schermele | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

When Joel Simkhai left Grindr five years ago, he had a lot of time to think. Simkhai, a gay man and tech entrepreneur, helped launch the groundbreaking gay hookup and dating app in 2009. As recently as this year, the average daily time spent on Grindr per user was about an hour, according to The Guardian. The results of an online survey of nearly 100 Grindr users published in 2017 in the peer-reviewed journal Behavioral Medicine showed obese users reported significantly greater feelings of body dissatisfaction. But racist, discriminatory and exclusionist tropes — or euphemisms for them — continue to pervade a number of LGBTQ hookup and dating apps.

☆ Cash App Gets the Money
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Telis Demos | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Cash App is doing a pretty good job of getting it. Block , provider of the Cash App and Square merchant payments, presents investors with a bevy of metrics each quarter. What is emerging as one of the most important is inflows into Cash App, representing money that people are moving into their digital accounts. There are a number of ways to do this, such as linking to a bank account, mobile depositing a check, bringing paper money to a place such as Walmart that partners with Cash App, or directly depositing it from a paycheck. Cash App’s inflow was a record $52 billion in the third quarter, up 19% from a year earlier.

☆ Twitter delays $8 ‘blue check’ verification plan until after the midterms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Jennifer Korn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN Business —Twitter is delaying the rollout of account verifications for its paid Twitter Blue subscription plan until after the midterm elections, a source with knowledge of the decision confirmed to CNN. A fresh Twitter account created by CNN that opted for the paid feature did not show the checkmark on its public profile. The decision to delay the rollout comes as the entire decision to charge users for verification has faced wide public backlash. Television actress Valerie Bertinelli similarly changed her account name to the Twitter CEO’s, tweeting Friday that “[t]he blue checkmark simply meant your identity was verified. Musk has also said he will limit the company’s content restrictions and require the paid subscription for account verification.

☆ Twitter prepares to roll out new paid subscription service that includes blue checkmark
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN’s testing of the service on Saturday afternoon, however, suggested the rollout was not yet complete. A fresh Twitter account created by CNN that signed up for the paid feature did not show the checkmark on its public profile. Twitter also still appeared to be charging $4.99, an outdated price. The feature was not mentioned on Twitter’s page on the Google Play Store for Android devices as of early Saturday afternoon. Musk has argued that allowing all users to pay to be verified on Twitter will raise the costs of producing spam and misinformation.

Elon Musk seems determined to remake Twitter in his own image — with some help from the men in his trusted inner circle. They are joined in Musk’s orbit by Alex Spiro, a trial attorney with a roster of celebrity clients who reportedly led the first round of Twitter layoffs. Bloomberg reported Wednesday night that Twitter is preparing to eliminate about 3,700 jobs, or roughly half its workforce. Musk's personnel decisions suggest a possible road map for the future of Twitter, one in which policies and internal rules are drawn at least in part from the views of Musk’s consiglieres. Sacks, Calacanis, Spiro and Birchall did not immediately respond to questions about the company’s future and the nature of their roles there.

☆ Judge dismisses suit alleging TikTok ‘blackout challenge’ caused girl’s death
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Angela Yang | Angela Yang Is An Intern For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a wrongful death lawsuit that claimed TikTok was responsible for the death of a 10-year-old who took part in the so-called Blackout Challenge. The challenge, which encourages participants to choke themselves until they pass out, had appeared on the child’s TikTok For You Page, according to court documents. The lawsuit was among several that have been filed related to the Blackout Challenge in the last year. In July, the families of two young girls also sued TikTok after their children, aged 8 and 9, died of self-strangulation while participating in the Blackout Challenge. A TikTok spokesperson told NBC News that the challenge had never trended on the platform and predates the app’s existence.

☆ Some Democrats dip a toe in TikTok as most Republicans stay away
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( David Ingram | David Ingram Covers Tech For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

NBC News found that nine Democratic candidates in this year’s 35 Senate races are posting to TikTok, while three Republican Senate candidates are using it. In the most competitive Senate races, four of the Democrats are using TikTok: Sen. Raphael Warnock in Georgia, former state Chief Justice Cheri Beasley in North Carolina, Lt. Gov. The only Republican in a competitive Senate race using TikTok is Oz, who began posting there in 2019 before he left his television show for politics. “TikTok does have such widespread use,” Madison Horn, the Democratic nominee for one of two Senate races in Oklahoma, said in a phone interview. Bob Ellsworth, a Republican advertising consultant, said TikTok has certainly changed how Republicans campaign even if they’re not on the app itself.

In her opening statement, Spacey attorney Jennifer Keller squarely targeted the #MeToo movement: “One of the cardinal rules of the so-called MeToo movement [is] that you have to believe the victim. It was cleverly set up by Mr. Rapp.”And while testifying in trial, Spacey denied any wrongdoing and blamed his Twitter response for being the product of misguided “crisis” management against the backdrop of the #MeToo movement. He reiterated his embrace of the #MeToo movement after losing the trial. There was no reason to allow the trial to demonize a movement that encourages reporting sex crimes and discourages sexual abuse. How the trial was conducted matters to people other than Rapp and Spacey.

The jury in Kevin Spacey's sexual abuse trial found that the Oscar-winning actor is not liable for battery against “Star Trek: Discovery star” Anthony Rapp. Rapp alleged that Spacey climbed on top of him at a party in New York City in 1986, when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26. “I didn’t ask for him to do that,” he told jurors, referring to Spacey’s alleged sexual advance. Rapp alleged that sometime after that evening, Spacey invited him to a party at his apartment. Rapp testified that he did not recognize anyone at the party, so he went into a bedroom to watch television.

☆ Kevin Spacey Found Not Liable in Civil Sexual-Misconduct Case Brought by ‘Rent’ Star Anthony Rapp
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Jennifer Calfas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Kevin Spacey arrived at U.S. District Court in New York on Thursday. A Manhattan jury found Kevin Spacey not liable in a civil case brought by actor Anthony Rapp , concluding a two-week trial related to sexual-misconduct allegations first made public five years ago. The jury found in favor of Mr. Spacey, who had denied Mr. Rapp’s claims he made an unwanted sexual advance decades ago.

☆ Kevin Spacey civil trial: Closing arguments underway
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Lauren Del Valle | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Closing arguments are underway in the civil sexual misconduct trial against Kevin Spacey, stemming from allegations made by actor Anthony Rapp. Attorney Richard Steigman began by presenting a closing argument for Rapp in the New York courtroom on Thursday morning. Spacey, who finished testifying earlier this week, told the jury Rapp’s allegations were not true. “I was being encouraged to apologize and I’ve learned a lesson which is never apologize for something you didn’t do,” Spacey testified on Monday. Before ending his time on the stand last week, Rapp’s attorney Peter Saghir asked the actor if he had been lying about his allegations against Spacey.

☆ Kevin Spacey finishes testifying in civil sexual misconduct trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Sonia Moghe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —After about five hours on the witness stand, Kevin Spacey finished testifying in his defense in a sexual misconduct trial, stemming from allegations made by actor Anthony Rapp. Spacey grew emotional multiple times during his testimony, including when he discussed a statement he put out shortly after Rapp went public with his allegations in 2017 to BuzzFeed. Spacey has said in his testimony that his publicity team at the time advised him that he’d be labeled a victim blamer if he pushed back. “I was being encouraged to apologize and I’ve learned a lesson which is never apologize for something you didn’t do,” Spacey testified on Monday. The next witness called by Spacey’s attorneys will be Alexander Bardey, a psychiatrist.

☆ Judge Tosses Part of Sexual-Misconduct Lawsuit Against Kevin Spacey
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Joseph De Avila | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Actor Kevin Spacey arrived at the Manhattan Federal Court for his civil sex abuse case in New York last week. A federal judge has partially dismissed a lawsuit filed by actor Anthony Rapp related to sexual-misconduct allegations he made against “House of Cards” star Kevin Spacey . U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan on Monday threw out Mr. Rapp’s claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress. Judge Kaplan permitted Mr. Rapp’s claim of battery to move forward.

☆ Kanye West to acquire Parler
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN Business —Kanye West is acquiring Parler, the alternative social media platform favored by many conservatives. Exact terms of the Parler deal weren’t disclosed, though Parler said it must still enter into a definitive agreement with West and expects to close in the fourth quarter. Buying Parler could make West the latest celebrity owner of a social media platform after former President Donald Trump’s bid to win over conservatives with Truth Social and Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s proposed acquisition of Twitter. Truth Social launched in February on Apple’s app store, and was approved for Google’s app store on Oct. 13. Musk’s move to buy Twitter, if the deal goes through, also has the potential to upend Parler and similar services.

CNN —Actor Kevin Spacey will testify in the sexual misconduct trial against him, his attorney said in court Monday. Earlier Monday, attorneys for actor Anthony Rapp finished presenting their case against Spacey. He is suing Spacey for assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Spacey’s attorneys have attempted to poke holes in Rapp’s claims by pointing to discrepancies, including dates Rapp alleged to have run into Spacey at industry events. Before ending his time on the stand, Rapp’s attorney Peter Saghir asked the actor if he had been lying about his allegations against Spacey.

Rapp, watching Spacey accept his prize, threw a pencil at the screen, he testified this week. Spacey’s lawyers have tried to convince the jury of six men and six women that Rapp fabricated his claim in large part because he was bitterly envious of their client's success. Rapp, they contend, desperately wanted Spacey’s career: the hit films, the plum roles, the two Oscars. But through the first five days of the trial in downtown Manhattan, Rapp’s alleged jealousy has been a recurring and striking theme. “I wanted my career.”Warrington Parker, a San Francisco trial attorney, and Danny Cevallos, an NBC News legal analyst, both described the jealousy argument as a high-risk bet for Spacey’s lawyers.

☆ 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.

☆ Kevin Spacey’s attorney tests positive for Covid-19 during trial
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Sonia Moghe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Jennifer Keller, a lead attorney representing Kevin Spacey in the sexual misconduct lawsuit filed by Anthony Rapp, has tested positive for Covid-19. Keller tested positive Thursday morning and is symptomatic, US District a judge Lewis Kaplan told the court. Clinical and forensic psychologist Lisa Rocchio is on direct examination by Rapp’s legal team and is expected to be their final witness. Spacey’s attorneys have attempted to poke holes in Rapp’s claims, among them, that Lupita Nyong’o’s New York Times op-ed is what inspired him to come forward with his allegations to Buzzfeed in 2017. Spacey’s legal team has also pointed to discrepancies between Rapp’s claims, including dates he ran into Spacey at industry events.

"Star Trek: Discovery" actor Anthony Rapp testified Wednesday that the moment Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey allegedly climbed on top of him at a New York City party in 1986 was "the most traumatic single event of my life" and caused "lingering impacts." Rapp was 14 at the time of the alleged encounter and Spacey was 26. Rapp testified that at some point, an apparently drunk Spacey entered the room, lifted him up, placed him on a bed and rested his body on top of him. "I never wanted Kevin Spacey's career," Rapp told jurors. Rapp testified that he has shared his Spacey allegation with friends over the years, but he does not know "the number" of people he has told.

☆ Meta’s newest VR headset is impressive. Here’s why you probably won’t buy it
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Rachel Metz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN Business —Meta’s newest virtual-reality headset, the Meta Quest Pro, is a slick, powerful device. Buyers can pre-order the Quest Pro as of Tuesday, and it will ship out on October 25. Meta's latest VR headset, the Quest Pro, is aimed at business users and costs $1500. Updated hand controllersThe headset is also more of a mixed-reality headset than a VR headset, as it isn’t meant to block out all ambient light all the time. The Quest Pro headset has sensors that can track your eyes and facial expressions.

☆ Anthony Rapp testifies he ‘could not escape’ his memory of incident with Kevin Spacey
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Sonia Moghe | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Anthony Rapp testified Tuesday in a civil trial against Kevin Spacey about the emotional distress he says the actor has caused him. “Every time I saw him on the screen I was reminded, I could not escape that memory,” Rapp testified. “I wanted to tell someone what had happened,” Rapp testified. His first time seeing Spacey after the incident was during his brief appearance in the 1988 film “Working Girl.”“It was as if somebody had poked me with a cattle prod,” Rapp testified of seeing Spacey on screen. Rapp testified that he did not see a draft of the article and that he was concerned about public backlash for speaking out.

☆ Cookies might not be tracking you, but some brands are
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Leticia Miranda | Leticia Miranda Is A Business Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +12 min

And for consumers who want to cut down on corporate monitoring, hitting “decline cookies” might not make much of a difference. Ulta Beauty’s Brent Rosso, vice president of the cosmetics seller’s ad business, called retail media networks “the hottest thing in the media world.”The Home Depot app encourages users to allow tracking. Home DepotNew ways to track and targetBefore the rise of retail media networks, retailers regularly sold ad space like sponsored products or banner ads on their own digital properties. But many retail media networks combine first-party data with existing third-party information, such as demographic data, to build more detailed profiles on consumers. About $40 billion will be spent this year across retail media networks alone, the analytics firm projects.

☆ Apple removes Russian social media giant VK from app store
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Washington CNN Business —Apple has removed VKontakte, a top Russian social media platform, from its app store, according to the app’s developer. “Now some VK applications are blocked by Apple, so they are not available for download and update in the App Store,” VK wrote in the blog post. VK apps provide a range of services including email, food delivery and digital payments. The company’s social network has 97 million monthly users worldwide, while its email service, Mail.ru, has 46 million users within Russia. Earlier this year in response to the war in Ukraine, Apple stopped selling new products in Russia, clamped down on Apple Pay and removed state-backed media outlets RT and Sputnik from its app stores outside of Russia.

Where to get audiobooksMost audiobooks are available to listen to on your smartphone, tablet, smartwatch and desktop or laptop — how to listen to audiobooks depends mostly on which device you have and which apps can be downloaded on it. Getting started: Audible offers two main types of memberships — Audible Plus and Audible Premium Plus — each with a 30-day trial membership. During those 30 days, you can listen to podcasts, meditation programs, sleep tracks and audiobooks, plus access Audible Original content. An Audible Premium Plus membership also gives you 30% off any additional premium titles you may want to buy. Find other audiobooks optionsBest audiobooks for getting startedIf you’re on the hunt for your next audiobook or on the fence about joining the world of audiobooks, it’s a good idea to start off with audiobooks that are much more satisfying in their spoken iteration.

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