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☆ EA Shows Why Mobile Games Are a Minefield
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Dan Gallagher | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

When one of the biggest videogame makers in the business gets hung up in the mobile end of the market, it can say something for the whole industry. With annual revenue now over $7 billion, Electronic Arts is the largest stand-alone game publisher in the U.S. save for Activision Blizzard . EA also has a few games capable of generating more than $1 billion a year on their own, including “Apex Legends.” The battle-royale style shooter was EA’s answer to the blockbuster “Fortnite” and has been a resounding success since its surprise launch in 2019 for consoles and PCs. Analysts estimate the game’s total revenue has surpassed that of “Madden NFL” to become EA’s second-biggest property next to the blockbuster soccer franchise “FIFA,” according to Visible Alpha.

☆ Factbox: Investments flow to automated vehicles in non-auto settings
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 1 (Reuters) - Corporate and private investors have turned from funding autonomous trucks and passenger cars to companies and applications in a variety of non-automotive settings, from construction and mining to airports and agriculture. Among them:Company: Aurrigo (AURR.L)Headquarters: Coventry, UKStatus: publicFounded: 1993Focus: urban & airport shuttlesMarket capitalization: $40 millionCompany: OxboticaHeadquarters: Oxford, UKStatus: privateFounded: 2014Focus: passenger shuttles, warehouse vehicles, last-mile deliveryInvestors: ZF, BP, Ocado, Eneos, AXA, TencentMoney raised: $256 millionValuation: $720 millionPartners: ZF, BP, OcadoCompany: EinrideHeadquarters: Stockholm, SwedenStatus: privateFounded: 2016Focus: logistics yardsInvestors: Maersk, Ericsson, TemasekMoney raised: $655 millionPartners: Maersk, Bridgestone, InBev, GECompany: OutriderHeadquarters: Golden Colorado, USAStatus: privateFounded: 2017Focus: yard & warehouse vehiclesInvestors: Nvidia, Sumitomo, Abu Dhabi Investment FundMoney raised: $200 millionValuation: $550 millionCustomers: Georgia-PacificCompany: TeleoHeadquarters: Palo Alto, California, USAStatus: privateFounded: 2019Focus: construction & mining equipmentInvestors: UP Partners, Trucks, F-Prime, K9Money raised: $12 millionValuation: $44 millionCompany: Parallel SystemsHeadquarters: Los Angeles, USAStatus: privateFounded: 2020Focus: railcarsInvestors: Anthos, Congruent, Embark, RiotMoney raised: $53 millionValuation: $188 millionCompany: KodiakHeadquarters: Mountain View, California, USAStatus: privateFounded: 2018Focus: trucks, defense vehiclesInvestors: BMW, Bridgestone, PilotMoney raised: $198 millionValuation: $506 millionCustomers: IkeaCompany: Fox RoboticsHeadquarters: Austin, Texas, USAStatus: privateFounded: 2017Focus: forkliftsInvestors: Menlo, Eniac, Congruent, AMEMoney raised: $33 millionCompany: Apex.AIHeadquarters: Palo Alto, California, USAStatus: privateFounded: 2017Focus: agriculture equipmentInvestors: Toyota, Airbus, Agco, Daimler Truck, ZF, Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo Group, Hella, ContinentalMoney raised: $74 millionValuation: $297 millionSources: PitchBook, companiesReporting by Paul Lienert in Detroit Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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REUTERS/Phil NobleCOVENTRY, England, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Developing fully autonomous vehicles (AVs) that can go everywhere has proven harder and more expensive than expected, but investors are continuing to fund startups that target simpler self-driving vehicle solutions far removed from pedestrians and other vehicles operated by unpredictable humans. Earlier promises made by robotaxi companies of operating fleets of vehicles by the early 2020s have fallen well short. BMW iVentures has also invested in AV truck technology firm Kodiak Robotics, which managing partner Sage said has adopted a simpler approach to areas like mapping. Construction and agricultural equipment - used off-road in low-traffic environments - has been another growth area for AV startups. U.S. agricultural equipment maker AGCO Corp (AGCO.N), for instance, is using the Palo Alto, California-based startup's software for an experimental automated electric planter.

☆ The US's powerful Abrams tanks are heading to Ukraine, but generals disagree over how hard it'll be to use them on the battlefield
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Sebastien Roblin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +19 min

The US has pledged to send Abrams tanks to Ukraine, joining a bevy of Western-made tanks. Here comes the M1 Abrams for UkraineA M1A2 Abrams tank fires at a target during an exercise. The same day, word spread that US President Joe Biden would announce he was sending 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. But Hertling disagreed that withholding the M1 Abrams was a "political decision" and didn't find the examples of non-US Abrams operators persuasive. M1 Abrams: training and sustainmentAn M1A2 Abrams drives into the woods during an exercise in Hohenfels, Germany.

☆ Abuses Proliferate in Police Squads Like Memphis's Scorpion Unit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( Katherine Long | Jack Newsham | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +27 min

Street Crime Unit. Jon Naso/NY Daily News Archive via Getty ImagesMemphis police chief Davis also has prior experience with special street crime units. Street crime squads are popular among politicians who say only aggressive policing will reduce violent crime. In the late 1990s, the Street Crime Unit tripled in size, amid a panic over a rising number of homicides. In a city grappling with violent crime, authorities touted the Street Crime Unit as a bright spot.

☆ Elon Musk calmed anxious Tesla investors by acting like a normal CEO for once
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Nora Naughton | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Investors went into Tesla's earnings announcement Wednesday feeling trepidation, especially given signs the CEO was distracted by a series of gaffes at Twitter. But Musk quelled these fears with solid fourth-quarter results, a confident outlook for the year, and a dose of normalcy. Musk addresses demand worriesOn a call with investors following fourth quarter results, Musk addressed the demand worries head-on. "Tesla investors were worried that Musk wasn't focused," Beck told Insider. But investors left the earnings call yesterday reassured that Musk can manage both companies at once, said Darrell Martin, CEO of Apex Trader Funding.

☆ Sri Lanka hopeful of completing debt restructuring in six months, says cenbank chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Uditha Jayasinghe | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

COLOMBO, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka is committed to meeting all its debt repayments and is hoping to complete debt restructuring negotiations in the next six months, the country's central bank chief P. Nandalal Weerasinghe said on Tuesday. India last week told the IMF that it strongly supports Sri Lanka's debt restructuring plan. The biggest uncertainty is the timeframe for the debt restructuring. It is only after debt sustainability is assured can Sri Lanka return to a sustainable growth path," he added. Sri Lanka's National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) (LKNCPI=ECI) eased year-on-year to 59.2% in December, after a 65% rise in November, data on Monday showed.

☆ 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.

☆ 39 more Regal theaters are closing in the US amid bankruptcy. See the full list.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Travis Clark | Sindhu Sundar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Over three dozen Regal Cinemas locations in the US are expected to close. Cineworld detailed the plan to reject the leases starting February 15 in a new bankruptcy filing on Tuesday. Regal is the second-largest cinema chain in the US, behind AMC, with over 500 theaters. The company's plan to close locations during its bankruptcy is fairly routine. Cineworld filed for bankruptcy at a time when the larger theatrical industry is struggling to fully rebound from the pandemic.

Every year since 1990, the media advocacy nonprofit group has honored films, television shows, musicians, journalists and other media figures for fair, accurate and inclusive representations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. Of the 10 wide-release film nominees, for example, six featured prominent lesbian, bisexual or other queer women characters, including “Tár,” “Bodies Bodies Bodies” and “Scream,” the group noted in its release. Netflix scored the most nominations of any network, outlet or platform, with a total of 21, followed by ABC with 12 and HBO Max with 10. He Was Dead An Hour Later.”Award winners will be announced during two live ceremonies: in Los Angeles on March 30, and in New York City on May 13. The full list of nominees can be found on GLAAD’s website.

☆ 2022 was the worst-ever year for U.S. bonds. How to position your portfolio for 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Interest rates started 2022 at rock-bottom — where they'd been for the better part of the time since the Great Recession. Bond prices move opposite interest rates — as interest rates rise, bond prices fall. Duration is a measure of a bond's sensitivity to interest rates and is impacted by maturity, among other factors. We can see why long-dated bonds suffered especially big losses in 2022, given interest rates jumped by about 4 percentage points. The traditional dynamics of a 60/40 portfolio — a portfolio barometer for investors, weighted 60% to stocks and 40% to bonds — will likely return, advisors said.

Tax-loss harvesting, portfolio lines of credit, 529 college savings plans available Check mark icon A check mark. Competitive mobile and online offerings for digital investors and traders Check mark icon A check mark. Access to Certified Financial Planners at no additional charge Check mark icon A check mark. Low-cost, hands-off investment account that combines automated features with management from a team of human investment professionals Check mark icon A check mark. We compared nearly two dozen brokerages, placing heavy weighting on their advisory and trading fees, investment philosophy, investment options, and types of accounts available.

☆ Lone Gray Wolf’s Journey Sheds New Light on Elusive Predator
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-01 | by ( Ben Kesling | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A young gray wolf that’s been on the move since September, traveling from Minnesota to northern Wisconsin and still roaming, is helping biologists get a better understanding of a complex apex predator. The male wolf, named R2L, unwittingly sends his location every 20 minutes through a GPS collar attached by scientists at Voyageurs Wolf Project in Minnesota. Trail cameras capture his movement when he passes by.

☆ The Oath Keepers promised to defend liberty — and ended up trying to overthrow American democracy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Oath Keepers were founded in 2009, pledging to stand up to tyranny. The Oath Keepers, to be sure, are not to be confused with a charming but a little bit problematic ex. A look at the list of 10 orders the Oath Keepers insisted its members — cops and soldiers — would not carry out reveals as much. Thanks to the magic of the Internet Archive, however, we can see just how they were received on the Oath Keepers' website at the time. But there is, in my take, nothing different about the underlying threat that Oath Keepers posed from day one."

[1/3] An empty road is pictured at Shanghai Central Business District (CBD) as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreaks continue in Shanghai, China, December 23, 2022. Subway trains in Beijing and Shanghai were packed, while some major traffic arteries in the two cities jammed with slow-moving cars on Monday as residents commuted to work. An annual Christmas market held at the Bund, a commercial area in Shanghai, was also crowded over the weekend. Crowds thronged the winter festive season at Shanghai Disneyland and Beijing's Universal Studios on Sunday, queuing up for rides in Christmas-themed outfits. The city of Qingdao, in the eastern Shandong province, has estimated that up to 530,000 residents were being infected each day.

☆ 4 major trends in health startups in 2022, after an unexpected post-pandemic dropoff in funding
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Riddhi Kanetkar | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

VCs poured $13.5 billion into healthtech startups in 2022 — down nearly 50% from 2021. But a global slump and the tech downturn changed all of that, and funding into health startups fell by nearly 50% to $13.5 billion this year. AI-driven drug development and mental health startups also boomed during COVID-19 but have seen a funding dropoff in 2022. Tech that served underrepresented groups was spotlightedFrom menopause to mental health, health conditions that were billed as 'taboo' pre-pandemic have come to the forefront this year. Startups offering personalized treatments for niche issues or demographics, such as menopause app Vira Health, mental health platform MyMynd, and men's health platform Numan, all raised capital this year.

☆ Why North Korea’s missile tests are going higher and further
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +14 min

North Korea missiles Stronger, faster, higher North Korea has made steady progress in expanding its missile programme, developing weapons that can strike across the globe - or hit critical targets closer to home. North Korea has forged ahead in developing ballistic missiles, testing new capabilities, honing existing weapons and putting them into service. Like most North Korean long-range ballistic missile tests, both ICBMs were fired on lofted trajectories. Trajectories of some of North Korea’s long-range missile testsNuclear warheads South Korea and the United States have warned since early 2022 that North Korea may resume nuclear testing for the first time since 2017. Same missiles, different locationsAmong North Korea's ballistic missiles, SRBMs appear to be the most likely to be deployed, Panda said.

☆ Fed Rate Increases Upended Funding Markets in 2022. Here’s What CFOs Can Expect in 2023.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Nina Trentmann | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +9 min

Here’s a look at how different financing instruments fared in 2022 and what’s ahead for 2023. Activity in the convertible debt market has picked up in recent weeks. Still, there could be financing opportunities for deals in 2023 in the form of syndicated loans, bankers said. “CFOs have to be aware of that and focus on cash conversion and margins,” he said, pointing to the increase in financing costs. “We expect deals will continue to get done,” he said, adding that those could however come with more oversight from lenders.

☆ Trump isn't the golden ticket for 2024, but don't count him out, wealth manager says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailTrump isn't the golden ticket for 2024, but don't count him out, wealth manager saysPresident of APEX Financial Services, Lee Baker, discusses what Raphael Warnock winning the Georgia Senate runoff election means for legislation in the U.S. and the 2024 presidential election.

☆ Former Theranos COO Sunny Balwani sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Rohan Goswami | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Former Theranos chief operating officer and president Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani was sentenced to nearly 13 years in prison Wednesday for fraud, after the unraveling of the blood-testing juggernaut prompted criminal charges in California federal court against both Balwani and Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, who on Nov. 18 was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison . Sunny Balwani, former president of Theranos Inc., arrives at federal court in San Jose, California, on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. "I am responsible for everything at Theranos," Balwani said in a message to Holmes. Balwani's sentencing in federal court marks the end of the Theranos saga, which enthralled the public and prompted documentary films and novel treatments. "Kill the old Elizabeth," Balwani purportedly told her.

☆ Tasmanian tiger: Lost remains of last thylacine found hiding in plain sight
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —For decades, nobody knew where the remains of the last thylacine, or Tasmanian tiger, were located. It turns out they were hiding in plain sight – at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG), in the Australian island state, where they had been unidentified for more than 80 years. That meant researchers and staff at the museum were wholly unaware of the significance of the thylacine in their collection. A thylacine displayed at the Australian Museum in Sydney, Australia, in 2002. The remains are now on display in the museum’s thylacine gallery for public viewing.

☆ His Dodge Viper Is an Apex Predator on the Road
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( A.J. Baime | Photographs Eric Wagner For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Emerson Moser , 46, of Cincinnati, general counsel for Meridian Bioscience, on his 2010 Dodge Viper ACR, as told to A.J. My dad was a General Motors engineer, and we spent a lot of time going to racetracks and car shows. When I was in college at Purdue in the 1990s, I was walking across campus one day when I saw a Dodge Viper on display in the Engineering Mall. I thought: This is the coolest, most exotic American car I have ever seen. It had a V-10 engine partially developed by Lamborghini.

☆ China's COVID policy is top of mind for investors as unrest rattled markets this week. Here are 5 things they're watching as Beijing signals willingness to loosen some restrictions.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Chinese cities this week loosened COVID restrictions in the wake of mass protests, lifting Chinese stocks. China's top pandemic official this week appeared to signal a softening in the zero-COVID policy but the government has yet to pledge a comprehensive step-down. Retail investors should be prepared to move defensively should Beijing's decisions on zero-COVID policy go against their respective positions, Martin said. Here's what some market experts are looking at as global investors watch for developments surrounding the Chinese government's zero-COVID stance. "You have to understand that nobody has an edge as to predicting China policy anymore.

☆ 'Mind-control' parasites make wolves likelier to be pack leader
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Wolves are pack animals, living in family groups led by a matriarch and her mate. Researchers found that gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park infected with a parasite known as Toxoplasma gondii were more likely to leave the group of wolves they were born into or become a pack leader. Kira Cassidy/NPSRisky behavior of infected animalsScientists have been monitoring wolves in Yellowstone National Park since the species was reintroduced there in 1995. Pack behavior is observed via trail cameras and plane flyovers, and about a quarter of the wolves wear radio tracking collars and undergo blood tests. “The more we learn about wolf behavior, the better we can understand how to conserve the species,” she said.

☆ This Is Your Brain on ‘Deep Reading.’ It’s Pretty Magnificent. - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( The Ezra Klein Show | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +57 min

But if over time, we have begun to elaborate this brain so that it includes deep reading, the unnatural apex of the achievement of reading is what deep reading provides. And every time I get off of a plane, I say to myself, I’m going to do that more. I’m going to sit and I’m going to have quiet time with a book. I’m going to bring this to me in a second, so I’m not just putting this on little kids. maryanne wolfThe first thing I do is understand the purpose of whatever I’m reading.

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