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☆ A Los Angeles house that's badly in need of repairs and sits over a public bridge is on the market for $250,000. The agent said more than 40 groups showed up for an open house.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

An LA apartment that sits over a bridge — or under, depending on where it's viewed from — is for sale for $245,950. Compass Real EstateThere's only one way to enter the one-bedroom, one-bathroom property, and that's via a staircase from the street. Compass Real EstateThis is the first time in 18 years that the house is on the market, per listing history. Compass Real EstateLee added that the owners are choosing to sell the property now "for personal reasons." There are currently 34 single-family homes for sale in the neighborhood, and the bridge house is the cheapest listing in the area.

Persons: Douglas Lee, —, Lee, he's, We've, hasn't Organizations: Service, Compass, — Locations: Angeles, Alhambra, Alhambra , California, LA

Extensive flooding inundated villages and swept away structures after a dam was destroyed in southern Ukraine on Tuesday, according to local officials and imagery of the aftermath. In the town of Antonivka, about 40 miles downriver from the Kakhovka dam, residents looked on in horror at the roiling coffee-colored floodwaters released by its destruction. About 4,000 residents remained there before the flooding on Tuesday, out of a prewar population of about 13,000. Ukraine and Russia blamed each other for the attack on the dam, which is in Russian-held territory. In Nova Kakhovka, the city immediately next to the destroyed dam, the City hall and the Palace of Culture were inundated.

Organizations: Planet Labs PBC, Institute, American, Google, UKRAINE, RUSSIA, BY, BY UKRAINE Dnipro, Local, Kakhovka, Reuters, International Atomic Energy Agency Locations: Ukraine, UKRAINE UKRAINE, Dachi Kherson, Kherson, RUSSIA Stara Zbur’ivka, UKRAINE, RUSSIA, Kardashynka Kherson, Black, Russian, Dnipro, Antonivka, BY UKRAINE, Oleshky, Salt Lake, Utah, Russia, City, Culture

☆ We're a millennial couple in Singapore, where real-estate prices are skyrocketing. House hunting was surprisingly easy.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Amanda Goh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

For about a year, he lived with me and my family in our five-room Housing Development Board flat in Holland Village. Housing Development Board flats are public housing, and they're home to about 80% of the country's resident population. The seller's agent told us the Housing Development Board valuation was SG$430,000, and we ended up making an offer of SG$445,000, which was accepted. After the down payment, most people either take a Housing Development Board loan or a bank loan to finance their homes. The Housing Development Board interest rate is fairly stable and has stayed at 2.6% a year for a few years now, though the Housing Development Board acknowledges that it may be adjusted over the year.

Persons: Vanessa Tai, —, They're, hadn't, It's, we're, it's, We're Organizations: Service, Board, Housing, Google, Central Provident Fund Locations: Europe, Singapore, Croatia, Holland Village, Holland, Sengkang, we're

☆ When the Neighbors Don’t Share Your Vision (and That Vision Involves ‘Transformers’ Statues)
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Noreen Malone | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The thing about putting a pair of 10-foot statues of metal-hewn Transformers outside your townhouse in the most picturesque district of the nation’s capital is that the neighbors are going to have opinions. Plenty of people love the statues, which resemble invaders from the future, in a neighborhood that does its best to hang on to its cobblestone past. Students at nearby Georgetown University can’t get enough. Neither can tourists: The Transformers statues have their own entry on Google Maps as a place of interest, with 4.9 stars. “The best part of visiting Georgetown,” one reviewer declared.

Persons: —, Newton Howard, Georgetown University can’t, “, ” Organizations: Optimus, Georgetown University, Google Locations: Georgetown, Taiwan

☆ How much of A.I. is just hype? A bull and a bear share their tips on how to invest
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

But it's also had its detractors , and some analysts have warned of the risks of investing in AI. One example is Meta, which has jumped over 100% this year partly as a result of its pivot from the metaverse to AI, Dietze said. How to invest Dietze and Ware agree on one thing: Avoid investing in pure-play AI companies. For such larger tech companies, AI is only going to be a small part of total revenues and profits — so it's safer, although returns will be more muted, he said. Ware added, "Forget making bets on 'pure play' AI companies with no earnings, no moat, and now [higher] costs of capital.

☆ Electricity prices in Finland flipped negative — a huge oversupply of clean, hydroelectric power meant suppliers were almost giving it away
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A new nuclear reactor, as well as unexpected floods, are leading to a glut of clean energy. While much of Europe was facing an energy crisis, the Nordic country reported that its spot energy prices dropped below zero before noon. "Now there is enough electricity, and it is almost emission-free," Ruusunen told Yle, adding that Finns could "feel good about using electricity." Ruusunen told the National that Finland wanted wind to become its primary power source by 2027. Finland is now dealing with energy prices being too lowAn offshore windfarm near the Aland Islands, an autonomous archipelago that is a region of Finland in the Baltic sea.

☆ One of Putin's closest friends built him a $3.2 million fishing villa in Finland, then had to scrap it when the Russian leader showed up and wasn't keen on fishing in the country: report
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A $3.2 million fishing villa built for Vladimir Putin sits abandoned in Finland, The Insider reported. A friend built it for Putin, but stopped when he realized the leader wasn't keen on Finnish fishing, per The Insider. The villa was funded by Viktor Khmarin, an old classmate of Putin's at Leningrad State University who now lobbies for the Russian leader, per The Insider. Khmarin had built the Finnish cottage in a bid to get Putin to spend more time with him, according to the outlet. The reported location of Khmarin's fishing villa puts it close to the Villa Segren, another property in the Gulf of Finland that Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny claimed is used by Putin as a holiday retreat.

☆ A couple transformed an 150-year-old abandoned farmhouse in rural Japan into an Airbnb. Here's how they built their country homestead.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Byron and Kaori Nagy have fully renovated a 150-year-old unoccupied farmhouse an hour outside Tokyo. Byron, who's originally from New Jersey, also created a farm on land nearby. They've also spent between $300,000 and $400,000 building a new home in the traditional Japanese style. Top editors give you the stories you want — delivered right to your inbox each weekday. "It's easier today to live in this country than it's ever been," Allen said.

☆ Meet the family letting an AI chatbot plan a 6-month trip around the world with their one-year-old daughter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Hannah Towey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Travel influencer Michael Motamedi is letting AI plan his family's six-month trip around the world. GuideGeek, an AI travel assistant, will decide which countries they visit. It's an experiment on how artificial intelligence could change how we travel, Motamedi told Insider. But on Wednesday, the family used an AI chatbot to decide on their next destination in under an hour: They were heading to Morocco. Motamedi and Salas tested the technology out in April while using the chatbot to plan a date night in Mexico City.

☆ Fact Check-Galleria Umberto I in Naples built in 1890, not a thousand years prior
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Galleria Umberto I was built between 1887 and 1890 and dedicated to Umberto I, Italy’s king at the time, said Joshua Arthurs, associate professor of history in the Department of Historical and Cultural Studies at the University of Toronto-Scarborough (here). Galleria Umberto I stands between Via Santa Brigida, Via Giuseppe Verdi and Via San Carlo and can be seen on Google Maps (goo.gl/maps/bC1CLDxHmExVokzg7). ARCHITECTURAL FEATURESArchitectural elements seen in Galleria Umberto I could not have been possible a thousand years prior, Arthurs said, and the style is typical of the Renaissance revival in the late 19th century, called “Stile Umbertino,” referring to King Umberto I. MISSING ‘M’Historians interviewed by Reuters could not confirm whether the M was ever missing from the building façade at some point. Galleria Umberto I could not have been built 1,000 years before 1890.

☆ Google zeroed in on these 3 categories of climate companies to boost
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

This year, the 12 companies mostly fell into three broad categories: Artificial intelligence, electric vehicle infrastructure, and providing companies with better data to decarbonize their operations. When I read the headlines about the dangers of the climate crisis, I feel a personal obligation to be a part of supporting innovative climate solutions to scale," Ridenour told CNBC. Google has hosted three climate change startup accelerators for North American companies in the last three years, and all 33 of the participants are all still operating, a spokesperson for Google told CNBC. "Teams are leaning deeper into developing AI and ML models to address climate change," Ridenour told CNBC. Cleartrace is particularly focused on measurement techniques for Scope 3 emissions -- emissions associated with a company's entire supply chain or value chain, which can be fiendishly difficult to track.

☆ Ukrainian troops used 'wedding drones' and Google Maps to batter Russian forces during the war's chaotic early days, commanders say
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In the days after Russia's invasion last year, Ukrainian forces need help targeting Russian troops. One Ukrainian artillery unit relied on help from Ukrainian civilians to guide their strikes. Ukrainian and Russian drones prowl the skies constantly, looking for enemy positions and movements, as well as for artillery batteries, supply depots, and command posts. SERGEY SHESTAK/AFP via Getty ImagesSometimes Ukrainian forces would get indications that Russian troops were in a village, but not their precise location. Ukrainian troops fire an 2S7 Pion howitzer at Russian positions near Bakhmut in March.

Google Pixel Fold Google's Pixel Fold is a premium, foldable phone that looks to justify its $1,800 price tag with versatile functionality and multitasking features. In many respects, Google's Pixel Fold offers a design and functionality similar to its main competitor, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 4. Google Pixel Fold: Hands-on impressionsThe Pixel Fold's exterior screen looks and feels like a regular phone screen. Antonio Villas-Boas/InsiderThe Pixel Fold is available for pre-order from Google's Store online now for a starting price of $1,799. Google Pixel Fold: Specs

☆ Alphabet gains $56 billion in market value after it unveils AI 'snapshots' for Google Search
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Alphabet stock surged as much as 5% on Wednesday after it made several AI announcements at its I/O developer conference. The company unveiled "AI Snapshot" for Google Search and said it's incorporating generative AI capabilities across its product suite. "With generative AI we are taking the next step... we are reimagining all our core products, including search," CEO Sundar Pichai said. The company announced "AI Snapshot," which integrates generative AI results directly on top of Google's search results. Microsoft's Bing Search has taken a similar approach, in which search query results show both an AI section as well as traditional search results on the same page.

Though investigators have yet to pin down a motive in the attack, they are probing whether Garcia was driven by extremist ideologies, a law enforcement source told CNN. Among those killed were two elementary school-aged sisters; three members of a Korean American family, including a child; a mall security guard; and a young engineer. Law enforcement does not yet feel they have a “complete picture” of Garcia’s past and are continuing to dig into his background, a law enforcement source told CNN. The child’s name and age were not given, but the Texas Department of Safety did note a three-year-old child was among those killed. Other victims included Christian LaCour, an outlet mall security guard, and Aishwarya Thatikonda, who was killed while visiting the mall with a friend, CNN affiliate WFAA reported.

The online profile being investigated also includes several pictures showing a black tactical vest with an RWDS patch. In addition, the profile includes a screenshot from Google Maps showing the time at which the mall where the shooting took place was likely to be busiest. Even so, one fact weighed heavily on the suburban community outside Dallas where the murders occurred: There were children among the victims. Although the police would not indicate how many children died, officials including President Biden acknowledged that there were more than one. As of Sunday afternoon, one patient had been transferred to a children’s hospital and was in fair condition.

☆ These are the 10 best travel destinations for a 'digital detox'—none of them are in the U.S.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

More and more people are looking for a reprieve from the endless scroll of social media, breaking news alerts and e-mail notifications. There's a recent rise in Gen Zers in the U.S. buying "dumb phones" to help limit the time they spend on apps like Twitter and TikTok. And as people set stricter boundaries around how much they interact with tech, they're turning their attention to travel. InsureMyTrip, a travel insurance comparison website, ranked the best cities to visit for a "digital detox" based on an overall rating across four categories: relaxation, activities, safety, and access to the internet. To stick to your digital detox, look to one of the featured destinations that received high marks for availability of evening tours and activities.

When I traveled by myself in my 20s, I used to stay in hostels and cheap out on flights to save money. Now that I'm older, I've found better strategies to save on travel without cutting corners at every opportunity, like using a high-yield savings account for my travel fund and taking advantage of my credit card's travel insurance. AdvertisementOpen a high interest savings account to save for travelBack when I started traveling over 14 years ago, savings account aren't what they are now. I decided to open a high-yield savings account a few years ago to take advantage of its high interest rate. Use someone else's hotel reservationI've often used the usual discount booking websites like Booking.com and Hotels.com to save money when booking accommodation.

Persons: I've, —, haven't, Roomer Organizations: Service, Chase Locations: Southeast Asia, Malaysia

☆ Benioff vs. Benioff
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Ashley Stewart | Ellen Thomas | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +29 min

Within Salesforce, Benioff riffs are at times met with backlash from an angry workforce. "You're not going to fire your family during times of need," a former Salesforce executive told Insider. "I don't think they understand Ohana," Benioff told Insider. "Look, we have to be the example of stakeholder capitalism," Benioff told Insider. A 'New Day' at Salesforce"I use the Japanese principle of shoshin, beginner's mind," Benioff told Insider in a phone interview in March.

☆ EU singles out 19 tech giants for online content rules
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The 19 companies include Alphabet's Google Maps, Google Play, Google Search, Google Shopping and YouTube, Meta's Facebook and Instagram, Amazon's (AMZN.O) Marketplace and Apple's App Store. The others are Microsoft's two units Linkedin and Bing, booking.com (BKNG.O), Pinterest (PINS.N), Snap Inc's (SNAP.N) Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, Wikipedia, Zalando (ZALG.DE) and Alibaba's (9988.HK) AliExpress. "We consider these 19 online platforms and search engines have become systematically relevant and have special responsibilities to make the internet safer," Breton told reporters. Breton singled out Facebook's content moderation system for criticism because of its role in building opinions on key issues. So I look forward to an invitation to Bytedance's headquarters to understand better the origin of Tiktok," Breton said.

☆ Amazon, Apple and more: EU names the Big Tech platforms set to face tougher regulatory scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, in late 2020 presented new legislation on how regulators should keep a closer eye on tech giants. Under this Digital Services Act (DSA), which was implemented four months ago, regulators are able to police content to reduce harmful comments and set rules for the use of artificial intelligence. European regulators have previously warned Elon Musk, CEO of Twitter, that his firm faces significant amounts of work to comply with the new rulebook. He added in a statement Tuesday: "The countdown is starting for 19 very large online platforms and search engines to fully comply with the special obligations that the Digital Services Act imposes on them." "The Digital Services Act is comprehensive and will be a challenge for online intermediaries to get their head around, with the largest players facing the biggest impact.

☆ Ukrainian troops have established a bridgehead on the east bank of the Dnipro river, implying Russia's defensive positions are weakening, report says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Alia Shoaib | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ukrainian troops have established positions on the east bank of the Dnipro river, the ISW reported. The Ukrainian positions have been established north of Oleshky, a town across the river from Kherson. The Ukrainian positions have been established north of Oleshky, a town across the river from Kherson. The institute could not confirm the extent or the intentions of the Ukrainian positions. A video posted online appears to show Ukrainian amphibious vehicles landing on the eastern bank of the Dnipro river and establishing a bridgehead.

☆ Jessie Ware Centers Herself With ‘Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Caryn Ganz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Scrolling through a list of cultural influences on her phone in the bar of a New York hotel, Ware debated what to include. 1Photo BoothsI’m constantly trying to make my phone take pictures that look old and romantic, and the photo booth just does that. What I’ve just started doing is taking selfies of myself, but pretending that I’m being caught off guard so that I can get really good photos with my children. 2‘The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’It’s dirty and naughty and I probably should be doing something else, but I’m there, invested in the Kathy and Kyle drama. It’s so good for being able to work out your route for the day, like, I’m going to go to this coffee shop, then I’m going to go to the famous cemetery in Buenos Aires, and then I’m going to walk from there.

☆ A Russian warplane bombed one of Russia's own border cities, adding to the country's stack of embarrassing wartime blunders
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Russian Su-34 mistakenly bombed the Russian city of Belgorod on Thursday, authorities said. Photos posted by Gladkov showed extensive damage to the nearby apartments — the outer wall of one property was completely blasted apart. Belgorod is some 25 miles from the Ukrainian border, and Russian warplanes often fly over the city on combat missions. Ukrainian and Western observers have also recorded multiple instances of Russian troops firing on their comrades. The Russian Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment sent outside regular business hours.

☆ Fact Check-Video shows protests in Israel in 2019, not migrants in Calais
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A years-old video showing a group of people, some shirtless and with their faces covered, throwing rocks onto a highway in Israel has been miscaptioned online as showing migrants disrupting traffic in Calais, France. They are throwing rocks to stop trucks so that they can jump on board and sneak into Britain” (here) and (here). The Israeli outlet said the video was captured at Gedera interchange (here). The Gedera interchange is a crossroad where Highways 40 and 7 intersect in the town of Gedera, central Israel. The video shows a 2019 protest in Israel over the death of a teenager at the hands of an off-duty police officer.

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