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☆ Google is facing its first real competition in search
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

This is the first time search engines are in legitimate competition — with all thanks to ChatGPT for the plot twist. Now, the chatbot is integrated in Bing and gives the search engine its first fighting chance against Google. Microsoft for now has a "first-mover" advantage, meaning its first-ever AI search engine can attract a large share of users. More on the first-ever search engine race here. Tech workers with skills in Web3, AI, and cybersecurity remain in high demand.

☆ Factbox: How to get Microsoft's new AI-enhanced Bing
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 7 (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) on Tuesday unveiled a juiced-up version of its Bing search engine and Edge Web browser, powered by an upgraded version of ChatGPT's underlying technology. Users will need to go to this link and sign in to a Microsoft account to get on a waitlist to access Bing search. To jump the line, Microsoft said users can set Bing as the default search engine on their PC and scan a QR code to download the Bing Search app on your phone. Here is how Microsoft has integrated the technology from OpenAI, in which Microsoft first invested in 2019, into Bing and Edge. For more complex searches, such as planning a detailed trip itinerary or researching a TV set to buy, users can refine their search by asking more details through the Bing chat.

☆ Check out the 10-page pitch deck a new adtech startup used to raise $8 million to help influencers and film studios power product placement with AI
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-07 | by ( Ryan Joe | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The new adtech company Rembrand uses AI to digitally place products in videos. Product placement is a fast-growing part of the marketing landscape, with spend estimated at $26.2 billion in 2022. The first is through an ad network for product placement in influencer videos. Advertisers will run a product placement campaign and Rembrand's technology will place that product in influencer videos across its network. The $8 million Rembrand raised will provide it with about two years of runway, Tawakol said.

☆ Sam Altman's big problem? ChatGPT needs to get 'woke' if he wants cash from corporate America
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

ChatGPT, like other AI tools, suffers from a bias problem that could impede corporate adoption. OpenAI's CEO, Sam Altman, admitted on Wednesday that ChatGPT has "shortcomings around bias", though he didn't go into detail. Unfortunately for OpenAI, ChatGPT has already had several cases of bias emerge. "You don't have to think very hard to realize there's an enormous quantity of toxic content of absolutely every variety imaginable that's present in that training data." Though OpenAI has found success so far, Wooldridge could see a scenario where the firm is pushed by customers to reveal its training data.

☆ OpenAI is finally asking some users to pay for ChatGPT. Here's what we know so far about the differences between the free and paid versions.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

After two months of unlimited free use, OpenAI has announced a subscription model for ChatGPT. Users will still be able to access the chatbot for free but those who pay will get extra perks. Here's what we know about the difference between ChatGPT Plus and the free version. US users on OpenAI's waitlist will be invited to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus in the next few weeks. It's likely important improvements will also be rolled out to the free version but paying subscribers may get first dibs on coveted new features.

☆ The new Select World Elite Mastercard is making its debut — and it gives you big discounts at fancy restaurants, hotels, and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Joseph Hostetler | Credit Cards Reporter | Read More | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

You can get exclusive discounts at restaurants at several cities in the US with the Select World Elite Mastercard. The Select™ World Elite Mastercard® will confer membership to the Select community (among other benefits). Coming soon: Select World Elite MastercardThe Select World Elite Mastercard (currently taking waitlist applicants here) has opened its waitlist as of February 2, 2023. Credit card perksThe Select World Elite Mastercard comes with standard World Elite Mastercard benefits, including access to the World Elite Concierge, Mastercard Luxury Hotels and Resorts, and discounts with Lyft, DoorDash, and Fandango. What to know about the Select World Elite MastercardThe Select™ World Elite Mastercard® offers a benefit that you won't find on any other card — membership to the Select community, giving you exclusive access to various events, discounts on travel, and more.

☆ OpenAI is launching a ChatGPT subscription service for $20 a month. It will offer speedier response times and priority access to new features.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

ChatGPT has announced ChatGPT Plus, a subscription service that costs $20 a month. The service will offer users faster response times and priority access to new features. The new subscription plan will allow paid users to have general access to the bot, even during peak times when users are normally made to wait. OpenAI said last month it was testing a paid version of ChatGPT, opening a waitlist for the "experimental" update. However, the $20 price tag is much lower than the rumored $42 per month previously reported by some users.

New York CNN —Thursday afternoon will round out what has so far been a sobering earnings season for the Big Tech giants. Alphabet’s revenue will likely remain flat from last year and Amazon’s sales are expected to grow just shy of 6% year-over-year. All three companies’ profits are expected to fall from the year-ago quarter, with Amazon set to suffer the steepest drop with a decline of 40.6%. Then came the press conference, which led to a steep divergence between what the Fed thinks and what the Wall Street thinks. A cautionary tale: In mid-November, Ticketmaster’s site overloaded when fans tried to purchase pre-sale tickets for Taylor Swift’s upcoming tour.

How to get Citi presale tickets for Beyoncé's Renaissance World TourSince demand for Beyoncé's tour is so high, she's using Verified Fan to help boost your shot of getting tickets. How to sign up for Citi Verified Fan Registration Visit the ticketing website during the registration period and choose which group you'd like to move forward with for Citi Verified Fan Registration. The Citi presale will run from Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. through Feb. 8 at 6 p.m., or while supplies last. The Citi presale will run from Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. through Feb. 8 at 6 p.m., or while supplies last. The Citi presale will run from Feb. 14 at 10 a.m. through Feb. 15 at 6 p.m., or while supplies last.

☆ ChatGPT creator launches subscription service for viral AI chatbot
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Samantha Murphy Kelly | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, announced on Wednesday it is piloting a $20 monthly subscription plan that offers users priority access to the AI chatbot even during peak times. Now, anyone who signs up for a subscription will benefit from faster response times, and priority access to new features and improvements. “We love our free users and will continue to offer free access to ChatGPT,” the company said in a blog post. Earlier this week, OpenAI announced a new feature, called an “AI text classifier,” that allows users to check if an essay was written by a human or AI. The release came amid concerns the AI chatbot can help students and professionals generate convincing essays.

☆ MoviePass CEO Stacy Spikes on his plans to relaunch the service (for real) and bring back an unlimited option
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Jason Guerrasio | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +20 min

Stacy Spikes told Insider he plans to put MoviePass out of beta and make it available for all by the summer. You would think Spikes would want to run as far away as possible from the movie-ticket-subscription startup. Before Stacy Spikes created MoviePass he created the Urbanworld Film Festival. I wanted to put that down because I see so many times people approach me and think MoviePass was my first business. MoviePassThe MoviePass beta version is focused on the credits system, e-ticketing, and fixing bugsWhat have been the biggest challenges in getting this beta version of MoviePass off the ground?

☆ The new U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect card is built for road warriors, with up to 5x points earning, rideshare credits, and great bonus categories
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-19 | by ( Joseph Hostetler | Credit Cards Reporter | Read More | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

The U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard® Card will open to applicants in February 2023.will open to applicants in February 2023. The new U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard® Card could be a great fit. Plus, you won't have to make any travel purchases through a specific travel portal — you can make reservations directly with the travel company. What to know about the U.S. Bank Business Altitude Connect cardThe U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard® Card will open to the public in late February 2023, but you can join the waitlist now. Because it's a small business card, you'll need a for-profit venture (even a side gig) to qualify.

☆ The childcare shortage led one new mom to try content creation on Instagram and TikTok to help pay the bills
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( Jacob Zinkula | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

She says mothers should get on daycare waitlists "the moment you find out you're pregnant." She's been stuck on daycare waitlists and been unable to find a nanny, she told Insider, which has forced her to cut back her hours as a dental assistant. Finding childcare is "just not possible" right nowFour months before her now-six-month-old daughter was born, Clancy says she got on three daycare waitlists. While she'd love to pursue content creation full-time, she says it's "just not possible" right now due to her daughter's childcare needs. She's still on three daycare waitlists, and while she's looked for a nanny, she says "literally no one is responding."

☆ The condo king of Miami bets his new Fisher Island luxury project can weather a recession
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

watch nowJust off the coast of Miami Beach, on ultra-exclusive Fisher Island, there is one crane on one construction site. It is the last plot of land available for development and an unlikely bet on luxury real estate at a time when the housing market appears to be in freefall. Jorge Perez, also known as "the condo king of Miami," and his Related Group are behind the 10-story, 50-unit project that boasts a sell-out price of $1.2 billion. The project includes a $90 million, 15,000 square foot penthouse and a $55 million ground-floor villa with a half-acre backyard. Miller added that the Fisher Island project, "may not sell in five minutes but it's not out of the realm of possibility even in this market."

☆ I changed careers to become an acupuncturist. In a year, my business earned $200,000 — and I'm a lot happier.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Elle Hardy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

I opened Moon Rabbit Acupuncture in June 2020, and in 2021, I earned a little more than $200,000 in profits. Going to acupuncture school is relatively inexpensive, about $8,000 per semester, which isn't much compared to other degrees. When I opened Moon Rabbit Acupuncture, I found myself busy very quicklySnyder standing outside Moon Rabbit. Before I opened my business, I did a lot of cold interviews with business owners. However, I felt that a huge reason for becoming an acupuncturist and opening Moon Rabbit was to link to my Asian heritage, my lineage, and my culture.

☆ Amazon employees think the company is lowering the bar with a streamlined interview process
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Matt Weinberger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

This is Matt Weinberger, deputy editor of Insider's tech analysis team, filling in once again for your regular captain Diamond Naga Siu. Stop me if you've heard this one: Amazon walks into a bar... But seriously folks, my colleague Eugene Kim reports on a big, meaningful change in the online retail giant's hiring process. Some employees think so, Insider's Eugene Kim reports. He says that "current and former bar raisers I talked to were not too happy about this decision and were concerned about its potential to drag down Amazon's hiring bar."

☆ Twitter alternatives like Mastadon see downloads plunge
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Long before Elon Musk came along, Twitter users bemoaned the service yet remained addicted to it. It is a text-based social platform, or "microblogging" site, home to independent servers, or "instances." In early November, the hashtag TwitterMigration was trending on Mastodon for several days as Twitter users set up accounts amid Musk's chaotic takeover. Daily users have held steady though, at 1.4 million, a major increase from its usage prior to Musk's takeover of Twitter, which typically hovered around 20,000 daily users. Downloads of the iOS app have grown 290,000% to 1.5 million since Oct. 24, with daily users up 660,000% to 321,000, according to Apptopia data.

☆ Southwest is giving 25,000 frequent flier points worth $300 to passengers impacted by the airline's holiday travel meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The airline is currently offering affected passengers 25,000 frequent flier points valued at over $300. The offer has caused long wait times for some passengers trying to claim points, reports say. The estimate includes both lost revenue from refunds and reimbursements for expenses like hotels and rental cars, CNBC reported. While Griff reported a 15-minute wait to receive points, another traveler told WSJ he had an estimated wait time of over an hour to redeem the 75,000 points offered to his party of three. In the email, Jordan reminded recipients that Rapid Rewards points don't expire, have no blackout dates, and can be used on Southwest gift cards.

☆ Kids with 'bubble boy' disease could finally get access to a life-saving gene therapy, as a study starts back up at UCLA
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Andrew Dunn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

UCLA researchers are restarting a study to give a gene therapy to kids with an ultra-rare disease. Without gene therapy, doctors treat kids with SCID using enzyme-replacement therapies, if they are ineligible for bone-marrow transplants. In an email to Insider, Kohn said he expects to be able to treat between three and six patients with his current funding. Drug companies have shown little interest in the treatments because the complexity of the treatments and tiny number of eligible patients limit potential profits. Drug companies have deprioritized or shelved gene-therapy programs to treat a range of rare diseases, including Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, MPS, Batten disease, chronic granulomatous disease, Rett syndrome, and Fabry disease.

☆ Twitter alternatives that got traction after Elon Musk takeover are suddenly seeing downloads plunge. Which has staying power and who is the next Clubhouse?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-24 | by ( Kali Hays | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Long before Elon Musk came along, Twitter users bemoaned the service yet remained addicted to it. It is a text-based social platform, or "microblogging" site, home to independent servers, or "instances." In early November, the hashtag TwitterMigration was trending on Mastodon for several days as Twitter users set up accounts amid Musk's chaotic takeover. Daily users have held steady though, at 1.4 million, a major increase from its usage prior to Musk's takeover of Twitter, which typically hovered around 20,000 daily users. Yet, it has maintained more than 500,000 daily users.

☆ Welcome to Elon Musk's Fan Club
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Jordan Parker Erb | Diamond Naga Siu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

We didn't think refreshing Elon Musk's Twitter feed was how we'd spend it. Today, we're taking you inside the latest club in Silicon Valley: Elon Musk's fan club. Welcome to the Elon Musk fan club. Cue Musk's Twitter takeover: slashing headcount, revoking benefits, and cranking up productivity. Elon Musk is being forced to choose a company.

☆ Check out the pitch deck Twitter's former social media chief is using to raise $1.3 million for a Twitter alternative called Spill
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A team of former Twitter employees are launching a new social platform called Spill. Spill aims to spotlight culture and compensate creators for their content, using blockchain tech. Check out the pitch deck Spill is using to help raise a $1.3 million pre-seed funding round. Spill is focusing its early community building efforts onboarding creators from communities that are often "underrecognized" on big social platforms, despite having a huge impact on their growth. Check out the 14-page pitch deck Spill is using to court potential investors below.

☆ New York bans pet stores from selling cats, dogs, rabbits
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York on Thursday became the latest state to ban the sale of cats, dogs and rabbits in pet stores in an attempt to target commercial breeding operations decried by critics as “puppy mills.”The new law, which was signed by Gov. While that law requires pet stores to work with animal shelters or rescue operations, like New York is doing now, it does not regulate sales by private breeders. In 2020, Maryland banned the sale of cats and dogs in pet stores, triggering pushback from shop owners and breeders who challenged the measure in court. We’re not going to survive this,” said Ortiz, who considers the ban unfair to stores that work with responsible breeders. “One pet store near me, they get dogs from all over the Midwest and different large facilities, and you have no idea where they come from and who the breeder is.

☆ Former Twitter employees launch Spill, a refuge for 'Black Twitter,' after hate speech soars under Elon Musk's leadership
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The former Twitter employees are catering to "culture drivers," especially Black and queer creators. Terrell told TechCrunch. Since Elon Musk's $44 billion acquisition of Twitter in October, hate speech and slurs against Black users have skyrocketed and popular users from Black Twitter have used comedy to mourn the loss of their online community. Following the announcement of the app, Terrell tweeted that Spill had received 20,000 reservations for handles within 12 hours. Terrell, Brown, and Spill advisors April Reign, DeRay Mckesson and Dantley Davis did not immediately respond to Insider's requests for comment.

Timothy York knows what works to treat his decadeslong opioid addiction: Suboxone, a medication that effectively quiets cravings. Since York arrived in federal prison in 2008, he has been held in a series of facilities awash with contraband drugs and violence. Yet the federal prisons are treating only a fraction — less than 10% — of the roughly 15,000 prisoners who need it, according to the bureau’s estimates. Some say the issues stem from a culture at the bureau that is skeptical of addiction medication and pits staff against prisoners. He was using an underground supply of Suboxone at USP-Coleman, the federal prison in Florida where he was incarcerated, but it was erratic.

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