To help bring diversity the workplace and further attract talented individuals, Amazon will be experimenting with teams that work for 30 hours a week, a new concept for large corporations. The program will feature teams that solely consist of part-time workers. The part-time workers will receive the same benefits as traditional 40-hour workers, except their salaries will be reduced by 25% in accordance with the reduced number of work hours. Even though Amazon already employs part-time workers who share the same benefits as full-time workers, Amazon’s new program creates a team of workers – including managers – who share a…
Author: Joanna Mei
In Finland, Uber drivers may face criminal persecution and heavy fines if they do not have the required taxi permits. The investigations are being held as a part of a police crackdown against drivers who do not carry the correct taxi permits or don’t have them at all. According to Pekka Seppala, an inspector for Helsinki Police Department, a total of 50 drivers are being investigated. Even though the Uber Technologies Inc. app is available in Helsinki, drivers are required to have a permit. Police officers are finding that many drivers don’t have these permits. The root of the problem…
On Thursday, Macy announced the closure of another 100 of its brand-name stores. This is a decision that demolishes 15% of all Macy department stores. Macy’s did not announce which stores would be closed, but these stores will be closed by the beginning of 2017. This isn’t the first time Macy’s is closing its stores. Macy’s has been plagued with store closures since the recent success of online shopping options such as Amazon. Walmart is also on the same boat with its own closure of 269 stores. In an attempt to save itself, Walmart recently acquired Jet.com (azn’s business rival) for…
Jim Pisani used to be the head of LF’s Licensed Sports Group. But now, Pisani has been promoted to an even higher position. On Monday, VF Corp.’s famous shoe brand, Timberland, named Jim Pisani as the new global brand president. Pisani will assume his role immediately and will work under Scott Baxter, vice president of VF and group president of Outdoor & Action Sports America. Pisani succeeded President Stewart Whitney (who became president in October 2014). Scott Baxter praises Pisani’s promotion, “Jim is a tremendously talented and accomplished executive with a proven track record of delivering consistent business results and…
Recently, Yahoo! Inc. launched its new TV watching platform, Yahoo View. Yahoo View provides its users with episodes from their favorite TV shows, video clips, and movies. Yahoo View was developed through a business alliance between Yahoo and Hulu. The new site contains free content from Hulu including anime, K-drama, British and Latino videos Yahoo View will release new content daily. Users will be able to watch episodes the latest five episodes of their favorite TV series eight days after their broadcast. Behind-the-scenes clips and interviews will also be available. Yahoo View will be one of the ways to watch…
Despite Alphabet’s heavy investments in Google’s moonshot projects, the moonshot projects are proving to be more of a loss than a gain. For the past three months, the moonshot projects accumulated a loss of $895 million. Google’s moonshot projects aren’t guaranteed to become actual products, rather, these projects are more experimental in nature. The moonshot projects consist of several ideas including self-driving cars, fast and efficient Fiber internet, and innovative home technology. Google earned $185 million from this quarter’s moonshot projects, double what the projects earned the previous quarter. Although profit doubled, the amount invested also increased from $660 million…
More people are relying on public transportation and MTA has to cater to the increasing number of riders. With MTA’s inconsistent and unreliable service, MTA is planning to increase fare prices to provide better service to consumers. Subway and bus services have been plagued with delays and incompetent service this past year despite an increase of riders this past year. MTA has almost definite plans of increasing the base price of fare from $2.75 to $3. MTA is going for a projected goal of at least $300 million annually. Prices for other metro cards such as 7-day and 30-day may…
For many years, evolutionary biologists have tried to uncover the mysteries of life. Now, they may be one step closer to that reality with the discovery of Luca (the last universal common ancestor). Luca is a one-cell bacterium-like structure that resided on Earth 4 billion years ago when the Earth was still 560 million years old. With the discovery of Luca, scientists may be able to account for the origin of life and where life first emerged. Did life emerge in an extreme environment or a peaceful environment? Biologists often question the identity of life’s earliest ancestor due to inadequate…
The four tech giants (Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Alphabet) are reaping in tons of profit this year.The companies are valued at $1.8 trillion combined. All four will report their earnings for the quarter next week. These four tech giants may boost the Nasdaq, the American stock market, to an all-time high. Nasdaq is only 3% away from last year’s high at 5,232. Microsoft is setting an example with its new cloud business reaping profits. Microsoft reported an increase of 5% and surpassed an all-time high back in December 1999. If you combine Microsoft’s $440 billion market value to the other four…
The Apple Watch, which was released last year, has seen sales drop 55%. Market intelligence firm IDC reports that 3.6 million orders of the Apple Watch were shipped during the first three months of its release. However, watch sales have declined to 1.6 million in the last quarter in spite of discounts. Apple plans to release another smartwatch, the watchOS 3, with updates to its operating system this autumn. The watchOS 3 will consist of new features and improved performance. Along with the watchOS 3, Apple will return with the new Apple Watch 2 (also coming out in the fall).…
A month has passed since the U.K. left the European Union and British businesses are suffering. On Friday, HIS Market (INFO) reported factory production and output statistics for July. Factory production and output for the month showed a significant decline. The U.K. hasn’t experienced such a sharp decline since the height of the global financial crisis. Market’s flash purchasing managers’ index indicated the lowest economic slump in more than seven years after the referendum on June 23. Output and production fell for the first time since 2012. Market’s services purchasing managers’ index records an 88-month low of 47.4 this month, a…
A few years back, Facebook introduced Messenger, and back then it wasn’t as widely used as it is now. Messenger has reached a milestone of a billion users joining Whatsapp and Youtube in the billion user mobile count club. Facebook has also recorded other statistics from Messenger. Each month, 17 billion photos are sent and 1 billion messages are typed between people and businesses. In addition, 380 million stickers are used and 22 million gifs are sent. 10% of VolP calls are processed through Messenger. Facebook’s new Messenger platform now contains 18 thousand bots. With Messenger’s 1 billion user milestone,…
You’re in the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, and you walk into a Starbucks in hopes of satisfying your coffee craving. To your surprise, your barista can’t speak. Instead, she communicates with you in sign language. That’s right! Starbucks has employed deaf people to work at a Starbucks located at the Bangsar Village II shopping mall in Malaysia. This store is the first of its kind globally. The Malaysian Starbucks Chain, Berjaya Starbucks Coffee Company Sdn. Bhd., is collaborating with The Society of Interpreters for the Deaf (SID) to create employment opportunities for the deaf community. Sydney Quays, managing director…
On Tuesday, Unilever announced its plan of joining the razor business by purchasing Dollar Shave Club. Dollar Shave Club is a razor start-up that sells disposable razors and grooming utensils for $1 a month. Although Dollar Shave Club has 3.2 million consumers, it doesn’t make any revenue. No financial terms have been released but several media sources have pointed to the $1 billion deal. These same sources also indicate that Unilever addressed Dollar Shave Club with the offer. The CEO of Dollar Shave Club, Michael Dubin, will continue to lead the company and the business will function independently. Dollar Shave…
While Microsoft is famous for its PC programs such as Windows and Office, these programs aren’t making as much profit as they used to. Microsoft’s investments in the smartphone business so far have also been disastrous. Back in 2014, Microsoft bought Nokia’s mobile business for $9.4 billion. Microsoft had planned to combine Windows and smartphones but failed. Microsoft had to lay off thousands of employees and scrap its plan. On Tuesday, Microsoft reported a 71% decrease in revenue for its mobile business. After Microsoft’s mishaps in the smartphone industry, Microsoft has to learn to transition. Microsoft’s plan to introduce Windows…
Recently, Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes has been under fire for the sexual harassment accusations filed against him. The sexual harassment suit was filed on July 6 by one of Mr. Ailes former colleagues, Gretchen Carlson. These accusations have left 21st Century Fox, the parent company of Fox News, to act and decide Mr. Ailes fate at Fox News. On Tuesday, officials were negotiating the possibility of Mr. Ailes staying on Fox News, but as a consulting role. Ms. Estrich, Mr. Aile’s lawyer, said nothing was finalized. Mr. Ailes position in the company remains in question as negotiations are underway.…
Although Netflix’s stock market was doing well in 2015, it seems like consumer growth is at a crawl. On Monday, stocks for Netflix diminished by 15% due to Netflix’s lack of subscriber growth. Netflix gained 160 thousand subscribers in the U.S. and 1.52 million overseas. Unfortunately, this did not meet Netflix’s hope of 200,000 new subscribers regionally and 2 million abroad. These subscriber counts are significantly less from years before. In 2014, Netflix gained 13 million subscribers. In 2015, another 17 million subscribers were added. Some speculate that Netflix explosive growth in the last two years was due to Netflix’s…
With the recent iPhone 7 leak, Apple is introducing a few improvements. The iPhone 7 will be similar to the iPhone 6 but will have more battery life, longer ear pods, and better camera technology. The iPhone SE, on the other hand, was a huge flop. Apple, like any other company with a mobile product, is planning to increase battery life. Compared to the iPhone 6S the battery life will increase 14% (1715 mAh to 1960 mAh). This increase in battery life is due to the removal of the headphone port and combining it with the charging port. Another factor…
Yahoo’s auction is finally ending as its final bids are underway. Yahoo is selling its email, search engine, advertising and media operations and sales are due Monday. The board has to make a decision soon for those who asked for anonymity (bidding was confidential). While Yahoo was once used by many people two decades before, Yahoo has unfortunately been overshadowed by bigger companies such as Facebook and Google. Due to Yahoo’s failed attempts at marketing and management, Yahoo is now only occupied by a small portion of internet goers. With Yahoo’s dwindling success Yahoo has decided to raise the white…
The Pokemon Go craze is still going strong and businesses are taking advantage of the craze. T-Mobile isn’t going to let such an opportunity go to waste, so T-Mobile is offering free data for Pokemon Go for a year starting Tuesday. To claim this free data, T-Mobile users have to download the T-Mobile Tuesday app and claim the free data offer. The offer will be available starting July 19 and will be offered every Tuesday until August 9. This week’s T-Mobile Tuesday is Pokemon-themed. In addition to free data, T-Mobile Tuesdays is offering its usual free ride up to $15…
On Thursday, a federal court ruled for Microsoft in a case concerning customer privacy. Microsoft, along with Apple and Amazon, agree that consumer data stored outside the United States should not be breached by the United States government for criminal evidence. Microsoft had argued that turning over data stored in other countries would cause foreign countries to turn over evidence stored in the U.S. On the other hand, the U.S. government argued that withholding data could create a legal loophole for criminals and potentially make it harder to put them behind bars. The federal court ruled in favor of Microsoft…
Recently, a seafloor microscope was developed by Mr. Mullen, Dr. Tali Trebitz and other American and Israeli scientists to study coral reef activity. The seafloor microscope specifically focused on the polyps of these coral reefs. Although coral reefs can span up to 1,000 miles, they consist of tiny polyps that measure as small as one-sixteenth of an inch. Now, with the new seafloor microscope, it is easier to study these polyps and have a clear look at them up close. Divers can use these microscopes without disturbing the coral. The flexible lens on the microscope can be placed a few…
Nissan has come out with its own autonomous driving system dubbed ProPILOT. The first production vehicle to utilize Nissan’s new autonomous driving system will come out in August. ProPILOT will arrive on Nissan’s Serena first. Nissan is cautiously promoting ProPILOT due to recent incidents faced by Tesla for its autopilot driving system. Nissan explicitly states that ProPILOT is single-lane technology and that it utilizes steering controls, acceleration, and braking. It is designed to be used in heavy traffic or extended commute. Similar to other vehicles that utilize autopilot controls, ProPILOT automatically regulates the distance between your car and the leading…
Pokemon Go is the new mobile app sensation. People are walking the streets catching Pokemon left and right with their eyes glued to their phones. Many, however, choose to camp out near locations with Pokestops, stops that are used to replenish supplies for catching Pokemon and conquering Gyms in addition to gaining experience in game. Pokestops with lure modules also attract tons of Pokemon for a duration of 30 minutes and is encouraging foot traffic. This, in turn, is helping businesses, especially cafes and restaurants, that are located near Pokestops. Pokemon trainers are bound to visit areas infested with Pokestops…
As weird as it sounds, buying unlimited rides for an Uber is cheaper than buying a monthly metro card. Starting on July 11 at 4:30 pm, residents in Manhattan can buy unlimited passes for UberPool during commute hours. The unlimited Uber pass is exactly $37.60 cheaper than an unlimited metrocard. Not only is Uber cheaper, it is more comfortable. Nobody wants to sweat it out in a Subway station in the middle of summer. Uber has outperformed Lyft for the cheapest rides in the city. Uber now provides two-week passes for forty-nine dollars, four-week passes for seventy-nine dollars, and eight-week…
To compete with Amazon’s Prime Day, Walmart is offering five days of free shipping with no minimum purchase starting on July 11. Prime Day is a sales event for Amazon Prime members providing members with discounts on kindles, tablets, headphones, hover boards, etc. In 2015, Amazon earned more from Prime Day than on Black Friday, a sales day to finish off the season’s shopping. Amazon is expecting its next annual Prime Day sales to exceed last year. Walmart isn’t sitting back while Amazon is making the big bucks. Following Amazon’s lead, Walmart is taking advantage of its online shoppers. Walmart…
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe won a major election for the upper house for parliament this past week. Japan’s share market is rallying after the election victory of Minister Abe and is stirring hopes of economic stimulus with Minister Abe’s administration. Minister Abe’s success shows a strong confidence in his economic policies, dubbed Abenomics. In addition, Minister Abe also plans to further change diplomatic policies. Despite Minister Abe’s victory, there are concerns that the country’s pacifist constitution might be amended. Many people have been critical about Minister Abe’s desire to change the constitution. Minister Abe plans to lift military restrictions to…
Telefonica SA, which is having trouble with its sales due to Britain’s plan of leaving the European union, plans to sell some of its shares to China Unicom (Hong Kong) Ltd stocks which are worth three hundred sixty-seven million. Bank of America Corp. is planning a sale of shares in a weekend deal. The deal is struck to sell three hundred sixty-one million eight hundred thousand shares ranging from seven dollars and seventy-five cents to seven dollar and eighty-five cents. However, the deal has been made behind closed doors and is not available to the public. Moody’s Corp. Analyst Carlos…
Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerbug, is at it again and this time with Facebook OpenCellular! Despite the setbacks of a similar program to Facebook OpenCellular, Facebook is determined to make OpenCellular’s dream a reality. The purpose of OpenCellular is to provide as many people with wireless Internet access. Zuckerbug has expressed his wish to provide as many people as possible with Internet access and Facebook. He hopes that Facebook will reach 5 billion users by 2030. A few months back, Facebook reported having 1.65 billion active users with another 1.51 billion who regularly use the mobile application. Cisco predicts that 5.5…
With the radio business declining, it’s no surprise that CBS is splitting off its radio company. The radio business is a shrinking business due to the rise in digital media. With the rise of digital media, it is risky to invest in a traditional media company. With the rise of digital media there are risks of potentially losing market share to rivals and declines in advertising revenue. The statistics show as well. CBS radio has accumulated a net loss of $136.5 million on revenue of $1.2 billion last year, after the diminished value of licenses. In 2014, revenue was 1.3$…
Law enforcement has become more cautious. In the recent shooting in Dallas and in the shooting in San Bernardino last December, military robots were used to save the lives of police officers. Only recently, a bomb robot was deployed to kill suspect Micah Johnson during the Dallas sniper attack. The suspect was inside a parking garage for several hours and all negotiations were stalled before the robot was dispatched. “We saw no other option but to use our bomb robot and place a device on its extension for it to detonate where the suspect was,” reported Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings.…
China’s luxury market is facing some new competition. In 2015, half of the global luxury market consisted of Chinese consumers. These consumers are now setting their eyes on sportswear. But why did this trend surface? There are but two reasons. Recently, luxury goods are becoming less accessible to the Chinese middle class due to last year’s anti-extravagance campaign led by president Xi Jinping. In addition, the tastes of the elite have moved from visible brand name goods to sportswear. This trend mirrors the “athleisure” trend, athletic apparel that can be worn in non-athletic settings, in the U.S. Now that China…
The “Internet of Things” – the development of objects that have network connectivity allowing them to send and receive data – hasn’t been given the opportunity to grow in the tech industry. To solve this problem, Broadcom sold its IoT unit to Cypress Semiconductor. The $550 million deal was proposed in April was closed on Tuesday giving Cypress Broadcom’s WiFi, Bluetooth, and Zigbee wireless technology. Senior vice president of the IoT Unit, Stephen DiFranco, says that this transaction will allow the IoT unit a chance to grow. Although Broadcom has had incredible Bluetooth and WiFi products, the business unit in…
