Rise of comic book piracy 'a real problem'

Comic book creators search for ways to combat the rise of illegal digital sharing of their work.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-50564713?source=Snapzu

44 Copywriting Formulas To Level Up Your Content Marketing

It’s easy to burn out when writing regular content for your blog. Sometimes the ideas won’t flow and other times there are too many ideas to put into words. But don’t worry. The greatest minds in the copywriting world have already found the solutions.
Read more: https://bloggingwizard.com/copywriting-formulas/?source=Snapzu

The staggering amount of wealth held by the Forbes 400 more than doubled over the last decade. But their tax rates actually dropped.

The share of wealth held by the Forbes 400 more than doubled from $1.27 trillion in 2009 to nearly $3 trillion this year. That marks a significant increase encouraged by a combination of sliding tax rates, stock market growth, and the economic recovery, according to Gabriel Zucman, an economist at the University of California, Berkeley.
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/forbes-400-wealth-doubled-last-decade-as-tax-rate-fell-2019-11?source=Snapzu

Will America’s billionaires start a second Civil War to protect their wealth and power?

The stakes couldn’t be higher.
Read more: https://www.salon.com/2019/11/24/will-americas-billionaires-start-a-second-civil-war-to-protect-their-wealth-and-power_partner/?source=Snapzu

Apple changes Crimea map to meet Russian demands

Apple has complied with Russian demands to show Crimea as part of Russian territory on its apps. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, in a move that was condemned by most of the global community. The region is now displayed as Russian territory on Apple Maps and Weather, when viewed from inside Russia.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50573069?source=Snapzu

PayPal to acquire shopping and rewards platform Honey for $4B

PayPal announced today it has agreed to acquire Honey Science Corporation, the makers of a deal-finding browser add-on and mobile application, for $4 billion, mostly cash.
Read more: https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/20/paypal-to-acquire-shopping-and-rewards-platform-honey-for-4-billion/?source=Snapzu

US economy grew at a moderate 2.1% annual rate in the third quarter

The U.S. economy grew at a moderate 2.1% rate over the summer, slightly faster than first estimated. But many economists say they think growth is slowing sharply in the current quarter. The Commerce Department says the July-September growth rate in the gross domestic product, the economy’s total output of goods and services slightly exceeded its initial estimate of a 1.9% rate.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/27/us-gdp-q3-2019-second-reading.html?source=Snapzu

Worker-Owned Apps Are Trying to Fix the Gig Economy's Exploitation

A network of cooperative alternatives are replacing rampant exploitation with decent work.
Read more: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/pa75a8/worker-owned-apps-are-trying-to-fix-the-gig-economys-exploitation?source=Snapzu

A Key Economic Argument Against Wealth Taxes Doesn’t Hold Up

Wealth has reached record highs. Corporations using their resources to keep shareholders happy, pressure on wages to fund these efforts and greater corporate concentration have all been major factors in the growth of wealth inequality.
Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/christianweller/2019/11/26/the-economic-argument-to-not-tax-massive-wealth-inequality-doesnt-hold-up/#dd92d7854d09?source=Snapzu

Amazon Doesn’t Favor Its Own Brands—Except When It Does

The company told House investigators that it ‘gates’ its own private-label products. Here’s why that matters.
Read more: https://www.wired.com/story/amazon-gating-private-labels-antitrust/?source=Snapzu

Small bookstores are booming after nearly being wiped out

A growing number of shoppers will be supporting their independent neighborhood bookstores on Small Business Saturday
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/small-bookstores-are-booming-after-nearly-being-wiped-out-small-business-saturday/?source=Snapzu

Uber just lost its license to operate in London thanks to fraudulent drivers

Uber has lost its license to operate in London, a major blow given that the UK capital with some 3.5 million users is one of the ride-hailing app's biggest markets globally. The city's regulator, Transport for London, said it had identified a "pattern of failures" by the service that put passengers' safety at risk and was refusing to renew Uber's license, which expires Monday.
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-loses-london-licence-2019-11?source=Snapzu

Cryptoqueen: How this woman scammed the world, then ran

Ruja Ignatova called herself the Cryptoqueen. She told people she had invented a cryptocurrency to rival Bitcoin, and persuaded them to invest billions. Then, two years ago, she disappeared. Jamie Bartlett spent months investigating how she did it for the Missing Cryptoqueen podcast, and trying to figure out where she's hiding.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-50435014?source=Snapzu

YouTube needs to chill with its annoying Premium spam

Google is using full-screen pop-up ads to promote YouTube Premium subscriptions.
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/23/20946114/google-youtube-premium-subscription-ads-pop-ups-spam-rant?source=Snapzu

Victory for Brazil tribe as hotel group cancels plans for luxury resort

A Brazilian tribe that has been fighting for 15 years to preserve land they use to gather food won a victory on Monday when public pressure made Portuguese hotel group Vila Gale cancel plans to build a 500-room luxury resort on the Bahia coast.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-portugal-brazil-hotel/victory-for-brazil-tribe-as-hotel-group-cancels-plans-for-luxury-resort-idUSKBN1XS2OP?source=Snapzu

Decoding 5G: Separating the Wheat from the Chaff

Different ways to deal with the issue coupled with new technologies however, have made this upcoming transition more confusing than it needs to be. Here's a guide to help make sense of it all.
Read more: https://www.cnet.com/how-to/5g-decoded-heres-how-to-tell-real-5g-from-the-marketing-fluff/?source=Snapzu

The Top Smart Home Devices...How Many Do You Have?

Here is a thorough rundown of some of the very best smart home products to make the most out of every room in your house.
Read more: http://www.pcmag.com/article/303814/the-best-smart-home-devices-for-2019?source=Snapzu

PayPal buys deal-finding service Honey for $4 billion

PayPal has agreed to pay $4 billion to acquire Honey Science Corporation, which is best-known for its reward and deal-finding service and browser add-on.
Read more: https://betanews.com/2019/11/21/paypal-buys-honey/?source=Snapzu

Uber will start audio-recording rides as a safety measure

Riders and passengers won’t be able to access the recordings
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2019/11/20/20974814/uber-audio-recording-rides-safety-rideshare-lyft?source=Snapzu

Google Hires Firm Known for Anti-Union Efforts

After nearly two years of unrest, the company appears to be cracking down on employee activism.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/20/technology/Google-union-consultant.html?source=Snapzu

Apple expands in Austin

Apple today announced the start of construction on its new campus in Austin, Texas, as part of its broad expansion in the city. At a production facility just a short distance away, Apple is preparing to ship the all-new Mac Pro to customers starting in December.
Read more: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2019/11/apple-expands-in-austin/?source=Snapzu

Washington, DC sues DoorDash for allegedly misleading users about tips

The company supposedly stiffed workers without informing customers.
Read more: https://www.engadget.com/2019/11/19/dc-sues-doordash-over-tipping/?source=Snapzu

Uber plans to start audio-recording rides in the U.S. for safety

Uber is launching an audio recording pilot in Latin America. The ride-hailing giant said it is trying to bring the feature to the U.S., but that may prove complicated.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/11/20/uber-plans-start-audio-recording-rides-us-safety/?source=Snapzu

Tesla and EV companies join fight against Trump admin over California's clean air program

Tesla and other EV companies have joined the fight against the Trump administration’s effort to prevent California from implementing its own clean air program.
Read more: https://electrek.co/2019/11/19/tesla-ev-companies-join-fight-againts-trump-admin-california-clean-air-program/?source=Snapzu

Companies that fail to tackle climate change will be delisted from the London Stock Exchange, Labour announces

Companies that fail to act on the climate change they cause will be axed from the stock exchange, under radical Labour plans. John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, pledged his government would ensure firms are “pulling their weight” to tackle the “existential threat” to the planet.
Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/climate-change-labour-london-stock-exchange-business-manifesto-mcdonnell-a9208801.html?source=Snapzu

Google Shakes Up Its 'TGIF'—and Ends Its Culture of Openness

Last week, Google CEO Sundar Pichai sent an email blast to his 100,000 or so employees, cutting back the company’s defining all-hands meeting known as TGIF. The famous free-for-alls had epitomized the company’s egalitarian ethos, a place where employees and leaders could talk freely about nearly anything.
Read more: https://www.wired.com/story/google-shakes-up-its-tgif-and-ends-its-culture-of-openness/?source=Snapzu

Meat industry is trying to stifle plant-based food innovation

The Real MEAT Act isn’t about protecting consumers from confusion. It’s about protecting cattlemen from competition.
Read more: https://thehill.com/opinion/energy-environment/470929-meat-industry-is-trying-to-stifle-plant-based-food-innovation?source=Snapzu

Elon Musk congratulated Ford on its all-electric Mustang Mach-E SUV, a threat to Tesla

Elon Musk tweeted his welcome to Ford's new electric vehicle, the Mustang Mach-E SUV. More and more conventional automakers have been tapping into the electric-vehicle market that Tesla has sought to dominate. Ford unveiled the Mustang Mach-E SUV on Sunday with great ceremony, featuring an appearance from the actor Idris Elba.
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-congratulates-ford-mustang-mach-e-tesla-rival-2019-11?source=Snapzu

Call For Caribbean Destinations To Unite Against 'Predatory' Cruise Lines

Some Caribbean nations have seen an increase in cruise-related revenue through policy changes and simultaneous investments in their ports. While development and investment in the cruise industry may help spark the economy and reduce inequality, it could also exacerbate environmental issues.
Read more: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesellsmoor/2019/08/28/call-for-caribbean-destinations-to-unite-against-predatory-cruise-lines/#7eb4e3a741e0?source=Snapzu

Column: It's called Earnin. I have no idea how the company ever turns a profit

Perhaps you’ve seen the commercial for a Silicon Valley company called Earnin, in which a young woman with an enviably full life — a radio show, DJ gigs, guitar playing — relates that she’s having a hard time getting by. Luckily, Earnin is there for her. The company provides advances on the woman’s paycheck at no cost. Problem solved.
Read more: https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2019-11-15/earnin-payday-loans?source=Snapzu

How Amazon’s quest for more, cheaper products has resulted in a flea market of fakes

Former executives say Amazon, which last year spent $400 million fighting fraud and abuse, has prioritized its broad selection over anti-counterfeiting technologies and policies.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/11/14/how-amazons-quest-more-cheaper-products-has-resulted-flea-market-fakes/?source=Snapzu

Bill Gates Surpasses Jeff Bezos, Reclaims Richest Person On Earth Title

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates officially surpassed Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos at world's richest person on Earth with a net worth of $110 billion - according to the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index. The Microsoft co-founder had briefly topped Bezos as the world's richest man last month after Amazon's lacklustre Q3 results resulted in Jeff Bezos losing nearly $7 billion in stock value.
Read more: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/bill-gates-surpasses-jeff-bezos-reclaims-richest-person-on-earth-title-2133543?source=Snapzu

Amazon adds new 'Amazon Pharmacy' branding to PillPack and promotes its CEO

Amazon is slowly merging the mail-order pharmacy it acquired last year into the fold.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/15/amazon-pharmacy-brand-comes-to-pillpack-ceo-tj-parker-promoted.html?source=Snapzu

AAPL is now worth more than entire US energy sector, stock up 66% year to date

As of yesterday’s close, AAPL is now worth $1.17T. As Bank of America Merrill notes, that means the company is worth more than the entire S&P 500 Energy index…Put more simply, if you were the outright owner of every single one of the 500 biggest energy companies in the US, from Chevron to ExxonMobil, you still couldn’t afford to buy Apple.
Read more: https://9to5mac.com/2019/11/15/aapl-is-now-worth/amp/?source=Snapzu

Why business leaders are short sighted on AI

Artificial intelligence is one of the most marketed (hyped, you might say) and ill-defined technology categories being packaged and lobbed at those in the enterprise these days. You might think overexposure would lead to fatigue and a healthy dose of skepticism.
Read more: https://www.zdnet.com/article/why-business-leaders-are-short-sighted-on-ai/?source=Snapzu

The great American tax haven: why the super-rich love South Dakota

The long read: South Dakota is known for being the home of Mount Rushmore – and not much else. But thanks to its relish for deregulation, the state is fast becoming the most profitable place for the mega-wealthy to park their billions...
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/14/the-great-american-tax-haven-why-the-super-rich-love-south-dakota-trust-laws?source=Snapzu

Mark Zuckerberg says TikTok is a threat to democracy, but didn't say he spent 6 months trying to buy its predecessor

BuzzFeed reports Facebook wasn't able to close the deal, while Bloomberg reports it walked away over concerns about Musical.ly's users and ownership.
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-missed-out-on-buying-up-half-of-tiktok-and-now-it-says-its-a-threat-to-democracy-2019-11?source=Snapzu

Google to offer checking accounts in partnership with banks starting next year

Google is the latest big tech company to make a move into banking and personal financial services: The company is gearing up to offer checking accounts to consumers, as first reported by the Wall Street Journal, starting as early as next year.
Read more: https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/13/google-to-offer-checking-accounts-in-partnership-with-banks-starting-next-year/?source=Snapzu

Monopolies cost Americans $300 a month. We're no longer the land of free markets

When I landed in Boston in 1999, the United States was the land of free markets. Many goods and services were cheaper here than in Europe. Twenty years later, American free markets are becoming a myth. Internet service, cellphone plans, and plane tickets are now cheaper in Europe and Asia than in the US. In 2018, the average monthly cost of a broadband internet connection was...
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/nov/13/america-was-once-the-land-of-free-markets-now-theyre-becoming-a-myth?source=Snapzu

Get ready for radical change as economic problems hit 'boiling point', warns global bank

The next decade is likely to see higher prices and interest rates and a reversal of globalisation, but also a reduction in inequality and increased climate action, predicts one of the world's biggest banks.
Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-13/the-2020s-set-to-be-an-economic-turning-point/11699386?source=Snapzu

The largest milk producer in the US has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection

Dean Foods is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and may sell the company off to the Dairy Farmers of America. The company said Tuesday that it needs to address debt and unfunded pension obligations while it puts the company up for sale. Dean Foods Co. has lost money in eight of its last 10 quarters and in seven of its last eight quarters, it's posted declining sales.
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/dean-foods-seeks-bankruptcy-protection-sale-2019-11?source=Snapzu

The Age of Surveillance Capitalism

Facebook, Google, Uber, Amazon - the biggest names in technology - are all in the same business: spying on you. But what does this mean? Author of The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, Shoshana Zuboff traces the currents that led us here and asks how human freedom can be saved.
Read more: https://iai.tv/video/shoshana-zuboff-the-age-of-surveillance-capitalism?access=all?utmsource=reddit?source=Snapzu

WeWork is divesting itself from its ‘non-core businesses,’ including a wave pool company

Earlier this week, SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son said that it was a mistake to have invested in WeWork, and shared a “simple” three step plan to turn around the company, which included dumping side businesses that aren’t profitable. Well, it seems like that might be happening soon, as WeWork has published a “90-day game plan” that divests itself of those non-core businesses and includes internal layoffs, as first reported by CNBC.
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2019/11/8/20955870/wework-divesting-non-core-businesses-co-working-wave-pool-company-adam-neumann?source=Snapzu

If People Were Paid by Ability, Inequality Would Plummet

Some may argue that top earners are simply super skilled, but that’s not what the evidence suggests.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/08/upshot/inequality-paying-by-ability.html?source=Snapzu

America's one-percenters close to surpassing wealth of entire US middle class

The US’s historic economic expansion has so enriched one-percenters they now hold almost as much wealth as the middle- and upper-middle classes combined. The top 1% of American households have enjoyed huge returns in the stock market in the past decade, to the point that they now control more than half of the equity in U.S. public and private companies, according to data from the Federal Reserve.
Read more: https://www.livemint.com/news/world/america-s-one-percenters-close-to-surpassing-wealth-of-entire-us-middle-class-11573299724333.html?source=Snapzu

These 1924 Copyrighted Works Enter the Public Domain in 2020

For the second year in a row, January 1 brings thousands of classic copyrighted works into the public domain. Under U.S. law, works published any time in 1924 will enter the public domain on January 1, 2020. This includes books, films, artworks, sheet music, and other concrete creative works—but unfortunately not audio recordings. Below are some of the most important works losing their copyright.
Read more: https://lifehacker.com/these-1924-copyrighted-works-enter-the-public-domain-in-1839612665?source=Snapzu

Manson’s last grocery store closing | News, Sports, Jobs - Messenger News

MANSON — Grocery shoppers are making their final purchases at Heartland Market this week, as Manson’s only grocery store closes. The market that has been
Read more: https://www.messengernews.net/news/local-news/2019/11/mansons-last-grocery-store-closing/?source=Snapzu

Cloudflare Explains What It Takes To Slay A Patent Troll

A couple years back we wrote about the patent trolling operation Blackbird Technologies, which was a law firm that pretended it wasn't a law firm, and seemed to focus on buying up patents to shake down companies for cash. It had threatened many...
Read more: https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20191105/16443243332/cloudflare-explains-what-it-takes-to-slay-patent-troll.shtml?source=Snapzu

Targeted ads are one of the world's most destructive trends. Here's why

They have led to a proliferation of fake news and clickbait, fuelled surveillance capitalism and normalised pervasive tracking and data-mining. Then there’s their effect on democracy...
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/05/targeted-ads-fake-news-clickbait-surveillance-capitalism-data-mining-democracy?source=Snapzu

Billionaires' wealth falls as Chinese economy stalls

For the first time in a decade, the world's wealthiest saw their riches drop in value last year as stock markets spluttered. American billionaires bucked the trend but only just.
Read more: https://www.dw.com/en/billionaires-wealth-falls-as-chinese-economy-stalls/a-51162568?source=Snapzu