Amazon is cracking down on internal communication after a surge in worker activism

The company says it’s more widely enforcing rules around mass emails as part of a routine audit. Some employees see it as an attack on worker organizing.
Read more: https://www.vox.com/recode/2020/4/29/21240049/amazon-internal-corporate-employee-backlash-email-listservs-worker-activism-coronavirus?source=Snapzu

The Coming Greater Depression of the 2020s

While there is never a good time for a pandemic, the COVID-19 crisis has arrived at a particularly bad moment for the global economy. The world has long been drifting into a perfect storm of financial, political, socioeconomic, and environmental risks, all of which are now growing even more acute.
Read more: https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/greater-depression-covid19-headwinds-by-nouriel-roubini-2020-04?mod=article_inline?source=Snapzu

Apple planning flexible batteries for foldable iPhone or iPad

New research from Apple details many different ways of making batteries flexible enough to be used with foldable displays in an iPhone or iPad, or to save space inside regular devices.
Read more: https://appleinsider.com/articles/20/04/28/apple-planning-flexible-batteries-for-foldable-iphone-or-ipad?source=Snapzu

Mark Shuttleworth on Ubuntu popularity and Canonical profitability

In the run-up to the release of Ubuntu 20.04, Canonical CEO Mark Shuttleworth spoke about Canonical's finances, IPO, and future in the days of the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more: https://www.zdnet.com/article/mark-shuttleworth-on-ubuntu-popularity-and-canonical-profitability/?source=Snapzu

How will coronavirus change the world?

Could the huge shifts in our way of life being introduced as part of the fight against Covid-19 pave the way for a more humane economy?
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200331-covid-19-how-will-the-coronavirus-change-the-world?source=Snapzu

A global mask shortage may leave farmers and farm workers exposed to toxic pesticides

One way that farms can handle shortages of protective gear for workers is by switching to less-toxic pest control methods.
Read more: https://theconversation.com/a-global-mask-shortage-may-leave-farmers-and-farm-workers-exposed-to-toxic-pesticides-134976?source=Snapzu

Bill Gates could be the world's first trillionaire by 2042

Billionaire philanthropist could enter an unprecedented class of wealth within the next 25 years, a report from Oxfam suggests
Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/bill-gates-trillionaire-2042-microsoft-founder-philanthropy-oxfam-a8174141.html?source=Snapzu

The financial risk to U.S. business owners posed by COVID-19 outbreak varies by demographic group

The economic fallout from the COVID-19 outbreak has put the jobs of many American workers in jeopardy, but it has also put in doubt the economic fortunes of many of the business owners who employ them. More than four-in-ten U.S. businesses with paid employees – 2.4 million out of the 5.3 million examined – operate in higher-risk industries likely to be affected more deeply by the COVID-19 outbreak, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of...
Read more: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/23/the-financial-risk-to-u-s-business-owners-posed-by-covid-19-outbreak-varies-by-demographic-group/?source=Snapzu

The Moral Question of Ad-Blocking

Is using your browser's ad-blocking extension unethical? Or is the real moral problem the advertisers?
Read more: https://www.prindlepost.org/2018/08/the-moral-question-of-ad-blocking/?source=Snapzu

New WhatsApp rules lead number of highly forwarded messages to plunge

WhatsApp says that highly-forwarded messages have plunged since it introduced new rules. Earlier this month, in a major change, the company announced that it would prohibit people sending on "highly-forwarded" messages in an attempt to stop the spread of viral posts. The new rules mean that if a message has already been sent on in bulk, users have to go to extra effort to forward it on more. If a message has been forwarded enough to get a "highly-forwarded" tag, users can only send it on to one person at a time, rather than five.
Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/whatsapp-forward-messages-update-rules-a9485526.html?source=Snapzu

Sinking U.S. economy hasn’t hit bottom yet

The coronavirus capsized what had been the longest expansion in U.S. history. Now the wait is on to see how far the economy sinks before it finds bottom. A few dimly hopeful signs emerged last week as a pair of reports showed consumer confidence stabilizing toward the end of the April, largely on the flickering hope that the economy will start to rebound during the summer. Another poll found that Americans think four of five jobs lost due the coronavirus will return.
Read more: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/sinking-us-economy-hasnt-hit-bottom-yet-2020-04-25?source=Snapzu

Verizon lost 84,000 pay TV subscribers in Q1

Verizon lost 84,000 Fios TV subscribers and 68,000 postpaid mobile phone subscribers during the first quarter of 2020 as the telecom company continued seeing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In its earnings report this morning, Verizon said it’s seeing an “ongoing shift from traditional linear video to over-the-top offerings.” That trend isn’t new, but widespread quarantines are only helping to push it along.
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/24/21234237/verizon-pay-tv-subscribers-over-the-top-streaming?source=Snapzu

Boeing looks to restart production in three states with safety protocols in place

Signs were hung at a Boeing plant in Washington state to welcome back some of its 27,000 employees as the aerospace giant looks to resume production at facilities there and in Ohio and Pennsylvania after they were forced to shut due to the coronavirus. Boing officials told "CBS This Morning" that the health and safety of employees and their families is their priority, and their precautionary measures are based on federal and state guidance.
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/coronavirus-boeing-looks-to-restart-production-aircraft-washington-ohio-pennsylvania/?source=Snapzu

Apple Pay Coming Soon to Switzerland's Largest Bank UBS

Switzerland's largest bank UBS today announced that Apple Pay is coming soon, as noted by Macprime. The bank says that the rollout should be completed within the coming weeks. A teaser tweet indicates that UBS will offer Apple Pay for its Visa credit cards at a minimum. Apple Pay first launched in Switzerland in July 2016 with support for MasterCard and Visa cards issued by Bonus Card, Cornèr Bank, and Swiss Bankers.
Read more: https://www.macrumors.com/2020/04/24/apple-pay-ubs-coming-soon/?source=Snapzu

Amazon Scooped Up Data From Its Own Sellers to Launch Competing Products

Contrary to assertions to Congress, employees often consulted sales information on third-party vendors when developing private-label merchandise. “We knew we shouldn’t,” said one former employee who accessed such data.
Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-scooped-up-data-from-its-own-sellers-to-launch-competing-products-11587650015?source=Snapzu

Nintendo Switch Shortage Reportedly Driven By Reseller Checkout Bots

We all know that there’s been a shortage of Nintendo Switch consoles everywhere and that Nintendo is working on re-stocking the console. A recent report shows that resellers are half the reason for the shortage of the Nintendo Switch console.
Read more: https://www.thegamepost.com/2020/04/20/nintendo-switch-shortage-checkout-bots?source=Snapzu

35 years on: How 'New Coke' almost ruined Coca-Cola

It's been 35 years since Coca-Cola committed 'one of the most memorable marketing blunders ever' with launch of 'New Coke'
Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/new-coke-coca-cola-failed-product-launches-history-a9479116.html?source=Snapzu

Boeing is sued for $336M over canceled 737 Max order

Boeing Co was sued for $336 million on Wednesday by a Kuwaiti leasing company that accused it of wrongly refusing to return advance payments on a now-canceled order for 40 of its troubled 737 Max planes.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/22/boeing-is-sued-for-336m-over-canceled-737-max-order.html?source=Snapzu

Here are the largest public companies taking payroll loans meant for small businesses

Hundreds of millions of dollars of Paycheck Protection Program emergency funding has been claimed by large, publicly traded companies, new research published by Morgan Stanley shows. In fact, the U.S. government has allocated at least $243.4 million of the total $349 billion to publicly traded companies, the firm said. The PPP was designed to help the nation's smallest, mom-and-pop shops keep employees on payroll and prevent mass layoffs across the country amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/04/21/large-public-companies-are-taking-small-businesses-payroll-loans.html?source=Snapzu

The Magic Is In The Editing

7 tips to clean up your dirty first draft before you publish
Read more: https://medium.com/@gladdoggett/the-magic-is-in-the-editing-9ab0197e1b88?source=Snapzu

Without More Tests, America Can’t Reopen

And to make matters worse, we’re testing the wrong people.
Read more: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/04/were-testing-the-wrong-people/610234/?source=Snapzu

Disney to stop paying 100,000 workers but is still on track to give shareholders $1.5 billion

Walt Disney Co. will stop paying more than 100,000 employees this week, nearly half of its workforce, as the world’s biggest entertainment company tries to weather the coronavirus lockdown, it was reported Monday.
Read more: https://www.sgvtribune.com/2020/04/20/disney-to-stop-paying-half-its-workforce-but-is-still-on-track-to-deliver-1-5-billion-dividend/?source=Snapzu

6 ways how Clariti can help you tide over the COVID-19 crisis

Globally, coronavirus lockdowns have kept billions of people homebound for weeks. The number of work-from-home locations has multiplied…
Read more: https://medium.com/@getclariti/6-ways-how-clariti-can-help-you-tide-over-the-covid-19-crisis-dd797999465d?source=Snapzu

EPA faces court over backing of Monsanto's controversial crop system

The US Environmental Protection Agency is due in federal court on Tuesday to answer allegations that it broke the law to support a Monsanto system that has triggered “widespread” crop damage over the last few summers and continues to threaten farms across the country.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/apr/20/epa-faces-court-over-backing-of-monsantos-controversial-crop-system?source=Snapzu

American oil is crashing because it has nowhere to go

The spectacular collapse in oil markets is showing no signs of easing, as the coronavirus crisis saps demand and producers run out of places to store all their excess barrels of crude. What's happening: US oil prices plunged more than 28% to nearly $13 per barrel on Monday, their lowest level since 1999.
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/20/investing/premarket-stocks-trading/index.html?source=Snapzu

Where's my check? COBOL's role in delay of stimulus and unemployment payments

With job losses and income plummeting thanks to the coronavirus pandemic we need money as fast as we can, but government systems written in the old COBOL computer language are blocking us from our cash.
Read more: https://www.zdnet.com/article/wheres-my-check-cobol-unemployment-and-taxes/?source=Snapzu

To avoid hostile takeovers amid COVID-19, India mandates approvals on Chinese investments

Chinese investors, who have poured about $6 billion into Indian startups in the last two years, will be subjected to tougher scrutiny for their future investments in the world’s second largest internet market. India amended its foreign direct investment policy on Saturday to require all neighboring nations with which it shares a boundary to seek approval from New Delhi for their future deals in the country. Previously, only Pakistan and Bangladesh were subjected to this requirement.
Read more: https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/18/to-avoid-hostile-takeovers-amid-covid-19-india-mandates-approvals-on-chinese-investments/?source=Snapzu

It's Possible To Cut Cropland Use in Half and Produce the Same Amount of Food, Says New Study

Restoring up to 2.2 million square miles to nature
Read more: https://reason.com/2020/04/17/its-possible-to-cut-cropland-use-in-half-and-produce-the-same-amount-of-food-says-new-study/?source=Snapzu

Money Is Losing Its Meaning

Doing “whatever it takes” to save the global economy from the coronavirus pandemic is going to cost a lot of money. The U.S. government alone is spending a few trillion dollars, and the Federal Reserve is creating another few trillion dollars to keep the financial system from collapsing. A custom Bloomberg index measuring M2 figures for 12 major economies including the U.S...
Read more: https://www.bloombergquint.com/gadfly/money-has-no-meaning-anymore?source=Snapzu

China suffers worst economic drop since '70s in virus battle

BEIJING (AP) — China suffered its worst economic contraction since since at least the 1970s in the first quarter as it fought the coronavirus, and weak consumer spending and factory activity...
Read more: https://apnews.com/7cfa063b58a160f94235f35ab614329f?source=Snapzu

No iPhone 12 until November, says Goldman Sachs; 'sell AAPL'

Apple Card partner bank Goldman Sachs is predicting that the iPhone 12 won’t be launched until November, and is advising investors to sell AAPL stock. The bank expects iPhone shipments to fall by 36% in the third quarter when the flagship iPhones would normally be launched …
Read more: https://9to5mac.com/2020/04/17/no-iphone-12/?source=Snapzu

These Four Startups Are Redefining Sustainability

Startups around the world are tackling some of the planet’s most pressing problems.
Read more: https://pgsignal.com/these-four-startups-are-redefining-sustainability/?source=Snapzu

Burger King 'plant-based' Whopper ads banned

Burger King has been banned from showing adverts suggesting its Rebel Whopper, which is cooked alongside meat and contains egg, is vegan-friendly. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) said the chain's claim that the burger is "100% Whopper, no beef" could be understood to mean it did not contain animal products. Burger King said it had been "clear and transparent" in its marketing. The Vegan Society said it was a "missed opportunity".
Read more: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/business-52280017?source=Snapzu

Coronavirus: US airlines agree $25bn rescue deal - with strings attached

Major US passenger airlines have agreed in principle to a $25bn (£20bn) rescue package that will keep workers in their jobs until October as the industry battles the coronavirus crisis. Washington's treasury department said the six biggest carriers - American Airlines, United, Delta, Southwest, JetBlue and Alaska Airlines - had accepted the support.
Read more: https://news.sky.com/story/us-airlines-agree-25bn-rescue-deal-with-strings-attached-11973388?source=Snapzu

With coronavirus forcing us to work from home, SUSE suggests the Linux desktop

As many sysadmins are discovering to their dismay, trying to manage workers from home on a wild mix of older Windows PCs is no fun at all. So, SUSE has a suggestion: The Linux desktop.
Read more: https://www.zdnet.com/article/with-coronavirus-forcing-us-to-work-from-home-suse-suggests-the-linux-desktop/?source=Snapzu

John Oliver rips Amazon for its treatment of employees during coronavirus crisis

HBO host John Oliver on Sunday criticized Amazon over the treatment of employees during the coronavirus pandemic
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/media/492493-john-oliver-rips-amazon-for-its-treatment-of-employees-during-coronavirus?source=Snapzu

Reddit makes political ads more transparent ahead of 2020 election

Reddit will begin publicly disclosing its political advertisers and how much money they shell out, the company said Monday.
Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/13/reddit-political-ads-2020-184497?source=Snapzu

Many economists defend disaster profiteers. They are wrong

Much about the pandemic sweeping across the world is unprecedented, but one aspect is all too familiar: price gouging in the wake of a disaster. In New York police arrested a man who had stockpiled medical gear, allegedly selling it for a 700% mark-up. Indonesian authorities seized 600,000 masks from hoarders. In Italy the government launched a probe into sky-high online prices for basic protective equipment.
Read more: https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2020/04/11/many-economists-defend-disaster-profiteers-they-are-wrong?source=Snapzu

Amazon is acting like an independent nation in its battle against the coronavirus

Amazon is building its own testing facilities to screen workers for Covid-19.
Read more: https://qz.com/1836550/amazon-is-building-its-own-covid-19-testing-lab-for-employees/?source=Snapzu

The choice facing investors: buy the bounce, or bet on a bottom

A dramatic bounce in U.S. stocks in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic is confronting investors with a difficult decision: buy into what may turn out to be a nascent bull market, or hold out for a possible return to recent lows.
Read more: https://in.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-bottom-analysis/the-choice-facing-investors-buy-the-bounce-or-bet-on-a-bottom-idINKCN21U0ES?il=0?source=Snapzu

The Battle Over the Sea-Monkey Fortune

A former 1960s bondage-film actress is waging legal combat with a toy company for ownership of her husband’s mail-order aquatic-pet empire.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/17/magazine/the-battle-over-the-sea-monkey-fortune.html?source=Snapzu

The Million-Dollar Scammer and His Many Mormon Marks

As a kid growing up in northern Utah, Chet Olsen would often take his older brother’s shotgun shells, empty out the pellets, and spread them across a flat surface. He would then guide the pellets around, pretending that each one was a sheep he had to tend to. Olsen, now 62, has a salt-and-pepper mustache that accents his serious demeanor, and his boots display telltale signs of a lifetime of hard, hands-on work.
Read more: https://narratively.com/the-million-dollar-scammer-and-his-many-mormon-marks/?source=Snapzu

Facebook spent $23.4 million in 2019 on Mark Zuckerberg's security and private air travel

Facebook spent more than $23 million on security and private air travel for CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2019, according to a financial filing published on Friday. That’s up from about $20 million spent in 2018 and $9.1 million Facebook spent in 2017. Zuckerberg’s annual salary remains $1. The funds include “approximately $10,463,717” for “costs related to personal security for Zuckerberg at his home and during his personal travel.”
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/10/facebook-filing-shows-zuckerberg-and-sandbergs-compensation.html?source=Snapzu

Forget the V-shaped recovery: The economy won’t bounce back quickly

Digging out from the deep hole caused by the coronavirus won’t be quick or easy.
Read more: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/forget-the-v-shaped-recovery-the-economy-wont-bounce-back-quickly-2020-04-08?source=Snapzu

Dear internet: we must ban targeted advertising immediately

Cambridge Analytica, Facebook, Google, Senate hearings, data breaches… targeted advertising has been in the news, as well as come under fire a lot lately.
Read more: https://usefathom.com/blog/targeted-ads?source=Snapzu

France rules Google must pay news firms for content

France's competition authority ruled on Thursday that Google must pay French publishing companies and news agencies for re-using their content.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-google-france/france-rules-google-must-pay-news-firms-for-content-idUSKCN21R14X?source=Snapzu

Delivery apps are giving restaurants a fighting chance... or are they?

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on many industries, from retail and transportation to travel to almost everything under the hospitality umbrella -- theme parks, big events, and along with them a myriad of small businesses
Read more: https://www.techspot.com/news/84707-delivery-apps-giving-restaurants-fighting-chance-or-they.html?source=Snapzu

Only 9 of the world’s top 100 billionaires have gotten richer during the coronavirus pandemic — and all of them are Chinese

In just two months, the masters of the economic universe have lost more than $400 billion.
Read more: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/only-9-of-the-worlds-top-100-billionaires-have-gotten-richer-during-the-pandemic-and-all-are-chinese-2020-04-06?source=Snapzu

Twitter notifies users that it’s now sharing more data with advertisers

Twitter says this helps it "continue operating as a free service."
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/8/21213593/twitter-data-sharing-pop-up-mobile-app-advertising-settings?source=Snapzu

It's A "Cold War Every Day" Inside This Group At Apple

Life in Apple’s Information Systems & Technology division reminds some of a sweatshop. An exclusive excerpt from Always Day One, Alex Kantrowitz's new book on how the tech giants scramble to stay on top.
Read more: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/alexkantrowitz/always-day-one-exclusive-excerpt-apple?source=Snapzu