Amazon sees first loss since 2015 as shares tumble 10%

Tech giant’s revenues grew at a sluggish 7% in the first quarter to $116.4bn as shoppers switch back to bricks and mortar
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/apr/28/amazon-revenue-loss-shares-drop?source=Snapzu

Everything Elon Musk wants to change about Twitter

Twitter on Monday agreed to be acquired by Elon Musk for around $44 billion in cash. The news came just weeks after the tech mogul launched his unsolicited, take-it-or-leave-it offer. State of play: Before he announced he had made an offer for Twitter, Musk had talked about the things he would want to change about the social media platform, from adding an edit button to limiting content moderation.
Read more: https://www.axios.com/elon-musk-twitter-changes-45dfb4c3-ff60-455d-b976-fc78bab8530f.html?source=Snapzu

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel thinks the metaverse is ‘ambiguous and hypothetical’

Snap isn’t the only social media company with smart glasses and an expanding hardware portfolio, but what’s separating its approach from Meta? While announcing Pixy, a $229 drone that takes off from your hand to capture selfies, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel spent some time explaining his decision to focus on experiences built for the real world instead of the virtual metaverse.
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/28/23046594/snap-evan-spiegel-metaverse-pixy-ar-interview?source=Snapzu

50% of Customers Purchasing a Mac in Q2 2022 Were New Mac Users

Since the launch of the first Apple silicon Macs in November 2020, Apple has continued to see strong growth in Mac sales. Apple's Mac revenue hit $10.4 billion in Q2 2022, up from $9.1 billion in the year-ago quarter. During today's earnings call covering the second fiscal quarter of 2022, Apple CFO Luca Maestri said that the company has been growing its install base. There was a March quarter record for upgraders, and half of all Mac buyers during the quarter were new to the product.
Read more: https://www.macrumors.com/2022/04/28/mac-users-q2-2022-new-to-mac/?source=Snapzu

Amazon declines to describe search-algorithm data - Australian regulator

Amazon.com Inc has declined to describe its product-search system to an Australian competition regulator that has heard complaints of large marketplace platforms giving preference to in-house wares.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/australia-regulator-internet/update-2-amazon-declines-to-describe-search-algorithm-data-australian-regulator-idUSL3N2WQ188?source=Snapzu

Attention economy slowdown

After two years of unprecedented growth in social media and streaming, a post-pandemic reality is beginning to set in. Why it matters: Huge revenue gains during COVID inspired media and tech titans to take big bets. As growth stalls, Wall Street wants them to pivot from promise to profit.
Read more: https://www.axios.com/attention-economy-slowdown-meta-978e4b71-cd80-4693-947f-935e87b16987.html?source=Snapzu

AAPL earnings Q2 2022: Analysts expect strong growth across the board (except iPads)

AAPL earnings for Q2 2022 (calendar Q1) will be announced by the company later today, and analysts are expecting the news to be good. While professional analysts are more cautious than independent ones, all expect significant year-on-year growth almost across the board …
Read more: https://9to5mac.com/2022/04/28/aapl-earnings-q2-2022-analyst-roundup/?source=Snapzu

Elon Musk, Twitter’s next owner, provides his definition of “free speech”

Elon Musk has claimed he is buying Twitter in order to protect free speech. But what does Musk mean by "free speech"? Musk provided a somewhat vague answer in a tweet on Tuesday, one day after striking a deal to buy Twitter for $44 billion. (The sale to Musk is pending and needs shareholder approval to be completed.)
Read more: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/04/elon-musk-twitters-next-owner-provides-his-definition-of-free-speech/?source=Snapzu

Apple Researching Mirror Finish and Charging Stands for Mixed-Reality Headset

Apple is researching a one-way mirror finish, wireless charging systems, and charging stands for headset devices, according to newly granted patent applications. In a patent filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office simply called "Display system," first spotted by Patently Apple, Apple outlines how a head-mounted display device may be wirelessly charged via inductive coils placed inside the headband.
Read more: https://www.macrumors.com/2022/04/27/mirror-finish-and-charging-stands-for-headset?source=Snapzu

It's the Billionaires' Internet, and We're Just Posting On It

You won't find liberation on a platform owned by this or that billionaire.
Read more: https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7np47/its-the-billionaires-internet-and-were-just-posting-on-it?source=Snapzu

Credit card companies adjust merchant fees. Consumers may pay the price

Processing fees, or "swipe" fees, on credit cards are likely rising for millions of businesses, but whether this is a classic case of corporate greed at the expense of consumers depends on who you ask.
Read more: https://techxplore.com/news/2022-04-credit-card-companies-adjust-merchant.html?source=Snapzu

Home that sold for $805K comes with stranger living in basement

A home in Fairfax, Virginia, sold this month above the asking price even though it comes with an unusual feature ... a stranger living in the basement. The five-bedroom, four-bathroom house sold for $805,000 to an unnamed buyer on April 15, public records show. Listing agent Zinta K. Rodgers-Rickert, of RE/MAX Gateway, said the home received five cash offers and closed less than a week after it was listed.
Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/home-sold-805k-comes-stranger-living-basement-rcna25747?source=Snapzu

Elon Musk Finally Can Acquire 100% Twitter By This Week? Twitter Board Is Now Considering Musk’s Offer Seriously

The answer is.. perhaps yes. According to The Wall Street Journal, the board of directors of Twitter is discussing letting Elon Musk take the entire firm, with the discussion between the two sides taking place on April 24. Furthermore, Musk’s bid deal could be finalized this week. A deadline for closing any potential deal is being discussed, as are any fees that would be paid if an agreement was signed and then fell apart.
Read more: https://news.coincu.com/83337-elon-musk-finally-can-acquire-twitter/?source=Snapzu

Twitter board meets Musk to discuss bid, reports say

Twitter's board reportedly met Elon Musk over the weekend to explore his $43bn (£33.6bn) takeover offer for the social media platform. After the Tesla boss first revealed his bid, Twitter's management announced a so-called "poison pill" strategy to fend off a potential hostile buyout. Mr Musk plans to finance his bid with the backing of US lender Morgan Stanley and other financial institutions.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61212567?source=Snapzu

House of cards? Why the world is falling out of love with Netflix

An era comes to be defined by its major innovations and, sometimes, just a simple company name does the trick: the Ford Motor Company more than a century ago, or Virgin in the 1980s. They are the business ideas that sum up a moment of progress. Of course, somewhat less prophetically, there were also the shorter-lived promises offered by DeLorean or Myspace.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/apr/23/house-of-cards-why-the-world-is-falling-out-of-love-with-netflix?source=Snapzu

Disney has lost $50 billion in value since war with Florida began

Disney's stock has lost nearly $50 billion in value since the start of March, when it took a political gamble to oppose Florida's controversial new education law. Disney’s stock was down more than 2% on Friday and by more than 8.5% over the past few days as Florida lawmakers work to punish the company for wading into the state’s politics. The stock's market cap has declined by about $46.6 billion since March 1, just days before the company came out against the legislation.
Read more: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/economy/disney-has-lost-50-billion-in-value-since-war-with-florida-began?source=Snapzu

6 tools that are more powerful than to-do lists for productivity

To-do lists are great, but certain tasks, including long-term projects, often fall through the cracks. Try this instead.
Read more: https://www.fastcompany.com/90484724/6-tools-that-are-more-powerful-than-to-do-lists-for-productivity?source=Snapzu

A day in the life of (almost) every vending machine in the world

The long read: What’s behind the indestructible appeal of the robotic snack?
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/apr/14/a-day-in-the-life-of-almost-every-vending-machine-in-the-world?source=Snapzu

Netflix’s Stumble Could Be a Warning Sign for Streaming Industry

The company faces a number of challenges, but its problems may be an indication that its competitors are racing toward an unstable future.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/20/business/media/netflix-streaming-subscription-model.html?source=Snapzu

Google, Meta, and others will have to explain their algorithms under new EU legislation

The EU’s new legislation is designed to explain the web to users
Read more: https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/23/23036976/eu-digital-services-act-finalized-algorithms-targeted-advertising??source=Snapzu

How Anne Hathaway’s Bold Performance Saved ‘WeCrashed’: Column

Television, this spring, has been full of stories of real-life people struggling against the petty matters of their respective realities and reinventing themselves as heroic figures. On “The Dropout,” Elizabeth Holmes (Amanda Seyfried) pushed past the limits of science to declare herself a genius, no matter how unrealistic her putative accomplishments; on “Inventing Anna,” Anna Delvey (Julia Garner) made herself into a wealthy woman of leisure, despite having neither wealth nor, in her endless gyrating calculations, leisure time.
Read more: https://variety.com/2022/tv/columns/anne-hathaway-wecrashed-apple-tv-1235234353/?source=Snapzu

Would you like fries with your Mutant Ape?

Bored & Hungry opened in Long Beach. The goal is to sell BAYC, not food.
Read more: https://amycastor.com/2022/04/21/would-you-like-fries-with-your-mutant-ape%ef%bf%bc/?source=Snapzu

Senators want to mandate anti-piracy technology across the web

Websites could face mandatory anti-piracy technology upgrades every three years.
Read more: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/04/if-you-like-youtubes-copyright-takedown-process-youll-love-this-bill/?source=Snapzu

"Woke Mind Virus Is Making Netflix Unwatchable": Elon Musk

Hours after Netflix saw its value slip by nearly 25 per cent, Elon Musk shared his thoughts about the streaming platform. "The woke mind virus is making Netflix unwatchable," the Tesla CEO tweeted in response to a post stating that this was the first time in 10 years that Netflix has seen such a fall in subscribers.
Read more: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/elon-musk-says-woke-mind-virus-is-making-netflix-unwatchable-2902818/?source=Snapzu

Amazon Europe Unit Paid No Taxes on $55 Billion Sales in 2021

Amazon.com Inc.’s main European retail business reported 1.2 billion euros ($1.2 billion) of losses in 2021, which allowed the company to pay no income tax and receive 1 billion euros in tax credits, corporate filings seen by Bloomberg show.
Read more: https://news.bloombergtax.com/daily-tax-report-international/amazon-europe-unit-paid-no-taxes-on-55-billion-sales-in-2021?source=Snapzu

Apple expands the use of recycled materials across its products

Apple today released new details on the increased use of recycled content across its products. For the first time, the company introduced certified recycled gold, and more than doubled the use of recycled tungsten, rare earth elements, and cobalt. Nearly 20 percent of all material used in Apple products in 2021 was recycled, the highest-ever use of recycled content.
Read more: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/04/apple-expands-the-use-of-recycled-materials-across-its-products/?source=Snapzu

Almost one in 10 parents ‘very likely to use UK food bank in next three months’

Survey finds third have skipped meal to keep up with other costs and 20% unable at least once to afford cooking with oven.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/apr/18/almost-one-in-10-parents-very-likely-to-use-uk-food-bank-in-next-three-months?source=Snapzu

Amazon Must Reinstate Activist Employee Fired After Protest, Judge Rules

Amazon must reinstate a worker the company fired two years ago after a protest against the company's working conditions at a Staten Island fulfillment center, a judge ruled Monday. Gerald Bryson, a former warehouse employee, is also owed back pay, Benjamin W. Green, an administrative law judge, determined. The judge agreed with a National Labor Relations Board finding that Bryson was terminated for protesting safety conditions at the facility, an activity protected by federal labor law.
Read more: https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/amazon-must-reinstate-activist-employee-fired-after-protest-judge-rules/?source=Snapzu

China Box Office Falls to New Low as Cinemas Hit by Closures

China’s theatrical box office fell to a new low over the weekend as anti-COVID restrictions forces thousands of cinemas to close. Data from consultancy Artisan Gateway showed that nationwide box office across the world’s most populous country amounted to just $10.5 million. That was the lowest scoring weekend of 2022 and means the year-to-date cumulative at $2.42 billion is now running some 28% below last’s equivalent figure.
Read more: https://variety.com/2022/film/asia/china-box-office-cinema-closures-1235234367/?source=Snapzu

A.I. Is Mastering Language. Should We Trust What It Says?

OpenAI’s GPT-3 and other neural nets can now write original prose with mind-boggling fluency — a development that could have profound implications for the future.
Read more: https://nyti.ms/37SdY3M?source=Snapzu

Workers at Apple's flagship New York store have started collecting signatures to form a union, a report says

Organizers at the store have teamed up with Workers United, a labor union that supported Starbucks employees in their recent efforts.
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-store-workers-unionizing-grand-central-2022-4?source=Snapzu

The US military is partnering with a startup to build 3D-printed barracks in Texas

The US Department of Defense and Icon will print the three 5,700 square-foot training barracks over the next 10 months in Texas, which will become the largest 3D-printed structures in North America.
Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-icon-largest-3d-printed-structures-barracks-2022-4?source=Snapzu

How Barnes & Noble Went From Villain to Hero

To independent booksellers, the enormous chain was once a threat. Now it’s vital to their survival. And it’s doing well.
Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/15/arts/barnes-noble-bookstores.html?source=Snapzu

Tesla must pay ex-worker $15 million for “disturbing” racist abuse, judge rules

On Wednesday, a federal judge rejected Tesla's claim that it is not liable for "disturbing" racist abuse suffered by an ex-factory worker. US District Judge William Orrick rejected what he called Tesla's "watered-down revisionism" that cast plaintiff Owen Diaz's suffering as "mild and short-lived."
Read more: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/04/tesla-must-pay-ex-worker-15-million-for-disturbing-racist-abuse-judge-rules/?source=Snapzu

TSMC says demand for capacity still strong ahead of 3nm chip launch

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chip maker, said on Thursday that demand for its capacity will remain strong throughout the year despite signs of weakening demand for computers and smartphones.
Read more: https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3174284/tsmc-says-demand-capacity-strong-ahead-3nm-chip-launch-despite-signs?source=Snapzu

Apple Says Plan for Nearly 50% Commission on Metaverse Purchases 'Lays Bare Meta's Hypocrisy'

Apple has responded to Meta's plan to take a nearly 50% commission for digital asset purchases made inside the metaverse after complaining about fees in the App Store, calling the decision hypocritical.
Read more: https://www.macrumors.com/2022/04/14/apple-says-meta-plan-is-hypocritical/?source=Snapzu

The ‘metaverse’ is increasingly looking like a scam

Facebook’s parent, Meta, revealed this week that a core business goal in developing a virtual-reality “metaverse” is to make money from digital transactions. Now the company is ac…
Read more: https://ktla.com/news/money-smart/the-metaverse-is-increasingly-looking-like-a-scam/?source=Snapzu

Elon Musk offers to buy Twitter for $43 billion, so it can be 'transformed as private company'

Elon Musk offered to buy Twitter for $54.20 a share in a filing published Thursday, saying the social media company needs to be transformed privately, a little over a week after first revealing a 9.2% stake in the company. Musk’s offer values Twitter at about $43 billion.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/14/elon-musk-offers-to-buy-twitter-for-54point20-a-share-saying-it-needs-to-be-transformed-as-private-company.html?source=Snapzu

Apple Job Listing Sparks Speculation Over Cupertino’s Crypto Plans

Apple has posted an opening for a new crypto-related legal position. The company is hiring senior counsel with legal experience
Read more: https://news.coincu.com/80417-apple-job-listing-crypto-plans/?source=Snapzu

Farm animals and humans should be treated the same, children say

Children think farm animals deserve to be treated as well as human beings but lose this belief in adolescence, a groundbreaking study has found. Researchers from the universities of Exeter and Oxford asked a group of British children aged nine to 11, young adults aged 18 to 21 and older men and women about their attitudes to different sorts of animals.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/11/farm-animals-and-humans-should-be-treated-the-same-children-say?source=Snapzu

Apple's latest patents reveal that the company has plans to introduce its own game controller

Multiple patents related to game controllers have been granted to Apple by the US Patent & Trademark Office in the past two weeks.
Read more: https://9to5mac.com/2022/04/11/apples-latest-patents-reveal-that-the-company-has-plans-to-introduce-its-own-game-controller/?source=Snapzu

'Finfluencers' could face up to 5 years in prison if they provide financial advice without a license, Australian government says

Australia's hugely popular financial influencers — or "finfluencers" — could be jailed for up to five years if they continue giving financial advice to their followers without a license. That's according to an information sheet issued last month by the country's corporate watchdog, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission.
Read more: https://www.insider.com/australian-finance-influencers-face-up-to-5-years-jail-crackdown-2022-4?source=Snapzu

The microchip implants that let you pay with your hand

Patrick Paumen causes a stir whenever he pays for something in a shop or restaurant. This is because the 37-year-old doesn't need to use a bank card or his mobile phone to pay. Instead, he simply places his left hand near the contactless card reader, and the payment goes through. "The reactions I get from cashiers are priceless!" says Mr Paumen, a security guard from the Netherlands.
Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-61008730?source=Snapzu

How Amazon plans to fix its massive returns problem

Amazon is handling a rapidly growing number of returns that are causing a massive problem for the e-commerce giant and the planet. A National Retail Federation survey found a record $761 billion of merchandise was returned to retailers in 2021. That amount surpasses what the U.S. spent on national defense in 2021, which was $741 billion.
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/10/how-amazon-plans-to-fix-its-massive-returns-problem.html?source=Snapzu

‘Firms will go bust’: Germany prepares for a future without Russian gas

In Germany, they call it “Day X”. Businesses up and down the land are making contingency plans for what is seen as a growing likelihood that Russian gas will stop flowing into Europe’s biggest economy. “It would be a disaster – one which would have seemed almost unthinkable just two months ago, but which right now feels like a very realistic prospect,” the owner of a hi-tech mechanical engineering company in western Germany said. The firm produces everything from battery cases for electric cars to train clutch systems.
Read more: https://theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/09/firms-will-go-bust-germany-prepares-for-a-future-without-russian-gas?source=Snapzu

From context collapse to content collapse

When social media was taking shape fifteen-odd years ago, the concept of “context collapse” helped frame and explain the phenomenon.
Read more: https://www.roughtype.com/?p=8724?source=Snapzu

Pesticide residue found in over 70 percent of non-organic US produce: report

More than 70 percent of non-organic fresh fruits and vegetables sold in the U.S. contain traces of potentially harmful pesticides, according to a new report from an advocacy group. The Environmental Working Group’s (EWG) 2022 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce highlights a variety of potentially unsafe produce based on residue tests conducted by federal agencies.
Read more: https://thehill.com/policy/equilibrium-sustainability/3261237-pesticide-residue-found-in-over-70-percent-of-non-organic-us-produce-report/?source=Snapzu

I used to feel good when sharing Twitter links

Up until a few years ago, I used to feel good when sharing Twitter links. Compared to the other handful of websites that now make up our entire lives, it was the best option: Not a walled garden like Facebook or Instagram where you either don’t see any content at all or are bombarded with “sign up to continue” popups after scrolling down more than ten pixels. Not horribly confusing and overwhelming for people that don’t use it regularly like Reddit, be it the old or the bad design.
Read more: https://annoying.technology/posts/e6901c0ea272f57d/?source=Snapzu

The SEC is reportedly investigating Amazon over its use of third-party seller data

Back in 2020, a Wall Street Journal report revealed that Amazon employees routinely used data collected from third-party sellers to launch competing products for the company's private-label business. The US Congress is already investigating the e-commerce giant over that practice, and according to The Journal, so is the Securities and Exchange Commission. Apparently, the SEC is looking into how Amazon disclosed its business practices, including how its employees used data for its private-label brands.
Read more: https://www.engadget.com/sec-amazon-third-party-seller-data-053518981.html?source=Snapzu

Now is Your Time As a Creator To Start a Brand

Build a media company that one day can sell a product or service. But most important, serve the ones that are interested in your ideas.
Read more: https://robertkatai.com/creator-brand/?source=Snapzu