August 9, 2022Lego Group, the company behind everyone’s favorite birthday present-turned-heel poker, turns 90 years old on August 10. So how did the wooden toy company, founded in a carpenter’s workshop 90 years ago, become a multimedia powerhouse?In 1949, the company transitioned from wooden toys to the plastic bricks we know today. But while the bricks have stayed the same, the universe has multiplied. These days, the debate over the best on-screen Batman—what might be a toss-up between Christian Bale or Robert Pattinson—can’t exclude Will Arnett, the voice of the caped Minifigure in...…August 9, 2022Lego Group, the company behind everyone’s favorite birthday present-turned-heel poker, turns 90 years old on August 10. So how did the wooden toy company, founded in a carpenter’s workshop 90 years ago, become a multimedia powerhouse?In 1949, the company transitioned from wooden toys to the plastic bricks we know today. But while the bricks have stayed the same, the universe has multiplied. These days, the debate over the best on-screen Batman—what might be a toss-up between Christian Bale or Robert Pattinson—can’t exclude Will Arnett, the voice of the caped Minifigure in...WW…

August 11, 2022Become smarter in just 5 minutesGet the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free.Two days after Jack Appleby joined Morning Brew as a creator, he received the following text: “Hello Jack, I’m in a conference right now, can’t talk on the phone but let me know if you got my text. Thanks.” It was signed “Austin Rief” and, in case you didn’t know, he’s the CEO of Morning Brew.Appleby wasn’t the only Morning Brew employee to get the text—dozens more reported receiving similar ones. If someone responded to the text, the...…August 11, 2022Become smarter in just 5 minutesGet the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free.Two days after Jack Appleby joined Morning Brew as a creator, he received the following text: “Hello Jack, I’m in a conference right now, can’t talk on the phone but let me know if you got my text. Thanks.” It was signed “Austin Rief” and, in case you didn’t know, he’s the CEO of Morning Brew.Appleby wasn’t the only Morning Brew employee to get the text—dozens more reported receiving similar ones. If someone responded to the text, the...WW…

August 16, 2022Become smarter in just 5 minutesGet the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free.Have things been feeling tense on the mandatory remote colleague bonding video conferences? We may have just discovered why. Meditation apps like Calm and Headspace are facing usage declines from their pandemic peaks.An by Apptopia found that people just aren’t into doing breathing exercises narrated by Nick Offerman right now. User sessions of Calm are down 26.4% since last July, and 60.3% for its primary rival, Headspace. On average...…August 16, 2022Become smarter in just 5 minutesGet the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free.Have things been feeling tense on the mandatory remote colleague bonding video conferences? We may have just discovered why. Meditation apps like Calm and Headspace are facing usage declines from their pandemic peaks.An by Apptopia found that people just aren’t into doing breathing exercises narrated by Nick Offerman right now. User sessions of Calm are down 26.4% since last July, and 60.3% for its primary rival, Headspace. On average...WW…

August 21, 2022Become smarter in just 5 minutesGet the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free.As droughts stalk the globe, drying rivers and watersheds have cargo flows in Europe, led Tesla and other manufacturers to suspend production in China, and forced American farmers to cut back on water use.But shrinking water levels have also unearthed remarkable artifacts that were thought to have been lost to history.Perhaps the most ominous findings are the “” etched along the banks of central Europe’s rivers. These inscriptions date...…August 21, 2022Become smarter in just 5 minutesGet the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free.As droughts stalk the globe, drying rivers and watersheds have cargo flows in Europe, led Tesla and other manufacturers to suspend production in China, and forced American farmers to cut back on water use.But shrinking water levels have also unearthed remarkable artifacts that were thought to have been lost to history.Perhaps the most ominous findings are the “” etched along the banks of central Europe’s rivers. These inscriptions date...WW…

August 23, 2022Become smarter in just 5 minutesGet the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free.On Monday, an Australian news site named—this is not a joke—Crikey took out an ad in the New York Times imploring Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch to sue it.So he did.Yesterday, Murdoch against Crikey over an article that called the Murdochs the “unindicted co-conspirators” in former President Trump’s attack on democracy and the Jan. 6 insurrection at the US Capitol. The article didn’t mention Lachlan by name (or his father, the media...…August 23, 2022Become smarter in just 5 minutesGet the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free.On Monday, an Australian news site named—this is not a joke—Crikey took out an ad in the New York Times imploring Fox Corporation CEO Lachlan Murdoch to sue it.So he did.Yesterday, Murdoch against Crikey over an article that called the Murdochs the “unindicted co-conspirators” in former President Trump’s attack on democracy and the Jan. 6 insurrection at the US Capitol. The article didn’t mention Lachlan by name (or his father, the media...WW…

August 16, 2022Become smarter in just 5 minutesGet the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free.When inflation spikes, even high rollers start to consider subbing out Patrón for Cuervo—and that’s good news for businesses selling cheaper goods.Walmart blew past analysts’ expectations when it reported its yesterday, with sales growing more than 8% thanks in part to attracting more high-income shoppers. On the grocery side, around 75% of Walmart’s market share gains last quarter came courtesy of customers from households earning...…August 16, 2022Become smarter in just 5 minutesGet the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free.When inflation spikes, even high rollers start to consider subbing out Patrón for Cuervo—and that’s good news for businesses selling cheaper goods.Walmart blew past analysts’ expectations when it reported its yesterday, with sales growing more than 8% thanks in part to attracting more high-income shoppers. On the grocery side, around 75% of Walmart’s market share gains last quarter came courtesy of customers from households earning...WW…

August 17, 2022Become smarter in just 5 minutesGet the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free.TikTok said yesterday it won’t let influencers post any paid political content ahead of the 2022 midterms, in an effort to close a Grand Canyon-sized gap in its policy against political ads that was frequently in 2020.That doesn’t mean Ty Bridgwater can’t shout out Dr. Oz for the Senate during an iced coffee review—just that he can’t be paid to do so. Organic political posts are still cool, as long as they don’t spread misinformation on...…August 17, 2022Become smarter in just 5 minutesGet the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free.TikTok said yesterday it won’t let influencers post any paid political content ahead of the 2022 midterms, in an effort to close a Grand Canyon-sized gap in its policy against political ads that was frequently in 2020.That doesn’t mean Ty Bridgwater can’t shout out Dr. Oz for the Senate during an iced coffee review—just that he can’t be paid to do so. Organic political posts are still cool, as long as they don’t spread misinformation on...WW…

October 28, 2020Emerging Tech WriterCopyBeijing's top brass convened Monday to finalize China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (FYP), spanning 2021–2025. While FYPs used to primarily focus on steel production or market reforms, robotic factories and autonomous vehicles (AVs) are front and center now. Well, actually, we won’t know that until March. But it’s safe to say that semiconductors, 5G, cloud computing, and AI will be priorities. Since decarbonization will also into the 14th plan, you can also expect EVs, other new energy vehicles, and smart grids.But don’t take it from us. Innovation will...…October 28, 2020Emerging Tech WriterCopyBeijing's top brass convened Monday to finalize China’s 14th Five-Year Plan (FYP), spanning 2021–2025. While FYPs used to primarily focus on steel production or market reforms, robotic factories and autonomous vehicles (AVs) are front and center now. Well, actually, we won’t know that until March. But it’s safe to say that semiconductors, 5G, cloud computing, and AI will be priorities. Since decarbonization will also into the 14th plan, you can also expect EVs, other new energy vehicles, and smart grids.But don’t take it from us. Innovation will...WW…

August 23, 2022Become smarter in just 5 minutesGet the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free.If an explosive whistleblower is true, then Twitter executives deceived federal officials about extensive security issues within the app that leave users’ personal information vulnerable and could even pose a risk to national security.The whistleblower, who agreed to have his identity revealed publicly, was...a pretty big deal at Twitter—it’s the company’s former security chief Peiter “Mudge” Zatko. In an 84-page complaint sent to...…August 23, 2022Become smarter in just 5 minutesGet the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free.If an explosive whistleblower is true, then Twitter executives deceived federal officials about extensive security issues within the app that leave users’ personal information vulnerable and could even pose a risk to national security.The whistleblower, who agreed to have his identity revealed publicly, was...a pretty big deal at Twitter—it’s the company’s former security chief Peiter “Mudge” Zatko. In an 84-page complaint sent to...WW…

August 18, 2022Ben Patrick is kind of like the DJ Khaled of the fitness world: a beam of positivity with an underdog mentality. He always seems to be working. He’s been by WWE icon Diamond Dallas Page and has trained professional athletes like MMA legend Georges St-Pierre.You might know Patrick better as “Knees Over Toes Guy.” And you might even be one of his 1.3 million Instagram followers. If you don’t know of him directly, then you might have noticed his influence at your local gym: Maybe they cleared an area for sled pulling or put up a sign begging members to stop walking backward on...…August 18, 2022Ben Patrick is kind of like the DJ Khaled of the fitness world: a beam of positivity with an underdog mentality. He always seems to be working. He’s been by WWE icon Diamond Dallas Page and has trained professional athletes like MMA legend Georges St-Pierre.You might know Patrick better as “Knees Over Toes Guy.” And you might even be one of his 1.3 million Instagram followers. If you don’t know of him directly, then you might have noticed his influence at your local gym: Maybe they cleared an area for sled pulling or put up a sign begging members to stop walking backward on...WW…