Monthly Archives: October 2023

Facebook and Instagram launch ad-free subscription tier in EU | BBC News

Facebook and Instagram are launching subscriptions in most of Europe that will remove adverts from the platforms.

People using the Meta-owned platforms will be able to pay €9.99 (£8.72) per month for an ad-free experience. It will not be available in the UK.

In January, Meta was fined €390m for breaking EU data rules around ads.

The regulator said at the time the firm could not “force consent” by saying consumers must accept how their data is used or leave the platforms.

The subscription tier will be exclusive to people in the EU, European Economic Area and Switzerland from November.

Read More

General Motors deal clears the way for an end to US car strike | BBC News

General Motors has struck a deal with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union to end a six-week strike in the US.

The tentative agreement follows similar deals at Ford and Chrysler-maker Stellantis, the other two carmakers affected by walkouts.

Nearly 50,000 workers and dozens of sites were involved in the action, the first in union’s history to target all three firms at once.

US President Joe Biden welcomed the deal hailing the deal as “great.”

The president added: “These record agreements reward auto workers who gave up much to keep the industry working and going during the financial crisis more than a decade ago.”

Read More

A look at how one fintech CEO’s PR decision backfired | TechCrunch

This past week, Carta CEO Henry Ward took it upon himself to send a letter to customers addressing the company’s recent negative press. The move had many scratching their heads, including many customers and at least one investor.

I first learned about it when I saw one of those customers, Winnie co-founder and CEO Sara Mauskopf, post something on X. In her post, she noted that prior to receiving the email from Ward, she “didn’t actually read any negative press about Carta recently.”

She wasn’t alone.

So essentially what Ward did was notify all of Carta’s customers that the company was the target of lawsuits around allegations of sexual abuse on the part of executives and has been accused of having a toxic “boy’s club culture,” among other things. He did so by pointing them to a Medium post/missive he had shared with Carta employees a few days earlier.

Read More

More than a year later, the $20B Adobe-Figma deal is still stuck in regulatory limbo | TechCrunch

In September 2022, Adobe dropped the bombshell news that it intended to buy Figma for $20 billion. It was a huge chunk of money for a startup that had recently been valued at half that amount, and it was a deal that would make investors and some Figma employees wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. But first it had to pass regulatory muster — and that has proven stubbornly difficult.

In fact, more than 13 months after the deal was announced, the two companies remain separate entities. A year is a long time in the tech world. Figma hasn’t been idly waiting for its corporate suitor and has continued to work on the platform, hiring 500 new people since the deal was announced for a total of 1,300 employees today.

Read More

At Just 27, Legalist’s Eva Shang Manages Nearly $1B in Assets | Entrepreneur

Eva Shang, 27, never envisioned a career in business. As a young adult, she enrolled at Harvard College and imagined a future as a civil rights lawyer. But she’d end up on a different path — leaving the university altogether to start her own hedge fund out of a garage at age 20.

Today, the hedge fund Shang co-founded with fellow Harvard undergraduate Christian Haigh is Legalist: An institutional alternative asset management firm using data-driven technology to invest in credit assets at scale; it boasts nearly $1 billion in assets.

Entrepreneur sat down with Shang to learn more about her journey building Legalist — and her best advice for other young women who want to break into the hedge-fund space.

Read More

Prepare For This Seismic Shift in Employee Expectations — Or Say Goodbye to Your Top Talent. | Entrepreneur

Let’s be brutally honest: Would you stick with your company if it failed to prioritize your wellbeing? You’re not alone if the answer is a resounding “no.” Workers are sending a clear message to the corporate world — wellbeing is non-negotiable. Forget the antiquated notion that a hefty paycheck is the ultimate carrot on the stick. The data is in, and it’s irrefutable: workers really care about their wellbeing and flexibility, and corporations better listen if they want to win the talent wars.

Workers are working less voluntarily

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis recently released a paper that delves into why the U.S. labor market has tightened post-pandemic. It focuses on two prongs of this phenomenon: The declining number of workers and the receding number of hours those workers are willing to commit to their jobs.

Read More

The Impact of Mobile Search on Local SEO | Getentrepreneurial.com

In today’s rapidly evolving world, mobile devices have seamlessly integrated into our daily routines, becoming indispensable tools. These portable gadgets serve as gateways to the internet, enabling us to access search engines, social media platforms, and various online resources. Consequently, it is imperative for businesses to prioritize the optimization of their websites for mobile devices to ensure a top-notch user experience.

Mobile optimization transcends the realm of user experience; it holds substantial implications for search engine optimization (SEO). This article by a top local SEO company highlights the impact of mobile optimization on SEO, underscoring its critical importance for businesses seeking to excel in the digital landscape.

Read More

Tips for Finding a Job in a New City | Cool Business Ideas 

Moving to a new city can be exciting and daunting – from searching for a place to live with the help of Black Tie Moving Dallas, learning the local customs, and meeting new people, there’s plenty of adventure ahead. But with all the changes that come with relocating to a different area, one big transition on your agenda is finding a job in your new destination.

Understanding the job market in your chosen city will help set you up for success as you hunt for jobs and hammer out interviews. With these tips in mind, searching for employment in unfamiliar territory doesn’t have to be an intimidating experience. Read on for helpful advice on how to find a job in your new city!

1. Research the job market in your new city – understand the types of jobs and industries available, the average salaries for those positions, and what qualifications you need to land a job

As you prepare to move to your new city, it’s essential to understand the job market well. This involves researching the types of jobs and industries available in the area. Doing so will give you a sense of the existing career opportunities and the requirements for each role. Additionally, studying the average salaries for different positions can help you plan your budget and negotiate job offers when the time comes. Finally, don’t forget to look into the qualifications needed to land your desired job. Whether it’s specific certifications or degrees, preparing in advance will give you an edge in the competitive job market. So take the time to do your research and set yourself up for success in your new city.

Read More

3 ways Google Chrome is speeding up your searches | Mashable

Google wants to help you speed up your searches.

The tech giant published a blog this week debuting new features for your Chrome address bar that should improve your search abilities. Everyone could likely use some more efficiency online. And while you can read the whole piece from Google, here are few of the new features the company dropped.

1. There is improved autocomplete

Google searches in Chrome should now anticipate the URL you actually want when you begin searching. As an example, Google noted that simple typing “flights” into the search bar will give you the option of autocompleting to Google Flights, even though the ultimate destination URL actually begins with “google.com/travel.” That should be a helpful upgrade when you know where you want to end up, even if you don’t know the actual URL.

Read More

M3 iPad Pro 2024: Release date, new features, specs, and more | Mashable

A new iPad Pro should be hitting the market next year and while we don’t know everything about it, quite a few rumored details have surfaced as 2023 approaches its end.

The TL;DR? Apparently, the iPad is due for a major revamp. The high-end tablet should represent a big jump forward for the iPad line. Here are the details we know so far.

 iPad Pro release date and price

First things first: When is this thing coming out? The quick answer: It isn’t clear, but almost certainly next year. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman — whose word is pretty much gospel on all things Apple — wrote in his newsletter Power On that the new iPad Pro was set to debut in “spring or early summer” of 2024.

Read More