Google Earth gives users a new look at a changing planet, Facebook tests new business discovery features and Autodesk acquires Upchain. This is your Daily Crunch for April 15, 2021.
The big story: Google Earth gets an update
Google is describing this as Google Earth’s biggest update since 2017, though there’s really just one major addition: A time-lapse mode bringing together satellite photos from the past 37 years, in 3D.
DESPITE THE HASTILY called press conference on Tuesday, the late-night meetings, and the growing worry over a potentially fatal side effect, the decision to pause the use of one of the three Covid-19 vaccines available in the United States was a relatively easy one.
Figuring out how to unpause, though—that’s going to be a lot trickier.
The public health community had some hope that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention might find a fast path through the data fog. But that vanished late Wednesday, when an emergency meeting of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices ended without a recommendation. Amid a global pandemic and a race for mass vaccinations, the pause continues pausing.
The shoe and sportswear company, Nike, announced on Monday an initiative that seeks to recycle footwear and thus avoid waste. What does it consist of? Sneakers that are short-lived or have a manufacturing defect will be accepted at select US stores. Afterwards, they are in charge of cleaning, disinfecting and restoring them to later be put up for sale at a lower price.
Currently, this service is offered in eight Nike stores in the United States, with plans to expand it to 15 more by the end of April and a few more by the end of the year in other parts of the world. However, they have not yet specified where it will be.
Technology has made our life easier and more comfortable, and it has revolutionized the travel industry. Nowadays, travelers like to plan and book their trips online via a mobile app or website without human interaction.
It is known that travelers are keen to use social media platforms, mobile application and websites to explore their destinations and technology is an important factor in every sector.
It is estimated the online travel industry reached nearly $755 billion in 2019 at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.9 percent since 2015. Overall, the online travel booking accounted for 63 percent of the approximately $1.2 trillion the travel industry generates every year. Around 82 percent of travelers book online using a website or mobile app, and an appropriate 0.27 percent of the world’s online spending comes from the travel industry.
A new study led by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University is challenging the common assumption that video conferencing is better than audio-only communication for collaborative group activities. The findings suggest video cues may in fact lower a group’s collective intelligence by disrupting interpersonal synchrony.
Early in 2020, when the pandemic hit and many suddenly shifted to working remotely, the ability to easily communicate with colleagues via video was a godsend. No one really questioned how effective communicating over video was, as for years it had been generally assumed video cues amplify effective group collaboration when compared to audio-only interactions.
Google and Apple have blocked an update to the UK government’s COVID-19 contact tracing app for breaching privacy terms, the BBC reports.
The update, which was expected to roll out in time with the lifting of national lockdown on Monday, would have requested users who tested positive for COVID-19 to upload their history of venue check-ins. The app, used in England and Wales, has long operated with a feature that allows users to check in to a shop, pub, restaurant, or other venue using a QR code — some are required by law to display official NHS QR code posters and collect contact details, while others are encouraged.
Did Marie Antoinette really utter the infamous words, “Let them eat cake”?
The quick answer to this question is a simple “no.” Marie Antoinette, the last pre-revolutionary queen of France, did not say “Let them eat cake” when confronted with news that Parisian peasants were so desperately poor they couldn’t afford bread. The better question, perhaps, is: Why do we think she said it?
For background, the quote has been slightly exaggerated in its translation from French to English. Originally, Marie Antoinette was alleged to have said, “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche,” or “Let them eat brioche.” While this sweetened bread is more expensive than an average baguette, it isn’t exactly the icing-laden, multi-tiered gateaux you might have imagined the queen had in mind. That said, this hyperbolic translation doesn’t change the point, at least from a propagandist standpoint; it still suggests that the French queen was arrogant and out-of-touch with the working class. With callous aristocrats like this in charge, things will never improve for the average French citizen. Vive la révolution!
The ELD mandate is designed to ensure drivers aren’t being overworked in an effort to keep roadways safe.
Electronic logging devices (ELDs) are hardware solutions that are installed in vehicles and track information regarding engine activity, driver shift times and driver rest requirements.
ELDs are required for fleets of all sizes, so long as the vehicles and businesses meet certain requirements.
The ELD mandate has been in effect since 2019.
This article is for all small business owners looking to better understand how the ELD mandate affects their business.
Businesses operating a commercial vehicle fleet have more to worry about than just how well its cars and trucks are running. They also have to be concerned with the safety of their drivers. To help ensure businesses are focused on driver safety, the U.S. government requires certain fleet operators to install electronic logging devices (ELDs) in their vehicles. Not complying with these laws can result in significant fines. That’s why small businesses with a commercial fleet need to understand the ELD mandate, whether it applies to their operation and, if it does, how they will adhere to these laws.
Want to know what Steve Jobs thought was the ultimate key in achieving success?
“Focus and simplicity… once you get there, you can move mountains.”—Steve Jobs
And this belief is even more important today than it was years ago. At your fingertips is a literal world of information and entertainment. So, it’s no wonder we all have such wandering minds nowadays.
Thanks to the internet and smartphones, attention is practically a currency we should be more budget-minded about. In fact, a person who can stay focused is not only more likely to get more done but also be more satisfied at the end of the day because of it.
Here’s something to tell yourself when you reach for that 11 p.m. pint of whatever: This pint will hurt my job performance tomorrow. And it will, says a new study in the Journal of Applied Psychology out of North Carolina State University.
Key findings: Yes, crappy eating at home leads to crappy job performance at work the following day.
Researchers tracked the food and drink intake of 97 employees for 10 days, alongside job performance reports. Those who ate unhealthfully in the evening and night—” unhealthy” is defined here as participants who felt they’d consumed too much food, drink, or junk food—were likely to report emotional strain in the morning, such as feelings of stress and shame, alongside physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, and diarrhea.
Dispatches From The Front 