Prime members can now get Whole Foods delivered with free Amazon Fresh | Mashable

October 30, 2019October 29, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Amazon really, really wants Prime Members to use its Amazon Fresh delivery service. So it’s getting rid of the steep $14.99/month fee for Prime members, and it’s adding groceries from your local Whole Foods.

Amazon Fresh is Amazon’s answer to grocery services like Instacart, offering home delivery or pickup for folks who, understandably, don’t want to wait 30 minutes at one of two open checkout lanes in a physical supermarket.

Besides getting rid of that monthly fee, Amazon also announced an expansion of Amazon Fresh delivery, making it available in “more than 2,000 cities and towns” with more to come. These locales are all based around nearly two dozen major metropolitan areas, including New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago.

AT&T agrees to a deal with activist shareholder Elliott Management | CNN

October 29, 2019October 28, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

AT&T’s truce with Elliott Management — avoiding a protracted fight with one of the world’s most successful activist shareholders — sent the company’s stock to a 52-week high on Monday.

The plan, as described by Elliott Management, includes “significantly enhanced operational efficiency with meaningful margin expansion, a “full review of the portfolio,” and “no more major acquisitions.”

AT&T (T) CEO and Chairman Randall Stephenson heralded the resolution and said “I think our interests are 100% aligned. Seriously.”

Should we ban SUVs? | Fast Company

October 24, 2019October 23, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Over the last decade, global SUV ownership has doubled. In that time, the vehicles contributed more to the increase in global CO2 emissions than airlines, trucks, or heavy industry, according to an analysis by the International Energy Agency. Even if we add nearly 150 million electric cars to the road by 2040, if SUV ownership grows at its current rate, they’ll offset that entire emissions reduction. And while they’re spewing emissions, they also have a more tangible cost: They’re more likely than smaller cars to kill pedestrians, contributing to a steep rise in pedestrian deaths.

The End Of College Is Coming | Forbes

October 24, 2019October 23, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Every spring, millions of American high school kids are faced with this choice.

It sounds like a no-brainer. And it used to be a no-brainer… because college used to cost a reasonable amount of money.

As recently as 1980, you could get a four-year bachelor’s degree at a public school for less than $10,000, on average. These days it’ll cost you at least $40,000… or upward of $140,000 for a private school… or well over $250,000 for a top school.

75% of Employees Don’t Plan to Stay at Their Job for More Than 5 Years | Small Business Trends

October 23, 2019October 20, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A survey by iHire revealed the latest 2019 employee retention statistics. This includes the fact that 75% of employees in the U.S. do not stay at their jobs for more than five years. The finding indicates job-hopping is becoming far more common. It was once a liability. But not in today’s candidate-driven labor market.

2019 Employee Retention Statistics

One of the biggest drivers for this trend is a booming economy. This includes a 50-year low unemployment rate of 3.5%. It is the lowest since 1969. There are more job openings than there are people to fill them. Which by the way is responsible for U.S. businesses losing $1 trillion every year due to voluntary employee turnover.

Leeks and Tomatoes Can Be Grown in Martian Soil | Digital Trends

October 21, 2019October 20, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In a move that takes us one step closer to creating a colony on another planet, scientists have demonstrated that it is possible to grow edible food crops in soil like that found on Mars and the moon.

“A (permanent) human settlement on Mars or the Moon is becoming more realistic,” authors Dr. Wieger Wamelink and colleagues said in their paper. “Several countries and private companies are preparing for this journey. One of the major issues will be ensuring food availability and safety. Food can and will be brought along, but for a permanent stay, production of crops on Mars or the Moon to supplement or even supply the total food demand could be a necessity.”

Facebook chief rules out banning political adverts | BBC News

October 18, 2019October 17, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg has said he does not think it is right for a company to censor politicians or the news in a democracy.

He was giving a speech in Washington DC following weeks of criticism over the firm’s decision not to ban political adverts that contain falsehoods.

He added he had considered barring all political ads on his platforms.

But he said he believed the move would favour incumbent politicians and whoever the media chose to cover.

New Tariffs on Wine, Liquor, and Cheese Come at a Troubling Time for Small Retailers | Inc.com

October 18, 2019October 17, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The tariffs the Trump administration is about to impose on wine, liquor and cheese from Europe couldn’t come at a worse time for small retailers.

“It’s kind of scary in the sense that we’re getting to the holiday season,” says Joseph Kakos, owner of Kakos Fine Wine & Spirits in Birmingham, Michigan. “October, November and December are the time when you really make your money for the year.”

No one expects consumers to completely abandon Bordeaux and other wines from France, Scotch whisky or cheeses like Parmesan or Roquefort when the 25% tariffs take effect Friday. Still, Kakos says, shoppers may turn price conscious just as shelves are well-stocked for the holidays.

Facebook should ban campaign ads. End the lies. | TechCrunch

October 17, 2019October 13, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Permitting falsehood in political advertising would work if we had a model democracy, but we don’t. Not only are candidates dishonest, but voters aren’t educated, and the media isn’t objective. And now, hyperlinks turn lies into donations and donations into louder lies. The checks don’t balance. What we face is a self-reinforcing disinformation dystopia.

That’s why if Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat and YouTube don’t want to be the arbiters of truth in campaign ads, they should stop selling them. If they can’t be distributed safely, they shouldn’t be distributed at all.

The Fat Bear Vote Tops This Week’s Internet News Roundup | WIRED

October 17, 2019October 13, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

This week, Californians got two helpings of bad news, as Pacific Gas & Electric shut off the power for some residents to try and cut down on wildfires, even as a blaze broke out and displaced thousands in the San Fernando Valley. (The electricity kept flowing to Silicon Valley’s tech companies, though.) Meanwhile, it was snowing in Montana; go figure. Relatedly, there were multiple protests (and multiple arrests) around the world led by action group Extinction Rebellion, which is calling on the media to do more reporting on climate change. Elsewhere, people are upset that Ellen DeGeneres is hanging out with George W. Bush, associates of President Trump’s personal attorney Rudy Giuliani were arrested and charged with campaign finance violations, and it looks like Brexit won’t be an utter disaster after all. With all of this going on, it’s surprising anyone had the energy to pretend to be upset over how much US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez paid for a haircut or enjoy Senator Elizabeth Warren’s snarky comeback to a question about same-sex marriage. You guys, so much happened last week. It’s time we unpacked it all.