Why retailers are fleeing Fifth Avenue | CNN

January 14, 2019January 14, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Midtown Manhattan has been one of the most coveted spots in the world for fashion houses. Now, it’s emptying out.

Calvin Klein announced Thursday that it would close its Madison Avenue store in the spring. It joins an exodus that includes Ralph Lauren (RL), Lord & Taylor and Henri Bendel. Gap (GPS) also said over the holidays that it was on its way out, and Versace is reportedly looking to leave Fifth Avenue, too.

The departures show how the role of the flagship fashion store has changed. In many cases, high rent in Midtown Manhattan has made a physical store there untenable. And changes in consumer behavior have forced many of these brands to rethink their strategies.

Here’s How Many People Have Caught the Flu So Far This Season (Hint: It’s a Lot) | Live Science

January 14, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

We’re in the midst of flu season, and millions of people have caught the virus already.

Influenza has sickened an estimated 6 million to 7 million Americans since October, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Although health officials closely track the flu every year, this is the first time the CDC has provided estimates on the number of flu illnesses in the midst of flu season, the agency said in a statement released today (Jan. 11). Typically, the CDC waits until the end of flu season before calculating the estimates.

U.S. cell carriers are probably still selling your real-time phone location | Fast Company

January 10, 2019January 9, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Facebook and Google grab headlines for their roles in the massively profitable “personal data economy.” You know, the business of buying and selling your personal browsing habits to advertisers, pollsters, and other deep-pocketed third parties.

But cell phone companies deserve some attention, too.

Tech Trends to Watch From CES 2019 | Digital Trends

January 7, 2019January 6, 2019 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Tech shapes our daily life, impacting not just how we read and work and play but how we interact, how we learn, how we grow. And just days from now in Las Vegas, CES (formerly the Consumer Electronics Show) will give us a window into what that will look like.

Unfortunately, it’s a really big window.

Investors and entrepreneurs need to address the mental health crisis in startups | TechCrunch

December 31, 2018December 30, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Colin Kroll, was the co-founder of Vine and HQ Trivia, both consumer sensations that brought joy to millions; Anthony Bourdain, had been a chef, journalist and philosopher, who brought understanding and connectedness to millions of lives; while Robin Williams built a career as a brilliant comedian and actor.

What these three share in common is that they were all people at the pinnacle of their industry and they all died too soon. Their premature loss is a tragedy.

2018 Was the Year of the Scooter. What Happens Now? | WIRED

December 31, 2018December 30, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

IF YOU SAY you saw this coming, I don’t believe you. In 2018, electric scooter-share stole the mobility show. They arrived unannounced in cities. They provoked fierce council meetings and protests. They launched debates about who owns sidewalks, anyway, and what role regulators play in bossing around big business. They sucked up VC dollars, mountains of them, as upstarts crowed about the revenue generated per scoot. They got damaged and fixed, they launched their own new gig economy jobs.

Twitter releases 2018 Transparency Report including policy violation stats for the first time | Mashable

December 26, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Twitter released its biannual Transparency Report on Thursday outlining current trends in government information requests, content removal requests, and other privacy matters regarding the network.

This year’s report marks the thirteenth time in the company’s history that Twitter has expounded on its privacy practices in such tremendous detail. The new report also expands on the type of data Twitter is making publicly available.

Viral crowdfunding campaigns took on new meaning in 2018 | Mashable

December 26, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When James Shaw Jr. decided to launch a GoFundMe in honor of victims of a deadly shooting at a Waffle House in Nashville earlier this year, he set a modest goal of $15,000.

Shaw, however, had just become famous as the “Waffle House hero” after tackling and disarming the alleged gunman. The GoFundMe he launched with a few of his friends quickly went viral, and it ultimately raised $241,000.

“I was doing it just to help out, ’cause I know losing a child in that kind of way, and you have to plan that funeral, as young as they were, they probably didn’t have insurance,” says Shaw. “It was just my way of trying to ease the pain.”

Toys and electronics lift Amazon | CNN

December 21, 2018December 20, 2018 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Retailers are battling hard over toys, flat-screen TVs and new tech gadgets this holiday season, and Amazon appears to be in a strong position.

The company said on Tuesday that it sold 18 million toys between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. Amazon did not disclose toy sales from last year, but it has been stockpiling toys since Toys “R” Us’ closed its stores in June.

Amazon (AMZN) expanded its toy efforts in the run-up to the holidays. It mailed out a 70-page toy catalog with top items and deals, and even began selling toys at Whole Foods. Last week, Amazon offered discounts on Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, and Lego.