Starbucks faces walkout at hundreds of US stores | BBC News

November 17, 2023November 16, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The union representing thousands of Starbucks workers in the US is staging a walkout on one of the coffee chain’s busiest days of the year.

The action comes amid a bitter fight between Starbucks and Starbucks Workers United, which started organizing workers at the company in 2021.

The two sides are fighting over pay, scheduling, and other issues.

Roughly 200 stores are expected to be affected by the 16 November work stoppage.

Barista Michelle Eisen, one of the union’s leaders, said the company could afford to “do better by its workers”.

Amazon to sell cars online, starting with Hyundai | TechCrunch

November 16, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

It was inevitable. Amazon, which got its start selling books, is getting into the car business.

The e-commerce giant along with new partner Hyundai announced Thursday at the 2023 LA Auto Show that it will start selling vehicles on its website in the second half of 2024. Hyundai vehicles will be the first vehicles sold on Amazon.com’s U.S. store with other brands following later in the year.

The Amazon car sales section will allow customers to shop for vehicles in their area based on a range of preferences, including model, trim, color, and features, choose their preferred car, and then check out online with their chosen payment and financing options. Customers will be able to buy a vehicle online and then pick it up or have it delivered by their local dealership, according to Amazon.

Musk: SpaceX now aiming for Saturday for Starship’s second flight test | TechCrunch

November 16, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

SpaceX has officially pushed back the second orbital flight test of Starship by one day to Saturday, CEO Elon Musk confirmed on X.

Rumors about the push-back started to swirl after onsite news organizations, like NASASpaceflight, observed a massive crawler crane headed to the launch site. That machine is used to stack (and destack) Starship, so seeing one moving toward the rocket was not the most hopeful sign.

Musician Refused to Stop Singing, Almost Booted from Flight | Entrepreneur

November 15, 2023November 14, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Lots of things can make a plane ride unbearable — crying babies, loud adults…a Grammy-nominated singer who refuses to stop singing.

This was the case on a Delta Airlines flight on November 10 when gospel singer Bobbi Storm started singing and refused to stop — even after being told by flight attendants and crew members to sit down.

In a video posted to Instagram, Storm stood up and decided she wanted to start singing to passengers before sitting down and announcing to the flight that she had been nominated for two Grammy Awards that day.

Google Sues Facebook Scammers Spreading Malware Disguised as its Bard AI Chatbot | Mashable

November 14, 2023November 13, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

AI is the big thing right now. So, of course, scammers have glommed on to the hype in order to take advantage of people interested in new technology.

Now, Google is stepping in and suing a group of scammers impersonating the tech giant to steal victims’ sensitive data.

In a new post on the company’s official blog, Google General Counsel Halimah DeLaine Prado announced that it had filed a lawsuit in California on Monday against a scammer group that had duped users into downloading malware on Facebook.

Apple might launch an OLED iPad Pro and larger iPad Air in early 2024 | Mashable

November 14, 2023November 13, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Apple is planning a big overhaul of its iPad lineup next year.

This is according to a new report by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who claims that the company plans to launch new iPad Pro models with M3 processors and OLED displays.

All of the current iPads have LCD displays, though the larger, 12.9-inch iPad Pro has an enhanced, mini-LED display. But OLED is a logical choice for the iPad, as it would likely offer deeper blacks, better viewing angles, and less battery consumption.

The new iPad Pro models are likely to come in the first half of 2024, with mass production starting either late in the first quarter, or in the second quarter.

‘The Marvels’ struggles at box office on opening weekend | CNN Business

November 13, 2023November 12, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

“The Marvels” finished No. 1 at the box office in its opening weekend but grossed just $47 million in domestic sales, according to studio estimates on Sunday.

According to data from Comscore, the latest Marvel project is also the studio’s lowest-performing one. It finished below 2008’s “The Incredible Hulk,” the previous record-holder, which opened at just over $55 million.

But the Marvel Cinematic Universe was still finding its footing in the late aughts and, since then, Marvel projects have amassed a robust fan base and raked in historic numbers at the box office. In fact, “The Marvels” is only the third Marvel movie to make less than $60 million during its opening weekend, and the first since “Ant-Man” opened with $57 million in 2015.

The Fed is terrified Americans could get used to high inflation. It may already be happening | CNN Business

November 13, 2023November 12, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A worrisome sign for the Federal Reserve is starting to emerge.

The Fed keeps a close eye on several risks that could make its job of taming inflation even more difficult, such as red-hot consumer demand keeping some upward pressure on prices and the possible effects of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East on oil prices.

But the US central bank also pays close attention to whether Americans still have faith inflation will eventually return to normal. That faith seems to be eroding.

The University of Michigan’s latest consumer survey released Friday showed that Americans’ long-run inflation expectations rose to 3.2% this month, the highest level since 2011.

King Arthur launches a new 100% regeneratively-grown flour blend | Fast Company

November 8, 2023November 7, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A new King Arthur Baking Company product is hitting the shelves: In a verdant green bag, the company is now selling a 100% Regeneratively-Grown Climate Blend—a first for the more than 230-year-old brand—meant to help restore soil health.

The whole wheat flour blend is a mix of grains developed by the Breadlab, a research lab at Washington State University that breeds varieties of wheat, barley, and rye that are healthier for both humans and the soil than commodity wheats. Those commodity wheats, grown for the industrial-scale market, have been bred primarily for durability and disease resistance, or with high yields in mind, at the expense of attributes like nutrients, flavors, and soil benefits.

Dropbox Rolls Out Advanced Tools for Enhanced Knowledge Work | Small Biz Trends

November 6, 2023November 5, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Dropbox has announced a suite of new features and tools designed to enhance productivity, streamline workflows, and support the next generation of knowledge work. This as remote work culture continues to evolve and the tools that drive it need to keep pace.

In the wake of the 2020 pandemic, the rise of remote work compelled many companies to adapt and innovate. Dropbox was no exception, transitioning to a Virtual First model to combine the best elements of remote and in-person working. Yet, despite these strides, challenges persist. A recent study sponsored by Dropbox revealed startling insights: a whopping 42% of participants claimed they could not sustain productive work for more than an hour due to distractions. This has led to the average knowledge worker losing over 500 hours each year, with a significant chunk of this time – 157 hours – wasted on non-productive messages from workplace chat apps.