Putin’s sabre rattling is shaking the cryptocurrency market | Fast Company

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Cryptocurrencies around the world are getting pummeled today. A quick glance at CoinDesk’s tracker will show you a wall of red. At the time of this writing, most major cryptocurrencies are down at least 5% or more, including Bitcoin, which is down nearly 7% to $40,443; Ether is down almost 6% to just over $2,900; and Dogecoin and Shiba Inc are down 4.5% and 6.5%, respectively.

So what’s causing this downturn? Unlike recent selloffs, which were largely driven by the threat of increased regulation by the likes of China or the United States, today’s selloff appears to be purely geopolitical. With the threat of Russia going to war over Ukraine, and Russian President Putin announcing he’ll oversee nuclear military drills this weekend, investors are ditching volatile stocks and digital assets in favor of more stable assets like gold.

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The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 may destroy its predecessor | Digital Trends

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A new leak suggests that the next version of the Microsoft Surface Laptop may be vastly improved as it may finally feature the latest modern AMD processors.

The addition of Ryzen 6000 CPUs was a much-needed step, and if proven true, it could potentially elevate the Surface to a whole new level of performance.

The information comes from what seems to be the official specification sheet for the Surface Laptop 5, which was leaked by a website called Windows Prime. The document is the only thing to be found on the website, so although it looks to be legit, it’s important to treat it with a hint of skepticism until we hear from Microsoft itself.

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What is employer branding and why is it important? | The Startup Magazine

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Employer branding is the reputation and image of a company as perceived by employees (past and present), competitors, and customers. All companies have an employer brand, whether this has been intentionally developed or not. An effective employer brand is like a series of promises to staff and customers; it should connect an organization’s values, attitude to staff, and wider policies and ethical standards, and be closely affiliated with the company’s visual brand. A strong employer brand helps organizations compete for the best talent, retain good staff, and establish credibility in their specific field of expertise.

What leads to a poor employer brand?

Factors that can damage an employer’s brand include not treating staff well, a toxic work culture (finger pointing, bullying, ignoring grievances and encouraging long hours), inconsistency in applying rules, and poor communication.

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Airbnb: City travel almost at pre-pandemic level | BBC News

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Online accommodation booking platform Airbnb says travelers are starting to return to cities, after staying away since the start of the pandemic.

Globally, the number of nights booked in cities in the last three months of last year nearly matched 2019 levels, the lodging website said.

In the US, urban bookings have fully rebounded, it said.

The booking company reported a record $55m (£40.6m) profit for the fourth quarter.

Cities were important destinations for Airbnb’s business, but during the pandemic non-urban areas have proven more popular, as people focus on outdoor activities free of crowds.

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Didn’t Get Your PPP Loan Fully Forgiven? There’s Still Hope. Let the SBA Know | Inc.com

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For business owners who received only partial forgiveness on their Paycheck Protection Program loans, consider this your stay of execution.

On January 27, 2022, the Small Business Administration, the agency in charge of administering the PPP, quietly issued a procedural notice outlining a new review policy for borrowers who got a partial loan forgiveness decision from their lender, or were instructed to apply for less forgiveness than they wanted.

As of January 27, if you want to appeal a partial forgiveness decision you will have 30 days–from receipt of a lender’s post-remittance notification–to tell the lender. The lender must then file for a loan review on behalf of the borrower within five days. The same process applies to borrowers whose lenders prevented them from applying for full forgiveness.

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Texas attorney general files lawsuit against Meta over Facebook’s facial recognition technology | TechCrunch

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Meta over Facebook’s facial recognition practices, his office announced on Monday. The news was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, which notes that the lawsuit seeks civil penalties in the hundreds of billions of dollars. The lawsuit alleges that the company’s use of facial recognition technology, which it has now discontinued, violated the state’s privacy protections regarding biometric data.

A press release announcing the lawsuit alleges that Facebook has been storing millions of biometric identifiers contained in photos and videos uploaded by users. Attorney General Paxton says that Facebook exploited the personal information of users “to grow its empire and reap historic windfall profits.”

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The Psychology of Placing EV Chargers Along Roads Less Traveled | WIRED

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GIL TAL LIVES in Davis, California, where winter daytime temperatures are in the mid-50s and annual rainfall is well below the national average. But the Sierra Nevada mountains are two hours away, so Tal made sure his latest car had four-wheel drive. “One day, I will go to the snow,” he says.

It turns out that’s how Americans think about buying vehicles. They purchase trucks because they might have to haul something one day—or SUVs because, what if every kid wants to bring a friend on a trip? The same goes for electric vehicles, says Tal, director of UC Davis’ Plug-in Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Research Center. Despite leaps in battery technology, which allow some EVs to travel hundreds of miles between charges, surveys suggest that range anxiety still freaks out prospective buyers. Which means, Tal’s survey participants tell him, that people want to know there will be chargers on every possible route, even if “they’re usually not stopping,” he says.

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How to Make a Profit on Antique Goods | Cool Business Ideas

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Do you enjoy exploring garage sales and thrift stores, looking for incredible deals on priceless antiques? If you do, you can easily make a career selling antiques.

This can be an awesome business to start on the side and with a small budget, since it usually does not cost much to purchase antiques, but you can still make a bundle selling them. Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

Find Collectibles

Collectibles can be lucrative because people who collect things are willing to pay high rates to add a hard-to-find item to their collection. If you enjoy research, trading in collectible antiques may be right up your alley.

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Best noise-canceling headphones for blocking out the outside world | Mashable

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Listening to music is so much more than a distraction when you’re alone in public. It can have a profound effect on your state of mind, and it’s the reason we’re willing to spend iPad-level cash on headphones instead of opting for a cheap pair in the checkout line. Listening to music (or podcasts, or audiobooks) can be an integral part of getting through that daily commute or a long flight.

But if the incessant sound of jet engines, distracting chatter of a coworker, or deafening bass of partying neighbors prevents you from reaching that euphoric place — or from just getting your work done — noise-canceling headphones will be one of your favorite adult investments.

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