How Long-Distance Transportation Businesses Can Keep Their Fleet Secure | The Startup Magazine

July 12, 2024July 11, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Implementing effective security measures is essential to protect both the trucks and their contents. Several strategies can help achieve this goal. In this article, we’ll explore various approaches long-distance transportation companies can adopt to safeguard their fleets.

Choosing Secure Locations for Parking

The long stretches of highway often leave drivers with limited options when it comes to parking. The fact that trucking is one of the most stressful jobs only worsens this issue. As per a 2023 DAT Freight & Analytics survey, 75% of truck drivers find their job to be mentally and physically taxing.

Prioritizing secure semi-truck parking facilities can help. Opt for locations with well-lit areas, fencing, security patrols, and limited access points. Consider partnering with truck stop chains that offer designated parking areas for trucking companies.

Musk defeats ex-Twitter staff seeking $500m in severance | BBC News

July 11, 2024July 10, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A US judge has dismissed a case brought by former Twitter staff, who had accused billionaire Elon Musk of unlawfully denying roughly $500m in severance payments owed to workers fired after his takeover of the company.

Judge Trina Thompson said the employees had not proven that their claims were protected by federal law.

The ruling is a win for Mr Musk, who purchased Twitter in 2022 and immediately set about making changes, including sacking thousands of staff.

The moves sparked multiple lawsuits from former staff and vendors, accusing the company of withholding payments that had been promised.

China Rocked by Cooking Oil Contamination Scandal | BBC News

July 11, 2024July 10, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The Chinese government has said it is launching an investigation into allegations that fuel tankers have been used to transport cooking oil after carrying toxic chemicals without being cleaned properly between loads.

The controversy has spread online as social media users express concerns about potential food contamination.

Tankers used for transporting fuel were found to be carrying food products, like cooking oil and syrup, and were not decontaminated correctly, according to state-run Beijing News.

Transporting cooking oil in contaminated fuel trucks was said to have been so widespread it was considered an “open secret” in the industry, according to one driver quoted by the newspaper.

Uber for Teens has reignited an old debate over fingerprinting drivers | TechCrunch

July 10, 2024July 9, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Seven years ago, Uber and Lyft blocked an effort to require ride-hailing app drivers to get fingerprinted in California. But by launching Uber for Teens earlier this year, the company inadvertently resurfaced the issue.

Now a broader debate is underway as startups, Uber, and California regulators hash out when a transportation service should be required to fingerprint its drivers.

Whataburger app becomes unlikely power outage map after Houston hurricane | TechCrunch

July 10, 2024July 9, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Fast-food chain Whataburger’s app has gone viral in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, which left around 1.8 million utility customers in Houston, Texas without power. Hundreds of thousands of those people may remain without power for days as Houston anticipates a heat wave, with temperatures climbing into the mid-90s.

Amid frustrations with the local utility company CounterPoint Energy, which doesn’t offer an app, some Houstonians got creative with their attempts to track the power outages. They turned to the Whataburger app instead.

Why I Choose to Publicly Share My Startup’s Business Data on LinkedIn — And Why You Should Do the Same. | Entrepreneur

July 9, 2024July 8, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

LinkedIn is a wacky place. Next to business updates from the world’s largest companies, you’ll find posts like “Today, I proposed to my fiance. Here’s what it taught me about B2B sales.” Insightful recaps from industry conferences are juxtaposed with generic, AI-generated thought leadership boosted by engagement pods. And don’t get me started on the endless barrage of irrelevant cold pitches.

Still, if you’re an entrepreneur, LinkedIn is the place to be. Its unique business-oriented nature sets it apart from other social media platforms, offering an unparalleled opportunity to communicate with your customers, business partners and potential team members.

Sam’s Club Is Changing a Beloved Free Perk, Members Unhappy | Entrepreneur

July 9, 2024July 8, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Costco’s rival, Sam’s Club, is taking away a long-beloved free perk — and members are taking to social media to share how they feel about it.

The wholesale retailer emailed club members ahead of the holiday weekend and revealed that starting August 19, free shipping would no longer apply to Plus members’ orders, just orders over $50 or more.

So instead of having their goods delivered for free, members who make purchases under $50 will have to pay an $8 flat rate. Some category exclusions still apply, the company said.

This is likely the biggest password leak ever: nearly 10 billion credentials exposed | Mashable

July 8, 2024July 7, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Cybersecurity researchers are calling it the largest password compilation leak of all time.

On July 4, a newly registered user on a popular hacking forum posted a file containing nearly 10 billion compromised passwords in plaintext. The post was first noticed by researchers at Cybernews.

“Xmas came early this year,” user “ObamaCare” wrote on the forum. “I present to you a new rockyou2024 password list with over 9.9 billion passwords!”

Apple approves Epic Games Store in Europe, but not without some drama first | Mashable

July 8, 2024July 7, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The Epic Games Store is coming to Apple devices in Europe, but as usual, it couldn’t just happen without some minor fighting between Apple and Epic first.

Apple announced the EGS would get the green light in Europe on Friday, per Reuters. However, that only came after Epic took to X to publicly accuse Apple of slow-rolling the submission by rejecting the app for seemingly trivial reasons. For instance, Epic said Apple’s regulations found that the EGS app’s “Install” button was too similar to Apple’s “Get” button.

Drug store chains pushed out independent pharmacies. Here’s why they’re now closing too | CNN Business

July 3, 2024July 2, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Walgreens said Thursday that it plans to close a “significant” number of its roughly 8,600 stores in the United States. Around 25% of Walgreens’ stores aren’t profitable, and the chain will look to close stores that are right by one another or struggling to hold down theft, CEO Tim Wentworth said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

Walgreens and other retailers have been hit by shoplifting and resorted to locking up items or closing high-theft stores since the pandemic, but Walgreens’ problems are much deeper, including competition and failed growth strategies. Walgreens admitted last year it “cried too much” over the business impact of shoplifting.

The latest closures are part of a larger downturn, not just for Walgreens, but for other drug store chains, too, after years of expansion. Walgreens said in 2019 it would close 200 stores and last year announced an additional 150 store closures.