Uber now lets users in India book three trips at once | TechCrunch

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Uber is rolling out concurrent rides in India, a feature that allows users to book up to three trips for any of their contacts, TechCrunch has exclusively learned and confirmed with the company.

The concurrent rides feature is the latest example of Uber developing products that will capture more customers, including those who don’t have the app or even a smartphone. In India, Uber even allows concurrent ride users to pay drivers directly with cash or via the app.

Uber quietly launched the concurrent rides last year in several global markets, including the United States. An Uber spokesperson confirmed the new feature is now available in India and will be rolled out in the country in a phased manner. The spokesperson would not confirm the exact details of the cities in which it is currently available.

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Amazon CEO Andy Jassy: This Is How You Earn Employees’ Trust | Entrepreneur

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Amazon CEO Andy Jassy recently spoke in a company video about the successful principles of good leaders.

Jassy said that one important principle is earning trust from your employees — but not in the way that people might think.

“They sometimes confuse it with being nice to one another or having social cohesion or not challenging each other in meetings. That’s not what we mean,” Jassy said. “What we mean is being honest, authentic, straightforward, listening intently but challenging respectfully if you disagree, and then delivering what you said you would.

Jassy added that, if you want to earn trust, you have to deliver news to employees, good or bad.

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How Focus Sparked the Growth of this Fitness Racing Brand | Entrepreneur

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In business, everyone has an opinion. It can be easy for founders to get swayed by the latest trends, customer chatter, or investor pressure. However, for Christian Toetzke, founder and CEO of the global fitness racing craze HYROX, staying true to his original vision has been key to the company’s explosive growth.

“You have to be very convinced about your product and the DNA of a product. And you have to stick to the game plan,” he says.

Toetzke appears this week on an episode of One Day with Jon Bier to talk about the power of persistence, the importance of retaining company equity, and other lessons he’s learned since launching his brand in 2017.

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Senate Defiance Act passes unanimously, outlining civil path for deepfake victims | Mashable

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New anti-deepfake legislation, known as the Disrupt Explicit Forged Images and Non-Consensual Edits (Defiance) Act, has passed a Senate vote with unanimous consent, pushing the first of potentially many AI-focused regulations one step closer to federal law.

The bipartisan Defiance Act grants victims the right to sue individuals who “knowingly produce, distribute, or receive” nonconsensual sexually-explicit digital forgeries. It was introduced to the session by Senate Judiciary Chair Dick Durbin and Republican senator Lindsay Graham, but Democratic representative and co-leader Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has become a figurehead of the legislation.

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Conn’s, a 134-year-old home goods retailer, is closing 70 stores | CNN Business

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Conn’s HomePlus, a 134-year-old furniture and electronics retailer with locations primarily in the southern United States, has filed for bankruptcy and is closing nearly half of its 170 stores.

The Texas-based company, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday, has been struggling with slumping sales amid a broader slowdown in discretionary spending among consumers. Conn’s has assets and liabilities worth at least $1 billion each, according to the filing.

The 73 Conn’s HomePlus stores closing are listed on its website. Florida is the most affected state with 18 stores soon shutting down, followed by Texas with 9 locations. Other states where stores are closing include Arizona, Colorado, North Carolina and Virginia.

A Conn’s spokesperson said that as the company goes through the Chapter 11 process, it “continues to have ongoing discussions with potential buyers to sell all or parts of the business and preserve jobs.”

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Ford keeps having to repair customers’ new cars and trucks. Its profit is plunging and its stock tumbled | CNN Business

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Shares of Ford fell more than 11% in after-hours trading Wednesday after the automaker reported much weaker than expected earnings. The company said it was compelled to set aside more money to cover the cost of repairing customers’ vehicles.

The company (F) did not break out how much extra money it set aside to cover warranty expenses, but said “most” of the $1.2 billion drop in operating income in the quarter came from that increased expense. Still, Ford said it is making gains in product quality, despite the increased costs.

“We still have lots of work ahead of us to raise quality and reduce costs and complexity, but the team is committed and we’re heading in the right direction,” said Ford CFO John Lawler in the company’s earnings report.

The company’s adjusted net income fell $1 billion to $1.9 billion, or 47 cents a share. That badly missed analysts’ forecasts of earnings per share of 68 cents a share

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What causes you to get a ‘stitch in your side’? | Live Science

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We’ve all been there — you’re just starting to find your running rhythm on the treadmill, or maybe you’re hustling to catch a train, when you’re suddenly struck by a sharp pain in your side, just under your rib cage.

A side stitch — medically known as “exercise-related transient abdominal pain” (ETAP) — is annoying and uncomfortable, albeit not medically serious. But what causes side stitches?

Although side stitches are common, no one knows for sure what causes them, and there are competing theories as to what body part the pain comes from.

For decades, after this theory was first proposed in 1941, scientists and sports doctors believed that a side stitch is caused by inadequate blood flow to the diaphragm, the large muscle that sits under the ribs and draws air in and out of the lungs. This lack of blood could cause a painful cramp or spasm. This idea was based on the theory that blood travels away from the diaphragm and concentrates in the muscles of the limbs when we exercise.

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What are ultraprocessed foods? | Live Science

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Heart disease, cancer, diabetes — these and other concerning health effects have been tied to “ultraprocessed foods,” which make up more than half of the calories consumed in the U.S. Eating large amounts of these foods, which are high in salt, sugars and additives, may even increase a person’s risk of early death.

There’s growing awareness around the potential harms of these products, but which foods count as “ultraprocessed” is not always clear.

So what, exactly, are ultraprocessed foods?

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Online Sales Alternatives to Etsy | Business News Daily

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Etsy has become a household name for crafters and shoppers alike, but it’s not the only option for those with handmade crafts to sell online. Many other marketplaces cater to sellers and buyers of handmade goods, antiques, art and other creative items. As a seller, you may prefer an Etsy alternative’s fee structure, interface and user experience. We’ll explore 13 top Etsy alternatives that might be a better fit for your craft business.

13 Etsy alternatives you can join today

Crafty entrepreneurs who want to start selling online have excellent options. Here are 13 Etsy alternatives that are affordable, easy to use and popular with shoppers.

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