New York department store, Bloomingdale’s, has teamed up with ABB Robotics and robot animator Andy Flessas, to create the unique robotics holiday display, in a bid to “enhance the future retail experience.” Read more…
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Amazon previously announced plans to convert its delivery fleet to 100,000 Rivian electric vans by 2022. Read more…
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The fire is 1.2 million acres, nearly the size of Grand Canyon National Park, and larger than Rhode Island. Read more…
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Donating is something that everyone benefits from, including yourself: When you spend money on someone else, research shows you can boost your happiness.
A giving circle is a particularly effective way to donate, and by participating in one, you ensure your donation can make a big difference. With a giving circle, people pool together their money and time to collectively decide where to spend their resources. Though it’s a simple concept, if you start a giving circle (or are part of one) you can maximize the reach of your charitable giving.
In 2016, 1,087 giving circles existed in the U.S., up from 400 in 2006, according to a 2016 report from Collective Giving Research Group (CGRG), which analyzes giving circles. Read more…
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Have you considered tracking your poop? Do you already record your steps, your heart rate, your macros? Maybe you’ve thought about microdosing, or intermittent fasting, or ditching the birth control your doctor prescribed in favor of an “all natural” app. If so, you’re not alone: aided in part by Silicon Valley’s crunchy, holistic vision of wealth, tech-adjacent wellness trends have swept through the decade like a Kardashian-endorsed tummy tea rips through a colon.
It’s not all Jack Dorsey’s fault. The proliferation of sketchy products and information in the health and wellness industry (see: the morass of dangerous “all natural cancer cures” that flourished on Facebook) represents just one facet of society’s crumbling faith in facts and institutions — whether political, legal, and economic, or scientific and medical. As healthcare access continues to be a challenge for people in need and social media fuels the need to present a curated version of our lives, countless supplement, diet, and exercise companies have stepped directly into our Instagram feeds Read more…
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Travis Kalanick is out at Uber — for good this time.
The former CEO and cofounder of the company announced Tuesday that he was leaving the board of directors. By this time next week, he’s outta there.
He was ousted as CEO in 2017, when former Expedia CEO Dara Khosrowshahi took over, but he remained on the board. Kalanick even testified on behalf of Uber in the 2018 Waymo v. Uber trial concerning self-driving technology trade secrets.
After Uber went public in May, Kalanick waited patiently for the time he could cash in all his Uber shares. And cash in he did as soon as the November lockup deadline lifted. Now he has a healthy $2.5 billion from Uber stock as he ventures further into new projects like his ghost kitchen startup and investment company. Read more…
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Buh-bye to gendered airline greetings.
EasyJet, a low-cost European airline, has reportedly advised its in-flight crews to refrain from using the standard “ladies and gentlemen” greeting when welcoming passengers.
The inclusive change follows a tweet from an EasyJet passenger, Twitter user @InductiveStep, who urged the airline to stop using the phrase. (EasyJet told CNN that the move was not a direct response to the tweet, which was posted in August.)
In the tweet, @InductiveStep asked, “Are you in some kind of competition to see how many times you can reinforce gender binaries? … An organisation as huge as yours must do better.” Read more…
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I find myself coming back to video game music again and again when I don’t know what to listen to on any given day.
Music is my lifeblood, and it’s rare for me to have a moment without it. When I’m hanging out alone, or hanging with friends, or cleaning my apartment, or driving, or walking, or doing literally anything, I put on music. I listen to plenty of more traditional music, bouncing between my favorites bands and exploring new artists. Sometimes, though, I need something that hits a different note in my soul.
Right now, I’m listening to the soundtrack from 2011’s indie game Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP, by musician and composer Jim Guthrie. Read more…
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Even the most anti-tech parents and grandparents have to admit how convenient streaming services are. They afford way more options than cable and allow us to cross movies and TV shows off our lists without hoarding physical copies.
But for some movies, a good old 4K DVD can’t be replaced. You never know when Netflix or Hulu is about to remove it from the lineup — and those physical copies will come in handy if your WiFi ever shits out. (Gasp!)
Joker, It Chapter Two, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood are among Amazon’s selection of recently released 4K and Blu-ray DVDs on sale, adding some of 2019’s best films to your entertainment artillery for as low as $18.99. Read more…
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This is a wonderful time of the year, where friends and family gather in love and harmony — in theory.
Unfortunately, not everyone is able to embrace the holiday spirit.
For reasons ranging from familial fallings-out, to a lack of available friends, to having no living relatives, to simply having to work over the holidays, many people the world over will be spending Christmas alone. Meanwhile, many others will spend the day surrounded by people but wishing they were by themselves instead.
The holidays can be a trying time for everyone, so English comedian Sarah Millican came up with an initiative to help people make it through. In 2010 she started the #joinin hashtag on Twitter, aimed at bringing tidings of comfort and joy to anyone struggling through this time of year. Read more…
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