David Lidsky's Blog, page 2921
August 10, 2015
The Invention Of Alphabet Is The Ultimate Larry Page Move
Once you get your head around it, Google's mind-bender of an announcement makes perfect sense.
When a coworker shared the news that Google was creating a new holding company called Alphabet and splitting off all its non-core activities from the Google brand, I reacted in the only rational way: I wondered for a nanosecond if it was a wonderfully wacky hoax. Then I checked the URL on Larry Page's blog post, in which he explained the rationale and announced that longtime Googler Sundar Pichai would become Google's CEO. It seemed to be legit.
Google Creates Alphabet, A New Umbrella Company For A "Slimmed-Down Google"
Sundar Pichai, now Google CEO, will focus on the core business while Google X and other far-flung efforts get split off.
In what is surely one of the most startling corporate blog posts ever published, Google CEO Larry Page has announced that the company is creating a new holding company, Alphabet, Inc. It will replace Google as the publicly traded overarching entity. Google, Inc. will be part of it, and will be run by Sundar Pichai, formerly Google's product chief.
Baidu's New App Can Give You A Diagnosis When You Are Sick
The Chinese search giant's latest project, AskADoctor, is a hypochondriac's best friend.
Baidu, the Chinese search engine behemoth, has released an app for personal health care that works roughly like a cross between Siri and WebMD.
Snapchat's New Update Will Help Conserve Your Data
With travel mode, Snapchat users can cut back on data when using the app abroad.
Max out your data plan too often? Snapchat has a fix for you: The messaging app has unveiled a travel mode option that will only load Snaps, Stories, and Discovery content when users tap on them instead of automatically doing so. The update is aimed at customers with limited data plans, as well as people who are traveling to foreign countries.
This Is The Worst Business Jargon, Ever
Warning: this video is extremely cathartic.
Synergy. Circle back. Value add. We created a bracket of some of the worst and most offensive business jargon phrases of all time. And the winner of the worst business jargon of all time is: "opening the kimono." So we took this phrase and put it on a piñata. And gave a few disgruntled employees a bat. Watch what happens and enjoy. Just remember: whatever you do out there, please never open that kimono again.
Chinese Spies Access Email Inboxes Of Top U.S. Government Officials
The "Dancing Panda" attacks against top Obama administration officials have been going on since at least 2010.
Chinese spies have reportedly compromised the email accounts of prominent officials in the Obama administration, NBC reports, citing a U.S. intelligence source and a "secret document" the network obtained. The hacks have taken place since at least 2010, and reportedly gave individuals linked to the Chinese government access to the personal email accounts and address books of officials overseeing national security and trade.
Sephora Is Launching A Birchbox Competitor
For just $10 a month, get your fill of samples from the beauty retailer.
For makeup junkies who can't afford monthly shopping sprees at Sephora, the beauty retailer is introducing a more wallet-friendly option: a subscription box for just $10 a month, à la Birchbox.
5 Ways You Can Support #WorldLionDay
Here's how you can join the pro-conservation conversation.
To honor the tragic death of Cecil the Lion, illegally slain in Zimbabwe last month by a Minnesota dentist, and to draw awareness to the rapidly dwindling numbers of the world's stateliest creatures, today has been dubbed World Lion Day.
Report: Ad Blocking Will Cost Companies Nearly $22 Billion This Year
Are dollars spent on online advertising going to waste?
Do you swear by the Chrome extension AdBlock? You're not alone. A new study outlines just how much money companies lose from the use of ad-blocking software: In 2015, ad blocking will cost companies worldwide almost $22 billion in advertising revenue, according to a report by Adobe and the anti-ad block startup PageFair.
Adobe Is The Latest Tech Company To Overhaul Its Parental Leave Policy
Adobe just announced that new parents can take up to 26 weeks, with pay. But there are some caveats.
On the heels of Netflix's major update to its parental leave policy, Adobe is announcing its own effort to improve the way it treats new parents on its staff.
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