David Lidsky's Blog, page 377

Why social media companies keep copying each other

With Simple Snapchat, the company is pawing at TikTok’s vertical video feed. They weren’t so thrilled when Instagram nabbed their Stories idea eight years ago.

Snapchat is combining its Stories and Spotlight functions into one vertical video feed. That feed just happens to look almost identical to TikTok. 

BurgerFi and Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza closed restaurants: Full list and map of shuttered locations

In a bankruptcy filing, BurgerFi International said it closed 19 underperforming locations. Meanwhile, BFI stock will be delisted from the Nasdaq next week.

Fans of BurgerFi burgers and Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza may have discovered recently that their favorite meals are a bit more difficult to come by.

Nuclear plant Three Mile Island is reopening to power Microsoft AI’s growing energy demands

A new deal will have the site of the worst nuclear meltdown in American history power Microsoft’s data centers for the next 20 years.

Microsoft is going nuclear. Nuclear power, that is.

Civil rights groups urge Fortune 1000 companies to keep DEI programs

The civil rights groups included the NAACP, the National Organization for Women, and others.

A broad group of civil rights organizations called on the CEOs and board members of major companies Thursday to maintain their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that have come under attack online and in lawsuits.

How to prepare for the coming quantum leap

Companies and educators need to start preparing now for quantum computing’s place as a disruptor in the marketplace, panelists said at the Fast Company Innovation Festival.

Companies and educators need to start preparing now for quantum computing’s place as a disruptor in the marketplace, or risk falling behind the rapid pace of innovation, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Martin A. Schmidt said during a panel at the Fast Company Innovation Festival.

Who is Nike’s new CEO? Elliott Hill—many old employees’ favorite pick for the job

‘People wanted him for the job,’ notes a Nike insider amid a ‘jubilant’ wave of celebration from Nike employees.

CEO John Donahoe is departing Nike after a tumultuous four years at the company. He is being replaced by Elliott Hill, who will step in as president and chief executive on October 14.

Nike stock jumps after hours on news that CEO John Donahoe is being replaced by company veteran Elliott Hill

The leadership change, effective October 14, follows a rocky tenure for Donahoe, who joined the footwear giant as a tech-focused outsider in January 2020.

Shares of Nike (NYSE: NKE) jumped in after-hours trading on Thursday after news broke that CEO John Donahoe is leaving the company and will be replaced by Elliott Hill, a Nike veteran who had held a number of senior positions before retiring in 2020.

Amazon debuts Amelia, an AI assistant for its sellers

The move is part of a broader Big Tech effort to employ the technology for greater automation.

Amazon.com announced on Thursday a new artificial intelligence application that it says will help its independent sellers with sales metrics, inventory maintenance and product advertising, among other things.

Biden adminstration completes key environmental report needed for a lithium mine

If approved, the mine would be the first lithium project permitted by Biden officials.

The Biden administration on Thursday published a key environmental report for Ioneer’s Rhyolite Ridge lithium mine in Nevada, the last step needed before approving what would become one of the largest U.S. sources of the electric-vehicle-battery metal.

LinkedIn plans to use your data to train its AI. Here’s how to stop it

Updates to LinkedIn’s user agreement will automatically opt users into sharing their data with its AI. Follow these steps to opt out.

LinkedIn users might not realize they’re giving permission for the site to use their personal data and any content they create on the platform to train the company’s generative AI models, but if they’re in the U.S., Canada, or one of several other countries, odds are they soon will be.