25 new wearables: Qualcomm’s new chips promise 2x the performance for smartwatches that can last twice as long—but will devices running the chips be able to beat the Apple Watch?
Google takes the nuclear road less traveled: Funding a fusion startup’s novel idea shows how badly Big Tech needs power as energy demand grows exponentially.
Pumping out Europe’s heat: Record temperatures on a continent where most people lack air conditioning is an emergency that heat pumps could help alleviate. But barriers mean adoption won’t happen overnight.
The CFPB is reportedly planning new rules to stamp out P2P payment fraud.
Conversational commerce expands beyond Asia: Companies including Meta are making it easier for businesses to sell via chat.
Amazon, Twitter, and HBO Max are all dealing with fraud: Spam and fakery are affecting multiple facets of the digital economy.
Facebook eyes a cheaper creator economy: The platform is pivoting away from publishers, but small creator payouts could hurt its plans.
LGBT+ population grows in US but sees threats: Despite its increased numbers, this demographic group faces significant barriers to well-being and economic security.
An Amazon warehouse worker died on Prime Day: The incident prompted a federal investigation led by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and may help organizers’ unionization pushes regain momentum.
The livestream shopping landscape has completely transformed in recent years. QVC, which saw 45% of the downloads among the top 10 US livestream shopping apps two years ago, accounted for just 10% in the first five months of this year. (Apps like YouTube and TikTok were excluded because ecommerce is a secondary feature of their platforms.)
Investors pour money into food startups: Mushroom-based meat alternative startup Meati Foods raised $150 million and FreshRealm, a provider of fresh meals for retailers, raised $200 million.