Home goods retailers feel the ripple effects of the housing recession: As the housing market slows, so does consumer spending on home-related items such as appliances and furniture.

On today's episode, we discuss why we are heading towards fewer video streaming platforms, what this means for consumers and what this means for advertisers. "In Other News," we talk about what to make of a few positive economic indicators and whether BeReal is about to be copycatted out of existence. Tune in to the discussion with our director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman.

Meta and Google are laying off staff in a curious manner: It’s not en masse, and it’s quieter than usual—but it’s still happening.

In the US, 52% of Facebook users reported seeing more ads on the social network, while nearly half of YouTube and Instagram users said the same of their respective platforms. Across the social platforms we studied, less than 10% of users felt ad load had decreased.

Smartwatches and fitness trackers face slump: Rising inflation, economic uncertainty, and slowing innovation are ending pandemic-era hyper-growth as the segment matures.

Meta tries to skirt around ATT: A lawsuit alleges that the social media giant injected tracking code into its in-app browsers, breaking privacy rules.

Gaming has a brand safety problem: Major controversies on streaming platform Twitch highlight the challenge in reaching gaming audiences.

YouTube is toying with its ad strategy. The platform is beefing up Shorts by including ads; it tested users’ ad tolerance by running as many as 10 unskippable ads before videos. The experiment has been a headache for users, but the central question isn't new: How many ads and ad breaks will users put up with?

For the marketing and retail sectors, it’s not all bad news: despite inflation and uncertainty, a number of positive signs suggest marketers would be wise to not overcorrect.

Vulnerable Zoom users: At least six websites pretending to be Zoom are infecting visitors with malware that steal banking data and IP addresses. Can Zoom improve its security to minimize the threat?

Big Tech takes the TikTok bait: Apple, Microsoft, and Google are getting a lot of likes on TikTok. It could help build brand awareness but not Q3 performance.

End of reliance on energy companies? A microinverter from Enphase allows solar panels to switch “off-grid” during blackouts. It’s the kind of tech innovation that might threaten energy provider monopolies.

Pinduoduo’s US launch is off to a positive start: The ecommerce platform plans to invest billions into its cross-border business as China’s economy slows.

Panera Bread brings personalized rewards to its nearly 48 million loyalty members: The chain hopes that moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach will encourage more signups and spending.

Nirvana Money and a new niche bank designed for US military members aim to flip the story that neobanks can’t succeed.