Autonomous cars might form ad-hoc traffic jams to avoid parking fees, but humans rent cars just to get a bit of me time in the crowded space of the city.
In Japan, you can rent a car for as little as 3 euros for 30 minutes, what often is the cheapest option to rent a place to nap, eat, or work.
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The weird side effects of things in a vastly complicated ecosystem, Part 2: Facebook just got richer by being fined 5 billion dollars.
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Facebook just was handed the record fine of 5 billion dollars for its creative interpretation of data privacy.
Actually, it was part of a settlement, so Facebook agreed to pay the fine, which is something to keep in mind when we hear about what it means for “Big Tech” in general or Facebook in particular.
For Facebook, settling with the FCC and paying the fine was a very lucrative move: All it had to do is pay something like an operating expense, and in exchange, it didn’t have to change a thing about their business model.
Sure, 5 billion dollars is a huge sum, but compared with the alternative - a breakup between the ad business and the social network - it’s a real bargain.
Wallstreet seems to agree, because after news of the settlement broke, Facebook’s stock rose by 2%.
And here’s the kicker: This 2% value increase translates to 10 billion dollars. Yes. By being fined 5 billion dollars, the owners of Facebook got 10 billion dollars richer in return, with a net raise of 5 billion.
Interesting thing to keep in mind when it comes to regulating tech companies:
Their pockets are deep, really deep. For example, the gross profit of Amazon of the last business year was 99 billion USD. Profit. Not revenue.
Revenue was 233 billion, which keeps it just slightly off the Top 50 economies of the world, behind Portugal with a GDP of 242 billion USD.
As long as these companies don’t have to change their policies or business models, virtually any fine will be a business expense to them.
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Keeping pace, going to space
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Speaking of Amazon: In a continued play on its basic strategy - build a market, create demand, and make sure you're in a premium position to satisfy it - amazon wants to launch 3.236 satellites into orbit.
It wants to bring broadband internet to millions of people in the USA and around the globe who currently don’t have access to fixed broadband internet.
While the business model is still unclear, it is another move to sideline the Telcos and create end-to-end digital experiences by a big digital company
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The history of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM for short) is a history of men, but it is a slanted tale.
The idea that men are better at rational things, while women are better with emotions, or society, or just basically something else, who cares or gives a damn, is — well, a lie.
But still, jobs are highly gendered (see for example this graphic), with a clear bias: men work in science, technology, engineering, economics, women work in education, health care, service.
Want to shake prejudice up a bit? Show little kids that women are equally capable of being scientists, engineers, technicians?
Here are eight brilliant posters celebrating women in “non-female” jobs.
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The weird side effects of things in a vastly complicated ecosystem, Part 3: Popup trombone.
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One thing you always wanted to was to control a musical instrument with your browser window.
Come on, admit it. We all do. It’s fine. Just inhale, exhale, say “this is going to be the best thing that’s going to happen to me today” and then click on this link.
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Hey, can you do me a favour? Can you look around and think of some stuff you can do to really spice up the complicated ecosystem you're currently in? And then do it?
That would be amazing, little rebel! 🙌
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