TuesdayOct 08, 2024 10:00 am

Streaming Wars, Strikes Weigh on Hollywood

Hollywood's new streaming age ground to a screeching halt in May 2023 when both actors and writers joined hands for the first time in more than half a century to go on strike. Lasting several months, the historic strike brought Hollywood to a standstill, and its effects are still reverberating through the industry more than a year later. Streaming represented a new frontier in television after decades of dominance by cable providers and allowed new companies, including Netflix and Hulu, to surpass established players in slightly more than a decade. However, streaming companies restructured the entertainment industry in a way…

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ThursdayOct 03, 2024 10:00 am

Millennials Face Financial Challenges, Seek Help

Millennials have faced a series of tough financial challenges for most of their adulthood and are seeking guidance. They were fresh in the job market during the 2008 financial crisis, and as the 2010s drew to a close, the millennials had less property and wealth compared to previous generations at the same age. After experiencing what was supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime financial crisis, millennials were hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, a financial blow that was even harder to stomach now that they were older and had additional responsibilities. Rising inflation and high interest rates have made it even…

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TuesdayOct 01, 2024 10:00 am

Alibaba’s AI-Backed Cancer Detection Tool Featured on Fortune’s World Changers List

Fortune has included Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE: BABA) on its 10th edition of the yearly Change the World ranking, which highlights the top global companies that leverage their profit-seeking operations to drive innovation and create social impact. An editorial team at Fortune combed through an extensive 250-nominee list and whittled it down to only 52 enterprises. Alibaba came in eighth on the list, and it is notable that it was the only company from China that grabbed a spot on the top ten of that elite ranking. Matt Heimer, executive features editor at Fortune, said in a press statement…

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ThursdaySep 26, 2024 10:00 am

Young Americans Increasingly Rely on TikTok for News, Pew Survey Finds

A recent survey from the Pew Research Center has revealed that a growing number of young Americans are using the video-sharing platform TikTok as their main source of news. The Chinese app has grown incredibly popular over the past few years, particularly among young internet users, and is one of the most downloaded mobile applications on the globe. While users were initially drawn to TikTok due to its many viral video clips, many of them are now relying on TikTok for news. The Pew Research report found that 17% of adults in the United States get their daily news from…

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TuesdaySep 24, 2024 10:00 am

Apple Pay Incorporates Affirm to Broaden Mobile Payment Options

Payment network Affirm recently announced that it is integrating with Apple Pay to expand Apple Pay’s payment options. Apple Pay users on both iPad and iPhone can now make scheduled payments, thanks to Affirm's integration. Furthermore, the payment network can break down qualifying purchases into either biweekly or monthly payments with rates as low as 0% APR. iPadOS 18 and iOS 18 users with Apple Pay will be able to make payments over time via Apple Pay’s Other Cards & Pay Later Options when they check out. Once they select Affirm, Apple Pay users will be subject to a quick…

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ThursdaySep 19, 2024 10:00 am

Alibaba Sets Sights on Expanding into the US

China's Alibaba.com is looking to expand into the U.S. market amid increasing competition in the Chinese market coupled with weak consumer spending. During an exclusive interview with Rest of World, Alibaba President Kuo Zhang said Alibaba is optimistic about the United States and would try to enter the market by “wooing” mom-and-pop businesses in the country. The e-commerce giant makes a large portion of its revenue by connecting business owners with suppliers that can bulk supply virtually anything through Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE: BABA)'s online platforms. However, after dominating the Chinese market for well over a decade and transitioning…

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TuesdaySep 17, 2024 10:00 am

How to Sniff Out Phony Profiles on Dating Apps

Dating applications have become increasingly inundated with fake profiles run by scammers looking to take advantage of unsuspecting users. While the majority of dating app scams seek to defraud, some scams involve crimes as serious as trafficking and are incredibly damaging to both users and the dating platforms themselves. Recently published research revealed that three in five users suspect the profiles they interact with to be fake. This has become such a significant issue in the virtual dating space that a growing number of users are now swearing off online dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble in favor of…

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ThursdaySep 12, 2024 10:00 am

Ant Group Registers Six-Fold Spike in Travelers Using Chinese Mobile Payment System

China's Ant Group has registered a 300% surge in the number of international travelers using its mobile payment system. The group revealed in a recent announcement that transaction volumes on its mobile payment services involving international travelers increased by six times, indicating the increasing popularity of Ant Group's mobile payment services among inbound travelers. The past six months have seen the number of international visitors using Ant Group's cross-border payment services quadruple, especially now that the International Consumer Friendly Zones program, which was launched in March, has reached an estimated 70 cities in China so far. As China's tourism rates…

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TuesdaySep 10, 2024 10:00 am

Alibaba Establishes Digital Tech Firm Within e-Commerce Unit

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. (NYSE: BABA) has established a new digital tech firm within e-commerce outfit Taobao and Tmall Group (TTG) to further its goal of expanding its share of the global market: the Hangzhou Taobao and Tmall Digital Technology Company. The new technology company has a registered capital base of $1.4 million (10 million yuan) and will be involved in a variety of businesses. This includes outdoor products, food sales, export and import of products, household appliances, daily groceries and tech-related services such as technology transfer and software development. The new technology company was registered on Aug. 23, 2024,…

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ThursdaySep 05, 2024 10:00 am

New Trend? Gen Z Shunning Online Dating

It seems that Generation Z, a cohort that was born and raised in the information age, is shunning online dating platforms in favor of in-person meet-ups. Local relationship experts say Gen Z’ers are turning away from virtual dating and increasingly prefer to meet potential partners organically, without using technology. Interestingly, Millennials still prefer to use dating platforms such as Tinder and Hinge, while Gen Z is opting for more traditional means of dating despite being younger and ostensibly more internet savvy. Relationship expert and coach Ntombi Mthembu says there has been an upsurge in in-person interactions among Gen Z’ers as…

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