Uber looks to create travel ‘superapp’ by adding planes, trains and rental cars

            Uber is driving ahead with its plan to become a travel “superapp”. The San Francisco-headquartered firm announced Wednesday that it is adding trains, buses, planes and car rentals to its U.K. app this year. The move is part of a pilot that could be expanded to other countries at a later date if it goes well.
While Uber won’t provide these travel services itself, it will allow users to book them through its app following software integrations...

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Covid Pandemic Turns America Into a Nation of Freelancers

More than a third of the American workforce did at least some work on the side this year as the Covid-19 pandemic decimated jobs and wages. That translates to 59 million people, or 2 million more than in 2019, according to the Freelance Forward report released Tuesday by Upwork, a firm that helps businesses find labor.
 “There is this really long tail of people who participate a couple of times a month and even...

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This is California’s reopening plan for stores, offices, schools, sports, concerts, theaters

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California businesses seen as presenting less risk of spreading the coronavirus could open in the near future under a plan Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled Tuesday, the first of what he suggested were several slow steps toward easing the statewide shutdown order. “We believe we are weeks, not months, away from making meaningful modifications” in the current restrictions, Newsom said. But Newsom’s announcement of a four-phase plan did not come with a guaranteed timetable. He said while current public health...

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The Video-First Future of Ecommerce

In the future, we’re all going to be shopping on video apps like TikTok. Whether you’re buying instant noodles or high-end sweaters, it has become increasingly clear that short video clips are the future of ecommerce. Think of them as compulsively watchable commercials—with a direct link to buy. In the US, the usual monetization system for video is limiting. On YouTube, the biggest online video platform, compensation is still largely driven through through ads. But for most creators, that amounts to...

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Navigating the Cultural Minefield of E-Mail Salutations

  Most of us work within a shared business culture where we understand the language cues. Those of us who work across cultures, however, experience the minefield of communicating with people in other countries using our own cultural shorthand. Surprisingly, this applies even to the simple act of signing off an e-mail. A recent article in BBC News discussed the perils of signing an e-mail "regards" or "sincerely" when sending it to an acquaintance in another country. An American would find...

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How to create connections at work in the age of isolation

  If you are feeling isolated at work, even in the midst of a busy office, you are not alone. A recent survey of more than 2,000 managers and employees found that employees depend on technology to communicate with their colleagues. The methods are led by e-mail (45 percent) and followed by text messaging (15 percent) and instant messaging (12 percent). Of those who cited e-mail, more than 40 percent said "they felt lonely always or often, were not engaged and had a high need...

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US Startups Optimistic Business Conditions will Improve

  In its recently released Startup Outlook Report, Silicon Valley Bank shared the results of its survey of 1,400 founders and executives of global startups. The survey found these entrepreneurs upbeat about their business prospects. "The 2019 report series finds that despite economic and political uncertainty across the globe, startups are generally optimistic about their business opportunities, and they plan to raise capital and expand their workforces this year," concluded the report authors. Among the survey respondents were over...

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Nike Opens Nike NYC House of Innovation

  NIKE, Inc. opened its new Nike House of Innovation on November 15. Nike NYC, as it is called, is a 68,000 sq. ft., six-level, cross-category premium Nike store, with a 650 Fifth Ave. address. Nike NYC is "the pinnacle expression of modern retail, representing the best of Nike global product, experiences and sport innovation," according to their press release. Powered by digital commerce data and inspired by Nike’s newest retail concept, Nike Live, the ground floor features the new Nike Speed...

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Artificial Intelligence: The Robots Are Now Hiring

Artificial Intelligence Hiring Tools HUB Consulting Nearly all Fortune 500 companies now use some form of automation in their hiring process, as noted in this Wall Street Journal article. From robot avatars interviewing job candidates to computers weeding out potential employees by scanning keywords in resumes, these companies are looking at AI tools to help. And more and more companies are using artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to assess possible employees. This...

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