Science Crossword: Light Touch
Aimee Lucido makes crosswords part-time for several outlets and writes trivia full-time for Bloomberg's news quiz, Pointed. She is also the author of several books for kids, including Emmy in the Key of Code, Recipe for Disaster, and Pasta Pasta Lotsa Pasta. Lucido lives with her husband, daughter and dog in New York.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Alibaba Movie Unit's Pivot, Rebrand Bring $2 Billion Value Gain
(Bloomberg) -- Damai Entertainment Holdings, formerly Alibaba Pictures Group, is shifting its focus from movies production to faster-growing entertainment segments targeting younger consumers — and investors are taking notice. Shuttered NY College Has Alumni Fighting Over Its Future Trump's Military Parade Has Washington Bracing for Tanks and Weaponry NYC Renters Brace for Price Hikes After Broker-Fee Ban Do World's Fairs Still Matter? NY Long Island Rail Service Resumes After Grand Central Fire Since its May 19 earnings report, which highlighted a pivot toward IP licensing and live events, the company's shares have roughly doubled, making it the top performer on Hong Kong's Hang Seng Composite Index and adding $2 billion in market valuation. Several analysts have since upgraded their outlooks. The rebrand to Damai Entertainment, effective this month, reflects this broader focus. While its core film production business shrank, Damai still posted double-digit growth in both sales and profit for the fiscal year ended March 31 — driven by its IP merchandising and live entertainment arms. The Damai name, originally tied to its concert and event unit, now represents the company's alignment with China's 'new consumption' trend. Young consumers are increasingly drawn to tech-driven, emotionally engaging experiences, and Beijing is encouraging more spending to boost the economy. The name change and strategic shift are a 'turning point,' signaling Damai's ambition to become a more well-rounded offline entertainment provider, Citigroup analysts including Vicky Wei said in a note. The stock has already surpassed Citi's HKD$0.92 target and China International Capital Corp.'s revised HKD$0.98 target. Still, Damai remains a penny stock with notable risks. Its film and TV segment shrank 9.6% last year, and content investment remains volatile. Citi maintains a 'Buy/High Risk' rating, citing margin uncertainties. Its valuation has also become high, according to Shen Meng, a director at Beijing-based Chanson & Co. 'Short-term stock price fluctuations increase valuation risks,' he said. The stock is trading at nearly 29 times its forward earnings estimates, far above a ratio of around 10 for the Hang Seng Index, data compiled by Bloomberg show. But he believes the pivot toward younger consumers is smart: 'Young people have a longer consumption cycle.' Pokémon and Sanrio That's already playing out. Gen Z's spending on hobby goods and celebrity merch has fueled stock surges for companies like Pop Mart International Group and Bloks Group — and now Damai. The IP merchandising unit, including the sublicensing business AliFish, partners with brands like Pokémon, Sanrio, and Chiikawa, and sublicenses them to merchants. The unit's revenue grew 73% last year. The Citigroup analysts call AliFish 'the nation's largest IP licensing agent' and 'young people's underlying supplier for IP merchandising.' Meanwhile, Damai's live entertainment business — concerts, festivals, exhibitions — saw a 236% revenue jump. It also runs a major ticketing platform and expects more growth from international concert sales. 'Entertainment in China has strong, diverse demand,' Shen said. 'If one has liked something since childhood, they will basically always like it.' American Mid: Hampton Inn's Good-Enough Formula for World Domination The Spying Scandal Rocking the World of HR Software New Grads Join Worst Entry-Level Job Market in Years US Tariffs Threaten to Derail Vietnam's Historic Industrial Boom As Companies Abandon Climate Pledges, Is There a Silver Lining? ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Sign in to access your portfolio
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Bloomberg
Incredible Jamaican Rums That Truly Bring the Fruity Funk
Kara Newman here, your Bloomberg cocktail and spirits expert. I recently visited one of the Caribbean's rum epicenters—Jamaica—and found some great summer-ready pours to share with you. In fact, this week's newsletter is all about the cane spirit, including a hot-weather cocktail to cool you down at home. But first, some drink links:
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Tom's Guide
Barbie just got an AI glow-up — here's what Mattel and OpenAI are building next
Mattel, the company behind beloved toys like Barbie, is partnering with OpenAI to bring AI to the toy aisle before the end of the a new collaboration announced this week, Mattel confirmed it will use OpenAI's generative models, including ChatGPT Enterprise, to create 'smart play experiences' designed for kids. While the companies haven't revealed exactly what they're building, both physical toys and digital companions are on the table. This marks a major shift for one of the world's most iconic toy makers, and a sign of how quickly AI is moving away screens, keyboards and work apps to childhood playrooms. Mattel says it's committed to building age-appropriate, safe and privacy-conscious AI features. Think: dolls that can carry on dynamic conversations, Hot Wheels sets with real-time coaching or Uno games that react to your strategy. While those examples are speculative, the company confirmed that its first product will launch by the end of 2025. Before the holidays? That's anyone's guess. 'Mattel gets access to advanced AI tools to enable productivity, creativity, and transformation at scale,' said Brad Lightcap, COO at OpenAI. The two companies also say the tools will help ideate and design new toys internally — with ChatGPT Enterprise already in use across product development and storytelling teams. But the real spotlight is on what kids and families will be able to experience firsthand. Mattel is no stranger to reinvention. After the explosive success of the 'Barbie' movie and users exploring ChatGPT-4o image generation to turn themselves into action figures, the growing portoflio of digital content means the brand is now doubling down on future-forward tech. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. The OpenAI partnership gives it a competitive edge as more toy makers explore interactive, AI-enabled play. As reported by Bloomberg, Josh Silverman, Mattel's chief franchise officer, says the company hasn't licensed its IP to OpenAI. This means, the brands are still tightly controlled, but he hinted that a range of physical and digital offerings are in development. Expect more news ahead of the holiday season regarding the rollout of this much-anticipated toy. And if Mattel delivers on its promise, we could be entering a new era of AI toys — where Barbie is more than a doll, but perhaps talking and listening, too.
