logo
What's Behind PayPal's Will Ferrell Ads?

What's Behind PayPal's Will Ferrell Ads?

Digital payment platform PayPal PYPL -5.32%decrease; red down pointing triangle went live in 1999, eventually spawning its own category of businesses and minting a group of influential billionaires, including Elon Musk and Peter Thiel.
Nearly three decades later, the online-payment business is feeling a bit cramped. Consumers have options ranging from Square and Apple Pay to buy-now, pay-later entrants such as Affirm and Klarna. PayPal increased its presence in the market by acquiring Venmo in 2013, but now it has to work harder than ever to stand out from the crowd.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

How to set up a WhatsApp account without Facebook or Instagram
How to set up a WhatsApp account without Facebook or Instagram

Yahoo

time7 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

How to set up a WhatsApp account without Facebook or Instagram

There's no shortage of reasons to stay off the Meta ecosystem, which includes Facebook and Instagram, but there are some places where WhatsApp remains the main form of text-based communication. The app is a great alternative to SMS, since it offers end-to-end encryption and was one of the go-to methods to send uncompressed photos and videos between iPhone and Android users before Apple adopted RCS. Even though Facebook, which later rebranded to Meta, acquired WhatsApp in 2014, it doesn't require a Facebook or Instagram account to get on WhatsApp — just a working phone number. To start, you need to download WhatsApp on your smartphone. Once you open the app, you can start the registration process by entering a working phone number. After entering your phone number, you'll receive a unique six-digit code that will complete the registration process. From there, you can sort through your contacts on your attached smartphone to build out your WhatsApp network, but you won't have to involve Facebook or Instagram at any point. Alternatively, you can request a voice call to deliver the code instead. Either way, once you complete the registration process, you have a WhatsApp account that's not tied to a Facebook or Instagram account. If you change your mind and want more crossover between your Meta apps, you can go into the app's Settings panel to change that. In Settings, you can find the Accounts Center option with the Meta badge on it. Once you hit it, you'll see options to "Add Facebook account" and "Add Instagram account." Linking these accounts means Meta can offer more personalized experiences across the platforms because of the personal data that's now interconnected. You can always remove your WhatsApp account from Meta's Account Center by going back into the same Settings panel. However, any previously combined info will stay combined, but Meta will stop combining any personal data after you remove the account.

The next wearable tech could be a face 'tattoo' that measures mental stress
The next wearable tech could be a face 'tattoo' that measures mental stress

Yahoo

time9 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

The next wearable tech could be a face 'tattoo' that measures mental stress

Researchers are developing a digital "tattoo" that measures "mental workload." The "e-tattoo" is meant for workers with high-risk jobs like air traffic controllers. It's thinner and lighter than older EEG models. Tattoos can reveal a lot about a person. One day, they could even reveal a person's brain waves. At least, that's the goal for researchers at the University of Texas at Austin. "This tattoo is not like a normal tattoo," Nanshu Lu, a professor in the university's Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, told Business Insider. Lu worked alongside engineering professor Luis Sentis and others to develop an ultra-thin, wireless wearable device that she compared to a temporary tattoo sticker. The non-invasive device, applied to the skin with an adhesive, measures brain activity and eye movement to gauge an individual's mental workload. Lu said the device is intended for people working in high-stakes or high-demand jobs, such as aircraft pilots, air traffic controllers, drone operators, and robot teleoperators. These jobs could be considered high-stress since they require focus, quick-thinking skills, and a small margin for error. "Technology is developing much faster than human evolution, so it is very hard to keep up with the technological demand in modern jobs," she said. "Therefore, it's very important not to overload the operator because not only would that jeopardize the outcome of the mission, it would also harm their health." Although the idea of an electronic tattoo might sound like something out of a sci-fi novel, humans and technology have been melding for a while. Nearly 40 years ago, for example, the first fully digital hearing aid became available to the public, according to the Hearing Health Foundation. And now, Elon Musk is embedding computer chips into people's brains through his company, Neuralink. Recent wearable tech inventions include smartwatches, Bluetooth headphones, VR headsets, and fitness trackers, to name a few. Some health-conscious folks invest in wearable technology like the Oura Ring, which collects data on everything from sleep activity to body temperature. However, those devices don't analyze brain activity and eye movement. "Over the years, we developed a series of non-invasive skin conformable e-tattoos to measure cardiovascular health, then measure the mental stress from the palm sweating," Lu said of previous devices she helped develop. "Now, finally, we move on to the brainwave." Lu said the device certainly isn't the first or only EEG sensor on the market, but it's smaller and lighter than previous models. Conducting an EEG test typically requires attaching electrodes to an individual's full scalp with a gel or paste to collect data, which can be time-consuming. Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin are attempting to streamline that process by proving mental workload can be measured only from the forehead. During lab tests, participants did memorization drills that involved a screen with flashing boxes. "In the past, there was no way to objectively assess mental workload. The subjects have to finish the test and then a questionnaire," Lu said. "But in the future, if we can implement some lightweight machine learning model directly on a microprocessor in the Bluetooth chip on e-tattoo, then yes, our goal is to one day be able to do it in real time." A report by Grand View Research said that the global wearable technology market was worth $84.2 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $186.14 billion by 2030, underscoring consumers' willingness to integrate technology into their everyday lives. However, electronic tattoos won't be commercial anytime soon. Lu and her fellow researchers are still conducting tests on and developing the tech. Still, she can imagine a world where the e-tattoo is used by people not employed in high-stakes jobs. It could be used by "people who would like to focus as well as people who want to meditate to see if they are truly relaxed," Lu said. Read the original article on Business Insider

Trump's FAA pick has long claimed he has a commercial pilot's license. Reports show he does not
Trump's FAA pick has long claimed he has a commercial pilot's license. Reports show he does not

Yahoo

time14 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Trump's FAA pick has long claimed he has a commercial pilot's license. Reports show he does not

President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Federal Aviation Administration has long claimed to have a commercial pilot's license – but new reports suggest otherwise. Bryan Bedford, the CEO of Republic Airways, was listed on the airline's website as holding 'commercial, multi-engine and instrument pilot ratings' until Thursday, but after his credentials came under question, the word 'commercial,' was removed from the description on Friday, Politico reported. Records obtained by Politico revealed that Bedford does not have a commercial pilot's license registered with the FAA – though he has claimed to since at least 2010, according to the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine. While he does not have a commercial license, Bedford is a licensed private pilot, according to FAA records viewed by Politico. Bedford passed 'written and oral exams' in order to fly commercial aircraft, the Department of Transportation said, before claiming Bedford had not 'personally nor publicly claimed to be a commercial airline pilot.' 'Bryan never misrepresented his credential; it was an administrative error that was immediately corrected,' DOT said in a statement. His pilot credentials have been called into question previously, including in reporting by aviation news outlet The Air Current, with the publication writing, 'Bedford is a pilot himself, although not a commercial pilot, as he has sometimes claimed to be.' Bedford also faced questioning last week from the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee as part of the nomination process. During the questioning, Bedford faced harsh critiques over his lack of an answer when asked if he would scrap the FAA's rule that people seeking to become airline pilots log at least 1,500 of flight time. 'It doesn't sound like a yes,' Rep. Tammy Duckworth said. 'It sounds like you're leaving the door open to reduce the number of flight hours below 1,500.' Bedford responded: 'What I'm saying is I don't believe safety is static.' No one mentioned his credentials, according to Politico. His nomination comes amid calls for a renewed interest in safety concerns at the agency following a deadly mid-air collision near Washington D.C.'s Reagan National Airport in January that killed 67 people.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store