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Boston Globe
19 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Microsoft reviewing Israeli military's use of its tech amid worker protests
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up CLIMATE Advertisement How hurricanes, fires, and floods put drugs and medical supplies at risk Bottles of prescription medication on shelves at a Walgreens pharmacy in Deerfield, Ill. Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press When Hurricane Helene barreled across several southern states last fall, it destroyed homes and killed more than 150 people. The storm also took out one of the country's main factories producing intravenous fluid bags widely used in hospitals. The ensuing shortage forced manufacturer Baxter International Inc. to ration supplies and hospitals to use fewer IV bags, illustrating the risks that climate change poses to the pharmaceutical supply chain. Nearly two-thirds of US drug production facilities are located in areas that have had a major disaster like a fire or hurricane in recent years, according to a new study published in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA on Wednesday. The paper concluded that plants across the drug supply chain, from those that manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients to packaging facilities, risk disruption as climate change ups the odds of extreme weather. These threats are especially pressing as the Trump administration makes a push to ramp up US drug manufacturing, say the authors of the new research. — BLOOMBERG NEWS Advertisement TECHNOLOGY Google's Pixel 10 phones raises the ante on artificial intelligence Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. Justin Sullivan/Getty Google on Wednesday unveiled a new line-up of Pixel smartphones injected with another dose of artificial intelligence that's designed to do everything from fetch vital information stored on the devices to help improve photos as they're being taken. The AI expansion on the four Pixel 10 models amplifies Google's efforts to broaden the use of a technology that is already starting to reshape society. At the same time, Google is taking a swipe at Apple's Achilles' heel on the iPhone. Apple so far has only been able to introduce a few basic AI features on the iPhone while failing to deliver on last year's promise to deliver a more conversational and versatile version of its often-blundering virtual assistant Siri. Without mentioning the iPhone by name, Google has already been mocking Apple's missteps in online ads promoting the four new Pixel models as smartphones loaded with AI technology that consumers won't have to wait for more than a year to arrive. Taking advantage of a more advanced processor, Google is introducing a new AI feature on the Pixel 10 phones called 'Magic Cue' that's designed to serve as a digital mind reader that automatically fetches information stored on the devices and displays the data at the time it's needed. For instance, if a Pixel 10 user is calling up an airline, Magic Cue is supposed to instantaneously recognize the phone number and display the flight information if it's in Gmail or a Google Calendar. The Pixel 10 phones will also come with a preview feature of a new AI tool called 'Camera Coach' that will automatically suggest the best framing and lighting angle as the lens is being aimed at a subject. — ASSOCIATED PRESS Advertisement WALL STREET Hint of mini Labubu launch sends Pop Mart stock soaring 12 percent A giant Labubu figure is seen as people visit the newly opened Pop Mart store selling Labubu toys at a shopping mall in Berlin on July 25. TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP via Getty Images Chinese retailer Pop Mart's stock surged more than 12 percent Wednesday, to the highest level since the company went public in 2020, after its CEO, Wang Ning, said a mini version of its wildly popular Labubu dolls would be released as soon as this week. The toothy elves have become coveted accessories around the world, spotted dangling off designer handbags worth thousands of dollars and collected by the likes of Rihanna, Dua Lipa, and Lisa, a member of the K-pop group Blackpink. The mini version will be able to be hung on mobile phones, Wang told investors on an earnings call. Previous new releases have sold out within minutes, crashed the company's website and app, and sparked hourslong lines outside of stores. Most of Pop Mart's revenue comes from China. But during the first six months of this year, revenue from the Americas jumped 1,142 percent from the previous year as Labubu enthusiasm took off around the world, the company reported Tuesday. Sales in Asia outside of China were up 258 percent and from Europe and other regions, 729 percent. The global craze for Labubus drove record revenue for Pop Mart during the first six months of the year, up more than 200 percent when measured in Chinese renminbi. Labubus accounted for more than a third of Pop Mart's total revenue over this period. Pop Mart's stock, which is traded in Hong Kong, has risen more than 650 percent over the past year. — NEW YORK TIMES Advertisement PHARMACEUTICALS Novo's new CEO freezes hiring in push to rein in costs Novo Nordisk headquarters in Bagsvaerd, Denmark. Mads Claus Rasmussen/Associated Press Novo Nordisk A/S implemented a global hiring freeze as the Danish drugmaker seeks to cut costs and regain its footing in the competitive market for weight-loss treatments. The halt will apply across all markets and departments, with the exception of business-critical roles, a company spokeswoman said on Wednesday. Novo's new chief executive, Maziar Mike Doustdar, has signaled that job cuts may be part of a promised revamp, telling reporters last month that Novo needs to exercise greater discipline and prudence on spending. He said he plans to review the company's cost base. The maker of Wegovy and Ozempic is fighting to claw back ground after losing its lead in the US obesity market to rival Eli Lilly & Co. Lilly's weight-loss franchise is poised to overtake Novo's this year and may hold more than half of a $100 billion global obesity market by 2030, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Michael Shah said. Novo ousted its longtime CEO in the second quarter as the foundation that controls the company pushed for an overhaul, and Doustdar took over earlier this month. Novo's workforce mushroomed to more than 78,000 people in recent years as the drugmaker rushed to boost production of its blockbusters Ozempic and Wegovy. — BLOOMBERG NEWS ACQUISITIONS Lowe's buying Foundation Building Materials for about $8.8 billion as it intensifies focus on pro builders A Lowe's home improvement store in Philadelphia. Matt Rourke/Associated Press Lowe's is buying Foundation Building Materials, a distributor of drywall, insulation, and other products, for approximately $8.8 billion as the home improvement retailer intensifies its focus on professional builders. FBM also provides metal framing, ceiling systems, commercial doors, and hardware and other products that serve large residential and commercial professionals in both new construction and repair and remodel applications. It has more than 370 locations in the United States and Canada serving 40,000 professional customers. The acquisition is part of Lowe's move to provide more options for professional builders. The Mooresville, N.C.-based company recently closed on its $1.3 billion acquisition of Artisan Design Group, a provider of design, distribution, and installation services for interior surface finishes, including flooring, cabinets, and countertops, to home builders and property managers. Rival Home Depot has been making similar moves. In June the home improvement retailer announced that it was buying specialty building products distributor GMS for $4.3 billion. GMS Inc. of Tucker, Ga., is a distributor of specialty building products like drywall, steel framing, and other supplies used in both residential and commercial projects. Home Depot's acquisition of GMS came after it purchased SRS Distribution, a materials provider for professionals, last year for more than $18 billion including debt. SRS provides materials for professionals like roofers, landscapers, and pool contractors. — ASSOCIATED PRESS Advertisement
NBC News
20 minutes ago
- NBC News
Scrolling instead of working? YouTuber Hank Green's new app wants to help
Can a smiley cartoon bean help you stay focused? Hank Green, one of the earliest and most influential online creators, hopes so. The longtime YouTuber, known for his educational videos and Vlogbrothers channel, created a productivity app called Focus Friend with the goal of instilling healthy habits. This week, it soared to No. 1 on Apple's top free apps chart, surpassing Google, ChatGPT and Threads. As of Wednesday, it's been downloaded over 100,000 times on the Google Play Store. Focus Friend allows users to set a timer to get a task done, similar to other productivity tools. The app temporarily blocks distractions, like social media, while the timer runs its course. Unlike other apps, Focus Friend assigns users a little bean, which the user can give a name like Bean Diesel, Pinto or Eda (for Edamame). If the user successfully focuses for the timer's duration, the bean is able to finish their knitting project. But if the user picks up their phone in the middle, the bean gets distracted and drops their knitting needles. The more the user focuses, the more socks the bean knits, which can be exchanged for bean room decor. 'It's an app that installs a bean in your phone. And the bean really wants to spend more time knitting,' Green said in a TikTok video on Monday. 'You can focus for an amount of time, and that will let the bean make socks or scarves, and you can trade those socks or scarves in for more furniture in the bean's room.' Focus Friend launched amid an onslaught of AI slop — low quality media generated by artificial intelligence — and a rise in "doomscrolling" (spending excessive time scrolling online). The app is the latest productivity tool to incentivize a healthy relationship with screen time. Focus Friend echoes products like the popular '90s-era Tamagotchi, a handheld video game that allows users to care for a small mythical pet. Finch, another gamified focus app, has also risen in popularity since launching in 2021. It assigns users a customizable bird that grows when they complete self-determined tasks, like cleaning or drinking water. Focus Friend began as a 'passion project' between Green and developer Bria Sullivan, who is behind Honey B Games' Boba Story, which allows players to design their own boba drinks. In January 2024 Sullivan said she met Green over dinner, where they discussed the idea of creating an app that would serve as an alternative way to support creators (besides creator merchandise). Sullivan suggested a focus timer, while Green devised the anthropomorphic bean and its knitting hobby. Sullivan hopes the app can help people reduce their time 'doomscrolling,' a habit she herself also hopes to break out of. 'Especially with social media and things like that, I don't feel like I'm having fun,' Sullivan said. 'I don't feel like I'm an active participant in it.' Green, who many often lovingly describe as 'the internet's dad,' began posting YouTube videos in 2007 with his brother, author John Green. The two went on to launch Crash Course, a YouTube channel that has offered free, high-quality educational videos since 2012. The channel, which has over 16 million subscribers, touches on topics including biology and global history. The brothers also created VidCon, the massive creator and fan conference that's been held annually in Anaheim, California, since 2010. But Hank Green's online fame has also prompted a lot of self-reflection. The creator has been vocal about his own relationship to the internet, including the downsides, telling TechCrunch last year that he's 'been trained by the algorithms and by my colleagues to be extraordinarily good at grabbing and holding people's attention.' 'I hope I use that skill for good, but I also use it for distracting people from whatever else they would be doing,' he told the publication. Now, with Focus Friend, Hank Green is moving toward 'giving people their time back,' he said in his TikTok video Monday. 'It's about letting people be in control of their attention, not selling their attention to someone else.' The app launched in July but only recently picked up traction after the Green brothers began posting more about it on social media, where they have millions of followers. 'We didn't have any idea that it would get this big, nor did we even have the intention for it,' Sullivan said. 'The intention we had behind it was, 'This is an idea I think should exist in the world.'' Some, like TikTok creator Hannah Rae, who goes by hannahsendlessbookshelf on the platform, were immediately hooked. She posted her reaction to the app in a video, calling it a 'cure' to her 'reading slump.' 'It does tend to be easier for the majority of us to do the 'right thing' for something else we want to care for, rather than just doing it for our own benefit in the first place,' Rae said. So far, she said it's helped incentivize her to put her phone down. She said her sister, a teacher, uses it to focus on her lesson planning, and her brother, 11, uses it while doing homework. While the ADHD-friendly app is free to download from the app store, users can pay for different bean avatars, including a ' John Bean ' option resembling Hank's brother. There's also a subscription model where users can knit scarves to trade for elevated decorations. Green's express goal is to avoid burdening users with ads. Focus Friend is 'very much trying to be an ad-free experience because the mobile ad ecosystem kinda blows,' Green wrote in a post on BlueSky. Aside from helping their bean knit a sock or a scarf, Sullivan said she hopes Focus Friends users are 'taking a break from the noise and having a little bit of peace with themselves.'
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Google, sorry, but that Pixel event was a cringefest
'I P 6 8! I P 6 8!,' shouted late-night host Jimmy Fallon, trying and failing to fake excitement about the new Pixel smartphones. Fallon, who likely had never heard the technical term before, didn't seem to realize that IP68 — a rating that indicates phones can survive being submerged in water — isn't all that interesting as a selling point, nor is this water resistance feature new to Google's Pixel line. It's been around since the 2018 Pixel 3. We're on the Pixel 10 now, for reference. In a surreal moment that illustrated the tendency to overhype anything associated with AI advances, Google decided to pull out all the stops for its Pixel 10 live event on Wednesday. Google's new phones, of course, are interesting on their own merits, as they showcase how Google is integrating AI into everyday consumer experiences like taking photos, texting friends, translating phone calls, getting help out in the real world, and more. The awkward event made Google feel out of touch, however. It also suggests that the company felt it needed buzz to cover up for a lack of tech advances, which is not the case. Whether people like it or not, Google is rushing ahead of Apple to put AI into the hands of consumers through its smartphones. Had the tech giant focused on that and shown real-world examples — not those involving celebrity racecar drivers, basketball stars, or Peloton personalities — it would have been better off. Instead, it went for buzz with paid celeb appearances, including event host Jimmy Fallon and others like Stephen Curry, podcaster Alex Cooper, the Jonas Brothers, and more. The result was a watered-down, cringey, and at times almost QVC-like sales event, which Reddit users immediately dubbed 'unwatchable.' In large part, this had to do with Fallon's performance. Trying to shift his goofy late-night persona to a corporate event, he ended up coming across as deeply uninterested in the technology, necessitating an over-the-top display of decidedly less-than-genuine enthusiasm. 'This is exciting. It's like a Taylor Swift album announcement for nerds,' he began, insulting the broad audience of people who would, in fact, tune in with interest to learn about the latest in smartphone and AI advances. Attempting to be a stand-in for the 'mainstream consumer,' whoever Google's marketers believe that to be, Fallon interjected with banal questions, like what's the meaning of 'agentic' or why is everyone talking about AI in smartphones, or what's a 'walled garden?' These high-level questions led only to basic explanations from Google's execs, like Rick Osterloh, Google's senior vice president, Platforms & Devices — a job that Fallon joked sounded 'made up.' (It sounds like a pretty straightforward title to us, especially compared to much weirder tech jobs like chief happiness officer or Digital Prophet.) Answers, as a result, were dumbed down for everyday users, despite the fact that they are probably very much interested in what AI models are being used, how they work, or whether their privacy is at risk when running AI on their personal devices. During the event, Fallon showed little reaction or curiosity about the interesting tidbits, like when Osterloh noted that Google's AI assistant Gemini is coming to its augmented reality glasses. Yet he pretended to be an avid user of some tech that he was clearly just shown how to use, like Circle to Search, which lets users do a Google search by tapping, circling, or highlighting anything on their screen. At another point, Fallon held up signs with quotes from supposed Reddit users about how great Pixel phones are. 'This first person says, 'whenever I'm using a phone without Circle to Search, I feel like I'm in the Stone Age,' said Fallon. (C'mon, Google, no one said that. Ever. And certainly not a Redditor.) Later, Fallon embraced Google Vice President of Marketing Adrienne Lofton like a BFF and feigned excitement over a table covered with smartphones, watches, and earbuds. (Osterloh had meanwhile gone for the handshake-quick-back-pat combo.) Lofton, looking hip in a denim-tuxedo jacket, couldn't make the marketing speak feel that casual, though. Instead, it suddenly felt like we were watching one of those old home-shopping TV channels, like QVC or HSN, where salespeople gush about whatever product is in front of them and you can see sales numbers increase with every compliment. Lofton: 'We're taking the world's best smartphone, and we're upping our own game with the 10. It's powerful, it's fast, and feel the satin finish on the edges and the camera bar.' Fallon: 'Ooh, silky!' Lofton: 'See what I'm saying? The design of the aesthetic is unbelievable, and it's a Pixel. So the camera is unbelievable. And the colors, we think — look at this palette. We think these colors are sexy as hell.' Fallon: 'Well, hold it. It's Wednesday afternoon. Let's keep it PG.' The cringe. The absolute cringe. Later in the event, other stars popped in for their moments, both live and pre-recorded. The Jonas Brothers made a music video with a Pixel phone, which played at the event's end. Only a few of the celeb interactions felt natural. Cooper came across as herself, much like in her own interviews. The chat with photographer Andre D. Wagner was also a brief moment of authenticity, as he talked about his art and technique. It's understandable that Google would want to differentiate itself from the Apple event format to draw attention to its own hardware and software advances. But who are tech announcements for if not for the people who care about tech? If Google is trying to reach the mainstream tech enthusiast, it doesn't need to do something like this. It just has to get its phones in the hands of creators who people actually watch, like Marques Brownlee. (Which, thankfully, it did, too.) We're always looking to evolve, and by providing some insight into your perspective and feedback into TechCrunch and our coverage and events, you can help us! Fill out this survey to let us know how we're doing and get the chance to win a prize in return!
