Latest news with #JohnCollison
Android Authority
11 hours ago
- Business
- Android Authority
Want Google to build the features you need? Just start a tech company
Megan Ellis / Android Authority TL;DR Google Calendar on the web has a new feature. Users can now duplicate events. The feature was added after Stripe co-founder John Collison directly requested it on social media. Google has rolled out a new feature for Calendar on the web. While that new feature should come in handy to a lot of users, the more interesting aspect of this rollout is how it happened. Don't want to miss the best from Android Authority? Set us as a preferred source in Google Search to support us and make sure you never miss our latest exclusive reports, expert analysis, and much more. Earlier this week, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that a new feature is live for Google Calendar on the web (h/t TechCrunch). That new feature allows users to easily duplicate events. 'This feature is now live for everyone on Google Calendar on the web – thanks for the suggestion,' Pichai wrote. In this social post, Pichai is specifically thanking Stripe co-founder John Collison for his suggestion. Last month, Collison tagged Pichai in an X post and requested that Google Calendar add an option to duplicate events, a feature that exists in many other calendar apps. Collison specifically asked 'Could we get Ctrl-click on Google Calendar to duplicate events, like many native calendar applications have?' It's not often that you see a company as big as Google quickly implement a feature at a single user's request. Nor do you often see the CEO of that company putting on their customer service hat. But I guess being the co-founder of a large fintech company probably buys you some sway. After this announcement, commenters playfully asked if Collison could make more suggestions. Box CEO Aaron Levie joked, 'John, can you ask for Waymo to work on El Camino through the peninsula? Thanks!' Follow
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Stripe apologises after support team staff wrongly said it had LGBTQ+ ban in place for purchases
The firm established by Patrick and John Collison, which acts as a payment processor for millions of businesses in online transactions, had been facing criticism for not allowing its services to be used for purchases of adult content online. When some people called the company to complain, they were told by customer service operators that the ban actually extended to all LGBTQ+ content, including material that is legal and not adult in nature. The adult artist Dieselbrain reportedly called Stripe's customer service twice to complain. In a post on Bluesky the artist said on both occasions Stripe operators had said customers could not use its services to purchase LGBTQ+ content. Speaking to the website Aftermath, the artist said that after confirming Stripe could not be used to purchase such content, they then said 'something along the lines of this being Stripe's right to do so as a private business". "The information given by our support team was totally wrong," a Stripe spokesperson told the BBC. "Stripe has no prohibitions on the sale of LGBTQ+ content or goods. We're looking into this and making sure future inquiries are answered correctly." The journalist Mady Castigan had also shared an audio recording of a telephone conversation with an operator, who said Stripe had restricted LGBTQ+ content purchases 'three weeks ago'. Later, after stepping away to check, the operator returns to clarify that only 'abusive behaviour' is banned, 'but there is not, like, a specific target for the LGBT". The issue first became a focus of contention after Visa and Mastercard were pressurised by an Australian campaign group to stop online video game distributors selling certain pornographic games. The group claimed games were listed for sale online which included themes of "rape, incest and child sexual abuse". This led to the online game distributors Steam and removing games from their libraries, a move that was criticised by gamers. In the past, other payment processors have distanced themselves from distribution of adult content online. Five years ago Mastercard and Visa stopped use of their cards on the Pornhub site following reports, which the company denied, that the site was 'infested' with videos of child abuse.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Sundar Pichai responds to a co-founder's request by adding a quick event duplication shortcut to Google Calendar; duplicate meetings instantly
Source: BBC A light-hearted exchange on social media between leading tech figures has resulted in a practical update for Google Calendar. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, confirmed that the platform now includes a quick event duplication feature, following a suggestion by Stripe co-founder John Collison just over a month ago. Collison had proposed a Ctrl-click shortcut to instantly copy meetings, similar to features in other calendar tools like Microsoft Outlook. The new functionality allows users to duplicate events by holding Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) and dragging them in Day, Week, or Month view, eliminating multiple steps previously required. This small but impactful update enhances scheduling efficiency, making recurring or similar appointments faster and more convenient for Google Calendar users. How John Collison small request for Google Calendar sparked an update On July 5, John Collison took to X (formerly Twitter) with a simple request for Google Calendar. He asked whether the platform could introduce a shortcut to copy events, similar to features available in Microsoft Outlook and other popular calendar tools. Collison suggested a Ctrl-click function that would instantly duplicate meetings or appointments and tagged Sundar Pichai, ensuring the idea reached the right decision-makers at Google. Unlike most social media requests that disappear into the noise, this one stood out. Pichai responded in kind, announcing that the feature had been implemented in Google Calendar's web version. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Learn More - How Donating Sperm May Boost Your Income SpellRock Undo Google Calendar event duplication shortcut: How it works The new shortcut allows users to hold Ctrl (or Cmd on Mac) and drag an event to another time slot within Day, Week, or Month view, instantly creating a copy. Key advantages include: Faster scheduling: Duplicate events without opening multiple menus. Reduced clicks: Previously, users had to navigate through the three-dot menu to duplicate events—a multi-step process. Improved productivity: Perfect for busy professionals managing multiple meetings or recurring events. This shortcut makes event duplication in Google Calendar intuitive and efficient, reflecting Google's focus on enhancing user experience. Current limitations of the Google calendar new update feature While the update improves workflow, it's important to note some limitations: Not available in all views: Users in Schedule or Year view cannot use the drag-and-duplicate feature. Works only in movable views: The shortcut functions only where events can be dragged or resized directly. Despite these constraints, the feature saves users valuable time and reduces friction in scheduling tasks. Google Calendar Shortcut sparks social media buzz as Sundar Pichai responds Collison's suggestion quickly became a talking point on X. Other tech figures joined the conversation, adding a mix of humor and curiosity. Box CEO Aaron Levie jokingly suggested leveraging influence to improve Waymo's self-driving cars on a congested Silicon Valley route. For everyday Google Calendar users, the shortcut may seem minor but adds tangible convenience, making repetitive scheduling tasks faster and more intuitive. The incident highlights Sundar Pichai's hands-on approach to social media engagement. Users praised his responsiveness: 'Sundar Pichai is out here doing customer service. I love it.' 'Hi Sundar, can we log out of one Gmail account at a time instead of all accounts at once?' Pichai's interactions are consistent with past instances. Earlier in 2025, he responded to Quora CEO Adam D'Angelo about Google Meet audio issues, showing Google's commitment to addressing user feedback promptly. Google Calendar shortcut significance for Google Calendar users Even though event duplication in Google Calendar may seem like a small feature, it reflects a larger trend: Google is listening to user feedback and rapidly implementing improvements. By allowing quick duplication of meetings, the platform enhances workflow efficiency and provides users with a smoother scheduling experience. Professionals, teams, and casual users alike benefit from this shortcut, which reduces unnecessary clicks, saves time, and simplifies calendar management. Also Read | Who is Igor Babuschkin? Co-founder of Elon Musk's xAI leaving to launch a new AI safety venture AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Globe and Mail
20-06-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
‘It'll Be One of the Most Important and Valuable AI Systems That Gets Built': Why Meta's Mark Zuckerberg Is Pumping Billions Into This New Tech
At a recent Stripe Sessions event, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg joined Stripe President John Collison to discuss the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) in business and the broader economy. Zuckerberg's remarks provided a candid look at how Meta Platforms (META) is leveraging AI to automate advertising and reshape enterprise workflows, with significant implications for investors and the company's stock performance. Zuckerberg's Take on AI: From Hype to Real-World Impact Zuckerberg acknowledged the rapid pace of AI development, stating, 'AI is going to transform pretty much every category of product and every part of the economy.' He addressed the ongoing debate over whether the current enthusiasm represents a bubble, noting that even if it takes five to ten years for AI to permeate every enterprise workflow, progress has consistently outpaced expectations. 'Being even more ambitious has been more predictive over the last few years about where things are likely going to be in the industry,' he said. The Future of Advertising: Fully Automated by AI Zuckerberg's most striking comments focused on Meta's vision for AI-driven advertising. He described a future where businesses no longer need to create their own ad creatives, identify target audiences, or measure campaign performance manually. Instead, 'any business can come to us and say what their objective is, how much they're willing to pay to achieve those results, connect their bank account and then we just deliver as many results as we can. I think it'll be one of the most important and valuable AI systems that gets built,' he explained. Don't Miss: Move over Netflix & Disney: This Pre-IPO Startup Is Unlocking $2 Trillion in IP & Licensing Revenue Global Content Battles Are Brewing — And This Pre-IPO Studio Just Raised $3.1M to Enter the Fight Meta's roadmap aims to enable fully automated AI advertising by 2026, allowing businesses to launch campaigns with minimal input — potentially just a business URL and a budget. AI will handle creative generation, targeting, and optimization, making advanced marketing accessible to companies of all sizes and reducing the need for specialized marketing expertise. For Investors Meta's aggressive push into AI-powered automation is a key driver behind its strong stock performance in 2025. The company's shares have surged 19% year-to-date, outperforming many of its tech peers. As of June 17, 2025, Meta's stock currently sits just under $700, reflecting investor confidence in the company's AI strategy and the broader digital advertising market. Analysts point to Meta's expanding AI capabilities and the potential for fully automated ad platforms as major catalysts for future growth. The anticipated rollout of end-to-end AI advertising solutions by 2026 could further solidify Meta's dominance in digital marketing and unlock new revenue streams. Mark Zuckerberg's comments at the Stripe event show Meta's commitment to harnessing AI for business transformation. By automating the entire advertising process, Meta aims to democratize access to marketing tools, drive efficiency, and deliver superior results for businesses and shareholders alike. As AI continues to evolve, Meta's bold strategy positions it at the forefront of the next wave of digital innovation
Crypto Insight
12-06-2025
- Business
- Crypto Insight
After stablecoin push, Stripe acquires crypto wallet developer Privy
Stripe has acquired Privy, a cryptocurrency wallet infrastructure developer, for an undisclosed amount, highlighting the global payment processor's growing pivot toward digital assets. Privy confirmed the acquisition on Wednesday in an announcement on social media that it will continue to operate as an independent product embedded within the Stripe ecosystem. As part of Stripe, Privy will 'keep building for developers building on crypto rails [but] now with more resources, flexibility, and firepower,' the company said. Bloomberg initially reported on the acquisition, though no financial terms were disclosed. While not widely known in the crypto space, Privy provides infrastructure for companies developing digital asset wallets. The company says its technology supports more than 50 million crypto wallets worldwide. Stripe eyes $250 billion stablecoin market Six years after pulling back from crypto, Stripe made a major return in October last year by allowing merchants to accept stablecoin payments through USDC. Since then, its push into stablecoin payments has gained momentum. As Cointelegraph recently reported, Stripe has rolled out stablecoin accounts to clients in over 100 countries. As of May 7, Stripe users can send and receive US dollar-pegged stablecoins much like they would with traditional bank accounts. Stripe co-founder and President John Collison told Bloomberg that, based on his conversations with global financial institutions, banks are showing growing interest in stablecoins. 'Banks are very interested in how they should be integrated with stablecoins into their product offerings as well,' said Collison. However, not everyone believes traditional banks will be quick to embrace stablecoins. NYU professor Austin Campbell recently claimed that the US banking lobby is 'panicking' over yield-bearing stablecoins, which could disrupt the industry's business model. According to Campbell, banks fear their business could be 'harmed' if stablecoins begin paying interest. Source:
