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'Reality is kicking in': Ford says self-driving vehicles are further away than many expect

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FORD AV

  • Though Ford still gets most of its revenue selling personal vehicles, the company sees a world where people rely on a much wider mix of transportation modes.
  • To transform itself for its AV goals, Ford has made a range of acquisitions and has brought more of its technology development in-house.

Ford will continue its push toward "mobility" to position itself as a key player in autonomous vehicles, even as the traditional car industry seems headed for a down cycle and the realistic timeframe for AVs is being adjusted to later, several company executives tell Axios.

Why it matters: Though Ford still gets most of its revenue selling personal vehicles, the company sees a world where people rely on a much wider mix of transportation modes. To transform itself for its AV goals, Ford has made a range of acquisitions and has brought more of its technology development in-house.

Driving the news: Ford's actions include buying the private bus startup Chariot and a scooter business called Spin. It's also hiring more engineers to develop more technology in-house, including both self-driving capabilities and the next version of its Sync navigation/entertainment system.

The Spin purchase is a recognition that micro-vehicles of some sort will be an important part of the "first mile" and "last mile" of transit, even if they ultimately take a somewhat different form than today's scooters, EVP Marcy Klevorn tells Axios.

  • Spin was of particular interest to Ford, Klevorn adds, because it was working with cities, not just dumping scooters on sidewalks like some rivals.
  • This relationship approach will be key to self-driving cars as well, she says.

In-house technology will be key to meet competition from tech giants Google and Apple, Ford CTO Ken Washington tells Axios.

  • Ford is doubling down on a bet it can out-innovate the tech giants, which are in the throes of battling for a bigger share of in-car electronics, so it has brought more engineering in-house for its Sync entertainment and navigation system.
  • Systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto that work only when a compatible phone is brought in the car and a user chooses such an interface are fine. But the company says it has no interest in giving the companies a larger, more permanent place.
  • "We've been very clear for quite some time we don't want to delegate our future to others," Washington says.

Ford expects the time frame of AV arrivals will be longer than the most optimistic estimates.

  • "Reality is kicking in," Ford VP Sherif Marakby tells Axios. "The promises of launching autonomous vehicles without a driver in 2018 and 2019 are fading fast."
  • Marakby says 2021 is a more realistic time frame for AVs at scale. But, he adds, Ford is convinced it will be one the few companies left standing.
  • "We believe there are probably going to be 2–3 successful operating systems in autonomous vehicles," Marakby says. "We plan to be one of those."

The big picture: Ford's rivals are also making big bets, albeit with different approaches.

  • Toyota is spending billions on homegrown research in areas like AI, autonomy and robotics, and GM has pumped around $2 billion into self-driving startup Cruise Automation.
  • And, like Ford, GM plans to keep spending on the future even as it scales back the present. It said in November "resources allocated to electric and autonomous vehicle programs will double in the next two years" even as it announced 5 factory shutdowns and nearly 15,000 job cuts.

Yes, but: One thing that the company won't be doing, as I scooped yesterday, is moving forward with sponsorship of the Ford GoBike bicycle-sharing service in San Francisco. Ford and Lyft, which now owns the startup that runs the multi-city bike-sharing service, plan to end the deal over the next couple of months.

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NOW WATCH: Here's what it's like to drive trains on London's Tube — one of the most complicated subway systems in the world


Amazon's Prime Book Box is an affordable and elegantly simple subscription service for kids — here's why parents like me love it

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Amazon Prime Book Box

  • Prime Book Box subscribers receive a box of carefully curated kids books monthly, every two months, or every three months.
  • The service saves customers up to 40% off the list price of the books, which are delivered free through the Amazon Prime program.
  • The service offers book selections tailored to babies and young toddlers, kids ages 3 to 5, 6 to 8, and 9 to 12 years old.

You're already an Amazon Prime member, right? Ok good.

And do you have kids? Yes?

Do you hope to foster a love of reading in those kids of yours? Ok great!

Now, final question: Is inspiring said love of reading worth $19.99 a month to you? Spectacular. You're the perfect household to sign up for Amazon's new Prime Book Box book delivery service for babies and kids.

If you want to leave the selection of the books that will be delivered to your kids in the capable hands of Amazon's editors, you can probably complete the sign-up process in the same amount of time you've spent reading this article thus far. But in case you want a bit more information about the program, let's go a bit deeper here:

To sign up for a Prime Book Box subscription, you will indeed already need to be a Prime member. If you're not, well, that's an added expense, but just think of all the free shipping, TV and movie streaming, and music benefits that come along with it (and dozens of other perks too).

The monthly price of a Prime Book Box is just $19.99, and you can choose to have books delivered monthly, every other month, or every three months. (So that's $239.88, $119.94, or $79.96 annually, for the record.) Members save up to 40% off the list price of books by using the Book Box, which includes four board books for kids through age 2 and comes with two hardcover books for kids in each of the other three age categories.

Parents can look through a list of books selected by Amazon's editors and choose the books that will be included in each box, but I recommend you leave the curating in the hands of the company's accomplished editors. According to the Prime Book Box page itself:

Each box features books our customers love and our Amazon book editors couldn't forget. Our editors read thousands of books every year to find selections your reader will enjoy again and again. You'll discover new releases, classics, and hidden gems tailored to your reader's age.

If your family's experience is anything like mine so far, that's not just marketing copy, it's accurate.

The two books included in our preschool-aged son's first box immediately became part of our standard bedtime operating procedure, and as far as we can tell, our nine-month-old daughter loves her board books, though that may be more of a tactile and teething thing, to be honest. I'll ask her once she can talk.

It's little surprise Amazon managed to launch such a successful program, of course. The behemoth of a company has its roots as an online bookstore (do you even remember that? It was all about books back in the day! Now it's... everything) and it's pretty good at the whole delivery thing, too. Staffing up with editors who select excellent books was the last piece of the puzzle for this affordable, elegantly simple book subscription program that just might play a major role in helping your kids grow up loving books.

Sign up for the Prime Book Box subscription for babies and kids for $19.99 per month (with an active Amazon Prime membership)

Not an Amazon Prime member yet? Sign up for a free 30-day trial membership here

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MacKenzie Bezos has been part of Amazon lore since before the company began, driving across the US with her husband Jeff as he wrote out his business plan in 1994 (AMZN)

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jeff mackenzie bezos past and present

  • Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie Bezos announced on Wednesday their 25-year marriage was ending in divorce.
  • MacKenzie Bezos played a role in the founding of Amazon, driving cross-country to Seattle with Jeff Bezos in 1994 while the founder typed out Amazon's business plan.
  • MacKenzie Bezos also worked as an accountant for Amazon in the company's early days.

Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos announced on Wednesday that his 25-year marriage to his wife MacKenzie is ending in divorce.

The announcement has drawn renewed interest in MacKenzie Bezos' role in the origins of Amazon. MacKenzie Bezos was one of Amazon's first employees, and according to Amazon lore, Jeff Bezos drafted part of the company's business plan while the couple drove across the country together.

Read more:Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, announce they are divorcing

As the story goes, Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos met in 1992 when they were both employees at the New York City hedge fund D.E. Shaw. Jeff Bezos worked his way up to senior vice president at the firm, while MacKenzie Bezos, then MacKenzie Tuttle, worked there as a research associate.

The two married in 1993, and a year later, Jeff Bezos told his wife about his revolutionary plan for an online bookstore that he would later name Amazon.

"I'm not a businessperson. So to me, what I'm hearing when he tells me that idea is the passion and the excitement," MacKenzie Bezos told CBS in 2013. "And to me, you know, watching your spouse, somebody that you love, have an adventure — what is better than that, and being part of that?

In 1994, the couple drove from New York City to Seattle, the eventual Amazon headquarters, with MacKenzie Bezos driving and Jeff Bezos "tapping out a business plan on his computer along the way,"as Wired wrote in 1999. With their dog Kamala in tow, "Jeff spent the trip pecking out a business plan on a laptop computer and calling prospective investors on a cell phone,"according to Entrepreneur.

MacKenzie Bezos became an accountant for Amazon, and is considered one of the company's earliest employees. According to Wired, she was responsible for negotiating Amazon's first freight contracts, ironically, at a Barnes and Noble bookstore.

Read more:Here's where Amazon's first 21 employees are now

MacKenzie Bezos, who in college was an assistant to the author Toni Morrison, is now a novelist

In his announcement on Wednesday, Jeff Bezos said, "we have decided to divorce and continue our shared lives as friends."

"Through the labels might be different, we remain a family, and we remain cherished friends," he wrote.

SEE ALSO: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife, MacKenzie, announce they are divorcing

DON'T MISS: A look inside the 25-year marriage of the richest couple in history, Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos — who met at work, were engaged in 3 months, and together owned more land than almost anyone else in America

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NOW WATCH: Jeff Bezos reveals what it's like to build an empire and become the richest man in the world — and why he's willing to spend $1 billion a year to fund the most important mission of his life

An Indiana city is selling $1 homes to save itself from decay. Here's what you can get for the money.

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Dollar homes Indiana 2

  • The city of Gary, Indiana, is selling a handful of homes for just $1, but buyers are expected to renovate them within one year. 
  • The Dollar Home Program is part of a strategy to reverse decades of urban blight, which has plagued the city since the decline of the steel industry in the 1960s. 
  • About a third of homes in Gary are unoccupied or abandoned, but the government remains optimistic that it can breathe new life into its neighborhoods. 

The small city of Gary, Indiana, has endured decades of hard times. More than half of its population has disappeared since 1960, and a third of its homes remain unoccupied or abandoned. 

Recent years have seen high levels of crime and low levels of employment and education.

The local school district has even taken to selling off dilapidated schools that have dealt with vandalism and arson. Despite their crumbling walls and graffitied doors, the buildings may be the district's last hope for paying off $100 million in accumulated debt.

Read more:8 cities and towns where you can get a home for free — or buy one at a massive discount

Empty homes are also seen as both a burden and opportunity. 

In 2013, the city began selling abandoned properties for a single dollar, provided that the buyer earned at least $35,250 annually and brought the home up to "habitable standards" within a year. At the end of five years, the city would cede full ownership. 

The start of the program brought hundreds of applications, though many didn't realize that the homes would require extensive repairs.

A housing coordinator for the city's community development department told The Times of Northwest Indiana that renovations to dollar homes could cost around $20,000 to $30,000. That's still much cheaper than the average home price in Gary, which hovers at around $46,000. 

The community development department currently lists a dozen dollar homes on its website. Though all are in need of serious renovation, they have plenty of untapped potential. Take a look below.

SEE ALSO: Millions of Japanese homes are abandoned, and owners are giving them away for free

The city of Gary wasn't always in decline.



With an economy tied to the steel industry, it saw extraordinary growth at the beginning of the 20th century.

The city got its name from Elbert Henry Gary, the founding chairman of the US Steel Corporation.



It has also maintained some surprising connections to Hollywood.

As the birthplace of Michael Jackson, Gary hosts an annual tribute to the legendary singer.

The city has also served as a location for films like Transformers: Dark of the Moon and the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

RANKED: Zion Williamson's top 10 dunks of the season

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Zion Williamson

  • Duke freshman phenom Zion Williamson has become the face of college basketball thanks to his gravity-defying dunks and unbelievably efficient play.
  • The 6-foot-7, 285 pound forward's vertical leap measures in at more than 40 inches, allowing him to do all sorts of stunts while he's in the air. 
  • Check out Zion Williamson's most impressive dunks of the season below:

10. The two-handed slam

Imagine being so athletically gifted that a dunk like this lands at No. 10 on your list. He didn't even take a dribble!



9. The "I can do it all by myself"

Zion didn't need anybody's help.



8. The put-back slam

Nobody was holding Zion back on this one.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

We drove a $31,000 Honda Accord and a $39,000 Toyota Camry to see which one is the better family car. Here's the verdict.

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Toyota Camry V6 XSE 2018

  • The Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord are two of the best-selling and most respected cars in the world.
  • Both the Toyota and the Honda are known for being exquisitely engineered and expertly put together with top-notch reliability.
  • The base 2018 Honda Accord starts at $23,570, and our mid-tier Sport model starts at $25,780. The top-spec Touring starts at $33,800. With fees and the optional 2.0-liter engine, the as-tested price was pushed up to $31,200.
  • The base Camry starts at $23,495, but our top-of-the-line XSE V6 opens at $34,950. With options, our test car left the showroom at $38,730.
  • The Honda Accord's sportier driving dynamics and superior infotainment edges out the Toyota Camry's more attractive styling and silky smooth V6 engine. 

Camry or Accord? It's a question that has faced many a car buyer over the years.

For the better part of three decades, the Honda Accord and the Toyota Camry have been the cars of choice for American families. Though crossover SUVs have become the dominant force in the marketplace, midsize mass-market sedans like the Accord and the Camry still have a major role to play.

In 2017, Toyota sold 387,000 Camrys in the US alone, making it the best-selling passenger car in the country. The Accord wasn't far behind, with 323,000 sold.

For the 2018 model year, both the Accord and the Camry are brand-new, with the Honda now in its 10th generation and the Toyota in its eighth.

Read more: We drove a $42,000 Toyota Highlander and a $46,000 Subaru Ascent to see which is the better family SUV — here's the verdict.

The newest offerings from Honda and Toyota come just in time to compete with the new sixth-generation Nissan Altima and a freshly updated Mazda 6. There are recently revamped models from Hyundai, Kia, and Chevrolet to contend with as well.

Last year, we had the chance to experience both the Marysville, Ohio-built 2018 Honda Accord and the Georgetown, Kentucky-made 2018 Toyota Camry on the roads in and around Business Insider's headquarters in New York.

We came away impressed by both vehicles' comfort, refinement, build quality, tech content, and performance.

Here's a closer look at how the 2018 Honda Accord and the 2018 Toyota Camry match up:

SEE ALSO: We drove a $39,000 Volkswagen Tiguan and a $35,000 Mazda CX-5 to see which is the better compact crossover SUV — here's the verdict

FOLLOW US: on Facebook for more car and transportation content!

First up is the 2018 Honda Accord.

The base 2018 Accord LX starts at $23,570, while the top-of-the-line Touring model starts at $33,800. Our mid-grade, "San Marino Red" Sport model starts at $25,780, but fees and the optional 2.0-liter engine pushed the as-tested price up to $31,200.

In total, the Accord is available in six trim levels with three engines and three transmissions from which a buyer can select.



Aesthetically, the new Accord is not quite pretty — at least not in the traditional sense. However, it is edgy and eye-catching. I do find it sort of good-looking in an offbeat sort of way.



Though the Accord's hammerhead-shark-esque front grille reminds us a bit too much of the dark days of Acura's controversial silver beak ...



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

You can buy wraps made of 100% cheese and they're a low-carb dream come true

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folios cheese wrap sm

  • Northwestern Costco locations, most Aldi locations, and other retailers around the US have begun selling Folios Cheese Wraps in three flavors: parmesan, Jarlsberg, and cheddar.
  • These are sold in packs of four or 10 and are great for all kinds of low-carb diets, including the keto diet. 
  • Folios Cheese Wraps have between 11 and 13 grams of protein depending on flavor, as well as 1 gram of carbs.
  • The wraps are naturally lactose-free and gluten-free.
  • You can use them as-is or crisp them up to make delightful bowls for salads or tacos. 

If you're trying to cut carbs but love cheese, Folios Cheese Wraps are here to solve your lunchtime and taco night dilemmas. Already spotted at grocery stores around the US, these 100% cheese wraps are sold in packs of four or 10 and they come in three flavor-packed varieties: parmesan, Jarlsberg, and cheddar. They're also naturally lactose-free and gluten-free.

These cheese wraps are a great option for those following a low-carb or gluten-free diet

Folios Parm 4PK 2017

All three flavors are low in carbs, but protein content differs depending on which flavor you choose. According to Lotito Foods, the distributor of Folios Cheese Wraps, both the parmesan and Jarlsberg variants have 13 grams of protein. The cheddar one has 11 grams of protein.

These wraps are being sold in various locations around the US 

Folios Jarlsberg 4PK 2017

Although Costco locations in the northwestern US may be the only place you can score 10-packs of these wraps, four-packs of Folios have already been spotted on Amazon Fresh and at multiple other retailersThey're also coming soon to even more locations like HEB, Gelson's, and all Aldi locations in the US except for stores in Texas. 

Your cheesy possibilities with these wraps may be greater than you realize

Folios Cheddar 4PK 2017Of course, these can be used right out of the package for making wraps but you don't have to stop there. Lotito Foods boasts plenty of creative recipes that feature the cheesy wrap. You can also crisp them into a bowl for salads or protein or even melt them on top of your favorite meal. 

Whether you're following the keto diet, adapting to a low-carb lifestyle, or just really love cheese, be sure to keep an eye out for Folios Cheese Wraps at your local retailers. 

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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NOW WATCH: I went on Beyoncé's 22-day diet — and I lost 15 pounds

Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth have a reported net worth of $186 million. Here's how the newly-married couple made their millions.

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Miley Liam

  • Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth got married in an intimate ceremony in Tennessee in December 2018. 
  • Cyrus started her career on Disney's "Hannah Montana," a gig that spawned multiple films and sent her on a world tour. 
  • Hemsworth raked in money playing Gale in the "Hunger Games" franchise. 
  • Together, the duo is worth a reported $186 million. 

When Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth wed in an intimate Tennessee ceremony fashioned after the nuptials of the singer's parents on December 23, it was a union between two young Hollywood stars.

You might be now wondering: What is Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth's net worth together? Between Cyrus's music and TV appearances as well as her Aussie beau's acting career, the pair are both bringing a considerable fortune to the table.

Cyrus and Hemsworth started building their wealth from a young age

miley cyrus liam hemsworth the last song

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Cyrus is worth upwards of $160 million while Hemsworth clocks in around $26 million, which makes them collectively worth a reported $186 million.

Cyrus got her start in 2006 playing Hannah Montana on the beloved Disney channel series. In addition to reportedly bagging about $15,000 per episode, per NY Post, and her subsequent $54 million"Hannah Montana" world tour, the 26-year-old's "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" documentary banked over $70 million.

Meanwhile, Hemsworth got his start playing Josh Taylor in 2007-2008 on the Australian series "Neighbors"before first laying eyes on his future wife in 2010's "The Last Song,"which grossed $89,041,656.

Cyrus has her successful music career and YouTube to thank for much of her financial prowess

miley cyrus wrecking ball

While Cyrus's child star roots helped her get her footing, the "We Can't Stop" hitmaker made her real money from all the bangers she released in the following years. Case in point: Cyrus bagged nine top ten songs on the Billboard 100 list. In addition to slaying the tour game (she's reported by Forbes to have grossed $67.1 million for her Wonder World tour and $100 million for her Bangerz tour), the 26-year-old also had her twerking and VMA's shenanigans to thank for her considerable YouTube revenue.

After her infamous 2013 performance with Robin Thicke, it only took 24 hours for "Wrecking Ball" to garner 19 million views on Vevo while party anthem "We Can't Stop" hit the 100 million mark in just 37 days.

The "Hunger Games"Franchise put Hemsworth's career on the map

Gale and Katniss hunger games

While the Aussie star first made our way into our hearts as Will Blakelee on "The Last Song," he got his big break in the "Hunger Games"franchise. While it's unknown how much he was paid for the entire franchise, the first film opened to the third-best box office debut of all time and grossed $691 million. Co-star Jennifer Lawrence was paid $10 million for the sequel "Catching Fire," and it's rumored that Hemsworth raked in $2 million for his role.

Speaking of acting, Cyrus has also made several returns to the big and small screen

Miley Cyrus season 11 the voice

The singer has also added some acting credits to her name, including voicing characters in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" and "Bolt," although it's unlikely that these smaller roles have added significantly to her net worth.

Her return to TV as a judge on "The Voice"for seasons 11 and 13 was definitely profitable, as she reportedly made $13 million for her debut in 2016. While Cyrus didn't head back onto the show for season 14 and she's kept a relatively low profile of late, Hemsworth is next set to appear in the 2019 rom-com "Isn't It Romantic" with Priyanka Chopra, Rebel Wilson, and Adam Devine in February.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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'You're creating a traffic hazard': A truck full of chicken tenders crashed on an Alabama highway, and the sheriff's office had to tell people not to eat them

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Chicken Tender Fender Bender

  • A truck overturned on an Alabama highway over the weekend, spilling frozen chicken tenders onto the road.
  • The local sheriff's office took to Facebook to urge motorists not to eat the thawing tenders.
  • That post went viral, racking up more than 2,800 shares over the course of a few days. 

If you were considering eating the chicken tenders that spilled out of an overturned semi-truck in Alabama, local authorities would like you to reconsider. 

"The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office is asking that no one try to stop to get the chicken tenders that were spilled from the 18 wheeler accident last night on Highway 35,"the agency posted on Facebook over the weekend.

"You're creating a traffic hazard! It's a crime to impede the flow of traffic," it continued. "Those cases have been on the ground for over 24 hours and are unsafe to consume. Anyone who is caught could be facing charges."

The post went viral and has racked up more than 2,800 shares and 500 comments at the time of writing. The truck driver's apparent wife, Stacy-ann Smith, also noted in a comment on the Facebook post that the driver and father of her children is safe at home.

By Monday, the accident had been cleaned and Highway 35 — about 90 miles northeast of Birmingham — had reopened, the sheriff's office said.

Read more: Truck spills cranberries in accident on Cape Cod bridge

According to the United States Department of Agriculture,chicken should be kept below 40 degrees Fahrenheit and cooked to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees to avoid food-borne illnesses.

"I about hit some people coming down through there tonight, like five or six people with flashlights trying to cross the road," Sherry Bowen White said on Facebook, per the Macon Telegraph. "I wondered what they were doing."

SEE ALSO: The family of a teenager killed in a 116 mile-per-hour Tesla crash is suing the company, claiming it makes 'unreasonably dangerous' cars

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NOW WATCH: Watch YouTuber Master Milo transform a small Ford into the ultimate stunt machine

Here's how Amazon could dethrone UPS and FedEx in the US last-mile delivery market (AMZN)

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This is a preview of a research report from Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service. To learn more about Business Insider Intelligence, click here. Current subscribers can read the report here.

AmazonShipping_CostSavings

Outside of the US Postal Service (USPS), FedEx and UPS have dominated the domestic logistics industry — and in particular, the last-mile of the delivery — for decades. On a quarterly earnings call in 2016, FedEx estimated that itself, UPS, and USPS executed a whopping 95% of all e-commerce orders.

But rapidly rising volumes have put the pair of legacy shippers in a bind. E-commerce sales have risen over 50% and are projected to continue their ascent into the next decade. High volumes are already straining shippers' networks — UPS struggled to bring consumers their parcels on time due to higher-than-anticipated package volume, which upset some big-name retail partners, including Macy's, Walmart, and Amazon. As online sales surge further, package volumes will outstrip legacy shippers' capacities, creating space for new entrants. 

Amazon is uniquely well-positioned to dethrone UPS and FedEx's duopoly. It's built up a strong logistics infrastructure, counting hundreds of warehouses and thousands of delivery trucks.

Further, as the leading online retailer in the US, it has a wealth of data on consumers that it can use to craft a personalized delivery experience that's superior to UPS and FedEx's offerings. Amazon must act soon, however, as UPS and FedEx are hard at work fortifying their own networks to handle the expected surge in parcel volume.

The longer the Seattle-based e-tailer delays the launch of a delivery service, the more it runs the risk that these legacy players will be able to defend their territory. 

In a new report, Business Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, explains how the age of e-commerce is opening up cracks in UPS and FedEx's duopoly. We then outline how Amazon's logistics ambitions began as an effort to more quickly get parcels out the door and fulfill its famous 2-day shipping process and how it'll be a key building block for the company if it builds out a last-mile service. Lastly, we offer concrete steps that the firm must take to maximize the dent it makes in UPS and FedEx's duopoly.

The companies mentioned in this report are: Alibaba, Amazon, FedEx, and UPS.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:

  • While UPS and FedEx have dominated the US last-mile delivery market for the last few decades, the surge in e-commerce is creating more volume than shipping companies can handle.
  • Amazon is uniquely well-positioned to put a dent in UPS and FedEx's duopoly due to its strategic position as the leading online retailer in the US.
  • Amazon can carry its trust amongst the public, a wealth of consumer data, and its ability to craft a more personalized delivery experience to the last-mile delivery space to ultimately dethrone UPS and FedEx.
  • The top priority for Amazon in taking on UPS and FedEx needs to be offering substantially lower shipping rates — one-third of US retailers say they'll switch to an Amazon shipping service if it's at least 20% cheaper than UPS and FedEx. 

In full, the report:

  • Outlines Amazon's current shipping and logistics footprint and strengths that it would bring to the last-mile delivery space in the US.
  • Lays out concrete steps that Amazon must take if it wants to launch a standalone last-mile delivery service, including how it can offer a more memorable, higher-quality delivery experience than UPS and FedEx.
  • Illustrates how Amazon can minimize operating costs for a delivery service to ultimately undercut UPS and FedEx's shipping rates in the last-mile space.

 

SEE ALSO: Amazon and Walmart are building out delivery capabilities

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Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos may split his $137 billion fortune in half when they divorce — here's what typically happens when billionaires break up

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Jeff Bezos divorce money 4x3

  • Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, announced on Twitter Wednesday that he and his wife, MacKenzie Bezos, are divorcing after a 25-year marriage.
  • Bezos, who has a reported net worth of nearly $137 billion, lives in Washington, a community property state — all assets acquired during marriage are to be divided equally if the Bezoses didn't sign a prenup or postnup dictating otherwise.
  • This means Bezos might have to sell stock, which could affect his control of Amazon, according to a CNBC report.
  • When billionaires like Bezos get divorced, they more commonly have to deal with complex and illiquid assets, company issues, and public perception, say divorce attorneys.

Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, announced on Twitter Wednesday that he and his wife, MacKenzie Bezos, are divorcing after 25 years of marriage. 

Could the world's richest man end up in the world's most expensive divorce of all time? It depends.

For Bezos, who has a reported net worth of nearly $137 billion, there's a lot more at stake than there is in a typical divorce — as is often the case with high-net-worth couples.

"The major thing for billionaires is that most of the time, their assets are very complex and mostly illiquid — with Bezos, a lot of his assets are linked to Amazon stock," Jacqueline Newman, matrimonial law attorney and managing partner of Berkman Bottger Newman & Rodd, LLP, told Business Insider.

The Bezoses' state of residence, Washington, further complicates matters for Bezos' Amazon holdings. It's a community property state, which means wealth accrued during his and MacKenzie's marriage could be split in half, Karin J. Lundell, matrimonial and trust and estate partner at Rower LLC, told Business Insider.

However, such distribution could be altered if the Bezoses signed a prenuptial or a postnuptial agreement, she said.  "Often, very wealthy people have prenups that lay out the division of their property. A prenup can carve out certain things and say 'we'll divide this up.'"

It's unclear whether the Bezoses have a prenup. If they don't, MacKenzie could receive up to $66 billion based on Amazon's value under the community property law, Robert Frank of CNBC reported.

Read more: There are 2 types of contracts married couples can sign to protect their money — here's what it means if divorcing billionaires Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos never signed one

"To fund a settlement that big, Bezos would have to sell or pledge shares, which could dilute his ownership and control of the company," he wrote, reporting that Bezos owns less than 16% of Amazon, equivalent to nearly 80 million shares.

A fortune tied to company stock, like Amazon, complicates divorce for billionaire couples

Having a net worth tied to company stock is an issue billionaires like Bezos often have to contend with in a divorce. Deciding what to do can get tricky — you could transfer the stock itself, but if you do, you could lose control of the company depending on your stake, Newman said, adding, "If Bezos sold a stock, then they can cash out."

That doesn't mean that's what will happen in Bezos's case, though.

"Divorce attorneys say that it is highly likely MacKenzie would want the family fortune to continue to grow — and that is tied large part to Jeff Bezos' control of the company," Frank wrote. "So she would be unlikely to push for a settlement that would require him to sell shares that would dilute his control — and any reduction of his 15% stake in the company."

But running a company brings more issues for divorcing billionaires than the possibility of having to transfer or sell a stock to fund a settlement and possibly lose company control.

"Most of the time, it's valuation issues — how to value assets in business," Lundell said. "The publicly traded stocks are easy to value — you don't want to sell because that causes fluctuation. [It's] business interests that are harder to value and are more complex assets — [like] the Washington Post; we don't know the value of that."

Read more: Billionaire couple Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos live in one of the best states in the US to get divorced if your spouse is loaded — here are the rest

With assets that are hard to value and hard to liquidate, divorce proceedings can take longer because there's a more complex evaluation, according to Newman.

And for billionaires in the public eye, like Bezos, there's also the issue of how the divorce will affect the company itself, Newman said: "They could be distracted or emotionally charged, there could be concern about whether there will be a transfer of actual shares and who's running the company, [and] stocks could go down."

For high-net-worth individuals not tied to a company, their public image could be just as important, Newman added, like an actor or public figure needing to deal with tabloid fodder.

But for Bezos, she said, "The concern is the company and the shares, that's the biggest issue. Beyond that, children are involved. When you're dealing with people of these levels, there are a lot of cooks in the kitchen, a lot of vested interest."

SEE ALSO: Billionaires Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos may be divorcing, but research suggests the richer people are, the more likely they are to get — and stay — married

DON'T MISS: Jeff Bezos' divorce could rank among the most expensive of all time — here are the 10 costliest divorces ever

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NOW WATCH: Japanese lifestyle guru Marie Kondo explains how to organize your home once and never again

Chinese tech giant Baidu is making a play for the next big thing after cloud computing (BIDU)

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Robin Li Baidu

  • On Wednesday, Chinese cloud company and search giant Baidu announced OpenEdge, the first open source edge computing platform out of the country. 
  • Edge computing is poised to become the next thing after cloud computing — it brings processing power to "edge devices" like smart home appliances and wearables.
  • China's open source community is growing, and Baidu has previously led other open source platforms like the autonomous driving platform Apollo and the artificial intelligence framework PaddlePaddle.
  • Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services are investing heavily in edge computing, as well. 

Baidu has just announced China's first open source edge computing platform – reflecting the country's growing open source community. 

Baidu, a cloud company and search giant sometimes known as the "Google of China," unveiled OpenEdge at the Consumer Electronics Show on Wednesday.

"Edge computing is becoming more commonplace due to the rise of IoT devices," Zun Wang, a Baidu spokesperson, told Business Insider. "It brings different kinds of compute power, especially for AI processing, to the edges of your network, allowing close proximity of your data source with the cloud."

Edge computing means that the processing power is shifted away from the cloud and towards the "edge"— which is to say closer to the users who are using it. For example, edge devices might be gadgets people use each day, such as PCs, smartphones and tablets, or Internet of Things gadgetry like wearables and smart home appliances.

With OpenEdge, developers can build their own edge computing systems and deploy them on various devices and hardware. This platform include features that allow users program devices to collect data, send messages to each other, and generally "learn" from user behavior. 

Previously, Baidu has led other open source projects like Apollo, its autonomous driving platform, and PaddlePaddle, an artificial intelligence framework. It also offers cloud services that are based on open source software created by other companies. 

However, this is Baidu's first open source initiative in edge computing, and the first coming out of China. Baidu hopes open sourcing this will improve the development of edge computing globally. It's generally believed in the industry that developments in artificial intelligence, coupled with the rising demand for smart gadgets, self-driving cars, and industrial robotics, mean that edge computing will be the next big thing after cloud computing.

Read more: One of the biggest trends in tech over the last decade has been the shift to cloud computing — and we're seeing the first signs of what might be next

"The explosive growth of IoT devices and rapid adoption of AI is fueling great demand for edge computing," Watson Yin, Baidu Vice President and GM of Baidu Cloud, said in a statement. "And by providing an open source platform, we have also greatly simplified the process for developers to create their own edge computing applications."

More recently, Baidu has been focusing on artificial intelligence and cloud computing. OpenEdge was originally designed as a part of Baidu Intelligent Edge, a commercial software product that works with Baidu Cloud, and will include functions to manage different edge computing applications.

"We wanted to let developers build their own edge computing system as well as contribute functions and edge apps to the existing platform," said Wang, the Baidu spokesperson.

McFly, an agriculture technology company, has used Baidu's software in drones to collect data about crops that helps it lower pesticide use. This is just one possible application of edge computing.

Similarly, Microsoft Azure also has an open source edge computing project, and offers edge computing services to developers. Amazon Web Services also offers edge computing services, but the underlying software is not available as open source. 

Currently, China is seeing its slowest growth in decades, but despite the economic slowdown, analysts predict Baidu's annual revenue increased by 20% in 2018.

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NOW WATCH: 7 science-backed ways to a happier and healthier 2019 that you can do the first week of the new year

41 celebrities you probably forgot appeared on 'Brooklyn Nine-Nine'

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holt, gina, frederick brooklyn nine nine

  • "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" is returning for its sixth season.
  • The show has featured a number of guest stars so far. 
  • Actors including Pete Davidson and Eva Longoria have appeared.

"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" features a large cast of lovable and wacky characters.

And between criminals, family members of the Nine-Nine's employee, and fellow public service members, there are plenty of opportunities to add colorful guest stars into the mix.

Celebrities, such as Maya Rudolph and Nick Offerman, have been on the show. 

Fox canceled "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" in 2018, but NBC saved it less than 24 hours later, so now there's even more opportunity for cameos. 

Here are 41 celebrities you might have forgotten have been on "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." 

"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" returns Thursday at 9 p.m. ET on NBC.

Patton Oswalt joined the cast as FDNY Fire Marshal Boone for two episodes on season one.

He refuses to let Jake and Charles visit a crime scene when their favorite pizza place burns down. He returns a few episodes later for a football game between FDNY and the Nine-Nine.



Jake met Katie Peralta, his half-sister played by Nasim Pedrad, on season five.

She's good at conning people. 



Niecy Nash guest-starred on season three as Debbie, Holt's younger sister.

Debbie is dramatic. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Dollar General is growing at a rate that is 'unthinkable' in retail, but there's a key reason why it probably won't fall into the same trap as its rivals (DG)

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Dollar General

  • Dollar General is on a path to dominate America. It is on track to open 900 stores in fiscal 2018 and a further 975 in fiscal year 2019, which begins in February.
  • The dollar store has been described as growing at a pace that is largely"unthinkable" in retail.
  • While such rapid growth comes with risks, analysts say Dollar General is in a unique position to avoid many of those challenges.

Dollar General wants to become America's local store. 

The discount chain has been spreading its reach across the United States at a rapid rate over the past few years, growing at a pace that is largely "unthinkable" in retail, analysts say.

And it has no plans to slow down. After opening stores at a rate of four a day in 2018, Dollar General plans to open 975 more in 2019. 

Because of this, Dollar General has become somewhat of an anomaly in a sector that is currently known for its headlines of store closings and bankruptcies. The dollar-store segment has come out of the so-called "retail apocalypse" relatively unscathed as customers prioritize value over everything else and find the treasure-hunt-style shopping experience appealing. 

But such rapid growth does not come without risks, even for a retailer that finds itself in a 28-year sales growth steak. 

Retail analyst Neil Saunders told Business Insider that there is still a lot of opportunity for Dollar General to grow in the US. However, the retailer could risk cannibalizing sales at its existing locations if it opens too many new stores.

Saunders said that through his research at GlobalData Retail, he has noticed that rural areas of the northeastearn US, such as Massachusetts, upstate New York, and some parts of New Hampshire and Vermont, have seen a dilution in sales densities because of the overlap between stores.

"The challenge is to make sure that this is kept in check," he said. 

A spokesperson for Dollar General did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment on the company's specific strategy for opening stores, but said that it takes demographic trends, competitive factors, traffic patterns, and community concerns into consideration.

Read more:Dollar General is taking over rural America, and it should terrify Walmart

The potential downsides to such rapid growth may be less risky for Dollar General than for its brick-and-mortar rivals, however. That is because dollar stores are by nature less expensive to create, and they can be put up and taken down more quickly. 

"The risk of a dollar store expansion is lower than other retail concepts that require a lot more capital to expand," Moody's analyst Mickey Chadha told Business Insider.

He continued: "They are not putting in hundreds of millions of dollars to expand supercenters. If they do overexpand, it's not a good thing but it's something that they can retrench; it doesn't take a lot of money to get out because of the size of the store and the fact that the inventory is easily moveable."

Dollar General's stores are around 7,300 square feet, which is one-tenth the size of the average Walmart store. 

Dan Nieser, Dollar General's senior vice president of real estate and store development, told The Wall Street Journal in 2017 that it costs around $250,000 to open a new store, which is significantly less than what it costs a big-box retailer to build a new location. Its no-frills design — metal shelves, strip lighting, and cheap signage — also helps to keep costs down. 

But perhaps most crucially, Dollar General is in a unique position where it is more likely than its rivals to survive in times of economic crisis. That is because the discount model thrives in economic downturns, when value is key.   

"If we have a recession tomorrow, I think that is only beneficial for a dollar store," Chadha said.

SEE ALSO: We shopped at 3 of the biggest dollar-store chains in America to see which one offered the best experience, and the winner was clear

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NOW WATCH: Millennials and teens are making Gucci cool again. Here's how the brand nearly doubled its sales in 2018.

The 43 biggest movies coming out in 2019, which could propel the box office to another record-breaking year

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Toy Story 4 Disney

2018 was a huge year for the movie business.

There were record-breaking figures domestically ($11.9 billion), thanks to the domination by Disney, which was responsible for an incredible 26% of the market share, as well as surprise hits throughout the year like "A Quiet Place" and "A Star Is Born."

The international box office ($29.8 billion) also had a record year with big hitters like "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" proving their might, while movies like "Venom" and "Aquaman" showed they also had global appeal.

But here's the thing — 2019 has the potential to be even bigger!

With the final chapters in the current "Star Wars" and "Avengers" sagas coming out this year, plus (takes a deep breath) "Toy Story 4,""Captain Marvel,""Aladdin,""Lion King,""Frozen 2," a Quentin Tarantino movie ("Once Upon a Time in Hollywood"), a Jordan Peele movie ("Us"), the first "Fast and Furious" spin-off ("Hobbs & Shaw"), Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker, and Tom Hanks as Mister Rogers, on paper 2019 could be another record year.

Here are 43 movies you should definitely check out in 2019: 

SEE ALSO: The 29 hottest video games you shouldn't miss in 2019

“Glass” — January 18

Following "Unbreakable" and "Split," M. Night Shyamalan completes his unique comic book trilogy by bringing the characters (played by Bruce Willis, Samuel L. Jackson, and James McAvoy) together to face off in one movie.



“The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” — February 8

Emmet (voiced by Chris Pratt) returns, along with many of the characters from the hit first movie, to face a new evil — Lego Duplo. 



“Alita: Battle Angle” — February 13

A project that James Cameron was attached to for years (he's still listed as one of the screenwriters), it has since been taken over by Robert Rodriguez, who will bring to life this beloved manga using some of the best CGI.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Plaid snags API competitor Quovo for $200 million

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Plaid, a US fintech that enables consumers to connect their bank accounts to other financial services providers through application programming interfaces (APIs), has acquired Quovo, a similar startup, per a blog post.

How Open APIs Work

Although financial details have not been disclosed, Plaid is said to be paying around $200 million for its biggest competitor, according to Bloomberg citing three people familiar with the transaction. The acquisition of Quovo comes on the back of a major Series C funding round for Plaid last month, in which it raised $250 million from a number of big-name investors at a $2.65 billion valuation.

The tie-up with Quovo will enable Plaid to broaden its reach. Plaid connects consumers' bank accounts in the US with services from fintechs like Robinhood, Coinbase, and Acorns. And, according to the startup, 25% of US consumers with bank accounts have connected to other financial services apps using Plaid, per CNBC. The startup has also signed on major financial institutions (FIs), including Capital One and JPMorgan Chase.

Although Quovo also allows consumers to connect their accounts to other financial apps, these are usually investment and brokerage services. Among the companies it connects to are fintechs like Betterment and Wealthfront, as well as incumbents like Vanguard. As such, the tie-up expands the FIs Plaid connects to, providing it with a broader view of a customer's financial life, CEO Zach Perret told CNBC.

For instance, to see whether a prospective borrower could pay back a loan, a lender could ask a customer to see their bank account balance, which can be done through Plaid. The Quovo integration will bolster this by allowing those platforms to ask to view other assets like brokerage accounts, Perret explained.

Plaid is in a prime position to capitalize on the digital revolution taking hold in financial services. Digitalization in financial services continues to accelerate at pace around the world, with authorities in markets like the UK and Europe introducing regulations to drive this evolution.

Open banking legislation, which mandates FIs to share their troves of data at their customers' request with fintechs and other third-party providers, is a key part of this regulatory movement. As such, the acquisition of Quovo not only entrenches Plaid’s position in the US as a go-to provider of financial services APIs, but also opens the door for significant global expansion.

Even in the US, where no such legal requirements exist, developments last year suggest industry players are moving toward open banking. Given this, Plaid’s latest play is like to see the firm heavily rewarded in the future.

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SEE ALSO: THE FINTECH ECOSYSTEM: How the line between fintechs and incumbents will continue to blur — and what the future of fintech will look like

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Buzzy $2 billion gaming startup Improbable has been dealt a major blow thanks to a weird fight with Unity

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Improbable

  • Buzzy British game tech startup Improbable says its cloud gaming platform has been blocked by Unity.
  • Improbably says that Unity, which claims to be the most popular game engine, changed its terms of conditions to block Improbable's SpatialOS platform.
  • The move jeopardises all games built on SpatialOS and Unity, with at least one developer pulling their game offline until the dispute is resolved.
  • Improbable has raised more than $600 million from backers such as SoftBank, and is worth around $2 billion.

Gaming technology firm Improbable has been dealt a blow after game engine Unity blocked the startup's core technology.

UK-based Improbable is valued at $2.2 billion and has raised around $600 million from backers such as SoftBank for its SpatialOS cloud gaming platform. SpatialOS plugs into different game engines — such as Unity —  and allows third-party game developers to create massive online worlds. 

Almost half of all games in the world are built on Unity, according to Unity's CEO.

According to a post published by Improbable on Thursday, Unity altered its terms and conditions in December to "disallow services like Improbable's to function with their engine."

According to Improbable, Unity hasn't given much further explanation.

"Overnight, this is an action by Unity that has immediately done harm to projects across the industry, including those of extremely vulnerable or small scale developers and damaged major projects in development over many years," Improbable wrote.

The change jeopardises the lineup of current and future games developed on Unity and Improbable's SpatialOS, which remains a nascent platform.

One game studio that was early in adopting SpatialOS, UK-based Spilt Milk, said it was pulling its multiplayer shooter "Lazarus" offline.

The company wrote on Twitter: "Hi – we’ve got some really bad news. Due to a dispute between Improbable & Unity we have to shut down the Lazarus servers. It’s going to be down for an undetermined amount of time, basically until the dispute is resolved, one way or another."

Other developers are awaiting clarification about how their games will be affected. UK-based Bossa Studios launched the massively multiplayer online world "Worlds Adrift"to much fanfare in 2018

Worlds Adrift

Bossa CEO Henrique Olifiers told Business Insider it was too early to say whether the company would need to pull the game offline, and that the firm was awaiting clarification.

Improbable placed the blame squarely on Unity, and said the change could leave game creators in a difficult situation financially. The company said it was planning an emergency fund to help its partners.

The firm wrote "For now, we believe this unfortunate and counterproductive action to be an error in judgement or coordination failure within Unity. We are urgently working to clarify this situation and believe that a swift resolution may be possible."

An Improbable spokesman told Business Insider that it was difficult to estimate the potential financial impact on the startup, but added that the situation with Unity was "unique." 

If the license change remains in place, it could put developers off using SpatialOS in future. The spokesman said Improbable was in the process of updating all of its partners.

The change is a blow, but won't impact all games running on SpatialOS. Midwinter Entertainment's upcoming "Scavengers", which is partly funded by Improbable, will run on Unreal, for example. 

Business Insider has contacted Unity for comment.

SEE ALSO: SoftBank-backed Improbable doubled its valuation to $2 billion after raising $50 million from a Chinese gaming giant

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NOW WATCH: British Airways has a $13 million flight simulator that taught us how to take off, fly, and land an airplane

A leaked memo shows that Bloomberg had reached $10 billion in annual revenue and some insiders will receive a special bonus

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Mike Bloomberg

  • Bloomberg LP has surpassed $10 billion in annual revenue for the first time.
  • Hitting this milestone means some employees will receive bonuses worth tens of thousands of dollars, or 25% of their average annual compensation, that are paid out in March.
  • Bloomberg, known for its terminals that are ubiquitous on Wall Street trading floors, has lately shifted its revenue mix to new sources like selling data. 

Bloomberg LP, the financial data and information company, brought in record revenue in 2018, surpassing $10 billion for the first time, according to insiders who were informed by senior management. 

While the milestone would be something in itself, it also means some employees are in line to receive an additional bonus thanks to an incentive plan set up years ago to entice staff to push for revenue gains. 

Bloomberg employees who joined the company before 2013 will receive an added bonus paid out in March, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Staff who worked at the media company when the incentive program was first announced in 2008 are eligible to receive 25% of their average annual compensation over the period, while those who joined later will have their payout prorated, according to a memo sent to employees and viewed by Business Insider. 

Nearly half of the almost 20,000 employees are eligible for some payout and were told last week, the person said. 

Bloomberg leaked memo

 

The payout could have been higher if Bloomberg had hit the $10 billion mark sooner. The NYPost reported in December 2010 that the firm told employees that the bonus, known as 10B, would equal 70% of their average pay (calculated over some time period) if it reached $10 billion in revenue by June 2014. Later than that, the bonus as a percentage of annual revenue gradually declined. At the time, 12-month trailing revenue was less than $7 billion.  

But by 2012, expectations for reaching $10 billion in revenue had run into the reality of the financial crisis and job cuts across Wall Street, which limited pricey terminals installs that run north of $24,000 a year. In a memo late that year, according to Politico, Bloomberg told employees it would pay them an interim bonus in 2014, with the remainder paid out whenever the firm reached $10 billion in revenue.

Bloomberg, known for its terminals that are ubiquitous on Wall Street trading floors, finally reached the milestone by diversifying away from those machines, Jennifer Milton, an analyst at Burton-Taylor International Consulting, wrote in a LinkedIn post earlier this week

Growth in Bloomberg's non-terminal revenue such as data and research tools outpaced the terminal revenue in 2018, and now accounts for 23% of total revenue, she wrote. The post also mentioned the $10 billion revenue figure, saying it was an estimate.

A Bloomberg spokesman declined to comment. 

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The best neckband Bluetooth headphones you can buy

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The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

the best neckband bluetooth headphones

Headphones are getting better and better. Gone are the days when getting good private audio meant having to buy bulky and expensive over-ear headphones. These days, in-ear headphones sound pretty great — and they're much more convenient, too. Neckband-style headphones help give in-ear headphones a better battery life, more convenient controls, and more.

Of course, there are a ton of neckband headphones available for purchase, and they're not all created equal. Because of that, it can be hard to figure out which neckband headphones are right for your needs. When buying headphones, there are a number of things to keep in mind. For starters, you'll want to think about the features you want.

Most neckband headphones have a microphone built in to them for things like phone calls, but you'll also want to think about whether or not you want water-resistance, in case you sweat a lot or get caught in the rain, as well as the connectivity standard you want to use. Pretty much all neckband headphones connect through Bluetooth, but you should lok for the latest standard: Bluetooth 5.0.

It's also worth considering how long of a battery life you want. One of the advantages of all that extra room around the neck is that you can include a larger battery — and as a result, most neckband headphones offer at least 10 hours of use.

Here are the best neckband Bluetooth headphones you can buy:

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

The best neckband headphones overall

Why you'll love them: The V-Moda Forza Metallo Wireless headphones feature a great design, excellent sound-quality, and aren't too expensive — making them easily the best neckband-style headphones.

V-Moda has an excellent track record when it comes to building headphones that are high-quality and great-sounding, and as a result its headphones have topped this list. When it comes to neckband-style headphones, we think the V-Moda Forza Metallo Wireless headphones are the ones to get.

There are a number of reasons we like these headphones so much. For starters, they feature a great design. On the left of the neckband, you'll get playback controls that are relatively easy to use and feel high-quality, and on the right, you'll find a power button. There's a somewhat large bulge at the back of the headphones, but it likely serves as a way to store a bigger battery. The headphones have a 10-hour battery life, which is good for wireless headphones.

Then there's sound quality, which is excellent. The headphones offer great bass response, but they don't go over the top. You'll get nice and punchy kick drums and thick bass tones without the bass sounding unnatural. There's plenty of warmth in the low mids, and there's excellent high-end response, too, which ensures that music will sound detailed and exciting.

So what about downsides? The only real downside is that the battery could be a little longer, but the battery life isn't necessarily bad either — it's just middle-of-the-road. Because of the great features and sound quality, Trusted Reviews gave the headphones 9/10, while Headphone Review scored them a slightly more conservative 8.4.

Pros: Nice design, excellent sound-quality, comfortable

Cons: Battery life could be better

Buy the V-Moda Forza Metallo Wireless headphones on Amazon for $129.99



The best noise cancelling neckband headphones

Why you'll love them: The Bose QuietControl 30 headphones look good and sound great, too, but the best thing about them is their excellent noise cancellation technology.

There are plenty of great neckband headphones on the market, but few of them come with noise cancellation technology. If you want noise cancelling neckband headphones, then we recommend the Bose QuietControl 30 headphones, which offer a great sound and good design, with the noise cancelling tech that Bose has become known for.

There are a number of things that make these great headphones. For starters, they're very well-designed, featuring easy-to-use playback controls on the right arm. They're also pretty comfortable, both around the neck, and in the ears.

Ultimately, however, the most important thing to consider is how the headphones sound, and they sound great. The headphones offer nice, pronounced bass, a scooped but still good-sounding midrange, and well-tuned high-end. Sure, they may not be the most natural-sounding headphones out there, but for most, having natural-sounding headphones isn't all that important, as long as they still sound good — and they do.

And, of course, they have noise cancellation, which is well-implemented and good at cutting out any outside noise.

So what are the downsides here? Well the biggest is perhaps the price. At $299, the headphones aren't necessarily cheap. Despite that, however, many reviewers love the headphones — TechRadar scored them 4/5 stars, while TechHive went further with a rating of 4.5 stars.

Pros: Good sound, comfortable, well-designed

Cons: Expensive

Buy the Bose QuietControl 30 headphones on Amazon for $299



The best neckband headphones for sports

Why you'll love them: The JBL UA Sport Wireless Flex headphones look relatively nice, plus they feature a customizable fit, which is perfect for use during sports.

Looking for a pair of neckband headphones to take to the gym? Neckband headphones may not be the most conducive for sports use, but there are still some great options out there — like, for example, the JBL UA Sport Wireless Flex headphones, which are the result of a partnership between JBL and Under Armor.

So what makes the JBL UA Sport Wireless Flex headphones so great? Well, for starters, they're relatively easy to use, which is great news for those who need quick access to their headphones when they're running or at the gym.

The headphones are also pretty comfortable and good at staying on your neck without moving around too much. That's thanks in part to the adjustable design, which allows you to tighten or loosen the neckband when you want. They even have a light on the back, which is great for those who like to run or cycle at night.

When it comes to sound quality, the headphones are pretty nice. For those that like a bit of an extra kick when they work out, there's plenty of bass, while mids are relatively warm. The high-end sounds fine, but it's not quite as detailed as we might have liked — though for many, bass response will be more important anyway.

Plenty of reviewers loved the headphones, too. TechHive gave the headphones 4/5, while Headphone Review gave them a slightly more conservative 7.4/10.

Pros: Well-designed and customizable, relatively inexpensive

Cons: Don't sound as good as others

Buy the JBL UA Sport Wireless Flex headphones on Best Buy for $129.99



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We’re hiring a VP of Subscription Marketing

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boss employee work computer

We’re hiring a VP of Subscription Marketing to aggressively grow subscriptions and lead our marketing team from our New York office. Insider Inc.’s subscriptions team is passionate about producing research products that help industry leaders transform their organizations using emerging digital technologies, along with premium business news in finance, markets, enterprise, and tech.

 

Job overview

Insider Inc. is an organization of doers from the top on down. We’re looking for someone who is a fountain of good ideas, moves fast, and loves to experiment, build, and iterate. It’s a role for someone with at least 7 years of email marketing experience, who is deeply curious about what compels people to take action and who has the technical and data chops to test their theories, build a strategy, and drive results.

As a team leader you’ll be responsible for our developing our marketing strategy, driving subscriptions, optimization, and engagement through email campaigns, maintaining relationships with technology vendors, forming new partnerships, and managing our marketing team. The VP of Subscription Marketing will also collaborate with stakeholders responsible for email across Insider.

 

Responsibilities:

  • Build the vision and growth strategy of digital subscription marketing at Insider. Meet aggressive free and paid subscription signup goals to support individual / consumer business, as well as qualification and lead generation for enterprise business. Iterate quickly, generate new ideas, and double-down on winners.
     

  • Optimize and execute on email. Develop and execute email campaigns to meet engagement, lead generation, and conversion goals. Optimize email campaigns and engagement. Delight our readers and subscribers.
     

  • Develop a friction-free marketing funnel. From emails to landing pages to sign-ups to product/content delivery, make it a frictionless experience for our readers. Dive into audience data to make campaigns even better and remove sources of friction from our conversion process to create hassle-free sign ups across channels.
     

  • Lead and train a high-performing team of digitally-savvy marketers to support the strategic goals of the business.
     

  • Stay up to date on the newest digital tools and tactics in digital marketing. Review, recommend, and manage tools, services, and vendors. Evaluate, hire, and develop relationships with existing and new platforms, partners and vendors.

 

Qualifications:

  • 7+ years in marketing with an exceptional digital and email marketing background

  • Top-notch organizational skills and attention to detail

  • Goal-oriented, data-driven, and errs on the side of action

  • Technical expertise in digital analytics tools (Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, ComScore etc.)

  • Ability to closely manage timelines on concurrent campaigns supporting diverse business goals

  • Up-to-date on industry developments and competitors and active in the media community

  • Excellent technical implementation skills in HTML, email CRM platforms, etc.

  • Solid experience managing a team of dedicated marketing professionals

  • Hands on experience with paid digital campaigns (PPC, display, Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and managing budgets, overseeing vendors, platforms

 

If this sounds like a great job for you, please apply online and include a cover letter highlighting why you’d be a good fit for the role

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