YouTube announced on Monday that it’s expanding video action campaigns (one of Google’s interactive ad types for video) to connected televisions (CTV) to make YouTube ads more shoppable. The company says this new move will help advertisers drive more online sales and grow their businesses. For context, when viewers see a video action campaign on […]
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NASA’s ‘Armageddon’-style asteroid deflection mission takes off in November
NASA has a launch date for that most Hollywood of missions, the Double Asteroid Redirection Test, which is basically a dry run of the movie Armageddon, Unlike the film, this will not involve nukes, oil rigs, or Aerosmith, but instead is a practical test of our ability to change the trajectory of an asteroid in […]
NHTSA rejects petition for formal investigation into Tesla’s battery management software
The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration rejected a 2019 petition requesting the agency open a formal investigation into Tesla’s battery management software over allegations that an over-the-air update was defective and caused fires in five vehicles. The agency decided not to open a formal investigation in part because the majority of those incidents occurred […]
NFT sales surge to $10.7 billion in Q3 as crypto asset frenzy hits new highs
October 4, 2021 By Elizabeth Howcroft LONDON (Reuters) – Sales volumes of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) surged to $10.7 billion in the third quarter of 2021, up more than eightfold from the previous quarter, according to data from market tracker DappRadar, as the frenzy for crypto assets reached new highs. NFTs use blockchain to record the […]
From soundstage to space: “Star Trek” actor Shatner on board for Blue Origin rocket launch
October 4, 2021 By David Shepardson and Jonathan Allen WASHINGTON (Reuters) -William Shatner, the “Star Trek” actor who found fame by pretending a Hollywood soundstage was a spaceship exploring the galaxy, will be launched to the edge of space for real next week in a rocket built by Blue Origin, billionaire Jeff Bezos’ space company. […]
Factbox-How could U.S. Senate Democrats raise the debt limit on their own?
October 4, 2021 (Reuters) – The U.S. Congress has about two weeks to raise the federal government’s $28.4 trillion debt ceiling or cause a historic default that would take a heavy toll on the economy. The parties are deadlocked over how to do so. Minority Republicans want the Senate to use a parliamentary maneuver known […]
U.N. chief: Unchecked debt ‘dagger through heart’ for global recovery
October 4, 2021 By Michelle Nichols NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Monday that if left unchecked debt distress in the world’s most vulnerable countries would be “a dagger through the heart of global recovery” from the coronavirus pandemic. “The international community has taken a few positive steps, but it is […]
No-code mobile website builder Universe launches new themes, block features and more
Mobile website building platform Universe has launched a new update that brings advanced creative controls, enhanced themes, block features and more to its grid-based web builder. Universe allows users to create a custom site or open an e-commerce store directly from a mobile phone through a simplified grid system without the need for coding. The […]
Chime’s Chris Britt and Menlo Ventures’ Shawn Carolan to talk fintech on TechCrunch Live
In a world where fintech is so hot right now, and investors are being swept up by their excitement for the space, Chime has managed to ride the wave to near perfection. The company has raised upwards of $2.6 billion, including a fresh $750 million just this year. The startup, playing in the fee-free banking […]
Tunisian president appoints ambassador to U.S.
October 4, 2021 TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisian President Kais Saied appointed Hanene Tajouri Bessassi as ambassador to the United States, he said on Monday, weeks after he dismissed her predecessor without explanation. Saied has removed numerous officials from their posts since July 25, when he sacked the prime minister, suspended parliament and assumed executive authority […]
Bank of America launches research coverage for digital assets
October 4, 2021 (Reuters) – Bank of America Corp published its first research coverage focused on cryptocurrencies and other digital assets on Monday, joining other mainstream financial institutions as they strengthen their involvement with the asset class. The move, earlier reported by Bloomberg News, was confirmed later by a BofA spokesperson. The “digital asset universe […]
Exxon exodus turns floating ‘cube’ into Internet meme
October 4, 2021 By Gary McWilliams HOUSTON (Reuters) – Exxon Mobil’s trophy U.S. campus is becoming an Internet meme. The visually stunning complex, sometimes compared to Apple’s ring and Alphabet’s Googleplex campuses, opened in 2014 as Exxon stood atop of the global oil market. Its centerpiece is a giant cube that appears to float above […]
‘No Time to Die’ opens with $121 million in international box office sales
October 4, 2021 (Fixes hyperlink in last graf) LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -The latest James Bond movie took a mighty $121 million at the international box office over its opening weekend, Universal Pictures said on Monday. The British and Irish box office led the way with a total of $35 million, making “No Time to Die” […]
White House says it is in touch over Taiwan
October 4, 2021 WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Biden administration is in private communication over Chinese actions with regard to Taiwan, the White House said on Monday, after Taiwan’s defense ministry reported that China’s air force had sent aircraft into its air defense zone. “We are also in touch privately, conveying clear messages through diplomatic channels, […]
Facebook stock falls as global outage continues
Facebook’s stock took a dive Monday as the site suffered one of its worst outages of the past decade with services across its entire suite of products going offline while the tech company struggled to even bring its own internal services back online. The stock ended the day down nearly 5%, with Facebook shedding tens […]
GraphWear closes $20.5M Series B for a needle-free, nanotech-powered glucose monitor
GraphWear, a company pursuing needle-free approaches to glucose monitoring, has closed a $20.5 million Series B round. This series B round is a vote of confidence by investors in GraphWear’s approach: to monitor key metrics in the body, like glucose, without breaking the skin at all. GraphWear Technologies was founded in 2015 by Rajatesh Gudibande […]
France, Spain urge pan-European response to energy price surge
October 4, 2021 By Jan Strupczewski LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) -France and Spain on Monday called for a coordinated European response to the surge in global energy prices to protect Europe’s poorest citizens, the competitiveness of its businesses and its 2050 plan to cut greenhouse emissions. The call, along with ideas shared by European Union governments during […]
Calpers’ CEO Frost hopes COP26 yields more green-investing data
October 4, 2021 By Ross Kerber BOSTON (Reuters) – An upcoming United Nations climate summit will give world leaders a chance to push for standardized measures of areas like corporate carbon emissions, the head of the largest U.S. pension fund said on Monday. Marcie Frost, chief executive of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, said […]
Dollar edges down as traders await U.S. jobs data
October 4, 2021 By Saqib Iqbal Ahmed NEW YORK (Reuters) -The dollar slipped against a basket of currencies on Monday, pulling back from the 1-year high hit last week, as traders looked to U.S. jobs data at the end of the week for clues to the Federal Reserve’s next move. The U.S. Dollar Currency Index, […]
Exclusive-Bank of Mexico’s rate hike cycle not over, deputy governor says
October 4, 2021 By Anthony Esposito MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -The Bank of Mexico’s cycle of rate hikes is not yet over and one or two increases are likely forthcoming amid concerns about inflation, though any monetary policy moves will depend on incoming data, Deputy Governor Jonathan Heath said on Monday. Expressing concern about above-target inflation, […]