Although share prices of Uber have not dropped significantly since its terrible first two days, the ride-hailing company is still a long way off of its initial $120 billion valuation. Its competitor Lyft has had a similarly unimpressive IPO, disappointing many investors who hoped both companies would debut strongly on the market. But while these firms are performing well below Wall Street’s expectations, one new tech stock is dazzling shareholders and making competitors pay attention.

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On Friday we looked at how Uber drivers around the world went on strike in the lead up to the company’s highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO). In the years before it debuted on the New York Stock Exchange, Uber was once valued at more than $120 billion by private investors. But just a few days into its IPO, however, the company is now worth about half that amount. On its first day of trading, Uber shares opened at $3 Continue reading

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Today, Uber will start to trade shares on the New York Stock Exchange in one of the mostly highly anticipated IPOs ever. Although the ride-hailing service had been pushing for a $100 billion valuation, it began the day trading at $45 per share, amounting to a valuation of about $82.4 billion. This enormous windfall will create instant fortunes for those who invested early in Uber. For the company’s millions of drivers, however, it’s unlikely they will benefit that much from Continue reading

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Although some brick and mortar retailers are managing to thrive in the age of e-commerce, many others haven’t been able to compete against rivals like Amazon. This includes a good portion of America’s once mighty malls that now either struggle to keep tenants or have shuttered completely. In an ironic twist, however, abandoned malls are currently being purchased by Amazon and other companies to serve as product distribution centers. This video details why the location and size of Continue reading

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If you’ve never seen a tiny Smart car puttering around the streets of your town, then you’re certainly not alone. The American public have taken little interest in these subcompact, battery-powered two seaters, with the German automaker selling less than 1,200 of its Fourtwo model in 2018. That’s why Smart’s parent company Daimler recently announced it would stop selling the car in the U.S. and Canada after this model year.

“Micro-cars” like these “make sense when you have small roads Continue reading

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Starting in the late 1990s, Atlanta business owner Frank Reiss struggled to keep his small bookstore in operation. Along with the growing dominance of Amazon, he also lost much of his lucrative rare book business to the online auction house eBay. Reiss considered closing his beloved A Capella Books in the early 2000s until his father suggested that hosting events with authors could turn things around for the better. The plan worked: A Cappella sold more than 500 books Continue reading

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On Tuesday we looked at how Marvel fans recently packed movie theaters across the country for Avengers: Endgame. Many of these viewers likely enjoyed the movie alongside an overflowing bag of popcorn and boxes of candy, snacks that can leave quite a mess in the aisles. Most people probably assume that movie theater ushers are responsible for cleaning up the stray kernels and soda spills leftover by the day’s customers. But while these employees sweep up between screenings, the Continue reading

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April 30, 2019

This weekend Marvel released Avengers: Endgame, the final installment of the original “Cinematic Universe” that the company built across 22 films over the last decade. Perhaps the most anticipated movie of the year, millions of people all over the world flocked to theaters to watch the conclusion to this massive franchise. In fact, this weekend Avengers: Endgame rocketed to the No. 1 box office spot in 54 countries as it earned $1.2 billion worldwide. The movie brought in $350 Continue reading

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April 26, 2019

In 2018 Americans received as many as 48 billion unwanted robocalls from telemarketers and scammers. Although legislators have tried to put a stop to these irritating interruptions, completely stamping out unwanted or fraudulent robocalls appears to be a nearly impossible task. This video shows how the power of the Internet as well as regulatory loopholes allow robocallers to operate without much interference.

Questions:

  1. Why is it often difficult for regulators to collect penalties issued against robocall companies?
  2. Why can’t regulators Continue reading
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April 25, 2019

Last week, Samsung sent review copies of its new Galaxy Fold smartphone to the nation’s top tech publications in anticipation of its official release. Unlike standard smartphones, the Galaxy Fold can expand to a 7.3 inch display thanks to a hinge connected to a small exterior touchscreen. But according to critics, this unique folding feature led to all sorts of technical problems.

Some reviewers peeled off a “protective layer” placed over the Galaxy Fold’s screen that they mistook for a Continue reading

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