Isobel Asher Hamilton

isobel@thedailyupside.com

Isobel Asher Hamilton (she/her) is a senior reporter at The Daily Upside. Previously she worked at Business Insider and Mashable. She specializes in covering Big Tech, social media, and AI. Isobel is based in London.

Big Tech

2024: The Year Big Tech Got into the Energy Game

Photo by Lukas Lehotsky via Unsplash

This year Big Tech got into the energy game in a big way, and if it wants to chase AI it’ll need even more energy in years to come.

2 min read
Big Tech

2024: The Year the DOJ Cracked Google

Photo by Bastian Riccardi via Pexels

US antitrust enforcement against Big Tech kicked up a gear in 2024 when the DOJ won its case against Google. Does Big Tech need to worry?

2 min read
Social Media

2024: The Year Reddit Grew Up

Photo via Connor Lin / The Daily Upside

Reddit went public this year and is inching towards profitability, a mere 19 years after it was founded, and the future looks bright.

1 min read
Consumer

Lego is Carrying the Toy Industry

Photo via LEGO

The secret ingredients to Lego’s success? A clutch of licensing deals and finding ways to sell Lego sets to kids well over the age of 30.

2 min read
Big Tech

Meta Looks Back to the Metaverse with Rose-Tinted Ray-Bans

Photo via Ray-Ban

By expanding its partnership with Ray-Ban, Meta is turning its attention back to building futuristic hardware.

2 min read
Consumer

Amazon, Starbucks Both Hit with Holiday Strikes

Photo by Hapabapa via iStock

Though small compared to each company’s total workforces, work stoppages have set uncomfortable precedents for management.

2 min read
Technology

Smart Ring Maker Oura Doubles Valuation to $5.2 billion

Photo via Oura

One ring to rule them all… at least, Oura hopes so. On Thursday, it announced a new $200 million funding round.

2 min read
Energy

OPEC+ and Trump Circle Each Other, But US Producers Are Playing Their Own Game

Photo by Gage Skidmore via CC BY-SA 2.0

With Trump expected to chase increased oil exports and more drilling in the US, OPEC+’s fear of losing market share looms larger than ever.

2 min read
Consumer

Concert Tickets and Vacation Rentals Get Hit by FTC’s War on Junk Fees

Photo by Paolo V via CC BY 2.0

Don’t get too excited for cheaper Taylor Swift tickets: The rules just force sellers to present all the extra fees upfront.

2 min read
Industrials

Europe Spends $11 billion to have an Alternative to Starlink

Photo via ESA/Mlabspace

It’s part of the EU’s goal to build its own spacefaring infrastructure, reducing its dependence on US private companies.

2 min read
Artificial Intelligence

ByteDance is Winning the China AI Race. That’s Bad News for TikTok.

Photo by JHVEPhoto via iStock

ByteDance, the China-based TikTok owner and political punching bag, is emerging as the nation’s answer to OpenAI.

2 min read
Economics

How the Great Wealth Transfer is playing out for Billionaires

Photo illustration by Connor Lin / The Daily Upside, Photos by Jérémy Barande via CC BY-SA 2.0, David Shankbone via CC BY 3.0, Obama White House Archived, and U.S. Air Force / Trevor Cokley

The oldest among us are richer than ever, so are the richest. So what happens when the oldest and richest start passing their wealth along?

5 min read
Autos

Nvidia Wants to Be Indispensable to the Self-Driving Industry Also

Photo via Nvidia Media Assets

After making itself an integral part of the supply chain for generative AI, Nvidia is eyeing other futuristic tech bets.

2 min read
Autos

Amazon Sells Cars Now

Photo by Nischal Kanishk via Unsplash

Amazon touts itself as the everything store, and now there’s one more market it’s absorbing into its everythingness.

1 min read
Media & Entertainment

Advertising Agencies Consolidate in the Face of Big Tech

Photo by Wdstock via iStock

The transaction would create the world’s largest advertising agency — that is, if you don’t count Big Tech players like Google and Amazon.

1 min read
Industries

Natural Disasters Cost the Insurance Industry $135 billion this year

Photo by Library of Congress via Unsplash

So far this year, hurricanes, thunderstorms, and floods have cost the insurance industry a collective $135 billion in losses.

1 min read
Consumer

Political Pressure Mounts on Shein and Temu

Photo by Jetcityimage via iStock

Shein and Temu have been able to keep the costs on their platforms alarmingly low, but there’s been a hidden political cost racking up.

2 min read
Big Tech

Microsoft and Apple hit with Class Action Lawsuits in the UK

Photo by Ajay_suresh via CC BY 2.0

On Tuesday, two separate antitrust class lawsuits were filed against Microsoft and Apple in the United Kingdom.

2 min read
Industrials

Norway Dampens its Deep Sea Mining Ambitions

Photo by Arild Lilleboe via iStock

The move comes as a result of domestic political pressure from Norway’s left-wing party, and marks a major change in tone for the country.

2 min read
Media & Entertainment

The Eras Tour Draws to a Close this Week

Photo by Paolo V via CC BY 2.0

This weekend will mark the final shows of the pop star’s globetrotting Eras tour, which has lasted a marathon 21 months.

2 min read

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