The Daily Upside

Big Tech

Meta Faces Investigation Over Illicit Drug Sales

Photo via Meta Media Gallery

Facebook and other social media platforms are the subject of a probe by federal prosecutors into available medications.

2 min read
Patent Drop

Ford’s Road Salt Patent Finds an Atypical Use for Blockchain

Photo via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Ford may be taking blockchain’s reputation issues with a grain of salt.

2 min read
Patent Drop

Intel Patent Addresses Privacy Issues with Voice Assistants

Photo via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Intel wants to lock your voice data down before it goes up to the cloud.

2 min read
Geopolitics

My Kingdom for a Sport: Saudi Arabia Goes All in on Athletics

Photo illustration by Connor Lin / The Daily Upside, Photos by EKSRX via CC BY 2.0 and Upklyak via Freepik

Why is Saudi Arabia spending a king’s ransom on sports? The Middle East powerhouse doesn’t care if you call it sportswashing.

6 min read

Private Equity

Private Equity Wants Everyone’s Credit Card Debt

(Photo Credit: Avery Evans/Unsplash)

The industry is taking advantage of banks’ newfound interest in offloading some of the consumer debt on their books.

2 min read
Social Media

Meta Set to Replace its Popular CrowdTangle Data Platform

Photo by Anthony Quintano via CC BY 2.0

The social media king plans to introduce a content library tool that offers less access ahead of a spicy election season.

1 min read
Energy

Shell Backtracks Again on Climate Targets

Photo by Flickr via CC BY 1.0

The energy titan has extended the timeline for its plan to reduce its “carbon intensity.”

2 min read
Patent Drop

JPMorgan Chase Patent Highlights Wall Street’s Growing AI Obsession

Photo via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

“The risk of not making the most of the technology is much higher.”

3 min read

Energy

Cheap Chinese Solar Panels Are Flooding the US Market

Photo by Andreas Gücklhorn via Unsplash

Despite tariffs, the US imported a record number of panels through November of last year.

2 min read
Finance

Visa, Mastercard are Betting Big on Africa

Photo by Håkan Dahlström via CC BY 2.0

One study projects the continent’s digital payment ecosystem will grow 30% a year through 2025.

2 min read
Patent Drop

Adobe’s Latest Patent Turns Language Models into Middlemen

Photo via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Niche models could be more accurate, save energy and present less security risk than an all-knowing large language model.

2 min read
Banking

SPAC-ish Group Sets its Sights on More Failed Banks

Photo by John McGehjee via CC0 1.0

Porticoes Capital has an FDIC-approved gateway to acquire lenders that are shutting down.

2 min read

Patent Drop

Snap’s Latest Patent Focuses on Hands to Control AR

Photo via U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

The company has struggled to get its AR glasses on people’s faces as the industry faces engineering and adoption issues.

2 min read
Artificial Intelligence

Google Won’t Let You Ask Gemini AI About Upcoming Elections

Photo by Edmond Dantès via Pexels

The chatbot’s new restrictions apply to countries that will be holding top elections this year.

1 min read
Autos

Almost No One Makes a Good Driver Assistance System, Report Says

Photo by Bram Van Oost via Unsplash

An insurance nonprofit found that claims about autonomous driving safety don’t measure up.

2 min read
Industrials

Airlines Are Reeling From Boeing’s Frightening Series of Near-Disasters

Photo by Chris Leipelt via Unsplash

Southwest and Alaska said that the manufacturer’s uncertain status makes it hard to forecast the year ahead.

2 min read
Markets

The Rest of the Stock Market is Catching Up to Big Tech

Photo via Carvana Press

Persistent optimism about an economic soft landing has buoyed investors’ hopes about companies of all sizes.

1 min read
Consumer

Airbnb Says Hosts Can No Longer Use Indoor Cameras

Photo by Alan J. Hendry via Unsplash

The vacation rental company is ramping up privacy as it continues to battle customer satisfaction issues.

1 min read
Social Media

Reddit Readies for IPO as it Works Toward Profitability

Photo by Web Summit via CC BY 2.0

The company’s valuation has declined but it still has its sights set on raising nearly $1 billion when it goes public.

2 min read
Patent Drop

Special Report: How AI and Election Misinformation go Hand in Hand

Photo illustration by Connor Lin / The Daily Upside, Photos by Gage Skidmore via CC BY-SA 2.0

“(AI) vastly increases the capacity to create any type of new media … both in speed and volume.”

6 min read

Advisor Upside

Financial advisor news, market insights, and practice management essentials.

Wegovy-Maker Novo Teams with Online Pharmacies as Lilly Rivalry Heats Up

Photo by Chemist4U via CC BY-SA 2.0

2 min read
Apple Leads Manufacturing Pivot to India

Photo by Christie Chau via Unsplash

2 min read
Starbucks Slings High-Speed Drinks in Caffeinated Comeback Plan

Photo by Hamza Inayat via Unsplash

2 min read

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