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Comic for July 06, 2020
Uber failed to buy Grubhub, but officially snagged Postmates
It's official: Uber Eats is joining forces with another restaurant food delivery app.
In a deal announced Monday, Uber agreed to acquire Postmates for $2.65 billion. The acquisition was rumored last week after Uber's failed bid to buy delivery competitor Grubhub in June.
Postmates is less popular than Uber Eats, with only about 8 percent of the U.S. delivery market. Combined, Postmates and Uber Eats have about 30 percent of the market, compared to Grubhub's 23 percent. Grubhub was bought by a Dutch company, Just Eat Takeaway, last month.
Uber avoided antitrust scrutiny after its Grubhub talks fell apart, but could face new questions over its acquisition of Postmates. Read more...
More about Postmates, Delivery App, Uber Eats, Tech, and FoodBuild your own eCommerce empire with the help of this $40 training
TL;DR: Learn how to effectively manage an online store and enter the Amazon marketplace with the Ultimate Amazon FBA and Dropship Master Class bundle for $39.99, a 96% savings as of July 6.
People are online now more than ever, which also means we're shopping more online. From toiletries to food to masks to workout gear, most of us are clicking and adding our wants and needs to our digital carts more than ever before. Heck, even grandparents are using Instacart at this point.
If you're looking for a sign to start an online business of your own, then this is it. There are literally millions of customers waiting. Read more...
More about Amazon, Digital Marketing, Online Learning, Mashable Shopping, and Online ShopThere's still time to shop Cratejoy's 4th of July sale
TL;DR: Through July 6, Cratejoy is still running its Fourth of July sale, offering 20% off your first box when you use the code JULY4FUN.
Fourth of July weekend may be over, but there are still a few sales hanging on for one last day of savings.
If you like subscription boxes, you'll be excited to know that Cratejoy, an aggregator of subscriptions, is running its Fourth of July sale through July 6. You'll save 20% on your first box with the code JULY4FUN.
This sale includes subscription boxes for all kinds of interests and caters to both adults and kids. Some of our favorites include Swar-Yay! (a seasonal box for at-home entertaining and special occasion activities), Camp Life Crate (filled with gear for campers and glampers), and First Sip Brew Box (a box full of small craft beer companies' merch for new brew discoveries). Read more...
More about Subscription Services, Subscription Box, Mashable Shopping, Cratejoy, and CultureLearn Microsoft Azure with this $30 training course bundle
TL;DR: Lead your business towards success with the Complete Microsoft Azure eBook & Video Course bundle for $29.99, a 95% savings as of July 6.
It's no secret that most industries have been impacted negatively by the pandemic, except perhaps toilet paper manufacturing and cloud computing. If anything, the cloud computing industry is benefiting from the ripple effects of the pandemic, as we spend more time at home and online.
Apple is reported to be enjoying increased revenue from its digital services and subscriptions, while Google and Facebook have both seen expanded use of their services as well. Meanwhile, Microsoft is predicted to be the first company to cross the $2 trillion market cap, and they have their Microsoft Azure service to thank. The company has reported strong demand for its slate of cloud computing services, especially apps that allow employees to do their best work even while working from home. Read more...
More about Networking, Cloud Computing, Online Learning, Mashable Shopping, and Microsoft AzureThis lightweight Bluetooth speaker can play music for up to 30 hours
TL;DR: Enjoy up to thirty hours of wireless sound with Resound XL's portable Bluetooth 5.0 speaker for $23.99, a 65% savings as of July 6.
Summer is officially upon us, which means it’s time for some outdoor, socially-distanced fun. Whether you’re flipping burgers on the grill, relaxing by the pool, or heading to the beach, everything’s a little better with your favorite music pumping, right? And you deserve better than the speaker on your smartphone. Enter: the Resound XL Portable Bluetooth 5.0 Speaker.
This sleek little rechargeable speaker provides stellar sound quality for just $23.99; a wild 65% discount. The magic is in the smart design, which delivers crystal-clear sound quality with a kick, thanks to its downward-facing bass radiator and distinctive oblong shape. This forward-thinking tech eliminates that tinny, muffled sound output you get with lower-quality portable speakers, e.g. your smartphone. Read more...
More about Music, Bluetooth Speaker, Mashable Shopping, Tech, and Consumer TechApple's iPhone 12 will be late, but not as late as it might've been, report says
Apple's upcoming smartphone, the iPhone 12, probably won't launch in September, when Apple typically launches new flagships. However, according to a new report by Nikkei Asian Review, it won't be postponed into next year, either.
According to the outlet's sources, all four upcoming variants of the iPhone 12 will be delayed by one to two months due to production disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
In March, Nikkei gave a grim prediction of the iPhone 12 being "months" late, with the possibility of it being delayed into 2021. Several other outlets, including the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg, chimed in with their own reports in the following months, predicting a delay of at least a month. Read more...
More about Apple, Iphone 12, Tech, Big Tech Companies, and SmartphonesThis hands-free AI selfie robot is like your own personal videographer
TL;DR: Turn your phone into a hands-free camera for photos and video with the 360° Rotation Smart AI Object Tracking Gimbal for $39.99, a 69% savings as of July 6.
As you scroll through your Instagram feed, it always seems like somehow everyone has their own personal photographer. While that may or may not be true, it is definitely discouraging — especially after seeing your own shoddy self-timer snaps. It doesn't have to be that way, though. This hands-free 360° Robo Smart Gimbal can really up your Instagram game without you having to ask someone for help, which may be especially helpful for those in physical isolation. Read more...
More about Selfie Stick, Hands Free, Phone Tech, Mashable Shopping, and TechOkCupid now lets all users share their pronouns, regardless of gender or orientation
In 2018, OkCupid rolled out a feature for users who identified as any gender other than a man or woman to choose their pronouns.
Now, the dating app is opening that feature up to every user regardless of their gender. They're doing this in the hopes that it will normalize listing pronouns in your profile and create a safer environment for OkCupid's trans and nonbinary users. The move comes shortly after the dating app added a Black Lives Matter badge, along with profile questions surrounding racial inequality.
"For many people, especially non-binary and transgender daters, there's nothing more personal than our names and pronouns," said Michael Kaye, global communications manager at OkCupid. Read more...
More about Lgbtq, Gender Identity, Okcupid, Pronouns, and CultureThis 'Take On Me' version of 'The Simpsons' steamed hams meme took 1 month to make. It was worth it.
The business of making new versions of The Simpsons' "Steamed Hams" meme is a competitive one, and new challengers are constantly rising to claim the crown.
The latest of these is a version of the meme that mashes up the classic Simpsons scene with a-ha's music video for "Take on Me," including a hand-sketched Seymour Skinner who replaces Bunty Bailey during the video's famous inside-the-comic-book sequence. The whole thing apparently took a solid month to put together, according to a comment on the Reddit thread where it recently went viral. And the end result was worth it.
One day, someone is going to hire out a gallery for the sole purpose of displaying as many of these beautiful steamed hams memes as possible, in all one glorious place. Read more...
More about The Simpsons, Steamed Hams, Culture, Music, and Web CultureThe friendship lessons we've learned during the pandemic
We need our friends more than ever right now.
I have spent the past 100 days of lockdown in the sleepy Warwickshire village where I grew up. Coming back to the place I once called home, I've become aware that a friendship of mine that once burned bright is now slowly extinguishing itself. Like striking a match on a windy day, all attempts to rekindle it have been snuffed out. That realisation didn't happen upon me overnight but was rather a slow dawning that came after a constellation of silences and scores of unreplied messages. "Don't take it personally," some friends have charitably said to me over voice notes sent from afar. "I'm sure it's not the end," others have said. Read more...
More about Friendship, Sex And Relationships, Coronavirus, Culture, and Sex RelationshipsThe Schuyler Sisters break down the ongoing relevance of 'Hamilton'
Hamilton landed on Disney+ on July 3 during what could be described as a boiling-point for America. But the Broadway musical's beloved songs have proven their staying power, many years later. In a video interview for the online version of Essence Festival, the original Schuyler Sisters — Phillipa Soo, Renée Elise Goldsberry, and Jasmine Cephas Jones — spoke about the relevance of Hamilton today, being released in film form during both the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns, and the renewed fight for racial justice and police reform following the police killing of George Floyd.
Hamilton historically has and continues to prompt a complicated conversation, but the stars see it as extremely relevant in today's climate. Read more...
More about Hamilton, Phillipa Soo, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Disney Plus, and Jasmine Cephas JonesUnlock American Netflix from anywhere in the world for less than £2 a month
Robot birds, each lighter than a golf ball, can fly autonomously in a flock for up to 7 minutes
Created by Festo, the BionicSwift is a flying robot that can autonomously move in coordinated groups of five. The robot weighs only 42 grams and can fly uninterrupted for up to seven minutes using incredibly intricate artificial feathers and mimicking the motion of real birds. Read more...
More about Mashable Video, Wing, Festo, Robot Bird, and Autonomous FlightHere are the best books of 2020 so far, according to Amazon
If you're searching for some new titles to add to your summer reading list, you've come to the right place.
Amazon's annual Best Books of the Year (so far) list is here to help steer you in the direction of 2020's must-read novels, memoirs, and more.
Each year, the editors at The Amazon Book Review highlight some of their favorite works that published from January to June. The mid-year list is a great resource for anyone looking for their next read, but when you're shopping for books this summer — be it in-person or online — remember you can also seek out and support your local bookshops or consider buying from one of the many Black-owned bookstores. Read more...
More about Amazon, Books, Reading, Best Of 2020, and CultureEnnio Morricone, legendary film composer for 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly', dies at 91
Ennio Morricone, the Italian composer best known for scoring the likes of Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and John Carpenter's The Thing, has died at the age of 91.
Morricone passed away in a clinic in Rome several days after breaking his femur, according to the Guardian, who confirmed the death via his lawyer.
It's difficult to overstate just how massive Morricone's contribution was to film and television. His IMDb page has 520 credits, running right the way through from the early 1960s to the present day.
Ennio Morricone performing at the O2 Arena in 2016.
Image: Jim Dyson/Redferns Read more...
More about Composition, Ennio Morricone, Entertainment, Movies Tv Shows, and MusicTesla launches 'S3XY' short shorts, breaks its website
Elon Musk wasn't kidding about launching Tesla shorts.
Over the weekend, the Tesla CEO announced the new product on Twitter: Tesla short shorts with "S3XY" emblazoned on the back. They've proven so popular that the website went down at one point (as of publication time, it's working again).
Limited edition short shorts now available at https://t.co/5EmNcTBvJv
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 5, 2020
"Celebrate summer with Tesla Short Shorts," says the product description on Tesla's website. "Run like the wind or entertain like Liberace with our red satin and gold trim design. Relax poolside or lounge indoors year-round with our limited-edition Tesla Short Shorts, featuring our signature Tesla logo in front with “S3XY” across the back. Enjoy exceptional comfort from the closing bell." Read more...
More about Tesla, Elon Musk, Shorts, Tech, and TransportationUber is reportedly buying food delivery company Postmates for $2.65 billion
Uber is reportedly acquiring food delivery startup Postmates for $2.65 billion, with official confirmation of the all-stock buyout expected as soon as Monday.
The news was reported Sunday by Bloomberg and The New York Times, both of which cited anonymous sources with knowledge of the deal. Uber Eats' vice president Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty is expected to take charge after Postmates is absorbed by its former competitor. It isn't clear what role Postmates CEO and co-founder Bastian Lehmann will have, if any at all.
Launched in 2011, Postmates is active in over 4,200 U.S. cities and services over 600,000 restaurants. According to Second Measure, the company took eight percent of all food delivery sales in the U.S. during May, trailing behind DoorDash at 45 percent, GrubHub at 23 percent, and Uber Eats at 22 percent. Assimilating Postmates will likely give Uber Eats' numbers a notable boost. Read more...
More about Uber, Acquisitions, Food Delivery Services, Food Delivery, and PostmatesPut Your Own Oxygen Mask on First
During this challenging historical moment, many of us have been providing unprecedented emotional support to the people in our lives. But you can’t help family, friends, colleagues, or employees if you don’t first take care of yourself. So, how can you do that? Start by checking in with yourself the same way you would with others. Ask yourself questions like: How am I really doing? Am I drinking, eating, sleeping, or crying too much? What will help me combat anxiety? Am I staying connected to others? Then, develop a plan to make sure you’re meeting your own needs. Keep to a routine, and pencil in time for regular exercise or meditation — whatever works for you. Next, ask for help when you need it — if you don’t, you might find yourself feeling resentful or holding grudges. And return the favor by making yourself available to others who need help. Lastly, look for the positive. Express appreciation, give compliments, and call out triumphs, no matter how small. Not only will these expressions of positivity encourage the people around you, they’ll also help you stay optimistic and hopeful through difficult times.
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