What You Need to Know Today: August 19
Good afternoon, Early Risers!
Here’s what you need to know
TECH
Google’s terrifying running robot. New from the robotics lab that brought you the headless robot cheetah that runs faster than Usain Bolt: a large, lumbering robot that looks like a linebacker and runs like it’s drunk (Mic). Atlas, the bipedal robot from Boston Dynamics (Google-owned company), ran outside for the first time this week. This is a big deal for the emergency rescue bot since it was only ever tested on flat terrains. Here’s the terrifying video footage of Atlas running.
Violinists love this shirt. “A lot of us just took it for granted: that that’s the way it had to be because that’s the way it always was,” says Nathan Olson concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. If you’ve ever been stuck in a monkey suit on a hot day, then you have an idea of how most orchestra performers feel every night they perform. Kevin Yu, a concert violinist, knows this problem all too well and decided he was going to fix it. Introducing Fortissimo fabric – a moisture wicking, stretchy, tuxedo shirt. Read Kevin’s fascinating story here.
CAREER
The debate is over. A new study reveals technology has created more jobs than it’s taken away. The study by consultants at Deloitte looked at the impact of technology on the economy of work between 1871 and 2011. The research reveals technology has actually been a “job creating machine,” reports Wired. Read the full story here.
+ Why 6 million Americans would rather work part time.
Jeff Bezos gets what he asked for. On Monday I shared a story about Amazon’s (probably) unsympathetic management practices. The story published in the NY Times evoked a memo from Jeff Bezos to staff asking anyone who knew of similar stories to come forward and escalate to HR. Well, Bezos asked and this woman replied.
Why Casper is advertising on Taxis. Casper is a sleep startup that manufactures and sells high quality mattresses directly to consumers. The startup recently raised $55 million in funding with several celebrity investors like Leo Dicaprio, Scooter Braun (the biebs manager), and Adam Levine to name a few. What’s most interesting is Casper’s marketing strategy: Casper has gone old school by taking out ads on the tops of taxis and subways in New York City and San Francisco. Find out why, here.
+ Did you miss this yesterday?… Casper should try this to acquire new leads.
LIFESTYLE
One reason why America needs Donald Trump. “Because America needs someone who knows how to declare bankruptcy… Their [the US] own financial statements show that the government’s ‘net worth’ is NEGATIVE $17.7 trillion. And yes, the US is already borrowing money just to pay interest… When things get this dire, it doesn’t matter who sits in the chair. You might as well elect a chimpanzee in the hopes that Mister Bubbles might accelerate the decline. Donald Trump may very well be that chimpanzee.” – Simon Black. Listen to this podcast where Simon Black breaks down the details of the US government’s $60 trillion in liabilities – and what you can do about it.
3’s a charm for the ‘female Viagra’ drug. Flibanserin is the first drug ever to be approved by the FDA for increasing female sex drive. This is big and controversial news since flibanserin was rejected twice by the FDA. Some are calling this a “big pharma marketing sham,” while others think the FDA was denying approval for “sexist reasons.” In any case, if the little pink pill is anything like the little blue pill was in 1998, Sprout the pharmaceutical company manufacturing the drug, will see big profits. In 2008 Viagra generated $1.93 billion in revenue!
#NOWYOUKNOW
5 things you didn’t know about “Female Viagra”
1. “Female Viagra” Is a Misnomer
Viagra helps performance. Women want a pill for desire. Pfizer, the makers of Viagra, gave up on women way back in 2004. The little blue pill helps increase blood flow to the penis when a man is aroused. In studies, this functional approach did squat for women with low desire. (A small Pfizer-funded study did show a benefit of Viagra for women on antidepressants.) Since then, pharmaceutical companies interested in this segment have been focusing on hormones and brain chemicals that affect female desire.
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