Author: arthursheikin@gmail.com

[ad_1] Privacy-focused consumer tech company DuckDuckGo launched a subscription plan last year that bundled a VPN service, personal information removal, and identity theft restoration. The company said Thursday that the subscription now gives users access to the latest AI models through Duck.ai without paying extra. The Duck.ai chatbot is free to use, and users get access to models like Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Haiku, Meta’s Llama 4 Scout, Mistral AI’s Mistral Small 3 24B, and OpenAI’s GPT-4o mini. With DuckDuckGo’s $9.99 per month plan, users will be able to access newer models, including OpenAI’s GPT-4o and GPT-5, Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4,…

[ad_1] The number of Apple bears just got smaller. MoffettNathanson upgraded the iPhone maker to neutral from sell. The firm was one of the few with a rare “sell” rating. According to FactSet, there are now at least two sell ratings left on the company. Analysts Craig Moffett’s rating change follows a sharp rally for the tech giant. While shares are down 4.8% year to date, they have jumped more than 17% over the past month as worst-case scenario risks tied to tariffs, lackluster artificial intelligence advancements and worries over Google’s lucrative deal with Apple have all either been resolved…

[ad_1] Chili’s parent Brinker International has a lengthy growth runway ahead, according to Evercore ISI. Analyst David Palmer upgraded the casual dining restaurant company to outperform from in line and lifted his price target by $20 to $210. That suggests roughly 32% potential upside for the stock, which has gained 20.2% this year. Palmer’s new rating comes after Brinker — which owns and operates Chili’s Grill & Bar, Maggiano’s Little Italy and Just Wings franchises — on Aug. 14 reported fourth-quarter revenue that exceeded Wall Street’s expectations. The company boasted results that pointed to Chili’s consistent traffic and sales performance,…

[ad_1] If you’ve left feedback for Macy’s CEO, there’s a good chance he’s seen it.CEO Tony Spring told analysts on Wednesday’s second-quarter earnings call that he listens to what customers say about his company.”I read every customer note that I receive,” he said. “Listening to feedback is one of the most important ways we can improve and grow our business.”Spring described a recent note from a customer who visited a Macy’s and wrote that it was a “pleasant surprise” to find a clean and organized store and friendly employees.”The service has improved tremendously over what it was just a few…

[ad_1] This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Robert Poe, a 56-year-old former e-commerce director. His identity and former employment have been verified. This story has been edited for length and clarity.I started my career at IBM in digital marketing. My brother used to say to me, “You’re always going to have a job.” I’ve been through layoffs and worked at companies that shut down, but I never really had to look for a job in my role.My last position was as director of e-commerce at Badcock Home Furniture. I made $120,000 as my base salary. The company…

[ad_1] This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jessica Yen, a 33-year-old entrepreneur in Los Angeles who is the founder of Daily Work Journal and Surfers Jewelry. Business Insider has verified Yen’s employment history with documentation. The following has been edited for length and clarity.It’s the classic story: You quit a 9-to-5 to become an entrepreneur and end up working 24/7.I worked long hours in data analytics, but the difference now is that I’m willing to put in far more hours because it’s my own company; it’s part of my identity.Now, my work includes things I love: talking…

[ad_1] This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Matt Jones, 35, who was the front man of the band Martyr Defiled. He now works for Microsoft and lives in Lincoln, England. His employment has been verified by Business Insider. The following has been edited for length and clarity.I played shows around the world with my band, Martyr Defiled, headlining in Europe and touring Australia and America.We had a record deal and loyal fans, and we were a relatively big success. Nothing can come close to that feeling of being onstage.But life as the front man of a…

[ad_1] At long last, the white whale of iOS has been harpooned: Instagram finally made an app for iPad.Shockingly, there had never been a true iPad Instagram app — you could download the regular Instagram mobile app and use it on an iPad, but it was a uniquely crummy experience — you could use it with a phone-sized display or zoomed out, and the whole thing was clunky and sad.Finally, there’s a new iPad version, nearly 15 years after Instagram first launched. (The iPad, also launched in 2010, just barely predates Instagram.)I tried it out on my iPad (which, honestly,…

[ad_1] A market correction. A wake-up call. A great digestion. Call it what you want: AI is going through it.Two things appear to be happening in tandem. Businesses are starting to finally grasp what AI can — and importantly, can’t — do to boost their bottom lines. And the sky-high expectations that have been partly inflated and overhyped by AI firms over the past few years are finally coming down to Earth.In short, it’s increasingly looking like both the AI doomers and boomers were both wrong. AI’s trajectory is starting to look less like a time machine or space elevator…

[ad_1] Being a college freshman has never been smooth sailing. Weird roommates, demanding professors, and unseasoned dining hall food are all standard fare in the bewildering transition to young adulthood. But has there ever been a more uneasy time to commit to a degree than right now?The class of 2029 is on edge. Today’s 18-year-olds spent middle school locked down in a pandemic. They’ve grown up more online and socially isolated than past generations, and in the Healthy Minds Study, a survey conducted by a consortium of universities, more than 30% of students report feeling depressed and/or anxious. The campuses…