Новости за 18.07.2015

Homejoy struggled to raise funding and even attempted to sell the company to rivals like Handy of New York. [...] CEO and co-founder Adora Cheung said in a blog post announcing the closure that the company just had too many hurdles to overcome. Cheung, who could not be reached for comment, also told the tech news site Recode that the “deciding factor” in the closure was the fact that four lawsuits filed by workers over whether they should be classified as employees or contractors made it harder to raise enough funding. Читать дальше...

Google’s stock roared out of a long slumber Friday to produce the biggest shareholder windfall in U.S. history as investors rewarded the Internet company for promising to curb its spending on risky projects. Google’s gigantic increase came after the Mountain View company reported quarterly earnings that topped analyst estimates for the first time since late 2013. The company’s inability to hit the targets that steer investors had raised doubts about Google that had caused its stock to lag the rest of the market since the end of 2013.

James Atkinson, interim associate vice chancellor and president of the UCLA Hospital System, said the hospital saw unusual activity in one of its computer servers in October and began investigating with assistance from the FBI. The investigation confirmed May 5 that the attackers had gained access to parts of UCLA Health’s computer system where some patient information was stored. The attackers had access to names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, Medicare and health plan identification numbers... Читать дальше...

[...] he’s “Jeb!” In this trip to San Fran, Bush ventured away from the stolid GOP base to address the young workforce of Thumbtack, a 6-year-old digital service that links consumers to painters, DJs, dog walkers and other contractors. Bush arrived in a Toyota Camry ordered via Uber — the ride-hailing company that runs roughshod over the single-occupant-vehicle model dear to car dealers. In a recent speech, the former secretary of state took Uber to task — without, and this is so Clinton-like, naming Uber. Читать дальше...

Singer Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down in 2013. (Photo by Frank Hoensch/Redferns via Getty Images) Three Doors Down singer Brad Arnold kicked a fan out of a show in Colorado on Tuesday after he spotted him pushing a woman in the audience. The frontman halted the gig in Broomfield and urged security to escort the rowdy fan out of the venue. He raged, “Hang on, hang on, hang on. Hey, hey homie. You don’t hit a woman. You just pushed a woman out of the way to get in a fight, you d—! “Get him the hell out of here.” In footage of the moment... Читать дальше...

The CEO relinquishes power, changes compensation to a “badge” system of rewards for skills and has “governance” sessions in place of daily meetings. Zappos.com founder Tony Hsieh embraced the Holacracy ethic so deeply that the online shoe company executive asked all employees to adopt it, or leave with pay. Notable departures included the company’s chief technology officer; vice presidents of customer service, human resources and recruiting; and Alexis Gonzales-Black, who co-led the transition to Holacracy. Читать дальше...

Under Soviet rule, it was the only hotel in Riga where Westerners were allowed to stay — presumably every room bugged and wiretapped from floor to ceiling. Sitting in the 26th-floor nightclub of what was once the notorious Hotel Latvia, however, about the only intelligence I could gather was how poorly drunken Irishmen sing the disco anthem “YMCA” and that the women in a Russian bachelorette party (with matching Cyrillic-lettered shirts) knew all too well how to lead a conga line. Like most countries that were behind the Iron Curtain... Читать дальше...

University of California President Janet Napolitano ordered an outside cybersecurity group to assess the computer security system throughout the UC system and look for potential vulnerabilities. Beginning as early as September 2014, hackers accessed a UCLA Health network that contains "personal information such as names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, medical record numbers, Medicare or health plan ID numbers and some medical information," the UCLA statement said.

NEW YORK — A dispute is simmering between the ride-booking service Uber and Mayor Bill de Blaiso’s City Hall, an increasingly pitched disagreement playing out on smartphones, over the airwaves and in the press over a fundamental question: By the day, more and more Uber cars have taken to Manhattan’s streets, summoned by smartphone apps to pick up passengers who enjoy their convenience and consent to pay more during peak hours. The de Blasio administration is attempting to put the brakes on the expansion... Читать дальше...

Another survey on back-to-school shopping is out — this time showing that parents plan to trim spending this year compared to last. The average family with children in grades K-12 plans to spend $630 on electronics, apparel and other school needs, down from $669 last year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation, conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. “As seen over the last 13 years, spending on (back-to-school purchases) has consistently fluctuated based on children’s needs each year... Читать дальше...

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences nominations for the 67th annual Prime Time Emmy Awards, announced Thursday morning in Los Angeles, are the usual mixed bag of spot-on and what were they thinking. “Transparent’s” 11 nominations were not only deserved recognition for the show, but also a signal that Amazon is now allowed to sit at the grown-ups’ table. The academy nominated Amy Schumer as best actress, comedy. ABC’s “American Crime,” which often seemed underappreciated by the network, racked up 10 nominations as a limited series. Читать дальше...

San Francisco is full of talented people and companies trying to hack the most vital design questions of life and living — but an art exhibit now open at the Incline Gallery is tackling the design challenges of the dead. “After Life,” running through Aug. 8, combines the work of San Francisco artist Al Honig and Troy, N.Y., artist Fernando Orellana into a collection of sculptures that gently offer solutions to the design questions presented by death. Though differing greatly in shape and size, each of Honig’s pieces ... Читать дальше...

California has an official state flower (poppy), state insect (the dogface butterfly) and state theater (the Pasadena Playhouse). Gov. Jerry Brown invoked the 50 million figure last month in urging Californians “to find a more elegant way of relating to material things.” California is now experiencing the lowest rates of population growth in our history, with flatter immigration and a falling birth rate. In the last few years, the state government has been quietly — and rapidly — ratcheting down... Читать дальше...