What's Happening today Thursday - Summer solstice for Northern Hemisphere. World Refugee Day. Earnings expected from Aurora Cannabis, Accenture, Kroger, Darden Restaurants, Jabil, and Winnebago
• You’re Addicted. Here’s Why: Brendan Kane knows your brain. And he should. He’s learned from the best. That’s why he knows the real reason why Myspace and Friendster died while Zuck got Maui-mega-bunker rich. He also knows how you can succeed as a content creator where others flounder. (METAL Men Daily)
• Two Thirds of Gen Z Workers on LinkedIn Want a "Green" Job: Nearly two-thirds of Gen Z respondents indicated a preference for environmentally friendly employment opportunities in the upcoming five years, demonstrating how environmentally conscious this generation is. A recent study by LinkedIn shows that only 1 out of 20 Gen Z employees possesses skills related to sustainability, such as monitoring carbon footprints, developing renewable energy initiatives, and enhancing water conservation efforts. (Business Insider)
• Internet Outages Cost Companies Millions. Is a C-suite Position the Answer? From cloud vendors to data centers, modern enterprises depend on a variety of internet-connected applications and services to meet customer expectations. Any disruption in this chain can result in significant revenue loss. As per a forthcoming report by internet performance-monitoring platform Catchpoint, 43% of surveyed businesses in finance, e-commerce, cloud, and healthcare sectors indicated that they suffered financial losses exceeding $1 million due to internet outages or degradations in the month leading up to the survey. (Emerging Techbrew)
• Why Modern Hi-Fi Is Leaving This Classic Component Behind: Today, vinyl is experiencing a surge in popularity reminiscent of the late 1980s. Over the past 14 years, record sales have consistently climbed, with new record plants being established for the first time in decades. This marks a significant revival in the vinyl industry. However, amidst this resurgence, one key hi-fi component seems to be overlooked. Listening to vinyl has evolved since its earlier days. Out of the essential four audio components necessary for vinyl playback in previous eras - the turntable, speakers, phono preamp, and power amplifier - the conventional power amplifier has declined in preference and is now challenging to procure in its original design. (Gear Patrol)
• All Of The World's Trillion-Dollar Companies In One Chart: Chipmaker Nvidia currently holds the position of the world's most valuable company. Therefore, it is warranted to provide an update regarding our prominent "trillion-dollar club" post. The graph presented demonstrates the market capitalizations of esteemed trillion-dollar companies worldwide, based on data from June 18, 2024. Moreover, the depiction includes the market cap of the median S&P 500 firm as of May 30, 2024, along with Taiwan's TSMC, signaling its proximity to achieving the significant $1 trillion milestone. (Visual Capitalist)
• Instead of Mining the Deep Sea, Maybe People Should Just Fix Stuff: A recent report by environmental organizations presents a compelling argument for prohibiting deep sea mining. It elaborates on how addressing humanity's energy challenges could potentially be found in unconventional resources rather than traditional methods. Deep sea mining focuses on extracting rare and precious minerals crucial for various technological devices, emphasizing their role in shifting towards more sustainable energy sources. (Wired)
• Giant Polar Reptile Once Stalked an Ancient Super-Ocean: In the present-day oceans, sea turtles, marine iguanas, saltwater crocodiles, and sea snakes coexist as the predominant reptilian species alongside numerous mammals and fish. Historical records indicate reptiles' previous dominance 252 million years ago. Recently, an esteemed international consortium of scientists revealed the earliest identified fossil of a marine reptile within the Southern Hemisphere.(Popular Science)
• Social Media Should get Warning Labels for Teens, per Surgeon General: Just over a year ago, US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy recommended that legislators, parents, and tech companies take steps to enhance the safety of social media for children in response to the youth mental health crisis. Today, he emphasizes the need for a surgeon general's warning label on social media platforms in a recent article for the New York Times. (Robinhood)
• Subvocalization: Why Do We Have a Voice in Our Heads When We Read?: As the following text is read, do you find yourself internally articulating the words? This phenomenon is known as subvocalization, or silent speech. It is a common reading technique that some people think will improve comprehension. However, there are suggestions that you can diminish or eradicate this practice to enhance reading pace. Is there merit or validity to this assertion? (IFLScience)
• NASA Plans to Put an Artificial Star in Orbit. Here’s Why.: NASA plans to launch an artificial "star" into orbit as part of an upcoming space mission to enhance astronomical observations. The Landolt NASA Space Mission, a $19.5 million initiative led by George Mason University's College of Science in collaboration with NASA, aims to advance telescope calibration significantly. This effort will improve the accuracy of measuring stellar luminosity, addressing current obstacles in modern astrophysics. The refined measurements provide crucial insights into various astrophysical phenomena like the velocity and expansion rate of the universe. (The Debrief)
• More Campground Operators are Rigging up their Sites with Wi-Fi to Satisfy Guests: Tent staked, fire built, and with "MasterChef" reruns queued. If you haven't been camping in some time, be ready for a notable change in environment. The concept of complete disconnection is evolving. Access to campground WiFi is now prevalent, available in approximately 82% of US campsites, surpassing even shower facilities. (NBC News)
• Netflix to Open Massive Entertainment, Dining and Shopping Complexes in Two Cities in 2025: Netflix has disclosed the initial two cities for its expansive new in-person experience venues, set to launch in 2025. The two sites will be situated in former department store spaces at the King of Prussia Mall (180 North Gulph Road) close to Philadelphia and at the Galleria Dallas (13350 Dallas Parkway), each covering areas exceeding 100,000 square feet. (Variety)
• Leading AI Chatbots are Spreading Russian Disinformation Created by an American Fugitive: NewsGuard conducted an audit, revealing that 32% of the time, prominent AI chatbots propagate Russian disinformation narratives attributed to John Mark Dougan. He is an American fugitive currently active in Moscow, citing sources deemed fake. (NewsGuard)
• Photo, Image / Video of the Day: Marketing done right
• Notable statistics: Head of state annual salary according to World Population Review
YouTube Worth Watching: The Deadly Race to Supersonic Flight
• Ken's Book Pick: The Daily Laws: 366 Meditations on Power, Seduction, Mastery, Strategy, and Human Nature
• Ken's Website / Tool Pick: Awdience Fuel your LinkedIn success as a founder, freelancer or working professional. Effortlessly craft engaging posts with AI assistance and optimize for maximum impact. Simplify scheduling and focus on what truly drives your success.
The Brand that Has Gained the Most Popularity in Each Country
Our map reveals the individual brands in 135 countries that have gained the most popularity over time, based on the year-on-year increase in local online searches. Brands in the fashion and beauty category claim the top spot in 36 countries (more than any other category).
It’s also clear that American brands — most notably Bud Light, McDonald’s and New Balance — dominate the map, reflecting the world’s growing appetite for star-spangled products. In 2024, the U.S. claims six of the world’s top 10 most valuable brands.
But non-American brands come top elsewhere. In Ukraine, the Japanese beer brand Asahi has seen a staggering +338% year-on-year increase in local online searches. Perhaps increasing the brand’s local popularity was its decision in 2022 to cease exporting products to Russia and Belarus as a result of the Russia–Ukraine conflict. The brand also donated one million euros to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.