Sales & Marketing news

• Germany warns Facebook on data collection

  20-12-2017 01:00 via warc.com
  BERLIN: Germany’s competition authority has warned Facebook that its collection of data is “problematic” and may breach privacy laws.The Bundeskartellamt began investigating the social media giant last year and, in a
  
  Read more

• Used Tesla prices have soared since the end of the $7,500 tax credit, even as other EVs get cheaper

  20-02-2026 12:43 via businessinsider.com
  Tesla dominates the used EV market in the US.Brandon Bell/Getty ImagesUsed Tesla prices are rising as the secondhand EV market booms following the end of the $7,500 tax credit.That's a relief for Tesla owners, who have seen resale prices plunge in the past few years.The Model S and X saw the largest price hikes. Elon Musk said Tesla would discontinue them to build its Optimus robots.The market for used Teslas is heating up.A booming secondhand EV market is pushing used Tesla prices up even as ot
  
  Read more

• The CEO of a startup building robots for factories explains how US manufacturing is at a crossroads

  20-02-2026 12:04 via businessinsider.com
  Machina LabsThis post originally appeared in the Business Insider Today newsletter.You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here.The US manufacturing industry is at a crossroads: try catching the leaders where they are or beat them to where the industry is headed.Edward Mehr sits firmly in the second camp. The thesis of his robotics-enabled manufacturing startup, Machina Labs, is that America's reindustrialization needs to be distributed and flexible. Trying to build the centraliz
  
  Read more

• An oncology student was diagnosed with breast cancer in her 20s after spotting 2 subtle symptoms

  20-02-2026 11:51 via businessinsider.com
  Oncology researcher LaShae Rolle was diagnosed with breast cancer, and said her powerlifting background helped her stay strong during treatment.Courtesy of LaShae RolleA Ph.D. student researching cancer noticed she had 2 major warning signs herself, and got checked out.She was diagnosed with breast cancer at 26, and now advocates for other young patients.Her background in competitive powerlifting helped her stay strong throughout treatment.When Ph.D. student LaShae Rolle felt a pain in her chest
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• Apple and Google employees customized their own Tudor watches. Now they're up for sale.

  20-02-2026 11:48 via businessinsider.com
  Tudor worked with employee watch groups at both Apple and Google.Loupe ThisSwiss watch brand Tudor has created custom styles with Big Tech companies like Apple and Google.Two of these watches, made for employee collectors' clubs at Apple and Google, are currently on the market.A watch made for a Google collector's club recently sold for over $10,000 at auction.Big Tech and watch fans could own the crossover piece of their dreams.Two custom timepieces made by Swiss watch brand Tudor for employee
  
  Read more

• Blue Owl shopped debt for a CoreWeave data center. Lenders weren't sold.

  20-02-2026 11:44 via businessinsider.com
  Bloomberg/Getty ImagesBlue Owl Capital failed to secure financing for a $4 billion data center project in Pennsylvania.One lender said the lack of interest was due to CoreWeave's creditworthiness.AI data center investments face financing challenges due to concerns about credit risk.Blue Owl Capital, a leading investor in the data center boom, was unable to arrange financing for a $4 billion data center it is co-developing in Pennsylvania after pitching lenders to help bankroll the project in rec
  
  Read more

• AI music is here to stay — and it could offer a lifeline to struggling record companies

  20-02-2026 11:40 via businessinsider.com
  Rich Fury/Invision/Associated PressA surprising portion of millennials and Gen Zers listen to hours of AI music a week.It's another hurdle for a music-recording industry that's already had to adjust to the streaming era.But while AI music may seem disruptive, many Wall Street analysts view it as a lifeline for record companies.The rise of AI music has set off panic within the music industry. I feel it every day on my social media feeds.The bands I follow post about it incredulously, scoffing at
  
  Read more

• Gap's CEO has 3 rules for cutting down on meetings — and asking if he's on the invite list breaks one of them

  20-02-2026 11:35 via businessinsider.com
  Mark Breitbard came back to lead Gap in 2020.GapThe CEO of Gap's brand Mark Breitbard said he aims to make meetings more efficient by following 3 rules.Breitbard said it's important to question default meetings and keep the invite list tight.Executives at Meta and Snowflake have also spoken recently about trimming superfluous meetings.In an era of hyper-efficiency, leaders are taking a close look at the meetings on their calendars — and Gap's CEO is no exception.Since returning to lead Gap
  
  Read more

• Advertisement

• PwC engineers built an AI agent to tackle the corporate world's least sexy task: spreadsheets

  20-02-2026 11:33 via businessinsider.com
  PwC, like many consulting firms, is investing heavily in engineering talent.Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesPwC's engineers have created a new AI agent to tackle enterprise-grade spreadsheets.Spreadsheets are unsexy, but crucial to corporate operations, PwC exec Matt Wood told Business Insider.Traditional AIs "just kind of shrug and give up" when they meet a big spreadsheet, Wood said.The real way to judge a company's AI expertise isn't in the flashy headlines, but by looking at the "unsexy
  
  Read more

• A 3-fund portfolio, a no-kid lifestyle, and a 'die with zero' mindset: How one NYC couple is retiring in their 40s

  20-02-2026 11:30 via businessinsider.com
  Financially independent couple Josette Chang and Alexander NathansonCourtesy of Josette Chang and Alexander NathansonJosette Chang and Alexander Nathanson paid off their mortgage early and hit financial independence in NYC.The couple has a simple investment approach and embraces a "die with zero" financial mindset.They've also avoided lifestyle creep and are intentional with how they spend their money.Alexander Nathanson always wanted to live in Manhattan."When you get to Manhattan, you've made
  
  Read more

• YouTuber MKBHD says Tesla 'stopped talking to me' ahead of his new Model Y Performance review

  20-02-2026 11:17 via businessinsider.com
  Marques Brownlee, a well-followed YouTuber and tech reviewer, said he is no longer in contact with Tesla.Chance Yeh/Getty Images for HubSpotMarques Brownlee, the YouTuber known as MKBHD, said he is no longer in contact with Tesla.He said he had to source a car from a local dealership for his latest review.He reviewed the company's latest Model Y Performance, which hit dealerships in September.Social media's most influential tech reviewer said Tesla keeps leaving him on read.Marques Brownlee &mda
  
  Read more

• 'We're just going to get worse': 3 reasons Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitz thinks the US economy will keep weakening

  20-02-2026 11:15 via businessinsider.com
  GIANLUIGI GUERCIA/AFP via Getty ImagesJoseph Stiglitz believes the US economy is on track to "get worse."The Nobel prize-winning economist pointed to several issues that concerned him in the US.Tariff-fueled inflation, fewer manufacturing jobs, and uncertainty over rates are issues on his radar.An esteemed American economist isn't feeling good about where things are headed.Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel laureate and Columbia economist, said he believes the US economy would continue to weaken when spea
  
  Read more

• War rooms, group chats, and video games: Inside Elon Musk's AI startup

  20-02-2026 11:08 via businessinsider.com
  Bloomberg/Getty ImagesXAI merged with SpaceX and lost two cofounders — all in the same month.Current and former employees say Elon Musk has increased his focus on the startup over the past six months.Workers detailed Musk's 300-person group chat, war rooms, and their concerns about safety.At xAI's Palo Alto headquarters, engineers cheered.It was February 2, and they'd just received a memo from Elon Musk, informing them the AI startup would be acquired by his rocket company, SpaceX. In a Sl
  
  Read more

• TikToker Khaby Lame's $975 million deal is riding on a crashing stock

  20-02-2026 11:02 via businessinsider.com
  TikTok creator Khaby Lame.PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/AFP/Getty Images;Dan Whateley/BI.TikToker Khaby Lame's $975 million deal is looking increasingly shaky.The stock price of a company he's seeking a merger with has fallen from a peak of over $180 to $11.19.The company is pitching investors on using an AI clone of Lame to drive billions in e-commerce sales.TikTok superstar Khaby Lame's $975 million deal is getting squeezed.Hong Kong-based Rich Sparkle Holdings last month unveiled plans to merge wi
  
  Read more

• 14 'Second Wave' startups aiming to take the AI era beyond cost cutting

  20-02-2026 11:00 via businessinsider.com
  Kylan Gibbs, CEO and cofounder of InworldInworldKylan Gibbs leads Inworld's Second Wave AI startup accelerator.AI startups such as Luvu, Status, and Particle try to move AI beyond its initial cost-cutting phase.Innovative AI apps redefine user engagement and immersive experiences.Second Wave AI startups are trying to move beyond cost-cutting and use this technology to create brand-new experiences and generate new sources of revenue.The concept is being supported by Kylan Gibbs, a former DeepMind
  
  Read more

• From a tense corporate split to a viral photo: A timeline of Anthropic and OpenAI's budding rivalry

  20-02-2026 10:59 via businessinsider.com
  Sam Altman and Dario Amodei's hands did not make contact, and the internet noticed.Ludovic MARIN / AFP via Getty ImagesSam Altman and Dario Amodei went viral for refusing to join together in a sign of unity.Once colleagues, the two AI CEOs have helped nurse their companies' rivalry.Here's how OpenAI and Anthropic finally reached this point.If you want to know one of the biggest rivalries in AI, just ask for a show of hands.On Thursday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei provide
  
  Read more

• The battle over Scott Adams' AI afterlife

  20-02-2026 10:14 via businessinsider.com
  Dilbert creator Scott Adams' posthumous AI resurrection is sparking a family backlashMICHAEL MACOR/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty ImagesScott Adams' family condemned a posthumous AI version of him that's spreading online.Scholars say a possible legal challenge hinges on money and First Amendment concerns.The conflict highlights a growing battle over AI afterlives.Scott Adams once sounded open to the idea of a digital afterlife. Now that he's passed, social media posts attributed to his fa
  
  Read more

• Is taste a 'new core skill'? Techies debate — and quickly get memed

  20-02-2026 10:00 via businessinsider.com
  Discourse about "taste" is growing among techies on X.AnnaStills/Getty ImagesTech leaders from Y Combinator cofounder Paul Graham to OpenAI president Greg Brockman are posting about "taste."As life becomes automated with AI, they say, having good taste will become more important.Others on X have memed the discourse, pointing out some of Silicon Valley's bland taste in style.Good news, connoisseurs — your judgment may be highly prized in the AI age.A debate about the importance of "taste" h
  
  Read more

• A Japanese toilet maker and seasoning giant are unlikely winners of the AI boom

  20-02-2026 09:22 via businessinsider.com
  AI demand is boosting unexpected Japanese companies — including a toilet maker and a seasoning giant.Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty ImagesA toilet maker and seasoning giant are Japan's unlikely winners in the AI boom.Toto, famous for its bidets, has drawn investor attention because it makes key components for memory chips.Food giant Ajinimoto produces an insulating material used in advanced semiconductor packaging.The AI boom isn't just lifting chipmakers and Big Tech. In Japan, it's flushing gains
  
  Read more

• Gold's rally sidelined one of its biggest buyers — but they're eyeing a comeback

  20-02-2026 06:52 via businessinsider.com
  Central banks remain structurally bullish on gold despite recent price volatility.KC Alfred/The San Diego Union-Tribune/Getty ImagesGold's blistering rally fueled volatility and slowed central-bank buying, Goldman Sachs says.Reserve managers are delaying purchases, but they're preparing to buy once prices stabilize.Gold's price could grind higher as volatility cools and central banks return.Gold's historic rally sidelined one of its biggest buyers — but they're eyeing a comeback, according
  
  Read more

• Trump says he's declassifying files about aliens and UFOs. That's going to make some longtime betters on Polymarket very rich.

  20-02-2026 06:12 via businessinsider.com
  Alien prediction markets are heating up as Trump vows to release secret UFO files.Chip Somodevilla/Getty ImagesPresident Donald Trump says he is going to declassify files about aliens and UFOs.That could mean huge payouts for traders betting on alien disclosure on the prediction platform Polymarket.Aliens have long occupied a strange but persistent corner of the betting world.President Donald Trump says he is directing federal agencies to declassify UFO files. For traders betting on aliens, that
  
  Read more

• The newest villain in 'Toy Story' isn't a toy — it's screen time

  20-02-2026 06:01 via businessinsider.com
  "Toy Story 5."Disney/PixarIn the new "Toy Story 5" trailer, the toys meet their most formidable competitor yet: a screen.This time around, the villain takes the form of a frog-themed tablet called Lilypad.The film is set for release on June 19, with Tom Hanks and Tim Allen returning as Woody and Buzz.When "Toy Story" premiered in 1995, the enemy was plastic. In its latest chapter, it's pixels.More than 30 years after Woody worried about being replaced by Buzz Lightyear, the franchise is ready to
  
  Read more

• DeepMind's CEO says using AI can make you a genius — or hurt your critical thinking skills

  20-02-2026 06:01 via businessinsider.com
  Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis warned at the Athens Innovation Summit that AI must avoid repeating social media's toxic patterns.LUDOVIC MARIN/POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesDemis Hassabis said that AI can sharpen or dull critical thinking skills.The Google DeepMind CEO said that AI is like the internet, with the potential to enhance learning.Other tech leaders have also cautioned that AI may lead to dependency and laziness.It's up to you whether AI makes you sharper or slowly dulls your brain, sa
  
  Read more

• 43 of the best corporate gifts for employees and clients

  20-02-2026 06:00 via businessinsider.com
  When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn moreEvery gift in this guide can easily be ordered in bulk at a discount or personalized with your company logo, or both.Crate & BarrelEmployee Appreciation Day is coming up on March 6, making it the perfect time to think about how you want to thank your hardworking team members and partners. Instead of cheap plastic water bottles and throwaway shades with your logo on it, show your appreciation for your
  
  Read more

• The robotaxi industry's New York dreams just got pushed further away

  20-02-2026 05:46 via businessinsider.com
  Waymo's NY robotaxi plan falls through after Gov. Hochul drops proposal to legalize unsupervised robotaxis.Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty ImagesWaymo's New York robotaxi dreams are on hold as Gov. Kathy Hochul drops an uncrewed robotaxi proposal.The proposal would have allowed robotaxis to run outside NYC, with local government approval.The blow came days after Waymo raised $16 billion to fund plans to expand to 20 more cities.The autonomous vehicle industry just faced a setback in New York.N
  
  Read more

• Tesla is dropping a bargain version of the Cybertruck

  20-02-2026 04:34 via businessinsider.com
  Tesla's Cybertruck is getting a cheaper version.Reginald Mathalone/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesBuckle up, a budget Cybertruck is on the way.The truck has a starting price of $59,990.The cheaper Cybertruck comes amid Tesla's drive to make the car more appealing to the working man.Elon Musk's Tesla is doubling down on its road map to make the Cybertruck less vanity, more working man, with a budget version that's clocking in a little closer to the competition, price-wise.In an X post on Thursday night
  
  Read more

• OpenAI offers $15,000 and support resources to staff affected by US immigration authorities

  20-02-2026 04:08 via businessinsider.com
  Sam AltmanFlorian Gaertner/Photothek via Getty ImagesOpenAI is offering resources to staff who may be navigating ICE detention or Border Patrol inspections.The new resources include $15,000 of reimbursed legal fees and referrals to immigration counsel.The resource package comes shortly after CEO Sam Altman said ICE "is going too far."OpenAI is rolling out a new package of resources for employees who may be navigating interactions with US immigration authorities.The initiative is designed to help
  
  Read more

• Meta's metaverse is going mobile — and leaving VR behind

  20-02-2026 01:07 via businessinsider.com
  Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wears a virtual reality headsetcredit should read GLENN CHAPMAN/AFP via Getty ImagesMeta is shifting Horizon Worlds' focus from VR to a mobile app.Meta's Reality Labs, which has lost nearly $80 billion since 2020, sees mobile as a key growth area.Meta faces competition from Roblox and Fortnite in the mobile gaming market with Horizon.Meta is dialing back the metaverse to mean something far less futuristic: an app on your phone.The company, which spent billions of dollars
  
  Read more

• Mark Cuban on 2 types of AI users: you're either using it to 'learn everything' or 'so you don't have to learn anything'

  20-02-2026 01:07 via businessinsider.com
  Mark Cuban said people who use AI either use it to learn everything or to avoid learning.Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty ImagesMark Cuban says there are two types of LLM users: learners and non-learners.Cuban has previously said companies need to embrace AI, but that it's not perfect.Some proponents of AI have said that one risk of the technology is that it could make people lazy.Mark Cuban says there are two types of people who use AI. Which one are you?"There are generally 2 types of
  
  Read more

• Former Prince Andrew released after arrest that followed fresh scrutiny over Epstein ties

  20-02-2026 00:01 via businessinsider.com
  Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office and released later in the day.Phil Noble/ReutersAndrew Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested on Thursday morning and released later that evening.Mountbatten-Windsor has faced intense scrutiny of his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.Photos showed Mountbatten-Windsor as he was leaving the police station.Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the former prince, was released Thursday evening following his arrest earlier that mornin
  
  Read more

Follow @sales_mrktinguk on Twitter!