Why America has so few carpenters
By Mark Dent
/ May 20, 2022
When Desmond Collins was in his 20s, he cycled between low-paying jobs at places like McDonald’s and Taco Bell, grasping...
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How LinkedIn’s trying to normalize job gaps |
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Unless you work at The Gap, if you’ve ever taken time between jobs, you’ve likely asked yourself, “What do I do about the gap on my LinkedIn?” Options include stretching your previous role into your next (AKA lying), leaving the gap unexplained, or calling attention to it explicitly. According to Protocol, LinkedIn just solved that dilemma with a feature that lets users choose from 13 options to describe a gap. What are they?Options include personal reasons like caregiving and bereavement, as well as work reasons like career transitions and layoffs. LinkedIn already offered “stay-at-home mom” and “stay-at-home dad” as job titles, but the new options validate other reasons to hit the pause button. The move is also backed by data that shows general sentiment is changing.
Though subtle…… the new feature speaks to a shifting attitude toward workplace flexibility. Other examples include:
At this rate, within a generation or 2, the 40-hour workweek and workplace practices of the 20th century will be relics of the past. |
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Beauty boost: Beauty For All Industries, which owns D2C subscription companies Ipsy and BoxyCharm, raised $96m to expand. #ecommerce-retail A for efforts: A new report rated 55 companies’ net-zero efforts. Only 3 received an A grade: Microsoft, PepsiCo, and Ecolab. #clean-energy Hmm: An Apple exec tweeted about the company’s product event on March 8. But was it also a preview of Apple’s AR glasses? #emerging-tech Yikes: 10k+ Android users downloaded a QR scanner from the Google Play store that secretly stole users’ data. #privacy Experts suggest crypto donations are the fastest way to get funds to Ukraine. Donating USD would require you to convert it first. #fintech-crypto As tech companies come down on Russia, Spotify has decided to close it’s Russian office and boot Kremlin-backed outlets, but is keeping streaming services operating. #big-tech |
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Selina Lee |
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The babysitting boom is here |
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It’s a helluva good time to be a babysitter. Between 2020 and 2021, the average US babysitting rate jumped 11% to $20.57 an hour. That means babysitting left the yearly increases in both national average wage (4.7%) and inflation (7%) in the dust. It’s a major shift from the prior year’s 3.9% jump, and the result of a combo-punch of labor shortages and new, better-credentialed entrants like teachers and nurses. (TIL: Supposedly “babysitting” has different meanings around the world.) |
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We tried Amazon Luna and it’s not bad |
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Cloud gaming has been a hit (Microsoft’s Game Pass) or miss (Google’s Stadia). So when Amazon took its gaming platform out of early access for US users this week, we gave it a shot. How it worksLuna is a cloud-based subscription that allows you to stream games to your device, similar to Nvidia’s GeForce — except GeForce only lets you stream games you already own. Luna lets you choose from a library of games for one monthly fee. And unlike gaming distribution platforms such as Steam or GOG, you don’t have to download or install the titles. So, what can you play?First, you’ll need a solid internet connection or cloud streaming is not in your future. After that:
But is it worth it?If you’re a casual gamer who wants to play without shelling out big bucks on a gaming computer or individual games, sure. For example, I tried 4 games that aren’t exactly cheap on Steam:
And while many games are Windows-only, Luna worked with only minor lag on my MacBook Pro with a USB-connected Xbox controller. (FWIW, Amazon’s Luna controller connects to servers on its own and reduces lag, per PC Mag’s review.) Other reviewers had success with tablets and phones, though nothing seemed compatible with my Pixel. All in all, it’s not a bad deal — and a possible boon to the once-murky future of cloud gaming. |
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| TRENDS |
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5 big business ideas sourced from TwitterTop startup ideas of the week, curated by Trends:
Two more are in the article, thanks to Sam Parr and Sahil Bloom. Explore our business-building arsenal and network of 17k+ professionals. The Trends trial costs $1. |
| Get Access → |
| AROUND THE WEB |
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🎂 On this day: In 1924, one of the most famous songs ever was published: “Happy Birthday to You.” ✋ That’s interesting: The heartwarming romance behind the “high-five too slow” photo series that, since 2008, has lived in Wikipedia’s entry on high-fives. 👀 Useful: Use this site to see global Twitter trends around the world. 🧠 Cure boredom: Need a good read? The Interesting Button features 1.7k+ Wikipedia articles determined to be interesting. 🦌 Aww: Dik-diks are small, extremely cute antelopes. Like this. |
| IN CASE YOU MISSED IT |
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(A roundup of our best reads from the last couple weeks…) |
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🛒 How Ikea tricks you into buying more stuff LINK 👃 Scent’s purpose in virtual reality LINK 👚 Plastic looks great — but comes at a cost LINK 🤝 The West Coast looks east for hiring LINK 🏠 It’s getting hard to find garage doors LINK |
| Shower Thoughts |
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| via Reddit |
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