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| THE BIG IDEA |
Pickleball is sweeping the nation, and creating a full-blown gold rush |
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Once upon a time, pickleball was reserved for high school gym class. These days, the tennis/ping-pong/badminton hybrid is experiencing a renaissance that has catapulted the sport to the big leagues, per Bloomberg. A number of factors have led to the pickleball explosionFor the unfamiliar, pickleball is played with a square paddle that’s slightly larger than a ping-pong paddle on a court ~⅓ the size of a tennis court. The balls are plastic with scattered holes, similar to a wiffle ball. The game’s simple rules and slower pace make it easier to master than tennis, offering players a solid workout with lower injury risk. This helped the sport build steam among retirees in the Sunbelt — but it’s quickly grown beyond them. In 2020, ~4.2m people played pickleball, a 21% increase YoY. Business is boomingThis influx of interest has the pickleball economy hitting on all angles, including:
Adam Franklin, president of Franklin Sports, maker of a popular ball called the X-40, calls the sport “a bit of a unicorn business.” Looking to join the pickleverse?New courts are popping up at public parks and schools across the country — and if you want to study up, you can choose from a wide selection of podcasts, books, and even magazines. The best thing about it? There’s no such thing as being too old for pickleball. |
| SNIPPETS |
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Trees, please: Houston aims to plant 1m native trees by 2030. The trees will absorb CO2, clean the air, and reduce flood risk. #CLEAN-ENERGY Whoa: Korean engineers have built a robotic hand so dextrous that it can use tweezers and scissors. It can crush cans, too. #EMERGING-TECH Sniff, sniff: Amazon Ring patents go beyond facial recognition, suggesting “suspicious” people can be identified by voice, gait, skin texture, and… smell? #PRIVACY Klarna’s new browser extension for Chrome and Microsoft Edge lets shoppers use its installment payments service, even if the retailer isn’t a Klarna partner. #FINTECH-CRYPTO YouTube TV subscribers may lose access to 18 Disney-owned channels if the 2 entertainment giants can’t reach a new deal by Friday. #BIG-TECH MFM: Check out Shaan Puri’s interview with comedian Hasan Minhaj. They talk about prepping for shows, dealing with Twitter trolls, and creating instead of consuming. #MFM |
| CHART |
Salary increases are coming… with a big ‘but’ |
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We’ve got good news and we’ve got bad news. The good news: Base pay could increase 3.9% on average in 2022, according to The Conference Board’s survey of 240 companies (a majority of which have 10k+ employees). Why the increase?
And that’s the bad news. Inflation is up 6.8% this year in its fastest surge since 1982. So while many may be thrilled their wages are rising, they shouldn’t inflate their hopes too much. |
| FREE RESOURCE |
Thanks, Apple: How to email after iOS 15The reign of open rates is over. Oh no. Along with Apple’s iOS 15 software update came the infamous Mail Privacy Protection (MPP) feature, which hides users’ IP addresses. MPP is magic for the masses and a pain in the ass for inbox experts. New email marketing problem points:
And so we must adapt. Read about HubSpot’s new 5-step approach to email here. Thanks, ma. |
| Email’s new look → |
| GONE SMISHING |
What the heck is smishing? |
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Recent reports have warned of smishing, but what exactly is it? And how do you know if you’re being smished? Smishing is 1 of the “ishing” scams:
These messages may seem like they’re from a familiar company or organization — a bank, your internet provider, the IRS — but they’re not. They’ll try to fool you into revealing personal info, such as bank details or login credentials. In the case of smishing…… the text usually contains a link that, if clicked, will download malware to the victim’s device or direct to a bogus site requesting personal info. These kinds of scams were hot in 2020, resulting in 241.3k complaints and adjusted losses of $54m+, per a report from the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). How to spot itRed flags include messages that:
But the biggest red flag? Asking for data at all. Per Bryan Ogelsby of the Better Business Bureau, “No legitimate company, government agency, or organization is going to ask for that data even if they sent you a text message or email.” So, what to do?
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| AROUND THE WEB |
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☕ On this day: In 1773, American colonists dumped 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbor in protest of the British Parliament’s Tea Act of 1773. 🌄 Chill out: This yearlong time-lapse of Ireland’s Mourne Mountains showcases the natural beauty of the 4 seasons. 📘 Useful: Use your local library card with Hoopla, an app that lets you check out e-books, audiobooks, comics, and more, right to your device. 👀 Cure boredom: Browse the Museum of Lost Memories. It’s an Instagram account of old photos, but also an attempt to reunite them with their owners. 😀 How to: Earlier this year, LinkedIn rolled out a feature that lets users make 30-second intro videos. Here’s how to use it to attract recruiters. ❄️ Aww: And now, a ferret who really loves snow. |
| MEME OF THE DAY |
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Source: Amazinaces.com |