Chip off the ol' block

Once you pop, the fun(ding) don’t stop: A news roundup of all your favorite chips

Chips aren’t the sexiest thing out there — but they’re the magic beans behind all your favorite gadgets.

From old-school chips satisfying new cravings, to the consolidation of Big Chip factories, chips have made major headlines this week. Here’s a recap to satisfy your cravings for salty, silicon-y semiconductors.

AMD may be old, but it’s still got crunch

American Micro Devices is the definition of old-school (its logo hasn’t changed since 1969). But the company was the best-performing stock in the S&P this week. Shares are up 120% in 2018, way more than better-known rivals Nvidia (28%) and Intel (4%).

Micron’s ’Merican Manufacturing

Memory chipmaker Micron Technologies announced yesterday that it will spend $3B to expand a manufacturing facility in Virginia. The Boise-based manufacturer is the 4th-largest chipmaker in the world and one of the few with roots in the US — and the expansion will generate 1.1k new jobs.

Everyone is pulling their chips out of the same bag

Intel and Samsung are fab (they fabricate chips in-house), but until recently “fabless” chipmakers like Qualcomm and Nvidia outsourced to 1 of 2 foundries. One of these, GlobalFoundries, just announced plans to downsize, meaning Taiwan’s TSMC will be getting a lot more business.

Also, people still really like potato chips

That’s right, you’re not the only one who still likes Lay’s: In the past 7 years, the market for good ol’ fried tater chips has grown at a snackable rate of 4%, pushing the global market for potato chips to $28B.

Feds indict NFL player and ‘Black-ish’ TV writer on charges of insider trading

According to a complaint filed by the Department of Justice, Cleveland Browns linebacker, Mychal Kendricks, and former Goldman Sachs analyst-turned-TV writer, Damilare Sonoiki, have been charged with securities fraud.

Kendricks admitted to his involvement in an insider trading scheme with Sonoiki between 2013 and 2015 — and, according to his attorney, plans to plead guilty in the coming weeks.

A real made-for-TV kinda plot

The DoJ alleges that the Harvard-educated Sonoiki advised Kendricks to invest $80k in 4 companies: Compuware, Move, Sapient, and Oplink. In less than 5 months, he “magically” generated close to $1.2m in illicit gains.

In return for the tips, Kendricks reportedly provided around $10k in kickbacks to Sonoiki, in the form of cash and NFL tickets.

Gordon Gekko would be proud

Kendricks has apologized to the NFL, his family, the Cleveland Browns (who he signed a one-year deal with in June), and the Philadelphia Eagles (who he won a Super Bowl with last year).

(Meanwhile, he kinda, sorta threw his “friend” under the bus.)

In a statement, he acknowledged he was aware of his wrongdoing at the time of the scheme, yet also implied that Sonoiki gave him a “false sense of confidence.”

If convicted, both men face up to 25 years in prison.

Natural Cycles’ Facebook ad banned in the UK over ‘misleading’ claims

Natural Cycles, a Swedish startup that developed a body temperature-based algorithm for tracking individual fertility, has come under the controversy microscope once again.

This time, a UK advertising regulator upheld 3 complaints that an advert the company ran last year on Facebook’s platform was “misleading.”

They told them no, and they did it anyway

While Natural Cycles gained EU certification for its app as a contraceptive in February 2017, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) claims to have stated very clearly that the company was “not to imply that the app was a ‘highly accurate’ method of contraception.”

Unfortunately, the ad in question did exactly that, promising a “highly accurate, certified, contraceptive app that adapts to every woman’s unique menstrual cycle.”

The regulator banned Natural Cycles from running the ad again, and warned it against exaggerating the “efficacy” of its technology.

This isn’t the app’s first unwanted controversy

The company has faced heavy scrutiny from medical professionals for “downplaying the complexity of its system,” as well as its odds of failure.

In January, a Swedish hospital reported 37 unwanted pregnancies among users of the app over a 5-month period, and accused the company’s effectiveness claims of being highly misleading.

According to a spokesperson for Sweden’s Medical Products Agency, the investigation has come to a head, and the agency plans to publish its findings sometime next week.

As Google faces data criticism, private search engine DuckDuckGo flaps its wings

DuckDuckGo, an internet search engine designed to protect consumer privacy, is surging in popularity as users become more wary of data collection practices at big tech companies like Google.

Launched 10 years ago, the company has since developed a tracking-script blocker and other privacy software — and now, they’ve raised $10m to continue building their tools.

Paranoid about privacy before it was cool

DuckDuckGo was founded in 2008, at a time when people were too worried about the paralyzing global recession to think about what Mark Zuckerberg was doing.

The company’s goal was simple: Create a search engine that doesn’t collect any information about users and shows everyone the same information for a given search query.

Duck, Duck, anti-Google

Since DDG last raised money ($3m in 2011), the world has changed. Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal threw tech’s privacy practices into the limelight, and these days the US president is spouting conspiracy theories about Google’s intentions.

But this grave new world means more business for DuckDuckGo.

The company has been profitable since 2014 and recently posted a record 25m searches in one day. It plans to use its recent funding to expand its privacy tools beyond the US.

Big mattress cartel dupes customers with suspect pricing and strategies

Fact: The sales techniques at old-school brick-and-mortar mattress stores are notoriously shady.

Big name mattress stores typically inflate the real cost of their mattresses, only to cut those high prices a call it “a deal." A mattress priced at $5k, on sale for 70% off, is likely worth much less.

Manufacturers also purposely make it difficult to compare prices between stores by creating different model names for the same mattress.

So how can you get the best mattress for your buck?

Simple, buy online. Unlike the box stores, online mattress makers compete for your dollars, not with shady sales practices, but with actual advantages -- like the quality of the mattress.

And according to WireCutter, no online mattress retailer does it better than Leesa.

Leesa’s developers spent years studying sleeping habits and listening to user feedback. The result? A quality foam mattress that will give you the comfort you want in a bed and the support you need to wake up feeling refreshed.

Choose Leesa and start sleeping better. Readers of The Hustle up to $160 off and a 100-night risk-free trial.

PACK: A towel that doesn’t take up your whole bag, $35

First rule of traveling: Always bring a towel. This one is made from nanofiber that’s twice as light as microfiber, but big enough to dry you off. It has an antimicrobial coating (to ward off that mildew stank) and a breathable silicon travel case to pack it back up while damp.

SHAMMY SHAMMY YA →

DAB: Literally everything you eat with this sauce, $14.99

Truff is one of those boujie new hot sauces that is actually worth the price tag. It’s infused with black truffles and just the right amount of spice, so you can put it on anything without incinerating your mouth -- basically, it’s our office’s new ketchup.

TRUFF LUCK →

WRITE: On an adhesive whiteboard that doesn’t suck, $96

Mounting a whiteboard is a pain in the a*s and whiteboard paint sucks. This removable, adhesive whiteboard sticker lets you turn any wall into a writing surface to capture the best (and worst) of your brainstorms.

WHEN IN DOUBT, WRITE IT OUT →

REDUCE: Your interest rates by consolidating credit debt, Free Comparison

If you’re in debt, taking out a loan might not seem like a wise decision. But, consolidating your credit debt into a personal loan can actually reduce your interest rates, so you can pay it off faster. Credible makes it incredibly easy to apply for a personal loan, and compare rates for free.

LIGHT AT THE END OF THE DEBT TUNNEL →

RIDE: Into the sunset with a theft-resistant bike, 30% off w/ code

You don’t have to be Lance Armstrong to know that bikes get stolen. A lot. Luckily, the geniuses at Fortified Bicycle engineered a theft-resistant bike. Their proprietary bolts make sure thieves can’t swipe your wheels. Use code THEHUSTLE to get 30% off any model.

2 WHEELS, 0 STEALS →