Rana Yared resigned as a Goldman Sachs partner this week, dealing a blow to the firm's ambitions to include more women in its highest ranks. Yared will become a general partner at Balderton Capital, a London-based venture-capital firm that raised $400 million for early-stage investments in November. Balderton was an early investor in Revolut, one of the most successful digital banks.Revolut was in talks as recently as October to raise another round of funding that could value it at between $5 billion and $10 billion.Click here for more BI Prime content.

Rana Yared, a Goldman Sachs partner overseeing more than $2 billion in principal investments for the firm, is leaving to join one of Europe's leading venture-capital firms.

Yared will become a general partner at Balderton Capital, according to people with knowledge of her plans. A Goldman Sachs spokesperson declined to comment.

Balderton is one of the "big four" venture-capital firms focused on early-stage companies and based in London, according to a TechCrunch article, which listed Accel, Index, and Atomico as the others. The firm has invested more than $3 billion across eight funds since its founding in 2000, including notable investments in Revolut, one of the UK's leading challenger banks, and Vivino, an app that helps wine enthusiasts find, rate, and catalog good wines, according to its website.

In November, Balderton said it had raised $400 million for its latest fund to invest in early-stage European startups. Balderton traces its roots to Benchmark Capital, one of Silicon Valley's most successful firms. In 2007, what was then called Benchmark Europe broke off from the US firm and renamed itself Balderton. 

Yared will join a handful of Goldman alumni, most notably Tim Bunting, who served as the bank's global head of equity-capital markets and vice chairman of Goldman Sachs International before joining Balderton as a partner in 2007, according to its website.

Yared  joined Goldman in 2006 and made partner in 2018. She was considered by colleagues to be a rising star.

The past six years of her career were spent in the firm's principal-strategic-investments unit, a small team housed in the securities division that made financial-technology investments with the bank's money. In that capacity, she led a team of more than 30 employees, spearheaded many of Goldman's early forays into cryptocurrency markets, and oversaw more than $2 billion in investments. 

Many of those stakes were among Goldman's most high-profile fintech investments. She worked closely on Goldman's investment in Tradeweb, the bond-dealing platform that went public last year, and discovered Kensho, an artificial-intelligence startup that sold to S&P Global for $550 million in 2018, according to an interview she did in September with Le Commerce. 

Earlier this year, she spoke with Business Insider about how she defines the word fintech. 

"What we like to say to people is we were investing in fintech before it was named," Yared said. "Taking an exchange from the floor up to electronic was considered the leading edge of financial technology," she said, adding that her broad definition of the term "covers everything from consumer retail to capital markets. It covers investments in capital markets platforms. Payments. Tech-enabled lending. New banks. Neo banks, you might call them."

That definition will come in handy if she's asked to help out with Balderton's investment in Revolut. The venture-capital firm led the seed-round investment in the digital bank, according to PitchBook. Revolut was in talks as recently as October to raise another round of funding that could value it at between $5 billion and $10 billion.

Balderton partner Daniel Waterhouse sits on the company's board. 

Original author: Dakin Campbell

In November, Google finally launched a major gaming platform that was in development for years: Google Stadia.Instead of having to buy games on a disc or download them from a digital store, Stadia users stream games over the internet. The service launched with access limited to customers willing to pay $130 for the "premiere edition," but a free version named Stadia Base is on the horizon: It's scheduled to arrive "over the next few months," according to Google.The news comes amid criticism from some early adopters, who have slammed Google for being slow to roll out promised updates, and for a lack of communication with the community.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Nearly three months ago, Google made its first major push into the multibillion-dollar video-game industry with Stadia: a Netflix-like game service that streams games to a variety of devices, no game console required.

Google Stadia is not a game console, nor is it a game platform, really — it's a digital storefront run by Google where you can buy individual games.

Right now, to access that storefront, you have to pay $130 for the Stadia "premiere edition." That comes with a Stadia gamepad, a Chromecast Ultra streaming device, and three months of access to Stadia Pro, a monthly subscription service that provides free games each month, enables users to stream games at ultra-HD 4K resolution, and offers a few other bells and whistles.

In so many words: The only way to play Stadia games since launch in November has been to spend $130 up front. But that's about to change.

"Over the next few months, anyone in our 14 launch countries will be able to access Stadia for free," Google representative Patrick Seybold told Business Insider in an email on Wednesday.

Google

Those 14 countries include: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States.

The news of Stadia's free tier going live in "the next few months," which was first reported by Protocol on Wednesday, is the first major news about Stadia since launch last November.

The addition can't come soon enough, as some of Stadia's early adopters have already started losing the faith. Google has come under fire from some Stadia fans for not delivering on some promises made when the service was first announced, and for what they see as a lack of communication over the future roadmap.

Notable features are still missing from the service — like the ability to play Stadia on the vast majority of smartphones, including Apple devices and non-Google Android smartphones — but establishing the free "base" tier is an important step for Google's fledgling service.

The company is promising a much bigger 2020, with "more than 120 games" scheduled to launch this year, over 10 of which are said to be exclusive to Stadia and launching in the first half.

It remains unclear when Stadia will support Apple devices, or when other promised features are coming. 

Original author: Ben Gilbert

Uber suspended the accounts of 240 Mexican users in an attempt to stop the coronavirus spreading.According to Uber Mexico's Twitter account, the suspended users had ridden with two drivers who came into contact with a possible coronavirus case.Numerous major tech companies have placed restrictions on their employees' travel in recent weeks as the virus has spread within mainland China and beyond.Business Insider has approached Uber for comment.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Uber is freezing the accounts of 240 users in Mexico as a precaution after flagging that two drivers made journeys with a passenger who was identified as being "a possible carrier of the coronavirus."

"On Friday 31st January, we were handed a notice by public health services in the City of Mexico after requesting information with respect to a user identified by them as being a possible carrier of the coronavirus," according to a statement posted on Uber Mexico's Twitter account in Spanish. 

"In accordance with our protocols and as a precaution, we've proceeded to send information to these drivers and to the 240 users regarding the temporary deactivation of their accounts," the statement said. 

Uber's statement came as a reply to a user who posted on Twitter a notification of the suspension of their account. 

"We received information from Mexico's public health service provider regarding a user of the app who had previously used the same vehicle as you, and who has a possible diagnosis of coronavirus," a message from Uber to a user named Norma said in Spanish. "For the time being, your account can't be used to make journeys."

To date, there have not been any confirmed cases of the deadly virus in Mexico. Uber isn't the only major tech company to have acted in the wake of the coronavirus.

Last week, Facebook pledged to limit and remove misinformation about the Wuhan coronavirus shared on its platform, while also informing users if something they share is false.

The social media giant has confirmed to Business Insider that it had halted all non-essential travel to China by its staff, while its employees based in China were also directed to work from home, Bloomberg wrote last week.

Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Apple have all placed sharp restrictions on their own employees' travel to mainland China.

Since it first emerged in late December in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the coronavirus has spread rapidly within mainland China.

To date, there have been 17,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and 361 deaths in China, while there have also been 150 confirmed coronavirus cases outside China, with one person dying in the Philippines.

Business Insider has approached Uber for comment.

Original author: Charlie Wood and Ruqayyah Moynihan

19 years ago, an episode of "The Simpsons" predicted that Donald Trump would one day become US president.

And this wasn't the only time the writers have managed to predict the future.

The most recent prediction to come to light is from an episode from season 4 in 1993, where parcels are shipped to Springfield from Osaka in Japan. Homer's is filled with germs from an assembly line worker coughing into it.

The "Osaka flu" that infects the entire town has some similarities to the current spread of coronavirus affecting China and 23 other countries so far in 2020.

"The Simpsons" has been running for almost 30 years, so it's inevitable that some themes that crop up in the show might occur in real life. But some of the plotlines are eerily close to events that have happened throughout the world.

We've listed some of the strangest predictions the cartoon's writers have made since the show's launch in 1989, from Homer discovering the Higgs boson to animators drawing The Shard in London almost 20 years before it was built.

Edith Hancock, Amanda Luz Henning Santiago, and Carrie Wittmer contributed to previous versions of this post.

Here are 19 times "The Simpsons" predicted the future, in order of their appearance on the show:

Original author: Tom Murray and Lindsay Dodgson

The edge computing industry is expected to be worth more than $3 billion dollars in the next five years. In January Apple acquired one firm, Xnor.ai, for a reported $200 million, while competitor Kneron raised $73 million in funding from backers like Alibaba and Qualcomm. Edge computing allows data to be processed 'on-device', removing the dependency on cloud networks – and limiting the risk of user data being hacked. Early Xnor.ai backer Autotech Ventures told Business Insider he is so 'optimistic' about the industry's future, his firm has already invested in another edge startup. Click here for more BI Prime stories.

By 2025, the edge computing industry is expected to be worth $3.24 billion. 

In January Apple acquired Xnor.ai, an edge AI startup, for a rumored $200 million. A few weeks later, another edge AI firm called Kneron raised $73 million in a fundraising round backed by commerce giant Alibaba and top-tier Silicon Valley investor Sequoia Capital.

So what's all the hype about? 

Edge computing allows data to be stored and processed closer to home, as opposed to going via the cloud. The increasing number of "Internet of Things" devices – everything from smartphones to smart diapers – means bandwidth requirements are being pushed to their limits. 

By transferring these processes to the "edge", these devices can perform their primary computing functions without being dependent on a WiFi or cloud network. This could be applied to complex filters on your favorite photo-editing app or facial recognition capabilities in a smart camera. For example, smart camera company Wyze partnered with Xnor.ai so that its cameras could detect people, without relying on the cloud.

In an age rife with fears over privacy and how big businesses make use of consumer data, limiting the use of cloud networks also means' personal data doesn't travel so far, and is therefore less vulnerable to hacking. 

Albert Liu, CEO and founder of AI startup Kneron Kneron

Albert Liu, founder and CEO of Kneron, told Business Insider the company hopes to "democratize" computing power. Among his firm's biggest clients are Gree Electric, the largest manufacturer of air-conditioners in the world, and Sogou, one of the best-known online search engines in China. 

"Cloud-based AI definitely has its purpose," said Liu. "But we want to disperse the power of inferencing among each individual device. You as a customer may not want your devices to be forced to access a cloud network every time you use it." 

Xnor.ai, Apple's most recent buy, was spun out of A12, a research institute set up by the late Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen in 2014.

Asked what Apple's acquisition meant for the industry, the firm told Business Insider edge tech has "unique advantages" in the realm of privacy, "especially in a time when user data concerns are more in the spotlight". 

"[It's] a clear signal that edge technology is a high-potential area of new investment for companies working on consumer electronics and other interactive technologies," a spokesman said.

"A smartphone, tablet, or home assistant device equipped with the tech Xnor.ai is building will provide a big leap forward for the markets in which Apple is the most competitive." 

It added: "We expect to see a big impact from edge AI applications in the rapidly-expanding world of IoT devices. We'll see it in areas where privacy and the protection of user data are paramount, such as in medicine or law enforcement." 

Autotech Ventures is a venture capital firm specializing in tech for vehicles – and an early backer of firms like Tesla and Lyft – which invested in Xnor.ai long before it was bought up by Apple.

Managing director Alexei Andreev told Business Insider he feels "very optimistic" about the future of edge computing. So optimistic, in fact, that he has just signed off an investment in another edge startup. 

He laughs: "I'm afraid I can't tell you who it is yet." 

Original author: Martin Coulter

Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend Lauren Sanchez are seen on January 16, 2020. Prodip Guha/Getty Images

Good morning! This is the tech news you need to know this Monday.

Jeff Bezos' girlfriend's brother is suing the Amazon CEO for defamation, claiming he was falsely accused of providing incriminating photos to the National Enquirer. Michael Sanchez says he never possessed Bezos' intimate photos, contradicting a New York Times report that found evidence that Lauren Sanchez sent leaked texts and photos to her brother.
Apple shut down all stores and corporate offices in China amid the continued Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. Apple, which earns about a quarter of its operating income in China, said it will keep its online store open during the shutdown.Uber suspended 240 user accounts in Mexico after they rode with drivers believed to have come into contact with the coronavirus, Bloomberg reports. There have not yet been any confirmed cases of coronavirus in Mexico.Facebook shelled out $11.2 million to run its first Super Bowl commercial. The company's CMO and ad agency Wieden and Kennedy told Business Insider how it came about.Mark Zuckerberg said during an interview on Friday that if he were starting a company today, he wouldn't do it in Silicon Valley. "There's a lot of advantages to building a company that is not in such a monoculture," said Zuckerberg.Zuckerberg also said he's become "more religious" after becoming a father and going through recent struggles with the company. "The last few years have been really humbling for me," said Zuckerberg.Airbnb quietly acquired cloud storage startup Minbox in 2016. The previously unreported purchase was one of several quiet acquisitions by Airbnb in 2016.WeWork named former Brookfield executive Sandeep Mathrani as CEO. Mathrani will replace Artie Minson and Sebastian Gunningham, who have served as co-CEOs since the company's founder Adam Neumann was ousted in 2019.Twitter gave a state university access to a student's parody account after it complained that he was mocking the school. Twitter told Business Insider it made a "mistake," and that "the school should not have been provided access to this account."Amazon Web Services attacked a Microsoft-commissioned study claiming that its Azure cloud is faster and cheaper. Microsoft has made similar claims before, with an exec recently claiming that its Azure cloud was 5 times cheaper than AWS in certain situations.

Have an Amazon Alexa device? Now you can hear 10 Things in Tech each morning. Just search for "Business Insider" in your Alexa's flash briefing settings.

You can also subscribe to this newsletter here — just tick "10 Things in Tech You Need to Know.

Original author: Isobel Asher Hamilton

Facebook just ran its first Super Bowl ad this year, and its CMO Antonio Lucio and its agency Wieden and Kennedy revealed how the $11.2 million, 1-minute commercial came to life.The spot shows a montage of "rock-themed" activities inspired by interests shared by actual Facebook Group members.Facebook — which hasn't traditionally been a big advertiser — has increased its ad spending lately amid regulatory scrutiny and criticism of its platform.Click here for more BI Prime stories.

A retro blue-grey minivan with the license plate "ROCK3R" screeches to a halt on a curbside and three men determinedly hop out. The scene cuts to them skipping stones on the edge of a lake with six others while the song "I Wanna Rock" by Twisted Sister plays. 

The camera then pans to scenes of people mixing craft cocktails, rock-climbing and building amateur rocket ships, before landing on the famous Rocky steps in Philadelphia, where Chris Rock and Sylvester "Rocky" Stallone join with hundreds of Rocky fans. 

What's the common denominator? The montage of activities are all "rock-themed," inspired by interests shared by members of real Facebook Groups, the subject of the company's first Super Bowl commercial.

"What we've done here, rather cleverly, is feature 12 different groups that all share an interest in 'rocks' in some shape, way, or form," Antonio Lucio, Facebook's CMO, told Business Insider. "The ad ends with, 'Whatever you rock, there is a group for you.'"

Lucio and Colleen DeCourcy, the president of Facebook's ad agency Wieden and Kennedy, gave Business Insider a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Facebook's first Super Bowl ad.

The spot comes as Facebook — which traditionally hasn't been a big advertiser — has increased its marketing amid regulatory scrutiny and criticism of the platform.

The commercial was an epic undertaking spanning several months and locations

The process spanned several months and geographical locations. It started when Lucio quipped that Facebook should be in the Super Bowl during a routine visit to the agency's Portland headquarters last August.

"Our first reaction was, 'We're not ready!'" DeCourcy said. "But when you are trying to build the global face of a brand, you can do months of prep and strategy, or you can just start and tweak as you go and try to hit the right note." 

Wieden and Kennedy presented its ideas in September, got the greenlight in October, signed on the dotted line in November, and started production in December. The spot was shot over nine days in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Utah.

The agency knew it had to advance "More Together," the campaign that Facebook launched in summer 2019 to show how Facebook Groups bring together people from different walks of life. But it had to have a different tone than the film "Dads," where two men from different backgrounds bond over fatherhood, DeCourcy said.

The team decided the rock theme would let it cover more ground. The spot features a variety of groups that spans the literal, like the Moab Rock Climbers, and metaphorical, such as the Table Rock Lake group. It also satisfies Lucio's goal of promoting diversity through casting choices, stories, and points of view. 

"The Super Bowl is a specific kind of work, that's usually lighter, louder and brighter — it's less plot-driven," DeCourcy said. "The idea of the rock became the fulcrum for pulling all these groups together built around an amazing track, which regardless of your age, you know."

Most creatives tend to come up with ideas and generate the ad themselves, but Wieden took a different approach, bringing in real groups and members from all over the country to collaborate on and appear in the ad. The goal, DeCourcy said, was "to celebrate these people, not necessarily to celebrate Facebook."

The administrators of the Craft Cocktail Club group, for example, brought along their own barware to the set, some of which was used in the final commercial. They also taught the creative team some of the techniques that made it into the final cut, and gave feedback while it was being shot. 

Facebook is trying to push community on its platform through groups

It's no coincidence that Facebook is trying to capitalize on the year's biggest TV advertising stage, spending $11.2 million for 1 minute of airtime.

Facebook hasn't been a major advertiser, given its already big brand recognition and consumer penetration. But the company has increased its ad spending to rebuild consumer trust after a spate of controversies regarding privacy and misinformation on the platform in recent years. The company spent $9.8 billion on marketing and sales in 2019 versus $7.8 billion in 2018, per its most recent earnings report. 

Facebook has been promoting groups as a way to promote meaningful interactions on its platforms. But groups have had their problems, too, being used to promoted unlicensed medicines and access people's personal data.

Chris Allieri, principal at public relations firm Mulberry and Astor, said a better route for Facebook would be to take steps to actually fix its platforms' problems.

"Bringing people of diverse backgrounds and interests together around community and shared passions is Facebook on its best day," he said. "But you don't build trust with a Super Bowl ad, you build it with real, demonstrated action."

Lucio insisted that Facebook is also doing that, taking stances on election interference, misinformation, privacy, and data management. But he said the Super Bowl isn't the place to talk about that.

"There is a frame of mind for the Super Bowl, and if you want to connect with your consumers, you have to be respectful of the context," he said. "Otherwise, you're wasting their time."

Facebook released the commercial on Feb.1 and the video had racked up 3.6 million views in 12 hours on YouTube. The ad will also run on other platforms including Twitter and YouTube, where Facebook will run a homepage, or masthead, takeover during the game. A digital outdoor campaign will run in New York the day after the game. 

Like every other Super Bowl advertiser, DeCourcy and Lucio will track the public's reaction to the ad. But if they are feeling the pressure, they're not saying it.

"You always feel the pressure, but creativity is a funny animal," said DeCourcy. "Too much pressure or weight kind of kills the free flow of ideas."

Original author: Tanya Dua

Super Bowl ads don't come cheap. Fox is charging as much as $5.6 million for a 30-second spot in the game this year.Some like Facebook and hummus maker Sabra are advertising for the first time while others like Snickers and Squarespace are returning after a few years.The advertisers also include regulars like Anheuser-Busch InBev and Pepsi and presidential candidates Donald Trump and Michael Bloomberg. Here's everything we know about the commercials airing during the Super Bowl 2020.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

As the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to take on the San Francisco 49ers at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami for Super Bowl 2020 on Feb. 2, marketers were gearing up off the field to do battle for spectators' attention.

And with the cost of a 30-second spot on Fox hitting as much as $5.6 million this year, the stakes are higher than ever.

Some advertisers are making their Super Bowl debut, with Facebook and hummus brand Sabra joining regulars like Anheuser-Busch InBev, Avocados From Mexico, and Pepsi.

The game is also going to get political this year, with President Donald Trump and Michael Bloomberg's presidential campaigns buying 60-second ads. And tech companies are maing their mark, with Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon airing commercials this year.

Here's a look at all the ads that are slated to run in the big game. (The list only includes national advertisers.)

Original author: Tanya Dua

Users were complaining that Hulu crashed for live TV viewers ahead of the Super Bowl.Hulu later ran an ad in the first quarter of the game with football star Tom Brady proomoting the service.The Super Bowl is the ultimate test for streaming services betting on live sports.Live streaming is a big focus for Hulu because of its high subscription price, although the company doesn't make as much ad money from live streaming as it does from on-demand streaming.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Super Bowl is the ultimate test for streaming services betting on live sports, and Hulu got off to a rough start tonight.

Ahead of kickoff at the Super Bowl, some Hulu subscribers complained on Twitter that the live sports streaming service was crashing. A Hulu spokesperson did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

Hulu later ran a 30-second commercial starring football star and former New England quarterback Tom Brady promoting Hulu's live streaming and on-demand library of content.

 

Live sports has been a big focus for Hulu. In May, a Hulu exec said that 65% of live-sports viewers go on to watch Hulu's library of on-demand content. That's a big deal for Hulu because the company keeps all revenue from its on-demand viewing but only 15% from ads that run during its live service.

Live TV is also lucrative for Hulu. A subscription typically costs $54.99 a month with access to 65 live and on-demand TV channels, according to Hulu's website. Hulu also offers ad-supported and ad-free streaming plans. Hulu is running a promo for the Super Bowl to offer one week of live streaming for the Super Bowl. 

 

 

Original author: Tanya Dua and Lauren Johnson

Apple will likely add 5G support to its 2020 flagship iPhones, according to early reports and rumors.Other than 5G connectivity, the phones are said to feature a more advanced 3D camera and new size options.The addition of 5G could boost demand for Apple's new iPhones as customers are upgrading their smartphones less often.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Even before Apple unveiled the iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro in September, reports had already started to emerge about what the company could be planning for 2020.

The biggest upgrade coming in 2020 will likely be the introduction of 5G network support, an addition that some analysts are expecting will result in a huge iPhone upgrade cycle for Apple. 

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives believes 350 million iPhones are in the window of an upgrade opportunity, as he wrote in a January 29 note following Apple's fiscal first-quarter earnings.  A study from Strategy Analytics published in November also suggested that Apple could surpass Samsung and Huawei to lead the market for 5G smartphones in 2020, even though those companies have launched 5G-enabled smartphones long before Apple.

Apple's next-generation iPhones are expected to introduce other major changes, such as different size options, a revamped design, and a new three-dimensional camera, according to the predictions of TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and other reports.  

Here's a look at everything we know about the new iPhones Apple is expected to release in September.  

Original author: Lisa Eadicicco

The smartphone isn’t going anywhere.

No other device can replicate what it does for the everyday consumer, so expect to see more smartphones in the public’s hands over the next few decades.

But that doesn’t mean the device will stay the same.

The next steps in the smartphone's evolution are here, and Business Insider Intelligence has collected them into The Top 3 Biggest Smartphone Trends.

This exclusive report can be yours for FREE today.

Original author: Business Insider Intelligence

A 23-year-old YouTuber by the name of David Dobrik was recently named Generation Z's favorite social media personality in a survey from financial analyst firm Piper Jaffray.

If you're not a teen, it's possible you've never heard of the star. He's a celebrity that's risen to fame thanks to social media: He got launched into the spotlight on the video-sharing app Vine, and has since turned to YouTube, where he has more than 15 million subscribers.

Now, Dobrik has turned his empire into a net worth estimated at $7 million. His elaborate stunts and vlogs have earned him movie roles, a gig hosting the Teen Choice Awards, and a loyal fanbase.

Here's everything you need to know about David Dobrik, a Vine star-turned-YouTuber:

Original author: Paige Leskin

Sony's "Bad Boys for Life" won the domestic box office for a third-straight weekend with $17.7 million.The movie is now the highest-grossing title in the franchise. Its domestic total to date is $148 million.Paramount's "The Rhythm Section" has the worst opening for a wide release in 2020 so far, as it only brought in $2.8 million on 3,000 screens.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

It may still be very early, but there can be no dispute: Sony is dominating the early days of 2020.

Multiplexes at the moment are filled with titles from the studio that can satisfy all audiences. From Oscar nominated titles like "Little Women" and "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood," to blockbuster fare like "Jumanji: The Next Level" and "Bad Boys for Life." 

And the latter is the shining jewel of the movie biz at the moment as it has scored the rare third-straight weekend box office win.

The movie, teaming Will Smith and Martin Lawrence as wise-cracking Miami detectives 17 years after the release of "Bad Boys II," topped the domestic box office with an estimated $17.7 million. That now brings its domestic total to $148 million, which tops "Bad Boys II" and makes "Bad Boys for Life" the highest-grosser of the franchise. And it set that feat in just 17 days in theaters.

You can chalk up the success of the movie to the creatives behind it, especially the producer who oversees the franchise, Jerry Bruckheimer, who for years had to navigate a revolving door of directors, screenwriters, as well as numerous release date changes, and appeasing his temperamental stars to finally get the third movie in the can. But you also have to give credit to the executives at Sony, who found the perfect release for the movie to have time for the word of mouth to build.

The January release, in a time of year where there is zero competition outside of the Oscar contenders — which is only attractive to a select audience — opened the door for a big opening and consecutive weeks to build up its box office coin as titles like "Dolittle" and "The Turning" didn't find any interest from audiences.

"Bad Boys for Life" will most likely be dethroned next Friday when Warner Bros. opens its DC Comics title "Birds of Prey" on a record-breaking number of screens for the month of February (4,100), but Sony certainly used its time well at the number one spot.

"The Rhythm Section." Paramount Pictures This weekend wasn't a good one for Paramount. Its gritty revenge movie starring Blake Lively, "The Rhythm Section," only brought in $2.8 million on around 3,000 screens, well below the studio's projection of a $4 million to $7 million first weekend. It's also the worst opening in 2020 by a movie in wide release.Horror movies usually are dud-proof, but Orion's "Gretel & Hansel" follows Universal's "The Turning" last weekend as a pair of scary movies that didn't attract audiences. "Gretel & Hansel" did better than "The Rhythm Section," bringing in $6.1 million on 3,000 screens over the weekend, but that's still a disappointing figure as it didn't even have enough to top "Dolittle" (which brought in $7.7 million).

Original author: Jason Guerrasio

Apple is expected to release a new Apple Watch in 2020, as it's done every year since 2015.The biggest new addition to this year's watch is expected to be sleep tracking, a feature that would help Apple catch up to rivals like Fitbit and Samsung.Otherwise, the next Apple Watch, which is expected to be called the Series 6, is rumored to come with faster performance and better water resistance. Here's what else we know.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Apple has released a new smartwatch every year since 2015, and there's a good chance 2020 will be no different.

While last year's Apple Watch brought improvements like an always-on display and a built-in compass, the biggest update expected to arrive on Apple's popular smartwatch in 2020 is support for sleep tracking. That's according to Bloomberg, which reported in early 2019 that Apple had been testing such a feature for a possible 2020 launch.

It would mark a significant upgrade for the Apple Watch, considering sleep tracking is the one major feature it's lacking compared to rivals like Fitbit and Samsung. That could further establish Apple's stronghold on the smartwatch market. Apple accounted for 47.9% of the smartwatch market as of the third quarter of 2019, according to Strategy Analytics, while Samsung followed with 13.4% and Fitbit placed in third at 11.3%. 

Here's a look at everything we're expecting to see from Apple's next smartwatch. 

Original author: Lisa Eadicicco

Hello!

This is Matt Turner, executive editor at Business Insider, back from parental leave and excited to be picking up from where my excellent colleagues left off with this weekly email. 

It might already be February, but this past week was my first week of work in 2020. And so in that spirit, I wanted to start this email rounding up some stories that could help you get ahead in the year ahead.

For example, Amazon, which briefly hit a $1 trillion valuation last week, is known for its ruthless interviewing process. Lauren Johnson talked to insiders about how to get a job there.

Or would you rather work at Netflix? Ashley Rodriguez talked to its head of recruiting, former employees, and staffing experts to learn exactly what it takes to get hired in 2020.

If you're more interested in Wall Street than Silicon Valley, Bradley Saacks talked to the head of professional development at Steve Cohen's Point72 about how to climb from fresh college grad to portfolio manager at the $16 billion hedge fund firm,

And Rebecca Ungarino talked to six up-and-coming financial advisers at Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, and Merrill Lynch who are managing big money and navigating a cutthroat industry.

If finance isn't your thing, perhaps you want to be a management consultant? Robin Madell put together a guide to getting a job at McKinsey, BCG, Bain, or Accenture, according to three headhunters for the top management consulting firms.

Or if you'd rather be a lawyer, Elizabeth Kiefer has this guide on how to get in to Harvard Law School, according to the chief admissions officer, two students, and two admissions consultants.

If all of that sounds far too corporate, Shoshy Ciment talked to a 19-year-old sneakerhead who says he made $350,000 in sales last year. He shared the budget spreadsheet he uses to maximize his profits at big events like Sneaker Con.

And once you're done working, you might want to retire to somewhere in Europe.  Taylor Borden talked to a Utah couple who moved to Portugal in retirement in 2012, and got her hands on a breakdown of how they live on a $2,330 monthly budget.

The recurring theme here of course is that these stories are designed to help you deliver on your dreams. I'd love to hear from you: What else should we be writing about in that vein?

Speaking of big dreams, Julie Bort this week published her annual list of the 72 startups that will boom in 2020, according to VCs.

As Julie explains her story, every year she asks VCs to name two startups: one that they or their firm invested in, and one where they have no financial ties or any other interest, but believe will do well. The result is a list of startups to watch in 2020 from the people who make their livings watching startups.

Elsewhere in the startup space, Yeji Jesse Lee and Jeremy Berke profiled the top 14 venture-capital firms making deals in the cannabis industry, and where they're looking to place their next bets. Benji Jones highlighted the top 21 clean-tech startups to watch that are set to transform the energy industry.

And lastly, Callum Burroughs in London asked nine of the most prominent VC investors in European tech to pick out fintech startups they think will blow up in 2020. Here are the 15 they chose.

That's it for this week. As always, I'd love to hear from you. What would you like to see more of? Let me know.

-- Matt

Finance and Investing

Inside Goldman Sachs' first investor day, where avocado toast and crab apples were served with tech talk, 3-year plans, and a surprising trading mea culpa

When David Solomon stepped onto the stage at Goldman Sachs' 200 West St. headquarters in New York on Wednesday wearing a dark suit and a silver tie, he looked out at a roomful of expectant analysts, investors, and journalists.

Famed economist David Rosenberg explains why he puts the odds of a recession at 80%. He says the Fed is squarely to blame.

When the Canadian economist David Rosenberg described the odds of the next US recession, a French expression came to mind: "les jeux sont faits."

Tech, Telecoms, and Media

Oyo, the 'jewel' in SoftBank's startup portfolio, just announced more layoffs in the US weeks after cutting thousands of jobs in India and China

Oyo, the Indian budget-hotel startup backed by SoftBank, is laying off a significant number of its sales and support staff in the US, two sources directly familiar with the cuts told Business Insider.

Leaked pitch deck shows how WarnerMedia plans to become the dominant media company by spending on HBO Max and adtech division Xandr

AT&T has made no secret of its desire to lead the increasingly fractured media landscape through its newly acquired WarnerMedia entertainment properties and Xandr adtech division.

Meet the 16 rising stars inside top PR agencies, who know everyone, have great reputations, and can spin anything

PR seems to be more important — and complex — than ever.

Healthcare, Retail, and Transportation

Meet Wheel, the company quietly powering the doctors behind the companies who want to ship prescriptions like Viagra and birth control straight to your door

The way people are going to the doctor is increasingly going online. 

Leaked McDonald's marketing bible reveals how seriously the fast-food giant takes its reputation and why you'll never see Ronald in a nightclub

McDonald's takes Ronald McDonald very seriously. 

SpaceX hopes to launch 15 million rocket flights a year with a business that could upend commercial aviation

SpaceX is pushing to launch about two dozen missions into space this year. That would break its record of 21 launches in 2018.

Leadership and Entrepreneurship

A retired Navy SEAL commander of one of America's most decorated special ops teams reveals how to have difficult conversations for getting underperforming teams back on track

It would be easy to mistake Jocko Willink as the type of executive coach who would bark orders as if he were in the battlefield, and tear down underperforming employees without mercy.

The 27-year-old cofounder of Museum of Ice Cream turned a viral trend into a $200 million experience-first company. Here's how, and why she's not afraid of copycats.

Museum of Ice Cream — which, according to its website, provides "fun, multi-sensorial expressions of ice cream that cater to the appetites of our generation" — has in total welcomed more than 1.5 million guests to date across all of its locations from Los Angeles to New York. 

Original author: Matt Turner

As the saga of Jeff Bezos, his nude selfies, and his leaked affair with Lauren Sanchez continues, a new development has arisen – Sanchez's brother Michael Sanchez is now suing Bezos for defamation.Bloomberg reports Sanchez has accused the Amazon CEO and his security consultant Gavin de Becker of telling journalists that Sanchez leaked Bezos' nude photos to the National Enquirer. But Sanchez says he has never possessed the intimate photos, contradicting a New York Times report that found evidence that Lauren Sanchez sent the leaked texts and photos to her brother.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Michael Sanchez has filed a defamation lawsuit against his sister's boyfriend Jeff Bezos, claiming that Bezos and his security consultant falsely told journalists that Sanchez provided Bezos' nude photos to the National Enquirer.

A recent New York Times report pushed back against the claim that Bezos' phone was hacked in May 2018 by Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia. Bezos' personal hired security consultant Gavin de Becker compiled a report outlining the claim that Bezos' iPhone X had been hacked after receiving a WhatsApp message from the account belonging to the crown prince.

But the Times reported that there was no definitive link to the alleged hack by Saudi Arabia and the 11-page National Enquirer exposé of Bezos' affair with Lauren Sanchez, which include leaked intimate text messages sent between the two prior to Bezos' public announcement of his divorce with his then-wife Mackenzie Bezos. 

Simon Stacpoole/Offside / Contributor

Bezos also alleged that the National Enquirer engaged in "extortion and blackmail" by threatening to release nude selfies Bezos had taken and sent to Sanchez. The Times reports that federal agents and prosecutors found evidence that Sanchez sent the intimate texts and photos to her brother, who leaked them to the Enquirer for $200,000.

Now, Bloomberg reports that Michael Sanchez claims Bezos and de Becker told journalists that he was the one who provided the nude photos to the Enquirer, but Sanchez says he has never possessed the photos. 

In the filing, Sanchez admits to entering into an agreement with the tabloid, but claims it was to "get ahead of the story" about Bezos' affair with his sister, and Sanchez says his efforts were to limit the backlash against the pair. 

Sanchez also says his agreement was entered with the Enquirer's parent company, American Media Inc, which was already the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Manhattan US Attorney's Office into its role in distributing hush-money payments to women who allegedly had affairs with President Donald Trump. 

In a statement to Bloomberg through her lawyer, Lauren Sanchez said her brother "secretly provided my most personal information to the National Enquirer -- a deep and unforgivable betrayal. My family is hurting over this new baseless and untrue lawsuit, and we truly hope my brother finds peace."

A lawyer for Bezos told Bloomberg that the Amazon CEO would respond to the new allegations in court.

Original author: Kat Tenbarge

This stunning San Francisco mansion asking $11 million has several claims to fame. It was featured in the painting "An Evening Journey," by artist Evgeny Lushpin, and it was once owned by actor Nicolas Cage, according to The Wall Street Journal. Cage bought the home for $9.4 million in 2006, and sold for only $8.5 million in 2008.

Now, the home is once again for sale, requesting $10.95 million. The home is listed with Mark Allan Levinson at Compass.

Scroll to see photos of this luxurious and historic mansion.

Original author: Mary Meisenzahl

Oscar nominations can give a movie a box-office boost, but it's harder to come by in the age of streaming and online video.Paul Dergarabedian, the Comscore senior media analyst, told Business Insider that it depends on whether a movie still has an "untapped audience.""American Beauty" experienced one of the biggest Oscar bumps in recent memory, Dergarabedian said, earning 43% of its domestic box office after nominations were announced.There's no clear example this year of a movie experiencing anything close to what "American Beauty" did, but recent movies like "Green Book" and "Room" show that it's still possible.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Oscars are right around the corner, and the nominated movies will be vying for the most coveted trophies in Hollywood. But there's another prize that movie studios likely hope for during Oscar season: box-office gold.

As best-picture contenders expand into more theaters ahead of the big night, the relationship between Oscar recognition and box-office success is a tricky one.

"Oscar nominations can supercharge a movie's prospects, but it depends on its release in the marketplace," Paul Dergarabedian, the Comscore senior media analyst, told Business Insider.

One of the best examples is a 20-year-old drama with a connection to this year's best-picture frontrunner, "1917," Dergarabedian said.

1999's "American Beauty," from "1917" director Sam Mendes, won best picture at the 2000 Oscar ceremony. Leading up to its major victories, which also included best director (Mendes), the movie received one of the most significant Oscar bumps in recent memory.

"American Beauty" Dreamworks

'American Beauty' surged at the box office after gaining major Oscar nominations

"American Beauty" — which opened in limited release in September, 1999 and received a wide release that October — had earned $75 million domestically by the time Oscar nominations were announced on February 15, 2000. It wasn't bad for a movie made on a $15 million budget (before inflation), but it was only in seven theaters the week before the announcement and had all but stalled. 

Then it expanded to 1,287 theaters the weekend of February 18 and grossed another $5.6 million over that weekend, its 24th in theaters, according to Comscore. It suddenly jumped from 54th in the box-office rankings back into the top 10. It went on to make $130 million in North America, 43% of which came after nominations were announced. 

"There's no downside to a best-picture nomination," Dergarabedian said. "['American Beauty'] had played out by the end of 1999 and was hovering in a handful of theaters, and then boom." 

20 years later, significant Oscar bumps are harder to find, but not out of the question

The post-nominations success of "American Beauty" is significant in part because it got a wide release to theaters in October, four months before its Oscars-fueled surge at the box office, and was already relatively successful during its original theatrical run.

20 years later, there's no guarantee that it would benefit so much financially from Oscar nominations.

This year, there's not a clear example of a movie experiencing anything close to what "American Beauty" did.

"1917" is finding success, but it was released right in the thick of awards season, so any "bump" directly related to Oscars buzz is difficult to gauge. The same can be said for many nominated movies that are released late in the year to seemingly better resonate with Oscar voters.

"Green Book" Universal

A significant Oscars box-office bump depends on how long a movie has been in theaters and "how much untapped audience" there still is for a nominated movie, according to Dergarabedian. In the age of streaming and online video, that's rare — but not totally unheard of.

The best-picture winner "Green Book" and 2015's "Room," a best-picture nominee, are two prime examples of movies that benefited from Oscars buzz. The former hit theaters in November, but still made 50% of its $85 million domestic box office after nominations were announced two months later, according to Comscore.

Similarly, "Room" made 65% of its box office after getting major nominations. In both cases, the studios — Universal and A24, respectively — gave them a substantial theatrical expansion after nominations were announced.

"'Room' is a textbook example of a movie that might have languished in obscurity without the wave of critical acclaim and awards buzz," Dergarabedian said.

Each best-picture nominee's domestic box-office percentage after the nominations were announced are below, according to Comscore, along with their original release date (nominations were announced on January 13):

"1917" — 62% (released December 25)"Ford v Ferrari" — 3% (November 15)"Jojo Rabbit" — 15% (October 18)"Joker" — 0.2% (October 4)"Little Women" — 21% (December 25)"Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" — 0.5% (July 26)"Parasite" — 18% (October 11)"The Irishmen" — N/A (Netflix)"Marriage Story" — N/A (Netflix)

Original author: Travis Clark

Facebook is airing its first-ever Super Bowl ad during Q4, and the 60-second commercial spot featuring Sylvester Stallone and Chris Rock is already available to watch on YouTube.The "Ready to Rock?" ad, which highlights the diverse uses of Facebook Groups, likely cost just as much as the 60-second ads bought by Donald Trump and Mike Bloomberg.Trump and Bloomberg purchased their campaign ads for more than $10 million, and since 30-second spots cost around $5.6 million this year, Facebook probably spent more than $10 million too.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Facebook is bringing its 2020 ad campaign to the Super Bowl, with its first-ever national commercial set to air during Q4. The theme of the Facebook ad, which is available now on YouTube, is the wide variety of interests served by Facebook Groups.

Both actor Sylvester Stallone and comedian Chris Rock are featured in the ad, which is called "Ready to Rock?" and is themed around the diversity of different Facebook Groups related to rocks, such as rock climbing, rocking chairs, experiment rocketry, and a Rocky Balboa group.

At a full 60 seconds long, Facebook's ad is likely around as expensive as the highly publicized campaign ads running for 2020 contenders Mike Bloomberg and President Donald Trump. Bloomberg spent more than $11 million on his 60-second ad, and Trump likely spent the same, as sources knowledgeable about Fox's pricing said a minute cost about $11.2 million.

On average, a 30-second spot during this year's Super Bowl costs $5.6 million, so the $11.2 million price point adds up. Facebook almost definitely spent more than $10 million but didn't immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment about the total cost.

The Super Bowl ad is part of Facebook's year-round "More Together" campaign, which encourages Facebook users to connect in groups about their various interests and experiences.

Facebook is also running high-profile digital takeovers on Super Bowl Sunday, including a YouTube masthead and ads on sites like NFL.com, Hulu AdBlitz, and Allrecipes.com, where people will be finding Super Bowl recipes, the company told Business Insider.

Original author: Kat Tenbarge

Apple is expected to launch a slew of new products this year, including the rumored iPhone 12, a new iPad Pro, an Apple Watch that can track your sleep, and other gadgets.It's looking like Apple could make a big push into augmented reality by outfitting its new iPhones and iPads with 3-D camera sensors, possibly setting the stage for an AR headset.Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. 

Last year was a big moment for Apple product launches. Not only did the company keep with its schedule of releasing a trio of new smartphones and an Apple Watch in September, but 2019 also held a few surprises such as a new iPod touch and two new pairs of AirPods.

This year is bound to be just as eventful for Apple, if the rumors and reports are to be believed. Apple is expected to release its first 5G-enabled iPhones in the fall as well as a new low-cost smartphone among other devices.

Here's a look at some of the new Apple gadgets we're expecting to see in 2020. 

Original author: Lisa Eadicicco