One of the most remarkable things about the Framework laptop isn’t merely the device itself, but the marketplace that comes with it. Visit Framework’s online storefront, and you’ll find a sprawling array of replacement parts for sale, from screens and batteries to fans and speakers, along with upgradable storage and RAM. The Framework laptop is easy to pry open, and QR codes on each component lead to instructions on swapping them out. Having one place to buy all of those par
Despite the fact that one in four U.S. adults live with some type of disability, less than 2% of the world’s top 1 million websites provide fully accessible user experiences. We’re seeing a rise in the number of U.S. lawsuits over digital accessibility, but solving the problem is about more than avoiding legal consequences. Developing websites and mobile apps with people of all abilities in mind enables more individuals to use those products and creates a more inclusive digit
Last March, Prince Harry, no longer a working royal, found a new job at a tech startup. The Duke of Sussex joined the eight-year-old San Francisco-based company BetterUp, which provides coaching and mental health services to businesses and individuals and is currently valued at $4.7 billion (the company raised $300 million in an October series E round). His role—as chief impact officer—spans product strategy, philanthropy, and public advocacy related to mental health. The Duke of S
A new nonprofit aims to help fast-growth companies build their businesses by considering societal and environmental impacts from the outset. Responsible Innovation Labs, founded by Hemant Taneja, managing partner at venture firm General Catalyst, and former Stripe executives Jon Zieger and Diede van Lamoen, will help founders innovate with economic inclusion, environmental sustainability, workforce diversity, privacy, and “intentionality and impact.” “I’ve been invest
I spend my days working with customers in highly emotional situations as a VP of sales and client experience at SOLD.com. Selling a home brings up all kinds of issues for people. For many, it’s not only the biggest financial decision of their lives, but it also can mean leaving a place where they’ve built lifelong memories. Helping people use technology to make decisions is table stakes. What makes someone really good at this job is providing support beyond the standard of basic co
What if an NFT were somehow linked to something as old-school as an actual physical product? This is the concept behind the Grid, a new platform where people can buy NFTs (nonfungible tokens) of digitized, sports memorabilia—an NBA jersey, say, or a player’s sneaker. Then, by accruing enough points through trading and selling those NFTs, they can wind up with the real jersey. It’s a concept that takes NBA Top Shot—which set off the craze for NFTs featuring baske
On October 16, an unknown number of drivers for grocery delivery service Instacart went on strike. These shoppers, as Instacart calls its independent contractors, vowed to forgo logging onto the app that provides their dispatches. Other drivers who couldn’t afford to go without work still promised to reject the lowest-paying grocery orders, which pay $7 to the driver. The protestors demanded that Instacart meet a number of demands around higher fees, commissions, and tips, plus a reformed
When I started working on this story, my laptop screen consisted of nothing but empty white space—a blank canvas on which to tune out distractions and write. That’s what you get when you write in Typora, a distraction-free text editor for Windows, Mac, and Linux. With Typora, there are no ugly toolbars, superfluous collaboration options, or clumsy menus between you and your work, and the app works entirely offline. I first discovered Typora five years ago and have used it to write
Language-learning app Duolingo just released its second annual Language Report, and two things are clear: Netflix and TikTok really have an international grip on the culture, and people are deep in their feelings about family. Among several highlights from the survey, 70% said that a TV show could motivate them to learn a language. The most commonly referenced shows were Money Heist (Spanish), 37%; Squid Game (Korean), 28%; Emily in Paris (French), 20%; Dark (German), 16%; and Lupin (French), 16
Over the past year and a half, I’ve spent an enormous amount of time pedaling around the San Francisco Bay Area on my Gazelle e-bike. The 3,800 miles I’ve covered have been great fun and good exercise. But I didn’t think of them as an alternative to driving. Cars–in case you hadn’t heard–excel at hauling multiple people and their possessions. My Gazelle, on the other hand, carries me and a pannier bag that can accommodate roughly one small grocery bag&#x