Fast company - tech

Windows 11’s melding of the old and new is unfinished business

From its centered task bar to its revamped Start and Quick Settings menus, the recently released Windows 11 includes some of the most obvious changes to the venerable operating system since Windows 8 launched nearly a decade ago. A response to the iPad, 2012’s Windows 8 sported Microsoft’s “Metro” user interface, with a Start screen of large, blinking Live Tiles and apps designed around touch-friendly controls and swipe gestures. These elements were grafted on top of

Tinder’s new ‘Swipe Night’ whodunit points to the future of shared digital experiences

When Tinder debuted its interactive dating experience Swipe Night in 2019, Kyle Miller, the company’s VP of product, core experience, recognized the risk of wrapping Tinder’s primary function—creating matches among its millions of users, 10.4 million of which are paying customers as of parent company Match Group’s third-quarter earnings—in what could’ve been seen as a trendy gimmick under the discerning gaze of the platform’s core demo of Gen Z. K

The new Netflix series ‘Arcane’ expands ‘League of Legends’ into entertainment

If all goes as planned, by Saturday, November 6, over 180 million people around the world will be very aware that Arcane, a TV series based on the multiplayer, online game League of Legends, is launching on Netflix. 

This mega-awareness won’t be so much the result of billboards and TV spots and social media posts about the show—though there have been those, too—rather, is what happens when a gaming company, in this case Riot Games, is able to tap into its ginormou

Saudi Arabia’s ban of ‘Eternals’ over LGBTQ scenes is part of an alarming trend

As Marvel embarks on the long-delayed, much-hyped U.S. launch of the Eternals, its latest franchise-within-a-franchise, a handful of Middle Eastern countries have announced a ban on the film. As of November 3, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have ceased any plans for Eternals to screen in their theaters. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the move is due to the film’s widely touted depiction of Marvel’s first gay superhero and first onscreen same-sex kiss within the Marvel Cinema

How powerful women in tech are pushing for new work policies to prevent burnout

For months now we’ve all been reading the data about the setbacks this pandemic has inflicted on women’s equality in the workplace. It’s now a well-worn narrative: “COVID-19 has driven millions of women out of the workforce”; “Coronavirus sent women’s progress backward”; “The pandemic has derailed working mothers.” Like many women in tech, I’ve been scared and concerned for the women I work alongside, invest in, and men

Meet the VC trying to reintroduce the Pentagon to Silicon Valley

In the venture capital world, a relatively small group of firms have specialized in funding startups whose tech has applications in defense or intelligence. Lux Capital is one of these firms, and its cofounder Josh Wolfe has built an investment thesis around finding new technologies that could help the U.S. defend itself against threats such as drone swarms or armed satellites. For example, Lux was an early investor in Anduril, a firm started by Oculus founder Palmer Luckey to develop AI-driven

I took a cross-country train trip to meet founders starved of Silicon Valley capital

“Venture capital funding breaks records—and fuels bubble concerns.” Headlines like these abound these days. When reading the tech press, you would think that entrepreneurs are drowning in capital. But while this may be true in some sectors, the reality for the vast majority of founders throughout America is very different. The percentage of venture funding going to female-only founding teams has dropped to 2.2% in 2021. That’s the lowest it’s been in five years

Gather offers a more inclusive vision of the metaverse—no VR required

On a recent tour of company headquarters, Gather founder and CEO Phillip Wang showed off some of the typical tech office attractions: plenty of conference rooms for private meetings, places to relax or have spontaneous conversations with coworkers, a secure area only unlockable by employees, and even a scenic roof deck. Some employees having a client meeting stopped to wave as we passed by. What made the tour unusual was that Wang and I weren’t in the same place, nor was he strolling thro

When I was 15, Facebook was toxic for my eating disorder. Today’s teens are even worse off

When I was 15 years old, I was diagnosed with anorexia. I fully recovered, unlike many of my peers, but it was an uphill battle. One thing I’m grateful for is that in the years I was most acutely suffering from the disease, I didn’t have access to Instagram, with its continuous drip-feed showing images of unattainable bodies that young people are exposed to today. But I did have Facebook. I vividly remember returning home from treatment and immediately reconnecting with treatment f

5 free apps to help you stay in shape over the holidays

It’s that time of the year again, friends. The days are getting shorter, the weather’s getting colder, and there’s calorie-dense food for miles. Stay ahead of the dreaded holiday heavies with these five great apps, which have one main thing in common: great free versions. Try them out for the next couple of months, and if they help you stay trim through New Year’s, maybe splurge on their paid, premium features. Adidas Running There’s no shortage of running apps


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