Multimedia Web Stories

Bitcoin and blockchain consume an exorbitant amount of energy. These engineers are trying to change that

If blockchain technology is going to revolutionize how we transact with each other, computer scientists need to solve one big problem: It can consume way too much energy. [Read more on CNBC.com]

Soon you could own shares of this Brooklyn apartment building with tokens costing just a few dollars

A five-unit apartment building in Brooklyn, New York, may represent the first foray into a new investment model that uses the technology underpinning cryptocurrency and allows investors to buy and sell their shares in a single property at the click of a button. [Read more on CNBC.com]

FedEx earnings beat: $3.72 per share, vs expected EPS of $3.11

FedEx reported fiscal third-quarter earnings and revenue Tuesday that beat analysts’ expectations. The company’s shares rose more than 3 percent in after-hours trade before paring its gains. [Read more on CNBC.com]

Automaker stocks dive after Trump announces new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports

The U.S. will set tariffs of 25 percent for steel and 10 percent for aluminum, President Donald Trump said Thursday. General Motors shares closed about 4 percent lower, while Ford and Toyota shares fell about 3 percent. Fiat Chrysler closed about 2.8 percent lower, while Honda shed about 2.7 percent. [Read more on CNBC.com]

The market may test more lows soon as it seeks a new leader besides tech, analysts say

Stocks rose on Tuesday after tumbling on the first day of the new quarter, but the market could still hit new lows in coming days, strategist Kenny Polcari told CNBC on Tuesday. [Read more on CNBC.com]

la-1466176342-snap-photo

Apple iPhones violated Chinese firm’s patents, Beijing bureau rules

China is providing Apple with one of its most lucrative markets. It’s also giving the tech giant no shortage of headaches. [Read more in The Los Angeles Times]

 

Screen Shot 2016-08-15 at 10.34.48 PM

In wake of fatal Tesla crash, BMW is in slow lane to roll out self-driving vehicles

A day after the disclosure of the first death in a crash involving a self-driving vehicle, BMW on Friday announced plans to release a fleet of fully autonomous vehicles by 2021. [Read more in The Los Angeles Times]

Nike’s VP of diversity leaves amid efforts to reform workplace culture

Nike’s head of diversity and inclusion has left the company, the sportswear retailer told CNBC on Monday, marking the latest executive departure at the company. Antoine Andrews joined Nike in 2015, according to his LinkedIn profile. [Read more on CNBC.com]

Banks are working to woo new doctors into home mortgages

When Dr. William Ngo was shopping for his first home two years ago, he ran into a problem: He got rejected for a mortgage because he had about $250,000 in student debt and little savings. So the surgeon applied for a loan specifically designed for doctors that came with a higher interest rate but no money down, and just a future work contract as proof of income. [Read more on CNBC.com]

How to keep your dream Pinterest-inspired wedding venue from blowing up your budget

Planning your wedding reception in a charming Pinterest-inspired barn instead of the typical banquet hall? If you’re not careful, it could skyrocket your wedding bill. Social media has heightened the appeal of unique locations instead of traditional places with all the bells and whistles built in. [Read more on CNBC.com]

Your retirement plan is getting a facelift. How to take advantage

In recent years, companies have been making improvements to their workplace retirement plans, according to a new survey by global advisory firm Willis Towers Watson. Among other changes, many companies have boosted employer contributions, added Roth 401(k) options, and made fees more transparent. [Read more on CNBC.com]

Speculators hoard Necco Wafers before candymaker’s possible closure

Stocks rose on Tuesday after tumbling on the first day of the new quarter, but the market could still hit new lows in coming days, strategist Kenny Polcari told CNBC on Tuesday. [Read more on CNBC.com]

From cannabis startups to surfers: Coworking spaces go more niche as the shared office market explodes

WeWork, with its McDonald’s-like ability to roll out new locations, has soaked up the investor dollars. Places like One Roof, with their laser-like focus on building a community of like-minded souls, often in a quirky fashion, have drawn enthusiastic adherents. [Read more on The Huffington Post]

Abel gardeningAs Santa Ana gentrification hits their pocketbooks, immigrants turn to co-ops to help make ends meet

Under the watchful eye of Apolonio Cortes and Abel Ruiz, a handful of shoppers picked at a selection of lettuce, green onions and other produce at the El Centro Cultural de Mexico community space in Santa Ana. [Read more in The Los Angeles Times]

crystal healing still
New Age shops offering crystals experience a resurgence in L.A.

As more Americans flock to alternative sources of spirituality, crystals and other New Age products, such as candles and herbs, are in demand at mom and pop shops as well as at trendy chains such as Urban Outfitters serving millennial shoppers. [Read more in The Los Angeles Times]

millennials

How are millennials transforming corporate culture?

Think millennials have over-inflated egos? Well, that may actually be a survival strategy in this new world of work. As companies come and go and change direction much more rapidly than in previous decades, those aged 18 to 34 face an uncertain job market. [Read more on The Huffington Post]

american dream

Why we’re hardwired to believe in the American dream 

Despite the deteriorating health of the American dream, many still feel just as strongly that hard work is the key to social mobility. In a Pew Research Center survey, 64 percent of respondents said most people can get ahead if they are willing to work hard, while 33 percent said hard work is no guarantee of success.  [Read more on The Huffington Post]

Supply glut threatens Los Angeles luxury housing market 

“I’ve never seen more construction in Los Angeles than in the last two or three years,” said Greg Harris, an agent at Compass brokerage in Beverly Hills. “There’s more high-end inventory than we’ve ever seen.” [Read more in The Los Angeles Business Journal]

 

 Will the most expensive home in American get anywhere close to its asking price of $250 million? 

With very little in the way of comparison for homes at the highest end of the market, asking prices for these types of megamansions are part of an elaborate game of one-upmanship, with prices acting more as suggestions rather than valuations. [Read more in the Los Angeles Business Journal] 

Emerging artists are staging megamansions to court wealthy buyers

Seeing an opportunity to ride a marketing opportunity that comes with bringing wealthy buyers through high-end homes, real estate agents and developers are increasingly striking up partnerships with artists and gallery owners as an alternative to hiring a traditional art-staging firm and paying an upfront fee. [Read more in The Los Angeles Business Journal]

 

Rising mortgage interest rates have some buyers in a rush to move in

The push to lock in lower rates has driven a surge in transactions across the market in recent weeks, according to real estate brokers. Mortgage interest rates rose in November and December, before dipping in the new year. [Read more in The Los Angeles Business Journal]

 

Playa Vista isn’t the utopian “live, work, play” community developers envisioned… yet

Playa Vista, which has become an extension of Silicon Beach as a Westside tech hub, has been billed by developers in the area as a place to “live, work, and play.” Living up to that billing has so far produced mixed results. Only about 6 percent of those who work in Playa Vista – some 300 people – also live there. [Read more in the Los Angeles Business Journal]

Taylor Swift likely to boost cachet but not price of her historic landmark home

The Samuel Goldwyn estate in Beverly Hills could soon be a historic landmark thanks to the efforts of its owner, pop star Taylor Swift. It’s a move that might not help boost the value of the property, however. The Beverly Hills Heritage Commission approved the musician’s application for historic landmark status in mid-January. [Read more in the Los Angeles Business Journal]

Angelenos are rushing to build granny flats under looser state laws

The number of applications made this year may have already eclipsed the average annual application rate over the last decade, and the pace is expected to increase as more people become aware of the relaxed regulations. [Read more in The Los Angeles Business Journal]

 

The constant battle to save LA’s affordable housing contracts from expiring

As many as 4,000 such units are at risk of going market rate this year in the city of Los Angeles, while nearly 11,800 additional units spread out among 334 buildings might see their rent limits removed over the next five years. [Read more in The Los Angeles Business Journal]

What is a win worth in college football?

The money at stake piles on the pressure to win and raises the question of “whether financial considerations should be an overriding concern of institutions responsible for the higher education of students.”  [Read more on NeonTommy.com]

 

The future of work at play in one guy’s living room 

The men and a few women call themselves a “digital collective.” It’s like an organically formed coworking space: a group of peers working independently and collaboratively in one space, leveraging each other’s skills to get ahead financially. [Read more on The Huffington Post]

Free game engines let these artists “take their power back” from companies that hire and fire them

The engines have fueled a boom in entrepreneurship in interactive media — virtual and augmented reality being the new great frontier. [Read more on The Huffington Post

Partner or perish: Universities are joining forces with the for-profit sector in a bid to survive, but at what cost?

Now universities from Yale to Arkansas State have set forth to capture the market of adult learners as a crucial survival strategy going forward, tapping into the business savvy of the for-profit sector in order to compete. [Read more on USCstoryspace.com]