What You Need to Know Today: November 10

Good afternoon, Early Risers!

Here’s what you need to know

TECH

How to automatically transcribe phone calls. First, why would you want to do this? “When you’re talking to a lawyer who bills at like, $500 per hour, every word is worth a couple dollars,” says John Coogan, co-founder and CTO of Soylent. Coogan found that talking to his lawyers and going through due-diligence processes over the phone was not just expensive but came at the cost of him not being able to be fully present during the calls. He needed a system where he could be fully engaged on these calls, while still having a hard copy that could be easily searchable and sharable with team members. For instance, “When somebody on my team would ask where we were with specific deal terms like equity vesting, I could search through and see what the lawyers told me, exactly,” Coogan says. “I could find the quote. So I wouldn’t need to remember.” Transcriptions are nothing new. But Coogan and Soylent’s system that automates the process is on point. Here’s the step-by-step.

Should Walmart be allowed to scan your mug? “In the old days, when a store caught someone stealing, a detective would march the thief to a backroom and take his picture with a Polaroid camera. The photo would be added to the retailer’s in-house rogues gallery to help store security keep an eye out for bad guys. But earlier this year, Walmart showed how times have changed. It tested a system that scanned the face of everyone entering several of its stores, identified suspected shoplifters, and instantly alerted store security on their mobile devices,” saysFortune. Should retailers be allowed to do this? This article dives into the discussion on privacy of shoppers.

Tim Cook declares the end of the PC. Yesterday, I told you I thought Apple’s new iPad Pro — the biggest iPad yet — would replace laptop computers. Tim Cook told the Telegraph today the same thing, “I think if you’re looking at a PC, why would you buy a PC anymore? No really, why would you buy one?” This has some people wondering why Apple wants to cannibalize its bestselling laptops. Tim Cook’s answer to that here.

+ What technology would you un-invent? Top answers: Selfie-sticks and nuclear bombs. Runners up.

CAREER

eBay for breakups. “If you look at it, there’s $2 billion in the dating space and zero dollars in the break-up space,” says Never Liked It Anyway founder Bella Acton. Instead of trashing your exes’ clothes, CDs (if it’s Nickleback or Creed, definitely trash it), why not make some money off these bad memories? That’s where Never Liked It Anyway comes in.

+ A single company will dwarf all of America’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. #TreatYoSelf

LIFESTYLE

Living and dying on Airbnb. “My dad died in an Airbnb rental, and he’s not the only one. What can the company do to improve safety?” Zak Stone’s father died at an Airbnb in Texas and he’s graciously shared his story here. Please note there’s some graphic descriptions in this article.

How to get bumped up to first class. “Sometimes if you want something, all you have to do is ask. When you check in, say to the agent: ‘If you are upgrading passengers on this flight, I would like to be considered.’ Be sure to smile. Many of the people gate agents deal with are complaining; you’ll stand out if you’re friendly and polite. Be nice to everybody from the moment you walk onto airport property, former flight attendant Carolyn Paddock, founder of the website Life in Flight, told Bankrate.com. You’re talking to people who are decision makers.” Here are 9 more tips for getting bumped up to first class.

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#NOWYOUKNOW

Pepsi’s Mysterious New Soda

“Pepsi is reportedly set to one day release a new drink called “1893” in a harkening back to its past,” says Fortune. The drink will appeal to millennial consumers. AdAge says the drink will be part of Pepsi’s efforts to create more premium soda lines.

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