Journal

Once the “bored at work” network, BuzzFeed is now a globally distributed digital media powerhouse read by 79 million people every month.

Ask BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti about his influences, and his answer sounds like, well, a BuzzFeed post—one titled “The Three Historical References That Explain BuzzFeed Will Make You Say WTF.” Peretti first points to a company that started more than 100 years ago, Paramount Pictures, which owned a film production studio, its own cast of talent, and its own distribution channel in the form of theaters. “That allowed them to adapt and change as the market changed,” says Peretti.

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Leila Janah chafes at the strictures of the traditional not-for-profit model.

“I am so sick of fundraising.”

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Two of the 11 black, female founders who’ve raised more than $1 million in funding share their (frustrating, successful) journeys.

By 2012, when she founded her startup Attentive.ly, Cheryl Contee had about as impressive as resume as you can muster. She had gone to one of the most elite private schools in Washington, D.C., and from there to Yale, where she studied ethics, politics, and economics. She then embarked upon a career in communications, social media, and brand management. She’d helped launch a prominent blog, Jack and Jill Politics, as well as a consultancy, Fission Strategy.

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The humble hardware store is getting a lot more high-tech.

One of the most well-known employees at the Orchard Supply Hardware store in downtown San Jose, California, is a 5-foot-tall autonomous robot. OSHbot, as he’s called, just recently celebrated his one-year anniversary at the store, which is owned by Lowe’s. His job is twofold: to help customers find items they need, and help store managers with inventory tracking. When I approached OSHbot, his facial-recognition technology identified me as a human customer and he cordially introduced himself. “Hi, I’m OSHbot,” he said in a monotone voice. “I can help you find things in the store. What are you looking for?”

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They’re not advertising per se, but Google has given each candidate a “campaign card” slot on its first page to push their agendas.

As the presidential campaign kicks into high gear with this week’s Republican primary in South Carolina, more voters are turning to Google to learn about the remaining candidates in both parties. And judging by the top-searched questions (i.e. “What does Jeb Bush do?” and “How is Ted Cruz doing?”) many Americans still don’t know all that much about the candidates, despite their near-continuous advertising and media coverage.

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“It will change the world in ways we cannot possibly imagine,” says Alphabet X head Astro Teller.

Almost three years after announcing a plan to delivery Internet access via high-altitude balloons, Alphabet X’s Project Loon is set to begin testing service with carriers in Indonesia later this year.

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This startup is building an Internet of Things operating system to help make smart devices…smart.

Andreas Gal is describing to me what it’s like to turn on a Wi-Fi-enabled light using your phone, and he’s making it sound like a major step backwards rather than the way of the future.

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Sarah Robb O’Hagan’s startup aims to help young people reach their potential despite all those participation trophies.

Sarah Robb O’Hagan, the president of Equinox Holdings, is leaving the company to create a curriculum that she hopes will teach other people to be successful. Called ExtremeYou and born from O’Hagan’s upcoming book of the same name, the new company will host live workshops, online content, and digital classes focused on what it takes to reach the upper echelons of any industry.

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Introduced at the NYC Toy Fair this weekend, the ThingMaker 3-D printer lets kids design their own toys using a smartphone app.

For kids who aren’t satisfied with Mattel’s new and improved Barbie, the company’s latest product might do the trick. During the New York Toy Fair this past weekend, Mattel debuted the ThingMaker 3-D printer, a $300 device that empowers kids and adults alike to create their own toys.

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In a new survey, small business owners say the candidates are not addressing key health care and tax issues that directly affect them.

The vast majority of U.S. businesses are small businesses—and many of the people who own and operate them believe the candidates in the 2016 presidential campaign are ignoring them.

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