Snap is planning to roll out new Spectacles after its first version failed spectacularly. Cheddar senior reporter Alex Heath joins us to share details on what the company has in store. Snap will release a second version of its Spectacles this fall and is aiming to release a third version sometime thereafter. The second version will include performance improvements and the third will have increased camera technology. Snap had to take a $40 million loss on its first version of Spectacles due to lack of interest.
An investor group strikes a last-minute deal to buy the Weinstein Co. The group, led by President Obama's former Small Business Administration head Maria Contreras-Sweet, agreed to buy the embattled company in a deal worth $50 million. In a statement, Contreras-Sweet said she looks forward to launching a "new company, with a new board and a new vision." This comes days after the Weinstein Co. filed for bankruptcy.
Global markets are tanking on fears of a trade war following President Trump's tariff announcement. In the coming days, President Trump is expected to roll out taxes on steel and aluminum imports. Art Hogan, chief market strategist for B. Riley FBR and Wunderlich Securities, tells Cheddar this could mean higher prices for consumer products such as cars and beer. He notes this is bad timing for the tariff announcement given that markets have been volatile over the past few weeks.
And we're talking eSports with Mike LaBelle, the New York Red Bulls' first official eSports athlete, and James Ruth, senior director of properties and events for the MLS. LaBelle will participate in the first eMLS Cup which begins on April 5, 2018. Growing up, LaBelle says his parents always told him he was wasting his time playing video games. LaBelle explains to Cheddar how much goes into preparing for an eSports tournament. Ruth says MLS has been working on this idea for a long time. 65% of MLS fans say FIFA helped grow their interest in the sport.
An independent watchdog within the IRS reports that while taxpayer services have vastly improved, the agency is still too slow to resolve identity theft cases. And National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins says those delays are “unconscionable.” Erin M. Collins said in the report released Wednesday that overall the 2024 filing season went smoothly, though IRS delays in resolving identity theft victim assistance cases are worsening. It took nearly 19 months to resolve self-reported identity theft cases as of January, and Wednesday's report states that now it takes 22 months to resolve these cases.
Amazon.com Inc. surpassed $2 trillion in market value for the first time in afternoon trading on Wednesday. The push higher for Amazon’s stock market valuation comes a little more than a week after Nvidia hit $3 trillion and briefly became the most valuable company on Wall Street. Nvidia’s chips are used to power many AI application and its valuation has soared as a result. Amazon has also been making big investments in AI as global interest has grown in the technology. Most of the company’s focus has been on business-focused products.
Climate change doesn’t just mean more extreme weather – it also leads to billions of dollars in lost productivity, tourism, and stresses infrastructure.
It’s an annual tradition: the Fed’s banking ‘stress test.’ A year after the regional banking crisis, there are good reasons to make sure they’re prepped.
