Uncertainty about the economic outlook makes setting sales goals unusually difficult and also illustrates some of the flaws of traditional approaches to the problem. The economy is likely to show good growth in 2021 as Covid-19 vaccinations increase, but the timing and extent of the economic recovery are far from certain. They depend on the current surge of the virus, the production and distribution of the vaccine (not an easy task), the effectiveness of the vaccine and social attitudes regarding vaccination and social distancing as the pandemic abates. READ MORE
This Is What Tech Hiring Could Be Like In 2021
While the number of open tech jobs took a hit in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, some labor economists and tech recruiters are expecting a surge in hiring in the field in 2021.
The U.S. tech industry posted the third-largest decrease in job postings among all sectors, according to ZipRecruiter data, but the COVID-19 vaccine and savings accrued by individuals and companies because of remote work could lead to robust hiring demand next year. READ MORE
Leading computer scientists debate the next steps for AI in 2021
The 2010s were huge for artificial intelligence, thanks to advances in deep learning, a branch of AI that has become feasible because of the growing capacity to collect, store, and process large amounts of data. Today, deep learning is not just a topic of scientific research but also a key component of many everyday applications. READ MORE
Google workers have formed the company's first-ever union
Haven -- the joint health care venture by Amazon, Berkshire and JPMorgan -- is shutting down
The venture was created in 2018 with the goal of helping provide better health care services and insurance at a lower cost to workers and families at these three leading American firms -- and potentially to other US companies as well. READ MORE
After embracing remote work in 2020, companies face conflicts making it permanent
Although the pandemic forced employees around the world to adopt makeshift remote work setups, a growing proportion of the workforce already spent at least part of their week working from home, while some businesses had embraced a “work-from-anywhere” philosophy from their inception. But much as virtual events rapidly gained traction in 2020, the pandemic accelerated a location-agnostic mindset across the corporate world, with tech behemoths like Facebook and Twitter announcing permanent remote working plans. READ MORE
Top work-from-home trends of 2020
After millions of Americans moved to work from the office to working remotely, working from home has undergone the largest test trial to date. Even though many employers are set to reopen offices in 2021, it has been proven that telework is plausible, and many companies will allow for a hybrid model of home and office work moving forward. The future of the workplace could be changed permanently, molded by trends of the grand remote work experiment amid the pandemic. READ MORE
CFOs in 2021 will keep an eye on these 10 things
Chief financial officers last year raised billions of dollars to stabilize their companies' finances, cut costs and pivoted their businesses to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing economic downturn. READ MORE
How Close Are We—Really—to Building a Quantum Computer?
The race is on to build the world’s first meaningful quantum computer—one that can deliver the technology’s long-promised ability to help scientists do things like develop miraculous new materials, encrypt data with near-perfect security and accurately predict how Earth’s climate will change. Such a machine is likely more than a decade away, but IBM, Microsoft, Google, Intel and other tech heavyweights breathlessly tout each tiny, incremental step along the way. Most of these milestones involve packing ever more quantum bits, or qubits—the basic unit of information in a quantum computer—onto a processor chip. But the path to quantum computing involves far more than wrangling subatomic particles. READ MORE
Life Without Amazon (Well, Almost)
Blaze Cromwell, a 24-year-old cashier living in Washington, D.C., doesn’t order from Amazon.com or shop at Whole Foods. He doesn’t watch movies or shows on Prime Video. He doesn’t own a Ring or a Kindle. And he doesn’t use Audible, Twitch or Zappos. He’s about as close as one can get to abstaining from Amazon entirely. READ MORE
These businesses were the surprise winners of 2020
In a year of widespread and often devastating hardships, no business or industry came through 2020 untouched by the Covid-19 pandemic. But for some key sectors, the news wasn't all bad.
Here's a look at the biggest winners and losers in 2020 and a preview of what the year ahead might bring. READ MORE
Post-pandemic, office life may never be the same, CIOs say
After working remotely for the better part of a year, employees have proven they can do it, and do it despite the difficulties being at home may have presented. Going forward, that means that where people work may have changed permanently, according to chief information officers. READ MORE
CEO of BrewDog offering bars as COVID-19 vaccination venues
It is the season of giving, even for businesses.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many bars and restaurants in Scotland and other European countries have been forced to close down. While this has been devastating for businesses, one chain is offering to use its closed locations to help with the vaccine rollout. READ MORE
These are the hot digital trends for 2021
Did you know 2020 was a leap year? That’s right, this year was literally longer than any other (well at least since 2016) – and you thought you were imagining it! To some, it felt like an extra decade!
No matter how you’re feeling about 2020, we can all agree that just about everything changed – from how we celebrated holidays and birthdays (seriously… drive-by parties!) to how we shopped. READ MORE
Salon owner accuses Oregon governor of retaliating for resisting lockdown orders: 'She terrorized my family'
An Oregon salon owner who opened her business in defiance of the state's lockdown orders accused Gov. Kate Brown of "retaliating" against her family in a $100,000 lawsuit, which details the damages she sustained due to extended closures and exorbitant fines issued against her. READ MORE
The real cost of being the ultimate Apple fan: Nearly $80,000
Picture this: You are the ultimate Apple fan. You've got an unlimited budget. And you want all of the things: top-of-the-line devices, fancy accessories and services.
You may not need that high-end graphics chip or added storage, but they're there, right? READ MORE
FAA brings commercial drone deliveries one step closer with new rules
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration announced on Monday that it will issue a long-awaited rule to allow for small drones to fly over people and at night, bringing the technology's use for widespread commercial deliveries one step closer to becoming a reality.
In addition, the FAA is also requiring remote identification for most drones in order to address security concerns. READ MORE
Here Are The Biggest Billionaire Scandals Of 2020
As a year unlike any other draws to a close, Forbes takes a look at the biggest scandals billionaires found themselves facing, from tax evasion to alleged financial fraud to a billionaire spat between neighbors featuring the Gilligan’s Island TV show theme song. READ MORE
SpaceX's Starlink satellite-internet service provides rapid speeds of 175 Mbps in freezing temperatures, high winds, and deep snow, users report
Elon Musk's aerospace company sent an update email to beta testers Tuesday saying its made upgrades to the service, including a "Snow Melt Mode" for the Starlink dishes.
Users of SpaceX's "Better Than Nothing Beta" test have posted pictures and videos on the Reddit Starlink community proving that the Starlink terminal still works in extreme weather conditions - and in some cases, it's even faster. READ MORE
Elon Musk says taking Tesla private would be an 'impossible' task
It is “impossible” for Elon Musk to turn Tesla private — despite the CEO’s belief that ridding the electric carmaker of its duties as a public company would help accelerate innovation, he said Christmas Eve.
“Engineering, design & general company operations absorb vast majority of my mind & are the fundamental limitation on doing more,” Musk tweeted in response to a user who was speculating on how the tech tycoon could best allocate his time. “Tesla public company duties are a much bigger factor, but going private is impossible now (sigh).” READ MORE