So long, Internet Explorer, and your decades of security bugs

Pour one out for Internet Explorer, the long-enduring internet browser that's been the butt of countless jokes about its speed, reliability and, probably most notable of all, security, which will retire next year after more than 25 years of service.

Microsoft said it will pull the plug on the browser's life support in June 2022, giving its last remaining half a dozen or so users a solid year to transition to Chrome or Firefox — let's be honest here — though other respectable browsers are available. There will be some exceptions to the end-of-life plan, such as industrial machines that need the browser to operate. READ MORE

Chip Crisis in ‘Danger Zone’ as Wait Times Reach New Record

Shortages in the semiconductor industry, which have already slammed automakers and consumer electronics companies, are getting even worse, complicating the global economy’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Chip lead times, the gap between ordering a chip and taking delivery, increased to 17 weeks in April, indicating users are getting more desperate to secure supply, according to research by Susquehanna Financial Group. That is the longest wait since the firm began tracking the data in 2017, in what it describes as the “danger zone.” READ MORE

How To Attract Better Talent: 14 Useful Tips For Startup Founders

Startup founders rely heavily on the skills of their initial hires. However, given the competitive nature of recruiting in many industries, attracting the best talent can be a challenge. Larger, more well-established companies usually offer better compensation in terms of both pay and perks.

It’s a tall order to make the opportunities working for a startup provides more alluring to highly skilled professionals than other, potentially more lucrative positions. To help, 14 leaders from Forbes Coaches Council look at ways to attract better talent to your startup and keep them on your payroll. READ MORE

Why Chipotle Should Do a Stock Split

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) has been one of the biggest surprises of the pandemic era for investors. Its share price has more than tripled from the low point it hit last March as sales have surged thanks to the success of the company's digital channel, which is now driving about half of its sales.

The stock reached a high of $1,579.52 last month -- only five companies in the S&P 500 have higher share prices. That's also more than triple the share price of the next-highest restaurant chain, Domino's. READ MORE

We can restore long-term job growth by supporting startups

With $1.9 trillion in federal stimulus enacted and temporary relief flowing to tens of millions of American households, Washington’s attention has shifted to bettering America’s infrastructure as a way to create jobs. While infrastructure improvements such as greater access to broadband will undoubtedly lead to new job opportunities, America needs much more than one-time federal spending to exponentially increase the long-term job growth on which we depend. This means making lasting investment at all levels of government in new businesses — the drivers of jobs. READ MORE

Business travel has disappeared. Will it ever come back?

Book tickets. Schedule meetings. Obsess over your presentation. Pack a carry-on. Rush to the airport. Check out the lounge. Priority boarding. Take off. Land. Get to the hotel. Meet clients. Seal the deal. Fly home. Repeat.

For countless executives and salespeople, business trips have been a bedrock of corporate life — loathed by some, loved by others but accepted by all as a necessity (sweetened by millions of frequent flyer miles). Employees needed to fly to meet clients, drum up new business and grab some face time with the boss at headquarters. READ MORE

Business lunches are back. And they're longer and boozier than ever

As pandemic restrictions ease, and more people get vaccinated and start returning to offices, some restaurants are seeing lunchtime crowds pick up. But this time, things are a little different.

Among the changes restaurant owners have encountered: Boozy lunches getting boozier. Attire that's less buttoned up. And at least one pandemic-era addition — the partition between tables — that has actually grown on customers. READ MORE

Applebee's aims to hire 10K workers in May with an interview incentive

Applebee’s is the latest restaurant chain that’s put out a call for new hires.

The American-style "neighborhood grill and bar" announced Monday that it is hosting a national hiring event in May. 

According to a company news release, the one-day event will be hosted across 1,600 restaurants. The chain’s current recruitment goal is aiming to onboard 10,000 restaurant workers. READ MORE

Big Tech, semiconductors team up to lobby US government on chip production funding

Big Tech and top chipmakers have formed a new lobbying group that is seeking government chip manufacturing subsidies. 

The Semiconductor in America Coalition, made up of chip buyers including Amazon Web Services, Apple, Google and Microsoft, and manufacturers like American Micro Devices, Intel, Nvidia and Texas Instruments, has asked Congress to provide funding for the CHIPS for America Act, which authorized domestic chip manufacturing incentives and research initiatives.  READ MORE

Washingtonian staff goes on publishing strike after CEO's op-ed about remote work

Washingtonian magazine staffers launched a day-long protest on Friday in response to an op-ed written by their boss, who warned that continuing to work from home as the pandemic subsides could make employees less valuable and easier to "let go."

Cathy Merrill, chief executive of the District of Columbia-centered magazine, shared her concerns about the popularity of remote work in a Washington Post op-ed published Thursday, originally titled: "As a CEO, I want my employees to understand the risks of not returning to work in the office." READ MORE

Here's why waiving patent rights on COVID vaccines is a big mistake

Up until last week, even prior Big Pharma naysayers were touting the successful development of effective COVID-19 vaccines. Within 15 months of the pandemic, not one, but three pharmaceutical companies developed and made available vaccines to lead the United States toward immunity nirvana. Now, over 250 million doses have been delivered in under five months.   

Rather than congratulating Big Pharma on their tremendous efforts during a time of peril, last week President Biden held true on a controversial campaign promise doing the opposite.  READ MORE

To buy time for a failing startup, recreate the engineering process

In non-aerobatic fixed-wing aviation, spins are an emergency. If you don’t have spin recovery training, you can easily make things worse, dramatically increasing your chances of crashing. Despite the life-and-death consequences, licensed amateur pilots in the United States are not required to train for this. Uncontrolled spins don’t happen often enough to warrant the training.

Startups can enter the equivalent of a spin as well. My startup, Kolide, entered a dangerous spin in early 2018, only a year after our Series A fundraise. We had little traction and we were quickly burning through our sizable cash reserves. We were spinning out of control, certain to hit the ground in no time. READ MORE