Business

Talk of a 7-Eleven Takeover Has Japan Worried About the Rice Balls. The Japanese treat 7-Eleven very differently from the Westerners. I hope they will find a way to turn down the hostile takeover.

China Tightens Its Hold on Minerals Needed to Make Computer Chips. “As of Oct. 1, exporters must provide the authorities with detailed, step-by-step tracings of how shipments of rare earth metals are used in Western supply chains. That has given Beijing greater authority over which overseas companies receive scarce supplies. One example of China’s growing power is dysprosium, a rare earth that sells for over $100 a pound. hina’s refineries produce 99.9 percent of the world’s dysprosium, mostly at a single refinery in Wuxi, near Shanghai.”

How TikTok Saved Its E-Commerce Business in Indonesia. The way TikTok comes under scrutiny across the countries reminds me of Uber a decade ago. It is undeniable that TikTok is a force to be reckoned with and a popular platform everywhere with users and small merchants.

The Budget Hawk Atop a Tech Giant’s $64 Billion Spending Spree. A nice profile piece on Amy Hood. She seems to be a no-nonsense CFO who can be ruthless to kill fantasy projects while being supportive of those that have a real business case.

Other Stuff I Find Interesting

The couple who took on Google and cost the tech giant £2bn. The years that it took for Shivaun and Adam to get their day in court and eventually win against Google is exactly the fear that drives plaintiffs without deep pockets to even think about suing multinationals. I am glad that they won. This type of fairy tales doesn’t happen too often.

How a baby grows inside a woman’s body

The Battle Brewing Over How Much Red Meat You Eat. Diet is one of those areas in which there is hardly any consensus. Whatever research was done and however rigorously it was conducted, people will choose what to believe. And it is hard. Human bodies are different and there are just a lot of moving parts. Sure, red meat is linked to higher risks of cardiovascular disease, but it also has a lot of nutritions and amino acids that cannot be found anywhere. And then there is a question of practicality. Not everyone has access to affordable and quality seafood. Eating chicken breast and broccoli every day will do your body wonders, but you likely will go insane as well. Nonetheless, I believe there is value in having an official guideline that people can use to get informed and make their own decisions.

CNBC has an interesting video covering some of the engineering and technology aspects of F1, the pinnacle of motorsports

How Missile Defense Works (and Why It Fails). We developed some of the most advanced technologies on Earth, to attack one another.

Stats

ChatGPT has 250 million active weekly users

25% of US households shop at Aldi

1 in 4 Child Deaths After E.R. Visits Are Preventable