Mark

The Jalen Brunson sweepstakes started with more confidence from the Mavericks. Not long after his team was eliminated in the Western Conference Finals, owner Mark Cuban said Brunson, a free agent this summer, “wants to stay” and noted Dallas holds the financial advantage. “We can pay him more than anybody,” Cuban told NBA scribe Marc Stein. “And I think he wants to stay and that’s what is most important.” The Knicks plan to pursue Brunson in free agency, according to sources, but can’t outbid the Mavericks, who hold the 25-year-old’s Bird Rights and could offer the max. The Knicks, who are capped out as constructed, would either need to create space via trade or get the Mavericks to cooperate with a sign-and-trade. Dallas has reportedly expressed unwillingness to facilitate a sign-and-trade with the Knicks, but minds tend to change when faced with losing a player for nothing. According to league sources, the Mavericks are interested in Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, who … [Read more...] about Mark Cuban hints at big Jalen Brunson offer: ‘We can pay him more than anybody’

Five years ago, Shell chief executive Ben van Beurden sat down for an interview with The Washington Post and said "we believe that climate change is real. We believe that the threat of climate change is real. And we believe that action is needed." Then he added: "It doesn't mean we have to kiss hydrocarbons goodbye. In fact, we can't. But it does mean that we have to make more intelligent choices." Today, however, Shell and other oil companies are under fire from those who don't believe industry leaders are making intelligent choices. Dissident shareholders sought to use annual meetings to press their cases this week. And at Shell's annual meeting in London on Tuesday, dozens of climate activists wore "Christian Climate Action" T-shirts and rhythmically chanted "we will, we will stop you," forcing the company's chairman to halt the proceedings for over an hour. At the heart of the matter is the disagreement over the purpose of big oil and gas companies. Should they do further … [Read more...] about Climate pressure from employees, shareholders rattles Big Oil

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 5 CANNES, France (AP) — “Shoplifters” director Hirokazu Kore-eda returns to the Cannes Film Festival with “Broker,” another tale of misfits from society’s margins. This time, the film centers on the use of a “baby box,” a controversial method of anonymously dropping off newborns to be cared for by others used in Japan, South Korea and other parts of the world. “In Japan, the biggest criticism was that the baby box was making it too easy for the mothers to give up on their responsibility to raise the child. But, on the other hand, some people said that these boxes were actually saving lives because otherwise, the children might die,” he said. “I just thought that was an interesting argument to base a film on.” The director says his interest in the issue dates back to 2013. “When I was making ‘Like Father, Like Son.’ I researched the Japanese adoption system and it was then … [Read more...] about Director Kore-eda returns to Cannes with film about baby box

Privacy is relative when it comes to browsing the web , and it’s no secret that — to a certain extent — users are always being tracked to some degree. Tracking initiatives are almost entirely non-malicious and care more about your search results in regard to what you buy rather than who you are . Still, it can be unsettling. Enter: DuckDuckGo . Founded in 2008, DuckDuckGo set out to offer a safer, more private search engine that protects users’ searches from being tracked and used for ad-targeting. “Tired of being tracked online?” the company website asks. “We can help.” And the truth is that they can, but with an asterisk. How is DuckDuckGo different from Google search? The two browsers are shockingly similar, and to the naked eye, DuckDuckGo search results and Google search look nearly identical. The key difference is that DuckDuckGo does not store IP addresses or user data, allowing users to browse the web somewhat anonymously. Google, on the other hand, does … [Read more...] about Is DuckDuckGo as Private as It Claims? Turns Out, Not So Much.

If software development comes into your mind when someone mentions agile workflows, you’re not alone. But agile methodology got its start not in computers, but in the post-WWII Japanese automotive industry . Edward Deming is known as the forefather of agile for developing lean strategies and giving Toyota’s line workers the power to halt the line and troubleshoot the root cause of problems. Since then, the iterative workflow characteristic of agile has proven itself superior to the traditional waterfall approach and is being applied more broadly beyond the technology space. Because agile practices allow companies to deliver products to clients or consumers in a consistently and with greater flexibility, businesses engaged in product development should embrace agile management practices throughout their entire organization. Related: How to Manage Resistance to Change Within an Agile Organization Waterfall vs. agile product development Traditional waterfall and agile … [Read more...] about Go Agile or Go Home: Why Agile Workflow Should Kill the Waterfall Process for Good

In a previous article , I discussed how corporate giants like Coca-Cola and Acura were venturing into the burgeoning world of NFTs, and the metaverses that are increasingly linked to them, in a slew of novel and imaginative ways. In this installment, I'm focusing less on how companies are leveraging their iconic brands to make much-hyped debuts, and more on something that has always been crucially connected to the popularity of NFTs: the indelible power of a single irreproducible image. From unforgettable cinematic moments to photojournalism at its finest and most illuminating, these NFT drops can remind businesses how many words pictures are worth when they're inextricably woven into a shared cultural history. Owning a piece of photography history Earlier this year, The Associated Press announced that it would be launching its own NFT marketplace featuring the AP's illustrious archives of photojournalism. The Associated Press framed the marketplace — which debuted Jan. 31 — … [Read more...] about 3 Compelling NFT Projects Your Company Can Learn From