Week of August 11th, 2014

Future Islands and the art of letting go.

Prizes are small, but there’s enough action to sustain a pro circuit.

There are some things a famous name just can’t seem to sell.

Coke is acquiring a 17 percent stake in Monster Beverage for over $2 billion.

Starbucks isn't the only company that uses workers when, and only when, it needs them.

The Wall Street Journal visualized hundreds of Up users' sleep schedules.

Kai discusses the week that was.

The NCAA lost a lawsuit in its battle over collegiate athlete likenesses. What does that mean?

Starbucks changes some of its computer-driven scheduling policies, and we use it as a way to explain the growing phenomenon of using algorithms and big companies to schedule employes to manage labor costs — and the (negative) consequences for them — lost hours, flexibility, control. Plus, Coke is acquiring a 17 percent stake in Monster Beverage for just over $2 billion. The energy drink business is booming and the soda business — not so much. So Coke wants an energy jolt from Monster… but to get it, it’s exchanging its own energy brands for Monster’s non-energy drinks.  We use Coke to look at swaps. What they are, why they’re done and whether they work. Also, the 2014 United States Open Miniature Golf Tournament that begins in Erie, Pa., today. Prizes are small, but apparently there’s enough action that it can sustain a pro circuit, Queena Kim reports.    

A group of Mexican women, "Las Patronas," are helping migrants on their journey north.

Now you too and run out onto the field… for about $1,500.

The standard playbook for an economic recovery often means you get the housing market going again. Anjili Raval from FT says we're not quite there yet.

Is it measurable by time, employees, or the number of beanbag chairs?

This weekend, Lizzie O’Leary speaks with Anjili Raval from FT about the uneven housing recovery in the U.S. We hear from your stories of health care and give the Affordable Care Act a checkup with Chad Terhune of the LA Times. Marketplace Tech host Ben Johnson lends his voice acting skills to crowd-sourced errand website Fiverr. Will Grant from the BBC tells us the story of Las Patronas, a group of Mexican women helping migrants. What’s next for the NCAA antitrust lawsuit? We put it in context. Band Future Islands learns to let go of their D-I-Y playbook. And Marketplace’s Stacey Vanek Smith and author Zac Bissonnette join Lizzie for brunch.

Like other top earners, their pay went up much faster than the average worker's.

Ever wonder how the price of silver is set? For more than a hundred years, silver prices have been set globally in something called a silver fix. But that’s about to change. Plus, Samsung recently did a little home shopping The South Korean electronics giant snapped up a start-up called “Smart Things” for around $200 million. It‘s a U.S. company that specializes in smart-home controllers. But Samsung isn’t the only one seeing profit potential in the so-called internet of things. Hackers see it, too. And they’re worried that if companies specializing in smart devices don’t take the time to install proper security, hackers with bad intentions will use the internet of things to invade entire households.  

First up, we take a look at the San Francisco 49ers, who will soon play their first preseason games in their new stadium in Santa Clara. The stadium has been built with new forms of technology with the hopes of revolutionizing the football experience for fans. Plus, how well have you kept up with the week in tech news? It’s time for Silicon Tally! This week, host Ben Johnson takes on Mike Pesca, host of the Slate podcast The Gist.

Airlines hope you'll spend miles on things other than free flights. Should you?

Hackers say manufacturers aren’t taking basic steps to secure smart devices.

The debt load of students in news stories tends to be higher than the real figure.

Since the 1960s, more local police departments have added their own SWAT team.

The venue boasts new technology, hoping to revolutionize the fans' experience.

How well have you kept up on this week's tech news?

Some small firms find their deals with Wal-Mart more valuable than their worth.

Among the many striking images from the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, are those of local and state police using military-style weapons and gear. But it’s not unique to this St. Louis suburb. It’s part of a trend among local law enforcement since the 1990’s. We explain what’s behind it. Plus, Walmart has invited dozens of small and medium sized companies to a junket in Denver. It wants to convince them to do business with the retailer. But small firms are often reluctant to get into bed with Wal-Mart, as the retailer’s demands are often so overwhelming that they can end up smothering its smaller partners. Also, German car maker Daimler is offering its staff the option of turning off email while on vacation. All employees can now switch their mailbox off altogether, have all messages deleted, and send an auto-reply offering an alternative contact. Will employees return to work refreshed from a break with no office-related hassles? Are they more productive if they don’t have to wade through thousands of emails when they get back? Or will they stress out over what they missed?

The federal government helps local law enforcement acquire military equipment.

Porsche hopes their new Macan will diversify their nearly all-male customer base.

Kai's idea for a new Marketplace segment.

Employees now have the option to delete all email that arrives during vacation.

The high cost of housing means those who usually work there are priced out.

Over the long term, the state may not have the water it needs to farm this much.

How to design a school that will still be functional in 30 years.

Some not so great economic news out of Europe: gross domestic product for the second quarter is out this morning for the Eurozone, and across the board, economic growth was flat. Germany, Europe’s largest economy, contracted in the second quarter by .2 percent and France saw economic growth flatline. Speaking of GDP, here at Marketplace, we talk a lot about different economic indicators employment numbers, retail sales, consumer spending, etc. Here’s one that caught our interest, though. Bankruptcies are down — at their lowest level since 2008. That sounds like good news, right? Not so.

First up, Susan Crawford, a visiting professor at Harvard Law school and author of “Captive Audience: The Telecom Industry & Monopoly Power in the New Gilded Age,” talks about the FCC’s plans to overturn state laws that prohibit cities from offering municipal broadband services. Then, Will Oremus, Senior Tech Correspondent at Slate, stops by to talk about tracking mobile users across apps for advertising purposes. Finally, we examine the shift to digital projection in movie theaters. 

How Google is trying to account for shifts in how we browse online.

Behavioral health issues can cost employers billions.

The number of minorities in the two-year program is growing.

How will Wal-Mart's socially-responsible initiatives fit with its corporate goals?

Digital projection is a tough sell to arthouses and discount theaters.

How does 80s character Max Headroom compare to AI products in 2014?

Social media stunts for charity aren't uncommon, but do they raise any money?

Retail sales fell last month to their weakest reading since January, according to figures out today from the Commerce Department. So why isn’t the American consumer spending? Plus, Amazon is launching its own version of the mobile credit card reader. Amazon Local Register is taking on established mobile payments apps such as Square and Paypal Here by offering a lower cost per swipe. We look at the battle for space in the growing sphere of mobile transactions. Also, the Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) ‘Ice Bucket Challenge’ has been a viral and financial success, reportedly raising at least $4 million  nationwide since the campaign launched on July 29. The numbers are impressive, so what has contributed to this success and how sustainable is this model for other campaigns and organizations?

Earthquake early warnings: Rift forms in public, private efforts.

AOL still has users. And they're getting a lot for their membership.

The national ALS association says that social media campaign? It's working.

Amazon Local Register will collect information about consumers' buying habits.

Retail sales stalled last month. They're at their weakest reading since January.

Nigeria confirmed at least 13 cases of the disease last week.

They're bad for budgets, but Americans love our state sales tax holidays.

A bigger chunk of hospitals' money is coming from consumers, not insurers.

Joy Cho of "Oh Joy!" relies on sponsored content, not ads.

A Square-like card-reader may bring more data than cash.

Hiring teacher's aides played a big part in this increase. We look at the 'why'.

First up, Erin Ryan, News Editor at Jezebel, talks about the challenges Jezebel staff are facing with graphic and violent images posted by anonymous contributors in the comments section, and what they’re doing to change that. Then, when startups launch, one of the first things any entrepreneur has to master is the pitch: the who, what, when, where, why of his or her company. We explore how crafting the pitch is more art than science.

First up, Chinese authorities have launched an anti-trust investigation into a handful of luxury car brands accused of jacking up prices on cars and car parts in China. Companies like BMW, Land Rover, Mercedes and Audi are madly slashing prices to try and appease regulators. More on the cars, which are said to be as much as four times more expensive in China than they are elsewhere in the world. Plus, when you think of summer camp, maybe you think of time for swimming, or crafts. But if you’re a student at Steam Summer Camp in Brooklyn, it’s time to learn about gentrification. The campers are studying their community and the housing issues they see and live with.

U.S. schools spend more than other countries on non-teacher jobs.

Jessica Lawrence has seen almost 360 demos. Here's her tips to make yours better.

10-year-old Ayanna Lee on debt: "That’s like basically having no social life.”

What's the big deal and how will Alibaba keep shares afloat once trading starts?

Editors at Gawker criticize parent company for inaction towards trolls.

"Guardians of the Galaxy" is a game changer for Marvel Studios.

Apple is talking to hospitals about a cloud-based "health kit".

The EU looks to offload its goods, which are now banned from Russia.

The U.S. is helping get weapons to Kurdish forces. But who's paying for them?

Novelty apps are turning over at a ferocious pace. What could go wrong?

Will white chocolate mashed potatoes displace the cupcake and the cronut?

The European Union imposed sanctions on Russia over its activities in Ukraine. The Russians hit back with a raft of bans on European produce on alleged health and safety grounds. With the Russian export market cut off, many European nations are faced with a produce glut and are having to work out how to offload all their unwanted apples, dairy products or meat. Plus, the U.S. has begun providing weapons to Kurdish forces in northern Iraq to help in their battle against ISIS militants. Administration officials would only confirm that guns and other ”light” weapons have been shipped to Kurdish Peshmerga forces. But this wouldn’t be the first time arms have been sent to non-state actors. Think Afghanistan. And most recently, Syria. So who provides the arms, who pays for them and how do they get to their intended recipients? Also, Apple is reportedly talking to hospitals about a “health kit” where all your information goes into the cloud. Every big tech company seems to be interested in this space. We explain why. 

Some hail state tax breaks for the movie industry, but its future is in doubt.

It transformed Russia in the 19th century, and is still the best route to Siberia.

Brokers don't always act in clients' best interest.

…69 percent of Americans shop online.

Manhattan's District Attorney says company made illegal loans via the web.

First up, John Brownstein, an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital and the co-founder of HealthMap, talks about using digital tools to track the Ebola outbreak. Then, Lindsey Turrentine, Editor-in-Chief of Reviews at CNET, joins us to discuss wearable technology for infants.

Not too long ago, Chiquita, the big banana company, made an offer to buy Irish produce giant Fyffes for about half a billion dollars. Now, Chiquita itself is in the sites of potential buyers: two Brazilian companies have made an offer to buy the company. Plus, the FBI is investigating possible civil rights violations after a police officer in suburban St. Louis fatally shot an unarmed teenager this past weekend. 18 year old Michael Brown’s death lead to protests and unrest in the town of Ferguson, Missouri, where the shooting occurred. Cases like these hit communities hard — We take a look at the financial and emotional costs. And going to the movies is kind of an expensive proposition these days. First there’s the ticket — that’s around 15 bucks — and then there are the concessions, which always seem to come with their own brand of sticker shock. Pricey popcorn, though, has long been the main way movie theaters make money. But now many theaters are going a step further to lure audiences.

Crises like the water-main break at UCLA expose faults in city infrastructure.

When you get out of school may influence your happiness

How an online data collection program has changed the way we track disease.

What's the cost of lawsuits, settlements, or disorder from alleged misconduct?

Nike is the most counterfeited brand, according to the World Customs Organization.

Consolidation will allow Kinder Morgan to acquire other pipeline companies

A venture capital company has valued Buzzfeed just shy of a billion dollars.

The question: Is it price pressuring, or exercising the market muscle?

Kinder Morgan, the alleged largest pipeline company in North America, is folding three of its separately-traded subsidiaries into its parent company. The merger will help Kinder Morgan expand its network of pipelines and position it to acquire other pipeline companies. Plus, you might think BuzzFeed is just a vapid company that produces listicle clickbait. But a venture capital company has valued it just shy of a billion dollars and touted its value as a tech company. Which goes to show that there’s still a lot we don’t know about BuzzFeed. Also, Amazon is under fire for not accepting pre-orders of forthcoming Disney DVD and Blu-ray titles including “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” and “Maleficent.” It echoes an earlier dispute between the online retailer and publisher Hachette over Hachette’s pricing policies. But in pressuring suppliers over pricing, is Amazon not doing what many other big retailers do?

Stories of how health care is changing.

Billionaire Harold Hamm is a leading oil man. Phil Hamm – he's a different story

The New York Times' Brian Chen on the tech giant's employee training program.

Tristan Walker says this razor kit was designed for men with coarse, curly hair.

Farmer Chuck Eggert explains life on the farm.

The Perseid meteorite showers return, and they can be worth more than a view.

Meanwhile, its war with book publisher Hachette intensifies.

Turkey’s prime minister was elected president of the country last night.The presidency will tack another five years onto Erdogan’s 12 years in power, as Prime Minister. Erdogan has been a politically controversial figure in Turkey, sometimes compared to Vladimir Putin for some of his authoritarian political stances. A closer look at this victory and what it means for Turkey’s economy. Plus, with tech companies hoping “wearables” will become a part of consumers’ everyday lives, they first have to convince people to buy smart watches, fitness trackers and, yes, Google Glass. That’s got Apple, Intel and others looking for new partners in the fashion industry. And with problems with drought growing around the country — parts of Texas and California have had record-breaking shortages the last few years — Dayton, Ohio is trying to use water to lure businesses.    

First up, we talk to David Furth, Deputy Bureau Chief for the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, about text-to-911 proposals. Then, Matt Zoller Seitz, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, talks about Facebook’s plans to take Oculus VR to Hollywood. Finally, we take a look at the increasing role of US lobbyists from the tech industry in Europe — they’ve descended on Brussels to lobby against strict new online privacy legislation members of the European parliament are considering.