đ Zoom's sales struggle
Good morning, Quartz readers!
Hereâs what you need to know
Zoom reported below-expectations results. The communication software failed to sign up as many enterprise customers as it had planned, and cut its annual sales forecast.
A group of Apple employees launched a petition against returning to the office. Tim Cook, Appleâs CEO, announced a new policy requiring three days of office-based work starting September 5.
Ben & Jerryâs lost a bid to block sales in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. A judge ruled parent company Unileverâs decision to license an Israeli firm would not damage the Vermont-based ice cream makers.
Elon Musk subpoenaed Jack Dorsey. Twitterâs former CEO is require d to disclose data on the platformâs daily users and fake accounts, among other details.
Ford is shedding 3,000 jobs. The cuts will mostly affect workers in North America and India, and come as the carmaker focuses its sights on electric vehicles.
Argentinaâs vice-president risks 12 years in jail in a corruption trial. The countryâs public prosecutor also sought a lifelong ban from public office for Cristina FernĂĄndez de Kirchner.
Usain Bolt applied to trademark his signature celebration move. The retired Jamaican sprinter needs a logo for his business empire.
What to watch for
Ethereum, the blockchain that enabled the rise of nonfungible tokens (NFTs), is about to launch one of the most closely watched experiments in the crypto world.
On or around Sept. 15, the process of validating crypto transactions will shift from whatâs known as proof of work, or mining, to proof of stake. âThe merge,â as itâs being called, will instantly cut 99% of ethereumâs carbon emissions, according to the Ethereum Foundation.
While some see it as a long-awaited upgrade for ethereum, switching to a more sustainable and secure consensus mechanism has implications beyond the ethereum universe. A big test of the merge will be whether proof of stake can work at ethereumâs massive scale. Itâll also hurt those who have invested thousands in crypto mining machinery. Some people may choose to just keep mining anyway, though itâll probably be less profitable.
The battle of the prequel
HBOâs Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon debuted to millions of subscribers over the weekend, and the streaming service even saw some outages as demand swelled. The show aired just 11 days before the release of Amazonâs Lord of the Rings prequel, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Even before Dragon dropped, it was drawing more enthusiasm. Google Trends data on the two series over the last 30 days shows that Dragon garnered far more interest from potential viewers than the tale based on J. R. R. Tolkienâs sword and sorcery source material. Searches for the two shows were nearly identical until July, when the first trailers for both shows were released.
Itâs clear Amazon is still finding its original content studio legs, and could learn a thing or two from the way HBO kept its budget in check and promoted the series (the High Valyrian language on Duolingo was a nice touch).
Is coupon clipping a lost art?
For decades, kitchen drawers across the US held clipped printed discounts that were brought to the store to get a few cents off shopping cart items when budgets were tight.
That practice is fading, and not even the pandemic, or the record high grocery prices that came with it, have rekindled Americansâ interest in it. But itâs not an entirely lost art: the penny-pinching technique is just taking on a new form.
⊠Love a good deal? Daily Brief readers can take 40% off when they sign up for a Quartz membership today, which keeps our journalism free and accessible to all. The couponâs applied at checkoutâno scissors necessary!
Quartzâs most popular
đ Are unions responsible for the decline of unions?
đž Freebies offered by Indian states cost the poor their quality of life
đ© A return to the office is prompting people to get their pets a pet
â± Does 15-minute delivery have a future?
đ° Africaâs first central bank e-currency is yet to have recurring users
đșđ Video killed the cable TV star
Surprising discoveries
Brazil is putting its first emperorâs heart at the center of its independence celebration. Dom Pedro Iâs embalmed organ will receive military honors to mark the 200-year anniversary of Brazilâs breakup with Portugal.
A 1970s Apple-1 computer prototype sold for nearly $700,000 at an auction. The auctioneers described it as âthe holy grail of Steve Jobs and Apple memorabilia.â
Tales of âWelsh Atlantisâ may be rooted in historical fact after all. A medieval map depicts two islands off the Ceredigion coast that have since disappeared.
A bull took an Israeli bank branch by storm. At least it wasnât a china shop.
French supermarket chain Carrefour will freeze prices on 100 products for 100 days. The decision follows a similar move by competitor E.Leclerc to help consumers tackle inflation.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Send any news, comments, Apple memorabilia, and bulls at the market to [email protected]. Reader support makes Quartz available to allâbecome a member. Todayâs Daily Brief was brought to you by Nate DiCamillo, Scott Nover, Adario Strange, Sofia Lotto Persio, and Morgan Haefner.