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Note taking electronics Computer designers have long understood that handwriting and drawing with a pen offer a fluidity and expressiveness that shames stodgy—though efficient—typing and mousing. In the early years of tablets and handheld computers, digital pens or styli were seen as a democratizing way to minimize the need to type. They also helped reduce the size of gadgets by...

Data buying It’s no secret that your personal data is routinely bought and sold by dozens, possibly hundreds, of companies. What’s less known is who those companies are, and what exactly they do. Thanks to a new Vermont law requiring companies that buy and sell third-party personal data to register with the Secretary of State, we’ve been able to assemble...

Facebook stock Branded is a weekly column devoted to the intersection of marketing, business, design, and culture. What is social media worth? Not to investors—we know the market valuations of the most familiar social media companies can reach hundreds of billions, even despite recent weakness among tech stocks—but to you? How much would you, a social media user,...

Trump letter memes It seemed as though the last meme of the Trump presidency had already come and gone, but on the morning of Biden’s inauguration, a final entry made it in just under the wire. Trump’s daily public schedule throughout January, consisting of “many calls and many meetings,” can no longer hold claim to that dubious Final Meme honor, thanks to...

People use quotes When things get tough, many people turn to a motivational quote for a bit of inspiration. Some of these pithy sayings have become celebrated parts of society’s lexicon. Some include: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” —Thomas Edison “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” —Eleanor...

What happened to yahoo Everyone knows how the story ends. In July 2016, 22 years after it began as a hobby for Stanford graduate students Jerry Yang and David Filo, Yahoo agreed to sell its core operating business to Verizon in what Forbes writer Brian Solomon called “the saddest $5 billion deal in tech history.” But few today recall how...

Constant complainers solution It may be a dismal coworker or complaining boss, but into most professional lives a few negative people will fall. Those who veer from negative to toxic could actually be costing an organization money and productivity. Businesses also run the risk of complaints becoming contagious. “People see it and they’re brought down by it too, or they’re saying, ‘Gee, this...

Russian warship On February 25, 2022, a menacing message echoed from a loudspeaker aboard a missile cruiser ship: “I am a Russian warship,” the voice announced in Russian. It was a warning of imminent attack to a group of Ukrainian guards stationed at a military base on Snake Island, an island 186 miles west of Crimea, off the...

2022 ad It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Let’s wrap up 2022—and depending on how you feel about it, either put it in the bin or in a keepsake box—with the heroic effort of whittling down all the advertising that came out in the last 12 months (a lot) down to five great ads. There must have...

Ukraine and Russia The reasons behind the large-scale attack launched by the Russian president against his neighboring country In recent weeks, Vladimir Putin has mobilized more than 100,000 troops and heavy weapons that have surrounded Ukraine by land and water. NATO warned him that he will not tolerate a military aggression against the neighboring country Russia invaded Ukraine.  According...