Month: December 2023

Klarna CEO Siemiatkowski says buy now, pay later is used by shoppers who otherwise avoid credit

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Read time : 3 mins

Level : Intermediate

(AP Illustration/Peter Hamlin)

By KEN SWEET AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Sebastian Siemiatkowski is a co-founder and CEO of Klarna, the Sweden-based company that’s one of the world’s biggest providers of buy now, pay later services to customers. Klarna started off in Europe and entered the U.S. market in 2015.

Buy now, pay later has become an increasingly popular option for consumers for purchases: its usage is up 10-fold since the pandemic and U.S. regulators see it as potentially a more sustainable way for borrowers to pay for purchases instead of using credit cards. Continue reading

Shein’s Mega IPO Raises Concerns Over Fast Fashion and the Industry’s Impact; Is Fast Fashion a Danger to Society?

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Read time : 3 mins

Level : Advanced

By Tamara White | Wealth of Geeks undefined

Fast fashion giant Shein recently filed for one of the most significant Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) of 2023. The rampant growth of fast fashion — a fad turned rage that has dominated the industry for years — now sparks concerns about the trend’s societal and environmental impact.

Shein is not the only contributor to the fast fashion concern. Significant players like UNIQLO, Zara, Forever 21, and H&M have also adopted business models centered around the rapid design, production, distribution, and marketing of clothing. While the appeal lies in providing affordable and trendy options for consumers, the dark side of this industry is often overlooked. Continue reading

As climate warms, that perfect Christmas tree may depend on growers’ ability to adapt

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Read time : 4 mins

Level : Intermediate

Gary Chastagner, a Washington State University professor called “Dr. Christmas Tree” shows an example of a less-desirable tree due to fewer top branches, grown in a small plantation of Turkish fir trees to produce disease and insect-resistant Christmas trees at the school’s Puyallup Research and Extension Center on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023, in Puyallup, Wash. Chastagner has been working with breeders to see if species from other parts of the world — for instance, Turkish fir — are better adapted to conditions being wrought by climate change. (AP Photo/Jason Redmond)

By MELINA WALLING Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Christmas tree breeder Jim Rockis knows what it looks like when one dies long before it can reach a buyer.

Rockis farms trees in West Virginia and Pennsylvania, where he and other producers often grow their iconic evergreens outside their preferred habitat higher in the mountains. But that can mean planting in soil that’s warmer and wetter — places where a nasty fungal disease called Phytophthora root rot can take hold, sucking moisture away from saplings and causing needles to crisp to burnt orange.

“After a while, it just gets to the core of it,” Rockis said. “They just wither away.”

Christmas tree growers and breeders have long prepared for a future of hotter weather that will change soil conditions, too. People buying trees may not have noticed a difference in availability this year and may not even in the next couple; the average Christmas tree takes eight to 10 years to reach marketable size. Continue reading

Do Language Apps Really Work? Bilingual Teacher Shares Her Experience

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Read time : 3 mins

Level : Advanced

By Caitriona Maria | Wealth of Geeks undefined

The language learning app industry is a rapidly growing market, projected to grow from $3.14 billion in 2021 to $16.6 billion in 2031. With more options available than ever, now is a great time to learn a new language.

I’m a bilingual translator and I checked out the six most popular learning apps on the market. Instead of evaluating technical aspects like interface and speed, I focused on the app’s didactic approach. In other words, can a person learn a new language using an app like Duolingo?

The method was simple: download the apps and start from the most basic level in Spanish. A week-long performance evaluation, using the app daily and making mistakes like a novice. Continue reading

What did you Google in 2023? ‘Barbie,’ Israel-Hamas war are among the year’s top internet searches

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Read time : 3 mins

Level : Intermediate

FILE – A cursor moves over Google’s search engine page, in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 28, 2018. Your Google search history for 2023 has arrived. Well, actually, the world’s. On Monday, Dec. 11, 2023, the California-based tech giant released its “Year in Search,” a roundup of 2023’s top global queries, ranging from unforgettable pop culture moments (hello, Barbenheimer), to the loss of beloved figures and tragic news carrying worldwide repercussions. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Your Google search history for 2023 has arrived.

Well, actually, the world’s. On Monday, the California-based tech giant released its “Year in Search,” a roundup of 2023’s top global queries, ranging from unforgettable pop culture moments (hello, Barbenheimer ), to the loss of beloved figures and tragic news carrying worldwide repercussions.

The ongoing Israel-Hamas war topped news trends in 2023, per Google’s global data, followed by queries related to the Titanic-bound submersible that imploded in June, as well as February’s devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Continue reading