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How many times have you heard people in the startup world string meaningless words together, like “Enable best-of-breed convergence,” and “synthesize distributed users?”⁠ ⁠ A new study found that aspiring business professionals, who experienced low status (aka being at the bottom of the chain at work), would use more acronyms in their written communication.⁠ ⁠ Interestingly, the same study also found that lower-status individuals focused more on how they were being evaluated by the audience than higher-status individuals, which led them to increase their use of jargon.⁠ ⁠ Now, jargon is used in every industry. It may not be unique to the technology sector but it’s equally embraced by VCs, entrepreneurs, founders, and anyone working in tech. It is used indiscriminately in emails, press releases, and real-life conversations.⁠ ⁠ The main issue with jargon is that it can act as a barrier. It can be alienating for people unfamiliar with a concept, idea, or industry. And while it may make the user appear like an expert, it often makes the recipient feel inadequate.⁠ ⁠ Jargon is a great intimidator but it’ll definitely make you a worse communicator.⁠ ⁠ Hit the link in our bio for the full story.

In yet another blow to Big Diesel, Amazon has just unveiled its new electric delivery van designed and built by lauded EV upstart Rivian.⁠ ⁠ This is the first of three models for Amazon, following a $700 million investment into Rivian last February, along with an order for 100,000 vans. It’s a pleasant, eye-catching design, with cute details and thoughtful touches.⁠ ⁠ There are three levels of shelving in the cargo space, a camera system to enable a 360-degree view outside the van on two displays in the cabin, and of course, Alexa support so drivers can easily get info about their routes and the weather.⁠ ⁠ This is part of Amazon‘s push to get 10,000 custom electric delivery vehicles on the road worldwide by 2022, and 100,000 of them by 2030. The larger goal is to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040.⁠ ⁠ This is good news for the move to eliminate diesel-powered cargo vehicles across the globe.⁠ ⁠ Hit the link in our bio for the full story.

In 2018, researchers announced finding an entire lake hidden under the surface of Mars. The report was greeted with skepticism from some circles within the scientific community. A new study not only confirms the presence of the Martian lake originally reported, but it also found three other smaller lakes surrounding their larger companion.⁠ ⁠ The largest of these four alien lakes stretches 30 km in length and 20 km wide, and it sits roughly 1.5 km beneath the surface of the world. These bodies are spread over an area 75,000 square kilometers in size, larger than the state of West Virginia.⁠ ⁠ Mars was once a water-rich world, but liquid water cannot exist on the Martian surface today due to the thin Martian atmosphere. In order for water to remain liquid under current conditions, these subsurface lakes would likely need to be extremely salty. If confirmed by other studies, these would be the first known liquid water lakes ever found on the surface of Mars, potentially making them abode for Martian life.⁠ ⁠ Of course, the same high concentrations of salt that keep this water from freezing could also present challenges to life. Life thrives in the salty oceans of Earth, but few organisms are able to withstand extreme salty conditions found in places like the Great Salt Lake.⁠ ⁠ In 2021, the Tianwen-1 mission will deploy a rover to the Martian surface. Instruments onboard these vehicles will examine the world for signs of water and lifeforms. There may not be much living in the frozen lakes of Earth, but even here, organisms find a way to eek out an existence. The discovery of life on Mars, no matter how primitive, would herald a new age in our understanding of the Universe.⁠ ⁠ Hit the link in our bio for the full story.

Chastity belts have been around for centuries — if you lost the key, you’d have to force your way out of them with a hammer and tongs. But what if your chastity belt is connected to the internet and a hacker locks it forever? This could’ve happened to anyone using Qiui’s Cellmate internet-connected chastity lock.⁠ ⁠ UK-based security firm Pen Test Partners said that a bug on the internet-connected sex device could’ve allowed an attacker to lock a user’s penis forever. The device has you or a trusted partner controlling its locking functionality via a mobile app that connects to an online service — there’s no physical key for it. The API that talks to the app was left open without proper security protocols: an attacker could control your device and deny you access to it, without any recourse.⁠ ⁠ You read that right, there’s no way to unlock the device without the app. So you’ll need to use a heavy-duty grinder or drill to cut it open.⁠ ⁠ The unsecured API also leaked the private data of users including names, birthdays, the location of these devices, and password to the accounts controlling them. What’s worrying is that after Pen Test Partners contacted the company in April, it didn’t fix bugs for the longest time even after acknowledging them.⁠ ⁠ It’s advisable to avoid internet-connected sexual pleasure devices that might not have a fail-safe in case of an emergency. Plus, device makers should also focus on ensuring the privacy of its users while making these gadgets smart.⁠ ⁠ Hit the link in our bio for the full story.

Mars is currently the target of multiple spacecraft, journeying to the planet in search of water, and perhaps signs of life. But, while space agencies around the globe send robotic explorers to Mars, the Red Planet also offers skygazers a chance to view the world as it shines brightly in the eastern sky.⁠ ⁠ On October 6th, Mars will move closer to Earth than it will be at any time until the year 2035. At its closest, the Red Planet will be three times brighter than the brightest star in the sky, brighter than Jupiter, making finding Mars a breeze.⁠ ⁠ As Mars and the Earth orbit the Sun, the distance between the two worlds constantly changes. The close approach of Mars on October 6 will be the closest the two worlds will come to each other for 15 years.⁠ ⁠ Mars is easily visible to the naked eye, but even a small telescope will reveal detail, including the polar ice caps of that world. While observing it, remember to also take a look at Jupiter and Saturn, easily visible in the southwestern sky.⁠ ⁠ Hit the link in our bio for the full story.

Tomorrow's the big day – goes live at 11AM CEST. Here's a handy checklist so you could get the most out of our online event:⁠ ⁠ - Download our Mobile app TNW2020⁠ - Create your personal agenda with your favorite talks⁠ - Network with like-minded attendees⁠ - Think you'll miss some talks? Upgrade to a Business pass⁠ ⁠ Do all this by heading on over to our website via the link in our bio! See you all soon.

We're excited to announce that our mobile app for has been launched! ⁠ ⁠ Now you can browse and filter through the attendee list to network or schedule meetings, and create a personalized schedule for October 1 & 2 to get the most out of your experience. ⁠ ⁠ Download the app at the link in our bio.

Zoom’s chief Eric Yuan sold $69.3 million worth of company shares to bring the total sum of cash raised by Zoom insiders this year to a tendon-twisting $581.33 million — more than half a billion dollars split between just 10 execs (and one fund).⁠ ⁠ Yuan leads the video conferencing company’s 2020 leaderboard for stock dumps with $251 million, representing nearly half of all Zoom insider sales this year.⁠ ⁠ Overall, Zoom stock has returned 622.5% year-to-date, having skyrocketed from $68.72 to $496.50 to propel its CEO to on Forbes’ billionaires list. Zoom stock has also more than doubled since Yuan last sold stock in August.⁠ ⁠ To most people, Yuan’s $251 million is a fortune, but to Amazon’s baldking Jeff Bezos, it’s chump change. Indeed, Bezos has dumped $7.2 billion worth of Amazon stock so far in 2020 — more than 12 times the money Zoom execs have collectively cashed in over the same period.⁠ ⁠ Hit the link in our bio for the full story.

Amazon‘s Ring announced the Always Home Cam, a drone that helps you keep an eye on your home while you’re gone. It sounds like something out of a futuristic sci-fi movie, but it’s arriving next year for $250.⁠ ⁠ The drone is able to operate autonomously, though users can direct it to different rooms and paths. Like vacuum robots, it maps your home so you can tell it where to go without it bumping into too many things (the propellers are enclosed for protection, too).⁠ ⁠ The device is meant to allow you to survey your entire home without needing multiple cameras — something that could be particularly useful for people with large homes; It films in 1080p, and can be can also be set to activate when Ring detects a disturbance or to travel along pre-set routes. It can be useful for monitoring your pets more closely or checking to see if you left the stove on.⁠ ⁠ And in case you’re worried about the camera stalking you while you’re home too, Amazon notes the camera’s view is blocked while the unit is docked for charging.⁠ ⁠ Hit the link in our bio for the full story.

On October 1 & 2, our flagship event TNW2020 is taking place online. ⁠ ⁠ Register your free ticket to watch keynotes from the world's tech leaders, join interactive workshops, and do business. ⁠ ⁠ Hit the link in our bio for all the details. See you there?

Like clockwork, each morning at 7AM the entire town of Aberhosan in Wales would lose its broadband connection. The mystery plagued the village for 18 months — and nobody knew why. Until now.⁠ ⁠ The culprit? An old television set.⁠ ⁠ After numerous cable replacements failed to fix the issue, an investigation discovered that an unnamed Aberhosan resident was unaware their TV would emit a signal that would interfere with the entire village’s broadband infrastructure, BBC reports.⁠ ⁠ Baffled by the continuous lapses in connectivity, the technicians used a monitoring device — also known as a spectrum analyzer — to identify the source of the interference. The device led them to the resident in question, who felt embarrassed for unknowingly causing trouble and immediately promised to never use the set again.⁠ ⁠ So why 7AM, you might be wondering? Well, that’s when the anonymous householder would switch their TV on each morning, inadvertently affecting the entire village’s broadband.⁠ ⁠ Hit the link in our bio for the full story.

If you’ve used a dating app, you’ll know the importance of choosing good profile pics. These photos don’t just relay attractiveness: a recent study suggests that 43% of people think they can get a sense of someone’s personality by their picture. Researchers tried to understand what this meant for male cat owners.⁠ ⁠ Scientists recruited 1,388 heterosexual American women from 18 to 24 years old to take a short anonymous online survey. In the survey, they presented them with photos of men in their early 20s either posing alone or with a cat.⁠ ⁠ Most of the women found the men holding cats to be less dateable. They also thought the men holding cats were less extroverted and more neurotic, agreeable, and open. Importantly, they saw these men as less masculine, too.⁠ ⁠ Scientists suspect old cultural norms may be playing a role in the responses. Prior research suggests that women often seek masculine men – both in terms of physical appearance and behaviors. So the fact that women in this study found the photo of the man alone more masculine and dateable supports the idea that women are likely to look for clues related to masculinity when determining dateability.⁠ ⁠ Alternatively, the perception of male cat owners as less extroverted and more neurotic, agreeable, and open may have nudged the respondents to put these men in the “friend zone.” Perhaps, seeing a man pose with the cat suggests he might be a better confidant than date.⁠ ⁠ So if you are a heterosexual men looking to get a match, it’s probably a good idea if you save showing off your cat photos for the second date.⁠ ⁠ Hit the link in our bio for the full story.