It's tech Tuesday, friends. I'm Diamond Naga Siu, and I hope you had a respectful as well as commemorative Juneteenth.
I'll be off for four days, since I'll be in Sacramento mentoring high school journalism students. But before I fly there, I'm worried about packing for my trip.
I (as well as many other Gen Zers) struggle with professional outfits, since we haven't spent much time in a physical office.
Some schools have started offering resources to bridge this transition. But my colleague Jordan Hart highlighted how Gen Zers are turning to TikTok for corporate style inspiration.
Before I attempt to transform into a corporate baddie, let's dive into today's tech.
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1. One and done: Facebook's parent company Meta is pulling back from physical stores. It created an entire retail strategy. But after opening one store, people familiar with the plan told Insider that Meta is already scaling back amid cost-cutting across the company.
- The first "Meta Store" opened last year in Northern California and was designed to increase interest in Meta's VR headsets. Although a second store was in the works, someone familiar with the matter said that those plans faltered after slowed revenue.
- Plus, Meta's head of store Martin Gilliard left earlier this year. And according to multiple sources, he hasn't been replaced.
- My colleague Kali Hays talked with multiple people about Meta's floundering plan to open physical stores. And she also highlighted how other Big Tech companies have similarly struggled with brick-and-mortar.
In other news:
2. Goodbye Shein. Hello Temu. In less than one year after entering the US, Temu is already outpacing the fast fashion behemoth Shein in sales. Temu is an ultra-cheap marketplace — it even sells glasses for under $2. Follow Temu's path to rapid dominance here.
3. Google tells employees not to put confidential info into AI chatbots — including its own Bard. The search giant reportedly even told engineers not to use the chatbots for writing code in case it gives "undesirable" suggestions. Check out the anti-AI instructions here.
4. Switching hustle culture for 'anti-work girlboss.' Lazy girl jobs are the latest workplace trend. They're roles that get you high pay with minimal effort, and the idea is centered around not tying your identity to your job. See what the lifestyle is all about.
5. Reddit v. its users. Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said subreddit mods have too much power. So he plans to change the "not democratic" structure. More on that here. Bonus: Catch up on the Reddit user protest here.
6. 'Cringe' and 'tone deaf': Tech workers blast startup CEO. Careem CEO Mudassir Sheikha shared what characteristics he avoids in staff (including people who prioritize pay). This prompted major backlash from tech workers online. Here's what they had to say.
7. The 31 rising stars of Los Angeles investing. Insider surveyed more than 75 local investors to identify the top up-and-coming VCs. They invest in a broad range of industries including space exploration, pet care, and real estate. Get the full list.
8. Florida governor bans all direct-to-consumer car sales, except for Tesla. Gov. Ron DeSantis banned carmakers from selling cars directly to customers. Instead, they need to rely on franchised dealerships. Drive over for the story here.
Odds and ends:
9. Nuclear-powered submarine that ran into an underground mountain stuck in repairs. The USS Connecticut is a highly revered fast-attack submarine. But it still has years of fixes ahead of it, highlighting the Navy's repair backlog. Submerge yourself in the story here.
10. The 20 friendliest cities in the world. They were ranked based on a combination of six factors including visitor return rates, safety, and overall happiness. Dublin, Ireland and Melbourne, Australia both made the top 10. Check out the full list.
What we're watching today:
- Happy World Wi-Fi Day.
- Hewlett Packard Enterprise is hosting its annual HPE Discover conference in Las Vegas. Speakers include leaders from VMWare, the Dallas Cowboys, and Mitsubishi.
- Hello and happy birthday, Lionel Richie!
Curated by Diamond Naga Siu in San Diego. (Feedback or tips? Email dsiu@insider.com or tweet @diamondnagasiu) Edited by Alistair Barr (tweet @alistairmbarr) in San Francisco and Hallam Bullock (tweet @hallam_bullock) in London.