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<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>ALAIN JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Zara, Marriott, Qantas, and Delta Air Lines have all updated their websites in the last week after China slammed several companies for listing Hong Kong and Taiwan as countries.</strong></li><li><strong>An ethics professor whose book on China's soft power was not published due to fear of Beijing's influence told Business Insider this amounts to "economic blackmail."</strong></li><li><strong>Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, but Taiwan's political situation is highly contested.</strong></li><li><strong>Business Insider found numerous companies, including Uber, Amazon, Uniqlo, and H&amp;M, listed these regions as countries.</strong></li></ul><p><br />A number of international companies, including Zara, Marriott, Qantas, and Delta Air Lines, have apologized to China in the last week for listing Taiwan and Hong Kong as "countries" on their websites.</p><p>Zara, Marriott and Delta Air Lines all deleted references to these regions as countries and were publicly reprimanded by Chinese authorities, while Qantas discovered and fixed the same type of "error" during a routine review of its website.</p><p>Clive Hamilton, a public-ethics professor whose publisher scrapped his upcoming book about China's soft power out of concern about possible reprisals from Beijing, told Business Insider the situation these companies are facing amounts to "economic blackmail."</p><p>"The People's Republic of China is engaging in economic blackmail, imposing acceptance of its geopolitical ambitions on corporations that want to operate in the country," said Hamilton.</p><p>Hong Kong and Macau are technically Special Administrative Regions of China, while Taiwan's status is contested. Self-ruled Taiwan considers itself an independent island, while Beijing deems it a province of China.</p><p>Chinese authorities began reaching out to corporations last week regarding what it deemed as errors online.</p><p>The Shanghai arm of the Cyberspace Administration of China first contacted hotel chain Marriott regarding an email that listed Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan as countries.</p><p><a href="http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-01/11/c_136888952.htm">Authorities</a> from China's cyberspace administration and market supervision bureau interviewed Marriott managers in China about a potential <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-marriott-apologies-after-listing-taiwan-tibet-as-countries-2018-1">breach of cybersecurity and advertising laws</a>. There were also <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ap-marriott-apologies-after-listing-taiwan-tibet-as-countries-2018-1">reports</a> these staff were interviewed by police. Marriott was then ordered to take down its website and app for a week while the errors were corrected.</p><p>Marriott's CEO, Arne Sorenson, later released a statement.</p><p>"Marriott International respects and supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China," Sorenson said. "We don't support anyone who subverts the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China and we do not intend in any way to encourage or incite any such people or groups. We recognize the severity of the situation and sincerely apologize."</p><p>Part of this apology still sits on Marriott's <a href="http://www.marriott.com.cn/default.mi">temporarily removed website</a>.</p><p>"The Marriot incident shows that, for foreign companies, the price of operating in China is succumbing to the Communist Party's thought control," Hamilton said.</p><p>China, and its growing affluent population, is an important revenue-driver for international companies like Marriott. Currently, China's hotel market generates $64.8 billion a year.</p><p>But the country's communist government retains tight control of its economy, and companies that operate within it. While some Chinese consumers have proposed a <a href="http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1084577.shtml">boycott</a> of the hotel chain, the Cyberspace Administration retains the power to prevent websites and apps from operating in China - as it has done with Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Skype.</p><p>Other government departments can order businesses to close their physical premises. Last year, in retaliation for military decisions by South Korea, China closed 87 Lotte supermarkets, South Korea's <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/business-39335854">fifth-largest conglomerate</a>. Hit with alleged fire safety violations, the six-month closure led the company to lose <a href="http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2017/09/11/2017091101337.html">$470 million</a>.</p><h2>Qantas and Delta Air Lines have reversed their positions</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Cameron Spencer/Getty Images</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Qantas confirmed to Business Insider that it mistakenly listed Hong Kong and Taiwan as countries on its website.</p><p>"Due [to] an oversight, some Chinese territories were incorrectly listed as 'countries' on parts of our website. We are correcting this error," a Qantas spokesperson told Business Insider.</p><p>Qantas, which does not fly into other contested territories, was not directly contacted by Chinese authorities but reportedly found the country listings during a regular review of the site. Most of the references on their site have now been updated.</p><p>This follows a demand last Friday by the Civil Aviation Administration of China for Delta Air Lines to offer an <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-delta/china-cracks-down-on-foreign-companies-calling-taiwan-other-regions-countries-idUSKBN1F10RC?il=0">"immediate and public"</a> apology for listing Taiwan and Tibet as countries on its website. The airline responded saying it had made a "grave mistake."</p><p>The aviation authority said all foreign airlines operating in China would be required to review all their materials to ensure they "strictly comply with China's laws and regulations to prevent a similar thing from happening," according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-delta/china-cracks-down-on-foreign-companies-calling-taiwan-other-regions-countries-idUSKBN1F10RC?il=0">Reuters</a>.</p><p>Chinese news site thepaper.cn reported 24 airlines list Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan as independent countries.</p><p>Flight booking sites also fall into difficult territory. When checked by Business Insider, Skyscanner listed Hong Kong as a city of China but Taiwan is listed as an independent country. Skyscanner did not respond to a request for comment.</p><h2><keyword id="6354851" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Retail">Retail</keyword> stores and Silicon Valley aren't immune, either</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Andreas Rentz/Getty Images for Uniqlo</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Global fast fashion retailer Zara was another company the Shanghai Cyberspace Administration publicly called out for showing Taiwan as a country in a list of nations on its website. The retailer was <a href="https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/YlnWev3ubw5GOlltMF7LPw">ordered</a> to publish an apology by 6 p.m. last Friday.</p><p>Zara, which operates 170 stores in China, was also ordered to carry out a "self-inspection" and turn in a rectification report. Further actions against the retailer are pending.</p><p>But, based on research by Business Insider, other companies also appear to have difficulty navigating the political boundaries in Asia.</p><p><a href="http://www.uniqlo.com/au/shop/">Uniqlo</a> lists both Hong Kong and Taiwan as countries while H&amp;M had both in a <a href="https://www.hm.com/us/store-locator">drop-down list</a> of countries on its site.</p><p><a href="https://www.uber.com/en-AU/country-list/">Uber</a>, on the other hand, lists Taiwan with the suffix "(ROC)," to denote the Republic of China, but lists Hong Kong as a country. On <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=201074230">two</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200417280">webpages</a>, Amazon lists both Hong Kong and Taiwan as countries.</p><p>The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</p><p>Some companies appear to be moving away from problematic lists. <a href="http://www.prada.com/en/store-locator.html">Prada</a>, <a href="https://www.gucci.com/int/en/">Gucci</a>, and <a href="https://www.airbnb.com.au/about/about-us">Airbnb</a> all use maps to indicate their operating locations which avoids the need to explicitly define countries.</p><h2>Taiwan's political situation is highly contentious</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Taipei, Taiwan.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Taiwan's political situation is both complicated and contentious.</p><p>The US ended diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979 but continues to have a "robust unofficial relationship."</p><p>Then President-elect Donald Trump famously <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/china-lodges-diplomatic-protest-against-trump-taiwan-call-2016-12">accepted a phone call from Taiwan's president</a> in 2016, resulting in China lodging a formal diplomatic complaint. In December, China complained the US was <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/senior-chinese-diplomat-threatens-to-invade-taiwan-if-us-navy-visits-2017-12">interfering in its internal affairs</a> when Trump signed a law allowing US navy vessels to visit Taiwan.</p><p>Yet Trump has previously acknowledged the need to respect China's position on Taiwan in exchange for political help.</p><p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-interview-highlights/highlights-of-reuters-interview-with-trump-idUSKBN17U0D4">Trump told reporters</a> last year he wouldn't speak with Taiwan's leader again unless he cleared it with Chinese President Xi Jinping, because he is helping the US with a "big situation." It was understood he meant the US needed China's help to exert influence over North Korea.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/animated-map-of-200-years-us-border-territory-changes-2016-1">Here's how the map of the United States has changed in 200 years</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

'Economic blackmail': Zara, Qantas, Marriott and Delta Air Lines reverse position on Taiwan for fear of angering China

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Disney/Lucasfilm</span></p><p class="caption">Star Wars Episode 7.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Good morning! Here's the technology news you need to know as we head into the weekend.</p><p><strong>1. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/skyscanner-bought-by-chinese-but-still-a-british-company-ceo-gareth-williams-interview-2016-11">Skyscanner's CEO told us it's still a British company despite selling to a larger Chinese firm. </a></strong>Gareth Williams told Business Insider that the company will still be headquartered in the <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword> after the acquisition.</p><p><strong>2. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/apple-stopped-disclosing-ad-spend-2016-11">Apple mysteriously stopped disclosing how much it spends on ads.</a> </strong>The company's latest annual report (10-K), filed with the Securities and Exchange commission in October, made no mention of its advertising expenses.</p><p><strong>3. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/facebook-image-recognition-patent-block-sales-fake-sunglasses-theft-detecting-logos-2016-11">Facebook may have found a way to crack down on sales of dodgy sunglasses and fake clothes.</a></strong> In a patent application published on Thursday, Facebook outlines technology that is capable of recognising the content of images and flagging them if necessary.</p><p><strong>4.<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/8246f878-b168-11e6-a37c-f4a01f1b0fa1"> Electric car company Faraday Future is reportedly struggling to meet production targets.</a></strong> Financial problems could mean that it doesn't release its first vehicle in 2017.</p><p><strong>5. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-uk-wartime-codebreaking-center-becomes-cyber-education-college-2016-11">World War Two codebreaking centre Bletchley Park is being turned into a cybersecurity school. </a></strong>The new school for teenagers will sit beside the historical attraction and the National Museum of Computing, and will take 100 students in its first year.</p><p><strong>6. <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-host-europe-loans-idUSKBN13J1KR">GoDaddy is reportedly in talks to acquire rival hosting company Host Europe Group.</a> </strong>Deutsche Telekom and Permira reportedly pulled out of the bidding process.</p><p><strong>7. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/google-is-opening-a-campus-in-berlin-2016-11">Google is opening a "Campus" in Berlin for entrepreneurs.</a> </strong>The "Campus Berlin" tech hub will be based in Kreuzberg and will open in Autumn 2017.</p><p><strong>8. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/the-uks-most-popular-youtube-channels-2016-11">We ranked the 19 biggest British YouTube stars.</a></strong> Everyone from Zoella to Caspar Lee.</p><p><strong>9. <a href="http://arstechnica.com/security/2016/11/google-warns-journalists-and-professors-your-account-is-under-attack/">Google has begun warning some journalists and academics that their accounts are under attack.</a></strong> Google told Ars Technica that it could be connected to hacking attempts in the past month.</p><p><strong>10. <a href="http://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2016/11/25/13745228/star-wars-smartphones-japan-softbank-sharp">Star Wars smartphones are coming to SoftBank in Japan.</a></strong> There are two models: One for the light side, and one for the dark side.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tips-to-make-iphone-battery-last-longer-2016-11">These crucial tips will make your iPhone battery last longer</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Zoc2cweToBgUOytG_bgfesxmVHNFbw0n" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

10 things in tech you need to know today

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Snapchat/YouTube</span></p><p class="caption">Snapchat Spectacles.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Good morning! Here's the technology news you need to know this Thursday.</p><p><strong>1. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/skyscanner-is-being-bought-for-14-billion-2016-11">Skyscanner is being bought for £1.4 billion.</a></strong> It was sold to Ctrip.com, a Chinese online travel company.</p><p><strong>2. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-apple-ceo-tim-cook-and-bill-gates-called-after-election-2016-11">Donald Trump says he talked to Apple CEO Tim Cook about a "very large tax cut".</a> </strong>Trump, several times during his campaign, threatened Apple specifically with taxes on imports from China, where Apple's products are manufactured.</p><p><strong>3. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/whitman-wants-trump-to-drop-repatriation-taxes-2016-11">Meg Whitman likes Donald Trump's plans to chop taxes on offshore cash.</a></strong> She said it would be "helpful" to Hewlett Packard Enterprise.</p><p><strong>4.<a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/dcn-letter-to-mark-zuckerberg-and-sundar-pichai-on-fake-news-2016-11"> A powerful trade body for big publishers sent a letter imploring the CEOs of Google and Facebook to tackle fake news. </a></strong>Digital Content Next says the two companies have a responsibility to stop the spread of fake news.</p><p><strong>5. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/untold-story-vergence-labs-snapchat-acquired-spectacles-2016-11?op=1">Here's the founding story of Snapchat's Spectacles.</a></strong> It all started with a small company that Snapchat acquired called Vergence Labs.</p><p><strong>6. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/uk-ban-non-conventional-pornography-censorship-reddit-tumblr-digitaleconomy-bill-2016-11">The UK is banning "non-conventional" porn and it could censor huge swathes of the web.</a></strong> The <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword> government would implement strict porn filters in the UK - forcing sites that host adult content to verify users' ages or risk being blocked in the country.</p><p><strong>7. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-appnexus-bans-breitbart-from-ad-network-citing-hate-speech-2016-11">Ad tech company AppNexus has banned Breitbart from its ad exchange, citing hate speech. </a></strong>AppNexus deactivated Breitbart News after an audit of the site's content determined that it violates the advertising network's code of conduct banning hate speech.</p><p><strong>8. <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/11/23/justin-biba-amazon-video/">Amazon acquired patents and employees from video messaging app Biba.</a></strong> It's reportedly planning to launch a video chat service.</p><p><strong>9. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/maserati-will-reportedly-launch-an-all-electric-alfieri-in-2020-2016-11">Maserati will reportedly launch an all-electric Alfieri in 2020.</a> </strong>The Italian car manufacturer also said that it plans to launch a version with a V6 engine in 2019.</p><p><strong>10. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/amazon-drones-tested-uk-for-longer-than-thought-2016-11">An email chain shows that Amazon has been testing drones in the UK for longer than initially thought. </a></strong>Amazon has been testing drones in UK airspace since summer 2015, not summer 2016 as previously thought.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/our-biggest-misconceptions-about-universe-2016-11">Neil deGrasse Tyson reveals the biggest misconceptions people have about the universe</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="ZhaDZ1dzr1S3hYjGWKARuuHSUXss8gvN" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">FBI Director Comey testifies at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Good morning! Here's the tech news you need to know to end your week.</p><p><strong>1. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/uk-tech-100-slideshow-2016-2">Business Insider UK has published the UK Tech 100, an annual ranking of the coolest people in UK tech!</a></strong> Honourees range from Improbable cofounders Rob Whitehead and Herman Narula, to Beats 1 DJ Julie Adenuga.</p><p><strong>2. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-and-twitter-are-backing-up-apple-in-its-fight-with-the-fbi-2016-2">Facebook and Twitter are backing up Apple in its fight with the FBI.</a></strong> Apple has been ordered by a court to help the FBI break into a smartphone, but it is refusing, saying it would set a dangerous precedent.</p><p><strong>3. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/yahoo-dragging-feet-on-sales-talks-suntrust-analyst-2016-2">Yahoo is reportedly dragging its feet on sales talks and potential buyers are getting frustrated.</a></strong> That's according to SunTrust analyst Robert Peck.</p><p><strong>4. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/isomer-capital-has-launched-a-new-150-million-fund-2016-2">Isomer Capital has launched a new fund that will give European startups access to another €150 million (£117 million).</a></strong> It's aimed at early stage tech companies.</p><p><strong>5. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-apologizes-for-error-53-iphone-bug-2016-2">Apple has apologised for the "Error 53" bug that bricks iPhones.</a> </strong>The error has been leaving iPhones fixed by unauthorised repair people useless.</p><p><strong>6. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/skyscanners-revenues-grew-to-120-million-last-year-thanks-to-china-and-mobile-2016-2">Skyscanner's revenues grew to £120 million last year.</a></strong> The growth came off the back of a hungry Chinese market and a surge in mobile users, the company says.</p><p><strong>7. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/report-facebook-messenger-ads-coming-in-q2-2016-2">Facebook is soon going to roll out its plan to make money from Messenger.</a> </strong>According to leaked documents, it's going to introduce ads in Q2 2016.</p><p><strong>8. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/yahoo-mobile-developers-conference-2016-2">A day after a "blood bath" of layoffs, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is turning focus to mobile growth.</a></strong> At the MDC conference on Thursday, Mayer discussed the company's focus on mobile.</p><p><strong>9. <a href="http://9to5google.com/2016/02/18/smartwatch-sales-hit-8-1m-in-q4-2015-pushing-smartwatches-ahead-of-swiss-watch-for-first-time/">Smartwatches have outsold Swiss watches for the first time.</a></strong> According to Strategy Analytics, 8.1 million smartwatches were sold in Q4 2015, 9to5Google reports.</p><p><strong>10. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35609833">HSBC is introducing biometric checks for its customers.</a> </strong>It will now use fingerprints and voice recognition to authenticate certain customers, the BBC reports.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fontus-bottle-makes-water-out-of-air-2016-1">This bottle makes water out of air</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="xjY3JqMDE6iEBOXfn7qux_xlGQKCHKAC" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

<ul class="summary-list"><li>I visited <keyword id="71278" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Disney-World">Disney World</keyword> with my family in November the week after Thanksgiving.</li><li><keyword id="46161" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Disney">Disney</keyword> World was busier than we expected, but at least mask-wearing was encouraged throughout the parks.</li><li>The <keyword id="6357385" type="LOCATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="florida">Florida</keyword> theme park had made a number of necessary changes in the interest of safety, but the magic felt a little lost with longer wait times for attractions and popular restaurants closed.</li><li>But it wasn't all bad. It was quicker to pick up food with mobile ordering available, transportation ran like clockwork, and we had the pool at our hotel almost to ourselves.</li><li>Ultimately, though, visiting Disney World during the pandemic wasn't worth the money and effort, and I wish I'd saved to return later when it will be safer and more enjoyable.</li></ul><p>In recent weeks, there has been a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/national/coronavirus-us-cases-deaths/">dramatic rise</a> in new COVID-19 cases nationwide, and <a href="https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#cases_casesinlast7days">Florida is among the worst-affected states</a> in the country. But it seems many people aren't afraid to visit Disney World for the holidays.</p><p>In a press conference during the week of Thanksgiving, Orange County, Florida, Mayor Jerry Demings said <a href="https://insidethemagic.net/2020/11/orlando-holiday-tourism-rwb1/">Orlando International Airport was among the busiest airports in the country</a>. At the same event, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer acknowledged that many people flying in around the holiday were going to Disney World.</p><p>I was one of them, making the decision to take my family to Disney World the week after Thanksgiving, my concerns assuaged by <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/archive/2020/07/disney-world-during-pandemic-extremely-weird/614617/">articles calling the Magic Kingdom crowd-free and "desolate,"</a> along with the Walt Disney Co.'s thorough <a href="https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/07/disney-parks-commitment-to-health-safety-measures/">health and safety commitment</a>.</p><h2>My family and I took precautions to <keyword id="6354692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword> from Utah to Florida, but once we got to Disney World it didn't feel so safe</h2><p>To mitigate safety risks on our travels, we drove ourselves to Salt Lake City's international airport and booked seats in the back of the plane, as we learned that <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/news/back-to-front-boarding-coronavirus/">a number of airlines - including Delta, the airline we flew with - were loading from back to front</a> to decrease contact between passengers, and we didn't want to pass others as we boarded or be surrounded by people in the rows behind us as well. (Thankfully, our young children - even our 2-year-old - are so accustomed to wearing face masks that we didn't have any issues complying with Delta's <a href="https://www.delta.com/us/en/travel-update-center/ways-we-are-keeping-you-safe/onboard-services">face-mask policies</a> once on board.)</p><div type="image" title="The author's son watching Delta's family friendly in flight entertainment on the plane" height="1102" width="1470" msid="79928918" hostid="261"></div><p>We also called ahead to make sure our transportation from the airport to our Disney hotel had safety measures in place. We confirmed that Disney's bus would go directly to the resort without making additional stops and had masks requirements in place, as well as empty rows or plexiglass dividers to keep parties distanced.</p><p>Despite all the precautions we took to travel safely, I was stunned by what we experienced at the "happiest place on earth."</p><p>My wife and I frequently saw throngs of massive crowds - sometimes shoulder to shoulder - as they gathered in front of Cinderella's castle or made their way through the Magic Kingdom's meandering pathways connecting each "land" to another. I experienced a crowd of people so thick at one point in Adventureland that a woman near me shrieked out to the people in her party: "Get me out of here! This is crazier than a frat party!"</p><p>Though a representative for Disney World told Insider the company did not publicly share attendance numbers, Disney CEO Bob Chapek <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/news/disney-world-investor-call/">confirmed</a> in a November 12 earnings call with investors that the park increased capacity from 25 to 35% - which represented up to a 40% increase in the number of guests - in October.</p><p>Chapek also <a href="https://insidethemagic.net/2020/11/disney-world-parks-booked-for-holidays-rwb1/">told investors</a> holiday reservations were 77% booked two weeks before Thanksgiving and that the week of Thanksgiving was, at that time, "booked close to capacity." I don't know what attendance was like the week <em>after </em>Thanksgiving when my family arrived, but it seemed very crowded to me. And many of the Disney World annual pass holders and cast members (Disney employees) I spoke with during my visit said they thought the parks were much busier than they were a few months ago. </p><p>"When we first opened in July," one cast member said, "we were a ghost town." </p><p>One local annual pass holder told me the park was "unrecognizable" today compared with how it appeared to her a few months ago.</p><div type="image" title="Magic Kingdom guests in front of Cinderella's castle " height="574" width="765" msid="79928920" hostid="261"></div><p>And there's no reason to believe the number of Disney-bound travelers won't continue to rise now that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/when-can-i-get-a-coronavirus-vaccine-timeline-2020-11">the Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency-use authorization to two coronavirus vaccines</a>, with data from Skyscanner showing <a href="https://www.insider.com/most-popular-destinations-post-pandemic-vaccines-2020-11">a spike in flight-booking searches</a> on November 9, the day news of Pfizer's vaccine broke - suggesting that more people were starting to plan trips again.</p><p>In the meantime, Disney has continued offering <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2020/09/29/orlando-is-back-with-big-deals-and-big-changes-why-you-should-go-now/?sh=76467a3452f7">steep discounts</a> to incentivize cost-conscious families like my own to travel to the area during the pandemic - a move that's paying off for the company. The uptick in visitors has improved Disney's revenue in the past few months, with the company's fiscal earnings reports from <a href="https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/app/uploads/2020/11/q4-fy20-earnings.pdf">last quarter</a> to the <a href="https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/the-walt-disney-company-reports-third-quarter-and-nine-months-earnings-for-fiscal-2020/">previous quarter</a> showing that Disney World's profits increased dramatically.</p><p>While having more visitors has helped Disney's business, the health risks of visiting the park during the pandemic remain high.</p><p>The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/large-events/considerations-for-events-gatherings.html">says</a> that "large in-person gatherings where it is difficult for individuals to remain spaced at least 6 feet apart and attendees travel from outside the local area" are among the "highest-risk" level of activity that a person can engage in during the pandemic, and there are <a href="https://www.insider.com/should-i-visit-disney-world-disneyland-reopening-travel-risks-2020-6">many health risks</a> to consider about a trip to Walt Disney World.</p><p>In fact, before allowing guests to secure a park-pass reservation, the company requires guests to acknowledge <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/experience-updates/">its COVID-19 warning</a> that says "an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present" and they "voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19" by visiting Disney World. It also reminds guests "COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death" and says that by entering the park visitors confirm that they aren't experiencing any of the COVID-19 symptoms outlined by the CDC. </p><h2><div type="image" title="Magic Kingdom guests emerging from Main Street USA at a point that connects all of the various _lands_ of the park" height="650" width="866" msid="79928922" hostid="261"></div></h2><h2>The former magic of Disney World was missing </h2><p>Though Disney World has made several operational adjustments since it reopened (click <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/experience-updates/">here</a> for the most up-to-date park information), at the time of our visit we found many of our favorite park staples were understandably lacking or absent altogether in the interest of safety. </p><p>Character interactions have been suspended, and lavish parades have been replaced with impromptu drive-bys of a vehicle or two and a handful of spaced-apart characters waving. Many of the rides now have plexiglass dividers between rows that make it difficult to see the attraction, and you can't capture the smiles on your children's faces when they're behind a mask. Many of the park's most popular restaurants are closed too.</p><p>And long lines are inevitable with empty rows left on attractions to keep riders apart and <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/experience-updates/parks/">Disney's FastPass system now suspended</a>. A cast member told me the FastPass line was closed to the general public with some exceptions for those with disabilities, rider-switch parties (<a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/rider-switch/#:~:text=With%20Rider%20Switch%2C%20one%20adult,in%20the%20regular%20line%20again!">Disney's service</a> that lets ridegoers hold their place in line as they wait with nonriders, often children, while others in their party enjoy the attraction), and Club 33 members who pay steep membership fees for perks (<a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/club-33/">Club 33 membership</a> is <a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-shanghai-club33-20160617-snap-htmlstory.html">said to cost</a> $12,000 annually on top of a onetime <a href="https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/amusement-parks/disneyland-club-33-exclusive-membership">$25,000 entrance fee</a>). </p><div type="image" title="Pluto, Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and Wendy (from Peter Pan) greeting guests as part of one of the impromptu parades the author saw during his visit." height="731" width="975" msid="79928925" hostid="261"></div><p>As such, we spent the majority of our vacation waiting in line, and we weren't able to experience nearly as many attractions as we have in previous visits. In the past, at least in my experience, the posted wait-time estimates at Disney theme parks were much longer than the actual wait time, but now actual wait times often <em>exceed</em> posted wait times.</p><h2>Our visit to Walt Disney World wasn't all bad, however</h2><p>My family's stay at Disney's Art of Animation Resort was splendid. We experienced the same hospitality and friendly service throughout the days we were there, and the crowds seemed significantly smaller around our hotel, where we could escape the packed theme parks. Twice, we even had the hotel pool almost to ourselves. Though I never saw a line form at the pool while we were there, a lifeguard told me the resort did limit the number of people in the area and masks were required when walking or lounging around the pool - though not while swimming.</p><p>When we booked the room, we were told that "<a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/experience-updates/resorts/">enhanced cleaning</a>" was used to "thoroughly sanitize" our room, and the resort gave us the option to opt out of housekeeping altogether during our stay or have a "light cleaning" every other day. We were also told our hotel room would not be adjacent to other occupied hotel rooms, and we appreciated that all the purchases we made at the resort were contactless through the My Disney Experience app.</p><div type="image" title="The author and his four children swimming in a relatively empty swimming pool at Disney's Art of Animation resort" height="900" width="1200" msid="79928927" hostid="261"></div><p>What's more, Disney's bus and Skyliner transportation systems ran like clockwork throughout our stay. Though one Disney driver told me they are allowed to load buses only to half-capacity during the pandemic, Disney World has increased the number of buses running - so much so that my family never waited longer than five minutes for a bus to take us anywhere. Each party boarding the bus is assigned a numbered seating section, and large dividers and empty seats are placed between them to ensure distance between travelers once on board. And Disney transportation systems are <a href="https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/07/disney-parks-commitment-to-health-safety-measures/">sanitized frequently</a>, according to the company's commitment to health and safety measures. </p><p>I was also relieved to be in a place that enforced mask-wearing more strictly than my home state of Utah, where <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/13/opinions/utah-covid-cases-anti-maskers-austin/index.html">a surprising number of anti-maskers</a> have driven up the number of new COVID-19 cases. Loudspeaker announcements frequently reminded parkgoers to properly wear a face covering, signs were posted everywhere warning that "guests not properly wearing an approved mask will be asked to leave," and cast members immediately asked guests to adjust their face mask if it ever fell below their nostrils. And while I never saw any measures in place to limit massive crowds of people from forming around the thruways of the parks, I rarely saw a ride queue where people weren't appropriately spaced at least 6 feet apart by adhering to markings on the ground.</p><div type="image" title="One of the many signs posted throughout Walt Disney World reminding guests to properly wear a face covering" height="901" width="1200" msid="79928929" hostid="261"></div><p>One other upside we experienced was that quick-service restaurants throughout the parks and at our resort now require mobile ordering. As a result, there weren't any physical lines at food-pickup windows because everyone was entered into a virtual queue instead.</p><p>Ultimately, though, none of these upsides began to make visiting Walt Disney World during the pandemic worth the money and effort. Though we tried to make the most of an unexpected situation, I wish my family would have saved the small fortune we spent in going there when we did to instead visit the magical world of Disney at a time when it would have been both safer and more enjoyable.</p><p>A representative for Disney World declined Insider's request for comment on this article.</p>

Don't make the same mistake I did by visiting Disney World during the pandemic. It's just not worth it.

<p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters/Lindsay DeDario</span></p><p class="caption">A car covered with ice remains stranded on the waterfront in Hamburg, New York January 12, 2016. The owner left his Mitsubushi Lancer parked overnight outside a restaurant on Sunday and by the next day, spray from Lake Erie had encased it in ice.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><p><span>Good morning! Here's what you need to know on Wednesday.</span></p><p><strong>1. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/two-us-navy-boats-reportedly-in-iranian-custody-2016-1" target="_blank">Ten American sailors are reportedly being held by Iran after two US Navy patrol boats drifted into Iranian waters after experiencing mechanical difficulties.</a> </strong>Plans are now understood to be in place for the sailors to be returned on Wednesday.</p><p><strong>2. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/istanbul-explosion-casualties-hagia-sophia-2016-1" target="_blank">At least 10 people, the majority of them German tourists, were killed after a suicide bomb attack in Istanbul.</a> </strong>Authorities believe a Syrian national who was a member of Islamic State carried out the atrocity.</p><p><strong>3. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-takes-a-shot-at-ted-cruz-in-state-of-the-union-2016-1" target="_blank">President Barack Obama has delivered his final State of the Union speech.</a> </strong>Obama spent part of his speech discussing America's fight against ISIS as well as taking apparent shots at Donald Trump.</p><p><strong>4. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/afp-bowie-finale-soars-on-charts-after-death-shock-2016-1" target="_blank">David Bowie's final album soared toward the top of the charts Tuesday after the music legend's death from cancer stunned the world, with the details still shrouded in mystery two days on.</a></strong></p><p><strong>5. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/chinese-trade-data-beats-in-december-2016-1" target="_blank">Chinese trade data delivered a pleasant, and largely unexpected, surprise in December.</a> </strong>In US dollar terms, exports fell by 1.4% from a year earlier, beating expectations for a contraction of 8.0%.</p><p><strong>6. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/netflix-ceo-reed-hastings-creates-100-million-education-fund-2016-1" target="_blank">Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is starting a new $100 million philanthropic fund that will focus on education, he announced on Tuesday. </a></strong></p><p><strong>7. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/cologne-attacks-germany-fallout-2016-1" target="_blank">Tensions are rising in Germany following mass New Year's Eve attacks on women in the city of Cologne.</a> </strong>A police report suggests that gangs of mostly migrant men, many of whom came from Africa and the Middle East, may have been responsible.</p><p><strong>8. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/north-korea-calls-for-expansion-of-nuclear-arsenal-2016-1" target="_blank">North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for an expansion of the size and power of his country's nuclear arsenal, state media said on Wednesday, a week after a nuclear test that drew condemnation from its neighbors and the US.</a></strong></p><p><strong>9. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/negative-interest-rates-switzerland-2016-1" target="_blank">The tax authority of Zug, a Swiss canton with a lot of hedge funds, has scrapped discounts for early payers and asked people to delay settling their tax bills for as long as possible because the country has a negative interest rate.</a></strong></p><p><strong>10. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/skyscanner-has-just-raised-128-million-2016-1" target="_blank">Skyscanner has raised £128 million for its online travel site, giving it a valuation in excess of £1 billion ahead of a potential stock market listing next year.</a></strong></p><p><strong>And finally ... <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/lies-that-are-ok-to-tell-in-a-job-interview-2016-1" target="_blank">Here are six harmless lies that can help you ace your job interview.</a></strong></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/everyday-phrases-smart-people-say-incorrectly-2016-1">Everyday phrases that even smart people say incorrectly</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="44Z3ZoeDrznjy0zyuh6chLpAhZsFsPBY" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

The 10 most important things in the world right now

<p><div class="image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image"><p class="source">Robert Johnson</p></div></div></div>At the beginning of one of the busiest weeks for airline travel, London <keyword id="131249" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Heathrow-Airport">Heathrow Airport</keyword> opened the first zone for <keyword id="6357278" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Smoking">smoking</keyword> electronic cigarettes.</p>
<p>The 323-square-foot e-smoking section is operated by e-cigarette manufacturer Gamucci, and is located in the International <span>Departures Lounge at Heathrow Terminal 4, next to the duty free shops, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/10480791/Fliers-in-favour-of-e-cigarette-vaping-zones.html">The Telegraph reports</a>.  </span> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dutch-health-ministry-sound-alarm-about-possible-risks-of-e-cigarettes-2013-11">E-cigarettes</a> produce a vapor similar to smoke without the heavy tobacco smell. Some contain a mixture of flavorings and nicotine while others have no nicotine.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.skyscanner.com/?utm_source=CJ_UK&amp;utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_campaign=3640461_UK+Skyscanner+banner+728x90_10644829">Skyscanner</a>, a global travel search site, just conducted a survey of 1,000 travelers and found 57% wouldn't object to more airports adopting an indoor e-smoking section, also called a "vaping zone," after the vapor the <keyword id="141209" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="e-cigarettes">e-cigarettes</keyword> produce. 70% of smokers questioned favored vaping zones and 50% of nonsmokers favored them.</p>
<p>E-cigarette smoking is on the rise, with <span>the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in the UK estimating 1.3 million users as of this year. </span></p>
<p>Heathrow continues to maintain designated sections to smoke traditional cigarettes outside the terminal, while allowing e-cigarette smoking in just one indoor area so far. </p>
<p>But not everyone's happy about the compromise. The British Medical Association told The Telegraph that smoking e-cigarettes indoors should be banned along with traditional cigarettes. Otherwise, it makes "cigarette use seem normal in public and at work." </p>

Heathrow Opened A Lounge Just For E-Cigarette Smokers, And Passengers Approve

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Brendan McDermid</span></p><p class="caption">Nigel Eccles, CEO &amp; Co-founder of FanDuel.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Scottish online <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/fanduel-scottish-startup-thats-been-taking-us-fantasy-sports-fans-by-storm-2015-11" target="_blank">sports betting startup FanDuel</a> was today unveiled as one of the 50 fastest growing technology companies in the <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword>.</p><p>The company ranked sixth on Deloitte's <a href="http://www.fast50.co.uk/community/" target="_blank">annual "Fast50" report</a>, which ranks UK technology firms based on their revenue growth rate over the last four years.</p><p>FanDuel's exact revenues couldn't be revealed because it is a private company but it is said to have grown a whopping 4,632% since 2011, putting it ahead of fintech heavyweight Funding Circle in 8th on 2491% and Scottish neighbour Skyscanner in 38th on 392%.</p><p>The ranking would suggest FanDuel is on top form but the reality is FanDuel's executives have a big challenge on their hands, with US courts threatening to shut down their business.</p><h2>Where is all the money coming from?</h2><p>FanDuel has a betting platform that entices sports fans into creating fantasy teams for US sports that can be pitched against strangers.</p><p>The platform - used by five million people and operational in 40 US states - has proved incredibly popular with NFL (football), NBA (baskeball), and NHL (ice hockey) fans.</p><p>Last year, <a href="http://www.techworld.com/startups/edinburgh-scale-up-fanduel-rejected-by-80-investors-on-way-becoming-1bn-firm-3589108/" target="_blank">Techworld said FanDuel took</a><a href="http://www.techworld.com/startups/edinburgh-scale-up-fanduel-rejected-by-80-investors-on-way-becoming-1bn-firm-3589108/" target="_blank"> </a>$600 million (£390 million) in bets and kept $60 million (£40 million) of that as profit.</p><p>There's big money to be won (and lost) on FanDuel's betting platform. Gambler Chris Prince has won $762,388 (approximately £494,094), <a href="https://www.fanduel.com/q1">according to the company's homepage</a>, where he is pictured with a big smile across his face and a quote reading: "Playing a game in one day and getting paid the same day is awesome."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>FanDuel</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Technology investors are keen to capitalise on the company's success, with high-profile names such as Google Capital, Time Warner Investments and Turner Sports taking part in this summer's $275 million (£176 million) round, which brought total investment in the company up to $361 million (£234 million.)</p><p>But recent development might have them wondering if they've put their money in the right company.</p><h2>Legal battles</h2><p>There's a potential roadblock in the way for FanDuel: a New York court is investigating it for illegal gambling.</p><p>Earlier this month, New York state attorney-general Eric Schneiderman insisted that FanDuel and rival DraftKings be terminated, accusing them of operating gambling companies without a licence. The pair <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/draftkings-fanduel-argue-against-new-york-ban-1448488503" target="_blank">argued their case in New York</a> on Wednesday.</p><p><a href="http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/business/Tech_and_Media/article1635459.ece" target="_blank">The Sunday Times ran a piece</a> last weekend where it stated that it's likely to be the first of many US legal cases for FanDuel. The piece - written by Peter Evans and Kiki Loizou and titled "Unicorn to Unicorpse" - paints a worrying picture for FanDuel, which started in Edinburgh in 2009.</p><p>Class action lawsuits are already being assembled in several states that will seek to reclaim money lost to "illegal" bookmakers, the British broadsheet stated.</p><p>A court in Tennessee is suing FanDuel for $10 million (£6.6 million), while a DraftKings employee is facing accusations of insider trading after winning $350,000 (£233,000) through FanDuel competitions.</p><p>Jason Trost, the US-born co-founder of online betting exchange Smarkets, told The Sunday Times: "It's very possible that Americans will get rid of this completely."</p><p>In response, FanDuel said: "The trend in the States is clear: towards regulation and keeping our game legal, and we are fully in support of smart regulations."</p><p>It remains to be seen whether FanDuel will be banned or whether it will continue to exist in a more regulated landscape.</p><p>An American exit would be devastating for the company and embarrassing for the company's investors but it may not be enough to kill it. There are other markets FanDuel could operate in. For example, FanDuel has stated its intent to launch outside the US, <a href="http://www.techworld.com/news/startups/fanduel-confirms-it-will-launch-premier-league-fantasy-sports-app-3589416/" target="_blank">possibly in its home country the UK</a>.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/guy-filmed-conversation-between-18-year-old-self-56-year-old-self-2015-11">A 56-year-old man filmed a conversation with his 18-year-old self, and it's going viral</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="c5YnQyeTo21Y213uU1htTHeYiNyj1uKg" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

This Scottish unicorn has huge revenues but US authorities are threatening to kill it

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Brendan McDermid</span></p><p class="caption">Nigel Eccles, CEO and cofounder of FanDuel.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Situated on the floor above the office of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/skyscanner-lets-you-find-cheap-flights-around-the-world-2014-9" target="_blank">travel booking platform Skyscanner</a> in Edinburgh is a billion dollar tech startup that few people in the <keyword id="6354868" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="UK">UK</keyword> have ever heard of. That company is FanDuel. </p><p>FanDuel has been flying under the radar of most British citizens for several years while focusing almost entirely on the US fantasy sports market. However, that might not be the case for much longer.</p><p>The FanDuel platform, <a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/fanduel#/entity" target="_blank">backed by investors at Google Capital</a>, allows sports fans to create their own fantasy teams for that day or week's fixtures and bet on how well they think they'll do against their friend's teams or the wider FanDuel community.</p><p>Since being founded in 2009, <a href="https://www.cbinsights.com/research-unicorn-companies" target="_blank">the UK unicorn</a> has gained huge traction with American football, basketball and hockey fans in the US but the company realises there are other sports in other countries that it can profit from. Initially the company was reluctant to launch in a relatively small UK market but that might not be the case for much longer. </p><p>Lesley Eccles, FanDuel cofounder and VP of marketing and acquisitions, said a UK launch was planned "soon," <a href="http://www.heraldscotland.com/business/13927619.FanDuel_co_founder_says_UK_launch_planned__quot_soon_quot_/">according to a story in The Herald last Saturday</a>.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Flickr/ [Duncan]</span></p><p class="caption">FanDuel's office is in a new office next to Edinburgh University.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Eccles added: "We are looking at how we take this out of America and into other countries. It is clear we still have a lot of upside and growth."</p><p>Business Insider contacted Eccles to see if she could add anything extra but she responded saying that the company's PR team would be in contact "when the time is right."</p><p>Last December, <a href="http://www.techworld.com/news/startups/fanduel-confirms-it-will-launch-premier-league-fantasy-sports-app-3589416/" target="_blank">Nigel Eccles, husband to Lesley, told Techworld</a> that FanDuel was going to "see how the next three to six months go" before making a decision on whether to launch a fantasy football product in the UK.</p><p>At the time he said he expected Premier League fantasy football enthusiasts to use FanDuel's platform "on top of" the season-long competitions offered by the likes of Barclays, The Telegraph and Play Togga.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>FanDuel</span></p><p class="caption">The FanDuel homepage explains how to play the game.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>Legal battles</h2><p>The possible UK expansion coincides with a number of US legal battles that FanDuel is facing.</p><p>The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fanduel-and-draftkings-employees-may-be-betting-on-rival-sites-using-inside-information-2015-10" target="_blank">New York attorney general is investigating FanDuel</a> after it was alleged that an employee at DraftKings, a rival daily fantasy sports platform, won $350,000 (£226,000) on FanDuel by using inside information. The company <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/fantasy-sports-company-fanduel-bans-employees-from-gambling-amid-huge-scandal-2015-10" target="_blank">banned its own employees from gambling</a> on any daily fantasy games the day after the investigation was launched. At the time it said it was also banning employees of other fantasy sites from playing on FanDuel.</p><p>National Football League player Pierre Garcon <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/nfl-players-file-lawsuit-against-fanduel-2015-10" target="_blank">filed a lawsuit against FanDuel last week</a>. Garcon is accusing FanDuel of running a business and making money while using player names and likenesses without proper authorisation.</p><h2>Money to be made</h2><p>There's big money to be won (and lost) on FanDuel. Gambler Chris Prince has won $762,388 (approximately £494,094) on the platform, <a href="https://www.fanduel.com/q1">according to the company's homepage</a>, where he is pictured with a big smile across his face and a quote reading: "Playing a game in one day and getting paid the same day is awesome."</p><p>This year FanDuel states on its website that is expecting to pay out $2 billion (£1.3 billion) to its users. In 2014, it took $600 million (£390 million) in bets and kept $60 million (£40 million) of that as profit.</p><p>Entry fees for any given day or week vary from $5 (£3) up to $5,000 (£3,240) and the prizes can run into the millions, depending on how many people enter each competition. In order to win money, a player's team must come top (or near the top) of the league they've entered. Think of it a little bit like online poker but for fantasy sports.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>FanDuel</span></p><p class="caption">FanDuel user Chris Prince has made hundreds of thousands of dollars.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Believe it or not, FanDuel, which now has approximately 90 staff in Scotland and 150 in the US, struggled to raise the capital it required to grow at times, <a href="http://www.techworld.com/startups/edinburgh-scale-up-fanduel-rejected-by-80-investors-on-way-becoming-1bn-firm-3589108/" target="_blank">according to Techworld.</a> It was reported that over 80 venture capitalists passed on the opportunity to invest in the company during its Series C round.</p><p>Now investors are knocking on the door, with high-profile names such as Google Capital, Time Warner Investments and Turner Sports taking part in this summer's $275 million (£176 million) round, which brought total investment in the company up to $361 million (£234 million.)</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/excel-data-hack-text-columns-sort-finance-spreadsheet-2015-10">This handy tool solves one of the most annoying problems in Excel</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Z1MGs1bDriNRtaLeoHRaOzgkHH_wpJxK" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

FanDuel is a huge Scottish unicorn that next to no one in the UK has heard of

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Blippar, the company best known for its augmented reality app, has raised $55 million in Series D funding to help towards it pivot to building a "visual browser."<p>The company's CEO and cofounder Ambarish Mitra told us last year <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/blippar-ceo-ambarish-mitra-says-company-will-stay-independent-but-may-ipo-2015-8">"what I'm trying to build is bigger than the internet itself."</a> Blippar wants to build a visual catalog of every object in the world, using image recognition technology and machine learning, rather than simply tagging them with chips. The idea is that the visual browser could recognize everything a user points their smartphone camera at - from The Empire State Building, to a dog, which constantly changes its characteristics.</p><p>Business Insider had heard Blippar was seeking a larger round in order to reach this ambitious vision. Speaking to us again before the $55 million funding round was announced, Mitra joked that "there is no CEO in the world who wouldn't look for more funding," but that the investment was sufficient enough for the objectives the company is looking to achieve over the next 18 months.</p><p>The round was led by Khazanah Nasional Berhad, the strategic investment fund of the government of Malaysia, which has also previously invested in technology firms including Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba and British travel search site Skyscanner.</p><p>The round also included follow-on funding from Blippar's existing investors and brings the 5-year-old London and New York-based company's <a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/blippar#/entity">total funding to $100 million.</a> Mitra refused to comment on the company's valuation, but last year <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/d1507b96-1b24-11e5-8201-cbdb03d71480.html#axzz3i1W0tYc7">The Financial Times reported Blippar turned down an offer to be acquired for $1.5 billion.</a></p><p>Mitra said Khazanah Nasional Berhad are a great fit with Blippar because they are investors with a "long-term vision," who will also be able to help the company tap into the Asia market.</p><h2>Blippar's long-term vision: To improve the knowledge of the 3/7 of the world with poor literacy skills</h2><p>One of Blippar's big goals with its visual browser project is to empower the estimated 3/7 of the world who either can't read or write or who only have very basic literacy skills.</p><p>While a city dweller might use a visual browser to find out the name of an interesting flower or a strange-looking piece of fruit, having access to the technology in an unprivileged part of the world could improve knowledge by huge leaps.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_left"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>"[Someone] in an unprivileged part of the world [may ask] what is that random piece of equipment? What plant can grow on this soil? These are basic questions that usually go unanswered or people usually go and ask the wise man of the village about the 'what is' question for any topic. I think this will act as a great equalizer and will remain one of the long-term visions of the business," Mitra said.<p>Mitra explained that some handset makers are banking on that 3/7 of the population and are beginning to make cheap phones with smart optics. But these are based on operating systems that do not exist today as commercial products to cater for illiterate people in places such as South East Asia and Africa to whom the basic smartphone keyboard and homescreen would be completely alien.</p><p>There are lots of other companies banking on mobile in this part of the world too. Facebook's non-profit organization Internet.org is using a number of means to bring connectivity to parts of the world where there is no internet.</p><p>However one of Internet.org's services, Free Basics - which offers a handpicked selection of apps, including Facebook, at no charge - has been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/internet-org-free-basics-2015-12">criticized by supporters of net neutrality</a> who believe service providers should not limit access to certain services in favor of others. Free Basics was even <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/india-net-neutrality-blocks-free-basics-facebook-internet-trai-2016-2?r=UK&amp;IR=T">banned by the Indian government</a>, a move <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-says-lesson-he-learned-from-india-blocking-his-plan-to-launch-free-internet-is-that-every-country-is-different-2016-2?r=UK&amp;IR=T">Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg said was "disappointing."</a></p><p>Mitra said he welcomes Facebook's move to bring free internet to unconnected parts of the world, because that will support businesses like Blippar. But he says there are still gaps in the market.</p><p>"Facebook is trying to connect people, but it's still the educated people. To use Facebook, you still need to use phones which have full language-based navigation, then you have to have apps pre-installed, and to log in, all those things are a [problem if you are not literate,]" Mitra said.</p><h2>The next 12 months: Make Blippar's image recognition system as smart as an adult</h2><p><div></div></p><p class="embed-spacer">Blippar's plan to bring "parity of knowledge" to more parts of the world is probably a little way off. Right now, Blippar is focused on making its visual browser a "utilitarian layer" that people will use two to three times a day. Mitra hinted there will be some product announcements in the next six months.</p><p>There are still some issues to address, right now there are still a lot of "false positives" when it comes to recognizing objects that need to be ironed out. Today machine learning looks at things like a child, Mitra said, and the aim this year is to build a system sophisticated enough to look at things like a mature human. Blippar plans to build this technology itself or acquire companies, whichever gets it there faster.</p><p>"The key goal in the next 12 months is to move the system to be smart enough so it almost has a visual perception of a grown-up person, so it understands most things it looks at, so people trust that system," Mitra said. "Once people trust the system, we can diversify."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amazing-13-year-old-dancer-2016-2">Meet the 13-year-old dance prodigy at the center of a big new ad campaign</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="x4d2d0MDE6Tuon7pOFxXydSjqXRP4sO1" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

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