Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul><li>A new advanced persistent threat (APT) attack was discovered targeting companies and government institutions in <keyword id="6360296" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="central-asia">Central Asia</keyword> by digital security firms Avast and ESET. </li><li>It planted backdoors within the network to manipulate and delete files, take screenshots and execute console commands. </li><li>Unlike other malware, APT attacks aren’t motivated by money but by “politics and ideals,” Luigion Camastra, a malware researcher with Avast told Business Insider. </li><li>The best offence against these kinds of attacks is a good defence. </li></ul>The digital security companies’, Avast and ESET, found that an advanced persistent threat (APT) attack was targeting companies and government institutions in Central Asia — planting backdoors to ensure that they had long-term access to corporate networks. This included a a telecommunications company, a gas company, and a governmental institution in Central Asia. Unlike other attacks, where hackers are known to follow the money, APT attacks have a whole other agenda. “APT groups are typically state-sponsored and motivated by politics and ideals, rather than money,” Luigino Camastra, a malware researcher with Avast told Business Insider. Based on their analysis, the companies’ believe that the group behind the latest attack on Central Asia is from China based on the remote access tools (RATs) used. And, this isn’t their first time around the block. “Further analysis leads us to believe the same group behind this attack, was also responsible for attacks against the Belarusian government and Russian military in late 2017,” said Camastra. These hackers don’t want anyone to know they had access to the system in the first place Unlike ransomware, which has recently made headlines for compromising for many a network — including IT services company <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/cognizant-ransomware-attack-impact-to-get-worse-in-q2-and-coming-quarters/articleshow/75644164.cms">Cognizant</a> and law firm <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/priyanka-chopra-lady-gaga-and-madonna-ransomware-attack-by-revil-known-to-follow-through-on-blackmail-threat/articleshow/75708155.cms">Grubman Shire Meiselas &amp; Sacks</a>, which manages the accounts of global A-list celebrities — APT actors want to stay unnoticed and inside networks for as long as possible. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="75708155" title="Ransomware attack puts Priyanka Chopra, Lady Gaga, Madonna and other celebrities’ data at risk — and REvil hackers are known to follow through on their threats" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> They have no intention of downloading the information for blackmail. Instead, they want to stay inside the system for as long as possible to manipulate and delete files, take screenshots, alter processes and services, and execute console commands. “For now, we don’t have any proof or indication of what exactly was manipulated or deleted during the <keyword id="9238328" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="APT-attack">APT attack</keyword>. However, the backdoor has a set of commands specifically targeting files with the .tu and .tut file extensions, we don’t know exactly what the content of these files was,” said Camastra. In order for the attack to be effective, they even remove themselves after the work is done so that nobody ever knows that they were in the system, to begin with. “Espionage, information, trade secrets – these are what fuel an APT group’s actions,” Camastra explained. And they don’t want you to know what they’ve changed As with other malware, the most common way that hackers are able to put in backdoors is by using phishing emails. However, the method can change depending on the attacker. “Phishing emails can contain a malicious attachment or malicious link, especially at the initial stages of an attack. A malicious attachment may contain a backdoor or another malicious file,” said Camastra. In order to avoid detection, the group used custom tools in addition to Gh0st remote access tool (RAT) and Management Instrumentation to move laterally within infiltrated networks. “This has led to a large number of samples, with binaries often protected by VMProtect, making analysis more difficult,” he said. “For example, PoisonIvy, Korplug are also popular RATs that have been used by many APT groups,” he added. There’s very little that companies can do about it <keyword id="1546248" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Malware-attacks">Malware attacks</keyword> are only becoming more common as people work from home and hackers are taking advantage of the unaware. “Effectively protecting organizations against the APT attacks has been proven to be very difficult as there are millions of malware variations,” explained Camastra. In the post COVID-19 world the best offence is a good defence. All you can really do is make sure that people are aware of the risks, and treat every link that passes through their email with healthy suspicion. For those working from home, make sure your applications are up-to-date to ensure that they have the latest security patches to catch any hacker trying to break through. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/lockdown-4-0-india-issues-new-guidelines-allowing-states-to-decide-the-red-green-and-orange-zones/articleshow/75790707.cms">Lockdown 4.0 ⁠— India issues new guidelines allowing states to decide the red, green, and orange zones</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/petrol-and-diesel-get-more-expensive-in-odishapetrol-and-diesel-get-more-expensive-in-odisha/articleshow/75784329.cms">Petrol and diesel get more expensive in Odisha as government hikes value-added tax</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/uber-ride-in-gurgaon-of-driver-seat-in-plastic-goes-viral-on-tiktok-and-instagram/articleshow/75771489.cms">Video of an Uber ride is all the rage on TikTok and Instagram ⁠— the driver got himself a cockpit covered in plastic</a>

Chinese hackers are using backdoors to gain unrestricted access to companies and governments — and it’s not about the money

<ul class="summary-list"><li>NWSL players have gone viral for their over-the-top reactions to HotShot, a spicy sports drink.</li><li>The beverage was specially designed by a Nobel prize-winning neuroscientist to stop muscle cramps.</li></ul>Some of the world's foremost professional soccer players are throwing back spicy shots mid-game to help stop cramps in their tracks.Several NWSL stars have gone viral for their flamboyant on-field reactions — including choking, gagging, and flailing — to the 50-milliliter shot of liquid heat aptly dubbed "HotShot.""I mean, it's funky for sure, but it works," Wafaa Chatila, the head athletic trainer of the NWSL's Kansas City Current, told Insider.Both Chatila and Pratik Patel, the team's nutritionist, often turn to HotShot to help athletes stop cramps in their tracks. The drink's formula — developed by Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist <a href="http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2003/mackinnon-bio.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rod MacKinnon</a> and Bruce Bean, a neurobiology professor at Harvard Medical School — is specially designed to rapidly return an impacted muscle to its standard state so that cramps don't curtail an athlete's performance.<div type="image" title="Angel City FC's Alyssa Thompson goes down with a cramp." height="1665" width="2220" msid="101597636" hostid="261" sizebytes="194256"></div><h2>MacKinnon and Bean identified what causes cramps, then developed a solution that works rapidly</h2>To understand how HotShot works, it's important to understand the mechanics of cramps. One prevailing hypothesis of what causes exercise-associated muscle cramps (EAMCs) — <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3445088/">the neuromuscular theory</a>, per the NIH — suggests that the more a muscle fatigues, the less equipped it is to handle the influx of motor neurons signaling to contract and release.Evenutally, the impacted muscle seizes up and creates a cramp, which can be an excruciatingly painful experience that sometimes limits one's mobility almost as soon as it begins.MacKinnon and Bean have experienced this intense pain first-hand. The pair were kayaking in the ocean off the coast of Cape Cod one fall when they "simultaneously suffered muscle cramping in our arms" and subsequently struggled to steady their boats, <a href="https://www.biohackerslab.com/ep17-prof-bruce-bean/">Bean said on the BioHackers Lab Podcast</a>.They almost immediately set out to develop a solution, applying their knowledge from years of neuroscience research. MacKinnon and Bean identified special receptors in the mouth, throat, and stomach — transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels — that "send an inhibitory signal through the spinal cord to stop that hyperactivity" of the motor neurons, HotShot president and CEO Matthew Wohl told Insider.HotShot's main ingredients — capsaicin, a red pepper extract; ginger, an acetic acid; and cinnamon, a heat generator — offer the perfect cocktail of heat and acetic acid necessary to kickstart those receptors. But the taste, Wohl admits, is "intense."<div type="image" title="A woman pours HotShot into her mouth." height="1365" width="1820" msid="101597638" hostid="261" sizebytes="112882"></div>But that instensity has a purpose. "It's not just for the hell of it," Wohl said."It had to be intense to drive the neurological effect," Wohl said. "That's why it works so fast, because you're just stimulating those activators in your mouth, throat, and stomach. You don't have to digest it, and it doesn't have to be absorbed into your bloodstream or into your body."<h2>The 'intense' taste has created some questionable press for HotShot</h2>During a June match against the Orlando Pride, Kansas City rookie Michelle Cooper went viral for her near-hysterical reaction after Chatila gave her a HotShot. In a clip from the game, she chugs the liquid, then immediately grimaces and waves her hand in the air. Cooper even sticks her tongue out and coughs before shooting water into her mouth."NEVER again," Cooper wrote on Twitter after the game:Still, Chatila had no regrets about giving it to her. She stands by HotShot, which she's seen "work in like a minute or so."Not only is that considerably faster than the typical several-minute recovery period for a cramp, but it also cuts out the longer waiting period often necessary to avoid the onset of another cramp due to a "post-exercise period of increased susceptibility," per a <a href="https://scholars.direct/Articles/sports-medicine/aspm-1-002.php?jid=sports-medicine#ref9">2017 Sports Medicine study</a>."By the time you give it to them and you stretch them out, they get a little bit of water, and then you get them up walking, usually it's done," she added.Days after Cooper's incident, Angel City FC striker Alyssa Thompson had a similar response to taking a HotShot. After the game, <a href="https://twitter.com/tayvincent6/status/1673159231019839488">the 18-year-old said</a> "it was really gross and I did not like it at all."And when asked at the US Women's National Team's media day whether she was in talks with the brand for a sponsorship, <a href="https://twitter.com/womenkickballs/status/1673831590479429642">she quickly replied "I hope not!"</a> But in the moment when a cramp strikes, as Chatila noted, athletes are often singularly focused on alleviating their discomfort."When an athlete gets a cramp, depending on where it is, it can be incredibly painful," Patel added. "So the trade-off of having to drink something isn't the best tasting in the world to get that cramp to chill out, I mean, it's worth it."<h2>Somehow, despite their negative sentiment, the viral reactions have been a boon to HotShot's business</h2>Whether due to curiosity or masochism, NWSL fans and <a href="https://twitter.com/jennatonelli/status/1674612358642036737">media members</a> have flocked to the company's website and purchased HotShots to try for themselves after watching Cooper and Thompson choke down the product.<div type="image" title="A hand holding three bottles of HotShot." height="864" width="1152" msid="101597641" hostid="261" sizebytes="37972"></div>"We started getting a lot of hits to our Instagram, traffic to our website spiked significantly, and orders started spiking," Wohl said of the days following the viral videos.There's now even a HotShot Challenge circulating the web. The company has partnered with Portland Thorns and Canada Women's National Team star Janine Beckie to help encourage everyone to try HotShot.For every video fans post of themselves sipping the spicy beverage, HotShot has pledged to donate $2 to the Women's Sports Foundation.

Pro soccer players' viral reactions make it seem like the anti-cramp supplement HotShot is unbearable. That's exactly why it works, says trainer.

Hello, everyone! Welcome to the new edition of <keyword id="9095853" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="insider-today">Insider Today</keyword>. Please <a href="https://www.insider.com/insider-today">sign up here</a>.<h2>QUOTE OF THE DAY</h2>"Everybody in there was African-American." — <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/07/05/us/coronavirus-latinos-african-americans-cdc-data.html">Teresa Bradley</a> describing to The New York Times the emergency room in Grand Rapids, MI, where she was treated for <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>. The Times examined 1.5 million coronavirus records to reveal the huge racial disparities in who's being harmed by the virus.<h2>WHAT'S HAPPENING</h2><ul><li>COVID hot spots are everywhere, but especially in the US. Miami-Dade County <a href="https://www.local10.com/news/local/2020/07/06/miami-dade-closing-restaurants-amid-coronavirus-spike/">closed restaurants and gyms</a>. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2020/07/06/harvard-reopen-with-fewer-than-half-undergrads-campus-because-coronavirus/">Harvard</a> will teach all college classes remotely in the fall. The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/06/world/coronavirus-updates.html#link-2e6907c8">first five days of July </a>were the worst for the US since the pandemic began, especially across the South and West. Israel also <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-coronavirus-israel-breaking-live-updates-july-1.8970693">closed bars, gyms, and other high-risk facilities</a> as coronavirus surges, and Australia reimposes restrictions. </li><li>Uber is buying Postmates for $2.65 billion. Uber covets food-delivery services. It tried and failed to buy Grubhub, which is bigger, earlier this year. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-to-acquire-postmates-in-26-billion-deal-reports-2020-7#:~:text=for%20more%20stories.-,Uber%20is%20set%20to%20acquire%20the%20food%2Ddelivery%20startup%20Postmates,Times%20and%20Bloomberg%20reported%20Sunday.&amp;text=Axel%20Springer%2C%20Insider%20Inc.',is%20an%20investor%20in%20Uber.ber.">Uber plus Postmates</a> will control 30% of the food delivery market in the US, behind DoorDash's 45%. </li><li>SCOTUS limits "faithless electors." The Supreme Court rules unanimously that <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/supreme-court-electoral-college-faithless-electors/2020/07/06/cf88f706-bf8f-11ea-b178-bb7b05b94af1_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-high_court-popularvote-1025am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans">electoral college representatives can be compelled</a> to support the candidate who wins their state's popular vote. States aren't required to compel electors, but SCOTUS says they are definitely permitted to do it. </li><li>Trump falsely accuses Bubba Wallace of a hoax and defended the Confederate flag. In a bizarre tweet, the president <a href="https://www.insider.com/trump-bubba-wallace-nascar-confederate-flag-noose-2020-7">attacks the lone Black NASCAR driver.</a> A noose had been found in Wallace's garage, but <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/sports/fbi-finds-no-crime-over-noose-bubba-wallace-nascar-garage-n1231951">an FBI investigation</a> found that it was a pull-rope in the shape of a noose, and had been placed there months before the garage was assigned to Wallace.</li></ul><h2>VIEWS OF THE DAY</h2><div type="image" title="FILE PHOTO: Traders wearing masks work, on the first day of in person trading since the closure during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., May 26, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid" height="1583" width="3167" msid="76822152" hostid="261"></div>Don't arrest mask scofflaws. There's a better way to handle them. The culture war being what it is, of course, <a href="https://www.insider.com/some-texas-new-mexico-law-enforcement-wont-enforce-mask-orders-2020-7">some sheriffs in Texas and New Mexico are refusing to enforce state mask mandates</a>, saying they restrict liberty and they're unenforceable anyway.The mandates and the sheriff's refusal raise an important question: If you refuse to wear a mask, should you be arrested? Superficially, the answer would seem to be: Yes, let's arrest the scofflaws. After all, if the state can't compel you to behave responsibly, why do we even have a government? But the police shouldn't spend their days handcuffing and jailing the mask-less. That's not because the mask-mandates are wrong. It's because the law is not the right tool. The mask-skippers are not criminals — or at least not primarily criminals. They're selfish, misguided jerks. Like drunk drivers, they put others at risk to pursue some egomaniacal but deluded sense of freedom. Their thoughtlessness creates misery for the rest of us. Reopened businesses are shutting down because <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-mask-customers-force-some-restaurants-re-close-dining-rooms-2020-7">they can't deal with rude, disruptive customers </a>who refuse to wear <keyword id="9418" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="masks">masks</keyword>. But heavy fines and nights in jail won't fix this. Shame won't fix this either. As morally satisfying as they are, viral videos of unmasked people making asses of themselves deepen the sense that this is a culture war. The Mask War never had to happen. Had President Trump and leading conservatives — religious leaders, celebrities, media personalities — simply embraced masking early, it would never have become a hot-button issue. In basically every country that has smashed the virus, masking spread quickly and uncontroversially because it was presented as a question of basic hygiene, like washing your hands or covering your sneeze. So now that we're here how do we end the war? Well, it's too late to expect Trump and national conservative leaders to provide the simple moral leadership that would have worked three months ago.Instead, we should treat people without masks like a parent treats a tantruming child. When a child throws a tantrum, the worst thing you can do is pay attention to the tantrum. You don't punish the child. You don't shame the child. You don't reward the child. You ignore the child. The overwhelming majority of us who support masking need to just keep wearing masks, and to ignore the scoffers. Slowly, slowly, peer pressure will do its work. — DP<div type="image" title="arizona coronavirus masks" height="2472" width="4944" msid="76822156" hostid="261"></div>Don't criminalize mask scofflaws, hire mask-enforcement bouncersI agree, Mr. Plotz! The solution to mask-averse jerks is not to criminalize them, particularly at an unprecedented moment for criminal justice reform. This country needs fewer laws in general, which will create fewer opportunities for needlessly confrontational interactions between police and citizens. But if necessity is the mother of invention, the economic devastation of the coronavirus pandemic could lead to the launch of a new profession: mask-enforcement bouncers.Much like bar bouncers, these people would not be deputized to make arrests or use lethal force. And just the way bouncers remove unruly drunks, mask bouncers would allow establishments to conduct their business without having to waste time arguing with mask-renunciant snowflakes who fancy themselves 21st century <a href="https://www.history.com/news/patrick-henrys-liberty-or-death-speech-240-years-ago">Patrick Henrys</a>. There's another thing about bouncers, they're a deterrent. If the sign says "Wear a Mask" and there's a large, imposing person standing next to it, you're a lot less likely to think you'll be able to skirt the rule. Bars are closed in much of the country. Supermarkets, retail stores, and other places of business should put the out-of-work bouncers back to work. — Anthony FisherTrump's coronavirus wonder-drug may not be worthless after all.A couple of months ago, President Trump was touting an old malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine, as a treatment for COVID-19. It's not clear what the president's enthusiasm for the drug was based on, but whatever the reason, he was obsessed with it.As the months passed, more careful studies concluded that HCQ was risky and worthless, at least for patients with advanced cases of the disease. And, eventually, after announcing that he was taking the drug as a prophylactic to prevent getting the coronavirus — a use-case that another study soon concluded was also pointless — Trump stopped talking about it.But now another preliminary study has concluded that the drug may have some benefit after all, at least in early cases of the disease.A German <a href="https://www.preprints.org/manuscript/202007.0025/v1">"retrospective case analysis" study</a> released last week found that early administration of HCQ with two other drugs, zinc and azithromycin, reduced hospitalizations and deaths.Importantly, the study was not a "randomized controlled trial" designed specifically to answer this question. Instead, the researchers examined past cases and treatments in the state of New York.But the results were encouraging. The researchers found that only four of 141 patients treated with the HCQ cocktail (3%) were hospitalized and only one died.This is compared to 58 of 377 patients not treated with the cocktail being hospitalized (15%) and 4% dying. The dosage of HCQ given to the treated patients, moreover, was low, so the researchers found none of the serious cardiac side effects that derailed other HCQ trials.As with many (most) things Trump, HCQ has unfortunately become politicized. As studies concluded that HCQ is worthless (or worse), therefore, it has been held up as a symbol of Trump's anti-science charlatanism. This latest study, however, has already breathed new life into Trump and HCQ supporters, who are citing it as evidence that they were right all along.And let's hope the study holds up. If it turns out that a cheap, plentiful drug like HCQ can stop some milder COVID cases from becoming more serious, it will be a win for everyone. — HB<div type="image" title="tucker carlson" height="3840" width="5120" msid="76822161" hostid="261"></div>President <keyword id="1100092" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tucker-Carlson">Tucker Carlson</keyword>?The Fox News host is being talked up by some GOP donors as a potential 2024 presidential candidate according to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tucker-carlsons-2024-presidential-campaign-seen-in-monologues-ratings-surge-2020-7">Insider's Tom LoBianco.</a> Like Trump, Carlson is a charismatic angry white guy with family money, a populist, and a nativist, Carlson has never run for anything, and he has never run much of anything except his mouth. After Trump, will American voters want another president who's there just for the show? — DPWashington's football team and Cleveland's baseball team are finally "reviewing" their racist nicknamesAnd that's a much bigger deal than the casual or non-sports fan might think.Cleveland has called itself the "Indians" since 1915 and only <a href="https://www.insidehook.com/article/sports/is-cleveland-really-getting-rid-of-chief-wahoo">jettisoned its overtly racist Chief Wahoo logo</a> from its caps last year. Even if the team is only at this point <a href="https://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/2020/07/03/cleveland-reviewing-long-debated-name-after-105-years-as-the-indians.html">considering a name change</a>, that's a remarkably quick — yet still overdue — turnaround in attitude. Even more significant is what's happening with the Washington Redskins right now. FedEx, which for 21 years <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/07/02/886984796/washington-nfl-teams-sponsor-fedex-formally-asks-for-team-name-change">has had its name attached to the team's stadium</a>, has "communicated to the team in Washington our request that they change the team name." Nike has <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/07/03/nike-pulls-washington-redskins-gear-from-store-amid-name-review/">pulled Redskins gear</a> from its online stores. And as Yahoo Sports reports: "There are a total of three men in the Washington Redskins ownership group who aren't in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-14-worst-business-practices-of-redskins-owner-daniel-snyder-2010-11">Dan Snyder</a>'s immediate family. All three of them reportedly want out."All of this has led Snyder — who infamously in 2013 told <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/dan-snyder-said-hed-never-change-the-redskins-name-but-now-that-money-is-talking-171808507.html">USA Today</a> that he would "NEVER — you can use caps" change the team name, now concedes he's "reviewing" the matter.The Wall Street Journal's <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/hail-to-the-sadness-machine-11594038750">Jason Gay</a> has suggested a very apt replacement moniker: "The Washington Sadness Machine." — AF<div type="image" title="chief wahoo cleveland indians" height="1500" width="3000" msid="76822167" hostid="261"></div>Which statue is too "important" to tear down? While there have been plenty of arrests of people attempting to tear down statues, in some places, like Baltimore this past weekend, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/05/us/baltimore-protests-christopher-columbus-statue-trnd/index.html">statues are being ripped down with seeming impunity</a>.It got me thinking, which statue (or monument) would be just too much for the public or the government to tolerate its destruction by vigilante mob fiat? The statue in the <a href="https://washington.org/dc-guide-to/jefferson-memorial">Jefferson Memorial</a>? The frescoes in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQLEQmYQtRQ">Grant's Tomb</a>? The <a href="https://www.nps.gov/wamo/index.htm">Washington Monument</a> itself? - AFGrant! Grant is too important! Hey, Fisher: All the Confederate everythings have to go, and I won't weep about Andrew Jackson or Christopher Columbus, but the statue-topplers really lost me when they yanked down <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/503685-protesters-tear-down-statues-of-union-general-ulysses-s-grant-national">Ulysses S. Grant</a> in San Francisco. In my book, Grant is the greatest of all Americans — a troubled sinner and slaveholder who won the Civil War, vanquished slavery, built and defended Reconstruction, crushed the KKK, repented of his misdeeds (and also wrote the best book ever by a president). So whatever too much is, it's way before Grant. — DP<h2>BUSINESS &amp; ECONOMY</h2><div type="image" title="Biden in a mask" height="1018" width="2036" msid="76822169" hostid="261"></div><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-ask-your-boss-to-let-you-work-from-home-advice">You want to work from home forever?</a> Here's the script to use when asking your boss.<a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/biden-presidency-stock-market-impact-jpmorgan-defies-trump-crash-warning-2020-7-1029369406">JP Morgan says a Biden presidency would be fine for the stock market. </a>"Neutral to good," in fact. And it would reduce global volatility.<h2>LIFE</h2><div type="image" title="Prince Andrew" height="3048" width="4064" msid="76822172" hostid="261"></div><a href="https://www.insider.com/prince-andrew-jeffrey-epstein-lobbyist-robert-stryk-2020-7">Prince Andrew tried to hire a controversial DC lobbyist to help salvage his reputation.</a> Enveloped by the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and accused of gross behavior with underage girls, the prince last month tried to hire Robert Stryk, who has lots of unsavory clients. Stryk "expressed discomfort" and turned down Andrew. <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-is-the-difference-between-normal-and-problematic-drinking-2020-7">How to tell the difference between normal and "problematic" drinking.</a> Getting into legal trouble, underperforming at work, even fatigue — those are signs you need help. <h2>THE BIG 3*</h2><div type="image" title="tianzi mountains china" height="1180" width="1573" msid="76822174" hostid="261"></div><a href="https://www.insider.com/beautiful-natural-wonders-2018-7">50 of the world's most beautiful natural wonders.</a> Ridiculously gorgeous Icelandic waterfalls, Chinese mountains, Yemenite trees. What a relief from the news. <a href="https://www.insider.com/brain-eating-amoeba-case-florida-officials-say-avoid-tap-water-2020-7">A rare case of a brain-eating amoeba diagnosed in Florida.</a> Officials say to avoid tap water and wear nose clips. The fatality rate of the very rare infection is 97%. <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-whale-shark-spotted-at-israeli-beach-prompts-panic-2020-7">Whale shark spotting spreads panic at an Israeli beach.</a> Its enormous fin emerged, Jaws-like, right in the shallows. Whale sharks are harmless plankton eaters, but you'd freak out too. *The most popular stories on Insider today.

Don't arrest anti-maskers. There's a better way to handle them.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Russia and Ukraine have turned to improvised armor solutions to give their tanks extra protection.</li><li>But Moscow, in recent weeks, appears to have taken this a step further with an innovation.</li></ul>Facing a myriad of deadly threats on the battlefield, exploding drones being a particularly serious threat, Russia and Ukraine have both taken extra steps to safeguard their tanks and vehicles by outfitting them with extra layers of protective armor.This improvised armor, sometimes little more than a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-shows-russia-tank-topped-with-ridiculously-tall-cage-2023-10">chain-link cage</a> welded around the outside of a vehicle, is essentially an effort to provide a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-ukraine-welding-crude-cages-tanks-last-ditch-defense-effort-2023-7">last-ditch defense</a> against inbound munitions like artillery, anti-tank missiles, or small drones packed with explosives, especially the latter.While both militaries have used such tactics, Russia, in recent weeks, has unveiled a strange-looking — albeit apparently effective — innovation that has been referred to by some Ukraine war observers as the "turtle tank."Videos of the Russian turtle tank design, shared by open-source intelligence accounts and experts often pulling from the accounts of Ukrainian service members, have become <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russias-turtle-tank-fitted-with-makeshift-metal-roof-drones-2024-4">increasingly common</a> on social media since first appearing earlier this month.The tank is aptly named, as it's covered by what appears to be metal armor on all sides except the front, where the gun not-so-inconspicuously sticks out — kind of resembling the head of a turtle.Rob Lee, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1780382319997546548">identified</a> the turtle tank participating in a mid-April assault carried out by Russia's 5th Motor Rifle Brigade on the eastern Ukrainian town of Krasnohorivka, a hotspot in fighting as Moscow pushes west of the Donetsk city. In one video, it appears to drive through a cluster munitions strike and keep going. Lee suggested the unusual tank, at least some of which are suspected to have a mine-clearing role, might not be as crazy as it seems."I know people are laughing at this, but I don't think it is a crazy adaptation. The Russians are adapting to the particular conditions of the battlefield in which Ukraine has a lot of FPVs, but not enough ATGMs, anti-tank mines, and artillery," Lee said in a <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1783558203239788920">follow-up post</a>, referring to the weapons first-person-view drones and anti-tank guided missiles."So sacrificing observation and the ability to rotate the turret on one tank per platoon that can jam many FPVs frequencies at once makes sense," Lee added.Some OSINT pages highlighted the turtle tank's role in the assault on Krasnohorivka. Some of the vehicles appear to have fared better than others. The turtle tank has also been spotted farther north along the front line in Russian assaults against Chasiv Yar, a Ukrainian town just west of Bakhmut that has become a critical battleground due to its elevated position overlooking the surrounding areas.These tanks, however, appear to be at least somewhat effective. One Ukrainian Telegram channel, which published footage of a turtle tank in action over the weekend, noted that Ukraine had to expend "a lot" of FPV drones just to take out one vehicle. "Everyone laughs at their construction of barns, but, in fact, they work like hell," the Ukrainian channel, which appears to belong to a Ukrainian service member, <a target="_blank" href="https://t.me/The_life_of_Predova/2241">wrote</a>, per a translation.The Russian turtle tanks are a clear step beyond the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-forces-are-attaching-cages-to-their-tanks-experts-say-they-demon">widely documented "cope cages"</a> both sides have relied on to try and shield their heavy armor throughout the war. These new defensive structures come as the Ukrainians <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-shows-exploding-drone-flying-into-russian-tank-open-hatch-2024-4">increasingly turns to FPV drones</a> packed with explosives to go after Moscow's vehicles.

The wild-looking Russian 'turtle tanks' that keep showing up may not be as crazy as they seem

Ukraine needs $1 trillion to rebuild. The country's oligarchs plan to loot it.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The current <keyword id="11900653" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="school" source="Orion">school</keyword> year brought national stories about bus-driver "shortages." </li><li>But as economists would argue: When employers raise wages, industry shortages disappear. </li><li>After years of underfunding <keyword id="11897808" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="education" source="Orion">education</keyword> and school <keyword id="11894924" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="transportation" source="Orion">transportation</keyword>, that's what states need to do.</li><li>This is an <keyword id="11905565" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="opinion" source="Orion">opinion</keyword> column. The thoughts expressed are those of the author. Dr. Stephen Owens is a senior policy analyst at the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.</li></ul>The beginning of the current school year brought <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/back-to-school-live-updates/2021/09/01/1032953269/national-survey-finds-severe-and-desperate-school-bus-driver-shortage">several</a> national <a href="https://gbpi.sharepoint.com/Shared%20Documents/Shared%20Drive/POLICY%20RESEARCH/Stephen's%20Files/GBPI/Papers/2021/a.%09https:/www.nytimes.com/2021/09/16/us/school-shortages-bus-drivers-workers.html?referringSource=articleSharehare">stories</a> of purported school-bus driver <a href="https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-schools-bus-drivers-168e1e85a329c74159c9f06a05d1611d">shortages</a>. Economists generally <a href="https://www.epi.org/blog/u-s-labor-shortage-unlikely-heres-why/">take issue</a> with this verbiage because when employers raise wages, industry shortages disappear. School-bus drivers and monitors have long operated for <a href="https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/school-bus-driver-hourly-wages">low pay</a> in difficult working conditions - transporting minors with whom they may not have a relationship during strange hours that make it difficult to take on additional part-time jobs. School districts were mostly able to achieve full employment with these conditions before the pandemic, but the problem has been evident for years and <a href="https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/education/2015/08/16/school-bus-contractors-face-driver-shortage/31833055/">longtime</a> <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/prince-georges-parents-worry-about-late-school-buses/2013/01/19/a8c3947e-5c13-11e2-9fa9-5fbdc9530eb9_story.html">concerns</a> are now coming to fruition. It is incumbent on school districts to raise wages, and for this to happen, states need to increase school funding.<div type="image" title="school bus" height="2968" width="4676" msid="86842020" hostid="261"></div>At the <a href="https://gbpi.org/">Georgia Budget and Policy Institute</a>, where I work as a senior policy analyst, we <a href="https://gbpi.org/georgia-lawmakers-should-renew-their-commitment-to-student-transportation/">wrote</a> about the coming <a href="https://gbpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/School-Funding-Overview-Report-2017.pdf">crisis</a> <a href="https://gbpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Districts-Get-Growing-Student-Transportation-Tab.pdf">well</a> before the pandemic. As in states across the country, the state of Georgia holds the <a href="https://law.justia.com/constitution/georgia/conart8.html#:~:text=The%20provision%20of%20an%20adequate,be%20provided%20for%20by%20taxation.">constitutional responsibility</a> to pay for public education. Although in practice, Georgia shares the cost burden with local property taxes and federal funding, the onus sits in the state capital, which helps explain why <a href="https://gbpi.org/state-of-education-funding-in-georgia/">53 cents of every dollar</a> spent in public education comes from the state. As a policy analyst at a non-profit, non-partisan budget and policy analysis organization, I've watched state funding <a href="https://gbpi.org/georgia-lawmakers-should-renew-their-commitment-to-student-transportation/">stagnate</a> for more than two decades. To wit: Georgia paid $139 million for pupil transportation in Fiscal Year (FY) 2002, $4 million more than the amount allotted for the program in the current year (FY 2022). While state money languished, the public-school system gained <a href="https://oraapp.doe.k12.ga.us/ows-bin/owa/fte_pack_enrollgrade.entry_form">250,000 students</a> and prices increased for fuel, vehicles, and labor.To add insult to injury: In the wake of the Great Recession, state lawmakers <a href="https://www.schoolbusfleet.com/10043050/georgia-keeps-health-funding-for-school-bus-drivers-at-higher-cost-to-districts">pushed the burden of paying for bus-driver health insurance</a> to local school districts, a change that was never rectified in the years of economic expansion that followed.<div type="image" title="A row of school buses." height="2952" width="4709" msid="86842022" hostid="261"></div>Budgets for school districts can only be stretched so far, and the last two decades have seen additional <a href="https://gbpi.org/billions-of-dollars-behind-district-facts-sheets-show-georgia-schools-are-far-from-full-funding/">budget cuts</a> to public education in Georgia every year, save two. Wages, benefits and working conditions suffered as a result. The added pressure of issues such as mask enforcement for 70 children on each <keyword id="11994905" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bus" source="Orion">bus</keyword> (or safety concerns if students are not required to wear them), on top of a typical schedule of two three-hour shifts broken up by four hours of "<a href="https://apscareers.org/bus-driver/">time off</a>," makes for a difficult sell to many potential employees. But the damage of underfunding school transportation goes beyond the staff - children's safety is increasingly at risk. The waning state investment has created a situation where as recently as 2018, <a href="https://gbpi.org/georgia-lawmakers-should-renew-their-commitment-to-student-transportation/#_edn1">one out of every four buses</a> in service was at least 15 years old. That same year, 39 <keyword id="12137466" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="school-buses" source="Orion">school buses</keyword> on a daily route in Georgia were 30 years or older, meaning as many as 2,600 students rode to school each day on a bus that was made before the first website was created. Older buses lack the safety upgrades that newer models have, such as anti-lock brakes or rear motorist alert signs. Since the late 1990s, the <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/393.55">federal government has required</a> all new school buses of a certain size to include anti-lock brakes due to their ability to <a href="https://www.schoolbusfleet.com/10012047/what-you-need-to-know-about-abs-for-school-buses">stop in the shortest distance</a> and decrease the likelihood of skidding.<div type="image" title="School buses lined up outside of a New York school." height="2984" width="3978" msid="86842024" hostid="261"></div>It's reasonable to ask why state support hasn't kept pace with school needs in this area. The fight for school-bus funding has few open enemies other than apathy. When counter-arguments are presented, they fall in two general categories: whether drivers deserve higher wages and, related to the first, how states should pay for any proposed solutions. As to the former, setting aside the value of <a href="https://www.nhtsa.gov/road-safety/school-bus-safety">safely</a> transporting 30 to 70 children daily, the job vacancies themselves make the case for higher pay. If supply doesn't meet demand for a necessary task (by law, public schools must offer pupil transportation <a href="https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/2010/title-20/chapter-2/article-6/part-5/20-2-188/#:~:text=The%20state%20board%20shall%20require,and%20students%20riding%20school%20buses.">in Georgia</a>), then costs rise. Benefits are part of this equation as well. Georgia's <keyword id="12012135" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bus-drivers" source="Orion">bus drivers</keyword> and monitors are not eligible to join the <a href="https://www.trsga.com/">pension</a> that teachers and school leaders enjoy. These school employees instead have a <a href="https://www.ers.ga.gov/public-school-employees-retirement-system">supplemental</a> pension with a significantly lower benefit - working for 30 years earns a bus monitor a mere $472 per month. <div type="image" title="A row of buses in Pennsylvania." height="3084" width="4727" msid="86842026" hostid="261"></div>Those who might argue bus drivers shouldn't be on the same pension as teachers should consider both the shortage and the fact that most of Georgia's <a href="https://www.myfrs.com/FRSPro_Pension.htm">neighboring</a> <a href="https://peba.sc.gov/scrs">states</a> <a href="https://www.myncretirement.com/">do not segregate</a> school employees into different pensions based on role. The term "segregate" is apt because while the <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/clr">teaching profession is majority white</a>, non-certified employees in maintenance, transportation, and custodial work are more likely to be <a href="https://datausa.io/profile/soc/bus-drivers-school">people of color</a>. This makes any increase in wages for these positions a potential tool for racial economic justice. As for how states can pay for all of this, the answer is much simpler. School districts have had to borrow from other educational programs for years to cover transportation costs, and it is <a href="https://edlawcenter.org/research/making-the-grade-2020.html">beyond time</a> to adequately fund education through increased state investment. Raising <a href="https://www.gpb.org/news/2021/01/25/state-lawmakers-float-raised-tobacco-tax-review-of-tax-breaks">state revenue</a> (because, spoiler alert, taxes pay for necessary services) can bolster student transportation programs and alleviate strain on the rest of the school. The only way our schools can compete for bus drivers or other employees with other industries that might have raised wages to meet the current need, including trucking, is if the principal financer (i.e., states) provides additional funds. Until then, the shortage will continue - but it's not a shortage of drivers, it's a shortage of adequate state public-education funding.Dr. Stephen Owens is a senior policy analyst at the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, where he focuses on state policies and research that affect public K-12 education in Georgia. Stephen graduated from the University of Georgia, where he holds a doctorate with a focus on education policy.

America's bus-driver 'shortage' isn't new: It's due to years of underfunding, and it's putting kids at risk.

With the focus on launching products suited to the young and savvy online audiences, leading global smart device brand <keyword id="1731609" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="oppo" source="Orion">OPPO</keyword> recently launched its new K Series product in India, the <keyword id="13388113" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Oppo-K10" source="Orion">OPPO K10</keyword>. Available across <a href="https://www.flipkart.com/oppo-k10-coming-soon-i8i3e23-store?ocmpid=BrandAd_OPPO_OPPOK10_rp_5">Flipkart</a>, <a href="https://www.oppo.com/in/store/contents/event/k10/?utm_medium=pr&amp;utm_source=pr&amp;utm_campaign=oppo_o+_india-global_en-brand----k10-prelaunch-20220316-20220405-awareness&amp;utm_content=push&amp;utm_term=oppok10">OPPO online store</a>, and select retailers from March 29th at a starting price of INR 14990 the OPPO K10 seems to be a strong contender in the 15-25K price segment. Since the device has been garnering a lot of praise from audiences, we wanted to check the features of this smartphone and see how the phone stacks to our expectations. In this article, we will evaluate the device across 4 key parameters, Camera, Performance, Design, and Battery to gauge whether the <a href="https://www.flipkart.com/oppo-k10-coming-soon-i8i3e23-store?ocmpid=BrandAd_OPPO_OPPOK10_rp_5">OPPO K10</a> is the perfect all-rounder device. Flagship Grade AI Enhanced Camera Setup The AI-enhanced triple rear camera setup comprises a 50MP main camera with an aperture of F/1.8, a 2MP Bokeh Camera with 3P Lens, and a 2MP Macro Camera with 3P Lens. Collectively the rear camera setup functions really well as it captures pictures in absolute clarity during the day. The 2MP Bokeh camera adds the special bokeh effect and the 2MP macro camera allows you to capture those micro shots with the tiniest of details. Even during low light or night conditions the night camera software automatically adjusts the exposure so that you get good quality night shots. <div type="image" title="1" msid="90490151" hostid="261"></div> The 16 MP AI Selfie Camera on the other hand features a Sony IMX 471 sensor that gives crisp Portrait selfies. The HDR Portrait feature here gives stunning results even in backlit environments. For Low Light selfies, the OPPO K10 has you covered. Using the 360-degree Fill Light feature the device automatically lights up the screen so that subject is visible when a selfie is taken at night. <div type="image" title="2" msid="90490155" hostid="261"></div> Unlike others in the price segment, the OPPO K10 is perfectly optimized for night photography. The device uses a powerful combination of three AI-driven features (AI Night Flare Portrait, AI Natural Retouching, and AI Palette) to take good quality low-light portrait shots. OPPO calls this feature AI Photo Suite. Using these three features you can perform an array of functions lens flare and bokeh effects to your portrait (AI Night Flare Portrait) to an upgraded beautification technology that also removes skin blemishes (AI Natural Retouching) and selecting the pre-applied color and brightness parameters to any photo (AI Palette). The OPPO K10 has some superb software features that make both the front camera and the rear camera a joy to use. The OPPO K10 is versatile and lets users enjoy a great portrait photography experience both during the day and night. Exquisite Design The OPPO K10 packs quite a punch when it comes to the design of the smartphone. In fact, it features the OPPO Glow design which we have seen only in flagship-grade OPPO smartphones. The Glow design not only makes the phone look very interesting and unique but also makes it smudge and fingerprint resistant. Available in two beautiful colors; Black Carbon and Blue Flame, the back panel of the phone makes the device look premium. The K10 branding on the rear panel of the device is quite attractive and adds to the overall appeal of the smartphone. The device also comes with an easy side fingerprint unlock feature. <div type="image" title="3" msid="90490160" hostid="261"></div> On the front, the smartphone is equipped with a 16.73 cm (6.59”) Color Rich FHD+ display that houses the 16MP AI front camera in a single Punch Hole Design. The OPPO K10 has a large display area with a 90.8% screen-to-body ratio. With a FHD+ 1080*2412 Screen Resolution, the K10 delivers a superlative viewing experience. What I liked about the overall display experience on the device is that OPPO has added eye protection features as a part of the package. With Sunlight and Moonlight Display you can enjoy protection for your eyes with advanced screen visibility in bright environments and gentler display in dark environments. <div type="image" title="4" msid="90490167" hostid="261"></div> With a great design, OPPO has bundled the assurance of OPPO’s quality checks. The OPPO K10 has undergone several Drop Tests which gives assurance to users like me of the quality of the device. To top that the K10 carries IP54 rating and is both dust and splash-resistant. The OPPO K10 gives you a good-looking device that is highly durable and functional. The device also comes with a dual speaker dual microphone that gives an enhanced calling experience. Dynamic Performance OPPO K10 comes in two variants – 8GB + 128 GB and 6GB + 128 GB. Both the variants are available with up to 5GB RAM Expansion which adds to the appeal of the device. This makes app loading, switching, and multi-tasking quite smooth on the smartphone. The OPPO K10 houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680, 6nm chipset that delivers excellent everyday performance. The chipset enables the device to have better power management, speed, and faster performance. The Snapdragon 680 chipset is also optimized for gaming thus making the device very alluring to a wide section of young audiences. <div type="image" title="5" msid="90490175" hostid="261"></div> The K10 is equipped with 128 GB of internal storage that can be amped up to a whopping 1 TB. So, there is no dearth of memory space when it comes to storing all your photos and videos. In fact, you can store up to 52,000 images and 350 videos using additional storage. The OPPO K10 impressed me with its efficient everyday performance and storage options. For the software part, the OPPO K10 features the newly optimized ColorOS 11.1 that is as intuitive as its functional. The ColorOS 11.1 makes device usage a pleasant experience as you can easily slide applications, uses wipe-up gestures to answer calls, and static palm gestures to put a call on silent. Another great feature here is the anti-peeping notification that automatically recognizes whether any other person is peeping into your screen while you watch content and pops up a notification to alert you. Powerful Battery <div type="image" title="6" msid="90490185" hostid="261"></div> The OPPO K10 ships a large 5000mAh battery which is apt for the price segment as most other devices in this price band offer a similar configuration. What adds to the battery strength of the device is OPPO’s lightning fast 33W SUPERVOOC fast charging solution. With just 5 minutes of charging the device gets juiced up for over 3 hours 38 minutes of calling. The OPPO K10 is also optimized for overnight charging as it uses AI technology to learn your sleeping pattern and stops charging when the battery level reaches 80% at night and continues charging one hour before you wake up. Another major advantage that I would like to point out here is the incorporation of the Type-C port that offers additional protection and convenience to users out there. Bottomline The <a href="https://www.flipkart.com/oppo-k10-coming-soon-i8i3e23-store?ocmpid=BrandAd_OPPO_OPPOK10_rp_5">OPPO K10</a> delivers a competitive edge in the segment with its well-balanced features and a great performance. The device comes equipped with flagship-grade AI-enhanced cameras, RAM expansion, powerful processor, OPPO Glow design, and much more making it a value for money smartphone at a competitive price point. The <a href="https://www.flipkart.com/oppo-k10-coming-soon-i8i3e23-store?ocmpid=BrandAd_OPPO_OPPOK10_rp_5">OPPO K10</a> 6GB RAM + 128GB storage variant is priced at INR 14990, while the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage edition is priced at INR 16990. The OPPO K10 is available with various exciting offers including No Cost EMI up to 3 months, a flat discount of INR 2000 on SBI Debit/Credit Cards and EMI transaction, and INR 1000 on transactions through Standard Chartered and Bank of Baroda Credit Cards and Credit Card EMI. Customers also get a 1-year subscription to Disney + Hotstar on purchasing the smartphone and can have it delivered in just 90 minutes to select pin codes through <a href="https://www.flipkart.com/oppo-k10-coming-soon-i8i3e23-store?ocmpid=BrandAd_OPPO_OPPOK10_rp_5">Flipkart</a> Quick. <div type="image" title="7" msid="90490199" hostid="261"></div> The brand has also launched its latest true wireless earbuds, <a href="https://www.oppo.com/in/product/encoair2.P.P1100084">OPPO Enco Air2</a>. The device offers excellent audio quality with AI in-call noise cancellation. Featuring a 13.4mm Composite Titanized Diaphragm driver the <keyword id="13409371" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Oppo-Enco-Air2" source="Orion">OPPO Enco Air2</keyword> makes your audio experience truly worthwhile. <div type="image" title="8" msid="90490212" hostid="261"></div> Available in white and blue color options the device weighs only 3.5g per earbud and comes with a Translucent Jelly case lid design. You also get excellent battery backup as the Enco Air2 offers up to 24hrs of listening time. You can buy the OPPO Enco Air2 at a price of INR 2499 from leading e-commerce platforms and <a href="https://www.oppo.com/in/product/encoair2.P.P1100084">OPPO Online Store</a> starting 29th March 2022. Disclaimer: This is a sponsored article and has not been edited by Business Insider.

The new OPPO K10 is the perfect all-rounder to buy

What to pack and how to prepare before planning a road trip — 9 medical and hospitality experts weigh in with advice and tips

<ul><li>Considering that we are still fighting a global pandemic, brands tried to tread the line between humorous and insensitive campaigns this year.</li><li>So, from <keyword id="6361865" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="volkswagen">Volkswagen</keyword> (Voltswagen) to <keyword id="11029505" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola-airpro">Ola AirPro</keyword>, here are a few April Fool’s Day campaigns that almost had us fooled!</li></ul>With COVID cases on the rise again, we are all looking for a comic relief. This April Fool’s Day, brands have got your back. On the first day of April, brands usually pull a prank on their consumers by launching fake products, misdirect them into hoaxes or simply remind them to not be a fool. This year too, brands did not disappoint. They used their marketing campaigns to help their consumers giggle or drive home a bigger message through their pranks. On the other hand, experts applauded Google’s decision to put pause on its April Fool’s prank this year. The tech giant aims to express its solidarity with the healthcare workers and the grieving families recovering from the loss of loved ones. To help you forget the bigger prank life is pulling on all of us, here are a few light-hearted campaigns that caught our attention and made us laugh: Ola As fuel prices skyrocketed this year, Ola decided to launch a fully autonomous electric flying car called ‘Ola AirPro.’ The car is so light that you can lift it with one hand and you won’t ever need to worry about finding the perfect parking spot and worry about poor urban planning. Over the years, Ola has almost always played a prank on its users on April Fool’s starting from announcing Ola newsroom to Ola Restroom. With its clever campaigns, the brand never fails to drive home a bigger message and comment on the ever-changing socio-political environment. <div type="twitter" handle="bhash" handlename="Bhavish Aggarwal" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1133256267340713984/UaxcE0fi_normal.jpg" favoritecount="2298" retweetcount="555" status="Excited to unveil the world’s first and only fully autonomous electric flying car. The Ola AirPro. Ab har family bh… https://t.co/WEdjAhqK6f" createdat="1617259659000" id="1377512970196971524"></div> The ride-hailing company has also launched a <a href="https://olaairpro.com/" data-type="tilCustomLink">website </a>to track consumer interest. <keyword id="263363" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="MTV-India">MTV India</keyword> Ever fell for “Bas 12th nikal lo, ek baar college mil gaya toh maze hi maze?” Join the club, friend! This campaign will make you ponder upon a lot of bad decisions that you have made in your life. At least we took an unwanted trip down the unpleasant memory lane. MTV India’s April Fool’s Day campaign is an eye-opening comment on unrealistic standards that our parents often set for us. It is about those parents who make your life, career and relationship decisions for you. “So, this April Fool’s Day, raise a toast with MTV and have a laugh for being the fools we never intended to be,” reads its caption. <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> <keyword id="8681398" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Urban-Company">Urban Company</keyword> Ever made the mistake of snoozing your alarm and barely made it to your 9 am Zoom call? Urban Company has a solution for you! Its new #AlarmAtHome service will send a trained professional to wake you up from your sleep, no matter what. Jokes apart, some of us unorganised bachelors really need this. <div type="twitter" handle="urbancompany_UC" handlename="Urban Company" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1336196738294534144/rKe5BkVP_normal.jpg" favoritecount="12" retweetcount="2" status="Our new #AlarmAtHome service for those who take their sleeping a little more seriously! 😴Wherever you are, we prom… https://t.co/tOynAUWmC3" createdat="1617261511000" id="1377520736978362369"></div> <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword> The e-commerce giant gives you a glimpse of the future with its April Fool’s Day prank. It said that the platform will accept bitcoin as a mode of payment. While it is just a prank, it might be a possibility very soon! This social media campaign is conceptualised by Dentsu Webchutney. <div type="twitter" handle="Flipkart" handlename="Flipkart" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1267713887165485061/WUR4QXtd_normal.jpg" favoritecount="4825" retweetcount="1066" status="The future is here. We now accept Bitcoin as a convenient mode of payment. Update your app now. https://t.co/l3MlY2qwRd" createdat="1617211834000" id="1377312378061135872"></div> Volkswagen A brand that had everyone talking with its April Fool’s prank globally is Volkswagen. Carmaker Volkswagen published a press release announcing that its US operations will be changing its name to ‘Voltswagen.’ The move, read the release, was to signify the company’s commitment to electrifying its fleet. However, the auto giant has now announced that it was just a prank. <div type="twitter" handle="VW" handlename="Volkswagen" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1247872762317766657/oco3obe0_normal.jpg" favoritecount="6786" retweetcount="1978" status="We know, 66 is an unusual age to change your name, but we’ve always been young at heart. Introducing Voltswagen. Si… https://t.co/Kyd0An7wGt" createdat="1617106067000" id="1376868756782219266"></div> Keventers What does a brand do when Holi and April Fool’s Day are almost back to back? Shake it up for its fans with some well-intentioned fun, 'cos “Bura Na Mano, Holi Hai”. Keventers launched a limited time period ‘Bhang Flavoured Milkshake’, on the eve of the Holi long weekend; with a reveal on April Fool’s Day of how they had orchestrated a well-timed and aptly themed prank around a product that didn't really exist. The result of the campaign was to get more eyeballs and create social media chatter around the Bhang Flavoured Milkshake. It also gave the brand an opportunity to engage with existing audiences and reach out to new ones, while reminding them that Keventers is a brand that has a personality, a sense of humour, and a penchant for experimentation. The brand’s page saw a week-on-week jump in profile visit by 60%+ increase and its impressions hiked by 500%+. It also received 2K+ calls in their outlets across the country just asking for Bhang Flavoured Milkshake. <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Ixigo Turbulence is a major cause of anxiety for travellers. So, this April Fool's, Ixigo decided to launch a smart seat that makes its travellers' trip turbulence-free. According to Ixigo, its anti-turbulence cushion is a result of our groundbreaking research in gyro sensors, hydraulic pistons and industry-grade shock absorption. With applied learnings from car suspension systems, earthquake resistance technology and NASA following their robotic suspension for the Mars rovers. Marking the company's foray into the air cushion packaging market, anti-turbulence cushion has already received 1,500 registrations. <div type="Youtube" id="Ilh1xVGOmBk" title="ixigo smart seat - anti turbulence cushion" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ilh1xVGOmBk/mqdefault.jpg"></div>

You Searched For "anti apt solutions" and got 9 results

Chinese hackers are using backdoors to gain unrestricted access to companies and governments — and it’s not about the money

Prabhjote Gill

Pro soccer players' viral reactions make it seem like the anti-cramp supplement HotShot is unbearable. That's exactly why it works, says trainer.

Meredith Cash

Don't arrest anti-maskers. There's a better way to handle them.

David Plotz,Anthony L. Fisher…

The wild-looking Russian 'turtle tanks' that keep showing up may not be as crazy as they seem

Jake Epstein

Ukraine needs $1 trillion to rebuild. The country's oligarchs plan to loot it.

Paul Starobin

America's bus-driver 'shortage' isn't new: It's due to years of underfunding, and it's putting kids at risk.

Stephen Owens

The new OPPO K10 is the perfect all-rounder to buy

Insider Studios

What to pack and how to prepare before planning a road trip — 9 medical and hospitality experts weigh in with advice and tips

Jen Karetnick

April Fool’s Day: Brands that pulled the best pranks this year

Karuna Sharma

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides