Researchers have developed a data transfer system that can transmit information 10 times faster than a <keyword id="93829" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="USB">USB</keyword>. The new link pairs high-frequency silicon chips with a polymer cable as thin a strand of hair.<br /><br />According to the researchers, this system in future may boost <keyword id="83221" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Energy-efficiency">energy efficiency</keyword> in data centers and lighten the loads of electronics-rich spacecraft.<br /><br />"There's an explosion in the amount of information being shared between computer chips -- cloud computing, the internet, big data. And a lot of this happens over conventional copper wire," said lead researcher Jack Holloway from the <keyword id="50375" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Massachusetts-Institute-of-Technology">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</keyword>.<br /><br />"But copper wires, like those found in USB or <keyword id="178797" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="HDMI">HDMI</keyword> cables, are power-hungry -- especially when dealing with heavy data loads.<br /><br />"There's a fundamental tradeoff between the amount of energy burned and the rate of information exchanged," Holloway added.<br /><br />Despite a growing demand for fast data transmission through conduits longer than a meter, the researcher says the typical solution has been "increasingly bulky and costly" <keyword id="696952" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="copper-cables">copper cables</keyword>.<br /><br />The team's new link draws on benefits of both copper and fiber optic conduits, while ditching their drawbacks.<br /><br />For the study, presented at the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, the team engineered low-cost chips to pair with the polymer conduit.<br /><br />Typically, silicon chips struggle to operate at sub-terahertz frequencies. Yet the team's new chips generate those high-frequency signals with enough <keyword id="44011" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="power">power</keyword> to transmit data directly into the conduit.A<br /><br />That clean connection from the silicon chips to the conduit means the overall system can be manufactured with standard, cost-effective methods, the researchers said.<br /><br />The new link also beats out copper and fiber optic in terms of size.<br /><br />"The cross-sectional area of our cable is 0.4 millimeters by a quarter millimeter. So, it's super tiny, like a strand of hair," the researchers said.<br /><br />Despite its slim size, it can carry a hefty load of data, since it sends signals over three different parallel channels, separated by frequency.<br /><br />The researchers say the cable could "address the bandwidth challenges as we see this megatrend toward more and more data."<br /><br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/bharat-bandh-over-eight-crore-traders-across-india-shut-shop-in-protest-against-rising-fuel-prices-and-changes-in-gst-rules/articleshow/81223361.cms">Bharat Bandh – over eight crore traders across India shut shop in protest against rising fuel prices and changes in GST rules</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/ignore-low-cibil-score-for-street-vendor-loans-work-on-holidays-and-other-diktats-from-indian-government-to-banks-rushing-to-meet-march-target/articleshow/81223572.cms">EXCLUSIVE: Ignore low CIBIL score for street vendor loans, work on holidays, and other diktats from Indian government to banks rushing to meet March target</a><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-now-allows-you-to-avail-a-discount-on-flight-ticket-if-you-are-not-carrying-a-check-in-baggage/articleshow/81225977.cms"><strong>India now allows you to avail a discount on flight ticket if you are not carrying a check-in baggage</strong></a><br />

Researchers develop new data transfer system ten times faster than USB

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a68a46300d0ef29038b4f3a-1514/ap1603311920269376.jpg" border="0" alt="Tim Cook" data-mce-source="AP" /><p class="source"><span>AP</span></p><p class="caption">Apple CEO Tim Cook</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>Wireless networks are looking towards 5G, a new network technology that promises faster, higher bandwidth cellular internet. </strong></li><li><strong>So is Apple, according to a new job listing. </strong></li></ul><hr /><p><br /><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/aapl-stock">Apple</a> is embroiled in a bitter legal battle over patents and royalties with Qualcomm, the chip maker that previously supplied all the modems that let iPhones connect to high-speed networks. </p><p>But the iPhone company is already looking forward towards a next-generation wireless technology - one that would reduce its dependence on companies like Qualcomm and let it control a key next-generation technology. </p><p>A job posting for a "mmWave IC design engineer" was recently taken down off Apple's site, Cult of Mac <a href="https://www.cultofmac.com/544881/apple-might-make-its-own-ultra-fast-iphone-5g-modems">noted</a> on Monday.</p><p>The listing seems to be all about Apple creating a new chip in-house specially designed next-generation 5G networks, specifically millimeter wave networks, which promise much higher bandwidth than the current LTE networks iPhones connect to. </p><p>"In this highly visible role, you will be at the center of a silicon design group with a critical impact on getting functional products to hundreds of millions of customers quickly," according to the listing. </p><p>"Work with platform architects, system group, and digital design group to define the requirements for mmWave phased-array front-end and baseband blocks based on the product requirements," it continued. "Work with technology team and foundries on process evaluation/selection for the target device."</p><p>Mirrors of the listing are still available on sites like <a href="https://www.glassdoor.com/job-listing/mmwave-ic-design-engineer-apple-JV_IC1147439_KO0,25_KE26,31.htm?jl=2751243138&amp;utm_campaign=google_jobs_apply&amp;utm_source=google_jobs_apply&amp;utm_medium=organic">Glassdoor</a>, which said the job listing was posted on April 27. A Ph.D. is preferred for this job, according to the listing. </p><p>The listing is the closest thing to official confirmation that Apple plans to build its own 5G modem, instead of buying off-the-shelf components from Qualcomm or Intel. Apple didn't respond to a request for comment. </p><h2>Testing 5G </h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ae7801c19ee861c008b48e5-1190/screen shot 2018-04-30 at 44310 pm.png" border="0" alt="Apple Park Innovation Zone" data-mce-source="FCC" /><p class="source"><span>FCC</span></p><p class="caption">Apple applied for "innovation zones" surrounding both of its headquarters to experiment with emerging wireless technology like 5G.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Apple has been testing millimeter wave technology in Cupertino, California since last May. </p><p>It received an experimental license to test millimeter wave technology last May, Business Insider <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-testing-5g-millimeter-wave-wireless-iphone-fcc-filing-2017-5">first reported</a>. </p><p>"Apple Inc. seeks to assess cellular link performance in direct path and multipath environments between base station transmitters and receivers using this spectrum," the 2017 application read.</p><p>"These assessments will provide engineering data relevant to the operation of devices on wireless carriers' future 5G networks," it continued.</p><p>Apple also joined<a href="http://www.lightreading.com/mobile/5g/apple-quietly-hiring-for-5g/a/d-id/722502"> an industry group</a> for 5G technology last year as well. </p><p>Unfortunately, it's unlikely that Apple's 5G plans will be revealed in new FCC documents. Last week, the FCC published <a href="https://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/apple-seeks-permission-to-conduct-rf-tests-cupertino">applications</a> in which Apple was seeking permission to conduct new radio frequency tests inside "<a href="https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-17-362A1.pdf">innovation zones</a>" at both its Apple Park headquarters and 1 Infinite Loop campus. </p><p>The applications were tied to a new FCC regulation that allows companies like Apple greater ability to experiment with wireless technologies without as much regulatory paperwork. The 2018 applications do mention a "gigahertz" band - the millimeter wave bands Apple previously applied for permission to test were 28 GHz and 39 GHz. </p><h2>The future of wireless</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5ae7803619ee861f008b46d4-1002/screen shot 2018-04-30 at 44216 pm.png" border="0" alt="INFINITE LOOP INNOVATION ZONE" data-mce-source="FCC" /><p class="source"><span>FCC</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Even if Apple weren't <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-qualcomm-easing-licensing-terms-in-bid-to-strike-deals-2018-4">at legal war</a> with Qualcomm, Apple might want its own 5G modem technology. Apple CEO Tim Cook has said that Apple wants to own <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-technology-tim-cook-doctrine-2018-4">all of its core technologies</a> - and that includes silicon like the chips Qualcomm makes.</p><p>5G is certainly an exciting technology. Sprint and T-Mobile have said their plan to build a 5G network is one of the reasons the two companies are merging, and the two carriers expect their network to be ready for devices as soon as 2019. </p><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-5g-wireless-2017-7">Experts have said</a> that millimeter wave is only one technology that will make up the 5G standard, which is still being finalized. The big advantage to millimeter wave is that it can achieve very high data rates, with much more bandwidth than current cellular networks.</p><p>However, there are drawbacks to millimeter wave technology as well. One issue is a "propagation" problem, which means that its waves can't travel very far before they start losing information. Another problem with millimeter waves is often it requires a clear line-of-sight between the device and the transmitter. </p><p>Of course, Apple's scientists and researchers are probably well aware of these drawbacks - but if it can develop a critical next-generation technology and cut out a legal foe at the same time, why wouldn't it? </p><h2>The full text of the job listing is below: </h2><p style="padding-left: 30px;">mmWave IC Design Engineer<br />Job Number: 113681632<br />Santa Clara Valley, California, United States<br />Posted: Apr. 27, 2018<br />Weekly Hours: 40.00<br />Job Summary</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">In this highly visible role, you will be at the center of a silicon design group with a critical impact on getting functional products to hundreds of millions of customers quickly.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">As a millimeter-wave IC design engineer, you will be responsible for providing circuit and system solutions for multi-gigabit wireless chips.<br />Key Qualifications<br />The ideal candidate will have 8+ years of mmWave, RF, and analog integrated circuit design experience, with 3+ years in mmWave CMOS or SiGe circuit design.<br />Extensive knowledge of all or many of the following fields:<br />•Deep understanding in system specification and able to work with system architects to translate system requirement into circuit requirement at IC level. Familiar with various RF transceiver architectures and their trade-offs.<br />•Deep understanding of fundamental microwave theories and concepts; such as transmission-lines concepts, power waves and scattering parameters, power gain expressions, gain, noise, and VSWR design trade offs.<br />•Extensive experience in simulation and design of lumped and distributed passive structures; such CPW lines, coupled lines, directional couplers, dividers/combiners, phase shifters, inductors, and capacitors.<br />•Extensive experience in analysis, design, and implementation of mmWave low-noise, broadband, and/or high-power amplifiers<br />•Extensive experience in analysis, design, and implementation of mmWave frequency converting blocks and oscillators<br />•Understanding of mmWave device modeling. Insights into packaging effects, integrated antenna arrays, supply isolations, high frequency ESD structures, and circuit layout for optimum performance.<br />•Extensive experience in high frequency silicon characterization and debug.</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Description</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">•Work with platform architects, system group, and digital design group to define the requirements for mmWave phased-array front-end and baseband blocks based on the product requirements.<br />Work with technology team and foundries on process evaluation/selection for the target device.<br />Design various transceiver blocks in TX, RX, and LX chains.<br />Work with the design, layout, and chip integration teams to integrate the IP's and verify the top level functionality and performance<br />Work with mmWave test engineers to bring up and characterize chips</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">Education</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">MSEE is required. Ph.D is preferred</p>  <p class="tagline">Visit  <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/">Markets Insider</a> for constantly updated market quotes for individual stocks, ETFs, indices, commodities and currencies traded around the world. <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/">Go Now!</a></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/jeff-bezos-interview-axel-springer-ceo-amazon-trump-blue-origin-family-regulation-washington-post-2018-4">Jeff Bezos reveals what it's like to build an empire and become the richest man in the world - and why he's willing to spend $1 billion a year to fund the most important mission of his life</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/4LxyTgXM-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

Apple deleted a revealing job listing that hints at plans to cut Qualcomm and Intel chips from future phones

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/541313b06da81189600793bb-2400/peter-thiel-28.jpg" alt="Peter Thiel " data-mce-source="Getty / Chip Somodevilla" /><p class="source"><span>Getty / Chip Somodevilla</span></p><p class="caption">Peter Thiel</p></div><p></p></div></div>Silicon Valley has a sex problem, according to Peter Thiel, the billionaire investor who is an advisor to President-elect Donald Trump.</p><p>In a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/peter-thiel-interview-with-maureen-dowd-2017-1">must-read interview with The New York Times' Maureen Dowd</a>, Thiel points out that techies in Silicon Valley are not having very much sex, and that it was part of the reason why so many people in the region criticized Trump's comment from the Billy Bush tape. </p><p>Here's what he said:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;"><span>"On the one hand, the tape was clearly offensive and inappropriate. At the same time, I worry there's a part of Silicon Valley that is hyper-politically correct about sex. One of my friends has a theory that the rest of the country tolerates Silicon Valley because people there just don't have that much sex. They're not having that much fun."</span></p><p>Thiel may have a point.</p><p>Silicon Valley has <a href="http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/Silicon-Valley-Has-Highest-Ratio-of-Single-Men-to-Single-Women-Study-277980481.html">the highest ratio of single men to single women</a>, while the tech industry as a whole has struggled with gender imbalance for decades. (However, it's worth noting that the San Francisco metropolitan area also has the <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/182051/san-francisco-metro-area-ranks-highest-lgbt-percentage.aspx">highest ratio</a> of people who identify as LGBT in the US). </p><p>In fact, Dr. Sandra Lindholm, a sex therapist and clinical psychologist in the Bay Area, <a href="http://www.forbes.com/video/5229758527001/">recently told Forbes</a> that she's now seeing an uptick in young, male clients who complain about a variety of sexual challenges and issues.</p><p><span>"They're coming to sex therapy because they don't feel they have time or energy for sex," Lindhold said.</span></p><p>Some of the common issues include low sexual desire, difficulty meeting women, and performance issues. Plus, she points out people in tech generally have a reputation for being introverted. <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/zarastone/2016/12/14/this-is-why-silicon-valley-techies-are-scheduling-sex/#6b00adc04187">Another particular issue that frequently comes</a> up is what she calls "tech overload": people spend so much time on their gadgets that they "forget about being in the moment."</p><p>Although there's no official data on Silicon Valley's sex frequency, <a href="http://scoutmob.com/san-francisco/scoutfinds/4112">a 2012 survey by condom maker Trojan</a> revealed that Bay Area residents had the least amount of sex and the shortest time in bed, in a sample of 10 major US cities including New York, Chicago, Miami, and so on.</p><p>Still, even with all the perceived lack of sex in the region, San Francisco and its nearby counties, like Alameda and San Mateo, haven't suffered from birth rate declines. The <a href="http://www.siliconvalleyoneworld.com/2016/04/09/oh-baby-san-francisco-births-on-the-rise/">US Census Bureau estimates</a> the number of babies born in San Francisco and Alameda counties rose from 2010 to 2015, while San Mateo county's birth rate stayed the same, despite early predictions that they would fall.</p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/9-iphone-tricks-you-might-not-have-known-2017-1">9 iPhone tricks that will make your life easier in 2017</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="p2MWp0ODE6aTwJJlChtrU0F7LIm-LG9M" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'p2MWp0ODE6aTwJJlChtrU0F7LIm-LG9M',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

Trump confidant and tech billionaire Peter Thiel thinks Silicon Valley has a sex problem

<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-climate-change-crisis-extreme-weather-is-costing-you-2023-9"></a></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><em>This post originally appeared in the Insider Today newsletter.</em></li></ul><p><strong>Happy Friday! </strong>A bride who lost her sight at 17 <a href="https://www.insider.com/blind-bride-blindfold-wedding-guests-groom-viral-interview-2023-9">blindfolded her guests and groom</a> as she walked down the aisle so they could "all live in this beautiful moment together." Keep some tissues close by when you're reading this one. </p><p>In today's big story, we're looking at the shocking <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-climate-change-crisis-extreme-weather-is-costing-you-2023-9">cost that comes from extreme weather</a>, and how we're all left footing the bill.</p><p><strong>What's on deck: </strong></p><ul><li><strong>Markets:</strong> There's at least one group <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/baby-boomers-millennials-wealth-generation-inequality-fed-rates-housing-mcdonald-2023-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">benefiting from high interest rates</a>.</li><li><strong>Tech: </strong>A <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-search-helpful-content-update-results-drop-ai-generated-2023-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Google Search update</a> has website owners up in arms.</li><li><strong>Business:</strong> Planet Fitness' ex-CEO says he was "blindsided" <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/planet-fitness-ceo-chris-rondeau-fired-gym-plnt-stock-price-2023-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by his removal</a>.</li></ul><p>But first, the bill is due.</p><hr /><p><strong><em>If this was forwarded to you, </em></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/insider-today"><strong><em>sign up here.</em></strong></a></p><hr /><h3><strong>The big story</strong></h3><h2>Extreme weather = extreme costs</h2><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/subscription/newsletter/insider-today"></a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-climate-change-crisis-extreme-weather-is-costing-you-2023-9"></a></p><div type="image" title="firefighter fighting a large fire" height="1440" width="1920" msid="103869042" hostid="261" sizebytes="120372"></div><p><strong>The climate crisis can be a polarizing topic, but here's a number to chew on: $2,615,000,000,000.</strong></p><p>That's the total bill for the 371 weather and climate disasters topping $1 billion in damage in the US since 1980.</p><p>It's a number so big I had to triple-check that I had the correct amount of zeros. </p><p>The eye-popping figure is part of an incredible package on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-climate-change-crisis-extreme-weather-is-costing-you-2023-9">the true cost of extreme weather</a> from Insider's Annie Fu, Morgan McFall-Johnsen, Catherine Boudreau, Jacob Zinkula, and Marianne Guenot. </p><p>The project includes stories on a teacher's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/arizona-heat-so-hot-almost-killed-teacher-heatstroke-burns-2023-9">near-death experience</a> in Arizona heat, a storm destroying much of a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/texas-farming-extreme-cold-heat-weather-swings-2023-9">Texas citrus farmer's crop</a>, and a flood in Iowa that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/flood-risks-american-businesses-nonprofit-iowa-still-recovering-2023-9">devastated a nonprofit</a>. </p><p>As staggering as $2.6 trillion is, it might be short-changing the actual cost. Plenty of bills go uncounted by official tallies, and supply-chain disruptions from weather events create an incalculable domino effect. </p><p>There's also no cost you can put on the loss of life — and emotional stress — from these events. </p><p>And all of us are footing the bill. From taxes to insurance premiums, extreme weather <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-the-climate-crisis-can-change-make-economy-better-resilient-2023-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impacts just about everyone one way or another</a>.</p><p>Discussions about the climate crisis often focus on the impact on future generations. However, the data shows the ramifications of extreme weather are being felt today.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-climate-change-crisis-extreme-weather-is-costing-you-2023-9"></a></p><div type="image" title="chart showing billion-dollar weather and climate events by decade" height="1038" width="1384" msid="103869043" hostid="261" sizebytes="21186"></div><p><strong>I spoke to Insider's future of business editor, Tim Paradis, who helped oversee the project, about what stood out most to him. </strong></p><p>He pointed to the speed at which these disasters have racked up massive bills as extreme weather has worsened. </p><p>Since 2013, there have been 178 billion-dollar weather events totaling more than $1.2 trillion. Even after adjusting for inflation, that's a fivefold increase in both the cost and frequency of high-priced events from the '80s.</p><p>A common critique regarding reports on the climate crisis is that the Earth's weather is constantly fluctuating. And while that's true, the above indicates rapid changes in a shockingly short time period, Tim said. </p><p>If you're short on time, I encourage you to at least read this incredible piece on Lois Nigrin. The Nebraska teacher <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/arizona-heat-so-hot-almost-killed-teacher-heatstroke-burns-2023-9">nearly died from heatstroke in 2019</a> while hiking Camelback Mountain in Phoenix with her husband. </p><p>It's a harrowing, personal tale of how extreme temperatures can have devastating effects.</p><hr /><h2><strong>3 things in markets</strong></h2><p><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/10000-dollar-bill-us-treasury-record-auction-1934-rare-currency-2023-9"></a></p><div type="image" title="image of $10,000 bill" height="960" width="1920" msid="103869044" hostid="261" sizebytes="266766"></div><ol><li><strong>A $10,000 bill just sold at auction for $480,000. Wait, what? </strong>The bill, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/currencies/10000-dollar-bill-us-treasury-record-auction-1934-rare-currency-2023-9">issued by the US Treasury in 1934</a>, featured Salmon Chase, President Abraham Lincoln's Treasury secretary. Fun fact: High-denomination bills of $500, $1,000, and $10,000 were issued in the 1800's and early 1900's before being removed from circulation in 1969.</li><li><strong>Meet the big winners from sky-high interest rates. </strong>Baby boomers owe the Fed a big thank you. The older generation can <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/baby-boomers-millennials-wealth-generation-inequality-fed-rates-housing-mcdonald-2023-9">park cash in risk-free Treasury bills</a> with yields above 5%.  </li><li><strong>Robinhood's reorg. </strong>The fintech is laying off more employees and reorganizing teams as it looks to focus on credit cards, insiders said. The changes come as Robinhood deals with a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/robinhood-layoffs-reorganization-credit-cards-shrinking-user-base-insiders-say-2023-9">shrinking user base</a>.</li></ol><hr /><h2><strong>3 things in tech</strong></h2><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-amp-leadership-change-turmoil-employee-backlash-2023-9"></a></p><div type="image" title="Amazon ceo Andy Jassy" height="1278" width="1705" msid="103869045" hostid="261" sizebytes="55792"></div><ol><li><strong> Turmoil in Amazon's live radio team. </strong>Amp, the ecommerce giant's Clubhouse competitor, experienced a sudden leadership change — this came after firing about half the team last year. And employees are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-amp-leadership-change-turmoil-employee-backlash-2023-9">expressing their frustration</a> about the direction of the business.</li><li><strong>A new Google Search update is angering website owners. </strong>The company is now allowing AI-generated results to show up in search. This has caused some human-generated websites to fall lower on search results, and some site owners are upset after experiencing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-search-helpful-content-update-results-drop-ai-generated-2023-9">massive drops in web traffic</a>.</li><li><strong>Meet the new swarm of bots. </strong>They're scraping information from AI models, including ones from OpenAI and other tech giants. Bad actors are using these bots to bombard AI chatbots with questions and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-models-openai-gpt4-bombarded-by-bots-extracting-intelligence-2023-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">leave the bill for someone else</a>.</li></ol><hr /><h2><strong>3 things in business</strong></h2><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/planet-fitness-ceo-chris-rondeau-fired-gym-plnt-stock-price-2023-9"></a></p><div type="image" title="Chris Rondeau, the former CEO of Planet Fitness" height="1278" width="1705" msid="103869048" hostid="261" sizebytes="120280"></div><ol><li><strong>Longtime CEO of Planet Fitness says he was blindsided by abrupt firing.</strong> "I wasn't finished," <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/planet-fitness-ceo-chris-rondeau-fired-gym-plnt-stock-price-2023-9">Chris Rondeau told Insider in a text message</a>. "I had the best team best franchisees and an amazing business."</li><li><strong>Rupert Murdoch is stepping down as chair of Fox and News Corp.</strong> He's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rupert-murdoch-stepping-down-fox-news-son-lachlan-taking-over-2023-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">handing the reins</a> to his elder son Lachlan — completing the real-life "Succession" story (here's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rupert-murdoch-fox-news-lachlan-james-real-life-succession-2023-9">how Lachlan rose to the top</a>, by the way). Plus, read Murdoch's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/read-rupert-murdoch-memo-to-employees-news-corp-fox-2023-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">full memo announcing his exit</a>.</li><li><strong>Hybrid workers are more stressed or burnt out than their fully remote counterparts. </strong>This may be due to the lack of structure, but many hybrid workers are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-hybrid-workers-remote-employees-are-feeling-deloitte-survey-2023-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">content with their jobs</a>. Meanwhile, Apple is two years into its hybrid pilot and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-still-trying-hybrid-rto-work-program-schedule-no-answers-2023-9">still doesn't know the right balance</a>.</li></ol><hr /><h2><strong>In other news</strong></h2><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-google-test-new-search-partnership-2023-9"></a></p><div type="image" title="The TikTok app on a Google phone" height="1333" width="1777" msid="103869050" hostid="261" sizebytes="60730"></div><ul><li>Power pairing: <strong>TikTok and Google </strong>are testing out a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-google-test-new-search-partnership-2023-9">new search partnership</a>.</li><li>During a private fundraising event, President <strong>Joe Biden</strong> repeated a story "nearly word for word" <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-repeats-story-nearly-word-for-word-minutes-after-telling-it-2023-9">minutes after telling it</a>.</li><li>Here's how fashion influencer <strong>Tezza</strong> launched a photo editing app that now has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-tezza-photo-editing-app-growing-media-company-fashion-magazine-2023-9">2.5 million monthly active users</a>.</li><li><strong>Microsoft </strong>is pivoting from experimental projects like its Surface headphones to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-cancels-products-surface-headphones-ai-2023-9">focus on AI instead</a>.</li><li>Behind-the-scenes of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/landing-internships-as-college-student-too-much-pressure-2023-9">the immense pressure</a> on students to land <strong>internships</strong> during college.</li><li><strong>Apple </strong>reportedly failed its multi-billion dollar venture to make <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-15-missing-chip-the-company-spent-billions-on-2023-9">silicon chips for its devices</a>.</li><li>Temu has overtaken Shein in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/temu-passes-shein-in-traffic-purchasing-visits-hasnt-surpassed-amazon-2023-9">multiple key metrics</a>, but both are still pretty far behind <strong>Amazon</strong>.</li><li>Twilight Zone: <strong>6 p.m. dinner reservations</strong> are now the "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/restaurateur-danny-meyer-earlier-dinner-reservations-6-pm-new-8-2023-9">most prized table</a>."</li></ul><hr /><h2><strong>What's happening today</strong></h2><ul><li><strong>Double festivities: The iHeartRadio Music Festival and Life is Beautiful festival are both kicking off in Las Vegas today. </strong>The Killers, Kendrick Lamar, and Odesza are headlining the three-day Life is Beautiful music, comedy, and food festival. Meanwhile, the iHeartRadio Music Festival lineup includes the Foo Fighters, Lil Wayne, Fall Out Boy, and Travis Scott.</li><li><strong>Apple's new iPhones are available to buy now. </strong>After debuting the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max last week, they're now available in-store and online.</li><li><strong style="color: #222222;">The Solheim Cup women's golf tournament kicks off today in Spain. </strong>The 18th biennial edition of the Europe vs. US team competition will take place at the Finca Cortesin Golf Club in Andalucia. Team US is captained by Stacy Lewis, while Team Europe is captained by Suzann Pettersen.</li></ul><hr /><h3><strong>For yo</strong>ur bookmarks</h3><h2><strong>ADHD signs</strong></h2><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/symptoms-of-adhd-time-to-see-psychologist-2023-9"></a></p><div type="image" title="person staring blankly at a computer screen" height="1281" width="1708" msid="103869051" hostid="261" sizebytes="80374"></div><p><strong>Psychologist reveals 9 symptoms that could indicate you have ADHD. </strong>They include <a href="https://www.insider.com/symptoms-of-adhd-time-to-see-psychologist-2023-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">compulsive lying and struggling to listen</a>.</p><hr /><p><strong>The Insider Today team: </strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/dan-defrancesco">Dan DeFrancesco</a>, senior editor and anchor, in New York City. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/diamond-naga-siu">Diamond Naga Siu</a>, senior reporter, in San Diego. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/hallam-bullock">Hallam Bullock</a>, editor, in London. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/lisa-ryan">Lisa Ryan</a>, executive editor, in New York.</p>

Insider Today: A $2.6 trillion disaster

Apple-owned audio accessories manufacturer Beats has announced its latest earbuds 'Beats Fit Pro' with a wingtip design.<br /><br />The Beats Fit Pro are available for pre-order for $200 from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-working-on-car-crash-detection-feature-for-iphones-and-apple-watches/articleshow/87478414.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Apple's</a> website and other retailers in the US in black, white, grey and purple colour.<br /><br />"Beats Fit Pro delivers remarkable innovation in fit and features, making it Beats' best sounding and most advanced product to date. With spatial audio and dynamic head tracking, Beats Fit Pro delivers a truly immersive listening experience," Oliver Schusser, Vice President of Beats and Apple Music, said in a statement.<br /><br />The earbuds comes with silicone tips in three sizes, Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Transparency audio modes, Adaptive EQ, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking.<br /><br />It features H1 chip for "Hey Siri" and Find My support as well one-touch pairing on iOS.<br /><br />The Beats Fit Pro also have Adaptive EQA feature that continuously scans and adjusts low- and mid-range frequencies using computational audio and in-ward facing mics.<br /><br />On a full charge, the Beats Fit Pro offers up to six hours with ANC or Transparency turned on, and that can be pushed to seven hours with those functions turned off.<br /><br />The carrying case charges over USB-C provides up to 21 additional hours of battery life with ANC/Transparency.<br /><br />The Beats Fit Pro also have an IPX4 rating, which means they are sweat- and water-resistant.

Apple launches Beats Fit Pro wireless earbuds with ANC, spatial audio and dynamic head tracking

Mr. Crypto goes to Washington

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Insider spoke with multiple production experts to see how <keyword id="1606056" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Props">props</keyword> are made for film and TV. </li><li>Fake money has hidden optical illusions or a unique texture to differentiate it from the real stuff.</li><li>Fake cocaine was once made from powdered milk, and bar-fight bottles are made with breakaway glass.</li></ul><p>Insider spoke with a variety of experts to uncover little-known details about making props in film and television. </p><p>From fight scenes to fake piles of money, they gave a behind-the-scenes look at noteworthy props in Hollywood that often go overlooked. </p><h2>Bar fights are more expensive than they look</h2><p>When it comes to pricey props, bar fights in television and film can get costly pretty quickly, according to <a href="https://www.insider.com/tiktok-how-movie-tv-props-made-behind-the-scenes-video-2020-9">Scott Reeder</a>, a property master in Austin, Texas. Reeder is working on The CW's "Walker" and has been sharing props secrets on his TikTok account (<a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@scottpropandroll">@scottpropandroll</a>).</p><p>He told Insider the breakaway, smashable props could get expensive - breakaway beer pitchers are about $40, beer bottles are about $16 each, and a wine bottle is $30. </p><p>In addition to all the smashing bottles viewers see on screen, he said the multiple shots used during production could add up quickly - especially if a bar-fight scene took 20 takes. </p><div type="image" title="zac efron hugh jackman greatest showman" height="1450" width="2000" msid="82186542" hostid="261"></div><h2>Sugar glass is also a convincing prop weapon for fight scenes</h2><p>According to <a href="http://www.smartsetsbysam.com/">Samantha Shoffner</a>, a prop supervisor in New York City who has worked in film, television, and theater, real glass isn't used on sets largely because safety is so important.</p><p>For example, if a script calls for glass smashing over someone's head, the props crew might call for sugar glass that can be turned into things like wine glasses and vases.</p><p>"Basically the sugar 'glass' is dissolved sugar in water heated to the 'hard crack' stage so that when it shatters, it doesn't turn into sharp particles that could hurt someone," she added. "It's more of a sugar crystal particle when shattered." </p><h2>Teams ensure fake money doesn't look too realistic by altering the texture and adding optical illusions </h2><p>When it comes to fake money, making the prop too realistic can come with intense legal repercussions. </p><p>According to <a href="https://www.rjrprops.com/">Rich Rappaport</a>, the president of <a href="https://www.rjrprops.com/">RJR Props in Atlanta</a>, a production can be shut down and prop makers can get in legal trouble if their money doesn't follow the federal government's stringent <a href="https://www.moneyfactory.gov/resources/lawsandregulations.html#:~:text=Manufacturing%20counterfeit%20United%20States%20currency,15%20years%20imprisonment%2C%20or%20both.">rules</a>.</p><p>"Nothing could be copied from real money: security features, holograms designs, security threads, ultraviolet, etc.," he said. "Everything has to be made by hand."</p><p>Rappaport said that for he and his team to operate within the strict laws, they created a special optical illusion in their prop money, which can be seen in "Logan Lucky," "Ozark," and "Fast &amp; Furious." </p><p>"When you're holding money approximately 18 inches away or further, it looks completely realistic," Rappaport added, saying that makes it great for filming scenes at a distance. "But as you start bringing it closer, the optical illusion changes over, and then you can see that it's not real."</p><div type="image" title="ozark money" height="1621" width="2161" msid="82186544" hostid="261"></div><p>On some sets, the fake money's texture is altered to prevent actors from accidentally taking it home.</p><p>"Although it may look good, it doesn't feel good," Reeder told Insider. "You can tell just from the feel of the paper in your hand that it's not the same thing." </p><h2>Some prop money goes through a faux aging process</h2><p>Reeder said there was a production trick to making money look more authentic on camera. </p><p>On the set of "Mad Money," which starred Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, and Katie Holmes, Reeder had to replicate $650 million for a high-profile robbery involving the federal reserve. </p><p>"Our money had the look really old and battered," Reeder said. "So we were hand-dipping it in a dye to make it look old.</p><p>"We dipped it in the dye, very watered down dye, and then put it in the dryer with towels and poker chips. I'm not sure where that recipe came from ... for aging money."</p><h2>Fake cocaine was once made from powdered milk</h2><p>Reeder said Hollywood once substituted fake cocaine with lactose powder - but over time, prop masters discovered a safer alternative to powdered milk. </p><p>"Lately, the industry standard for that would be inositol," Reeder said, describing a white vitaminlike substance. "Inositol seems to be the most sinus-cavity friendly."</p><h2>And sometimes actors use sleight of hand to avoid inhaling powders on set </h2><p>Fake drugs have come a long way since the days of lactose powder, but there are still minor risks involved. For example, the actor Jonah Hill said he <a href="https://www.insider.com/how-fake-drugs-are-made-for-movies-and-television-shows-2020-12">contracted bronchitis on the set of "Wolf of Wall Street"</a> after inhaling too much faux cocaine powder in 2013.</p><p>While many actors willingly ingest fake drugs, prop masters and suppliers always try to have practical alternatives on hand if an actor isn't comfortable with snorting the fake powder. </p><p>"If somebody is going to snort something, often they use a clear hose that goes down the shirtsleeve and it's taped to the underside of their hand," Rappaport said. </p><p>"When they supposedly go to pinch off their nose on one side to snort, really what they're doing is they're just putting the polyethylene tubing down against the mirror, and it's sucking up the white powder," he added. </p><div type="image" title="scarface cocaine" height="300" width="600" msid="82186545" hostid="261"></div><h2>Prop newspapers sometimes have more detail than you'd expect</h2><p>With more and more people pausing television screens to <a href="https://www.insider.com/easter-eggs-movies-2016-9">find Easter eggs in their favorite shows</a>, it's no surprise that prop departments want to be as thorough as possible when it comes to creating fake newspapers. </p><p>Shoffner likes speaking with directors, actors, and screenwriters so that they can weigh in on the type of fake news stories she types up for a production, she said. </p><p>"Usually I'm looking to those folks for advice on what the major headlines will be," Shoffner said. "I like to be as detail-oriented as I can, just to help do what I can to create the world."</p><p>But Reeder added that on particularly large-scale productions, the newspapers in the background aren't typically designed for close-ups. </p><p>"If it's a background extra reading, we'll use something that's premade," Reeder said. "There are prop houses in LA that make up already premade cleared newspapers with cleared images, through stock companies and all that." </p><h2>Real license plates are never used on screen</h2><p>Every time a license plate is shown in a film or on television, prop masters have to ensure that it doesn't exist in real life. </p><p>If they're shooting a street scene, they have to check that every car captured on camera has a custom license plate "where the numbers are cleared," Reeder said.</p><p>"There's no one in the world with that license plate," Reeder said, referring to on-screen plates. "It doesn't belong to someone else."</p><h2>When it comes to fake babies, other experts are usually involved</h2><p>When a script calls for a prop baby, production companies often call on specific experts within the industry, Rappaport said. </p><p>"There are a handful of people that do nothing more than make babies," he said. "They use real strands of human hair, they use a glass for the eyes, and they're all hand-painted."</p><p>Prop babies are so realistic that they often feel uncanny, Rappaport added. </p><p>"They look exactly like real babies," he said. "The expression on their faces, the way they sleep, the way they have their thumb in their mouth, and all sorts of things. ... You can't tell the difference."</p><div type="image" title="fuller house baby" height="2469" width="3292" msid="82186546" hostid="261"></div><h2>Real food can be used for food fights, but the menu is carefully chosen with the wardrobe department in mind</h2><p>While he was working on "Friday Night Lights," Reeder said he needed all hands on deck after an episode called for a massive food fight.</p><p>"When I was ordering food for that, it was like trying to go dry - stuff that wasn't like wet, sloppy stuff that was going to ruin people's wardrobes," Reed said.</p><p>He added that unless a "particular character gets pudding slapped on his hair" the props department tried to opt for dry food. For instance, cafeteria food like salad, bread, and burgers are all easier to clean up than mashed potatoes. </p><p>"The cleanup was rough, but I booked extra help to help," Reeder said. "Luckily we only did one take."</p><h2>Many props, like chip bags and pianos, are designed to be as quiet as possible</h2><p>Most props, like beach balls and frying pans, are designed to be as quiet as possible so that sound effects can be added in post-production. </p><p>"For noisier props, I'll do things like add felt inside of something," Shoffner said, describing a gutted piano she once used on set.</p><p>She added that in order for the piano keys "to be pressed down and to not hear a kind of click, we had to felt all the undersides of all the hammers of the piano."</p><p>When it comes to particularly noisy items like chip bags, Shoffner said they were typically made out of a different material altogether. </p><p>She added: "There are companies that make vinyl plastic bags and vinyl paper bags that reduce up to 90% of the sound but still look like a paper bag or cellophane or a plastic bag."</p><h2>Making computer servers visible on screen is incredibly difficult</h2><p>Rappaport, who recently provided props for "WandaVision," said using real computer servers was more challenging than most viewers might realize. </p><p>"To make real servers usable for television and film, you have to replace standard light bulbs and LEDs and displays with those that can be filmed," Rappaport said. "The frequencies of the light that are used in filming are different from normal light bulbs nowadays."</p><p>He added that this difficult process involved taking all the LEDs out of a server and replacing them with film-ready LEDs and lights.</p><p>"It may look easy when you see it on TV, and you see computers with interesting flashy lights and things like that," he said. "But it's much more complex than you can imagine - having to change out all the electronics and make them usable."</p><div type="image" title="Riverdale" height="600" width="900" msid="82186547" hostid="261"></div><h2>Fake medication can be made from gelatin capsules or sugar pills</h2><p>When a script calls for a character to take medication, the actor downs a harmless replica of the real thing. </p><p>"If someone's popping pills, we'll use placebo," Reeder said. "You can buy empty gelatin capsules that are colored off of Amazon." </p><p>It's also typical for actors to chew and swallow sugar pills, which come in all shapes in sizes, the property master said. </p><p>"They've got different types. You've got the blue, white, oval, oblong, or round," Reeder added. "I keep a good selection on the prop truck."</p><h2>Fake cigarettes are relatively simple to make, but imposter marijuana buds are more challenging</h2><p>Cigarettes and joints are commonplace on film and TV, but manufacturing fake marijuana is more difficult than viewers might expect. </p><p>"There's herbal cigarettes for cigarettes," Reeder said. "If it's supposed to be marijuana, there are these herbal blends that you can get out of Los Angeles that looks like it. And when you roll it, a lot of times we'll just take the herbal tobacco that's nicotine-free and additive-free."</p><p>But Rappaport said making realistic-looking marijuana that's not wrapped in a joint could be very challenging to fabricate. </p><p>"Fake marijuana buds are one of the most difficult drugs that we do," Rappaport said. "It's something that grows in South America, and it gives the texture and the feel and the look that we need." </p><p>"But it's blended with a lot of other things," he added. "So it's just a very, very difficult process. A small batch takes 12 hours. People have no idea. It's very time-consuming."</p><div type="image" title="Seth Rogen weed pineapple express" height="613" width="817" msid="82186548" hostid="261"></div><h2>Any prop that needs to look old is hit with an 'aging kit'</h2><p>When props need to be aged, Reeder said, he hits them with his aging kit. </p><p>"If all of a sudden they say, 'I want this actor to have a duffel bag.' Well, we'll run to the store and get the duffel bag," Reeder said. "But you don't want it looking brand new if it's supposed to look like this character has had it for a couple of years."</p><p>Using the kit, Reeder and his team do things like hit the object with a sock filled with different colors of clean dirt. This helps the object look older than it is.</p><p>"We'll hit it with sandpaper, and we'll do whatever they need," Reeder said. "It's aging things, so we're always depreciating." </p><h2>Coffee cups are often weighed down to look more realistic</h2><p>When a TV character holds a coffee cup on screen, viewers at home <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2016/12/gilmore-girls-lorelai-lauren-graham-empty-cups-stephen-colbert-late-show">sometimes question whether the cups are actually full</a>. But according to the pros, cups are typically weighed down by something, even if it's not coffee. </p><p>"If it's a main character drinking out of a coffee cup, we put liquid in it," Reeder said. "A lot of times, it may not be coffee - it'll be tea."</p><p>When it comes to background extras, Reeder said, he uses a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@scottpropandroll/video/6935263068590984453">special silicone mixture to make coffee cups appear heavier</a>, but main characters have priority.</p><p>Shoffner also acknowledged the importance of weighing down items like coffee cups so that they look and feel more believable. </p><p>"Even if we never see what's inside a to-go cup, I'll weight it with some washers at the bottom or something glued into the inside so that it feels like there's a little bit of weight," Shoffner said. </p><div type="image" title="Gilmore Girls coffee" height="449" width="600" msid="82186549" hostid="261"></div><h2>Fake alcohol comes in an array of flavors and colors</h2><p>Reeder said that wine and champagne could be easily swapped out with drinks like sparkling grape juice, diet ginger ale, and even something called "de-alcoholized wine."</p><p>While hard liquor entails a bit more fine-tuning, when an actor takes a shot on-screen and grimaces, that reaction is "pure acting," Reeder said. </p><p>"They say, 'Act like it's whiskey,'" he added. "But, you know, they don't want to be drinking something rancid."</p><p>Reeder added that his secret to a convincing bottle of whiskey was pretty simple. </p><p>"I do two drops of caramel coloring in a standard 20-ounce bottle of water," he said. "Actors always seem to dig the caramel coloring." </p>

From money to drugs, here are 17 behind-the-scenes details about how realistic props are made in film and TV

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/56bbe9fd6e97c660008b6846-1440-987/screen%20shot%202014-08-06%20at%2011.11.27%20am.png" alt="Meredith Perry uBeam" data-mce-source="YouTube" data-mce-caption="Meredith Perry, founder of uBeam."><p class="source"><span>YouTube</span></p><p class="caption">Meredith Perry, founder of uBeam.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div>The idea was audacious from the start.&#xa0;<p>In 2011, Meredith Perry and Nora Dweck <a href="http://allthingsd.com/20110602/demo-at-d9-ubeam/">took the stage at a high profile tech conference</a> and demonstrated how&#xa0;you can charge your phone wirelessly by beaming ultrasonic rays at it.</p><p>Since then, the company&#xa0;has amassed over $23 million in venture funding (at a reported $500 million valuation) to get rid of the power cord all together.</p><p>The only problem? The company likely won't be able to deliver on the promise, according to some of its former engineers.</p><p>In <a href="http://liesandstartuppr.blogspot.com.au/">a tell-all blog</a>, uBeam's former VP of Engineering, Paul Reynolds, has been harshly criticizing&#xa0;the company. He left in October 2015 and didn't sign a non-disparagement agreement, nor is he sharing proprietary information, he told Business Insider.&#xa0;</p><p class="p1">Another former engineer stood by Reynolds' take on the company, and a third confirmed his expertise in ultrasound acoustics without commenting on uBeam specifically.</p><p>These people&#xa0;say that the root of the problem is that what the company has been selling to the press and to investors is years ahead of what's actually been worked on. It may be entirely impossible to build.</p><p>If it sounds like what's been happening at Theranos, the biotech company <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/theranos-is-under-investigation-by-the-sec-and-the-us-attorneys-office-2016-4">whose technology has been called into question</a>, it's because the engineers feel the parallels are all "too similar."&#xa0;</p><h2>Creating the story</h2><p>Perry first demonstrated uBeam's potential onstage at a conference in 2011. Her idea wowed the crowd, and she and her cofounder Dweck started working on what would become uBeam. However, that cofounder relationship quickly disintegrated <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/college-roommates-founded-hot-tech-startup-and-sued-each-other-2014-8">with both parties suing each other</a>.&#xa0;</p><p><span>By 2014, though, Perry had already raised a small seed round from investors like Andreessen Horowitz and Founder's Fund and begun work with her new CTO Marc Berte, Reynolds, and other engineers. Berte, Reynolds, and Perry hit the road to raise a Series A fundraising round. Upfront Ventures' partner Mark Suster wrote at the time that Berte and the MIT group of engineers were one of the reasons he was sold on the company.&#xa0;</span></p><p>"Could we produce this at cost? At scale? Here is where having Marc Berte and a team out of MIT who have designed systems like this for years gave one confidence we could do something others couldn't copy and at price points that could make us market leaders over night," <a href="https://bothsidesofthetable.com/the-audacious-plan-to-make-electricity-as-easy-as-wifi-45d9e26d81f0#.irdt1a1lk">Suster wrote</a>.</p><p><span>Yet, two years later, all of uBeam's original engineering team have left the startup, with some engineers leaving before they even vested their stock.&#xa0;"</span>I do not know of any engineers who have left after me who have exercised their stock," Reynolds told Business Insider. "Some have left two to four weeks prior to their vesting periods."</p><p><span></span>Most recently, uBeam's CFO, Monica Hushen, also left just&#xa0;a year after <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/09/28/electric-liberation/">being touted as a key hire</a> for the company.&#xa0;</p><p><div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ukgnU2aXM2c?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></p><h2 class="embed-spacer">Shaky science &#xa0;&#xa0;</h2><p>While the tech press and investors lauded the startup's gusto, skeptics&#xa0;of the company <a href="http://spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-electronics/portable-devices/experts-still-think-ubeamrsquos-throughtheair-charging-tech-is-unlikely">have long questioned</a> uBeam's technology.</p><p>Over time, the startup has claimed it can charge devices as far <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/01/ubeam-wireless-power-startup-shows-prototype-at-d9-video-hands/">as 20 to 30 feet away</a>, even in your pocket at a café. "<span>The technology makes it possible for a device to move freely around a room, in a pocket or purse, while constantly charging," the New York Times wrote about the company.&#xa0;</span></p><p>It has since walked back all of those measurements when it published its "confidential secrets" in TechCrunch.</p><p>The real range, uBeam proclaims, will be 4 meters, or 12 feet. And, it can only charge devices that are out in the open - not in a pocket, a laptop sleeve, or around any obstruction.&#xa0;</p><p>The company has never published articles in a peer-reviewed journal.</p><p>Reynolds' blog argues&#xa0;that the math, using uBeam's public-facing numbers, just doesn't add up.&#xa0;</p><p>The company fails to address the problem of saturation, Reynolds' post says. At the frequency, decibel level, and distance that uBeam claims, its ultrasonic waves will quickly distort, emitting a lot of heat. However at that level, the air also becomes saturated with the ultrasonic waves - it could keep pushing waves to generate power, but it would be doing very little more.&#xa0;</p><p>Other industry leaders have previously doubted the company, saying they'll believe it when they see it, even after <a href="http://spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-electronics/portable-devices/experts-still-think-ubeamrsquos-throughtheair-charging-tech-is-unlikely">uBeam asked them to weigh in for a TechCrunch article</a>.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5733efb852bcd01f7b8c2250-1422-1067/ubeam%20all%20things%20d.jpg" alt="ubeam all things d" data-mce-source="Asa Mathat  D: All Things Digital" data-mce-caption="Perry and Dweck were all smiles at the All Things Digital Conference"><p class="source"><span>Asa Mathat  D: All Things Digital</span></p><p class="caption">Perry and Dweck were all smiles at the All Things Digital Conference in 2011.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>"<span>I have had an overview of their technology. While the physics of ultrasonic&#xa0;wireless power transmission is indeed possible, whether it will be useful in a&#xa0;practical application depends on details of the implementation including&#xa0;factors related to the receiving technology, which I could not assess," <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/11/07/wireless-power-charger/">Dr. Babar Hadimioglu told TechCrunch in November</a>.</span></p><p>The company&#xa0;has said it would have products in 2015 and more recently, late 2016,&#xa0;but even that seems questionable to the people Business Insider spoke to.</p><p>In a <a href="http://www.eevblog.com/forum/projects/the-ubeam-faq/?action=dlattach;attach=206296;image">now-deleted tweet</a>, Perry posted a photo of an ASIC chip in March with the caption: "Peekaboo. Keeping silicon relevant in the Valley. Our 1st ASIC has officially been birthed. Cowabunga mother fu*%ers!"</p><p>It immediately drew comments from engineers who claimed that the chip meant uBeam was in fact way behind on its timeline. Normally an ASIC chip takes about a year to perfect before it's even put into a prototype. And, it's unknown if this chip was the transmitter or the receiver (or doing both). If the company has to create a second one, it could push the timeline back even farther.&#xa0;</p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">In a statement to Business Insider, uBeam's Perry said that "the company is heads down developing our wireless charging technology. We understand that with new products there will always be a natural skepticism and ultimately we hope that the community will judge us by the product we release in the market. We look forward to engaging with the market when we ship and having a healthy discussion about how we can all reduce the numbers of wires involved in our daily lives."</span></p><h2>The hype outpaced the reality</h2><p>The trouble between engineers and uBeam CEO Perry stems from the outward facing image of the company versus the internal reality.</p><p>Since the demo on the AllThingsD stage, Perry had been lauded in the press and delivered a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukgnU2aXM2c">TED Talk</a>. One Fortune <a href="http://fortune.com/2015/07/29/ubeam-meredith-perry-wireless-charging/">headline</a> questioned if Perry is the next Elon Musk.</p><p>None of the people we spoke with&#xa0;doubted that Perry had a passion for her invention and for getting it right. Former engineers described their colleagues as talented and hard-working.</p><p>But some say that the&#xa0;problem came when Perry moved the goal posts of what the technology could be capable of or misrepresented the company to the press. One former engineer described not knowing if her actions&#xa0;were purposeful or simply not understanding or believing the limits of the technology.</p><p>That hasn't stopped Perry from continuing a press tour where she continues to expand the boundaries of what uBeam might one day do. Two months ago, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ubeam-wireless-charging-adds-data-2016-2">Perry stood onstage</a> at the Upfront Summit in Los Angeles and added that the company would be able to transfer data via the ultrasound waves, even though there's still no working prototype that could be shown to the public.&#xa0;</p><blockquote class="pullquote">"I&#xa0;see this entire ecosystem and nobody vets it.</blockquote><p>To one former Ubeam engineer who requested anonymity, the break inside of uBeam is all "too similar" to the tale of what Theranos is going through. Unlike uBeam, Theranos did have a working product and a partnership with Walgreens. So far, none of uBeam's rumored partnerships with coffee stores, hospitals, or restaurants have come to fruition. Perry is hailed as a great storyteller like Holmes with a big vision to change the world - but it's a vision&#xa0;that the company's former engineering staff worry the&#xa0;technology will never live up to.</p><p>"I became disillusioned with the company and moved on," Reynolds told Business Insider.&#xa0;</p><p>He started his blog six months later.</p><p>"I&#xa0;see this entire ecosystem and nobody vets it.&#xa0;This is huge amount of money and huge amount being burned on it. If you're not in there, you don't understand what a bunch of bulls*** it is. It's the whole system is rotten until people speak out about it," Reynolds told Business Insider.&#xa0;</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/launching-startup-changed-drastically-stewart-butterfield-slack-flickr-2015-6">Why new companies have it way easier now than a decade ago</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="1sd3FndTqSDbFP-3eYupLmnL535dH0Et" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '1sd3FndTqSDbFP-3eYupLmnL535dH0Et',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

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