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In the history of <keyword id="171345" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india-us-ties" source="Orion">India-US ties</keyword>, 2022 has been a huge year and the next year will be even bigger, a top White House official has said, asserting that the Biden administration sees this alliance as among the most consequential relationships for America anywhere in the world.<br /><br />Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer also applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for being instrumental in forging a consensus during the recently concluded <keyword id="417259" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="g-20-summit" source="Orion">G-20 Summit</keyword> in Indonesia's Bali province.<br /><br />"Looking around the world when the United States and (its) President (Joe) Biden look for partners that can truly help carry the load, truly helped move forward a global agenda, India and Prime Minister Modi are very high on that list," Finer told a gathering of several hundred Indian-Americans here on Sunday.<br /><br />"We just saw this in real-time at the G-20 where the prime minister was instrumental in forging a consensus around a joint statement among a far-flung group of countries and in the comments and work that the prime minister has done and others in the Indian government have done to highlight the increasing risk related to nuclear issues," he said.<br /><br />This relationship is being steered by Prime Minister Modi and President Biden who have met more than 15 times, the latest one being in Bali last week, said India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, addressing the gathering at a lunch reception hosted by him to celebrate the 'Festival Season'.<br /><br />The unique event organised by the Embassy of India showcased the syncretic nature of Indian culture. The event saw festivals of different faiths - from Diwali to Hanukkah, Eid to Bodhi day, and from Gurpurab to Christmas celebrated with aplomb.<br /><br />Attended by top officials of the Biden administration, including Senior Advisor to the President Neera Tanden and Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy, the event demonstrated amply India's unique stature as the embodiment of 'Unity in Diversity' - a land where various faiths have not only coexisted but flourished.<br /><br />"This event really demonstrates so much about what President Biden is talking about when he talks about an inclusive country, a country that celebrates our diversity and our strength in diversity," Tanden said.<br /><br />"I'm grateful for this partnership between the United States and India. I think it has been important in the past, but it will be even more important going forward," Murthy said.<br /><br />Reflecting on his views on the India-US relationship, Finer reiterated the administration's commitment to it and said 2022 and 2023 are two critical years for this.<br /><br />"The year 2022 was huge in US-India relations. We think we have an even bigger year ahead in 2023. We have the Quad summit on the agenda coming up. We have India's G20 presidency, which I know we're all looking forward to, including Prime Minister Modi," Finer said in his address.<br /><br />He referred to the 2+2 Quad ministerial meetings taking place this spring, the relaunch of Indi US CEO dialogue and launch of critical and emerging technology dialogue early in 2023.<br /><br />"That's just the tip of the iceberg," Finer said, adding that both 2022 and 2023 are emblematic of how this relationship has proceeded for decades now.<br /><br />The entire Biden administration and certainly the president sees this as among the most consequential relationships for the US anywhere in the world, but also almost uniquely one of the relationships that still retains some of the greatest potential to continue to evolve and strengthen and improve, Finer said.<br /><br />"We are deeply committed to doing just that. It's easy to see why that is the case. At a time that can be extremely difficult to forge a bipartisan consensus in Washington on almost anything, there is a strong bipartisan consensus in support of the US-India relationship and has been for decades and a high degree of continuity from one administration to the next," he said.<br /><br />"There is obviously an increasing alignment of our interests, both geopolitically and as two world-leading democracies. And then, of course, the deep ties and incredible dynamism of our diaspora community, our cultural ties or commercial ties.<br /><br />"And then finally, and I don't want this to be lost, there are the ties of our leadership, which we consider to be hugely important," he said.<br /><br />Among those who attended the event included an array of important dignitaries, with friends of India from the administration, the US Congress, from different states, the think-tank community, private sector organisations, and the Indian diaspora.<br /><br />Notable attendees included Special Presidential Coordinator Amos Hochstein and Lieutenant Governor-Elect of Maryland Aruna Miller. <br /><strong>SEE ALSO:</strong><br /><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/india-played-essential-role-in-negotiating-g20-declaration-white-house/articleshow/95617104.cms">India played essential role in negotiating G20 declaration: White House</a><br /><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/real-estate-investors-may-be-turning-to-india-following-a-continued-slump-in-chinas-property-market-says-a-report/articleshow/95649758.cms" style="">Real estate investors may be turning to India following a continued slump in China's property market, says a report</a><br />

2022 huge year for US-India ties, 2023 to be even bigger: White House

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Pansexuality is when someone feels their attraction to another isn't defined by gender or sex. </li><li>However, some pansexual people may define their sexuality differently than someone else who is pan. </li></ul><p>Nearly<a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/ipsos-lgbt-pride-2021-global-survey" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> one-fifth </a>of young adults around the globe do not identify as heterosexual — but just because they're not straight doesn't necessarily mean that they're gay, lesbian, or bisexual. </p><p>Pansexual is a sexual orientation that describes people who are attracted to people regardless of their gender identity. Here's more on what pansexuality is and common misconceptions about the label. </p><h2>Understanding pansexuality</h2><p>The "pan" in <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pansexual" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pansexual</a> is <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/pan-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Greek</a> for "all." So, the term pansexual describes individuals whose romantic or sexual attraction to people is not limited by biological sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation. </p><p>Put another way, people who are pan are <a href="https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/bias-free-language/sexual-orientation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"multisexual"</a> and may experience romantic or sexual attraction to people who identify as cisgender, transgender, nonbinary, or any other <a href="https://www.insider.com/explained-difference-between-gender-gender-expression-and-sexuality-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gender on the spectrum. </a></p><p>Pansexual is sometimes referred to as "omnisexual" or "gender blind," as well as "sexually fluid," says <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/tiffany-jones-fredericksburg-va/833282" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tiffany Jones,</a> MS, CCTPS, a resident in counseling at the counseling center <a href="https://thriveworks.com/fredericksburg-counseling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thriveworks</a>. "Many pansexual people also describe themselves as being attracted to people based on personality, not gender," Jones says. </p><p>Still, sexuality is nuanced, to say the least, and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15299716.2016.1228491?scroll=top&amp;needAccess=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not all people</a> who identify as pansexual define or experience it the same way. In fact, a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336336038_Regardless_of_Their_Gender_Descriptions_of_Sexual_Identity_among_Bisexual_Pansexual_and_Queer_Identified_Individuals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">small 2018 study </a>of people who identify as bisexual, pansexual, or queer, found people who were pansexual provided various descriptions of their sexuality:  </p><ul><li>Some pansexual participants had more clearly defined parameters of attraction, like one participant who said "I like guys and dudes and androgynous people." </li><li>Another participant said they were "mostly attracted to females or feminine/androgynous people." </li><li>A third said they were "attracted to all genders/sexualities as well as those who don't identify with a gender." </li></ul><h2>Misconceptions about pansexuality </h2><p>There are plenty of misconceptions around pansexuality including the belief that gender identity is the same as sexual orientation, says Jones. </p><p>"Pansexuality is not the same as pangender, which refers to people who experience all genders within themselves. For example, a bigender person can be pansexual, a cis-gendered male can be bisexual, or a pangender person can be homosexual," Jones says. </p><p>There's also the false assumption that people who are pansexual are also polyamorous, a term that describes people in non-monogamous relationships with three or more people. </p><p>"While that may be true for some, it is not true for all who identify as pansexual," says <a href="https://www.holdthevisiontherapy.com/?fbclid=IwAR2yT5KEmWF4jM4MiBY3tHbX_b51HHNR_JYoKrxnNhY0HeUXx76syD8GGqs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel D. Miller,</a> LMFT, founder of<a href="https://www.holdthevisiontherapy.com/?fbclid=IwAR2yT5KEmWF4jM4MiBY3tHbX_b51HHNR_JYoKrxnNhY0HeUXx76syD8GGqs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Hold the Vision Therapy. </a></p><h2>What is the difference between pansexuality and bisexuality? </h2><p>There is an overlap between pansexuality and bisexuality — which is the attraction to more than one gender. In fact, both groups are "multisexual" which means they are attracted to multiple genders, Jones says.</p><p>Typically, people who who identify as pansexual are attracted to others regardless of gender or sexual identity. Meanwhile people who are bisexual can form an attraction to <a href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org/trvr_support_center/bisexual/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">those of the same gender or those of a different gender</a>. </p><p>The distinction between the two is while bisexual means being attracted to more than one gender, pansexual means being attracted to all types of gender categories. But even so, not all people who identify as bisexual or pansexual will have the same experience or definition, which is why it's nearly impossible to draw a distinct difference between the two. </p><p><strong>Important: </strong>It is valid to identify as bisexual, pansexual, or both. It all comes down to how an individual prefers to label themselves, and some may use the terms interchangeably. That's why it's important to ask someone what words they use to describe themselves rather than assuming. </p><p>Many people dispute the term "bisexual" because it implies there are only two genders. Gender exists on a spectrum, and it's essential to understand that those who identify as bisexual can be attracted to multiple genders, not just those on the gender binary — meaning those who identify exclusively as male or female. </p><p>Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for both bisexual and pansexual people to face stigma and misunderstanding. Especially when it comes to the concept of "sexual identity erasure." </p><p>Sexual identity erasure occurs when a person's sexual identity is mistakenly defined based on the relationship they are currently in, as opposed to their overall sexual orientation.</p><p>For example, if a pansexual woman is dating another pansexual woman, people might mistake her for a lesbian when, in reality, her next relationship may be with a man, transgender person, or someone else.</p><p>To put a finer point on it, Miller says that "sexual orientation is not about who you are in a relationship at any particular moment."</p><h2>Insider's takeaway </h2><p>If you find yourself sexually or romantically attracted to all types of people regardless of their gender, you might be pansexual. </p><p>"Coming out" in any manner can be a scary and polarizing experience that can feel particularly difficult for people who have previously self-identified as heterosexual and may be struggling to understand or rationalize how they feel, Jones says. </p><p>Fortunately, there are <a href="https://www.hrc.org/resources/coming-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tools </a>and free helplines specifically for LGBTQ+ people that can help you cope with coming-out anxiety and navigate the experience in a way that is healthy and fulfilling. If you're looking for someone to talk to about your sexuality, you can call the <a href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Trevor Project.</a> If you're in the UK, reach out to the <a href="https://lgbt.foundation/helpline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LGBT Foundation</a>.</p>

What is pansexuality? What it means to be attracted to others regardless of their gender identity.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Pan<keyword id="11899146" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sex" source="Orion">sex</keyword>uality is when someone feels their attraction to another isn't defined by gender or sex. </li><li>However, some pansexual people may define their <keyword id="11910979" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sexuality" source="Orion">sexuality</keyword> differently than someone else who is pan. </li><li>Unlike bisexuals, pansexual people may be attracted to those who do not identify as male or female.</li></ul><p>Nearly<a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/news-polls/ipsos-lgbt-pride-2021-global-survey" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> one-fifth </a>of young adults around the globe do not identify as heterosexual - but just because they're not straight doesn't necessarily mean that they're gay, lesbian, or bisexual. </p><p>Pansexual is a sexual orientation that describes people who are attracted to people regardless of their gender identity. Here's what you need to know. </p><h2>Understanding pansexuality</h2><p>The "pan" in <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pansexual" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pansexual</a> is <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/pan-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Greek</a> for "all." So, the term pansexual describes individuals whose romantic or sexual attraction to people is not limited by biological sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation. </p><p>Put another way, people who are pan are <a href="https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/bias-free-language/sexual-orientation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"multisexual"</a> and may experience romantic or sexual attraction to people who identify as cisgender, transgender, nonbinary, or any other <a href="https://www.insider.com/explained-difference-between-gender-gender-expression-and-sexuality-2020-11" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gender on the spectrum.</a></p><p>Pansexual is sometimes referred to as "omnisexual" or "gender blind," as well as "sexually fluid," says <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/tiffany-jones-fredericksburg-va/833282" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tiffany Jones,</a> MS, CCTPS, a resident in counseling at the counseling center <a href="https://thriveworks.com/fredericksburg-counseling/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Thriveworks</a>. "Many pansexual people also describe themselves as being attracted to people based on personality, not gender," Jones says. </p><p>Still, sexuality is nuanced, to say the least, and <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15299716.2016.1228491?scroll=top&amp;needAccess=truetrue" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not all people</a> who identify as pansexual define or experience it the same way. In fact, a <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336336038_Regardless_of_Their_Gender_Descriptions_of_Sexual_Identity_among_Bisexual_Pansexual_and_Queer_Identified_Individuals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">small 2018 study</a> of people who identify as bisexual, pansexual, or queer, found people who were pansexual provided various descriptions of their sexuality:  </p><ul><li>Some pansexual participants had more clearly defined parameters of attraction, like one participant who said "I like guys and dudes and androgynous people." </li><li>Another participant said they were "mostly attracted to females or feminine/androgynous people." </li><li>A third said they were "attracted to all genders/sexualities as well as those who don't identify with a gender." </li></ul><h2>Misconceptions about pansexuality </h2><p>There are plenty of misconceptions around pansexuality including the belief that gender identity is the same as sexual orientation, says Jones. </p><p>"Pansexuality is not the same as pangender, which refers to people who experience all genders within themselves. For example, a bigender person can be pansexual, a cis-gendered male can be bisexual, or a pangender person can be homosexual," Jones says. </p><p>There's also the false assumption that people who are pansexual are also polyamorous, a term that describes people in non-monogamous <keyword id="11911084" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="relationships" source="Orion">relationships</keyword> with three or more people. </p><p>"While that may be true for some, it is not true for all who identify as pansexual," says <a href="https://www.holdthevisiontherapy.com/?fbclid=IwAR2yT5KEmWF4jM4MiBY3tHbX_b51HHNR_JYoKrxnNhY0HeUXx76syD8GGqs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Rachel D. Miller,</a> LMFT, founder of<a href="https://www.holdthevisiontherapy.com/?fbclid=IwAR2yT5KEmWF4jM4MiBY3tHbX_b51HHNR_JYoKrxnNhY0HeUXx76syD8GGqs" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Hold the Vision Therapy.</a></p><h2>What is the difference between pansexuality and bisexuality? </h2><p>While pansexual and bisexual are distinct sexual orientations, there are some overlaps between the two. Both groups are "multisexual" which means they are attracted to multiple genders, Jones says. </p><p>The clearest distinction between pansexuality and bisexuality is that bisexual indicates a person is attracted to the gender binary (male or female), but pansexuality is broader and typically refers to people attracted to more than two sexes or genders, Miller says. </p><p>Most importantly, people who are pansexual are attracted to people <em>regardless</em> of gender or sexual identity, while people who are bisexual are attracted to people who specifically identify as either male or female. </p><p>Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for both bisexual and pansexual people to face stigma and misunderstanding. Especially when it comes to the concept of "sexual identity erasure." </p><p>Sexual identity erasure occurs when a person's sexual identity is mistakenly defined based on the relationship they are currently in, as opposed to their overall sexual orientation.</p><p>For example, if a pansexual woman is dating another pansexual woman, people might mistake her for a lesbian when, in reality, her next relationship may be with a man, transgender person, or someone else.</p><p>To put a finer point on it, Miller says that "sexual orientation is not about who you are in a relationship at any particular moment."</p><h2>Insider's takeaway </h2><p>If you find yourself sexually or romantically attracted to all types of people regardless of their gender, you might be pansexual. </p><p>"Coming out" in any manner can be a scary and polarizing experience that can feel particularly difficult for people who have previously self-identified as heterosexual and may be struggling to understand or rationalize how they feel, Jones says. </p><p>Fortunately, there are <a href="https://www.hrc.org/resources/coming-out" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tools </a>and free helplines specifically for LGBTQ+ people that can help you cope with coming-out anxiety and navigate the experience in a way that is healthy and fulfilling.</p><p>If you're looking for someone to talk to about your sexuality, you can call the <a href="https://www.glbthotline.org/hotline.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LGBT National Help Center</a> or <a href="https://www.thetrevorproject.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Trevor Project.</a> If you're in the UK, reach out to the <a href="https://lgbt.foundation/helpline" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LGBT Foundation</a>. </p><a data-type="6116b84af1315a29f5586107">5 steamy sex positions for lesbians, according to a sex therapist</a><a data-type="60adb2038fdef84e3f559a06">How platonic relationships differ from romantic relationships - and why you need both</a><a data-type="6011c2601407c869e760a9c8">How to tell the difference between lust and love, according to relationship experts</a><a data-type="5ff75c172a2cea566838ad7a">How to come out to your friends, family members, and more - and how to make sure it's healthy and safe for you</a>

What pansexual means and how it differs from bisexuality

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">A taxi waits for customers as pedestrians make their way past the central railway station in Pyongyang on July 10, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>On-demand taxis are gaining traction in North Korea.</strong></li><li><strong>This popularity is driven by the country's growing consumer class.</strong></li><li><strong>In turn, taxis have become highly lucrative and being a driver is one of the country's most sought after jobs.</strong></li></ul><p><br />On-demand taxis are gaining popularity among wealthier customers across North Korea.</p><p>According to <a href="http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk01500&amp;num=14929">Daily NK</a>, a Seoul-based news site staffed by North Korean defector journalists, customers can summon North Korean taxis with a phone call, and one should arrive within 10 minutes no matter the time, day or night.</p><p>"Wealthier individuals in the city like to summon a taxi right to their doorstep on special occasions like holidays and birthdays, which then take them to their favorite restaurant, for example," a source in Pyongsong told Daily NK.</p><p>Customers pay a base price of $1 to $2. The rate is three times more than a standard cab and far more than what the average North Korean worker earning <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/business-21424127">$4 a day</a> can afford.</p><p>Plus, some "call taxi" drivers only accept US dollars and Chinese yuan.</p><p>Given their high cost and need for foreign currency, the best explanation for the popularity of "call taxis" amongst locals is for North Korea's <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-advertising/north-koreas-mad-men-try-out-pitches-to-new-consumer-class-idUSKCN0Y81A2">"consumer class"</a> to be growing.</p><h2>North Korea's taxi market is highly lucrative</h2><p>The potential income from taxis is significant in North Korea, and the competition between companies is fierce.</p><p>In previous years, both private and government drivers hired part-time <a href="http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk01500&amp;num=14802">'shepherds'</a> who would go out and find customers for them.</p><p>These shepherds could earn up to $50 a day by working for a driver, indicating drivers are earning many times that amount. Even drivers for state-run taxi companies get to keep all their earning beyond a daily fee.</p><p>Given the ability to earn foreign currency while doing a relatively comfortable job, being a taxi driver has quickly become one of North Korea's most <a href="https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2016/06/14/Taxi-driver-becoming-popular-job-in-North-Korea/5301465924079/">popular</a> jobs.</p><p>Potential workers are even paying bribes to secure a driver job, according to <a href="http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20160615001070">Radio Free Asia</a>.</p><h2>A number of North Korean businesses have launched taxi services</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File photo</span></p><p class="caption">Taxis are parked outside a department store in central Pyongyang, North Korea May 4, 2016.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>The market for taxis has grown so large in North Korea that several businesses aimed at middle class and wealthy North Koreans have diversified into the market.</p><p>In <a href="http://koreabizwire.com/delivery-and-call-taxi-services-now-available-in-north-korea/17957">2014</a>, The Daedong River Passenger Transport Company launched its own service asking residents to call '186' for a taxi.</p><p>In 2015, state airline Air Koryo launched a <a href="https://www.nknews.org/2015/09/north-korean-national-airline-introduces-new-domestic-taxi-service/">taxi service</a> with cars, minivans, and SUVs.</p><p>And the following year the Mirim Horse Riding Club, which offers gambling and charges locals a hefty <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea-gambling-horseracing/jockeying-for-cash-north-korea-allows-racetrack-gambling-as-sanctions-bite-idUSKBN1CL0UG">$10</a> to use its luxury facilities, <a href="https://www.nknews.org/2016/11/north-koreas-mirim-horse-riding-club-launches-taxi-service">launched</a> its own taxi service.</p><p>"It seems like everyone's doing it," Rowan Beard, a tour guide from the Young Pioneer Tours company, told <a href="https://www.nknews.org/2016/11/north-koreas-mirim-horse-riding-club-launches-taxi-service">NK News</a> at the time. "Mirim have a good brand name and represent a finer class of Koreans."</p><p>The $35 million Masikryong Ski Resort also has its own taxi company.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/best-iphone-apps-list-review-hq-trivia-ikea-monument-valley-2017-2017-12">Here are the best iPhone apps of 2017</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

Affluent North Koreans are using Uber-like taxis on demand

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Alan/Flickr</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>The difference between GAAP and non-GAAP earnings has been <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/us-corporate-earnings-non-gaap-vs-gaap-spread-2016-3">widening over the past few years</a>, and the Securities and Exchange Commission is stepping in.</p><p>To recap, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/adjusted-earnings-reports-increasing-2016-1">non-GAAP earnings </a>are profits that don't include one-time negative occurrences. Companies argue that this is a way to present earnings that are more accurate to the underlying business. Critics, however, say that this obfuscates the reality of the company. Basically, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/gaap-to-non-gaap-eps-ratio-deteriorating-2015-8">you can't just strip out the bad things</a> and pretend that everything is peachy keen.</p><p>In fact, according to John Butters at FactSet, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/dow-jones-gaap-vs-non-gaap-spread-2016-5">gap between GAAP and non-GAAP earnings</a> for the companies in the Dow Jones Industrial Average got even wider in the first quarter to a 28.9% difference from 19.7% a year go.</p><p>The growing trend has begun to wear on investors and the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/companies-acting-similar-to-the-financial-crisis-2016-5">argument over the correct way</a> to report earnings has been growing louder.</p><p>Enter the SEC, on Tuesday the regulatory agency <a href="https://www.sec.gov/divisions/corpfin/guidance/nongaapinterp.htm">released updated guidelines</a> for companies reporting non-GAAP earnings. The language can be dense, despite the SEC's use of a Q&amp;A format, so Credit Suisse analysts David Zion and Ravi Gotatam broke it down in a note to clients.</p><p><span>While there are a lot of finer details to the changes that the SEC made Tuesday, the main thrust </span>of the note and the announcement is that the agency is beginning to look a lot closer at GAAP and non-GAAP and companies should be ready for that.</p><p>"We expect to hear more from the SEC on non-GAAP, including comment letters to companies that appear to be pushing the envelope and we wouldn't be surprised to see the SEC make an example out of a few companies by investigating them for providing 'misleading' non-GAAP info," wrote Zion and Gotatam.</p><p>"If that doesn't do the trick the SEC might write some new rules."</p><p>The analysts recommend that investors start looking a lot closer at companies with differences between GAAP and non-GAAP, not only because the SEC may start to crack down on the issue but also because it may be a sign that the company is stretching the truth a bit too far.</p><p>Basically, you should always be wary of large non-GAAP adjustments, and especially now considering the SEC has them under the microscope.</p><p>For those interested, here are the technical highlights of the SEC's new guidelines:</p><ul><li>Adjusting only for non-recurring charges, but not non-recurring gains, may be misleading.</li><li>If a company did not adjust for an expense/gain in the past, it should not do so in the current quarter.</li><li>Companies should not bold, emphasis or otherwise highlight non-GAAP earnings more so than GAAP earnings.</li><li>Don't highlight other metrics such as cash flow per share or EBIT per share.</li></ul><p><strong><a href="https://www.sec.gov/divisions/corpfin/guidance/nongaapinterp.htm">You can check out the full SEC guidelines here»</a></strong></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/waterfall-hidden-in-the-grand-canyon-2016-4">There's a remote waterfall hidden in the Grand Canyon that you can hike to</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="IwcWU3MzE6l1S3YcPGPcFcdeOwt5UcHS" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

The government is cracking down on the way companies are fudging their numbers

<p><div class="image-container float_right" style="width:480px"><div class="image"><p class="source">REUTERS/Suzanne Plunkett</p><p class="caption">Other rich British people.</p></div></div>Personal trainer Jason Thomas allegedly <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2358859/Personal-trainer-conned-smitten-female-trust-fund-manager-175-000-live-extravagant-lifestyle.html?ito=feeds-newsxml">swindled £175,000 (approximately $264,500) from a trust fund manager</a> after saying he loved her, a London court heard this week.</p>
<p>Luisa Smith, the fund manager at Capita Trustees in Jersey, stripped money from two accounts and remortgaged her apartment for her beau, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2358859/Personal-trainer-conned-smitten-female-trust-fund-manager-175-000-live-extravagant-lifestyle.html?ito=feeds-newsxml">the Daily Mail reports</a>.</p>
<p>Prosecutors say Thomas told Smith he needed the money to pay a drug debt, while instead spending the cash on finer things like a boat, <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Mercedes Kompressor, Rolex</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"> watches, and a jet-ski.</span></p>
<p><span>Prosecutor Riel Karmy-Jones said about Thomas: "He used this woman to fund an extravagant lifestyle. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The Crown say Jason Thomas has delusions of grandeur and has an over-inflated feeling of self-worth which his personal training could not satisfy. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">He targeted a woman in a good job and he told her that he needed her cash because he was in debt to drug dealers or that his own clients had not paid him. </span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">And so the woman paid up, wanting to impress the man she loved."</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Thomas denied the charges of conspiracy and acquiring criminal property.</span></p>
<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span>For her part, Smith's misconduct was discovered in 2009. She was fired from her job, convicted on two counts of fraud, and sentenced to two years in prison.</span></span></p>

A British Personal Trainer Allegedly Conned His Trust Fund Manager Lover Out Of $265,000

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Netflix</span></p><p class="caption">Marco Polo was the first series Netflix put out in HDR.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>HDR, not 4K, is the next big thing in TV technology.</p><p>My colleague Jeff Dunn has an <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/4k-tv-hdr-whats-the-difference-2016-8">excellent explanation of why</a>, but the takeaway is that your next good TV will likely have both 4K, which is just basically more pixels, and HDR, which affects the colors and will have a much more noticeable affect on your experience.</p><h2><strong>What is HDR? </strong></h2><p>HDR stands for "high dynamic range," and it boosts your TV's contrast ratio. This means <span>the difference between your TV's brightest and darkest colors is greater, which allows for much finer detail for the shades in between. HDR also comes alongside another feature, wide color gamut (WCG), which lets your TV produce more colors than most current sets are capable of.</span></p><p><span>With HDR, the colors are glorious, and the picture is more lifelike. "<span>It's not a gimmick so much as a straight improvement," <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/12-netflix-originals-being-released-in-hdr-2016-4">according to Dunn</a>.</span></span></p><p>So HDR is great, but there are a few problems. First, the good TVs that support it right now will run you <span>$1,500-$2,000. You're probably better off waiting for the market to mature. But even if you are willing to plunk down the cash at this very moment, there is still the issue of what you are actually going to watch.</span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Dolby</span></p><p class="caption">How Dolby advertises its Dolby Vision HDR tech. The left side has HDR enabled.</p></div><p></p></div></div></span></p><h2><strong>HDR10 vs. Dolby Vision</strong></h2><p><span>To get into this, it first helps to understand that there are two common types of HDR. The first is HDR10, which is a more open format. If you see something that refers to HDR on a TV, it's most likely talking about HDR10. The second is Dolby Vision, which is also HDR, but is a proprietary format created by Dolby that requires a licensing fee from the TV manufacturer. I won't get into the differences between them here, but know this: You can't play Dolby Vision content on an HDR10 TV, though there are TVs that support both.</span></p><p><span>This brings us to where you can find HDR shows and movies.</span></p><h2><strong>Streaming services</strong></h2><p>If you're going to be dipping your toe into the HDR pool, chances are you're going to be using Netflix or Amazon Video, the two major streaming services that currently support it.</p><p>Netflix will release a lot of original HDR content by the end of 2016, and made a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/12-netflix-originals-being-released-in-hdr-2016-4">splashy announcement</a> about it this spring, calling the technology "the next generation of TV." That said, it's still a small fraction of the service's overall library. All Netflix titles are available in both HDR10 and Dolby Vision.</p><p>Here is Netflix's selection of current and upcoming titles, which the company says will hit "<a href="https://media.netflix.com/en/company-blog/the-next-generation-of-tv">more than 150 hours</a><span>" by the end of 2016</span>:</p><ul><li>A Series of Unfortunate Events</li><li>Bloodline</li><li>Chef's Table</li><li>Hibana</li><li>Knights of Sidonia</li><li>Marco Polo</li><li>Marvel's Daredevil</li><li>Marvel's Iron Fist</li><li>Marvel's Jessica Jones</li><li>Marvel's Luke Cage</li><li>Marvel's The Defenders</li><li>The Do-Over</li><li>The Ridiculous Six</li></ul><p>Amazon, like Netflix, plans to release "<a href="http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/amazon-video-dolby-vision-hdr/">more than 150 hours</a>" of HDR content by the end of 2016. But right now, Amazon's selection of original content is mostly limited to HDR10, so if you have a Dolby Vision TV, it's slim pickings. Amazon does have some movies from Sony in Dolby Vision, however.</p><p>Here is Amazon's selection, <a href="http://lifehacker.com/what-hdr-is-and-why-it-s-the-future-of-television-1785641937">compiled by Lifehacker</a> (HDR10 unless noted as Dolby Vision as well):</p><ul><li>Bosch Seasons 1 and 2 (Dolby Vision as well for Season 2)</li><li>Mad Dogs Season 1</li><li>Man in the High Castle Season 1</li><li>Mozart in the Jungle Seasons 1 and 2</li><li>Red Oaks Season 1</li><li>Transparent Seasons 1 and 2</li><li>Good Girls Revolt</li><li>Highston</li><li>One Mississippi</li><li>Patriot</li><li>The Interestings</li><li>The Last Tycoon</li><li>Z: The Beginning of Everything</li><li>CHI-RAQ</li><li>Coral Reef Adventure</li><li>Dolphins</li><li>The Living Sea</li><li>Van Gogh: A Brush with Genius</li><li>After Earth (Dolby Vision as well)</li><li>Amazing Spider-Man 2 <span>(Dolby Vision as well)</span></li><li>Chappie <span>(Dolby Vision as well)</span></li><li>Elvis and Nixon</li><li>Elysium <span>(Dolby Vision as well)</span></li><li>Fury <span>(Dolby Vision as well)</span></li><li>Hancock <span>(Dolby Vision as well)</span></li><li>Men in Black III <span>(Dolby Vision as well)</span></li><li>Pineapple Express <span>(Dolby Vision as well)</span></li><li>Salt <span>(Dolby Vision as well)</span></li><li>Smurfs 2 (Dolby Vision as well)</li></ul><p>Beyond Netflix and Amazon, Vudu, Walmart's movie rental service, also offers a bunch of HDR titles, though they are only Dolby Vision (sorry, no HDR10). <a href="http://www.watchvudu.com/uhd/">See a full list of titles there.</a></p><p>Lastly, if you are trying to stretch into the physical realm, you can pick up Ultra HD Blu-rays. These, however, only support HDR10 currently, and consequently there aren't any players compatible with Dolby Vision either. The new Xbox One S supports only HDR10.</p><p>So the main moral of the story is that watching HDR content is going to be a little convoluted until the whole HDR10 versus Dolby Vision war settles down - or until all TVs just start supporting both by default. </p><p><em>Additional reporting by Jeff Dunn.</em></p><p class="tagline">Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through hispersonal investment company Bezos Expeditions.</p>

HDR is going to change how you watch TV - here are the movies and shows currently available, and where to find them

<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"></span><p></p></span></span>Google plans to nearly quintuple its presence in Colorado with the construction of a new, four-acre campus in Boulder.&#xa0;</p>
<p>The project, which was <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/28/a-google-gentrification-fight-that-doesnt-involve-san-francisco/?_r=0">recently approved</a> by Boulder's City Council, includes three, four-story office buildings with all of the usual Google luxuries, including fitness centers, cafeterias, and a large underground parking lot.</p>
<p>The new campus will increase Google's Boulder workforce from 340 employees to nearly 1,500.&#xa0;</p>
<p>That huge jump has some Boulder locals worried about the future of their city. An influx of high-salaried tech workers could worsen&#xa0;<a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_27151338/boulder-google-campus-at-pearl-30th-moves-forward">problems Boulder is already having</a>, like traffic congestion and a shortage of affordable housing.</p>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-8de53f6c-a0e2-0044-70e7-ad0e5893c8c8">"Prices are rising. We are becoming less and less affordable to lower and middle income. We're also seeing local businesses that have been here for decades being priced out," City Council member Suzanne Jones <a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/12/28/a-google-gentrification-fight-that-doesnt-involve-san-francisco/?_r=0">said to the New York Times</a>. "It puts a finer point on this issue of, where are we headed? Attracting big business is great, on the one hand, but it will be part of that change on the other."</span></p>
<p>A set of nearby a<span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em;">partment buildings seems like the perfect spot to accommodate the incoming Googlers. Still, many worry that these high-paid workers will eventually look for housing beyond the immediately surrounding areas, leading to an explosion in home prices like that seen in San Francisco and Silicon Valley.&#xa0;</span></p>
<p>"Many of the eventual 1,500 employees and their families won't choose to live in the monolithic apartment complexes that are right next door. Many of these high-paid techies will want houses with yards," Boulder resident Judy Amabile <a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/editorials/ci_27174889/from-editorial-advisory-board-googled">writes in a letter</a> to the Daily Camera, the city's local newspaper. "They might drive: to work, to drop off kids at school, to grocery shop, to dine out on Pearl Street. Google's expansion may well exacerbate rather than mitigate our affordable housing and transportation problems."</p>
<p><span>The new campus will be located just a block away from the bus station currently under construction at Boulder Junction. When the city council approved Google's project,&#xa0;</span><span></span><a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_27151338/boulder-google-campus-at-pearl-30th-moves-forward">it also asked</a><span>&#xa0;that the company provide incentives for employees to use public transportation rather than drive to work. The campus will have only 600 parking spots, less than half the number of employees who will be based there. </span></p>
<p><span>Another concern voiced by residents and the city's planning board regards the appearance of the buildings themselves. Google's campuses tend to be rather contained environments, with luxurious amenities that employees can enjoy behind closed doors. </span></p>
<p><span>The new campus will be built in one of Boulder's busiest commercial areas, but it won't have any ground-floor retail space. It's not exactly inviting.</span></p>
<p><span class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><span><span data-post-image="" class="image on-image"></span><p></p></span></span></p>
<p><span>Four stories is also significantly taller than many of the other buildings in the area.</span></p>
<p><span>"It will be a very nice place for the employees, but, as far as addressing the public realm, especially the streetscape, I think it falls short," planning board member Liz Payton <a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_27072010/boulder-planning-board-challenges-google-campus-plan">said during a site review</a> earlier in December. "I don't think this is coherent, in that it is this very insular campus, but not relating to the context around it very successfully."</span></p>
<p><span>Google will construct a path winding through the campus itself, with the hope that it will keep the complex relatively open to the community.</span></p>
<p>And some argue that a growing tech presence in Boulder would be a positive influence on the community.&#xa0;</p>
<p>Scott Green, site director for Google Boulder, <a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_27072010/boulder-planning-board-challenges-google-campus-plan">emphasized the impact</a> tech workers could have on the city's innovative sector, citing the engineering team's work on apps like Google Earth and Google Drive. There could be increased recruiting from the University of Colorado nearby.</p>
<p>The Google Boulder office also has sales and marketing teams.&#xa0;</p>
<p>"These are critical projects, and they're big projects. They're growing, and staying still is not really an option. We've grown quite rapidly, and we expect to continue to grow," <a href="http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_27072010/boulder-planning-board-challenges-google-campus-plan">Green said</a> to the planning board in December. "Our identity is tied to Boulder. We want to be in Boulder."</p>

Google Plans To Build An Enormous New Campus In Colorado - And Residents Are Worried About Gentrification

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/peyri/34685785/in/photolist-44LSM-6f6heq-AJ5Zv-5LpzsN-UjnB-staa-8TxzUS-a6z7Kp-5jfdh-8akZTE-7xkA-4HbqTQ-37sJCF-cvxKNN-5d69ch-bxfJwH-6MTRz-6XG31P-L5jUK-6LGD3r-7XQQHY-cTn6M9-7Uxhx9-e47H5-5VPLh7-LHwu4-4WBw8k-4vFr76-d2EUi-81MXJq-dSrHa-2Sb7c-DkL-e47Kz-7xkD-e47Jj-eax6ap-qs1ocK-a9HrBK-4YaDp7-NA5rP-hKwyn-5Drouk-8NYffe-cfv5qj-863fGt-6Z3v19-4GLf8H-3LFq7z-8LgxD">Flickr CC/Peyri Herrera</a></span></p><p class="caption">I imagined my robot personal assistant to look like this.</p></div><p></p></div></div>It's unusual to meet a journalist who has their own personal assistant. I've never met one. So I was well aware of the task I had ahead of me convincing my friends, colleagues, and contacts that I now had a PA.</p><p>And, I didn't even really have a PA. For a week, I decided to try out "Amy Ingram," a virtual PA designed to schedule meetings for busy executives, by taking away all the e-mail ping-pong that goes with organizing a rendezvous.</p><p>In practice, all you need to do is link your calendars and then CC "Amy Ingram/amy@x.ai" into an e-mail conversation about setting up a meeting. She then takes over, chats to your contact like a real PA to sort the best time and location, and the next thing you should expect to see is a calendar invite.</p><p>Dennis Mortensen, the CEO of the company that created Amy Ingram, x.ai, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amy-ingram-personal-assistant-2015-7">told me earlier this month</a> that some people have been so convinced she is human, they've even sent her flowers, whiskey, and chocolates.</p><p>I had to try it out for myself.</p><h2>The set-up</h2><p>It all began with a friendly "hi."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">So polite!</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>I felt compelled to be polite back. "Hi Amy, <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">nice to meet you</span>. I hate meetings before 11AM - so please try to avoid those as I am usually busy in the mornings. Thank you, Lara."</p><p>I had to scold myself: She's not real! Yet it felt odd constructing an email with only the most basic of information, eschewing any sort of salutation. </p><p>Connecting my calendars took just a couple of clicks as I was already signed into my Google accounts.</p><p>I was ready. Amy was ready. I had reached the big time.</p><h2>A rocky start</h2><p>The first meeting Amy attempted to arrange was via a PR I have known for years. I casually dropped Amy into our e-mail conversation.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Chris was baffled.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>So was Amy.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>But, Amy: We hadn't decided yet! We were just trying to carve out a time slot! We can sort the finer details later! </p><p>OK Amy, just this once. </p><p>I sent an email asking Chris where we should meet. He replied back with a vague location. I responded asking for the exact address. He sent me the address. I forwarded it over to Amy.</p><p>It was starting to feel a lot like email ping-pong.</p><p>I didn't hear any more from either of them until two days later. Chris emailed:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Chris hadn't been replying to Amy's polite emails attempting to suggest a time. Instead, he had gone ahead and sorted the meeting himself. The (human) PA of the person I was due to be meeting sent me a calendar invite. Eventually, Chris got back to Amy to let her know it had all been set up without her.</p><p>Sure enough, Amy let me know too.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>But continuing to use Amy actually made me better at organizing meetings</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/neo_ii/7483010074/in/photolist-cpfoc5-j6Riw-6987y-CE5bh-5bQZEA-5Tkqtm-5uDyp6-s2aNkb-2GRwqe-7FSMA-2GREy6-r4YrAF-6fvsTU-7X1cub-RyZfM-vhTAjY-bcMJae-7LKe8Z-4tKayg-7LPb6h-7WWYdR-4okw5s-33jXy-7Sts1V-bCD6hs-9V96ZP-jazuJe-8ZaDA3-dPBMDQ-EpZAf-drwTpd-8JB5HC-o8SuUR-5uDx12-uPj36e-9purHN-b8qLJV-pnbZdd-e2n2zi-7LKe12-7RAe6x-7q7wJn-51ZaXd-6RXeUu-7LPaSw-mz6Ps1-mz7bMA-d5YbDd-pyzcf-joHFD5">FlickrCC/Neo_II</a></span></p><p class="caption">It helps to suggest to Amy early on where your favorite meeting spots are.</p></div><p></p></div></div>My first experience using Amy was far from seamless. But it highlighted the biggest mistake I didn't even know I was making when I try to set up meetings myself: I'm not specific enough from the outset. And that's why the email ping-pong occurs.</p><p>I asked Mortensen - Amy's creator - for some advice. He suggested I email Amy letting her know my favorite places for breakfast, coffee, lunch, and also my default meeting types: like phone calls, or at my office.</p><p>I don't really have a "default." One of the best things about being a journalist is you get to explore other people's offices and different parts of the city. Fortunately, Mortensen said I can also tell Amy that the location is "TBD."</p><p>From there on in, organizing meetings became a breeze. Those who didn't know me too well didn't question the fact that I was adding Amy into our conversations. Those who did were just as incredulous as Chris. One contact responded: "Well if I'd known you had people I would have got my people to speak to your people."</p><p>Later, I had to admit to a confused contact I had known all my career that I merely had a "virtual PA."</p><p>His response: a "HAL" reference:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Nevertheless, despite not being human, Amy was very realistic. Even when meetings needed to be rescheduled (from my end, or theirs,) Amy seemed to understand, and the next email I'd see from her would be an updated calendar invite.</p><p>I'm the first to admit that I'm not the best at managing my inbox, and can often miss emails. My worst habit is "starring" emails and then forgetting to look at them later. Having Amy on board gave me reassurance that I wasn't letting things slide.</p><p>Usefully, she would also send me a copy of the conversations she had been having with my colleagues, so I could keep tabs on her. Amy also forwarded me a weekly meeting summary. She said she had scheduled seven meetings for me, adding: "I can happily say that there are no outstanding tasks."</p><h2>Putting Amy to the test</h2><p>It was difficult to resist having a little fun. I wondered whether Amy would respond to a general chit-chat email that had nothing to do with setting up meetings.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>And what about an "important business meeting" with a friend?</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Amy responded with a calendar invite from 5pm to 8pm on the evening I requested. Oh Amy, you don't know me at all.</p><h2>Would Amy pass probation?</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/phalinn/3559179057">Phalinn Ooi/flickr</a></span></p><p class="caption">Do robots have lie-ins?</p></div><p></p></div></div>My biggest issue using Amy was her erratic response times. Sometimes meetings would be sorted in minutes flat. Other times - particularly if emailed her in the morning (GMT) - she could take hours to respond. I mentioned this to my Friday night pub friend, and he became immediately suspicious (pub friends like to conspire) that Amy might be more human than she was letting on and I was simply waiting for a real person in the US to wake up and deal with my scheduling.</p><p>That thought quickly exited my head, though: <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/05/x-ai-raises-9-2m-at-a-40m-valuation-for-its-ai-based-email-assistant-who-sets-up-meetings/">X.ai has raised more than $11 million in funding to date</a>, with a $40 million valuation, and Mortensen is a long-time data analytics entrepreneur. He sold his company Visual Revenue to Outbrain, was the COO of Indextools when it sold to Yahoo, and he sold his other company Canvas Interactive to TJ Group. </p><p>I asked him why Amy was sometimes a little tardy. He responded:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">We are moving towards a setting where Amy is near instant, but even in her current incarnation she tends to beat most human assistants in response time and working days (given her 24/7 machine setting). However, things can get queued up for multiple reasons, mostly due to verification needed or simply waiting for response on either Guest or Host side, but also due to potential response ambiguity (for her). We operate in a supervised learning environment where we go for accuracy over speed, to ensure high quality in our training data (and product). So a sentence or simple time expression might be pulled aside and that delays things a bit. All while building this verticalized AI.</p><p>Another bugbear I had with Amy was her email signature: </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>It's a bit of a giveaway! People might question my new (artificial) elevated status! (Mortensen says the paid-for version of Amy Ingram will allow for customization of the email signature.)</p><p>And, ultimately, that "status" was my main issue with using Amy. I am busy, and I do set up lots of meetings, but I'm certainly not an executive. I'm sure many of the people requesting meetings with me last week (and didn't notice the email signature) thought I was getting a little ahead of myself - or that Business Insider had some serious cash to burn, and was giving its section editors their own personal lackeys.</p><p>So I probably won't continue using Amy, and it'll be bittersweet saying goodbye as she was very efficient - I'd recommend her to actual executives (thousands of executives are already using Amy Ingram, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amy-ingram-personal-assistant-2015-7">including former Havas CEO David Jones, now the owner of You &amp; Mr Jones</a>.) Despite her not being an actual person, she's taught me a valuable lesson about being a lot more organized and specific from the outset when it comes to arranging meetings.</p><p><em>x.ai is currently in beta. <a href="https://x.ai/">You can sign up to the waiting list here</a>.</em></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/song-made-using-coins-drummer-music-video-2015-7">This drummer created a whole song by only using the sound of coins</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="s1ZDM1djoe2BbhjqVRCIwkLubOlkcQgk" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

I hired a virtual PA for a week and it's made me a far more organized person than I ever was before

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/peyri/34685785/in/photolist-44LSM-6f6heq-AJ5Zv-5LpzsN-UjnB-staa-8TxzUS-a6z7Kp-5jfdh-8akZTE-7xkA-4HbqTQ-37sJCF-cvxKNN-5d69ch-bxfJwH-6MTRz-6XG31P-L5jUK-6LGD3r-7XQQHY-cTn6M9-7Uxhx9-e47H5-5VPLh7-LHwu4-4WBw8k-4vFr76-d2EUi-81MXJq-dSrHa-2Sb7c-DkL-e47Kz-7xkD-e47Jj-eax6ap-qs1ocK-a9HrBK-4YaDp7-NA5rP-hKwyn-5Drouk-8NYffe-cfv5qj-863fGt-6Z3v19-4GLf8H-3LFq7z-8LgxD">Flickr CC/Peyri Herrera</a></span></p><p class="caption">I imagined my robot personal assistant to look like this.</p></div><p></p></div></div>It's unusual to meet a journalist who has their own personal assistant. I've never met one. So I was well aware of the task I had ahead of me convincing my friends, colleagues, and contacts that I now had a PA.</p><p>And, I didn't even really have a PA. For a week, I decided to try out "Amy Ingram," a virtual PA designed to schedule meetings for busy executives, by taking away all the e-mail ping-pong that goes with organizing a rendezvous.</p><p>In practice, all you need to do is link your calendars and then CC "Amy Ingram/amy@x.ai" into an e-mail conversation about setting up a meeting. She then takes over, chats to your contact like a real PA to sort the best time and location, and the next thing you should expect to see is a calendar invite.</p><p>Dennis Mortensen, the CEO of the company that created Amy Ingram, x.ai, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amy-ingram-personal-assistant-2015-7">told me earlier this month</a> that some people have been so convinced she is human, they've even sent her flowers, whiskey, and chocolates.</p><p>I had to try it out for myself.</p><h2>The set-up</h2><p>It all began with a friendly "hi."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">So polite!</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>I felt compelled to be polite back. "Hi Amy, <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">nice to meet you</span>. I hate meetings before 11AM - so please try to avoid those as I am usually busy in the mornings. Thank you, Lara."</p><p>I had to scold myself: She's not real! Yet it felt odd constructing an email with only the most basic of information, eschewing any sort of salutation. </p><p>Connecting my calendars took just a couple of clicks as I was already signed into my Google accounts.</p><p>I was ready. Amy was ready. I had reached the big time.</p><h2>A rocky start</h2><p>The first meeting Amy attempted to arrange was via a PR I have known for years. I casually dropped Amy into our e-mail conversation.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">"Hello! That week is fairly free, afternoons are always best. Amy, can you help organise a coffee meeting with [REDACTED] on the week of the 3rd to the 7th August? Thank you. Lara"</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Chris was baffled.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">"who is amy?? what is amy? do you have a secret PA? have you got dead senior and will forget all your friends and just hang out with really important people instead?"</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>So was Amy.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">"Hi Lara, I see you would like to use 'coffee meeting' as the location for this meeting. To make sure that you and Chris don't miss each other, can you give me an exact address for where you would like to meet? Amy."</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>But, Amy: We hadn't decided yet! We were just trying to carve out a time slot! We can sort the finer details later! </p><p>OK Amy, just this once. </p><p>I sent an email asking Chris where we should meet. He replied back with a vague location. I responded asking for the exact address. He sent me the address. I forwarded it over to Amy.</p><p>It was starting to feel a lot like email ping-pong.</p><p>I didn't hear any more from either of them until two days later. Chris emailed:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">"Can you tell her we have this sorted please she's harassing me and it's weird. ;-)"</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Chris hadn't been replying to Amy's polite emails attempting to suggest a time. Instead, he had gone ahead and sorted the meeting himself. The (human) PA of the person I was due to be meeting sent me a calendar invite. Eventually, Chris got back to Amy to let her know it had all been set up without her.</p><p>Sure enough, Amy let me know too.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">"Hi Lara, Just wanted to let you know that I saw Chris's message. Since this meeting has already been scheduled, I'll take no further action on this. Amy."</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h2>But continuing to use Amy actually made me better at organizing meetings</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/neo_ii/7483010074/in/photolist-cpfoc5-j6Riw-6987y-CE5bh-5bQZEA-5Tkqtm-5uDyp6-s2aNkb-2GRwqe-7FSMA-2GREy6-r4YrAF-6fvsTU-7X1cub-RyZfM-vhTAjY-bcMJae-7LKe8Z-4tKayg-7LPb6h-7WWYdR-4okw5s-33jXy-7Sts1V-bCD6hs-9V96ZP-jazuJe-8ZaDA3-dPBMDQ-EpZAf-drwTpd-8JB5HC-o8SuUR-5uDx12-uPj36e-9purHN-b8qLJV-pnbZdd-e2n2zi-7LKe12-7RAe6x-7q7wJn-51ZaXd-6RXeUu-7LPaSw-mz6Ps1-mz7bMA-d5YbDd-pyzcf-joHFD5">FlickrCC/Neo_II</a></span></p><p class="caption">It helps to suggest to Amy early on where your favorite meeting spots are.</p></div><p></p></div></div>My first experience using Amy was far from seamless. But it highlighted the biggest mistake I didn't even know I was making when I try to set up meetings myself: I'm not specific enough from the outset. And that's why the email ping-pong occurs.</p><p>I asked Mortensen - Amy's creator - for some advice. He suggested I email Amy letting her know my favorite places for breakfast, coffee, lunch, and also my default meeting types: like phone calls, or at my office.</p><p>I don't really have a "default." One of the best things about being a journalist is you get to explore other people's offices and different parts of the city. Fortunately, Mortensen said I can also tell Amy that the location is "TBD."</p><p>From there on in, organizing meetings became a breeze. Those who didn't know me too well didn't question the fact that I was adding Amy into our conversations. Those who did were just as incredulous as Chris. One contact responded: "Well if I'd known you had people I would have got my people to speak to your people."</p><p>Later, I had to admit to a confused contact I had known all my career that I merely had a "virtual PA."</p><p>His response: a "HAL" reference:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">"I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that."</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Nevertheless, despite not being human, Amy was very realistic. Even when meetings needed to be rescheduled (from my end, or theirs,) Amy seemed to understand, and the next email I'd see from her would be an updated calendar invite.</p><p>I'm the first to admit that I'm not the best at managing my inbox, and can often miss emails. My worst habit is "starring" emails and then forgetting to look at them later. Having Amy on board gave me reassurance that I wasn't letting things slide.</p><p>Usefully, she would also send me a copy of the conversations she had been having with my colleagues, so I could keep tabs on her. Amy also forwarded me a weekly meeting summary. She said she had scheduled seven meetings for me, adding: "I can happily say that there are no outstanding tasks."</p><h2>Putting Amy to the test</h2><p>It was difficult to resist having a little fun. I wondered whether Amy would respond to a general chit-chat email that had nothing to do with setting up meetings.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">LARA: "Hi Amy, How are you? Just wanted ot check in to see if you're enjoying your time working for me so far? Don't forget to take a lunch break!" AMY: "Hi Lara, Thank you. I'm grateful for the opportunity to work for you. If you have any feedback on my job performance please feel free to email help@x.ai. The team would love to hear from you. Looking forward to scheduling your next meeting! Amy"</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>And what about an "important business meeting" with a friend?</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p><p class="caption">"Hi Amy, Can you please organise some drinks after work with Kevin on Friday 31st July at The {REDACTED] Pub, [REDACTED] London? Block out the entire evening. Thanks."</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Amy responded with a calendar invite from 5pm to 8pm on the evening I requested. Oh Amy, you don't know me at all.</p><h2>Would Amy pass probation?</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/phalinn/3559179057">Phalinn Ooi/flickr</a></span></p><p class="caption">Do robots have lie-ins?</p></div><p></p></div></div>My biggest issue using Amy was her erratic response times. Sometimes meetings would be sorted in minutes flat. Other times - particularly if emailed her in the morning (GMT) - she could take hours to respond. I mentioned this to my Friday night pub friend, and he became immediately suspicious (pub friends like to conspire) that Amy might be more human than she was letting on and I was simply waiting for a real person in the US to wake up and deal with my scheduling.</p><p>That thought quickly exited my head, though: <a href="http://techcrunch.com/2015/01/05/x-ai-raises-9-2m-at-a-40m-valuation-for-its-ai-based-email-assistant-who-sets-up-meetings/">X.ai has raised more than $11 million in funding to date</a>, with a $40 million valuation, and Mortensen is a long-time data analytics entrepreneur. He sold his company Visual Revenue to Outbrain, was the COO of Indextools when it sold to Yahoo, and he sold his other company Canvas Interactive to TJ Group. </p><p>I asked him why Amy was sometimes a little tardy. He responded:</p><p style="padding-left: 30px;">We are moving towards a setting where Amy is near instant, but even in her current incarnation she tends to beat most human assistants in response time and working days (given her 24/7 machine setting). However, things can get queued up for multiple reasons, mostly due to verification needed or simply waiting for response on either Guest or Host side, but also due to potential response ambiguity (for her). We operate in a supervised learning environment where we go for accuracy over speed, to ensure high quality in our training data (and product). So a sentence or simple time expression might be pulled aside and that delays things a bit. All while building this verticalized AI.</p><p>Another bugbear I had with Amy was her email signature: </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><p class="source"><span>Business Insider</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>It's a bit of a giveaway! People might question my new (artificial) elevated status! (Mortensen says the paid-for version of Amy Ingram will allow for customization of the email signature.)</p><p>And, ultimately, that "status" was my main issue with using Amy. I am busy, and I do set up lots of meetings, but I'm certainly not an executive. I'm sure many of the people requesting meetings with me last week (and didn't notice the email signature) thought I was getting a little ahead of myself - or that Business Insider had some serious cash to burn, and was giving its section editors their own personal lackeys.</p><p>So I probably won't continue using Amy, and it'll be bittersweet saying goodbye as she was very efficient. However, I'd recommend her to actual executives (thousands of executives are already using Amy Ingram, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/amy-ingram-personal-assistant-2015-7">including former Havas CEO David Jones, now the owner of You &amp; Mr Jones</a>.) And despite Amy not being an actual person, she's taught me a valuable lesson about being a lot more organized and specific from the outset when it comes to arranging meetings.</p><p><em>x.ai is currently in beta. <a href="https://x.ai/">You can sign up to the waiting list here</a>.</em></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/song-made-using-coins-drummer-music-video-2015-7">This drummer created a whole song by only using the sound of coins</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="s1ZDM1djoe2BbhjqVRCIwkLubOlkcQgk" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

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