Category: Business Insider

• Shopify stunned investors after reporting a surprise loss for the first three months of the year.
• The e-commerce platform posted a $273 million loss for the first quarter.
• It marks new low following its boom years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Shopify shares plunged almost 20% in premarket trading after the e-commerce giant sunk into the red for the first three months of the year.

The Canadian platform for online merchants posted a $273 million net loss in the first quarter, marking a sharp decline from the $68 million profit for the same period a year ago.

The loss came despite revenue jumping 23% year-on-year to $1.9 billion. Shopify also said it expected gross margins to fall by 50 basis points in the second quarter following the sale of its logistics business to supply chain firm Flexport in 2023.

The losses mark a surprise fall for Shopify after last year reclaiming some of the gains it made during the pandemic online shopping after hitting a low around October 2022.

The company has also undergone a number of rounds of layoffs, with a significant 20% cut made to its workforce in May last year.

Harvey Finkelstein, president of Shopify, told investors on Wednesday that they're "seeing the strongest version of Shopify" in its history while claiming that the goal is to build a "100-year company."

"Our outstanding Q1 performance is clear proof of our dedication to the new shape of Shopify, our commitment to operating with a consistent team size, and our focus on building for the long-term to deliver both growth and profitability," he said.

• Tim Cook might have helped Apple avert a wider crisis in China.
• iPhone sales rose 12% in China in March after months of decline.
• The reversal hasn't come easy though: Apple has been forced to slash prices of its top models.

It looks like Tim Cook can breathe a small sigh of relief about Apple's prospects in China — for now.

After months of freefallling iPhone sales there, signs are emerging of a rebound in what is arguably Apple's most important international market.

Official government data, first reported by Bloomberg, suggests iPhone sales rose 12% in China in March, with overall shipments of non-Chinese smartphones jumping to 3.75 million units.

Though the Apple CEO made a brief remark about the company's iPhone unit growing "on a reported basis" in China during an earnings call this month, it's clear that the reversal hasn't come easily.

Apple has been pushed to take aggressive measures, such as rare price cuts, to rescue iPhone sales in the face of increasingly fierce competition in China.

Local competitor Huawei, for instance, has released two 5G smartphones since August 2023 — the Mate 60 Pro and Pura 70 Ultra — that have managed to gain significant traction with domestic consumers at Apple's expense.

Figures from Counterpoint Research published earlier this year highlighted just how much damage was being dealt to Apple in China, with iPhone sales there sliding 24% year-on-year in the first six weeks of 2024 alone.

Although China's overall smartphone market declined by 7% in that period, Huawei's smartphone sales jumped 64% over the same six weeks. According to Counterpoint estimates, iPhone sales fell 19% in the first three months of this year, leaving Apple trailing Chinese rivals such as Vivo and Honor.

Given Apple generated net sales of almost $72.6 billion from the Greater China region in its last financial year, it's clear that the market is one that the company thinks it must protect.

It's why in the face of waning interest in iPhones — compounded by Beijing banning iPhones for government employees — Apple and its resellers introduced steep discounts on its top models earlier this year.

During the Lunar New Year in January, Apple introduced promotions that cut iPhone 15 prices by up to $70. By the end of February, some resellers were slashing prices on the iPhone 15 by as much as $180, according to one report.

It's worth noting just how unusual this is, with Apple almost never offering discounts on its top models just a few months after their release. But without them, it's possible that Apple's China crisis could have been even worse.

In its second quarter earnings report last week, Apple said net sales in the Greater China region came in at just under $16.4 billion, down from the $17.8 billion the previous year.

For Cook, who made a trip to China as recently as March to open a new Apple store in Shanghai, the bounceback will be welcomed. Sustaining it will be his next big test.

• TikTok users are reveling in how a Stop & Shop self-checkout pronounces "organic bananas."
• The video has racked up 7.3 million views, and people are trying to figure out what makes it so funny.
• It's drawn more positive attention to self-checkouts, which have typically been subject to scrutiny.

The robotic voice of a Stop & Shop self-checkout has the internet cracking up in how it pronounces "organic bananas."

A video posted to TikTok by user Everett showed a man putting the "organic bananas" through the self-checkout and laughing at the intonation of the machine's pronunciation.

"That's my favorite thing in this whole store," the person who appears to be filming the video says.

The TikTok racked up 7.3 million views in just 10 days, and the comment section is bursting with people trying to understand what makes it so funny.

"She says it like she's trying not to laugh at our little inside joke about organic bananas," one comment with nearly 200,000 likes says.

"It's like she tilts her head down, looking over her glasses, and smirks when she says bananas," said another.

The company even commented on the video, saying: "We just feel really passionately about ~organic bananas~."

In a statement to Business Insider, a spokesperson for the chain said that it is "finding it b-a-n-a-n-a-s that this TikTok is getting so much traction!

"It's not every day our self-checkout machines become a viral sensation, but we're here for it," they added.

The comments on the organic bananas video spurred the user to post more TikToks of the self-checkout pronouncing different products.

Yams were next. "Okay, the self-checkout voice saying 'yams' is kinda aggressive," he wrote on text overlay on the video, which has 2.4 million views. The next video showed the checkout trying to pronounce "bok choy."

Some users were surprised that the checkout named the items out loud. "Imagine buying personal items, and it just announces it to the world," one comment on the bok choy video said.

Self-checkouts have faced a lot of scrutiny in recent years.

They've been blamed for alienating shoppers, and increasing cases of shoplifting.

California's Senate is even considering a proposal to restrict retailers from using self-checkouts unless they meet specific conditions.

"Organic bananas" has, at least, provided some respite from self-checkout security and given social media users a laugh.

• Long queues formed at major UK airports after a nationwide outage affected electronic passport gates.
• Many were stuck for more than an hour in hot corridors with no water and little information.
• "It's absolute chaos. They're telling us nothing," one passenger told BI's reporter, who was also caught up in the delays.

Border control at many of the UK's biggest airports was disrupted for multiple hours on Tuesday evening after electronic passport gates suffered a nationwide outage.

Thousands of passengers landed at London Gatwick — Europe's eighth busiest airport — late on Tuesday to face massive delays in entering the country.

This reporter was among those to face the huge lines, spending almost two hours queuing to get through passport control — longer than the flight from France I'd taken.

Similar issues were reported at major airports nationwide, including hubs like Europe's busiest airport, London Heathrow, as well as Manchester, Birmingham, and Edinburgh.

"Only the manual desks are being manned and it's going to take a while to get through," one airport staff member shouted to passengers who had just disembarked a flight only to see crowds filling the hallways.

"All airports in the UK are impacted," she added.

The crowd was left waiting in the increasingly hot corridor, slowly edging forwards with no idea how long the delay would last. Many made calls to relatives, telling them not to wait up.

There was mostly no access to toilets or water, and buggies carrying disabled and elderly passengers could not pass through the crowds.

"It's absolute chaos. They're telling us nothing," complained one passenger, who had just flown back from holiday in Benidorm, Spain, with his family.

A group of upbeat young men cracked jokes, drawing a few laughs from tired passengers.

"Oh… and it's another long corridor boys," they joked as the crowd slowly moved around yet another corner in the airport. "Every ten feet we have to cheer."

"Let's light a cigarette and set off the fire alarm. That would get us all out of here quickly," said another.

As the temperature in the packed hallways began to rise, others became more frustrated.

"We have no idea what is happening. These are crazy queues in Gatwick airport," Gedi, a Lithuanian national returning to his home in the UK, told BI. "I'm feeling very sweaty and very hot."

After around 50 minutes, BI's reporter entered the main border control hall, where more staff were on hand, trying their best to calm the crowds and handing out bottles of water.

"It's a national outage of the e-gates," one airport official confirmed to BI. "The Home Office will know more, but it's across all the airports nationwide. It's unplanned."

A massive wave of arrivals had recently arrived at Gatwick's north terminal, making the delays particularly bad, she said.

The official, who started her shift at 6 p.m., told BI at around half past midnight that the issue had been ongoing for about six hours.

However, the British Home Office told BI that "a wider system network issue" had been detected by engineers at 7.44 p.m.

"A large-scale contingency response was activated within 6 minutes," the Home Office said. "eGates at UK airports came back online shortly after midnight."

They have ruled out an intentional cyber attack.

"At no point was border security compromised and there is no indication of malicious cyber activity," a spokesperson told BI.

By around 1 a.m., travelers were passing through the e-gates at Gatwick's north terminal, and the queues had begun to dissipate.

But once through border control, the chaos continued as passengers searched through baggage that had arrived long before its owners.

Onward travel at Gatwick was also affected by train strikes on Tuesday, leading to more queues stretching outside the airport for taxis.

"This is some people's first experience of England," noted one man in the queue, shaking his head.

"We apologise to travellers caught up in disruption and thank our partners, including airlines for their co-operation and support," the Home Office told BI.

E-gates in the UK were also affected by an IT issue in May 2023, creating similar scenes at airports.

In August 2023, the UK's National Air Traffic control service was disrupted by a "technical issue" in the flight-planning system.

• After failing to replicate the routine of Apple CEO Tim Cook, I was ready to try something new.
• I tried following the morning routine of Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel.
• I'm starting to see the appeal of waking up early, but 5 a.m. is still unrealistic.

I'm a recent college graduate, and many of the stereotypes about my age group involve partying, excessive drinking, and hanging out with friends. The reality, though, is a bit bleak: Gen Z is lonely, drinking less, and splurging more on their groceries than nights out.

However, after years of watching my favorite content creators share what it's like to "get their lives together" in their late 20s and early 30s, I'm inclined to think Gen Z might be onto something.

Call us overachievers or flat-out boring, but maybe we don't want to wait until we're 30 to build consistent, healthy routines we're happy with — I know I don't.

So, earlier this year, I made it my personal mission to curate an effective morning routine and started researching the special group of humans who seem innately more prepared to start their days than the rest of us: CEOs.

After some mixed results copying Apple CEO Tim Cook's morning routine for a week, I was determined to try something new.

Enter Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel.

Spiegel wakes up at 5 a.m. to check Snap, read his emails, and drink a double espresso before working out or meditating.

Ideally, my morning routine would consist of a workout, breakfast, reading, and ample time for getting dressed and doing my hair and makeup. Luckily, I found that Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel likes the same things as me (minus the hair and makeup).

At 33, Spiegel is one of the youngest billionaires in the world with a net worth of $3.9 billion, per Forbes. He wakes up at 5 a.m. to check his app, read emails, and work out or meditate. Then, he showers, gets ready, and reads the news before having breakfast with his wife, Miranda Kerr, and their children at their mansion in Brentwood, California.

His routine aligns with what I'm looking for, and thanks to my previous experience with Cook's routine — which involved waking up at 4:45 a.m., strength training, and coffee — I knew what it would take to prepare for such an early start to the day.

Here's how it went.

I exceeded my expectations and was wide awake by 5:30 a.m. on Monday.

OK, technically, it was 5:32 a.m., but give a girl some credit.

In 2018, Spiegel said in an interview that appeared in the Entrepreneurship Handbook that he likes to wake up early to give himself some alone time.

"I get up really early, because that's the only time that's 'Evan Time' for me, when people aren't really awake yet. I get a couple hours between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. to do whatever I wanna do," he said.

So, to prepare, I went to bed at 10:30 p.m. and even agreed to sacrifice my side of the bed for the week so I could more easily get to the alarm I share with my boyfriend.

I woke up right on time at 5 a.m. and redownloaded the Snap app since I haven't used it in years (sorry, Evan), but I accidentally "blinked" and woke up again at 5:32 a.m., this time wide awake.

Once I was out of bed, it was time to make coffee and work out.

I said a small thank you to the earlier version of me who had picked workout clothes the night before. I got dressed, put in my contacts, and made a cup of coffee.

Snap told BI that Spiegel likes to check the app and his email and drink a double espresso when he wakes up. Then, he'll exercise at the gym for 45 minutes or meditate.

I'm still a "coffee with my creamer" kind of girl, so I sipped my usual cup of coffee and checked my email and the updated Snap interface before scrolling through YouTube for a workout video.

I followed a Chloe Ting video that focused on arms, and afterward, I realized it felt really good to finish a workout so early in the morning.

I was pleasantly surprised by Spiegel's skincare must-have.

Then, it was time to shower and try the part of Spiegel's routine I was most excited about: his face wash. Spiegel has been married to Kerr, a model and the founder of Kora Organics, since 2017, and he uses the brand's turmeric brightening and exfoliating mask.

"He doesn't use it as an actual mask; he keeps it in the shower and uses it as an exfoliant," Kerr told New Beauty in 2019.

"What he loves about it is that it has peppermint oil in it, so it's so invigorating. He says he can't be without it because it's his little boost of aromatherapy in the morning! It gives him energy!" she added.

According to Snap, he still uses it, so I wanted to see if it was worth the hype. I bought a 1-ounce tube, which cost $20.

First impressions: Wow, they weren't kidding — the peppermint is strong.

I loved the feel of the exfoliating particles and how smooth my skin felt afterward. The best way to describe the experience was as if the sensation of using mouthwash was on my face, which doesn't sound pleasant, but I found it to be very enjoyable and, yes, "invigorating."

My only issue with Spiegel's routine thus far was that he reportedly allots a mere 15 minutes to get ready after his shower.

I, meanwhile, am more of a "Vogue's Beauty Secrets" six-step skincare routine, try on a bunch of outfits, perform a mini concert while doing my hair, and listen to a podcast while doing my makeup kind of gal. So, 15 minutes? Couldn't be me.

But with ample time to spare after such an early start, I realized I didn't have to rush to complete all those steps immediately; I could sit, have breakfast, and even knock out some chores before going back to hair and makeup.

Waking up so early gave me time to finish my self-care routine, get ahead on chores, and read before work.

I don't know if it was the bright sun shining through my windows or the earlier dose of caffeine, but after I ate my breakfast, I went on a superwoman cleaning spree around my apartment, washing dishes, starting a couple of loads of laundry, and wiping down my glass coffee table.

And I still had time to finish getting ready and read a Wall Street Journal article before clocking into work at 9 a.m.

A 10/10 morning.

On Tuesday, I maintained my momentum and didn't feel rushed at all, even though I had to commute.

Day two also started strong.

I woke up at 5 a.m. and was out of bed by 5:30 a.m. to get dressed and head to my living room for another workout.

I made myself a cup of coffee and took a picture of the early moments of the sunrise over New York City before doing a Pilates workout and repeating one of the same Chloe Ting arm workouts from Monday. After that, I finished my coffee while watching a vlog before moving on to the rest of my routine.

Thanks to my early start, I had enough time to try on a few outfits, make my lunch, pack my work bag, and toast a bagel for breakfast without rushing, which is simply unheard of in my life.

I was out of my apartment by 8 a.m. and clocked in at 8:45 a.m., feeling incredibly satisfied. My one shortcoming of the morning was forgetting to read, but a win is a win.

On Wednesday, I tried Kriya meditation for the first time. Spiegel has called it "life-changing."

Wednesday was the first time I struggled to wake up on time. Despite taking my daily Snap at 5:11 a.m., I didn't get out of bed until 5:45 a.m. Given how sore I felt from working out the past two days, I decided Wednesday would be the perfect day to try Spiegel's other morning activity: Kriya meditation.

Spiegel told Vogue Australia in 2022 that his wife got him "hooked on Kriya meditation."

"On a good day, I can get 45 minutes in the morning to meditate, which is life-changing," he added.

In 2020, BI reported on the extensive benefits of meditation including better focus and concentration, reduced stress levels, and improved self-esteem and self-awareness.

On YouTube, I found a video entitled "Isha Kriya: A Guided Meditation For Health And Wellbeing | 15-Minutes" by the channel Sadhguru.

"Daily practice of Isha Kriya will bring health, dynamism, prosperity, and wellbeing. It is a powerful tool to cope with the hectic pace of modern life and empowers people to experience their lives to the fullest potential," the video displayed on the screen.

From my understanding after watching the video, one of the main features of Isha Kriya meditation is the practice of breathing while thinking, "I am not the body," and exhaling with the thought, "I am not even my mind."

I don't know if it's possible to be "bad" at meditating, but that's certainly what it felt like to me — a first-timer and chronic over-thinker.

While trying to focus on the space between my eyebrows and to think only of how "I am not my body," I was instead thinking about all the things I had planned for the day, how I would write about the experience, and how long it'd been since I started.

Although I wouldn't call this initial attempt at meditation successful, I think trying it was useful in helping me identify a weakness that makes it challenging to stay in the present.

I finished the meditation and proceeded with the rest of the routine, arriving at my office in time to grab a coffee and snack and read a bit of a WSJ article.

I started Thursday slow but still made time for a quick workout and breakfast.

Unfortunately, I didn't feel well when I woke up, so I pushed off working out until around 7 a.m. I used the Kora Organics again in the shower before getting dressed to work from home. Rather than my usual hair and makeup routine, I skipped both, favoring a bun and a fresh face since I had no intention of leaving my apartment.

I had a bagel and coffee for breakfast and read some of Business Insider's latest stories before clocking in at 9 a.m.

The morning was a much more condensed attempt at Spiegel's routine, but I could truly feel the difference an adjusted sleep schedule makes. All week, I'd been going to sleep by 10:30 p.m. not by sheer force, but because I was naturally feeling tired.

Friday was the least productive day, but Spiegel's definitely onto something with "Evan Time."

On Friday, I wasn't feeling well again, so I got up around 7 a.m. and tried to do a quick five minutes of meditation.

Although this wasn't the routine I aimed for, I could still appreciate the impact of the little shifts I'd made in my mentality. Before this, I would've stayed in bed till 8-8:30 a.m. and just rolled from my bed to my laptop for work at 9 a.m., but with my improved sleep schedule and more disciplined mindset, I was able to get up an hour earlier and take some time for myself before jumping into the demands of the day, which felt like a huge win.

So, while the only Spiegel-related highlight of my morning was the face wash, I was optimistic about my ability to sustain these efforts going forward.

After a week of living like Evan Spiegel, I finally understand the appeal of waking up early.

In the weeks since I attempted to copy Spiegel's routine, I've continued using the face wash, sleeping by 10:30 p.m. and waking up by 7 a.m. at the latest, and I'm happy with my progress.

It's a stark contrast to how exhausted I felt after finishing Tim Cook's routine, which surprised me since both men wake up incredibly early.

Looking back, it's easy to see how important timing was in the outcome of both routines. When I completed Cook's routine, daylight-saving time had just started, causing me to lose an hour of sleep; my body never had a chance to adjust properly before being thrown into a completely new routine. By comparison, trying Spiegel's routine in mid-April allowed me to adjust and wake up shortly before sunrise.

Waking up at 5 a.m. is still unnecessary for my lifestyle, but I think the best part of trying a routine like this again has been learning how to be more disciplined. Of course, it would be easy to lay in bed for an extra 15 minutes — and trust me, sometimes I do — but if I know that getting out of bed will make me less rushed and stressed, what's the point in continuing to self-sabotage?

I've by no means mastered my mornings, but I think I've gotten one step closer to figuring out the puzzle, and that's good enough for now.

• I quit after working at Disney World for three months through the Disney College Program.
• I didn't have a say in where I worked and was tossed around between parks.
• After a few years away, I'm ready to go back as a guest, but not an employee.

It was always my dream to work at Disney World, and in 2019, it came true when I was hired through the Disney College Program.

That summer, I counted down the seconds until my start date. I moved to Florida in August, a month before my 20th birthday, and I was officially the farthest I'd ever lived from my hometown in Michigan.

But three months later, I quit.

I initially loved my job, but then the company made me switch parks

I was originally hired to work at Epcot's Food and Wine Festival, taking orders and giving guests their food and beverages at the booths around the World Showcase.

My responsibilities were different each day, which kept my job interesting. I genuinely enjoyed it. But my program continued until January 2020, over a month after Food and Wine ended.

Most of the College Program employees were reallocated to other parts of the Disney property, even though Epcot's next festival was starting soon.

I had no say in where I'd work next, and I ended up at Magic Kingdom.

I always loved visiting Magic Kingdom for the parades, fireworks, and rides. But I knew working in the busiest park — especially around the holidays — would be a shift from my chiller assignment at Epcot.

A few days into my new position, I knew I had to leave

With my new location assignment, I had to undergo training all over again. And by the time I was trained, I'd only be there for a couple of weeks.

Even though I only had about a month left in my College Program, I quit after a couple of days of training at Magic Kingdom. My feelings toward the job just weren't the same anymore.

It's no surprise that Disney is expensive, but while working there, I realized how true that was for every aspect of the vacation — from park tickets to bottled water.

This left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, especially since I was only paid around $10 an hour for grueling shifts in the Florida heat.

Additionally, because of the timing of my program (August to January), I was set to work my birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's.

I was initially excited to be at Disney for the holiday season. But being so far away from home and having to be "on" all the time at work (even when I was tired or out of it) proved extremely difficult.

It's taken me some time to neutralize my feelings toward Disney

I don't regret my time at Disney, and I'm glad I got the opportunity. But it took me a few years to return after I quit.

It was difficult to transition back to the magical guest perspective after being a frustrated employee.

I don't think I can ever work at the theme parks again. But now that I've gotten some necessary distance, I'm finally ready to continue visiting as a guest.

• Owners of Marilyn Monroe's former Brentwood home are suing LA for the right to raze the property.
• They want to expand their current residence, which is located next door.
• The City Council is considering whether to designate the house where Monroe died a historic monument.

The owners of the Brentwood home where Marilyn Monroe lived and later died are suing the City of Los Angeles for the right to demolish the property.

Brinah Milstein and her husband, Roy Bank, filed a Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit on Monday, alleging "illegal and unconstitutional conduct and abuse of power" by the city concerning the property they bought in July 2023.

According to the Los Angeles Times, they purchased the home for $8.35 million. Their intention was to demolish it and expand their current residence, which is located next door, according to the lawsuit.

Monroe died from an overdose in the Brentwood property at the age of just 36.

The plaintiffs claim they were issued a demolition permit from the city, which was initially "held" for 30 days to allow for objections.

They claim that no objections were raised and permits were subsequently issued, which led to them incurring over $30,000 in expenses before receiving actual notice of a "stay" invoked by the city.

Last September, the Los Angeles City Council intervened to temporarily halt the demolition of the home, which KCAL News reported was welcomed by fans and historians.

Scott Fortner of The Marilyn Monroe Collection, a superfan and collector, told the news outlet that the "home is the equivalent of Graceland" for Monroe fans.

He said the property, which Monroe purchased in 1962 for just over $77,000, represented a new beginning for the iconic star, following her divorce from playwright Arthur Miller.

Fortner said the home also has significance in memorializing Monroe, noting that its front step tiles read "Cursum Perficio" — Latin for "my journey ends here."

The City Council initiated proceedings last September to consider designating the property a historic cultural monument, a move that would invalidate the demolition permits.

However, Milstein and Bank have pushed back.

They contend in the lawsuit that Monroe lived in the house for only a short period, less than six months in 1962, and that the house has been "substantially altered" over the years.

"There is not a single piece of the house that includes any physical evidence that Ms. Monroe ever spent a day at the house, not a piece of furniture, not a paint chip, not a carpet, nothing," the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit also alleges that the city's push for the designation violated its own codes, which has deprived the plaintiffs of their "vested rights as owners of real property" and has caused them "irreparable harm."

The City Council will vote on whether to declare the house a historic cultural monument by mid-June.

Representatives for Milstein, Bank, and the City of Los Angeles did not immediately respond to Business Insider's requests for comment.

Brentwood boasts a rich Hollywood heritage, counting Betty White and Joan Crawford among its former notable residents.

However, that rich history, combined with the high value of the land, has created tension when it comes to preservation.

Actor Chris Pratt and his wife Katherine Schwarzenegger recently caused an uproar when they demolished a midcentury modern house designed by architect Craig Ellwood to make way for a sprawling mansion.

Liz Waytkus, the US executive director of the conservation nonprofit Docomomo, told Dezeen last month that the demolition highlighted a "systemic" problem in the area.

"The land has become more valuable than the house, and even if people understand the value of such a home, location and land value often trump architectural significance," she said.

• Uber shares dropped as much as 8% in premarket trading after reporting first quarter results Wednesday.
• The ride-hailing giant saw gross bookings climb 20% and revenue slightly beat expectations.
• Earnings-per-share was significantly below Wall Street forecasts, however.

Uber's share price dropped as much as 8% in premarket trading Wednesday after it reported a mixed bag of Q1 results.

Its gross bookings of $37.7 billion were up 20% compared to the same period last year, but fell short of its target. Plus, its forecast for gross bookings in the second quarter was also shy of Wall Street's expectations.

The ride-hailing app reported revenue of $10.13 billion, just about Wall Street expectations of revenues of $10.11 billion. Its earnings-per-share, however, missed forecasts, coming in at negative $0.32, compared to a forecast of $0.22.

The firm reported an income from operations of $172 million, but the Financial Times reported analysts had forecast this to be over $600 million. Uber cited "discrete legal and regulatory reserve changes and settlements."

It's also facing a $300 million lawsuit from more than 10,000 black-cab drivers in London, which was filed last week.

By contrast, rival ride-hailing company Lyft posted better-than-expected results a day earlier. 

In a press release, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said: "Our results this quarter once again demonstrate our ability to deliver consistent, profitable growth at scale."

"More than 7 million people now choose to earn flexibly on Uber every month, with driver earnings of $16.6 billion continuing to grow faster than our topline," he added.

While shares dropped as much as 8% in premarket trade on the initial results, at the time of publication, the company's stock rebounded a little and was set to open down around 6% to trade at $66.20, per Markets Insider data.

• A 2,300-passenger cruise is due to set sail in February and will let passengers go nude.
• The Big Nude Boat will take passengers on an 11-day trip from Miami around the Caribbean.
• The company has policies for its nude passengers, including no naked butts on any public surfaces.

A nude cruise is due to set sail in February next year from Miami around the Caribbean — but passengers must follow specific rules about nudity.

The Big Nude Boat is a partnership between Norwegian Cruise Line and Bare Necessities, a specialist nude cruise travel company.

It can take up to 2,300 passengers, and the company describes the trip as a "stress-free, clothes-free experience."

Over the course of 11 days, it'll take visitors to spots like Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, St Lucia, and Martinique, as well as reserve three days for a "Nude Day at Sea."

Cabin prices start at $2,000 per person for a two-person cabin and reach up to $33,155 per person for a three-bedroom 'garden villa' room. The ship, Norwegian Pearl, also has 16 dining options, 14 bars and lounges, a casino, and a spa.

No bare butts on chairs, please

Bare Necessities says it wants to "break down the barriers against social nudity and make clothing-optional vacationing a viable and acceptable option for all," per its website.

But that does mean that the cruise has specific rules about nudity, including strictly forbidding any photos being taken of passengers without their consent.

At all times, passengers must avoid putting their naked butt on any surface. This is, according to the company guidebook, "standard nudist etiquette."

They also need to wait for the ship to leave the dock before whipping off their clothes and must cover up if port authorities board the vessel.

While dining rooms have a mandatory clothes-on policy, passengers can bare all at the self-service buffet area.

This cruise is different from adult-lifestyle cruises, or so-called "swingers cruises," which attract passengers specifically looking for a more "sexually adventurous" vacation.

Bare Necessities says that "social nudity is not a sexual activity." And its policies prohibit "fondling or inappropriate touching," and "lingerie, fetish-wear, and excessive genital jewelry."

"Nudism is about leaving judgment behind," a vice president of sales at Bare Necessities previously told Business Insider.

The VP said the captain and the crew on these cruises are not nude. Instead, they are responsible for doing their typical day jobs and ensuring the dress codes are enforced.

"Our first day aboard is always a little bit of a shock for the crew, but after that it's fun for everyone," Whitmire said.

• OpenAI is targeting some Google's employees, The Verge reported.
• Sam Altman's company is trying to poach Googlers for a ChatGPT search engine, per the report.
• Big Tech is engaged a fierce competition to acquire and retain top AI talent.

OpenAI appears to be going after some Google employees.

The Verge reported that the company behind ChatGPT has been trying to poach Googlers to work on its team developing a search engine for the chatbot.

In February, The Information reported that OpenAI was developing a web search feature that could put the company into more direct competition with Google Search. The new tool will reportedly partly rely on Microsoft's Bing search engine.

OpenAI's search product will function as a feature for ChatGPT that can browse the web and cite sources in its responses, according to a recent report from Bloomberg. The tool will allow users to ask questions and receive answers sourced from across the internet.

Google's future plans in the AI field include large investments and a generative AI search engine.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Big Tech is engaged in an intense battle for top AI talent as rival companies rush to launch similar AI-powered products. Some of the industry's biggest names have even been pitching in on efforts to acquire and retain top talent.

Rival companies are fighting over a small pool of advanced AI researchers and engineers. As demand escalates, candidates with the necessary expertise can demand — and get — huge benefits and pay packages.

Google, an AI pioneer, has become a prime target for rivals looking to poach experts because it has some of the sector's top researchers.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly been writing personal emails to AI researchers at Google's DeepMind in an attempt to recruit them.