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LA’s Upgrade in Travel and NBA Viewing
Exciting developments are underway for Los Angeles as the city prepares for major upgrades in both travel and entertainment. The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners has approved an additional $400 million for the Automated People Mover (APM) at LAX, increasing its total budget to $3.34 billion. This boost ensures the elevated train’s completion by December 8, 2025, with service starting in January 2026. For Angelenos, this means a significant improvement in travel convenience. The APM will streamline connections between parking, rental car facilities, and the new Metro transit station, drastically cutting traffic congestion around the airport. Imagine a future without the dreaded 30-minute traffic delays at LAX! The APM will operate 24/7, reducing airport traffic by 42 million vehicle miles annually and carrying 30 million passengers each year, while also creating thousands of local jobs and supporting small businesses.
🤫 The Secret to Staying Fit at Your Desk: 6 Essential Under-Desk Exercise Machines
Health experts are sounding the alarm: our sedentary jobs are slowly killing us, yet we can't abandon our desks if we want to keep the lights on. It feels like we're caught between a rock and a hard place. Enter under-desk exercise machines – the overlooked heroes (albeit kind of goofy looking) of the modern workspace. These devices let tech professionals stay active, enhance their health, and increase their productivity, all without stepping away from their screens. Here are 6 fantastic options that will enhance the way you work and workout simultaneously.
🤠Musk Picks Texas and 🔥Tinder AI Picks Your Profile Pictures
Tinder is altering dating profile creation with its new AI-powered Photo Selector feature, designed to help users choose their most appealing dating profile pictures. This innovative tool employs facial recognition technology to curate a set of up to 10 photos from the user's device, streamlining the often time-consuming process of profile setup. To use the feature, users simply take a selfie within the Tinder app and grant access to their camera roll. The AI then analyzes the photos based on factors like lighting and composition, drawing from Tinder's research on what makes an effective profile picture.
Top LA Accelerators that Entrepreneurs Should Know About
Los Angeles, has a thriving startup ecosystem with numerous accelerators, incubators, and programs designed to support and nurture new businesses. These programs provide a range of services, including funding, mentorship, workspace, networking opportunities, and strategic guidance to help entrepreneurs develop their ideas and scale their companies. Techstars is a global...
🚁 One Step Closer to Air Taxis in LA
Joby Aviation, a pioneering electric air taxi company, has achieved a significant milestone by successfully flying a hydrogen-electric aircraft demonstrator for 523 miles with only water as a byproduct. This groundbreaking flight showcases the potential for emissions-free regional travel using vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, eliminating the need for traditional runways. The company's innovative approach combines its existing battery-electric air taxi technology with hydrogen fuel cells, paving the way for longer-range, environmentally friendly air travel.
Fuel Innovation: 7 Unforgettable Team Building Experiences in LA
In today's competitive business landscape, team building activities have emerged as a crucial tool for fostering a positive work environment, enhancing productivity, and crucially, improving employee retention. Studies have shown that such activities help employees feel valued, with one report indicating that 93% of those who felt appreciated were more motivated at work. Importantly, team building events may improve retention rates, as employees who feel connected to their colleagues and company culture are more likely to stay long-term. With these benefits in mind, let's explore some of the most engaging and effective team building activities available in Los Angeles.
🎬 Paramount and Skydance Are Back On
Happy Friday Los Angeles! Hope you all had a fantastic Fourth!!. Paramount and Skydance Media have rekindled talks to merge after negotiations abruptly halted in June. The proposed deal, contingent on approval from Paramount’s board, aims to combine Paramount’s extensive media holdings—including CBS, MTV, and Nickelodeon—with Skydance’s film expertise showcased in hits like "Top Gun: Maverick." This merger signals a potential transformation in the media landscape, positioning the new entity to compete more effectively amid challenges from streaming services and the decline of traditional cable TV.
😊🚘 Rivian's $5 Billion Lifeline
Volkswagen announced on Tuesday a significant investment of up to $5 billion in Rivian, a struggling electric truck manufacturer known for its vehicles' distinctive smiley-face design reminiscent of Volkswagen's iconic Beetle. This partnership marks a unique collaboration between the world's second-largest automaker and a startup grappling with profitability challenges akin to those faced by Tesla. Volkswagen's infusion of $1 billion initially, potentially rising to $5 billion pending regulatory approval, underscores its strategic pivot towards enhancing its electric vehicle (EV) software capabilities, an area where analysts believe the company has lagged.
From Pitch Meetings to Power Lunches: LA’s Exclusive Membership Clubs 🗝️
Summer's here, so it's time to zhuzh up your work environment. Discovering the best membership and social clubs in Los Angeles for meetings can boost networking and collaboration, offering exclusive venues and premium amenities tailored for professionals and creatives to thrive amidst the city's vibrant backdrop. These clubs provide a sophisticated setting for productive gatherings and meaningful connections in LA. Here are some top private member clubs perfect for meetings and productive work sessions.
🧬🔬AI-Driven Drug Discovery
Terray Therapeutics is at the forefront of AI-assisted drug discovery and development, operating a cutting-edge laboratory in Monrovia, California. The facility, roughly two-thirds the size of a football field, functions as a data powerhouse, generating over 50 terabytes of raw data daily, which is an amount of information equivalent to 12,000 high definition movies, through its miniaturized automation processes.
How Does LA Rank Among the World's Best Startup Ecosystems?
The 2024 Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER), a joint effort by Startup Genome and the Global Entrepreneurship Network, was unveiled on Monday at London Tech Week. Los Angeles solidified its position as a global startup powerhouse, maintaining its impressive #4 (#3 in the US) ranking in the 2024 GSER, tied with Tel Aviv. The city's thriving ecosystem continues to attract top talent and investment across diverse sectors like crypto, gaming, and cleantech.
Sony Pictures Experiences Division Formed After Alamo Drafthouse Acquisition
Sony Pictures Entertainment has acquired Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in a groundbreaking deal that marks the first time in over 75 years a major Hollywood studio will own a movie theater chain. This acquisition signals a potential shift towards vertical integration in the film industry, with Sony gaining more control over the distribution and exhibition of its films.
Hollywood Veteran’s Investment Firm, WndrCo raises $460M
Jeffrey Katzenberg, known for his prominent roles in the entertainment industry, has redirected his focus towards technology investments with his firm WndrCo. Following the setback of Quibi, a short-form entertainment platform, Katzenberg and his founding partner Sujay Jaswa raised over $460 million in capital commitments for their Seed and Venture funds. With notable backgrounds in the entertainment and venture capital industries, Katzenberg and Jaswa manage $1.3 billion in assets through their Build, Venture, and Seed strategies.
A New Era for dot.LA
Dot.LA, the premier source for news and information about the Los Angeles tech scene, has been acquired by HouseVenture Inc., a technology and media startup founded in 2023 by Mike Chang, Adrian Delgado, Hailey Chang and Nick Thomas. “We grew up in Southern California and see such huge potential,” Chang...
Relativity Space targets more funding, Marvel Snap developer secures $100M
Two companies are surging forward in Los Angeles’ most prominent tech industries, aerospace and gaming. Long Beach-based Relativity Space, known for launching the first 3D-printed rocket, is reportedly securing additional funding to maintain its valuation at $4.2 billion. The funding round is led by existing investors Bond Cap and Social Capital, indicating ongoing confidence in Relativity Space's approach to aerospace manufacturing. The company's success highlights the transformative potential of 3D printing in the space industry, symbolizing a dynamic and rapidly evolving era in private space exploration.
🏰 Disney's Epic Investment Stands Out Amidst Gaming Industry Layoffs
In the midst of widespread gaming industry layoffs, a glimmer of positive news emerges as Disney announces a significant move: a $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games. 🏰💰🐭. Image Source: Disney. Disney's $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games, disclosed late Wednesday, signals a strategic alignment aimed at expanding...
Venture Waves, Climate Tech Wins, and Silicon Beach's Ongoing Evolution
Defense company Anduril Industries Inc., based in Costa Mesa and founded by Palmer Luckey, is seeking to raise $1.5 billion in fresh funds to boost its valuation to $12.5 billion or more, according to sources quoted by The Information. This fundraising effort, if successful, would mark one of the largest venture capital rounds of the year.
Bird crashes, ServiceTitan soars, active raises, and more
Happy holidays from dot.LA! We’re collecting 2024 predictions for Los Angeles, tech, and startups. Reply to this email to get your prediction featured in our next weekly update. 🔦 Spotlight. It’s the best of time and worst of times for two of the most prominent Los Angeles tech...
📚 LA-Based Numerade Seeks to Overcome LA Students' Pandemic Setbacks
Numerade, the LA-based AI-powered online STEM learning platform, is here to support LA’s under-appreciated heroes - the teachers. It offers valuable resources to help them with teaching, creating lesson plans, and more.🤖📚🍎. Numerade announced an initiative to provide one year of free Numerade Plus services to all...
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