Stone Cold, Apple...

Stone cold. [The Hustle]( Tues, Apr 4 Apple giveth and Apple taketh away Yesterday, Apple announced that it would start developing its own graphics technology instead of using its current third-party chip-maker, Imagination Technologies, leaving the vendor with one large basket and approximately no eggs. Alright, so although Apple isn’t their only client, they do provide about [50% of Imagination’s revenue]( ($76.1m in license fees and royalties last year). As a result, news of the breakup cost them about 70% of their stock value in just a few hours, and, in the eyes of most lenders… Imagination is now uninvestable At least until they can prove they’re not a one-client pony. But, rather than looking for ways to diversify their clients and stabilize their income, Imagination refuses to let go. They’ve cast doubt on the idea that Apple will be able to develop their own tech without infringing on their IP or paying royalties, saying, "Apple has not presented any evidence to substantiate its assertion that it will no longer require Imagination’s technology.” Yep, no evidence other than Apple’s track record of [not giving a rat’s fanny about IP lawsuits]( and the fact that they’re going public about it which means they’ve proobbably already figured out how to do it. “It’s not personal, it’s just business” -- Apple The iPhone’s graphics and image processing are some of its biggest differentiators, so it makes sense that they would want to keep their trump card as close to their chest as possible. In other words, dumping Imagination, [eliminates a huge liability]( and further streamlines their supply chain (also Apple’s bread and butter). And, whether Imagination was too naive or too arrogant to see it coming, they’re paying the price for not being prepared. Lesson learned: If you can’t make yourself indispensable, you better make yourself hard to kill. [Gotta have that cockroach mentality]( Welcome to the future Epicenter, a forward-thinking coworking space in Stockholm, just upped the ante for Black Mirror lookalikes by [offering to implant their workers]( with free RFID microchips. About the size of a grain of rice, these chips are implanted in the fleshy part between the thumb and index finger, and give the recipient access to doors and photocopiers with a wave of their hand. But that’s just scratching the surface. Eventually, Epicenter wants people to be able to pay for food at the café, so they don’t need to lug their keys or wallet around. So far, about 150 out of their 2,000 people have taken them up on the offer. Let’s get it out of the way: Yes, there are privacy concerns The type of biologically-harmless implant uses [Near Field Communication]( (NFC) technology so other devices can “read” the information when brought within a handful of centimeters. Get it? Handful… Anyway, the chips can theoretically be used to collect data on “your health, your whereabouts, how often you’re working, if you’re taking toilet breaks, and things like that.” And that could get a little invasive. But do the benefits outweigh the risks? Here at The Hustle, we’re torn about whether or not this is a welcome next step or the beginning of the end. On one implanted hand, having a door unlock when you touch it or not having to carry around your wallet sounds pretty darn appealing. On the other, you’re 110% on the grid, and there’s no telling who’s keeping track of your data or what they’re doing with it. And it’s not like you can just pop that sucker out. So, our question is... [Implant or no implant?]( ‘Til death do us part AOL and Yahoo are [officially merging]( under the mysterious name “Oath,” and the whole thing feels a little bit like two old people getting married in the nursing home. Sure, they’ve got a lot of baggage (e.g., the whole hacking thing) and they’re both past their prime, but it’s kind of nice, right? We’re just happy they’re happy AOL CEO [Tim Armstrong tweeted]( “Billion+ Consumers, 20+ Brands, Unstoppable Team #TakeTheOath.” Verizon gave its blessing, including their tagline “A Verizon company,” underneath the [stark, Helvetica logo](. And, unsurprisingly, it looks like ex-Yahoo CEO [Marissa Mayer won’t be invited]( to the wedding -- instead, Armstrong has been appointed to officiate the union as Chief Executive Oather. Yahoo was too overcome with joy to release a statement, but for its part, AOL has spiritedly vowed, “In the summer of 2017, you can bet we will be launching one of the most disruptive brand companies in digital.” [Aww, that’s cute]( Robot managers are tricking us into working harder Well, that’s a little dramatic. However, rideshare apps are [using video game tactics]( to “incentivize” their drivers into working longer hours. With things like random progress checkpoints and arbitrary badges for “Excellent Service,” companies like Uber and Lyft have learned how to manipulate where and how long their drivers are working. Congratulations - You’re 1/3 of the way through this article! Makes you feel good, don’t it? Postmates also joined Uber in autoloading new deliveries as current ones end -- similar to the mechanism that keeps us binge watching through 6 seasons of Breaking Bad. Next episode in 14 seconds? Well sure, I’ve got time… Uber has also acknowledged experimenting with female bot personas to increase engagement with its largely male workforce. Not even gonna touch this one… “But you can’t trick someone into doing something voluntary...” The idea of manipulating worker behavior isn’t a new thing -- Google found that [employees talk with each other more]( when there’s a snack bar (or, if you’re Google, a massive cafeteria). What’s different in the growing “gig economy,” is that workers are contractors and not technically employees. Which means legally, they have a lot less protection against being overworked. But hey, it’s not like anyone’s ever [died]( playing video games… [Oh wait, they have]( a few good reads The modern Jesse James ([WIRED]( The world’s most prolific bank robber, known only as Slavik, has hacked his way into tens of millions of dollars. Operating with a global elite group of cybercriminals, Slavik has evaded top international law enforcement by being a rarity in the malware world: a genuine professional. Friendliness is costing us our authenticity ([Quartz]( In a world that no longer settles for polite, mandatory friendliness is becoming a business reality. As apps like Uber increasingly commoditize personality through ratings, forced friendliness is costing us our authenticity. The business of trailer music ([The Verge]( Remember the blaring horns in the Inception trailer that went on to be featured in every blockbuster trailer ever? They - like many other scores - are original pieces made exclusively for trailers. And if you happen to like a trailer song, too bad. Almost no trailer music never makes it in the movie. Ditch the pitch ([Medium]( Jason Fried, founder and CEO of project management software basecamp, explains why it’s time to end Silicon Valley’s obsession with the elevator pitch. You have 30 seconds… Ready, set, go! Why are Japanese train workers always pointing? ([Atlas Obscura]( Japan’s famous train system maintains world-class accuracy by...pointing? The iconic white-glove clad train workers have reduced workplace errors by 85% using a rudimentary system of point and shout communication. This edition of The Hustle was brought to you by 525,600 minutes That’s the number of minutes you have in a year. If you’re running a business, it’s also the amount of time you have to raise capital, update your website, develop your app, or hype your next product launch. And that doesn’t include sleeping, eating, or trolling reddit. Problem is, even if you’re drinking Soylent three times a day, there just aren’t enough minutes in the day to do every job it takes to run a company. [UpWork]( saves you precious time and money As the largest talent marketplace in the world, they connect over 2M businesses with top quality talent, faster than anyone else -- we’re talking an average hiring cycle of [3 days or less](. Plus, with freelancers in over 3,500 areas of expertise, you can find the right fit fast. Oh, and it’s free. [UpWork]( lets you post jobs and view potential candidates without droppin’ a single Washington, and if that’s not convincing enough, [UpWork’s]( giving Hustle readers $100 off their first freelancer (which is about 40% less than a full time hire). So you can start eating solid food again. [SUBSCRIBE]( [JOBS]( [ADVERTISE]( [EVENTS]( Lindsey Quinn WRITER Kamran Rose WRITER Bruno Moore CAFFEINE ADDICTION COUNSELOR John "The only chip I want is potato" Havel THE SMELL OF RAIN ON A HOT SIDEWALK You opted in by [signing up]( entering a [giveaway]( or through [divine intervention](. 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