Looks like you’re forging a doc

Need some help? [The Hustle]( Thur, Jul 13 A Microsoft font is scandalizing Pakistan’s First Family Calibri is an unassuming little font: it’s soft, warm, subtly rounded -- and, as the default typeface of play-it-safe Microsoft Office, it’s the last creation you’d ever expect to draw controversy. But in recent weeks, the sans-serif has somehow found itself at the center of a massive corruption investigation involving the family of Pakistan’s prime minister. Okay, let’s back-track a bit here... Trouble for Pakistan’s PM, Nawaz Sharif, began abrewin’ last year, with the leak of the [Panama Papers]( -- a trove of 11.5m financial and legal records of customers using offshore accounts. Among the papers were a series of documents suggesting Sharif's children had [used shell companies]( to buy real estate without necessary public disclosure. Pakistan’s Supreme Court decided to dig deeper -- and this week, they released a report. Front and center in the findings: Calibri. Dayyyum, Calibri! You bad! As part of the investigation, the documents were sent to a UK-based forensic handwriting lab (sweet job alert), and the researchers found something a bit odd… one of the property deeds in question, dated 2006, was typed using Calibri font. Just one problem with that: Calibri [wasn’t officially released]( until January 30, 2007 (the debut date of Microsoft Office 2007). Now, the PM’s family faces charges of perjury, hiding wealth, and forging documents -- and the public is calling for Sharif’s resignation. But wait… there’s a twist! Calibri was designed by Dutch font master, Lucas de Groot, in 2004 and it was beta tested to a limited number of folks in 2006 -- a good while before its public release the following year. Sharif’s family has adamantly claimed they had beta access. But the Groot-man has [said]( the chances that Sharif’s crew used Calibri prior to 2007 are “extremely unlikely,” as they (presumably) aren’t ardent font nerds. So, it could be said Calibri is the corruption-fighting hero we need in these dark, dreary times. That doesn’t mean we forgive Microsoft for creating Clippy, though. [NO, WE DON’T NEED HELP]( The Dot hits the big time Or should we say Primetime?... As expected, Amazon blew its 2016 numbers out of the water: on Tuesday, the company’s 3rd annual Prime Day sales event generated an estimated [$1B in revenue](. Amazon rarely highlights its actual figures, but they did say sales were [up 60%]( over last year -- and it seemed to be driven, in part, by new tech. There was a huge demand for Amazon’s voice products Specifically the Dot, which sold more than [6k units a minute]( in the U.S., unseating their top seller from last year: the beloved Instant Pot pressure cooker. Amazon offered its Alexa products at bargain basement prices (50% off Echo and 30% off Dot), making the Dot an easy impulse buy compared to less generously discounted smart speakers. The sale reinforced Amazon’s [fantastic foothold]( on voice-powered devices, as the company pushes to further integrate itself into every aspect of daily life. Let’s not discount some of the other best-sellers The top-selling products in other countries certainly did not disappoint. Mexico favored an Apple-certified Lightning USB charger (you can never have too many), China was all about the Fisher Price “[Soothe and Glow Seahorse]( (sounds like something everyone should own), and Italy went for the Caffe Vergnano 1882 Espresso machine… [The joke writes itself]( Apple just broke ground in China The hippest gadgeteer in town will be building a [data center]( in China to comply with the country’s strict new internet laws. As part of the deal, they’re partnering with local company Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry -- and all data on Chinese users’ information will be subject to government oversight. Apple’s facility will be the first Western-run physical data center in China -- and it will likely set a precedent for how other US tech companies navigate the country’s digital rulebook. All your data are belong to us Last month, China put into effect its hotly-contested [Cybersecurity Law](. Among its many vaguely-worded stipulations, the law states that all information on Chinese citizens and businesses must be stored in domestic -- not foreign -- servers. China has positioned this as an effort to bolster national security, but [activists say]( it’s a broad effort to dictate how the internet should be run. Apple’s had issues with China in the past Amazon, IBM, and Microsoft have [run cloud services]( in China for several years. Apple’s trailblazing move into the physical is a big step -- but the impact of Chinese oversight shouldn’t be understated. Apple is among the most profitable US companies in China, but the government has come down hard on them in the past. For instance, in 2016, Chinese officials shut down the iBooks Store and iTunes Movies, just 6 months after the services went live there. [The golden Apple]( MOM, STOP UGH As a biomedical engineer with a degree from Johns Hopkins, Chris Aldrich is a bright young American mind. But he’s not out to create a new neural interface, or find the next polio vaccine: he wants to solve [Facebook’s “Mom Problem]( So, far more important. See, for Chris, it’s personal He’s a blogger -- and every time he publishes his musings on Facebook, his mom is the first to like it. That’s a problem. Because as soon as his mom hits that little thumbs up, [Facebook’s algorithm]( treats his post as “family related” content, automatically narrowing the post’s audience to close relatives. Unfortunately, Chris mostly posts content that doesn't exactly thrill Auntie Jill (theoretical math and thermodynamics). So, his reach is limited to a few pity likes. It’s a classic conundrum Sadly, FB hasn’t factored mom’s unconditional love into its algorithm. But the company does allow you to control a post’s audience at a highly granular level. Chris’s hack? He now excludes his mom (and a few other family members) when he publishes his nerdy musings. GASP. Hold your pitchforks people: After the algorithm has run its course and reached its intended audience, he changes the audience back to public -- and Mom gets to give her “baby boy” a digital smooch, then brag about his brilliance to her other 47 FB friends. [That’s nice, honey]( things you should... SAVE: Your data when browsing on mobile, Free It’s the end of the month, and you get that dreaded text: you’re at 90% of your data usage. But, you still want to keep up with all the White House drama. Chrome’s Data Saver (available for Android) optimizes sites, so you don’t waste precious gigs. [LESS IS MORE →]( WATCH: Game of Thrones, Free for one month The epic fantasy saga is back for its final-ish season this Sunday, and all your friends won’t stop talking about it. Stop sulking, and start binge-ing the past seasons, free for 1 month when you download HBO Now (hint: set a calendar event to cancel if you don’t want to get charged). [WINTER IS COMING →]( COOK: With one of Amazon’s best-selling pressure cookers $89 Program it, set it, and forget it. Whether it’s a roast, rice, soup, sauté, pulled stew – you get the point. A programmable, temperature monitoring pressure cooker is the quickest way to up your cooking game with almost no effort involved. [SOUP TO NUTS →]( ROCK: MVMT Sunglasses, $70 and up What do you get when one of the hottest watchmakers in the game decides to take their talents to South Beach? Rayban quality sunglasses at about ¼ of the price. [THROWIN SHADES →]( EAT: Your favorite lunch with MealPal, $6/meal Paying $10 for a sandwich is so overrated. Join MealPal -- a subscription lunch service started by the founder of ClassPass --- and pay $6 or less per lunch from all your favorite spots. MealPal even lets you reserve your lunch ahead of time AND skip the line. Wanna join the club? Hurry, invites are limited. [A STEAL FOR MEALS →]( This edition of The Hustle was brought to you by Caffeine, caffeine, caffeine When it comes to staying awake, all anyone has is the original 18th century brown juice. But stay on the java train for long enough and it feels like a self-induced stroke -- headaches, heart racing, sweaty palms. And the worst part: you still can’t focus. Stop crashing, and get productive with [Focalis]( Made by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, Focalis is a daily supplement that uses all natural ingredients to boost all your cognitive functions -- energy, memory and attention span. It’s like [coffee 2.0](. If you hate 3pm burnout, and are tired of feeding your caffeine addiction, upgrade to [Focalis.]( Your brain will thank you. [SUBSCRIBE]( [JOBS]( [ADVERTISE]( [EVENTS]( Lindsey Quinn WRITER Kamran Rosen WRITER Joanne Slowburner ANGER MANAGEMENT CONSULTANT John "Pulled Pork Connoisseur" Havel BACKSEAT EDITOR You opted in by signing up, attending an event, or through divine intervention. [771 CLEMENTINA STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103, UNITED STATES]( • [415.506.7210](tel:+1-415-506-7210) Never wanna hear from us again? Break our hearts and [unsubscribe](