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What to watch for today
Carrie Lam delivers a fateful speech. Hong Kong’s chief executive hopes to restore confidence in her government after months of violence and unrest. As the city’s legislative council starts a new session, the extradition bill that originally sparked protests is scheduled to be withdrawn and a controversial law banning face masks will come back up for discussion.
Netflix looks to rebound. As the streaming giant announces its third-quarter earnings, all eyes will be on its subscription numbers. Netflix stock crashed after losing US subscribers last quarter, but the company has since vowed that a blockbuster season of Stranger Things would turn its numbers around.
Volvo reveals its first electric car. The all-electric XC40 will be the 92-year-old Swedish nameplate’s first gasoline-free model. Volvo’s automobile division has been owned by the Chinese multinational Geely group since 2010.
A high-level US entourage heads to Turkey. Led by vice president Mike Pence, the diplomatic team will meet with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan to negotiate a cease-fire between Ankara and Syrian Kurdish forces. Erdogan has already rejected the idea out of hand.
While you were sleeping
Google unveiled a slew of new products. The heavily-teased Pixel 4 smartphone comes with a much-improved camera and a processor capable of running AI software. The company also introduced a new Pixelbook Go that offers a cheaper, pared-down alternative to the Pixelbook laptop.
NASA unveiled a new spacesuit design. The new digs look similar to the agency’s current puffy white suits but have key upgrades to make it easier for astronauts to put them on, walk on rugged terrain, and stay outside their ships for longer.
Singapore pledged to tighten its relationship with China. At a bilateral meeting, representatives from both countries expanded their trade agreement and vowed to continue working together to create zero-waste “smart cities.”
Walmart’s Flipkart jumped into Indian food retail. Walmart bought a majority stake of the Indian e-commerce platform for $16 billion last year, and now plans to invest $258 million to compete with Amazon for a piece of the online food retail market.
Brexit negotiations leapt forward. Boris Johnson caved to an EU demand for Northern Ireland to stay in the European customs union, placing an economic border down the Irish Sea. The deal has not been written out, and little time remains for Parliament and the European Council to scrutinize and approve it.
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Apple has a bit of a growth problem. The company is generating a ton of money every quarter—nearly $54 billion in the last reported quarter alone!—but it seems to have hit a plateau in terms of expanding revenues. These 12 charts outline the latest trends and upcoming challenges as Tim Cook nears a decade behind the wheel of the tech giant.
Quartz Obsession
It was a welcome mat for the internet. As the first easy-to-use web browser, Netscape Navigator quickly became the dominant portal to the World Wide Web after it was released in October of 1994. Its $3-billion valuation kicked off the first Silicon Valley IPO rush just a year later. The Quartz Obsession does a search for the last vestiges of our first favorite browser.
Matters of debate
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Facebook should get out of the politics business. Facebook’s decision to allow false campaign ads are proof that it’s not responsible enough to profit from elections.
Disney is going to win the streaming wars. An epic Twitter thread from Disney+ makes the case that, for a couple of bucks a month, you can go home again.
We’re all climate change deniers. There are at least three types of climate change denier—and most of us are at least one.
Surprising discoveries
Clear is a color. Xerox, the venerable documents solutions company, has named clear—as in transparent—its first-ever color of the year.
Lean In found “the biggest systemic barrier to gender parity.” Women, particularly women of color, get stuck getting their first promotion to manager.
The divorce court of the future is an AI. A growing number of services use artificial intelligence to mediate disputes and divide estates following a spousal split.
The world’s biggest Ouija board mysteriously materialized. The creator of the 3,168-square-foot (294-square-meter) board worked on it in secret for a year.
Apple’s graphics have ancient roots. Designer Susan Kare found inspiration in everything from hieroglyphics to street signs on her way to creating these iconic icons.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, clear faxes, and questions for giant ghosts to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Daily Brief was brought to you by Max Lockie and Nicolás Rivero.