Netflix is getting into gaming.🎮

What to decode:

• Gaming ambitions lead to less relaxation time with Netflix.

• The introduction of AI tools in the workplace brings new regulations.

• Interesting discoveries from the internet, including lost media, a coffee recipe, a restored video game, and more.

• Cool Startup Ideas

THE BIG CODE

Netflix pushes deeper into the $170B gaming industry

Netflix is on a mission to dominate the streaming AND gaming industries. With its own gaming studios in Helsinki and California, the company's game collection has now reached 55 titles, including originals based on Netflix IPs and tie-ins to hit shows like "The Queen's Gambit" and "Shadow and Bone."

But here's the catch: less than 1% of Netflix subscribers are regularly engaging with their games. Maybe because they're only available on mobile devices? Come on, Netflix, let us play on our TVs and laptops!

Despite the low engagement, Netflix plans to add 40 more games this year and develop a cloud gaming service for TVs and PCs. Microsoft and Amazon better watch out because Netflix means business.

In conclusion, Netflix is like that kid who always wants to play all the games, and we're just waiting for them to invite us to the cool table.

TRENDING

THE SUMMARY

Amazon is back on the chopping block, with plans to lay off 9,000 employees, mostly from its cloud computing, HR, advertising, and Twitch units. Meanwhile, Ikea is taking stock with its new inventory-checking drones, which are autonomously buzzing around some of its European stores.

TikTok's sister app CapCut is proving to be a cut above the rest, with reportedly 200 million monthly active users and downloads that have outpaced TikTok in recent weeks.

Twitter is now showing its maturity by auto-responding to journalists' emails sent to its press address with a poop emoji. Howard Schultz is out as CEO of Starbucks, replaced earlier than planned by Laxman Narasimhan, as the coffee giant faces federal scrutiny for alleged union-busting activities.

PitchBook's VC Exit Predictor is a new AI tool that predicts whether a startup will be acquired, go public, or not exit, with a 74% accuracy rate in tests. In California, nonprofit drugmaker Civica Rx is partnering in a 10-year, $50m agreement to produce affordable insulin.

Fifth time's the charm for Rupert Murdoch, who is engaged again at 92, this time to Ann Lesley Smith. However, his four previous divorces were costly, with last year's settlement with Jerry Hall including a $13.5m home.

Flooding is causing berry bad news for California's $3 billion strawberry industry, responsible for around 90% of US production. As a result, strawberry prices rose 8.7% in 2022, after sprouting 41% in 2021. 

STARTUP IDEAS

• "Meal Mate" - an app that suggests healthy meal plans based on a user's dietary preferences and fitness goals, with the option to order ingredients for delivery.

• "EcoSwipe" - a browser extension that shows users the eco-friendliness of products they're browsing online, based on the company's sustainability practices.

• "SafeSpot" - a website that crowdsources information on safe public spaces for marginalized groups, such as women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQ+ community.

• "GreenRide" - a ride-sharing platform that exclusively uses electric or hybrid vehicles, reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainability.

• "MindfulMatch" - a dating app that uses machine learning to match people based on their mental health needs and support systems, with an emphasis on reducing stigma around mental health issues.