🐤 It's in the cards

Markets: The week began by erasing some of the gains Wall Street accumulated late last week. Both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 fell, but the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite managed to eke out gains of just over a quarter of a percent. Nagging concerns about stubbornly high interest rates led to downward pressure on homebuilders and certain other consumer industries.

The Buck stops here: It’s the day before their season opener and the Milwaukee Bucks are already facing roster uncertainties. A big name, Khris Middleton, is reportedly unlikely to play against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday following two offseason surgeries on his ankle. Head coach Doc Rivers said over the weekend that the team is taking it “day to day” regarding whether the small forward will play, but it isn’t keeping him up at night. “I think he’ll be healthy soon and we’ll have him a lot,” Rivers said. “So I’m not that concerned by it.”

Passing the torch: Current Disney CEO Bob Iger has a longer and more influential role in the company than just about anybody other than founder Walt Disney. But his latest stint at the helm was always intended to be temporary — and now we know a little more about the timeline. The company released a statement confirming that its board is in the process of finding a replacement for Iger, which it intends to complete by “early 2026.” While several execs within the company are being considered, Disney is also open to “external candidates.”

Power trip: With a name like Oscar, it’s no surprise so many people across Cuba are grouchy. The tropical storm hit the island nation as a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday, not only bringing with it heavy rain and winds but exacerbating an existing problem. Just days earlier, Cuba’s biggest power plan failed, knocking out electricity for more than 10 million people. When Oscar made landfall, it only made things harder for those workers trying to restore the grid. As of the latest updates available, some officials hoped power would be restored by today.

At no additional cost: Birth control has always been a hot-button issue, but the Biden administration is taking it on with just two weeks left until Election Day. The White House is pushing for a new rule that would require over-the-counter forms of contraceptives — including Plan B, birth control pills, and condoms — to be made available through health insurance providers with no copay for consumers. Vice President (and presidential nominee) Kamala Harris called it “the largest expansion of contraception coverage in more than a decade.”

People had been sharing Costco memberships for years before they started sharing their Netflix accounts, meaning that the warehouse retail chain has missed out on a considerable amount of revenue.

That’s why, when Costco announced a new strategy of scanning membership cards at the entrance, much of the public discussion hinged on whether this would be an effective strategy for cracking down on card borrowing. But there appears to be at least one other reason for the change, and it could make the shopping experience better in the long run.

Tracking groups, not just individuals

Sure, there’s clearly a motivation to ensure that only members themselves are getting the benefits of a membership. But like many other tech advancements, those scanners also serve other functions.

One notable example involves preparing for demand using up-to-the-minute data. Even though most Costco locations maintain at least moderate traffic all day, card scanners can alert staff to spikes that might require attention.

“It gives our operators real-time traffic counts throughout the day,” explained President and CEO Ron Vachris. “So we’re able to adjust front-end lines that we need to open and close lines based on the fluctuations of business. We can monitor our fresh foods a little better because we know what the traffic counts look like and so forth.”

Other potential benefits of the scanner

According to Vachris, the information captured by those new scanners will provide an array of valuable information about shoppers and inventory. For example, if a membership is about to expire, the system will provide an alert at the point of entry.

“We let them know if their renewal is due before they get to the front end,” Vachris explained.

Constantly updated traffic numbers can also help manage inventory, meaning Costco might have your favorites in stock more consistently.

After generations of refinement, the ubiquitous AirPods are now much more than wireless earbuds. In fact, while various types of headphones in the past have faced accusations of contributing to hearing loss, the new AirPods Pro 2 is being marketed as a tool to monitor and even reverse such damage.

Three new features

Apple has added a range of health-related functions to its newest top-of-the-line earbuds, including a trio of features that deal directly with hearing.

• Hearing aids: As we recently reported, the AirPods Pro 2 can replace (often at a lower price) many types of in-ear devices used to treat mild to moderate hearing loss.
• Hearing tests: Along with an iPhone app, users can monitor their own hearing with a five-minute test to determine if there are any signs of hearing loss.
• Hearing protection: The latest generation also includes active noise reduction and sound preservation for use in loud environments such as concerts.

Whether you’re one of the estimated 1.5 billion people worldwide living with some level of hearing loss or you simply want access to these features, Apple wants you to consider forking over about $250 for the AirPods Pro 2.

Why it’s important

The fact that this relatively affordable accessory can eliminate the need for bulky, expensive hearing aids for many people is objectively cool. But some industry analysts say the real impact might not be realized for years.

With AirPods serving double duty as both earbuds and hearing aids, it might become even more common to see people wearing them in a wide range of situations — and perhaps eliminating some of the remaining stigma surrounding hearing loss.

And if this move pays off for Apple, we could see other tech companies offer their own health-related features.

The fact that they’ve become an overused trope in film and television proves just how emotional the airport goodbye can be. But if you’re expecting to take your time bidding your loved one bon voyage, you might be in for a rude awakening — that is, if the flight takes off from Dunedin Airport in New Zealand.

What do the signs say?

Signs have been posted throughout the South Island airport displaying ominous warnings against any hugs lasting longer than 180 seconds.

A few of the notices include:

• “It’s hard to say goodbye so make it quick. 3 minutes max.”
• “Max hug time three minutes.”
• “For fonder farewells please use the car park.”

Lengthy goodbyes have contributed to backups at this and other airports, though Dunedin Airport appears to be the only one implementing time limits.

But are they serious?

It was only a matter of time before Dunedin Airport CEO Dan De Bono addressed the media attention this new policy had begun to receive locally and around the world.

He sat down for a radio interview and acknowledged that the signs had “caused quite a stir,” noting that the intention was to encourage the free flow of traffic into and through the airport.

De Bono made it clear, however, that no one should expect the time limits reflected in those signs to be enforced.

“We’re trying to have fun with it,” he said. “It is an airport and those drop-off locations are common locations for farewells.”

But the underlying issue is a serious one, De Bono continued, explaining: “There’s no space left for others. It’s about enabling others to have hugs.”

I went to the library to check out a book about Pavlov's dogs and Schrodinger's cat.

The librarian said: "It rings a bell but I'm not sure if it's here or not."