2019年6月20日

Dating apps like Tinder, Match, and Bumble predict that growth will 'slow significantly' in 2019 

约会应用如Tinder，Match和Bumble预测2019年的增长将“大幅放缓”

Although more than 25 million people are expected to regularly turn to dating apps this year, analysts are predicting a slow-down in growth for many popular dating apps. Research analytics firm eMarketer predicts that user growth for dating apps like Tinder, Hinge, Match, and OKCupid, will “slow significantly” in the US in 2019. Dating apps are anticipated to see their collective user base grow by 5.3% this year, compared with a 6.5% increase in 2018. Analysts attributes the slow in growth to a lower number of new users entering the dating app market.

“At this point, we see existing users switching between apps rather than new users trying dating apps for the first time,” eMarketer analyst Nazmul Islam said.

A spokesperson for Match Group (Tinder’s parent company) said “Our data shows that half of all singles in the US use or have tried a dating app. There are also huge single populations in the rest of the world where dating products are becoming the new normal.” Nevertheless, the dating app industry as a whole is still seeing its revenue continue to grow. From February 2018 to February 2019, the top 10 mobile dating apps in the US saw around $US679 million in gross consumer spending. Tinder increased its revenue by 62% during this period with an industry-leading $US367 million, while Bumble grew 135% to $US117 million.

Google was grilled about China and other hot-button topics during its investor meeting

谷歌在投资者会议期间对中国和其他热门话题进行了抨击

Google executives faced a barrage of questions about the company’s workplace policies and controversial business projects during its annual shareholder meeting on Wednesday. Several employees of Google-parent company Alphabet joined other shareholders and addressed senior management at the meeting, seeking reforms and commitments.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai gave a presentation about the company at the start of the meeting, but sat silently on-stage during the 30-minute Q&A portion. A question regarding a potential censored search engine in China was directed at Pichai but was answered by Kent Walker, the company’s chief counsel. 

“We continually assess all the countries around the world where we’re doing business to make sure that we can offer our services as broadly as possible,” Walker said. “As we said, we have no plans to offer a search engine in China, and we’ll be very open to input from all stakeholders as we progress there.” Knowledge of the project, known internally as Dragonfly, was first reported by the Intercept last August. Amid backlash from employees and human rights groups, Pichai said at a Congressional hearing in December that the company had “no plans to launch a search service in China.”

Still, Google has not officially said that it would forego launching a search product in China in the future should it be forced to censor results. Roughly 30 to 40 protesters convened outside the shareholder meeting, which was held at Google’s Sunnyvale, California offices. 

The stockholder proposal to review the human rights impact of offering censored search in China was rejected on Wednesday. So too were the 13 other proposals, which included appointing an employee representative to the board of directors and conducting a public report on gender pay differences.

Alphabet’s CEO (Page)'s absence from the public eye has become a trend of late, as the Alphabet chief exec disappeared from Google’s weekly all-hands meetings (known internally as “TGIF”) for roughly six months before finally resurfacing in late May.

Here are the key issues the CSIRO says are going to shape Australia's future

CSIRO报告指出将影响澳大利亚未来的关键问题

Change is a constant in life. This century the emergence of the iPhone, cloud computing, enhanced computer power, robotics, automation, energy storage systems, and many other technological advances seem to have accelerated the pace of change in modern life.

CSIRO uses an analytical framework of modelling and research together with input from a panel of participants comprised of more than 50 leaders across 22 Australian organisations, says the difference between reform and stagnation could mean as much as a $40,000 difference to Australian incomes by 2060.

CSIRO says there five key issues which “will require significant action and long-term thinking” if the nation is to track toward “an inclusive, resilient and prosperous economy”. Crucially this will keep the workforce ready, able and “prepared for technology-enabled jobs of the future”. If Australia’s regulatory system promotes innovation, which in turn will allow, new technology-enabled growth industries and business models to flourish.Australia also needs to develop export-facing growth industries.

The nature of Australia’s cities will change, the report says, noting, an urban “shift will enable well-connected, affordable cities that offer more equal access to quality jobs, lifestyle amenities, education and other services”. This means we need to plan for increased densification of our cities, but they need to be well connected internally to combat sprawl and reduce congestion.

The report also suggests more mixed zoning across our cities to “to bring people closer to jobs, services and amenities”. And of course, part of doing this properly requires an investment in transport infrastructure “including mass-transit, autonomous vehicles and active transit, such as walking and cycling.”

The CSIRO suggests a shift will come as Australia harnesses “digital and genomic technology, as well as using natural assets more efficiently”. It also says Australia should actively participate in forestry carbon capture and invest in biodiversity and ecosystem health in order to ensure the maintenance and increase in land productivity. Australia needs to “encourage a healthy culture of risk taking, curiosity and an acceptance of fear of failure to support entrepreneurship and innovation”.