C
    Cindy Mizaku

    Cindy Mizaku

    Producer

    Cindy Mizaku is a producer for Yahoo Finance’s original series.

  • From heel to toe: How the iconic New Balance 990 is made

    Before a New Balance 990 is formed into a complete sneaker, it begins its life as two-dimensional sheets of leather and fabric that get passed from one shoemaker to the next. From the patterns of the upper to the chunkiness of the sole, the 990s are recognizable even before the gray “N” logo is stitched on. While the look of the shoe has evolved since its inception in 1982, the craftsmanship has remained the same. Yahoo Finance gets a behind-the-scenes look at New Balance’s 115-year-old factory in Lawrence, Massachusetts, where 29 shoemakers stitch and design the 990v6. The shoemaking process is divided into five departments: cut, pre-fit, computer stitch, hand stitch, and assembly. In each of the 50 to 60 steps, precision is crucial, with quality checks throughout the process. The end result: an iconic shoe that is literally pieced together from start to finish in the US.Watch the video above to learn how the 990v6 is made.

  • How New Balance puts its next 'it' shoe through the paces

    The race to create the top-performing – but also most stylish – pair of sneakers goes on. Retailers have been adopting the latest design trends, investing in athlete partnerships, and turning to social media to keep up. But staying relevant in a competitive, multi-billion-dollar market can be challenging. How is the industry pushing for innovation? Research labs. A science that analyzes an athlete’s qualitative and quantitative data, to be more specific. Yahoo Finance’s Brad Smith jumps into his athletic gear and laces up at the New Balance Sports Research Lab where researchers are, quite literally, running tests on him in a quest to find his best-performing shoe, following in the footsteps of marathon record-holder Emily Sisson.For more on our Lead This Way series, click here, and tune in to Yahoo Finance Live for more expert insight and the latest market action, Monday through Friday. Editor's Note: This article was written by Cindy Mizaku.

  • An inside look at the fusion reactor promising limitless energy

    Scientists and big-name investors like Sam Altman, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates are placing their bets on nuclear technology that could essentially recreate a star on earth. Yahoo Finance’s Akiko Fujita gets an exclusive look at the country’s largest magnetic fusion facility, DIII-D, where researchers are chasing clean energy through a process called nuclear fusion. Unlike traditional nuclear fission, which splits a large atom apart, fusion smashes two atoms together – producing massive amounts of renewable energy without the release of harmful waste. Tucked inside the heart of the operation lies the “tokamak.” The stakes are high in this vacuum chamber where temperatures can reach about ten times the core of the sun. In order to commercialize, nuclear fusion facilities need to generate more energy than the amount of energy it takes to create a reaction. Success here can take us one step closer to charging our world through limitless power. For more on our NEXT series, click here, and tune in to Yahoo Finance Live for more expert insight and the latest market action, Monday through Friday.

  • Live heat maps to revolutionize the fight against retail theft

    Video surveillance systems, smart case locks, and AI security robots are among just a few anti-theft technologies on the market. But what if the answer to loss prevention could be simplified? The Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC) at the University of Florida develops and tests theft prevention technology, funded by dozens of retailers who pay an annual membership fee to access the lab’s findings. The lab, in turn, works on solutions that bring retailers together who traditionally compete.
Walmart (WMT), Amazon (AMZN), and Kroger (KR) are just some of the companies that have already come together to share their data in real time with the ultimate goal of stopping theft before it happens. Yahoo Finance’s Madison Mills gets an inside look at the research lab where heat maps are designed to pull information from a variety of sources, including retailers, law enforcement, and fire rescue agencies to pinpoint where and when crime occurs — not only to prevent losses but to combat much larger, global issues that retail crime funds. If you’re going to future-proof your portfolio, you need to know what’s NEXT. In this series, Yahoo Finance will feature stories that give a glimpse at the future, and show how companies are making big moves today that will matter tomorrow.For more on our NEXT series, click here, and tune tune in to Yahoo Finance Live for more expert insight and the latest market action, Monday through Friday. Editor's note: This article was written by Cindy Mizaku

  • Grammys 2024: What to expect on music’s biggest night

    The 66th annual Grammy Awards, airing live from Los Angeles this Sunday, is getting fans excited to see their favorite artists hit the stage and potentially win a Grammy. What’s new this year? The Recording Academy introduced three new Grammy categories and “only human creators” are eligible to win – just to name a few. Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. joins Yahoo Finance’s Jennifer Schonberger to discuss what’s to come on music’s biggest night. In addition to the Grammys, Mason Jr. gives his takes on AI shaking up the music industry, the push for artist compensation on streaming platforms, and the future of concert ticket reform.“AI's going to present some really unique opportunities for our industry, but it's also a bit scary,” Mason Jr. said, adding that guidelines need to be put in place to ensure that “human creators are protected."

  • The road ahead for new PayPal CEO Alex Chriss

    With the former PayPal CEO and President Dan Schulman stepping down and the company’s stock dropping more than 24% from a year ago, PayPal’s new leadership has a lot of ground to cover in 2024. The payments sector flourished during the pandemic, causing the stocks in the space to rise. Companies like PayPal (PYPL), however, had trouble adjusting to post-pandemic consumer behavior despite the market rally in 2023. Still, some analysts maintain that while the company has been going through a growth slowdown in the last two years, now is a good time to buy in. Wedbush Securities Managing Director Moshe Katri and Macquarie Capital Senior Equity Research Analyst Paul Golding join Yahoo Finance Live to talk all things fintech in the new year. “What PayPal has gone through in the past year and a half is really a symptom of pretty much every single fintech company in this universe,” Katri said. “You cannot exclusively rely on transaction fees in terms of revenue generation. You have to do more than that.” The challenge for new PayPal CEO Alex Chriss is to build a robust line of services for both merchants and consumers on the platform, Katri maintains. Along with reinvesting in consumer experience, Golding said that he is interested to see how new leadership is going to expand the platform among small and medium-sized businesses and growing the margins around businesses such as BrainTree. To see the full Lead This Way episode: Dan Schulman: The CEO who made PayPal a household name, click here.

  • Behind the drone that will deliver straight to your doorstep

    Envision a delivery service that’s driverless and instant – shipping an order straight to your doorstep in a matter of minutes – without wheels. What’s behind the process? Drones. Bay Area startup Zipline is commercializing drone delivery with their latest drone known as Platform 2. Hovering 300 feet above the ground, the drone releases a droid inside to drop off the delivery in a secure location. Yahoo Finance’s Akiko Fujita gets an inside look at how the technology is designed and automated with the question in mind: What will it take to revolutionize delivery services?The NEXT Big Thing is the social companion to our big bold series NEXT. To see the full NEXT episode: Drone delivery to reach new heights and speeds, click here.You can read Akiko Fujita's article: Drone delivery startup Zipline to expand package drop-off across the US, here.

  • Drone delivery to reach new heights and speeds

    In this episode of Yahoo Finance series NEXT, Yahoo Finance reporter Akiko Fujita visits San Francisco startup Zipline to get a first-hand look at how delivery services are being automated with drones. The vision of drone delivery has been around for years, with Amazon (AMZN) being one of the first to launch its drone delivery program “Prime Air” in 2013. What has kept the industry from scaling up to widespread use? Regulation. In the race to deliver at new heights, the FAA has granted Zipline a rare exception to fly drones beyond the visual line of sight. With commercial drone deliveries projected to exceed 1 million by the end of 2023, Zipline plans to lead the way introducing drone technology to as many as 15 cities in the US across healthcare, restaurants, and retail by 2025. Zipline expects to reach these goals with the company’s Platform 2 aircraft – a drone designed to seamlessly integrate into business operations while delivering with precision. From heights up to 330 feet, the drone drops a "droid" with packaged goods weighing up to eight pounds anywhere from your doorstep to sidewalk in a matter of minutes.Drone delivery could be introducing a new accessibility to delivery services with retailers lining up to utilize the technology. Sweetgreen (SG), Pagliacci Pizza, and Mendocino Farms are early restaurant adopters. Zipline has also lined up a slew of clients in the health and wellness space, including GNC, Michigan Medicine, Intermountain Health, and MultiCare Health System. As more companies adopt the technology, delivery on wheels may be a thing of the past. For more on our NEXT series, click here, and tune in to Yahoo Finance every Monday at 10 a.m. ET.

  • AI in 2024: The 'big getting bigger'

    With the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicking off next month, tech companies from around the world are excited to showcase their latest products. Despite the many tech advancements that will be highlighted, generative AI is likely to be the one that takes center stage. Bob O’Donnell, TECHnalysis Research President and Chief Analyst, joins Yahoo Finance Live and shares what he expects to see at CES. Although there are going to be startups leaving their mark in audio and video applications, O’Donnell makes the case that the big tech companies are going to see the greatest earnings in 2024. The smaller companies are going to be financially challenged with building the foundation models that are essential for creating new and accurate AI systems, O’Donnell says, while companies like Microsoft (MSFT) and Amazon (AMZN) will be a case of the "big getting bigger." For more from this episode of NEXT: To see the full NEXT episode: Next in Tech: Why generative AI will explode in 2024, click here. To read more about AI from Yahoo Finance's Tech Editor Dan Howley, click here.

  • Next in Tech: Why generative AI will explode in 2024

    It's been just over a year since ChatGPT started to dominate headlines. The OpenAI platform introduced the world to generative AI, a type of AI that can be used in everyday functions. But what will 2024 bring? More AI. Bob O’Donnell, TECHnalysis Research President & Chief Analyst joins Yahoo Finance Live to discuss what the next wave of AI means for users, companies, and investors. Despite the craze over generative AI in the past year, O’Donnell says that not many people in the workforce have been directly using the applications, but that’s all going to change in the coming year. While everyday people are going to be using AI, businesses are going to see a greater impact than the average consumer, O’Donnell maintains. Nvidia (NVDA) has been the biggest name associated with AI, but "in 2024, we're going to see a ton of other semiconductor companies, obviously, be going after Nvidia. And the truth is, the market is looking for more competition,” O’Donnell says. In terms of semiconductors, O'Donnell points to announcements from Intel (INTC) and Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and how those companies will be looking to bring their chips to the masses. He also explains how tech companies like Amazon (AMZN) and Microsoft (MSFT) are going to join the ring with Nvidia and Qualcomm (QCOM), pioneering the next generation of AI-processing software.For more episodes from our NEXT series, click here. To read more about AI from Yahoo Finance's Tech Editor Dan Howley, click here.

  • The retail winners this holiday shopping season

    The holiday shopping season is upon us. It's a crucial time for many retailers, with the term "Black Friday" referencing the point when retailers go from being "in the red" to being "in the black." Storch Advisors Gerald "Jerry" Storch, the former CEO of both Toys R Us and Hudson's Bay, expresses caution over the high numbers reported during Cyber Week sales, stating that the growth likely came at the expense of brick-and-mortar sales. Although BMO Capital Markets Managing Director Simeon Siegel agrees about being watchful over retail reports, he feels “optimistic” that the holiday shopping season is off to a good start. The biggest question Siegel raises is how the retailers are going to perform during the lull between Cyber Week and Christmas. When it comes to the winners in retail, Siegel says those who “predict their demand well are going to continue to win, and those that don’t are going to continue to lose.” Storch projects that Walmart (WMT), TJX Companies (TJX), Amazon (AMZN), and Costco (COST) will have a successful holiday shopping season. Siegel’s retail winners also include TJX Companies, as well as Ross Stores (ROST), Burlington (BURL), and Coach (owned by Tapestry (TPR)).For more from Yahoo Finance's Lead This Way series: Click here for more videos and tune in to Yahoo Finance every Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. To see the full Lead This Way episode: Abercrombie & Fitch CEO’s turnaround playbook: Lead This Way premiere, click here. You can read Brian Sozzi’s article: Abercrombie & Fitch CEO: a leadership masterclass on saving a retail icon, here. To learn more about how Abercrombie & Fitch CEO finds balance, click here.

  • What small business can learn from Abercrombie & Fitch CEO’s turnaround playbook

    Business success and decline are commonplace in companies both big and small. After taking the top job at Abercrombie and Fitch (ANF), Fran Horowitz led a turnaround centered on consumer interests and inclusive marketing.Gerald “Jerry” Storch, Founder and CEO of Storch Advisors as well as the former CEO of Toys R Us and Hudson’s Bay, joins Yahoo Finance Live to share how small businesses can learn from Horowitz’s comeback story. “It doesn’t really matter how big the company is, the challenge is similar,” Storch said. “Stay focused on the customer, then you can succeed.” Lead This Way is a new series from Yahoo Finance that features big interviews with business leaders shaping our world today. In these one-on-one conversations with Wall Street’s titans, they each uncover their perspectives on how they approach leadership - from innovative thinking to sheer perseverance. For more from Yahoo Finance's Lead This Way, click here, and tune in to Yahoo Finance every Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. To see the full Lead This Way episode: Abercrombie & Fitch CEO’s turnaround playbook: Lead This Way premiere, click here. You can read Brian Sozzi’s article: Abercrombie & Fitch CEO: a leadership masterclass on saving a retail icon, here. To learn more about how Abercrombie & Fitch CEO finds balance, click here.

  • How the Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Finds Balance

    Transforming a company from catering to an exclusive consumer base to an all-around “lifestyle” brand is no easy task. Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) CEO Fran Horowitz tells Yahoo Finance how she rose to the challenge with the retailer smashing 2023 earnings estimates for second and third quarter sales by 20%. On top of building a line with a customer-centric approach, Horowitz says that part of her success stems from inner work. Overseeing nearly 750 stores across the company’s four brands, the CEO manages the workload by finding balance in her life. “You have to find, for you, what helps you clear your mind and get things done,” Horowitz says. Participating in exercises like swimming and yoga and, more importantly, making time for family has been a motivational force in helping Horowitz maintain a work-life balance. Lead This Way is a new series from Yahoo Finance that features big interviews with business leaders shaping our world today. In these one-on-one conversations with Wall Street’s titans, they each uncover their perspectives on how they approach leadership - from innovative thinking to sheer perseverance. For more on our Lead This Way Series, click here, and tune in to Yahoo Finance every Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.

  • How AI is transforming cybersecurity amid regulatory overhaul

    Artificial intelligence and automation are reshaping the digital defense landscape. Companies are engaged in a relentless race to outpace cyber threats, with the effectiveness of their cybersecurity systems playing a pivotal role in determining market success moving forward. Microsoft (MSFT) just launched Security Copilot, an AI-powered cybersecurity assistant that uses AI to sift through enormous amounts of data to detect threats. Palo Alto Networks (PANW) launched Cortex XSIAM 2.0, which automates the security operations center. The next big thing? Fully autonomous security systems, powered entirely by AI - no humans necessary. Companies will increasingly adopt zero trust policies, meaning biometric authentication will be required for network access, even for current employees. Selfies or thumbprints will become the norm over written passwords. Regulation requires public companies to disclose any attacks or threats. Folks in other professions, like investment advisors, may soon face similar requirements. The numbers tell you why: According to Cybersecurity Ventures, cybercrime worldwide is expected to cost an estimated $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. Here’s how firms are protecting themselves. Reporter Madison Mills has the story on what companies could benefit most from the expansion of cybersecurity.

  • The robot that will change Amazon’s packaging process: The CW 1000

    Have you ever received a package with an order that is tiny compared to its shipping box? Amazon (AMZN) designed the CartonWrap 1000, or the CW 1000, to tackle this problem. Yahoo Finance’s Allie Garfinkle got a first-hand look at the Amazon fulfillment center housing the machine in Matteson, Illinois.The CW 1000 uses AI to cut cardboard boxes that fit the dimensions of various items. Capable of building a custom box every 3.5 seconds, the CW 1000 may be the next automatic system to reduce waste in e-commerce packaging. The NEXT Big Thing is the social companion to our big bold series NEXT. To see the full NEXT episode: Inside Amazon's robot empire, click here. To read Alexandra Garfinkle's article: Amazon built the retail of today — its robots are building the Amazon of tomorrow, click here.

  • China, robots, and automation: Geopolitics' role in robotics

    The merging of robotics and AI in automation present a wave of opportunities for investors, but the next wildcard can be overseas. R "Ray" Wang, Principal Analyst & Founder of Constellation Research, joins Yahoo Finance Live to discuss how geopolitical competition is going to play a hand in the robotics industry.“Think about China. Their population dynamics are shrinking over time,” Wang said. “They need robots to keep up.” It all comes down to who can take advantage of automation most effectively and quickly, Wang said.For more from this episode of NEXT:To see the full NEXT episode: Inside Amazon's robot empire, click here.To read Alexandra Garfinkle's article: Amazon built the retail of today — its robots are building the Amazon of tomorrow, click here.

  • Inside look at Amazon’s robot assembly line

    Amazon (AMZN) is set to increase efficiency, safety, and speed delivery times through its growing robotics operation that now includes over 750,000 robots. Amazon’s fulfillment centers have diversified their robotic applications, from designing mechanical arms that sort packages to the company’s first fully autonomous mobile robot. The process behind creating these robots involves a 10-station assembly line where each technician has seven minutes to finish their job in the robot manufacturing process. Yahoo Finance’s Senior Tech Reporter Alexandra Garfinkle gets an inside look at Amazon's Robotics facility where the next wave of robots are being built.

  • How to invest in EV infrastructure tech: An investor's guide

    ICF estimates that a total of 93 million more EVs will be on the road by 2050, thanks to advancements in EV technology and progress in building out the infrastructure to support the demand. It's a space investors are keenly paying attention to, with most aware of the infrastructure hurdles, but maybe not as aware of the emerging innovations that will critically change the EV charging landscape. Craig Irwin, Managing Director and Senior Research Analyst at Roth Capital Partners and Stacy Noblet, Vice President in Transportation Electrification at ICF join Yahoo Finance Live to discuss the strides needed to revamp the EV industry. In response to startups building out infrastructure technologies like wireless inductive charging, Irwin said, “it takes a lot of interest and a lot of innovation across a spectrum of solutions.” “It’s not just about putting chargers in the ground,” Noblet said. “They need to be readily available and that’s a workforce development issue to be able to support not only the installation of the charging stations, but keeping them running.”For more from this episode of NEXT:To see the full NEXT episode: Electrifying Roads, click here. To read Akiko Fujita's article: This Israeli company is building a road that charges electric vehicles in Detroit, click here.To learn more about Charging while driving: The next step in EVs, click here.

  • Charging while driving: The next step in EVs

    One of the biggest roadblocks to electric vehicle adoption in the U.S. is the lack of charging infrastructure. Israeli startup Electreon (ELWS.TA) aims to address this problem by electrifying the road itself through a system called “dynamic charging.” Coil segments are embedded underneath the road's surface. These coils are connected to the power grid and feed charge wirelessly through receiver plates installed under the vehicle. Electreon’s software operates the charge by monitoring when the power grid is being stretched or when the battery usage is at its lowest. This innovation could introduce a flexibility the EV market needs to systemize charging on the go. Watch the video above to learn more about how the technology works. The NEXT Big Thing is the social companion to our big bold series NEXT. To see the full NEXT episode: Electrifying Roads, click here.To read Akiko Fujita's article: This Israeli company is building a road that charges electric vehicles in Detroit, click here.

  • How one startup is making undersea data centers sustainable

    From storing information to powering the internet, data centers enable us to do everything online. In order for these data centers to function, the facilities require a ton of power to process the volume of data running through servers and the cooling systems to maintain them. Subsea Cloud Founder and CEO Maxie Reynolds joins Yahoo Finance Live to discuss how her startup aims to remedy the environmental toll of cloud usage by building sustainable centers underwater. The ocean’s cold temperatures provide the ideal environment to prevent overheating, while being situated near coastlines provides greater access to renewable energy sources.According to Reynolds, placing data centers underwater reduces carbon emissions by 40 percent and financial costs by 70 percent. With the push to use AI at high-frequency speeds, Reynolds said that she sees big tech companies moving towards building underwater data centers in the future. In response to pushback that underwater data centers are too costly, Reynolds said that it benefits to have a “subsea engineer to know how to do it effectively, that’s what’s missing from an analyst’s viewpoint.”For more from this episode of NEXT:Investing in underwater data centers: An investor's guideMapping out the future of underwater data centers