• The veteran gaming and esports agent Amber Howard recently took the helm as TalentX Gaming's new head of talent.
• Business Insider spoke with Howard to learn more about how she got started in the business, her thoughts on recent allegations of sexual misconduct and discrimination in the industry, and her plans to build a diverse roster of gaming creators at TXG.
• "There are opportunities with houses and gaming and entertainment and fandom and music, and all of the different verticals and businesses and partnerships that TalentX has," Howard said.
• Subscribe to Business Insider's influencer newsletter: Influencer Dashboard.

Amber Howard was first drawn into the world of esports and gaming in the mid-2010s when she learned that a "League of Legends" tournament had managed to sell out the Staples Center in Los Angeles (a stadium that can fit nearly 20,000 fans).

"I'm a huge Lakers fan, obviously being in LA. I know they don't even sell out the Staples Center," Howard said. 

With her curiosity piqued, Howard began researching "League of Legends" and its developer, Riot Games, and eventually began playing the game with the goal of applying for a talent-development role at the company. 

"I became that person that was going to YouTube to watch videos to get better at the game," Howard said. "I didn't know that what I was doing would literally set the foundation for what I can now call a career."

While Howard didn't end up working at Riot Games, she did find a job as a talent manager at the now defunct gaming-content company Machinima and eventually became a talent agent in the gaming division at A3 Artists Agency (formerly Abrams Artists Agency).

And last week, Howard left A3 to take on a new position as the new head of talent at TalentX Gaming, a joint venture between the esports company ReKTGlobal and the TikTok-focused talent-management company TalentX Entertainment.

The two companies joined forces in May with a goal of building a roster of gamer and esports influencers and tapping into TalentX's existing talent pool of TikTok creators who already have an interest in video games.  

Howard is stepping into a leadership role at TXG at a time when the gaming and esports industry is under increased scrutiny after a series of accusations of sexual misconduct and discrimination emerged on social media against some of the industry's top players. SayNoToRage, a gamer that Howard worked with as an agent at A3, was among those accused of misconduct such as "nonconsensual touching" and "harassment," according to The New York Times. 

For Howard, who said she no longer works with SayNoToRage, some type of reckoning in the largely male-dominated gaming space felt inevitable.

"In gaming specifically, and even with the internet as a whole, there's always been that facade that you can say what you want because you're behind a computer screen and no one is ever really going to find you, and it's never going to catch up to you," she said. "With social media and people finding their voices, that's happening. And so we have to learn from it, and people have to be better and they have to be accountable."

Recruiting underrepresented gamers to the TalentX roster

As TalentX's new gaming-talent lead, Howard said she hoped to elevate female gamers and other underrepresented players in a category traditionally dominated by 18- to 34-year-old white men.

"We as talent managers need to go out and find and really look for those underrepresented talent," she said. "I think we all collectively have to do our parts to make sure that we are reaching out across the aisles and making sure that we are elevating other people in the space."

At the onset, Howard is bringing to TalentX Gaming an existing roster of diverse clients, including P2istheName, Natalie "ZombiUnicorn" Casanova, Mari "AtomicMari" Takahashi, and Soleil "Ewok" Wheeler, a 14-year-old gamer who is deaf and plays "Fortnite" for the esports organization FaZe Clan.

Both Howard and TXG CEO Jason Wilhelm told Business Insider that they planned to focus on onboarding gaming talent who can reach audiences across a variety of social-media platforms. 

"I always look for what I call multihyphenate talent, so a talent who is interested in doing more than one thing," Howard said. "When I'm looking at gaming content creators, I need someone who is on multiple platforms, who wants to be on different platforms, and who is creating different types of content on each platform."

For esports creators, Howard said she studies their personalities in addition to their performances as competitive gamers.

"Are they engaging?" she said. "Are they funny? Is there an element to them that makes me want to watch them rather than just being a hardcore competitor?"

TalentX is eyeing TikTok for its gaming talent

The timing looks favorable for an upstart like TalentX Gaming to create a roster of esports and gaming stars.

Investors have poured billions of dollars into esports companies in recent years as the number of gamers and professional teams has exploded (though some investors say the category is due for a correction).

And interest in video games has spiked among at-home consumers looking for alternative forms of entertainment during the coronavirus pandemic. 

"We have people helming the company who are creators themselves who understand all the opportunities that are available," Howard said of TalentX's leadership. 

One growth area that TalentX is eyeing for its gamers is TikTok, the short-form-video platform where most of the company's nongaming creators got their start. 

"A lot of TikTokers are massive gamers," Wilhelm told Business Insider in May. "A lot of them want to be involved in the gaming side of things."

Howard said the company was considering a variety of crossover opportunities with TikTok, including a TikTok esports team.

"All of my creators that I have on my roster have TikToks," Howard said. "There are opportunities with houses and gaming and entertainment and fandom and music, and all of the different verticals and businesses and partnerships that TalentX has."

She added: "TikTok really wants to double down on gaming, and gamers are already on TikTok streaming, so there's an opportunity to really bridge the gap between the two of those."

For more information on the gaming and esports industry, check out these other Business Insider stories: 

• A TikTok talent group and esports team are betting that gaming will be the app's next break-out category. Here's their plan to connect video game brands with TikTok's Gen-Z audience: Business Insider spoke with RekTGlobal's chairman and the CEO of TalentX Gaming to learn more about their strategy for growing gaming talent on TikTok.
• New TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer highlights music and gaming as focus areas in his first statements after being poached from Disney: As a newcomer to the social-media scene, TikTok's had an outsize impact on the music industry and has recently drawn interest from gaming companies.
• Twitch will make 80% of its 2020 revenue from subscriptions, according to a Wall Street analyst. Here's how much money 8 of its top streamers make every month from subscribers: Business Insider estimated how much subscription revenue creators generate on Twitch based on data compiled by the analytics site TwitchTracker.
• Twitch is setting viewership records and proving its dominance as the top streaming platform, but it faces an uphill battle to increase advertising revenue: Twitch has reached record viewership while traditional media adapts to the pandemic, giving the platform an opportunity to court advertisers.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What makes 'Parasite' so shocking is the twist that happens in a 10-minute sequence

• Many of the best smartphones you can buy in the US are expensive, but luckily, they often go on sale.
• You can even find deals on brand-new phones with the latest tech, features, and design, as well as discounted last-gen models that can easily keep up in 2020.
• These are the best smartphone deals we've seen in May 2020 so far, but we' ll update this list regularly with more great sales.
• Right now, one of the best deals is $200 off the Apple iPhone SE.

Smartphone price tags are crazy these days, so finding a solid deal that scrapes a bit — or a lot — off the top can be helpful to anyone.

Below, you'll find some of our favorite smartphones that are currently getting a discount. We check back every week to make sure the list is up to date, and we use that opportunity to add any new smartphone deals we spot.

In the US, the top smartphones you can buy are typically from Apple, Samsung, Google, and OnePlus. Thankfully, we've found deals for various models from those four smartphone makers, including those in the high-end premium, mid-range, and budget segments. 

We also include deals for slightly older smartphones if we think they're still worth it, and advice on whether the deal is good enough. 

Here are the best smartphone deals in April 2020:

• Apple iPhone SE, starting at $6.63/month for 30 months ($200) at Walmart (upgrade only) [You save $200] 
• Apple iPhone SE, starting at $8.29/month for 24 months ($200) at Walmart (upgrade only) [You save $200] 
• Apple iPhone XS Max 64 GB, $799 (originally $999) from Apple Refurbished Store [You save $200]
• Google Pixel 3a, $279 (originally $399) at Amazon [You save $120]
• Google Pixel 3a XL, $319 (originally $479) at Amazon [You save $160]
• OnePlus 7T, $499.99 (originally $599.99) at OnePlus [You save $100]

Best premium smartphone deals

The phones below are typically "flagships," meaning they're a company's best smartphone that comes with the latest technology, innovations, and features. 

Right now, Best Buy has a nearly unbeatable deal for the Galaxy S20+ by shaving off $400 off the top. Check it out:

• Samsung Galaxy S20, $849.99 (originally $999.99) at Best Buy [You save $150]
• Samsung Galaxy S20+, $799.99 (originally $1,999.99) at Best Buy [You save $400]
• Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, $1,099 (originally $1,399.99) at Best Buy [You save $300]
• OnePlus 7T, $499.99 (originally $599.99) at OnePlus [You save $100]
• OnePlus 7 Pro, $549 8GB+256GB (originally $669) at OnePlus [You save $120]

Best iPhone deals

It's still early 2020, but the iPhone SE is likely to be this year's winner. The phone is already great value at its starting $400 price, as it's running on Apple's A13 mobile chip — the same chip turning the wheels in the iPhone 11 series.

Getting a discount on the iPhone SE is like getting a deal on top of a deal. And at $200 off at the time of writing, Walmart's deal is likely to be the best deal you're going to get, just as long as you're eligible for an upgrade via Verizon or AT&T.

• Apple iPhone SE for AT&T, starting at $6.63/month for 30 months ($200) at Walmart (upgrade only) [You save $200] 
• Apple iPhone SE for Verizon, starting at $8.29/month for 24 months ($200) at Walmart (upgrade only) [You save $200] 
• Apple iPhone XS Max, 64GB (Originally $1,000)— starting at $699.99 at Woot [You save $300]

Best iPhone deals if you're comfortable with going with pre-owned/refurbished

If you can't find a good sale or deal anywhere, the most consistent and best way to save on Apple's iPhones is by going through one of Apple's best-kept secrets — it's own Refurbished Store.

"Pre-owned" or "refurbished" can understandably send people the other way, but my personal experience with Apple's Refurbished Store has made me a total convert. The device I bought was in perfect condition and there was nothing to suggest that it was pre-owned at all — it feels the same as buying new from Apple. 

• Apple iPhone X, starting at $599 (originally $899) from Apple Refurbished Store [You save $300]
• Apple iPhone XS 512 GB, $999 (originally $1,249) from Apple Refurbished Store [You save $250]
• Apple iPhone XS Max, starting at $799 (originally $999) from Apple Refurbished Store [You save $200]

Best mid-range and budget phone deals.

These phones can run the same apps you'd download on a premium phone that costs twice as much, they take good photos (especially the Pixel 3a), they usually have great battery life, and it's not as emotionally and financially devastating if you break them by accident!  

It was just announced tha the Pixel 3a series is being discontinued, so if you're keen on it, I'd snap one up right now. With that said, Google is expected to announce a newer model — the Pixel 4a series — at some point this year. It's not yet clear when, but unless you absolutely need a new phone, maybe try waiting for the Pixel 4a to see what Google has to offer. 

• Google Pixel 3a, $334.99 (originally $399.00) at Amazon [You save $60]
• Google Pixel 3a XL, $379.99 (originally $479) at Amazon [You save $99]
• Samsung Galaxy A50, $299.99 (originally 349.99) at Best Buy [You save $50]
• Samsung Galaxy A10e, $129.99 (originally $179.99) at Best Buy [You save $50]

• Palantir said it sold more than $500 million in stock to private investors and hopes to sell about $400 million more. 
• The company was said to be preparing for a September IPO, and it's unclear how the new funding affects those plans. 
• As a data-analytics company cofounded by a Trump confidant that works with US immigration agencies, the startup has also found itself in controversy. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Palantir, the secretive data-analytics company cofounded by Peter Thiel, is raising nearly $1 billion as it works toward a possible public offering.

In a regulatory filing Wednesday, the company said its raised $549.7 million from unnamed investors since early March and hopes to sell up to $411.4 million more for a grand total of $961.1 million worth of stock.

Bloomberg reported in June that Palantir was planning to file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission for an IPO as soon as September. As TechCrunch notes, it's not clear if this fundraising round has anything to do with those plans. The private placements could also hint at a direct listing instead of a traditional IPO, something that's been gaining steam among tech companies like Spotify and Slack.

Palantir's value has also appeared to shrink in recent years, with shares hitting secondary markets at heavy discounts. The company in June lowered the strike price for employees to buy their contract options. In 2015, Palantir was valued as much as $20 billion but secondary shares have hinted at valuations between $8 billion and $12 billion.

At the same time, the company's work — and Trump-supporting cofounder — have only become more controversial. The company's approach to finding big patterns in data sets has found a niche among law enforcement for filtering through phone records, photos, vehicle information, financial transactions, and more. It's also made significant revenue from contracts with the US Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency, whose agents are said to use Palantir's apps.

Met with protests at its Silicon Valley office, cofounder Joe Lonsdale said in 2019 that Palantir "is probably the most patriotic company in the Valley. It's done amazing work for the US government."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: How waste is dealt with on the world's largest cruise ship

• TikTok has had an outsize influence on the music industry in recent months as songs that take off on the app quickly begin to chart on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
• Record labels and artists have been tapping into the power of TikTok by hiring influencers to promote new tracks on the app. 
• "Every music label, every record label, they have a budget now for TikTok because it's becoming so huge," said Ariell Nicholas Yahid, a talent manager at the TikTok-focused talent-management upstart the Fuel Injector.
• Business Insider spoke with TikTok creators, talent managers, and music marketers to understand how much influencers can earn by promoting songs on the app.
• The starting rate for a song integration is in the low hundreds of dollars but can go well above $5,000 for a single post, according to multiple industry sources interviewed for this story. 
• Subscribe to Business Insider's influencer newsletter: Influencer Dashboard.

TikTok has become a major promotional tool for the music industry.

The app's music-friendly interface (adding a "sound" is a core part of the video-upload experience) and its daily dance challenges have made TikTok a key launching-off point for new tracks. One need look no further than the Billboard 100 or Spotify Viral 50 to see the app's imprint on popular music in recent months.

Songs can take off on TikTok by accident, as with the sudden surge in popularity of Matthew Wilder's 1983 hit "Break My Stride" earlier this year. In other instances, marketers or artists try to make songs trend by tapping into existing TikTok fads, creating original songs, or adapting tracks for TikTok's short-video format and hiring influencers to promote them.

For TikTok influencers, promoting songs can be a reliable (and quick) way to earn extra income from the app.

"The biggest marketplace on TikTok is music sponsored posts," TikTok creator Jack Innanen said. "I don't do dance videos, and I don't do videos with music, so I miss out on that entire market."

Ariell Nicholas Yahid, a talent manager at the TikTok-focused talent-management upstart the Fuel Injector, said his company would facilitate four to five paid song integrations a week for the company's TikTok creators.

"It seems like a lot, but in the music industry there's about 100 songs a week, " Yahid said. "Every music label, every record label, they have a budget now for TikTok because it's becoming so huge."

How much TikTok stars can earn from promoting songs

Business Insider spoke with TikTok creators, talent managers, and music marketers to understand how much influencers can earn by promoting songs on the app.

The starting rate for a song integration is in the low hundreds of dollars but can go well above $5,000 for a single post, according to multiple industry sources interviewed for this story. 

Alex Stemplewski, a TikTok creator who focuses on photography, told Business Insider in January that he was paid $600 to promote a song in a video, a rate set for him by the music-marketing company Muuser. He's since more than doubled his following on the app to nearly 9 million subscribers and raised his rate to $1,000 per song integration.

"I bumped my rate up to $1,000," he told Business Insider. "The main reason for that was actually because I don't enjoy doing paid song integrations because I feel music selection is of utmost importance for a TikTok video. I still get offers for $1,000, but I usually reject them because I don't like the song."

Devain Doolaramani, the CEO of the Fuel Injector, said his company's roster of TikTok talent could earn anywhere from $200 or $300 to upward of  between $2,000 and $3,000 to promote a song. 

"We alter the influencers we use depending on the song," Doolaramani said. "There are dancer people who are better for a dancey song, e-boy people might be better for an emotive vibey song," he said. 

Multiple TikTok influencers, including Stemplewski, Cosette Rinab, and Salinakilla, have quoted rates in the low-three figures to promote a song in a video. But for creators with larger followings on the app, the price record labels and marketers pay for a song integration spikes. 

"I have heard of song promotions anywhere between $250 to $1,000 for accounts at or below my size and engagement rate," Stemplewski said. "Obviously the Charlis and Addisons can earn significantly more."

"A more established influencer probably makes between $1,000 to $2,000 per paid promotion," said Tim Collins, the chief operating officer and cofounder of the Swedish music-marketing agency Creed Media Group. "Above that, they're usually repped by bigger agencies and agents, and in that case, it's most likely $5,000 and above. Supericonic influencers probably make way more than that."

"We could do a song placement every single day, but we don't want every post to be an ad, and we just focus more on the bigger ones," Alan Stokes, a TikTok influencer with about 25 million followers, told Business Insider in February.

For more stories on how record labels, artists, and marketers are taking advantage of music trends on TikTok, check out these other Business Insider Prime posts:

• How a media company that turns songs into TikTok trends helped 'Sunday Best' appear in over 20 million videos and become a global hit on Billboard and Spotify: Business Insider spoke with the head of marketing and strategy at Flighthouse about the company's strategy for making a song trend on TikTok.
• A Sony Music exec explains the label's TikTok strategy and how it responds when a song like 'Break My Stride' catches fire: Business Insider spoke with the marketing team at Sony Music's Legacy Recordings to learn about its strategy for promoting trending songs on TikTok.
• The agency behind one of TikTok's top ad campaigns says brands can build a massive audience through original music and dance trends but the 'window is closing quickly': Business Insider spoke with the cofounders of Movers and Shakers to learn more about their TikTok strategy and how brands fit into the app's future.
• Music artist Tiagz explains how he mastered TikTok's algorithm to score a major record deal, with help from Charli D'Amelio and a 1950s jazz classic: The Canadian rapper Tiagz (Tiago Garcia-Arenas) has built a career as a producer by strategically uploading songs to the short-form-video app TikTok.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why thoroughbred horse semen is the world's most expensive liquid

• Netflix's "Dark" returned last week with its third and final season, propelling the show up Netflix's popularity rankings.
• Netflix introduced daily top lists of the most popular titles on the streaming service in February.
• Streaming search engine Reelgood keeps track of the lists and provides Business Insider with a rundown of the week's most popular TV shows on Netflix every week.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Netflix's "Dark" returned last week with a third and final season, and it's one of the streaming giant's most popular titles right now. 

Netflix introduced daily top 10 lists of its most viewed movies and TV shows in February (it counts a view if an account watches at least two minutes of a title).

Every week, the streaming search engine Reelgood compiles for Business Insider a list of which TV shows have been most prominent on Netflix's daily lists that week. 

Nickelodeon's animated series "Avatar: The Last Airbender," which concluded in 2008, is finding new life on Netflix. And "The Office" continued to be a hit for Netflix before it leaves the service later this year for NBCUniversal's upcoming Peacock.

But outside of those, the list is dominated by Netflix originals.

SEE ALSO: 19 TV shows Netflix canceled even though critics loved them

9. "The Office" (NBC, 2005-2013)

Description: "This hit comedy chronicles the foibles of disgruntled office workers — led by deluded boss Michael Scott — at the Dunder Mifflin paper company."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 81%

What critics said: "Even though its later seasons never lived up to its groundbreaking early explorations of contemporary work culture, what The Office leaves us with are memories of television comedy at its best." — The Atlantic (season 9)

8. "Unsolved Mysteries" (Netflix original, 2020-present)

Description: "Real cases of perplexing disappearances, shocking murders and paranormal encounters fuel this gripping revival of the iconic documentary series."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 64%

What critics said: "Our true crime obsession has gotten a bit more serious, and Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries is more than ready to satisfy it." — RogerEbert.com (season 1)

7. "Dark" (Netflix original, 2017-2020)

Description: "A missing child sets four families on a frantic hunt for answers as they unearth a mind-bending mystery that spans three generations."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 93%

What critics said: "For a show with this many plates to spin, it's a wonder that Dark closes out on a final note that both honors the head-turning complexity of the show's plot and lands some much-needed emotional and thematic notes." — Consequence of Sound (season 3)

6. "Home Game" (Netflix original, 2020-present)

Description: "This docuseries profiles unique and dangerous traditional sports from around the world, as well as the communities and cultures where they thrive."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: "There's a contrasting reliance on slo-mo to elongate the drama. It's shtick, often enough, but works remarkably well when the subject is something like Catch Fétiche, the Congo's take on professional wrestling." — Wall Street Journal

5. "Avatar: The Last Airbender" (Nickelodeon, 2005-2008)

Description: "Siblings Katara and Sokka wake young Aang from a long hibernation and learn he's an Avatar, whose air-bending powers can defeat the evil Fire Nation."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 100%

What critics said: "A stalwart example of allegory's power to inform and inspire instead of merely offering escape." — Salon (season 3)

4. "13 Reasons Why" (Netflix original, 2017-2020)

Description: "High school student Clay Jensen lands in the center of a series of heartbreaking mysteries set in motion by a friend's tragic suicide."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 33%

What critics said: "The show's myopia isn't surprising. If anything, the final season proves once again that teen viewers deserved better than what 13 Reasons Why offered, and if the show is remembered in a few years, it'll be mostly for what it failed to do." — Jezebel (season 4)

3. "Crazy Delicious" (Netflix original, 2020-present)

Description: "In this competition show, daring home chefs tempt the food gods with reinvented classics and fanciful feasts in their quest to win a golden apple."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 33%

What critics said: "None of this satisfies any of my appetites, but it does function as proof, should you still need it after a million other spin-offs, that this format's goose is cooked." — Guardian (season 1)

2. "The Order" (Netflix original, 2019-present)

Description: "Out to avenge his mother's death, a college student pledges a secret order and lands in a war between werewolves and practitioners of dark magic."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 100%

What critics said: "The Order is one of those shows on Netflix that tends to escape notice due to scant publicity and an inability for word-of-mouth to adequately explain how good it is without sounding ridiculous talking about werewolves and secret magical organizations on a college campus." — Den of Geek (season 2)

1. "Floor Is Lava" (Netflix original, 2020-present)

Description: "Teams compete to navigate rooms flooded with lava by leaping from chairs, hanging from curtains and swinging from chandeliers. Yes, really."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 83%

What critics said: "It's even more fun to listen to their banter on the course than it is to watch them leap and climb over obstacles." — Polygon (season 1)

• Analysts from Strategy Analytics predicted more 5G devices would be sold in 2020 than they expected in November, despite the coronavirus pandemic.
• While analysts boosted their predictions for 5G devices by about 23%, they predicted device sales overall would shrink because of the coronavirus crisis. 
• China is expected to make up the largest market share of 5G users, according to a Bank of America report.
• People are converting to 5G faster than they converted to 4G, the report said. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Analysts have boosted their predictions for how many 5G-capable devices will sell this year, even as they expect that the effects of the coronavirus crisis will shrink device sales overall.

The research firm Strategy Analytics predicted that more than 196 million 5G-capable devices would be sold worldwide in 2020. That's 37 million more devices than the firm predicted in November, weeks before China announced an outbreak of coronavirus cases, and equates to an about 23% increase, even as false claims about 5G causing the virus spread through social-media networks.

In a report compiling data from Strategy Analytics, Omdia, and Ericsson, Bank of America analysts wrote most manufacturers were set to roll out 5G devices in 2020 and that "users are expected to upgrade amidst the more difficult economic backdrop."

China is likely to be the largest market, according to Bank of America, with its three major telecom companies launching 5G services and "quickly ramping to convert subscribers." Strategy Analytics predicted that 147 million 5G-capable devices would be sold in Asia in 2020, compared with 33 million in North America.

As 5G-capable devices are set to flood the market and exceed expectations, Strategy Analytics predicted the total number of devices sold would shrink because of the crisis.

"Total units are now expected to take a meaningful hit due to the COVID-19 macro impact, down roughly 21% YoY," Bank of America's analysts wrote, citing Strategy Analytics research. 

Users are expected to transition to 5G faster than they did for 4G

Thanks to a larger number of original equipment makers (OEMs) rolling out 5G models, including LG and Huawei, 5G devices are more accessible to the public than 4G devices were when they were first rolled out. 

"Unlike the 4G/LTE cycle, 5G handsets are available across a diverse set of mid-tier OEMs, with China commanding early leadership in the new network generation," the report said. 

Following its successful contracts with China's three largest telecom companies in June, Ericsson predicted about 2.8 billion people would adopt 5G by June 2025. That's a 40% increase in subscribers compared with the same time period of 4G's launch. Subscribers in China are set to outweigh users in North America and Europe, which are likely to be slower to adopt. 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why Pikes Peak is the most dangerous racetrack in America

• Lilypad is a floating hotel off the coast of Sydney, Australia. 
• It's designed for two guests to stay overnight, starting at $1,142 per night.
• The floating villa runs entirely on solar power. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Off the coast of Sydney, Australia, Lilypad Palm Beach has a solar-powered hotel that might be the perfect place to vacation during the coronavirus pandemic. The hotel has an offshore villa, Lilypad, that sleeps two guests. The villa runs entirely on solar power. 

Lilypad is another in a recent trend of luxury accommodations that emphasize solar power and sustainability. In February, Serenity Yachts debuted a $3.3 million solar-powered yacht that could travel around the world without stopping.

Dutch company Soel Yachts is releasing a line of solar-powered shuttles to transport guests to a resort in Bora Bora. LilyPad isn't a boat, but the floating villa similarly combines high-end outings with sustainability, and it can also be rented through Airbnb.

Here's what it looks like.

SEE ALSO: This $280,000 silent electric boat was inspired by electric eels — here's what it looks like

The villa is about a 30 second boat ride offshore.

It's also available to rent for a 16 person lunch, or a six person spa.

For $1,142 per night, two people can rent the villa.

On board, there's a wine cellar and food for an included breakfast.

From the inside, it almost looks like just a luxury hotel with an ocean view.

But, with doors open out to the deck, it's a way to enjoy the water and "eliminate the pitfalls of the traditional boating experience whilst amplifying the rest,"according to designer Anderson.

As a floating structure rather than a boat, the villa is stable, while still drifting slightly with the ocean.

Anderson said that it was key for him to make the structure in a way that wouldn't harm the pristine natural environment of the Australian coast.

Guests can go for a swim off the side of the boat, or borrow paddle-boards, fishing poles, and a floating daybed.

Guests also have full use of a boat to take them back and forth to shore.

• In case you haven't noticed, it doesn't pay to keep around your old tweets — you could end up the target of a harassment campaign, or find your job in jeopardy.
• People have lost their jobs or seriously damaged their careers because old, immature, or otherwise inappropriate tweets were unearthed.
• If you're using Twitter, and you care at all about your career, you should be deleting your old tweets on a regular basis — and we've outlined how to do that.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

"Never tweet" is one of the most common phrases said on Twitter.

It's ironic, but it's true: Nothing good has ever come of a tweet. In fact, lots of people have lost their jobs — or worse — because of something they said on the service.

But if you do decide to post tweets, for one reason or another, you should also be deleting them.

We've outlined a guide on the various ways you can delete your tweets. It's really not hard to do, and you'll be glad you did it.

SEE ALSO: Here are the 7 best features in 'Mojave,' Apple's latest and greatest Mac software yet

If you ever want to archive your tweets before deleting them, it's easy. First, open up settings under "more" on Twitter.

Under "data and permissions," select "your Twitter data."

Next, just press the big button that says "Request archive." It might take awhile, but you'll eventually get an email from Twitter with a big ol' ZIP file full of old tweets.

Now that you've saved your tweets for posterity, you can start working on deleting your tweets. You can search for specific offensive words in your past tweets, or delete them in batches at a time

How you choose to do that is up to you. You can search for specific words in your past tweets, or delete them in batches at a time.

To delete tweets with specific words, you'll use Twitter Advanced Search. Just search for any bad word you might be thinking of, and you'll be able to manually delete them.

Twitter Advanced Search

If you want to try a free service for deleting batches of old tweets at a time, lots of people swear by TweetDelete, which lets you delete Tweets with certain words, or tweets older than a certain age.

TweetDelete

For more serious options, you'll have to pay. TweetDelete has the option to continually delete tweets after a specified time has passed for a one-time $15 fee.

There are also plenty of other options to choose from, like TweetDeleter.com

TweetDeleter.com lets you fully delete your entire archive at once, or delete tweets of certain types, or tweets from a specific period of time, for $5.99 per month.

TweetDeleter

If you're on an iPhone, you can try Tweeticide. It costs $3, and it can similarly wipe out your 3,200 most recent tweets.

Xpire is another option for both iPhone and Android, which, — like the others — can delete up to 3,200 tweets, for $4.

If you really want to go nuclear, a surefire way to erase your tweets is to delete your account. Maybe it's time to start fresh, or leave Twitter entirely.

To delete your Twitter account, go to your Settings, click Account, then go to the bottom of the screen and click "Deactivate your account."

Twitter doesn't delete your account immediately; it holds your data for 30 days in case you change your mind.

After that 30-day period, though, you won't be able to reactivate your account, so you have a little time to decide if this is what you want. 

• A filmed version of "Hamilton," the wildly popular Broadway musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, will be making its way to Disney Plus on July 3.
• The movie adaptation, which seeks to emulate the in-person theatrical experience of "Hamilton," is arriving on Disney Plus more than a year before its intended October 2021 release date.
• You can purchase a Disney Plus subscription for $6.99 per month or $69.99 per year, or in a bundle with ESPN+ and Hulu for $12.99 per month.
• For detailed impressions on Disney Plus, be sure to check out our full review of Disney Plus here. 

Although Broadway may be dark at the moment, the smash-hit musical "Hamilton" will be making its way to Disney Plus on July 3. The movie version of the musical, which explores the life of Alexander Hamilton during and beyond the American Revolution, is arriving on Disney's streaming service far earlier than its anticipated October 2021 release date.

The official trailer shows the Broadway production's original cast from 2015 returning to the stage for the movie performance.

The film adaptation intends to provide viewers with a cinematic glimpse into the live theater experience. Disney Plus is already home to similar musical adaptations, including the filmed stage version of "Newsies."

Also coming to Disney Plus on July 3 is "Hamilton In-Depth with Kelley Carter," a companion program that features interviews with director Thomas Kail, composer Lin-Manuel Miranda, and members of the cast. The program will stream on TheUndefeated.com as well.

The cinematic rendition of "Hamilton" follows the titular historical figure (played by composer Lin-Manuel Miranda) as he grapples with the impact of the American Revolution, the legacy we leave behind, and those who shaped his life leading up to the infamous duel with Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.). Filmed at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in 2016, the "Hamilton" film features the original cast of the musical. 

Updated on 07/2/2020 by Kevin Webb: Added details about Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support for "Hamilton" on Disney Plus. Also added premiere details for "Hamilton In-Depth with Kelley Carter," along with a link to our full review of Disney Plus.

How do I watch 'Hamilton' on Disney Plus?

On July 3, 2020, "Hamilton" will be available for all Disney Plus subscribers. This is the premiere release of the movie; it has yet to be released in theaters or on Blu-ray, DVD, or as a digital download. 

The Disney Plus stream of "Hamilton" will include support for Dolby Vision HDR video and Dolby Atmos audio through compatible devices. Dolby Vision enables enhanced colors and contrast, while Dolby Atmos creates an immersive soundstage with audio effects from all directions  — even from above your head.

Disney Plus is available to stream on Apple, PC, iOS, and Android devices, Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and streaming devices from Amazon, Roku, and Chromecast. Disney Plus is also supported on smart TVs, including those from Samsung, LG, Sony, and Vizio. An internet connection is necessary to stream, but Disney Plus also provides an option to download movies and shows to mobile devices for offline viewing. 

What is Disney Plus and how much does it cost?

Disney Plus is a subscription streaming platform with on-demand access to a variety of movies and TV shows.

An annual subscription costs $69.99 per year while a monthly subscription costs $6.99 per month. If you do the math, this means that you can save about $14 a year if you pay for an annual membership rather than a month-to-month subscription.

Those looking for additional streaming content can sign up for a bundle with Disney Plus, ESPN+ and Hulu. The bundle costs $12.99 per month, which is about $5 less per month than it would cost to subscribe to each service separately. 

All Disney Plus subscriptions include ad-free streaming and unlimited downloads for a growing library of films and TV series. Here is a full breakdown of all the Disney Plus pricing options and features.

What else can I watch on Disney Plus?

Disney Plus is home to many musical-movies like "Hamilton."

The stage-to-screen adaptation of "Newsies" follows a similar "live capture" format to "Hamilton," bringing the popular musical to any Disney Plus-enabled device.

The streaming service also features many other movie-musicals, although not on-stage adaptations. This includes the 1999 edition of "Annie," as well as animated classics like "Aladdin," "The Little Mermaid," and "Beauty and the Beast." "Moana," which also features music penned by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is available to stream as well. 

Beyond musicals, Disney Plus is chock-full of additional titles stemming from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and 20th Century Fox.

Join the conversation about this story »

• This is a preview of Voice Assistants in Healthcare research report from Business Insider Intelligence.
• Purchase this report.
• Business Insider Intelligence offers even more healthcare coverage with Digital Health Pro. Subscribe today to receive industry-changing digital health news and analysis to your inbox.

Voice is making waves across industries, but the transformative power of the technology is now at a tipping point in healthcare. The opportunity for voice in healthcare is pegged to mount as the global health virtual assistant market is expected to reach $3.5 billion in 2025. 

US healthcare providers' interest in voice tech is being catalyzed by recent technological breakthroughs growing the tech's potential to transform legacy operations.

Voice tech boasts five distinct advantages that heighten its disruption potential in healthcare and the tech is being optimized for the healthcare sphere, which is increasing the visibility of voice in health and opening the door for voice assistants to perform more sensitive and complex healthcare actions. There are also several pain points within healthcare that up the pressure on providers to tap into the voice opportunity. 

In this report, Business Insider Intelligence outlines the voice opportunity in healthcare and explores the drivers propelling voice adoption in the healthcare realm. We then examine three of the highest-value voice use cases in healthcare — clinical documentation, remote care, and clinical support — and provide examples of early moving health systems and health tech companies implementing voice in each application. 

Here are some of the key takeaways from the report: 

• Health systems that deploy voice tech to facilitate clinical documentation can reduce physicians' administrative burden, increase patient volume and billable revenue, and eliminate transcription costs.
• By leveraging voice to increase touchpoints with patients outside the clinic, healthcare organizations can open the opportunity to shrink costs associated with poor medication adherence and slash value-based care (VBC) penalties stemming from preventable readmissions.
• Healthcare providers can reform diagnostics and better position themselves to deliver preventative medicine by deploying voice technology that can pinpoint diseases based on patients' speech characteristics.

In full, the report:

• Explores why and how voice is disrupting healthcare. 
• Details the three key applications where US health systems can apply voice technology. 
• Offers evidence on how voice assistants provide value in each of the selected voice use cases. 

Want to learn more about the fast-moving world of digital health? Here's how to get access:

1. Purchase & download the full report from our research store. >> Purchase & Download Now
2. Sign up for Digital Health Pro , Business Insider Intelligence's expert product suite keeping you up-to-date on the people, technologies, trends, and companies shaping the future of healthcare, delivered to your inbox 6x a week. >>Get Started
3. Subscribe to a Premium pass to Business Insider Intelligence and gain immediate access to this report and more than 250 other expertly researched reports. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to all future reports and daily newsletters to ensure you stay ahead of the curve and benefit personally and professionally. >>Learn More Now
4. Current subscribers can read the reporthere.

Join the conversation about this story »

• A new alert on Facebook and Instagram advises users in the US to wear face masks in public.
• The announcement of the new notice comes as coronavirus cases rise in the US and some states implement regulations requiring face masks in public.
• While Facebook strives to combat coronavirus misinformation the company refuses to budge on its controversial hate-speech policy, which has led over 500 advertisers to halt their ads on the platform.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

More and more states are creating regulations that require people to wear face masks in public and now Facebook is also joining the public conversation by encouraging users to wear face masks in public, the company announced Thursday.

Facebook and Instagram plan to roll out the new face mask alert in the US on Thursday along with links to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's website. From there, the company will continue to expand the alert to other countries, Facebook told Business Insider.

The social media platform's decision comes as COVID-19 cases rise in many states. The US faces the largest outbreak in the world with 2.68 million COVID-19 cases, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. 

Facebook's alert telling users to wear face mask is the latest step the platform is taking to try and provide accurate information about the pandemic.

While Facebook set out an extensive plan to ensure the public's health and safety regarding the coronavirus by trying to prevent the spread of misinformation and connect people with substantiated resources, Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg are embroiled in other highly contentious issues related to their current policies.

Recently, Mark Zuckerberg refused to change the company's hate speech policy even as more than 500 advertisers boycott the company. The move by advertisers was sparked after Zuckerberg also refused to back down after allowing a post by President Donald Trump that Twitter flagged and deemed to be "glorifying violence" during the George Floyd protests.

Zuckerberg's stance on hate speech remains staunch even though Facebook says its coronavirus misinformation is an "extension of our existing policies to remove content that could cause physical harm."

SEE ALSO: An Amazon driver quit in frustration in a tweet and abandoned a van full of packages at a gas station

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What makes 'Parasite' so shocking is the twist that happens in a 10-minute sequence

• Elon Musk said on Twitter that testing errors, rather than new infections, are causing the new surge of coronavirus cases.
• Virologist Angela Rasmussen rushed to debunk the claim, which she called "dangerous misinformation."
• COVID-19 diagnostic tests have relatively low rates of false positives, and spikes in hospitalizations show that transmission really has increased.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Elon Musk took to Twitter on Thursday to claim that testing errors, rather than increasing transmission, are driving the recent surge in coronavirus cases across the US.

"There are a ridiculous number of false positive [COVID-19] tests," Musk wrote. "This is a big part of why C19 positive tests are going up while hospitalizations & mortality are declining."

But Columbia University virologist Angela Rasmussen called that "false and dangerous misinformation," and the two got into an online spat as she debunked Musk's claims.

Diagnostic COVID-19 tests don't give false positives often enough to account for the recent spike of cases, she said. Since June 15, the seven-day rolling average for daily new cases has more than doubled, and the country's total case count has jumped from 2.1 million to more than 2.7 million.

Contrary to Musk's claim, hospitalizations are rising in places with new outbreaks. In Texas, for example, daily COVID-19 hospitalizations have more than doubled in the last two weeks.

After Musk suggested that all people who test positive should get tested again, Rasmussen said, "no one benefits if people with platforms allowing them to reach millions are spreading demonstrably false information and public health guidance."

That's when she got a response.

"Yes, Angela, please show us the graphs/data that prove your point," Musk said, seconding a follower who urged Rasmussen to "challenge the facts and not the credentials."

To bolster his argument, Musk shared New York Times graphics showing the spike in cases alongside a fall in daily death counts. The implication — that the rising case counts must be in error if death counts are falling — is misleading, since it usually takes several weeks for the coronavirus to kill people, and this uptick in cases only began in mid-June.

Death counts lag behind case counts by about three or four weeks, according to Rasmussen and other infectious-disease experts.

"Deaths will likely increase in the next few weeks as time passes and the cases diagnosed earlier in the surge get sicker," Rasmussen said. "The worst is yet to come."

There are reasons, however, why this new surge may not produce as many deaths as the US saw in April and May. But they have nothing to do with testing errors, as Musk suggested. Instead, experts say that because more young people are getting infected this time around, and they are less likely to die. About 80% of US coronavirus deaths through mid-June were people over 65.

Still, deaths are rising in some states. Arizona's seven-day rolling average of new COVID-19 deaths has more than doubled since the beginning of June, from an average of 15 deaths per day to 37.

In the same time period, Texas's average daily death count has increased by 53%.

Musk is wrong: Hospitalizations are not decreasing

Musk has a track record of sharing misleading theories about the pandemic. He previously suggested that deaths were being overcounted and that lockdowns were unnecessary.

In March, Musk also predicted that the US would be seeing "close to zero" new cases by the end of April. That ended up being the virus' first peak.

Responding to Rasmussen's debunk of his statements, Musk lashed out at the field of medicine itself.

"Something's messed up about medicine that's anti-science," he wrote. "In science, you question everyone, no matter who they are. Facts and reasoning are everything, but in medicine too much emphasis is on credentials, often by people who've accomplished nothing but a PhD thesis used by no one."

But Musk's own argument did not seem to take the facts into account. For one, he insisted that hospitalizations are declining.

As a rebuttal, Rasmussen pointed to the rising intensive care hospitalization rates in Arizona, which has one of the country's steepest surges in new cases.

Musk accused her of cherry-picking one state and called her argument "bs." He again shared the same New York Times graphics, even though those do not show hospitalizations.

In fact, hospitalizations have been increasing nationwide since June 17, according to data from the COVID Tracking Project. The project, run by reporters at The Atlantic, also notes that hospitalizations are likely undercounted, especially since Florida does not report those numbers and currently has one of the nation's biggest surges.

It can take weeks for a COVID-19 case to get severe enough to warrant a stay at the hospital, so hospitalizations usually lag behind case counts the same way deaths do. The CDC even notes this on the site where it publishes preliminary hospitalization data. That site shows a decline in the number of people hospitalized with positive COVID-19 test results from April 18 to June 20. But the CDC has no more data after that.

As for diagnostic COVID-19 tests, the likelihood of false positives is low. According to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the PCR tests used across the country "almost never" give false positive results.

Rasmussen said that the "bigger issue" is false negatives, which can lead to underreporting of new cases.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Pathologists debunk 13 coronavirus myths

• Peter Thiel is backing away from supporting President Donald Trump's reelection campaign, sources told The Wall Street Journal.
• Thiel has been Trump's highest-profile ally in Silicon Valley.
• Sources said Thiel thought Trump's reelection campaign was doomed to fail because of the economic damage done by the coronavirus pandemic.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump's most vocal supporter in Silicon Valley, Peter Thiel, is said to have lost faith that Trump can win the 2020 election.

Sources told The Wall Street Journal the PayPal cofounder had said he would not participate in this year's campaign as he did in 2016 because he thinks it's increasingly unlikely Trump can win.

The sources said Thiel might still vote for Trump but had not donated any money to the campaign thus far and didn't plan to. He also doesn't plan to speak at the Republican National Convention this year, they added.

Thiel's comments were made during private conversations in recent weeks at his house in Hawaii, according to The Journal. Thiel reportedly cited the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic as a reason Trump would struggle, as he apparently believes the US will still have double-digit unemployment percentages in November.

One source said Thiel compared the Trump campaign to the SS Minnow, the boat from "Gilligan's Island" that ends up stranded on the beach. Thiel said he would instead funnel his money into supporting Republican candidates for the House and the Senate, the source added.

Thiel did not respond to The Journal's request for comment, and a spokesman for the Trump campaign said Thiel remained a Trump supporter.

Thiel is one of Trump's closest allies in Silicon Valley. Thiel has attended private dinners between the president and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Thiel's data-analytics company Palantir has worked closely with the government. Palantir worked with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and in April it signed a $25 million contract with the Department of Health and Human Services to build a platform for tracking the spread of the coronavirus.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what it's like to travel during the coronavirus outbreak

• To celebrate the Fourth of July, several stores are now offering big discounts on various TV models.
• We'll update this page with new deals as more sales are announced.
• Right now, LG's new 65-inch CX OLED 4K TV is $2,399.99 — that's $400 off its original price, and one of the best deals we've seen so far.
• For more Fourth of July savings, check out our comprehensive list of deals.
• And to potentially save even more on your purchase, check out our deals page and Insider Coupons.

Independence Day is coming up, and many stores are celebrating the holiday with some sizable discounts on select TVs. If you're in the market for a new display, this weekend could be the perfect opportunity to finally snag that 65-inch 4K TV you've been eyeing without having to pay full price.  

Many brand-new 2020 TV models are in stock right now and several of these displays are already on sale. And, since retailers are eager to clear out older models, a few 2019 TVs are currently available for some of their lowest prices.

Below, we've compiled a list of the best Fourth of July TV deals available right now. With that said, since some retailers are still rolling out their specific Independence Day promotions, the discounts listed below might change. It's also possible that new deals could still be announced for the weekend. We'll update this page with additional discounts as they're revealed.

Updated on 07/02/2020 by Steven Cohen: Added TCL 8 Series and Insignia Fire TV Edition HDTV. Removed deals that are no longer available.

The best Fourth of July TV deals

LG 65-inch CX OLED 4K TV (2020 model), $2,399.99 (originally $2,799.99) at Best Buy [You save $400]

LG's new 2020 CX OLED is available for a $400 discount just in time for the Fourth of July. The display offers all of the main benefits that OLED TVs are known for, including pixel-level contrast and wide viewing angles. LG has also incorporated its latest AI image processor for upscaling, as well as HDMI 2.1 ports for advanced features like Variable Refresh Rate (VRR).

LG 48-inch CX OLED 4K TV (2020 model), $1,499.99 (originally $1,599.99) at Best Buy [You save $100]

For buyers who want OLED picture performance in a smaller form factor, there's also LG's new 48-inch CX model to consider. This is the smallest OLED screen size that LG currently offers, and you can snag a solid $100 discount on the TV right now at Best Buy.

Hisense 55-inch H8G 4K TV (2020 model), $499.99 (originally $599.99) at Best Buy [You save $100]

Hisense's new H8G is one of the best mid-range TV models you can buy in this price range. With full-array local dimming, extensive HDR format support, quantum dots, and robust smart TV capabilities courtesy of Android TV and Google Assistant, the display offers performance that rivals several more expensive models from the competition. For more detailed impressions, be sure to read our full review of the 65-inch model here.  

TCL 75-inch 8 Series 4K TV, $1,799.99 (originally $2,999.99) at Best Buy [You save $1,200]

TCL's flagship 8 Series TV is on sale for a whopping $1,200 off its regular price. The 4K display features advanced mini-LED technology for superior local dimming capabilities. This results in impressive black level and contrast performance. Roku smart TV capabilities are integrated as well, offering convenient access to many popular streaming services. The smaller 65-inch 8 Series TV is also on sale, with a current deal price of just $999.99.

Samsung 65-inch Q90T 4K TV (2020 model), $2,197.99 (originally $2,697.99) at Amazon [You save $500]

Samsung's latest flagship 4K QLED TV is the Q90T. This premium 65-inch display model boasts quantum dot color, full-array local dimming, and an attractive, minimalist design. The TV also incorporates Samsung's reliable smart TV platform powered by Tizen, along with integrated Alexa voice control.

Sony 49-inch X950H 4K TV (2020 model), $999.99 (originally $1,199.99) at Best Buy [You save $200]

One of Sony's flagship LED displays for 2020, the X950H offers several advanced picture quality features, including local dimming, HDR support, and IMAX Enhanced capabilities. This 49-inch version is the smallest size the TV comes in, but the model ranges in size all the way up to a whopping 85-inch version.   

Vizio 65-inch P-Series Quantum X 4K TV (2019 model), $1,099.99 (originally $1,299.99) at B&H [You save $200]

Vizio just released its brand-new TV lineup, but 2019 models are still available at a few retailers for some enticing deal prices. While the more expensive 2020 model offers upgraded processing and HDMI 2.1 ports, the 2019 P-Series Quantum X is still one of the brightest LED TVs you can buy. At $1,099.99, there are few competing TVs in this price range that can match this level of performance. 

Samsung 75-inch 8 Series 4K TV, $999.99 (originally $1,299.99) at Best Buy [You save $300]

Samsung's 8 Series TV doesn't offer the same HDR brightness and color performance that the company's QLED models are capable of, but the display offers a more affordable option for buyers who want a large 75-inch Samsung 4K TV. 

TCL 75-inch 4 Series 4K TV, $699.99 (originally $1,299.99) at Amazon [You save $600]

If you're looking for a more budget-friendly 75-inch TV option, TCL's 4 Series is an attractive buy for a current sale price of just $699.99. You won't get the color, contrast, and brightness performance you'd find on the company's 6 Series or 8 Series models, but the TV's price is very competitive for a display this large, and integrated Roku capabilities make streaming simple. 

Insignia 43-inch Fire TV Edition 4K TV, $219.99 (originally $299.99) at Best Buy [You save $80]

Though it lacks advanced picture quality features, this entry-level 43-inch 4K TV is a good fit for buyers who simply want a reliable smart TV for casual streaming. The display includes built-in support for Amazon's Fire TV platform, offering access to a nice assortment of apps. As an added bonus, the TV currently comes with a free Echo Dot. 

TCL 40-inch 3 Series HDTV, $179.99 (originally $199.99) at Best Buy [You save $20]

Though 4K is pretty much the standard for most new TV models, you can still save some money by opting for a lower resolution HDTV. 1080p smart TVs, like the TCL 3 Series, rarely get discounted all that much since they are already so affordable to begin with, but $20 off is still $20 off. This display is about as basic as they come, but its support for Android TV should be enough to satisfy buyers who simply want to stream their favorite apps.

Insignia 24-inch Fire TV Edition HDTV, $99.99 (originally $149.99) at Best Buy [You save $50]

For people who just want a small, simple, and inexpensive TV with basic streaming capabilities, the Insignia Fire TV Edition HDTV is one of the most affordable options there is. The 24-inch screen only uses a 720p panel, but at this screen size you probably wouldn't be able to see the benefit of a higher resolution anyway. A free Echo Dot is also included for a limited time.

Samsung 85-inch Q900TS 8K TV (2020 model), $8,999.99 (originally $9,999.99) at Best Buy [You save $1,000]

For buyers with very deep pockets, Samsung's brand-new Q900TS 8K TV is the very definition of premium. In addition to all of the advanced QLED picture features you'd expect in a flagship display, the giant 85-inch panel features an edge-to-edge "Infinity Screen" that makes it look as if the image has no frame. Though the benefits of 8K resolution remain pretty minimal, there's no denying how gorgeous this TV looks.  

• Chris Avellone, a high-profile video game designer known for his work on "Planescape: Torment" and two "Fallout" games, has been accused of sexual assault.
• One of Avellone's accusers, Karissa, told Business Insider that Avellone forcibly kissed her and then tried to put his hand down her pants while she was "blackout drunk" at a 2012 convention. She says he stopped when she told him "this isn't a good idea."
• Avellone responded to the allegations on Twitter soon after they came to light, saying that he wanted to apologize.
• Avellone has since been silent on social media and did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
• Since allegations involving Avellone surfaced, dozens of other women have accused senior men in the video games industry of sexual harassment, assault, or inappropriate behavior.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A woman who accused high-profile video game designer Chris Avellone of sexual assault and helped spark an outpouring of similar claims against senior men in the industry has encouraged other victims of sexual misconduct to come forward.

Karissa, who spoke to Business Insider on the condition that her last name was not revealed, made the allegations against Avellone on social media on June 20. Since then, dozens of other women have accused senior men in the industry of sexual harassment and sexual assault.

Avellone co-founded Obsidian Entertainment in 2003, and left the studio in 2015. Microsoft acquired the company in 2018.

He is best-known for his work on gaming classics like "Planescape: Torment", the "Icewind Dale" series, and two "Fallout" games.

Karissa initially said in public Twitter posts and in subsequent direct messages with Business Insider that Avellone kept buying her drinks at a convention she was attending in 2012 — eventually, she got "blackout drunk".

Avellone then forcibly kissed her, and tried to put his hand down her pants, she said.

A friend of Karissa's, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, confirmed to Business Insider that Karissa had told them about the alleged assault in 2014. A different friend confirmed to Bloomberg that Karissa had told them about the alleged incident a month after it happened.

Avellone responded to Karissa's accusations on Twitter in a flurry of tweets on June 20. He said he wanted to apologize but did not comment on specific details of the allegations.

He has not tweeted since.

He did not respond to multiple emails and direct messages from Business Insider.

'I didn't process what had actually happened until years later'

Karissa alleges that Avellone had assaulted her on the first night they met at a convention in 2012. She was attending the event.

"I was hanging out with some friends who knew him, and went with them to meet up with him and a couple others. I honestly didn't even know who he was, but I trusted my friends I was with," she said.

Avellone was buying everybody drinks, she said, and every time she finished hers, he took her to the bar for a refill.

"I drink very quickly when I'm thirsty and that place was hot and crowded. I also rarely drink, so given the speed and how many he was encouraging me to have, I didn't realize how far gone I was until I was VERY gone," she wrote in direct messages.

Along with two of Karissa's friends, Avellone took her back to her hotel room, she says, "where he pounced in front of the other guys."

She said that Avellone forcibly kissed her — "he did not ask, just grabbed my face and went for it" — outside her hotel room. She said her two companions moved to stand out of view of the couple (one later told Karissa he was embarrassed to watch, she said).

Avellone then "took me down to the floor [outside the hotel room] at some point while he was making out with me, his back was against the wall and he pulled my back up against him," she told Business Insider. "I remember he had been touching me; when he moved one of his hands from my chest down to undo my pants and slip that hand down into them, that's when I stopped him."

Karissa said she was able to stop Avellone by saying, "this isn't a good idea," and that the only reason she felt able to to do so was because she was on her period at the time. "Had I not been, I don't think I would have sobered up enough with the self-consciousness there to refuse him because of how intensely blackout drunk I was."

She said she woke up with "no recollection" of what happened — but through her own memories, talking to her two friends, and conversations with Avellone himself, she pieced together the events.

"The only reason I knew it had gotten to a point where I had to refuse him was because Chris himself told me so when I confronted him about what my friend had told me. I was shocked and offended, but didn't process what had actually happened until years later," she said.

She refused Avellone twice more during the convention, and said she was not drunk around him after the first night. She said that he did not push the issue after the two refusals — this "kept me in denial about what was actually going on," she said.

Business Insider put the details of Karissa's allegations to Avellone, but he did not respond.

A friend of Karissa's told Business Insider that they first heard of the incident in 2014, and that her recent public allegations matched up with the earlier account.

Karissa said that, at the same convention, she saw Avellone buying drinks for many other women, too.

"I personally saw him escorting three different cosplayers, all of whom were extremely petite, away from the bar area towards exits," after which she didn't see him again for quite some time. "He always eventually returned to the bar and started drinking with more women."

Another woman who knew Avellone shared screenshots from an online conversation

Two other women in the industry told Business Insider that they had been warned that Avellone was somebody women should stay away from.

One said Avellone was "someone women got warned about at conventions."

And on June 21, Jacqui Collins, the public relations lead for the video game "Valorant," posted a screenshot on Twitter from what she says is an online conversation she had with Avellone in 2014. Collins said she regularly spoke to Avellone about pursuing a career in video games.

In response to a non-sexual question, Avellone described how he wanted to perform oral sex on Collins.

"You may have to listen very hard while your hands dig into the sides of my head and force me deep into your pussy," he wrote. "Or we could just talk, too," he added, with a winking emoji.

In the same thread of messages, Avellone later apologized and said he owed Collins "a hundred million apologies."

In her public June 21 tweet, Collins said that she forgave Avellone at the time.

"I never forgot about it, though. I always kind of regretted forgiving it. I remained friendly with Chris after, I'm sorry if that in any way enabled him to harm others. I was in a relationship at the time. Chris knew," she wrote.

A former colleague of Avellone, who worked with him for several years, described him as a "ladies' man" who sometimes stepped over the line. The colleague remembered his female friends describing Avellone as creepy on multiple occasions.

On June 20, Avellone tweeted that he wanted to apologize to Karissa.

"I'm trying to apologize, but you blocked me, so I'm doing my best," he said in one reply to Karissa.

Avellone also appeared to suggest he deserved public criticism, telling a supportive fan they were "showing way too much care for someone you should be canceling, which gives me hope for human nature. That said, Please cancel me at once."

Gaming firms cut ties with Avellone after the allegations came to light

Some of the studios Avellone has worked with cut ties with him after the accusations came to light.

Avellone's recent credits include 2019's "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order," and 2017's "Divinity: Original Sin II."

Industry giant Electronic Arts, which published "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order", told Business Insider it had "no plans" to work with Avellone again.

"We take all allegations of harassment and abuse very seriously and the recent reports that have surfaced are very concerning. EA has no plans to work with Chris Avellone moving forward," the statement said.

Techland, a Polish game developer that's working on the upcoming game "Dying Light 2," also ended its relationship with Avellone.

"We treat matters of sexual harassment and disrespect with utmost care, and have no tolerance for such behaviours," it said in a statement published on Twitter on June 22. "This is why, together with Chris Avellone, we've decided to end our cooperation."

Karissa told Business Insider in Twitter messages that she was "horrified and sickened" by the sheer number of women coming forward.

But she was also "inspired" by their courage, and said she hoped others would come forward to help "oust" harassers and abusers.

"I hope this gives more victims the courage to come forward, as it has with those who have already shared their experiences," she said, adding: "Think of how many other predators/harassers/abusers in the industry are still flying under the radar! Every single woman I know has been at *least* sexually harassed, if they've been lucky enough to avoid assault and/or abuse. Every. Single. One."

She added that victims should feel encouraged to speak out publicly. "I would encourage those in the industry to confront anyone they hear about and hold them accountable."

She continued: "It is FAR past time to oust the gatekeepers, the harassers, the abusers, the predators, especially if they're in positions of power. They have NO place in this industry or any other. The only place they belong, as far as I'm concerned, is therapy or jail until they've made a true change in themselves.

"Get them ALL OUT."

Additional reporting by Benjamin Gilbert.

If you have been sexually assaulted, harassed, or otherwise harmed during your time in the video games industry, we want to hear from you. Contact Business Insider associate editor Samuel Horti via encrypted messaging app Signal (+447801504020), encrypted email (shortiBI@protonmail.com), standard email (shorti@businessinsider.com), or Twitter DM (@SamuelHorti). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by standard email only, please.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why Pikes Peak is the most dangerous racetrack in America

• The tech industry has reeled from layoffs and furloughs due to the coronavirus crisis. But a top executive at Robert Half, the major HR consulting firm, says some tech jobs are still hot.
• "Just because there's a pandemic, hiring is still going on and opportunities will still be had." Ryan Sutton, a Robert Half district president, told Business Insider.
• Looking for work in tech can be challenging. Sutton said tech job hunters should avoid these 5 key blunders during this crisis.
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

The coronavirus crisis triggered a severe downturn that has led to layoffs and furloughs in what had been a vibrant tech industry.

But some tech jobs are still hot, and it can be a good time to look for opportunities, says a veteran top executive at Robert Half, the global human resources consulting firm.

"It has slowed a little bit, but the roles that were red, red hot, are still hot," Ryan Sutton, a Robert Half district president, told Business Insider.  "Just because there's a pandemic, hiring is still going on, and opportunities will still be had."

In tech, most of those opportunities are with companies offering tools and systems to help businesses adapt to the world of remote work. In fact, the crisis has accelerated a critical trend, the cloud, which lets businesses set up networks on web-based platforms, making it possible to scale down or even abandon in-house data centers, Sutton said.

This has led to stronger demand for jobs focused on running the cloud and keeping it secure. 

"The cloud is still hot," he said. "Cybersecurity kind of escalated a little bit with the increase in traffic. And generally, software development and engineering, specifically in that mobile app space are absolutely still continuing to drive solid demand."

Sutton, who has been with Robert Half for 21 years, has helped thousands of businesses including the dot-com crash in the 2000s and the Great Recession in 2008-2009.

Looking for work can be more challenging nowadays, and it can be even tougher for job hunters who make these 5 blunders, he said.

Giving up because you think there are no jobs out there

It's easy to get discouraged by news of job cuts and furloughs at startups and big tech companies.

But Sutton said one of the biggest mistakes of tech job hunters, especially those who lost their jobs, is deciding not to look too hard because they assume there are no jobs.

This is clearly not true in some sectors of tech, he said. But the misstep has become a consistent trend during downturns, when some job hunters decide to "take a break" and essentially hit pause on their job search.

Ironically, it's a trend that can actually benefit some job hunters who persist in looking for work because they end up going up against fewer candidates "who focused on taking a break."

"The advice I've given friends, family, neighbors and any candidate is 'Never shut down your search,'" Sutton said."Always keep searching. There's still hiring going on — even in the downturn. Why completely take yourself out of the game?"

Assuming that you won't get called back after being furloughed

The coronavirus crisis escalated suddenly in March, prompting some tech companies to cut jobs. But Sutton said one thing that's different in this downturn is that many tech companies, such as Nutanix, opted for furloughs and other temporary cuts.

"It's more of a pause due to the pandemic," he said. 

Many companies have started taking some of their furloughed employees back, although there's still much uncertainty, Sutton added. Still, he said furloughed employees should be open to the possibility that they could go back to work, especially if they don't come across new opportunities.

"If you have a genuine interest in going back to that employer, my advice is stay in constant communication with your employer," he said. 

"It's almost kind of like the adage in sports: make sure you stand next to the coach so that when they're ready to put somebody in, you're right there for them to push in," he said.

Chances are employers will not bring back 100% of furloughed employees, he said. 

"What they will typically do is prioritize who they feel are going to be the best long-term rehires and an employee that is in communication," Sutton said. "An employee that proactively reaches out is absolutely going to stay top of mind when they go through the rehiring process."

Not paying enough attention to videoconferencing

The remote workforce also has led to the rise of remote job hunting. For job seekers in tech and beyond, it's important to master the nitty gritty of this process. He pointed specifically to what has become a critical tool: videoconferencing.

He said Robert Half has been posting articles offering tips on video interviews, but "few candidates read the articles or truly take the advice to heart."

The coronavirus crisis has underscored the importance of this process, he said. 

Sutton said job seekers should invest time and money in making sure they have the needed tools and preparation for this process. These include a "strong setup" that would ensure uninterrupted connection during the interview process and knowing how to dress for the interview.

Downplaying your credentials just to get a job

Looking for work can be tough for those who once held top positions in the tech industry. This has led some of them, especially those who've been looking for an extended period, to use an old tactic: downplaying your credentials.

Sutton said this isn't happening much now since the crisis is only a few months old. But during past downturns, senior level executives  understated their credentials in their quest for work. This could include tweaking a resume to delete executive or high positions.

This was done by job seekers who "didn't want the perception that they would only want an executive job," Sutton said.

He said he understands why a job hunter who honestly wants to step back and have a less stressful career would use this tactic.

But he said, "You've got to be honest with all the companies that you're interviewing with, because, as a candidate, we want respect, and we've got to give that respect back to the employers. So my advice long short is: Be true to it and be true to your job search."

Failing to see possibilities in a downturn

Another mistake is to think of the downturn in purely negative terms, Sutton said. Believe it or not, some of the most successful people I know, really got their opportunity in a downturn," he said.

That's certainly true for tech companies. Some of today's tech giants, such as Google and Salesforce, launched during a downturn. "What's interesting about downturns is you're allowed to be more creative," Sutton said. "You're allowed to be more innovative."

He said this advice is particularly relevant to new graduates. They are now facing one of the toughest economic times in decades, but many of them are entering a workforce that's been forced to make dramatic changes due to the pandemic, he said.

New grads, because they don't carry much baggage, have an opportunity to shine during downturns by blazing new trails, as part of established tech companies or startups.

"You just have to be willing to capture that opportunity and really earn it, so to speak," Sutton said. "If you are, you might find a really cool opportunity right now."

Got a tip about Robert Half or a tech company? Contact this reporter via email at bpimentel@businessinsider.com, message him on Twitter @benpimentelor send him a secure message through Signal at (510) 731-8429. You can also contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop.

Claim your 20% discount on an annual subscription to BI Prime by clicking here.

SEE ALSO: Experts predict 15 gigantic tech mergers we could see in a recession, from Amazon buying Oracle to IBM buying Dell

SEE ALSO: These 12 artificial intelligence startups are poised for success, particularly in a post-COVID world, according to experts

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: What makes 'Parasite' so shocking is the twist that happens in a 10-minute sequence

• Amazon announced it's making a new TV series based on the video-game franchise "Fallout."
• The series is being made with "Westworld" creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy.
• So far we only have a teaser trailer, with no cast or release date.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Amazon is turning the hit video-game series "Fallout" into a TV show.

Amazon Studios tweeted a short teaser for the series on Thursday, July 2, which shows an old TV set and the words "please stand by."

The "Fallout" series, which was launched by Interplay Entertainment in 1997 and is now developed by Bethesda Game Studios, takes place in a post-nuclear apocalypse America. Amazon's series will be made by Kilter Films, a production company run by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, the showrunners behind the "Westworld" series.

"Fallout is one of the greatest game series of all time," Joy and Nolan told Deadline.

"Each chapter of this insanely imaginative story has cost us countless hours we could have spent with family and friends. So we're incredibly excited to partner with Todd Howard and the rest of the brilliant lunatics at Bethesda to bring this massive, subversive, and darkly funny universe to life with Amazon Studios," they added.

Todd Howard, director of Bethesda, told Deadline there have been discussions about a "Fallout" series for the past decade. "It was clear from the moment I first spoke with Jonah and Lisa a few years ago, that they and the team at Kilter were the ones to do it right. We're enormous fans of their work and couldn't be more excited to work with them and Amazon Studios," said Howard.

Amazon Studios' co-head of TV Albert Cheng told Deadline that Joy and Nolan were the "perfect storytellers to bring this series to life." 

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Why electric planes haven't taken off yet

• "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga" is a hit on Netflix.
• Netflix introduced daily top lists of the most popular titles on the streaming service in February.
• Streaming search engine Reelgood keeps track of the lists and provides Business Insider with a rundown of the week's most popular movies on Netflix every Friday.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

"Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga," the new Netflix comedy starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams, is the streaming giant's latest hit movie.

Netflix introduced daily top 10 lists of its most viewed movies and TV shows in February (it counts a view if an account watches at least two minutes of a title).

Every week, the streaming search engine Reelgood compiles for Business Insider a list of which movies have been most prominent on Netflix's daily lists that week. On Reelgood, users can browse Netflix's entire movie library and sort by IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes ratings.

The new documentary "Athlete A," about the gymnasts who survived abuse by Larry Nassar, is also popular this week.

SEE ALSO: The top 9 shows on Netflix this week, from 'The Order' to 'Floor Is Lava'

9. "Despicable Me" (2010)

Netflix description: "Villainous Gru hatches a plan to steal the moon from the sky. But he has a tough time staying on task after three orphans land in his care."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 81%

What critics said: "The Steve Carell-starring animated comedy is an instant classic, and for anyone with kids, this might buy you a couple hours' peace." — Daily Beast

8. "Baby Mama" (2008)

Description: "When straightlaced Kate learns she's infertile, she hires immature Angie to be her surrogate, inviting hilarity as both women prepare for motherhood."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 63%

What critics said: "The film is not exactly original but it is a lot of fun, thanks to the skill with which Fey and Poehler play to one another's strengths." — Sydney Morning Herald

7. "Lost Bullet" (2020, Netflix original)

Description: "Facing a murder charge, a genius mechanic with a criminal past must track down a missing car containing the proof of his innocence: a single bullet."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: N/A

What critics said: "This impressively lean French thriller wastes nothing in its quest to deliver the goods." — New York Times

6. "Love" (2015)

Description: "A man in an unsatisfying marriage recalls the details of an intense past relationship with an ex-girlfriend when he gets word that she may be missing."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 39%

What critics said: "Gaspar Noé's brave but wildly misguided film is an attempt to make a movie depicting 'sexual sentimentality.' It is graphic and not above prurient shock tactics." — Independent

5. "Feel the Beat" (2020, Netflix original)

Description: "After blowing a Broadway audition, a self-centered dancer reluctantly returns home and agrees to coach a squad of young misfits for a big competition."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 45%

What critics said: "Young audiences are more sophisticated than this, and deserve something better than pinheaded platitudes and broad, moronic stereotypes." — Decider

4. "The Nut Job" (2014)

Description: "When his grouchy attitude gets him kicked out of the park, Surly the squirrel hatches a plan to rob Maury's Nut Shop to stock up for winter."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 13%

What critics said: "DreamWorks' 2006 film Over the Hedge scampered through similar terrain with far slyer gags in its cheeks." — Guardian

3. "Athlete A" (2020, Netflix original)

Description: "This documentary focuses on the gymnasts who survived USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's abuse and the reporters who exposed USAG's toxic culture."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 100%

What critics said: "After 'Athlete A,' you may never again watch America's pursuit for gold with quite the same enthusiasm." — Associated Press

2. "365 Days" (2020)

Description: "A fiery executive in a spiritless relationship falls victim to a dominant mafia boss, who imprisons her and gives her one year to fall in love with him."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 0%

What critics said: "365 DNI romanticizes an extremely toxic relationship, which is never okay." — Cosmopolitan

1. "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga" (2020, Netflix original)

Description: "Two small-town singers chase their pop star dreams at a global music competition, where high stakes, scheming rivals and onstage mishaps test their bond."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 63%

What critics said: "A silly, sincere romp that is mostly a fun celebration of the six-decades long competition, if not a perfect satire." — Jezebel

• Despite decades of trying, most major tech companies have thus far failed to compete in the video game market.
• From Amazon's Fire TV debacle to Google's ongoing Stadia struggles, tech's biggest players have been unable to crack the code on video games.
• We've rounded up the most notable missteps into gaming from the biggest tech giants.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Remember Apple's Game Center? How about the video game controller Amazon designed, produced, and sold? 

You're forgiven, of course, if you've forgotten both: They're long-abandoned gaming projects from two companies that, frankly, have a lot of other stuff going on.

And they're just two of several major, multimillion-dollar flops from tech companies trying – and failing – to break into the video game business.

SEE ALSO: Apple is canceling deals with game makers as it rethinks Apple Arcade, according to a new report

Apple's Game Center.

Apple's Game Center, which launched in 2010, was meant to serve as a kind of platform-level layer across all of Apple's games. What the operating systems on the Xbox and PlayStation are to those platforms, Game Center was for Apple devices.

It had an achievement system, and a friends list, and some light forms of interactivity. But, ultimately, it was a shallow and not very meaningful service that Apple ultimately abandoned.

Operationally, Game Center was fine – if a bit light on features.

The biggest issue Game Center faced, which it ultimately couldn't overcome, was game makers building duplicate functionality into their own games. Rather than implementing Game Center as a ubiquitous, system-level layer across all App Store games, it was optional to App Store game makers. As such, it was used by some games and not by others.

Moreover, it lacked many of the platform-level features that were standards even back in 2010, like messaging and voice chat. Apple eventually removed the service from its iOS and Mac OS devices, and has yet to replace it. 

Amazon's Fire TV gaming initiative, and Amazon's short-lived video game controller.

Widespread set-top box gaming – the idea of playing games natively on an Apple TV, or Amazon Fire TV, or Google Chromecast – has long been a pipe dream of the tech industry.

Every year or two, an analyst and/or a journalist will make the bold prediction that, yes, this is the year where Apple or some other tech giant makes the ambitious move into video games with a box that may already be under your TV right now. 

Yet, year after year, that fantasy never materializes. But that doesn't mean the tech giants have never tried.

Back in 2014, Amazon launched a version of its Fire TV set-top box alongside a brand new gamepad and a big-ish amount of support from some notable game developers. The company even launched its own in-house game for the device, named "Sev Zero." But gaming on Fire TV never took off, and by just a few years later the Fire TV set-top box turned into a stick.

You can still play games on the Fire TV stick, of course, but Amazon has largely moved away from pushing the device at gamers. And the company no longer makes nor sells a gamepad.

Amazon's recent game, "Crucible."

Did you know that Amazon, the biggest company in the world, launched a big-budget new game this year?

The game is called "Crucible," and you're forgiven if this is the first you're hearing about it. Despite being free-to-play and available on the world's largest gaming platform, Steam, "Crucible" has already come and gone from the top 100 charts.

As of May 21, the day after it launched, "Crucible" had around 25,000 concurrent players at peak. By May 22, two days after launch, it had already disappeared from Steam's top 100 — a list of most-played games on Steam that bottoms out around 5,000 concurrent players. 

Which is to say: As of May 22, two days after launch, fewer than 5,000 people were playing "Crucible" at any given time. By comparison, the most-played game on Steam averages around 1 million concurrent players.

Just over a month after launch, and Amazon outright pulled the game from Steam. "Starting tomorrow, 'Crucible' is moving to closed beta," a note posted to the game's developer blog said.

Notably, "Crucible" was in development for over five years. It assuredly cost tens of millions of dollars to develop across that time. 

Google Stadia.

After years of development and hype, Google's long-rumored push into video games arrived last November with the launch of Google Stadia.

Google Stadia isn't a game console, nor is it a game platform, really — it's a digital storefront run by Google where you can buy individual games. It's a hugely ambitious new platform, and it aimed to be the Netflix of gaming. 

What makes Stadia so ambitious? Rather than downloading games or playing them off a Blu-ray disc, Stadia streams games to you wherever you are, like Netflix streams movies and TV shows.

However, eight months later and Google's Stadia has failed to make a splash. Multiplayer modes for games like "Destiny 2" sit unpopulated, and interest has dwindled over time. The service has yet to launch on Apple's ubiquitous iOS devices, and there's no sign of that changing. 

To its credit, Google appears to not be giving up just yet. The tech behemoth continues to make big hires and acquisitions for its big gaming initiative. Thus far, though, the venture is not going well.

Got a tip? Contact Business Insider senior correspondent Ben Gilbert via email (bgilbert@businessinsider.com), or Twitter DM (@realbengilbert). We can keep sources anonymous. Use a non-work device to reach out. PR pitches by email only, please.

• Lithuanian delivery startup Ziticity has raised 2.2 million euros ($2.5 million) in a seed funding round.
• The startup specializes in last-mile deliveries and wants to help smaller, local retailers compete with the likes of Amazon.
• Laimonas Noreika, cofounder and CEO of Ziticity, said: "To have a fighting chance with global tech giants that are building monopolies in e-commerce and restaurant delivery space, we have been able to build a direct service for local merchants to compete locally."
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. 

Lithuanian delivery startup Ziticity has raised fresh funding to help local shops compete with Amazon and continue its European expansion.

The company raised 2.2 million euros ($2.5 million) in a seed funding round led by NordicNinja VC.

Founded in 2017, Ziticity specializes in last mile deliveries. The company's data suggests that 60% of last-mile deliveries are carried out within a 5km radius of the pickup location.

Since these deliveries are short, couriers are able to use a wide range of transportation including cars, scooters, and bicycles.

"Local e-commerce cannot compete on product price with Amazon and Alibaba. To have a fighting chance with global tech giants that are building monopolies in e-commerce and restaurant delivery space, we have been able to build a direct service for local merchants to compete locally." said Laimonas Noreika, cofounder and CEO of Ziticity. 

The company claims to be have been growing 22% month over month ever since its launch, with a 44% revenue increase during COVID-19.

Ziticity's fundraising was initially derailed by the pandemic, according to Noreika. 

The company had been fundraising for weeks before COVID-19 hit, causing a number of investors to pull out of the process.

"When the COVID-19 lockdown started to affect the economy, some of the investors wanted to use a potentially bad situation for the company. They tried to pressure us with the unfavourable demands. For example, one investor wanted to reduce the company's valuation by 40%," Noreika said.

"A few weeks passed and delivery services became the Holy Grail of everything. So then, not only did those investors, who first pulled out, came back, but we also got quite a few cold emails from other investors"

The startup also received backing from Japanese companies such as JBIC, Honda, Omron, and Panasonic. Other investors included SuperHero Capital VC, Practica Capital, Startup Wise Guys, and Superangel VC.

Ziticity currently operates in France and the Baltics but will use this funding to scale its operations to several more European countries in the coming months. 

Check out the company's redacted pitch deck below: 

SEE ALSO: UK investors bet on a deep tech boom after startups across automation, AI, and quantum computing raise $3.3 billion

Ziticity pitch deck 01

Ziticity pitch deck 02

Ziticity pitch deck 03

Ziticity pitch deck 04

Ziticity pitch deck 05

Ziticity pitch deck 06

Ziticity pitch deck 08

Ziticity pitch deck 07

Ziticity pitch deck 10

Ziticity pitch deck 09

Ziticity pitch deck 11

Ziticity pitch deck 12

Ziticity pitch deck 13

Ziticity pitch deck 14

Ziticity pitch deck 15

Ziticity pitch deck 16

Ziticity pitch deck 17

Ziticity pitch deck 18

Ziticity pitch deck 19

Ziticity pitch deck 20

Ziticity pitch deck 21

Ziticity pitch deck 22

Ziticity pitch deck 23

Ziticity pitch deck 24

Ziticity pitch deck 25

Ziticity pitch deck 26

Ziticity pitch deck 27

Ziticity pitch deck 28

Ziticity pitch deck 29