How ZeeMee is Reinventing the College-Application Process
For a process that could wind up determining the rest of a student's life, college applications don't leave much room for personal expression. ZeeMee's Adam Metcalf joins Cheddar to discuss how his company is putting "stories over scores," and eradicating biases in the process. The co-founder explains how his experience as a high-school teacher inspired him to find a better way for applicants to present themselves to universities.
Metcalf walks us through how the app works and why it's caught on with students in over 150 countries. He also explains how ZeeMee helps applicants in underrepresented communities even the playing field. The app also helps students with learning disabilities who struggle on traditional writing-heavy applications.
ZeeMee is also getting into business with colleges themselves. Metcalf explains how universities around the country are using the app to share video and communicate with prospective students. Finally, he previews the company's new chatbot feature that automatically prompts users with discussion points and questions.
Pernilla Sjöholm, star of the Tinder Swindler on Netflix and founder of IDfier, explains how she went from fraud to co-founder of her own company. Watch!
DJ X, alongside Molly Holder, Senior Director of Product Personalization, takes us inside Spotify's A.I. DJ and how it's the best new way to listen to music.
Skype users are scrambling to find an alternative after Microsoft shut down the pioneering internet phone service which let people make cheap long distance calls and chat with other users. Google Voice lets users make calls from a smartphone or a desktop web browser but it's only available to people in the U.S. Viber users can call phone numbers but can't get a number to receive calls. Zoom offers phone options too. You could get a number from a low cost virtual carrier or try other internet phone services. Microsoft says some Skype features will migrate to Teams, but its Teams Phone feature is only for businesses.
Amid a backdrop of ongoing tariff uncertainty, more and more gamers are facing price hikes. Microsoft raised recommended retailer pricing for its Xbox consoles and controllers around the world this week. Its Xbox Series S, for example, now starts at $379.99 in the U.S. — up $80 from the $299.99 price tag that debuted in 2020. And its more powerful Xbox Series X will be $599.99 going forward, a $100 jump from its previous $499.99 listing. The tech giant didn’t mention tariffs specifically, but cited wider “market conditions and the rising cost of development.” Beyond the U.S., Microsoft also laid out Xbox price adjustments for Europe, the U.K. and Australia. The company said all other countries would also receive updates locally.
