🌅 Farewell, daylight saving time

PLUS: Why are Californians going off the grid? March 18, 2022 [The Hustle] Considering surgeons and astronauts need ~9 and ~6 years of schooling, respectively, a new fellowship for aerospace surgery at the University of Arizona could ring up one hefty tuition bill. But then again, doing surgery in outer space sounds pretty priceless. In today’s email: - Daylight saving time: Do we need it? - Chart: Russia’s App Store takes a hit. - Going off-grid: Californians are bailing on utility companies. - Around the web: The largest art heist, an illustrated crypto guide, and more cool internet finds. 🎧 On the go? [Listen to today’s podcast]( to hear about daylight saving shenanigans, the benefits of remote work for people of color, Kim K’s very bad advice, and more. The big idea [clock gif]( Is daylight saving time over? Should it be? On Tuesday, the Senate [passed]( the Sunshine Protection Act, which, if cleared by the House and signed by President Biden, would make daylight saving time (DST) permanent by November 2023. Why the heck do we have DST anyhow? DST is often attributed to Benjamin Franklin, who [joked]( that waking up with the sun could conserve candles and lamp oil. But it was actually New Zealand-based astronomer and entomologist George Hudson who, in 1895, [proposed]( changing the clocks for more daylight to study insects. The US adopted DST in 1918 to conserve energy in WWI, then again in WWII, [per]( Smithsonian magazine. Some states kept it, some didn’t, and in 1966, the Uniform Time Act established DST and standard time (ST) for the nation. There are several negatives to time flip-flopping - Research shows fatal accidents [increase](, as [do]( heart attacks and strokes. - Sleepy workers who’ve lost an hour are more prone to [cyberloafing]( and [injuries](. - “Falling back” has been [associated]( with spikes in depression. - It’s [trickier]( to sync up globally, as only some nations observe DST. It ain’t cheap, either. One study estimated the economic cost of DST in the US at [~$433.9m](. In 2005, the Airport Transport Association [argued]( that a 2-month extension of DST would cost the US airline industry $147m thanks to international confusion. (The US extended it anyhow.) Is DST the best time? Seventy percent of Americans want the clock to stay put, [per]( a 2019 poll. But 40% want permanent ST, while 31% are forever DST. Permanent DST means more sun in the evening, which some say would be good for the economy (and barbecues). But a PNC analyst [believes]( only outdoor businesses would benefit — in the 1980s, golf businesses [claimed]( DST resulted in an extra $200m in profit per month, or ~$647m in today’s money. We tried year-round DST in 1974… … amid a national gas crisis, and found Americans hate dark winter mornings. (Studies also found we don’t actually use less energy.) It’s ST that sleep experts [say]( best matches our circadian rhythms, so it’s a possibility some may lobby for permanent ST instead. Whatever the outcome, history shows we can always monkey with time again — for better or worse. Fun fact: You know who loved the extension of DST? The candy industry, who [lobbied]( to get that extra hour of daylight for trick-or-treating. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=Is+daylight+saving+time+over%3F+Should+it+be%3F%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F03182022-daylight-saving-time%3Futm_campaign%3Ddaylight%2Bsaving%2Btime%26utm_content%3D03182022-daylight-saving-time%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( SNIPPETS No-code unicorn: Webflow, a popular no-code website builder, [raised]( $120m at a $4B valuation. The company recently neared $100m in annual recurring revenue. Tokenized: Yuga Labs, the parent company behind Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs, [released]( ApeCoin — a new token that will be used in a play-to-earn game based on BAYC characters. Meta for kids: Meta [rolled out]( parental controls within Instagram’s Family Center. They’re expected to come to Quest headsets in April. Google’s AR play: Google [agreed]( to buy Raxium, a hardware company that builds tech for AR devices. The price was not disclosed, but previous talks centered around a $1B price point. The acquisition raises the question: Are Google Glasses coming back? Calling all women entrepreneurs: We want to help you get on your way to minting millions with a $4k home office starter pack and a subscription to Trends. [Enter the giveaway on Instagram here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Hey — enjoy getting quick updates on what you care about? Take [20 seconds]( to personalize your Snippets. Pick your preferences👇 and we’ll send you more of what you love. Boom. [Personalize my Email →]( App Gaps [Russia app removals over time]( Selina Lee Russia and Belarus are losing their apps Since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, [numerous]( companies have shut down business in Russia, including McDonald’s, Netflix, and [Upwork](. Some of these moves are now apparent on Apple’s App Store. Apple regularly [removes]( old and outdated apps. In the 1st 2 weeks of February, ~3.4k apps disappeared from both the US and Russian App Stores, [per]( TechCrunch. But between Feb. 24 and March 14… - ~7k apps vanished from Russia’s App Store, a 105% increase. - Russian ally Belarus also saw a 73% increase in App Store removals. Gone are several gaming, health, music, and productivity apps — plus, loyalty apps for brands no longer doing business in Russia. Yet, there is one type of app that’s super hot right now: VPNs, which Russians are likely using to get around Putin’s [ban]( on [social media](. The top 10 VPN apps saw 4.2m installs in those same 2 weeks, a 2.2k%+ increase. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=Russia+and+Belarus+are+losing+their+apps%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F03182022-Russia-app-store%3Futm_campaign%3Ddaylight%2Bsaving%2Btime%26utm_content%3D03182022-Russia-app-store%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( Grid Games [solar panels]( Why are Californians going off the grid? Going off the grid used to be reserved for that outdoorsy high school friend who read Into the Wild a few too many times. But in California, going off the grid is having a bit of a moment. According to The New York Times, residents building new homes are increasingly [choosing]( to build their own systems rather than connect to the grid. Why? Some reasons include more frequent power outages, soaring electricity costs, and [wildfires]( caused by utility companies. Naturally, costs play a prominent role: - Prices for solar panels have dropped below $4/watt, from ~$11.40/watt in 2000 - Lithium-ion batteries are cheaper and lower maintenance than traditional lead acid batteries There’s also a mounting fear that energy costs will [keep rising]( due to Russia’s war against Ukraine, and extreme weather events that damage aging electricity [infrastructure](. But going off-grid… … isn’t always the cheaper option upfront. Installing new power lines to connect to the grid can cost $20k-$78k, while building an off-grid system can cost $35k-$100k. It’s also not for the faint of heart. If something goes wrong — especially out in the California wilderness — you could be very much on your own. If that, or the movie version of Into the Wild doesn’t scare you away, check out [Primal Survivor](. It shares resources on how to go off-grid, including The “Oh Crap!” [guide]( to off-grid sewage and septic systems. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=Why+are+Californians+going+off+the+grid%3F%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F03182022-California-power%3Futm_campaign%3Ddaylight%2Bsaving%2Btime%26utm_content%3D03182022-California-power%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( TRENDS A trained eye can spot business opportunities anywhere For example, around when HubSpot rolled out its revamped [Service Hub]( support CRM, it also dropped the [2022 State of Customer Service]( report. Our Trends analysts got an early look at the data (obvs) and found a fascinating stat: Around 50% of companies experiencing exponential growth are exposing support agents to training several times per month. Companies everywhere are hungry for more. Our report breaks down [3 types of training that service teams are craving](, along with the business models to help you capitalize. For 300+ more ideas (plus the connections and know-how to put them to use), [check out Trends](. AROUND THE WEB 🖼️ On this day: In 1990, 2 men disguised as cops [stole]( $500m worth of art from Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, including 2 Rembrandts. The culprits were never caught and the art has never been found. 🤓 That’s interesting: An illustrated [guide]( on how cryptocurrency works. 😊 Useful: [Minimal Avatars]( lets you create still or animated avatars for free. 🚇 That’s cool: [MetroDreamin’]( lets you design the public transit system you wish your city had and explore other people’s maps. 🐇 Aww: And now, a happy little [bunny]( eating a carrot. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT (A roundup of our best reads from the last couple weeks…) 👔 Why people are really leaving their jobs right now [LINK]( 👺 What the heck is “goblin mode”? [LINK]( 🏠The US just hit a record number of $1m+ homes [LINK]( 🛒 How Ikea tricks you into buying more stuff [LINK]( 🥡 Restaurants vs. Google, explained [LINK]( Shower Thoughts - “When a centaur wishes to go faster, he can slap his own ass.” [SOURCE]( - “Nearly everyone values a human life over the life of a fish, but few people value a single human life over the life of every fish. Meaning everyone has a certain number of fish that they would prefer to be alive over Steve from work.” [SOURCE]( - “A fat pet is a sign of neglect. A fat animal in the wild is a sign of success.” [SOURCE]( - “Cats can probably smell and detect cancer, just like dogs. They just don't care.” [SOURCE]( - “When you wait in the self-checkout line vs. the cashier’s line, you are waging a competition between one professional and several amateurs.” [SOURCE](  [via Reddit]( SHARE THE HUSTLE Hey. Stop keeping us a secret. Refer just 3 people and we’ll start to send some goodies as a thank you. [My First Million ebook]( Spread the news. Help us grow 🌱 [Share The Hustle 🤠→]( Or copy this custom referral link: [ Your referral count: 0 How did you like today’s email? Today's email was brought to you by [Jacob Cohen](, [Juliet Bennett Rylah](, [Rob Litterst](. Editing by: Mark “Team fallback” Dent. [PODCAST]( [JOBS]( [CONTACT US](mailto:news@thehustle.co) [Facebook]( [Youtube]( [Instagram]( [Trends]( 25 FIRST ST. 2ND FLOOR, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02141, UNITED STATES  +1 888 482 7768 Never want to hear from us again? Break our hearts and [unsubscribe](list=thehustle). [The Hustle](