ArcBest system rates
spot on magazine list
Fast Company, a business magazine focused on technology and design, recognized ArcBest for its Vaux Smart Autonomy system in its Next Big Things in Tech list.
The magazine's list honors emerging technology in various industries, with Fort Smith-based ArcBest landing on the list for the general excellence category.
"It's an honor to be recognized by Fast Company, and I'm excited for what's to come from our team of creative problem solvers and all of the game-changers on this year's Next Big Things in Tech list," said Dennis Anderson, chief strategy officer at ArcBest.
ArcBest's Vaux system combines autonomous mobile robot forklifts and reach trucks, intelligent software and remote teleoperation to autonomously handle materials.
The forklifts are equipped with advanced perception software, sensors and cameras to safely navigate warehouses and distribution centers.
Brendan Vaughn, editor-in-chief of Fast Company, said the list provides a glimpse at near and long term technological breakthroughs in various sectors.
Fast Company named 138 technologies in 28 categories this year, with other notable companies being Logitech, Pepsico and Samsung to name a few.
-- Dylan Sherman
Cambridge Analytica
suit OK'd to proceed
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court is allowing a multibillion-dollar class action investors' lawsuit to proceed against Facebook parent Meta, stemming from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm.
The justices heard arguments in November in Meta's bid to shut down the lawsuit. On Friday, they decided that they were wrong to take up the case in the first place.
The high court dismissed the company's appeal, leaving in place an appellate ruling allowing the case to go forward.
Investors claim that Meta did not fully disclose the risks that Facebook users' personal information would be misused by Cambridge Analytica, a firm that supported Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.
Inadequacy of the disclosures led to two share price drops in 2018, the investors say.
Meta already has paid a $5.1 billion fine and reached a $725 million privacy settlement with users.
Cambridge Analytica had ties to Trump political strategist Steve Bannon. It had paid a Facebook app developer for access to the personal information of about 87 million Facebook users. That data was then used to target U.S. voters during the 2016 campaign.
-- The Associated Press
Index now at 998.06
after jumping 21.50
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, closed Friday at 998.06, up 21.50 points.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.