Hello, friends and Fortune readers.
Happy Friday! In a sign that summer is officially behind us, last night was the first game of the new NFL season, and at least one company isn’t letting the opportunity pass without getting in on the action. Here’s that plus everything else you need to know in business today:
Unemployment numbers come out today
It’s been a busy week for jobs numbers, and the big one comes out today — the monthly unemployment rate. One analyst at CNBC actually thinks that Fed chair Janet Yellen would welcome a rising unemployment rate, since it would help prove her general approach to the economy.
TechCrunch Hackathon kicks off tomorrow
The big TechCrunch Disrupt conference kicks off next week (where it will surely be outshone by a certain announcement Apple is making on Tuesday!) but this weekend is the annual Hackathon that precedes the conference. Successful startups like GroupMe (which sold to Skype) started off as hackathon projects, so its worth keeping an eye on.
The way you get your latte could be changing
Starbucks is going to be opening two new types of stores this fall — one for the java connoisseur and one for the busy urbanite. The Seattle chain will be launching around 100 stores with limited edition coffees, plus offering the special brews at 800 and 1,500 existing stores. It will also be opening a number of smaller “express” stores with limited menus to cut down on lines.
Apple ramps up security
In response to the ongoing celebrity nude pictures scandal, Apple is ramping up security for the iCloud. Actions like sending alerts when password changes are requested could cut down on hacking, or, at least alert the victim to an attempt.
Microsoft is predicting NFL games now
This summer, Microsoft’s Cortana predicted 15 of 16 World Cup knockout games correctly. Now, the personal assistant is having a go at the NFL. It was right about last night’s kickoff game (the Seattle Seahawks beat the Green Bay Packers 36-16). Can the magic continue?