DAILY BRIEFING

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In a week when Salesforce bought Slack and all we got was more working from home, this also happened: A 15-year-old Colorado high school student and young scientist who has used artificial intelligence and created apps to tackle contaminated drinking water, cyberbullying, opioid addiction and other social problems was named Time Magazine’s first-ever “Kid of the Year.“Gitanjali Rao, a sophomore in suburban Denver, was selected from more than 5,000 nominees. For 92 years, Time has presented a “Person of the Year,” and the youngest ever was Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who was 16 when she graced the magazine’s cover last year.

Unilever New Zealand said it would begin a oneyear experiment to allow all 81 of its employees to earn their full salaries while working one day fewer per week, a move the company said might boost productivity and improve work-life balance. The company, which imports and distributes Lipton tea, Dove soap, Vaseline and Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, is the latest to experiment with the long-discussed four-day workweek. Some business and productivity experts say the concept may finally get a serious look amid a pandemic that has altered how billions live and work around the globe.

Walmart says for the fourth time during the pandemic it will be giving its 1.5 million U.S. part-time and full-time employees additional cash bonuses for their work. The move follows similar announcements in recent weeks by such retailers as Target, Lowe’s and Amazon, which are all offering another round of bonuses as virus cases surge around the country. Part-time and temporary workers who work at Walmart or Sam’s Club’s stores, distribution centers or fulfillment hubs will receive $150 each, while full-time employees will receive $300 on Dec. 24.

First-time installs of mobile shopping apps set a record on Black Friday, according to a report from Sensor Tower. U.S. consumers downloaded an estimated 2.8 million of the apps.

Daily Briefing is compiled from San Francisco Chronicle staff and news services. For more items and links, subscribe to the Tech Chronicle newsletter at www.sfchronicle.com/newsletters/techchronicle. Twitter: @techchronicle

Sharif Hamza for Time