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For most baseball fans, hope springs eternal on Opening Day. Many of those fans—more than you might think—are women. A 2024 survey found that women made up 39% of those who attended or watched Major League Baseball games, and franchises have taken notice. The Philadelphia Phillies offer behind-the-scenes tours and clinics for their female fans, while the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees offer fantasy camps that are geared to women. The number of women working professionally in baseball has also grown. Kim Ng made history in 2020 when she became the first woman general manager of an MLB team, the Miami Marlins. As of 2023, women made up 30% of central office professional staff and 27% of team senior administration jobs. In addition, 43 women held coaching and managerial jobs across the major and minor league levels—a 95% increase in just two years. As a fan and scholar of the game, I’m happy to see more women watching baseball and working in the industry. But it still nags at me that the girls and women who play baseball don’t get much recognition, particularly in the U.S. Women take the field In the U.S., baseball is seen as a sport for boys and men. Girls and women, on the other hand, are supposed to play softball, which uses a bigger ball and has a smaller field. It wasn’t always this way. Women have been playing baseball in the U.S. since at least the 1860s. At women’s colleges such as Smith and Vassar, students organized baseball teams as early as 1866. The first professional women’s baseball team was known as the Dolly Vardens, a team of Black players formed in Philadelphia in 1867. Barnstorming teams, known as Bloomer Girls, traveled across the country to play against men’s teams from the 1890s to the 1930s, providing the players with independence and the means to make a living. The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, founded by Philip K. Wrigley in 1943, also offered women the chance to play professionally. The league, which inspired the 1992 film A League of Their Own, enforced rigid norms of femininity expected at the time. Players were required to wear skirts and makeup while playing and were fined if they engaged in any behavior deemed “unladylike.” Teams were open only to white women and light-skinned Latinas. Black women were not allowed to play, a policy that reflected the segregation of the Jim Crow era. Three Black women—Connie Morgan, Mamie “Peanut” Johnson, and Toni Stone—did play in the otherwise male Negro Leagues in the early 1950s. However, their skills were often downplayed by claims that they’d been signed to generate ticket sales and boost interest in the struggling league. The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League folded in 1954, and by the late-1950s women’s participation in baseball had dwindled. Girls funneled into softball Softball was invented in Chicago in 1887 as an indoor alternative to baseball. Originally aimed at both men and women, it eventually became the accepted sport for girls and women due to its smaller field, larger ball, and underhand pitching style—aspects deemed suitable for the supposedly weaker and more delicate female body. The passage of Title IX in 1972 further pushed the popularization of fast-pitch softball, as participation in high school and college increased markedly. In 1974, the National Organization for Women filed a lawsuit against Little League Baseball because the league’s charter excluded girls from playing. The lawsuit was successful, and girls were permitted to join teams. In response, Little League created Little League Softball as a way to funnel girls into softball instead of baseball. As political scientist Jennifer Ring has pointed out, this decision reinforced the gendered division of each sport and “cemented the post-Title IX segregated masculinity of baseball.” Girls can still play baseball, but most are encouraged to eventually switch to softball if they want to pursue college scholarships. If they want to keep playing baseball, they have to constantly confront stubborn cultural beliefs and assumptions that they should be playing softball instead. A global game You might be surprised to learn that the U.S. fields a national women’s baseball team that competes in the Women’s Baseball World Cup. But they receive scant media attention and remain unknown to most baseball fans. In a 2019 article published in the Journal of Sport and Social Issues, I argued that the U.S. has experienced inconsistent success on the global stage because of a lack of infrastructure, limited resources, and persistent gendered assumptions that hamper the development of women’s baseball. Other countries such as Japan, Canada, and Australia have established solid pathways that allow girls and women to pursue baseball from the youth level through high school and beyond. That being said, opportunities for girls to play baseball are increasing in the U.S. thanks to the efforts of organizations such as Baseball for All and DC Girls Baseball. Approximately 1,300 girls play high school baseball, and a handful of young women play on men’s college baseball teams each year. In recent years, numerous women’s collegiate club baseball teams have been established; there’s even an annual tournament to crown a national champion. Pro league in the works Momentum continues to build. MLB recently appointed Veronica Alvarez as its first girls baseball ambassador, who will oversee development programs such as the Trailblazers Series and the Elite Development Invitational. A new documentary film, See Her Be Her, is touring the country to celebrate the growth of women’s baseball and raise awareness of the challenges these athletes face. Perhaps most significantly, the Women’s Pro Baseball League announced that it is planning to start play in summer 2026 with six teams located in the northeastern U.S. Over 500 players from 11 countries have registered with the league, with a scouting camp and player draft scheduled for later this year. Should the league have success, it will mark a revitalization of women’s professional baseball in the U.S., a nod to the rich history of the women’s game and a commitment to securing opportunities for the girls and women who continue to defy cultural norms to play the game they love. Callie Maddox is an associate professor of sport leadership and management at Miami University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you like to buy in bulk or just want one less thing to worry about during weekly errands, this sale might be worth the look: You can get a one-year membership to Sam's Club for $25 right now on StackSocial. It's half the usual price, but the catch is that it’s only for new members in the U.S. If you're eligible, though, the sale opens up access to warehouse prices on groceries, household staples, electronics, furniture, and even tires. It’s not just bulk cereal and 40-roll packs of paper towels anymore—there’s a surprising amount of variety on the shelves. You’ll need to activate your membership within 30 days of buying the code (and definitely before May 28, 2025, or the promo becomes invalid). Also, the code is non-transferable, so make sure you’re signing up for yourself. Sam’s Club uses a limited-item business model, meaning fewer brands per category but carefully selected products across the board. From what regular members say, the quality holds up well, especially in categories like meat, produce, and household cleaning. The membership also includes perks like discounts on travel, rental cars, concert tickets, and even movie nights—so there’s some value beyond groceries. You can shop in-store at one of their 597 U.S. locations or browse online through mobile and desktop platforms. Just be prepared for the occasional treasure hunt feel—inventory can vary. That said, this deal includes auto-renewal, which means your card will be charged yearly (currently $50 for Club members, plus taxes) unless you cancel. If you like buying snacks for months in one go, finding discounts on random big-ticket items, or just having one place to cover most of your shopping list, this might be a practical pick. If you're more of a once-a-week, two-bags-max kind of shopper, it may not be worth the warehouse dive. View the full article

The huge valuations ascribed to X and xAI have raised eyebrowsView the full article

Even if you don't use a PC, you probably know about the Blue Screen of Death (or BSOD). This iconic error screen has been a core component of Windows since the OS' first version (though it looked a bit more like something out of The Matrix back then). The BSOD isn't something you necessarily want to see—especially if you're Bill Gates showing off a new version of Windows—as it means some factor has crashed your system, and now your PC needs to restart. However, soon enough, when you do see it, you might not actually recognize it. As it happens, Microsoft is changing the look of the BSOD. The company announced the redesign in a Friday post on the Windows Insider blog. (The Windows Insider program allows software testers to try out new Windows features early before Microsoft launches them to the public.) In addition to a number of other new features and changes testers can try, there's the new BSOD, which Microsoft says is "more streamlined" and "better aligns with Windows 11 design principles," while maintaining the same technical information you'd expect from the traditional blue screen. The thing is, this new Blue Screen of Death isn't even blue. During testing, it appears green, but the screen will eventually be black when it rolls out to the public. (At least the BSOD acronym still holds up.) Further, the text you'll see is different. Gone is the emoticon of a frowny-face, which has defined the BSOD look since Windows 8. Now, the screen presents a simple message: "Your device ran into a problem, and needs to restart," followed by the current progress of the restart represented by a percentage. At the very bottom of the screen, you can see the stop code, as well as what failed. Credit: Microsoft This is far from the first time Microsoft has changed the BSOD for Windows. Martin Nobel has a great timeline of the changes, starting with that very first "Matrix-esque" screen back in Windows 1.0, to the warning Windows users of the 90s and 2000s are likely acutely acquainted with, all the way to the present design scheme kicked off with 2012's Windows 8. The color, too, has flip-flopped over the years. Microsoft experimented with a black BSOD for Windows NT, Windows 8, Windows 10, and even an earlier version of Windows 11. If you hate change, there's a chance Microsoft could flip back to blue down the line. How to try out Windows' new Blue Screen of Death I hope you don't run into a BSOD often. However, if you'd like your next encounter with a system crash to be with the new error screen, you'll need to enroll your PC in the Windows Insider program. Since the Insider program lets you test out new versions of Windows before the general public, there is a risk for bugs and other issues following the install. Make sure any important data is backed up before enrolling. If you're OK with those risks, you can follow our guide here to enroll your PC. This particular change is rolling out to the Canary, Dev, and Beta Channels, not the Release Preview Channel, so you'll need to enroll in one of these three channels in order to see the new BSOD. If you're looking to minimize your risk, I'd recommend the Beta channel here. This channel features builds that Microsoft has already tested, which means some of the issues have likely already been discovered and patched. It's not risk-free, but it offers a better balance than Dev, which throws the newest Windows features your way that haven't necessarily been tested yet. View the full article

AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel As gerontologists—social scientists who study aging populations—we envision a future in which older people leave a doctor’s visit with a prescription to go volunteer for something. Does that sound far-fetched? There’s scientific research backing it up. Good for your health While spending more than a dozen years researching what happens when older adults volunteer with nonprofits, including churches, we’ve found that volunteers consider themselves to be in better health than their peers who don’t. In addition, their blood pressure is lower, and they appear to be aging more slowly than other people of the same age. Other researchers have found that volunteering is associated with a lower risk of having a heart attack. The mental health benefits are just as striking. Volunteering is tied to having fewer symptoms of depression and being more satisfied with your life. It often brings an instant boost in mood—along with a deeper sense of meaning and purpose. Even engaging in what’s known as “informal helping”—lending a hand to friends, neighbors, or community members in need, without getting paid or participating in an organized program—can help you in similar ways. There are also health benefits for those who start volunteering much earlier in life. Children and teens who volunteer tend to have better health and lower levels of anxiety and fewer behavioral problems than those who don’t volunteer. Changing demographics The number of U.S. adults at least 62 years old—the earliest age at which you can claim Social Security retirement benefits—has grown by nearly 35 million since 2000, while the number of children and teens under 18 has fallen by nearly 1.5 million. There are now about 76 million Americans over 62 and 71 million under 18. This change has been gradual. Following a long-term demographic shift, record numbers of Americans are reaching retirement age. https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/FWpvb/1 Benefits for society and the economy The benefits of volunteering aren’t just for the volunteers themselves. The total value of the hours of unpaid work volunteers put in totals an estimated U.S.$170 billion each year, according to AmeriCorps, the federal agency focused on national and community service. And participating in community service programs can lead to better job prospects for volunteers, that same agency has found. AmeriCorps Seniors, which focuses on engaging volunteers ages 55 and older, runs programs that offer major benefits to their communities. These include the Foster Grandparent program, which connects older adult mentors to children, and the Senior Companion program, which connects volunteers to older adults seeking some help to continue living independently in their own homes. A current AmeriCorps Seniors pilot program is helping adults 55 and up, who can have more trouble landing new jobs than younger people, gain new job skills through their community service. People of all ages can get together through volunteering. Some organizations intentionally encourage this kind of intergenerational cooperation, including CoGenerate and Generations United. https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/MYh8W/1 Rebuilding communities Researchers have also found that volunteering may increase trust within a community, especially when it brings together people from different backgrounds. It can strengthen “social cohesion,” a term researchers use to describe how much people bond and help each other, and reduce prejudice. Volunteers’ views on social issues may change through their work, too: More than 4 in 5 adults over 55 who tutored public school students to strengthen their reading skills in the national Experience Corps program, for example, stated that their views on public education evolved as a result. Those volunteers expressed more support for public education and said they’d be more likely to vote in favor of spending on schools. An American pastime Our findings are backed by science, but they also have roots in American history. Alexis de Tocqueville—a French philosopher and diplomat who arrived in the United States in 1831 to study the new nation’s penal system—was so impressed by the scale of volunteering in the U.S. that he wrote about it in his 1835 book Democracy in America. Tocqueville observed that “Americans of all ages, all conditions, all minds” were likely to unite in many kinds of groups or associations. More recently, former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has said that volunteering can strengthen communities, and that “community is a powerful source of life satisfaction and life expectancy.” If you aren’t volunteering today, here are a few ideas to help you begin. Start small. Try joining an organization or association in your community, taking part in neighborhood cleanups, or volunteering at your local senior center, animal shelter, or museum. Love gardening? You can take care of local parks, conservation areas, community gardens, and more. Once you’re ready for a bigger commitment, consider becoming a mentor through programs such as OASIS Intergenerational Tutoring or Big Brothers Big Sisters. And consider a more extensive level of commitment to organizations or causes you care deeply about. This might include joining a nonprofit board of directors, volunteering more hours, or taking on a volunteer leadership role. At a time when trust is eroding and divisions seem insurmountable, volunteering offers something rare: an evidence-backed way to reconnect with communities, institutions, and each other. Reach out to your favorite nonprofit, visit Volunteer.gov or VolunteerMatch.org, or connect with a nonprofit resource center, a regional United Way or a community foundation to find volunteer opportunities near you. Cal J. Halvorsen is an associate professor of social work at Washington University in St. Louis. Seoyoun Kim is an associate adjunct of sociology at the University of Michigan. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

Company had £736mn of debt at end of 2023, much of it from entities controlled by its Chinese parent JingyeView the full article

If you're a gamer, beware a new malware that's pretending to be an ASUS utility. CoffeeLoader impersonates Armoury Crate, which manages ASUS and ROG software and peripherals, and infects your Windows machine with an infostealer that's nearly impossible to detect. How CoffeeLoader malware works According to an analysis by ZScaler, once on your system, the CoffeeLoader malware delivers the Rhadamanthys infostealer, which can extract credentials from applications like web browsers, email clients, crypto wallets, and even the password manager KeePass. CoffeeLoader then manages to evade most security tools on your device, including antivirus software and malware detectors, making it especially dangerous and difficult to catch. It does this in part by running on the graphics card (GPU), which security tools aren't as likely to scan, rather than your computer's CPU. It also uses techniques like Call Stack Spoofing, which changes its trail of function calls to appear harmless, and Sleep Obfuscation, through which it encrypts and locks itself in your computer's memory so it's unreadable to security scanners. CoffeeLoader will also use pathways like Windows Fibers that are less likely to be monitored by security software. How to protect your machine from CoffeeLoader malwareMalware like CoffeeLoader spreads successfully in part because it often looks like something trustworthy. Hackers may impersonate a brand like ASUS, leading you to believe you're downloading real software, whether from an ad, an online forum, a fake website found in search results, or a phishing attack via email or messenger app. To prevent a malware infection, use caution when downloading utilities or any type of software to your machine. Always go directly to the official site—rather than clicking through search results or a forum link—to ensure you're getting the real thing. You should also follow basic cybersecurity best practices, like avoiding clicking links or opening attachments in messages that could be malicious. If you believe your device is infected, there are a few steps you can take to remove malware from your machine. Start by disconnecting your PC from the internet and rebooting in safe mode. Search for and delete temporary files (Settings > System > Storage > Local Disk > Temporary files) and check Task Manager for suspicious activity or processes running on your device. In general, you can use a malware scanner to identify and remove infections. View the full article

Melody Wilding is a professor of human behavior at Hunter College and was recently named one of Insider’s “most innovative career coaches.” Her background as a therapist and emotions researcher informs her unique approach, weaving evidence-based neuroscience and psychology with professional development. She is the author of Trust Yourself. What’s the big idea? Do you feel stuck navigating office politics, micromanagement, or being overlooked at work? In Managing Up, human behavior professor and executive coach Melody Wilding reveals how to subtly teach those above you to respect your ideas—without needing a title change. Through real-life stories and research-backed strategies, she breaks down 10 key conversations that help you build influence, set boundaries, and operate from a position of power. Packed with actionable scripts and expert insights, this book is a must-read for anyone ready to take control of their career. Below, Melody shares five key insights from her new book, Managing Up: How to Get What You Need from the People in Charge. Listen to the audio version—read by Melody herself—in the Next Big Idea App. 1. Managing up is not about making your boss’s life easier. It’s about taking control of your own work experience. We often equate managing up with sucking up—knowing your boss’s coffee order, agreeing with everything they say, jumping at their urgent requests. Turning yourself into a professional yes-person may have been enough to get ahead 10 or 20 years ago, but things have changed. We’re working in a world of hybrid teams, instant messaging, and four generations collaborating side by side. Your leader might be younger than you, expertise matters more than hierarchy, and “face time” happens through Zoom. In this new reality, you need to get buy-in for your ideas even when budgets are tight, and to have strong boundaries when yet another task is dumped on your plate. Let’s face it: there will always be managers who are scattered, conflict-avoidant, or terrible at giving feedback. But when you master managing up, you’re no longer at the mercy of their limitations. This is why managing up is NOT about your boss at all. It’s about you doing your best work and securing the resources, opportunities, and recognition you deserve. Your career growth and peace of mind at work depend not only on how you perform your responsibilities but also on how effectively you advocate for yourself, influence decision-makers, and design the conditions for your success. The moment you shift from “How can I please my boss, how can I stay in their good graces?” to “How can I partner with my boss to achieve my goals and theirs?” new possibilities open. By stepping out of the “order taker” role and into a “respected advisor” mindset, you’re leveling the playing field. 2. There’s a method to managing up. If you’ve been told that you need to get better at influencing upward, then you’ve probably received some of this advice: Come with solutions, not problems! Build trust with leadership! Anticipate their needs! Make them look good! Be proactive! These pithy one-liners sound good but tend to be oversimplified and fall apart the minute things get complicated or don’t go as planned. Which, if we’re honest, might be often. You don’t have time to duct tape and shoestring scattered strategies together… and it’s not going to work for long. “When you master managing up, you’re no longer at the mercy of their limitations.” That’s precisely why I developed the 10 conversations framework—to give you a comprehensive, systematic roadmap to master the skill of managing up, where each step conversations build on the next. When I say conversations, this includes the overlooked opportunities and interactions we have every day to shape our leaders’ perception of us, like those two minutes before everyone else joins the meeting when it’s just you and the VP making small talk. The book begins with the most foundational conversations: Alignment: How do I know which tasks are most crucial to focus on? Styles: How can I work with different personalities? Ownership: What can I do to present—and go after— my ideas without overstepping? Boundaries: What do I say when my manager dumps yet another task on my plate? Feedback: How do I voice my opinion and deliver criticism up the chain of command? These conversations give way to more advanced ones later in the book—networking, visibility, advancement, money, and eventually even the quitting conversation. 3. Psychology is your secret advantage. You know those moments that make you want to pull your hair out? Your boss needs three meetings to make a decision that feels obvious. Your brilliant idea gets shot down because you “didn’t build enough consensus.” Your promotion gets delayed despite your team’s record-breaking quarter. It’s tempting to throw your hands up. To label your boss as “difficult.” To take it personally. But here’s what my career as a researcher and coach has taught me: When we say someone is “difficult,” what we often mean is they’re different: They process information differently than we do. They make decisions in a way that feels foreign to us. They have pressures and priorities we can’t see. Until you understand what actually drives decisions at the top—the hidden incentives, the competing agendas, the unspoken fears—you’re just throwing tactics at the wall and hoping something sticks. Every strategy in this book is grounded in the science of persuasion, trust-building, and more. As you rise in your career, how you handle the people dynamics around you gives you an edge: Instead of getting frustrated that your big-picture boss cares about the details, you lead with the vision. Instead of feeling dismissed when your risk-averse leader seems resistant, you address their concerns before they voice them. Instead of getting frustrated when an action-oriented executive shoots down ideas mid-sentence, you lead with the bottom line and save the context for follow-up. 4. Go beyond your boss. Think about your last major project. You probably had to coordinate with stakeholders across three different departments. Your resources might be controlled by someone you’ve never met. That promotion you want? It’s likely being decided by a committee. The truth is, your boss might be your biggest advocate, but they’re just one voice in a chorus of decision-makers shaping your career. I see this reality check hit hard when people come to me frustrated: “I don’t get it. My boss loves me. So why do I keep getting passed over?” Nine times out of ten, it’s because they’ve invested everything in that one relationship while ignoring the broader network of senior leaders who influence their success. Today’s workplaces are a complex web of dotted lines, matrix reporting, and cross-functional teams. When it comes to internal networking, focus on connecting with three groups: decision-makers who control resources and opportunities, power peers who are rising stars across the organization, and behind-the-scenes operators who make everything actually happen (assistants, HR, IT). “Before you can ask for career sponsorship or resources, ask for information.” Use what I call the “info-ask” strategy. Before you can ask for career sponsorship or resources, ask for information. Maybe it’s best practices from that VP whose project you want to join, insights into how approvals really happen from that senior director, or vendor recommendations from that influential peer. This approach does three powerful things: it signals respect for others’ expertise, demonstrates a genuine desire to learn (not just take), and creates natural follow-up opportunities to share how their advice helped. 5. You teach people how to treat you in the workplace. It’s easy to feel powerless at work. The latest reorg shifted your role. Your team’s headcount got frozen. Your skip-level keeps scheduling over your focus time. During the last few years, the number of professionals who believe they have little to no control over their careers, futures, and work relationships has doubled. A staggering forty percent of workers grapple with a sense of helplessness. But here’s what most people miss: Every interaction is a chance to subtly shape how others treat you. When your boss dumps a last-minute project on your team, you have a choice. You could just say yes (and reinforce that your time doesn’t matter), or you could say, “I can take this on, but it means pushing back the Q2 planning work we discussed. Which would you prefer I prioritize?” This simple trade-off shows you’re strategic, not just accommodating. When an executive criticizes your work in front of the team, you could stay quiet (teaching them this behavior is acceptable), or you could say, “Could we discuss these concerns one-on-one? It would help me better understand your expectations.” This shows you’re professional while setting a clear boundary about how you expect feedback to be delivered. You have more power than you realize to shape the dynamics around you. This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission. View the full article

Shares of the president’s company fell on the state’s market amid a broad sell-off fuelled by his trade agendaView the full article

Even the most powerful nation in the world needs foreign investment View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Sonos brand is well known in the smart speaker and surround sound space. And very much like Apple, people will pay a premium price for their minimalistic, premium quality, and discounts are often hard to come by. But today, the Sonos Arc, which was Sonos' flagship soundbar prior to the launch of the Sonos Arc Ultra, is $599, $300 off its usual $899 price. It's also a record low price for this model, according to price-tracking tools. Maximum Output Power: 110 Watts, Connectivity Technology: Wi-Fi, Audio Output Mode: Surround Mount. Sonos Arc Soundbar $599.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $899.00 Save $300.00 Get Deal Get Deal $599.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $899.00 Save $300.00 SEE -2 MORE Sonos speakers are not for everyone, if only because you'll have to justify paying around two grand for a complete surround sound system when you can get a setup like the Samsung Q990C for about half the price. But audiophiles swear they can hear the difference, so the cost might be worth it to you. If you pick up this soundbar, you'll want to consider the Sonos 300 rear speakers and the Gen 4 subwoofer to go with it—they're the latest Sonos has to offer, though you can choose Eras 100 or an older or smaller subwoofer to lower the price tag. As for the Arc, it offers Dolby Atmos, providing immersive three-dimensional sound with height channels that simulate audio coming from above you (you can read the details in PCMag's "excellent" review). It offers enough of a low-end kick that you don't really need a subwoofer if you have a small space. If you already own other Sonos speakers, you can seamlessly connect them through the Sonos app to create a surround sound setup or a multi-room system. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is $299.99 on Amazon right now, reduced from its usual $399.99. Acer Chromebook Plus 514 $299.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $399.99 Save $100.00 Get Deal Get Deal $299.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $399.99 Save $100.00 According to price trackers, this is the lowest it’s been, and if you’re looking for a backup laptop or something for really light tasks, it might be worth a look. But let’s set expectations upfront—this isn’t a high-performance machine. It’s running on an AMD Ryzen 3 7320C processor with 8GB RAM and 128GB of eMMC storage, which puts it squarely in the “basic use only” category. You’ll get by fine with web browsing, emails, video calls, or streaming, but anything heavier than that—editing video, gaming, or multitasking with lots of tabs—is probably going to be a stretch. What it does have going for it is a 14-inch WUXGA display that has a 1920 x 1200 resolution and supports touch, so navigation feels a little smoother, especially when you’re scrolling through articles or zooming in on images. Additionally, it’s got Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1, which makes it more future-proof on the connectivity front. And even though it’s plastic, it’s rated MIL-STD-810H for durability (according to this PCMag review) and has a spill-resistant keyboard—handy if you’re clumsy with coffee. It also runs on ChromeOS, which means faster boot times and built-in security, plus support for Android apps through the Google Play Store. The battery life isn’t record-breaking, but it’ll give you a decent chunk of the workday—around 10 hours, depending on what you’re doing. It’s also got two USB-C ports, one USB-A, and a headphone jack, which covers most needs. That said, this is still a budget machine. The Ryzen 3 chip is entry-level, and the eMMC storage is slower than SSDs. You can’t upgrade the storage later either, so you’re stuck with what you get—unless you lean heavily on cloud storage. View the full article

AI unit is boosted by first external funding round led by OpenAI-backer Thrive CapitalView the full article

In Uganda’s Mbale district, famous for its production of arabica coffee, a plague of plastic bags locally known as buveera is creeping beyond the city. It’s a problem that has long littered the landscape in Kampala, the capital, where buveera are woven into the fabric of daily life. They show up in layers of excavated dirt roads and clog waterways. But now, they can be found in remote areas of farmland, too. Some of the debris includes the thick plastic bags used for planting coffee seeds in nurseries. Some farmers are complaining, said Wilson Watira, head of a cultural board for the coffee-growing Bamasaba people. “They are concerned—those farmers who know the effects of buveera on the land,” he said. Around the world, plastics find their way into farm fields. Climate change makes agricultural plastic, already a necessity for many crops, even more unavoidable for some farmers. Meanwhile, research continues to show that itty-bitty microplastics alter ecosystems and end up in human bodies. Scientists, farmers, and consumers all worry about how that’s affecting human health, and many seek solutions. But industry experts say it’s difficult to know where plastic ends up or get rid of it completely, even with the best intentions of reuse and recycling programs. According to a 2021 report on plastics in agriculture by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, soils are one of the main receptors of agricultural plastics. Some studies have estimated that soils are more polluted by microplastics than the oceans. “These things are being released at such a huge, huge scale that it’s going to require major engineering solutions,” said Sarah Zack, an Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Great Lakes Contaminant Specialist who communicates about microplastics to the public. Why researchers want to study plastics in farm fields Microparticles of plastic that come from items like clothes, medications, and beauty products sometimes appear in fertilizer made from the solid byproducts of wastewater treatment—called biosolids—which can also be smelly and toxic to nearby residents depending on the treatment process used. Some seeds are coated in plastic polymers designed to strategically disintegrate at the right time of the season, used in containers to hold pesticides or stretched over fields to lock in moisture. But the agriculture industry itself only accounts for a little over 3% of all plastics used globally. About 40% of all plastics are used in packaging, including single-use plastic food and beverage containers. Microplastics, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration defines as being smaller than five millimeters long, are their largest at about the size of a pencil eraser. Some are much smaller. Studies have already shown that microplastics can be taken up by plants on land or plankton in the ocean and subsequently eaten by animals or humans. Scientists are still studying the long-term effects of the plastic that’s been found in human organs. Early findings suggest possible links to a host of health conditions including heart disease and some cancers. Despite “significant research gaps,” the evidence related to the land-based food chain “is certainly raising alarm,” said Lev Neretin, environment lead at the FAO, which is currently working on another technical report looking deeper into the problem of microplastic pollution in soils and crops. A study out this month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that microplastics pollution can even impact plants’ ability to photosynthesize, the process of turning light from the sun into energy. That doesn’t “justify excessive concern” but does “underscore food security risks that necessitate scientific attention,” wrote Fei Dang, one of the study’s authors. Climate change making matters worse The use of plastics has quadrupled over the past 30 years. Plastic is ubiquitous. And most of the world’s plastic goes to landfills, pollutes the environment, or is burned. Less than 10% of plastics are recycled. At the same time, some farmers are becoming more reliant on plastics to shelter crops from the effects of extreme weather. They’re using tarps, hoop houses, and other technology to try to control conditions for their crops. And they’re depending more on chemicals like pesticides and fertilizers to buffer against unreliable weather and more pervasive pest issues. “Through global warming, we have less and less arable land to make crops on. But we need more crops. So therefore the demand on agricultural chemicals is increasing,” said Ole Rosgaard, president and CEO of Greif, a company that makes packaging used for industrial agriculture products like pesticides and other chemicals. Extreme weather, fueled by climate change, also contributes to the breakdown and transport of agricultural plastics. Beating sun can wear on materials over time. And more frequent and intense rainfall events in some areas could drive more plastic particles running into fields and eventually waterways, said Maryam Salehi, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Missouri. Can agriculture escape the plastic problem? This past winter, leaders from around the world gathered in South Korea to produce the first legally binding global treaty on plastics pollution. They didn’t reach an agreement, but the negotiations are scheduled to resume in August. Neretin said the FAO produced a provisional, voluntary code of conduct on sustainable management of plastics in agriculture. But without a formal treaty in place, most countries don’t have a strong incentive to follow it. “The mood is certainly not cheery, that’s for sure,” he said, adding global cooperation “takes time, but the problem does not disappear.” Without political will, much of the onus falls on companies. Rosgaard, of Greif, said that his company has worked to make their products recyclable, and that farmers have incentives to return them because they can get paid in exchange. But he added it’s sometimes hard to prevent people from just burning the plastic or letting it end up in fields or waterways. “We just don’t know where they end up all the time,” he said. Some want to stop the flow of plastic and microplastic waste into ecosystems. Boluwatife Olubusoye, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Mississippi, is trying to see whether biochar, remains of organic matter and plant waste burned under controlled conditions, can filter out microplastics that run from farm fields into waterways. His early experiments have shown promise. He said he was motivated by the feeling that there was “never any timely solution in terms of plastic waste” ending up in fields in the first place, especially in developing countries. Even for farmers who care about plastics in soils, it can be challenging for them to do anything about it. In Uganda, owners of nursery beds cannot afford proper seedling trays, so they resort to cheaply made plastic bags used to germinate seeds, said Jacob Ogola, an independent agronomist there. Farmers hardest hit by climate change are least able to reduce the presence of cheap plastic waste in soils. That frustrates Innocent Piloya, an agroecology entrepreneur who grows coffee in rural Uganda with her company Ribbo Coffee. “It’s like little farmers fighting plastic manufacturers,” she said. Walling reported from Chicago. The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org. —Melina Walling and Rodney Muhumuza, Associated Press View the full article

The real 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, is a saying that asserts 80% of outcomes come from 20% of all causes. You can use it to organize your to-do list, among other things. But to many young men, 80/20 means something very different. Young men are not alright. Masculinity is growing more toxic by the day. Online incel communities are growing, and the most receptive audience to poisonous ideas about gender seems to be children. This week's column isn't going to be fun: I'm explaining one of the guiding principles of the incel movement, and discussing a TikToker devoted to changing her red pill son's mind. And I can't talk about toxic masculinity without mentioning Elon Musk! Spray some deodorizer and let's jump into the dank, upsetting world of incel beliefs. What is the 80/20 rule?The Netflix series Adolescence, is currently the buzziest show on streaming, a harrowing exploration of the inner world of an angry young boy accused of murdering one of his classmates, a girl who spurned him. One of the teenage characters mentions the “80/20 rule” as a way of explaining the incel/red pill culture that's central to the murder plot. Put simply, the 80/20 rule is an axiom that states 80% of women are attracted to only 20% of men, and understanding the pervasiveness of this belief is essential to understanding online misogyny. Different communities of toxic dudes believe different weird things—many "looksmaxxers" think breaking your own facial bones can make you more attractive; red pill dudes believe men have to psychologically manipulate women into liking them—but the 80/20 rule is nearly universally accepted. The idea seems to have originated in a post on Medium that was written 10 years ago. Taken on its own terms, the article is a fairly interesting, though methodologically flawed, look at the distribution of “likes” on dating site Tinder. Incel types ignored the problems with the research, ignored the context (it’s only about Tinder likes), and accepted the 80/20 Rule as a hard-to-swallow truth that explains how women relate to men. Even though the Medium post concludes that most men who want to meet women would be “better off just going to a bar or joining some coed recreational sports team” than using Tinder, incels decided the 80/20 rule meant something like "all women are shallow," and/or "it's not my fault that no woman wants to spend time with me." For 10 years, incels and the incel-adjacent have expanded on the theory and repeated it to each other so many times that it’s rarely questioned in those spaces. If anyone you're talking to mentions the 80/20 rule in an affirmative context, you know you’re talking to someone who has a specific set of (wrong) beliefs, and who doesn’t have a large enough social circle to compare what they read on the internet to the way people act in real life. But is there anything you can do about it? Maybe. Viral video of the week: De-pilling a red pill son The creator of in this week's viral video, IAmRchlPrkr, is a mother trying to deprogram her teenage son. He has accepted some beliefs of the "red pill" community, a branch of incels, and she is not into it. She first saw the problem when her child told her "all women are gold-diggers." There's a lot going on with that phrase. Despite bristling and yelling "not all men!" when anyone generalizes their own gender, the toxic male community is dominated by the idea that women are all the same: a Borg-like collective looking for the most attractive 20% of men, or the men with the most gold to dig. This isn't new. In her 1998 book Intercourse, Andrea Dworkin could have been describing the incels of 2025 when she wrote, "the first tenet of male supremacist ideology is that men have a self and that women must, by definition, lack it." The difference is how sexist ideas that were once relegated to obscure corners of society have infiltrated the mainstream to the extent that literal children are repeating them to their mothers. (As with most of societal ills, we can thank the internet for that.) Maybe this TikToker mom has the right approach to returning some sanity: When her son tells her, "all women are gold-diggers," she responds with "Which women?" and "name one woman who is a gold-digger." Of course he can't. Because the incel philosophy falls apart in the face of actual relationships with real humans. What is "serious hat Soyjack?"A fitting response to me quoting Andrew Dworkin in an earnest post about online masculinity is serious hat Soyjak: Credit: SoyGemVault - Deviant Art Created by DevianArt user SoyGemArt, Serious Hat is a Wojak posted to comment on people who are, well, too serious online. (If you're asking "what's a wojak?" I have previously covered the subject.) Elon musk gamer drama continuesSpeaking of toxic men: Elon Musk! If you’re an adult, you probably know Musk best as the CEO of an electric car company or as a dedicated public servant with creative ideas about how forks work. But kids know a different Elon Musk: Gamer Elon. Gamer Elon is seen as the ultimate sweat, and Gamer Elon recently mixed it up on X with the official account of video game Assassin’s Creed and got roasted like a Costco chicken. The online dust-up started when ex-game developer @grummz made a post about streamer Hasan Piker, who he labeled a terrorist (because that’s what you do on X when you disagree with someone about public policy): This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This led Musk, who is a grown adult, to post: This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. And then: This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. At this point, the official account of the video game at the center of the fight Assassin’s Creed: Shadows brought gasoline to the flame war. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. The Assassin’s Creed post was viewed over 52 million times. It references the all-but-confirmed rumor that Elon Musk, a grown adult with a major position of power within the United States government, pays someone so gamers will think he’s really good at Path of Exile 2, a video game where you pretend to be an elf. What does "come eat lobster with a monster" mean?I don't want to leave you with all these toxic men, so let's end with a funny meme. Back in 2020, then-Twitter user @blanketm9 changed the world forever when they tweeted: This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Their post lay dormant until 2023, when a user (whose original post and name has been lost to history) added the context of a text conversation, complete with a "straight man." Credit: iFunny Things were quiet for a couple years, then, for reasons unknown, the meme started truly taking off this month. I guess the time is right for posts like these: This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. View the full article

Summer is on the way—at least for those of us in the northern hemisphere—and Google has pushed out some useful upgrades across several apps to make your travel planning a little easier (and a little more reliant on AI). First, the AI Overviews that you've no doubt noticed up at the top of Google search results are being expanded to cover travel itineraries for regions and countries, as well as cities. All you need to do is ask for a plan for a certain place (like the south of France), together with any requirements (such as kids or a specific budget), and the AI will do the rest. You get a day-by-day breakdown of where you should go and what you should do, and you can check out photos and reviews left by other users—as well as quickly share recommendations via Google Docs or Gmail, if you have fellow travelers. This is live now for U.S. users, but heed Google's own warning that generative AI is experimental: Double-check the details with information from actual human beings. AI Overviews can now produce itineraries for regions and countries. Credit: Google Secondly, there's a new price tracking option over at google.com/hotels. This works like it already does for Google Flights, where Google will email you if prices change for certain dates at a hotel you've got your eye on—so you can grab a bargain quickly. It's a useful feature for saving money on plane tickets, so it's good to see it available for hotels too. This feature is now rolling out globally. Third, there's going to be a new Screenshots feature in Google Maps: If you choose to enable it, the app will scan your screenshots for place names, and quickly get you to those spots on the map. If you're someone who's always collecting screen grabs of places you want to visit, this should prove helpful, and all the AI text detection work is done locally. This place recognition feature seems to be based on text alone, rather than combining images and text, so your screenshots will need recognizable locations that appear as text. This is appearing now in Google Maps for iOS for U.S. users, and is apparently "coming soon" to Google Maps for Android. Google Maps is now able to pick out places from your screenshots. Credit: Google And there's another recent AI upgrade for Google Maps that isn't mentioned in Google's latest official blog post. As spotted by Android Authority, if you select a place in Google Maps on Android and then enable Gemini with a voice command or button push, you get an Ask about place shortcut above the main input box. You can then ask whatever you want about the selected location. It's not a new feature, but it's now easier to get to. Back to Google's official announcements: The last two are more reminders about features that have already gone live. As Lifehacker reported a couple of weeks ago, custom Gemini Gems AI bots are now available to all users, with or without a Gemini Advanced subscription—so anyone can create a Gem specifically for travel advice (from popular spots to visit, to what to pack), Google suggests. Finally, Google again promotes the capabilities of Google Lens for your travels. In the Google app for Android and iOS, you're able to tap the Lens (camera) icon in the search box, snap a picture, and ask questions about what you're looking at—like "what is this used for?" or "what's the history of this place?" You then get AI-powered responses above regular search results. View the full article

While Prime Video hasn't released a full list of content coming to the platform in April, the streamer is dropping a handful of original series and films throughout the month. Étoile (April 24), a new series from the creator of Gilmore Girls and Prime Video's hit The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, is a drama/comedy about the competitive world of dance set in New York and Paris. The eight-episode show also stars The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel cast members Luke Kirby and Gideon Glick. Fans of horror and gore (and Kevin Bacon) may want to catch action series The Bondsman (April 3), in which Bacon plays a murdered bondsman who has been resurrected by the devil and sent on a mission to collect demons that have escaped from hell. Also in the action genre (and for fans of Die Hard) is new original film G20 (April 10), in which Viola Davis stars as the U.S. president trying to save the world when the G20 summit is taken over by terrorists. Prime Video's April lineup includes new seasons of two reality shows, starting with the second installment of America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation (April 1). The culinary competition hosted by Jeannie Mai and judge Dan Souza pits 11 aspiring cooks against each other for a spot on America's Test Kitchen. At the end of the month, fashion personalities Clinton Kelly and Stacy London—of What Not To Wear fame—will reunite for Wear Whatever The F You Want (April 29), a reimagining of their original style-makeover show. Here are all the originals coming to Prime Video in April. What’s coming to Prime Video in April 2025Available April 1America's Test Kitchen: The Next Generation Available April 3The Bondsman Available April 8Mobile Suit Gundam GQuuuuuuX Spy High Available April 10G20 Available April 13Godfather of Harlem Available April 17#1 Happy Family USA Leverage: Redemption (US + UK only) Available April 18LOL: Se Rir, Já Era! Available April 24Étoile Available April 29Wear Whatever The F You Want View the full article

On Friday, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar in the northern part of the country. Reuters reports the quake’s epicenter was about 17.2 km (about 10.6 miles) from Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city with a population of about 1.5 million people. The quake destroyed buildings, roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure in the country. So far, 1,700 people have been confirmed dead and 3,400 injured, but officials say the final death toll may pass 10,000. The quake also hit neighboring Thailand, bringing down a 33-story building with people inside. In Myanmar, the effects of the natural disaster are intensified due to the civil war the country has been engulfed in since 2021. As a result of the conflict, many of the country’s public services, infrastructure, and access to aid were already operating under reduced efficiency. Outside observers, including journalists, have also been limited, which now makes it hard to get a full sense of the true devastation in the Southeast Asian nation. How to donate to Myanmar’s earthquake victims There are ways people outside the country can help Myanmar earthquake victims. This comes via donating to various international relief organizations. Here are five agencies you can donate to right now to help the earthquake victims in Myanmar. Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières): The nongovernmental organization (NGO) provides doctors on the ground to help those who are injured. You can donate to Doctors Without Borders here. International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: The IFRC is accepting donations for Myanmar earthquake initiatives on its dedicated Myanmar earthquake portal. Donations will help the agency provide the urgent support that is needed on the ground. You can donate to the IFRC here. Project HOPE: The humanitarian organization is deploying staff in the region to help with supply chains and to get health professionals, medicines, and other medical supplies to the people who need it the most. You can donate to Project HOPE here. Save the Children: There are a large number of children in Myanmar who have been affected by the quake. The organization’s Save the Children’s Emergency Fund is designed to provide assistance, including shelter. You can donate to Save the Children here. UN Crisis Relief: Run by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN Crisis Relief collects donations to distribute to organizations working on the front lines of humanitarian crises. Donations will go to support lifesaving assistance for the victims of the quake. You can donate to UN Crisis Relief here. View the full article

The deal, expected to close by the end of 2025, will place Mr. Cooper CEO Jay Bray as president and CEO of Rocket Mortgage. View the full article

In the iOS 18.2 update, Apple gave users a dedicated Default Apps tab, finally letting us pick our own default apps for messages and calls. Unfortunately, not many apps have been updated to take advantage of this yet. I previously talked about DefaultSMS, which takes over the default messaging app and redirects it to WhatsApp, Signal, or Telegram, but at least one of those now has an official option that you can use instead. Yes, WhatsApp has finally been updated the to support the Default Apps feature. This means you can now make WhatsApp the default Calling and Messaging app on iPhone. But does this mean you can stop using the Phone app and Messaging app altogether? Not exactly. Think of it more like a shortcut. When applicable, you can use this feature to quickly call someone using WhatsApp Audio, or open up a text conversation in WhatsApp, directly from the Phone app or anywhere you see a phone number. How to make WhatsApp the default app for calls and messagesFirst, let's talk about how to make this happen. On your iPhone running the latest iOS 18 build, go to Settings > Apps > Default Apps. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Scroll to the Messaging and Calling sections. Here, choose WhatsApp as the default. How the iPhone's default calling and messaging app features workThe default feature doesn't mean that you can simply replace the Phone app and Messages app. When you get an incoming SMS or Apple iMessage, it will still show up in the Messages app. And when you get a phone call, you'll still see it in the Phone app. Credit: Khamosh Pathak In this context, "default app" means that when you tap the Message button or the Call button for a contact in your Phone app or Contacts app, it will now open a call or message with them via WhatsApp app directly. This essentially serves as a shortcut, rather than a full replacement for the apps that come with your phone. After you change your default calling or messaging app, when you open a contact card and tap the Call button or Message button for the first time, you'll get an overflow menu where WhatsApp will be the first and default option. You can pick another option to change your default if you like. From then on, tapping the Call button will directly call the contact using WhatsApp Audio (or whatever you changed your default to), unless you change your default again in your iPhone settings. From there, you're all set... mostly. If your contact doesn't have WhatsApp, WhatsApp will simply tell that they're not on WhatsApp, at which point you'll have to manually open the Phone or Messages app to reach out instead. View the full article

As small businesses grow their size, project management becomes an increasingly important part of the process. It’s easy to deviate from a standard process when there’s only one employee, or a small handful, but trying to herd a team of dozens or hundreds is impossible without tools to guide them along the same path. Good news: While product management software may seem like the domain of enterprise organizations, small businesses stand to benefit substantially from this offering. Use cases abound, starting with setting up a small business itself. New owners can leverage the software to track and comply with legal requirements, maintain visibility into tax preparation, and monitor marketing efforts. Freelancers and independent contractors benefit from the ability to manage personal deliverables and follow up on payments while simultaneously establishing a process for new work. And, as new employees become onboarded, a centralized knowledge-sharing database points them in the right direction. Here are a few ways small businesses can level up how they implement project management solutions, including the technology that can support these efforts: Centralized Ideation Without communication, businesses simply cannot grow. It’s essential that all employees remain on the same page to reduce the chances of doubling up on work or misquoting a price to a potential customer. Still, those early days are special because your employees are unfiltered and perhaps bolder and more willing to take risks. you’ll want to keep everything for posterity. Even if a company employs only a few employees, it must establish a space, accessible to everyone, where team members can brainstorm and share ideas. A shared document works, for a time, but even better results come from a more formalized online project forum. This format helps keep ideas from becoming muddled with one another and enables commenting on each part of an idea. Using a forum also ensures employees can’t accidentally delete text that someone else had written, and an archived forum can serve as a place to peruse old ideas for the purposes of inspiring new ones. Small businesses need to also consider how knowledge is going to be shared within their organization, particularly around onboarding. As the number of employees grows, so, too, will the level of difficulty in disseminating information from the top down, facilitating communication bottlenecks. Project management software often includes the ability to create a Wiki where this essential information can live. By centralizing this information, companies can send articles to clients, as well, to help with onboarding or troubleshooting, reducing the number of resources required for customer service. The presence of a Wiki can also send a strong message to new employees that a company is listening—that everyone’s input is important and can lead to lasting change. Robust R&D Tracking In a time when much data has become democratized, a robust focus on R&D is essential for any growing business that wants to maintain a competitive edge over its competitors. However, this process can feel especially nebulous for newer businesses who don’t employ a full-time R&D department and rely on its staff to innovate when operations are slow—which they rarely are. Robust R&D begins with an accurate understanding of how a business operates. For that, project management software may help accumulate the necessary data. Employees can start utilizing timesheets to determine where they spend the majority of their time and how some of that can be cordoned off for R&D efforts or reorganized to remove road blocks. In fact, some project management software packages come equipped with AI assistants that can assist with tracking and consolidating data, easing the burden on employees. Then, once enough information has been gathered, small businesses can begin setting milestones to break down R&D activities into manageable, bite-sized chunks to be assigned to the appropriate employees. It’s important these tasks include deadlines and deliverables, as well as ensuring they fit within a larger framework of how the company is hoping to evolve. By establishing limitations and accountability, employees will feel like they’re part of the process and will feel empowered to speak up when they encounter issues. For the sake of producing a high-quality product, it’s important for small businesses to maintain a spot where employees can log these issues, saving time tracking them down when teams are ready to perform triage. Production Processes It’s understandable if small businesses accumulate numerous ideas for growth without follow-through. Time is of the essence, and putting out fires will always take precedence over operating in the theoretical. Gantt Charts, available within project management software, can help. These tools help visualize production timelines so managers can track progress and adjust schedules as new information crops up so as not to derail or delay delivery. Once these charts are in place, managers can also receive visibility into resource use to make better use of available team members. For small businesses, this piece of the puzzle is essential; every minute counts when trying to maximize employees’ time. The above processes are meaningless if no one can monitor their success, which is where analytics play a huge part. Production metrics can be fed into an analytics program and measured against past performance and previously stated goals, keeping everyone on target and allowing stakeholders to operate knowing a project’s entire context. This guides improvements and establishes a precedent for data-driven decision-making that hopefully carries on throughout a company’s lifetime. Once again, software in modern product management suites folds many of these functions into a single package, unified within a company’s existing infrastructure, to keep the train running on time. Technology Toolkit Small businesses need to realize they’re not on their own. Owners aren’t the first to launch a company, and they certainly won’t be the last. It’s important to learn from those that came before and establish a foundation for what’s to come, and technology can aid with this effort. The last year has seen an explosion in software capabilities and a general increase in affordability and access across the board. The most successful small businesses are the ones taking full advantage of what’s on offer by managing the most important project: growing their company. This article, "How Small Businesses Can Manage Projects Intelligently for Sustained Growth" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

As small businesses grow their size, project management becomes an increasingly important part of the process. It’s easy to deviate from a standard process when there’s only one employee, or a small handful, but trying to herd a team of dozens or hundreds is impossible without tools to guide them along the same path. Good news: While product management software may seem like the domain of enterprise organizations, small businesses stand to benefit substantially from this offering. Use cases abound, starting with setting up a small business itself. New owners can leverage the software to track and comply with legal requirements, maintain visibility into tax preparation, and monitor marketing efforts. Freelancers and independent contractors benefit from the ability to manage personal deliverables and follow up on payments while simultaneously establishing a process for new work. And, as new employees become onboarded, a centralized knowledge-sharing database points them in the right direction. Here are a few ways small businesses can level up how they implement project management solutions, including the technology that can support these efforts: Centralized Ideation Without communication, businesses simply cannot grow. It’s essential that all employees remain on the same page to reduce the chances of doubling up on work or misquoting a price to a potential customer. Still, those early days are special because your employees are unfiltered and perhaps bolder and more willing to take risks. you’ll want to keep everything for posterity. Even if a company employs only a few employees, it must establish a space, accessible to everyone, where team members can brainstorm and share ideas. A shared document works, for a time, but even better results come from a more formalized online project forum. This format helps keep ideas from becoming muddled with one another and enables commenting on each part of an idea. Using a forum also ensures employees can’t accidentally delete text that someone else had written, and an archived forum can serve as a place to peruse old ideas for the purposes of inspiring new ones. Small businesses need to also consider how knowledge is going to be shared within their organization, particularly around onboarding. As the number of employees grows, so, too, will the level of difficulty in disseminating information from the top down, facilitating communication bottlenecks. Project management software often includes the ability to create a Wiki where this essential information can live. By centralizing this information, companies can send articles to clients, as well, to help with onboarding or troubleshooting, reducing the number of resources required for customer service. The presence of a Wiki can also send a strong message to new employees that a company is listening—that everyone’s input is important and can lead to lasting change. Robust R&D Tracking In a time when much data has become democratized, a robust focus on R&D is essential for any growing business that wants to maintain a competitive edge over its competitors. However, this process can feel especially nebulous for newer businesses who don’t employ a full-time R&D department and rely on its staff to innovate when operations are slow—which they rarely are. Robust R&D begins with an accurate understanding of how a business operates. For that, project management software may help accumulate the necessary data. Employees can start utilizing timesheets to determine where they spend the majority of their time and how some of that can be cordoned off for R&D efforts or reorganized to remove road blocks. In fact, some project management software packages come equipped with AI assistants that can assist with tracking and consolidating data, easing the burden on employees. Then, once enough information has been gathered, small businesses can begin setting milestones to break down R&D activities into manageable, bite-sized chunks to be assigned to the appropriate employees. It’s important these tasks include deadlines and deliverables, as well as ensuring they fit within a larger framework of how the company is hoping to evolve. By establishing limitations and accountability, employees will feel like they’re part of the process and will feel empowered to speak up when they encounter issues. For the sake of producing a high-quality product, it’s important for small businesses to maintain a spot where employees can log these issues, saving time tracking them down when teams are ready to perform triage. Production Processes It’s understandable if small businesses accumulate numerous ideas for growth without follow-through. Time is of the essence, and putting out fires will always take precedence over operating in the theoretical. Gantt Charts, available within project management software, can help. These tools help visualize production timelines so managers can track progress and adjust schedules as new information crops up so as not to derail or delay delivery. Once these charts are in place, managers can also receive visibility into resource use to make better use of available team members. For small businesses, this piece of the puzzle is essential; every minute counts when trying to maximize employees’ time. The above processes are meaningless if no one can monitor their success, which is where analytics play a huge part. Production metrics can be fed into an analytics program and measured against past performance and previously stated goals, keeping everyone on target and allowing stakeholders to operate knowing a project’s entire context. This guides improvements and establishes a precedent for data-driven decision-making that hopefully carries on throughout a company’s lifetime. Once again, software in modern product management suites folds many of these functions into a single package, unified within a company’s existing infrastructure, to keep the train running on time. Technology Toolkit Small businesses need to realize they’re not on their own. Owners aren’t the first to launch a company, and they certainly won’t be the last. It’s important to learn from those that came before and establish a foundation for what’s to come, and technology can aid with this effort. The last year has seen an explosion in software capabilities and a general increase in affordability and access across the board. The most successful small businesses are the ones taking full advantage of what’s on offer by managing the most important project: growing their company. This article, "How Small Businesses Can Manage Projects Intelligently for Sustained Growth" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. What exactly makes a movie a “classic” varies wildly and with the viewer, as does the appropriate timescale. For some, a movie from a decade ago might be eligible (I call these movie fans “children”). For others, you have to go back much further. Today, I’m going to do the latter, taking a look at some of the great (or, at least, greatly entertaining) movies that were released no later than the tail end of the 1970s. (Even if I find it personally distressing to label movies younger than I am “classics.”) Quibbling over semantics aside, these offerings prove how deeply rewarding it is to dig through the back catalog of motion picture history now and again. In the Heat of the Night (1967) Virgil Tibbs’ (Sidney Poitier) entry into Sparta, Mississippi, at the outset of this steamy, socially conscious cop thriller unfolds like a scene from a horror movie, making clear the peril of a Black man in a southern town after dark. That’s of course before the sheriff realizes that Mr. Tibbs is the only one who can solve a murder. Though its politics are dated, this Norman Jewison-directed Oscar winner remains a landmark film of the Civil Rights movement. You can stream In the Heat of the Night on Pluto TV and MGM+ or rent it from Prime Video. In the Heat of the Night (1967) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Rocky (1976) The long-running franchise has had its ups (the Creed films) and downs (that robot butler in Rocky IV), but the original remains one of the ultimate sports movies, with a ton of heart buoyed by characters who feel like real people. (It beat out Network and Taxi Driver for Best Picture and it’s hard to be mad about it.) You can stream Rocky on Pluto TV or rent it from Prime Video. Rocky (1976) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video All About Eve (1950) I’m not sure that Hollywood ever turned out a sharper, funnier script than this one. If Bette Davis had only done All About Eve, she’d still be a legend. Is it one of the best black-and-white movies ever made? Yes. You can rent All About Eve from Prime Video. All About Eve (1950) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Sounder (1972) Cicely Tyson and Paul Winfield are phenomenal in this drama about a family of deep South, Depression-era sharecroppers struggling to survive and to stay together. You can stream Sounder on Pluto TV, Prime Video, and Peacock. Sounder (1972) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Casablanca (1940) Everybody’s favorite golden-age Hollywood movie came by its reputation fairly: Bogart and Bergman have tremendous chemistry, and the film blends the doomed romance vibes with real suspense and a sense of humor that keeps the wartime atmosphere from getting too heavy. You can stream Casablanca on Max or rent it from Prime Video. Casablanca (1940) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Jeanne Dielman, 32 Quai des Commerce (1975) Recently named the best movie ever made in a stupidly controversial Sight & Sound critics’ poll, Chantal Ackerman’s three-hours-plus epic shows us three days in the life of a Brussels single mother. It’s gripping and tragic in its depiction of day-to-day drudgery, even as part-time sex worker Jeanne’s tricks turn out to be the least interesting parts of her day. You can stream Jeanne Dielman on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Jeanne Dielman, 32 Quai des Commerce (1975) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Black Girl (1966) The movie that brought international attention to sub-Saharan African cinema. Black Girl stars Mbissine Thérèse Diop as Diouana, who is isolated and treated as less than human by her French employers as she reflects on her earlier life in Senegal. You can stream Black Girl on Max, The Criterion Channel, and Prime Video. Black Girl (1966) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Metropolis (1927) Fritz Lang’s story of a future city starkly divided between the haves and the have-nots remains visually stunning, and its themes are no less relevant now than they were nearly a century ago. You can stream Metropolis on The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Pluto TV, and Kino or rent it from Prime Video. Metropolis (1927) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Only Angels Have Wings (1939) Snappy dialogue, interesting, believable characters, and women who are at least as cool and interesting as the men: This Howard Hawks’ romantic adventure is mostly about pilots just hanging out in a South American town, with every takeoff and landing a potential tragedy. You can rent Only Angels Have Wings from Prime Video. Only Angels Have Wings (1939) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The French Connection (1971) Maybe not Gene Hackman's best movie, but it's the one that made him a star, and it's not hard to see why. It's a tense, uncompromising crime drama about a troubled, borderline-dirty cop that nonetheless boasts thrilling action and one of the best car chases in movie history. You can stream The French Connection on Prime Video. The French Connection (1971) Learn More Learn More Some Like It Hot (1959) Two musicians get in drag in order to escape from mobsters in this classic Billy Wilder vehicle for Marilyn Monroe, at the peak of her powers here. Nobody’s perfect, but this movie is close. You can stream Some Like It Hot on The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, and MGM+ or rent it from Prime Video. Some Like It Hot (1959) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) A deliberately paced mind-bender, Stanley Kubrick and company take us from the origins of violence to a hypnotically engaging and highly detailed mid-century modern future where we come face to face with our own evolution. You can stream 2001 on Max or rent it from Prime Video. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) A very satisfying and thoroughly unpretentious crime thriller in which four men hijack a New York City subway train, demanding money in exchange for a release of their hostages and the car itself. The high tension and NYC setting are highlights, as is the cast: Walter Matthau as the lead police lieutenant is believably human while adding a touch of humor. Héctor Elizondo, Martin Balsam, Robert Shaw, Jerry Stiller, and Doris Roberts also put in solid performances. You can stream The Taking of Pelham One Two Three on MGM+ and Pluto TV or rent it from Prime Video. The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Last Picture Show (1971) Another flashback to a bygone era, this one set in a dying small town in Texas. One of the best movies of the 1970s, Peter Bogdanovich’s breakout is mercifully free of the rosy glow that the high-school films of the ‘70s leaned into. You can stream The Last Picture Show on The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. The Last Picture Show (1971) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Singin’ in the Rain (1952) A cinematic slice of pure joy, with a number of truly great musical numbers punctuated by some genuinely hilarious performances. For my money, the best musical of the era (and far weirder than you’re probably imagining). You can stream Singin' in the Rain on Max or rent it from Prime Video. Singin’ in the Rain (1952) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) A soaring, candy-colored musical about young lovers (Catherine Deneuve and Nino Castelnuovo) separated by circumstance in the titular city. Pretty much every word is sung. In French. Watch it anyway! You can stream The Umbrellas of Cherbourg on Max, The Criterion Channel, and Kanopy or rent it from Prime Video. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Stormy Weather (1943) There's not a ton of plot here, with the film serving instead as a showcase for the talents of some of the biggest Black talent in Hollywood of the era. And that's plenty. Starring Bill Robinson, better known as Mr. Bojangles, the movie is presented as a retrospective of his life, with Lena Horne offering up an indelible, thrilling performance of the title song. Cab Calloway and Fats Waller also appear and perform, as does Casablanca's Paul Dooley. You can rent Stormy Weather from Prime Video. Stormy Weather (1943) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Stagecoach (1939)Travelers on the titular stagecoach find their lives threatened by both vengeful criminals and Apache warriors while traveling from Tonto, Arizona Territory, to Lordsburg, New Mexico. In many ways the prototypical Western, the movie's well-drawn characters and unconventional sympathies (the sex worker here is the hero; the straight-laced banker is no good) make it a much-copied, but never replicated, genre standout. You can stream Stagecoach on Prime Video, Max, The Criterion Channel, and Pluto TV or rent it from Prime Video. Stagecoach (1939) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Sleeping Beauty (1959) A bomb upon its initial release, time has been very, very kind to this story of the somnolent princess and her wicked adversary, Maleficent. Its art style, inspired by Medieval tapestry work, is among Disney's most beautiful, bar none. You can stream Sleeping Beauty on Disney+ or rent it from Prime Video. Sleeping Beauty (1959) at Disney+ Learn More Learn More at Disney+ The Lady Vanishes (1938) A (relatively) early triumph for Hitchcock, the director assembles a memorable cast on a train from which sweet, kindly Miss Froy (Dame May Whitty) has, well, vanished. Only Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) seems to remember that Miss Froy even got on the train, leading to a brisk, clever, often quite funny, mystery. You can stream The Lady Vanishes on Max, The Criterion Channel, and Pluto TV or rent it from Prime Video. The Lady Vanishes (1938) Learn More Learn More The Muppet Movie (1979) Kermit and company set out on a road trip in this essential Muppets origin story (sort of, approximately) that kicks off with a heartwarming rendition of "Rainbow Connection" and then leads us on a journey across America to fame and fortune in Hollywood—not without some obstacles along the way. The songs are wildly memorable, and Jim Henson's trademark blend of heart and silliness (with an oddly believable tone) is well in place. The Muppets have never been (quite) done better. You can stream The Muppet Movie on Disney+ or rent it from Prime Video. The Muppet Movie (1979) at Disney+ Learn More Learn More at Disney+ Night Nurse (1931) A pre-code classic, Night Nurse stars the great Barbara Stanwyck as sexy trainee nurse Lora Hart, who uncovers a plot to kill some kids in order to get control of a trust fund. For all that drama, the movie is brisk and fun, and it's immensely satisfying to watch Lora come out swinging when her patients are in danger. You can stream Night Nurse on Max or rent it from Prime Video. Night Nurse (1931) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max 8½ (1963) If not Federico Fellini's finest, it's right up there. The very meta story involves a writer/director (played by Marcello Mastroianni) struggling with writer's block while trying to get his science fiction movie off the ground. Wildly visually inventive, it's a fabulous film about the art of moviemaking. You can stream 8 1/2 on Max, the Criterion Channel, and Kanopy, or rent it from Prime Video. 8½ (1963) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Godzilla (1954) There's plenty of city-stomping action in this, the original kaiju film, but also a poignance and deep resonance for Japan, a country then only just coming to grips with both nuclear horror and its own actions during World War II. As 2023's Godzilla Minus One reminded us, the monster was born out of real trauma. You can stream Godzilla on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Godzilla (1954) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) A noir essential with a classic setup (a disgraced cop enlists a couple of old associates to rob a bank) complicated by the skin color of the film's lead Johnny Ingram, played by Harry Belafonte. Noir characters are pretty much always doomed, but here it's not just that their plan is shoddy—it's that confidently racist Earl Slater (a believably seething Robert Ryan) is never going to be able to make it work. It all builds to an appropriately apocalyptic climax. You can stream Odds Against Tomorrow on Prime Video and The Roku Channel. Odds Against Tomorrow (1959) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Sunset Boulevard (1950) Gloria Swanson was just 50 when she was cast as the horrifyingly outdated silent-film star at the center of this very dark comedy/film noir. Doesn’t matter; she kills it. You can stream Sunset Boulevard on Kanopy or rent it from Prime Video. Sunset Boulevard (1950) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Sunrise (1927) With some of the most brilliant cinematography and camerawork of the silent era, F. W. Murnau tells a story of romance (and attempted murder) that feels epic, even with stakes that, ultimately, aren’t any bigger than the marriage between the film’s troubled couple. You can stream Sunrise on The Roku Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Sunrise (1927) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) Just an old-fashioned love story about the romance between a young engaged couple, a genderfluid scientist, and a jacked lab experiment. A cult classic now too famous to qualify as a cult classic, and for good reason. You can rent The Rocky Horror Picture Show from Prime Video. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Wizard of Oz (1939) A sweet-seeming Kansas girl heads off to the magical Land of Oz, announcing her arrival by murdering a lady and stealing her shoes. Only one thing to do at that point, really: take out her sister, as well. You can stream The Wizard of Oz on Max or rent it from Prime Video. The Wizard of Oz (1939) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Psycho (1960) Near the tail-end of his career, Alfred Hitchcock reinvented American horror cinema and introduced the definitive screen slasher: Norman Bates’ mother and best friend, Norma. You can rent Psycho from Prime Video. Psycho (1960) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video It Happened One Night (1934) Frank Capra’s risqué romantic comedy swept the Academy Awards in its year, with leads Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert making for a brilliant pairing in the movie that defined the rom-com, and remains among the best of the form. You can stream It Happened One Night on The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. It Happened One Night (1934) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Cooley High (1974) Cochise (Lawrence-Hilton Jacobs), a basketball star, and Preach (Glynn Turman), an aspiring playwright, plot to play hooky during their final weeks of senior year. Their plan leads to a series of adventures and misadventures that look very much like the stuff of a more typical teen comedy, before the comedy slowly gives way to more serious introspection. This movie had a profound influence on filmmakers from John Singleton to Spike Lee. You can stream Cooley High on The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, and Prime Video. Cooley High (1974) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) A postwar drama made right in the thick of things, exploring the high cost of World War II on returning soldiers. Sharp, well-observed performances from veterans like Myrna Loy and and Fredric March, as well as from newcomer Harold Russell, a then-recent veteran who won one of the film's many Oscars for his performance. A smart and impressively honest movie that must have taken a lot of courage to make. You can stream The Best Years of Our Lives on Prime Video, Kanopy, Pluto TV, and Peacock. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) at Peacock Learn More Learn More at Peacock Kwaidan (1964) This Japanese anthology of horror-tinged stories isn't necessarily terrifying, but it is one of the most stunningly beautiful, and sumptuously designed films that you're likely to find this side of Japanese folklore. A highly influential film, it kicks off with the story of a horribly wronged woman and her very long, very black hair. You can stream Kwaidan on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Kwaidan (1964) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) This historical drama brings Medieval Europe to stunning life with its depiction of Arthur, King of the Britons (Graham Chapman), scouring the English countryside in search of men brave enough to join his Knights of the Round Table, desperate to figure out if swallows can, indeed, carry coconuts. It’s all deeply serious. (Cough cough.) You can stream Monty Python and the Holy Grail on Prime Video, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, and Britbox. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Godfather (1972) It’s said by many that the second film is better—and they’re not wrong, though the first is a similarly brilliant piece of filmmaking, and absolutely the place to start when watching or rewatching Francis Ford Coppola’s saga. You can stream The Godfather on Paramount+ or rent it from Prime Video. The Godfather (1972) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+ M (1931) Peter Lorre is chilling as a murderer of children in Fritz Lang’s thriller. Aside from being a masterful film in its own right, M influenced every crime drama, serial killer film, and police procedural that’s come along since. You can stream M on Max, Kanopy, and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. M (1931) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Gilda (1946) One of the greatest and most entertaining noir films of its era also foregrounds one of the hottest bisexual love triangles you’re likely to find in film. You can rent Gilda from Prime Video. Gilda (1946) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Mildred Pierce (1945) Joan Crawford is at her very dramatic best in this story of a mother dealing with a hyper-entitled snotbag of a daughter. Joan and director Michael Curtiz take all of the great noir trappings of the era (including murder) and put a single mother at the center of them. Now central in her filmography, this was a comeback for Joan at the time, and proved that she could still pack cinemas as a middle-aged woman. You can stream Mildred Pierce on Max or rent it from Prime Video. Mildred Pierce (1945) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Superman (1978) In our highly dystopian present, every third movie is a superhero punch-'em-up. But not so in 1978, when Richard Donner directed the original (more or less) and best (more or less). Christopher Reeve remains a steadfast combination of believable sincerity and dorky charm, generating real chemistry with Margot Kidder's Lois Lane. You can stream Superman on Max or rent it from Prime Video. Superman (1978) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max The Seventh Seal (1957) Max von Sydow stars as a medieval knight in Ingmar Bergman's dark fantasy about finding human connection in the absence of faith. The film tells its story using some of the most indelible imagery in the history of cinema—anyone for a game of chess? With death? You can stream The Seventh Seal on Max, The Criterion Channel, and Kanopy. The Seventh Seal (1957) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Citizen Kane (1941) The pretentious film student's answer to the question: "What's the greatest film of all time?" is, as it happens, a genuinely great film. It's an appropriately dark and wildly innovative commentary on the corrupting powers of money and American-style capitalism. In those regards, it hasn't aged a day. You can rent Citizen Kane from Prime Video. Citizen Kane (1941) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Battleship Potemkin (1925) So rousing is Sergei Eisenstein's film, set during the early Russian Revolution of 1905, that you'll be cheering on the rebellion that lead to the birth of the Soviet Union (where this film was no less controversial than elsewhere). Among the movie's many brilliantly directed moments is the iconic Odessa Steps sequence, which has been referenced by everyone from Laurel and Hardy to Denis Villeneuve. You can stream Battleship Potemkin on Max, The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Kino, and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Battleship Potemkin (1925) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) This all-star road race film is goofy, sure, but it's also got a mean streak a mile wide—and I absolutely mean that as a compliment. The cast all compete to make it across the state of California to collect a chunk of money that they've learned is buried in a state park. It's cute watching Milton Berle, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, Jonathan Winters, Eddie Anderson, Sid Caesar and others team up to get the money—but it's even better when they fall out and start fighting tooth and nail, all alongside crooked cop Spencer Tracy. You can stream It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World on Prime Video, Kanopy, and Pluto TV. It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) The all-star cast can be a little distracting, but Stanley Kramer’s courtroom drama remains powerful and depressingly relevant in its depiction of normal, everyday people driven to commit atrocities with only minimal encouragement. You can stream Judgment at Nuremberg on MGM+ and Pluto TV or rent it from Apple TV. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) at Apple TV Learn More Learn More at Apple TV Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953) The first in a series of charming, and increasingly inventive comedies from the great director (and star) Jacques Tati. M. Hulot feels like a silent film character in a world of sound, and, indeed, the focus here is less on dialogue than in the inadvertent ways in which our hero brings absolute chaos wherever he goes. There's a method to the comedy, as well, Tati finding satisfaction in seeing the thin veneers of the comfortable, snobby, rich vacationers worn away. You can stream M. Hulot's Holiday on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Carnival of Souls (1962) This deeply haunting, low-budget independent beat George Romero's Night of the Living Dead to the punch by around five years, following a young woman (Candace Hilligoss) through a dark night of her own. Thoroughly eerie, it's a movie that stays with you, like it or not. You can stream Carnival of Souls on Max, The Roku Channel, AMC+, MGM+, The Criterion Channel, Kanopy, Shudder, and Pluto TV or rent it from Prime Video. Carnival of Souls (1962) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max The Sound of Music (1965) The hills are alive, etc., as a charmingly goofy nun-in-training gets a job at the home of an Austrian aristocrat. What starts out as a very hummable sing-a-long takes a dark turn as the shadow of Nazi Germany comes to loom. That genuine threat elevates Julie Andrews' breakout into something as meaningful as it is fun. You can stream The Sound of Music on Disney+ and Hulu or rent it from Prime Video. The Sound of Music (1965) at Disney+ Learn More Learn More at Disney+ Pather Panchali (1955) India’s answer to the French New Wave, Satyajit Ray’s gorgeous but down-to-earth drama finds universal truths in the fraught relationships between desperately poor Apu, his sister Durga, and their mother, Sarbajaya. (The subsequent two films in what would eventually become known as the Apu Trilogy are just as great.) You can stream Pather Panchali on Max, The Criterion Collection, and Kanopy or rent it from Prime Video. Pather Panchali (1955) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Sherlock Jr. (1924) The General is often seen as Buster Keaton’s masterpiece, but I prefer Sherlock Jr., in which a normal schlub finds himself, literally, drawn into the movies. It’s an acrobatic and often hilarious journey into film history. You can stream Sherlock Jr. on The Criterion Channel, Kanopy, and Kino or rent it from Prime Video. Sherlock Jr. (1924) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Funny Girl (1968) Barbra Streisand broke through in a big way in this funny (naturally), moving, and ultimately epic story about the rise of real-life comedian Fanny Brice and her troubled romance with Nicky Arnstein (Omar Sharif). It’s like buttah. You can stream Funny Girl on Prime Video. Funny Girl (1968) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video His Girl Friday (1940) One of the films that defined the sharp, fast-talking screwball comedy genre, with Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant as an ex-married newshound couple trying to uncover the truth behind the story of a convicted murderer. You can stream His Girl Friday on Prime Video, MGM+, The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Pluto TV, and Shout Factory TV. His Girl Friday (1940) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Bride of Frankenstein (1935) On the eve of his wedding, Dr. Frankenstein finds himself drawn into temptation when his old mentor shows up in town. The two run off together with every intention of giving birth to new life. You can rent Bride of Frankenstein from Prime Video. Bride of Frankenstein (1935) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Modern Times (1936) Ever feel like you’re just a cog in the capitalist machinery of life? Charlie Chaplin’s masterpiece is the perfect movie for anyone who’s ever been stuck in a rut at work. You can stream Modern Times on Prime Video, Max, The Criterion Channel, and Kanopy. Modern Times (1936) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Rashomon (1950) Akira Kurosawa’s samurai tale is not only wildly influential, it’s also film’s definitive statement on the unreliability of memory and the ease with which we spin stories for our own benefit. A warrior’s murder is recounted by a series of characters, each with a similar tale, but with details that vary in crucial ways. You can stream Rashomon on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Rashomon (1950) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Jaws (1975) Steven Spielberg created the thrilling, harrowing summer blockbuster to beat them all way back in 1975, shaping the cinematic landscape we’re still living in, for better or worse. You can rent Jaws from Prime Video. Jaws (1975) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video High Noon (1952) It’s hard to believe, all these decades later, that this simple story of a sheriff abandoned by a terrified town was one of the most controversial films of its era. There’s a lot going on here just under the surface, including a strong defiance of the Red Scare and its accompanying Hollywood blacklist. You can rent High Noon from Prime Video. High Noon (1952) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Carrie (1976) One of Stephen King’s earliest works translates into this memorably bloody coming-of-age story about a shy young woman (Sissy Spacek) with growing telekenetic powers, caught between her controlling mother at home and her cruel classmates at school. You can stream Carrie on MGM+ and Max or rent it from Prime Video. Carrie (1976) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max The Night of the Hunter (1955) Actor Charles Laughton's sole directorial effort is a wildly impressive one, with serial-killing preacher Harry Powell (Robert Mitchum) charming and then terrorizing a rural West Virginia family during the Great Depression. Audiences at the time found it impossibly weird and arty, and often weren't thrilled with Laughton's take on religious hypocrisy. Time has revealed it as a taut, idiosyncratic masterpiece. You can stream Night of the Hunter on Pluto TV and Prime Video. The Night of the Hunter (1955) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video A Raisin in the Sun (1961) Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, Claudia McNeil, Diana Sands, Roy Glenn, and Louis Gossett Jr. star in this family drama about a Black family about to come into a small windfall, and the intergenerational conflict and trauma that impacts the ways in which family members want to spend it, and even their their definitions of a better life. You can rent A Raisin in the Sun from Prime Video. A Raisin in the Sun (1961) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video View the full article

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