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Verizon Business has introduced Verizon Business Assistant, a generative AI-powered text messaging solution designed to help small businesses automate customer interactions. This tool provides instant responses to frequently asked questions, learns from interactions, and connects customers to live employees when needed. AI-Powered Customer Support Verizon Business Assistant enables small businesses to enhance customer engagement by automating responses via text messaging 24/7. According to Verizon Business, this tool helps businesses save time, serve more customers efficiently, and gain valuable insights into customer needs and preferences. “Small business owners are constantly juggling multiple responsibilities, and want to use technology to improve operations and better connect with their customers,” said Iris Meijer, Chief Product & Marketing Officer, Verizon Business. “Yet access to that technology and AI tools that work for small businesses can be a challenge, which is where we want to help champion them. Verizon Business Assistant is one example of a solution we’re rolling out to support small business owners. It also addresses an increasing customer demand – particularly from younger generations – for easy digital tools to communicate with businesses on simple matters. This allows small business owners to focus on growing their business while ensuring their customers feel valued and connected to the business.” Key Features and Benefits Verizon Business highlights several features of the AI-powered assistant, including: Automated Responses: Provides immediate answers to customer inquiries, reducing the need for manual responses. Live Team Member Handoff: Transfers complex inquiries to a live employee when necessary. Continuous Learning: Builds a knowledge base over time to improve response accuracy. Text Messaging (SMS/MMS): Uses a familiar communication channel to enhance customer engagement. Insights Dashboard: Provides business owners with data on customer interactions and trends. Easy Setup and Customization: Integrates with existing Verizon mobile devices without requiring additional hardware or software. Business owners can customize responses and training to fit their specific needs. Enhancing Small Business Operations Verizon Business notes that the launch of Business Assistant comes as small businesses seek technology solutions to streamline operations and better serve customers. The company references findings from its fifth Annual State of Small Business Report, which indicates that small business owners are increasingly looking for ways to improve efficiency and connect with customers through digital tools. With Verizon Business Assistant, small businesses now have access to AI technology typically leveraged by larger enterprises. By automating routine interactions, the solution allows business owners and employees to focus on higher-value tasks while ensuring customers receive prompt and accurate responses. Verizon Business Assistant is now available and easily deployable for small business owners looking to enhance customer service through AI-driven automation. This article, "Verizon Business Launches GenAI Assistant for Small Businesses" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

UK, France, Germany and Nordics among countries engaged in informal discussions over a managed transferView the full article

Max's April slate includes anticipated new seasons of several original series. First up is the fourth installment of Max Original comedy Hacks starring Jean Smart as an aging comedian and Hannah Einbinder as her young writer trying to get their late night show up and running. Two episodes will premiere on April 10, with additional episodes dropping weekly until the season finale on May 29. Next is the sophomore season of HBO Original post-apocalyptic drama The Last of Us (April 13), based on the video game franchise of the same name. This season picks up five years after the events of the season one—Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey will return as Joel and Ellie, with Kaitlyn Dever appearing as Abby. New episodes of the Primetime Emmy-winning show will be released weekly, also streaming in American Sign Language (ASL). On the film side, Max will be streaming A24's Y2K (April 4), a disaster comedy set on New Year's Eve 1999, and Babygirl (April 25), the thriller starring Nicole Kidman as a CEO having an affair with her intern (played by Harris Dickinson). Max subscribers will also get a variety of live sports, including NHL and NBA regular season and playoff games as well as early season MLB matchups. Here's everything else coming to Max in April. What’s coming to Max in April 2025Available April 1A Kind of Murder (2016) A Stolen Life (1946) Aftersun (2022) All I See Is You (2017) Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (2011) April in Paris (1952) Bad Santa (2003) Bad Santa 2 (2016) Black Death (2010) Brittany Murphy: An ID Mystery (ID) Chopped After Hours, Seasons 1-3 (Food Network) Chopped Junior, Food Network, Seasons 6 & 7 (Food Network) Chopped Next Gen, Season 1 (Food Network) Deception (1946) Doubling Down with the Derricos, Seasons 1-3 (TLC) Drinking Buddies (2013) Edge of the City (1957) Expedition Unknown, Season 1 (Discovery) Friday (1995) Friday After Next (2002) Gold Rush: Parker’s Trail, Season 2 (Discovery) House Hunters Ho Ho Home, Season 1 (HGTV) House Hunters Renovation, Season 10 (HGTV) I'll See You in My Dreams (1952) In This Our Life (1942) It's Love I'm After (1937) Jezebel (1938) Jimmy the Gent (1934) Juarez (1939) June Bride (1948) Kid Galahad (1937) Land of the Lost (2009) Little Men (2016) Logan (2017) Lucky Me (1954) Lullaby of Broadway (1951) Marked Woman (1937) Moonshiners: American Spirit (Discovery) Moonshiners: Master Distiller, Season 3 (Discovery) Moonshiners: Whiskey Business, Season 1 (Discovery) Mr. Nobody (2011) Mr. Nobody: Extended Director's Cut (2011) Mr. Skeffington (1944) My Big Fat Fabulous Life, Seasons 6 - 9 (TLC) My Dream is Yours (1949) My Golden Days (2016) Naked and Afraid, Season 14 (Discovery) Next Friday (2000) Nobody Walks (2012) Now, Voyager (1942) Old Acquaintance (1943) On Moonlight Bay (1951) Panama Hattie (1942) Parachute Jumper (1933) Payment on Demand (1951) Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) Romance on the High Seas (1948) Satan Met a Lady (1936) Severance (2007) Sixteen Candles (1984) Special Agent (1935) Stampede (1949) Station West (1948) Storm Warning (1951) Suspicion (1941) Tea for Two (1950) That Certain Woman (1937) The Biggest Little Farm (2019) The Double (2014) The Old Maid (1939) The Prince (2014) The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) The Star (1952) The Terminator (1984) The Tree of Life (2011) The West Point Story (1950) The Wild North (1952) The Working Man (1933) Three on a Match (1932) Winter Meeting (1948) Young Man with a Horn (1950) Available April 2Bateau Mouche: Sinking Justice, Season 1 (discovery+) Ride of Your Life with Courtney Hansen, Season 2 (discovery+) Available April 3Fix My Frankenhouse, Season 2 (HGTV) HOP, Season 1C (Max Original) Available April 4Y2K (A24) Available April 5HGTV Smart Home 2025 (HGTV) Available April 6Iyanu, Season 1A (Cartoon Network) Lazarus, Season 1 (Adult Swim) Available April 72073 (2024) Barney's World, Season 1C Available April 890 Day Diaries, Season 6 (TLC) Available April 9All Access PD: Grand Rapids, Season 1 (ID) Available April 10Gremlins: The Wild Batch, Season 2B (Max Original) Hacks, Season 4 (Max Original) Available April 13The Last of Us, Season 2 (HBO Original) Available April 15Rock The Block, Season 6 (HGTV) Available April 16100 Day Dream Home, Season 6 (HGTV) Fist Fight (2017) Available April 17Cookie Monster's Bake Sale: Block Party (Max Original) Ghost Adventures, Season 29 (Discovery) Available April 18Lu & The Bally Bunch, Season 1B (Cartoon Network) Available April 19Bugs Bunny Builders, Season 2D (Cartoon Network) Impractical Jokers, Season 11B (truTV) Outback Opal Hunters, Season 7 (Discovery) Sal Vulcano: Terrified Available April 20The Rehearsal, Season 2 (HBO Original) Available April 21Yellowstone Wardens, Season 6 (Animal Planet) Available April 22Love It or List It, Season 20 (HGTV) Planet Earth III, Season 3 (discovery +) Available April 24Life of the Party (2018) Available April 25Babygirl (A24) Available April 2824 in 24: Last Chef Standing, Season 2 (Food Network) Evil Lives Here: The Killer Speaks, Season 2 (ID) Filthy Fortunes, Season 1 (Discovery) Available April 29Contraband: Seized at the Border, Season 6 (Discovery) Available April 30Castle Impossible, Season 1 (HGTV) Polyfamily, Season 1 (TLC) Twitter: Breaking the Bird, Season 1 (CNN) View the full article

Kind Lending has big plans to grow its retail channel and is signaling this by putting industry veteran Tammy Richards in charge of the operations. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Welcome to “Cookbook of the Week.” This is a series where I highlight cookbooks that are unique, easy to use, or just special to me. While finding a particular recipe online serves a quick purpose, flipping through a truly excellent cookbook has a magic all its own. I love cookbooks that combine comfort food with a smattering of unfamiliar recipes that make me think, “Ooh, I wonder what that's like.” This mingling of brand-new dishes with ones that stir a bit of nostalgia is usually a hit for me. This week, I chose Salt, Sugar, MSG to feature for my cookbook of the week. Not only does it tick those boxes above for this Asian-American kid, but this book is also a reliable resource for those dinners when you're in the mood for a little bit of everything. About the bookSalt, Sugar, MSG is hot off the presses—it was published on March 18—and comes from chef Calvin Eng along with Phoebe Melnick. It may be Eng’s cookbook debut, but if you’ve ever tried his food at Win Son or Bonnie’s, you know that he is no flash-in-the-pan recipe developer. He’s been charming New Yorkers with interesting and bold flavors for some time—and there are many great examples of exactly that in Salt, Sugar, MSG. As you might guess from the title, this cookbook is not MSG-free. Quite the opposite actually: You’ll find MSG popping up here, there, and in unexpected places—kind of like how MSG and other glutamates naturally pop up in a lot of our food. Eng uses MSG like any other seasoning in this cookbook, because that’s exactly what it is: A cheap, easy, and harmless solution to boosting umami in your dishes, like Fuyu Cacio e Pepe Mein and MSG Caramel. Not only does the actual food benefit from the addition of monosodium glutamate, but I appreciate him using MSG in the title. It normalizes an ingredient and an entire community that once heavily suffered from the complete bullshit toxic myth of “Chinese restaurant syndrome.” Chef Eng has even teamed up with Ajinomoto to help dispel the myths surrounding MSG. If you’re just stretching your MSG wings, this cookbook offers plenty of opportunities for you to start getting your reps in. A great cookbook for mix-and-match pairingsThroughout the book, in the headnotes and in chapter introductions, you’ll read anecdotes from Calvin Eng’s childhood and his current shopping habits in Chinatown. His stories about the smell of warm soy milk and shopping for vegetables reminded me of grocery shopping with my mom at our local Asian market in New Jersey. One of my favorite parts of that shopping trip was (and still is) the fresh bakery section. Everything in that area of the store had been freshly made that morning, and we’d pick up a little bit of everything. We’d grab congee, pork buns, soy milk, hot noodle dishes, vegetable stir fries, and armfuls of scallion pork floss buns. At home, my mom would unpack everything and we’d all snack and basically chow down on this kitchen table banquet. Salt, Sugar, MSG welcomes this mix-and-match style of eating. Many of the dishes in this book are satisfying as single snacks or parts of a greater meal. Somehow, they all seem like they’d pair well with each other. If you picked three recipes out of this book blindfolded, you’d likely have a well matched meal. To test that theory, I just did exactly that and here’s the menu I came up with: the Lemon Cola Chicken Wings, Perfect Pot of Steamed Rice, and Shrimp and Pork Wonton Soup. See? You need some vegetables? Same technique in the vegetable chapter—Hot Salad (romaine lettuce with a sweet and salty soy sauce dressing). Done. While other cookbooks might give you a single recipe that includes the meat, veg, and carbs all together, Salt, Sugar, MSG gives you space to formulate the perfect meal for what you’re craving. This style of eating reflects how you might order at a dim sum restaurant or banquet hall—a plate of greens, a dish of steamed prawns or roast pork, steamed egg custard, and some rice. It’s actually a great cookbook for small appetites (just make a few plates for snacking) as well as for big family meals. The dish I made this week Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann I did my own version of mix and match for lunch this week with the Piggies in Scallion Milk Bread Blankets and Yeun Yeung (milk tea with coffee). I don’t much care for the average American hot dog on a bun, but dammit, if you change that bun to milk bread and add scallions, it’s a whole different ball game for me. The milk tea recipe, as simple as it is, was the first thing I decided on. It asks for orange pekoe tea, so I grabbed the Twinings Ceylon at my Shoprite and set up my boiling water, evaporated milk, and condensed milk. I was a little nervous that it would be too sweet (sometimes Thai iced tea overwhelms me) but it was perfectly creamy and sweet with a welcome bitter edge. I saved the rest for the morning so I could make the Bonus Recipe Yuen Yeung, which is just the addition of black coffee. The piggies were fantastic. I should have made all 12 like the recipe told me, but I turned the other half of the bread dough into a large milk bread loaf. (I was such a fool.) The milk bread recipe starts with a simple tangzhong (roux) which helps keep the bread dough soft and spongy. The sugar, egg, and butter enrich the dough and give the finished bun that perfect balance of richness along with the salt and umami from the hot dogs. Scallion hot dog buns and milk tea coffee—my new favorite lunch. Where to buy itSalt, Sugar, MSG is available as a hardcover, or as an e-book for a reasonable price. Since it’s brand new, you will definitely be seeing this one at the big box book shops and likely even at the local independent bookstores. Even if you don’t see it on their shelves, ask to see if they can order it to their location. Salt Sugar MSG: Recipes and Stories from a Cantonese American Home $14.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $14.99 at Amazon View the full article

At NVIDIA’s developer conference on Thursday, a large group of energy companies—along with a few technology companies—announced plans to collaborate on building AI models and apps aimed at improving the generation and distribution of electric power. The initiative, called the Open Power AI Consortium, is organized by the Palo Alto-based Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Founding members include Nvidia, Microsoft, AWS, and Oracle. Notably absent from the group are all of the leading developers of frontier AI models such as Anthropic, Google, or OpenAI. “This is about getting the right data, and getting it clean, so that it can be used for AI,” Jeremy Renshaw, who leads the consortium at EPRI, tells Fast Company. Renshaw says energy companies have mountains of data, but organizing it in a way that AI models can process is key. But already, over two dozen regional power companies in the U.S. have signed on, including Con Edison, Duke Energy, New York Power Authority, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Southern California Edison, Tennessee Valley Authority, and Westinghouse Electric Company. EPRI President and CEO Arshad Mansoor said in a statement that the consortium will create an AI model, datasets, and apps to “enhance grid reliability, optimize asset performance, and enable more efficient energy management.” It will also foster a collaborative environment where utilities, startups, academics, and national labs can work together to address power sector challenges using AI. The consortium doesn’t include representatives from government agencies, but Renshaw said he’d like to see their inclusion. “We intend to include anyone involved in the making and moving of electricity,” he says. “Government is important because they do the permitting, licensing, and they provide regulations.” The announcement comes amid growing concern in the tech sector over the strain that AI workloads can place on data centers. (Google even pledged last year to buy energy from small modular reactors developed by Kairos Power to support its growing AI ambitions.) Axios climate reporter Alex Freedman notes that the power demands of the so-called AI boom have become a top priority for energy company CEOs in the U.S. Freedman highlights an ongoing debate within that sector over whether the power demands of AI will prolong the use of fossil fuels. Should that prove to be the case, AI could further push back constructive work toward climate goals. View the full article

It’s World Happiness Day, otherwise known as International Day of Happiness, but if you’re not feeling the love, you’re not alone. Many Americans aren’t that happy, according to the World Happiness Report 2025, which ranks happiness across nations. In fact, America doesn’t even make the top 10 or top 20 happiest countries in the world, and instead now sits at No. 24—earning its lowest ranking yet. (Spoiler alert: Finland once again is the happiest.) The report, which asked people from 140 countries to evaluate their life, looked at six major factors to predict happiness: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom, generosity, and perceptions of corruption. Each person ranked their own happiness over the last three years from 2022 to 2024. While all those factors are important, the key to happiness is often attributed to Harvard University’s landmark 85-year Study of Adult Development, which discovered that close relationships are the strongest predictor of happiness throughout our lives. The young and the hopeless Perhaps one reason for America’s plummeting levels of happiness can be understood through the eyes of Gen Z, who are currently experiencing an epidemic of loneliness and isolation (as are many Americans, but not to the same extent). The report found young people worldwide were increasingly lonely, with 19% reporting in 2023 that they have no one to count on for social support, a 39% increase from 2006. “The decline in the U.S. in 2024 was at least partly attributable to Americans younger than age 30 feeling worse about their lives,” Ilana Ron-Levey, managing director at Gallup, part of the World Happiness Report 2025, told CNN. “Today’s young people report feeling less supported by friends and family, less free to make life choices and less optimistic about their living standards.” It also found that in the United States and parts of Europe, lower levels of both happiness and trust have greatly contributed to more polarization along political lines. The silver lining? One positive finding was that people often underestimate other people’s kindness; that is to say, people are often kinder than we think, and doing nice things for others, actually makes you happier. What are the world’s happiness countries? Here are the world’s 20 happiest countries in 2025. Finland Denmark Iceland Sweden Netherlands Costa Rica Norway Israel Luxembourg Mexico Australia New Zealand Switzerland Belgium Ireland Lithuania Austria Canada Slovenia Czech Republic The five countries where people were most unhappy? Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, Malawi, Zimbabwe, in that order. The report is the result of a partnership between Gallup, the Oxford Wellbeing Research Centre, the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network, and an editorial board. View the full article

Under cover of night, a group of TikTokers known as the Cybertruck Hunters roam the streets, hunting Tesla Cybertrucks in the wild. When they spot one, they pull up behind it and project anti-Elon Musk and anti-Cybertruck messages directly onto its tailgate. The unsuspecting driver? Completely oblivious. The Cybertruck Hunters account popped up on TikTok just a month ago, but it’s already gone viral with a string of slick videos showing their antics. In some clips, they’re seen chasing down Cybertrucks in a black Lamborghini Aventador, the driver masked as Jack Skellington (the protagonist in The Nightmare Before Christmas). Turns out, the Cybertruck’s stainless-steel tailgate is an ideal projection screen. The messages appear razor-sharp—almost like the truck is broadcasting them itself. “Me just now realizing you are projecting this onto a stranger’s truck from behind,” one viewer commented. The messages? Anything but subtle. “Musk, this truck really is like you…tons of hype,” one reads. “Don’t think of this as a truck…think of it as a small penis enlarger,” says another. Naturally, the videos have sparked plenty of reactions, with one video racking up some five million views. “The word I’m looking for is HERO,” one commenter wrote. “I love people who have extra time. The pettiness is top tier,” added another. Unfortunately for Cybertruck owners, the public trolling isn’t their only problem. Tesla is recalling 46,096 Cybertrucks in the U.S.—essentially every unit built before February—due to an exterior panel that can detach while driving. While Tesla hasn’t released official Cybertruck delivery figures, analysts say the recall likely affects most of the trucks currently on the road. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the stainless-steel trim poses a potential road hazard. Tesla will replace the faulty panel at no cost, but it won’t protect owners from the glowing taunts of the Cybertruck Hunters. View the full article

If you’ve been on Google or virtually any social media website over the last few days, you might have seen stories about Amazon layoffs making the rounds. And if you were curious enough to click through to any of those stories, you might have discovered that Amazon is supposedly planning to lay off 14,000 managers by the end of this quarter—a stunning figure, even for a company as big as Amazon. But that figure is untrue. Not only that, it seems to have been essentially conjured up out of nowhere, before being picked up by a stream of headlines on Google News, viral Reddit threads, and would-be LinkedIn influencers dissecting it as if it were fact. In reality, what’s happening is less a story about an e-commerce giant flattening its management structure, and more a cautionary tale about how quickly and indiscriminately false news can spread in our current media environment. What did Amazon announce? The first thing to know is that Amazon did not announce 14,000 layoffs, nor did it say it wanted to trim its manager ranks by that number. “This claim is false and based on inaccurate assumptions,” Amazon spokesman Brad Glasser told Fast Company. “In September 2024, we shared with employees that we set a goal to increase the ratio of individual contributors to managers by 15% across our organizations because it was the right time to bring us closer to customers and reinforce our culture of ownership. There are a number of ways to achieve that increase without eliminating roles. We’ve now reached that goal, which we believe will allow our teams to move even faster as they innovate for customers.” The contributor-to-manager plan referenced in Glasser’s statement was no secret. It was the subject of a memo from CEO Andy Jassy, which was shared publicly on Amazon’s website months ago. In it, Jassy said the plan would “remove layers and flatten organizations more than they are today.” Although that definitely sounds like Amazon was looking to have fewer managers, nowhere does Jassy say anything about 14,000 managers. And yet that figure was reported by a large number of online news outlets—many apparently based in India—just this week. So frequent were these reports that “Amazon layoffs” became a top trending search on Google. [Screenshot: via Google] Most of these stories contained vague references to sources, or no sources at all, with some simply attributing the news to “media reports.” At the same time, many of these outlets were indexed by Google News, giving them an air of legitimacy. And so if you were to scan headlines after searching for “Amazon layoffs” on Google, you could easily come away with the idea that Amazon is laying off managers by the thousands. We’ve reached out to Google for comment about whether any of these stories violate its content guidelines for Google News. [Screenshot: via Google] Where did the 14,000 figure come from? A reverse-chronological search of recent Amazon-related headlines reveals that at least one of the earlier stories cited Business Insider as the original source of the 14,000 figure, but Business Insider never reported that. In October, BI did report on a Morgan Stanley note in which the investment bank estimated that Amazon could save as much as $3.6 billion if it eliminated roughly 13,834 manager roles. BI’s headline rounded that estimate up to 14,000, but again, the story was not about layoffs that actually happened. It was about a speculative analysis for investors performed by a third-party company. What could likely have happened is that another news outlet misinterpreted the number, applied it to actual layoffs, and ran with it. It’s unclear which outlet was the first to do this, although India’s Financial Express website appears to have published one of the earliest stories. Its article, published on Tuesday, does not include any linked sources or even a byline. (We’ve reached out to the Financial Express to clarify the sourcing for the article.) Over the next few days, other outlets followed with their own version of the Amazon layoffs story. Those stories begot more stories, all citing each other or merely reporting the figure as fact. Cue the social media influencers, who presumably saw those headlines and used them as an opportunity to snag some engagement by weighing into Amazon’s strategy. Why is this happening and why should anyone care? Figuring out what’s real and what’s fake in our current information environment is difficult enough, but social media algorithms, incentives for engagement and clicks, and a lack of quality control on the part of large platforms are all making the situation worse. It’s not a new problem. Last year, we wrote about how a string of bogus stories about $12,000 stimulus checks from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) trended on Google for several days, driven largely by websites that had repurposed old URLs. But these phenomena are not victimless. False news can create real-life harms, whether it’s raising hopes among low-income Americans that a giant stimulus check is on the way to help them pay their bills, or creating unnecessary anxiety for people who happen to work as managers at one of the biggest companies in the world. View the full article

Pay is out of line with the state of the economy, puzzling analysts and worrying the BoEView the full article

Pressure mounts on President Claudia Sheinbaum after remains, clothing and apparent crematorium were found at ranch View the full article

More than a quarter of factory’s workforce call for more breaks and workers and an end to management harassmentView the full article

Usually you can blame a low-quality video stream on a bandwidth slowdown or a poor internet connection—sites like YouTube will adjust a video's resolution accordingly, so instead of a crisp HD or 4K stream, you end up with a blurry, pixelated mess. You can manually adjust the resolution to make it look better, but you'll probably run into buffering issues, since your internet can't keep up. Recently, however, something else is happening to cause YouTube video quality to tank. Users are reporting that when they start a video—whether it be a YouTube Short or a standard clip—the stream will load in very poor quality, anything from 360p all the way down to 144p. While some are able to manually adjust the stream to a higher resolution (like 1080p), others find that doing so just results in endless buffering. For many right now, it's blurry videos or nothing. This isn't isolated to a specific browser or platform, either: Users on iOS, desktop, and smart TVs have all reported experiencing the same strange quality issues. It's possible that a fraction of these users have slow internet connections, but it's virtually impossible to conclude that all of them do. In fact, there are many complaints that, despite a fast connection that powers other internet activities without issue, YouTube insists on playing videos back at an unwatchable resolution. Luckily, YouTube itself is very much aware of what's happening. In a post to its support page published on Wednesday, the company identified the problem (144p or 360p defaults that buffer endlessly when changed), specified that it is indeed affecting iOS, desktop, and smart TVs, and shared that it is working on a solution. You'll notice that there's one platform that isn't affected by these issues: Android. As of this writing, it does seem that Android phones and tablets are unaffected by these recent quality issues. It's not clear why, beyond the fact that YouTube and Android are both operated by the same company (Google), which doesn't really explain what's going on here. Is there any way to fix the YouTube streaming quality problem?At this time, there really isn't much you can do but wait for YouTube to fix the problem. You can, of course, attempt to change a video's resolution manually from the settings gear under Quality, but you may find you're stuck with blurry playback, or run into the endless buffering issue. It seems silly, but at the moment, the only real workaround is to watch YouTube on Android if possible. If you have an Android phone or tablet, use that for your YouTube needs over an iPhone, iPad, desktop computer, or smart TV. The rest of us will have to hope YouTube issues a quick fix. View the full article

The US president has to understand that economic warfare will hit his own people in their pocketbooksView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. You can add Walmart to the list of retail behemoths hosting spring-time sales, joining the likes of Amazon, Target, and Best Buy, who each have similar sales around the same time. Here is everything you need to know about Walmart's upcoming Super Savings Week sale. When is Walmart's Super Savings Week?Walmart will run its spring sale for a full week from March 25 to March 31. Do you need to be a member to shop for Walmart's Super Savings Week?Walmart has a Walmart+ membership that goes $12.95 per month or $98 per year (you can always get a free 30-day trial), but Walmart hasn't yet said if its sale is exclusively for members or not. Based on its previous sales though, you likely won't need to be, but members will likely get a head start on deals. What can you expect during Walmart's Super Savings Week?You can expect deals on virtually every category that Walmart sells, from tech to home decor. According to CNET, Walmart confirmed that it will include 30% off TVs, 30% off patio and garden, 50% off jewelry, and up to 55% off Crocs. Some early deals are already liveAs is usually the case, Walmart kicks off its sales with some early deals that lead up to the main event. Keep in mind these aren't technically Super Savings Week deals, though. You'll likely find better deals once the sale officially starts. Here are a few: Apple Watch Series 10: $329 (save $70) LG UltraGear 32-inch QHD monitor: $188 (save $161) Arlo Essential indoor camera: $20 (save $20) JBL Charge 5: $119 (save $60) Apple M2 iPad Air: $699 (save $100) Roku Express 4K Plus: $29 (save $11) Hisense 75-inch Class U6H QLED 4K TV: $488 (save $210) View the full article

Everyday Health Group, a division of Ziff Davis, announced on Wednesday that it has acquired theSkimm, the newsletter and media brand dedicated to giving women the information they need to make confident decisions. TheSkimm was cofounded by Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg in 2012. They met in college, and then reconnected years later while working as news producers for NBC. The company began as a daily newsletter that was an essential daily news digest for millennial women (and men). Today, it offers multiple newsletters, podcasts, and a mobile app. It also houses Skimm Studios, which creates video and audio content, as well as SKM Lab, which allows brands to engage with generations of women. According to a press release, the acquisition should allow Everyday Health Group to connect with theSkimm’s loyal audience, providing trusted, evidence-based information and services to deliver timely and valuable content in the rapidly expanding women’s health and wellness sector. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. “The creation of theSkimm marked a watershed moment in getting vital information to a highly engaged audience of female readers in an incredibly compelling format,” said Nan Forte, executive vice president and general manager of Everyday Health Consumer, in a statement. “Today, it is a multifaceted suite of products and services uniquely designed to help her solve issues and better thrive across her work, life and family goals while simultaneously connecting her to a savvy, supportive and optimistic community.” ‘You can expect the same commitment’ Everyday Health Group has an audience of over 67 million health consumers and over 890,000 U.S. practicing physicians and clinicians. Its mission is to create better clinical and health outcomes by providing highly relevant information, data, and analytics. Everyday Health Group’s portfolio includes Everyday Health, and DailyOM, as well as medical professional brands such as MedPage Today and Health eCareers. TheSkimm will now be under Everyday Health Group’s consumer portfolio, operating as a stand-alone brand, while keeping its current branding and staff, reported Axios. “You can expect the same commitment to trusted, relevant information and even more Skimm experiences,” said Zakin and Weisberg in the Daily Skimm newsletter. They echoed this sentiment on social media, assuring followers that theSkimm’s evolution would bring fresh experiences without straying from its core values. “We will continue on with theSkimm—in a way that allows us to be closer to building the brand. Get ready for the next chapter and more of what you love,” the cofounders wrote in an Instagram post. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Home renovations are expensive—and exciting. It’s never cheap to rip out the old and install the brand-new, but a quality renovation can turn your house into a dream home, or at least solve some nagging problems that have bothered you for years. While not every renovation project gives you the results you’re looking for, there’s no doubt that putting some work into your home usually results in a happier, more valuable place to live. But renovation projects aren’t “set it and forget it.” You’ve hired people to come into your private space with tools and materials, to rip out old stuff (that sometimes doesn’t want to be ripped out and puts up quite a fight), and generally make an enormous mess of the place. Hiring reputable contractors will protect you from the worst-case scenarios in most renovations, but any time tools and big, heavy materials are involved there’s a chance of damage. If your contractors smash up the place, your homeowners insurance may cover the costs, but it’s best if you avoid the damage in the first place. Here are some straightforward precautions to take to protect your home during a renovation. Sequester the renovation zonesIf you’re only renovating part of your home, your first step should be encapsulating the area with plastic sheeting. This doesn’t have to be a complicated process: Apply painter’s tape around the doorway or opening that leads to the area where the renovation will occur. Cut a sheet of plastic sheeting so that it fits over the doorway or opening with margins of an inch or more all around. Tape the plastic into place with duct tape, making sure to adhere it to the painter’s tape so you don’t damage the walls or floors. Apply a tarp zipper to the plastic barrier, then slice it open to create an opening for you and your contractors to pass through. This will help contain dust and debris, preventing damage to your furniture or HVAC systems. Turn off the HVACIf your home has central heating and cooling, you should take some precautions to ensure that it isn’t affected by dust and debris, which can clog the filters and damage the unit itself: Cover vents. Use magnetic vent covers or tape down more plastic to completely cover vents within the work zone. Turn the system off. When mudding drywall or painting, some contractors want to run your HVAC system to assist with drying, but don’t let them. In fact, turn the HVAC system off (in just the affected zone, if you can) to ensure it isn’t sucking up heavy construction dust all day long. If your contractors want to speed up the drying or setting process they can bring in portable heaters or dehumidifiers to do the job without risking your home’s infrastructure. Protect important surfaces from damageNow that dust isn't going to coat your entire home in a fine layer, it's important to protect various parts of your home from scratches, dings, and dents. DoorsDoors are easy targets for damage during a renovation. Contractors carrying large, bulky items can smash into them, and tools can easily scrape and dent as they’re carried around a space. Adding some snap-on door jamb protectors and removing or covering the door with builder’s paper will protect it from these kinds of accidents. Tubs and sinksIf your workers will be anywhere near your kitchen and bathroom fixtures, you’ll want to protect them from dirt and dust as well as scratches and other damage. You can plug drains with some rags or tape them up, then cover the sinks and bathtubs with heavy-duty cardboard (or invest in an adjustable tub protector or temporary, peelable tub film). This way, when your contractor drops their hammer on your brand-new tub, you’ll be able to just shrug it off. FlooringFloors take a beating during any sort of construction. Dirt and grit can act like sandpaper on the finish, and there are endless opportunities for scrapes and scratches. Depending on the work being done, you might get away with a simple drop cloth or carpet film, but if the work is more involved, you should consider something a little tougher to protect your hardwood, tile, or laminate flooring. Floor surface protection sheets are relatively easy to install, and are very effective at protecting against damage from even the most careless contractors, and neoprene runners are a solid option for easier, more temporary protection because they can be rolled out and rolled up quickly. You could also use To protect your stairs, an easy and effective solution is a no-slip drop cloth like this that will stay in place, even on stairs. CountertopsIn kitchens and bathrooms, contractors usually can’t resist seeing countertops as extra workspace, a place to drop tools, store materials, and otherwise abuse. Covering your countertops with a dropcloth or protective film can spare them dust, dirt, and greasy spills, but won’t protect them from chips and gouges. Covering them with the same board material you use on the floors can give you that extra layer of protection that ensures you still have countertops when the work is done. View the full article

Elon Musk’s electric-car maker says panel may fall off pick-up truck causing a ‘road hazard’View the full article

Gboard, the default keyboard on many Android phones, is finally getting a proper undo button. Up until now, you had to use a Japanese keyboard to access the undo button, but Google has finally addressed that gap. With Gboard 15 for Android, you'll be able to use the undo button that, thankfully, works with all languages. How to set up the undo and redo buttons in GboardFirst up, go to Google Play store and update Gboard to the latest version. After that, open any app where you can see the keyboard, such as Messages or Chrome. Fire up the keyboard and tap the four squares icon in the top-left corner of the keyboard. This will show you all the shortcuts that you can add to the suggestions row up top. Undo should be one of the shortcuts. You can drag it to the suggestions row at the top of the keyboard to make it easy to access. The redo button appears in the suggestions row, once you try to undo something using Gboard. How undo and redo work in GboardOnce you type something using Gboard, you can easily use undo and redo to, well, undo or redo things! The trick is to get the button to show up in the suggestions row, which may not happen immediately if you also have autocorrect enabled, since autocorrect suggestions populate here, too. So, to use Gboard's undo button, you can type something first, then tap the four squares button in the top-left corner. This will replace all the autocorrect suggestions with the undo button. Tap undo once, and you'll also see the redo button appear right next to it. Gboard's undo is the equivalent of hitting the delete button on the keyboard once. You can't press and hold undo to erase a bunch of words quickly, but you can press it to remove the previous thing you typed. If you regret pressing undo or if you pressed it one time too many, you can use the redo button to restore one character at a time. The good thing is that the undo/redo feature works even if you switch to another app and return to the original one. Unfortunately, if you end up force quitting an app, then your undo history is wiped and you have to start afresh. This means that after force quitting an app and opening it again, pressing undo won't do anything until you type some more words. View the full article

The NBA’s Boston Celtics are used to packing their arena with a sea of green. Now, the company’s owners, the Grousbeck family, are seeing green. That’s because the franchise has reportedly been sold for $6.1 billion, per ESPN, to a group led by Bill Chisholm, managing partner at private equity firm Symphony Technology Group. The sale would be the largest for a sports franchise in North American history, beating out the sale of the NFL’s Washington Commanders franchise two years ago, which tallied $6.05 billion. The sale would still need to be approved by the NBA Board of Governors. Fast Company has reached out to both the Celtics and Symphony Technology Group for comment. The sale comes on the heels of the Celtics winning the NBA championship last year, the 18th in franchise history. It was announced that the Grousbeck family, the franchise’s primary owner, would seek to sell the team last summer as well. It bought the team in 2002 for $360 million, and if the $6.1 billion sale does go through, the family would see a roughly 1,700% return on investment. The sale also shows that sports franchise values are steadily increasing. In 2023, both the Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks were also sold, for $4 billion and $3.5 billion respectively. At the tail end of that year, the Dallas Mavericks were also sold for $3.5 billion. The $6.1 billion valuation would put the Celtics near the upper echelon of North American sports franchises. The most recent rankings from Forbes, which regularly publishes a list of the most valuable sports teams, ranks the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys at the top with an estimated value of more than $10 billion. Two other NBA franchises are among the top five: The Golden State Warriors are valued at $8.8 billion, and the New York Knicks are valued at $7.5 billion. View the full article

The Fed's wait-and-see approach on what will happen to the U.S. economy, while not directly impacting mortgages, will likely keep those rates elevated. View the full article

UK prime minister hosts meeting of senior armed forces figures from around 30 nationsView 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 Pixel Tablet didn't do too well for Google when it came out in 2023, costing more than the entry-level iPad but not offering a better experience. But with its current price of $279 (originally $399) for the 128GB storage and 8GB RAM version, it's matching its lowest Black Friday price, according to price tracking tools. This makes the tablet perhaps what it should've been in the beginning, a very well-priced Android tablet-smart display hybrid. Google Pixel Tablet 128 GB $279.00 at Amazon $399.00 Save $120.00 Get Deal Get Deal $279.00 at Amazon $399.00 Save $120.00 The ideal user for the Pixel Tablet is a person who wants a mid-range Android tablet that can also use a smart display for widgets or display photos when not in use. The smart display is meant to be used with the speaker dock, which you can get right now for $399 (originally $499). It charges the tablet, works as a stand, and packs a powerful sound. The 11-inch display has 2,560 by 1,600 pixels with a 60Hz refresh rate and a pixel density of 267ppi. It can also get bright with 500 nits of peak brightness, giving the best screen and video quality on any of the Pixel tablets or smart displays. Either version you get will come with 8GB of RAM, which for a tablet is acceptable. You can choose how much internal storage to get, starting with 128GB. As far as battery, PCMag found during their review the tablet reached five hours and 25 minutes at full brightness playing HD videos. The front and rear cameras are the same: Both capture 8MP pictures, have an 84-degree field of view, and record 1080p video at 30fps. The Pixel Tablet is a tablet first and a smart display second. Google optimized many popular apps to work well on it as a tablet. Like most Pixel devices, Google says it will provide a minimum of five years of security updates and the base. View the full article

Measures from the US Treasury department are latest salvo in a ‘maximum pressure’ campaign on TehranView the full article

Gone are the days of blaming an entire generation's money problems on avocado toast. In fact, the stereotype of "millennial money problems" may not be quite what it seems in the first palce. Millennial wealth in the U.S. has nearly quadrupled since 2019, according to Federal Reserve data. And yet, time and time again, millennials report feeling financially insecure. This disconnect between numerical wealth and actual financial wellbeing has been termed "phantom wealth—money that exists in theory, but it doesn't translate to a sense of security or freedom in daily life. Here's why millennials might still be feeling financially vulnerable, and how you can regain a sense of control with your own finances. What is "phantom wealth"You might have a substantial 401(k) balance, equity in your home, or a six-figure salary, yet still experience anxiety about your finances. The typical markers of wealth—property, retirement accounts, investments—can create an illusion of financial security that quickly evaporates when faced with monthly budget realities, debt obligations, and lifestyle expectations. Several factors contribute to this phenomenon: Illiquid assets: Much of your net worth may be tied up in retirement accounts, home equity, or other investments that aren't readily accessible without penalties or major life changes. High fixed expenses: Mortgages, car payments, student loans, and other recurring obligations can consume a surprising portion of even substantial incomes. Lifestyle inflation: As income increases, spending habits often expand to match, creating a perpetual feeling of financial constraint regardless of salary. Regional cost-of-living: A $150,000 salary might provide abundant comfort in some areas while barely covering necessities in high-cost cities. Future uncertainty: Concerns about inflation, market volatility, and potential economic downturns can undermine confidence in even substantial financial resources. What it comes down to is that feeling financial secure is about the ability to spend less than you make (even if you make a lot). When your lifestyle requires less than your income produces, you gain breathing room in your monthly budget, the capacity to handle unexpected expenses, and freedom from the anxiety of living on the financial edge. So, even if millennials have made remarkable gains the past few years, the sensation of "phantom" wealth is pretty justified. How to feel real financial securityThe first step toward converting phantom wealth into genuine financial wellbeing is understanding your current reality. I highly recommend conducting an audit on yourself—you might be surprised to discover where your money actually flows. Track your cash flowStart by reviewing three months of spending across all accounts. Categorize expenses and identify patterns without judgment. This sort of baseline awareness is essential before you can make meaningful changes. Fixed recurring expenses create the most significant drain on cash flow. Examine your: Housing costs (mortgage/rent, property taxes, insurance) Vehicle expenses (payments, insurance, maintenance) Subscription services and memberships Insurance premiums Debt payments Even small reductions in these categories can substantially improve monthly cash flow and create more financial flexibility. Create deliberate spending prioritiesRather than attempting to budget every dollar, focus on intentionality. Ask yourself: Does this expense align with my core values? Will this purchase provide lasting satisfaction? Am I spending on this out of habit, social pressure, or genuine desire? The goal isn't necessarily minimalism but mindfulness about where your money goes. Bulk up your rainy day fundWhile retirement accounts and home equity are important, having accessible cash provides immediate financial security. Aim to build: An emergency fund covering around six months of essential expenses A separate opportunity fund for potential investments or major purchases Cash reserves for expected large expenses within the next 1-3 years These liquid assets transform theoretical wealth into practical financial freedom. Develop a long-term financial roadmapSo much insecurity comes from simply not understanding where your finances stand now or what your plan is for the future. Create a simple but specific plan addressing: Your target retirement age and lifestyle Major financial milestones (education funding, home purchases, etc.) Income diversification strategies Tax optimization approaches Estate planning considerations Revisit this plan annually and adjust as circumstances change. Perhaps the most important aspect of addressing phantom wealth isn't in chasing ever-higher income or investment returns, but in creating sustainable financial habits that allow you to consistently live well within your means while steadily building true wealth. By focusing on cash flow management, intentional spending, and building liquid reserves, you can ignore the headlines and regain a sense of practical financial wellbeing. View the full article