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Ice cream brand alleges parent is ‘dismantling’ merger agreement that protected its ‘progressive values’View the full article

NordVPN’s identity theft protection solution, NordProtect, is now available as a stand-alone service in the United States, allowing users to access identity theft protection without purchasing a NordVPN Prime plan. In addition to this change, NordProtect now includes online fraud coverage, providing financial compensation for victims of various online scams and fraudulent activities. Expanded Protection Against Online Scams NordProtect’s new online fraud coverage offers support for users affected by scams such as romance fraud, marketplace fraud, QR code scams, and fraudulent credit card charges. These protections aim to mitigate financial losses caused by cybercriminals employing increasingly sophisticated tactics. “Criminals are constantly finding new ways to extort money from people, and our mission is to provide relevant and reliable tools to protect internet users. Online fraud is rapidly growing, with numerous variations leading to significant financial losses. To address this, we’ve expanded our existing services, which now include better monitoring of personally identifiable information as well as reimbursement for certain online fraud incidents, ensuring our customers receive support when they need it most,” said Tomas Sinicki, managing director of NordProtect. NordProtect customers may be eligible for reimbursement of up to $10,000 for financial losses related to online fraud, excluding investment scams. Comprehensive Identity Theft and Cyber Extortion Protection Beyond online fraud coverage, NordProtect provides a full suite of identity theft protection and recovery services. Customers who fall victim to identity theft can receive up to $1 million in reimbursement for expenses related to identity restoration, including legal costs and lost wages. Additionally, NordProtect assigns victims an identity restoration case manager to assist in the recovery process. NordProtect also includes cyber extortion protection, offering up to $50,000 for expert assistance and payments in response to cyber threats. This coverage applies to cases where criminals threaten to delete or release personal information or restrict access to data and smart devices. Advanced Monitoring and Alerts NordProtect includes credit monitoring services, ensuring customers receive monthly credit score updates and alerts for suspicious credit activity. The service also features 24/7 dark web monitoring, which notifies users if their personal data—such as email addresses, phone numbers, or Social Security numbers—has been exposed online. Availability and Regional Variations Currently, NordProtect is available exclusively to users in the United States. However, NordVPN continues to offer cyber insurance benefits in select countries, including the United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, Sweden, Germany, and Italy. In these regions, service bundles include scam loss recovery and online shopping fraud recovery. This article, "NordProtect Becomes Stand-Alone Service, Adds Online Fraud Coverage" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

NordVPN’s identity theft protection solution, NordProtect, is now available as a stand-alone service in the United States, allowing users to access identity theft protection without purchasing a NordVPN Prime plan. In addition to this change, NordProtect now includes online fraud coverage, providing financial compensation for victims of various online scams and fraudulent activities. Expanded Protection Against Online Scams NordProtect’s new online fraud coverage offers support for users affected by scams such as romance fraud, marketplace fraud, QR code scams, and fraudulent credit card charges. These protections aim to mitigate financial losses caused by cybercriminals employing increasingly sophisticated tactics. “Criminals are constantly finding new ways to extort money from people, and our mission is to provide relevant and reliable tools to protect internet users. Online fraud is rapidly growing, with numerous variations leading to significant financial losses. To address this, we’ve expanded our existing services, which now include better monitoring of personally identifiable information as well as reimbursement for certain online fraud incidents, ensuring our customers receive support when they need it most,” said Tomas Sinicki, managing director of NordProtect. NordProtect customers may be eligible for reimbursement of up to $10,000 for financial losses related to online fraud, excluding investment scams. Comprehensive Identity Theft and Cyber Extortion Protection Beyond online fraud coverage, NordProtect provides a full suite of identity theft protection and recovery services. Customers who fall victim to identity theft can receive up to $1 million in reimbursement for expenses related to identity restoration, including legal costs and lost wages. Additionally, NordProtect assigns victims an identity restoration case manager to assist in the recovery process. NordProtect also includes cyber extortion protection, offering up to $50,000 for expert assistance and payments in response to cyber threats. This coverage applies to cases where criminals threaten to delete or release personal information or restrict access to data and smart devices. Advanced Monitoring and Alerts NordProtect includes credit monitoring services, ensuring customers receive monthly credit score updates and alerts for suspicious credit activity. The service also features 24/7 dark web monitoring, which notifies users if their personal data—such as email addresses, phone numbers, or Social Security numbers—has been exposed online. Availability and Regional Variations Currently, NordProtect is available exclusively to users in the United States. However, NordVPN continues to offer cyber insurance benefits in select countries, including the United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, Sweden, Germany, and Italy. In these regions, service bundles include scam loss recovery and online shopping fraud recovery. This article, "NordProtect Becomes Stand-Alone Service, Adds Online Fraud Coverage" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

In an era where trust is currency and sustainability is a non-negotiable, shoppers are demanding more than just green labels and vague promises. They want proof. Enter digital product passports (DPPs), a game-changing tool that gives consumers instant access to a product’s entire journey, from materials sourcing to sustainability credentials. That means, whether they’re buying a pair of running shoes or the latest smartphone, DPPs are making it easier to for them to shop smarter, cut through greenwashing, and support brands that truly walk the talk. The future of shopping is transparent Consumers often wonder where their clothes were made, how much carbon their new shoes emitted during production, or whether that “eco-friendly” label actually means anything. These passports help consumers answer those traceability questions in seconds. By simply scanning a QR code, consumers can unlock a product’s full story, from materials, to manufacturing processes, to certifications. DPPs can also be used by brands wanting to go the extra mile by sharing product impact, such as its unique carbon footprint, plus use phase care instructions and even repair or recycling options, helping shoppers take control of their own habits to lower their unique footprint. This isn’t just a marketing gimmick. The European Union’s new regulations, like the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), will soon require brands to disclose detailed impact data. That means transparency is shifting from a nice-to-have to a must-have, and the brands that embrace it now will be ahead of the curve. How digital product passports will help consumers shop smarter Instead of relying on vague sustainability claims, shoppers can view and verify a product’s impact. Plus, using climate data in marketing is already tried and tested, benefitting both consumers and brands. After an entire career dedicated to sustainability, this is the point I try to drive home most often: Consumers can determine if a product is designed with longevity in mind (think durable, repairable, and end-of-life options like 100% recyclable). Lastly, in an overcrowded market where fast fashion remains dominant, consumers can choose to back brands that are genuinely working to reduce their footprint. Instead of falling for greenwashing tactics or supporting companies that overlook sustainability altogether, consumers can reward those making real progress toward a lower-impact future. Why brands are paying attention For many companies, DPPs aren’t just about compliance. They’re about consumer trust and finding a competitive edge. With shoppers becoming more conscious, brands that offer full transparency win loyalty. Instead of empty promises, they can showcase real data about their impact. To power this level of transparency, brands need serious data. By automating carbon calculations across thousands of products, companies like ours help brands seamlessly integrate real-time impact data into digital product passports. Luxury resale platforms are beginning to use DPPs to help consumers make informed second-hand purchases. Sportswear brands will be integrating them to help shoppers compare different material choices. Even electronics companies are adopting them to offer innovative repair and recycling pathways, moving to a more circular economy. We’re partnering with forward-thinking companies like British jewelry brand Missoma and global lingerie brand Triumph to share product-level impact data through dedicated passports, ahead of ESPR regulations. These regulations will require DPPs but won’t fully mandate them for at least another year. Triumph’s first digital product passports are now available to e-commerce customers, says Vera Galarza, Triumph’s global head of sustainability. “At Triumph, it’s crucial that the data is completely accurate,” she says, as customers want reliable and trustworthy information. For consumers, this means easy-to-understand environmental facts at their fingertips. For businesses, it means more accountability, better design choices, and deeper engagement with sustainability-minded customers. “At Missoma, we’ve always believed in pushing boundaries when it comes to sustainability and transparency, says Marisa Hordern, founder and creative director at Missoma. “This technology gives our customers a deeper connection to their jewelry, allowing them to trace every step of its journey, from ethically sourced gemstones to the final handcrafted piece.” Missoma plans to expand use of DPPs across more of its collections, to help set a new traceability standard for the jewelry industry. “We will also continue to empower our community to make more informed and conscious choices,” she says. Shopping in the age of accountability For consumers, digital product passports mean more power, better choices and fewer regrets in the buying process. DPPs are not just a trend. They’re becoming a legal requirement and will be part of your brand’s future. Soon, checking a product’s impact will be as normal as checking its price tag. That’s why it’s exciting that the brands leading the way today aren’t just ticking regulatory boxes—they’re reshaping the shopping experience. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more. View the full article

The climate tech sector is at a crossroads. We have the tools we need to fight climate change, but the real challenge is scaling and deploying them. This is where “climate-curious” outsiders play a crucial role. At Epic Cleantec, a company I cofounded to tackle water scarcity through innovative reuse technology, none of us came from an environmental background. That outside perspective turned out to be a huge advantage. When I began this journey, I didn’t know much about water. I wasn’t a trained environmental or civil engineer, which meant I never even learned about how things were traditionally done. This lack of traditional expertise freed us from being tied down by how things were “supposed” to work, allowing us to find fresh solutions to persistent problems. My path to climate tech was anything but linear. I had flirted with a wide range of disparate career paths spanning veterinarian, chef, club promoter, historian, political lobbyist, and lawyer. I even briefly entertained becoming a rabbi, until my own rabbi convinced me not to take that path. Unsurprisingly, I often faced skepticism at conferences and industry events, where our company’s unconventional approach was met with doubt. But here’s the key takeaway: Solving the climate crisis isn’t just about creating new technology. It’s about turning these innovations into practical, widespread solutions. That’s where operational know-how comes in—something outsiders often bring to the table. People who’ve run businesses, managed complex regulations, and scaled global operations have the experience to make climate solutions a reality. Why climate tech needs outsiders The climate tech industry has largely been driven by environmental scientists and policymakers. But solving the climate crisis calls for more than just scientific advances—it requires major business transformation. To truly deploy climate solutions on a global scale, we need the same expertise that turned industries like fintech, e-commerce, and cloud computing into giants. Investors get it. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink predicts the next wave of unicorns will come from climate tech. But to build these companies, we need more than passion. We need professionals who understand scaling—product managers who can push out software, operations experts who can optimize supply chains, and strategists who know how to drive rapid market adoption. The idea that climate tech needs deep environmental knowledge is a misconception. What’s truly needed are professionals who know how to turn great ideas into sustainable, scalable businesses, all while navigating complex regulations. The future of climate impact depends on commercial success. The solutions are ready, they just need deployment A lot of the technology needed to curb emissions and build climate resilience is already here. From energy storage to electrification, water reuse to regenerative agriculture, many solutions are ready to go. So, the challenge isn’t really about innovation; it’s about implementation. Just look at how SaaS and fintech industries scaled quickly by leveraging automation, networks, and efficient capital use. If we applied those same strategies to climate tech, we could meet our climate goals much faster. Imagine applying the lessons learned during the rapid growth of ride-sharing or cloud services to solar energy, battery tech, or industrial decarbonization. Climate tech isn’t just about better tech; it’s about changing systems. It requires navigating complex regulations, aligning with ever-changing corporate sustainability goals, and getting entrenched industries on board. Outsiders who have scaled companies in heavily regulated fields like healthcare, finance, and transportation are particularly equipped to drive this change. A crucial moment for climate tech Climate tech isn’t a niche anymore—it’s becoming one of the most exciting frontiers of innovation. As more professionals from traditional tech and business sectors seek out purpose-driven careers, climate tech offers a unique blend of meaning and market opportunity. The influx of outsiders isn’t just helpful, it’s essential. For climate tech to thrive, we need to embrace professionals with diverse and wide-reaching expertise. Industry leaders must actively recruit people with transferable skills, and investors must see the value in teams that blend technical knowledge with business acumen. Solving the climate crisis isn’t just about inventing new technologies—it’s about getting them into the world at scale, fast. The opportunity is huge, but the urgency is even greater. To meet global climate goals, we must think outside the box and bring in the people who are ready to challenge the norms. For those “climate-curious,” there’s never been a better time to dive in because climate tech isn’t just the future of innovation, it’s the future of business. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more. View the full article

Payouts for 250 senior staff reduced as lender strains to boost returns and improve compliance function View the full article

vcita, a technology platform serving small businesses and the organizations that support them, has announced an advanced upgrade to its BizAI product, introducing agentic AI capabilities designed specifically for SMBs. The latest version of BizAI aims to blend automation with human oversight, allowing businesses to streamline essential operations while maintaining control. According to vcita, the updated BizAI can assist with key tasks such as responding to clients, booking appointments, generating estimates, and providing data-driven insights. “With this advanced upgrade of BizAI, we’re closing the gap between enterprise-grade AI and the realities of running a small business,” said Itzik Levy, CEO and Founder of vcita. “SMBs have a lot to gain by using AI: save time, uncover valuable insights, and unlock untapped revenue potential. But we also know they have much to protect, including their hard-earned reputations and client relationships. That’s why our next-gen BizAI balances automation with control, allowing businesses to adopt AI at their own pace while staying in the driver’s seat.” The upgraded BizAI employs a semi-automated framework, allowing SMBs to ease into AI-driven automation while maintaining full oversight. Rather than executing tasks immediately, BizAI first identifies, prepares, and validates actions, seeking user confirmation before proceeding. This ensures that businesses can gradually integrate AI into their operations while adjusting the level of automation over time. Through an intuitive interface, SMB users can provide feedback, set specific guidelines, and tailor BizAI’s actions to align with their business needs. Over time, the system continuously learns and adapts, offering a personalized AI experience that evolves based on user preferences. vcita’s new agentic AI capabilities shift BizAI from a generative AI model to one that acts proactively. Unlike traditional AI tools that require user prompts, BizAI autonomously identifies areas for optimization and suggests or executes tasks accordingly, ensuring seamless integration into SMB workflows. The system operates within the business’s management platform, delivering insights based on internal data, best practices, and benchmarks gathered from over 150,000 SMBs using vcita. Unlike standalone AI tools, BizAI is embedded directly within vcita’s business management system, ensuring that automation aligns with existing workflows rather than disrupting them. By working within an SMB’s daily environment, BizAI provides actionable insights derived from real-world business data, helping users make informed decisions without additional complexity. The upgraded BizAI with agentic AI capabilities is now available to SMBs using vcita. As a partner-first company, vcita is also extending BizAI’s functionality to partners through its APIs, allowing them to develop their own agentic AI solutions on the inTandem platform. Image: vcita This article, "vcita Launches Upgraded BizAI with Agentic AI for SMBs" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

vcita, a technology platform serving small businesses and the organizations that support them, has announced an advanced upgrade to its BizAI product, introducing agentic AI capabilities designed specifically for SMBs. The latest version of BizAI aims to blend automation with human oversight, allowing businesses to streamline essential operations while maintaining control. According to vcita, the updated BizAI can assist with key tasks such as responding to clients, booking appointments, generating estimates, and providing data-driven insights. “With this advanced upgrade of BizAI, we’re closing the gap between enterprise-grade AI and the realities of running a small business,” said Itzik Levy, CEO and Founder of vcita. “SMBs have a lot to gain by using AI: save time, uncover valuable insights, and unlock untapped revenue potential. But we also know they have much to protect, including their hard-earned reputations and client relationships. That’s why our next-gen BizAI balances automation with control, allowing businesses to adopt AI at their own pace while staying in the driver’s seat.” The upgraded BizAI employs a semi-automated framework, allowing SMBs to ease into AI-driven automation while maintaining full oversight. Rather than executing tasks immediately, BizAI first identifies, prepares, and validates actions, seeking user confirmation before proceeding. This ensures that businesses can gradually integrate AI into their operations while adjusting the level of automation over time. Through an intuitive interface, SMB users can provide feedback, set specific guidelines, and tailor BizAI’s actions to align with their business needs. Over time, the system continuously learns and adapts, offering a personalized AI experience that evolves based on user preferences. vcita’s new agentic AI capabilities shift BizAI from a generative AI model to one that acts proactively. Unlike traditional AI tools that require user prompts, BizAI autonomously identifies areas for optimization and suggests or executes tasks accordingly, ensuring seamless integration into SMB workflows. The system operates within the business’s management platform, delivering insights based on internal data, best practices, and benchmarks gathered from over 150,000 SMBs using vcita. Unlike standalone AI tools, BizAI is embedded directly within vcita’s business management system, ensuring that automation aligns with existing workflows rather than disrupting them. By working within an SMB’s daily environment, BizAI provides actionable insights derived from real-world business data, helping users make informed decisions without additional complexity. The upgraded BizAI with agentic AI capabilities is now available to SMBs using vcita. As a partner-first company, vcita is also extending BizAI’s functionality to partners through its APIs, allowing them to develop their own agentic AI solutions on the inTandem platform. Image: vcita This article, "vcita Launches Upgraded BizAI with Agentic AI for SMBs" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Think back to the shifting tech landscape of 2015. “Uptown Funk” was blaring on digital music outlets, Snapchat filters were laid over every selfie, and hoverboards were all the rage. At the same time, marketing teams were facing an uphill battle to prove ROI as new digital marketing opportunities, like the rise of video content marketing and the shift towards mobile, led to changing tactics, and budgets came under more scrutiny. Now, a decade later, human resources teams are facing similar circumstances. Just like marketing leaders had to establish their digital campaigns’ values, HR pros now need to demonstrate how their tech-forward people programs drive business results. The good news? Marketing teams have already nailed this shift and their journey can offer a blueprint for HR leaders facing the same pressures. The rise to power Going back to 2010, digital marketing was the latest innovation and became the fastest path to rapid growth for companies. Later, the advent of new marketing tactics and an increased focus on social channels thrust marketers into the spotlight in a way they hadn’t been before. These new channels gave marketers new access to real-time data, requiring more resources to be successful and leading to increased scrutiny of how they were using those resources. And the results mattered more than ever. Along with the pressure, that limelight also brought opportunity. In 2009, when I worked at Gap’s newly formed digital division, the finance team set benchmarks for success in e-commerce. There were a lot of conversations around the right metrics to track, which gave us a say in how to measure our results. This was crucial at the time. Asking marketing about metrics versus handing down an answer that didn’t match expected outcomes meant we could better align our goals with actual business priorities. In recent years, HR has faced a similar opportunity. In 2020, when COVID hit, people became the scarcest resource for many companies, and HR became the most powerful function overnight. For the first time, HR had a real seat at the table. All of a sudden, employee safety, well-being, and retention at all costs were part of HR’s already heavy workload. Now, in 2025, the impact of AI’s rapid advancement and employee skills gaps due to demographic shifts have put HR leaders front and center once again to drive workforce transformation for their businesses. As with the rise of marketing a decade earlier, leaders should be asking how they can most effectively track success. The measurement reckoning 2015 marked the year of ROI as a key determining factor of success for marketing leaders. This was when delivering on goals no longer felt like a “nice to have,” but a career make-or-break. Marketing overhauled how the organization viewed them. With increasing numbers of data and channels, there were limitless ways to target customers, and lots of wrong answers. The C-suite started expecting quantitative results from campaigns that they couldn’t do before. Today, HR teams are taking on more: driving workforce transformation, keeping pace with AI, employee wellness, and a general imperative to do more with less. Similar to its marketing predecessor, HR now needs to report results tied to business objectives in concrete ways that were previously unquantifiable. Increased scrutiny over cost efficiency is putting HR pros under the microscope, and results are no longer only about a “vibe check” and building company culture. When HR leaders think about the outcomes they’re driving for the business, they should think of stakeholders as paying customers that matter to their organization’s bottom line. Employees are as important as customers in this regard, and need the KPI treatment in today’s era. In 2025, the employers who align their people investments with business objectives are the ones who will stay competitive and build future-proof talent pipelines needed to evolve and advance their organization. The rebalancing Today, successful marketing programs require a blend of coordinated strategies for maximum impact. Brand building efforts, technology solutions—including AI—and targeted campaigns must work in tandem to influence growth. Tomorrow, HR leaders will need to employ a similar symphony of tools, measurements, and experiences to create the cocktail of appropriate conditions for their people to thrive and maximize their potential. Just as marketing evolved from simple advertising to a sophisticated, data-driven industry, HR is transforming from personnel management to truly owning its C-suite seat. The future demands an integrated approach where technology augments teams capabilities, where analytics inform but don’t make decisions, and where employee experience is crafted with the same intention as customer experience. Luckily, smart business leaders now realize that it takes a mix of art and science to get it right. Striking the perfect balance will generate strong business results, and be the element that separates thriving companies from surviving companies. Throughout my career, I’ve learned that growing a business isn’t about one magic solution—it’s about mixing different marketing approaches that work together, a true portfolio approach. By learning from marketing’s journey and combining data-driven insights with human-centered approaches, HR leaders can build the foundation for organizations to thrive. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more. View the full article

In March, women are at the forefront of the cultural conversation. Recently, on March 8th, International Women’s Day was recognized—a moment that originally sprung from a movement to fight against child labor and sweatshop working conditions. This year’s theme was accelerating action, and I feel fortunate in my role as chief philanthropy officer at UNICEF USA, that I can support girls around the world—our future leaders, scientists, engineers, mothers, entrepreneurs, and more. What are the barriers standing in their way? And how do we accelerate action? Right now, it’s estimated that we won’t see full gender parity until 2158. I don’t want to wait for my great-great-great grandchild to live in a world where girls have a fair shot at life. As a mother of three girls, this is also personal. We need the next generation of girls and women everywhere to be catalysts for lasting change. Female genital mutilation still occurs Last month, I traveled to Senegal to see UNICEF’s work firsthand. I visited a program that provides emergency assistance to young victims of violence and abuse, I met with a women’s teachers’ network that champions education for girls, and I visited programs equipping girls and young women with skills in leadership, communication, and entrepreneurship. At an adolescent training center in Kolda, we met Khadidiatou D. “Khadi,” who performed a slam poem about female genital mutilation (FGM), a dangerous procedure she underwent as a child. Khadi uses what she’s learned at the center to advocate with local leaders and parents to prevent other girls from experiencing the mental and physical suffering due to FGM. We also spoke with Sally S., who learned skills to support herself and her family. She makes and sells dyed cloth, sanitary napkins, and soap from local plants like moringa, lemon, and aloe vera. In addition to running her own small business, Sally pays it forward by training girls in Kolda who have disabilities like her. Sally’s disability is the result of FGM, which over 2 million girls and women in Senegal have experienced. Before joining the adolescent center, Sally was hesitant to even leave her house because of the stigma of her disability, which she thought would prevent her from joining the center. When the head of the center asked her to join, she was surprised to be invited—much less encouraged—to join. Address root causes of exclusion My time in Senegal reminded me that championing gender equality requires us to address root causes of exclusion. Violence like Khadi and Sally endured—as well as child marriage, lack of menstrual hygiene, and teenage pregnancy—are some of the barriers girls and women around the world face. Sobering data from other regions illustrate the prevalence of gender-based violence. For example, our new report shows that 221 rape cases in Sudan against children have been recorded since 2024 began. Total cases are likely higher, as survivors and their families often don’t come forward due to challenges accessing services or out of fear of retribution. But there is hope. A recent report issued by UNICEF, Plan International, and UN Women indicates that FGM is declining. Nations like Burkina Faso and Liberia are cutting the share of girls subjected to the practice over the last 30 years by half. This progress is promising, but we need to go 27 times faster to entirely meet our 2030 target FGM eradication goal entirely. Education is vital We must protect girls. But protection is not enough. They need opportunities to learn and pursue their goals. An estimated 129 million girls are not in school, globally. In some cultures, families favor sons over daughters when investing in their children’s education. In Afghanistan, girls are barred from high school and college classrooms due to national restrictions. Around the world, girls aged 10-14 are twice as likely to spend excessive hours on household chores than boys of the same age; often fetching water from faraway sources because of poor water and sanitation systems. Unpaid work all too often falls to girls and women, pushing education farther out of their reach. Despite challenges, we are making progress in Senegal and all over the world. In Senegal, the government increased resourcing for FGM elimination in 2023 by 50%. Further, FGM in Senegal hit its lowest point in 2023. And progress is possible when it comes to education as well—today, 50 million more girls are in school globally compared to a decade ago and completion rates have ticked up too. These encouraging results, and what I saw in Senegal, gave me not only hope but the energy to continue to advocate and steward support for programs that will truly change the lives of girls and young people who simply want a chance at living a life they dream about. Milestones like International Women’s Day allow us to take a moment to stop and see how far we’ve come, and remind us how far we still have to go. Philanthropy exists to advance pathways to opportunity. Progress is possible; but a future of possibility for girls like Khadi and Sally exists only if we remain steadfast in doing our part to break down barriers and accelerate action. Michele Walsh is executive vice president and chief philanthropy officer of UNICEF USA. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Hopefully, you're done paying off your credit card bill from October Prime Day, but regardless, Amazon is ready for another round—a Spring sale is around the corner. Here is everything you need to know about Amazon's Big Spring Sale if you're looking for some deals. What is Amazon's Big Spring Sale?Amazon's Big Spring Sale is the spring version of Prime Day, although it lasts longer and features less impressive deals. It's a seven-day sale with deals focusing on seasonal items from winter- and spring-like apparel, travel, sports, furniture, gardening, lawn, grilling, storage, and bedding supplies. And, of course, tech. This is only the second time Amazon has run this spring sale, with the first one running in 2024 from Wednesday, March 20 through Monday, March 25. When is Amazon's Big Spring Sale?Amazon announced that their Big Spring Sale will run for a ful week from March 25 through March 31, 2025. Do you need to be a Prime Member to shop for Amazon's Big Spring Sale?You do not need to be a Prime Member to shop Amazon's Big Spring Sale, however, Prime Members will get more and better deals, according to Amazon. Prime membership starts at $14.99 per month. You can calculate whether a yearly Prime membership is worth it for you, but remember you can always cancel your Prime membership once the sale is over. Keep in mind that Amazon offers free 30-day trials, so you can shop the whole week of the event and cancel before making a subscription payment. You can read about how to sign up for a Prime account here. What can you expect for Amazon's Big Spring Sale?Because the Big Spring Sale happens in the spring, you're going to see end-of-season deals from Amazon outlet stores on winter items, but also on upcoming spring products. The deals seem to tap at 40% off. Here is an idea of what you can expect: Up to 40% off select outdoor furniture and gardening supplies Up to 35% off select lawn and grilling equipment Up to 35% off select home storage and bedding Up to 40% off select apparel and beauty Up to 40% off select sports and travel essentials There will be "daily themes" for each day of the sale, and whatever the theme is for that day is where you can expect to find the best deals. We'll also be publishing the best deals we find, so make sure to keep tabs on our deals page throughout the week. Early Amazon's Big Spring Sale deals are already liveAs is usually the case, Amazon kicks off their sales with some early deals that lead up to the main event. Keep in mind these aren't technically Big Spring Sale deals, though. You'll know they are by the "Prime Spring Deal" badge on the product page once the sale officially starts. Some tips for Amazon's Big Spring SaleIf this will be your first time shopping an Amazon sale, there are some basic things you need to know; you can share your Prime membership with family members even if they don't live with you; you can set price alerts for products you want and your Alexa devices can notify you when they go on sale; and there are tools you can use to see if the deal you're looking at is good or not. But if you only take one bit of advice for shopping on Amazon's Big Spring Sale, let it be this one: Don't buy anything you weren't going to buy anyway. A good way to make sure you do this is by making a list of the products you do want ahead of time, and focus on those. View the full article

In hindsight, NATO was an unnecessarily confusing acronym for a trade organization representing movie theater owners. For 60 years, the National Association of Theatre Owners has promoted interests of movie theaters, from the biggest chains to the one-screen mom and pop shops. They’ve also regularly gotten mail and phone calls intended for the other NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. But the theater owner’s organization is looking to the future, with a new name and a refocused mission. The group will now be known as Cinema United, president and CEO Michael O’Leary told The Associated Press Tuesday. “It can be a little complicated having the same name as a multinational military alliance,” O’Leary said. “We felt that it was time to look at our name and do a rebrand.” They wanted the new name to reflect the “passion and energy of the people that run theaters,” O’Leary said, and to put the focus back on the exhibitors and movie theaters. Cinema United represents more than 32,000 movie screens in the U.S. and more than 30,000 screens in 88 countries. Their job, O’Leary explained, is to promote and support theatrical exhibition. Moviegoing, the new tagline reads, is their mission. “We’ve had a challenging four or five years. But with each passing day, we put those challenges in the rearview mirror a little bit more. Our focus right now is on the future,” O’Leary said. “I think that we stand on the precipice of the next great era of cinema.” An Oscars rallying cry for moviegoing Just a few weeks ago, “Anora” filmmaker Sean Baker made his own case for theaters on the national stage. In accepting his best director Oscar, he used his time at the podium to make a “battle cry” for the theatrical experience – for filmmakers to keep making movies for the big screen and for studios to keep releasing them there. “People were ecstatic about it,” O’Leary said. “He has earned the unyielding allegiance of theater owners all around the world for his strong support over the years, and certainly at the Oscars.” Movie theaters big and small were hit hard by the pandemic – many closed and never re-opened. Last year, they also faced a depleted release calendar due to the Hollywood strikes. It’s all resulted in a depleted domestic box office that has yet to reach pre-pandemic levels. In 2024, the industry finished just over $8.7 billion, down 3.3% from 2023 and 23.5% from 2019. A fuller release schedule is expected this year, but currently the box-office total is down about 5% from where the industry was last year at this time. “It’s really important that we not put too much emphasis on a single year like 2025. We need to constantly be building and growing and moving forward,” O’Leary said. Despite challenges, it remains an all-ages and affordable entertainment pasttime. A recent study from the National Research Group said 76% of the American population ages 12 to 74 attended at least one movie in 2024. Highlighting movie theater upgrades And though theater closures often make headlines, like the E Street Cinema in Washington D.C., where Cinema United is headquartered, there’s also been a spate of investment and refurbishment in theaters around the country, some spearheaded by famous filmmakers and actors. Jason Reitman along with more than 30 directors including Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan and Bradley Cooper last February acquired Westwood’s Village Theater in Los Angeles, which dates back to 1931. Patrick Wilson also purchased and helped restore an historic theater in New Canaan, CT, joining big screen disciples like Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino who have all invested in movie theaters. Last fall, the eight biggest theater chains in the U.S. and Canada announced that they planned to invest more than $2.2 billion to modernize 21,000 movie theater screens over the next three years. This includes anything from projectors, lighting and sound to features in the concessions area. But upgrades in theaters are nothing new, O’Leary said, they’re just helping to draw attention to it. “The entire membership reinvests in their theaters on a regular basis,” O’Leary said. “Part of the reason we made that announcement was because I don’t think it’s obvious to people that theater owners are constantly in the process of reinventing themselves and reinvesting.” Gearing up for 2025’s summer movie season The announcement comes just over a week before some 6,000 movie theater employees from around the world convene in Las Vegas for the annual CinemaCon conference, which Cinema United hosts. All the major Hollywood studios, including The Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures, Universal Pictures and even Amazon/MGM will be making big, starry presentations on the main stage at Caesar’s Palace — where executives and stars will show off new footage and trailers to make the case that they have the goods to get audiences in the theaters. Showcasing that many theaters are small businesses NATO was coined in 1965, a merger of the nation’s largest movie theater trade organizations: The Theater Owners of America, itself a product of a merger dating back to 1948, and the Allied States Association of Motion Picture Exhibitors, which goes back to the 1920s. Those at Cinema United like to say that “we’re not a Hollywood industry. We’re a Main Street industry.” “At the end of the day, the vast majority of our members are small businesses, so they feel the same pushes and pulls that other small businesses feel throughout the United States and around the world, O’Leary said. “The headquarters of our biggest members are not in Los Angeles or New York. They’re in Knoxville, Dallas and Kansas.” —Lindsey Bahr, AP film writer View the full article

Social media site was valued at less than $10bn in SeptemberView the full article

Ads are an unavoidable part of modern life. They support both free and discounted services, for better or for worse, and unless you pay for premium services like YouTube Premium or expensive Netflix tiers, it's likely you'll run into these commercials one way or another. But just because ads are deeply entwined in our digital devices, that doesn't mean they get a free pass in all situations. As reported by Ars Technica, it appears Roku is pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable here, experimenting with placing ads when you first boot up your streaming device. Moana 2 ads are rolling on Rokus at launchOne Reddit user noticed the change when they turned on their Roku and was forced to watch a commercial for a movie before they could simply access the Roku home screen. This wasn't an ad placed before another movie or show: Roku simply wouldn't let the user access the device they paid for without sitting through an ad first. The user posted about their experience on the r/Roku subreddit, where frustrated Roku owners confirmed the same was happening on their devices, as well. Multiple users received a Moana ad after turning on their Roku devices, and some threatened to ditch their Rokus over the situation. One went so far as to say, "my Roku devices will be in the trash" if the company keeps this up. The sentiment was the same in another thread, where users threatened to chuck their Rokus or switch brands for their streaming purposes. Someone even wrote: "I was indifferent to Moana. But now I will go out of my way to hate on that movie." (Disney might want to reconsidering its marketing strategy.) According to Ars Technica, the ads are supposed to have a close button, though some users don't seem to see it when it pops up on their end. The outlet reached out to Roku, who confirmed the ads are intentional, but aren't yet official: Roku OS won't have permanent ads at start for the moment. It seems this is simply an experiment. If so, they're certainly receiving some valuable feedback from customers. I understand why Roku users are angry. It's one thing to show static ads on the home screen—even that feels wrong on a device you paid for. But to stop you from being able to actually use your streaming device until you watch a commercial? The future isn't looking so bright. Your Roku is designed for adsWhile this experiment is pretty anti-consumer, it isn't all that surprising coming from Roku. The company, like many others, collects your data as you use its devices, and uses that data to, you guessed it, serve you ads. Roku is very focused on ads as a business model, exploring ways to not only place as many ads on the home screen as possible, but potentially show you ads when you've paused content on a non-Roku device that is connected to your Roku TV. Yikes. You expect ads in exchange for free content, but we've longed moved past this business model. Now, ads and data scraping subsidize devices and services. Your Roku Express only costs $30 (or less, depending on the deal), not because that's what the hardware is inherently worth, but because Roku is banking on you earning the company more money with your data and ad exposure. You pay less for the product, because you are the product. Now, sit tight, and watch an ad for Moana 2 before choosing to watch something else filled with ads. Can you stop ads from appearing when starting up your Roku?There's no official solution to this situation yet, and not all users will even see these ads when booting up their Roku devices. If you do, there might be something you can do about it, but it's complicated. Roku has had static on-screen ads long before this current situation. While far less obtrusive than start ads, some users want to block all ads on their Roku devices. Since Roku, unlike a computer, doesn't have a native ad-blocker to install, many turn to Pi-hole, a service that can block ads on many sites across devices. The issue is, setting up Pi-hole can be a bit technical. The company has a thorough walkthrough on its site to get set up, so if you're interested, go ahead and give it a scan. When properly configured, Pi-hole says it can block most ads across your devices, so you might notice a lack of ads across everything you use to access the internet—not just your Roku. View the full article

Billions of pounds of savings sought from Whitehall budgets to fill a hole in the public finances View the full article

Multifamily debt held by all capital sources continues to grow at a faster pace than the overall commercial market, the Mortgage Bankers Association said. View the full article

Calling the groups in charge of professional tennis “a cartel,” the players’ association co-founded by Novak Djokovic filed an antitrust lawsuit against the women’s and men’s tours, the International Tennis Federation and the sport’s integrity agency on Tuesday in federal court in New York. The suit by the Professional Tennis Players’ Association says the organizations that run the sport hold “complete control over the players’ pay and working conditions” and their setup constitutes “textbook violations of state and federal law” that “immunize professional tennis from ordinary market forces and deny professional tennis players and other industry participants their right to fair competition.” The lawsuit seeks a jury trial and wants players to gain access to more earnings, arguing that the governing bodies that oversee the four Grand Slam tournaments — Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the French Open and the Australian Open — and other professional events “cap the prize money tournaments award and limit players’ ability to earn money off the court.” The WTA Tour and ATP Tour issued separate statements Tuesday saying they would “vigorously” defend themselves. The WTA said it has “committed to a $400 million increase in player compensation” in recent years and labeled the PTPA action a “baseless legal case” that is “regrettable and misguided.” The ATP touted a “major increase in player compensation” that created a jump of “$70 million in the past five years,” and called the PTPA’s case “entirely without merit.” “The PTPA has consistently chosen division and distraction through misinformation over progress,” the ATP’s statement said. “Five years on from its inception in 2020, the PTPA has struggled to establish a meaningful role in tennis, making its decision to pursue legal action at this juncture unsurprising.” The ITF and the International Tennis Integrity Agency — which investigates and adjudicates doping and corruption cases — declined to comment. The PTPA was founded by 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil in August 2020, aiming to offer representation for players who are independent contractors in a largely individual sport. One of the goals made clear along the way was to become a sort of full-fledged union that negotiates collective bargaining agreements like those that exist in team sports. “For the past few years, the PTPA, an organization I’ve worked on tirelessly since its inception, has made countless efforts to collaborate with the tours in hopes of achieving positive change for players. Despite these efforts and attempts to engage in constructive dialogue, we were met with resistance and a lack of meaningful action. It is because of this ongoing disregard for players that we were left with no alternative but to take action of our own,” Pospisil posted on social media. “For too long, players have been forced to accept a broken system that ignores our well-being, undervalues our contributions, and leaves us without real representation.” Djokovic is not one of the players listed as a plaintiff. “His support for this is already explicit. It’s redundant since PTPA (is) named as plaintiff, and he is on (the executive committee),” PTPA spokesman David Cooper wrote in an email. “He wanted to allow others to step up since this is not just Novak’s (organization).” The PTPA said it met with more than 250 players — women and men, and a majority of the top 20 in the WTA and ATP rankings — before going to court. “Tennis is broken,” PTPA executive director Ahmad Nassar said in a news release. “Behind the glamorous veneer that the defendants promote, players are trapped in an unfair system that exploits their talent, suppresses their earnings, and jeopardizes their health and safety. We have exhausted all options for reform through dialogue, and the governing bodies have left us no choice but to seek accountability through the courts. Fixing these systemic failures isn’t about disrupting tennis — it’s about saving it for the generations of players and fans to come.” —Howard Fendrich, AP tennis writer 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. Beats headphones have been a great alternative for Apple users ever since Apple acquired Beats back in 2014, but even if you're an Android user, the Beats' Studio Buds+ offer some good benefits, they are currently at a great price for earbuds with active noise cancellation (ANC): They are currently $99.95 (down from $169.95) on Amazon—their lowest price ever, according to price tracking tools. Beats Studio Buds + Color: Transparent, Ear Placement: In Ear, Noise Control: Active Noise Cancellation, Sound Isolation $169.95 at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal $169.95 at Amazon The Beats Studio Buds + are similar to the typically cheaper Beats Studio Buds (which are actually the same price right now), but the Studio Buds+ offer an extra hour of battery life (total of nine hours), 12 more hours from the charging case (total of 36 hours), and, more importantly, better ANC, better microphone quality for calls, and better features for Android users—that's all according to PCMag's "excellent" review. These earbuds with with Google Fast Pair, which seamlessly pairs the Beats Studio Buds+ to your phone (or any Chrome device linked to your Google account). Android users can also download the Beats app to customize tap functions on the earbuds, set ANC mode controls, enable a location-based function for finding a lost pair, and receive firmware updates. The Studio Buds+ microphones are good at isolating your voice and blocking out environmental noise, and the ANC is among the best you can find in the sub-$100 price range. The IPX4 water-resistance rating make these great gym earbuds too. If you're looking for a solid pair of earbuds with a great fit, incredible ANC for its price, crisp call quality, and a companion app for under $100, the Studio Buds + are your best option right now. View the full article

I've tried all kinds of time-tracking apps over the years and they can be helpful, but it's easy to get bogged down in the numbers. Sometimes all you need is a little self-awareness about how long you've been on the computer, either all day or during the current session, without the burden of long-term metrics. Pandan is a totally free Mac app from indie app developer Sindre Sorhus that that does exactly that. The application mostly lives in the menu bar, telling you how long your current computing session has been. You can click the menu bar icon to see how long the previous session was and how long you've been on your computer today. Credit: Justin Pot You can also dig into the history, if you want—the applications goes back 180 days. But history isn't the point of this application, which is very much not a time-tracking app—Sorhus recommends looking into Screen Time if you want to track longterm trends. Pandan is instead about gently reminding you how long you've been on the computer so you can be aware of that. The settings let you set up an optional reminder when you've been on your computer for a particular amount of time. These can take the form of a macOS notification, a pop-up near the menu bar icon, or a HUD in the middle of the screen as seen at the top of this article. The idea is to remind yourself to get up or do some stretches. You can even trigger an Apple Shortcut if you want, which means you can set up your computer to do all sorts of things when it's time for a break. I can't exactly explain everything Apple Shortcuts can do—it's a powerful tool—but know that this means you could do things like load particular applications or play a custom sound when you've been on your computer for a certain amount of time. And Pandan can also be triggered using Apple Shortcuts, meaning you could use it as part of productivity automations you've already set up. That's all power user stuff, though. For most people this application doesn't need to do anything other than the basics, and that's telling you—at a glance—how long you've been at your computer. It's very good at that, and completely free, all from a developer with a great reputation. Check it out if you're interested. View the full article

The European Union’s law enforcement agency cautioned Tuesday that artificial intelligence is turbocharging organized crime that is eroding the foundations of societies across the 27-nation bloc as it becomes intertwined with state-sponsored destabilization campaigns. The grim warning came at the launch of the latest edition of a report on organized crime published every four years by Europol that is compiled using data from police across the EU and will help shape law enforcement policy in the bloc in coming years. “Cybercrime is evolving into a digital arms race targeting governments, businesses and individuals. AI-driven attacks are becoming more precise and devastating,” said Europol’s Executive Director Catherine De Bolle. “Some attacks show a combination of motives of profit and destabilization, as they are increasingly state-aligned and ideologically motivated,” she added. The report, the EU Serious and Organized Crime Threat Assessment 2025, said offenses ranging from drug trafficking to people smuggling, money laundering, cyber attacks and online scams undermine society and the rule of law “by generating illicit proceeds, spreading violence, and normalizing corruption.” The volume of child sexual abuse material available online has increased significantly because of AI, which makes it more difficult to analyze imagery and identify offenders, the report said. “By creating highly realistic synthetic media, criminals are able to deceive victims, impersonate individuals and discredit or blackmail targets. The addition of AI-powered voice cloning and live video deepfakes amplifies the threat, enabling new forms of fraud, extortion, and identity theft,” it said. States seeking geopolitical advantage are also using criminals as contractors, the report said, citing cyber-attacks against critical infrastructure and public institutions “originating from Russia and countries in its sphere of influence.” “Hybrid and traditional cybercrime actors will increasingly be intertwined, with state-sponsored actors masking themselves as cybercriminals to conceal their origin and real disruption motives,” it said. Polish Interior Ministry Undersecretary of State Maciej Duszczyk cited a recent cyberattack on a hospital as the latest example in his country. “Unfortunately this hospital has to stop its activity for the hours because it was lost to a serious cyber-attack,” boosted by AI, he said. AI and other technologies “are a catalyst for crime, and drive criminal operations’ efficiency by amplifying their speed, reach, and sophistication,” the report said. As the European Commission prepares to launch a new internal security policy, De Bolle said that nations in Europe need to tackle the threats urgently. “We must embed security into everything we do,” said European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner. He added that the EU aims to provide enough funds in coming years to double Europol’s staff. —Mike Corder, Associated Press View the full article

If you wanted to play some tunes on your iPhone this afternoon, but found nothing would play, it's not just you: As of Tuesday afternoon ET, Apple Music is down. Apple's System Status website currently confirms Apple Music's downtime. As of this piece, the site shows the following status for Apple Music: Apple Music - Outage Today, 2:26 PM - ongoing Some users are affected Users may be experiencing intermittent issues with this service. All other Apple services, including the App Store, FaceTime, iMessage, and all iCloud services, are currently online. I first saw the news thanks to 9to5Mac's Chance Miller. Both Miller and I are personally not experiencing any issues with Apple Music. In fact, as I write this piece, I'm streaming the same Lo-Fi Breeze playlist I've been playing all afternoon. I've tested it on both my iPhone and my Mac, making sure to stream music and not to play downloaded tracks, and I've encountered zero issues. The service has definitely worked for me since 2:26 p.m., so it's not clear how widespread this Apple Music outage actually is. But if you are having trouble getting Apple Music to work this afternoon, know you aren't alone, and that it likely isn't something on your end. Apple will likely have a fix out as soon as possible for whatever is causing the outage; so, in the meantime, sit tight, and play some music on YouTube. View the full article

It’s never been a more complicated time to be a marketer, but connecting with consumers in a meaningful way is as important as ever. For brands like Liquid Death, GoDaddy, and Taco Bell, that sometimes means embracing another product or experience entirely—think: an adult diaper for concerts, celebrity-created goggle glasses, or a live experience for taco fans. Of course, not every risk pays off. But when a weird idea works, it can really work, as marketers from the three brands shared during a panel discussion at the Fast Company Grill at SXSW. “The power of an idea that can transcend channels and reach and connect with consumers is really important,” said Taylor Montgomery, chief marketing officer in North America at Taco Bell. When Taco Bell dreamed up its first Live Mas Live event in 2024, Taylor recalled how the team didn’t know if anyone would watch or like an event modeled after the Apple tech launches—but for tacos. Live Mas Live was just cool and weird enough to work, however, so Taco Bell held its second such event earlier this month in Brooklyn, ensuring a vast majority of invitees were diehard fans, he added. “It is a way to invite consumers in to have a relationship with the brand and for us to be just really real and raw and vulnerable and authentic,” Montgomery told the audience. “We try to stay really anchored on what’s in it for the fans.” The comedic connection Comedy can be a good entry for finding a new audience and converting them to fans. Liquid Death has done several collaborations with not-obvious collaborating brands, and even launched items that have very little direct relevance to the brand’s lineup of beverages. Late last year, Liquid Death collaborated with Depend on a limited-edition, metal-inspired $75 “Pit Diaper” so that music fans wouldn’t have to brave the bathrooms at a concert—and it sold out within hours, said Dan Murphy, senior vice president of marketing. It’s also found success with past collaborations on new products with brands like Yeti, E.l.f. Beauty, and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream. The goal, Murphy said, is to combine Liquid Death with an unexpected brand to reach a new audience and have fun. Often, the result is a parody of marketing or humorous content that “doesn’t smell like an ad” and creates engagement with consumers and the media, he added. “The metrics you should look for are saves and shares,” Murphy said. “If somebody’s going to go back and watch that again, if somebody’s sharing that with a friend, there’s that viral coefficient that is telling you you’re doing it right.” Revising the playbook GoDaddy took a similar approach with a Super Bowl ad this year that followed actor Walton Goggins using the company’s artificial intelligence-powered tools to launch a small business: Walton Goggins Goggle Glasses. As with Liquid Death’s diaper, consumers can actually buy the sunglasses and the ad marked the company’s return to the biggest advertising day of the year after an eight-year hiatus. “Our take was if we’re going to show back up at the Super Bowl, we’ve got to do something wacky and weird enough that people get pulled into the story, but the story has to be true, has to be authentic, and ultimately it’s got to be about the evolution of the products that we’re selling,” said Fara Howard, chief marketing officer at GoDaddy. For people who may recall the controversy-laden ads that made GoDaddy a household name in the first place, this year’s ad illustrated the transformation journey the brand has been undergoing for several years. “Being bold, taking risks has been what put us on the map to begin with,” Howard said. “Using that playbook, but in really different ways, has been our strategy.” Finding what works Of course, not every weird idea resonates with consumers. Murphy said that’s why Liquid Death opts for a “small bets approach” that helps it de-risk because it instead churns out a lot of content that often costs about $30,000. Brands with much larger budgets often miss the mark by mistaking their idea for more than it is. “It’s very easy internally to think your content is great when it’s really not, when it’s just an ad,” Murphy said. “People don’t like ads.” Liquid Death’s goal is to be “the funniest thing in your feed” on a given day, Murphy said, and the marketing team workshops ideas with comedians using a Hollywood-style writer’s room approach—which means keeping the non-funny operational people out of the room. Likewise, Howard said it’s important to know whose feedback isn’t a necessary part of the creative process. “All you’re going to do is make a saltine cracker,” she said. “If you ask everyone, do you like it, do you like it, do you like it, do you like it? And you take their feedback. All you’re going to do is water down the work.” Finally, it’s important not to get stuck looking backwards but to forge on when an idea doesn’t work, Montgomery said. Despite a lot of hype around Taco Bell’s launch of a Cheez-It Crunchwrap Supreme, it didn’t deliver what consumers wanted, but he said the company found success with other ideas. “There are always going to be setbacks; listen to the consumer, but just keep swinging,” Montgomery advised marketers in the audience. “If you’re not failing, you’re not trying.” View the full article

Nvidia indulged all your artificial intelligence fantasies on Tuesday at what was being called the “Super Bowl of AI.” The chip giant’s GPU Technology Conference (GTC) was held at the SAP Center in San Jose on Tuesday, and it was—you guessed it—all about AI. Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang made several large announcements during a two-hour keynote, with plenty of meat to keep AI-hungry consumers and businesses happy. That includes partnerships with large automakers to build autonomous vehicles and even personal AI supercomputers that sit right on your desktop. Here are some of the key announcements from Huang’s keynote: GM partnership: General Motors selects Nvidia to build out its self-driving vehicle fleet, incorporating the technology in manufacturing and enterprise centers, in addition to in-vehicle features. Nvidia Dynamo: Dynamo is, in essence, the operating system of an AI factory, which will help companies process information to streamline AI capabilities. DGX Spark and DGX Station: New desktop “personal AI supercomputers” that are powered by Nvidia’s Grace Blackwell platform. The DGX Spark was announced earlier this year under the name “Digits” and will retail for $3,000. Robotics: Huang talked at length about the coming iteration of “physical AI,” which includes robotics, and announced a joint project between DeepMind and Disney Research for a new robotics platform called “Newton.” Huang was even joined onstage by a Disney-like robot that resembled the titular character from Wall-E. Huang noted that “the time has come for robots,” as the world is experiencing a shortage of human workers. We’re “50 million short,” he said, which is what will spur the robotics revolution. With generative AI now in widespread use, and agentic AI becoming ever-more ubiquitous, it’s only a matter of time before robots and other types of “physical AI” become commonplace, too. As such, Nvidia is keen on creating the infrastructure and technology to power it all. Investors didn’t seem too enthused by the keynote, however. Prior to the keynote, shares of Nvidia Corp (Nasdaq: NVDA) were trading at around $118 per share, down roughly 1.5% during intraday trading. After it concluded around 3:15 p.m. ET, shares continued to sag. The stock was down more than 3.4% as of late-afternoon trading on Tuesday. View the full article

Struggling to get enough spinach in your diet? Rather than rustling up a salad or green smoothie, one TikToker has a rather unusual hack to ensure she hits her daily greens goal. “I call it dinosaur time,” TikTok user @sahmthingsup said in a video posted last month, wherein she stands over the sink and stuffs handfuls of raw spinach into her mouth. While it may not be the most appetizing way to consume the leafy greens, the food “hack” has already racked up more than one million views. “For added enrichment, put on a dinosaur documentary,” one user commented. Another added: “My life changed when I realized I could do this with any food I should be getting more of.” In an interview with the New York Post, @sahmthingsup explained that she started eating raw greens as a way of managing her macronutrient-rich diet. Assembling salads every day was time-consuming; when she saw a Facebook post that suggested eating handfuls of spinach over the sink, it was a lightbulb moment. “I thought it was genius, so I decided to do the same and it worked beautifully,” she told the Post. Since it reminded her of a Brachiosaurus eating leaves from the tree in the film Jurassic Park, she decided to call it dinosaur time. And thus a trend was born. Packed with essential vitamins and minerals while being low in calories, spinach is a superfood when it comes to overall health. Rich in vitamin A, C, and K1, as well as iron, calcium, and folate, getting enough spinach in your diet supports immune function, bone health, and red blood cell production. While rawdogging handfuls of spinach may not be everyone’s idea of a fun snack, @sahmthingsup confessed that during dinosaur time, she channels Spike after he hatches out of his egg in the film The Land Before Time. The video somehow found its way onto the radar of Stu Krieger, writer of the 1998 film. He gave the hack his stamp of approval, commenting, “This might be the best channeling of Spike I’ve ever seen.” 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. Online security and an ad-free browsing can be expensive, but right now, StackSocial is offering the AdGuard Family Security Suite for just $49.99, bundling two services that would normally run you a lot more. You can also add the promo code GUARD5 to take off an additional $5, bringing the final cost of this sale down to $44.99. This bundle includes a five-year AdGuard VPN subscription (for up to 10 devices) and a lifetime Family Plan subscription to AdGuard Ad Blocker (covering up to 9 devices) across iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and common browsers like Chrome. Just note that this plan is only for new users, and you need to redeem your code within 30 days of buying. Unlike free VPNs that might log and sell user data, AdGuard operates with a strict no-logs policy, meaning that with AdGuard VPN, your browsing history will stay private. It also lets you connect to over 60 server locations worldwide, so you can bypass geo-restrictions, access region-locked content, and keep your online activity hidden from prying eyes. Whether you're working remotely, streaming content from another country, or just trying to protect your information on public wifi, this VPN encrypts your data with industry-standard AES-256 encryption, preventing ISPs, hackers, and advertisers from tracking you. And with support for up to 10 devices, you can secure your phone, laptop, tablet, and your family’s gadgets under one plan. The AdGuard Ad Blocker Family Plan takes care of the other internet headaches too, blocking pop-ups, banners, and video ads across browsers and apps, meaning you get faster page loads and a cleaner experience without autoplay videos or sketchy pop-ups trying to trick you into clicking. Unlike most ad blockers that only work in browsers, AdGuard’s system-level filtering works on apps too, giving you cleaner feeds on social media and ad-free experiences on mobile games. It also includes advanced parental controls, letting you filter out inappropriate content to create a safer browsing environment for kids. The $45 deal with the promo code GUARD5 runs through March 30. View the full article