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ASUS and AMD jointly introduced the new ASUS Expert P Series commercial PC lineup at the AMD Press Conference during Computex 2025, unveiling a full portfolio of AI-powered desktop, all-in-one, laptop, and mini PC devices designed specifically for small and mid-sized businesses. The lineup includes the ExpertBook P3 laptop series, ExpertCenter P700 and P600 desktops and all-in-ones, and the ExpertCenter PN54 Mini PC—all powered by AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processors and equipped with Copilot+ capabilities to meet the increasing demands of modern workplaces and AI-driven tasks. “Our partnership with ASUS has been a tremendous success — initially in the consumer and gaming sectors — and we’re excited to build on that momentum as we expand into the commercial space,” said Jack Huynh, SVP and GM of AMD’s Computing and Graphics Group. “This powerful new solution is designed to meet the growing demands of AI workloads, offering businesses unparalleled speed, efficiency, and scalability for AI-driven applications and innovation worldwide.” The ExpertBook P3 Series—available in 14-inch (PM3406) and 16-inch (PM3606) variants—features up to AMD Ryzen AI PRO 7 processors with 66 total system TOPS of AI performance and a 45W TDP. With a 70Wh battery, ExpertCool thermal technology, and a full metal chassis, the P3 is designed for professionals needing mobility and computing power. The devices also provide a wide array of I/O ports and long-term support, including 18 months of software stability, 24 months of availability, and a rigorous platform validation process. In desktop form, the ExpertCenter P700 Series makes its debut as ASUS’ first Copilot+ tower PC, available in mini tower (PM700MK) and small form factor (PM700SK) designs. With up to 50 TOPS of AI computing via dedicated NPU, a tool-free chassis, and MIL-STD-810H durability, the P700 is engineered for high performance in business environments. The ExpertCenter P600 Series represents ASUS’ first all-in-one Copilot+ PC, with 24-inch (PM640) and 27-inch (PM670) options. These AIOs deliver up to 50 TOPS of AI power for real-time content creation, feature a wide-view FHD touchscreen, retractable camera, and come with business-grade durability and Microsoft Copilot integration. Rounding out the series is the ExpertCenter PN54 Mini PC, a compact yet powerful device that brings Copilot+ performance to space-constrained workspaces like retail setups and kiosks. Despite its size, the PN54 supports intelligent multitasking and accelerated workflows, extending AI capabilities to more flexible environments. “We’re proud to deepen our collaboration with AMD as we usher in a new era of AI-powered computing,” said S.Y. Hsu, ASUS Co-CEO. “With the addition of the new Expert series… we aim to deliver next-gen AI experiences that empower users everywhere.” Each device in the Expert P Series includes ASUS AI ExpertMeet, an on-device assistant offering AI-powered translation, meeting summaries, and transcription, with all data processed locally for enhanced privacy. Security is bolstered with ExpertGuardian, a business-grade protection suite covering hardware, firmware, and software. Systems meet NIST SP 800-155 compliance, include TPM 2.0, and receive five years of BIOS and driver update support. ASUS also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting businesses with flexible service options and efficient IT management, offering comprehensive support for deployment, maintenance, and scaling. While the spotlight was on the Expert Series for business, ASUS also unveiled new consumer and gaming products at the Computex exhibition, including the ROG GM700, a flagship desktop featuring AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processors and Radeon RX 9070 XT graphics, built for peak gaming performance. Image: Asus This article, "ASUS and AMD Launch AI-Powered Expert P Series PCs for Business at Computex 2025" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Hurricane season officially begins in 10 days. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced today that the U.S. is likely to see an above-average number of hurricanes this year, with 13–19 named storms, six to 10 hurricanes, and three to five major hurricanes. It’s not just hurricane season, but disaster season in general. Recent tornadoes have killed dozens of people. As the summer progresses, there’s a bigger risk of both extreme heat and wildfires. (The nonprofit Union of Concerned Scientists calls May through October “danger season,” and points out that the risk of major hurricanes, floods, heat waves, and fires keeps getting significantly worse because of climate change.) We’re not ready for the next big disaster. At NOAA, which collects crucial data and makes forecasts, more than 1,000 employees have been fired or took retirement offers because of DOGE. The administration also wants to cut NOAA’s budget by around 30%. At FEMA, an internal memo last week said that the agency’s normal process to prepare had been “derailed by other activities like staffing and contracts.” At least 2,000 of the agency’s roughly 6,000 full-time employees have left or plan to leave. “I think Americans are going to start seeing after a major disaster that the response they normally see from FEMA is just not there,” says Joel Scata, a senior attorney at the nonprofit NRDC. “They’re going to be left fending for themselves. They’re going to be left wondering where FEMA staff are because FEMA doesn’t have the capacity to address it right now.” Some changes are already apparent. In St. Louis, a historic 23-mile-long tornado killed five people, injured 38, and caused more than $1.6 billion in damages on May 19. Despite the scale of the disaster, FEMA was slow to arrive. Republican lawmaker Josh Hawley had to beg for help. In Mississippi, the state is still waiting for approval of a disaster declaration for tornadoes that happened two months ago. The President suggested “maybe getting rid of FEMA,” shortly after taking office, and Kristi Noem, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said in March that she wanted to “eliminate” FEMA. Project 2025, the policy blueprint that the The President administration is closely following, calls for moving the responsibility for disasters to states. The President has echoed that idea. But states aren’t ready to fill the gap. Right now, states depend on support from FEMA, including through grants for emergency management and preparedness. “Those grants have been put on pause,” says Scata. “Other grants that would really help states prepare and shoulder some more of the burden that the The President administration keeps pushing them to do have also been cut. So they’re kind of putting states in a position where they’re saying, ‘You need to take on more responsibility,’ but also undercutting their ability to take on more responsibility.” FEMA’s newly appointed head, David Richardson, reportedly admitted this month that the agency didn’t yet have a plan for hurricane season. Richardson, who doesn’t have a background in emergency management, also seemed unfamiliar with what his job entailed. “I feel a little bit like Bubba from Forrest Gump,” he said in a recent video viewed by the Wall Street Journal. “We’ve got hurricanes, we’ve got fires, we’ve got mudslides, we’ve got flash floods, we’ve got tornadoes, we’ve got droughts, we’ve got heat waves and now we’ve got volcanoes to worry about.” At NOAA, DOGE’s push to cut employees and funding could potentially impact forecasting. Weather balloons record data, such as wind speeds, used in forecasts. But the National Weather Service has started reducing balloon launches. Ocean buoys measure temperature, a key factor in forecasting hurricanes. They require regular maintenance, which will be more challenging with fewer employees. (At a press conference today, however, NOAA said that it’s continuing to roll out more accurate models for forecasting, and emphasized that it believes it’s fully prepared for the upcoming hurricane season.) The The President administration is also pushing to shut down a research division that includes “hurricane hunters” who fly into oncoming storms to gather more data to predict a hurricane’s path and strength. Proposed budget cuts would also gut research on climate change and models to improve future forecasting. Grants to help communities become more resilient to disasters have also been cut. Some National Weather Service field offices are now severely short staffed and scrambling to try to find more employees, including offices in Texas and Louisiana. At the moment, some don’t have regular overnight coverage. At the offices, meteorologists take warnings from the National Hurricane Center and localize the information, predicting where flooding and other impacts may hit hardest, and working with local emergency managers to plan evacuations. While other offices can provide remote support, and employees can work extra shifts if a severe storm is predicted, the shortages will strain the remaining staff. Brian LaMarre, who recently accepted an early retirement offer at the Tampa Weather Forecast Office, says he still expects the National Hurricane Center to provide excellent data. But if staff shortages continue in local offices, the people who need to provide critical coverage in emergencies could quickly burn out. “We make it work, but is it sustainable? Probably not,” LaMarre says. “Because the more active the weather becomes, you can only do that so many times before burning people out, and morale gets impacted. That’s why hiring needs to start and there needs to be real strong congressional and public support for the National Weather Service. It’s a public safety mission. The weather knows no bias when it comes to politics. The weather impacts everyone the same.” In a statement, a National Weather Service spokesperson said, “The National Weather Service continues to meet its core mission of providing life-saving forecasts, warnings, and decision support services to the public, our partners and stakeholders. In the near term, NWS has updated the service level standards for its weather forecast offices to manage impacts due to shifting personnel resources.” The spokesperson didn’t comment on whether the agency had an exemption from a current federal hiring freeze. NOAA was short-staffed even before DOGE began aggressively trying to push more people out. “NWS staff will have an impossible task to continue its current level of services,” all five former National Weather Service directors wrote in a recent open letter about the DOGE cuts and proposed budget cuts. “Some forecast offices will be so short-staffed that they may be forced to go to part-time services. Our worst nightmare is that weather forecast offices will be so understaffed that there will be needless loss of life.” View the full article

Bond yields are shooting up for the second time in as many months. Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller attributes the volatility to concerns about rising national debt levels. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you don't have a streaming stick, the Aurzen BOOM Mini 4-in-1 Smart Projector stands out for its integrated streaming capabilities with built-in Google TV that lets you choose from over 10,000+ apps, including Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and Hulu. It also offers full access to the Google ecosystem with a hands-free Google Assistant and multi-device casting. Households with children can utilize Kids Mode, which manages screen time and filters content, and HDMI inputs let you connect to other devices like gaming consoles—and it's 20% off right now. Aurzen BOOM Mini Smart Projector $349.99 at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal $349.99 at Amazon Visually, the Aurzen BOOM mini packs a punch. Its 500 ANSI Lumens brightness is suitable for dimly lit environments, while the Native 1080p resolution offers crisp, HD visuals with 4K support. Amazon reviewers appreciate the Google TV integration and also highly rank the visuals, mentioning that the device offers vibrant, accurate colors and excellent clarity in a range of lighting settings. However, they note that it may have limitations in a brightly lit room. Users are equally impressed by the immersive 20W Dolby Audio Speakers, which many say remove the need for external speakers. A couple of folks mentioned that the sound system may lack depth and bass in outdoor or noisy settings. To enhance sound quality, this projector features Bluetooth connectivity, enabling you to pair an external audio system for a more personalized listening experience. Additionally, features like keystone correction and auto-focus make setup more straightforward, while a tilt feature allows for flexible projection angles. While this projector can be used outdoors, it may not be ideal for camping or situations where power access is limited, as it requires a constant power source, which limits its overall portability. While it might not replace a premium home theater system, with an average of 4.8 stars on Amazon and a $70 discount, it’s a versatile and user-friendly option for those seeking a compact projector. View the full article

The increase reflects a broader trend that rating agency analysts are watching closely as depository ties to other types of financial institutions grow. View the full article

Move follows the ousting of former leader Sheikh Hasina amid allegations of embezzlementView the full article

Every tech product you own has a “lifespan,” and I'm not referring to how long you use it before it stops working, you break it, or decide to buy a new one. Instead, this is how long the device will be officially supported by its maker—a timeframe that could be shorter or longer than how long it will actually last. Apple guarantees it will continue supporting products at least five years after it stops selling them. Once those five years are up, Apple can deem that device “vintage." Apple recently classified two more of its products as vintage: the iPhone 7 Plus (2016) and some iPhone 8 models (2017)—while the 64GB and 256GB iPhone 8 models are now vintage, the 128GB is not. The last time Apple did this, it labeled the iPhone XS Max (2018) and the iPhone 6S Plus (2015) as vintage. In addition, Apple now classifies two previously "vintage" iPads as "obsolete," the iPad Air 2 (2014) and the iPad mini 2 (2013). So what exactly does it mean for an Apple product to be classified as “vintage," and what happens when a vintage product becomes “obsolete”? What it means when Apple classifies a product as "vintage""Vintage" in Apple-land doesn't actually mean a product is "old" or that you should stop using it—nor does it imply you'll be able to sell it to collectors for a profit. When an Apple device becomes “vintage,” that product is no longer guaranteed by Apple to be repairable at an Apple Store or other authorized service provider. In many cases, Apple will also stop issuing routine software updates for that device. Apple's official definition of vintage is a product the company stopped selling more than five years ago, but fewer than seven. Because the company stops selling some devices sooner than others, you end up with some interesting discrepancies when it's time to mark devices as vintage. Apple sold the 128GB iPhone 8 for longer than the other storage variants, so it isn't eligible for this vintage label yet. (You can find a full list of all vintage and obsolete devices on Apple’s support site.) Despite the reduction in support, vintage Apple devices will still work (reclassification isn’t some sort of internal kill switch) and some devices may even continue to receive system updates if they support the latest operating systems or if a major security flaw needs to be patched. (Despite its vintage status, the XS Max supports iOS 18, for example.) It’s even possible you could get one repaired, if the parts are available. Just don't be surprised if an Apple Genius or an Apple-authorized vendor turns you away. Once a product is more than seven years old, it graduates from vintage to a different category: “obsolete.” Apple’s "obsolete" listLike vintage products, devices listed as “obsolete” will operate as normal as long as the hardware is in working condition. However, obsolete products lose virtually all hardware support. The only exception is MacBooks, which may allow for a battery replacement up to 10 years after the product was last available for sale. You shouldn't expect the latest version of iOS to work on an obsolete iPhone, and software updates will also likely be a thing of the past. In rare cases though, Apple may supply security updates to obsolete iPhones: All iPhone 6S models still receive security updates, including the 32GB 6S Plus, which is obsolete. These shifts in service priority can be frustrating if you’re still rocking older tech and don’t feel like upgrading, but the policy makes sense, given the current market realities: At the rate that both hardware and software iterate, diverting resources to keep outdated devices afloat is difficult and costly. However, even if an Apple Store turns your iPhone 8 away for repair, independent repair shops may still help you out for some time to come—even when the 8 eventually becomes "obsolete." View the full article

It seems like a triumph for a cryptocurrency industry that has long sought mainstream acceptance: Top investors in one of President Donald The President’s crypto projects invited to dine with him at his luxury golf club in Northern Virginia on the heels of the Senate advancing key pro-crypto legislation and while bitcoin prices soar. But Thursday night’s dinner for the 220 biggest investors in the $The President meme coin has raised uncomfortable questions about potentially shadowy buyers using the anonymity of the internet to buy access to the president. While Democrats charge that The President is using the power of the presidency to boost profits for his family business, even some pro-The President crypto enthusiasts worry that the president’s push into meme coins isn’t helping their efforts to establish the credibility, stability and legitimacy they had thought his administration would bring to their businesses. After feeling unfairly targeted by the Biden administration, the industry has quickly become a dominant political force, donating huge sums to help The President and crypto-friendly lawmakers. But that’s also served to tether the industry—sometimes uncomfortably—to a president who is using crypto as a platform to make money for his brand in unprecedented ways. “It’s distasteful and an unnecessary distraction,” said Nic Carter, a The President supporter and partner at the crypto investment firm Castle Island Ventures, who said the president is “hugging us to death” with his private crypto businesses. “We would much rather that he passes common-sense legislation and leave it at that.” Concerns about The President’s crypto ventures predate Inauguration Day At the swanky Crypto Ball held down the street from the White House three days before he took office on Jan. 20, The President announced the creation of the meme coin $The President as a way for his supporters to “have fun.” Meme coins are the crypto sector’s black sheep. They are often created as a joke, with no real utility and prone to extremely wild price swings that tend to enrich a small group of insiders at the expense of less sophisticated investors. The president’s meme coin is different, however, and has a clear utility: access to The President. The top 25 investors of $The President are set to attend a private reception with the president Thursday, with the top four getting $100,000 crypto-themed and The President-branded watches. The President’s meme coin saw an initial spike in value, followed by a steep drop. The price saw a significant increase after the dinner contest was announced. Its creators, which include an entity controlled by the The President Organization, have made hundreds of millions of dollars by collecting fees on trades. First lady Melania The President has her own meme coin, and The President’s sons, Eric and Don Jr.—who are running the The President Organization while their father is president—announced they are partnering with an existing firm to create a crypto mining company. The The President family also holds about a 60% stake in World Liberty Financial, a crypto project that provides yet another avenue where investors are buying in and enriching the president’s relatives. World Liberty has launched its own stablecoin, USD1. The project got a boost recently when World Liberty announced an investment fund in the United Arab Emirates would be using $2 billion worth of USD1 to purchase a stake in Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange. A rapidly growing form of crypto, stablecoins have values pegged to fixed assets like the U.S. dollar. Issuers profit by collecting the interest on the Treasury bonds and other assets used to back the stablecoins. Crypto is now one of the most significant sources of the The President family’s wealth. “He’s becoming a salesman-in-chief,” said James Thurber, an American University professor emeritus who has long studied and taught about corruption around the world. “It allows for foreign influence easily. It allows for crypto lobbying going on at this dinner, and other ways. It allows for huge conflicts of interest.” How The President changed his mind on crypto “I’m a big crypto fan,” The President told reporters aboard Air Force One during last week’s trip to the Middle East. “I’ve been that from the beginning, right from the campaign.” That wasn’t always true. During his first term, The President posted in July 2019 that cryptocurrencies were “not money” and had value that was “highly volatile and based on thin air.” “Unregulated Crypto Assets can facilitate unlawful behavior, including drug trade,” he added then. Even after leaving office in 2021, The President told Fox Business Network that bitcoin, the world’s most popular cryptocurrency, “seems like a scam.” The President began to shift during a crypto event at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida in May 2024, receiving assurances that industry backers would spend lavishly to get him reelected. Another major milestone came last June, when The President attended a high-dollar fundraiser at the San Francisco home of David Sacks. He further warmed to the industry weeks later, when The President met at Mar-a-Lago with bitcoin miners. The following month, he addressed a major crypto conference in Nashville, promising to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the planet.” Those close to The President, including his sons and billionaire Elon Musk, helped further push his embrace of the industry. Sacks is now the The President administration’s crypto czar, and many Cabinet members—including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—have long been enthusiastic crypto boosters. “I don’t have faith in the dollar,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a 2023 interview. “I’m bullish on bitcoin.” The President + crypto: A political marriage of convenience Many top crypto backers were naturally wary of traditional politics, but gravitated toward The President last year. They bristled at Democratic President Joe Biden ‘s Securities and Exchange Commission aggressively bringing civil suits against several major crypto companies. Since The President took office, many such cases have been dropped or paused, including one alleging that Justin Sun, a China-born crypto entrepreneur, and his company engaged in market manipulation and paid celebrities for undisclosed promotions. Sun, who once paid $6.2 million for a piece of art involving a banana taped to a wall, and then ate the banana, helped the The Presidents start World Liberty Financial with an early $75 million investment. Sun has disclosed on social media that he is the biggest holder of $The President meme coins and is attending Thursday’s dinner. “I’m excited to connect with everyone, talk crypto, and discuss the future of our industry,” Sun said. Are The President family profits hurting other crypto investors? The President has signed executive orders promoting the industry, including calls to create a government bitcoin reserve. In March, The President convened the first cryptocurrency summit at the White House. But some of the industry’s biggest names, often brash and outspoken, have kept mostly mum on The President’s meme coins and other projects. “It’s not my place to really comment on President The President’s activity,” Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said at a recent public event. Meanwhile, a top legislative priority for crypto-backers, a bill clarifying how digital assets are to be regulated, has advanced in the Senate. But some Democrats have tried to stall other pro-crypto legislation over the president’s personal dealings. “Never in American history has a sitting president so blatantly violated the ethics laws,” Democratic Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts said during a contentious House hearing earlier this month. The White House referred questions about dinner attendees to the The President Organization, which didn’t provide a list of who is coming. “The President is working to secure GOOD deals for the American people, not for himself,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement. In addition to Sun, however, some attendees have publicized qualifying for the dinner. Another will be Sheldon Xia, the founder of a cryptocurrency exchange called BitMart that’s registered in the Cayman Islands. “Proud to support President The President’s pro-crypto vision.” Xia wrote in both English and Chinese on social media. Thurber, the expert on government and ethics, said The President’s “personal attention to crypto at this dinner helps the crypto industry.” “But also it’s risky,” he said, “because they could all lose a lot of money.” —Will Weissert and Alan Suderman, Associated Press View the full article

The number of major housing markets with annual home price declines is the largest since late 2023, when average mortgage rates were above 7.5%. View the full article

Walmart Inc. is laying off approximately 1,500 employees in the United States in a bid to restructure as it works to keep up with fast-moving technological changes. The job cuts will impact corporate staff at the company’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, and other offices. Some workers losing their jobs include members of the global technology team, e-commerce fulfillment managers, and members of Walmart Connect, the company’s advertising business. Reached for comment, a Walmart representative shared with Fast Company a copy of the memo that was sent to staff on Wednesday afternoon. “We are reshaping some teams in our Global Tech and Walmart U.S. organizations where we have identified opportunities to remove layers and complexity, speed up decision-making, and help associates innovate rapidly,” the memo said. This isn’t the first report of layoffs for the big-box store this year. In February, Walmart laid off hundreds of workers and closed its North Carolina office. Some employers were asked to relocate to the retailer’s headquarters. Technology, not tariffs, cited for reason Many retailers are looking for ways to trim expenses to combat the rising cost of doing business due to tariffs. One way retailers are reacting is by passing on added costs to the consumer with price increases. Some companies are also reducing labor costs with layoffs, although Walmart told the Wall Street Journal that the current job cuts are not connected to tariffs. Rather, Walmart’s memo says, “The world of technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and reshaping our structure allows us to accelerate how we deliver and adapt to the changing environment around us.” At the same time, during Walmart’s first-quarter earnings call for fiscal 2026, CEO Doug McMillon shared that some products would be impacted by price increases due to tariffs. “Given the magnitude of the tariffs, even at the reduced levels announced this week, we aren’t able to absorb all the pressure given the reality of narrow retail margins,” McMillon warned. Over the weekend, President The President retaliated by lashing out on social media, suggesting that the company should absorb the costs instead of passing them onto consumers. Walmart employs approximately 1.6 million workers in the United States, making it the largest private employer in the country. The Wall Street Journal first reported the retailer’s plans to cut jobs on Wednesday. Walmart stock (NYSE: WMT) was mostly flat in late-morning trading on Thursday. Shares have increased roughly 6.77% year to date. View the full article

Failed UK start-up revised down revenues to just a quarter of prior estimatesView the full article

The unexpected drop to the slowest pace in seven months was driven by ongoing affordability constraints and is a lackluster start to the Spring selling season. View the full article

Panelists at the Mortgage Bankers Association's conference credited investors for helping create the conditions strengthening performance of non-QM portfolios. View the full article

The state's regulator said the insurer must show it will cover more homeowners, and be more transparent. Consumer advocates want more concessions, saying the insurance crisis can't be solved on the backs of homeowners. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. If you’ve bounced between gaming on a Switch, a PC, and maybe even your phone, the 8Bitdo Pro 2 makes a pretty solid case for itself, especially now that it’s going for $36.36 on Amazon (down from $49.99). This is the lowest it’s ever been, according to price tracking tools like Keepa. 8Bitdo Pro 2 Bluetooth Controller $36.36 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $49.99 Save $13.63 Get Deal Get Deal $36.36 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $49.99 Save $13.63 It’s shaped like an old-school SNES pad but handles like a modern DualShock, complete with a pair of hall effect joysticks, full-sized grips, and back buttons you can customize. It works wirelessly over Bluetooth or via USB, and supports Windows, Switch, Android, and Mac with a physical four-way switch (meaning no weird button combos to remember anymore). For more controller options across major consoles, PCMag has a helpful roundup of alternatives. Despite the retro aesthetic, this thing is far from basic. The 8Bitdo Pro 2 features dual hall effect joysticks, a responsive D-pad, all the standard face and shoulder buttons, plus programmable P1 and P2 back paddles for added control. For players who like tweaking their setup, 8Bitdo’s Ultimate Software lets you remap nearly every button, fine-tune stick sensitivity, customize vibration intensity, and set macros—all via a wired connection, with the changes saved directly onto the controller. You also get three profile slots per system, letting you flip between layouts on the fly depending on the game. That said, if you’re using it with a Nintendo Switch, you’ll miss out on Amiibo scanning and wake-from-sleep functionality (the 8Bitdo Pro 2 doesn’t come with Joy-Con-specific perks). But you do get motion controls and a comfortable grip that rivals the official Pro Controller (at a much lower cost, notes this PCMag review). The 1,000mAh battery claims 20 hours of wireless playtime and can be swapped for AA batteries if needed. It won’t please die-hard competitive players looking for ultra-low latency or next-gen haptics, but if you just want an affordable, customizable, cross-platform controller that feels great in-hand, the 8Bitdo Pro 2 at this price is tough to beat. View the full article

Max still goes by Max for now, but the return to the original HBO Max branding is expected sometime this summer. In the meantime, the third season of HBO Original series The Gilded Age is set to drop in weekly installments starting June 22. The period drama, set in 1880s New York, stars Carrie Coon, Christine Baranski, and Cynthia Nixon, among others. On the movie slate, there's A24's Parthenope (June 6), a Paolo Sorrentino coming-of-age film set in Naples and starring Celeste Dalla Porta and Gary Oldman, and Cleaner (June 13), about radical activists in present-day London who take hostages at an energy company's annual gala in an attempt to expose corruption. Max is also getting The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (June 27) and the much-hyped A Minecraft Movie, a fantasy comedy film based on the video game and starring Jason Momoa, Jack Black, Danielle Brooks, Emma Myers, and Jennifer Coolidge. The movie debuted in theaters this spring and is listed as "coming soon" to Max. HBO Original documentaries coming in June include The Mortician, which will debut June 1—the three-episode run will dive deep into the family behind California's Lamb Funeral Home and its morally questionable practices. Zackary Drucker's Enigma (June 24) explores transgender legacy and identity through the stories of April Ashley and Amanda Lear, among others, while My Mom Jayne (June 27) follows actress Mariska Hargitay in her journey to learn more about her mom, who died when Hargitay was three. Max subscribers will also get a variety of live sports, including NHL playoff games as well as a handful of MLB and U.S. soccer matchups. Here's everything else coming to Max in June. What’s coming to Max in June 2025Available June 1A Hologram for the King (2016) A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) A Perfect Getaway (2009) Backtrack (2016) Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons (2022) Black Patch (1957) Blues in the Night (1941) Casino (1995) Fight Club (1999) Gentleman Jim (1942) Hellboy (2004) I Am Not Your Negro (2017) Igor (2008) Illegal (1955) In the Good Old Summertime (1949) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) Kid Glove Killer (1942) Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) My Scientology Movie (2017) Numbered Men (1930) One Foot in Heaven (1941) Parasite (2019) Presenting Lily Mars (1943) Pride & Prejudice (2005) Public Enemies (2009) Reign of the Supermen (2019) Serenade (1956) Silver River (1948) Spaceballs (1987) Split (2017) Strike Up the Band (1940) Summer Stock (1950) Superman: Man of Tomorrow (2020) Superman: Red Son (2020) Superman: Unbound (2013) Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (2009) Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943) The Death of Superman (2018) The Fighting 69th (1940) The Harvey Girls (1946) The Hunger Games (2012) The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 (2014) The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (2015) The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017) The Match King (1932) The Mayor of Hell (1933) The Mortician (HBO Original) The Nitwits (1935) The Prince and the Pauper (1937) The Sea Chase (1955) The Sea Hawk (1940) The Sunlit Night (2019) The Verdict (1946) They Made Me a Criminal (1939) This Side of the Law (1950) Three Faces East (1930) Three Strangers (1946) Total Drama Island, Season 2 (Cartoon Network) Wagons West (1952) Words and Music (1948) You'll Find Out (1940) Ziegfeld Follies (1946) Available June 2BBQ Brawl, Season 6 (Food Network) Available June 3Bullet Train (2022) Ugliest House in America, Season 6 (HGTV) Available June 41000-lb Roomies, Season 1 (TLC) Fatal Destination, Season 1 (ID) Available June 5Bea's Block, Season 1C (Max Original) Chespirito: Not Really on Purpose, Season 1 (Max Original) Available June 6House Hunters International: Volume 9, Season 201 (HGTV) Parthenope (A24) Available June 10Virgins, Season 1 (TLC) Available June 11Guy's Grocery Games, Season 38 (Food Network) Available June 12Bitchin' Rides, Season 11 Mini Beat Power Rockers: A Superheroic Night (Discovery International) Available June 13Cleaner (2025) House Hunters: Volume 10, Season 240 (HGTV) Maine Cabin Masters, Season 10 (Magnolia Network) Super Sara (Max Original) Toad & Friends, Season 1B Available June 16Hero Ball, Season 3B Available June 17Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports: Animal Pharm (CNN Originals, 2025) Super Mega Cakes, Season 1 (Food Network) Available June 19Expedition Unknown, Season 15 (Discovery) Mystery At Blind Frog Ranch, Season 5 (Discovery) Available June 20House Hunters: Volume 10, Season 241 (HGTV) Lu & The Bally Bunch, Season 1C (Cartoon Network) Now or Never: FC Montfermeil (Max Original) Teen Titans Go!, Season 9B (Cartoon Network) Available June 21The Kitchen, Season 38 (Food Network) The Never Ever Mets, Season 2 (OWN) Available June 22The Gilded Age, Season 3 (HBO Original) Available June 23Match Me Abroad, Season 2 (TLC) Available June 24Enigma (HBO Original) Mean Girl Murders, Season 3 (ID) The Invitation (2022) Available June 25Rehab Addict, Season 10 (HGTV) Available June 27House Hunters: Volume 10, Season 242 (HGTV) My Mom Jayne (HBO Original) Pati, Seasons 1&2 (Max Original) The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie (2025) Available June 29#Somebody's Son, Season 1 (OWN) Family or Fiancé, Season 4 (OWN) Available June 30 90 Day Fiancé: Pillow Talk, Season 11 (TLC) Truck U, Season 21 View the full article

The LA Art Book Fair returned this weekend with a new venue and a renewed sense of intention. Now in its eighth edition, the fair took over ArtCenter College of Design’s South Campus in Pasadena, California, transforming classrooms, courtyards, and even the rooftop of a Subaru Outback into vibrant hubs of independent publishing. Produced remotely by Printed Matter’s New York team, the fair was made possible through deep collaboration with LA’s creative community. Still reeling from January’s wildfires, the city’s small press scene showed up with resilience and purpose, supported by mutual aid efforts and fee waivers for affected publishers. At a time when book bans, cultural conservatism, and generative AI are reshaping the creative landscape, LAABF 2025 was a celebration of subculture, radical publishing, and the enduring power of print. Across more than 300 exhibitors from 26 countries, LAABF offered up hand-bound zines, risograph prints, speculative fiction, surreal artist books, and design ephemera, and was a welcome counterpoint to the algorithmic flattening of culture we currently view through our screens. Here’s a roundup of our favorite finds from LAABF. In Dreams Begin Responsibilities: A Jonathan Rosenbaum Reader, published by Hat & Beard Press Spanning film, literature, and jazz, this sweeping retrospective brings together 100 of Jonathan Rosenbaum’s sharpest essays from nearly six decades of cultural criticism. Published by Los Angeles-based indie press Hat & Beard, the collection reveals how these three art forms intertwine in Rosenbaum’s singular worldview. Best known for his influential film writing at the Chicago Reader, Rosenbaum also weaves in deep reflections on music and literature, building a kind of critical manifesto. Expect essays on Stanley Kubrick, Chantal Akerman, Thomas Pynchon, Duke Ellington, and beyond, all filtered through Rosenbaum’s iconoclastic lens. Cult Classic Magazine: 06 Magnetism Cult Classic issue 06 explores the unseen threads that bind creative culture. Centered on ideas of mirroring, manifestation, and momentum, the issue reflects on what draws us together, and what keeps us moving forward. With three cover variations to choose from, readers will find conversations with artists, musicians, designers, and writers who are shaping the future of culture. From underground music to indie fashion, Cult Classic continues to document the pulse of creative communities with depth, and eclectic vision. THE DOME: Throat Heart Mouth Earth, by Carly Jean Andrews; published by Secret Headquarters Secret Headquarters redefines the comic book store with a sharply curated, design-forward approach to graphic storytelling. Known for its focus on comic book culture, the shop showcases an exceptional selection of graphic novels, trade paperbacks, and monthly titles. One must-see title to debut at LAABF was THE DOME: Throat Heart Mouth Earth by LA-based illustrator Carly Jean Andrews, a kaleidoscopic, spiral-bound collection of self-portraits that blends vintage maximalist aesthetics with the artist’s signature explorations of the female form. Each copy comes with a silkscreened thong printed with one of Andrew’s original drawings in a surprise color. Time, Myth and Matter, by LD Deutsch; published by Sacred Bones Blending science, speculation, and storytelling, Time, Myth and Matter is the debut essay collection from LD Deutsch, published by Brooklyn-based record label Sacred Bones. Across five expansive essays, including revised versions of her cult zines and one never-before-published piece, Deutsch explores how we use both technology and myth to make sense of reality. Deutsch moves between the cosmic and the personal, drawing unexpected connections between consciousness, physics, and narrative. It’s a genre-defying read that sits comfortably between philosophy, pop culture, and futurism. A Toolkit for Gathering, by Rachel Berger, with Meg Bisineer, Sara Dean, and Janette Kim; published by Draw Down Books Tired of the same old conference formats? This inventive guide, created by Rachel Berger with Meg Bisineer, Sara Dean, and Janette Kim, offers a fresh take on how artists, designers, and thinkers can gather with more purpose and creativity. Originally developed during a two-day residency at This Will Take Time and later shaped through the uncertainty of the early days of the pandemic, the book is packed with tools, prompts, and strategies to help make professional meetups more meaningful, and a lot less boring. Think poetic icebreakers, alternative structures, and replicable ideas for reimagining how we come together. Newly updated with a foreword by Draw Down Books founders, Christopher and Kathleen Sleboda, this slim, beautifully designed volume is both practical and inspirational. LANDLINES: San Luis Valley (Journey Into the American West), by M12 studio; published by Spector Books Spanning a four-year engagement by M12 STUDIO, LANDLINES is a 400-page volume exploring Colorado’s San Luis Valley, a vast alpine basin shaped by diverse landscapes and layered histories. Situated over 10,000 feet above sea level between the Sangre de Cristo and San Juan mountain ranges, The Valley has long been a crossroads of intersecting worlds: indigenous lands, Spanish and Anglo settlements, and a surprising range of religious communities, from Catholic to Amish to Hindu. Its landscapes carry traces of adobe architecture, ancient waterways, potato and cannabis farms, volcanic remnants, and folklore swirling with cryptids, UFO sightings, and folk music. LANDLINES blends research-driven storytelling with evocative imagery, offering a rare and multifaceted portrait of the rural Southwest. Organizing Power: Volume 1, by Jessalyn Aaland with Ana Fox-Hodess and Nat Naylor; published by Current Editions Organizing Power: Volume 1 is a pocket-size guide to starting a union at your workplace. Created by Jessalyn Aaland with Ana Fox-Hodess and Nat Naylor, this zine-style handbook has already helped workers organize institutions like the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Wexner Center for the Arts. Originally developed during Aaland’s fellowship at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, the saddle-stitched booklet adapts trusted labor organizing resources with added insights from the authors. The risograph cover design gives a nod to the Whole Earth Catalog aesthetic, grounding the project in a legacy of DIY empowerment. BUGUE – Issue No. 1, by Liana Jegers; published by Caboose Part field guide, part personal zine, Bugue is a tender love letter to the overlooked wonders of backyard nature. Created by Liana Jegers, this debut issue zooms in on the flora and fauna just outside her door, and offers meditations on the hidden world beneath our feet. Printed on soft newsprint and filled with lush photography and hand-drawn illustrations, Bugue brings a slow, observational approach to nature writing, grounded in the hyperlocal and the everyday. View the full article

Chinese automaker BYD sold more electric vehicles in Europe than Tesla for the first time, according to a report by JATO Dynamics, as an aging model lineup and CEO Elon Musk’s politics hurt demand for the U.S. EV maker’s cars. BYD, which also makes plug-in hybrid vehicles, registered 7,231 battery-powered electric vehicles (BEV) in Europe in April, while Tesla registered 7,165 units, the market research firm said. “This is a watershed moment for Europe’s car market, particularly when you consider that Tesla has led the European BEV market for years, while BYD only officially began operations beyond Norway and the Netherlands in late 2022,” JATO Dynamics’ global analyst Felipe Munoz said. Demand for electric vehicles in Europe remains steady. BEV registrations surged 28% in April from last year, largely driven by Chinese car brands. Despite the EU’s imposition of tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, registrations of such cars increased 59% in the month from a year earlier, while carmakers from Europe, Japan, South Korea and the United States recorded 26% growth. WEAK TESLA DEMAND The company reported its first drop in annual deliveries last year, and analysts expect another fall this year after a 13% decline in the first quarter. Musk said earlier this week that Tesla had already turned around sales, and demand was strong in regions apart from Europe. His political views have triggered waves of protests against Tesla in the U.S. and Europe, leading to a slump in sales. Additionally, production halts to retool factories to make the redesigned Model Y crossover globally caused a drop in manufacturing and sales in the first quarter. Analysts have also attributed lower sales to customers waiting for less-expensive versions of the new Model Y, Tesla’s best-selling vehicle, to become more widely available. —Akash Sriram in Bengaluru, Reuters View the full article

Twelve states on Wednesday urged a federal court to strike down President Donald The President’s sweeping taxes on imports, saying he had exceeded his authority, left U.S. trade policy dependent on his whims and unleashed economic chaos. They are challenging tariffs that The President imposed last month on most of the countries in the world in an effort to reverse America’s massive and longstanding trade deficits. They are also targeting levies the president had earlier plastered on imports from Canada, China and Mexico to combat the illegal flow of immigrants and the synthetic opioids across the U.S. border. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York on Wednesday heard arguments in the states’ case. Last week, the trade court held a hearing in a similar challenge to The President’s tariffs brought by five small businesses. The court specifically deals with civil lawsuits involving international trade. Its decisions can be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington and ultimately to the Supreme Court, where the legal challenges to The President’ tariffs are widely expected to end up. At least seven lawsuits are challenging the levies, the centerpiece of The President’s trade policy. Declaring that the United States’ trade deficits add up to a national emergency, The President invoked the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEPPA) and rolled out 10% tariffs on many countries on April 2—“Liberation Day,” he called it. He imposed stiffer “reciprocal” tariffs of up to 50% on countries that sell more goods to the United States than the U.S. sells them. (The President later suspended those higher tariffs for 90 days.) The states argue that the emergency economic powers act does not authorize the use of tariffs. Even if it did, they say, the trade deficit does not meet the law’s requirement that an emergency be triggered only by an “unusual and extraordinary threat.” The U.S. has run a trade deficit with the rest of the world for 49 consecutive years. “This is not an unusual problem,” Brian Marshall, an Oregon state attorney, told the judges Wednesday. The The President administration argues that courts approved President Richard Nixon’s emergency use of tariffs in a 1971 economic crisis. The Nixon administration successfully cited its authority under the 1917 Trading With Enemy Act, which preceded and supplied some of the language used in IEPPA. Brett Shumate, the assistant U.S. attorney general representing the administration, argued Wednesday that only Congress, and not the courts, can determine the “political” question of whether the president’s rationale for declaring an emergency complies with the law. That argument led Judge Jane Restani to ask if courts were helpless to block the president’s emergency declarations no matter how “crazy” they were. The President’s Liberation Day tariffs shook global financial markets and led many economists to downgrade the outlook for U.S. economic growth. So far, though, the tariffs appear to have had little impact on the world’s largest economy. The 12 states pursuing the case are Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, and Vermont. —Paul Wiseman, AP Economics Writer View the full article

Sponsored Post Key Takeaways Instagram’s Importance: Instagram is a vital platform for small businesses, offering opportunities for brand visibility and customer engagement among over a billion users. Effective Content Strategies: High-quality visuals, engaging stories, and user-generated content can significantly enhance a small business’s marketing presence on Instagram. Community Building: Fostering connections through community engagement and networking can build customer loyalty and create mentorship opportunities. Performance Metrics: Regularly tracking engagement rates and content performance helps optimize strategies for better results and targeted marketing efforts. Niche Relevance Matters: Follow accounts that align with your industry to gain insights and inspiration that can aid in targeted marketing and growth strategies. Top Accounts to Follow: Influential accounts like @garyvee and @entrepreneur offer valuable tips and industry insights that can guide small business owners on their entrepreneurial journey. In the bustling world of social media, Instagram stands out as a powerful platform for small businesses to showcase their brand and connect with customers. With over a billion active users, it’s a treasure trove of inspiration and potential growth. But with so many accounts out there, how do you find the best ones that can guide you on your entrepreneurial journey? Discovering the right Instagram accounts can spark creativity and provide invaluable insights into effective marketing strategies. From eye-catching visuals to engaging storytelling, these accounts not only highlight successful tactics but also foster a sense of community among small business owners. Ready to elevate your Instagram game? Let’s dive into the best accounts that can help you thrive in the competitive landscape of small business. Overview of Instagram for Small Businesses Instagram serves as a powerful tool for small businesses, providing unique opportunities for brand exposure and customer engagement. With over a billion active users, it’s essential to develop a compelling presence that resonates with your target audience. Use its features to showcase your products or services effectively. You can leverage Instagram for marketing in several ways. You can share high-quality visuals to highlight your offerings, engage with potential customers through stories, and encourage user-generated content to promote your brand organically. Investing time in content marketing through well-crafted posts can significantly boost your visibility. Building a strong community on Instagram fosters connections that drive customer loyalty. You can connect with fellow entrepreneurs, potential collaborators, and industry influencers, creating opportunities for networking and mentorship. Engaging regularly with your followers enhances interactions and encourages repeat visits to your account. Tracking performance metrics is crucial for refining your marketing strategy. Monitoring engagement rates helps you identify what resonates with your audience and adjust your approach accordingly. By understanding insights like reach and impressions, you can optimize your content for better results. When you utilize Instagram as part of your growth strategy, consider integrating it with your overall business plan. Align your social media efforts with your broader marketing goals, ensuring your brand message is consistent across different platforms. Developing a cohesive online presence across social media and your website strengthens brand recognition. Embrace innovation on Instagram by experimenting with new features and trends. Utilize tools like Instagram Shopping to streamline the purchasing process directly from your posts, enhancing customer experiences and driving sales. By staying adaptable, you can keep your business relevant and thriving in a competitive marketplace. Incorporating Instagram into your overall strategy is essential for boosting customer acquisition. Use targeted marketing techniques to reach your desired audience effectively. With diligent planning and execution, Instagram can become a vital part of your small business toolkit. Criteria for Selecting the Best Accounts Identifying the best Instagram accounts requires assessing a few key criteria. Focus on engagement metrics, content quality, and niche relevance to enhance your small business’s marketing strategies. Engagement Metrics Assess accounts based on high engagement rates that include likes, comments, saves, and shares. These metrics indicate how well content resonates with the target audience. For example, Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) and Entrepreneur Magazine (@entrepreneur) exemplify high engagement rates, driven by interactive and valuable content that attracts attention. Track follower growth rates as well; accounts with consistent increases often demonstrate effective engagement and robust content strategies. Content Quality Examine the quality of content shared. High-quality visuals and professional posts attract and retain followers. Brands like Gucci (@gucci) and GoPro (@gopro) succeed due to their polished content and engaging behind-the-scenes posts. Prioritize accounts that deliver visually appealing and relevant content that speaks to your industry to enhance your brand’s image. Niche Relevance Select accounts that align closely with your niche. Relevant content fosters connections with your target audience and positions your brand within the right market space. Determine areas of common interest, such as startup innovation, digital marketing, or e-commerce strategies. Engaging with accounts that cater specifically to your niche can provide valuable insights and inspiration to drive your own business goals. Top Instagram Accounts for Small Business Discovering effective Instagram accounts can provide small business owners with insights and inspiration. Here are two standout accounts to follow for valuable content. Account 1: Highlights and Strategies Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) Gary Vaynerchuk is an entrepreneur and marketing expert. His Instagram account is filled with practical business tips and motivational content. Gary emphasizes the power of engagement through Instagram Live, often hosting Q&A sessions that create direct connections with his audience. His stories and posts reflect authenticity, showcasing real experiences in business growth and branding. Following Gary can enhance your understanding of digital marketing strategies and customer acquisition techniques. Account 2: Highlights and Strategies Entrepreneur Magazine (@entrepreneur) Entrepreneur Magazine’s Instagram account offers an array of content tailored for small business owners. You’ll find success stories, essential business tips, and industry news that help you navigate challenges. The account emphasizes market research insights and features valuable information on business registration and funding options. This consistent delivery of relevant content supports your entrepreneurial journey and helps you develop effective growth strategies. Account 3: Highlights and Strategies Small Business Administration (@sbagov) The Small Business Administration’s Instagram account focuses on resources and support for small businesses. The highlights include information on legal structure, financing methods, and guidance on how to start a business. You’ll also find updates on grants, loans, and other funding opportunities. Their educational posts assist you in understanding the essential elements of a solid business plan, enabling you to approach entrepreneurial challenges with confidence. Tips for Leveraging Instagram for Your Small Business Maximize your Instagram presence by implementing key strategies tailored for small businesses. A proactive approach enhances customer acquisition and brand recognition. Building a Strong Brand Identity Cultivate a unique brand identity by maintaining a consistent visual style on your Instagram. Select a color palette, typography, and imagery that reflect your brand’s personality. Use your bio to convey your business model succinctly, including your products or services and target audience. Showcase high-quality images of your offerings, ensuring visual appeal attracts potential customers. Incorporate relevant hashtags to increase visibility and engagement with your posts. Align your content with your marketing goals to establish a recognizable presence in your niche. Engaging with Your Audience Engage with your audience regularly to foster relationships that drive loyalty. Utilize Instagram Stories and polls for real-time interactions, creating a sense of community among followers. Respond to comments and direct messages quickly, demonstrating your commitment to customer service. Share user-generated content, encouraging followers to showcase their experiences with your products. Leverage insights to understand your audience’s preferences better and refine your marketing strategies accordingly. Collaborate with influencers or other small businesses to extend your reach and tap into new customer segments, enhancing brand awareness within your industry. Conclusion Embracing Instagram for your small business can transform your marketing strategy and enhance customer relationships. By following the right accounts and implementing effective practices, you can gain valuable insights and inspiration to elevate your brand. Remember to engage authentically with your audience and leverage the platform’s unique features. As you explore the best accounts to follow, keep refining your approach based on what resonates with your audience. With dedication and creativity, Instagram can become a powerful ally in your entrepreneurial journey, driving growth and fostering a loyal community around your brand. Frequently Asked Questions Why is Instagram important for small businesses? Instagram is crucial for small businesses due to its vast user base of over a billion active accounts. It offers an excellent platform for brand visibility, customer engagement, and community building. By sharing high-quality visuals and interacting with followers, businesses can enhance their marketing efforts and connect better with potential customers. How can small businesses leverage Instagram effectively? Small businesses can leverage Instagram by maintaining a consistent visual style, using high-quality images, and engaging with their audience through stories and polls. Sharing user-generated content and collaborating with influencers will also help boost brand awareness and customer loyalty. What are key criteria for selecting Instagram accounts to follow? When selecting Instagram accounts to follow, consider engagement metrics like likes and comments, content quality, and niche relevance. Accounts with high engagement rates and professional visuals provide valuable insights and inspiration to help enhance your marketing strategy. Which Instagram accounts should small business owners follow? Small business owners should follow accounts like Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) for motivational business tips, Entrepreneur Magazine (@entrepreneur) for industry news and advice, and the Small Business Administration (@sbagov) for resources and support tailored to small businesses. How do performance metrics impact Instagram marketing strategies? Tracking performance metrics helps businesses understand which content resonates with their audience. Analyzing likes, comments, and engagement rates allows small businesses to refine their marketing strategies and create content that drives customer acquisition and brand recognition. What role does user-generated content play on Instagram? User-generated content plays a significant role in fostering trust and engagement. Sharing customers’ photos and experiences enhances brand authenticity and loyalty, as it encourages community involvement and showcases real-life uses of products or services. How can small businesses build a community on Instagram? To build a community on Instagram, small businesses should engage regularly with their audience by responding to comments, sharing stories, and hosting interactive polls. Collaborating with other brands and participating in discussions can further enhance connection and loyalty among followers. What innovative features should small businesses use on Instagram? Small businesses should embrace innovative features like Instagram Shopping and Stories to enhance user experience. Utilizing these tools allows businesses to showcase products, engage customers, and drive sales effectively, making the shopping experience seamless for users. Image Via Envato This article, "Top Instagram Accounts Every Small Business Owner Should Follow for Success" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Sponsored Post Key Takeaways Instagram’s Importance: Instagram is a vital platform for small businesses, offering opportunities for brand visibility and customer engagement among over a billion users. Effective Content Strategies: High-quality visuals, engaging stories, and user-generated content can significantly enhance a small business’s marketing presence on Instagram. Community Building: Fostering connections through community engagement and networking can build customer loyalty and create mentorship opportunities. Performance Metrics: Regularly tracking engagement rates and content performance helps optimize strategies for better results and targeted marketing efforts. Niche Relevance Matters: Follow accounts that align with your industry to gain insights and inspiration that can aid in targeted marketing and growth strategies. Top Accounts to Follow: Influential accounts like @garyvee and @entrepreneur offer valuable tips and industry insights that can guide small business owners on their entrepreneurial journey. In the bustling world of social media, Instagram stands out as a powerful platform for small businesses to showcase their brand and connect with customers. With over a billion active users, it’s a treasure trove of inspiration and potential growth. But with so many accounts out there, how do you find the best ones that can guide you on your entrepreneurial journey? Discovering the right Instagram accounts can spark creativity and provide invaluable insights into effective marketing strategies. From eye-catching visuals to engaging storytelling, these accounts not only highlight successful tactics but also foster a sense of community among small business owners. Ready to elevate your Instagram game? Let’s dive into the best accounts that can help you thrive in the competitive landscape of small business. Overview of Instagram for Small Businesses Instagram serves as a powerful tool for small businesses, providing unique opportunities for brand exposure and customer engagement. With over a billion active users, it’s essential to develop a compelling presence that resonates with your target audience. Use its features to showcase your products or services effectively. You can leverage Instagram for marketing in several ways. You can share high-quality visuals to highlight your offerings, engage with potential customers through stories, and encourage user-generated content to promote your brand organically. Investing time in content marketing through well-crafted posts can significantly boost your visibility. Building a strong community on Instagram fosters connections that drive customer loyalty. You can connect with fellow entrepreneurs, potential collaborators, and industry influencers, creating opportunities for networking and mentorship. Engaging regularly with your followers enhances interactions and encourages repeat visits to your account. Tracking performance metrics is crucial for refining your marketing strategy. Monitoring engagement rates helps you identify what resonates with your audience and adjust your approach accordingly. By understanding insights like reach and impressions, you can optimize your content for better results. When you utilize Instagram as part of your growth strategy, consider integrating it with your overall business plan. Align your social media efforts with your broader marketing goals, ensuring your brand message is consistent across different platforms. Developing a cohesive online presence across social media and your website strengthens brand recognition. Embrace innovation on Instagram by experimenting with new features and trends. Utilize tools like Instagram Shopping to streamline the purchasing process directly from your posts, enhancing customer experiences and driving sales. By staying adaptable, you can keep your business relevant and thriving in a competitive marketplace. Incorporating Instagram into your overall strategy is essential for boosting customer acquisition. Use targeted marketing techniques to reach your desired audience effectively. With diligent planning and execution, Instagram can become a vital part of your small business toolkit. Criteria for Selecting the Best Accounts Identifying the best Instagram accounts requires assessing a few key criteria. Focus on engagement metrics, content quality, and niche relevance to enhance your small business’s marketing strategies. Engagement Metrics Assess accounts based on high engagement rates that include likes, comments, saves, and shares. These metrics indicate how well content resonates with the target audience. For example, Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) and Entrepreneur Magazine (@entrepreneur) exemplify high engagement rates, driven by interactive and valuable content that attracts attention. Track follower growth rates as well; accounts with consistent increases often demonstrate effective engagement and robust content strategies. Content Quality Examine the quality of content shared. High-quality visuals and professional posts attract and retain followers. Brands like Gucci (@gucci) and GoPro (@gopro) succeed due to their polished content and engaging behind-the-scenes posts. Prioritize accounts that deliver visually appealing and relevant content that speaks to your industry to enhance your brand’s image. Niche Relevance Select accounts that align closely with your niche. Relevant content fosters connections with your target audience and positions your brand within the right market space. Determine areas of common interest, such as startup innovation, digital marketing, or e-commerce strategies. Engaging with accounts that cater specifically to your niche can provide valuable insights and inspiration to drive your own business goals. Top Instagram Accounts for Small Business Discovering effective Instagram accounts can provide small business owners with insights and inspiration. Here are two standout accounts to follow for valuable content. Account 1: Highlights and Strategies Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) Gary Vaynerchuk is an entrepreneur and marketing expert. His Instagram account is filled with practical business tips and motivational content. Gary emphasizes the power of engagement through Instagram Live, often hosting Q&A sessions that create direct connections with his audience. His stories and posts reflect authenticity, showcasing real experiences in business growth and branding. Following Gary can enhance your understanding of digital marketing strategies and customer acquisition techniques. Account 2: Highlights and Strategies Entrepreneur Magazine (@entrepreneur) Entrepreneur Magazine’s Instagram account offers an array of content tailored for small business owners. You’ll find success stories, essential business tips, and industry news that help you navigate challenges. The account emphasizes market research insights and features valuable information on business registration and funding options. This consistent delivery of relevant content supports your entrepreneurial journey and helps you develop effective growth strategies. Account 3: Highlights and Strategies Small Business Administration (@sbagov) The Small Business Administration’s Instagram account focuses on resources and support for small businesses. The highlights include information on legal structure, financing methods, and guidance on how to start a business. You’ll also find updates on grants, loans, and other funding opportunities. Their educational posts assist you in understanding the essential elements of a solid business plan, enabling you to approach entrepreneurial challenges with confidence. Tips for Leveraging Instagram for Your Small Business Maximize your Instagram presence by implementing key strategies tailored for small businesses. A proactive approach enhances customer acquisition and brand recognition. Building a Strong Brand Identity Cultivate a unique brand identity by maintaining a consistent visual style on your Instagram. Select a color palette, typography, and imagery that reflect your brand’s personality. Use your bio to convey your business model succinctly, including your products or services and target audience. Showcase high-quality images of your offerings, ensuring visual appeal attracts potential customers. Incorporate relevant hashtags to increase visibility and engagement with your posts. Align your content with your marketing goals to establish a recognizable presence in your niche. Engaging with Your Audience Engage with your audience regularly to foster relationships that drive loyalty. Utilize Instagram Stories and polls for real-time interactions, creating a sense of community among followers. Respond to comments and direct messages quickly, demonstrating your commitment to customer service. Share user-generated content, encouraging followers to showcase their experiences with your products. Leverage insights to understand your audience’s preferences better and refine your marketing strategies accordingly. Collaborate with influencers or other small businesses to extend your reach and tap into new customer segments, enhancing brand awareness within your industry. Conclusion Embracing Instagram for your small business can transform your marketing strategy and enhance customer relationships. By following the right accounts and implementing effective practices, you can gain valuable insights and inspiration to elevate your brand. Remember to engage authentically with your audience and leverage the platform’s unique features. As you explore the best accounts to follow, keep refining your approach based on what resonates with your audience. With dedication and creativity, Instagram can become a powerful ally in your entrepreneurial journey, driving growth and fostering a loyal community around your brand. Frequently Asked Questions Why is Instagram important for small businesses? Instagram is crucial for small businesses due to its vast user base of over a billion active accounts. It offers an excellent platform for brand visibility, customer engagement, and community building. By sharing high-quality visuals and interacting with followers, businesses can enhance their marketing efforts and connect better with potential customers. How can small businesses leverage Instagram effectively? Small businesses can leverage Instagram by maintaining a consistent visual style, using high-quality images, and engaging with their audience through stories and polls. Sharing user-generated content and collaborating with influencers will also help boost brand awareness and customer loyalty. What are key criteria for selecting Instagram accounts to follow? When selecting Instagram accounts to follow, consider engagement metrics like likes and comments, content quality, and niche relevance. Accounts with high engagement rates and professional visuals provide valuable insights and inspiration to help enhance your marketing strategy. Which Instagram accounts should small business owners follow? Small business owners should follow accounts like Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) for motivational business tips, Entrepreneur Magazine (@entrepreneur) for industry news and advice, and the Small Business Administration (@sbagov) for resources and support tailored to small businesses. How do performance metrics impact Instagram marketing strategies? Tracking performance metrics helps businesses understand which content resonates with their audience. Analyzing likes, comments, and engagement rates allows small businesses to refine their marketing strategies and create content that drives customer acquisition and brand recognition. What role does user-generated content play on Instagram? User-generated content plays a significant role in fostering trust and engagement. Sharing customers’ photos and experiences enhances brand authenticity and loyalty, as it encourages community involvement and showcases real-life uses of products or services. How can small businesses build a community on Instagram? To build a community on Instagram, small businesses should engage regularly with their audience by responding to comments, sharing stories, and hosting interactive polls. Collaborating with other brands and participating in discussions can further enhance connection and loyalty among followers. What innovative features should small businesses use on Instagram? Small businesses should embrace innovative features like Instagram Shopping and Stories to enhance user experience. Utilizing these tools allows businesses to showcase products, engage customers, and drive sales effectively, making the shopping experience seamless for users. Image Via Envato This article, "Top Instagram Accounts Every Small Business Owner Should Follow for Success" was first published on Small Business Trends 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’m nearly positive the first biscuit iteration I ever ate was a Bisquick drop biscuit. While my mom was a well-practiced savory cook, she usually baked from boxes. That was just fine by me and my brothers. But as I grew fond of baking myself, I was pretty surprised when I learned that baking biscuits from scratch was not quite like Bisquick. Simple? Sure. But only where the ingredient list is concerned. In fact, the simpler the ingredient list, the more difficult some types of foods are to make. Biscuits are a great example of the illusion of ease in baking. There’s a balance to strike between shortening gluten and strengthening gluten, adding richness and maximizing lift, and then there’s the question of what to eat it with. This week’s cookbook spotlight shines onto Still We Rise, a cookbook that contains every type of biscuit—from those that can suffice as a butter-slathered side dish to others that are a vital source of comfort. A bit about the bookStill We Rise dropped in 2023 from the owner and chef of Bomb Biscuit Company, Erika Council. You might think to yourself: How many recipes for biscuits could there possibly be? A lot, in fact. There are over 70 recipes in this book—yes, for different types of biscuits, but also for jams and spreads, as well as recipes for savory, stacked biscuit sandwiches. Aside from serving as a collection of easy-to-follow biscuit recipes for you to enjoy, you’ll find anecdotes and one-page personal stories related to the recipes that follow. Council uses this cookbook as a place to tell the stories of accomplished female chefs, of her family, their experiences as Black people living in America in the 1940s and onward, and how the food cooked and shared by Council's family members has played a crucial role in how she connects to her past and present. The recipe I made this weekWhen I first chose the recipe I wanted to make this week, I was expecting a routine biscuit preparation. I chose the Sour Cream and Onion Biscuits, so I made sure to have flour ready, sour cream, green onions, and plenty of cold butter. I stretched my hands and prepared myself for several minutes of “cutting in” butter. That’s a process where you break cold butter into tiny pieces to eventually flatten them so they bake into flaky layers. You’ll see it often in pie crusts too. It’s like a hyper-lazy version of laminating dough, which you see in croissants and puff pastry. To put it bluntly, it’s pretty annoying, but biscuits taste good, so it’s worth it. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann I started mixing the dry ingredients in a bowl and scanned the page for the butter sequence. I scanned again. Where was the butter? Oh, there’s no butter—there’s no butter? (Well there was, but only a couple tablespoons for brushing on at the end.) This recipe uses sour cream and a splash of full-fat buttermilk to lend richness to the dough, and that’s it. No breaking up butter or shredding it with a grater? For those who don’t know off-hand what this news means in a practical sense, this recipe would potentially only take about 10 minutes to prepare. And it did. It was so easy to make. Too easy to make? I was suspicious at first, but the smell wafting from the oven dispelled my fears. The first thing I noticed when I bit into one was the hydration. This biscuit wasn’t your typical towering, flaky specimen, but instead a fluffed and tender oniony morsel. It wasn't wet or cake-y by any means, but it was nowhere near in danger of being a dry biscuit. I should have made a double batch because the sour cream prevented the biscuits from becoming hard or stale even after they had been sitting out for a day. A great cookbook for biscuits that fit your situationIt’s obvious that this is a biscuit cookbook; don’t come here looking for a pizza recipe (though there are pancakes in here). What’s special about this book is that there seems to be a biscuit for every possible need, limitation, or random craving. It speaks to more than simply a variety of toppings or mix-ins. There are recipes that don’t have butter in them, ones that use alternative fats like duck fat, biscuits with regular milk and some with buttermilk, recipes for sweet occasions, savory needs, quick and low-lift recipes, and more complex ones. I can easily see myself thinking, today I don’t have buttermilk and I need savory biscuits ready in 1 hour, so what can I make?—and finding a biscuit that matches my current pantry inventory and time needs. How to buy itI always recommend a jaunt to the local bookstore, but seeing as I couldn’t do it this week, I can’t blame you for ordering online either. I selected the hardcover this week, but if your cookbook bookshelf is getting tight, you can download the ebook for a steal. I’ll be keeping my copy right in the kitchen for strawberry and peach season. (There’s a Honey Roasted Peach Biscuit recipe in here that I have my eye on.) Still We Rise: A Love Letter to the Southern Biscuit with Over 70 Sweet and Savory Recipes $4.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $4.99 at Amazon View the full article

Lenovo has unveiled a new lineup of AI-powered desktop PCs and business monitors aimed at boosting workplace productivity, multitasking, and scalability across industries. The announcement, made on May 14, 2025, introduces the ThinkCentre M Series Gen 6 desktops and ThinkVision T Series Gen 40 monitors—both built to meet the increasing demand for AI-ready computing environments. The ThinkCentre M Series Gen 6 includes towers, compact desktops, and all-in-one (AIO) systems designed to deliver scalable power and enterprise-level security for businesses of all sizes. Each desktop is engineered to support AI workloads such as model training, data analysis, and 3D visualization. Powered by Intel® Core Ultra 9 Processors, with configurations supporting Intel vPro® Enterprise, the M Series Gen 6 offers top-end TOPS (trillions of operations per second) performance and up to eight expansion slots in tower models like the M90t Gen 6. “Nearly half of businesses believe that AI-powered devices boost employee productivity, and 90 percent of those are already piloting, planning or exploring AI-powered PC rollouts,” said Johnson Jia, senior vice president of Lenovo’s Intelligent Devices Group. “Our latest ThinkCentre M Series Gen 6 desktops and ThinkVision T Series Gen 40 monitors power businesses of all sizes with scalable performance to unlock next-gen AI productivity and creativity.” For businesses with limited workspace, Lenovo offers a compact 1L form factor—ideal for sectors like healthcare, finance, and retail. Models such as the ThinkCentre M90q Gen 6 deliver full-size AI performance in a space-saving design, support up to four displays, and include an optional 30 TOPS discrete NPU for secure on-device AI processing. The ThinkCentre M90a Gen 6 AIO brings an immersive edge-to-edge display and clutter-free setup to the table. Designed for industries requiring 3D rendering and data visualization, it delivers up to 260 TOPS of AI processing, and features a 23.8” near-edgeless FHD display, 99% sRGB color accuracy, and a 120Hz refresh rate. Certified with EyeSafe® and IP55 water/dust resistance, it combines design and durability. These desktops come preloaded with Lenovo’s AI tools, including: Lenovo AI Now: a personal assistant designed to enhance workflow automation AI Turbo Engine: dynamically allocates system resources to optimize performance ThinkShield Security: includes dTPM 2.0 encryption, BIOS-level USB protection, and customizable port disablement Complementing the desktops, Lenovo’s ThinkVision T Series Gen 40 monitors offer energy-efficient, high-resolution displays ranging from WQHD to UHD, featuring 99% sRGB & BT.709 color accuracy and variable refresh rates from 48-120Hz. These displays include modern connectivity options such as USB-C® single-cable docking, and select models support up to 100W of power delivery, AI-powered VoIP tools, and modular conference hardware. Lenovo also emphasized its sustainability efforts. The new ThinkVision monitors use 95% post-consumer recycled plastic, are packaged plastic-free, and meet leading environmental certifications including ENERGY STAR®, TCO, and EPEAT Gold. For IT teams, Lenovo Display Fleet Manager (LDFM) allows centralized asset management and fast firmware updates to reduce downtime. Pricing and availability for the new lineup is as follows: Desktops: ThinkCentre M90t Gen 6: $1,039 ThinkCentre M90q Gen 6: $989 ThinkCentre M90a Gen 6: $1,399 Additional M70 and M90 models range from $959 to $1,719 Monitors: ThinkVision T24-40: $268 ThinkVision T27QD-40: $483 ThinkVision T34WD-40: $623 Other models range from $268 to $608 Image: Lenovo This article, "Lenovo Launches AI-Enhanced ThinkCentre Desktops and ThinkVision Monitors for Modern Workplaces" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Lenovo has unveiled a new lineup of AI-powered desktop PCs and business monitors aimed at boosting workplace productivity, multitasking, and scalability across industries. The announcement, made on May 14, 2025, introduces the ThinkCentre M Series Gen 6 desktops and ThinkVision T Series Gen 40 monitors—both built to meet the increasing demand for AI-ready computing environments. The ThinkCentre M Series Gen 6 includes towers, compact desktops, and all-in-one (AIO) systems designed to deliver scalable power and enterprise-level security for businesses of all sizes. Each desktop is engineered to support AI workloads such as model training, data analysis, and 3D visualization. Powered by Intel® Core Ultra 9 Processors, with configurations supporting Intel vPro® Enterprise, the M Series Gen 6 offers top-end TOPS (trillions of operations per second) performance and up to eight expansion slots in tower models like the M90t Gen 6. “Nearly half of businesses believe that AI-powered devices boost employee productivity, and 90 percent of those are already piloting, planning or exploring AI-powered PC rollouts,” said Johnson Jia, senior vice president of Lenovo’s Intelligent Devices Group. “Our latest ThinkCentre M Series Gen 6 desktops and ThinkVision T Series Gen 40 monitors power businesses of all sizes with scalable performance to unlock next-gen AI productivity and creativity.” For businesses with limited workspace, Lenovo offers a compact 1L form factor—ideal for sectors like healthcare, finance, and retail. Models such as the ThinkCentre M90q Gen 6 deliver full-size AI performance in a space-saving design, support up to four displays, and include an optional 30 TOPS discrete NPU for secure on-device AI processing. The ThinkCentre M90a Gen 6 AIO brings an immersive edge-to-edge display and clutter-free setup to the table. Designed for industries requiring 3D rendering and data visualization, it delivers up to 260 TOPS of AI processing, and features a 23.8” near-edgeless FHD display, 99% sRGB color accuracy, and a 120Hz refresh rate. Certified with EyeSafe® and IP55 water/dust resistance, it combines design and durability. These desktops come preloaded with Lenovo’s AI tools, including: Lenovo AI Now: a personal assistant designed to enhance workflow automation AI Turbo Engine: dynamically allocates system resources to optimize performance ThinkShield Security: includes dTPM 2.0 encryption, BIOS-level USB protection, and customizable port disablement Complementing the desktops, Lenovo’s ThinkVision T Series Gen 40 monitors offer energy-efficient, high-resolution displays ranging from WQHD to UHD, featuring 99% sRGB & BT.709 color accuracy and variable refresh rates from 48-120Hz. These displays include modern connectivity options such as USB-C® single-cable docking, and select models support up to 100W of power delivery, AI-powered VoIP tools, and modular conference hardware. Lenovo also emphasized its sustainability efforts. The new ThinkVision monitors use 95% post-consumer recycled plastic, are packaged plastic-free, and meet leading environmental certifications including ENERGY STAR®, TCO, and EPEAT Gold. For IT teams, Lenovo Display Fleet Manager (LDFM) allows centralized asset management and fast firmware updates to reduce downtime. Pricing and availability for the new lineup is as follows: Desktops: ThinkCentre M90t Gen 6: $1,039 ThinkCentre M90q Gen 6: $989 ThinkCentre M90a Gen 6: $1,399 Additional M70 and M90 models range from $959 to $1,719 Monitors: ThinkVision T24-40: $268 ThinkVision T27QD-40: $483 ThinkVision T34WD-40: $623 Other models range from $268 to $608 Image: Lenovo This article, "Lenovo Launches AI-Enhanced ThinkCentre Desktops and ThinkVision Monitors for Modern Workplaces" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. For a property owner, paint is an incredibly powerful tool. It’s a cheap and effective renovation in a can, a fun way to add some personality to your home, and a project that can be wrapped up in a weekend. Best of all, if you mess up your paint job, you can just paint over your mistakes. But the power of paint goes way beyond aesthetics. Paint can be formulated in different ways, with different effects, making it an easy, low-cost solution to a host of problems you might experience in your home—and I'm not talking about covering them up to pretend they aren't there. Choosing the right kind of paint can often be the most affordable solution, and is worth considering before you start taking out home equity loans to pay for a more invasive, disruptive fix. Here are eight problems that you might be able to take care of with the right paint. Slippery floors and stairsWhen I first moved into my current home, I slipped on our narrow, steep old stairs. I didn’t get seriously hurt, unless humiliation and emotional damage counts—but I could easily imagine a different outcome. Since changing the rise of the stairs was out of the question and my wife and I weren’t into carpeting, we decided to paint them with anti-slip paint. The stairs that tried to kill me, now coated in anti-slip paint. Credit: Jeff Somers It worked perfectly. Not only did the paint job turn out great, making the stairs look new, the slight grit the paint added to the surface means I haven’t slipped on those stairs in years. Anti-slip paint can be used indoors or outdoors (on slippery deck planks, for example), and on just about any surface—companies even make additives you can mix into any exterior or interior paint to transform it into anti-slip paint. If there are places in your home where you constantly worry about slipping and falling, a coat of anti-slip paint can take care of them. Cosmetic imperfectionsYou might think that covering imperfections like minor scratches, stains, or that hideous green color the previous owner used is the whole point of paint, and you would be right. But if the wall in question is especially problematic and you want to avoid re-doing the drywall or plaster or the tedious work of adding a skim coat, you might be able to hide those imperfections with a high-opacity trade paint. A trade paint is a professional formulation of paint that’s designed to be thicker and more opaque while offering better coverage and durability (you might see this referred to as “obliterating paint,” especially outside the U.S.). The paint you buy in the store is retail paint, and it’s usually formulated to keep costs down. Trade paint is for the professionals, and it costs more, but will do a much better job of covering up the sins on your walls because of its thickness, matte finish, and opacity. NoiseIf the problem in your house is noise—whether from inconsiderate neighbors or roommates from hell—a sound-deadening acoustic paint will definitely help. These paints are formulated to be thick and spongy when they cure, absorbing sound and reducing echo—no need to attach all kinds of foam baffles to every surface. Sound deadening paint won’t block all sound, especially if it’s only applied on one side of a wall. But it will reduce the level of noise that makes it through, and if you apply it to both sides of shared walls in sufficient thickness (you usually need at least three coats for maximum effectiveness) it will make an audible difference. Fire riskYour house burning down would definitely fall under the category of a “house problem.” Believe it or not, paint can help with that. Choosing a fire-retardant paint for your next interior paint project can turn your walls into firebreaks that will slow down a house fire. When these paints encounter fire, they quickly char over, forming a protective layer that resists the flames. It won’t completely stop the spread of a fire in your house, but it will buy you time to get your family to safety and call in the firefighters—and in a house fire, time is the most important factor. High utility billsIf your house is crazy expensive to heat or cool (or, if you’re really lucky, crazy expensive to heat and cool), you can make the situation a little better with paint in two ways: Paint your roof. Painting your flat roof with an appropriate roof coating can not only extend the lifespan of your roof, it can help bounce the sun’s rays away, lowering the temperature of your roof and reducing the heat that’s transferred to your home as a result. (Choosing a white paint for this job will be the most effective in cooling things down.) Use an insulating interior paint. Insulating paint is designed to augment existing insulation in your home—you can’t just slap a coat of it on an uninsulated wall or ceiling and get results. But it can help reduce temperature transfer and fluctuation inside your home if it’s applied correctly and in multiple coats (the more coats, the better it will work). If you’ve tried everything else to get your utility bills under control, throwing some insulating paint on the walls might help. Too-small roomsIt happens: You buy a house with loads of charm, and once you’re living in it you realize that the rooms are actually small and dark, because the people who built it were short and afraid of the Sun. Or something. If that’s your problem, you can try a bunch of different strategies to get more natural light into a room (or fake it), and one of the tricks you can try is paint: By choosing the right color intensity, saturation, and finish for your walls and ceilings, you can turn a small, dark space into a brighter one that at least seems larger. No, paint won’t suddenly make that huge armoire fit into your tiny bedroom, but it will at least make it feel possible. Moisture and moldIf you’re worried about a damp room and mold, or have a bathroom that isn’t well-ventilated and is thus susceptible to mold infestations, paint can help you out in two ways: Waterproofing paint or primer can help block moisture from seeping into the room in the first place. This isn’t magic—it’s not going to stop flowing water, and if you don’t take steps to mitigate flooding or poor drainage in or around your house no amount of waterproofing paint is going to help. But it can be very effective at reducing moisture in a room if applied correctly. Mold-resistant paint in damp areas like bathrooms, basements, or any room where the humidity is a concern can then help prevent mold from taking root. These paints have antimicrobial properties, so if you start off with a mold-free room and take steps to reduce moisture, using a mold-resistant paint will make a huge difference going forward. View the full article