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Ad revenue headlines missed the real story from Reddit's Q1 2026 earnings. The strategic shift for organic marketers runs much deeper than DAU numbers. The post The Reddit Earnings Story Most Marketers Missed appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Google proposed a number of changes to the EU in order to avoid fines from the European Union. One of those changes is around the site reputation abuse policy, which the EU watchdog said directly impacts a common and legitimate way for publishers to monetize their websites and content.View the full article

Google AdSense (and Ad Manager) will drop the browser back button trigger for vignette ads additional triggers due to the new Google search penalty for back button hijacking. Google AdSense will drop it on June 15, 2026, the day the search penalty goes into effect.View the full article

Hello again, and welcome back to Fast Company’s Plugged In. Upon hearing of a celebrity’s death, have you ever been startled to realize that they hadn’t left us long ago? That happened to me last weekend. Except the dearly departed in question wasn’t a person, but a company: Ask.com, the web property forever better known by its original brand, Ask Jeeves. For years, I wrote about Ask quite regularly. But when its owner, media conglomerate IAC (which is in the process of changing its own name to People Inc.), announced it had shut down the site as of May 1, it was its first time in the news in more than 15 years. The last time before that was in November 2010, when IAC gave up on Ask being a general-purpose search engine and turned it into a user-generated Q&A site. At some point in between those two moments, Ask had morphed into a bottom-feeding portal for articles so out of date that “10 Best Documentaries of 2022—So Far” was one of the headlines on its homepage when IAC pulled the plug. In other words, it’s been a long time since Ask.com mattered. And yet its demise inspired a flurry of nostalgic reveries, focused on its early days, original name, and cartoon butler mascot. That residual fondness reminded me that once upon a time, the company really had something. But instead of capitalizing on what it had created, it gave up—just before it might have been able to fulfill its vision. Ask Jeeves debuted in 1997, a moment of great expectations for the nascent field of internet search. As the web exploded with content, Ask Jeeves was one of a bevy of startups that emerged to organize it. Yahoo and AltaVista were the big dogs, but others included Excite, Lycos, HotBot, LookSmart, Northern Light, and WebCrawler. Meanwhile, a couple of Stanford graduate students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, were working on their own search algorithm. When Google launched in 2008, its results were clearly the best in the business, and its ascent was rapid. In 2001, Ask Jeeves responded by buying a startup called Teoma, whose relevance-ranking algorithm was a credible rival to Google’s PageRank. The move certainly felt like a sizable whoop at the time. Or at least it wasn’t yet a given that Google’s momentum was unstoppable. In 2003, however, Google overtook Yahoo as the dominant search site. After that, there was never a moment when Ask Jeeves, or anyone else, was poised to catch up. Google’s market share steamrolled to 90%-plus, leaving its rivals squabbling over what little remained. But even after IAC took control of Ask Jeeves—the conglomerate bought it for $2 billion in July 2005 and quickly eliminated the “Jeeves” from its name—you couldn’t accuse the site of doing too little in search of success. Instead, it was all over the place, flinging new ideas at the wall and barely waiting to see if they stuck before moving on to new ones. In June 2007, it released an all-new design that offered tons of useful features Google lacked at the time. By October of the following year, however, it had dumped many of them in favor of an experience that felt like warmed-over Google. As an IAC property, Ask advertised constantly on TV, but never landed on a brand promise that stuck. At one point, its commercials positioned the site as being for serious searchers who craved advanced tools. Then they claimed it offered “instant getification.” Sometimes they didn’t offer any reason to try it beyond the fact that it wasn’t Google. All along, I rooted for Ask, simply because even hapless competition for Google served consumers better than no competition at all. But it floundered so publicly that it wasn’t surprising when IAC downsized it to a mundane Q&A platform almost 16 years ago. Okay, back to 2026 and the eulogies inspired by Ask.com’s shuttering. As far as I can tell, nobody ever cherished that brand. But boy, did Ask Jeeves and its butler lodge themselves in people’s brains. The vast majority of headlines mentioned both, more than 20 years after they putatively entered retirement. (IAC did bring back Jeeves in the U.K. in 2009, in a more dynamic computer-rendered version who bore an eerie resemblance to its chairman, Barry Diller—or at least I thought so at the time.) In its pre-IAC period, Ask Jeeves bet big on the appeal of its affable, balding mascot, who it maintained was unrelated to writer P. G. Wodehouse’s legendarily capable manservant, though it added a credit to its homepage after the Wodehouse estate complained. A company representative told Salon’s David McDonough that it wanted to make the character as familiar as Popeye. In 1999, Jeeves rode on a float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade; the following year, he was upgraded to full balloon status. If you’d compiled a list of the internet’s most familiar fictional characters around the turn of the century, Jeeves would have been on it, along with the dancing baby, the Pets.com sock puppet, and BonzaiBuddy. Apparently IAC preferred a more modern, less whimsical image for its search engine. Still, when it did away with Jeeves, it torched a massive amount of brand equity. Ask also failed to build on its original potential in a more fundamental way. Ask Jeeves’s very name suggested that it wasn’t about searching the World Wide Web so much as getting answers to questions. Back then, it was a fuzzy distinction, since the answers you sought were generally scattered across the web. But even as IAC was exiting the search business, Google was working on a technology called the knowledge graph. When it appeared, in 2012, it dramatically increased the percentage of questions the search engine could answer without routing users to other sites. Ask Jeeves could have offered similar features had it remained in the game. If the site had held on as a search engine all the way into the generative AI age, it might have become the product it always aspired to be: an engaging, hyper-knowledgeable assistant with an uncanny ability to field questions on any topic. Today, Jeeves could also help us manage our calendars, buy stuff, and take care of personal and professional business far outside the realm of 1990s search engines. He could be the ultimate AI agent—and being personified as a cartoon butler would make perfect sense. (In 2023, Ask Jeeves cofounder Garrett Gruener told The Atlantic’s Charlie Warzel that he was proud of the product’s prescience and didn’t feel too bad about losing the search wars to Google.) As I was mulling over what might have been, it dawned on me that even if IAC failed to seize the opportunity to infuse Jeeves with AI, I could. Chatbots are adept at role-playing, a fact that is often disturbing. But their willingness to take on a persona let me whip up a prompt to turn any bot into a butler. Voilà: “Until I request otherwise, take on the role of Jeeves, an experienced, helpful, extraordinarily competent British butler. Respond to my prompts in a dignified, slightly reserved manner that is deferential but not obsequious. Behave as if you are a salaried employee but also sincerely concerned about looking out for me. Use information you know about my interests and habits to facilitate efficient and thoughtful responses. Decline to undertake any requests that are inappropriate.” Plugging in these instructions to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Copilot got me entertaining results—especially in the case of Claude, whose stock personality is crisp and professional in the first place. I don’t plan to use them forever, but resuscitating Jeeves for a few days seems like an appropriate way to mourn one of the 20th-century internet’s true giants. If you’re similarly inclined, give them a try in your favorite chatbot, and let me know what you think. You’ve been reading Plugged In, Fast Company’s weekly tech newsletter from me, global technology editor Harry McCracken. If a friend or colleague forwarded this edition to you—or if you’re reading it on fastcompany.com—you can check out previous issues and sign up to get it yourself every Friday morning. I love hearing from you: Ping me at hmccracken@fastcompany.com with your feedback and ideas for future newsletters. I’m also on Bluesky, Mastodon, and Threads, and you can follow Plugged In on Flipboard. More top tech stories from Fast Company A PC trade-in rush is on the way—and it’s coming at the worst possible time As millions of pandemic-era PCs near the end of their lifespan, consumers are running into soaring hardware prices driven by the AI boom. Read More → Grok’s usage is so low that Elon Musk can sell compute to Anthropic Anthropic says it’ll use all the AI compute capacity from SpaceX’s ‘Colossus 1’ data facility in Memphis. Read More → Bose is rebooting its smart speakers for the Sonos haters The audio giant spent years reviving its classic Lifestyle speaker line, with hopes of making it future-proof. Read More → OpenAI’s trillion-dollar AI bet is a study in ‘riskmaxxing’ The AI giant is betting its future on a rapid increase in demand for frontier AI models in the coming years. Read More → Chinese humanoids are leaving American robots in the dust Asia is spending billions on the development and deployment of humanoids that are already taking on humans’ least desired jobs. Read More → AI? No thank you! 3 truly free, no-AI apps for the overwhelmed Pick up a tool that does exactly one thing and then gets out of your way—no LLM involved. Read More → View the full article

When discussing financial management, you need to understand the key differences between Accounts Payable (AP) and Accounts Receivable (AR). AP refers to the money your business owes to suppliers for goods and services purchased on credit, whereas AR represents the funds customers owe you for credit sales. Each plays a critical role in your company’s cash flow and overall financial health. To grasp their implications fully, let’s explore how they are recorded and managed. Key Takeaways Accounts Payable (AP) represents short-term liabilities owed to suppliers, while Accounts Receivable (AR) reflects assets owed by customers. AP is recorded as a current liability on the balance sheet, whereas AR is classified as a current asset. Managing AP focuses on timely payments to vendors, while managing AR emphasizes efficient collections from customers. AP is recognized as an expense upon receiving an invoice; AR is recorded as income once goods or services are delivered. Mismanagement of AP can strain vendor relationships, while poor AR management can lead to cash flow issues with customers. What Is Accounts Payable (AP)? Accounts Payable (AP) represents the short-term obligations a company has to its suppliers and creditors for goods and services acquired on credit. In the context of accounts payable vs accounts receivable, AP refers particularly to what you owe, whereas accounts receivable reflects what customers owe you. The difference between payables and receivables lies primarily in cash flow direction; payables are cash outflows, whereas receivables are inflows. When you receive an invoice, it’s recorded as a current liability on your balance sheet and entered into the general ledger. Managing AP effectively is vital for maintaining solid vendor relationships and ensuring timely payments, which helps you avoid late fees and supply chain disruptions. In addition, tracking Days Payable Outstanding (DPO) allows you to measure how long it takes to pay suppliers, directly impacting your cash flow management and overall financial health. Comprehending what’s the difference between accounts payable and receivable is significant for effective financial strategy. Accounts Payable Example When a company purchases goods or services on credit, it creates an obligation to pay the supplier, which is recorded as accounts payable (AP) on the balance sheet. For instance, envision your company buys $150,000 worth of inventory from a vendor on credit. This transaction produces a liability that you need to pay according to the agreed terms. When you receive the invoice, you’ll record it by debiting inventory and crediting accounts payable, indicating your obligation to the vendor. Managing AP is essential, as it involves tracking payment due dates to guarantee effective cash flow management and maintain good relationships with suppliers. Timely processing of invoices not merely helps you avoid late fees but likewise allows you to take advantage of early payment discounts, enhancing your overall financial efficiency. Keeping a close eye on AP can greatly impact your company’s financial health. How to Record Accounts Payable Recording accounts payable is an essential step in managing your company’s finances effectively. When you receive an invoice, begin by verifying the details against purchase orders and receiving reports to guarantee accuracy. Once confirmed, you’ll debit the relevant expense account and credit the accounts payable account, reflecting the liability incurred for the goods or services purchased. Depending on your accounting method, you may follow either accrual or cash-basis accounting. With accrual accounting, you recognize the liability as soon as it’s incurred, regardless of when the payment is made. It’s important to monitor metrics like Days Payable Outstanding (DPO), which measures how long it takes to pay suppliers, aiding in cash flow management. Finally, make certain to regularly reconcile all recorded accounts payable transactions. This guarantees accuracy in your financial reporting and helps maintain strong relationships with your vendors. What Is Accounts Receivable (AR)? Money owed to a business by its customers for goods or services provided on credit is known as Accounts Receivable (AR). It’s classified as a current asset on the balance sheet and recorded when a sale is made, with an invoice issued for payment. Typically, you expect to collect this amount within a year, making it crucial for managing cash flow effectively. To understand AR better, consider the following table that highlights key aspects: Aspect Description Importance Definition Money owed by customers Reflects credit sales Collection Period Usually within a year Maintains liquidity Turnover Ratio Measures efficiency in collections Indicates financial health Customer Behavior Impact Affects payment timelines and bad debts Necessitates credit policies Accounts Receivable Example An example of accounts receivable (AR) can help clarify how this essential financial concept operates in a business setting. Picture your company sells $250,000 worth of products to a customer on credit, with a 90-day payment term. You’d record this transaction by debiting the accounts receivable account, reflecting the money owed to you, and crediting the sales revenue account, which increases your income. Throughout the 90 days, you monitor this AR, ensuring timely payments to maintain cash flow. When the customer pays, you’d credit the accounts receivable account to decrease the amount owed, simultaneously debiting your cash or bank account to reflect the cash inflow. This process emphasizes the importance of managing accounts receivable effectively, as timely collections can greatly impact your company’s financial stability and operational efficiency. How to Record Accounts Receivable When you make a sale on credit, it’s crucial to record accounts receivable accurately to keep your financial records in order. Start by creating a journal entry that debits the accounts receivable account and credits the sales revenue account. This entry reflects the sale and acknowledges that you expect payment from the customer. When you invoice the customer, verify the invoice includes item descriptions, quantities, prices, total amount due, and payment terms, as these details aid in record-keeping. Once you receive payment, make another journal entry that credits the accounts receivable account and debits the cash account to show the cash inflow. Remember, accounts receivable appears as a current asset on your balance sheet, representing funds you expect to collect within a year. Regularly review your accounts receivable aging report to monitor outstanding invoices and follow up on overdue payments to maintain cash flow stability. Key Differences Between Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable Comprehending the financial dynamics of a business involves recognizing the differences between accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR). AP signifies liabilities owed to suppliers for products or services received, whereas AR indicates assets owed to your company by customers for credit sales. On the balance sheet, AP appears as a current liability, showing money you must pay, while AR is a current asset, reflecting expected cash inflow. When managing AP, you focus on maintaining vendor relationships and ensuring timely payments, whereas AR management emphasizes collecting payments from customers efficiently. AP is recorded as an expense upon receiving an invoice, while AR is recognized as income when you deliver goods or services, regardless of when you get paid. A healthy balance between AP and AR is essential for effective cash flow management, as mismanagement of either can lead to financial instability and strain on business relationships. Frequently Asked Questions What Is an Example of Accounts Payable and Receivable? An example of accounts payable is when you buy inventory on credit, resulting in a liability until you pay the supplier. For instance, if you purchase $150,000 worth of goods, this amount gets recorded under accounts payable. Conversely, accounts receivable occurs when you sell products on credit, creating an asset. If you sell $250,000 worth of items, that amount represents money owed to you, recorded under accounts receivable. Do You Send Invoices to AP or AR? You send invoices to Accounts Receivable (AR), not Accounts Payable (AP). AR manages invoices for goods or services you’ve provided to customers on credit. Conversely, AP processes invoices from vendors for items or services your business has purchased. When you deliver products or services, you generate an invoice that AR records. Properly managing these processes is essential for maintaining your company’s cash flow and ensuring timely payments. How Does AR Differ From Accounts Payable? Accounts Receivable (AR) represents the money customers owe you for goods or services you’ve provided, whereas Accounts Payable (AP) reflects what you owe suppliers for purchases made on credit. AR is a current asset, indicating expected cash inflows, whereas AP is a current liability, representing future cash outflows. Effectively managing AR involves ensuring timely customer payments, whereas managing AP focuses on paying vendors quickly to maintain good relationships and avoid late fees. Which Is Better, Accounts Payable or Receivable? When considering which is better, accounts payable or receivable, it’s crucial to understand their roles in cash flow management. Accounts receivable represents money owed to you, indicating future cash inflows and reflecting sales performance. Conversely, accounts payable represents your obligations to suppliers, affecting outgoing cash. Although a healthy balance is necessary, strong accounts receivable typically improves liquidity and growth potential, making it more favorable for driving overall financial success in your business. Conclusion In conclusion, comprehending the differences between accounts payable and accounts receivable is crucial for effective financial management. Accounts payable represents your obligations to suppliers, whereas accounts receivable reflects the revenue owed to you by customers. Both play critical roles in cash flow management, impacting your organization’s overall financial health. By maintaining a clear distinction and managing these accounts efficiently, you can guarantee timely payments and collections, finally supporting your business’s stability and growth. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is the Difference Between Accounts Payable and Receivable?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

When discussing financial management, you need to understand the key differences between Accounts Payable (AP) and Accounts Receivable (AR). AP refers to the money your business owes to suppliers for goods and services purchased on credit, whereas AR represents the funds customers owe you for credit sales. Each plays a critical role in your company’s cash flow and overall financial health. To grasp their implications fully, let’s explore how they are recorded and managed. Key Takeaways Accounts Payable (AP) represents short-term liabilities owed to suppliers, while Accounts Receivable (AR) reflects assets owed by customers. AP is recorded as a current liability on the balance sheet, whereas AR is classified as a current asset. Managing AP focuses on timely payments to vendors, while managing AR emphasizes efficient collections from customers. AP is recognized as an expense upon receiving an invoice; AR is recorded as income once goods or services are delivered. Mismanagement of AP can strain vendor relationships, while poor AR management can lead to cash flow issues with customers. What Is Accounts Payable (AP)? Accounts Payable (AP) represents the short-term obligations a company has to its suppliers and creditors for goods and services acquired on credit. In the context of accounts payable vs accounts receivable, AP refers particularly to what you owe, whereas accounts receivable reflects what customers owe you. The difference between payables and receivables lies primarily in cash flow direction; payables are cash outflows, whereas receivables are inflows. When you receive an invoice, it’s recorded as a current liability on your balance sheet and entered into the general ledger. Managing AP effectively is vital for maintaining solid vendor relationships and ensuring timely payments, which helps you avoid late fees and supply chain disruptions. In addition, tracking Days Payable Outstanding (DPO) allows you to measure how long it takes to pay suppliers, directly impacting your cash flow management and overall financial health. Comprehending what’s the difference between accounts payable and receivable is significant for effective financial strategy. Accounts Payable Example When a company purchases goods or services on credit, it creates an obligation to pay the supplier, which is recorded as accounts payable (AP) on the balance sheet. For instance, envision your company buys $150,000 worth of inventory from a vendor on credit. This transaction produces a liability that you need to pay according to the agreed terms. When you receive the invoice, you’ll record it by debiting inventory and crediting accounts payable, indicating your obligation to the vendor. Managing AP is essential, as it involves tracking payment due dates to guarantee effective cash flow management and maintain good relationships with suppliers. Timely processing of invoices not merely helps you avoid late fees but likewise allows you to take advantage of early payment discounts, enhancing your overall financial efficiency. Keeping a close eye on AP can greatly impact your company’s financial health. How to Record Accounts Payable Recording accounts payable is an essential step in managing your company’s finances effectively. When you receive an invoice, begin by verifying the details against purchase orders and receiving reports to guarantee accuracy. Once confirmed, you’ll debit the relevant expense account and credit the accounts payable account, reflecting the liability incurred for the goods or services purchased. Depending on your accounting method, you may follow either accrual or cash-basis accounting. With accrual accounting, you recognize the liability as soon as it’s incurred, regardless of when the payment is made. It’s important to monitor metrics like Days Payable Outstanding (DPO), which measures how long it takes to pay suppliers, aiding in cash flow management. Finally, make certain to regularly reconcile all recorded accounts payable transactions. This guarantees accuracy in your financial reporting and helps maintain strong relationships with your vendors. What Is Accounts Receivable (AR)? Money owed to a business by its customers for goods or services provided on credit is known as Accounts Receivable (AR). It’s classified as a current asset on the balance sheet and recorded when a sale is made, with an invoice issued for payment. Typically, you expect to collect this amount within a year, making it crucial for managing cash flow effectively. To understand AR better, consider the following table that highlights key aspects: Aspect Description Importance Definition Money owed by customers Reflects credit sales Collection Period Usually within a year Maintains liquidity Turnover Ratio Measures efficiency in collections Indicates financial health Customer Behavior Impact Affects payment timelines and bad debts Necessitates credit policies Accounts Receivable Example An example of accounts receivable (AR) can help clarify how this essential financial concept operates in a business setting. Picture your company sells $250,000 worth of products to a customer on credit, with a 90-day payment term. You’d record this transaction by debiting the accounts receivable account, reflecting the money owed to you, and crediting the sales revenue account, which increases your income. Throughout the 90 days, you monitor this AR, ensuring timely payments to maintain cash flow. When the customer pays, you’d credit the accounts receivable account to decrease the amount owed, simultaneously debiting your cash or bank account to reflect the cash inflow. This process emphasizes the importance of managing accounts receivable effectively, as timely collections can greatly impact your company’s financial stability and operational efficiency. How to Record Accounts Receivable When you make a sale on credit, it’s crucial to record accounts receivable accurately to keep your financial records in order. Start by creating a journal entry that debits the accounts receivable account and credits the sales revenue account. This entry reflects the sale and acknowledges that you expect payment from the customer. When you invoice the customer, verify the invoice includes item descriptions, quantities, prices, total amount due, and payment terms, as these details aid in record-keeping. Once you receive payment, make another journal entry that credits the accounts receivable account and debits the cash account to show the cash inflow. Remember, accounts receivable appears as a current asset on your balance sheet, representing funds you expect to collect within a year. Regularly review your accounts receivable aging report to monitor outstanding invoices and follow up on overdue payments to maintain cash flow stability. Key Differences Between Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable Comprehending the financial dynamics of a business involves recognizing the differences between accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable (AR). AP signifies liabilities owed to suppliers for products or services received, whereas AR indicates assets owed to your company by customers for credit sales. On the balance sheet, AP appears as a current liability, showing money you must pay, while AR is a current asset, reflecting expected cash inflow. When managing AP, you focus on maintaining vendor relationships and ensuring timely payments, whereas AR management emphasizes collecting payments from customers efficiently. AP is recorded as an expense upon receiving an invoice, while AR is recognized as income when you deliver goods or services, regardless of when you get paid. A healthy balance between AP and AR is essential for effective cash flow management, as mismanagement of either can lead to financial instability and strain on business relationships. Frequently Asked Questions What Is an Example of Accounts Payable and Receivable? An example of accounts payable is when you buy inventory on credit, resulting in a liability until you pay the supplier. For instance, if you purchase $150,000 worth of goods, this amount gets recorded under accounts payable. Conversely, accounts receivable occurs when you sell products on credit, creating an asset. If you sell $250,000 worth of items, that amount represents money owed to you, recorded under accounts receivable. Do You Send Invoices to AP or AR? You send invoices to Accounts Receivable (AR), not Accounts Payable (AP). AR manages invoices for goods or services you’ve provided to customers on credit. Conversely, AP processes invoices from vendors for items or services your business has purchased. When you deliver products or services, you generate an invoice that AR records. Properly managing these processes is essential for maintaining your company’s cash flow and ensuring timely payments. How Does AR Differ From Accounts Payable? Accounts Receivable (AR) represents the money customers owe you for goods or services you’ve provided, whereas Accounts Payable (AP) reflects what you owe suppliers for purchases made on credit. AR is a current asset, indicating expected cash inflows, whereas AP is a current liability, representing future cash outflows. Effectively managing AR involves ensuring timely customer payments, whereas managing AP focuses on paying vendors quickly to maintain good relationships and avoid late fees. Which Is Better, Accounts Payable or Receivable? When considering which is better, accounts payable or receivable, it’s crucial to understand their roles in cash flow management. Accounts receivable represents money owed to you, indicating future cash inflows and reflecting sales performance. Conversely, accounts payable represents your obligations to suppliers, affecting outgoing cash. Although a healthy balance is necessary, strong accounts receivable typically improves liquidity and growth potential, making it more favorable for driving overall financial success in your business. Conclusion In conclusion, comprehending the differences between accounts payable and accounts receivable is crucial for effective financial management. Accounts payable represents your obligations to suppliers, whereas accounts receivable reflects the revenue owed to you by customers. Both play critical roles in cash flow management, impacting your organization’s overall financial health. By maintaining a clear distinction and managing these accounts efficiently, you can guarantee timely payments and collections, finally supporting your business’s stability and growth. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is the Difference Between Accounts Payable and Receivable?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Google sent out emails to advertisers that starting July 15, 2026 the Google Ads system will require the use of passkeys for certain sensitive actions. This is likely due to the spike in Google Ads hijacks over the past year or so.View the full article

Microsoft Advertising custom columns now support all conversion metrics - instead of just specific conversion metrics. This gives advertisers more flexibility on tracking campaign performance.View the full article

Track your organic CTR, citation share of voice, and team capability, not the AI company narrative. Here's what the ads aren't saying. The post AI Companies Are Selling Heartwarming Ads – They’re Racing To Automate Your Job appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Grant Mainland had a tough day at the office earlier this week. A lawyer representing the prediction markets platform Kalshi, Mainland appeared before the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on May 4 with an unenviable task: persuading the justices that a company that has literally advertised itself as the “first app for legal sports betting in all 50 states” is not, technically speaking, offering people the opportunity to bet on sports. Mainland was hoping to get the court to overturn a lower state court injunction that blocked Kalshi from offering its “markets” related to sports within the commonwealth’s borders. Thanks primarily to these sports markets, which accounted for nearly 90% of its revenue in 2025, Kalshi has hit $1.5 billion in annualized revenue. It’s a growth story that investors are clearly buying: Kalshi recently announced it raised a $1 billion Series F, catapulting the company to a $22 billion valuation—double what it was worth just six months ago. For the uninitiated, Kalshi allows users to make money by correctly predicting the yes-or-no outcomes of real-world events. Users are able to buy and sell contracts at prices that range from 1 cent to 99 cents, which roughly approximate the market’s sense of the percentage chance that an outcome will occur. When that market “resolves” (i.e., the event either happens or doesn’t), those who hold shares in the winning position are paid out at $1 per share. If, for example, my beloved Seattle Seahawks return to the Super Bowl next year, anyone who bought in at 14 cents per share—the price as of this writing—will enjoy a nice payday. If this sounds to you like futures betting by another name, you’re not alone. In January, a lower court judge found that Kalshi, by allowing users to buy and sell “event contracts” on everything from final scores to player props, was functionally operating in Massachusetts as an unlicensed sportsbook. There is “no question,” Judge Christopher Barry-Smith wrote, that requiring Kalshi to follow the same laws as every other sportsbook—and putting it on ice in the meantime—would serve “both public health and safety, and the Commonwealth’s financial interest.” Mainland’s primary arguments in Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. KalshiEX LLC are the same arguments Kalshi always makes when pressed about the sports side of its business: that as an exchange regulated by the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Kalshi is not subject to state regulation. It also contends that its products are not “bets,” but “swaps,” a type of derivative contract that companies have long used to hedge against financial risk. Things did not go smoothly for Mainland when he made this case before Massachusetts’s highest court. He was quickly interrupted by Justice Gabrielle Wolohojian: “If we just zoomed up one level, ‘event contracts’ would not be conceptually incompatible with what we would historically understand to be a bet or wager.” When Mainland asserted that buying and selling contracts on Kalshi is “completely different” from laying a wager with a sportsbook, Justice Scott Kafker sounded baffled: “Completely different? For someone who wants to bet on a game, this is a way of betting on a game, right?” Mainland tried to forge ahead, but Kafker could not conceal his skepticism. “I understand you can distinguish it,” he said to Mainland. “But if I want to bet on this stuff, I can do it this way, too.” At one point, Kafker characterized Mainland as “swimming upstream here,” which, as a lawyer, is not what you want to hear a judge say about your legal argument. The oral argument in Commonwealth v. KalshiEX is part of a national trend in which states, at last aware that prediction markets are depriving them of tax revenue and opening up de facto sports betting to people who might still be in high school, are trying to reassert themselves a bit. These legal fights pit states against billion-dollar companies and a The President administration with a vested interest in ensuring prediction markets’ continued profitability. Massachusetts is one of many states that have sued Kalshi in recent months for alleged violations of state gambling laws. On April 3, Nevada regulators celebrated when a state court judge issued an injunction banning the company from offering sports contracts, which he described as “indistinguishable” from placing a bet, in the state. Others have been even more aggressive, creative, or both in their enforcement efforts. Arizona’s attorney general filed criminal charges against Kalshi, accusing it of running an illegal gambling business. Lawmakers in Utah passed a law to ban prop bets, which is a little odd, given that the state already prohibits gambling (in fact, it’s part of the state constitution). In a February op-ed in Deseret, though, Utah’s attorney general implied strongly that the ban on prop bets specifically targets prediction markets like Kalshi, and that he would use it to go after those companies as soon as the governor signs off. The principal challenge these attacks face is that Kalshi, which during football season does 90% of its volume on sports contracts, has invested lots of time and money preparing to fend them off. In January 2025, shortly after Donald The President’s inauguration, the company announced that the president’s eldest son, Don Jr., had joined the company as a strategic adviser. A few months later, he took a similar position at Polymarket. Earlier this year, Kalshi blanketed downtown Washington, D.C., in splashy mint-green ads assuring commuters that the platform is safe and legitimate. The tone of the campaign is unmistakably urgent, in the “doth protest too much” sense of the word; as Fast Company’s Joe Berkowitz pointed out, if you are a business that still feels compelled to make crystal clear that you “operate under U.S. law,” that’s a sign that the PR department has a lot of work to do. Fortunately for Kalshi, the The President administration has not required much persuasion. Although the president has occasionally criticized prediction markets, his media company is working on launching its own prediction market for users of his social media platform, Truth Social. In a wild coincidence, CFTC Chair Michael Selig, whom The President nominated in October 2025, has aggressively defended his jurisdiction over prediction markets—so much so that critics have described him as less a “normal regulator” than a “cheerleader for the industry.” During the Biden administration, the CFTC proposed a rule that would have banned event contracts related to politics and sports; shortly after taking office, Selig withdrew it. At least some judges have come down on Selig’s and Kalshi’s side: In early April, a federal appeals court found that the federal Commodity Exchange Act indeed preempts state gambling laws, allowing Kalshi to operate in New Jersey over the objections of state officials. On X, Selig applauded the court for its “decision to uphold federal law.” This week, a federal district court judge ended Arizona’s criminal prosecution of Kalshi, which he said would create an “inconsistent regulatory patchwork that Congress intended to avoid.” Other courts, however, have remained leery: In April, a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals sounded reluctant to intervene on Kalshi’s behalf in its dispute with Nevada regulators; one judge, Bridget Shelton Bade, remarked that based on Kalshi ads that she encounters “almost every day” on her phone, “it seems like they are advertising this as sports betting.” During oral argument in Maryland’s litigation against Kalshi this week, a 4th Circuit judge invoked the classic farm animal analogy: “If it quacks, you know, it’s a duck, right?” Judge Roger Gregory said. What state gaming regulators are really after here, of course, is tax revenue; of the billions of dollars in sports-related volume that Kalshi does each year, states do not collect any of it. But there is also a growing body of evidence that sports event contracts inflict real-world harms on the users whom regulators are supposed to protect—harms that anyone familiar with this country’s sports betting boom will recognize. In just about every meaningful way, Kalshi operates like a conventional sportsbook: It is available on smartphones, for example, and nudges winners riding a dopamine high to play again. Yet Kalshi is not subject to state laws that prohibit sportsbooks from taking bets from people under 21, and that require sportsbooks to take specific steps to discourage problem gambling and prevent insider betting. In Massachusetts (like in most states) sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel must participate in a system that allows users to voluntarily exclude themselves from licensed betting platforms in the state. But Kalshi is not licensed, which means that a Massachusetts resident who is struggling with compulsive gambling, and who opts into the system in an effort to stop, will be as free as ever to open up the Kalshi app and place another bet. A recent Wall Street Journal analysis sheds some light on just a few consequences of a status quo in which functionally identical prediction markets can operate in parallel with state-licensed sportsbooks. Although prediction markets pitch themselves as a way to make easy money, in reality a tiny fraction of sophisticated professionals take home most of the winnings. Meanwhile, ordinary people are losing eye-popping amounts of money on, for example, whether A$AP Rocky says the word rapper during a Tonight Show interview with Jimmy Fallon. The evaporation of your life savings is not any less devastating if you lose it on a contract purchased on a federally regulated exchange, instead of a bet placed at a state-regulated sportsbook. The basic question that lawmakers and courts are grappling with right now is less legal than it is philosophical: whether to classify Kalshi’s business based on how the company organizes itself, or on how it appears to consumers and works in the real world. To date, Kalshi has been mostly able to maintain its position of privilege in the regulatory landscape. But as oral argument in the Massachusetts case suggests, for an increasing number of people in positions of power, the distinction between money-line wagers and event contracts is no longer meaningful, to the extent that it ever was in the first place. View the full article

Fast Company’s global tech editor Harry McCracken and tech writer Jared Newman cut through the AI hype to walk you through the tools and techniques that are making a difference in the way they work. In this conversation, they break down the trends behind 2026’s most forward-thinking organizations and share the practical, steal‑worthy strategies that leaders at all levels can apply right now. Whether you’re refining your road map or scanning the horizon for what’s next, their overview will provide you with actionable insights and valuable new perspectives. View the full article

WordPress delays rollout of real-time collaboration. Co-founder Mullenweg cites WPE lawsuit as a distraction hampering progress. The post WordPress 7.0 Will Ship Without Real-Time Collaboration appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Artificial intelligence—surely the most hyped technological development to seize the spotlight in a generation—does not appear to be very popular with the American public. A clear majority recognize AI is a big deal, but recent Pew Research Center polling found more concern than excitement, particularly in its impact on creativity and relationships. Quinnipiac surveys find opinions souring even as usage rises. It’s associated with job losses, cheating, dubious advice, excessive energy consumption, and a variety of doomsday scenarios up to and including the eradication of humanity. In March, 57% of respondents to an NBC poll said the risks associated with the technology simply aren’t worth the potential benefits. There are plenty of reasons for this, but one is surely the messaging coming from some of the biggest AI brands themselves, particularly from their leaders. Last month, for example, AI giant Anthropic announced it would limit access to its new Mythos cybersecurity tool because it was just too powerful for wider release, which might put it in the hands of criminals or other bad actors. Sam Altman, CEO of rival OpenAI snarked that this was “fear-based marketing.” But not long after, OpenAI released its own new security tool—and restricted access to it. That’s just a recent example of an odd element of the entire category: AI firms seem intent on reminding customers at every product drop how the technology might ruin our lives. Sure, it’s part of the hype cycle. And to some extent the big AI brands are performing a responsibility flex. But maybe the public’s increasingly sour response to AI suggests these CEOs’ insistence on telling us how dangerous their product might be is not a winning brand strategy. (Altman’s home being literally attacked with a Molotov cocktail is probably not a great sign.) This noisy pessimism isn’t isolated, or new. When it rolled out GPT-4 back in March 2023, OpenAI published a technical report that, alongside descriptions of a historic leap in capability, included a section dedicated to its potential for misuse to make bombs or mix dangerous chemicals. Soon after, hundreds of AI researchers and executives, including figures from Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and OpenAI itself, signed an open letter warning that AI posed extinction-level risks comparable to nuclear war. Many AI executives have claimed to want government oversight. As Elon Musk’s current legal battle with OpenAI is reminding us, the company was actually founded as a nonprofit precisely because the technology was perceived as too risky to be shaped solely by the move-fast-and-break-things profit motive. Obviously, these companies should not suppress the potential dangers and risks of their products, but at some point you have to wonder whether the companies’ marketing pros are letting fear and doom define their brands. While there was a slew of AI-related advertising in this year’s Super Bowl, much of it was so big-picture about AI’s potential (“You can just build things”) that it didn’t really stick. Meanwhile, on a more day-to-day level, the specific consumer benefits we hear about don’t seem transformative—summarized meeting transcripts, improved chatbots, tools that make it easier to generate an image of yourself as a superhero, and so on. Around the time OpenAI and Anthropic were warning us of the dangers of their cybersecurity tools, I got a promotional email from ChatGPT suggesting uses that included having the chat tool “draft a kind text asking to reschedule” a meeting. A little short of insanely great. Surely there is a bigger, better, yet still relatable story to tell. Usually Silicon Valley is good at balancing a hyped-up version of its own existential importance against offering an authentically appealing vision of the future. But with AI that balance seems off. Imagine if, at the launch of the iPhone, Steve Jobs had dwelled on the possibility that it might one day help destroy attention spans or undermine democracy. The brands that have historically transformed public behavior—Apple, Google, even Netflix—led with wonder, not worry. They sold a vision with a positive emotional outcome, not better chatbots in exchange for never-ending ambient dread AI companies presumably have the raw material for exactly that story. AI tools are assisting in early-stage cancer detection. Researchers at Google DeepMind won a 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for work using AI to predict protein structures. Startups are using AI to accelerate drug discovery timelines. These are good stories. Again, none of this means AI’s risks and downsides should be minimized or go unmentioned. A complicated and transformative industry can hold more than one truth. But right now the ratio feels out of whack, and the companies best positioned to fix it seem to be trying to out-warn each other. Pew’s polling found that 56% of “AI experts” believe the technology will have an overall positive impact in the long run, compared with 35% among the public in general. The big AI brands would be wise to focus less on fear, and more on helping the rest of us see what the “experts” do. View the full article

These originators had the highest combined volume of Federal Housing Administration, Veterans Affairs and U.S. Department of Agriculture mortgages last year. View the full article

Twenty years ago, if you asked the average person what Google was, they’d tell you it was a search engine. The company became synonymous with searching for information online, reaching a level of dominance no search engine had seen before, or has seen since. Ask the average person today and they’d probably tell you the same thing. Except Google isn’t just that anymore. It’s a far more complicated company, one trying to be all things to all people, and arguably succeeding at none of them. Google is now a five-layer company, says David Bader, director of the Institute for Data Science at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. One of the key layers is AI, which could account for $185 billion in capital expenditure this year, “larger than the GDP of most countries,” according to Bader. That level of spending signals how dramatically the company has changed direction. “No serious search-only company spends like this,” he says. That focus on AI is increasingly visible to end users, with AI layered into more and more Google products. “They’re shoving Gemini into every nook and cranny, whether it’s GSuite, whether it’s email, whether it’s Maps, whatever,” says Alex Hanna, a former Google employee and director of research at the Distributed AI Research Institute. Still, there remains a gap between what Google is, depending on who you ask and where they sit. “There’s how Google sees itself internally, which I think is they see themselves a bit more as an AI company,” says Hanna. That contrasts with how much of the world still sees the company: primarily as a search engine. And, in Hanna’s view, that experience has deteriorated. “When you use Google Search, it’s trash. It sucks,” she says. Hanna argues that the decline in search quality is partly tied to the way Google is reshaping its business model for the post-ChatGPT era, one in which AI can bypass traditional search entirely and reduce the need for users to visit either a search engine or the websites it indexes. Advertising remains Google’s “cash cow,” says Bader, accounting for 74% of its revenue. But others believe that dominance could erode as AI reshapes search behavior. “They know that what they have to move to is a model that isn’t based on ad revenue,” says Hanna. “It’s based on whether they can find a pathway to monetize the AI infrastructure that they’ve been building out.” Still, “Google Search isn’t going away,” says Gartner analyst Ed Anderson. “And I think Google Search will continue to be one of the primary touchpoints for years to come.” Beyond monetizing its AI infrastructure, Google is also reshaping other parts of its business to maintain its cash flow. That includes generating billions through cloud infrastructure, which Bader says has grown 63% year over year and has become “a real number three to AWS and Azure,” accounting for roughly a fifth of the company’s overall business. Google is also increasingly deploying its capital as an investor. The company owns about 6% of SpaceX and roughly 14% of Anthropic, alongside stakes in or ownership of companies including Waymo and Wiz, the latter of which it acquired for $32 billion, plus dozens of other holdings. The result, some critics argue, is that Google increasingly resembles “a glorified venture capital fund.” Whether having so many fingers in so many pies means Google has lost its way, or simply found a new one, remains an open question. “We live in an economy where you have to show growth,” says Hanna. “They’re in this very weird position where they are in third place or fourth place again, even though they were a first mover on the tech.” That, in turn, makes the company feel even more muddled. Not everyone is so pessimistic. “The interesting part is not that any single label [of what Google is] is wrong,” says Bader. “The interesting part is that all five are simultaneously true, and that’s never been true of any single company before.” View the full article

When Anna Jarvis set out to establish a national Mother’s Day in the early 20th century, her goal was to honor her own mother’s legacy of activism, sacrifice, and maternal devotion. She envisioned a national day of gratitude where all Americans expressed their thanks and admiration for their own mothers. But just a few short years after successfully getting official recognition for the holiday, Jarvis was horrified to see Mother’s Day commercialized to benefit florists and greeting card companies. Jarvis petitioned to recall the holiday she had championed. One imagines Jarvis banging her head against the wall if she could see us now, since Mother’s Day spending continues to metastasize. The National Retail Federation anticipates $38 billion in spending for Mother’s Day in 2026, which translates to $284 in per person spending. That’s quite a lot of roses, mimosas, and Hallmark cards. But for all the money spent in preparation for the second Sunday in May, what the majority of mothers, wives, and girlfriends really want might not cost a cent. Women are asking for a break from the mental load—aka, the cognitive labor required to keep a household running smoothly. Unfortunately, many partners and children would prefer to simply buy something (or let Mom buy her own gift) because easing her mental load is a lot more work. This Mother’s Day, if you truly want to show your appreciation for the mothers in your life, take a page from Anna Jarvis. Here’s how: Understand Mom’s mental load The term mental load got mainstream attention in 2017 when the comic “You Should Have Asked” by French artist Emma went viral. The term refers to the ongoing mental to-do list for family, household, and personal upkeep that (primarily) women carry at all times. This mental load might include things like recognizing that the household is nearly out of toilet paper, thinking about which camps to sign the kids up for, remembering that the soccer uniform needs to be laundered before the next game, and figuring out what to make for dinner if nothing’s thawed. While there is nothing inherently gendered about this kind of mental organizing, the burden of this labor falls disproportionately on mothers. When sociologist Allison Daminger, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, asked couples to complete decision log surveys, she was not surprised to find that women are doing more of this kind of cognitive labor. But in each case, the couples chalked the difference in mental labor up to personality. If an organized wife and a go-with-the-flow husband are dividing chores, it makes sense that she’s in charge of the calendar. But as Daminger told Wisconsin Public Radio, “Where I come in as a sociologist is to say: ‘Huh, it’s super interesting that all of these women happen to be type A, all of these men happen to be laid-back. What else might be happening here?’” Part of what’s happening is the difference in how men and women are held accountable. Moms are more likely to face social consequences for a messy house or a kid wearing mismatched clothing, while dads are judged based on their family’s finances. Neither judgment is fair—but there is a larger mental load associated with running the household and childrearing, since there’s no end to that work day. Observe the work Mom does A common gripe about the mental load is that partners and children would be happy to help if only the women carrying this burden would ask them. (Hence the title of the viral cartoon “You Should Have Asked.”) However, putting the mom in your life in the position where she has to ask for your help is just adding to her mental load. It may help her with a specific physical task in the moment. But it does not reduce her cognitive load because it perpetuates the idea that she’s the manager of the house while you are her helper. So instead of asking her to make you a list or telling her to ask you for help, start observing the mom in your life. See what work she does and how she does it. For example: Does she wipe down the sink when she does the dishes? Does she write the kids’ weekly schedule on the whiteboard every Sunday? Does she call your side of the family on holidays? Does she set timers for the kids’ screen time? Does she keep a Pinterest board of dinner recipes? Does she cut up fruits and vegetables in individual servings as soon as she gets home from the grocery store? Does she make sure all gifts are beautifully wrapped? These are just some examples of the kinds of labor a mom may do that could fly under the radar. But keeping an eye out for this kind of work, and noticing how your partner or mom completes it, is a good first step in helping ease the cognitive load. That’s because you can start taking on some of these tasks, in the same way that she does, without having to be asked. Give Mom a break On Mother’s Day itself, plan on letting the moms in your life have a real break by taking over one task. Depending on which task you choose, it could be 100% free, and many moms would prefer to receive this kind of relief than an overpriced gift you bought at the last minute. Consider these kinds of presents for the moms in your life: Take the kids out of the house for several hours: This may seem paradoxical on Mother’s Day, but mothers of small children need some time alone at home, especially if they are stay-at-home parents. Give your partner the gift of uninterrupted alone time. Make an entire meal: From planning to grocery shopping to cooking to cleanup, take care of the entire process of making a meal for her. And make sure you return the kitchen to her preferred state of cleanliness when you’re done, since this isn’t a gift if it creates more work for her. Clean the bathroom: This unpleasant task was the subject of another viral essay on mental load: Gemma Hartley’s 2017 article “Women Aren’t Nags—We’re Just Fed Up.” Hartley wanted her husband to hire a cleaning service to deep clean their bathrooms for Mother’s Day, which he neglected to do. Taking the initiative to make your bathrooms spotless, without leaving your wife or girlfriend to take care of the kids while you do it, would go a long way to show your deep appreciation. Clean her car: Unlike her home, many moms live with a less-than-pristine car. If the mom in your life has a rolling schmutz-mobile, enlist the kids’ help in cleaning it inside and out this Sunday. Drop off the Goodwill donations and overdue library books that have been languishing in the trunk, find all the lost mittens and scarves that have accumulated under the seats and return them to the coat closet, and vacuum out all the Cheerio dust from the floor before running that bad boy through the car wash. While the mom in your life will love any of these gifts, the real present would be adopting the task as a weekly habit from now on. Because isn’t she worth it? You don’t have to spend money on Mother’s Day The original vision for Mother’s Day was a national holiday to honor mothers. But within years of its inception, Mother’s Day became a retail holiday that benefited florists and greeting card companies, and the commercialization hasn’t let up since. Americans spend billions of dollars on this holiday—but gifts aren’t what moms truly want. They want a break from the mental load, which mothers disproportionately carry. It may be easier to buy something for Mom, but it doesn’t really show her how much you appreciate all that she does for you. Instead of spending money on a gift that will collect dust, why not give the mom in your life a break? Observe the work she does and how she does it so you can start taking on some of those tasks without having to be asked. On Mother’s Day itself, give her time away from the kids, a day off from cooking and cleaning, a clean bathroom, or a clean car—and then make it a weekly habit. Now that’s the kind of Mom appreciation that Anna Jarvis would approve of. View the full article

Pinterest’s newest ad starts with two young women doomscrolling in the dark. It’s a familiar nightly ritual for millions. As one of them slumps on the bed in a Reels-induced semicoma, the other gets an idea and opens . . . you guessed it, Pinterest. Suddenly, an energetic dance track fills the room, and the two are inspired to get their best ’fits together for a night out. It ends with the tagline, “The best thing you can find online is a reason to go offline.” When the business model for every other social platform revolves around your attention and time spent as their primary product for brand advertising dollars, this may feel like a counterintuitive strategy. “If you listen to Gen Z about why they come, they say . . . ‘Pinterest is where I can figure out who I want to be, not who the internet tells me I’m supposed to be,’” says Pinterest CMO Claudine Cheever. “That sentiment resonates with a much broader audience. The opportunity with the brand campaign was to take a much more pointed, clear stance on that the internet should be there to help you, and it should be about time well spent, not a lot of time spent.” Of course the real motivation is to pitch time on Pinterest as quality over quantity, not just to users but also brand partners. Cheever says 96% of user searches on Pinterest are unbranded, which means people are looking for inspiration, and brands have an opportunity to supply it. “This is a platform where people look for brands, they don’t scroll past them,” Cheever says. “It’s actually an incredibly ripe place for advertisers. So it’s about sharpening both of those narratives on the user and the commercial side.” And it’s working. On May 4, Pinterest reported that Q1 2026 was its first billion-dollar quarter, with revenue up 18% year on year, and global monthly active users up 11% to 631 million. Consistency is key At Coachella in April, as many complained the festival had devolved into the influencer Olympics, Pinterest’s presence encouraged people to be phone-free for the event. Model and creator Quenlin Blackwell was the face of this work, somehow making not scrolling on your phone at a marquee music event sound like a cheery episode of Naked and Afraid. As corny as the Coachella campaign may be to anyone over 30, Pinterest’s commitment to differentiating itself from other social platforms when it comes to monetizing attention is consistent. In 2019, then-CMO Andrea Mallard told Adweek that the brand positioned itself as a refuge from the toxicity of social media. “We believe that Pinterest is one of the few truly positive corners of the internet,” Mallard said. “We actively work to cultivate a space that’s firmly about inspiration. . . . It’s more important than ever to continue to protect this vision, because we’ve seen that technology has a powerful role to play in shaping culture, opinion, and politics.” Pinterest CEO Bill Ready has publicly supported teenage social media bans, while in March, Meta and Youtube were found negligent for design features that made their platforms addictive. Cheever says the long-term consistent message and brand positioning around quality time over quantity of time, which the new campaign is building on, is reflected in how Pinterest is reaping the rewards of the 80 billion monthly searches users make on its platform. “Even though we’re there to help you get offline,” she says, “you’re going to plan things, you’re going to buy things, and you’re going to be making a lot of decisions before you go live that life offline.” View the full article

Burger King’s slogans have long emphasized personalization, like “Have It Your Way” and “Your Rule.” Now there’s a text generator that lets you personalize its logo, too. A new Burger King logo font generator lets users customize the red, rounded letters that sit between the logo’s burnt-orange-colored buns. It’s by Pixel Frame, a website that makes album cover and logo text generators for everything from Drake’s discography to Dragon Ball Z and Donkey Kong. Just a few words will render big and bold in the logo generator, but the text will become increasingly squished and stacked as you add more text, with one line stacked on top of the other like hot-off-the-grill patties between the buns. Pixel Frame There are customization options as well. You can add a custom tagline below the logo, generate your text as a wordmark on a plain tan background, or set it in a pair of promotional-style graphics for the Whopper, the burger chain’s signature sandwich. In a Reddit thread, users shared mock-ups of their own creations, like “Are you the child of divorce?,” “Are we the monsters?,” and “Our patties are circles.” Burger King introduced its current logo in 2021 as part of a rebrand by Jones Knowles Ritchie that modernized the brand’s original 1969 logo, and the burger chain has since followed it up with marketing efforts aimed at bringing customers back. It’s paying off at a time when other fast-food chains are under pressure due to rising inflation and labor costs pushing up prices and depressing sales. Burger King’s rebrand has helped it reposition itself in the fast-food landscape. Where industry leader McDonald’s is known for its iconic Golden Arches—the Nike Swoosh of fast-food logos—and Wendy’s, the No. 2 burger chain in the U.S. by sales, is best known for its character-led, modernized heritage brand, Burger King takes a more literal approach. Burger King’s refreshed visual identity made the burger central to the logo again. It uses colors inspired by the Whopper and a squishy font that evokes the food itself. It also reins in the typography of the original logo and gives its top bun a little more volume. The rebrand fits into the company’s broader strategy of evoking Burger King’s ingredients, as its marketing is focused in large part on elevating its core menu. The quick-service-restaurant (QSR) category is undergoing its fair share of shake-ups, as Wendy’s shutters stores, McDonald’s chases Starbucks with an expansion into dirty sodas and drinks, and Whataburger upgrades its packaging with a happier version of a Happy Meal. Burger King, meanwhile, is doubling down on burgers to great effect—first with the launch of this logo five years ago, and now with its menu items. The chain launched an Elevated Whopper this quarter with premium ingredients like a glazed bun and creamy mayo, while its $3.99 King Junior meals also drove growth. Burger King’s parent company, Restaurant Brands International (RBI), said in its earnings call on Wednesday that Burger King saw its U.S. same-store sales grow 5.8% over the quarter, outperforming the rest of the burger QSR industry. RBI CEO Josh Kobza said it was the result of disciplined execution to welcome back guests and reengage latent fans. View the full article

Washington and Tehran blamed each other for sparking reciprocal attacksView the full article

A registered business entity is a formal organization that exists independently from its owners, such as an LLC or corporation. This registration is essential since it provides legal protections, like shielding personal assets from business liabilities. It additionally improves your credibility with customers and investors. Comprehending the different types of business entities can help you make informed decisions for your venture. So, what factors should you consider when choosing the right structure for your business? Key Takeaways A registered business entity is a formal organization like an LLC or corporation recognized by the state, providing legal protection and distinct existence. Registering a business separates personal assets from business liabilities, safeguarding personal finances in case of business debts. Credibility is enhanced with customers and investors when operating under a registered business entity, fostering trust and professionalism. Different business structures offer varying tax implications; LLCs and S corporations often enjoy pass-through taxation, reducing overall tax liability. Registration simplifies ownership transfer and succession planning, making it easier to pass on or sell the business as needed. Understanding Business Entities Grasping business entities is fundamental for anyone looking to start or manage a business. A registered business entity is a formal organization, like an LLC, corporation, or partnership, recognized by the state. This registration involves filing specific documents, such as Articles of Incorporation, which grants legal recognition and rights to operate. Comprehending different structures is significant since they impact liability, tax obligations, and management. For instance, an LLC offers limited liability protection, meaning you won’t be personally responsible for the business’s debts beyond your investment. Furthermore, various entities have different tax implications; LLCs typically allow for pass-through taxation, whereas C corporations face double taxation on profits and dividends. As a business owner, knowing your options and the implications of each structure is critical for making informed decisions and protecting your interests. Always seek reliable business owner info to guide you through this important process. Importance of Registering a Business Entity When you register a business entity, you’re not just fulfilling a legal requirement; you’re furthermore creating a protective barrier between your personal assets and the liabilities of your business. This separation is vital for limiting your liability for debts and obligations. Moreover, a registered business improves your credibility with customers and investors, making it easier to secure financing. Here’s a quick overview of the importance of registering your business: Benefit Description Legal Protection Shields personal assets from business liabilities. Improved Credibility Builds trust with customers and investors. Tax Advantages Offers potential savings through pass-through taxation. Easier Ownership Transfer Simplifies succession planning and exit strategies. In California, you can use the California business registry to check on LLC status and confirm your business remains compliant with state requirements. Legal Protections Offered by Business Entities A registered business entity offers crucial legal protections that can greatly impact your financial security. By forming an LLC or corporation, you gain limited liability protection, meaning your personal assets are typically shielded from business debts. This separation simplifies your accounting process and minimizes personal financial risks. Registered entities possess a distinct legal existence, allowing them to enter contracts, sue, and be sued independently of their owners. This autonomy can be particularly beneficial if disputes arise. Furthermore, entities like LLCs and S Corporations often enjoy tax advantages, such as pass-through taxation, potentially lowering your overall tax liabilities. Finally, registering your business can improve credibility with customers, suppliers, and investors, showcasing your commitment to legal compliance. To verify the legality of registered entities in your area, you can conduct a business entity search Delaware or a NJ business lookup, ensuring that you’re informed about your options. Types of Business Entities Comprehending the types of business entities available is crucial for making informed decisions about your business structure. You can choose from various entities, including sole proprietorships, general partnerships, limited liability companies (LLCs), S corporations, and C corporations. A sole proprietorship is the simplest form, requiring no formal registration but exposing your personal assets to business debts. In a general partnership, two or more individuals share ownership and responsibilities, resulting in unlimited personal liability. An LLC combines partnership and corporate features, offering liability protection as it allows pass-through taxation, necessitating a business entity search and filing articles of organization. S corporations provide limited liability and pass-through taxation for up to 100 shareholders, but they require formal incorporation and adherence to IRS regulations. Finally, C corporations are distinct legal entities that protect shareholders from liability, can have unlimited shareholders, but may face double taxation on profits and dividends. Sole Proprietorship: Key Features and Considerations Sole proprietorships represent the most straightforward business structure available, allowing individuals to operate a business without the intricacies of formal registration. As a sole proprietor, you’re personally responsible for all business debts and liabilities, which means your personal assets are at risk. Although you don’t need formal registration, if you operate under a name that’s not your legal name, you must file an assumed name certificate, additionally known as a DBA. Profits and losses from your business are reported directly on your personal income tax return, subjecting you to self-employment taxes. This simplicity attracts freelancers and small business owners, but keep in mind that it offers no liability protection. If you’re considering this structure, you can check resources like the Delaware Secretary of State business search or the New Jersey business entity search for any additional requirements in your state. Corporations: Structure and Benefits When you consider forming a corporation, you’re looking at a structure that offers significant legal protection for your personal assets, as shareholders are only liable for the company’s debts up to their investment. Moreover, corporations come with various tax advantages, such as the option for S Corporations to avoid double taxation, which can be beneficial for small businesses. Comprehending these aspects can help you determine if this business structure aligns with your goals and needs. Legal Protection Benefits One significant advantage of forming a registered business entity, like a corporation, is the legal protection it offers to its shareholders. This limited liability protection means that you’re personally liable for the company’s debts beyond your investment in shares. Corporations are recognized as separate legal entities, allowing them to own property, enter contracts, and sue or be sued independently of their owners. This structure not only provides improved credibility with customers and investors but also facilitates business growth and access to financing. To maintain these legal protection benefits, corporations must adhere to formalities such as holding annual meetings and keeping corporate minutes, which demonstrate good governance and protect your limited liability status. Consider a de business entity search to explore your options. Tax Advantages Overview Comprehending the tax advantages of forming a corporation can greatly impact your business’s financial health. A corporate structure provides several key benefits, including limited liability protection and tax flexibility. For instance, S Corporations offer pass-through taxation, avoiding double taxation on earnings. Conversely, C Corporations can retain earnings without immediate tax, though dividends face double taxation. Furthermore, corporations can deduct various business expenses, effectively lowering taxable income. Tax Feature S Corporation C Corporation Taxation Type Pass-through Double taxation on dividends Earnings Retention Limited Unlimited Expense Deductions Business expenses allowed Business expenses allowed Understanding these nuances can help you make informed decisions for your business. Limited Liability Companies (LLCs): Flexibility and Protection Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) offer a unique blend of flexibility and protection that appeals to many business owners. As a distinct legal entity, an LLC shields its members from personal liability, meaning your personal assets are typically safe from business debts. You can choose between member-managed or manager-managed structures, which allows you to tailor management to your needs. Profits and losses commonly pass through to your personal tax returns, avoiding the double taxation seen in C corporations. To establish an LLC, you need to file Articles of Organization with your state and may create an Operating Agreement outlining your operations. If you’re interested in starting an LLC, conducting a Delaware Secretary of State LLC search or an NJ LLC search can help you find the necessary information and guarantee compliance. This versatility makes LLCs an attractive option for various business arrangements and investments. Partnerships: Collaboration and Shared Responsibility As you explore business structures, partnerships present an alternative to the flexibility of LLCs, offering a collaborative approach to entrepreneurship. In a partnership, two or more individuals join forces to share management responsibilities and financial obligations, often without the need for formal state registration. A general partnership exposes all partners to equal liability for debts, putting personal assets at risk if the business fails. Conversely, limited partnerships include at least one general partner with unlimited liability and limited partners whose risk is confined to their investment. Meanwhile, a partnership agreement isn’t legally required, it’s highly advisable. This document clarifies roles, responsibilities, and profit-sharing arrangements, helping to minimize potential disputes. Furthermore, partnerships can take advantage of pass-through taxation, allowing profits and losses to appear on each partner’s personal tax return, which may lead to tax benefits compared to corporations. Choosing the Right Business Entity for Your Venture How do you determine the best business entity for your venture? It’s crucial to evaluate how each structure affects liability, taxation, and funding. Here are key factors to keep in mind: Liability Protection: Sole proprietorships expose you to unlimited personal liability, whereas LLCs and S corporations provide limited protection. Tax Implications: LLCs and S corporations allow for pass-through taxation, reducing double taxation risks faced by C corporations. Formation Requirements: Different entities require distinct paperwork; for example, LLCs need Articles of Organization, and corporations require Articles of Incorporation. Conducting a de business search or nj corporation search can help you explore options in your state. In the end, the right choice will depend on your business goals and personal circumstances, ensuring you protect your assets and optimize your operations effectively. Frequently Asked Questions Are Entity and LLC the Same Thing? No, an entity and an LLC aren’t the same thing. An entity is a broad term for any legal structure a business can take, including sole proprietorships and corporations. An LLC, or Limited Liability Company, is a specific type of entity that combines liability protection with tax benefits. Whereas all LLCs are entities, not all entities are LLCs, as each has distinct regulations and implications for personal liability and taxation. Why Is It Important for a Business Entity? It’s important for a business entity since it creates a legal separation between your personal assets and business liabilities, protecting your wealth. Registering your business can furthermore improve credibility, making it easier to attract customers and secure financing options like loans. In addition, compliance with legal requirements becomes simpler, reducing the risk of penalties. Different entity types offer unique tax benefits, allowing you to choose a structure that optimizes your financial situation. What Does “Registered Entity” Mean? A “registered entity” refers to a business structure formally recognized by the state, like an LLC or corporation. When you register your business, you file specific documents, ensuring compliance with local laws. This gives you legal protection, limiting personal liability for debts. Moreover, being a registered entity allows you to open bank accounts, enter contracts, and access financing more easily, which can greatly improve your business operations and potential for growth. What Are the 4 Main Business Entities? The four main business entities you can choose from are sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, and limited liability companies (LLCs). A sole proprietorship is owned by one person, who faces unlimited liability. Partnerships involve two or more people sharing responsibilities, with varying liability levels. Corporations, distinct legal entities, offer limited liability but may face double taxation. Ultimately, LLCs combine the benefits of corporations and partnerships, providing liability protection and flexible tax options. Conclusion In conclusion, comprehending registered business entities is vital for anyone looking to establish a business. These entities provide fundamental legal protections, improve credibility, and can offer tax benefits. By selecting the appropriate structure—whether it’s a sole proprietorship, corporation, LLC, or partnership—you can guarantee your venture is positioned for long-term success. Taking the time to register your business not solely safeguards your personal assets but additionally facilitates smoother operations and potential growth opportunities in the future. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "What Is a Registered Business Entity and Why Does It Matter?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A registered business entity is a formal organization that exists independently from its owners, such as an LLC or corporation. This registration is essential since it provides legal protections, like shielding personal assets from business liabilities. It additionally improves your credibility with customers and investors. Comprehending the different types of business entities can help you make informed decisions for your venture. So, what factors should you consider when choosing the right structure for your business? Key Takeaways A registered business entity is a formal organization like an LLC or corporation recognized by the state, providing legal protection and distinct existence. Registering a business separates personal assets from business liabilities, safeguarding personal finances in case of business debts. Credibility is enhanced with customers and investors when operating under a registered business entity, fostering trust and professionalism. Different business structures offer varying tax implications; LLCs and S corporations often enjoy pass-through taxation, reducing overall tax liability. Registration simplifies ownership transfer and succession planning, making it easier to pass on or sell the business as needed. Understanding Business Entities Grasping business entities is fundamental for anyone looking to start or manage a business. A registered business entity is a formal organization, like an LLC, corporation, or partnership, recognized by the state. This registration involves filing specific documents, such as Articles of Incorporation, which grants legal recognition and rights to operate. Comprehending different structures is significant since they impact liability, tax obligations, and management. For instance, an LLC offers limited liability protection, meaning you won’t be personally responsible for the business’s debts beyond your investment. Furthermore, various entities have different tax implications; LLCs typically allow for pass-through taxation, whereas C corporations face double taxation on profits and dividends. As a business owner, knowing your options and the implications of each structure is critical for making informed decisions and protecting your interests. Always seek reliable business owner info to guide you through this important process. Importance of Registering a Business Entity When you register a business entity, you’re not just fulfilling a legal requirement; you’re furthermore creating a protective barrier between your personal assets and the liabilities of your business. This separation is vital for limiting your liability for debts and obligations. Moreover, a registered business improves your credibility with customers and investors, making it easier to secure financing. Here’s a quick overview of the importance of registering your business: Benefit Description Legal Protection Shields personal assets from business liabilities. Improved Credibility Builds trust with customers and investors. Tax Advantages Offers potential savings through pass-through taxation. Easier Ownership Transfer Simplifies succession planning and exit strategies. In California, you can use the California business registry to check on LLC status and confirm your business remains compliant with state requirements. Legal Protections Offered by Business Entities A registered business entity offers crucial legal protections that can greatly impact your financial security. By forming an LLC or corporation, you gain limited liability protection, meaning your personal assets are typically shielded from business debts. This separation simplifies your accounting process and minimizes personal financial risks. Registered entities possess a distinct legal existence, allowing them to enter contracts, sue, and be sued independently of their owners. This autonomy can be particularly beneficial if disputes arise. Furthermore, entities like LLCs and S Corporations often enjoy tax advantages, such as pass-through taxation, potentially lowering your overall tax liabilities. Finally, registering your business can improve credibility with customers, suppliers, and investors, showcasing your commitment to legal compliance. To verify the legality of registered entities in your area, you can conduct a business entity search Delaware or a NJ business lookup, ensuring that you’re informed about your options. Types of Business Entities Comprehending the types of business entities available is crucial for making informed decisions about your business structure. You can choose from various entities, including sole proprietorships, general partnerships, limited liability companies (LLCs), S corporations, and C corporations. A sole proprietorship is the simplest form, requiring no formal registration but exposing your personal assets to business debts. In a general partnership, two or more individuals share ownership and responsibilities, resulting in unlimited personal liability. An LLC combines partnership and corporate features, offering liability protection as it allows pass-through taxation, necessitating a business entity search and filing articles of organization. S corporations provide limited liability and pass-through taxation for up to 100 shareholders, but they require formal incorporation and adherence to IRS regulations. Finally, C corporations are distinct legal entities that protect shareholders from liability, can have unlimited shareholders, but may face double taxation on profits and dividends. Sole Proprietorship: Key Features and Considerations Sole proprietorships represent the most straightforward business structure available, allowing individuals to operate a business without the intricacies of formal registration. As a sole proprietor, you’re personally responsible for all business debts and liabilities, which means your personal assets are at risk. Although you don’t need formal registration, if you operate under a name that’s not your legal name, you must file an assumed name certificate, additionally known as a DBA. Profits and losses from your business are reported directly on your personal income tax return, subjecting you to self-employment taxes. This simplicity attracts freelancers and small business owners, but keep in mind that it offers no liability protection. If you’re considering this structure, you can check resources like the Delaware Secretary of State business search or the New Jersey business entity search for any additional requirements in your state. Corporations: Structure and Benefits When you consider forming a corporation, you’re looking at a structure that offers significant legal protection for your personal assets, as shareholders are only liable for the company’s debts up to their investment. Moreover, corporations come with various tax advantages, such as the option for S Corporations to avoid double taxation, which can be beneficial for small businesses. Comprehending these aspects can help you determine if this business structure aligns with your goals and needs. Legal Protection Benefits One significant advantage of forming a registered business entity, like a corporation, is the legal protection it offers to its shareholders. This limited liability protection means that you’re personally liable for the company’s debts beyond your investment in shares. Corporations are recognized as separate legal entities, allowing them to own property, enter contracts, and sue or be sued independently of their owners. This structure not only provides improved credibility with customers and investors but also facilitates business growth and access to financing. To maintain these legal protection benefits, corporations must adhere to formalities such as holding annual meetings and keeping corporate minutes, which demonstrate good governance and protect your limited liability status. Consider a de business entity search to explore your options. Tax Advantages Overview Comprehending the tax advantages of forming a corporation can greatly impact your business’s financial health. A corporate structure provides several key benefits, including limited liability protection and tax flexibility. For instance, S Corporations offer pass-through taxation, avoiding double taxation on earnings. Conversely, C Corporations can retain earnings without immediate tax, though dividends face double taxation. Furthermore, corporations can deduct various business expenses, effectively lowering taxable income. Tax Feature S Corporation C Corporation Taxation Type Pass-through Double taxation on dividends Earnings Retention Limited Unlimited Expense Deductions Business expenses allowed Business expenses allowed Understanding these nuances can help you make informed decisions for your business. Limited Liability Companies (LLCs): Flexibility and Protection Limited Liability Companies (LLCs) offer a unique blend of flexibility and protection that appeals to many business owners. As a distinct legal entity, an LLC shields its members from personal liability, meaning your personal assets are typically safe from business debts. You can choose between member-managed or manager-managed structures, which allows you to tailor management to your needs. Profits and losses commonly pass through to your personal tax returns, avoiding the double taxation seen in C corporations. To establish an LLC, you need to file Articles of Organization with your state and may create an Operating Agreement outlining your operations. If you’re interested in starting an LLC, conducting a Delaware Secretary of State LLC search or an NJ LLC search can help you find the necessary information and guarantee compliance. This versatility makes LLCs an attractive option for various business arrangements and investments. Partnerships: Collaboration and Shared Responsibility As you explore business structures, partnerships present an alternative to the flexibility of LLCs, offering a collaborative approach to entrepreneurship. In a partnership, two or more individuals join forces to share management responsibilities and financial obligations, often without the need for formal state registration. A general partnership exposes all partners to equal liability for debts, putting personal assets at risk if the business fails. Conversely, limited partnerships include at least one general partner with unlimited liability and limited partners whose risk is confined to their investment. Meanwhile, a partnership agreement isn’t legally required, it’s highly advisable. This document clarifies roles, responsibilities, and profit-sharing arrangements, helping to minimize potential disputes. Furthermore, partnerships can take advantage of pass-through taxation, allowing profits and losses to appear on each partner’s personal tax return, which may lead to tax benefits compared to corporations. Choosing the Right Business Entity for Your Venture How do you determine the best business entity for your venture? It’s crucial to evaluate how each structure affects liability, taxation, and funding. Here are key factors to keep in mind: Liability Protection: Sole proprietorships expose you to unlimited personal liability, whereas LLCs and S corporations provide limited protection. Tax Implications: LLCs and S corporations allow for pass-through taxation, reducing double taxation risks faced by C corporations. Formation Requirements: Different entities require distinct paperwork; for example, LLCs need Articles of Organization, and corporations require Articles of Incorporation. Conducting a de business search or nj corporation search can help you explore options in your state. In the end, the right choice will depend on your business goals and personal circumstances, ensuring you protect your assets and optimize your operations effectively. Frequently Asked Questions Are Entity and LLC the Same Thing? No, an entity and an LLC aren’t the same thing. An entity is a broad term for any legal structure a business can take, including sole proprietorships and corporations. An LLC, or Limited Liability Company, is a specific type of entity that combines liability protection with tax benefits. Whereas all LLCs are entities, not all entities are LLCs, as each has distinct regulations and implications for personal liability and taxation. Why Is It Important for a Business Entity? It’s important for a business entity since it creates a legal separation between your personal assets and business liabilities, protecting your wealth. Registering your business can furthermore improve credibility, making it easier to attract customers and secure financing options like loans. In addition, compliance with legal requirements becomes simpler, reducing the risk of penalties. Different entity types offer unique tax benefits, allowing you to choose a structure that optimizes your financial situation. What Does “Registered Entity” Mean? A “registered entity” refers to a business structure formally recognized by the state, like an LLC or corporation. When you register your business, you file specific documents, ensuring compliance with local laws. This gives you legal protection, limiting personal liability for debts. Moreover, being a registered entity allows you to open bank accounts, enter contracts, and access financing more easily, which can greatly improve your business operations and potential for growth. What Are the 4 Main Business Entities? The four main business entities you can choose from are sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations, and limited liability companies (LLCs). A sole proprietorship is owned by one person, who faces unlimited liability. Partnerships involve two or more people sharing responsibilities, with varying liability levels. Corporations, distinct legal entities, offer limited liability but may face double taxation. Ultimately, LLCs combine the benefits of corporations and partnerships, providing liability protection and flexible tax options. Conclusion In conclusion, comprehending registered business entities is vital for anyone looking to establish a business. These entities provide fundamental legal protections, improve credibility, and can offer tax benefits. By selecting the appropriate structure—whether it’s a sole proprietorship, corporation, LLC, or partnership—you can guarantee your venture is positioned for long-term success. Taking the time to register your business not solely safeguards your personal assets but additionally facilitates smoother operations and potential growth opportunities in the future. Image via Google Gemini and ArtSmart This article, "What Is a Registered Business Entity and Why Does It Matter?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Home Wi-Fi networks are under pressure as the number of devices per household is headed for 60. The post Synaptics @WWC: “The hyper-connected household will require a shift in wireless architecture,” said Shishir Gupta appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

BlackBerry revivalist phones have been appearing in various forms over the last few years, but the Unihertz Titan 2 Elite is the most credible option yet. The small-scale Chinese boutique-of-sorts Unihertz has spent years refining its formula to balance modern Android capabilities with legacy tactile hardware. In 2026, it’s finally landed on a device that makes the most of its own identity. The naming convention here is admittedly a little confusing. Last year’s Titan 2 was a rugged, wide-format device clearly inspired by the BlackBerry Passport—it was, in every sense, “titanic.” But this new Elite successor isn’t a turbo-charged version of that phone; it’s a completely different animal. It ditches the ultra-wide, ruggedized footprint for a much smaller design that feels like a spiritual successor to the BlackBerry Q10. A departure The Elite 2’s industrial design is a departure from Unihertz’s recent “brick” aesthetic. This isn’t a rugged phone, and it feels better for it. That said, I would personally avoid the iPhone 17 Pro-inspired orange model, which seems unlikely to age too well; the black model is much more in keeping with the BlackBerry heritage. At 10.6 millimeters thick, the Elite 2 is substantial by modern standards, but that’s still only about as thick as a classic BlackBerry; the compact footprint (just 117.8 millimeters tall) also keeps it from feeling overbearing in a pocket. Unlike the Titan 2, there’s virtually no bezel above the display. The superfluous secondary screen found on the back of the original Titan 2 has also been removed, helping to achieve a cleaner, more focused look. And the front of the phone is split between the screen and the keyboard, with virtually no wasted space anywhere else. The display is a 4.03-inch 120-hertz OLED panel, which gives a significant step up in saturation and contrast from the LCDs that Unihertz has used in the past, though the squarish aspect ratio means video content and social media scrolling aren’t quite its strong suit. The panel also exhibits significant color shifting when viewed at an off-angle, betraying its budget nature. The keyboard, however, is excellent. It’s smaller than the one on the Titan 2, but the tactile response feels far more consistent and satisfying. It uses a four-row layout with more even backlighting and capacitive touch support, allowing you to scroll through content simply by swiping your thumb up and down the physical keys. The software integration is quite deep; you can program a long-press on “T” to open TikTok or “X” for X, for example, and there’s a dedicated “Action Button” on the side of the phone that allows for further customization. One of the smartest changes is the layout. Unihertz moved the standard Android navigation keys to the bottom row alongside the space bar. This setup is more like the 2013 BlackBerry Q10 than the classic earlier devices, and it feels much more intuitive for a modern Android phone that doesn’t need the dedicated physical call/hang-up buttons of the 2010s. I’ve been using the Standard model of the Titan Elite 2, which features a MediaTek Dimensity 7400 chip; there will also be a Pro version later in the year with a Dimensity 8400 chip. Personally, I’ve found the 7400 to be more than adequate for the kind of tasks I’d want to use a phone like this for. Both models also come with 12 gigabytes of RAM, which is plenty for the typical use cases. The 4,050-milliampere-hour (mAh) battery has reasonable endurance, but I did notice fairly aggressive standby drain when the phone wasn’t in use. There’s also no wireless charging, though you can power the phone over a cable at up to 33 watts. The software On the software side, the Titan Elite 2 runs a very clean version of Android 16. Unihertz claims it will provide five years of updates, which is a strong commitment for a niche brand but perhaps not something you should treat as a surefire promise. This is still a $400 phone from a smaller manufacturer, and it has the quirks to prove it. There is a generic “NFC” logo emblazoned on the camera bump that feels entirely unnecessary, and the camera system itself won’t be winning any awards for tasteful processing or low-light performance. The software is also extremely bare-bones, which will appeal to some Android purists, but falls some way short of the sleek, native software found on most true BlackBerry handsets. But I do think Unihertz has finally nailed the form factor with the Titan Elite 2. It’s a fun, intentional device that doesn’t try to be everything to everyone, and I think it will be more appealing to most people who are interested in this sort of thing in the first place. It’s accessible where its predecessor was aggressive. At this point, Unihertz has more experience building physical keyboard phones than almost anyone else left in the industry, and it shows; the Titan Elite 2 is by far its best phone to date. It comes at a time when the market is getting a little more crowded with upstart competition like the Clicks Communicator. For now, though, if you’re looking for a modern BlackBerry-style phone, this is the one to beat. View the full article

Learn how to identify, trace, and fix incorrect information about your brand in AI answers. View the full article

American companies fear an update to Brussels’ ‘Product Liability Directive’ will make it easier for consumers to sue View the full article