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Brad Lightcap assigned fresh responsibilities focusing on special projects as group prepares for an initial public offeringView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. This morning, upstart smart glasses company Even Realities launched Even Hub, an open app store and developer platform for its G2 line of display style smart glasses. This could be the first salvo in a war between open- and closed-platform display smart glasses. On one side is Meta. The Goliath of the smart glasses market has thus far taken a completely closed approached to its newish Display glasses: Meta decides what your smart glasses can do and determines what apps you can access. The David to Meta's Goliath is Even Realities, a boutique tech company that just launched a storefront with over 50 apps made by third-party developers, so users can decide for themselves what to install and what to ignore. Meta Ray-Ban Display $799.00 at Best Buy Get Deal Get Deal $799.00 at Best Buy While the market for AR-style smart glasses with displays is currently limited to tech heads and early adopters, if the HUD-style glasses catch on (and both companies maintain their current strategies) the winner could determine how much control users will have over their augmented futures. Competing strategies for display-style smart glassesIn terms of total market share, Meta and Even Realities aren't in the same universe. Meta's market capitalization is approximately $1.47 trillion, and its line of Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses make up about 82% of the smart glasses market. Even Realities is worth an estimated $10 million and its $3.3 million in annual revenue is less than one percent of the total smart glasses market. But within the niche of display-integrated glasses, the two companies are peers: estimates for 2025-2026 suggest that Meta has sold around 20,000 of its high end, Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, while Even Realities profits suggest the company has moved between 10,000 and 25,000 pairs of its G2 glasses. Even Realities G2 $599.00 at Even Realities Get Deal Get Deal $599.00 at Even Realities The two companies are taking very different approaches to selling "glasses with a HUD." Meta's Display spectacles are priced at $799, and designed to do everything its popular non-display glasses do, with the addition of a full-color, high quality video, and a distinctive, Ray-Ban look. Even Realities' $599 G2 glasses don't have an onboard camera or audio, and the mono-color display is housed in a very discreet frame that no one will suspect is anything but a "normal" pair of specs. They're designed to be fashionable, functional, everyday glasses that can also project a map in front of your eyes or help you con bartenders when you need them to. Here's a review of the last generation of Even Realities glasses for more info. The most important divide between these companies might prove to be their approach to software. All technology is on a continuum between "open" and "closed," and Meta's smart glasses have, so far, been far into the restricted part of the spectrum. You get a highly curated experience, with Meta acting as the arbiter of what is installed on your face computer, whether you're rocking Display glasses or Ray-Ban Metas. You don't download apps, you toggle "experiences" on and off. You can choose to disable or enable Apple Music, but you can't choose to listen to music on a new platform developed by a third party. You can't delete core features you don't want. Even something as basic as changing the wake-up words for the AI is off-limits; it's "Hey, Meta," or it's nothing. Even Realities approach is semi-open, like Apple's App store. It's not the "anything goes" approach of Linux, but you can peruse Even Realities' library of approved apps and choose whether or not you need an in-glasses EPUB Reader, a Chess game, or a charge indicator for your Tesla. Even Realities lets you remove even core features you don't use on its glasses too. Speculating about Meta's future smart glasses plansIt's worth noting that Meta isn't fundamentally opposed to third-party development. The company's Meta Horizon Store for the Quest line of VR headsets is a massive, vibrant marketplace with everything from high-end games to tiny, janky tools on offer, and the company shut down much of its first-party VR development, while pledging to continue supporting indie devs. So it's possible/probable that Meta is waiting for the hardware to mature before opening a more open store for its glasses, or just adding a "Display" section to the existing Horizon Store. Open isn't necessarily betterWhile the knee-jerk reaction might be to conclude that the choice offered by an open system is more desirable than a closed one, that hasn't always been the case in the tech world. Nintendo dominated video games in the 1980s by maintaining strict quality controls over games released on its NES, and few kids wanted the more "open" competing systems. Adobe's Flash dominated everything the "open web" had to offer in the early 2000s, only dying when another relatively closed system, Apple's iPhone, refused to support it. Speaking of Apple, its iOS devices account for 63% of the American smart phone market, while the nearest competitor, the more open Android, is perpetually second. Time, as they say, will tell whether consumers prefer a curated experience, a modular, open one, or even want glasses with a HUD at all. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Apple Vision Pro is a beast of a machine. By putting an M5 chip under the hood—a 3-nanometer processor with a 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine— Apple leapfrogged the M3 and M4 entirely, putting more raw power on your face than most people have on their desks. But like any high-performance machine, you have to tune it up and drive it right to get the most out of what's under the hood. Whether you've had yours since launch or just unboxed it, these ten hacks will help you get more out of your Apple Vision Pro. Some are simple adjustments, some are deeper dives, but all of them are worth your time. Access the Vision Pro's "hidden" settingsApple's going for a specific aesthetic with the Vision Pro UI, so there aren't as many things to customize in the "settings" menu as you might like, but there are a lot of useful adjustments buried in the Accessibility menu. These settings are designed for users with dexterity, visual, or hearing impairments, but anyone might prefer a zoom feature or an modification to the click speed of the digital crown. Here's what I've changed in my Vision Pro's via the accessibility menu: Bold Text Increase Contrast Reduced Motion (Reduces the movement of user interface elements) Set it so saying "shh" turns down the volume. You might be interested in the same settings, or others presented here, so take a peek into the Accessibility menu to see what works for you. Pro tip: You can triple-click the digital crown to toggle accessibility features on and off instantly. Control your smart home with spatial widgetsThe latest update to VisionOS added spatial widgets so you can pin information in places it makes the most sense—e.g. put a timer next to your stove for cooking, or the weather and news right by the front door. But if you have any Matter-compatible smart home devices, you can take widgets to the next level with Apple Home. This app lets you pin controls for things like your air conditioner and lighting wherever you like, so you can stick the "night mode" button above your bed and turn everything off with a click when the day is over. If you want to take it further, download Widgetsmith and customize the appearance of smart home controls. Once you pin a widget, it will stay there until you move it or delete it, even when you restart. Use "connect to server" for unlimited storageWith visionOS, you can connect to a local server on your network, like your PC or Mac, or cloud storage providers, and access files without saving them to your headset. It's a great way to work with large files without filling up your Vision Pro's storage—especially if you opted for the base 256GB. To set it up, you need to allow sharing on the remote computer, then go to "Files" within the Vision Pro, enter your server's host name or network address, then choose "Connect." Depending on the server, you can connect as a guest, or you can enter your username and password, and you're good to go. Use settings and mirroring to securely share the Vision Pro experience One of the biggest downsides to AR and VR is the inability to say "take a look at this!" and show your friend. The Apple Vision Pro's Guest User mode isn't quite that, but it's at least an easy and quick way to hand around your headset. Here's how it works: Go to Control Center. Pinch "Guest User." Hand your headset over and the Vision Pro will run a quick set-up and calibration, then open on what you were looking at, while protecting your private data. When you put the headset back on, your original calibration will return. If you don't want to fully share your headset, you can still share your view. AirPlay Mirroring lets others see what you're seeing on their phones or other devices. You can beam your view to any nearby iPad, Mac, or AirPlay-compatible TV that shares a wifi network with your Vision Pro. Here's how it works: On your headset, go to Control Center and select the "Mirror My View" icon (it looks like two overlapping squares). You should see a list of any compatible devices on your network. Choose the one you want to stream to. If you don't see a device, you may need to turn on AirPlay Receiver (found in System Settings > General > AirDrop & Handoff on macOS and within the Apple Vision Pro app on iOS). Use "Gaussian splats" to create 3D virtual spaces you can walk around inOne of the standout features of the Vision Pro is the device's ability to instantly upscale and alter existing 2D photos into spatial 3D images. You just open the photo gallery, select a picture, and click the "spatial" and/or immersion icons and it instantly gives your pics depth. But that's only the first level of the 3D you can achieve. Third-party apps like Spatial Media Toolkit and Spatial Video Studio let you control parameters like depth intensity, crop for the best 3D effect, and save in formats that can be viewed outside of the Vision Pro. That includes anaglyph, so you can view pictures with those old 3D glasses; side-by-side 3D, so you can view them on VR headsets or 3D TVs; and "wiggle" videos that can be viewed by anyone by moving their device slightly, like so: Credit: Stephen Johnson But if you want to go even deeper, the Apple Vision Pro is an amazing tool for viewing and creating Gaussian splats. This cutting edge tech creates 3D models by stretching, rotating, and positioning millions of tiny, colored, and transparent 3D "blobs" (Gaussians). While spatial photos add AI-assisted depth, "splats" allow you to capture 3D versions of real objects, save them, and walk around them. You can also scan a 3D space and walk around inside it. Gaussian splats capture lighting really well, but add a weird, surreal "blobbiness" to physical objects (the tech isn't fully in place). But the lighting and reflections are evocative in a way that's hard to describe. Gaussian splats of familiar places feel like walking into hazy memories. If your parents had this, you could hang out in a digital replica of your childhood bedroom. If you scan your own children with this, you'll have weird, blobby digital child who will never grow up. It's not super hard to do, either. You can use an app like Scaniverse or Polycam on your phone to scan a room or object in different ways, then you can export it to your Vision Pro and experience it in 3D through the same apps on your Vision Pro. Bonus: Polycam lets you explore captures from users all over the world, including large-scale scans of things like cathedrals. Use your Vision Pro as a gaming deviceGaming has never been the focus of the Vision Pro—a shame, since it's such a powerful machine—but that seems to be changing. The most recent update to visionOS 26.4 introduced NVIDIA CloudXR 6.0, a native streaming framework that allows the headset to act as more of a monitor, while another computer handles the number crunching. The first high-profile games playable through the new framework are iRacing and X-Plane 12. I don't have a PC, so I wasn't able to test this one out, but here are the the instructions from NVIDIA on how to get it going. You aren't totally locked out of a high-end gaming if you're Mac user, though. visionOS now supports NVIDIA GeForce NOW so you can stream games directly from NVIDIA's data centers. The bad news: it's going to cost a subscription fee for the best stuff. Here's how it works: Pair a Bluetooth game controller to your Apple Vision Pro. Open Safari on your Vision Pro and go to play.geforcenow.com. You should be able to play any games you own on Steam that are also on NVIDIA's platform. The free subscription gives you hour blocks of playtime after waiting in the queue. If you spring for the "Ultimate tier subscription" for $19.99 a month, you get to the front of the line, and you'll unlock the Vision Pro’s 4K/90 FPS cloud mode, which gives you better performance than most consoles without a single wire. Those are the official gaming options. If you want to be a hacker and walk outside Apple's cultivated garden, you can play streamed OpenVR games from your gaming computer to your Vision Pro with ALVR. But it's not for the faint-of-heart. Running ALVR requires specific network and software configurations, and a measure of technical knowledge. If you want to give it a shot, here are the official instructions for setting up the app on your PC. Keep Vision Pro awake with a post-it noteThis hack takes no technical ability at all, and it's adorably janky. The Apple Vision Pro is designed to go into a sleep mode the moment you take it off, but if there's some reason you'd rather the display stay on, you can defeat the auto-sleep sensors with a simple Post-it note. Slide it over your eye while the headset is off, then you can keep your headset on while it's supposed to be sleeping, like so: Credit: Stephen Johnson This actually has some uses. VisionOS often pauses active tasks like file transfers when it's sleeping, so if you're transferring a huge file, this could keep it going while you're headset-less. Also: if you're running something with a delicate connection, like ALVR mentioned above, this would theoretically make it more likely you keep your connection. Use physical buttons to force quit if your Vision Pro is unresponsiveIf a Vision Pro app becomes unresponsive, you can force quit with the physical buttons. Unlike clicking the "X" to close out an app, force quitting kills the process that's running completely. Here's how it works: Press and hold both the digital crown and the top button. Wait for the menu of open apps to appear. Click the app you want to kill. Create an ultrawide virtual display for your MacBookYou can turn your MacBook into a wrap-around workstation with infinite screen real estate, and it's crazy easy: Make sure your computer and Vision Pro are both on the same network, and that both have bluetooth and keychains enabled. Then just look at your open MacBook while wearing the headset. A "Connect" button will float above the screen. Pinch it, and you'll have a virtual screen that can be huge. You can expand to a 32:9 panoramic display that wraps around you. You get the equivalent of two 5K monitors side-by-side while sitting at a coffee shop or on a plane. So cool. Hunt for hidden easter eggs in Vision Pro environmentsThe Vision Pro's environments are way more than static backdrops. They're highly detailed, animated vision and soundscapes filled with small details and, supposedly, mysterious rare encounters. There's a kind of mythology about some of these events, because they're hard to capture, so anyone can say they saw or heard anything—like a roadrunner in White Sands or gunshots or Bigfoot in Mount Hood. Those are dubious, but there are some confirmed, or at least plausible, environment easter eggs that suggest you might find something: Haleakalā: if you yell loud enough in this environment, you can hear an echo. This one is confirmed. Mount Hood (Dynamic Weather): If it is raining in your actual physical location, the Mount Hood environment will often mirror those conditions. Users have reported seeing subtle raindrops hitting the "glass" of their open app windows as well. Keynote's hidden environment: If you open the "Keynote" app in your Vision Pro and open a presentation, one of your options will be "rehearse." You'll have two choice, a boardroom and a theater. The theater is an exact replica of the Steve Jobs Theater. This is confirmed too. View the full article

‘Project Walleye’ lenders would be first to fund both construction and powerView the full article

When a fake wedding announcement featuring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson popped up in a late-year print issue The Boston Globe, it looked like a star-studded romcom was underway. But “The Drama,” indie studio A24’s latest film, has stirred controversy, and most audiences don’t know what its about. The film’s trailers, the first of which was dropped just a day after the wedding announcement, revealed a somewhat vague plot line—Zendaya and Pattinson play Emma and Charlie, a couple grappling with the aftermaths of a confession as they ready for their wedding. Speculation on the film’s big twist ignited a flurry of conspiracies and theories online, ranging from mere cheating to violent crimes “What the fuck did she do that made the whole fucking movie change,” a user commented on the YouTube trailer. But as more information on the movie’s plot unfolded, controversy followed. In March—weeks leading up to the film’s April 3 release—gun reform activist and the father of a victim of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, Tom Mauser, spoke out against the upcoming movie. It turns out in the movie, Emma, while playing a game where friends admit to the worst thing they’ve ever done, admits to planning a school shooting but never going through with it—a twist that have left many, like Mauser, concerned over how the film deals with such a delicate subject matter. “After finding out what Emma’s secret is I don’t think I’ll watch it. I feel like it’s trying to justify something really bad. Like I personally would break things off if it were my relationship,” a user said on Reddit, reacting to the revelation. Another user added, “Honestly, I was really excited for this movie but after finding out about the twist and seeing that one of the Columbine parents condemned it…I don’t know… It feels wrong? I guess that is the point of the movie but it does make me a bit more hesitant to see it.” It’s not just Mauser who has spoken out about the film. “The way this film has been marketed is deeply misaligned with the reality it engages. We expect better from A24 and the artists behind it,” the non-profit gun control organization shared on Instagram. The organization was originally founded by teen survivors of the 2018 Parkland shooting in Florida. And while some online argue the film might serve as a bridge into a necessary conversation around mental health and gun reform, others are still skeptical. “The reason A24 doesn’t want you to know what Emma did is because there’s a good chance you won’t want to watch “The Drama” at all if you know,” Odie Henderson, the Globe’s film critic, said in his review. “Adding insult to injury, the repercussions of Emma’s actions are handled so distastefully, and in such an insensitive manner, that you’ll wonder what the hell the studio was thinking when it based its entire campaign on this repugnant, tasteless surprise,” he added. “I guess there truly is no such thing as bad publicity.” View the full article

If Steam is one of your gaming apps of choice, then you might not typically spend too much time interacting with the program—you probably want to get straight to the gaming. Take a few minutes to dive into the settings and features on offer though, and there's a lot to explore. From remapping gamepad controls to launching games with custom restrictions applied, here's what's possible. (Note: The tips below are based on the current Steam client for the Windows desktop, but you should find comparable options on the other Steam apps too.) Run a privacy audit to prevent strangers from learning about your gaming habitsYou need to pay attention to your privacy on Steam as well as on every other app and platform you use. Specifically, you have a Steam profile that may or may not be revealing information about you to the world at large. Click Steam > Settings > Account and then Privacy Settings to run an audit and make any necessary changes. For example, your profile can include details of games you've bought and wishlisted, and the people you're friends with on the platform. Most details can be set to Public, Private, or Friends Only. There's also a setting for controlling who's allowed to leave comments on your profile. Create a "Steam Family" to share games with othersSteam comes with family sharing built in, so the games you've bought can be shared with up to five other people "in the same household" (which basically means using the same IP address, most of the time). To get started, open Steam > Settings > Family and then Create or Join a Steam Family. If you're the head of the family group, you'll need to give it a name and send out the invites, and from there you can manage who's allowed in the group. Multiple games from your library can be played at the same time, but two family members can't play the same game simultaneously. As well as giving your loved ones access to your games without having to pay for them, this is also an effective way of adding parental controls for your kids: You can set which games are available to which family members, and set up gameplay time limits too. Run commands to customize your gamesIf you right-click on a game in your Steam library and choose Properties > General, you'll come across a Launch options box that lets you add command line-style operators to the executable for your selected game. For those of you who've never come across a command line, we're talking about specific, additional instructions that tell the game to behave in a certain way or keep certain features enabled or disabled. They can help troubleshoot issues with a game as well as customize it to suit your requirements. The available options cover everything from forcing a windowed launch and skipping intros, to keeping voice chat logs and disabling GPU features. Compatibility varies by game, but you can find a comprehensive list here. You don't have to keep all your games in the same location. Credit: Lifehacker Add a drive to strategically move your games somewhere elseYou don't have to settle for keeping all of your games in the same place on your system. Maybe you have a faster SSD installed, for example, but space is limited on it: You can move a selection of games where speed is most important to this drive, and leave the rest where they are. First you need to create an alternative location on your system. Choose Steam > Settings > Storage, click on the drop-down menu at the top, then select Add Drive. With another location created, you can move a game in your library by right-clicking on it and selecting Properties > Installed Files. Choose Move install folder and you'll be able to pick another location. Limit download speeds to keep your internet running smoothlyYou don't necessarily want Steam downloading games and updates at the maximum rate every time, especially if you're trying to enjoy some high-quality 4K video streaming entertainment in the next room. Select Steam > Settings > Downloads and you get to a whole host of options for controlling how the program handles file transfers. Turn on the Limit download speed toggle switch, and you can set a ceiling in Kbps—handy for those times when you don't need your game updates as quickly as possible, and need your internet for other things. Switch to other servers when yours is acting upSpeaking of downloads and download speeds, by default Steam will connect you to the server closest to your location for your data transfers. Most of the time, this will give you the fastest upload and download speeds. That's not always guaranteed though: When your default region is particularly busy, you might find a connection further away gives you a faster speed. Head to Steam > Settings > Downloads and you'll find the Download region picker at the top. Use "Big Picture Mode" to navigate Steam with a gamepadAny Steam game that's gamepad-compatible will work without any fuss once you plug a controller in, but what about the Steam interface itself? Switching back and forth between gamepad and keyboard as you jump in and out of games isn't particularly convenient. The answer is to launch Steam in the Big Picture Mode designed for using Steam on a TV. Not only does this make the interface more straightforward and more suitable for larger screens, it also makes it very gamepad-friendly. From Steam > Settings, pick "Interface," then enable Start Steam in Big Picture Mode to use this interface by default. You can also switch in and out of Big Picture Mode via Alt+Enter, the menu button on your controller, or the Big Picture Mode icon in the top-right corner of the client interface (just to the left of the minimize button). Remapping the controller commands in Steam. Credit: Lifehacker Remap your gamepad controlsOn the topic of gamepads, if you right-click on any game in your library and choose Properties > Controller > Controller Configuration, you can override the default settings for how buttons and joysticks are used—or even get a gamepad working with a game that doesn't natively support one. That's not all: If you select Browse configs on the remap screen, you can use any of the configurations submitted by the Steam community for the game you've selected. A custom config might just give you the edge in your next gameplay session. Use "SteamDB" for insights into future Steam salesWhen it comes to external Steam resources you should absolutely check out, I'd like to point you to SteamDB—which, as its name suggests, is a database of every game currently available on Steam. Not only can you see new, popular, and trending games in the Steam catalog, you can also get updates on upcoming releases and the latest patches, and even do a quick calculation to figure out how much you've spent on Steam over the years. Perhaps most importantly of all, you can get predictions for when the next Steam sale will be (based on historical data), and dig into the details of current sales—in terms of discount amount, release date, genre, and so on. Use the FPS counter to monitor your PC's performanceSeeing frames–per-second performance in real time can help you make sure your gaming hardware is running as it should, and is also useful for diagnosing problems—if you think frames are being dropped, this will prove it. Steam comes with its own basic FPS display option: Pick Steam then Settings, then head to In Game. There's a Show performance monitor option here which lets you choose where your overlay goes on screen. The options further down on the same screen let you choose what else gets shown besides FPS: It's possible to have CPU, GPU, and RAM usage stats displayed as well. View the full article

Payroll processing fees are vital costs that businesses face to guarantee accurate employee compensation. These fees typically cover wage calculations, tax withholdings, and compliance with labor regulations. They can vary greatly based on the provider and the services included, often leading to unexpected expenses. Comprehending these fees is important for managing your budget effectively. But what specific factors influence these costs, and how can you minimize them? Key Takeaways Payroll processing fees cover employee wage calculations, tax withholdings, compliance, and year-end tax forms preparation. Costs typically range from $200 to $250 per employee annually, influenced by service provider and features chosen. Common pricing structures include monthly base fees with per-employee charges or per-pay cycle fees. Hidden fees may arise from additional services like direct deposit and tax filing, impacting total expenses. Understanding these fees aids businesses in budgeting and selecting suitable payroll services to meet their needs. Understanding Payroll Processing Fees When you’re managing a business, comprehending payroll processing fees is fundamental, as they represent significant costs associated with handling employee compensation. Payroll services cost can range from $200 to $250 per employee annually, depending on your chosen provider and the services they offer. Typically, these fees include calculations of wages, tax withholdings, compliance with regulations, and preparation of year-end tax forms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpSiQ1y-I8E You might encounter common pricing structures like a monthly base fee plus a per-employee fee or a per-pay cycle charge based on the number of employees and payroll frequency. Furthermore, services such as direct deposit, automatic check signing, tax filing, and special reporting features can lead to hidden payroll processing fees. To understand how much does payroll cost, it’s imperative to evaluate these supplementary elements for accurate budgeting and financial planning. Mismanagement can lead to penalties, making clarity in these fees even more critical. What Do Payroll Processing Fees Cover? Grasping what payroll processing fees cover is vital for any business owner who wants to manage their finances effectively. These payroll services fees typically include the costs associated with calculating employee wages, managing tax withholdings, and ensuring compliance with payroll regulations. You’ll often encounter charges for additional services like year-end tax form preparation, including W-2s and 1099s, direct deposit processing, and check printing. Many payroll service providers charge a base fee, usually ranging from $200 to $250 per employee annually, along with per-payroll or per-employee charges that can vary based on service complexity. Additional costs may arise from features like automated payroll tax filing, customer support, and detailed reporting services. Grasping the full scope of payroll processing fees, including potential hidden charges, is vital for accurate budgeting and financial planning for your business. Factors Influencing Payroll Processing Fees Understanding payroll processing fees involves recognizing the various factors that can influence these costs. First and foremost, the total number of employees greatly impacts expenses, with average costs typically ranging from $200 to $250 per employee annually. Furthermore, the frequency of payroll cycles plays a role; more frequent payrolls, like weekly, usually lead to higher fees compared to biweekly or monthly processing. Required features and services contribute to the overall cost. Basic packages are typically less expensive, whereas extensive services, including tax filing and compliance tools, can raise the baseline price. Geographic location matters too, as differing state and local tax requirements can complicate payroll processing, adding to expenses. Finally, don’t overlook hidden fees, such as setup charges and customer support, which can further influence your total payroll processing costs, making a thorough review of service agreements crucial. Common Pricing Structures for Payroll Services Grasping common pricing structures for payroll services is vital for businesses looking to manage their payroll costs effectively. Various pricing models exist, and comprehending them can help you choose what suits your needs best. Here are three common structures: Per-month base fee plus per-employee fee: You pay a fixed monthly rate, plus an extra charge for each employee processed. Per-pay cycle fee: This involves a charge for every payroll run, along with a fee per employee, which can differ based on how often you run payroll. Annual fee structure: Some providers offer discounted rates for long-term commitments, which can lead to savings over time. It’s important to review all pricing details, as additional fees for services like tax filings, customer support, or year-end processing can greatly affect your overall costs. In-House Payroll vs. Outsourced Payroll Processing When deciding between in-house payroll and outsourced payroll processing, it’s essential to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each approach. In-house payroll gives you control over your payroll functions, but it often requires significant time and expertise to navigate complex regulations and avoid costly errors. You might find this manageable if your business is smaller, where DIY options can be more cost-effective. On the other hand, outsourced payroll services typically charge fees based on a per-employee or per-payroll cycle model, which can range from $200 to $250 annually per employee. By outsourcing, you benefit from professional expertise, ensuring compliance with tax laws and minimizing risks associated with payroll errors. Ultimately, the choice often hinges on your business size; larger firms might save time and reduce risk by outsourcing, whereas smaller organizations might prefer handling payroll in-house. Furthermore, consider how payroll frequency impacts overall processing costs. Hidden Fees to Watch Out For When you choose a payroll processing service, it’s essential to be aware of hidden fees that can sneak into your budget. Setup and installation fees might hit you right at the start, and tax filing charges could surprise you later on if they aren’t included in your base plan. Moreover, if you require extra support or reporting, those costs can quickly add up, affecting your overall payroll expenses. Setup and Installation Fees Grasping setup and installation fees is important for businesses looking to adopt a new payroll system, as these costs can vary considerably based on the complexity of the setup. Typically ranging from $50 to several hundred dollars, these fees may cover: The initial configuration of payroll software Inputting employee data Customizing payroll settings to meet your specific needs Many payroll service providers mightn’t disclose these fees upfront. As a result, it’s necessary to request a detailed breakdown of all costs before you commit. Moreover, some providers offer promotional pricing that waives setup fees for new clients, so be sure to inquire about such deals to help reduce your initial expenses. Comprehending these fees is critical for accurate budgeting. Tax Filing Charges Tax filing charges can considerably impact your overall payroll processing costs, often catching businesses off guard. These fees can vary based on the complexity of your payroll needs, with some providers charging extra for state and federal tax filings beyond their base costs. Be aware that as your employee count increases, so do these fees, often leading to more complex processing requirements. It’s essential to clarify whether tax filing services are included in your initial pricing, as providers frequently charge separately for year-end forms like W-2s and 1099s. Furthermore, hidden fees may arise from amendments to previously submitted forms, adding unexpected costs. Regular audits of these charges can help you budget accurately and avoid surprises. Support and Reporting Costs As you manage your payroll processing costs, don’t overlook the potential expenses associated with support and reporting. These hidden fees can greatly impact your budget if you’re not aware of them beforehand. Consider the following: Support Costs: You may incur charges for customer service assistance beyond your basic service plan. Reporting Costs: Detailed payroll reports that exceed standard offerings often come with additional fees. Hidden Charges: Be cautious of costs for accessing historical payroll data or features like automatic paycheck signing. Estimating Your Payroll Processing Costs How do you accurately estimate your payroll processing costs? Start by considering the fees, which typically range from $200 to $250 per employee per year, influenced by the number of employees and how often you run payroll. Remember to factor in additional costs for services like tax filing and customer support, as these mightn’t be included in your base pricing. It’s essential to evaluate both direct costs, such as wages, benefits, and taxes, and indirect costs, including software and processing fees. The size of your business will greatly affect your overall expenses, with larger companies often facing higher per-employee fees, whereas smaller businesses may enjoy lower costs. Regular audits of your payroll processes can help uncover hidden fees and identify areas for cost savings, allowing for a more accurate budgeting approach toward your payroll expenses. Benefits of Using Payroll Processing Services Even though managing payroll in-house may seem straightforward, the benefits of using payroll processing services can greatly improve your business operations. By outsourcing your payroll, you can save time and reduce errors, allowing you to focus on core business activities. Here are some key advantages of payroll processing services: Cost Savings: You could save up to 50% compared to in-house payroll management because of streamlined operations and fewer administrative tasks. Compliance Support: These services help you navigate complex regulations, reducing the risk of penalties from payroll errors. Improved Employee Engagement: Many providers offer employee self-service portals, allowing your staff easy access to pay information, which boosts satisfaction. Incorporating payroll processing services into your business strategy can streamline operations, reduce risks, and improve employee morale, making it a worthwhile investment. Strategies for Reducing Payroll Processing Fees Whereas payroll processing services offer numerous advantages, managing costs associated with these services is equally important for maximizing their benefits. You can adopt several strategies to reduce payroll processing fees effectively. Consider utilizing DIY payroll software, which can save you up to 50% compared to traditional services. Bundling payroll with HR services often yields discounts as well as streamlining processes. Regularly reviewing and negotiating contracts with providers can uncover better pricing or additional features at no extra cost. Implementing electronic payment methods, like direct deposit, eliminates paper check costs, and moving to biweekly payroll cycles can greatly lower processing fees. Strategy Potential Savings Additional Benefits DIY Payroll Software Up to 50% Cost-effective for small firms Bundling Services Varies Streamlined administrative tasks Electronic Payments Variable Eliminates paper check costs The Role of Technology in Payroll Processing Technology considerably streamlines payroll processing by automating tasks and integrating with other business systems. This automation reduces human error and improves accuracy, whereas integration guarantees that payroll aligns seamlessly with HR and accounting functions. Automation of Payroll Tasks As businesses endeavor for efficiency, automating payroll tasks has become an essential strategy to streamline operations. With the right technology, you can markedly reduce the time spent on manual calculations and data entry, leading to substantial cost savings. Automated payroll software can: Calculate wages, taxes, and deductions accurately, minimizing human error. Enable features like direct deposit, automated tax filing, and real-time reporting. Cut administrative costs by up to 50%, allowing you to focus on growth. Integration With Business Systems Integrating payroll software with your existing business systems, such as HR and accounting platforms, can greatly boost the efficiency and accuracy of your payroll processing. By reducing manual data entry, you minimize errors, ensuring your payroll is correct. Automated systems streamline tasks like tax filings and compliance reporting, saving significant time and lightening the load on HR teams. With real-time data access, you can make immediate updates on payroll costs and employee status, enabling better decision-making and budget management. Features like employee self-service portals improve satisfaction by allowing staff to access their pay information easily. Choosing the Right Payroll Service Provider When selecting a payroll service provider, it’s crucial to understand the various pricing structures that can affect your overall expenses. Many providers charge a base fee plus per-employee costs, and additional services like tax filings can add to your bill. To make the best choice, consider these key factors: Features and Services: Make sure the provider offers functionalities that meet your specific business needs, as basic packages may lack critical capabilities. Transparent Pricing: Look for providers that disclose all costs upfront, avoiding hidden fees related to setup or customer support. Customer Support: Evaluate the level of support available; higher support can improve usability and impact overall costs. Additionally, assess how well the payroll system integrates with your existing business functions, as seamless integration can save you time and money as well as boost compliance. Frequently Asked Questions What Is a Payroll Processing Fee? A payroll processing fee is a charge imposed by payroll service providers for managing your employees’ wages, tax withholdings, and compliance with regulations. Typically, these fees range from $200 to $250 per employee annually. They can be structured as per-payroll charges, per-employee fees, or monthly flat rates. Be aware of potential hidden fees for additional services, as they can greatly affect your overall payroll costs. Comprehending these fees is crucial for effective budgeting. How Does Payroll Processing Work? Payroll processing involves several key steps. First, you collect and verify employee time records, often using a time tracking system. Then, you calculate gross wages, accounting for hours worked and any deductions. Next, you prepare paychecks or direct deposits and handle payroll tax filings. Finally, maintaining accurate financial records is crucial for compliance and reporting. Automating these processes with payroll software can minimize errors and guarantee timely payments to employees. What Is an Example of a Payroll Fee? One example of a payroll fee is the setup fee, which you incur when you first establish payroll services with a provider. This fee can vary based on the company and the complexity of your payroll needs. Furthermore, ongoing transaction fees may apply for each payroll cycle processed, which means you’ll pay a specific amount every time you run payroll. Comprehending these fees helps you budget accurately and avoid unexpected expenses. How Much Does ADP Charge for Payroll Processing? ADP typically charges around $150 per month for basic payroll processing services. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RYQj1TKyPU If you have more employees, the cost can increase by $2 to $10 per employee each month, depending on the service package you select. Additional features like tax filing and employee benefits administration may incur extra fees, greatly raising your total costs. It’s essential to review ADP’s detailed pricing breakdown to understand all potential expenses related to payroll processing. Conclusion Grasping payroll processing fees is crucial for managing your business’s financial health. These fees cover various services, including tax compliance and wage calculations, and can vary based on several factors. By evaluating your options, whether in-house or outsourced, and considering technology’s role, you can find a cost-effective solution. Implementing strategies to reduce these fees will improve your budget, ensuring you allocate resources efficiently as you maintain compliance with payroll regulations. Choose wisely to optimize your payroll processing experience. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Are Payroll Processing Fees and How Do They Function?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Payroll processing fees are vital costs that businesses face to guarantee accurate employee compensation. These fees typically cover wage calculations, tax withholdings, and compliance with labor regulations. They can vary greatly based on the provider and the services included, often leading to unexpected expenses. Comprehending these fees is important for managing your budget effectively. But what specific factors influence these costs, and how can you minimize them? Key Takeaways Payroll processing fees cover employee wage calculations, tax withholdings, compliance, and year-end tax forms preparation. Costs typically range from $200 to $250 per employee annually, influenced by service provider and features chosen. Common pricing structures include monthly base fees with per-employee charges or per-pay cycle fees. Hidden fees may arise from additional services like direct deposit and tax filing, impacting total expenses. Understanding these fees aids businesses in budgeting and selecting suitable payroll services to meet their needs. Understanding Payroll Processing Fees When you’re managing a business, comprehending payroll processing fees is fundamental, as they represent significant costs associated with handling employee compensation. Payroll services cost can range from $200 to $250 per employee annually, depending on your chosen provider and the services they offer. Typically, these fees include calculations of wages, tax withholdings, compliance with regulations, and preparation of year-end tax forms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpSiQ1y-I8E You might encounter common pricing structures like a monthly base fee plus a per-employee fee or a per-pay cycle charge based on the number of employees and payroll frequency. Furthermore, services such as direct deposit, automatic check signing, tax filing, and special reporting features can lead to hidden payroll processing fees. To understand how much does payroll cost, it’s imperative to evaluate these supplementary elements for accurate budgeting and financial planning. Mismanagement can lead to penalties, making clarity in these fees even more critical. What Do Payroll Processing Fees Cover? Grasping what payroll processing fees cover is vital for any business owner who wants to manage their finances effectively. These payroll services fees typically include the costs associated with calculating employee wages, managing tax withholdings, and ensuring compliance with payroll regulations. You’ll often encounter charges for additional services like year-end tax form preparation, including W-2s and 1099s, direct deposit processing, and check printing. Many payroll service providers charge a base fee, usually ranging from $200 to $250 per employee annually, along with per-payroll or per-employee charges that can vary based on service complexity. Additional costs may arise from features like automated payroll tax filing, customer support, and detailed reporting services. Grasping the full scope of payroll processing fees, including potential hidden charges, is vital for accurate budgeting and financial planning for your business. Factors Influencing Payroll Processing Fees Understanding payroll processing fees involves recognizing the various factors that can influence these costs. First and foremost, the total number of employees greatly impacts expenses, with average costs typically ranging from $200 to $250 per employee annually. Furthermore, the frequency of payroll cycles plays a role; more frequent payrolls, like weekly, usually lead to higher fees compared to biweekly or monthly processing. Required features and services contribute to the overall cost. Basic packages are typically less expensive, whereas extensive services, including tax filing and compliance tools, can raise the baseline price. Geographic location matters too, as differing state and local tax requirements can complicate payroll processing, adding to expenses. Finally, don’t overlook hidden fees, such as setup charges and customer support, which can further influence your total payroll processing costs, making a thorough review of service agreements crucial. Common Pricing Structures for Payroll Services Grasping common pricing structures for payroll services is vital for businesses looking to manage their payroll costs effectively. Various pricing models exist, and comprehending them can help you choose what suits your needs best. Here are three common structures: Per-month base fee plus per-employee fee: You pay a fixed monthly rate, plus an extra charge for each employee processed. Per-pay cycle fee: This involves a charge for every payroll run, along with a fee per employee, which can differ based on how often you run payroll. Annual fee structure: Some providers offer discounted rates for long-term commitments, which can lead to savings over time. It’s important to review all pricing details, as additional fees for services like tax filings, customer support, or year-end processing can greatly affect your overall costs. In-House Payroll vs. Outsourced Payroll Processing When deciding between in-house payroll and outsourced payroll processing, it’s essential to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each approach. In-house payroll gives you control over your payroll functions, but it often requires significant time and expertise to navigate complex regulations and avoid costly errors. You might find this manageable if your business is smaller, where DIY options can be more cost-effective. On the other hand, outsourced payroll services typically charge fees based on a per-employee or per-payroll cycle model, which can range from $200 to $250 annually per employee. By outsourcing, you benefit from professional expertise, ensuring compliance with tax laws and minimizing risks associated with payroll errors. Ultimately, the choice often hinges on your business size; larger firms might save time and reduce risk by outsourcing, whereas smaller organizations might prefer handling payroll in-house. Furthermore, consider how payroll frequency impacts overall processing costs. Hidden Fees to Watch Out For When you choose a payroll processing service, it’s essential to be aware of hidden fees that can sneak into your budget. Setup and installation fees might hit you right at the start, and tax filing charges could surprise you later on if they aren’t included in your base plan. Moreover, if you require extra support or reporting, those costs can quickly add up, affecting your overall payroll expenses. Setup and Installation Fees Grasping setup and installation fees is important for businesses looking to adopt a new payroll system, as these costs can vary considerably based on the complexity of the setup. Typically ranging from $50 to several hundred dollars, these fees may cover: The initial configuration of payroll software Inputting employee data Customizing payroll settings to meet your specific needs Many payroll service providers mightn’t disclose these fees upfront. As a result, it’s necessary to request a detailed breakdown of all costs before you commit. Moreover, some providers offer promotional pricing that waives setup fees for new clients, so be sure to inquire about such deals to help reduce your initial expenses. Comprehending these fees is critical for accurate budgeting. Tax Filing Charges Tax filing charges can considerably impact your overall payroll processing costs, often catching businesses off guard. These fees can vary based on the complexity of your payroll needs, with some providers charging extra for state and federal tax filings beyond their base costs. Be aware that as your employee count increases, so do these fees, often leading to more complex processing requirements. It’s essential to clarify whether tax filing services are included in your initial pricing, as providers frequently charge separately for year-end forms like W-2s and 1099s. Furthermore, hidden fees may arise from amendments to previously submitted forms, adding unexpected costs. Regular audits of these charges can help you budget accurately and avoid surprises. Support and Reporting Costs As you manage your payroll processing costs, don’t overlook the potential expenses associated with support and reporting. These hidden fees can greatly impact your budget if you’re not aware of them beforehand. Consider the following: Support Costs: You may incur charges for customer service assistance beyond your basic service plan. Reporting Costs: Detailed payroll reports that exceed standard offerings often come with additional fees. Hidden Charges: Be cautious of costs for accessing historical payroll data or features like automatic paycheck signing. Estimating Your Payroll Processing Costs How do you accurately estimate your payroll processing costs? Start by considering the fees, which typically range from $200 to $250 per employee per year, influenced by the number of employees and how often you run payroll. Remember to factor in additional costs for services like tax filing and customer support, as these mightn’t be included in your base pricing. It’s essential to evaluate both direct costs, such as wages, benefits, and taxes, and indirect costs, including software and processing fees. The size of your business will greatly affect your overall expenses, with larger companies often facing higher per-employee fees, whereas smaller businesses may enjoy lower costs. Regular audits of your payroll processes can help uncover hidden fees and identify areas for cost savings, allowing for a more accurate budgeting approach toward your payroll expenses. Benefits of Using Payroll Processing Services Even though managing payroll in-house may seem straightforward, the benefits of using payroll processing services can greatly improve your business operations. By outsourcing your payroll, you can save time and reduce errors, allowing you to focus on core business activities. Here are some key advantages of payroll processing services: Cost Savings: You could save up to 50% compared to in-house payroll management because of streamlined operations and fewer administrative tasks. Compliance Support: These services help you navigate complex regulations, reducing the risk of penalties from payroll errors. Improved Employee Engagement: Many providers offer employee self-service portals, allowing your staff easy access to pay information, which boosts satisfaction. Incorporating payroll processing services into your business strategy can streamline operations, reduce risks, and improve employee morale, making it a worthwhile investment. Strategies for Reducing Payroll Processing Fees Whereas payroll processing services offer numerous advantages, managing costs associated with these services is equally important for maximizing their benefits. You can adopt several strategies to reduce payroll processing fees effectively. Consider utilizing DIY payroll software, which can save you up to 50% compared to traditional services. Bundling payroll with HR services often yields discounts as well as streamlining processes. Regularly reviewing and negotiating contracts with providers can uncover better pricing or additional features at no extra cost. Implementing electronic payment methods, like direct deposit, eliminates paper check costs, and moving to biweekly payroll cycles can greatly lower processing fees. Strategy Potential Savings Additional Benefits DIY Payroll Software Up to 50% Cost-effective for small firms Bundling Services Varies Streamlined administrative tasks Electronic Payments Variable Eliminates paper check costs The Role of Technology in Payroll Processing Technology considerably streamlines payroll processing by automating tasks and integrating with other business systems. This automation reduces human error and improves accuracy, whereas integration guarantees that payroll aligns seamlessly with HR and accounting functions. Automation of Payroll Tasks As businesses endeavor for efficiency, automating payroll tasks has become an essential strategy to streamline operations. With the right technology, you can markedly reduce the time spent on manual calculations and data entry, leading to substantial cost savings. Automated payroll software can: Calculate wages, taxes, and deductions accurately, minimizing human error. Enable features like direct deposit, automated tax filing, and real-time reporting. Cut administrative costs by up to 50%, allowing you to focus on growth. Integration With Business Systems Integrating payroll software with your existing business systems, such as HR and accounting platforms, can greatly boost the efficiency and accuracy of your payroll processing. By reducing manual data entry, you minimize errors, ensuring your payroll is correct. Automated systems streamline tasks like tax filings and compliance reporting, saving significant time and lightening the load on HR teams. With real-time data access, you can make immediate updates on payroll costs and employee status, enabling better decision-making and budget management. Features like employee self-service portals improve satisfaction by allowing staff to access their pay information easily. Choosing the Right Payroll Service Provider When selecting a payroll service provider, it’s crucial to understand the various pricing structures that can affect your overall expenses. Many providers charge a base fee plus per-employee costs, and additional services like tax filings can add to your bill. To make the best choice, consider these key factors: Features and Services: Make sure the provider offers functionalities that meet your specific business needs, as basic packages may lack critical capabilities. Transparent Pricing: Look for providers that disclose all costs upfront, avoiding hidden fees related to setup or customer support. Customer Support: Evaluate the level of support available; higher support can improve usability and impact overall costs. Additionally, assess how well the payroll system integrates with your existing business functions, as seamless integration can save you time and money as well as boost compliance. Frequently Asked Questions What Is a Payroll Processing Fee? A payroll processing fee is a charge imposed by payroll service providers for managing your employees’ wages, tax withholdings, and compliance with regulations. Typically, these fees range from $200 to $250 per employee annually. They can be structured as per-payroll charges, per-employee fees, or monthly flat rates. Be aware of potential hidden fees for additional services, as they can greatly affect your overall payroll costs. Comprehending these fees is crucial for effective budgeting. How Does Payroll Processing Work? Payroll processing involves several key steps. First, you collect and verify employee time records, often using a time tracking system. Then, you calculate gross wages, accounting for hours worked and any deductions. Next, you prepare paychecks or direct deposits and handle payroll tax filings. Finally, maintaining accurate financial records is crucial for compliance and reporting. Automating these processes with payroll software can minimize errors and guarantee timely payments to employees. What Is an Example of a Payroll Fee? One example of a payroll fee is the setup fee, which you incur when you first establish payroll services with a provider. This fee can vary based on the company and the complexity of your payroll needs. Furthermore, ongoing transaction fees may apply for each payroll cycle processed, which means you’ll pay a specific amount every time you run payroll. Comprehending these fees helps you budget accurately and avoid unexpected expenses. How Much Does ADP Charge for Payroll Processing? ADP typically charges around $150 per month for basic payroll processing services. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RYQj1TKyPU If you have more employees, the cost can increase by $2 to $10 per employee each month, depending on the service package you select. Additional features like tax filing and employee benefits administration may incur extra fees, greatly raising your total costs. It’s essential to review ADP’s detailed pricing breakdown to understand all potential expenses related to payroll processing. Conclusion Grasping payroll processing fees is crucial for managing your business’s financial health. These fees cover various services, including tax compliance and wage calculations, and can vary based on several factors. By evaluating your options, whether in-house or outsourced, and considering technology’s role, you can find a cost-effective solution. Implementing strategies to reduce these fees will improve your budget, ensuring you allocate resources efficiently as you maintain compliance with payroll regulations. Choose wisely to optimize your payroll processing experience. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Are Payroll Processing Fees and How Do They Function?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Taking a call from the road has been a thing since the dawn of the car phone, but tech companies are still finding new and innovative ways to make escaping meetings impossible. While CarPlay and Android Auto have traditional phone calls baked into their functionality and support certain other calling apps, Google Meet has never been supported. If you have a work call you need to join while in the car, you either need to go through the potentially cumbersome steps of disconnecting your phone from the car and playing the call through the phone itself, or, if it's an option, have someone else take the wheel while you dial in. That's now changing—at least for those of us with iPhones. On Thursday, Google announced that Google Meet is now available on CarPlay. Of course, that integration now means you can take work calls while driving (audio only, of course), but Google Meet's CarPlay has some additional functionality as well. According to Google, you'll be able to view your upcoming schedule in the app and join meetings by tapping on them. That's obviously useful when trying to join specific meetings, but, like many CarPlay experiences, I wonder if there's a bit too much going on for an app that's designed to be used while driving. This is convenient, but I don't want to get into an accident because someone was reviewing their afternoon schedule. Credit: Google Nevertheless, Google Meet is now available to drivers, though Google is adamant that no video capabilities are present here. While your iPhone is connected to CarPlay, your camera will be disabled during Google Meet calls, and you won't be able to see any of the other callers' video feeds. The company says this feature is available for all Google Workspace customers, Workspace Individual subscribers, and users with Google Accounts for personal use. The most notable omission from this list of users includes those on Android. This is just another curious case of Google rolling out functionality in the iPhone version of its app before the OS it actually develops in-house. You would expect Android users to get this feature at the same time as iOS, if not earlier, but Google must have a reason. Maybe there are more Google Meet users on iOS than there are on Android, but whatever the reason, Android users will need to wait a bit longer to call into work meetings through Android Auto. Google Meet is the second big CarPlay announcement this week. OpenAI also announced ChatGPT support for CarPlay on Thursday, following changes to iOS 26.4 that open up support for AI chat apps. When I gave it a test drive, ChatGPT immediately hallucinated. View the full article

HarperCollins Publishers and AI-powered animation studio Toonstar have announced a multi-year partnership to co-produce original YouTube series based on HarperCollins titles. It marks the second announcement this week from the book publishing giant regarding a partnership with an AI-centered company. On Monday, HarperCollins division Harlequin said it entered a multi-year agreement to co-produce 40 animated micro-dramas with AI entertainment company Dashverse. Inspired by Harlequin Romance titles, the collaboration launches in April, beginning with an adaptation of A Fairy-Tail Ending by Catherine Mann. The deals highlight how book publishers are turning to AI as a way to explore new modes of storytelling, but they are also generating backlash from those who are not thrilled about the effort. Toonstar’s partnership role For the Toonstar partnership, the first series planned is Friendship List, based on the young adult series of the same name written by author Lisa Greenwald. This series will be accompanied by a graphic novel from HarperAlley, HarperCollins’s graphic novel imprint for kids and teens, based on the animation. “Toonstar’s proven ability to translate beloved stories into engaging animation, while keeping artists at the center of the process, makes them the ideal partner to bring Friendship List and other popular titles to new audiences in formats today’s families love,” said Liate Stehlik, CEO and publisher for U.S. Trade at HarpersCollins, in a statement. HarperCollins said the process will be creator-led, but has not addressed how authors will be involved or if they’ll receive royalties, reports Publishers Weekly. “Our artist-centered approach ensures these beloved characters and stories stay true to the author’s vision, while our Ink & Pixel production technology enables fast, high-quality production at scale which unlocks the ability to meet audiences where and when they enjoy content today,” John Attanasio, CEO of Toonstar, said in a statement. The animation studio was founded in 2015 by Attanasio and COO Luisa Huang. Their team consists of “creators, builders and technologists hailing from” companies such as Disney, Warner Bros., and Dreamworks. Pushback from authors Some authors have been vocally critical of the AI partnerships. In response to the Harlequin and Dashverse partnership, author Sarah MacLean, a self-described “AI hater,” shared on Threads, “If you write for Harlequin, today is the day to send an email telling them you’re against the use of generative AI in all forms, and urge the company to pull out of the deal with Dashverse. Send the email to your editor and ask them to forward it up the chain.” Writer Sylvia Day also shared her disappointment about the Toonstar partnership. In community Book Threads with 408,000 members, she said, “And now HarperCollins. Really sh!tty if authors aren’t given the option to opt out.” HarperCollins Publishers did not respond to requests for comment. AI collaboration trend across industries HarperCollins’s partnerships point to a larger trend across creative industries as companies look to explore different ways to tell stories using AI. A mix of feedback—negative and positive—from actors, writers, unions, and fans has emerged as a result of collaborations with AI companies in the world of entertainment. Lionsgate’s deal with AI company Runway, inked in 2024, allowed Runway to train its video generation model on the studio’s movies and TV shows. The deal was met with backlash, as artists and filmmakers feared being replaced by automation. Protections for actors against AI is a priority for labor union SAG-AFTRA and was at the forefront of the writers’ and actors’ strikes beginning in 2023. More recently in March, Netflix acquired InterPositive, a filmmaking technology company founded by actor Ben Affleck that develops AI-powered tools built by and for filmmakers. Affleck has said InterPositive does not provide video generation tools or rely on text-to-video prompts, but instead helps with the post-production process. He expressed a desire to keep humans at the forefront of the creative process; Affleck is a signatory to the Creators Coalition on AI, an organization creating a hub for cross-industry discussions about generative AI’s impact on the entertainment industry. InterPositive works by using footage from an existing production to build an AI model. The tools are intended to work alongside storytellers and not replace the work of writers, directors, actors, and crews, Netflix executives said in a press release. Netflix and Affleck received mixed feedback on the acquisition. In a TikTok video, creator Daniel Westheimer, a therapist who makes content about movies and mental health, said, “If I’m passionate about my fear about replacing artists in front of the camera, I should equally be as passionate about my fear around replacing artists behind the camera.” In contrast, Kimberly A. Owczarski, an associate professor at Texas Christian University who studies media franchises, told NPR that Affleck promotes a responsible use of AI in filmmaking. View the full article

Intel has just launched a groundbreaking lineup of technologies designed to enhance productivity and security in the workplace, a move that is likely to resonate with small business owners seeking efficient solutions. Announced at an event in New York on March 25, 2026, the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 is touted as the most advanced commercial client portfolio the company has ever delivered. It underscores Intel’s commitment to delivering performance and power efficiency, alongside integrated AI capabilities for businesses of all sizes. At the heart of this new offering is the Intel Core Ultra Series 3, built on the Intel 18A technology node. This state-of-the-art architecture enhances not only performance but also energy efficiency, providing benefits that small business owners can leverage in their daily operations. According to David Feng, Vice President of Client Computing Group at Intel, “This is the most expansive and capable commercial portfolio Intel has ever delivered… to power the next era of work.” The potential advantages for small business owners are significant. Compared to older systems, users can expect over 30% faster single and multi-threaded performance, along with improvements in overall productivity up to 30%. Perhaps most striking is the promise of up to 80% better graphics performance and up to four times the AI processing capabilities. These advancements can lead to enhanced collaboration, faster decision-making, and improved customer service. Small business owners in creative fields or those using AI-based applications may particularly benefit from the new Intel Arc Pro B-series GPUs. These graphics cards are designed for high-performance graphics and AI inference tasks, making them an ideal choice for content creators and engineers. The GPUs are equipped with powerful features like 32Xe cores and up to 32GB of VRAM. They are projected to deliver more context windows and faster responses in multi-user environments, making them a tantalizing option for businesses focused on scalable AI solutions. Additionally, the Intel vPro platform enhances security and manageability across devices. With features such as integrated security functions, AI-driven analytics, and a simplified activation service through the Intel vPro Fleet Services, the platform stands as a robust choice for IT management. “Intel vPro continues to set the standard for business security and fleet management,” Feng emphasized. For small business owners, security and IT management can often be daunting tasks. The new Intel vPro tools offer a solution by reducing the burden on IT support through proactive diagnostics and rapid deployment. Businesses can significantly reduce CPU utilization and optimize power efficiency, with early results showing impressive reductions in background activity and power management. However, these technological advancements do come with considerations. First, transitioning to the new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 may involve costs related to hardware and software upgrades. While Intel has positioned these products as cost-effective, small business owners should carefully assess their specific needs and budgets. Moreover, while the integrated AI features can enhance functionality, they may require additional software purchases or subscriptions to fully realize their potential. The Intel Core Ultra Series 3 and Intel vPro enhancements position small businesses to leverage next-generation technologies for increased efficiency and security. As these products become available starting March 31, 2026, business leaders should evaluate how they can harness these tools to optimize operations, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences. Small business owners must weigh the benefits against potential challenges, particularly in terms of investment and implementation. As they prepare to embrace these new technologies, they stand to potentially transform their operational capabilities for the better. For further details on this new lineup, refer to the original announcement by Intel here. Image via Intel. This article, "Intel Launches Core Ultra Series 3, Setting New Standards for Business PCs" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Intel has just launched a groundbreaking lineup of technologies designed to enhance productivity and security in the workplace, a move that is likely to resonate with small business owners seeking efficient solutions. Announced at an event in New York on March 25, 2026, the Intel Core Ultra Series 3 is touted as the most advanced commercial client portfolio the company has ever delivered. It underscores Intel’s commitment to delivering performance and power efficiency, alongside integrated AI capabilities for businesses of all sizes. At the heart of this new offering is the Intel Core Ultra Series 3, built on the Intel 18A technology node. This state-of-the-art architecture enhances not only performance but also energy efficiency, providing benefits that small business owners can leverage in their daily operations. According to David Feng, Vice President of Client Computing Group at Intel, “This is the most expansive and capable commercial portfolio Intel has ever delivered… to power the next era of work.” The potential advantages for small business owners are significant. Compared to older systems, users can expect over 30% faster single and multi-threaded performance, along with improvements in overall productivity up to 30%. Perhaps most striking is the promise of up to 80% better graphics performance and up to four times the AI processing capabilities. These advancements can lead to enhanced collaboration, faster decision-making, and improved customer service. Small business owners in creative fields or those using AI-based applications may particularly benefit from the new Intel Arc Pro B-series GPUs. These graphics cards are designed for high-performance graphics and AI inference tasks, making them an ideal choice for content creators and engineers. The GPUs are equipped with powerful features like 32Xe cores and up to 32GB of VRAM. They are projected to deliver more context windows and faster responses in multi-user environments, making them a tantalizing option for businesses focused on scalable AI solutions. Additionally, the Intel vPro platform enhances security and manageability across devices. With features such as integrated security functions, AI-driven analytics, and a simplified activation service through the Intel vPro Fleet Services, the platform stands as a robust choice for IT management. “Intel vPro continues to set the standard for business security and fleet management,” Feng emphasized. For small business owners, security and IT management can often be daunting tasks. The new Intel vPro tools offer a solution by reducing the burden on IT support through proactive diagnostics and rapid deployment. Businesses can significantly reduce CPU utilization and optimize power efficiency, with early results showing impressive reductions in background activity and power management. However, these technological advancements do come with considerations. First, transitioning to the new Intel Core Ultra Series 3 may involve costs related to hardware and software upgrades. While Intel has positioned these products as cost-effective, small business owners should carefully assess their specific needs and budgets. Moreover, while the integrated AI features can enhance functionality, they may require additional software purchases or subscriptions to fully realize their potential. The Intel Core Ultra Series 3 and Intel vPro enhancements position small businesses to leverage next-generation technologies for increased efficiency and security. As these products become available starting March 31, 2026, business leaders should evaluate how they can harness these tools to optimize operations, reduce costs, and enhance customer experiences. Small business owners must weigh the benefits against potential challenges, particularly in terms of investment and implementation. As they prepare to embrace these new technologies, they stand to potentially transform their operational capabilities for the better. For further details on this new lineup, refer to the original announcement by Intel here. Image via Intel. This article, "Intel Launches Core Ultra Series 3, Setting New Standards for Business PCs" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Red Lobster might be taking an old page from its playbook to win over consumers’ hearts. The seafood restaurant chain is reportedly considering the return of endless shrimp, the all-you-can-eat deal that was one of Red Lobster’s most iconic promotions. Although the promotion dates back decades, it was originally only offered for limited amounts of time—that is, until previous owner Thai Group made it a permanent menu fixture in June 2023. At $20 for bottomless shrimp, many argue the move contributed to the seafood chain’s financial woes and its eventual Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May 2024. According to bankruptcy filings at the time, the year-round endless shrimp promotion had cost the company $11 million. The promotion was later dropped from the menu, “because I know how to do math,” Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun told Today later that year. Now, almost two years into Adamolekun’s crusade to achieve the “Greatest comeback in the history of the restaurant industry,” the promotion might be coming back after all. According to Bloomberg, the restaurant chain is looking to bring back endless shrimp as a limited-time offering. It could arrive at the menu as this month. Red Lobster has yet to make any official announcements on the matter. Reached for comment, a spokesperson told Fast Company that “While we don’t have anything to announce at this time, we’re grateful for the enthusiasm and encourage guests to keep sharing their feedback with us.” The spokesperson added, “Endless Shrimp has long been a Red Lobster guest favorite and one of our most popular promotions for 20 years. We’re always paying attention to what our guests are asking for.” Prior to the news breaking, many users had speculated on the return of endless shrimp via online forums. On Reddit, one user claiming to be a Red Lobster employee inquired about further details on the r/redlobster subreddit group. “It’s definitely coming back per management just can’t confirm when . . . need to make additional employment arrangements for when it hits,” the user wrote. Did endless shrimp really bankrupt Red Lobster? While speculation on the offering’s return continues, many are using the moment to highlight how complex Red Lobster’s bankruptcy really was—arguing that endless shrimp alone can’t shoulder the blame. The chain had faced struggles long before the promotion was made permanent, and many experts have pointed to difficulties surrounding leadership turnover, increased labor costs and inflation, and a 2014 real estate deal that proved to be costly in the long term. Beyond existing troubles, others are also underscoring private equity’s role companies’ failures. “Red Lobster went bankrupt because of private equity, not shrimp,” one user reacted to the news on X. That sentiment in fact been shared for years. “[The] biggest reason Red Lobster went under is pretty simple,” James Surowiecki wrote for Fast Company in 2024. “Its owners sank it.” View the full article

The battle for overhead bin space on flights is likely to intensify as United Airlines announced it will increase the checked bag fees starting Friday. It will now cost $10 more to check luggage for passengers traveling on flights in the U.S., Mexico, Canada, and Latin America. Since the airlines often move in tandem on ancillary fees like checked bags, this could mark the beginning of a trend ahead of the busy summer travel season. Earlier this week, JetBlue Airways raised its prices for checked bags by $4 to $9 per bag, depending on whether passengers are flying during peak or off-peak periods, with the highest fee now coming in at $49. Airlines are grappling with higher jet fuel prices as the Iran war has resulted in a global surge in oil prices. While carriers have increased ticket prices or added fuel surcharges to some routes, hiking fees for checked bags is another way to squeeze a bit more revenue out of passengers. HOW UNITED COMPARES TO OTHER CARRIERS Chicago-based United will continue to offer a $5 discount to passengers who prepay for their checked luggage at least 24 hours prior to departure, which means the bag fee will be $45. But until its competitors follow suit, United’s checked bag fee is now an outlier among the big three carriers. American Airlines likewise offers a $5 discount for passengers who prepay for checked bags, so its fees are either $35 or $40 depending on whether fliers do so. Delta Air Lines currently charges $35 for the first checked bag. All three carriers charge $10 more for the second checked bag. More broadly, $35 for a checked bag had become somewhat of an industry norm. That’s the same amount that Alaska Airlines charges for bags and the fee that Southwest Airlines implemented in 2025 after years of being the sole carrier to offer a “bags fly free” policy. FRUSTRATIONS FOR TRAVELERS While travelers finally have seen some relief from the hourslong TSA lines that persisted for weeks amid a partial government shutdown, air travel has become a more frustrating experience for a variety of reasons. A sense of being nickel-and-dimed by airlines only adds to such frustrations. On social media, people were quick to note the irony of the timing of United’s announcement of higher bag fees as it came the same week the airline implemented a major overhaul to its frequent-flier program. Those changes, announced in February, mean that travelers who have a United MileagePlus credit card or debit card accrue more lucrative benefits than non-cardholders—including at least two free checked bags per year or even unlimited checked bags. Several people on the r/UnitedAirlines subreddit noted that the increase to checked fee bags is likely a move by United to encourage more travelers to opt for one of its cards. As one Redditor commented: “100%, not a coincidence it goes into effect the day after a bunch of benefits to cardholders came into effect.” While United’s recent moves may frustrate travelers, they haven’t exactly excited investors either. The airline’s stock was already in a slump before the Iran war began in late February, and shares of United have tumbled more than 18% this year. View the full article

With her first two albums, Olivia Rodrigo established a pattern. Her signature color? Purple, which served as the backdrop for both covers. Her naming convention? Four-letter words, stylized in all-caps: SOUR for her 2021 debut and GUTS for her 2023 follow-up. But on Thursday, April 2, Rodrigo shocked her fans with the announcement of her third album, titled you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love. The cover art, which features Rodgrio upside down on a swing framed against a grayish-blue sky, has no shades of purple to be seen. The album’s title doesn’t just ditch her previous naming convention, but inverts it. Rather than a monosyllabic word, it’s a full-fledged sentence—and to top it all off, it’s written in lowercase. The apparent message was clear: This is a brand new era for Olivia Rodrigo, and fans are split on if that’s a positive. Messing with a good thing Rodgrio’s previous albums were both smash successes commercially and critically, topping the Billboard 200 chart and nabbing Grammy nominations including Album of the Year. Rodrigo’s release of two purple, four-letter albums in a row to kick off her career seemed to set expectations for fans. With such a surefire, instantly recognizable brand at her disposal, some are wondering why she’d break the pattern. “I have a bad feeling about this era,” one user wrote in a viral post after the album announcement. “She’s ditching all the things that make up her brand and that rarely works.” Another lamented the missed potential of titling the album LOVE, saying it “would’ve been so chic” and posting an edited version of Rodrigo’s Spotify page showing what could’ve been. it would’ve been so chic but I do love the title she chose pic.twitter.com/jcRrNuSl5P — bia⸆⸉ | #1 florida!!! stan (@staybiautiful) April 3, 2026 But other fans pointed out that Rodrigo is successful because of her music, not “because of purple and four letter words,” as one user quipped. the concept of believing that olivia is successful because of purple and four letter words https://t.co/jWffTvFopY — chloe (@chloesarcher) April 2, 2026 “I like the 4 letter name album theme but this would’ve been extremely boring,” another said in response to LOVE as a potential album title. Others said it was smart of Rodrigo to shake her brand up now, before she got stuck with unwieldy creative limitations. One fan celebrated that Olivia was avoiding the fate of artists like Ed Sheeran, whose commitment to using mathematical symbols as album titles meant he essentially ran out of options after five records. (He’s since adopted a new theme of media control symbols, with his 2025 album Play marking the first entry in that collection of albums.) Another user agreed that Rodrigo wasn’t boxing herself in just to appease one side of her fanbase: “That kind of thing can start feeling limiting quick,” they wrote. Embracing a new era Rodrigo’s choice to switch up her aesthetic is in line with a trend popularized by Taylor Swift and her Eras Tour: that every new album should come with a new “era” for the artist. That might mean a signature color, fashion style, musical sound, or all of the above. Whether Rodrigo will depart from the grunge-infused pop that was present on SOUR and dominated GUTS remains to be heard, with no single yet announced and the album still months away with a release date of June 12. One thing’s for sure: Rodrigo’s new music has everyone’s attention. Her album announcement on Instagram immediately went viral, surpassing 3 million likes in just four hours and sitting at 5.7 million likes a day later. And despite a few vocal critics, most of Rodrigo’s fans have faith that no matter what color she’s sporting, her music won’t disappoint. “This is so different for her and I’ve never been more seated,” one user wrote. The album’s concept, which seems inspired by her recent relationship and break-up with British actor Louis Partridge, also has fans on the edge of their seats. As Rodrigo wrote in her latest newsletter, “No matter how hard I try to write love songs they always come out laced with a little melancholy,” making fans of her ballads like “drivers license,” “traitor,” and “vampire” especially hopeful for what’s to come. View the full article

James Boasberg declines US attorney Jeanine Pirro’s request to revisit earlier decision in probe into Federal Reserve chairView the full article

Innovation is important in every industry, whether creating and developing new products and services, or improving your workflow. There is no one right way to innovate, but there are wrong ways. It’s easy to get stuck in a line of thinking or trying to control the process, making it more complex than it needs to be. We asked our Fast Company Impact Council members what common mistakes companies make when trying to innovate, and an alternative way to think about innovation. Just like the creative process, our members had unique understandings of what not to do, and how to do a better job. We share 18 of those inspirational ideas here. 1. DON’T LAYER INNOVATION WORK ON CURRENT WORK The most common mistake is expecting your existing team to handle innovation on top of their daily workload. That rarely works. Operational tasks always win because they’re urgent and someone’s waiting on them. I see that all the time—an innovation initiative gets pushed to next sprint, then the one after that, until it quietly disappears. What actually works is giving a small group of people dedicated time where they’re not getting pulled into client deliverables or production issues. Start small, but give them the space to explore without being pulled back into the operational tasks. — Denis Danov, Dreamix 2. DON’T JUST RELY ONLY ON NEW TOOLS We live in a moment where “innovation” has become a shorthand for AI, software, or digital transformation. When a process feels slow or teams feel disconnected, the corporate instinct is to reach for a new tool or platform. You must find the solution in the analog world before you can automate it. Real innovation isn’t measured by how much technology you deploy; it’s measured by the clarity of the outcome you achieve. Understand the “why” and the “how” of your challenge, then jump to the digital fix. — Logan Mulvey, GoDigital Music 3. CONSIDER MANAGEMENT Companies often obsess over the innovation itself. But innovation isn’t just about the idea. It’s about how it’s managed. We all know the Innovator’s Dilemma, yet organizations still treat it as a choice between improving what exists or backing something new. The real challenge is doing both. Who leads the innovation and how it changes the organization matters just as much as the idea itself. — James Greenfield, Koto 4. GO BEYOND MAKING IT A STANDALONE FUNCTION A powerful way to accelerate innovation is to move beyond treating it as a standalone function or destination. Dedicated teams can spark early wins and build trust, but the real unlock is shifting to a hub model that taps into the broader organization’s talent and assets while still moving with speed and creativity. Unite business and technology and pair “historians” who carry deep institutional knowledge with “challengers” who question assumptions. Together they reimagine work in ways both bold and viable. Innovation stops being a special project when you tie experimentation to real business priorities. It becomes how your company operates. — Adam L’Italien, Liberty Mutual Insurance 5. SET CLEAR GUARDRAILS A common mistake companies make when trying to innovate is failing to set clear guardrails—and even more importantly, failing to communicate them. In the rush to keep up with market noise or competitive pressure, leaders can feel compelled to “innovate for innovation’s sake.” But without a strategic framework, that urgency often creates more risk than reward. AI is a perfect example. Without clear policies, employees may unintentionally share sensitive data with unvetted tools or platforms with murky data practices. The intention is productivity; the outcome can be exposure. — Melissa Puls, Ivanti 6. MAKE TIME FOR IT They never carve out real time for it. Innovation lives on every company’s priority list, but it’s the first thing that gets eaten by the inevitable onslaught of short-term, urgent tasks. The fix is protection. If you actually want to innovate, you have to defend the time for it the way you’d defend a client deliverable. Block it, staff it, make someone accountable for it. — Lindsey Witmer Collins, WLCM Software Studio and Scribbly Books 7. DON’T MAKE ASSUMPTIONS A common mistake is assuming they already know what customers want and moving too quickly into solution building. Too often, and especially in academia, innovators advance a technology without rigorously validating whether the problem they’re trying to solve is real, urgent, and shared by enough customers. It is amazing what innovators learn via a disciplined customer‑discovery process. That upfront rigor saves enormous time and resources and dramatically increases the odds that an innovation will find meaningful product‑market fit. — Christy Wyskiel, Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures 8. MANAGE INNOVATION AS A PORTFOLIO Innovation does not come from removing constraints; often the opposite is true. When the boundaries are explicit, teams know where to focus their creativity. For that reason, I believe innovation should be managed as a portfolio. A practical rule of thumb is 70-20-10. About 70% of effort should go to improving the core. Around 20% should focus on adjacent opportunities, where the organization can innovate by leveraging its existing capabilities. The remaining 10% should be dedicated to more disruptive ideas that stay on strategy addressing fundamental customer needs, even if they challenge the enterprise model. — Pierre Le Manh, Project Management Institute 9. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE GROUNDBREAKING One common mistake is assuming innovation has to mean something entirely new or groundbreaking. In reality, some of the most effective innovation comes from improving what already exists by listening closely to customers and users and understanding the real problem you’re trying to solve. When companies ground innovation in data and user insights, they tend to arrive at solutions that are both more practical and more impactful. — Muneer Panjwani, Engage for Good 10. MAINTAIN DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT I think often companies get too many like-minded people looking at the problem. Diversity in thought is probably one of the greatest strengths a company might have. Many companies focus on “diversity” as a term and goal, but the reality is that they hire people who think alike. This is reinforced by their HR departments, managers, and leadership team, most of whom likely were hired and who get along because they think alike. Deliberately looking for people who think differently can help create more innovative approaches. — Eric Basu, Haiku, Inc. 11. INNOVATION EQUALS FEATURES A lot of companies confuse innovation with a long list of features. The result is a roadmap that’s broad but not bold. Busy but not differentiated. To really innovate in a way that moves the needle for your customers, you need a clear North Star. Ask yourself, “What outcome does the customer actually want to achieve?” Then focus ruthlessly, align the organization to that strategy, and have the courage to say no to everything that doesn’t serve it. — Chris Ball, 6sense 12. DON’T CHASE SHORT-TERM WINS It’s easy to get stuck chasing short-term wins, but true innovation requires transformative ideas. We believe that purpose without innovation is just noise. Focus on customer-centricity by asking what keeps customers up at night. Collaboration across disciplines is essential, and we celebrate experimentation. That means embracing failure, not fearing it. Balancing short-term goals with bold, forward-thinking strategies helps set trends, not follow them. — Yoonie Joung, Samsung Electronics America 13. UNDERSTAND CUSTOMER NEEDS A common mistake is trying to innovate and scale too quickly and not understanding customer or market requirements. Innovation isn’t just about being first—it’s about moving intentionally and validating your product or offering often. Successful companies align innovation with their mission, defining clear and strategic milestones to build the company, and pivoting along the way to accommodate changing market conditions. To scale, companies must gain credibility and trust with their customers, showing that the value proposition holds true. Becoming an industry leader takes discipline, navigating challenges, and differentiating yourself. — David Klanecky, Cirba Solutions 14. AVOID GETTING STUCK IN POSSIBILITIES In the creative practices, especially, it is easy to get stuck in the exploration of possibilities. There is a natural gap between the prospect of value creation and actually seeing that value creation materialize. It’s important to be rigorous in understanding how to navigate that gap, so that you make a tangible impact in a timely fashion. — Mitch Smith, MG2 15. MOONSHOTS AREN’T THE ONLY OUTCOMES A common mistake is treating innovation like it only counts if it is a dramatic moonshot. This can stall progress because of the fear of starting unless a groundbreaking outcome is guaranteed. A better approach is to value small, steady improvements that remove friction for customers and improve work for employees. Incremental steps create learning, momentum, and shared confidence. Over time, those steps compound and unlock bigger breakthroughs because the organization has built the habits, systems, and trust needed to take smarter risks. Instead of waiting for a single leap, focus on building the stairs and bring people along as you climb. — Mike Sewell, Gresham Smith 16. FOCUS ON THE WHY The most frequent error is obsessing over the “what”—the shiny product or the logo—while ignoring the “why.” Companies often innovate for visibility rather than for meaningful weight. Instead, use the FACTION methodology: Anchor 70% of your innovation in rigorous market “fact” and 30% in captivating cultural “fiction.” Innovation shouldn’t start with a space or a product; it should end with one. Focus on architecting the soul of the brand first. If your innovation doesn’t leave the community better than you found it, you aren’t innovating; you’re just taking up space. — Sooyoung Cho, the bread and butter brand consulting LLC 17. DEMAND COHERENCE The biggest mistake I see is companies launching massive innovation programs without coherence. They cast a wide net, ask every team to “figure out AI,” for example, and end up with a hundred experiments and zero clarity. Coherence is the new agility. A team of three people with a clear vision can outpace a team of 3,000 without one. Start with a small, autonomous group. Give them permission to challenge every assumption, and validate real hypotheses quickly. Then cascade what works to the rest of the organization in increments. Vision without validation is just a pipe dream, and scale without coherence is just expensive chaos. — Peter Smart, Fantasy 18. FOCUS ON COMPETITOR ACTIONS When disruption rules the day, many companies only look outwardly at what their competitors are doing and neglect the importance of looking inward to their teams. Innovation succeeds only when team members feel informed, energized, and intrinsically motivated to tackle the challenges presented to them. Innovation should no longer be confined to a certain division in the company. Instead, it should be encouraged to thrive organically from people at all levels of the organization. — Rakia Reynolds, Actum View the full article

Team building experiences play an essential role in enhancing collaboration among team members. By engaging in diverse activities, such as outdoor adventures or creative workshops, teams can develop trust and effective communication. Culinary challenges and problem-solving games further strengthen teamwork. Philanthropic initiatives offer a chance to give back, during virtual activities connect remote employees. Each experience serves a unique purpose in nurturing a collaborative environment, setting the stage for deeper connections and improved team dynamics. Discover how these examples can transform your team. Key Takeaways Outdoor activities like zip lining and scavenger hunts enhance trust, resilience, and problem-solving skills among team members through shared experiences. Creative workshops, such as painting or pottery, foster teamwork and communication in a relaxed environment, boosting employee satisfaction and morale. Strategy games improve critical thinking and collaboration, allowing teams to leverage each other’s strengths for effective decision-making under pressure. Philanthropic initiatives, like community service projects, strengthen organizational values and improve communication while promoting social responsibility. Virtual team-building activities, including online escape rooms, engage remote employees and stimulate teamwork and problem-solving skills in an inclusive environment. Outdoor Adventure Activities Have you ever wondered how outdoor adventure activities can transform team dynamics? Engaging in activities like zip lining or ropes courses considerably improves trust and resilience among team members. These challenges require you to support each other, cultivating a deeper sense of collaboration. Trekking and nature walks offer a rejuvenating escape from the office, encouraging casual conversations that strengthen bonds through shared experiences. Scavenger hunts promote problem-solving skills as you work together to uncover hidden items, blending friendly competition with cooperation. Culinary team-building activities, such as cooking classes, not only allow you to create meals together but likewise result in shared dining experiences that deepen relationships. Furthermore, participating in philanthropic outdoor projects, like environmental clean-up initiatives, builds a sense of community responsibility while promoting collaboration. These outdoor adventures serve as effective team building discussion topics and staff activities motivation, providing valuable team building experience examples for improving workplace dynamics. Creative Workshops for Team Bonding Creative workshops provide a distinctive opportunity for team bonding through interactive skill-building sessions and hands-on challenges. By participating in activities like painting or pottery, you can improve your problem-solving skills as well as nurture a collaborative spirit among team members. These workshops not just boost creativity but additionally help establish trust and improve communication, vital elements for a cohesive team. Interactive Skill-Building Sessions When teams engage in interactive skill-building sessions, they not just improve their collaborative abilities but furthermore encourage a sense of camaraderie among members. These creative workshops allow everyone to express themselves during learning new skills together, boosting team dynamics. Activities like painting or pottery workshops promote creativity and teamwork in a relaxed environment. Here are some key benefits: Participants collaborate side-by-side, sharing ideas and techniques. Group projects encourage problem-solving skills, as diverse perspectives are leveraged to achieve common goals. Communication improves, as team members articulate thoughts to create their artistic pieces. Research moreover indicates that such creative activities greatly improve employee satisfaction and morale, contributing to a more cohesive and engaged workforce. Hands-On Creative Challenges Hands-on creative challenges serve as effective tools for team bonding, allowing participants to engage in activities that promote collaboration and innovation. Workshops like pottery, painting, or group mural projects encourage teamwork and improve communication skills, as you and your colleagues must coordinate efforts and share creative input. Engaging in these creative challenges can greatly boost morale; research indicates that 79% of employees report increased job satisfaction after participating in such activities. Furthermore, these workshops improve interpersonal relationships and cultivate better problem-solving skills, as teams learn to think outside the box together. Culinary Team Building Experiences Culinary team building experiences offer an engaging way for teams to improve collaboration and strengthen their interpersonal relationships. Participating in cooking classes or cook-offs encourages effective communication and task division, as you work together to create a meal. These experiences allow you to learn new skills during reinforcing teamwork, requiring strategizing and synchronization for success. Shared Meal: The experience often culminates in enjoying a meal together, enhancing social bonds and providing a relaxed setting for connection. Inclusivity: Culinary activities can cater to diverse dietary preferences and skill levels, ensuring everyone can participate. Workplace Dynamics: Research indicates that these activities can improve workplace dynamics by 25%, nurturing creativity, problem-solving, and effective communication. Through these culinary experiences, teams can build stronger connections as they enjoy the process of cooking and dining together. Problem-Solving Strategy Games As teams move beyond culinary experiences, they can explore problem-solving strategy games that nurture critical thinking and creativity. These games challenge participants to devise solutions under time constraints, promoting urgency and teamwork. By engaging in these activities, you’ll encourage team members to leverage each other’s strengths, leading to more effective decision-making. Studies indicate that teams participating in problem-solving games report higher satisfaction and morale, as they build camaraderie as they tackle challenges together. Incorporating these games into your regular team-building initiatives can greatly improve workplace relationships and overall team performance. Moreover, these experiences boost collaboration and communication skills, crucial for any successful team environment. By regularly integrating problem-solving strategy games, you’re not just addressing immediate challenges but also investing in long-term team dynamics that promote resilience and adaptability. In the end, these activities contribute to a more cohesive and productive work atmosphere. Philanthropic Community Service Initiatives Philanthropic community service initiatives serve as an effective way for teams to bond as they make a positive impact on society. Engaging in these activities not merely nurtures teamwork but additionally improves emotional well-being, with studies showing that volunteering can increase happiness among participants. By participating in community service, teams can promote social responsibility and strengthen their connection to the organization’s values. Collaborative projects, like environmental clean-up drives, improve communication and coordination skills. Fundraising events as a team can lead to a sense of achievement, boosting morale and engagement. Shared experiences outside the office help break down barriers, improving workplace relationships considerably. These initiatives can lead to a 30% improvement in workplace relationships and a notable increase in employee retention rates. Wellness and Relaxation Activities Wellness and relaxation activities play a crucial role in enhancing team dynamics and overall workplace productivity. Engaging in practices like yoga or meditation can greatly reduce stress levels among team members, which leads to improved focus and productivity. When you participate in group mindfulness exercises, you nurture a sense of community and trust, enhancing interpersonal relationships and promoting a positive work environment. Incorporating nature-based relaxation activities, such as guided nature walks, boosts mental well-being and creativity, benefiting team dynamics and collaboration. Implementing regular wellness breaks or relaxation sessions can increase overall employee satisfaction and retention rates, promoting a healthy work-life balance. Research indicates that teams engaged in wellness activities report a 20% increase in collaboration and communication effectiveness. By prioritizing these initiatives, you not only support individual well-being but likewise strengthen the collective performance of your team, making wellness and relaxation vital components of a productive workplace. Cultural and Historical Exploration Cultural and historical exploration activities offer teams valuable opportunities to bond as they broaden their comprehension of diverse backgrounds and traditions. These experiences promote shared learning and encourage discussions about cultural heritage, improving team dynamics. Consider the following activities to deepen collaboration: Guided tours of local museums or historical sites encourage team members to engage with the past as they discuss its relevance to their work and lives. Cultural workshops, such as traditional crafts or cooking classes, invite participants to collaborate, gaining insight into different cultures and strengthening interpersonal bonds. Scavenger hunts focused on cultural landmarks motivate teams to work together to solve clues, learn about local history, and boost knowledge sharing. Participating in these activities can increase employee satisfaction and engagement by 25%, greatly improving workplace dynamics and collaboration. Virtual Team Building Activities As remote work becomes increasingly common, virtual team building activities have emerged as vital tools for encouraging collaboration and connection among dispersed teams. These activities are designed to engage remote employees, facilitating team bonding regardless of geographical distances. By incorporating interactive elements, virtual team building nurtures participation from all team members, creating an inclusive environment that improves communication. Activities such as virtual scavenger hunts and online escape rooms not just stimulate problem-solving but strengthen teamwork skills. Scheduling flexibility allows organizations to adapt to diverse work arrangements, ensuring that all team members can participate. Moreover, implementing virtual team building can greatly improve employee morale and cohesion, which in turn leads to increased productivity and job satisfaction. Engaging Icebreaker Sessions Engaging icebreaker sessions serve as effective tools for cultivating camaraderie and easing tension among team members, especially in remote work environments. These activities not just help break down barriers but additionally promote a sense of inclusion, which is essential for a positive workplace culture. “What’s My Name” encourages participants to learn about each other in a fun, interactive way. “Birthday Line Up” promotes non-verbal communication as team members arrange themselves based on their birthdays without speaking. “Blind Drawing” improves teamwork and problem-solving skills by requiring participants to describe images while others draw without seeing them. Research shows that effective icebreakers can lead to a 15% increase in overall team engagement scores, highlighting their significant role in promoting collaboration. Unique Themed Team Retreats Unique themed team retreats offer a strategic opportunity to improve collaboration and engagement among team members. By focusing on specific goals such as creativity, wellness, or innovation, these retreats allow teams to engage deeply with a shared purpose. Activities like outdoor adventures, cooking classes, or artistic workshops not only improve team bonding but also promote open communication among participants. Incorporating elements like storytelling sessions or role reversal activities promotes empathy and comprehension of different team roles, strengthening overall collaboration. Research indicates that off-site retreats can lead to a 20-30% increase in team engagement and performance, attributed to the break from routine and the chance for deeper connections. Customizing retreat themes to align with company values guarantees that team members return with a renewed sense of purpose and motivation. The combination of purposeful activities and a relaxed environment makes unique themed retreats an effective tool for cultivating collaboration. Frequently Asked Questions Can You Give Me an Example of Teamwork Experience? One effective teamwork experience is a scavenger hunt. In this activity, you and your team receive clues to locate various items within a designated area. As you collaborate to decipher the hints and strategize your approach, you improve your problem-solving and communication skills. This engaging challenge not just promotes camaraderie among team members but additionally encourages creative thinking, making it a valuable experience for enhancing teamwork and achieving shared goals. What Are the 5 C’s of Collaboration? The 5 C’s of collaboration are Communication, Coordination, Cooperation, Conflict Resolution, and Commitment. Effective communication guarantees everyone shares information clearly, as coordination aligns efforts in the direction of common goals. Cooperation promotes a collaborative spirit, nurturing trust among team members. Conflict resolution skills help manage disagreements constructively, maintaining focus on objectives. Finally, commitment binds the team, assuring all members are dedicated to achieving shared outcomes, which improves overall productivity and strengthens team dynamics. How to Enhance Collaboration in a Team? To improve collaboration in your team, implement regular team-building activities that nurture open communication and trust. Utilize cross-functional workshops to encourage diverse perspectives, leading to innovative solutions. Establish a weekly pairing system for project collaboration, boosting engagement. Conduct monthly feedback sessions to promote transparency and active listening, improving team dynamics. Finally, organize themed brainstorming sessions to stimulate creativity and improve collaborative problem-solving, ensuring everyone contributes effectively to shared objectives. What Activity Is an Example of Collaboration? A great example of collaboration is a scavenger hunt. In this activity, you and your team search for items based on clues, which requires clear communication and strategic planning. By dividing tasks and sharing responsibilities, you maximize your chances of success. This process not merely encourages teamwork but additionally improves problem-solving skills, as you must navigate challenges together. Conclusion Incorporating diverse team-building experiences can greatly improve collaboration and productivity within your team. Whether through outdoor adventures, creative workshops, or community service initiatives, each activity promotes trust, communication, and problem-solving skills. By engaging in these experiences, teams can strengthen relationships and align on shared goals. In the end, investing time in team-building activities not just boosts morale but additionally creates a more cohesive work environment that encourages ongoing collaboration and innovation. Consider implementing some of these ideas to see positive changes. Image via Google Gemini This article, "10 Inspiring Examples of Team Building Experiences to Boost Collaboration" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Team building experiences play an essential role in enhancing collaboration among team members. By engaging in diverse activities, such as outdoor adventures or creative workshops, teams can develop trust and effective communication. Culinary challenges and problem-solving games further strengthen teamwork. Philanthropic initiatives offer a chance to give back, during virtual activities connect remote employees. Each experience serves a unique purpose in nurturing a collaborative environment, setting the stage for deeper connections and improved team dynamics. Discover how these examples can transform your team. Key Takeaways Outdoor activities like zip lining and scavenger hunts enhance trust, resilience, and problem-solving skills among team members through shared experiences. Creative workshops, such as painting or pottery, foster teamwork and communication in a relaxed environment, boosting employee satisfaction and morale. Strategy games improve critical thinking and collaboration, allowing teams to leverage each other’s strengths for effective decision-making under pressure. Philanthropic initiatives, like community service projects, strengthen organizational values and improve communication while promoting social responsibility. Virtual team-building activities, including online escape rooms, engage remote employees and stimulate teamwork and problem-solving skills in an inclusive environment. Outdoor Adventure Activities Have you ever wondered how outdoor adventure activities can transform team dynamics? Engaging in activities like zip lining or ropes courses considerably improves trust and resilience among team members. These challenges require you to support each other, cultivating a deeper sense of collaboration. Trekking and nature walks offer a rejuvenating escape from the office, encouraging casual conversations that strengthen bonds through shared experiences. Scavenger hunts promote problem-solving skills as you work together to uncover hidden items, blending friendly competition with cooperation. Culinary team-building activities, such as cooking classes, not only allow you to create meals together but likewise result in shared dining experiences that deepen relationships. Furthermore, participating in philanthropic outdoor projects, like environmental clean-up initiatives, builds a sense of community responsibility while promoting collaboration. These outdoor adventures serve as effective team building discussion topics and staff activities motivation, providing valuable team building experience examples for improving workplace dynamics. Creative Workshops for Team Bonding Creative workshops provide a distinctive opportunity for team bonding through interactive skill-building sessions and hands-on challenges. By participating in activities like painting or pottery, you can improve your problem-solving skills as well as nurture a collaborative spirit among team members. These workshops not just boost creativity but additionally help establish trust and improve communication, vital elements for a cohesive team. Interactive Skill-Building Sessions When teams engage in interactive skill-building sessions, they not just improve their collaborative abilities but furthermore encourage a sense of camaraderie among members. These creative workshops allow everyone to express themselves during learning new skills together, boosting team dynamics. Activities like painting or pottery workshops promote creativity and teamwork in a relaxed environment. Here are some key benefits: Participants collaborate side-by-side, sharing ideas and techniques. Group projects encourage problem-solving skills, as diverse perspectives are leveraged to achieve common goals. Communication improves, as team members articulate thoughts to create their artistic pieces. Research moreover indicates that such creative activities greatly improve employee satisfaction and morale, contributing to a more cohesive and engaged workforce. Hands-On Creative Challenges Hands-on creative challenges serve as effective tools for team bonding, allowing participants to engage in activities that promote collaboration and innovation. Workshops like pottery, painting, or group mural projects encourage teamwork and improve communication skills, as you and your colleagues must coordinate efforts and share creative input. Engaging in these creative challenges can greatly boost morale; research indicates that 79% of employees report increased job satisfaction after participating in such activities. Furthermore, these workshops improve interpersonal relationships and cultivate better problem-solving skills, as teams learn to think outside the box together. Culinary Team Building Experiences Culinary team building experiences offer an engaging way for teams to improve collaboration and strengthen their interpersonal relationships. Participating in cooking classes or cook-offs encourages effective communication and task division, as you work together to create a meal. These experiences allow you to learn new skills during reinforcing teamwork, requiring strategizing and synchronization for success. Shared Meal: The experience often culminates in enjoying a meal together, enhancing social bonds and providing a relaxed setting for connection. Inclusivity: Culinary activities can cater to diverse dietary preferences and skill levels, ensuring everyone can participate. Workplace Dynamics: Research indicates that these activities can improve workplace dynamics by 25%, nurturing creativity, problem-solving, and effective communication. Through these culinary experiences, teams can build stronger connections as they enjoy the process of cooking and dining together. Problem-Solving Strategy Games As teams move beyond culinary experiences, they can explore problem-solving strategy games that nurture critical thinking and creativity. These games challenge participants to devise solutions under time constraints, promoting urgency and teamwork. By engaging in these activities, you’ll encourage team members to leverage each other’s strengths, leading to more effective decision-making. Studies indicate that teams participating in problem-solving games report higher satisfaction and morale, as they build camaraderie as they tackle challenges together. Incorporating these games into your regular team-building initiatives can greatly improve workplace relationships and overall team performance. Moreover, these experiences boost collaboration and communication skills, crucial for any successful team environment. By regularly integrating problem-solving strategy games, you’re not just addressing immediate challenges but also investing in long-term team dynamics that promote resilience and adaptability. In the end, these activities contribute to a more cohesive and productive work atmosphere. Philanthropic Community Service Initiatives Philanthropic community service initiatives serve as an effective way for teams to bond as they make a positive impact on society. Engaging in these activities not merely nurtures teamwork but additionally improves emotional well-being, with studies showing that volunteering can increase happiness among participants. By participating in community service, teams can promote social responsibility and strengthen their connection to the organization’s values. Collaborative projects, like environmental clean-up drives, improve communication and coordination skills. Fundraising events as a team can lead to a sense of achievement, boosting morale and engagement. Shared experiences outside the office help break down barriers, improving workplace relationships considerably. These initiatives can lead to a 30% improvement in workplace relationships and a notable increase in employee retention rates. Wellness and Relaxation Activities Wellness and relaxation activities play a crucial role in enhancing team dynamics and overall workplace productivity. Engaging in practices like yoga or meditation can greatly reduce stress levels among team members, which leads to improved focus and productivity. When you participate in group mindfulness exercises, you nurture a sense of community and trust, enhancing interpersonal relationships and promoting a positive work environment. Incorporating nature-based relaxation activities, such as guided nature walks, boosts mental well-being and creativity, benefiting team dynamics and collaboration. Implementing regular wellness breaks or relaxation sessions can increase overall employee satisfaction and retention rates, promoting a healthy work-life balance. Research indicates that teams engaged in wellness activities report a 20% increase in collaboration and communication effectiveness. By prioritizing these initiatives, you not only support individual well-being but likewise strengthen the collective performance of your team, making wellness and relaxation vital components of a productive workplace. Cultural and Historical Exploration Cultural and historical exploration activities offer teams valuable opportunities to bond as they broaden their comprehension of diverse backgrounds and traditions. These experiences promote shared learning and encourage discussions about cultural heritage, improving team dynamics. Consider the following activities to deepen collaboration: Guided tours of local museums or historical sites encourage team members to engage with the past as they discuss its relevance to their work and lives. Cultural workshops, such as traditional crafts or cooking classes, invite participants to collaborate, gaining insight into different cultures and strengthening interpersonal bonds. Scavenger hunts focused on cultural landmarks motivate teams to work together to solve clues, learn about local history, and boost knowledge sharing. Participating in these activities can increase employee satisfaction and engagement by 25%, greatly improving workplace dynamics and collaboration. Virtual Team Building Activities As remote work becomes increasingly common, virtual team building activities have emerged as vital tools for encouraging collaboration and connection among dispersed teams. These activities are designed to engage remote employees, facilitating team bonding regardless of geographical distances. By incorporating interactive elements, virtual team building nurtures participation from all team members, creating an inclusive environment that improves communication. Activities such as virtual scavenger hunts and online escape rooms not just stimulate problem-solving but strengthen teamwork skills. Scheduling flexibility allows organizations to adapt to diverse work arrangements, ensuring that all team members can participate. Moreover, implementing virtual team building can greatly improve employee morale and cohesion, which in turn leads to increased productivity and job satisfaction. Engaging Icebreaker Sessions Engaging icebreaker sessions serve as effective tools for cultivating camaraderie and easing tension among team members, especially in remote work environments. These activities not just help break down barriers but additionally promote a sense of inclusion, which is essential for a positive workplace culture. “What’s My Name” encourages participants to learn about each other in a fun, interactive way. “Birthday Line Up” promotes non-verbal communication as team members arrange themselves based on their birthdays without speaking. “Blind Drawing” improves teamwork and problem-solving skills by requiring participants to describe images while others draw without seeing them. Research shows that effective icebreakers can lead to a 15% increase in overall team engagement scores, highlighting their significant role in promoting collaboration. Unique Themed Team Retreats Unique themed team retreats offer a strategic opportunity to improve collaboration and engagement among team members. By focusing on specific goals such as creativity, wellness, or innovation, these retreats allow teams to engage deeply with a shared purpose. Activities like outdoor adventures, cooking classes, or artistic workshops not only improve team bonding but also promote open communication among participants. Incorporating elements like storytelling sessions or role reversal activities promotes empathy and comprehension of different team roles, strengthening overall collaboration. Research indicates that off-site retreats can lead to a 20-30% increase in team engagement and performance, attributed to the break from routine and the chance for deeper connections. Customizing retreat themes to align with company values guarantees that team members return with a renewed sense of purpose and motivation. The combination of purposeful activities and a relaxed environment makes unique themed retreats an effective tool for cultivating collaboration. Frequently Asked Questions Can You Give Me an Example of Teamwork Experience? One effective teamwork experience is a scavenger hunt. In this activity, you and your team receive clues to locate various items within a designated area. As you collaborate to decipher the hints and strategize your approach, you improve your problem-solving and communication skills. This engaging challenge not just promotes camaraderie among team members but additionally encourages creative thinking, making it a valuable experience for enhancing teamwork and achieving shared goals. What Are the 5 C’s of Collaboration? The 5 C’s of collaboration are Communication, Coordination, Cooperation, Conflict Resolution, and Commitment. Effective communication guarantees everyone shares information clearly, as coordination aligns efforts in the direction of common goals. Cooperation promotes a collaborative spirit, nurturing trust among team members. Conflict resolution skills help manage disagreements constructively, maintaining focus on objectives. Finally, commitment binds the team, assuring all members are dedicated to achieving shared outcomes, which improves overall productivity and strengthens team dynamics. How to Enhance Collaboration in a Team? To improve collaboration in your team, implement regular team-building activities that nurture open communication and trust. Utilize cross-functional workshops to encourage diverse perspectives, leading to innovative solutions. Establish a weekly pairing system for project collaboration, boosting engagement. Conduct monthly feedback sessions to promote transparency and active listening, improving team dynamics. Finally, organize themed brainstorming sessions to stimulate creativity and improve collaborative problem-solving, ensuring everyone contributes effectively to shared objectives. What Activity Is an Example of Collaboration? A great example of collaboration is a scavenger hunt. In this activity, you and your team search for items based on clues, which requires clear communication and strategic planning. By dividing tasks and sharing responsibilities, you maximize your chances of success. This process not merely encourages teamwork but additionally improves problem-solving skills, as you must navigate challenges together. Conclusion Incorporating diverse team-building experiences can greatly improve collaboration and productivity within your team. Whether through outdoor adventures, creative workshops, or community service initiatives, each activity promotes trust, communication, and problem-solving skills. By engaging in these experiences, teams can strengthen relationships and align on shared goals. In the end, investing time in team-building activities not just boosts morale but additionally creates a more cohesive work environment that encourages ongoing collaboration and innovation. Consider implementing some of these ideas to see positive changes. Image via Google Gemini This article, "10 Inspiring Examples of Team Building Experiences to Boost Collaboration" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. It’s a safe assumption these days that every smartwatch and fitness tracker can be taken into the shower, rinsed off when you wash your hands, or worn into a pool. Many have swimming modes, or water lock features that suggest they can be used while wet. And yet, people keep finding out that the watch they thought was waterproof isn’t. For example, this Redditor’s Galaxy Watch 5 Pro (released in 2022) died this year during an ocean swim, with signs of salt corrosion inside. Another Redditor recently lost functionality in their first-generation Apple Watch SE (2020) after swimming. Older watches tend to lose their water resistance over time, and many aren’t intended for use in salt water anyway, if you check the fine print. Smartwatches are a lot less water-resistant than we tend to think they are. Apple Watch Ultra 3 (GPS, Cellular, 49mm, Black Ocean Band) $779.00 at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal $779.00 at Amazon How companies measure water resistanceNo smartwatch maker is categorically calling their devices “waterproof,” but instead we see IP ratings (like IP68 or IPX7) or a pressure rating for water resistance (usually 5 ATM or 10 ATM). IP ratings stand for “ingress protection.” The first number is how well the device resists the entry of dust on a scale of 0 to 6, and the second number is how well it resists water on a scale of 0 to 9. (Here’s more background on how IP ratings work.) Here’s what Samsung writes in the manual for the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, which has an IP68 rating: “The device has been tested by submerging it in 1.5 [meters] of fresh water for 30 minutes, leaving it still, without any movement to meet the requirements of IEC 60529. The water resistance is not guaranteed when using the device under conditions that deviate from the standard.” ATM ratings require that the device be tested in deeper water; Samsung says in the same manual that the 5ATM rating was tested by submerging the watch in 50 meters of water for 10 minutes. The details of the IP and ATM tests may vary slightly from one manufacturer to another, but these seem to be typical. Gently placing a watch underwater is, presumably, an easier test to pass than taking it swimming at the beach on a regular basis. Water resistance degrades over timeNote that the manufacturer testing I described above is done with fresh water on a presumably brand-new device. There’s no guarantee that the device will be equally water-resistant after a few years of wear; seals can break down over time. Manufacturers also typically warn against substances other than fresh water. To use that same Samsung manual as an example, the device should be immediately cleaned and dried if it comes into contact with “salt water, coffee, beverages, swimming pool water, soapy water, oil, perfume, sunscreen, hand sanitizer, or chemical products, such as cosmetics.” Other device makers agree. “Water resistance isn't a permanent condition and can diminish over time,” says Apple’s support page about water resistance, which gives the IP ratings of each model of Apple Watch. Apple notes that water resistance can degrade as a result of dropping the watch, exposing it to soap in the shower, or using a non-Ultra watch in the sauna. Non-Ultra models shouldn’t be exposed to “high-velocity water (for example, while water skiing).” Google similarly says of the Pixel Watch 4, “Water resistance and dust resistance are not permanent conditions, and will diminish or be lost over time due to normal wear and tear, device repair, disassembly, or damage.” Also: “Google Pixel Watch is designed to be used in shallow water and should not be used for activities involving water at high velocity or high temperature.” You’ll find similar warnings for other watches, so check your device’s manual for specifics. For example, the Garmin Forerunner 265 manual says to avoid pressing buttons while the device is underwater, and to rinse it immediately after contact with salt water or chlorine. How to avoid water damageDespite all those caveats, companies still often speak of their devices as fine to wear in the shower and other places with low pressure fresh water; all of the devices I mentioned above have swimming activities. I wouldn’t be paranoid about stray drops of water, but after reading the fine print more closely, you may want to care for your device a bit differently. Rinse and dry devices after they come into contact with salt water or chlorinated pool water, and try to keep them away from sunscreen and other substances. If you swim often, especially in salt water, consider upgrading to a watch with better water resistance (like an Ultra instead of a regular Apple Watch). And if you don’t swim often, but you’re on vacation with an older watch that has always seemed fine in the shower, maybe take it off just this once. View the full article

Reddit is what you make of it. The "front page of the internet" is really a collection of different subreddits, each with its own communities, rules, and cultures. The main idea is to subscribe to the subreddits that match your interests, so that your internet's "front page" is tailored to you, not other users. Still, it can be fun to browse the posts from subreddits that are blowing up across Reddit, even when you don't personally subscribe to them. This is the purpose of r/popular and r/all: The former offers popular posts from a variety of subreddits, while the latter does the same, albeit with fewer filters. You might not want to browse r/all while you're at work, for example, though Reddit says it doesn't include sexually explicit content. Still, there may be other types of NSFW posts that appear here, that wouldn't otherwise appear in r/popular. Now, that's changing. As reported by The Verge, Reddit is officially doing away with r/all. This decision didn't come out of the blue, though. The company had announced its plans to remove r/all in December, before doing so in January (though it called this an "experiment"). It also removed r/all from users accessing the site on desktop, though this, too, was part of the experiment. Then, in February, Reddit said the experiment was over, and that they had decided to get rid of r/all after all. Reddit confirmed the news in its latest changelog, saying that, in order to "simplify Reddit and improve Home feed personalization, the final steps to deprecate r/all are being implemented." Going forward, links to r/all now go to your Home feed instead. If you want to check out trending posts, you'll need to visit r/popular instead. At least, that's the case for most users. "Old" Reddit users can still see r/allIf you're a relatively new Reddit user, you might not even know about "old" Reddit, the version of the site that matches its original, basic theme. Reddit started rolling out its current theme back in 2018, but those of us that preferred a simple, text-based experience have always had the option to do so—either by accessing the site from old.reddit.com, or if you have the "Default to old Reddit" toggle enabled in the "Preferences" tab in Settings. Users accessing old Reddit will still see r/all in the top menu bar, and will be able to access r/all directly as well. It's not clear why exactly Reddit is keeping this an option only for old users, but I'm not questioning it. The less attention old Reddit gets, the less likely Reddit will do away with it, too. View the full article

Scientists may have overestimated the potential health risk of microplastics, according to a new study from the University of Michigan, which identified a major culprit that could have unintentionally skewed results over multiple studies. Researchers found that the nitrile and latex gloves that scientists wear while measuring microplastics may be leading to false positives of the tiny pollutants. That’s because the gloves are coated with non-plastic particles called stearates—soap-like particles which can rub off or shed onto lab equipment, “creating thousands of false positives per square millimeter (or about one-thousandth of a square inch.” However, the study author warns, that’s not to say microplastics aren’t a big problem. “We may be overestimating microplastics, but there should be none,” Anne McNeil, senior author of the University of Michigan study, said in a statement. “There’s still a lot out there.” What are microplastics? Microplastics are literally small pieces of plastic, less than five millimeters long, released into the environment. They are the most common source of debris on our oceans and lakes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association’s (NOAA) National Ocean Service. In their tiniest form, microplastics are added as microbeads in beauty products, including cleansers and exfoliants such as soaps and washes; creams; hair gel; and even toothpaste. They are small enough to bypass filtration, ending up in our tap drinking water. Microplastics are still a big problem The news comes as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Thursday flagged microplastics and pharmaceuticals as contaminants in drinking water in its latest draft of its Contaminant Candidate List, which identifies toxins not regulated under The Safe Drinking Water Act. That’s also as Americans are growing increasingly concerned about the health risks of ingesting plastics, amid a push by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda to remove harmful pollutants from our food, environment and water. View the full article

One crew member was rescued Friday after an American aircraft was shot down in Iran, according to one U.S. and one Israeli official, who both spoke on condition of anonymity to describe sensitive ongoing military operations. The rescue occurred as the U.S. military was conducting a search and rescue operation, according to three people familiar who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitivity of the situation. Israel is helping the United States with the operation. According to an email from the Pentagon obtained by The Associated Press, the U.S. military said that it received notification of “an aircraft being shot down” in the Middle East. The email did not provide more details. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a previous statement that President Donald The President had been briefed but did not offer any additional information. It was the first time the U.S. has lost aircraft in Iranian territory and constitutes a dramatic escalation in the war since it began five weeks ago. Iran fired on targets across the Mideast on Friday, as Tehran kept the pressure on Israel and its Gulf Arab neighbors, despite U.S. and Israeli insistence that Iran’s military capabilities have been all but destroyed. Iran’s attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure and its tight grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas transits in peacetime, have roiled stock markets, sent oil prices skyrocketing, and threatened to raise the cost of many basic goods, including food. US drones and helicopters spotted over mountainous region Prior to word of the rescue, social media footage showed American drones, aircraft, and helicopters flying over the mountainous region where a TV channel affiliated with Iranian state television had said earlier Friday that at least one pilot bailed out of the fighter jet. An anchor on the channel urged residents to hand over any “enemy pilot” to police and promised a reward. The number of crew on board wasn’t immediately known. The Pentagon and U.S. Central Command didn’t immediately respond to several messages seeking comment. Throughout the war, Iran has made a series of claims about shooting down piloted enemy aircraft that turned out not to be true. Friday was the first time that Iran went on television urging the public to look for a suspected downed pilot. An on-screen crawl earlier urged the public to “shoot them if you see them,” referring to the social media footage circulating of U.S. aircraft in the area. The channel showed metal debris in the back of a pickup truck while making the announcement but provided no other immediate details. Iran targets a desalination plant and a refinery The claim came after Kuwait’s Mina al-Ahmadi oil refinery came under Iranian attack, and the state-run Kuwait Petroleum Corp. said firefighters were working to control several blazes. Kuwait also said an Iranian attack caused “material damage” to a desalination plant. Such plants are responsible for most of the drinking water for Gulf states, and they have become a major target in the war. Sirens also sounded in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia said it had destroyed several Iranian drones, and Israel reported incoming missiles. Authorities in the United Arab Emirates shut down a gas field after a missile interception reportedly rained debris on it and started a fire. Activists reported strikes around Tehran and the central city of Isfahan, but it wasn’t immediately clear what was hit. A day earlier, Iran said the U.S. hit a major bridge, which was still under construction, killing eight people. In Lebanon, where Israel has launched a ground invasion in its fight with the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militant group, an Israeli drone strike on worshippers leaving Friday prayers near Beirut killed two people, according to the state‑run National News Agency More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since the war began on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes. In a review released Friday, the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, a U.S.-based group, said it found that civilian casualties were clustered around strikes on security and state-linked sites “rather than indiscriminate bombardment” of urban areas. More than two dozen people have died in Gulf states and the occupied West Bank, 19 have been reported dead in Israel, and 13 U.S. service members have been killed. More than 1,300 people have been killed and more than 1 million displaced in Lebanon. Ten Israeli soldiers have also died there. Iran is keeping a chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz World leaders have struggled to end Iran’s stranglehold on the strait, which has had far-reaching consequences for the global economy and has proved to be its greatest strategic advantage in the war. The U.N. Security Council was expected to take up the matter on Saturday. The President has vacillated on America’s role in the strait, alternately threatening Iran if it doesn’t open the waterway and telling other nations to “go get your own oil.” On Friday, he said in a post on social media that, “With a little more time, we can easily OPEN THE HORMUZ STRAIT, TAKE THE OIL, & MAKE A FORTUNE.” Spot prices of Brent crude, the international standard, were around $109 Friday, up more than 50% since the start of the war, when Iran began restricting traffic through the strait. Iran’s former top diplomat suggests terms to end the war Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif — a diplomat with long experience negotiating with the West who remains close to a pragmatic wing of Iran’s leadership — wrote on Friday in Foreign Affairs magazine that the time has come to end what he referred to as a stalemate. The U.S. and Iran have proposed dueling plans, and Zarif’s proposal included elements of both in a sign part of Iran’s leadership might be willing to negotiate. Iran “should offer to place limits on its nuclear program and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for an end to all sanctions — a deal Washington wouldn’t take before but might accept now,” he wrote. It’s not clear how much to read into the proposal from Zarif, who has no official position in Iran’s government, but would likely not have published such a piece without at least some authorization from senior leaders. —Jon Gambrell, Sam Mednick, and Konstantin Toropin, Associated Press Associated Press writers Sylvie Corbet, Sarah El Deeb, Tong-hyung Kim, Michelle L. Price, Lisa Mascaro, and Seung Min Kim contributed to this report. View the full article

Early this year, rapper and recording executive Gucci Mane was reportedly held at gunpoint and robbed at a music studio in Dallas, Texas. Now, a motive for the crime (and the alleged culprits) have been revealed: A rapper signed to Gucci Mane’s label wanted out of his contract. Rapper Pooh Shiesty, whose real name is Lontrell Williams Jr., has been signed to Gucci Mane’s record label 1017 Records since 2020. According to a criminal affidavit written by FBI agent Brittany Garcia, Williams was unhappy with his record deal and invited Gucci Mane, legal name Radric Davis, to a meeting to discuss the terms of his contract. The not-so-perfect crime According to the affidavit, Williams arrived at the meeting location, a recording studio in Dallas, with eight accomplices, including his father Lontrell Williams Sr. and fellow rapper Rodney Wright Jr., aka Big30. There, he presented Davis with paperwork that would release him from his contract. When Davis refused to sign it, Williams produced “a black AK-style pistol” from his bag and pointed it at Davis, demanding that he sign the release paperwork. Davis did so, while Wright filmed him with a cellphone. Once the paperwork was signed, Williams took Davis’ wedding ring, watch, earrings, and cash. Two of Davis’ associates were reportedly also held at gunpoint and robbed by Williams’ accomplices, with one individual, identified in the affidavit as “M.M.”, being “choked from behind to the point of nearly losing consciousness.” The affidavit claims Wright then blocked the door to the studio lobby, preventing Davis and the other victims from leaving. They were then forced to leave the building through a side entrance and escorted to their vehicle. Williams and the eight other suspects are now facing federal charges in relation to kidnapping and robbery at gunpoint. They face life in prison if convicted. The future for Pooh Shiesty’s contract with Gucci Mane’s label Williams’ scheme to get out of his recording contract apparently didn’t go according to plan, with the victims’ reports, security camera footage, and the fact that he was wearing an ankle monitor during the crime leading to his arrest. But whether or not Williams lands in prison, what will happen to his recording contract? Under contract law, documents signed under duress, including under threat of violence, are generally rendered invalid. That means the paperwork Williams forced Davis to sign likely wouldn’t hold up to legal scrutiny, keeping Williams signed to 1017 Records for the time being. Whether Davis would still want Williams working under his label is another story. Plenty of artists have found success during and after incarceration, with Davis himself having served time in prison from 2014 to 2016 after being charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Other rappers have seen massive commercial success after facing legal trouble, like A$AP Rocky: Don’t Be Dumb, his first album since being convicted of assault in Sweden and facing trial on potential assault charges in Los Angeles, topped the Billboard 200 chart and saw the largest streaming debut of 2026 so far, with 35.4 million first-day streams on Spotify. In Williams’ case, whether the increased media attention from his kidnapping and robbery charges could drive listeners to stream his music remains to be seen. Given that Williams is still under Davis’ label, any extra earnings will go, in part, to him. As one social media user put it, Williams may have been better off recruiting an entertainment lawyer to help get out of his record deal, but instead, he’s learning the hard way that contract law and threats of violence at gunpoint generally don’t mix. View the full article

Amid fluctuating gas prices that have recently surged, Lyft has unveiled a strategically designed 60-day driver relief program aimed at aiding their drivers, many of whom rely heavily on the ride-hailing service for income. Starting March 27 and running through May 26, this initiative highlights Lyft’s understanding of the financial strains that drivers face and underscores their commitment to supporting this critical segment of their workforce. Lyft recognizes that rising gas prices can directly impact drivers’ earnings. Yuko Yamazaki, Lyft’s Vice President and Head of Driver, states, “Drivers are feeling the cost of rising gas prices, which ultimately impacts their earnings. When costs spike, we want drivers to choose Lyft because they feel like the platform works for them, not against them.” This is especially relevant for small business owners who may use rideshare services to complement their business operations. The driver relief program introduces several cash-back rewards designed to provide immediate financial relief. For instance, Elite tier drivers can earn an additional 2% cash back when using the Lyft Direct business debit card at eligible gas stations, while Gold and Platinum tier drivers can gain an extra 1%. Coupled with existing rewards—ranging from 1% to 10% based on driver tier—these offerings present tangible benefits for small business owners or independent drivers incorporating rideshare into their business model. Additionally, drivers can secure 14 cents per gallon through the Upside app, further enhancing their savings potential during this program. The savings can collectively add up significantly, especially for those who drive frequently. Lyft’s existing partnerships, like those with Mastercard® Easy Savings gas stations, provide yet another pathway to bolster this relief, allowing for additional savings on every fill-up through the Lyft Direct app. For small business owners, this presents an opportunity to explore rideshare services as a cost-effective transportation solution for business needs. Whether it’s sending employees to meetings or managing logistics, these cashback rewards can soften the financial load. Furthermore, drivers who participate in Lyft’s Shop points program can redeem points for $5 off their next fill-up, which can help those who use ridesharing as a part of their business operations, especially if they frequently travel for client meetings or deliveries. However, small business owners should be aware of certain challenges associated with this relief program. First, eligibility restrictions may apply; drivers in select states such as California, Washington, Minnesota, and New York City are excluded from certain rewards. Additionally, the efficiency of the program relies on the drivers’ choice to use Lyft, meaning that competition from other rideshare platforms could influence usage rates and, therefore, the benefits received. It’s crucial for small business owners to stay informed about industry changes and emerging trends that can directly impact their operations. Integrating rideshare solutions and keeping abreast of these types of relief initiatives can provide them with a competitive edge in transportation management. As the landscape of ridesharing evolves, Lyft’s proactive measures showcase an understanding of driver experiences, making it clear that even small steps toward assistance can resonate well within the small business community. Business owners interested in these developments can visit Lyft’s original announcement here for a detailed breakdown of the program and all associated benefits. Image via Google Gemini This article, "Lyft Launches 60-Day Relief Program to Support Drivers Amid Rising Gas Prices" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article