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In IT service management processes (ITSM), end users rarely use tools like ServiceNow. That means everything from communicating with users to getting updated information for a ticket depends on a secondary data channel. Usually, it’s either copying and pasting data, communicating through a chat app, or even using email. Even with a dedicated IT portal, IT professionals have to switch between tools. There may also be tasks your IT department can only handle in other tools, making ServiceNow integrations essential. Here are some high-priority integrations. What is ServiceNow? ServiceNow is a popular platform for automating enterprise workflows across IT, HR, and customer service functions. It’s often used for ITSM, IT operations, and customer success, which often makes it a massive database essential to your most vital workflows. What is a ServiceNow integration? When we talk about integrations in this context we mean apps, tools or even add-ons to your ServiceNow plan that enable your organization to coordinate work to and from multiple other apps and tools. The most common product used for ServiceNow integrations is ServiceNow Integration Hub. However, you’ll find it’s expensive (especially since it’s considered an add-on to your ServiceNow plan) and can be challenging to use. More on that further down. Beyond Integration Hub, there are dozens of third-party apps you can use to automate workflows between ServiceNow and other tools. But generally speaking, a ServiceNow integration should enable your teams to turn records in tables (e.g., incidents) into objects or items in another tool and vice versa. What is ITSM? ITSM is an umbrella term covering all processes involved in providing the best possible service to the rest of the business. It’s not just about receiving, assessing, and resolving tickets; it’s about making IT services feel as simple as possible for everyone involved. IT workflows have historically been clunky and time-consuming, with end-users often waiting days — if not weeks — for an update on their IT ticket. Implementing the right ServiceNow Integration allows the IT department to speed up the process of resolving important tickets by staying connected to every other app or tool in real-time. Why ServiceNow integrations? ServiceNow ITSM allows IT teams to control the flow of information, track incidents, and respond more quickly to urgent requests, they’ll often run into situations where they need to consider a ServiceNow integration to quickly collaborate with teams in other tools or else rely on emails and chat messages to get all the data they need. With a properly integrated ITSM workflow, end users get automated updates without any extra work from your IT professionals. No more essential information falls through the cracks, customers get updates faster, and no tickets get lost after escalation. 3 types of ServiceNow integration When integrating ServiceNow with the rest of your tool stack, you have more than a few options. Some are built right into ServiceNow through Integration Hub, while others involve third-party platforms. No matter which platform you pick, you have to consider the following: Compatibility with external systems Data security Business needs Technical aptitude needed Price ServiceNow Integration Hub ServiceNow’s Integration Hub allows your teams to build step-by-step integrations called “spokes” between ServiceNow and over 175 other tools, from Salesforce to DocuSign and ChatGPT. You can purchase packages of spokes and apply them one at a time to your ServiceNow instance, deploying them organization-wide. Each spoke serves as a single connector for one tool. In many cases, the Integration Hub will be the first place you check for the integrations you need, especially if you just need a concise, scripted automation rather than a more in-depth workflow. For many organizations, however, it’s prohibitively expensive and implementation can be difficult. Automation tools Whether it’s a deep automation service like Make or a simpler, more user-friendly cloud-based platform like Zapier, these tools are some of the most popular ways to automate all kinds of workflows — including ITSM processes and ServiceNow integrations. They do have their limitations, but they can be hard to beat when it comes to onboarding your teams quickly. Two-way sync integration platforms A two-way sync solution like Unito doesn’t just allow you to create individual automations between tools; it creates true two-way relationships between work items in ServiceNow and a paired tool. That means any update made in one tool is automatically carried over to the next and vice versa with real-time updates. To replicate a ServiceNow integration with an automation tool — or Integration Hub — you’d need several layers of automation and dozens of individually set triggers and actions. That means more moving pieces that can break or delay things. Find out more about why two-way sync is the future of integration here. 5 essential ServiceNow integrations for ITSM You know why you need a ServiceNow integration with the rest of your stack and how you can do it. Now let’s cover what you should be integrating. Spreadsheets No matter how many tools your organization has deployed, tons of business processes still depend on spreadsheets. They’re a common data source for reporting, project management, accounting, and more. Both IT departments and end users will see at least some of their work involve a spreadsheet somewhere. That means having a way to seamlessly build a ServiceNow integration to and from spreadsheets is absolutely essential. Examples of use cases Pushing records from ServiceNow to a spreadsheet report Pulling error logs and similar technical information from spreadsheets Updating incident status for teams that work out of spreadsheets Examples of these tools Microsoft Excel Google Sheets Airtable Project management tools While your IT department might never need to open a project management tool in their daily work, colleagues in other teams likely do. One of the best ways to ensure they’re kept up-to-date is with a ServiceNow integration that connects records to tasks in project management tools, making information available where they do most of their work. By integrating ServiceNow with project management tools, you can ensure every aspect of your ITSM processes run smoothly. Examples of use cases Get context from business objectives detailed in PM tools Share updates on tickets, records, or incidents in project management tools Tag relevant IT tickets in tasks Examples of these tools Asana Trello ClickUp monday.com Smartsheet Software development tools When they think of ITSM, some might think of troubleshooting hardware or a stubborn operating system. But in many cases, IT specialists need to create or fix custom software solutions for end users, which involves using the same kind of tools that software developers rely on. Integrating these with ServiceNow can help ITSM leaders keep an eye on any software work that needs to happen in other tools, tying it to the appropriate records in ServiceNow. Examples of use cases Flagging tickets for code reviews in version control tools. Managing backlogs in tools like Jira or Azure DevOps by tying them to ServiceNow records. Tracking development progress in software development tools, such as GitHub or GitLab, through ServiceNow dashboards. Examples of these tools Jira Azure DevOps GitHub GitLab Knowledge bases Your IT department’s knowledge base is an incredibly valuable resource. It isn’t just a database of information that helps you quickly solve some of the most common IT problems for end users. A ServiceNow integration to your knowledge base centralizes updates and discoveries when dealing with new issues and sometimes can even close a ticket before any IT specialists need to get involved. This might be by forwarding the relevant knowledge base article, for instance. If you’re not using ServiceNow’s built-in knowledge base — maybe because your broader organization relies on a different tool for this — you’ll need an integration. By integrating ServiceNow with your knowledge base, you can make individual articles immediately available for end users as needed or update articles with data from ServiceNow tickets. Examples of use cases Update knowledge base articles with ticket data Attach articles to relevant tickets Host read-only versions of knowledge base articles in ServiceNow Examples of these tools Notion Confluence Other ticketing tools While your IT department — or even your entire organization — might run on ServiceNow, that might not be the case for your end user. They might submit IT and other tickets through platforms like Zendesk or Intercom, especially if they use these tools for customer support and want to keep things centralized. That might make an integration between these tools and ServiceNow absolutely essential. Examples of use cases Surfacing IT tickets among other internal support tickets Enriching IT tickets with data from customer support tools Examples of these tools Zendesk Intercom Jira Service Management How to integrate ServiceNow with Unito Here’s a look at how an integration between ServiceNow and other tools works with Unito. Step-by-step integration guide Connect tool accounts to Unito: After signing up for Unito, click +Create Flow and connect ServiceNow and the tool you’re integrating to Unito. Choose flow direction: Flow direction tells Unito flows where to create new work items. Most Unito flows are two-way, meaning they automatically create work items in ServiceNow and other tools. But you can also create one-way flows, which only create work items in one tool. Set rules: Unito rules use trigger-action logic to filter out work items you don’t want synced or automate certain actions. Build a rule by setting the trigger Unito should look for and the action you want it to take. Map fields: In most flows, Unito can automatically map fields in ServiceNow to fields in other tools. From there, you can customize these mappings to match statuses across tools or match your unique workflow. Launch your flow: Once you map your fields, your flow is ready to launch. After an initial sync, Unito will check for changes in real-time. Curious to see this in practice? Check out these video tutorials to syncing ServiceNow with other popular tools: Syncing ServiceNow with Jira Connecting ServiceNow with Azure DevOps Integrating ServiceNow with Smartsheet Syncing ServiceNow with Wrike Connecting ServiceNow with Salesforce Integrating ServiceNow with Asana Challenges to watch out for when integrating ServiceNow Integration depth Not all integration solutions have the same “depth,” meaning they don’t all support the same number of fields or automations. Some integrations might be able to cover most records in ServiceNow, while others only integrate with a few types for select workflows. Documentation from potential integration vendors can often answer any questions about integration depth, so it’s important to research this before choosing an integration. Authentication and security ServiceNow often holds a significant amount of customer data, making data security an especially important responsibility with this tool. Because integrations move data in and out of ServiceNow, they can potentially create security vulnerabilities. That’s why you need to carefully review how a potential integration might access your data and keep it safe. Performance and scalability A simple automation solution might suit your needs now, but can it support your workflows as you scale? Similarly, a workflow that only handles a limited amount of data might need a more advanced integration as it grows. When you choose an integration, you need to not just consider current needs but future needs as well. How to keep ServiceNow integrations secure Because integration solutions might potentially move sensitive data, it’s important to include the way you use them in your overall cybersecurity strategy. Here are some aspects of this to consider. Compliance Your organization likely has to comply with data security regulations like GDPR in the European Union or CCPA in California, and software integrations need to abide by these as well. Most integration vendors will list the security regulations they comply with on a page like this one. Research these potential compliance issues before you choose an integration solution. Access control Anyone who has access to your integration can potentially extract data from ServiceNow and move it to other platforms without IT or leadership knowing. That’s why many organizations rigorously control access to integrations, preventing lengthy approval processes or unauthorized connections. This may not be necessary in all organizations, however, so evaluate your needs in this area before choosing an integration vendor. Security certifications Security certification frameworks like SOC 2 Type 2 gives organizations clear guidelines to follow to keep data secure. Integration vendors can qualify for these certifications as well, which makes them a good touchpoint for getting a sense of their commitment to data security. Best practices when integrating ServiceNow When you roll out your first ServiceNow integration, consider these best practices: Start with a small pilot project, connecting ServiceNow with a single other tool. This will allow you to evaluate an integration’s capabilities and identify potential issues before they affect broader data. Evaluate the results of a pilot project before implementing integrations at scale. Consider if you need a technical integration solution with tight access control or something simpler but more widely accessible. Review integration vendors at least yearly to ensure they’re competitive compared to others on the market. Get all your ServiceNow integrations in one place Fully integrating your ServiceNow workspace with the tools both your IT professionals and end users rely on is essential to running more efficient ITSM processes. There’s only one platform that has all the integrations you need in a single platform with two-way syncing: Unito. Want to see what Unito can do? Talk to our integration experts to find out! View the full article

Tehran is seeking to tempt Donald The President with investments in its oil and gas reserves as it seeks to stave off an attackView the full article

At 12, I was walking around a very affluent neighborhood with my father and he said, “Mikey, all these people in these nice houses, not one of them could run a gas station.” That stuck with me. The gas station test isn’t about intelligence or ambition, it’s about aptitude for running a successful business. As a strong student, then an investment banking analyst, then a private equity associate, I was in this jetstream towards a career in investing. But can investors run gas stations? Does it matter? This concept was always in the back of my mind. I dove so deep into business details as an investor that my interest actually inhibited my performance. I was propelled into the operating world. As someone who made the transition from the investing world, albeit relatively quickly after four years, I get asked a lot about what attributes make someone successful in an operating role versus in an investing one. OPERATORS GO DEEP What stands out to me as the most basic difference between operating and investing comes back to the gas station. Most people in those nice houses I walked by at 12 years old probably weren’t interested in details like convenience store inventory. When you work in the operating world, you are in the weeds of your business. For example, at SoFi I knew all the nuances of different types of student loan forbearance programs and at Brex I knew the minutiae of the Mastercard transaction chargeback rules—though not an expectation of my role at either company. This contrasts with my experience as a private equity investor where I look at purchasing a business ranging from a chain of laundromats to Ancestry.com within the same month. In private equity, success often came down to three things: underwriting growth, paying the right multiple, and adding leverage. There is no way to distill what it is like to run a business, especially one as complex as Figure, into such a simple framework. The most successful operators enjoy going deep. PROACTIVITY VERSUS PROCEDURE In terms of behaviors that make someone successful in the operating world, proactivity stands out. My experience in fintech has been that everything is breaking all the time. I wake up each day to problems new and old. While high-growth industries like fintech exacerbate this, all operating roles have all kinds of changing dynamics and customer issues that create challenges. The way to combat this chaos and thrive is to proactively anticipate issues. The moment that most exemplified my proactivity was at Brex when I managed the Silicon Valley Bank fallout. I had been tracking the issues at the bank early, and I was able to swiftly reduce almost all of Brex’s exposure, enabling the company to be offensive in the wake of the crisis, and add over $1 billion of deposits in a weekend. On the investor side, work life is a lot more procedural. There is an investment process—and that itself differs across private and public investing. But regardless, there is a relatively defined set of steps investors take. Evaluating an investment in a gas station or chain of them is very different than actually operating one. The former allows you to calmly consider the supply and demand dynamics, commodity price forecasts, etc., but there is almost no chance you will be screamed at by an unhappy customer or feel the visceral worry about the liquidity to fund your business. The process is much calmer and more controlled. That doesn’t make investing easier, but the challenge is more intellectual rather than operational. PEOPLE MANAGEMENT IS THE JOB The operating world is all about people. The people who get to the top are most often the best managers of people. They know how to set goals and mobilize large teams towards those goals, because, at scale, leadership is less about individual contribution and more about creating the conditions for an organization to succeed. This seems very basic but it’s at the core of what differentiates operating roles from investing ones. My time as an operator meant managing a range of teams from accountants to mortgage loan officers to executives. The common approach I have taken is to understand people’s motivations and how I can help the company and role best fulfill them. Contrast this to my investor experience, where people management was a very small part of the picture. Most of the people were highly motivated and compensated in a competitive environment. Feedback was rarely given and what determined promotions was opaque. THE POINT IS HOW YOU’RE WIRED If the idea of going deep on messy details, waking up to problems, and spending most of your time thinking about how to get the best out of other people excites you, you are probably wired to be an operator. You don’t need a perfectly defined process to be comfortable; you need ownership. If, on the other hand, you enjoy pattern recognition across new areas of learning, structured decision-making, and optimizing within a defined framework, investing may be a better fit. It’s a very real craft, and often very lucrative. Early in my career, I assumed that operating was simply a more “hands-on” version of investing. It’s not. It’s a different job entirely. Running a business, whether it’s a fintech company or a gas station, requires a willingness to live inside complexity rather than analyze it from a distance. Not everyone wants to run a gas station, and that’s fine. But if you find yourself drawn to depth over breadth, proactivity over procedure, and people over process, you might want to step out of the jetstream, and into the operator’s seat. Michael Tannenbaum is CEO of Figure. View the full article

The lender announced a partnership with Framework Ventures that aims to provide $500 million in credit through an integration into the Sky stablecoin ecosystem. View the full article

Telegram is among the most popular WhatsApp alternatives around. Telegram supports messaging individuals and groups, but it also has social media-like channels where you can post to thousands of subscribers at once. In this piece, I'll be focusing more on Telegram as a messenger, since that's how I use it the most. In my decade of using the app, I've learned quite a bit about it, and I'm here to share the best Telegram hacks that you should know. You need to manually enable end-to-end encryptionUnlike Signal or WhatsApp, Telegram is not end-to-end encrypted by default. End-to-end encryption ensures that your messages cannot be read by anyone without accessing either your device or the recipient's device, and at this point, it's become an industry standard security protocol for messaging apps. You can enable end-to-end encryption in Telegram, but it requires a few extra steps, and even then, the implementation is not very user-friendly. Secret Chat is Telegram's name for messages that have end-to-end encryption, and to access it, follow these steps: Open Telegram and start a chat with a contact. In the chat window, tap the name of the contact up top. On the next page, tap more, and select Start Secret Chat. You now need to wait for the recipient to come online and accept your request to start a Secret Chat. When they do, that conversation will become end-to-end encrypted. Sadly, you'll have to repeat this process with each of your contacts, which leaves you with two different chats per contact (a Secret Chat and a normal chat). The other limitation is that you can't access Secret Chats on multiple devices. They're limited to your phone and the recipient's phone, and won't show up on Telegram's desktop app. It's great for security, but not as good for convenience. Don't forget to delete your old profile photosWhen you add a new profile picture to your Telegram account, it does not automatically delete the previous picture. That means your contacts can still go to your profile and see your older profile pictures. To fix this, open the Telegram app and go to the Settings page (which is within the bottom bar on iOS and hidden under the three-lines menu on other platforms). Tap your profile photo, select the Edit button, and delete the pictures you don't want to keep. Disable unwanted notifications Credit: Pranay Parab Telegram tends to be a bit spammy with its notifications. By default, you'll get an alert whenever any of your contacts joins Telegram, which gets tiring very fast. You can disable these unwanted notifications by going to Telegram Settings > Notifications and Sounds and disabling New Contacts. While you're on this page, you can take a moment to disable any other notification types you might not want to see, including Group Chats, Stories, Channels, Reactions, etc. Change when Telegram auto-deletes your accountTelegram is a bit aggressive about deleting inactive accounts. It will automatically delete your account if you don't use the app for six months. This isn't going to bother regular users, but it's a good idea to customize this duration based on your needs. Telegram lets you set the auto-delete timer for anywhere from 1 month to 24 months, so you can pick the option that's best for you. Go to Telegram Settings > Privacy and Security > If Away For to make the change. You can block Telegram callsTelegram supports voice and video calls, which is pretty standard for messaging apps. Unlike most of its competitors, though, Telegram allows you to block voice and video calls entirely. Just head over to Telegram Settings > Privacy and Security > Calls and select Nobody. Enhance your Telegram account's securityIt's never a bad idea to add a few extra layers of security to your Telegram account. The app supports two-step verification and passkeys, and you can enable both by going to Telegram Settings > Privacy and Security. Both options are located near the top of this page. Lower your data usageOne of Telegram's best features is granular controls for its various settings, including how much data the app uses. This is great for people with metered internet connections. You can access these options under Telegram Settings > Data and Storage. Go to Using Cellular and Using Wi-Fi to customize how much data the app uses. If you set data usage to Low, Telegram will compress media to preserve bandwidth. On the same page, you can also disable all auto-downloads for photos, stories, videos, and files. Or, if you tap any of these options, you can individually disable auto-downloads based on the type of chat. For instance, Telegram lets you disable automatic downloads of photos, videos, files, and stories from only group chats or only channels. This way, it'll still automatically download media sent in private chats, but not in group chats. You can also go to the Data and Storage settings page, and enable Use Less Data for Calls. This will compress audio a little bit, but can be helpful for staying under data limits. Automate the built-in power saving modeTelegram has a built-in power saving mode that conserves battery by reducing animations or disabling autoplaying videos and other intensive processes. Set it up by going to Telegram Settings > Power Saving. The slider at the top lets you set a battery percentage, and power saving will automatically turn on if your phone dips below it. I've set it to 30%, but you can choose a different number if you like. On the same page, you can also manually disable resource intensive processes, which I've used it to turn off autoplaying videos and gifs entirely. Telegram groups have useful granular controls Credit: Pranay Parab Group messaging is one area where Telegram allows you to do a lot more than its competition. After creating a group, tap the group's name, select Group Settings, and you'll see a plethora of options. Under Permissions, you'll be able to decide if group members can send messages, voice notes, photos, videos, music, links, add members, pin messages, etc. On the same page, you can also enable Slow Mode, which enforces a minimum delay between two messages from the same member. If you set this to 1 minute, then members will have to wait a minute before sending their second message. I would love to see other apps also implement a version of Slow Mode, as it stops people from spamming the group with multiple short messages in a row. Additional settings include enabling Topics, which lets you create different "channels" within a group to keep discussions from going astray (separate from the social media "channels" mentioned at the start of this guide). You can think of these like separate channels in Slack or IRC, so in larger groups, you can have separate topics to discuss sport or politics. This keeps the main feed free of unnecessary messages and assigns dedicated spots for different topics. Telegram Premium adds features you probably don't needTelegram has a subscription service ($5/mo) that lets you access features such as unlimited cloud storage (with a maximum of 4GB per document), chat transcription, automatic translation of incoming messages, support for checklists in the app, the ability to see when someone was last seen online (bypassing their privacy settings), and more. These features are great for people who have channels with a large following, but for most people, none of these features are essential. Other than the generous cloud storage, you can get all of these features in other apps for free. And even cloud storage has strong alternatives, including small providers like Proton or larger ones like Google and Apple. View the full article

During his State of the Union address on Tuesday, President The President made a bold claim about diversity, equity, and inclusion. “We ended DEI in America,” he said after touting his administration’s record on job creation. The remark was an echo of previous claims The President has made about DEI, which have been critiqued for misrepresenting his legal authority over DEI programs in the private sector. “I’ve ended all of the so-called diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the entire federal government and the private sector, and notified every single government DEI officer that their job has been deleted,” The President said in a speech last year at the Conservative Political Action Conference. “They’re gone. They’re fired.” It’s true that the The President administration’s repeated attacks on DEI have had a chilling effect on corporate America, and have more directly derailed DEI efforts in the public sector. Immediately after assuming office, The President issued multiple executive orders that targeted DEI, which slashed DEI offices and roles across the federal government and threatened private companies with potential legal action if they maintained “illegal” DEI programs. The sweeping federal layoffs in 2025 ultimately affected about 277,000 workers—including those culled from DEI teams at government agencies—and had a disproportionate impact on women and people of color. Under the The President administration, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission—the agency tasked with enforcing anti-discrimination laws—has also adopted an anti-DEI posture. EEOC chair Andrea Lucas has set her sights on “DEI-related discrimination,” recently mounting an investigation into Nike over its DEI policies, claiming the company had discriminated against white employees and job applicants. Despite these setbacks, however, The President’s actions have not exactly ended DEI—far from it. Some employers, including Google and Meta, have moved away from certain types of DEI programs due to legal risk, whether that means cutting representation goals or no longer tying executive compensation to DEI metrics. But many private companies are still doing the work quietly, or have simply stopped using the term “DEI,” reframing their efforts as “belonging” instead. A benchmarking survey that culture and inclusion platform Paradigm put out last year found that federal contractors and large companies were more likely to make more drastic changes to their DEI initiatives—but many others were actually continuing to invest in DEI work; in fact, only 19% of the 400-plus employers surveyed said they were slashing DEI funding. Prominent companies like Apple and Costco have explicitly pledged their support for DEI, and pushed back on activist shareholders who introduced proposals that sought to end their DEI programs. And while public sentiment appears to have shifted on this issue, given the anti-DEI rhetoric from the highest levels of government, many workers still do support the tenets of diversity, equity, and inclusion. In a Gallup poll from last fall, 69% of Americans still agreed that it was important for businesses to promote DEI—and that figure was far higher among women and people of color. The President may believe his policies have ended DEI—but it seems few workers want to live in a country where that’s the case. View the full article

It probably will come as no surprise that Samsung claims its new S26 series delivers "the most powerful Galaxy experience yet." The company announced the new phones during its big Unpacked 2026 event, and, like most new smartphones these days, this year's models appear to be iterative updates to last year's S25 phones. The company particularly touted the S26 series' cameras, but the interesting thing is, the camera hardware hasn't much changed. If you look at the on-paper specs, you'll mostly see the same numbers across the lens and sensor sizes. The S26 and S26+ have three rear cameras, while the S26 Ultra adds a fourth; all three phones have the same 12MP selfie camera. Really, the only hardware change is to the S26 Ultra's 200MP main camera, which now has an f/1.4 aperture, compared to the f/1.7 aperture on the S25 Ultra's 200MP camera. Otherwise, Samsung kept things pretty much the same. The S26 cameras are still a decent upgrade over the S25'sAnd yet, there are some clear advantages to the S26 series, especially the S26 Ultra. While the selfie cameras are the same as last year, they now use a new AI processor to bring out more detail: When there's too much light in a shot, the S26 series can add virtual light to balance out the image. These phones are also better than previous models at filming video in low-light conditions, expanding on the company's "Nightography" feature, which previously boosted the detail in photos; now, it works for video as well. Speaking of video, Samsung says the S26 can automatically stabilize shots while maintaining a level image, even if you're not looking at the frame, using "Super Steady with Horizontal Lock" (catchy name!). If you pick up the Ultra, you'll also get some pro video features. First, the phone supports the APV video codec, Samsung's pro video codec, ideal for professional editors. Presumably, shooting in 8K APV will produce some large file sizes, which is why it's great that the S26 Ultra supports recording to external storage, like the recent Pro iPhones. If shooting in log, you'll be able to apply LUTs to your footage, to customize the overall color-grading of your images. One smaller upgrade is Ocean Mode, which takes detailed images in underwater environments. This feature was previously available to professionals only, but the S26 series gets it as part of the Expert RAW setting. Credit: Samsung/YouTube Samsung added a surprise twist to Unpacked, revealing towards the end of the show that the entire livestream was filmed using S26 Ultras. That follows Apple's playbook of recording events with iPhones, though Apple doesn't do livestreams anymore. As far as I can tell, this is the first time a company like Samsung has livestreamed its entire presentation on one of its smartphone cameras. (Though both Apple and Samsung also deck out their smartphones with expensive equipment to capture these images.) Credit: Samsung/YouTube Galaxy AI brings new camera features to the S26 tooSamsung's event focused a lot on Galaxy AI, and its benefits also applied to the cameras. For instance, the document scanner on the S26 can remove extraneous subjects from scans, such as your thumb or finger, and can combine multiple scans into one PDF. You can also use Galaxy AI for prompt-based editing. Samsung showed off how to merge two photos at once, so that the subject of one image is "seamlessly" edited into another. The example added a dog from one image into the arms of a woman sitting at a coffee shop in another. Other examples of prompt-based edits include swapping outfits in an image, or editing a bite out of a cupcake. Credit: Samsung/YouTube None of these upgrades alone are necessarily worth upgrading from the S25, but they show that Samsung is quite confident in the features and quality of its cameras. Even if you don't care for AI editing, it's helpful to have added details when shooting in low light, and any budding cinematographers may enjoy the pro features—especially codec support and the ability to shoot to external storage. But, as always, we'll need to wait for reviewers to get their hands on the phones before we know how good these cameras really are. View the full article

Survey data shows 49% of U.S. consumers have used TikTok for search, but Gen Z's TikTok-over-Google preference is dropping. The post Gen Z Preference For TikTok Over Google Drops 50%, Data Shows appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Chips giant beats Wall Street’s expectations as it surpasses $200bn in annual revenue for the first timeView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. On paper, the Samsung Galaxy S26 lineup seems like a pretty standard upgrade. The phones have received a new chip, some new AI features, slight bumps to the battery life and charging speeds (depending on your model), and even a fancy new gimmick in the Privacy Display. But once you add one of these new handsets to your cart, you'll notice another detail that's changed: Two of the Galaxy S26 phones cost $100 more than their Galaxy S25 counterparts did at launch last year. We were all hoping it wouldn't happen, but as AI demand makes components like storage, memory and even displays more expensive, the first major tech launch of the year has shown us that we can expect prices to increase in turn. This year, two models of the Galaxy S26 are $100 more expensive—but hey, at least your priciest options got out unscathed. Why the Galaxy S26 costs $100 more Samsung Galaxy S26 6.3" 512GB Smartphone + $100 Gift Card $899.99 at Amazon $1,199.99 Save $300.00 Shop Now Shop Now $899.99 at Amazon $1,199.99 Save $300.00 Maybe the most noticeable casualty in the S26 price hikes was the base model, which went from starting at $799 for the S25 to starting at $899 for the S26. That makes it pricier than an iPhone 17, but you do get a little something in exchange. Essentially, this is less of a price increase, and more like paring down your options: To coincide with the new price, Samsung has also bumped up the S26's base storage to 256GB (up from 128GB on the S25). That means Samsung has to produce fewer varieties for its base phone, which will likely help it deal with the ongoing components shortage, while keeping pricing stable for the most popular configurations. I say "close," because the 256GB S26 is still a bit more expensive than the 256GB S25. That phone costs $859, so whether the upgrade is worth an additional $40 depends on how much you care about a larger battery, a new chip, and a 0.1-inch larger display. Being the base phone, the S26 doesn't have the flashiest additions over its predecessor, but it might have fared better than the non-Ultra S26. The Galaxy S26+ costs as much as an iPhone 17 Pro Samsung Galaxy S26+ $1,099.99 at Amazon $1,399.99 Save $300.00 Shop Now Shop Now $1,099.99 at Amazon $1,399.99 Save $300.00 Perhaps the bigger victim in Samsung's S26 price increases is the Galaxy S26+, which now starts at $1,099, up from $999 for the S25+. The price increase here is a bit harder to explain, as it didn't get any bumps to its base storage to compensate. It still starts at 256GB of storage, still has a 6.7-inch screen, and still has the same 50MP/12MP/10MP rear camera system. The Privacy Display—the Ultra's flashiest new feature—isn't even included. The biggest on-paper upgrade is the new chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy Gen 5. That means upgrading will only net you slightly faster processing, plus early access to those new AI features that are Galaxy S26 and Pixel 10-exclusive...for now. The lack of distinct selling points emphasizes the awkward space these middle-of-the-road models currently occupy. For instance, you can get an iPhone 17 Pro for the same $1,099, and that will get you Apple's best technology, minus the slightly larger display and battery on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. If Samsung is charging that much for a Plus model, maybe it makes sense that Apple ditched its own Plus version for the weirder (but unique) iPhone Air. Granted, the S26+ is still a strong phone. That new chip is no slouch, and while the ultrawide and telephoto lenses are weaker here than on the 17 Pro, the main lens is actually slightly stronger, at 50MP versus 48MP. I wouldn't be disappointed to get an S26+, but it might be difficult for an S25+ owner to find a reason to upgrade their current phone. It's basically the same device, but $100 pricier. The Galaxy S26 Ultra costs the same, probably because that's the one Samsung wants you to buy Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra $1,299.99 at Amazon $1,699.99 Save $400.00 Shop Now Shop Now $1,299.99 at Amazon $1,699.99 Save $400.00 While it's unclear why Samsung put the S26+ out without making a compelling case for it—the company didn't even talk about it much during today's Galaxy Unpacked event—I'd guess that is because the company would much prefer you upgrade to the Galaxy S26 Ultra. This is the model with the most exclusive features, offering the clearest upgrades over its last gen version. It's also the only model that didn't see a price hike. The Galaxy S26 Ultra starts at $1,299, the same as the Galaxy S25 Ultra. But for that cost, you'll now get a new chip, faster wired charging (up from 45W to 60W), the Privacy Display, and improved nighttime photos as well as access to the APV codec used in professional video shoots. That's a good amount of upgrades over what the other models offer. To me, that signals one thing: Samsung is willing to raise its barrier to entry, but is going to do its best to keep pricing for its flagship devices as attractive as possible for as long as possible. If you're willing to buy the most expensive model, you can avoid a price hike, while also getting the biggest upgrades. Everyone else will have to pay more. I'm curious to see whether Apple will follow this trend when it drops the iPhone 18 later this year. View the full article

Software group projects revenue could be short of Wall Street’s expectationsView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. The Galaxy S26 series is official, even if they're not quite officially here yet. Samsung announced the new smartphones at today's Unpacked 2026, touting their upgraded chips (Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy), pro camera features, and new Galaxy AI capabilities. It might be a relatively quiet update, but an update's an update. If you're looking for the fastest Galaxy devices on the market, the choice just moved from the S25 to the S26. When is Samsung releasing the Galaxy S26?While the entire S26 lineup is currently available to preorder, they aren't yet available to purchase. Samsung is making users wait a bit—two weeks, to be exact. Preorders start today, Feb. 25, while the units themselves will be available in stores starting March 11. Still, even if you have two weeks to buy any of the S26 series, you might want to consider preordering them ahead of time if you want to secure your device. The newest smartphones from companies like Samsung tend to sell out on release, pushing shipping dates back further than the official release date. That's no guarantee it'll happen this time, but preorder sets your place in line if you're sure which model you want. How much does the Galaxy S26 cost?Three phones, three different starting prices: the Galaxy S26 is the smallest of the bunch, and costs the least, starting at $899.99 the S26 Plus starts at $1,099.99 the S26 Ultra starts at $1,299.99 Those are just the entry prices, of course—for the base storage for each device. If you want more storage, you'll need to pay more, though you could save some money, depending on the preorder deal you choose. Where to preorder the Galaxy S26 series (and the best deals)There are a number of stores you can preorder the Galaxy S26 series from, but Samsung would obviously prefer you to buy direct. The company is running promotions for preorders, such as trade-in deals, to knock some money off the price tag, but the best reason to go through Samsung is if you want one of their exclusive colors: Silver Shadow and Pinkgold are only available on Samsung's official site. Here are the current preorder deals I'm seeing: Galaxy S26AT&T: As low as $0 per month with eligible trade-in. Amazon: Save $200 off the 512GB model, and get a free gift card. Best Buy: Save $200 off the 512GB model. Trade-in offers accepted. Boost Mobile: $3 per month on the Infinite Access for Galaxy $65 Plan Samsung: Save up to $500 with eligible trade-in, plus $50 off through PayPal code. T-Mobile: As low as $0 per month with eligible trade-in or new line on the Experience Beyond plan. Verizon: As low as $0 per month with Unlimited Ultimate or Unlimited Plus plan. Galaxy S26 PlusAT&T: As low as $0 per month with eligible trade-in. Amazon: Save $200 off the 512GB model, and get a free gift card. Best Buy: Save $200 off the 512GB model. Boost Mobile: $8.33 per month with the Infinite Access for Galaxy $65 plan. Samsung: Save up to $500 with eligible trade-in, plus $50 off through PayPal code. T-Mobile: As low as $0 per month with eligible trade-in or new line on the Experience Beyond plan. Verizon: As low as $0 per month with Unlimited Ultimate or Unlimited Plus plan. Galaxy S26 UltraAT&T: As low as $0 per month with eligible trade-in. Amazon: Save $400 off the 512GB model, and get a free gift card. Best Buy: Save $200 off the 512GB model. Boost Mobile: $13.89 per month with the Infinite Access for Galaxy $64 plan. Samsung: Save up to $900 with eligible trade-in, plus $50 off through PayPal code. T-Mobile: As low as $0 per month with eligible trade-in or new line on the Experience Beyond plan. Verizon: Save up to $36.11 per month with the Unlimited Ultimate plan. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I have a bad habit, and you probably do too: When someone opens their phone near me, I instinctively look. I'm not looking for anything intentionally—my eyes glance involuntarily, hovering for a moment before I return someone's privacy—but I've seen everything from harmless wallpapers to lock codes, bank statements, and text messages during relationship fights. I'm not a nosy person, nor am I overly concerned about my own privacy when it becomes too inconvenient. But the most common form of privacy invasion is likely the simplest: glancing at someone's phone screen, or someone glancing at yours. Years ago, I protected my privacy with privacy screens on both my laptop and phone, but I let that practice lapse so much that I almost forgot privacy screens existed. Today, at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, the company introduced the privacy screen I wanted all along. This is the transition angle where viewability begins to fade. Credit: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked / Lifehacker Samsung's new Privacy Display can narrow the pixel light on your phone screen so it's only visible to you. The feature can be toggled on and off, and it's also customizable by app, allowing some apps to be viewable to others while keeping sensitive apps, like your banking app or an HBO show, unviewable to passersby. When the Privacy Display feature is off, pixels are viewable from every angle, but when it's on, the pixel lights narrow to you. Essentially, you can control when you want people to see your phone from over your shoulder, which is probably rare compared to when you'd rather have your phone protected from side angles. The Privacy Display will be available on the new Galaxy S26 Ultra, but the feature is so useful that it was the most interesting announcement from Galaxy Unpacked, and once competitors catch on, I expect a built-in privacy screen to become the standard in smartphones. It doesn't take much to imagine third-party privacy screens soon becoming obsolete. This is the angle from the side, where others can no longer view the screen. Credit: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked / Lifehacker After expensive device upgrades and buying a long list of accessories, adding a privacy screen protector can feel like a waste of money. To save a few bucks, I simply tell myself that I'll be more aware of my surroundings. Still, just yesterday on the subway, I noticed someone's harmless Shadow the Hedgehog screensaver, followed by their private, potentially embarrassing app notifications. Realistically, others have likely glanced at the same kind of information on my phone, too, no matter how "aware of my surroundings" I hope to be. So far, the new Privacy Display appears to be available only on the new Galaxy S26 Ultra, which will have a starting price of $1,299. Hopefully, the feature will be adopted more broadly, including on the cheaper S26, which will start at $899, and the S26+, which will start at $1,099. I don't know what took phone manufacturers so long to build such a useful tool, but I would guess it comes down to focusing on clumsily forcing AI into features I'll rarely use. Samsung Unpacked had plenty of hamfisted AI announcements—you should check out the longer list of those—but the simple utility of the privacy display stole the show. And it's better late than never. View the full article

Anthropic updated its crawler documentation to list separate Claude bots for training, search indexing, and user requests, with visibility tradeoffs when blocked. The post Anthropic’s Claude Bots Make Robots.txt Decisions More Granular appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

With Netflix now streaming original podcasts and Apple announcing a “category-leading video experience” on its app this spring, the meaning of the word “podcast” has grown increasingly diffuse. It was much easier to pin down during the medium’s mid-aughts infancy. Back then, a podcast was simply asynchronous talk radio—the natural next step after moving from terrestrial radio, to satellite platforms like SiriusXM, to a new and purely digital format that could be downloaded and consumed on demand. In the years since, the definition has vastly expanded. Essentially, any form of episodic audio or video content that involves people speaking into microphones can now be considered a podcast. We’ve drifted so far away from the original context and definition of the word that perhaps it’s time for semantics to catch up. “The consumption is moving more and more toward video-based podcasts,” says Jonathan Miller, a former Fox digital media and NBA executive and current CEO of Integrated Media Co. “At some point, there needs to be a new name. But it’s not going to happen easily.” Pivoting to video Originally coined in early 2004 by British journalist Ben Hammersley, the word “podcast” was an ingenious turn of phrase at the time. The punny portmanteau succinctly describes the then-emergent format of a broadcast that emanates from one’s iPod. The only problem? That title assumed a world in which iPods hung around for the long haul, rather than entering obsolescence just three years later with the invention of the iPhone. (The iPod ultimately remained in circulation for another 15 years, until Apple ceased manufacturing them in 2022.) Anyone on the younger end of the prime podcasting demographic of 18 to 34 years old has likely never used an iPod, and might regard one with the same anthropological curiosity they would a VCR or rotary phone. If the podcast’s outdated nominal inspiration weren’t enough reason for a rebrand, though, the popularity of video may be what cinches it. As more and more podcasters have started putting their shows on camera, YouTube has become the top podcast platform in the U.S., with over 1 billion active users logging on for them each month. Meanwhile, Apple’s audio-only app loses a little more of its market share every year, going from 15.7% of monthly podcast listeners’ preference in 2022 to 11.3% in 2025. Perhaps the company’s forthcoming video experience will help Apple regain some of that ground—if Netflix and its competitors all inevitably throwing their hats in the ring doesn’t erode that number further. But if a podcast is no longer something audiences hear but watch, is it even the same medium? “What we’re witnessing isn’t a departure from podcasting—it’s an evolution,” says Matt Sandler, general manager of creator services at Amazon. “The content itself has evolved from interviews into ensemble conversations, documentary-style storytelling, live experiences, and hybrid shows that blur the lines between what we’ve traditionally seen on social [media], podcasts, and TV. As a result, podcasts have naturally moved from audio-only experiences to screens.” As popular as the video format is getting, not everyone sees it as a full industry takeover. “I don’t see a pivot to video but an addition,” says Adam Curry, the former MTV VJ whose early adoption of podcasting earned him the nickname “The Podfather.” Of course, the addition of video to an audio format has always been disruptive, to say the least. The revolution will not be podcasted Before it became known as television, one of the invention’s developers, Charles Francis Jenkins, dubbed it “radiovision.” There must have been very little doubt among the public about which technology TV was intended to replace. The introduction of TV solved the problem of how boring and undynamic it must have been to gather one’s family around a radio and listen to Fibber McGee and Molly on a Thursday night. It created a dazzling new galaxy of programming possibilities that revolutionized show business, and just about every other kind of business. TV obviously didn’t kill radio, but it drastically diminished radio’s appeal and quickly supplanted it as the top option for home entertainment. Among the reasons radio has flourished well beyond TV’s invention is because people also wanted to be entertained outside the home. It turned out there were many situations where the dynamism of a visual component proved unnecessary—while driving, working, or shoveling snow, for instance. The main distinction between the rise of video podcasts and the rise of television is that, unlike the medium that TV disrupted, podcasts were originally made precisely for such moments of divided attention. People mostly consume them while their eyes are focused elsewhere. In fact, according to a YouGov survey from 2023, the topmost popular podcast-consuming situations are while doing chores, commuting, or working out. “I want something I can listen to like an audiobook when I’m driving, riding the subway, or walking in the park,” says Dave Winer, a software developer, writer, and pioneering podcaster. Though it’s technically possible to watch a long-form podcast while doing all those things, it’s not exactly practical. Still, the medium is now in a weird straddling moment in which many podcasters have not yet figured out for which of their audience’s senses they’re primarily creating content. It’s now quite common for the hosts of a podcast to pantomime actions, make faces and hand gestures, or employ some other visual aid that provokes an in-studio laugh, followed by a reflexive explanation to “our listeners” about what just happened on-screen. Will they eventually stop explaining? Or will they instead stop playing to the camera? Either way, it might be helpful to know that not as many people may be watching podcasts as it seems. According to Triton Digital’s annual podcasting report, only 7% of audiences exclusively watch their favorite podcasts, while 13% exclusively listen to them, and the remaining 80% now alternate between the two options. These results hint at an epidemic of video podcasts playing inside listeners’ jean pockets as they go about their business. Maybe not for long, though. What’s in a name Whichever way people prefer to consume video podcasts, the popularity of these shows has big business implications. As the recent cancellations of both Kelly Clarkson‘s and Sherri Shepherd‘s TV shows indicate, podcasts are coming for daytime TV. They’re also coming for the ailing late-night TV industry, and any other talky TV format that could technically be made with a tiny crew and no union involvement. (After launching without union coverage and incurring some blowback, Netflix’s The Pete Davidson Show has since signed with SAG-AFTRA.) “Talk television is set to become a derivative of video podcasting,” says Miller. Fewer traditional talk show options will inevitably mean more video podcasts with high-wattage guests, like Amy Poehler’s Good Hang and Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang’s Las Culturistas. That means more people will likely start consuming their podcasts on smart TVs while curled up on the couch with a second screen. In a scenario where that mode of consuming podcasts becomes more dominant, the word podcast will feel even more dissonant than it does now. Part of the reason any medium needs a definitive name is to quantify audience consumption for advertisers. As an industry, video podcasts are now roughly at the point where streaming series were at about a decade ago, when it was still common to call them TV shows. Nielsen struggled to adjust its language when TV moved to streaming, and remains stuck in a swamp of acronyms like SVOD (subscription video on demand), OTT (over-the-top), and CTV (connected TV). Keeping the podcast label would cleanly delineate shows like the Kelce brothers’ New Heights and Call Her Daddy for the remaining years of linear television. But if the word were to be replaced, what would we start calling podcasts instead? “We might call it ‘Social media TV,” says Henry Jenkins, a media studies professor at USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. “The format is a longer and mostly unedited discussion compared to what’s possible via broadcasting. It’s consumed asynchronously. Both of these overlap with podcasts as we have understood them.” But with video, the medium is now yet another step removed from that original meaning, adds Jenkins. “What I like about ‘Social media TV’ is it conveys the hybrid nature of this new format,” he says. “I much prefer understanding it as something new than to allow it to define what podcasting becomes.” Miller thinks a potential linguistic change might be simpler, though. “What a podcast really refers to is a unit of something—one pod is one episode,” he says. “So maybe, at the end of the day, they simply become known as ‘episodes.’” Just because video podcasts have become the dominant commercial format, though—to the point of possibly redefining the medium—doesn’t mean the original format is on its way out. “If podcasting becomes video, and audio podcasting disappears . . . we’ll just boot up podcasting again with a different name,” Winer says. But don’t be surprised if the word sticks around as the industry evolves around it. “We still use paperclip icons to attach a file, and a floppy disc icon to save something,” Curry notes. Similarly, there’s a reason why iPhones still have the word phone in them, even though making phone calls is now among the device’s more marginal functions. Sometimes, words continue to survive long after the idea that inspired them becomes redundant. One such word, which originally referred to sowing seeds by scattering them over a wide area, is broadcast. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. A lot of us spend significant time and energy organizing our closets, home offices, and even our kitchen cabinets, but we toss our weekly groceries and daily leftovers into the fridge with little thought. Soon enough, we can't find the ranch dressing behind all the plastic containers filled with food that looks more like a science experiment. Even if you don’t let your fridge situation get quite that bad, a lack of organization in there will make it harder to keep it clean and find and grab what you need. If you want to get serious about organizing your fridge, you have to go beyond the standard drawers and shelves most models offer. Here are the products I recommend to turn your chaotic fridge into something more manageable. Add extra drawers to your fridgeMany refrigerators come with just a few drawers for storing produce or other foods, and that may not be enough to keep things separated. These under-shelf drawers clip into place and provide extra pull-out storage that won’t eat up precious shelf space (though they do, admittedly, reduce the vertical space you can use, so you have to be thoughtful about where to place them). Use fridge drink organizersMy wife buys a lot of soda. A lot. She used to just shove those cardboard sleeves into the fridge and take cans as she needed them, but the cans would sometimes just roll out onto the floor, the cardboard often got soggy, and it was just ugly. The better choice is to install a can holder—either a stand-up version like this one, or a plastic dispenser like this. Either choice will keep those cans organized and in place, and will make your fridge look neater. Stackable pull-out drawer bins make use of vertical fridge spaceThe key to fridge organization is a modular approach, dividing those vast shelf spaces into tidy, stackable components. These plastic bins are a good choice here: They can be stacked up so you can actually use the vertical space in your fridge, and their contents can be accessed via a pull-out drawer, so you don’t need to un-stack them to get to what you need. Add storage bins with removable colanders for your produceA great option for folks who eat a lot of produce that needs washing before use, these sturdy, airtight plastic containers stack up in your fridge for maximum neatness and have a built-in colander for quick and easy rinsing before use. Organize your condiments with a Lazy SusanA Lazy Susan—a rotating turntable—is an amazing addition to your refrigerator’s interior. It allows you to keep all those condiments and jars of leftover sauce in one place so you can easily access them without excavating the entirety of your refrigerator’s contents. Use peel and stick fridge organizers to save shelf spaceAnother way to maximize the vertical space in your fridge is to get those yogurt containers currently eating up so much real estate off the shelves. These peel-and-stick organizers fit four standard yogurt containers—or any similarly sized plastic containers. They can be mounted under shelves or even sideways on the walls of the fridge, keeping them out of the way but easily accessible. Use shelf dividers to make better use of your fridge door space The door shelves on your refrigerator are loaded with condiments, milk cartons, and anything else, all of it crammed together. The solution is to divide up the space. These adjustable dividers allow you to corral your bottles and jars, and they can be moved and removed to create different storage solutions as your grocery list changes over time. Organize your freezer tooIf you’ve got packs of meat, frozen meals, vegetables, and/or boxed items stacked up in the freezer, this organizer rack is an easy way to keep everything tidy and easily accessible. It’s designed with built-in handles, so you can easily pull the whole thing out if you need to, or just pluck that one box to defrost for dinner tonight. Use an egg storage tray to stack a few dozenThere are two kinds of people in this world: Those who enjoy an egg every now and then, and those who fuel their entire life on a steady supply of them. If you fall into the latter category, consider picking up a stackable egg holder or two. They are a far more efficient system than foam egg cartons for storing your eggs. Use an under-the-shelf bottle rack to free up shelf spaceAnother way to keep your shelf spaces clear is to get those bottles of soda, beer, wine, or water off of them. This under-the-shelf bottle holder is a great solution. It not only clears up shelf space, it makes it easy to grab your favorite beverage without rooting around in the depths of your refrigerator. View the full article

A new hotline is inviting Americans to congratulate the U.S. women’s hockey team after its historic Olympic gold medal win—and it’s already flooded with messages. Launched yesterday by the PR firm Jennifer Bett Communications in collaboration with Cosmopolitan, the “gold medal hotline” allows fans to leave voicemails celebrating Team USA. The number, 1-833-SHE-WON1, has received 278 messages since opening yesterday afternoon, many from girls and women who say the team inspired them. “This hotline is essentially a giant, collective ‘thank you’ from fans everywhere,” Jennifer Meyer, founder of Jennifer Bett Communications, tells Fast Company. “We want to remind them that they are seen, they are celebrated, and they have the full support of a country that is incredibly proud of them.” And the messages themselves reflect that outpouring of gratitude. “You guys are what I wanted to be when I grew up, but they didn’t let girls play hockey back then. I am bursting with pride over what you’ve done. Congratulations,” one message went. Another said: “Boys in my class always make fun of me for playing hockey and sometimes make me think I should quit, but you guys just rebuilt my confidence on and off the ice.” The hotline comes after the U.S. women’s team defeated Canada on Sunday to secure its third Winter Olympics gold medal—and its first since 2018—though the victory was partly overshadowed by a viral video from the men’s team’s locker room later that day. In the clip, President Donald The President congratulated the men’s team over video call and invited them to the State of the Union and the White House, adding he was also “going to have to bring the women’s team” and that if he didn’t, he’d “probably be impeached.” Players could be heard laughing, a reaction that drew accusations of misogyny online. All but five members of the USA men’s ice hockey team later visited the Oval Office on Tuesday, while a USA Hockey spokesperson said the women’s team also received an invitation but declined. New Jersey Devils player Jack Hughes, who scored the winner for the U.S., addressed the backlash. “People are so negative out there and they are just trying to find a reason to put people down and make something out of almost nothing,” he told the Daily Mail. “Everything is so political. We’re athletes.” Others were quick to point out that partying with FBI director Kash Patel and celebrating a historic win by attending the State of the Union is, in fact, what makes sports political. View the full article

Total consumer debt in the United States hit $18.2 trillion by the end of last year, with $12.8 trillion attributed to first mortgages, according to Equifax. View the full article

Online review management is the systematic process of collecting and responding to customer feedback across various platforms. It’s essential since nearly 90% of consumers rely on reviews before making purchases. Effective management can greatly boost your credibility and conversion rates. If you overlook this aspect, you risk losing potential customers and damaging your reputation. So, what steps can you take to improve your online presence and guarantee your business thrives? Key Takeaways Online review management involves collecting, monitoring, and responding to customer reviews to enhance a business’s online reputation. 93% of consumers read reviews before purchasing, making effective review management crucial for attracting customers. Engaging with reviews, both positive and negative, builds customer trust and loyalty, leading to higher conversion rates. Ignoring reviews can significantly damage a business’s reputation, with 94% of consumers avoiding businesses with negative feedback. Utilizing review management tools streamlines the process, enabling businesses to track feedback and make informed decisions to improve customer satisfaction. Understanding Online Review Management Online review management is essential for any business aiming to strengthen its online reputation and attract more customers. This process involves systematically collecting, monitoring, responding to, and leveraging customer reviews across various digital platforms. For effective business review management online, you need to engage actively with your customers, as 93% of consumers read online reviews before making purchasing decisions. Implementing strategies for online reputation management for restaurants or other businesses can greatly influence consumer trust and behavior. Research shows that displaying five or more positive reviews can lead to a 270% increase in conversion rates. Conversely, a two-star rating or lower can deter 97% of consumers from considering your business. The Importance of Online Reviews for Businesses When considering the factors that influence consumer purchasing decisions, the role of online reviews can’t be overstated. Approximately 90% of consumers read reviews before making a decision, making them crucial for your business’s success. If you have a higher volume of positive reviews, you could see conversion rates increase by up to 270%. Conversely, 94% of individuals avoid local businesses with negative reviews, which highlights the need for effective restaurant reputation management tools. Engaging with customers through online review services not only improves your relationships but also boosts customer loyalty and retention. Furthermore, research shows that responding to reviews can greatly improve your business’s reputation; 89% of consumers are likely to engage with brands that actively respond to feedback. Using review generation software can streamline this process, ensuring that you maintain a positive online presence that attracts new customers and retains existing ones. Consequences of Neglecting Online Reviews Neglecting online reviews can have serious consequences for your business, especially as potential customers increasingly rely on them to make informed decisions. If you ignore reviews, you risk reputational damage, as 94% of individuals avoid local businesses with negative feedback. This can overshadow any positive experiences you may have. In addition, 90% of consumers read online reviews before making purchases, meaning poor review management can cost you potential customers. Failing to respond to reviews likewise means you miss valuable insights regarding customer preferences, which can hinder improvement efforts. By not engaging with feedback, you may lose customer trust, as 70% of consumers prefer brands that actively respond to reviews. Rebuilding a tarnished online reputation can take years, leading to decreased sales and limited growth opportunities. Using automatic review generation software can help you manage reviews effectively, ensuring you stay connected with your customers and maintain a positive online presence. Effective Strategies for Review Management To effectively manage online reviews, businesses must adopt strategic approaches that improve their reputation and cultivate customer engagement. Automating review requests after a purchase can considerably boost the number of customer reviews, as 67% of customers are likely to leave a positive review following a good interaction. Real-time monitoring of reviews is vital; 94% of individuals avoid local businesses with negative reviews, making timely responses critical. Engaging with both positive and negative reviews helps build customer trust, with 89% of consumers likely to engage with brands that respond. Furthermore, a proactive approach to collecting and addressing feedback can improve SEO rankings, as businesses with higher ratings and more reviews rank better in search results. Utilizing reputation management software can centralize this process, allowing you to track new reviews across multiple platforms efficiently, thereby improving your response times and overall review management strategy. Utilizing Review Management Tools Utilizing review management tools can greatly streamline your approach to handling customer feedback across various platforms. These tools provide a centralized dashboard that allows you to track new reviews efficiently, improving your overall management process. Many of them additionally feature sentiment analysis, helping you identify recurring issues and customer preferences for targeted improvements. By integrating these tools with existing systems, like your CRM, you can guarantee that all customer interactions are captured in one place. Automated review requests can remarkably increase the volume of feedback you collect, as studies show they generate more responses than manual outreach. Regularly analyzing trends in review sentiment through these tools guides you in making informed decisions to improve customer satisfaction and enhance your brand’s reputation. In short, adopting review management tools is a strategic move for any business aiming to optimize customer feedback handling. Monitoring and Responding to Reviews Monitoring online reviews consistently is essential for your brand, especially since a significant number of consumers rely on reviews before making purchases. Timely responses can’t only safeguard your reputation but additionally encourage customer engagement, as many customers prefer brands that address their feedback. Importance of Timely Responses Timely responses to online reviews are crucial for any business aiming to nurture strong customer relationships and improve its reputation. When you engage with reviews quickly, you not just show commitment to customer satisfaction but also boost consumer trust. Here are some key benefits of responding without delay: Boosts Engagement: 89% of consumers are more likely to engage with brands that respond to reviews. Mitigates Damage: 53% of customers expect a response to negative feedback within a week. Builds Trust: 79% of consumers trust businesses more when they see active engagement with reviews. Increases Loyalty: Timely responses can turn dissatisfied customers into repeat buyers. Monitoring Platforms Effectively Many businesses find that effectively monitoring review platforms is fundamental to maintaining a positive online reputation. Regularly checking reviews is important since 70% of consumers have written a review in the past year. Tools like BrightLocal‘s Reputation Manager can simplify this process, especially for multi-location businesses. Setting up automated notifications for new reviews keeps you proactive in addressing feedback. Timely responses are critical; 89% of consumers engage with brands that respond. A strong response strategy, including personalized replies, can boost consumer trust and improve brand perception. Action Purpose Monitor Reviews Stay updated on customer feedback Use Management Tools Simplify tracking across multiple platforms Set Notifications Address feedback proactively Personalize Responses Build consumer trust Building a Positive Online Reputation Through Reviews During the process of maneuvering through the digital marketplace, you’ll find that building a positive online reputation through reviews is essential for your business’s success. With 93% of consumers reading reviews before purchasing, positive feedback can greatly improve trust and attract customers. Businesses showcasing five or more product reviews can see conversion rates soar by 270%. To effectively build your online reputation, consider these strategies: Engage with customer feedback to strengthen relationships and show commitment to satisfaction. Actively encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews, boosting your visibility. Monitor reviews consistently to identify areas for improvement. Respond quickly to both positive and negative reviews, nurturing trust and transparency. Frequently Asked Questions What Is Online Review Management? Online review management involves actively monitoring, collecting, and responding to customer reviews across various digital platforms. You engage with feedback to shape consumer perceptions and influence purchasing decisions. By encouraging satisfied customers to leave positive reviews, you can improve your business’s reputation. Furthermore, addressing negative feedback swiftly helps mitigate potential damage. Utilizing automated tools can streamline this process, ensuring you maintain a positive online presence and cultivate customer trust effectively. Why Are Online Reviews so Important? Online reviews are essential since they greatly influence consumer decisions. About 90% of shoppers read reviews before buying, and 94% steer clear of businesses with negative feedback. Positive reviews can boost conversion rates by up to 270%, enhancing trust and visibility in search results. What Is the Main Purpose of the Management Review? The main purpose of review management is to actively monitor and respond to customer feedback. By addressing negative reviews without delay, you can mitigate damage to your reputation as well as highlighting positive experiences to potential customers. This practice not just improves trust but likewise provides insights into customer preferences, enabling you to improve your offerings. In addition, managing reviews can boost your search engine visibility, making it easier for new customers to find you online. Why Is Online Reputation Management Important? Online reputation management is important as it directly influences consumer behavior. With 93% of consumers reading reviews before purchasing, a strong online presence can build trust. Businesses showcasing positive reviews see higher conversion rates, whereas negative feedback can deter 94% of potential customers. Moreover, engaging with reviews promotes customer loyalty, as 89% of consumers prefer brands that respond. Conclusion In summary, effective online review management is vital for businesses aiming to thrive in a competitive environment. By actively monitoring and responding to customer feedback, you can improve your brand’s credibility and cultivate customer trust. Neglecting reviews can lead to missed opportunities and a tarnished reputation. Implementing strategic review management practices not just boosts visibility but likewise greatly influences purchasing decisions, in the end driving sales and growth. Prioritizing this aspect of your business is fundamental for long-term success. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is Online Review Management and Why It Matters?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Online review management is the systematic process of collecting and responding to customer feedback across various platforms. It’s essential since nearly 90% of consumers rely on reviews before making purchases. Effective management can greatly boost your credibility and conversion rates. If you overlook this aspect, you risk losing potential customers and damaging your reputation. So, what steps can you take to improve your online presence and guarantee your business thrives? Key Takeaways Online review management involves collecting, monitoring, and responding to customer reviews to enhance a business’s online reputation. 93% of consumers read reviews before purchasing, making effective review management crucial for attracting customers. Engaging with reviews, both positive and negative, builds customer trust and loyalty, leading to higher conversion rates. Ignoring reviews can significantly damage a business’s reputation, with 94% of consumers avoiding businesses with negative feedback. Utilizing review management tools streamlines the process, enabling businesses to track feedback and make informed decisions to improve customer satisfaction. Understanding Online Review Management Online review management is essential for any business aiming to strengthen its online reputation and attract more customers. This process involves systematically collecting, monitoring, responding to, and leveraging customer reviews across various digital platforms. For effective business review management online, you need to engage actively with your customers, as 93% of consumers read online reviews before making purchasing decisions. Implementing strategies for online reputation management for restaurants or other businesses can greatly influence consumer trust and behavior. Research shows that displaying five or more positive reviews can lead to a 270% increase in conversion rates. Conversely, a two-star rating or lower can deter 97% of consumers from considering your business. The Importance of Online Reviews for Businesses When considering the factors that influence consumer purchasing decisions, the role of online reviews can’t be overstated. Approximately 90% of consumers read reviews before making a decision, making them crucial for your business’s success. If you have a higher volume of positive reviews, you could see conversion rates increase by up to 270%. Conversely, 94% of individuals avoid local businesses with negative reviews, which highlights the need for effective restaurant reputation management tools. Engaging with customers through online review services not only improves your relationships but also boosts customer loyalty and retention. Furthermore, research shows that responding to reviews can greatly improve your business’s reputation; 89% of consumers are likely to engage with brands that actively respond to feedback. Using review generation software can streamline this process, ensuring that you maintain a positive online presence that attracts new customers and retains existing ones. Consequences of Neglecting Online Reviews Neglecting online reviews can have serious consequences for your business, especially as potential customers increasingly rely on them to make informed decisions. If you ignore reviews, you risk reputational damage, as 94% of individuals avoid local businesses with negative feedback. This can overshadow any positive experiences you may have. In addition, 90% of consumers read online reviews before making purchases, meaning poor review management can cost you potential customers. Failing to respond to reviews likewise means you miss valuable insights regarding customer preferences, which can hinder improvement efforts. By not engaging with feedback, you may lose customer trust, as 70% of consumers prefer brands that actively respond to reviews. Rebuilding a tarnished online reputation can take years, leading to decreased sales and limited growth opportunities. Using automatic review generation software can help you manage reviews effectively, ensuring you stay connected with your customers and maintain a positive online presence. Effective Strategies for Review Management To effectively manage online reviews, businesses must adopt strategic approaches that improve their reputation and cultivate customer engagement. Automating review requests after a purchase can considerably boost the number of customer reviews, as 67% of customers are likely to leave a positive review following a good interaction. Real-time monitoring of reviews is vital; 94% of individuals avoid local businesses with negative reviews, making timely responses critical. Engaging with both positive and negative reviews helps build customer trust, with 89% of consumers likely to engage with brands that respond. Furthermore, a proactive approach to collecting and addressing feedback can improve SEO rankings, as businesses with higher ratings and more reviews rank better in search results. Utilizing reputation management software can centralize this process, allowing you to track new reviews across multiple platforms efficiently, thereby improving your response times and overall review management strategy. Utilizing Review Management Tools Utilizing review management tools can greatly streamline your approach to handling customer feedback across various platforms. These tools provide a centralized dashboard that allows you to track new reviews efficiently, improving your overall management process. Many of them additionally feature sentiment analysis, helping you identify recurring issues and customer preferences for targeted improvements. By integrating these tools with existing systems, like your CRM, you can guarantee that all customer interactions are captured in one place. Automated review requests can remarkably increase the volume of feedback you collect, as studies show they generate more responses than manual outreach. Regularly analyzing trends in review sentiment through these tools guides you in making informed decisions to improve customer satisfaction and enhance your brand’s reputation. In short, adopting review management tools is a strategic move for any business aiming to optimize customer feedback handling. Monitoring and Responding to Reviews Monitoring online reviews consistently is essential for your brand, especially since a significant number of consumers rely on reviews before making purchases. Timely responses can’t only safeguard your reputation but additionally encourage customer engagement, as many customers prefer brands that address their feedback. Importance of Timely Responses Timely responses to online reviews are crucial for any business aiming to nurture strong customer relationships and improve its reputation. When you engage with reviews quickly, you not just show commitment to customer satisfaction but also boost consumer trust. Here are some key benefits of responding without delay: Boosts Engagement: 89% of consumers are more likely to engage with brands that respond to reviews. Mitigates Damage: 53% of customers expect a response to negative feedback within a week. Builds Trust: 79% of consumers trust businesses more when they see active engagement with reviews. Increases Loyalty: Timely responses can turn dissatisfied customers into repeat buyers. Monitoring Platforms Effectively Many businesses find that effectively monitoring review platforms is fundamental to maintaining a positive online reputation. Regularly checking reviews is important since 70% of consumers have written a review in the past year. Tools like BrightLocal‘s Reputation Manager can simplify this process, especially for multi-location businesses. Setting up automated notifications for new reviews keeps you proactive in addressing feedback. Timely responses are critical; 89% of consumers engage with brands that respond. A strong response strategy, including personalized replies, can boost consumer trust and improve brand perception. Action Purpose Monitor Reviews Stay updated on customer feedback Use Management Tools Simplify tracking across multiple platforms Set Notifications Address feedback proactively Personalize Responses Build consumer trust Building a Positive Online Reputation Through Reviews During the process of maneuvering through the digital marketplace, you’ll find that building a positive online reputation through reviews is essential for your business’s success. With 93% of consumers reading reviews before purchasing, positive feedback can greatly improve trust and attract customers. Businesses showcasing five or more product reviews can see conversion rates soar by 270%. To effectively build your online reputation, consider these strategies: Engage with customer feedback to strengthen relationships and show commitment to satisfaction. Actively encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews, boosting your visibility. Monitor reviews consistently to identify areas for improvement. Respond quickly to both positive and negative reviews, nurturing trust and transparency. Frequently Asked Questions What Is Online Review Management? Online review management involves actively monitoring, collecting, and responding to customer reviews across various digital platforms. You engage with feedback to shape consumer perceptions and influence purchasing decisions. By encouraging satisfied customers to leave positive reviews, you can improve your business’s reputation. Furthermore, addressing negative feedback swiftly helps mitigate potential damage. Utilizing automated tools can streamline this process, ensuring you maintain a positive online presence and cultivate customer trust effectively. Why Are Online Reviews so Important? Online reviews are essential since they greatly influence consumer decisions. About 90% of shoppers read reviews before buying, and 94% steer clear of businesses with negative feedback. Positive reviews can boost conversion rates by up to 270%, enhancing trust and visibility in search results. What Is the Main Purpose of the Management Review? The main purpose of review management is to actively monitor and respond to customer feedback. By addressing negative reviews without delay, you can mitigate damage to your reputation as well as highlighting positive experiences to potential customers. This practice not just improves trust but likewise provides insights into customer preferences, enabling you to improve your offerings. In addition, managing reviews can boost your search engine visibility, making it easier for new customers to find you online. Why Is Online Reputation Management Important? Online reputation management is important as it directly influences consumer behavior. With 93% of consumers reading reviews before purchasing, a strong online presence can build trust. Businesses showcasing positive reviews see higher conversion rates, whereas negative feedback can deter 94% of potential customers. Moreover, engaging with reviews promotes customer loyalty, as 89% of consumers prefer brands that respond. Conclusion In summary, effective online review management is vital for businesses aiming to thrive in a competitive environment. By actively monitoring and responding to customer feedback, you can improve your brand’s credibility and cultivate customer trust. Neglecting reviews can lead to missed opportunities and a tarnished reputation. Implementing strategic review management practices not just boosts visibility but likewise greatly influences purchasing decisions, in the end driving sales and growth. Prioritizing this aspect of your business is fundamental for long-term success. Image via Google Gemini This article, "What Is Online Review Management and Why It Matters?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. When the Qrevo Curv 2 Flow Robot Vacuum and Mop was released in early 2026 as an upgrade to the original Qrevo Curv, it was dubbed one of the longest-lasting and most powerful automatic cleaners on the market—but it also came at a high price. For those who want similar performance at a more budget-friendly price than the flagship release, the Qrevo Curv S5X Robot Vacuum and Mop is a reliable option that’s now more affordable than ever at $649.99 (originally $1,149.99), marking a 43% drop to its lowest price yet. Qrevo Curv S5X Robot Vacuum and Mop $649.99 at Amazon $1,149.99 Save $500.00 Get Deal Get Deal $649.99 at Amazon $1,149.99 Save $500.00 It has a powerful suction strength of around 18,500 Pa and a dual anti-tangle brush that prevents pet and human hair from wrapping around it. Paired with a side brush and mop that gets into corners and edges, it easily tackles blind spots. Its dock is also fully automated, which is a big win for convenience, as this low-maintenance model self-empties dust, refills water, washes its own mop pads, and manages dirty water. It has LiDAR mapping and single-camera reactive obstacle avoidance, and can be automated via the companion app, which automatically generates cleaning modes and adjusts settings. While it does have obstacle avoidance, unlike the Qrevo Curv 2 Flow, it doesn’t raise its body over thresholds, such as carpeting, so it may get stuck on thicker rugs. Battery life is also shorter at 190 minutes compared to 242 minutes, but this is still sufficient to clean moderately sized homes. It also only supports 2.4GHz wifi. That said, it’s also around .5 centimeters thinner, making it easier to fit under low-profile furniture. Ultimately, this model has automated features and does most of what the updated Curv does, minus a few top-tier specs like better obstacle avoidance, slightly stronger suction, and hot water washing and drying. If you want strong performance for a significantly lower price tag (a nearly $1,000 difference), the Qrevo Curv S5X Robot Vacuum and Mop is a capable model with no shortage of features. Our Best Editor-Vetted Tech Deals Right Now Apple AirPods 4 Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Earbuds — $157.90 (List Price $179.00) Apple iPad 11" 128GB A16 WiFi Tablet (Blue, 2025) — $329.00 (List Price $349.00) Google Pixel 10a 128GB 6.3" Unlocked Smartphone + $100 Gift Card — $499.00 (List Price $599.00) Apple Watch Series 11 [GPS 46mm] Smartwatch with Jet Black Aluminum Case with Black Sport Band - M/L. Sleep Score, Fitness Tracker, Health Monitoring, Always-On Display, Water Resistant — $329.00 (List Price $429.00) Shark AI Ultra Matrix Clean Mapping Voice Control Robot Vacuum with XL Self-Empty Base — $299.99 (List Price $599.00) Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE 128GB Wi-Fi Tablet (Gray) — $379.99 (List Price $499.99) Amazon Fire TV Soundbar — $99.99 (List Price $119.99) Deals are selected by our commerce team View the full article

HubSpot and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have announced an expanded collaboration aimed specifically at nurturing and scaling startups. This partnership, originally initiated in 2023, ushers in a wave of benefits that small business owners, especially those in the startup phase, may find compelling as they strive for growth amid fierce competition. Key Takeaways: Discounted Services for Startups: HubSpot’s initiative, HubSpot for Startups, now offers a remarkable 90% discount for Series A companies in their first year, significantly increasing from a previous 50% discount. Access to AWS Marketplace: Entrepreneurs will find HubSpot’s offerings more accessible through AWS Marketplace, simplifying the adoption of critical business tools. AI Innovation Opportunities: The collaboration emphasizes the development of AI-powered applications via Amazon Bedrock, enhancing the capabilities of businesses using HubSpot. HubSpot for Startups is a global initiative designed to provide investment-backed startups with invaluable resources, including access to HubSpot’s integrated marketing, sales, and customer service tools. With over 35,000 startups already benefiting from the platform—including notable names like Pennylane and Goldcast—this expanded program looks to provide even more substantial support. “Through our expanded collaboration with AWS, HubSpot for Startups will continue to invest in new online resources and programming for founders,” said a HubSpot representative. The initiative will include practical technical guidance and real-world founder stories, enabling startups to learn from peers who have successfully navigated their own growth journeys. Furthermore, in-person events hosted in conjunction with AWS startup spaces will offer networking opportunities and additional learning experiences. The partnership will also enhance HubSpot’s Partner Growth Accelerator, which is designed to help app and solutions partners reach new customers while providing them with HubSpot’s tools tailored to their services. This facet of the collaboration aims to create a more synergistic environment for partners focusing on customer-centric solutions. For small business owners considering the adoption of both HubSpot and AWS services, the potential for artificial intelligence integration could be game-changing. This aspect of the partnership taps into Amazon Bedrock, a managed service that enables developers to generate AI applications. As generative AI continues to gain traction, scalability and efficiency in marketing, sales, and customer service are likely to improve dramatically. However, while the benefits are clear, there are some challenges that founders may need to consider. Adapting to new platforms and services can be complex, requiring both an investment of time and knowledge. Small business leaders may need to ensure they have the necessary talent on their team or look to external consultants for implementation support. As HubSpot continues to evolve its offerings in collaboration with AWS, small business owners have greater opportunities to capitalize on these enhancements, particularly those poised for growth. The increased discount options for early-stage companies and expanded resources are strategically beneficial, especially in a climate where small businesses face rising operational costs. With HubSpot and AWS’s focus on enabling growth at every stage, startups stand to gain access to an arsenal of tools that could significantly improve their business outcomes. This collaboration not only offers practical applications in terms of technology but also promotes a community-oriented approach, essential for new entrepreneurs navigating the complexities of a startup environment. For more details on this initiative, you can read the original announcement from HubSpot here. Image via Google Gemini This article, "HubSpot and AWS Boost Startup Growth with Expanded Collaboration" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

HubSpot and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have announced an expanded collaboration aimed specifically at nurturing and scaling startups. This partnership, originally initiated in 2023, ushers in a wave of benefits that small business owners, especially those in the startup phase, may find compelling as they strive for growth amid fierce competition. Key Takeaways: Discounted Services for Startups: HubSpot’s initiative, HubSpot for Startups, now offers a remarkable 90% discount for Series A companies in their first year, significantly increasing from a previous 50% discount. Access to AWS Marketplace: Entrepreneurs will find HubSpot’s offerings more accessible through AWS Marketplace, simplifying the adoption of critical business tools. AI Innovation Opportunities: The collaboration emphasizes the development of AI-powered applications via Amazon Bedrock, enhancing the capabilities of businesses using HubSpot. HubSpot for Startups is a global initiative designed to provide investment-backed startups with invaluable resources, including access to HubSpot’s integrated marketing, sales, and customer service tools. With over 35,000 startups already benefiting from the platform—including notable names like Pennylane and Goldcast—this expanded program looks to provide even more substantial support. “Through our expanded collaboration with AWS, HubSpot for Startups will continue to invest in new online resources and programming for founders,” said a HubSpot representative. The initiative will include practical technical guidance and real-world founder stories, enabling startups to learn from peers who have successfully navigated their own growth journeys. Furthermore, in-person events hosted in conjunction with AWS startup spaces will offer networking opportunities and additional learning experiences. The partnership will also enhance HubSpot’s Partner Growth Accelerator, which is designed to help app and solutions partners reach new customers while providing them with HubSpot’s tools tailored to their services. This facet of the collaboration aims to create a more synergistic environment for partners focusing on customer-centric solutions. For small business owners considering the adoption of both HubSpot and AWS services, the potential for artificial intelligence integration could be game-changing. This aspect of the partnership taps into Amazon Bedrock, a managed service that enables developers to generate AI applications. As generative AI continues to gain traction, scalability and efficiency in marketing, sales, and customer service are likely to improve dramatically. However, while the benefits are clear, there are some challenges that founders may need to consider. Adapting to new platforms and services can be complex, requiring both an investment of time and knowledge. Small business leaders may need to ensure they have the necessary talent on their team or look to external consultants for implementation support. As HubSpot continues to evolve its offerings in collaboration with AWS, small business owners have greater opportunities to capitalize on these enhancements, particularly those poised for growth. The increased discount options for early-stage companies and expanded resources are strategically beneficial, especially in a climate where small businesses face rising operational costs. With HubSpot and AWS’s focus on enabling growth at every stage, startups stand to gain access to an arsenal of tools that could significantly improve their business outcomes. This collaboration not only offers practical applications in terms of technology but also promotes a community-oriented approach, essential for new entrepreneurs navigating the complexities of a startup environment. For more details on this initiative, you can read the original announcement from HubSpot here. Image via Google Gemini This article, "HubSpot and AWS Boost Startup Growth with Expanded Collaboration" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A reader writes: I’m hiring for some new roles in my team and this has generated some excitement from internal folks looking to grow in their careers. That’s great! I’m always happy to meet with internal people before they submit resumes/go through the formal interview process, it’s very much a part of our team culture. However, twice now, different internal candidates have scheduled a one-on-one with me during a time when I already have a meeting and am showing as booked! This has kind of thrown me for a loop (do they not know how to use our extremely basic common scheduling software? do they think I’m booked for fun and will reschedule for them?) and honestly given me some hesitation around them as real candidates. But then I was wondering, is this just a personal pet peeve of mine and not a genuine yellow flag for their candidacy? Do personal pet peeves get to factor into my hiring decision if I’m their manager? If they move to the interview stage, are there ways I can feel out if they have a lack of attention to detail/lack of care for people’s work schedules without just saying, “Hey, why did you schedule a one-on-one for one of the only times I was not available?” The primary lens you want to run all concerns like this through is: how does this relate to the skills and qualities that are need to do this specific job well? If something is genuinely just a pet peeve but doesn’t have any real connection to what it will take to do the job well — like if you were irrationally irritated by people who don’t record an outgoing message on their voicemail or who write “gentle reminder” in emails (that last one is my own pet peeve) — you should set that aside. Having a mildly annoying habit doesn’t mean they wouldn’t be the best candidate for the job. But some pet peeves do very much speak to how the person would approach the work, and those are fair game to consider. In this case, I assume the scheduling stuff is alarming you because it feels like it speaks to a lack of attention to detail, or maybe that they don’t know how to use very basic office systems, pointing to a sort of baseline incompetence. Those are reasonable to consider. That said, these are also internal candidates, so you have access to a lot more info about them than you would have if they were external candidates. The reason small things can matter a lot with external candidates is because when you’re working with very limited info about someone, you have no choice but to rely on whatever info you get during the hiring process — but that is not the case with internal candidates. So: are either of these candidates your direct reports? If so, you probably have enough regular contact with them and their work that you know if they do in fact have issues with attention to detail. If they don’t report to you and you don’t have a lot of interaction with them, it’s a reasonable question to pose to their direct manager (whose input you should be soliciting on them regardless). And you can also ask about things that are weighing on you! It’s fine to say, “I noticed you tried to schedule a one-on-one for one of the only times I wasn’t available — is my calendar not showing up correctly on your end, or how did that happen?” (Note you’re not assuming the error was on their end and are allowing for the possibility that it wasn’t.) Just make sure you evaluate the answer, whatever it is, through the lens of what actually matters for the job you’re hiring for. The post is it petty to hold small details against internal candidates? appeared first on Ask a Manager. View the full article

The merger adds strengths of Direct Mortgage's conventional and government segments to the Lendermac platform, supporting the latter's growth ambitions. View the full article