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The past week's top Wi-Fi news from around the world. Enjoy. The post Roundup: Qualcomm @Embedded World, Comcast cranks up Wi-Fi speeds, new Wi-Fi HaLow products, Plume’s ‘5G.11 Offload’ appeared first on Wi-Fi NOW Global. View the full article

Google will be replacing Google Assistant with Gemini later this year, this is across mobile phones, tablets, cars and devices that connect to your phone, such as headphones and watches and even some TV-connected devices. This comes as no surprise to most, because when Google launched Bard (the name Google used for Gemini early on), Google said it would bring Bard features to the Google Assistant. Then in early 2024, Google removed a ton of features on the Google Assistant. Impacted devices. Google wrote, “Over the coming months, we’re upgrading more users on mobile devices from Google Assistant to Gemini; and later this year, the classic Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices or available for new downloads on mobile app stores.” Google also said they will be upgrading tablets, cars and devices that connect to your phone, such as headphones and watches, to Gemini. While also bringing a new Gemini-powered “experience” to home devices like speakers, displays and TVs. Google posted, this will exclude phones with Android 9 or earlier and devices that do not have 2GB of RAM. Google specifically wrote, “the device requirements on Android include, the Gemini mobile app is available on:” Android phones, including many foldables with 2 GB of RAM or more, running Android 10 and up. Android tablets, including Pixel Tablet with 2 GB of RAM or more, running Android 10 and up. Why we care. Again this comes as no surprise that the Google Assistant will be going away. I do think it is a surprise to many that it took this long. That being said, it seems Gemini is the future of Google, Android and probably much of Google Search. View the full article

The secret to agile and scrum project management is simplicity, even in the face of complexity. And although scrum ceremonies are simple, they can be difficult to master. Scrum requires self-organizing teams that can quickly solve problems in agile environments. To provide transparency and regular communication amid such environments, scrum ceremonies are held. Scrum ceremonies or agile ceremonies are meetings that are unique to scrum and agile teams. What Are Scrum Ceremonies? Scrum ceremonies are meetings that ensure that the scrum master, product owner and development team are in-sync. These ceremonies, or scrum events, are held at key instances in the agile sprint cycle, which we’ll outline below. There are five scrum ceremonies, sprint planning, daily standup, sprint review, sprint retrospective and product backlog grooming. Scrum is an agile project management framework, so there can be confusion around terminology. For instance, the terms scrum ceremonies, agile ceremonies, scrum meetings and agile meetings are often used interchangeably. However, even though the agendas for these events are similar, it’s important to note that there are key differences between agile and scrum teams. They do share at least one thing in common, the need for collaborative project management software. ProjectManager is online project management software that connects hybrid teams. Our kanban boards let teams manage their backlog, plan sprints, comment and share files in real time so no matter where they’re working everyone is on the same page. /wp-content/uploads/2021/08/agile-sprint-plan-lightmode-kanban.jpgProjectManager’s kanban boards are a very useful tool for agile and scrum teams. Try it free The Purpose of Scrum Ceremonies Scrum ceremonies serve several essential purposes for agile teams. They provide an opportunity for team members to communicate and collaborate effectively. During the meeting, they can define what work will be completed during the sprint and ensure all team members understand the sprint goal. Transparency is another benefit of scrum ceremonies. They offer visibility into the team’s progress and allow them to address any challenges early before they turn into more serious problems. As a result, the team can foster continuous improvement as they reflect on their processes and make real-time adjustments. In essence, the goal of a scrum ceremony is to: Increase communication and transparency Enable quick adaption to change Deliver valuable increments of work regularly Who Participates in Scrum Ceremonies? Scrum ceremonies are important and it’s key to have all involved parties in attendance. That means you’ll have the product owner, scrum master and the entire scrum team. The development team will also participate in the scrum ceremonies. In fact, even outside stakeholders have been known to attend, though by invitation only. It’s a rare occurrence but illustrates the open and collaborative nature of the scrum ceremony. This allows everyone to comment on the current product backlog and for there to be feedback from the scrum team to clarify any confusion. The scrum ceremony is like a questions-and-answers session to fully understand the user’s needs and goals for the upcoming spring. There’s a lot of information to document, store and manage. Scrum masters and product managers use scrum software to keep track of all these events. The Five Types of Scrum Ceremonies Scrum is executed in what are called sprints, or short iterations of work lasting usually no more than two weeks. A sprint employs four different scrum ceremonies to ensure proper execution: sprint planning, daily scrum, sprint review and sprint retrospective. Let’s dig a little deeper and explore each scrum ceremony in depth. 1. Sprint Planning This ceremony helps to set up the entire team for the coming sprint, creating a smooth pathway for a successful sprint. Sprint planning requires the participation of all the scrum roles: the development team, scrum master and the product owner. The planning, of course, is before the sprint. It typically lasts for an hour or two. The product owner comes to the meeting with a prioritized list of the product backlog items, which is presented to the group. The items on the list, which are also called user stories, are then discussed with the development team. Together, they estimate what it will take to complete the items on the list. From this information, the development team makes a sprint forecast. They will outline how much work the team can complete from the product backlog. This will be known as the sprint backlog. Some sprint planning ceremonies will flesh out the details of each user story. This will make sure that everyone involved understands the scope of the work. However, some will have a separate story refinement meeting or ceremony. By doing this, the actual sprint planning ceremony is shorter and directed only toward user stories that will be tackled in the upcoming sprint. Then the team can use a scrum board to plan their sprint. /wp-content/uploads/2023/06/agile-sprint-planner-template.jpg Get your free Agile Sprint Plan Template Use this free Agile Sprint Plan Template to manage your projects better. Open in ProjectManager 2. Daily Scrum This short scrum ceremony makes sure that everyone knows what’s happening. It’s a way to ensure transparency across the team. This is not the time to dive into the weeds. A detailed status meeting this is not, but rather a light and fun informative meeting. It’s a space for each team member to answer the following questions: what did you complete yesterday, what are you working on today and are you blocked by anything? The daily scrum is, as it says, a daily occurrence, which usually takes place each morning with the development team, scrum master and product owner. The ceremony is short, usually 15 minutes, which is why it’s also called a standup meeting. That will make sure it doesn’t drag on. The great thing about the daily scrum is that it demands accountability. People report honestly on what they did, what they plan on doing and how they might be getting blocked in the process, and this is all done in front of their peers. Having to report in such a social setting sets up the team for success because it would be embarrassing to not show progress in front of others. Daily scrum is not limited to teams that share a physical location. If the teams are working remotely, the ceremony can be conducted with video conferencing or another group chat. 3. Sprint Review After the sprint has been completed, it’s time to get the team together to demo or showcase their work. Each team member reviews the newly developed features or whatever it was that they worked on during the sprint. This provides a space for the team to congratulate themselves on a successful sprint, which is important for morale. It also demonstrates the finished work for the entire team, so they can provide feedback and also get feedback from the stakeholders in the project. Here, unlike other ceremonies, the review can last as long as it takes to demo all the work done by the team. Again, the participants are the development team, scrum master and product owner, but also in this instance, other teams involved in the project and the stakeholders. These demos are not partial but a full review of the work. If not, then the point of the sprint review is diminished. The reviews must meet the quality level set up by the team or they’re not considered complete and shouldn’t be demoed in the sprint review. 4. Sprint Retrospective The last scrum ceremony is called the sprint retrospective. It occurs at the end of a sprint, after the review, and is usually an hour in duration. The retrospective includes the development team, scrum master and product owner. Because scrum is part of an agile process, it is all about change, which includes getting feedback and quickly acting on it. Scrum seeks continuous improvement and the retrospective is a method to make sure that the product and development culture is constantly improving. The retrospective is a way for the team to understand what has worked well and what didn’t come together over the previous sprint. The post-mortem exposes fault lines in the team and its process, so they can buttress those weak spots and approach the next sprint in stronger form. The sprint retrospective isn’t a blame game but a means to identify and rectify issues that have come up throughout the sprint. It is also an instrument to congratulate the team on a job well done when there were no issues. But, if the mantra of scrum is to always seek to improve, then the retrospective must be critical, too, but only as a stepping stone to improvements. Constructive criticism is key here. 5. Product Backlog Refinement Product backlog refinement, also known as product backlog grooming, is a meeting that takes place towards the completion of a sprint. The reason for the meeting is to review the backlog and keep it clean and orderly so that it’s ready for the next sprint. The scrum team and product owner participate in the product backlog refinement meeting. As they look over the top items on the backlog, the team will ask the type of questions that usually arise in sprint planning meetings. Some of the queries include: what should we do if the user’s data is wrong, are all users accessing this part of the system and other what-if scenarios? These questions allow the product owner to answer them and help the team understand what they need to do. The purpose of the product backlog refinement is not to fully resolve issues but more of a chance for the scrum team and product owner to make sure the backlog is accurate. Therefore, the whole team usually doesn’t participate. There’s More to Know About Agile & Sprint Ceremonies Scrum ceremonies are almost an outdated term. They’ve started to be called events. It was first officially noted in the 2011 Scrum Guide. So, even in the fast-moving world of agile, some things change more slowly than others. But the basic concepts are the same, as is the need to constantly be reviewing and looking at ways to improve. That includes one’s knowledge of scrum and scrum software. We’ve only scratched the surface. Scrum is simple in concept and difficult in mastery. Free Scrum Ceremony Templates ProjectManager offers over 100 free templates to help you manage your projects, but here are three that can help you facilitate your scrum ceremonies. Agile Sprint Plan Template This template will help you organize all the work the team will work on for a given sprint. It’s set up in a kanban format, so your team can drag tasks from column to column as the work is executed. This is a ProjectManager template, so your agile team can easily collaborate online in each task and track progress. Root Cause Analysis Template A root cause analysis template, or fishbone diagram, helps a product team break down why something went wrong. This could be related to customer dissatisfaction or some sort of bug or systems error. This problem analysis template can be helpful during the sprint retrospective ceremony. Product Backlog Template This template can help a scrum team with the product backlog refinement scrum ceremony. A product backlog template is a prioritized list of features, enhancements, bug fixes and other work items that need to be completed for a product. How ProjectManager Helps with Agile Ceremonies ProjectManager is a cloud-based work and project management software that can help with every scrum ceremony. When you’re sprint planning, you need to have access to that product backlog and be able to filter the user stories to prioritize them. To free your team up, we have custom workflows and task approvals, so the scrum team can focus on what’s important and product owners can change the status when they feel it’s done. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Workflow_Automation_Marketing_Zoom-150_Workflow.jpg There are multiple project views on ProjectManager, one of which is the kanban board, which is ideal for managing backlogs, user stories and sprint workflows. From the kanban view the scrum team can be assigned the most important user story on the product backlog to work on for that sprint. To keep the scrum team focused on their tasks, we have custom workflows and task approval settings. Automation frees your team of busywork and helps product owners have more control over the status of the work Collaborate for Better Scrum Ceremonies Both the daily scrum and sprint review meetings are helped by ProjectManager. Communication is key to getting everyone on the scrum team together about what to do during the sprint. Our software facilitates a collaborative environment. Each user story on the kanban board can be commented on and an unlimited amount of files can be attached to further foster better communications. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Notifications_Wide_Zoom-175.jpg Notes from the daily scrum can be added to the product backlog and any recommendations for future sprints can also be put into the product backlog for the next sprint. ProjectManager allows scrum teams to prepare for the coming sprint and learn from it afterward, collecting all that critical data in one place. Get Insightful Analysis with In-Depth Report Finally, when executing a sprint retrospective, ProjectManager has one-click reports that help get a picture of how the sprint went. These reports can be filtered to get just the information you need to start the next sprint. ProjectManager gives scrum teams the tools they need to work better in an agile environment. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Reports_Wide_Zoom-150_Project-Status-Report.jpg Scrum ceremonies are a great way to move fast and change quickly as needed when working on a project. To facilitate this agile process, though, one must have the tools to allow them to identify fast and then get the whole team to pivot. ProjectManager is a cloud-based project management software with features that do that. From visualizing workflow with Kanban boards to a real-time dashboard that keeps you current with the project’s process, ProjectManager is the only Scrum tool you’ll ever need. See for yourself, by taking this free 30-day trial. The post Scrum Ceremonies: Agile & Sprint Ceremonies Explained appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

No project is wholly successful or a failure. Some aspects go well while others don’t. To ensure that the next project has fewer faults and more benefits, there’s something in project management called lessons learned. Let’s first define what lessons learned in project management means, then explain why they should be documented and how valuable information can be collected. Then we’ll show what needs to be included in lessons learned documents and link to a lessons learned register that can be used in a post-mortem. What Are Lessons Learned in Project Management? Lessons learned in project management are the insights and key takeaways gained from a project’s successes and challenges. They help teams identify what worked, what didn’t and how future projects can be improved. These lessons are documented and reviewed to enhance processes, prevent recurring mistakes and refine best practices. Lessons learned typically cover areas such as project planning, risk management, communication, stakeholder engagement, resource allocation and overall execution. By systematically capturing and applying these insights, organizations can continuously improve their project management approaches, increase efficiency and drive better outcomes in future initiatives. Once the lessons learned are taken into account, then they can be applied to the next project. ProjectManager is award-winning project and portfolio management software with multiple project views to implement what was learned after discussing completed projects. Project managers can use Gantt charts to schedule tasks, resources and costs, as well as link dependencies to avoid costly delays and filter for the critical path. Then, set a baseline to capture the plan and compare it against actual effort in real time to stay on track. Meanwhile, the project team can choose the project management tool that best fits their needs. There are kanban boards that visualize workflow, allowing team members to manage their backlog and collaborate when planning sprints. The task list can be prioritized and tagged to find quickly when searching, files can be attached and comments added. Even stakeholders can get project updates by using the calendar view for a monthly look at the project. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. /wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Gantt-CTA-2025.jpgProjectManager’s Gantt charts take lessons learned and turn them into actionable plans. Learn more When Should Lessons Learned Be Documented? Lessons learned should be documented throughout the project by logging them in a lessons learned register as they occur. This ensures that valuable insights are captured in real time to prevent key learnings from being overlooked or forgotten. At the project closure phase, a lessons learned document is created to compile and describe these insights in more detail. This final document provides a structured review of what worked well, what didn’t and recommendations for future projects, helping teams and organizations continuously improve their project management processes. What Is a Lessons Learned Register? A lessons learned register is a structured document or database used to capture and track insights, experiences and key takeaways from a project as they occur. It serves as a central repository where teams can document successes and challenges, ensuring that valuable knowledge is retained and applied to future projects. The register typically includes details such as the lesson description, impact on the project, recommendations for improvement and responsible stakeholders. By maintaining a lessons learned register throughout the project lifecycle, organizations can enhance decision-making, improve processes and avoid repeating past mistakes. What Is a Lessons Learned Document? A lessons learned document is a formal report created at the end of a project to summarize key takeaways, successes, challenges and recommendations for future improvements. It compiles insights from the lessons learned register, providing a structured overview of what worked well and what could be improved in future projects. This document typically includes sections such as project objectives, major achievements, issues encountered, risk management effectiveness, team collaboration and suggested best practices. By reviewing and applying the lessons from this document, organizations can refine their project management strategies and improve overall efficiency in future initiatives. What Is a Lessons Learned Meeting? A lessons learned meeting is a structured discussion held during or at the end of a project to review experiences, challenges and successes. The goal is to capture key takeaways, improve future project performance and prevent recurring issues. During the meeting, team members and stakeholders share insights on what worked well, what didn’t and areas for improvement. Topics typically include project planning, execution, communication, risk management and stakeholder engagement. The findings from this meeting are documented in a lessons learned register and later compiled into a lessons learned document for future reference. What to Include in a Lessons Learned Document Use the lessons learned document to capture key insights from a project. It helps teams improve processes and avoid repeating past mistakes. It serves as a valuable reference for future projects, ensuring continuous improvement in project management. Below are the essential components to include in a lessons learned document. Project Information: This section provides basic project details, such as the project name, objectives, timeline, team members and stakeholders. It helps establish context for the lessons learned and ensures clarity for future reference. Lessons Learned Descriptions: Each lesson is documented with a clear description of what happened, including successes, challenges and unexpected outcomes. These descriptions highlight key takeaways and provide insights into what worked well and what didn’t. Lessons Learned Categories: Organizing lessons into categories—such as planning, execution, communication, risk management and resource allocation—helps structure the document for easy reference and analysis. This makes it easier to identify patterns and areas for improvement. Impact, Metrics and KPIs: This section quantifies the impact of lessons learned using key performance indicators (KPIs), metrics or qualitative assessments. It helps teams understand how specific lessons influenced the project’s success or challenges. Action Items for Current Project: This section outlines immediate actions or adjustments that should be implemented before the project officially closes. It ensures that identified issues are addressed and any remaining improvements are applied in the final stages. Action Items for Future Projects: Documenting recommended actions for future projects helps teams build on past experiences. These action items provide best practices, strategies for risk mitigation and process improvements to enhance future project outcomes. Why Are Lessons Learned Important in Project Management? Lessons learned play a crucial role in continuous improvement, ensuring that project teams build on past experiences to enhance future project performance. By identifying what worked well and what didn’t, organizations can refine their processes, improve efficiency and avoid repeating mistakes. Capturing lessons learned also supports better decision-making by providing valuable insights into risk management, resource allocation and stakeholder communication. This helps teams anticipate potential challenges and implement best practices, leading to more successful project outcomes. Additionally, lessons learned foster a culture of learning and accountability, encouraging teams to reflect on their work and contribute to organizational growth. When effectively documented and applied, they strengthen project management frameworks, leading to more streamlined workflows, higher-quality deliverables and increased overall success rates. Who Is Responsible for Documenting the Lessons Learned of a Project? The project manager is primarily responsible for documenting the lessons learned from a project. They facilitate discussions, gather input from team members and stakeholders and ensure that insights are accurately recorded in a lessons learned register and final lessons learned document. However, documenting lessons learned is a collaborative effort. Team members, functional leads and stakeholders contribute by sharing their experiences, successes and challenges throughout the project. A project management office (PMO), if available, may also assist in standardizing and maintaining organizational knowledge for future projects. Lessons Learned Register Template To apply what we’ve explored in this blog, download this free lessons learned register template for Excel. This fully customizable document can be edited to fit the particular process of any organization. /wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Lessons-Learned-Screenshot.jpg Our template is formatted into a chart that has columns and rows. The columns start by determining whether what is being described is a win or an issue. Then, there’s space to describe it as well as the impact. After that, explain how the project will respond differently in the future and list the action items to implement that plan. Lessons Learned Example To better understand what is meant by lessons learned and how to apply this concept, we’ve described an example of how it could play out in a real-life situation. Project: Website Redesign for an E-Commerce Business Lesson Learned: Ineffective communication delayed the project timeline Description: During the website redesign project, delays occurred due to misalignment between the development team and stakeholders. Requirements were frequently updated without clear communication, leading to rework and missed deadlines. Impact: The project timeline was extended by four weeks, increasing costs and delaying the launch. Recommendation for Future Projects: Implement a structured communication plan, including weekly status meetings, a centralized project management tool and clear documentation of requirement changes to ensure all teams stay aligned. Related Project Management Templates The lessons learned register is only one of over 100 free project management templates for Excel and Word that cover all aspects of managing projects across multiple industries. Below are a few that can help when reviewing projects. Project Closure Template Download this free project closure template for Word to formally conclude a project by summarizing its outcomes, evaluating its success and documenting key takeaways. It ensures that all project deliverables are completed, stakeholder approvals are secured and lessons learned are captured for future reference. Risk Register Template A risk register template is a tool used to identify, assess and track risks throughout the lifecycle of a project. Use this free risk register template for Excel to document potential risks, their impact, likelihood and the actions required to mitigate or manage them. RAID Log Template Use this free RAID log template for Excel to track and manage risks, assumptions, issues and dependencies (RAID) throughout a project. It helps project teams identify, assess and mitigate potential challenges and ensure smooth project execution. How to Manage Projects With ProjectManager Lessons learned have a specific goal, and that is to manage future projects better. While templates are fine for collecting the data around a completed project as teams and stakeholders parse what worked and what didn’t work, they’re less helpful in implementing the action items that are generated from the process. Project management software is made for planning, managing and tracking projects. ProjectManager is award-winning project and portfolio management software that has multiple project views to schedule and execute tasks across teams. More than that, it can manage resources and track progress in real time to keep projects on schedule. Keep Teams Productive With Resource Management Features The action items that come from a lessons learned document influence the next project plan. But if that plan doesn’t keep to the schedule or the budget, they’re not doing what they were intended to do. Managing resources is paramount to delivering successful projects. That starts with scheduling human and nonhuman resources on the Gantt chart. When onboarding project teams, project managers can set their availability, which makes it easier to assign the right task to the right resource at the right time. A color-coded workload chart shows resource allocation across all projects, making it easy to see who’s overallocated or underutilized. The team workload can be balanced without leaving the chart. There’s even a team page with daily and weekly overviews of team activity that can be filtered by priority, progress and tasks can be updated without leaving the page. /wp-content/uploads/2024/05/workload-page-resource-management-lightmode.png Monitor Progress and More With Real-Time Dashboards and Reports Resources are just one metric to measure to keep projects on track. Project managers can get a high-level overview of KPIs, such as time, cost, workload and more on the real-time project or portfolio dashboards. The easy-to-read graphs and charts quickly help discern that important information. For more detail, use customizable reports on project or portfolio status, variance, timesheets, workload and more. Each can be filtered to focus on key data points or provide a more general summary that can be shared with stakeholders to keep them updated. Even our secure timesheets help by tracking labor costs to keep to the budget. /wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Dashboard-light-mode.jpg Related Content Lessons learned are one way to understand issues when closing out a project. Many more project documents and issue logs can be useful. For those looking to read more about this subject, check out the links below. Project Documentation: 15 Essential Documents What Is a RAID Log and Why Should I Use One? 7 Steps to Project Closure (Checklist Included) What Is an Issue Log? Templates & Tips What Is a Risk Register & How to Create One ProjectManager is online project and portfolio management software that connects teams whether they’re in the office or out in the field. They can share files, comment at the task level and stay up to date with email and in-app notifications. Join teams at Avis, Nestle and Siemens who use our software to deliver successful projects. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. The post Lessons Learned in Project Management: A Quick Guide appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

It's been about six months now since Apple's big iOS 18 update introduced RCS support to the iPhone. In many ways, it's been a game changer: Ditching SMS for RCS has meant group chats function better, and videos are sent in higher quality. But there's still one big drawback to RCS on iPhone that has yet to be fixed: Your messages aren't encrypted. What is RCS?To fully understand the issue, it's important to know what RCS actually is. RCS stands for Rich Communication Services, and is basically a souped up version of SMS: The platform supports modern messaging features, like typing bubbles, high-quality image and video sharing, functioning group chats, and end-to-end encryption. SMS doesn't support these features, so using it—especially in group settings—can be a pain. RCS isn't available on all Android messaging services, but if your partner's Android setup supports it and you have it enabled on your iPhone, your conversations should feel very similar to iMessaging between other iPhones (minus the green bubbles, of course). Now, most of these features are currently working: You should be able to see when they're typing; you should be able to send photos and videos in high resolution; and group chats should function much as they do between iPhones. There's just one big issue. RCS on iOS isn't encryptedAt this time, messages sent and received via RCS between iPhones and Androids are not end-to-end encrypted. That means any conversations you have with Android friends are vulnerable, since these messages are sent without modern security protections. That's not a deviation from the norm for those of us on iOS: If you're used to texting over SMS with Android users, those chats weren't encrypted either. But the promise of RCS on iOS includes encrypted messaging. When you see that RCS tag in your green bubble chat, you should be safe in the knowledge that no one other than the parties involved in the chat can read these messages. That said, RCS isn't end-to-end encrypted everywhere, either. Google Messages is the biggest platform that supports default end-to-end encryption through RCS, but unless the other user is also using Google Messages and also has RCS enabled, your messages may not be encrypted after all. Other popular platforms, like Samsung Messages or Textra, do not support end-to-end encryption at all. RCS will soon be encrypted on iOSBut things are changing for the better. The GSMA, the association that works with mobile operators to set unified standards, announced new specifications for RCS that enable end-to-end encryption based on the Messaging Layer Security (MLS) protocol. In simplified terms, these new specifications mean that, no matter which platforms you're using, all RCS messages will be end-to-end encrypted. This isn't necessarily a surprise: The GSMA publicly said it was working on end-to-end encryption for RCS on iPhone. There's no timeline for this new standard, but Apple and Google both support adopting it as fast as possible. That's good news, and the standard can't get here soon enough. However, it doesn't change the fact that some may be using RCS with misunderstood assumptions about their security: Until this future update hits, RCS messages on iPhone are never end-to-end encrypted. If you want all of your conversations with non-iPhone friends to be protected, you'll need to stick to encrypted messaging platforms, like Signal or WhatsApp. Again, iMessage is end-to-end encrypted by default, so no worries there. Android users: Everyone can see your group chat namesIf you're an Android user who is used to how things work on Google Messages, listen up: Group chat names are not private when messaging with iPhones. On Google Messages, you can rename a group whatever you want, and only you will see it. That's helpful for keeping tabs on specific groups, without worrying that other people in the group will know how you've designated the chat. That's not how things work when iOS is involved, however. iPhones users will know that group chat names are controllable by everyone in the group, and are very much public: When one person changes the group name, it changes for everyone. If you're new to messaging iPhones on RCS and you happen to have one in your group chat, don't change the name to anything you wouldn't be happy with everyone in the group seeing as well. View the full article

A U.S. influencer has united Australia—and much of the world—in outrage after filming and filming herself snatching a baby wombat from its mother and posting the clip online. The Montana-based content creator, known as “Sam Jones”, calls herself a “wildlife biologist and environmental scientist” on her now-private Instagram account. In a since-deleted video, shot in Australia, Jones is seen grabbing a baby wombat from its mother near a remote road at night. She runs back to her vehicle, holding the animal up to the camera, as the mother wombat runs after them. “I caught a baby wombat,” Jones exclaimed in the video. The animal appeared to be distressed in the clip, wriggling and hissing. A man behind the camera can be heard laughing: “Look at the mother,” he said, “it’s chasing after her!” The baby appears to be a common wombat, which is a protected marsupial found only in Australia. According to BBC news, the caption of the now-deleted post read: “My dream of holding a wombat has been realised! Baby and mom slowly waddled back off together into the bush.” Responding to early criticism, Jones defended her actions in the video’s comments. “The baby was carefully held for one minute in total and then released back to mom,” she wrote. “They wandered back off into the bush together completely unharmed. I don’t ever capture wildlife that will be harmed by my doing so.” That didn’t stop the user backlash and Jones, who has more than 92,000 followers on Instagram, made her account private. But the video—and other posts allegedly from her account, including images of her holding an echidna and a “little shark”—continue to circulate online. On Friday morning, ABC Australia sent out a news alert saying the influencer had left Australia voluntarily, as a petition calling for her deportation amassed over 39,000 signatures. “There’s never been a better day to be a baby wombat in Australia,” Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke responded to news of her departure, according to the Associated Press. Earlier that day, Burke confirmed that authorities were reviewing Jones’s visa conditions for potential breaches of immigration law. “I can’t wait for Australia to see the back of this individual, I don’t expect she will return,” he said in the statement received by the Associated Press. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also weighed in. “I suggest to this so-called influencer, maybe she might try some other Australian animals, take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there,” he said. “Take another animal that can actually fight back, rather than stealing a baby wombat from its mother. See how you go there.” View the full article

Shares of Docusign Inc. (NASDAQ: DOCU) surged nearly 18% on Friday, after the electronic signature service reported strong fourth-quarter earnings that beat expectations, partially driven by its new artificial intelligence-enabled platform, which it introduced last year. The e-signature company reported earnings of 86 cents per share, beating forecasts of 85 cents, with revenue coming in at $776 million, $15 million over forecasts for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, ending January 31. “Fiscal 2025 was a transformative year for Docusign,” CEO Allan Thygesen said in an earnings statement. “We launched Docusign IAM, our AI-powered agreement management platform, which is driving rapid traction with customers . . . We’re well positioned to pursue the significant opportunity ahead.” Docusign’s Intelligent Agreement Management (IAM) is an AI-powered platform that enables businesses to create, manage, and gain insights from their agreements in a full-suite, end-to-end platform, resulting in faster workflows and minimized risks. DocuSign AI uses both traditional AI to analyze existing data and content, and generative AI to create new content, such as text, based on patterns learned from existing data. In his earnings remarks, Thygesen said IAM has quickly become the fastest-growing new product in Docusign’s history, and the company expects IAM to account for low double-digits of the company’s total growth by Q4. “It’s tremendously valuable,” he told CNBC on Friday. “It’s opening a treasure trove of data . . . We’re seeing excellent pickup.” Another good sign for the company: Docusign is collaborating with Microsoft and Google, which are two of its biggest partners. Both integrate Docusign deeply into their office suites. Docusign’s customers number 1.6 million, and 1 billion people have used the service in over 180 countries, including 95% of Fortune 500 companies. The service is available in 44 languages for document signers and 14 languages for those sending documents, according to the company’s website. View the full article

A Maryland judge temporarily halted mass layoffs of probationary employees at multiple agencies, citing legal violations and harm to states' ability to respond to unemployment needs. View the full article

Issuances fell in January for residential and multifamily segments, as concerns over available workers and future tariffs came to the fore. View the full article

Tariffs and cuts to the federal workforce are raising uncertainty and sapping confidence, while investor exuberance has fadedView the full article

Google released new information about its ad review process, explaining its hybrid approach to enforcing policy violations across its advertising ecosystem. The details. Google’s clarification emphasizes: Reviews use a combination of AI systems and human evaluators Multiple information sources factor into violation determinations Content removal decisions apply to ads, assets, destinations, and entire accounts English remains the official language for policy enforcement Between the lines. This transparency update comes as regulatory scrutiny of digital advertising platforms increases globally, with lawmakers demanding more accountability around content moderation practices. Why we care. Advertisers need clarity on how their content is evaluated as Google continues to enhance its AI-powered review capabilities alongside human oversight. By understanding that Google uses both AI systems and human reviewers, and considers multiple information sources including user complaints and regulatory warnings, you can better anticipate potential compliance issues. The big picture. By explaining its review methodology, Google appears to be pre-emptively addressing advertiser concerns about account suspensions or content removals that might otherwise seem arbitrary. The bottom line. Advertisers should ensure their content complies with Google’s policies in English, as translations are provided for convenience but don’t supersede the English-language policy standards. View the full article

Appearance by hedge fund founder comes as ex-Barclays boss tries to overturn FCA ban and fineView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. It's a good time to be shopping for TVs, with many options available right now. The TCL QM7 is a great budget TV currently on sale and its main competitor, Hisense's U7, is also down to its lowest price. If you want a better-quality TV, though, LG's 75-inch QNED80T is $896.99 (originally $1,399.99), is also at the lowest price it has ever been, according to price-tracking tools. Screen Size: 55 Inches, Brand: LG, Display Technology: LED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 60 Hz LG 55-Inch Class QNED80T $546.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $799.99 Save $253.00 Get Deal Get Deal $546.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $799.99 Save $253.00 Screen Size: 75 Inches, Brand: LG, Display Technology: LED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 60 Hz LG 75-Inch Class QNED80T $896.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $1,399.99 Save $503.00 Get Deal Get Deal $896.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $1,399.99 Save $503.00 SEE -1 MORE The QNED80T's operating system, WebOS 24, comes with five years of guaranteed updates, which will keep your TV up-to-date until you're ready to upgrade again. WebOS 24 is great for cloud gaming, with GeForce NOW and Amazon Luna (among other services) easily accessible on the TV menu. If you're into sports, you can also customize the sports card to show your team's schedules and scores. Because this is an LG, you also get LG Channels, which consists of over 300 free live channels. The picture is an edge-lit 60Hz panel, which isn't great compared to the QM7 or U7, but because it is a QNED instead of a QLED, you get better colors and black levels than the QM7 and U7. So really, it comes down to what you value. The QNED80T has a wider viewing angle, which is great if you plan to use it in a living room and watch TV with many people sitting around. On the LG, games will look smooth with FreeSync and VRR. It also has a game optimizer setting so you can set the picture depending on the type of game easily to your liking. You also get four HDMI 2.1 ports if you like to have multiple consoles at once. View the full article

New York-based group in talks for up to 500,000 sq ft of City spaceView the full article

From the Three Graces in ancient Greek and Roman mythology to the Three Wise Men in the Bible, the number three has been revered throughout history as a symbol of balance and harmony. Jackie and Shadow, the internet-famous bald eagles of Big Bear, California, would probably agree—their last egg has officially hatched, bringing their final chick count this season to three. These little fluffs might not have names yet but that hasn’t stopped 1.73 million people and counting from following their journey. Let’s break down the numbers and timeline of Chick 3’s arrival in the nest. The webcam that captured the attention of the world The bald eagle live streams are run by a nonprofit called Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV). Little did this small-but-mighty group of staff and volunteers know how many people their efforts would reach. According to Jenny Voisard, FOBBV’s media and website manager, a record-breaking 100,000 people concurrently tuned into the camera’s live stream at one point this year to cheer on the expecting parents. FOBBV’s website received 950,000 unique visitors in a week, causing it to crash a couple of times. It now has a dedicated server to handle all the love. Meanwhile, all this attention also translates to social media followers. Across all channels, the organization has a whopping 1.73 million followers. Its Instagram just launched and already has more than 46,000 fans. The public Facebook page has close to one million followers, with some posts being shared 15,000 times. And let’s not forget the YouTube channel, with almost 500,000 subscribers. It’s fair to say if you love these bald eagles, you are in good company. The hatching journey of chick No. 3 The third and final egg was laid on January 28. The average incubation period for a bald eagle is around 35 days, so fans had to be patient. On March 6 at 10:21 a.m., a snowy cold morning in Big Bear, the first pip, or crack, was spotted. By 10:53 a.m. it had grown. It’s normal for the hatching process to take a couple of days and this was no exception. Additionally, the snowy conditions forced Jackie to stay firmly on the nest to keep her babies warm and out of sight. At 2:11 a.m. on March 8, the chick was visible, dry, but not quite of the shell. By 6:13 a.m. Chick 3 completed its journey into the world and was present for the early morning feeding. Since its birth, Chick 3 has received multiple feedings from its parents. Its eyesight is still developing, so sometimes it takes a moment to get situated. It has also experienced some danger: Ravens have attempted to infiltrate the nest, but Jackie called out to Shadow, and the parents worked together to scare the intruders away. The neighborhood flying squirrel Fiona also tried to visit, but Jackie’s wing slaps got her to mind her own business. Chick 3 will have to learn to get along with its siblings. It is normal to see some jostling around as one chick emerges as the dominant sibling. They will also bonk each other on the head but soon find their rhythm and pecking order. At around 10 to 12 weeks, these eaglets will fledge or leave the nest for the first time. They typically hang out close to home for a couple months before they completely strike out on their own. To catch them before then, watch the webcam embedded below. View the full article

2025 has not been a good year for retail store closures so far. High-profile chains, including Joann fabrics, Walgreens, and Big Lots, have shuttered locations across the country. And now Dollar General is joining them. Here’s what you need to know. Dollar General Corporation to close 141 stores Dollar General Corporation is the owner of the popular chain of Dollar General discount stores and the PopShelf retail chain. The company has now announced it will shutter 141 stores across both brands. Dollar General Corporation made the store closure announcement yesterday in its fourth-quarter and fiscal-year 2024 earnings report. As part of that report, the company said it has chosen to close a number of locations after evaluating the individual stores’ performance, operating conditions, and expected future performance. That review has led Dollar General Corporation to decide to close the following: 96 Dollar General stores 45 Popshelf stores “As a result of this review, the Company plans to close 96 Dollar General stores and 45 pOpshelf stores, and convert an additional six pOpshelf stores to Dollar General stores in the first quarter of the 52-week fiscal year ending January 30, 2026 (‘fiscal 2025’),” the company stated. Which Dollar General and Popshelf locations are closing? While Dollar General Corporation announced the closure of 141 locations across the two brands, the company did not immediately provide a list of which locations would close. Fast Company has reached out to Dollar General Corporation for a list of locations that will be closing. Currently, Popshelf’s store locator shows the company has over 220 stores spread across 20 states. A closure of 45 of those stores means Dollar General Corporation will be reducing Popshelf’s store count by roughly 20%. In its earnings release, Dollar General Corporation also noted that it will “convert an additional six pOpshelf stores to Dollar General stores in the first quarter of the 52-week fiscal year ending January 30, 2026 (‘fiscal 2025’).” As for the Dollar General closures, Dollar General Corporation says it currently has more than 20,000 Dollar General stores across 48 states. A closure of 96 locations is roughly around a minuscule 0.5% of all Dollar General stores. “While the number of closings represents less than one percent of our overall store base, we believe this decision better positions us to serve our customers and communities,” Todd Vasos, Dollar General’s CEO, said. Dollar General Corporation did not address what would happen to the employees at the closing locations—whether they would be let go or given the opportunity to move to other stores. The company says it currently employs more than 194,000 employees. Thousands of retail stores expected to close in 2025 Dollar General Corporation made the store closure announcement while reporting that its fiscal year 2024 saw a net income of $1.1 billion—a decrease of 32.3% from fiscal year 2023. However, net sales for fiscal 2024 increased to $40.6 billion—5% higher than in 2023. Still, regarding the announced closures, Vasos said, “we believe this review was appropriate to further strengthen the foundation of our business.” As Fast Company previously reported, Coresight Research released a report earlier this year in which it says it expects to see up to 15,000 retail locations close across the United States in 2025. The closures, in part, are the result of decreasing foot traffic to many retailers as consumers look to rein in discretionary spending among inflationary pressures. Those same consumers are also increasingly turning to online shopping instead of making the journey to brick-and-mortar stores—and that online competition isn’t just coming from U.S. online retail giant Amazon. “We expect general-merchandise retailers across a wide range of categories, from automotive to home and pet, to be threatened by the further growth of Temu and the scaling of Shein’s non-clothing offering,” the report stated. View the full article

Rubio joins other foreign ministers in seeking to ratchet up pressure on Vladimir PutinView the full article

You don’t need tickets to see Metallica in concert anymore—just a $3,499 Apple Vision Pro headset. Starting today, Apple Vision Pro users can experience Metallica’s 2024 Mexico City concert as an immersive, ultra-high resolution experience complete with 180-degree video and Spatial Audio. The concert, filmed on September 29 as part of the sold-out finale of Metallica’s M72 World Tour, includes fan-favorites like “One” and “Enter Sandman.” “With Metallica on Apple Vision Pro, you feel like you’re right there: front row, backstage, and even on stage with one of the biggest bands of all time,” Tor Myhren, Apple’s vice president of Marketing Communications, said in a statement. The Vision Pro launched at the beginning of 2024 to lukewarm sales and has, generally speaking, failed to find success on the level of its phone and laptop counterparts. Some of that was to be expected, though. When the Vision Pro first released, Apple mainly courted developers, hoping they’d be impressed enough to build apps for the product. Apple engaged these developers in a series of “test labs” leading up to the product’s release. But recently, Apple has begun to roll out consumer-oriented features that make the hardware more appealing to everyday consumers—and has been using its best technology to do so. When it comes to the Metallica concert, Apple utilized high-end video technology in order to capture multiple perspectives and a view of over 65,000 enthusiastic concertgoers. This custom-made filming setup included 14 Apple Immersive Video cameras using a mix of stabilized cameras, cable-suspended cameras, and remote-controlled camera dolly systems that moved around the stage. At South by Southwest in Austin, Metallica drummer and founder Lars Ulrich discussed the experience of having his own show turned into an augmented reality experience, calling it “pretty overwhelming, sort of surreal.” If metalheads—or any interested customer—wants to see the immersive experience for themselves, Apple Stores are offering Vision Pro demos complete with an excerpt from the concert including a full performance of the song “Whiplash.” And if you prefer pop to rock, Alicia Keys and Raye both also have performances that have been exclusively shown on the Vision Pro. The Weeknd also has a similar immersive concert experience called “The Weeknd: Open Hearts.” View the full article

Wall Street ending bruising week on front foot, but worries about economic impact of tariffs lingerView the full article

Chancellor wins plaudits from Tories for tough spending decisions but cabinet colleagues grow uneasyView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. We lose time in small increments. Simple, everyday tasks and chores might only take a few minutes, but those minutes add up and can have a serious impact on your stress levels. But take heart: We’re living in the future, and you can easily automate a wide range of many everyday tasks, gaining back precious minutes and even hours. Automate grocery shopping If your grocery list is pretty stable—you buy the same things in the same quantities every time you stock the pantry—you can automate it to a large extent. Amazon Fresh allows you to set up repeat items that get added to your shopping cart and automatically delivered during your selected window. You can put together a standard weekly list and Amazon will deliver your groceries to you on the selected day, without you having to think about it. You can make adjustments at any time, so if you’re not eating those cornflakes as fast as you thought you can change the quantity or the frequency of the delivery. If you don’t want to give Amazon any more of your money, most grocery chains offer similar services through their web sites and apps. Acme Markets, for example, offers a Schedule and Save feature that operates the same way: You set up a “subscription” for items with a regular schedule and the items are delivered to you automatically until you make changes. Start automatically savingIt can be a struggle to save money—most people couldn’t scrape together $1,000 if they had to, which is not an ideal place to be. If you’ve tried to save money and repeatedly failed to reach your savings goals, try automating it by simply adjusting your direct deposit or scheduling automatic transfers from one account to another. Changing your direct deposit is usually a matter of filling out a form (you may even be able to do it online through a portal, if your employer has one), and you can set up automatic transfers through your banking app at any time. Even a relatively small transfer will add up, and you won’t have to remind yourself to do it. Put your bills on an automatic payment scheduleIf you’re currently spending some time every week keeping up with your bills, it’s time to set up automatic payments for most things. Most companies and vendors these days offer the option of setting up automatic payments, so setting this up for just about every bill that comes your way should be relatively easy. Of course, you will still need to track those payments and make sure you’re being billed correctly, and you should make sure the vendor offers an easy way to stop automatic payments if you ever change your mind. You can always revoke their access to your bank account if this proves difficult, but it’s best to check their policies before you dive in. Use pharmacy services to automate prescriptionsIf you have any regular prescriptions, you know that managing refills can be a real time-suck. Many pharmacy chains like CVS and online pharmacies like Express Scripts let you easily set up automatic refills—when your medications run low, they’ll process the next refill and deliver a fresh supply to you automatically (and even contact your doctor if you’re out of refills). Have a robot clean the floors If you hate cleaning your place you might have already hired professional cleaners to come in on a regular basis and make it look like a civilized human being lives there. If not, you can automate some of the cleaning by setting up not just a robot vacuum, but a robot vacuum and mop (like this one, or this one). It will patrol the floors, sucking up grit and dust, and when it encounters a spill or a stain it spritzes the area with a cleaning solution and mops up—while you do other things with your time. Automate your pool maintenanceIf you have a pool, you know that keeping it clean can take up several hours of your week. You can automate a lot of that by investing in a pool-cleaning robot that will do all that dirty work for you, leaving you more time to actually enjoy your pool. But wait! There’s more: You can automate just about every aspect of pool maintenance, from monitoring (and adjusting) chemical and water levels to surface skimming. Once you have everything set up, you can just, you know, enjoy your pool. Let a robot mow your lawnIf you have a lawn, you probably spend about eight hours a year mowing it. That might not sound like a lot, but imagine what you could do with an extra eight hours—that’s about half an hour each week you get back. Setting up a robotic lawn mower along with a sprinkler system on a timer will automate the bulk of your lawn maintenance, giving you a chance to finally break in that hammock. Use AI-powered tools to job searchLooking for a new job is probably the biggest time sink known to man. Sifting through hundreds of listings, tweaking your resume, filling out applications, writing mission statements and cover letters—it’s an exhausting grind. And that’s before you even get an interview. Using AI-powered tools like Sonara, Massive, LazyApply, and LoopCV all work similarly: You load up your resume and set some parameters, then they scour the internet looking for job descriptions that match. Then they automatically fill out applications and send in your resume while you’re busy doing other things. While your job search still won’t be quite “set it and forget it,” you can automate the tedious parts to gain back some free time (and reduce your job search-related stress). Install smart window treatmentsCarve out little bits of time every day by installing smart window treatments (like these automatic shades) that can be programmed to rise and fall on a set schedule, so you won’t have to think about maximizing your light situation anymore. Set up a meal serviceCooking can take a fair amount of time out of your day, even if you don’t include the grocery shopping. Setting up an automated, oven-ready meal service like Home Chef means that prepared meals are delivered to your house, in their own oven-safe tin. All you do is pop them into the oven, pop them out, and eat. Use a laundry serviceIf you spend a lot of your time doing (and folding) laundry, you can automate this by finding a laundry service in your area that will pick up, clean, and deliver—a lot of dry cleaners and laundromats offer the service. If you can’t find a local place to do it, you can check if a national service like Poplin works in your area. Most will pick up your dirty clothes and return them to you—washed and folded—within a day. What you do with the time you’re not doing laundry is entirely up to you. View the full article

Borrowers asked to compensate for decline in collateral by swapping in more expensive artwork or supplying cashView the full article

Below, you’ll find some we love and use every day, and others we’re keeping a keen eye on in 2025. Marketers use AI for search engine optimization, brainstorming content ideas, and automating repetitive processes like ad targeting, according to research…Read more ›View the full article

After two consecutive quarters of profits, independent mortgage bankers lost money in the most recent period, for the ninth time in the last three years. View the full article

Ministers believe that increased use of artificial intelligence can help fix the public finances but experts have their doubts View the full article