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This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: I am a mother of three young children. Several years ago I took a step back in my career to work in a less high-pressure environment. The shift was incredible for my work life balance — I am much more present with my children, rarely bring home work stress, and am able to regularly take time away to volunteer at school events. We are financially secure and the money is decent. However, this organization frequently is a mess. I regularly find myself flabbergasted at how things that wouldn’t be an issue at other jobs become Big Things at this organization, requiring multiple meetings at various senior levels to remediate. Good news and progress is met with administrative drama, and frequently thwarted altogether by red tape and incompetence. It was kind of a fun challenge at first, but now it is absolutely maddening. At the same time, no one really cares, so there is no pressure, and I am very free to live my personal life How do I … stop caring? In my time here, I’ve changed what I can at this organization and am now trying to accept what I can’t, but I’m just. so. tired. of feeling like there is no point to any of it. Any words of advice from folks that have been there? Is it time to run before my discontent at work seeps into my personal bliss? Or is there a way to put up a mental wall? I’ve got about another five years before my youngest doesn’t need me as much. Help! Sometimes it can help to get really, really clear in your own head about exactly what you’re getting from the job, and exactly what you are trading in exchange for income. In this case, that might mean getting really clear on the fact that you are trading your time for money, period. You are not there to fix the organization, or to care more about the problems than people above you do. You are there to do Job X and nothing more. Sometimes that’s impossible. Maybe you find the way they operate so maddening that you simply can’t be there five days a week without it destroying your morale or your mental health. If that’s the case, then it’s time to move on. But sometimes, with a concerted effort you can decide that it’s Not Your Problem. If they want to run their organization this way, so be it — you figure it’s their prerogative and you’ll continue doing Job X (and only Job X) and they will continue putting money in your bank account every two weeks, and the trade will be complete. Alternately, sometimes you can look at it as an educational experience: think of yourself as a sociologist who’s learning interesting lessons about certain types of group dynamics. You don’t need to care that much because you’re just there to observe, not engage in any deep way. (The trick there is to not let it make you so cynical that you bring bad habits to the next job.) Or maybe every time something maddening happens, you can remind yourself, “Not caring about this is why I have great work-life balance, and right now in this period of my life that’s the most important thing to me.” But maybe none of the advice above will work for you. For some people, it’s incredibly important to work for an organization that they feel good about. Without that, some people will lose all sense of connection to their work, and any interest in continuing on with it. If that’s you, that’s useful to know about yourself; it would mean you need to start working on getting out of there. But try getting really clear on what you are being paid for — which is not to solve this organization’s big problems — and see if that can be enough. View the full article

Abolishing NHS England could lead to an initial downturn in the health service’s performance, say experts View the full article

‘Our problems started long before,’ says Ukrainian soldier after seven months in the occupied Russian regionView the full article

Gold surges to all-time high as investors seek safety amid doubts over Ukraine ceasefireView the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. The 2020 MacBook Air with the M1 chip still holds up as one of the best lightweight laptops Apple has ever made, and right now, you can get a Grade A refurbished model for $514.99 on StackSocial. That means you’re getting a machine that looks nearly new, with little to no visible wear. It’s the Space Gray model with a 13.3-inch Retina display, which delivers crisp text and vibrant colors, whether you're working, streaming, or scrolling through Reddit. With 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, it’s built for everyday tasks like web browsing, video calls, and document editing, but if you need a ton of storage for big files or pro-level video editing, 128GB might feel cramped pretty fast. What makes this MacBook Air stand out is Apple’s M1 chip, which still competes with newer laptops in speed and efficiency. This chip means silent, fan-less performance, so you won’t hear it struggling under pressure even when juggling multiple apps. Battery life is also a win—even in real-world use, it easily lasts a full workday (29 hours per charge, according to this PCMag review). The keyboard is also a huge improvement over older models, with a more comfortable typing experience. Plus, Touch ID lets you log in instantly and makes online shopping way too easy. The relative downside is that it has only two USB-C ports, so you’ll probably need a dongle for accessories like an external drive or SD card. This model was PCMag’s Best Apple Laptop of 2020 and won their Editor’s Choice award for good reason—it’s a fast, sleek, and reliable machine for casual users, students, and remote workers. And, at over $500 off the original price, this StackSocial deal makes it more accessible. Keep in mind that it ships only within the contiguous U.S., and since it’s a refurbished unit, stock might not last long. View the full article

Google is trying to add Gemini AI to all its products. We've even seen the Gemini button in Gmail (which you can disable if you wish). Now, the company is starting to get more specific with that email integration, using AI to automatically add events to your Google calendar if an email provides enough details for it. The feature is already rolling out, so Gemini Advanced subscribers and Google Workspace for Business users can expect to start seeing the new Add to Calendar button, powered by Gemini, when relevant. It'll be right next to the "Summarize this email" button, above the email's body. As an example, let's say you have an email discussing an upcoming meeting with your boss. Press the "Add to Calendar" button, and Google will automatically scan and parse the relevant details and create a Google Calendar event for you. Thankfully, Google isn't making this a completely autonomous process—the event will show up in a sidebar once generated, so you'll be able to check it for mistakes before you add it to your calendar (given how LLMs sometimes tend to hallucinate, this is a good idea). You can use the Edit button to make any changes to the proposed event, or to add more information. One thing Gemini can't do yet is invite others to the meeting, so for that, you'll need a trip to the Calendar app. The feature is also only available in English for now. According to Google, the Add to Calendar button might take up to two weeks to complete global rollout. The feature is only available in English language, and it only works on the web for now. And while it's limited to paying subscribers, it's available for all Business plan users, including the cheaper Business Starter plan. If you're not sure whether paying for Gemini Advanced each month makes sense for you, check out our explainer. View the full article

The good news in the Consumer Price Index report has not carried over to the 10-year Treasury yield and thus mortgage rates, Freddie Mac found. View the full article

Increasing number of Labour MPs are calling for tweaks to Rachel Reeves’ financial constraints View the full article

Google has begun rolling out the March core algorithm update, which is expected to complete in two weeks. The post Google Begins Rolling Out March Core Algorithm Update appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Picture a packed stadium of fans in extreme weather, all clad in their favorite jerseys, cheering and cursing at their favorite American football team or European soccer club. Or a crush of screaming fans, singing and dancing in unison at a Taylor Swift or K-pop concert. Or a sea of costumed Star Wars fans, lightsabers aloft, filling up movie theaters on opening night of a new movie. Plenty of people like to watch sports, attend concerts, and go to the movies. But what about those fans—the diehard ones, if you will—whose dedication goes even further? The fans whose daily lives are deeply intertwined with their interests? Diehard fans tend to have a detailed, intricate knowledge. They collect, display, and cherish memorabilia. They flock to iconic “pilgrimage” places: King’s Cross Train Station in London for Harry Potter fans, or Graceland in Memphis, for Elvis devotees. Their interests inspire them, shaping how they behave and view the world. This level of devotion seems to go well beyond entertainment. Indeed, it may seem, well, almost religious. Since 2018, I have been studying the realm of “comic-con culture”: fandoms built on comic books, superheroes, science fiction, anime and manga, gaming, and cosplay. Based on my surveys and follow-up interviews, I have found that many dedicated fans describe something sacred about their experiences, something beyond entertainment and escapism. Defining ‘sacred’ What does “sacred” mean, exactly? A popular starting point is French sociologist Emile Durkheim and his 1912 treatise, The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life. One of Durkheim’s most enduring legacies is how he defined religion in terms of beliefs and practices about “sacred things” that unify a community. The sacred, he explained, is something a group sets apart as powerful, transcendent, and holy, clearly distinguished from the mundane world of everyday affairs. This conception of religion includes gods or the supernatural, but it is not exclusive to them. Other beliefs and practices can be sacred, too. Durkheim’s insights have inspired many scholars, including those who study fan behavior. In my own work as a sociologist, I organize this concept of the sacred into seven specific dimensions. For example, the sacred is powerful: a potent force that garners respect, fear, and awe. The sacred is transcendent: revered and dignified beyond everyday affairs. And the sacred provides meaning: a source of essential values and purpose. Comic-con culture For several years, I’ve been distributing surveys at comic conventions on the East Coast of the U.S. and conducting follow-up interviews. The questions gather a variety of data, but also measure whether fans experience their interests as sacred, and in what ways. The results are striking. While fans certainly enjoy entertainment and escape, their responses also highlight several aspects of how I define “sacredness”—particularly its ability to instill moral values, provide creative inspiration, and reinforce communal bonds. Many fans describe comic-con culture as a source of principles—such as inclusivity, compassion, and self-development—that guide their behavior. Comics “have always focused on issues of justice, inequality, power dynamics, and the ethics around things like use of force, etc., all of which have affected my own feelings and beliefs about ethical behavior,” one respondent shared. Other fans highlighted quotes from Spider-Man—“with great power comes great responsibility”—and Harry Potter: “We must choose between what is right and what is easy.” Another respondent spoke about the Jedi: the ancient order of monklike warriors who channel forces of good to help others and maintain peace in the Star Wars universe. This universe “personifies how to go about treating the world around me and trying to do ‘the next right thing,’” the fan explained. “The Jedi, though not perfect, help me have a personal code in how I treat people. . . . If ‘Jedi’ were a real religion I’d probably be an active participant.” Comic-con culture sparks passion and enjoyment; it is a wellspring of inspiration and creativity. The Japanese genres of anime and manga are “an art form of self-expression and it creates an [outlet] for individuals to express themselves freely,” one person wrote. In particular, they mentioned cosplay, which is short for “costume play”: the faithful re-creation of a favorite character from a game, movie, or comic, both in dress and mannerisms. Cosplayers are a mainstay of comic conventions, as are cosplay contests. Another remarked, “being a fan of tabletop RPGs [role-playing games] allows me to create collaborative stories with others. I consider this storytelling powerful and important.” Comic-con culture enables people to connect with like-minded individuals and forge meaningful relationships around these interests. It can also inspire a strong sense of fellowship. Highlighting the power of these connections, one respondent said, “as an atheist, there’s not much I believe in. Being a fan has inspired me to believe in people, and that there is some purpose to my life.” Fandom groups “have given me decades-long friendships that span the globe,” another said. Finally, comic-con culture is a sanctuary; it provides space for fans to be themselves, helps them cope with personal struggles, and inspires hope. This was a prominent theme. For example, one attendee from Philadelphia divulged mental health issues but explained how his involvement in board-game tournaments and the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons offered a safe space from anxiety: “I feel like when I’m doing these things, I can really be me. So, it’s more about letting myself be my true self and not feeling, or not caring, about the others around me that are judging me.” Given these findings, I believe that social scientists need to consider popular culture more seriously as a fundamental feature of society that people can make sacred in different ways. Michael Elliott is a professor of sociology at Towson University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. View the full article

If you read enough tech news on the internet, you're probably used to seeing the same advice over and over again: Update your software to the latest version as soon as possible. This advice is repeated often, because, for the most part, it's sound—updates not only give you access to the latest features, but also the most up to date stability and security patches. If you want to protect your software, hardware, and the data contained therein, update! Web browsers are no exception. It's particularly important to keep the tool you use to access the internet fully updated if you want to keep yourself safe as you surf the web. While you should update all web browsers whenever possible, it's especially pertinent for Firefox users to update right now. If you don't, your browser might stop working. A Firefox root certificate is expiringMozilla, the company that makes Firefox, issued a warning last year imploring users to update their browsers as soon as possible. Unlike most articles I write about browser updates, this particular update doesn't include a security patch designed to protect against a vulnerability or active exploit. Instead, this version of Firefox updates a "root certificate," which is necessary for the browser to continue operating as expected. A root certificate is essentially the confirmation that Mozilla approved and certified an add-on. (That's what Firefox calls browser extensions.) Whenever you install something like, say, uBlock Origin, Mozilla first has to ensure that add-on is authentic, as not doing so invites instability and security risks. This root certificate is set to expire on Friday, March 14. Without this root certificate, Mozilla cannot confirm that your add-ons are actually legit, and, as such, will disable them. But it won't just be your add-ons. The lack of a root certificate could also stop DRM-protected content from playing. That includes streaming service like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+, since their content is, of course, digital locked up via DRM. In addition, Mozilla says systems that use content verification could stop working as well. Firefox itself won't completely cease to function after this root certificate expires. You can keep using the outdated version of the browser, if you insist. However, your add-ons and streaming services will likely stop working, among other functions. Perhaps even more critically, you're setting yourself up for security issues: Without this certificate, malicious add-ons and websites could bypass Mozilla's security features and wreak havoc on your machine, while Mozilla's feature that gives you a heads up when your passwords are breached may not work. There's really no reason not to update Firefox to update the root certificate. How to update Firefox Luckily, this isn't a case where you need to make any significant lifestyle changes to adapt. In fact, this really is as simple as updating your browser. As long as you're running Firefox version 128 or newer, you're set. (For context, the Firefox app on my Mac, which I rarely use, was running version 125, when the latest as of this piece is 136.) If you're on a desktop, like Mac, Windows, or Linux, click Menu > Help > About Firefox. Firefox will look for the latest version, and, if found, will invite you to restart your browser to install it. While this issue doesn't affect iOS, it does affect Android, so make sure to update your mobile browser as well. To do so, open the app's Play Store page and choose Update if one is available. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. Here are three updates from past letter-writers. 1. Does using humor risk undermining me as a manager? Thank you so much for responding to my question! In truth, I didn’t even consider the possibility that using too many self-deprecating jokes would alter my employee’s perception of me, I was mainly focused on the quantity of my jokes. After I submitted my question, I thought over my interactions with them, and came to the conclusion that I was being way too silly, that my nervousness was manifesting as non-stop joke after joke, which had a strong possibility to detract from maintaining a professional manager/employee relationship. Some of your commenters also noted that as my report they were a captive audience, in that even if they don’t find my humor funny they may feel compelled to laugh along, even if they feel uncomfortable. Armed with this realization, I cut way back on the jokes I made, and with your advice in mind also limited the self-deprecating humor as well. This seemed to work well over time, as I was able to build a friendly yet professional relationship with my employee, while also occasionally poking fun at our system software or the weather. Unfortunately it ultimately didn’t last; I had to terminate them for egregious misconduct towards another employee at a company event, which was fueled by alcohol. When I hire my next employee, I’ll be sure to use the lessons you and your readers shared to use humor moderately and with mindfulness towards how I may be perceived. 2. I want to apologize for snapping at my coworker, but my manager said not to (#2 at the link) I really appreciated your advice. I struggle with anxiety, and the idea that I’d upset someone was eating at me. Despite the consensus in the comments that my outburst wasn’t all that bad, I still felt an apology to my coworker was warranted, so I practiced what I was going to say based on your suggestions. When the time came, I was on high alert for signs of chilliness, but nothing in her behavior indicated that she was still upset. A few days later, she announced that she was leaving for a different job, and that’s the last time I saw her. Although anticlimactic, this event was illuminating for me. There was a lot of gossip in the weeks following my former coworker’s departure, through which I learned she quit in a huff after the manager tried to have a conversation with her about her chronic tardiness. Unbeknownst to me, she had a history of showing up late, disappearing for long stretches without explanation, and (oh, the horror!) taking other people’s food from the break room without asking. Several people expressed relief at not having to deal with her anymore, including the manager. Speaking of managers … you were spot on to call his response into question. I think he was right that texting an apology wouldn’t have had the outcome I wanted, but it’s become clear to me through this incident and others that the promises he makes and advice he gives should be taken with a grain of salt. It’s a bummer, because I like him as a person, but the more I learn about good management, the more aware I am of where he falls short (for example, his refusal to address years of complaints about my former coworker). On the bright side, I got a promotion and a raise, and am being encouraged to find projects that interest me. I know I don’t want to stay at this job longterm (aside from the management issues, there’s too much drama and a big nepo baby problem – a whole letter unto itself), but I’m learning a lot and building new skills, so I’m sticking around for now. Thank you again, both for your wisdom, and for the wonderful community you’ve brought together. 3. After I had to fire someone, my boss asked if I still want to be a manager (#2 at the link) As it turns out, the question from my boss was testing my desire to move up to a director role — a position that he knew was going to be vacant soon, but he wasn’t able to share that info with me at the time. (For various reasons, including a required relocation, it was not a role that interested me.) As I predicted, it took many months for a replacement for my employee to be hired, but the new employee is a terrific skills match and much more professional. Our team has been running very well since the new year and the lack of drama has been a relief to everyone. That said, I did recently accept a role that is a lateral move within the organization. I will have only one direct report in this new role, but it is a growth area and I expect my team will have more members in the next 12 months or so. I am very grateful to you and to the commenters who assured me that firing someone never feels good in the short term, but will help the team in the long term, and that was certainly true in this case. I also dug out my old books and training materials on management skills and gave myself a refresher course, which has been quite helpful. View the full article

Google has released the March 2025 core update today, Google said this core update “rollout may take up to 2 weeks to complete.” Core updates happen multiple times per year. Core updates can have significant, broad changes to Google’s search algorithms and systems, which is why Google announces them. This is the first core update of the 2025 year. This core update happened a few months since the last core update, the December 2024 core update. What to do if you are hit. Google has given advice on what to consider if you are negatively impacted by a core update in the past. Google has not really given much new advice here but here is the past advice the company provided: There aren’t specific actions to take to recover. A negative rankings impact may not signal anything is wrong with your pages. Google has offered a list of questions to consider if your site is hit by a core update. Google said you can see a bit of a recovery between core updates but the biggest change would be after another core update. In short, write helpful content for people and not to rank in search engines. “There’s nothing new or special that creators need to do for this update as long as they’ve been making satisfying content meant for people. For those that might not be ranking as well, we strongly encourage reading our creating helpful, reliable, people-first content help page,” Google said previously. For more details on Google core updates, you can read Google’s documentation. Previous core updates. The first core update of 2024 – the March 2024 core update – was the largest core update ever, according to Google. It started March 5 and completed 45 days later on April 19. Here’s a timeline and our coverage of recent core updates: The December 2024 core update as on Dec. 12 and ended on Dec. 18. The November 2024 core update was on Nov. 11 and ended on Dec. 5. The August 2024 core update was on Aug. 15 and ended on Sept. 3. The March 2024 core update was on March 5 and ended on April 19. The November 2023 core update was on Nov. 2 and ended on Nov. 28. The October 2023 core update was on Oct. 5 and ended on Oct. 19 The August 2023 core update was on Aug. 22 and ended Sept. 7. The March 2023 core update was on March 15 and ended March 28. Why we care. With any core update, we often see large volatility within the Google search results and ranking. These updates hopefully will improve ranking for your sites or client sites. But some of you may see fluctuations or even downgrades in Google rankings and organic traffic. We hope this update rewards you all and sends you lots of traffic and conversions. I do wonder if this update will have any positive impact for the creators Google had meetings with months ago. View the full article

Chancellor-to-be vows greater share of investments for green transition as outgoing Bundestag reconvenes to debate billsView the full article

Ex-Barclays chief, seeking to overturn regulatory ban, was asked about encounter at apartment of disgraced financier’s brotherView the full article

There are many ways to manage a project. While project management software is the gold standard, there are many free project management templates for Google that you can download to plan, manage and track your projects. Get these free project management templates for Google and take control of your project to deliver it successfully. Best Project Management Templates for Google Sheets There are many project management templates for Google online. They cover all phases of the project through its life cycle. It can be a bit intimidating to search such a large database to find the free project management templates for Google that are right for you. It’s easy to start using these free project management templates for Google. Simply click on the link for the template you want, which will then open it as a view-only file. Go to file and click make a copy. Now, you’ll have a workable project management template for Google that you can customize to fit your project. 1. Project Budget Template for Google Sheets A project requires funding to execute the plan. Without a budget, that plan is no more than a good idea. But having a budget is no simple task. It involves accurately estimating all the costs associated with the project. If you are off that money can come out of your pocket. /wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Project-Budget-Screenshot.jpg Using this free project budget Google template can help you better forecast project costs, which will help when you’re bidding for that work. It has space to capture all your labor and material costs, but also travel, equipment and fixed costs. You can add more if you like as the Google template is fully customizable. Not only does this free project management template for Google help as you’re planning the project budget, but it also allows you to track costs to help you stay on budget. You can see your planned and budget costs to gauge if you’re on track. As good as free project management templates for Google are, they’re not a perfect solution for managing your project. For one, they’re static documents that require manual updates. More than that, they’re standalone documents, separate from your other project management tools. ProjectManager is award-winning project management software that has robust Gantt charts to not only organize tasks, link all four types of task dependencies and filter for the critical path, but also manage your resources and costs in real time. Once you’ve made a budget, set the baseline to capture it so you can track your planned costs against your actual costs in real time without having to constantly update your Google sheet. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. /wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Gantt-CTA-2025.jpgProjectManager’s Gantt charts help you plan, manage and track costs in real time. Learn more 2. Gantt Chart Template for Google Sheets Gantt charts are one of the most versatile project management tools there are, as they allow project managers to plan, schedule and track their projects. They have two main components, a table with project task information such as due dates and duration and a stacked bar chart that shows the project timeline. /wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Gantt-chart-template-Google-Sheets.webp This free Gantt chart template for Google Sheets can help you visualize your project timeline and the order in which project activities will be executed. Simply enter your task details and the Google Sheets template will generate a stacked bar chart for your project. 3. Action Plan Template for Google Sheets An action plan is just that, a plan of action. It’s a way to realize a goal. It’s what a project is all about. You have goals and objectives and plan to achieve them. Use this free action plan template for Google Sheets to create a pragmatic framework to do that. /wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Action-Plan-Screenshot.jpg A good action plan is thorough and this free action plan template for Google covers all the bases to ensure you reach your objective in a timely manner. Like any project, it’s broken up into phases and each phase is further broken down into the individual tasks necessary to complete that phase successfully. There’s also a place to assign team members to specific tasks and add a start date and an end date to those tasks. You can add the planned hours for each task, which department is responsible for the work, the materials needed and the costs associated with the job. There’s even a status column to track progress. 4. Task Tracker Template for Google Sheets Creating a plan is the first step, but without monitoring the progress of those tasks, your plan can quickly fall apart. To avoid costly delays, you want to track your tasks and make sure they’re keeping to the project schedule. The free task tracker template for Google is a great tool to monitor your progress. /wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Task-Tracking-Screenshot.jpg To track tasks, you first must list them, which the free template for Google Sheets lets you do. Then you can add who the task is assigned to and what its priority is. There’s also a place for you to add the scheduled start date and end date. All that information is important, but the real power of this free task tracker template for Google is the status column. Here, you can show whether the task is opened or closed. Since the Google Sheet template is customizable, you can add other statuses to better follow the task’s progress. 5. Work Breakdown Structure Template for Google Sheets Projects have a final deliverable, which is usually a product or service. But throughout the project’s life cycle, there are many deliverables. To identify all the deliverables that make up a project, you can use this free work breakdown structure template for Google Sheets. /wp-content/uploads/2023/08/google-sheet-wbs-template.jpg From identifying each deliverable you can figure out the tasks that will get you there, which will then inform your schedule. The free WBS template for Google Sheets is an essential planning tool to ensure that you don’t neglect any of the steps necessary to complete your project. The free WBS template for Google is divided into two sheets. The first is a spreadsheet in which all your tasks can be listed, including any dependencies, resources and more. Then the second sheet is a tree diagram in which the final deliverable is on top and stemming from there are all the deliverables that make up the five phases of the project. 6. To-Do List Template for Google Sheets People have understood the power of a to-do list since the pen hit the paper. It’s one of the earliest task management tools and its longevity proves its worth. Just think, is there any greater satisfaction than crossing a task off your to-do list? The free to-do list template for Google Sheets brings the tool into the modern age. /wp-content/uploads/2023/08/to-do-list-template-google-sheets.jpg This isn’t any to-do list that you’d jot down on a sticky note and paste to your computer. The free project management template for Google is more dynamic. As with any to-do list, it starts with a list of all the tasks you have to complete, including their start dates and end dates. Until a run-of-the-mill to-do list, there’s a column where you can note the percentage complete for each task and even its status. This allows you to track your progress and make sure that you complete your work in a timely manner. 7. Google Sheets Kanban Board Template A kanban board is a visual tool that can help you manage any type of project. Simply use the kanban cards to represent tasks and columns to show each of the stages of your workflows and move cards across the board as tasks are completed. /wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Google-Sheets-kanban-board-template-1600x609.webp On top of that, this free Google Sheets kanban board allows you to collaborate with your team members online, assign tasks to them and track their progress. 8. RACI Matrix Template for Google Sheets Organizing projects makes them run better. Everyone involved in the project must know their roles and responsibilities or else there’ll be too much time explaining what to do and not enough time doing it. Using a free RACI matrix template for Google Sheets is the perfect tool to get everyone on the same page and avoid problems. /wp-content/uploads/2020/05/RACI-Matrix-Screenshot.jpg RACI is an acronym that stands for responsible, accountable, consulted and informed. The RACI matrix is a chart that gives everyone in the project team and its stakeholders one of those titles. The chart is divided into phases on the right vertical and running across the upper horizontal are the names of everyone in the project. This creates a grid or matrix and within each box under a person’s name will be one of the letters, R, A, C or I. For example, the project manager will be responsible for the project plan and key project stakeholders will want to be informed. 9. Resource Plan Template for Google Sheets Resources are everything you need to execute the project, from your team to materials, equipment and more. Having those resources in sufficient quantities when you need them is a complicated endeavor and one that must be planned in detail. Using the free resource plan template for Google Sheets will help your project run smoother. /wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Resource-Plan-Screenshot.jpg Use this free template for Google to identify all the project resources you’ll need. Each is then listed and in another column, you’re able to identify the team and its members as well as the amount of resources needed for that line item. There’s also a column to capture the rate and then the total cost. Now you can integrate your project schedule and budget to help you better track costs. Use the calendar grid to define when each resource is needed. The Google template can then be saved and used as historical data as you plan resources for future projects. 10. Status Report Template for Google Sheets When you’re executing the project, monitoring its progress and performance is critically important. One tool in your toolbox to do this is reports. There are a variety of different reports when managing a project, but few are as comprehensive as the status report, which captures data over the course of a specific period in the project. /wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Status-Report-Screenshot.jpg Having the free status report template for Google lays out all the various components of a status report so you can provide a snapshot of the project to help you understand better how it’s progressing and performing. This will provide project managers with vital information on how to manage the project and also give stakeholders updates to manage their expectations. Get an overview of the project, from progress to deliverables and milestones achieved. There’s also a section on the health of the project, including budget, schedule, scope and quality. Finally, there’s an overview of the project’s risk management and a place in which recommendations can be made. 11. Risk Register Template for Google Sheets Speaking of risks, they’re a part of every project and must be managed. Risks can be positive and negative, one to take advantage of and the other to mitigate. Using the free risk register template for Google ensures that you’re ready to respond to risk when it occurs as an issue in your project. /wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Risk-Tracking-Screenshot.webp On this free Google template, you have a column to collect every risk you can imagine happening in the project. Then, you’ll want to define its impact on the project and what the response will be if, in fact, it occurs. That just sets you up to identify risk and resolve it when issues show up. But the project management template for Google goes further, defining the level of risk to help you determine the priority of your response. There’s also a place to assign a team member to own that risk and take responsibility for action if it shows up in the project. 12. Timesheet Template for Google Sheets Timesheets are essential project documents that ensure your team is compensated fairly for their work. It’s important to the team, but also to the project manager as it provides a means of tracking the amount of time they’re taking to complete their tasks. Use the free timesheet template for Google Sheets to streamline payroll and help track progress on your projects. /wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Timesheet-Screenshot.jpg This project management template for Google breaks down the work week by day and adds the date and pertinent information about the employee, such as name, department, supervisor and hourly rate. The Google template goes on to show the employee’s start time, lunch and end time for each time. After that, the hours worked are recorded. There’s a column for any overtime and the total hours worked are added. That column is then added for the week for the employee’s weekly pay. 13. Google Sheets Inventory Template This Google Sheets inventory template is designed to help you keep track of the raw materials or any physical items such as equipment your team needs to complete their tasks and produce deliverables. /wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Inventory-template-v2.jpg It allows you to monitor the number of units in stock, price per unit, reorder information and total inventory cost. In the case of project managers, it’s important when keeping track of costs and project budgets. 14. Schedule Template for Google Sheets This free schedule template for Google Sheets facilitates the process of creating a schedule for tracking the time your employees work each week. Because it is a Google Sheets spreadsheet format, it can be easily shared with your team members by simply sharing a link with them so they know when they’re scheduled for work. /wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Google-Sheet-schedule-template-screenshot.png The best part of using this schedule template for Google Sheets is everyone on your team can view their weekly work schedule from any device at any time as long as they’re logged into their Google account. Another advantage of using this Google Sheets template is that it saves any changes you make in real-time for all users who have access to your file, which means all your employees will have the latest version of the work schedule. 15. Yearly Business Budget Template for Google Sheets Creating a yearly budget for your business or department is a great way of ensuring there will be available resources for running its operations. This free budget template for Google Sheets allows you to track different types of business costs related to labor, equipment, materials and more. Additionally, it allows you to specify the recurrence of each project cost and compare planned versus actual costs. /wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Google-Sheets-budget-template-1600x552.png 16. Google Sheets Calendar Template There are many tools you can use to schedule a project such as Gantt charts, kanban boards and many more. But sometimes you need a simpler tool that’s easy to understand by everyone on your team, such as a project calendar. /wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Google-Sheets-Calendar-Template-by-ProjectManager.png This Google Sheets calendar template allows you to map all your project tasks, their due dates and durations over a project calendar spreadsheet. You can use it for all types of projects and share it with project clients, team members and other project stakeholders. 17. Google Sheets Timeline Template As long as you’re managing a project of any kind, you’ll need to estimate the duration of tasks and then make a timeline to help you coordinate the efforts of your team members to produce project deliverables on time. /wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Google-Sheets-timeline-template-1600x735.png This free Google Sheets timeline template helps you easily make timelines that can be used by organizations from any industry. 18. Google Docs Gantt Chart Template While this is not exactly a Google Sheets project management template, this Google Docs Gantt chart has the same functionality as Google Sheets. However, this format can be useful for making project management reports and documentation, or it can be easily printed and distributed among the participants of a project meeting. /wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Gantt-chart-template-for-Google-Docs-600x548.webp 19. Google Slides Timeline Template This Google Slides timeline template is very similar to the Google Sheets timeline template we described above, but the main difference between them is that this Google Slides timeline template was specifically designed to visualize project timelines during project management meetings. It has two main components, a timeline overview for marking events such as key deliverables and milestones and a series of detailed monthly timelines that show project tasks, durations and due dates. /wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Google-Slides-Timeline-Template.png 20. Project Estimate Template for Google Sheets Download this project estimate template for Google Sheets for an easy and straightforward way to identify and collect all project costs. In reality, countless costs must be factored into a project estimate, and it can be hard to keep track of them all in an organized manner. This free template is one of the most effective tools for helping project managers avoid overspending on projects. Plus, it’s in a format you and your team can easily access. /wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Project-Estimate-Template-for-Google-Sheets.webp 21. Google Sheets RAID Log Template A RAID log stands for risks, assumptions, issues and decisions. This Google Sheets RAID log template is the ideal tool to use to better manage and track issues when they show up in a project. The sooner you identify and understand these issues, the less chance they have to impact your project as a whole. Use the Google Sheets RAID log template to list the RAID category and provide a description as well as the impact, response, priority level and more. It’s helpful for more effective planning and can help teams better understand how changes will impact the project. /wp-content/uploads/2024/11/RAID-log-template-for-Google-Sheets.webp 22. Risk Matrix Template for Google Sheets Risks can quickly go from a possibility to something that derails the progress of the entire project. However, not all risks are the same; some can be positive and some can be negative. The best way to manage and mitigate risks is to have a system for determining if risk will happen in a project. Download this risk matrix template for Google Sheets as a communication tool to let the project team know if a risk might occur during the project. Categorize each risk based on the likelihood and severity of it happening to identify risks and come up with a plan to address and resolve them. /wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Risk-Matrix-Template-for-Google-Sheets.webp 23. Change Request Form for Google Docs Change is inevitable in any project, and things rarely go perfectly. If you don’t respond to change in the right way, it can cause the project to be unsuccessful. This is where the change request form for Google Docs comes in handy as it acts as a structured process for dealing with changes. This is part of the change management process to help project leaders better prepare for and respond to change. This Google Docs template includes a description of the change including the reason, priority, impact on deliverables and more. It also has room to add the impact of the change. /wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Change-Request-form-template-for-Google-Docs.webp 24. Change Log Template for Google Sheets Similar to the change request form, the change log template for Google Sheets is also designed to make it easier to understand how a change will impact a project. A change management log is a written document that outlines all notable changes made to a project. This could be anything from a new resource that needs to be added, a delay in the project timeline or a change to how stakeholders want to be communicated with. It helps improve transparency and accountability and supports better risk management. /wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Change-Log-Template-for-Google-Sheets.webp 25. Issue Tracking Google Sheets Template It’s important to be aware of any project issues that could come up in the project. This makes it easier to ensure they are all addressed in a timely manner and increases accountability for how the issues will be mitigated. An issue tracking template for Google Sheets helps document and manage issues that come up during a project. This makes it easier to notate, prioritize and track how these issues are resolved. The template helps define the priority of issue and assigns it to specific team members so they can check it off when it’s complete. /wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Issue-Tracking-Template-for-Google-Sheets-1600x621.webp 26. Objectives and Key Results (OKR) Template for Google Sheets In projects, the objective should be a qualitative description of a goal or ideal outcome. This should be a lofty goal but one that is achievable. Key results, on the other hand, are specific, measurable metrics that help determine if progress has been made during the objective. OKRs are ideal for aligning your team’s efforts and tracking their progress and goals. This free objectives and key results template for Google Sheets helps teams foster a sense of accountability and ownership while facilitating discussions around key objectives. Download it now to help you achieve your goals. /wp-content/uploads/2024/11/OKR-Template-for-Google-Sheets.webp 27. PERT Chart Template for Google Sheets PERT is an acronym for program evaluation and review technique. Using this free PERT chart template for Google Sheets helps teams visually map out project tasks, dependencies and timelines. It provides a structured way to break down complex projects into individual tasks, estimate durations and identify the critical path for efficient scheduling. /wp-content/uploads/2024/11/PERT-Chart-template-for-Google-Sheets.png 28. Critical Path Template for Google Sheets The critical path is the longest sequence of dependent tasks in a project that determines the shortest possible completion time. Use this free critical path template for Google Sheets to help project managers when scheduling projects. It enables project teams to calculate task durations, set dependencies and pinpoint activities that, if delayed, could extend the entire project timeline. /wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Critical-path-method-template-for-Google-Sheets.png 29. Lessons Learned Template for Google Sheets Use this lessons learned template for Google Sheets to review what went right and what went wrong after completing a project. The review process identifies weaknesses and opportunities, ending with action items to implement for future projects to avoid those pitfalls and take advantage of improving the management of projects. /wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Lessons-learned-template-for-Google-Sheets.png 30. Stakeholder Register Template for Google Sheets Stakeholders are any person or organization with a vested interest in the project’s success. Project managers can use this stakeholder register template for Google Sheets to track and manage key stakeholders. It serves as a central document to record stakeholder details, influence levels and communication strategies. /wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Stakeholder-register-template-for-Google-Sheets.png 31. Change Impact Assessment Template for Google Sheets This change impact assessment template for Google Sheets is a tool used to assess and document the potential impacts of a proposed change within a project or organization. It helps teams evaluate how changes will affect various aspects such as processes, resources, timelines and stakeholders. /wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Change-Impact-Assessment-Template-for-Google-Sheets.png 32. Eisenhower Matrix Template for Google Sheets Named after US President Dwight D. Eisenhower, this Eisenhower matrix template for Google Sheets is based on his principle of distinguishing between tasks that are urgent, important or neither. It helps project managers and their teams prioritize tasks based on urgency and importance by dividing them into four categories to guide decision-making. It helps project teams focus on what truly matters. /wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Eisenhower-Matrix-Template-for-Google-Sheets.png Go Beyond Project Management Templates for Google Sheets with ProjectManager As good as project management templates for Google are, they can only take you so far. You’ll find it frustrating to have to manually add all the data to these static spreadsheets, which are isolated from your other project tools. If you’re looking for a seamless and more efficient way to work, then you’ll want to explore project management software solutions. ProjectManager is award-winning project management software that helps you plan, manage and track your projects in real time. Everything a project management template for Google does, our software does better. Keep Your Team’s Workload Balanced You’ve already combined your action plan, resource plan, to-do list, budget and WBS into our powerful Gantt charts. Now, you need to make sure your teams are working at capacity without burning them out and threatening morale—which is a project killer. Our resource management features allow you to set the availability of each team member, including PTO and global holidays. Then toggle to the color-coded workload chart to see who’s overallocated and who’s not. Without leaving the chart, you can reallocate resources to balance your team’s workload. /wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Workload_Wide_Zoom-150_Reassign-hours.jpg Track Progress and Performance in Real Time Planning is only the start of a project. Next, comes the execution and control. That involves having the tools to monitor what your team is doing. Our real-time dashboard gives you a high-level view of the project across various metrics, such as time, cost, workload and more, with easy-to-read graphs and charts. Unlike lightweight project management software, our dashboard doesn’t make you waste time setting it up. Just toggle to the dashboard and it’s ready to go. If you need a more detailed analysis, use our customizable reporting tools. They’re easy to generate and can be filtered to show only what you want to see. There are status and portfolio reports, timesheet and workload reports, plus many more. All can be shared in a variety of formats with stakeholders to keep them updated. /wp-content/uploads/2022/11/project-management-dashboard.webp Those are just a few of our features. We also have multiple project views beyond the Gantt chart, including kanban boards, task lists and more, all updated together so you can work the way you want and still be able to collaborate with cross-functional teams. There are also task management tools to help with productivity and risk management features that manage issues. Project management templates for Google can’t do any of this, let alone automate workflows and assign task approvals to ensure quality deliverables. ProjectManager is online project management software that connects teams anywhere and at any time. We empower you to plan, manage and track your projects in real time with dynamic features that allow you greater control over your projects to deliver success. Join teams at companies such as Avis, Nestle and Siemens who use our software to succeed. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. The post 32 Must-Have Project Management Templates for Google Sheets appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

Google is announcing a slew of new Gemini features today, this time aimed squarely at its free users. Features that were previously only available with the $20 per month Advanced plan will now be accessible to the public. GemsGems are Gemini's little AI helpers that you can create for any task. You can start with pre-made ones like Google's Career guide. But you can create a Gem for any purpose. You can create one for repeated tasks, or to help you research a topic with very specific prompts. Previously, the Gems feature was exclusive to Gemini Advanced users, but now Google is making them to available to all users. You'll find Gems in the sidebar, where you can easily get started with premade Gems. Deep ResearchGoogle, too, has a Deep Research feature. But unlike with Perplexity, it was previously behind a paywall. Now, Google is making its Deep Research feature available for free to all users. Deep Research is an AI feature where the AI model takes some time to think through your question using a reasoning model, and then goes out in the open web, collating sources, figuring issues out in depth, and then presenting you with a detailed report instead of the simple bullet-point answers that regular AI chatbots provide. In addition to making Deep Research free, Google is also adding its Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking Experimental model to Deep Research. The new thinking model will help with the every step of research, including planning, reasoning, analyzing, and reporting. Deep Research will be available in more than 45 languages, and can be accessed using the drop-down menu in the Prompt box. In material shared with press, Google wasn't clear how many Deep Research queries free users get per day, though the company did promise expanded access for Gemini Advanced users. Updates to the Gemini 2.0 Flash modelThe Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking (Experimental) model is also getting an upgrade. You can now upload files for it to use while answering prompts, and Google says it has improved the model's performance and introduced advanced reasoning capabilities. Gemini Advanced users will also now have access to a 1 million token context window, enabling users to solve more complex problems. Your Google Search history comes to GeminiGoogle is adding a new experimental feature called Gemini with personalization, powered by the Gemini 2.0 Flash Thinking model. This allows Gemini to connect with your Google apps and services. The company is starting with Google Search, but will expand to Photos and YouTube in coming months. This means that Gemini will have more context about you, based on your Google Searches, but only if you choose to enable the Personalization (experimental) model from the model picker drop-down menu. Google also says that the new feature will only use your search history when Gemini's advanced models deem that it's needed. More powerful connections with Google appsWith the 2.0 Flash Thinking model, Gemini is now better able to tackle complex requests that involve multiple Google services, including Calendar, Notes, Tasks, and now Photos. According to Google, you can use a single prompt like "check my Calendar to find that gelato place Ezra and I went to back in May, save its address to my notes, and text it to Lauren and suggest we go there" instead of jumping between multiple apps, or asking three different questions to Gemini. View the full article

Google released a new help page detailing Asset testing for retailers, a specialized experiment type for Performance Max campaigns that lets you measure the effectiveness of your creative assets. What’s new. The new experimental feature tests asset impact within a single PMax campaign: A control group (feed-only) is compared against a treatment group (with added assets). The results are viewable in the Experiment report. Split testing without duplicate campaigns. Unlike traditional A/B testing that requires running parallel campaigns, this new feature splits traffic within a single Performance Max campaign: Control group: Shows product feed-only ads. Treatment group: Shows product feed plus additional creative assets. This approach eliminates the need to manage duplicate campaigns while providing clear performance comparisons. How it works. The experiment divides traffic between the two variations, allowing you to determine whether adding creative assets (like images, videos, and text) improves performance beyond what the product feed alone can deliver. You can review results in the dedicated Experiment report section, measuring key metrics like conversions, click-through rates, and return on ad spend between the two groups. Why we care. Performance Max campaigns have become central to Google’s advertising ecosystem, particularly for retailers. However, many advertisers struggle to understand how much value their creative assets add beyond automated feed-based ads. This experiment feature addresses that uncertainty, giving retailers data-driven insights into whether investing in additional creative assets delivers meaningful performance improvements. Go deeper. This launch is part of Google’s broader effort to provide more transparency and control within its automated campaign types, addressing advertiser concerns about the “black box” nature of Performance Max campaigns. Google’s new help documentation page. About Performance Max optimization experiments: Asset testing. View the full article

Struggling chipmaker Intel has hired former board member and semiconductor industry veteran Lip-Bu Tan as the latest in a succession of CEOs to attempt to turn around a once-dominant company that helped define Silicon Valley. Tan, 65, will take over the daunting job next Tuesday, more than three months after Intel’s previous CEO, Pat Gelsinger, abruptly retired amid a deepening downturn that triggered massive layoffs and raised questions about the chipmaker’s ability to survive as an independent company. This won’t be Tan’s first time running a semiconductor company, nor his first association with Intel. He spent more than a decade as CEO of Cadence Design Systems, which makes software that helps designs processors, and joined Intel’s board of directors in 2022 before stepping down last August. Tan will rejoin Intel’s board in addition to becoming CEO. “Lip-Bu is an exceptional leader whose technology industry expertise, deep relationships across the product and foundry ecosystems, and proven track record of creating shareholder value is exactly what Intel needs in its next CEO,” Intel’s interim Executive Chairman Frank Yeary said. Intel has been led by interim co-CEOs, David Zinsner and Michelle Johnston Holthaus, since Gelsinger walked away from a job that he undertook in February 2021. Although Gelsinger arrived at Intel amid high hopes, his tenure was a major letdown as Intel’s stock price plunged 60%, wiping out $160 billion in shareholder wealth. Leading up to his departure last year, Intel laid of 17,500 of its employees—about 15% of its workforce—and suspended its dividend to save money on its way to an annual loss of $19 billion. More recently, Intel delayed the opening of two new chip factories in Ohio to ensure the projects are completed in a “financially responsible manner.” The project is supposed to draw upon the $7.8 billion in funding earmarked for Intel in the CHIPS Incentives Program created during the administration of President Joe Biden. It was the latest sign of distress for Intel, a Santa Clara, California, company that helped launch Silicon Valley by developing the microprocessors that enabled the personal computer revolution under the leadership of its CEO at that time, Andy Grove. But as its leadership changed Intel missed the technological shift to mobile computing triggered by Apple’s 2007 release of the iPhone, and it’s lagged more nimble chipmakers. Intel’s troubles have been magnified since the advent of artificial intelligence—a booming field where the chips made by once-smaller rival Nvidia have become tech’s hottest commodity. Nvida now boasts a market value of $2.8 trillion compared to Intel’s $90 billion. Intel’s stock price rose more than 10% in Wednesday’s extended trading after Tan’s hiring was announced, indicating investors believe he will revive the company’s fortunes. While Tan was Cadence Design’s CEO from January 2009 to May 2021, the company’s stock price increased by 44-fold. Tan’s past accomplishments resulted him being named winner of the Semiconductor Industry Association’s 2022 Robert Noyce Award—an honor named after one of Intel’s co-founders. —Michael Liedtke, AP Technology Writer View the full article

There's more than one way to use Windows now. As well as sitting down in front of a locally installed copy of Windows, running on a hard drive inside your desktop or laptop, you can also fire up the Microsoft Windows app—a one-stop central hub for managing connections to remote PCs and Windows in the cloud. The Windows app is available for Windows (as you would expect), as well as macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and (in preview form for now) Android. First rolled out in September 2024, the program brings with it support for multiple monitors and local USB peripherals, so you can carry on using your own webcam (for example) with your cloud copy of Windows. It's likely that significantly more people are going to get acquainted with the Windows app over the next few months: Microsoft has announced that the Remote Desktop app on the Microsoft Store (so not the standalone MSI installer) is being pulled in May, and that users should switch to using the Windows app instead. For the time being at least, you need a work or school Microsoft account to use the Windows app—as yet, Microsoft hasn't said anything about individual consumers getting access. If you fit the eligibility criteria, here's how the Windows app works, and the various features it gives you access to. The Windows app interface The Windows app runs on computers and mobile devices. Credit: Microsoft The Windows app interface is pretty straightforward, and is basically just a minimal-looking portal to Windows machines you're connecting to remotely or streaming from the cloud. There's also a section for remotely hosted apps that your place of work or school has given you access to. If you're in an IT department of some description, you may well have many of these devices and apps to manage and connect to, and there are simple tools for sifting through the various icons and thumbnails: You can mark certain devices and apps as favorites, for example, which puts them in a separate section. Workspaces can be expanded or collapsed, shown as a list or as a grid, and filtered in various ways—so you can keep the Windows installations you last connected to near the top of the screen, for example, put them in alphabetical order, or arrange them manually in any way you see fit. Once you're connected to another Windows machine, it's very much like using a local installation (internet bandwidth permitting). The Windows app takes care of the necessary syncing with input devices, and you're able to customize the connection in a variety of ways—which screen resolution the remote Windows PC shows up at, for instance. As well as the aforementioned USB peripheral and multi-monitor support, you can also set up audio and video streaming (think speakers and microphones), redirect folders, and configure universal clipboard access to make it more straightforward to transfer files and data between your local device and the remote one. Supported remote connections Connections can be established via a couple of clicks (or taps). The Windows app is able to access other Windows PCs remotely, as long as they're running Windows Professional, Windows Enterprise, or Windows Server—if you've not gathered by now, this isn't currently aimed at casual Windows users. Some setup is required on the computer you're connecting to, in part to prevent you logging into the machines of complete strangers. This setup process gives you the details you need to connect from the other end, and it gives you a handy way of connecting to your office PC while you're at home (or vice versa). The Windows app also supports Windows 365, where you're essentially streaming a Windows PC over the web (like a less exciting version of cloud gaming). Again, this is mostly aimed at businesses and education institutions, with pricing starting at $31 per user per month, and there's no indication yet that consumers will be able to rent their own cloud-based Windows PC anytime soon. There are some other connection options of interest to IT professionals, including Azure Virtual Desktop and Microsoft Dev Box, so it's a comprehensive tool for getting at Windows from anywhere. The reviews of the Microsoft Store version suggest it's far from bug-free (and there are some known limitations), but a lot of the negative reviews are simply complaints about the software only being for work and school accounts. With the connection made, you're then able to access features like secondary monitor support—this even works on mobile devices, potentially giving you an easier way to run Windows from a phone or tablet. These mobile devices can run the app in both portrait and landscape mode as well, and dynamically switch between them. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. Most of the time when you leave a job you hated, you do it professionally — you give notice, you transition your work, you move on, even when there’s malice deep in your heart. But sometimes you get the opportunity to go out with a bit more verve — for example, the person who quit with two hours of notice the week before a big project was due … exactly the same way they treated him when he’d been demoted four months prior. And obviously we must never forget the person who spelled out “I quit” in cod. Not all final F-you’s are so visible. Some are more discreet, perhaps known only to you. But all are satisfying. Have you ever left with an F-you to a job or a boss, subtle or not-so-subtle? Or seen it done? We want to hear about it in the comment section. View the full article

TD Bank is planning to close at least 37 branches across 10 states and Washington, D.C., as part of a broader effort to streamline operations and adapt to changing customer banking habits. The decision comes amid ongoing recovery efforts for the company, which is still grappling with the fallout from a $3 billion payout after pleading guilty to money laundering and failing to prevent illegal transactions. In October 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) revealed that over a six-year period, TD Bank had neglected to monitor more than $18 trillion in payments, enabling the laundering of over $600 million. As part of the settlement, the bank was required to pay hefty fines and cap its worth at $434 million. The branch closures were listed in filings to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Some of the locations were reported earlier by local publications, including the Philadelphia Business Journal. The move will impact communities in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast, with affected branches spanning Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. We’ve reached out to TD Bank for comment and to ask about the reason for the closures. Below is a state-by-state list of the locations: Connecticut (2) North Branford Branch – 1289 Foxon Road, North Branford, New Haven County Torrington Commons – 215 High St, Torrington, Litchfield County District of Columbia (1) Georgetown – 1611 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. Florida (3) Beville Nova – 1590 South Nova Road, Daytona Beach, Volusia County Main Blvd – 160 NW Main Blvd, Lake City, Columbia County South Beach 5th Street Branch – 500 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Miami-Dade County Maine (5) Fairfield – 112 Main St, Fairfield, Somerset County Fort Kent – 62 West Main, Fort Kent, Aroostook County Gorham Branch – 95 Main Street, Gorham, Cumberland County Houlton – 6 North St (PO Box 713), Houlton, Aroostook County Massachusetts (6) Bradford – 860 South Main St, Bradford, Essex County East Longmeadow – 465 North Main St, East Longmeadow, Hampden County Framingham Franklin Street – 420 Franklin St, Framingham, Middlesex County Holyoke – 50 Holyoke St, Holyoke, Hampden County Methuen Broadway – 547 Broadway, Methuen, Essex County Tewksbury 2345 Main Street – 2345 Main Street, Tewksbury, Middlesex County New Hampshire (4) Bristol NH – 10 North Main St, Bristol, Belknap County Contoocook/Main – 884 Main St, Contoocook, Hillsborough County Hampton – 40 High St, Hampton, Rockingham County Wilton Lyndeborough – 905 Elm St, Wilton, Hillsborough County New Jersey (5) Cedar Grove – 85-107 Pompton Avenue, Cedar Grove, Essex County Marlton East Branch – 191 E Route 70, Marlton, Burlington County Ringwood – 145 Skyline Drive, Ringwood, Passaic County Royal Road – One Royal Rd, Raritan Township, Hunterdon County Spring Lake Heights – 555 Warren Avenue, Spring Lake Heights, Monmouth County New York (5) 42nd and Madison Branch – 125 Park Avenue, New York, New York County 45th and Lexington Store – 451 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York County Dolson Avenue – 156A-B Dolson Avenue, Middletown, Orange County Downtown Branch – 136 Margaret Street, Plattsburgh, Clinton County Greenlawn – 460 Pulaski Road, Greenlawn, Suffolk County Pennsylvania (3) Chestnut Hill Branch – 8600 Germantown Pike, Philadelphia, Philadelphia County Frazer Branch – 101 Lancaster Avenue, Frazer, Chester County Morrisville Branch – West Trenton Ave & Carlisle Ave, Morrisville, Bucks County South Carolina (2) Columbia Main Branch – 1501 Main Street, Columbia, Richland County Thornblade Branch – 6 Elmshorn Drive, Greer, Greenville County Virginia (2) Centreville Branch – Centreville Drive and Machen Road, Centreville, Fairfax County Reston – 1750 North Hampton Avenue, Reston, Fairfax County View the full article

Before I started SEO, I was an educator for about 10 years. To say education is close to my heart would be an understatement. But, the real value of this post comes from the expertise shared by these industry leaders:…Read more ›View the full article

This is no time to be making inferior scrambled eggs—each shell must be cracked with a purpose and cooked to perfection. While you’ve probably scrambled a good few eggs in your time, it’s important to know that there are multiple ways to set up your scramble, and each way delivers a different result. Find out if you’ve actually been scrambling up the perfect egg, or if you need to switch your method. Heat and added ingredientsThere are plenty of ingredients that can alter the texture of your eggs, so I wanted to keep the components consistent to zoom in on which texture results from each scrambling tool (whisk, fork, immersion blender, and jar shaking). The addition of mix-ins like chopped meat, herbs, or cheese and using water, milk, cream or nothing at all can change things (some more than others). Of course, it depends on what you’re hungry for that day, but I will say this: too much of any liquid can lead to rubbery scrambled eggs. In an effort to evaporate the excess moisture you may resort to cooking the eggs longer and the proteins will constrict until they’re tight and chewy. Always use a small amount if you use any liquid at all, about a teaspoon per two eggs. If you’re completely starting from scratch with how you like to cook scrambled eggs, then you might want to read a bit more about cooking them low and slow or hot and fast. Low and slow can lead to more custardy eggs with tiny, porridge-like curds. Hot and fast will give you larger hunks of egg. How to scramble your favorite eggsIn these tests I prepared the mixture the same way every time—two eggs with a half-teaspoon of heavy cream and a pinch of salt—and cooked them in a lightly buttered pan over low heat just bridging on medium. I was surprised to note the results. There is no wrong scrambled egg, by the way. Some folks like them dry and some like them custardy. Either way, here’s how to achieve the best one for you. Regular fork scramble Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann I expected this to yield the most clumpy egg, and firm pieces. Surprisingly, a classic fork scramble for 20 to 30 seconds yields a soft, medium curd. Compared to the immersion blender and the whisk, fork scrambling is actually a pretty gentle way to handle your eggs. The eggs ended up tender and silky. Immersion blender Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann As expected, running the immersion blender for 30 seconds created a heavily aerated mixture—the egg liquid nearly doubled in volume in that short blending time. This resulted in quick-cooking, fluffy ribbons of egg. The fine bubbles cooked quickly along the sides of the pan and naturally I’d swipe along the sides to stir them into the center. This scramble was more firm and fluffy and the texture was light. Shake ‘em in a jar Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann I don’t usually shake my eggs, but I might start. My eggs, salt, and cream went into a small jar (an old amarena cherry jar from Trader Joe’s. IYKYK.) and I shook the heck out of it for about 30 seconds (with the lid on, of course). Even though I shook it vigorously, this method is one of the more gentle scrambling methods. Instead of using a metal tool, which adds air to the mix, the jar contains the eggs as they break up against the walls. This scramble was soft and silky, even more so than with using a fork. It’s easier to get small curds with this mixing style. I didn't go full-porridge here, but if you do like a creamy, porridge consistency then you should start jar-shakin’ and cook them on very low heat. Whisked Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann I expected whisked eggs to be similar to fork-scrambled, but things turned out differently again. Quickly whisking my eggs led to similar results to using the immersion—firm, fluffy ribbons. You can see that the ribbons are shorter (more like chips) than what the immersion blender produced. I could argue that they were less firm than the immersion, but if I had to do a blind taste test, I’d probably confuse the two. The pattern from these four tests comes down to aeration. The more you agitate your eggs and add air bubbles to them, the fluffier and firmer they will be. Obviously the immersion blender has a lot of power behind it so you’ll get plenty of foam with an appliance like this. The whisk is designed to whip air into liquids so, again, more foam. The more gentle you are with your scramble—a four-tined fork or a simple shake—keeps your egg mixture tender and silky, with fewer bubbles incorporated. I thought I’d be immersion blending my scramble from here on out, but I very well might become a jar shaker. Life is unpredictable, isn’t it? View the full article

Google Analytics is enhancing its reporting capabilities with three new features designed to help users better understand their data and identify potential tracking issues. Percentage values are now included in all detailed reports, new notifications flag missing session_start events and system alerts also highlight high rates of “(not set)” values. Percentages now standard in reports. Google has added percentage values to each row across all detailed reports in both the “Reports” and “Ads” modules. The new percentage columns allow analysts to immediately see which traffic sources, pages, or campaigns are driving the most significant portions of their results without manual calculations. Missing session_start notifications. Google Analytics 4 relies heavily on properly configured session_start events. When reports detect a high rate of missing session_start events, the system will now display an information icon with alert details. Users can interact with these icons to: Understand the specific issue detected. Learn about potential causes. Access documentation explaining how to resolve the problem. Find implementation guidance to prevent future occurrences. This proactive notification system should help catch configuration issues before significantly impacting data quality. High “(not set)” rate alerts. Similar to the session_start notifications, Google Analytics will now flag reports showing an unusually high rate of “(not set)” values. This is a common indicator of implementation problems or tracking gaps. These alerts provide contextual information about: Why “(not set)” values appear in reports What these values typically indicate How to diagnose and fix the underlying tracking issues Why we care. These updates help improve data transparency and accuracy, which are critical for optimizing campaigns. The addition of percentage values helps quickly assess the impact of different data points, while the new notifications for missing session starts and high “(not set)” rates highlight potential tracking issues that could distort performance metrics. By addressing these issues early, advertisers can ensure their reports reflect real user behavior, leading to more informed budget allocation and campaign decisions. Go deeper. The addition of these features comes as organizations increasingly rely on accurate analytics data for decision making and as proper GA4 implementation remains challenging for many teams. View the full article