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While the country remains rightfully concerned about the future of democracy under the Trump administration, there is one American symbol that still radiates hope: the bald eagle. Two majestic birds, Jackie and Shadow, are trying to expand their family in Big Bear, California. Last week, Jackie laid three eggs, and now thousands of viewers are tuning in to the bald eagle nest cam maintained by the nonprofit Friends of Big Bear Valley to cheer their feathered friends on. Let’s take a deeper look into the iconic bird and how you can watch the action: A brief history of our national symbol A shocking-but-true fact is that the bald eagle was not officially the national bird until President Joe Biden signed the bill into law in 2024, as NPR reported. Most people assumed this was already the case. This is because shortly after the country’s creation in 1776, three congressional committees tried to agree on an official seal to represent the new country. A consensus could not be reached, so Charles Thomson, the secretary of Congress, came up with the Great Seal, which borrowed elements of the three failed designs. A bald eagle replaced a white eagle because the species is native to North America. Congress approved Thomson’s design in 1782, making the bald eagle the unofficial symbol of the new nation. The species would go on to grace flags, money, government buildings, military uniforms, and more. Jackie and Shadow’s journey The bald eagle nest cam was first established in 2016 to watch Jackie’s parents, Ricky and Lucy. Typically, bald eagles do not stay in Big Bear year-round, but these birds decided to do things differently. Jackie followed their example even after her parents’ disappearance. She began a relationship with another bald eagle named Mr. B at one of her parent’s old nests and hatched two chicks, Stormy and BBB. Sadly, BBB died after only six and a half weeks following a big rainstorm and freezing temperatures. While Stormy, Jackie, and Mr. B were still using the nest, Shadow decided to go after Jackie’s affections. Shadow must be some kind of a bald eagle smooth talker because—even though eagles typically mate for life—he was successful in kicking Mr. B to the curb and taking over as Jackie’s mate. Jackie and Shadow have been together since 2018 and have successfully raised two chicks. The pair has faced several instances of adversity along their parental journey, including ravens eating their eggs, some eggs being unfertilized, and even laying a broken egg. Webcam viewers watched these birds battle harsh weather conditions and mourn the loss of babies just as a human couple would. And during the past two seasons, Jackie and Shadow did not successfully hatch a chick, despite Jackie laying multiple eggs and the two being diligent incubators. Three eggs offer hope for new eaglets in 2025 Jackie and Shadow have persisted despite their recent losses. On January 22, 2025, Jackie laid her first egg of the season. Three days later, she laid another one, and on January 28, egg number 3 showed up. This is notable because eagles usually only lay one or two eggs. The incubation period is typically around 35 days long, and dramatic tension is building. At last check, Big Bear’s Bald Eagle Live Nest Cam 1 had more than 11,000 live viewers on YouTube. (Cam 2, which is more of a wide shot, had just over 500 viewers.) To watch Jackie and Shadow care for their eggs, check out the webcam embedded below. Cross your wings and hope their hatch successfully! View the full article

US president tells lawmakers he wants to strike ‘carried interest’ rule used by leading financiers View the full article

President Donald Trump has placed holds on tens of billions of dollars in congressionally approved spending for projects across the U.S. that range from Iowa soybean farmers adopting greener practices to a Virginia railway expansion, a Reuters analysis found. Project managers and advocates warn that continued delays could take a toll on local economies. Democratic lawmakers say the halts are the building blocks to “impoundment,” presidential refusal to release money authorized and appropriated by Congress, which they say is illegal. The man Trump has nominated as his budget chief, Russell Vought, has disagreed, saying presidents have the right to withhold spending. The Republican-majority Senate is expected to confirm Vought on Thursday evening after Democrats staged an all-night session in opposition. A federal court on January 31 temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s government-wide pause on federal grant funding. But soon after, the administration argued the president’s directives were still in effect. Trump’s orders have restrained at least tens of billions of dollars of funding for clean energy projects, conservation initiatives and transportation projects across the country. Dozens of interviews with grantees in more than 20 states, along with industry managers and experts that track how the federal government distributes its money, captured just a snapshot of federal spending that Trump’s orders continued to freeze. The Trump administration has not provided an overall estimate of the frozen funding, but thousands of new jobs in communities are at risk, people working on the halted projects said. “It’s a major concern if this doesn’t get done,” Mike Foley, a Cuyahoga County, Ohio, official who oversees energy projects with more than $100 million in paused funding, said. “I need to hire engineers and I can’t do that.” The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power over federal spending and a decades-old law requires the president to give Congress advance notice of impoundments before taking action. “We will speak out, we will press this administration, we will open investigations, and we will demand accountability,” Senator Patty Murray, the senior Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee. Republican lawmakers argue the pauses are necessary to give the new administration time to assess what money is being spent on and look for ways to lower the U.S. deficit. “The executive branch of government in our system has the right to evaluate how executive branch agencies are operating and to ensure that not only the intent of Congress in funding mechanisms, but also the stewardship of precious American taxpayer dollars, is being handled well,” House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Wednesday. The initial January 20 White House orders were broad and told federal agencies to “immediately pause the disbursement of funds” from two large bills that were marquee accomplishments of then-President Joe Biden, including a 2021 bipartisan effort. Disrupted funding The town of Painesville, Ohio, about 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Cleveland, received part of a $129 million climate pollution reduction grant last year to replace its 137-year-old coal-fired power plant. It would be replaced with solar panels and a battery backup system, but the project and its estimated 200 jobs remains on hiatus because of the funding pause. “To have the grants paused or frozen is really disrupting and disheartening,” Foley, the project lead, added. Hundreds of millions of dollars also remain paused throughout Ohio and seven other states ranging from Pennsylvania to Kansas for projects to help around 17,000 lower-income households save on energy costs. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday indicated to some grantees, in a list viewed by Reuters, that only one educational program out of dozens of varying projects funded by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act that Republicans opposed would likely move forward. Tom Taylor, senior policy analyst at Atlas Public Policy, a climate think-tank, estimated that thousands of grant recipients could be defunded as a result. In Virginia, a $2.3 billion “Long Bridge” improvement that would significantly increase passenger and freight railroad service is also in limbo, Democratic Senator Tim Kaine said. “They seem to be if it happened during the Biden administration we want to pause this, even if it’s doing good in red and blue states,” he told reporters. Republican states Of the approximately $21 billion of funding that could be clawed back by the Department of Transportation, almost $7 billion is directed for projects in states that voted for Trump in 2024, said Corrigan Solerno, the policy manager for the research group Transportation for America. Trump rescinded the previous administration’s goal of 40% funding to disadvantaged communities, which includes the “climate smart” commodities grants for thousands farmers to implement conservation practices like cover crops. “This suspension puts the program and its participating farmers at risk,” Brent Swart, the president of the Iowa Soybean Association wrote in a Monday letter to all Republican members of Congress from Iowa, saying farmers involved in this regional project “are contractually owed $11 million for practices implemented in 2024.” Meanwhile, businesses and local officials find themselves hoping for the best as budget battles rage. “I try not to get too anxious about things until I know it’s real,” Danville City Manager Ken Larking said of any potential cuts to a $1.3 billion industrial development park just outside of his Virginia town. —Bo Erickson and Richard Cowan, Reuters View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. I recommend a lot of organizational tools around here, from high-quality shelves to renter-friendly options. While having a bunch of designated storage space is crucial for maintaining the decluttering and organizational principles that keep a home in order, some of the products on the market are a little spendy. Sometimes, sure, you need to drop some significant cash on something that will really help you whip a space into shape, but most of the time, there are inexpensive options that get the job done just as well. Here are some of my favorite organizing staples, all of which cost me less than or around $25. Storage carts save money and spaceFirst up, I got a new storage cart this week. You might not think that something so small—it's just 15 inches deep and under five inches wide—would be useful, but it absolutely is. A few notes: It was outrageously easy to build. The pieces were simple, they all snapped into place in a logical way, and I didn't even need any tools. It took me about two and a half minutes to do. It came with six different hooks, which really expands the potential it has for storage beyond its three tiered shelves. Crucially, it also came with wheels, but unlike the ones I've seen on a lot of build-it-yourself furniture, these actually work. The little casters don't get tangled or messed up. They're not sticky. They just... roll. Best of all? I got it for $16.71 after watching its price fluctuate between $17 and $21 while it was sitting in my Amazon cart. I am in love. Credit: Lindsey Ellefson As I've admired this over the past few hours, I've been stuck on what I want to do with it. It might be small, but it has a lot of potential. I'm tempted to make a new cleaning cart, which requires a rolling contraption such as this, but I'm also tempted to slide it next to my toilet for extra bathroom storage. Then again, it could fit easily in my closet, too, where it could help me with all the accessory organizing I struggle with—shoes and bags could go on the shelves while scarves, necklaces, and belts drape from the hooks. At this price point and knowing how versatile and simple it is, I'm thinking I should buy three more right now and just do it all. Under-cabinet storage is key (and cheap)On second thought, I probably won't create a cleaning cart out of my wonderful, tiered organizer—but only because I have finally organized my cleaning supplies just how I like them (and for under $25, again). I have an under-cabinet storage unit similar to this, but this product actually is better because you get two for $21.99. 2 Pack Pull-Out Storage Organizers $21.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg Shop Now Shop Now $21.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg I only got one before, but it was around $17. Even though I just have the one, it's made a world of difference in keeping my cleaning supplies organized, mostly because of the bottom shelf's ability to slide out, which means I don't have to dig through a bunch of carefully stacked items to reach what I need. Again, there are hooks on the side, which are perfect for rags, so everything stays together. Acrylic organizers for existing shelvesI've mentioned this before, but acrylic organizers have done wonders for organizing my shelving. You can get wooden ones, too, but acrylic tends to be cheaper. Look for anything with tiered, tiny steps built in, like this: Large Acrylic Display Risers $6.49 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $8.73 Save $2.24 Shop Now Shop Now $6.49 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $8.73 Save $2.24 I use little risers like this all over my apartment: They store my makeup, my perfume, and, in some cases, smaller knick-knacks like candles and little decorations. Beyond the fact that they're just ridiculously cheap, the tiers make them perfect for holding delicate objects, since I don't have to disrupt any of the items in front to get to what's in the back and they don't touch or rub on each other. I can see and reach what I have and everything stays safe. (If you're worried about knocking things over on these delicate little units, though, pick up some museum gel, which is a sticky substance you can place under items on flat surfaces to keep them in place.) Cube shelving for creating subdivisionsI am, I believe, in my 12th year as a cube-shelving enthusiast. I've evangelized about these before, but I really stand by it for a few reasons. First, the shelves being broken up into square compartments makes it very easy to organize your possessions by niche categories. With longer shelves or drawers, you may only have one to dedicate to "shirts," but shirts can refer to long-sleeved tops, t-shirts, going-out tops, camis, button-ups, sweaters, and a whole slew of other types. With cube storage, you can drill down on more refined categories, keeping everything in better order and making it easier to find what you need when you need it. Furinno Pasir 3-Tier No Tool Assembly Open Shelf Bookcase, White $25.92 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $29.99 Save $4.07 Shop Now Shop Now $25.92 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $29.99 Save $4.07 The second reason is that they're cheap—most of the time. Yes, you can find larger versions that retail up into the $80 or $90 range, but my apartment is stocked up with these three-cube types, which are usually around $25. (I know the one linked above is $25.92, so not under $25, but according to price-tracking tool CamelCamelCamel, it's been down to $17.99 before and that's close to the price I remember purchasing these at most often. It's a waiting game, that's all.) I have them in my closet behind my hanging garments, in my kitchen (doubling as extra work space, with their flat tops), in my bathroom, and in my living room. They're compact and buying them in smaller configurations makes them more versatile and adaptable, especially when you're living in a smaller space. Cube shelves forever! I remain obsessed with my storage lamp (though its price fluctuates)Finally, since buying a storage lamp during October Prime Day, I've been consistently impressed with how useful it is—but the price has gone up recently. I cannot tell you this is something you can get for below or around $25, though it pains me to admit it. The one I have was in the $33 range in the fall, but is now $51.09. Kind of despicable, if you ask me, but I'm lucky I got it when I did because I use one level to hold lotions and cozy items, another for my gaming stuff, and the top one as a display area to take pictures of things I want to sell online, since the lighting from up top illuminates my goods just right. Plus, it's just a damn useful lamp in its own right, with or without the storage shelves underneath. The good news is that competing brands and products are available in the lower range, for about $29. Again, it's not $25, but it's still close and if you're looking for classy storage that doubles as functional decor, this is what I recommend. View the full article

LexisNexis Legal & Professional has introduced an enhanced conversational search feature in its Nexis+ AI platform, aiming to accelerate research and business intelligence through generative AI-powered search capabilities. The update enables users to conduct conversation-based searches across a vast repository of licensed news and corporate data, including the industry’s largest collection of Gen AI-approved news datasets. Conversational Search and AI-Powered Research Launched in July 2024, Nexis+ AI is designed to assist researchers with AI-driven tools that streamline data discovery, document analysis, report synthesis, and news summarization. The newly introduced conversational search function generates multi-source responses with linked citations to enhance transparency. Alongside the AI-generated summaries, Nexis+ AI also provides traditional search results compiled from its licensed news sources. Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) technology plays a critical role in refining search accuracy, ensuring responses are drawn from authoritative sources such as The Associated Press, McClatchy, and Gannett. Nexis+ AI employs automated relevance metrics, human review processes, and citation validation to reduce inaccuracies and improve the reliability of AI-generated insights. “Conversational search allows Nexis+ AI users to engage with our industry-leading corporate data and global news content in ways that were never possible before, rapidly delivering valuable, trustworthy business insights that lead to faster, more accurate business decisioning and increased market competitiveness,” said Dani McCormick, Vice President of Product, Nexis Solutions. Data Security and Privacy Safeguards LexisNexis emphasizes data security and compliance as a core aspect of Nexis+ AI’s functionality. The platform follows Privacy-by-Design principles, ensuring adherence to data protection regulations and preventing external access to stored conversations. Key privacy safeguards include: Secure encryption of all AI conversations, with automatic data purging after 90 days. No use of customer interactions to train foundational AI models, protecting proprietary business information. Compliance with RELX Responsible AI Principles, addressing ethical concerns and preventing algorithmic bias. Enterprise Adoption and Future Access Nexis+ AI is positioned as a business intelligence solution that enhances decision-making efficiency while ensuring transparency and reliability. Organizations seeking early access to updates and engagement opportunities can join the Nexis+ AI Insider Program at www.lexisnexis.com/insiderprogram. Image: LexisNexis This article, "LexisNexis Enhances Nexis+ AI with Conversational Search for Faster, Transparent Business Intelligence" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

LexisNexis Legal & Professional has introduced an enhanced conversational search feature in its Nexis+ AI platform, aiming to accelerate research and business intelligence through generative AI-powered search capabilities. The update enables users to conduct conversation-based searches across a vast repository of licensed news and corporate data, including the industry’s largest collection of Gen AI-approved news datasets. Conversational Search and AI-Powered Research Launched in July 2024, Nexis+ AI is designed to assist researchers with AI-driven tools that streamline data discovery, document analysis, report synthesis, and news summarization. The newly introduced conversational search function generates multi-source responses with linked citations to enhance transparency. Alongside the AI-generated summaries, Nexis+ AI also provides traditional search results compiled from its licensed news sources. Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) technology plays a critical role in refining search accuracy, ensuring responses are drawn from authoritative sources such as The Associated Press, McClatchy, and Gannett. Nexis+ AI employs automated relevance metrics, human review processes, and citation validation to reduce inaccuracies and improve the reliability of AI-generated insights. “Conversational search allows Nexis+ AI users to engage with our industry-leading corporate data and global news content in ways that were never possible before, rapidly delivering valuable, trustworthy business insights that lead to faster, more accurate business decisioning and increased market competitiveness,” said Dani McCormick, Vice President of Product, Nexis Solutions. Data Security and Privacy Safeguards LexisNexis emphasizes data security and compliance as a core aspect of Nexis+ AI’s functionality. The platform follows Privacy-by-Design principles, ensuring adherence to data protection regulations and preventing external access to stored conversations. Key privacy safeguards include: Secure encryption of all AI conversations, with automatic data purging after 90 days. No use of customer interactions to train foundational AI models, protecting proprietary business information. Compliance with RELX Responsible AI Principles, addressing ethical concerns and preventing algorithmic bias. Enterprise Adoption and Future Access Nexis+ AI is positioned as a business intelligence solution that enhances decision-making efficiency while ensuring transparency and reliability. Organizations seeking early access to updates and engagement opportunities can join the Nexis+ AI Insider Program at www.lexisnexis.com/insiderprogram. Image: LexisNexis This article, "LexisNexis Enhances Nexis+ AI with Conversational Search for Faster, Transparent Business Intelligence" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The Harvard Law School Library says it is releasing an archive of more than 300,000 government data sets, aiming to protect vital public information at a time when President Donald Trump’s administration is wiping it from the web. The initiative, announced Thursday by the Law School Library’s Innovation Lab, is one of several efforts to rescue official figures and government datasets as Trump and his billionaire allies take a wrecking ball to the federal government, yanking thousands of websites offline and in some cases deleting entire agencies off the internet. Academics and researchers from fields including public health, climate studies and sociology have been left scrambling as the Trump administration scrubs official data. On Sunday, the New York Times reported it found that more than 8,000 government web pages had been removed in the aftermath of the presidential transition. The Innovation Lab said in a statement it had so far managed to preserve 311,000 datasets copied between 2024 and 2025, amounting to 16 terabytes of data. Amanda Watson, the Harvard Law School’s assistant dean for library and information services, said her institution’s rescue effort was about “upholding our fundamental belief that government information belongs to the public.” The Innovation Lab isn’t doing the work alone. Others that have scrambled to preserve government data include the San Francisco-based Internet Archive, which has been taking systematic end-of-presidential-term snapshots of government websites since 2008, as well as groups such as the Environmental Data & Governance Initiative, which rescued an interactive government widget for checking how polluted a given area was — one of many tools knocked offline by the Trump administration. Jack Cushman, who directs the Innovation Lab, said the government collected an untold amount of data. “That’s everything from ‘What is the weather or climate going to be?’ to ‘How are the crops growing?’ to ‘How much water is in aquifers’ to ‘What are people dying of?’ to ‘What jobs are growing or shrinking,'” he said. “The government tracks so many things that help us understand and plan and make sense of what’s happening in the world. We wanted to make sure our patrons can get access to all that information.” —Raphael Satter, Reuters View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Most people won't be able to tell the difference in visual quality between a QLED and OLED TV at a glance, but the difference in price is immediately obvious. The truth is, if you get a good QLED TV, most people will be happy with the picture quality and be happy to pocket the price difference. If you think that applies to you, I think this QLED from TCL is a about as good a choice as it gets. The TCL QM7 is a Quantum Dot Mini Light Emitting Diode (QD Mini-LED) QLED TV, meaning TCL combines QD and Mini-LED tech to improve picture quality with more realistic colors, better contrast, and higher brightness. The QM7 also supports most HDR formats that most people want and is a great TV for gamers. Perhaps the best part is how affordable this TV is for how good it is. TCL sent me a 65-inch QM7 for me to review. After testing it for a while, I can recommend this TV to anyone who wants a solid, budget QLED TV without the premium perks and prices of TVs like TCL's QM8 or OLEDs. Display Technology: QD Mini-LED and QLED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 144 Hz. TCL 55-Inch QM7 QLED 4K Smart QD-Mini LED TV $497.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg Shop Now Shop Now $497.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg Display Technology: QD Mini-LED and QLED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 144 Hz. TCL 65-Inch QM7 QLED 4K Smart QD-Mini LED TV $698.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg Shop Now Shop Now $698.00 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg Display Technology: QD Mini-LED and QLED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 144 Hz. TCL 75-Inch QM7 QLED 4K Smart QD-Mini LED TV $897.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $997.99 Save $100.00 Shop Now Shop Now $897.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $997.99 Save $100.00 Display Technology: QD Mini-LED and QLED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 144 Hz. TCL 85-Inch QM7 QLED 4K Smart QD-Mini LED TV $1,397.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $1,999.99 Save $602.00 Shop Now Shop Now $1,397.99 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg $1,999.99 Save $602.00 Display Technology: QD Mini-LED and QLED, Resolution: 4K, Refresh Rate: 144 Hz. TCL 98-Inch QM7 QLED 4K Smart QD-Mini LED TV $2,299.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $2,299.99 at Amazon SEE 2 MORE TCL QM7 pros, cons, and specsSpecsType: QLED with QD-Mini LED technology Dimming Zones: Up to 1,240 local dimming zones Brightness: Up to 2,400 nits peak brightness Ports: 4 HDMI inputs (One 4K/144Hz, one 4K/120Hz, one 4K/60Hz, and one eARC/ARC with 4K/60Hz), 2 USB ports (one USB 3.0 and one USB 2.0), 1 Ethernet port, 1 Digital Audio Optical output, 1 Antenna/cable input, 1 RF Input, 1 Headphone output, 1 AV Input (Composite Video + L&R Audio In) Screen Size and Weight: 55-inch model: 28.9 lbs (13.1 kg), 65-inch model: 45.9 lbs (20.8 kg), 75-inch model: 63.1 lbs (28.6 kg), 85-inch model: 81.6 lbs (37 kg), 98-inch model: 130.1 lbs (59 kg) Resolution: 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels) HDR Support: HDR ULTRA with Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG Input Lag: Low input lag, enhanced by features like Auto Low Latency Mode (ALLM) and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro, providing a responsive gaming experience. Refresh Rate: 120Hz native panel refresh rate, supporting up to 144Hz Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) Contrast: Enhanced contrast with 1,240 local dimming zones, delivering deep blacks and bright whites Voice Assistant: Built-in Google Assistant; also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Apple HomeKit Operating System: Google TV ProsBright with up to 2,400 nits Strong contrast makes colors pop Hands-free Google Assistant Support for most HDR formats Support for Apple AirPlay, Google Cast, Alexa, and Apple HomeKit Native 120Hz and support VRR up to 144Hz ConsColors are saturated out of the box Plastic build feels cheap Stand is wobbly (but you can just mount it) TCL QM7 first impressionsThe QM7 didn't make a good impression out of the box. The plastic build quality was poor and felt cheap and weak. However, as you will read on, this is mainly where TCL made cuts to give such a good value TV. I would much rather have TV companies make cuts on the build than on the specs, ports, formats, or picture quality. Once my TV was set up, none of the physical aspects of the TV mattered. Credit: Daniel Oropeza Design The ports on the QM7. Credit: Daniel Oropeza Thin bezels give this TV a very modern look. The ports on the QM7 are well thought out and will make gamers happy. You have four HDMI ports, two of which are HDMI 2.1, and one of those can handle 4K at 144Hz. Neither of these two is the eARC port, letting you hook up a soundbar without taking one of the good HDMI ports. Good job TCL. The "Ultra-Bass" subwoofer from Onkyo on the back of the TV. Credit: Daniel Oropeza The stand on the QM7 is in the center, with a 3.5-inch gap to place a soundbar. However, I felt the stand was too wobbly, so I opted to mount the TV using a standard VESA bracket for my bedroom. I personally recommend getting a soundbar if you value proper audio. The "Ultra-Bass" subwoofer from Onkyo on the back of the TV looks cool, but it was nothing more than a gimmick. I could not hear any difference in audio, much less in bass, compared to any other TV. Controller of the QM7. Credit: Daniel Oropeza I really like the controller, with an auto-sense backlight that came in pretty handy when I was looking for the controller in pitch darkness. Image Image looks great on a scene from 'Lost.' Credit: Daniel Oropeza The two main things that stood out from the image when I first watched the QM7 were the contrast and brightness. The contrast is powerful, with a native contrast of 8,264;1 and getting up to 66,900: 1, which is better than most non-OLED TVs. Deep blacks look very good, even when next to bright highlights. This is due to the high amount of local dimming zones (1,240 to be exact), which is impressive given the price of this TV. Credit: Daniel Oropeza This TV is also very bright, hitting up to 2,400 nits of peak brightness. This makes it a great TV for a bright living room or a bedroom with a lot of natural light, which is the case in my bedroom. The highlights in dark scenes really stand out in HDR content, and since it supports HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, I could not think of a better way to put this to the test than by re-watching the darkest episode I could think of, "The Long Night" from Game of Thrones (season 8, episode 3) on Max, which streams in 4K and with Dolby Vision. Dark scene from Game of Thrones where you can see detail in the caves. Credit: Daniel Oropeza I was blown away by how much detail I picked up with the QM7 that I missed the first time I watched the episode. With the QM7 I could see details in caves and fight scenes that I never saw before. Even during the darkest scenes, I could make out what was happening on the screen. There was barely any blooming on the scenes with fire or bright highlights against dark backgrounds (even the subtitles looked good). Credit: Daniel Oropeza The image isn't perfect though, since some black and shadow images do look over-bright (you can fix a lot of this in the settings with the right adjustments though). But overall, it does a great job in most cases, especially in HDR content. Since this is still a VA panel, it does lose some detail and color saturation at certain viewing angles, but it's not terrible. I could still enjoy the details, colors, and brightness sitting from the most extreme angles. Credit: Daniel Oropeza The reflection can be problematic, but mostly when I was watching dark scenes and I had my overhead fan light on and the windows open during the brightest time of the day. When I switched over to bright scenes with the same amount of bright light in my room, the glare was barely noticeable. Credit: Daniel Oropeza FeaturesTCL is one of the TV brands that isn't loyal to one specific HDR format, so you get to enjoy all of them (if that TV offers them). The QM7 offers HDR ULTRA with Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, HDR10, and HLG, covering most of the formats used in premium streaming app subscriptions these days. The HDR Ultra with Dolby Vision IQ adjusts the brightness of the light in your room, which can be a cool feature for those who are sensitive to brightness, but I personally don't enjoy it, so I turned it off. Google TVThe hands-free Google Assistant is responsive and works better than my aging Google Home. Because this is a Google TV, it is compatible with Google Cast, but it's always great to see it supports others like Apple AirPlay, Alexa, and Apple HomeKit. Credit: Daniel Oropeza The Google TV OS is snappy and easy on the eyes. It also comes with many free channels through TCL TV and live Google TV Freeplay. You won't find the latest shows or movies playing, mainly reruns or local live TV, but it's free. GamingThe Xbox Series X/S is the only console that does Dolby Vision (for now), so your results may vary, but my experience was one of the best ones I've had. Using the 4K and 120Hz refresh rate (you can do 144Hz if your computer supports it) in game mode picture setting was beautiful (remember you'll need an Ultra High-Speed HDMI to do this). The colors are radiant, the movements smooth, and the input lag isn't noticeable (6 milliseconds). My only qualm is with the sound delay. When playing games like Halo Infinite or Call of Duty: Black Ops, there is a noticeable delay when shots are fired and when the sound is heard. This can likely be fixed if you hook up a soundbar and adjust the audio delay settings, but I didn't see an option to adjust this with the TVs built-in speakers. Credit: Daniel Oropeza I enjoy having the "information" button on the remote, which shows me if I am actually gaming with the Game Master setting on, the resolution, refresh rate, UHD and FreeSync, and the HDR format (Dolby Vision in my case). You can see what it looks like in the image above. Bottom line Credit: Daniel Oropeza The QM7 is an incredible QLED TV with great value for the money. It is incredibly bright reaching highs of up to 2,400 nits, has a powerful contrast that makes colors pop while keeping deep darks, and very minimal blooming. The up to 1,240 local dimming zones make this TV one of the best value options for picture quality for non-OLEDs. Watching movies or shows is great with HDR support from the most used formats for streaming media. With four HDMI ports all of which can get 4k, and one of which can support VRR and up to 144Hz (separate from the eARC), gamers have plenty of ports to use multiple consoles or products at once. If you're willing to look past the cheap plastic build and wobbly stand (mount it and forget it) this is an incredible budget QLED for the money. You can find the 65-inch for under $700, making it a very competitive TV in the mid-tier TV market. View the full article

ChatGPT maker OpenAI said on Thursday that Texas will be the “flagship” data center site in the Stargate project it is building with SoftBank. Around 16 states have indicated interest in building data centers for Stargate, an OpenAI executive said on a conference call. Stargate plans to invest up to $500 billion to help the United States stay ahead of China and other competitors in the global AI race. In January, President Donald Trump announced the private sector investment initiative to fund AI infrastructure, aiming to outpace rival nations in this critical business technology. Stargate will build data centers and create more than 100,000 jobs in the United States, Trump said. These companies, along with other equity backers of Stargate, have committed $100 billion for immediate deployment, with the remaining investment expected to occur over the next four years. The initial data centers for the project are already under construction in Texas, Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison had said then. —Juby Babu, Akash Sriram, and Anna Tong, Reuters View the full article

There's a lot of advice out there for proper password management: Each of your passwords should be strong and unique; use a secure manager to store your passwords; use two-factor authentication (2FA) to add an extra layer of security to your accounts. But there's another piece of advice that is held in the same regard as the others: Change your passwords often—perhaps once every three months. This habit is so emphasized, many companies and organizations will make you change your passwords multiple times a year in the name of security. The thing is, in all likelihood, this isn't actually doing anything to help your security. This idea that changing your passwords multiple times a year is a cornerstone of your security, might be engrained in some of you. After all, it's not new advice. As PCMag examined, the practice goes back a long time: When security experts write about passwords, they often write about changing passwords, too. It's just the way the advice has been presented. But that's likely because it's anticipating and responding to bad security habits. Good passwords don't (usually) need to be changed Changing your passwords really only makes sense when your passwords are compromised. After all, if no one knows your password, why change it? Still, passwords are cracked all the time. As such, it might seem logical to frequently switch yours up: You never know which of your passwords could be guessed, right? So might as well keep those bad actors on their toes. But let's take a step back: There's no reason any of your passwords should be guessable. If a hacker is able to guess your password, it's a bad password, and you shouldn't have been using it in the first place. I'll take it a step further, and say none of your passwords should be crackable by a computer, either—at least, not on a timeline where it matters. A good password, meaning one that is both strong and unique, is inherently uncrackable. It should be long, varied, and not in use on any other account. It shouldn't matter if the companies that control one of your accounts is breached, because this password is different than that one. You can use a tool like Bitwarden's password tester to see how long different passwords take a computer to crack. "Lifehacker" takes eight seconds to crack. "Lifehackerdaughtcalm" takes centuries. If your password is strong and unique, and takes longer than a human lifetime to theoretically crack, there's no need to change that password in three months time. There's no need to change that password in a year. There's no need to change that password period—unless you're presented with an actual threat. When to change your passwordI'm not saying you should never change your password. You should definitely change it if other people know about it. Most often, that happens when the company that holds your account has a data breach. Let's say AT&T has a mega breach, and authentication data from users is leaked onto the dark web. In that case, you should change your password ASAP. In an event like this, the company in question will probably tell you to do as much, and may even offer you extra perks to make up for the inconvenience of having your data leaked. Of course, data breaches aren't the only times good passwords are discovered. Malware is another threat to look out for. If you fall for a phishing scam, for example, and download malware to your computer, it may monitor and steal your passwords to your sensitive accounts. Or, you may be tricked into opening a fake version of a website you have an account for, typing your username and password into that site, and presto: password compromised. In these cases, your strong and unique password has fallen, so yes, it's time to change it. But barring an actual reason to do so, you don't need to bother with switching it up. To be clear, you're not hurting your security by changing your passwords. In fact, you might not even have a choice, if your company or organization requires you to change your password every so often. But so long as all of your passwords are strong and unique, and none of them are compromised, you're just giving yourself more work without any real gains. Security tips that won't waste your timeWant some real security gains? Store all those strong and unique passwords in a secure password manager. That way, you only need to remember one strong and unique password—the master key to your password manager. In addition, use two-factor authentication (2FA) whenever possible. 2FA requires a trusted device for secondary authentication after providing the correct password. That way, even if a bad actor knows your password, they won't be able to break in without access to your trusted device. (Just prioritize an authenticator app or security key over SMS authentication.) If it's an option for your accounts, you may want to explore passkeys over passwords, too. Passkeys effectively combine the convenience of passwords with the security of 2FA: They generate a key on your trusted device, which is required when signing into a site. That way, there's no password to steal. As long as you authenticate yourself on the device—say, through Face ID or a PIN—you're in. As long as you make sure each of your accounts is secure using these steps, and you're aware of any data breaches, there's no reason to worry about changing your passwords every three months. Stay secure out there. View the full article

E-commerce group anticipates $2.1bn blow to revenues from an ‘unusually large’ hit from strong dollarView the full article

On a GAAP basis, Intercontinental Exchange's mortgage business has lost money for nine quarters, but a metric that includes Black Knight makes it profitable. View the full article

A bipartisan duo in the the U.S. House is proposing legislation to ban the Chinese artificial intelligence app DeepSeek from federal devices, similar to the policy already in place for the popular social media platform TikTok. Reps. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and Darin LaHood, R-Ill., on Thursday introduced the “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act,” which would ban federal employees from using the Chinese AI app on government-owned electronics. They cited the Chinese government’s ability to use the app for surveillance and misinformation as reasons to keep it away from federal networks. “The Chinese Communist Party has made it abundantly clear that it will exploit any tool at its disposal to undermine our national security, spew harmful disinformation, and collect data on Americans,” Gottheimer said in a statement. “We simply can’t risk the CCP infiltrating the devices of our government officials and jeopardizing our national security.” The proposal comes after the Chinese software company in December published an AI model that performed at a competitive level with models developed by American firms like OpenAI, Meta, Alphabet and others. DeepSeek purported to develop the model at a fraction of the cost of its American counterparts. A January research paper about DeepSeek’s capabilities raised alarm bells and prompted debates among policymakers and leading Silicon Valley financiers and technologists. The churn over AI is coming at a moment of heightened competition between the U.S. and China in a range of areas, including technological innovation. The U.S. has levied tariffs on Chinese goods, restricted Chinese tech firms like Huawei from being used in government systems and banned the export of state of the art microchips thought to be needed to develop the highest end AI models. Last year, Congress and then-President Joe Biden approved a divestment of the popular social media platform TikTok from its Chinese parent company or face a ban across the U.S.; that policy is now on hold. President Donald Trump, who originally proposed a ban of the app in his first term, signed an executive order last month extending a window for a long term solution before the legally required ban takes effect. In 2023, Biden banned TikTok from federal-issued devices. “The technology race with the Chinese Communist Party is not one the United States can afford to lose,” LaHood said in a statement. “This commonsense, bipartisan piece of legislation will ban the app from federal workers’ phones while closing backdoor operations the company seeks to exploit for access. It is critical that Congress safeguard Americans’ data and continue to ensure American leadership in AI.” The bill would single out DeepSeek and any AI application developed by its parent company, the hedge fund High-Flyer, as subject to the ban. The legislation includes exceptions for national security and research purposes that would allow federal employers to study DeepSeek. Some lawmakers wish to go further. A bill proposed last week by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., would bar the import of export of any AI technology from China writ large, citing national security concerns. Several countries have moved to ban DeepSeek’s AI chat bot, either entirely or on government devices, citing security concerns. Last month, Italy’s data protection authority blocked access to the application in a move it said would protect users’ data and announced an investigation into the companies behind the chatbot. Taiwan announced this week that it banned government departments from using Deepseek’s AI. South Korea’s industry ministry has also temporarily blocked employee access to the app. This week Australia announced that it banned DeepSeek from government systems and devices. In Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott issued an order banning both DeepSeek and RedNote—a Chinese TikTok alternative—from the state’s government-issued devices. —Matt Brown, Associated Press Associated Press writer Sarah Parvini contributed reporting. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Groceries are damn expensive now, even the basics. Honk if you walked out of the supermarket with one measly bag of food that cost $50. Food shopping is one of those instances where I get mad about it (nothing will stop me from complaining into the void), but in the end, I have to find a way to cook smarter. Here are some of the strategies I use to maximize the money I spend at the grocery store, along with a few of my favorite budget-friendly recipes that are anything but boring. Make proteins work for your budgetThough eating meat will make your grocery bill climb quickly, you don’t need to go without. I eat a variety of proteins and I think that's the key to both decreasing my spending and keeping meals interesting. When buying meat, I recommend dividing it into smaller quantities, so you can use one item—say, a bag of shrimp or a pound of ground turkey—for three to five different meals. Then use the accompanying ingredients to bulk it up. The following recipes include seafood, meat, and plant-based options. All of the recipes are scaled for two servings, so divide or multiply the measurements as needed. Red lentil slow cooker grazing soup Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Lentils and chickpeas are the heroes in this comforting and satisfying soup. They're full of fiber which you can thank for that full-belly feeling, but equally as pleasant is their low price tag. A pound of dried lentils will only run you a couple bucks (if that) and you'll have plenty leftover to use in other soups. This slow cooker soup is always welcome in my house because you can leave it to cook and stay warm on the counter, so whenever you walk by, you graze on it a little. Ingredients: ½ onion, minced 2 waxy, medium-sized potatoes, cubed ¾ cup chopped carrots ¾ cup dry red lentils 2 cups lacinato kale, de-stemmed and roughly chopped 4 cups chicken broth ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon MSG ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper powder 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 can organic chickpeas (optional), not drained 1. In true lazy slow cooker soup fashion, dump all of the ingredients, except the lemon juice and the can of chickpeas, into the cooker. 2. Cook the soup for 2 hours on high heat, stirring occasionally. Click the cooker over to the warm setting for the rest of the day. Just before eating your first bowl, stir in the lemon juice. 3. If you notice your soup is running low and you don’t want the party to end, stir in the can of chickpeas with its liquid. Air-fried tofu with beet saladAir fried tofu is experiencing major popularity in my household these days. I like to use this recipe for coating firm tofu in nutritional yeast and air frying it until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The beet salad is a simple preparation and always leaves me convinced I should be eating more beets. Ingredients: ¼ red onion, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons white vinegar 1 teaspoon sugar ½ teaspoon salt 1 container firm tofu, drained Neutral oil to coat Nutritional yeast to coat Sprinkle of salt 1-8 ounce pack steamed and peeled beets, quartered 3 cups of spring mix (or any salad greens) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Gefen Ready-to-eat Beets A handy 3-pack of ready-to-eat beets $13.79 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg Shop Now Shop Now $13.79 at Amazon /images/amazon-prime.svg 1. Add the sliced onion to a deep salad bowl along with the vinegar, sugar, and salt. Mix it around to coat the onion and let it “pickle” in the liquid while you prepare the meal. 2. Slice the drained tofu into four thick planks. Dab them dry with a paper towel. Spray or drizzle a neutral oil to coat the tofu and sprinkle them with salt. Pour nutritional yeast onto a plate and press the tofu into it until completely coated. Air fry the planks at 400°F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until crispy on the outside. 3. Add the beets and spring mix to the bowl of onions and toss with the olive oil until coated. Plate the crispy tofu alongside the salad and serve. Khao Tom Goong (Thai shrimp and rice soup)This soup is great for any time of day, so don’t hesitate, even if it’s 8 in the morning. I’ll buy a pound of raw, deveined frozen shrimp from Trader Joe’s for about $12 and use it for several meals, including this one. It’s filling, satisfying, and you can use leftover rice to keep the preparation quick. Ingredients: 1 teaspoon cooking oil 1 clove garlic, chopped 8 raw, tail-on deveined shrimp, thawed (if frozen) Pinch salt Dash fish sauce 1 cup chicken broth (or any broth) 1 cup rice, cooked Garnish with chopped cilantro, fried garlic, and sliced ginger 1. Heat the oil in a medium pot with the garlic on low heat. Once the garlic starts to gently sizzle, add the shrimp. Sprinkle in the salt as you flip the shrimp. After a minute or so, when the shrimp is halfway cooked, add a dash of fish sauce and the broth. 2. Add in the rice and allow the soup to come up to a simmer for two minutes. Serve the soup topped with plenty of fried garlic, cilantro, and ginger. Cold ramen noodle salad Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann This noodle-y salad feels like a fun treat, makes enough for two servings, and will leave you with veggies to spare and use for other meals. The instant noodles are quick to cook and add necessary bulk so you walk away from the table satiated. Thinly sliced veggies bring in the nutrients, while the bright and flavorful dressing brings the whole dish to life. While you'll see asparagus in my recipe, it's more important to use seasonal veggies to keep the cost down. You can always rely on carrots, bell peppers, scallions, or snow peas to be affordable and available year-round. Feel free to swap out the noodles for a couple servings of cooked and drained pasta or a cup of cooked, warm rice. Ingredients: 1 pack ramen noodles, boiled and drained Drizzle of neutral oil for the ramen noodles 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar ½ tablespoon white balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil ½ teaspoon salt ½ English cucumber, smashed and cut into 1-inch chunks ¼ red bell pepper, sliced 2 asparagus spears, sliced (optional) 5-10 sugar snap peas, sliced Cooked chicken breast slices or a handful of cooked shrimp (optional) 1. Toss the drained ramen noodles with a drizzle of oil to keep them from sticking in a clump. Chill the noodles in the fridge. 2. In a serving bowl, combine the vinegars, sesame oil, and salt. Add the cucumber, pepper, asparagus, and snap peas. Toss. Add the chilled ramen noodles and toss until thoroughly combined. Serve and top with sliced chicken. Frozen dumplings and broccoliThis recipe is barely a recipe. Besides adding sauce to the broccoli, it’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like: dumplings and broccoli. Somehow, I find it to be a meal I always look forward to. It’s vital that you use frozen dumplings you actually like. Once again, I frequent Trader Joe’s for the affordable frozen gyoza, but if you can, I recommend stopping by an Asian supermarket for well-priced, delicious dumplings. Ingredients: 1-16 ounce bag frozen pork gyoza (substitute any filling) 2 cups fresh broccoli florets 2 tablespoons Bachan’s Original Japanese Barbecue Sauce (substitute soy sauce) Bachan's Original Japanese Barbecue Sauce This flavorful condiment delivers tons of umami to any meal. $7.98 at Walmart $8.49 Save $0.51 Shop Now Shop Now $7.98 at Walmart $8.49 Save $0.51 1. Place a steamer basket in a large pot with a half-inch of water in the bottom. Add the frozen dumplings to the steamer and cover the pot with a lid. Steam the dumplings over medium heat for five minutes. 2. Open the pot and dump the broccoli florets over the dumplings and replace the lid. Steam the contents for another five minutes. The broccoli should be cooked but slightly crunchy, and the dumplings will be cooked through. Toss the broccoli with the sauce (or leave it on the side for dipping). Plate the dumplings with the broccoli on the side. Pantry pastaWhen you’re looking for a recipe that sticks to your ribs without breaking the budget, pasta is a reliable ally. This is a simple recipe where any protein can substitute in, and the “sauce” is butter. You can use any bean to pair with your pasta, but I use peas here because I always have them in the freezer. If you’re looking for a red sauce pasta idea, try my dairy-free vodka sauce recipe. Ingredients: Cooking oil to coat the pot 8 ounces ground turkey 1 shallot (or quarter-onion), minced 2 cloves of garlic, minced ½ teaspoon salt 4 mushrooms, chopped ⅓ cup frozen peas ½ teaspoon garlic powder 4 ounces any pasta, boiled (I like rigatoni for this) 2 tablespoons salted butter 1. Add oil to a medium pot, enough to coat the bottom, and heat it over medium-low. Add the ground turkey and break it apart into small hunks while it cooks. When it’s halfway cooked through, add the shallot, garlic, salt, and mushrooms. 2. Cook the mixture until the shallot has softened and the mushrooms are plump. Add the peas and garlic powder. Stir and allow the peas to heat through. Add the cooked pasta with a spoonful of the pasta water, turn off the heat and add the butter. Toss gently until the butter melts. Serve in bowls. Hot chicken sausage and veggiesAs I mentioned earlier, I find it easier to stretch protein when it’s presented in smaller bits. It’s more of a mind game, and I play it on myself. Serving a three-ounce steak will look meager on the plate, but chop it up and mix it with things and you’ve got a hearty helping. You can use any sausage you like, but I like chicken sausage for this because it doesn’t feel as heavy as pork. Ingredients: Cooking oil to coat the pan 2 links of pre-cooked chicken sausage 1 medium onion, peeled and sliced 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced 4 mushrooms ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon hot sauce ½ tablespoon soy sauce 1 cup cooked rice Aidells Smoked Chicken Sausage, Garlic & Gruyere Cheese, 4 Ct Fully cooked, hardwood smoked sausages. $4.98 at Walmart $0.00 Save 0.00 Shop Now Shop Now $4.98 at Walmart $0.00 Save 0.00 1. Slice the sausages in half lengthwise. Then cut them across into half-inch wide chunks. Peel and slice the onion into strips. Deseed the pepper and cut it into strips about the same size as the onion. Quarter the mushrooms. 2. Coat the bottom of a medium pot with a neutral cooking oil. Heat it over medium-low heat and add the sausage pieces and veggies. Sauté everything until the onions begin to sweat and soften. Add the garlic powder and salt, and stir to incorporate. Stir in the hot sauce and soy sauce to coat. Serve the hot chicken and veggies over rice. View the full article

IDEAS shared have the power to expand perspectives, change thinking, and move lives. Here are two ideas for the curious mind to engage with: I. Jonah Sachs on the expert’s trap: “While expertise can make us enormously efficient at playing an established game, it can also make us slower to realize when the game has changed and less able to respond to those changes. Our expert’s mind, so used to moving quickly and efficiently, tries to fit new information into old boxes so it can use its rapid processing power. ‘Oh, that’s just a new flavor of an old problem,’ our expert brain says. Too often it’s not. After all, most of the problems we face in a world of rapid change have little in common with a two-dimensional chessboard with rules that never change.” Source: Unsafe Thinking: How to be Nimble and Bold When You Need It Most II. Robert Pirsig on egotistical endeavors: “When you try to climb a mountain to prove how big you are, you almost never make it. And even if you do it’s a hollow victory. In order to sustain the victory you have to prove your self again and again in some other way, and again and again and again, driven forever to fill a false image, haunted by the fear that the image is not true and someone will find out.” Source: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance * * * Look for these ideas every Thursday on the Leading Blog. Find more ideas on the LeadingThoughts index. * * * Follow us on Instagram and X for additional leadership and personal development ideas. View the full article

Some 10,000 grocery store workers across the greater Denver area went on strike Thursday, claiming unfair and illegal negotiating practices by King Soopers while their union has been negotiating a new contract with the store chain. Striking workers at 77 King Soopers stores in Denver and its suburbs, plus those in nearby Boulder and Louisville, Colorado, urged customers not to cross picket lines that began taking shape before dawn. “Stand together. Stay strong,” United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 7 President Kim Cordova wrote union members in a Monday letter announcing the strike. UFCW Local 7 members voted by 96% last week to authorize the unfair labor practices strike. King Soopers, a chain owned by Kroger, with 121 stores in Colorado and Wyoming, has been negotiating a new contract since October. The current contract expired in January. Stores with striking workers will remain open under a curtailed schedule that starts an hour later and closes two hours earlier than usual each day, King Soopers spokesperson Jessica Trowbridge said by email. Cordova accused the company of flying workers in from out of state to staff stores. Locations in northern and southern Colorado and Cheyenne, Wyoming — where workers are not on strike — will remain open during their usual hours, Trowbridge wrote. The union alleges King Soopers illegally interrogated and surveilled union members, refused to provide information needed for contract negotiations, threatened union members with discipline for clothes and buttons expressing union support, and insisted on using $8 million in retiree health benefit funds to cover pay increases. King Soopers denies all of the allegations, saying in a statement Friday it has acted in full compliance with the law and its collective bargaining obligations. Management has gone to “great lengths” to share all relevant data with the union, is committed to fair and lawful negotiations and disputes the union’s claim that it would “gut” the retiree health benefit funds. “We want to be clear — the Union’s call for a strike is not about wages, health care, or pensions. It is based on allegations we believe lack merit,” King Soopers President Joe Kelley said in the statement. The strike will force customers to pay higher prices at competing stores and stores with nonunion workers, Kelley added. The strike follows several recent threatened and implemented labor union actions in the U.S. Last week, the Teamsters union and Costco reached a tentative contract agreement to avert a strike. At Utah’s Park City ski resort, the biggest in the U.S., some 200 union ski patrollers ended an almost two-week strike Jan. 9 after reaching an agreement with resort owner Vail Resorts for higher pay including raises for senior ski patrollers. Labor unions have secured other meaningful employer concessions in recent months following strikes by Boeing factory workers, dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports, video game performers, and hotel and casino workers on the Las Vegas Strip. —Mead Gruver, Associated Press View the full article

One of Apple's best recent features is iPhone mirroring, which lets you control an iPhone from a Mac. Scrcpy is a free application for Linux, Windows, and macOS that does the same thing: It allows you to control your Android phone from a window on your computer. This application takes a bit to set up—it launches from the terminal or command prompt, for one thing, and it only works if you enable developer mode on your Android phone. Once you set it up, though, you can control your Android's screen from your computer, or even turn on a virtual screen so you can launch applications while your phone is off. To get started, you will need to install Scrcpy (which is just "screen copy" without the vowels). The simplest way to do this is by using a package manager like Homebrew on the Mac or Scoop for Windows. Linux users can use whatever package manager came with their distribution. Using a package manager is recommended because it will also install all dependencies, which is to say it will install all of the tools and drivers you need to use in order to get the application working. If you don't have a package manager, or just prefer not using one, you can download the latest release and try to run it directly. There are instructions for Linux, macOS, and Windows on the Github page. This is going to be the harder option, though. You will need to ensure all dependencies are installed, so check the documentation for more details. As always, be careful where you download the application. Do not download Scrcpy from a third party website—stick to either a package manager mentioned in the documentation or download it from the official Github page. After installing, you need to enable USB debugging on your phone, which requires enabling developer mode. To start, head to Settings > About phone and tap the Build Number until you see a message that say You are now a developer. This will open a new sub-menu under System called Developer options. Open that and turn on USB Debugging. You should now see a message about the feature when you plug in your phone. Credit: Justin Pot Plug your phone into your computer and you can start controlling your Android. The simplest way to get started it to simply type scrcp in the command prompt or terminal—this will take control of your phone. You can even open the camera app and point it at your screen to create an extremely confusing screenshot, if you want. Apple doesn't let you use the camera while mirroring an iPhone. This app does what Appledon't. Credit: Justin Pot If this doesn't work, there are a number of things you can check. The first is whether you installed all dependencies. The simplest way to solve this is to use a package manager instead of installing directly. On Windows, you might not have the correct drivers installed, or you might not have enabled USB debugging. Check the official FAQ for more details. By default, you get an exact recreation of what's currently on your phone, but it doesn't have to be that way. For example: You can have a virtual display for your phone on your computer, allowing you to run Android apps while your phone's screen is turned off. Just type scrcpy --new-display=1920x1080 and you're off and running. This is great if there are Android games you want to play on your computer. If you just want to use your computer's mouse and keyboard to control your phone, but not see the display on your screen, you can do that with scrcpy --otg and you can do that. There's a lot more you can do, though. I'd highly recommend digging into the documentation to learn about that. I promise it's fun. View the full article

Google is reportedly testing a new search feature named “AI Mode.” AI Mode in Google seems like a new way to search by asking more open-ended and exploratory questions, with the option to follow up. What is AI Mode. AI Mode is described as “Search intelligently research[ing] for you – organizing information into easy-to-digest breakdowns with links to explore content across the web,” according to a leaked email obtained by 9to5Google. AI Mode is more for open-ended and exploratory questions that may not be served well by what we see today from the Google Search results. This includes queries that ask Google Search for advice and comparisons, as well as exchanges that allow for follow-up questions. It uses Gemini 2.0, according to the details. What it looks like. Here is a screenshot obtained by 9to5Google: Types of queries. Here is a list of the types of queries AI Mode is good at answering: “How many boxes of spaghetti should I buy to feed 6 adults and 10 children, and have enough for seconds?” “Compare wool, down, and synthetic jackets in terms of insulation, water resistance, and durability” “What do I need to get started with aquascaping?” Follow-up: “What are some nearby stores to buy supplies?” More. We first learned about hints of AI Mode back in early December with through an Android APK finding, in the code of the app. Android Authority than shared some screenshots of AI Mode buttons. I do wonder if the AI Overview comparison view is part of this or not. Why we care. AI Mode might be coming to the Google Search apps and maybe somehow directly to Google Search. This may impact how people consume search results and ultimately click to your site. These AI Overviews are already having a very negative impact on click-through rates from Google to your site. Will AI Mode make it even worse? View the full article

An intentionally bad “conservative girl” makeup technique is taking the internet by storm. In the wake of the 2024 election and Donald Trump’s inauguration, an unflattering take on Republican women’s makeup style has quickly gained traction online. One of the first videos to go viral was posted by TikTok creator Suzanne Lambert back in November. It has since received five million views. In the video Lambert says, “I noticed that all of the Republican girlies in my comments do their makeup the exact same, gorgeous way, so I thought that I would try do it myself.” According to Lambert, the “conservative girl” look is defined by thick, clumpy mascara, mismatched and cakey foundation, poorly lined and half-filled lips, and a final touch of smudged, cracked-crayon black eyeliner. “We really want our makeup to cling to any dry spots and accentuate any texture,” Lambert says in the video, which is set to Gretchen Wilson’s song “Redneck Woman.” “It’s giving drained, it’s giving dusty,” she adds. While the look may ruffle some feathers, for others, it’s spot on. “This got uncanny the moment you put on the blush,” one person commented. “I think this just reverse psychology taught me how to do makeup.” The “conservative girl” makeup trend continues to snowball online. “Turning myself into a republican in honor of Trump saving TikTok,” one creator posted last month, following a similar-style tutorial. “Turning myself into my republican self in an alternative universe,” posted another. On the surface, it’s just makeup, but scratch a little deeper and this trend highlights a country divided across generational lines. Exit polls show that 53% of female voters backed former Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, while 45% supported Republican candidate Donald Trump. Among young women, Harris led by 18 points. If older Republican women won’t take political advice from their Gen Z counterparts, maybe they could still take a few makeup tips. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Two TVs are better than one, especially when you only had to pay for one of them. Best Buy is currently offering a free 40-inch Samsung Class 5 Series LED Full HD Smart Tizen TV (a value of $249.99) when you buy one of three massive Samsung TVs. Here are your three options, followed by a quick description of each to help you determine which is best for you. Resolution: 4K (2160p), Screen Size: 85 inches, Display Type: LED, Backlight Type: Direct Lit 85” Samsung DU7200 Series Crystal UHD 4K Smart Tizen TV (2024) $799.99 at Best Buy $1,099.99 Save $300.00 Get Deal Get Deal $799.99 at Best Buy $1,099.99 Save $300.00 Resolution: 4K (2160p), Screen Size: 85 inches, Display Type: LED, Backlight Type: Edge Lit 85” Samsung DU8000 Series Crystal UHD Smart Tizen TV (2024) $1,099.99 at Best Buy $1,499.99 Save $400.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,099.99 at Best Buy $1,499.99 Save $400.00 Resolution: 4K (2160p), Screen Size: 98 inches, Display Type: LED, Backlight Type: Direct Lit 98” Samsung DU9000 Series Crystal UHD Smart Tizen TV (2024) $1,999.99 at Best Buy $3,499.99 Save $1,500.00 Get Deal Get Deal $1,999.99 at Best Buy $3,499.99 Save $1,500.00 SEE 0 MORE Getting an 85-inch TV is not for everyone, of course. Do you have enough space on the wall? Does the room have a lot of natural light? What about glare? Do you watch TV mostly during the day? If the TV will be in a room with relatively little natural light, any of these TVs should do the trick. If it's going to go in a brighter room, the DU7200 and DU8000 might struggle. Keep in mind both of these are entry-level LED TVs—their viewing angles will also not be great, but since they're so large, this won't be much of a problem. The DU9000 is a much better TV with a 120Hz refresh rate and Motion Xcelerator, making it great for video games or action movies. But not everyone will have the space or budget for it. All three TVs have the Samsung Tizen OS, which gives you access to live channels, games, and streaming services. The free Samsung smart TV is from 2019, so you might notice the thick bezels, but it's free, so who's complaining? View the full article

Delinquencies are higher in one sector but overall pretax operating income is at a multi-decade high and adding to profit from originations. View the full article

Wall Street bank’s move to retain top staff comes after sweeping shake-up to lift profitabilityView the full article

Roblox shares dropped as much as 20% on Thursday after the gaming company reported disappointing fourth quarter results in bookings and daily active user figures, creating fear that the growth in the gaming platform is slowing after years of progress. Roblox reported bookings of $1.36 billion for the fourth quarter, missing the expected $1.37 billion that was predicted by analysts polled by LSEG. Daily active users fell to 85.3 million in the fourth quarter, compared with 88.9 million in the third quarter. Hours totaled on the platform also fell in the fourth quarter, to 18.7 billion from 20.7 billion in the previous quarter. The company did report revenue up 32% year-over-year, and a 21% year-over-year growth in bookings. But despite the fact that Roblox is set to achieve its third consecutive year of around 20% growth in bookings, the gaming platform’s fourth quarter report left investors disappointed with its modest projections falling below estimates. Roblox forecasted annual bookings between $5.20 billion and $5.30 billion, with the midpoint slightly below market expectations of $5.27 billion. The company reported a consolidated net loss of $221.1 million in Q4, and a full year net loss of $940.6 million. As a response to these challenges, the gaming service plans to develop enhancements to its platform and bring them to the market in a timely manner, according to a press release from the company. In the earnings release, CEO David Baszucki said, “As we aim to support 10% of the global gaming content market, we’ll continue investing in our virtual economy, app performance, and AI-powered discovery and safety, empowering creators and enhancing the user experience.” Roblox said in a letter to shareholders that it expected first-half growth to be stronger than second-half growth. The company noted that it is “working diligently on several initiatives” that can increase growth in the back half of 2025. View the full article

Studies have shown that napping improves both cognitive performance and physical brain health, so it’s no surprise that it also means a brief nap translates to a boost in productivity on the job. That explains why nearly half of workers in the U.S. sleep during work hours—and a third admit to literally sleeping on the job. Our employers, however, haven’t gotten the memo, and being caught sleeping on the job can put you in a tricky situation. If you’re stuck between nodding off in meetings or being fired when you’re discovered sprawled under your desk, you need a napping strategy at work. Here’s your guide to sawing some logs on the clock (without getting caught). Before we get into strategy, though, the first rule of napping on the job is to educate yourself: Know yourself. Do you snore? Talk in your sleep? Kick like a mule while dreaming that you are, somehow, a mule? You need to know your weaknesses before going into sleep battle. You can have the perfect napping hideaway and ruin everything if you snore like a cartoon dog. Then take steps to mitigate the problem. Know how to nap. You might think napping is a skill we’re all just born with. Wrong! There’s a science to napping: Napping 20-30 minutes can avoid grogginess when you wake up, because your brain hasn’t shifted into a deeper sleep cycle. If you sleep longer than that, you’ll need to commit to a 90-minute nap (or longer) to feel refreshed instead of like a time traveler uncertain what century you’ve arrived in. The lesson is, bring your phone to your napping cave and set an alarm (but put it in Do Not Disturb mode first to avoid interruptions). If you can’t risk an alarm, ask a coworker to wake you up, or try a variation of Salvadore Dali’s “slumber with a key” method, where you nap in a chair holding something in your hand that will make noise when dropped. When you fall asleep, your muscles will relax and the sound of the item dropping will snap you out of it. The caffeine hack. If you’re napping because you lose focus in the afternoon, consider adding caffeine to your nap ritual. It sounds counter-intuitive, but drinking coffee or some other caffeinated beverage right before you take a short nap (20 minutes or less) results in a bigger boost. This works because it takes the body roughly 20 minutes to absorb that caffeine, so you wake up just as it’s hitting you. Now that you have some basic physical stuff nailed down, you just need to figure out where you can grab a power nap without getting fired. Strategies for napping at workIf your employer isn’t keen on paying you to sleep (even for half an hour), you’ll need to find a way to nod off without being noticed. The key is not being noticed while you’re napping, so you need to scout locations. Depending on the specifics of your job, you have a few options: Nap in your car. If you drive to your job every day and can slip out unnoticed, leave a pillow and blanket in the back seat and enjoy a peaceful nap. Bonus: Your car will muffle ambient noise—it’ll actually be pretty peaceful in there. Unused conference rooms. If your office has conference rooms that aren’t in use all the time, reserving one (or just slipping in) for mysterious calls can work well. If the conference room is out of the way, you might be able to just duck in for half an hour. If they’re a bit more exposed, you can try setting the scene: Record an actual phone call or meeting and play it back along with a video of keyboard typing so that anyone passing by will think you’re in an actual meeting. Alternatively, take your chances and put your head down on the table, then pretend you were waiting for someone who didn’t show up for the meeting. Empty offices. Alternatively, unoccupied offices are also great napping spots, unless you’re in one of those super modern offices with glass walls everywhere. Just be sure no one is going to walk in on you. Your desk. This is the riskiest move you can make, and it won’t work unless you have some decent privacy. If your desk is turned away from everyone’s field of vision, you might be able to slip underneath for a nap—but if you get caught you can’t play it off as if you just sort of nodded off, so you’d better be certain no one’s going to walk around to check on something. If you’re going to try the under-the-desk method and you’re in an office with a door, you could set up an intruder alert by placing something on the door handle that will drop when it’s turned. This could at least give you a few seconds to compose yourself and pretend you’re on the floor searching for something or plugging something in. View the full article

When most of your processes pass through multiple software tools and generate tons of data, software integration becomes essential. But unless you’re already well-versed in these platforms, even a simple Google search can be enough to get overwhelmed. Between automations, iPaaS, iSaaS, WFM, where should you start? With a little bit of know-how, choosing the right software integration doesn’t have to be any more complicated than any other tool. Here’s a full guide to get you started. In this article What is software integration? Common options for software integration Software integration examples A software integration checklist What is software integration? Software integration takes two disparate systems and makes them work as one. This essentially builds a bridge between tools that shatters data silos. Integrated systems allow teams to get the information they need no matter which platform they work from. Some tools have built-in options for software integration, though they’ll usually only give you a limited amount of data from another tool — and you often can’t do much with the data once it’s been sent over. Software integration can also be known as system integration or data integration, referring to the tools being integrated or the data being pushed back and forth. You’ll often need a third-party application to connect two other tools. Some of these applications can be set up pretty easily by providing your credentials for the tools you’re trying to connect. Others need some significant technical setup, usually done by a dedicated IT team. So how do you find the right tool for you? 8 common options for software integration Software and data integration is a massive market, with options including iPaaS, iSaaS, workflow management, and two-way sync. Before covering these options, let’s break down a simple way to compare them without diving into their more technical differences. It’s called the integration triangle. The integration triangle has three points: ease, breadth, and depth. Here’s what they mean: Ease: How easy is this software integration to set up? Do you need coding knowledge or other technical skills? How easy is it to troubleshoot? Breadth: How many integrations does this platform support? Does it just integrate one type of tool or does it cover more? Depth: How much can the integration platform do? Can it sync just about any type of data available in a single tool or just a few fields? Does it push data in one direction or both? Some teams need an easy integration that everyone can set up and use, while others will want something that can only be deployed by an IT department but creates a true seamlessness between tools. To help you determine the kind of integration that suits your organization, you’ll find a breakdown some of the most popular categories below, along with their advantages and disadvantages. Native (or built-in) software integration Most software tools you’re using already have built-in integrations that let you pair them with data sources that naturally complement them. There’s no consistency around how deep these integrations are since they’re all built by different teams for completely different purposes. The only thing they all have in common? You can use them from your tool without too much setup time. Sometimes it’s just a matter of hitting a few buttons and giving your credentials for the tool you want to integrate with. Even when there’s a bit more setup required, you’ll rarely need any technical skills. If you don’t have any data integration capability in your tool stack, this is a good place to start. Advantages Usually available at no extra cost. Simple to set up. Covers the most relevant integrations. Disadvantages Doesn’t cover as many integrations as other options. Limited depth compared to other integrations. Examples Quickbooks automatically connects with tools like PayPal, Square, and Etsy. Slack Apps add tools like Asana, Google Drive, and Zoom to your Slack channels. Zoom has native integrations with calendar apps like Google Calendar, chat apps like Microsoft Teams, and cloud storage platforms like Google Drive. Ease: High Breadth: Low Depth: Low Automation An automation platform builds simple, one-way relationships between tools that automate simple actions. Most use trigger-based logic to do this. You pick a specific trigger that kicks off the automation and the action that automation will carry out. For example, you could set up an automation that triggers when a task is created in your project management tool and sends specific data from that task to a database in another tool. Usually, anyone can set up these simple automations without much technical skills, which makes them an attractive option. Advantages Easy to set up, even without technical skills. Usually covers a huge range of integrations. Depending on the platform, can be relatively inexpensive. Disadvantages Usually only supports a few fields. Typically only pushes data in one direction. Examples Zapier is one of the most popular options, with integrations for project management tools, spreadsheets, and more. IFTTT supports smart home services and physical devices on top of software tools. Ease: High Breadth: High Depth: Low Two-way sync These tools create a two-way relationship between platforms to send data back and forth. That means you could pair a project management tool with a customer service platform, for example, and pull customer data from support tickets for use in your projects, with updates in both the contact and ticket being reflected in the other tool. Automations and other software integration solutions can replicate this in a way, though this usually requires a significant amount of work and frequent troubleshooting. A two-way sync is the best way to move data between two tools and keep it up to date. Advantages The easiest way to get a true two-way sync between platforms. Supports more fields than automation solutions and similar tools. Simple setup. Disadvantages Doesn’t support as many integrations as other options. Less customizable than more technical solutions. Examples Unito is a two-way sync solution for project management tools, spreadsheets, contact management tools, and more. Whalesync is another example of a two-way sync solution, with most of its integrations supporting databases, spreadsheets, and CRMs. Ease: High Breadth: Low Depth: High iPaaS (Integration Platform as a Service) An iPaaS is a cloud-based platform that’s meant to be your one-stop shop for integrating pretty much all your software tools in one place. You typically need some level of technical ability to use these, since the onus is on you to build, deploy, and troubleshoot integrations. With the right support, an iPaaS can solve essentially all your integration needs with a single tool. Advantages Fully customizable. Support more integrations than most other methods. Disadvantages Significant technical knowledge is required. Troubleshooting can be a pain. Examples Tray.io is an AI-ready iPaaS for email clients, project management tools, cloud storage platforms, and more. Workato lets you build, deploy, and scale AI-powered automations across your entire organization. Ease: Low Breadth: High Depth: High RPA (Robotic Process Automation) Where other software integration platforms actually build pathways for tools to communicate with each other, RPA takes a different approach. RPA lets users essentially create software bots that can copy human actions across tools, allowing even the most complex workflows to be captured and replicated. It’s the closest thing to having people work across multiple tools without forcing all that manual work on actual people. Advantages Can take complex actions across any number of tools. Not limited to a specific number of integrations since it’s essentially recording human actions. Disadvantages Simple changes in tool interfaces or processes can break automations. Not as scaleable as other methods. Examples UiPath combines AI and RPA to automate mundane work enterprise-wide. Automation Anywhere lets users automate the impossible with AI agents. Ease: High Breadth: High Depth: Low iSaaS (Integration Software as a Service) An iSaaS solution is a lot like iPaaS: a single platform for integrating your tools. The main difference is in the level of complexity involved in using the tool. With iPaaS, users need to have at least some basic level of technical skills to set up an integration. With iSaaS, just about anyone in the organization can quickly integrate their tools. Users can simply log into a single platform, connect their other tools, and build integrations essentially the same way every time. Advantages Easier to use than many other integration methods. Often more affordable than solutions aimed at larger organizations, like iPaaS, WFM, and BPM. Disadvantages Doesn’t always offer the same depth of integration as other platforms. Doesn’t have as many integration options. Examples Exalate is an iSaaS with integrations for Jira, ServiceNow, Azure DevOps, and more. Front is another iSaaS option with a focus on customer support tools. Ease: High Breadth: Low Depth: High WFM (Workflow Management) A workflow is a sequence of tasks — either performed by humans or software — performed repeatedly to accomplish a specific goal. A workflow management platform allows you to automate essentially this entire sequence. Where other integration platforms might focus exclusively on shipping data back and forth or automating specific tasks, workflow management platforms streamline the workflow as a whole. Advantages Can quickly automate sequences of tasks that would take much more work with other solutions. More scaleable than other platforms. Disadvantages Not suited to all use cases. Can be overkill for some teams. Examples IBM’s Engineery Workflow Management tool. Oracle from Netsuite. Ease: Low Breadth: High Depth: High BPM (Business Process Management) Where workflow management tools automate sequences of tasks, BPM handles the larger, more unwieldy processes that keep your organization running. If tasks make up workflows, workflows make up business processes. Consequently, BPM tools are usually massive suites of software, deployed by technically adept professionals — often with the support of a team at the company providing the tool. They’re powerful tools with deep, complex functionality, and you’ll need the budget to match. Advantages Unparalleled depth of integration. Support for more tools than other methods. Disadvantages Nearly impossible to deploy without a significant level of technical skills, often needing third-party support to do so. Priced for enterprise-sized businesses, meaning this isn’t an option for most organizations. Examples Decisions, a rules-based intelligent process automation platform. Nintex, which allows teams to identify, analyze, and automate their business processes. Ease: Low Breadth: High Depth: High 5 software and system integration examples You know the tools at your disposal, now let’s cover a few common integration scenarios. Collaborating across project management tools: Some projects require input from multiple teams, like marketing, customer support, and sales, but these teams rarely use the same tools. With integrated systems, you can streamline these projects and hit all your milestones. Syncing contacts between databases: Customers, prospects, partners, and even employees are represented by contacts in CRM tools like Salesforce or platforms like Google Contacts and Outlook. But actual contact information might be scattered across multiple tools, leaving salespeople and customer support chasing phone numbers and email addresses. Data integration can centralize all that information. Reconciling financial accounts: Reconciliation matches transactions in accounting software with secondary evidence. Small businesses with only a few sales a day can manage this manually, but multinationals need software integration to centralize data and automate as much of this process as possible. Kicking off workflows from your chat app: Many tasks and projects start as a conversation in Slack or Teams, but kicking them off involves manually copying information over and manually creating tasks in your project management tool. With software integration, you can go from just talking about a project to kicking it off faster. Populating marketing tools with data: Marketers rely on data to gauge how well their campaigns are doing and plan their next initiative. However, that data is scattered across various reporting tools, spreadsheets, or databases. Integrating these separate systems is essential to getting it all in one place. The software integration process Convinced you need software integration but not sure how to deploy it at your organization? Here’s a simple checklist you can follow. You’ll find a deeper explanation of each step below. ☐ Assess software integration needs ☐ Evaluate integration options ☐ Compare integration tools ☐ Check compatibility ☐ Determine level of technical support needed ☐ Run a pilot project ☐ Review pilot results ☐ Deploy integration Assess software integration needs Don’t just run out and grab the first integration tool you find and deploy it immediately. Find out which workflows, tasks, or processes you need to integrate to get a sense of the sort of integration solution you’ll need. Then, make a list of all the tools you’ll need integrations for to make this happen. Finally, see which teams will see their work impacted by this integration. Evaluate integration options Before you start looking at individual software integration tools, you need to make sure you’re looking at the right options. If you’re an enterprise-sized business with hundreds of employees, you probably won’t want an automation platform. Similarly, a small business shouldn’t be looking at BPM or WFM tools. Eliminate categories that don’t make sense for your organization. Compare integration tools Once you’ve picked the right category of software integration platform, then you can start comparing individual tools. Should you be using Zapier or IFTTT? Unito or Exalate? To find the best tool for you, you’ll want to compare these factors: Price: You don’t necessarily want to go for the cheapest solution, but you’ll want to get more value for the price. Number of integrations: If you only have limited integration needs, you won’t want to go for a solution with more breadth. Ease of use: Even within a category, there can be significant variance in how easy one tool is to set up compared to another. Not sure where to start? Check out some of our integration comparisons. Check compatibility Does the integration platform you’re looking at even support the tools you need to integrate? This is the bare minimum for an integration tool, but you’ll also want to see if it can integrate other tools in your stack as you start getting used to it. Determine level of technical support needed Some integration tools are almost impossible to deploy across your organization without specialized third-party help while others can be used by just about anyone without technical skills. While the latter might be preferable for some organizations, you might want more centralized control with integration platforms that can only be deployed by your IT department. Run a pilot project Before you deploy an integration organization-wide, you’ll want to test it out with a pilot project. You can pick a single team, a specific project, or a small portion of a department as your testing ground. Track the impact of your integration so you can confirm it’s the right choice. Review pilot results After running your pilot project, you’ll want to take the time to review its results. Did it actually save the time you were looking to save? Did any problems pop up? Gather all stakeholders you need to get a full picture of your integration’s performance before you make a decision. If you’ve found that a particular integration doesn’t work for you as well as you thought, you’ll need to start this process over with the next option. Deploy integration Once an integration passes your pilot project, it’s time to deploy it. This step will look different based on what you deploy (e.g. an easy-to-use iSaaS or a BPM tool) and you might need specialized support to get it done. Integrate the right way With software integration, you can close the gaps between essential tools that eat up your team’s time and drown them in manual work. Picking the right platform can be tricky, but as long as you focus on getting something that fits the depth of integration you need, supports the tools you use, and is easy enough for you to deploy as needed, you can’t go wrong. View the full article