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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

Flashes, a photo-sharing app that’s linked to X-alternative Bluesky, launched in beta this week before disappearing from the test store due to what its developer said was technical difficulties. Flashes developer Sebastian Vogelsang said in a Bluesky post that Apple’s engineering team is working on a fix. Apple didn’t immediately respond to Fast Company‘s request for comment. Flashes, which was revealed last month, supports photo posts of up to four images and videos up to one minute long. Items posted on Flashes will also appear on Bluesky. Comments from Bluesky users on the posts will appear back on Flashes. Flashes could be attractive to users who want to veer away from Meta’s social media ecosystem and other Big Tech platforms. A way to do that, many believe, is through open social media ecosystems. That way no one person is mean to control it. Bluesky, which is built on the open source AT Protocol, took off as more and more people seemed to become dismayed with Musk’s shift to the political right. Bluesky has amassed nearly 31 million users so far. Thousands of curious testers flocked to try out the Instagram alternative by Vogelsang. TechCrunch reported that 3,500 users signed up for Flashes within its first hour before it closed off. View the full article

UK central bank has forecast weaker growth, higher inflation and rising unemploymentView the full article

Despite the prevalence of wireless devices, wrangling cords and cables in the home is still a pain point for most people. If you own your home, you might be able to hide your wires inside the walls, but if you rent or simply don’t want to drill into or open up your walls, that isn't ideal. Besides, there are many much easier ways to hide them without needing to learn drywall repair. Behind furnitureOne of the easiest ways to hide your cables is to clip them behind conveniently placed furniture. Adhesive clips like these stick to the legs and backs of tables and consoles and secure all those wires in place. If you’re neat about it, you can magically make those wires invisible without touching your walls, and the clips can be removed any time if you change your layout or move to a new place. You can also leverage a key piece of furniture: Your couch or sofa. Mounting a shallow shelf behind the couch (flush with the top of its back) or buying a narrow console table that fits behind it lets you attach wires underneath for perfectly hidden wiring. Plus, it adds a bit of storage to your space for an extra win. Cable management boxesIf your cables only bother you when they explode into a mess in one spot (like where they have to leap off the floor to connect to your TV or computer), a cable management box is a decorative way to wrangle them without messing around with a large-scale organization project. You can find them in a variety of finishes and looks to match your existing style, and they keep all that cable chaos hidden from view with zero DIY work on your part. Cable coversIf you need to run your wiring a fair distance around the room, paintable, no-drill cable covers will hide the wires and blend them into the background; once painted, these covers won’t be noticeable at all. You can also get “raceway” crown or baseboard molding that will hide your cables in a completely unnoticeable way, though they will require a bit more work to install. If you already have baseboards in the room, you can get quarter-round channels that mount right up against your existing trim for a seamless look. Wall panelsA slightly more involved project doesn’t open up your walls, but does require a bit of DIY skill. You can add wall panels to hide cables and wiring: Wainscoting. A classic look, installing wainscoting isn’t terribly difficult as long as you’re patient when measuring and cutting. It doesn’t require opening the wall, but it does require some drilling, nailing, and sawing skills. The key here is to bump your wainscoting out about an inch from the wall with some one-inch furring strips to allow room for wires to run behind it, then cap it with some molding to cover the gap. Accent panels. You could also add an accent wall using a wall panel behind the television or your desk. Bump it out an inch from the wall and run your wires behind it for a neat, seamless look that adds some drama to the room. Wall panels can mimic wood, brick, stone, or tile, or simply be a pop of color in an otherwise neutral room. DecorFinally, the easiest, cheapest, and least invasive way to hide your wires and cables is to run them behind stuff you already have. A row of books or potted plants, for example, can provide ample camouflage for a few bundled wires. Anything that can sit on a shelf in a pleasingly curated way can hide some wires, no drilling or furniture re-arranging required. View the full article

Going global has been good business for Max. Since the video streamer’s debut in 39 Latin American and Caribbean countries a year ago, it has expanded to more than 70 markets globally, including Europe and Asia. These new audiences have helped grow its user base. In its most recently reported quarter, Max added 7.2 million global subscribers, bringing its total subscriber count to 110 million. As its audience grows, Max is also focusing on premium content and cracking down on password-sharing. JB Perrette, president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery global streaming and games, appeared on Fast Company‘s Most Innovative Companies podcast to talk Max’s international expansion, how it leverages existing IP, and how the company is using AI to improve the streaming experience. You’ve said that globalization is the biggest aspect of Max’s growth efforts. Why is that? The media business has always been a global business, but it’s been global as a collection of local or regional players. The advent of streaming has enabled an ability to program and entertain a global audience. We have franchises and intellectual property—like DC characters or Harry Potter—that has global fan bases. Our original content like House of Dragon and Euphoria also has global fan bases. We used to only be able to tap into portions of that base and then we’d sell those content rights to players in local markets. With the advent of streaming, we’re able to do it all ourselves. Long term we’re very bullish on what this means from the consumer standpoint and from a business perspective. Having a business that has all the advantages and the cost leverage of a global scale is an attractive and long-term lucrative business. Given the opportunity for global expansion, why did it take you so long to launch outside the U.S.? This company was born out of a legacy Warner media business and a legacy Discovery company that came together about two and a half years ago. Both companies have been very active globally, but they had been pursuing different strategies. We spent the first 12 to 18 months rebuilding the technology platform and the product itself to deliver [a better] experience, and support live events, high concurrency entertainment, and more features. We started it in May 2023 in the U S. At the beginning of 2024, Max was only available in one market with that new platform and new product. At the end of 2024, we [were] in 74 markets. We’re in Latin America, key markets in Europe, in Asia, and obviously the U.S. Has your international expansion changed your programming? We already have a history of producing great local content around the world– in Europe and Latin America in particular. We then have augmented it over these last few years by producing more local originals just for Max. You’re starting to see the fruits of that and you’re starting to see that content do great numbers in its regional market. We just did a series based on the book and movie Like Water for Chocolate that came out in Mexico. We’re leveraging franchises around the world that we may not necessarily own and we’re starting to see those stories travel better, because while they may be in different languages, they’re universal in themes. What are some of the product improvements you’re trying to make over the next couple of years? Our head of product likes to say that the product journey is a game of inches. So literally the product road map and the feature improvements are hundreds of different small things. We’ve rolled out this back half of this year what we call whole page optimization, which uses algorithms to recommend content based on what you’ve watched. The key art that shows up should also be personalized based on what we think is most appealing to you. You recently rolled out an ad-supported tier. How does that fit in with your strategy? If you exclude markets that we can’t get into like China, Russia, and India, there’s about 650 million broadband households [that could subscribe to Max]. We still have over close to half the world to get after. With our ad-supported offering, we can attract different customer bases that have different profiles. There are customers around the world who are more price sensitive and are willing to pay, you know, 30, 40, 50% less and still get [access to] our content. As you roll out in more markets around the world that have lower income or GDP per capita, [having an ad-supported tier] is a way to tap into more customers. Netflix was focused on subscriber growth for a long time. Now the company is focused on turning a profit. How do you balance those two factors at Max? As the leader in the space, they have the great advantage of already having reached a lot of scale around the world. Not surprisingly, at some point, you can’t keep growing forever in terms of that scale. I think what they’ve said about no longer reporting subscribers starting in next year is an acknowledgement of the fact that they’re becoming slightly more mature as a business. We’re in a very different position. We’re late to the party. The good news is we still have a lot of growth ahead of us over these next two years. We have opportunities [to acquire] tens of millions of subscribers as we finish our global rollout and demonstrate a better content lineup. That growth continues to be really important for us to report. Nobody has done profit and growth at the same time. I would argue that Max and WBD are the pioneers of that. We need to be able to show that this is a legitimate business and that we can grow it. We talk about streaming consolidation a lot at the office. Ten years from now, are we just going to see one or two dominant services? We’re an IP and storytelling company. If you’re a fan of Batman, you’re not going to get it anywhere else. If you’re a fan of Harry Potter, you’re not going to get it anywhere else. Same for Superman, or 90 Day Fiancé. That’s what makes us unique. So I don’t believe it’s a winner-takes-all situation. I don’t think there’s a monopoly on ideas or great stories. The number of streamers will shrink down, but it won’t just be due to M&A activity. There’ll be some of that, but you’re also going to see creative partnerships, like our Disney bundle. How is AI factoring into your business? Right now AI is used on the operating side, or the process side. It’s helping distill and speed up processes. We were talking earlier about creating more video, interstitials or, trailers or break-in moments to be able to show you clips from the series in the streaming product. For some of the content, we have trailers, but trailers aren’t necessarily always the best selling proposition. We’re leveraging different AI tools to help us take a first cut. A person can prompt AI with “Pick up all the chatter that exists in the internet space about people’s favorite moments from the show, digest that, and give us five different 30-second edits of this series or movie that have the high likelihood of hitting the mark with customers.” Then a human looks at those five cuts and makes a judgment as to the best one. Prior to those AI-enabled tools coming out, we would have had to spend a lot of time and a lot of money and a lot of effort just trying to get to those cuts. We’re also using AI to figure out where to insert ad breaks on our ad-supported tier. We may be able to come up with an ad break methodology that is dynamic rather than one size fits all. We’re also using it for closed-captioning. A lot of great material on Max comes from existing IP. The White Lotus sort of came out of nowhere during the pandemic. Do you think there’s still a future for that kind of non-IP based hit? One hundred percent. Nobody is better in the business when it comes to creating new breakouts. If you think of the track record of HBO, the vast majority of stories they’ve told are not coming from generally known media. The top four series right now for HBO are The Last of Us, Euphoria, The White Lotus, and House of Dragon. Euphoria is a true original, so is The White Lotus. We’re doing more with existing franchises, but we’re not doing that instead of coming up with original ideas. It’s a complement rather than a substitution. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: I was working on writing up a job ad today for temporary research assistants for a field biology project, and noticed trends in my ads and in others’. It’s common for early career employees applying to assistant or technician jobs to think that they want to do fieldwork and then quit in the middle of the season because it wasn’t what they expected. There are really fun parts like getting to travel to cool places, camp or backpack, work directly with plants and animals, and meet new people. However, employees are often underpaid (especially at the technician level), work long hours, and must front some transportation or per diem costs before getting reimbursed. They are far from their friends and family camping for long periods of time and without cell service in some cases. Often, these staff are expected to work through bad weather (if it’s safe), hike long distances, do manual labor all day, and deal with biting and stinging insects. This can be compounded if you’re assigned to work with one other person and it turns out that you don’t get along with them. It can be downright miserable! The solution to this seems to be that we become very up-front about the working conditions in the job and write requirements like, “Must be comfortable carrying 30 pounds in high heat and humidity for 13 hours per day off trail on uneven terrain with biting flies and mosquitos while maintaining a positive attitude.” It doesn’t matter who you are, you’re going to have an off day here and there in those conditions — especially if you have been working and living with the same one or two people for three weeks. I think writing like that just comes off … wrong? I am worried that, in an effort to be transparent, we make ourselves sound uninviting and expect that green staff will fail. I think it also emphasizes physical tolerance where emotional intelligence and maturity can make or break a field season. Do you have any advice for striking a balance when hiring for jobs that have inherent challenges? P.S. I make it sound terrible but there are many of us who really love it! The instinct to be very up-front about the working conditions is the right one! The more transparent and realistic you are, and the more you paint a picture of what the work is really like, the more you’ll attract candidates who will do well and the more likely the “wrong” candidates will self-select out. When you’re hiring, truth in advertising about the less appealing parts of the job is a good thing. You want people to have a good understanding of what they’d be getting into. It’s true that you don’t want to cross over into “this job sucks! but you’ll need to keep a smile on your face!” … but you shouldn’t shy away from describing things as accurately as possible. I would also think about what traits and experiences people who do well in the job tend to share, and talk about that as well — “if you’re the person on camping trips who’s always tracking the animal droppings you see and isn’t daunted if it rains, this may be you” or so forth. (These are undoubtedly terrible examples — non-camper here — but you’ll have better ones since you’re familiar with the work and the actual qualities that predict success.) Or, “We’ve found people who thrive in this role generally have ____ (“spent extended time outdoors in various weather conditions,” “a high degree of emotional intelligence and the ability to work in sometimes uncomfortably close quarters with a wide range of people,” or whatever is true). With a job like this, where you get a lot of people who don’t fully understand what they’re signing on for, I might even consider including one or two short testimonials from people who have done the job successfully and liked it — just a short paragraph from a couple people on what the experience was like for them, what was tough, and why they liked it anyway (without any sugarcoating). You could also run the draft of your ad by people who are doing the job currently or did it recently and ask for their feedback — do they think it’s a full and accurate representation? Are there other things they wish they knew before they got hired? But it’s much better to err on the side of too much transparency than not enough. View the full article

It’s the end of an era for surf-and-skate-inspired clothing enthusiasts, as some once-beloved stores close their doors. Liberated Brands, which owns Billabong, Quicksilver, Volcom, Roxy, and other brands, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware this week. As a result, 120 stores across the U.S. owned by the company will close. The company will also close its international offices, and has laid off 1,400 employees. In a declaration filed along with the Chapter 11 petition, CEO Todd Hymel blamed the rise of fast fashion brands, as well as high interest rates and inflation, for the brand’s demise. “The average consumer has shifted their spending away from discretionary products such as those offered by Liberated,” Hymel said in the court filing. “Consumers can cheaply, quickly, and easily order low-quality clothing garments from fast fashion powerhouses and have such goods delivered within days.” Just a few years ago, Liberated was booming. From 2021 to 2022, it more than doubled the number of retail locations it owned, going from 67 stores to 140 locations. It also took on additional brand licenses under New York-based Authentic Brands Group (ABG). But in recent years, inflation and supply chain issues began to hit the company hard. As more people pulled back on discretionary purchases or turned toward budget brands, more Liberated-owned stores began underperforming. In December 2024, ABG withdrew its licenses. In a statement, Liberated said it has “worked tirelessly over the last year to propel these iconic brands forward, but a volatile global economy, consumer spending changes amid a rising cost of living and inflationary pressures have all taken a heavy toll.” Luckily, fans of the surf-and-skate-inspired clothing won’t have to look too hard to find it after the bankruptcy. The individual brands are already sold at other retailers including Dick’s Sporting Goods, PacSun, and Kohl’s. As Liberated winds down, it will be looking for more wholesale partners to continue selling the products. Meanwhile, the fast fashion industry, which targets young shoppers, is certainly booming. The clothes are cheaply made and affordable, but the industry’s high energy use, toxic chemicals, and the reality of how many briefly worn items end up in landfills all point to how detrimental fast fashion is for the planet. However, 2022 data from ThredUp suggested there’s an addictive nature to fast fashion brands like Shein, Temu, and others, despite the fact that the environmental strain is massive. View the full article

Federal employees have until 11:59 p.m. to decide whether to take a “deferred resignation” offer, which the Trump administration says would allow workers to leave their jobs yet retain pay and benefits through the end of September. The credibility and legality of this unprecedented proposal has since been widely challenged, as the administration hasn’t received budget authorization from Congress for any buyout program. The Wall Street Journal reports that more than 40,000 employees, or about 2% of the federal workforce, have taken the offer as of February 5, a number far below the 5–10% target set by the Trump administration. One worker who just finished a multiyear contract with the Department of Commerce, and whose employment was personally unaffected by the resignation offer, says she worries that this will be the most massive brain-drain in U.S. history, and the result of “employer-led abuse.” (Fast Company has agreed to not use her name due to fear of retaliation, but has verified her identity.) Federal employees describe a workplace of plummeting morale and ratcheting anxiety. Some are still considering whether to take the buyout and alleviate the suspense about potential future layoffs. (Nearly all USAID staffers have been put on leave, following an announcement on February 7, and more than 400 contractors were laid off a week before.) Others say they won’t be swayed, even amid the stress and threats. Bracing for further backlash and retaliation as tonight’s deadline passes, employees are sharing around a private document of resources with the names of legal aid organizations, employment rights groups, attorneys, and Congressional contacts. An employee at the Federal Trade Commission, who also did not want to be named for fear of retaliation, told Fast Company that “a lot of us are terrified of speaking, but we’re bursting at the seams.” Workers are trying to continue on with business as usual, but the threat of losing their jobs is holding up progress. Sources Fast Company spoke with reported updating their résumés or putting in the bare minimum until it’s clear what will happen after 11:59 p.m. tonight. Some say they’re downloading performance evaluation scores, fearing that they may be illicitly edited to provide grounds for dismissal later on. Many of those who are refusing to take the “deferred resignation” say they’re doing so in a spirit of defiance. The top post on the Reddit forum r/fednews is a declaration, which has been upvoted 16,000 times, deeming February 6 “Hold the Line Day,” where “each year we will celebrate the federal employees who have dedicated themselves to holding the line by ignoring and rejecting the markedly illegal and harassing emails from [the Office of Personnel Management].” Commenters write about their resolve in spite of fear and anxiety. “I know it [sic] we’re being pushed down and demoralized right now—but please stay the course,” one poster writes. “It’s so confusing and wrong on so many levels. Don’t quit. You mean a great deal to this country. Your dedication and love for our country will stand the test of time. It’s an extremely sad and confusing time for all of us. No better time than now for all of us to stick together.” In response to the OPM’s “buyout” offer email, whose subject line was “Fork in the Road,” some federal workers are also adopting spoons as a symbol of defiance. Getting a job in the private sector isn’t a worry for the federal employees who spoke to Fast Company. In fact, many are confident they can find jobs in the private sector that pay significantly more. But for many who choose to work for the government, that’s not the point. “People who do this work do it because of the mission,” the former contractor says. The FTC worker says he’s not going to take the buyout because he’s curious to see what it will be like on the other side of the deadline. Moreover, he’s not willing to be intimidated by what he believes are “scare tactics.” “They’re gonna have to shake me off like a tick on a cow’s ass,” he says. View the full article

In the dry months of winter, a humidifier is a godsend, infusing the air with moisture and doing its part to keep your skin and sinuses from getting parched. Since you’re probably regularly adding fresh water to it, you may not think you need to clean it that frequently. But you do—and more often than you might guess. In addition to helping it run better, cleaning your humidifier stops the machine from dispersing microorganisms and minerals into the air. Practice proper humidifier maintenanceDistilled or demineralized water is better than tap water; the latter can contain minerals that could hasten bacteria growth. The minerals can also cause what looks like white dust to collect on furniture near the humidifier. That happened to me a lot last winter until I started using filtered water this year. (It's annoying to have to wait for a full pitcher of water to filter, but not more annoying than having to clean around the humidifier constantly.) It's also better not to be breathing those minerals in or allowing them to build up in the humidifier itself, and switching to distilled water will take care of that problem. When the humidifier is not in use, don't let water sit in it. If you run it overnight, dump out anything that wasn’t vaporized in the morning; you don't want to be breathing in aerosolized stagnant water. Empty the water reservoir out, dry the inside with a cloth, and refill it again only when you’re ready to use it. If you forget to do that, don't put new water on top of old water when you go to use it again. Dump it and fill with fresh water. How (and how often) to clean your humidifierThe Mayo Clinic recommends you clean your humidifier every three days to keep it from spraying bacteria and fungi into the air. (Are you on a three-day schedule with yours? I wasn't!) The Environmental Protection Agency advises cleaning yours by unplugging the machine and scrubbing it out with a brush to remove any scale, deposits, or film you can see on the sides or interior of the tank. If you haven't cleaned yours in a while, you'll likely see the deposits and gunk, so you'll know where to scrub. Otherwise, use a sponge and thoroughly wipe down the entire perimeter of your basin. For the next step, consult your manual to determine the products the manufacturer recommends you use to clean your machine. Most likely, it’ll be either distilled white vinegar or a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution. Some humidifiers can be cleaned with bleach, but not all, so make sure to follow the directions for your specific model. Whatever you use, you won't be running these cleaning products through the machine, but rather allowing them to sit in the water tank for 10 to 20 minutes before dumping it out and scrubbing it again. While that happens, scrub the other components with a little vinegar or hydrogen peroxide solution on a rag. Dump the solution from the basin, rinse it several times, then dry it with a cloth. Now you can breathe freely (and moistly) again. Good as new! Credit: Lindsey Ellefson I just cleaned my mini humidifier and it's easy: It's just a matter of putting the vinegar or peroxide solution in there and leaving it alone after you wipe down the rest. Though each model will differ in its instructions, I added two parts water to one part vinegar to mine. I always make sure to dry mine well before using it again and I rinse it several times, since I don't want any lingering vinegar scent. View the full article

Entrepreneurial couples and co-founding duos share a unique bond – whether they’re bound by marriage or business. Their synergy often stems from shared passions, complementary skills, and the drive to build something meaningful. But the reality is that co-founding a business with someone – romantic partner or not – isn’t always easy. From aligning strategic visions to juggling multiple responsibilities, the pressures of scaling a company can wear on even the strongest partnerships. Yet, entrepreneurial couples offer a blueprint for success precisely because their personal and professional lives are deeply intertwined. As such, they have to adapt, compromise, and communicate on a profound level, and any co-founding duo can learn valuable lessons from how these couples navigate the challenges that come their way while maintaining empathy for one another. Business partners, much like married couples, face a distinct set of hurdles that can test the very core of their relationship. In many ways, running a startup with someone mirrors the commitment of “till death do us part.” You’re tied together not just by formal agreements but also by the emotional investment you each bring to the table. It’s not surprising, then, that up to 43% of startup founders ultimately buy out their co-founders due to interpersonal rifts and power struggles. After all, co-founding a business is essentially a marriage in its own right – one sealed by a business license instead of a marriage license. Yet, when it works, it can be remarkable. In fact, teams with more than one founder outperform solo founders by an overwhelming 163%. One of the biggest pitfalls for co-founders, much like for couples, is misaligned vision. Whether you’re running a household or running a company, there must be a shared sense of purpose and direction. Many disputes boil down to role ambiguity, unclear expectations, and competing definitions of success. If one partner aims for aggressive growth while the other prioritizes sustainable expansion, friction is inevitable. Communication breakdowns and power struggles often follow, which can leave each partner feeling unheard. Time and again, in my work with both entrepreneurial couples and co-founding duos, we see that a foundational alignment on key initiatives and a willingness to resolve conflict collaboratively go a long way toward fostering a healthy partnership. So, how exactly do entrepreneurial couples make it work, and what can every co-founder learn from them? Here are a few tips: Be proactive – Don’t wait until problems arise One of the biggest lessons we can learn from entrepreneurial couples is the importance of addressing potential pitfalls before they become major issues. Whether it’s clarifying roles or scheduling regular check-ins, proactive communication is the glue that holds a relationship together. Rather than assuming everything is fine, schedule structured time to discuss both strategic decisions and personal stressors. By surfacing small grievances early, you prevent them from snowballing into larger conflicts. Understand How Your Familial Dynamics Affect Your Leadership Style Our upbringing and family backgrounds shape not only how we relate to our loved ones but also how we lead, collaborate, and handle conflict. Perhaps you grew up in a home where disagreements were swept under the rug, or maybe you learned to be hyper-assertive just to have a say. These patterns can quickly resurface when the stakes are high in a co-founding situation. Entrepreneurial couples have an edge because they’re forced to recognize – and often reconcile – these familial tendencies on a daily basis. In my work with both couples and co-founders, I’ve found that while the details of each therapy session may vary, the underlying principles remain the same: acknowledging deeply rooted family dynamics is the key to maintaining unity in any partnership. Identify your emotional triggers Even the most forward-thinking founders can falter if they’re not aware of the emotional triggers that fuel their reactions. Stress, fear, or insecurity can all ignite disproportionate responses. The first step is noticing the signs: a racing heartbeat, clenched fists, or a sudden urge to interrupt someone. Once you identify these red flags, you can practice pausing to breathe and reframing the situation. For entrepreneurial couples, this might mean stepping away to gather your thoughts, while for any co-founding duo, it’s about creating space for empathy and calm conversations. Create a strategic alignment plan Finally, business partners who take time to create a clear strategic alignment plan – from outlining shared goals to defining individual roles – set themselves up for smoother collaboration. This roadmap not only keeps you accountable but also helps you spot misalignments before they evolve into gaps that you can’t reconcile. Entrepreneurial couples have to merge life plans and business ambitions in real time, so they often learn to break down goals into manageable steps and assign responsibilities based on each partner’s strengths. By taking a similar approach, you’ll enjoy a much more harmonious working relationship with your co-founder along the way. For entrepreneurs of any kind, remember that the strength of your relationships can make or break your success. Your most valuable asset isn’t just the product or service you offer; it’s the people who help bring your vision to life. Invest in those partnerships first, and watch how every facet of your business thrives as a result. View the full article

Microsoft PowerPoint is a great tool to turn your presentation ideas into reality. But PowerPoint presentations are also a surefire way to bore your audience to death if you don’t make your presentations engaging. To get your audience hooked, adding video files to your presentations can be a good strategy, as videos offer more engagement than most other content types. In this article, you will learn how to embed a video in PowerPoint and the benefits of doing so. How to Add a Video to PowerPoint from Your Hard Drive Here are simple steps to include a video in a PowerPoint presentation: Step. 1 Go to the Insert tab and click on the Video tab. Step. 2 When you click on the Video tab, a drop-down menu will appear with three options for inserting a video: This Device, Stock Videos, and Online Videos. Select Insert Video from This Device. Step. 3 When you select Insert Video from This Device, a prompt will appear asking you to locate a video file on your device. Find the video file you wish to use. Step- 4 Click on the Insert tab; the video will be added to your presentation slide. Step- 5 When you embed a hard drive video into PowerPoint presentations, you have multiple options to customize the video. Select your video and click on the Video Format tab, you will get assorted options for video shape, video border, video effects, video size, and many more. Also, you can add a poster frame to your video from this section. Click on the Playback tab after selecting your video, you get options to trim video, set fad duration, and many more. If you want to ensure that your video starts automatically, you can set it up by visiting the In Click Sequence tab. How to Add a YouTube Video to PowerPoint The process of adding YouTube videos to your PowerPoint slides is simple. In just a few clicks, you can embed a YouTube video into your PowerPoint slide. Let’s explore the process. Step. 1 Go to YouTube and choose the video you want to add to your presentation. Click on the Share tab to copy the link to your video. If you want your video to start at a certain time, play the video and click on the Share tab at the time when you want it to be played. Check the Start At box below, and then copy the URL. Step. 2 Click the Insert button, then choose the Video tab in your PowerPoint file. You will see three options for inserting a video. Select Online Videos. Step. 3 When you click on Insert Video from Online Videos, a dialog box will open to enter the address of the online video. At present, embedding videos from the following online platforms are allowed: YouTube SlideShare Vimeo Stream Flipgrid Step. 4 Enter the copied address of the YouTube video, and you can see the preview of the video. Click on the Insert button, and your video appears on your presentation slide. Your linked video will be played from YouTube. Therefore, you need to have an internet connection for video play in your presentation. Step. 5 For customization, adding videos from YouTube to your presentation only offers the In Click Sequence option when you select the video and click on the Playback tab. However, you will have most options when you select the video and click on the Video Format tab to customize the video. You can add poster frames, change video shapes, and much more. How to Embed a Vimeo Online Video into a PowerPoint Presentation The process of adding a video from Vimeo or any other video platform to your presentation is like adding a YouTube video and takes just a few minutes. The following are quick steps: Step. 1 Visit Vimeo and select the video you wish to include in your PowerPoint presentation. Next, click on the Share icon. Copy the link to your video. Vimeo also allows you to pick a certain time to start video playback by setting time in the Start Video At box. What’s more, you can also select play automatically. Step. 2 Go to the Insert tab and click Video. The Insert Video From pop-up menu appears. Click on Online Videos. Step. 3 When you click on Online Video, a new window will open. Enter the copied address of the Vimeo video into the address bar; it will show the preview of the video. Click on the Insert button, and your video will be added to your presentation slide. You have as many customization options for embedded Vimeo videos as you have for YouTube videos (mentioned in step. 5 of how to add a YouTube video to your presentation) Why You Should Add Videos to Your PowerPoint The following are key reasons why you should add videos to your PowerPoint presentation: 1. Make Your Presentation More Powerful Using storytelling in your presentation is a proven tactic to improve the outcome. And videos make storytelling more convincing. So, if you embed videos in your presentation, it can make your presentation more powerful. 2- Set the Mood of Your Audience Incorporating relevant videos that enhance your presentation slides can effectively engage your audience. When your viewers see that you have embedded videos in the initial slides, they are likely to conclude that the remainder of the presentation will be enjoyable rather than dull. 3. Keep Your Audience Engaged People enjoy watching videos, and the growth of video viewers globally supports this idea. Therefore, knowing how to embed a video in PowerPoint can enhance your presentations and engage your audience more effectively. 4. Help You Sell More Are you utilizing presentation slides to persuade your prospects or customers to make a purchase? Incorporating videos into your PowerPoint presentations can enhance your sales effectiveness. This is due to the fact that videos increase conversion rates. Read More: how to make a PowerPoint into a video Why can’t I add a video to PowerPoint? Here are common reasons why you can’t add a video to PowerPoint: You’re trying to embed an unsupported video from your hard drive Your Internet connection is off if you’re adding a video from Vimeo or YouTube Your PowerPoint program may be corrupted Your movie file might be corrupted Conclusion Now that you know how to embed a video in PowerPoint. It is time to create an awesome presentation to wow your audience Playing videos in your PowerPoint slides can make your presentations more powerful and offer excellent conversion rates. However, you should avoid common PowerPoint mistakes and ensure each embedded video complements the content of the slide. Image: Depositphotos This article, "How to Embed a Video in PowerPoint" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Microsoft PowerPoint is a great tool to turn your presentation ideas into reality. But PowerPoint presentations are also a surefire way to bore your audience to death if you don’t make your presentations engaging. To get your audience hooked, adding video files to your presentations can be a good strategy, as videos offer more engagement than most other content types. In this article, you will learn how to embed a video in PowerPoint and the benefits of doing so. How to Add a Video to PowerPoint from Your Hard Drive Here are simple steps to include a video in a PowerPoint presentation: Step. 1 Go to the Insert tab and click on the Video tab. Step. 2 When you click on the Video tab, a drop-down menu will appear with three options for inserting a video: This Device, Stock Videos, and Online Videos. Select Insert Video from This Device. Step. 3 When you select Insert Video from This Device, a prompt will appear asking you to locate a video file on your device. Find the video file you wish to use. Step- 4 Click on the Insert tab; the video will be added to your presentation slide. Step- 5 When you embed a hard drive video into PowerPoint presentations, you have multiple options to customize the video. Select your video and click on the Video Format tab, you will get assorted options for video shape, video border, video effects, video size, and many more. Also, you can add a poster frame to your video from this section. Click on the Playback tab after selecting your video, you get options to trim video, set fad duration, and many more. If you want to ensure that your video starts automatically, you can set it up by visiting the In Click Sequence tab. How to Add a YouTube Video to PowerPoint The process of adding YouTube videos to your PowerPoint slides is simple. In just a few clicks, you can embed a YouTube video into your PowerPoint slide. Let’s explore the process. Step. 1 Go to YouTube and choose the video you want to add to your presentation. Click on the Share tab to copy the link to your video. If you want your video to start at a certain time, play the video and click on the Share tab at the time when you want it to be played. Check the Start At box below, and then copy the URL. Step. 2 Click the Insert button, then choose the Video tab in your PowerPoint file. You will see three options for inserting a video. Select Online Videos. Step. 3 When you click on Insert Video from Online Videos, a dialog box will open to enter the address of the online video. At present, embedding videos from the following online platforms are allowed: YouTube SlideShare Vimeo Stream Flipgrid Step. 4 Enter the copied address of the YouTube video, and you can see the preview of the video. Click on the Insert button, and your video appears on your presentation slide. Your linked video will be played from YouTube. Therefore, you need to have an internet connection for video play in your presentation. Step. 5 For customization, adding videos from YouTube to your presentation only offers the In Click Sequence option when you select the video and click on the Playback tab. However, you will have most options when you select the video and click on the Video Format tab to customize the video. You can add poster frames, change video shapes, and much more. How to Embed a Vimeo Online Video into a PowerPoint Presentation The process of adding a video from Vimeo or any other video platform to your presentation is like adding a YouTube video and takes just a few minutes. The following are quick steps: Step. 1 Visit Vimeo and select the video you wish to include in your PowerPoint presentation. Next, click on the Share icon. Copy the link to your video. Vimeo also allows you to pick a certain time to start video playback by setting time in the Start Video At box. What’s more, you can also select play automatically. Step. 2 Go to the Insert tab and click Video. The Insert Video From pop-up menu appears. Click on Online Videos. Step. 3 When you click on Online Video, a new window will open. Enter the copied address of the Vimeo video into the address bar; it will show the preview of the video. Click on the Insert button, and your video will be added to your presentation slide. You have as many customization options for embedded Vimeo videos as you have for YouTube videos (mentioned in step. 5 of how to add a YouTube video to your presentation) Why You Should Add Videos to Your PowerPoint The following are key reasons why you should add videos to your PowerPoint presentation: 1. Make Your Presentation More Powerful Using storytelling in your presentation is a proven tactic to improve the outcome. And videos make storytelling more convincing. So, if you embed videos in your presentation, it can make your presentation more powerful. 2- Set the Mood of Your Audience Incorporating relevant videos that enhance your presentation slides can effectively engage your audience. When your viewers see that you have embedded videos in the initial slides, they are likely to conclude that the remainder of the presentation will be enjoyable rather than dull. 3. Keep Your Audience Engaged People enjoy watching videos, and the growth of video viewers globally supports this idea. Therefore, knowing how to embed a video in PowerPoint can enhance your presentations and engage your audience more effectively. 4. Help You Sell More Are you utilizing presentation slides to persuade your prospects or customers to make a purchase? Incorporating videos into your PowerPoint presentations can enhance your sales effectiveness. This is due to the fact that videos increase conversion rates. Read More: how to make a PowerPoint into a video Why can’t I add a video to PowerPoint? Here are common reasons why you can’t add a video to PowerPoint: You’re trying to embed an unsupported video from your hard drive Your Internet connection is off if you’re adding a video from Vimeo or YouTube Your PowerPoint program may be corrupted Your movie file might be corrupted Conclusion Now that you know how to embed a video in PowerPoint. It is time to create an awesome presentation to wow your audience Playing videos in your PowerPoint slides can make your presentations more powerful and offer excellent conversion rates. However, you should avoid common PowerPoint mistakes and ensure each embedded video complements the content of the slide. Image: Depositphotos This article, "How to Embed a Video in PowerPoint" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The mortgage arm of Rithm Capital saw profits surge in the fourth quarter, as the parent company looks to scale up before making any moves to separate. View the full article

The 17.2% of mortgage borrowers nationwide with interest rates equal to, or greater than 6%, is the largest share since 2016, according to Redfin. View the full article

Potentially transformative, the idea has yet to show practical value, as the boundaries between the two fields shift View the full article

The 30-year fixed rate mortgage continues to slip away from the 7% mark, Freddie Mac said, but experts still expect them to stay higher for longer. View the full article

Despite ideal market, challenges obstruct expansion. By CPA Trendlines Research Go PRO for members-only access to more CPA Trendlines Research. View the full article

Despite ideal market, challenges obstruct expansion. By CPA Trendlines Research Go PRO for members-only access to more CPA Trendlines Research. View the full article

Are you suffering from “Zoom fatigue?” Exhausted from being on video calls multiple times a week, or even every day? Well, it may be because you’re sick of looking at your own face, according to a new study. That study, from researchers at Michigan State University and published in the journal PLOS One, discovered that “facial appearance dissatisfaction” could explain the weariness people are experiencing when using videoconferencing technology. Our increased reliance on virtual meetings in the workplace, especially with the rise of remote work, means we are spending a lot more time on camera, which has significant implications for workplace productivity and individual well-being, according to the researchers. “Our study highlights that dissatisfaction with facial appearance contributes to Zoom fatigue, leading to reduced adoption of virtual meeting technologies,” said study author Chaeyun Lim of Michigan State University. The study also looked at impression management features, which are tools that enable users to adjust their self-video to manage their appearance, and found that dissatisfaction with facial appearance “also drives the use of impression management features, emphasizing the need to address worker well-being in virtual communication environments.” In other words, researchers found that individuals who didn’t like how they looked had more Zoom fatigue and saw virtual meetings as less useful, leading them to be less interested in adopting the technology. Taken together, the findings shed light on why some people are less likely to want to attend virtual meetings. The study involved 2,448 U.S.-based workers answering a 15-minute survey. The group included professional, technical, and scientific workers who worked remotely at least part of the time and regularly attended virtual meetings for work. It’s not the first study about negative feelings associated with virtual meetings. Another study from Austrian researchers in 2023 examined the effects of videoconferencing directly on the brain and heart. In that study, electrodes were stuck on the heads and chests of 35 students who took part in 50-minute lectures through videoconference and in person. According to the brain and heart readings, students had significantly greater levels of fatigue, drowsiness, negativity, and sadness, and less attention, after videoconferencing than after in-person lectures. So, what’s the solution? “Individuals and organizations can adopt practices such as scheduling regular breaks,” according to Graz University of Technology’s René Riedl, co-senior author of the Austrian study. “Based on our research results, we recommend a break after 30 minutes, because we found that after 50 minutes of videoconferencing, significant changes in physiological and subjective fatigue could be observed. Moreover, utilizing features like ‘speaker view’ to mitigate the intensity of perceived continuous eye contact could be helpful.” View the full article