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Google revised its policy for dating and companionship advertisers, pushing back enforcement and clarifying certification rules for aggregators. Extension. The deadline for certification has been extended from March 4 to April 9. After this date, uncertified advertisers will no longer be permitted to run ads. Aggregator update. Aggregatoars promoting dating or companionship services will be eligible to serve restricted ads with proper certification, starting April 9. These ads will appear on Search with age and country restrictions. Certification for aggregators opens Feb. 25, while other advertisers can continue applying for certification. Why we care. The certification process aims to ensure transparency and safety in dating-related advertising on Google. The timeline extension and aggregator guidelines provide you with additional clarity and time for compliance. What’s next: Advertisers should prepare for the April 9 enforcement deadline and secure the required certification to avoid disruptions in campaign eligibility. View the full article

Mike Waltz and Jonathan Powell will hold talks about the Indian Ocean territory View the full article

The new year isn’t getting off to a great start when it comes to employment in the tech industry. Tech giant Salesforce is reportedly getting ready to cut 1,000 roles at the company. The expected job cuts are just the latest in a line of layoffs already initiated by well-known companies in the technology sector, including Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft. Here’s what you need to know. Salesforce to reportedly lay off over 1,000 employees Today, Bloomberg reported that Salesforce, the world’s top customer relationship management software company, will be cutting more than 1,000 positions at the company. The news came from an unnamed source and was not an official announcement from Salesforce. Nothing is known about which departments will be hit hardest by the cuts. However, a Bloomberg source said that any displaced workers will be allowed to apply for other positions at the company. We’ve reached out to Salesforce for comment. It’s also worth noting that these cuts aren’t a net job reduction at Salesforce, as the company is also currently actively hiring salespeople to promote its AI offerings to customers. Salesforce reported having 73,000 employees as of January 2024, which means that a reduction of 1,000 personnel equates to fewer than 1% of its workforce. Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and more cut jobs Despite being fewer than seven weeks into the new year, many major tech companies have already announced plans to reduce their workforce or cut staff in 2025. In mid-January, Facebook parent company Meta Platforms announced it would cut about 5% of its workforce. A 5% reduction in staff equates to layoffs totaling about 3,600 people, noted Bloomberg. As of last September, Meta employed about 72,000 workers. Announcing the cuts in an internal memo, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “I’ve decided to raise the bar on performance management and move out low-performers faster.” And Meta isn’t alone. In January, Microsoft also laid off some workers it deemed low performers, Business Insider reported. It is unknown how many employees at the Redmond company would lose their roles. We’ve reached out to Microsoft for comment. Amazon in January also announced it would eliminate staff, Bloomberg reported, with dozens in its communications department being targeted. And it’s not just the big tech giants. Smaller tech companies have also announced layoffs since the new year began. Those companies include payments platform Stripe, which is eliminating 300 positions, and Placer.ai, the Israeli location analytics firm, which is laying off 150 workers. A repeat of 2022-2024? The large number of high-profile tech companies that have announced layoffs in the early days of 2025 has understandably given rise to anxieties of those in the industry who lived through the massive job cuts implemented by the industry between 2022 and 2024, when hundreds of thousands of tech workers lost their jobs. What workers now want to know is if 2025 will be a repeat of those years. At this point, that’s impossible to answer. However, the 2022-2024 period of mass tech industry layoffs was generally spurred by overhiring during the pandemic years when many tech companies saw a rapid uptick in users and customers. In 2025, the greatest threats of job layoffs don’t come from pandemic-induced overhiring as much as they do from the rising specter of AI and its ability to replace human workers. It remains to be seen whether AI will pose a serious risk to tech industry jobs this year. As for layoffs in the tech industry, layoffs tracking site Layoffs.fyi says that so far in 2025, 31 tech companies have laid off just over 7,000 employees. That compares to the 152,000 employees laid off across various companies in 2024 and the 264,000 and 165,000 laid off in 2023 and 2022, respectively. View the full article

The Federal Reserve terminated two mortgage-related enforcement actions against Wells Fargo & Co. from more than a decade ago, the central bank said Tuesday. View the full article

For the first time in over two decades, Capri Sun is expanding its single serving offerings with a colorful new bottle—but don’t worry, the iconic pouch is here to stay. Capri Sun’s new bottles are hitting shelves nationwide today at Kroger, Circle K, some Walmart locations, and regional convenience stores like Meijer and Hy-vee. They come in the brand’s three most popular flavors: Fruit Punch, Pacific Cooler, and Strawberry Kiwi. According to the company, each bottle contains about double the liquid contents of a traditional pouch, at 12 fluid ounces. However, for those interested in a smaller serving size and that classic form factor, Capri Sun pouches aren’t actually going anywhere (in fact, Capri Sun sells over six million of the mini beverages every day.) Instead of replacing the pouch, the new bottles are actually Capri Sun’s attempt to get pick-up in the convenience store market, an area where its normally delightful packaging has caused the juice to be overlooked amongst a sea of other, more easy-to-drink options. Kristina Hannant, Capri Sun’s director of marketing, says the brand has actually tried to stock pouches at convenience stores, but found that “consumers weren’t reaching for them as often when faced with many other bottled options.” That makes sense, given that Capri Suns weren’t exactly designed to be displayed in a traditional beverage aisle or crammed into a cup holder on a long road trip. The pouch is all about the tactile experience, one that’s particularly enchanting for young kids (stabbing the pouch with the straw; crunching its plastic exterior; perhaps using it as a projectile) but less so for parents in the driver’s seat. “Designed specifically to fit the shelves and coolers of convenience stores, the Capri Sun bottles cater to the busy, on-the-go lifestyle of today’s families with a resealable cap that parents can appreciate—especially given 53% of parents prefer beverages their kids can drink on the go and many find that bottles help with preventing spills,” Hannant says, referring to a statistic from market research firm Numerator. The bottles were also made to cater to a group of Capri Sun’s most dedicated and outspoken followers: According to a press release, “Between 2020 and 2023, a staggering 76% of suggestions received by the Capri Sun call center were about fans wanting a bigger product size.” Presumably to maintain product recognition, the bottles’ design is essentially a copy-pasted version of each flavor’s corresponding pouch, though it’s still a bit disconcerting to see Capri Sun’s branding outside the usual context. Logically, Capri Sun’s new bottles make sense as a supplementary offering. But, until proven otherwise, we’re inclined to argue that half of the Capri Sun’s nostalgic factor really comes down to the fact that anything tastes more magical out of a pouch. View the full article

The price of eggs isn’t just surging at the grocery store. It’s hitting your favorite chains, too: Now, some Waffle House restaurants are adding surcharges on orders that include eggs. According to a statement Waffle House posted at restaurants, and emailed to Fast Company, it will be adding 50 cents per egg to customers’ tabs. “The continuing egg shortage caused by HPAI (bird flu) has caused a dramatic increase in egg prices,” Waffle House said in the statement. “Rather than increasing prices across the menu, this is a temporary targeted surcharge tied to the unprecedented rise in egg prices.” The statement continued, “Customers and restaurants are being forced to make difficult decisions. We are continuously monitoring egg prices and will adjust or remove the surcharge as market conditions allow.” While inflation has driven up prices at the grocery store, bird flu is the main reason why egg prices remain high. During his campaign, President Trump vowed to bring down the price of groceries across the board, but egg prices have continued to climb since Inauguration Day. According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, in the week ending January 18, the price of a dozen eggs was up to $5.29. The previous month, the same item cost $4.15. As farmers contend with lower output, due in part to millions of hens being slaughtered as a result of bird flu, some shoppers are finding empty shelves where the cartons of eggs once were. And some stores are placing limits on how many cartons customers can buy. Now, restaurants are also finding their own ways to cope with the egg shortage—especially breakfast chains, which serve them by the millions. According to Waffle House’s website, eggs are its most popular menu item: It serves 272 million of them each year. A pricier breakfast This week, as Trump imposed tariffs on China, Mexico, and Canada (before pausing said tariffs on the latter two countries), there’s been much talk about what might happen to groceries, gas, and more in the U.S. If the hefty tariffs hold, experts warn it could cause prices of certain grocery items that largely come from outside of the U.S. to surge. Kelly Beaton, the chief content officer at The Food Institute, told Fox Business that businesses, like grocery stores, may also pass higher costs onto the customer. One item likely to get a lot pricier, Beaton said, is cereal, “since it’s a common import from all three countries that Trump has targeted with tariffs.” That means it’s possible that breakfast could get even more expensive, even at the most affordable chain restaurants. View the full article

Are you tired of the annoying "AI overview" at the top of your search results? Turns out you can get rid of it by starting your search with the word "fuck." The trick spread thanks to a now-viral thread on Tumblr and it works wonders. I've been trying it out all morning: the AI disappears but the results are otherwise more-or-less the same. Is this the best way to stop seeing AI in search results? No. We've talked about how to disable Google's AI search results by changing the default search engine in your browser to only pull in web results, and that's better. But is this the funnest way to stop seeing AI in search results? Fuck yeah it is. And it's perfect if you sometimes want to see AI results, but need a way to exclude them on a case-by-case basis. Credit: Justin Pot Sometimes, when you search, you want a quick answer. AI results in search are potentially useful for this. Sometimes, though, what you're looking for is a deep dive on a particular issues written and curated by actual experts. AI results, in that context, are mostly just cluttering your search results. Turns out you can blast them out of your search results with a strategically placed f-bomb. I don't know specifically why this works, but I assume it's some filter Google set up to avoid situations where the AI swears at users. It's particularly funny because this is how people use profanity in real life. Comedian James Acaster once explained the reason he started swearing during standup in one of my favorite bits. He realized that by not swearing he "attracted a demographic that I hate." The point: saying "fuck" every now and then can means people who don't like profanity won't engage with you. This trick, apparently, also works with bots: swear liberally and they won't interact with you. Welcome to the fucking future. View the full article

On a freezing cold Wednesday afternoon in eastern Kentucky, Taysha DeVaughan joined a small gathering at the foot of a reclaimed strip mine to celebrate a homecoming. “It’s a return of an ancestor,” DeVaughan said. “It’s a return of a relative.” That relative was the land they stood on, part of a tract slated for a federal penitentiary that many in the crowd consider another injustice in a region riddled with them. The mine shut down years ago, but the site, near the town of Roxana, still bears the scars of extraction. DeVaughan, an enrolled member of the Comanche Nation, joined some two dozen people on January 22 to celebrate the Appalachian Rekindling Project buying 63 acres within the prison’s footprint. “What we’re here to do is to protect her and to give her a voice,” DeVaughan said. “She’s been through mountaintop removal. She’s been blown up, she’s been scraped up, she’s been hurt.” The Appalachian Rekindling Project, which she helped found last year, wants to rewild the site with bison and native flora and fauna, open it to intertribal gatherings, and, it hopes, stop the prison. The environmental justice organization worked with a coalition of local nonprofits, including Build Community Not Prisons and the Institute to End Mass Incarceration, to raise $160,000 to buy the plot from retired truck driver Wayne Whitaker. He’d only just purchased it as a hunting ground, and it was an easy sell. “There’s nothing positive we’ll get out of this prison,” he said. The penitentiary has been a gleam in the eye of state and local officials and the Bureau of Prisons since 2006. It has always sparked sharp divisions in Roxana and beyond and was killed in 2019 after a series of lawsuits, only to be quietly resurrected in 2022. Last fall, the bureau took the final step in its approval process, clearing the way to begin buying land. Some in Letcher County, which saw 5.2% of its population leave between 2020 and 2023 and grapples with a 24% poverty rate, believe the prison will replace jobs and tax revenue lost with the decline of coal. Federal prison construction has boomed in central Appalachia as mining has faltered, with 8 of the 16 penitentiaries built there, often atop mines, located in Kentucky alone. “Those are all expressions of the economic crisis that has occurred due to the collapse of the coal industry, and for which the prisons and the jails are proposed,” said Judah Schept, a professor of justice studies at Eastern Kentucky University. In his book Coal, Cages, Crisis, Schept noted that mine sites are considered ideal locations for prisons or a dumping ground for waste, rather than places of ecological value, as some biologists have argued. The Roxana site has been reclaimed, meaning re-vegetated with a forest that now shelters a number of rare species, including endangered bats. Opponents argue that a prison will bring more environmental problems than jobs. Letcher County was 1 of 13 counties ravaged by catastrophic flooding in 2022, a situation exacerbated by damage strip mining caused to local watersheds. The prison slated for Roxana will exacerbate the problem. The Bureau of Prisons estimates it will damage 6,290 feet of streams and about 2 acres of wetlands. (The agency has promised to compensate the state.) DeVaughan said the purchase also is a step toward rectifying the dispossession that began with the forced removal and genocide of Indigenous peoples. The Cherokee, Shawnee, and Yuchi made their homes in the area before, during, and after colonization, and their thriving nations raised crops, ran businesses, and hunted bison that once roamed Appalachia. In all the time since, coal, timber, gas, and landholding companies have at times owned almost half of the land in 80 counties stretching from West Virginia to Alabama. Several prisons sprang from deals made with coal companies, something many locals consider the continuation of this status quo. Changing that dynamic is a priority for the Appalachian Rekindling Project, which hoped to buy more land to protect it from extractive industries and return its stewardship to Indigenous and local communities. DeVaughn said Indigenous peoples throughout the region will be welcome to use the land as a gathering place. The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, Cherokee Nation, and United Keetoowah Band did not respond to requests for comment. DeVaughan sees its work establishing a new vision of economic transition for coalfields, one that relies less on “dollars and numbers” and more on “healing and restoration” of the land and the Indigenous and other communities that live there. She is working with the Cheyenne and Arapaho nations to acquire a herd of bison and plans to work with local volunteers, scientists, and students to inventory the site’s flora and fauna. The plot sits at the edge of the 500-acre site outlined for the prison, which would hold over 1,300 people in the main facility and adjoining camp. A representative of the Bureau of Prisons told Grist land acquisition will continue. This isn’t the first time the agency has hit such a pothole. Six years ago, Letcher County master falconer Mitch Whitaker refused to sell nearly 12 acres, requiring the agency to revise its plans. The prospect of doing so again led Representative Hal Rogers, who represents the area in Congress and has been the leading champion for the prison, to lambaste ARP and its allies. “This land purchase comes as no surprise from a group led by Kentucky outsiders and liberal extremists,” he said in a statement. But many of those on hand that Wednesday to celebrate the sale were local residents like Artie Ann Bates, who grew up in Letcher County and saw waves of strip mining damage her family’s land. “It’s just really hard seeing a place you love be destroyed,” she said. The purchase is a “sign of progress,” she added, bundled up at the foot of the mine site alongside her neighbors. — Katie Myers, Grist This article originally appeared in Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Sign up for its newsletter here. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: My husband is a blue collar worker, and he’s very experienced in his field. A little less than a year ago, he decided to switch jobs. He went from doing residential work in people’s homes to commercial work on big buildings. He had over two decades of experience doing the residential side of things, but very little commercial experience. So, in some ways it was like starting over again and having to train from the ground up. At the time, he had two competing job offers: one with a residential company that was offering a slightly lower base pay, but more potential bonuses and benefits, and the commercial company he ultimately went with. To leverage the other offer, he talked to the commercial company and they decided to hire him at a slightly lower rate than he wanted but with an extra week of PTO, and they said they would look at a raise at his 90-day review to bring him up where he wanted to be, based on his performance. At his 90-day review, his boss told him that he was incredibly impressed with how fast he was learning the job. His exact words were, “You’re kicking ass and taking names!” He told my husband that they were not only going to give him a bigger raise than promised, they were also going to give him a new work van and send him to be trained for bigger, more complex systems and look at another significant pay bump at the one-year mark if his trajectory continued. When my husband showed me his glowing review, I told him to make sure and include that on his resume. He’s not actively looking for a new job at the moment, but he is going back to school and needs an updated resume for that (as well as just keeping his resume fresh). We have a relative who is a hiring manager in a white collar industry (think banking/finance). At a recent family gathering, my husband was talking to this relative and asked for their opinion on his resume. When they saw that he had written that his boss had said he was “kicking ass and taking names” at his 90-day review, they told my husband that that was unbelievably unprofessional and that they would have thrown his resume directly into the garbage the second they saw that. They said having that comment on his resume would make them seriously question his judgment, and they would never, ever hire someone who thought that was acceptable … and in fact, they would consider reaching out to their industry contacts and telling others to avoid that person as well because it was so wildly inappropriate. My husband was very taken aback and upset by this, but I told him that this feels like (1) a bit of an overreaction, and (2) a difference in industry norms. I said that he was just quoting his boss and the feedback was literally written on his evaluation and told to him verbally, and other people in the same industry wouldn’t be thrown by it at all. I said he could take it off of his resume if he wanted and just leave the other details, but personally I thought it was charming and showed how enthusiastic his employer is about his work. I work in healthcare, so I feel like I’m predisposed to lean more towards being conservative, but even I thought that the response my husband got was over the top. If I saw that on a resume, my first thought would be, “Clearly, their last boss was very enthusiastic about their work!” (We do live in a more culturally conservative area, though where my husband and I work has become quite a bit more progressive in recent years.) He seems to be a bit deflated by this, so I wanted to seek other opinions. Is this a “never ever under any circumstances” type of thing, or is this something that can be more industry-dependent? Your relative’s reaction was over the top. I wouldn’t include “kicking ass and taking names!” on a resume, but that’s largely because it’s not specific enough, not because it’s an outrageous offense. I mean, it’s true that you normally shouldn’t include profanity on a resume, and the bar is pretty high for doing it. (There are times when I’d consider it, though! If Barack Obama or, I don’t know, Tom Hanks put in writing that I was “incredible at getting shit done,” I’d seriously consider putting that on a resume. But again, that’s a high bar — and even then some people might raise their eyebrows at it, but that would be outweighed by the number of people who loved it.) My take on the quote your husband used is that it doesn’t convey enough about why his employer felt he was kicking ass and taking names, which is ultimately the part that matters. It would be more effective to write about the work specifics that made them feel that way. For example: “In first 90 days, exceeded team’s previous sales by 20% and brought in two new six-figure contracts, earning kudos from management and an unusual out-of-cycle salary increase.” (That said, I could see using the “kicking ass and taking names” quote in a cover letter if there was a way to work it in organically.) Regardless, though, your relative’s reaction is absurd. They’d reach out to industry contacts to tell them never to hire him? That’s ridiculous, and that tells you that this is someone with no sense of proportion and with bad judgment. It’s absolutely useful for your relative to share that the wording would be considered unprofessional in their industry, but once they went beyond that, they were teaching you something about themselves more than about resume-writing (and that lesson is that you shouldn’t take professional advice from them). View the full article

Rival companies in fierce battle for talent in race to build powerful artificial intelligence ‘agents’View the full article

Dozens of senior officials put on leave. Thousands of contractors laid off. A freeze put on billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance to other countries. Over the last two weeks, President Donald Trump’s administration has made significant changes to the U.S. agency charged with delivering humanitarian assistance overseas that has left aid organizations agonizing over whether they can continue with programs such as nutritional assistance for malnourished infants and children. Then-President John F. Kennedy established the U.S. Agency for International Development, known as USAID, during the Cold War. In the decades since, Republicans and Democrats have fought over the agency and its funding. Here’s a look at USAID, its history and the changes made since Trump took office. What is USAID? Kennedy created USAID at the height of the United States’ Cold War struggle with the Soviet Union. He wanted a more efficient way to counter Soviet influence abroad through foreign assistance and saw the State Department as frustratingly bureaucratic at doing that. Congress passed the Foreign Assistance Act and Kennedy set up USAID as an independent agency in 1961. USAID has outlived the Soviet Union, which fell in 1991. Today, supporters of USAID argue that U.S. assistance in countries counters Russian and Chinese influence. China has its own “belt and road” foreign aid program worldwide operating in many countries that the U.S. also wants as partners. Critics say the programs are wasteful and promote a liberal agenda. What’s going on with USAID? On his first day in office Jan. 20, Trump implemented a 90-day freeze on foreign assistance. Four days later, Peter Marocco — a returning political appointee from Trump’s first term — drafted a tougher than expected interpretation of that order, a move that shut down thousands of programs around the world and forced furloughs and layoffs. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has since moved to keep more kinds of strictly life-saving emergency programs going during the freeze. But confusion over what programs are exempted from the Trump administration’s stop-work orders — and fear of losing U.S. aid permanently — is still freezing aid and development work globally. Dozens of senior officials have been put on leave, thousands of contractors laid off, and employees were told Monday not to enter its Washington headquarters. And USAID’s website and its account on the X platform have been taken down. It’s part of a Trump administration crackdown that’s hitting across the federal government and its programs. But USAID and foreign aid are among those hit the hardest. Rubio said the administration’s aim was a program-by-program review of which projects make “America safer, stronger or more prosperous.” The decision to shut down U.S.-funded programs during the 90-day review meant the U.S. was “getting a lot more cooperation” from recipients of humanitarian, development and security assistance, Rubio said. What do critics of USAID say? Republicans typically push to give the State Department — which provides overall foreign policy guidance to USAID — more control of its policy and funds. Democrats typically promote USAID autonomy and authority. Funding for United Nations agencies, including peacekeeping, human rights and refugee agencies, have been traditional targets for Republican administrations to cut. The first Trump administration moved to reduce foreign aid spending, suspending payments to various U.N. agencies, including the U.N. Population Fund and funding to the Palestinian Authority. In Trump’s first term, the U.S. pulled out of the U.N. Human Rights Council and its financial obligations to that body. The U.S. is also barred from funding the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA, under a bill signed by then-President Joe Biden last March. As a Florida senator, Rubio often called for more transparency on foreign assistance spending, but was generally supportive. In a 2017 social media post, Rubio said foreign assistance was “not charity,” that the U.S. “must make sure it is well spent” and called foreign aid “critical to our national security.” In 2023, Rubio sponsored a bill that would have required U.S. foreign assistance agencies to include more information on what organizations were implementing the aid on the ground. Why is Elon Musk going after USAID? Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, has launched a sweeping effort empowered by Trump to fire government workers and cut trillions in government spending. USAID is one of his prime targets. Musk alleges USAID funding been used to launch deadly programs and called it a “criminal organization.” What is being affected by the USAID freeze? Sub-Saharan Africa could suffer more than any other region during the aid pause. The U.S. gave the region more than $6.5 billion in humanitarian assistance last year. HIV patients in Africa arriving at clinics funded by an acclaimed U.S. program that helped rein in the global AIDS epidemic of the 1980s found locked doors. There are also already ramifications in Latin America. In Mexico, a busy shelter for migrants in southern Mexico has been left without a doctor. A program to provide mental health support for LGBTQ+ youth fleeing Venezuela was disbanded. In Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador and Guatemala, so-called “Safe Mobility Offices” where migrants can apply to enter the U.S. legally have shuttered. The aid community is struggling to get the full picture—how many thousands of programs have shut down and how many thousands of workers were furloughed and laid off under the freeze? How much does the U.S. spend on foreign aid? In all, the U.S. spent about roughly $40 billion in foreign aid in the 2023 fiscal year, according to a report published last month by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. The U.S. is the largest provider of humanitarian assistance globally, although some other countries spend a bigger share of their budget on it. Foreign assistance overall amounts to less than 1% of the U.S. budget. What do Americans think of foreign aid? About 6 in 10 U.S. adults said the U.S. government was spending “too much” overall on foreign aid, according to a March 2023 AP-NORC poll. Asked about specific costs, roughly 7 in 10 U.S. adults said the U.S. government was putting too much money toward assistance to other countries. About 9 in 10 Republicans and 55% of Democrats agreed that the country was overspending on foreign aid. At the time, about 6 in 10 U.S. adults said the government was spending “too little” on domestic issues that included education, health care, infrastructure, Social Security and Medicare. Polling has shown that U.S. adults tend to overestimate the share of the federal budget that is spent on foreign aid. Surveys from KFF have found that on average, Americans say spending on foreign aid makes up 31% of the federal budget rather than closer to 1% or less. Could Trump dissolve USAID on his own? Democrats say presidents lack the constitutional authority to eliminate USAID. But it’s not clear what would stop him from trying. A mini-version of that legal battle played out in Trump’s first term, when he tried to cut the budget for foreign operations by a third. When Congress refused, the Trump administration used freezes and other tactics to cut the flow of funds already appropriated by Congress for the foreign programs. The Government Accountability Office later ruled that violated a law known as the Impoundment Control Act. It’s a law we may be hearing more of. “Live by executive order, die by executive order,” Musk said on X Saturday in reference to USAID. —Ellen Knickmeyer and Meg Kinnard, Associated Press Associated Press writer Linley Sanders contributed to this report. View the full article

On Tuesday, Apple announced Apple Invites, a new app for iPhones that creates custom event invitations "for any occasion." If that sounds a lot like popular party planning apps like Partiful, that's because, well, it is—only, this app integrates with the greater iOS experience, which is likely bad news for third-party competitors. This isn't a surprise to anyone follow Apple rumors closely. As reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple has been working on an invite system for iOS, internally referred to as "Confetti." It wasn't clear whether those plans would manifest as a standalone app, or rather as options built-into existing apps like Calendar and iMessage. Of course, we now know it's the latter. If you've used an event-planning app before, Apple Invites is probably going to be straightforward. When you start an event, you have a series of customizable options: You can add a custom background for the event, similar to iOS's wallpaper selector (although, here, Apple is pushing Apple Intelligence to generate the background images); give the event a name; and set a date, time, and location for your event. These are pretty standard features for an app like this. What gives Apple Invites an interesting spin is the Apple-centric features. You can create a shared album for this event, so that all partygoers can add the pictures and videos they took in one centralized location—eliminating the need for someone to coordinated a shared album with all the guests during or after the fact. In addition, you can create a shared playlist for the party, if you trust your guests to add their music to your event. When your invitation is finished, you have your choice in how to send it out. You can simply send out a public link to the invite via any channel you wish, or you can send invites to a specific list of guests. You can choose whether you want to approve each guests' RSVP, or whether you're happy to automatically add anyone to the guest list who says they're going, as well as whether invitees are allowed additional guests—from plus ones all the way to plus fives. There's a lot of control here, but there is a catch: You need to be subscribed to iCloud+. If you pay for extra iCloud storage, you're already subscribed, but otherwise, you won't be able to create invitations. You don't need iCloud+ to RSVP, though. Anyone can accept or reject an event invitation from Apple Invites through the site—no iCloud or Apple Account needed. While I don't care for the AI-generated backgrounds, I do like the overall presentation here. Built-in shared albums and playlists are what's really selling it to me, though, and I imagine they're going to appeal to a lot of party-planning people. Whether that's enough to overtake popular options like Partiful, we'll have to wait and see. You can try Apple Invites right now, either from the App Store or from icloud.com/invites. View the full article

A civil engineer contributes to how modern cities and towns look because they play an essential role in planning and constructing residential and commercial projects. They design, construct, and maintain projects such as bridges, canals, roads, and buildings. They work closely with other professionals, including construction workers, urban planners and architects. This blog will walk you through how to hire civil engineers. Role and Responsibilities of a Civil Engineer Civil engineers play a pivotal role in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure projects. Their responsibilities extend across various aspects of engineering and project management, ensuring that the structures are safe, sustainable, and efficient. Below is an expanded list of the roles and responsibilities of a civil engineer: Designing Infrastructure Projects: Civil engineers play a crucial role in developing comprehensive designs for infrastructure projects. Their work encompasses a wide range of structures, including roads, bridges, tunnels, water supply systems, sewage treatment facilities, and dams. Utilizing advanced design software to create precise and detailed plans. Conducting feasibility studies to assess the potential success and sustainability of a project. Testing designs for reliability, safety, and compliance with regulations using simulation software. Project Management and Oversight: Once a project moves from the design phase to construction, civil engineers take on the role of project managers, overseeing the construction process to ensure that everything adheres to the original plan. Ensuring that construction follows the designed plans, safety regulations, and specifications closely. Overseeing budgets, resources, and timelines to guarantee that projects are finished on time and within the set budget. Conducting site inspections and monitoring construction progress to address any issues promptly. Collaboration with Other Professionals: Civil engineering projects often require a multidisciplinary approach, necessitating collaboration with professionals from various fields. Working closely with construction managers to coordinate the construction phase, ensuring that the project meets the designed specifications. Collaborating with surveyors to establish reference points, grades, and elevations to guide the construction. Partnering with urban planners to ensure that the infrastructure projects align with city development plans and environmental regulations. Coordinating with architects to integrate aesthetic and functional aspects into the infrastructure projects. Ensuring Safety and Compliance: A critical responsibility of civil engineers is to ensure that all projects comply with local, state, and federal regulations and safety standards. Establishing safety measures and protocols to ensure the protection of both workers and the public throughout the construction process. Consistently reviewing and updating project plans to ensure they adhere to evolving regulations and standards. Conducting risk assessments to minimize potential hazards associated with the construction and use of the infrastructure. Sustainability and Environmental Protection: Modern civil engineering also emphasizes sustainable development and environmental protection. Incorporating sustainable practices and materials into the design and construction processes to minimize environmental impact. Designing infrastructure that is resilient to climate change, natural disasters, and other environmental challenges. Working on projects that improve environmental quality, such as water and air pollution control systems and green building practices. Civil engineers, through their expertise and dedication, ensure that infrastructure projects not only meet the immediate needs of society but also contribute to long-term sustainability and resilience. Drafting an Accurate Civil Engineer Job Description Drafting an effective civil engineer job description is the first step in hiring one. A concise overview of the role should emphasize the importance of creating a sustainable, safe, and efficient environment. Responsibilities The core responsibilities need to be detailed. These can generally include using CAD software, conducting environmental impact assessments, feasibility studies, etc. Qualifications Core qualifications that should be included in a job description include a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or a related field. A strong knowledge of safety regulations, building codes, and industry standards on construction projects is a must. Skills Analytical and problem-solving skills are essential. Mentioning organizational and project management abilities is also necessary. A good civil engineer should also have excellent communication and teamwork abilities. A good job description also acknowledges the freelance civil engineering trend. It should be mentioned that freelancers are expected to manage several products and meet client expectations. Essential Qualifications and Skills for a Civil Engineer When businesses look to hire a civil engineer, they typically seek candidates with a mix of specialized skills, relevant certifications, and appropriate educational backgrounds. One of the minimum educational requirements is a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or related field. That applies to a freelance civil engineer candidate, too. More specialized roles usually require a master’s degree with specializations in structural engineering, urban planning, and environmental engineering, to name a few. The Fundamentals of Engineering Exam assesses fundamental knowledge and serves as the initial step toward becoming a licensed professional. After about four years of work experience, a candidate can get a professional engineering license. They need to sit for a PE exam. This license is mandatory for professionals who want to sign off on projects or work as consultants in different fields, including structural engineering. Or on civil engineering projects. Civil engineers can also pursue certifications like PMP or project management professional. You can also look for software certifications relevant to the industry. Finally, a good candidate has technical proficiency and can manage timelines, budgets, and resources. There’s a growing focus on projects that minimize environmental impact and are sustainable. Suitable candidates also need to understand how data analytics and The Internet of Things are transforming the maintenance of structures. How to Hire a Civil Engineer: A Step-by-Step Guide Here is a step-by-step guide that will help you find the perfect civil engineer for your small business. How to Find Civil Engineers Traditional sources for hiring include Monster, Glassdoor, and Indeed. More specialized websites like the American Society of Civil Engineers exist when you’re looking for a civil engineer. You can find freelance civil engineers for short-term projects on websites like Freelancer and Upwork. Building a team with contractors and freelancers is becoming more popular because they are flexible and have cost-effective specialized expertise. There are also unusual ways to promote a job opening, like community bulletin boards, job fairs, and connections through your local chamber of commerce. Interviewing Civil Engineer Candidates: What to Focus On Interviewing techniques for a civil engineer include touching on a candidate’s specialized skills, certifications, and educational background. Find out about any certifications from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Draft a list of the best interview questions to ask candidates based on your company’s specific needs. You’ll want to know about their project management experience and specialized skills, such as proficiency in software like AutoCAD. A set of questions on engineering standards, design principles, and regulatory compliance can help you find the ideal candidates and reduce hiring bias. Once you make your decision, follow up with your top selections and send an interview rejection letter to the rest. Checking Qualifications, Certifications, and Past Projects when Hiring Civil Engineers A candidate for a civil engineering job must have a solid educational background and professional certifications that can be validated. Civil engineering requires high levels of technical expertise and knowledge. Verifying that a candidate has fundamental knowledge in structural analysis and geotechnical engineering is a sound practice. They should have professional certifications and be licensed as a Professional Engineer (PE). You should also review a candidate’s past civil engineering accomplishments when hiring. That allows you to evaluate their ability to work under pressure and apply theories to real-world situations. Onboarding Your New Civil Engineer Once you make your decision, it’s time to consider how to onboard new employees. Onboarding is an essential part of the process when you’ve hired a new civil engineer. A structured program reduces the time a new candidate takes to get productive. Here are some onboarding best practices to consider: Familiarizing a new engineer with ongoing projects helps them fit in. Show them your latest structural engineering projects. Getting them acquainted with company protocols includes walking them through coding standards, project manager tools, and security policies. Integrating them into team dynamics includes introducing a new candidate into your business’s communication and collaboration style. Social integration is essential. Ensuring Continuous Growth and Development Civil engineers must engage in ongoing professional development and remain informed about the latest engineering technologies and standards. Additionally, they should stay up-to-date with industry certifications to maintain their competitiveness. New Technologies Civil engineering is continually evolving, and there are always new technologies, techniques, and materials to stay on top of. It’s a heavily regulated industry, so a structural engineer must follow regulations, codes, and norms. Essential Certifications Certifications are essential in certain areas, such as water resources and transportation engineering. They’re a testament to any engineer’s dedication and expertise. Expert Guidance It’s essential to consider the civil engineering consultants’ role in professional development. They offer expert guidance and customized training programs that can help. You can also use a training plan template to facilitate continual learning. Step/TipDescription How to Find Civil Engineers- Utilize traditional job boards like Monster, Glassdoor, and Indeed. - For specialized searches, consider the American Society of Civil Engineers. - For short-term projects, freelance platforms like Freelancer and Upwork are useful due to the flexibility and specialized expertise of freelancers. Interviewing Civil Engineer Candidates- Focus on specialized skills, certifications, and educational background. - Inquire about project management experience and software proficiency (e.g., AutoCAD). - Ask questions related to engineering standards, design principles, and regulatory compliance. Checking Qualifications and Certifications- Verify the candidate's educational background and professional certifications. - Ensure they have fundamental knowledge in structural analysis and geotechnical engineering. - Check for Professional Engineer (PE) licensure. - Review past projects to evaluate their ability to apply theories to real-world situations and work under pressure. Onboarding Your New Civil Engineer- Implement a structured onboarding program to speed up the new hire's productivity. - Introduce them to ongoing projects and company protocols, including coding standards, project manager tools, and security policies. - Integrate them into team dynamics and the company's communication and collaboration style for social integration. Ensuring Continuous Growth and Development- Encourage continuous professional development and staying updated with the latest engineering technologies, norms, and certifications. - Stay informed about new technologies, techniques, and materials in the ever-evolving field of civil engineering. - Consider the role of civil engineering consultants for expert guidance and customized training programs in areas like water resources and transportation engineering. https://youtube.com/watch?v=CsaFLAA784o%3Fsi%3D_TLBW80PvkDCeuA- FAQs: How to Hire a Civil Engineer Here are some answers to common questions that apply to structural engineering and other areas. How do civil engineers collaborate with architects and urban planners? These experts collaborate with urban planners and architects by integrating structural functionality and safety considerations. Are there different specialties within civil engineering? Yes, there are several different specialties, including structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, and transport engineering, to name just a few. How crucial is it for a civil engineer to be familiar with local building codes? Civil engineering services need to be well-versed in regional safety standards, industry best practices, and legal requirements. Additionally, they should have a strong understanding of local building codes. What role does sustainability play in modern civil engineering? Modern civil engineering involves integrating eco-friendly technologies and materials, protecting natural habitats, and optimizing energy use. Sustainability is essential in their work to minimize environmental impact and conserve resources. Modern civil engineer jobs focus on sustainability. Image: Envato Elements This article, "How to Hire a Civil Engineer" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A civil engineer contributes to how modern cities and towns look because they play an essential role in planning and constructing residential and commercial projects. They design, construct, and maintain projects such as bridges, canals, roads, and buildings. They work closely with other professionals, including construction workers, urban planners and architects. This blog will walk you through how to hire civil engineers. Role and Responsibilities of a Civil Engineer Civil engineers play a pivotal role in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure projects. Their responsibilities extend across various aspects of engineering and project management, ensuring that the structures are safe, sustainable, and efficient. Below is an expanded list of the roles and responsibilities of a civil engineer: Designing Infrastructure Projects: Civil engineers play a crucial role in developing comprehensive designs for infrastructure projects. Their work encompasses a wide range of structures, including roads, bridges, tunnels, water supply systems, sewage treatment facilities, and dams. Utilizing advanced design software to create precise and detailed plans. Conducting feasibility studies to assess the potential success and sustainability of a project. Testing designs for reliability, safety, and compliance with regulations using simulation software. Project Management and Oversight: Once a project moves from the design phase to construction, civil engineers take on the role of project managers, overseeing the construction process to ensure that everything adheres to the original plan. Ensuring that construction follows the designed plans, safety regulations, and specifications closely. Overseeing budgets, resources, and timelines to guarantee that projects are finished on time and within the set budget. Conducting site inspections and monitoring construction progress to address any issues promptly. Collaboration with Other Professionals: Civil engineering projects often require a multidisciplinary approach, necessitating collaboration with professionals from various fields. Working closely with construction managers to coordinate the construction phase, ensuring that the project meets the designed specifications. Collaborating with surveyors to establish reference points, grades, and elevations to guide the construction. Partnering with urban planners to ensure that the infrastructure projects align with city development plans and environmental regulations. Coordinating with architects to integrate aesthetic and functional aspects into the infrastructure projects. Ensuring Safety and Compliance: A critical responsibility of civil engineers is to ensure that all projects comply with local, state, and federal regulations and safety standards. Establishing safety measures and protocols to ensure the protection of both workers and the public throughout the construction process. Consistently reviewing and updating project plans to ensure they adhere to evolving regulations and standards. Conducting risk assessments to minimize potential hazards associated with the construction and use of the infrastructure. Sustainability and Environmental Protection: Modern civil engineering also emphasizes sustainable development and environmental protection. Incorporating sustainable practices and materials into the design and construction processes to minimize environmental impact. Designing infrastructure that is resilient to climate change, natural disasters, and other environmental challenges. Working on projects that improve environmental quality, such as water and air pollution control systems and green building practices. Civil engineers, through their expertise and dedication, ensure that infrastructure projects not only meet the immediate needs of society but also contribute to long-term sustainability and resilience. Drafting an Accurate Civil Engineer Job Description Drafting an effective civil engineer job description is the first step in hiring one. A concise overview of the role should emphasize the importance of creating a sustainable, safe, and efficient environment. Responsibilities The core responsibilities need to be detailed. These can generally include using CAD software, conducting environmental impact assessments, feasibility studies, etc. Qualifications Core qualifications that should be included in a job description include a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or a related field. A strong knowledge of safety regulations, building codes, and industry standards on construction projects is a must. Skills Analytical and problem-solving skills are essential. Mentioning organizational and project management abilities is also necessary. A good civil engineer should also have excellent communication and teamwork abilities. A good job description also acknowledges the freelance civil engineering trend. It should be mentioned that freelancers are expected to manage several products and meet client expectations. Essential Qualifications and Skills for a Civil Engineer When businesses look to hire a civil engineer, they typically seek candidates with a mix of specialized skills, relevant certifications, and appropriate educational backgrounds. One of the minimum educational requirements is a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or related field. That applies to a freelance civil engineer candidate, too. More specialized roles usually require a master’s degree with specializations in structural engineering, urban planning, and environmental engineering, to name a few. The Fundamentals of Engineering Exam assesses fundamental knowledge and serves as the initial step toward becoming a licensed professional. After about four years of work experience, a candidate can get a professional engineering license. They need to sit for a PE exam. This license is mandatory for professionals who want to sign off on projects or work as consultants in different fields, including structural engineering. Or on civil engineering projects. Civil engineers can also pursue certifications like PMP or project management professional. You can also look for software certifications relevant to the industry. Finally, a good candidate has technical proficiency and can manage timelines, budgets, and resources. There’s a growing focus on projects that minimize environmental impact and are sustainable. Suitable candidates also need to understand how data analytics and The Internet of Things are transforming the maintenance of structures. How to Hire a Civil Engineer: A Step-by-Step Guide Here is a step-by-step guide that will help you find the perfect civil engineer for your small business. How to Find Civil Engineers Traditional sources for hiring include Monster, Glassdoor, and Indeed. More specialized websites like the American Society of Civil Engineers exist when you’re looking for a civil engineer. You can find freelance civil engineers for short-term projects on websites like Freelancer and Upwork. Building a team with contractors and freelancers is becoming more popular because they are flexible and have cost-effective specialized expertise. There are also unusual ways to promote a job opening, like community bulletin boards, job fairs, and connections through your local chamber of commerce. Interviewing Civil Engineer Candidates: What to Focus On Interviewing techniques for a civil engineer include touching on a candidate’s specialized skills, certifications, and educational background. Find out about any certifications from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Draft a list of the best interview questions to ask candidates based on your company’s specific needs. You’ll want to know about their project management experience and specialized skills, such as proficiency in software like AutoCAD. A set of questions on engineering standards, design principles, and regulatory compliance can help you find the ideal candidates and reduce hiring bias. Once you make your decision, follow up with your top selections and send an interview rejection letter to the rest. Checking Qualifications, Certifications, and Past Projects when Hiring Civil Engineers A candidate for a civil engineering job must have a solid educational background and professional certifications that can be validated. Civil engineering requires high levels of technical expertise and knowledge. Verifying that a candidate has fundamental knowledge in structural analysis and geotechnical engineering is a sound practice. They should have professional certifications and be licensed as a Professional Engineer (PE). You should also review a candidate’s past civil engineering accomplishments when hiring. That allows you to evaluate their ability to work under pressure and apply theories to real-world situations. Onboarding Your New Civil Engineer Once you make your decision, it’s time to consider how to onboard new employees. Onboarding is an essential part of the process when you’ve hired a new civil engineer. A structured program reduces the time a new candidate takes to get productive. Here are some onboarding best practices to consider: Familiarizing a new engineer with ongoing projects helps them fit in. Show them your latest structural engineering projects. Getting them acquainted with company protocols includes walking them through coding standards, project manager tools, and security policies. Integrating them into team dynamics includes introducing a new candidate into your business’s communication and collaboration style. Social integration is essential. Ensuring Continuous Growth and Development Civil engineers must engage in ongoing professional development and remain informed about the latest engineering technologies and standards. Additionally, they should stay up-to-date with industry certifications to maintain their competitiveness. New Technologies Civil engineering is continually evolving, and there are always new technologies, techniques, and materials to stay on top of. It’s a heavily regulated industry, so a structural engineer must follow regulations, codes, and norms. Essential Certifications Certifications are essential in certain areas, such as water resources and transportation engineering. They’re a testament to any engineer’s dedication and expertise. Expert Guidance It’s essential to consider the civil engineering consultants’ role in professional development. They offer expert guidance and customized training programs that can help. You can also use a training plan template to facilitate continual learning. Step/TipDescription How to Find Civil Engineers- Utilize traditional job boards like Monster, Glassdoor, and Indeed. - For specialized searches, consider the American Society of Civil Engineers. - For short-term projects, freelance platforms like Freelancer and Upwork are useful due to the flexibility and specialized expertise of freelancers. Interviewing Civil Engineer Candidates- Focus on specialized skills, certifications, and educational background. - Inquire about project management experience and software proficiency (e.g., AutoCAD). - Ask questions related to engineering standards, design principles, and regulatory compliance. Checking Qualifications and Certifications- Verify the candidate's educational background and professional certifications. - Ensure they have fundamental knowledge in structural analysis and geotechnical engineering. - Check for Professional Engineer (PE) licensure. - Review past projects to evaluate their ability to apply theories to real-world situations and work under pressure. Onboarding Your New Civil Engineer- Implement a structured onboarding program to speed up the new hire's productivity. - Introduce them to ongoing projects and company protocols, including coding standards, project manager tools, and security policies. - Integrate them into team dynamics and the company's communication and collaboration style for social integration. Ensuring Continuous Growth and Development- Encourage continuous professional development and staying updated with the latest engineering technologies, norms, and certifications. - Stay informed about new technologies, techniques, and materials in the ever-evolving field of civil engineering. - Consider the role of civil engineering consultants for expert guidance and customized training programs in areas like water resources and transportation engineering. https://youtube.com/watch?v=CsaFLAA784o%3Fsi%3D_TLBW80PvkDCeuA- FAQs: How to Hire a Civil Engineer Here are some answers to common questions that apply to structural engineering and other areas. How do civil engineers collaborate with architects and urban planners? These experts collaborate with urban planners and architects by integrating structural functionality and safety considerations. Are there different specialties within civil engineering? Yes, there are several different specialties, including structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, and transport engineering, to name just a few. How crucial is it for a civil engineer to be familiar with local building codes? Civil engineering services need to be well-versed in regional safety standards, industry best practices, and legal requirements. Additionally, they should have a strong understanding of local building codes. What role does sustainability play in modern civil engineering? Modern civil engineering involves integrating eco-friendly technologies and materials, protecting natural habitats, and optimizing energy use. Sustainability is essential in their work to minimize environmental impact and conserve resources. Modern civil engineer jobs focus on sustainability. Image: Envato Elements This article, "How to Hire a Civil Engineer" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The newly created entity, Rithm Acquisition, is a possible, albeit unlikely, way to finally take its NewRez mortgage lending business public. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Discourse crops up now and again about acceptable movie-watching etiquette: Is it OK to fast-forward through boring parts? Younger moviegoers even admit to watching slower movies at double speed—though it's certainly not just the youngest film-watchers: if we're gonna talk about attention spans, we have to talk about how we ain’t got ‘em anymore. I’m not saying I blame these folks. Modern tech takes advantage of our brains’ addictive tendencies by training us to use our phones like we’re on a ravenous hunt for serotonin. Meanwhile, blockbusters have gotten longer, but also faster and louder—there’s a big difference between three hours of Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles and three hours of Avengers: Endgame. When we’re asked to listen too long to a bit of dialogue, or gaze at a vista that doesn’t seem to be directly advancing the plot, we’re pulling out our phones. (I’m also guilty of this when watching at home, which is part of the reason I love seeing movies in the theater, where I am duty-bound to actually pay attention.) But there’s an art to the boring movie, and some of them wouldn’t be half as compelling if they actually tried to thrill us with every frame. Here are great movies that invite you to be bored by injecting a bit of silence or lingering on a long conversation. They’ll move you deeply, challenge your preconceptions, or maybe put you right to sleep. Any would be a win, really. To paraphrase the great philosophers Mae West and Xtina: I like a movie what takes its time. Nosferatu (2024) Run time: 132 minutes Robert Eggers is no stranger to a languid pace, and Nosferatu, in tone, resembles his modern folk horror classic The Witch (or, if you prefer: The VVitch). Like that 2015 film, this vampire remake is full of creepy build-up punctuated by moments of shock that are generally few and far between. Reviews for Nosferatu were good, but audiences were divided: Some found its pace seductive, some somnolent. I'm in the former camp, personally, and it's hard to deny that the movie's most disturbing elements stick with you. You can rent Nosferatu from Prime Video. Nosferatu (2024) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Power of the Dog (2021) Run time: 126 minutes Jane Campion is another master of deliberate pacing, including with her most recent—a movie that slow-walked its way into a Best Picture Oscar nomination and won her a Best Director prize. Unlikely western star Benedict Cumberbatch plays Phil Burbank, the stoic and casually cruel leader of a group of cowboys in 1925 Montana. His demeanor masks deeper secrets, gradually brought to the surface as his soft-spoken younger brother falls for a local widow and threatens Phil's power and equilibrium. It's not a movie of big, explosive moments, though, but one whose characters reveal themselves on gradually and with extreme reluctance against a beautifully photographed western backdrop. You can stream The Power of the Dog on Netflix. Power of the Dog (2021) at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974) Run time: 93 minutes A lovely and poignant romance from German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Ali charts the cross-cultural, May/December romance between 60-year-old widow Emmi (Brigitte Mira) and the title's Ali (El Hedi ben Salem), a much younger (and, it must be said: extremely hot) Moroccan guest worker who draws her eye when she steps into a bar out of the rain. The unlikely pairing draws snickers and open condemnation from Emmi's family and neighbors who think that she has taken leave of her senses—that social schism gradually taking its toll on the relationship. There are dramatic moments, certainly, but it's largely quietly understated, with whispers speaking more loudly than shouts. You can stream Ali: Fear Eats the Soul on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Skinamarink (2022) Run time: 100 minutes Writer/director Kyle Edward Ball’s film began life as a YouTube channel devoted to recreations of the childhood nightmares submitted by users. What plot there is in this feature-length take on that idea involves a four-year-old named Kevin who injures himself while home alone with his six-year-old sister, Kaylee. What follows makes little narrative sense, and it’s certainly easy to understand why the micro-budget film was polarizing for audiences. Where the film succeeds, and brilliantly, is in recreating the sense of a child’s twilight world, one in which even a familiar home can feel bizarre, unsettling, and terrifying under the right circumstances. Ball takes his time creating that mood—and it’s nearly all mood. I’m not sure what he’s trying to do has ever been done better. You can stream Skinamarink on Hulu and Shudder or rent it from Prime Video. Skinamarink (2022) at Hulu Learn More Learn More at Hulu Inland Empire (2006) Run time: 180 minutes I’ve seen just about everything that David Lynch has ever produced, and I still have no idea how to talk about Inland Empire. If you don’t count Twin Peaks: The Return (the 18 hours of which Lynch wants you to consider a film), this is the most recent of the director’s features, though it was released way back in 2006 (the first film to be shot entirely on digital video, it’s recently been remastered). There are sex workers and anthropomorphic rabbits in a story about a woman who gives her all to get a part in a Hollywood movie, only to descend into a nearly three-hour fever dream. It’s either a moving and surreal dive into some kind of cinematic collective unconscious, or an impenetrable collection of non sequiturs. No one musters emotions of unease and dread like Lynch, even if we, as viewers, aren’t even sure what we’re so anxious about. You can stream Inland Empire on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Inland Empire (2006) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) Run time: 81 minutes At a mere 81 minutes, it's hard to get too bored by David Gelb's documentary, but the stakes here are more personal than world-altering. Set to a score by Philip Glass, the film follows the title's Jiro Ono, the then-85-year-old sushi master who's regarded as one of the world's greatest living sushi chefs. He makes sushi that looks (and, presumably, tastes) incredible, crafting the same sushi day after day alongside his sons, while continuing to refine his skills into his 80s and beyond. That's pretty much it. Just a gentle exploration of the idea that the key to happiness might be getting really good at something, but also never being completely content with your talents. You can stream Jiro Dreams of Sushi on Tubi and Prime Video. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Lost in Translation (2003) Run time: 102 minutes Bob (Bill Murray) takes a business trip to Tokyo smack dab in the middle of a major midlife crisis. Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) is a young Yale grad tagging along on a trip to the city with her celebrity photographer husband. The two outsiders spend time together, experiencing the city with a kind of not-quite-romantic melancholy. Plot-wise, that's pretty much it, but it still winds up being deeply moving. You can rent Lost in Translation from Prime Video. Lost in Translation (2003) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Vitalina Varela (2019) Run time: 124 minutes Vitalina Varela plays the title character here (who shares the actress's name and some of her biography) in the quietly powerful story of a Cape Verdean woman who travels to Portugal to meet with her estranged husband following an absence of decades, only to discover that he's recently died. There's not much more to the plot than that: the story of a migrant worker who all but melted away in his desire for a better life, and the wife who comes to learn about her own husband after a very long time. You can rent Vitalina Varela from Prime Video. Vitalina Varela (2019) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) Run time: 132 minutes (theatrical cut) There’s a scene in the first Star Trek movie that’s controversial not for its political or philosophical content, but for its length: a nearly five-minute shuttle flyby of the newly re-designed USS Enterprise, accompanied by a rousing bit of Jerry Goldsmith scoring. It’s either a nearly erotic bit of spaceship porn, or one of the dullest sequences ever put to film, depending on your perspective (I’m very much team spaceship porn). The rest of director Robert Wise’s movie, rushed into theaters before it was quite finished, is similarly stately paced. There’s no fighting, little action, and plenty of self-serious pontificating. In some ways, it feels like it’s trying too hard to be 2001: A Space Odyssey, but it has a strange power of its own—especially with the circa-2001 director's cut. You can stream Star Trek: The Motion Picture on Paramount+ or rent it from Prime Video. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) at Paramount+ Learn More Learn More at Paramount+ The Blair Witch Project (1999) Run time: 81 minutes So much of the ur-found footage film’s runtime involves slightly (but realistically) annoying people wandering around lost in the Maryland woods while disturbing, but rarely thrilling, events put them on edge and turn them against each other. Little actually happens before the memorable closing minutes, but it all serves to effectively build up an unbearable sense of tension. This is definitely one where the sum adds up to more than the (often boring) parts. You can stream The Blair Witch Project on Starz or rent it from Prime Video. The Blair Witch Project (1999) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2003) Run time: 81 minutes Taiwan's answer, in a sense, to Cinema Paradiso, this film takes place almost entirely during a screening of the (real) 1967 wuxia classic Dragon Inn at an old Taipei movie theater on its last night. It's all very deceptively simple, alternately following filmgoers of various persuasions and motivations: a woman looking for food, a Japanese tourist looking for a good time with another man (any man, really), an elderly actor from the film, etc. With a sense of the absurd but also a sweetly poignant take on the death of the cinema experience, director Tsai Ming-liang takes his time to build a film in which the sum of individual moments builds to a greater whole. You can rent Goodbye, Dragon Inn from Prime Video. Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2003) Learn More Learn More Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) Run time: 127 minutes When we think of spy dramas, we tend to think of Bond (James Bond), Bourne, or Atomic Blonde...but Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is something else entirely, a quietly paranoid film set in a grubby, dingy 1970s. Gary Oldman plays John Le Carre's George Smiley, here brought out of retirement to help uncover a mole within the highest ranks of British intelligence. There's barely any action, and nary even a raised voice (in stark contrast with Oldman's more recent spymaster role in Slow Horses). Instead, Tinker Tailor makes the case that spy craft is about information: who has it, who controls it, and who knows how to get it. You can rent Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy from Prime Video. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Russian Ark (2002) Run time: 96 minutes As boring Russian movies go, Russian Ark is especially challenging, but also, ultimately, really lovely and rewarding. It’s also a supreme technical feat, unfolding in a single, uninterrupted take. Filmed in the the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, the story, such as it is, involves an unnamed narrator who wanders the halls of the building, encountering real and fictional people from the city’s 300-year history. The discussions are largely philosophical, but the scope increases as the movie progresses. By the end, we’ve encountered 2,000 people and multiple orchestras, all seamlessly maneuvered through time and space. You can rent Russian Ark from Prime Video. Russian Ark (2002) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Run time: 159 minutes Few Stanley Kubrick movies couldn’t appear here; the director loves his deliberate pacing. Eyes Wide Shut is a particularly interesting case, though, since a movie about Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman, and a kinky sex cult doesn’t sound like something in danger of putting people to sleep. And yet, people were initially put off by the movie’s chilly formalism and distant, dreamlike feel. Kubrick’s swan song was a bit of a bait-and-switch, promising a peek under the covers of one of Hollywood’s then-hottest couples, and instead offering a slow-paced cautionary tale about the dangers of sexual obsession. You can stream Eyes Wide Shut on the Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Eyes Wide Shut (1999) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Ikiru (1952) Run time: 143 minutes Japanese director Akira Kurosawa is best known for epics such as The Seven Samurai and Rashomon, but even in those relatively action-packed films, an ambivalence toward lives filled with violence breaks through. His filmography is also filled with quieter, more contemplative works, with 1952's Ikiru (meaning, roughly, “To Live”) among the best. Kanji Watanabe (Kurosawa regular Takashi Shimura) plays a veteran bureaucrat who has worked in the same monotonous job for decades. At the same time he discovers that he’s dying of stomach cancer, a group of parents arrives in search of permits to clear a cesspool and build a playground for the local children. Watanabe commits himself to going against everything he’s learned about playing by the rules in order to help the parents cut through the red tape that would likely put an end to their dream. It’s both a universal and a uniquely Japanese story about heroic deeds, even if they mostly involve shuffling paperwork. You can stream Ikiru on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Ikiru (1952) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) Run time: 3 hours and 10 minutes What do you mean you're not into watching a three-plus hour courtroom scene? Director Stanley Kramer followed up Inherit the Wind with this legal drama depicting a fictionalized version of one of the twelve Nuremberg Military Tribunals that determined the horrifying extent of Nazi war crimes following World War II. Spencer Tracy leads one of the most star-stacked casts ever(?), including Burt Lancaster, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, William Shatner, and Montgomery Clift, among others. You can stream Judgment at Nuremberg on Tubi and MGM+ or buy it from Prime Video. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Beau Travail (1999) Run time: 90 minutes Galoup (Denis Lavant) reflects on his experiences in Djibouti, leading a section of men as part of the French Foreign Legion in writer/director Claire Denis’s sun-baked queer classic. Everything is going great for Gallup until the arrival of Gilles Sentain (Grégoire Colin), who inadvertently threatens Galoup’s relationship with his commander, and inspires Galoup to a nearly irrational jealousy. There’s the potential for violent drama, but the film favors the languid and elliptical (also the very sweaty), building tension through stunning scenery and brilliant camerawork. Beau Travail makes frequent appearances on Best-Movies-of-All-Time lists, and deservedly so. You can stream Beau Travail on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Beau Travail (1999) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max The Straight Story (1999) Run time: 112 minutes This one is a David Lynch movie so uncharacteristic of the director that it hardly feels like his movie; watch this Disney release back-to-back with Inland Empire and feel your brain melt. The great Richard Farnsworth, joined by Sissy Spacek, plays the real-life Alvin Straight, who crossed the country to visit his ailing brother on a riding lawnmower, going around five miles per hour, which is also about how fast the narrative moves. Lynch’s sensibilities somehow bring a feeling of newness to the slow-moving story set in a rural landscape. You can stream The Straight Story on Disney+ or rent it from Prime Video. The Straight Story (1999) at Disney+ Learn More Learn More at Disney+ Weekend (2011) Run time: 97 minutes Andrew Haigh’s slice-of-gay-life romantic drama stars starring Tom Cullen and Chris New as a couple of guys who hook-up at club and spend the titular weekend together. They talk about their interests and pasts, eat, go for walks, and engage in some frank (especially for the time) fucking—honestly, it’s still rare to find a mainstream-ish movie with even a basic understanding of the mechanics of cis gay male sex. Anyway! A planned move on Monday ups the stakes by putting a time limit on their relationship, but otherwise the dramatic beats are all emotional, with the movie providing a charming, poignant, and generally real-feeling look at modern relationships. You can stream Weekend on AMC+ and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Weekend (2011) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Before Sunrise (1995) Run time: 101 minutes Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke wander around Vienna, having casual conversations and offering up monologues relating to their views on life, art, and love. Director Richard Linklater’s minimalist, flawlessly cast movie is simultaneously soaringly romantic and completely down to earth, its no-plot premise feeling as daring and risk-taking as anything in cinema. If you like it, two more similarly slow-paced installments follow. You can rent Before Sunrise from Prime Video. Before Sunrise (1995) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Paterson (2016) Run time: 118 minutes Jim Jarmusch directs Adam Driver as the title character, a bus driver and poet who follows pretty much the same routine each and every day (which is deeply relatable, even if it’s a lot more common in real life than onscreen). Paterson drives his bus, walks his wife’s dog, and stops at a bar for a beer in the afternoon, each day writing some poetry in his notebook. As a movie, it’s deliberately non-dramatic, even as it turns on the kind of small event that can cause major upheaval in your life. You can stream Paterson on Prime Video and Freevee. Paterson (2016) at Freevee Learn More Learn More at Freevee Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) Run time: 201 minutes Even the name of Chantal Ackerman’s masterpiece is long, with the finished film clocking in at over three hours and taking place over just three days, with a camera that, by design, hardly seems to move. And yet! The film captures the highly disciplined schedule of a widowed mother who goes through the same routine each day, one that includes fairly joyless sex work involving a single customer before her son gets home from school. It’s all quietly captivating. When the drudgery of Jeanne’s day-to-day live begins to unravel, very slowly, the resulting breakdown is as fascinating, hypnotic, and as subtly horrifying as everything that came before. You can stream Jeanne Dielmann on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Jeanne Dielman (1975) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max It Follows (2014) Run time: 100 minutes While its pacing might not be nearly as languid as others listed here, the premise of It Follows makes clear that we’re on an entirely different spectrum from other chase-based horror movies; even the slowest of slow zombies could outpace the threats in writer-director David Robert Mitchell’s breakout film. The plot involves something that could be described as a sexually transmitted curse, in which a victim is pursued by an entity that can look like anyone. It doesn’t chase you, nor is it even overtly threatening, but it will pursue you to the ends of the Earth, if need be, while taking its sweet-ass time. It’s probably the movie most responsible for the “elevated horror” discourse; some would argue the entire sub-genre is boring as hell. You can stream It Follows on Max or rent it from Prime Video. It Follows (2014) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) Run time: 121 minutes Greek writer-director Yorgos Lanthimos, who’d go on to get a pile of Oscar nominations for The Favourite the year after this one came out, is clearly never in a hurry, with each of his movies employing pacing best described as leisurely. In The Favourite, that style serves to heighten the satire; here, it helps to build a deeply unsettling atmosphere. Inspired by Greek tragedy (Euripides' Iphigenia in Aulis, specifically), the film introduces a seemingly perfect family (led by Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman) who come into contact with a mysterious teenager (Barry Keoghan) who gradually insinuates himself into their lives. We know he’s up to something, and eventually, they do too—but it’s not until the final act that we fully grasp his motives, and his relentlessly planned revenge. You can stream Killing of a Sacred Deer on Max or rent it from Prime Video. The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max The Seventh Seal (1957) Run time: 96 minutes There’s plenty of incident in Ingmar Bergman’s historical fantasy, but there’s also an awful lot of quiet. Many of the director’s films build waves of deep emotion that start as bubbles just under the surface, cresting only sporadically, but powerfully. Here, instead, we have the Black Plague-era story of people at various stages of acceptance amid the sure knowledge that God, if He’s not dead, is at least entirely silent and disinterested in them. Max von Sydow plays cynical knight Antonius Block, who memorably plays chess with Death even as he encounters a parade of peasants in his travels whose only hope for happiness lies in defying entropy and embracing life. You can stream The Seventh Seal on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. The Seventh Seal (1957) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max A Ghost Story (2017) Run time: 92 minutes Director David Lowery has a pretty stellar track record, at least outside a couple of perfectly fine Disney movies, and A Ghost Story is probably among the best contemplations of death ever put to film. A man dies unexpectedly, but instead of moving on, he haunts the wife he left behind, while wearing a traditional ghost sheet. That’s pretty much it as far as plot goes, but there’s poignant beauty in the man’s slow walk through the afterlife, and his growing realization that change is painful, but often hurts less than holding on. Never before or since have I wept at a scene in which a grief-stricken woman eats an entire pie. You can rent A Ghost Story from Prime Video. A Ghost Story (2017) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Drive My Car (2021) Run time: 179 minutes The story on which the movie is based, from Japanese writer Haruki Murakami (Kafka on the Shore, IQ84) only runs to around 45 pages, and yet this film adaptation stretches to three hours. It’s the story of a widowed theater director who forges a bond with the young woman assigned to drive him to Hiroshima for his latest project. It offers little in the way of incident, and relatively minimal dialogue, though the cinematography the sound design make those silent stretches captivating. Ultimately, it’s a story about the transcendent beauty of human connection, even through all of the pain that keeps us apart. It’s also a film about how, sometimes, it’s OK to chat with your Lyft driver. You can stream Drive My Car on Max or rent it from Prime Video. Drive My Car (2021) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Barry Lyndon (1975) Run time: 185 minutes Kubrick, who never really hit the same genre twice, had a go at historical drama with astounding effect—even if it’s probably the least watched film of his peak era. It’s not hard to understand why, given the long running time and lack of sci-fi/horror trappings in the styles of a 2001 or a Shining, but it’s very much a Kubrick film, with all that entails. Emotions run deep but distant, and it’s a technical triumph, full of exquisite period detail. Though the pace is undeniably slow, sometimes to the point of languid, the story of a ruthless social climber (Ryan O’Neal) is also probably the director’s funniest (in a very dry way), and also his most deeply cynical. If his other films are reaching to find the goodness in humanity, this one makes the argues that some people are just shits. You can rent Barry Lyndon from Prime Video. Barry Lyndon (1975) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video The Thin Red Line (1998) Run time: 185 minutes It’s been said it’s nearly impossible to make a true anti-war film, given that movies are so often in the business of enthralling and thrilling us, and how do you have a war movie without action? Writer/director Terence Malick’s The Thin Red Line isn’t an anti-war film, precisely, but it’s far more focused on the philosophy of war and its effects on the lives and minds of the soldiers that fight in it. Instead of battle sequences, we’re most often watching the faces of the grunts witnessing them. The result might not be the greatest war film ever, but it is something unique in the history of that genre. You can stream The Thin Red Line on Prime Video. The Thin Red Line (1998) at Prime Video Learn More Learn More at Prime Video Valhalla Rising (2009) Run time: 92 minutes As with Malick’s unconventional take on the war film, Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn does something wholly unexpected with the many Viking-adjacent movies and TV shows of the past decade. The mute One-Eye (Mads Mikkelsen) is a fighter, but only because he’s been made to be one. In thrall to a Norwegian chieftain in the Scottish highlands, his escape sees him befriended by a slightly more talkative boy as they set out toward the coast, beset by terrifying visions (mostly) and real threats (occasionally). The film is far more concerned with mood than violence, of which there’s only a bit; in the long interludes of walking and mysterious dreams lie the story’s heart. You can stream Valhalla Rising on Netflix and Shudder or buy it from Prime Video. Valhalla Rising (2009) at Netflix Learn More Learn More at Netflix Paris, Texas (1984) Run time: 147 minutes Travis Henderson (the late, great Harry Dean Stanton) wanders out of the desert, bewildered, and seemingly with no knowledge of who he is. A doctor manages to find his brother Walt (the also late, also great Dean Stockwell), and Travis begins a journey back to himself, and his family, and the choices that defined his life up until that point. Wim Wenders is a brilliant director of desolation, and presents the modern American west as an alien landscape equally strange, mysterious, and healing. And you get to see a lot of that landscape over the film’s nearly three-hour runtime. You can stream Paris, Texas on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Paris, Texas (1984) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Solaris (1972) Run time: 166 minutes Solaris is ostensibly a sci-fi thriller about first contact with an unknowable alien entity. It also includes a five-minute uninterrupted scene of a car driving through a tunnel. (Nothing exciting happens in the tunnel.) Based on the Stanislaw Lem novel, this 1972 Soviet film from boring film artiste par excellence Andrei Tarkovsky takes you to another world that also doesn’t seem to have much going on, as astronaut psychologist Kris Kelvin is sent to the remote Solaris space station to figure out whether it’s worth continuing the mission to study the planet below, which appears to be nothing more than one vast ocean. But there’s something going on beneath those waves, and a beneath the endless, drawn out shots of the churning waves and the empty corridors of the station; both the movie and the alien world seek to lull you into a false sense of security. Tarkovsky’s goal was to move past what he saw as the cold materialism of Western science fiction into something more emotionally resonant, and damn if he didn’t succeed (while also being a little dull). You can stream Solaris on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Solaris (1972) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) Run time: 139 minutes One more from Mr. Kubrick, clearly a master of very deliberate pacing. 2001 is thrilling in its scope (from the dawn of humanity, to a future enhanced and endangered by artificial intelligence, to our ultimate(?) evolution—it's easy to forget how many graceful, elegant asides there are on the journey. A shuttle docks to a space station to the Blue Danube Waltz, and that's just the first of many sequences with minimal dialogue and maximum classical music scoring. Even the film's kaleidoscopic and consequential finale eschews traditional thrills in favor of something more cerebral. Ponderous to some, there's a reason that the movie's messages and meanings have been debated for decades. You can stream 2001 on Max or rent to from Prime Video. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max Stalker (1979) Run time: 161 minutes When the Soviet State Committee for Cinematography criticized the pace of Stalker upon its initial release, Andrei Tarkovsky allegedly retorted: "The film needs to be slower and duller at the start so that the viewers who walked into the wrong theatre have time to leave before the main action starts." Though the "main action" here is also fairly subdued, if we're being entirely honest. In a nebulous near-future, an event of some kind has created an area known only as "The Zone," a region in which the normal rules of physics don't apply, and that's equally full of wonders and terrors, even if the aesthetic is mostly dusty post-apocalypse. It's off-limits, but there's a market for Stalkers—individuals who know their way around enough to help others find what they're looking for. In this case, our Stalker (Alexander Kaidanovsky) is tasked by characters known only as "The Writer" and "The Professor" to help them find a room that can grant your deepest desire. It's easy to get lost in Tarkovsky's world if we're willing to give ourselves over to it, and the philosophical ideas at play—including the question as to whether getting your heart's desire would be anything other than a disaster—are genuinely compelling. You can stream Stalker on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. Stalker (1979) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max La Notte (1961) Run time: 122 minutes Like all of Michelangelo Antonioni's significant films, La Notte ditches the plot in favor of telling its story through atmosphere. In modern terms? It's all vibes. Marcello Mastroianni and Jeanne Moreau play a married couple—an embittered novelist and his increasingly detached wife—who carry on a day's worth of social engagements despite their growing understanding that the marriage isn't working. Antonioni can find beauty in the most prosaic settings, and his ennui is more interesting than the action of many others' movies. You can stream La Notte on Max and The Criterion Channel or rent it from Prime Video. La Notte (1961) at Max Learn More Learn More at Max View the full article

Apple rolled out its newest iPhone app called Invites, which lets iCloud+ subscribers create and share invitations to anyone, regardless of whether they have an Apple account or Apple device. Hosts have control over the events. They can choose what details they want included in the invite preview, like a home address and what image to use as a background. The event page also integrates the Maps and Weather apps so that attendees know how to get there and what the forecast will be. Within an event, attendees can manage RSVPs, contribute to Shared Albums dedicated to specific events, and collaborate on Apple Music playlists. Invites is available on the App Store starting today for iPhone models running iOS 18 or later, and it can also be accessed through the web. Apple’s iCloud+ service starts at 99 cents a month. The launch appears to put the app up against the extremely popular Partiful, a third party event planning event that made Google Play’s Best App of 2024. Partiful, popular among Gen Z, also has simple user interfaces and is free to use. Invites is also competing against other platforms, like Paperless Post and evite. “Apple Invites brings together capabilities our users already know and love across iPhone, iCloud, and Apple Music, making it easy to plan special events,” Apple’s Brent Chiu-Watson said in a press release. View the full article

Some mortgage stakeholders say Trump's tariffs would make interest rates rise and housing costs shoot up. View the full article

In recent years, pay transparency has grown increasingly common as many states have passed legislation to help arm workers with more data as they enter into salary negotiations. Across 14 states and many more localities, employers are now required to either provide explicit salary ranges in job postings or share that information during the hiring process. That means some of the biggest employers in the country now have to disclose compensation data in states like California and New York. But according to a new report from compensation platform Beqom, despite all this progress, many workers still feel like pay transparency isn’t within reach and that they have little insight into how their compensation is being determined. Of the nearly 2,000 people surveyed, which included workers in both the U.S. and U.K., only 38% said they understood how their compensation was calculated. Over half of respondents also said they believed their performance reviews were subjective, which in turn could impact their compensation. When it comes to pay equity and transparency, many workers said that their employers did not adequately report data on pay disparities: Nearly 60% of U.S. employees said their company did not disclose information on gender-based pay gaps. More than half of workers also believed that their employer was not taking meaningful steps to address those pay gaps. Inflation also continues to be a major concern: Just 40% of respondents in the U.S. said their salaries were adjusted to match inflation in 2024. Wage stagnation was also a source of frustration for all respondents: Almost half of them said their pay had not increased in the last year and cited it as a top concern, alongside a lack of pay transparency. The findings on pay equity also underscore just how halting progress has been on combatting the gender pay gap. While pay transparency laws were intended to help mitigate pay gaps on the basis of race and gender, the data indicates that there has been limited movement on a broader scale: In fact, the gender pay gap actually increased in 2023 for the first time in 20 years, with women earning 83 cents on the dollar compared to men. While wages actually increased overall, men benefitted more than women did. Even as the gap has narrowed over the years, experts have also said it’s unlikely that the gap will disappear altogether due to a combination of factors, from fluctuations in the workforce to the motherhood penalty. But employers do have a role to play in helping women and other underrepresented employees reach parity in the workplace, from conducting pay equity audits to embracing pay transparency whether or not it’s mandated by law—and making sure they demonstrate a commitment to addressing those issues. View the full article

“We want grandparents who want to have pizza nights with us, attend baseball and basketball games, have ice cream dates, take bike rides, just genuinely have fun with us and our boys,” reads one post on the Facebook group Surrogate Grandparents USA, a place where grandparent-seeking families can connect with surrogate grandparents. “One lonely grandma here. I would love to share affection and attention with a nearby family,” posted another. Created in 2015 by 68-year-old retired paralegal Donna Skora, Surrogate Grandparents USA now has more than 11,800 members. The page is described as “a place where grandparents who are missing having grandchildren in their lives & families whose children are missing having grandparents in their lives, can find and connect with each other for a possible lifetime of love.” Here, prospective grandparents across the country offer their services for baking cookies and reading books, while parents can seek out the kind of support and comfort only grandparents can provide. In 2024, 21% of adults in the U.S. reported feeling lonely, with many respondents feeling disconnected from friends, family. While a surrogate family might not be the most conventional set up, at the end of the day, doesn’t every family have their unconventionalities? Access to the group is granted by invitation only. Skora reviews each membership request and the group’s moderators encourage people to properly vet prospective surrogates before connecting in real life. Short personal ads are then shared on the page, along with locations. If both the surrogate grandparent and the grandparent-seeking party hit it off, messages are exchanged before eventually progressing to meeting up IRL. The reasons people post on the group are as wide-ranging and complex as biological families. Some members of the group have lost loved ones, others have never had families of their own. The site has also expanded to serve foster children who have aged out of the system and are looking for chosen family, as well as helping grandparents who are raising grandchildren full time find respite care. It is also a safe haven for the estranged. Today, around 27% of American adults have cut off contact with a family member, which translates to 68 million people, one of the highest estrangement rates in the world. Skora’s experienced this first-hand, becoming estranged from her son and daughter-in-law when her grandson was born. “We were totally blacked out of their lives completely,” she told reporter Lexi Pandell in a recent interview with Wired. Deciding to launch Surrogate Grandparents USA the same year, Skora connected with a family nearby. As is the case with flesh-and-blood, it is not always happy families. In the end, Skora cut contact when the parents began requesting gifts and trips from her. This is now expressly forbidden in the group’s rules. For others, however, the arrangement works well and fills a family-shaped hole. “I’m not going to live my life being sad,” one surrogate grandmother told Wired. “There are people out there who want relationships with people like me.” View the full article

There's a lot going on right now. And it can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming. Especially when you're (maybe chronically) online. Most of your work life, and personal life, all happens online. And sometimes it's really easy to get carried away doomscrolling and forget that, sometimes, you need to touch some grass. Opera Air is a new browser, hoping, trying, to save you from all of that. Opera Air has built-in features that remind you to take a break every hour or so, and in that break time, suggests that you do some breath work, meditation, or some relaxation exercises. There's also a dedicated background music feature that plays customizable binaural beats to help increase your productivity, or to help calm you down a bit. A light and airy browser Credit: Khamosh Pathak Opera Air is a visually lightweight browser, with transparent UI elements and no interface bloat. It's built on Chromium, so all your extensions will work fine. Plus, default Opera features are still here, including Workspaces, a built-in ad-blocker, and a free VPN. For the main interface, there's just a simple floating pill shaped vertical bar, where you'll find the Boosts button for background music and the Take a Break button for quickly accessing meditations. Other than that, there are shortcuts for Opera's Aria AI assistant, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger, which you can all remove. Guided breath work and meditations for breaksOpera Air will remind you to take a break after 60 minutes of use, but you can customize this to instead happen every 45 minutes or every 180 minutes. The Take a Break feature can be accessed anytime from the vertical sidebar in the start page, or using the Command+K keyboard shortcut. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Opera has done an impressive job of curating its breath work exercises, neck stretches, and meditations. There's a male voice and a female voice, and there are multiple recordings of various length, so you can do either a quick three-minute breathing exercise, or a 13-minute body scan. I particularly liked the design of the breath work interface. It has an interactive bubble for breathing in and breathing out, and coveres the most frequently used breathing techniques like Box breathing, 4-7-8, and De-stress breathing. If you're interested, I've written about the benefits of breath work in our detailed guide. Credit: Khamosh Pathak The same goes for meditations too. You can do a quick mindfulness meditation, or something focused on inner calm. There's an option to do a body-scan as well. The Neck Exercise section uses your camera to check how you're moving, and guides you through the movement using a 3D model. Overall, Opera's built-in meditation and breathing exercises do a great job for beginners. Binaural beats are quite fun Credit: Khamosh Pathak What I found the most interesting in my time testing the Opera Air browser was the Boosts feature. It uses binaural beats, which are an auditory illusion that occurs when two slightly different frequencies are played in each ear. Of course, this works best with headphones. But the tracks that Opera Air has curated for focus, and relaxation are quite good and engaging. I'm using the Energized Focus one as I'm writing this. Here, too, you can start a 30-minute or 45-minute session, to serve as a reminder to take a break when the music is done. Built-in features have that extra edgeThere is no lack of breathing exercise tutorials on YouTube (I'm currently partial to the coherence breathing technique). And we have talked about the best meditation apps already. You'll also find extensions that help you focus by blocking out distractions, and again, YouTube is filled with audio tracks that help you focus. All these resources mean you can handle your meditation all on your own, but if you're like me, you won't always remember or prioritize it at the right moment. Having a browser that's purpose-built around this, that gives you a reminder every 45 minutes, has focus music integrated, and can help you breathe and practice mindfulness meditation, can be quite helpful. Even if the browser succeeds in making you check in with yourself once a day, it's still a lot better than the alternative, which is constant panic and no breaks. Not to mention, all these features are free in Opera Air, while meditation apps can sometimes cost $10/month. Opera Air is available in Early Access on Windows and Mac, so you can try it out for yourself in just a few short clicks. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: I’ve been applying to new jobs for about six months and finally got an offer for a job that I was genuinely excited about; it’s for a position that would be a step up in both title and responsibility, would let me work on interesting projects, and even would let me use a skill I went to school for but haven’t really been able to use professionally up until now. When they sent me the formal job offer, the salary was a bit more than I’m making now, but I’ve always heard that it’s smart to try to negotiate for more money because this is the easiest time to get it (versus after you’re already working someplace and trying to negotiate for a raise). I successfully negotiated slight salary bumps when accepting my last two positions, and I’ve seen other people do it as well, so it didn’t occur to me that this would be seen as anything other than normal and expected. So I asked if they had room to go up (I asked for about $8,000 more, figuring that they might offer me about half that, which I would have been happy with). There’s a pretty wide range for what jobs like this pay and my request wasn’t outside of what I’ve seen other jobs like this advertised for. I also didn’t say that I wouldn’t accept if they didn’t agree and I don’t think I was pushy about it. What I wrote in response to their emai was: “I’m very excited about the position and wonder if you would you consider increasing the salary to $X.” I would have accepted the job even if their answer was no, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to see if they would go up. The next day they responded back to me and said they couldn’t match what I was requesting and so they were pulling the offer. I immediately replied and said that I would accept the job at the original salary they offered, but the HR person replied that they were going to offer the position to another candidate instead. I’m devastated by this. I wanted the job badly, and I would have taken it at the original number they named if they had simply told me that was as high as they could go. I don’t understand what I did wrong. You can read my answer to this letter at New York Magazine today. Head over there to read it. View the full article

Creating animated videos is a powerful way to engage your audience and communicate complex ideas. Fortunately, there are many animated video maker tools available to help you bring your ideas to life, regardless of your budget or skill level. In this article, we’ll take a look at the best animated video maker tools that can transform your content and help you create professional-quality videos quickly and easily. Let’s dive in! What is an Animated Video Maker? An animated video maker is indeed a software tool designed to help users create animated videos, but it does more than just that. This tool eliminates the need for extensive video editing skills by providing user-friendly functionalities that simplify the process. It offers users the flexibility to create a vast array of video content, ranging from marketing material to educational resources. The Best Animated Video Makers Animated videos are an excellent tool for engaging your audience and promoting your business. Whether you’re considering videography business ideas or seeking a fresh approach to brand promotion, here are 15 of the top animated video makers you can find online: No.Animated Video MakerKey FeaturesLimitationsPricing 1.CanvaUser-friendly interface, vast template library, easy customizationLimited advanced design featuresFree basic version, paid plans available 2.BiteableSimple interface, pre-made templates for explainers and social media videosLimited customization optionsFree trial, paid plans available 3.RenderforestEasy-to-use, used by major media, over 200 templatesLacks device visualization and customization optionsFree version with watermarks, various paid plans 4.AnimakerCloud-based, six video styles, Full and Lite modes, auto lip-syncRequires internet connection to useFree basic version, paid plans available 5.PowtoonCustomizable pre-made templates, royalty-free music, integration with top sites and appsMay be over complicated for beginnersFree basic version, paid plans available 6.Filmora2D and 3D animation, color correction, audio mixerMore complex than some other optionsFree version with watermarks, various paid plans 7.FlexClipAffordable, vast media library, designer-made templatesLimited character customization, lacks advanced animation toolsFree basic version, paid plans available 8.Animatron500K royalty-free clips, voiceover import, keyframingAdvanced features may be difficult for beginnersFree basic version, paid plans available 9.FlipAnimSimple UI, easy online animation creationLimited functionsFree to use 10.VyondUser-friendly, professional templates, customizable featuresHigher pricing than other solutions14 days free trial, paid plans available 11.MoovlyVariety of animation styles, 1 million royalty-free media assetsInterface may be clunkyFree full-featured version, paid plans available 12.WideoVersatile, user-friendly, pre-animated templatesOnly animations up to 30 seconds are freeFree basic version, paid plans available 13.DoodlyWhiteboard animation, custom drawing pathsLimited asset library, no support for voiceovers or lip-syncOne-time purchase available 14.VokiEnhances engagement through animated presentations and virtual discussion forumsMay lack comprehensive features for non-educational useBasic version is free, paid plans available 15.FlipsnackTurns PDFs into interactive online flipping booksLimited to flip book formatFree basic version, paid plans available Canva Canva is a top animated video maker, offering a user-friendly interface, a vast template library, and easy customization. What is Canva? It’s one of the top graphic design apps available online, and it also offers video and animation features. Its drag-and-drop and editing tools make the program easy to use for beginners and experts alike. Biteable Biteable offers a simple, easy-to-use interface and pre-made templates for explainers and social media videos. Users can adjust scenes and add personal touches for customized, professional-looking content. Renderforest Renderforest is a user-friendly animated video maker utilized by leading media organizations, offering a range of pricing plans and more than 200 templates. Nonetheless, Renderforest does not provide device visualization and customization features. Animaker Animaker is a cloud-based platform with six video styles for creating high-quality, studio-like animated videos. Animaker video infographics offer Full and Lite modes, auto lip-sync, extensive facial expressions, and integration with various platforms. Powtoon Powtoon is a web-based animated video maker that offers a vast collection of customizable templates and royalty-free music. The Powtoon for business feature seamlessly integrates with popular sites and applications, making it perfect for content creators, marketers, and corporate professionals. Filmora Filmora is an editing software that allows users to create 2D and 3D animation by adding keyframes to a white plane. It also provides color correction and an audio mixer to enhance video quality. Available for free on Windows and Mac. FlexClip FlexClip is an affordable online animated video maker that offers a vast asset library, designer-made templates, and video tools. However, users cannot fully customize characters and lack advanced animation tools. Animatron Animatron is an online program for creating explainer videos, animations, and HTML5 banners. It offers an asset library of 500K royalty-free clips, voiceover import, keyframing, and a library. While advanced features may be difficult, it saves money on expensive software. FlipAnim FlipAnim has a nice, simple UI and enables easy online animation creation. However, its functions are limited. Users can modify the pen tool, size, and color, add pages, and adjust speed. It also supports transparent animations and zooms in/out. Vyond Vyond is an intuitive animation software designed for producing high-quality animated videos. It provides a wide range of templates and customizable options, though its pricing is higher compared to other online alternatives. A 14-day free trial is available. Moovly Moovly is a cloud-based video animation maker that offers a variety of animation styles, including doodle and cartoon and has over 1 million royalty-free media assets. It offers a full-featured free version and integrates with Shutterstock. Its interface may be clunky at times. Wideo Wideo is a versatile, customizable, and user-friendly content creation platform, allowing for video animations and presentations with pre-animated templates. However, only animations up to 30 seconds are free, requiring a paid license for anything longer. Doodly Doodly is a desktop application designed for producing whiteboard animated videos featuring a distinctive drawing hand. It provides customizable drawing paths, automatic alignment of video duration, and the convenience of offline video creation. However, it has some limitations, including a restricted asset library and a lack of support for voiceovers or lip-syncing. Voki Voki is an educational tool for teachers and students that enhances engagement through animated presentations and virtual discussion forums. Basic Voki is free, while the paid version offers more functionality. Flipsnack Flipsnack is a free flip book maker that turns PDFs into interactive online flipping books. Customize with design and branding features, add interactive content and track performance. This is ideal for marketers, designers, and business owners. Our Methodology to Choose the Best Animated Video Makers Choosing the best animated video makers requires a focus on usability, quality, and versatility, especially for small business owners who may not have extensive experience in animation. Here’s a look at the criteria we used to select the top options, rated on a scale of one to ten, with ten being of utmost importance: Ease of Use (Importance Scale: 9/10) User-friendly interface. Quick learning curve, suitable for beginners. Cost-Effectiveness (Importance Scale: 8/10) Affordable pricing plans. Good value for money, considering the features offered. Quality and Versatility of Animation (Importance Scale: 10/10) High-quality animation outputs. A wide range of styles and templates to choose from. Customization Options (Importance Scale: 9/10) Ability to customize animations to fit brand identity. Flexibility in editing and modifying templates. Asset Library (Importance Scale: 7/10) Extensive library of images, icons, characters, and music. Export Options and Formats (Importance Scale: 8/10) Variety of export formats. High-resolution output options. Integration Capabilities (Importance Scale: 6/10) Ability to integrate with other tools for additional functionality. Support and Resources (Importance Scale: 7/10) Access to customer support. Availability of tutorials and learning resources. Review and Collaboration Features (Importance Scale: 5/10) Tools for team collaboration and feedback. Performance and Speed (Importance Scale: 6/10) Fast rendering times. Smooth performance, even with complex animations. Based on these criteria, we compiled the above selection of animated video makers that balance functionality, ease of use, and cost, making them suitable for small businesses aiming to create engaging content for marketing and brand storytelling. Animated Video Makers: Key Features Key features of animated video makers typically include: Pre-made templates: These are pre-designed video layouts that users can choose from. They significantly cut down the time spent designing a video from scratch and provide a professional look and feel to your content. Custom animations: This feature allows users to create unique animations that align with their branding or message. They can customize characters, backgrounds, and other elements in the video to make it truly their own. Audio editing tools: These tools allow users to add, edit, and mix soundtracks, sound effects, and voiceovers. Good audio can enhance the overall quality of the video and make it more engaging for viewers. Drag-and-drop interface: This intuitive design feature allows users to easily add, remove, or rearrange elements in their video. It’s as simple as clicking on an element, dragging it to the desired location, and dropping it into place. Text-to-speech functionality: Some animated video makers come with text-to-speech features, allowing users to convert written text into spoken words in their videos. Collaboration tools: These tools let teams work together on video projects. Users can share drafts, leave comments, and make edits in real-time. Integration with other platforms: Many animated video makers can integrate with social media platforms and content management systems, enabling users to directly upload their videos to these platforms. Export and sharing options: Users can export their videos in various formats and resolutions. They can also share their videos directly from the platform to their desired destination. Animated video makers are often used for video marketing materials, explainer videos, or other types of content that require visual storytelling to effectively communicate complex ideas. Why Are Animated Videos Useful for a Small Business? Animated videos can be a powerful tool for small businesses looking to improve their marketing and education efforts. Here are some ways animated videos can be useful for a small business: Animated Video Presentations An animation video is great for creating engaging video presentations that can help businesses explain complex topics in a visually appealing way. With animation, businesses can create a unique animated video that captures the essence of their brand and conveys their message effectively. Animation projects can also be cost-effective, as they require fewer resources than live-action videos. Educational Videos Animated educational videos are a great way for businesses to provide valuable information to their audience in an engaging and fun way. Businesses can create educational videos to teach their customers about their products or services, how to use them, or how they can benefit from them. This can help establish the business as an authority in the industry and build trust with its audience. These are also among the most popular types of YouTube videos. Create Explainer Videos Explainer videos are a great way to introduce a new product or service to potential customers. With animation, businesses can create engaging and informative videos that showcase their product or service in action. This can assist potential customers in grasping how the product or service functions and the advantages it offers them. Whiteboard Animations Whiteboard animations are a specific type of animated video that can be useful for businesses looking to create engaging educational content. With whiteboard animation, businesses can create a video that appears to be drawn on a whiteboard, providing a unique and visually appealing way to present information. This type of animation can be particularly effective for explaining complex concepts or processes in a step-by-step manner. Top Features to Look Out For in an Animated Video Maker When it comes to selecting an animated video creator, there are a few key features that can make all the difference. Here are the top features to look out for: Free Stock Videos and Video Clips An animated video maker with a library of free stock videos and clips can help you save both time and money. These resources enable you to incorporate additional visual elements into your video, enhancing its engagement and effectiveness. Animated Video Templates Using pre-made templates can help you create professional-looking videos quickly and easily. Look for an animated video creator that includes a range of templates that you can customize to match your brand and messaging. A Range of Animation Styles Various animation styles can effectively communicate different moods and messages in your videos. Choose an animated video maker that provides a variety of animation styles, ranging from 2D to 3D, so you can select the ideal style for your project. Ability to Use Your Own Images and Media Files An animated video creator that allows you to use your own images and media files can help you create a video that truly reflects your brand and messaging. This feature can also save you time and money, as you won’t need to create or purchase additional assets. Animated Characters Animated characters can help you create a more engaging and relatable video. Look for an animated video creator that includes a library of pre-made characters that you can customize to match your brand and messaging. Sound Effects Sound effects can help bring your video to life and create a more immersive experience for your audience. Look for an animated video creator that includes a library of sound effects that you can use to enhance your video. Voice Over Capabilities A good voiceover can add personality and emotion to your video. Look for an animated video creator that includes voiceover capabilities, allowing you to record your own voiceover or choose from a library of pre-made options. Integrating Animated Videos into Your Marketing Strategy Incorporating animated videos into your marketing strategy can significantly enhance your brand’s visibility, engagement, and conversion rates. Here are steps and tips to effectively integrate animated content into your marketing efforts: Understand Your Audience Before creating animated videos, it’s crucial to understand your target audience’s preferences, problems, and the platforms they frequent. This knowledge helps tailor your content to their interests and needs, ensuring your animated videos resonate and engage effectively. Define Your Goals Clarify what you aim to achieve with your animated videos. Goals can range from increasing brand awareness, explaining complex products or services, and launching new offerings to driving traffic to your website. Setting clear objectives guides the content, style, and call-to-action of your videos. Choose the Right Type of Animated Video Select a style of animated video that aligns with your message and audience. Explainer videos, animated infographics, and storytelling animations are popular formats that cater to different objectives, from educating to entertaining your viewers. Optimize for Each Platform Tailor your animated videos for the platforms they’ll be shared on. Social media videos should be short and captivating within the first few seconds, while videos for your website or presentations can be longer and more detailed. Consider platform-specific constraints like video length, aspect ratio, and autoplay features. Leverage SEO For videos hosted on your website or platforms like YouTube, use SEO best practices to increase visibility. Include relevant keywords in your video titles, descriptions, and tags. Transcripts and closed captions can also improve accessibility and SEO performance. Promote Across Channels Maximize the reach of your animated video by promoting it through all your marketing channels. Embed the videos on your website, share them on social media, incorporate them into email marketing campaigns, and use them in digital advertisements. Encourage your audience to share the videos to tap into their networks for even greater exposure. Measure Performance Track your animated video’s performance against your defined goals. Metrics like views, engagement rates, click-through rates, and conversion metrics can provide insights into what works and what doesn’t, helping you refine your future video marketing strategies. Future Trends in Animated Video Creation The landscape of animated video creation is continuously evolving, with new technologies and trends shaping the future of how we produce and consume animated content. Here are several trends and technological advancements to watch: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning AI and ML are revolutionizing animated video production by automating tasks such as character animation, lip-syncing, and even scriptwriting. These technologies allow for more personalized and dynamic content creation, making it easier and faster to produce animated videos tailored to specific audiences or scenarios. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) VR and AR technologies are starting to influence animated video creation by providing immersive and interactive video experiences. Businesses can utilize VR to produce 360-degree animated explainer videos, while AR can integrate animations into the real world, boosting customer engagement through interactive marketing campaigns. Interactive Animated Videos Interactive videos that allow viewers to make choices, interact with the content, or explore different story paths are becoming more popular. This interactivity increases engagement by making viewers active participants in the narrative, providing a personalized video experience. Real-time Animation Advancements in real-time rendering technologies are making it possible to create and broadcast animated content in real time. This opens up opportunities for live animated broadcasts, events, or presentations, where audiences can interact with the content as it’s being created. Emphasis on Inclusivity and Diversity There’s a growing trend towards creating animated content that reflects a wider range of cultures, identities, and experiences. This inclusivity not only broadens the appeal of animated videos but also strengthens brand values by showcasing a commitment to diversity and representation. Eco-conscious Production As sustainability becomes a priority for businesses and audiences alike, the animation industry is exploring eco-friendly production techniques. Digital animation offers a more sustainable alternative to traditional film production, with software and hardware companies working to reduce the environmental impact of their products. Staying abreast of these trends and technologies is essential for marketers, animators, and businesses looking to leverage animated videos. By embracing innovation and anticipating future developments, creators can produce animated content that captivates, engages, and resonates with increasingly sophisticated audiences Is it Hard to Create Professional Animated Videos? Creating professional animated videos requires time, effort, and skill. However, with the right tools and resources, even beginners can create high-quality animated videos that effectively convey their message. What Equipment is Needed to Create Animated Videos? To create animated videos, you’ll need a computer or mobile device, animation software, and a graphics tablet or mouse. A good microphone and camera may also be useful for voiceovers and live-action elements. The Bottom Line With the right animated video maker tool, you can create engaging and professional-looking videos for your business or personal use. Whether you need to make explainer videos, training videos, or any other type of video project, these tools offer a variety of video styles to choose from. With a bit of creativity and practice, you can create impressive animated videos that effectively convey your message. Animated Video Maker FAQs How do I Make an Animated Video for Free? To make an animated video for free, you can use online tools such as Animaker, Powtoon, or Biteable. These free video editing platforms offer a range of templates, graphics, and animation tools to create professional-looking videos without any cost. How do YouTubers Make Animated Videos? YouTubers can make animated videos by using animation software or online tools that allow them to create, edit, and animate different elements. There are many YouTube niches where creators can then use their creativity to make engaging videos for their channels. What is the Easiest Tool to Make Animated Videos? Canva is one of the easiest tools to make animated videos as it offers a user-friendly interface with pre-made templates and drag-and-drop functionality. Users can easily customize their videos with graphics, text, and animations. Is it Important to Create Animated Content for Social Media? Yes, creating animated content for social media is important as it can grab the audience’s attention, increase engagement, and help brands stand out in a crowded feed. Animated content is also shareable, making it an effective way to reach a wider audience. Image: Envato Elements This article, "Animated Video Maker: Top Tools to Transform Content" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Creating animated videos is a powerful way to engage your audience and communicate complex ideas. Fortunately, there are many animated video maker tools available to help you bring your ideas to life, regardless of your budget or skill level. In this article, we’ll take a look at the best animated video maker tools that can transform your content and help you create professional-quality videos quickly and easily. Let’s dive in! What is an Animated Video Maker? An animated video maker is indeed a software tool designed to help users create animated videos, but it does more than just that. This tool eliminates the need for extensive video editing skills by providing user-friendly functionalities that simplify the process. It offers users the flexibility to create a vast array of video content, ranging from marketing material to educational resources. The Best Animated Video Makers Animated videos are an excellent tool for engaging your audience and promoting your business. Whether you’re considering videography business ideas or seeking a fresh approach to brand promotion, here are 15 of the top animated video makers you can find online: No.Animated Video MakerKey FeaturesLimitationsPricing 1.CanvaUser-friendly interface, vast template library, easy customizationLimited advanced design featuresFree basic version, paid plans available 2.BiteableSimple interface, pre-made templates for explainers and social media videosLimited customization optionsFree trial, paid plans available 3.RenderforestEasy-to-use, used by major media, over 200 templatesLacks device visualization and customization optionsFree version with watermarks, various paid plans 4.AnimakerCloud-based, six video styles, Full and Lite modes, auto lip-syncRequires internet connection to useFree basic version, paid plans available 5.PowtoonCustomizable pre-made templates, royalty-free music, integration with top sites and appsMay be over complicated for beginnersFree basic version, paid plans available 6.Filmora2D and 3D animation, color correction, audio mixerMore complex than some other optionsFree version with watermarks, various paid plans 7.FlexClipAffordable, vast media library, designer-made templatesLimited character customization, lacks advanced animation toolsFree basic version, paid plans available 8.Animatron500K royalty-free clips, voiceover import, keyframingAdvanced features may be difficult for beginnersFree basic version, paid plans available 9.FlipAnimSimple UI, easy online animation creationLimited functionsFree to use 10.VyondUser-friendly, professional templates, customizable featuresHigher pricing than other solutions14 days free trial, paid plans available 11.MoovlyVariety of animation styles, 1 million royalty-free media assetsInterface may be clunkyFree full-featured version, paid plans available 12.WideoVersatile, user-friendly, pre-animated templatesOnly animations up to 30 seconds are freeFree basic version, paid plans available 13.DoodlyWhiteboard animation, custom drawing pathsLimited asset library, no support for voiceovers or lip-syncOne-time purchase available 14.VokiEnhances engagement through animated presentations and virtual discussion forumsMay lack comprehensive features for non-educational useBasic version is free, paid plans available 15.FlipsnackTurns PDFs into interactive online flipping booksLimited to flip book formatFree basic version, paid plans available Canva Canva is a top animated video maker, offering a user-friendly interface, a vast template library, and easy customization. What is Canva? It’s one of the top graphic design apps available online, and it also offers video and animation features. Its drag-and-drop and editing tools make the program easy to use for beginners and experts alike. Biteable Biteable offers a simple, easy-to-use interface and pre-made templates for explainers and social media videos. Users can adjust scenes and add personal touches for customized, professional-looking content. Renderforest Renderforest is a user-friendly animated video maker utilized by leading media organizations, offering a range of pricing plans and more than 200 templates. Nonetheless, Renderforest does not provide device visualization and customization features. Animaker Animaker is a cloud-based platform with six video styles for creating high-quality, studio-like animated videos. Animaker video infographics offer Full and Lite modes, auto lip-sync, extensive facial expressions, and integration with various platforms. Powtoon Powtoon is a web-based animated video maker that offers a vast collection of customizable templates and royalty-free music. The Powtoon for business feature seamlessly integrates with popular sites and applications, making it perfect for content creators, marketers, and corporate professionals. Filmora Filmora is an editing software that allows users to create 2D and 3D animation by adding keyframes to a white plane. It also provides color correction and an audio mixer to enhance video quality. Available for free on Windows and Mac. FlexClip FlexClip is an affordable online animated video maker that offers a vast asset library, designer-made templates, and video tools. However, users cannot fully customize characters and lack advanced animation tools. Animatron Animatron is an online program for creating explainer videos, animations, and HTML5 banners. It offers an asset library of 500K royalty-free clips, voiceover import, keyframing, and a library. While advanced features may be difficult, it saves money on expensive software. FlipAnim FlipAnim has a nice, simple UI and enables easy online animation creation. However, its functions are limited. Users can modify the pen tool, size, and color, add pages, and adjust speed. It also supports transparent animations and zooms in/out. Vyond Vyond is an intuitive animation software designed for producing high-quality animated videos. It provides a wide range of templates and customizable options, though its pricing is higher compared to other online alternatives. A 14-day free trial is available. Moovly Moovly is a cloud-based video animation maker that offers a variety of animation styles, including doodle and cartoon and has over 1 million royalty-free media assets. It offers a full-featured free version and integrates with Shutterstock. Its interface may be clunky at times. Wideo Wideo is a versatile, customizable, and user-friendly content creation platform, allowing for video animations and presentations with pre-animated templates. However, only animations up to 30 seconds are free, requiring a paid license for anything longer. Doodly Doodly is a desktop application designed for producing whiteboard animated videos featuring a distinctive drawing hand. It provides customizable drawing paths, automatic alignment of video duration, and the convenience of offline video creation. However, it has some limitations, including a restricted asset library and a lack of support for voiceovers or lip-syncing. Voki Voki is an educational tool for teachers and students that enhances engagement through animated presentations and virtual discussion forums. Basic Voki is free, while the paid version offers more functionality. Flipsnack Flipsnack is a free flip book maker that turns PDFs into interactive online flipping books. Customize with design and branding features, add interactive content and track performance. This is ideal for marketers, designers, and business owners. Our Methodology to Choose the Best Animated Video Makers Choosing the best animated video makers requires a focus on usability, quality, and versatility, especially for small business owners who may not have extensive experience in animation. Here’s a look at the criteria we used to select the top options, rated on a scale of one to ten, with ten being of utmost importance: Ease of Use (Importance Scale: 9/10) User-friendly interface. Quick learning curve, suitable for beginners. Cost-Effectiveness (Importance Scale: 8/10) Affordable pricing plans. Good value for money, considering the features offered. Quality and Versatility of Animation (Importance Scale: 10/10) High-quality animation outputs. A wide range of styles and templates to choose from. Customization Options (Importance Scale: 9/10) Ability to customize animations to fit brand identity. Flexibility in editing and modifying templates. Asset Library (Importance Scale: 7/10) Extensive library of images, icons, characters, and music. Export Options and Formats (Importance Scale: 8/10) Variety of export formats. High-resolution output options. Integration Capabilities (Importance Scale: 6/10) Ability to integrate with other tools for additional functionality. Support and Resources (Importance Scale: 7/10) Access to customer support. Availability of tutorials and learning resources. Review and Collaboration Features (Importance Scale: 5/10) Tools for team collaboration and feedback. Performance and Speed (Importance Scale: 6/10) Fast rendering times. Smooth performance, even with complex animations. Based on these criteria, we compiled the above selection of animated video makers that balance functionality, ease of use, and cost, making them suitable for small businesses aiming to create engaging content for marketing and brand storytelling. Animated Video Makers: Key Features Key features of animated video makers typically include: Pre-made templates: These are pre-designed video layouts that users can choose from. They significantly cut down the time spent designing a video from scratch and provide a professional look and feel to your content. Custom animations: This feature allows users to create unique animations that align with their branding or message. They can customize characters, backgrounds, and other elements in the video to make it truly their own. Audio editing tools: These tools allow users to add, edit, and mix soundtracks, sound effects, and voiceovers. Good audio can enhance the overall quality of the video and make it more engaging for viewers. Drag-and-drop interface: This intuitive design feature allows users to easily add, remove, or rearrange elements in their video. It’s as simple as clicking on an element, dragging it to the desired location, and dropping it into place. Text-to-speech functionality: Some animated video makers come with text-to-speech features, allowing users to convert written text into spoken words in their videos. Collaboration tools: These tools let teams work together on video projects. Users can share drafts, leave comments, and make edits in real-time. Integration with other platforms: Many animated video makers can integrate with social media platforms and content management systems, enabling users to directly upload their videos to these platforms. Export and sharing options: Users can export their videos in various formats and resolutions. They can also share their videos directly from the platform to their desired destination. Animated video makers are often used for video marketing materials, explainer videos, or other types of content that require visual storytelling to effectively communicate complex ideas. Why Are Animated Videos Useful for a Small Business? Animated videos can be a powerful tool for small businesses looking to improve their marketing and education efforts. Here are some ways animated videos can be useful for a small business: Animated Video Presentations An animation video is great for creating engaging video presentations that can help businesses explain complex topics in a visually appealing way. With animation, businesses can create a unique animated video that captures the essence of their brand and conveys their message effectively. Animation projects can also be cost-effective, as they require fewer resources than live-action videos. Educational Videos Animated educational videos are a great way for businesses to provide valuable information to their audience in an engaging and fun way. Businesses can create educational videos to teach their customers about their products or services, how to use them, or how they can benefit from them. This can help establish the business as an authority in the industry and build trust with its audience. These are also among the most popular types of YouTube videos. Create Explainer Videos Explainer videos are a great way to introduce a new product or service to potential customers. With animation, businesses can create engaging and informative videos that showcase their product or service in action. This can assist potential customers in grasping how the product or service functions and the advantages it offers them. Whiteboard Animations Whiteboard animations are a specific type of animated video that can be useful for businesses looking to create engaging educational content. With whiteboard animation, businesses can create a video that appears to be drawn on a whiteboard, providing a unique and visually appealing way to present information. This type of animation can be particularly effective for explaining complex concepts or processes in a step-by-step manner. Top Features to Look Out For in an Animated Video Maker When it comes to selecting an animated video creator, there are a few key features that can make all the difference. Here are the top features to look out for: Free Stock Videos and Video Clips An animated video maker with a library of free stock videos and clips can help you save both time and money. These resources enable you to incorporate additional visual elements into your video, enhancing its engagement and effectiveness. Animated Video Templates Using pre-made templates can help you create professional-looking videos quickly and easily. Look for an animated video creator that includes a range of templates that you can customize to match your brand and messaging. A Range of Animation Styles Various animation styles can effectively communicate different moods and messages in your videos. Choose an animated video maker that provides a variety of animation styles, ranging from 2D to 3D, so you can select the ideal style for your project. Ability to Use Your Own Images and Media Files An animated video creator that allows you to use your own images and media files can help you create a video that truly reflects your brand and messaging. This feature can also save you time and money, as you won’t need to create or purchase additional assets. Animated Characters Animated characters can help you create a more engaging and relatable video. Look for an animated video creator that includes a library of pre-made characters that you can customize to match your brand and messaging. Sound Effects Sound effects can help bring your video to life and create a more immersive experience for your audience. Look for an animated video creator that includes a library of sound effects that you can use to enhance your video. Voice Over Capabilities A good voiceover can add personality and emotion to your video. Look for an animated video creator that includes voiceover capabilities, allowing you to record your own voiceover or choose from a library of pre-made options. Integrating Animated Videos into Your Marketing Strategy Incorporating animated videos into your marketing strategy can significantly enhance your brand’s visibility, engagement, and conversion rates. Here are steps and tips to effectively integrate animated content into your marketing efforts: Understand Your Audience Before creating animated videos, it’s crucial to understand your target audience’s preferences, problems, and the platforms they frequent. This knowledge helps tailor your content to their interests and needs, ensuring your animated videos resonate and engage effectively. Define Your Goals Clarify what you aim to achieve with your animated videos. Goals can range from increasing brand awareness, explaining complex products or services, and launching new offerings to driving traffic to your website. Setting clear objectives guides the content, style, and call-to-action of your videos. Choose the Right Type of Animated Video Select a style of animated video that aligns with your message and audience. Explainer videos, animated infographics, and storytelling animations are popular formats that cater to different objectives, from educating to entertaining your viewers. Optimize for Each Platform Tailor your animated videos for the platforms they’ll be shared on. Social media videos should be short and captivating within the first few seconds, while videos for your website or presentations can be longer and more detailed. Consider platform-specific constraints like video length, aspect ratio, and autoplay features. Leverage SEO For videos hosted on your website or platforms like YouTube, use SEO best practices to increase visibility. Include relevant keywords in your video titles, descriptions, and tags. Transcripts and closed captions can also improve accessibility and SEO performance. Promote Across Channels Maximize the reach of your animated video by promoting it through all your marketing channels. Embed the videos on your website, share them on social media, incorporate them into email marketing campaigns, and use them in digital advertisements. Encourage your audience to share the videos to tap into their networks for even greater exposure. Measure Performance Track your animated video’s performance against your defined goals. Metrics like views, engagement rates, click-through rates, and conversion metrics can provide insights into what works and what doesn’t, helping you refine your future video marketing strategies. Future Trends in Animated Video Creation The landscape of animated video creation is continuously evolving, with new technologies and trends shaping the future of how we produce and consume animated content. Here are several trends and technological advancements to watch: Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning AI and ML are revolutionizing animated video production by automating tasks such as character animation, lip-syncing, and even scriptwriting. These technologies allow for more personalized and dynamic content creation, making it easier and faster to produce animated videos tailored to specific audiences or scenarios. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) VR and AR technologies are starting to influence animated video creation by providing immersive and interactive video experiences. Businesses can utilize VR to produce 360-degree animated explainer videos, while AR can integrate animations into the real world, boosting customer engagement through interactive marketing campaigns. Interactive Animated Videos Interactive videos that allow viewers to make choices, interact with the content, or explore different story paths are becoming more popular. This interactivity increases engagement by making viewers active participants in the narrative, providing a personalized video experience. Real-time Animation Advancements in real-time rendering technologies are making it possible to create and broadcast animated content in real time. This opens up opportunities for live animated broadcasts, events, or presentations, where audiences can interact with the content as it’s being created. Emphasis on Inclusivity and Diversity There’s a growing trend towards creating animated content that reflects a wider range of cultures, identities, and experiences. This inclusivity not only broadens the appeal of animated videos but also strengthens brand values by showcasing a commitment to diversity and representation. Eco-conscious Production As sustainability becomes a priority for businesses and audiences alike, the animation industry is exploring eco-friendly production techniques. Digital animation offers a more sustainable alternative to traditional film production, with software and hardware companies working to reduce the environmental impact of their products. Staying abreast of these trends and technologies is essential for marketers, animators, and businesses looking to leverage animated videos. By embracing innovation and anticipating future developments, creators can produce animated content that captivates, engages, and resonates with increasingly sophisticated audiences Is it Hard to Create Professional Animated Videos? Creating professional animated videos requires time, effort, and skill. However, with the right tools and resources, even beginners can create high-quality animated videos that effectively convey their message. What Equipment is Needed to Create Animated Videos? To create animated videos, you’ll need a computer or mobile device, animation software, and a graphics tablet or mouse. A good microphone and camera may also be useful for voiceovers and live-action elements. The Bottom Line With the right animated video maker tool, you can create engaging and professional-looking videos for your business or personal use. Whether you need to make explainer videos, training videos, or any other type of video project, these tools offer a variety of video styles to choose from. With a bit of creativity and practice, you can create impressive animated videos that effectively convey your message. Animated Video Maker FAQs How do I Make an Animated Video for Free? To make an animated video for free, you can use online tools such as Animaker, Powtoon, or Biteable. These free video editing platforms offer a range of templates, graphics, and animation tools to create professional-looking videos without any cost. How do YouTubers Make Animated Videos? YouTubers can make animated videos by using animation software or online tools that allow them to create, edit, and animate different elements. There are many YouTube niches where creators can then use their creativity to make engaging videos for their channels. What is the Easiest Tool to Make Animated Videos? Canva is one of the easiest tools to make animated videos as it offers a user-friendly interface with pre-made templates and drag-and-drop functionality. Users can easily customize their videos with graphics, text, and animations. Is it Important to Create Animated Content for Social Media? Yes, creating animated content for social media is important as it can grab the audience’s attention, increase engagement, and help brands stand out in a crowded feed. Animated content is also shareable, making it an effective way to reach a wider audience. Image: Envato Elements This article, "Animated Video Maker: Top Tools to Transform Content" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

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