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It seems every tech company on the planet has something AI-related to tout these days, but to most people, I'd wager "AI" is synonymous with ChatGPT. Sure, plenty of other AI platforms are out there, from Google Gemini, to Microsoft Copilot, to Apple Intelligence, but ChatGPT holds the enviable position of both having been the "first" to the generative AI boom, and having kept the crown in the years since. At least, that was the case—but now, a Chinese startup is threatening to take that crown for itself. That company is DeepSeek, a name you're likely familiar with if you have been following AI news. Like ChatGPT's OpenAI, DeepSeek develops generative AI models. The company's latest, R1, rolled out on Jan. 20, and made headlines for two key reasons: The model performs as well (if not a bit better) than OpenAI's o1 model, and it does so while requiring far fewer resources. R1's power and efficiency were great enough to make an impact on the stock market, as shares of companies that are heavily invested in AI, including Nvidia, Alphabet (Google's parent company), Meta, and Oracle tumbled in the wake of news about DeepSeek's latest rollout. (These stocks have largely bumped back up since.) The general public is taking note too: As of this article, DeepSeek is the number one free app in both the iOS and Android app stores—ChatGPT is number two on iOS, and number eight on Android. Long-story short, DeepSeek is the latest ChatGPT competitor to enter the AI race. Trying it out isn't complicated (if you can even access it), but, on the flip side, there are reasons you might not want to. How to try DeepSeekDeepSeek is currently available as an app on iOS or Android, or available on the web. Unfortunately, accessing the service is currently somewhat difficult. Using the app, you can try signing up for an account, either by providing an email or phone number and a password, or connecting your Google or Apple account. But you likely won't have a ton of success doing so, unless you're persistent. I wasn't able to make an account the first time I tried, nor could I access the model on the website. After some time passed, the app finally let me in, but I still can't get the web version to do so. Perhaps once the hype dies down a bit, it'll be easier to access. But for the moment, good luck. Once you are in, you'll find the chatbot is quite similar to other generative AI bots you have tried. You can write out prompts for DeepSeek to answer, upload images and documents for analysis, or share a live camera feed. Like o1, DeepSeek has a reasoning model (DeepThink) that "thinks" through questions and prompts in an effort to provide more detailed and accurate results. You can also search the web, if you choose. DeepSeek may censor more topics than other botsHowever, where DeepSeek differs is in the content it censors from users. Like other chatbots, DeepThink shouldn't return results for prompts it considers inappropriate, offensive, or dangerous. However, since DeepSeek is a Chinese-based company, its chatbot censors any result that, “incites to subvert state power and overthrow the socialist system,” or “endangers national security and interests and damages the national image," as reported by The Guardian. As such, ask it about information regarding the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989, or why Xi Jinping is often compared to Winnie the Pooh, and you'll get back, "Sorry, that's beyond my current scope. Let's talk about something else." The Guardian found that the bot will sometimes respond with answers to potentially controversial questions. When asked whether Taiwan was a country or not, DeepSeek did answer, albeit with an response that would likely be endorsed by the Chinese government. Notably, though, the outlet also found that while other chatbots offer fuller or more nuanced responses to these questions, they weren't always forthcoming either: Gemini, for instance, also refused to answer certain questions, so it's not like American-based chatbots are free from this type of censorship. When I asked DeepSeek about the marginalized Uyghur people of China, the chatbot started to generate a full report, before deleting it and replacing it with the same error message. (The Chinese government has been accused of human-right violations and even genocide of the Uyghur population in Xinjiang.) The Guardian found similar "glitches" when testing these types of prompts with DeepSeek. It does seem like there are workarounds that trick the model into generating uncensored responses, although you might have to deal with some unconventional text formatting. In general, don't expect to see DeepSeek results that might piss off the Chinese government. Other than that, it's basically ChatGPT. Why you might not want to try DeepSeek (it's a privacy nightmare)It's no secret that tech companies scrape a lot of our data in exchange for using their products, but that usually doesn't deter users from downloading interesting new apps. But DeepSeek is a little more aggressive with its data collection policies than most. Taking a look at DeepSeek's privacy policy, you see some of the usual suspects: The company collects the information you provide when setting up an account, like date of birth, username, email address, phone number, even your password. It also collects information as you use the app, including what device you're using, which OS it's running, your IP address, system language, and general diagnostic information. Third-parties can share information they've collected about you with DeepSeek, so they know more about you as you use their service. They also employ cookies to track your activity, but you can disable this tracking in settings. DeepSeek users a keyloggerFrom here, it's important to know that DeepSeek is collecting everything you do with the AI model. All text inputs, audio inputs, prompts, files, feedback, or any other way you interact with the model are saved by the company. Again, this isn't necessarily unique—you shouldn't share any confidential or private information with any AI bot—but if you're not comfortable with a company storing documents or recordings of your voice, think twice about what you share with DeepSeek. It's not awesome for DeepSeek to collect some of these data points, but they are far from the only company to do so. However, they push beyond the norm: Not only will DeepSeek collect any text you send its model, it tracks your keystroke patterns or rhythms as well. That means any time you interact with your keyboard while using DeepSeek, the company is analyzing both what you type, as well as how you type. Yikes. DeepSeek stores your data in ChinaAlso concerning is how DeepSeek stores the data it collects. Per the privacy policy, DeepSeek stores all information in servers in China, which was part of the reasoning behind the U.S. government's push to ban TikTok. There is also no time limit on how long DeepSeek keeps your data, other than "as long as necessary." This is also how Meta handles user data, but other companies have time limits: OpenAI has a similar clause about keeping data for as long as necessary, but says temporary chats are deleted from servers after 30 days. Meanwhile, Google says it'll keep data for up to three years. It's no secret that big tech is rarely privacy friendly, and AI is no exception. Even in those terms, however,DeepSeek is not a fantastic option for the privacy-minded. If you want to try it while preserving some privacy, I recommend signing in with Apple, which lets you hide your real email address from the company. If you don't have an Apple account, you could use an email platform like Proton or DuckDuckGo that offer similar shielding services. Just remember that even if DeepSeek can't see your email, it's still paying attention to how you type. View the full article

About 35,000 feet (10,670 meters) over the Mojave Desert, northwest of Los Angeles, Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 became the first privately funded airplane to break the sound barrier during a test flight on Tuesday. “She was real happy supersonic,” Boom Chief Test Pilot Tristan “Geppetto” Brandenburg said after landing, in a video posted by Boom Supersonic. “That’s the best she’s ever flown, was supersonic.” After getting to altitude, Brandenburg opened up the test plane’s throttles, accelerating to Mach 1.1, or about 845 mph (1,360 kph) — faster than the speed at which sound travels. In 1947, Chuck Yeager became the first human to break the sound barrier when he pushed the Bell X-1 past Mach 1 during a flight over the Mojave Desert. Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 is a stepping stone in its plan to develop a commercially viable supersonic airliner, the Overture, capable of carrying 64-80 passengers across the Atlantic in about 3 1/2 hours. The company has 130 orders and pre-orders from American Airlines, United Airlines and Japan Airlines. Last year, it completed construction on its Overture Superfactory in Greensboro, North Carolina, where it plans to build 66 Overture aircraft per year. —Dan Catchpole, Reuters View the full article

Now that we're a week into the second presidency of Donald J. Trump (has it really been that long?), let's take a look at how the nation's younger generations are reacting to Trump's return to power. While voter participation among people between 18 and 29 was down in 2024 compared to 2020 (42%, down from 50%) Trump gained ground in every youth demographic. Young women went from 33% support in 2020 to 41% support in 2024, and young men went from 41% support to 55% support. So the kids are getting the president they asked for. Half of the kids, anyway. The other half are not happy, and they're noting their discontent with meme phrases, a new attitude, and online activism. It's not all politics this week, thank god. There's also an internet invasion by Family Guy one-off character Mr. Washee Washee, and a viral video from Poppy Playtime, a video game that children love and everyone else is confused by. Kids protest Trump with "cute winter boots"Soon after Trump's election in 2016, the youth-led #resistance movement sprung up, first as a hashtag and later in the form of defiant women's marches and protests that millions attended nationwide. Things look a little different in 2024. On TikTok, opposition to Trump is coming from posters reminding each other to wear "cute winter boots" to "combat ice." So if you see that phrase in video, you're looking at a secret message. The idea is that people who oppose Donald Trump's immigration policy are against ICE (that is, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement), so warning people to "wear cute winter boots" is a coded way of saying, "I don't like that the president is deporting so many people." TikTok's posters haven't adopted a slogan like "Oh my god, fuck Donald Trump," because they feel "cute winter boots" will get past whatever censorship algorithm they think TikTok is using (or something), so they're posting videos like this one, which adds another "hidden" message with the phrase "kill the CIStem." While I appreciate teenagers' opposition to entrenched power structures, if you ask me, this is all cringe af (as the kids say). Also: this "movement" is surely being artificially inflated by people sharing it because it's so cringe. What is the Trump-inspired "dark woke movement?"I don't think the "winter boots" thing is going to catch on, but "dark woke" seems to be, even if many of its practitioners don't call it that. Dark woke is, basically, waiting for misfortune to befall people who voted for Donald Trump so you can pointedly not care. When their uncle Dave has to pay $38 for a salad because so many migrant workers are being deported, a dark woke person might respond, "ha ha, starve, asshole. Don't like governmental chaos? Should have voted for Harris." You get the idea. You can see as many examples of this as you'd like on Reddits like r/LeopardsAteMyFace and r/Trumpgrets. Again, if you ask me, this is a cynical, selfish, and ultimately pointless movement—I don't think many people who voted for Trump are going to suddenly admit to making a mistake, no matter what happens. But really, what else is there to do? Reddit's movement to ban XMany of the people who hang out on nerd-centric internet hive Reddit are reacting to Trump's buddy Elon Musk throwing up a suspicious hand gesture at the President's inauguration—in addition to his Trump adjacency in general—by banning links to Musk's social media site X. The largest subreddits to block links from X are r/NBA, which has 15 million members, r/TwoXChromosomes, which has 14 million members, and r/NFL, which has 12 million members. Mr. Washee Washee and the "how do I get him off?" meme explainedMoving on from politics: the meme of the moment among young people needs some serious 'splaining. It features Mr. Washee Washee, a one-off, kinda retro-racist character from The Family Guy. Here's Washee's appearance on the show back in 2011: That clip is not what's going viral, though. The viral part originated with this X post from @boolymen: This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Viewed over a million times, the post shows Washee Washee seemingly trapped in music production program FL Studios with the question, "how do I get him off?" So there's a little bit of "I'm a clueless user and something weird happened; help!" that anyone who has assisted older relatives with tech issues will relate to, and there's also the suggestion that Washee Washee somehow invaded the project of his/its own volition. Pretty funny. But it became meme-worthy because you can answer the question with suggestions like "Have you tried whispering some algebra facts into his ear?" and because you can put Mr. Washee Washee anywhere then ask "How do I get him off?" For example: your browser, or your X profile, or your Windows XP home screen. Viral video of the week: Poppy Playtime Chapter 4 Gameplay Trailer The new trailer for the fourth game in the Poppy Playtime series has been viewed nearly seven million times in the three days its been online. These games are a sensation among the preteen set, but can be utterly baffling to anyone old enough to vote, so here's a rundown: Heavily influenced by Five Nights at Freddy's, the Poppy Playtime games are first-person, puzzle-heavy survival-horror games that are geared toward younger players. The ongoing story revolves around the player uncovering the misdeeds of Playtime Co., a toy company that creates the sentient playthings that act as villains in the game. Kids, it seems, really respond to the games' scary-but-not-too-scary vibe and that classic horror trope of making something meant as familiar and friendly (clowns, toys, etc.) into something sinister. Kids especially love (and love to be scared by) Huggy Wuggy, a giant blue toy/abomination with bulging eyes, red lips, long limbs who likes eating the people unlucky enough to meet it in an abandoned toy factory. View the full article

Wix shares how to develop a marketing team that works at peak performance and how to avoid pitfalls like AI silos The post Wix Shares How To Optimize Enterprise Marketing appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

In an effort to monetize the social media platform, Elon Musk’s X announced Tuesday it would be partnering with Visa on a digital wallet and peer-to-peer payment services for its upcoming X Money Account. The product, which is likely to launch in the first quarter of this year, would enable users to move funds between their bank accounts and a digital wallet in real time, similar to Venmo or Zelle, with more deals on the horizon, CNBC reported. CEO Linda Yaccarino said on X it will launch later in 2025 and is just the “first of many big announcements about X Money this year.” Musk, who bought Twitter for $44 billion in 2022, has struggled to make X profitable and to prevent users from fleeing to Bluesky and Threads due to its increasing right-wing tone and content. The announcement comes days after the Wall Street Journal reported banks are ready to sell billions of dollars of debt Musk borrowed to buy X—and revealed Musk told employees in an email that “revenue is unimpressive, and we’re barely breaking even.” Visa, which is the largest credit card network in the country, will use Visa Direct, its financial solution for instant money transfers, according to TechCrunch. Musk has previously said he wants to transform X into an “everything app” similar to China’s WeChat: “a single application that encompasses everything,” from digital town square to banking platform, where users could “do payments, messages, video, calling, whatever you’d like, from one single, convenient place,” The Verge reported. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. It wouldn’t be fair to say that I bought an air fryer simply to reheat french fries, but it would be disingenuous to claim that my desire to reheat french fries had nothing to do with the purchase. A few years ago—when we were young and the air was sweet—I wrote a blog claiming that waffling sad, cold fries was a first-rate way to reheat them. Almost immediately, the comments started rolling in. “You fool, you absolute imbecile,” they said. “An air fryer is the only tool you should use to reheat french fries, and you are an idiot for suggesting otherwise.” (I am paraphrasing, but this was the feel of the comments, at least as I recall it.) “Maybe I should get an air fryer,” I thought, before waiting another eight months to get one. (I finally got the Instant Pot Vortex Mini, because it is small and red and $50.) The tiny, powerful convection oven—which does not technically fry anything—is quite handy. I’ve already integrated it into my everyday cooking rotation, but I started with cold fries (and ate them for breakfast), because that’s what brought us to this point in the first place. My friends, you (and everyone else who yelled at me) were not lying. When it comes to restoring limp, cardboard-like fries to their former crisp, golden glory, the air fryer kicks the waffle maker’s ass (though I maintain waffled leftover fries make excellent breakfast potatoes). That said, not everyone has an air fryer. (Though if you're in the market for one, I suggest these.) You can also use the conventional oven or a frying pan to get your spuds crispy again. Here are the three best ways to reheat french fries. What makes leftover fries so sad?Leftover fries are sad and soggy due to moisture migration, and the air fryer takes care of that nonsense in short order. Once a fry starts to cool, the water inside the fluffy starch granules moves out towards the crust, rendering the insides of the fry grainy and the outsides mushy. How to reheat fries in the air fryerBeyond reheating completely cold fries, this is a great way to revive takeout fries that may have sat in a paper bag or plastic container for too long. Just five to 10 minutes in a 375-degree air fryer perks ‘em right back up. Timing will vary from air fryer to air fryer but, unlike the Instant Pot or a sous-vide circulator, it’s very easy to check on your air fried food mid-cook—just slide the little basket out. Try not to over-pack the air fryer; you want the hot air to be able to circulate around each fry. It took my air fryer a mere five minutes at 375℉ to restore cold, lifeless, fairly thick-cut breakfast fries to their former glory, which is dangerously quick, particularly in a household that is prone to over-ordering french fries. While a little overlapping is fine, try not to crowd your fries. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Why reheat fries with an air fryer?An air fryer can’t rehydrate those starch granules, but it certainly revives a fry’s soggy outsides. The hot, circulating air drives off moisture and gets any dormant fry grease movin’ and groovin’, re-crisping the potato’s crust. And while the insides aren’t quite as tender and fluffy as they are when you first take them out of a deep fryer, they are pretty damn close. The ones I ate for breakfast this morning were almost indistinguishable from fresh fries, though it’s worth noting that they seemed to be a “fresh-cut, once cooked” kind of fry, so this may have only been their second (not third) heating. How to reheat fries in the ovenReheating french fries in the oven is the second best way because you can do big batches and it's a much more hands-off method than the frying pan method below. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann To reheat fries in the oven, preheat the oven to 400℉. While that's heating up, arrange a metal wire rack over a sheet pan. Spread out the cold fries over the rack so they're not overlapping. The elevated rack will allow the hot air to circulate underneath and around the fries so you don't have to do any flipping. Bake the fries for 15 to 25 minutes. I suggest checking on them after 15 minutes to assess their crispiness. Depending on how thick or thin they are, it's possible to dry them out if they bake too long. How to reheat fries in a frying panIf you don't have any other choice, or you have only a handful of fries that you're trying to revive, there's the frying pan method. Credit: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Grab a relatively large frying pan. There should be enough room for the fries to lay flat in a single layer. Unlike in the oven or the air fryer, it's the direct contact with the hot surface that's going to heat up the oil that imbues the crust of each fry. Some other folks recommend adding oil to the pan, but I disagree. This only made my fries oily in a gross way. Heat the fries over medium-low heat. They'll begin to sizzle after two minutes or so. Proceed to rotate them every minute or two so the other sides crisp. After about 10 minutes of flipping the fries, all of the sides should be hot and crispy. This is a great idea if you only have a single serving of fries and you don't mind tending to them the entire time. It's quicker than the oven method, but if you're inconsistent you might end up with scorched spots on some fries. Tips for reheating friesDon't crowd. Lay the french fries in a single layer and try to avoid a lot of overlapping. This will prevent any steam from getting trapped and allow your taters to crisp faster. If you have a lot of fries to reheat, it might be best to do it in batches or just use the oven. Spritz 'em lightly with oil. For a just-out-of-the-fryer sizzle, give your fries a light spritz with a neutral cooking oil. Specifically for the air fryer, a fresh layer of fat conducts the heat that much more effectively. Check on them mid-cook. Cooking time varies depending on the thickness of the french fry you're reheating (steak cut? shoestring? crinkle?), so it's important to check on your spuds once or twice. Especially with the speed of the air fryer, a few minutes too long is the difference between crisp and fluffy or hard and dry. View the full article

Quartet has launched the Quartet® Dry-Erase Desktop Computer Pad, a budget-friendly workspace solution designed to enhance productivity and organization. The new product aims to simplify workspaces by providing a clutter-free and efficient tool for home, office, or classroom use. The Quartet Dry-Erase Desktop Pad combines durability, functionality, and convenience. Positioned between the keyboard and computer screen, the pad offers a sleek angled surface for jotting down reminders, ideas, or to-do lists without relying on sticky notes. The durable painted steel writing surface is resistant to stains and ghosting, ensuring long-term use. The desktop pad is designed with several thoughtful features to promote productivity and organization: Integrated Keyboard Storage: A felt pad allows for smooth, scratch-free sliding of the keyboard underneath the desktop pad, keeping desks tidy. Accessory Storage: An accessory channel and magnetic marker cap provide a dedicated space for the included dry-erase marker, ensuring tools are always within reach. Comprehensive Kit: The product comes with a felt keyboard pad, a Quartet dry-erase marker, and a microfiber towel for easy cleaning. Magnetic Surface: Important notes and photos can be secured directly onto the painted steel surface using magnets. Compact and Portable Design: Weighing just 1.5 pounds, the 21” x 7.75” dry-erase board features fold-down legs, making it easy to transport, store, and ship. “The Quartet Dry-Erase Desktop Pad was designed to simplify and elevate any workspace,” said Aaron DiStefano, Senior Marketing Manager at ACCO Brands. “We’re excited to offer a budget-conscious solution that combines innovation and functionality, helping users stay organized while keeping their desks clutter-free.” The desktop pad is suitable for various environments, including offices, classrooms, and home workstations. Its compatibility with standing desks and traditional setups adds to its versatility as a workspace essential. Priced at $21.99, the Quartet Dry-Erase Desktop Pad offers an affordable solution for those looking to streamline their workspaces. The Quartet Dry-Erase Desktop Pad is now available for purchase at Meijer’s stores, as well as online through Amazon and Quartet.com. With its innovative design and accessible price point, this new offering continues Quartet’s tradition of providing high-quality dry-erase products that enhance productivity and organization. This article, "Quartet Introduces Dry-Erase Desktop Pad for Organized Workspaces" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Gantt chart templates are tools for project scheduling. They’re also a workaround as they provide a path that avoids the more effective Gantt chart that is included in most project management software. However, not everyone is ready to upgrade. That’s why we offer free project management templates that help during every phase of a project, across multiple industries. Below is a selection of free Gantt chart templates for project scheduling. Before we get to that, let’s discuss why it’s better to at least explore the use of a project management tool when creating a project timeline. ProjectManager is award-winning project and portfolio management software with robust Gantt charts that do more than any template can hope to do. Gantt charts organize tasks on a timeline, break the project into phases, add milestones and much more. All of which can be done on a template. Our Gantt charts go further. They can link all four types of task dependencies to avoid delays and cost overruns, filter for the critical path to identify essential tasks that must be completed to deliver the project successfully and set a baseline to track progress in real time. Templates can’t do any of that. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. /wp-content/uploads/2024/04/critical-path-light-mode-gantt-construction-CTA.pngProjectManager’s Gantt charts are more powerful than any template. Learn more Why Use Gantt Chart Templates? That said, there are reasons why people still use a Gantt chart template, whether made by Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets or another software product. Using one offers several advantages for project management. For example, they come with predefined layouts, reducing the time spent designing the chart from scratch. Using a template ensures that all projects are managed the same way, making it easier for teams to follow and understand the project schedule. They also reduce the risk of missing crucial elements or errors when creating a Gantt chart, which can occur if starting from a blank sheet. Templates often include a well-designed and visually appealing layout, making the Gantt chart look more professional when shared with stakeholders or clients. A properly formatted one communicates project timelines in a visually engaging way, helping everyone involved understand the project flow. The most important reason is that a Gantt chart template breaks down the project into smaller, manageable tasks, making it easier to plan, assign resources and set realistic deadlines. They also allow project managers to track progress over time and see which tasks are on schedule and those that might be delayed. Best Free Gantt Chart Templates We’ll get to why project management software is superior to templates later on, but, as promised, first we’ll list the best free Gantt chart templates. A project schedule is part of the larger project plan and the stack bar chart of a Gantt chart is how project managers organize their task list. Use any of the following free templates to create project timelines and deliver projects on time. 1. Free Gantt Chart Template for ProjectManager The first free template differs from the others on our list because this construction project schedule opens up in ProjectManager. Don’t worry, it doesn’t cost a thing. Our software has a 30-day free trial, no credit card required. Users have their project open in one of our powerful Gantt charts, but it also gives one access to multiple project views, including kanban boards, task lists and calendars. That means once the project schedule is set in the Gantt chart, assigned team members can execute their tasks with more appropriate tools. All views update simultaneously, keeping everyone on the same page and giving project managers insights into progress and performance. /wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Gantt-chart-in-project-management-construction-project.png But back to the Gantt chart, it can keep track of project deliverables and schedule and allocate resources, both human and nonhuman. It also tracks project costs. We’ve already mentioned how it can link task dependencies, filter for the critical path and set a baseline to track project variance in real time. Users can also see a list of project activities in a work breakdown structure (WBS) column. The Gantt chart is customizable with color-coded tasks and much more. Since our software is online, the Gantt chart is also a collaborative tool, assigning tasks, sharing files and staying connected with other team members, anytime and anywhere by commenting at the task level. 2. Free Gantt Chart Template for Excel For those who came here strictly to download a free Gantt chart template, here is one built in Microsoft Excel. It’s a simple Gantt chart, but can do much of what more advanced project management tools can do. The template is made up of two sides. On the left, there’s a traditional spreadsheet. This is where all the project tasks are listed. The columns capture the start and end dates and the duration of each task. There’s even a column to note the priority of the task. The last column tracks the work by showing the percentage complete for that task to help users keep to the project schedule. /wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Gantt-chart-template-for-Excel.png As users fill in that pertinent information, the right side of the Gantt chart automatically populates with the visual timeline. This stacked bar chart is made up of all the tasks in the column on the left side of the template. Each task is represented by a task bar on a time-based chart. The task bar is as long as the expected duration of the task. Users can customize this project timeline by adding color to make it easy to distinguish between project phases. 3. Free Gantt Chart Template for Google Sheets Microsoft Excel is only one tool capable of creating a Gantt chart. This free Gantt chart template for Google Sheets has an advantage over Microsoft as it’s more collaborative. That’s because this is online software. Another reason to choose Google over Microsoft is that the tool is free. Therefore, it’s better on one’s wallet and at fostering collaboration. Google Sheets allows users to collaborate in real time without having to download any files as they would have to with Microsoft Excel. /wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Gantt-chart-Google-Sheets-large.png To use this free Gantt chart template for Google Sheets, just click on the link. The Gantt chart template will be in view-only mode. Users should then make a copy of their own so they can edit and share the document. They can also set the Gantt chart to be shared with specific members of the project team, giving each their own permission, such as view only for stakeholders, while active team members can have editable privileges. 4. Free Gantt Chart Template for PowerPoint Another popular Microsoft software is PowerPoint and, yes, it can be used to make a Gantt chart. But why bother going through the labor of creating a Gantt chart in PowerPoint when it’s easier to just download one? But for those do-it-yourselfers, the link provides a step-by-step tutorial on how to create a Gantt chart in PowerPoint. For the rest of us, there’s a link to download a template to get started with a project schedule right away. /wp-content/uploads/2023/09/gantt-chart-powerpoint-final-version-of-the-gantt-chart-1.webp Gantt chart templates for PowerPoint are popular because many people use this software at work and are familiar with it. Therefore, teams can create simple Gantt charts that are easy for everyone to understand. Of course, whether one is built or a template downloaded, a PowerPoint file, just like an Excel file (or Microsoft Project file, for that matter) can be imported into ProjectManager. There, users will have all the bells and whistles that a template doesn’t. They can export those changes back to PowerPoint if they want to. 5. Free Gantt Chart Template for Word Yes, Microsoft Word can also be used to create Gantt chart templates. No, Word isn’t a project management tool, but it is a familiar one. Sometimes familiarity trumps a more feature-rich tool. If that’s the case, then download this free Gantt chart template for Word. There’s also a section in the blog with directions on how to make Gantt chart templates in Word. It’s time-consuming and a bit complicated, but it helps users understand all the ins and outs of the tool. /wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Gantt-chart-Template-for-Word.png Again, for those who don’t want to go through the ordeal of creating a Gantt chart somewhere that isn’t designed for such a project management tool, there’s a free download for a Gantt chart in Word. While it’s not recommended to manage projects in Word, even when the software can be turned into Gantt chart templates, we thought it would be nice to at least have one for those who want to use it. 6. Free Gantt Chart Template for Google Docs Some people simply prefer software they use every day. Many have transitioned from Microsoft Excel and Word to Google’s suite of online and free productivity tools. Google has done a great job of seamlessly integrating all their apps, from Google Drive to Google Meet. If one’s business is already wedded to this world, why change? Download a free Gantt chart for Google Docs. It’s not ideal, but it’ll work as well as making one in Word, maybe even better as it’s an online, collaborative tool. /wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Gantt-chart-template-for-Google-Docs-600x548.webp There are also directions to make Gantt chart templates in Google Docs for those who prefer to do it their way rather than download a completed one. It’s not simple and it’ll take time, like creating any Gantt chart templates from scratch, but our thorough plans, complete with screenshots for each step, make it possible for anyone, regardless of their expertise in Google Docs, to make working Gantt chart templates. 7. Free Gantt Chart Template for Google Slides We couldn’t end without sharing Google’s version of Microsoft PowerPoint. That’s right, there are free Gantt chart templates that can be created in Google Slides. This software, which is designed for making presentations, is also online and, therefore, collaborative. Gantt chart templates like these are great to use when presenting to stakeholders in project meetings or proposals. /wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Gantt-Chart-Google-Slides-Template-1600x908.png As with the other Gantt chart templates for Google, open up the template, make a copy and start editing with one’s own project data. These Gantt charts might not be as useful as the ones in project management software, but they look good. They are colorful and clear, making them easy to understand and great for professional presentations. ProjectManager Has Better Gantt Charts and More Features While free Gantt chart templates are useful, they will eventually frustrate users. Even those who don’t go through the effort of building their own will find too many limitations. Yes, they can do the basics, but delivering successful projects calls for more than the bare minimum. Project managers are going to want all the features they can get to bring in projects on time, within budget and meeting quality standards. That’s why they choose ProjectManager, award-winning project and portfolio management software with some of the best Gantt charts available on the market. Manage Resources to Stay Productive Gantt charts can schedule resources and related costs, but once the project is executed there are other features to ensure those resources are working as planned. First, when onboarding team members, project managers can set their availability, including, PTO, vacation and global holidays, as well as their skills, to make assigning them to tasks easier. There’s a color-coded workload chart to see who is overallocated or underutilized. Project managers can then balance their team’s workload from that chart to keep everyone working at capacity and avoiding burnout. There’s also a team page that shows either daily or weekly activity, which can be filtered by progress, priority and more. /wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Team-Light-2554x1372-1.png Track Progress, Performance and Cost in Real Time Then there is progress, performance and cost. These project metrics need monitoring to ensure they align with the project plan. Once the baseline is set on the Gantt chart, the software constantly updates in real time. Project managers can get a high-level overview with live dashboards that show time, cost, workload and more on easy-to-read graphs and charts for one or multiple projects. Customizable reports get deeper into the details or can be filtered for a summary to share with stakeholders and keep them updated. Secure timesheets streamline payroll, but they also offer a window into how far each team member has gone in completing their work and what it costs. That manages labor costs and keeps the project on budget. /wp-content/uploads/2024/05/timesheet-lightmode-good-version-lots-of-tasks.png Related Gantt Chart Content There’s more to Gantt charts than Gantt chart templates. For those interested in exploring deeper, follow the links below to a handful of our more recent pieces on the tool. A Gantt Chart Guide with Definitions & Examples Best Gantt Chart Software (Free & Paid) How to Make a Gantt Chart: Steps, Tools & Tips 5 Best Tools for Creating a Simple Gantt Chart Why Use a Gantt Chart in Construction Project Management ProjectManager is online Gantt chart software that connects teams whether they’re in the office or out in the field. They can share files, comment at the task level and stay updated with email and in-app notifications. Join teams at Avis, Nestle and Siemens who use our software to deliver successful projects. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. The post Free Gantt Chart Templates for Excel, Google Sheets & More appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

OpenAI on Tuesday announced a new ChatGPT system for U.S. government workers that it calls more secure than its Enterprise offering. ChatGPT Gov will allow for government agencies to feed nonpublic, sensitive data into the platform while operating in their own hosting environments. OpenAI said that self-hosting enables agencies to manage their own security, privacy, and compliance requirements. It’s unclear when ChatGPT Gov will be available for government customers. Still, some government workers are already using ChatGPT today. Since the beginning of 2024, more than 90,000 users across more than 3,500 federal, state, and local government agencies have sent upwards of 18 million messages on ChatGPT to support their work, the company said. “By making our products available to the U.S. government, we aim to ensure AI serves the national interest and the public good, aligned with democratic values, while empowering policymakers to responsibly integrate these capabilities to deliver better services to the American people,” OpenAI wrote in a press release. The announcement of ChatGPT Gov comes a week into President Donald Trump’s new administration. OpenAI leader Sam Altman attended Trump’s inauguration last week in Washington, D.C., alongside several other Big Tech leaders. The two reportedly have spoken about the importance of developing artificial intelligence in the U.S. Altman, who donated to Trump’s inauguration fund, has also expressed admiration for the president. “I’m not going to agree with him on everything, but I think he will be incredible for the country in many ways!” he wrote on X last Wednesday. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Whether you’re still trying to hold down those New Year’s resolutions or you’re just generally trying to stay on top of your productivity, we can always benefit from having some accountability checks. You can do these yourself, sure, but having a little outside help from a well-made app can make a big difference. For one-on-one accountability: FocusmateA major component of productivity is planning your day, so if you’re planning on doing a certain task, like clearing your inbox or consolidating notes, try using Focusmate to get paired with an accountability partner who’s working at the same time. You get put into a video chat with the person, both share what you’re working on, and then get cracking. This relies on the principle of “body doubling,” or the idea that people work harder when someone else is around. If you’ve ever pushed yourself at the gym because you’re surrounded by other people or invited a friend over to sit on your couch while you clean, you get it. Focusmate lets you set up three sessions a week for free, but if you want unlimited sessions it’ll be $9.99 per month or about $84 per year. Credit: Lindsey Ellefson Focusmate pros: You can pick your date, time, and partner You can be sorted into focus rooms depending on the kind of activity you want to do, whether it's desk work or physical activity You get a sizable amount of access with the free version Focusmate cons: This really only works if you have a desktop setup and isn't as accessible if you're on the go The pricing for unlimited sessions is a little steep If you want an accountability group: FlownFlown hosts group sessions that function like virtual study groups, allowing you to work “alongside” others who are also trying to get things done. From the comfort of your home, you can surround yourself with people who are working on their tasks at the same time, giving you the same feeling you’d get if you were at a coffee shop, in a library, or working in a large group of people. There are virtual quiet rooms to sit in during the day and coworking sessions you can join with smaller groups of people for an hour or two, led by facilitators, plus solo working experiences called "portholes" that play hour-long footage of skilled craftspeople working on their particular trade. There’s a 30-day free trial, but even after that expires, you can join free sessions on Fridays. If you’re really feeling it after the trial (which doesn’t require you to put down your card info), it’s $25 per month, $228 per year, or $900 for a lifetime membership. Credit: Lindsey Ellefson Flown pros: It's customizable and tailored: You input whether you work remotely, feel overwhelmed, think you may have ADHD, etc. There are a variety of options available, from facilitator-led groups to quiet working rooms Free access on Fridays can help you build a solid schedule even if you don't want to pay Flown cons: This is best suited for a desktop setup, not while you're working on something out and about If you just need a personal push: Loop Habit TrackerMaybe you don’t need a virtual coworking space, but just need a way to track your own progress and push yourself. Loop might be your answer, as it provides a platform for tracking progress, scheduling work, and getting helpful reminders via notifications. You enter your progress into the app and get a Habit Score, which is based on how often you do what you set out to do. Gamification is a major motivator for some people, so if all you need is to see a number go up, up, up, try Loop, which is free for up to seven habits and $9.99 per month if you want to track more than that. Credit: Beth Skwarecki Loop pros: A simple interface allows you to see your goal progress using a calendar view or more detailed infographics It's low-pressure, so you feel good when you accomplish the tasks and stay with your habits, but it doesn't shame you for missing days (unlike other tools, which are valuable for people who need that kind of push) It's very customizable, so you can even change the question it prompts you with when you're filling out your habit completion Loop cons: It's only available for Android The interface is simple, which is good, but perhaps a little boring To work on goals with friends: HabitatThe Habitat app allows you to work in groups with people you already know, so it's great if you've set goals together with others, like family members or friends. It gives you a few easy ideas for habits to build, like exercising more often or making your bed consistently, and once you set your first habit, you can invite friends to join you. Then, you'll work together to create a "group streak," with each of you inputting when you work on your habit. I just set one up with a friend where we are both committing to work out five times per week. The interface is simple and the streaks grow visually, so you can see your progress, plus the free version allows you to see who out of your group is atop the leaderboard. You can even access in-app direct messages to communicate with your group about the task. The benefit here is that you don't want to let down people you know, so you may be more motivated to hit the gym if you know you're not only harming your own health by skipping, but also jeopardizing a loved one's streak. It's $35.99 per year or $5.99 per month to access a premium account, which lets you be part of more than four habitat streaks and view detailed statistics about your progress as well as set notifications and reminders. Credit: Lindsey Ellefson Habitat pros: It's easy to use and understand from the moment you download it You can use the free version in a limited capacity, so it's great for if you only have one or two habits to build Habitat cons: The paid version has a significantly greater amount of features It really only works if you have friends who are willing to do it with you, unlike the apps above, where you deal with strangers who are already motivated to use the software It's only available on iOS If you want real stakes: ForfeitForfeit has an interesting premise that isn’t for the faint of heart: You put down money (between $1 and $50) and if you meet your goal, you get to keep it; if you fail to accomplish the goal you tie to it, you lose that money. A member of the app’s team will review evidence—like gym selfies, recordings of yourself working, or whatever else—to make sure you met the goal you set(or you can have your goals reviewed by AI instead). You pre-determine what you’ll do, like, “I’ll send a time lapse of myself reading before 11 a.m. tomorrow or forfeit $10.” According to the company, there’s been $3 million staked across 238,000 sessions with a 94.2% success rate—meaning most people are motivated to keep their money and don’t lose it. You don’t have to pay for the app in the traditional sense, but you do pay if you fail to accomplish your goal. Forfeit can keep that money or you can opt to have it given to a charity or even a group of friends using the app. I should also mention you can do lower-stakes Forfeits, as well: You can tell the app to text your friends, for instance, if you don't complete a goal by a certain time. You can even customize the message they'll receive, like, "Lindsey failed to clean her living room this afternoon! How embarrassing!" Credit: Lindsey Ellefson Forfeit pros: This app actually forces you to do what you say you are going to do It's only as mean or as nice as you set it to be, so you can make all of your text inputs really positive (but still risk losing actual money, of course) There are a lot of ways to use it so it works for you, whether you opt to let AI review your evidence submissions, bet money on yourself, set up repeat Forfeits, or more Forfeit cons: You can actually lose money View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. Last week we talked about jerks getting their comeuppance, and here are eight of the most satisfying stories you shared. 1. The thief At an old job, I was continually denied raises by the bully finance director (who somehow was always able to find money for his own raises.) He oversaw all purchases for the business’s renovation, which included lots of furniture, TVs, tech stuff, etc. All expensive stuff. He was one of many jerks and I eventually moved on, but I heard from a coworker a couple years later that he was fired one day when an expensive TV that went missing from storage was suddenly discovered. In a picture his wife posted on Facebook of their new living room. This caused an audit and it turned out he was stealing A LOT of stuff and money from work, so he and his cronies all got fired and he had a very public trial. All I wanted was a raise when my job duties expanded, and instead his ass went to jail. 2. The coffee When I was 30, I looked like a 15-year-old and many assumed I was an intern or perhaps a lowly admin they could disrespect. I had had enough of this when an old man leaned over to me before a commission meeting started (I was the staff liaison to this commission and basically led the meetings but he didn’t know that yet). He asked me to go get him coffee (!) without even looking at me. I said in a neutral tone, “No thank you” and then got up to start the meeting. I said, “Hey everyone, just a quick note, Bob here says he’d fetch (I really emphasized this word) coffee for anyone who needs it, so just tell him how you take it.” He got very flustered and muttered something like, “uh, uh” and I turned to him and said, “So are we good here?” and I paused for effect and let him memorize my shape, face, and tone until he said, “Yep, got it” and barely spoke up again for the rest of the year. 3. The file poacher I did an external benchmarking project in Excel for my boss, sent it off, and forgot about it. 12+ months later, one of the “too cool to wear a suit” marketing team presented the exact same file to the executive team (I was there to present something else). It even still had my quirky choice of colors in the conditional formatting. He stood there saying it had been a lot of research and work and just needed to be updated for the latest year’s data. Then he was asked to make some changes on the spot. He needed to get into the source sheet, which he couldn’t find. I meekly suggested it was a hidden sheet and told him how to unhide it. But then there was no data on the source sheet. I pointed out it the columns started at AW so there must be some hidden columns. He tried and tried to unhide them and nothing happened. He muttered the sheet must have corrupted. He also struggled to remove some colors on the output sheet. I said nothing else, but raised my eyebrow at my boss. Finally my boss suggested I try, as I was known for being good with Excel. I walked down to his laptop and, without saying a word, took the page protection off the sheet using my password. Someone jokingly asked if I had an all powerful admin password. I shook my head and said no, that I remembered the password for the file. I was then asked why I knew the password to a marketing file, to which I replied that they hadn’t changed the password on the file since I created it 18 months ago, and that I’d had to hide and password protect the detail as some of the numbers were still confidential at that point. I also said the random colors on the front sheet which he couldn’t remove were due to conditional formatting based on criteria my boss had asked for the year before. I took my seat again (back of the room) and watched as Mr. Marketing squirmed as he was asked why he was taking credit for another team’s work. My boss smirked and Mr. Marketing never poached another file off me again. 4. The building I took a fundraising job at a nonprofit, and it didn’t take long to realize that the place was toxic. The CEO, who was also the founder, was an absolute terror, which was apparently known to everyone but me. I started looking for another job because I just couldn’t deal with the abuse, and somehow my boss found out and fired me before I had the chance to quit, despite the fact that I was absolutely destroying my fundraising goals. The board refused to manage the CEO in any way, shape, or form, despite these well-known issues. About five years later, when the org was in its 30th year, the org finally had the funds and build a gorgeous new building for its operations, it was everything they’d all dreamed of, especially the toxic founder … who the board then promptly fired for his years of toxic behavior, and specifically cited my firing five years prior as one of the reasons. Knowing that he never got to enjoy his magnificent new space was just the best chef’s kiss ever. 5. The accreditation Ten years ago, I was a trainer working for a very well-known organization which was in a highly visible dispute with the government, and was regularly in the headlines. If you were remotely engaged with current affairs in my country then, you would recognize both the dispute and the company. Our part of the organization ran credentialled training for a highly-trusted, highly-regulated profession — think legal, engineering, that kind of thing. Our training was accredited by the regulator, and our clients had to take 50 accredited hours every year as a condition of keeping their licenses. All the training courses had had the content approved, but for each individual session, the dates, times, venue, trainer, and bullet-pointed list of content had to be sent to the regulator. My lovely manager was away for a year on maternity leave, and single most useless man I have ever met was employed in her stead, through the Old Boys network. He was unbelievably useless in every possible way, and chauvinist. Not actively toxic, just incompetent and a waste of space, and extremely condescending to us little ladies. So the two other trainers and I and the admin team who supported us just bypassed him and got on with things. A few months in, the admin responsible for getting all our courses accredited left. Before she left, she informed Useless Manager about the process for getting courses accredited and said that the other admin didn’t have time to do this and he would need to figure something out. About five months after that, just before Lovely Manager returned, we found out that Useless Manager’s solution had been to ignore it. For nearly six months, we had been delivering “accredited” courses to our highly-regulated profession, which they needed to complete annually to keep their licenses, and not a single one of them was actually accredited. My co-trainers and I (all women) scheduled a meeting with our manager to “understand the issue,” and we basically treated it like a Select Committee. First, we made him explain what had happened and how. Then we asked questions like, “But you were aware that this was a requirement, yes or no?” “Just so we are clear, do you understand that if any of the thousand or so clients we’ve seen in the last few months got audited, they could lose their licence because they’d claimed 50 accredited hours and these hours weren’t accredited? And that would be entirely on us?” “Could I just ask you to reflect on the impact of Company’s highly visible dispute with the government if this got into the media?” Frankly, we shouldn’t have been allowed to do it and he shouldn’t have sat through it. But he was Useless, so he didn’t actually know how to shut us down. He squirmed. He stuttered. He blustered. We sat very and looked at him very, very disapprovingly. At some point, I sighed and said, “All I can say is that I’m very, very disappointed.” (Which was the point where one of my colleagues nearly lost it.) After half an hour, we told him he could go, waited until he’d left the room, and then all cracked up laughing and repeating the highlights back to each other. He worked out the rest of the month without contacting or speaking to any of us again. He’s probably now CEO of something because useless, chauvinist men fail upwards. The resolution was that Lovely Manager came back, worked with the regulator, and got them to agree to backdate approval and treat it as an admin issue. I still get chills thinking about how bad it could have been though. 6. The apology In my last job, I helped salespeople with proposals, and a lot of them had very specific requirements that we would be thrown out for not following. On one proposal, we had to have a “wet signature” from the salesman handling the proposal (meaning, we couldn’t use his digital signature on file, he had to sign it with a pen himself). This salesman was notorious for putting things off until the last minute, and since this municipality was a few hours’ drive away and fairly rural (so there was no guarantee of overnight delivery), I told him I had to have the signature by X date in order to be able to guarantee it would get here. I was very, very clear with him, many times, in different formats, about this requirement and the timeline. He kept putting it off, and finally came the afternoon before it had to be submitted to sign it. I told him, again, that I couldn’t guarantee it would get there, and he brushed me off, saying basically, “It’ll be fine.” Of course, it wasn’t, and as I guessed, it didn’t get delivered on time and was not considered. He raised an absolute stink and was so mad. We had a conversation about it with my boss where I explained, again, why it happened and that he couldn’t keep putting things off until the last minute. He said he understood, apologized, asked me to be clearer about the timeline next time (????), and we parted ways. After that conversation, I thought we were on the same page until the next morning he sent an email to his boss, with me, my boss, and the entire senior leadership team CC’ed, where he said he had talked to me about the issue, explained why it couldn’t happen again, and had gotten my word that I wouldn’t let it happen again. I was FUMING. I left the office to go on a walk because I was so angry I couldn’t think straight. When I got back, my boss had replied all to the email saying, “[Salesman], this email does not accurately represent what happened at all, and I think you know that.” She laid out the entire issue from beginning to end, and a few hours later, the salesman’s boss came by my desk with him to apologize and promise that he would follow my timelines in the future. The organization was, in general, very salesperson-friendly (which mostly meant they let them run roughshod over everyone and never made them do anything they didn’t want to), so this forced apology was a very gratifying experience for me and, vicariously, for everyone else who had ever been burned by this salesman. 7. The ultimatum I worked in an office that had the worst receptionist. She held grudges and did as little work as possible. She was so difficult in the seven years I was there that she was switched around to different managers. She did not like her last manager. She marched into the CEO’s office and said, “Get me a different manager or I quit.” The CEO responded, “Go pack up your desk.” She was stunned. You really shouldn’t give an ultimatum unless you are willing to suffer the consequences. 8. The course review A number of years ago, I was hired as an instructional designer to help support a large group of faculty who were creating online asynchronous courses for a new degree program. A key part of my job was ensuring that all the courses fulfilled certain mission-critical standards like accessibility and learning outcomes. I had a checklist with these deliverables and I was required to regularly review all the courses throughout their development cycle. One of the faculty assigned to this project was an absolute diva. Dr. Diva had convinced college leadership that he was a GROUNDBREAKING ONLINE EDUCATION MIRACLE WORKER and so far ahead of the curve that it was practically a circle. He was invited to conferences to talk about his magical methods and featured in college promotional materials and he was on a first-name basis with all of the muckety-mucks. In other words, he was a VERY. BIG. DEAL. around campus. He was also very unhappy that his course was being included in the review process. Reviews were fine for other faculty but certainly not for him. Nonetheless, I do my first review, and it’s a bloodbath. His course is a half-baked disaster. Cherry on top, it also had two very serious “doing it this way could open the institution to serious liability” concerns. I give my boss a heads-up on what I find, and he gives me the go-ahead to write my report and send an email outlining the shortcomings to the faculty. Dr. Diva goes nuclear. He responds by sending me this huge, vitriolic email, a 9.8 on the email Richter scale. But berating me is not enough. He also calls my manager and demands that I be fired! Immediately! When my manager refuses, he gets really angry. So he decides to cash in all his VIP IOUs and organizes a huge meeting about me and my review, ostensibly under the guise of urgent concerns about instructional designers impinging on academic freedom. He corrals a couple of senior VPs, the head of the faculty union, a bunch of senior managers, an associate dean or two, my boss, and my boss’s boss to attend. If there’d been a natural disaster on the day of the meeting, a third of the college leadership might have been wiped out. Unfortunately for Dr. Diva, the meeting did not go as planned. The powers-that-be start by reviewing my report. They ask my boss questions about my review processes and the project’s goals, and they start to get a little confused. What they’re seeing and reading doesn’t seem to match up at all with the sky-is-falling academic freedoms are at risk disaster that their superstar had claimed. In fact, when they dig a little further, they begin to realize that my report is actually very fair and accurate and that all of the pedagogical superpowers he’s long claimed to have don’t actually exist. Hmm … Would Dr. Diva like to speak about how he plans to address these deficits to ensure alignment with the program’s outcomes and college standards? And why did Dr. Diva think that receiving a routine review warranted both my firing and a meeting with such a large and busy group of people? I’m pleased to report that Dr. Diva burned pretty much all of his chips that day, and his visibility in all things promotional went from very high to practically invisible. Rumor also had it that a number of his other courses suddenly found themselves being audited for program alignment. There was even a nice coda to all the stress and tumult. Months later, I found myself in an elevator with my boss and one of the VPs who’d attended the meeting with Dr. Diva. When my boss introduced me, the VP just looked at me, nodded, and said, “You do good work.” View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. Last week we talked about jerks getting their comeuppance, and here are eight of the most satisfying stories you shared. 1. The thief At an old job, I was continually denied raises by the bully finance director (who somehow was always able to find money for his own raises.) He oversaw all purchases for the business’s renovation, which included lots of furniture, TVs, tech stuff, etc. All expensive stuff. He was one of many jerks and I eventually moved on, but I heard from a coworker a couple years later that he was fired one day when an expensive TV that went missing from storage was suddenly discovered. In a picture his wife posted on Facebook of their new living room. This caused an audit and it turned out he was stealing A LOT of stuff and money from work, so he and his cronies all got fired and he had a very public trial. All I wanted was a raise when my job duties expanded, and instead his ass went to jail. 2. The coffee When I was 30, I looked like a 15-year-old and many assumed I was an intern or perhaps a lowly admin they could disrespect. I had had enough of this when an old man leaned over to me before a commission meeting started (I was the staff liaison to this commission and basically led the meetings but he didn’t know that yet). He asked me to go get him coffee (!) without even looking at me. I said in a neutral tone, “No thank you” and then got up to start the meeting. I said, “Hey everyone, just a quick note, Bob here says he’d fetch (I really emphasized this word) coffee for anyone who needs it, so just tell him how you take it.” He got very flustered and muttered something like, “uh, uh” and I turned to him and said, “So are we good here?” and I paused for effect and let him memorize my shape, face, and tone until he said, “Yep, got it” and barely spoke up again for the rest of the year. 3. The file poacher I did an external benchmarking project in Excel for my boss, sent it off, and forgot about it. 12+ months later, one of the “too cool to wear a suit” marketing team presented the exact same file to the executive team (I was there to present something else). It even still had my quirky choice of colors in the conditional formatting. He stood there saying it had been a lot of research and work and just needed to be updated for the latest year’s data. Then he was asked to make some changes on the spot. He needed to get into the source sheet, which he couldn’t find. I meekly suggested it was a hidden sheet and told him how to unhide it. But then there was no data on the source sheet. I pointed out it the columns started at AW so there must be some hidden columns. He tried and tried to unhide them and nothing happened. He muttered the sheet must have corrupted. He also struggled to remove some colors on the output sheet. I said nothing else, but raised my eyebrow at my boss. Finally my boss suggested I try, as I was known for being good with Excel. I walked down to his laptop and, without saying a word, took the page protection off the sheet using my password. Someone jokingly asked if I had an all powerful admin password. I shook my head and said no, that I remembered the password for the file. I was then asked why I knew the password to a marketing file, to which I replied that they hadn’t changed the password on the file since I created it 18 months ago, and that I’d had to hide and password protect the detail as some of the numbers were still confidential at that point. I also said the random colors on the front sheet which he couldn’t remove were due to conditional formatting based on criteria my boss had asked for the year before. I took my seat again (back of the room) and watched as Mr. Marketing squirmed as he was asked why he was taking credit for another team’s work. My boss smirked and Mr. Marketing never poached another file off me again. 4. The building I took a fundraising job at a nonprofit, and it didn’t take long to realize that the place was toxic. The CEO, who was also the founder, was an absolute terror, which was apparently known to everyone but me. I started looking for another job because I just couldn’t deal with the abuse, and somehow my boss found out and fired me before I had the chance to quit, despite the fact that I was absolutely destroying my fundraising goals. The board refused to manage the CEO in any way, shape, or form, despite these well-known issues. About five years later, when the org was in its 30th year, the org finally had the funds and build a gorgeous new building for its operations, it was everything they’d all dreamed of, especially the toxic founder … who the board then promptly fired for his years of toxic behavior, and specifically cited my firing five years prior as one of the reasons. Knowing that he never got to enjoy his magnificent new space was just the best chef’s kiss ever. 5. The accreditation Ten years ago, I was a trainer working for a very well-known organization which was in a highly visible dispute with the government, and was regularly in the headlines. If you were remotely engaged with current affairs in my country then, you would recognize both the dispute and the company. Our part of the organization ran credentialled training for a highly-trusted, highly-regulated profession — think legal, engineering, that kind of thing. Our training was accredited by the regulator, and our clients had to take 50 accredited hours every year as a condition of keeping their licenses. All the training courses had had the content approved, but for each individual session, the dates, times, venue, trainer, and bullet-pointed list of content had to be sent to the regulator. My lovely manager was away for a year on maternity leave, and single most useless man I have ever met was employed in her stead, through the Old Boys network. He was unbelievably useless in every possible way, and chauvinist. Not actively toxic, just incompetent and a waste of space, and extremely condescending to us little ladies. So the two other trainers and I and the admin team who supported us just bypassed him and got on with things. A few months in, the admin responsible for getting all our courses accredited left. Before she left, she informed Useless Manager about the process for getting courses accredited and said that the other admin didn’t have time to do this and he would need to figure something out. About five months after that, just before Lovely Manager returned, we found out that Useless Manager’s solution had been to ignore it. For nearly six months, we had been delivering “accredited” courses to our highly-regulated profession, which they needed to complete annually to keep their licenses, and not a single one of them was actually accredited. My co-trainers and I (all women) scheduled a meeting with our manager to “understand the issue,” and we basically treated it like a Select Committee. First, we made him explain what had happened and how. Then we asked questions like, “But you were aware that this was a requirement, yes or no?” “Just so we are clear, do you understand that if any of the thousand or so clients we’ve seen in the last few months got audited, they could lose their licence because they’d claimed 50 accredited hours and these hours weren’t accredited? And that would be entirely on us?” “Could I just ask you to reflect on the impact of Company’s highly visible dispute with the government if this got into the media?” Frankly, we shouldn’t have been allowed to do it and he shouldn’t have sat through it. But he was Useless, so he didn’t actually know how to shut us down. He squirmed. He stuttered. He blustered. We sat very and looked at him very, very disapprovingly. At some point, I sighed and said, “All I can say is that I’m very, very disappointed.” (Which was the point where one of my colleagues nearly lost it.) After half an hour, we told him he could go, waited until he’d left the room, and then all cracked up laughing and repeating the highlights back to each other. He worked out the rest of the month without contacting or speaking to any of us again. He’s probably now CEO of something because useless, chauvinist men fail upwards. The resolution was that Lovely Manager came back, worked with the regulator, and got them to agree to backdate approval and treat it as an admin issue. I still get chills thinking about how bad it could have been though. 6. The apology In my last job, I helped salespeople with proposals, and a lot of them had very specific requirements that we would be thrown out for not following. On one proposal, we had to have a “wet signature” from the salesman handling the proposal (meaning, we couldn’t use his digital signature on file, he had to sign it with a pen himself). This salesman was notorious for putting things off until the last minute, and since this municipality was a few hours’ drive away and fairly rural (so there was no guarantee of overnight delivery), I told him I had to have the signature by X date in order to be able to guarantee it would get here. I was very, very clear with him, many times, in different formats, about this requirement and the timeline. He kept putting it off, and finally came the afternoon before it had to be submitted to sign it. I told him, again, that I couldn’t guarantee it would get there, and he brushed me off, saying basically, “It’ll be fine.” Of course, it wasn’t, and as I guessed, it didn’t get delivered on time and was not considered. He raised an absolute stink and was so mad. We had a conversation about it with my boss where I explained, again, why it happened and that he couldn’t keep putting things off until the last minute. He said he understood, apologized, asked me to be clearer about the timeline next time (????), and we parted ways. After that conversation, I thought we were on the same page until the next morning he sent an email to his boss, with me, my boss, and the entire senior leadership team CC’ed, where he said he had talked to me about the issue, explained why it couldn’t happen again, and had gotten my word that I wouldn’t let it happen again. I was FUMING. I left the office to go on a walk because I was so angry I couldn’t think straight. When I got back, my boss had replied all to the email saying, “[Salesman], this email does not accurately represent what happened at all, and I think you know that.” She laid out the entire issue from beginning to end, and a few hours later, the salesman’s boss came by my desk with him to apologize and promise that he would follow my timelines in the future. The organization was, in general, very salesperson-friendly (which mostly meant they let them run roughshod over everyone and never made them do anything they didn’t want to), so this forced apology was a very gratifying experience for me and, vicariously, for everyone else who had ever been burned by this salesman. 7. The ultimatum I worked in an office that had the worst receptionist. She held grudges and did as little work as possible. She was so difficult in the seven years I was there that she was switched around to different managers. She did not like her last manager. She marched into the CEO’s office and said, “Get me a different manager or I quit.” The CEO responded, “Go pack up your desk.” She was stunned. You really shouldn’t give an ultimatum unless you are willing to suffer the consequences. 8. The course review A number of years ago, I was hired as an instructional designer to help support a large group of faculty who were creating online asynchronous courses for a new degree program. A key part of my job was ensuring that all the courses fulfilled certain mission-critical standards like accessibility and learning outcomes. I had a checklist with these deliverables and I was required to regularly review all the courses throughout their development cycle. One of the faculty assigned to this project was an absolute diva. Dr. Diva had convinced college leadership that he was a GROUNDBREAKING ONLINE EDUCATION MIRACLE WORKER and so far ahead of the curve that it was practically a circle. He was invited to conferences to talk about his magical methods and featured in college promotional materials and he was on a first-name basis with all of the muckety-mucks. In other words, he was a VERY. BIG. DEAL. around campus. He was also very unhappy that his course was being included in the review process. Reviews were fine for other faculty but certainly not for him. Nonetheless, I do my first review, and it’s a bloodbath. His course is a half-baked disaster. Cherry on top, it also had two very serious “doing it this way could open the institution to serious liability” concerns. I give my boss a heads-up on what I find, and he gives me the go-ahead to write my report and send an email outlining the shortcomings to the faculty. Dr. Diva goes nuclear. He responds by sending me this huge, vitriolic email, a 9.8 on the email Richter scale. But berating me is not enough. He also calls my manager and demands that I be fired! Immediately! When my manager refuses, he gets really angry. So he decides to cash in all his VIP IOUs and organizes a huge meeting about me and my review, ostensibly under the guise of urgent concerns about instructional designers impinging on academic freedom. He corrals a couple of senior VPs, the head of the faculty union, a bunch of senior managers, an associate dean or two, my boss, and my boss’s boss to attend. If there’d been a natural disaster on the day of the meeting, a third of the college leadership might have been wiped out. Unfortunately for Dr. Diva, the meeting did not go as planned. The powers-that-be start by reviewing my report. They ask my boss questions about my review processes and the project’s goals, and they start to get a little confused. What they’re seeing and reading doesn’t seem to match up at all with the sky-is-falling academic freedoms are at risk disaster that their superstar had claimed. In fact, when they dig a little further, they begin to realize that my report is actually very fair and accurate and that all of the pedagogical superpowers he’s long claimed to have don’t actually exist. Hmm … Would Dr. Diva like to speak about how he plans to address these deficits to ensure alignment with the program’s outcomes and college standards? And why did Dr. Diva think that receiving a routine review warranted both my firing and a meeting with such a large and busy group of people? I’m pleased to report that Dr. Diva burned pretty much all of his chips that day, and his visibility in all things promotional went from very high to practically invisible. Rumor also had it that a number of his other courses suddenly found themselves being audited for program alignment. There was even a nice coda to all the stress and tumult. Months later, I found myself in an elevator with my boss and one of the VPs who’d attended the meeting with Dr. Diva. When my boss introduced me, the VP just looked at me, nodded, and said, “You do good work.” View the full article

​​On a frigid, gray morning this month, a half-dozen community advocates stood on a street corner in the South Bronx, struggling to be heard over the roar of heavy trucks. New York had recently begun charging vehicles to enter the city’s central business district, becoming the first in the nation to try to reduce traffic with a congestion pricing program. Yet while the tolls are expected to speed commutes and help improve air quality in the region, they are also projected to worsen traffic and pollution in a handful of neighborhoods, including the South Bronx, one of the city’s poorest. “We are inundated with traffic,” said Mychal Johnson, co-founder of South Bronx Unite, a community advocacy group that was part of the environmental justice advisory group for the congestion pricing program. Mychal Johnson (center), co-founder of South Bronx Unite, speaks about one of the air monitors his group has installed around the New York neighborhood to measure pollution. [Photo: Nicholas Kusnetz/Inside Climate News] One block south of where Johnson stood is a waste transfer facility, the destination of many of the trucks driving behind him. One block north is the six-lane Major Deegan Expressway, while Bruckner Boulevard, a heavily traveled route into Manhattan, lay in between. Nestled around these are a public housing project, several new residential high-rises and a charter high school built to serve 1,300 students. On Jan. 5, New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) began charging vehicles that drive into Manhattan below 60th Street. The program should increase train and bus ridership and generate billions of dollars in revenue for public transportation. But it is also expected to divert some traffic around Manhattan, leading to more vehicles rumbling through parts of the Bronx, Staten Island and Northern New Jersey. In the neighborhood where Johnson spoke, 95% of residents are Hispanic or Black, according to data compiled by New York University’s Furman Center. One-third live in poverty. Across the Bronx, one in five people have asthma—the highest rate in the city’s five boroughs—while the South Bronx has the highest rates of respiratory hospitalizations related to air pollution, according to city data. South Bronx Unite held the press conference to highlight the disproportionate impacts of congestion pricing on the neighborhood. A nurse from a hospital spoke about treating asthma patients. A parent detailed the psychological, educational and financial impacts when kids miss school due to chronic asthma attacks, forcing parents to miss work, too. A community gardener displayed his portable nebulizer, which he uses to treat symptoms of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Daniel Chervoni grew up in the South Bronx and now runs a community garden in the area. He carries a portable nebulizer to treat symptoms of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary fibrosis. [Photo: Nicholas Kusnetz/Inside Climate News] An associate professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University spoke about a partnership with South Bronx Unite to monitor air quality with a network of sensors. Early data showed stark comparisons with a wealthy neighborhood in the Northern Bronx. Johnson lamented that his organization should feel the need to embark on such a monitoring project, and he stressed that the group was not opposed to the plan to charge drivers for entering the city center. “We are for reducing congestion,” Johnson said as more trucks drove behind him. “We just can’t be the shoulder-bearers of when they reduce it at other locations. Our community is suffering.” Broadly speaking, many environmental advocates and planners praised New York’s congestion charging as a major victory. City and state leaders had been trying to implement a program for nearly two decades, and finally reached agreement to do so in 2019. Last year, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul suspended the plan shortly before it was to begin, only to revive a new version with lower rates after the election. President Donald Trump, a native New Yorker, has opposed congestion pricing and pledged to block it. New York has some of the nation’s worst traffic. And while air quality has improved over the past decades, levels of some pollutants remain high, especially in central and lower Manhattan. The MTA’s environmental assessment said congestion pricing would increase worker productivity, lower the cost of making deliveries and help emergency vehicles reach their destinations more quickly, by speeding traffic. The assessment projected that levels of some pollutants like fine particulate matter should drop by more than 10% in the area covered by tolls, and incrementally region-wide. Yet the environmental assessment acknowledged that not all areas would benefit, and that some of these burdens would fall on environmental justice communities, poor neighborhoods that already have bad air quality or pollution-related health problems. To counter these disproportionate impacts, the MTA is allocating $100 million for mitigation in affected neighborhoods to install air purifiers in schools, plant roadside vegetation and take other measures. In the Bronx, which will receive 72% of the funds, the agency will also create an asthma treatment center and replace diesel refrigeration units with cleaner alternatives at a large food distribution center that is a source of heavy truck traffic. The MTA declined to make anyone available for an interview for this article. Instead, a spokesperson pointed to comments by the authority’s chief executive, Janno Lieber, at a recent press conference and during a local radio show, when he touted the spending in the Bronx. “We’re making the big investments that more than offset any hypothetical impact from truck traffic in the Bronx that’s a result of congestion pricing,” Lieber said on WNYC’s Brian Lehrer Show. Hochul’s office referred questions to the MTA. Johnson said his group was not satisfied with the MTA’s response, and called the asthma center funding “insulting.” “If they know that problem is already pre-existing, mitigation after the fact is not helpful,” Johnson said. In an interview after the press conference, Johnson said he had spoken with the MTA as the agency was developing congestion pricing. “We told them we don’t want one more truck,” Johnson said. “I said, ‘Is it fair to ask our children to have to ingest the fumes from another truck when they already are impacted so heavily?’” He added, “They had no response. How do you respond?” The group dispersed quickly after the press conference, seeking warmer and quieter spots. The trucks kept roaring by. — Nicholas Kusnetz, Inside Climate News This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News. It is republished with permission. Sign up for their newsletter here. View the full article

Google acknowledged that Performance Max (PMax) campaigns can be controlled through API placement exclusions — contradicting months of its own documentation and support guidance, according to new research from ad tech firm Optmyzr. This revelation gives advertisers more programmatic control over their PMax campaigns than previously thought possible, potentially saving significant time and resources in campaign management. The big picture. Performance Max campaigns, Google’s AI-driven ad format, have been a source of frustration for advertisers seeking more granular control over where their ads appear. Lead up. Earlier this year we saw that despite Navah Hopkins, Brand Evangelist of Optmyzr, reporting that Google said that API based placements exclusions don’t work for PMax campaigns, multiple advertisers were reporting the opposite. By the numbers. Optmyzr ran an experiment, running from Dec. 30 to Jan. 21. It showed: Zero ad spend on excluded placements after implementing API controls. Complete effectiveness of API-based exclusions, despite Google’s previous claims. Faster implementation compared to manual UI controls. Behind the scenes. Google’s documentation and AI help center had explicitly stated that placement exclusions would only work through their user interface, not via API. Multiple support channels reinforced this incorrect guidance. This misinformation was shared for months. Google has since updated its stance after Optmyzr’s findings. What they’re saying. Following the experiment, Google admitted that placement exclusions work through both the API and UI as we see in this response from Ginny Marvin, Google Ads Liaison: Why we care. Performance Max campaigns represent a significant portion of many advertisers’ Google Ads spend, but the lack of control over where ads appear has been a major pain point. This situation also highlights a broader point: you shouldn’t take platform limitations as gospel, even when they come directly from Google. Testing and verification could reveal hidden capabilities that provide competitive advantages. Bottom line. This discovery highlights a broader issue in ad tech: platform documentation doesn’t always reflect actual capabilities, requiring advertisers to actively test and verify functionality. What’s next. As advertisers, you should: Review your PMax campaign controls. Consider implementing API-based exclusions for more efficient management. Maintain active oversight despite automated controls. Confidently question capabilities they may have strong reason to believe isn’t true. Between the lines. The finding suggests other undocumented capabilities might exist across Google’s ad platforms, encouraging advertisers to question and test official limitations. View the full article

Google is testing a new search results display for a small group of EU users when they search for products, restaurants, flights, and hotels. The test is part of Google’s efforts to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act. What’s happening. According to a report from Dow Jones Newswires: “Under the test started Monday, Google has set up new units for users to choose between results from price comparison sites such as Booking Holdings’ Booking.com and results that take them directly to supplier websites when they are searching for products, restaurants, flights or hotels.” What Google EU search results look like. Here are screenshots showing what it looks like to search for [flight to boston from vienna] right now: You can then filter to see only Airline options: Or Flight sites: And if you search for [steak dinner in vienna], you can filter down to Places: And Places Sites: New units. These images don’t show the new units mentioned in the report. Please contact us if you spot these new units in the wild and share screenshots. These images are meant to give our readers outside of the EU an idea of what search results look like when Google doesn’t self-preference. What Google is saying. A Google spokesperson said: “To find a better balance between these sites, while meeting the goals of the DMA, we have proposed a new solution to give people a choice between intermediary comparison sites and direct suppliers like hotels.” Why we care. The Digital Markets Act is meant to promote more competition and diversity in search results. For websites in the EU, it will be worth monitoring whether these changes result in any impact on traffic. Dig deeper. How the Digital Markets Act is reshaping search and Google’s monopoly in Europe View the full article

Quick Look is one of my favorite Mac features, so much so that I always use a third party app enable it on my Windows PCs as well. It allows you to preview files on your Mac without opening them. You can select any file in Finder and press the Spacebar key to preview it. This means I can press one button to quickly look at videos, listen to audio files, view images, or read documents. While this feature is great, I've always been annoyed that it doesn't work well with folders— until now. By default, Quick Look will tell you how many files are in a folder, but doesn't actually tell you which files are in it. Thankfully, a new free utlity named Folder Preview closes that gap. Folder Preview lets you expand Quick Look's full functionality to folders. You select a folder, press the Spacebar, and Folder Preview will let you see all the files and folders inside of it, without actually opening it. It takes less than a minute to configure and silently does its job from that point on. It also doesn't ask for any permissions other than being added as a Finder extension, which is always nice to see. This is what a folder preview looks like. Credit: Pranay Parab Once you install Folder Preview, the app will prompt you to add it as a system extension. Go to System Settings on your Mac and navigate to General > Login Items & Extensions. Scroll to the bottom and click the i button next to Quick Look. Enable Folder Preview on this page to finish setting up the app. Now, selecting any folder in Finder and pressing Spacebar (or the app's own default keybinding—Command-Y) will display its contents. You can also configure Folder Preview to show hidden files by going to its settings. Just open the app and go to Settings in the left pane. I've left this option disabled because I rarely want to see hidden system files on my Mac, but you can choose otherwise if needed. You can also ask the app to automatically expand folders while previewing. If you have a folder within a folder, this setting will show you the contents of up to five levels of nested folders. Lastly, you can also choose a larger size for icons in your folder previews. View the full article

It is important to keep your businesses clean and tidy. As a business owner, you will need to make sure your office or shop is cleaned regularly and maintained to ensure your employees are happy, healthy, and productive. This will also help in making sure you leave a good first impression on your customers. Whether you run a small business or large workshop, a mop bucket and wringer come in handy for everything from daily cleaning to doing away with surprise messes. Commercial floor cleaning buckets help keep floors clean and safe. Unlike those for home use, these industrial-strength versions hold more water and come with strong wheels, so users can cover larger spaces with ease. Our guide below will help you cover the best commercial mop and bucket options for your business. Best Commercial Mop and Bucket Top Pick: Rubbermaid Commercial Wavebrake Mopping System Runner Up: Carlisle Commercial Mop Bucket Best Value: Amazon Basics Commercial Mop Bucket on Wheels Rubbermaid Commercial Wavebrake Mopping System Top Pick: This 21-pound commercial bucket boasts a 35-quart capacity and is rated for over 40,000 wringing cycles, as stated by the manufacturer. It holds mops securely and features a foot-operated built-in drain for easy disposal of contents without the need to lift the bucket. The side press mechanism allows for mopping with 18% less effort and minimizes splashing by up to 18%. Its compact dimensions (23.1 x 16 x 38.1 inches) further enhance its usability. Rubbermaid Commercial Wavebrake Mopping System Bucket and Side-Press Wringer Combo Buy on Amazon Carlisle Commercial Mop Bucket Runner Up: This 26-quart capacity commercial bucket is made with corrosion-resistant polyethylene and can withstand temperatures from -40F to 180F. Non-marking swivel casters make for easy cleaning and mobility. The buckets come in different colors to comply with a color-coded system for identifying specific cleaning areas. Weighing 14.5 pounds, this mop bucket has a 50,000-cycle side-press wringer. The compact design (18.11 x 14.57 x 16.5 inches) makes for easy storage and convenience for tight-fitting environments. Carlisle Commercial Mop Bucket with Side Press Wringer, 26 Quart Capacity, Red Buy on Amazon Amazon Basics Commercial Mop Bucket on Wheels Best Value: The Amazon basics commercial mop bucket is made with Polypropylene and weighs 15.71 pounds. It has a 35-quart capacity and comes with a side-press wringer and a jaw mop holder. This bucket comes with four rolling casters designed for easy and convenient mobility. With this bucket, you can simply snap the mop in place to keep it stable in the bucket while moving. The wringer works with fan mop holders, which are designed to send water back down into the bucket with ease. AmazonBasics Side Press Wringer Combo Commercial Mop Bucket on Wheels, 35 Quart, Yellow Buy on Amazon Hero EZ-Lift Dual Cavity Commercial Mop Bucket The dual cavity of this bucket includes a 36-quart dirty water side and a nine-gallon cleaning bucket. This will reduce cross-contamination while using less floor cleaner. The side press wringer is certified for more than 31,000 wringing cycles, ensuring years of operations. The non-marking bayonet wheels, made of cast metal, ensure that no marks are left on the floor. Additionally, the wheel guards are designed to protect the wheels, enhancing their longevity. Hero EZ-Lift Dual Cavity Commercial Mop Bucket with Wringer on Wheels, Includes Dirty Water Bucket Buy on Amazon Rubbermaid Commercial HYGEN Press Wring Bucket This flat mop bucket is for heavy commercial and industrial use. The no-touch wringing mechanism with a washboard surface removes dirt and debris from the mop pad before wringing. And the twist valve empties the dirty content without lifting for added hygiene. The bucket features a smooth, non-porous surface that helps prevent bacterial growth and makes cleanup simple. Additionally, the non-marking casters are designed to protect your floors from damage. Rubbermaid Commercial HYGEN Press Wring Bucket for Microfiber Flat Mops, Yellow Buy on Amazon Simpli-Magic Commercial Mop Bucket With a 50,000-cycle wringer, this mob bucket is designed to last. The bucket is made from corrosion-resistant polyethylene capable of handling temperatures from -40°F to 180°F. The compact design has a 26-quart capacity sitting on top of four non-marking swivel casters. Simpli-Magic Commercial Mop Bucket with Side Press Wringer, 26 Quart, Yellow Buy on Amazon Dryser Commercial Side Press Wringer The spill-proof design of the Dryser mop bucket has a 33-quart capacity. This includes a rugged construction with an anti-corrosive polyethylene web-molded body to keep its strength. The ergonomic wringer handle comes with premium steel and a spill-resistant side press for easy operation and minimal effort. Dryser Commercial Side Press Wringer Combo Mop Bucket, 33 Quart, Yellow Buy on Amazon How to choose your mop and bucket An essential aspect to consider when purchasing a commercial mop and bucket is to ensure you choose a strong and durable product that will endure for years, regardless of the design you select. Size: A larger commercial mop and bucket can hold more cleaning solutions, which is beneficial for effectively removing dirt and grime. It’s important to choose a size that is easy for our employees to handle and store. Mobility: Your cleaning bucket should provide excellent mobility. Ensure that it features non-marking swivel casters to prevent any damage to your floors. Dual compartment buckets: help to separate the dirty water from the cleaning solution. The design makes cleaning more efficient because you do not have to go back and forth to empty the dirty water. Easy drain buckets: make the job easier for your staff. This means they will not have to lift a heavy and wet object that is potentially dangerous. Warranty: Like any workplace equipment it is important that your cleaning bucket supplier comes with a warranty. At the very least, look for a solid return policy. Cleaning Mopping might appear to be an easy task, but using the proper tools is crucial. This entails having quality mop, bucket, wringer, and caution-wet floor signs. With these essential tools, you can effectively and swiftly clean your business. It all begins with a high-quality commercial mop and bucket. YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE: Best Air Purifier for the Money Best Commercial Laundry Carts Office Desk Plants Images: Amazon.com This article, "Best Commercial Mop and Bucket" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Nearly three weeks after the Eaton Fire destroyed their Altadena home, Pete and Angela Mitchell need answers on what to do next. They registered for FEMA assistance, but got a letter of non-approval. After a 90-minute call to the agency’s helpline and a long day at a FEMA recovery center, they learned they needed more insurance documents. But their insurance agent’s office also burned down. Now they have the documents, but can’t figure out how to upload them to FEMA. Front of mind for them is where they, their four dogs and cat will live for the several years it will take to rebuild, and how they will pay both the existing mortgage for their destroyed home and rent on a temporary place each month. “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” said Angela, but they don’t know who can guide them. And they worry about what happens when FEMA and the media move on to the next crisis. “We’re going to be here, struggling.” Tens of thousands of people impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires have similar worries. To help, nonprofits across the region are readying what they say will be a record number of disaster case managers and advocates to support survivors through their recovery, connecting them with resources, and fighting on their behalf. “What people really need when at the lowest point in their lives is someone on their team that is helping support and guide them through their recovery,” said Claire Balsley, director of disaster assistance programs at the New Orleans-based disaster recovery organization SBP. Given the scale of destruction, the nonprofits expect a dire need for these services. “The term ‘unprecedented’ couldn’t be more accurate,” said Jenni Campbell, executive director of the Los Angeles Region Community Recovery Organization, or LARCRO. “The number of agencies and organizations that have come forward to participate in disaster case management is also unprecedented.” Disaster case managers (DCMs) are trained and vetted helpers who support households through a longterm recovery plan, but many nonprofits also offer other types of advocates and caseworkers who can connect survivors to resources and help them navigate applications. “We want everybody as much as possible to take part in their own recovery, but we want to steer them in the right direction,” said Shaun McCarty, program manager for disaster case management at Catholic Charities of Los Angeles. ”They don’t want to start making mistakes like clearing their property or spending money that is going to come in later on.” The need for support is clear. As of Jan. 27, nearly 112,000 FEMA applications had been submitted, but only about 19,000 of them were approved for Individual Assistance, according to the agency. FEMA applicants who get a letter saying they are “not approved” often just need to submit more documents or correct typos. Balsley said it’s crucial these families appeal decisions. “A denial does not mean it’s the end of the road, it’s the start of a conversation,” she said. But that process can be grueling. “They feel like there’s not a path forward, and if they don’t have an advocate, I think a lot of people do give up,” said Melissa Baurer, director of integrated health and outreach at Santiam Hospital and Clinics in Stayton, Oregon. Her hospital hired case managers to support people impacted by the 2020 Santiam Canyon Fire in northwest Oregon. It took eight appeals to get one client’s Small Business Administration loan approved. A case manager called FEMA 14 times over four months to get a household’s payout. “We gave that case manager boxing gloves,” said Baurer. “She just went to battle on every FEMA appeal and never took no for an answer.” Without someone to trust, people struggling after disasters might not seek out help at all, deterred by misinformation or past traumas suffered by their communities, experts say. “Case management isn’t just about navigating paperwork, it’s about human connection,” said Skye Kolealani Razon-Olds, director of resiliency at the Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, or CNHA. After the 2023 Maui wildfires, CNHA hired “community care navigators” who were Lahaina survivors themselves. “Their lived experiences allowed them to connect with community members on a deeply personal level, building trust and fostering a sense of shared understanding,” said Razon-Olds. In Los Angeles, the first step is finding all the people impacted—not just homeowners, but renters, small business owners, and people who lost work—and telling them these services are available. Many have never heard of disaster case management, including the Mitchells. Standing outside a FEMA recovery center, they said the idea interested them, especially after calling FEMA only to be passed from person to person. “You don’t have that centralized focus or connection,” said Angela Mitchell. To get case management help, households can call their local 211 helpline, or fill out intake forms online with LARCRO, Catholic Charities of Los Angeles, and other local organizations. Some nonprofits are connecting with survivors at FEMA disaster recovery centers and resource fairs. Campbell said LARCO and Catholic Charities are collaborating to centralize survivor data to assess needs and triage cases so DCMs can start reaching out. “We are all working really hard to make sure that we don’t duplicate efforts and that we ensure that we gather every last individual that could need help,” she said. Making sure no one is missed requires outreach at schools, churches, and other community focal points, too, said Siugen Constanza, director of community affairs and outreach at the Boys and Girls Club of Malibu. Her team of family therapists and social workers in training are calling families from the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. “We do whatever it takes, if we have to meet them at Starbucks, a shelter, on the street, whatever it takes to provide that support,” said Constanza, adding that Spanish-speaking caseworkers are badly needed. While FEMA provides funding for disaster case management, most groups will rely on philanthropic and local support to hire and train case managers. Balsley of SBP said she’s seen those donations pay dividends. “For every dollar that a philanthropic donor puts into our program, we can help survivors access three dollars,” she said. Robust support lets the programs last as long as they need to. Campbell said DCMs are still helping Malibu households recovering from the 2018 Woolsey fire. “We don’t go away,” she said. “We stay until the long term recovery process is done.” Associated Press coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. For all of AP’s philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy. —Gabriela Aoun Angueira, Associated Press View the full article

Perplexity AI adds the new DeepSeek R1 reasoning model as an available choice to its AI search engine The post Perplexity AI Deploys Chinese DeepSeek AI Model appeared first on Search Engine Journal. View the full article

Oil and gas companies would be liable for damages caused by climate change -related disasters in California under legislation introduced Monday by two Democratic lawmakers. The proposal claims that the oil industry intentionally deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels on climate change that now have intensified storms and wildfires and caused billions of dollars in damage in California. Such disasters have also driven the state insurance market to a crisis where companies are raising rates, limiting coverage or pulling out completely from regions susceptible to wildfires and other natural disasters, supporters of the bill said. Under state law, utility companies are liable for damages if their equipment starts a wildfire. The same idea should apply to oil and gas companies, said Robert Herrell, executive director of the Consumer Federation of California, “for their massive contribution to these fires driven by climate change.” The bill aims to alleviate the financial burdens on victims of such disasters and insurance companies by allowing them to sue the oil industry to recoup their losses. It would also allow the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements Plan, created by the state as a last resort for homeowners who couldn’t find insurance, to do the same so it doesn’t become insolvent. If approved, California would be the first state in the U.S. to allow for such lawsuits, according to the bill’s author, state Sen. Scott Wiener. “We are all paying for these disasters, but there is one stakeholder that is not paying: the fossil fuel industry, which makes the product that is fueling the climate change,” Wiener said at a Monday news conference. The new measure is bound to face major backlash from oil and gas companies, who have faced a string of defeats in California in recent years as the country’s most populous state started to shift policy priorities to address climate change. The Western States Petroleum Association, representing oil and gas companies in five states, already signaled it will fight the bill. President and CEO Catherine Reheis-Boyd said state lawmakers are using the LA fires to “scapegoat” the industry. “We need real solutions to help victims in the wake of this tragedy, not theatrics,” Reheis-Boyd said in a statement. “Voters are tired of this approach.” Supporters said the measure will also help stabilize the state’s insurance market by allowing insurers to recover some of the costs after a natural disaster from oil companies, which will prevent increased rates from being passed onto policyholders. The bill is supported by several environmental and consumer protection groups. The legislation comes as California begins the long recovery process from multiple deadly fires that ripped through sections of Los Angeles and burned more than 12,000 structures earlier this month. The fires were named the most destructive in the modern history of the city of Los Angeles and estimated to be the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. Lawmakers last week voted to spend $2.5 billion to help the area rebuild. Dozens of U.S. municipalities as well as eight states and Washington, D.C., have sued oil and gas companies in recent years over their role in climate change, according to the Center for Climate Integrity. Those suits are still making their way through the courts, including one filed by California more than a year ago against some of the world’s largest oil and gas companies, claiming they deceived the public about the risks of fossil fuels. Scientists overwhelmingly agree the world needs to drastically cut the burning of coal, oil and gas to limit global warming. That’s because when fossil fuels are burned, carbon dioxide forms and is released, which accounts for over three quarters of all human-caused greenhouse gases. California is also working to persuade insurers to continue doing business in the state by giving them more latitude to raise premiums in exchange for more issuing policies in high-risk areas. Citing ballooning risks of climate-driven natural disasters, seven of the top 12 insurance companies doing business in California in 2023 either paused or restricted new business in the state. The state now allows insurers to consider climate change when setting their prices and will soon also allow them pass on the costs of reinsurance to California consumers. —Trân Nguyễn, Associated Press View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. I talked to Vulture about what the TV show Severance reveals about workplace life — including the inauthenticity of corporate life, how the Overtime Contingency exists in real life, the weirdness of workplace perks, and how work can degrade your spirit. View the full article

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. I talked to Vulture about what the TV show Severance reveals about workplace life — including the inauthenticity of corporate life, how the Overtime Contingency exists in real life, the weirdness of workplace perks, and how work can degrade your spirit. View the full article

Below I’ve laid out 11 workflows you can follow to measure the success of your brand awareness—including some little-known Ahrefs use cases. Brand awareness refers to a series of marketing tactics that help audiences recognize and recall a brand name,…Read more ›View the full article

How often do our workplace communications open with “I hope you are well” or “I trust you are doing fine”? These “wellness checks” reflect the fact that everybody has become more conscious of the need to be kind to others. That’s a good thing. Our workplace has become a setting where the best bosses and colleagues take pride in showing sensitivity to the emotional and physical well-being of others. And for these reasons, beginning a letter or a conversation with “I hope you are well” has some merit. But even if it reflects the best of intentions, this opening should be abandoned. Here’s why—and some suggested replacements. Why to stop saying “I hope you are well” in emails “I hope you are well” is not a prohibited email opener by any means, but here are some reasons you may want to consider starting your message a different way. 1. It’s a cliche. First, this opening is overly general. Of course you want to begin an email or conversation with something that warms up the relationship. I call this the “grabber.” But people who use “I hope you are well” or a similar phrase are simply making a pro forma statement that could be made to anyone. The words sound good but have no deeper personal or individual meaning. 2. It sounds unprofessional. Second, beginning an email or phone call with “I hope all is well” can make you sound unprofessional. Given that this expression is a “throwaway” line that typically is not meant to be answered, it will make you sound fluffy. It smacks of filler—of saying something that you’ve heard others say and you’re just repeating it because it sounds good. It’s a bit like saying “how’s it going?” or “what’s up?” These are oft-repeated, empty expressions. Platitudes can weaken your impact because they are empty of meaning. You don’t want to come across as a person who has nothing to say and therefore begins emails and conversations with boilerplate text. 3. It creates confusion. Third, beginning with “I hope you are well” can create confusion for the recipient, who may wonder how to respond. Should they address the comment or let it go? For example, when an email begins with this expression, possible answers run through the recipient’s mind, including “I’m well,” or “I’m having a great week,” or “life has been good.” They might even consider getting more specific. But if they’re grappling with a problem, should they spill all? Here is where the confusion sets in. Should the respondent not address the query at all, answer only in the positive, or go deeper and explain that they are wrestling with a problem—at work or at home? People justifiably get confused about how to respond. 4. It can lead to a digression. An email or conversation launched with “I hope all is well with you” can get the discussion off course. Your recipient may respond with details of what’s happening in their life—which can be fine (or even nice). But you may also find yourself having to respond to a narrative you hadn’t planned on. With an especially talkative individual, you might get a response like, “Yes, I’ve been well. In fact, let me tell you where we went on a recent holiday.” Your listener has been waiting for a chance to tell you or anyone else about their recent vacation, what cities they saw, and what they liked about each one. Your statement becomes an invitation to share a personal narrative that may get you (and them) off track. 5. It may sound empty. Saying “I hope you are well” might also sound empty or even heartless to someone who has actually been going through an especially hard time. It may strike the recipient as toxic positivity insofar as the speaker is using a quick brushstroke to gloss over something much more profound. It may not be an intentional dig, but it’s still a poor way of introducing the subject of the recipient’s emotional state. The query will ring hollow with any recipient who is dealing with something serious. 7 Alternatives to “I hope you are well” Here are some other ways to start your messages: 1. With something specific and sincere “I hope you’re well” can sound overly vague. So instead, sk yourself what you can say to show that you do care about the person you are writing to or talking with. You might begin: “You have been on my mind lately,” and then explain why. Or say: “We were so enthralled with the event you hosted last month.” In short, think about something in your relationship with your recipient to draw out. If it’s a new contact, show you’ve done your research and say something positive about that person. For example: “I’m so impressed with your HR organization,” or “I am looking forward to meeting you and being part of your product launch.” Being specific gets the relationship off on good footing. 2. “I hope you’re having a [productive/good/great/etc.] [week/month/season/year].” This is a good email opener for a quick message. Not every email needs to make a great first impression or build a relationship, but getting a bit more specific will make it feel more personal than the vague ‘I hope you’re well.” 3. “We met at..” or another a reminder Maybe you’ve met the person you’re emailing, but it was just once or perhaps you worked together years ago. Either way, you want your recipient to know who you are right up front. If not, they might not be motivated to read the rest of your message. A well wish from a stranger doesn’t mean much. 4. “[Name] said I should reach out.” This is another opener that hooks your recipient by telling them why they should read your message. It tells them right up front why you’re contacting them and reassures them that someone they know “vouches” for you. Your next sentences should quickly explain why you were referred to them by your mutual contact. And of course, you should only use this opener if it’s true. 5. With an introduction to yourself Sometimes you’re sending a cold or nearly cold email, and in these cases, your first order of business should always be introducing yourself. This doesn’t mean telling your life story, however. Instead, quickly tell the email recipient what about you is relevant to them. For example, if you’re messaging someone who works at the same company as you, you might say: “Hi Millie, I’m Peter, the new marketing assistant under Kim and I was wondering if you’d be able to answer some of my questions on the newest product feature release.” Or if you’re reaching out to a possible contact for an information interview, you might say: “Hello Juan, I’m a senior in USC’s Computer Science major and I’m interested in pursuing a career in game design.” 6. “How are you?” This doesn’t necessarily mean to literally start your email with the sentence “How are you?”—you can use any of the many alternatives. But only use this opener if you genuinely want an answer and you’re ready to continue any conversation that the recipient starts as a result. Asking how someone is doing is less presumptuous than “I hope you are well” because it gives room for them to answer genuinely. 7. Nothing Not every email needs a dedicated opener. Particularly if you’re emailing someone you work with a lot or have other conversations going with, you can just cut to the point. If you’re Slacking your supervisor every day, for example, there’s no reason to start an email with pleasantries. Instead, you can just keep your email brief and to the point. Regina Borsellino also contributed writing, reporting, and/or advice to this article and a previous version. View the full article

Since his inauguration on January 20, President Trump has wasted no time issuing an onslaught of executive orders. On his first day in office, Trump signed off on a whopping 26 executive orders, along with 20 additional presidential actions, and rescinded nearly 80 of Biden’s executive actions, which he described as “disruptive” and “radical.” A number of those edicts—including others that have followed over the past week—have targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives across the federal government and private sector. It’s not clear how some of these executive actions may hold up in court, though mounting right-wing attacks on DEI had already prompted many employers to alter or even dismantle their diversity programs well before Trump took office. Over the past year, major companies like Walmart and McDonald’s have rolled back their commitments to DEI, along with household names like John Deere, Ford, and Lowe’s; more recently, leading tech employers like Meta have also followed suit. But Trump’s barrage of orders could usher in more sweeping changes to corporate DEI work, by explicitly targeting even private employers. Trump’s actions have had a near-immediate impact on equity initiatives across the government: Federal employees in DEI roles were put on administrative leave by Wednesday, and workers across federal agencies claim the executive orders have already compromised employee resource groups, which have been shut down or paused. Here’s a rundown of the orders Trump has issued over the past week, and how they could further affect DEI efforts across the workforce: Federal hiring and workforce When Biden took office in 2021, he introduced an executive order that sought to formalize equity requirements across all federal agencies. Trump is undoing those initiatives with a new action (“Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing”), directing agencies to eliminate what the order describes as “illegal” programs, including all DEI “mandates, policies, programs, preferences, and activities in the Federal Government, under whatever name they appear.” The order also calls for terminating visible DEI positions like chief diversity officer “to the maximum extent allowed by law,” along with any equity-related requirements for grants or contractors and initiatives that focus on environmental justice. Trump also signed a separate order intended to emphasize the importance of merit in federal hiring and eliminate any DEI considerations. “Federal hiring should not be based on impermissible factors, such as one’s commitment to illegal racial discrimination under the guise of ‘equity,’ or one’s commitment to the invented concept of ‘gender identity’ over sex,” the order read. Another action targeted hiring practices at the Federal Aviation Administration, ordering the agency to end any such initiatives that incorporated DEI. Beyond these orders, the Trump administration has also explicitly instructed federal workers to report colleagues who attempt to maintain any DEI programs or continue the work under a different name—or risk “adverse consequences” for failing to do so within 10 days. “These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars and resulted in shameful discrimination,” read an email to federal workers. DEI in the military In a suite of new orders this week, Trump made a number of major changes to the military—most notably barring transgender people from enlisting. As part of those actions, Trump is also ending diversity programs in the military and directing the Department of Defense and Homeland Security to eliminate all DEI positions, which will include “any vestiges of DEI offices, such as sub-offices, programs, elements, or initiatives established to promote a race-based preferences system that subverts meritocracy, perpetuates unconstitutional discrimination, and promotes divisive concepts or gender ideology.” The newly confirmed defense secretary Pete Hegseth underscored this message in a recent post on X, and the executive order also notes that his office will be tasked with conducting an internal review to snuff out any DEI-related initiatives. Corporate diversity programs Perhaps the most significant aspect of Trump’s DEI-related actions is that they also take aim at private companies that engage in diversity work. In another action, Trump reversed a critical executive order that dated back to 1965 and addressed discriminatory hiring practices across private contractors that work with the federal government; at the time, the order was seen as an important move to promote racial equity, and it laid the groundwork for subsequent measures to expand worker protections. Trump also revoked a number of previous actions that secured protections against employment discrimination for American workers. But this directive could also catalyze a broader divestment from diversity work across corporate America, by instructing federal agencies to investigate private sector DEI programs. “I further order all agencies to enforce our longstanding civil-rights laws and to combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities,” the order reads, adding that agencies will “identify up to nine potential civil compliance investigations” of publicly traded companies, nonprofits, and other corporate entities. It’s not yet clear which companies might be singled out for those investigations—but it seems likely that even more employers will make changes to their DEI programs to avoid legal scrutiny. View the full article