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Storytelling in business is an essential tool for connecting with your audience. It helps you convey your brand’s purpose and values in a way that resonates emotionally. By sharing relatable narratives, you can build trust and differentiate your brand in a crowded market. Effective stories improve engagement, making your message more memorable. Comprehending these elements can transform how you approach marketing and consumer relationships. But how can you implement these strategies effectively? Key Takeaways Storytelling differentiates brands by conveying their purpose and values, making them more relatable in competitive markets. Emotional connections foster trust and loyalty, influencing purchasing decisions and increasing engagement with audiences. Authentic narratives humanize brands, enhancing credibility and making them 22 times more memorable than mere facts. Compelling stories highlight unique selling propositions, helping brands stand out and build strong emotional responses from consumers. Consistent storytelling across marketing channels reinforces brand identity, ensuring clarity and trust among customers. Understanding Storytelling in Business Grasping storytelling in business is crucial for anyone looking to improve their brand’s presence. The strength of storytelling lies in its ability to differentiate your brand in a competitive market. By conveying your brand’s purpose and values, you make it relatable and memorable. Emotional storytelling can engage your audience on a deeper level, nurturing loyalty and connection. Research shows that empathetic organizations often generate considerably more income than those lacking empathy. For effective communication, a clear narrative structure improves comprehension. Consistent storytelling across all marketing channels builds trust and rapport, ensuring your message resonates. The Importance of Emotional Connection Emotional connection is essential in storytelling for business, as it builds trust and cultivates loyalty. When you share relatable experiences or struggles, your audience feels a stronger bond with your brand, making them more likely to support you. This connection not only improves empathy but additionally greatly influences purchasing decisions, increasing engagement and sales. Building Trust Through Stories When you share stories that resonate with your audience, you’re not merely conveying information; you’re building a foundation of trust. The strength of storytelling in business lies in how it creates relatable experiences. When you share genuine tales of challenges and triumphs, people connect with your brand on a personal level. Research shows that emotional storytelling can lead to a 50% increase in income, emphasizing the strength of telling stories. Additionally, narratives activate multiple parts of the brain, making them 22 times more memorable than mere facts. Evoking Empathy and Loyalty Storytelling in business goes beyond mere marketing; it plays a crucial role in evoking empathy and loyalty among consumers. Engaging narratives resonate emotionally, cultivating trust and belief in your brand. To effectively utilize storytelling for empathy and loyalty, consider these points: Share Vulnerability: Discuss past mistakes and challenges; this humanizes your brand and makes it relatable. Create Memorable Narratives: Use stories that stick; studies show narratives can be 22 times more memorable than facts. Encourage Advocacy: Craft emotional stories that resonate personally, motivating consumers to become brand advocates. Building Trust Through Narrative To build trust through narrative, brands must focus on authenticity and transparency. You should share relatable stories that humanize your brand, as 81% of consumers need to trust a brand before buying. When you openly discuss challenges and values, you’ll gain 65% more consumer trust. This transparency reinforces your credibility. Remember, effective storytelling is 22 times more memorable than mere facts, embedding trust in your audience’s minds. By sharing compelling narratives, you can nurture emotional connections, increasing customer loyalty; 55% of consumers are likely to stay loyal to a brand that tells a good story. Engaging storytelling can likewise boost customer engagement by 30%, as it resonates with your audience and creates a relatable context for them. Differentiating Your Brand With Stories Creating a distinct identity for your brand is crucial in a crowded marketplace, and storytelling plays a key role in this process. To differentiate your brand effectively, consider these strategies: Highlight Unique Selling Propositions: Share what makes your offerings stand out from competitors, ensuring consumers remember your brand. Craft Compelling Narratives: Use storytelling to raise even ordinary products, influencing purchasing decisions and potentially commanding higher prices. Build Authentic Connections: Share relatable stories that promote trust and emotional responses, making your brand 22 times more memorable than mere facts. Enhancing Engagement and Loyalty To improve engagement and loyalty, you need to build emotional connections with your audience through memorable brand narratives. When your stories resonate on a personal level, they cultivate trust and make your brand more relatable. Building Emotional Connections While many businesses focus on their products and services, building emotional connections through storytelling can greatly improve engagement and customer loyalty. Engaging stories evoke emotional reactions, which makes customers more likely to return to your brand. Here are three key points to reflect upon: Memorability: Emotionally charged narratives are 22 times more memorable than mere facts, ensuring your message sticks with customers. Humanizing Your Brand: Sharing relatable personal anecdotes nurtures trust and empathy, allowing consumers to connect with your brand on a personal level. Influencing Decisions: Effective storytelling stimulates emotional decision-making, encouraging customers to choose your brand based on feelings rather than just products. Memorable Brand Narratives Memorable brand narratives play a crucial role in improving consumer engagement and loyalty, as they help your brand stand out in a crowded marketplace. Stories create emotional connections that are 22 times more memorable than facts, boosting recall and engagement. Effective storytelling differentiates your brand by showcasing unique values, ultimately promoting loyalty. Here’s a breakdown of the impact of memorable narratives: Effect Description Emotional Connection Stories evoke feelings, influencing decisions. Brand Differentiation Unique narratives highlight your brand’s mission. Increased Engagement Stories can drive customer actions and sales. Higher Profitability Empathetic brands generate 50% more income. Utilizing these strategies can effectively improve your brand’s presence and customer loyalty. Fostering Trust and Loyalty When brands share relatable stories that resonate with customers, they cultivate trust and loyalty, which are vital for long-term success. Here’s how you can improve engagement and loyalty through storytelling: Create Relatable Narratives: Share experiences that mirror your customers’ lives, making them feel understood and valued. Humanize Your Brand: Use personal anecdotes and struggles to connect on an emotional level, nurturing deeper relationships. Build a Community: Develop stories that align with your customers’ values, creating a sense of belonging. Crafting Memorable and Shareable Content Crafting shareable content requires a strategic approach that centers on storytelling, as stories resonate emotionally with your audience and improve retention. When you use effective storytelling, your content cuts through information noise, making it more engaging and likely to go viral. Incorporate sensory details and relatable characters to evoke strong emotional responses, which can increase sharing. Research shows that stories activate multiple parts of the brain, enhancing engagement compared to mere statistics. By crafting compelling narratives, you cultivate deeper connections with your audience, driving customer loyalty and engagement. In the end, emotionally resonant stories can lead to higher conversion rates, making them a formidable tool in your marketing campaigns. Focus on storytelling to create memorable and shareable content. Strategies for Effective Storytelling Effective storytelling in business requires a strategic approach that begins with a clear comprehension of your brand’s mission and purpose. To craft impactful narratives, consider these strategies: Know Your Audience: Understand their pain points and aspirations. This helps create stories that resonate and cultivate emotional connections. Be Consistent: Maintain uniform messaging across all marketing channels. This builds brand trust and minimizes confusion among consumers. Incorporate Personal Touches: Use anecdotes and experiences to humanize your brand. This makes your storytelling more relatable and memorable. Regularly update your brand’s story to reflect current events and perspectives. The Evolving Nature of Brand Narratives As your brand navigates an ever-changing market terrain, adapting your narrative becomes essential for maintaining relevance and connection with your audience. Continuous evolution of your brand story reflects shifts in consumer perspectives and market dynamics. Updating narratives to include new milestones cultivates growth and connection. A dynamic narrative strengthens brand loyalty, ensuring alignment with your audience’s values. Brands that adjust their stories in response to societal changes resonate better with consumers, improving engagement. Effective storytelling isn’t static; it needs regular revisions for clarity and consistency across marketing channels. Key Aspect Importance Evolving Narratives Attracts and retains customers Continuous Growth Cultivates audience connection Brand Loyalty Aligns with consumer values Response to Changes Improves engagement and relevance Frequently Asked Questions Why Is Storytelling so Powerful in Business? Storytelling’s influence in business lies in its ability to engage and connect with audiences. When you share relatable narratives, you make your message memorable, as people tend to remember stories better than facts. This emotional connection nurtures loyalty and trust, leading to increased customer retention. Furthermore, storytelling simplifies complex concepts, allowing you to communicate your brand’s values clearly. In the end, effective storytelling can differentiate your brand and drive sales by influencing consumer decisions. What Are the Benefits of Storytelling in Business? Storytelling in business offers several benefits. It improves brand awareness by creating memorable narratives that stand out. This approach builds consumer loyalty, as relatable stories nurture emotional connections. You’ll additionally find that storytelling helps differentiate your brand in a crowded market, showcasing your unique selling points. Moreover, stories are often more memorable than facts, boosting customer retention and engagement. In the end, effective storytelling can lead to improved financial performance and a stronger brand identity. What Are the 5 C’s of Storytelling? The 5 C’s of storytelling are vital for crafting an effective narrative. First, Character involves relatable figures that your audience can connect with. Next, Conflict introduces challenges the characters face, keeping the audience engaged. Third, Context provides the setting and background, helping to frame the story. The Climax is where the tension peaks, and finally, the Conclusion resolves the conflict, delivering the story’s key message. Together, these elements create a compelling narrative. What Are the 4 P’s of Storytelling? The 4 P’s of storytelling are crucial for effective narratives. First, focus on People; relatable characters help create emotional connections. Next, define your Purpose; guarantee your story aligns with your brand values and resonates with your audience. Then, develop the Plot; structure your narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end to maintain interest. Finally, establish Presence; authenticity and consistent messaging across platforms build trust and recognition with your audience. Conclusion Incorporating storytelling into your business strategy can greatly improve your brand’s impact. By creating emotional connections, you build trust and loyalty with your audience. Differentiating your brand through compelling narratives makes it more memorable and engaging. To succeed, focus on crafting relatable and shareable content that resonates with your target market. As brand narratives evolve, adapt your storytelling techniques to stay relevant and maintain a strong connection with your customers, ensuring long-term success in a competitive environment. Image Via Envato This article, "What Is the Power of Storytelling in Business?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Storytelling in business is an essential tool for connecting with your audience. It helps you convey your brand’s purpose and values in a way that resonates emotionally. By sharing relatable narratives, you can build trust and differentiate your brand in a crowded market. Effective stories improve engagement, making your message more memorable. Comprehending these elements can transform how you approach marketing and consumer relationships. But how can you implement these strategies effectively? Key Takeaways Storytelling differentiates brands by conveying their purpose and values, making them more relatable in competitive markets. Emotional connections foster trust and loyalty, influencing purchasing decisions and increasing engagement with audiences. Authentic narratives humanize brands, enhancing credibility and making them 22 times more memorable than mere facts. Compelling stories highlight unique selling propositions, helping brands stand out and build strong emotional responses from consumers. Consistent storytelling across marketing channels reinforces brand identity, ensuring clarity and trust among customers. Understanding Storytelling in Business Grasping storytelling in business is crucial for anyone looking to improve their brand’s presence. The strength of storytelling lies in its ability to differentiate your brand in a competitive market. By conveying your brand’s purpose and values, you make it relatable and memorable. Emotional storytelling can engage your audience on a deeper level, nurturing loyalty and connection. Research shows that empathetic organizations often generate considerably more income than those lacking empathy. For effective communication, a clear narrative structure improves comprehension. Consistent storytelling across all marketing channels builds trust and rapport, ensuring your message resonates. The Importance of Emotional Connection Emotional connection is essential in storytelling for business, as it builds trust and cultivates loyalty. When you share relatable experiences or struggles, your audience feels a stronger bond with your brand, making them more likely to support you. This connection not only improves empathy but additionally greatly influences purchasing decisions, increasing engagement and sales. Building Trust Through Stories When you share stories that resonate with your audience, you’re not merely conveying information; you’re building a foundation of trust. The strength of storytelling in business lies in how it creates relatable experiences. When you share genuine tales of challenges and triumphs, people connect with your brand on a personal level. Research shows that emotional storytelling can lead to a 50% increase in income, emphasizing the strength of telling stories. Additionally, narratives activate multiple parts of the brain, making them 22 times more memorable than mere facts. Evoking Empathy and Loyalty Storytelling in business goes beyond mere marketing; it plays a crucial role in evoking empathy and loyalty among consumers. Engaging narratives resonate emotionally, cultivating trust and belief in your brand. To effectively utilize storytelling for empathy and loyalty, consider these points: Share Vulnerability: Discuss past mistakes and challenges; this humanizes your brand and makes it relatable. Create Memorable Narratives: Use stories that stick; studies show narratives can be 22 times more memorable than facts. Encourage Advocacy: Craft emotional stories that resonate personally, motivating consumers to become brand advocates. Building Trust Through Narrative To build trust through narrative, brands must focus on authenticity and transparency. You should share relatable stories that humanize your brand, as 81% of consumers need to trust a brand before buying. When you openly discuss challenges and values, you’ll gain 65% more consumer trust. This transparency reinforces your credibility. Remember, effective storytelling is 22 times more memorable than mere facts, embedding trust in your audience’s minds. By sharing compelling narratives, you can nurture emotional connections, increasing customer loyalty; 55% of consumers are likely to stay loyal to a brand that tells a good story. Engaging storytelling can likewise boost customer engagement by 30%, as it resonates with your audience and creates a relatable context for them. Differentiating Your Brand With Stories Creating a distinct identity for your brand is crucial in a crowded marketplace, and storytelling plays a key role in this process. To differentiate your brand effectively, consider these strategies: Highlight Unique Selling Propositions: Share what makes your offerings stand out from competitors, ensuring consumers remember your brand. Craft Compelling Narratives: Use storytelling to raise even ordinary products, influencing purchasing decisions and potentially commanding higher prices. Build Authentic Connections: Share relatable stories that promote trust and emotional responses, making your brand 22 times more memorable than mere facts. Enhancing Engagement and Loyalty To improve engagement and loyalty, you need to build emotional connections with your audience through memorable brand narratives. When your stories resonate on a personal level, they cultivate trust and make your brand more relatable. Building Emotional Connections While many businesses focus on their products and services, building emotional connections through storytelling can greatly improve engagement and customer loyalty. Engaging stories evoke emotional reactions, which makes customers more likely to return to your brand. Here are three key points to reflect upon: Memorability: Emotionally charged narratives are 22 times more memorable than mere facts, ensuring your message sticks with customers. Humanizing Your Brand: Sharing relatable personal anecdotes nurtures trust and empathy, allowing consumers to connect with your brand on a personal level. Influencing Decisions: Effective storytelling stimulates emotional decision-making, encouraging customers to choose your brand based on feelings rather than just products. Memorable Brand Narratives Memorable brand narratives play a crucial role in improving consumer engagement and loyalty, as they help your brand stand out in a crowded marketplace. Stories create emotional connections that are 22 times more memorable than facts, boosting recall and engagement. Effective storytelling differentiates your brand by showcasing unique values, ultimately promoting loyalty. Here’s a breakdown of the impact of memorable narratives: Effect Description Emotional Connection Stories evoke feelings, influencing decisions. Brand Differentiation Unique narratives highlight your brand’s mission. Increased Engagement Stories can drive customer actions and sales. Higher Profitability Empathetic brands generate 50% more income. Utilizing these strategies can effectively improve your brand’s presence and customer loyalty. Fostering Trust and Loyalty When brands share relatable stories that resonate with customers, they cultivate trust and loyalty, which are vital for long-term success. Here’s how you can improve engagement and loyalty through storytelling: Create Relatable Narratives: Share experiences that mirror your customers’ lives, making them feel understood and valued. Humanize Your Brand: Use personal anecdotes and struggles to connect on an emotional level, nurturing deeper relationships. Build a Community: Develop stories that align with your customers’ values, creating a sense of belonging. Crafting Memorable and Shareable Content Crafting shareable content requires a strategic approach that centers on storytelling, as stories resonate emotionally with your audience and improve retention. When you use effective storytelling, your content cuts through information noise, making it more engaging and likely to go viral. Incorporate sensory details and relatable characters to evoke strong emotional responses, which can increase sharing. Research shows that stories activate multiple parts of the brain, enhancing engagement compared to mere statistics. By crafting compelling narratives, you cultivate deeper connections with your audience, driving customer loyalty and engagement. In the end, emotionally resonant stories can lead to higher conversion rates, making them a formidable tool in your marketing campaigns. Focus on storytelling to create memorable and shareable content. Strategies for Effective Storytelling Effective storytelling in business requires a strategic approach that begins with a clear comprehension of your brand’s mission and purpose. To craft impactful narratives, consider these strategies: Know Your Audience: Understand their pain points and aspirations. This helps create stories that resonate and cultivate emotional connections. Be Consistent: Maintain uniform messaging across all marketing channels. This builds brand trust and minimizes confusion among consumers. Incorporate Personal Touches: Use anecdotes and experiences to humanize your brand. This makes your storytelling more relatable and memorable. Regularly update your brand’s story to reflect current events and perspectives. The Evolving Nature of Brand Narratives As your brand navigates an ever-changing market terrain, adapting your narrative becomes essential for maintaining relevance and connection with your audience. Continuous evolution of your brand story reflects shifts in consumer perspectives and market dynamics. Updating narratives to include new milestones cultivates growth and connection. A dynamic narrative strengthens brand loyalty, ensuring alignment with your audience’s values. Brands that adjust their stories in response to societal changes resonate better with consumers, improving engagement. Effective storytelling isn’t static; it needs regular revisions for clarity and consistency across marketing channels. Key Aspect Importance Evolving Narratives Attracts and retains customers Continuous Growth Cultivates audience connection Brand Loyalty Aligns with consumer values Response to Changes Improves engagement and relevance Frequently Asked Questions Why Is Storytelling so Powerful in Business? Storytelling’s influence in business lies in its ability to engage and connect with audiences. When you share relatable narratives, you make your message memorable, as people tend to remember stories better than facts. This emotional connection nurtures loyalty and trust, leading to increased customer retention. Furthermore, storytelling simplifies complex concepts, allowing you to communicate your brand’s values clearly. In the end, effective storytelling can differentiate your brand and drive sales by influencing consumer decisions. What Are the Benefits of Storytelling in Business? Storytelling in business offers several benefits. It improves brand awareness by creating memorable narratives that stand out. This approach builds consumer loyalty, as relatable stories nurture emotional connections. You’ll additionally find that storytelling helps differentiate your brand in a crowded market, showcasing your unique selling points. Moreover, stories are often more memorable than facts, boosting customer retention and engagement. In the end, effective storytelling can lead to improved financial performance and a stronger brand identity. What Are the 5 C’s of Storytelling? The 5 C’s of storytelling are vital for crafting an effective narrative. First, Character involves relatable figures that your audience can connect with. Next, Conflict introduces challenges the characters face, keeping the audience engaged. Third, Context provides the setting and background, helping to frame the story. The Climax is where the tension peaks, and finally, the Conclusion resolves the conflict, delivering the story’s key message. Together, these elements create a compelling narrative. What Are the 4 P’s of Storytelling? The 4 P’s of storytelling are crucial for effective narratives. First, focus on People; relatable characters help create emotional connections. Next, define your Purpose; guarantee your story aligns with your brand values and resonates with your audience. Then, develop the Plot; structure your narrative with a clear beginning, middle, and end to maintain interest. Finally, establish Presence; authenticity and consistent messaging across platforms build trust and recognition with your audience. Conclusion Incorporating storytelling into your business strategy can greatly improve your brand’s impact. By creating emotional connections, you build trust and loyalty with your audience. Differentiating your brand through compelling narratives makes it more memorable and engaging. To succeed, focus on crafting relatable and shareable content that resonates with your target market. As brand narratives evolve, adapt your storytelling techniques to stay relevant and maintain a strong connection with your customers, ensuring long-term success in a competitive environment. Image Via Envato This article, "What Is the Power of Storytelling in Business?" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

A blood test for more than 50 types of cancer could significantly boost early detection and speed up diagnosis, according to a new study. Made by U.S. pharmaceutical company Grail, the Galleri test aims to find fragments of DNA in a person’s blood that can indicate the presence of a cancerous tumor. Among the cancers that the test can detect, many have no current screening programs. The PATHFINDER 2 study included more than 36,000 people aged 50 and older who had no cancer symptoms. In participants who were followed for more than a year, the test caught some 40.4% of cancer cases. For those who got a positive result on the Galleri test, 61.6% of them went on to be diagnosed with cancer—an improvement over previous trials of the test. The results were presented on Saturday at the European Society for Medical Oncology meeting in Berlin, and have yet to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Boosting cancer diagnosis In the study, the Galleri test, when combined with already existing screening for breast, cervical, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers, “yielded a more than seven-fold increase in the cancer detection rate,” according to Grail’s president Josh Ofman in a press release. Galleri also detected many cancers which don’t have standard screening tests, including notoriously hard to diagnose forms of the disease, such as ovarian and pancreatic cancer. More than half (53.5%) of the cancers detected by the test were stage I or II, according to Grail. And the test was also able to predict the origin of the cancer accurately 92% of the time, according to the study. Promising results Grail says the blood test could save lives through early detection. The company’s president of biopharma, Sir Harpal Kumar, told the BBC that the results were “compelling.” “The vast majority of people who die from cancer do so because we find their cancers too late,” he said. But other experts cautioned that more research is needed before the test is ready for primetime, Sky News and the BBC reported, with one expert telling the BBC more work would be required to “avoid overdiagnosing cancers that may have caused harm.” The test is currently being trialed in England in 140,000 people, with results expected next year, according to the BBC. View the full article

As the autonomous vehicle revolution gathers momentum, Lyft has unveiled a strategic partnership with Tensor that could reshape how consumers think about vehicle ownership and monetization. The collaboration promises to deliver the world’s first “Lyft-ready” autonomous vehicle straight from the manufacturer, heralding a new era for personal vehicle use and ridesharing. But what does this mean for small business owners, particularly those in the transportation sector? Lyft’s agreement with Tensor marks a significant step forward in the realm of Level 4 autonomous vehicles (AVs). This partnership will allow Tensor’s groundbreaking Robocar to become operational on Lyft’s rideshare platform right off the assembly line. Lyft has secured hundreds of these vehicles for its own fleet, aiming to expand its transport network and enhance service offerings. Key Takeaways for Small Business Owners: Monetization Opportunities: The Tensor Robocar allows individual owners to generate income by seamlessly integrating their vehicles into the Lyft platform, even when they’re not in use. This could be a game-changer for small business owners who often seek ways to maximize asset utility. Technological Edge: Tensor’s Robocar is powered by NVIDIA technology, ensuring high safety standards and advanced onboard AI capabilities. For business operators in the transportation sector, access to state-of-the-art autonomous technology could be vital in attracting clients and improving service delivery. Luxury Experience: The Tensor Robocar promises a premium transportation experience, combining comfort and automation. This could appeal to businesses in the hospitality and corporate sectors that prioritize luxury in their transport offerings. Fleet Management Services: Lyft’s Flexdrive subsidiary provides additional support services to vehicle owners, such as maintenance and charging, which helps ensure operational readiness. This could ease some operational burdens for small business owners who may not have in-house resources for vehicle upkeep. Jeremy Bird, Lyft’s Executive Vice President of Driver Experience, stated, “What’s exciting about Tensor is they’re advancing the opportunity that Lyft already creates, removing that final obstacle while reinforcing our vision of a hybrid transportation future.” The ability for AV owners to start earning as soon as their vehicles roll off the lot could appeal greatly to those seeking innovative business models. However, integrating AV technology may not be without its challenges. Small business owners need to consider the potential hurdles associated with adopting new technology, including: Regulatory Environment: The deployment of AVs still faces significant regulatory scrutiny. Small business owners should stay informed about local regulations that might impact the operational viability of autonomous vehicles in their areas. Initial Investment: Acquiring a Tensor Robocar may require a substantial upfront investment. For small businesses with tight budgets, this could necessitate careful financial planning and study of the long-term ROI. Market Readiness: Not every market will be “Lyft-ready” when Tensor Robocars become available. Understanding the readiness of local markets for AV technology can help businesses strategize their entry effectively. By collaborating with Tensor, Lyft suggests a dual strategy: individual ownership for consumers capable of leveraging personal vehicles while also enhancing its own commercial fleet with dozens of Robocars. This hybrid approach enables Lyft to tap into a wealth of operational insights that ultimately benefit all stakeholders in their ecosystem. As Tesla aims to dominate autonomous driving, Lyft’s partnership with Tensor signifies a pivotal shift in ridesharing—merging personal ownership with fleet operations. Small business owners need to observe the unfolding developments in this space closely. This innovative blend of technology, operational efficiencies, and monetization prospects may create new avenues for growth in the urban mobility landscape. The Robocar is scheduled for delivery by the end of 2026, targeting initial deployments in select global markets—potentially opening doors for early adopters. As this technology matures, small businesses that stay ahead of these trends may find themselves reaping significant benefits. For more details on this significant partnership and its implications, you can read the original press release from Lyft here. This article, "Lyft Partners with Tensor to Launch “Lyft-Ready” Autonomous Vehicles" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

As the autonomous vehicle revolution gathers momentum, Lyft has unveiled a strategic partnership with Tensor that could reshape how consumers think about vehicle ownership and monetization. The collaboration promises to deliver the world’s first “Lyft-ready” autonomous vehicle straight from the manufacturer, heralding a new era for personal vehicle use and ridesharing. But what does this mean for small business owners, particularly those in the transportation sector? Lyft’s agreement with Tensor marks a significant step forward in the realm of Level 4 autonomous vehicles (AVs). This partnership will allow Tensor’s groundbreaking Robocar to become operational on Lyft’s rideshare platform right off the assembly line. Lyft has secured hundreds of these vehicles for its own fleet, aiming to expand its transport network and enhance service offerings. Key Takeaways for Small Business Owners: Monetization Opportunities: The Tensor Robocar allows individual owners to generate income by seamlessly integrating their vehicles into the Lyft platform, even when they’re not in use. This could be a game-changer for small business owners who often seek ways to maximize asset utility. Technological Edge: Tensor’s Robocar is powered by NVIDIA technology, ensuring high safety standards and advanced onboard AI capabilities. For business operators in the transportation sector, access to state-of-the-art autonomous technology could be vital in attracting clients and improving service delivery. Luxury Experience: The Tensor Robocar promises a premium transportation experience, combining comfort and automation. This could appeal to businesses in the hospitality and corporate sectors that prioritize luxury in their transport offerings. Fleet Management Services: Lyft’s Flexdrive subsidiary provides additional support services to vehicle owners, such as maintenance and charging, which helps ensure operational readiness. This could ease some operational burdens for small business owners who may not have in-house resources for vehicle upkeep. Jeremy Bird, Lyft’s Executive Vice President of Driver Experience, stated, “What’s exciting about Tensor is they’re advancing the opportunity that Lyft already creates, removing that final obstacle while reinforcing our vision of a hybrid transportation future.” The ability for AV owners to start earning as soon as their vehicles roll off the lot could appeal greatly to those seeking innovative business models. However, integrating AV technology may not be without its challenges. Small business owners need to consider the potential hurdles associated with adopting new technology, including: Regulatory Environment: The deployment of AVs still faces significant regulatory scrutiny. Small business owners should stay informed about local regulations that might impact the operational viability of autonomous vehicles in their areas. Initial Investment: Acquiring a Tensor Robocar may require a substantial upfront investment. For small businesses with tight budgets, this could necessitate careful financial planning and study of the long-term ROI. Market Readiness: Not every market will be “Lyft-ready” when Tensor Robocars become available. Understanding the readiness of local markets for AV technology can help businesses strategize their entry effectively. By collaborating with Tensor, Lyft suggests a dual strategy: individual ownership for consumers capable of leveraging personal vehicles while also enhancing its own commercial fleet with dozens of Robocars. This hybrid approach enables Lyft to tap into a wealth of operational insights that ultimately benefit all stakeholders in their ecosystem. As Tesla aims to dominate autonomous driving, Lyft’s partnership with Tensor signifies a pivotal shift in ridesharing—merging personal ownership with fleet operations. Small business owners need to observe the unfolding developments in this space closely. This innovative blend of technology, operational efficiencies, and monetization prospects may create new avenues for growth in the urban mobility landscape. The Robocar is scheduled for delivery by the end of 2026, targeting initial deployments in select global markets—potentially opening doors for early adopters. As this technology matures, small businesses that stay ahead of these trends may find themselves reaping significant benefits. For more details on this significant partnership and its implications, you can read the original press release from Lyft here. This article, "Lyft Partners with Tensor to Launch “Lyft-Ready” Autonomous Vehicles" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

The Australian government has begun a public education campaign with tips on how to wean children off social media ahead of a world-first national 16-year age limit taking effect in December. Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said Friday that information on her agency’s website, esafety.gov.au, explained the new laws and how to navigate them. Starting Dec. 10, platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X and YouTube could be fined up to 50 million Australian dollars ($33 million) if they don’t take reasonable steps to prevent Australians younger than 16 from holding accounts. Messages raising awareness will also be shared starting Sunday across digital channels, television, radio and billboards. “We want children to have childhoods. We want parents to have peace of mind and we want young people—young Australians—to have three more years to learn who they are before platforms assume who they are,” Communications Minister Anika Wells told reporters, referring to the current de facto 13-year age limit for social media accounts based on U.S. privacy legislation. How are Australians reacting to the ban? The Australian age restrictions have already proved polarizing, with some experts warning the changes will harm as well as protect children. More than 140 Australian and international academics signed an open letter to the government last year opposing a social media age limit as “too blunt an instrument to address risks effectively.” Despite that warning, the laws passed with resounding support last year. The platforms had a year to figure out how to comply without foolproof technology available to verify ages. Inman Grant said the social media age restriction would be a “very monumental event for a lot of young people.” Teens given checklists to prepare Her agency offered checklists and conversation starters about ways to make the transition, such as following an online influencer through a website rather than a social media account, she said. “How do we start weaning them from social media now so it isn’t a shock on Dec. 10? How do we help them download their archives and their memories and how do we make sure that they’re in touch with friends and are aware of mental health support if they’re feeling down when they’re not tethered to their phones over the holiday period?” she added. The agency’s teen “get ready” checklist includes suggestions such as “map your digital world” and to take practical steps like finding other ways to follow their favorite influencers online or scheduling regular phone calls with their friends. The entire list is as follows: Understand what’s changing and why Workout which accounts you’ll lose Map your digital world Explore other ways to connect and belong Build your community Protect your digital memories Avoid last-minute stress Find support Will other countries follow Australia’s lead? Australia’s move is being watched closely by countries that share concerns about social media impacts on young children. Denmark’s Ambassador to Australia Ingrid Dahl-Madsen said her government would use its current presidency of the Council of the European Union to push the agenda of protecting children from social media harms. “This is something that is a global challenge and we are all looking at how we can manage it best and we are looking to Australia and we will be looking at what Australia does,” Dahl-Madsen told Australian Broadcasting Corp. in Melbourne on Monday. “It’s so important that Australia and Demark and the EU—we share lessons, we compare experiences and we can push forward hopefully practical progress on this,” she added. It was about “protecting our children in this digital world that is increasingly complicated.” The Danish government last week proposed legislating an age limit of 15. But Dahl-Madsen said Denmark would consider letting parents exempt their children who were 13-14. Australia has no similar exemption. —By Rod McGuirk, Associated Press View the full article

Sale represents first big restructuring move by chief executive Luca de MeoView the full article

Meta is rolling out a new Facebook feature that the company says will help users share more photos—but which could also be used to help train its AI. The opt-in feature allows Facebook’s AI to access your phone’s camera roll in order to find photos it finds “shareworthy,” and to suggest edits using its AI tools. Users can then decide if they want to share the images or not. “With your permission and the help of AI, our new feature enables Facebook to automatically surface hidden gems – those memorable moments that get lost among screenshots, receipts, and random snaps – and edit them to save or share,” Meta said in its announcement explaining the new feature on Friday. The platform will also suggest “fun edits” for users to share. The new feature has been rolled out in the US and Canada, and Meta aims to roll it out in additional countries soon. What are users opting into? Meta’s latest feature announcement says that for users who opt in, the feature makes photo sharing suggestions that “are private to you,” and that nothing will be shared unless you agree. Meta also said Facebook won’t “use media from your camera roll to improve AI at Meta”—unless you use its AI to edit or upload the photos. Fast Company reached out to Meta for comment but did not hear back by the time of publication. Meta already gathers Facebook user data to train its AI. In a 2023 announcement, Meta said it could use any user data shared on Facebook or Instagram to train its AI. “Generative AI models take a large amount of data to effectively train, so a combination of sources are used for training, including information that’s publicly available online, licensed data and information from Meta’s products and services,” the company said at the time. “Publicly shared posts from Instagram and Facebook – including photos and text – were part of the data used to train the generative AI models underlying the features.” Meta’s terms also state that “your interactions with AI features can be used to train AI models. Examples include messages to AI chats, questions you ask and images you ask Meta AI to imagine for you.” This is also not the first time Meta has asked users permission to look at their camera rolls. In June, Facebook began asking users for access to their phone’s camera roll to automatically suggest AI-edited versions of their photos, including images they had not posted for public viewing. Users who wanted to use the feature were prompted to opt-in to “cloud processing,” allowing Facebook access to their camera roll, as well as opting in to Meta’s Terms of Service, which includes agreeing to allow its AI to “retain and use that information to provide more personalized Outputs.” At the time, Meta told The Verge that it was not currently using those photos to train its AI models. Fast Company has previously written about how hard Meta has made it for Instagram users to opt out of AI training. Users who want to opt out have to answer a series of questions and explain why they don’t want the app to use their data. Requests are then subject to a review process, which suggests the company can decide whether to honor the request. Meta noted in its Friday announcement that users can manage or disable the new AI photo feature at any time in Facebook’s camera roll settings. View the full article

BoE governor was speaking as central bankers debate rising trade barriers including from Donald The President’s policiesView the full article

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, small business owners are constantly seeking innovative solutions to enhance efficiency and drive growth. Google has stepped up to the plate with its latest offering, Gemini Enterprise, a powerful AI-driven conversational platform designed to integrate seamlessly into the modern workplace. This new tool aims to revolutionize how businesses access information, streamline workflows, and leverage data to improve decision-making. Gemini Enterprise is built on the understanding that effective business transformation requires more than basic chatbots. These outdated models often provide limited functionality, failing to meet the complex needs of today’s companies. “True business transformation in the era of AI must go beyond simple chatbots,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google. This sentiment captures the essence of Gemini Enterprise, which aims to create a comprehensive and integrated platform that centralizes company data, tools, and personnel in a secure environment. Equipped with sophisticated Gemini models, this platform enables employees to engage in meaningful conversations with their company’s various documents and applications. Imagine a scenario where your team can ask the AI questions about internal reports, access customer data, or retrieve onboarding materials—all in real-time and with contextual relevance. For small business owners, this functionality translates into significant time savings and enhanced productivity. Key takeaways for small businesses include: Enhanced Data Access: Employees can chat directly with their company databases and applications, allowing for quicker data retrieval and analysis. Versatile AI Agents: Gemini Enterprise includes tools for creating customized AI agents, alongside a suite of pre-built agents that can jumpstart workflows. Integrated Workflows: With all tools and data centralized, teams can work more cohesively, which could lead to improved collaboration and innovation. Beyond individual productivity, the platform also supports broader organizational goals. By harnessing AI, small businesses can make more informed decisions, identify emerging trends, and respond swiftly to market changes. As Pichai noted, “It brings the full power of Google AI to every employee for every workflow,” emphasizing the democratization of high-tech resources for all levels of staff. However, implementing Gemini Enterprise isn’t without its challenges. For smaller firms, resources and technology adoption can be significant hurdles. Transitioning to a new platform will require time for training and adaptation among employees, which can temporarily disrupt workflows. Furthermore, as with any AI-related solution, ensuring data privacy and security remains a top priority. Small business owners must be diligent in understanding how their data will be managed and whether they have the infrastructure to support such an advanced tool. Small business owners might also need to consider the costs associated with the implementation of Gemini Enterprise. While the platform promises significant returns through boosted efficiency, budgeting for the initial rollout and any necessary upgrades will be crucial for sustained financial health. In closing, Google’s Gemini Enterprise presents small business owners with an exciting opportunity to enhance operational efficiency through AI. By integrating vast amounts of data and allowing for immediate, contextual interactions, it empowers teams to work smarter and respond to challenges with agility. However, careful consideration must be given to the practical aspects of implementation, particularly in cost and training. As the small business landscape becomes increasingly competitive, embracing tools like Gemini Enterprise could be key to securing a competitive edge. To learn more, visit the original post at Google Cloud. Image via Gemini This article, "Google Gemini Launches AI Platform for Seamless Business Transformation" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

In a rapidly evolving digital landscape, small business owners are constantly seeking innovative solutions to enhance efficiency and drive growth. Google has stepped up to the plate with its latest offering, Gemini Enterprise, a powerful AI-driven conversational platform designed to integrate seamlessly into the modern workplace. This new tool aims to revolutionize how businesses access information, streamline workflows, and leverage data to improve decision-making. Gemini Enterprise is built on the understanding that effective business transformation requires more than basic chatbots. These outdated models often provide limited functionality, failing to meet the complex needs of today’s companies. “True business transformation in the era of AI must go beyond simple chatbots,” said Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google. This sentiment captures the essence of Gemini Enterprise, which aims to create a comprehensive and integrated platform that centralizes company data, tools, and personnel in a secure environment. Equipped with sophisticated Gemini models, this platform enables employees to engage in meaningful conversations with their company’s various documents and applications. Imagine a scenario where your team can ask the AI questions about internal reports, access customer data, or retrieve onboarding materials—all in real-time and with contextual relevance. For small business owners, this functionality translates into significant time savings and enhanced productivity. Key takeaways for small businesses include: Enhanced Data Access: Employees can chat directly with their company databases and applications, allowing for quicker data retrieval and analysis. Versatile AI Agents: Gemini Enterprise includes tools for creating customized AI agents, alongside a suite of pre-built agents that can jumpstart workflows. Integrated Workflows: With all tools and data centralized, teams can work more cohesively, which could lead to improved collaboration and innovation. Beyond individual productivity, the platform also supports broader organizational goals. By harnessing AI, small businesses can make more informed decisions, identify emerging trends, and respond swiftly to market changes. As Pichai noted, “It brings the full power of Google AI to every employee for every workflow,” emphasizing the democratization of high-tech resources for all levels of staff. However, implementing Gemini Enterprise isn’t without its challenges. For smaller firms, resources and technology adoption can be significant hurdles. Transitioning to a new platform will require time for training and adaptation among employees, which can temporarily disrupt workflows. Furthermore, as with any AI-related solution, ensuring data privacy and security remains a top priority. Small business owners must be diligent in understanding how their data will be managed and whether they have the infrastructure to support such an advanced tool. Small business owners might also need to consider the costs associated with the implementation of Gemini Enterprise. While the platform promises significant returns through boosted efficiency, budgeting for the initial rollout and any necessary upgrades will be crucial for sustained financial health. In closing, Google’s Gemini Enterprise presents small business owners with an exciting opportunity to enhance operational efficiency through AI. By integrating vast amounts of data and allowing for immediate, contextual interactions, it empowers teams to work smarter and respond to challenges with agility. However, careful consideration must be given to the practical aspects of implementation, particularly in cost and training. As the small business landscape becomes increasingly competitive, embracing tools like Gemini Enterprise could be key to securing a competitive edge. To learn more, visit the original post at Google Cloud. Image via Gemini This article, "Google Gemini Launches AI Platform for Seamless Business Transformation" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Keep your own voice in charge. Accounting Influencers With Rob Brown Go PRO for members-only access to more Rob Brown. View the full article

Keep your own voice in charge. Accounting Influencers With Rob Brown Go PRO for members-only access to more Rob Brown. View the full article

Zendesk, a recognized leader in AI-powered customer service solutions, has recently unveiled significant advancements in its Resolution Platform, aimed at revolutionizing service efficiency for businesses. As customer interactions grow in complexity and volume, the company is responding with powerful new tools designed to streamline operations and enhance user experience. Tom Eggemeier, CEO of Zendesk, emphasized the urgency for businesses to meet rising customer expectations. “Today’s customers want more than just quick responses—they expect issues fully resolved,” he stated. This shift in customer demand has prompted Zendesk to enhance its offerings, providing small businesses the opportunity to leverage advanced AI technology for better service outcomes. The Resolution Platform now features upgraded capabilities that facilitate efficient problem resolution, allowing teams to handle up to 5 billion issues annually. The innovative AI Agents on this platform significantly outperform traditional systems by effectively managing intricate, multi-step problems through advanced integrations. Small business owners can particularly benefit from the new developments in the platform, which include: Voice AI Agents: These fully autonomous agents are designed to engage in natural conversations and resolve issues without escalating them to human agents. By automating this process, businesses can free up team members to focus on more complex tasks, enhancing overall productivity. Real-time Collaboration Features: The addition of Video Calling and Screen Sharing capabilities allows agents to assist customers in real time, addressing concerns more empathetically. This can become an invaluable asset for businesses that thrive on customer relationships. Comprehensive IT Asset Management: The platform’s integration with IT Asset Management offers businesses visibility into their hardware, enabling faster IT resolutions. For small businesses with limited IT resources, this feature can significantly reduce downtime. Advanced Workflow Automation: With tools like the Action Builder and App Builder, even non-technical users can create workflows and deploy custom apps. These tools not only simplify processes but also promote innovation within the organization. Deeper Insights: The acquisition of HyperArc allows Zendesk to provide advanced analytics, giving businesses insights into customer behavior and service trends. Understanding these dynamics can empower small business owners to make data-driven decisions that enhance customer satisfaction. While these features present exciting opportunities, small business owners should also be aware of potential challenges. Implementing an AI-first solution may require a shift in company culture, particularly in how employees view technology in their roles. Training staff to effectively use new tools, ensuring data security, and managing customer expectations regarding automated service can pose hurdles. Additionally, as Zendesk promotes its platform as a scalable solution, small businesses should consider their growth trajectory. Investing in these capabilities is a commitment that could reshape customer service operations, but it also requires ensuring that the infrastructure is in place to support such growth. Sudhir Rajagopal, Research Director at IDC, noted how Zendesk’s innovations translate into measurable benefits. “The combination of AI Agents with an integrated platform covering Contact Centers and Employee Service offers more than just innovation; it drives tangible business results,” he said. Overall, Zendesk’s advancements can help small businesses navigate the increasingly complex landscape of customer service. Owners looking to improve efficiency and deepen customer relationships may find that embracing these AI-driven tools not only enhances their operational capabilities but also aligns them with evolving consumer expectations. For more information on these new offerings, small business owners can visit Zendesk’s official announcements page at Zendesk. This article, "Zendesk Boosts AI Innovation to Transform Customer Service Experience" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Zendesk, a recognized leader in AI-powered customer service solutions, has recently unveiled significant advancements in its Resolution Platform, aimed at revolutionizing service efficiency for businesses. As customer interactions grow in complexity and volume, the company is responding with powerful new tools designed to streamline operations and enhance user experience. Tom Eggemeier, CEO of Zendesk, emphasized the urgency for businesses to meet rising customer expectations. “Today’s customers want more than just quick responses—they expect issues fully resolved,” he stated. This shift in customer demand has prompted Zendesk to enhance its offerings, providing small businesses the opportunity to leverage advanced AI technology for better service outcomes. The Resolution Platform now features upgraded capabilities that facilitate efficient problem resolution, allowing teams to handle up to 5 billion issues annually. The innovative AI Agents on this platform significantly outperform traditional systems by effectively managing intricate, multi-step problems through advanced integrations. Small business owners can particularly benefit from the new developments in the platform, which include: Voice AI Agents: These fully autonomous agents are designed to engage in natural conversations and resolve issues without escalating them to human agents. By automating this process, businesses can free up team members to focus on more complex tasks, enhancing overall productivity. Real-time Collaboration Features: The addition of Video Calling and Screen Sharing capabilities allows agents to assist customers in real time, addressing concerns more empathetically. This can become an invaluable asset for businesses that thrive on customer relationships. Comprehensive IT Asset Management: The platform’s integration with IT Asset Management offers businesses visibility into their hardware, enabling faster IT resolutions. For small businesses with limited IT resources, this feature can significantly reduce downtime. Advanced Workflow Automation: With tools like the Action Builder and App Builder, even non-technical users can create workflows and deploy custom apps. These tools not only simplify processes but also promote innovation within the organization. Deeper Insights: The acquisition of HyperArc allows Zendesk to provide advanced analytics, giving businesses insights into customer behavior and service trends. Understanding these dynamics can empower small business owners to make data-driven decisions that enhance customer satisfaction. While these features present exciting opportunities, small business owners should also be aware of potential challenges. Implementing an AI-first solution may require a shift in company culture, particularly in how employees view technology in their roles. Training staff to effectively use new tools, ensuring data security, and managing customer expectations regarding automated service can pose hurdles. Additionally, as Zendesk promotes its platform as a scalable solution, small businesses should consider their growth trajectory. Investing in these capabilities is a commitment that could reshape customer service operations, but it also requires ensuring that the infrastructure is in place to support such growth. Sudhir Rajagopal, Research Director at IDC, noted how Zendesk’s innovations translate into measurable benefits. “The combination of AI Agents with an integrated platform covering Contact Centers and Employee Service offers more than just innovation; it drives tangible business results,” he said. Overall, Zendesk’s advancements can help small businesses navigate the increasingly complex landscape of customer service. Owners looking to improve efficiency and deepen customer relationships may find that embracing these AI-driven tools not only enhances their operational capabilities but also aligns them with evolving consumer expectations. For more information on these new offerings, small business owners can visit Zendesk’s official announcements page at Zendesk. This article, "Zendesk Boosts AI Innovation to Transform Customer Service Experience" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Your pantry, your portfolio, even your flight plans all made headlines this week. The FDA turned everyone’s favorite spice into a hazard warning, while the world’s wealthiest got a new credit card that skips the whole Social Security number thing. Washington’s still stuck in neutral—though a few lucky borrowers are finally seeing their student loans disappear—and airports are feeling the fallout. Meanwhile, Bitcoin’s on a downward spiral, gold’s having a moment, and the housing market’s math still doesn’t add up no matter how many times you punch the calculator. Retailers, at least, seem to be thriving in chaos. Walmart doubled down on AI, cutting a deal with OpenAI so shoppers can chat their way through checkout, then followed up with plans to blanket its supply chain in smart sensors. Over in the cultural corner, major news outlets refused to play ball with the Pentagon’s new press rules, and the Boy Scouts—now Scouting America—rolled out merit badges in AI and cybersecurity. If that sounds like a lot, it is. The throughline? Whether it’s your cinnamon or your shopping list, everything familiar is getting rewired in real time. Here’s a look at what made headlines this week. FDA widens ground cinnamon warning over elevated lead The FDA expanded its list of ground cinnamon products to avoid, citing testing that found elevated lead levels and urging consumers to discard affected items. Sixteen products now sit on the list, spanning multiple distributors and retailers with specific lots and best-by dates. No illnesses are confirmed, but the agency warns long-term exposure can harm children’s development, and the list has grown through multiple updates since July 2024. A premium no-SSN card takes aim at AmEx Platinum’s turf Fintech startup Karta unveiled a $300-annual-fee premium card for affluent non-residents with U.S. assets—no Social Security number required. Perks mirror marquee travel cards (lounges, events, protections), and the product is managed via WhatsApp with AI-assisted service. Backed by $5.4 million in seed funding and 22 banking partners, Karta is targeting customers hit by steep foreign card fees and the wind-down of AmEx’s International Dollar Card. IBR student-loan forgiveness resumes for eligible borrowers Notices are landing in inboxes for borrowers on the Income-Based Repayment student loan plans who’ve hit 20- or 25-year payment thresholds. The move restarts discharges paused in July amid systems updates and litigation fallout. It’s not a new program—just the promised IBR relief catching up—so borrowers should keep paying until they receive official confirmation. Scouting America adds AI and cybersecurity merit badges Scouting America introduced new badges covering machine learning basics, prompt communication, deepfake awareness, and cybersecurity concepts this week. The goal is to marry traditional “be prepared” ethos with digital-age fluency. It’s also a retention play as membership has fallen from historic peaks, with newer badges designed to meet kids where they live—online. Flight delays mount as shutdown enters week three A mix of bad weather and shutdown-related staffing strain produced tens of thousands of flight delays across the long weekend. Trade groups say flying remains safe, but chokepoints at Northeast hubs added to traveler frustration. With Congress still gridlocked, operational unpredictability remains the near-term baseline. Bitcoin swoons while gold shines After notching an all-time high earlier this month, Bitcoin slid to a four-month low this week as investors rotated toward gold. Macro jitters—from tariffs talk to the federal shutdown—pressed risk appetite. The move highlights crypto’s evolving “safe-haven” narrative: sometimes it benefits from stress, sometimes the old haven still wins. Zillow: “Unrealistic” rate cuts needed for affordability Back-of-the-envelope modeling suggests the average 30-year mortgage would need to drop to ~4.43% to make a median home affordable to a median-income buyer (assuming 20% down). In several coastal markets, even 0% rates wouldn’t fix the math given taxes, insurance, and upkeep. Zillow’s takeaway: don’t bank on rates—or prices—bailing out budgets soon. Walmart to enable ChatGPT checkout with OpenAI Walmart announced an “agentic commerce” tie-up so shoppers can purchase via natural language directly in ChatGPT. The integration leans on OpenAI’s Instant Checkout and Agentic Commerce Protocol, pitching fewer clicks and more personalization. Investors liked the direction of travel, framing it as an on-ramp to AI-assisted shopping at mass scale. Major outlets reject Pentagon press rules Major news outlets including The New York Times, AP, and Fox News have said they won’t sign the Defense Department’s new required policy governing access and information requests, leading them to leave the Penagon this week. Newsrooms argue the rules impact routine reporting and set a troubling precedent; the government says they’re common-sense procedures. The standoff raises practical questions about credentialing and transparency. Walmart rolls out ambient IoT sensors across supply chain In a parallel modernization push, Walmart plans millions of battery-free sensors on pallets to track inventory across 4,600 stores and 40+ distribution centers, expanding nationwide in 2026. The data will feed Walmart’s AI systems to improve accuracy, cold-chain compliance, and on-shelf availability. It’s a scale bet that visibility equals velocity—and profit. View the full article

Jonathan Gray says private capital group has put risks from the technology ‘top of our list’ when evaluating dealsView the full article

Objective of US mission has shifted from fighting drug traffickers to regime changeView the full article

You’ve probably heard of House of Highlights—even if you’re not a sports fan, it’s hard to miss, whether on YouTube or scrolling through your social feeds. What started as a college dorm Instagram account has grown over 11 years into the #1 sports media brand on the platform, boasting 100 million followers and billions of monthly views. Today, House of Highlights is a multi-platform sports media powerhouse, producing creator-led content and original series that rival traditional TV. Drew Muller, vice president and general manager at House of Highlights, spoke with Yasmin Gagne and Joshua Christensen on the Most Innovative Companies podcast about growth strategies, creator partnerships, and how the company balances viral moments with long-form storytelling. How did House of Highlights start? [The genesis of the project came from] a guy named Omar Raja in his college dorm room. The idea was: “I’m not seeing the highlights that I want on the platforms where I’m spending time.” Seems like kind of table stakes now that you see the proliferation of highlights basically everywhere you look on social media. But back then it really was a novel idea. And the Bleacher Report leadership at the time [. . .] led the acquisition of bringing in this Instagram account into the sports world and saying, “this account is doing something interesting—it’s speaking with young people, it’s overperforming in ways that seem to not map to what typical sports companies are doing.” [It was ultimately a credit to Bleacher Report] who let House of Highlights incubate as a startup within the larger company, allowing it space to grow and preserve its unique voice. From there, the idea was: let’s figure out if we can make this into a multi-platform media company that can stand on its own and be incremental to what Bleacher Report was already doing. So how do we make this differentiated and give fans a reason to want to follow both accounts? How do you make sure House of Highlights keeps its own voice and identity? A lot of it maps down to a steadfast commitment to voice and clarity of who we are and who we’re not. A lot of it is due to the organizational structure where House of Highlights is able to maintain operational and strategy independence. We have our own go-to-market strategy, we have our own assets and content strategy and logos and identities and even fonts. But it does take a day-in and day-out focus to balance the two, because we do eat from the same pool of sports rights and sometimes resources. You moved from Instagram highlights to hour-long programming. What were the conversations like around developing long-form content? When we first started to make original content, it was almost out of necessity creator-led. We were a small scrappy team, and in many instances we couldn’t afford to pay huge athletes. There were creators that were starting to blow up on Instagram and YouTube, but were nowhere near the scale we’re talking about today. We were able to form big partnerships with creators that are now household names [like] Supreme Dreams, and Mark Phillips. All of it tied back to sports, youth culture, and putting an entertaining lens on what it is to be a sports fan or to experience sports with your friends in a group chat. The most value that we’ve gotten from building habitual long-form viewership is making sure that an hour or two-hour-long video has a clear path to short form [because] we have massive amounts of short-form expertise and scale, and people are expecting that from us. How has House of Highlights’ approach to creator deals evolved? [When looking at the creator’s growth chart, we want to be] where they’re starting to take off, but before they get to the point where they’re a household name and they’re the cream of the crop, not to say we don’t still want to work with them at that point, but typically that’s when they’re getting overpaid by some of the legacy companies. [We] built a lot of the formats that have been replicated by many of the big leagues and some of the big media companies. [Creators] know they’re not just showing up for an appearance fee or to check a box. We’re trying to build special content together and special franchises and IP that can scale. House of Highlights, as we’ve discussed, is publishing across multiple platforms. How do you approach content programming across those platforms that all reward different types of content and cadence? [On YouTube], you’re going to see full game recaps for folks that maybe aren’t in the cable bundle and aren’t watching two- to three-hour games—they typically come to House of Highlights YouTube for a 10- to 15-minute recap of that game. On TikTok, because of how the For You Page operates, you can publish more, and those videos will find their homes without taking up all of someone’s feed. On Instagram, if someone follows House of Highlights and we’re publishing a hundred times a day, it will feel like that in your feed. Under-34 sports fans are watching less and less live cable sports events—[so how] can we build an appointment viewing experience for that fandom? From an advertising perspective, obviously that is super valuable, and it’s increasingly hard to reach that audience at scale. What’s next for House of Highlights? We’ve got three events left in our Creator League season. We’ve got a basketball knockout five on five, and then a championship series. That’ll carry us through the end of November. Based on the numbers that we’re seeing, we’re excited about what the championship could look like. And then honestly, the growth of our Fans versus Haters series and where that overarching brand can go in terms of debate style content for a younger audience. [At the end of the day, a lot of it] comes down to our focus on YouTube and how we’re making House of Highlights a broadcast channel. View the full article

Marwan Barghouti, whom Palestinian admirers have called their ‘Mandela’, not part of Gaza deal swapView the full article

It’s human nature to wait until the last minute rather than plan ahead—perhaps especially when it comes to retirement planning. There’s always plenty of other excellent uses for your money, until suddenly you’re staring at an underfunded 401(k) with only a few years left before you’ll need it. This is why president George W. Bush passed legislation in 2001 that (among other things) allowed for catch-up contributions among workers who were 50 or older. This gave older workers a chance to beef up their 401(k) accounts while they were typically at the peak of their earning years and let them continue to take advantage of making pre-tax contributions. Other than increasing the amount of money 50+ workers can contribute, the basics of catch-up contributions have remained virtually the same for the past two decades—until now. As of calendar year 2027, the SECURE 2.0 Act eliminates the catch-up contribution tax break for 50+ workers earning $145,000 or more. Here’s what you need to know about how this change may affect your retirement planning. Current contribution and catch-up limits As of 2025, workers may contribute up to $23,500 pre-tax to their 401(k) or other defined contribution workplace retirement plan. Workers over the age of 50 may put aside an additional $7,500 in catch-up contributions, for a total of $31,000, pre-tax. And any workers between the ages of 60 and 63 may make an $11,250 super catch-up contribution, for a total contribution limit of $34,750 in pre-tax dollars. The ability to make these contributions pre-tax means 50+ workers get to reduce their tax burden for the current year by over $30,000, a huge tax benefit. Same catch-up contributions, different tax breaks But after December 31, 2026, the IRS will require you to make catch-up contributions with after-tax money if you earned $145,000 or more from your current employer in the previous year. In other words, if you’re over 50 and earn more than $145k in 2026, you’ll have to put in any 2027 catch-up contributions as after-tax Roth contributions. This change does not affect regular contributions at all. Even if you are a high earning 50-something, every dollar of your regular contributions will be pre-tax (unless you choose otherwise). It is only the catch-up contributions that must be categorized as Roth contributions for high earning individuals. Roth ain’t so bad, once you get used to it There’s a very good reason why Uncle Sam made 401(k) plans tax-deferred: we’re much more likely to contribute money to our futures if we can get a tax break today. But the thing about this kind of upfront tax-break is that taxes will come due eventually. You will have to pay regular income taxes on 401(k) withdrawals in retirement. Roth contributions, on the other hand, are made with money that has already been taxed. While that makes things a bit more expensive today, it can be a boon for your future self because the money grows and can be withdrawn tax-free in retirement. (This is why I personally recommend having at least some money set aside in a Roth account. Investing in a Roth retirement account means you have a tax-free source of cash that won’t affect your Social Security benefits or other taxable income if you need access to a big chunk of money. For example, if you have a health issue in retirement, you can pull money from your Roth account without affecting the tax-balanced fixed income you’re living on.) In addition, Roth 401(k) plans don’t require you to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) as of age 73, unlike traditional 401(k)s. That means you can let your money continue to grow in your Roth 401(k) past your 73rd birthday. While potentially losing the tax break on catch-up contributions is not ideal, especially if you’ve been counting on it, there are some real benefits to having money in a Roth account for retirement. How many workers will this really affect? There is still time before the new rules go into effect, but it does raise an interesting question: just how widespread an issue will this be? To start, only about 8.37% of individual workers earned $145,000 or more in 2024. As of 2025, there are an estimated 124.37 million Americans over the age of 50. If we assume 8.37% of 124.37 million 50+ Americans are earning $145k or more, that leaves us with 10,410,154 affected workers. However, not everyone contributes to a 401(k) plan or other defined contribution plan. According to 2025 research by Gallup, only 66% of Americans over age 50 have money invested in a 401(k) plan, 403(b) plan, or IRA, either on their own, or jointly with a spouse. If we assume that only 66% of workers earning over $145,000 are investing in a defined benefit plan, that leaves us with 6,870,701 potentially affected individuals. That said, even if you’re not among the 6.8 million workers who might face this problem, you still may want to consider making Roth contributions. If your 401(k) plan doesn’t offer Roth contributions as an option, you can always open a Roth IRA on your own to take advantage of the same benefits. Whether you’re under the age of 50 or earning less than $145,000, or both, you can still benefit from the upsides of a Roth. Preparing for good problems The upcoming changes to catch-up contribution rules can feel like having the rug pulled out from under you, but there’s still time to get ready for the shift. It’s also a good idea to remember that if you’re required to make Roth 401(k) catch-up contributions, it’s because you’re otherwise in pretty great financial shape. That’s because you: Could afford to max out your 401(k) annual contribution that was more than $23,500 for the year Earned at least $145,000 in 2026 And still had money left over that you could contribute to your retirement account. Though it may affect your tax strategy now, the new rules will also give you access to a Roth account that will grow tax-free and will be available for tax-free withdrawals without any RMDs. The change also brings the benefits of Roth 401(k) plans into the spotlight, and may encourage more plan participants to make Roth contributions, even if the new rules don’t affect them. All in all, the new rules may be a pain in the neck to plan for, but they’re mostly a net benefit. View the full article

Want more housing market stories from Lance Lambert’s ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. In early October, a post on X by FreightWaves founder and CEO Craig Fuller caught my attention: Speaking with a home builder last night (Chattanooga, TN): High-demand in the low-end of the market (<$300k), as people are looking to upgrade from renting. Can't build enough. Almost no demand in middle market ($300k-700k), as it tends to be the upgrade market and the buyers… — Craig Fuller 🛩🚛🚂⚓️ (@FreightAlley) October 4, 2025 While Fuller’s narrative rings true in some pockets of the country, it isn’t the case everywhere. The dynamics he describes—strong demand at the low end, softness in the middle—reflect certain regional realities, but not necessarily what’s unfolding across the broader Southeast housing market. According to my reporting and research, there’s currently a lot of variation by price tier. Several Southeast homebuilders have told me they’ve actually seen greater softening in the entry-level segment over the past year—the very segment many builders have been chasing. Some rolled out smaller floor plans or trimmed square footage to entice priced-out homebuyers, but those efforts are now meeting slower demand. Meanwhile, the higher tiers have held up better. Part of that cooling stems from simple oversupply and stretched affordability. Builders across the Southeast ramped up production of smaller, sub-$350,000 homes in 2023 and early 2024. But elevated insurance premiums, rising property taxes, and household budget fatigue have since taken a toll, especially in Florida and parts of Georgia. This month, I launched the ResiClub Terminal—a new platform that includes analysis by home-price tier: lower-tier (5th to 35th percentile), middle-tier (35th to 65th percentile), and upper-tier (65th to 95th percentile) homes, all broken out by market. That tiered data confirms what Southeast builders are reporting: The lower end of the market has shown the greatest weakness over the past year across much of the region. Lower-tier home price year-over-year change 👇 Upper-tier home price year-over-year change 👇 Within the ResiClub Terminal, ResiClub PRO members can click on individual markets to see this data down to a local level. For example: Lower-tier home prices are down 7.5% year over year in DeKalb County, Georgia. Upper-tier home prices are down 0.9% year over year in DeKalb County, Georgia. When you zoom out and look at this on a nationally aggregated basis, the upper-tier, middle-tier, and lower-tier stats are all pretty close. Upper tier: -0.1% Middle tier: +0.2% Lower tier: +0.6% The fact that current housing market dynamics by price tier are nearly identical on a nationally aggregated basis—despite significant underlying variation—is a reminder that it’s important for housing stakeholders to have accurate, localized information. View the full article

Israel accuses the militant group of transferring the remains of 18 hostages too slowlyView the full article

I was thrilled this week when Apple issued a press release announcing that its original film, F1 The Movie, starring Brad Pitt, would make its streaming debut on the company’s video service December 12. But it wasn’t the news about the movie that excited me. Rather, it was a small line at the end of the press release that quietly announced something else: “Apple TV+ is now simply Apple TV, with a vibrant new identity.” The “+” branding on Apple TV+ always bugged me. Whenever I looked at it, I thought, “Apple TV plus what?” Apple News offers a free base version and a paid version that gets you more content, called “Apple News+,” which makes sense. But there’s never been a free version of Apple’s video streaming service, so what was the “+” signifying? The “+” branding had also grown increasingly tiresome over the years, as nearly every streaming service added the mathematical operator onto its name. Mercifully, Apple has now decided to subtract the plus. Here’s the why, and how the company could go further toward to ending branding’s most tiresome scourge. The company didn’t invent the “+”, but it embraced it like no other Until this week, Apple had been leaning hard into the “+” branding for years—nearly as hard as it did to the much more iconic “i” branding in the early 2000s. Apple debuted its first “+” branding all the way back in October 2011 with its AppleCare+ extended warranty program, which covered accidental damage to a user’s iPhone. It used an alphabetic version of the nomenclature with the iPhone 6 “Plus” model in 2014. But it wasn’t until 2019 that Apple began to go hog wild on “+”. That year, Apple debuted the Apple News+ news subscription service and the Apple TV+ video streaming service. A year later, in 2020, Apple debuted the Apple Fitness+ workout streaming service, and a year after that, the company added its latest “+” service, iCloud+. Yet Apple wasn’t the first tech or media company to tack “+” onto a product. The earliest I can remember is NBC Universal’s and News Corp’s “Hulu Plus” back in 2010, and then, several months before Apple debuted AppleCare+ in 2011, Google came out with its now-defunct social network Google+. The next major company to embrace the “+” was Disney, with ESPN+ in 2018. However, the “+” really went viral in the final months of 2019. In September of that year, BET launched BET+. Two months later, Apple TV+ and the streaming giant Disney+ arrived. In the years that followed, we got more: Discovery+, Paramount+, AMC+, the short-lived CNN+, and more. But it was Apple, with its no fewer than five “+” products, that was the clear cross-bearer—sorry, plus-bearer—for the techno-media industries. Apple explains why it killed off the Apple TV “+” Apple’s announcement to drop the “+” from Apple TV+ this week came out of the blue. However, shortly after the abrupt name change, the company explained its reasoning. In an appearance on The Town podcast (via 9to5Mac), Apple’s senior vice president of Services, Eddy Cue, who oversees products including Apple Music, Apple News, and the newly named Apple TV, spoke about the subtraction of the “+”. Cue revealed that the company originally named its streaming service “Apple TV+” simply because Apple had used the “+” mark in its other subscription services, such as Apple News+ and iCloud+. “But we do that when we have a free service and then there’s a paid version,” Cue acknowledged, noting the distinction between Apple TV and the company’s other paid services. “We stayed consistent because of it,” Cue continued, admitting, “but we all called it Apple TV, and we said, given where we are today [with the service’s brand awareness], it’s a great time to [ditch the “+”], so let’s just do it.” Apple shows no signs of entirely abandoning the “+” My colleague, Grace Snelling, spoke to several branding experts the wake of the Apple TV service rebrand. They all seem to agree that Apple made the right move in dropping the +. As Snelling noted, in the early days of the streaming wars that began in 2019, the “+” addendum attached to a name served as an easy identifier, indicating that the product being sold was a streaming service. However, now that the symbol has become ubiquitous, it has lost some of its branding power. As Cue pointed out, the Apple TV streaming service brand is now strong enough that the “+” is no longer needed. Yet while Apple has now subtracted the “+” from Apple TV, the company remains firmly on the “+” side of the equation. Four of its products still carry the mathematical moniker: Apple News+, iCloud+, Apple Fitness+, and AppleCare+. Here, the + makes more sense than it ever did on Apple TV, since it signifies additional features. Cue’s comments suggest that Apple has no intention of eliminating the “+” from the rest of this product lineup. Still, it’s worth noting that the removal of “+” from Apple TV’s name isn’t the first time in 2025 that Apple has eliminated the symbol from one of its products. In September, Apple replaced the iPhone Plus model in its smartphone lineup with the new iPhone Air. View the full article

I like chatting with my friends—who doesn’t?—but I don’t always know where to find them. There are simply too many apps. Some of my friends text, others use WhatsApp, while others yet insist on using Discord or the DM feature in whatever random social network they prefer. It’s a mess, and it can mean keeping several tabs open all day just to keep the conversations flowing. It makes you wish some application could combine all of your conversations into one place. This is a dream that used to be reality. Applications like Trillian, Pidgin, and Adium all combined instant messaging services like AIM, MSN, and ICQ in one handy interface. Over time, though, messaging services got more protective of their APIs, and these sorts of all-in-one portals slowly stopped working. The dream, it seems, is dead. Or is it? This tip originally appeared in the free Cool Tools newsletter from The Intelligence. Get the next issue in your inbox and get ready to discover all sorts of awesome tech treasures! Messaging, minus the mess Time to meet—or maybe just remember—an exceptional app that takes all of your messages and puts them in a single streamlined interface for easy, ongoing access. The app is called Beeper​. It can connect to all the major messaging platforms: Google Messages, WhatsApp, Instagram, Telegram, Google Chat, Facebook Messenger, Signal, LinkedIn, X, Discord, and Slack. ➜ It’s one application for all of your conversations no matter where they might be happening. ⌚ Installing Beeper is quick—a minute or two, tops, but adding in all of your messaging services could take longer, depending on how many different things you’re connecting. Now, if Beeper rings a bell, there’s probably a reason. You may recall a controversy around Beeper a few years back involving Apple. The application was initially launched as a way for Android users to send “blue bubble” messages to Apple users—a feature Apple then worked diligently to shut down. (These days, Beeper can connect to iMessage only via its desktop Mac version.) In the time since then, the program’s been acquired by Automattic, the same company behind WordPress and Tumblr, and given both new resources and a new reason for existing. If you have an Android phone, you can use it to manage your text messages alongside messages from other applications (something that, as an iPhone user myself, makes switching to Android a tempting option). And no matter what type of phone you’re using, combining several little-used messaging apps into one that you keep open—on your phone and/or computer—is in and of itself worthwhile. I hardly ever open LinkedIn or Facebook, for instance, and yet I never miss any messages on either platform with Beeper in the mix. I’ve personally been using Beeper for years, and I love that it creates a single inbox for all of my ongoing conversations across any applications. Before this tool, I would constantly see a notification, intend to respond, and then never get around to it because the message came in via an application I don’t check often. That doesn’t happen anymore. I honestly believe Beeper makes me better at keeping in touch. I also like that you can archive messages, allowing you to create a sort of “inbox zero” for text messages. If I see something I intend to respond to later, I simply leave it un-archived in my inbox—the same as I do with emails—then power through my messages whenever I have a minute. There are a bunch of other nice features beyond that. On the desktop computer front, Beeper’s keyboard shortcuts—including a built-in command bar—mean I can jump between conversations without ever touching my mouse. I could go on, but you get the idea. Beeper is just a well-put-together piece of software that solves a common problem. It takes a little bit of fidgeting to get going at first, but the results are 100% worth it. Beeper runs on​ Android, iPhone, iPad, ChromeOS, macOS, Windows, and Linux—so basically, everything. The service offers a free version that supports up to five accounts on different messaging services, which is probably plenty for most people. If you need to connect to more than that, you’ll have to spring for a paid subscription, starting at $10 a month (or $100 a year). Many of Beeper’s integrations run in the cloud, meaning an encrypted copy of your messages does get stored by the company. The ​privacy policy​ is pretty solid, though, and there are no ads or data monetization built into the application. It’s funded entirely by subscribers. Treat yourself to all sorts of brain-boosting goodies like this with the free Cool Tools newsletter—starting with an instant introduction to an incredible audio app that’ll tune up your days in truly delightful ways. View the full article