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I'm a big fan of the USPS' "Informed Delivery" option. When you enroll, the USPS will send you daily emails that show all mail and packages you're set to receive that day. (The mail scans arrive in grayscale, address-side only.) If you like to be surprised every time you open your mailbox, it's not the service for you. But for the rest of us, it's a helpful way to keep an eye on the day's incoming mail. Now, the USPS is expanding the feature, working on a dedicated Informed Delivery app. The app will send you push notifications whenever you have new mail and packages on the way, and will let you share the status of packages with other people. If you sent a friend a package, for example, you could pass along the tracking information from within the app. It seems to be a similar experience as the traditional emailed Informed Delivery, only presented in an app UI. (Though the push notifications are a nice touch, especially since more often than not, my daily Informed Delivery emails get lost in my Gmail inbox.) The thing is, you won't find this Informed Delivery app in your iPhone or Android's app stores, as the USPS is still working on it. But if you're intrigued by the app, there is a way to test it out early—assuming the beta isn't full by the time you sign up. How to enroll in the USPS Informed Delivery app betaAt this time, the iPhone beta is full. However, you can check on the status from the app's TestFlight page. If the beta ever has an open spot, you'll see "View in App Store" instead of "This beta is full." If you use an Android, you can still try out the app prior to launch. On your Android device, follow this link, sign in with your Google Account (if you aren't signed in already), then choose "Accept Invite" or "Joining this group." Tap "Join group" on the following page, which will take you to a new screen with a link to download the Informed Delivery app. Tap the link, then install the app when prompted. View the full article

A study has confirmed what we all suspected: “K” is officially the worst text you can send. It might look harmless enough, but this single letter has the power to shut down a conversation and leave the recipient spiraling. According to a study published in the Journal of Mobile Communication, “K” was ranked as the most negatively received response in digital conversations—worse than being left on read or even a passive-aggressive “sure.” The study found that the single-letter reply often signals emotional distance, passive-aggressiveness, or outright disinterest. Despite its brevity, “K” carries surprising emotional weight. Adding an extra letter—making it “kk”—softens the tone of the reply entirely. Variants like “ok” or “okay,” while still cold, tend to be interpreted as neutral or merely formal. Many of our day-to-day conversations happen over text, which means there are now unspoken codes of conduct to follow. Opening up about your emotions but don’t want to sound too serious? Make sure to add “lol” to the end of those texts to show you’re just in a silly, goofy mood and not suicidal. Giving advice to a friend that you don’t want to be held accountable for? Add an “idk” at the end of the sentence to mitigate culpability. Non-verbal cues like tone, facial expressions, and body language can be difficult to convey via our phones, leaving the door wide open for misunderstanding and misinterpretation. Sometimes generational differences also impact how we send and interpret texts. In some cases, textual miscommunications can be relationship killers, research has found. Some texters recognize the power of “k” and are willing to weaponize the letter to serve their own motives. One X user called it “the digital equivalent of slamming the door while making dead eye contact.” Another added: “K is short for ‘you’re dead to me.’” Others advocate for the convenience of the single-letter response: “I’ve learned that rather than replying with a wall of text explaining how you feel, you should just type ‘K’ and hit send. No sense in wasting your valuable words.” Many suggested other similarly anxiety-inducing replies. “Text her ‘he’s busy’ see how triggered she gets lol,” one X user suggested. “No lies told there… Thumbs up is a very close second for me,” another added. A third countered: “I raise you ‘we need to talk.’” View the full article

Key Takeaways Convenience and Speed: Amazon Pay streamlines the online shopping experience by allowing users to make purchases using their existing Amazon accounts, reducing the time spent on entering payment details. Robust Security: Amazon Pay prioritizes customer security with advanced encryption and fraud detection, giving shoppers confidence in their transactions. Merchant Benefits: Small businesses can benefit from higher conversion rates and reduced cart abandonment by integrating Amazon Pay, which simplifies the checkout process for customers. Access to a Trusted Customer Base: By offering Amazon Pay, retailers can connect with a large audience that already trusts Amazon’s payment system, enhancing customer engagement. Seamless Integration: Implementing Amazon Pay into retail platforms is straightforward and quick, minimizing technical barriers and allowing businesses to get up and running faster. Loyalty Rewards: Customers using Amazon Pay can enjoy exclusive rewards and offers, encouraging repeat business and fostering stronger brand loyalty. In today’s fast-paced digital world, convenience is key, and Amazon Pay is stepping up to the plate. This innovative payment solution allows you to make purchases on a variety of websites using your Amazon account, streamlining your online shopping experience. With just a few clicks, you can access your saved payment methods and shipping addresses, making transactions quicker and easier than ever. But Amazon Pay isn’t just about speed; it’s also about security. You can shop with confidence, knowing that your financial information is protected by Amazon’s robust security measures. Whether you’re buying from your favorite retailers or exploring new ones, Amazon Pay offers a seamless way to manage your payments while enjoying the benefits of one of the world’s most trusted brands. Dive in and discover how Amazon Pay can transform your online shopping experience. Overview of Amazon Pay Amazon Pay simplifies online transactions for small businesses by allowing customers to use their Amazon accounts for purchases. This convenient payment option enables you to reach a broader audience who trusts Amazon’s secure payment system. With Amazon Pay, your customers enjoy the ease of accessing saved payment methods and shipping addresses, ensuring quicker checkouts. The streamlined process can decrease cart abandonment rates and foster customer loyalty, making it an ideal choice for retail and storefront operations. Additionally, Amazon’s robust security features help protect your customers’ financial information, giving them confidence during purchases. Integrating Amazon Pay into your small business’s website can enhance the shopping experience, attract more customers, and improve sales. Features of Amazon Pay Amazon Pay offers features that cater to small businesses and enhance the customer experience during online transactions. Seamless Integration Amazon Pay integrates easily into your retail or storefront website, allowing you to offer a familiar payment method for customers. This feature enables you to quickly set up Amazon Pay on e-commerce platforms, enhancing the checkout process with minimal technical barriers. Customers can use their Amazon accounts to complete purchases instantly, leveraging existing payment methods and shipping addresses. Seamless integration can help reduce cart abandonment rates significantly, as customers appreciate the convenience of a trusted payment solution. Enhanced Security Measures Security is paramount for small businesses when handling customer transactions. Amazon Pay provides robust security measures, ensuring that customers’ financial information remains protected. With encrypted transactions and advanced fraud detection systems, shoppers can trust that their data is in safe hands. This sense of security fosters customer loyalty, encouraging repeat business and ensuring a positive shopping experience. By utilizing Amazon Pay, your small business can present a reliable checkout option that aligns with customer expectations for security in online payments. Benefits for Customers Amazon Pay provides distinct advantages for customers, enhancing their online shopping experience while benefiting small businesses. By integrating this payment solution, you can offer a seamless transaction process that plays a crucial role in fostering customer loyalty. Convenient Checkout Process Amazon Pay simplifies the checkout process, allowing customers to use their existing Amazon accounts for payments. This ease provides access to saved payment methods and shipping addresses, reducing the time and effort required to complete transactions. Customers appreciate this familiar interface, leading to higher conversion rates and lower cart abandonment for small businesses. Streamlined processes not only enhance customer satisfaction but also encourage repeat visits to your retail website or storefront. Loyalty Rewards and Offers Using Amazon Pay can also unlock exclusive loyalty rewards and offers for your customers. By connecting their Amazon accounts, customers can earn points and discounts applicable to future purchases. This incentivizes completion of transactions while promoting brand loyalty. Small businesses can leverage these rewards to create attractive offers, boosting customer retention and increasing the likelihood of repeat purchases. Customers who see tangible benefits are more likely to choose your retail operation over competitors, strengthening your position in the market. Benefits for Merchants Amazon Pay offers significant advantages for small businesses, enhancing your retail operations and streamlining transactions for your customers. Increase in Conversion Rates Integrating Amazon Pay can lead to a noticeable increase in conversion rates for your storefront. By allowing customers to checkout using their existing Amazon accounts, you simplify the purchasing process. Customers experience a faster, more familiar transaction method, which lowers barriers to purchase. It’s common for businesses using Amazon Pay to see reductions in cart abandonment, as shoppers appreciate the convenience of not having to enter payment details or shipping information multiple times. Access to Amazon’s Customer Base Amazon Pay connects your small business to a massive, trust-driven customer base. Many consumers feel comfortable making purchases through Amazon due to its established reputation for secure transactions and excellent customer support. By enabling Amazon Pay on your website, you attract customers who prefer to shop with brands that offer this familiar payment option. This can expand your reach and enhance customer trust, ultimately driving more sales for your business. Comparison with Other Payment Methods Amazon Pay offers unique advantages compared to other payment methods commonly used by small businesses. Understanding these differences can help you choose the best option for your retail operations. Ease of Integration Integrating Amazon Pay into your storefront simplifies the payment process. Unlike other payment systems that may require extensive setup or complicated user interfaces, Amazon Pay offers a straightforward integration experience. Many businesses can implement it quickly, minimizing technical hurdles. Familiarity and Trust Customers often prefer using payment methods they recognize. Amazon Pay leverages Amazon’s established reputation, providing your customers with a familiar and trusted payment option. This can enhance customer confidence, increasing the likelihood of completed transactions compared to less recognized platforms. Lower Cart Abandonment Rates Cart abandonment remains a challenge for small businesses. Amazon Pay addresses this issue effectively by streamlining the checkout experience. Your customers can complete purchases using their existing Amazon accounts, significantly reducing friction during transactions and leading to higher conversion rates compared to traditional methods. Security Features Security concerns can deter customers from completing purchases. Amazon Pay incorporates advanced security measures, such as encrypted transactions and fraud detection systems. These features protect your customers’ financial information, fostering trust and encouraging repeat business. Access to Amazon’s Customer Base Utilizing Amazon Pay can connect your small business to a vast customer base. Many customers prefer shopping with retailers that offer reputable payment options. By adopting Amazon Pay, you can tap into this trust-driven audience, potentially driving more sales through increased visibility. Incentives for Customers Amazon Pay enhances the shopping experience by unlocking loyalty rewards and exclusive offers. This incentivizes customers to complete transactions, creating additional value for your business. Unlike other payment methods, which may not offer such benefits, Amazon Pay can help improve customer retention and promote repeat purchases. By considering these comparisons, you can assess how Amazon Pay not only offers a reliable payment solution but also enhances your retail strategy, making it a compelling choice for small businesses. Conclusion Embracing Amazon Pay can transform your online shopping and business operations. With its user-friendly interface and robust security features, it not only simplifies transactions for customers but also builds trust and loyalty. By integrating Amazon Pay into your website, you can tap into a vast customer base that values convenience and security. This payment solution helps reduce cart abandonment and enhances customer retention, ultimately driving sales for your business. Whether you’re a consumer looking for a seamless checkout experience or a merchant aiming to attract more customers, Amazon Pay offers a reliable and efficient solution that meets modern shopping expectations. Frequently Asked Questions What is Amazon Pay? Amazon Pay is a convenient payment solution that allows users to make purchases on various websites using their Amazon accounts. It simplifies online shopping by enabling easy access to saved payment methods and addresses. How does Amazon Pay enhance the shopping experience? Amazon Pay streamlines the checkout process by letting customers use their existing Amazon accounts. This leads to faster transactions, reduced cart abandonment rates, and increased customer satisfaction. What security features does Amazon Pay offer? Amazon Pay provides robust security measures, including encrypted transactions and advanced fraud detection systems, ensuring that customers’ financial information is protected. How can small businesses benefit from Amazon Pay? Small businesses can enhance their customer reach by integrating Amazon Pay, a familiar payment option that fosters trust. This solution can lower cart abandonment rates and encourage repeat purchases. Can Amazon Pay help with customer loyalty? Yes, Amazon Pay can unlock exclusive rewards and offers for customers, promoting brand loyalty and encouraging them to complete transactions more frequently. How does Amazon Pay compare to other payment options? Amazon Pay stands out for its straightforward integration, strong security measures, and established reputation. It simplifies the purchasing process, making it a preferred choice for both businesses and customers. What are the integration benefits of Amazon Pay? Integrating Amazon Pay into a retail website is seamless and minimizes technical barriers, making it easy for businesses to provide a familiar and trusted payment method for customers. Does Amazon Pay reduce cart abandonment? Yes, Amazon Pay can significantly decrease cart abandonment rates by simplifying the checkout process, which enhances the overall shopping experience for customers. Image Via Envato This article, "Unlocking the Benefits of Amazon Pay for Seamless Online Shopping and Business Growth" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Convenience and Speed: Amazon Pay streamlines the online shopping experience by allowing users to make purchases using their existing Amazon accounts, reducing the time spent on entering payment details. Robust Security: Amazon Pay prioritizes customer security with advanced encryption and fraud detection, giving shoppers confidence in their transactions. Merchant Benefits: Small businesses can benefit from higher conversion rates and reduced cart abandonment by integrating Amazon Pay, which simplifies the checkout process for customers. Access to a Trusted Customer Base: By offering Amazon Pay, retailers can connect with a large audience that already trusts Amazon’s payment system, enhancing customer engagement. Seamless Integration: Implementing Amazon Pay into retail platforms is straightforward and quick, minimizing technical barriers and allowing businesses to get up and running faster. Loyalty Rewards: Customers using Amazon Pay can enjoy exclusive rewards and offers, encouraging repeat business and fostering stronger brand loyalty. In today’s fast-paced digital world, convenience is key, and Amazon Pay is stepping up to the plate. This innovative payment solution allows you to make purchases on a variety of websites using your Amazon account, streamlining your online shopping experience. With just a few clicks, you can access your saved payment methods and shipping addresses, making transactions quicker and easier than ever. But Amazon Pay isn’t just about speed; it’s also about security. You can shop with confidence, knowing that your financial information is protected by Amazon’s robust security measures. Whether you’re buying from your favorite retailers or exploring new ones, Amazon Pay offers a seamless way to manage your payments while enjoying the benefits of one of the world’s most trusted brands. Dive in and discover how Amazon Pay can transform your online shopping experience. Overview of Amazon Pay Amazon Pay simplifies online transactions for small businesses by allowing customers to use their Amazon accounts for purchases. This convenient payment option enables you to reach a broader audience who trusts Amazon’s secure payment system. With Amazon Pay, your customers enjoy the ease of accessing saved payment methods and shipping addresses, ensuring quicker checkouts. The streamlined process can decrease cart abandonment rates and foster customer loyalty, making it an ideal choice for retail and storefront operations. Additionally, Amazon’s robust security features help protect your customers’ financial information, giving them confidence during purchases. Integrating Amazon Pay into your small business’s website can enhance the shopping experience, attract more customers, and improve sales. Features of Amazon Pay Amazon Pay offers features that cater to small businesses and enhance the customer experience during online transactions. Seamless Integration Amazon Pay integrates easily into your retail or storefront website, allowing you to offer a familiar payment method for customers. This feature enables you to quickly set up Amazon Pay on e-commerce platforms, enhancing the checkout process with minimal technical barriers. Customers can use their Amazon accounts to complete purchases instantly, leveraging existing payment methods and shipping addresses. Seamless integration can help reduce cart abandonment rates significantly, as customers appreciate the convenience of a trusted payment solution. Enhanced Security Measures Security is paramount for small businesses when handling customer transactions. Amazon Pay provides robust security measures, ensuring that customers’ financial information remains protected. With encrypted transactions and advanced fraud detection systems, shoppers can trust that their data is in safe hands. This sense of security fosters customer loyalty, encouraging repeat business and ensuring a positive shopping experience. By utilizing Amazon Pay, your small business can present a reliable checkout option that aligns with customer expectations for security in online payments. Benefits for Customers Amazon Pay provides distinct advantages for customers, enhancing their online shopping experience while benefiting small businesses. By integrating this payment solution, you can offer a seamless transaction process that plays a crucial role in fostering customer loyalty. Convenient Checkout Process Amazon Pay simplifies the checkout process, allowing customers to use their existing Amazon accounts for payments. This ease provides access to saved payment methods and shipping addresses, reducing the time and effort required to complete transactions. Customers appreciate this familiar interface, leading to higher conversion rates and lower cart abandonment for small businesses. Streamlined processes not only enhance customer satisfaction but also encourage repeat visits to your retail website or storefront. Loyalty Rewards and Offers Using Amazon Pay can also unlock exclusive loyalty rewards and offers for your customers. By connecting their Amazon accounts, customers can earn points and discounts applicable to future purchases. This incentivizes completion of transactions while promoting brand loyalty. Small businesses can leverage these rewards to create attractive offers, boosting customer retention and increasing the likelihood of repeat purchases. Customers who see tangible benefits are more likely to choose your retail operation over competitors, strengthening your position in the market. Benefits for Merchants Amazon Pay offers significant advantages for small businesses, enhancing your retail operations and streamlining transactions for your customers. Increase in Conversion Rates Integrating Amazon Pay can lead to a noticeable increase in conversion rates for your storefront. By allowing customers to checkout using their existing Amazon accounts, you simplify the purchasing process. Customers experience a faster, more familiar transaction method, which lowers barriers to purchase. It’s common for businesses using Amazon Pay to see reductions in cart abandonment, as shoppers appreciate the convenience of not having to enter payment details or shipping information multiple times. Access to Amazon’s Customer Base Amazon Pay connects your small business to a massive, trust-driven customer base. Many consumers feel comfortable making purchases through Amazon due to its established reputation for secure transactions and excellent customer support. By enabling Amazon Pay on your website, you attract customers who prefer to shop with brands that offer this familiar payment option. This can expand your reach and enhance customer trust, ultimately driving more sales for your business. Comparison with Other Payment Methods Amazon Pay offers unique advantages compared to other payment methods commonly used by small businesses. Understanding these differences can help you choose the best option for your retail operations. Ease of Integration Integrating Amazon Pay into your storefront simplifies the payment process. Unlike other payment systems that may require extensive setup or complicated user interfaces, Amazon Pay offers a straightforward integration experience. Many businesses can implement it quickly, minimizing technical hurdles. Familiarity and Trust Customers often prefer using payment methods they recognize. Amazon Pay leverages Amazon’s established reputation, providing your customers with a familiar and trusted payment option. This can enhance customer confidence, increasing the likelihood of completed transactions compared to less recognized platforms. Lower Cart Abandonment Rates Cart abandonment remains a challenge for small businesses. Amazon Pay addresses this issue effectively by streamlining the checkout experience. Your customers can complete purchases using their existing Amazon accounts, significantly reducing friction during transactions and leading to higher conversion rates compared to traditional methods. Security Features Security concerns can deter customers from completing purchases. Amazon Pay incorporates advanced security measures, such as encrypted transactions and fraud detection systems. These features protect your customers’ financial information, fostering trust and encouraging repeat business. Access to Amazon’s Customer Base Utilizing Amazon Pay can connect your small business to a vast customer base. Many customers prefer shopping with retailers that offer reputable payment options. By adopting Amazon Pay, you can tap into this trust-driven audience, potentially driving more sales through increased visibility. Incentives for Customers Amazon Pay enhances the shopping experience by unlocking loyalty rewards and exclusive offers. This incentivizes customers to complete transactions, creating additional value for your business. Unlike other payment methods, which may not offer such benefits, Amazon Pay can help improve customer retention and promote repeat purchases. By considering these comparisons, you can assess how Amazon Pay not only offers a reliable payment solution but also enhances your retail strategy, making it a compelling choice for small businesses. Conclusion Embracing Amazon Pay can transform your online shopping and business operations. With its user-friendly interface and robust security features, it not only simplifies transactions for customers but also builds trust and loyalty. By integrating Amazon Pay into your website, you can tap into a vast customer base that values convenience and security. This payment solution helps reduce cart abandonment and enhances customer retention, ultimately driving sales for your business. Whether you’re a consumer looking for a seamless checkout experience or a merchant aiming to attract more customers, Amazon Pay offers a reliable and efficient solution that meets modern shopping expectations. Frequently Asked Questions What is Amazon Pay? Amazon Pay is a convenient payment solution that allows users to make purchases on various websites using their Amazon accounts. It simplifies online shopping by enabling easy access to saved payment methods and addresses. How does Amazon Pay enhance the shopping experience? Amazon Pay streamlines the checkout process by letting customers use their existing Amazon accounts. This leads to faster transactions, reduced cart abandonment rates, and increased customer satisfaction. What security features does Amazon Pay offer? Amazon Pay provides robust security measures, including encrypted transactions and advanced fraud detection systems, ensuring that customers’ financial information is protected. How can small businesses benefit from Amazon Pay? Small businesses can enhance their customer reach by integrating Amazon Pay, a familiar payment option that fosters trust. This solution can lower cart abandonment rates and encourage repeat purchases. Can Amazon Pay help with customer loyalty? Yes, Amazon Pay can unlock exclusive rewards and offers for customers, promoting brand loyalty and encouraging them to complete transactions more frequently. How does Amazon Pay compare to other payment options? Amazon Pay stands out for its straightforward integration, strong security measures, and established reputation. It simplifies the purchasing process, making it a preferred choice for both businesses and customers. What are the integration benefits of Amazon Pay? Integrating Amazon Pay into a retail website is seamless and minimizes technical barriers, making it easy for businesses to provide a familiar and trusted payment method for customers. Does Amazon Pay reduce cart abandonment? Yes, Amazon Pay can significantly decrease cart abandonment rates by simplifying the checkout process, which enhances the overall shopping experience for customers. Image Via Envato This article, "Unlocking the Benefits of Amazon Pay for Seamless Online Shopping and Business Growth" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Your digestive system is a hugely important part of your body, and keeping it healthly is hugely important. Without good gut health, you might be in pain, or suffer embarrassing symptoms, or worse. But it does not follow that you need to load up on foods or products that promise to improve your gut health. Gut health, it turns out, is not a well-defined concept. That means it’s not always possible to tell whether it’s improving or whether you even have a problem with it in the first place. Two researchers from the Food & Mood Centre at Deakin University wrote in a Lancet journal article and on the Conversation about the fact that gut health has become more of a marketing buzzword than a scientific or medical phenomenon. What do we even mean when we talk about gut health? Often it’s either the absence of unpleasant symptoms like diarrhea, or the absence of medical conditions like Crohn’s disease. These conditions and symptoms are each different, so there’s not a single state of “gut health” that you can achieve to prevent all of them. Scientists are still trying to understand the details, and research is ongoing. The microbiome is also important—but again, scientists have not managed to come up with a way to reliably tell the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy microbiome. The exact population of microbes in two healthy people’s guts may differ, for example. And despite ongoing research, we still can’t test your gut microbes and tell you what’s wrong with you (outside of a few specific cases, like Clostridium difficile infection). On the other hand, sometimes the idea of "gut health" is just code for "being skinny." If you convince your TikTok followers that they can have a flat belly if only they get their gut health in order, you can sell them affiliate-marketed probiotics. "Gut health" talk is often just marketingWhatever the angle, the idea that gut health is important to overall health has provided a marketing boost for a plethora of products, foods, and practices that are supposed to be good for you. Probiotics, for example, are suggested to treat or prevent gastrointestinal troubles. But many fermented foods like yogurt and kombucha don’t affect the makeup of the gut microbiome, and even when they do, it's not always clear if they’re affecting it for the better. Basically, if someone says a certain food or diet is supposed to be good for your gut health, they’re usually making assumptions they can’t back up. As scientists Amy Loughman and Heidi Staudacher write: There is no solid human evidence yet that intake of processed foods or refined sugar leads to negative effects on the entirety of the aforementioned gut health parameters. Neither are lists of top ten gut health foods particularly helpful or insightful; instead they simplify the complexity of diet to a handful of foods high in fibre without appreciation of important nuances. They also point out that there are many types of fiber and that they probably aren’t all equally good for us; there is evidence that some fibers could be harmful if we eat too much of them. A generally varied diet that includes whole grains, fruits, and vegetables will probably be good for your gut health. So will other healthy habits like exercising and avoiding smoking. As they further discuss in the Conversation article, gut health isn’t a thing you achieve by drinking kombucha or eschewing sugar; rather, “it’s dietary patterns and overall habits, not individual foods, that shift the dial.” View the full article

The first quarter showed a narrowing in the market share spread between the six active underwriters, but that was before April's economic uncertainty. View the full article

SoundCloud is facing backlash after creators took to social media to complain upon discovering that the music-sharing platform uses uploaded music to train its AI systems. According to SoundCloud’s terms of use, unless a separate agreement states otherwise, users “explicitly agree that your Content may be used to inform, train, develop or serve as input to artificial intelligence or machine intelligence technologies or services as part of and for providing the services.” These terms appear to have been added to SoundCloud’s website in February 2024. Futurism was the first to report on artists’ concerns. Musical duo The Flight brought attention to the terms this week, alerting fellow creators. “ok then… deleted all our songs that we uploaded to Soundcloud and now closing account,” the duo posted on Bluesky. Another user replied, “Thanks for the heads up. I just deleted it my account.” A SoundCloud spokesperson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Tech companies have increasingly relied on public and private content to train AI systems, which require vast amounts of data to function effectively. To reflect this, companies have been revising their terms and conditions to include clauses about artificial intelligence and generative AI. In November, X updated its terms of service to allow training of its machine learning and AI models on user content. The Federal Trade Commission warned in February 2024 that companies risk violating the law if they quietly alter their privacy policies to use customer data for AI training without proper notice. “It may be unfair or deceptive for a company to adopt more permissive data practices—for example, to start sharing consumers’ data with third parties or using that data for AI training—and to only inform consumers of this change through a surreptitious, retroactive amendment to its terms of service or privacy policy,” the agency said in a post. Critics of such AI policy changes are urging companies to implement more transparent opt-out options, or ideally, require users to opt in. Like many other tech firms, SoundCloud has been embracing AI. In November, it launched six new AI tools designed to “meet a wide range of creative needs.” At that time, SoundCloud also announced it had joined AI For Music’s “Principles for Music Creation with AI” pledge, committing to “uphold ethical and transparent AI practices that respect creators’ rights.” “SoundCloud is paving the way for a future where AI unlocks creative potential and makes music creation accessible to millions, while upholding responsible and ethical practices,” CEO Eliah Seton said in a November blog post. “We’re proud to be the platform that supports creators at every level, fuels experimentation and empowers fandom.” View the full article

Switzerland’s president lamented “disappointing” talks Friday with U.S. President Donald The President’s treasury secretary that did not ease stiff U.S. tariffs on Swiss goods, but expressed hope for a solution to a more consequential U.S.-China face-off on tariffs in Geneva this weekend. Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter, who also serves as finance minister, said she was nonetheless encouraged by the talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as Switzerland tries to wriggle out of hefty 31% U.S. tariffs of Swiss goods as part of The President’s sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs on countries around the globe. Their meeting was only an appetizer for the potentially market-moving talks Saturday and Sunday between Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Geneva. Keller-Sutter also met with the Chinese envoy, but said it was merely a courtesy. As for the U.S.-China talks, the Swiss leader alluded to the election of the first U.S.-born pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, and quipped: “I said to Secretary Bessent that apparently the Holy Spirit was in Rome yesterday, and I hope that he will come to Geneva over the weekend.” The talks have been shrouded in secrecy and the Chinese and U.S. sides have declined to specify where they will take place other than somewhere in Geneva, which hosted U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2021 — before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. While the U.S. administration has temporarily suspended the most severe tariffs against every target country except China, the 31% rate — if restored — would put Switzerland in a worse position than its neighbors in the European Union, which are to face 20% U.S. tariffs on EU goods. The Swiss government said its talks Friday with Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer were “convivial and constructive” and were aimed to lay out the guidelines for a deal on the issue of customs duties to be discussed again in coming weeks. On April 9 — a week after The President announced the U.S. “reciprocal” tariffs — he spoke with Keller-Sutter by phone and later announced a pause in their implementation for 90 days and capped the additional U.S. tariffs at 10% for most countries, with the notable exception of China. “Of course, it is disappointing,” Keller-Sutter said when asked about the lack of a deal in talks with Bessent, before alluding to her earlier phone conversation with The President. “I also told President The President that this was not fair. But on the other hand, you know, I mean, we’re not looking back, we are looking forward.” “And we’re really encouraged by the talks we had that we’re going to find a solution, and the U.S. side really engaged with Switzerland also to find a swift solution,” she told reporters. Keller-Sutter The Presidenteted Swiss investment in the United States, saying it has created 400,000 jobs and “average salary $130,000, which is a lot” in the United States. She said she didn’t know whether her call with The President on April 9 convinced him to ease back on the tariffs, before adding with a laugh: “He should listen to women.” Going into the weekend talks between Bessent and He, the U.S. slapped 145% tariffs on Chinese goods, and Beijing has responded with 125% tariffs on U.S. goods. Earlier Friday, The President floated the prospect that those could be lowered sharply in a social media post. “80% Tariff on China seems right!” The President wrote on his social media account, before alluding to Bessent. “Up to Scott B.” —Jamey Keaten, Associated Press View the full article

The mortgage fintech looks to transition to a model of strategic platform partnerships rather than offer its own closing services as it simplifies operations. View the full article

Mother’s Day is supposed to be wholesome and sort of boring: some flowers, a Hallmark card, maybe doing some chores around the house for once. But the American version of Mother's Day wasn’t born in a garden. It was forged in the smoke and death of the Civil War, shaped by radical women, and became a battleground between profit and principle—a holiday so contentious its own creator devoted her life trying to destroy it. Mother's Day's history is dramatic as hell. The ancient ancestors of Mother's DayMoms have been around for a long time, and so have celebrations to honor them. These kinds of celebrations have been around at least since the ancient Greeks and Romans threw festivals in honor of mother goddesses like Cybele and Rhea. During the Medieval period, the church put a Christian spin on the idea with Mothering Sunday, a day honoring the Mother Church. Versions of Mother's Day are celebrated on different days and different ways around the world. In Peru, you visit cemeteries on Mother's Day. In Albania, you celebrate your mom on March 8. But these other "Mother's Days" aren't the direct inspiration for Mother's Day as we celebrate it in the United States. A holiday born in bloodMother's Day officially began in the United States in 1914, but the roots of the holiday day go back to before the Civil War, back to social activist and community organizer, Ann Reeves Jarvis. "Mother Jarvis" (as she was called) was a founder and champion of Mothers' Day Work Clubs, grassroots public health organizations dedicated to lowering infant mortality rates by teaching women how to properly care for their children, improve sanitary conditions, and fight disease. This was a personal crusade for "Mother Jarvis": She birthed between 11 and 13 children, and only four survived to adulthood. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Mothers' Day Work Clubs shifted their focus to caring for wounded soldiers on both sides of the conflict. By 1868, with the Civil War over, Jarvis promoted a peace-focused movement for “Mothers’ Friendship Day," dedicated to bringing bringing former Union and Confederate soldiers together to reconcile. “Why do not the mothers of mankind interfere in these matters to prevent the waste of that human life of which they alone bear and know the cost?” Jarvis wrote. (Yeah, why don't they? Get on it, Mom.) Jarvis wasn't alone. Across the country, other women were also organizing proto-Mother's Days. Abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe wrote the “Mother’s Day Proclamation” in 1870, which called on all mothers to unite and promote world peace. Howe later campaigned for a holiday called “Mother’s Peace Day” to be celebrated every June 2. Juliet Calhoun Blakely, a temperance activist from Michigan, inspired a local Mother’s Day to be celebrated there in the 1870s. The cultural winds were blowing toward Mother's Day, but it took Jarvis' death to make it official. Ann Reeves Jarvis died in 1905 (sadly without having ended war) but her daughter, Anna Jarvis, picked up the activist mantle. On the first anniversary of her mom's death, Anna announced plans for a memorial service remembering her mother to be held the following year. She envisioned a national holiday to honor the sacrifices mothers make for their children. In 1908, Jarvis, with financial backing from fat cats John Wanamaker and H.J. Heinz, hosted an official Mother’s Day celebration at a church in West Virginia—and at Wanamaker's department store. They both went well, inspiring Jarvis to push for a national holiday. But it also gave Wanamaker and other go-getters a look at the profit potential of Mother's Day, and thus began the battle for the soul of Mother's Day. Mother's Day goes commercialBy 1912, Jarvis had quit her job and started the Mother’s Day International Association, which formed partnerships with local businesses and ran letter-writing campaigns to government officials. Towns and churches in several states adopted Mother’s Day as an annual holiday, and by 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made it an official holiday in 1914. There were a few haters, like Senator Henry Moore Teller (D-CO) who called the resolution “puerile" and “absolutely absurd,” but most people loved the idea. So Jarvis got what she wanted and everything turned out great. Wait. That didn't happen at all. Jarvis saw Mother's Day as a "day of sentiment, not profit," but capitalists like Wanamaker and Heinz did not care what she thought. They quickly capitalized on the widespread interest in the holiday, and the celebration almost immediately went from a meaningful day to honor the sacrifices mother's make and promote peace to a chance to buy a lot of things for your mom. Jarvis hated this. Ann Jarvis' quixotic campaign against Mother's DayBy 1920, Jarvis had denounced her former financial backers, called on everyone to not buy their moms anything on Mother's Day, and categorized anyone who makes money off the holiday as “charlatans, bandits, pirates, racketeers, kidnappers, and termites that would undermine with their greed one of the finest, noblest, and truest movements and celebrations.” Jarvis showed her disapproval for restaurants offering specials on Mother's Day by throwing a "Mother's Day Salad" on the floor of a Philadelphia eatery. She didn't approve of greeting cards either, writing, “A maudlin, insincere printed card or ready-made telegram means nothing except that you’re too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone else in the world." And don't give your mom candy on Mother's Day either: "Candy!" Jarvis wrote, "You take a box to Mother—and then eat most of it yourself. A pretty sentiment.” But the worst Mother's Day offenders of all, the biggest racketeers and pirates, were the damn florists. Jarvis freakin' hated the flower industry. At her own expense, she sent thousands of buttons featuring a picture of a white carnation (the official flower of Mother's Day) to women's groups all over the country in a bid to have them not buy any flowers. She threatened a trademark lawsuit against Florist Telegraph Delivery (FTD) for combining carnations with the words "Mother's Day." She protested the U.S. government's Mother's Day stamp because it used the painting Whistler's Mother, and she interpreted the carnations in it as an advertisement for Big Flower. Jarvis was even arrested for disturbing the peace when she tried to physically stop the sale of carnations. The sad, lonely death of the mother of Mother's DaySay what you will about her, Ann Jarvis was committed (literally). Calling the backers of your holiday "kidnappers" and "termites" comes with a price, and Jarvis paid it in full. By mid-century, she was penniless, living in her sister's house in Philadelphia without any trace of the influence that once swayed the President of the United States. In 1943, while trying to collect signatures on a petition to abolish Mother’s Day completely, Jarvis was forced into the Marshall Square Sanitarium in West Chester, Pennsylvania, where representatives of the Flower and Greeting Card industry paid the bill. Whether this was a corporate public relations move to provide (no doubt much needed) psychiatric care to a difficult but important figure in the industry, or a final twist of the knife depends on your point of view. Jarvis died on November 24, 1948, never having children of her own, but she took her principles to her carnation-scented grave. View the full article

The The President administration says it will nominate Jonathan McKernan to serve as Treasury undersecretary for domestic finance. McKernan has already been nominated as the next director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. View the full article

After musing publicly and privately with the idea of raising the top tax rate for wealthy millionaires as Republicans draft his big bill in Congress, President Donald The President early Friday backed off that call—sort of. The President posted on social media that hiking taxes on anyone, even the rich, could stir a political backlash, reviving the “Read my lips: No new taxes” warnings of the Bush-era that helped topple a president. The post came days after he floated the idea of higher taxes on those single filers earning $2.5 million and above. But this time, the president, didn’t completely discourage GOP lawmakers from pursuing that option as they rush to finish their massive tax breaks and spending cuts package this weekend. “The problem with even a ‘TINY’ tax increase for the RICH, which I and all others would graciously accept in order to help the lower and middle income workers, is that the Radical Left Democrat Lunatics would go around screaming, ‘Read my lips,’” The President wrote. “In any event, Republicans should probably not do it, but I’m OK if they do!!!” The President wrote Friday. The last ditch-push by the president comes as Republicans are laboring to push his “big, beautiful bill” toward public hearings next week, on track for a House vote by Memorial Day. Divisions run strong in the party, and the president’s on-again, off-again push for millionaires taxes complicates the outcome. Over the past months, The President has repeatedly brought up the idea of imposing a higher rate for millionaires and the president revived his request in private talks. The President told Speaker Mike Johnson again this week he wants to see a higher rate on the wealthy in the big bill coming from Congress, according to a person familiar with the conversations and granted anonymity to discuss the private talks. The president sees higher taxes on millionaires as a way to clip the argument coming from Democrats that the GOP’s big tax package only benefits his wealthy friends, including billionaire Elon Musk, the person said. Thanks to The President’s 2017 tax cuts bill, the top rate is now a 37% bracket that expires at the end of the year. That rate is for incomes beyond about $600,000 for single filers. The President would like to see that rate expire, reverting back to 39.6%, or 40%. This week The President pitched top rate on incomes of around $2.5 million for individuals and $5 million for couples. The debate over millionaires has been raging with a robust collection of anti-tax activists led by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Grover Norquist at Americans for Tax Reform and others working vigorously to prevent any tax hikes. The President appeared Friday to have again heeded the message from Gingrich, who has warned that George H.W. Bush during the 1988 presidential campaign pledged to not to implement any new taxes as president. Bush then faced an onslaught of criticism during his unsuccessful 1992 reelection campaign for breaking that promise. The President posted a few weeks ago that Gingrich was correct. But on Friday the president said independent candidate Ross Perot had caused Bush’s loss that year. As the conversations swirl in public and private, they keep coming back to The President’s own politically-populist instincts, touching off the GOP divide. “I’m not excited about the proposal, but I have to say, there are a number of people in both the house and the Senate who are,” said Sen. Mike Crapo, the GOP chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said earlier this week on the Hugh Hewitt show, “and if the President weighs in in favor of it, then that’s going to be a big factor that we have to take into consideration as well.” —Lisa Mascaro and Seung Min Kim, The Associated Press View the full article

In the fast-paced world of business operations, staying organized and efficient is key, and that’s where service templates come into play. These ready-to-use documents help streamline communication, standardize processes and ensure consistency across activities, from procurement and project management to customer service and internal workflows. Whether you’re managing inventory, requesting quotes or scheduling maintenance, having a clear and structured template can save time, reduce errors and improve accountability. Anyone who is a small business owner, department manager or part of a larger corporate team will find these service templates helpful Free Service Templates Below are a selection of templates from the over 100 free project management templates for Excel and Word that users can download immediately from our site. These templates cover all aspects of managing projects across multiple industries. The ones we’ve chosen for this roundup will help improve customer service and business efficiency. 1. Service Proposal Template Download this free service proposal template for Word to outline the scope, approach and pricing for a service offered to a potential client. This service template acts as a persuasive pitch and a formal plan, helping clients understand exactly what’s being offered, how it will be delivered and at what cost. It includes sections like an executive summary, company background, service details, deliverables, timelines, pricing and terms and conditions. /wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Service-proposal-template-screenshot.png This service template saves time and ensures a polished, consistent presentation with every client opportunity. It allows service providers to customize key details while maintaining a professional format that communicates value. A well-crafted template improves the chances of winning business and sets the stage for clear expectations and smooth collaboration. Whether you’re a freelancer, consultant, agency or service-based company, a strong service proposal template is essential for closing deals and building trust with clients. When that proposal is accepted, it’s time to move from a template to project management software. ProjectManager is award-winning project and portfolio management software designed to handle the dynamic nature of a project in a way that static templates cannot. The agreed-upon information in the service template can inform our robust Gantt chart, which schedules tasks, resources and costs. But it can also link all four types of task dependencies to avoid cost overruns, filter for the critical path and set a baseline to track progress in real time. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. /wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Gantt-CTA-2025.jpgLearn more 2. Service Agreement Template This free service agreement template for Word outlines the terms and conditions under which services will be provided by one party to another. It’s a formal contract between a service provider and a client, clearly defining the scope of work, payment terms, deadlines, responsibilities, dispute resolution methods and other relevant conditions. The main goal of a service agreement is to protect both parties by setting clear expectations and providing a framework for accountability and legal recourse if issues arise. /wp-content/uploads/2025/03/service-agreement-template.png Using a service agreement template helps ensure consistency, professionalism and legal coverage in client engagements. It saves time by offering a ready-made structure customizable to fit different projects or industries. It’s suitable for a freelancer, contractor, agency or business owner. A solid service agreement minimizes misunderstandings and supports smoother, more transparent working relationships. It’s a critical tool for formalizing agreements and building trust in any service-based business. 3. Service Blueprint Template Use this free service blueprint template for Excel as a strategic visual tool to map out the entire service delivery process—from the customer’s experience to the behind-the-scenes operations that make it possible. The service template breaks down a service into key components such as customer interactions, frontstage (visible) employee actions, backstage (invisible) processes and supporting systems. The template includes a flow of activities, with layers representing each component, helping teams understand how the service works holistically. /wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Service-blueprint-template-1.png This service template is especially valuable for designing, analyzing or improving complex service offerings. It helps identify pain points, inefficiencies or opportunities for enhancement by connecting customer actions and internal operations. This level of visibility is crucial for aligning teams, improving consistency and enhancing the overall customer experience. It’s useful when launching a new service, optimizing an existing one or training staff. A service blueprint template is a powerful tool for service design and delivery. 4. Service-Level Agreement Template This free service-level agreement template is a structured document that outlines the specific commitments and performance standards a service provider agrees to meet when delivering services to a client or internal team. It defines key metrics such as uptime guarantees, response times, resolution times and service availability, along with roles, responsibilities and procedures for monitoring and reporting on performance. The service template also typically includes provisions for penalties or remedies if service levels are not met. /wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Service-Level-Agreement-template.png This service template ensures consistency and clarity in how service expectations are set and managed. It’s a foundational agreement that helps prevent misunderstandings, strengthens accountability and supports better communication between parties. SLAs are especially common in IT services, customer support, SaaS, telecommunications and other industries where service reliability and responsiveness are critical. Organizations can customize this well-designed SLA template to efficiently draft agreements that align with business goals and customer expectations while maintaining professional standards. 5. Service Quote Template Use this free service quote template for Excel to offer clients a detailed estimate for requested services before work begins. The service template includes a breakdown of the services to be provided, pricing for each item or task, total estimated cost, timelines, payment terms and any conditions or disclaimers. The quote serves as a non-binding proposal, giving clients clarity on what to expect in terms of both scope and cost. /wp-content/uploads/2025/02/service-quote-template.png Using a service quote template helps ensure professionalism and consistency in the quoting process. It saves time by providing a repeatable structure that can be customized for different clients or projects. A well-designed quote template also helps reduce misunderstandings, facilitates client approval and can even form the basis of a later service agreement or invoice. Freelancers, consultants or a part of a larger service business will find that a clear and accurate quote template is a key tool for winning business and setting the right expectations from the start. 6. Terms of Service Template Download this free terms of service template for Word to outline the rules, responsibilities and conditions users must agree to to use a product, service or platform—especially common for websites, apps and software services. The service template includes sections on acceptable use, user obligations, intellectual property rights, disclaimers, limitation of liability, privacy policies and procedures for account termination or dispute resolution. The goal of the template is to protect the service provider legally while setting clear expectations for users. /wp-content/uploads/2025/04/terms-of-service-template.png Using this service template allows businesses to create a consistent and legally sound agreement quickly, which can be customized to fit their specific operations or industry requirements. It helps prevent misunderstandings, reinforces user accountability and can serve as a safeguard in the event of legal disputes. It should be used when launching a new online service, mobile app or digital platform. A well-drafted terms of service document is essential for operating professionally and minimizing risk. 7. Service Report Template This free service report template for Word is used to record and communicate the details of a service job after it has been completed. It includes information such as the client’s name, service date, technician or employee involved, a description of the work performed, time spent, materials used and follow-up recommendations. The service template acts as an official record of the service provided, useful for the provider and the client. /wp-content/uploads/2024/07/service-report-template.png Using a service report template helps ensure consistency, accuracy and professionalism in documentation. It streamlines reporting across teams, supports quality control and provides valuable data for internal reviews, billing or customer communication. In industries like maintenance, IT support, field services and consulting, a clear and well-organized service report is essential for accountability, customer satisfaction and operational transparency. 8. Service Invoice Template Use this free service invoice template for Word to bill clients for work completed. The service template includes essential details such as the provider’s and client’s contact information, an itemized list of services rendered, hourly rates or fixed charges, total amount due, invoice number, payment terms and due dates./wp-content/uploads/2025/03/service-invoice-template.png Using a service invoice template ensures that all billing communications are clear, professional and consistent. It saves time by providing a repeatable format that can be quickly tailored to each client or job. A well-structured invoice template not only supports accurate record-keeping and timely payments but also reinforces your brand’s credibility. 9. Service Request Form Download this free service request form for Excel to formally request specific services or support from a department, team or service provider. The service template includes information such as the requester’s contact details, a description of the needed service, urgency or priority level, preferred timelines and any relevant supporting documentation. These forms are commonly used in IT support, maintenance, customer service, facilities management and other operational areas to streamline how service needs are communicated and addressed. /wp-content/uploads/2025/02/service-request-template.png The main benefit of using this service template is that it brings structure and clarity to the request process, ensuring that all necessary details are captured from the start. This reduces misunderstandings, improves response times and supports more efficient service delivery. By centralizing and organizing requests, teams can prioritize tasks, allocate resources more effectively and maintain a clear record of service activities. ProjectManager Delivers Service Better Than Templates These free service templates are useful tools until it’s time to deliver that service. Then, it’s clear that these static documents are unequipped to handle the dynamic nature of managing a project. That’s why there’s project management software. ProjectManager is award-winning project and portfolio management software that delivers better service planning, execution and monitoring. Besides our powerful Gantt chart, there are task lists, kanban boards, sheet and calendar views that allow teams to use the tools best suited to their work. Custom and automated workflows, with task approval settings, ensure quality deliverables. There are also resource management and time-tracking tools. Manage Resources Efficiently Keeping to the agreed service template requires allocating resources efficiently to ensure the project is delivered on time and on budget. This starts with scheduling on Gantt charts and continues when onboarding the team, when project managers can set their availability, such as PTO, vacation, global holidays, skills and pay rate. This streamlines the assignment process and puts the right resources at the right time and place. Resource allocation can be viewed for one or multiple projects by visiting the color-coded workload chart. It shows who is overallocated or underutilised, and can balance their workload without leaving the chart to keep everyone working at capacity but not burning the team out. A team page provides a daily or weekly summary of their activities, which can be filtered by priority or progress. Tasks can be updated, too, without leaving the page. /wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Team-Light-2554x1372-1.png Stay on Track With Real-Time Dashboards and Reports Project managers need to monitor more than just resources to keep the project on its course. For a high-level overview, they can toggle to our real-time dashboards. These dashboards require no setup and automatically collect live data that’s displayed on easy-to-read graphs and charts showing metrics such as time, cost, workload and more. For greater detail, visit the customizable reports. Generate reports on status, variance, workload, timesheets and more with a keystroke. Each report can be filtered to focus on key data points or offer a general overview of progress, which can then be shared with stakeholders in a variety of formats. Even the secure timesheets help by tracking labor costs to help stay on budget. /wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Team-summary-better-data-light-mode-home-screen-dashboard.png Related Business Operations Content Service templates are part of the larger business operations process. For those who would like to explore this area in more detail, follow the links below. They lead to some of the blogs we’ve posted on the subject. The Importance of Operational Project Management for Business How to Make an Operations Plan Business Project Management Basics How to Write a Business Plan ProjectManager is online project and portfolio management software that connects teams whether they’re in the office or out in the field. They can share files, comment at the task level and stay updated with email and in-app notifications. Join teams at Avis, Nestle and Siemens who use our software to deliver successful projects. Get started with ProjectManager today for free. The post 9 Service Templates: Service Agreement, Service Invoice & More appeared first on ProjectManager. View the full article

Chrome on Android can be a bit much. It's undeniably a heavy browser, with not that many features to boot. There's no built-in reading mode, no ad-blocker, no tab management, no VPN, nothing. Chrome isn't even that customizable. If you want more from your Android browser, you're not wrong. If you're willing to switch to a third-party browser, you can get a browser that's faster than Chrome, uses less resources, provides all those features I just talked about, and more. There are many options to choose from, but here are my top 5 picks for Chrome alternatives, depending on what kind of user you are. Vivaldi: Best for large screen devices Credit: Khamosh Pathak Vivaldi is a fast and stable browser with desktop-style tabs that are perfect for those with large phones. With this app, you get a scrolling tab bar featuring full titles, right in the tab bar. No need to tap a button to switch to different tabs or manage them. Instead, you'll find a horizontally scrolling list of tabs. Though, you can turn it off as well, if you wish. And like most Android browsers, you can choose to keep the tab bar at the top, or the bottom of the screen. Vivaldi also supports this tab layout on larger screens, so if you're using an Android tablet, or a foldable, this might be the right browser for you. Vivaldi's Android browser syncs with the desktop counterpart, and like the desktop app, it offers ad-blocking and tracker-blocking options by default. You also get speed dial, search engine shortcuts, reading list and themes. Other than that Vivaldi is quite light, and the interface is also easy to use. There is no AI agent here, no free VPN, no news feed that you need to disable. Firefox: Best for adding functionality Credit: Khamosh Pathak Firefox is the only browser on this list that supports extensions. This instantly makes Firefox the best pick with it comes to customization. The Firefox app for Android is quite capable by itself. It's fast, simple, and the easy to use. Using Firefox Sync you can access all your Firefox tabs (or any other Firefox-based browser) on your Android smartphone. The same goes for passwords too. Firefox also features Collections, which is their own feature for manually grouping tabs in the tab switcher. The tab bar supports a nice gesture, where you can swipe left or right to switch between the recently used tabs (like how you swipe between apps using the Home bar). But, as I mentioned, the main feature, are the Extensions. The Dark Reader extension will enable dark mode for any website, uBlock Origin will bring a fast and efficient ad blocker to Firefox, Bitwarden's extension brings in autofill passwords, and more. There are extensions for tracking prices online, downloading videos from YouTube, and more. Though, you don't need to worry with most of them. Just adding a couple of extensions like uBlock Origin and Dark Reader will improve your browsing experience by a noticeable margin. Brave: Best for privacy Credit: Khamosh Pathak Brave is known for its privacy and security, and the Android browser is no different. Brave is faster compared to Chrome, and blocks ads and trackers by default, there's no need to enable a setting for it, or to set things up. By default, Brave uses its own Brave search engine, which is also private by default, and uses its own custom search engine instead of using third-party data. Brave offers a lot of extra features, but they are all disabled by default. You can enable a private news feed if you want. And while Brave as its own AI bot Leo and its own paid VPN, but are tucked away in the menu, easy to ignore. There's an experimental Night mode that will automatically invert the colors on all website, giving them a dark background, and light text. Brave also features group tabs for easier tab management. Via: Best for older devices Credit: Khamosh Pathak Via is a minimalist and light browser, designed to run well on any Android device. The browser weighs just 1.5 MB, making it idea of devices with limited storage. It also works well on devices with limited amount of RAM. Via is a barebones browser. It opens to a minimal start page, and there are no news feeds or shortcuts. It does have a really simple tab management feature, and the tab bar can be found at the bottom of the screen. The app has built-in ad blocking, and there's an option to edit and customize the ad blocking filters as well. There is a reader mode, and even a night mode that inverts the colors on all websites. Overall, if you're tired of the bloatware from Chrome, or if you have an older device where Chrome just drags on way too much, Via is the browser you should be looking into. Opera: Best for managing tab overload Credit: Khamosh Pathak Opera browser for Android is all about features. There's a built-in reader mode, an ad-blocker that's enabled by default, a free VPN service, a customizable address bar that you can dock to the bottom of the screen. Opera puts its Arai AI front and center, reserving a slot in the toolbar. But you can edit it out easily. Just like Vivaldi, there's an option to enable desktop style tabs, that you can swipe through. And tabs is what Opera really specializes in. There's support for tab islands, where Opera automatically groups and color codes multiple web pages from the same site. When you go into the tab switcher, you'll find three different layout options: Carousel, Grid, and List. The Carousel option lets you quickly scroll between open tab groups and tabs. You are free to drag and drop tabs between the groups to rearrange them. If you use Opera on the desktop, the tabs from your computer can show up on Android, and you can use the Flow feature to share links, files and notes between all your devices. View the full article

Key Takeaways Understand the Importance of Creativity: Entrepreneurial creativity is crucial for business success, fostering innovation, problem-solving, and growth. Employ Effective Techniques: Utilize mind mapping, brainstorming sessions, and breakthrough thinking to enhance idea generation and strategic planning. Cultivate a Creative Mindset: Overcome the fear of failure and embrace curiosity to create an environment conducive to experimentation and innovative thinking. Leverage Diverse Perspectives: Collaborating with a diverse team enriches the creative process and enhances team management, leading to better business outcomes. Utilize Creative Tools: Incorporate software like Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, and Flodesk to streamline design and marketing efforts effectively. Engage in Networking and Learning: Participate in workshops, networking groups, and courses to expand knowledge and foster collaborative opportunities that enhance creativity. In the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship, creativity isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential. Whether you’re brainstorming your next big idea or solving a complex problem, tapping into your creative potential can set you apart from the competition. But how do you unlock that creativity and keep it flowing? Understanding Entrepreneurial Creativity Entrepreneurial creativity refers to the ability to generate innovative ideas and solutions that drive success in your business. This form of creativity involves leveraging imagination to enhance business processes, improve product offerings, and streamline operations. Definition of Entrepreneurial Creativity Entrepreneurial creativity combines innovation with practical application. It involves thinking outside the box to solve problems, develop new products, or create marketing strategies that resonate with customers. This creativity can manifest in various areas, including business operations, customer service improvements, and strategic planning. Importance in Business Creativity significantly impacts small business success, driving growth and enhancing competitive advantage. By fostering an environment that encourages creative thinking, you boost problem-solving capabilities, streamline workflows, and improve team management. Problem-Solving: Creative approaches allow you to navigate challenges effectively, improving decision-making processes. Business Growth: Innovative ideas lead to new market opportunities and increased customer acquisition. Operational Efficiency: Creativity helps identify ways to optimize budgeting, financial planning, and resource allocation. Employee Development: Engaging your team in creative processes enhances motivation and improves performance reviews. Customer Retention: Unique marketing campaigns foster brand loyalty and enhance customer service experiences. Emphasizing creativity in your small business boosts productivity and sets the stage for lasting success. Techniques to Boost Your Entrepreneurial Creativity Boosting your entrepreneurial creativity helps you navigate the complexities of small business management and enhances decision-making. Below are effective techniques to elevate your creative potential. Mind Mapping Mind mapping is a visual technique that organizes and generates ideas efficiently. Start by writing your key business challenge at the center of a page or online platform. Branch out to include related concepts, strategies, and solutions. Utilize different colors and varying line thicknesses to represent the strength of connections. This method clarifies how ideas interrelate, aiding in problem-solving and strategic planning. Mind mapping enhances creativity by allowing you to visualize your thoughts, leading to clearer business strategies. Brainstorming Sessions Brainstorming sessions are a proven approach for idea generation. Gather your team and create an open environment for sharing thoughts, no matter how unconventional they seem. Encourage the submission of multiple ideas related to your business goals and operations without criticism. Encourage all voices in discussions to foster collaboration. Utilizing a facilitator can keep the session focused and productive, ensuring effective time management. After the session, categorize and prioritize ideas for implementation, improving productivity and enhancing your business model. Breakthrough Thinking Breakthrough thinking involves stepping outside conventional boundaries to innovate. Challenge existing assumptions about your business processes and systems. Ask “what if” questions that allow you to envision alternate scenarios and solutions. For instance, consider how technology solutions can streamline cash flow or enhance customer service. Encourage your team to take risks in thinking and express their ideas freely. This environment contributes to creative freedom and can lead to significant advancements in your business operations, ultimately contributing to business growth. Cultivating a Creative Mindset Cultivating a creative mindset enhances your entrepreneurial journey. It’s essential for generating innovative ideas and solutions that drive business growth. Overcoming Fear of Failure Overcoming fear of failure empowers you to take calculated risks. Acknowledge that setbacks occur in small business management. When you view failures as learning opportunities, you foster an environment that encourages experimentation. This experimentation leads to breakthroughs in problem-solving and enhances your decision-making process, aiding in the efficient management of resources and time. Embracing Curiosity Embracing curiosity stimulates your creativity. Ask questions that prompt exploration, such as “What if we alter our business model?” or “How can technology solutions optimize our workflow?” Investigate various fields, concepts, and trends. By seeking diverse knowledge, you’re better equipped to not only respond to customer feedback but also to innovate your business processes and strategies effectively. Importance of Diverse Perspectives Seeking diverse perspectives enriches your creative process. Collaborating with team members from varied backgrounds or experiences generates a wealth of ideas. This diversity leads to effective brainstorming sessions that enhance your marketing strategy or improve customer acquisition efforts. By valuing differing viewpoints, you reinforce a culture of inclusivity that boosts team management and operational efficiency, driving your small business toward sustained growth. Tools and Resources for Entrepreneurs You can boost your entrepreneurial creativity by leveraging specific tools and resources designed for small businesses. These resources enhance productivity and streamline business operations. Creative Software Applications Adobe Creative Suite: Utilize tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign for design work. This suite supports graphic design, photo editing, and layout creation, enhancing your marketing strategy and brand management. Sketch: Use Sketch for intuitive UI/UX design. Its robust vector editing and collaboration features expedite project management and improve team workflows. Canva: Access Canva for quick design solutions. With a variety of templates, you can create professional presentations and marketing materials even without graphic design expertise. Flodesk: Implement Flodesk for email marketing. Its beautifully designed templates simplify customer acquisition and retention through effective email campaigns. Networking Opportunities Engage in networking to foster collaborations that support your creativity. Join local entrepreneurial groups or attend industry conferences to connect with like-minded individuals. Networking enhances team management, business partnerships, and opens doors for innovative ideas that can lead to business growth. Workshops and Courses Consider enrolling in workshops and courses focusing on business development, leadership, and problem-solving. These educational opportunities enrich your knowledge base and improve skills in areas like financial planning, risk management, and employee development. Many organizations offer online courses, making it easier to fit learning into your busy schedule while improving your decision-making and operational efficiency. Conclusion Boosting your entrepreneurial creativity isn’t just about generating ideas; it’s about creating a culture that embraces innovation and experimentation. By implementing the strategies discussed, you can unlock your potential and that of your team, leading to breakthroughs that drive your business forward. Remember to stay curious and open to diverse perspectives. Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and encourage collaboration to enrich your creative process. Utilizing the right tools and resources will streamline your efforts and enhance your decision-making. As you foster an environment that prioritizes creativity, you’ll not only differentiate yourself in the market but also set the foundation for long-term success. Your journey toward enhanced creativity starts now. Frequently Asked Questions What is the role of creativity in entrepreneurship? Creativity is vital in entrepreneurship as it helps generate innovative ideas and solve problems effectively. It enables entrepreneurs to stand out in a competitive market and drives business success by enhancing productivity and operational efficiency. How can entrepreneurs maintain their creative potential? Entrepreneurs can maintain their creative potential by cultivating a creative mindset, embracing curiosity, and fostering an environment that encourages experimentation. Regularly engaging in brainstorming sessions and exploring diverse perspectives can also help unlock new ideas. What are some effective techniques to boost creativity in business? Effective techniques include mind mapping to organize ideas visually, conducting brainstorming sessions for open idea-sharing, and employing breakthrough thinking by challenging assumptions with “what if” questions to explore innovative solutions. Why is overcoming the fear of failure important for entrepreneurs? Overcoming the fear of failure empowers entrepreneurs to take calculated risks, view challenges as learning opportunities, and create an environment conducive to experimentation. This mindset fosters resilience and enhances decision-making. How do diverse perspectives contribute to entrepreneurial creativity? Diverse perspectives enrich the creative process by incorporating varied insights and ideas. Collaborating with team members from different backgrounds enhances marketing strategies and drives sustained growth by introducing innovative approaches to problem-solving. What tools can entrepreneurs use to enhance creativity? Entrepreneurs can leverage creative software like Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, and Canva for design work, as well as Flodesk for email marketing. These tools streamline operations and support innovative project management and marketing efforts. Why should entrepreneurs network and engage in workshops? Networking allows entrepreneurs to connect with local groups and industry peers, fostering collaborations and innovative ideas. Attending workshops and courses on business development and leadership enhances skills, enriching knowledge and improving operational efficiency. Image Via Envato This article, "Unlock Your Potential: Boost Your Entrepreneurial Creativity for Business Success" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

Key Takeaways Understand the Importance of Creativity: Entrepreneurial creativity is crucial for business success, fostering innovation, problem-solving, and growth. Employ Effective Techniques: Utilize mind mapping, brainstorming sessions, and breakthrough thinking to enhance idea generation and strategic planning. Cultivate a Creative Mindset: Overcome the fear of failure and embrace curiosity to create an environment conducive to experimentation and innovative thinking. Leverage Diverse Perspectives: Collaborating with a diverse team enriches the creative process and enhances team management, leading to better business outcomes. Utilize Creative Tools: Incorporate software like Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, and Flodesk to streamline design and marketing efforts effectively. Engage in Networking and Learning: Participate in workshops, networking groups, and courses to expand knowledge and foster collaborative opportunities that enhance creativity. In the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship, creativity isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential. Whether you’re brainstorming your next big idea or solving a complex problem, tapping into your creative potential can set you apart from the competition. But how do you unlock that creativity and keep it flowing? Understanding Entrepreneurial Creativity Entrepreneurial creativity refers to the ability to generate innovative ideas and solutions that drive success in your business. This form of creativity involves leveraging imagination to enhance business processes, improve product offerings, and streamline operations. Definition of Entrepreneurial Creativity Entrepreneurial creativity combines innovation with practical application. It involves thinking outside the box to solve problems, develop new products, or create marketing strategies that resonate with customers. This creativity can manifest in various areas, including business operations, customer service improvements, and strategic planning. Importance in Business Creativity significantly impacts small business success, driving growth and enhancing competitive advantage. By fostering an environment that encourages creative thinking, you boost problem-solving capabilities, streamline workflows, and improve team management. Problem-Solving: Creative approaches allow you to navigate challenges effectively, improving decision-making processes. Business Growth: Innovative ideas lead to new market opportunities and increased customer acquisition. Operational Efficiency: Creativity helps identify ways to optimize budgeting, financial planning, and resource allocation. Employee Development: Engaging your team in creative processes enhances motivation and improves performance reviews. Customer Retention: Unique marketing campaigns foster brand loyalty and enhance customer service experiences. Emphasizing creativity in your small business boosts productivity and sets the stage for lasting success. Techniques to Boost Your Entrepreneurial Creativity Boosting your entrepreneurial creativity helps you navigate the complexities of small business management and enhances decision-making. Below are effective techniques to elevate your creative potential. Mind Mapping Mind mapping is a visual technique that organizes and generates ideas efficiently. Start by writing your key business challenge at the center of a page or online platform. Branch out to include related concepts, strategies, and solutions. Utilize different colors and varying line thicknesses to represent the strength of connections. This method clarifies how ideas interrelate, aiding in problem-solving and strategic planning. Mind mapping enhances creativity by allowing you to visualize your thoughts, leading to clearer business strategies. Brainstorming Sessions Brainstorming sessions are a proven approach for idea generation. Gather your team and create an open environment for sharing thoughts, no matter how unconventional they seem. Encourage the submission of multiple ideas related to your business goals and operations without criticism. Encourage all voices in discussions to foster collaboration. Utilizing a facilitator can keep the session focused and productive, ensuring effective time management. After the session, categorize and prioritize ideas for implementation, improving productivity and enhancing your business model. Breakthrough Thinking Breakthrough thinking involves stepping outside conventional boundaries to innovate. Challenge existing assumptions about your business processes and systems. Ask “what if” questions that allow you to envision alternate scenarios and solutions. For instance, consider how technology solutions can streamline cash flow or enhance customer service. Encourage your team to take risks in thinking and express their ideas freely. This environment contributes to creative freedom and can lead to significant advancements in your business operations, ultimately contributing to business growth. Cultivating a Creative Mindset Cultivating a creative mindset enhances your entrepreneurial journey. It’s essential for generating innovative ideas and solutions that drive business growth. Overcoming Fear of Failure Overcoming fear of failure empowers you to take calculated risks. Acknowledge that setbacks occur in small business management. When you view failures as learning opportunities, you foster an environment that encourages experimentation. This experimentation leads to breakthroughs in problem-solving and enhances your decision-making process, aiding in the efficient management of resources and time. Embracing Curiosity Embracing curiosity stimulates your creativity. Ask questions that prompt exploration, such as “What if we alter our business model?” or “How can technology solutions optimize our workflow?” Investigate various fields, concepts, and trends. By seeking diverse knowledge, you’re better equipped to not only respond to customer feedback but also to innovate your business processes and strategies effectively. Importance of Diverse Perspectives Seeking diverse perspectives enriches your creative process. Collaborating with team members from varied backgrounds or experiences generates a wealth of ideas. This diversity leads to effective brainstorming sessions that enhance your marketing strategy or improve customer acquisition efforts. By valuing differing viewpoints, you reinforce a culture of inclusivity that boosts team management and operational efficiency, driving your small business toward sustained growth. Tools and Resources for Entrepreneurs You can boost your entrepreneurial creativity by leveraging specific tools and resources designed for small businesses. These resources enhance productivity and streamline business operations. Creative Software Applications Adobe Creative Suite: Utilize tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign for design work. This suite supports graphic design, photo editing, and layout creation, enhancing your marketing strategy and brand management. Sketch: Use Sketch for intuitive UI/UX design. Its robust vector editing and collaboration features expedite project management and improve team workflows. Canva: Access Canva for quick design solutions. With a variety of templates, you can create professional presentations and marketing materials even without graphic design expertise. Flodesk: Implement Flodesk for email marketing. Its beautifully designed templates simplify customer acquisition and retention through effective email campaigns. Networking Opportunities Engage in networking to foster collaborations that support your creativity. Join local entrepreneurial groups or attend industry conferences to connect with like-minded individuals. Networking enhances team management, business partnerships, and opens doors for innovative ideas that can lead to business growth. Workshops and Courses Consider enrolling in workshops and courses focusing on business development, leadership, and problem-solving. These educational opportunities enrich your knowledge base and improve skills in areas like financial planning, risk management, and employee development. Many organizations offer online courses, making it easier to fit learning into your busy schedule while improving your decision-making and operational efficiency. Conclusion Boosting your entrepreneurial creativity isn’t just about generating ideas; it’s about creating a culture that embraces innovation and experimentation. By implementing the strategies discussed, you can unlock your potential and that of your team, leading to breakthroughs that drive your business forward. Remember to stay curious and open to diverse perspectives. Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and encourage collaboration to enrich your creative process. Utilizing the right tools and resources will streamline your efforts and enhance your decision-making. As you foster an environment that prioritizes creativity, you’ll not only differentiate yourself in the market but also set the foundation for long-term success. Your journey toward enhanced creativity starts now. Frequently Asked Questions What is the role of creativity in entrepreneurship? Creativity is vital in entrepreneurship as it helps generate innovative ideas and solve problems effectively. It enables entrepreneurs to stand out in a competitive market and drives business success by enhancing productivity and operational efficiency. How can entrepreneurs maintain their creative potential? Entrepreneurs can maintain their creative potential by cultivating a creative mindset, embracing curiosity, and fostering an environment that encourages experimentation. Regularly engaging in brainstorming sessions and exploring diverse perspectives can also help unlock new ideas. What are some effective techniques to boost creativity in business? Effective techniques include mind mapping to organize ideas visually, conducting brainstorming sessions for open idea-sharing, and employing breakthrough thinking by challenging assumptions with “what if” questions to explore innovative solutions. Why is overcoming the fear of failure important for entrepreneurs? Overcoming the fear of failure empowers entrepreneurs to take calculated risks, view challenges as learning opportunities, and create an environment conducive to experimentation. This mindset fosters resilience and enhances decision-making. How do diverse perspectives contribute to entrepreneurial creativity? Diverse perspectives enrich the creative process by incorporating varied insights and ideas. Collaborating with team members from different backgrounds enhances marketing strategies and drives sustained growth by introducing innovative approaches to problem-solving. What tools can entrepreneurs use to enhance creativity? Entrepreneurs can leverage creative software like Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, and Canva for design work, as well as Flodesk for email marketing. These tools streamline operations and support innovative project management and marketing efforts. Why should entrepreneurs network and engage in workshops? Networking allows entrepreneurs to connect with local groups and industry peers, fostering collaborations and innovative ideas. Attending workshops and courses on business development and leadership enhances skills, enriching knowledge and improving operational efficiency. Image Via Envato This article, "Unlock Your Potential: Boost Your Entrepreneurial Creativity for Business Success" was first published on Small Business Trends View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. There are plenty of places worth investing your money for long-term growth. But what about short-term savings? Shouldn’t you be able to earn a little something extra on that, too? A high-yield savings account functions like a traditional savings account but offers significantly higher interest rates. More specifically, the average interest rate on savings accounts is currently 0.41% per the FDIC. Compared to those meager returns on a traditional savings account, high-yield alternatives can deliver more than 4.50% APY—turning a potential $50 annual return on $10,000 into $450 or more. These accounts are typically offered by online banks and financial institutions with lower overhead costs, allowing them to pass those savings to customers through better rates. So: With all the high-yield savings accounts out there, how do you choose? What to look for in a high-yield savings accountWhile maximizing returns is going to be your top priority, here are other features to consider when choosing your high-yield savings account. Annual percentage yield (APY)The APY represents your actual return after compounding interest. This aspect is no doubt your top priority. Even small differences in APY can significantly impact your earnings over time. Currently, the most competitive high-yield accounts offer between 4.50% and 5.25% APY. Fee structureWhile many accounts don’t have a minimum deposit to open an account (remember, they want you to sign up), some charge a monthly fee if your balance is below a certain threshold. For example, Citi Accelerate Savings charges $4.50 per month if you don’t keep a minimum of $500 in your account. Look for accounts with: No monthly maintenance fees No minimum balance requirements Free transfers between linked accounts Reasonable excessive withdrawal fees (if any) Access to your moneySince you’re probably housing short-term savings in one of these accounts, you’ll want to be sure you can access your money when you want to withdraw it to pay for your next family vacation or the new brakes the car will need this year. Consider how you'll need to use these funds: Do you need ATM access? Is mobile check deposit available? How many monthly transactions are allowed without penalty? How quickly can you transfer funds to your primary checking account? Insurance protectionEnsure your deposits are federally insured. FDIC insurance for banks goes up to $250,000 per depositor; NCUA insurance for credit unions has the same coverage limits. Most financial institutions are up front about this, noting their FDIC status on the homepage or account features list. A lot of banks put “Member FDIC” right next to their name. User experienceRead some reviews and ratings for the account's mobile app, customer service, and account opening process. Minimum deposit requirementsWhile many accounts don’t have a minimum deposit to open an account (remember, they want you to sign up), some charge a monthly fee if your balance is below a certain threshold. And still, some accounts do require substantial opening deposits or minimum balances to earn the advertised APY. Choose an account that aligns with your financial situation. Some of the top high-yield savings accounts right nowLet's take a look at how you might decide between some of the most competitive accounts on the market right now. I broke down some of the most popular options by their APY, as well as the factors that help minimize fees and ensure easy access. Note: Rates are subject to change based on market conditions and Federal Reserve policy. SoFi Checking and SavingsAPY: 3.80% (with direct deposit) Minimum balance: $0 Monthly/overdraft fees: None What else to consider: Combination checking and savings account; no branch access, fees for cash deposits Capital One 360 Performance SavingsAPY: 3.60% Minimum balance: $0 Monthly/overdraft fees: None What else to consider: Highly rated user experience, no minimum opening deposits; no cash deposits at many partner ATMs CIT Bank Platinum SavingsAPY: 4.10% (on balances of $5,000 or more) Minimum balance: $0 Monthly/overdraft fees: None What else to consider: No free ATM network, but ATM fee rebates; high minimum opening deposit EverBank Performance SavingsAPY: 4.30% Minimum balance: $0 Monthly/overdraft fees: None What else to consider: No minimum opening deposits; limited branch access. More tips to maximize your savingsAs you choose the right account for you, there are extra strategies you can start practicing to really hack your savings. Rate chasing vs. convenienceWhile chasing the highest rates can maximize returns, consider the hassle of frequently opening new accounts. Sometimes accepting a slightly lower rate (within 0.25%) from a more convenient or full-featured institution makes sense. Laddering your savingsConsider splitting your funds between high-yield savings accounts and certificates of deposit (CDs) to create a "ladder" that balances liquidity and higher returns. You can play around with this CD ladder calculator to see if it’s worthwhile for you. Special promotionsMany banks offer promotional rates or cash bonuses for new customers. These can sometimes provide better short-term value than a slightly higher standard APY. The bottom lineOnce you feel settled on a high-yield savings account option, don’t bop around chasing rates. It’s not worth switching savings accounts to go from a 4.1% APY to a 4.3% APY. The whole idea of having a savings account is to let your money work for you, not to have to bust a move to keep up with interest rates. And since rates fluctuate, you may find that your interest rate increases without you having to do a thing. By prioritizing the factors most important to your financial goals—whether that's maximizing returns, minimizing fees, or ensuring easy access—you can select an account that puts your money to work for you. Remember that while rates can change with market conditions, the habit of keeping your extra cash in a high-yield account rather than a traditional low-interest option is a savvy move all around. View the full article

Agency mortgage backed securities have slipped about 1.1% since the start of April, trailing Treasuries and the broader US bond market. View the full article

People plan events all the time—birthday parties, anniversaries, weddings—but professional event management can still be intimidating. Discover how to turn your professional events into unforgettable successes. The post Event Project Management 101: A Beginner’s Guide appeared first on The Digital Project Manager. View the full article

May has only just begun, but already, it has not been a good month for the tech industry in terms of layoffs. Since the month started, several prominent names in technology have announced layoffs, some involving a significant number of workers. Here are the companies involved in the latest round of tech layoffs Panasonic Holdings The iconic Japanese electronics giant, founded over a century ago, announced on May 9 that it would eliminate 10,000 jobs. That reduction equates to about 4% of Panasonic’s total workforce, reports Bloomberg. According to Panasonic CEO Yuki Kusumi, the cuts are to better prepare the electronics maker for the next few decades. The company will reportedly trim back operations in non-growth areas like televisions and industrial products in order to concentrate on other areas, including artificial intelligence (AI). On an earnings call, Kusumi addressed the cuts, saying he was “truly sorry,” adding, “if we don’t make drastic cuts to our fixed cost structure, we won’t be able to chase growth again.” Of the planned cuts, 5,000 jobs are expected to be lost in Japan, while the other 5,000 jobs will be cut overseas. It is unknown how many American jobs will be lost in the cuts. Match Group The owner of the world’s most popular dating apps, including Tinder and Hinge, has announced it will cut 13% of its staff. As noted by Bloomberg, in 2024, Match employed about 2,500 full-time, which means that the company will be cutting around 325 individuals. Match Group’s new CEO, Spencer Rascof, announced the cuts when reporting the company’s Q1 2025 results yesterday, May 8. In recent years, younger generations, particularly Gen Z, have begun to sour on dating apps, a trend that Rascof addressed in March, a month after becoming Match Group’s new CEO. “Too often, our apps have felt like a numbers game rather than a place to build real connections, leaving people with the false impression that we prioritize metrics over experience,” he said in a letter to employees. “That needs to change.” Bloomberg says the cuts will see one out of every five managers be let go at Match and quotes Rascof as saying the aim of the cuts is to help the company focus on “product velocity” to drive growth. Google Search giant Google is also reportedly seeing tech layoffs, letting go of 200 workers in its global business unit, reports The Information. The global business unit handles partnerships and sales at the company. A company spokesperson told Reuters that the cuts were being made as part of some changes across its teams that are designed “to drive greater collaboration and expand our ability to quickly and effectively serve our customers.” CrowdStrike The cybersecurity company CrowdStrike said on May 7 that it will cut about 500 jobs, equating to about 5% of its total workforce. The Austin, Texas-based company employed just over 10,000 people as of January 2025. CrowdStrike’s CEO, George Kurtz, said the job cuts will position the company “to move faster, operate more efficiently, and continue our cybersecurity leadership,” according to the Wall Street Journal. CrowdStrike was a little-known name outside of the cybersecurity industry until last year, when a bug in its software temporarily made millions of Windows PCs worldwide unusable. Symbotic The warehouse automation company based in Wilmington, Massachusetts, announced that it will lay off 400 workers from the robotics unit it purchased from Walmart in January, reported the Boston Globe on May 3. “While decisions like these are always difficult, we made them following a thorough post-close review of our operations to ensure we are best positioned for the future with an effective structure to continue executing our long-term growth strategy,” the company said in a statement to the Globe. The layoffs will take place on June 27. Tech isn’t the only industry facing layoffs While not a tech company, it’s worth mentioning that accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers, better known as PwC, announced earlier this week that it was laying off about 1,500 employees in the United States. That represents about 2% of its 75,000-strong workforce in America. The move is reportedly being made to cut costs. Tech layoffs mount in 2025 With these latest May tech layoffs, the total number of tech industry layoffs in 2025 has now reached 52,340, according to data compiled by Layoffs.fyi. Those layoffs have occurred at 123 companies. However, those layoff numbers are still well below the 152,922 laid off in 2024; the 264,220 laid off in 2023; and the 165,269 laid off in 2022. View the full article

Latest measures to increase economic pressure on Moscow target five Azerbaijani oil executivesView the full article

Planes at New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport were briefly left flying blind overnight as the airport experienced another radar outage – the second incident in less than two weeks. The most recent radar outage, first reported by ABC news, occurred just before 4 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday and lasted for a minute and a half. “There was a telecommunications outage that impacted communications and radar display at Philadelphia TRACON Area C, which guides aircraft in and out of Newark Liberty International Airport airspace,” an Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson confirmed in a statement provided to Fast Company. Why New York area planes are getting their orders from Philadelphia A Terminal Radar Approach Control, or TRACON, is a facility that oversees arrivals and departures within a given airspace. Those facilities provide a critical link between traffic controllers based in airport towers who coordinate takeoffs and landings and the multi-state area control centers that guide planes once they reach cruising altitudes. In the case of Newark Airport, that vital link in the chain of communication is newly operating out of Pennsylvania. The FAA relocated part of Newark airport’s air traffic control operations to Philadelphia last year in an effort to add additional controllers and to reduce delays in one world’s busiest and most complex airspaces. But the move to Philadelphia appears to have caused more problems than it has solved, with short but potentially catastrophic outages sowing chaos for Newark’s air traffic controllers. The most recent radar outage is not an isolated incident Friday’s radar and communications outage at Newark Airport is just the latest in a string of recent safety lapses keeping frequent fliers up at night. A Newark air traffic controller told NBC News that radio contact has gone dark “at least eight or nine times” at the facility in the last few months. On April 28, Philadelphia’s TRACON Area C lost all contact with planes flying into Newark Airport for at least 30 seconds when communications and radar screens went offline. After the incident, a number of Newark air traffic controllers working that day took mental health leave due to the acute anxiety they experienced, worsening existing staffing shortages and snarling the airport in more than 1,000 cancellations and delays. In January, an American Airlines passenger plane collided midair with a U.S. Army helicopter near Reagan National Airport, killing everyone on board both aircraft. The tragedy prompted an intense public outcry over air travel safety in the U.S., which is plagued by outdated technology and hiring woes. The Department of Transportation has a plan – but needs the cash Prior to Friday’s outage, the FAA said that it planned “immediate steps” to improve the situation at Newark, with plans to staff up air traffic control and fast track technology and logistics updates. Prior to the The President administration, the Biden administration offered its own incremental updates to U.S. air travel, including millions for smaller airports to modernize their air traffic control towers. On Thursday, the FAA highlighted plans to update infrastructure including radar, software and telecommunications systems. According to the detailed proposal by the Department of Transportation, “legacy radios, some over 30 years old, rely on outdated analog technology, leading to frequent outages, high maintenance costs due to scarce parts, and incompatibility with modern digital standards like VoIP.” The three-year proposal would modernize existing technology, including an updated digital radio system that would make regular communications blackouts a thing of the past. The proposed upgrades would also add six new air traffic control centers. The The President administration would need Congress to fund such a massive overhaul to America’s air traffic control systems. The President has enthusiastically steered around Congress on most issues so far, but for a huge infrastructure project that wouldn’t be possible. Concerns over American air travel could be one area of rare bipartisan overlap during The President’s second term. The proposal is expected to cost tens of billions of dollars, though $12.5 billion has already bubbled up in a House appropriations bill. “We use radar from the 1970s,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Thursday. “This technology is 50 years old that our controllers use to scan the skies and keep airplanes separated from one another.” View the full article

President Donald The President on Friday floated cutting tariffs on China from 145% to 80% ahead of a weekend meeting among top U.S. and Chinese trade officials as he looks to deescalate the trade war between the world’s two largest economies. Top U.S. officials are set to meet with a high-level Chinese delegation in Switzerland in the first major talks between the nations since The President sparked a trade war with stiff tariffs on imports. “80% Tariff on China seems right! Up to Scott B,” The President wrote on his social media account on Friday morning, referring to Scott Bessent, his Treasury chief, who has been a point person on trade. The Republican president also called on China to open its markets to the U.S., writing: “WOULD BE SO GOOD FOR THEM!!! CLOSED MARKETS DON’T WORK ANYMORE!!!” Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will meet Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Geneva in the most-senior known conversations between the two countries in months, according to announcements this week by the The President administration and the Chinese commerce ministry. It comes amid growing U.S. market worry over the impact of the tariffs on the prices and supply of consumer goods. No country has been hit harder by The President’s trade war than China, the world’s biggest exporter and second largest economy. When The President announced his “Liberation Day” tariffs on April 2, China retaliated with tariffs of its own, a move that The President viewed as demonstrating a lack of respect. The tariffs on each other’s goods have been mounting since then, with the U.S. tariffs against China now at 145% and China tariffs on the U.S. at 125%. The U.S. tariff includes a 20% rate tied to The President’s claim that Beijing has failed to stem the flow of chemicals used to manufacture fentanyl, and this portion of the tariff is unlikely to be brought up in this weekend’s talks. While an 80% tariff level on Chinese goods would represent a significant reduction from the current 145%, it would still be an extremely high import duty that could create supply chain problems and push up prices. And even with the reduction, the tariff rate would still be higher than the combined 74% rate on China that The President announced at his April 2 “Liberation Day” event. For China, experts say Beijing would insist that any agreement from the U.S. side would be credible and implemented. The President had previously said that he wouldn’t lower the tariffs against China to hold substantive talks. But he showed signs of softening during an Oval Office appearance on Thursday, when he said he “could” lower the 145% rate charged on Chinese goods if the weekend talks go well. “We’re going to see,” The President said. “Right now, you can’t get any higher. It’s at 145, so we know it’s coming down.” The president’s team has acknowledged that the 145% tariff was not sustainable, as taxes at that rate were effectively an embargo on any trade between the two countries. But it remains unclear how The President can reconcile the contradictions in his stated goals. He wants large amounts of tariff revenues to offset his income tax cuts, but he also wants deals to increase market access for U.S. goods that would likely require lower tariffs. His aides have said he wants to isolate China, yet his tariffs on other trade partners make it difficult to create a durable alliance on trade. The President’s social media post was another sign that the president has essentially been publicly negotiating with himself on tariffs. He’s started, paused, tweaked and then threatened more import taxes, constantly reversing himself while balancing his promises to address inflation with his claims that tariffs can tilt the global economy in America’s favor. —Seung Min Kim and Josh Boak, Associated Press View the full article

Our hearts beat faster when we exercise, which is why heart rate training can be so useful. But when we aren’t doing anything, our heart rate can still be useful to know. If you have a wearable that measures your resting heart rate (RHR), here’s how to understand what it’s telling you. What is a normal resting heart rate? Medical professionals usually consider anything between 60 and 100 beats per minute (bpm) to be a “normal” resting heart rate. But they are usually measuring resting heart rate in people who are in a healthcare setting, sitting quietly. Notably, they are awake, and some may be a bit nervous about being in a doctor’s office. Your smartwatch or other wearable device may be able to capture lower numbers, especially if you wear it while you’re sleeping. Oura, maker of smart rings, reports that its members tend to have a resting heart rate between 50 and 60 bpm. Whoop says that its users average 59 bpm for women, 55 for men. Users of Oura, Whoop, and similar devices probably have lower than average heart rates, because these platforms are popular among athletes and the health-conscious. The more typical 60 to 100 figure is meant to apply to the entire population a healthcare professional might encounter. So it’s OK if you’re not hitting those lower numbers. A lower resting heart rate is usually betterAthletes and people in good cardiovascular health tend to have lower resting heart rates. People who improve their cardio fitness tend to see their resting heart rate decrease over time, and that’s often considered a good sign that what you’re doing is working. In the short term, a heart rate a few beats higher than your usual may mean: You are stressed, either mentally or physically (for example, fatigued from hard workouts) You’re in your follicular phase, if you’re a person with a menstrual cycle You’re getting sick You’re taking medication that affects your resting heart rate (including some stimulants and decongestants) Something disrupted your sleep, if your RHR is measured during sleep—for example, drinking and staying up late can both result in a higher RHR reading. I find resting heart rate (along with HRV, which is different) to be a useful number to track for understanding how stressed or recovered my body is. If it goes up, that’s fine, so long as it comes back down within a few days. A resting heart rate that stays elevated for weeks may indicate illness or other issues that may call for medical attention. Why you shouldn’t compare your resting heart rate to others’As tempting as it is to want a “good” resting heart rate, it’s not useful to treat RHR as a competition. People are built differently, and just as your friend might be taller or shorter than you, they may have a naturally higher or lower heart rate, even before you take fitness or health factors into account. In general, smaller people tend to have slightly higher resting heart rates, which is why the average RHR for women is a few beats higher than the average man’s. Resting heart rates can also change with age, increasing slightly in early adulthood and then leveling off. (Note that your resting heart rate doesn’t necessarily say anything about your maximum heart rate or exercise heart rate, which I discuss in more detail here.) If you’re using a watch or wearable to tell you your resting heart rate, there’s also a difference from device to device. When I wore five different devices to track my RHR and HRV for several nights in a row, the Fitbit gave a resting heart rate number that was often 10 beats higher than the reading from Oura. The other devices—a Garmin, a Whoop, and an Apple Watch—were in between. Ultimately, the best way to use your RHR data is to keep an eye on long- and short-term trends. If your RHR is lowering gradually over time as you exercise a little more, that’s a good sign. And when it varies from day to day, you can use those changes as a nudge to check in on your health, stress, fatigue, and sleep. And of course, if you’re ever concerned about your heart rate being unusually high or low, check with a medical professional. View the full article

Whether they’re digital natives or prefer traditional channels, today’s customers share one expectation: relevance, wherever and however they engage. But for organizations balancing privacy mandates, data governance, and legacy systems, delivering that kind of personalization at scale is no small feat. Join Adobe for Secure, Scalable Omnichannel Engagement—For the Most Demanding Industries and get an inside look at how leading organizations in complex industries are evolving from fragmented messaging to seamless, secure, and scalable cross-channel experiences. In this session, you’ll learn: How to architect personalized journeys across touchpoints without compromising oversight Insights into generational shifts in digital engagement—and what that means for your CX roadmap Real-world examples of orchestrated, customer-centric strategies in high-stakes environments Learn what it takes to personalize at scale, across generations and systems. Sign up here! View the full article