Amazon SageMaker Canvas: A No-Code Machine Learning Service

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Amazon SageMaker Canvas: A No-Code Machine Learning Service

Amazon has released SageMaker Canvas, the company’s no-code machine learning service.

No-code is one of the fastest growing sectors within development. In fact, Gartner predicts that no-code development will account for 80% of tech products and services by 2024.

Amazon is getting in on the action with its SageMaker Canvas, a no-code tool with machine learning applications in mind.

“Today, I’m excited to announce the general availability of Amazon SageMaker Canvas, a new visual, no code capability that allows business analysts to build ML models and generate accurate predictions without writing code or requiring ML expertise,” writes Alex Casalboni, AWS Developer Advocate. “Its intuitive user interface lets you browse and access disparate data sources in the cloud or on-premises, combine datasets with the click of a button, train accurate models, and then generate new predictions once new data is available.

“SageMaker Canvas leverages the same technology as Amazon SageMaker to automatically clean and combine your data, create hundreds of models under the hood, select the best performing one, and generate new individual or batch predictions. It supports multiple problem types such as binary classification, multi-class classification, numerical regression, and time series forecasting. These problem types let you address business-critical use cases, such as fraud detection, churn reduction, and inventory optimization, without writing a single line of code.”

Amazon SageMaker Canvas: A No-Code Machine Learning Service
Matt Milano

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LinkedIn and Intel tech leaders on the state of AI

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Industry leaders discuss the "duct tape of data," if language models are a good way to approximate AI, and how to gain hybrid intelligence.Read More

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UK Blocks Meta’s Giphy Acquisition, Forcing a Sale

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UK Blocks Meta’s Giphy Acquisition, Forcing a Sale

Meta’s purchase of Giphy has been thwarted, with UK regulators blocking the deal and forcing Meta to sell it.

Meta, then Facebook, acquired Giphy in 2020 to the tune of $400 million. It was later discovered the two companies had used a legal loophole to avoid regulatory scrutiny, with Giphy paying investors a dividend right before the deal. Doing so lowered its value temporarily, allowing the deal to slide under the radar.

UK regulators have been looking at the deal, and indicated in Augustthey may block it. According to NBC News, regulators have told Meta it must sell Giphy, refusing to back the deal. Regulators are concerned Meta owning Giphy will harm other social media platforms, giving Meta the ability to restrict other platforms’ access to Giphy.

Meta has already said it plans to appeal the decision.

UK Blocks Meta’s Giphy Acquisition, Forcing a Sale
Matt Milano

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What You Need to Know About a Career in Marketing

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What You Need to Know About a Career in Marketing

Making the decision to pursue a profession in marketing (specifically, digital marketing) is one of the most popular career choices being made over the last few years. Because of this, digital marketing has quickly risen to become one of the most in-demand and rapidly rising professions available today, as you are most likely well aware.

As a digital marketer, you have the opportunity to work on interesting and exciting marketing projects with wonderful brands and enterprises, and you can live the “laptop lifestyle” from anywhere in the world. It’s simple to see why the digital marketing field is so enticing.

Is it Necessary to Have a Marketing Degree?

What’s the short answer? No. General business classes are the most beneficial courses, but most of marketing expertise comes from self-study and experience after that. By far, the most effective approach to study digital marketing is to put it into practice! However, it is worth noting that a degree will definitely help in your job search. If you do go this route, make sure you have a plan to pay of your student loans quickly so that you aren’t playing catch up for years before you can enjoy the benefits this career provides.

Whatever your goals are, whether you want to work for an agency or create your own digital marketing company, you’ll need to know what you’re doing. People who study one book or attend one class and then proclaim themselves “professional digital marketers” are far too numerous. If you truly want to be that top-level marketer, you’ll need to put in the time and effort to study, take what you’ve learned, and put it into action in order to see results. The most important thing you can do is simply start learning as much as you can.

What are the Best Ways to Get Started in Digital Marketing?

Sign up for an Instagram account, post some content, and observe what others like and don’t like about your work. Create YouTube videos and learn how to record and edit them, as well as how to optimize them for search engine optimization. Design and develop skills while building a website, as well as learn to rank that website using search engine optimization and keywords. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn everything and everything that interests you in the field of digital marketing.

Digital marketing is made up of a plethora of subcategories, each with their own set of rules. It might be everything from content, to SEO, to public relations, to email, to design, to development, to advertising, to social media, just to name a few. After years of research and study, most would still only consider themselves an expert on a handful of the topics covered by digital marketing. 

Wrapping Up

By studying and developing your abilities as a digital marketer you will become familiar with the fundamentals of marketing, which are the most important marketing principles! These fundamental marketing ideas are just as applicable today as they were 10-20 years ago, and more significantly, they will continue to be just as relevant and useful in 10-20 years as they are now.

What You Need to Know About a Career in Marketing
Brian Wallace

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It’s Official: Jack Dorsey Steps Down as Twitter CEO

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It’s Official: Jack Dorsey Steps Down as Twitter CEO

Jack Dorsey has stepped down as Twitter CEO and will be leaving the company within a few months.

News broke Monday morning that Dorsey was expected to step down as CEO, although CNBC’s sources did not say why or when. Dorsey confirmed the news in a tweet Monday.

not sure anyone has heard but,

I resigned from Twitter pic.twitter.com/G5tUkSSxkl

— jack (@jack) November 29, 2021

In his tweet, Dorsey says Parag Agrawal is replacing him, effective Monday. Dorsey said he believes every company should be able to stand on its own, without the leadership or influence of its founders.

In harmony with that belief, Dorsey says he will stay on the board only though the remainder of his current term, which is set to expire around May. After that, he will leave the company, giving Agrawal room to lead how he sees fit.

It’s Official: Jack Dorsey Steps Down as Twitter CEO
Matt Milano

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Why Should You Use Mass Text Messaging Software?

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Why Should You Use Mass Text Messaging Software?

Having the ability to communicate quickly, broadly, and thoroughly with anyone is a useful tool. When it comes down to it, using a communication method that can reach a large audience quickly with the guarantee that your messages won’t go unread is probably one of the most valuable assets a business can have. Mass text messaging software is exactly what you need to accomplish these tasks.

A mass text messaging software solution is simply an integrated dashboard that allows you to get in touch with your contacts quickly and efficiently. Through a mix of scheduling, following up, real-time tracking, and integrating with other communication tools, the software is a one-size-fits-all solution to the communication conundrum facing so many businesses today. In this article, you’ll why you should use mass text messaging software solutions at your business right now.

Extensive Reach

Reaching a wide audience is one of the core tenets of marketing. But you also want to reach an engaged and diverse audience. That’s where text messaging can dramatically improve your overall reach. People love text messaging. Text messages are convenient and easy to send and are a pretty robust way to communicate. People love them. 90% of customers usually want a business to use text messaging as their primary means of communication. Whether it’s marketing or a helpline, text messaging is easier for people to use and therefore much more convenient. Messages have a quick turnaround and are always an easier way to reach audiences worldwide.

Templates

SMS Templates help make messages easier to send quickly. A template is simply a pre-designed document that you can alter slightly to tailor a message to a particular audience. Businesses have been using them as a means to create personalized, tailored messaging campaigns for a long time via email. The same logic can be applied to using them for text message marketing. If you are running a texting campaign that’s targeted toward particular audiences, using templates can help generate personalized messages your customers can easily engage with and are more likely to open.

Smooth Responses

Real-time responses from your contacts are incredibly important, especially when you’re trying to generate leads, connect with customers, and communicate a critical message. Fortunately, flexible mass texting software lets you monitor responses and conversations as they occur in real-time. If a colleague replies to you, you can reply quickly in seconds. Smooth, free-flowing communication eventually leads to better engagement, customer satisfaction, and better open rates/response rates for your messages.

Attributes

Messages can be tagged with detailed attributes to make them easier to locate, distribute, and sort. But what are attributes in the sense of text message marketing communication? These simply refer to how you tag your contacts. If your contact is somebody within the organization, it might have their name and business function in their attributes section of the contact. It could also have its title or physical location.

Since you’ll be dealing with both text messaging in your own local area and throughout the nation, location is an important tag to have on some types of messaging content. Other attributes are tax might include Marketing group, organizational roles, or other important defining metrics that determine who you’re messaging, when, and why.

Streamlining and Convenience

At the end of the day, you want a convenient and streamlined experience dash especially when it involves communication. If you want an easy way to save time and money, switching to mass text messaging is one way to do it. Text messaging doesn’t really cost much at all to send and you might even end up with better overall customer satisfaction due to the convenience with which you can speak to customers through texting. For marketing communications, a text message goes a long way to allow customers to opt-in, opt-out, and interact with promotions. From a customer service perspective, it frees up communication channels to ensure everybody benefits from high-quality communication.

At the business level, streamlining your communication with text messaging allows you to get in touch with colleagues both nationally and internationally to ensure smooth collaboration or communicate vital operational concerns efficiently. Ultimately, the ability of mass text messaging to improve and streamline communications is beneficial across the board for everyone from customers to investors to associates and beyond.

Why Should You Use Mass Text Messaging Software?
Brian Wallace

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Amazon Set to Pass UPS and FedEx as Largest US Delivery Service

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Amazon Set to Pass UPS and FedEx as Largest US Delivery Service

Amazon is on the verge of a major milestone, as it closes in on UPS and FedEx as the largest US delivery service.

Amazon may have started as an online book sales platform, but it has grown far beyond its origins. The company is now the largest e-commerce platform, the largest cloud provider and will soon be the largest delivery service, according to CNBC.

While Amazon originally relied on other services to deliver its products, it has increasingly invested in its own service over the last few years. Dave Clark, Amazon’s CEO of Worldwide Consumer, told CNBC that the company expects to become the biggest service in late 2021 or early 2022.

“We expect we will be one of the largest carriers in the world by the end of this year,” Clark told CNBC’s Becky Quick. “I think we’ll probably be the largest package delivery carrier in the U.S. by the time we get to the end of the year, if not in early ’22.”

Amazon Set to Pass UPS and FedEx as Largest US Delivery Service
Matt Milano

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Raspberry Pi Plans to Go Public

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Raspberry Pi Plans to Go Public

Raspberry Pi is preparing for a public listing, capping the remarkable journey of what started as a way for students to learn computing.

Raspberry Pi was originally created to help teach computing, especially in low-income markets. The devices became wildly popular, used by programmers, tinkers and everyday users the world over.

According to The Telegraph, the Raspberry Pi Foundation has hired bankers from Stifel and Liberum to explore a public listing. According to The Telegraph’s sources, the listing would value Raspberry Pi at “a premium” of its $500 million valuation, following the $45 investment it raised in September.

“We are always looking at how we fund the future of the business,” said Eben Upton, chief executive of Raspberry Pi Trading.

“Obviously, the $45m we raised in September takes away some of the urgency around figuring out how we fund the future. On the other hand, we have great plans for what we are going to do over the next five years.”

Raspberry Pi Plans to Go Public
Matt Milano

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Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey Preparing to Step Down

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Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey Preparing to Step Down

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey is preparing to step down, according to reports, raising questions about the social media platform’s future.

Dorsey currently serves as CEO of Twitter and his second company, Square. He has faced calls to step down from the top spot at Twitter before, with some questioning whether he has the ability to effectively run both companies.

According to CNBC, sources say Dorsey is expected to step down, although no details have been disclosed. It’s not known when or why he would step down, nor is it known who would replace him.

Twitter’s stock was up on the news.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey Preparing to Step Down
Matt Milano

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Crypto Miners Compromising Google Cloud Accounts for Mining

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Crypto Miners Compromising Google Cloud Accounts for Mining

Google is warning that crypto miners are compromising Google Cloud accounts for mining operations.

Crypto mining is a profitable endeavor that relies on significant computing resources. According to Google, malicious actors have been compromising Google Cloud instances and using them for mining.

Google outlined the extent of the threat in an executive summary of their Threat Horizons cybersecurity report.

Malicious actors were observed performing cryptocurrency mining within compromised Cloud instances. Of 50 recently compromised GCP instances, 86% of the compromised Cloud instances were used to perform cryptocurrency mining, a Cloud resource-intensive, for-profit activity. Additionally, 10% of compromised Cloud instances were used to conduct scans of other publicly available resources on the Internet to identify vulnerable systems, and 8% of instances were used to attack other targets. While data theft did not appear to be the objective of these compromises, it remains a risk associated with the cloud asset compromises as bad actors start performing multiple forms of abuse.

Google recommends conducting regular audits to ensure credentials are not exposed, hashing downloaded code and using a multi-layered defense strategy.

Crypto Miners Compromising Google Cloud Accounts for Mining
Matt Milano

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Verizon, AT&T Limiting 5G to Accommodate Air Traffic Safety Concerns

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Verizon, AT&T Limiting 5G to Accommodate Air Traffic Safety Concerns

Verizon and AT&T have volunteered to limit their 5G networks in an effort to address concerns over air traffic safety.

Verizon and AT&T spent a small fortune — to the tune of nearly $69 billion — to purchase C-Band spectrum for their 5G networks. C-Band, falling in the mid-range of available spectrum, is considered the sweet spot for 5G, offering a solid blend of speed, range and penetration.

Unfortunately, the spectrum Verizon and AT&T purchased is in the 3.7 to 3.98 GHz range, relatively close to the 4.2-4.4 GHz range that airline altimeters run on. As a result, there have been concerns that Verizon and AT&T’s 5G could negatively impact airline safety, leading both companies to delay their C-Band rollout.

Verizon and AT&T are now voluntarily offering to limit their rollout of the C-Band 5G spectrum in an effort to mitigate potential issues.

“We have voluntarily agreed to certain precautionary protection measures for 5G networks in the C-band while additional evidence from radio altimeter manufacturers is evaluated,” AT&T said in a statement, according to The Hill. “Though there is no credible evidence that a legitimate interference problem exists, we agreed to take these additional steps to alleviate any safety concerns from the FAA.”

Despite their willingness to cripple their 5G, as Telecoms.com points out, it’s obvious by the wording of their statement that Verizon and AT&T are not happy with the current state of affairs. Their statement is a not-so-subtle way of pointing out that, after spending tens of billions, they shouldn’t have to take the steps they’re taking.

“Wireless carriers, including AT&T and Verizon, paid over $80 billion for C-band spectrum—and have committed to pay another $15 billion to satellite users for early access to those licenses—and made those investments in reliance on a set of technical ground rules that were expressly found by the FCC to protect other spectrum users.”

Verizon and AT&T’s issues are yet another win for T-Mobile, which has already established itself as the 5G leader in the US market. T-Mobile’s mid-band spectrum falls in the 2.5 GHz range, which is still in the sweet spot for 5G but far enough away from the spectrum airline altimeters use to not be a concern. As a result, T-Mobile has been unaffected by the issues Verizon and AT&T are facing.

Verizon, AT&T Limiting 5G to Accommodate Air Traffic Safety Concerns
Matt Milano

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Report: 76% of U.S. startups feel confident about entering 2022

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While activity is solidly re-emerging for startups, raising investment remains the biggest challenge going forward.Read More

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Sezzle Is the Creditization Of a Debit Card, Says CEO

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Sezzle Is the Creditization Of a Debit Card, Says CEO

“Consumers love our product because it represents purchasing power but also budgeting for them,” says Sezzle co-founder and CEO Charlie Youakim. “They feel safe with it just like they do with the debit card. We’re driving a new wedge into payments between credit and debit. I call it the creditization of a debit card. I think it’s here to say because of that safety element that we give to the consumer.” Charlie Youakim, CEO and co-founder of Sezzle, discusses the massive growth of the Buy Now, Pay Later industry and how that is reshaping ecommerce and retail in general:

Focused Uniquely On Credit Building

Sezzle is generally focused on the ecomm space, that’s where we do most of our work.

We are present on over 44,000 merchant websites. The Buy Now, Pay Later industry, in general, is typically focused on ecommerce. So as that push back into ecomm occurs (potentially due to increases in COVID causing more people to shop from home) we generally benefit from that.

We compete in this space by really focusing on our stakeholders, focusing on the merchants, focusing on the consumers, and doing the right thing by both of them. We really stand on the high road for the consumer. We are the only player in the space that focuses on credit building which is totally unique. We love it, our consumers love it and our merchant partners love it. By focusing on their needs, these consumers’ needs, and doing right by them and right by the merchants, you have a chance to do a really strong job within the sector.

Sezzle Pushing Into the Enterprise

With SMB’s we’ve been growing like wildfire. It just continues for us. That’s how we have that big count of merchants and we expect that to continue. We’re doing a great job there and the merchants love us. It’s viral in that space. For us now the push is into enterprise and in Target, Bass Pro Shops, those are two great examples of that for us. The reason we’re doing that is that our consumer wants to shop with us everywhere so we have to be everywhere. That means we have to be with SMB, we’ve got to be with mid-market, and we’ve got to be with enterprise.

That will be the push for

Sezzle to continue to push in those spaces. If you look at the enterprise players in those spaces, what they want is they want a brand that they can believe in. That’s where you have Sezzle and our halo around doing right by the consumer helping them build their credit score up and being a partnerships player. That’s what really sets us apart. Sezzle: The Creditization Of a Debit Card The average order value per customer has been relatively stable. We’re around $100 per order. The only reason it’s been tracking a bit up for us is we’ve been expanding our services. We started with a pure ‘pay in four’ for over six weeks interest-free and so that’s where we tracked right around $100. But as we add long-term into the mix we’ve been starting to track upwards. The order values on a 12-month order or 12-month installment plan, tend to track towards $1,000. We feel it’s probably going to stay stable, it’s just going to be a mixed shift that creates any change for Sezzle.

We see from our consumers that they love our product because it represents purchasing power but also budgeting for them. They feel safe with it just like they do with the debit card. We’re driving a new wedge into payments between credit and debit. I call it the creditization of a debit card. I think it’s here to say because of that safety element that we give to the consumer.

Sezzle Is the Creditization Of a Debit Card, Says CEO Charlie Youakim

Sezzle Is the Creditization Of a Debit Card, Says CEO
Rich Ord

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UK Takes Aim at Adtech, Warns Against Unlawful Behavior

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UK Takes Aim at Adtech, Warns Against Unlawful Behavior

Elizabeth Denham, the UK’s information commissioner, has penned a piece on the adtech market, warning against unlawful behavior.

Adtech has becoming an increasingly controversial business model. No longer content to simply offer and sell goods or services for a fair price, companies have built entire businesses around treating their customers as the product, mining every last bit of data about them — whether they like it or not. Some companies are pushing back with privacy-oriented services, such as Apple’s App Tracking Transparency or DuckDuckGo’s App Tracking Protection for Android.

Denham is throwing her weight into the dispute, calling out the adtech market for unlawful behavior that doesn’t take consumer choice and privacy into account.

As organisations continue to evolve their proposals, the Commissioner believes that market participants should develop solutions that are focused on the interests, rights and freedoms of the individual. These should move away from intrusive tracking technologies that may continue to pose risks and struggle to comply with the law. 

While Denham acknowledges there are multiple ways to address the issues moving forward, she emphasizes that any path forward must be a departure from current practices.

Participants should note that continued use of intrusive online tracking practices is not the right way to develop solutions. Anything that essentially results in a continuation of existing practices will not meaningfully change the status quo. 

Industry must recognise the need for change. It should understand that the Commissioner does not advocate for alternatives that use the same fundamentally flawed approaches.

It’s refreshing to see an official take such a strong stance against an industry that has devolved into near-parasite practices that ignore the privacy and security of its users.

UK Takes Aim at Adtech, Warns Against Unlawful Behavior
Matt Milano

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Apple’s Upcoming AR Headsets Will Have the Power of an M1 Mac

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Apple’s Upcoming AR Headsets Will Have the Power of an M1 Mac

Apple’s new augmented reality (AR) headsets will offer M1 Mac-level performance, and is expected to hit the market in late 2022.

Apple has been rumored to be working on an AR headset for some time, but it appears they’re finally close to hitting the market. Even better, the headsets are expected to offer performance on par with the M1 Mac.

Noted Apple analysts Ming-Chi Kuo wrote a research report, seen by MacRumors, that details the new device.

We predict that Apple’s AR headset to be launched in 4Q22 will be equipped with two processors. The higher-end processor will have similar computing power as the M1 for Mac, whereas the lower-end processor will be in charge of sensor-related computing.

The power management unit (PMU) design of the high-end processor is similar to that of M1 because it has the same level of computing power as M1.

Kuo also says the new headsets will support virtual reality (VR), in addition to AR.

Apple’s AR headset requires a separate processor as the computing power of the sensor is significantly higher than that of the iPhone. For example, the AR headset requires at least 6-8 optical modules to simultaneously provide continuous video see-through AR services to users. In comparison, an iPhone requires up to 3 optical modules running simultaneously and does not require continuous computing.

Apple’s Upcoming AR Headsets Will Have the Power of an M1 Mac
Matt Milano

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Why Businesses Need Liability Insurance

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Why Businesses Need Liability Insurance

Buying insurance is not on top of any business owner’s list of favorite things to do. 

There are just too many kinds of insurance from too many providers. And, of course, you don’t get to benefit from having insurance unless a crisis comes along. 

However, if that crisis does occur, proper insurance cover can make or break your business. 

Liability insurance is one of the most basic forms business coverage, though there are different variations. Here’s the run-down to help you get an overview and decide what kind you need to protect your business – or if you need any at all. 

What is Liability Insurance? 

In general, it protects you if someone brings a legal claim against you for accidents, injuries, and negligence. 

It will cover your obligations as well as your legal defense. 

The classic example of when you need liability insurance is a customer getting injured on your business premises. For instance, they could trip over that floorboard you haven’t gotten around to securing. Or they could get an electric shock from that piece of wiring you’ve been meaning to fix. 

Consequently, you could be facing a potentially ruinous lawsuit. In that case, having coverage has your back. 

However, there are different types of liability insurance – some of which go far beyond this classic case. 

What Different Types of Liability Insurance Are There? 

To start with, general liability insurance covers all injuries and property damage that customers, clients, delivery people, and other non-employees may suffer on your premises. They typically cover legal fees as well as settlements and judgements. 

Next, professional liability insurance covers you against claims for negligence or malpractice. It’s also sometimes known as errors and omissions insurance. For instance, if you’re a financial consultant and your advice leads to someone losing considerable amounts of money in investments, this type of insurance will protect you in potential lawsuits. 

Another type of liability insurance is employment practices liability insurance. This helps you deal with claims brought against you by current, former, and potential employees. For example, if someone sues you for harassment in the workplace, or discrimination during the hiring process, employment practices will cover you.

One of the newer types of liability insurance is cyber liability insurance. This kind of insurance protects you against legal claims by customers and clients if you fall victim to a cyber breach. 

Imagine your computer systems getting hacked because one of your team members used a weak password. Now you have to contact all of your customers to let them know that their data is in the hands of cyber criminals. Not only will this lead to a monumental loss of confidence in your business, it can also result in legal claims. 

Cyber liability insurance covers the costs of notifying customers and monitoring their credit. It also helps you deal with legal expenses and potential extortion claims from criminals. 

Does Your Business Need It? 

In general, what type of liability insurance you need – or whether you need it at all – really depends on what sort of business you are running. 

If you ever welcome anyone onto your business premises, general liability insurance is strongly recommended. This holds even if you run your business from your home. Your homeowner’s insurance typically doesn’t cover injuries or accidents of people who come for business purposes. 

Say you’re a freelance architect, and you’ve re-designed a few rooms in your home as an office and a space to meet clients. You also have a puppy that can get carried away when playing with someone new. A simple dog-bite accident and the resulting legal claims can bring your entire business to the brink of ruin. 

In contrast, if your business operates primarily online or handles sensitive client data in the virtual sphere, cyber liability insurance is a sensible investment. Especially considering the rising rates of cyber crime since the start of the pandemic. This particularly applies to digital professionals such as web designers and SEO specialists, as well as anyone who handles personal, financial, or tax information. 

When it comes to employment practices liability insurance, you can see the number of people you employ as a proxy for how likely you are to need it. The more people are in your team, the more likely it is that one of them might bring a lawsuit against you. 

For professional insurance, the considerations are different. As soon as you provide services that could cause someone bodily harm, property damage, or a financial disadvantage, you should seriously consider getting this type of insurance. In addition, many larger contracts require you to have errors and omissions coverage before you can sign. 

Conclusion 

Liability insurance is one of the cornerstones of a well-rounded business insurance strategy. It can help you defend yourself against legal claims. Also, it and aids your business in overcoming crises such as accidents to data breaches that could otherwise be disastrous. 

Why Businesses Need Liability Insurance
Brian Wallace

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Holiday Tech Shortages: What Can Be Done?

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Holiday Tech Shortages: What Can Be Done?

This holiday season, many consumers have the latest tech gadgets in their wish list, but there will be holiday tech shortages. These items range from the newest smartphone, to high tech gaming consoles and tablets. The problem with this desire for new tech is that there is a global chip shortage that makes the production of technology more difficult and increases the time it takes to get shipped out. With only 12% of the global chip manufacturing taking place in the US, most tech is shipped in from other countries on shipping containers, air freights, and trucks.

Costs are Increasing

There has been a steep increase in the price for air freight with a 40% increase since August which is part of the reason why shipping is taking longer. There has also been an increase in the price of shipping cargo from Asia to the Us with the price increasing 14 times in the past two years! Relying on truck deliveries has led for the shipping time to increase in this method as well. All around in the past few years there has been a domino effect that has led to the supply chain issues that are leading to longer shipping times.

Repairing Tech to the Rescue

How can one make sure they can receive their new tech in time for the holidays? Repairing used tech seems to be the best option for many consumers. It’s estimated that 7 out of 10 consumers have at least one unused device in their homes that are available to be repaired to almost new condition. Repairing already used phones can save these households $330 compared to the hundreds or even thousands that can be spent when replacing tech devices. Even in devices that seem irreparable, there are simple fixes such as battery replacements that can be done to extend the lifespan of tech devices up to five years. 

Choosing to repair devices rather than replacing circumvents the supply chain delays as well. Instead of waiting weeks to get new devices shipped in from other countries, repairs can often be done in as little as 45 minutes. There are multiple companies that are offering repair services making the process even faster.

Instead of waiting for new devices to be shipped overseas on overworked cargo ships or air freights, there are many companies that can bring repairs right to customers’ doorsteps to be completed in the same day! Many consumers are choosing to switch to repairing old devices rather than replacing due to this convenience, and there has been great success in this switch with over 13 million phones, laptops, tablets, and gaming devices being replaced so far.

Is Replacing Old Devices the Solution?

Supply chains for all products are slowing down, but it is apparent that the tech device supply is contributing greatly to this. If consumers begin replacing their old devices rather than purchasing new ones, it could allow for a break in the constant production and overproduction which would in turn provide time for manufacturers and shipping companies to catch up. There is no one solution to the supply chain dilemma, but it is clear that replacing devices could be beneficial.

Learn more about how to overcome holiday tech shortages in the infographic below:

Holiday Tech Shortages: What Can Be Done?
Brian Wallace

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Qualcomm’s Exclusive Deal to Produce Windows ARM Devices Ending

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Qualcomm’s Exclusive Deal to Produce Windows ARM Devices Ending

The market for ARM-based Windows PCs is about to become far more diversified, with an exclusive deal between Microsoft and Qualcomm ending.

Microsoft has been working to bring Windows to ARM devices, thanks in large part to Apple’s own move to the semiconductor architecture. ARM-based chips, such as Apple’s M1 line, offer advantages in energy efficiency and battery life, while still offering performance on par with Intel and AMD.

Until now, however, Qualcomm has had an exclusive deal with Microsoft to provide SoCs for all Windows ARM devices. According to XDA, that deal is set to expire soon.

There are a slew of potential benefits to the deal expiring. MediaTek is already planning on launching their own chipset for Windows ARM devices, and it’s a safe bet other manufacturers will follow suit. XDApoints out that the exclusivity deal is likely the reason there has been no official Windows 11 virtualization support for Apple’s M1 architecture as well.

XDA doesn’t know exactly when the deal will expire, but hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.

Qualcomm’s Exclusive Deal to Produce Windows ARM Devices Ending
Matt Milano

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Mozilla Pulling the Plug on Firefox Lockwise

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Mozilla Pulling the Plug on Firefox Lockwise

Mozilla is killing off its Firefox Lockwise password manager, with the end-of-life (EOL) date set for December 13, 2021.

Password managers are a popular, and important, cybersecurity option. Password managers help users keep track of the myriad of passwords they use for various websites and services, even generating stronger passwords that would otherwise be difficult to remember. Security experts recommend consumers make use of such apps, given the protection they offer.

Firefox Lockwise is Mozilla’s password manager, but its functions are already present in the Firefox web browser, across the various platforms it supports. As a result, Mozilla is killing off Firefox Lockwise.

Mozilla will end support for the Firefox Lockwise app on Android and iOS, effective December 13, 2021. You will no longer be able to install or reinstall Firefox Lockwise from the App Store or Google Play Store. iOS version 1.8.1 and Android version 4.0.3 will be the last releases for Firefox Lockwise. The application may continue to work on your device, but it will no longer receive support or security updates.

After December 13, 2021, you can continue to access your saved passwords and your password management in the Firefox desktop and mobile browsers.

Mozilla Pulling the Plug on Firefox Lockwise
Matt Milano

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Arkadium Advantage offers subscription gaming for seniors

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Arkadium is launching Arkadium Advantage, a cross-platform subscription gaming service with casual games targeted at senior citizens.Read More

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6 Signs That It’s Time to Move from Spreadsheets to Project Management Software

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6 Signs That It’s Time to Move from Spreadsheets to Project Management Software

Spreadsheets are great tools for storing data and making mathematical and financial calculations. However, spreadsheets can be overused in the workplace. They aren’t the best tool for complex tasks like project management, which requires its own software. In addition, spreadsheets can be inaccurate as they rely on manual input from your team.

Unfortunately, many businesses still run their project management through a spreadsheet. This causes many challenges like inefficiencies, frustration, and a lack of insight. The business world continues to advance and develop with new technologies and platforms every day. Businesses that don’t keep up with advancement risk being left behind. Without the right project management tool at your side, you will quickly find that your business is in danger.

Knowing when to switch from spreadsheets to a new project management system isn’t easy. Not every company automatically knows when the best time to make a change has come. It can also seem overwhelming to make such a big change. However, the benefits of a project management tool outweigh any doubts you might have. Here is a list of six different signs that it might be time for your business to make the move.

1. Internal Scheduling and Communication Isn’t Coming Together

Planning and scheduling are a large part of successful project management. Spreadsheets aren’t built to be a scheduling tool. Trying to run scheduling and planning through the wrong tools slows down productivity. A project management software tool has built-in scheduling and planning features. This helps your business run as it should.

Another feature of project management software is communication tools. Keeping track of messages and communication in a single location is a great benefit. Emailing back and forth can lead to lost messages or missed contacts. When an entire organization communicates through a single tool, you can rest easy knowing things are running smoothly.

2. Your Team Has a Lack of Transparency

Knowing who is responsible for what is another important feature of successful project management. A spreadsheet isn’t designed to assign responsibility among team members. If you find yourself struggling to discover who is responsible, you should look into a new system. A project management tool helps to create transparency.

When teams have clear transparency, they perform better. In addition, teams communicate better when responsibilities and tasks are designated. It helps teams work together better and gives leaders insights into performance. Transparency also helps leaders find areas for improvement or responsibility management.

3. Your Business Has a Lack of Productivity

Inefficiency and lacking productivity often aren’t related to individual team members. Systems and processes are more likely the cause of office slowdowns. Using spreadsheets as a project management tool will cause back-ups and delays in productivity. Users are forced to waste time searching for tasks or looking for answers. A project management tool streamlines productivity and improves workplace efficiency.

When teams aren’t tracking down details or searching for answers, they perform better. It also helps to boost team morale by letting team members feel productive. When teams are working at maximum efficiency, your entire business runs smoother. When resources are easily located and at the employee’s fingertips, they can do their jobs quickly.

4. Projects Are Going Over Budget

Managing project costs is a large part of project management. Ensuring that initiatives don’t go over budget is key to ensuring you meet planned revenue goals. While spreadsheets can calculate finances, they can’t accurately track your numbers. They also can’t give alerts or notifications when budgets are running low. If your business still uses spreadsheets, your budget costs might run out of control.

Project management software tracks and manages all resources of a project. It also provides tracking in real-time, while spreadsheets are dependent on manual updates. This keeps teams and your customers or clients on the same page. You can also access important budget information from different devices without a spreadsheet holding you back. This all helps leaders manage business costs and avoid skyrocketing project budgets.

5. Your Customers Want Better Reports

Reporting is an essential function of a business. Reports allow you to measure your business finances, campaigns, budgets, and efficiency. Without accurate reporting, you won’t have a clear idea of where your business stands or how it is operating. Reporting from a spreadsheet often involves just sharing the existing sheet. This can lead to unclear reports and confusing information spreading among your organization and client list.

Customers, in particular, want great reports so they know their investment in your business is returned to them. Project management software can create real-time, accurate reports with a single click. Project management tools can also help to visualize the data with different graphs and reporting layouts. This helps your clients see the right information quickly and delivers a better customer experience. When your reports are accurate, you can make better business decisions and improve your client and customer interactions.

6. You Want to Improve Internal and External Satisfaction

Completing projects effectively is a great way to improve your employee and client satisfaction. When employees have a clear direction, good leadership, and the right tools, they perform better. Employees want to feel productive and useful in the workplace. That means that a project management tool improves team morale and encourages better internal communication.

Customers, vendors, accountants, and other external sources can also benefit from project management software. Accurate and clear reporting makes your business and the organizations you work for perform better. This makes your business as a whole more reputable and trustworthy. When you can make both internal and external teams happy, your chances of business growth improve.

Making the Move

Switching your business from spreadsheets to project management software can seem overwhelming. If you have traditionally run on spreadsheets, it might be hard to envision a new system. However, without making the move from spreadsheets to project management, you risk being left in the past. Taking the initiative today will help your business grow.

6 Signs That It’s Time to Move from Spreadsheets to Project Management Software
Brian Wallace

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Apple Sues NSO Group Over Pegasus Spyware

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Apple Sues NSO Group Over Pegasus Spyware

Apple has sued NSO Group, as well as its parent company, in an attempt to hold it responsible for the Pegasus spyware incident.

NSO Group made headlines when The Washington Post exposed the fact its Pegasus software was being used by regimes to target journalists and human rights activists. The company claims it only sells its software for legitimate law enforcement and anti-terrorism uses, but the Post’s exposé showed there was far more to it.

In response, AWS banned the company from its services and the US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) added the company to its Entity List, banning it.

Apple is now adding to NSO Group’s woes, suing the company for endangering iPhone users.

“State-sponsored actors like the NSO Group spend millions of dollars on sophisticated surveillance technologies without effective accountability. That needs to change,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “Apple devices are the most secure consumer hardware on the market — but private companies developing state-sponsored spyware have become even more dangerous. While these cybersecurity threats only impact a very small number of our customers, we take any attack on our users very seriously, and we’re constantly working to strengthen the security and privacy protections in iOS to keep all our users safe.” 

Apple is also donating $10 million, along with any damages from the lawsuit, to further cybersecurity research, a move applauded by privacy proponents.

“Mercenary spyware firms like NSO Group have facilitated some of the world’s worst human rights abuses and acts of transnational repression, while enriching themselves and their investors,” said Ron Deibert, director of the Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto. “I applaud Apple for holding them accountable for their abuses, and hope in doing so Apple will help to bring justice to all who have been victimized by NSO Group’s reckless behavior.”

Apple Sues NSO Group Over Pegasus Spyware
Matt Milano

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Report: 63% of millennials approve of automation in the workplace

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Despite increasing adoption of automation in today's workforce, there's still widespread misunderstanding of what automation actually is.Read More

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The Ins and Outs of Marketing for Eager Entrepreneurs

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The Ins and Outs of Marketing for Eager Entrepreneurs

What makes marketing so crucial when running a business? In most cases, it’s recommended to tackle marketing before just about everything else. Still, it might not be apparent to some entrepreneurs why marketing is vital. The fact of the matter is that without marketing, most companies are dead in the water. There’s little to no chance of getting the attention of the target demographic, as even the best products and services won’t matter if no one knows the business exists.

Such is the reason why marketing – digital marketing in particular – is so crucial for the starry-eyed entrepreneur. Without a strong marketing campaign, it’s likely that your business ends up neglected by your demographic in favor of the more visible competition.

It can be frustrating to try to tackle the problem on your own, especially when your competition is making partnerships with some of the best marketing agencies out there. Therefore, it’s vital to learn the ins and outs of marketing to ensure that you make the most out of all the opportunities presented as you maneuver your company through the industry landscape.

Treat Your Website as a Marketing Tool

One of the first things to consider on the road to marketing success is the idea that your primary website is the last line of defense when it comes to keeping the attention of your prospective clients. While a good marketing campaign will have people clicking on your adverts, keep in mind that it’s still your website that determines whether they stay and make a purchase.

If the website is not properly optimized, it will likely result in a high abandonment rate. A few things to consider regarding web optimization includes:

●  Loading times. Quick loading times will almost always translate to online users giving your website a chance. Most people only give upwards to ten seconds for a website to catch their attention. If a good five seconds are spent waiting for the site to load, they’ll likely exit the tab and look elsewhere.

●  Accessibility. An accessible website can help open the door to plenty of new opportunities. For example, translation services for video content could help you grow a new demographic abroad. Closed captions will make it much easier for those with hearing problems to follow your content. Additionally, something as simple as a font size changer on your website can mean a lot for those with vision problems.

●  Ease of use. Developing a website for marketing is as easy as making it simple for online users to get to the checkout page. Ensure that your website is easy to navigate with a minimalist template.

Your primary website is the last line of marketing defense, which means it’s up to you to develop a robust strategy to keep the attention of online users once you’ve turned their heads.

Make a push for search engine optimization (SEO)

What makes digital marketing such an integral part of business management is that it can be surprisingly easy and affordable to get your start. All you need is a robust SEO marketing agency to help make the push toward marketing success. A link-building agency is necessary to ensure that your company spreads the word far and wide, and agencies such as Ocere can offer you the opportunities you need.

Develop Your Company’s Personality Online

Another crucial part of marketing involves building your company’s personality with the help of social media platforms. Staying active in such platforms gives eager entrepreneurs the chance to interact with potential customers and even offers a convenient hub for feedback. How your company responds to feedback will determine how your demographic views your business.

Aside from the various tips above, it’s all about learning from your chosen marketing agencies. The professionals can teach you the best-practice methods you need to make a difference and develop a sound marketing strategy. After all, it would be a wasted opportunity to let the professionals do all the work when you have just as many opportunities to improve your company’s reputation.

The Ins and Outs of Marketing for Eager Entrepreneurs
Brian Wallace

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5 Reasons Templates Can Skyrocket Your Productivity

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5 Reasons Templates Can Skyrocket Your Productivity

If your company isn’t currently using templates for routine communications, you might want to rethink that. Whether you own a small business or you’re the manager of a Fortune 500 company, you doubtless want to improve your efficiency.

Templates are a great way to ensure that happens. They help lower employee stress levels, ensure uniformity of branding, and ooze professionalism. Whether implementing meeting agenda templates or imposing strict control over your social media posts, here are five reasons to consider using templates, and four types to try.

Why Should You Use Templates?

1. They Reduce Mistakes

In every work setting, there’s going to be some risk of human error. No one is perfect. By utilizing templates, your employees minimize the likelihood of making mistakes.

For instance, let’s say you manage a public relations team. Every day, your employees send hundreds of emails to potential clients. Chances are that at least one of those emails will have an error. It might be a grammatical mistake or a missing bit of information. You can avoid this by creating a template your employees use when they initially reach out to every prospective client.

Templates can provide a structure that’s easy to follow. Your employees won’t have to start from scratch and potentially make mistakes.

2. They Save Time

We live in a world of now. Not only do clients want information ASAP, but employees don’t want to spend more time than needed on menial work. For many personality types, drafting emails, creating invoices, estimating proposals, and so on are considered menial work.

According to research, employees spend almost 28% of the workday reading and responding to email. While that might not sound like much time, it’s more than two hours. Considering the average employee works approximately eight hours a day, that’s a lot of time. Now multiply that percentage by the number of employees at your organization. Imagine how much work an employee could accomplish through the use of templates.

3. They Help Your New Hires

Onboarding new hires is an expensive part of the hiring process. The average cost per hire can run into thousands of dollars. With numbers like that, you want to make sure your new hires are getting the most out of the experience. Templates can be part of the onboarding experience.

Using templates, new employees won’t have to start tasks from scratch. They won’t have to figure out your preferred format for a meeting agenda, say, or how to draft a social media post. They can hit the ground running because they’ll have your template to use as an outline.

4. They Improve and Standardize Presentation

Not every employee is a design guru. They might be able to close a sale, but that doesn’t mean they know how to create a company newsletter. This is where a template can come in handy. Instead of relying on your employee’s talent, they can use a preapproved format.

Templates also ensure that your company brand is showcased properly. Think about it. All of your employees have different personalities and different ways of communicating. You might have one employee who likes using exclamation points and another who enjoys adding emojis to every Slack. 

Neither of those communication preferences may be how you want your company represented. A template ensures uniformity of design, voice, and content. Your preferred branding is baked right in.

5. They Target Communications Effectively

Templates provide a great way to ensure your people are communicating with your clients effectively. They also streamline outreach efforts for your employees.

The use of templates can also help you catch typos and misfires. For example, let’s say you’ve been using the same template for months. Your clients don’t seem to be impressed. Your employees are still being asked the same questions. These are indicators that you might need to develop a new template.

Which Templates Should You Try?

You’re convinced that templates will save you time, hassle, and frustration. Great! So where do you start? Listed below are four common places you might begin.

1. Emails

How much time do you spend crafting an email from scratch? Think about how much of that time could be directed elsewhere if all of your employees had access to email templates.

Using an email template, employees simply have to fill in the blanks. They may only need to change the client’s name and company, depending on whom they’re sending the message to and the level of personalization you encourage.

2. Professional Bios

Writing your company bio can be a daunting task. By using a professional bio template, your employees won’t feel as uncomfortable writing about themselves.

In addition, this type of template will create more uniformity on your company’s website. Instead of one bio being two sentences and another half a page, every listing will look similar and highlight the same information.

3. Meeting Agendas

How many times have you spent wondering how long a meeting will take or what exactly will be covered? Meeting agendas help remove the guesswork. Not only do they assist the person leading the meeting, but they also give attendees an idea of what to expect.

Not everyone knows how to run an effective meeting. A meeting agenda template helps keep things on track. It’s easier to modify the template with information that’s relevant. Agendas can then be distributed so participants have time to prepare.

4. Social Media Posts

Social media can be tricky. It can take some trial and error for companies to figure out exactly which type of post resonates with their audience. Once you’ve figured out what works, make sure you develop a template. Thankfully, there are several platforms that allow users to create templates to distribute on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and so on.

While the use of templates will definitely improve overall productivity, the creation and maintenance of these resources should be an ongoing affair. Do your best to strike a balance between uniformity of branding and coming off as stale or canned. Templates make life easier for you and your employees, but implemented correctly, they also enhance customer satisfaction.

5 Reasons Templates Can Skyrocket Your Productivity
Brian Wallace

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Report: Only 16% of orgs rank employee retention as top priority

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The future provides challenges, but also opportunities, especially for execs that connect financial performance with employee satisfaction.Read More

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The metaverse will make your meetings worse

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Working in the metaverse may be good for Facebook’s advertising model, but it’s not good for work, and it's not good for us.Read More

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Report: 54% of today’s ‘ethical hackers’ are Gen Z

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Ethical hackers say they hack to cultivate personal development, challenge themselves, seek excitement, and give back to the community.Read More

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Report: 56% of workers admit they’ve accidentally deleted cloud data

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There's often only a short window where businesses can act to minimize the impact of deleting, corrupting, or encrypting cloud data.Read More

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Microsoft Advertising Adds Target Impression Share Automated Bids

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Microsoft Advertising Adds Target Impression Share Automated Bids

Microsoft has released its August product updates, including Target Impression Share automated bidding.

Manually managing a search campaign can be a tedious process, especially when trying to stay at the top of the results. Microsoft’s August update aims to help address that with Target Impression Share automated bidding.

“A new addition to our suite of automated bidding strategiesOpens in new window is the exciting new Target Impression Share strategy, now available in Microsoft Advertising online and Editor,” writes Kevin Salat, Product Marketing Manager at Microsoft Advertising. “With this strategy, you set your budget, where you want your ads to appear, and your Target Impression Share, and Microsoft Advertising automatically sets your bids.”

Microsoft is a distant second to Google in search market share. Nonetheless, rolling out features that continue to make it easier for customers to use its services can only help it gain ground.

Microsoft Advertising Adds Target Impression Share Automated Bids
Matt Milano

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Grammarly raises $200M to expand its AI-powered writing suggestions platform

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Grammarly, a startup developing an AI-powered writing aid, has raised $200 million in venture capital, valuing it at $13 billion.Read More

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IT skills gap is forcing leaders to prioritize cloud and security hires

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Securing each new app and platform requires new cybersecurity techniques and tech most IT departments don't have staff to support today.Read More

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The Future of Eyewear is Shining Bright

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The Future of Eyewear is Shining Bright

In 2021, the eyewear market is a $115 billion industry.  This industry includes prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses, but also specialized eyewear for sports, workplace safety, and gaming.  Roughly 126 million Americans wear eyeglasses, and they pay an average of $576 a year for the privilege.

New trends are popping up in the eyewear industry.  Consumers are purchasing eyeglasses more frequently than before.  COVID-19 has shifted customer needs to include blue-light filtering and light-adaptive contact lenses.  These innovations make it easier for people to take care of their eyes in a world dominated by staring at screens.  As with many industries, customers are also buying online more frequently.

The Replacement Lenses Market

Perhaps the most interesting new development in eyewear is replacement lenses.  Savvy consumers are keeping their frames and only buying new lenses whenever their prescription changes.  This approach allows them to both save money and maintain a favored personal style.  Beyond prescription changes, lens innovations are also driving demand for a swap.  Lens coatings protecting against UV rays, scratching, fog, and reflections are all the rage with consumers who can afford them.  Electronic focusing glasses have come to the market, though they remain too expensive for the average consumer.  Eyewear technology is continuously improving to deliver increasingly advanced features to the public. 

The Rise of Smart Glasses

Given the trend towards smart devices elsewhere, it should come as no surprise that smart glasses are coming into the public consciousness.  Monocular smart glasses are head-mounted displays that have an optical engine located in one of their lenses.  Augmented information is locations outside of the line of sight to minimize distractions.  One practical use of this design that has been floated in public discourse is for surgeons tracking patient vitals during an operation. 

Going a step beyond monocular smart glasses are binocular smart glasses.  As the name implies, these devices have two transparent displays capable of giving users stereoscopic vision.  Augmented information is, again, located outside the line of sight to minimize distractions.  While many binocular designs lack 3D depth sensors, they use on-board cameras and IMU sensors to support the user’s sense of orientation and positioning.  Binocular smart glasses are best for overlaying basic 2D and 3D graphics over a user’s vision.  These devices could be used by an engineer fixing an oil rig while receiving instructions from afar, for example.

Another class of smart glasses are audio augmented reality glasses.  These glasses have small speakers connected to the wearer’s ear.  They combine information collected from attached motion sensors with GPS information obtained from a connected smartphone.  Recently, they were used to create an immersive experience at Coachella to inform attendees of upcoming shows. 

No matter an individual’s vision needs, the future of eyewear technology has the potential to excite everyone.  Smart glasses have been dreamed about in science fiction, and modern innovation is working to make that dream a reality.  The market is in its early stages now, but it is growing at a rapid pace.  Right now, lens replacement is the thing capturing consumer attention. 

The Future of Eyewear is Shining Bright
Brian Wallace

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Cohere partners with Google Cloud to train large language models using dedicated hardware

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AI startup Cohere has partnered with Google Cloud to train large language models on the company's dedicated hardware infrastructure.Read More

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5 Reasons Why Data-Driven Decisions Are Critical To Meet Your Goals

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5 Reasons Why Data-Driven Decisions Are Critical To Meet Your Goals

In order to achieve business goals, it’s essential to make the right decisions. While some decisions based on personal experience and feelings are fine, there are times they don’t drive results. Therefore, new ways of decision-making have become popular as our world continues to go through digital transformation.

Data-driven decision making uses metrics, data, and proven facts to guide strategic business decisions. However, many organizations don’t have a holistic view of all of their data, so it’s difficult to make data the driving force behind critical thinking and competitive decisions. 

For companies trying to become more data proficient, a centralized view of their data pipelines is crucial. This will allow businesses to account for both the data in their company and the quality of that data as it travels through their data pipelines.

Meeting business goals becomes easier when leaders are all working from the same data set. Machine learning and software like reporting tools can also help guide data-driven decision making. Collecting quality data and using it to inform decisions has many benefits for organizations. Keep reading to find out just how data can positively impact your business.

1. Greater Transparency and Accountability

When leaders make decisions based on proven data, it increases transparency and accountability. Staff members and teams are able to clearly see objectives and goals. They also feel as though the decisions of leaders can be backed up.

Business goals are easier to track when they are tied to specific data. Data-driven decisions make objectives clear and prioritize information. In addition, it requires leaders to monitor results to further back up their choices.

Businesses are also held accountable for updating data when it is used to inform decisions. Because data is essential to a data-driven culture, the entire organization becomes accountable. With increased accountability across departments, teams work together better and improve internal morale.

Your personal accountability is also important in data-driven decision making. When you have clear expectations for yourself, it helps your team believe in your leadership skills. Leaders who don’t make data-driven decisions risk having teams lose confidence in their abilities.

2. Tie Decisions to Analytics

When business decisions are tied to analytics, it drives faster decisions and provides more insight into results. When you have measurable goals based on data, you can track the accuracy of your performance. It also helps you use the data you might not have touched otherwise.

Even with data tied to analytics, there are still areas for testing different strategies. Making your business strategies align with data ensures that you follow up on results. The results of each strategy help to inform your new strategies. By building connections between data and outcomes, you can improve your data-based decisions.

3. Protects Against Bias

Personal bias is an unavoidable part of business leadership. While often unconscious, our biases still influence the decisions we make. Data-driven decision making helps to separate personal opinions from business goals.

Clear data helps us avoid making assumptions and can redirect our efforts to more meaningful decisions. You can also build diverse teams to help in decision-making processes. This approach also helps you avoid making assumptions even with data sets. Sometimes, even with clear data, we want to interpret it in certain ways.

To avoid biased behavior, there are a few techniques to employ. First, try to raise your awareness levels and be aware that you have internal biases. Secondly, seek out differing information or opinions. And finally, collaborate with your colleagues and your employees to get varying ideas.

Getting rid of your bias with data-driven decisions helps your organization grow. You’ll discover more opportunities and gain more insights. Without bias, you can also improve team communication and engagement in decision-making.

4. Enhancing Consistency

Making data-driven decisions is more than a one-time approach. Data-driven decisions should become the cornerstone of your processes and internal planning. When there is a consistent method by which decisions are made, your organization performs more smoothly.

Teams perform better when they have clear understandings of how and why decisions are reached. A data-driven culture motivated employee learning and data interpretation skills. This adds to overall company consistency by changing the way all employees do business.

Over time, your entire organization will feel the benefits of decision-making consistency. Growing awareness and clarity of processes increased loyalty and responsibility among teams. It also helps your business operate with the same value sets and goals.

5. Improved Monitoring and Reporting

When business goals aren’t tied to provable data, it’s hard to measure success in initiatives and campaigns. Reporting without knowing what the goals were becomes tedious and discourages teams.

With data-driven decision making at the core of your business, you can help create measurable goals. This makes reporting and monitoring for success easier and more productive. When teams are able to understand the value of what they do, they are more motivated and engaged at work.

Real-time data reporting and monitoring improves business functions. It also helps you create new policies and make new decisions based on previous results. This in turn creates a business culture that has clear definitions of success and growth.

Improve Data Visibility

All the benefits of data-driven decision making can’t be realized if the date set you work on isn’t clear. When data isn’t understood, the decisions are made based on faulty information. Tools like a data pipeline can improve data visibility and increase reliability in your data sets.

When you can align your data with your business goals, you are set up for success. You can use complex data patterns to inform your decisions accurately and help your entire organization grow.

5 Reasons Why Data-Driven Decisions Are Critical To Meet Your Goals
Brian Wallace

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