When disaster strikes, one of the most valuable tools you have at your disposal is your phone. Yes, food and shelter are more important and more immediate needs, but your phone enables you to find out what’s going on, get help, and let loved ones know that you are ok. You can have the best smartphone in the world, but the network it runs on can also be vulnerable in the face of disaster. Whether it’s floods, explosions, or hurricanes, cell towers and the power lines that make them work can also be affected. So it’s critical that your carrier can keep you connected when disaster strikes.
Month: April 2022
8 Tips to Ensure That Your Startup Doesn’t Fail | The Startup Magazine
The life of an entrepreneur can be exciting and filled with ups and downs. While certain aspects of setting up a startup can be exhilarating, especially in the early stages of the business, there are also plenty of bumps along the road, big and small.
If you are planning to start your own business, then there is a good chance that you are prone to failure. So, before you start your startup and invest your time and money in it, you have to ensure your startup does not fail. Here are eight startup tips to keep your startup alive and kicking.
Build a healthy support network
Any entrepreneur who has faced failure or encountered challenges along the way knows how important it is to have a good support network. A good support network can give entrepreneurs the encouragement they need to continue with their business. It can also help them bounce back after encountering failure and other challenges along the way because they know that they are not alone in this journey.
A self-driving car stopped by San Francisco police | BBC News
San Francisco police officers were faced with a new challenge after stopping an autonomous vehicle with no-one inside.
Officers approached the car, operated by Cruise, because it had been driving without headlights.
In the incident, captured on film, an officer remarks that there “ain’t nobody in it” before the car moves to what Cruise said was a safer location.
The company said the headlights issue was a result of human error.
Inflation Hits a 40-Year High–And Businesses Ponder the R-Word | Inc.com
While the cost of capital remains relatively inexpensive and consumers keep their foot on the pedal of the economy, the recent inflationary surge will likely drive the Federal Reserve to act to cool the economy. The big question: Can the Fed apply the brakes without slowing the economy into a recession.
In March, inflation rose 8.5 percent, a 40-year high, according to the latest reading of the Labor Department’s consumer price index, or CPI. Meanwhile, groceries surged 10 percent in March from a year ago, while food overall rose 8.8 percent. Used car prices are more than 35 percent higher than they were a year ago, dropping slightly since January, and nationally a gallon of gas is currently hovering at around $4, up 18.3 percent in March and nearing a record set in 2008.
YouTube services worldwide are experiencing issues, the company confirms | TechCrunch
YouTube today confirmed the site is experiencing a variety of issues that are impacting users worldwide. The company acknowledged the service’s problems after numerous users reported error messages when trying to watch videos or noted various site elements weren’t available — like the sidebar navigation or the Setting menus, for example — among other things.
Some users also found they couldn’t sign in to their YouTube account or switch between profiles. Others said they were unable to cast YouTube to their TV or use the app on their gaming console.
When trying to play videos, some would see an error that said “No Internet Connection” even though they weren’t otherwise having connectivity issues.
The Census Is Broken. Can AI Fix It? | WIRED
GETTING A CENSUS count wrong can cost communities big. A March 10 report from the US Census Bureau showed an overcount of white and Asian people and an undercount of people who identify as Black, Hispanic or Latino, or multiracial in 2020, a failure that has led to renewed calls to modernize the census.
Progress reaching historically undercounted groups has been slow, and the stakes are high. The once-a-decade endeavor informs the distribution of federal tax dollars and apportions members of the House of Representatives for each state, potentially redrawing the political map. According to emails obtained through a records request, Trump administration officials interfered in the population count to produce outcomes beneficial to Republicans, but problems with the census go back much further.
5 Last-minute (No Judgement) Tax Tips | Entrepreneur
If you haven’t finished your taxes yet, don’t panic.
You’re much more likely to make mistakes if you’re under stress and feeling rushed. Take a deep breath and set aside some time to tackle your taxes with a clear mind.
We’ve put together five last-minute tax tips to help you avoid common mistakes, save money, and set yourself up for greater financial success.
1. Know the facts
In the U.S., personal tax returns are due April 18, 2022. Unlike in 2020 and 2021, the IRS is sticking to its deadline this year.
But there are still pandemic-related complexities to consider. Work with your tax advisor to review any stimulus payments or Advance Child Tax Credits you received to ensure you received the appropriate amounts.
Home Theatre and Projector | Cool Business Ideas
Last month, Epson made an impressive bid for home theaters with the launch of its most advanced laser projector to date, the Pro Cinema LS12000. Now the company has trickled down flagship technology into a cheaper 4K HDR model aimed at movie watchers and big-screen gamers.
“A 65-inch flat panel isn’t cutting it when it comes to achieving total immersion in today’s stunning movie and gaming experiences,” said Epson’s Rodrigo Catalan. “If you’re looking for a 4K HDR home theater and gaming experience that will exceed your expectations, the Epson Home Cinema LS11000 is one of the best Home Cinema projectors Epson has ever made.”
Three Ways to Show Appreciation for Your Employees | Getentrepreneurial.com
Customer reception is vital for business. It’s what keeps the workplace active and able to make changes. Companies can determine how customers feel about certain products and services by using perceptual mapping and other marketing techniques, but how can you show your employees how you feel about them? While customers are extremely important, so are the employees that keep the business running, so it’s good to show them that they are appreciated for everything they do. But how can you do so?
Start the Feeding Frenzy
If there’s one thing that will win people over, it’s food. Everybody eats, and everybody has their own personal preferences, but occasionally buying lunch for the team will work wonders around the office. You’d be hard-pressed to find someone who would deny a free lunch. In fact, they’d likely be thrilled by your offer. You don’t have to do this every day, or even every week, but simply surprising your employees every once in a while will make them feel like you really care about them enough to do things you don’t have to—even if it’s as simple as getting them a sandwich.
Solo Stove Pi dual-fuel off-grid oven bakes pizzas anywhere | New Atlas
Solo Stove emerged as one of the true all-stars of the COVID-19 pandemic, and it shows no signs of slowing down. The company behind some of the world’s favorite smokeless fire pits has now expanded its outdoor kitchen offerings with a pizza oven. Rather than just the fire-top oven accessory some other brands offer, Solo Stove’s Pi is a standalone oven that can spit out red-hot pizzas using either wood or gas for fuel. And it can do so anywhere from a small backyard to the deep backcountry.
When the early 2020 days of the pandemic limited out-of-the-house excursions to the backyard, apartment terrace or local park, people naturally looked for products that would enhance the experience. And few things proved more comforting than a fire pit around which folks could socialize at a safe distance, especially a fire pit that sucks in its own smoke so as not to make anyone teary eyed or scratchy throated.
Dispatches From The Front 