Monthly Archives: May 2022

Proton Adds Proton Calendar, Proton Drive, and Proton VPN Encrypted Features | WIRED

Posted on May 31, 2022 by knjohn | Leave a comment

SINCE ITS FOUNDING in 2014, ProtonMail has become synonymous with user-friendly encrypted email. Now the company is trying to be synonymous with a whole lot more. On Wednesday morning, it announced that it’s changing its name to, simply, Proton—a nod at its broader ambitions within the universe of online privacy. The company will now offer an “ecosystem” of linked products, all accessed via one paid subscription. Proton subscribers will have access not just to encrypted email, but also an encrypted calendar, file storage platform, and VPN.

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Tagged online privacy, Proton, ProtonMail

What’s Driving Advertising M&A in the Year Ahead | Entrepreneur

Posted on May 31, 2022 by knjohn | Leave a comment

Last year saw a boom for mergers and acquisitions — a stunning 139% increase in the U.S. compared to 2020. Deal volumes broke records with $5.8 trillion worth of M&A activity in 2021, driven primarily by digital transformation, access to capital, a recovering global economy and labor shortages. This “supercharged” M&A environment will likely continue in the foreseeable future.

Perhaps not surprisingly, technology and telecommunications deals accounted for nearly 20% of M&A activity last year, including more than 2,000 media-related deals worth $189.7 billion. Notable major transactions included AppLovin acquiring MoPub, Microsoft acquiring both Xandr and Nuance, and Integral Ad Science buying connected TV advertising platform Publica, along with other multibillion-dollar deals.

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Posted in Tools and Information

Tagged M&A, mergers and acquisitions, telecommunications deals

What are Hong Kong stocks, and how to buy them | Getentrepreneurial.com

Posted on May 27, 2022 by knjohn | Leave a comment

As an investor, you may be interested in expanding your portfolio beyond domestic stocks and foreign markets. ZH is a perfect place to start, as it has a well-developed stock market with many investment opportunities. We will discuss what Hong Kong stocks are and how to buy them, and we will also provide some tips on investing in Hong Kong’s stock market.

What are Hong Kong stocks, and what do they represent?

Hong Kong stocks, also known as H-shares, are shares of Chinese companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. These stocks offer foreign investors exposure to the Chinese economy, increasing in recent years. Many of the largest and most well-known Chinese companies are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, including China Mobile, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, and China Construction Bank.

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Tagged Chinese companies, H-shares, Hong Kong stocks

Night Vision Pocket Camera | Cool Business Ideas

Posted on May 27, 2022 by knjohn | Leave a comment

Startup Duovox has launched a compact night vision camera with a custom Sony sensor and advanced algorithms at its heart that effectively turn night into day, bringing the full-color experience to after-dark hikes in the mountains, and night-time wildlife photography or even pitch black handicam horror flicks.

“We have used the latest low-light imaging technology and combined it with our own advanced AI algorithms,” said Duovox founder, David Chen. “This allows Duovox to turn an entire night-time scene into a full-color daylit photograph.”

Currently raising production funds on Kickstarter, the Duovox Mate Pro is the fourth-night vision camera from Duovox and is designed as an easy carry rather than the dashcam format of previous iterations.

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Tagged Duovox, Night Vision Pocket Camera, sony

Fire HD 10 review: It’s great for casual users, but falls short for work and gaming | Mashable

Posted on May 26, 2022 by knjohn | Leave a comment

Looking for a quality tablet for streaming and e-books (without the Apple prices)? Amazon has pretty much cornered the market in that regard. The brand’s Fire HD 10 is inexpensive and high performing, and ideal if you’re already invested in the Amazon ecosystem with a Prime membership or Alexa-enabled devices. It’s also a solid choice for people who use the Microsoft app suite for work.

The Amazon Fire HD 10 ($149.99) boasts a brighter display, a more durable screen, and 50 percent more RAM than the previous gen Fire 10 tablet — along with a 2MP front-facing and 5MP rear-facing camera. Its low price compared to the iPad (starting at $329) makes it a serious contender in the tablet market, and it comes in four color options (black, denim, lavender, olive).

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Tagged Amazon, Fire HD 10 review, tablets

‘Lunchflation’ is real. Returning to the office is costing us a fortune | CNN

Posted on May 26, 2022 by knjohn | Leave a comment

Millions of employees started working remotely after the pandemic first took hold in 2020. But now, more people are returning to the office — and they’re being greeted by much higher prices for just about everything.

Food. Commuting. Daycare. Rising gas prices and soaring inflation have made going back to the office more expensive. And that is eating into workers’ incomes, especially if their pay increases aren’t keeping up.

Here are some of the daily costs that have crept higher, making the return to post-pandemic office life more expensive.

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Tagged Commuting, Daycare cost, food, gas prices, Lunchflation, Returning to the office is costing us a fortune

Enormous asteroid 7335 (1989 JA) to fly by Earth on May 27 | Live Science

Posted on May 25, 2022 by knjohn | Leave a comment

An enormous asteroid four times the size of the Empire State Building will make a close approach to Earth on May 27, according to NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).

Fear not: the asteroid, named 7335 (1989 JA), will soundly miss our planet by about 2.5 million miles (4 million kilometers) — or nearly 10 times the average distance between Earth and the moon. Still, given the space rock’s enormous size (1.1. miles, or 1.8 km, in diameter) and relatively close proximity to Earth, NASA has classified the asteroid as “potentially hazardous,” meaning it could do enormous damage to our planet if its orbit ever changes and the rock impacts Earth.

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Tagged Center for Near Earth Object Studies, Enormous asteroid, NASA

What to Know About Opening a Franchise | businessnewsdaily.com

Posted on May 25, 2022 by knjohn | Leave a comment

Want to own a business with an established brand and business model? If so, franchising might be the right option for you.

Franchising is when a company sells the rights to its existing business model and products.
Opening a franchise is a business venture with relatively low risk and high support, but you must be aware of the regulations and factors that make a franchise successful.
While costs vary widely, in general, you can expect to spend $50,000 to $200,000 in franchising startup costs.
This article is for entrepreneurs and business owners interested in buying and operating a franchise.

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Tagged buying and operating a franchise, franchising startup costs, Opening a Franchise

How several states are taking the lead on restoring overtime pay | Fast Company

Posted on May 24, 2022 by knjohn | Leave a comment

With Americans struggling with inflation, workers’ advocates are banking on a White House that has promised to make millions more workers eligible for overtime wages that pay time and a half.

Two presidents who made similar promises over the last 45 years failed to deliver, resulting in outdated federal overtime guidelines and underfunded labor enforcement.

But during decades in which lawmakers and lobbyists cut away at overtime access, states like Washington and California actually strengthened it. They increased the amount that a worker could earn while remaining eligible for overtime, and expanded over time to previously exempt professions, such as farm work.

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Tagged expanded over time, federal overtime guidelines, restoring overtime pay

5 Tips for Creating a Volunteer Time Off Program | AllBusiness.com

Posted on May 24, 2022 by knjohn | Leave a comment

Making a positive community impact has always been a priority at my company. For years we’ve made financial contributions and worked on pro-bono projects with many local nonprofit partners throughout the country where our offices are located. Our employee committees also organize regular company give-back initiatives like blood drives, clothing and toy drives, pet adoptions, and more. However, we wanted to find new ways of inspiring our employees to give back individually, which would amplify our collective efforts even further.