Monthly Archives: May 2023

Pros and Cons of Stock Buybacks for Investors | AllBusiness.com

Public companies often buy back large blocks of their stock typically when share prices are low. During an economic downturn, stock buybacks usually boom. But it’s not always a big plus for individual investors. Here’s a look at some of the pros and cons of stock buybacks:

Pros of stock buybacks for investors

  • Boost in share prices: Stock buybacks can offer a short-term bonus for investors. The buyback means there are fewer shares trading on the public markets. This tends to strengthen the share price, so your shares may be worth more, at least in the short term.

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Amazon Launches Innovative New Echo Devices | Small Biz Trends

Amazon has unveiled an expanded line of Echo products that are set to change the landscape of the home tech market, and with it, present opportunities for small businesses. The tech giant introduced four all-new Echo devices: the Echo Pop, Echo Show 5, Echo Show 5 Kids, and Echo Buds. Additionally, the Echo Auto is now available in eight more countries, bringing Alexa’s assistance to even more drivers around the globe.

Small businesses can leverage these advancements as Amazon’s smart devices become increasingly integrated into daily routines. With over half a billion Alexa-enabled devices now sold, these innovations are set to have broad reach and diverse applications.

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Tips for Wage Transparency Law | Business

Here’s how to stay compliant with new job posting requirements while avoiding workplace drama.

In the U.S., salary discussions have long remained a taboo subject. Now, not talking about it could cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.

On Nov. 1, 2022, New York City’s salary transparency law took effect. Other states, including California, are following suit with similar regulations. And while these laws might not yet affect you, it pays to prepare for changes as the pay transparency trend gathers steam across the country.

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Don’t update your Apple Watch unless you want this display bug | Digital Trends

Last week saw the launch of watchOS 9.5, a relatively small update for Apple Watches that added the Pride Celebration watch face as well as fixed a few unspecified bugs. However, the update seems to be causing an irritating display issue for many users.

Posted to the subreddits r/AppleWatch and r/watchOS, users are reporting that the update has added a noticeable green/gray tint to their screens that changes the colors of the display and makes the usually crisp OLED screen look washed out. You can see what it looks like in the photos below.

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Why Downtime and Work-Life Balance Are Critical for StartUp Success | The Startup Magazine

What Is Down-Time and the Work-Life Balance?

The work-life balance equation is all about having a balanced approach to work and play – in other words, working hard and playing hard. The constant hustle that we have all become accustomed to is simply not good for our long-term mental health and well-being. The increase in startup failure caused by owner burnout has become more common than ever and, as such, the importance of downtime relaxation is more often than not cited as the solution. Understanding this is the first step that should be followed by determining how much time you intend to put aside for yourself and then choosing what you intend to do.

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US debt ceiling: Joe Biden urges Republicans to compromise as talks resume | BBC News

President Joe Biden and top Republican Kevin McCarthy are due to meet at the White House on Monday for talks on lifting the US debt ceiling.

The pair spoke on the phone on Sunday as the president was traveling back from the G7 summit in Japan.

The two sides remain at odds over budget cuts demanded by the Republicans as a condition for raising the ceiling.

The debt ceiling is a spending limit set by Congress that determines how much money the government can borrow.

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Montana just banned TikTok | TechCrunch

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte just signed the nation’s strongest restrictions on Chinese-owned social media app TikTok into law.

TikTok has faced mounting pressure in the U.S. from Congress and state legislatures alike in recent months, but Montana’s actions escalate those threats considerably, even if the issue of enforcement remains an open question.

“Today, Montana takes the most decisive action of any state to protect Montanans’ private data and sensitive personal information from being harvested by the Chinese Communist Party,” Gianforte said.

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Elon Musk Says Remote Work Is ‘Morally Wrong’ | Entrepreneur

If you’re reading this while working remotely, Elon Musk is judging you.

In a recent interview with CNBC, the tech CEO came down hard on work-from-home culture, saying he thinks it’s “morally wrong.”

Musk, who told Tesla workers last year to return to the office or “depart Tesla,” has long been vocal about his belief that people are more productive in person. However, on Tuesday, he said it’s not only about productivity, it’s also a “moral issue.”

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6 takeaways from the OpenAI senate hearing | Mashable

Apparently, one of generative AI’s extraordinary capabilities is unifying politicians, the public, and the private sector in regulating it.

We saw that today in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing(opens in a new tab) about how to govern AI. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, IBM chief privacy and trust officer Christina Montgomery, and NYU emeritus professor Gary Marcus testified in front of the privacy, technology, and law subcommittee about what to do now that generative AI has been freed from Pandora’s Box. Altman was open and cooperative, even advocating for regulation of ChatGPT and generative AI. But that seemed to have a disarming effect on the subcommittee, who asked mostly softball questions.

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Use it or lose it: Google says it will delete inactive accounts | CNN Business

If you haven’t logged into your Google account in a long time, you better use it or lose it.

Google announced Tuesday it will start deleting accounts that have been inactive for at least two years, a move that the company says is intended to prevent security risks.

The updated policy takes effect immediately, but Google said it will not begin deleting accounts until December. The company plans to send out multiple warning notifications to users and to conduct the purge of inactive accounts in phases.

The first accounts on the chopping block will be those that were created and then never revisited by the user, Google said. The policy also will only impact personal accounts, leaving organizations like schools and businesses untouched.

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