AWS brings easy AI app development to companies | Digital Trends

August 15, 2023August 14, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The future of artificial intelligence is quickly being made into an out-of-box experience that companies can customize based on their specific needs. Optimized chat experiences that are functional far beyond question-and-answer and tools to create AI applications without months of coding development could be the next step outside of introducing new plugins and extensions.

More commonplace tools, such as ChatGPT for information and Midjourney for images rely on public data and consistent developer coding to create an end product. Meanwhile, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is committed to making generative AI that is not only more productive and easier to navigate but also data unique and data secure to the companies that deploy its tools.

Can you use a Blink Outdoor Camera without a subscription? | Digital Trends

August 15, 2023August 14, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Blink’s Outdoor Camera has made it into some of our top recommendations thanks to its affordability and ease of use. The cam is weatherproof, wireless with a two-year battery life, and includes important smart features like motion detection with customizable zones and two-way audio from the Blink app.

But home security cams come with a key caveat these days: Video storage often depends on subscription plans and may be highly limited outside of live feeds unless you pay an extra fee. Blink’s plans (purchased through Amazon) start at $3 per month. It’s always a good idea to ask about the features included with any security cam, and if it can be used without a subscription so you can save money.

A 5-Point Guide to Online Marketing | The Startup Magazine

August 11, 2023August 10, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The modern world requires you to have more than one storefront. You must represent your brand in your bricks & mortar building, online via your website, through your social channels, and in any other ad campaigns you run. Online marketing is equally as important as representing yourself physically among competitors. It provides your business with unlimited potential to tap into endless audiences. If you go viral, your brand will soar.

How to Master Online Marketing in 5 Steps

Your online reputation is what drives your share in the $5.7 trillion E-commerce industry. If you are missing traffic, you are missing sales. Use these techniques to grab yourself a piece of the pie.

1 – Expanding your online presence

If your customers cannot see you, they will not buy from you. So it is on the high street and so it is online. You will need a professionally made website, social media accounts on all the currently trendy platforms, and the skill to incorporate SEO techniques. Don’t panic, you can outsource all the digital aspects of setting up your startup business online nowadays.

Once you have an online space, we call this your online platform. The next steps to mastering online marketing include using this platform as your online HQ. All your ads, all your social posts, each blog or guest blog you add will all direct your customers to this HQ.

The 3 Ways To Take On An Entrepreneurial Mindset For Success | The Startup Magazine

August 11, 2023August 10, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Successful people are just made differently. They aren’t like you and I at all. What makes them so different and why are they successful? The reality is they aren’t different, they just have a different mindset. Having the right entrepreneurial mindset is like having a secret tool in your pocket. It can guide you towards success in business and beyond.

To achieve the same level of success of the people you admire you need to take on an entrepreneurial mindset. It’s a set of traits and habits that successful entrepreneurs share. They think and behave in certain ways that give them an edge in business. In this article, we will go over several ways you can take on this mindset and achieve the success you dream of.

1 – Be a continuous learner

One common trait among entrepreneurs is that they are always looking to learn more. They never think that they already have all the answers. As soon as one thinks this, growth is sure to stop. Continuous learning helps entrepreneurs stay up-to-date with trends, understand new technologies, and find better ways to serve their customers. But it’s not just about learning business-related stuff. It’s also about personal growth and self-improvement.

US to bar and screen some tech investments in China | BBC News

August 10, 2023August 9, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The US plans to require American companies to disclose investments they make in China in high-tech sectors such as artificial intelligence, and to prohibit certain investments outright.

The much-anticipated move gives the government new power to screen foreign dealings by private companies.

The US said the measure would be narrowly targeted, but it is poised to further chill economic relations between the two superpowers.

China said it was “very disappointed”.

The US “has continuously escalated suppression and restrictions on China,” said Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington.

Hawaii wildfires: Six deaths confirmed as blazes engulf Maui | BBC News

August 10, 2023August 9, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Six people have died and more have been injured by wildfires sweeping the Hawaiian island of Maui, officials say.

Thousands are without power or cell phone service due to fires that are being fuelled by winds from a nearby hurricane in the Pacific Ocean.

Several blazes are also burning on the Big Island, also known as Hawaii island, a neighbouring island to Maui.

Officials say search and rescue efforts are still ongoing. But they warn that the death toll may rise.

Authorities have evacuated neighbourhoods, closed roads, and opened shelters to host thousands of evacuees.

WeWork goes from a $47B valuation to ‘substantial doubts’ about its ‘ability to continue as a going concern’ | TechCrunch

August 9, 2023August 8, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

WeWork is struggling to survive in a post-pandemic world.

In announcing its earnings today, the flexible space provider said that “substantial doubt exists about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern.”

WeWork has faced a number of challenges for years now, and with so many companies abandoning office space and more people being able to work remotely, demand for its co-working spaces has steadily declined over time.

Why Business Owners Must Trust Data Over Opinions in Marketing | Entrepreneur

August 9, 2023August 8, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ 1 Comment

When it comes to marketing any business, data never lies. However, it is easy to let our personal tastes and inner voices prevail, even if we do not have the data to back it up. The business owner’s opinions certainly have a place in devising their marketing plans, but they should never become an obstacle to success. And that is why I always use hard numbers to guide my marketing plans rather than gut feelings.

Opinions are great, but facts are better

Working with a variety of clients across the country, I see a variety of personality types, not only in the business owners themselves but in their businesses as well. I always want to respect my client’s input. After all, they know their business and clientele best. However, most of the entrepreneurs I encounter are looking for a noticeable improvement in their bottom line, and to make that happen, they must be willing to accept that they do not always know best when it comes to marketing.

Google Search can check your grammar now | Mashable

August 8, 2023August 7, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Google can now help you check your grammar, right there in the search bar.

The new AI-powered grammar check, which is only available in English so far, can help users see if “a phrase or sentence is written in a grammatically correct way or how to correct it, if not.”

It’s a pretty easy feature to use. Enter a sentence or phrase into Google Search, followed with the word: “grammar check” or “check grammar” or “grammar checker”. Sometimes these phrases aren’t even needed, but using them will ensure that the tool will pop up.

If the phrase entered is correct, Google will present a green check mark.

Zoom might use your calls and data to train AI | Mashable

August 8, 2023August 7, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

There’s a chance your video calls will be used to train artificial intelligence.

Zoom updated its terms of service this week to allow it to use some of its users’ data for training AI. And the wording reads pretty strong, leading to lots of fears online.

The terms state the you grant Zoom “perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable, and transferable license and all other rights required or necessary” to customer content for a number of purposes, now including “machine learning” and “artificial intelligence.” Another section of the terms state that Zoom can use certain user data for “machine learning or artificial intelligence (including for the purposes of training and tuning of algorithms and models).”