An online gambling site is taking bets on the future of Reddit | Fast Company

June 14, 2023June 13, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

With more than 8,400 subreddits going dark to protest Reddit’s decision to start charging some third-party apps for access to the company’s application programming interface (API), the “front page of the internet” is looking pretty threadbare this week.

That may improve, in some cases, late Tuesday and early Wednesday as the 48-hour protest draws to a close, but many popular subreddits—including r/music, with over 30 million subscribers—say they will stop operating “indefinitely” until the situation is resolved, noting that their moderators are unable to do their work with the tools on Reddit’s official app.

So now, an online gambling site is laying odds and taking wagers about what happens next. And according to the oddsmakers, at least, it doesn’t look good for Reddit.

How Phoenix’s water crisis could slash development | Fast Company

June 14, 2023June 13, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Phoenix is facing not one but two water crises. Around a third of the desert city’s water comes from the beleaguered Colorado River. Thanks to a decades-long mega-drought fueled by climate change, the city stands to lose much of that supply in coming years as the river dries up and the state faces water cuts.

Another third of the metro’s water comes from underground aquifers—and that water is running out too. Earlier this month, Arizona’s water department published a new report assessing how much water remains in the aquifers below Phoenix. The data was alarming: The state found that it has allocated more groundwater to cities and farms over the next 100 years than is actually present in the aquifers. If the Phoenix area keeps pumping water at its current rate, those aquifers will tap out over the next century, according to the department. The total shortfall amounts to almost 5 million acre-feet, or around 1.6 trillion gallons, that were permitted for use over the next 100 years but may not exist at all.

8 Ways I’ve Learned to Maintain My Remote Team’s Productivity | AllBusiness.com

June 13, 2023June 12, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

When I started my first remote company in 2017, there was no playbook for remote work. We often heard that remote work would kill our productivity and culture. However, what I learned instead is that remote work works.

And while I have made my share of mistakes, I scaled my second remote company, Halborn, to over 100 remote engineers by intentionally building a remote work culture, including integrating the Japanese life and work philosophies of ikigai and kaizen.

Maintaining a remote work culture where employees feel connected to the business and their life purpose—the essence of ikigai—requires creativity and experimentation. Here’s how I did it.

Elevate Your Brand Today with These Insightful Expert Tips | Small Biz Trends

June 12, 2023June 11, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Embarking on a new business venture can be an exciting and rewarding experience, and with the right mindset and strategy, small business owners can thrive in today’s economy. Although there will be challenges along the way, the opportunity to build a successful business is within reach.

According to new research from GoDaddy, the company that helps entrepreneurs thrive, 83% of microbusinesses (defined as those with 10 or fewer employees) started their business due to opportunity versus necessity. They were inspired by the potential of being their own boss while pursuing their passion to create something innovative or unique. Moreover, 73% of microbusinesses have confidence in their prospects for the next six months despite the economic outlook.

A Closer Look at Data Breaches in the US | Small Biz Trends

June 12, 2023June 11, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Data breaches can cripple small businesses. It is therefore important that small business owners are aware of how data breaches strike and where potential issues may arise.

Next DLP, providers of a user-centric, flexible, cloud-native AI/ML-powered solution built for today’s landscape threat, have provided an infographic looking at the world’s largest data breaches.

Here are some of the key points from the ‘World’s Largest Data Breaches’ data.

From 2013 – 2020, the United States had a total 6.2 billion data records lost or stolen, the highest in the world. In fact, nearly two thirds of all global data losses have occurred in the United States.

The US was followed by China in the highest number of data breaches, which had 350.8 million data records lost or stolen during the same period. The United Kingdom was victim to 140.1 million data breaches between 2013 and 2020.

The Business Legal Terms You Need to Know | Business.com

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

From comparable worth to torts, we break down the legal lingo all business owners should know.

Marketers, accountants and software developers all have their own jargon – common industry words that others might not readily understand – but the legal field is also well known for its complex lingo.

While there’s no need to go to law school if you’re not pursuing a career in this field, it’s important for business owners to have a basic understanding of the legal terminology they’re likely to encounter. You don’t have to know everything, but you do need to know enough to stay compliant. It’s also essential to know when you should hire an attorney. Consider this your crash course on legal terminology – no Bar exam necessary.

Biggest Business Lies Ever Told | Business.com

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

You’ll never look at these companies the same way again.

Honesty and trust are crucial ingredients in business success, but not every company chooses to go that route. Some companies lie, mislead their investors and create toxic work environments for their employees – only to have it blow up in their faces.

Business is competitive, but there are some lines that should never be crossed. Let’s look at some of the biggest business lies ever told and the practical lessons you can take away from these notorious mistakes.

Best wireless headphones for 2023 from Bose, Sony, and more | Digital Trends

June 8, 2023June 7, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ 1 Comment

While wired headphones are still great for getting the most out of hi-res lossless music, wireless headphones have come a long way in terms of sound quality, features like active noise cancellation (ANC), transparency mode, and more. They’re incredibly comfortable, and, of course, you don’t have any wires to get tangled up in on your morning commute.

We’re always looking for the best wireless headphones, and we also take comfort, audio quality, and battery life, seriously, too. For this roundup, we’re focusing on wireless headphones of the over-ear variety. For the best wireless earbuds, we’ve got a roundup of those, too.

That said, we think that Sony’s latest WH-1000XM5 are so good that they currently take the top spot on not just this list, but also our picks for the best noise-canceling headphones and the best headphones, period. They’re light, very comfortable, have excellent noise cancellation and sound quality, and are packed with premium features.

How to download the iOS 17 beta on your iPhone right now | Digital Trends

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

As expected, Apple officially took the wraps off iOS 17 at WWDC 2023. The next major release of the iPhone operating system includes some exciting new features, ranging from improvements to phone calls and FaceTime to a new Journal app.

The final release of iOS 17 isn’t expected to arrive until September, but as usual, Apple is making its first developer preview available now to give developers a head start on prepping their apps so they’re ready to go as soon as iOS 17 officially lands in the fall. If the past few years are any indication, we’ll also see a public beta arrive sometime in July, usually in tandem with the third or fourth developer beta.