Uber is shutting down alcohol delivery app Drizly | CNN Business

Uber is shutting down its alcohol delivery app, Drizly, just three years after acquiring it for $1.1 billion.

Buoyed by the pandemic-era at-home delivery boom, Drizly had grown to become the largest online marketplace for alcohol in North America, but it will officially shut down at the end of March 2024, according to Uber.

The alcohol delivery service operated as a standalone app, and its technology was integrated into Uber’s delivery app, Uber Eats.

In a statement, Pierre Dimitri Gore-Coty, Uber’s senior vice president of delivery, said Uber had decided to focus on its “core Uber Eats strategy of helping consumers get almost anything – from food to groceries to alcohol – all on a single app.”

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Why do we procrastinate? | Live Science

The dawn of a new year marks a fresh start and motivates many people to break bad habits. Some are easier to shake than others, however, and the tendency to procrastinate is among the stickiest.

Whether it’s finishing a piece of work, sending an email or going for a run, some tasks can feel insurmountable. The easiest way to avoid these tasks is to put them off until later or to never complete them at all. But why do people procrastinate, and is there anything we can do to reduce this tendency?

“At its heart, procrastination is about avoidance,” Fuschia Sirois, a professor of psychology at the University of Durham in the U.K., told Live Science. Rather than the task itself, however, it’s often the emotions attached to an activity that cause people to recoil, she said.

Tackling the first lines of a college essay may bring up feelings of self-doubt, for example. When you’re faced with a broad question or topic to write about, the lack of clear instructions can trigger a fear of not getting it right or of what might happen if you get it wrong, Sirois said.

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Best budget exercise bikes 2024 | Live Science

If you love home workouts, the best budget exercise bikes can help you get fitter and stronger without breaking the bank. And with so many different models available on the market, you can easily pick a bike that ticks all your boxes.

Whether you are training for a cycling event, want to lose weight, or improve your cardiovascular endurance, the best budget exercise bikes are a good investment as they are low impact, suitable for all fitness levels, and don’t take up too much space. They are also very beginner-friendly, and useful for those returning to exercise after a break or injury.

Cycling has a ton of health benefits – as well as torching calories and boosting heart health, a study published in the journal Aging Cell found regular riding could hold back the effects of aging and keep your immune system young.

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Working Overtime Won’t Make You More Productive | Business News Daily

Working overtime or long hours does not necessarily equate to increased productivity, according to 2023 research from the business-to-business marketplace Expert Market.

Researchers came to their conclusions after examining the workforces of 40 countries worldwide. Specifically, they determined each country’s productivity level by dividing the annual gross domestic product (GDP) ― the value of all the goods and services produced within each country over a year ― by the average number of hours full-time and part-time employees worked over a year.

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What Is an Owner’s Draw and How Does It Affect Payroll? | businessnewsdaily.com

Fear of failure and a lack of support or delegation can lead business owners to work more than their employees. Over 80% of business owners work more than 40 hours a week. When a traditional salary doesn’t match their ever-changing job responsibilities, many seek a more flexible option. Owner’s draws, also known as “personal draws” or “draws,” allow business owners to withdraw money as needed and as profit allows.

A draw may seem like a superior option over a salary. But is it always the best solution? What are the tax implications? Keep reading to determine if owner’s draws are the best fit for your business.

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Apple Expands Self-Service Repair with New Diagnostic Tool, Extends Reach in Europe | Small Biz Trend

Apple Inc. has expanded its Self Service Repair program and introduced a new diagnostic tool, aimed at giving users greater autonomy in troubleshooting issues with their Apple devices.

This expansion brings the Self Service Repair program to the iPhone 15 lineup and Mac models powered by the M2 chip, including the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro, 15-inch MacBook Air, Mac mini, Mac Pro, and Mac Studio. More notably, Apple has extended this service to 24 additional European countries, such as Croatia, Denmark, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Switzerland. With this latest growth, the program now supports 35 Apple products across 33 countries, accessible in 24 languages.

A key development in this expansion is the introduction of Apple Diagnostics for Self Service Repair, which is currently available in the U.S. and expected to launch in Europe next year. This tool empowers users, particularly those with the expertise to repair Apple devices, by providing the same diagnostic capabilities as those available to Apple Authorized Service Providers and Independent Repair Providers. It allows for comprehensive testing of device parts for functionality and performance, thereby identifying necessary repairs.

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eBay Introduces AI-Powered Social Caption Generator to Enhance Seller Experience | Small Biz Trends

eBay has launched an innovative tool to revolutionize social media sharing for its sellers. This new feature, driven by advanced artificial intelligence (AI), simplifies the creation of social media posts, making it more accessible and efficient for sellers to promote their listings.

In today’s digital age, social media is a vital platform for sellers to market their products. However, crafting compelling content can often be a daunting task. eBay’s latest AI-powered tool addresses this challenge by generating engaging social media captions with just a click. This initiative reflects eBay’s commitment to harnessing cutting-edge technology to enhance the user experience.

Upon accessing the Social page in the Seller Hub, sellers will find the “Use AI Caption” option. This tool not only generates a post but also incorporates relevant hashtags and emojis to increase the appeal and reach of the content. Sellers have the flexibility to modify these AI-crafted captions, tailoring them to their preferences while including or excluding the suggested emojis and hashtags. Each post created through this tool will also feature a link to the listing and images of the item, making it easier to attract potential buyers.

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3 underrated sci-fi movies on Amazon Freevee in January | Digital Trends

The best part about Amazon Freevee is that, as the name implies, movies are free to access. You don’t need a paid Amazon Prime subscription to watch, but you will get periodic ads throughout the film. That’s not a huge deal: it’s just the right amount of time to refill your drink or popcorn or take a quick bathroom break.

The movie selection on Amazon Freevee is always changing, making it tough to keep up. If you’re looking for something in the sci-fi space, these are three underrated sci-fi movies on Amazon Freevee that you should watch in January before they’re gone. All of them are from the ’70s and ‘80s, but they still hold up today. Mad Max (1979)

Mad Max isn’t your typical fly-under-the-radar movie because it was popular enough to spawn several sequels in the ‘80s, followed by Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015 and Furiosa in 2024. However, the post-apocalyptic and dystopian action film had initially polarized critics who felt it lacked emotion due to its violent story. Boy, were they wrong. Over time, views clearly changed on the movie, which stars Mel Gibson as the titular character. He’s a police officer in the future who kills a biker gang as revenge for the murders of his wife and child. He then spends his days drifting alone through a wasteland, trying to help others (and himself) survive.

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3 Vital But Simple Methods Of Achieving Business Goodwill | The Startup Magazine

The impact of goodwill cannot be overstated. It can lead to brand loyalty, it can even forgive small mistakes and missteps that your brand makes. Goodwill can help you curate long-term clients, often derived from initial short-term customers. However, too many businesses misunderstand business goodwill. They can easily promise the world and never really live up to the impression they set, which creates the inverse of goodwill, irritation, and that can be harder to shift.

In other words, it’s important to never take goodwill for granted and to also assume there are no shortcuts for getting there. Those we sell to aren’t automatons we have to feed with the right ingredients to work, after all, instead treating them like sharp individuals who know what they’re looking for is wise.

So, let’s consider three simple, but enduring methods of achieving goodwill, utilizing all of the criteria we’ve discussed above to achieve that outcome. Without further ado, please consider:

Celebration Notes

You’d be amazed at how timely communication can allow for a good feeling on behalf of your customers. For example, you might place a handwritten thank you note in order boxes surpassing a certain value. Or, you might put out flyers or postcards to wish people well during the holiday season. Little celebratory notes like this show that you’re a human firm first, caring about the impact you have and the people who contributed to your year of trading. People tend to like feeling appreciated, and you don’t even have to “fake this through marketing,” a calm thanks will always win out.

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Belkin just announced a wild iPhone accessory at CES 2024 | Digital Trends

Belkin has announced a new stand at CES 2024 that will take your iPhone’s video capabilities to the next level.

The Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro is the first accessory to use Apple’s DockKit, which means it uses the iPhone’s recognition technology to move your iPhone around, keeping you in frame through an enormous range of motion. This incredible new accessory means you can move around freely while on camera, whether you’re shooting the latest TikTok trend or just catching up in a video call.

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