Why coffee prices could spike globally due to Vietnam’s drought | Fast Company

June 25, 2024June 24, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Vietnamese coffee growers have been hit hard this year by the worst drought in nearly a decade, raising concerns about pricier espressos across the world, even as some farmers keep yields healthy with clever countermeasures.

Domestic forecasts for next season’s harvest in Vietnam, the world’s second-biggest coffee producer, remain grim.

The Mercantile Exchange of Vietnam (MVX) expects a 10-16% fall in output because of the extreme heat that hit the Central Highlands coffee region between March and early May, according to deputy head Nguyen Ngoc Quynh.

Visa Relaunches SavingsEdge with New Offers for Small Businesses | Small Biz Trends

June 21, 2024June 20, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Visa Inc. has announced the relaunch of its Visa SavingsEdge program, introducing new features designed to offer more value to small businesses in the U.S. and Canada. For over ten years, Visa SavingsEdge has helped eligible Small Business cardholders with savings and tools to aid their growth. The revamped program looks to support smarter spending and saving with a more dynamic platform and new offerings.

Small businesses are showing resilience despite economic concerns. According to the latest Visa Small Business Pulse survey, 77% of U.S. businesses expect revenue growth in 2024, mirroring their experience in 2023. This growth has improved the economic outlook, with 59% of surveyed U.S. small businesses optimistic about the economy’s future, up from 47% in 2023. To build on this momentum and support growth, 64% of small businesses plan to invest in cost-saving technology.

Scammers Are Now Impersonating Small Businesses Online | Small Biz Trends

June 21, 2024June 20, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

A new type of scam is targeting small businesses and their customers. Copycats are using small business websites, videos, and social media posts to impersonate them, running online ads to attract customers and make their offerings seem legitimate. Then, they redirect users to a replicated version of the small business website where they can complete their “purchase.” Some might receive cheap knock-off versions of the products they thought they were getting, while others don’t receive anything. And all their ire is then directed to the actual small business who was impersonated.

The Wall Street Journal recently spoke to several small business owners who had been targeted by this type of attack.

For example, Ryan Dahlstrom, global director of digital commerce for Merino sock company Darn Tough Vermont, told the WSJ, “They’d find an old ad we had run, flip a 75% or 80% badge over that image, and throw it up as a sponsored ad or a sponsored post.”

Essential Network Security Measures We Should All Consider | The Startup Magazine

June 18, 2024June 17, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Understanding Network Security

Network security is about protecting your data from unauthorized access and cyber threats. It’s like having a lock on your front door to keep out intruders. Just as you wouldn’t leave your house unlocked, you shouldn’t leave your network unprotected. You could be a home user or running a business, but securing your network helps safeguard your sensitive information.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your accounts. Even if someone guesses your password, they still need a second form of verification to access your account. This second step could be a code sent to your phone or an app that generates a code. Sometimes, it might even involve biometric verification, like a fingerprint or facial recognition. By enabling 2FA, you make it significantly more difficult for unauthorised users to infiltrate your network, and it means that even if your password is compromised, your account stays secure.

London Stock Exchange becomes Europe’s largest stock market again

June 17, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The UK’s main stock market retook its crown as Europe’s most valuable for the first time in nearly two years, data shows.

The total value of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) hit $3.18tn on Monday, overtaking the $3.13tn total value of companies listed in Paris, according to Bloomberg data.

Both valuations have shifted since and remain close, but analysts describe it as a milestone.

They say the French market has slumped because of the uncertainty around its election, while the UK market is recovering after several years of underperformance.

Ukraine war: Conscription squads send Ukrainian men into hiding | BBC

June 17, 2024June 17, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Dark storm clouds threatened to upend Serhiy and Tania’s beach wedding. But as the couple walked down the long white staircase to greet their guests, the empty chairs signaled there was a bigger problem. In total, half of their guests were missing.

Their family and friends sent their apologies but explained that the risk of attending had been too great. What if they had been caught by one of the conscription squads, which now roam Ukraine’s streets?

With many of its soldiers dead, injured or exhausted, the Ukrainian government has stepped up its efforts to mobilise more men.

Tesla shareholders vote yes again to approve Elon Musk’s $56B pay plan | TechCrunch

June 14, 2024June 13, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has secured enough shareholder votes to have his 2018 stock option compensation package approved. Shareholders also approved the company’s decision to re-incorporate of Tesla in Texas, moving it away from the state where Musk’s pay package was struck down: Delaware.

Shareholders present at the company’s annual meeting Thursday held at Tesla’s Texas gigafactory, cheered and gave a standing ovation when general counsel Brandon Ehrhart announced the results of the vote. The margin of victory was not immediately clear.

“I just want to start off by saying: Hot damn, I love you guys,” Musk said as he leapt around on the stage Thursday. “I think we’re not just opening a new chapter for Tesla, we’re starting a new book.”

How to block websites on iPhone | Mashable

June 12, 2024June 11, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Whether you’re trying to manage screen time and avoid certain websites, or whether you’re setting some boundaries on your kid’s device, there’s an easy way to block sites on your iPhone.

If it’s specifically the latter, you can also set up parental controls on your iPhone — just know they’re not the full answer. But if you’re keen to know how to simply filter websites directly so they don’t show up in Safari, here’s an easy guide.

Everything AI allows you to do in Windows 11 that saves you time | Mashable

June 12, 2024June 11, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

AI is becoming a major part of our digital lives, and Microsoft has adopted the new tech with open arms. So much so that Microsoft now offers a huge range of AI tools straight from Windows 11, led by Microsoft’s new digital assistant, Copilot.

The real advantage of AI is that it can help you do your work faster. AI tools, at least right now, are excellent at helping users save time, so they can spend that time on other tasks. And, many more AI tools that can help you save time are on the way – so expect to be able to save more and more time over the next few months and years.

Curious about how you can save time in Windows 11 using AI? Here are the best features right now.

Apple needs to make the iPhone cool again. Today is its chance | CNN Business

June 11, 2024June 10, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Apple hasn’t given users a significant reason to buy an upgraded iPhone for four years, since it rolled out 5G connectivity with the iPhone 12 — a worrying trend for the tech giant’s core business. That could change this week.

The iPhone brought in more than half of the company’s total revenue last year, but sales growth has lagged as customers have been slower to upgrade to new models. Longer upgrade cycles — the time between users’ new phone purchases — currently plague many device companies. But they’ve been especially painful for Apple as it grapples with compounding challenges that also include steep competition in the key China market and a landmark antitrust lawsuit.

Apple is expected to announce new artificial intelligence features at its annual Worldwide Developer Conference on Monday, which could supercharge its products and bring Apple back into competition with much of the rest of the tech world that has already gone full steam ahead on AI. And no product is more important to Apple than the iPhone.