Category: Tools and Information

I tried a $130 health gadget that beats the Apple Watch in a big way | Digital Trends

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I purchased the KardiaMobile a few months after my primary care provider performed a traditional EKG test on me and noticed a problem. This information led to me having a heart catheterization, which led to a stent being placed into one of my arteries. The stent opened up a blocked artery outside my heart.

As a long-time Apple Watch user, I have always understood the importance of its electrocardiogram app. The app — which you can find on the current Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2, as well as a few older models — is designed to detect atrial fibrillation (AFib), an irregular heart rhythm. When that happens, you should make your way to a hospital stat because something probably isn’t right with your heart — although Apple makes no claims you might be having a heart attack.

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Your company knows you’re reading this story at work | CNN Business

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Last month, news surfaced that major companies like Walmart, Starbucks, Delta and Chevron were using AI to monitor employee communications. The reaction online was swift, with employees and workplace advocates worrying about a loss of privacy.

But experts say that while AI tools might be new, watching, reading and tracking employee conversations is far from novel. AI might be more efficient at it — and the technology might raise some new ethical and legal challenges, as well as risk alienating employees — but the fact is workplace conversations have never really been private anyway.

“Monitoring employee communications isn’t new, but the growing sophistication of the analysis that’s possible with ongoing advances in AI is,” said David Johnson, a principal analyst at Forrester Research.

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9 Tips For Balancing Motherhood and Business | AllBusiness.com

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Anyone who has tried to start their own business knows how much time, money, energy, and planning are involved. And trying to raise a child at the same time makes it significantly more difficult. However, the rewards that come from becoming a mompreneur are immeasurable—whether it’s from making your own schedule, making more money, or making a change in your life.

For me, the change I needed was getting rest, and the added bonus was feeling a sense of purpose. My second child would fall asleep in my arms and then wake up the moment I put him down, which inspired me to create a line of sleep-assisting clothing for babies and infants.

Many of the tenets I have followed are ones that mompreneurs can also use to help them on their own entrepreneurial journeys.

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How to Hire an Employee for Cultural Fit | businessnewsdaily.com

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Cultural fit is a concept that can be hard to define, but everyone knows when it is missing. Imagine a company founder who believes that an open office plan and team projects promote creativity and progress, but whose employees are introverts who prefer privacy. Or think about the ambitious employee stuck in an organization that offers no employee training programs, tuition reimbursement or room for advancement.

At its core, cultural fit means that employees’ beliefs and behaviors are in alignment with their employer’s core values and company culture. Finding employees that add to your company culture is important; as such, cultural fit should play a key role in your recruiting and hiring process.

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Should You Hire a New Grad Over an Experienced Worker? | business.com

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There was a time when one could land a great job right out of college. The United States Census Bureau found that in 1940, less than 5 percent of adults aged 25 years and older held a bachelor’s degree or higher. Having a college degree helped people stand out from their peers. It was an affirmation that a person had the necessary skills and mindset to be a productive and competent employee. However, a recent Census Bureau found that nearly 50 percent of Americans in this age group now have some form of a college degree.

Since a college education has become so common, it is often seen as a basic requirement for job entry. In today’s job market, many employers are prioritizing experience over education. The question many now ask is, which is the better way to go? While a seasoned employee can bring a lot to the table, there are also many benefits to hiring a recent grad. Learn about the pros and cons of each to determine which one is the right fit for your company.

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How to Combat Declining Sales | business.com

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Marble Slab Creamery has been in business for 40 years and has locations in more than 15 countries worldwide. To reach this level of success, it had to learn how to adapt at the first sign of trouble.

One such instance occurred a few years ago. For roughly five years, Marble Slab Creamery experienced a significant sales decline. The company knew it had to do something to increase business sales. The strategies it implemented are helpful for any business experiencing a downturn.

However, before we look at those strategies, let’s examine why your business’s sales may decline.

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How to Enhance Your Business Security Setup | The Startup Magazine

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You should have robust security systems and policies in place. But these may not be able to handle the considerable growth you are experiencing or will experience in the future. Therefore, any business needs to enhance its security setup to ensure company-wide protection.

Benefits Of Enhanced Security

Before outlining how to enhance your business security, it’s worth understanding why enhanced security setups are so critical for your company. It isn’t just about protecting your investment or finances. Instead, high-quality workplace and website security cover areas that will improve your business.

Safety

Business safety is paramount, both online and in your office, warehouse, or retail store. Enhancing security can help avoid common problems, such as data breaches or potentially dangerous scenarios caused by unhappy customers or burglars attempting to steal expensive tools or stock. By prioritizing safety, you can create a more comfortable environment for anyone who frequents your business.

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What is the Amazon Echo Hub? | Digital Trends

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Amazon already has a robust lineup of smart displays, but the new Echo Hub is something entirely different. While it looks a bit like an Echo Show, the Echo Hub isn’t a smart display — it’s a smart home hub designed to be mounted directly on your wall.

Unlike the Echo and Echo Show products, the Echo Hub isn’t a tabletop device. In fact, you’ll need to pay extra for an optional stand just so you can place it on your table or countertop. That’s because the Echo Hub is a smart control panel, not a smart speaker or smart display. Amazon bills the Echo Hub as “an Alexa-enabled control panel for your smart home devices.” After getting it mounted to your wall, it’ll sync up with the rest of your smart home and make it easy to control your various gadgets via its touchscreen.

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Gen Alpha is ready to spend – and they want to be treated like adults | BBC News

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The youngest consumers can’t yet drive themselves to the shops. It won’t stop them from buying like their millennial parents.

When I was 13 in the late 2000s, finally old enough to be dropped off at our local mall in Delaware, US, there was only one place I wanted to shop: Limited Too. The store, founded in 1987, was a younger offshoot of adult clothing brand The Limited, and was a tween fashion destination filled with logo tees, floral sundresses, plaid skirts, denim vests and plenty of sparking accessories.

Limited Too was among many stores of the time that catered to the in-between age – Wet Seal, Delia’s, The Body Shop, Lush, Charlotte Russe – where young people were playing with ideas of who they could become. But by 2008, Limited Too’s retail locations had vanished, many having merged with the tween store Justice, which, as of 2020, also shuttered all physical locations.

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These desktop lamps beam near-infrared light, in a bid to improve your mood | TechCrunch

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As humans spend increasing amounts of time indoors, we lose access to the sun’s natural benefits. Recognition of season affective disorder has grown accordingly. While the actual occurrence of the condition is low (around 5% — or 10 million or so Americans),  it’s led to increasing awareness of the sun’s impact on the production of serotonin in the brain – and its resulting impact on the human body.

Light therapy lamps have become increasingly popular as a result. I bought one a while back. It’s big, unwieldy and beams bright light like a tanning lamp. These products rely on the visible light spectrum, in a bid to mimic the sun’s impact for those of us who spend more of our waking hours in front of a computer than we care to mention.

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