Category: Uncategorized

Google Pixel users can now use live captions during calls | Mashable

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Google announced its latest accessibility update Monday — real-time phone call captions for Google Pixel users who cannot or prefer not to speak on the phone.

The Live Caption feature for phones will let users initiate two-way text-to-speech tools within a call, providing live captions of what the other person says in real time and letting users type a response that’s read out loud by Google’s text-to-speech voice during the call. Once initiated, the phone call converts into an easily navigable text chat exchange on the user’s side. It also alerts the caller on the other line that the person is using these services, making it easier for everyone involved.

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Who Invented the Bicycle? | Live Science

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You might think that an invention as simple as the bicycle would have an uncomplicated past. But as it turns out, this highly popular invention has a history fraught with controversy and misinformation. While stories about who invented the bicycle often contradict one another, there’s one thing that’s certain: the very first bicycles were nothing like the ones you see cruising down the street today.

The first known iterations of a wheeled, human-powered vehicle were created long before the bicycle became a practical form of transportation. In 1418, an Italian engineer, Giovanni Fontana (or de la Fontana), constructed a human-powered device consisting of four wheels and a loop of rope connected by gears, according to the International Bicycle Fund (IBF).

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Bang & Olufsen Outdoor Speakers | Cool Business Ideas

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Denmark’s luxury hi-fi brand Bang & Olufsen has unveiled a new outdoorsy member of its portable speaker range called the Beosound Explore, which rocks an eye-catching aluminum shell for durability and IP67 waterproofing for all-weather adventuring accompanied by B&O’s signature sound.

“We created Beosound Explore to be our toughest speaker that can withstand the outdoor elements,” said the company’s Christoffer Poulsen. “The speaker is dust- and water-proof, embodied in a scratch-resistant type 2 anodized aluminum surface. The exceptional sound quality for its size makes Beosound Explore the perfect companion for any adventure.”

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Vaccinated Americans Will Reportedly Be Allowed Back In Europe This Summer | Forbes

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American holidaymakers who have received a coronavirus vaccine will be permitted to enter the European Union in time for summer vacation thanks to the success of the U.S. vaccine rollout, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the New York Times Sunday.

The timing of the policy change is still unclear, and will depend on the spread of the virus in both the U.S. and Europe over the next few months, Von der Leyen said told the newspaper.

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Did Marie Antoinette really say ‘Let them eat cake’? | Live Science

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Did Marie Antoinette really utter the infamous words, “Let them eat cake”?

The quick answer to this question is a simple “no.” Marie Antoinette, the last pre-revolutionary queen of France, did not say “Let them eat cake” when confronted with news that Parisian peasants were so desperately poor they couldn’t afford bread. The better question, perhaps, is: Why do we think she said it?

For background, the quote has been slightly exaggerated in its translation from French to English. Originally, Marie Antoinette was alleged to have said, “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche,” or “Let them eat brioche.” While this sweetened bread is more expensive than an average baguette, it isn’t exactly the icing-laden, multi-tiered gateaux you might have imagined the queen had in mind. That said, this hyperbolic translation doesn’t change the point, at least from a propagandist standpoint; it still suggests that the French queen was arrogant and out-of-touch with the working class. With callous aristocrats like this in charge, things will never improve for the average French citizen. Vive la révolution!

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Ways to Reduce Email Bounce Rate | business.com

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Your email bounce rate is a key performance indicator that demonstrates how many subscribers aren’t receiving your communications.

Email marketing is a crucial engine for any business. One of the easiest ways to engage with customers past, present, and future, emails have an amazing ROI (return on investment) when deployed efficiently. The results of email marketing campaigns are important to note and may shape your future efforts based on both successes and failures. Key performance indicators (KPIs) include the percentage of recipients who opened the email, what they clicked on, and how many recipients opted out of future communications.

Email bounce rates are another important metric to consider, yet they are often overlooked by digital marketing teams. By understanding this data, you can fine-tune campaigns to achieve better overall outcomes. But what exactly does your bounce rate measure, and how can you improve it?

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Biden Changes PPP Loan Rules to Benefit the Smallest Small Businesses | Small Business Trends

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President Joe Biden announced Monday that he’s putting in place new rules for the PPP loan program that gives exclusive access to it to Main Street mom-and-pop businesses.

These smallest of small businesses, he said, haven’t gotten a fair shake at aid programs designed to help keep companies from going out of business during the pandemic.

“Small businesses are getting crushed,” Biden said. “Since the beginning of this pandemic, 400,000 small businesses have closed. Millions more are hanging by a thread.”

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5 Smart Ways to Reduce Outstanding Accounts Receivables | The Startup Magazine

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Getting companies to pay invoices can be hard sometimes, especially if they’re a large multi-faceted client with multiple departments and teams of people to work through when you’re trying to square off your outstanding accounts receivables. This is a tricky scenario that requires careful steps to resolve.

While you are deserving of the money you are owed, you need to be careful about fostering your relationships with clients so you don’t cause problems down the road. If you’re too forceful in demanding payment, you could damage important business relationships that were otherwise going well.

With that in mind, here are 5 smart ways to reduce outstanding accounts receivables!

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