Which Amazon Echo should you buy? | Digital Trends

November 2, 2023November 1, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If you’re a fan of Alexa’s gentle tones and like using voice commands around your home — including setting up smart routines or enabling Alexa Guard for some extra safety while you’re away — then you may be thinking about getting an Amazon Echo smart speaker. Or maybe you want to give an Amazon Show to a family member or friend to make it easier to communicate with them. But what should you get?

There are quite a few Amazon Echo models available, with more arriving all the time, so we know it can be confusing to figure out the latest models and which may be the right pick for you. Don’t worry. Our guide is here to help with our picks for the best and newest Echos available, along with details on who they’re suited for.

Things to Keep in Mind Ahead of Chargeback Season | The Startup Magazine

November 1, 2023October 31, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The holidays approach and that means many businesses are going to enjoy a holiday sales bump. While chargebacks are a serious threat all year round, holiday sales often lead to an increase in chargebacks in December, January, and February. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to mitigate them, but proper preparation is a must.

Setup a Dispute Management Platform

If you haven’t set up a chargeback and dispute management platform, it’s crucial that you do so before the holidays. These platforms make it easier to deflect, track, and manage disputes when they arise. Your staff will likely be stretched thin during the holidays and the weeks after, so anything that can ease burdens can go a long way

Unlocking the Power of Color: How to Apply Color Theory in Website Design | The Startup Magazine

November 1, 2023October 31, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Introduction to Color Theory

Understanding the basics of color theory is imperative when creating a visually appealing and user-friendly website. Conceived by Sir Isaac Newton, color theory examines how different colors interact with each other and how they influence our moods and perceptions. It’s an incredibly powerful tool that, when wielded correctly, can have a profound impact on your site’s effectiveness.

The Impact of Colors: Mood and Perception

Colors have a considerable bearing on our emotions and can largely dictate how we feel about particular environments. For instance:

– Blue symbols serenity, stability, and trust

– Red is for passion, excitement, and intensity

– Yellow radiates happiness, energy, and intellect

Neglecting to consider the psychological associations of colors can hinder your ability to connect with your website’s viewers on an emotional level.

Facebook and Instagram launch ad-free subscription tier in EU | BBC News

October 31, 2023October 30, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Facebook and Instagram are launching subscriptions in most of Europe that will remove adverts from the platforms.

People using the Meta-owned platforms will be able to pay €9.99 (£8.72) per month for an ad-free experience. It will not be available in the UK.

In January, Meta was fined €390m for breaking EU data rules around ads.

The regulator said at the time the firm could not “force consent” by saying consumers must accept how their data is used or leave the platforms.

The subscription tier will be exclusive to people in the EU, European Economic Area and Switzerland from November.

General Motors deal clears the way for an end to US car strike | BBC News

October 31, 2023October 30, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

General Motors has struck a deal with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union to end a six-week strike in the US.

The tentative agreement follows similar deals at Ford and Chrysler-maker Stellantis, the other two carmakers affected by walkouts.

Nearly 50,000 workers and dozens of sites were involved in the action, the first in union’s history to target all three firms at once.

US President Joe Biden welcomed the deal hailing the deal as “great.”

The president added: “These record agreements reward auto workers who gave up much to keep the industry working and going during the financial crisis more than a decade ago.”

A look at how one fintech CEO’s PR decision backfired | TechCrunch

October 30, 2023October 29, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

This past week, Carta CEO Henry Ward took it upon himself to send a letter to customers addressing the company’s recent negative press. The move had many scratching their heads, including many customers and at least one investor.

I first learned about it when I saw one of those customers, Winnie co-founder and CEO Sara Mauskopf, post something on X. In her post, she noted that prior to receiving the email from Ward, she “didn’t actually read any negative press about Carta recently.”

She wasn’t alone.

So essentially what Ward did was notify all of Carta’s customers that the company was the target of lawsuits around allegations of sexual abuse on the part of executives and has been accused of having a toxic “boy’s club culture,” among other things. He did so by pointing them to a Medium post/missive he had shared with Carta employees a few days earlier.

More than a year later, the $20B Adobe-Figma deal is still stuck in regulatory limbo | TechCrunch

October 30, 2023October 29, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In September 2022, Adobe dropped the bombshell news that it intended to buy Figma for $20 billion. It was a huge chunk of money for a startup that had recently been valued at half that amount, and it was a deal that would make investors and some Figma employees wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. But first it had to pass regulatory muster — and that has proven stubbornly difficult.

In fact, more than 13 months after the deal was announced, the two companies remain separate entities. A year is a long time in the tech world. Figma hasn’t been idly waiting for its corporate suitor and has continued to work on the platform, hiring 500 new people since the deal was announced for a total of 1,300 employees today.

At Just 27, Legalist’s Eva Shang Manages Nearly $1B in Assets | Entrepreneur

October 26, 2023October 24, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Eva Shang, 27, never envisioned a career in business. As a young adult, she enrolled at Harvard College and imagined a future as a civil rights lawyer. But she’d end up on a different path — leaving the university altogether to start her own hedge fund out of a garage at age 20.

Today, the hedge fund Shang co-founded with fellow Harvard undergraduate Christian Haigh is Legalist: An institutional alternative asset management firm using data-driven technology to invest in credit assets at scale; it boasts nearly $1 billion in assets.

Entrepreneur sat down with Shang to learn more about her journey building Legalist — and her best advice for other young women who want to break into the hedge-fund space.

Prepare For This Seismic Shift in Employee Expectations — Or Say Goodbye to Your Top Talent. | Entrepreneur

October 26, 2023October 24, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Let’s be brutally honest: Would you stick with your company if it failed to prioritize your wellbeing? You’re not alone if the answer is a resounding “no.” Workers are sending a clear message to the corporate world — wellbeing is non-negotiable. Forget the antiquated notion that a hefty paycheck is the ultimate carrot on the stick. The data is in, and it’s irrefutable: workers really care about their wellbeing and flexibility, and corporations better listen if they want to win the talent wars.

Workers are working less voluntarily

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis recently released a paper that delves into why the U.S. labor market has tightened post-pandemic. It focuses on two prongs of this phenomenon: The declining number of workers and the receding number of hours those workers are willing to commit to their jobs.

The Impact of Mobile Search on Local SEO | Getentrepreneurial.com

October 25, 2023October 24, 2023 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In today’s rapidly evolving world, mobile devices have seamlessly integrated into our daily routines, becoming indispensable tools. These portable gadgets serve as gateways to the internet, enabling us to access search engines, social media platforms, and various online resources. Consequently, it is imperative for businesses to prioritize the optimization of their websites for mobile devices to ensure a top-notch user experience.

Mobile optimization transcends the realm of user experience; it holds substantial implications for search engine optimization (SEO). This article by a top local SEO company highlights the impact of mobile optimization on SEO, underscoring its critical importance for businesses seeking to excel in the digital landscape.