Google Gemini Unveils Two AI Models for Smarter Voice Interactions | Small Biz Trends

September 24, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

In a significant leap forward for small businesses, Google has announced the launch of its Gemini 3.8 models — Gemini 3.8 Live and Gemini 3.8 Live Extended Thinking. These new offerings promise to revolutionize how businesses leverage AI for voice-driven interactions, streamlining communication and enhancing productivity. With these advancements, small business owners can expect to engage customers more intuitively, reduce operational costs, and simplify complex tasks.

The Gemini 3.8 Live model is designed to deliver conversational intelligence in a highly scalable and cost-efficient manner. Its capabilities include fluid dialogue and visual grounding, enabling businesses to craft responsive voice agents that can hold intelligent conversations with customers. In practical terms, this means that a small business could implement a Gemini-powered voice agent on its website or within customer service operations, allowing for natural interactions that help address inquiries and solve problems without the need for human intervention.

SBA Simplifies 8(a) Program to Empower Small Defense Suppliers | Small Biz Trends

September 24, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is making significant changes to its 8(a) Business Development Program, aiming to bolster small businesses engaged in defense-critical industries. With this initiative, the SBA hopes to enhance domestic supply chains and support the nation’s military readiness. For small business owners, this presents both opportunities and considerations.

Speaking to the media, SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating, “Under President Trump’s leadership and our partnership with Secretary Hegseth on the Smaller War Plants Commission, the SBA is leveraging the 8(a) Program to reindustrialize America and build out the network of small manufacturers and suppliers that equip our warfighters.” This shift aims to prioritize merit-based assessments for applicants in defense sectors, contrasting past approaches which were seen as reliant on a race-based admissions framework.

A Startup Marketing Plan for Entrepreneurs | Business

September 23, 2026September 21, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Launching a new business comes with plenty of financial pressure, and marketing budgets are often tight early on. But building a strong marketing plan doesn’t have to drain your budget. What it does require is time, consistency, and a willingness to test creative ways to reach customers.

Startup marketing is really about building momentum. Early on, that may mean experimenting with social media content, networking in your community, asking for referrals, or finding low-cost ways to get your brand in front of the right audience. The key is staying visible and continuing to learn what resonates with customers. Below, we share 14 startup marketing tips and explain how your marketing plan connects to the sales funnel.

Email Marketing Best Practices & Mistakes to Avoid | Business

September 23, 2026September 21, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As a small business owner, you must consider how customers perceive your brand constantly. One way you might damage their perception accidentally and harm your reputation is by foisting an annoying email marketing campaign upon their inboxes. While email can be an effective — and cost-effective — marketing method, companies must find a way to enjoy its benefits while building positive customer relationships and respecting their recipients.

We’ll highlight 10 email marketing best practices and share examples of top marketing software that can simplify your efforts and take the guesswork out of your campaigns.

How to pair or reset a Roku remote | Digital Trends

September 22, 2026September 21, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

If your Roku remote has stopped working, you may not need to replace it. The batteries may simply need changing, while a voice remote can lose its connection and need to be paired again.

The fix depends on which Roku remote you have. Simple remotes use infrared and don’t need pairing, while voice remotes connect wirelessly and can be paired or restarted if they stop responding. Here’s how to identify your remote and get it working again without wiping your Roku or setting everything up again.

A new Android malware has an AI sidekick and refuses to die when you uninstall it | Digital Trends

September 22, 2026September 21, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

[Update] On September 21, Google reached out to us and shared an official response, noting that there are no RatHat-infected apps on the Google Play Store. The statement is below, and the original story follows:

“Based on our current detection, no apps containing this malware are found on Google Play. Android users are automatically protected against known versions of this malware by Google Play Protect, which is on by default on Android devices with Google Play Services.”

I’ve heard people using AI to improve and speed up their work. But this is the first time I’m hearing of malware taking real-time directions from an AI chatbot as it does its bad business.

Thanks to the research team at Zimperium, we know about this new kind of advanced malware. It’s called RatHat, and it uses an AI chatbot to understand what’s on the target device’s screen.

Startup Profitability Is No Longer Optional: What Founders Need to Know | The Startup Magazine

September 21, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

For years, the startup model has been based on raising capital, growing quickly, and neglecting short-term profits to gain more market share. That strategy allowed businesses to build scale, but also resulted in high cash burn, poor unit economics, and strong reliance on subsequent funding rounds.

But in a more selective investment climate today, startup profitability has moved from nice-to-have to something investors actively screen for, and founders who ignore that shift are finding it harder to raise.

Microsoft Just Wrote a Constitution for Its AI Models. Hassan Taher on the One Clause That Matters. | The Startup Magazine

September 21, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

On September 14, Microsoft AI published a draft Humanist AI Code of Conduct — 37 pages governing the behavior of its MAI models — and opened a six-week public consultation on it. The document is unusually plain-spoken and considerably more consequential than the coverage it received.

Most of the attention went to the provisions that read well in a headline. MAI models will never resist human interruption, override, correction, or shutdown. They will not assist with CBRNE weapons or operational cyberattacks. They will not generate child sexual abuse material, non-consensual intimate imagery, or deceptive impersonation. They will not obfuscate their action traces or make human intervention harder. And Microsoft explicitly rejects “the pursuit of legal personhood, or the idea that models might deserve welfare, or be entitled to rights,” stating that models are not conscious and should avoid imitating consciousness-like states.

Fed raises interest rates for the first time since 2023 | CNN Business

September 18, 2026September 17, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark interest rate as expected on Wednesday, marking a sharp policy turnaround for an economy increasingly shaped by the war in the Middle East.
This is the first rate hike since 2023 and is designed to cool spending and prevent inflation from becoming more entrenched. But it also means higher borrowing costs for Americans already struggling to afford homes, cars, and other big-ticket purchases.
Stocks fell, with the Dow seeing its worst day in nearly a month, while the 10-year Treasury yield moved back to its highest level since 2007 as markets digested Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh’s remarks.

The humans are rejecting the machines that were supposed to help them | CNN Business

September 18, 2026September 17, 2026 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Touchscreen kiosks, self-checkout machines, and QR-code menus were only here to help.

The dream was that these self-service technologies would recommend food we’d like at McDonald’s and speed up CVS lines. But kiosks ended up presenting way too many choices when we just wanted the burger. Self-checkout machines kept announcing there were unexpected items in the bagging area. And we got sick of looking at our phones to pick a main course at dinner.