Samsung’s latest phone and tablet hide a swappable battery surprise | Digital Trends

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

We know there are people out there who want to swap a flat or dead battery in their smartphone out for a new, fully charged one. Samsung knows it too, and it’s one of the top features on its new Galaxy XCover7 Pro rugged smartphone. But have you ever thought about doing the same thing on your tablet? Amazingly, Samsung’s offering the same feature on its new rugged Galaxy Tab Active5 Pro tablet too.

The Galaxy Tab Active5 Pro has a massive 10,100mAh battery inside, and Samsung will sell you a replacement so you can change it on the go, plus it has an unusual Dual Hot-Swap feature, where you can change the batteries without the tablet powering down in the process. It can even operate without a battery at all, and just run on a mains power supply. If you’re wondering why you’d need such functionality, you may not. The Galaxy Tab Active5 Pro and Galaxy XCover7 Pro are primarily designed for use by businesses and out in the field, where constant up-time may be essential.

Source: Samsung’s latest phone and tablet hide a swappable battery surprise | Digital Trends

The Rise of Short-Form Video Marketing: A New Frontier for Brands | The Startup Magazine

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Key Takeaways

  • Discover why short-form video is revolutionizing brand marketing.
  • Learn key strategies for crafting engaging content.
  • Understand how brands harness trends to connect with audiences.

What is Short-Form Video Marketing?

In the fast-paced digital age, platforms like TikTok spearhead a revolution in how brands engage with consumers through short-form video marketing. This type of content, typically under 60 seconds, is crafted to deliver impactful messaging quickly and effectively. The allure of short-form video content lies in its ability to capture and maintain viewer attention, which is a rare commodity. Recent statistics show that TikTok hosts over 1 billion active monthly users. Such platforms provide a rich ground for marketers to deploy creative storytelling techniques, making them an irresistible force in the marketing realm.

Read More

Creative Funding Strategies for Franchise Business Growth | The Startup Magazine

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

As a franchise owner, you understand the challenges of growing your business in a competitive market. While your brand may be established, securing the capital needed for expansion can feel like an uphill battle. Traditional financing options often fall short, leaving you searching for creative alternatives. In this Hard money lending in LA guide, you’ll discover innovative funding strategies tailored to franchise growth. You’ll explore various options to fuel your franchise’s expansion, from crowdfunding and revenue-based financing to strategic partnerships and alternative lenders.

Read More

Prada buying rival fashion brand Versace in $1.36bn deal | BBC News

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Prada has agreed to buy its smaller rival Versace in a billion-dollar deal to unite two of the biggest designer fashion labels.

The deal to unite the two Italian brands has an estimated value of $1.36bn (£1.06bn), the Prada Group said on Thursday.

“We aim to continue Versace’s legacy, celebrating and re-interpreting its bold and timeless aesthetic,” said Prada chairman Patrizio Bertelli.

The Prada Group already owns several other designer labels, including Miu Miu and luxury footwear brand Church’s.

Read More

Two American Airlines jets clipped wings on the ground at Reagan airport | BBC News

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Two American Airlines jets have had a minor collision on the ground at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport – just three months after a deadly crash near there.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the wingtip of one aircraft struck another on the taxiway on Thursday afternoon. Six members of Congress were aboard one of the jets.

Nick LaLota, a New York Republican, said no-one was hurt when the wing of their stationary plane was “bumped” by another jet.

Read More

States Are Banning Forever Chemicals. Industry Is Fighting Back | WIRED

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

IN 2021, JAMES Kenney and his husband were at a big box store buying a piece of furniture when the sales associate asked if they’d like to add fabric protectant. Kenney, the cabinet secretary of New Mexico’s Environment Department, asked to see the product data sheet.

Both he and his husband were shocked to see forever chemicals listed as ingredients in the protectant. “I think about your normal, everyday New Mexican who is trying to get by, make their furniture last a little longer, and they think, ‘Oh, it’s safe, great!’ It’s not safe,” he says. “It just so happens that they tried to sell it to the environment secretary.”

Read More

The AI Race Has Gotten Crowded—and China Is Closing In on the US | WIRED

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

THE YEAR THAT ChatGPT went viral, only two US companies—OpenAI and Google—could boast truly cutting-edge artificial intelligence. Three years on, AI is no longer a two-horse race, nor is it purely an American one. A new report published today by Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centered AI (HAI) highlights just how crowded the field has become.

The institute’s 2025 AI index, which collates data and trends on the state of the AI industry, paints a picture of an increasingly competitive, global, and unrestrained race toward artificial general intelligence—AI that surpasses human abilities.

OpenAI and Google are still neck and neck in the race to build bleeding-edge AI, the report shows. But several other companies are closing in. In the US, the fiercest competition comes from Meta’s open-weight Llama models; Anthropic, a company founded by former OpenAI employees; and Elon Musk’s xAI.

Read More

AI Is Most Likely to Replace These 3 Professions: AI Experts | Entrepreneur

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Since ChatGPT came on the scene in November 2022, employees have been using the AI chatbot and other variations from Google, Microsoft, Apple, and others, to take notes, write emails, and translate meetings.

But could the tools you’re using to help your work actually take your job instead?

Goldman Sachs estimated in a 2023 report that AI could automate 300 million full-time jobs, while McKinsey wrote in the same year that up to 375 million workers may be displaced by AI by 2030.

While AI could take over jobs on Wall Street or software developer roles at Big Tech firms, a recent Pew Research survey found that AI experts deem three professions most at risk of vanishing in the next 20 years due to AI: cashiers, journalists, and factory workers.

Read More

7 Telltale Signs of a Weak Leader | Entrepreneur

~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Most people associate a weak leader with being docile, deferential, timid, or meek. While that may have some merit, weak leaders can also be bombastic, egocentric, domineering, dictatorial, and imperious. Even if you are successful at adding to the bottom line, bringing in new clients, or developing new products and services, if people are not seeking you out or jockeying to be on your team, you are a weak leader.

Here are seven behaviors that beset a weak leader:

1. Your team routinely suffers from burnout.

Being driven and ambitious are important traits for successful leaders. However, if you are excessively working your people or churning through staff, than you are not effectively using your resources. You may take pride in your productivity by doing more with less, but today’s success may undermine long-term organizational health.

Read More