4 Ways To Improve Your Business Website | The Startup Magazine

September 24, 2024September 23, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Improving your website for greater digital customer satisfaction is vital. Poor websites reflect poorly on businesses, and visitors will click off in droves if your website isn’t immediately apparent and usable.

Unfortunately, a significant number of websites only meet the minimum guidelines for functionality and usability. However, this underperformance is not a dead end but a potential stepping stone to growth and success. By improving your website, you can turn missed opportunities into wins and potential customer losses into loyal patrons.

While not everyone may be an expert in website maintenance, it’s crucial to remember that you, as the owner or manager, are the key to ensuring an exceptional website experience. Your decisions and actions can significantly impact your website’s performance, giving you the power to shape your digital presence.

When it comes to improving your website, there are a few areas you need to focus on for enhanced functionality and overall customer satisfaction.

When robots can’t riddle: What puzzles reveal about the depths of our own minds | BBC News

September 23, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

AI runs unfathomable operations on billions of lines of text, handling problems that humans can’t dream of solving – but you can probably still trounce them at brain teasers.

In the halls of Amsterdam’s Vrije Universiteit, assistant professor Filip Ilievski is playing with artificial intelligence. It’s serious business, of course, but his work can look more like children’s games than hard-nosed academic research. Using some of humanity’s most advanced and surreal technology, Ilievski asks AI to solve riddles.

Understanding and improving AI’s ability to solve puzzles and logic problems is key to improving the technology, Ilievski says.

“As human beings, it’s very easy for us to have common sense, and apply it at the right time and adapt it to new problems,” says Ilievski, who describes his branch of computer science as “common sense AI”. But right now, AI has a “general lack of grounding in the world”, which makes that kind of basic, flexible reasoning a struggle.

US to ban Chinese tech in cars | BBC News

September 23, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

The US is planning to ban certain hardware and software made in China and Russia from cars, trucks, and buses in the US due to security risks.

Officials said they were worried that the technology in question, used for autonomous driving and to connect cars to other networks could allow enemies to “remotely manipulate cars on American roads”.

There is currently minimal use of Chinese or Russian-made software in American cars.

But Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the plans were “targeted, proactive” steps to protect the US.

SpaceX disputes $633K FAA fine, citing ‘systematic challenges’ with agency | TechCrunch

September 20, 2024September 19, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

SpaceX sent a letter to top congressional leaders on Wednesday denying allegations that it violated its launch licenses on two separate occasions last year, which has resulted in regulators seeking $633,009 in penalties from the company.

Instead, the company asserts that the inability of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) to process “relatively minor” license updates is further proof that the agency is unable to keep pace with the space industry’s — but chiefly SpaceX’s — rapid growth.

Apple Intelligence is now live in public beta. Here’s what it offers and how to enable it. | TechCrunch

September 20, 2024September 19, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Apple Intelligence took another major step toward mainstream availability Thursday with the launch of the iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1 public betas.

Starting Thursday, those who are enrolled in Apple’s public beta program will be able to experience the generative AI-fueled platform the company has been talking up since June.

For the time being, Apple Intelligence is only available in U.S. English. The feature is also indefinitely unavailable in both the EU and the People’s Republic of China, owing to regulatory hurdles. Those in the States can access the feature with the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and any member of the newly unveiled iPhone 16 line.

25-Year-Old’s Side Hustle Hits Multimillion-Dollar Revenue | Entrepreneur

September 18, 2024September 17, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

What was your day job or primary occupation when you started your side hustle? When I started EB Denim, I was still in high school. I started selling reworked vintage Levi’s to my friends and classmates because I loved having pieces that no one else was wearing. I was always repurposing clothes; even as a kid, I would destroy my brother’s clothes in the name of individuality. When I started bringing them to school, peers would keep asking for more, and soon enough, I was selling denim shorts out of my locker room. It was exciting to see something I did for fun turn into a real business so quickly

Mastering the Craft of a Successful Contracting Business | Cool Business Ideas

September 18, 2024September 17, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Breaking ground in the contracting industry requires more than just a set of tools and a truck. With the market becoming increasingly competitive, contractors need innovative strategies to stand out. Today, we’ll explore the essentials of running a successful contracting business, providing actionable insights ranging from establishing your brand to leveraging technology and enhancing customer satisfaction. If you’re ready to build a strong foundation for your contracting enterprise, read on to learn the secrets of success.

Establishing Your Brand

Creating a unique brand is crucial in the contracting world. Your brand is your promise to customers and sets you apart from competitors. Begin by defining your unique selling proposition (USP). What makes your services different and better? Whether it’s exceptional craftsmanship, quick turnaround times, or competitive pricing, make sure your USP is clear and compelling.

Brexit is ‘stifling’ Britain’s trade with Europe and the problem is getting worse | CNN Business

September 17, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

Brexit is having “profound and ongoing stifling effects” on goods trade between the United Kingdom and the European Union, according to a new report that adds to evidence of the economic damage wrought by Britain’s exit from the world’s largest trading bloc.

Researchers at Aston University in England estimated that between 2021 and 2023, annual UK exports of goods to the EU were 17% lower than they would have been had Brexit never happened. Exports in most sectors have decreased since 2021, according to the report.

“The study highlights that the negative impacts of (Brexit) have intensified over time, with 2023 showing more pronounced trade declines than previous years,” the researchers wrote in the paper published Tuesday.

Fall equinox 2024: When it is, why it happens and what to look for | Live Science

September 16, 2024September 15, 2024 ~ knjohn ~ Leave a comment

While meteorologists like to call fall at the beginning of September, astronomical autumn starts later, on the autumnal equinox. This year, it falls on Sunday, Sept. 22 at 8:44 a.m. EDT (12:44 UTC), according to the National Weather Service.

At this specific time, Earth’s axis is tilted side-on to the sun, meaning there’s an almost equal amount of sunlight and darkness across the globe.

This celestial geometry marks the changing of the seasons — from summer to autumn in the Northern Hemisphere and from winter to spring in the Southern Hemisphere. The word “equinox” is Latin for “equal night,” one of two days per year when the lengths of daylight and darkness are the same across the globe.